When Mizunotsuki Bai awakened his kekkei genkai, everyone around him treated him like a monster. They feared him, hated him; even his parents wanted to burn him alive.
Bai had been utterly hopeless. In that darkest moment Zabuza appeared and reached out a hand. Zabuza told him his power had value.
Bai knew Zabuza was using him. Still — even as a tool, Zabuza was his only salvation. He became the reason Bai kept living.
"Love is the strangest kind of curse. You're already beyond saving," Ayato's lips curled into a mocking smile.
Foolish to the extreme.
Once someone is willing to die for another, they're lost. To throw one's life away is the stupidest act; living is the clever choice.
Bai was willing to die for the one he revered, to be an emotionless tool. That was a twisted curse. Still, there was something to respect in the steadiness of that conviction.
"A curse, is it? My kekkei genkai feels more like one." Bai offered a bitter smile. If he hadn't awakened Ice Release, his parents wouldn't have loathed him; others wouldn't have seen him as a monster.
Ayato shrugged inwardly. Uchiha Obito takes the blame for everything.
After all, it was Obito who'd manipulated the Fourth Mizukage Yagura back then; the Blood Mist Village's brutal hunting of kekkei genkai users was largely his doing. The blood-mist tragedies, the Nine-Tails affair — when you start looking, Uchiha shadows show up everywhere.
Bai's face grew earnest. "He's the reason I exist — my life's value. He needed my power; so I worked for him, I fought for him, I wanted to make his dream come true. That became my dream."
When everyone had cast him out, it was Zabuza's warm hand in that snowy winter that reached down and said he needed Bai's strength. Being used as a tool still meant being needed — and that feeling lifted Bai from despair.
Tilting his head, Bai smiled with composed elegance. "Now, because of him, I even like this power that made me a monster."
"Heartfelt speech. I'll take it as a valedictory address," Ayato muttered around a mouthful of instant noodles, blowing on the hot broth. "Hah… last night I was cuddling a big sister over premium meat; today I'm in a mountain eating instant noodles. Life's fickle."
Bai's story mirrored Naruto's in a way — both had been treated as monsters from childhood but were steered onto their own ninja paths by the people they met.
"You spent too much money," Bai teased.
"Sensei Ayato, your students are genin. Five days of training can't defeat an upper-rank jonin like Zabuza." Bai looked toward the three hard-training kids. He remembered the fear that had frozen them when Ayato fought Zabuza — how they could only stand at a distance, powerless.
That proved they were weak now; no amount of frantic training over five days would bridge the gap. It was polishing a blade at the last minute — practice for the battle, not a miracle.
"Don't be so down on it. Five days can do a lot. Give me five days and I'll turn a proud woman like the Fifth Mizukage Terumi into a docile little dog." Ayato slurped his noodles and said it like a throwaway joke. "Turning Team 7 into an on-the-spot upgrade? Not impossible."
Bai scoffed, "Pervert ninja."
Ayato grinned. Saying he could tame a Mizukage was a joke, but the point stood: the goal was less about instant power and more about tempering their minds. Getting defeated by Zabuza could awaken their will.
"Sensei Ayato — how do I bust the ball?" Naruto ran up, clutching the rubber training ball and complaining, but then froze the instant he saw the elegant figure nearby.
Naruto gaped at Bai. "So cute… even cuter than Sakura…"
Oh, God. Such a pretty girl!
Sakura, who'd been listening with sharp ears, overheard Naruto's mutter and barreled over. "What did you say!?" She wound up and punched Naruto hard.
Naruto didn't react in time and flew, crashing into a tree and sending a shower of leaves down. "Ow! Ow! Ow—!" He rolled on the ground, clutching his head, stunned by the force of Sakura's fist.
Sakura looked embarrassed and flustered. "Sorry, I didn't hit that hard just now," she apologized, scratching her cheek.
She really hadn't meant to go that hard — she just wanted to vent, not send Naruto flying. Seeing him groggy, she felt a twitch of unease. If she'd thrown a real punch… Scary.
Bai watched, covering his mouth to hide a laugh. "Your students are interesting."
Naruto staggered to Ayato and pointed angrily. "Ayato, we train our asses off and you're chatting up pretty ladies!"
"Little brat, respect your elders," Ayato replied calmly — then slapped Naruto so hard he flew.
"Aaah—!" Naruto flipped through the air and landed heavily.
"You idiot." Sakura hid her face. "Naruto, let's stop bothering Sensei. Go practice."
Naruto sat on the ground with a swollen lip. "I'm really sorry, Sensei."
Sakura tugged Naruto's collar and gave Ayato an apologetic glare. "Sorry, Sensei. I'll take him away."
She threw a secret glance at Bai. Ayato is on a date? Such a pretty person.
Bai tapped his chin and said with a cheeky smile, "I'm a boy, you know. It's awkward being mistaken for a girl."
Ayato yawned. "Awkward? You seemed to enjoy it."
"Ayato!" Bai blushed and glared at him.
Naruto and Sakura stared after Bai in disbelief — black hair, delicate build, snow-white skin — who would believe he was a man?
Ayato casually poked the area between Bai's legs with a noodle fork and said, "Little brat, stop fantasizing during puberty. He has his own toys; you have yours. Maybe compare sizes if you want."
"Pervert!" Bai turned a darker red and instinctively crossed his legs, glaring at Ayato.
Ayato's teaching methods were effective though ruthless — he refined the kids by using real danger. But his demeanor… it was something else.
Sakura opened her mouth to say something to Bai, but the words died in her throat. That coy posture, the shy tilt — she could hardly reconcile it with the idea that Bai was a man. From every angle he looked like someone being flirted with.
And… Sakura felt a strange twinge. No man had ever seemed so cute to her. It was absurd.
"Stop being bashful. It makes me want to puke," Ayato complained.
Sasuke strode up and stood beside Ayato, Sharingan burning. He studied Bai coldly. The man who looked like a girl resembled that ice-style user from before — maybe even the same person. Why was an enemy sitting here, chatting with Ayato?
Bai smiled politely at Sasuke and then said to Ayato, "I'll go now. Someone's waiting to tend my wounds."
"Go, don't bother me." Ayato leaned back against the sofa, intending to nap. He'd stayed up late drinking and asking about Tsunade — and got some useless gossip about her recent debts. Worthless intel, but sometimes luck would strike on the street market later.
Bai watched the three genin training and said, softly: "Keep working hard for those you love. That's admirable." He'd judged the kids by the state of their clothes — scuffed, dirty, they were training hard. But five days wouldn't change the gap with Zabuza. Only a guaranteed technique could.
"Three days from now, at six in the morning — settle it." Bai turned and left.
Naruto froze, stunned by Bai's departing back. "Six a.m.? That's early. Are enemies that dedicated?"
Ayato sighed. "I'm usually sleeping at noon. I was only up because Naruto's clones were shouting at dawn."
Naruto slumped, hollow-eyed. "A man? A man?"
He trudged over to Sakura and tried to flatter her. "Sakura… you're cuter than him."
Sakura glared. "I'll beat you to death if you say that again." She stormed back to training.
Naruto whimpered and clung to Ayato's leg. "Sensei, will Sakura hate me? Help me, please!"
Ayato stroked his chin and considered. "She probably won't hate you."
Naruto brightened — until Ayato added in deadpan: "Because you're already annoying enough."
Naruto's smile froze.
"Give up. Masturbate with either hand. It's easier than being an unrequited simp." Ayato covered his face with his book and dozed.
Naruto pouted. "I'll work hard and learn the Rasengan. Then Sakura will look at me differently!"
Ayato snorted. "Fine. Dream on. When you become a top-tier strongman, maybe that cute little man will let you poke his butt — everyone has odd tastes. But really, don't bother me."
"I like girls!" Naruto protested. "I like girls!"
Ayato chuckled. "Good for you. Go break that ball."
Naruto ran back to the training field determined to burst the ball with his Rasengan — if he could learn it quickly enough, he'd earn respect.
Sasuke picked up a ripped piece of the ball, palm humming with pale-blue chakra that carried a little current. With a twist he sliced the rubber into pieces with the lightning.
"You idiot, you're still far off," Sasuke said with a condescending lift of his chin, flinging the torn ball away. Since discovering the trick, he'd managed to summon Chidori's essence. He still could only project a little lightning, but he was on the right track.
"Bastard!" Naruto seethed as Sasuke walked away. "I'll learn Rasengan and make you pay, Sasuke!"
Naruto's anger lit a fire under him. He swore he'd master the Rasengan and put Sasuke in his place.
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