Team Blondie

by

French Naruhina

Chapter 9 : Demon of the mist

It was a sunny day like there was so often during summer, the birds were chirping, the sky was of the purest blue and the sun stood high giving light an warmth, the perfect setting for a walk in the park... for a gennin team who just had its first mission out of Konoha it's was just plain boring. One nember of team blondie decided to voice his thoughs.

"It's so boring !Why are we going so slowly ? Can't we just knock the old man out and carry him at a decent pace ?"

"Hitting *cough* the client is not allowed Naruto." Responded Hayate.

"But it's so hot, if we continue like this we'll fry before we reach Wave..."

"I agree with Naruto on this one..." Roxas didn't even finished his sentence as a thin stream of water splashed on his and Naruto's head courtesy of Naminé.

"You feel better now ?"

"That was mean but welcomed, thanks Nami-chan !"

Naruto didn't react at first, looking away as if he was trying to process what had just happened, then "You're a genius Naminé-chan, why didn't I thought of that myself ?" he made some handseals and called his juysu "Fuuton : Air cyclone !" he greatly under-powered the jutsu resulting in the creation of five little tornados he sent in front of each member of the group blowing cool air at them "What do you think of that ?"

"That's a waste of useful *cough* chakra." stated his jonin instructor.

"Nah, it don't consume that much, plus I have huge reserve, I can go that way for hours and not even feel it..."

So they continued their advance toward the land of Waves, greatly appreciating their newfound walked for nearly three hours when something caught the ninja's attention, a puddle of water was proudly standing in the middle of the dirt road, Hayate made some hand signs to his team who noded slightly in acknowledgment. As the group passed the puddle two figures emerged from it, as they were in the back of the group they charded directly at the jonin trapping him in their chain and pulled on it shredding him to pieces. As the genins and Tazuna turned around they saw two men dressed in black cape and wearing breathing mask and a large claw each linked by a shuriken chain, the men spoke as one « One down... » they didn't had time to finish as the five tornados doubled in size an went straight at them.

As the unknow nins evaded the attack, the three blonds took a defensive position around the frightened bridge builder. "Great, it's all your fault Roxas ! Remind me to punch you harder next time..."

"That hurts Nami-chan, I tought it was already behind us..."

"Guys, I think our guests would like us to notice them... Sorry about them, what are your names guys ?" taunted Naruto.

"Oh, I'm Gouzu and this is my bro', Meizu... wait a second, why did I tell you our names ?? Well we'll give you a taste of the Demon Brothers strengh !" The brothers charged at the genins, trying to encircle them with their shuriken chain. However a tri-kunai flew and caught the chain imobilizing the Demon brothers. They disconnected the chain from their claw and charged at the blond boys who took more advanced positions.

Meizu went against Roxas, he tried to thrust his metal claw into the youth chest only to be stopped by a katana, as a second one came to his right he disengaged and jumped back to a more secured location. His brother was not in a better situation, Gouzu was figthing five Naruto at the same time being forced into a defensive position; the brothers looked at each other an noded in unison, it was time to fight seriously... As they took some distance from their foes they charged once again delivering a hard punch to each of the bonds face, making them stumble backyard, they quickly capitalized on their advantage and delivered blow after blow, the two boys barely managed to block their attacks and finally let an opening in their defenses, the brothers launched their clawded hand at them only for their unarmed ones to pass by their opponents's head. This earned them to be kneed directly in the stomach making them loose their breath, before they could do they felt a hard hit at the back of their neck and fell unconscious.

Tazuna was pointing wide-eyed at the seemingly alive Hayate, seeing his client expression the tokubetsu jonin explained « Substitution, one of the most basic, and useful, technique a niinja know... » turning to his team he declared « congratulation, they were chunin level missing-nins from kiri, being able to defeat such oponent on your first real mission is an accomplishment in itself...even at that cost. »

A bruised Naruto rubbed the back of his head "They give us quite the beatting, right ?"

"Yeah, we were lucky Nami-chan messed with their right and left distinction with her gejutsu when she did or we would be shorter by a head..." added Roxas, not in a better shape.

"Someone has to be the brain of this team, that's all." stated the unharmed girl.

"Sorry to burst *cough* your bubble, but I think Tazuna-san *cough* is hidding something from us..." all turned their eyes to the nervous old man "those guys weren't the *cough* regular brigand, I'm tempted to end this mission here *cough* and now."

"Please no !" pleaded Tazuna "I'll tell you everything. You see our country is a very poor one so we couldn't afford something higher than a C-ranked mission." He then explained how a man named Gato took control took control of all harbors gaining monopoly on the island trade starving the people and other monstruosity...

"Great, after the missing-nins here comes the tyrant..." muttered Naminé sending dark glares toward Naruto and Roxas.

"That's pretty *cough* bad news, this misions is at least *cough* a B-rank... Team blondie ! What *cough* do you want to do ?" asked Hayate.

"Well, it's not like we can let him here alone..." began Roxas.

"...plus without him his country will loose all hope..." continued Naruto.

"...so as much as I don't like it we should continue with the mission." concluded Naminé.

"*cough* I see, well it's your lucky day Tazuna-san. But we *cough* can't go like this, our next opponent could be *cough* a lot tougher so we need reinforcement, plus *cough* this two must be taken care of..." the sickly instructor took a silver whisttle from his weapon punch and blew through it emitting... no sound. However some minutes later a hawk landed on Hatate's extended arm. "Konoha's *cough* messenger hawks, they are scattered *cough* all around the land of fire in case we need to *cough* contact the village urgently..." He quickly wrote a coded message "Okay, I asked for back-up *cough* and gave them the postition of our prisoners, *cough* who want to tie those two to a *cough* tree ? »

A day later the team crossed the sea that separeted the two country, as it was still early in the morning a thick mist surrounded their tiny preventing any sentry to spot them as long as they kept silent. Suddently a large shape emmerged from the mist, a huge bridge appeared and, while it was obviously unfinished, it was an impresive sight. "Whaaooh, and you did this while drunk ?" asked Naruto

"You little..."

"Be quiet !" ordered Hayate.

As they arrived to the other side Tazuna thanked his friend who lend them the boat. They walked toward Tazuna home town for two hour when Naruto launched a kunai at the bushes on the side of the road, everyone eyes widenned when the bushes began to move, only to reveal a white rabbit...

"White fur ? In the middle of summer ?" thought Hayate, he heard a distant sound "EVERYBODY, GET DOWN !" he dropped to the groud pulling Tazuna with him, his team quickly followed his example, just in time as a gigantic sword flew over their head and embedded itself on a large tree.

As the little group got to their feet an tall man, wearing no other upper clothing than arm warmers and bandages on the lower half of his face, appeared in a swirl of water crouched on the sword's handle . "If it isn't the famous Namikaze brats... It's not every that a five million ryo bounty come at you, I would be a fool to pass such an opportunity." the man produced his killing intent, paralyzing the genins from its sheer pression.

Hayate noticed his charges predicament, he slapped the three in a row "*cough* Snap out of it !" the youths came back to their senses, but before he could give them any orders the man intervenned.

"Well, that was an interresting way to handle things, I suppose you are the jonin here... Sorry but I don't know your name, not that it matter as you will die soon enough..." he steped down from his sword and took it in one hand.

"But I know *cough* yours, Momochi Zabuza, one of the *cough* seven swordsmen of the mist... Team, take Tazuna *cough* with you and run as fast as you *cough* can !"

"In normal circunstances I would allow you to go if you handed me the bridge builder, but those boys are too valuable to let go so don't think you can save them..."

Hayate charged at Zabuza , aiming his blade at his opponent throat. He managed to drive his katana through Zabuza neck only for him to dissolve into water "mizu bunshin !" he ran at his team and barely had time to block Zabuza's circular slash from killing his students. A quick succesion of blows was exchanged betwen the two kenjutsu users.

"I'll admit you're good with a sword, but that's not good enough against me." taunted Zabuza.

"That guy *cough* is way out of my league, listen to me *cough* and run away, I'll try to slow him down... »

"We won' let you behind Sensei !" stated Naminé.

"If Kakashi-sensei tough us one thing it's to never let a teammate down !" Roxas supported his friend's statement.

"That's bad, Hayate-sensei can equal this guy on skill but he don't have the strengh nor stamina to keep up the pace..." "Guys, we'll have to use that technique..." said the last member of the team.

"You can't mean that technique ?!" asked his fellow blonds, eyes wide. They looked at Naruto eyes before nodding.

"Sensei, try not to have a heart attack..." Naruto called out "Momochi Zabuza, you know my name..." each took a tri-kunai from their weapon pouch and rolled a tag around the handle "...but you forgot why the Namikaze name was feared across the elemental nations..." at this point the two fighter stopped their battle thinking "Don't tell it is what I think it is...", the genins then launched their kunai's at Zabuza.

Zabuza saw the kunai's land around him "They're bluffing, there's no way in hell..." the young ones made a handseal an were engulfed in a flash of yellow light, at the same instant the kunai's emmited a yellow flash too "Impossible !!" he quickly rotated bringing his masive blade in a circular motion through the lights aroud him. He cut nothing but thin air, as the lights dissipated everyone was in the same position, except Hayate who took advantage of the diversion to pierce through his right biceps and deeply cut his left tigh.

Hayate was relieved, that little trick saved his life, at the previous pace he would have soon reached his limit but now Zabuza had lost a great deal of mobility an was fighting with his bad hand, plus he totally lost the use of his right arm thus his handseals thus his ninjutsu. This fight had took a turn for the better, now they were even... The kenjutsu battle resumed.

The genins and Tazuna were watching the battle who has driffted to the water surface. The opponents were both holding their ground, neither seemed able to land a decisive blow. Roxas turned to Naminé "Nami-chan, you must distract him with a genjutsu, try to find something !"

"Easy for you to say, I have to go from the newest memories to the oldest... it's not like I could directly go to the "worst fear" section of his life like that..." she paused for an instant.

"Wha..."

"A flash." She began to draw furiously "must be Kyuubi's gift..." she completed her picture "That's it... now concentration... visualiztion... execution..." she carefully executes the handseals and molded her chakra in the perfect shape, normaly such a low level illusion would be dectected imediatly by a jonin but she hoped the schock to cloud Zabuza's judgement.

"YOU !!!" It worked, Zabuza abruply shoved hayate out of his by a powerful swing of his sword and jumped, as good as he could with only one leg, at a person only he could see. As Zauza reached a safe distance from Hayate,who was regainning his footing on the water, Roxas ran at the shore, flashing through handseals, as he finshed he put his palms on the water surface and called his technique.

"Raiton : Lightning palm !" he put nearly all his chakra into it, a line of electrical current made its way toward rhe ex kiri-nin, who had just realized he had been fooled and couldn't evade the attack in his weakened state.

As Zabuza's scream of pain faded with the end of the technique Hayate was already on him "Dance of the Crescent Moon" several clone of the Konoha's swordman appeared aroud Zabuza and all attacked Zabuza in a clomplex patern. Zabuza only managed to avoid fatal blows and was standing bloody and panting atop the water, a chakra-enhanced kick quickly send him crashing into a tree. Hayate approached the uncouscious Zabuza to kill him when two senbon pierced the missing-nin neck.

A youg boy in kiri hunter-nin attire went to the corps "I apologize to steal your kill, but as you understand this body contain secrets I can't let you acess at... Thank you for your assistance in killing this traitor." he took Zabuza on his shoulder and shunshined.

"That was strange..." commented Roxas before falling to the ground, his friends immediatly rushed to his side.

"Don't dare dying on me Roxas ! Come on, open your eyes..." cried Naminé.

"You know it's *cough*only chakra exhaustion,right ? He will *cough*be okay, he just need to sleep for a *cough*while... » Hayate chuckled at the young woman's embarrassment as she realized she had over-reacted. « Well I'll need my rest too, I can't even feel my body... »

Naruto took Roxas on his back and the group made its way to Tazuna's house. "Naminé-chan ?"

"Yes Naruto-kun ?"

"I was wondering, what did you showed to Zabuza back then ?"

"See for yourself..." she handed him her skecthpad.

Naruto took it in one hand and looked at the black and white picture. Zabuza and three other men had their giant sword through the body of a man whose left side of the face was concealed by a veil, the swordsmen expresion was one of utter shockwhile the black haired character at the center was smirking. "It's him !"

"Kyuubi-sama ? Wat do you mean by him ?"

"I would recognize this man under any disguise and he don't wear any... Uchiha Madara..."

Omake

"But I know *cough* yours, Momochi Zabuza, one of the *cough* seven swordsmen of the mist... and my *cough* idol !" Hayate droped his chunin vest revealing a white t-shirt with the inscriptions Momochi Zabuza is number one on the front and Swordsmen of the mist for ever on the back. Everyone sweatdropped. "Please, take *cough* me with you Zabuza-sama, I'll do *cough* anything. You can even have *cough*those kids if you want..."

"Well, I don't see any reason not to take you in..." responded the blushing missing-nin.

In the nearby trees, Haku was fuming "No way I let this guy take my place..." he thrown senbons at Hayate's vital oints, killing him instantly. "That take care of this."

At their sensei treason and sudden death the genins ran toward Konoha at speeds even Gai could only dream of, dragging Tzuna along...