The mist hung heavy over the forest, clinging to the branches like a silent veil as Raven Kamizuki stepped carefully over the damp earth. Each footfall was measured, light, and deliberate—the gait of a hunter who did not wish to be heard. The night air was cool against her skin, and the faint sounds of waves lapping against the distant shore whispered through the trees.
At her side, Yuumi, her nine-tailed fox companion, padded along silently. To anyone watching, she was nothing more than an ordinary pet, but Raven heard her clearly in her mind.
**You sure about this?** Yuumi's voice brushed against Raven's thoughts. **She could attack you. You don't exactly scream "peaceful diplomat," you know.**
Raven smirked but kept her eyes forward. "That's what makes it fun."
Yuumi sighed. **You and your idea of fun…**
The forest opened into a small clearing, where a figure knelt near a patch of herbs. She moved with grace and precision, plucking each plant as if it were a ritual she had performed countless times. Her long dark hair fell past her shoulders, and the mask she had worn earlier was now lowered, revealing soft, delicate features—features that seemed almost out of place in a life of bloodshed.
Haku.
For a moment, Raven simply observed, taking in the duality before her—the gentle healer and the deadly shinobi bound within the same fragile frame. This was no ordinary tool of war—this was a caged bird, longing for freedom.
Haku's eyes flicked up, sensing Raven's approach long before she spoke.
"You hide your steps well," Haku said, her voice calm, almost melodic. "But I knew someone was there."
Raven stepped forward, hands raised slightly in a gesture of neutrality, but her violet eyes remained sharp.
"I expected nothing less," Raven replied. "I came to talk, not fight."
Haku's expression remained unreadable, but her hand rested lightly on the hilt of a kunai at her side. "Few approach strangers in the dead of night with good intentions."
"And fewer still come bearing gifts of knowledge that could save your life."
That caught Haku's attention. Her grip on the kunai tightened ever so slightly.
"I know who you are," Raven continued, her voice lowered but firm. "And I know you serve Zabuza Momochi. You're both fugitives, hunted by your own village. And you're working for Gato."
Haku's gaze sharpened, but she did not deny it.
Raven held up a small scroll, the seal freshly placed by Mikoto earlier that day.
"This is everything you need to know," Raven said. "Gato plans to betray you. Once the bridge is finished, he's going to dispose of both you and Zabuza."
Haku's face remained still, but Raven caught the faintest tremor in her eyes. She stepped forward, offering the scroll.
"I'm not asking you to trust me," Raven said. "Just read it."
Haku hesitated, then took the scroll with delicate fingers. She unfurled it, her eyes scanning the contents quickly, trained to absorb information under pressure. Her face paled ever so slightly as she reached the section outlining the hit on Zabuza and herself.
"This… can't be…"
"It is," Raven said. "Those are Gato's smuggling routes, his bribes to officials in the Land of Water, and his private orders to have you both executed."
Haku's hands trembled slightly, but she quickly composed herself, rolling the scroll back up.
"Why tell me this?" she asked, her voice quieter now, but wary. "What do you gain?"
Raven stepped closer, her tone softening.
"I represent a hidden village—Uzu no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools. We're building something… different. A place for those who have nowhere else to go. For those who were cast aside or hunted. People like you."
Haku narrowed her eyes, but there was no hostility—only curiosity.
"You're asking us to join you."
"I'm offering you a future," Raven corrected. "Zabuza is strong, but he's tired of running. And you… You deserve to be more than a weapon. You deserve a life."
The words lingered in the air, cutting through the mist like a blade.
Haku lowered her gaze, her mask slipping—not physically, but emotionally. For the briefest moment, Raven saw the young woman beneath the assassin—a girl yearning for freedom, for warmth, for something beyond blood and orders.
"I… owe everything to Zabuza-sama," Haku murmured. "He gave me purpose when I had nothing."
Raven nodded. "I know. And he loves you more than he lets on."
Haku's head snapped up, her eyes widening.
Raven smiled knowingly. "He calls you his tool, but I see it. The way he protects you… It's more than duty. You're his daughter."
Haku stiffened, tears threatening to form, but she blinked them away.
"He would never say that," she whispered.
"He doesn't have to," Raven said. "But he'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. And right now… staying with Gato is the most dangerous thing you can do."
Haku held the scroll tightly, as though it were both a burden and a lifeline.
"What will happen if we accept?"
"Zabuza can live in a sub-village along the coast," Raven explained. "A place for men—away from the core of Uzu no Sato. He can train others, protect the shorelines—find stability."
"And me?"
Raven smiled softly. "You would live in the heart of Uzu no Sato, with the women. You'd train, grow stronger… find who you are beyond the mask."
Haku's lips trembled slightly, but she masked her emotions again.
"I… I will speak to Zabuza-sama."
"That's all I ask."
Raven turned to leave, but paused.
"You deserve happiness, Haku. Both of you do."
Haku watched as Raven disappeared into the mist, her heart conflicted—but for the first time in years, hope stirred within her chest.
Later that Night – Tazuna's Home
Raven slipped back inside, Yuumi's voice brushing against her mind.
**Think she'll convince him?**
Raven smirked, but her eyes were thoughtful.
"She already has… she just doesn't know it yet."
Yuumi chuckled softly. **You're scary when you're like this.**
Raven grinned, but her heart was steady.
Zabuza and Haku would come to them.
And the revolution would gain two more blades.
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