The Land of Waves is a small island located in the eastern waters of the Land of Fire. It bordered the Land of Fire and was connected to the Land of the Sea to the east. It was perpetually shrouded in damp sea mist.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the Land of Waves had also been a battleground between Konoha and Kirigakure.
Though the war had ended, the scars left by the conflict had yet to heal. This small island nation still hadn't returned to its pre-war peace and stability.
Instead, due to factors like pirates, bandits, Rogue Samurai, and Missing-nin, it had become even more chaotic.
This also set the stage for the Gato Company's eventual monopoly over the Land of Waves' trade a few years later.
By the seaside of the Land of Waves, a black robe fluttered in the ocean breeze. Menma, wearing the white three-eyed fox mask, walked along the coast. Ahead lay a small town, but he didn't head toward it.
Instead, he stood by the shore, gazing across the strait.
From here, he could vaguely make out the outline of the mainland through the sea mist.
'Eight years later, Team 7 would encounter Zabuza and Haku here, engage in a fierce battle, and eventually build a cross-sea bridge… the Great Naruto Bridge.'
"Seriously, the tech tree here is so weird. This country is still in a feudal era, yet they can build a bridge spanning over ten kilometers." Menma muttered under his breath.
With Mind's Eye of the Kagura, he felt a familiar Chakra gradually approaching.
The sound of wooden clogs stepping on sand echoed through the thin mist.
The white three-eyed fox mask tilted slightly as a figure slowly approached.
"Have you been waiting long?" Orochimaru, dressed as a noble lady, walked forward, his golden vertical pupils glinting behind her disheveled hair.
This trip to Kirigakure was somewhat dangerous, so she hadn't brought any subordinates. After all, the fewer people, the lower the risk of exposure… and the easier it would be to escape if needed.
"That ship happens to be heading to the Land of Water." Menma said, gesturing toward a sea vessel docked at the port of the coastal town.
Orochimaru followed his gaze. Through the mist, the flag of the Gato Company fluttered faintly on the ship.
The two each used their own methods… Orochimaru used Genjutsu to control the ship's crew, successfully boarding under the guise of a noblewoman and even securing a decent room.
Menma, on the other hand, simply leaped onto the ship and rendezvoused with Orochimaru.
After two days of travel, the ship gradually approached the shores of the Land of Water.
A sudden burst of ninjutsu clashes in the mist drew the passengers to the railings, peering at the figures fighting on the sea's surface and murmuring among themselves.
By the time Menma and Orochimaru stepped out of the cabin, they overheard the civilians' discussions.
"Are those Ninjas?"
"How many times has it been this month?"
"I've traveled to the Land of Water five times and seen this happen three times already."
"Tch, as long as they don't drag us ordinary folks into it…"
Orochimaru stared at the figures battling in the mist, his golden vertical pupils gleaming faintly: "It seems Kirigakure's situation is worse than we imagined. Defections are happening nonstop."
He glanced sideways at the silent Shura, only to see the fox mask reflecting the gray sky, which dampened Orochimaru's enthusiasm somewhat.
After the ship docked, the two disappeared into the bustling crowd.
"Since the last war, Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist haven't been fully replenished. Rumor has it some even defected with their swords. So, what we need to watch out for are the Kekkei Genkai Clans in Kirigakure and the Mizukage's Anbu," Orochimaru explained as they walked toward Kirigakure.
"So, should we act together or separately?" Orochimaru brushed aside his hair, his golden vertical pupils fixed on Shura.
At this time, Menma was using Mind's Eye of the Kagura to sense the Chakra within a hundred-kilometer radius.
He vaguely remembered that Haku wasn't originally from Kirigakure but was born in a small village where it snowed year-round. His mother was from the Yuki Clan, and he awakened the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. However, his father and the villagers saw him as a curse.
In fact, his father personally led the villagers to kill Haku's mother and was about to kill the young Haku as well when, in his terror, Haku activated Ice Release and slaughtered everyone.
From then on, Haku became an orphan, wandering the streets of the Land of Water.
Menma guessed that Haku's wandering range was likely in the southwestern part of the country.
After all, once Zabuza defected, he wouldn't have been able to stay in the Land of Water for long… the Mizukage's Anbu weren't pushovers. To escape their pursuit, Zabuza would have had to leave the nation.
So, it was most likely that Zabuza encountered Haku while trying to flee from the southeastern coast of the Land of Water.
As Menma's Mind's Eye of the Kagura scanned the area like radar, Menma finally discovered a faint Chakra with a chilling feeling in a town not far away.
"I've found something interesting. Want to come take a look?" Without waiting for Orochimaru's response, Menma flickered onto a tree branch and dashed through the forest.
"Something interesting?" Orochimaru's curiosity was piqued, and he followed.
…
In a certain town in the Land of Water, snow fell heavily.
A small, filthy boy rummaged through a pile of garbage for food.
His thin clothes and bare feet stood in stark contrast to the freezing weather.
Suddenly, three wild dogs appeared, barking aggressively at him as if marking their territory.
The boy expressionlessly raised his right hand, forming an ice senbon in his palm, and threw it toward the dogs.
Thud!
The lead dog's head exploded, blood and brain matter splattering across the snow.
The other two yelped and fled with their tails between their legs.
The boy picked up a half-frozen piece of bread and began chewing.
Then, he noticed a shadow falling over the snow in front of him.
Looking up, he saw a mysterious figure in a fox mask, extending a hand toward him.
The boy stood up slowly, staring blankly at the stranger. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable pull and hesitantly stepped forward.
"What's your name?" A question came from behind the mask.
"...Haku." The boy answered softly, his voice hollow.
Menma reached out and ruffled Haku's dirty, short hair.
"From now on, you'll follow me." Taking Haku's hand, Menma led him toward a nearby inn.
"Khu khu." Orochimaru landed by the garbage pile moments later, eyeing the dead dog with the still-melting ice senbon embedded in its skull. His slitted pupils gleamed with envy.
"As soon as you get here, you already found a kid with Ice Release?" Orochimaru watched as the two figures, one big and one small, disappeared into the distance.
'It seems that bringing Asura to Kirigakure had been the right move. With the 'future intelligence' he possesses, he likely knew exactly which Kekkei Genkai could be taken and which young geniuses were worth recruiting!'
But since Menma had already claimed this boy, Orochimaru would have to find other Kekkei Genkai children for herself. And he'd need to act fast.