The Blonde Uchiha
Chapter 10
Counterattack; The Mist Dissolves!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
"speaking"
'thinking'
"Jutsu"
"Tailed Beast Speak"
NarutoxSasukixMikoto
Age Alert!: Just to let everyone know where we stand, Sasuki and Naruto are now age 13 (Normal age during time frame) and Mikoto is 33. Mikoto has been made younger for our purposes in this story.
Time Frame: Naruto and Sasuki are now out of the academy while Mikoto remains in maternal leave to allow herself time to deal with the Uchiha clan's maintenance.
Hey what's up guys, back for another round of Blonde Uchiha. Its been a while since I've updated so I had to read over my notes to remember what I was doing. Right now we are at the point where the battle between Zabuza and Team 7 gets serious as the Jounin prepare to finish one another off.
Naruto has revealed his sharingan, allowing it to be seen by all. I know some of you who were alert noticed that it was a two-tomoed sharingan instead of a three-tomoed, as it was originally Fugaku's eyes. Unlike most plot points that I would leave ambiguous, I will give a two-fold explanation here. One is from within the Naruto-verse explanation; Naruto's body was not used to the sharingan and could not cope with its full capabilities, limiting it (visibly seen as two tomoe and not three) along with some of Kyuubi's deviance and own agenda.
In realistic "author" terms, giving Naruto such a powerful ability as three tomoes this early in the story does not make for much fun, nor fairness. I think that's what makes many fanfic stories go down hill is that they overpower Naruto so early in the story and not allow further development in his skills. I have this story plotted through every Arc of the manga (as it follows it for main plot points) and I know when and where Naruto will learn such and such jutsu, further his sharingan, and have it all legitimized without saying, "Oh its a new day, lets turn on my sharingan, oh look I have three tomoes from last night's hard training!"
Yeah, not likely.
Maybe you are satisfied with the result or maybe you don't like my reasoning, and at this point I can only use the old "I'm the author, my story." routine although I don't like using it on my readers. Please understand this is both to make the story balanced and yet still entertaining to read.
This will hopefully be bundled with an Assassin chapter (If not then it will be coming up soon!) and then next on the list is a chapter for Mercenary, but I've got lot of stuff coming up with college so I will be busy. Hope all you guys are still around to read and review and sorry for the long author's note.
Now onto the show!
000
Wave Country
Forest
Zabuza chuckled as the Jonin held the kunai to his throat. The genin seemed so confident they had won, forgetting about him as a threat; only Kakashi seemed to realize the true danger.
"Did you really think you could beat me with an imitation? I'm much tougher than that, Kakashi." Kakashi's grip on his weapon tightened and he tensed.
A clone of Zabuza appeared from behind and forced Kakashi to turn his head in surprise. The one he had captured turned into water as the new one swung his sword.
"You're mine!" Kakashi sidestepped the swing but was taken by surprise with Zabuza's quick movement.
He gripped his sword hilt for balance and kicked Kakashi into the air, sending him flying for the nearby pond. With a deadly smirk, the Mist Jonin reversed his grip and took the sword with him in a mad dash toward the struggling sensei.
Naruto and the others could only watch in shock as their teacher was being beaten.
'How is he being beaten..not only with our clan's sharingan but his experience! This is..not happening!'
Sasuki was the most taken aback as their teacher pulled himself out of the water, unaware of danger.
"This is thick water..almost as if-"
"Fool."
Kakashi's eyes widened and he turned to see Zabuza go through hand signs for a suiton technique. His sharingan then came to the chilling realization the water was thick with chakra, and it was being molded around him to form a prison. The water orb cascaded and formed around him, forcing him to hold his breath but leaving him unable to move with the density of the liquid.
"Suiton: Suirō!"
'Damn..I thought I could use the water as cover but it seemed he planned for that. Zabuza is stronger than I expected.'
"You can't escape from this one Kakashi, you give me too much trouble when you are allowed to move." Zabuza's killer glare pierced the Jonin as he spoke volumes on his plan.
"I'll take care of you later, but right now I think I'll deal with these runts." He turned to look at Naruto and the rest who were locked in place, unsure of what to do.
"Mizu Bunshin." A clone of the Kiri nin appeared from the water, wearing a devilish smirk as it approached the three.
Naruto was the closest and he knew he would have to deal with Zabuza if they wanted a chance of freeing Kakashi. The first problem was the water clone, which although it wasn't equal in strength to its owner, it was still enough of a challenge that made Naruto nervous.
"You call yourselves ninja because you wear a headband, but true ninja have gone through life or death situations, had years of experience, and.." In a flash step the clone was right on top of Naruto who could only bring his arms up to block.
"Don't hesitate!" Zabuza kicked him and sent him flying back, skidding on the dirt.
"Naruto!" Sasuki leaped to his side and helped him up, glaring at the clone.
"You bastard!"
Before she could charge him, Naruto put a hand on her shoulder as he often did to calm her. Wiping some dirt from his cheek, he just shook his head.
"Calm down Sasuki, we need a plan before we can take him down." She looked at Naruto, surprised he was keeping so calm after getting hit.
Just seeing him get hit made her blood boil. Shino appeared on her other side and offered his own counsel.
"Naruto is right Sasuki, we can't rush in blindly or else we'll die."
Kakashi knew that his team had great potential, but even this was too much for them. Zabuza was a Jonin of the Mist, he wouldn't hesitate to strike them down as long as they were in his way. They were sitting ducks as long as they remained.
"Everyone! Take Tazuna-san and run as far as you can! His water clone can't move far from his body and he can't move as long as he has me in this prison, that's your chance to escape." It wasn't a good plan, but it was the only one the three could pull off at their current level.
'Leave? No..that chance disappeared once you were captured Kakashi-sensei.' Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch and made a hand sign. 'Now our only chance is to free you.'
Sasuki saw him prepare and wondered what had gotten into him. Did he have a plan?
"Naruto?" She questioned as Shino looked on as well.
"I'll handle the clone, you two get Kakashi free." As soon as he said that, five more Naruto appeared ready to fight.
"But Naruto, how are we supposed to do that?" She asked, not understanding where his confidence was coming from.
The blonde turned on his sharingan and looked at the real Zabuza, specifically his hand holding the water prison. His chakra was focused on that point, holding the shape and strength of the water sphere to hold their teacher. If that link could be severed, then Kakashi would be free.
"Separate him from the sphere and the jutsu will dissipate."
Shino nodded in understanding as he observed Zabuza, he hadn't taken his hand off the prison since he first created it. Sasuki understood too, but she was still so confused about where Naruto was getting his cool head from; she was expecting him to panic, like she did at first.
'I guess that's what makes him my better half.' She smirked as she gave a nod to Naruto and a thumbs up from Shino signaled the start.
"Are you done plotting how you'll die yet?" Zabuza's clone spoke, biting back a chuckle.
Naruto just gritted his teeth and ran forward, his clones following close behind. If he could take out the clone it would be great, but there was a chance Zabuza would pick up on their plan and create a new one. His best bet was to hold its attention while Shino and Sasuki took on the original.
The Jonin smirked and brought his sword to bear as they ran forward, a bloodthirsty glare sent chills down Naruto's spine. He threw his kunai at Zabuza who blocked it with his sword, but also cutting his visibility as the other clones charged from above and his flanks.
True to his skill, he remained calm and nonchalantly kicked one on his left that had let its guard down; another on his right was hit in the head with his sword hilt as he swung it upward to block the jumping clone's attack. They met blades but Zabuza easily won the strength match and pushed the clone back enough for it to hit a tree and disappear.
The last two threw their kunai in an attempt to distract him but only received his full attention. One got sliced clean through with the cleaver and the other one was sent up into the air by a kick, allowing the clone to get back to the original Naruto who hadn't taken part in the attack. As he turned, his eyes widened as he heard the jutsu being called.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" A red fireball launched at him and he quickly sidestepped the beast, realizing that it was poorly aimed.
"Nowhere close brat." Naruto ran forward with a kunai and a smirk as Zabuza brought his sword down to end the fight.
Using his sharingan to predict the movement, Naruto leaped to the side and pushed forward at the clone. With its sword impaled in the ground, the clone had no choice but to try and grab Naruto before he could make contact. Adjusting his body to meet the grapple, the blonde avoided it and sent his kunai right through the arm which severed it.
Before it could reform, Naruto impaled the clone's stomach and let its water flow out slowly. As the clone came to the throes of defeat, the blonde looked up at him and deactivated his sharingan.
"One thing Zabuza.." Naruto panted out, as exhaustion crept onto him. "That fireball..wasn't meant for you."
The clone's eyes widened as it turned to watch the genin's plan unfold.
"Damn..brats." The clone burst into mist, covering Naruto's gaunt face.
'That sharingan..still takes a lot out of me.' Was all he could think of before he collapsed in an attempt to regain his strength.
000
Zabuza found it entertaining to watch the fight between Naruto and his clone for only so long. Luckily, the kid with the overcoat brought him more entertainment as he stood before the pool of water, hands in his pockets and without a single expression on his face.
"Got tired of your team-mate doing everything for you? Come to rescue sensei all by yourself?" He teased, receiving no reaction.
Zabuza scowled, there was no entertainment when a runt didn't show fear. He'd have to create another clone to teach him a lesson.
Before he could concentrate, a red mass crept into the corner of his eye. Turning into it, Zabuza realized that a stray jutsu was coming right at him from the battle between his clone and Naruto! Cursing, he stomped his foot on the ground and a wall of water shielded him from the blast, although roils of heat and steam smacked his face from the power behind the technique.
'That was close-'
A swarm of insects charged Zabuza from the front, sent out from Shino's revealed hands. The Aburame directed them with the cold precision that was accustomed to his clan.
"Shit!"
Zabuza launched himself into the air, making the water spurn up and distract the insects while he got his bearings.
'A clever distraction, but not enough to fool me-' In front of him, a clone of Naruto sailed through the air.
He could only watch in surprise as it reached into its bag and found purchase, a Windmill Shuriken. It twisted in the air the best it could to get in a good throwing pose before letting it loose right at the mid-air Zabuza. Kakashi could only look on, amazed at the timing they were launching their attacks.
'When did that clone get made..' Then Kakashi remembered, the last clone Naruto used to fight the clone that got kicked into the air.
'Did he really think that out? No way..'
000
The clone ran at Zabuza's flank while the other ran at him in the front. They were to buy time for Naruto to use his technique, and so their plan was to physically hold down the clone for as long as they could. Zabuza brought his sword to bear and sliced through the other one, leaving him alone.
A quick glance to Naruto signaled the technique was ready and he suddenly stopped running at the clone. The oncoming kick allowed the blonde an excuse to get airborne; making his body go with the attack and look as if he had been hit.
The Zabuza clone had little time to tell otherwise as it sensed the fireball, leaving the shadow clone clear to get ready for its attack on the real Zabuza.
000
Zabuza glared as the shuriken approached, he had to respect their tenacity but the kids were getting on his nerve. However, he wouldn't be beaten so easily; he had a reputation to keep.
Shino sent his bugs flying up toward Zabuza, not trusting the shuriken to do its job. Even though it was Sasuki's turn, he wanted to be sure that the Jonin couldn't get away. Unfortunately Zabuza had anticipated his insects and made sure the chakra water coated them, weighing them down and making them unable to reach.
Although it only gave him a few moments until he came back down, it was enough for him to think of a way to escape.
"I don't think so!"
Zabuza easily caught the Windmill and threw it back at the clone, slicing through it with ease. His triumph was short lived as Sasuki appeared behind him and brought her full force axe kick down on his extended arm holding Kakashi, forcing him to let go and growl in pain. All three fell into the water and Naruto weakly moved over to join Shino at the edge of the pool, waiting anxiously for them to surface.
'Come on Sasuki..please be safe!'
She was the first one to appear above water, catching sight of Naruto and giving him a thumbs up. He was about to return it when another figure rose up out of the water, directly behind her.
"You..little bitch!" He grabbed the hilt of his sword behind his back and brought it crashing down on her frozen form, unable to move.
Naruto wanted to leap across the water and save her, but he was too far. All he could do was scream her name.
"SASUKI!"
She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip, waiting for the blow to end her. It never came.
Kakashi stood in front of her, fighting Zabuza in a test of strength with his kunai; he had blocked the blow meant for her. She looked up at him, surprised that he arrived in time. Even though he was exerting his strength and in the middle of a fight, he spared a look down at her with a smile.
"I told you Sasuki..I won't let my comrades die."
She blushed against her will, both in embarrassment and in thanks. Kakashi looked back toward Naruto, the obvious leader of the group, it was thanks to him they could rally behind the counterattack and beat Zabuza.
"Naruto, that was a great plan. You did well working under pressure to use your team-mates' strengths to overcome a stronger opponent. Same to you Shino and Sasuki, you all did great."
As a teacher with high standards, Kakashi did not give compliments often. When he did though, they were well deserved.
'If they had me believing in their plan, then it must mean something.'
"We knew our only chance was to free you Kakashi-sensei, so we worked like a team. There was no way to beat Zabuza, but there was a way to break his control." Naruto extrapolated the plan, giving silent thanks to Shino and Sasuki for working together.
'They may be competitive, but at least they can be a team when it counts.'
Zabuza was not as impressed and pushed off from Kakashi, creating some distance between them in the pool of water. Sasuki swam to shore and was helped up by her brother and Shino. With his team safe, Kakashi could now focus solely on his opponent.
"Hmph. I got distracted and couldn't keep hold of the jutsu, big deal." The Kiri nin explained, trying to lessen their praise.
Kakashi glared.
"Don't kid yourself, you had no choice but to release the jutsu." Zabuza scowled. "It worked once Zabuza, but I promise that your trick won't work again."
Kakashi got into a fighting stance and prepared for the next part of the battle. The genin quickly returned to Tazuna's side for the rest of the battle; Zabuza was still out of their league, it was better to let Kakashi handle him.
"So..what's your next move?" Kakashi chided and Zabuza glared.
In a lightning fast motion, the assassin began going through hand signs for a jutsu. Kakashi's sharingan followed them and copied it. The genin were impressed as this was the first time they had seen a high level jutsu used between Jonin.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan!"
"Suiton: Suiryūdan!"
Two water dragons spiraled out of the water and roared as if they were real beasts being summoned for battle. The two jutsu users concentrated and had their jutsu block one another, making the form smash together and rain water down onto them. They met in the middle beneath the sinking dragon corpses, in a test of strength between their weapons.
Zabuza struggled against Kakashi, not understanding how their jutsu could occur simultaneously. It was true that the sharingan could copy a technique and follow the hand signs, however, the users start at different times meaning the jutsu would not be simultaneous.
'Does it mean he was-'
Zabuza broke from their battle and ran around Kakashi, who followed in turn. When he went to form the hand sign for another jutsu, the Konoha ninja mimicked this as well. It was a perfect synchronization, and there was no way he could guess these moves correctly.
'Is he-'
"Reading your mind?" Zabuza's eyes widened when Kakashi answered the question he had been thinking.
He began to weave a sign only to see Kakashi follow.
"It irritates you, doesn't it?"
"You're just a monkey, copying its master." He began to weave signs, this time with a serious intention; Kakashi began to copy them just as he did.
Zabuza stopped when he saw a shadow behind Kakashi, quickly realizing it was himself. Was it a mind game by Kakashi's hand? Or did he really believe that he was fighting himself?
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!'
"But wait, how did you-"
The tidal wave of water formed quickly in front of Kakashi and launched itself at Zabuza, giving him little time to understand. Unable to dodge the speeding rapids, the Kiri-nin could only allow himself to be swept away by the whirling tides, smashing into branches and trees of the nearby forest as it swept him away.
'I was about to create a tidal wave too!' Zabuza growled as he struggled against the tide, trying to escape.
'He copies my jutsu and does them before I even have a chance to finish, I can't keep up with him!'
The tide picked up as it neared its end, sending him spiraling out of control through the tunnel of water.
Naruto and the others braced themselves as the water whipped back toward them as well, sending a fury of wind and water right at them. They fought on to keep watching as the battle neared its conclusion, hoping that Kakashi would finally finish him off.
'Come on Kakashi-sensei.'
Zabuza was slammed into a tree as the water receded, giving him a moment of respite. It felt as if his body had just gotten done with being in a washing machine; he could barely move his arms or legs from the pressure that had been put on them.
Before he could even look up, a flurry of kunai were launched and hit him in the arms and legs making him scream in pain. Sensing his enemy, Zabuza looked up to see Kakashi kneeling on a branch with a pitiful look in his eye. He roared in defiance to the Jonin, even in his weakened position.
"You're finished, Zabuza." Kakashi said, matter-of-factly.
He struggled to understand, how could he lose? What made Kakashi have the upper-hand in their fight?
"How could I have lost? How is it you can see my movements before I do them? A psychic?"
Kakashi took out another kunai and prepared for the final blow.
"Yes..this is your last battle, Zabuza." His eyes widened but both sensed an attack coming from another angle.
"Ugh!" The needles hit right in his neck, ending his moan of agony.
Kakashi watched as a young boy with a mask appeared next to Zabuza's body, inspecting it. Naruto and the others joined them to see the events unfold, confused. Who was the new person?
Zabuza collapsed forward on the ground, no sign of life could be seen. Kakashi dropped to the ground and inspected the body himself, feeling for a pulse on his neck; he was rewarded with none.
"No vital signs.." He looked up at the boy who merely bowed.
"Thank you, its been difficult finding this one. He has many hideouts scattered across these islands and only a long, drawn out battle would allow me to have him in one place long enough to kill him."
Kakashi looked him over, focusing on the mask.
"From your outfit, it looks like you're a tracker ninja from the Hidden Mist."
'So young..but he's got great strength. There is something about him that isn't normal though..what is it?'
Haku nodded in confirmation.
"You are well informed, Kakashi of Konoha."
"What exactly is a tracker ninja?" Naruto asked the other two quietly, not understanding.
Sasuki made to answer but Shino beat her to it.
"They are ninja that are specially trained in combat against shinobi and in the tracking of missing ninja. Their orders are to find and eliminate traitors to the village, to prevent secrets and techniques unique to them from falling into enemy hands." Sasuki glared at her team-mate but nonetheless agreed.
"I see.." Naruto looked again at the boy who had made his way over to Zabuza, lifting him over his shoulder.
"As it was my duty to eliminate Zabuza, it is also my duty to handle the body. If you would excuse me, I would like to get this over with."
The squad assembled around Kakashi as they merely stared the Kiri ninja down as he prepared to leave.
"Thank you again, ninja of Konoha."
Haku disappeared into a vortex of water, leaving the party of five alone.
"Well, I'm glad that's over with." Naruto said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Sasuki and Shino nodded, their first battle was a tense one even if it was successful. They could use a good rest after that.
Tazuna scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, it was because of him they had to fight in the first place.
"Sorry I got everyone in this mess." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "When we get to my house, I'll be sure to have my daughter cook a nice meal for all of you."
Kakashi put on a smile for the team, even as his body threatened to give out.
"Alright, let's get moving."
He took one step, and that was when he could feel his body just stop working. Everyone watched as if in slow motion, their teacher fell over onto the ground, unconscious.
Naruto ran over first and checked, he was exhausted from using the sharingan.
'Just like after my battle.' Naruto knew the feeling.
"What happened!" Sasuki asked as she ran over to see.
"He's exhausted from the fight and using his sharingan so he collapsed. It's happened to me too." Shino and Tazuna walked over in concern, wondering what to do next.
"Here, I'll hold him by one end and Sasuki can grab the other. Shino and Tazuna, lead the way."
Naruto and Sasuki picked up their sensei's heavy body and carried him along as the group made their way to safety.
000
Wave Country
Tazuna's House
A day later, Kakashi stirred in his sleep. Remembering the situation they were in after he collapsed, he jolted up from the bed only to flinch in pain. His body was sore and he had little energy to move.
Tsunami stood above him, hands on her hips as if about to scold a child.
"Sensei, if your body is weak then you shouldn't move."
Kakashi sighed and nodded, laying back down.
"I won't be able to move right for a week, better if I lie down."
Hearing the commotion, the three genin came into the room and sat near his bedside. He looked them over and was glad to see they all looked ok from the previous battle.
"The sharingan is a powerful tool sensei, but if it will make you this exhausted after its use, it might be better to not overuse it." Shino gave voice to what they all were thinking and Kakashi sighed.
"Sorry for worrying you guys.." Tazuna came in as well to check in.
"You took down the strongest ninja Gato has, we should be safe for a while! Take a load off." His cheerful demeanor was quickly silenced as Kakashi and the others did not return it.
Something felt off after the last battle, something that had been nagging at them. The battle wasn't over yet was what it said.
"Kakashi-sensei, who exactly was the guy in the mask?" Sasuki asked, as something about him bothered her.
"Well, he was a tracker ninja from the Hidden Mist. They are a special squad of ninja that eliminate and destroy the presence of any rogue shinobi from their village to prevent their secrets from being examined or stolen." They listened as he explained his knowledge.
"Secrets?" Naruto asked and Kakashi nodded.
"For example, if Naruto or I were to die, our enemies could examine the sharingan.." Sasuki cut a glance toward Naruto as he flinched on his mention. "And in a worst case scenario, our techniques as well as our eyes would be taken for use by the enemy village."
They were quiet, that was a grim reality that faced them as shinobi.
000
Haku sat next to an immobile Zabuza, preparing to remove his bandages to allow him a better chance to breathe. They were still in the forest, having left the Konoha squad behind a while back. As he reached to remove the clothe, Zabuza caught his wrist and undid the bandage himself.
"I can do it." He said and Haku obediently backed down, though he flinched as he watched his master remove the needles roughly from his neck.
"Damn, you were too rough with those."
"Please Zabuza-sama, be more careful when removing them or you could die. For real." The swordsman didn't seem to mind as he sat up and took a deep breath.
He looked over Haku for a moment before huffing.
"When are you gonna take that mask off?" Haku froze and then chuckled a bit.
"Sorry..its been a while since I used it, I forgot I had it on." He removed it, revealing his pale and girlish face to Zabuza who only grimaced as he began thinking of the past battle.
'Damn that Kakashi..I hate to admit it but the only reason I'm still alive is Haku.'
"It was nice to use to put on the act, the Konoha ninja didn't suspect it." Zabuza chewed on his thumb, thinking about what happened.
"You didn't need to use the needles on my neck to inflict the near-death state." He stated, although Haku expected him to say it.
Haku knew that Zabuza disliked it when they were forced to do such an act, especially as it was uncomfortable for him.
"You're a wicked kid for doing that." He put his bandages back on as Haku smiled.
"It couldn't be helped, their Jonin was very observant. The neck was the best chance I had to make it look believable." Zabuza huffed but didn't say anything more.
"Besides, I didn't want to damage you in any way. The neck has fewer muscles, making it less damaging in the long run." The Jonin tried to stand but found it difficult to move at all from his upright position.
"It will be difficult to move for the next week or so, but perhaps you will move sooner, Zabuza-sama." He looked over the boy, seeing his innocent smile of amusement.
"You are pure, clever, and talented." Zabuza said as a statement.
He smirked.
"That's what I like about you."
Haku blushed and smiled.
"I'm still just a kid, so that makes sense." Around them the fog lifted, allowing for easy visibility.
Haku stood up and prepared to help the swordsman move.
"Will you be ok the next time you fight?" Zabuza glared at the ground, thinking of Kakashi.
"Next time, I will deal with that sharingan. For sure."
000
Wave Country
Forest
A few days later and Kakashi was up and about, albeit with the help of some crutches made by Tazuna in his spare time. With the looming threat of Zabuza returning over the horizon, Kakashi had set about training the three genin in tree climbing for chakra exercise. The sooner they learned how to do this, and the sooner they would be prepared to fight against an opponent in any position.
He was limping through the forest, on his way to check on the two still training. Shino had done well from the start, as to be expected from an Aburame; because their chakra was constantly being fed on by their insects, they had to learn how to control and manage their chakra flow to have enough at all times.
Sasuki and Naruto on the other hand, while they had more chakra to access, did not have the ability to control it. Not only did this force them both to stay after Shino and Kakashi had left, but it also didn't help their tense attitude since after the fight with Zabuza. Kakashi had noticed that Sasuki was treating everything like a competition with Naruto since he had revealed his sharingan, and he was afraid something had happened between them.
'It must have been tough on Naruto not telling his family about his secret..especially his own sister. I see why he did it though..I just hope he doesn't regret it.'
Shino was guarding Tazuna at the bridge, allowing him time to work with the two in their forest training. As he arrived at their training ground, he saw that both of them had collapsed in the grass, sleeping. Their hands were over one another and it seemed they kept each other company before falling asleep; Kakashi smiled at this notion before looking at the trees.
Notches littered their trunks, showing a progressive improvement throughout the day and night they had to train. Although they had not gotten to the top yet, Kakashi had no doubt that by tonight, the two would be successful in their first step in training.
Dropping off a basket with lunch, Kakashi decided to head back and leave them to it. The competition between them would only help the other improve, so he would leave it be. Besides, as brother and sister nothing would get too out of hand as they would always be family.
'Keep at it you two.'
000
Sasuki and Naruto were about to fall asleep, it was their second night training in the forest together. After the surprise lunch they received from Kakashi, the two kept training throughout the morning and afternoon. Now as the sun was setting, the two had put enough confidence in their ability to have a race up the tallest trees.
As Sasuki ran, she contemplated on what Naruto had told her about his sharingan the night before. Why he kept it from her, how little he knew about it, and his apology to her. He knew that she would have wanted to be informed of his ability, but he couldn't think of a proper way to tell her when they were younger and had just kept it a secret until now.
She had accepted it, because she accepted him. It only gave her another goal to strive for, to equal his strength and then some day surpass it with her own ability. If she could do that, then maybe she could defeat him too.
As soon as she reached the top, she looked to her right to see Naruto standing triumphantly on the the very top of his tree. He was smiling at her, giving a thumbs up; one she returned with a smirk.
They dropped to the forest floor and, without needing to discuss anything, began to walk off toward Tazuna's home. On the way, their hands became intertwined; neither did anything to stop it. Sasuki smiled and tightened her grip, not wanting to let go.
At the end of the day, their feelings were stronger than that.
And that..that was all that mattered to them.
'As long as I have her-'
'As long as I have him-'
They smiled.
'I am happy.'
000
Konohagakure
Hokage Mansion
Mikoto had gone to the Hokage directly after her encounter with the stalker, and she was content with the reaction from him. Angered by the danger that this person represented to the Uchiha, he had been quick to act on her request for an investigation.
"Mikoto-san, I am appalled that something like this would happen inside this village. Your safety is a top priority and this so-called stalker must not be taken lightly." Mikoto agreed and eagerly awaited his verdict.
"I will dispense an ANBU team to follow you, from a distance, and keep a close eye out for this person. They will arrest them on sight and take care of the interrogation necessary..we will find out what their purpose is." Mikoto had been trailed by ANBU teams before, she had never liked the feeling of being watched by their faceless masks.
But she could ill afford not to take the protection, not only for herself but for when Sasuki and Naruto returned home. Whoever this was would have to be caught as soon as possible, allowing the Uchiha to move on with their lives.
"Yes Hokage-sama, please deploy your team right away." He nodded and tipped his hat forward.
"They will be with you by the time you leave this office. Do not worry, they know not to interfere with your business, just live normally until the culprit has been caught." She nodded, bowed, and took her leave.
Hiruzen sighed and turned his chair around to look at the village through his office window.
"Stalkers, assassins, spies.." He let loose some smoke from his pipe in idle thought. "When can that family find peace?"
'Haven't they gone through enough?'
000
Finished, sorry for the short and relatively un-new chapter but you all know Wave and there isn't much to change. I tried to skip the non-essential parts which is what made it short. Next we will hopefully conclude Wave and crash right into the next mini-arc before the Chunin Exams where stuff gets good.
Since not much new stuff was covered, let me know your hopes and opinions on the outcome of Wave with Sasuki, Shino, and a sharingan Naruto as the new caste.
Next in Assassin is more Chunin Exam goodness if you remember, so watch out for that release soon!
Review!
Peace.