Naruto: A Seer's Fable
REVIEW RESPONSE:
Wandering Sage: Me too, Kirara was an amazing little creature and served as the major inspiration for Asura's abilities. I'm aware of the Disgaea games yes, but have never actually played them.
Ryo no Kitsune: Thank you, and yes Kirara served as a major inspiration for Asura
PlaceholderName: Honestly, it's simply out of a desire to see several relationships. I like a lot of Naruto pairings, and its hard to pick just one for any story. Thus, when a good excuse comes along, I take it. That, and it's fun.
haseothesage: Yes, I hate it when good stories are just abandoned. Though its hard for authors who pick them up to continue them as well. I know I hit a lot of bumps with my Heir to the Nine Rings story that I adopted from EroSlacker Micha. It's just hard to live up to the old authors style and standards while trying to stay true to your own ideas and inspiration.
The Fifth Rider of Armageddon: Thank you, and I try to update as often as I can, but life tends to interfere with my plans.
Guest: Fu will come in the next arc or so, and I already have several ideas for her own battle style.
roboguy45: Theresa is old, but she's also immortal.
Orezz Lanrete: I've said it once and I'll say it again: Kirara inspired Asura, so yes its similar.
DaemonWelsh: Naruto and Negi are definitely going to butt heads in the future, since they have highly different interpretations of what fate or destiny truly is.
To everyone else that reviewed I thank you for your time and support.
"Human Speech"
'Human Thought'
"Demon/Summons Speech"
'Demon/Summons Thought'
Jutsu or Card
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fable, or anything other than my own original ideas for this story
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Chapter 14 Bridge Battle
(Bridge)
Anko and Zabuza were still locked in position, Anko's twin kunai blocking Zabuza's massive cleaver-sword. After just a few seconds of strain, Anko's kunai were already starting to show cracks along their lengths, Zabuza's sword already threatening to shatter them and cleave through to her by the sheer weight of his sword and the strength of the nuke-nin's swing.
"Looks like those little butter knives of yours aren't going to last much longer." Zabuza stated confidently, a smirk evident beneath his bandages.
"Mah, mah, mah Zabu-chan. What's the deal with you boys and your obsession with over-sized toys? Makes a girl think you're trying to compensate for something." returned Anko easily, a playful smirk still evident on her face even as she struggled to keep Zabuza's sword at bay.
Zabuza didn't say a word, but his brow furrowed at the barb. Instantly he brought his sword back, only to twist, flipping the blade and turning the movement into a horizontal swing aimed to bisect the kunoichi at her stomach.
Anko didn't even try to block this time; instead she channeled chakra into her feet, using a variant of the tree-walking exercise to launch herself into the air and over the nuke-nin's strike. While still in midair, she launched both of the kunai still in her hands toward Zabuza before forming a seal and extending one of her arms. "Seneijashu! (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands) (1)." she shouted, launching a trio of venomous snakes right after her kunai.
Zabuza moved instantly, using the momentum of his still swinging blade to pull him into an agile sidestep to dodge the kunai before twisting around and swinging his sword out to decapitate the three extending snakes, which quickly exploded into smoke.
Anko landed a good dozen feet away from Zabuza, the playful smirk still evident on her lips. "Oh my, looks like I struck a nerve; didn't I Zabu-chan?" teased the snake mistress.
Zabuza merely glared at the kunoichi. "I take my job seriously girl, the battlefield's no place for childish taunts and word games." growled the nuke-nin.
"Oh, I disagree." argued Anko happily, a gleeful expression showing itself on her face as her lips curved upward into a vicious-looking grin. "A battlefield's the perfect place for fun and games. This one is my personal favorite: Bleed for Me!" Suddenly the purple-haired jounin jerked both her arms upward, momentarily revealing several narrow canisters on her forearms just behind the ends her trench coat's sleeves as the fabric swayed. "Shikomishindan! (Prepared Needle Shot) (2)." Instantly dozens of needles launched themselves out of each of her sleeves.
Zabuza didn't even bat an eye, raising his massive cleaver before he began moving it with speed and precision that should have been impossible for such a monstrous weapon, moving it mere inches to deflect or block incoming senbon before they could hit him. When the final needle hit, Zabuza casually deflected it upward before catching it in a free hand and bringing it up to his covered nose. "Poisoned." concluded the nuke-nin simply after taking a sniff, before throwing it away derisively and glaring at the kunoichi whose grin hadn't so much as twitched as her attack was effortlessly deflected. "Like I said girl, I've got no time for games." he stated disdainfully.
"Well that's too bad Zabu-chan, cause I feel like playing and you're the only one here I can have some fun with." replied Anko with a slight shrug, seemingly unbothered by her attack's failure.
Zabuza growled again, before he formed a single handseal with his free hand. "Play time is over girl. Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu! (Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique) (3)." called out the former Kiri-nin, causing the mists still surrounding the two began to thicken exponentially.
If anything Anko's grin only widened, her lips opening to reveal her teeth in a bloodthirsty smirk. "On the contrary Zabu-chan, the games have only just begun." she whispered into the surrounding mists.
~~~ XXXXX ~~~
Sasuke moved first, darting forward and stabbing with kunai with a quick strike aimed at Haku's heart. The masked kunoichi easily ducked under the lunge before moving to use it as an opening to stab Sasuke's unprotected side with her senbon, only to be forced to dodge at last instant when Sai moved in and slashed at her with his tantō blade.
"You leave yourself far too open when you attack Sasuke-san, you need to learn more restraint." stated Sai emotionlessly as he brought his tantō back into a loose guard position.
"Hmph." snorted Sasuke, ignoring Sai's advice. "Stay out of my way, I don't need any help." stated the Uchiha coldly, his eyes never leaving his opponent.
"Our mission is to protect the bridge-builder Tazuna. In order to accomplish that goal, we should eliminate our opponent as swiftly as possible before attempting to aid Anko-san." Sai responded, his voice still holding no emotion.
"I need to test myself and grow stronger." growled out Sasuke as he spared a moment to glare at his teammate.
"That is not part of our mission." Sai responded simply.
"You know you shouldn't argue on a battlefield." Haku's voice suddenly interrupted the two boys' bickering as she appeared between them, arms instantly lashing out to jab senbon into their necks…only for both boys to suddenly melt into pools of ink.
"Chōjū Giga! (Super Beast Imitating Drawings) (4)."
Haku moved instinctively, jumping and rolling away as a trio of lions pounced on the position she'd been standing in moments. When she regained her feet seconds later she noticed the lions themselves were far from normal, each appearing as if an ink drawing had come to life. However, before she could move to attack again and hopefully dispel whatever jutsu was animating them, she was forced to dodge several shuriken. The shuriken distracted her for a moment, allowing the lions to strike again, one even managing to tear at the shoulder of her kimono, before a trio of well-thrown senbon pierced each of the animated drawings in the forehead, dissipating them back into pools of ink.
Before she suddenly felt two sharp blades pierce through her, one in her stomach and the other in her back.
"And you really shouldn't have underestimated us." stated Sasuke coolly as he appeared in front of her a kunai gripped firmly in one hand while he kneeled slightly to angle it deeply into her stomach while Sai stood behind her with his tantō extended and piercing through the kunoichi's back.
Only for the body of his opponent to suddenly dissolve into water
"Thankfully I didn't." Haku's voice came from the surrounding mists, "It was an impressive tactic nonetheless, but I'm afraid that I won't fall into a trap that easily. Now it is my turn. Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishō! (Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death) (5)." she proclaimed, causing the water surrounding the two boys to quickly rise into the air, forming dozens of large water needles that hovered in the air. The two boys quickly went back to back, each preparing their own defenses. In mere seconds the needles reoriented themselves, all facing Sasuke and Sai, before launching themselves at the two boys in a single massive flurry.
As the needles flew toward him Sasuke's hands were already flying through a set of handseals. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) (6)." shouted the Uchiha heir as he brought one hand up to his mouth, cupping it, before breathing out a rapid torrent of fire, twisting his body to cover an 180 degree arc with flames, dispersing the incoming needles into clouds of steam.
Meanwhile Sai had already withdrawn one of several scrolls he carried on his belt. Unrolling it, he revealed handmade ink drawing consisting of dozens of shuriken and kunai caught in midflight. Channeling chakra into the drawing, he swung the scroll outward. "Daibuki Giga! (Great Weapon Imitating Drawings) (7)." Instantly the shuriken and kunai, now seemingly made of ink black steel, flew off the scroll and into the air, flying toward the onrushing water needles. The ink weapons met the water needles midflight, connecting in an audible clash before both attacks began falling to the ground and dispersing into puddles of their respective element.
Haku blinked behind her mask, surprised and mildly impressed at how well the two genin had managed to deflect one of her most effective Suiton techniques. Suddenly the mists surrounding the three teen started to thicken rapidly, causing Haku to frown behind her mask. "It seems Zabuza-sama has decided to take the battle with your comrade seriously." she stated coldly, before returning her attention to the two boys standing opposite of her, her hands already forming seals. "Unfortunately this means that I too must become serious. I'm sorry, but it appears I'll have to kill you now. Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō! (Hidden Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals) (8)."
Suddenly the water resting on the bridge, spilled both by her own attacks and Zabuza's dispelled clones, began to shift; flowing around the two teens and forming a wide circle before instantly freezing solid. Seconds later a dozen long stalks of pure ice began growing up into the air out of the frozen circle. As it reached a height of close to six feet, the bottom portion broke off from the ground, each stalk seemingly levitating in thin air a few inches above the ground, before they began to shift again, stretching and widening with a teeth-grating sound almost like glass grinding against itself as each stalk expanded and shifted into a thin, full-body mirror made of solid ice. Soon the process repeated itself, new stalks growing from the top of each mirror and joining with a neighboring mirror's to form a new mirror slanted slightly toward the ground until eight more floated above the previous circle, before repeating again to create a final mirror acting as the dome's roof and floating horizontally above the ground.
"This…is most certainly not a good thing." stated Sai blandly.
Sasuke resisted the urge to smack his teammate, knowing he'd need the albino in the fight to come.
~~~ XXXXX ~~~
(Short time later, opposite side of the bridge)
Naruto darted onto the bridge in a red-tinted blur, his cloak flowing around him as he dashed toward the construction site near the edge of the bridge at full speed. He'd been able to feel the chakra spiking from the bridge's edge before he'd even set foot on the bridge itself. Normally his sensing range was limited, but large spikes, usually resulting from combat and the use of multiple and/or high-level techniques could be felt from a much farther distance. And he'd been feeling spikes coming from the bridge for several minutes now.
That meant only one thing: a shinobi battle was taking place there.
As he ran, he quickly hit a fog bank that was absolutely soaked with chakra. Closing his eyes, Naruto burst through the cloud's edge, entering what he knew had to be the combat zone. After several long moments of running through the thick, fog he came across someone who he quickly recognized. "Tazuna-san!" he called out as he approached the older man, who started in fright before quickly turning to face him. When he recognized the blonde-haired shinobi he visibly relaxed. "What's going on here?" Naruto asked simply.
"I-it was the guy who attacked us before." stated Tazuna nervously, obviously unused to being so close to combat. "He and the hunter-person from before showed up. Your teacher's fighting that monster right now while the other two brats are fighting the other one."
"Alright, just stay calm." ordered Naruto, before refocusing on the battlefield in front of him. Closing his eyes and forming his hands into a single Ram seal in front of him, he focused on his sensing abilities, trying to get a better idea of what was happening. It was difficult, the mists were completely saturated with chakra making it a lot harder to detect or differentiate other chakra signals.
…There! Deeper in the mists were two large chakras, both at least jounin level. That had to be Anko and Zabuza fighting. Closer to the two of them was another three chakra sources of varying sizes, one significantly larger than the other two, and all three familiar, though the larger one was significantly less so. The two familiar ones, Sasuke and Sai, were seemingly surrounded by some sort of manifestation of the third ones chakra.
Now he needed to decide what to do. On his own he knew he'd probably just get in the way of Anko's fight, but if he helped Sasuke and Sai, the three of them together could at least provide some kind of backup or support. Decision made, Naruto reached into his vest and pulled out two stacks of playing cards. Letting both fall to the ground, Naruto quickly formed a trio of seals, ending on a Bird seal. "Karuta Jutsu: Karuta Bunshin! (Playing Card Technique: Playing Card Clone) (9)." proclaimed Naruto as he channeled the completed jutsu into the cards. Instantly, the two mounds of cards quickly began to rise into the air, reshaping themselves into vaguely humanoid masses before, in a puff of smoke, both transformed into identical copies of Naruto.
"Tazuna-san, these two are going to be your bodyguards for now. Try and get some distance but don't leave the vicinity, we don't know what else Gatō might have planned." ordered Naruto, getting a nervous nod from the old man as he started moving back, followed closely by the two clones.
The Karuta Bunshin were a good choice for bodyguards. While similar, each bunshin technique had its own advantage and disadvantages. Mizu Bunshin were relatively inexpensive when it came to chakra cost but required both a nearby source material and were usually weaker than the original. Kage Bunshin were just as strong as the original and required no sources, but were both quite fragile and required a great deal of chakra to create. The Karuta Bunshin were quite durable, capable of taking quite a few nonlethal hits before breaking apart, had average chakra costs, and were capable of using several unique jutsu, but they required a medium and couldn't be made in large numbers.
As Tazuna and the clones moved back, Naruto rushed forward, heading toward his target, hoping he'd make it in time.
~~~ XXXXX ~~~
'It seems my analysis was correct.' thought Sai, trying to keep his breathing calm and his focus centered solely on surviving this encounter. The young Root operative certainly didn't look like he was faring well. His shirt and pants were ripped in a several dozen places, showing dozens of shallow cuts across his pale white skin. A number of senbon were lodged in his arms, legs, and back, though thankfully he'd managed to avoid any lethal or highly debilitating hits so far. He held his tantō in a defensive stance, his hands shaking slightly from a mix of exhaustion and blood loss. 'This is most definitely not good.' he finished mentally, before leaping to the side to dodge a trio of senbon launched from a seemingly random mirror.
Sasuke was in front of him, lying on the ground, his body punctured by several dozen needles in various spots. Sai didn't believe he was dead, their opponent had thus far shown a desire to win using nonlethal force; a decision Sai still couldn't understand. Given their opponent's abilities, it would have been far easier for them to simply kill them rather than attempting to render them unconscious. Perhaps they wanted to take Sasuke hostage and sell him and his Sharingan, though that would not explain their attempts to keep him alive as well.
The battle had gone downhill the moment their opponent had created this strange jutsu, using what Sai knew to be the bloodline of the Yuki clan of Kirigakure, the Hyōton (Ice Release). According to the Intel reports Danzō-sama had gathered the clan had apparently been one of the first targeted when the bloodline purges had started and had supposedly been wiped out. It was also apparent that those reports were either false or at least inaccurate; if he survived he'd have to report that to Danzō-sama, it would be most unfortunate if there were flaws within his information network.
Shortly after it had finished forming their opponent had displayed precisely how dangerous their newest technique was, moving from mirror to mirror at speeds far too fast for his eyes to track while launching dozens of senbon at the two genin from all directions. While he and Sasuke had been able to avoid any major hits in the first volley, though both suffered a plethora of minor cuts and lacerations, and the many smaller ones that had followed, they were both being slowly whittled down under the constant assault. Sasuke had attempted to melt one of the mirrors with his clan's fire technique, but the opponent's bloodline-based ice was apparently highly resistant to normal Katon techniques. Even after Sasuke managed to activate his Sharingan it had only managed to slow down their decline. He couldn't even use his Chōjū Giga (Super Beast Imitating Drawings), their opponent targeted him the second he began to draw, always targeting his scrolls first and foremost to eliminate the technique before it could begin, and none of the few preprepared scrolls he carried had anything that he believed could assist them.
After that, their opponent, apparently wary of the infamous Konoha bloodline, had increased their attack, launching a massive barrage of needles from all the mirrors simultaneously. Sai had managed to dodge the worse of it, but Sasuke hadn't been as lucky and was now out of the fight and either unconscious or dead.
So he was on his own, injured, and facing an opponent who was obviously highly skilled, possessed an advanced bloodline, and had already managed to capture him in a technique that gave them a distinct advantage.
Yes 'not good' summed up his situation quite nicely.
"Most impressive." stated Haku calmly as her image started to appear in the mirrors surrounding Sai. "I'm most surprised a genin is capable of dodging my attacks so effectively, but you're no ordinary genin are you?" she asked, her voice calm and not revealing any of her intentions.
Sai didn't respond, instead he merely readjusted his grip on his tantō, awaiting the next attack. A shinobi did not give information away to their enemies.
"Not answering?" asked Haku, before her shoulders moved in a minute shrug. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. Goodbye, Konoha shinobi-san. Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōhari! (Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Needles) (10)." The surrounding mirrors suddenly started glowing with an inner light before dozens of ice needles exploded out of each one, filling most of dome as they flew toward Sai.
Sai frowned. This was the same techniques she'd used to take down Sasuke after his Sharingan awakened. Sai had only barely managed to dodge it before, mostly due to the attack being focused on Sasuke, but had still ended up with a number of new cuts and several senbon lodged in one of his arms and side. Now, injured and with the technique focused on him, it would be nearly impossible for him to survive. As the technique began to activate, the mirrors glowing as more chakra was channeled into them, Sai made a decision. The Sharingan needed to be kept out of enemy hands. Moving quickly he prepared to reverse his grip on his tantō and use it to cut through the last Uchiha's eyes, killing him and removing the Sharingan before the enemy could acquire them .
However, before he could bring his sword to bear, a new form entered the dome, appearing in front of Sai in a flare of yellow sparks. In the same instant, the figure drew something out of his shirt and threw it into the air where it scattered into dozens of smaller objects, before starting a rapid series of handseals. "Karuta Jutsu: Gojuni no Hitate! (Playing Card Technique: Fifty-two Flying Shields) (11)."
The thrown objects, which Sai now identified as playing cards, suddenly froze mid-fall before they started rapidly orbiting the two standing, and one prone, shinobi. As the first needle met the now rapidly spinning cards they connected with a small clash that saw the needle deflected while the card was knocked out of alignment before it stabilized and returned to its course. As more and more needles connected with the rapidly swirling cards, the figure, which Sai had also recognized as one Naruto Uzumaki, maintained his stance, hands still held in the final seal of the jutsu, a Bird seal if Sai wasn't mistaken.
"Crap." muttered Naruto as a needle managed to slip through the swirling defense and headed straight for him. The Hitate (Flying Shield) technique was far from a perfect defense, even at the speed the cards were moving with sheer number of needles flying at them it was impossible to keep at least a few of them from slipping through. As he gritted his teeth and hoped he could maintain control over his technique even after getting hit, Sai's tantō suddenly cut through the air and intercepted the needle, deflecting it away from Naruto's face. Letting out a slight breath he turned to the pale teen. "Thanks Sai."
"No thanks are necessary Uzumaki-san." stated Sai calmly as he moved to deflect another needle that had slipped through the defensive barrier. "On the contrary, I believe it is I who should be thanking you. If you had not interfered this battle would have ended most unpleasantly."
"What can you tell me about our opponent?" asked Naruto, still maintaining his technique while Sai continued to deflect or block any of the ice needles that managed to slip through.
"The enemy possesses a bloodline known as the Hyōton, a subelement-based bloodline that allows the user to create and manipulate a form of chakra-infused ice." answered Sai quickly as he kept his attention focused on deflecting the incoming needles, attempting to keep the conversation as simple and quick as possible. "They seem to specialize in ranged combat, particularly in the use of senbon. They are apparently able to move between the mirrors that surround us at an extremely high speed, and the mirrors themselves are extremely durable and apparently resistant to Katon ninjutsu. He also seems quite averse to using lethal force…"
Before Sai could continue the rain of needles suddenly ended and Naruto dropped his technique, wanting to conserve as much chakra as possible for the fight still ahead, and allowed the cards to fall to the ground.
"I was not expecting another opponent to interfere." stated Haku calmly as she stared down at them from within her ice mirrors, her eyes locked on the newly arrived Naruto.
"Well, well, funny meeting you again Haku-chan." stated Naruto simply as he stared at the reflection, causing one of Sai's eyebrow to rise slightly in confusion and Haku's eyes to widen behind her mask momentarily before they narrowed.
"How did you know it was me?" asked the dark-haired kunoichi coldly as she stared at Naruto from behind her mask.
"I told you before Haku-chan, I'm a sensor, and you happen to have a very distinctive chakra signature. I'm guessing it's partly because of that bloodline of yours." answered Naruto simply, before he turned one eye toward Sai. "Sai, take Sasuke and get out of here." ordered the blonde.
Sai merely returned Naruto's gaze. "Are you sure that is wise?"
"Yes." agreed Naruto shortly. "I'm still fresh, but Sasuke's unconscious and you look like you're on your last legs; as you are now you'd both only be targets that I'd have to defend. Get back to Tazuna and focus on healing yourself as much as you can, we may need you ready to fight if worse comes to worse." He shifted slightly, falling into a new stance. "Don't worry, I'll cover you."
Sai stared at Naruto for a moment, silently contemplating the orders and judging if they bore merit. A slight inclination of his head was the only thing that warned Naruto before Sai suddenly darted forward. He quickly managed to quickly grab Sasuke, pulling him into a loose carrying position, and made a run for the edge of the ice mirrors, moving with all the speed his damaged body could give him.
"Do not think I will simply let you leave." stated Haku coldly as she flashed between several of her mirrors to arrive at the best one to intercept her fleeing opponents and launching herself at a speed that, while slower than her speed when traveling between her mirrors, was far faster than the injured Sai could move carrying a comatose Sasuke. She brought a new trio of senbon to bear between her fingers, readying to strike down Sai before he could reach the edge of her jutsu.
"Shūjuku Senkō! (Skilled Flash) (12)"
In a blur of swirling yellow sparks Naruto disappeared from the position he'd been standing in moments ago, reappearing instantly inches in front of Haku's still-moving form. In a single instant the blonde's leg lashed out, striking Haku in the side of her head and sending the kunoichi skidding across the surface of the bridge, her mask flying from her face with the force of the impact.
Haku quickly recovered, bringing herself back to her feet as she continued to slide across the surface of the bridge and managing to finish in a low crouch, senbon still gripped in one hand. However, the strike had done its job, distracting her long enough for Sai to reach the edge of her mirrors and escape between them with Sasuke.
Haku barely noticed, her attention was solely fixed on the blonde standing opposite of her, having landed and entered into a fighting stance after connecting with his strike. "How did you do that?" she questioned as she stared at him, her voice far calmer than how she felt. No one else had ever come close to matching her in terms of raw speed after she started using her Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals) technique.
Naruto smirked slight, bringing out his shakujō in a puff of smoke. "You're not the only one who has a bloodline Haku-chan." he answered mysteriously.
Haku frowned slightly, her features no longer hidden behind her mask. "I am only going to ask this once Naruto-san, do not interfere. I have no desire to harm you, but if you continue to interfere with my mission I will have no choice but to strike you down." she stated coldly.
Naruto merely frowned in return. "Not happening Haku-chan. Tazuna's not only my client, but he's also a good man trying to protect his country and family. I'm not going to step aside and let you kill him." His eyes met hers and Haku felt as if he was staring into her soul from beneath the lowered hood of his cloak. "My only question is why are you doing this? You know this is wrong, that you're dooming innocent people to a life of suffering and misery if you kill him, and I know you're not that cold-hearted. No one who believes in drawing strength from others can be that cruel."
Haku's frown deepened. "I have no other choice. Zabuza-sama needs the money this mission will provide to accomplish his goals. I am his tool, his weapon, and I will do whatever I can to aide him, even if it means sacrificing my own beliefs." stated the kunoichi coldly.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I respect the loyalty you're showing to him Haku, I really do; but that's not going to stop me from kicking your ass and making sure you fail." he stated respectfully as he fell into a bōjutsu stance.
Haku merely narrowed her own eyes, it seems she would have no luck convincing him either. In a single motion she brought her arm forward, launching the senbon at Naruto who quickly deflected them with his staff, but the senbon were nothing more than a distraction, allowing Haku to get back to her closest mirror and remeld with it. As soon as her body fully merged with it, she began rapidly flashing between her mirrors again, launching several senbon as she moved.
Naruto moved, dodging the first barrage and closing his eyes. "Mōsaru, Nisemai! (Blind Monkey, False Dance) (13)" he whispered as he extended his senses outward, focusing on using them and the ingrained agility and reflexes that were such a major part of the Sarufū (Monkey Style) school. With a twist, he moved to dodge a trio of incoming senbon. A sudden drop dodged another group, while a sudden outward swing deflected three more. As Haku continued to flash between her mirrors Naruto continued to move; seemingly caught in some form of strange dance as he dodged and deflected the incoming needles.
Haku frowned as her new opponent proved far more adept at dodging her attacks than the previous two. Channeling her chakra into the mirrors, they began to light up once more as the chakra surged through them. "Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōhari! (Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Needles) (10)." In an instant her mirrors began to glow again before hundreds more needles exploded out of them, all flying directly toward Naruto.
Naruto quickly resealed his staff and formed two handseals, an Ox seal followed by a Ram seal. "That's not going to work against me. Ijiton: Tengai Kyōsei! (Will Release: Force Dome) (14)." shouted the blonde as he brought his hands together in a clapping motion. As his hands came together a shimmering, rippling wave of force erupted off him, heading out in all directions. As the rippling wave of pure kinetic energy met the descending ice needles with an audible clang, the needles were pushed to the side, their own momentum broken by the onrushing wall.
Even Haku could feel her mirrors shake violently as the wave of force met them; momentarily distracting her while Naruto completed a second set of seals.
'If normal Katon techniques won't work against her ice, let's see how some Ijiton-based fire works.' thought the blonde as he brought his hands together, one over the other and slightly separated. "Ijiton: Kakyū! (Will Release: Fireball) (15)." intoned Naruto as the space between his hands suddenly ignited into a small orb of fire. Maintaining his concentration, he continued to funnel more and more chakra into the technique, causing the small red and orange fireball to shift to a bright yellow. As the flames shifted again, this time into a bright blue, Naruto shot his hands forward, releasing the fireball toward the mirror he'd sensed Haku in before she'd launched her attack.
The ice-using kunoichi had just recovered her focus when she noticed the blue, baseball-sized orb of fire streaking toward her. Normally she was confident enough in the strength of her mirrors to protect her from fire-based attacks, but given Naruto's already surprising performance, caution got the better of her and she moved, flashing toward another of her mirrors just before the orb impacted the old one dead center.
It was a smart move.
The second the small orb connected with the mirror's surface it exploded in a massive burst of heat and flames. Even Haku, safely enshrouded in another ice mirror by the time the detonation occurred, could feel the heat of the blast. As she looked on, she was shocked to find her mirror shattered and mostly melted, revealing a large gap in the air where it had formerly floated. "Impossible." she whispered to herself, not believing the sight in front of her. No one had ever managed to melt one of her mirrors before.
"Kakyū! (Fireball)" Naruto's voice cut through the air again.
Her shock nearly cost her dearly as another blue fireball came hurtling toward her current mirror. Only years of training and ingrained reflexes allowed her to flash to another mirror just before the flaming projectile connected again.
'I cannot let myself get distracted.' mentally scolded Haku as she entered her newest mirror. 'Those fireballs seem to take time to form; I can't give him enough time to make another.' she decided as she channeled more chakra into several of her remaining mirrors "Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōkiri! (Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Slash) (16)." Instantly she flashed across several of her mirrors before exiting the final one, senbon ready to pierce her opponent who was still gathering his chakra for his next fireball.
Naruto moved to dodge; releasing the chakra he'd been gathering and allowing the fireball to dissipate as he lurched out of the way of the oncoming kunoichi. He managed to avoid a serious hit, but still earned a trio of narrow cuts across one of his arms as Haku moved to remerge with her mirrors. Naruto quickly began forming another set of seals, only for another strike to interrupt him before he could finish, this one managing to score three more cuts across his side. 'Damn it, she's not giving me enough time to charge my jutsu.' cursed Naruto as he moved to dodge another slash, no longer even bothering to try forming his technique again, instead focusing on dodging the fast-moving attacks his opponent was launching at him. 'Got to think of something fast, I can't keep dodging at this speed for long.'
~~~ XXXXX ~~~
Meanwhile, deeper inside the mist, another battle was raging.
Zabuza Momochi was widely known as one of Kiri greatest ninja, not out of raw power, though he was a powerful fighter on par with any other elite jounin, but for his masterful skill as an assassin. Sight, hearing, and smell, even touch and taste; none of the five senses, no matter how powerful or enhanced could detect him when he fought. He was a master of the Muon Satsujin no Jutsu (Soundless Murder Technique), the ultimate assassination style created by Kiri's elite forces. He could suppress his chakra to the point that even the greatest sensors could barely detect his presence. His weapon, the dreaded Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife), could kill any man with a single swing. He had mastered the Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique) (3) to the point that it blocked or at least weakened any chakra-based perception techniques.
In many ways Zabuza could be considered the ultimate embodiment of the shinobi assassin by Kirgakure's standards; brutal, efficient, and completely deadly.
Only Anko Mitarashi seemed to fight on an entirely different standard
Zabuza snarled as he swept out with his massive cleaver-like sword, only to cut through only mist as his opponent dodge again before being forced to dodge a trio of kunai as he retreated back into the mists. The fight hadn't been going well for him since he'd activated his jutsu. Every time he got close the woman seemed to react instantly, like she could still sense him some way. It should have been impossible, but Zabuza was experienced enough to know that, when it came to shinobi, very few things were truly impossible. He had shifted his style several times, using the different tricks and techniques designed to block different types of advanced senses but nothing had worked. He was now sporting several small wounds, scratches and small cuts mostly, from the counterattacks but none were serious enough to worry him. He'd been trained to detect toxins by scent alone, and even if they were poisons, the cuts were too small to deliver anything more than a miniscule dosage into his system, something his own training should be able to fight off.
He rolled his shoulders absently, feeling a bit of unpleasant stiffness. This fight had been going on far longer than he'd anticipated. Growling to himself silently in frustration, Zabuza blurred forward raising his sword and bringing it down in a vertical swing aiming to split Anko in half. The purple-haired kunoichi once again seemed to sense the attack coming, back-flipping over the blade while throwing a trio of shuriken at her opponent. Zabuza didn't dodge this time; instead he deflected the incoming weapons with his sword before following after her, lashing out with another devastating swing of his massive sword.
Anko rolled out the way, grinning toothily as she avoided the attack. "What'ssss the mater Zabuza-chan, getting frussstrated." she hissed playfully, quite literally on the hissing part.
Zabuza growled again, before he noticed the changes in the woman's face. While the mists blocked his own sight at a distance like they did his targets, up close he could plainly see the physical changes that had covered Anko's features. Her eyes, once a amber shade of brown, were now a bright yellow with reptilian slits replacing her pupils. Her nose had flattened and elongated somewhat and her facial features had lengthened somewhat, giving her face a snake-like cast. Finally when she opened her mouth to speak, a long forked tongue darted out to taste the air and he could make out the form of two small fangs protruding from her upper mouth. "What the hell have you done to yourself?" growled Zabuza warily.
"Ah, what'sss the matter? Don't like my Jamen no Jutsssu? (Snake Mask Technique) (17)." hissed Anko playfully, pouting slightly only for her serpentine tongue to dart from between lips. "It wassss a final gift from my bassstard of a ssenssei. The resssult of an experiment to enhanssse my connection to the ssnake clan. I can't really complain though, ssissse it hass ssso many usseful benefitsss; a ssnake'sss ssenssesss are ssso much better than a human'ss you know."
Zabuza fought down the vague disquiet the woman's altered appearance and hissing voice was causing. "Even if your senses are enhanced, you still shouldn't be able to locate me." growled Zabuza as he adjusted his grip on his sword.
"You think sssssso?" Anko hissed back teasingly, before giggling lightly. "Well you're right, my normal ssssenssesss couldn't find you, but you ssssee ssome ssnakess have a sssensse that humanss don't. Right back here" she tapped the ridge of her lengthened nose. "are a few ssspecial little sssenssory organs that do the mossst usssefull of thingsss. They let me sssensse heat."
"Heat?" growled Zabuza, realization suddenly edging its way into his mind.
"Yesss heat." agreed Anko happily. "And your big, ssstrong body, all sssweaty from sswinging around that oversssized knife of yourss, is radiating ssso much body heat right now. You're all lit up like a beacon in the night, particularly with thisss cold, wet missst ass a background."
Zabuza growled again under his breath, so that was how the bitch was finding him. There was no technique in his repertoire to lower his body heat, the idea being nearly physically impossible while allowing him to continue fighting. Growling he lunged forward, deciding that if stealth wasn't going to win this fight, he'd best overpower the girl. So far she'd been doing her best to keep her distance from him while they fought, that hopefully meant a weakness in close-range that he could exploit.
It was a mistake.
Zabuza was incredibly powerful and surprisingly fast when wielding his monstrous weapon, and when he fought it was nearly always a one-hit, one-kill ratio. The only problem was he couldn't hit his opponent this time. Anko's fighting style focused on speed and flexibility, power coming only in bursts when she was ready to attack. The resulting battle looked more like some form of dance as Anko dodged, weaved, and slipped by every swing and strike of her opponent's massive weapon, striking out with a freshly drawn kunai whenever she saw an opening and occasionally managing to score a small wound when her opponent couldn't dodge.
Their exchange lasted for several minutes, both striking and dodging to the best of their abilities before the two suddenly separated. Anko seemed to be fine, but Zabuza was breathing heavily, his joints were aching and it was getting harder to breathe. 'What the hell is happening to me? It feels like I've been fighting for hours.' thought the nuke-nin as he tried to catch his breath.
"Looks like my venom's finally taking effect." cheered Anko happily as she stood across from the larger nin, kunai drawn and ready in both hands. She'd dropped her Jamen no Jutsu (Snake Mask Technique) shortly after realizing Zabuza was no longer attempting to hide. If he tried to pull back, she could always reactivate it.
"Venom?" grunted Zabuza, "What the hell are you talking about girl? You haven't hit me with anything big enough to poison me like this." growled out the nuke-nin.
"Ah, Ah, Ah Zabu-chan." teased Anko, waving one of her kunai in a vaguely scolding manner. "You should know that when it comes to poisons a little can go a long way, particularly if you get several small doses one after another when your blood's really pumping."
Zabuza glared at her for a moment, realization sinking in. "You mean…"
"Bingo!" cried Anko joyfully. "All the kunai and shuriken I used when you were hiding in the mists were covered in a nice slathering of one of my personal poison mixes, a nearly scentless one that would have been impossible for you to notice in that thick fog of yours. Nothing instantly lethal, can't risk hurting the client or the cute little genin after all, but it should be more than enough to slow you down. I do hope you like it Zabu-chan, I made it myself after all."
Zabuza growled; he refused to be beaten by something as simple as a little poison. Snarling he lifted his Kubikiribōchō, hefting it over his head before, with a thunderous roar, he twisted and hurled the massive weapon at Anko like it was a boomerang. The move was completely reckless, depriving him of his main weapon, and was also completely unexpected, just what Zabuza wanted.
Anko's eyes widened substantially as she leapt to the side, frantically dodging the massive, spinning projectile. She barely managed to dodge in time, losing the tail ends her coat as the blade cut through them. She landed on the ground, letting out a relieved breath…
Right before Zabuza tackled her before pinning her to the ground, one leg holding one arm down while his arm held the other while his free arm held a kunai ready to slit her throat. The man had apparently charged her, using the shadow of his own massive weapon to hide before leaping at her as she dodged to the side. "Now I've got you." growled the nuke-nin as he readied the kunai to slit her throat.
"Wrong Zabu-chan." stated Anko, a ferocious grin playing on her face despite the desperate situation. "I'm the one whose got you." she hissed before a small object suddenly sprung out of Anko's coat, coiling around Zabuza's kunai-wielding arm before he screamed in pain as it suddenly felt like his arm had been set on fire. The momentarily distraction was all Anko needed to break Zabuza's hold on her and knock the nuke-nin away before she lashed out with one of her kunai.
Despite his obvious pain, Zabuza managed to dodge the slash, leaping back and towards where his sword had imbedded itself in the ground not ten feet from where Anko had previously been standing. Looking toward his arm as he landed, he noted a snake coiled around his arm. It was small, no more than a foot long and a bright red in color with an ash grey streak going down the center of its spine before forming an arrow shape on the back of its head, which was now stuck fangs deep in his arm. Growling, Zabuza attempting to swat the thing off him, only for it to release his arm and fall to the ground before it started slithering back towards its master.
Zabuza was half-tempted to stomp the thing, but the raging pain in his arm reminded him he had more important priorities. "What was that? Some kind of summons?" growled the nuke-nin warily, wondering how the woman had managed to summon it from seemingly nowhere.
Anko smirked as she leaned down, letting the small snake coil up her arm and hide in her coat. "Nope, that little beauty is called a Fire Country Ash Viper, one of the most venomous snakes native to my homeland." stated Anko happily. "You see, I've always had an affinity for snakes; something about my chakra seems to attract and calm them. It's how I earned my first nickname, the Konoha no Hebi Tsukai (Snake Charmer of Konoha), and what originally interested my former master enough to take me as an apprentice. I've caught and tamed dozens of these cute little critters throughout my life and career, and I usually keep at least one on me just in case I need a little surprise."
Zabuza couldn't believe it, who in their right mind kept a venomous snake hidden in their clothing? He grunted in pain as his legs started to shake and wobble under his own weight.
"Oooh, looks like it's already started." squealed Anko happily. "My little Ash Viper's venom is a really nasty thing. First it starts working at the nerves and muscles in the extremities, causing weakness and slowing strengthening numbness. Within five minutes the entire body goes numb and you slip into a coma, and in ten the heart freezes up, resulting in instantaneous death." Anko explained giddily, before she suddenly became more serious. "But I don't think I can wait that long." In a puff of smoke a kunai appeared in her hand, the blade glistening slightly. While she kept her 'lightly' poisoned weapons, those whose poisons she'd already developed a complete immunity to, stored on her person; even she wasn't crazy enough to store the really dangerous one, those she'd only been able to develop a partial immunity to at most, where a single mishap could end up dosing her. Instead they were stored in several seals hidden throughout her coat. "This kunai's covered in venom from the same snake that just bit you; another dose should be more than enough to end you instantly. Thanks for the fun Zabu-chan."
With that Anko launched herself forward, intent on ending this fight once and for all.
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~~~~~~~~ Jutsu Identification ~~~~~~~
(1) Seneijashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands): C-rank, offensive, summoning ninjutsu. This technique allows the user to eject snakes from their wrist or sleeve, usually after a punching motion. The snakes are used primarily to attack from a distance and, being snakes, can inflict multiple poisonous wounds on the victim's body or hold them in place.
(2) Shikomishindan (Prepared Needle Shot): C-rank offensive bukijutsu (weapon technique). Using one or more prepared and hidden senbon launchers, usually concealed by the user's clothing, the user is capable of launching a large number of senbon, usually covered in poison, at a target with little to no warning.
(3) Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu (Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique): D-rank, supplementary, Suiton ninjutsu. This displacement technique is a specialty of the ninja from Kirigakure, where one causes a mist to spring forth by channeling chakra into a nearby water source, lifting the water up and turning it into a thick mist. The mist's thickness is controlled by the amount of chakra kneaded into it, and with enough skill and chakra the mist can limit the effectiveness of most dōjutsu.
(4) Chōjū Giga (Super Beast Imitating Drawings) – C-B-ranked, offensive/supplementary ninjutsu. The ninja uses chakra-infused ink to quickly draw objects onto a scroll or other suitable surface. The moment the brush is removed, the images leap from the paper, grow to life-size, and act according to the user's will. Because they are made of ink, a single blow is usually enough to dispel them. It is a highly versatile and variable technique whose power and effect vary based on the user's skill (both as an artist and as a shinobi), the chakra put into the technique, and the creatures drawn.
(5) Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishō (Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death) – B-ranked offensive Suiton ninjutsu. The user gathers some water from the air and surrounding environment into one thousand long needles. They can then direct them to a specific target at high speed. While the needles do surround a target from all sides, they don't appear above the target, creating an escape route.
(6) Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) – C-ranked offensive Katon ninjutsu. A technique where chakra kneaded inside the body is converted into fire and expelled from the mouth either as a massive orb of roaring flame or as a continuous flame-thrower. The scope of the attack is altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered. The released flames will engulf their target, and leave a crater on the ground's surface.
(7) Daibuki Giga (Great Weapon Imitating Drawings) – C-ranked offensive/supplementary ninjutsu. A derivative of the Chōjū Giga (Super Beast Imitating Drawings) technique that creates weapons rather than creatures; either launching them as a ranged attack or creating them to be used in battle. The weapons created by this technique are far sturdier than the creatures created by its parent technique, due to the fact that this jutsu doesn't have to expend chakra to make them animate, rather it uses the excess chakra to reinforce its creations.
(8) Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō (Hidden Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals) – B-ranked Hyōton ninjutsu. Haku's ultimate technique, this nefarious ninjutsu forms a circle of ice mirrors surrounding the target. The user is capable of merging with these mirrors and travelling between them at the speed of light, making it nearly impossible for a person without enhanced optical abilities to keep up with her attacks. However, if she attacks a target outside her mirrors her speed, while still enhanced until her momentum is lost, will be significantly reduced.
(9) Karuta Jutsu: Karuta Bunshin (Playing Card Technique: Playing Card Clone): C-ranked, supplementary ninjutsu. A Bunshin technique that uses playing cards as a medium for the jutsu, the clones are unique in that they can use Karuta ninjutsu using their bodies as bases and can even hide exploding tags within themselves. 1 Deck creates 1 Bunshin. Note: Advanced Bunshin like the Shadow and Card clones can use Naruto's special cards, but they are removed from all decks when they are activated.
(10) Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōhari (Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Needles) – B-ranked offensive Hyōton ninjutsu. A move used in combination with the Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals), by further reinforcing the ice mirrors with their chakra, the user is capable of launching a barrage of ice needles from all the existing mirrors at once. It is nearly impossible to dodge this attack.
(11) Karuta Jutsu: Gojuni no Hitate (Playing Card Technique: Fifty-two Flying Shields) – C-ranked defensive ninjutsu. A defensive Karuta (Playing Card) technique that first reinforces a deck of playing cards to give them the same strength as shuriken or kunai before causing them to rapidly circle a given area, deflecting or blocking incoming attacks. As long as chakra is maintained in this technique, the cards will continue to spin. Even if struck and knocked out of alignment, they will quickly return to their place as long as they are not irrevocably damaged. Due to the nature of this technique, the smaller the area protected, the greater the defensive value of the technique, due to the fact that the cards can only cover a certain amount of area in a given rotation, so smaller areas gain a more dense protection.
(12) Shūjuku Senkō (Skilled Flash) – Undefined ninja skill. An ability based off the Skill aspect of the Archon bloodline. The user focuses on augmenting their speed using their bloodline's power, allowing them to seemingly teleport over short distances.
(13) Mōsaru, Nisemai (Blind Monkey, False Dance) – C-ranked defensive bōjutsu technique. A defensive technique of the Sarufū (Monkey Style) school of bōjutsu. This technique focuses on using the wielders other senses besides sight to counter attacks that are either mover too fast or they are otherwise unable to see, focusing heavily on using the user's instincts and ingrained reflexes to dodge and/or deflect incoming attacks.
(14) Ijiton: Tengai Kyōsei (Will Release: Force Dome) – C-ranked Ijiton offensive/defensive ninjutsu. An area-affecting version of the Oshi Kyōsei (Force Push) technique that sends off invisible, concussive force in all directions around the user. While not directly damaging, this technique can cause harm by either slamming targets into nearby objects or throwing them off cliffs or into other dangers; or it can be used to deflect incoming attacks.
(15) Ijiton: Kakyū (Will Release: Fireball) – C-ranked Ijiton offensive ninjutsu. The user gathers will chakra between their hands before willing it to ignite, creating a small fireball between their hands. The fireball can then be launched at opponents, where it explodes into a much larger blast on contact with a solid surface. Like many other Ijiton techniques, this attack can be 'charged' by channeling more chakra into the technique as it is formed, enhancing the strength of the technique.
(16) Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōkiri (Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Slash) – B-ranked offensive Hyōton ninjutsu. A technique used in combination with the Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals). The user 'rebounds' across several of their mirrors, using them to gain momentum before launching herself outward to attack the target at greatly enhanced speeds before quickly remerging with another mirror in order to start the process again.
(17) Jamen no Jutsu (Snake Mask Technique) – B-ranked supplementary kinjutsu. A technique resulting kinjutsu (forbidden technique), created by Orochimaru using Anko Mitarashi as a test subject: the Hebiyōsu no Jutsu (Serpent Aspect Technique). By using advanced gene manipulation techniques, Orochimaru attempted to increase Anko's ability as a snake summoner by bonding a mixture of snake DNA with her own genetics, hoping to grant her, and later himself, more snake-like aspects and abilities. The results were somewhat successful but Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage at the time of its creation, quickly labeled the process as a kinjutsu due to the strains it put on the affected target's body. If it wasn't for Anko's 'unique' chakra, it is widely believed she wouldn't have survived the process. When activated, this technique grants the user several of a snake's increased senses; enhanced taste and scent using a now forked tongue, the ability to detect heat sources using infrared-sensitive organs located in and around the user's nose, and an increased sensitivity to vibrations in the ground. It also an opening technique, allowing her to use several other jutsu based off the transformation it causes.
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END CHAPTER 14
Well there's the first half of the Bridge Battle, hope you like and we'll be finishing it up next chapter.
Until then, good night, good luck, and
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