I do not own Naruto or Predator vs Alien or Predator in any format. This is a fan fiction
At night Kakashi could not withstand his curiosity any longer, and decided to ask the man a few questions. Naruto had as always the longest watch. His stamina allowed him to do that, and it was his way for the team to get a decent sleep. Kurenai often joked that, how can someone be so considerate, and have no mercy during training. Naruto would only replay that it was all to prevent any of them dying, from anything other than old age. Kakashi was never known to be the most kind person in ANBU, and with good reason. He suffered sever loses in his life. First his father, the pressure and negative reputation for a single failed mission, pushed the man to take his own life, then Rin the woman he once loved, and lastly his adopted mother and father. These loses tend to mark a man, and they certainly left a few marks in the mind of one Kakashi Hakate.
"So you are called Death, I can only assume that is your code name. I am Kakashi Hakate, or the copy cat ninja. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" Naruto looked at the man and motioned for him to sit next to him, "As long as it doesn't endanger the camp, and you keep a civil tone. I don't mind." Kakashi did not waste time, and asked him where he was born. "I was born in the worst place on planet Earth. My home town was such a miserable place, I was very happy to be rescued and adopted by my clan." Kakashi then asked him what made the place so horrible. "What do you call a place where an orphan is beaten, daily? What do you call a place where cruelty is accepted because of stupidity and misplaced anger? What do you call a place where the death of a child is celebrated as a holiday?" Kakashi saw where this was going. "Does this place have a name?" Naruto looked at the man with a cold glare. "The town is called Konoha by some, or the Village Hidden In The Leaves by some others. Till I was 6 I called it hell."
"You must be mistaken, Konoha has never been cruel to orphans." Naruto laughed but it was almost a sad laughter. "My friend would disagree, tell me something Kakashi, Have you ever heard what happened to the demon brat of konoha?" Kakashi looked at him with a glare of his own. "He received his rightful punishment for attacking and killing so many of our villagers. Why do you ask?" Naruto looked at the man. "I knew that boy, he used to eat out of the same garbage bins I did when I was small."
If Kakashi was shocked or even angry he did a marvelous job of hiding it. "So you left Konoha when you were 5 or 6 then what?" Naruto looked at his surroundings. Found nothing worthwhile, "Yes, I was 6 when the man I came to care for as my brother, rescued me from the hell that was my life. He took me to my clan, and a place I called home. My mother adopted me, and began teaching me in my clan's ways. You might have heard, that I am a hunter. I honor our divine huntress by killing those that are dishonorable, and sometimes truly worthy prey. I honor the one's I find worthy by giving them an honor placing on my trophy room. There I can remember them, and the valiant struggle we fought."
"So that is why you are a Hunter Ninja, to hunt rogues and sometimes fight worthy opponents. I have never heard that line of work, describes as you do. I have heard it be called bounty hunting, or criminal hunting. But never with the air of honor or respect you seem to have for it. Most people treat people in your profession as killers for hire." Naruto could not help laugh, "You would be surprised. I am constantly reminded by the Hokage or my commander to pick up my pay. As long as I have worthy prey, the money not so important to me. I managed to live for 2 years on the streets before I was rescued. You learn to be very self sufficient when you live through that."
"And yet you serve Konoha, do you feel no resentment towards the one's that hurt you?" Naruto looked at the man, and smiled, "For a time, when I was young. I did hate the village and the ignorant people. But my clan showed me that doing that, only hurts me. So now I help konoha, and the people than once hurt me, to show them, even if they are not aware of it, that I am the better man, I hold no grudge towards you, Kakashi. Although I have countless reasons to do so." Kakashi too began to smile, "That is very big of you, Naruto. When did you figure that I knew who you were?" Naruto saw that the sun was coming up, and decided to go for a morning hunt. Breakfast was an important meal. "You were the ANBU that was supposed to watch over me. How could I forget the man that stood watching, as the villagers beat me so many times."
Naruto left the man, to think on their conversation. Naruto managed to get a few rather nice rabbits and a few herbs. He made a rabbit stew for the team, and one for himself. He went through the usual cleansing and treatment of food ingredients. When the team came out of their tents, there were 2 pots of stew. One had a label on the pot that red, for Death only. "I can't believe you are still eating your traditional clan recipes. You are going to catch a disease one day." Naruto kissed his mate, and told her that his clan had many preparations and cleansing procedures before they cooked anything. She was more than likely to be pick up a little parasite. Kurenai caught on what he was saying, she hit him on the shoulder. "Not before we have a proper wedding. I told you that."
"So why 2 pots? and why Death get a pot all to himself?" Sakura was making noise already. She told them if anyone deserved that treatment, it was her beloved Sasuke. Naruto looked at Sai and Sasuke with an almost look of pity. Sai nodded in appreciation, and Sasuke walked over to the pot. "So what is the difference between these 2 pots?" Death took a spoon and began serving the team from their pot. "The recipes are different. Your's is a traditional konoha dish, mine is a recipe cooked by my clan. Most people do not have the stomach for it, and others simply don't like the ingredients." He finished serving them their food, and Sasuke told him his portion in the other pot was smaller. "Of course it is, I used most of the rabbits for the pot you and the others are eating from. I am one man, my portion will of course be smaller."
He then served his own stew, the vegetables could not be seen, but the rich, dark and heavy scent reached some of their noses. "Maybe you should not eat that, that smelled like it has blood." Sai was apparently more polite that he appeared. "I know it does, it is the main flavor ingredient in my clan's recipe. My mother was a much better at cooking than I was, hers you could still see the color of the blood, much more clearly than mine." They watched in horror as he began to eat one spoon full after another. This cause the group to eat their meal a little quicker. "Mind if I have a taste?" To the surprise of everyone Kakashi asked to take Death's cooking. Naruto saw no problem with that.
He took the spoon and took a mouthful of it. As he tasted it in his mouth and swallowed, he nodded his head. "I see, the difference.. your's is thicker, and spicier, and almost less sweet. A kind of a little bitter. Not bad." Naruto told him he could serve himself a portion, there was one in the pot. Again in groups disbelief he did just that. "So how do you deal with diseases?" Naruto looked at him, and told him about the cleansing procedures his clan did. This made the group wondered how he managed to cook so much in so little time, he simply told then 2 words, shadow clones.
Kurenai asked him what he planned to do with the skins. I was planing on keeping them and if I managed to kill another rabbit, make a pursue for the love of my life. I want her to feel truly appreciated. This made Kurenai blush, and Sakura with an almost wishful look on her face. As they walked they saw something that was out of place, his visor told him there were two people in a few yards ahead, and both standing on trees a few feet away from each other. "I would duck if I were you Kakashi." He knew what he meant and he did duck, just as a big sword came flying over him and impaled itself on a tree. "Darn, thanks for ruining my big entrance." Zabuza gave him a rather angry glare. "You welcome, and thanks for the rabbit." Naruto was holding the rabbit. "I actually would like if you did not hurt that rabbit, it's a family pet." Naruto stroked the rabbit's back. "Sure thing, just tell your daughter to get down from there, and I will give give this cute little rabbit to her."
Zabuza used a substitution and the rabbit was off his hands. "No need, but on my daughter behalf, I thank you. So since you are such a polite person, why don't you let me kill that drunken bridge loving loser, and I will let you all go home. " Naruto saw the glare he was giving him, the killer intent made the genin cringe, and he knew what was going to happen. "No, thanks. I think the losers relatives want him back. Why that is a question I keep asking myself, but we really have to deliver him. But you can go ahead and leave if you really want to." Kakashi had managed to really make Zabuza mad. Naruto saw him try and make a few hand signs and the word was try. as soon as he tried he threw a kunai at him interrupting him.
"How about a friendly, and fun sparing match?" Zabuza could not believe what he just heard, "Why would I do that?" Naruto told him, that it was more than likely how things were going to turn out, he was going to try and use Kakashi as a hostage, the teams would release him, and he would spend the next few weeks recovering from an injury or poison or both, "What terms?" Zabuza not wanting to lose any time. "Loser leaves the other alone for today?" Zabuza did something he almost never did, he laughed. "You do realize that if you lose I will end up killing the bridge builder right?" Naruto smiled behind his mask. "If that happens it was his fate to die."
He did not wait and launched the first attack. Haku was not one to stand by and watch. She tried to sneak behind them and kill the bridge builder. Kurenai stopped her, and simply told her she was missing a good fight. Haku told her that it was impossible for Zabuza to lose. "Then why is he on the defensive?" Kakashi interrupted the conversation. Haku looked, and it was true her father was on the defensive. With a sword slash he managed to make him dodge badly and he kicked the hilt of his sword, it went flying up and as he jumped he caught it. "Looks like I win, thanks for the fun, Zabuza." Zabuza looked at him with as much killer intent as he could muster, and Naruto did not even seem to react at all.
"It's only fair to tell you I am going to try this again. My pride as a swordsman tell me I must defeat you. So who are you?" He tossed him his sword back at him. "You can call me Death. Word to the wise, Gato will betray you." Zabuza looked at him and saw he was not without confidence. "Get some proof of that, and I might decide to help you with this little boring chore of yours." Both Zabuza and Haku left.
"You do realize you just made yourself the target? by none other than Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist?" Kakashi wanting to be sure that he knew what he had done. "As long as he is busy with me, you can train your students, and my students will watch Tazuna. See no big problem." Naruto threw him a scroll, "You might want them to start using what is on that scroll." Kakashi opened it and was surprised by his father's seal, the gravity seal. "Thanks for the help, Death."