The mist over Kirigakure was thick enough to choke on, curling around the rooftops as always. I walked through it in silence, the sound of my sandals faint against the wet stone.
And yes, on a smaller side note, I've got new clothes. The best part about them? They're a 'gift' from Kirigakure. During my training camp as an orphan, the village pocketed every single coin I was owed, from the money they ought to pay to the orphans, and so this new set of clothing is the most overpriced piece of crap I'll ever have the honor of unwillingly purchasing.
Meanwhile, the guards watched me constantly from their posts, thinking themselves hidden. They didn't move to stop me. They all knew my name, Momochi Zabuza, the boy who walked out of the selection trials painted in blood, the cannibal, the demon of the mist.
Sure, some doubted the stories of my so-called genius and infamy. But no one foolish or hotheaded lives long enough to become a Kage's guardian, and so the held back and simply observed.
I pushed open the doors to the Mizukage's chamber.
The man had me summoned like some common whore. Well, he's the Kage, but that doesn't mean I have to like being at his mercy.
The air inside was heavy and humid, smelling faintly of salt, ink, and something else I couldn't quite place, something unpleasant, a mixture of sperm, drugs, and fear. The Mizukage sat behind a low desk, his hat resting beside him, his sharp gaze fixed on the maps sprawled across the table. The lantern light caught in his eyes, and for a moment, I could feel it, the sensation of staring into the eyes of a predator deciding whether to feed or wait.
Seems there's a reason this man holds his position; his thirst for blood is as palpable as the floor beneath my feet.
"Zabuza Momochi," the Mizukage said evenly. "You've been quite an annoying little problem."
I bowed slightly, though I never truly lowered my head. "You summoned me, Mizukage-sama."
"I did." His tone was calm, but beneath it, I could hear iron. "Tell me Zabuza-kun, what drives you? Is it ambition? Maybe redemption for your worthless father's mistakes? Or simply the thrill of being in power and killing those weaker than yourself?"
My lips curled slightly. "None of those, Mizukage-sama. I simply do what I must to survive."
The Mizukage chuckled low and dry. "Survival, huh? That's the same lie every hypocritical murderer in this world tells himself. I must kill them before they can kill me, the truth is, survival requires obedience to circumstances. You either adapt and accept, or you break and die. And I hear you struggle with that."
"I obey every order from my superiors," I replied evenly. "And I'll continue to do so as long as it serves the village and strengthens it."
"That is not obedience," the Mizukage replied, his smile vanishing. "Obedience is following orders without questioning them, what you do, that's convenience. I was there when two lunatics had the entire Shinobi World in their grasp, and I saw the destruction that followed them firsthand. They too believed themselves above the status quo, and questioned the order of the world, and brought chaos upon us all, and I will not have chaos in my village. Is that understood?"
The silence stretched between us. I could feel the old bastard's killing intent tightening around my throat like wire. He was threatening me, his way of saying he wouldn't tolerate defiance in a world where the strong rule over the weak. What he wanted was absolute submission, the kind where I'd be his obedient little pet, measured and controlled.
I bowed again, this time lower, forcing the gesture through clenched teeth.
"As you say, Mizukage-sama. My blade is yours."
The Mizukage studied me, predator's patience in his gaze, then nodded once. "Good. Always remember your place, Zabuza-kun. Every weapon has a master, and a Shinobi without a clan, one such as yourself, is just a weapon."
Yeah, sure, you ugly bastard.
Every idiot thinks of himself as someone's master. But masters bleed the same when you cut deep enough. Outwardly, I said nothing, just standing there, still as a dead fish.
The Mizukage leaned back in his chair. "You may go now, Zabuza-kun."
I turned to leave, but just as my hand reached for the door, his voice came again quiet and deliberate.
"Zabuza-kun… You are valuable to Kirigakure. But remember simply being valuable does not make one irreplaceable."
My fingers brushed the wooden frame of the door. "Understood."
I walked out of that ugly building and into the ever-present mist. The air bit at my face; winter was coming. Each step echoed softly, the frozen ground crunching beneath my feet, though the sound was quickly swallowed by fog.
As for the Mizukage he wants obedience. Fine. I'll bide my time, play the obedient little tool. But once the opportunity arises… I'll make sure he never looks at anyone again.
[Narrator POV – Mizukage's Chamber (Later That Night)]
The Mizukage remained seated long after Zabuza's footsteps faded. The lantern light flickered, casting long shadows across the maps before him. He exhaled through his nose, a slow, weary breath.
"He'll turn on me," he murmured.
From the darkness, an ANBU wearing a cat mask stepped forward and knelt. "You are certain, Mizukage-sama?"
"I am not blind," the Mizukage said flatly. "For someone so young, he hides his intent well, but he lacks experience. His eyes gave him away. He sees me not as a leader worth following—but as an obstacle."
The ANBU hesitated. "Then shall I…"
"No," the Mizukage interrupted. "Not yet. A weapon like him is too valuable to discard. Control can take many forms. I don't need his submission, as long as I have his leash."
He rose and stepped toward the window. Beyond the glass, the mist rolled endlessly, blanketing the city in silence.
"Send word to the clan heads loyal to me," he said. "Their children are to enroll in the Academy. I want them close to Zabuza—close enough to befriend him, to bind him through camaraderie and trust. If he cannot be tamed by fear, perhaps he can be leashed by companionship. Let's see, if I can imitate that monkeys methods."
The ANBU bowed his head. "And if that fails?"
The Mizukage's reflection smiled faintly in the window. "It won't. The Monkey has proven the method's effectiveness. Once Zabuza graduates, he'll be assigned the most dangerous missions we have. If he succeeds, Kirigakure profits. If he dies…"
He turned, eyes cold. "Then Kirigakure still profits."
The ANBU's mask dipped. "Understood, Mizukage-sama."
"Good," the Mizukage said, settling back into his chair. "Begin at once."
As the ANBU vanished into the mist, the Mizukage stared down at the map once more. His hand hovered over the mark denoting Zabuza's unit, then curled into a fist.
"Ambition is fire Zabuza-kun," he whispered. "And fire must be contained one way or another, before it burns everything I have built to ash."