DISCLAIMER: Naruto = Kishimoto; Nanoha = Seven Arcs.
Future updates will be slow in coming because of several factors: a. the PC I use has just about given up the ghost and b. December's coming.
The poem the Kyuubi quotes is from Lovelace's "To Althea, From Prison".
Anyway, here's the tail end of the Wave Country arc. Enjoy.
Everything felt like it happened a lifetime ago. What I wanted was my family. What I received was a second chance.
So this is what it means, to fight for those precious to you. Everything begins with a wish... a wish to be able to rise beyond yourself, to protect the ones close to your heart.
I will strive to have such conviction.
Naruto: Arcane Heart will now begin.
NARUTO: ARCANE HEART
Chapter Ten – It Was A Small Wish, Part 2
It is often said that dreams are the playground of the imaginative mind. Also, it is within dreamscapes that the impossible becomes mundane, reality becomes bendable to one's will, and the illusion of time and space dispelled.
Such was the thought of a certain entity as it finally stirred awake after a long slumber. As it opened its eyes, it saw that next to nothing had changed in its sleep – it was still inside that cage.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, upon awakening, thought about many things, one of which was its imprisonment. As it pondered over its situation, the lines someone had said towards it echoed in its memory. Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage… and the rest I've forgotten.
One would have placed the Fox in a rather contemptible position if one assumed it didn't rant and rail during the start of its stay within the body and soul of one Uzumaki Naruto, but after what it had witnessed and what it did, any outward expression of anger wasn't prudent and it certainly wasn't reasonable.
Especially since it would have been a bad reflection of its status as the strongest and wisest of its kind had it flipped out right off the bat.
A lesser bijuu would have gone insane by now, it thought.
Its line of thought shifted to the person bound to it. Am I rubbing off on him, or is he rubbing off on me?
It continued thinking in that manner for a very long time.
After arriving without any more undue incidents at Tazuna's house, Team 11 (and Alicia) immediately went to work: splitting up into two teams, alternating between looking after Tazuna while he (and his rapidly dwindling work force) continued building the bridge and further training.
Sai – as the senior member of the team and a former ANBU – could not help but marvel at Naruto's improvement. His training simply consisted of sparring with the blonde genin and a little work on refining his stances until he applied these changes to his overall fighting style. While it took him awhile to improve, he saw an immediate payoff when his Kage Bunshin became more efficient – the same with the chakra control exercises. It had gotten to the point where the same amount of chakra he put into several Kage Bunshin resulted in smarter and longer-lasting clones. Upon seeing this improvement, Naruto threw himself into training with even more devotion.
Naruto also continued working on another specialty on the side: ever since Sai let slip something about ANBU having several specialties aside from their primary role within a team and Precia-sensei's elective suggestion, Naruto started work on cryptography and ciphers with his old chunin-sensei Musashi Ranmaru. The average joe-looking jonin had marveled at Naruto's talent for code words and deciphering hidden messages, and had harnessed that talent for the few days that had passed since Naruto started acquiring something new to master. Ranmaru-sensei even said that if he continued doing this, ANBU would be saving a spot in their ranks for him. That compliment spurred him on further in improving his cryptography.
Meanwhile, Precia (at Kurenai-san's suggestion) had started driling Alicia on the finer points of manipulating weapons: they had run by kunai and were now sparring with practice swords, learning intermediate and advanced sword techniques Alicia could use in conjunction with Siegfried.
She had also taught Alicia several basic taijutsu forms – if the odd event happened that she would be disarmed, this would make a good surprise for those who think that the sword was the source of her power.
In between training sessions, they had also assisted Tazuna, who by now was doing a one-man job on the bridge because all his workers had run off in fear of Gato.
At a lodging house on the other side of Wave Country, Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, was halfway through recuperating from the acute chakra exhaustion he suffered at the hands of Precia when the door to his room opened, and Haku walked in.
"Sorry I had to put you through that," he said.
"It is no problem, sir," Haku replied, "even if I find that man repulsive."
"Still, we gotta do what we gotta do," Zabuza answered, smiling. "How's the bridge doing?"
"With all but one of the workers leaving, I expect Tazuna-san to be finished in five to seven days," Haku replied. "He is well guarded. With two rather impressive genin plus a former ANBU and that mysterious kunoichi for a jonin-sensei, I'll have a hard time getting to the bridge builder by myself."
"Don't worry about it. We'll wrap up this contract in our own way. This is a good thing though, it should give us enough time to prepare for when they get near here… Say, Haku…"
"What is it, sir?"
Zabuza suddenly had a faraway look in his eyes. "These past few days, I've been doing some thinking. Before I tell you what I've decided, answer this question: what am I to you?"
"Sir, you don't need to ask me that question as the answer is, and will always be the same: you are my master, and I am your servant."
"True… and servants obey their master's wishes, right?"
Haku nodded.
"Well then," Zabuza said, with Haku noticing his cracking voice, "I will give you my final order."
Haku's eyes widened at the realization.
"Sir, you don't mean…?"
"Yeah, Haku, I do. Facing that kunoichi has gotten me thinking that it's highly unlikely for me to get out of this one alive, let alone unscathed," Zabuza began. "I mean, I know I'm good, but that Raiton-jutsu user is in a league of her own."
"But sir… what would happen if you… died?" Haku asked, tears beginning to form around the corners of their eyes. "What would I do then?"
"Hence the order, Haku," Zabuza said. "If something should happen to me, I will probably leave you to someone else's care. Follow that person like you would me. But… the only thing I'll ask from you is to live on."
"Live on… sir?"
"Yeah…" Zabuza replied. "No matter what happens, remember this: you're not only my servant, you're my friend, and you're my legacy."
"I am… your legacy…"
"That's right," Zabuza said, running a hand over the top of Haku's head, "now get back to finishing up your training while I recover."
Zabuza nodded, remaining silent as the "hunter-nin" exited the room.
"Didn't want to ruin your confidence for when we'll go back there, Haku… but even with your hopes up, the odds aren't that great," Zabuza said. "So much for routine assassinations…"
It had been a day since Tazuna's grandson went on a rather impressive rant about how there was no hope for them because Gato now owned the place. Precia and Sai didn't mind it; after all, children were more easily molded than others, and any damage could be fixed by a few choice statements – statements that Naruto and Alicia were leveling towards the boy.
The two blonde genin had even called Inari out for being a coward – if everyone acted like he did then people like Gato would have their way all the time.
While Naruto and Sai assisted and guarded the old bridge-builder in his task, Precia and Alicia were running reconnaissance within Wave Country itself.
Regarding the use of everyday items for stealth, Precia wasn't the only one who thought that civilian clothes would have made a wonderful means for a kunoichi to hide in plain sight. But she was one of the few who had actively subscribed to this belief, as she was walking through the capital of Wave country in what she self-deprecatingly called her "soccer mom" getup: a simple blouse, skirt, and flats.
And this was with Alicia, wearing her kunoichi outfit in reverse: the garment had a drab beige on the reverse side, making it outstanding for various missions.
While Sai and Naruto were watching over the bridge-builder, the Testarossas took their time gathering intelligence from the town masquerading as a simple mother and daughter. Precia didn't need any changes to her stance and mannerism, but for Alicia, this was an exercise in adjusting her body language to throw off any suspicion that she was a genin.
A little application of her training and she had the shopkeepers talking in detail about just why the heck Inari was acting up: the person who had stood for his father was executed by Gato for daring to stand against him. Precia's eyes narrowed in restrained anger as she saw that the same corruption and evil that she'd experienced in Mid-Childa were echoed here.
Now that I can actually do something about it for once, maybe I should go and slap Gato's head on a spike, she thought. That would probably not do well for Naruto and Alicia, though.
Upon their return, Precia then had Alicia go through the sword stances she had taught her once more, in further detail, and Alicia didn't seem to mind.
"Now's the time for me to upgrade your Blade Slash," Precia said as she took another swing at Alicia.
"Yes, Precia-sensei," Alicia answered, parrying it and returning the attack.
After they had broken off, Precia activated Hrist and made her shift to Knight Sword Mode. While this wasn't the most efficient of modes for her Device, it was more than adequate to teach Alicia the finer points of using Siegfried.
"Watch carefully," Precia said as a violet magic circle about her height appeared in front of her. "Rune Spiral."
"Rune Spiral," Hrist echoed in acknowledgment of the command. Rearing back, Precia thrust the Knight Sword Mode-Hrist into the circle, causing the blade to extend in length and force due to the magical energies surrounding it.
"Now you try it," Precia told Alicia, "and remember, stab through the middle. If there is a margin of error, the energy blade will not be at maximum extension."
"Yes, Precia-sensei!" Alicia answered as a yellow circle appeared, ready for the use of her technique. "Siegfried, let's go! Rune Spiral!"
"Rune Spiral."
The next day, Uzumaki Naruto decided to take a break in between his grueling training regimen. He saw a small river near Tazuna's house, and decided he'd work on maybe a little water walking before relaxing a bit. After all, the bridge was almost done, and that missing-nin Precia-sensei had been talking about hadn't been seen in awhile.
He was just about to take up a spot under a small tree when he felt a strange presence near him. Turning around towards the source, he saw a very good-looking girl gathering herbs.
"Hi!" Naruto said, nearly startling the girl as he approached. "Haven't seen you around here, even in town. You new?"
"Not… really," she answered. "That forehead protector… are you a ninja?"
"Only a genin," Naruto replied. "But I'm already making progress, believe you me. The name's Uzumaki Naruto. You are?"
"My name… is Haku," the girl answered.
"So, Haku-chan," Naruto said while assisting the girl gather herbs (for that was what a gentleman does, according to Precia-sensei), "what do you think of Wave?"
"It's… not so bad…" she replied. "Though, it would be a lot better if Gato wasn't running this place."
"True, but we weren't sent here for him."
"I know, I saw you near Tazuna-san. Tell me, Naruto…" Haku asked. "Do you think that the people will fulfill their dreams when this bridge is completed?"
"I believe so," Naruto replied. "After all, Tazuna-san's not just building a bridge, he's rebuilding the lives and hopes of all these people. So if anyone would want to tamper with that, I'll probably not hold back against them."
Haku nodded. "I suppose you would; after all, people's dreams are at stake. By the way, Naruto-kun… why are you a ninja?"
Naruto quirked his eyebrows at the strange question. "Why? I suppose there are many reasons, but the biggest one is to protect the people I love."
"I believe that as well," Haku said. "Truer words have never been said in the world of the ninja. The strength of our faith in one another can overcome even the worst of obstacles."
"Count on that, Haku-chan," Naruto said. "There, are those the last of it?"
"Yes," Haku replied. "Thank you for helping me this morning."
"Not a problem. Oh, crap…" Naruto said. "Precia-sensei is probably looking for me now."
"Precia-sensei?" Haku asked, curious at the strange-sounding name.
"Yeah, she's my jonin-sensei and she's really good. She got into a fight with this really strong missing-nin, pity I didn't get to see it…" Naruto began.
So the kunoichi Zabuza-san speaks of is this genin's jonin-sensei, and her name is Precia! Haku thought. "Naruto-kun, well, I guess it's best we went our separate ways."
"Of course," Naruto said. "Until we meet again, Haku-chan."
As he ran off, Naruto heard Haku's voice echoing through the early morning fog. "Naruto-kun, I forgot to tell you… I'M A GUY!"
Uzumaki Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and palmed his face before taking a very somber walk back to the bridge-builder's house for breakfast.
Somewhere within him, a certain nine-tailed demon fox was rolling around in laughter.
Tazuna, his daughter Tsunami and his grandson Inari were having breakfast with Precia, Alicia, and Sai when Naruto walked in, pale as a sheet and with a cold sweat broken out all over him.
"Naruto-kun, what happened?" Alicia asked as she offered a seat for him around the small fire.
"Tell you later… oh, man, this is really bad…" Naruto answered.
"You seem a little spaced out, Naruto. Is this because of the training?" Sai asked.
"Not really, it's just… oh well, it's not my place to say right now." He took a bowl of rice and started eating. "Itadakimasu…"
Precia quirked an eyebrow. This wasn't his usual exuberant self. "It wouldn't be fair to hide anything important from your jonin-sensei and your team, now is it, Naruto?" she asked quizzically.
"Well… oh, all right," Naruto sighed. "I found this cute girl near the house, and we talked a bit. Then when she left she said that she was a guy…"
Everyone on the table laughed, making Naruto wish there was a bloodline limit or Doton technique that would make him vanish into the ground.
"That happens to the best of us, Naruto," Precia said, stifling a chuckle. "Anyway, here's to tomorrow and the bridge being completed," she added, raising the glass of juice she'd brought along.
"Cheers!"
The rest of the day had gone uneventfully, with all four of them both watching over Tazuna-san and doing a little mental training for any upcoming events.
Later that night, when Naruto and Alicia had already fallen asleep, Precia asked Sai to take over watch for the meantime, as she said that she had some unfinished business left in town. Sai didn't ask what it was, nor did his jonin-sensei venture an answer.
It was predictable as always as Precia, wearing a mix of her civilian and mission clothes in a passable copy of a Mist kunoichi, sipped the bowl of sake she ordered in the bar very slowly.
She scanned the bar, seeing the usual panoply of bandits and workers seeking respite in the warmth of sake's embrace after a hard day's labor. Dissatisfied, she went back to looking into her reflection into the sake bowl, when a glass of beer was placed near her.
"Complements of the gentleman over there," the bartender said. "It's clean," he added when he saw her eyebrow quirk.
She took the glass of beer and slowly walked over to where her beneficiary was sitting.
"And to whom do I honor this drink?" Precia asked. "Momochi Zabuza?"
The Mist-nin didn't miss a beat as he motioned for her to sit down.
"I took a chance getting you to come here so we could talk."
"So… talk," Precia said as she took a seat opposite his table.
"There's a saying in Mist that when even your allies betray you, your enemies become your only allies. We'll be fighting to the death tomorrow for all the marbles, you see."
"Continue," Precia said as she took a sip of the beer.
"I've had a hunch that tomorrow might end with me already gone. That I don't mind, I've had a good long life, epic lays, even better drinks, and a devoted servant."
"That child?"
"Yeah. I might be too far gone for you or anyone to help, but the kid still has a chance. He's too nice to be hanging around someone like me for too long, and I'm already starting to rub off on him."
"You say that like you dislike who you are."
"It's not that, Precia. I did what I had to do then. Now... I do it so Haku won't."
"So that's his name…" Precia said. "I don't know if I can honor your request."
"That's cool," Zabuza replied. "No problem. You can figure it out up until tomorrow. Want another drink? Helps calm my nerves."
"No, thank you," Precia answered. "I'll just see you tomorrow morning, then."
"All right," Zabuza said, smiling under the mask. "Tomorrow morning it is."
Precia Testarossa remained silent all the way back to Tazuna's home.
Back at the bar, Zabuza again mouthed a silent curse. I didn't get her last name. Damn it.
Early the next morning, Precia and her team of genin awoke to a fog that was so thick it reduced their visibility greatly.
"He's here," Precia whispered. "Sai, you look after Tazuna-san and his family. The rest of you, follow me."
Her three genin nodded as they set about towards the bridge.
On the end of the bridge near the docks, Zabuza and his hunter-nin were waiting for the inevitable clash that would decide their destinies.
"Glad you're on time," Zabuza said as he saw the three Konoha-nin approach, readying the Head Slicer for battle. Glad Precia-san took my idea to heart, keeping the bridge builder safe while we settle this, he thought. Not that it matters any as I'll easily slice his throat when I beat her.
"No problem," Precia answered. "I suppose this is where it all boils down to."
"Haven't regretted anything, not about to start," Zabuza added, relaxing into his fighting stance.
Precia silently signaled to Naruto and Alicia. "This is one-on-one, right?" she asked.
"That's how we Mist-nin gain our reputations," Zabuza replied. "Come on!"
Precia unsheathed and readied her ninjato. "Neutralize the hunter-nin. I'll take the one with the sword," she whispered to her genin.
Naruto and Alicia nodded, as they drew kunai and paced slowly towards the masked hunter-nin.
Haku sighed. This was for Zabuza-san's dreams, and if his master thought their chances weren't good, he didn't. Those dreams were simply too precious to them to be left behind.
A resounding clang signaled the beginning of the fight.
Back at Tazuna's house, the bandits Gato had sent to use him, Tsunami and/or Inari as hostages were already growing stiff, having been drowned in chakra-enhanced ink.
This area is where Danzou-sama's training shines, Sai wryly thought as he drew an octopus to throw at the last of the bandits, dissolving into ink as it clogged the unfortunate bandit's throat.
Sucks to be you.
With the last of them drowning in ink, Inari had asked him to rally the villagers – he had overheard one of the thugs saying that Gato would bring most of his mercenaries to finish the job if Zabuza and Haku couldn't.
Wanting to prevent a massacre, Sai agreed and followed the boy and his mother towards the village proper.
Meanwhile, someplace not that far from Wave Country - but not that close, too - two people were talking shop over bottles of sake in one of those bars you'd find for a dime a dozen in any ninja village.
"My networks have been compromised? How sure are you about this?" the first man asked.
"About seventy-five to eighty per cent sure," the other man replied. "As to the extent of the information itself compromised, it's close to half to two-thirds modified, bowdlerized or flat-out rendered useless. Take everything you can get with a barrel of salt each, if you can."
"That new village worries me," the first man said after five comfortable minutes had passed.
"What, because it strikes you in the gut?"
"Yeah."
"You know what you should do?" the second man said. "You need to act on your gut more. You're not that much of a risk-taker. Why, take that little godson of yours, for instance..."
"Low blow, Sage boy, low blow."
"I'll do you a small favor after I finish this bottle with you: since I have some unfinished business at Konoha, why don't I join you on the way there? Then I could probably go back under cover and see how much of your network has truly been compromised."
"Knowing you, Sage boy? This isn't something you'd do out of the goodness of your heart."
"Why, whatever gave you that idea? You wound me deeply," the second man replied with a sarcastic tone as he poured the last bottle of sake into his bowl.
"Heh, you're always such a bleeding heart."
"And you still can't write a romance worth crap."
"D'you want my next edition to feature more shibari?"
"What, and alienate your loyal fanbase? I know you, warts and all," the man answered. "You wouldn't take that kind of risk in that kind of manner. Maybe a little spanking, then some appetizers and stuff in the bath houses - you do know that, right?"
"Who died and gave you advice on how to write my genre of books, anyhow?"
"And who died and made you follow every piece of advice I say?"
"Go kidnap a princess and guard a treasure chest in some cave. Leave me be."
"Not until I see that princess kiss you and toss you against the wall. Maybe that's all the action you're gonna get."
"You're evil."
"You're a pervert."
"Super-pervert, you mean. Get the damn facts straight."
"Oh, right, my bad. SUPER-pervert it is."
They shared a short laugh before finishing off the sake, paying their bill, and discreetly leaving.
As soon as the battle started, the mysterious hunter-nin had muttered "Makyou Hyoushou", immediately conjuring up a field of mirrors to surround Naruto and Alicia.
"Didn't they say there were only five elemental attributes?" Naruto asked, throwing a kunai against a mirror, only to have it bounce off.
"Unless…" Alicia answered, throwing a kunai laced with a basic Raiton jutsu at another mirror. As it crackled – but held – Alicia remembered the hierarchy of which elemental types were better than others.
"Naruto! It's some kind of mix!" Alicia said as she parried the first of the hunter-nin's volleys of ice needles with Siegfried.
"How do we beat it if it's a mix?" he asked her.
"Don't know yet… Let's keep the hunter-nin busy while we figure something out!"
That was as good a solution as any in such a bad situation, so Naruto nodded, and together they started dodging more flurries of ice needles and senbon.
Momochi Zabuza, if he wasn't too impressed at the showing of the purple-haired jonin, was rather disappointed in himself.
He'd used Kirigakure no Jutsu to thicken the mist further, but each of his slashes with the Head Slicer hit thin air when he could swear that his opponent was there mere moments ago.
He slashed again, only to be parried by the purple-haired kunoichi's ninjato. "Ninjas don't do the same trick twice," she said. "You're selling me short."
He shrugged as he swung the Head Slicer in another large arc, causing Precia to get dragged with the momentum. But, unlike her daughter, she went along with the force of the blow so her guard wouldn't be blown away.
He did the hand seals, and the mist around the battlefield dissipated to a more manageable level.
"Someone of your caliber should be a little more knowledgeable than that," Precia said.
"Well, since this is for all the marbles, I guess I'd better go all out." He began another series of hand signs. "Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"
A dragon made of water wound itself around Zabuza before rushing at full speed towards Precia, but before it could do so, she had made a series of similar hand signs and bellowed "Rairyuudan no Jutsu!" as she conjured up a dragon made of crackling electricity to counter Zabuza's technique.
He could only gape at the resulting impact.
As the battle wore on, Haku felt his chakra reserves gradually weakening. He couldn't hold his mirrors up for so long (even though a strange technique the genin kunoichi used with a sword managed to crack one of them), and even though he'd manage to score glancing hits on both genin, they were far too quick for him to nail a vital point to keep them down for a moment. Desperate, he feinted by throwing a clump senbon towards the dark-blue-clad genin while he readied his hand signs for the Sensatsu Suishou.
He threw, and as the senbon made their way towards their target he dispelled the Ice Mirrors with his throwing hand while finishing the Thousand Ice Needles technique with the other.
Alicia saw what was coming as the mirrors shattered, and they were in the epicenter of the incoming blast.
HOW DO I COUNTER THIS? she thought, panicking. Not even my Barrier Jacket will take all the hits for myself, let alone me and Naruto!
She made her choice, as the duty to protect one's family came first before oneself. Readying Siegfried to perhaps bust through one line so she could toss Naruto through it and let her take the brunt of the needles, she braced herself for impact.
Except her Device had other ideas.
"Multiple targets. Field of applicable size. Clearance has been confirmed. Spell Lock is thus cancelled for Kanavan Strike," it intoned quietly.
"Activate Rune Spiral at maximum power towards the ground and the Field Circle for Kanavan Strike." the voice echoed in Alicia's mind. "Jump for greater area of effect."
Oh, what the hell, might as well give it a shot! she thought as she leaped into the air and readied herself to plunge Siegfried into the ground as hard as she could.
With mana flowing from her hands towards the enchanted blade that was her Device, she descended.
"Kanavan Strike." Siegfried intoned.
Her Field Circle had suddenly increased in volume, shooting out innumerable swords of light that matched Haku's Thousand Ice Needles technique in number, intercepting and shattering the ice needles, thereby nullifying the technique.
What Alicia didn't expect was to see one unbroken mirror behind her. Naruto did, though, but before he could scream "FEINT!" Haku had already broken out of the last remaining mirror and stuck a senbon needle on the side of Alicia's neck before she could recover from the first use of that technique.
Uzumaki Naruto howled in rage as his oneechan was struck down in one shot.
Gone.
My meal ticket.
Gone.
You'll pay for that, trap boy!
I'll make sure you'll suffer!
Uzumaki Naruto could only see red.
Power began flaring around him – boosting his senses to unbelievable degrees. He didn't notice that his eyes had now turned red, his whiskers deepened, his canines and nails lengthened. All he saw was that his sister was gone.
This freak hunter-nin had to pay for that.
Immediately.
He strode towards his target, who was now standing shakily from all the chakra he expended. A flurry of senbon needles the hunter-nin desperately threw just bounced off the blond genin's aura like they were nothing more than toothpicks. Naruto closed the distance easily, and saw the fear flowing through the hunter-nin's mask.
Uzumaki Naruto enjoyed feeding off the fear, but before he got carried away, he reared up and fired off a right hook, sending the hunter-nin twirling through the air and crashing into the dirt.
He froze as he saw who the hunter-nin was as the mask had been taken off with the force of the blow.
Haku.
What the hell was going on?
Momochi Zabuza rarely wanted to admit that he was beaten on nearly every level. Even though he was usually outmatched, he usually escaped or won by either stealth or deception. It didn't get him any respect, but it did keep him alive.
However, he and Haku were caught between a rock and a hard place. Losing was not an option.
Even though this Konoha kunoichi was pretty cool and had beaten him at everything he was good at, he wouldn't lose… not because he wouldn't have a face to show Haku, but because no one would look after the kid if he was gone, bless everyone else's hearts.
Precia's eyes widened as the chakra-exhausted Mist-nin hefted the Head Slicer in a stance and readied for what could probably be his final charge… only to falter to his knees and collapse, the Head Slicer clattering in the stone beside him.
"It's over now…" she said quietly.
That was when she sensed the group of people approaching them from the bank of the ocean from the Wave Country side.
Haku looked upon his enemy with eyes that had long since accepted this fate.
"Why don't you finish it?" he asked.
The hand that held the kunai started shivering. Not only had the red chakra field receded, but Naruto's face had returned to normal, with a look of bewilderment as to WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD SOMEONE LIKE HIM BE HERE?
"Not until I get an explanation for this," Naruto replied.
"Zabuza-san is my master. My life is tied to his," was all the feminine-looking boy could say.
"Even so…" Naruto said. "…I just can't!"
Even though Alicia is dead because of him?
Rage flashed through Naruto once more, but there was something in him that was not the Kyuubi telling him that THIS IS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
WELL THEN, WHAT THE HELL SHOULD BE DONE, THEN? Naruto roared back at that voice in his head.
There was no answer.
The villagers had come at Sai and Inari's urging to help make sure the bridge would be completed, and were holding off Gato's bandits, but Uzumaki Naruto did not care.
He had a life in the palm of his hands, and for the first time, he didn't know what to do.
Fortunately, destiny would make that decision for him…
The defeated Mist-nin finally got up after a lot of difficulty. He sensed those two strange flares of chakra and thought about Haku.
"Guess you really win this time," he told Precia.
"Accepted," Precia answered. "You are now bound to my will for one order."
"That's pretty fair," Zabuza replied.
"I want you to take Haku and leave here. We'll take care of Gato and his thugs."
"Thanks for the offer, but…" Zabuza was interrupted as he saw Gato's hired killers at the corner of one eye. Most of them were holding crossbows, and they were aiming…
…at Haku.
Before anyone else could react at the sound of the arrows Zabuza was already there, blocking off the bolt's path with his body.
A crossbow bolt embedded itself in his gut.
Then another.
And another.
Several more followed until Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, had looked like an archery target.
The pain was so severe that he collapsed to his knees, momentarily unaware of where he was or what was going on. However, there was one thing going through his mind: Is Haku safe?
After Alicia Testarossa had demonstrated the use of a wide-area bombardment spell like Kanavan Strike, Uzumaki Naruto's awakening of the powers bestowed upon him by the seal binding him to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, they had thought that everyone else had run out of tricks.
However, Precia Testarossa saw the unthinkable happen as she saw Naruto holding Haku on the point of a kunai.
She had taken on Momochi Zabuza and won, and now Gato's other employees were moving towards damage control: their crossbowmen were aiming at Haku, hoping to silence one, and then the other. All Precia could do was scream in a futile attempt to warn both of them of the danger as several of the bandits readied their crossbows, pointed it at the Mist-nin, and fired.
Only the most ruthless of monsters would dare strike down those who had failed them. Precia couldn't deny the truth that before. After Alicia fell ill and died, she had been one of those monsters herself – which was why she could so easily see the stupidity of the act unfolding before her eyes.
Seeing that fat man she recognized as Gato kick Zabuza's kneeling form aside and spit at him for his failure was the last straw.
While Inari and Sai were rallying the villagers to fend off the rest of the bandits and Naruto was restraining Haku – who had gone delirious at the sight of his master cut down by crossbow bolt, Precia Testarossa saw only death in her eyes.
Drawing upon Hrist, the staff's headpiece parted itself, revealing a violet blade of energy powered by a mixture of Precia's mana and chakra.
Hrist acknowledged the mental command its master gave to it, and answered with the successful recognition of that command. "Hrist: Zanber Form." Striding forward with the intent to cut down anyone who'd be foolish enough to get in her way, she took to Gato.
Momochi Zabuza hadn't died.
Not yet, anyway.
He knew he was still alive when all he heard were the sounds of battle in his ears. Not battle… this is the sound of a bloodbath. He heard screams, and the thunk of flesh (as it usually did when limbs are rent apart by gigantic bladed weaponry).
Gigantic bladed weaponry?
He labored to open his eyes, and when he turned to see the source of the sound, his pained eyes widened a bit.
Precia-san, the Konoha-nin who had bested him in battle, had now cornered Gato and was slowly bearing down onto him. Wielding a glowing violet sword that exceeded even the Head Slicer in size, she stepped forward, neatly cutting to pieces anyone and everyone Gato had hurled at the kunoichi.
"W-W-W-What do you w-w-w-w-want?" he asked when the purple-haired Leaf-nin had finally closed the gap between them.
She brought Hrist in Zanber Form down.
"For you to understand the pain you have been causing," she simply said.
She drove the greatsword into Gato's right shoulder.
He screamed, but the presence of the lightning chakra in the blade shocked him further, preventing him from passing out.
"Did you really think I'd let you miss any of your punishment in the black void of unconsciousness? I thought not," Precia said in a venomous whisper as she pulled out Hrist and drove it into Gato's left hand, chopping it off at the wrist.
"Oh, this won't end so soon," she added, blowing out both the fat man's knees and other arm with the same technique, finishing the job by driving the lightning-enchanted blade into his belly.
She stood up over the still-squirming Gato and began speaking like this was a classroom exercise and not a lone kunoichi mercilessly gutting the man who had been responsible for the suffering of an entire country.
"I'm not going to kill you outright. That wouldn't be fit for a man of your stature. What I'll do… is leave you to die, because these villagers will make sure you won't go anywhere far. That wound in the belly will inevitably be lethal. Wounds in the belly get infected really quickly and will hurt like the devil every time you take that next breath – closer to your last. Also… there won't be anyone to save you. Think about what your sad little money-hungry life has been while it vanishes from you slowly," she said as she walked away, dispelling her Device stylishly and leaving behind several awestruck villagers, her genin students, and a lot of mangled corpses behind her.
Remind me not to get in her bad graces, Naruto thought at the brutality his jonin-sensei just unleashed.
Intriguing… Sai thought. So this is her power.
By the time Haku had calmed down somewhat, Naruto had brought him over to where Zabuza lay dying.
"I'm sorry, Haku…" he started.
"Zabuza-san… no, I should be sorry, I've failed you…" he said, starting to cry again.
"No, no, no…" Zabuza replied. "You didn't… like I said… these things happen…"
"…but what should I do now…?" Haku asked, despairing.
"Bring Precia-san over here," he said slowly, and the purple-haired Konoha-nin went towards the dying Mist-nin as she heard Naruto call her name.
Precia reached him quickly and knelt by his side. "LISTEN… to me…" he said, grunting and wheezing as he felt the life slowly flow out of him. "I'm leaving… Haku… to your care. He's… a good kid… Treat him… as if he was your own…" he added as Precia caught his trembling hand and took it.
Precia could only close her eyes and nod as Zabuza clutched her hand tighter.
"PROMISE ME!" he bellowed.
"Yes, I promise," she answered.
"I want you… to promise me… that YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF HAKU LIKE YOU WOULD YOUR DAUGHTER!…" he snarled.
Precia smiled that sad smile of hers, and said "yes, I promise."
He finally began to relax, at peace with the knowledge that his partner would be safe.
"It's a shame… damn shame… would have wanted… to go… with you guys…" he said, his voice softening.
"Zabuza-san…" Precia said. "Testarossa. My last name is Testarossa."
"Precia Testarossa, eh?" he said, smiling. "If we… hadn't met like this… would've been… friends…" he said as his voice softened to a whipser, his hand finally letting go of the kunoichi's as he closed his eyes for the last time.
Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, had passed away.
"…Yes… we would have," Precia replied, turning to a disconsolate Haku who immediately jumped into her arms, sobbing. "How is Alicia?"
"No permanent damage," Sai replied. "That senbon just knocked her out. Kid knows his target points."
"Thank goodness," Naruto answered in obvious relief. He really thought Alicia was in big trouble when the senbon hit. Guess that was another reason he was grateful for holding back on Haku.
As they turned around, they saw an amazing sight: the entire villagers were now working harder than they ever had. After beating further on Gato so he wouldn't escape, they started cleaning up the battlefield and finishing the bridge.
"My word…" Precia said. "Naruto, is this your handiwork?"
"Don't know…" he replied. "I did tell Inari that I do my best and try my hardest because there are people precious to me that I want to be strong enough to protect."
"Don't tell me you used one of those catch phrases from that horribly inane TV show you used to watch as a kid," Sai said.
"Of course I did, who the hell do you think I am?" Naruto asked.
"My younger brother," Alicia replied, as she slowly got up.
"Alicia! You okay?" Naruto asked, running towards his oneechan.
"Yeah, was out of it for awhile, but I should be fine," Alicia replied.
"That's good," Sai said.
"Anyway," Precia said, "when we return to Konoha, go to the medics and get yourself checked… you can't be too careful when it comes to things like this. Also… we'll be bringing a new member of the family home with us. Alicia, Naruto, Sai… meet Momochi Haku." She pointed towards the girl in the hunter-nin garb.
"Another kunoichi?" Alicia asked.
"That's the guy I told you about," Naruto said, prompting another small peal of laughter. Guess I'll never live this down, he thought.
"All humor aside…" Precia said, "we still need to ensure the bridge is complete and Zabuza-san gets a proper burial before we return. Is that all right with you guys?"
"Yes, Precia-sensei!" the three genin answered, and Haku could only nod.
While Haku had sobbed openly when Zabuza-san died, all he did was watch as the simple wooden box was lowered into the hole dug near the end of the bridge. The tears were just rolling down his cheeks, but he didn't mind. Precia came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, and he leaned on it, looking on as Naruto and Alicia's Kage Bunshin got to the part where they returned the dirt from the hole they had dug.
When the Head Slicer was plunged into the dirt as a marker for Zabuza, Precia and her three genin had bowed their heads in memory of their opponent, and started back to the village proper.
"Please accept this token of our gratitude," the town's leader said, handing over to Uzumaki Naruto an ornate dagger.
Naruto bowed courteously as he accepted the gift. Another pleasant memory. Something more to add to the people whose lives I've brightened.
The villagers regarded Haku-san strangely, but most of their ire was vented when they had left Gato to die just outside the village.
The day when the bridge was truly completed, they saw what remained of him just on the outskirts, the carrion birds starting to flock to his corpse.
Nobody batted an eyelid and contined on as the bridge's name was formally announced to all: "The Great Momochi Bridge". It had originally been named in Naruto's honor, but he wanted it named for the man who showed that even demons do cry sometimes.
And as Precia's genin team (with two others) began the trek home, events that would shake the world of Konoha in the near future were already set in motion.
Again, as before, Precia was confident that her genin would be able to handle it should they take up any task at hand with their hearts as one.
Unfortunately, that gift the Daimyo of Wave had given him would turn out to be something even more...
"Standby Mode unlocked."
Chapter Ten – END
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
All right, I've finally decided to make this an eventual Naru/Hina fic. You'll notice that Naruto is now becoming more aware of his duties as both a Konoha-nin and the demon fox's jailor. This will come into play in the future as bigger and more complicated events take place in the Naruto universe.
Many things will change, and how they'll change will be the inevitable surprise.
Please review. A little feedback can go a long way.
Next up: Chunin Exams and Alicia starts working Siegfried like the ingenue with Devices she truly is. New people start dropping in, the plot thickens, and I may or may not include those chumps with black cloaks too soon.