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Currently, the three of them were located in a forest within Wave Country. Here, the air was thick and heavy, carrying the damp, earthy scent of decaying leaves, rich soil, and the nearby river.
The night was a blanket of blackness, broken only by the brilliant, scattered diamonds of the stars overhead and the warm, crackling heart of the campfire Alaric had effortlessly conjured.
They had chosen to camp for the night, a decision made more for his companions than for himself. Alaric, with his seemingly endless stamina, could go on without stopping, but he sensed the two shinobi needed a moment to decompress, to process the whirlwind of events that had upended their lives.
He didn't truly need them, not in the way one needs allies for strength. He was a force unto himself. But it was nice to feel the presence of others, even if they were hired mercenaries.
The three of them sat in a loose triangle around the fire, the flames casting long, dancing shadows that made the surrounding woods seem alive. Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, was a coiled spring of tension, his massive frame hunched forward as he stared into the flames, the Kubikiribōchō resting on the ground beside him. Haku sat on the other side, a picture of quiet serenity, his gaze distant as he watched the sparks spiral up into the darkness.
Alaric leaned back against a smooth, moss-covered boulder he'd pulled from the earth to serve as a chair. He took a long, slow drag from the cigar perched between his lips, the glowing tip a small, defiant star against the night. The rich, fragrant smoke curled from his lips, mingling with the scent of burning pine.
He looked from Zabuza's tense shoulders to Haku's quiet contemplation, and finally broke the silence. "After this, where are you guys going?"
Zabuza's head turned, his sharp, predatory eyes fixing on Alaric. A flicker of annoyance crossed his features. 'How many times does this guy smoke?' he thought, a familiar irritation rising. He just grunted in response, a low, dismissive sound. "I don't know."
"Oh come on, you can tell me," Alaric smiled, the expression holding no real warmth, only a calm, unassailable confidence. He knew, of course, that a man like Zabuza, a man who lived and breathed secrets, would never reveal his plans so easily.
"I'll tell you about my plans," he offered, a small gesture of trust. "After this camp, I'm going to Konoha."
Zabuza's gaze sharpened, a flicker of genuine surprise in his eyes. Konoha? Well it didn't matter. He let out a long, weary sigh, the sound a mixture of frustration and resignation.
"I honestly don't know," he admitted, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. "My contract with Gatō was my last mission before settling down."
As he spoke, his gaze flickered, just for a fraction of a second, towards Haku. It was a subtle, almost imperceptible movement, but Alaric, with his enhanced senses, saw it as clearly as if it were a shouted confession. A desire for peace. For an end to the endless running.
He took a slow drag from his cigar, the smoke a momentary veil for his thoughts. "How about seeking asylum at Konoha?"
The suggestion landed in the quiet clearing with the force of a physical blow. "Asylum? Are you crazy?" Zabuza's eyes widened, his usual mask of cold indifference shattering.
"They'd lock me up instantly! I'm Zabuza Momochi! A-Rank missing-nin from Kirigakure! I tried to assassinate the Mizukage! Do you have any idea what they would do to me? I'd be used as a bargaining chip between Konoha and Kiri, tortured for information until I was a useless, broken shell!"
"That won't happen," Alaric stated, his voice a calm. A contrast to Zabuza's outrage. "If you come with me to Konoha, no one will lay a hand on you. I'll speak directly with Hiruzen... he respects my word ('I hope'). You'll be granted clearance to move around the village." He took another puff, his gaze steady. "Of course, a few ANBU will be keeping tabs on you, but that's just protocol, not a cage. But that's fine, right? I can even get you the official documents to transition you both into Shinobis of Konohagakure no Sato."
(('I hope') is thoughts between the dialogue)
"..." Zabuza stared, speechless. The sheer, unadulterated arrogance of the man was breathtaking. To speak of the third Hokage, the God of Shinobi, as if he were a personal acquaintance whose word could be bent to his will… it was madness.
Seeing Zabuza's continued silence, Alaric shrugged, turning his attention to the quiet figure on the other side of the fire. "Unlike you, Haku won't be subjected to surveillance or being spied on. He'll probably have the rank of Genin and be placed on a team for the Chunin exams if he wants."
"..." Haku's head snapped up, his own eyes widening, a flicker of something… a desperate, buried hope… in their depths.
"I could also grant you guys a house and lot," Alaric continued, his voice was a lazy drawl as he casually listed the impossible promises. He was enjoying this, poking and prodding at the hardened shell of the infamous Demon of the Mist. Haku's intrigue was a palpable thing now, a quiet, intense energy that seemed to radiate from him. "Haku will be able to get missions immediately. However, you'll be staying in Konoha for a while... six months at most."
"Ah, damn it!" Zabuza finally exploded, leaping to his feet, his massive frame casting a monstrous, flickering shadow in the firelight. Veins throbbed in his temple. "What're you up to!? Why are you trying to tie us to that goddamn village!?"
Alaric chuckled, a low, amused sound that seemed to further infuriate the missing-nin. "I don't know... I'm not even tied to the village myself. I'm just laying down offers, y'know, to maybe help you out." His smile faded slightly, his gaze becoming serious. "You can't be running forever."
The words hit Zabuza with the force of a physical blow. He stared at Alaric, his anger warring with the cold, hard truth. He sneered, sinking back down onto the log he'd been using as a seat.
"And you think the Hokage would just accept whatever you're going to say?" he scoffed, his voice a harsh, bitter sound. "That's hilarious. You're crazy."
"Whatever," Alaric shook his head in amusement, then turned his gaze to the youngest member of their strange trio. "Why don't you give out your opinion, Haku?"
Zabuza was about to snarl at Alaric for the underhanded tactic, for using Haku as a pawn in this game of wills. But then he saw the boy's face. The intrigue, the hope he had so quickly tried to suppress, was there again, a fragile, beautiful light in his dark eyes.
"Ah, no," Haku said quickly, his gaze dropping to his hands, his loyalty to Zabuza warring with the impossible future Alaric was offering. "Wherever Zabuza-sama is, it is where I'll be."
Zabuza sighed, a long, heavy sound that seemed to carry the weight of a hundred battles. He looked up at the star-dusted sky, then back at Haku. "Do you want to live in Konoha?"
Haku's head turned towards Zabuza, his expression a mask of conflict before he looked away again. "No."
"I don't want to ask again," Zabuza said, his voice was a low, gentle rumble, a tone so rare it made Haku's breath catch in his throat.
Haku looked back at his master, at the man who had saved him, who had become his entire world. He saw the weariness in Zabuza's eyes, the unspoken burden of their endless flight. He sighed, and a single, slow nod was his answer.
Zabuza's own expression softened. He had treated the boy as a tool, a weapon, but in his own twisted way, he loved Haku like a son. He nodded back, then turned, his glare fixing on Alaric with a renewed intensity. "You got what you wanted... we'll be going with you to Konoha."
Alaric didn't gloat. He simply offered a small, satisfied smile. "Nice," he said, his gaze shifting to Haku. "Konoha treasures Kekkei Genkai the most, so you won't have to worry about, Haku."
'...Danzo will want him,' Alaric thought, a flicker of something cold and dangerous passing through his eyes. 'I should deal with that twisted man...'
Zabuza nodded in understanding and sighed. "Then, we'll rest up for tonight... or we could travel now if you want."
"Oh?" Alaric smirked. He pushed himself up from his seat, and with a speed that defied the eye, he vanished, reappearing in the space between Zabuza and Haku, his hands resting gently on their shoulders. "We won't have to travel the conventional way."
"Wha-"
"Huh?"
With that, the world dissolved into a flash of platinum-gold light, leaving nothing behind but the crackling campfire, its flames dancing silently in the lonely, dark forest.
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