Chapter 3: First big mission, Demon Brothers
-Additional Primer-
"I can't believe I forgot radio chatter. Over!"
Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto.
"Feral here. Back up trap is set and ready to spring. Over," Yue reported.
"This is Raven. I'm ready. Over." Sasuke sent in.
"Blossom reporting. I'm in position. Over." Sakura whispered.
...
"I'm all set for this. Over." Naruto said.
"Naruto... You're slow and you forgot your codename again! Over!" Kakashi hissed through his mic.
Sakura was stationed in some bushes, ready to slip out at a moment's notice. Sasuke was in a tree and waiting to swoop down on their unsuspecting prey. Due to this place becoming a bottleneck if their target escaped, Yue had set up a 'sling shot' wire trap that would throw the target back when they hit it. Naruto was hiding in the shadows of a tree and bushes. Kakashi was in a tree with a perfect view of the area, allowing him to see how his team performed on this mission.
A rustling in the brush caught everyone's attention and they fell silent. A figure slid into the area, looking around furtively. When in the dead center of the clearing, the genin moved in. Naruto caught their prey.
"NYAAA!" the cat shrieked as it clawed at the air. Naruto stumbled over, allowing the cat to get access to his face, which it tried to reduce to mince meat. "OW!" Naruto gasped as the cat jumped out of his hands and tried to run away.
Sasuke dropped in front of the cat and caught it effortlessly, keeping it away from his body. The dark haired boy glanced at Naruto, smirked and turned away.
Kakashi walked out of the brush. "Is that our target? Can you confirm it?"
Sasuke put the cat in the jōnin's arms. "The ribbon is there, so it is Mr. Kibbles." It was a good thing he handed the cat over to Kakashi because Sakura started praising him on his capture.
Yue walked into the clearing, allowing the small shackle's simple mechanism retract the last of the wire that was stored inside it. When it was finished, she placed the somewhat hidden tool in a pocket for later use.
"Let's return Mr. Kibbles so we can get another mission," Kakashi said as he started towards the tower, his team following behind him.
[Hokage's office...]
The poor cat was seemingly begging for their help as the fire daimyo's wife tried to squeeze it to death. Team 7 now knew why retrieving the cat was the most frequently posted mission in Konoha. It was a small wonder it was still alive. Cat must know ninjutsu or something.
Once the room was clear of civilians, Naruto shouted, "give us a real mission!" The rest of team 7 moved a small distance away to preserve their hearing, but Sasuke mentally agreed with him. "Naruto," Yue sighed, "D-rank missions are standard fair for fresh genin like you three."
Naruto looked confused, "What is with the 'D-rank' thing?"
Kakashi took over the explanation, "missions are divided into ranks. D is for new genin, C is for experienced genin or chūnin, B is for chūnin, A-rank is for jōnin or higher ranking ninja, S-rank are for the Kage and ANBU forces. You guys aren't skilled enough for anything other than D rank missions."
Naruto frowned, "but we're strong, Yue used to be at least a chūnin and we have you as well, Kakashi-sensei. We can handle a harder mission." Sakura then added, "let's at least hope that sensei is on time to help us if we ever get in trouble."
The Hokage was watching Yue, wondering how she would react to Naruto's statement. "Naruto, for all you know, I was a genin before my arrest," she tried. "No way!" Naruto shouted, "you're strong and you keep saying 'genin like you three,' meaning you were at least a chūnin before." Yue was caught off guard by Naruto's insight and was trying to find the right words to drive him off course. Currently she had the key words: Sakura, ramen and date. How to combine them though...
Before either could continue, an older man wearing a black sleeveless shirt with a towel around his neck walked, well more like stumbled in. "Ah, Tazuna," the Hokage said. "Have you found anyone yet?" Tazuna asked. The Hokage shook his head. Kakashi thought for a moment, then asked, "found anyone for what?" The Hokage was about to say something when Tazuna spoke first, "I need some ninja to escort me to the land of Waves."
The Hokage thought hard for a moment, then turned to team 7. "You wanted a more challenging mission, you got it. Team 7 will escort Tazuna to the land of Waves and guard him until he finishes construction of his bridge." the Hokage said, "you will leave at 3pm today. Meet at the front gate. Dismissed." Team 7 and Tazuna left the room, but Yue stayed with the Hokage.
"You know they aren't ready for this," Yue warned, her tone completely different from before. It was icy and even. A tone he knew well. The Hokage looked at her quizzically, "is this Kazeneko Yue, probationary genin, friend of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura? Or is it Kazeneko Yue the Tokubetsu Jōnin that I am speaking to?" Her eyes narrowed as she took a slight step back. "You can't fear your past, it can't harm you anymore." the Hokage said, then he smiled warmly, "maybe you should contact your remaining teammate and let her know you are still alive. She thinks that both of her teammates are dead."
Yue turned away and put a hand to her bandaged neck, "she would prefer it if that were true." The small ninja walked out of the room.
The Hokage sighed as he adjusted his Hokage hat, 'and I thought Naruto and Sasuke were the troublesome ones in team 7... I'm starting to sound like a Nara.'
[Noon at the village gates...]
"Naruto! Calm down!" Sakura scolded. Naruto was beaming while looking out the village gates and practically bouncing. "But I've never been outside the village before!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke sighed. "Hey, hey! What's it like outside Yue?" Naruto asked. "No need to answer you Naruto. You will see soon enough on your own," Yue looked beyond Konoha's gates as well with a frown, "besides, everyone sees the world differently. The way I see it may be very different from how you might see it."
Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the boy jump almost two feet into the air. "It's time to go," he said as Tazuna joined the group.
[Day 2]
Sakura started talking with their client to pass the time. "Tazuna-san. Why do you have to be escorted to the land of Waves?" she asked. "I'm a super bridge builder and some people will not like what I am doing, so I need some super protection." the older man said. Izzy popped up, 'not another one!' Naruto got excited, "super protection? That is what I am. Uzumaki Naruto, future super Hokage, then everyone will acknowledge and respect me!" Tazuna started laughing, hard. "You, a Hokage," he managed, "kid, even if you became the greatest Hokage ever, I would never care." Naruto was about to start yelling when Tazuna spoke again, "it is always the small, stupid ones who make up for a lack of talent with a massive mouth." Naruto started looking around, "who is the small, stupid one?" His teammates looked at him. It took Naruto a few moments to realize he had to tilt his head back slightly to look at any of his fellow genin's eyes, Yue was excluded since she hadn't spoken yet. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Naruto yelled as he struggled to escape Kakashi's hold on his jacket's collar. "What is the point of killing the person you are supposed to protect?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto finally calmed down, but was still fuming somewhat as they continued on down the path. They walked past a puddle, only Kakashi and Yue noticed it. They walked by it without disturbing the painfully obvious ninjutsu.
Two men wearing a heavy, clawed gauntlet on opposing arms and what appeared to be gas masks on their faces rose out of the puddle, their gauntlets linked with a razor chain. The one with the gauntlet on his right hand's first action was to backhand Yue in the side of her face with the his claw. With Yue down, the same man swung his arm, allowing his partner to jump to the other side of Kakashi. In mid air, his partner swung the chain so it was looped around Kakashi. Just when the genin realized what was going on, the assassins pulled their arms and tore Kakashi apart with the chain as the one with the single horned headband said, "one down." Sakura screamed at the sight.
When the pieces of Kakashi hit the floor, Naruto was flanked by the two ninjas. "Two down," two horn said. Before they could cut Naruto down, Sasuke halted their claws with his legs, then punched the two assassins away from Naruto. The Uchiha then threw a shuriken and kunai to jam the chain up on a tree. The two ninja disconnected the chain and one bolted for Sakura and Tazuna while the other returned to attacking Naruto. A few moments before striking their target, an arm was wrapped around one's neck, stopping him.
The other one, who was attacking Naruto, was struck in the spot over his heart when Yue jabbed her sheathed sword into his chest, forcing electricity into his system. He fell to the ground, convulsing as his muscles tried to make sense of the erratic messages her chakra infused lightning told them. "Sunder Tappu," Yue muttered as she replaced her sheathed weapon on its belt.
Sakura looked to where her 'dismembered' sensei was, only to see sliced up wood. 'He used a kawarimi to trick them,' she thought. She thought that maybe Yue had done so as well, but two shallow cuts on her cheek proved otherwise. The small girl looked at the attacking ninja's headband, then quickly took out some kind of liquid in a vial and dripped some into the cuts, producing some pale smoke and a hissing noise. She wiped it and the blood away and the cuts were gone. 'What is that stuff?' Sakura thought, not knowing of any medicine with such rapid healing properties.
"Sorry about that Naruto," Kakashi said to the slightly quivering form of said ninja.
Naruto looked at Sasuke, shocked at his teammate's actions. 'He acted like this wasn't his first battle. He was able to move while I shook on the ground like some kind of idiot,' Naruto thought. He went through the memories of his personal training and wondered if he had wasted all that time.
To throw some salt on the injury, the 'great' Uchiha spoke. "What's wrong dead last? Fear get to you, scaredy cat?" Sasuke questioned with a cold smirk. Naruto's anger battled his sense of inferiority.
"Naruto," Yue said, catching the blonde's attention, "those blades were poisoned." Naruto blinked at the older kunoichi, who pointed at Naruto's left hand. Naruto looked and saw a small wound on the back of his hand.
"Hmmm," Kakashi hummed while tying up the two ninja, "we are going to have to go back to get your hand treated."
"Good work Naruto," Sakura sighed, "our first real mission and we have to give it up now because you froze up."
Sasuke didn't say anything, merely smirked at the shorter boy. Yue glared at the two genin, her grip on her sword's handle tightening.
'Why is it always me?' Naruto thought angrily, 'no matter how hard I try, I keep screwing up!' He angrily looked at the wound, then made his decision. He opened up his pouch, drew one of his kunai and stabbed it into the wound on the back of his hand, draining it of poisoned blood.
His teammates, sensei and client all gaped at his actions.
There and then, Naruto made a vow to never freeze up again, he vowed it on the pain in his hand.
"Uh, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"What?" Naruto growled angrily.
"It's good and all that you purged the poison," Kakashi said, "but now you might just bleed to death."
Naruto started freaking out and yanked the knife free from his hand. Kakashi managed to grab his arm and stopped the small boy from pumping too much blood out of the wound. He pulled out some bandages and started to wrap the wound. 'Hmm?' he thought as he watched the wound start sealing itself, 'that must be the Kyūbi's power at work.'
"Uh, Sensei," Naruto said, seriously worried, "is something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh no, just wondering if we can get moving right away with your wound," Kakashi lied, covering his surprise at Naruto's healing rate. He finished bandaging the genin's hand.
"How did you know we were there?" one of the demon brothers asked.
"Simple, it is sunny today and hasn't rained in a while," Kakashi said, "a puddle stands out quite a bit." He hit both ninja, knocking them out. "Now Tazuna-san, care to explain why ninja are hunting you? I thought this was a D rank mission..."
Tazuna audibly gulped.
[A few days later...]
The three genin, their sensei, probationary genin, client and a boat driver were on a small boat going into Wave. Kakashi and Tazuna had spoken a while back and he told them the truth about who was after him. Gato, a man who ran a massive shipping company, was trying to kill Tazuna because the bridge he was building threatened Gato's plans. The bridge would remove the country's reliance on Gato's shipping, effectively kicking him out of the land of Waves. Kakashi stated that the mission was at least a high B-rank mission, possibly higher if the foes were even stronger.
Using a motor boat, that was being rowed by the owner, they passed through a tunnel and came into a more open area, trees lining the river. This path was best since it gave them more cover from anyone that Gato may have on watch. Naruto got excited at seeing the place, it was all fairly new to him. The boat driver dropped them off and left quickly, leaving the ninja and their employer behind.
"Hurry and get me home safely," Tazuna commanded lightly.
"Yes," Kakashi sighed. 'Next time we get attacked it won't be chūnin, but a jōnin like me,' Kakashi thought with a dull look on his face.
Naruto glared at Sasuke briefly and then started acting weirder than usual, if that was possible. He started looking around a lot, then randomly threw a shuriken into the bushes with a shout of, "there!"
Nothing happened.
"Just a rat," Naruto said as he wiped away imaginary sweat.
"Stop trying to act cool!" Sakura yelled.
"Naruto, stop using shuriken like that...it's dangerous," Kakashi warned.
"Hey midget! Stop acting like a moron!" Tazuna yelled.
The words fell on deaf ears as Naruto went back to scanning for foes.
Kakashi felt something while Yue heard a noise. Naruto, whether by instinct or dumb luck, flung a kunai (he DID listen...sort of) with a spirited "there!" again, right where the jōnin and demoted kunoichi had thought the disturbance was.
"We said stop!" Sakura yelled as she punched Naruto in the back of his head. "Somebody is after us!" Naruto protested. "Yeah right," Sakura snapped, "the men with nets aren't here for you yet, baka!"
Kakashi, Yue and Sakura, who had just finished yelling at Naruto, went over to see what was there. A small white rabbit was shaking against the tree, Naruto's kunai embedded in the tree between its parted ears. Poor thing looked like it lost a few months of its life to fear.
Sakura went back to lecturing Naruto while he tried to calm the poor rabbit down by apologizing to it and petting it. Counter productive since Sakura was scaring it further with her tirade. Kakashi was thinking though. 'This is a snow rabbit...but it's pure white. They change color in spring because of increased sunlight, but this one didn't,' the jōnin thought, 'someone must have kept it in a cage for kawarimi. Then that means the next attack is here. Now.'
In the trees, Zabuza watched Kakashi and Yue, not shocked too much at their presence. He had expected as much from what Haku had told him. Though Yue was different, her hair and eyes were duller than he had heard. 'It doesn't matter, Sharingan Kakashi is the only real threat,' Zabuza thought as he initiated his attack.
Kakashi heard it a few moments after Yue did; the sound of a branch creaking from a jump and the whistling as a blade sailed through the air. "Get down!" Kakashi yelled as the large sword flew at them. Sasuke pulled Tazuna down and out of the way while Sakura tackled Naruto to the ground. Kakashi ducked under it while Yue rolled out of the way, drawing her sword in mid roll. The large blade imbedded itself in a tree. The blade hadn't even settled and a man appeared upon it.
The Konoha ninja stood up and faced against the ninja who had just appeared. Naruto was thinking of showing up Sasuke and was ready this time.
"If it isn't the Hidden Mist's missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi said. Naruto moved to spring forward, but Kakashi's hand halted him. "Get back. This guy is on a whole different level from the other two," Kakashi said. He put his hand on his tilted forehead protector. "It will be dangerous if I don't use this," Kakashi said as he grabbed his tilted forehead protector.
OMAKE!
Worthless Gesture?
Once Naruto's hand was bandaged up, the group continued on. Yue had gone somewhere, but soon caught up. She approached Naruto as the group continued on and tugged at his sleeve. "Naruto..."
"What is it?" he asked. The small girl held up a vial of a greenish liquid for him. "What...is that?"
"Antidote for the poison used by most Kiri-nin..." the girl mumbled.
Naruto's jaw dropped. Other than that vow, what he had done was useless. Then again, Yue might not have had-
"I have some too" Kakashi said as he pulled out a vial of the same liquid.
-some of the antidote for the poison...
Naruto wondered if that was standard with all Jōnin vests or was it their preparation for missions.
...Did the vests come in orange?
A/N~
I know the cat was originally called Tora, but I decided to rename it Mr. Kibbles. Tora (Tiger) sounds cool and tough, Mr. Kibbles sounds cute and harmless. Mr. Kibbles is not harmless
-Review responses-
Sky Zephyrus: I'm purposely making Yue a background character right now. She steadily gets more uh, letter time, especially around the exams. Her back story gets partially revealed a bit at a time, with the exams revealing even more. Some light NaruSaku will start around exams, just like everything else.
Oh yeah, I truly believe Naruto should just get himself a nice harem. He deserves Sakura, Ino and Hinata in my opinion. Tayuya isn't bad either. Maybe Konan and a few others too... This is all my personal opinion though.
Kidloco: There are similarities between Yue and all the members of team 7. These will be revealed as time goes along. She does act like an older (but shorter) sister to Naruto and Sakura, a somewhat stern older sister. Can't say too much without giving it away.
Thedarkpokemaster: Yue does help "lift the scales" from Sakura's eyes a little faster so she can see how Sasuke really is. Sakura will also realize Naruto is quite strong and dependable long before he leaves for his training trip. Her feelings when he returns...Hmm. I'm not telling you anything yet. I can tell you that Sasuke's escape and the promise will be different and Naruto's return won't be exactly the same.
9-tailed reaper: Sasuke won't die, but I am going to make him a little worse than in canon. His whole problem was Naruto being better than him while Sasuke believed that he was superior because he is an Uchiha. Yue will also be stronger than Sasuke, which will make his attitude worse. Trust me, by the end of part I, people will be begging me to slaughter the damn jutsu thief.
(Also, he WILL be put in his place, several times. Basically, Yue is going to beat the living shit out of the little queer later.)
About Yue not leaving any money behind, she had no money since she had just gotten out of prison. (the big house always takes a big cut) Don't worry, she will never leave Naruto high and dry again.
Johnjohn: Other than Yue appearing, the Narutoverse has changed very little. All I did was add a clan, added a couple OCs, added a bloodline limit and messed around with past events slightly. Naruto will be smarter and stronger, but not until the exams. Sakura and, to a lesser extent, Ino will be stronger as well.
If you want a stronger, smarter Naruto from the offset, then wait until I start releasing The Greatest. Its another fic I'm actively writing, in addition to about four others and this one. It is a NaruOCSakuIno fic. I won't release any of it til I've gotten to the exams though, so be patient. I was actually planning on releasing Necessary Darkness next. It is a mirror fic to this one since it also contains Yue, but she is very different from this story's version.
-Jutsu Index-
Sunder Tappu [Thunder Tap] – D-rank raiton. By forcing a raiton directly into their opponent, a shinobi is capable of reducing their foe's movements to spasms and twitches for a short while. Only works once per opponent.