Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Ties ❯ Enemy Alert! Mizu Yuya ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 2: Enemy Alert! Mizu Yuya?
The news was received with silence.
Tsunade and Jiraya shared a knowing look before Tsunade turned away, deciding to focus her attention somewhere else instead.
"What's with the silence?" Naruto finally burst, after realizing neither Jiraya nor Tsunade has the desire to probe Neji further. Usually, this type of silence between the two legendary figures meant something… something deadly serious and extremely unpleasant to be exact.
Neji decided to take the lead. "From the reports we have gathered, we have every reason to believe that Haruno Sakura is now holding a higher-up rank in the organization, presumably…" He did a quick scan at the report in his hands. "Yuya's right-hand man, responsible for most of the high level assassinations in the organization for the past two years she is active."
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Both Naruto and Ino snapped together, with expressions ready to burn Neji alive.
Tsunade squeezed her eyes tight while rubbing her sweaty forehead, trying her best to keep her temper in check by ignoring the two noisy ones in her office.
Neji spared the two his usual stoic stare, and turned back to Tsunade. "Her highest records was about eight hundred and fifty eight assassinations in one month, which means about twenty to-"
"I don't need the details now." The Fifth suddenly interrupted, waving a hand of displeasure.
"What is your proposition for this case?" She then asked.
The Fifth was straight to the point, in Neji's opinion. He surmised that the Hokage knew, as well as he do, where this conversation is leading.
Hyuuga Neji gave it a thought and signed. Damn.. This is one delicate case of betrayal! Partly because the Haruno was one of Konoha's Four, the Hokage's favored disciple and one of Konoha's pillars of strength but largely were due to the fact that he had worked with her before.
She was the medic in his team.
On a fine day few years ago, some S-classed criminals were spotted lurking around Konoha's border, which the Fifth found it suspicious and sent for his team to investigate. During the process, Haruno showed absolute team spirit and competency and not to mention her shrewdness, in wiping out the threats. She not only healed, she could also fight pretty well.
Of course, they had some casual conversations in between, which Neji was left with the impression that Haruno Sakura was someone who will never bend to evil calls.
But who knows? People do change...
So, what should he say? How should he start?
"I believe whatever decision Hokage-sama makes will be of best interests to Konoha."
There… perfect.
Tsunade showed an ironic expression at that reply, which Neji tried to ignore and concluded, "The ABNU squad will be on standby mode awaiting for the Fifth's instructions."
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?" Naruto and Ino shouted together at Tsunade, which proved to be a huge mistake…
The two was sent flying across the room before they realized it, with Ino landing on top of Naruto…
"Iiitaiii…" Ino moaned, rubbing the back of her head as she sat up but still on top of Naruto.
"Ino-chhann… do.. do you mind…?" Naruto choked on his words as he attempted to push Ino off his body. He wouldn't mind if it was Sakura though… but he knows that the level-headed pink-haired female ninja would never commit such acts for him to have the chance.
With her hands on her hips, Tsunade stared down at the two. "Don't. Provoke me." There was a pause, indicating she meant what she said. The words were drawled out in a dangerously calm voice, meaning to hint that she was already provoked.
"Looks like the legacy of the Mizus are not to be underestimated after all…" Jiraya chimed in while Tenten and Hinata offered their help to Ino and Naruto.
Tsunade remained quiet.
"Who are these Mizu people?" Tenten asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. It usually takes a lot to make her sensei this disturbed.
Jiraya rubbed his chin. "The Mizus… how should I start ne…?"
"It's said that the origins of shinobis can be traced to this clan." Hinata interrupted, making her comrades turned to her in question.
"So you know.." Jiraya remarked, a little surprised that shinobis her age actually knew the existence of this historic, perhaps the oldest clan in history.
"I've heard it from my father." Hinata replied as a matter of fact.
"You're pretty much informed." Jiraya praised as an idea struck his head. The Mizus had a long history. Although he knows about it, explaining it would be well quite a hassle. "Then I shall give you the honor of doing the explaining!"
Hinata nodded and turned to her eagerly comrades. "As I said, the origins of shinobis can be traced to this significant clan." They nodded for her to continue. "Long before our time, their ancestors were actually a bunch of elite assassins working for a feudal lord then. But somehow in between, there were disagreements among both parties and the Phoenix decided to work for their own, thus forming the clan that goes by the name of Mizu."
"What's with the Phoenix name?" Ino asked.
"It's a name they called themselves before the formation of the clan. A thing to note though, that the true descendents of the Mizus bear their family emblem upon birth, which is at the back of their heads."
"Amazing.. how does the birthmark look like?" This time, it was Tenten who asked.
The whole Mizu legacy has captured their full attention.
"It looks something like a bird's feather, assumingly the Phoenix's feather."
"How big is it?" Ino asked.
Hinata gave it a thought. "Well, about an inch or two… I'm not sure;I've not seen a real one."
Ino widened her eyes with intense curiosity. "Where have you seen it?"
"In the Hyuuga's History Book. It records almost all the powerful clans in history."
Hinata bit her lip. From what she knows about her two comrades for the past eight years, she is sure, in another second or two, the two girls are bound to ask her for the book.
"Impressive." Tenten remarked, already quirking an eyebrow.
"You gotta let us read it sometimes!" Ino stated excitedly.
(I knew it…) Hinata twisted her lips a little. "… I don't think so."
"WHY?" Tenten and Ino protested together.
"I can't believe you're so selfish!" Ino said.
"I can't believe our years of friendship can't even surpass an old book!" Tenten added right after Ino.
“The branch family were not allowed to touch the book, much less the outsiders.” Neji interrupted.
Silence took over after that. Both kunoichis dared not probe further, for they knew the stringency of Hyuuga house rules.
Naruto humph and folded his arms. "What's so great about the Mizus anyway…?"
"Their greatness is in their abilities, which are still unrivaled today." Jiraya chimed in, rubbing his nose. "No one has the chance anyway."
Naruto frowned. "Why?"
Frankly speaking, he's getting pretty irritated about this Mizu clan.
"That! I will leave it to our Hinata-sensei to explain!" Jiraya suggested readily, giving Hinata a wink.
Hinata nodded in response, turning to Naruto. "They are why we existed today. They are the ones who created ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu… whatever skills we have today originated from them. In other words, they created us."
With his frown intact, Naruto widened his eyes at that answer.
"Or in simpler terms for you.." Ino interrupted with her usual sarcasm, "They are arguably our common ancestor… the ancestor of shinobis."
"What about the advanced bloodline clans? Like the Uch-"
"They originated from the Mizus as well." Hinata cut Naruto off with this unbelievable fact. When she saw the confused look on Naruto, Hinata explained, "The History Book states that the Mizus reached a point where their clan got so huge that some decided to detach from the main clan and formed their own, specializing into their area of abilities. That's when advanced bloodline clans like the Uchihas boomed."
Naruto was rendered speechless. And so was Ino and Tenten. They couldn't believe that such a clan even existed. Jiraya gave a look of perceptiveness while Shizune kept her stare on Tsunade, whose eyes were downcast.
"You mean the Mizus are able to use their family special abilities like the Sharingan and the Byukagan..?" Naruto asked, wanting to affirm the news he just received.
"Technically speaking, yes. But only a true Mizu can do that."
The trio in front of Hinata are about to ask questions again when Hinata continued, knowing exactly what they're thinking.
"As I said, the clan got huge. And it was believed that some members have mixed around with other bloods that were deemed impure. The elders of the clan, in order to preserve and identify pure Mizu lineage, had performed a powerful seal to give their true descendents a birthmark, resembling the shape of the Phoenix's feather, which is, as I said before also, the Mizu's family emblem."
"Where are they? Where do they live?" Ino asked, wondering what the Mizus are like.
Hinata quirked an eyebrow. "This is perhaps a question that we will never have an answer to."
"Eh?" Bewilderment flashed across their faces as Naruto asks, "How come? What happened?"
"The whole clan mysteriously vanished one day." Shizune finally voiced out, seeing that Hinata was getting pretty tired with the explanation.
"But how..?" Tenten asked, disbelief evident in her voice.
Shizune shrugged her shoulders. "They just… disappeared overnight. Nobody knows what happened or where they went."
Shizune then took a step forward from where she's been standing. "However, there is this popular belief that they got so powerful that they ascended to Heaven as Gods."
Ino remained amazed while Hinata congruently nodded to what Shizune had said. Tenten gave it a thought while Neji folded his arms.
Naruto rolled his eyes.
Honestly, Naruto thought that was the stupidest thing he has ever heard. Something must have happened but it was kept secret. He then smirked at his own intelligence. He thought of Sakura again. It was she who taught him to always look things beyond what they really are.
He still remembered her words then.
They were on a mission together to escort this prince to another country for a dinner invitation. Somewhere along the way, they got separated with their own set of enemies but in the end, Sakura managed to find him. When the mission ended and they were on their way back to Konoha, Naruto asked how she managed to figure out where he was, she edgily answered, "Shinobis need to think beyond the normal! Kaka-sensei said that, remember!"
Honestly, he didn't.
Sakura then softened her features. "There are no coincidences in this world we lived in. When something happens, it happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is hidden, so all we got to do is to find out! That is if we want to know."
She then narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "You left your place of duty because you thought I was in danger, didn't you?"
Naruto blushed then.
"So now obviously, it seems that the Mizu lineage has not completely died off with the existence of this Mizu Yuya."
Naruto was reeled back to reality upon Tenten's serious voice.
"I don't understand." Ino brushed strands of her blond hair away from her irritated face as she said, "Why is Sakura involving herself with such a dangerous person? What does Yuya want with Sakura? And, and, how the hell did she revived Sakura in the first place?"
Tenten took a few to and fro steps, figuring, "Perhaps the corpse we saw was not Sakura. Perhaps she was still alive when her body was swapped by the time we reached."
"Perhaps we have to be two hundred percent alert in dealing with Yuya." Hinata quipped. "Because if what Tenten reckoned is correct, then we're safe to conclude that she is indeed a deep figure. It takes a lot of depth to perform such deep genjutsu as hers." Hinata stated thoughtfully.
Then something suddenly crossed her mind.
Orochimaru was in her organization. For someone like him to bend to her, it would basically mean that...
"Perhaps her abilities exceed even Orochimaru."Jiraya informed, saying Hinata's thoughts out. "How could I forget? She is a Mizu after all."
Silence filled the room after the Sannin's statement, each accessing how bad the situation can be in their minds.
"Does that mean now we now have a creepier enemy?" Ino remarked finally.
No one answered. Instead, knowing looks were exchanged.
"Ino." Tsunade's grim interruption made the blonde kunoichi jumped a little when she heard her name being called.
"Yes, sensei?"
"I would like to visit Mrs. Haruno."