'Thoughts'
"Demon/Inner Self"
'Demon thoughts'
"Gamabunta"
"Writing"
"Speech"
"Radio"
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I only write to pass time, and have some fun.
Konoha
Konoha was a Village built around tradition and very few could rival the traditions held by the Shinobi community. There were celebrations for the first successful year in the Academy, parties for learning difficult jutsu, large celebrations for graduating from the Academy, and shortly after the last one was the party of successfully passing the test given by the assigned Jonins. That was perhaps one of the largest parties any Genin would have, and could only be rivaled by becoming a Chunin, Jonin, or ANBU.
Then again, some people really don't need a reason to party and drink.
This was often the situation Naruto found himself in since Jiraiya and Tsunade had moved in with him. Therefore, it wasn't a big surprise for him when he walked in and was greeted by all of those close to him. This time though instead of all of his classmates it was just the people close to him, his family.
Walking in he was jumped by Jiraiya, who was trying his best to strangle the life out of the boy for what had occurred earlier that day. They wrestled around for several minutes and in that time the others just laughed as the two fought each other.
"Do you know how embarrassed I was because of your stunt! Now none of those Kunoichi in the room will ever think of going out with a "Gentlemen" like me," yelled Jiraiya as he pinned Naruto to the floor and started to ruffle the boy's hair.
"Yeah right Ero-Sennin. Like any of them would want anything to do with a perverted old man like you," retorted the boy as he tried to wiggle free of the white-haired man.
By now, the Toad Sennin had pinned Naruto's arms down and was currently wiggling a wet finger in both of Naruto's ears. At the same time the boy was calling Jiraiya every name he could think of, and a few of which that caused Anko to look awed. Even with all the names being thrown out and the threats from the boy, Jiraiya continued to torture the boy for "making him" strip down to his undergarments.
'Screw this crap. Ero-Sennin is going to learn not to mess with me,' thought Naruto as he continued to struggle until he finally freed up enough space to move a single leg.
Once his leg was free, he pulled it back as far forward as he could while using his strength to raise his lower body off the floor. Once he reached as far as he could he sent his foot backwards as fast and hard as possible into the softest spot of the perverted Hermit, the groin.
Naruto was rewarded with a high-pitched squeal as Jiraiya feel on his side cradling his injured pride. The man who was feared throughout the Shinobi world as part of the legendary team taught by the Sandaime Hokage was now crying on the floor while holding his crotch. It was a site his enemies would have never believed possible.
Naruto had learned through his life to never waste a chance to escape and quickly took advantage of this one to do just that. He rushed up to his room and slammed the door shut just in time to hear Jiraiya stumbling up the stairs after him. With his back to the door, he could hear the hermit yelling at him to come back and take his punishment like a man.
"Open this door brat or I'll make you sorry when we train again," yelled Jiraiya as he pounded on the door. His voice was still a little high pitched due to his previous injury.
"Not in this life time Ero-Sennin! That's what you get for being such a pervert and even thinking about going out with Nee-chan and the others," retorted Naruto as the door started to creak from the force the Sennin was putting into his strikes.
"You ungrateful runt! Open this door now or I will make things ten times worst when we train again. Better yet I'll tell your girlfriend that you still sleep with a stuffed animal and wear boxers with hearts, frogs, and foxes on them," yelled the man once again.
"You do that an I'll make sure you look like a blueberry the next time you leave this house, and it won't be one of those washable dyes," screamed Naruto.
The other residents of the house were too busy laughing at the exchange between the two. Slowly though the humor of the situation was starting to wear off and it became more of an annoyance then anything else. If you learned anything by living in the same house as Tsunade, it would be never annoy her or get in the way of her enjoying a good party.
"JIRAYA start acting your age," yelled his teammate as she started to stomp up the stairs towards the source of the noise.
All the racket being caused stopped instantly and the sound of wood hitting wood was heard as Jiraiya ran down the hall and looked for an exit. It was a lesson he learned long ago and something that was useful when dealing with Tsunade. Sometimes discretion was the better part of valor, and that was only supported by the fact that the woman in question could kill you in several hundred different ways.
Once the noise had died down, Naruto slowly opened his door to peek out. When he was sure he couldn't hear, see, or smell the Toad Hermit he slipped out and down the stairs. The sight that greeted him was one he had been waiting forever since he had joined the Shinobi Academy, his family smiling and waiting to congratulate him on becoming a Ninja.
Inside the dinning room sat Ibiki, Anko, Shizune, Tsunade, Iruka, Sandaime, and the Ichiraku family. Each of them was like family in one way or another and had always been there as long as he had known them. Now they stood there with smiles on their faces and glasses in their hands as they welcomed him into what many would call adulthood.
"You finally made it didn't you runt," said Teuchi as he ruffled Naruto's hair with a smile on his face. The ramen chef smiled as Naruto pouted at the "runt" comment, only to smile a second later.
"Yep old man but if you aren't careful I'll make sure to regret all the time you called me runt! I'm just a late bloomer is all so give me some time to grow," shouted Naruto while trying to sound hurt at the end. His threat didn't carry any malice in it but everyone knew he could pull a prank at any time. The only places that seemed to be safe were the Ramen Stand and the Hokage's Tower.
"Naruto-kun, I'm sure you will grow up to be a very handsome man one day. Who knows, you might even have a fan club named after you," cut in Ayame as she elbowed her father slightly and leaned down to look Naruto in the eyes.
It was amusing to everyone to watch as his eyes went wide and the he started to blush at the compliment from a person he considered a pretty older sister. It was different then Anko in a way since even her kind side was a little rough. Ayame and Shizune had always been kinder to him and the way they talked to him always made him blush.
"Stop that nee-chan you're embarrassing me," mumbled Naruto as the girl giggled and then pecked him on his cheek. That only served to cause his blush to increase as he tried to escape her grasp when she hugged him to her as well.
"Enough with the cuddling of the brat. I think its time we get this party going," yelled Tsunade with a red hue already forming on her cheeks as she hoisted a battle of sake in the air and cheered.
With that declaration by the Slug Princess everyone started to talk a little more. Naruto was often asked what he looked forward to now that he had graduated, officially. Aside from that, he was given small gifts from those present. These gifts often ranged from weapons, clothes, scrolls, and other assorted items that they felt he may find an interest in or see a use for in the future. Shizune and Tsunade had taken it upon themselves to give him a rather large first aid kit, along with a scroll to seal the kit into to make for easy traveling.
As the party continued though things slowed down and conversations were now said over a table instead of standing around the room. This was the lull in the night that Naruto had been waiting for, and when he had the chance he slipped out of the house and out into the forest. He quickly made his way through the forest and towards where he had fought the nuke-nin from Kumo months ago. Even now, the land that had been destroyed was slow in coming back to life. For Naruto though it was the perfect place to meet the person he owed a great deal to, Gamabunta.
It had been something the great toad asked of Naruto when he officially became a Genin, and Naruto wasn't one to deny such a request. All he had to do was summon the toad boss and then they would have a chat of some kind. The specifics he didn't know but he did know it may have had something to do with his father. So with that in mind, and hundreds of questions behind it, he rolled up his sleeve, bit his thumb and ran the blood soaked digit across his tattoo. After building up an enormous amount of chakra in that arm he slammed his palm down onto the ground and was engulfed in a billowing cloud of smoke.
Once the smoke had covered him he could feel himself rising up into the sky. A lesser person might have become afraid at the rate he moved up but he was some what use to it from his fights with Tsunade and Choji. Soon he could feel his climb stopping and realized he was standing atop of something that didn't feel like anything he had felt before. Not long after that came a gust of wind that quickly cleared the ninja smoke away to reveal a massive toad with a white belt, giant tanto, blue vest, and a large ornate pipe in its mouth.
"Well well if it isn't the little tadpole Naruto," grunted the giant toad as his eye focused in on the bundle of blond hair. "I have been waiting for some time to finally speak with you in person and judge your character for myself. I must say though I expected you to be a little taller," added the toad with a little laugh.
"Don't mock me just because you are the size of a mountain," screamed the boy who was growing tired of being called short.
"If it makes you feel any better though, your father had the same problem until he reached his mid-teens. Then he grew like a weed and nearly surpassed Jiraiya in height," cut in Gamabunta hopping to cut the tirade short.
His plan worked as Naruto stopped with his mouth hanging open and started to smile at the prospects of the future. He didn't want to be a carbon copy of his father but if his old man didn't grow taller until later that gave him something to look forward to.
"Onto business though young one. I didn't call you here just to chitchat. I wanted to welcome you into adulthood in the only way I know how. It is also the only way I would ever accept fighting along side of you," added the toad in his strange drawl. To Naruto he sounded like some gangster.
'Maybe he likes the Yakuza of our world and likes to imitate them,' thought Naruto as he reflected on the creature he was now sitting on.
"What do I have to do Gamabunta-sama," questioned Naruto as he looked into his good eye.
The second the words left his mouth he could hear Hikari laughing from within his mind and Gamabunta letting out a deep booming laugh. Something inside of him told him that he was going to regret ever asking that question. The feeling only got worst when another cloud of smoke appeared and a large bottle marked with large red "XXXXXXX" appeared on the ground in front of the giant Toad.
"Simple my boy, we drink the night away with the finest drink ever produced in the world, Toad Oil Sake," answered the boss as his long tongue wrapped around a much smaller jug and raised it up for Naruto to take. At the same time he grabbed the other jug, the one the size of a house, and brought it to his lips.
"I heartily welcome you to the Gama family and swear that we will always fight by your side and protect you as we have done for the last thirteen years. All we ask in return is that you become a great man and treat us with the same respect we treat you," declared Gamabunta as he tilted his head back and took a long pull from the jug.
Naruto looked at the jug in his hands as he fought to ignore the laughter coming from Hikari. He had tried multiple times to ask what was so funny and yet it only caused her to laugh even harder. Never before had he touched sake, or any other kind of alcoholic beverage. It was something Ibiki had drilled into him as being only fro adults.
"Drink up boy. You have proven yourself to be just as much of an adult as anyone else! You have fought for your life for years now and you have officially become a Shinobi of Konoha. If you are considered old enough to kill by your village then you are damn well old enough to drink," said the toad after his first drink.
'I guess he is right. Anko-nee-chan has said that before and no one really argued with her about it,' thought Naruto as he raised the lip of the jug to his own lips and took a small experimental sip.
'It burns,' thought Naruto as he nearly choked on the beverage. The burning sensation caused him to cough a small part of the alcohol up and he let it dribble down his chin and onto his shirt.
"Now you see what was so funny. The drinks made by Gamabunta and his kin have been black listed in several lands within Makai. The alcohol content is so high that you could burn it for fuel. Not only that though but the oil used from some of the toads and frogs would cause it to burn for days on end, even on top of water," stated Hikari through a fit of laughter.
Even Gamabunta seemed to be amused by the reaction Naruto had towards the beverage and let out a booming laugh that shook the surrounding forest. The animals that still happened to be around fled the scene as the sound shook the trees and caused a shower of leaves to fall to the forest floor.
"Haha don't waste this stuff boy. It might burn but you will get used to it. In order for me to work along side of you, you must share at least one round with me," boomed Gamabunta once again as he looked at Naruto atop his snout.
The blond-haired boy looked down at his jug once again and shivered as he felt a burning sensation within him. He could hear Hikari telling him that it was the alcohol slowing working its way into his system. At the same time though he could feel himself slowly relaxing… Hearing Gamabunta's words echo through his head, he nodded and brought the jug back up to his lips once again as he tilted his head back.
This time he swallowed a mouthful of the drink and fought the urge to gag as it burned his throat once again. He could feel it working its way through his system until it finally came to rest. He brought the jug back down and coughed slightly as he fought the urge to purge his system of the alcohol.
"Very good, by all rights you are no longer a boy among toads but an equal. As before we will be there for you and should we require your help we expect you to be there for us," declared the massive toad once more. "Now let us drink to you becoming a man," bellowed the toad as he took another long pull from his jug.
Naruto smiled and mimicked the action with his own jug before falling onto his back smiling and laughing. His laughter seemed to be infectious as Gamabunta and Hikari joined him in laughter. Not long after his second drink Naruto stood atop of the massive toad and started to dance while singing a song made up of random words.
Anyone watching would have probably done the same as the great toad, rolled over laughing before joining the boy.
Not far from where Naruto and Gamabunta were spending their night stood Jiraiya atop of a tree watching the events. Standing with him was the Sandaime and Tsunade. All three thought it was strange that Naruto would leave his party early without saying a word and decided to follow him. Upon seeing what the boy was doing though they fought to keep their jaws from hitting the forest floor.
"No good toad never let me have a drink with him," muttered Jiraiya as he continued watching his "apprentice" make a fool of himself. Tsunade and the Sandaime laughed lightly at the pout that crossed their friend's face.
"I'm surprised though that Gamabunta would share some of his best stuff with someone like Naruto. That stuff they are drinking is strong enough to knock me loopy if I drank that entire jug," stated Tsunade finally as she watched Naruto turn his jug upside down and look into the mouth.
From where they were they could see Naruto mouth something before he feel face first onto Gamabunta. That seemed to be the sign for all three of them to move forward and towards their charge as Gamabunta wrapped him in his tongue and moved him to the scarred forest floor.
"I was wondering when you three would show yourselves. You didn't think I wouldn't sense you just because I was having a good time did you," questioned the boss as he eyed the three newcomers.
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't Gamabunta-sama. You only prove that us old-timers are still more then capable of fighting," declared the Hokage as be bowed to the massive creature.
"There isn't any need to flatter me Hokage-sama. Besides I'm not nearly as old as you an Enma. I suppose though you want some answers as to what has been going on," replied the toad as he looked at the three.
"You best your butt I want some answers! Why was I never told about this little setup you had? As the holder of the contract I should be told about these kinds of things," shouted Jiraiya as he stormed forward and looked Gamabunta in the eye. In return, he was knocked off his feet as Gamabunta sent a concentrated blast of air at his summoner.
"Don't act as if you can order me around you pervert! I can do what I please without answering to you. If I wanted I could revoke your right to summon us and I might just do it if you continue acting this way," bellowed the toad as he blew a cloud of smoke over the four Shinobi.
"I won't be doing that though because someone has to teach him how to summon properly and the difference between my kin. As for answers all I can tell you is that Arashi wished it to be this way. If he had any knowledge about the hate that would be directed at the boy he would have done more," added Gamabunta as he glanced over at Naruto's slumbering form.
"Wait, you mean Arashi arranged this summoning tattoo? I didn't think the toads had any tattoo like that. The only ones I knew who had that ability were the snakes," asked Tsunade as she cut Jiraiya's question off.
If it was possible everyone conscious at the time would have sworn that Gamabunta just smiled at the questions asked by Tsunade. That had to be impossible though since the great Gamabunta never smiled for anyone. Not even Jiraiya who knew him the longest had ever had a chance to see the massive summon smile before. Since meeting Naruto though he seemed to be coming across things he had never seen before, so why would this be different.
"That is true; we don't have a typical summoning tattoo like those damned snakes. What we have is a family crest that can be placed upon you humans to grant you our protection. It acts very similar to a summoning tattoo and alerts us to when the holder is in danger. If we are able to we will summon ourselves to the person's location by using some of their chakra. The young one there has always had a large amount of chakra within him, so it has always been easy to do. The only time that we haven't been able to aide him was when he was in a land where our kind is not welcomed," answered Gamabunta as he looked at the faces of the three great Shinobi.
The three stood there in silence as they processed the information. A number of questions had been answered but another set would more then likely pop up once they had a chance to process everything. Until then they were just glad that they knew someone was capable of watching over Naruto when they couldn't.
"Wait, why didn't any of your kin come to save Naruto the day he was attacked a few months ago," questioned Tsunade suddenly as she thought back to that day and the reason why this section of the forest was destroyed. Jiraiya and the Sandaime looked up from where they stood as they questioned the toad with their eyes.
"I felt that the boy would and should have been able to take care of himself at the time… If I had known things were going to go the way they did I would have allowed some of my kin to come to his aide. Aside from my belief in Naruto I knew that Gamakichi would be able to get help if he needed it. Believe me thought when I say I regret how things turned out that day," solemnly declared Gamabunta as he seemed to hang his head.
"Er, enough with this depressing crap, how about you tell us how much Naruto knows about his family. The boy thinks he is slick when he sneaks away at night but I know he is up to something. Every time I try to follow him he just ups and vanishes and I know it isn't Hikari's gift," asked Jiraiya suddenly as he narrowed his eyes at the Toad boss.
Gamabunta just laughed at the look Jiraiya was sending him. As much as he joked with the white-haired sage he knew the guy was bright enough to pick up on something like that. After all he had taught the father of the boy in question and would recognize more then a few things Naruto was practicing.
"He knows enough about them. I can also say that he knows several things that you three do not. It is only something my kin knew until recently when I revealed a scroll from Arashi to Naruto," answered the great toad as he started to smile once again as Jiraiya seemed to shiver.
It was something that he and the others who knew the secret talked about behind closed doors. They wondered how Naruto would react when his past was revealed. Some were worried he would hate his father because of the burden that had been placed on him. Others wondered if it might drive Naruto to hate the village and give up his dream. One thing they all wondered about was who had given birth to the bundle of energy.
The three present had looked into every file they could possibly find to ferret out that elusive answer. Tsunade had run every test on samples of Naruto's blood and cross referenced it with every sample taken in the history of Konoha. Despite all of the effort put into the process they could never find the answer they were searching for. Now here before them stood someone who might actually know the answer to the question that had been haunting them for the last year, for Jiraiya and Tsunade at least. The elusive answer had been hanging over the Sandaime's head ever since Naruto had been made the container of Hikari.
"Does that mean you know who the mother is Gamabunta," questioned Jiraiya eagerly as he strived to find out more of his former student's hidden past. If this old toad knew the secret then he would do whatever it took to find the answer he has been waiting for.
"I would first like to know how he took the news. It doesn't seem to have had any adverse effects on him. I'd like to know how long Naruto-kun has known as well if you don't mind answering that Gamabunta-sama," cut in the Sandaime before Gamabunta could answer Jiraiya's question.
The Toad sage seemed put off at first but after a moment's consideration he could understand why that would need to be answered. In a way it was important information but at the same time it just didn't seem as important. It was obvious the boy didn't seem to hate the village or anything, to him at least.
"Naruto has known since he came back from that mission in which he ran into Tsunade-hime. My son, Gamakichi came to him with a scroll given to me by the Yondaime. Naruto seemed to take it fairly well but that didn't stop him from going on a spree of practical jokers. Not only did he go after most of Konoha but he also asked the younger toads to assist him. It was a rather lively night then and I keep getting asked when they could go out and do it again," answered Gamabunta as he took another long pull on his pipe.
Of course everyone remembered that night and the entire week after it. It was one of the first times Naruto had let loose his entire practical joke arsenal. No one knew how he could pull off such feats but now they had a good idea on how he did it, and this was before he learned how to make shadow clones.
"As for your question you excitable pervert… Yes I know who his mother is and I have my children searching the world for her. At this point all I will tell say is that she travels with a former student of Arashi's, and was last seen leaving Konoha in a coma with the girl," added the toad after he puffed on his pipe for several minutes.
"I must be going now. I expect you to take care of the boy or I will personally come and stomp you into the ground Jiraiya. You should not concern yourself with the boy's mother; just leave that to me. The boy will have one hell of a headache in the morning as well. Make sure the boy keeps the jug though, it may come in hand later on," finished Gamabunta as he vanished in a massive cloud of billowing smoke.
The three adults were nearly thrown off their feet by the sudden departure of the massive toad. Had they not been use to such sudden departures they might have been blown away. The only thing keeping them on their feet was the application of Chakra to the soles of their feet.
"Well that explains a few things about our little trouble maker," muttered Jiraiya as he picked up the sleeping bundle and started to make his way back to the house.
"You actually seem hurt that he holds the boy in higher regard then he does you," stated Tsunade as she followed him back towards their makeshift home.
"Shut up I'm not that petty," snapped Jiraiya as he stumbled over a root.
Tsunade just laughed at her teammate's behavior as she trailed him. In a way it was almost like old times, back when they were still under the command of the Sandaime as his Genin. The only thing missing was their wayward friend turned enemy. She shook her head to fight off those memories and the others accompanied with them. She didn't want to remember all of the bad times that were connected with the name Orochimaru.
Neither of the two realized that the Sandaime was still standing back where they had talked with Gamabunta. Sarutobi was still standing at the site thinking over what he had heard from Gamabunta and trying to discern what it may mean for the future.
'So that is where Rin-chan went to. Everyone thought she was caught in the attack from Hikari. With the state numerous bodies were found I honestly thought she had passed away then as well. I wonder how she is doing.'
Else Where
As those thought were running through the mind of the Sandaime an auburn-haired young woman sat over a woman she had been looking after for thirteen years. As each year passed her hopes of her charge waking seemed like a distant dream. The woman suffered from no injuries, and by all things logical should have come to long ago. She wouldn't give up hope and abandon the woman, but she was beginning to wonder if the former ANBU would ever wake up.
Ever since they had left Konoha all those years ago they had been on the move. She would never allow them to stay in a single village for more then a month before moving on. Each time she stopped she would be sure to buy all the supplies she would need for a month and then hold up in an inn, or outside of the village for the entire month. She had to forgo any human contact on many occasions just to ensure the woman she was looking after stayed safe and healthy.
They had been all over the continent and on several occasions the auburn-haired woman would have to fight off bandits, and Shinobi who recognized them. Each time she had to make the choice to ensure that none of those who knew them or saw them were left alive to tell the tale to others.
The entire ordeal was taking a toll on her mind and conscious. She often wondered how her friends and family were doing and if they were still alive. Among her thoughts were her former teammate Hatake Kakashi and the child of the woman she was looking after.
If she could she would have eagerly gone back to Konoha so that her life on the run could come to an end, and a child could finally see his mother. The only thing stopping her from doing that though were the words of a man she respected more then anything or anyone else. They were the words of her sensei and the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, Kazama Arashi.
'Rin no matter what I want you to stay away from Konoha. The only time you should ever return is if Gamabunta or my son asks for you to return. With Motoko the way she is right now I don't trust Danzo or that snake in the grass Orochimaru,' said the man as he sent them out of Konoha and left to battle the Kyubi with Naruto in his arms.
His words were true though since those two men had always been nipping at her heels. A number of her pursuers had been from the rogue ROOT commander and the Nuke-Nin Orochimaru.
The first person was after her because she was a loose end that needed to be severed. With her gone it would more then likely let the man come one step closer to what ever goals he had in mind for the estate of the former Yondaime. After all, the Yondaime's library in his home was legendary. A man like Danzo would do anything to get his hands on the secrets that may sit within it.
The second person had always been after the woman because of her lineage. She was one of the few survivors of an ancient clan from the Land of Grass. The clan was responsible for keeping two sacred swords safe. The first sword Orochimaru already possessed and used in whatever way he saw fit. It was the Kusanagi and was feared throughout most lands as a weapon forge from the fang of the deadly eight headed hydra. A single scratch would be enough to pump enough poison into a grown man to kill him.
The reason why Orochimaru sought Motoko was for the sword she was rumored to have owned. The Ame Murakumo-No-Tsurugi (Sword of Billowing Clouds) which many thought of as just a renamed Kusanagi blade, but others thought of it as the sister sword to the Kusanagi and the only thing that could rival its power. The only ones who seemed to know if the sword held any kind of power though was Orochimaru himself and the person being looked after by Rin.
Rin sighed as she thought about the obstacles in her path. Aside from enemy Shinobi, she was also running low on money, which was going to cause her more problems down the line. She was lucky she was able to make it to the country of Wave with the blockade up. Even then though she felt bad about not being able to help the small country out; it just seemed like she was ignoring everything she had ever been taught. If her mission was different she wouldn't hesitate to try and help the village who was living in fear of a corrupt businessman named Gato.
"Please Motoko-sama you need to wake up soon. I don't know how much longer I will be able to live like this," pleaded Rin as she feel to her knees and rested her head on the bed of her charge.
It was something that was occurring more and more for the young woman. Because of her isolation she craved human contact and indulged in it when she could on those shopping trips. Even then, she could never leave the side of the comatose Motoko for very long. Her emotions would build up to a boiling point and she would collapse and cry on her charge each time. Her words were always the same as she begged the woman to wake up. This time seemed different though. Rin didn't know why it was different but something just told her it would be.
If she had been paying attention to the woman in bed she might have seen her fingers twitching and slowly rising from the bed. The only thing that told Rin something was different was when she felt a hand come to rest on the back of her head, which caused her to jerk up and look at the person it belonged to.
"I'm sorry Rin-chan," muttered the purple-haired woman with a raspy voice while trying her best to smile.
Konoha
Fall was often a busy time for Konoha. One of the main reasons for this was because of its namesake. It was the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and because of that they could easily become the Village Buried in the Leaves if nothing was done about it. Not only did the errant leaves cause problems for the people, but when in a draught they could easily serve as a village hazard.
Because of this the Genin forces were often asked to clear the leaves out to a safe location. The location often turned out to be one of the many landfills that burned leaves, branches, and cut down trees to help power the village. To many countries it might seem like a pathetic excuse for energy, but when you are surrounded by trees you learn how to capitalize on the landscape to benefit the village.
Not only did the Genin play groundskeepers but they also learned a few things about how to harvest various crops grown in and around their village. Fall ended up bringing various jobs for the Shinobi of Konoha to partake in. Unfortunately for the newest group of Genin not all of these jobs were what you pictured when you signed up to become a Shinobi.
"Come on Akamaru lets gets this stupid cat," yelled out a rough sounding voice as a small series of barks could be heard shortly afterwards. The members of Team 8 had the unfortunate luck of being given one of the missions all Genin learned to hate and that was catching a certain cat by the name of Tora.
They never knew that they were purposely getting the mission each and every time it filed. If they had known that then at least one of them would have voiced his displeasure with having to constantly chase down the annoying feline.
Yuhi Kurenai watched from the treetops as Inuzuka Kiba charged through the brush with his small puppy Akamaru leading the way. To her this was perfect training for the scouting missions that they were likely to get once they had more experience. If there was one thing Tora was good at it was escaping any attempt to capture it and quickly evading those after it. Without even knowing it though the creature was driving the young Inuzuka to improve his tracking and trap skills faster then the other missions would have.
Kiba wasn't the only one improving and honing his skilled. Aburame Shino was becoming more adept at tracking by use of his Kikaichu. It was one of the most basic abilities of an Aburame but it was also one that needed to be trained just as much as any other ability. It involved placing one of the female Kikaichu onto a target and allowing the other members of his hive track down the target by the pheromones released by the female.
Sounds simple but it required the host to keep the bugs on track. At times they could easily be distracted by other objects of interest, such as flowers, predators, prey, or wild Kikaichu females. The host would have to take in all of this information and decide which was more important. The one playing host to the bugs could easily be overloaded with information if they allowed too many of the bugs out to hunt for the scent.
The final member of Team 8 seemed to have it relatively easy compared to the other members. Her eyes were used to tracking a fleeing object from all the times she used to play with Naruto as they were growing up. More importantly she had become skilled at picking out spots where her targets may hide. The games of hide-and-seek, and playing Ninja were far too easy for her and lead to Naruto, Choji, and Shikamaru forbidding her from using the Byakugan while playing the games at times.
"I've found the target and have incapacitated it," stated Shino over radio headset being used by the team.
"Damn it Shino! Couldn't you have let me and Akamaru find it first," yelled Kiba over the radio link.
Both Akamaru and Kiba were anxious to settle the score with the stray cat. It had eluded them several times and each time left its mark on Kiba and Akamaru. It may have also had to deal with their inherit hatred of all things feline. Either way the mission may have been a failure if the two had found their target before anyone else.
"Kiba there was no chance you would have caught Tora-chan. You were going in the opposite direction of Tora-chan," commented Hinata over the link as she watched the boy freeze in his tracks and stomp around while abusing the nearby trees to release his anger.
"That just means you need to train a little more Kiba. Its time to report back into Hokage-sama and officially complete the mission; Meet back up at the rendezvous point immediately. You each did well but never forget there is always something more to learn," cut in Kurenai as soon as she could tell Kiba was angry.
It was likely that he wasn't just angry but embarrassed that the girl he had been chasing after for so long saw how much he had messed up. Nothing would calm him down until he felt he had impressed the girl.
The team had just finished what would be their 35th D-Ranked Mission and put them at the top of the list in terms of missions completed. That didn't mean that they skimped out on training though. Since Kurenai was a fairly new Jonin she was pushing her team to the limits to try and impress the Hokage and village leaders. More importantly she wanted to prove that female Jonins were just as useful and capable as their male counterparts.
One of the main reasons for this push was that out of the few Kunoichi in Konoha who had the skill, she seemed to be the only one who had decided upon taking on a team, ever. Not even Tsunade had taught a Genin team when she was a Jonin in Konoha. Yes, there was a female ANBU Captain, and Inuzuka Tsume ran the Hunter-Nin division of ANBU, but that didn't seem to be enough for the ambitious Kunoichi. She wanted to be responsible for training one of the greatest teams since the Ino-Shika-Cho formation and the Sannin.
While the woman mulled over these thoughts she and her team had reached the Hokage's tower.
"Alright we will see if Hokage-sama has any other missions that need to be completed. If he has none then you have an hour break before we meet for training at our usual spot," stated Kurenai as she led them into the Mission Assignment room.
There in front of her sat the Sandaime Hokage, Umino Iruka, and Tsunade. Each of them was part of the group that assigned missions to the various teams that came in. Majority of the time the missions assigned in this room were standard missions. If you were ever asked to come to the Hokage's office to pick up the details for a mission then you knew you had a serious mission on your hands.
Of course the Sandaime was there as it was part of his duty as the leader of the village. It was one of the few things he enjoyed about his job and he would never pass up the chance to see the young Shinobi come in for the missions. It was rumored by some though that he secretly enjoyed tormenting fresh Genin with D-Ranked missions. That rumor though had never been proven true but no one has bothered to prove it false either.
Iruka had always taken it upon himself to work in the assignment office during the summer break from the Academy. The only time you would never find him there is if they needed a Chunin out on a mission, or needed someone with his particular skills. Any other time he was there greeting his former students and catching up with them. It also helped to have a familiar face there to greet them and send them off on their missions, regardless of how mundane they might have been.
The reason why Tsunade was there was not known to very many. She was there as a learning experience, even though she denied needing it. Since she was going to be announced officially as the Godaime Hokage, when the next Chunin exams occurred, she had to accept the Sandaime taking her under his wing once more. This time he was teaching her the ins and outs of being a diplomat and politician. Neither of these things came naturally to her.
"Welcome back Kurenai, I see you have managed to capture Tora in record time this time around," greeted Iruka as Hinata walked over to the owner of the now petrified feline.
All present felt sorry for the cat on some level as Madame Shijimi pulled the cat to her bosom. It occurred each and every time the cat was brought back, and everyone in the room could tell what was bound to occur once the woman was outside of the tower. The only one though who didn't feel sorry for the cat was the two resident canines, Akamaru and Kiba. If one were to look closely at them they could picture them wishing aloud for the cat to dig.
"Thank you so much for returning my poor Tora-chan to me," said the woman as she left the room.
"Now what else may I do for you," asked the Hokage as he silently prayed that today's events would be different from previous days.
"How about a better mission," muttered Kiba. In return for his remark though, he was given a hard slap to the back of his head by Kurenai who glared at him.
"Show some respect Kiba," growled the woman as she turned to apologize for his behavior.
"No need to worry Kurenai. I get far worst when Naruto comes in for missions," said the Hokage as he waved off any apologies. He then turned to Iruka who pulled open a large scroll with a "D" printed on it.
"Well the kennels at the veterinary office need cleaning, and the nursing home needs help with laundry. There is also mending a fence for the Nara clan and grocery shopping for the Akimichi clan," read off Iruka as he continued to roll out the scroll. Just as he was about to continue there was a shout from outside as everyone's nightmare once again freed itself.
"Then there is also catching Tora, once again," added the Hokage as he tilted his hat down to cover his face while mumbling.
The members of Team 8 exchanged glances as the missions were listed. For the Genin the one mission they dreaded more then anything was going after Tora once again. Aside from that grocery shopping for the Akimichi clan wasn't too appealing either. For Hinata cleaning the kennels at the veterinary office wasn't too appealing, but Kiba really didn't mind since he grew up around such things. Laundry at the nursing home only meant soiled sheets, clothes, and plenty of cleaning solutions bound to scare bugs and screw with people's sense of smell.
"Can't we get any REAL missions," yelled Kiba finally as he stomped down on the ground while looking at his former teacher. The remaining members of Team 8 sighed at his outburst and shook their heads in varying degrees.
Silence settled in though as the group stood there waiting for an outburst from Iruka, Tsunade, or the Hokage. Instead though the three seemed to exchange glances with one another as they seemed to debate on the request from the energetic Inuzuka.
"They do have the most missions completed out of all the other teams from their year," commented Tsunade as she flipped through a record book.
"Most of those missions though are tracking based missions and centered on Tora," added Iruka as he looked through his own scroll.
The Hokage dipped his head in thought as he mulled over the information that Iruka and Tsunade continued to rattle off about the team in front of him. They had completed enough D-Ranked missions to qualify for a C-Ranked mission. The problem was what the team specialized in and the lack of such missions. That of course didn't mean they had to just take tracking missions but it did mean that was what they were more qualified for.
"If my memory serves me right, there is currently only one C-Ranked mission available," said the Hokage finally as he turned his attention to Iruka.
The Chunin started to look through the scroll by him that was marked with a red "C". He unfurled it and started running his finger down the missions listed within it. He continued doing this for several seconds before he finally reached the end of the scroll and made a sound that confirmed the Hokage's words.
"There is an escort mission to Wave Country. The person who requested the mission is named Tazuna and he wanted protection from Bandits and the likes while he made his way home. Once there you are to watch over him while he finishes construction on his bridge," answered Iruka finally.
Kiba's face practically glowed as he heard the words leave the Chunin's mouth. He actually seemed to be salivating at the chance for such a mission. Shino seemed indifferent about the entire ordeal but if you knew how to read him you could tell he was slightly anxious as well. Hinata was nervous about what would be her first mission outside of the village, and the first time she had ever left the village without her family.
"I think my team would be well suited for the mission Hokage-sama. While it may not be a tracking mission, it would still test our fighting skills. It would also test the detection skill of each of my Genin," stated Kurenai finally as she looked at each of her students.
The Hokage nodded and smiled at the three Genin in front of him. He nodded to the side to one of the guards and motioned for him to open the door on the side of the room.
"Tazuna-san you may come in. We have a team that will be escorting you back home," said the Hokage as an old man walked into the room with a straw hat on his head and a bottle in his hand.
Kiba and Akamaru gagged slightly at the smell of alcohol coming off the man in waves. Their sensitive noses were easily overloaded by the alcohol and the body odor given off by what seemed to be their client. Shino eyed the man and took in his worn and dirty clothing as the man who had to be at least in his fifties staggered into the room. Something about the man just didn't seem right to the Aburame heir.
Hinata watched the man as he seemed to tense slightly at seeing her and the other members of Team 8. It was hard to see since it passed quickly but anyone who could read people would have noticed the tension before he relaxed. It was obvious to those who noticed that this man wasn't telling them something he felt was important.
Behind the desk both Tsunade and Sarutobi saw the slight tensing and started to have second thoughts about the mission. Without more information though they couldn't realistically change the classification of the mission and by then it might be too late. They would have to hope that the team would be able to handle what ever came up.
"These are the ones who are going to watch me? A dog with his pet, a girl that looks like she's blind, and a boy who wears a long coat and sunglasses in doors are supposed to protect me? Not to mention they are being lead by a woman who looks more like a model then a fighter. Are you sure they are going to be enough to protect me," slurred the man as he eyed each of the people in front of him.
"What the hell do you mean a dog and his pet," screamed Kiba as he charged the man. He was stopped short when Kurenai grabbed the hood of his jacket and frowned down at him.
"I assure you Tazuna-san that my team will be more then capable of dealing with any bandits we may come across," declared the red-eyed woman coldly.
"That is unless there is something you aren't telling us Tazuna-san," asked Tsunade with a raised eyebrow.
The man looked at her for the first time and his eyes nearly instantly went down to her impressive cleavage. From there his eyes traveled up to her young face that might have been considered dead gorgeous except for the glare that made his body seize up for a split second before he relaxed once again.
"N-no there isn't anything else. I just thought that you would have someone more experienced and talented for this mission," answered the man once he got over the look being sent at him by Tsunade.
"I promise that these three are more then qualified for this mission. Each of them has trained extensively with some of the strongest here in Konoha, and I can personally vouch for Hyuga Hinata," stated Tsunade with a smug look on her face as she continued to direct a glare at the man from Wave Country.
Tazuna just nodded his head in acceptance as he turned to Kurenai and Team 8. Kurenai looked to be in the middle of giving directions to her team. The three Genin nodded their heads and left to go about their orders before leaving. Only then did Kurenai turn her towards her charge and glare at him as Tsunade had done.
"Please wait here for my return Tazuna-san, I must go pack for the trip and change into clothing suited for the mission. I shall return shortly and escort you to the main gate where we will await my team," was all the dark-haired woman said before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.
Shino
It doesn't take long for a member of the Aburame clan to pack for extended missions. Their attire is normally always the same, and they have very little use for most other items regularly used by most Shinobi and Kunoichi. The only items frequently used by a member of the bug using community was frequently insect carriers, shuriken, kunai, magnifying glasses, various treats that his or her hives may like. There was however a few items that they used, just like every other Shinobi or Kunoichi would. Those items of course would be a bedroll and a tent should they be on a solo mission, or forced to camp out in the wild.
The insect carriers were mainly brought along if the person ever happened to come across a rare specimen and wanted to bring it back to their hive for future breeding or for study. This was one of the many ways that they were able to develop special Kikaichu that were more resistant to water, fire, electricity, and the other elements that have been proven fatal to your standard insect.
It was because he had very little to pack that Shino found himself with nearly an hour left before he had to meet his team at the main gate. Experience told him that Kiba would likely be the last one to arrive and that would be just as the hour was up. Hinata would be early; as would Kurenai since she would be with their employer. With that in mind he set out to find one of his few friends within Konoha. There were very few places where his target would be during this time of day and he knew the most likely location to find them would be Ichiraku Ramen.
Within five minutes of making up his mind he was outside the little stand and could already hear the sound of Naruto digging into a bowl of ramen. He paused a moment to fix his glasses and then pushed his way threw the overhanging awning to take a seat beside a bundle of energy and a stack of bowls. He waved off the waitress as she came up to ask for his order but smiled as she still greeted him warmly.
Ichiraku Teuchi and Ayame had earned his respect long ago. He could only respect them more as they seemed to be some of the most tolerant people in existence. They welcomed him with open arms and never seemed the least bit disgusted when he had allowed some of his Kikaichu to sample the meals he ordered there. The only time they ever seemed to be annoyed was when patrons would act rudely to those that the Ichiraku family favored and accepted. It was a sight to see when Teuchi had chased out a Chunin with a meat cleaver and a threat to make him the next day's special.
It didn't take long for Naruto to notice the presence beside him and offer a nod in greeting before slurping down the food in his mouth and offering a proper greeting.
"Hey Shino, you guys not training today," questioned Naruto as a form of greeting.
"No, but you still will not be able to see Hinata any time today," answered Shino.
He smiled slightly behind his collar as the boy next to him frowned as his last remark. It seemed like it was too easy for the Aburame to read him at times and was slightly unnerving when he did things like that.
"Not funny Shino… You know I've hardly had a chance to talk to her since we became Genin," muttered Naruto as he turned away from his friend and frowned into his bowl of ramen.
"I'm aware of that and hear it every day from Hinata. You do not have to worry about her forgetting about you though. Her feelings are still strong for you and have not shown any sign of dwindling," responded the stoic boy.
"Fine, now why can't I see Hinata any time today," said the boy as he accepted the response.
"We were given a mission outside of the village that may take us the better part of a week, depending on the client," answered the boy and quickly followed that with a raised hand to stop the shout of indignation he knew was coming.
"Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama, and Iruka-sensei each felt we were ready for a C-Ranked mission. If you have any complaints then place it with them. I merely came as a courtesy to inform you that Hinata and I would be out of the village. It sounds like a routine escort mission to Wave Country, so it isn't too dangerous," added Shino once Naruto had calmed down.
Naruto sat there quietly as Shino's words floated through his mind. The last mission he had gone on with Anko was supposed to be easy given their cover but it ended up taking a turn for the worst.
"Shino," whispered Naruto as he hung his head down.
The Aburame looked at the now very serious and solemn boy. The last time he had ever seen Naruto like that was back when he had told him everything about his life. He knew that some things were being held back from him.
"Just be careful Shino and stay on your toes. Don't hesitate to use that kunai I gave you. I may not be able to make it all the way there but it will at least serve as a beacon," was all the boy said before he laid down his money and left the ramen stand.
He watched his friend slowly blend into the crowd of civilians and Shinobi walking down the streets until he finally lost sight of him. He had always found it as odd when the normally energetic boy became serious. He always seemed like a different person and could be rather scary.
'Even when his voice was gone he did the same thing to me,' added Shino mentally as he left the stand and made his way towards the gate to meet with his team.
As he arrived Hinata was already standing by the gate fingering something that seemed to be hanging from around her neck. The second she noticed Shino though she quickly tucked the piece of metal under her jacket as she turned to greet him.
"H-hello Shino-kun," greeted the girl as she stuttered slightly at nearly being caught by surprise.
"Have you been waiting long," asked the Aburame as he nodded slightly to her greeting. It may have seemed rude to some people, but it was just how the Aburame were. They were normally straight to the point and wasted little time in getting to it.
The girl shook her head slightly as she nodded towards the approaching Kurenai and Tazuna. Both of the present members of Team 8 smiled slightly as they noticed Kurenai dragging Kiba behind her by his hood and Akamaru riding on his stomach with what could be considered a smile.
"Now that we are all present we can head out," declared Kurenai as soon as she noticed her other two Genin and continued on out the gate, still dragging Kiba. None of them noticed the figure sitting on a building that overlooked the entrance to Konoha.
"You could have gone down there and said something," commented Hikari as they watched the team head down the path to Wave Country.
'It would have been awkward since we haven't really had much time to talk lately,' answered Naruto as he continued watching.
He had been sitting up on the building and watching looking at Hinata. He had originally come here to try and talk with her but froze when he finally arrived. It wasn't out of embarrassment though but the simple fact that his kunai had been turned into a necklace. The points looked to still be as sharp as the day he gave it to her but she held no fear in keeping in close to her.
Should it have been a surprise to him? Probably not.
"You seem almost as bad as Iruka and Anko when one of them wants to ask the other one out," snorted Hikari as she turned away from the view of the departing Team 8.
Naruto decided to ignore her little jab and continued watching as they finally reached the tree line and entered the sanctity of the forest. Even then though he would swear he heard the sound of Kiba's continued cursing as Kurenai continued dragging him down the road to Wave Country.
Wave Country
"Damn those women. Since they showed up my plans for this country have gone down the drain. Not even that pathetic Zabuza and his helper can seem to track them down," snarled a short plump man with glasses and a tack suit.
The thugs with him backed away from their boss as they nursed their own injuries. Some with broken arms, legs, bandaged waists, and foreheads. Each of them had been the victim of some form of attack from the previously cursed women.
"Why can't any of you buffoons do something about them? Not only have they stopped me from stopping that fool Kaiza, but they are slowly giving these people back their hope," yelled the man known as Gato once again.
Two of his larger thugs winced slightly as the cradled their broken arms. They were two of the first victims of the mysterious women who came out of no where to attack them. At the time it had just been one auburn-haired woman but as time passed a more violent purple-haired woman joined in. Since then the only thing keeping them from being completely taken out was the group of Nuke-nin hired by Gato before all of this started.
"Come on boss you know we've tried but they just seem to vanish without a trace each time. At times I would swear they were never there if it wasn't for the bodies," shouted one of his men who had been the victim of one of the numerous hit and runs.
"Yeah, wasn't that the purpose of some of those Ninja you hired. They were supposed to be insurance against Shinobi," added another.
There once was a group of five Shinobi working for him. Three of those Shinobi were now dead; killed by the two strange women that had appeared three months ago. Those three had been brutally slain by the devils in sheep's clothing. Not even Gato's thugs had been handled like that, unless they were caught doing despicable acts. Those three Shinobi from Iwa though never seemed to have a chance once they were spotted.
The former Kiri-nin that had been hired were currently busy with tracking down Tazuna and ensuring that he never returned to finish his bridge. Unfortunately for them they had left AFTER they found out he was heading to Konoha for supplies and protection. Now all they could do is wait from him to return and hope to finish him off along with what ever Shinobi he had managed to hire.
"If Zabuza and the other one fails then I'll have no other choice but to ask for help from them. Those people aren't cheap either and if the rumors are true will be impossible to kill off," shouted the man as he continued to throw a tantrum.
"This is why I have always hated these stupid ninja villages. They cause me nothing but trouble and are always sticking their noses where they don't belong," added the man as he kicked a box before finally walking out of the warehouse where most of his flunkies stayed.
"The only thing I want all of you to do is find the supplies Tazuna went to buy and destroy them! I don't care who is with the supplies, just destroy them. Do not let them make it to this country, understood," yelled the man as the warehouse doors were slammed shut.
A chorus of "Yes Sir" followed the man as the door slammed shut. The goons then looked at each other in confusion as they continued to hear the rants of their boss. It wasn't anything new, but the man seemed to be dead serious this time. They had all also had the chance to meet the people he was reluctant to hire. One of the men was nearly eight foot tall and carried around a large bandaged object on his back. The other was normal height but seemed to have the respect of the larger man. Both were seen wearing a black cloak with red clouds and conical straw hats with a single bell.
The two men never said their names. The only thing that was known about them was that they worked for a group known as Akatsuki. That and the taller one had stated that only one of their members would be needed to quell any problem that they may face.
No one bothered to question that declaration as the words seemed to be more then enough to get the point across.
Konoha
Team 7 was returning from the mission they had grown to hate in Team 8 absence, finding Tora. It seemed that since Team 8 was out of town, and Tora wasn't taking a break that Team 7 would have to take up the slack left by Team 8. Team 10, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, probably could have done it, but Naruto had a few theories on why they were never given the mission. One such theory focused on Tsunade getting even with him for the number of pranks he had pulled on her since she had known him.
Of course no one would expect a Hokage-to-be to actually resort to such petty games.
It didn't help the mood of Team 7 though when their Sensei would just laugh each time they were given the mission to track down the troublesome feline.
"I swear it has only been a few days since Hinata-chan and them left and we've already had to catch that stupid cat six different times," yelled Naruto as he glared at the feline being held in a cage by Sakura.
"We probably wouldn't have to catch this cat if you would quit calling Tsunade-sama old," countered the bubblegum-haired girl as she noticed him glaring.
"She has a point, loser," added Sasuke while smirking at the blond-haired boy.
Instead of the expected retort though Naruto just seemed to huff and turn away from his teammates as he looked up towards the Hokage Monument. If they could hear his thoughts though they would have found it amusing at how he had decided to handle the jabs from the Uchiha.
'95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88... Just keep counting Naruto and think about what you will do when Hinata-chan and them return. Think about all the training you are going to do after Kakashi-sensei decides to ditch us and go… ARGH! Nee-chan can't I beat the snot out of the bastard,' yelled Naruto as he gave up on counting.
"As much as I would enjoy that, you can't just go around killing those people who anger you. If you did then you would regret it when it came time for the Chunin exams," chastised Hikari slightly as she fought to keep from laughing.
Both had developed a healthy hatred of the boy during their exposure to him. Part of it stemmed from the boy constantly talking down to Naruto. When they had first met each other they could have almost been called friends. That tenuous friendship was shattered though the day Itachi fled the village and left only Sasuke alive within the Uchiha compound. Since then the Uchiha was cold and distant, even towards the one person that he might have been able to call friend.
It wasn't like he didn't act the same towards others, but it always seemed to be a slap in the face to Naruto.
"Alright Team, its time to report in to Hokage-sama. If they have no other missions for us you are free to do what you wish for the rest of the day," said Kakashi, cutting into Naruto's thoughts.
With those words the team walked into the mission room to see a smiling Tsunade, and a chuckling Hokage. Iruka seemed to be split between laughing and scowling at his elders. Each of them straightened up slightly when the members of Team 7 entered the room.
"Team 7 reporting in with the escaped cat Tora. Mission was accomplished without any problems," declared Kakashi as he saluted his superiors and nodded towards Iruka.
"Well done Team 7. I'm surprised you managed to complete the mission in such a timely manor this time around. Perhaps we should continue allowing your team to spearhead the hunt for Tora," greeted Tsunade as she fought to keep from smiling. The current reason for her amusement was the twitching of Naruto's eyebrow.
"Don't joke around with me," yelled Naruto as he glared at the other blonde. "You have to have a better mission then that, or at least a C-Ranked mission," snapped Naruto as he started to walk towards the three Shinobi.
"You could have shown a little more respect. You might have had a chance at a higher mission then," chided Hikari as Naruto stopped in front of the desk that separated him from Tsunade, Sarutobi, and Iruka.
"Naruto show them some respect," called out Sakura.
"Why should he? Do you REALLY want to chase after that infernal feline again," countered her inner persona.
'I don't but I really don't want to anger Tsunade-sama either,' answered Sakura as she waited to see how hard Tsunade would punch Naruto.
To everyone's surprise though she just broke out in laughter. Not only did Tsunade break out in laughter but the Sandaime did as well. Iruka was sitting there with his head down while shaking it. The members of Team 7 just looked on as the Hokage tried to refrain from laughing, and Tsunade seemed ready to fall from her chair in laughter.
"What the hell is so funny you old hag," called out Naruto when he had enough of their laughter.
The temperature in the room dropped as Tsunade suddenly stopped laughing and narrowed her eyes at Naruto. Iruka and the Sandaime had abandoned their chairs and were now safely hiding behind Tsunade to avoid any stray projectiles. Sakura was busy trying to pull Sasuke into a similar safe zone and Kakashi just vanished in a cloud of smoke.
"What did you just call me," asked Tsunade in a dark voice as she started to rise from her seat.
Naruto was already backing away and attempting to make it out the door leading to the mission room. With enough luck he would be able to make it out the door and through a window before Tsunade came charging through the wall like a rampaging rhino.
Just as Naruto was about to make a break for the door though they were thrown open to reveal a pair of Chunin, Izumo and Kotetsu, escorting a man dressed in what many would consider typical fishing attire.
The man wore baggy blue pants and had on a sleeveless blue shirt, similar to that of a martial arts Gi. He kept it tucked in under his white rope belt but left it open enough to see his muscled and tan chest. The rest of the man's body seemed to be just as fit and he seemed to be the only one immune to the mood of the room they walked in on. The only other thing that stood out about the man was his spiky black hair that seemed to be held back by the piece of rope wrapped around his head.
"Many thanks for the help in buying the supplies Hokage-sama. With this shipment we should be able to finish our bridge in no time," stated the man as he walked past Naruto and towards the petrified Hokage.
Sarutobi and Iruka seemed to sigh in relief and released a breath they had been holding. Both smiled at the man who may have just saved the life of the young blond boy in front of them and quickly took their seats once again. Even Tsunade seemed to have calmed slightly as the man walked in. It seemed as if his words had snapped her out of what ever rage she was feeling seconds before.
"It was our pleasure Kaiza-san. We do have a surplus of building materials at times, and if we can do nothing with them we normally sell them or store them," said the Hokage as he waved off the praise from the man.
"Nonsense! If I had asked for this any where else I would have had to wait for more then three days! Konoha is truly a wonderful place if they can gather this much material and then easily have it moved to the coast for the trip back to Wave Country," added the man as he moved forward to shake the hand of the Hokage.
"To be honest with you I had expected to be further behind Tazuna, but with this development I can't be more then a few days behind. If I make it to the port in time I could probably make it back home by the time he returns," said the man as he kissed Tsunade's hand and shook Iruka's. The entire time he was smiling to show how happy he was to be one step closer to his goal.
Naruto sat there listening and couldn't help but pay close attention to how nervous the man also seemed to sound, despite how pleased he tried to make it sound. There was a hint of desperation and nervousness hidden under the kind words of a man who was probably earnest in his comments. Looking at the ones sitting around the table he could tell that at least the Hokage and Tsunade caught onto the slight deception taking place.
If the tone wasn't that wasn't enough to alert them then the increase in his heart rate and the fact he was fighting to keep from sweating surely added to the lie taking place. The only question left was why they would lie about something like this.
"Kaiza-san I can't help but notice how clammy your hands and face are. Are you feeling well," questioned Naruto as he walked towards the man.
Sakura perked up at this and looked at the man closely and started to notice the same signs, but her eyes were mainly scanning from a medical standpoint. Kakashi and Sasuke started to watch closely as well, with the former already knowing what Naruto was hinting at.
"I'm fine, just anxious to return home and finish Tazuna's "Super Great Bridge". I may be a son-in-law but he is still pretty hard on me," answered the man with a smile on his face.
This time Iruka frowned as he saw through the smile. It was something he had done in his earlier years to hide his feelings. Once he was exposed to Naruto he saw the same thing happening again with the young blond and again when he started to get closer to Anko.
"I want you to cut the shit and tell us what's wrong," demanded Iruka as he slammed his palms down on the desk.
His action caused more then a few heads to turn. It wasn't every day, unless you were Naruto, that you got to see the level headed Iruka lose his cool. It happened even less when an employer was involved. What many were slowly learning though was that when it involved his students, he lived up to his namesake and became very protective of them.
"I just sent some of my former students on a mission that is starting to sound like more then just a routine C-Ranked Mission. I want to know what the hell you and Tazuna are trying to hide from us and I want to know now," added the Chunin as he jumped over the table and grabbed the man by his shirt to shake him around.
"I suggest you speak up now Kaiza. With Tazuna I was willing to write his nerves off as having to deal with Shinobi for the first time. You though don't seem to be intimidated by us and our ways," said the Sandaime as he clamped onto Iruka's hands and forced him to drop the fisherman.
"I'm sorry. It's just that most of the money we had was for the supplies for our bridge. Tazuna didn't want to wait to see how much would be left over from buying the supplies, and wanted to return to Wave as soon as possible. Because of that he didn't have enough money for a B-Ranked mission but even if he had waited we might not have had enough money," started Kaiza as he sat down on the floor and crossed his legs.
From there Kaiza continued to tell them the story of what had happened to the country. He started from the beginning of course and told them about how he had come across Inari nearly drowning. From there he told them how he slowly started to see them as family and eventually did end up marrying Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami. Everything was going good for them, and he was slowly seen as a hero after saving their village and bringing in large hauls of fish.
It was nearly seven months ago when things took a turn for the worst. The Gatoh Shipping Corporation had set its eyes on the small country and the rather lucrative fishing and shipping market there. The easily swayed folded quickly under the demands of the owner, Gatoh, and soon it was only a matter of time before the company made it to the village that Kaiza and the rest lived in.
The company quickly started to try to flex its muscles and intimidate the people as they had done with numerous other villages. This time though they met some resistance from the people of the country. They had heard about their deeds before hand and were prepared for the heavy-handed persuasive methods of Gatoh. That still didn't prepare them for the blockade that Gatoh decided to set up to kill some of the major businesses of the Village and country.
Because of that blockade it made it nearly impossible for people to go out and fish or trade their goods with other countries and villages. When people tried to run the blockade Gatoh had his men sink the ships, and eventually that lead them to going into the harbors and coastal docks to destroy any ocean going vessel.
These acts had accomplished what the others wouldn't and started to break the will of the people. Soon only the brave would speak out against Gatoh and his methods. Those people though were slowly vanishing as the months ticked away. Kaiza himself had nearly met the same fate at the start of the summer.
"I was in the center of our village trying to call the people to arms against Gatoh. Hoping that they would rediscover their will to fight, but sadly though Gatoh had recently started a new practice of not just killing those who spoke out and acted against him. He started to include the person's entire family. Wives and daughters would be taken by his men for untold horrors and children were enslaved and shipped away to who knows where.
"I nearly met the same fate on that day. They first took me to one of their warehouses where they tried to "persuade" me it was in my best interest to work for Gatoh. They wanted to use me as a mouthpiece to get the people to accept Gatoh. When I continued to refuse they threatened Tsunami and Inari's lives. Even then though I refused because I knew I wouldn't be able to face Tsunami, Inari, or Tazuna if I sold out everything we fought for just for that.
"Then they decided to make an example out of me, since I was considered a hero by many in the village. They nailed my hands onto a cross and carried me to the center of town, where Gatoh set up a podium and stand. He called out to the people and told them that I was being sentenced to death. It caused an uproar and while they beat me I could see Tsunami crying in the crowd and Tazuna trying to pull Inari away," said Kaiza as he tried to fight back the tears of the memory.
As he told his story his feelings could be heard in his voice. When he spoke of Wave Country and the people there you could hear the love in his voice. When it came to Tsunami, Inari, and Tazuna you could nearly feel the love he felt for them. When he spoke of Gatoh though you could tell how disgusted he was just by the tone of his voice.
The others in the room continued to listen and for the most part forgot about the Genin team that was present. The only one who didn't seem to forget was the Hokage and his eyes were locked onto Naruto's visibly shaking form. Out of all of those present Naruto was likely the only one who knew what the country was once like before it was corrupted.
"Just as I was about to be slain a woman jumped over the crowd and knocked away Gatoh's men. Others rushed to stop the woman but she easily knocked them away as if they were nothing but children. From what I remember she cut me down and took off with me. I passed out from pain around that point and only woke up days later. When I did wake up I saw a woman with hair the color of leaves in the fall and strange orange markings on her cheeks," added Kaiza as he finally raised his head with tears in his eyes.
Tsunade, Sarutobi, Naruto and Kakashi froze when they heard the description of the woman. It may have and more then likely could have been any woman in the world. To them though the similarities to someone they knew and had been looking for was too uncanny.
"Once I woke up I noticed that there was another woman in the room but she looked to be confined to the bed at the time. The auburn-haired woman said she had healed me and that within a few days I would be able to head home. About that time the other one fought to get out of bed. The one with me rushed over and helped her to sit against the wall. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen though. I never thought that someone could have hair that deep a shade of purple, and with such an intense gaze. Regardless though she seemed to be the most gorgeous woman, who could make any man happy and probably cause him great pain," added the man once again with a smile on his face.
This time Naruto clenched his fist as the man seemed to confirm his hunch. Before he could say or do anything though Kaiza was already continuing his story and he couldn't help but stand there to learn more about the situation his mother was in.
"Shortly after that I returned home and I was told that the two were Kunoichi and that they would look out for us while they could. At first the woman with the tattoos watched over us and fought off Gatoh's men. By mid-summer though the other woman had joined her and soon we learned about Gatoh hiring some Shinobi to deal with the problem. The first attack was from a bunch of people who use earth techniques and for some strange reason the two women seemed to be extremely hard on them. With Gatoh's men they showed some sympathy but these Shinobi were slain without a second thought. It was honesty enough to make some of the people who saw hurl at the scene."
Naruto started to grind his teeth when he heard about Iwa Shinobi possibly attacking his mother. At the same time Kakashi and the others who at least had an idea of who the first woman was winced at the memories those Shinobi must had brought up for her. Out of the higher ranking adults in the room only Tsunade and Kakashi really knew what Iwa-nin were like on the battle field and how ruthless they could be at times.
"Not long after that we ran out of supplies and were forced to make a run for supplies on the mainland. The two told us that Konoha would be the best place to go, and probably the best place to hire some form of protection for the supplies and Tazuna on our way back. I had a feeling they were from here originally the way they sounded so fond of the place. I asked if they wanted to come with us but the said they needed to stay to protect Tsunami, Inari, and the rest of the village from Gatoh. The second woman was kind enough though to escort us to the coast before she returned to the village. I figured they were both needed to guard against the other two Shinobi hired by Gatoh," finished Kaiza while sighing deeply.
By now Naruto was shaking in anticipation of what this might mean. He was seconds away from demanding to be sent on a mission there and the only thing keeping him from doing it was Hikari's demands that he wait for the Hokage's response to everything.
Kakashi had his head down as he thought of his last true friend possibly being alive. After nearly thirteen years of thinking she had died in the Kyubi attack, he had just learned that someone matching her description was seen in another country.
Sakura looked to nearly be in tears at the news of what the small country had to go through. She could only imagine how it had to feel to narrowly escape death's grasp. Not to mention the strength it would take to continue fighting against the odds that they had stacked against them.
Sasuke was deep in thought about the entire ordeal. From the way it sounded, it could be at least a B-Ranked mission. Aside from that though a part of him felt sorry for the people of Wave Country, and In a way it reminded him of that night years ago when he was turned into an orphan. Instead though these people were continuing to fight, even though the odds didn't favor them and their lives were on the line.
Sandaime and Tsunade exchanged glances before they turned to Naruto. It seemed that when he clenched his fist his nails had dug into his hand and caused him to start to bleed. No one seemed to notice the intense gaze the boy held currently or how he seemed to be shaking at the prospect of this revelation.
"That is an amazing story Kaiza-san. I must say you and your people are brave to continue fighting despite the odds. I'm pleased that someone who may be one of our former Shinobi was able to save you and continued to uphold the beliefs of Konoha even after leaving it," said the Sandaime as he sat back in his chair and pulled out his trusty pipe to stuff.
While doing this he received a glare from Tsunade and Iruka, who both frowned upon him smoking in the mission room. Under the current circumstances though, they couldn't blame him for using some form of stress relief.
"I'm not at all pleased though about being lied to about the previous mission I had assigned to a Rookie Genin team. It sounds as if they might be biting off more then they could chew," added Tsunade as she leaned against the table she normally sat behind. Kaiza tensed slightly at this and this a look of horror crossed his face ad he suddenly remembered something very important.
"There were another two Shinobi that the two women could fight to a stand still. I think one of them was named… Zuba? No that wasn't it, could it have been Zabuka," commented the man as he tried to recall the name of the man with the massive sword.
The second the words left his mouth though the temperature seemed to drop suddenly as four people knew who the man was referring to. Before anything else could be said though the window sitting behind the Hokage, Tsunade, and Iruka was blown apart as a fierce wind kicked up and threw the papers around the room. Only one word could be heard on the wind, and it was said with enough hate and murderous intent to cause everyone to shiver.
"Zabuza."
The wind hadn't even died down completely before Iruka jumped out the window and the room was flooded with ANBU, Jonin and Chunin. Chaos reigned in the room as everyone who barged in tried to make sense of what they had heard. Many feared it may have been an attack on the Hokage or Tsunade. Very few noticed the sudden disappearance of Naruto amidst the chaos of the room. Even fewer realized just who was responsible for the chaos. Only one voiced the question that caused most to realize what happened.
"Where's Naruto," asked Sakura as she started to frantically look around for her energetic friend.
"Shit," muttered Tsunade.
Konoha
Naruto was ignoring Hikari as he rushed home. Most people only felt a sudden burst of wind as he passed. The Shinobi he passed saw a golden blur pass them. Those that bothered to follow the blur easily lost it once it made it to the forest.
Naruto ignored Hikari's pleas to stop and think rationally as he blew throw the balcony window to his room. Before his feet even touched the ground two shadow clones appeared and moved to different parts of the room.
In a flurry of motion the real Naruto had done away with his regular clothing and donned his battle gear. The pair of Tonfas he had been given by Iruka were strapped in the small of his back in leather holsters. The rest of his battle attire was vaguely similar to that of the armor worn by ANBU. The only difference was that he lacked the shin guards and bracers that were normally worn and that was only because he had the greaves and bracers from Hikari.
A clone came running up to him with a pack filled with several scrolls and a pouch filled with his special little toys. Naruto wasted little time in quickly slinging the pack over his shoulders and wrapping the pack around his waist. He knew that this would give him plenty of extra weapons as well as various grenades that he thought might be useful in his current endeavor.
A second clone was running up with his shuriken and kunai holsters. After he strapped those on, he took another pack from the clone that held his special kunai. The final piece of equipment he grabbed from the clone was the jug of sake he had been given from Gamabunta and it found its way to his belt before he dispelled the clones and jumped out the window.
No sound could be heard from the boy except the slight sloshing of liquid from his sake bottle. All other pieces of his equipment were firmly strapped down to minimize the amount of noise he made. It was something he would only do when completely serious about a situation. For the most part when he moved around with his normal load out he was undetectable by most Chunin. Experienced ANBU and most Jonin were able to pick him up unless he put some effort into moving silently.
That was part of the reason why Iruka didn't see or hear him when they crossed paths. Naruto fleeing the village and making his way to Wave country to "save" Hinata, Shino, and the rest of Team 8. Iruka trying to make it to the home of his little brother before he did something stupid, but knowing he didn't have the speed to stop the boy.
Wave Country
Shino tensed slightly as his scouts picked up a large source of chakra ahead of his team. The source though became lost in a bank of fog that started to close in on the small group. Had it been any other time of day the group might have written it off as a natural occurrence. Since it was in the middle of the day though, it was likely that it was not a natural occurrence.
"Be prepared for anything," ordered Kurenai as they stopped and surrounded Tazuna and drew their weapons.
It wasn't long before the fog had settled in over the group and obscured their vision. No one could see more then a foot in front of them and the only member who might be able to see further was Hinata.
The girl was already ahead of her team mates and had already activated her Byakugan. She only gasped though when she noticed how the air seemed to be filled with chakra. The fog itself seemed to be alive with chakra as it swirled around them. Because of the fog and how dense it was she could only see a few more feet then the members of her team.
The only shape she could make out were the shadowy forms of something shifting through the dense mist. She couldn't tell how many of them there were. It could have easily been one person moving very fast, or multiple people shifting around waiting for a chance to strike.
"There are eight targets," said a voice that seemed to come from all around the members of Team 8.
The deadly whisper wasn't the only thing that starting assaulting the sense of the team. The air was flooded with enough killing intent that Akamaru started to whimper and the insects within Shino started to buzz in agitation. Even Kiba seemed prone to whimper at the assault on his fight or flight instincts. To their credit though Shino and Hinata stood their ground, and only flinched slightly as their senses were pounded by the mysterious figure in the mist.
"Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclavian artery, kidney and heart," continued the voice as Tazuna feel to his knees behind his would be protectors. The man didn't even bother trying to hide his tears as the pressure from the person got the best of him.
"W-what the hell is going on here," asked Kiba as he fought to keep his legs from collapsing.
"Muon Satsujin Jutsu (Silent Homicide Technique)," answered Shino as his bugs started to emerge from beneath his jacket and filter out into the air.
"Oh, so one of the little Genin knows of me," asked the voice in what sounded like a pleased tone of voice. "I suppose I should feel honored that someone from the Aburame clan knows of me without having ever met me before. Perhaps you will be given the honor of dieing first," added the voice in a more sinister tone.
"Make no mistake about this Momochi Zabuza, I shall not let you lay a hand on my students or my charge," countered Kurenai as she started to release her own chakra and Killing intent into the air.
Her efforts seemed to get Kiba to relax some and even Tazuna had stopped sobbing from his place on the ground. That though didn't too much to counter all of the effort Zabuza was putting into intimidating the team from Konoha.
"A lowly Kunoichi who specializes in Genjutsu dares to try and challenge me. You are nothing but a footnote in the Konoha section of the Bingo book Yuhi Kurenai," answered the voice.
This time Kurenai did jump slightly since it sounded like the voice had come from right beside her. Jerking her head towards the voice she couldn't see anything and only felt a whisper of the wind on her skin.
'This isn't good. I'm no match for this man no matter what Genjutsu I may try. He surpasses me in just about every other field of being a Ninja,' thought Kurenai as her mind raced the with possible outcomes of this confrontation.
Out of everything she pictured only one outcome seemed to pop up. With the entire team dead or severely wounded and their charge beheaded on the side of the road. The only one that seemed to offer some assurance was the team fleeing with Tazuna and she would stay to fight and likely die against Zabuza. Out of all of the scenarios that was perhaps the only one she was willing to accept.
'If I can stall him long enough they might be able to make it back to Fire Country. Once there one of the patrols might come across them before Zabuza,' with that last thought in mind she turned to her students and charge.
"Listen to me closely. You are to flee with Tazuna and not look back, not matter what you might hear, feel, or see. Just keep running," ordered Kurenai before she readied herself to battle the shade in the mist.
Kiba was about to challenge her request when Hinata called out a warning and Zabuza appeared in the middle of the group. In a flurry of motion Kurenai grabbed a kunai to block to massive sword from cutting her team in two. Hinata grabbed Tazuna and jumped away from the site of the impending battle and Shino was quick to follow her with a stunned Kiba and Akamaru in hand.
A blast of air accompanied the contact of kunai and Zanbato. Due to her shorter stature, and lack of strength though Kurenai was thrown away from Zabuza and was forced to roll with her momentum.
The second she was clear though a number of black bugs burst from the ground and started to swarm Zabuza. Within seconds the man covered in bandages was covered in Kikaichu bugs. Another second and he started to scream as they started to devour his flesh and chakra. Seconds after that something happened that they had no been expecting. Zabuza burst into water.
"Mizu Bunshin," screamed Kurenai as she righted herself and looked around for her attacker.
Hinata was already searching for the man and Shino was recalling his colony that he had left as a trap for Zabuza. Kiba was righting himself and sobering up now that the killing intent wasn't as heavy as before.
"Your students have excellent reaction time. It seems Konoha is indeed producing excellent Shinobi. It is a shame though that I will have to kill them before they could even reach the peak of their abilities," called out Zabuza once again from the mist.
This time though it wasn't echoing around as he had before. This time it sounded as if it was coming directly from behind Hinata and Tazuna.
The Hyuga girl spun around quickly and delivered a palm strike into the stomach of her attacker. The man's eyes flashed in recognition as he realized just what he was up against this time. The tell-tale eyes of a Hyuga could never be mistaken by a seasoned Shinobi. He smiled though as shock registered on the girl's face before he dissolved into a puddle of water and a warning cry was given by Kiba. With her Byakugan activated she could see Zabuza coming in to kill her and Tazuna. She was fast but there was no chance she was fast enough to stop the charging Nuke-nin.
At the same time though she could see what Zabuza could not. With the mist clearing somehow she could easily see Kurenai coming in from Zabuza's right with a weapon ready to impale the man.
"Not this time Zabuza," called out the woman as she moved to gut the man.
Her attack failed though as the man spun on his foot and sent a kick to the woman's side. The attack caused her to skid across the ground and across a nearby lake before she managed to finally right herself. As she struggled to stand though she realized something was wrong.
'This water is too heavy,' thought the woman as she feel to her knees and became encompassed by the water.
"Suirou no Jutsu (Water Prison Technique)," commented Zabuza as he appeared beside her with the palm of his hand stuck in the sphere of water. At the same time he brought his free hand up and concentrated. The fruits of his labor appeared as another water clone appeared on the end of the lake and calmly walked to shore.
"Surrender the old man and I might let you live. If you don't I'll kill your lovely Sensei and then track you all down and kill each and everyone of you In the most painful way I can think of," demanded Zabuza as his clone removed his sword from his back and started to slowly advance on the Genin.
"RUN! As long as he is here holding this technique his clone can't go very far," yelled Kurenai through her watery prison.
Even as she shouted to them to flee she could see their faces setting into a stony resolve. It was something she had started to see develop in her charges, mainly Shino and Hinata, from the time they spent with Naruto. They wouldn't even think about leaving her behind to face death.
Before anyone could say anything Kiba was already launching an attack on the clone. With him was Akamaru and both were already spinning like a pair of drills as they tore their way towards the clone. No one had heard or seen them perform the required techniques but the element of surprise allowed them to get close enough to the clone that most though they would win the fight with it.
As they were about to make contact though the clone used it's Zanbato like a baseball player would use his bat. The result was a sickening crack as both Akamaru and Kiba were sent flying into the surrounding trees and only stopping after they had flown through several large ones. Once they stopped though there was no sign of motion from the two as Akamaru's jutsu dispelled to reveal the broken white dog.
Hinata was about to charge forward before she felt Shino's hand on her shoulder. Looking at the bespectacled boy caused her to pause in her attack and glance towards her opponents.
Already gathering on the clone was another swarm of Kikaichu. This time the clone didn't stay on dry land and quickly plunged into the lake water In hopes of dislodging the annoying insects. After all the last time they had attacked a water clone and dispelled it they were sluggish, why would this time be any different?
Kurenai fought off a curse as she saw the clone dive into the water. She gasped though, as did Zabuza, when a number of insects came up from the depths of the water and started to walk across it towards Zabuza. It appeared though that this time they were not your run of the mill Kikaichu bugs. Shino smiled as he watched the special breed of bug cross the water and towards the man who couldn't flee his current spot without releasing their Sensei.
His smile was short lived when he heard Hinata gasp from behind him, and saw Kurenai's eyes widened in fear. Turning around he saw another Zabuza with his Zanbato resting on the shoulder of Tazuna. Fear could be seen in the man's eyes as the weight of the weapon cut into his shoulder.
"I suppose you thought you had me with that latest attack. A shame though that I created multiple clones and waited until you were too busy with one to make my move," growled Zabuza as he offered a feral grin from behind his bandaged mouth.
"I'm afraid you aren't the only one with a few tricks up their sleeves," whispered Hinata as she smiled behind her bangs. Before Zabuza could ask what she meant though Tazuna ducked below the sword on his shoulder and spun to send a strike into Zabuza's gut.
After the attacked landed and sent the Kiri-nin sliding across the ground, Tazuna burst into a cloud of flowers. Zabuza stood there holding his stomach in pain as the girl looked up at him with a fire in her eyes. She didn't waste any more time though as she charged the man and attacked with her glowing palms.
Because of the pain of the Juken strike and a burning sensation coursing through his abdomen Zabuza was hard pressed to dodge or counter attack the attacks from the fierce girl. Forgotten was Kurenai, who was freed from her prison by Shino, as the girl continued to push her advantage. Soon the Kiri-nin was covered in cuts and was barely able to stand, even though majority of his cuts seemed to be on his upper body.
"What the hell did you do to me you little bitch," wheezed Zabuza as he barely stayed on his feet due to his massive sword.
"Kusabana Hanabira Bunshin no Jutsu (Flower Petal Clone Technique), a technique I learned from a close friend. I also combined my Juken with Shosen Jutsu (Mystic Palm Technique/Chakra Scalpel) to cut the tendons and muscles within your body. You won't be able to move very well unless someone heals you," declared the Hyuga as she straightened up.
By this time Kurenai had made it to land and was walking towards Hinata and the downed Zabuza. Shino was walking forward while helping Kiba walk and Tazuna showed up beside him with Akamaru in his hands.
Zabuza stood there looking at his opponents and felt a small sense of familiarity. He laughed softly as he thought back to the blond brat who put him in a similar state. This time though Haku would be able to save him before any more serious damage was done to him. He looked up to stare at the young Genin before him and he froze when he noticed an object poking out from Hinata's unzipped jacket.
'Only one person would have such an object,' thought Zabuza as he started to feel a new energy bubble up within him.
"Tell me girl who gave you that little necklace you have," asked Zabuza as he started to straighten himself. At the same time he was biting down on the concealed capsules in his mouth as more and more energy started to build up.
Hinata gasped as she realized what the man was talking about. Shino flinched as well when he noticed the object hanging around her neck. Slowly though eh started to piece more of the puzzle of Naruto's obsession with Suiton and silent attacks. He was starting to understand the things Naruto left out about what happened to him that time he was left school in the middle of the day a little more then a year ago.
'His obsession is because of a fight with Zabuza. That is why he took up the Silent Homicide style of battle and started to use the Kirigakure no Jutsu,' concluded Shino as he started to reach into his jacket for his own special Kunai.
"I had thought the boy and his sister would have died that night all those years ago. I suppose though I shouldn't be surprised he is alive, not with what he is," continued Zabuza as he drew himself to his full height, shocking Hinata and Kurenai.
Even though she was shocked, Kurenai knew what Zabuza was referring to. Shino knew as well and was now fighting with his jacket to pull the tri-pronged kunai from the confines of his jacket. His haste though was only proving to be detrimental to his effort.
"Who would have thought he would have survived having this blade shoved through his chest. I had thought that I would never get to settle with the boy for giving me these scars and killing two of my followers. Now though I have what may be the perfect bait to draw him her," firmly stated Zabuza. Again his words shocked those present but nothing shocked them more then when the man blurred out of sight.
The only had a few seconds to react before Kurenai, Shino, Tazuna, and Kiba were sent flying. Kurenai was the victim of a ruthless backhand. Shino and Kiba were the victims of a savage roundhouses that sent them flying away from their team and sensei. Tazuna and Akamaru were turned into projectiles as Zabuza used his sword as a bat once again and sent them into the bushes.
Hinata stood there shocked as the man she had thought she had defeated came back to life. Nothing though prepared her for when his foot came flying at her face and sent her tumbling along the ground and drawing blood from her lips. Before she or anyone else could move again the man was already upon her and lifting her by her hair. Despite her pained cries he savagely kneed her in the face and once again sent her skidding with a brutal kick to her stomach.
No longer was he worried about his mission or the rest of the team. He was focused on the only connection to one of the best fights he had ever had. The one thing that could allow him to get revenge for the deaths of the Brothers that once followed him, but was killed by the toys of a young boy.
"I know where that weapon comes from, and to ensure I get a chance to finish what I attempted then I will need some bait. He cares enough for you to give you that so when he learns you were taken he will come for me," snarled Zabuza as he lifted Hinata back up and smiled at he bloodied face.
The attacks he delivered to Shino served to help the Aburame finally free the weapon he had been reaching for from his pocket. With little hesitation he cocked his arm back and hurled it forward as he channeled what he felt was enough chakra into the weapon.
The bug user smiled behind his collar when Zabuza turned around at the sound of the weapon flying through the air. The shocked look on his face was worth the damage to his body once the ex-Kiri-nin realized just what had been thrown.
"Haku, we're leaving now," yelled the man as he moved to grab the battered Hyuga. The only thing that stopped him was her bloodied and smiling face as she threw a silver canister that to the ground between. Seconds later though a blinding white light flashed as the man made a dive for the battered Hyuga.
A/N:
How's this for bringing Zabuza back into the game?
Jutsu/ Techniques
Kusabana Hanabira Bunshin no Jutsu (Flower Petal Clone Technique)
A technique that utilizes the petals of flowers to form a solid Bunshin, similar to that of the Mizu Bunshin, Iwa Bunshin, and Kage Bunshin. The clone is fairly durable and able to withstand one or two solid attacks. When dispelled the petals act as a distraction and could also be used to send out a cloud of poison depending upon the flowers used for the technique. Some Shinobi have been known to combine the technique with Genjutsu to help confuse their opponents.
Suirou no Jutsu (Water Prison Technique):
A Ninjutsu technique that utilizes water to imprison an opponent. The ninja forms the necessary hand seals which causes the water to form around the target into a spherical prison which only allows for limited movement. The ninja must keep their body touching the water prison to maintain its existence. If the contact is broken, the water falls away and their target is released. When combined with a Bunshin technique, the ninja can imprison their target but still allow for a clone to attack others nearby.