Naruto: The First Step- Chapter 21
By: MidatoUchiha
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto was hated by the villagers in Konohagakure no Sato because of what was sealed inside him. He dreamed to become Hokage and finally earn the respect of all the villagers. With friends by his side, life had never gotten way easier, for Naruto, of course.
Naruto smiled. He was used to Sasuke's constant change of mood. He never really understood it, really. At first, he was in a good mood, all smiling and positive, then the next, all brooding and rude. But he still thought of Sasuke as a brother. He always did. Even though he would never admit it, he always thought of Sasuke as a brother. He knew of Sasuke's clan and felt sorry for him. He knew all about Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi, who assassinated his whole clan except for Sasuke and himself.
He saw how it greatly affected Sasuke. He saw how Sasuke would have a breakdown and destroy everything he saw without shame. He saw how Sasuke would cry in front of him and curse himself for being so weak or not being able to kill his big brother. Sasuke had told him he swore to avenge his family by killing his beloved brother. Sasuke and Itachi were once close to each other. He couldn't imagine how it must feel for his best friend.
Naruto might never understand how Sasuke is greatly affected because he himself didn't have a family to call home. That's why he wanted Sasuke to feel like he isn't alone in the world. He himself wanted to know what it felt like to have a family. He assumed this was the reason Sasuke was an emo. He looked at Sasuke being silent, probably brooding again. He mentally chuckled at the thought.
Just then, Sakura arrived, bringing him back to his senses.
"Hey, guys," Sakura greeted.
Sasuke merely grunted.
"Hey, Sakura-chan," Naruto greeted with a smile.
Sakura walked towards Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei's late again, is he?" Sakura sighed.
Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. There's nothing we can do anymore. He won't learn," Naruto said, looking defeated.
Sasuke shrugged as well. "Besides, it doesn't mean we have to. The Hokage can deal with him," Sasuke said.
As if on cue, the Sandaime arrived with Tazuna. He approached the trio. "Hello, children. I take it your sensei is late again, is he?" he said, exasperated.
"Yup," Naruto said.
Hiruzen sighed. "That Kakashi," he murmured, shaking his head.
Finally.
"Oh, there you are, Kakashi. I wonder what took you so long," the Sandaime sarcastically said.
"About time you showed up!" Naruto complained.
"Where have you been?!" Sakura complained as well.
"Ingrate," Sasuke murmured.
Kakashi grinned, embarrassed.
"Gomenasai for being late," was all he said.
Hiruzen sighed. They have been waiting for at least an hour and a half for the Jounin to show up. "Okay. Let's not waste any more time. Team 7, I entrust our client to you. I wish you luck. You may go now," Hiruzen said.
"Hai!" Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke said in unison.
"Don't worry! You can count on us, old man!" Naruto said, flashing a toothy smile and giving the Sandaime a thumbs up.
"I know I can, Naruto," Hiruzen said, smiling.
And so, Team 7 left with Tazuna to embark on their first mission outside the village. It took them at least three days to arrive in the Wave. They came to a misty forest where they have to go through to get to Tazuna's house.
"It's only a few miles from here," Tazuna reassured the tired team.
Kakashi suddenly came to a stop, making the rest of his team do so as well.
Naruto decided to speak up, "Sensei, what is it?"
Kakashi turned towards Tazuna, his voice low. "How often does it rain here?"
Tazuna became confused. "What? It doesn't rain this time of year. Kakashi, what's going on?"
"Sensei, what's the matter?" Sasuke asked.
His voice still low, Kakashi gathered his team. "Listen to me. Form a circle around Tazuna, facing outwards."
"What? Why, sensei?!" Sakura asked, her face a mask of confusion.
Suddenly, Naruto's face lit up. "Sensei, there are five puddles around us. And Tazuna said it didn't rain..."
Kakashi got into a defensive stance and faced away from his team.
"Protect Tazuna at any costs!" Kakashi yelled and pulled out a kunai.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura immediately circled around Tazuna and followed his example. Kakashi pulled up his hitai-ate, revealing his left eye... which had a Sharingan, the Uchiha clan's bloodline. His left eye had a scar across it.
Just then, a man who wore a tight black jumpsuit, a mask, and a hitai-ate with a symbol that was slashed horizontally by a sharp object jumped from the puddle with something that looked a lot like a steel whip with sharp edges along the whip. He threw it towards Kakashi, trapping him in the sharp whip.
Kakashi parried it with his kunai and threw a shuriken towards the attacker.
"Sensei, who are they?!" Naruto shouted.
"They're missing-nin. They're shinobis who abandoned their village and are now criminals," Kakashi explained briefly.
Tazuna whimpered behind them. "Oh, no… they're after me." Naruto turned to look at him with a wild look in his eyes. "What?!" he exclaimed, making the others turn to look at him.
Taking advantage of the situation, the missing-nin threw the sharp whip once more towards Kakashi, successfully encasing the Jounin within its spiky clutch. The whip tightened and squeezed Kakashi, creating wounds on his body. After a forceful pull, Kakashi's body was cut into pieces. The whip effectively cut off his body and limbs, creating a bloody mess. It was a horrifying sight.
Naruto's eyes widened. Sakura covered her mouth with her hands, preventing her tears from falling. Sasuke scowled.
"Sensei..." Naruto murmured.
Tazuna's eyes widened at the sight of Kakashi's separated body pieces. Naruto howled at the missing-nin and charged at him.
"Naruto!" Sasuke called.
Sakura's eyes widened at Naruto's charging figure. Oh, that boy! He was always charging ahead of the situation before thinking it through, only devising a plan along the way. She started to run after him but Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Are you crazy?! It's too dangerous! We have to protect Tazuna," Sasuke said.
"But-" she was cut off.
"Sakura, we both know Naruto can handle himself. He's the best, remember? All we can do now is put our trust in him. You do trust him, right?" Sasuke said.
Sakura, though looking affronted, nodded. "Yeah." She turned to look at Naruto's advancing back longingly. 'Oh, please be careful, you baka.'
Naruto summoned thirty clones and pulled out two kunais, holding one in each hand.
"Stay with Tazuna!" one of the clones said to Sasuke and Sakura.
Sasuke scoffed. "As if you really needed to tell us that," he said though he knew Naruto wasn't there to listen to him. Sakura merely ignored him.
The original Naruto disappeared and reappeared behind the missing-nin that killed Kakashi and thrust his kunais towards him. The clones attacked the other missing-nins. Naruto was about to charge at the last missing-nin a few feet away when they were shocked once again. Kakashi popped out from the trees and killed the said target. The Genins' eyes widened.
"Sensei!" Naruto and Sakura said in unison.
"What?! How did you-?!" Sasuke asked.
"Well, first off, I'm a Jounin. I was a tad hurt for you believing that I could be defeated that easily. I mean… really, how did you think I became a Jounin? And second, I used an illusion to fake my death," Kakashi said, gesturing to the now empty ground where what's supposedly left of his body was there just a few moments ago.
Sasuke noticed his left eye and his eyes widened.
"W-Why do you have a Sharingan? I thought it can only be activated by my clan?" Sasuke asked, stunned.
"It was given to me by an Uchiha teammate," Kakashi said.
"Who? How? Why?!" Sasuke asked.
"Let's discuss that later," Kakashi said.
Suddenly, Naruto disposed his clones and rounded on Tazuna, grabbing the front of his shirt. He pulled the old man towards him. Though shorter than Tazuna, he looked intimidating. "What are you not telling us, old man?" he growled.
Sakura grabbed his elbow and said, "Naruto, let him go!"
He obeyed though the look in his eyes still had a dangerous glint in them. Sakura wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him away from Tazuna. Kakashi stepped towards Tazuna and asked, "He asked you a question, Tazuna. Who are those people?"
Tazuna sighed, defeated. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you. But can we continue this conversation in my house? It's dangerous out here. Anyone can hear and when it's dark out, lots of missing-nins lurk in the forests, finding people to ambush."
Kakashi nodded, appeased with his reasoning. "Alright. Come on, team. Let's go."
The group continued their journey. For a few minutes, everything was silent when Naruto sensed something behind the trees. "Stop!" Naruto said.
Kakashi looked at Naruto. "You can sense it, too, huh?" he asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Sense what?" Sakura asked.
"Concealed chakra. Shinobi conceal their chakra to prevent from being detected. It's perfect for assassinations or ambushes," Kakashi asked.
"If it's concealed and only the Sharingan can sense it, why can you, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.
"I don't know why but I can feel it," Naruto said.
"How many are they?" Tazuna asked, visibly shaking.
"About more than ten," Naruto said.
"What?!" Sakura said.
"That's enough! Ready your weapons!" Kakashi ordered.
Naruto nodded and so did Sasuke and Sakura. As soon as they held their weapons, a missing-nin charged towards them. Naruto threw a shuriken towards him and he hit a vital organ. Six more appeared and charged towards Kakashi. Kakashi began to fight them. Six other missing-nins emerged from the trees and charged towards Naruto and Sasuke. Both engaged three in hand to hand combat. Sakura wisely stayed behind to defend Tazuna. After a short battle, there were no missing-nins left to fight.
They were bleeding and a few wounds were found all over their body but none were too serious.
"Well... that went better than expected," Kakashi sighed.
Naruto chuckled. "Ya think?"
Unbeknownst to them, one missing-nin stealthily approached Sakura. Naruto sensed him and turned around. His eyes widened as the missing-nin pulled out a kunai and was about to stab her.
"Sakura-chan!" he shouted.
Sakura turned around and screamed. The missing-nin descended the kunai towards her. She braced for impact and clamped her eyes shut. She heard the sickening sound of blood spluttering but she didn't feel any pain. She felt something warm and wet on her face and realized it was blood. But what shocked her was the fact that it wasn't hers. She slowly opened her eyes to Naruto, his back facing her. Her eyes widened. She tilted her head and saw the kunai penetrated through his back to his chest.
"N-Naruto?" she said, tears glistening in her eyes.
She saw him cough up blood before he went limp and collapsed on the ground. She immediately knelt beside him. "Naruto!" she called out.
She saw the missing-nin about to hit her again so she hugged Naruto's body close to her. Sasuke charged towards the missing-nin and stabbed the said target on the chest. The missing-nin immediately collapsed, unconscious. He knelt beside Naruto as well. Kakashi and Tazuna rushed towards the trio. Tazuna knelt down beside him and checked his pulse.
"Missed his heart. He's still alive," Tazuna announced.
Sakura perked up.
"We have to hurry!" Sasuke urged.
Kakashi lifted Naruto on his back.
"Tazuna-san, where is your house?" he asked.
"Follow me," Tazuna said and ran to the direction of his house with Team 7 trailing right behind him.
Sakura's eyes never strayed from Naruto's unconscious figure as blood trickled down the corner with his mouth and to Kakashi's Jounin vest. Tears streamed down her face. 'Please be okay. Naruto, you have to be okay,' Sakura pleaded silently.