Chapter 21   - Ch21. Kiri 1

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The journey to Kiri was peaceful. With Konan and Rei masking their chakra with nature energy, no shinobi saw them as anything but normal children accompanying a merchant. As they entered the Land of Fire, the war-like atmosphere evaporated. The people were cheerful and lively. The streets were full of children playing with a ball... it was a nice sight.

Except, Rei had to hold Konan's arm as he saw her clutching her fist hard seeing it. He knew how hard it was for her as a child. He also knew she had enmity with Konoha for killing her parents. And while she didn't desire revenge, it must have been hard to see children happy and carefree in the Land protected by Konoha when Konoha shinobi were killing and ravaging the country she was born in.

Rei didn't try to console her. This was important for Konan to solve herself. The answers she will form may very well affect her entire life. He would not let her be some Avenger but he was not averse to let her horizon widen. To learn to look at things from different angles.

Konan didn't feel hate for the children or civilians. She only felt disgusted. So much blood flooded Ame, and yet...

It irked her immensely. But the second she felt Rei's arm... She didn't care anymore. She had a new life. She worked hard to have a new life. To become strong. Her priority was Rei. These people could burn or be happy, she had no care for them. But... she decided to become even stronger so the people she loves will be able to live like these children. Carefree and happy. While her enemies will feel like herself during childhood. Painful and miserable. That she promised to herself.

...

Their journey continued towards the Land of Noodle until they arrived in the capital. There, Karubo led both Konan and Rei to an abandoned warehouse.

As they entered, they saw two people with Kiri hitai-ate, lounging on a chair, completely relaxed.

When the men looked at who was approaching, they groaned.

"Karubo-san... kids? Seriously?" A pale man with blue tear marks under his very tired-looking eyes asked the merchant.

"Well... as long as they are useful. Keke." Another man who was twirling kunai on his finger, trying to appear menacing, rolled his eyes while snickering. "You kiddies wanna join Kiri? Heh? Are you of any use?" He condescendingly asked.

"Spar then?" Rei quipped before Karubo could interrupt, shrugging down the coat from his shoulders, coming forward.

"Ooh! Look at him. This one is spunky!"

"Kid, sigh." The tired-looking man turned to his companion. "Don't fight him too seriously. We finally became chunin. The Mizukage won't be thrilled if you beat the shit outta them. They are kids, Kiribaro."

"Ah, shut up, Mizuru. I will be gentle."

The man, still playing with his kunai, stood up and walked leisurely towards Rei with a mocking expression.

Rei could only sigh. These two idiots had as much chakra as the chunin, Kilabi, they killed in Ame. To be honest, Rei had at least five times than them by now. He was already on low-jonin reserves with Konan. But to be underestimated due to his age? He smiled widely.

The tired-looking man, Mizuru, was observing the kids. One was an impassive girl. Very beautiful girl, he offhandedly noted. That one will definitely be a looker in the future. His uncaring eyes looked at the c.o.c.ky boy and slightly widened. That smile. He saw it. On one of the Kiri seven swordsmen right before...

Bam...

Kiribaro found himself thrown into the wall, cracking it as the kid appeared in front of him, his foot raised at the level of Kiribaro's stomach.

"You are just a chunin and you wanna compare notes with me? Seeking death!" Rei shouted condescendingly as he was inwardly fanboying!

Hehehe! Always wanted to play big bad cultivator bully! … He was mentally bouncing up and down.

He wasn't in a warzone anymore and could let loose his more mischievous side!

Konan snickered while covering her mouth with her gloved hand and walked forward.

"My turn." Her expression turned stoic as she impassively said, looking at Mizuru.

Mizuru sweatdropped as he felt the killing intent the girl was releasing straight at him.

"I-I'll pass." He gulped.

"Ah, Muzuru-san. I forgot to tell you. These two are from Ame. They are strong." Karubo sheepishly rubbed the back of his head

Say so sooner, bastard!... Mizuru's eyes twitched at him and Kiribaro groaned, still on the ground.

From there it was smooth sailing. The men started asking questions... name, former village, country, age...

"Say what now?" Kiribaro asked, irritated at what he just heard. He was still holding his stomach as he sat on the chair, his head laid on the table.

"I said we are ten." Rei nonchalantly responded.

"Kid, you loo-"

"Jutsu accident. Made us grow." Rei shrugged.

Mizuru ever so slowly nodded. He was weirded out, alright, but he heard of weirder cases. As he was about to write it down, Rei suddenly added.

"Oh, don't forget to write that we are connected because of it. We can't separate otherwise it would be detrimental to our health."

Konan nodded eagerly and Mizuru only sighed and nodded. He was not about to say no to a kid that could wipe the floor with him.

"Really now..." Kiribaro grumbled.

Then it came to any known diseases, living family, and finally skills.

"Karubo said the girl had some paper Kekkei Genkai..." Kiribaro stated, unsurely looking at Konan.

"No. She does not." Rei quickly attracted the attention and took a paper slice from his pocket, folding it with his chakra.

"It is a chakra control skill. She uses her chakra to fold it into shapes and her futon to make them fly."

Rei was not about to let them know it was Kekkei Genkai, much less Kekkei Tota. Konan knew what she held and that was enough.

Mizuru nodded.

"So, any affinities other than futon?" He didn't miss that little tidbit. Ten years old proficient with futon? The kids in front of him were true monsters. Both of them.

Rei and Konan looked at each other, Konan bit her lip and took a step back, letting Rei deal with it. She knew he didn't want to reveal the full scope of their skills. But she had no idea what she was allowed to reveal.

Mizuru, seeing that little gesture, resisted a groan. He knew that he won't get a full account from the kids now. Alas, he was already used to something akin to this. Did not make it any less annoying though.

Rei sighed as his head swirled with ideas about what to reveal.

"As for me... Raiton, Doton, and Suiton plus kenjutsu... well, somewhat. It's all self-taught." He told them. He was not about to tell them that Konan and he were able to enhance their attacks with nature energy, nor was he about to reveal his sealing arts. He made tens of seals that he would never reveal to someone who he didn't trust. Also, he didn't tell them just how good he was with the Affinities nor that he was starting to train Katon.

Kiribaro almost dropped the doc.u.ments when he heard the kid could do three elements. His jaw dropped.

"Did I hurt my ears when I impacted the wall?" He mumbled, hitting his ears gently.

Rei didn't care and just continued, gesturing at Konan.

"She is good at Futon, Doton, and Suiton. Trained the last ones together. Oh, and her specialty is origami."

Again, Rei didn't tell them she could harden, sharpen, soak up water... Origami. That told them literally nothing of her real skills other than she uses paper. They had absolutely no clue that she could manipulate hundreds of paper slices at once. Plus Konan always had at least a thousand explosive tags made by Rei in a storage scroll on a paper she had always IN her body. She was starting to learn how to change herself into a paper. Plus she also started learning to draw explosive tags. And while her fuinjutsu was looking to be abysmal at best even with the talent, it improved very, very slowly. There was so much Rei didn't tell them.

"O-okay, then..." Mizuru nodded.

"Oi. Are you sure you wanna the report to be like this? You know, you will have to prove it to Mizukage later on!" Kiribaro barked out.

I am sure." Rei smiled, making him groan and bang his head on the table.

"Whatever. Your funeral..." The man grumbled sullenly.

And with that, they were registered as immigrants. The second the Mizukage approved of their immigration they would be taken as people of Land of Water. Sure, they would have a lot of scrutiny and it will take years until they get a promotion but... Rei wanted access to their Water Jutsu. He could bear with a few years of comfort in Shinobi village while fending off any secret-seekers if it meant access to Jutsu library. Plus peace was coming. It would be much more beneficial to spend that time in a village than by themselves.