Fates Web

Chapter Ten: The Wave Mission Part 3

Author Notes: It's great to see so much support for my story. I will probably be updating my gamer fic sometime in the future but I want everyone to know that this story is my priority.

III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.

Bold text = Inner voice/ something important speaking.

There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.

'...Who, who could do this?'

Dilapidated buildings and ruined structures pocketed the land of waves. The people wandered aimlessly around in filthy rags and smelled horribly.

Hinata almost cried when a small boy with sunken eyes peered up at her.

"Food?"

She didn't know if she could bring up the courage to say no. The child's stick like arms and skin that clung to his ribs told her a horrifying tale by itself. Mother had never told her about this. Was this the true depths of human depravity? Sure, she killed people in brutal and terrible ways, but those people deserved it.

'He can't be any older than Hanabi...'

Her mouth formed a fake smile, "I'm sorry child but I don't have anything on me at the moment."

The boy looked down and glumly wandered off. Hinata growled lowly, "Whatever sick bastard did this I hope your god has mercy, because I won't."

"How far is your home?" spoke Sasuke.

Tazuna pointed to the main road while Naruto made a few clones scout ahead, "My shadow clones will make sure there won't be any surprises waiting for us."

After ten minutes, the group could see a relatively large two story house straddling the edge of the a cliff overlooking the coast.

"Here we are!" Tazuna said happily.

Naruto looked around the verdant meadows and the horizon out onto the ocean. "It's beautiful here." he said, then looked at his best friend. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Dai crossed his arms, "It's legit." Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at their friends' unique 'Kumo lingo'.

Tazuna led them all inside his home and yelled out, "Tsunami? Where are you?" calling for his daughter.

Sasuke with Dai walked inside and sat down in a chair. Naruto created a few clones and ordered them to stand guard outside.

"Dad? Oh god I'm so relieved! Did everything go well?" answered a feminine voice from where Naruto assumed to be the bedroom.

A woman in her mid to late twenties walked down the stairs. She had long black hair and was dressed in a light purple kimono.

Tazuna smiled warmly. "You wouldn't believe what happened. These are the super ninja that I hired! I told them everything, and they are still willing to complete the mission!"

The woman, apparently Tazuna's daughter, smiled at Kakashi and his students and bowed. "I wish to give my greatest gratitude. Without you, I don't know what we would have done."

The one eyed Jounin nodded. "Your father hired us to protect him until he finishes his bridge. We intend to make sure Gato isn't a problem anymore for you, so rest easy."

The woman's cheeks colored. "What a brave man."

Kakashi winked, "It's a pleasure to fight for such a fair lady as yourself."

The man's suave voice sent shivers down the woman's spine. Naruto and his teammates gaped in disbelief as their pervert Sensei wooed the bridge builders daughter with skill only an elite ninja like himself could possess.

Tsunami blushed and fanned her face. "Allow me to get you some drinks. You all must be very thirsty from your journey!" The woman disappeared in a hurry and left a fuming Tazuna glaring holes in their Sensei.

Dai looked at the retreating woman and turned to face Naruto, "Holy shit man. Kakashi-Sensei is a beast!"

Naruto chuckled, "You know Dai, I think you might be right."

"Hn" Sasuke agreed.

Tazuna's face turned purple, and it certainly wasn't the alcohols' doing.

Soon the woman came back with several glasses of water and smiled at the group, "Is there anything I can do for you boys?"

"Do you have any bedrooms we could use?" Naruto asked.

The woman smiled again. "Of course, I'll show you to the guest bedrooms." she walked up the stairs, Naruto and his team following.

She led them down a hallway with nine doors, four on the left and five on the right. "The first three doors on the left are mine, Dad's, and my son, Inari's, rooms. The last door on the left was my former husbands. The two doors on the right are the guest rooms. The doors after that are a study room for my dad and a workshop, and the last one is the bathroom." she turned to the ninja and smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I am Tsunami, who might you be?"

Kakashi's eye shined in mirth, "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and these three are my students. Please introduce yourselves."

Naruto waved and smiled. "Yosh, my name is Naruto Uzumaki and one day I'm going to be the strongest ninja."

Tsunami smiled and gave the boy a look-over. "I hope you succeed in your dream." she looked to the dark skinned member of the group.

"My name is Dai Yotsuki. I am a immigrant from Kumogakure and my dream is to one day prove that one's skin color doesn't determine their worth."

"That is a noble goal young man."

Everyone turned to the last member of the group. Sasuke leaned against the wall and offered a grunt.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha and my goals are none of your business."

If the rude reply had affected Tsunami she didn't show it. "Well that's ok. Let me show you rowdy guys the guest rooms and let's see if we can make some space for you to sleep."

(At Zabuza's Hideout)

Zabuza groaned in pain, bleeding in several places, sore all over, suffering from chakra exhaustion, and a nasty case of blunt force trauma. This was one of the worst defeats he had ever experienced.

"How did I get beaten by a bunch of kids! ARGGHH IT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT!"

The "Hunter nin" that had saved Zabuza sighed heavily. "He's really pissed." a feminine voice said from behind the mask.

"Oh, loooky here. The mighty demon returns defeated" Came a haughty feminine voice from across the room.

"Fuck off Iwa bitch."

Kurotsuchi laughed, "Gato hired us to make sure you deadbeats got the job done. Where's the bridge builder Zabuza? The only bitch I see here is you." She reached for Zabuza only to find the masked kiri nin blocking her way.

"Back off", Haku hissed.

Kurotsuchi shrugged. "Fine, but remember that Gato hired us because you failed."

Haku took off her mask and glared at her. "I would be careful with what you say." she smirked when the Iwa girl stiffened and growled.

"You think you're hot stuff? My strongest teammate could break you and your little swordsman like a toothpick."

Haku's face darkened, "Is that a threat?"

Kurotsuchi shivered as the gentle demeanor of the Kiri girl vanished and a cold sinking pit developed in her gut.

"Enough."

The two girls froze as a heavy pressure forced them to their knees. A figure in a brown cloak and dark armor walked through the door and glared at them.

Kurotsuchi laughed nervously, "Hinata, what a surprise!"

Hinata held up a hand, "Stop."

The brunette closed her mouth. Hinata gazed at her in disappointment, "Enough of your childish games. Act like a ninja of Iwagakure."

"Ye-yes Sir!"

"You are relieved for the night."

Kurotsuchi scrambled out the door like a bat out of hell.

Haku watched the new presumed Iwa nin with caution, "You certainly know how to handle people."

The woman turned to face Haku and smiled, revealing white fangs that could rend flesh, "Sometimes a heavy hand is needed."

Haku nodded. She took a moment to take in this cloaked woman. She looked in her mid teens and had long purple hair that peaked through the shadows of her hood. Her generous bust could be seen through the heavy wool, and it was through her trained eye that she could determine the guarded body language the Iwa girl gave off. The cloaked woman's exotic, almost preternatural lilac and red eyes that captivated everyone that looked into them. She had a voice that lured you into a false sense of safety, but underneath that was something dark, and hungry.

Haku tensed and brushed a bang out of her eye. "Why are you here." she demanded.

Hinata laughed, "What's wrong with desiring to know my allies more?"

The girl narrowed her eyes at Hinata and turned to meet her masters own. Zabuza who had until now been silent spoke "Cut the crap and tell us what you really want."

The girl, Hinata, hummed, "I have an offer for you two. Something that might benefit us both. "

Zabuza was silent for a moment, "I'm listening."

(Next morning, at unknown location)

Naruto woke up with a groan. Feeling wet he rubbed his eyes and felt water surround him. On all sides were concrete walls similar to a dank sewer. For a moment he wondered where he was. Then he saw it.

A large golden gate, easily as tall as a mountain, and each bar as thick as ten men. The gate itself was magnificent, however that wasn't what demanded his attention.

It was the fact the gate was wide open.

A compulsion to walk towards the gate crawled from deep within his consciousness. A heavy rumble shook the ground as a large form shifted in the darkness beyond.

"Who's there?" Naruto called as he slogged through the ankle deep water, feeling a bone cold chill permeate his being, and not from the water soaking him to the bone.

The shadows moved closer and quickly he felt an epiphany hit him. This was the Kyuubi's cage!

"How astute ningen." Came a deep voice that sent ripples of water throughout the room.

The large form stepped into the light. Naruto felt his mouse become dry as nine crimson tails swayed behind the moving mountain that was the Kyuubi no kitsune.

The titanic being laughed at the small human, "I can smell your fear ningen."

"N-no!" Naruto stammered, regretting the way his voice shook.

The fox came up to the boy and peered down at him with a wily grin that promised nothing good. How was this possible?! The fox should be inside it's cage, not roaming around freely in his mind. Plans of escape were created and discarded almost immediately. There was no way he could outrun the giant fox. In other words, he was screwed.

"Fear not boy. No harm will come to you today."

Naruto's brain short-circuited, "Huh?"

The fox laid down and tried to look non-threatening, or as non threatening as a giant natural disaster could.

"I know this must be confusing", It started, "I have been watching over you your entire life. I was sealed inside you, but something went wrong with the sealing and the cage was left unlocked."

Naruto took a moment to process Kyuubi's words before replying, "If that is true then why haven't you freed yourself yet?" He swallowed in fear, hoping the fox wouldn't take this chance to 'take it's revenge'.

The fox snorted in an unsightly manner, "I'm safer inside you than outside."

Naruto waited for the fox to explain, but it continued on.

Kyuubi looked down at him with eyes full of pity, "I have lived every minute of your life like it was my own."

"Is this the part where you convince me to join the dark side?" He joked.

"No."

Naruto blinked.

"The Uzumaki clan were a distant offshoot of the Senju clan. When I was sealed inside you I was forced to restrict my yang chakra from interacting too closely with yours. My yin chakra has already seeped into your chakra coils and mutated your naturally dense reserves."

'What the hell? Uzumaki clan?' What was the Kyuubi talking about? He didn't have a clan. Did he?

"I can see that question lingering in your eyes." The fox grinned.

Naruto found it hard to stare into the beasts eyes and bit his lip, "Who are the Uzumaki and what does that have to do with me? And what did you mean about my chakra coils mutating?"

Kyuubi let out a laugh, akin to the sound of razor blades scraping against rock. The beast looked down at him with amusement, "Everything."

A pointed claw rushed forward and planted itself on his head, not breaking skin despite the razor sharp quality of the tip. Images of a red headed woman with cold eyes and her hair tied in twin buns filled his head.

'If you use your power, only hatred will come from it. Stay tranquil deep inside me.'

Naruto threw up. The hatred, the resentment, the despair, it was overwhelming.

"Now you see my pain, Naruto."

Through blurry vision he looked up at the fox with horror. "You-how did you not go insane!"

"I have survived the eons. If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by." Dark slit eyes looked down upon him, "To answer your earlier question. The Uzumaki were a clan of fuinjutsu specialists related to the Senju clan. The Senju and Uzumaki clan are born with a large amount of yang chakra, and so I was forced to limit my own yang chakra for fear it could unbalance your own. "

Naruto swallowed, "And the mutations?"

"My Yin chakra has caused your own to become balanced, and for a Uzumaki this is unusual. You may gain a bloodline, or perhaps these abnormalities may never surface."

The room shook and the fox tilted it's head up, "It seems our conversation must be cut short." The Kyuubi looked down at him once again, "When you wish to meet me again simply think of this place and attempt to meditate."

Naruto tried to speak but the room faded away and he woke up.

III

Sasuke, Dai, and Kakashi were all discussing what to do about Zabuza. That was the scene Naruto walked into as their loud voices had woke him up.

Sasuke wanted to charge in and take Gato head on, seeing that Zabuza took a lot of damage from Kakashi's water dragon. Dai also told them about his damage towards the man "I attacked his back with a Lightning jutsu and got a nice score on his left flank" answered Dai. Naruto nodded, seeing that it will take a few weeks for Zabuza to heal. Before he spoke Kakashi looked up.

"I've decided on a plan. I will train you three for the next week and have Naruto make Shadow Clones to guard Tazuna during the day. Once a week has passed I will guard Tazuna myself and rotate you three on guard duty.'

Seeing that Kakashi had already made his decision, Naruto breathed through his nose and walked outside. This was going to be one hell of a mission.