He had spent weeks inside the cave mending his wounds. "Im no Kabuto but I still think I did and okay job" He spoke to the empty cave. No answer was given. He felt slightly confused as to why that disappointed him. "Ive been in this cave too long." He muttered to himself. "This is what I get for thinking I could take the raikage and his B. I was so stupid I thought myself smarter than the enemy. I underestimated my foe. Orochimaru would be so disappointed!" His throat tightened as he spoke this. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the musky smelling wall behind him. In his mind he saw a face silhouetted with no features except the eye of "that" clan. The voice echoed through his mind "Pathetic. If thats all you have then you are truly worthless to me. No wonder I had to give my life. It's becuase you couldn't help me think of a better way." The eye got closer and Saihen could feel the disdain coming from it. "IT'S YOUR FAULT I'M DEAD" Saihen jerked awake ignoring the wetness he could feel on his cheeks. It's just a dream At least thats how he tried to convince himself to calm down. The emotionally distraught shinobi stood up and grabbed the summoning scroll laying by his bedroll. Without this it would've been for nothing. The scroll and the absence of his custom arm is all the proof he has of his encounter. His wounds healed he sets off for the Village of the Leaf. Hoping to run into a old friend. The journey to the leaf was uneventful. The aide of a kind vender kept him from halving to walk the whole way. While riding on her cart the woman had offered him a lift saying the leaf was her destination. Saihen accepted of course it was a very long walk. As he climbed into cart he took a look at her. Her short red hair hair that fell past her ears. He took notes of the dark kimono she wore and her arm guards. She held out a hand to help him up. But what caught his attention most were the blue of her eyes. One was a dark blue like the sky before a storm but the other was a light blue like a still lake. Along the way they chatted about multiple things. The woman was actually delivering a shipment of medical supplies and rare tea leaves to a cafe ran by a woman named Kaika. "Really all types are allowed there she doesnt descriminate. She was a medical nin before the shop opened. Since then she rarely leaves." The woman smiles. "She offers asylum to any who need it no questions asked" Saihen smirks to himself What are the chances that he gets a ride to the exact place he was heading? Things might actually work this time. The woman stops talking with a confused look on her face "I am so sorry I dont believe I ever caught your name" Saihen started to lie but then decided the woman was no threat to his current goals. "You may call me Saihen" "You may call me Mai" She replied. After that they merely chatted about the weather and the state of the world. For two weeks they traveled together. The fact that no bandits or anything of the like attacked surprised Saihen. Multiple times along the trip he had thought they would be. He felt eyes watching and they passed through many perfect ambush spots. Yet Mai just kept on driving seemingly oblivious to the dangers. Maybe he was overreacting after all the war had changed things. Maybe bandits were no longer in these parts. "Maybe that new hokage brat actually has good security measures now" Saihen thought. "Well if bandits are no worries that merely leaves skirting the Anbu until I get what I need" As they approached the front gate of the village guards stopped them. One approached the cart. "Who are you and what is your business here" Mai reached into her kimono sleeve and withdrew a paper with the emblem of the leaf stamped on it "Im sure everything is in order." Saihen had never seen a guard look so surprised as he saw the paper "Yesyes of c-c-course go right in." Mai smiled "Why thank you" As the went through the gates Saihen was struck with the size of the village. It had grown so large since he was last here. The streets were packed with people runnings errands or just enjoying the weather. Skyscrapers dotted the skyline. The sky had airships coming and going. The mountain had more faces since he was last there. The stoic gaze of the new hokage gazed upon the village. Judging all those who traveled its streets. Turning to Mai he asked "How did you get through security so fast? They didnt even check us." Her eyebrows bunched together "Oh I must have forgot to mentio-" "My lord" Both Saihen and Mai heads turned to see a robed figure kneeling in front of them. Hood hiding its face "Any orders?" Mai looked down at him "At this time no. You did an excellent job go back to base with the others and rest up." The figure stood up and Saihen saw under the hood. His brain reeled from what he saw. " A ceramic mask! In the shape of a fox. Anbu.Lord?!!!!!!!!!?????? The bandits? Of course! That means.. Oh no" as the pieces fell into place. 'How did I not notice? Am I slipping this much?!" The thoughts raced in his head. He turned towords Mai and saw a slight smile on her lips. "Piece it together did we?" Saihen focused his chakra around himself ready to flare it out. "Release!" He fell to the ground agony racing up his arm. Yanking up his sleeve he saw a seal glowing on his forearm. "Of course why would anyone actually help me? Foolish" He looked up at her from the ground "So sorry about the ruse. But when the Raikage sent word that a one armed shinobi had attacked him and then I picked you up. It was just too much to resist. Didnt you find it strange i just happen to be going where you were planning on going? She laughed. "I assumed one as smart as you would figure it out but oh well. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mai, high lord of the Anbu, the strongest of the leaf and you, well you are my prisoner. " From the ground Saihen tried to focus his chakra again only to be met with the same searing pain on his arm. "That seal on your arm prevents chakra usage of any kind as well as disguising my face. A custom made seal specifically crafted to aid in prisoner transport." Saihen struggled to his feet. A crowd of people had formed around them. He was sure she had other Anbu watching. He could use no chakra while this seal was on his forearm. He couldnt fight without his puppet arm. He was truly and utterly out of options. "I give up. You win" Saihen stood shakily "I surrender" Mai strode up to him "As I thought. come with me the hokage wishes to see you personally." As she turned and started to walk four Anbu dropped down around Saihen completly surrounding him. The crowd parted to let them through. "My own personal funeral march with her leading the way." Desperately looking for any way out. As long as the seal was on he was helpless. The Anbu kunoichi lead the way through back streets. "Probably to keep me away from the civilians. No collateral damage. No witnesses" Passing by an alley he saw a small basin used by blacksmiths to cool hot metal. As they approached the smith came out holding a red hot hunk of metal inbetween a pair of tongs. "This is my chance." Saihen launched himself towords the smith and pressed his hand against the metal "What are you doing?!" The smith took a step back as the smell of Saihens burning flesh filled the air. "Come on come on" Gritting his teeth as the metal seared the skin on his hand. He pulled it back to see that the seal and been divided cleanly in half by the burning. Ignoring his pain he touched the inside of his sleeve sending a bit of chakra to release the summon he had there. Instantly dozens of smoke bombs fell out of his sleeve filling the air with enough smoke to almost be tangible. "GET HIM HE IS RIGHT HERE STILL!" Saihen jumped onto the roof only to find an Anbu waiting for him "Damn. perimeter guard" The Anbu started to reach up to touch his communicater. Saihen launched himself at the ninja, arm drawn back and glowing with chakra "HIRODURAA" The Anbu recognizing the attack vanished. Saihen landed where the anbu was and stopped the chakra flow "Heh,didnt think that would work. They really are jumpy" He heard the sound of multiple feet landing behind him. Not even turning around he took off. Focusing on his surroundings as he leaped roof to roof. Then he saw it,Kaikas cafe safe haven to all. Even the anbu need express Hokage permission to go in. He landed on the street, ignoring the people staring ran as hard he he could towords the doors. All he needed to do was get inside. The he would have a few hours while the went through the process of getting permission. "STOP HIM HE HIS RIGHT THERE! STOP UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOKAGE UZUMAKI NARUTO STOP" Mai's voice sounded out behind him. He was sure she had a small army behind him but he dared not look back. As he approached the doors and saw the guards out front he started yelling his own message "ASYLUM ASYLUM" The guards in front of the cafe spread apart and openend the door to let him pass. The second he touched the inside of the cafe the doors were shut behind him. He looked around the cafe finding the owner standing behind a bar serving the most exquisite meals he had seen in weeks. The room was brightly lit and packed with people eating.Barely any of them paid him any attention apparently used to this kind of thing he sat down at the bar. "My name is Kaika you can tell me your name or not however you wish. You are safe here until the hokage himself tells me otherwise. You may stay as long as you wish. Now are you hungry or require any medical aide? " The owner was standing over him looking mildly shy but also eager to help. "I do have a slight burn I would like some treatment for" he pulled up his sleeve for the first time seeing the damge he did to his arm. The skin from his knuckles to halfway up his form was simply melted off. He could see the fiborous muscle under neath. Kaika gasped "That looks pretty bad however." She placed her palm over his burn and Saihen watched in amazement as new skin crisscrossed across the wound stitching it closed. He gazed up at the owner "I..I don't know what to say. Thank you" She smiles "Its not a problem. Is there anything else youd like?" "Actually is there someplace private we can talk? I need your help finding someone who may not want her name being broadcasted everywhere." Kaika nodded and motionend for him to follow Saihen got up and followed her to a back room.she shut the door behind them. The room was small and filled with boxes fhat smelled VERY strongly of tea "So who is it you need to find?" Saihen pulled the scroll from his robes and unrolled it on the table between them. He unlocked the seal and in a puff of smoke Sammehada appeared on the table and promptly wrapped its hilt around Saihen's wrist enjoying the chakra. "Her name is Abunai. We used to travel in the same circle so to speak. I merely wish to find her and return this." Kaika's eyes widenend. Her voice came out out slightly above a whisper. "Is that..HIS sword?" "Yes" "The one that Killer B took?" "Yes" "So that makes you the shinobi that attacked him and his brother and stole it?" "Yes" She sat down on a box. "You are a VERY wanted shinobi. The entire alliance has people looking for you. The Hokage, once he finds out that you are in here he will come himself. He and B were quite close In the war." Saihen was shocked. "How close?" She looked up at him a sad look in her eyes. "They were like brothers. The hokage takes family quite seriously." Saihen sighed. "I will be out of here as soon as I can I dont wish to cause trouble for you. Do you k ow where I can find her?" Kaika pulls out a map and marks a place on the map. "She told me if anyone is ever looking for her to send them there. I hear the beach its on is quite beautiful." Saihen fills with dread "That is months away without an airship. There are no non alliance airships. I can't possibly get there." Kaika is lot in thought for a moment "I think I can help that actually. One moment." She walks to the door and pokes her head out and starts talking. A few moments later a petite girl with curly bown hair and glasses comes in and smiles at Saihen. "Oh I can work with this." She drops a case on the floor "Im a but of a master at appearing to be someone im not. I bet you think im a girl" "Arent you?" She giggles "wouldnt you like to know? My name is pidge by the way and im going to change how you look" Kaika walks out saying "have fun you two" Hours later Saihen walks out of the room. He had to admit pidge did amazing. He has a new puppet arm that does things he hadnt even thought of. He walked with a limp thanks to uneven shoes. His eyes were a light green thanks to contacts and his hair was now down to his waist and a dark black thanks to some chakra enhanced growth. She even gave him a chakra suppression device to hide his chakra. Pidge had said any time he needed help he was welcome to get ahold of her she was fascinated by his ideas for applications of chakra and machinery. He thanked both her and kaika profusely and walked out the front door. Right past Anbu waiting outside. They didnt even look at him twice. The ticket clerk paid him no attention as he bought a ticket and took his seat on the airship He had a new identity courtesy of Pidge and a full belly courtesy of Kaika. He wished he could stay. As he watched the village grow smaller on the horizon he actually felt sad to leave them behind. "Another day perhaps"
