Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did I'd be a rich bastard with millions of fans.
Chapter 7: Serpent Strikes
Team 7 met the super bridge builder Tazuna two hours later, all geared up and ready to go.
Sakura and Naruto were both geared up and calmly awaiting their sensei's arrival. Sakura had augmented her normal outfit with an extra brace of kunai, and a storage scroll Anko had taught her how to use, thus freeing her from carrying a bulky equipment pack.
Naruto had replaced his red sunglasses with a simple pair of thin black sunglasses, and was wearing two collapsible Fuma shuriken strapped to his back, a storage scroll on his lower back carrying most of his gear, and two brace of kunai dangling on chains across his chest under his trench coat.
Sasuke, having been too arrogant to ask for help from his teammates, was forced to wear a backpack. He looked grumpy when he saw his two teammates were all using storage scrolls.
Naruto and Sakura shared a knowing look and a slight chuckle. Over the past several months, finding ways to prank or otherwise annoy their teammate had become their favorite pastime. Their periodically moody Uchiha teammate had long since learned to check his shoes for and clothes for snakes before putting them on.
"Alright, Team 7. We're ready to go. Diamond Formation Alpha." Asuma Sarutobi said, appearing in a puff of smoke. The Jounin was fully geared and ready to go, his equipment stored in a large pack on his back. "Diamond Formation Alpha. We'll maintain this arrangement until we reach our target for today and make camp. Move out."
The three genin instantly fanned out into a diamond formation, with Tazuna in the center and Asuma bringing up the rear. Sakura and Naruto took the flanks as Sasuke took point. As the members of Team 7 began the long walk towards the Wave Country, Naruto's sensitive ears caught Tazuna muttering under his breath.
"I ask to hire ninja and they give me teenage brats. What's the world coming to? They won't be any use when his underlings come for me."
Naruto chose not to draw attention to the man's comments, instead alerting Lachesis to be on guard with a quick hiss. He also covertly slipped a pair of kunai into his sleeves, ready to attack or defend at a moment's notice.
Six Hours Later…
Team 7 and their charge had been walking for six hours straight, and had spent most of that time in silence, each contemplating a different thing.
Tazuna had been worried about what sort of men Gatou would send after him. Likely it would be real ninjas, and these teenage brats he had hired would meet unfortunate ends.
Sasuke had been excited about finally being on a real mission, and was fighting to keep his excitement under control and keep focused on the road.
Sakura had been splitting her time between private thoughts about her boyfriend, thoughts of things she wouldn't be able to do with him for several years yet (not that that ever stopped her from thinking them), and performing a chakra control exercise Anko had taught her. The exercise would help with the chakra control of someone like Naruto, who had relatively poor control even after six years of training, but for Sakura it had a different purpose. It was slow going, but after several months of using the exercise, her chakra reserves had increased by nearly twenty percent, a very important fact given she had pretty low reserves to begin with.
Asuma had been keeping his eyes open for any sign of threat, particularly having heard Tazuna's mutterings and become suspicious himself. He had also noticeably refrained from smoking, causing his students to wonder what he was worried about.
And Naruto, Naruto had been extremely busy within his own mind. While Lachesis and two snake-bunshins he had summoned peeked their heads out of his trench coat, covertly tasting the air for danger scents and using their heat-sensitive pits to scan for human heat sources in the woods around them, Naruto's body was on auto-pilot, the barest part of his consciousness tied to instinct guiding him as they walked.
The rest of Naruto's consciousness was elsewhere, sitting on top of a large boulder in the middle of a clearing in a forested jungle that existed in perpetual night. He sat staring into the red eyes of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, who stood nearby.
Neither party had spoken a word in nearly an hour, but had anyone spoken, they would have interrupted a conversation of extreme depth.
The Kyuubi no Kitsune, greatest of the nine Bijuu, was a creature of raw elemental power. With a swish of its many tails, it had once been able to cause earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. It had been able to wipe the land flat before it, or leave mountains in its wake. And now, trapped unwillingly within a human, doomed to perish should its host ever perish, the Kyuubi was taking steps to ensure its continued existence.
It was teaching the brat.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Kyuubi blinked. And blinked again.
Kyuubi turned his gaze away from Naruto, who had also blinked and was now taking several deep breaths.
Finally, Naruto's voice broke the silence.
"I think I understand now what you mean by the voice of Nature. This is still a head trip though." Naruto shook his head as if clearing it out.
The Kyuubi's response was barking laughter, something to which Naruto had become fast accustomed over the past several months.
"Kit, I sincerely doubt you truly grasp what I mean. But you may finally have an inkling of an iota of a bit of understanding."
Kyuubi turned back to face Naruto as he stood and stretched on top of the rock. Kyuubi chuckled again.
"But that is neither here nor there. You have made far more progress in understanding these concepts of which I have deigned to teach you than any mortal has a right to. There are very few in your world who would understand even as much as you have begun to understand." Kyuubi grinned darkly at his pupil. "I must grudgingly admit to being impressed, brat."
Kyuubi's voice still carried hints of scorn and dark humor in it, but Naruto had long since grown accustomed to that as well. He had figured out early on that treating the Kyuubi, who was trapped within Naruto with no chance of escape, with a modicum of respect earned surprising dividends.
Kyuubi was a great demon lord, and being trapped within a human, a damn mortal monkey, with no control over his life or death, was far more terrifying a prospect than he would ever admit. So it had been a pleasant surprise when his host, his jailor, had faced him without fear and with respect upon their first meeting.
Kyuubi had come away from the discussion extremely surprised, as not only had the boy listened to him attentively, and shown him the respect due a demon lord, even one who has lost power over himself, but had also promised he would return to his mindscape on a regular basis, so that they might converse.
Since that day, nearly nine months prior, Naruto had spoken with the Kyuubi at least once a day. The two had formed a rapport, albeit a tentative one, and the Kyuubi, for all his haughtiness and power, had begun to mildly respect the gaki, for what little respect he could have for a monkey spawn.
Some days, the Kyuubi attempted to teach Naruto to commune with Nature in the manner the Bijuu had learned long ago. His motives were not altogether altruistic. A stronger Naruto meant his own chances of survival would be increased. A Naruto who could master the communion with Nature would eventually be able to provide an avenue for the Kyuubi to experience the real world once again, if not escape. He had gotten quite bored of the Kit's jungle mindscape over the past twelve years, and longed to feel real wind in his fur once again.
This part of his plans he had not shared with the Kit.
As he watched Naruto get down off of his rock, Kyuubi appraised the way the brat moved. Where the brat had once moved in sharp, hard motions, he now seemed to flow as he moved, almost like a snake. This was a result of both his training in his mother's Hebi style taijutsu, but also as a result of his pairing with his partner Lachesis.
If the Kyuubi had to put a name to the sort of bond Naruto and Lachesis shared, he had to say that it was much like the animal familiars of a people long since gone from his world. The Kyuubi remembered them both with fondness and regret.
Regret, because the acolytes of him and his fellow Bijuu at the time had been adept at knowing just where to scratch to soothe an unreachable itch.
Fondness, because he had thoroughly enjoyed wiping them from the face of the earth when they had attempted to turn him and his fellow Bijuu into mere weapons.
Thus was also why the Kyuubi had come to Konoha thirteen years ago. He had learned of someone attempting to recreate the powers of the Shodaime, to recreate his ability to control the Bijuu. The Kyuubi had had enough of being a human's lap dog to last him 'til the end of eternity.
"I should probably be getting back to the real world. Lachesis is reporting some odd scents, and I'd rather be at full capacity if anything happens."
Kyuubi was broken free from his reverie by the sound Naruto's voice.
"Then go Kit. Do not waste anymore of my time." Kyuubi replied brusquely, turning away in dismissal.
Out of the corner of his eye, the Kyuubi saw Naruto smirk and then bow. The smirk he could forgive, because it was just Naruto's way of telling Kyuubi that he could see through his haughtiness.
Naruto faded away suddenly, his form vanishing in a matter of seconds as he returned his consciousness to the real world.
Sighing, the Kyuubi exited the clearing, weaving between trees until he reached his destination.
A second clearing, much smaller than the one he and Naruto met in, came into view. It had clearly been burnt, the ground being covered in a fine layer of soft ash, and the sides of the trees facing the clearing were charred black. In the center of the clearing lay a small bed of leaves and vines, resting on top of a mattress of ash.
Silently, the Kyuubi walked over and curled up on top of the bed of vegetation.
"Hurry back Kit. It gets boring in here."
Within moments, the only sounds to be heard were the sounds of the forest creatures, of the wind blowing through the canopy of the jungle, and the very loud snores of one very asleep Lord of Foxes.
"Um, Tazuna-san?" Naruto heard Sakura ask as he became fully aware of the real world again.
"What?" The old drunk asked, turning his head to look at the pink haired kunoichi.
"You're from the Wave country, right?" Sakura continued with a thoughtful look on her face.
"What about it?" Tazuna replied grumpily.
On his other side Naruto smirked, utilizing the distraction to taste the air quickly, his tongue momentarily elongating and forking. It wouldn't do to disturb the client after all.
"Asuma sensei? Do they have ninjas in that country too?" Sakura asked as she looked back over her shoulder towards their sensei.
Asuma smiled faintly as he replied, loud enough for all three of his students to hear.
"No, not in the Wave country. They are small enough and removed enough that they do not receive much interference from the larger nations, thus they don't have a pressing need for a shinobi village." Asuma said. "But, in most other countries, while the culture and customs may be different, hidden villages do exist, and so do ninjas. To many countries on the continent, the existence of a shinobi village means military power."
Sakura turned back to face forward, deep in thought. "Thanks Asuma sensei." She tossed back as an afterthought as she absentmindedly reached up and fixed her hair as she walked.
"But don't worry. There won't be any ninja combat on this mission. It's just a C-rank after all." Asuma said with a grin.
Only Naruto noticed the way this statement left Tazuna subdued, looking down at the ground.
Naruto spoke quietly, drawing the attention of the three snakes currently wrapped around his body under his trench coat.
If anyone had been able to hear him, they would have heard a strange hissing sound, much like a snake. Had they been born with or gained the capacity to understand this strange tongue, this is what they would have heard.
"Tazuna knows something he isn't telling us. When Asuma mentioned that we won't be encountering any foreign ninja, his scent changed and he tensed up. Now, what are these strange scents you mentioned? They might be important."
"SSSSSSwe sssssmellssss waterssss. Puddlesss. But there hassss been no rain for weekssss. Andsss we sssmellsss sssssomethingsss metalsss."
Naruto frowned as a large puddle in the middle of the road came into view. Adjusting the kunai in his sleeves, Naruto silently motioned for two of the snakes to slide down around his arms. Lachesis herself remained coiled around Naruto's chest, her head resting on his neck and ready to strike.
As they walked past the puddle neither Sasuke nor Sakura appeared to notice anything. Naruto carefully made sure not to take notice of it, as he did not want to alert whoever was waiting to ambush them that he was prepared. Asuma likewise gave it only a tiny thoughtful look before walking past.
After they had passed the puddle the water suddenly spiraled upwards, revealing two black-cloaked figures, both male, wearing breathing masks, wearing hitai-ate with four diagonal lines on them and metal horns attached to the sides, and with a large clawed metal gauntlet on their right arms.
Fast as lightning, one of the figures leapt into the air, a large chain running between his gauntlet and his partner's gauntlet. He flipped over Asuma and before anyone could react had wrapped Asuma in the chain.
"What?!" Asuma cried out.
"One down." One of the men said, both figures pulling their arms away from Asuma faster than the members of Team 7 could follow.
Naruto saw Asuma's eyes widen in surprise.
As Tazuna and the members of Team 7 watched on the razor sharp chain tightened and Asuma was torn to pieces, blood flying everywhere.
Sasuke and Sakura cried out in surprise and terror, while Naruto started to crouch.
"Two down." A voice said very close to his ear as the two enemy shinobi appeared behind Naruto.
Naruto's face held a look of fear for a single brief moment, before turning into a grin as he began to laugh sadistically. Almost faster than the two shinobi could react, two long black snakes struck out from Naruto's sleeves. The two shinobi barely managed to dodge the two-inch long fangs of the snakes as they both leapt away, clearly surprised by such a sudden attack from a mere genin.
This gave Sasuke the chance he needed. As the two enemy shinobi prepared to attack Naruto with a different tactic, Sasuke leapt into the air and tossed a kunai, catching a link in the razor-edged chain and pinning it to a tree on the side of the path.
Both figures tugged on their ends of the chains.
"I'm stuck!" One of the shinobi cried out as he was unable to withdraw the chain from where it was embedded in the tree.
Naruto smirked as he and Sasuke flanked the two shinobi.
"Hmpph. You underestimated us." Sasuke began, smirking as he unfolded a Fuma shuriken, spinning it with one hand.
"And for that you will pay." Naruto finished with a dark grin on his face, three hissing snakes poking out of his trench coat.
"Now you'll see why they call us the Dynamic Duo!" The two boys cried as they rushed forward, both preparing to strike deathblows to the two shinobi.
The eyes of both enemy shinobi widened for a moment, before suddenly the connection between the chain and their gauntlets broke. Thinking fast, the two dodged around the attacking genin faster than they could follow, making a mad dash towards where Sakura stood with a pair of kunai in her hands, prepared to defend Tazuna.
Both shinobi grinned behind their masks as they struck forward with their clawed arms. Their grins were instantly wiped from their faces as their momentum carried them into a clothesline blow from Asuma, knocking both shinobi out ice cold.
All three members of Team 7, and Tazuna as well, stared in pleasant surprise as their sensei, who just moments before they had thought dismembered, dropped the unconscious bodies of the enemy to the ground.
"Well." Asuma said, lighting up a cigarette for the first time in six hours. "That's that. Nice job Sasuke, Naruto. You did good."
Asuma took a drag on his cigarette as Sasuke smirked that little smirk of his and Naruto grinned. Naruto's grin turned to a full on smile as he suddenly found himself embraced in a massive hug from his girlfriend, who was beaming that their sensei had praised her boyfriend. Naruto's two snake-bunshins immediately vanished in puffs of smoke as Sakura's uber-strength hug squished them out of existence
"Tazuna-san." Asuma said coldly as he lifted the two fallen shinobi.
"What is it?" Tazuna exclaimed, sweating bullets.
"We need to talk." Asuma continued, his voice still cold as ice.
Several minutes later saw the members of Team 7 in a semicircle around a tree. Asuma had tied the unconscious shinobi to the tree after stripping them of all weapons.
"These look Chunin from Kirigakure. These shinobi are known to keep fighting no matter what." Asuma said, dropping his spent cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his foot.
"How did you read our movements?" One of the Chunin asked, his head lowered in resignation.
"On a sunny day like this when it hasn't rained in days…well, there just isn't going to be a puddle in the middle of an uncovered road." Asuma replied with a chuckle.
"If you knew that, why did you let the brats fight?" Tazuna asked as he stared at the two bound Chunin.
Asuma chuckled again. "I could have killed these two instantly if I had wanted, true. But there was something I needed to find out. Namely who were these two after, you or us."
Tazuna paled noticeably as Asuma turned to face him. "We hadn't heard that there were shinobi after you. Our mission was simply to protect you from thieves or gangs. Now this is at least a B-rank mission. Given that you have lied to us, we are fully within our rights to turn around and take you back to Konoha."
Tazuna's shoulders slumped.
"Asuma, I need to talk to you." He said dejectedly.
Asuma nodded after a moment, all ears.
Somewhere in the wave country, in a massive mansion, the commander of the two Chunin who had come after Team 7 had the dubious privilege of being harangued by the very man who had hired them.
"You failed?!! I paid you guys a lot of money because I heard you were a very strong former ninja!!" The short man yelled at the tall shinobi reclining on a couch in the center of the room.
Said shinobi wore camouflage leg and arm wormers, vertically striped pants, his hitai-ate slantwise on his head, and bandages around his face. He neglected to wear a shirt instead having a black strap that ran from his pants and circled his neck.
"Stop your bitching. This time I'll go personally, with this head slicing cleaver…" The shinobi said, swinging the overly-large sword that had been slung over his shoulder forward until the blade was a mere foot from Gatou's face. "And kill them."
March 22nd, Thirteen Years After the Day of the Kyuubi…
After two more days of travel Team 7 had finally reached the coast and the border with the Wave Country. They were currently sitting quietly on a small boat as the boat's owner paddled, carrying them through the deep mists that were currently floating over the water.
"Whoah." Naruto said as the end of a massive, unfinished stone bridge came into view.
He currently had his sunglasses off and tucked into his pocket, and if someone had looked closely they would have seen that his eyes had turned slitted and had a reddish-green tinge to them. Given the environment they were in, Naruto had felt it was prudent to scan for heat sources, just in case. According to Asuma sensei, Suiton masters were common in Kirigakure, which meant that while crossing the water, Team 7 and their charge were at their most vulnerable.
As he looked around the boat, Naruto saw Sasuke sitting at the front of the boat, his face in a frown.
I bet Uchiha is brooding over his brother. Again!
He saw Tazuna sitting in the middle, his eyes downcast.
Naruto briefly remembered Tazuna revealing the truth behind why he had hired them; that a ruthless businessman named Gatou wanted him dead so he couldn't complete his bridge and break Gatou's stranglehold over the Wave Country. He remembered how after considering for a while, Asuma had sent a messenger bird back to Konoha, requesting that someone come and collect the two Kirigakure Chunin, who Asuma left unconscious with a series of pressure points, and that reinforcements be sent along.
They had not had time to wait though, as to do so would have made them sitting ducks if there were anymore shinobi involved. Thus they had progressed towards the wave, anticipating that their back up would catch up with them within a day of arriving in the Wave.
He saw Sakura staring idly out at the water as the boat slid silently through the mists. Naruto resisted the urge to chuckle when he caught the faint smile and blush on his girlfriend's face. She had gotten that look quite often in the past year, and Naruto had quickly developed a suspicion as to what she was thinking when she got that look.
Heh. I wonder what act she is imagining this time? Ever since she borrowed one of Kakashi's Icha Icha books she's gotten the look far more regularly.
Not that Naruto minded the fact that she was having those thoughts. Just that at times Sakura could be, well, quite pushy (if you catch my drift).
And finally he saw Asuma, who had his eye closed and seemed as if he was asleep. Naruto had learned from experience however that the Jounin was likely meditating in order to increase his ability to sense chakra, to possibly increase their chances of detecting and countering an attack on the boat.
When they finally reached the other side of the water and disembarked from the boat, the owner of the boat wished them luck and left the dock to move his boat to another location. If Tazuna's bridge construction failed, the man clearly did not want to be associated with them.
Team 7, again in formation around the old drunk Tazuna, swiftly exited the city along a path through the trees, leading towards where Tazuna said his house lay.
Naruto's eyes were still a red-green as he overlaid his heat vision over his normal vision. Over the months he had learned to more effectively combine his two forms of vision, as well as use them both simultaneously but still separate from one another. He also had a pair of kunai up his sleeves, ever-ready like his mother had taught him, as well as Lachesis and six snake-bunshins he had concealed carefully within his clothes. If they were attacked by enemy shinobi again he wanted to be fully prepared, capable of striking with the deadly snakes from any direction.
Sakura, who kept closer to Tazuna as a rear guard as she was self-admittedly the weak point in the team when it came to actual combat skills, had palmed a pair of shuriken as soon as they had exited the boat, ready to throw at a moment's notice.
Sasuke, who had dropped into his cold holier-than-thou behavior, kept his hands on his pockets, where he had kunai discreetly hidden and ready for him to draw at a moment's notice.
After about twenty minutes of walking Naruto's heat vision paid off. To their right, concealed within a bunch of bushes along the edge of the trail, he clearly saw a crouched figure of a man with the tell-tale cold spot indicating a metal weapon. Naruto had to force himself not to widen his eyes in surprise at the size of the weapon.
In the bushes the figure was grasping his sword and preparing to strike.
I see…No wonder the Demon Brothers didn't stand a chance. The man thought as he lined up a strike that would surely decapitate the Konoha shinobi, and more importantly his target Tazuna. Konohagakure's Asuma of the Flaming Winds. This could be interesting.
The figure drew his sword and with one massive throw of his arm flung the blade spinning across the path towards the five soon-to-be dead figures.
"Everyone get down!" Naruto and Asuma cried out simultaneously.
Sakura and Sasuke both dropped to the ground, Sakura dragging Tazuna down with her, while Naruto and Asuma both dodged to the side, avoiding the incoming blade completely.
The giant blade embedded itself in a tree on the opposite side of the road, stuck halfway into the trunk. Sasuke and Sakura both gasped as they looked up and saw the tall, intimidating figure standing on top of the handle of.
Naruto merely narrowed his eyes, readying his snakes to strike at a moment's notice. Wrapped around his torso, her head nestled against his neck, Lachesis practically hummed with excitement and energy. Not for the first time since he had encountered and become bound to the mysterious snake, the summoning-tattoo on Naruto's right forearm began to glow a faint green as chakra was channeled from his near unlimited stores, flowing into Lachesis through the link between them.
Asuma had instantly drawn his trench knives, chakra channeled into his hands, ready to release into the knives in an instant.
"Momochi Zabuza, nuke-nin of Kirigakure. This is a surprise." Asuma said coldly, letting his cigarette fall from his mouth to the ground where he ground it into dust.
Asuma caught Sasuke tensing up.
"Stay put Sasuke. This one is on a whole 'nother level than the ones we fought before. I want you, Sakura, and Naruto to guard Tazuna. I'll deal with Zabuza."
Zabuza chuckled.
"I'm sorry, Asuma of the Flaming Winds, but I'm here for the old man. He must die. But….it appears that I must defeat you first."
Suddenly Zabuza vanished, moving faster than the three genin could follow. He reappeared about forty feet away, standing on the surface of a small lake, the water rippling outward as wave after wave of chakra rolled off of him.
"Everyone, be on guard. I'm sensing a build up of chakra." Asuma cried out as he dropped into a defensive stance, trench knives at the ready.
Zabuza finished his hand seals and opened his eyes. "Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu."
Immediately the nuke-nin was obscured as a massive cloud of mist expanded outward from around him, covering the entire area in a thick mist.
Sasuke tightened his fist around the kunai in his hands.
"He's gone!" Sakura cried out, beginning to get afraind.
Naruto snorted and stepped forward away from Tazuna.
"I can handle this one sensei. Why don't you hang back and make sure these three don't get hurt." Naruto said with a tiny bit of calculated arrogance.
Through the mist, he watched as Zabuza and three Zabuza-sized shadows of cold, nearly the same temperature of the mist around him and only visible because of their density and the slight difference in temperature between the water and air, moved silently through the mist to surround them. He saw the real Zabuza change direction towards him at this announcement.
Naruto smirked.
Finally, an opponent I can test this maneuver on. And he suspects nothing. The fool is probably underestimating us. We'll show him why you never underestimate a snake. He thought, his vision momentarily revealing a small clearing containing the Kyuubi and a massive version of Lachesis.
Yessssssss. Battle it isssssss. Lachesis hissed.
Be careful brat. This is no simple Chunin, and I don't want to die. Kyuubi replied grumpily.
Within his mindscape Naruto grinned.
You just be ready if I need your help Kyuubi. That was all Naruto replied as the vision faded and the world returned, viewed through heat and eyes simultaneously.
Silently, Naruto performed a brief series of hand signs as Zabuza approached through the mist, ending on a distinguishing cross-mark seal.
SWISH
As he formed three clones around him Zabuza smirked behind his mask. Asuma of the Flaming Winds would certainly provide a challenge.
"I can handle this one sensei. Why don't you hang back and make sure these three don't get hurt." Zabuza heard Naruto say.
But first I'll separate this brat's mouth from his head.
Zabuza approached silently through the mist as his three clones spread out, drawing his sword and holding it out to his side. He paused momentarily, not more than five feet in front of the genin, who clearly couldn't see him through the impenetrable mists. Zabuza smirked, and then swung his sword through the air at head level for the foolish blond teenager.
SWISH
Zabuza's blade slid through the space that mere milliseconds before had been occupied by Naruto's neck.
Reacting faster than Zabuza could have predicted, Naruto had fallen backwards, his legs kicking out from under him as he fell. He felt Zabuza's blade pass a bare inch over his nose as he fell, and as he kicked out his legs the first pair of snake bunshin launched out, wrapping around Zabuza's legs and sinking their fangs in. Zabuza and his sword instantly collapsed in a puddle of water as, true to his rank as a Jounin, Zabuza used a Kawarimi to replace himself with one of his four clones.
From out of the mist Asuma heard the SWISH and the splash of water, and then heard nearly Naruto's voice echo from seemingly everywhere out of the mist.
"Fuuton: Chirasu!"
There was a sudden rush of wind and all of Zabuza's chakra summoned mist was blown away, revealing nearly forty Naruto's scattered around the clearing, the two remaining clones advancing on Tazuna and the other two members of Team 7, and Zabuza standing once again on the water of the lake. Asuma immediately spun and leapt at the nearest clone, lashing out with his trench knives before going into a roll as about a third of Naruto's clones boxed it in, but not before the Mizu-bunshin's sword dissipated the clones..
"Hishou Tsubame." Asuma extended his trench knives with blades of wind as he struck out, dissipating the surprised clone immediately.
Sasuke and Sakura finally got over their surprise as the final clone began to swing the massive sword at them. The sword was stopped by most of Naruto's remaining clones, who sued their bodies to slow it long enough for Sakura and Sasuke to counterattack. It too dissipated suddenly as it was dissolved by a pair of kunai and a pair of shuriken that impacted with its chest.
Back on the water the real Zabuza frowned before spinning in place with his sword drawn, dissipating the remaining kage bunshin who made a seemingly foolish suicide rush at him.
No way those three are genin if they reacted that quickly. What the hell is going on here?
Naruto pushed off the ground into a hand stand, smirking at Zabuza.
"You wanna go another round? Or are you gonna give up quietly?" He said with a smirk as Lachesis slithered onto the ground from his right sleeve.
The black and gold snake grew as she went until she was nearly eighteen feet in length, slithering towards the water.
"Lachesis, use it now!" Naruto yelled out as he pressed off the ground again with his hands, flipping and spinning in the air so that he landed on his feet facing Zabuza.
"Kage Bunsssshin no Jutsssu." Lachesis hissed as she suddenly glowed blue.
With a massive puff of smoke and a mass of splashes, the water around Zabuza was suddenly filled by over a thousand black and gold writhing forms. Back on shore Tazuna stared in shock and a little fear as the mass of writhing snakes converged on Zabuza, who suddenly found that no matter how many of the creatures he dispelled with slices of his sword, three times as many moved forward to fill their place.
Naruto stood on the edge of the water laughing at Zabuza's predicament when something in a tree on the far side of the lake caught his attention. With a few quick hand signals he had Asuma by his side, his trench knives still glowing.
"Asuma sensei, there is a figure in the tree on the other side of the lake, the tall one with red flowers. I'm not sure how long they have been there, but I suspect they are involved with Zabuza." Naruto said quietly as he kept his eyes glued on the hidden figure.
Asuma nodded in understanding before running out onto the water heading towards Zabuza.
However, before he could reach the figure of Zabuza, who had become entangled as nearly two dozen of the Lachesis clones had latched onto his limbs and dragged him down onto the shore as he attempted to escape, four senbon needles came flying out of a tree on the opposite bank of the lake and slammed into his neck.
Zabuza's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed on the edge of the bank, half in and half out of the water.
A figure with black hair and wearing a Kirigakure hunter-nin mask dropped out of the tree Naruto had pointed out to Asuma just moment's before next to the body.
"I thank you for providing the distraction needed so that I could take Momochi Zabuza down. He is wanted for crimes against Kirigakure and he managed to wipe out my entire squad two weeks ago. Even with two weeks recovery, I did not stand a chance at taking him until you five showed up and took him down for me. You have Kirigakure and my thanks." The figure said in a voice that could have been male or female; none of the members of Team 7 could tell for sure.
With their point made, the Kirigakure hunter-nin lifted the deceased corpse of Zabuza and disappeared in a water shunshin before anyone could react.
Naruto's eyes narrowed, something his mother had once taught him about hunter-nin protocols trying to force its way out of his memory and into the forefront of his mind.
"Naruto! You were amazing!"
Sakura's energetic cries as the pink-haired kunoichi wrapped her arms around Naruto from behind knocked him out of his musing, the minutia of esoteric assassin knowledge he had been trying to remember momentarily forgotten.
"I just kept that bastard distracted sweetie. Lachesis did all the hard work." Naruto replied with a grin, reaching one hand up to stroke his girlfriend's cheek as she snuggled the other against him.
"Will you two cut out the mushy stuff?" Sasuke's voice came from behind them, grumpy 'til the end. "Its bad enough I have to deal Katsumi going on and on about how awesome you are while we're home without having to deal with you two going all mushy on missions."
Naruto just blinked at his teammate momentarily. Sakura on the other hand smirked and turned Naruto's head to face her with her hands, kissing him deeply. Both genin knew that Sasuke was still attracted to Sakura, but the Uchiha at least had the smarts to recognize that she was well and good off the market. His cousin on the other hand still hadn't gotten that message about Naruto.
"Is everyone alright?" Asuma asked as he finished putting his trench knives away and lit up a cigarette.
Tazuna, who had landed on the ground in a heap with his pack when the fighting began, merely grunted in reply before uncorking a bottle of sake and taking a swig. Sasuke smirked and reported no injuries, Sakura following suit when she broke her kiss with her boyfriend a moment later. Asuma heard no reply from Naruto, but chuckled when he glanced towards his blond protégé and saw what was keeping his mouth occupied.
Sakura had reinitiated the kiss as soon as she had reported her status, and Naruto was currently caught up in his girlfriend's passion.
Sasuke continued to look moody as Asuma gathered them up to continue on to the relative safety of Tazuna's house, which at least could be fortified against any follow-up attacks by Gatou's men.
Ten minutes later Team 7 and the old bridge builder Tazuna finally reached his house. It was alone in a clearing about half an hours walk from the village, and was flanked by forests on two sides, a massive grass clearing on the third, and a small lake that ran along side that.
When Tazuna knocked on the door there was a long tense silence before a young brunette woman opened the door apprehensively, her eyes lighting up in happiness when she saw who it was.
"DAD!" The woman cried out as she pulled Tazuna into a hug. "Inari and I were afraid you weren't going to make it,"
Tazuna chuckled. "With these four protecting me there was no way I couldn't have made it back Tsunami."
Tsunami smiled and released her father, motioning for the exhausted members of Team 7 to enter her domicile and take a load off.
Four Hours Later….
The members of Team 7 and the Tazuna house hold were sitting around the dinner table shortly after night had fallen. Tsunami, with Sakura's help, was busy putting the finishing touches on a large dinner to thank Team 7 for bringing her father home safely.
"So, Sakura isn't it? I couldn't help but notice you seem to be really close with that blond boy, Naruto. Um, if you don't mind my asking, but what's with those odd markings on his face?" Tsunami asked the younger pink-haired girl quietly.
Sakura tensed up momentarily before replying, hoping Tsunami hadn't caught her momentary lapse in composure.
"Naruto has a, well, what we call a kekkei genkai. It's a power he inherited from his parents, and unfortunately it gave him some unique facial markings." Sakura began, telling a little white lie to protect her boyfriend. She knew that he was still very sensitive about both being a jinchuriki and about the snake stuff. Along with ungodly amounts of chakra, stamina, and a demon lord in his belly. And that's before taking that snake stuff into account. "Besides, I find the markings attractive. They give him an…exotic look."
Sakura smiled slightly to herself, a slight blush rising on her cheeks as her mind momentarily distracted itself with thoughts of how her exotic boy-toy could put that stamina to good use, if she could just get him into bed.
Any further questions from Tsunami unfortunately died aborning as there was a sharp knock at the door. Everyone in the kitchen tensed up immediately.
Naruto and Sasuke were the first to move, Sasuke drawing a pair of kunai and backing up against the wall in the kitchen while Naruto slipped silently into the living room and channeled chakra into the heat sensitive organs in his face.
Asuma moved before either genin could act further, opening the door with his trench knives drawn, ready to go.
Standing beyond the door were three Konoha genin and their Konoha Jounin instructor.
Inside Tazuna's house, all three genin members of Team 7 groaned.
AN: Sorry it's been a while, but I've been really busy with my original writing, trying to find a job, and suffering a major case of writer's block. On top of this I added a third story to my rotation called "Legacy of the Planet", and produced two chapters for it as well. I'm really liking the route I get to take with that one, so I will enjoy exploring different avenues with each of these stories.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even though I was dealing with writer's block I still enjoyed writing it. Obviously Naruto's fighting style is a variant of surprise strikes with bunshin rush, but I'm wondering what all of you readers think of Lachesis' snake bunshins being used for some of his strategies. To forestall some questions I suspect I might get, no, the bunshins are not toxic. Only the original Lachesis is capable of poisoning a target, although with the length of her fangs, being bit by one of her bunshins is still no picnic.
And three guesses as to who Team 7's backup is. Anyways, please remember to Read and Reviews. Reviews brighten my day and often keep the writer's block away. Next time on "Konoha's Golden Viper"…well, you'll find out next time. ;)
Technique Names – Because really, like half of you can't figure out the translations on your own.
Fuuton: Chirasu--Wind Release: Dissipate/ This technique creates a massive flow of wind away from the user, blowing away clouds of smoke, mist, etc. Developed as a counter against smoke bombs and Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu. (D-Class Ninjutsu)
Hishou Tsubame--Flying Swallow/ Using his chakra to extend the blades of his trench knives, Asuma attacks his opponent. The chakra can inflict injury even if the blade does not hit. (B-Class Taijutsu) (Sarutobi Asuma)
Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu--Water Release: Hidden in the Mist Technique/ This technique causes the air around the user to become extremely saturated with water, forming a thick fog. This technique is a simple D-rank jutsu that is often used in preparation of much higher level Suiton jutsus. On top of making it harder for an enemy to see them, the saturation of the air makes it easier to perform Suiton jutsus, particularly if the user is not near a body of water. (D-Class Ninjutsu)
Review Responses – Because really, what else is there to do at 4AM on a Friday night?
tennisdesi91 – Well, of course Naruto is a beast. On top of having the Kyuubi sealed inside of him, he now has some genetics from some of the top predators in the animal world. Of course he would freak out the foolish house cat. The 'heat vision' was part of the very original idea for the story, and is part of what decided the name of the fic. I've always been fascinated by pit vipers, particularly the Crotalus genus which is common where I live, and the even more dangerous Lachesis genus (aka Lachesis Muta, common name the Bushmaster). One of their distinguishing characteristics (shared with some constrictor species like pythons) is these heat sensitive pits on their heads, which literally see differences in heat. So I got to thinking 'hey, what if I have Naruto raised to be an assassin by Anko, and have him gain some snake-like traits somehow and combine the two.' Given Anko's specialty is assassination, I felt giving him such a useful trait to a superior predator such as the pit viper was a good start to creating the way I want the character to go. And obviously, it's already paying dividends.
alone shadow dream – thank you. Hope you enjoyed this one as well.
Moonfal – As always, much thanks for reviewing. Your reviews are always enjoyable and encouraging to read. I always strive to keep my grammar and spelling as accurate as possible, and the majority of spelling or other errors that slip in I either catch during final editing, or slip through because I lack a beta. Part of why I get the chapters out so quickly is that I don't toss them through a possibly lengthy beta process before putting them up, since most of the time I don't need the assistance to keep track of my own story. That may need to change with my latest story, "Legacy of the Planet", but that's simply because it is a cross-over with Final Fantasy VII, which I unfortunately must admit I know less about than I'd like. It's not one of the games I've completed after all. As always, it's a pleasure reading your reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter a lot.
Anihilation – Naruto and Sakura are pranksters, and it was an image that came unbidden to my mind and I had to use it. The code names were not actually originally part of what I planned to write, but as I got started on that section I realized it might be fun to do. I instantly thought of Smoking Man for Asuma, and the other three just fell into place.
InoShikaCho is surviving. We won't really see much of them until the Chunin Exams, but you can bet they are at least marginally stronger than in canon. Anko is a bloody insane taskmaster after all.
Keep in mind, this Sasuke's situation is slightly different in that his brother didn't destroy his mind and drive an all-encompassing desire for revenge into him. Also, Katsumi was even more driven grade wise and technique wise than Sasuke in canon, while at the same time being basically the stereotypical popular girl. Add to this that she can manipulate the adult Uchiha into believing anything, that makes her quite scary to Sasuke. Also, their relative skill levels prior to the graduation exam were very nearly identical. Sasuke was stronger at taijutsu, while Katsumi was mildly stronger with Ninjutsu as well as having better written work grades. Also, Katsumi's one blind spot is when it comes to Namikaze Naruto. She is so infatuated with the stature and power she would wield as the wife of a clan head that she is often blind to the glaringly obvious when it comes to him. Also, just because the log was there didn't mean she knew WHERE Naruto had headed off to. She figured that Sasuke, being his teammate, might have an idea of where her Naruto-kun might have run off to.
Naruto's normal appearance did cease changing with the scales covering the organs on his face. The scales formed so that the heat sensitive organs could function without his own body heat screwing them up. Any more than that I'd rather not say, as it will spoil far too much. As to the Kakashi mask, Kakashi was basically a sort of big brother figure to him, so when he realized he had these changes coming visible on his face, his first thought was that he needed a method to conceal it so people won't ostracize him anymore, and his second thought was to remember the first thing that came to mind that could do that.
Well, I'm having fun writing it, particularly since I get to do my own thing entirely. It's encouraging to know that there is at least one person who might be interested in reading it once it is completed. I'll keep you all updated with it's progress in the coming months.
PS: There may very well be lemons of varying degrees. Not sure how graphic I want to risk with this story, as I have seen stories get taken down for little more than hands roaming under clothes, and other stories survive with fairly graphic scenes. We'll see when we get there. Even if I don't show it very explicitly, it will certainly be implied, given Sakura's thinking with regards to her boy-toy *cough cough* um, I mean boyfriend.
davethedark – Going update soon, contrary to apparent popular belief, does not actually increase the rate at which a fanfiction author updates his stories.
Oushou no Yami – There are only two pairings I'm sure about for this story besides Naruto-Sakura. The first is Kiba-Hinata. The second is, well, you guessed it, Ino-Shika. Though exactly how when and why that last one occurs, well, you'll just have to wait and find out.
narutoFMA-LOVER – Lachesis does possess size-changing abilities, among others, but for now I'd rather keep precisely what they are and their limits to myself. You will just have to wait and see whether or not Lachesis shows the ability to grow that large. (Or whether she actually even needs that ability in the first place)
Darth Hawk 32 – Yup, it was Kamina actually, but you got the anime correct and it's clear you knew who I meant, so I'll give it to you. As to Sasuke, sometimes I like him being the arrogant asshole, sometimes I like to see him revamped. Here, the changes in Sasuke are rooted in the fundamental differences between this one's history and the history of the Sasuke in canon. His brother's betrayal of the clan was much more subdued (for reasons of plot which I shall not deign to explain here), and thus Sasuke was raised with an intact clan and a drive to fight his brother that was not only much less psychotic and obsessive, but also tempered when Naruto explained more about what happened that night.
The Guy who writes – I'm sorry if it bothers you, but I chose to keep the Wave arc intact in my stories for the simple reason that the conflict and interaction with Zabuza and Haku are useful tools for developing certain parts of my characters. In this story particularly, it presented the perfect opportunity to showcase just what manner and how Naruto tends to fight in my story, and is causing set-up for the kickstarting of an event crucial to one of the many sub-plots of the story. The Land of Waves, and the nigh perpetual mist that surrounds it, are far more important in the long run than this simple arc.
MiseryluvsDeath – Thank you.
gunnslie – Most of the typos are the result of errors I missed during final editing, and the fact that I lack a beta for my projects who is capable of reading and then discussing the chapter with me in a timely manner. I would rather get the chapters to you upon completion than have you all stuck waiting 3-7 days for me to get it back from a beta. Also, many thanks for your favorites list. It not only has some of my personal favorite stories listed, but I have found several stories while scanning it that I picked up to read. Some I was disappointed in, often by the writing style or how fanboy/fangirlish/childish the writing was, but others were true glories, and they have since been added to my own favorite and alert lists.
Bobboky – That's what I strive for.
thedarkeststar – That is one spoiler I don't mind giving, as I have been putting numerous hints as to the precise relationship between Naruto and Lachesis into the story so far. Lachesis' connection to Naruto is much more like, say, a familiar in D&D, upon which I based both Lachesis' existence and the ancient magics/techniques that have been used to bind her to Naruto. The summon tattoo is a connection between him and his snake, and while I don't want to spoil too much, I will say this. When Naruto dies, Lachesis dies, but it doesn't work the other way around. Ponder that, as it will still be a while before I fully reveal what I mean.
Kyuubiwolf23 – I've spent probably eight years of my life coming up with story ideas and creating worlds in my head to get to the point I am with my writing, so don't give up. And yeah, he is a giant shithead in canon, and in "Phoenix Rising" as well. Of course, at least in "Phoenix Rising" I get to punish him for being a shit head.
Kontraband – Hey, even a short review like yours shows that you are reading and enjoying the story, and enjoyed it enough to be bothered to leave a token of encouragement. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter as well. Jaa Matta.
Okiro Zangetsu – So is mine. She has been the most fun to create, particularly since there is so so so much more to her than meets the eye. And no, she is not Frenzy in disguise. As much as I wish that to be true.
