I just got the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins from PSN and I was struck by inspiration to write this...It took only two days to crank out, since my muse showed her obvious favor to this idea.
WAVE COUNTRY...
"Dammit!" Naruto swore as he swept from the house he and his team were staying in.
Team 7 had been dispatched on their first C-Rank mission to Wave Country and so far, the way it was going was making Naruto want to slam his face into a meat slicer. First, Tazuna was nothing short of condescending to them and sniping at them every chance he got until they had been attacked by a pair of nuke nin that he conveniently forgot to inform them were after him. They decided to carry on the mission until they were ambushed again, this time by a maniac named Zabuza. Now, the Demon Brothers were bad enough, but Zabuza was a full Jounin and ex-ANBU Captain, as well as one of the former Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He and Sasuke tried to fight, but got their asses kicked while Sakura sat back and was generally useless while Kakashi managed to match him blow for blow until he got caught in an entrapment jutsu. Naruto managed to think up a plan to bust him out on the spot, allowing Kakashi to finish the fight. Before Kakashi could seal Zabuza's fate, a Kiri Oi-nin killed him and dragged him away, Kakashi collapsing in exhaustion, forcing Naruto to expend more chakra to create Kage Bunshin to carry him and set up a perimeter around them while Tazuna broke down and led them to his house to rest.
Upon reaching the house, they were welcomed in by a lovely woman, Tsunami, the old man's daughter. She showed them a room where they could lay Kakashi down to rest up until supper. In the meantime, Sasuke brooded, Sakura fawned over him, and Naruto decided to explore the house a bit until he ran into Tazuna's grandson, Inari. The boy only sneered at him before stomping away, giving a lousy first impression. Supper was ready, but Naruto's teammates left him to carry Kakashi down by himself, making his already deteriorating mood worsen. Kakashi sighed and told him to just let it go for the sake of the mission as they reached the table and sat down. As they ate dinner that night, Tazuna told them more of what happened to their land and who was oppressing them, Naruto telling him that they could handle it. Inari lashed out at the ninja with his sob story, but Naruto's mood was already in the toilet as he fired right back.
"Shut up, you spoiled brat! Just like the Teme...Always bitching and whining, thinking everyone should feel sorry for you when there's always someone else out there that had it worse! I'm sick of it!" Naruto bellowed in disgust. He knew of such people, himself being one of them but he never whined or even spoke of it. Of course, just like clockwork, Sasuke's cheerleader opened her pie hole...loudly.
"Shut up, Naruto-baka! Never talk about Sasuke-kun like that! He lost his whole clan in one night! At least he isn't an orphan whose parents probably dumped you in the orphanage!" She retorted callously, making Kakashi glower at her, but before he could get on her case, Naruto was out the door already.
"I have NEVER been so ashamed of any students I've had as I am of you two right now." Kakashi growled.
"So we hurt the dobe's feelings...He'll be back." Sasuke drawled in irritation as he turned back to his meal, Sakura simply watching him.
'Those two had better hope he comes back...Sensei would have skinned these two alive for this.' Kakashi thought as he returned to eating, hoping Naruto would be alright.
Kakashi didn't dislike Naruto, far from it. He saw a lot of his old friend Obito in him and Naruto was generally friendly and easy-going, if not a bit gung ho about training since he became a ninja. He knew that his guts, drive, and sheer determination woud take him farther than he could imagine if he kept up the pace he was setting, with the proper guidance. The trouble was that the council wanted him to focus exclusively on the Uchiha and had their ways of getting what they wanted, by extension Sasuke getting what he wanted.
'Maybe I could ask Gai for help...Even if he's a complete lunatic, the way he trained that Lee kid into a Taijutsu machine was nothing short of a miracle...I just hope Naruto doesn't pick up on their habits.' The copy nin thought as he continued with his meal, bringing us to where Naruto in now, in the forest.
"Stupid teme...Stupid Sakura..." Naruto muttered as he kept on walking, or would have if he hadn't stepped into a sink hole that seemed to drag on.
"HOLY CRAP!" Naruto screamed as he fell, hitting the bottom with a sickening thud.
He lay there for a few moments as his inner resident got to work on saving his hide and by extension it's own, putting him back together. After that excruciatingly painful process was done, he stood up slowly and looked around the chasm he fell into. It was wierd, it looked like some of the chasm walls were made of metal, poking at it with a kunai.
"Huh...Wierd." He muttered as he continued onward, looking for a way back up.
Soon, the rocky areas had ceased and he was now walking down a fully metallic hallway, the lights coming on as he approached. All of the doors he saw either wouldn't budge or they had been caved in and destroyed, so he just continued walking down the hallway looking for an exit. After a few hours of wandering, he walked into an enclosed room with something in a case. It looked interesting, so he went to check it out. Upon getting there, he saw that it was a sword but it was different from the ones the ANBU carried and even the one that Zabuza freak used to nearly hack them to pieces. It looked like it was bladed on both sides with a basic hilt, but it also had a second handle coming out of the side.
"Like those twirly weapons I saw the Uchiha police use...What were those things called...Tonfa! Yeah...Kinda like those, but cooler." Naruto mused as he touched the case to get a better look at it.
Without warning, the case seemed to come apart and retract, allowing access to the item within but before he could reach out for it, a screen in fornt of him blazed to life, showing a man with a red, flowing scarf around the lower half of his face, kind of like how Kakashi looks but with brown hair. He also wore a blue gi top with ninja pants tied up at the ankles with tape and ninja sandals. He was also muscular but fit and trim. Soon, Naruto was watching this man in action, wielding the very blade before him with deadly efficiency as he sliced through metallic objects as if they were paper, performing mind boggling acrobatics and moving at speeds that made that Zabuza guy look like he was standing still. The sight was truly awe-inspiring to the young fledgling ninja, who was still searching for his niche in the world. Finally, the demonstration ended and a video message was playing out, like a final will and testament.
"To whom ever found this place, I was known as Strider Hiryu. I was a ninja who stood up against evil and struck it down where ever to arose in the world alongside my fellow Striders, but we were betrayed by one of our own and the world fell into complete ruin."Hiryu explained as he told the tragic tale of the demise of the Striders and the world as they knew it.
This being known only as the Grand Master had unleashed unknown forces upon their world in an attempt to conquer it, but it ran out of control and the Striders fell one by one trying to stop these demons from destroying everything. In the end, Hiryu and a lone man known only as the Rikudou Sennin managed to seal away the demons somehow, but the man died doing it and Hiryu was near death himself.
"If you take up my old sword, the Cypher Blade, you must swear to always stand up for justice and what your heart tells you is right. Bring honor to the Striders of old..." The man implored as the image faded.
"Wow..." Naruto whispered.
The young boy was in awe that he was being entrusted with such a weapon, but he also swore that he would uphold his new Nindo, to always fight for justice and what he knew was right. This man's plea just struck a chord in him, appealing to the very best of his nature. He then thought back on what the nation of Wave had been suffering at the hands of this Gatou creep as well as the injustice he suffered in the village, and it just seemed to click. He also knew that he was far, FAR from the level Hiryu was in his prime and would need some serious help if he ever hoped to achieve his new goal. Being Hokage could wait if the entire world could possibly need him. He reached out for the blade and grasped the hilt, feeling smooth and cool in his hand as well as light as a feather. He was wondering how it worked and the sword began to vibrate gently and blades began to glow with a soft yellow light for a moment. He swung the sword lightly to test it and he hacked the metal stand in half easily.
"Cool! All I had to do was think about it!" Naruto cheered as he found what he did to turn the blades on to make them turn off.
He spied the holster that Hiryu himself once used and fastened it to himself. After his new weapon was securely fastened to his back, the young jinchuuriki left to find a way out. After another few hours of searching, he found a passageway that led to a cliffside under a bluff that Tazuna's village now stood on. Nearby was a small ledge that was very well hidden, but it provided him with a way back up. No sooner than he completed his trek back up, the pathway collapsed behind him, ensuring that what was buried down there stayed hidden away from the world. It was probably better this way. With a sigh, he trudged back home, being careful to avoid being seen by Gatou's thugs. He finally made it back to Tazuna's house as the sun peaked over the horizon and was about to sneak inside his room when a voice caught his attention.
"Glad to see you're back, Naruto. Feeling any better?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah...I actually do, Kakashi-sensei. I feel like...I know what I want to do with my life, like I had an api...afip...er..." Naruto replied, fishing for the right word.
"An epiphany." Kakashi provided.
"Yeah that. Thanks, sensei! I had one of those out on my walk last night. I was thinking about what that old fart Tazuna said...About what happened here. I want to help people who can't help themselves, like I used to be. I just know what I want to do with my life and with..." Naruto left it hanging, gesturing to his stomach where the Kyuubi was sealed away.
'I couldn't be any more proud of you, Naruto. All of that power, and you want to use it to bring good to the world instead of abuse it. Minato-sensei, Sandaime-sama, and Kushina-sama would be so proud of you...But what is that on his back?' Kakashi thought, looking at the hilt sticking up over his student's shoulder.
"Naruto...Where did you find that?" He questioned. Naruto looked hesitant, but broke down and told his sensei everything, as well as how it inspired him to make the vow he did.
"Can I see it for a second?" He asked, Naruto nodding and handing him the sword, but it let out a shocking pulse of electricity once he touched it.
"Hmm...It seems as if only you can use it. That's a very good thing. It means no one can use it against you. Hmmm..." Kakashi mused, looking around the room and his eyes settled on his kunai pack at his side, drawing one out.
"Let's test it out. Try cutting this kunai." He requested. Naruto nodded and tried, but it was like a blunted edge.
"Huh? That's not right...Wait! I forgot to turn it on..." Naruto muttered, his mind focusing to activate the blade.
The sword was now gently humming with power as he barely even touched the kunai and cut it in half. Kakashi stared at the smoking remains of his kunai in stunned awe for a moment before looking back at his student.
"Naruto...We really need to teach you how to use that thing before you accidentally lop your own head off." Kakashi suggested, seeing Naruto nearly do just that. Once Naruto turned it off and staved off an acute heart attack in Kakashi, the one eyed Jounin began to think on what styles would work with such an obscure weapon.
'Hmmm...It's like a bladed Tonfa. A DEADLY one. Maybe a hodge-podge of Tonfa and Ninja-to techniques would work for him, since it looks like it can be used either way. It also seems to respond to his thoughts, being able to activate it as such, so since it is blunt when turned off, it is safe to train with. I've also yet to tell him about the true benefits of the Kage Bunshin. I think he's one of the only people in the world that can actually use it safely. Kushina-sama...He definitely has your luck.' The Copy-nin thought out as the door swung open to reveal Sasuke and Sakura, looking none too pleased to see Naruto.
"You idiot! Where did you go last night and what's that stupid looking toy you're playing with?!" She screached.
"Nothing. Just a toy." Naruto just said plainly, wanting to keep his new weapon a secret from them.
Kakashi knew why Naruto wanted to keep this a secret from them. They would do nothing but demand it from him and might even do something nasty to get it. It would be better if they thought is was a useless toy.
"It's an interesting one, thought." Kakashi backed him up as he addressed them all.
"Now...I wanted to tell you all about my suspicions about that nin we fought yesterday. I believe he is still alive. You see, Hunter nin are supposed to burn the body on the spot, but this one took the body with him. Any ideas why?" He asked. He could see them wracking their heads for reasons, but Naruto answered after thinking for a moment.
"That sneaky bastard...That Hunter nin was working with him! A bait and switch!" Naruto yelled.
"Don't be an idiot, dobe. There's no way that could happen." Sasuke scoffed as he went back to thinking.
"Yeah! Just shut up and let him think for a minute!" Sakura glowered at him, Kakashi sighing in disgust.
"Sakura, I think you are the one that needs to shut your mouth and Sasuke, Naruto was right on the money. I'd expect no less from Konoha's premier prankster, since tricks like this are right up his alley. Yes. That Hunter nin was likely a fake, Zabuza's accomplice hiding in plain sight to bail him out if things were too close for comfort." Kakashi spoke out, admonishing the other two students.
"So...Zabuza is still...alive?" Sakura wimpered.
"Yes, he is and he will be back. We will need to train in order to stand a chance against him and his accomplice once they do strike, so I will be teaching you all something new. Help me stand..." Kakashi stated, Naruto and Sasuke helping him to his feet. He then grabbed a pair of crutches and had them follow him out to a small clearing in the forest nearby.
"What are we doing here, Kakashi? I need to get stronger." Sasuke scowled, nothing but condescendence in his tone.
"We will be learning to climb trees." He said plainly with an eye smile.
"Whatever. If you're not going to teach us anything, I'm leaving." Sasuke scoffed.
"Ah ah ah, Sasuke-chan..." Kakashi mock scolded, hobbling up to the nearest tree, then he hobbled up the tree as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I never said anything about being allowed to use your hands." Kakashi taunted.
"Wow...Just like Hiryu..." Naruto marvelled at the feat before he asked a question.
"How did you do that, sensei?" He asked.
"I'm very glad you asked that, Naruto..." Kakashi replied genially, explaining the mechanics behind the exercise but he took Naruto off to the side for a moment.
"Naruto...I know that your control is simply horrible, but that isn't your fault. For one, you have to fight the Kyuubi for control and two, your stores are far greater than even my own but being so young means you can't properly control your power yet. That said, I will tell you a secret about the Kage Bunshin. The experience every clone racks up will pass back to you once you dismiss them. This means..." Kakashi hinted, letting Naruto figure that part out.
"Holy...I can use them for exercises like this, can't I?" Naruto asked, more to himself.
"Yes...That's right. Go ahead and give it a shot." Kakashi suggested and sat down on a stump to rest.
KAGE BUNSHIN!
Five clones appeared beside him, waiting for instructions. After giving them their marching orders, along with how Kakashi told them to do it, the clones and original set to work on the exercise.
"What are you doing, you baka?! Quit fooling around!" Sakura yelled at him from the top of her tree. She had completed the exercise already, but she was already exhausted.
"Hmm...You do have excellent control, but that's only due to your extremely small reserves if how exhausted you are is any indicator. After a short rest, you will be doing this for the remainder of the session to build up your reserves, so I would save any scathing remarks if I were you." Kakashi remarked.
Naruto continued plugging away at the exercise, slowly figuring out how it worked since Sakura was being a royal bitch and Sasuke was being an asshole, business as usual. Finally, one of his clones made a major breakthrough, making it to the top of the tree and dispelled, giving Naruto the key to the exercise. Getting a good running start, he pelted his way up the tree and completed the exercise. This of course upset the other two for reasons we already know and they had some rather terse things to say.
"Oi dobe...How did you do that? Did that jutsu have something to do with it?" Sasuke demanded.
"Not really...It just helps me focus, that's all." Naruto quickly explained.
"Heh...Figures a dobe like you would need training wheels for everything..." Sasuke retorted with a snort as he went back to his attempts, Naruto sighing in relief that he'd thrown off Sasuke this time.
Kakashi was watching the whole exchange with a smirk. Naruto was many times smarter than they could comprehend and he could tell that the crafty blond would milk their ignorance of all it was worth.
'He's definitely shaping up to be a far better shinobi than his teammates...' Kakashi thought with amusement as he watched Naruto sit down on a stump and think for a few moments before looking in his direction.
"Hey um...Sensei? Is there any other exercise like that?" He asked.
"Glad you asked...I'm glad to see that you want to improve on an area that you're lacking in. Come with me for a moment and I'll show you the next step." Kakashi offered as he hoisted himself to his feet and guided Naruto off to the stream next to where they were training.
"Now...The next level up from tree climbing is water walking. This is considerably harder, since the amount of chakra needed to stay afloat will vary constantly. You will need you feel it out and once you have it figured out, you'll wonder how you went without it for so long." Kakashi joked as he watched Naruto cautiously apply what he learned from Tree Climbing and stepped out onto the flowing water.
He slowly stepped out onto the water and for a few steps, it seemed as though it was working, so he got bolder...And paid for it. That water was frigidly cold and he hopped out of there like he'd been burned.
"That was harder than I thought..." Naruto muttered to himself as he conjured up more clones to assist him with the exercise.
Soon, just like with the Tree Climbing, he quickly got the hang of it and was soon running and jumping on the water to experiment with this new skill.
"Heh...Awesome! Hey sensei...You think I could spar with my clones on the water?" Naruto asked, but before Kakashi could answer someone else did.
"Don't be stupid, Naruto-baka! You can't spar with clones!" Sakura scolded him, but Kakashi had a reply for her.
"Sakura...Do you even know what jutsu Naruto's been using in front of you this whole time?" Kakashi asked in a scoldig tone of his own.
"It's just the regular Bunshin, not like he has anything special." Sakura sniffed.
"And you call yourself the Top Kunoichi...That's the KAGE Bunshin...A very special clone jutsu that's actually stronger than the Mizu Bunshin Zabuza used." Kakashi replied, revealing this only to make sure his other students realized that messing with him wasn't the smartest thing to do.
"WHAT?!" They heard Sasuke bellow and stomp over to where they were.
"Give me that jutsu dobe!" He demanded angrily.
"Sasuke...That jutsu is something that even full Jounin have to be careful with. If you split yourself too far, you will die. Naruto's reserves are some of the highest I've ever seen in anyone and he's still young. High cost jutsu like that are tailor made for someone like him that can handle the extreme chakra costs of using it." Kakashi reasoned.
"I don't care! If that dobe can do it, so can I!" He retorted like an angry toddle being denied a toy.
"As you are now, you would only get one clone and pass out if you're lucky. It's far too advancd for someone like you, but as for how Naruto got it, that is classified information and I will NOT discuss it further. If you try to get the answer from Naruto, you will be severely punished for breaking an A-Rank Secret." Kakashi explained, the threat of his true authority to punish them hanging over them.
Sakura's parents were only civilians, so her threats were as empty as her abilities. Sasuke was the problem, but he'd burn that bridge when he crossed it. Heaving a sigh, he set them back to their tasks and returned to see Naruto trying his hand at using his new weapon to fend off his clones, but meeting with little to no success.
"Oi, Naruto...Come over here for a moment." Kakashi requested, Naruto doing as he was told.
"What's up, sensei?" He asked.
"Your form...We'll need to work on it, but after I recover and when we get home. Until then, I don't want you using your weapon...What was it called again?" Kakashi inquired.
"Cypher Blade...That's what it was called."
"Yeah...The Cypher, again unless the situation is critical. I want to train you with weapons myself so you can handle it safely and effectively. I also don't want Sasuke or Sakura seeing you train iwth it or they will get suspicious. Agreed?" Kakashi requested.
As expected, Naruto deflated a bit, but understood what his sensei was talking about. Should they find out that it really was a weapon, it would open a can of worms that he really didn't feel like dealing with.
"Got it, sensei." He agreed as he returned to Taijutsu spars with is clones, Kakashi pointing things out here and there as well as how to fix it. He learned more about Taijutsu in just a few hours than all of his time in the Academy.
Night time fell upon them quickly, so Kakashi called all training to a halt for the night so they could get some rest and eat dinner. Dinner was a silent affair, if onw could ignore the several snide remarks sent at the blond from his teammates in name only. After dinner, Naruto flopped down onto his sleeping bag and pondered what his new Nindo truly meant. He now had something that might conflict with his dream to become Hokage and would have to choose between the good of his village and the good of the world someday.
'Can I really do it? Abandon my dream of being Hokage? Can I really show the world that I can use that damned Fox's power to help people?' Naruto thought, his mind full of doubts and fears as he fell into a turbulent sleep.
DREAMSCAPE...NARUTO...
His eyes slowly opened up to see nothing but white as far as the eye could see and sat up.
"Where the hell am I?" He thought as he tried to look around, but as he turned again, he was face to face with the man who inspired him...Strider Hiryu himself.
"Wha...? You're..." Naruto stammered and sputtered.
"So...You are the one who vowed to take up my blade and oath..." He commented as he looked into Naruto's life and saw the very reason why he wanted to dedicate his life to this new cause.
'This boy...He contains one of the nine demons and has been tortured for it, yet he remains so strong. He seems to be a worthy successor, but he doubts himself. He needs confidence in himself if he is to improve and grow into the guardian he wishes to be.' Hiryu thought.
"What are you doing here? I thought you died a long time ago!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Indeed I did, young Naruto. However, you found my final resting place and final message. You swore that you would uphold the honor of the Striders in your day and age, so I had to speak to you myself. However...I am not alone. Two others wish to see you one more time..." Hiryu stated as he stepped aside to reveal two more people. One was Yondaime, his first idol, with a beautiful red haired woman next to him, who were walking toward him.
"Yondaime-sama?! What are you doing here?!" Naruto yelled again, making the two chuckle.
"He has your voice and personality, Kushina-koi." He replied.
"But he has your looks on top of those adoreable whisker marks, 'ettebane. I bet the girls wouldn't leave him alone, like you, Minato-koi." She added with a giggle.
"Wha...? How do you know me?" Naruto asked.
"Of course we would know our own son...Naruto." Minato responded to him, making his jaw drop.
"Y-you mean...The Yondaime himself is my...And she's my...?" The shorter blond asked in total shock.
"Yep...Got it one, kiddo!" Kushina winked as she swooped in and embraced her son for the first time in thirteen years, since he was born.
They looked into his life and were shocked and appalled that the village not only disregarded Minato's dying wish, but actively tried to harm and sabotage their son. The pair were very thankful for people like Iruka and Kakashi, the latter throwing himself at the chance to teach Naruto even if that meant having to deal with the Uchiha. The Sandaime and his family also tried to help where they could, but the council was more corrupt than ever before, something Minato tried to cut out during his tenure. His old friend, Hiashi, also tried, but his infuriating clan stayed his hand. Jiraiya hadn't been watching over Naruto as he promised and that infuriated the two parents, but Kakashi was picking up the slack. They then saw what Naruto had stumbled across and heard his pledge and his confession to Kakashi. They were completely overwhelmed with pride in their son, but understood the inner conflict he was facing at this point.
"My son...I know that being Hokage is your dream and now you believe this new oath you swore will conflict with that. I'll give you a little father to son advice on that. The world is a much larger place and Konoha is just a small part of it. There will be people in need of you all over the world, so confining yourself to one place is a bit on the selfish side." Minato advised his son.
"But...The village..." Naruto stammered ou, but his mother shook her head.
"The village can take care of itself, Naru-chan. You promised that you would battle evil and injustice where ever you found it. To use your might to uphold the weak, your new blade to defend the helpless." Kushina told him, her playful face now serious.
"I'm sure Kakashi will understand, as will Sarutobi." Minato added, giving Naruto more and more confidence in his new goal.
"I hope that this has instilled you with a new sense of self-confidence and strengthened your resolve, young ninja. I will always watch over you as you bring pride to all we have stood for." Hiryu stated proudly, fading from view.
"Farewell...Until we meet again." His voice echoed as it faded completely. He then turned to his newly revealed parents.
"Why? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Naruto pleaded with them.
"Son...We had many enemies inside our own village that would love to see you dead solely because you are my son. Add to that how many outside our village would love to get their hands on you...We asked Sarutobi and the rest to keep that from you to keep you safe until you could protect youself...But you have grown so much...I think you are ready. Ask Sarutobi for the Special Scroll that contains one of my special kunai, as well as your birth certificate and keys to our house. It's no mansion, but cozy enough. He will know what you are talking about and tell him Minato and Kushina told you to ask and about his secret drawer." Minato instructed.
"My baby...I am so proud of you. Your father and I will always love and watch over you..." She confessed to him tearfully as she let him go, the pair returning to whatever afterlife they came from and Naruto waking up from the dream...
END...
Naruto woke up with a start from the dream that seemed so real. He felt their touch, their emotions, but knew one thing...They were all proud of him and the extra burden he decided to take of his own volition. Hiryu, his predecessor, wished for him to carry on their code of honor, with the blessings of his newly discovered parents further bolstering his resolve. Hell, the identity of said parents didn't matter to him, he was just happy knowing about them and that they didn't just abandon him. Now, one thing remained...
"I need to get serious." Naruto told himself, his iron clad will once again shining through as he got himself up and ready for another day full of important training.
Everyone had awoken and had come down for breakfast, Sasuke and Sakura throwning their usual put downs and insults at him, but his face was a mask of pure will and determination. He let their words jsut pass harmlessly by as he continued to eat his meal, say his thanks to Tsunami, and head outside to further train himself in the exercises Kakashi taught him. Kakashi himself noticed the changes in his blond student almost right away.
'He looks more focused...Dedicated...Committed. I think he came to terms with what this new goal will require him to give up and made his peace with it. Good. He's already solved the first step all by himself. Now, the real training can begin...Once I'm healed that is.' Kakashi thought as he finished his dinner and led the team out to finish training, a cycle which would continue for the next few days.
FOUR DAYS LATER...
The week Kakashi predicted it would take Zabuza to return had finally elapsed, but there was still a job to do. He felt that Gatou may threaten Tazuna's family, so he left Naruto there to protect them while he dragged the other two with him to the bridge to protect Tazuna while he kept an eye on them, especially after what they pulled...
After the first day of having his new blade and calling, Sasuke was already growing suspicious of Naruto's improvement, as well as the mysterious object on his back that he claimed was only a toy. He snuck around until he found his blond teammate hard at work on his Taijutsu, which Sasuke had to grudgingly admit was looking much better, while the strange object was resting against a tree stump. He decided to sneak over and have a look for himself and if it really was a weapon of some kind, he would just have to claim it in the name of the Uchiha, not like the Dobe could do anything about it. He reached out and grasped the handle only for his entire being to explode with pain, an excruciatingly painful electric shock ripping it's way through his body before he dropped it, his shock turning into a burning rage as he stomped over to where Naruto was training and threw a brace of kunai at him, which he barely avioded.
"DOBE! What is that thing?! I know it's not a toy!" He demanded.
"That's none of your business, Sasuke." Naruto replied, his tone cold and firm, something that Naruto had never done before and it slightly spooked him.
"Sasuke...What excuse could you possibly give for attacking Naruto like that?" Kakashi asked from behind a tree. He had been recovering rapidly and was able to get around without the crutches now.
"What is that thing he has? I demand to know!" He...well...demanded, Sakura piping up behind him, but Kakashi shut her up with a withering glare.
"That is none of your business, Sasuke. Now, answer my question, or there will be HELL to pay for attacking a teammate on a mission." Kakashi growled.
"That weapon...I want it. Now." The spoiled boy stated.
"The weapon has already told you that it doesn't want you. Take my advice and drop this now, Sasuke." Kakashi warned.
He seemed to back off, but he tried to steal it again two days later, only this time he had Sakura do it. Kakashi now had them accompany him everywhere because they could not be trusted, leading up to this point in time.
Kakahsi, the two Genin, and Tazuna arrived at the bridge just in time to see all of Tazuna's workforce down and out, all of them either already dead or dying. One man saw them coming and pointed into the thick mist.
"D-demon..." Was all he could grate out before death claimed him.
"Sasuke. Sakura. Protect the client. Whatever you do, do NOT let him get close." Kakashi ordered as the mist cleared away to reveal Zabuza and his mystery accomplice.
"So nice of you to bring the old fart here, Kakashi. Saves us the trouble of hunting him down." Zabuza commented, shifting attention slightly.
"Haku. Do it." Zabuza ordered, the masked nin doing as he was told but was intercepted by Sasuke.
"Oh ho...Someone who might actually be a challenge to Haku. Have fun." Zabuza chuckled darkly as he now turned his attention to Kakashi.
"So...Where were we last time..." Zabuza mock thought as he clashed with Kakashi.
"Oh yeah...I was about to kill you until that blond brat got in the way. He's not here to save your hide this time." He sneered.
TAZUNA'S HOUSE
Speaking of said blond brat, he was back at Tazuna's house and patrolling the area for any trouble when a scream got his attention.
"Dammit, they got past me!" He muttered as he pelted back to the house at full tilt, having his new wepon on him at the time.
He hopped onto the roof silently to see two of Gatou's thugs dragging Inari and Tsunami out of the house and throwing them down, their swords drawn.
"Gatou said he wanted the woman, but didn't say anything about the brat. Sorry kid...Looks like you're disposable." The shorter one with the bandanna smirked, not sorry at all.
"If you hurt him, I'll...I bite off my tongue!" Tsunami threatened. She knew they needed a hostage and a corpse made a poor one.
"Tch...Fine. You're lucky brat...Your mama saved your ass, but now her's belongs to Gatou-sama. With a little luck, maybe he'll give us a go with this sweet little number. Besides, those ninja at the bridge are being slaughtered by Zabuza by now." The taller one with the tattoos and eyepatch laughed darkly as they started to lead her away, Inari not being able to do anything but cry.
Naruto had seen and heard enough.
'Bastards...Looks like I'm needed.' Naruto thought as he lept down and surprized the two, introducing a kunai to each of their throats.
"Naruto-kun! Thank you!" Tsunami cried as he got back up again.
"I need to get to the bridge! You two find a place to hide!" He ordered the two of them as he bolted off for the bridge.
UNFINISHED BRIDGE...
Back at the bridge the battle raged on with Sakura not being able to do anything but standby and guard Tazuna. Kakashi was even with Zabuza, but the fight had quickly grown sour for Sasuke. He was skilled, but he grossly underestimated his opponent and was paying the price for it. Haku was a user of a rare sub-element bloodline, Hyouton, which allowed the user to manipulate ice at will. This, coupled with unparalleled speed, were overwhelming the arrogant Uchiha. However, during the middle of the fight, Sasuke managed to awaken his own bloodline, the Sharingan, and managed to fight back, although not much.
"Heh...Now that I have these eyes, you've got no chance." Sasuke gloated, but Haku scoffed and wove through a string of complex seals.
"Be careful with your overconfidence, Uchiha-san...It can cost you dearly." Haku warned.
HYOUTON HIJUTSU : MAKYO HYOUSHO!
The water vapor that was thick in the air solidified around them, forming a ide of crystalline ice mirrors that Haku seemed to melt into. He then bagen to attack Sasuke succesively, his senbon slowly wearing Sasuke down with smaller injuries until he could no longer fight.
"It looks as if our fun has ended, Uchiha-san. It is now time for you to die." Haku told him calmly as he readied a final brace of senbon aimed at his heart, but a sudden presence made itself known behind him, slicing through the mirror with ridiculous ease, and Haku along with it.
Naruto stared down at the bisected nin he had just killed, his third kill today, but didn't have time to ponder it, reaching Sasuke who was in bad shape and barely conscious.
"Hey teme...You alright?" Naruto asked. Sasuke scowled at being saved by Naruto, but had no energy to say anything, Naruto simply dragging him over to where Sakura and Tazuna were.
"Naruto! Is he alright?!" She asked.
"Yeah...He'll be fine, just a little beat up is all." Naruto explained to her, a bit shocked that she wasn't screeching at him. He was about to go help Kakashi, but she stopped him.
"Thank you...For saving him." She thanked him honestly, if not a bit forced.
"I'll take what I can get. You're welcome." He replied as he launched off to help fend off Zabuza.
Over with the Jounin, Zabuza could hardly believe what he just saw. The blond brat managed to surprize Haku, slicing him in half along with his mirror with a strange looking sword.
"Oi...Brat. What the hell is that thing?" Zabuza asked with a wary tone, but before anyone else could speak, a sharp rapping sound against the stone surface of the bridge echoed out.
"So...You and your brat got beaten like a couple of whipped dogs. Good thing I never intended to pay you." Gatou sneered at them, turning to his mercenaries.
"Alright! Kill all of the shinobi, but bring me any females there might be and don't hurt them too much! I can sell a kunoichi for a good price!" Gatou bellowed as his thugs bore down on them.
"Damn midget...Kakashi, looks like we're not enemies anymore." Zabuza commented as he prepared to dig in, Kakashi included.
"Sensei! What about Zabuza?" Naruto asked.
"Naruto...He is no longer a threat to our client since his broke their agreement. Right now, I need you to focus on protecting your teammates and the client. Take out any hostile that comes your way." Kakashi ordered as the thugs began to bear down upon them, coming in waves.
Naruto began to intercept hostiles that made it past them and began to cut them down like wheat, remembering how he saw Hiryu wield the sword. Focusing chakra into his legs, he boosted his speed to weave in and out of the thong of foes, picking them off, trying to mimic how his predecessor moved and fought. A scream got his attention, though. A few broke through behind him and were getting ready to kill Sakura and Tazuna. With a speed even he didn't know he had, he intercepted the blows and hacked them apart. He looked down at her, a fierce look still on his face.
"You okay?!" He called out above the din of combat.
"Y-yeah...Thank you, Naruto." She replied as he continued to pick off any thug that got too close.
Soon, their numbers were waning until only Gatou was left with a few thugs.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! THEY'RE ONLY TWO MEN AND ONE BRAT!" He screamed at his men, who cowered.
"B-but that's Sharingan Kakashi and Bloody Zabuza out there and that kid's not human! We're getting slaughtered!" The thug cried.
"Grr...Retreat! Take everything you can from the village and kill anyone you see!" Gatou ordered as he and the last of his men boarded small boats and headed back to the village to do just that while more men flooded the bridge to stall them.
"Damn! He's trying to stall us!" Kakashi yelled, but Naruto had a solution.
"I'll leave some clones here to guard the old fart while I go after him!" Naruto suggested.
"Good idea, Naruto! Get after them and don't let them escape! GO!" His sensei bellowed as Zabuza commented.
"That blond kid...Hard to believe he's a Genin..." The brow-less nin said.
"He's full of surprizes...Even to me and I've known him his whole life." Kakashi replied as they continued to eradicate the forces on the bridge.
Naruto lept out onto the water and began to run them down, archers trying to pick him off but the bowmen's aim was affected by the rolling water and their own shoddy skills, the young Genin being able to dodge them easily. His first swipe took out the first skiff while he left a paper bomb on it, the bomb destroying the rest of the threats while he went after Gatou himself. A brief fight on the small skiff's deck saw the rest of Gatou's protection dead, the small, pig-like man cowering at his feet.
"P-please...Spare me! I can give you anything you want! ANYTHING!" Gatou pleaded, disgust building at the sight of this man.
'What would he do? Let him live to see justice, or deal it out himself?' Naruto debated within himself.
Gatou took advantage of his distraction and slipped a small gun out of his sleeve and pointed it at the young ninja.
"DIE!" The coward screamed as he fired.
Naruto was caught flat-footed, but reacted in time to avoid a shot to his heart and only took it to his shoulder, lashing out with a knife that had been dropped on the deck and sliced his throat open, granting the evil little tyrant a slow and painful death.
"Dammit..." Naruto groaned, his wound burning more than anything as he began to pull the boat back to the bridge, with wasn't very since Naruto intercepted them fairly quickly. After a few more moments, he finally managed to drag the skiff to a small pier below the bridge and climb back up to report to his sensei, who had just finished off the last of the thugs alongside a mortally wounded Zabuza.
"Good job, Naruto. Good..." Kakashi panted while they saw to Zabuza, who had collapsed from blood loss and didn't have much longer.
"Hey...Drag me...over to where Haku is..." He requested, the two shinobi nodded and did as he asked.
"Haku...I know I promised to...turn Kiri into a place where...people like you can be free...Looks like I failed..." Zabuza lamented, his voice full of regret and tears in his eyes.
"You...Gaki...You have a nindo yet?" Zabuza asked Naruto.
"Y-yeah..." The young blond replied, telling him his nindo.
"...Very naive...But, it's pretty noble...If there were more like you...in this world...what happened in Kiri wouldn't have...happened." Zabuza gasped, his time running out.
"I want you to take my sword...I have no brats to pass this on to, Haku is already gone, but I want you to promise me...That you will help liberate Kiri one day." Zabuza implored him. It was a very solemn moment, a shinobi's dying wish. From what Kakashi told him, Zabuza was a member of the famous Seven Swordsmen and his blade was famous the world over. This was indeed a huge honor. He looked over to Kakashi, who nodded.
"I promise." Naruto swore, the stricken Jounin relaxing.
"I hope...Haku went to a better place than me." Zabuza sighed as he closed his eyes for the last time, dying in peace.
"Sensei...What happened in Kiri?" Naruto asked.
"...There are very good reasons why Kiri is called the Bloody Mist." Kakashi explained grimly, telling Naruto the sordid and nasty history of Kiri, along with the Bloodline Purges that Zabuza revealed he was trying to stop.
"So...He became a missing-nin to fight for what he believed was right..." Naruto summarized as they sealed the blade up for transport. In that sense, Zabuza was a hero.
"Heroes aren't heroes to everyone. That's one truth that you needed to learn if you want to continue. Be aware that doing the right thing can also make enemies of those who were allies." Kakashi warned him, letting it sink in while they walked back to where their client and remaining team currently were.
"Sakura. How are Sasuke and our client?" Kakashi asked.
"Tazuna-san isn't hurt, I'm okay and Sasuke-kun is unconscious, but Naruto said he was okay." She answered.
Naruto and Kakashi were both surprized that she didn't start with the insults already.
'Looks like cold hard reality was enough of a wake up call for her. Hopefully she improves from here on out and Sasuke follows.' Kakashi hoped. He was hoping that this mission would be enough of a shock that it would pull them together. Sakura was beginning to see the light.
"Yeah...He should be fine, but we need to get him back to a bed to rest." Kakashi suggested, turning to Naruto.
"Can you make some clones and...Bury them? They deserve better than to rot out here." Kakashi told him as the blond Genin did just that, the original following them back to Tazuna's place.
TAZUNA'S HOUSE
As they headed back, the weight of the lives he had taken were slowly bearing down upon him and by the time they got back, Naruto had to stop suddenly.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, concerned. The young blond looked about to be ill.
"I...I just don't feel very good." Naruto stammered as he ducked over to a bush and let loose with that morning's breakfast.
"What happened, sensei? Is he alright?" Sakura asked, also showing some concern. Since Naruto saved them on the bridge, she had done a little thinking concerning her treatment of the blond.
'He deserves better that that from me...He saved my life and Sasuke-kun's too. On top of that...He's changed so much. It's like he's a different person.'
"Sakura, when anyone makes their first kill, it's always hard. Taking another's life is no laughing or small matter, no matter who you are. The fact that he is feeling remorse or guilt over this says a lot about him, that he genuinely regrets what he's done, but he will have to get over it if he wants to continue being a shinobi. Shinobi will have to kill to survive, it's the way of the world we're in. Sakura, once you make yours, my door is open just like it is for all of you." Kakashi informed her as he went to check on Naruto.
"You feeling alright?" Kakashi asked him.
"I...I killed them...I could have at least taken Gatou alive so he could pay for what he's done." Naruto shuddered, tears leaking out.
"Listen to me and listen good. Killing is something that will happen. You will face many enemies out there, ninja or otherwise, that will not stop until you have killed them. The fact that you feel anything at all is a good sign. The moment you become numb to killing, you're nothing more than the monster those ignorant villagers claim you to be. Prove them wrong and don't worry. I'll be your sensei until you no longer need me, and maybe beyond that. Understand me?" Kakashi told him firmly, but there was true compassion and understanding in his voice, having been in his shoes once before.
"Y-yeah...Thanks, sensei." Naruto gasped out, catching his breath. He slowly stood back up and walked inside, where Sakura handed him a glass of water to drink.
"Here...This should help you feel a little better." She told him as he downed it slowly.
"Thanks..." He said, but he hesitated for a second.
"Hey...Sakura...Why are you being nice to me all the sudden? Not that I mind, it's just a little strange." Naruto asked.
"Well...The past few days, I've been thinking. Kakashi yelled at us for the way we were acting toward you and it made me wonder why we hated you so much. I remembered that my mom really hated you for some reason but wouldn't tell me and I guess I just started to too. But...You saved my life out there. Then, you felt bad about those kills you made and Kakashi-sensei explained things to me. That settled things for me. You can't bad as bad as my mom says if you saved our lives like that." She rationalize, making sense as she bowed to him.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I was always so mean to you. I swear I'll treat you better from now on." She apologized to him formally.
"I just need to know one thing. This apology will last beyond Sasuke waking up and you fangirling over him, will it?" He replied with a question of his own. Sakura knew she couldn't get mad at him for that. Many times she was mean to him she was trying to gain favor from Sasuke.
"I...I'll give it an honest effort. If I slip, remind me, okay?" She told him.
"That's fair enough. I accept your apology." He replied to her.
"Think we could start over?" She asked.
"Sure..." He answered her as they began to talk while they rested, Kakashi over hearing the whole thing with a smile.
'My team is starting to pull together...Now, all Sasuke needs is a push in the right direction and lose that arrogance and sense of entitlement...' Kakashi thought, although he wasn't the only one watching them.
"Young Naruto...You have overcome your first trial, but I am afraid that this is only the first of many yet to come. You dispensed justice in a fitting manner with my Cypher, as well as protect your comrades. While we fought for justice, Striders were certainly not saints. We did kill out targets, after all. However, for now...Good work." The ghostly presence commented before it faded away completely.
A/N: I know Sakura turned around fairly quickly, but the horrors and shock of combat can change someone...Trust me. I've been there and you try to refute that unchangeable fact, go to war like myself, my brothers and sisters in arms did and tell me differently. I was Navy, yes, but I volunteered to go out there. It just pisses me off when kids think that Call of Duty is the real thing and they try to play if off. Caught some punks doing just that just to get a Veteran's Discount for something. I asked them where they were posted and when, then saw the I.D's. Those little bastards lied about it in front of a REAL veteran, who EARNED that distinction in blood.
There...That's out of my system, now. Anyway...One of the things I included in here was from the movie Dragon Heart and it's something I believe in.
This new idea just hit me like lightning and I HAD to get it down. Tell me what you think.