Frozen Heart

Haven't been online recently, but will upload 3 chapters tonight (1/3).

Naruto is slightly grey in this story and it has elements of Killer Instinct

I don't own Naruto or Killer Instinct

Enjoy

Chapter 9

Naruto was shaken awake the next day. He assumed it was his teammates, but when he opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful girl staring back at him. He closed his eyes for another second, before disappearing into the ground.

The girl slowly stood, she was in a relaxed but ready stance. Naruto saw the change, but decided to play it off. He appeared on a branch overlooking the area. He still couldn't believe how much destruction he had wrought the night before.

"What are you doing out here all alone miss?" Naruto asked, gauging her reaction.

Haku looked up and smiled slightly. "Collecting medicinal herbs for a friend." Was the courteous response. "And you?" Haku continued after a moment.

"Blowing of some steam." Was Naruto's curt reply. "Have we met before?" Naruto asked, causing a look of concern to flash on Haku's face, before it was replaced with a giggle.

"I don't believe we have." Haku stated. "My name is Haku." He continued, before reaching for the basket, and making his way towards an open field.

"Naruto." Naruto responded, remembering his manners. "Need a hand?" He asked. He was still suspicious with seeing a girl out this early in the morning.

"Sure." Haku replied after some consideration. Naruto jumped off the branch and landed next to him. They both walked in silence before stopping at a quiet place.

"Did you do that?" Haku asked, looking around at the destruction before them. Trees were scattered all over the place and water was evident on the ground, as if it were raining the night before, though it hadn't.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly abashed by the destruction he had wrought. "Accidents do happen." He stated, playing the fool for once.

"How strong are you?" Haku asked, looking Naruto in the eyes.

Naruto thought for a second before answering. "Not nearly strong enough." He stated. "There is always someone stronger, isn't there." He continued.

"I see." Was Haku's response. The pair continued to pluck herbs in silence before Haku asked another question. "Do you have a precious person? Someone that makes you stronger?" He asked.

"It's an interesting notion. I'd say you have someone that is precious to you, and accomplishing his will gives you strength?" Naruto asked, feigning ignorance to the look Haku was currently giving him. Naruto had deliberately used his to ask the question, trying to gauge his future opponents' reaction.

"Yes. I would do anything for him. And when I fight for him, I get stronger." Haku responded.

"I see." Naruto stated. "So Zabuza is your precious person?" Naruto asked, continuing to collect medicinal herbs.

Haku looked up. Reaching for his senbon, he was about to attack before Naruto continued talking. "Why follow in the footsteps of a man they call the 'Demon of the Bloody Mist'?" He asked. "Surely he doesn't care for you and only think of you as a tool." At this question, Naruto looked up. He saw the look on Haku's face. It had first been fear, but it morphed into one of determination.

"I am his tool, and he could use me anyway he wants. I will ensure his dream becomes a reality." Haku stated, jumping back into a ready stance.

"Aren't we all tools to be used by those in a higher position?" Naruto asked, ignoring Haku and continuing with his picking of herbs. At the question, Haku lowered the senbon, confusion clearly evident on his face.

"You wish to become a missing nin?" Haku asked. Naruto looked up, noticing the way Haku relaxed slightly.

"Nothing like that." Naruto responded, before sending two ice shuriken at Haku. Haku blocked both with his senbon. He was about to retaliate before he jumped a fair distance back. Two swords mad of ice almost took his head cleanly off.

"You have a Kekkei Genkai?" Haku asked astonished. At that moment he went on the offensive and rushed Naruto. Naruto blocked the strikes with his kunai. Haku jumped back once more, concern evident on his face.

"No I don't. I'm assuming you do?" Naruto stated more than asked. Haku could tell that he might lose the match up, but felt the need to fight.

"I won't let anything happen to Zabuza-Sama." He exclaimed before rushing forward. Naruto was slower than before and when Haku hit him, he exploded into water. The water increased and covered Haku's whole body before condensing and turning into a prison.

"Water Prison Jutsu." Naruto announced before appearing beside Haku. One of his hands was stuck in the water, giving strength to it.

"Now Haku-Chan." Naruto stated. "You're going to tell me where Zabuza is." He continued.

Haku tried to turn his head, but the water pressure was too strong. "First off, I'm a guy." He stated, much to Naruto's shock. "And I'll never tell you where our base is." He continued.

Naruto thought for a second. "Water Prisons are so yesterday." He intoned, before the water slowly started turning to ice. Haku was in a slight panic.

The sphere of ice exploded, leaving nothing behind. "Good at hiding, and good at escaping. I'm not surprised." Naruto spoke out loud. He looked around, but couldn't sense Haku's presence anywhere.

Sasuke walked through the clearing at that moment, looking intently at Naruto. Naruto let loose a shuriken, Sasuke was quick enough to defend against it. "Password." Naruto stated.

After the Genin test, where Naruto and Sasuke almost tore each other apart, the three teammates decided on a password, to ensure something like that never happens again.

"Shuriken." Sasuke responded. He saw that Naruto was on edge. "What happened?" Sasuke asked, slowly walking closer to Naruto.

"Just fought the enemy. Haku is his name, the fake Hunter Nin. He was collecting herbs for Zabuza." Naruto stated, motioning towards the basket. Sasuke saw the destruction before looking at Naruto. "This is not the result of the fight. This was a way to blow off some steam." Sasuke looked about once more. He still didn't know how strong Naruto truly was.

"Where is he now?" Sasuke asked, making sure that he paid close attention to his environment.

"Gone back to his base most likely." Naruto responded. "Let's go. We got another long day ahead of us." He concluded, walking out of the clearing. Sasuke took one last look around, before following his teammate.

Naruto informed Kakashi of his fight with Haku, going even further and telling him of their password. "That put him off from coming after us for a few more days." Kakashi stated after the explanation. "How strong do you think this Haku was?" He asked.

"It's hard to say. He has a Kekkei Genkai but that's all I know. He is good at escape and hiding and is fast. He wasn't using his full power and I think he wanted to see how strong I was." Naruto finished.

"Good job." Kakashi stated, eye smiling at Naruto. Naruto turned and walked away after his report. Intending to recommence his duties.

That afternoon, Kakashi called his Team over to him. "I understand that you have a password that you use when identifying each other." Kakashi stated, more than asked. "I think, however, that it is too simple. You need something much more advanced. Something that can be adapted and changed at a moment's notice." Kakashi continued. "I'll leave that to you. But these…" Kakashi handed the team a sheet of paper. "These are suited for your team." He eye-smiled.

The paper was set out thus:

0. Death – no chance of winning

1. High – Jounin or higher

2. Medium – Chunin to high Genin

3. Low – Genin to civilian

4. Run

5. Hide

6. Fight

7. Be wary, Danger

8. Help

9. Cancel – Shinobi count

W - Wedge
L - Shoulder to Shoulder
C - Column
M - Manji

4, 6 - Set up traps whilst fleeing
5, 6 - Guerrilla tactics
4, 5 - Disappear w/o a trace

"It looks complicated, but it is simple once you know the code." Kakashi stated, watching as his team looked at the code, before looking at him. "Always start with 7 if you know there is danger. Determine how eminent the danger is. 1, 2 or 3. If it is an enemy Shinobi, use 9 and then determine the calibre of the Shinobi." Kakashi stated, much to the confusion of his team. "Let's use the mission as an example. When Zabuza arrived, we would use the term 7. 1 would come next, stating that it's a high risk. 9 would come next, indicating that there is an enemy Shinobi and 1 once more to determine his skill level." Kakashi intoned, drawing the four numbers on the ground.

"7, 1, 9, 1" Kakashi stated, looking up. "Afterwards, you decide what you want to do. If you have a client, or don't know where the enemy is, use one of the four letters. M means Manji position and W means wedge." Kakashi further added. "So if you want to protect your client, ad either W or M. M is preferable though." Kakashi added in afterthought.

"If you know where the enemy is, and think you can take them. 5, 6 should be used. If you have to flee. 4, 6, or 4, 5 should be used. 4, 5 is if you're facing an extremely strong opponent." Kakashi stated. "0, 4, 5 should be used."

"The use of C is limited, and so too is L." Kakashi concluded. "Learn it well. Destroy the papers afterwards." Kakashi exclaimed, before leaving his team to their studies.

Naruto looked at his teammates, before handing the paper to Sasuke. Sasuke took it and destroyed it with flames from his fingers. Sasuke had used his Sharingan to memorise the information, whilst Sakura repeated the entire list over and over.

"I think it'll be today." Kakashi exclaimed at the breakfast table. "Zabuza should be strong enough to attack today, especially after being placed in a death like state" He continued, looking at his team. "Naruto, you are to guard Inari and Tsunami. The enemy may indeed attack them. Sakura and Sasuke, you both are coming with me to protect Tazuna at the bridge." Kakashi continued, face serious all of the sudden. "Let us see how strong the three of you are."

"Hmph." Sasuke exclaimed. His face had a semi-psychotic smirk, showing how much he wanted to prove himself. Sakura was slightly nervous, but her will to prove herself boosted her confidence. Naruto looked bored. He hadn't slept well the previous night. His sensei's late night actions had him up all night. He knew that his sensei and their host was in some type of relationship. Though it was none of his business.

"Naruto. Did you hear me?" Kakashi asked, seeing the vacant look that Naruto wore.

"Yes. Protect Tsunami and the brat." Naruto stated. He was still pissed by what had happened the other night. Tsunami heard what he said and looked at Kakashi for the briefest of moments. Naruto caught the look, but didn't say anything about it.

"Good." Kakashi stated, gazing longingly at Tsunami before eating his meal.

Naruto sent a few clones to check on and set up a few more traps. His original form was keeping an eye on the house from the roof. Tsunami was inside, whilst Inari had just woken up. He was always a late starter, so it didn't faze Naruto at all.

One of his clones exploded, showing Naruto that two enemies were coming towards the house. They were dressed as samurai, and each had a sword. He had roughly a minute before they were on him.

He jumped off of the roof and landed on the ground. He went to the door and filled Tsunami in. "You have to take Inari. My clones will lead you somewhere safe." Naruto stated. He created four clones, much to the shock of Inari and Tsunami. "Go." He stated to Tsunami, Inari and two of his clones. At his behest, they left.

"Showtime." Naruto stated. His remaining two clones transformed into Inari and Tsunami. Tsunami started doing the dishes whilst Inari went to brush his teeth. Naruto went upstairs to wait patiently for the samurai wannabees to appear.

"Hmmm. Let's have some fun with the broad. Gatou wouldn't really care much yeah." Exclaimed the samurai with the eyepatch.

"Yeah why not. It's not like we'll be needing her for long. As soon as that Bridge Builder is dead, she will follow suit." The samurai with the beanie stated.

They both knocked on the door, before kicking it down. Tsunami screamed and Inari came running from the bathroom. The pair saw the kid and his mother, and smirked at them. "You have to come with us missy." The one with the eyepatch exclaimed, licking his lips. Both of them were occupied with the occupants of the house to notice a figure approaching them from behind.

"Please forgive me." Naruto said to himself. At great speed, he rushed his enemies. He was in front of them, his back the only thing they could see. The samurai's smile dropped from their face as they saw the young nin in front of them. In his hands were two swords made of ice, each the colour of blood.

One of them was going to say something, before his head started falling off. This was followed by his companion.

'Always take any advantage you can.' Came his former Sensei's voice.

The two clones transformed back into Naruto and took care of the two bodies. Taking them a distance away, before burying them. Naruto got to cleaning the stains off of Tsunami's floors and making sure that there was no sign of blood anywhere.

Tsunami, Inari and the clones returned to the house, after the clones taking care of the bodies burst, giving them a clear view of what had happened. They saw that the door was still broken, but the enemies were nowhere to be seen.

"Thank you." Tsunami said to Naruto, as the two clones burst into smoke.

"Don't mention it. It was my mission." Naruto responded, looking Tsunami in the eye. She saw his eyes for the first time, and noticed a storm raging in them. She quickly looked away, realizing she was staring intently.

Inari looked about him, a question at the forefront of his mind. "Where are the bad guys?" He asked, looking at Naruto. Naruto looked at him, then at Tsunami, then back at Inari.

"Gone and never coming back." Naruto exclaimed, walking out of the house. Now he was in a conundrum. On the one hand, his mission was to protect Tsunami and the brat. But the threat had passed. Now he wasn't sure if he should provide backup to his team or not.

Naruto decided to play it safe than sorry. He created five clones. Four he left at certain intervals near the house, whilst he and one took off in the direction of the bridge. About halfway there, he stopped and hid himself, whilst his clone went on.

"Should be easier to go either way." He said to himself.

Team Kakashi and Tazuna arrived at the bridge. It was covered in mist and Kakashi could see bodies scattered all over the place. Tazuna was quick to approach one of his workers. "What happened here?" He asked.

"Demon. It was a demon." The worker exclaimed.

"Zabuza." Kakashi stated. "Everyone pay close attention." He continued.

"Hehehe. Like that'll ever happen." Zabuza exclaimed. Team 7 and Tazuna were surrounded by his clones at that instant. "Scared are we?" Zabuza asked, looking at the shaking Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked, before disappearing in pure speed and destroying all of the clones. He reappeared in his starting position, smirk still evident on his face.

"It seems you have a match in speed, Haku." Zabuza exclaimed.

"So it seems." Haku responded, looking intently at Sasuke. "I see Naruto is not with you?" Haku asked, causing the smirk to fade from Sasuke's face.

Haku rushed at Sasuke whilst spinning, as if in a tornado. Sasuke could see how fast Haku was. He smirked and rushed forward, stopping all of Haku's momentum. Sasuke stopped Haku's senbon with a Kunai and they both were at a stalemate.

"He's fast enough to stick with Haku." Zabuza said out loud.

"I have two advantages here. One, the water around you. Two, one of your hands is occupied." Haku exclaimed, before going through hand signs with his single free hand.

"I've never seen that before." Kakashi stated, looking at his student fighting with one of the enemies.

"Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death." Haku exclaimed, whilst stamping his foot. At that instant, all of the water turned into senbon made of ice. They all flew towards Sasuke at top speed.

Sasuke was able to dodge at the precise moment Haku jumped away. He appeared behind Haku and held his kunai to his throat. Sasuke had active his Sharingan eyes and Kakashi could see it clearly. 'He didn't tell me he unlocked his sharingan.' Kakashi thought to himself. He noticed movement and decided to step in.

"Forfeit now." Sasuke stated with his back towards Zabuza. At that instant Zabuza appeared and tried to take him out. Kakashi appeared and defended his Genin's exposed back, kunai against sword.

"Never take your eyes off of your opponents." Kakashi stated. Sasuke felt relieved for the support, but felt he could have handled things on his own

Zabuza and Kakashi engaged in a fight, neither getting the better of the other. They stood apart from each other, both in a ready stance, waiting for the other to move. "Time to end this Haku." Zabuza stated. "Your brat doesn't stand a chance against Haku. His abilities are unique." Zabuza continued, smirking at Kakashi.

Sasuke stabbed Haku through the throat, only for him to burst into water. Haku stood next to Zabuza as he went through a few hand signs. "Demonic Ice Mirrors." He exclaimed as he trapped Sasuke inside a dome made of ice.

"This fight is over. If you want your Genin to live, hand over the Bridge Builder now." Zabuza exclaimed as Haku disappeared once more and morphed with the ice.

"Meh, meh. I don't think your apprentice could win." Kakashi stated, much to the delight of Zabuza.

"Oh I guarantee he will. You see, Haku is special. He has a Kekkei Genkai. That of the Yuhi clan. He can manipulate and utilise Ice Jutsu." Zabuza stated. Kakashi looked intently at Zabuza.

"A Kekkei Genkai?" Kakashi asked, much to the smirk that Zabuza had under his mask. "You see my team is special. I have three great students. Sakura here, was one of the best Kunoichi to graduate. Naruto, the one whom your apprentice is familiar with, is easily stronger than your apprentice. He would have told you yeah? And Sasuke… Well Sasuke is the remaining member of one of Konoha's elite clan. A clan with a Kekkei Genkai." Kakashi finished, watching Zabuza's face lose its smirk.

"I guess there is no point in waiting." Zabuza exclaimed, before disappearing and reappearing in front of Kakashi, Sword drawn, looking to cut his opponent in half.

"So be it." Kakashi responded, stopping the attack with a Kunai.