Chapter nine: Shinobi Hunters!

This one is pretty short. Just kind of a lull in between the action.

Enjoy?

Disclaimer: If I owned it then I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.

...

"We had quite the fight back in the forest. It seemed as though we'd never make it out alive. But with some teamwork and a little good thinking on Naruto's part, Naruto and Sasuke managed to free Kakashi-sensei, and then Kakashi-sensei defeated Zabuza.

But who in the world was that boy who killed him? Another mist ninja? I don't think I like that.

Well, we had to carry Kakashi sensei the rest of the way to Mr. Tazuna's house.

Okay, so Sasuke, Naruto, and Mr. Tazuna carried him. But still!"

"Akina, what's that you're writing?" Sakura asked, looking over the violet haired girl's shoulder.

"Just a journal." Akina smiled and closed the book.

"Oh. Okay." The pink haired girl frowned, clearly curious of the book's contents.

"Are you all right, teacher?!" Mr. Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, asked as she walked up to Kakashi, who was lying in a bed on the floor.

. "No, but I will be… in about a week…" He answered tiredly.

"The Sharingan eye is an incredible power…" Sakura spoke from beside Kakashi. "But doesn't the strain it puts on your body make you wonder if it's worth it?!"

Akina stood by a window, looking out at the water. Sasuke and Mr. Tazuna were sitting on the floor, catching their breaths. And Naruto was sitting by the door, taking his shoes off.

"This time, you took down your strongest foe yet, so we can probably relax for a while." Mr. Tazuna spoke cheerfully.

But Sakura still looked worried.. "I can't get my mind off that masked kid…"

Me either… Akina thought.

Kakashi explained that the masks are worn by secret elite ninja from the mist who dispose of corpses and furthermore that a shinobi's body can still hold the secrets of any jutsu they have used along with many other things. So for those reason's dead shinobi are tracked down and disposed of to protect their clans and villages."Silently and without a trace. That's how Shinobi leave the world."

Sakura looked queasy. "So, Zabuza's corpse will be dismembered and destroyed? That's so creepy!"

"Creepy is putting it lightly." Akina turned and looked at everyone else. "When they came to take my father's body away I screamed and cried, but they didn't care. They severed his head before my very eyes then burned his body. I didn't even get to keep his ashes."

Every single person in the room looked to her with shocked faces.

She turned back to the window. "I will always hate the hunters for as long as I live."

After a long silence Kakashi sighed. "In any case, it won't do us any good to go picking fights."

Sakura stared at the other girl. "Akina…"

"Hmm?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." She said meekly.

Akina turned to face the pink haired girl. "What is it?"

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Sakura asked, her eyes brimming with curious wonder.

"Oh..." Akina shifted nervously. "I learned from my father, but since he died I had to do most of the training on my own. Right now I really only know the basic principles of swordplay."

Sakura nodded. "I've never seen you fight before. You are really good!"

The Mizuto girl snickered and looked back out the window distantly. "I'm nowhere near as skilled as I should be. I could barely even defeat a clone."

"But-! But if it hadn't been for you, Akina, Sasuke would've…" Sakura's voice faltered as she choked back a sob, thinking of what might've happened to the raven haired boy if Akina hadn't rushed in to save him.

Naruto walked over to where the rest of the group was and sat down. "Oh! Hey, I was also wondering why that Zabuza guy seemed to know you, Akina." He looked thoughtful. "He also said something about your sword. I forgot what it was." The boy then smacked a fist into his hand, as if he'd thought of something. "It's some kind of super special famous sword, isn't it? It sure looks odd."

"This…" Akina took the long sword from her back and turned it in her hand, revealing the beautifully designed blade. "…is my father's Nodachi, Tsukikage. It is one of Eight swords that were specially made in Kirigakure."

"One of eight?" Sakura questioned. "So there are more swords like yours?"

Akina shook her head. "Each of these eight swords were created to suit the personal fighting style of their owners. Zabuza's sword is also one of the eight."

Everyone but Kakashi seemed shocked to hear this.

She continued. "The purpose of a Nodachi is to act as both a sword and a spear, giving the wielder the long reach of a spear while also having the slicing power and capabilities of a halberd sword. It makes for quick and efficient movements if one should become surrounded."

Naruto seemed amazed. "Wow! So only really powerful ninja have one, huh?! Jeez, Akina, your dad must've been strong!"

A small, sad smile appeared on her face. "He was."

Naruto laughed, not noticing the look on his friend's face. "Someday I'm gonna be strong enough to have a cool weapon or something like that! Yeah!"

Kakashi coughed. "Well, as much as I encourage you all to get to know each other better, I do require some sleep if I'm to recover quickly."

"Oh! Yes, Sensei! We're sorry!" Sakura piped as she dragged a still giddy Naruto off to help her and Tsunami set up beds for everyone.

Kakashi sighed.

After a while of silence Sasuke stood up and walked over to where Akina was still standing, looking out the window. "Hey…"

She turned to glance at the boy out of the corner of her eye, a little surprised that he was there. "Hey yourself…did you want something?"

The raven haired ninja stared out the window as if in thought; they were so close his shoulder brushed against hers. "Not really…"

Akina snickered. "Then why-" she then shook her head. "Never mind. How're your ribs feeling?"

He chuckled bitterly, wincing as he did so. "I'll live."

The girl turned back to looking out the window. "I'm sorry; if my knowledge of healing Jutsu was more advanced I could've done a better job at fixing them, but-"

"It's fine. Like Sakura said earlier, it could've been worse if you hadn't stepped in to help."

She glanced at him, a sly smirk crossing over her face. "Uchiha Sasuke, are you thanking me?"

He snorted and turned his face away, trying to hide the slight color on his cheeks.

"You are!" She giggled while trying to get him to look at her, but he merely turned away from her every time until they were practically going in circles.

Just then Sakura and Naruto came back in the room; both of them stopped dead in their tracks to stare at the two.

"Ack! Stop it already!" the raven haired boy shouted before stomping over to the other side of the room and plopping himself down on the floor, huffing, and still blushing.

"What was that all about?" Sakura asked Naruto, bemused.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno." He then went over to where Akina was still giggling to herself by the window. "Hey, Akina! Can you show me how to use that cool sword of yours?!" He asked excitedly.

She stopped laughing and looked at the boy. "Oh? Sorry, Naruto, but we'd need a big space for that and I don't think it would be a good idea to go outside just yet."

"Awwww!" The blond whined and went back to go sit by Sakura.

Akina giggled at his childishness and went to go sit by Sasuke. The Uchiha turned his head away with a grunt.

This time she pressed her shoulder into his.. "Oh, come on. I don't see why you can't just say thank you and get it over with."

The only reply she received was another grunt. Akina sighed.

A while later, after Tazuna and Tsunami came back into the room, Naruto and Sakura seemed to have become bored. Akina watched as the two huddled around Kakashi, whispering something about the mask he always wore over his face.

"What're you two doing?"

"Shhhhhh!" Sakura held a finger up to her mouth and glared at the violet haired girl before turning back to Kakashi.

Akina huffed and crossed her arms. "Whatever."

Sasuke snorted next to her and she elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince in pain.

"Sorry..." she whispered, truly apologetic.

A moment later Naruto and Sakura suddenly jumped back, screaming.

Tsunami walked over. "Oh, sensei, are you awake?"

"You idiot! Don't be such a klutz! We almost got to see what's under the mask!" Sakura whispered harshly to Naruto.

Akina sighed. "Wouldn't it just have been easier to ask?"

Kakashi sat up and put his hand over his face.

"What's wrong, Kakashi sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Hmm… Of course… The Shinobi hunters who manage corpse disposals are supposed to destroy the bodies of those they kill at once, right on the spot."

"So what?" Sakura said.

"You're not as smart as you think you are, Sakura." Akina mumbled. Sasuke elbowed her.

Sakura glared but otherwise ignored the other girl.

"Don't you get it?" Kakashi asked. "How did the kid in the mask dispose of Zabuza's corpse?"

Sakura shrugged. "How should I know?! He took the body with him."

"Yes, he did… Even though all he needed to take home as proof he'd made the kill was the head! And there is a mystery surrounding the weapons that the hunter used to dispatch his prey…"

Akina looked up. "Senbon… Acupuncture needles…"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "…No way…"

"Yes way." Kakashi returned.

"What the hell nonsense are you all mumbling on about?" Mr. Tazuna asked.

Kakashi looked serious. "That's it's likely…Zabuza is still alive!"

Naruto, Sakura, and Mr. Tazuna all looked shocked beyond belief. Tsunami seemed to be confused as to what they were talking about.

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Naruto shouted.

"But, Kakashi sensei, you checked to be sure Zabuza was dead, didn't you?" Sakura asked.

"I made sure of it, but…a death like trance could have created a very convincing illusion of the real thing…" He answered. Kakashi explained that acupuncture needles are deadly if the hit a vital spot, otherwise they are relatively harmless medical tools. Furthermore he explained that shinobi hunters possess a thorough knowledge of the human anatomy and could easily put someone into a near-death state. On top of that he pointed out that the kid hauled off Zabuza's heavy body instead of disposing of the body right there. "As Akina's story told us, shinobi hunters have no qualms to disposing of the body in front of others. Things may be just the way they seemed… But we have to consider the other possibility."

"Aren't you just complicating things by over-thinking them? Shinobi hunters are supposed to hunt outlaw Shinobi, right?" Mr. Tazuna asked.

"Uuuusually… But ignoring something that smells this fishy is a great first step to being caught completely unprepared. And preparation is a Shinobi's most important skill." Kakashi explained. "Oh well! Whether Zabuza is dead or alive… There may still be more and even deadlier ninja in the service of your enemy, Gato."

Naruto was shaking and had an odd smile on his face.

"Someone's excited." Akina giggled quietly. Sasuke nudged her again.

"Kakashi sensei! You said preparation is a Shinobi's most important skill, but right now you can't even move. What are you going to do?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi started laughing. "I'm going to increase your training schedule!"

"What? Training…?" Sakura spoke with slight shock. "But Kakashi sensei, what will a little extra training now matter with what we're up against?! Our opponent is a ninja so powerful that even with your Sharingan eye, he almost defeated you!"

Kakashi was calm as always. "And when I was captured, Sakura, think about who it was that rescued me… You four are all maturing, progressing rapidly, your powers growing exponentially… Especially yours, Naruto. You've grown the most!" Kakashi smiled.

Yeah, well. Naruto already had the most growing up to do…'cept maybe Sakura…

"But that being said…" Kakashi said lazily. "…The skills I teach you now will be an interim thing only, to tide us over until I recover enough to take over…"

"But, sensei! Even if Zabuza is still alive, how can we just train without knowing when he may return and strike again?" Sakura asked.

"An excellent question… But once a person has been placed into a near-death trance it is quite some time before their body returns to its previous state of health and readiness." Kakashi explained.

"So we'll train while we're waiting! Could be fun!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Only someone like you would say that, Naruto!" Akina laughed.

"Well, I think it would be fun…" Naruto protested, repeating what he'd said before.

"It won't be fun for you."

Everyone looked to see a small boy with a hat on standing by the door.

"Who the heck are you!" Naruto shouted while pointing at the boy.

"It's not polite to point, Naruto." Akina mumbled to the blond.

"Inari! Where have you been?!" Tazuna spoke with his arms stretched out.

"Welcome home, Grandpa…" Inari ran into Mr. Tazuna's arms.

So that's Tazuna's grandson…? Akina wondered.

"Inari, greet our guests properly! They're the esteemed ninja who brought your grandfather safely home!" Tsunami scolded.

"It's all right, right, Inari?" Tazuna said cheerfully.

No, it's not really alright… Akina thought as she turned away.

"But, mama, they're all gonna die." Inari said while pointing to the Genin.

What a little brat!

"Listen, you little twerp!" Naruto shouted as he stood.

"No one can beat Gato and his men." The boy said slowly.

"You brat!" Naruto prepared to hit Inari, but Sakura held him back.

"Pull yourself together, Naruto, he's just a little boy."

A knock on the head might do him some good, though.

"Right. Hey, pay attention, little guy." Naruto pointed at Inari. "I'm a superhero who'll someday become the most extreme ninja. My name will be Hokage, the fire shadow!" Naruto put his hand into a fist. "This Gato guy doesn't scare me, believe it!"

"Hero? You're dumb! There's no such thing!" Inari glared at Naruto.

"Wh-what?!" Naruto went to hit him again, but was, once again, stopped by Sakura.

"I said, quit it!"

Inari walked to the door in the back of the room. "If you don't wanna die, go home now…"

Bossy little thing, isn't he?

"Where are you off to, Inari?" Tazuna asked.

Inari opened the door. "I'm going to watch the ocean from my room…" And then he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Peculiar kid…" Akina said passively.

"Please forgive him…" Tazuna said.

After a while, despite Sakura's scolding, Naruto went up toward Inari's room. And only a few minutes later he came back down, looking sheepish.

"He'll never learn." Akina shrugged. Oh well. Not my problem.