'Normal thought… '
"Kyuubi speech… "
''Normal speech…''
Jutsu name…
Chapter 7-The Demon of the Mist!
On the sea…
One little boat sailed lonely on the sea. Heavy fog absorbed the boat again and again. On the boat were Team Seven, Tazuna and a ferryman.
''This is quite some fog, I can't see ahead.'' Sakura looked around, worried. It was still for a moment.
''The bridge should be visible soon.'' The ferryman told them. ''When we reach the other side of the bridge, we'll be in Nami no Kuni.'' Just then, they could see a huge bridge.
''Wow! It's huge!'' Naruko leaned over the railing and looked at it in awe.
''H-Hey! Please keep it down.'' The ferryman looked around in panic ''I took this boat out under the cover of fog. And I cut the engine and am rowing by hand. If they find us, we'll be in deep trouble.'' Team Seven looked at him surprised.
''Gomen...'' Naruko whispered and blushed in embarrassment.
Kakashi narrowed his eye. ''Tazuna-san…I want to ask you something before we arrive at the pier. The identity of the assailants, and the reason why they are after you. If you don't tell us…our mission may end when you make landfall.'' All of them looked eagerly at Tazuna.
He sighed. ''It appears I have no choice but to tell you. Frankly, I would like you to listen. Just as you said, this may be beyond the scope of your mission. Actually, I'm being targeted by a terrifying man.''
''A terrifying man?'' Kakashi didn't like the sound of this, at all. "Who?''
''You guys have probably heard at least his name before. A shipping magnate by the name of Gato.'' Tazuna began to sweat.
Kakashi looked at him surprised. ''What?! Gato… of the Gato Company? One of the world's richest man?''
''Who is this Gato?'' Naruko looked at them innocently.
''Yes…On the surface, he's the chief executive of a shipping company…But underneath, he's into drug trafficking and deals in contraband using gangs and Ninjas. Moreover, he runs a despicable business, ruthlessly taking over nations and enterprises. It was about one year ago…when that man first set his eyes on Nami no Kuni…He used his wealth and violence to enter this country, and before anyone knew it, he had taken complete control of the island's maritime transportation and shipping. Having a tight grip on the ocean, in an island nation like Nami no Kuni, means having control of finance, the government, the people…everything. The one thing Gato fears…is the completion of the bridge…that has been under construction for some time now.'' Tazuna looked to the ground.
Naruko gritted her teeth. 'I hate people like that!'
''I see'' Sakura began to understand. ''Since you're the one building the bridge, you've become a hindrance.''
''Then, those Ninjas from before were Gato's men…?'' Sasuke looked surprised.
''But I don't understand. Your opponent is a dangerous one, who will even use Ninja. Why did you hide that fact from us when you made your request?'' Kakashi looked coldly in his direction.
''Nami no Kuni…is a very poor nation, and even daimyo's had no money. Of course, we ordinary citizens have no money either. We cannot afford to make requests of Rank B or higher…Well, if you pull out of the mission when I land ashore, I will, no doubt, be killed. Killed sometime before I make it home. But there's no need for concern! Should I die, my cute grandchild who will turn eight…will only cry his heart out!'' Tazuna tried to make them pity him. ''And…my daughter will only blame Konoha Ninja for the rest of her life and grieve in solitude! Oh, it's not your fault at all!'' Kakashi sweat dropped at that. Naruko looked at Kakashi with big, sad eyes and her bottom lip quivered.
He sighed in defeat. ''Well…I guess we have no choice. Let's continue as his bodyguards.''
''Oh! I'm most grateful!'' Tazuna turned around and did the victory sign. ' I won!' He smirked.
A little bit later, the ferryman looked at them. ''We'll be arriving soon.'' They sailed through a hole from the bridge and as they arrived on the other side, they were in Nami no Kuni. Naruko's eyes widened in awe. They arrived at the pier and got to land.
''This is as far as I go. See you around.'' The ferryman said to Tazuna.
''Yeah. You've been a big help.'' Tazuna looked thankfully at him, as the man started the motor of his boat and drove away. Tazuna looked after him. ''Okay! Get me home safely.''
''Hai, Hai...'' Kakashi waved with his hand and sighed. 'When they attack the next time, it won't be Chunin, but elite level Jounin. Cripes!' He narrowed his eye in worry.
As they walked to Tazuna's house…
Naruko walked ahead of the group, as Sasuke suddenly walked next to her.
''Huh?'' She looked at him confused. 'I won't let this guy do all the fun stuff anymore!' Naruko pouted as she looked at Sasuke. She ran ahead of the group and looked around. Suddenly she heard something and threw a kunai at it. ''There!'' They all looked at her, shocked. It was silent for a moment. Kakashi sweatdropped. ''Heh…just a mouse…'' She blushed, as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.
''Quit trying to show off! There was nothing there in the first place!'' Sakura screeched at her. Naruko pouted.
''Please, Naruko. Don't use kunai knives recklessly. They're really dangerous.'' Kakashi tried to reason, calmly.
Tazuna's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. ''HEY CUTIE! DON'T DO ANYTHING CONFUSING!''
Suddenly Kakashi noticed someone. ''There!'' Naruko threw one of her kunai's in the direction, Kakashi was looking.
''Stop it already!'' Sakura stormed towards her and hit her on the head.
Naruko pouted. ''Someone was really targeting us the whole time!'' She looked at them seriously and pouted again as Sakura continued to screech at her. Kakashi looked where Naruko had thrown her kunai. He saw it, bored into a tree, right above a snow bunny.
''Naruko! What have you done?!'' Sakura shouted at her and pointed accusingly at the frightened snow bunny.
As Naruko noticed the snow bunny, she ran to him. ''I'm so sorry!'' She hugged the bunny to her breasts. Her eyes watered and her lip quivered. The rabbit calmed down and enjoyed her hugging him.
As Kakashi saw that, he almost got a heart attack. 'Too kawaii for me!' He took a deep breath, but then noticed something and narrowed his eye. Somewhere in the tree's, a Ninja watched them. As he saw the cute hugging scene with Naruko, he almost fell from the tree. 'Kawaii! I've never seen such a kawaii girl as a Ninja…' The unknown Ninja looked at the girl curiously.
''It's just a rabbit, eh?'' Tazuna sighed in relief.
Kakashi began to sweat. 'That's a snow rabbit. But that doesn't explain its fur color…The coat turns white only during winter when there's little sunlight. Which means…that snow rabbit was raised indoors without sunlight to be used as a substitution… Guess they're already here!' He looked at the tree, where the unknown Ninja sat.
''I'm so sorry…'' Naruko still hugged the rabbit.
'I see…the Demon Brothers wouldn't be enough to take on these guys.' The ninja known as Momochi Zabuza thought as he grabbed his sword. 'The Copy Ninja from Konoha…Sharingan no Kakashi is with them…' And with that, he vanished.
Suddenly Kakashi realized it. "Everyone get down!'' A huge sword flew towards them.
They all fell to the ground and the bunny jumped out of Naruko's arms. ''No, wait bunny!'' She looked after him sadly. The sword bored into a tree. On top of the sword appeared Zabuza.
Kakashi looked up to him and stood up, his eye hardened. 'If I'm not mistaken he's…' He narrowed his eye.
Naruko still looked after the bunny and pouted. 'It's this guy's fault, the bunny is gone now!' She looked angrily at Zabuza.
''Well, well. If it isn't the Nuke-Nin of Kirigakure no Sato, Momochi Zabuza!'' Kakashi said with an amused voice but was very serious.
'Nuke-Nin? Whatever. It's his fault that the bunny is gone! And I liked that bunny!' Naruko ran towards the nuke-nin.
Kakashi stopped her with his hand. ''Naruko, you're in the way! Get back, you guys. He's on a totally different level from the guys from the other day.'' He looked seriously at Naruko. She pouted but got out of the way.
'I like this little girl, she has guts!' Zabuza smirked amused.
'His being our opponent means…' Kakashi grasped at the left side of his hitai-ate, that covers his left eye.
''Huh?'' Naruko looked surprised. Sasuke just hnned and Sakura wondered what Kakashi is doing now.
'That things might be tricky as I am now.' Kakashi thought utterly serious.
''I assume you are Kakashi, the Sharingan user…'' Zabuza looked at him coldly.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 'Sharingan…?!'
''Sorry, but…I'll have you hand over the old man.'' Zabuza told them casually.
'Sharingan, what's that? That red eye thingy?' Naruko looked around in confusion.
'What is he talking about? Is this guy strong?' Sakura looked confused too.
''Sharingan…'' Tazuna said in awe, having already heard from the Sharingan.
Kakashi still had his hand on the left side of his hitai-ate. ''You guys, get in Manji battle formation! Protect Tazuna-san…Don't involve yourselves in the fight. That's the teamwork in this situation.'' Just then he lifted his hitai-ate from his left eye and so revealed a closed eye with a scar across it. He took his hand away and opened his eye. Revealed was a red eye with three comas in it. ''Fight me!''
'So that red-eye thingy, like Crow had it, has Kashi-sensei too? That's so cool!' Naruko first looked surprised, but then she awed.
''Well now…I never expected to see the rumored Sharingan this soon…This is an honor.'' Zabuza looked at Kakashi mockingly.
''What is the Sharingan, exactly?'' Naruko looked at them curiously.
''Sharingan…'' Sasuke explained seriously. ''Power that the light of the eye generates, and the pupil emanates. The user of the so-called Dojutsu is said to possess the vision to see through Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu, and is able to deflect them. The Sharingan is a type of eye that is unique to the user of the Dojutsu. However, that is not the only power of the Sharingan.'' Naruko gulped at that.
''Well said. That is not all. What's more frightening is that such an eye can assess an opponent's techniques and copy them.'' Zabuza looked at them as heavy fog approached them. ''When I was in the Anbu Black Ops of Kirigakure, such information about you was in the Bingo Book I would carry around with me. There was also something else in the book…About the man who has copied over a thousand skills…Kakashi the Copy Ninja.''
'What? Kakashi-sensei is that incredible as a Ninja?' Sakura looked surprised.
''W-Wow! I knew you were awesome Kakashi-sensei!'' Naruko giggled cheerily.
'What does this mean? The Sharingan…is a special trait that appears in only a select few even among the Uchiha clan. Could it be, that this guy…' Sasuke looked grimly at Kakashi.
''Let's end the talking here. I must kill that old man immediately.'' Zabuza looked at them, seriously. Naruko, Sakura and Sasuke raced to Tazuna and each of them stood on one side in front of him. They all took out one kunai and got into their fighting stance. ''But Kakashi, it seems I have to defeat you first. '' Zabuza said cheekily. He pulled his sword out of the tree and disappeared.
''Over there!'' Naruko pointed at something.
''And he's even on the water.'' Sakura said as they spotted Zabuza standing on the water. Zabuza made a hand sign, one hand on his mouth, the other arm stretched out in the air.
'He's building up quite a bit of chakra!' Kakashi frowned, worried.
''Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu'' Zabuza disappeared within a heavy fog.
''He has vanished?!'' Naruko looked around in confusion and tilted her head. Kakashi walked past his Team and Tazuna.
''Sensei!'' Sakura looked at him frightened.
''He'll probably come to erase me first…'' Kakashi tried to calm her.
''What is he?'' Sakura frowned in worry.
''Momochi Zabuza. He's an Anbu Black Ops member in Kirigakure no Sato and is known as the silent killing technique expert.'' Kakashi told them seriously.
''S-silent?'' Naruko was still confused.
''As the name suggests…it's a killing skill that's implemented in an instant in silence. By the time you realize it, it's possible you may find yourself in the afterlife. I haven't totally mastered the use of my Sharingan. So, don't lower your guard, you guys.'' Kakashi explained.
Naruko looked at him shocked. 'Please be careful, Kashi-sensei.' Naruko looked concerned at him.
''Well, if we fail, we'll only die.'' Kakashi eyesmiled.
''How can you be so carefree?!'' Sakura snapped at him in annoyance.
''The mist is steadily getting thicker!'' Naruko looked worried around them.
''Nami no Kuni is surrounded by ocean. So, the mist rises very easily.'' Tazuna told them.
Suddenly they couldn't see Kakashi anymore.
''Sensei!'' Sakura shouted worried.
Naruko's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. 'I'm more worried about Kashi-sensei, and I don't scream sensei all around!' She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.
''Eight spots.'' Sounded the voice from Zabuza through the fog.
''Huh? What?'' Sakura looked around in shock. Naruko gulped.
''The larynx, the spine, the lungs, the liver… The jugular and the subclavian veins. The kidneys, the heart. Now then, which vulnerable spot would be good?''
All of them looked shocked around the mist. Kakashi made a hand sign and gathered chakra. The chakra of Kakashi blew the fog away. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruko looked shocked and surprised at Kakashi. But Naruko looked also soothed through the chakra of Kakashi.
'What an intense thirst for blood! If I take even one breath or move my eyes, I will be marked and killed. That's what I'm feeling. If I'm stuck at this for an hour, I'll go mad! Facing a Jounins killer intent…This sensation is like having my life being held in limbo…' Sasuke shivered and panicked. 'No way! I'll rather die to escape this feeling!' He took a kunai, shaking in fear.
''Sasuke.'' Kakashi noticed his fright. ''Don't worry. I'll protect you with my life.'' He turned around and eye smiled. ''I will not allow my comrades to get killed.'' Sasuke looked a bit soothed and Sakura looked at him surprised. Naruko giggled happily.
''I wonder about that…'' The dark voice from Zabuza sounded through the mist.
Suddenly Zabuza appeared straight by Tazuna, within the defense circle of Sakura, Sasuke and Naruko. They all looked at him shocked. ''It's over.'' Zabuza smirked coldly. Kakashi turned around and gathered Zabuza within his Sharingan. Zabuza raised his sword and swung it towards Tazuna. Kakashi appeared before him and countered the sword, while Naruko, Tazuna, Sakura and Sasuke jumped away. Zabuza screamed. The fog began to embrace Kakashi and Zabuza again. Kakashi had his kunai knife inside Zabuza's stomach, but instead of blood, water coursed out of the wound. Suddenly another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi.
''Sensei! Behind you!'' Naruko watched in horror. Just then Kakashi turned around to the other Zabuza, and the one, he stabbed, disappeared into the water.
''Die!'' Zabuza swung his sword at Kakashi.
''Nooo!'' Naruko shouted in horror as Zabuza cut Kakashi in half. Zabuza grinned. Abruptly, Kakashi disappeared into the water.
'Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu?' Zabuza looked around surprised. 'It can't be! In this mist…did he actually copy me?'
Kakashi appeared behind him and hold a kunai to his throat. Naruko looked at Kakashi in awe. ''Don't move!'' Kakashi told him coldly. ''It's over.''
Special thanks to my beta 'StudioDia29', who looked through this chapter and helped me fix some of my mistakes.
Dojutsu = Eye Techniques
Genjutsu = Illusionary Techniques
Taijutsu = Body Techniques
Ninjutsu = Ninja Techniques
Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu = Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique
Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu = Water Clone Technique
