Volume 1 Chapter 1: Enter Zabuza Momochi!
Inspired by 'Sensei' by LadyOrange101a
Disclaimer: I only own the concepts and characters that I create, nothing else.
Chapter 1
Naruto
4 Years Ago
Blood dripped from his huge sword as he carried it over his shoulder, easily and well practiced. Zabuza scowled darkly at the trio of bodies lying at his feet. One had been cleaved in half while another was decapitated. The last carcass looked to have been disembowled. Lesser men would have lost their nerve, but Zabuza was a stone cold killer, and he had been the one to do the deed.
It was a dimly lit room carved out of stone, windowless and cold. Zabuza growled, "Are you through with your games? Or should I kill you too?" Snickering, a new arrival had a gray suit and bowler hat and said, "Well Mr. Momochi, your reputation was not an exaggeration was it? You truly are a demon." Pulling a piece of paper out of his jacket, the thin and small man grinned at Zabuza as the Demon read.
500,000,000 Ryo! Who could this be? Unfolding the now bloody paper, Zabuza gasped as he saw the name and title of his newest target. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. The killer remained silent, in shock at his latest charge. Brushing the still wet blood off his hands onto his pinstriped pants, Zabuza shook his head. "What the legendary 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' is afraid and refuses a hit?" The sleaze asked, but he grinned as he got the answer he was expecting. Zabuza explained,"Okane, I've never refused a job and I never will. I'm going to bring Sarutobi's head to you on a spit."
Naruto
Now
Impatiently looking back and forth through the hallway, a blonde haired boy with a Leaf headband stamped his feet. A pinkette girl in red scolded, "Naruto just sit down!" Sitting behind the desk that the pink haired girl was leaning against, a brooding dark haired teen rolled his eyes at his new teammates' antics. Naruto complained, "Sakura! How come our teacher is the only one that's late? Even Iruka-sensei went home and I'm ready to go. Believe it!" The brunette groaned, "Shut up Naruto. You and your stupid outfit are an eyesore." Naruto had an orange jump suit with a red swirl-crest on the back, but he didn't seem bothered by its bright colors.
"You shut up Sasuke! I'm outta here!"
Opening the door but not looking where he was going, Naruto ran head first into a dark haired man's naked torso. In shock, Naruto looked up into the tall man's eyes, savage and fierce. The new arrival was obviously a man compared to Sasuke and Naruto, a Leaf headband in his hair matching the teacher-less students. Growling at the former prankster, "Where do you think you're going?" The bare chested man shook his head, "We're going to the roof."
Naruto
On the Roof
"Introduce yourselves one at a time," Zabuza grumbled, standing on a rail while his students sat in front of him. Sakura asked, "Well what are we supposed to say?" Zabuza answered darkly, "What is your name? Why are you a ninja? Why does your village want your talents? What are your talents? What are you willing to die for?" The pinkette couldn't help but stare at her sensei's muscled chest, then noticed the scroll at his waist. I wonder what's in that…
"Maybe you should go first sensei, so you can show us how it is supposed to work," Naruto said and the Demon went along with it. Zabuza sighed, "I am Zabuza Momochi, formerly of the Village Hidden in the Mist. I am a ninja because I earned and respected what that means. The Leaf wants my talents because I was the strongest ninja in the Mist of my year at the Academy. The only child to pass the Graduation Exams actually. I am very good at fighting, and very good at breaking people. I am willing to do anything for my Village and my people, even fight against them." He leaned back, seemingly on the verge of falling off the roof, but he remained there unconscious of the danger.
Zabuza pointed at Naruto, "Believe it! My name's Naruto Uzumaki and I like ramen! I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the Ichiraku Noodle Shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait to pour the water in the cup. My hobby is eating the different types of ramen and comparing them. And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then everyone can stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important!" Eyes void of any emotion, Zabuza's face was completely unreadable to the genin as half of it was obscured by bandages anyway. This is the Jinchuuriki… Pitiful.
Zabuza nodded to Sakura. Sakura took her turn proudly, "I'm Sakura Haruno. The things I like – uh – I mean the person I like – My dream for the future hehehehe." Zabuza no longer hid his disappointment, his face creased in a deep scowl, giving the slightest nod to Sasuke as he locked eyes with him.
"My name, is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality! I will restore my clan and destroy a certain someone." It was a long moment of silence as Sasuke's comrades gathered their thoughts. Naruto was quite obviously scared, Gee I hope he doesn't mean me. Sakura had a very different reaction, Sasuke's sssssoooo hot!
These kids are jokes. This is the worst assignment I've ever gotten. "Tomorrow is your first mission. It's a task that the four of us will do together. A survival exercise," Zabuza said, getting all of students' confusion. Naruto complained, "What?" Equally confused, Sakura asked, "We already did Survival Exercises at the Academy Zabuza-sensei why are we doing it again?" Zabuza's tone shifted angrily and he growled, "I am your Master and you my Student. You will follow my direction to the letter without question and when you fail me, you fail your Village. Now meet me at the designated location at 4 AM, there you will experience something you've never faced before. Don't eat anything if you want to keep it down."
Naruto
The Next Day 4 AM
The genin arrived at the chosen spot on time, and Zabuza stood before them. With a hand on his hip, he smiled darkly. "Now the real Final Exam can begin. Of the 27 graduates, only 9 can become genin and the rest are sent back to the Academy," Zabuza revealed and two of his pupils were shocked. Determined more than ever now, Naruto urged himself, I gotta pass this test! Believe it! Believe it! Sakura pumped herself up, I can't let myself fail! Sasuke and I can't get separated; this is a trial of Love!
It was early, and all of the genin-hopefuls were barely awake. Not even the birds sang. Cracking his knuckles, Zabuza ordered his students, "Now give me one hundred push-ups!" The ninja thought it was a joke. "NOW!" The trio slowly got down and started. Putting a foot on Sakura's back, Zabuza asked angrily, "Why are you trying to be a ninja Sakura?" Sakura shook under the weight of his sandaled foot, "For… ugh." Sakura groaned as she fell under the weight, but quickly got up and continued.
Zabuza nodded to himself. She'll break soon enough. Those that live this life out of love always do. Walking over to Naruto, the ex-Mist Assassin stepped on the blonde's back. "Uzumaki! Why are you pretending to be a ninja?" Zabuza asked, and Naruto responded angrily, "I am a ninja Sensei!" Furious, Zabuza stepped off of him, then kicked him in the chest. Flying into a tree, Naruto ached with the sudden pain. But he was awake now.
Sasuke chuckled quietly to himself as he continued his own workout. The teacher called to his students, "That's fifty more!" Then he walked over to Sasuke, standing on the boy with all his weight. Grunting under the strain, Sasuke shook but kept going without slowing down. Zabuza whispered into his new victim's ear, "That's it Uchiha, give up. You think you're so much better than him. Than her. You're a bigger idiot than either of them if you think you're a ninja. My family lived and died as ninjas, what makes you think you can live up to that?" Sasuke mumbled, "My entire clan was destroyed –"
"And you think that gives you the right to become a ninja? When I was your age I'd seen war and these hands had already killed. You're a joke Uchiha! The whole lot of you makes me sick! You'll never become ninjas! Now finish your Goddamn push-ups."
Climbing off of the raven youth, Zabuza pulled out an alarm clock and a book. The cover showed a boy being whipped by a gray haired man with an eye patch. The title read, 'How to Captain a Genin Squad'. Waiting for the students to finish, Zabuza read nonchalantly. Setting the alarm clock on a log stump, the Master shut the book abruptly as his three students stood at attention. Zabuza explained, "This clock is set to 12:00. Your assignment is to collect these two bells from me." Holding two jingling bells out so all could see, Zabuza ignored his female student's now raised hand. "If you can't get the bells by Noon, you go without Lunch. You'll be tied to trees and you will watch as I eat my lunch in front of you."
Sasuke came to a sudden realization, This guy is a cold bastard. He told us not to eat Breakfast so we'd be weaker. "Why are there only two bells?" Sasuke asked, and his teacher grinned, "That way at least one of you will fail to complete the mission and ultimately fail causing you to go back to the Academy. But you could all three fail. You can use any weapon, skill, or technique you may have. If you aren't prepared to kill me or your rivals you will not pass this exam and you will not become a ninja." This guy's a joke, I could defeat him easily. He doesn't even carry any weapons, just that scroll and that book. Sakura gasped, "Those weapons are too dangerous Sensei!"
Angry, Zabuza appeared in front of Sakura, "I am not 'sensei'! I am 'Master' and nothing else. Until you are genin than I am not your sensei!" Naruto laughed, "It's okay Sakura, I'm gonna be the Hokage someday! I can take this guy, believe it!" Zabuza backed away from his students, "Class clowns never amount to much, they can be safely ignored. Of course, the top of the class is equally disappointing. They all go down fairly quickly."
Naruto growled, pulling a kunai knife out of his pants, running at Zabuza loud and angry. As the blonde slashed, Zabuza managed to grab his vulnerable wrist, twisting until he heard a crack and Naruto screamed in pain. Dropping the genin, he said, "You may begin." Followed by a voluminous canvas of gray mist filling the ninja's vision. Zabuza laughed, "This is my Hidden Mist Jutsu! Do you like it?"
Sasuke backed up, a kunai pulled out as he flashed it out into the obscuring cloud. The coward! I can't even reach him! He knows he is stronger than us yet he still hides! "What's wrong Sasuke? Are you mad at me? Anger is weakness when not tempered with skill Uchiha. And you have a lot of anger don't you!" Slashing the darkness frantically, Sasuke all but answered his teacher's question. "You know I'm right. This Mist always reveals the truth. It's just like a certain someone, isn't it Sasuke? No matter how hard you try he is always a step ahead of you. He's always in your head but you can never find him. No matter how hard you try." A kick sent Sasuke flying, only stopped by hitting a tree.
Naruto
In a large room at a table, an old man with white and red robes and a broad hat sat sipping out of a cup. "Iruka what did you wish to see me about? I don't think you came here merely to drink tea with me and chat did you?" The old man asked 'Iruka' who sat on the other side of the table. A green flak jacket he wore showed his small muscles, and a scar on his nose suggested he was used to fighting. Iruka was very tan, but his nice looking skin was very worried, "Naruto was assigned to Squad 7, the Jonin in charge of that group, just who is he?"
"Zabuza you mean? You are concerned?"
"I am. I heard rumors about him Lord Hokage."
"This is his public file."
Handing Iruka a manila folder, Lord Hokage folded his arms as he watched his colleague's eyes grow wide with shock as he read the file.
Naruto
"Every ninja has a weakness, but when you make your particularly vulnerable weaknesses apparent to the enemy, you will pay for it. Right Sakura?" Zabuza grumbled, and his female pupil was already scared. "Remember, any fainting or knock out counts as defeat. So don't pass out if you want to be with your precious 'Sasuke'." The pinkette tried to see through the Mist, terrified of the brutal master. "Don't you dare talk about my Sasuke!" Sakura argued, but when she heard his voice again, she stopped. "Oh your Uchiha? I've already beaten him. He is going back to the Academy, but first he needs to be taught a listen." Zabuza said, and loud thuds led to Sakura screaming, "Stop it stop it! Don't hurt him!"
"Why do you care Sakura?"
"Because I love Sasuke!"
"You would do everything in your power to protect him wouldn't you?"
"Yes of course!"
"Then find Naruto and make him flunk. Knock him out of the Exam and I will let Sasuke go."
"But Sensei…"
"I am your Master now! Do as I say!"
The fog suddenly dissipated, and in an open clearing, Sakura saw Naruto standing ready, his back to her. Sakura ran told him, and punched him in the head, the blonde fell soundly. Rolling over, Naruto gasped, "Sakura stop! It's me Naruto!" But Sakura didn't stop, she kept pounding at him, making him bleed. When his eyes were swollen shut she stopped, but when a puff of smoke appeared, Zabuza was in Naruto's place. Then Zabuza became a pool of water. "That was a Water Clone Jutsu Sakura. If you thought before acting you would have known that. You will fail this exam and your Sasuke. Love is a weakness. A ninja must never show emotion, they are tools that feel nothing and fear no one! You will never be a ninja." On her knees sobbing, Sakura knew she was defeated. How could I be so stupid? Mom and Dad, they were going to be so proud of me!
Mist rolled back in soon enough, enveloping the crying kunoichi in its depthes. Naruto kept turning in place, his knife at the ready and his wrist and back stinging with pain. "You're the last ninja standing Uzumaki. Do you know why?" Grinning, the blonde shouted, "Because I'm gonna be the Hokage someday!" "No. Dreams are a weakness. You will fail your dream. You can't even pass this exam. You're the last one of them because you will always be alone. You can't hide from it, it's there within you every hour you sleep in your empty apartment and every minute you wasted in the Academy you were alone. You will die alone and you can't run from. Your own Village despises you for what you are. As a baby the Fourth Hokage knew no one would want you, so they sealed the most cursed thing into you. Even with another being inside you, you are alone. You'll never feel the love or care of anyone. Sakura and Sasuke both abandoned you; it's just you and me now."
Zabuza cleared the fog, stepping out of the shrubs he had been in. Naruto stood a good fifteen feet away from him, and Zabuza pulled out his book and read from it. Naruto shouted into the heavens, "I'm not going to play your stupid mind games Zabuza-sensei! You and me right now, head to head." Reading from the book, he seemed to pay no mind to his spitfire apprentice. "Shinobi Battle Techniques Part 1: Taijutsu, the Art of the Fist." "Is this a read along or a fight Sensei? I don't care if your reading or whatever! I'm taking you down!"
As Naruto punched, Zabuza dodged effortlessly, as he did with all three of Naruto's attempts to hit him. Now scowling, Zabuza heaved him up by his shirt collar and held him in the air with one hand, "I told you Uzumaki, I'm not your sensei, I'm Master!" Throwing his pupil, Zabuza went back to reading. Now where are the other two?
Following the sound of Sakura's wailing, Zabuza missed how far he'd thrown the blonde. Naruto had landed in the pond, several dozen feet away from his lift off. Flustered but not out, Naruto declared inwardly, Not gonna let it end like this! I'll attack from the water. Two shuriken flew towards Zabuza's head, and he caught the spinning projectiles with just his fingers, not once looking up from his book.
Naruto
Iruka steeled his reserve, finally managing to speak. It had been several minutes since he had read about his former protégé's new teacher, but he'd been so shocked he hadn't been able to say anything to the Hokage. He looked up from the file, "Lord Hokage! How can we trust this 'Zabuza Momochi' with our young ninja! He's from the Village Hidden in the Mist, the Bloody Mist. You know about the Graduation Exams right?"
"Of course Iruka. That is why Zabuza was given citizenship."
"But sir he could be a spy!"
"I know he is not Iruka. He is a great teacher and a leader. His Bingo Book page is quite telling."
"Bingo Book?"
"Yes he is a rogue ninja from the Mist Village. Zabuza Momochi is wanted for crimes against the Mizukage and dozens of mercenary assassinations."
"Exactly! How do we know we can trust him?"
"I know I can trust him. I expect the same of you. He is a ninja of the Leaf now, and now a Squad Captain. Hated by his Village, he knows how each of Squad 7 feels, he will make an excellent teacher for them. With his skills, the Leaf Village will become strong again!"
Naruto
Having grown bored with walking towards Sakura, Zabuza decided to wait until Naruto came up for air. Now at the edge of the beach where the lake came out, Zabuza was surprised when he saw Naruto climb out, gasping for air. "What no attack? I'm surprised… Has the Uzumaki lost hope? Must not want lunch very much." "You told us not to eat breakfast! How can you expect me to fight when I'm starving to death!"
Speaking of not eating, the entirety of Squad 7's stomachs all growled in unison. Walking away, Naruto complained, "You caught me off guard, that's all it was believe it!" "I'm gonna pass this test. I'm not gonna give up no matter what. Believe it! A real ninja never quits, never cries, and never stops fighting. Right Zabuza-sensei?" Zabuza turned, looking up from his book, a sad look in his eyes. His gray orbs were very lonely, and Naruto didn't know why, but he did know that Zabuza felt the same way he did sometimes. Alone. He's alone too.
"A ninja stops when their heart does. That's what you will hopefully never have to understand Naruto."
Haku, I promise I won't fail them like I failed you. Zabuza looked down at his book, tossing it to the side. Getting into a battle stance, the master ninja seemed unsurprised when a dozen Naruto doppelgangers all sprang out of the Lake screaming in unison, "I will become a ninja!" The Naruto closest to Zabuza grinned, "You're overconfident Zabuza-sensei, that's why you weren't ready for a Shadow Clone Jutsu, my best attack!"
In the distance, Sakura looked up and rubbed away her tears. No! I can't give up! I'm going to win and become a ninja! Those aren't just images, those are real clones! That's so awesome! Leaning against a tree, Sasuke was having similar thoughts, Not bad Naruto… Right before Zabuza latched onto Naruto's throat and threw him into two of the clones just as they landed. But as all three crashed together and became puffs of white smoke, he realized that that had been a clone as well.
"So you can make clones? You are no ninja!" Zabuza declared, charging into the center of the clones, punching three and destroying them. A kick broke two more, and a head butt made another disintegrate. But the remaining three had another plan. "You'll never beat me with this Jutsu… Not in this life, or the next." Zabuza said, but that was right before he felt two clones grab him from behind, one grabbing each arm.
In surprise, Zabuza struggled against the two clones, but to no avail. When another Naruto punched him in the face, Zabuza was almost impressed. Almost. But somehow Zabuza was no longer there. Naruto had punched another Naruto. The clone disappeared into smoke and the remaining Naruto started going crazy trying to figure out where Zabuza was. They soon were reduced to four, and Zabuza appeared in the middle of them again.
"I swear on their graves I will not let you become a ninja! I won't fail you!" Zabuza screamed, and savagely punched three of the Narutos in quick succession, knowing where the real one was mysteriously. "I used a Replacement Jutsu, it is a simple move that allows me to try trade places with any object. Of course it can only be used subconsciously as a reflex, but it is still an amazing technique." Picking the boy up, Zabuza threw him into a tree. As he fell to the ground, Naruto groaned in pain.
But he saw a bell right next to his head. Zabuza-sensei must have dropped it during the fight… Laughing out loud, Naruto greedily snatched up the bell, only for a trap to spring. Leaving Naruto dangling upside down from the tree he'd just been thrown into. "My mission, not what the Hokage gave me. But the promise I made to Haku and the others. Never again. I won't fail."
End of Chapter 1
AN:
I decided to change Zabuza's character and yes, Haku is dead now. We will get into that later. This series will be about Zabuza and how he is affected by Squad 7 and the Leaf and how he changes them.
Please remember to read, review, and get your game on!
