Chapter 21 Murky Days

"How come Naruto's not coming with us?" Kiba asked swinging his arms wildly as he walked.

"Hmm… Well Naruto said he wanted to train a little more today." Kakashi answered.

Sasuke huffed and wacked Kiba on the shoulder so he would stop swinging his arms. Kiba rubbed his shoulder huffily and pouted to Akamaru who yapped at him as well.

The true reason Naruto wasn't accompanying Tazuna to the bridge was the assassination of Gato. Naruto had stayed behind at Tazuna's house to prepare.

Soon, Naruto was waving goodbye to Tsunami and Inari as he set off into the forest.

Arriving at the bridge, Tazuna and team seven were greeted by a horrifying sight. Bridge workers were laid out all over the place and blood stained the freshly laid planks of the bridge.

"What the hell?" Tazuna shouted. He rushed up to the closest worker, gently lifting him up and asking desperately, "What happened? What could have-?"

The man in his arms coughed weakly, "M-monsters" he wheezed out.

Kakashi readied himself, Zabuza was most likely back then.

"Get ready." He snapped at Kiba and Sasuke. Sasuke pulled out several shuriken and kunai while Kiba dropped into his fighting stance. Thick fog rolled in from the sea and settled over the bridge obscuring the group's vision.

Kakashi activated Naruto's one way barrier for Tazuna and stepped out of it. Leaving Tazuna in a small dome shaped barrier by himself.

"Kakashi-sensei! This fog!" Kiba shouted while Akamaru whined.

"Aah. Kiba, it's most likely Zabuza's 'hiding in the mist' jutsu."

Sasuke began to tremble as the group waited with bated breaths.

"It's been a while Kakashi. And I see you've got those brats tagging along just like last time. Poor boys are trembling again, poor things."

Sasuke smirked confidently as Kiba bared his teeth at the mist. "I'm shaking eagerly for a rematch!" Sasuke declared.

The mist shifted slightly. A hoard of Zabuza clones was revealed to the group surrounding them with sharp swords.

Kakashi smiled, "Go ahead, Sasuke, Kiba."

Sasuke and Kiba disappeared.

All that could be seen for several seconds were blurs along with the bright flashes of a speedy kunai blade and splashes of water. The Zabuza clones were dispatched in an instant as Sasuke and Kiba returned to their positions around Tazuna's dome.

Zabuza stepped out of the mist with his hunter nin partner standing by his side. "Well! My water clones were obviously no match for you! It seems the brats have matured quite a bit… into worthy rivals. Eh, Haku?"

"Indeed…" His partner replied.

"Ya got some nerve showing up after that act you pulled!" Kiba shouted, pointing at Haku.

"Kiba. With me. This one is ours." Sasuke said crouching a bit.

"Yeah thats what I'm talking about!" Kiba exclaimed crouching as well.

"Impressive kids aren't they? Even if your water clones only have a tenth of the strength of the original. It's amazing that they were able to remove them so well." Haku said to Zabuza.

"We're still on the offensive here. Go!" Zabuza barked.

"Yes, sir."

Haku disappeared in a shunshin.

Sasuke and Kiba charged forward and clashed with Haku. Senbon, claws, and kunai met in a shower of sparks.

Naruto raced through the trees in the direction of Gato's base. Kakashi had thrown his kunai informing him that Zabuza had arrived at the bridge. The chance was now!

But just as Naruto was about to leap to the next branch he saw something that made him pause momentarily and turn back the way he came.

Slash! Crash!

The door to Tazuna's house was suddenly chopped down. Tsunami who was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen froze. Two fierce looking men walked in with swords strapped to their waists.

The one on the right was dressed in a long coat and black pants while the one on the right had an eye patch over his right eye and was shirtless, covered in tattoos.

The one on the right spoke first, "Tazuna's daughter huh? Sorry but you're coming with us."

Inari was washing his hands in the bathroom when there was a loud crash and his mother screamed.

He ran out of the bathroom to find two men looming over his mother in the kitchen. His mother was backed up against the counter and trembling as she stared at the men with their swords.

"Mama!" He yelled in worry.

The two men turned to him at the same time, the one on the left spoke "What do you want brat?"

"Run Inari! Don't come in!" Tsunami yelled frantically.

"Should we grab him too?" The left one asked.

"We only need on hostage." The right one said.

Inari flinched behind the doorway. Hostage? They were going to take his mom?

The eyepatched man drew his sword slowly, "Heh heh too bad… For him!"

"Wait!" Tsunami shouted. "If you dare touch my child I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood. The what will you do for a live hostage?"

Tears slowly dripped down Inari's face.

The right man laughed, "Be grateful to your mom kiddo."

"Aw, man… but I'm dying to cut someone!" The left man said.

"Relax. You gave your blade a pretty good workout before we even got here. So get over it and let's go." His partner said to him.

Inari sobbed behind the door frame as the two men tied his mother's hands together and dragged her away.

He cursed himself for being so weak. He was afraid! He didn't want to die! Inari cried furiously as he bemoaned his weakness. Then suddenly Sasuke's voice came to him again, 'You big crybaby you think it's alright to just sit around moping? Why don't you do something to improve your situation then?'. Inari remembered what Naruto had said, 'we've learned that crying doesn't accomplish anything'. He looked at his hands. Inari thought about what his father had told him before, 'if something is precious to you. Protect it with all your strength! Even at the cost of your own life!'.

'Everyone else is so awesome. So cool. And strong… Can I? Could I be strong too Daddy?' Inari thought. He wiped his eyes and stood.

The eyepatched man leered over Tsunami's shoulder as they walked. "Heh heh…. Such beautiful skin. So smooth and lovely. It's a shame not to be able to cut it."

"Stop dawdling!" His partner snapped.

Just as they were about to leave the premises of the house a voice rang out.

"WAIT!" Inari shouted. "Y-you get away from my mama!"

The boy charged the two men with a roar as they laughed.

"This kid is a waste of space!"

"Just cut him!"

"Yeah!"

They slashed at Inari with their swords as Tsunami screamed and closed her eyes.

The men's eyes widened as their swords chopped into a log instead of a small boy.

"Kawarimi?!" They shouted in confusion.

A voice rang out behind them, "Sorry! I can't let you do that!"

Inari opened his eyes. When did he close them? And looked up at a smiling blonde.

"Good job distracting them so I could save your mother Inari!" Naruto chirped.

"N-naruto!" Inari exclaimed.

"Hey isn't that one of Tazuna's body guards?" Eyepatch said.

"Yeah." the other one said.

"Let's get em!"

They wildly charged at Naruto, hands on the hilts of their swords.

Naruot lazily lobbed a kunai that landed behind the two men.

Both men laughed, "Hah! You can't even aim right! You're dead!"

Naruto smirked. "I wasn't aiming for you."

He suddenly vanished from where he was standing and then the two men knew no more.

Inari gaped at Naruto. He had simply chopped both men on the back of their necks. Naruto had just taken down two of Gatos men without breaking a sweat!

He turned to Naruto after he'd finished tying up the henchmen and asked, "Naruto… how'd you know that those guys were coming?"

Naruto smiled at him kindly, "I saw a boar that had been sliced to ribbons and several slash marks on the trees going in the direction of your house. But that doesn't matter. Inari you need to know that you are one brave kid. You did well."

Inari teared up a bit. He sniffled to himself, "Aww no. I promised myself I wouldn't cry any more. Sasuke will call me a cry baby again…"

Naruto patted Inari on the head, "He would be wrong then. And it's okay to cry when you're happy you know?"

Naruto turned to leave, "if they've attacked here as well that means their going to the bridge, you stay here we'll be back with your grandpa in no time alright?"

Inari wiped his tears and nodded happily.

"Good boy." Naruto smiled and then vanished again, shocking Inari.

Landing in the forest where he'd seen the stuck boar, Naruto continued his way to Gatos base. He had to hurry he wasn't sure how long his team could hold off Zabuza. He should have stuck a Hiraishin tag on Gato's base when he was scouting. Naruto cursed himself, he'd fallen out of his old habit of leaving tags everywhere he went. He didn't expect Gato to attack the house, though it should have occurred to him. He'd have to mark his teammates once he got back as well. At least Kakashi had a tagged kunai on him so that Minato could reach him.

Naruto dashed through the trees at a breakneck pace, releasing his resistance seals as he went. He accelerated into a yellow blur as he fully released his seals. His resistance seals normally had ten levels, he usually stayed on level 10 for every day activities and released to level 5 spar with Kakashi. Soon he would have to increase his level of resistance again he thought.

Kiba, Sasuke, and Haku leapt away from each other, blurring into high speed combat once again.

Kakashi and Zabuza were both surprised that their opponents could keep up with their respective apprentice's speed.

Sasuke and Kiba rushed Haku again, Haku held off their claws and kunai with a thin senbon in both hands.

"I don't want to have to kill you two but… you probably won't leave quietly will you?"

"Hell no!" Kiba shouted.

"Don't be stupid." Sasuke said.

Haku strained against both boys, he blocked a blow from Kiba with his left hand and a slash from Sasuke with his right.

Haku jumped backwards, disengaging from the strength contest between him and the other two. He threw the senbon in his left hand at kiba and flashed through signs with one hand.

Kiba, Sasuke, and Kakashi all gaped at the feat. One handed seals? How was this possible?

Haku stamped on the ground twice and summoned up a storm of ice needles. Kiba and Sasuke pumped chakra into their legs and dodged the formidable onslaught.

Haku jumped backwards dodging Sasuke's thrown shuriken.

"You're not actually all that fast." Sasuke said appearing behind Haku while dual wielding kunai. He slashed at Haku only to be blocked with a senbon again. Kiba then landed a devastating kick on Haku's abdomen while he was occupied by Sasuke.

"You're fast, but we're faster." Kiba said smirking. Akamaru barked from the sidelines.

Haku grunted as he recovered from the blow.

"You had that coming for underestimating my team. He may not look like much but Sasuke here was the rookie of the year from Konoha and Kiba was one of out best taijutsu students.

Last but not least lets not forget our most unpredictable ninja yet. The one and only Naruto." Kakashi said smugly.

Zabuza began laughing. "Haku… You understand if this goes on, you could end up dying at the hands of the very person you sought to spare?"

Haku stood again, "Yes I do… What a pity." A cold fog began rising from his body. Haku formed a unique hand sign and ice coalesced around Kiba and Sasuke, forming into large mirrors with harsh cracking sounds. A dome of mirrors surrounded the boys, caging them in.

Kiba shouted at Akamaru as he was surrounded, "Akamaru stay out of this!"

Akamaru whined piteously in reply.

Kakashi lowered his head warily, he didn't recognize this technique!

Haku stepped into the ice mirror in front of him, melding with it and reflecting several times over in the many mirrors surrounding the boys.

Kakashi dashed towards the ice dome in worry but he was quickly blocked by Zabuza. Zabuza took a stance in front of him, "Let's not forget… I'm your enemy. Our children can play together while my boy kills yours."

Kiba and Sasuke faced the mirrors back to back wondering what their opponent was planning.

"Now. Let me show you some real speed!" Haku declared lifting a senbon needle in his hand.

Sasuke and kiba screamed out as a flurry of needles grazed their flesh, slashing them and causing innumerable wounds in an instant.

Kakashi's eyes widened, "Kiba! Sasuke!" He called out moving towards them.

"Any sudden moves and I kill the old man!" Zabuza said with a sick grin.

Kakashi halted, "You!"

Sasuke and Kiba panted within the ice prison as the onslaught paused for a second.

'Damn, the cuts are mostly superficial. He's killing me by inches. Death by a thousand cuts? I can't figure out what technique he's using! His clones all hide in the mirrors and then strike at the same time! I don't even see him move. I can't even spot his weapons trajectory!' Sasuke thought.

"Kiba! Do you see how he's moving?"

"No… it can't be clones the ice mirrors have something to do with it but I don't know what!"

Sasuke flipped through hand signs 'If its ice then! Katon!' Sasuke inhaled and then exhaled a great gout of flame toward the mirrors he faced. A sea of flames engulfed the area. The flames slowly died down revealing several untouched mirrors.

Kiba gasped, "It didn't melt?"

Haku prepared another round of needles, "That pitiful flame will barely touch my ice mirrors…" He shifted and another salvo of needles came flying at the two boys.

"Gah!"

"Augh!"

Kiba roared in frustration, "If they won't melt I'll just break them! Gatsuga!"

Kiba crouched and leapt up, he spun into a drill and crashed into a set of mirrors. He was bounced off unceremoniously and he crashed into the ground dazed.

He was rewarded with another shower of spikes from all directions.

"Which one of you is real!?" Kiba roared. He flipped through hand seals and spat out a clump of earth. A few earth clones formed and he and sent them in different directions to attack Haku.

Haku make easy work of them. Reducing them to lumps of earth once again.

"Your eyes will never see the truth. I can't be caught." Haku said icily.

Kiba roared and formed more clones that charged the mirrors with Gatsugas.

Haku appeared in mirror to their left, "Hmph. The technique I'm using is part of the art of teleportation. The only tool I need to perform it is my mirrors. I move so quickly the pair of you might as well be standing still!"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "So that's it. I never imagined anyone could master such a technique at so young an age."

Tazuna appeared thoroughly lost in this ninja battle. '"Such a technique?'" He stuttered out.

"A genetic trait running through the bloodlines of those of the purest Shinobi pedigree. Some of the most extraordinary techniques are handed down from generation to generation solely on that basis. Its of the same order of skill as my Sharingan eye… but even my Sharingan can't copy this technique!" Kakashi explained.

"Kiba use the clones as shields!" Sasuke shouted.

Kiba picked himself up and created a group of clones to surround them. The clones bought a few precious moments of safety before they crumbled back into dirt walls.

"Kiba I have an idea. Get on top of an earth clone." Sasuke whispered to Kiba.

Kiba stared at Sasuke for a bit "...Gotcha."

Kiba weaved a few seals and climbed on top of a double that suddenly appeared.

Sasuke flipped through hand seals and slammed his hands on the ground. A stream of lightning appeared between his hands and shot out towards the mirrors electrocuting them.

Unfortunately the attack had no effect on the ice mirrors and consequently Haku.

Haku paused from his attacks briefly, "I can't help but prefer that the pair of you… Not force me to kill you. However if you two are going to come at me I shall kill my own heart. Please try not to resent me but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect the one I care about most… to fight, kill, or die to fulfill that person's dreams. Doing so is my own dream." Haku lowered his face and raise his senbon. "To that end I will become a true Shinobi… And I shall kill you both."

Naruto centered himself as he quietly inched along the corridor towards Gato's room. So far everything had been smooth sailing. There had only been a few wandering guards that he was able to easily avoid, but the true goal lay ahead. From his scouting reports, Gato had two samurai he constantly kept with him named Zori and Waraji. He'd already dispatched them since they came for Tsunami so the next step would be to kill Gato himself. He'd stolen a sword from somewhere in the base and was prepared to use it to end Gato's miserable life at anytime. Minato climbed the walls with chakra and stuck to the ceiling he pushed open the door and darted into the room in the blink of an eye.

Kakashi tsked, "Tch. Even if I knew how to counter that technique Sasuke and Kiba still wouldn't be able to defeat that boy."

"Eh. What do you mean?" Tazuna asked worriedly.

"Those two… they don't have the strength to kill just yet. That boy has lived with the kind of emotional anguish that prepared him to be a true shinobi."

"No true shinobi could ever be born in a place like your village. A place of weakness and peace. You don't live with death or grow up needing to kill to endure your own survival. The skills and the mindset they require to become a shinobi die within you!" Zabuza cruelly declared.

Kakashi reached for his Hitai-ate, "You'll have to forgive me if I put an end to this…"

Zabuza scoffed, "Your going to use the Sharingan? So vulgar, so obvious, and lacking in finesse!"

Zabuza charged before Kakashi could pull his head band up and stabbed at Kakashi with his single bladed Kiri kunai.

Blocking with his left hand, Kakashi glared at Zabuza, "You can sneer about my 'lack of finesse' Zabuza. But it doesn't change that you are afraid of the Sharingan and me."

Zabuza chuckled, "Heh. A ninja's secret weapon should be employed judiciously, not at every random foe!"

"You should feel privileged. No one has ever lived to see the Sharingan a second time. And no one will ever see it thrice!"

"By all means, defeat me. If you can. You still won't have what it takes to kill Haku! Since he was a toddler I've beaten fighting skills into him! His skills surpass even my own, and he bears the legacy of a formidable Kekkei Genkai! Thus I have with me a weapon of matchless quality! Entirely unlike those scraps of trash that follow you blindly!"

Kakashi pulled up his hitai-ate revealing his blood red eye. "Is there anything duller than listening to someone else brag? It's showtime!"

Zabuza backed up a bit, "Frankly I've been dying to steal a phrase from you since our last meeting. Just so you know, the same jutsu wont work twice! Having had the chance to see it in action… I now understand the workings of your Sharingan eye!" Zabuza formed a hand seal, "Allow me to brag a little more. Haku is extremely intelligent, he was able to analyze and understand your tricks. With his understanding he can develop effective countermeasures."

A thick mist began to form around Zabuza hiding him from sight.

Kakashi heard a faint whirring, he quickly pulled out a kunai and deflected several shuriken aimed at him.

Zabuza appeared behind him with his eyes closed and his hand held in a half ram seal, "You deflected those nicely, as expected. However, the next time you see me it will be you end. You've overestimated your Sharingan." Zabuza faded out of sight once more.

Sasuke rallied himself once more as Haku prepared another round of deadly needles. Haku had begun landing his shots, embedding needles into various acupuncture points in Sasuke and Kiba's bodies. After each round of needles the boys slowed down more and more.

Sasuke grunted as he pushed himself up, his eyes were beginning to adjust to the foggy environment and fast paced action. Haku had begun to aim at vital areas that would surely kill him. Sasuke had dodged every attempt thus far but he had been keeping an eye out for Kiba as well. Sasuke was beginning to see a pattern in Haku's movements but he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up.

"You move well. But my next assault will take you down!" Haku declared readying his senbon.

Sasuke focused on Haku's movements. Every shift and breath was clinically analyzed. He concentrated. He saw.

The instant Haku shifted to attack Sasuke was dodging. He avoided Haku's needles by a hair's breadth, dragging a battered Kiba along with him.

Haku reeled back in shock as Sasuke glared at him with crimson eyes. Sasuke had two tomoe in his right eye and one in his left.

'Those eyes! It can't be! Sharingan?' Haku thought.

"You're! I see... you, too, shared the legacy of a Kekkei Genkai." He said.

'What an amazing boy. To find that ability and force it to awaken in the heat of battle!'

"I'm afraid I can't let this fight go on! My jutsu burns an incredible amount of chakra to maintain, I'm certain if this goes much longer… You will begin reading my movements."

Haku lowered his head. It was time to end this.

Kakashi grunted as he was slashed across the chest but Zabuza's large sword.

"You were slow on your guard Kakashi! Your desire to save those brats has caused the blood to go to your head! Obscuring your thoughts and vision as surely as the fog I've created! Your ability to read my movements has dulled! I want to enjoy this Kakashi! Paying you back would bring me the greatest of pleasures!" Zabuza hefted his sword once again. "Don't worry. Haku should be finishing off those brats about now… I'll reunite you with them shortly. You can apologize to them in the after-life!"

"Hmph. Don't think it will be so easy! I have faith in their strength. Sasuke is also heir to one of the most superior bloodlines of Konoha!" Kakashi replied defiantly.

Zabuza started, "You don't mean…"

"That's right. His full name is Uchiha Sasuke. He's a prodigy who carries in his genes the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha clan!"

"So he's one of the surviving members of that tragic clan huh?" Zabuza formed the ram seal and faded away into the mist again. "So he may indeed be Haku's equal… No one has deciphered Haku's jutsu until now…"

Kakashi glared into the fog. "Zabuza, you don't think I really survived this long only depending on the Sharingan. Do you? I too was once a member of my village's ANBU. I'll show you the kind of Shinobi I once was. I'll show you my own original jutsu!"

Suddenly a familiar voice rang out into the fog.

"STOP!"

A blast of wind blew through the bridge, clearing the fog and revealing all the fighters. Naruto stood in the center of the bridge with a stack of papers.

"Zabuza! Gato is going to betray you! There's no point in fighting to kill Tazuna anymore! What I have in my hands is a report to Kiri's hunter nin about your dead body!"

Zabuza and Haku paused for a moment, they exchanged glances.

Zabuza scoffed, "Hah! As if I would believe you at this moment! How do we know your telling the truth kid? This could just be a ploy to save your friends."

"Its true!" Naruto brandished the sheet violently, "Here is Gato's signature and everything! And would you really trust a parasite like Gato to not betray you after he was done using you?"

Zabuza extended a hand to Naruto "Kid. Give me that."

Naruto cautiously approached Zabuza, readying his Hiraishin to escape if necessary. He handed the papers over to Zabuza and waited with bated breath as the man read them. Zabuza looked back up at Naruto, he looked back down at the sheet, then at Naruto again. "How did you get this kid?"

"I was going to go assassinate Gato while you were distracted at the bridge. He wasn't at the base when I arrived. I found those papers on his desk when I was raiding this base for any valuables."

Zabuza turned to Kakashi and laughed, "Heh. A true shinobi you got here Kakashi."

A voice suddenly called out across the bridge, "Zabuza!"

It was Gato leading a huge army of thugs, mercenaries, and bandits.

"Gato… What are you doing here? And why did you bring all of them?" Zabuza asked menacingly.

Gato chuckled, "There's been a slight change of plans Zabuza. Or of your plans anyways. This is what I had in mind all along. You're going to die 'Demon' here and now."

"What?"

"You must have guessed. I never intended to pay you. Its such a bother hiring skilled shinobi from the top villages. It's expensive and they tend to have friends that object heavily when I betray and kill them. Nuke nin are so much simpler. No one cares what I do to your kind once the job is done." Gato tapped his cane against the bridge. "All you ninjas are so eager to fight each other. Once you've worn each other down common thugs can finish off the rest. Its a great business plan- efficient and inexpensive. My only mistake was hiring you in the first place. Calling yourself the 'Demon of the Mist' is just plain false advertising!" He laughed heartily, "You're no demon… More like a baby demon at best."

The thugs laughed along with their boss.

"We'll take you down with no sweat with our numbers!"

"You can't possibly hope to beat this many people!"

"You're gonna die!"

Zabuza turned to Kakashi, "Forgive me Kakashi… Our fight is over. I no longer have any reason to want to assassinate Tazuna. That settles our differences. Haku!"

Haku released his ice crystal mirrors jutsu and jumped to Zabuza's side. "Hai!"

Zabuza brandished his sword and charged forwards.

Gato yelled and pushed his way to the back of the crowd, "Enough what are you waiting for? Kill all of them!"

"Even if you're a ninja, you're dead against all of us!" Someone shouted confidently

"You don't stand a chance!"

"Come at us!"

Zabuza easily cleaved through the crowd of riffraff as Haku covered his approach with a rain of needles. Any mercenary looking to stab Zabuza in the back was met with a needle to the eye or another vital point. Zabuza danced in the crowd in a shower of blood and gore. His sword swung in wide sweeps decapitating heads and severing limbs. Zabuza's chakra and killing intent manifested a fearsome aura that shrouded him with the guise of a demon. He plowed wildly through the mob as he aimed straight for Gato.

"I'll show you who's a Baby Demon!" Zabuza yelled as he reached Gato.

He whipped his sword around in a shining horizontal circle and cleanly removed Gato's head from his body.

The crowd was frantic as they tried to escape both the rain of death Haku enacted and the Demon wrecking havoc among them. They piled onto the ship at the end of the bridge desperately, many falling into the water below in their haste to escape.

Naruto and Kakashi watched in silence as Zabuza slaughtered his way through the rest of the remaining mob. Naruto's eyes were a cold icy blue, it reminded Kakashi of the hard expression his Sensei often wore during the war. He was secretly pleased that Naruto did not have to spill any blood just yet.

"Sensei, I have acquired the rights to Gato' s company and whatever riches he had lying around his base." Naruto said.

"Aah. Good job Naruto. Please release the barrier around Tazuna. I'll check on Sasuke and Kiba. We've had enough excitement for today…"

"Hai Sensei."