Did any one else have trouble logging in the other day?
I couldn't update so it took me ages to get it up so I decided to get a heads up on this chapter. Which is, as I know, awesome for me and for my lovely readers who never seem to want to give feedback or any hints, constructive criticism, praise (in long sentences) or some recommendations. I'd like for people to tell me what they like and what they don't like. I wont get snippy and I'll take your advice in to account.
I want experience authors or people who have done a lot of reading to help me out and give me advice. I've been on here since 2001 (as a reader, I only became an author a year or so ago) and even though I find myself adequate enough it's still nice to hear other's opinions.
Moving on from that...
This chapter will have the big fight scenes between Anko and Zabuza and Haku and Iruka. Sasuke and Naruto may disappear because as of right now I don't know what to do with them. Arashi, Izumo and Kotetsu may not appear in this chapter but I'll try to squeeze them in.
Ciao 4 now!
Inari sobbed in Sakura's arms. Tenten watched as the men began to walk away from the bridge linking Wave country and Fire country. Disgust was written on her face. She couldn't stop glaring at Tazuna as he chugged down more alcohol, one bottle after the other.
The first thing he had said when they had arrived and told him about the situation was - "now who's gonna cook for me?"
"Is that all you care about?" Tenten exclaimed. "She's your daughter and all you can think about is that she's already dead and buried and won't be cooking for you any more?"
"Or cleaning the house. That woman is such a bother though. I know she's my daughter but she's too out of line. You're just like her, an annoying tomboy"
"Say that again" Tenten replied venomously. "I dare you you pathetic piece of shit!". Tazuna scoffed at her. He took a swif of liqour from his pouch and turned to Tenten with his eyes steeled over. He raised his index finger hand and slammed it repetitively before her face as he spoke.
"Now listen here Little Missy. I don't know what you think you are but it's obviously delusional and I have a pretty good idea of where you're coming from. Now you listen to me, the pair of you. There ain't no damn thing a woman should do than what Tsunami does now. You cook, clean and do all that shit. You take care of your family. You're no good for nothing else. The only reason there are kunoichi is because either you're no good at that stuff and this is the easiest way of getting rid of ya or cause ya can't have kids. Ya mules and no one wants ya!".
Sakura sat in shock, holding on to Inari whose sobbing had kept up a steady beat. Tenten was frozen, the calm before the storm. Tazuna looked at his grandson over his glasses. "Quit ya whining and crying. Real men don't cry. You've done enough of that shit for-"
Tazuna didn't get to finish.
Why?
Because Tenten's kunai had embedded itself in his right foot. The old man howled, hopping up and down on his good foot as blood squeezed from the wound. One look at Tenten's face was enough to tell that Mt. St. Tenten had come kablooie and it was safer to be in the clutches of Orochimaru than be with her right now.
"Don't you dare" she warned, anger emmitting off her in waves of heat. Radiating these terrifying vibes, Tenten stalked closer to Tazuna, kunai drawn and teeth barred in a vicious snarl that showed a good majority of her perfectly white teeth. The bridge builder stepped away from her, limping as he did so due to the impaled foots.
"You're daughter is being held captive and instead of worrying about her person you're acting all chauvinistic and berating your own grandson! You make me sick! One more word out of you and I'll ignore the rule about not harming clients and mutilate you!"
"You wouldn't dare" Tazuna challenged.
"Try me" Tenten barked back. "And trust me, my bite is much, much, much more worse than my bark, that I can assure you of right now you old goat". Tenten's teeth gritted and grined against each other as she spoke, sending shivers down Sakura's spine. The rosette hugged Inari closer to her body, holding him as he whimpered in to her small chest.
"Tenten" Sakura called. "...Please...". Tenten raised a chocolate-coloured eyebrow at her teammate. Sakura's jade coloured eyes stared back in a pleading manner. "Just leave him" she said. "He's not worth it...and not right now....not in front of..." Sakura trailed off as her gaze fell to Inari. In a rare instance of maternal appearance and emotions, Sakura kissed the top of the dark haired boy's head, flattening it with her palm right after she did, massaging his scalp.
Tenten's apprehension and anger dissipated. She turned away from Tazuna after flipping him off and went to sit next to Sakura on the tiled ground of the uncompleted bridge. Tazuna gripped his hammer tighter as he stared at them, glaring at the two of them in drunken stupor.
Slowly he turned away from them, taking his flask and bottles to sit further away from the three youths, ready to get drunk even more and forget all of his worries, drowing them in a pool of liquor.
Sakura held on to Inari as Tenten joined her. The platted braid on the back of her head was taken from it's discus form and allowed to fall down her back like a thin tail. "It wouldn't do any good you know" she said to Tenten. "Old people are hard to change. There's almost no point in it anyway..." Sakura trailed off once again, looking in to Tenten's eyes as she did so. Tenten read the message they held and sighed in agreement.
Sakura's words rang in her head, even the unspoken ones. "It wouldn't do any good you know. Old people are hard to change. There'a almost no point in it anyway...because their almost dead anyway".
CLASH
THUNK
SLASH
SHING
Iruka grunted as he swung the katana across in a wide arch. Haku ducked under the silver blade as it came, managing to avoid his hair from beinf cut and more importantly from being beheaded.
Iruka kicked up, right in to Haku's stomach. The feminine and masked boy grabbed the foot as it closed in and twisted it, causing Iruka's body to mimic the action. Iruka spun in the air, his grip on the sword failing as he twirled and landed flat on his face on the ground.
Haku stood up, senbon drawn just as Iruka grabbed Haku's ankles with his now free feet. He twisted his legs and brought Haku to the ground. The scarred chunin managed the stand up as Haku fell, grabbing the mask away from his face.
Haku was oblivious to the chunin's intentions with the removal of his mask. He turned to face the tanned man just as a handful of dirt was shoved in to his eyes. Haku cried out in shock just as the swing of a blade was heard. He heard the blade coming down and just managed to avoid it, turning his head away.
THUNK
Something landed in the earth besides his head.
Quickly Haku climbed to his feet and jumped high in the air away from Iruka. Rubbing the dirt from his eyes the fake hunter nin growled until he was free of the specs of dirt. He looked down from his high altitude and watched as Iruka approached Gato and the woman that he held captive.
Haku swore to himself, landing on the ground and kicking off towards Iruka. He was unlike other ninja in where they would stay to complete the battle. The chunin saw an opportunity and he took it.
With one threat occupied he could go after the other and more important (and in this and most cases, weaker) opponent or goal. After that he would go after Haku to finish it.
The ice user would have none of it.
Charging at the brunette dolphin, Haku whipped out his senbon. He flung them at the chunin. Iruka heard the incoming needles and brought his arm up to shield himself. The senbon all struck in to the underside of Iruka's forearm, drawing out a curse from the older man. He faced Haku, his arm limp at his side.
"That was smart" Haku noted aloud. "Stupid and bras. But smart".
Iruka grinned at the compliment. "I am a teacher after all. We're generally need to be smart to actually teach our kids something". Haku's icy stared fixed itself on the now-affirmed teacher. He gripped the senbon tighter and raised in, his forearm crossing his throat.
"Why are you a teacher?" Haku asked. "You posses much more chakra and raw power than any mere chunin should". Iruka smirked at the estimate.
"Raw power and high chakra levels aren't all that's needed for advancing"
"That's not all" Haku defended his assumption. "You're much smarter than need be. Plus, there is just something about you. I saw you with that sword. You handle it expertly. You may even be a master. It was just poor dumb luck on my side and bad on yours that resulting in you losing it. I've also been watching you, especially your previous battle. You and that woman together could pose problems for Zabuza-sama, but you held back. You're much stronger than you let on"
Iruka smirked.
"You're a good analyst. It's a shame you work for someone like Gato and Zabuza"
"Gato is a swine" Haku told the chunin, nodding to the man inside the house holding the poor woman hostage. "Zabuza-sama on the other hand is not like that. He saved me, took me in, taught me about being a ninja, clothed me, raised me and all others. I owe him my life. My sole duty in life is to serve that man and to do so until my purpose and needs are no longer required. Then, when that happens, I will gladyly end my life for Zabuza-sama"
Iruka's eyes dropped at those words. "That's so sad" he noted. "What about your parents? Surely they must have objections to this?"
"My parents are dead" Haku told the chunin. Iruka's eyes widened at this. "You know of the Kirigakure bloodline purges right? The origins of which started with the sandaime and resume with our yondaime with the incident with the Kaguya clan?" Iruka nodded slowly.
"I grew up in a snowy villages not that far from the hidden mist village. My parents were simple farmers, making their living, taking one day at a time, prevailing against the hardships as they came. My father wanted more children so I could go to the ninja academy and bring honour and prestige to our little family.
"We were a happy family of three. I was very young and happy. My father knew of ninja exercises and he taught me how to draw out my chakra. Naturally I was advanced in it. When my mother found out she was worried, naturally so because I had inherited her kekkei genkai and she feared that I would show signs of it if I could use chakra. She feard for both our lives.
"Then, one day when my father had gone out in to the snowy Fields, ready to harvest what he could, my mother and I waited outside for him when it was time for him to return. My mother put up the laundry to beat it and I gaped like a fish in to a puddle of melted water. I wanted to play, like any child, and so, ignorant of my mother's fears I began using my chakra and wordlessly summoned the water from the puddle.
"I showed my mother. I was so excited, especially when I turned it in to ice. But my mother was shocked. She teared up and slapped me. At the time I didn't know what was going on with the bloodline situation. My mother continued to slap me until she fell to her knees crying. She begged me after apologising relentlessly. I was confused as to her actions and as such I asked.
"She repeatedly told me not to tell anyone or to show any one. She said it was a bad gift. A curse that could cause more harm than good and that we should never tell anyone of our powers.
"Then we returned in doors, but not before I caught a glimpse of my father. I didn't tell mother because I thought it was my imagination. What child would see their father looking so outraged and disgusted in real life? I thought it was an illusion. A fake. A dream. I pushed it to the back of my mind and didn't tell my mother. Looking back, had I told her we could have escaped and she would still be alive"
"Your father saw your bloodline limit" Iruka acknowledged. "He became blind to the fact that you were his son and she was his wife"
"Correct" Haku said emotionlessly. Never once within the whole conversation had he allowed his poker face to slip, especially in front of the scarred chunin. "My father didn't come home that night. Nor the next night. Or the night after that. Or the night after that and so on until it was three weeks later that we saw him again. He stumbled to the house, knife in hand, a couple of his friends following after him.
"He ordered her in to the house, pushing her and throwing me to her. He walked in with his buddies so that they were now all inside my home, their breaths reeking of liquor and sake. It was so strong that it filled the whole house. I wanted to run, run far, far away and come back to find father laughing at the whole ordeal, claiming it was a prank and my mother would mumble and grumble with an aggravated expression on her face, feeding all of her new guests with food and water.
"It was a nice fantasy but the real world and the real experience was much more cruel for me than it should have been but looking back with hindsight, I realise now that my parents had shielded me in mendacity. I didn't know about the repunance of kekkei genkai for those of the land of water, which oddly enough has the largest number of kekkei genkai and users than even Konoha, the place that cultivates bloodlines like wheat and barley"
"You've got that right"
"My father attacked us. He and his thuggish friends came at us with knives. My mother stepped in front of me to defend me. It happened again earlier with that woman. She protected her son and for once I realized the power my father and his friends must have felt when they stared down at my mother and me.
"My mother died protecting me, taking each stab wound as a badge of honour that reflected on her love for me and her bravery in facing such attackers. She died of blood-loss, slowly and agonisingly. I don't think she was even dead when they came after me. If she wasn't dead then it was positive that she was after my kekkei genkai saved me. My father looked down at me with tearful and guilty eyes, raising the knife above his head.
"He said to me: "Haku, my son. I love you. Don't be afraid. I will purge you of this affliction and we'll see your mother once again. I'll see her in Hell and we'll come to find you together in heaven". Then he swung the knife down"
"And your bloodline activated" Iruka asked rhetorically. "You killed them all didn't you?"
Haku remained in silence, his eyes closing, an unshed tear being held back by the desire of and training Haku had been put through for years. It was obviously not an old wound. It was still fresh and agonising for the young man before Iruka.
"Every last one that stepped in to that house. As the blade came towards me my chakra grabbed all the water, ice and snow it could and impaled every single one of them. My father recieved the worst since he was so close to me. Ice had cut him completely in half - no, it had torn him in half for when I saw him he looked as though a dog had gotten hold of a piece of clothing and ripped it apart from the seems.
"I left that house. I never wanted to look back. Not to see my mother's managled body or my father's mutilated form, nor the obelisk that stood testimony to my power and acted as a grave maker to my parents, those thugs and my innocence"
"They didn't-"
"No not that" Haku said, a soft smile on his lips as he continued. "The loss of my childhood. From that day one my hands were stained with blood". Seemingly to add emphasis he raised his hands to before himself, staring on in melancholy at the blood and stains that apparently only he could see. "I wandered the snow, freezing almost to death until I finally managed to make it to Kirigakure. I hid my bloodline well, no one realised what I was.
"However no one would take me in. Apparently my chakra signature was either low or too different due to my limit, but they did not believe that I would make it as a ninja. They left me to die on the streets of the Hidden mist, scourging for food, picking bits of meat and grime and whatever else I could find in their trash and garbage. I was not the only one, but I was probably the only one to live past the age of ten in most cases. It had given up hope for ever living happy again. The sun appeared dark in my eyes and the world...my world became a place without purpose. A place that didn't need me, and that scared me more than any rapid dog, angry mob or ruthless ninja ever could or would.
"But then" the ice user said suddenly. "I found someone"
"Zabuza?"
"Yes" Haku answered. "He found me, cowering in atop of a bridge, cold and wet from the relentless snow. He looked at me and I saw in those eyes the eyes of someone who had suffered similar pains and agonies such as I...I found someone I could relate to. So I followed Zabuza and after a while he began to train me, as he discovered my powers and my potential. He trained me in all sorts of ways and manners. And as his apprentice I was content with that life. Zabuza gave me a purpose, a place in the world that I could live and thrive in, by his side. With him forever.
"When his coup failed I went with him. He saw that something was not right and desired to put himself on the throne as Mizukage, the leader of the mist village. Although the coup failed, however, I still followed Zabuza as it was my duty and joy. Then he brought me here and thus I am afraid that despite your power and your bond with your accomplices and your desire to save this woman, you must realise that I must now end your life. For that I am truely sorry"
"I'm not" Iruka replied. "Because I'm not going to die today". Iruka lunged at Haku water covering his katana, freezing and enlarging it in to an icicle sword.
Anko battled with Zabuza, ducking and dodging his assaults. She managed to evade him for quite some time, wearing him out with her backwards flips and summersaults, snaking her body around his to prevent his swings and leaping off when he managed to reach to stab her.
Flexible and strong Anko was able to avoid Zabuza's hits and with the cunning of a fox the purple haired special jounin taunted Zabuza in to harming himself.
He was soon bleeding with Anko a little distance away, watching with sadistic glee at the sight of Zabuza's discomfort and pain.
"That all you got?" she asked tauntingly. "Please, I know gennin who have given me more of a challenge". Zabuza grunted from behind the bandages as he glared daggers at Anko. Swining her hips the snake using jounin mocked the demon.
"Come on Zabu-baby. I was looking for some action"
"And you'll get it" a deep and cold voice from behind her said. Anko froze in shock, watching as the Zabuza before her dissolved in to water on the grass. She turned just in time to see the Kubikiri come at her. Anko rushed backwards, managing to save her self from being cut in half but not in time to avoid her mesh shirt from slashing.
Anko gasped in shock at the outcome. Something like that had never happened before. How could she have not noticed what was going on? It must have been a water clone covered in a genjutsu, but how had Zabuza...?
"Impressive no?" he asked pointing his sword directly at her. "You forget that I am a master of the silent killing. How would I be so good if I didn't know how to completely block off my chakra signature?"
Although Anko wouldn't admit it, that was rather impressive. She scowled and drew her face in to a feral snarl.
"Bastard" she hissed.
Zabuza chuckled until Anko suddenly lunged at him, snakes drawn and coming in at a frightening speed. Zabuza leapt backwards poising his sword in to a defensive manouver.
Anko grinned from where she was and watched in giddiness when her snakes wrapped themselves around the blade and a third, sprouting from in between her breasts, lundged out of her shirt coller and bit Zabuza's nose through the bandages.
"BITCH!" Zabuza cried in horror and pain, flinging his arms madly, freeing his sword from the grasps of Anko's snakes and swining the sword in all directions in panic and pain. Anko chuckled right up unitl Zabuza's sword managed to slice its way in to her shoulder blades.
"Oh" she said simply, before her world burst in to a visage of pain. Anko cried out in agony as the blade dug in to the flesh. She managed to bite her lip and grabbed the blade, resting the tips of her fingers on the blade's flats. She tugged the metal out grunting in pain as she did so.
With a kick the purple haired jounin managed to dodged the rest of the swings and landed some distance away, falling to her knees, breathing heavily.
"You'll pay bitch" Zabuza said, as venomously as the poison in his nose. He chuckled darkly as he cast his gaze back to Iruka and Haku. "Later" he said with a mocking wave and shushines away.
Anko looked in to the direction Zabuza had and her world froze.
"NO!" she cried out. Running in that direction also.
As she neared she witnessed Iruka duck Zabuza's wild swing as a couple of water clones were made to combat them. Anko arrived just as Iruka was able to avoid losing his legs in the battle.
Anko flung herself on to Iruka pulling him out of the way.
Back with Haku and Zabuza the taller missing nin lowered his bandages to Haku. "My nose" he said. "Suck out the poison". The order was swiftly obeyed and Zabuza quickly found the upper side of his nose being sucked dry of poison, Haku pausing every other minute to spit out what he had drawn out.
"Hurts like a bitch" Zabuza groaned as Haku did his job. "Hurry we need to kill these two before long"
"What about the other two?" Haku asked before his mouth enveloped Zabuza's nose once again.
"We'll leave them for now. We just need to kill these two before our time runs out and our meal ticket's out of the picture"
"Got it" Haku answered, removing his mouth from the other missing-nin's nose. "That should be all of it".
"Wash out your mouth when we get back to the hideout and I'll clean the wound up after this". Zabuza lifted his bandages back over his nose and poised his sword for combat. "Let's go!" he ordered.
"Hai!"
sorry but the last A/N got screwd up.
No Shonen jump this week so that means I've been having withdrawl symtoms. Don't worry though I am back. I've been having trouble writing recently but that's all in the past now. I have written this chapter and the next is in the works.
Tazuna proves to be a chauvanist, Tenten loses her cool, Sakura shows some empathy and humanity that I meant to give her earlier on, Anko faces Zabuza and Iruka learns Haku's histroy. Admittedly I changed some of Haku's descriptions and put some extra stuff in there for reader's pleasure.
Can I ask: Should Sasuke really die?
Come on people, what would you do if something like that happened to you? Your entire family was killed off by your elder sibling, your mind was virtually raped by said person, you suffered from an inferiority complex and someone was besting you when they previously hadn't a donkey's chance in hell? If someone offered you revenge you would take it wouldn't you? Sasuke is menatlly unbalanced and I think that killing him off is really unfair. And I'm really getting tired at all the ones where Sasuke is a bastard for no reason and is killed off deservingly. There was this essay about Naruto and Sasuke and how they're unhealthy for eachother but need eachother to exist. Not that stongly but you catch my meaning.
I'm sorry but my best friend recently got in to an argument with me over this. She was convinced that Sasuke was a bastard and called me a Sasuke-Fanboy. She hates him from reading fanfics (like my earlier feelings were based on before I began reading further in to things) and this is a response to her cause I know she's reading even if we also said someother stuff about other topics. She always reads my updates and tells me what she thinks but I'd wish she'd review like all the people out there who I love.
So interfic poll: Is Sasuke deserving of being killed off just because he's done what almost everyone else would have done?
Send PMS or reviews with your answers and I'll address them at a later date.
Okay rant over.
I just love how this turned out and I apologise for the rant. The battle of wave is drawing to a close, There will be Haku's survival in question, Zabuza's humanity, Anko and Iruka's relationship, the voices in Naruto's head, what Arashi knows and the stuff about Onimaru on their side of the veil.
Tune in next time for another exciting chapter of...
"Between Dreams and Power" By Shodaime of S.S.D.D.
Ciao.