Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto so that means that I'm not Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter posted 11/12/2008.
As I told before, the first days of the month I have a bigger load of work, thanks for waiting. I also want to remark that in this chapter the fic finally surpasses the 100000 words barrier. Thanks to all my readers for keep reading it.
I also apologize to all readers who wanted Haku to be a girl, I'm doing the background of the story the closest possible to the original series and it includes the gender of the characters.
SOMEWHERE IN KONOHA
Madara chuckled. His plot was going as planned, soon the missing nins those stupid villagers hired will acomplish their purpose. He was no fool, he knew that they were no match for Minato Namikaze; their purpose was to split him appart from his son while another group captured the boy. He was realistic, he knew that there was a great chance that the Namikaze would be able to save his son, but it was worth of the try. Even if Naruto was saved, Zabuza will end dying at Minato's hands; the sooner that traitor died in this time line, the better.
In his original time line Zabuza was considered a hero among many people in Water Country when he died killing the business man Gato, saving the Wave Country from his tiranny. It inspired many of those who were unhappy with the way the Mist Village was ruled and the number of missing nins increased.
Yes, Zabuza had to die, and better at the hands of his enemy.
WITH MINATO
Minato looked at the missing nins. They were from different villages, they were trying to look the scarier possible and were radiating a good amount of killing intent.
He chuckled under his mask, besides Zabuza none of them passed from medium chuunin level. It was also obvious that they were not used to work together, probably they didn't know each other jutsus and techniques so they were more likely to obstruct among themselves instead of combining their efforts when attacking him.
Zabuza was the only one worth of being considered a threat, he and his apprentice.
"Minato, Haku is hidding behind that tree...", said Kushina.
Minato mentally nodded.
"I doubt he will attack unless Zabuza is in danger, then he will pretend to be a Hunter Nin chasing Zabuza", said while she projected into is mind all the memories from the future she had about the boy and his mentor.
In a nanosecond Minato now had all the knowledge Kushina got from Naruto's mission to Wave, including Zabuza's and Haku's fighting techniques.
"Thank you, Kushina, I didn't have a chance to fight them in the Other World", thought.
"Minato, please don't hurt them too much. Haku is a good person, he and Naruto would have become great friends if they met in different circunstances...", said her.
"Don't worry, I need Zabuza for my 'special project'. Having him there is a stroke of luck", thought him.
"What are you looking at?", asked Zabuza.
"Nothing", responded Arashi, "... I was asking myself who send you and how you managed to get into Konoha's territory", said Arashi.
Zabuza chuckled.
"Sorry, but the confidentiality with my clients doesn't let me tell you. I can tell you that we were hired to kill you. I still don't know why they hired those maggots too, I can do the job all by myself", said Zabuza.
"Don't call us maggots!", roared a ninja from Cloud, "We can defeat him without your help!"
The other missing nins nodded with him.
Zabuza nailed his massive sword in the ground.
"Then show me, I will let him all for yourselves. You'll get my part of the payment if you sucess, however I won't help you if he starts to kill you", said the former Swordman of the Mist.
The cloud nin, who was between two nins from Waterfall, was the first to attack.
"Raiton: Raigan! (Lighting Element: Lighting Sphere)", shouted while he shot a ball of electricity at Arashi.
There was a dazzling explosion where Arashi was for a few seconds. When the light dissipated instead of Arashi there was the charred body of the nin who performed the jutsu.
Before they could react, the ninjas from Waterfall had two kunais embeded in the base of their necks.
"Three less...", said Arashi, who was now in the former place of the Cloud Nin.
"It's true! He can use his own enemies has replacement for the Kawarimi!", thought Zabuza impressed.
A Rock Nin made some fast hand signs.
"Doton: Dorodomu (Earth Element: Dungeon Chamber of Nothingness)", shouted.
A semisphere formed around Arashi.
"Ha! Now I will absorb your chakra!", exclaimed the Rock nin while he got near the dome.
Before he could touch the semisphere Arashi breaked through it.
"What!? Impossible!", exclaimed while he tried to impale Arashi with his sword.
At the moment the sword hit Arashi he turned into a lighting explosion, charring another nin.
"I think I put too much chakra into my Raiton Bunshin, I only needed him to make a hole in the dome...", joked the true Arashi while he got out from it.
"Minato, use some of my jutsus to finish the remaining two", asked Kushina.
He nodded mentally.
There was a pond in the zone, obviously Zabuza chose to ambush him there to take advantage of his water jutsus.
Arashi performed some water signs that Zabuza recognized.
"Impossible! He also knows that jutsu!?", thought.
"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Element: Water Dragon Technique)", shouted Arashi.
He directed the dragon to the last ninjas, they tried to dodge it but an unknown force stopped them. The dragon pushed them toward a rock, breaking their spines.
Arashi smiled underneath his mask, the way to revive Kushina required him to have control over the five elemments. He had Wind as his primary affinity, with Lighting and Fire as the secondaries. Kushina had Water as her primary, with Earth as her secondary. When Minato sealed her inside him he got access to her spiritual energy, combining it with his physical energy he was now able to produce a chakra with Kushina's affinities. While Naruto was learning the Rasengan, Minato used the Kage Bunshin trick to train in the use of Kushina's elemments.
"Only Pein can match us now in the variety of elemments", thought Arashi.
"Yes, but the best part is that now I will be able to help in the upcoming battles", said Kushina.
Minato agreed with her and looked at Zabuza.
"Have you seen enough? I know that you only wanted to evaluate me when you let the others attack", said Arashi.
"True, now I won't have to share my payment with those fools", said Zabuza chuckling.
"This man is not an ordinary jonin...", thought Zabuza, "... I wonder why he is not in the Bingo Books, the Villages love to talk big about their strongest ninjas... I'll have to discard range attacks or he will use that technique to switch me with himself. Lucky for me he doesn't seen to have a weapon to match my sword"
"Oh, now I remember about you. You were the one who killed all the graduation class in the final exam in Kirigakure. Since then they changed the exams", said Arashi.
"Yes, it was me, aren't you scared?", said Zabuza releasing some killer intent, hoping to demoralize his adversary.
Arashi kept undisturbed.
"No. Why should I be scared? You only killed a bunch of students who were not even genins, those fools could have done the same", said Arashi pointing at the corpses.
Zabuza swung his massive blade.
"Enough talking! Prepare yourself!", shouted.
Arashi took out two tree-pronged kunais. He focused wind chakra in the one in his left hand. He did the same with the one in his right time but this time he also elongated the blade until it was as long as a katana.
Arashi took a fighting stance where he had the shorter blade pointing at Zabuza while he had the longer over his head.
"I know that style, is a sword sytle that uses the shorter blade for defense and the longer for attack. However he can also use the short blade for stabbing if he gets too close. I'll have to take advantage of the higher reach of my sword against him", tought Zabuza.
Zabuza made the first move, Arashi dodged the attack with ease and countered with the shorter blade. With a quick movement Zabuza blocked the attack with his own blade. To his surprise, Arashi's blade made a second hole on his sword, if he would have used the longer blade, he would have stabbed the former Swordman of the Mist.
Arashi now took the initiative taking advantage of Zabuza's surprise. The Demon of the Mist had to do his best to avoid Arashi's attacks, he blocked some of them but desisted when he noticed that Arashi's attacks were covering his blade with deep scratches.
"Shit! He also has wind affinity! I thought that he used normal chakra for elongate his blades...", thought Zabuza, "If I keep like this he will destroy my sword! I'll have to be faster than him if I want to make a blow"
Zabuza now attacked more viciously, Arashi responded increasing the speed of his attacks. If Arashi was using normal blades instead of his kunais he would have been crushed by any of Zabuza's blows in attempting to block him. Unfortunately for the Demon of the Mist, he had to refrain his attacks at the moment Arashi managed to block if he didn't want to have his sword destroyed.
Zabuza made a somersault backwards and looked at Arashi.
"Not bad, I must recognize that you impressed me, but now I'm going to finish you with my speciality", said while making some hand signs.
"Kiri Gakure no Jutsu! (Hidden Mist technique)", exclaimed.
The area was enveloped with a thick fog, making almost impossible to see.
"I see, you are going to use the Silent Killing, eh? Let's see how you deal with various targets. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!", shouted Arashi.
Three clones appeared and sorrounded the original.
"Did you know there are eight points in the body that promises a kill almost instantly?", said Zabuza's voice.
"That is taught at the Academy, your intimidation tactics won't work against me", responded Arashi.
Zabuza took advantage from the fact that Arashi revealed is possition and attacked him. He eluded the clones easily and proceeded to kill the original. To his surprise, Arashi exploded in flames at the moment he hit him. If he had used a weapon with a shoter reach he would have been burned.
"Katon clone, I'm the only one able to use them. I always thought that shouting the name of a jutsu only gives info to your adversaries about your techniques. I took advantage of that stupid behaviour", said Arashi while floating over the mist.
Arashi took advantage of the mist and used the Hiraishin to get out of it, the mist itself cloaked the yellow flash effect of his jutsu.
Unlike many people think, the Hiraishin was not a high speed technique nor a teleportation. What the Hiraishin made was acelerating the flow of time between two points, it worked creating a small time breach that generated the famous yellow flash effect. For Arashi, everyone was moving at slow motion while he moved at his ussual speed; for the rest of people, he moved at insane speeds. Arashi also created kunais with seals made from his blood that were used as markers for create a net of time breachs that let him attack multiple opponents.
Because the Hiraishin was not a speed technique, it didn't generated a blow of wind that would alert Zabuza of him getting out of the mist.
The other clones attacked Zabuza, he made hit in one of them expecting it to explode in flames. The clone didn't explode, he grabbed the sword while it was still embebed in him. Zabuza noticed that the clone was made of dirt, looking at the wound, a Doton clone, a type that was able to receive some heavy blows before being destroyed.
Zabuza destroyed the clone and dispatched the other ones quickly, then he realized it: His adversary has used a Raiton clone, a Water Dragon, blades with wind chakra, a Katon clone and Doton clones; Arashi was able to use all Five Elements. He dispelled the mist to locate his adversary only to find him floating over him.
"W-Who are you? T-There's no way that somebody like you could be classified as an A rank nin...", said Zabuza trying to hide his growing fear.
"Those who hired him said that I was A rank!?", thought Arashi undignified.
"You'll be able to discuss the matter with them soon", said Kushina.
Haku was scared, this man disposed the other nins like they were nothing. Then he fought Zabuza countering all his tactics, now the man was floating over him. Obviously he was above their league, now it was time to pretend to be a hunter from Kiri, fake Zabuza's death and leave the place.
He threw the senbon needles to Zabuza's vital points but at the moment they were about to hit him, they stopped in mid air.
It was followed with a sound like wind.
"It was a Fuuton clone...", said Arashi, "it stopped from move those fools who were killed by my Water Dragon and I assigned him to watch over you while I dealed with Zabuza", said Arashi looking at his hideout.
Haku made himself visible and pretended to be a Hunter nin.
"Congratulations, your skills are really impressive. I was after Zabuza for days and I found him fighting you. I was waiting for the perfect moment to kill off him and...", said before being interrupted.
"Stop pretending yourself, you are not a Hunter Nin. Real Hunters wouldn't use senbons as assasination method. I think that you are Zabuza's backup plan", said Arashi.
"No, I'm a Hunter Nin, really...", said Haku sweating.
Before he could say anything, Zabuza was inmovilized by other two Fuuton clones that Arashi had as backup.
"If you are a true Hunter you'll let me kill Zabuza and then you'll destroy the body", said Arashi while he formed a Rasengan on his hand.
He charged at Zabuza with great speed, aiming to the heart.
As happened in another time line, Haku created an ice mirror to teleport himself before Zabuza and receive the attack in his place.
In the last moment Arashi dispelled the Rasengan and punched Haku knocking him and taking out his mask.
Then, to Zabuza's surprise, he dispelled the clones, leaving him free.
"He was ready to die in your place, you are really precious to him...", said while he leaned the boy against a tree.
"He is my tool, this is what he is for", said Zabuza taking a fighting stance.
"There is no need to fight, obviously your client lied about me and you expected to fight a weaker opponent. There's no reason to keep on with your contract", said Arashi.
Zabuza agreed with him and hanged his sword back on his back.
"Now, will you tell me who hired you so we will make him a visit? I also have a proposal for you and your apprentice", said the blond.
Zabuza looked at the other nin for a few seconds before he made his choice.
"The others and myself were hired to kill you while other group leaded by the Demon Brothers abducted your son and...", said before Arashi received the memories of the clone he left with Naruto.
"Naruto is alone with the enemy!", exclaimed while he headed to the place he left Naruto, not before leaving a clone for watch over Zabuza and Haku.
On his way he felt a tremendously and evil source of chakra, something he never expected to feel again and increased his pace.
The Kyuubi's chakra.
What happened to Naruto?
What is going to happen with the villagers who hired Zabuza and co?
The response in next chapter
This omake was an original idea from my reader Ferduran, I just added a few changes.
OMAKE: IRUKA'S DREAM
Iruka and Anko were watching TV at his home after one of his "special training" sessions with Kakashi. Since their first encounter Iruka had real troubles to destroy the book in the jonin's hands now that he was prevented against him. He had to use tricks like disguising himself as an old lady or ambushes in order to caught the Hatake off guard and burn the book. Each sucess ended with a survival test trying to survive the wrath of the Copy Nin... and failures too.
If it were not for the fact that he was progressing at an insane rate he would have left this training. Now he was slighty stronger than Anko, soon he should be able to do the jonin exam although he didn't mind the rank, he only wanted to have the skill for being a better teacher.
This time the Copy Nin managed to save his book so he was not as vicious as the times were Iruka destroyed it, the chuunin only had half his body bandaged. The movie was nothing unusual and Iruka was very tired, he was resting his head on Anko's shoulder and soon he was asleep.
The Snake Lady was enjoying that moment with her boyfriend, since her sensei betrayed her and the village she had real problems opening herself to other people; her friends Yugao and Kurenai helped her a lot to get over the trauma but she couldn't develop a relationship with a man until the scarred teacher appeared in her life.
At first she thought that he was a pervert, cute but a pervert. Then he told her his true motives and she couldn't help but fall for him. Unlike Orochimaru, this man wanted to give the best education to his students, not using them for his own purposes. He was also a great dango maker and a very attentive man and very good in bed (she should try one of these days the gifts Yugao gave her for her birthday)
While his girlfriend meditated about their relationship, Iruka had a dream.
The teacher found himself before the Memorial Stone, where the names of his parents were engraved. He noticed that he was a kid again. He reminded that after the Kyuubi attack he used to come daily to this place for cry.
"Mom, Dad... How are you doing? I'm sorry for not visiting you lately but I was very busy. Now I'm training to get jonin level so I could be a better teacher... You won't believe what happened in Konoha during the last days, the most important is that the Yondaime is back alive, and he is Naruto's father! Since that day we didn't have more pranks, life in the Academy is now a bit boring... Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you... I-I have a girlfriend...", said blushing.
"Is she nice?", asked a voice from behind.
Iruka's heart stopped at the sound, he turned down and saw his parents smiling at him.
He rushed to hug them. It was not the first time he dreamed with them but he always reacted the same way.
After the teary meeting they talked about Iruka's life in Konoha.
"Yes Mom, she is very nice although she acts and like she were a bit crazy. But when you know her, she is a great person", said Iruka proudly.
His father noded.
"And how she looks, is she hot?", asked his father with a perverted grin.
Iruka scratched the back of his head.
"Yes... She is the hottest in Konoha. The other men look at me with a mixture of awe and envy", said smiling.
He described his father how Anko looked without skipping any details until both of them ended with bumps in their heads courtesy of his mother.
"That is not important! Iruka... do you love her?", asked.
Iruka was pensive for a few seconds until he responded.
"Yes, I love Anko... I hope that in a few years we will marry, live together and form a family...", said.
Meanwhile in the real world, Anko, who didn't realize that Iruka was sleeping, finished her thoughts about her relationship with Iruka and decided to ask him about it.
"Iruka... What do you think about our relationship?", asked seriously.
"... I love Anko... live together...", mumbled him in dreams.
"W-WHAT!?", exclaimed her.
Her shout awoke him. He found Anko blushing and surprised.
"Y-You were joking, don't you?", said her.
"Eeeeh, no, you know that I don't joke...", responded him not sure was going on with.
"I-Iruka... I love you too... I-I want to live with you!", exclaimed her before hugging and kissing him.
A part of Iruka realized that he probably was talking while he dreamed, another part was a bit scared for renouncing his independence. A last part was trying to process the words 'I love you too' from her lips.
Two days later they were finishing to move Anko's belongings into Iruka's house. One of the boxes fell to the ground revealing the 'gifts' Yugao gave Anko for her birthday.
A part of Iruka was scared to hell, another part was already thinking about the uses they could have for the 'gifts'. A more practical part was thinking about a place in the house where the candles of the 'gifts' would look nice.
Meanwhile, in heaven, his parents were laughing happily for their son's new life.
END
Review, please. I specially want to know your oppinions about making the Hiraishin a time slowing jutsu. I will explain my reasons in next chapter.