Son of the Sannin

by drag-eart

What would have been different if Naruto had a temperamental old lady and a perverted old letch for parents? What would have changed and what would stay the same? Cowritten with Ld 1449 (Pairings will be a surprise. Non-Yaoi)

10. Bound by blood

"Open wide!"

"I'm not an infa-mph"

Haku glared at the blond who sat infront of her, grinning from ear to ear as he stuffed the spoonful of soup into her mouth. She chewed the vegetables and beef, slowly, trying to preserve as much dignity as humanly possible while being bound and spoon-fed by someone who had no qualms at making ridiculous sound effects to go along with her meal.

Asuma sat on the table, nursing a cup of dark coffee as his students sat around turning their gazes from Naruto's food fun and Asuma's calm expression.

It was Tazuna that spoke the question. "So...is it over?"

The Jounin shook his head. "No, Zabuza is still out there, he's gonna try again, and now that we've got his friend he's going to either A, try to get her free or B, get some kind of backup. Considering we killed the other two on the road, I'm thinking he'll go for option A." The Sarutobi turned one eye to Haku. "Am I right?"

Haku kept silent.

Asuma stood, and all three of his students turned their eyes to him, a sudden tension settling in the room as the Jounin made his way closer to the Hyoton wielder.

Haku held her ground as the Jounin knelt infront of her staring into her eyes.

"What's your name girl?"

"Haku." She answered, there was no reason to hide it.

Asuma nodded. "Alright Haku." He reached back behind himself, pulling out a wickedly sharp trench knife and brandishing the weapon between their faces. "Here's what's gonna happen. I'm going to answer a question. You're going to answer. Keep quiet and I'll have to force it out of you. Lie to me and I'll have to hurt you. Do I make myself clear."

"Hey Asuma-sensei!"

"Quiet." He answered, eyes never leaving Haku, so deathly serious Chouji felt his limbs go weak, staring at his sensei as though he'd never seen the man before.

"I'm not going to betray Zabusa-sama." Haku answered with fierceness that masked her fear. "I won't say a word"

"Oh I very much doubt that." Asuma hissed, and Haku clenched her eyes shut as the Trench knife was suddenly moving towards her.

She felt a poke at her forehead.

Opening one clenched eye she was confused to see a smiling Sarutobi, one finger jutting out of the knife's grip to poke her in the head. "Because I had Naruto lace your soup with Sodium Thiopenthal. Or truth serum. Give it five more minutes and you'll be singing like a canary.

Haku blinked, stared, blinked again before the words caught up with her, the rapid staccato her heart had jumped into slowly calming down as the words sunk in.

Her face twisted into fury that was voiced by Ino as Asuma chuckled.

"That wasn't funny sensei."

Asuma's chortle's indicated that he disagreed. "The-the looks on all your faces. Haha." He raised his hand, Naruto giving him a high five.

Ino's fury only intensified. "You were in on it Baka!"

The Uzumaki stuck his tongue out. "I laced the soup!"

Chouji muttered opening up another bag of chips as he all but swallowed the contents. Between the attack on the road, his sensei making them wait at the boat, nearly getting killed yesterday by Zabusa and his partner, to his sensei pretending to go all psycho interrogator on them in the house; this mission was gonna start giving him gray hairs soon!

Behind them Tazuna shook his head. "Crazy...they're all crazy."

"I won't betray Zabusa-sama."

"You won't have much of a choice." Asuma answered simply.

Minutes later, as Haku's vision started to swim she saw Naruto perk up before turning to his teacher.

"Oi, sensei! Our backup's here!"

Asuma lit another cigarette. "You sure?"

Naruto grinned. "Positive!"

It was minutes later that there was a knock at the door, "We've come to rescue the damsel in distress!"

Tsunami opened the door to reveal none other than the smirking Maeda Inuzuka. "Sup squirt."

"Bro!" Naruto yelled moving forward before anyone else and hugging his older brother, noticing Toushie and Ryojin making their way closer.

"Naruto." Toushie said with a smile to go with Ryojin's enthusiastic bark.

"Heard you little kiddies and the big bad Jounin needed some help on a C rank." Maeda taunted, negotiating his bulk through the door as he stared at Asuma, Naruto's teammates and then saw Haku on the ground, droopy eyes and all. "Seems like none of you are missing any body parts yet though."

Toushie entered a second later, taking one look at Haku before looking at Asuma. "Prisoner?"

The chain smoker nodded.

"Already interrogated or soon to be?

"Soon to be." The jounin answered. "Just waitin' for the drugs to kick in, give it another minute."

The two Inuzuka chuunins sat down, Toushie pulling up a seat to rest beside Haku, making a point of invading her personal space while Maeda sat and all but languished on the couch, propping up his sheet covered weapon on the wall as he propped up his feet.

"Get your feet off my couch!" The voice startled him so much he obeyed without question, looking around the living room/dining room and only finding his brothers, his little brothers team and Tazuna still with them.

Tazuna shrugged. "She does that, swear the girls got telepathy or somethin..."

Maeda scratched his head. All mothers seem to have that. "Right. Anyway." He said. "Give us the rundown guys. What're we up against."

"Zabusa Momochi." Asuma answered.

A low, long whistle was his response before Maeda looked to Naruto. "Damn little bro! Couldn't be happy with the ass kickings at home? Had to go find yourself a A-rank professional to beat you into the dirt?"

Naruto smirked. "Yeah well you hit like a girl."

"Ohhh...You're gonna pay for that pipsqueak."

"Bring it on meat-head!"

"Hey guys this is a mission not a party!" Ino hissed, glaring at both teenagers.

"Shhh..." Chouji hissed from his place on the table. "You are witnessing an insult duel. Don't interrupt!"

Ino slowly turned to face him, watching him, and listening to the two behind her chuckle at Chouji's joke before she let out a huff of frustration. "I swear I'm the only one with at least half a brain on this team!"

"I'm the only one that's sane." Tazuna muttered taking a long drink.

Finally Asuma seemed to be satisfied the drug had sufficiently run its course since he pulled his chair closer to Haku, like Toushie did, the both of them crowding the girl along with Ryojin who, even though was sitting still growled at the Hyoton wielder.

"Haku." Asuma called, making her look up at him through dilated pupils. "Haku, how many more ninja can Zabusa get to help him?"

The girl actually seemed to struggle against the toxin, biting her lip to fight through the drugs effects with pain. The Jounin grimaced as blood soon enough spurted from where her teeth had broken the skin, the ruby red liquid trailing down to drip off her chin.

"Looks like the toxin isn't enough." Toushie said. "Can you give her a higher dose?"

Asuma shook his head, taking a drag of his cigarette as his students watched. "Not unless you want to turn her brain to goo for the next few hours. That's as high as I could safely go given her weight."

Toushie looked to Ino, startling the girl. "Can you not extract the information with your clan jutsu?"

Ino hesitated before shaking her head. "No, I don't know those advanced techniques yet."

"Think I didn't think of that?" Asuma spoke up, looking at Toushie. "I'm a jounin. I know my students limitations."

"Sorry." The Inuzuka said sincerely. "Just exploring options."

The two seemed to think for a moment before Toushie looked to Naruto. "Naruto, Tsunade taught you how to deaden nerves correct?"

The blond nodded. "Yeah, that's one of the first things you learn in medical jutsu. It comes from Raiton techniques that affect the-"

"No need for the technical information, just do it on Haku.

"Huh? Why?"

"She's using pain to focus through the effects of the drug...if she can't feel pain"

Naruto's smile lit up, quickly catching on. "Nice!"

Stepping up, Naruto's hands glowed with green chakra trying to ignore Haku's pleading stare as he knelt down beside her.

Soon enough he looked up at Toushie and Asuma, nodding.

"Alright...lets try this again." Asuma flicked away the remains of his ciggarette to land perfectly in an ashtray. "Haku, how many ninja does Zabusa have to call on? Were you and the demon brothers his only backup?"

Haku bit her lips again, hunching forward as though in pain before the words literally clawed their way out of her mouth. "He doesn't have anyone else!"

Asuma smirked, now they were getting somewhere. "Did he have a backup plan incase he failed yesterday."

The girl was tense as a bow every limb taut like a wire ready to snap before she gasped. "No..."

"No plan, no backup." Toushie summarized. "He'll try to plan something else now, might take him a while...and he doesn't know about us here."

"Sounds to me like the perfect time to go over and kick his ass. Fight him on our terms. I hate defense."

Asuma nodded fully agreeing. "Haku. Where is Zabusa staying? Where's his hideout?"

The vein's on Haku's forehead were prominent, her whole face going flushed as she struggled to contain her voice, to resist the urge of the toxin running through her body.

Her head rose and then plunged straight down.

"Ah ah!" Maeda lunged across the couch, grabbing the girls long hair, stopping her from cracking her skull against Asuma's steel toed boot, or the floor if the man had moved it.

"Tell us Haku, where is Zabusa hiding."

Haku bit down.

And this time no one noticed the danger until it was almost too late.

It was Ryojin who barked the warning to his master.

"She's biting her tongue!" Toushie yelled, charging for the girl before he used his bare fingers to pry open her mouth even as she vomited a fountain of blood over his hands and Asuma's face.

Ino screamed, a screech of bloody murder as Asuma barked orders at his ninja, with Chouji and Maeda holding her down, Toushie holding her mouth open as Naruto struggled to heal the damage with what little his dismal chakra control had allowed him to learn in the healing arts. Tazuna ran from the room, grabbing the first aid kit as he was shouting at Tsunami to get Inari and keep him away from the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You want what! Now you listen here-"

"Lets not." Zabusa's hand shot forward like a serpent, grabbing Gatou by the collar of his jacket and lifting the diminutive man up to eye level, his bodyguards moved to attack but both men had the burden of their heads removed from their shoulders with a lazy swing of his sword.

Gatou paled, whimpering in the massive Shinobi's grip.

"Here's what's gonna happen." The demon of the bloody mist drawled eyes glowing like embers. "I'm gonna let you walk out of here Gatou, and you're going to come back, with cannon fodder, lots and lots of cannon fodder. You can pay them up front or go cheap by paying after the mission is done and half or all of them are dead."

"Y-You guaranteed me that you could do this yourself! We had a deal."

"And now I'm changing the deal." He snarled. "Pray I don't change it any more seeing as how you said the job was killing the bridge builder, not fighting foreign ninja to kill him. I should charge double."

"Double!" The business man hissed. "I'm already paying you a small fortune!"

"Like I said. Pray I don't change it any more." He tossed the man to the ground where he fell with a meaty thud right on his ass.

The demon of the mist sat down, glowering at the sniveling little man. "Get out. You have two days to get me what I want. If you don't, I'll kill you, take the money off your corpse or wherever you're hiding it and leave anyway. Don't think I cant either."

"Why don't you do it now then!?"

Zabusa's eyes narrowed. "Because those little shits and that jounin have pissed me off. Right now, I hate them a little more than you." He shifted his grip on Kubikiribocho, the legendary blade glinting with a glimmer of sunlight. "Get out."

Gatou shook, staring up at the man before Zabusa stared at the two dead men beside him.

"And send someone to take out the garbage before it starts to stink."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what're we doin'?" Inuzuka Maeda asked, sitting in one of the upstairs bedrooms of the house that Tazuna was allowing the ninja to use, the gennin were in another room, watching over their, now unconscious, prisoner; making sure the Hyoton user didn't try another round of active suicide.

Asuma sighed a billowing cloud of smoke between the three of them, ignoring how the Inuzuka's noses scrunched up. "We're on defense. "I'll follow Tazuna everywhere, he's our client and he's Zabusa's most likely target. One of you will be with me. My kids and the other one of you here with the family."

Toushie's face scrunched up. "Splitting up? Are you sure that's wise? As you said, Tazuna is the client here. We have to protect him, his family is by and large, irrelevant."

"Oi." Maeda poked his brother in the ribs, rather hard. "We aint just gonna leave em unguarded so Zabusa or that Gatou guy can hire thugs and filet them like fishes on the market."

"And we can't let Zabusa have hostages either. That's mainly why we're keeping my kids and the family in one spot. Naruto can flare his chakra strongly enough for anyone to sense it. If he needs help we can get from the bridge, here in under three minutes moving at top speed, even if we do have to carry Tazuna. One chuunin and three skilled gennin should be able to last that long."

"Against an A-class silent killing expert!?" Toushie shook his head. "This mission is already dangerous enough for the gennin. Putting even more risk by hoping Tazuna chooses to target the bridge builder rather than his family, and hoping in the alternative that the gennin can last long enough for us to get here is putting more than prudent levels of reliance on hopes and dreams for a client that has spectacularly sabotaged his own mission request. I say we protect the client and the kids, together, everyone together and if he does try to take the family hostage or if he kills them we deal with that when and if it becomes necessary."

Maeda snarled. "Then why don't you guys take the kids and I'll stay with Tazuna's kid and grand kid."

Asuma shrugged. "That's an alternative. Either way the kids are going to be in the line of fire."

"But again, that leaves one chuunin who is at most B rank to contend against an A rank ninja. One that could kill him in a-"

"I'm sitting right here." Maeda growled. "I can take care of myself. Besides, if you're scared of dying then this is the wrong line of work." He looked to Asuma, ignoring his glowering sibling. "Take the brats, let me guard the civs."

Asuma sighed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Naruto...if you don't cut that out...I'm gonna smother you with this pillow." Surprisingly it was Chouji, rather than Ino, that growled out those words.

"Sorry." The blond answered sincerely, allowing the green glow of healing chakra to fade away again, casting another worried glance at Haku. The hyoton wielder had her mouth carefully stuffed with cotton, enough for her to not be capable of fully biting down, or biting at all, tape was over her lips, not allowing her to spit out the fabric and try again.

Truth be told, he was still shaken, they all were really, that scene in the dining/living room had been horrible, and his frantic attempts to stop the bleeding before the girl died through blood loss or drowning in her own blood had sent his heart hammering so hard against his chest he wondered how his mom could do it every single day. It'd been the single most terrifying moment in his whole life when the blood just wouldn't stop.

If it hadn't been for Ino getting it together and holding her down with the shinteshin jutsu...he's not sure if they would have been able to save her.

But even now he had to check, to keep checking and checking again and again on her vitals. To make sure she would live.

That's why every now and then his chakra would flare up, the healing glow of chakra disturbing his teammates.

She was pale as a ghost, her head slick with sweat, her hair damp and stringy, clinging to her skin.

Suddenly, she groaned, and he, Ino and Chouji stiffened, his two teammates lifting their heads slowly to look in Haku's direction as the girl's eyes fluttered open.

"Oh shit she's awake! Ino!"

The Yamanaka sat up, placing her hands in the shinteshin seal just in case they needed it, though with Haku bound, gagged and with two chuunins and a jounin just a room away it hopefully wouldn't come to that. Causing injury to the person while the shinteshin was active reflected the damage back onto the Yamanaka's body, but jumping into an already injured body made one experience the ghosts of pain long afterwards. She'd been crying tears of pure agony for almost an hour at the phantom pain of her tongue being sliced wide open.

Naruto stared at the kunoichi her pitiful gaze staring up at him. "If I take that thing off are you gonna try again?"

"What are you doing?" Ino hissed.

"I just want to ask her something, something that has nothing to do with Zabusa." He made a point to add, staring at the girl. "Are you gonna try again? Ino can always stop you you know."

Slowly the kunoichi shook her head.

Naruto's face scrunched up. "No as in don't take it off or no as in you won't try again?" Then he realized she couldn't answer that either and he just reached forward and pulled the tape off with a hiss that made the kunoichi groan. Why was tape so painful when she'd been willing to bite off her tongue?

Haku spit out the cotton that had been stuffed in her mouth, a white, slimy ball the size of a fist as she coughed, swallowing to moisten her dry throat.

Naruto waited, he would have offered her water if he had any.

When her breathing seemed to have calmed down, he finally spoke.

"Why would you do that?" He demanded. "You nearly killed yourself earlier."

"I have to protect Zabusa-sama." She answered as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

"You don't have to die for the guy."

Haku smiled up at him, the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you be willing to die to protect someone precious to you?"

Naruto's face scrunched up, Ero-sennin, the Inuzuka's, Shizune, his mom...yeah he would. "But...Zabusa abandoned you."

"Would that matter?" She asked right back. "If those precious people hurt you one day...you'd forgive them wouldn't you...and you'd still want to protect them."

Naruto's lips thinned, then he reached over and pulled at the torn cushion they'd cut open to get the cotton in the first place, pulling out another sizable wad, not wanting to stuff the kunoichi's mouth with the spit drenched ball she'd already spat out.

She didn't resist, letting him put the cotton and tape her lips shut again.

It would be a few hours still before he had to give up first watch, so this time he let his teammates sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following morning, business resumed as usual. Breakfast was set, the troupe all but Maeda sat at the table eating their meal in contemplative silence. It was a tense silence, the clank of spoons against the bowls the soft coughs of Tazuna who remained stuck on the bottle of sake on his side. No one really cared to break the foreboding feeling settling on them. Two days seemed to pass by in a flash.

Asuma assessed his students before getting up from his seat and headed towards the living room where Maeda ate alone.

The inuzuka simply gave a nod of acknowledgment before continuing his meal. Asuma stood by the door way, in quick succession, of a routine long memorized and practiced, he breathed in deeply from the cig. The smoke billowed from his lips making sure to blow outside, as requested by Tazuna's daughter. He glances at the large weapon at Maeda's side, always in arms length of his person. It took an unusual amount of strength to wield a weapon like that, but the same could be said of the legendary weapon being wielded by Zabusa. "You know he could very well be gunning for this place?"

Asuma threw the question almost flippantly, flicking the ashes in a tray. Maeda's movements paused for a fraction of a second before continuing the same trek it intended. "You gonna get on my case too?" He bit back, finishing his meal, he gave Asuma a glare.

Asuma smirked in response. "No, the strategy...is the best we could go with...due to the odd circumstance of my gennin team."

"The kid and his mom will be in a safe place, I have that shit already figured out. Zabusa's dead weight will stay here with me." Maeda said, figuring it was what the man wanted to hear.

The man mashed the cigarette in its tray, he gave the younger man a quick assessment, so the boy wasn't all brawn after all, surprising given his gruff nature...well in a sense anyway.

Asuma nodded his in acknowledgment. He began to walk away from the young man heading back into the dining room when the Inuzuka made him stop in his tracks. "You know Baa-chan is going to break you and your old man over this," Maeda interjected, almost baiting.

Asuma didn't lose his cool, or was stumped for long. "Me. I'm gonna pin the whole thing on the old man."

The Inuzuka barked out a quick laugh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the afternoon, nothing could be said to have differed from their little routine, with the troupe leaving for the bridge with Tazuna, while Maeda remained at the house. Hopefully this would be the last day they'd have to do this. The drunk would finish the bridge and their mission would be over. If Zabusa was going to do something he was going to do it today.

Tsunami and her brat still remained at the house unfortunately. No one wanted to step into the firing line for Tazuna's family if this whole thing went south. Luckilly they had a safe place in a room at the back of the house near an access storage area if things went bad. He'd already told her to duck inside if she saw mist, or if he shouted. He kept his eyes on his weapon, propped up next to the prisoner. He pushed everything away and out of the room making sure it gave him ample room to maneuver and use his weapon effectively. Tight spaces weren't his friend.

Haku watches silently, not making a sound, for a large man he was not, as she'd first suspected, that is to say, a bull in a packed china shop. He moved with a certain purpose gauging his surrounding area, his bulk grazed by each object with ease finding a certain rhythm as he took stock of how much he could or could not move here before settling his body next to her. Maeda leaned on the wall, taking a long drink of water, she didn't notice how parched she was with the gauze firmly placed in her mouth.

She shifted, the sudden motion brushing her shoulder against the leaning pole arm, knocking it from its from its perch. Maeda moved by instinct grabbing the large weapon. By the simple action he was closer to inspect, a mere boy still maybe around her age and another thing she noticed...he was nervous. "Watch it girly." He growled

She swallowed unknowingly, when she met his eyes, they weren't normal as per usual in other people. She had seen many eyes, the lonely, the proud, the lost, and many others. His eyes were something entirely different though, if there was even a word to describe them.

Canines far broader to be considered human peeked out from his lips as he stared down at her. Maeda remains quiet watching the girl, contemplating the stupidity he was about to do. "If I take that thing of your face will you do some stupid shit again?"

Haku remains rooted, not really answering just watching remembering reminiscently of an action to a certain blond boy. The Inuzuka curses before finally ripping the tape from her lips. She gasps in pain from the sudden sting, she moves her jaw from side to side trying to get feeling once again. She spits the ball of wet gauze on the floor. Maeda snorts, "Here."

He pushes the glass next to her face, she glances up at him hesitant to even attempt to drink something when she was drugged days ago. "Piece of shit." He rolls his eyes, kneeling in front of her, placing the glass at her lips. "It won't bite ya, ya pansy." He tilts her head, allowing her to drink. It tastes amazing, parched and tired she drinks eagerly before sputtering and coughing on the water. He chuckles. "Gonna try your hand at drowning now?"

He places the cup to side before clapping at her back. The coughing gingerly died down, she hesitantly answers. "Thank you."

Maeda tuts a word at the side of his lips before getting up walking the length of the room to grab some more gauze to stuff in her mouth. He comes back in front of her ready to place the piece inside again, he stops when she finally continues. "Your eyes, they're different."

Maeda gives a flippant response, "Don't I feel special? Open your mouth."

"Is the boy with blond hair really your brother?"

Maeda's hand stops in mid-air, watching her, his hands instantly flex the guaze all but squashed. His eyes is searching trying to gauge her reaction if she was trying to find a weakness to exploit. He's hesitant at first, but throws caution in the wind seeing her once emotionless face was eager to hear, plus there was no way in hell she was escaping. "Not by blood." He starts. "That doesn't matter either way. Blood is worth dirt in this world."

Haku's widen at the statement, but she doesn't deny it either. Her family was a perfect example what related by blood can do. "He's my brother. That's all you have to know. Now enough outta ya?" He gripped her chin forcing her mouth to open, when the heavy weight fell on the room. It was heavy the mist began to form, Haku looks directly in his eyes. Maeda's face is stoic and unreadable, his eyes are closed when he sniffs deeply trying to distinguish certain points of the house.

"He's here..."

Maeda's eyes open, he pulls the gauze away, reaching into his pouch before washing out the cloth in liquid. She tries to move before his free hand grabs at her throat, holding her still before stuffing the cloth against her nose. "Just my luck." She hears him mutter, struggling, trying to pull away as she holds her breath. But his grip is too strong and soon enough, she has to breathe. When darkness finally takes her she doesn't fall on her face this time, the large hand of the inuzuka lays her head gently to ground.

Maeda rises, arm already grasping his weapon as he turns around and smiles. "Come on then! Two days sittin' still, I need to burn some energy!"

His eyes scan from side to side, the fog is thick, he could barely see in front of his face. He feels a sudden a movement, he launches his body away from the sound. The sudden sting passes his chest, his hand is quick to get there blood quickly seeps over it.

"You move fast bub," Maeda focuses on the voice and he sees the silhouette before it quickly vanishes. "But not fast enough."

The Inuzuka hears the sound again, anticipating, he launches his body to another location, pole arm outstretched hitting nothing but air. Maeda hears it again, its behind him! He turns, trying to block the blade. The cleaver clanks against his weapon with bone rattling force, the blade sliding down the weapon's length as the younger male deflects, deftly slicing open his thigh despite the attempted redirect. The Inuzuka stumbles, hissing as red trails down his leg..

Zabusa watches from the mist, calm and quiet, invisible to everything even in this small room maneuvering around what few obstacles remain in the way. His eyes pierce through the gloom, seeing the youth as clear as though the thick, heavy fog wasn't even there. He gauges the young man trying to discern how the bastard-chuunin was anticipating his attacks . The demon of the mist attacks again from the bottom up. The boy immediately catches the movement, barely blocking the sword in time.

The kunai was a surprise.

Maeda feels the sudden loss in tension in Kubikiribocho, he sees the shadow of the demon's arm through the mist, the kunai at the forefront about to stab him in the ribs. He forces through brute force a spin with his pole arm knocking the massive cleaver to the side, knocking the Kiri nin off balance Zabusa recovers quickly, so fast it may as well not have happened at all as the kunai drives itself hilt deep into his shoulder, the scrape of metal on bone is loud enough to reach both their ears. He grits his teeth. The arm quickly loses grip, Zabusa's leg cocks back, moving fast to hammer the kunai further into his arm to carve through the bone and slice open the artery at his armpit.

Maeda growls, seething as adrenalin fueled strength grew in his limbs as he catches the blocked kick with his weapon, swiveling around to grasp the approaching limb between the forked teeth of his pike, its thorn like teeth digging into Zabusa's shin before he howled, pure brute force allowing him to swing the Kiri nin and his weapon like an overgrown straw dummy to crash through the wall into another room.

He gnashes his teeth, saliva dripping from between his overgrown canines as the beast within claws at his mind. Eyes going bloodshot as the blood rushes through his ears. He pulls the kunai from his shoulder like an afterthought. His feral expression is broadened, the canines growing, the pole arm is being held in front of his person with one hand as the other hands limp.

Zabusa watches from his hiding place. "Rabid dogs are the easiest to put down." The Inuzuka's ears twitch, and with a lunge he's charging through the mist right at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As if the battle at the house wasn't enough, Asuma's troupe watches with wide eyes as a mass swarm of thugs walk over the horizon. Each of them armed to the teeth. Asuma's eyes are searching, he hears the rising panic setting on the workers as each and everyone one of them begin to run for their lives. He turns in the direction of the small little tin house where Toushie and Ryojin remain hidden. A mist begins to form again.

His team move into position, ready to take the bulk of thugs heading their way. Albeit, they were simple hired thugs, not trained shinobi, who wouldn't pose a real threat. There was a large army of men, not forgetting an A-rank shinobi in their ranks that made the situation a whole lot more dangerous and deadly.

Ino fidgets with her knives for a bit. Chouji is gulping down, touching his chest checking for equipment. Naruto licks his lips with nervousness.

The mist continues to thicken, once the small army of thugs cross the threshold all hell breaks loose. The swarm of men caught sight of the bridge and thunder down the hill towards them. Asuma isn't deterred he remains still, once they reach a certain point. Asuma signals at the team lying in await through the communication device on his person. After the last remaining man steps on the bridge, Toushie and Ryojin explode from the tin house, a whirling dervish of fangs and claws that tears into the rear line of men while whips of swirling water smash into any of the men still lagging behind, crushing bones and cutting through limbs.

Some paused, turning to face the Inuzuka and his ninken, but more continued on forward, caught in the battle frenzy. Naruto makes his seals a large army of his own at his back, Ino and Chouji among them. Asuma barely hears the rustle of cloth, almost too engrossed on the ensuing chaos. Two massive cleavers cut through him from the top and bottom completely severing him in half. There was no blood to show for it, Asuma poofed out of existence a log in his place. Simplest trick in the book.

Both Zabusa's curse before one of them is face down on the bridge, Asuma's hand is on his head not giving any quarter. The Guardian pierces the back of the neck of Zabusa with his trench knife, the person simply burst into a large puddle of water. Asuma looks up staring down the other Zabusa remaining, it didn't last long when two other bled from the mist standing side by side.

Naruto remains in the forefront ready to take the brunt of the attack, "Sensei! He's in the army too!." Asuma turns seeing three more Zabusa's running among the throng of thugs. He's running pushing, carving a swathe through Naruto's horde of copies.

Asuma makes his trench knifes become infused with his affinity, throwing himself Zabusa clones that know well enough to stay well and trully out of his weapons reach, even blocking a wind blade with their faux greatswords would dispel them.

Chouji cries out, expanding his body to unimaginable proportions as whatever's left of the thugs punch through the delicate clones. His body begins to spin. He tries to focus in the direction this mass of his body was going to head to. He was still too young to grasp the power to change rotations. Reaching its final cycle, he pushes his worries down, determined to not over think things. His body starts forward running over Naruto's clones, including the thugs, and by luck with the combined efforts of a number of Naruto clones holding down a Zabusa, he even manages to get one of the Kiri nin's constructs.

Chouji continues to barrel through the ranks, Toushie and Ryojin catching one of the Zabusa clones unawares as the Inuzuka gets to him, making sure nothing took the opportunity to hit him while he was shrinking back down to his normal size. Ino is the last, tossing kunai and shuriken at the, by now disoriented stragglers that have stumbled past her teammates and driving the weapons home in shoulders, knees, elbows and hips. All the while Tazuna remained to the side hiding behind the crates, occasionally ducking the wayward crossbow bolt or kunai.

Asuma releases a huge fireball, his smoke igniting the thing expanding consuming one of the clones. A sword comes at his blind side barely allowing him the warning to dodge. His eyes are searching, bodies lie scattered all around them, Naruto's mass of clones are dwindling quickly by holding the thugs down when Chouji comes around to barrel them down. This is going far too easy in his book, his eyes are look once more, he catches one of the clones in the gut with his trench knife.

He realizes then when the last clone is extinguished, that maybe this was a ruse, a distraction and that this time their luck ran out. He watches as Chouji continues his onslaught, Toushie and Ryojin with combined efforts take out the other Zabusa with Ryojin holding him down, while Toushie delivered the killing blow. They were simply cannon fodder, this wasn't Zabusa's true intention, they were fooled. An even growing fear in his gut when each clone of Naruto's is being taken out, the real Naruto was not among them anymore.

Zabusa...wasn't after the bridge builder. He was after Haku!

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Zabusa pants, very nearly leaning on his sword, he moves the bandages over his lips before he spits blood on to the floor wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before putting the mask back in place. The dog gave him more trouble than he was worth.

For his efforts he was now laying in a heap of blood, the red liquid beginning to pool around him, Maeda was a complete mess of deep gashes and cuts, one arm broken to go with two snapped ribs, he was breathing but in short breaths. He turns towards his right arm. One hit...one stupid lucky hit. He'd been careless!

He feels lightheaded, his sight swimming as blood trails over his chin, he curses he weakened himself too much, expending so many clones to make this happen. He hadn't been counting on chuunin reinforcements. Just three green as grass shit gennin!

With one or more of them out of the way the Jounin would have been easy, even in his weakened state with Haku's help. And if she hadn't been able to help then he would have taken the brats hostage to exchange for Tazuna's life, somewhere in the negotiation he'd have found an opening if the man wasn't exhausted from taking on a small army.

He looks at his weapon, shining, neatly sharpened to utter perfection. It had drank the blood from his enemy and to make things eerie, his own. His blade made no point to discriminate.

He walks slowly towards Haku who lays in a heap leaving his signature sword stabbed into floorboards, she remains asleep. He reaches in his pockets but falls hard on his knees as the room spins. The blood loss is hitting him hard. He coughs harshly again, hearing the wet sounds. He lifts her head, "Again, I've had to save your ass." He mutters.

He tries to lift her body but he staggers, dropping her but making sure to catch her head from hitting the floor. "Damnit." He reaches for the smelling salts in his pockets. He places it under her nose, she's slow to wake. The liquid Maeda used earlier too potent to be simply erased. "I can't lift you, Get up." He orders cutting her bonds as her eyes flutter.

She's still unresponsive, she watches the man who raised her since she was a child try to lift her again, but she notices he's hurt...badly. Even in her groggy state she tries to stand, to help but it's as if her limbs are simply goo.

"Fuck..."

They fall, Zabusa unable to catch her this time, they'd only moved for a few feet towards his sword. He'd be damned if he would have to leave that. He tried again...

"Maeda!"

Zabusa growls, the pounding of feet heard long before he sees the boy standing at the door, kunai in hand. "Fucking brat," Zabusa stands to his full height. Weakened as he is he can gut one gennin.

A small hand catches him. He looks down, she's watching him her eyes actually pleading. He grits his teeth.

Naruto walks towards him, his facial expression feral. But Zabusa speaks looking back to the boy. "It's over."

Naruto actually stops in his tracks, "What?"

"I'm here for her. You've got a Jounin, one more chuunin with a ninken, guarding a bridge builder that just needs a day more of hard labor to finish. Its over. My mission has failed. I suggest you get out of my way before I kill you. Don't think I can't boy"

Naruto's body stiffens, taking a look at his brother on the floor bleeding profusely. "You think I'll just let you leave after you-"

"Your little Chuunin is alive. If you want to keep him that way, you better not waste time fighting with me."

Naruto calmed, staring at his brother enough to recognize that, yes, he was actually still breathing, although...not for much longer if he kept bleeding like this. He marches closer, giving the still very dangerous jounin something of a wide berth as he steps closer to his pseudo sibling. "You'll leave then?"

Before anything else can be said, the front of the house is torn to pieces, crossbow bolts rip through rice paper doors, plaster and glass windows.

Only the timely use of a Hari-Jiizu, something he'd already been preparing to use in case Zabusa attacked, saved him and Maeda from a crossbow bolt through his back.

That shielded him from the sight of Zabusa all but throwing himself in front of the still immobile girl, shafts of iron tipped wood punching deep into his chest, stomach, shoulders and legs to find purchase in his organs.

They hear claps, a short, balding man marching into the room with an all too confident smirk as nearly twenty armed men march in behind him, each reloading a crossbow bolt.

Zabusa's mouth fountains blood, he'd been expecting something like this truth be told.

He glared at the smug Gatou through blurred, half lidded eyes as he wheezed, struggling to gain a breath into his punctured lungs.

"This is what you get you arrogant bastard!" Gatou yells, driving his cane down to the floor for emphasis. "Think you can strong arm me! You're in my world here!"

Zabusa's laugh was raspy and weak as he stepped towards his sword, away from Haku, ignoring the girl as she reached for him.

Naruto's eyes widened, realizing the situation as his hair once more receded to its normal length. His eyes scanning Zabusa's labored breathing, the amount of blood loss through the whole exchange, the man was just minutes, if not seconds away from dying. Zabusa knew it too. Yet the man's eyes remained strong, fixed, on the one person in the room. "Your world huh." The demon of the bloody mist laughed. "No...This is death dealing. So you've stepped into my world you miserable midget!"

The little man seems to realize the danger he's in as Zabusa grips his blade with the last remaining functional arm. He turns to run through the line of crossbowmen.

"Protect me!" He shouts, shoving past them. "Kill that pasty faced wretch!

The mist comes again.

Haku manages to get to her feet for a second before she's fallen flat again, her hands barely responding in time to catch herself before she planted her face into the ground. She's crying, her weak voice barely even able to carry the whisper of Zabusa's name through her sobs. She tries crawling her way forward before Naruto makes two clones, having them pull her back as the 'thwak' of crossbow bolt releases and the screams of dying men reached him. She cries and struggles and his clones hold her down as he kneels at Maeda's side to try and stabilize him with whatever time Zabusa had just given him.

He focused on his brother, focuses on stopping the bleeding. He doesn't focus on how long it takes.

All he knows is that in an instant it was over.

The fog slowly dissipates and there on his knees remains Zabusa hunched over, his blade embedded on to the ground still holding tightly to the hilt. The head of Gatou held by the hairs on his other hand.

Haku wails.

Seconds later Asuma is running through the door his eyes wide at the gore and bodies littered on the ground, but nothing would've prepared him for what he witnessed. The man was barely breathing but his eyes catch Asuma's own.

He throws Gatou's head, letting it roll in front of him. He struggles, as more people arrive Toushie running to Naruto's side. Asuma doesn't answer still taking the scene in front of him...

Zabusa falls back, letting go of his signature weapon, his breathing slowing, crossbow bolts are now on his shoulders and back to go with the extras sticking out of his chest. It was a miracle he was still even half alive.

Haku struggles again, trying to reach him, and the clones, now realizing the danger is gone reach down and lift her up. "Let me help" He offers as she tries to struggle out of the grip that had previously held her back.

She reaches Zabusa's side and falls to her knees, lifting his head cradling his head to her lap. Haku doesn't notice but tears began to form and fall softly on the demon's face. He coughs, blood dribbling from the side of his mouth.

Zabusa's eyes begin to glaze over. His hand reaches up to feather a calloused touch on her cheeks from his fingertips. "Don't cry Haku." His breathing grows harsher, but he looks up at her face. "No need for that."

Zabusa is breathing continues to slow, his eyes are unseeing but he could see light around her shadowed frame

"A shinobi...doesn't need feelings..." Zabusa said, smirking grimly. "Like me eh?" He scoffs sarcastically.

Haku could only nod, tears still streaming down her face as she openly sobbed.

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Not much to really say, the wave Arc is finished, we'll have to see the fallout by the next chapter. Lots of interesting things will be happening in that arc. You readers shall enjoy...serendipity. :}

Here's a quote to go with the day:

"The object of war is not to die for your country; Its to make the other bastard die for his!"