Chapter 4: Amenochi No Midori (Green After The Rain)
"For your next mission you can walk some dogs, remove the stones in a field, babysit some children-" "HISSSS! MEEEEROWWW!" "TORA-CHWAN! COME BACK TO MOMMY!" "-or go looking for Tora again..." Sighed the Third Hokage, also known as Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Naruto's reaction however was everything but as subdued as his Kage's; he fell to his knees pleading and bowing. "Please! Have mercy! Anything but that! Please, Hokage-sama! I beg you! I implore you! Please! Please give us a better mission! Have mercy on us!"
Iruka tried to interrupt with a detailed listing of how gennin only do D-rank missions and blah-blah-blah... To be stopped by Sandaime's careless "Alright, if Kakashi also agrees."
Ignoring Iruka's stuned attempts at disagreement, Kakshi looked away from his po-err, literature, only to find himself face-to-face with three begging faces doing the perfect imitation of a puppy's pleading eyes. He broke of course, no one can resist that technique, but he had to look cool while doing so... "Well, it's alright by me. The brats have improved enough to take a simple mission on, nothing more than a C-rank, something without fighting hopefully."
"YATTAAAA!" One hyperactive blonde shouted at the top of his lungs before proceeding to bounce around happily. For all his headaches from Kage-Bunshin-overuse (some would say abuse), he was still as excited as ever. Of course, mere seconds after that he chose to crouch down on the ground, hugging his head thanks to all that pain he suffered.
Still, it was easy to see a smile on his face, as well as on the faces of his team mates. They had all been so bored with D-ranks. Really, what part of 'remove the weeds from the field' turned them into better ninja? Lee and Gai could argue that it made them stronger, but really, that's just them.
"So, so, so!" Piped up the blonde once he was done cringing. "What kind of mission is it? Recover some long-lost, precious artifact? Save someone important?" He had stars in his eyes now. "Oh, oh, maybe go in another country, incite a rebellion and win it with our awesome skills!"
The Hokage seemed to actually think about it, though he was mostly teasing the boy. "Hmm, yeah, we could do that, but then you could just take the darn hat off my head Naruto-kun. And then, I would have no hat to shield me from the harsh, hot sun..." He chuckled at the boy that somehow seemed apologetic enough to start promising to get 'jiji' a new hat before becoming Hokage. "But for now, let us stick to something simpler, like a relaxed bodyguard mission. Iruka-kun, please send Tazuna-san in." He said to the still-stunned chuunin, almost laughing at the man's expression and near-robotic movements.
Who said that being a Hokage sucked?
The client however wasn't as amused as the Hokage was, not at Iruka but at the 'three snot-nosed brats' that would be escorting a 'super bridge builder' such as himself. That little comment however resulted in Naruto cutting the man's sake bottle in half with a single leaf and then raising an eyebrow. Sasuke almost chuckled while Kakashi explained that 'even the village's drop-out can kill a man with nothing but a single leaf so maybe angering them wasn't exactly the best move on his part'. As for Sakura? Between scolding Naruto and gawking at the fact that Sasuke had, for once, expressed an emotion on his face, was too out of it to comment.
Then Naruto asked the dreaded question, though no one knew it would be so until then. "So, how long will we be gone? Couple of days? Three max, right?"
It was right about that time that every member of Team Seven and a regretting Hokage realized that with Naruto never leaving the village... he had no idea what the word 'distance' meant.
"Haha, no way, we'll need two days to go there, two to come back and we'll stay for at least a week." Said Kakashi happily.
His happy mood vanished when he realized Naruto had stopped dead in his tracks and in fact looked absolutely terrified if that shaking was anything to go by. "W-w-w-w-what? No, no no no! This, that's a joke, right? Haha, very funny Kakashi-sensei, no way I'm gonna leave for more than a day. No. Fucking. Way." The fact that he cussed out made it all the more shocking.
"Well, sorry to say, but yeah, that's the minimum amount of time we'll be gone, at least nine days, if everything goes well. Better make preparations for two weeks, just in case."
"F-Fourteen days? No! No! I'm NOT leaving for two weeks! My pretties going to suffer! They're going to die! I'm not leaving them alone for that long, not even for your hat jiji!"
Now that was cause for serious concern. Naruto would never say no to the hat. Because, as everyone knew, wearing the hat meant you were the Kage.
"Naruto, who's going to suffer?" Asked Kakashi, crouching down to a frantic, hysteric even, Naruto.
"My... My plants! They're going to die!" He wailed, almost like having the funeral of a dear friend. "I have to water them and feed them... Even if someone else goes, they're going to feel so lonely without someone to talk to them..."
"You talk to plants? What are you an idiot?" Snapped Sakura, mostly due to being relieved it was something that unimportant.
She should have kept her mouth shut because the glare sent to her by the blonde was absolutely freezing. "I'm an idiot? Who pulled us through Kakashi-sensei's test? Who has made three new jutsu? Who is it that supplies our team with dozens of clones to do our missions in one tenth of the time? Call me an idiot if you will Sakura" He hissed, omitting the honorific to show how upset he was. "But the scientific truth is that plants grow stronger and better when someone converses or sings with them. Even plants have souls!" Then he had already switched to his mourning-child-mode. "And I'm going to abandon them! What a cruel, harsh fate! At this time of year when I must carefully trim their leaves so they can be at their best, such a dangerous time to make sure no pollen goes to the wrong plant to keep the lines strong, after six years of careful planting and maintenance..." And by now he was on his knees, a veritable mess.
"I-I'm sure someone will go water them every couple of days..." Kakashi chuckled uncomfortably.
"Couple of days? COUPLE OF DAYS?" Raged Naruto, fire in his eyes. "Do you not understand the careful presicion needed to take care of a Purple Iris flower?" As soon as he said that, the sole female ANBU that stood guard gasped audibly enough she was heard outside the room. The sealed room.
"You cultivate Purple Irises?" Sakura's voice betrayed a shock poor Sasuke hadn't seen before, so he asked her why that flower was so important. "Sasuke-kun, Purple Irises bloom only once per year and need perfect conditions to do so or they become ruined. Their pollen is key ingredient in many aromatotherapy essenses, its stalk is a unique counter to several poisons and its pettals can be sprinkled over food to maintain its freshness over a great amount of time! It's one of the hardest flowers to grow in fact, whole greenhouses can be devoted to the cultivation of merely ten pots!"
"Naruto... since when have you been growing your plants?" Asked a rather shaky Kakashi; he had had his life saved by such 'innocent flowers' so he had taken his time to learn about them. Hearing that his clumsy, hyperactive, almost insane student actually could grow Purple Irises...
"I said, for six years, haven't I?" Asked Naruto back, wiping his eyes. "And... And not only that, but this time is especially problematic... I'm hoping to crossbreed some of my plants, the previous year showed encouraging results, and I have to be there! A stasis-field around my house won't work either; basic level ones would ruin the delicate balance of humidity and even advanced ones would ruin them due to the offset of time. There's nothing I can do! I can leave a clone behind for a day and maybe miss for another, maybe, but ten days? Fourteen days? They're going to die... My pretties are going to die..." Now he was tearing up again.
"Naruto-kun, I may have a solution..." Piped up the Sandaime. "Leave a dozen or so clones of yours behind, each to be placed in stasis. I will ask one of my most loyal jounin, Inoichi Yamanaka, to tend to your flowers and you will have a clone released from stasis each day to watch over and provide instructions. Inoichi-san is very good with flowers, he is the head Herbalist of Konoha, he knows a lot, he can help you even. But, just to be sure, I'll tell him to follow only your orders, alright?"
Naruto only nodded half-heartedly and made several dozen clones while the old man sighed and got his sealing kit. The boy wouldn't trust anyone but the Hokage with it.
Meanwhile, Sasuke thought about making fun of the blonde about his obsession over a few flowers, but if he had snapped at Sakura... No one knew what he would do to him, and with the Konoha Ninpou of his increasing in quantity and power, he didn't really want to find out.
So it was with a heavy heart that Naruto left Konoha to go to the Wave Country, a fact he never stopped glaring at Tazuna for. The poor man looked very uncomfortable with Naruto, and with good reason at that. Who knew where the blonde was planning to send his cutting leaves next?
At first it was calm and quiet, something the jounin was grateful for. I mean, if there was trouble, he'd have to stop reading Icha Icha, and that's just not good, right? But, somewhere within him, the veteran shinobi (whom he hides unconsciously because one look from him would make half of Konoha's jounin to shit their pants) also noted that missions without trouble are the best. No losses, guaranteed gains, what's not to like?
Which was why, when he sensed the trouble up ahead, he all but groaned. However, he was well aware that his gennin had grown stronger and with that, so had their pride. They needed a fight to show them that while they had grown, it wasn't nearly enough to take on a chuunin.
So, when the bladed chain appeared 'all of a sudden', he acted shocked long enough for it to wrap around him, or his Kawarimi-Bunshin combo anyway. Even if he hadn't detected their little illusion, he would have had time to replace himself three times by the time their chain was around him, let alone when it would have 'grabbed' him.
"One-" "-Down." The distorted voices of the two unknown ninja came before pulling hard on their chain and ripping 'Kakashi' apart.
"Naruto, ranged support, Sakura, bodyguard!" Snapped out Sasuke, the team's leader. Naruto hadn't liked it, but Sasuke had the right mixture between Naruto's spontaneity and Sakura's patience to take the position. Didn't mean Naruto had to like it, but at least the blonde accepted it. Of course, speaking does not prevent one from moving and engaging in combat, proven by Sasuke who immidiately threw several kunai at the chain, pinning it on a tree, and withdrawing another pair for the melee that was about to begin.
Having trained a lot under Kakashi, Naruto knew what Sasuke was going to do and exactly when he was going to dash left or right. So, using that he sent forward several clones under guise of kunai; the attackers would be highly surprised by the sudden change. Besides, he had already mastered the Kawarimi to a point he could switch with someone else, say Sasuke for example.
Kakashi had originally worried about the blonde, he hadn't seemed too stable before this. In fact, the more he had learned of him, the more he had worried about Naruto's state of mind, or rather the ingenius insanity that had afflicted him. There was no sign of that now. Apparently, the boy had found some books on proper shinobi conduct; he could do anything he wanted off duty, but while in a mission, or even worse a combat situation, he would turn into a proper shinobi; focused, controlled and lethal.
While the left brother, Gozu if Kakashi was right though it was hard to tell with twins, tried to claw at Sasuke, he was quite surprised to hit only a bunshin and find several kunai headed on him. He blocked of course, clawed gauntlets have the advantage of closing a gap in the defences quickly enough, but he was even more surprised when, after the clanking sound that denoted the successful block, hands seemed to grab his hand. Hands that belonged to several orange-garbed kids, with a kunai in their other hand, quickly aiming for his arm. Gozu of course tried to reel back, but the clones had a firm grasp on his hand, which was attached to him, and quickly stabbed, ruining his hand until he could get to a medic.
Of course, one did not become a shinobi, let alone a rogue, without some back-ups to fall back on. Biting back a curse from the pain, Gozu's left hand went to his pack and pulled out a ninjato. One good thing about him and Meizu was that they often changed positions in their attacks; hence they had both trained themselves to fight with either hand, becoming ambidextrous. He might not have enough strength to launch a proper offence, but Gozu was sure he could at least raise his clawed hand in defence.
Alas it was not to be. Kakashi had decided that enough was enough; the clones wouldn't last the attack and no matter how well Sasuke was doing against a similarly disabled Meizu (who had caught a kunai with his kneecap and now cursing inventively enough to surprise Tazuna), it wouldn't matter in the end; a gennin is a gennin. A talented gennin is still a gennin. Sasuke and Naruto still had a lot to learn, but their progress was visible. So, with a burst of speed he was sure would amaze his students (he really didn't need to go full speed against Gozu and Meizu, the poor fools hadn't even realized they had only gotten a poor Log, blessed it be in its loggedness).
"Well done team, good job." He praised his brats once they relaxed after finding their targets unconscious in less time than it takes to blink. Kakashi could honestly say he liked the unvoiced awe in their eyes. Then there was Tazuna. Two chuunin wouldn't have dared attack a jounin like himself without good cause (he was quite famous after all), neither would they go after a pair of gennin. So why had these two attacked them? The only answer would lie with Tazuna (there were other answers of course, but Tazuna was the easiest one to investigate without going further into interrogation than he wanted to show to a bunch of gennin; who knew if the next Orochimaru hid beneath one of those innocent faces?). "So, anything you want to share with us Tazuna-san?" Ah, there it was, that flinch that every untrained person (and ashamadly enough many shinobi) made when caught red-handed.
"W-w-what do y-you mean Hatake-san?" Asked the nervous man, this time managing to draw the gennin's eyes on him.
"Well, apart from never calling Kakashi-sensei 'Hatake-san' before, the flinch when he adressed you and the fact you seem ready to bolt," Naruto listed off casually but making sure to ready a Kawarimi with a stone just in case the man tried to run off. "there's also the fact these guys would never have attacked a Jounin as famous as Kakashi-sensei or a bunch of new gennnin like us. So yeah, I think he means 'come clean now' or something to that effect."
"N-No way! I-I'm just an average bridge builder that-"
"Oh, would you cut that already? The act's getting more annoying than your regular behaviour you drunkard." Sasuke snapped.
"And what would you know brat?" Snapped Tazuna back. "My country's dieing because of a rich midget! My bridge is this country's sole hope of survival! Do you know how it is to see your people's spirit die day by day? My one grandson, merely half your age, thinks it's pointless to resist. But I'm not giving up! If I have to lie to a rich village that obviously doesn't need my meager leftover money, I'll do so! So, take your holier-than-thou attitude and shove it! The money I paid for a C-rank mission was all the money my country has!"
"If you have to lie, I have to kill, Tazuna-san." Spoke Kakashi, a calm threat behind his words. "Konoha may not need money in an obvious way, but there are many other ways you could have made up for the mission's cost. Moreover, you took three thirteen year old kids, children who haven't been shinobi for more than a few months and put them against people strong enough to evade capture from their home villages for years. Those two are the so-called Demon Brothers, Gozu and Meizu, chuunin-ranked missing ninja from Mizugakure. If it hadn't been me or had one of us been less careful, you would have one of these innocent children's lives on your hands. So you take your holier-than-thou attitude away from us before I shove it down your throat!"
Poor Tazuna reeled back from Kakashi's rant. In all the time he had seen the jounin, he had been laid-back, calm and polite. He definitely hadn't expected that harsh a reaction, nor had he expected Kakashi to look like he meant it. "L-Look, I'm sorry, alright? It's just we've been stressed so much... People starving to death, workers abandoning the bridge, no food or money in sight... That bastard has locked down the entire country... I have to do something about it! I don't care if you're going to kill me, but do it after the bridge is built. Just... Just let me take care of my family."
Kakashi sighed. Despite his annoyance, anger even, he could see where the man came from. There was war and each fought their own way; Gatou with his money and Tazuna with his building skills. Truth be told, he too wanted the damn thing to succeed, if not for the praise then for his own peace of mind, but that would mean putting his gennin, his brats, in further danger. There was someone who often worked with the Demon Brothers... "Alright team, time to discuss some things. Our client lied to us about the mission; as he has done so willingly, placing a team in intentional danger, the protocol states that we should 'make an example' and return. However, he seems to have had no choice so we can skip the punishment part. Also there is one more thing: the Demon Brothers rarely work alone, there is someone who often leads them, a jounin named Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. If he were to attack... I would survive, but I am not sure I would be able to protect you as well."
"Zabuza is that strong Kakashi-sensei?" Asked Sakura, afraid.
Kakshi only nodded solemnly. "In this world, there are people younger than you but stronger than me. It is also possible that Zabuza may have more accomplices by his side. If that's the case..." He let the words fade. "At any rate, I call our actions to a vote; I vote against continuing the mission, what do you guys believe."
All three gennin thought about it. They were confident in their skills, Sakura much less than the boys. However, Kakashi was strong, like crazy strong. If there was a guy that could hold him off, or even beat him... Worse, if there was several such guys? They were confident, but their defeat at his hand made them realize that they were still only gennin, as loathe as a certain pair of them might be to admit that.
Naruto made up his mind the easiest. "I don't know about all that complicated 'country dies if I don't make a big-ass bridge' stuff." He huffed. "Nor do I care. But... if I don't try to help them, I won't be able to sleep at night. Tazuna's doing his best, so we have to help him. That's what heroes do, right?"
"Yeah, and we're the 'big damn heroes' huh?" Snarked Sasuke. "But you're right, if I backed off, I'm gonna wonder what would happen if I hadn't for the rest of my life." He also remembered Itachi's words; 'run, run and cling to life, live out a miserable, pathetic and unsightly existence!' Well, if that's what the murderer wanted... well fuck him sideways with a morningstar dammit! He was Uchiha Sasuke, last of his clan and he took orders from nobody!
Well, except maybe the Hokage, Kakashi and his mother. Gods knew he still remembered the first, and last, time he cursed near her. His ass still hurt.
"Well, if the dobe goes on alone, he's more likely to hop around hugging trees than fight, guess someone will have to keep him in line, so I'm going as well." Sasuke finished, snickering at Naruto's indignant cries. None of the two would admit it, but that banter of the two was balm to their soul. They had both been so unbearably lonely that they sometimes doubted the world around them even existed. Their friendly banter and disagreement, it was like having reality prove itself as 'real', like a moment of clarity in a period of insanity.
The fact they would both admit to being insane at any moment made it a bit more literal, but that's a different story (one that involves ramen, tomatoes, a Log and a string, though someone would add a mouse).
Seeing the other two agree, specifically Sasuke-kun, Sakura's choice was obvious: "Well, since Sasuke-kun is going... I-I will go too..."
Fangirlism. The worlds' greatest scourge. No I did not make a typo here. Every world's.
Kakashi sighed. He could sympathize with the brats, pulling back from their very first mission was... It was a matter of pride for them. Then there was also the fact that Wave Country would die if they didn't do something about the situation. "Very well, we're moving on. Sasuke, take point. Sakura, rear guard. Naruto, you and I take the sides, make some clones to scout, but keep them close."
Taking their positions was done quickly and efficiently, helped along by hours of training. Many clones were also dispersed to help create a rudimentary perimeter. It wouldn't help much, but maybe, just maybe, they'd get lucky.
That plan was quickly scrapped as they reached a river. Kakashi could easily cross it on foot, it was part of being a trained ninja for so long that he could do things nobody else expected, but his students couldn't do that yet. Well, Naruto might be able to, if he knew how, he had to have learned to control his chakra lest he burned out his leaves, but he hadn't taught them this particular trick. He resolved to fix that mistake as soon as possible. So, for now they would cross over on boat, thankfully Tazuna had a friend that would take them to the other side.
Through the mist, the grand creation of the bridge builder was slowly revealed like a ghostly silhouette.
"Amazing..." Breathed out Naruto as he laid eyes on the building. Not one of the Konoha ninja could disagree, it was truly magnificent.
Seamlessly falling back into formation, Tazuna hoped he would get to his home quickly. There was little time to waste; Gatou's men would soon come out for patrols and, as much as he might have wanted to believe in the ninja escorting him, he didn't. What could three brats and a single man do?
Suddenly, Naruto and Sasuke turned and threw a kunai each at a nearby bush, prompting Sakura to squeal in terror and surprise, while Kakashi quickly went to the bushes to see what his gennin caught.
A rabbit. Or bunny, whatever, he could never tell the difference (women could apparently, but he was a hot-blooded male thank-you-very-much).
The only problem? Its fur was white. "White fur... But it's summer so why would it..." Then came the expected 'ooh shit' moment and he quickly dove to Sakura and Tazuna, pushing them to the ground. "Get down!"
Not a moment too late either as Naruto and Sasuke hit the deck, letting a spinning blade pass right through where their heads were and hack straight into a tree's trunk.
"Well, well, if it isn't Hatake Kakashi. I'm kinda honored to meet such a legend, copy-nin." Spoke the man that seemed to faze into existence over the cleaver-like sword. "I'd love to stay and chat but, since I'd like to get this over with soon, would you mind giving me that old man?"
Kakashi sighed. It was one of those days wasn't it? First the Demon Brothers, then Gatou and now Zabuza? What god had he pissed off lately?
"I'm afraid I can't Momochi Zabuza. Even though he is a lieing drunkard, he is still our client and honor demands we protect him. How about you let us pass today, Demon of the Mist?"
Exchanging pleasantries with a rogue ninja. Oh the novelties of shinobi life eh?
"Seems like we're at an impasse then. But you already knew that didn't you? So, how about we get this show on the road?"
Kakashi sighed, he knew what was coming after. The technique that was perfectly fitted to Zabuza.
There it was; that placement of his hands; twin ram seals, one in front of the chest and the other over head. "Kirigakure no Jutsu..." Zabuza's voice intoned before the mist thickened and covered everything.
"Eight points, lethal and vulnerable. Liver, lungs, spine, clavical artery, neck vein, brain, kidneys and heart... So, where should I go for first?" Zabuza's voice came from all around the group, successfully scaring the crap out of the gennin.
Kakashi sighed. He knew he had to do this, but that didn't mean he had to like it. His hand went to his headband and pulled it up... revealing a weird eye; where his other was black, this one was a deep crimson red and had three tomoes surrounding the pupil.
The Sharingan. You could hear the capitals.
And that was the moment that Naruto, ever the ingenious prankster and spunky brat, decided to make light of the whole situation. "Well, considering the size of that choppa you're holdin' like it's feathers, I don't really think where you strike really matters."
That was delivered with such a deadpan voice that even Zabuza chuckled. It was tons better for Sasuke; the poor boy was flashing back to that day thanks to the rogue's killing intent. Kakashi on the other hand laughed internally; he had been so preoccupied with his duel that he forgot to take Naruto into account.
"Naruto, give us a smokescreen." He ordered, smirking. The mist ninja was in for a nasty surprise.
"A smokescreen? Are you an idiot? I am a master at silent killing, I could kill you before you even realized it. On top of that, I've already placed a smokescreen, so it's obvious visual impediments are to my advantage so what-"
"Oh, would ya shut up, no-brows!" Naruto challenged, his love for riling people up awakening. "What's that sword for? Compensating for something?" While the poor rogue gaped at the boy's apparent gall and lack of fears (internally also admitting that the blonde probably had balls of solid steel to say that to him), Naruto was finished moulding his chakra the way he needed to. It was necessary after all; he had to alter the jutsu just a bit; create more wind to blow away the mist and also charge more chakra for his ougi.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." He whispered, creating several clones and hiding them before shifting his hands to his unique jutsu. "Konohagakure no Jutsu!"
Wind picked up violently, tearing leaves from the trees and lifting them from the ground before spinning them randomly around.
Naruto almost called it his 'shitstorm jutsu' for obvious reasons.
Kakashi couldn't help but smirk. Now it was a bit more even; Zabuza depended on extreme sense of hearing to find his targets. However, the fluttering leaves completely disrupted it. Kakashi on the other hand depended on his sense of scent, which the leaves did little to prevent. Sure, the wind impeded it a bit, but not nearly enough to stop a genius shinobi like himself. Drawing his trusty kunai, he charged.
Clanging of metal against metal came through the leafy cover, sounds of exertion and calls of techniques that the gennin hadn't heard of reached their ears.
In the middle of the shitstorm, Zabuza was being pushed back. Kakashi was of a very high level and, even though the Sharingan wasn't fully operational in such circumstances, he was still good enough to nail him a couple of times. He had also landed a couple of blows on the Konoha dog, but it wasn't enough to decide the battle, or even affect it significantly.
Damn it.
Fine, if it's like that, then it's time to take it up a notch.
Allowing himself to be driven back was easy, back on to the water. Then, a quick half-seal after ward and a water clone came from behind him, quickly replace with it and there! Kakashi stabbed it, destroying the clone -and falling right into Zabuza's trap!
"Suiton: Suiro no Jutsu." Water rose around Kakashi and made a bubble of heavy liquid. A prison.
"Well, shit." Kakashi deadpanned. Then, frantic. "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura! Take Tazuna and run! He can't chase you while he's concerned with me!"
Surprised, and worried, by his teacher's cry, Naruto let up on his jutsu and gasped at what he saw. Kakashi-sensei was trapped. That was not good. Definitely not good.
Well, when life gives you lemons... make orange juice and let the world figure out how you did it!
"Like hell we're running away, right, Sasuke, Sakura? Dunno about you Kakashi-sensei, but running away just aint my style, ya know? Let's kick it up a gear-tebbayo!" Chakra surged around Naruto and he grinned. His clones behind him sent several covert signals to Sasuke; the genius should be able to figure things out.
"Hmph, disrespectful brat. I will teach you the meaning of fear and pain. For now, these clones of mine should be enough to finish things." And with a single seal, something that surprised Kakashi greatly, several clones of Zabuza rose from the water and walked forward, intent on killing Team Seven.
Naruto walked forward, taking point. He had to do this just right now. No second chances. He closed his eyes and focused. The words came to his mouth more in order to enhance his focus rather than for any true need. "Haton... Mori no Me (Leaf Style: Forest's Eyes)..." He breathed out.
Kakashi watched in surprise as the Konohagakure picked up once again, but not so strongly as before; it seemed more like an aura around Naruto. There was also this peculiar chakra that came from the leaves...
To Naruto, it was an endless, black void, littered only by lights moving around him, carried on a wind of his creation. Where they flowed, it was free. Where they met resistance, he knew it.
Zabuza could no longer hide from his 'eyes'.
Initiate second phase.
Naruto's overhead hand (his right), suddenly lashed to the right and then to the left in a cutitng movement before making a quick circle back to place. "If you think you can fight me, then come, Zabuza! I am the Leaf-Style Shinobi, Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Hmph, as you please brat. Die!" He called out to the taunt and his clones flew forward.
Naruto's clones also charged ahead, straight at Zabuza's clones while the originals remained rooted to the spot.
Two cleavers flashed in attack.
Two puffs of smoke... Nothing.
Kakashi gaped; the clones!
"Konoha ninpou: Ougi: Mori Yuurei!" Naruto called out proudly.
Zabuza's clones broke down to water as Naruto's clones appeared over them, kunai wet with water.
"W-what? What happened?" Sakura asked Sasuke, mirroring Zabuza's question.
Only Kakashi had seen it, his sharingan spinning in amazement. 'That ingenious brat! That's why he had asked me about Kawarimi! Leaves are normally too small to replace one's self with, but with the amount of his chakra imbued in them, it must be easier than a normal log! Also, thanks to him slowing down the Konohagakure, the clones could easily choose which leaf to replace with! The ball is now right in Naruto's court! Well done!'
While everyone gawked at Naruto, Sasuke wasn't about to let it go. Discreetly, he readied himself and left the open field, leaving a bunshin in his place. It wouldn't do much, but thankfully it would buy him the time needed.
Naruto's clones charged Zabuza now faster and he replied by calling out several more of his clones.
It was no use; as soon as the water clones attacked, Naruto's clones would instantly replace themselves with a leaf and attack. Of course they had to keep one hand constantly in a half-ram seal, but the ougi was still imperfect. Still, they were winning, they were winning!
Sakura watched in awe as Naruto's clones seemed to flutter in tandem with the leaves, their master not once moving from his spot or opening his eyes.
Eventually, Zabuza found the lag time needed between each substitution, but with the clones moving so completely randomly, it was hard to take advantage of it, even as he struggled, sweating more and more to keep up with the damn brat -how much chakra did the blonde have anyway?
Sasuke instead smirked. Four clones had followed him into the folliage and they all linked together their shuriken and wires. It would all depend on a moment's notice!
Seamlessly, the clones replaced themselves with the ones fighting, with none being the wiser to the strings attached, thanks to the rapid movement, none but Kakashi, whose eyes picked up the reflection of steel. He didn't have much time to think about it because in an instant, the trap was sprung!
Shuriken came from the forest, circling around Zabuza, their sound unheard until it was too late thanks to the clones suddenly shouting "NOW!"
Wires, sharp and hard wraped around Zabuza and the four clones dashed in four different directions, essentially binding up the ninja, breaking his prison jutsu in the process.
"W-What? When did these guys?" Zabuza was beyond surprised; these greenhorns have managed such a plan? Unbelievable! The wires wouldn't hold him for long, he was strong enough to break them easily, but in that time...
Kakashi rose from the water, looking like a wet dog ironically enough, glaring holes into Zabuza. "Well, seems like we are on again. For the record, a move that worked once on me, won't work again, Zabuza."
What followed after that declaration was a fight between two titans; two jounin that were fully deserving of their rank, unlike others (*cough* Ebisu *cough*).
The end to the fight however was very anti-climactic. Just as Kakashi was ready to kill Zabuza, two needles flew out of the trees and stabbed Zabuza on the neck. Another ninja appeared then, claiming they had been hunting Zabuza for a long time and took him away for disposal.
Mere seconds later, Kakashi fell over, unable to move. His sharingan had exhausted him. Naruto was quick to follow, only not so badly off; he still had a lot of chakra and endurance, but Mori no Yuurei and such an extended Konohagakure no Jutsu had sapped him pretty badly. Of course, that did not keep him from boasting to anyone with half an ear to hear.
Moving to Tazuna's home was peaceful after that, even though they still made haste just in case. Once there in its relative safety (and in the arms of a very attractive woman, Kakashi was very happy to note), Kakashi called a team meeting.
"First of all, I should congratulate all of you. Even if you did nothing Sakura, just the fact you held your ground against Zabuza speaks volumes of you, trust me. Sasuke, Naruto, you also cooperated excellently and got me out of that nasty situation. Sasuke, your shurikenjutsu are top-notch, I don't think Itachi was ever as good as you are now, keep up the good work." He smiled and received a smile in return. "Also, Naruto, good job with that jutsu of yours. You really caught me by surprise, replacing yourself with your own jutsu's leaves, it was a good name, Forest Ghost."
Naruto smiled proudly. He had worked his ass off for this and finally, it was paying off! "I know, I know! I had to slow down the Konohagakure and reduce its spins so it's easier to control the Kawarimi. You actually have to predict where the leaf is going to be when the jutsu activates or else you'll end up completely off, you know? The half-ram in front of my chest is responsible for the chakra mold but the other hand controls the spin and directions, that's why I did that with my hands, I had to remove a few spins. Then, when you have the spinning down to your desired level, ready the Kawarimi and choose a leaf, since you're making the jutsu, you know where it's going to end up, but getting the timing right is hard. There's also the Kawarimi that-"
"Naruto... why are you explaining the jutsu to us?" Sasuke asked, rightfully curious. The blonde had even pulled out a few scrolls with the names of his jutsu on each scroll, except the Mori no Me technique.
Naruto just shot him a questioning glance. "Why? Because I want to teach it to you, of course. I mean, it's natural; I'm gonna be a Hokage and the Hokage teach their shinobi all their jutsu. So, I'm going to teach you most of mine; some I'll keep for myself. I know it's selfish, but I just want a few jutsu for my own kids, you know?" He looked strangely at Sasuke, almost not understanding why everyone looked at him as if he was from another world.
"Naruto? That's your jutsu, it's yours to use. You're not supposed to teach it to others." Kakashi tried to reason with his student.
"What are you talking about Kakashi-sensei? Of course I'm supposed to. Iruka-sensei said that the Hokage teach their shinobi all their jutsu. So, I'd better start teaching my jutsu from early on. You guys are the first to learn them, dunno if I'm gonna do a good job at teaching them and-"
"Whoa, whoa, hold up Naruto. Iruka-sensei did say that the ninja of Konoha learned many jutsu from the Hokage, but that did not mean that every Hokage taught every single one of their jutsu." Sakura cut him off. Seeing him not understanding, she continued. "It's true that every Hokage left several jutsu behind for the rest of us, but they didn't leave us everything. Each of them had unique techniques that they taught no one. Some jutsu are just for yourself you know? Besides, you invented these techniques from scratch, don't you feel it's... I don't know... bad... to just give them away?"
"Of course not. I'm going to be a Hokage so I have to teach my jutsu. Iruka-sensei said so, so I'm going to do it." Naruto was definitely set on his current beliefs.
"Ugh, what a stubborn dobe. Listen, if you had actually paid attention to all of the lecture," Sasuke stopped the blonde idiot savant, "you would have learned that they only passed down some of their jutsu, the easier and more generic ones. Each technique is personnal, you're not supposed to teach your jutsu to anyone. It's actually an insult if someone tries to learn something you developed from you, unless you offer first. New jutsu are a very important responcibility, dobe, you need to respect them."
Kakashi sighed, his head felt like he had a bloody hedgehog in his skull, trieing to get free. "Alright, you brats have just exhausted me with this. Go get some rest, tomorrow, I'll teach you something important. Also, Naruto, do not teach your techniques to anyone, for now. I'll... I'll explain why later. Now let me sleep, damned brats..." He grumbled and dismissed them, wanting nothing more than to sleep.
He hadn't even told them of the hunter-nin's true purpose yet...
A/N: As has been asked by a reviewer, Naruto seems to want to share his jutsu with the rest of Konoha. Yes, that is true; remember that Iruka said that the Hokage taught their jutsu to the newer generations. While they didn't teach everything, Naruto doesn't know it and his simplistic mind (yes, he is simplistic for all his ability to improvise and actually think lately), believes that as a Hokage he should share every jutsu he makes with every Leaf ninja. he considers himself very greedy that he wishes to keep some of his finest techniques to his family alone. As you have seen, the confrontation on this matter occured in this chapter and has set him right.
After getting both sides of the Haton/Konoha Ninpo dilemma (and until I get more votes on that), I will split them thusly; techniques that Naruto will share with everyone will be called 'Konoha Ninpo' while those he will keep to himself and his family will be Haton. Still, do not be mistaken; there is no leaf-type chakra, just the ability to manipulate a medium. Anyone could do it, but only Naruto is insane enough to try and has a convoluted enough mind to actually succeed.
Also, some have asked if Naruto is insane. He is, sorta. Or more like, his brain has been pushed way beyond what a normal brain normally could. Think about it this way; if you study a book, it tires you out. If you study many books, the fatigue is exponential in increase. Now, if you were to read several books at the same time, even if their subject is similar, there would be no fatigue; there would be exhaustion. Because of that, Naruto's brain tries to compensate and rebuild itself, but doing so leads to thoughts that are classified as less than sane. It isn't something permanent, more like a way to cope, but it does affect him. Of course, he could always use his insanity to hide away who he really is or what he thinks, but that will come later on.
Finally, there will be no usage of Mokuton by Naruto. He will not have that ability. What he has, thanks to his Senju roots, is an innate talent at taking care of plants. That is all, no more, no less.
If you dislike those choices, well, you are free to adopt this fic with my blessings. Matter of fact, anyone out there who wants to adopt it?
Please? No, really, if you like it, have your own ideas, or just want to help out a writer in a bind, please adopt it!
Jutsu made for this fic will also belong to you (and sent to you via PM or DocX).
Konoha Ninpo Ougi: Mori no Yuurei (Leaf Ninja Art: Ghost Of The Forest)
Cost: B, Control: B, Rank: B
Naruto's original final move using the Konoha Ninpo line. So far his strongest move, though it takes so much out of even him that he rarely uses it. By having a clone maintain the Konohagakure (a prerequisite and one of the reasons of this high chakra cost), he uses the Kawarimi to switch with the leaves whirling around. Thanks to the Konohagakure being infused with his chakra, he feels the leaves almost as if through a radar (see 'Haton:Mori no Me') and can switch his leaves easier than if switching with a log, even with their smaller size, as they have already been attuned to him. With more training, it is possible to drop the one-handed seal and perform it even faster, becoming almost a ghost.
Haton: Mori no Me (Leaf Style: Forest's Eyes)
Cost: F, Control: C, Rank: D
A sensor-type jutsu unique to Naruto. It uses the feedback of the leaves as they bounce off everything to give a fuzzy radar-like image of the world around him. It has no color nor is it extremely accurate (wouldn't show an item the size of a kunai and smaller, while a sword and similar thin items would register only barely), but it does a good job of showing the location of anyone who can't avoid contact (which, thanks to the sheer number of leaves, is impossible even to the Sharingan and Byakugan). Thanks to the fact that 'feedback' occurs at each and every collision, the average brain is unable to cope with the stress of so many 'pings' and simply disregards them as 'white noise'. Naruto can use it because his use of Kage Bunshin has forcibly (and not without side-effects) evolved his brain to cope with such a level of multi-tasking.
Note that even the Byakugan can't see clearly through the Konohagakure; between the sheer number of leaves, the chakra-infused wind and the chakra within the leaves, it would take a genius to see even the general location of someone inside that jutsu, mostly because it's so darn distracting. At least in my opinion, disagreements welcome.
I am still unsure what Kyubi's power would do to the leaves... Burn them out? Overload the techniques? Just ruin them due to its toxicity? Nothing at all?
Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.
I shall not update this, or any other story.
I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.