Hey y'all! Welcome back for the next chappie for Chasms of Sixteen. I just felt like working more of this. I'll get around to updating my other works in due course. It just takes more time depending on whenever I can get chappies finished being written up and all. So, thanks y'all for continuing to be patient with me. It means a lot.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy what happens this time. Please remember to favorite, follow, etc. along with leaving some nice reviews.
Chapter 14: Pursuit
Dammit. What the hell is the dobe thinking, disappearing like that? Sasuke thought to himself as he and the blonde are on guard duty that day, being his job to find the missing in action comrade that's gone off on his own without any notice.
Walking to the clearing where they've been training earlier, Sasuke thought he can hear voices. Exiting the trees, he sees Naruto talking to a male with long, black hair. Seeing that he's just getting up to leave when he turns around to spot him. Naruto apparently notices his presence at the same time.
"Tch, dobe. Where have you been? We have guard duty today. Who's that?" The Uchiha's train of thought is cut off with the male standing next to his teammate is still there.
"His name's Haku! He's my new friend," explains Naruto, gesturing wildly to the male beside him.
"You must be Sasuke, correct? It's nice to meet you," says Haku, bowing slightly to him. "Naruto-kun told me all about you along with his other friends."
After relaying the plan to Haku, ironing out a few rough edges. He and the other Male has spoken of various random things including the people they've met. To say the least is that Haku finds the blonde quite interesting.
"Good day, Uchiha-san, Naruto-kun," Haku says to them before departing from the area to leave the two alone.
Sasuke feels a stab of an unfamiliar emotion in his chest. It seems to be a dark emotion that tells him to grab the blonde and thrust a sword through Haku's chest at the same time. He doesn't really understand why he feels the urge to do such a thing. Though it's a stupid thought anyway to him.
"Hn, come on dobe. We need to get started already," insists Sasuke.
"Ok, let me just get something from the house first."
()()()()()
About half an hour later the two are resting on the sidelines of the bridge, bored. Kakashi is currently training Sakura in the water walking exercise, actually deciding to act like he's serious about being her sensei for once this time around. Sasuke seems to be staring over the edge of the bridge at the waves, bored, while Naruto's trying to grasp the concept of 'algebra'. At the moment, he's reading a textbook on the subject. Normally, he might of joined his teammate in staring at the waves, but Kurama insists that he needs to improve his intelligence slightly at the least, declaring that her having a stupid and weak container reflects badly on her reputation, being shocked when she learns that he's only known anything beyond how to add, the barest essentials of reading, writing, and how to sign his name up until he turned fourteen. At that age he learns basic reading skills and simple multiplication. She decides to make sure that he'll be better educated from this point onwards.
Grr, I can't make heads or tails of this thing! he thought angrily.
P-L-U-S spells plus, pipes up Kurama, implying an insult towards Naruto's intelligence, looking at the page that he's stuck on which is one of the more basic problems.
This is going to take a while, she thought in resignation though has known this for quite a while beforehand.
After about eight hours of sitting there doing absolutely nothing, the time comes to head back. That night, after dinner, Tazuna raises an issue that has been on his mind since Zabuza's attack. Hopefully the others will take his words in heed of what he needs to relay to them.
"I'm happy for the help, but I'm wondering, since I lied to you about the mission, why are you four still here?" Asks the bridge builder.
This time though it's Naruto who replies to his inquiry instead of Kakashi, "Because to protect you guys is no longer just a mission, it's our duty, and to abandon one's duty is not courageous. Below courage, there's nothing. Those are the words of the Shodaime Hokage of Konohagakure."
Inari then remembers the courageous acts of his father, having been only in Inari's mind, resulted in him being killed by Gatou's men. "is Why…" Inari begins to cry, "Why do you try so hard even if you train, you can't beat Gatou's men! No matter how hard you work, or how big you talk!"
Naruto tenses upon hearing the boy's words, "Look, brat, go ahead and believe that if you want. It doesn't make any difference to me. If all you do is cry and mope like some kind of victim. People like Gatou are going to walk all over you! People like you disgust me. Hiding behind their fears to think that they have it the worst, that there's no one out there who knows how they feel or Kami forbid, actually has it worse! Well, guess what, brat, no matter how hard you have it there is always someone out there who has it ."
At this point Naruto looks up from staring at the floor to gaze around the room, focusing his glare in on Inari. The boy cowers under the sheer intensity of that glare. It strips him of all of his masks and presumptions, leaving only what he is: a small, scared child missing his father.
"As long as all you do is whine and complain, things aren't going to change. Instead of sitting around, predicting doom and destruction while waiting for someone else to come along and save you, why don't you get up off your sorry ass and do something?" Naruto then turns on his heel to stalk out of the room as he fumes with the audacity Inari has.
After he's left Inari breaks down crying. Running out of the room has the remaining five occupants of the kitchen to stay there in shock by how Naruto has spoken. Sasuke and Kakashi are especially startled by the hidden meaning behind those angry words that Naruto has spoken. Not for the first time, Kakashi finds himself wondering exactly what is behind the mask that the blonde always wears. What he also wonders is what secrets he's hiding from everyone else. After everyone has gone their separate ways, Kakashi goes to go find Inari, locating the boy sitting on the dock outside the house, sulking. Not bothering to hide his presence, he approaches to sit down next to the forlorn child.
"Naruto can be a bit harsh sometimes," Kakashi begins to say to him. "Even though he means well."
Inari just grunts which he notices to prove that his current tactic isn't working, Kakashi switches to the backup plan, "You know, he never knew his father either."
At this tidbit of information, Inari raises his head out of slight curiosity, "In fact, he grew up without ever knowing either of his parents or his other family. He had to look out for himself since Day one. On top of that, he was hated by a vast majority of the villagers for a reason he didn't even understand. Despite all of that, he smiles and looks forward, hoping that someday he'll be able to change their minds to become their protector."
Kakashi gets up after his little speech, leaving Inari with much to think about. The two genin and one jounin walk alongside their client towards the bridge. They left their third member Naruto with Tsunami because the night before he went into a training frenzy, managing to knock himself out. Kakashi suspects that it'll take several days for the blonde to completely recover. The silver haired jounin is worrisome by the lack of movement coming from the bridge. Normally, even this early in the day, someone is usually operating something, in order to speed along the process of the bridge building. As the approached the main work area of the bridge, they see precisely why. The mist slowly parts to reveal the fallen workers. Luckily, many are still groaning and shifting, showing that they survive the encounter. The shinobi tense up, weapons at the ready, as the mist thickens unnaturally quickly. A deep, ominous chuckle emanates from all around.
()()()()()()
Naruto blinks, opening his eyes. Sunlight filters in through the open window next to his bed. Quirking a brow, he wonders why he's here instead of with the rest of his team.
"Ah, shit! I'm late!" Shouts the blonde in alarm, hurrying to get dressed although he can't believe they left him at the house again.
Saying a quick goodbye to Tsunami, he rushes out the door as he moves towards the bridge. As he's running, he can't help but shake the feeling that he's forgotten something really important. When he sees sword marks on the trees and a butchered pig, all the pieces click to have them fall into place.
Fuck! I can't believe I forgot that, he thought, switching directions as he prays that he won't be too late.
If you are then there's always a way to find a way around it. Don't lose your cool just yet, kit…
()()()()()
Sasuke tenses as eight exact copies of Zabuza appears around him. Looking closely, he scans for signs of anything off about them.
"Heh, do you really think these brats can beat me, Kakashi?" They all say in unison. "That one's already quivering with fear."
Having determined that all of the clones are indeed just that, Sasuke smirks, "I'm shaking with… excitement, fool. An Uchiha has no fear."
Leaping, he deals each clone a small cut, causing them to collapse back into water.
"He's fast. You might have a rival, Haku," Zabuza murmurs while the said individual merely nods.
The fifteen year old missing-nin is currently looking around for any signs of Naruto. The blonde has said that he might very well be late, but so many things are riding on this plan and its success that even Haku is slightly worried that something might go wrong. If things don't go remotely as by the plan. The results can be drastic to result in the deaths of all who are involved. Smirking, Sasuke charges Haku, only for the missing-nin to vanish, reappearing behind Sasuke to brandish multiple senbon. With a flick of his wrist, he throws them at Sasuke. The Uchiha merely deflects them with a kunai, before trying to once again attack Haku.
If this is going to work, I need to make it look like I'm actually trying to kill him, Haku thought, while verbally pointing out how Sasuke has managed to get himself into a bad situation.
"I now have the advantage," he says calmly. "You now only have one hand to defend yourself with."
Haku then began flashing through one-handed seals, surprising everyone there except for Zabuza. His companion knows all too well of what Haku is capable of.
"Sensatsu Suishou!" Shouts out Haku, forming ice needles out of the water that has been gathered in the air. The needles all aligned themselves to be pointing at Sasuke. Once at the correct point, they all fly at him at an extremely high speed. Both shinobi jump away although Sasuke has to pump chakra into his legs in order to become fast enough.
So much for his aversion to killing, Zabuza thought in concern.
Sasuke scowls, drawing another kunai before he goes to charge at Haku once again, intent on winning the fight.
()()()()()
Kuso! Naruto thought, rushing back towards Tsunami's house, slowing down as he comes within sight of the house, seeing as how he doesn't want to get caught.
The blonde sighs in relief upon seeing that he manages to arrive about ten seconds earlier than he has in the original timeline. Gathering his chakra, he creates two shadow clones which he instantly henge into shuriken. Holding the two henged clones at the ready, he switches Inari with a log just as the two swordsmen might of cut him into bits.
"Good thing I arrived when I did!" Naruto exclaims, setting down Inari and his mother. "Great job distracting those two thugs, Inari! You diverted their attention and enabled me to use a jutsu to rescue your mom and get you out of the way."
"Naruto-niisan, how did you know that the two samurai are coming here?" Inari asks in confusion
Grinning, Naruto replies, "On the way to the bridge I saw a cut up pig and a bunch of branches and trees and stuff that has sword marks on them, as if someone has been practicing with swords. They lead back to your house. So, I rush as fast as I can to here."
"So, that's how," Inari says while thinking, Wow…
"Hey, gaki, what do you think you're doing, interfering with our work?" one of the two henchmen asks. "Aren't you one of those idiot kids that Tazuna hired?"
"Oh, yeah! I forgot about you two," Naruto almost shouts, annoying Gatou's bodyguards beyond belief.
"Hn, you're nothing too special," he states in a bored monotone as he throws two shuriken at them, not even bothering to aim.
Furious, the two partially draw their swords, deflecting the shuriken so that they fly behind them. The triumphant smirk on Naruto's face at this action not only serves to enrage them further but to also confuse them. All of their questions as to the origin of the blonde's facial expression are solved as the two shuriken disappear in a poof of smoke, revealing two shadow clones that kick the petty criminals in the head. Before they can react, he knocks them unconscious.
"A-Amazing," Inari says at watching it all happen.
"Hey, Inari," Naruto says, getting his attention. "About what I said yesterday… I'm sorry."
"For what?" Inari asks.
Sighing, Naruto clarifies, "For calling you a weakling and a coward. You're really strong to have been able to stand up to those two rounin!" (AN: Rounin are rouge samurai)
Upon hearing Naruto call him strong, Inari grins as wide as humanly possible, "Thanks, Naruto-niisan!"
"Take care of your mom for me," Naruto orders, finishing tying up the two unconscious henchmen. "I'm going to go help my friends."
"Alright!" Inari agrees, already bending down to pick up his mom and carry her inside, watching as Naruto runs off into the forest to head in the direction of the unfinished bridge.
()()()()()
Haku and Sasuke have been fighting for at the least a minute before Sasuke has had a lapse in attention. Luckily, this is caused by his superiority complex, allowing Haku to, once again, run through a series of one-handed seals.
"Makyou Hyou Shou!" he shouts, causing the water that lies around him and his opponent to rise into the air, solidifying into seventeen rectangular mirrors that arrange in a dome surrounding Sasuke for Haku to then melt into one of the mirrors as his image appears on the surface of every single one.
Damn it! Kakashi thought, rushing to Sasuke's defense or at the least, that's what he tries to do while being kept from going any further by Zabuza's monstrous blade.
"Your opponent is me," the Demon of the Mist hisses. "Against that jutsu he's finished."
"Well, shall I begin? The time has come for me to show you my real speed. You'll be surprised what my mirrors and ice are capable of."
Oks, that's the end of chappie fourteen. I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully it won't take me too long to revise the next one for this. Until then, please remember to review, darlings!