Chapter 4
Asuma Sarutobi took a small drag of his cigarette, he and his fellow jonin waiting for Kakashi to show up to the meeting to report who had past the examinations.
He had just recently come back from meeting with his new team. He decided not to test them, simply taking them to a restaurant to eat and get to know them better. He already knew that Shikamaru, Ino and Choji were going to be skilled ninja, their heritage had all but assured that.
Finally and surprising only a few minutes late, Kakashi had arrived, his nose stuck in that orange book of his.
The Hokage nodded to himself, speaking to the rest of the jonin. "Now, we will begin. Starting from Team 1, call out the result of your examination."
Most of them failed. In the end, only Teams 7, 8 and his own, Team 10, had passed. Asuma listened to his father's speech, telling him, Kakashi and Kurenai the responsibility they now held in nurturing the next generation.
Soon after, the meeting was over and Asuma made his way back to his apartment.
He had moved out of the Sarutobi Compound many years ago, the conflict between him and his father driving him away.
He regretted it sometimes, the separation making the relationship with his nephew rather difficult.
Opening the door, he walked into the small apartment. It was minimalistic, Asuma not being what for hoarding material possessions.
Throwing his vest on to the flow, he laid down in his bed, lighting a cigarette and sticking it in his mouth.
He thought about his team, thinking of there strengths and weaknesses and what he should start teaching them.
Choji came to mind first. The big boned boy was gentle and kind, a personality not suited for this life. The academy reports said he would struggle in spars, not wanting to hurt his friends.
It was admirable but a habit Asuma would have to break. Hesitation on the battlefield meant an early death.
Still, the boy possessed strength suiting his size and was apparently quite skilled in his family's secret techniques, something that he was sure his team would begin to rely on.
Ino was next, Asuma main concern. The girl was a bit naïve, more concerned about her looks than her ninja techniques. It was something Asuma knew he would have to correct but was utterly clueless o how he would begin. Maybe he would ask Kurenai…
Still, despite her quirks, Ino was a sympathetic and caring individual, easily reading the emotions and thoughts of others, not surprising given her very social nature.
Although her physical ability was lacking, she made up for it with her skill in her family techniques and knowledge of the human psyche.
Lastly, was Shikamaru. Out of all his students he felt a special connection to the boy. Sure, it might just be that both were laid-back and a little lazy, but he just couldn't shake that feeing that there was more to the boy.
Asuma wasn't wrong. After their initial meeting, he had asked to see Shikamaru one-on-one, suspecting a hidden intelligence in the lazy boy. He showed him the game shogi, surprised to see that he was already avid player, and the two began.
It was humiliating. Asuma was thoroughly defeated and Shikamaru just sat there, as if it were nothing. As if he didn't just defeat an Elite Jonin in the art of stratagem.
They talked after the match, discovering that Shikamaru would often play against his father, Shikaku, losing against him every time.
The thought made Asuma shiver. If Shikamaru was this good at shogi, just how smart was Shikaku Nara?
During there conversation, Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, before revealing that there was someone else that couldn't beat, but he only played against him once, when he was 9 years old.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Asuma didn't know much about him, other than his burden as a Jinchuuriki. He hadn't had the chance to look up his academy file, but he was resolved to get some information about him from his team.
Someone who could best a Nara as talented as Shikamaru was someone of interest.
Hinata Hyuga carried the tray of food toward Neji's room. He was brought back earlier today by his sensei, unconscious. Apparently, according to his sensei, Neji had fallen down a series of stairs and got injured. Luckily, there was no lasting damage and he just needed some rest.
It was surprising, she didn't think her cousin was so clumsy.
She reached the door, knocked quietly and let herself in.
"U-um, Neji? Are you awake?"
Neji was sitting up in his bed, awake. He had a far off look on his face, thinking about something. Suddenly his eyes refocused and he turned toward her. His voice was quiet, calm in a way that she had never heard before. Usually, it had a harsh edge to it but now it was softer.
"Yes, Hinata? Was there something you needed?"
Hinata jumped slightly, startled by the change in character. "N-no, I was just, um- I was just bringing you some food. You must be hungry, your fall knocked you out for quite a while." She walked toward him, setting the tray on his lap.
Neji looked confused, a question being asked after Hinata presented his meal. "Fall?"
"Yes, you know, the stairs you fell down?", Hinata said, trying to remind him.
Neji stared for a moment before chuckling, a small smile appearing on his face. "Ah, yes. Now I remember."
The two stood there for a moment, Neji simply looking down at the tray. Hinata, sensing an awkward ness in the room, attempted to give a polite goodbye.
"W-well, I guess I'll be going th-"
"Hinata."
Neji had interrupted him, his voice once again taking that quiet, soft tone. Surprised, it took a moment before she was able to respond.
"Y-yes Neji?"
He was quiet for a moment, as if thinking over a conversation in his head, he was still looking down at the tray, and now she could see a sadness form in his eyes, but that couldn't be right, could it?
"Do you-…do you think that people can change? Do you think it's alright to change who you are, no matter the sins you committed?"
Hinata was taken aback by the question, not sure how to answer. Why was he asking this? Was there something wrong? Maybe he hit his head harder than everyone thought…
"I…Well I think…" She struggled to get the words out. Pausing for a moment, a confidence that she didn't really feel took over her voice.
"I think it's ok to be whoever you want."
The silence returned as Neji took in her words.
"I see…"
Hinata, quite done with the conversation, asked for permission to leave.
"Is there anything else, Neji?"
Neji looked up at her, at her forehead, the usual ninja headband being removed while she was at home.
"N-no, that's all… thank you."
Hinata ignored him. She ignored the stuttering in his voice. She ignored the apology, the only apology she had ever heard from him, that he whispered to both her and himself as she left. Walking out of the room, she closed the door and thought about the way Neji looked at her.
That look, aimed at her forehead in regret, made the Caged Bird Seal atop her forehead burn.
Doffy was frustrated. When he finally became a ninja a month ago, he was hoping to finally get out of the village and get some action. He was looking forward to eradicating bandit camps, raiding enemy encampments and maybe save a princess or two along the way.
Vergo would tell him of his missions during his last year at the academy and he was anxious to start doing the same.
He did not become a ninja to do chores.
He made his displeasure known to the Hokage.
"You listen here old man, we didn't spend six years learning the diverse ways to snap a man's neck to spend our time painting fences and walking dogs! Give us something more exciting, damnit!", He said, ignoring the old man's spiel about mission rank and how missions were assigned.
The Hokage sighed, looking toward Kakashi who was deep in his book.
"Well Kakashi, are they ready?"
Kakashi looked up from his book, and then to his students.
Sasuke was standing there with his arms crossed, his face impassive but you could tell he was anxious. No doubt excited about the prospect of a real mission.
Sakura was the opposite, shifting her feet and avoiding Kakashi's gaze. Doffy knew she was nervous about the idea of a real fight, but she needed to be sent out on the field. She needed to gain a drive to improve and seeing her own failures might just be what she needed.
Putting this together, he wasn't surprised when Kakashi said yes, giving the old man a lazy thumbs-up.
The Hokage nodded, looked past Team 7 and called out to someone in the hallway behind them.
"Send in the bridge builder."
It was an escort mission. They would be guiding Tazuna, a self-proclaimed 'Super Master Bridge Builder', to his home in the Land of Waves and guard him while he and his men worked on an enormous bridge.
It was a simple, low-risk mission but Sakura couldn't help but feel nervous. Team 7 had spent the last month focused on teamwork, just like Kakashi promised.
It was basic at best. The training was mostly practicing different formations and everyone's role in them.
There was more than that of course. Kakashi was also improving their skills in taijutsu, but Sakura didn't find them to be very useful. It was like Kakashi just expected the lessons to just click with her, not really investing much time to ensure she understood what she was supposed to be doing.
Sasuke and Naruto took to it like a fish in water, leaving her behind in the dust and not helping with her already low self-esteem.
Sakura sighed as she arrived at home, entering the front door, she made her way upstairs and toward her room.
"How was your day, hun?!", her mother called out from the kitchen.
Sakura stopped mid-way up the stairs, remembering that she should tell her parents about her mission tomorrow.
She turned around and made her way into the kitchen.
"It was okay. I have a mission tomorrow, a real one, so I'm gonna be away from the village for a while."
Her mother turned around from the kitchen counter, putting her cooking aside as she looked in worry at her daughter.
"So soon? How long will you begone?", she asked, worry soaking her voice.
"I'm not sure. We'll be protecting a construction site, a bridge, in the Land of Waves. I guess we'll be done when it's complete."
Her mom paused for a moment, a frown on her face before she turned back to finish her cooking.
"Well, all right then. Make sure you say goodbye to your father and I before you go. He'll be back from work soon and dinner will be done."
Sakura promised her and went back up the stairs. Entering her room, she double checked all her supplies, making a mental check list of everything she would need on the trip.
She was nervous, the mission bringing her anxiety and fear to the forefront of her mind. She thought back to the bell test, how useless she was during it. She wasn't even able to launch a single attack, Kakashi simply appearing before her with Sasuke in tow, telling her she failed and to head to the clearing while he talked to Sasuke.
She never realized that 'Sasuke' was just an illusion until she found the real one buried in the ground in the clearing, Kakashi tricking her.
After completing her preparations, she laid down in her bed, waiting for her dad to come home so they could eat dinner together.
She promised herself that, on this mission, she would prove that she was a capable kunoichi, both to herself and her team.
Kakashi was on time today, surprising Doffy. He and the rest of his team were gathered at one of the villages gates, ready to go.
Tazuna had arrived last and, with his arrival, they were off, heading toward the Land of Waves.
The journey had been silent for the most part, the only sound being shoes against gravel or a passing bird. It was beginning to become boring but luckily for Doffy, his Haki sensed something that would spice things ups.
They were a puddle. He could sense two individuals hiding, disguised as an inconspicuous puddle in the middle of the road. He glanced at Kakashi, making no other sign that he detected the suspicious individuals, but he kept walking, focused on his novel.
The rest of the team kept walking, passing the puddle and continuing forward. His Haki flared as it warned him of the pairs attack.
They burst from the small pool of water, their faces covered by gas masks. They each had a type of gauntlet on one of their hands, with sharped fingers that dripped with poison. There was a bladed chain connecting the two gauntlets, linking the pair together.
They rushed ahead of them, aiming at Kakashi who was at the front of the group. The chain wrapped around Kakashi as the pair landed on the ground in front of him. Then, they pulled.
The chain ripped through Kakashi's body, spraying blood and body parts everywhere as Kakashi's life ended. At least that was what the Genjutsu showed.
Doffy could sense Kakashi hiding in one of the nearby trees, either looking to use these two to test his team or trying to figure out who their target was.
Whatever it was, Doffy would play along. He called out to the rest of his team.
"Pinky, guard Tazuna. Sasuke, you're with me, I call the ugly one", he grinned, rushing to meet his new opponents.
The two ran to meet him, extending their gauntlets, intent on stabbing him through the chest. Doffy grinned, jumping just before they made contact, he planted a kick into each of their faces, sending them flying back.
Sasuke jumped above him, throwing a kunai and shuriken at the chain, trying to pin them to the tree behind them. It worked, the shuriken pinning the chain to the tree through one of it's links and the kunai stabbing through the center of the shuriken to reinforce it.
The two masked ninjas looked at each other for a moment, then the chain pinning them down. The chain disconnected from each of their gauntlets, the two now separated and free to move. They dashed at Doffy and Sasuke and they tensed at the enemy's approach.
Suddenly, one of them jumped, trying to get over them while the other changed direction, attempting to do the same. They were aiming for Sakura and Tazuna.
Doffy jumped, a leg raising in the air, after the man. When he reached him, his leg thundered down, slamming into the ninja's shoulder and driving him back into the ground.
As the he slammed in to the ground, Doffy acted quickly, created several strings to jump off of, launching himself toward the ground and at the downed ninja.
Doffy slammed his knee into the ninja's chest. He felt bones shattering and organs ripping apart. Pulling his knee from his chest with a sickening squelch, he looked away from the now dead ninja, toward the one that ran around him and Sasuke.
Kakashi was there, holding the now unconscious ninja in a chokehold. Kakashi looked at Tazuna with a narrowed eye.
"We need to talk."
Zabuza Momochi hid in the treetops, waiting for the bridge builder and his protection detail to arrive. It had been a couple days since the Demon Brothers left and he knew that, somehow, they had failed. It was a big blow, reducing his team to two people, including himself.
Now here he was, coming to finish the job himself if only to stop Gato's complaining.
Zabuza was stuck waiting for 3 hours, Haku in position further behind him, ready to bail him out if anything went wrong. Zabuza was a not a prideful man, he was more than able to admit there were some things he just couldn't handle, and he was not one to refuse help in those situations.
Finally, the entourage he was hunting arrived, and he knew why the Demon Brothers failed.
Kakashi Hatake the Copy Ninja was among them, and with a genin team no less.
Kakashi had been in his bingo book for as long as he could remember, a prodigy who made a name for himself by copying the techniques of his enemies and using them against them. He was a dangerous opponent, one that Zabuza was eager to face.
He eyed the group of genin. They were young, probably recent graduates. While they could have been chunin, talented children that had graduated early, it didn't matter to him. At the end of the day they were just kid's, there were limits to their abilities. Besides, he doubted any Konoha ninja had graduated so early since the latest 'prodigy', no doubt afraid of a repeat occurrence of the kin slayer.
Kakashi led the group, the three genin trailing behind in an arrow formation with Tazuna trailing behind them.
The kid on the right was a little girl with pink hair. She looked stressed, bags under her eyes and her hands twitching toward the pouch on her hip. Yes, no doubt recent graduates.
The one on the left was much more composed, his face impassive as he scanned the tree line. Looking at the boy, Zabuza got the image of a talented kid, but still just that, a kid. He wouldn't be a problem.
The one leading the trio was the more worrying of the three. The blond had a confident grin on his face, his hands shoved into his pockets as he walked along. His legs would rise comically high and he seemed to be hunching over slightly. Why was he so worried about the boy?
Because, the kid was looking right at him.
Quickly pulling his Executioner's Blade off his back, he hurled it at the small team, intent on cutting through them all and ending it in one move.
The attack failed of course, they ducked under the blade at it went past them, stopping when it lodged itself in a tree. Moving quickly, Zabuza dashed toward his sword, standing atop it and looking down on the Leaf ninja.
"Well, if it isn't the famous Kakashi Hatake", he said, planning his next move.
Kakashi shifted into action, moving to stand between himself and the rest of his team, an arm extended behind him as a signal to stay back.
"And if it isn't Zabuza Momochi: Demon of the Hidden Mist."
Zabuza laughed, amused. "So, you already know my name? I'm flattered, still I've no time for games. Hand over the bridge builder and I'll let you live", he said, offering an easy way out.
"Sorry, not gonna happen." Kakashi placed his hand on his headband, sliding it upwards to reveal a lone Sharingan eye.
Zabuza didn't respond, the time for talk was over. Grabbing his sword, he jumped toward the river that the trail ran by, standing atop it's surface and casting his trump card.
'If he's already using his Sharingan, then I can't hold back'
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
A heavy mist began to form, hiding his form from Kakashi and his team. Controlling his breathing, he listened for any movement from the Leaf ninja, using the small shifts and sounds they made to track them as he moved silently in the white veil.
Deciding to use some psychological warfare, he prepared a small, terrifying speech to echo through the mist.
The kunai speeding toward him changed his mind.
Dodging the kunai, he switched tactics, rushing out to engage directly. Forming a Water Clone from the surrounding mist, he sent it ahead of him to distract Kakashi. When he got close enough, he saw Kakashi in a deadlock with his clone, and rushed past him, his new target being the blond.
The Hidden Mist Jutsu was saturated in the caster's chakra, making it impossible for those who possess the Sharingan to find them in the mist. This fact holds true for sensory types as well, yet somehow the boy had found him.
He didn't know how nor did he care, he just had to get rid of him and then pick the rest off with his Silent Killing technique.
As he approached the blond, the other genin and Tazuna moved back, while Zabuza swung his sword. The grinning blond ducked underneath his slash, and raised his hand, a single finger pointed at him. His instincts flaring, Zabuza quickly reeled his sword back in, putting it between himself and the blond.
Something fired from the boy's fingertips, impacting his sword with such force that it threatened to push him away. Using his chakra to grip the ground, he raised his sword after he felt the impacts stop, looking to send another slash at the kid.
He looked surprised, probably expecting his attack to send him further away, and Zabuza took advantage, launching his attack.
Only to abandon it as he was forced to jump back to avoid a kunai thrown by Kakashi, his water clone defeated. Zabuza didn't waste any time, continuing to press the assault and keep the pressure up.
He rushed at Kakashi, his sword already in motion as it threatened to bisect the Sharingan veteran. Just before his blade made to strike, it stopped. Some invisible force halting the blade in its tracks.
Kakashi took advantage of the opening, sending a powerful kick at his midsection that sent him flying backward, sword still in hand.
His instincts screamed at him. Still in the air, he struck the ground with his blade, using it as a pole vault to launch him self in the air, dodging whatever his sixth sense had warned him about.
Landing on the ground, he quickly looked up, searching for the hidden threat. He saw it for only a moment, a white ninja wire directly in his path, threatening to skewer him if he hadn't changed his trajectory.
The wire then disappeared into thin air.
'So, that's what it is. Some kind of Kekei Genkai.', he thought, looking at the blond. 'Is that how he's tracking me?'
Standing up for a moment, there was a pause in the battle. Thinking quickly, Zabuza weaved hand signs, Kakashi copying them with his Sharingan.
"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"
Their ninjutsu was cast at the same time, a ring of water appearing around them before shooting toward their opponent, becoming an unstoppable vortex. Their techniques crashed into each other, Zabuza's holding the advantage as he used water from the river behind him to fuel its power.
He felt a kunai at his neck.
Shocked, he took a small glance behind him, only to see Kakashi, his Sharingan eye making his glare even fiercer.
'A Shadow Clone? When did- '
He thought back to the moment he vaulted over the blond's wire. His back facing Kakashi for only a single moment.
Kakashi Hatake was a dangerous man indeed.
Seeing only one way out, he canceled his technique, and braced himself, using Kakashi's jutsu to take out the Shadow Clone.
He blacked out for a moment as the water hit him, regaining consciousness a second later. He struggled to orient himself, let alone escape from the powerful water jutsu. Soon enough, his back slammed into a tree, stopping him as the vortex began to wane.
His body was met with a searing pain as several kunai pierced into his flesh. Quickly looking up, he saw Kakashi in a far-off branch, a kunai in hand to finish the job.
"It's over."
There was a tugging sensation in his neck, then everything went black.
Kakashi led his team away from Tazuna's house and into the surrounding forest, the clicking of his crutches echoing through the trees.
When he had decided to continue on with the mission, he was expecting a tough fight. Sakura was surprisingly the one so adamant about continuing, a fire burning in her eyes that he had never seen. Looking at her, he just didn't have the heart to refuse her. Besides, he was confident in Naruto and Sasuke's abilities.
Still, he was expecting a tough fight, not one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of Mist. That was more than he bargained for.
So here he was, trying to get in some last-minute training for his team and teaching them to climb trees.
Sakura proved to be the best at it, getting the exercise down in her first attempt. Her face shown with amazement at her own accomplishment and Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the sight. He would have to get her some lessons in genjutsu or healing techniques, her prodigious chakra control would let her go far.
Naruto took a couple tries but he was able to do it as well, his practice making those strange chakra strings of his honing the control over his massive amounts of chakra.
Unfortunately, Sasuke, who, seeing his teammates get the exercise down almost instantly, was fuming. He tried over and over again, sprinting at the tree, his progress more from his speed than his chakra control.
Kakashi sighed as Naruto stood atop Sasuke's tree, grinning down at him. Naruto had been invaluable in that fight. His strings giving him just the edge he needed to defeat Zabuza.
He wasn't sure why Zabuza decided to rush toward Naruto like that. Maybe he wanted to get rid of the 'weaklings' first. Still, Kakashi was grateful the battle turned out as well as it did.
Hopefully their next battle with the Demon of the Mist went just as well.
Doffy was walking around the forest, bored. He had already completed Kakashi's tree walking exercise and now he was just wandering around looking for something to do.
Don't get him wrong, he was glad Kakashi had shown him the technique, now aware of how Zabuza had avoided been thrown away by his 'Bullet String' attack.
Doffy laid in a small clearing in the forest, surrounded by various flowers. He let his Observation Haki relax for a moment. While he was now capable of keeping it up most of the time, that didn't mean forever, and he would sometimes have to rest for a few minutes before manifesting it once again.
He lay there for a while, eventually falling a sleep before the sound of footsteps woke him. Sitting up and looking around, Doffy spotted a feminine boy, a couple years older than him, with a basket in hand, most likely gathering herbs.
The boy spotted him, a small blush appearing on his face.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. You probably shouldn't sleep outside though, you'll catch a cold."
The boys voice was light and soft. If Doffy hadn't been constantly around bizarre figures during his first life, he would have thought he was talking to a girl.
Doffy chuckled lightly." Heh, sorry to disappoint, but I haven't been sick a day in my life. I'm too strong, ya see?"
The boy came closer, eventually sitting next to him and beginning to pick at the ground, plucking at herbs he didn't recognize and putting them in his basket.
"Too strong? I see, you must have a lot of people to protect if you're that strong."
A frown made its way on Doffy's face, marred in confusion. "What's that got to do with anything?"
The boy looked at him in amusement, chuckling slightly.
"Well, you see, I believe that true strength comes when your fighting to protect the ones you care about. So, if you're so strong that not even disease can bring you down, then you must have a lot of people relying on you."
The boy returned to his task as Doffy thought about his words, before standing up, beginning to walk back to Tazuna's house.
"Leaving so soon?"
Doffy stopped for a moment. "Yeah… I have places to be. See ya later, er- ", he stopped, realizing he never got the guy's name.
"Haku.", the boy said.
"Naruto", he said, offering his own name." See ya later, Haku."
Doffy returned to Tazuna's house, remembering to reactivate his Haki when he got there.
A few days had passed. Kakashi had suspected that Zabuza would make his return today and had assigned Doffy to stay and guard Tazuna's family.
He was confident that Gato would send some men after his family to avoid the ninja and, sure enough, a few hours after Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura left, his Haki felt a large group approaching the house.
Telling Tsunami and Inari to stay put, he put on his shoes and stepped outside.
Zōri guided the group with his partner, Waraji, and marched over to the small two-story building. Gato had assigned them a mission, kidnap the bridge builder's daughter, Tsunami, and use her as a hostage to stop the construction of the bridge.
Personally, Zōri thought bringing 20 other guys with them was overkill for just one woman, but Gato was paying the bills so he had no complaints.
As they approached, someone walked out of the house. A blond, who couldn't be more than 14 years old, waltzing up to them slowly with a large grin on his face.
Zōri grinned back, this was going to be easy.
"Hey kid, listen here! If you don't want me and my boys to give you the beating of a lifetime, then you better run on home. Trust me, we're all in a bad mood today and could use a punching bag." Zōri finished his speech confidently, hoping the boy stayed put so he could put his katana to work.
The boy chuckled, staring at them with unflinching bravado. Then, he spoke.
"You're in a bad mood? Tell me, were you forced to stay away from the action, so you could deal with a piece of trash and his pirate-wanabe boyfriend?"
Zōri blinked owlishly, before anger took over, signaling for the group behind him to charge at the brat. Over the groups roar, he could still hear the kid speak.
"No, if anyone should be in a bad mood, it would be me."
A pressure came down on him, threating to crush his very soul. He collapsed onto his knee's as he watched all the men he brought with him instantly fall unconscious.
The demon walked closer to him, over the bodies of his friends. The closer he came, the more the pressure increased, it became painful, excruciating, but he couldn't scream; the pressure forced the air from his lungs.
He couldn't breathe.
The demon was in front of him now. It's claws coiling around his neck as it lifted him up from the ground.
He couldn't take it.
He tried to beg for death but was unable, his chest refusing to suck in air.
He heard a snap.
.
.
.
.
He had gotten his wish.
Haku rested for a second in his mirror, looking down on the young raven-haired boy, Sasuke if he remembered right, who was covered in senbon needles.
During their entire fight, conflict arose in his heart. Kakashi Hatake was a powerful opponent, one that was capable of killing his master, Zabuza. Haku had to end this now and help him, but there-in lied the problem.
Haku had never killed a man, not intentionally, let alone a 12-year-old child.
To save his master, he would have to kill his own heart.
Closing his eye's, he made his choice, and dashed to another mirror, senbon flying toward Sasuke's heart.
Haku turned around, preparing to face the consequences of his action.
He was met with a blond boy, grinning, with the veins in his forehead rippling, senbon caught between his fingers.
Sasuke collapsed behind him and Haku's heart leaped into his throat. He was not expecting to fight Naruto today, his absence from earlier providing him some relief from the tension of this battle.
He felt a strange connection to the boy, as if he could trust in him, like the bond he shared with Zabuza even if it wasn't mutual.
That moment in the forest, Haku had felt something from Naruto. Haku's words had brought a sadness in the boy, however small, and Haku could sense it. It was the sadness of someone who had lost everything close to him, and he couldn't help but connect with him, reminding him of his own past.
It was just as Zabuza said, his heart was just too soft for the way of the ninja.
Still, Haku was a tool. A means of an end for Zabuza's benefit. His feelings didn't matter. His thoughts of getting to know Naruto better, didn't matter. His wish to leave the life of the ninja didn't matter.
He leapt from the mirror, senbon in hand and tears blurring his vision.
He made his decision.
Haku felt pain.
An explosion of blood followed.
Kakashi was focused. Blood was flowing out of his wounds, but he ignored them, dedicating everything he could to locating the Ninja Swordsman.
The mist was thicker than before, barely letting him see his own hand in front of his face. It had been a few years since he had a fight like this, relying on all his senses just to survive.
It was a slight brush of the wind, that was all that had warned him of the massive sword slashing downward toward his back.
Turning around and sidestepping around the sword, his right hand grabbed a kunai, stabbing toward Zabuza's head as his left blocked a quick jab, grabbing a hold of the fist and holding Zabuza in place.
The swordsman let go of his sword, impaled in the ground, and grabbed his wrist, stopping the kunai inches from Zabuza's eye.
The mist disappeared as the two Elite Ninja struggled in a contest of strength.
The hand holding the kunai slowly being moved to the side, Kakashi let go of Zabuza's hand, trying to leap back and get some distance.
Zabuza's grip on his wrist held strong though, pulling him back as he lashed out with a fierce kick. Using his only free arm, he held it to his chest, trying to lock the attack.
The fore of the kick sent him back several feet. He landed on the ground, raising his guard as the two stood across from each other.
They stood there for a moment, before they both heard someone clapping.
"So, this is the best the great Zabuza Momochi can do? Pathetic."
Kakashi and Zabuza turned toward the end of the bridge, seeing a very short man standing there, a group of mercenaries climbing on to the bridge from a boat in the waters below.
"Gato…why are you here?", Zabuza asked, the displeasure clear in his voice.
Gato smirked, his men forming a wall to his sides as he leaned on his cane.
"Your too expensive, Zabuza. That's why I'm here. All that money and you can't kill a single old man. I've had enough. Me and my boys here are gonna end our agreement, along with your life."
Zabuza and Kakashi looked at each other, then faced toward the group of mercenaries.
"It would seem my quarrel with you has ended, Kakashi."
"So it would seem…want some help?"
The Demon of the Mist grinned.
"Sure, try and keep up."
The two dashed toward the mercenaries.
An explosion of blood followed.
Doffy stared down at the Hunt-, no, at Haku's remains. He was cut into several pieces, dashing at high speeds into the various strings that Doffy had strung up between the mirrors.
His mask broke when he hit the ground, allowing Doffy to see his face.
He didn't know what to think. The kind, feminine boy with the soft voice had been the Hunter-nin and partner to Zabuza Momochi.
He was just a child, a child who simply wanted to protect his family, something Doffy knew well.
And he had butchered him.
The mirrors shattered, turning into glistening snow as Doffy continued to look down at Haku's body, his hands tightening into fists.
Turning around, he grabbed Sasuke, who was unconscious on the ground, and walked toward Sakura and Tazuna, trying to ignore the snow falling around him. He walked, trying to get Haku's face out of his mind, the face of the one who reminded him of what it meant to be a family. He walked, trying to call upon his hate and purge the emotions he felt welling inside.
The hate wouldn't come.
"I see, did they end up naming the bridge?"
"No, Lord Hokage. It remains unnamed."
The Hokage asked the question, not in curiosity, but to calm the anger he felt at the negligence his jonin had demonstrated.
"I see…"
Taking a drag of his pipe, the Hokage began.
"What the hell were you thinking, Kakashi?", his voice ground out, startling Kakashi for a moment.
"S-sir?"
The Hokage took a breath. "Explain to me why you had taken a genin team, only a month out of the academy, on a mission you knew to be B-rank or higher. I'm curious." The last word was hissed through clenched teeth.
Kakashi straightened his back, no doubt preparing for the lashing of a lifetime.
"W-well sir, they, uhh…they really wanted to go?"
There was a silence between the two ninja, The God of Shinobi's glare causing the younger shinobi to wilt.
"Get the hell out of my office."
Kakashi didn't question the order, running away with his tail between his legs. Sarutobi didn't have time for Kakashi's antics. The Chunin Exams were coming up and he had to prepare.
Jiraiya's spies had been giving interesting reports, stating that the Hidden Sand was sending their Jinchuriki to the exam, a very suspicious decision.
While Sarutobi believed in finding the best in others, he was not naive. He knew it was more than possible that the Sand was preparing an assault on the Leaf, their village suffering economically as their Daimyo continued to ignore the shinobi village in his own country and relied on the Hidden Leaf instead.
It was a breach of their alliance, but the aging Hokage had found throughout the years that those alliances were worth the same as the paper they were written on.
He grabbed some paper, sending a reply to Jiraiya's latest report, ordering him to return to the Leaf village. He had run away long enough, it was time he met his Godson.
He sighed, pulling up a listing of his ANBU and trying to decide where he should place each of the Black Op's members.
Naruto was right, he was getting too old for this shit.
Sasuke began his trek to the team meeting, curious what Kakashi wanted. It been a couple weeks since the mission in Wave, Team 7 getting a break form missions after the unexpected clash with the former Hidden Mist ninja.
Zabuza himself had run off after Gato's death according to Kakashi, taking Haku's body with him.
He thought back to Wave mission, having finally gotten the chance to see just how strong he had become.
He was disappointed.
His fight against Haku had been going well at first. The two were evenly matched in speed and strength but Sasuke held the advantage in terms of skill. It was slow, but he was winning the fight.
Then, the Hunter-nin summoned those mirrors, and it all went downhill. He was simply too fast, not giving him the chance to counter attack.
By the time his Sharingan awakened it was too late. He could see the attacks coming but his body was too exhausted to make a meaningful retaliation.
His Sharingan showed him exactly where Haku's next set of senbon would land, directly in his heart. He watched as they approached, intent on ending his life. He watched as Naruto appeared, saving his life.
His pride screamed at him on the way back to the village. Screamed at him to challenge the blond to a fight, to prove who was the strongest. He didn't fall victim to it. He knew, as much as it pained him to admit it, that Naruto was stronger than him. He would just end up humiliating himself.
He just didn't understand it. How was the blond so strong? He remembered Kakashi's first words about the Hunter-nin, Haku. How he said that there was ninja that were stronger than a jonin yet younger than himself.
He couldn't see how that was possible. All he did was train. Every day was dedicated to just that and everything needed to keep doing it. He had no friends, he had no time for them. His hate and his nightmares fueled his determination, always driving him toward the next level of power.
Yet, it would seem, no matter what he did, he couldn't catch up to Naruto. All that training, wasted, meaningless. It was infuriating and Sasuke couldn't think of a solution. But there had to be a way, a way to catch up to the blond and surpass him.
Reaching a small bridge, Sasuke meet up with the rest of his team. Naruto stood there like usual, leaning against the railing with a grin on his face, hands in his pockets.
Sakura was there as well. She sat atop the railing across from Naruto, having one of their conversations again. She seemed brighter though. During the way to Tazuna's house he could see that there was something wrong. She wasn't sleeping right, had become rather twitchy and paranoid. No doubt, there was fear plaguing her throughout the trip.
A small part of him was glad to see she was doing better now, even if it was just so she wouldn't drag the team behind.
Approaching his teammates, Sakura gave him a small, polite wave and Sasuke nodded back, waiting for Kakashi. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. He and the others were coming three hours after they were scheduled to meet with the lazy jonin.
He appeared in a small puff of smoke at the end of the bridge, a hand raised in greeting with a small eye-smile on the only visible part of his face.
"Yo."
The bridge was silent while Naruto began chuckling lightly. Kakashi quickly continued.
"Anyways, I just wanted to give you guys these", he said, holding out three sheets of paper. He and his team grabbed one each, curious on what they were. Sakura voiced their curiosity.
"What are these for, sensei?"
His eye-smile returned as he answered her question. "These are applications for the upcoming Chunin Exams."
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat, looking down at the piece of paper. This was it, the key to unlocking his next level of power. There wasn't a doubt in his mind, if he wanted to improve he needed to get into a real fight. Simply training wouldn't be enough. His first taste of a real battle had unlocked his Sharingan, he was desperate for more.
"Now, this test is completely optional, so if you don't feel up to it, then don't worry about it. If you do want to take the test, take the filled-out application to room 301 at the academy at 3 PM five days from now. Any questions? No? Ok then, see ya."
Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, not giving them any time to ask questions. Sasuke ignored the others and began to walk back home to fill out the application. There was no way he wasn't going to participate.
The chance to meet several powerful opponents was just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Sakura laid in bed, holding the Chunin Exam application above her. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to take the exam, to prove that she was a powerful kunoichi, but she was scared. During the wave mission she was useless, only protecting Tazuna and knowing full well that if anyone ever targeted the two of them, they were done for.
The only thing that she was happy about that mission was the tree climbing exercise. For the first time she had shown that she was better at something than her other two teammates. She was ecstatic, constantly bringing it up during her and Naruto's conversations. Something told her that he was proud of her.
Getting up and approaching the small desk in the corner of the room, she began to fill out the application. Just like before, she would prove herself to her team.
Besides, it was just a test, what was the worst that could happen?
He burned the letter, his thoughts centered around his new orders. 'Come home', it said. Yeah, as if it were that simple.
Taking another drink of sake, Jiraiya sighed, trying to focus on better times but his mind coming up with blanks. That was what it was like, nowadays. After Minato died the world seemed a little darker, filled with less color than it had before.
He thought back to his godson, wondering what he was doing right now, wondering what kind of person he was. His decision over a decade ago had weighed heavily on his mind, but even now he wouldn't change it. Jiraiya knew that was the right choice, he was not fit to raise a child.
Still, just because it was the better choice didn't make it the right one. Saurtobi would tell him that, constantly reminding him that he had failed once again. But it was too late for regrets. Ninja didn't have time for regrets.
Walking out of the bar, he began his journey back home, back to his godson. He owed Naruto a large debt, and he intended to pay it back. Hopefully the boy wasn't too angry with him.
