Chapter 8
"It seems that you are smart bunch of kids, and I can see why the Mist Brothers were defeated now. With Kakashi the Copy Ninja and Kurenai the Illusion of the Leaves in this group the old man there must have paid very well." Zabuza said with smirked on his face, though this was hard to tell since the bottom half was covered by a mask made of white straps of clothe. He was wearing a white muscle shirt and black ninja pants, and his ninja head band on the top of his head and had a slash through it symbol. He was standing holding his sword, which was almost as tall as him in hand.
Kakashi looked at the rouge ninja carefully, "I am only going to ask once. Why you are here and if we can settle this without a fight? Though I am pretty sure I can guess your answers."
"Well I am here for the bridge builder, since the man who is paying me wants him dead. So I guess that means we have to fight, since I doubt you would just willingly give him too me."
Kakashi nodded, "Your right I will not let him come to harm."
"No surprise, but that does not matter. I was hoping to have a good fight anyways since my sword has been thirsty for blood," Zabuza said with a blood thirsty look in his eyes, then without warning he disappeared along with his giant cleaver of a sword.
Naruto brought out his sword quickly enough to block Zabuza's attack even though he nearly slid back more than a few feet. Naruto struggled to keep Zabuza back but he did not have to hold him for long. Kakashi seeing Naruto in big trouble came to help sending Zabuza skidding back with a kick. Zabuza deciding it would not be best to stay close used what was left of the momentum from the kick to leap and landed on the nearby lake.
"It seems I will have to take you seriously," Zabuza said, "Since that kid of yours has stopped my blade twice now."
His hands were able to be seen as he called out his next move, "Hidden Mist jutsu. With this jutsu, I will kill you all."
The water Zabuza was standing on seems to swirl around him formed an every thickening mist. Then without warning or reason the air seemed to be filled with mist making it hard for even the group to fully see each other.
"Everyone around Tazuna now, Naruto and I will fight Zabuza." At once the other Genin moved to guard Tazuna. Sakura in front, Kiba on Tazuna left and Shino on Tazuna right, Kurenai stood with Hinata at the rear of the group ready to give support. Naruto moved into a sword stance and closed his eyes sensing for Zabuza. Kakashi on the other hand pulled up his headband revealing his Sharingan eye. Naruto opened his eye up and smirked, looking around he nodded back at the group.
Kakashi started moving closer to the group, when they heard Zabuza voice all around them, "there are 8 places on the body that can kill a person if cut, so you tell me which should I aim for."
Zabuza voice carried with it killer intent that affected all the Genin from Team Eight while Team Seven was for the most part unaffected. Naruto because of his past and Sakura was used to it thanks to the fact Anko had sent giant snakes after her nearly every day she trained. Team Eight on the other hand was seeing their own deaths by Zabuza play through their mind, until their sensei Kurenai assured them that nothing would happen while she was there.
Then without warning Naruto moved and ducking under Zabuza sword as it was swung over him, Zabuza then disappeared into the mist and appeared in the middle of the group. Tazuna and all the Genin stared at the rouge ninja in shock and fear thinking their life would end right then. They had forgotten both Kurenai and Kakashi. With a fast set of pushes Kakashi sent Shino, Kiba, and Sakura away from Zabuza then before he pulled out a kunai and hit Zabuza in the heart. Kurenai on the other hand grabbed both Hinata and Tazuna away from the swordsman and got ready to cased a Genjutsu if need be.
"You think this will stop me," asked Zabuza smirked before he burst into water.
'A Water Clone,' thought Kakashi looking at the puddle.
Kiba then yelled out, "Behind you Kakashi sensei!"
Kakashi barely started to turn around when Zabuza's giant sword passed through him, but water instead of blood went flying out of his body. As Kakashi's water clone fell apart another Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza holding a Kunai to his neck.
"Give it up Zabuza," Kakashi said still holding the Kunai.
"Very nice Kakashi, you are indeed worth the rank they gave you, you copied my moves even with this mist. But you are not the only one who is worthy of the rank they were given," then without warning Zabuza made to move but Kakashi stopped him by removing Zabuza head. Only for Zabuza to burst into water, another Zabuza appeared behind at this point swinging the sword. Kakashi barely had time to duck as the sword passed over his head. The sword kept moving and dug into the ground allowing Zabuza to kick Kakashi away, and sending him flying into the nearby lake. Zabuza moved to take out Kakashi but was forced to dodge by Naruto when a sword shot through where he was going to be.
"You really should not forget about me," Naruto said staring at the swordsman, "I might take your head off."
"Really kid I doubt you could really contend with me, even if you stopped my sword twice," Zabuza said looking at Naruto.
"Oh I am sure I can, though you know you seem to have forgotten something again," Naruto said before he got into a sword stance.
"Oh what is that," asked Zabuza getting ready to cut this arrogant kid into six different pieces, and got into a stance too like Naruto.
"He is not your only opponent Zabuza," Kakashi said appearing behind the Zabuza again holding a Kunai to his neck and one to his heart, while a clone held onto his sword arm, "Now Naruto."
After Kakashi yelled out Naruto shot forward fast as most Jonin with his sword set to pierce Zabuza heart for a quick death. But before Naruto could strike he was forced to dodge out to of the way as some Senbon shot out of a tree. Naruto looked up into the tree but did not see anything right away. He looked back over at Kakashi when he heard a grunt and a thud and saw Kakashi out cold on the ground. While Zabuza and another ninja, who had a blue robe and a white Anbu mask on, stand over him.
Naruto knew he did not have a lot of time shot forward calling out as he did so, "Spirit of the Thunder Speak, Night Fury."
The masked ninja and Zabuza were forced to dodge as for a second a ball of fire seem to cover Naruto. As Naruto came to a stop on a nearby tree he turned around before settling into a new stance, his sword was also different than before looking much more like dagger now. Blue flames seem to surround the blade before Naruto disappeared from the Genin sight.
Zabuza jumped away, pulling the other ninja away too as they retreated into the trees. This was good for them as not a second later the place they had been standing was covered by blue lighting like flames. It only took a second for them to realize these were the same flames had covered the blade itself.
Neither Zabuza nor the other ninja were given a lot of time to think after this, as Naruto moved around them forcing both of them to dodge from his seemingly nonstop attacks. It had been a little while later that they had been dodging the attacks retreating deeper into the trees, but then without warning or reason the attacks stopped. Both ninja paused for a little bit too catch their breath as Zabuza looked around for any sign of the young sword wielding/fireball throwing ninja.
The masked ninja came up next to Zabuza and spoke quietly in a slight female voice, "We need to pull back or else we will loseā¦" The female masked ninja, would have said more but at the point a sword pierced through Zabuza chest just missing the vital organs. The masked ninja had to move quickly or Zabuza would be killed. So she pushing Zabuza off the blade she swung her hand causing the mist to form into a small wall of water forcing their attacker back before disappearing in a swirl of water.
Naruto looked slightly annoyed as the two disappeared, drawing his chakra in and forcing it to settled down his sword to return to it katana form. Without a way to follow the two he went back towards his team. He found them getting ready to move out, while Kakashi was okay and had his eye covered again. He waved at them, only for Kakashi to get into a stance and block his path.
Kakashi then asked, "What is your nickname for the Hokage."
"Jiji-sama," Naruto answered, causing Kiba, Shino and Kurenai to face fault hearing this.
"Okay your Naruto," Kakashi said before beckoning him over.
Naruto walked over only for his head to hit the ground as Sakura yelled at him, "BAKA, why did you run off like that?! You could have been killed."
Naruto slowly got off the ground and brushed himself off looking rather unaffected, "It was the only choice or else they would have killed Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi nodded coming over, "Also I have enough faith in him to live though that, by the way what happened to Zabuza and that masked ninja."
"They were being forced retreat completely because they did not have a way to counter my attacks. That and when they held fire for a few seconds I made a killing strike but he might still live if that ninja has any medical skills. The other ninja then took Zabuza's body off my blade in a second and fled." Naruto explained as he slowly clean his sword of the little blood left on it, before he put it away in the sheath on his back.
Kakashi and Kurenai nodded as Kurenai spoke to the group, "This is good, with luck Zabuza will have been killed, or at least out of commission for a while. We can hopefully get in some training before any more fights happen."
"In the mean time let's get to my house and get rested up," Tazuna said slowly leading the way onwards to his house.
The others followed with Kakashi walking by Tazuna just in case there was another attack, they kept their eyes out for anything that might be following them. All the while though Sakura was talking to Naruto about his sword and what it could do, or at least what he was willing to tell her. It was thankfully not even a half an hour later that they got to Tazuna house. As they came closer to the house a women about twenty years of age with black hair, wearing pink shirt with red cuffs and neck with a long blue skirt came out of the house and ran over to them.
"Dad! it is about time you got back," the women yelled coming up and hugging Tazuna, "everyone was so worried you would not make it back."
"Well I did make it back thanks to the Ninja that I had hired, which I might add are very powerful," Tazuna said to the lady which caused Kiba to try and look big and powerful, only to be hit in the head by Sakura knocking him to the ground. "Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura of Team Seven. And Team Eight with Kurenai, Kiba, Shino, and Kiba." He pointed to each of them as he spoke their names.
"It is nice to meet you all, I am Tsunami," said the now named Tsunami, "I am this drunken old man's only daughter, and your cook until you leave here. Now let's go inside I have been working on dinner."
"I AM NOT AN OLD DRUNKEN MAN! Let me tell you I have not drunk anything, at all, over the last few days." Tazuna yelled at her before he staked towards the house, though if they could see his face they would be able to him smiling.
"Yes you are even if you will never admit it," Tsunami called back before beckoning to the other to come in and have some dinner. The meal that Tsunami served was very good, though it was not hard to tell she did not have a lot to work with. They noticed a spot at the table was left open with an empty plate. When Kiba asked about it they found out it was set for Tsunami son, who had a habit of camping outside and eating cooked fish. Once they had finished their meals, they all thanked her before setting off to set up their rooms to rest for the night.
Naruto made some Shadow Clones that would watch over the house for the night. Kakashi thanked him for this before telling them all that they would be training for the fight that was likely to come soon. Rather than complain they all went to bed or cots that they were sleeping on for that night, and fell asleep thinking about the training and the battles to come.
