True Memories: Flurry of Dancing Flames
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts II
Zabuza remained unshaken at this new show of confidence and merely laughed it off as fool-hardiness.
"Heh heh…you're very sure of yourself. But do you really think you stand a chance against me?"
"Hell yeah, ya eye-browless freak!" Ren yelled with his wild smirk in place.
Sakura and Sasuke could only give a small laugh at the suddenness of the comment which only served to infuriate Zabuza. But he still kept his cool and focused his anger into a glare unto the ignorant insolence of the opponents before him. Kakashi, sensing the anger and blood-lust, did the only thing he could to warn them.
"What's the matter with you!? I told you to run! It's over…it was over the second he caught me! You have to do your duty, keep that in mind! We're here to protect Tazuna-san!"
"Tch, I hardly think the guy is going to give us the opportunity to run away so either way, we're all damned well screwed, I think."
"Intelligent yet crude as always, Ren. Didn't auntie or uncle ever do something about that?"
"Oh come on! My dad encouraged it! Though…my mother had otherwise to say…but whatever, how about it, old man? Run away or stand and fight?"
The four then focused their attention on Tazuna, face hidden from the straw hat he was wearing.
"…What? Let's face facts. The truth is, I got us into this mess by lying…I've had a real long life, and it would be wrong to let you four kids get yourselves killed trying to save me. So you go ahead, give this fight everything you've got."
The four kids, as Tazuna eloquently put it, merely grinned.
"Well, there you have it, Kakashi-sensei. Our client has given us permission to go at it full-speed." Sakura said cheekily.
The rage that was apparent on Zabuza's face disappeared and was replaced by that of a cold-blooded demon.
"Apparently you don't care whether you live to get any older! Playing at being a ninja like it's a child's game…I, however, by the time I was your age had already dyed these hands in my enemies' blood…"
A slight wave of blood-lust emanated from him, causing all four students and Tazuna to shiver in fear. Despite this fear, Ren was trying to formulate a plan to counteract the opponent's control of water jutsus.
"Kuso…I got a really bad feeling about this…maybe I could…"
Before Ren could finish his thought, the conversation had taken a turn to something far more sinister. Something to which even Kakashi couldn't stomach.
"Long ago, in Kirigakure-also known as "The Village of the Bloody Mist", the final step toward becoming a full-fledged shinobi was the most inhumanly difficult test imaginable."
"So…you've heard about our little graduation exercise."
The four students remained oblivious as to what was going on and what this "graduation exercise" was. Naruto's curiosity winning over his apprehension, wanted to find out what.
"Wh-What 'graduation exercise'?"
Zabuza laughed at his innocence. A laugh so cold and cruel that it would've frozen the very waters around him.
"It's a kind of 'killing spree'…among classmates."
Shock…fear…disbelief…these were the emotions that hung about the air as the information was laid out in the open and given to be soaked in and understood. Kakashi, remaining calm yet still disturbed, continued.
"Students who'd been friends, eating from the same dish, as undergrads were divided into pairs who were forced to fight against each other…to the death. Think of it. Comrades who had trained together, lived together, shared each other's every hope and dream…"
As everyone was soaking this information in, the only thing they could do was continue staring in disbelief. Ren shook with anger, threatening to explode with infernal rage. It was all Sakura could do to keep him calm, yet she too found it hard to remain in such a state for she not only pitied but felt sad for those who had to go through such an ordeal.
"Ten years ago, the elders of Kirigakure were forced to enact a sweeping reform of their barbaric graduation ritual because of the appearance, during the previous year, of a human fiend that made reform essential."
"A human fiend…?" Was Sakura's thought upon this statement before voicing her thoughts in the form of questions.
"What kind of reform? What are you talking about? What did the fiend you're talking about do?"
Silence reigned in the area as those questions hung in the air, before they were swept away with Kakashi's answer.
"Without a moment's hesitation, without any hint of a qualm, a boy who hadn't even qualified yet as a ninja butchered over a hundred members of that year's graduating class."
Within the dark recesses of Zabuza's mind, the memory of that year flashed into his mind. There he was, no older than the four that stood before him, sitting upright in the fetal position covered in blood surrounded by the carnage that was his bloody deed. Boys and girls with looks of pain and terror upon their faces, fallen kunai and shuriken, a horrific scene of hell unto which the Demon was born.
"Ah, yes. Good times…I used to have such fun." His look of reminiscence was then replaced by that of sadistic happiness. Happiness only achieved through long years of slaughter until the soul became Death's lover.
The face was that of a reminiscent smile but the eyes were that of blood-lust, to which had focused upon the hapless Genin before him. The fear that they felt made them stop for a few seconds but it was all Zabuza needed as he slammed his elbow into Sasuke's abdomen. Sasuke would've gone flying had Zabuza not followed-up with a second punch like a hammer, striking Sasuke in the stomach again down into the ground. Two intense blows to the same spot was all Sasuke's body could handle as he coughed up blood.
"SASUKE!"
"YOU BASTARD!!"
Ren flew into a rage with chakrams flaming, not caring whether or not the flames would be doused. But before Ren could swing out at Zabuza, he had taken his won, much faster, swing at the weaker Genin. It was all Ren could do to bring up his chakrams in time to block the blow only to have his chakrams break. Zabuza then followed it up with a sobat kick, sending Ren skidding along the ground, stopping a few feet away to the right of Tazuna and Sakura.
"Hah! Is that the best you can do? Well, no matter…it's time for this little brat to die first."
Zabuza raised the sword up to swing down and cut Sasuke's body in half before Naruto intervened as well.
"Kage-Bunshin No Jutsu!!!"
A legion of Naruto's had appeared around Zabuza in a cloud of smoke. With his attention focused on the clones, Sasuke took the chance to steady himself and try standing.
"So…doppelgangers, eh? And quite a lot of them…"
Ren was also beginning to recover form the blow dealt to him in time to see all the clones jump at Zabuza with kunai drawn and a battle cry. All of the Naruto's had formed a dome shaped mass for a moment, giving the sense that the deed was done. Yet Zabuza's strength was far greater as he too let out a battle cry, sword blurring in the air, as all the clones were sent flying.
As the other Naruto's disappeared in clouds of smoke, one of them unfastened the bag from his shoulder and dug his hand into it.
'This is the last thing left that might work…'
"SASUKE!!!"
Naruto then threw a thin black object at Sasuke. On the end was a circular handle to handle the weapon. Sasuke dove backwards for the weapon, rolling far enough away to get out of range of Zabuza's blade. As Sasuke caught it, he then caught onto the plan.
'So that's what Naruto's got in mind…excellent. Lots better than I expected.'
From the roll Sasuke up righted himself and released the lock that released four blades, making the weapon look like that of a windmill. Sasuke began focusing his chakra before preparing to throw. Ren had re-summoned his chakrams, preparing to throw his weapons as well.
"Kage no Kazaguruma (Windmill of Shadows)!!"
"Hosetsudanki (Fire Cutter)!!"
Sasuke leaped in the air; Ren's chakrams went ablaze, enhanced with chakra and the power of darkness; and both threw with all their might. Zabuza merely scoffed at this form of attack.
"Shuriken are useless against me!"
Yet, the Fuuma shuriken and flaming chakrams flew past him, aiming for the Zabuza that had held Kakashi captive within the water orb that was his prison.
"At least this time you've had the sense to zero in on my true form…AMATEUR!!"
The true Zabuza had caught the Fuuma shuriken before it could strike him. As the blade kept spinning, he used it to deflect the other two projectile weapons that were blazing toward him. At the moment of deflecting the last chakram, a second Fuuma shuriken popped out below the shuriken Zabuza had caught and began making its progress towards him.
"A second shuriken in the shadow of the first…!"
For just a few moments, it would seem that the attack would connect but Zabuza had managed to dodge the shuriken by jumping, letting the shuriken fly harmlessly past him.
"STILL an amateur!!"
As Zabuza was gloating upon his small victory, the shuriken that flew past him went up in smoke, to reveal Naruto with a kunai prepared to be thrown. This move completely caught Zabuza off-guard and had surprised the rest.
'Here goes nothing!'
Naruto threw the kunai with all the strength that he had. Zabuza, just dropping down from his jump from his earlier dodge, had no choice but to dodge death by releasing his hold on the water prison. However, he was not quick enough as he had suffered a cut from the kunai, blood bleeding from the wound. Wound aside, the humiliation from being tricked by these children was so great that it had enraged him. Naruto being the closest, the mastermind of the plan, and unable to defend himself made him the release of rage that dominated Zabuza.
'THAT LITTLE RUNT!!!'
Zabuza was about to throw the Fuuma shuriken when Kakashi had intervened by placing his own hand within the spinning blade's path. The result was a deep cut on Kakashi's right hand and a lot of blood lost. Seeing as how the plan was a success, everyone was relieved and joyous that Kakashi was finally freed yet he still needed time to recover from being imprisoned within an orb of water.
"…Naruto…your scheme was brilliant…you've matured…all of you…"
Naruto, feeling very proud and confident, launched into an explanation on how he came about this idea with his fox-like cunning.
"The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu wasn't meant to take down Zabuza at all. It diverted his attention from me while I transformed myself into the second Fuuma shuriken. Of course, I didn't think that form alone would be enough to permit me to defeat him, but I was at least able to free you from his water prison."
"Hey, Naruto! Don't get yer head full of hot-air, ne? You'll only make yourself look stupid later."
Sakura, who was protecting Tazuna from anything, giggled at Ren's comment, however out of place it was. Of course, this insulted Naruto who became angry despite being in water.
"Hey! If it weren't for my idea, Kakashi-sensei would've never been able to get out so keep your comments to yourself, you porcupine-headed idiot!"
"The name's Ren, dunce! Got it memorized?"
Sasuke calling him dunce was insult enough but to have the second Uchiha call him dunce was the last straw that broke the camel's back. But before he could act on his anger, the two adults began to talk, ignoring the idle chatter between the Genin.
"Heh…so, you made me fly into such a rage that I unraveled the spell holding the water prison together."
"No!! You didn't drop your own spell. It was broken…from without. Just so you know, the same spell won't work on me twice. Your move."
Both Shinobi had jumped away from each other to gain distance. Upon landing, Zabuza performed various katas at lightening speed, ending with the sign of the bird, Tori. Kakashi, Sharingan eye opened wide, mirrored his movements exactly in both speed and time.
"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Missle)!!"
From the waters around them, the waters swirled and writhed to form a dragon. With that, the two dragons clashed causing massive waves from the impact. The waves were so great that it had reached the by-standers on the land. Naruto, on the other hand, was trying with all his might to no be swept away by the waves.
When the waves had calmed, Kakashi and Zabuza could be seen. Somehow, only moments after the impact, the two had clashed with kunai going against sword, ending with a lock between the two. Zabuza, though, was showing signs of hesitation.
'Something…isn't right…'
Both had broken from the weapon lock and began circling each other, looking for a chance to strike. Both had stopped at the same time and both had repeated the same kata, one arm raised high with a kata set in place and the other at face level in the like-wise form.
'All of my moves…my gestures...he sees…'
"…through them all!"
Before Zabuza could even finish his own thought, Kakashi had completed it for him. This thoroughly disturbed Zabuza.
'What--!? He's reading my mind--!?'
Kakashi remained calm, only looking at Zabuza with his Sharingan eye half-way closed.
'Damn him! He's…'
"…'got that sickeningly evil look in his eye'…right?"
"Feh! You're a pale imitation. I'm the genuine article. No mere copycat stands a chance against me."
As Zabuza had said this, Kakashi copied him, word for word, tone by tone. All Zabuza could do was panic and begin forming the katas necessary for a jutsu that was certain would finish him off.
"YOU MIMIC ME LIKE A PARROT! I'LL CLOSE YOUR BEAK FOR GOOD!"
Yet, before Zabuza could complete his jutsu, something from behind Kakashi stopped him.
'It's…! ME? But th-that's impossible!! Is this another of his illusions?'
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Style: Giant Waterfall)!!"
As Kakashi had completed this jutsu, the "wheels" within his Sharingan eye spun. From the waters below them, they had swirled and writhed before but no to form a dragon but rather form into a large mass of water which was then rushed towards Zabuza in a spiral mass, practically destroying everything in its path.
'This is absurd!! Before I could finish my ninjutsu, he used the same technique against me…!'
The jutsu had slammed him into a tree that miraculously stayed put despite the force though Zabuza could still feel the effects. Kakashi had reappeared on a branch above Zabuza, kunai drawn.
"That's that…"
Zabuza, still reeling from the blow, could only ask that in the realm of impossibility.
"…what…can you see the future…?"
"I forsee…your death."
In some act of Fate or some higher power, two senbon had come flying out of nowhere and had struck Zabuza on two points on the neck. Zabuza fell dead before he even hit the ground. A feminine voice was heard from a tree right in front of Kakashi.
"Heh heh…your prediction came true."
Author's Note: Please forgive the very lengthy amount of time I took to get this chapter updated. Lately, there's been a lot of school-work which hampers my time to write. Plus, there were complications of internet connection. Though, with this time, I re-played Kingdom Hearts II in order to get a better sense of character from the Organization XIII members. Things seem to be settling down now so I should be able to update more frequently. Until then, read and enjoy (if you wish to review, that would be appreciated).
