CHAPTER EIGHT:

PRINCE HAKU AND THE DEMON OF THE MIST 1

The awkward silence was grating, they all knew this mission was a team building exercise, but apart from hinata and Ino, Sasuke and naruto could only be compared to a block of wood.

But the day thought different. In naruto's opinion for some reason it was annoyingly bright. The birds were singing the wind so crisp and fresh. A typical and novel like romantic setting. Which of course would explain why he could not take his eyes of hinata. She was beautiful, and as if nature knew, it conformed itself to suit her beauty, letting the rays of the sun hit her at the right angle in a bid to make her seem almost angelic.

Ino was beautiful too, but she hardly possess that regal and bloodthirsty air that hinata seemed to have. It was intoxicating, but naruto will push all this under one excuse… puberty. He was going to be thirteen in a month so this kind of stuff was expected 'I think' of course no one else could see his smitten look. Except of course for the personal body guards of all four of them moving through the shadows, hidden from their charges but quite visible to their teacher.

Jiraiya knew he had to tolerate, their guards following behind. Strong as he was, he was not all powerful, and this brats were royalty so it was quite inevitable. Of course keeping an eye on the guards was much more entertaining than watching naruto looking like a love struck puppy. Which of course would mean something if naruto was not really a love struck puppy. An adult or sex education was somewhere in their future, that is as soon as they started talking to each other again.

Its been two weeks since their talk, but naruto has not said a single word to him since then. Jiraiya may think it was childish and cute, but this was the luxury he was allowing naruto to have. Because this was the only chance he would give that boy to be a child before he crushes what's left of his childhood to dust and leave it to the wandering wind. But until then Naruto was allowed to keep giving him the cold shoulder.

While the silence was appreciated, it got a little bit to much so jiraiya decided to play a game, or in all honesty start implementing operation crush Naruto's childhood. This mission to the wave was to help them get closer, but it was also a way for naruto to learn that he could not trust any of his companions, and to give him a look into the cold hard world he has been thrust into. Because in that world even babies will take a life if it gets them what they want.

"so princess Ino, I heard you made a recent acquisition for the Yamanaka family."

" Yes lord jiraiya we recently acquired the rights to a mining village close to the border we what with the earth nation."

" and it was also to my understanding you ordered the execution of more than half their population when they resisted your acquisition, is that correct?"

The horror that naruto felt was unfathomable, he was slowly beginning to learn how brutal and dangerous the work was, but to think someone who looked so beautiful and innocent like Ino did, who was all smiles as she went out shopping with her friends will unhesitatingly order the death of innocent people. It was traumatic.

And Ino did not look shaken not one bit, it was almost as if she above feeling remorse for what she did. Like it was a normal occurrence with being princess Ino of the Yamanaka royal family.

" lord jiraiya I will not defend my actions, yes it was an unsightly decision to be made, but it had to be done."

" and why is that young Lady?"

Ino was rapidly getting irritated with this probing questions, she could not help but imagine what he was trying to teach her about. She was quite sure it was not about morals, because she knew if jiraiya was in her shoes he would have had the entire village burnt to the ground.

" my reasons for the deaths are quite simple, apart from the fact the village is sitting on one of the biggest deposits of chakra enriched Damascus ore, the mine host's a plethora of tunnels deep into the heart of earth nations. It was used previously in the third shinobi war by the iwa ninjas in their bid to utilize guerrilla tactics and hit Konoha in her flanks. Causing no small amount of loss. Also recent investigation shows that spies from iwa have been using the tunnel systems in the mines to go back and forth between iwa and Konoha. Also the tunnel covers more part of Konoha than iwa so this was a necessary bid to protect our selves. Of course earning a little money on the side with the distribution of the Damascus ore is just a side bonus."

It as quite clear from the grin on his face that jiraiya was impressed, it was so overwhelming Ino found herself blushing like a school girl, or course up until a few weeks ago she was a schoolgirl.

Naruto had no idea what to think or do, this was way beyond his moral understanding, while he understood that protection was needed for the fire nation, why did half the village have to die in this venture. Naruto knew for any of them senseless killings can destroy their reputation and standing in the society and among the people. In his short foray into the world of politics and from everything jiraiya has taught him a leader is not made based on their power alone. Sometimes the love and respect of the people they lead is required, so he was sure Ino must have had a reason…right.

" But Ino that is not enough reason for you to just kill those people, they were innocent. And no matter how you look at it they are still people of the fire nation and empire."

Ino looked at naruto with a gaze that bespoke of an elder admonishing a naïve child of the intricacies of the world.

" Naruto my boy, that was a good question. Maybe we can make a man out of you yet. But to answer your question kid more than seventy percent of the residents in that village are from the hidden rock. They were meticulously planted over the years, as spies and also as a way to keep that mine a secret. They were supposed to protect not just the secret tunnel, but those bastards were selling us our own property above the market cost. Stealing and cheating us of our bounty at the same time. If there's one thing I hate is someone making a fool out of me and my country, those who do have always ended up regretting. And for your information the people who I had executed were highly trained field operatives with years of training and experience under their belt. They put up a fight when their whole operation was uncovered. And so they had to be made an example off, not to mention one of them had the audacity to stain my new dress with mud when he used his blasted earth techniques. And it was of the finest quality silk, spurn from the very body of the white frost larvae. If not for the fact that women can't use earth techniques until the kages or sage realm, I would have like to drown him in a pool of mud, let me see how he likes it. Of course he's already dead so that's that."

Ino was very vain, but naruto could not help but admire her decisiveness. She took lives just for the crime of staining her dress. There's s no doubt in his mind that she would have spared them if one of them had not went ahead and ruined her dress. It was mind boggling she could be so petty, and at the same time quite horrifying a thirteen year old girl could have people slaughtered like cattle.

After that the journey progressed rather quietly, apart from the fact that he had known Sasuke and Ino from their years together at the academy, to the outside eye they were nothing more than strangers to each other. The forest path they were walking on however was a different story. There was nothing peculiar about it. But the road they were on cut through a particularly nasty forest known for its infestation of trolls. While they won't come out during the day, since the sun renders their skin as hard as stone thereby making it hard for them to make movements of any kind.

Troublesome they may be but almost thirty years ago this entire road, both its otherwise unremarkable stones and pebbles to the tall sinewy trees that always cast a perpetual shade were warded with seals that served a variety of functions. There were seals that repelled the trolls to make the road safe at night, of course sometimes it fails, which is why this was a prime place to train chunin ninjas and give them missions. Chunins were already a specialized corner of the martial world. They all lack the ability to use elemental chakra as a whole regardless of the sex. But they had access to chakra in its rarest form as it helps to supplement their abilities. Chunins are either sensors, seal specialist, beast masters, and doctors etc. They are a very important factor to a shinobi team and village which is why they are well coveted and respected. Due to the specializing in on aspect in the many flexible forms of chakra usage, they are the best at what they do. A chunin with the right materials can severely injure a kages or in rare cases kill them.

But while naruto was not familiar with this road he knew for a fact that there was not supposed to be anything like a puddle in the middle of the road. One of the seals that spanned the miles this road possessed was an absorb seal. It retained anything from as thick as blood to even the tiny molecules that made up water. In other word apart from a desert, this was the driest place in the whole elemental nations or at least one of them.

Naruto noticed Sasuke tense, and ino's eyes gained a ferocious glint in them. Hinata looked as normal as can be, if not for the fact naruto noticed the veins around her eyes slowly becoming visible and bulging. The atmosphere around them became really tense as all four of them were preparing for a confrontation. Naruto for the first noticed jiraiya's absence like a sledge hammer to the gut. On thing he was sure of is that this was not a training exercise, on thing naruto had learned in the months he had spent with his godfather was that jiraiya will always tell him ahead if there was a training so he could prepare himself. He might never know what the training might entail until he started it. But he knew for a fact jiraiya have never sent him anywhere blind. So there might be a problem lurking around behind the contours and shadows of this trees and jiraiya wanted them to face it.

As if knowing they had been found four shadows jumped out, from each side of naruto and headed straight for him, two more also jumped out of the puddle behind them with their target sorely being naruto. For a while he was caught of guard by the suddenness of their arrival. There was no way to truly know what level their strength was but there was also no way to truly back down either. It was do or die, but Naruto was no stranger to that aspect of life. Because he realized something, he lived for the thrill and danger of the unknown. He has never been more stronger and sharper than when he felt his life was in danger. Training with jiraiya taught him that.

All his opponents were covered in black ninja garbs. Except for the two behind him, they had on steam masks with cloths reminiscent of mist ninjas. There was no denying this guys were stronger than him. And there was no denying this guys were going to underestimate him. And for that they were going to pay heavily.

Naruto quickly slid on the ground as the first attacker went past him, colliding painfully with the serrated chain that appeared in the position he once was a few moments ago, the guy was shredded like mince meat. Disgusting? Yes it was but naruto could only be thankful the guy died quickly.

Naruto went for a low blow at his next attacker while that person was preoccupied and distracted by the sudden death of his partner. Naruto received a nasty surprise as he did not come in contact with any male parts, instead there was nothing, and his blow was accompanied by a very feminine yelp.

To say he was horrified would have been a big understatement, it might not be the first time this has happened, but naruto can safely say he has fallen into the ranks of fighters who were embarrassed on the battlefield. Thankfully the black clad man turned woman's head exploded in a shower of blood. And behind her was hinata with an outstretched palm and glaring eyes that were all the more emphasized by the bulging veins around them. So she was pissed he hit a low blow on a woman. Not that the female was complaining since she's ready dead, but in his defense he did not know she was a woman.

With a face burning the color of lava, naruto regrouped with Sasuke, hinata and Ino. They had been able to efficiently dispatch their enemies, except for the two mist guys with the serrated chains. Out of all of them Naruto knew he was the only one who did not kill someone.

Even though he had been preparing for this for most of his life, it did not make it easy, he did not freeze or anything but when it came down to it he had opted for crippling blows instead of killing ones. The others did not mention his shortcomings, he knew they were well aware of his fuck up, but they did not say anything. He knew eventually he would have to do the deed. But he was not sure if he was ready yet. Naruto had grown up appreciative of the gift that was life. He did not have much, but when the people of Konoha could spare anything they always gave. They were not all good but for the few he knew, they had shown him what's like to get the better things out of life. And because of his lack and humble beginnings he ached and hungered for the better things of life.

It was his reason for growing stronger, but in all of his careful planning's he had always manage to avoid the main question that was prevalent with the path he had chosen to take. Was he willing to die and kill for his dreams. He was quickly learning there was no right way to take a life, sure there were some despicable humans in this world who rather enjoyed the thrill of taking a life. But in the end it comes down to power, if you have that, then killing will be nothing but a ceremony for you. No one will judge you, you become your own judge, jury and executioner.

Naruto was sure he would never be ready, and with the power that has been giving to him, it was inevitable that innocents will fall at his hands, whether he liked it or not. And such thoughts scared him fiercely.

"Boy you do know you are in the middle of a fight right!"

" lo…lor…lord Kurama?"

The wave of terror that washed over him was felt by everyone around him. Not to mention the sound of the name of a being that was literally a God on his lips brought pause to everybody, including the attacking mist ninjas standing opposite them.

The three royals had a look of shock on their face. Of course it was known that he was the next vessel of Kurama and the ninth gate to the chaos dimension. An unending power source. But it was general knowledge that the tailed celestial demon beast never communicated with their hosts. Because they deemed humans unworthy. Kurama was one of the few exceptions since he was also the guardian of the Uzumaki clan. And even then for the uzumaki to get an audience with their guardian is something rare even for their guardian.

"This is not the time for questions of morals boy, you are in a fight and whether it is right or wrong you are still going to kill if you want to survive. But this situation aside the real question what are you willing to kill for. Death will now be a big part of your future, sometimes you will bring it down on others. Sometimes there will bring it down on you, and the people you love and those around you will suffer for it. I refuse to have a pacifist self hating righteous prick for a vessel. To be my vessel means you will forge a path of murder blood and carnage. So the question is still the same what are you willing to kill for?".

That question resounded and echoed in his mind, how was he supposed to know the answer to a question this simple yet so complex. He was well aware that he was now the center of attention. Calling the name of a celestial demon will do that. But still it was so hard to answer.

" I don't know" he answered in a whisper, and with those three words he pours all his confusion, and frustrations for every turn he's life has made since he met jiraiya. Sometimes he wished he never tried to scam the old man, into training him. Right now however he finds himself asking what if he had chosen a normal life, a life where he did not have to worry about how to keep his parents legacy alive or where he had to learn to always keep an eye behind him twenty four seven in paranoia of enemies hidden behind every shadow. He had no idea what he would kill for, no idea at all.

" well boy if you don't have a reason now, that doesn't mean you won't n the future, life is ever changing and ever growing. Regardless of how hopeless your position seems. I can guarantee you're going to make bonds that will last a lifetime. Bonds of friendship, bonds of leadership, bonds of love and inevitably bonds of hate. But for now, since you have no reason yet, don't tear yourself up about it. So just shut up, stop whining and KILL!".

And naruto shot out like a ball out of a cannon, all fire and iron of death. In both hands two kunai's and their glint and flash under the shadowed sunlight of the forest path part promised a symphony of death as it came under wings of the dance of summer. Heat and speed, wind and strength, an art form of death and destruction. And naruto delivered.

It was quite obvious the mist ninjas were jonin realm practitioners, people who were stronger and faster than naruto and his comrades. But after five minutes of hand to hand combat they were riddled with cuts and stab wounds, while naruto only had an ugly wound on his side from a moment of carelessness. Naruto was unpredictable, and the little lull in the fight prompted Sasuke to come in charging with a spinning hill kick, one of the brothers dodged leaving the other an unfortunate recipient of the teenagers kick. Sasuke landed unbalanced and the other brother took advantage and launched Sasuke back into naruto courtesy of a brutal kick to the chest, a resounding crack was heard as a few of Sasuke's ribs were cracked, while Naruto had a dislocated shoulder from the impact.

For three sweet seconds both brothers had looks of confusion on their faces, before hinata came in a whirlwind of blue and grey, rapidly tapping the bodies of both brothers rendering their right arms useless. Hinata move back before they could make any move of retaliation.

There was a stalemate of sorts as both sides were observing the other. The only sound was the labored breathing of Sasuke and Ino. Ino had simultaneously used a mind control technique, something that as a genin without the ability to yet project chakra out of her body should be impossible. Yet she pushed the limit and successfully stunned both brothers for three seconds, it spoke volumes of her abilities giving how intricate mind control techniques were.

It was hard to say who moved first, but when they did all mayhem broke loose. The four of them were fighting together for the first time, but their skills and techniques were so in league with each other it was as they had known themselves for a very long time and hard survived countless wars. Naruto's unpredictable style of fighting gave both ninjas a hard time, they were completely unable to predict or read a pattern out of naruto's style of fighting, leaving them only their instincts to survive the blond hurricane. Every time they tried to attack Sasuke will be there intercepting and redirecting their attack into Hinata's ultimate defense and soft hard strikes that left their bones and muscles shaking from exertion. And Ino, well Ino was passed out on the road. Their strain from her previous foray into jonin level abilities had left her incapacitated.

In no time at all the mist ninja were completely on defense, with no way to attack, they sloped up and made a mistake simultaneously. With the opening provided both hinata and Sasuke struck, with hinata sending a chakra infused palm strike to the forehead of on of the brothers will Sasuke did the same but straight for his heart, hitting with everything they have got.

Naruto followed by slipping his kunai into the heart of the other ninja. Painfully wrapping his dislocated arm around his neck, naruto continued to slip his kunai in and out of his body, screaming, crying and killing all at the same time. Everything was a haze of red and blood, rage and grief and tears. With every movement that kunai made, naruto felt more of himself dying, he could almost watch everything that made him, who he was die that day. There was no more prankster king from hell or the young man who had the guts to try and scam the strongest man in the elemental nations. All he felt was empty, and in that emptiness everything went black.

Haku hated being this close to the uzumaki territory, of course this was important to their plans, but still it was a blatant reminder of what he once had. The fire nation and empire had four leading noble family and one origin family that led them. Each family led in a cycle of thirty years per reign. The Yamanaka, followed by the uchiha, followed by the hyuga, followed by the yuki. But after the hyuga the origin clan will lead. The uzumaki. And once the uzumaki are done the yuki will take over as the next to rule. Of course this should have not been a problem for him. He had no hope of ruling, maybe his son might have a chance, but so many things went wrong. The yuki are immigrants from the mist nation, fearsome assassins with a bloodline limit over control of ice. Which normally should be impossible for male ninjas. But the yuki had the bloodline limit to control ice and to a little extent water chakra. It did not take long for them to rise to power in the fire nation, and in no time at all found themselves as part of its rulers. The yuki had a rich and long history, just like the uzumaki they could claim to have been on the elemental nations from the beginning of civilization. Thousands upon thousands of years of rich history and accomplishments. And like most clans their pride in their long ancestry festered a cancer that was slowly eating them away. In the yuki family their bloodline limit has a rare variation or mutation. It gave them the ability to make glass and to a little degree create small pocket dimensions and doors to the chaos dimension. While this power was not in a large or as grand a stage as the Jinchuriki's, it granted any yuki with the ability the power to summon and control hundreds of chaos beast or devils. For a while the yuki clan enjoyed the prosperity and fear this power brought, they enjoyed status equal and sometimes greater than the jinchuriki, most of which spent their time hiding. But over the years they came to learn of his corruptive this power was, if a person kept on opening the gates for a long time and constantly, that person will end up being possessed by a devil of chaos and wreak havoc on the mortal plane. A creature locked away in the very cradle of creation and with all the malice of a thousand years riding along in the body of a yuki, with power over ice, water and the ability to tear a back hole into chaos itself.

Well the answer to that was quite simple, chaos. Death count rose to millions, hunger despair and pain riddled the land like sores on skin. Eventually the Yuki's grew old and died, and with them the devils that possesses them. The whole world now looked at the yuki with the same apprehensiveness you would give a poisonous snake. And no one hated this development than the Yuki's themselves. And so from then on an yuki born with that ability was drowned or killed at childbirth and the mother killed and burnt to ashes as Her remains are spread to the wind in a bid to appease whatever God will listen to get the bad blood out of their family. And so the world forgot about it, until haku was born, the very heir to the yuki clan and a potential candidate as the next emperor of the fire nation, that is until they discovered he had the bloodline ability that over the years has been coined the devils gate key. His father butchered his mother right in front of him, and haku sentenced his father to a fate worse than death, by locking him in the very prison where the most vile things in existence are hidden, the chaos dimension. And after that Haku ran, he left everything behind in the hopes he could forget. At the time he was only eight years old. A year later the yuki clan sent someone to end their shame, to kill him. At the time Haku was no more than a vagabond and better, shoeless and homeless, he was forced to rely on his ability to summon devils, they killed so that he could eat, and protected him from what ever will try to kill him. And he lived like that until the assassin sent to kill arrived. Until Zabuza the demon of the mist and lap dog of the yuki family found him.

Zabuza could hardly raise a finger against him, Haku looked so pitiful even death will pity him. Zabuza took care of him, trained. And all this he did away from the yuki family, going rouge and taking haku on the run. Until they finally found their new family. A family that accepted them and other runaways like them, gave them a purpose a goal. Gave them life.

" Haku if you think to hard your brain will explode. And its not right for a ninja to be lost in thought. Stop slouching and sit straight."

" Yes Zabuza sama, my apologies."

" Do not apologize kid, never do that. No matter what happens in your life take responsibility and bear your punishment like a man, but never apologize. You owe nothing to no one but yourself."

"hai!"

" Good now prepare to move out, the ninth gate and jinchuriki is close to the village. We have to capture him and make a quick getaway before the uzumaki's in this area catch wind of us. Come on Haku we're going to take pain away from the world and bring true peace."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: hey guys this chapter is not edited, but I really needed to get this chapter out to meet my quota for this month or week, I've still not figure out an update schedule. Any way this chapter was mostly about naruto's character development and to introduce the character that will replace Karin in Sasuke's team taki. Anyway read and review, of course if anybody has any idea to make the story better, it will be greatly appreciated. This is a reader interactive story, which means I will mostly be writing based on what my readers want to see. Mostly but not always. OK guys have a nice day, night, afternoon wherever you are. Its actually six fourth eight pm here in Ghana, and I miss my home in Nigeria and am hungry and bye till next time.