Chapter 20
Disclaimer: Nothing for nothing.
Foreword:
It's weird how Kabuto got to live after the war instead of being executed for his crimes. His activities killed like 40,000 soldiers and probably some civilians. Madara was only resurrected because he was all too willing. Orochimaru got a pardon because Suigetsu suggested they revive the Hokage, but Kabuto willfully killed so many people, a sad backstory does not make up for countless death.
They make Haku look really girly when he shows up again near the end of the manga and anime. The initial thing was because he was androgynous looking and had a gentle temperament. I think they give him luster to his lips or something.
Most ninja's are absolute scrubs. Treewalking is a Chunin-level skill, as is breaking out of Genjutsu. Naruto's year is literally the cream of the crop, except for Choji because I hate him most of all. Basically Naruto is deadlast the same way the deadlast in med school is, except he performed a double bypass in the parking lot with a pocket knife and straw after failing the final exam. He got a special graduation, that's the handwave for why he's deadlast here.
Kakashi's whole deal is that Naruto is not an ideal student for him, Kakashi is average in terms of amount of chakra. He's precise in how much he needs to use and how to control it. Naruto is like bailing water out of the ocean. Past a certain point, control is like pissing in the wind. Sasuke and Sakura are more in line with him. Covid has me looking at this shit like a bible study or whatever they call it when 'spiritual' chicks try to read the Tao Te Ching or Buddhist stuff.
Darkman is a good movie, go watch that. I like Sam Raimi; he makes good stuff…
Alright Let's Go!
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Kakashi waited for his remaining students with Sakura as Tsunami cooked. He noticed her nerves, but the girl for once was focused on training. The seal speed wasn't bad, better than most Chunin Kakashi had the honor of breaking into ANBU during his tenure.
"I've been practicing the hand seals, but I can't get one of them to form. Is there a trick to how you mould the chakra?" Sakura said kicking her feet on the dock.
"It requires slightly more chakra than the general Bunshin. I'd say visualizing your chakra as layer over yourself and shedding it, if that makes sense." Kakashi said as he watched her attempt. A faint copy came into life, followed by more ghostly variants and without direction. "Not bad for a first attempt, the Oboro Bunshin is tricky despite only being a D-Rank." Kakashi cheered her with a smile. "It'll get easier once you get the hang of it. There's a variant I have in mind that will trick someone's senses into thinking your clones are someone else."
"So that's why you taught it to me? I mean it makes sense." Sakura said while trying once more to bring forth an insubstantial clone. "Naruto can make so many Kage Bunshin, it'll confuse the enemy if half of them aren't real." She realized excitedly at how simple it was before frowning slightly that the crux of the tactic was Naruto. "But how are these really different from Bunshin?"
"More or less, they won't disappear when you touch them." He formed his own to let the girl truly see the difference. "You can even make them talk." Both Kakashi's announced as Sakura tried to touch the clone only for the hand to go through it.
"So when Zabuza said you copied over a thousand Jutsu was he telling the truth?" Sakura removed her hand.
"Hmmm… I really don't know at this point. A lot of them just blend together or require too much effort." Kakashi nonchalantly replied as he spied Naruto and Sasuke emerge covered in filth. "A lot of time whatever works, works. A kunai is as useful as some big, flashy Ninjutsu at the end of the day if you know what you're doing." He answered to Sakura's disappointment.
Kakashi gave a lazy wave as the two boys approached the dock. Naruto stomping in fatigue and Sasuke showing his own weariness. "Yo! How was your day!" Naruto's yell broke the serenity before they shuffled into the home for dinner.
Sasuke and Naruto wolfed down whatever was offered and Tazuna was happy simply to have his table filled. Kakashi honored Tsunami's rule of 'no smut' at the table begrudgingly despite his feelings on the nature of his favorite series of novels, he made small talk as required.
The night was soured by the mention of Kaiza, the hero and martyr of the Wave. A brave man, who lived by a creed to protect what he loved with his two arms even if it cost them everything. He saved part of the island with them, and was celebrated. Up until he was made an example, his creed mocked by mutilation of the strong arms he prided himself on and executed publicly.
It painted the picture on why the people were so willingly to be exploited, to so willingly treaded upon. Any pride was relinquished, their own ambitions forfeited, and any resistance was beaten out of them. They lived their lives on their bellies, the few that lived on their feet were cut down.
Kakashi could sympathize with Inari, even Sasuke understood why the boy was the way he was, but Naruto seemed frustrated as he left the table. Frustrated at how a good man died, how some asshole could just get away with it, or how Inari could be such a coward when his grandfather was honoring his father.
He couldn't understand it. Maybe it was because he never had a father, but most of his heroes were dead. The Yondaime and the other Hokages died, but shinobi died, everyone died and Kaiza died trying to protect the Wave and Inari, and it pissed him off that Inari refused to acknowledge his father. That he cried like all alone instead of trying to do something, to live up to the legacy his father left him, a legacy that Naruto wished he had.
So he left the table, muscles sore and nearly tripping as he ran.
"Naruto." Came the lazy call from Kakashi. "If you're going to train. Don't. Get a good night's rest and let your body recover."
"No way." Naruto found his feet. "I gotta prove it."
"What?" Sakura was confused by the sudden rush of energy.
"That heroes exist in this world." Naruto answered with as much tenacity as he could muster. Sakura just rolled her eyes at his bluster and Kakashi felt a twinge of déjà vu.
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Haku was wary to leave Zabuza, but they would miss their window of opportunity if he wasn't ready. Shiro had advised them that the bridge builder passed through town with the kunoichi, but that Toriichi was making his presence known and that he couldn't spy the two others.
Still he let down his hair and disguised himself. 'Appearances are important in this line of work, whatever the reputation, but a true shinobi will exploit it.' One of the first lessons Zabuza had taught him. A dress or more girlish clothing and Haku could slip into a women's only portion to spy with ease, even isolating a target.
He gathered what he could in peace, he had some company in the form of wild life. He didn't know if it was the herbs themselves or if himself, but it was amusing how they swarmed him, wanting nothing, but curiosity satiated. The few regrets flew from him when he was reminded that after payment, Gato would be dead and the people could have their home back. The work in the Land of Noodles left a bad taste in Haku's mouth.
The sound of crinkling wrappers and snoring alerted Haku to company. A scroll lay near a pile of orange and yellow. A bear cub was enjoying ramen and curiously sniffing at a sleeping body while a few birds made roast on the body waiting for their scraps. A groan from the body lead to the wet breath of the bear hitting the sleeping boy.
"Ino-chan…Emi-chan stop it…" Was said from the depth of sleep as the bear grew more curious.
"Shoo… Your mother is probably looking for you." Haku caused the bear to dart into thicker brush. And then, Haku saw the hitai-ate, the whisker marks, and the Konohagakure leaf symbol. The enemy had delivered himself and even had a kunai half dropped. A quick gaze that meant Haku thought of making it look like an accident. But the first thought Haku had when he saw the vagrant caught his mind, 'They probably have someone at home waiting for them.'
Even as the thoughts of strangulation came to mind, the first thought won out. "You'll catch a cold sleeping out here in the open." Haku informed his enemy.
"Huh?" The drooling Genin rubbed bear salvia out of his face. "Who are you?" He put his hand on an eaten pack of ramen. "Did you eat all my ramen?" He asked groggily.
A quick explanation and Naruto was unknowingly helping his possible assassin. "You can dry the roots, too? I think if you grind it up and add water it's a salve or something for your knuckles."
"I appreciate the help." Haku replied politely. "It's rare to find someone who knows so much about how to use these wildflowers."
"Heh, my sister does medical stuff. I'm used to helping her when she gets stuff from the forests back home." He said as he worked. "A lot of the people she cares for are really into the herbal medicine stuff."
"She sounds very nice. I imagine, your parents are proud of her." Haku asked avoiding Naruto's smiling face.
"Well, we're not blood related or anything. She just looked out for me ever since I was a kid. She always made sure I ate something besides that." Naruto jerked a thumb at the ramen packets. "My parents died on the day I was born, but it's whatever. Crying about it isn't going to change anything." His face darkened for a second before reverting back to a dumb smile.
"I've been meaning to ask. With that headband… are you a shinobi?" Haku tilted his head in an attempt at flattery. The boy was surprisingly honest, Haku didn't know if it was him or maybe simply the village he came from. He forgot about any attempts at shaking down information and enjoyed the conversation.
"Yeah, pretty cool right!" He adjusted the hitai-ate with a proud grin plastered on his face.
"So why are you out here all alone?" Haku asked, a part of him hoping the boy wasn't abandoned or mistreated by his comrades.
"Training, I'm gonna be the strongest ninja in my village and everybody will know it." Naruto announced proudly as he sat to make himself taller.
Haku laughed at the antic. "Are you doing it for your sister, you seem strong enough already?"
"No, but she helps me with training. She's a medic and I never really had an interest in that sorta thing." Naruto avoided what he assumed to be a girls eyes as he remembered the boring lessons on the human body and the chakra system, combined with what Rin's delicate way of telling him it'd be hard to learn because he had so much chakra. "But I gotta get stronger because that way everyone will acknowledge me and I can prove something to someone." He said emphatically as Haku wondered who the someone was.
"Is that someone you or someone else?" Haku said recomposing himself.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked his face going from bright, confidence to unsure made Haku laugh. "What's so funny?" Naruto bawdily asked.
"Usually I've found that when people have someone or something precious to protect they can become truly strong. Is that someone your sister or someone else? Your precious person?" Haku asked remembering another bridge, and a man with fearless, hopeless eyes. The sincerity bled into his voice as he asked.
"Uhh…" Naruto let out shocked, but he remembered the last few months, the last few days. Rin apologizing about lying, Iruka, Kakashi ready to die for them, and little things. Team lunches with Kakashi paying for them, Sakura getting on him for his manners, Sasuke being a bastard about how his form degenerated during spars. "Yeah, I think I get what your saying." He said leaning back in thought, even if it wasn't a long time, he enjoyed the moments.
"Thank you for your help, but I have to go." Haku said getting up. "I'm sure you'll become strong, let's meet again sometime." Haku momentarily realized what he had said, they would meet, but… "By the way… I'm a boy." He refused to laugh, he couldn't jeopardize the mission, but it was something to leave the odd boy laughing or thinking.
Sasuke came to the impromptu training ground as a strange girl left an oddly passive look on her face as he looked to see a confounded Naruto squinting his eyes at the girl.
Sasuke just shrugged as he found his teammate lost in some sort of thought. 'I guess he does think about something besides Hokage and ramen…'
"Hey, here's some water." Sasuke threw it to the blonde who heard him all to late. The water gourd stayed closed, but it caused Naruto to return to his feisty attitude.
"What was that for, bastard?" The Uzumaki asked.
"Either drink it or use it for whatever you have left of your ramen, we still have training remember?" The Uchiha remarked wanting to pinch his nasal bridge in annoyance. It was no fun to win if Naruto cramped, Sasuke wanted a challenge, not a satisfying victory. Easy wins wouldn't help him accomplish his goals and Naruto as annoying as he was, was biting his heels, if even just a little.
"You didn't have to throw it!" Naruto barked back with a dumb smile on his face and then the argument started before Naruto challenged him. To the most progress, to the most targets hit, or to the most work on a D-Rank done it was all the same, like the Academy.
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Sakura walked back from the store from the errand quickly. The sight of the people was distressing and her charity meant more children asking for something, anything. She honestly wanted to use clones to avoid any confrontation, even if it was a child.
She darted up a wall to avoid a small gang of children with one child that she recognized, she hoped that she wasn't seen. When she dropped back down as she neared the end of town when she felt a sharp tug, heard a snap, and a felt weight gone. She frantically turned only to see a small crowd of the same damn eyes, tired and sorry at no one in particular.
"Did any of you see where he went?" She called to no answer only disinterested looks. There was no will to fight that hopelessness, not like when Naruto did something stupid and she could call him out. She still had what Tsunami asked for, so she made her way back. 'Kakashi-sensei will know what to do…' She gave the dejected thought, she had personal items in that bag. No real money just a few kunai, a little make-up, and what not.
A coughing sound annoyed her as she walked back until she felt a hand on her shoulder and quickly punched the offender, who fell back onto a heap of refuse. "Coughcough I'm sorry to startle you, shinobi-san. Coughcough." The offender began as he got up and Sakura shook her hand. "I believe this belongs to you." He held her purse with the shoulder strap cut, but the lock still in tact with no damage done to the satchel.
"Are you trying to pull something?" Sakura asked skeptically giving the sickly person a one-over. A raggedy, white shirt which barely covered a sickly white torso and worn pants that barely covered his calves.
"No, no, shinobi-san." He held the satchel in front of him while Sakura snatched it while the person in front of her rattled through another roll of coughs.
'Great, the strap is broken and I punched the guy who gave it back to me…' Sakura felt like she was Naruto now. "I'm very sorry for the rough greeting." Sakura apologized and started walking again as the man followed.
"It's understandable. Thieves have become common place here. Cough." That cough seemed to strain him as he patted his chest. "You're one of the shinobi guarding Tazuna-san, correct?" The man asked politely.
"Yes, until the bridge is completed." Sakura answered quickly and keeping a certain distance from the sickly follower.
"Do you enjoy being a shinobi?" The question took Sakura by surprise even if she didn't show it. "Your current mission is a noble one, but the lifestyle seems so… tragic. From the stories I've heard, it seems so exciting the fighting, but I can't help imagining the aftermath." He finished before wheezing something to the side.
"We've been in fights before this really isn't anything new." Sakura put up a brave front, not just for herself… is what she told herself.
"I'm thankful then, I've been stranded here after I arrived. Cough. Many of the ferrymen charge so much and are fearful of disease, even when I tell them it's just my constitution. Cough." The stranger explained.
"Why did you come to the Wave?" Sakura asked curiously.
"I'm an apprentice to a great man. He tasked me with finding materials and tools for his masterpiece, this land lies near interesting currents, you know." He said with a content smile, one of complete satisfaction in his service. Even great catastrophe could shake it from him it seemed.
"What kind of tools, is he a craftsman?" Sakura asked surprised that such a sickly looking person could be an apprentice.
"I guess you could say he's a craftsman. Coughcough. He's taught me so much in the time I've known him, he found me when I was a vagrant on the streets." He stopped for a brief coughing fit." Being stranded here is nothing for what I owe him, the tools are old things, but he needs the best." Sakura's companion began digging in his pockets for something before handing her a small, white pin. "It's a gift for listening to my story, it's a sewing needle for your bag." He held it to her, she ran her hand over it as she took it.
"Thank you." She said taking a look at the thing, it seemed eerily beautiful and oddly strong. It looked more like a fishhook than a sewing needle.
"Is your teacher a good one? He looks odd from what I've seen of him, I'm sorry to insult him." The assumed sewer apologetically asked.
"Kakashi-sensei is kinda weird, but he's nice in his own way." Sakura answered truthfully.
"The best teachers are, but they grow on you, but I am biased." Another coughing fit took him. "I'd be a wretch without my master." The previous smile returned. "I couldn't imagine serving anyone other then him." He took a brief look to the sky.
"He sounds like a truly wonderful person, what is your masters name, um?" Sakura was embarrassed to say she didn't ask for his name earlier.
"Shiro is my name. Coughcough. For now, I'm sworn to secrecy, but soon he'll go down in history." Shiro stated it like it had already happened, whatever it was. Sakura's mind wandered to foreign fashions see had seen at one of the magazine stands in Konohagkure, the odd ways the garments blended and popped.
"Well, I'll keep my eyes and ear open until then. My name is Haruno Sakura, it's been nice talking to you Shiro, but I'm still on duty." She said warmly waving farewell as he gave a small bow.
She complained to herself about the bag the rest of the way and possibly about disinfecting it. She checked if anything was stolen and kept her senses on alert as she returned.
Shiro walked for a while on then. Coughing and hacking until he came to a wooded area in the center of the land of Waves. Far from Gato and Team 7, to a small overgrown shack near a stream where a bite to the thumb and series of hand seals were performed to summon a small otter-like creature with a small sash of seaweed and cloth.
"He lied. Hatake Kakashi is the Jonin in charge of them. I'm sorry I didn't report this sooner." Shiro bowed low in apology to the small mammal. His tone calm and at the same time regretful.
"He's still cross that you left on your own in your condition, boy. He gave me these in anticipation that you'd summon me." The small creature admonished him and held out an oyster shell filled with small pills. "Two a day, take them with food, boy, otherwise he'll be cross." It chirped at him. "He should be here soon if the weather is good. Stay safe until then, boy." The creature said fiercely before it dispelled to rely the news as Shiro wheezed once more before heading into the home.
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"C'mon! It'll be funny" Naruto whined at Sasuke, who seemed irritated enough by his comrades attempts to convince him.
"You're just gonna fall and hit your head, dobe. You can barely get off the branch." He spat as he sat on his own.
"I'll be fine in a minute, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled back gripping the tree. "Anyway… I had another idea." He stated reaching into his jacket to find something. A scroll came out, too long to have fit inside by Sasuke's estimation his only reaction was an eyebrow raised.
Naruto's throw caused him to invert his placement on the branch and caused him to panic for a brief second as Sasuke read the scroll. "What is this supposed to be?"
"Fuka Hoin…" Naruto stated as he attempted to swing himself back up. "It's locked, but use you some chakra and turn the spiral right. HUP!" Naruto tried to throw himself back up only to throw himself around the branch in the exact same situation.
"You want me to try the seal out?" Sasuke put his back to the tree and watched Naruto attempt to put himself back on the branch.
"No, I've tried already on small fires and stuff, dattebayo." He grunted.
"Try using the tree to plant yourself and shimmy up." Sasuke spoke slightly amused. "So then why are you giving me this, idiot."
"Neechan only gave me the D-Rank version and you need to stay in one place, but I played with it last night." Naruto cautiously stated as he got up the tree.
"So it's going to blow up on me?" Sasuke scoffed.
"What? Are you mocking my ability? No, you don't need to turn the seal on after it's on." Naruto stated bring himself back to his rest. "Pretty cool, dattebayo!" Naruto cheered.
"So it's already on?" Sasuke asked.
"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head to stare at him. "No, it's unlocked. You need channel some chakra into the center, not a lot." Sasuke looked at the center as he read fire, seal, wind, and devour and the arrows pointing center. Far more intricate were the smaller seals.
"Hmph…" Sasuke said walking down the tree.
"C'mon! Bastard, try it out!" Naruto raised an arm to protest Sasuke's cool act only to once again nearly roll off his respite.
So Sasuke walked to refill his water bottle from a spring nearby as he held the scroll. It was only about the size of his arm in radius and only slightly longer than the water bottle. He sat for a moment and drank greedily letting the mask fall slightly. He tossed it up and down momentarily before deciding to use it.
He hung it with a kunai on a tree close enough the spring to douse any possible forest fire. He brought a kunai up to try channeling his chakra through it like the scroll he'd been given had said, he got a spark before settling for another Jutsu.
"Katon: Gōkakyū." He spat the fireball with less force surprised at how much more controllable the size and shape had become. 'It's a fourth the size.' The smaller fireball barely had drained him, he couldn't truly call it by that name anymore.
It sped forward lazily before it disappeared into the seal with a small smoke cloud. Sasuke tried a few more times from different angles. "How the hell did Naruto make this?" He gave an apprehensive look-over before deciding not to trifle in a field he had no experience in. "Guess he's good for something." He shrugged.
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The sun came and went. Both boys exhaustedly ran the trees until they conquered them and returned home. Naruto trailing to the point where Sasuke carried him out of annoyance at the fact that for once the Uzumaki was exhausted and he'd rather not get another lecture on teamwork from Kakashi.
They arrived with dinner just being served. "Huh, you two look super beat." Tazuna curiously noted.
"Heh, heh we both made it to the top." Naruto answered too tired for even his catchphrase it seemed as he leaned off his teammate to grin.
"Good work, the both of you. Tomorrow you'll both start guarding Tazuna-san." Kakashi gave his dry congratulations as Naruto lifted his arms to cheer before falling onto Sasuke.
"Get off, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke raised his voice as Naruto unintentionally elbowed him in the crotch. He hoped that they simply laughed at their shared embarrassment rather than Naruto's sneak attack.
They sat soon enough and devoured what was offered again. Broiled fish and rice with kombu seemed heavenly for some reason besides Tsunami's cooking although Kakashi found it to be lacking after the first few days, but said nothing and didn't invade the woman's kitchen. The meal went well Naruto and Sasuke discussed what Sakura had been learning as the girl eagerly told 'Sasuke-kun' everything.
"Bridge shouldn't be much longer now. Some of my workers have been worse than those two." Tazuna bragged despite the truth of the matter being the bridge was likely another month completion even with the machinery he had, workers had left. "This has been bothering me for a while, but why did you decide to keep up the mission? Even after I lied? You could've just delivered me home and left, you were in good enough condition." Tazuna asked.
"To see what is right without doing it bespeaks an absence of courage." Kakashi answered folding his hands. It was one of the many musings Minato had told him, but he disregarded at the time. "Like lord, like man. A teaching from the late Yondaime Hokage." Kakashi informed them as Inari overheard.
Inari just looked at the tired boy in front of him. Tired and dirty, but strangely satisfied despite it all. He watched Kakashi congratulate him on a job well done, as the boy barely had the energy to respond while digesting.
'Why are they doing this?' The little boy thought about the foreigners who his grandfather paid. 'They're just gonna die. So why?' He ground his teeth at the memory of his father, the man who tirelessly worked for the Wave, who was beaten and brutalized for the Wave. The few tears that escaped were notice by Naruto.
"Wha?" The syllable broke Inari out his thoughts as he looked at dirty face starring at him.
"Why do you people, but into another countries problems! No matter how much you train you'll never be a match for Gato's men!" He battered them even while crying to his mother's distress and his grandfather's dismay. "No matter how cool you try to act or how hard you train! The weak will also be crushed by the strong! Gato will devour you!" The boy cried out to the surprise of most of team 7.
"Whatever, I'm not like you." Naruto answered disinterested by the tantrum.
"I'd hate to be like you! You know nothing of this country and butting in all of our problems! What the hell do you know about me? You're some idiot clowning around acting like there's no suffering in this world! You don't know hard life can be!" Inari yelled at Naruto who was still, no sore muscles twitching. Just still like slack water.
"So what? You get to act like some drama queen? Crying all day while other people try to help you?" Naruto rasped. " So I should just give up and be like you? Keep crying and enjoy living under Gato, YOU LITTLE CRYBABY SISSY!" There was a sneer and for a moment Inari felt like a smaller than he was. Inari's let a few more tears out in fear and recoiled at the confrontation.
"Naruto! You've said enough!" Sakura erupted at him as Naruto left the home, somehow his vigor renewed by anger or some other force. Sasuke was silent, but surprised. "What's gotten into him?" She asked no one in particular.
'This is more familiar than I would like…' Kakashi's eye gave away the barest hint of annoyance. A boy who denied his father, a hero, and a boy who wanted to be Hokage all centered on a bridge. Kakashi gave a look to the door. "Best to let him blow off a little steam." Kakashi said turning to Tazuna before Inari sulked out of the room before his mother could comfort him.
'He needed it.' Kakashi admitted to himself. 'He wouldn't get it here and even when the bridge is completed, he'd still be in that mindset.' Kakashi thought getting up. 'These heart to hearts are getting annoying…'
He spoke to Inari first. It was short just letting him know that Naruto could understand his feelings, but not his rationale. The boy seemed to get it as Kakashi left to go find to find his loudmouthed student.
He waited until Naruto was ready to talk, the workout was more or less frustration. Taijutsu for the boy seemed to be throwing his weight around, the form wasn't bad, but 'It's still messy.' He watched the Bunshin outplay the original by taking advantage of poor stance to tackle him to the ground before Naruto gave a disappointed sigh and dispelled the clone. "I can see the glare, dattebayo." Naruto exhaled as he lay on the forest floor.
"Maaa… I really have gotten soft." Kakashi drawled as he approached his student. "I can't have you out here all night." He walked with his hands in his pockets.
"Am I going to have to apologize?" Naruto said with frustration.
Kakashi nodded at that. "Part of the job is keeping your composure, even when the client frustrates you." He shrugged. "I won't say you were completely wrong in your outburst, but you need to keep your head."
"It's just frustrating, dattebayo. The first day we were here we went up cried after he called us idiots!" Nails dug into palms. "Things don't get better hoping something will just fall into your lap!"
"I agree." Kakashi answered back. "But Inari isn't like you or me, this isn't Konoha. He hasn't been trained most of his life to fight back, he's a civilian child who saw his father executed. Kaiza gave his life for something, we as shinobi see that as admirable."
"I just can't get why he's so afraid though…" Naruto said almost falling as Kakashi had to pull him up.
"Not everyone has the same attitude as you do. How many times did you fall off the tree or plateau before you started improving?" Kakashi pointed to the visible chunk of tree visible from Naruto's attempts. "Inari saw the strongest person he knew humiliated and executed, you heard the story. Loss like that causes changes to a person. Give him a little time and he'll overcome it, but another yelling match won't solve much." Kakashi let the boy find his feet as he listened.
"What's it like?" Naruto asked his head down.
"Hmm?" Kakashi intoned.
"Well, losing someone like that. Tazuna made Kaiza sound amazing, I always hear stories about people like that, but…" There was a brief strain in his voice before he gave a sigh of defeat.
"You think a lot, maybe too much." Kakashi answered. "About small things that might've mattered more than you thought they did and bigger things that shouldn't have meant anything. It takes time, but there are a lot of people, even back home, who are still struggling with the same thing Inari is or worse."
"Was it hard when the Yondaime died? For you, sensei?" The question seemed to launch itself at Kakashi, who did his best to hide a wince.
"I usually had dinner with him at least three times a week. He'd ask about my progress in certain fields, ask my opinion on some village matters, and ask me to help him with schemes and ideas he had. Give advice when I ran into walls during my own training, sometimes when I didn't want it. After he died the village was desperate, people were called back into service, positions on missions had to be filled." He pointed the boy back toward Tazuna's home. "I focused on work, it worked for a while, but when I got days off more and more I really had nothing to do. You can't keep your mind occupied "
"So Inari just has nothing to do, but think about Kaiza, dattebayo." Naruto thought to himself as they walked back. Neither made conversation, but Kakashi kept the boy from tripping as they walked back. Kakashi wished that the boy didn't dredge up a ghost every time they talked, Sasuke was satisfied by a quick explanation that the eye was transplanted and the meeting with his father was a friendly meeting.
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"Please take care of him. He's been pushing himself lately and I doubt he'll be able to move very much today." Kakashi said bidding farewell the Tsunami. "All right let's go." He bid his remaining Genin to follow him.
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The bridge was only a few more meters from being built, but progress was slow. Haku felt a pang of guilt at the order to take the bridge builder alive. 'This is a stepping stone for Zabuza's dream.' Haku reminded himself as the boot came down onto the radio.
"Let's go, Haku." Came the call as Haku gave a look to how close the mainland was from the bridge, it reminded him of how close they were to their own goal.
"Yes." He said putting on the mask. 'Soon it'll be like the old days wearing this.' He thought before they attacked the workers. He kept them from running as Zabuza did as ordered. He watched mournfully as Zabuza delivered blows to them, he didn't know who to feel worse for.
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"SHIT! SHIT!" Naruto announced as he noticed what time it was. "Where is everybody! They could have tried waking me up!" He panicked as he threw open the door to the kitchen.
"Oh, Naruto-kun you're awake. Your Sensei said you should take the day off…" Her voice trailed as the boy quickly realized they left him behind.
"Why did they leave me behind!" Naruto complained as he threw on his clothes and strapped on his holster and ran out the door. "I'M OFF!" He yelled back as he began racing through the forest.
"They could have just kicked me or something…" Naruto grumbled as he took his short cut, but the creaking and huffing of something. He slowed before quickening his pace back to Tazuna's house.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"We could try cutting the supports." Waraji said squatting as he took note of the seal. He couldn't read them, but they annoyed him. Setting a foot on them as he tried to rub them away he felt an immense weight fall on him before he retreated.
"You think islanders can't swim and that your swords are legendary?" Zori mocked him. "Go make sure that they aren't trying to run while I think of something." The harlequin ronin ordered. "We still have to kill Shiro, too."
"My blades don't want to taste sickly flesh, Zori. But hers will look so nice cut up, that nice pale skin with those shades of red." Wariji let his teeth show through the smile as Tsunami pulled Inari close to her. His cries were hidden by her hair.
Tsunami just rubbed son's back and thought as she clutched a kitchen knife.
"We only need one of you." Zori came into view. He threw a small impromptu firebomb up and down in his hand. "You can either burn or come peacefully." Tsunami's eyes watched the liquid danced in the bottle as the bodyguard showed signs of irritation.
"You want a hostage fine, but if you even think of throwing it after I leave. I'll bite my tongue off and kill myself." It wasn't just her unfaltering voice that convinced the two, but a wild look. They collected their hostage and left content in accomplishing their task.
"Thank your mom, kid." Zori called as they left.
"Well, guess shinobi blood will have to settle my blades appetite." Wariji laughed.
Inari just sat there crying about his mother. "Mom I'm sorry…I'm sorry… I'm weak…" He cried to himself as the footsteps grew fainter. "I'm scared… I just don't wanna die…" He balled his fists. He didn't want to die like his dad it looked so painful, the image came to mind, but so did last night's words.
'YOU LITTLE CRYBABY SISSY.' Rung out through his mind as he cried.
Inari thought hard on what both Kakashi and Naruto had said. 'If it's truly precious, even if you lose your life, you must protect it.' His father died standing up to Gato because he wanted to live his life with no regrets and to protect him and how had he honored his fathers legacy? He cowered and cried and threw a tantrum when others came to help.
'They all act so cool.' He thought of the foreign shinobi who seemed unfazed by the possibility of death. 'So tough.' He though of his mother and grandfather who endured years of Gato and his own selfish personality. 'So strong.' Kaiza, Naruto, and even his mother stood up to something to protect something precious.
'Can I be strong?' He thought briefly before wondering if he could call himself Kaiza's son if he didn't. Strong to live a life without regret.
"Where do you think he disappeared to anyway? We could just say he's dead and I could wet my blade a little." Wariji leered with his one eye at Tsunami's skin.
"Keep moving." Zori pushed her forward. "We'll deliver her first then kill him."
WAIT!" Came the voice of Inari. "GET AWAY FROM MY MOM!" He gave a head long charge into them with a war cry.
"Well, looks like you get your practice in after all."
"Stupid kid."
"If you touch him, I'll…" A quick chop to the head knocked the woman unconscious as both thugs prepared their swords. Loud footsteps entered their range and their breathing slowed as they drew and rushed forward for their slashes. Blades moved swiftly through the mass in front of them.
But the clunking of wood hitting the docks filled the air rather than the sound of clunking wood as both men recovered from their stances. Wariji stooped low and grimaced in irritation at the lack of blood while Zori realized what had occurred. "Kawarimi no Jutsu?" He said slowly.
"Sorry for being late, Inari." Naruto said as he put the boy down next to his mothers. "But heroes usually show up at the last second, right?" He spoke with confidence.
"Naruto…" Inari said surprised.
"Good job, Inari. It was thanks to you distracting them that I was able to save your mom." Naruto grinned at him.
"Well, a loser ninja then a sick ninja." Zori mocked Naruto.
"Are we gonna be all right?" Inari asked with more fear than he wished to show.
"Pfft… these are probably dropouts from some sword school, I'm an actual shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato." Naruto boasted leading Wariji and Zori to charge as Naruto let some shuriken fly. They batted them away as they closed the distance. "Idiots." Naruto smiled at them as his clones attacked a delivering a quick kick knocking both men out.
"Wow…" Inari commented as Naruto gave a triumphant laugh at his work. "That was like a real ninja." Inari spoke with energy.
"I'm a real shinobi, dattebayo." Naruto stood proudly. "Inari, sorry about yesterday. Sorry for calling you a sissy, you're strong!" He emphasized the last part as he tussled his hair like his sister usually did in a filial manner.
"Damn it… I said I wasn't gonna cry anymore." Inari hid his face at the compliment. "Please don't make fun of me…"
"Hey." Naruto grabbed the boys shoulder. "It's fine to cry when you're happy." He smiled at the boy who seemed to cry harder at the declaration. Inari still whipped the tears from his eyes. "If they attacked here, then the bridge is probably in danger, too. I'm leaving this in your hands, Inari" He saluted the boy as the Kage Bunshin finished their work tying up the Ronin.
"Got it." Inari saluted back.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
All Kakashi could do was watch. He knew an ambush was likely and the retreat was farther than he would like, but for now his team was blocked. For now he could only keep Zabuza occupied until he could either think of something or kill his opponent. Zabuza blocked his path to any attempt at rescue and even trying would give him an opening to kill Tazuna. It was a standoff for him at the moment until Zabuza made his move, just a match of watching each other as they watched the others student.
"Tazuna-san, I'm going to be leaving you for a moment." Sakura whispered as she readied herself.
"Alright, go." The older man reassured his protector. She channeled a quick burst of chakra and launched herself towards the hall of mirrors throwing a kunai to the trapped Uchiha.
"Sasuke-kun!" She announced to her teammate as the knife drew close enough, but it never drew close enough. An arm shot of it's 2D prison, as the owner hefted his torso out as the mask stared at Sakura as the enemy changed his grip. It looked grim until a stray shuriken curved in it's path and knocked the masked shinobi to the ground, a fresh cut on his mask.
Smoke bombs erupted. "Uzumaki Naruto has arrived." Came the cocky call of the Number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja. "Now that I'm here everything will be fine; the main character always shows up and kicks the characters ass in situations like this." The boy proudly yelled to his allies and enemies.
Kakashi felt a little sweat grow on his forehead. 'Fool, what kind of ninja announces their presence.'
'Peh… this one.' Zabuza shot a small glare of displeasure at the loudmouth.
'Damn showoff.' Sasuke thought half relieved, half annoyed at the theatrics.
"Naruto!" Sakura smiled in relief at her teammates arrival, a sentiment Tazuna shared.
The masked shinobi gave no audible or visual expression besides a glance with their mask freshly scarred.
"Alright Kage Bunshin no…!" The boy started to yell only for a hail of shuriken to finish his sentence.
"Naruto, get out of the way!" Kakashi warned his student who seemed once again frozen by fear as the shuriken closed in. A clang of clashing steel brought the shock of nearly all on the bridge. Zabuza's shuriken were intercepted by the hunter-nin's senbon.
"To think the enemies attack would hit each other out, super lucky!" Tazuna exclaimed still shocked.
"What are you thinking, Naruto!" Sakura chided her teammates rashness during a situation like this.
"Fool don't announce your attacks directly in front of the enemy, a Ninja's strength is in deception. Fool your opponent, don't make a fool of yourself. You could've performed the Justu without announcing it, all you did is paint a target on yourself." Kakashi criticized as he kept an eye on Zabuza, who seemed more focused on his partner than the Orange ninja.
"Ah… Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto fumbled to say something as Zabuza spoke.
"Haku what is this?" The Swordsmen asked taking his eyes watching both Haku and Kakashi.
"Zabuza-san. Let me handle these kids my way." Came a calm petition.
"What are you saying?" Naruto took insult.
"You don't want me interfering Haku? Hmph, soft as always." There was grim undertone to his lighthearted comment.
In the circle of mirrors, Sasuke analyzed during the brief cease-fire. 'Soft, huh. These wounds are definitely from senbon, but they're not anywhere near anything vital.' He scanned his wounds. A series of slashes flowed up and down his limbs, a few senbon had struck his center, but not deep enough to stick. He clenched his teeth as the air got to his cuts. 'He's not trying to kill me, but what's this technique? Clones? The mirrors are throwing needles...' He gazed at the mirror next to the masked enemy.
"So you were working with Zabuza! You have some nerve pulling a trick like that on us." Naruto bared his teeth.
"I'm sorry." The sincerity of the words caused Naruto to lose hold of his anger. "But it's like your sensei said a Shinobi is supposed to use deception and surprise. Please don't take it personally." The stare down lasted until a kunai was thrown and avoided. "I haven't forgotten about you either. I'll deal with you in a while, Naruto-kun." Haku said stepping in to the mirror.
The image of the enemy showed on the mirror, small movements not just tricks of light. 'The real one is here.' He said as he reached for a kunai with an explosive tag and readied himself to avoid the blast.
"Behind you." Haku alerted him as Sasuke frantically looked as more and more images appeared. The senbon rained from seemingly all angles. Small cuts formed and holes appeared in his clothes, but once again the masked shinobi refused to go for the kill.
'I can't tell where they're coming from. If it's just Bunshin in mirrors, what's the point of the mirrors? The speed? Regardless with Naruto on the outside it can occupy his attention while I find a counterattack.' Sasuke's breathing settled.
A flash of orange and yellow alerted him that his idea was dead before it came into thought. "Yo! I came to save you, dattebayo." Naruto announced squatting next to him. Sasuke just breathed deeply and stared for a moment before he found the words.
"YOU IDIOT! WHY DID YOU COME INSIDE THE MIRRORS, USE YOUR HEAD, YOU IDIOT!" The white hot anger came for the first time in nearly six years. "YOU CAME INTO SAVE ME? NOW WE'RE BOTH STUCK!"
"DON'T YELL AT ME I CAME TO SAVE YOU!" Naruto defended himself as Kakashi wished he could wake up from both the embarrassment and the nightmare of the current situation. "I'M JUST A BUNSHIN ANYWAY!" The clone put its thumb in its chest and pointed with it's free hand towards Sakura. "THE BOSS IS STILL OUT THERE, DATTEBAYO!" Zabuza reacted before Kakashi could, but the Kiri-style kunai was deflected before it could near the group of three behind Kakashi.
A little blood sprayed on Zabuza's bandages, but the man smiled at first blood underneath his face wraps. "Heh… it seems like you've made use of your time, Kakashi." Zabuza said looking both at and past Kakashi. "But polished junk is still junk." He brought his gaze to Sakura who seemed slightly panicked.
Kakashi just glared back. "Sakura, Naruto stay with Tazuna-san."
A fireball raged against an ice mirror to no avail during the pause. "That didn't do anything!" The Naruto-clone barked at him.
"You'll need more heat if you want to melt these." The enemy said preparing a handful of senbon before an attack sent Sasuke and the Bunshin on its back. A brief cry of pain, but both the Naruto and Sasuke quickly found their feet.
"Tch, I'll dispel if I get hit again. Is he using Bunshin? Where's the real body?" The clone grunted in annoyance.
"You can't hope to follow me. I move too swiftly for your eyes to follow." It wasn't a boast, it was stated with certainty as the clone formed a hand seal for its own brethren in defiance. Ten Naruto's dashed to face a mirror and as quickly as they approached, they were destroyed within fractions of a second. Sasuke watched as the original came crashing back only to hear the puff of a dispelling Bunshin outside the ring of mirrors.
"So you listened the pass few nights, huh?" Sasuke said scanning the mirrors as Naruto struggled back up. He didn't care enough to complain anymore, the person in the mirror was better than them, but he could think of something even if Naruto got in the way.
"Couldn't let a Bunshin get all the glory." Naruto spoke as he regained his breath.
"It doesn't matter. The both of your are trapped. Whatever plans you had involving your Bunshin outside have failed, Naruto-kun. This is a teleportation Jutsu that uses my reflection in the mirrors, the speed I move at makes it seem like you're in slow motion." Haku explained the bleakness of the situation as the mirrors once again filled with copies of the masked ninja.
"It's a Kekkei Genkai." Kakashi said more for the sake of his trapped students than anything else. "For him to have a technique like that mastered at that young of an age." Kakashi kept his focus on Zabuza who's eyes glowed with pride in the mist.
"K-kekkei Genkai?" Sakura asked in a whispered almost ghostly voice.
"A jutsu passed through genealogy and breeding. Similar to my Sharingan in that only select individuals can possess it, but due to the nature of the Jutsu I'm unable to copy his jutsu, it's impossible to even attempt and difficult to break." Kakashi crisply informed to all of his students. He had a semblance of a plan, but he needed Zabuza to walk into it.
"Damn it! So what! I'm not dying here; I'm not letting my dream die here either." He growled at Haku, who regretted the meeting in the woods once more. The talks of dreams being accepted and Zabuza's own dream. The dream that he would both help to create a reality and live in.
"Becoming a true shinobi is hard for me. If at all possible, I don't want to kill either or you, or you kill me. But… if you come at me… if you attempt to kill me, I can kill my heart and become a true shinobi. This bridge… it is where we defend our dreams. Me for mine, and you yours. I don't hold it against you, and please don't hold it against me. I'm fighting to protect someone precious, to work for them, fight for them, to see their dream come into existence. That is my dream and for that I can become a true shinobi and kill you." Haku warned. A placid silence followed with nothing, but the sound of waves and the breathing of Tazuna until the sound of the Uzumaki and the Uchiha broke the calm.
"S-sasuke-kun, N-naruto don't lose to him!" Sakura yelled meekly as she barely stuttered the words out.
"Don't egg them on. Even if they defeat his Jutsu, they won't be able to beat him." Kakashi warned as Zabuza bragged and bragged about his luck in finding Haku how the boy was little more than a weapon. A true killer of shinobi and the true fight began. Kunai meet kunai and an eye was unsheathed as a hand seal was made.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The mist was thick. Thick enough to cloud the Sharingan's perception, Kakashi could only barely tune out the battle cries of Naruto and Sasuke. He could perceive a horde of fireballs erupting in corner of his eye through the fog, but it did little more than give him a landmark.
The sound of Shuriken was nearly muffled by the duel in the mirror circle, but they were deflected quickly enough. His glove soaked most of the blood, but he felt could still feel his hand. The few Kiri poisoners likely died during their clan purges and he was slightly thankful for that.
"Impressive that you blocked them." Zabuza's voice reverberated behind him. "The next time you see me, it'll be the end of all of this." Kakashi could barely make him out in the mist, but he could see the hand sign and that his eyes were closed. "You rely too much on that eye of yours." Came the mocking call as the man and his voice were consumed by a thicker mist.
"You act like you knew everything… but your predictions were wrong… Kakashi your little trick is neither mind reading or foresight…" The voice came from all angles in the mist. "Nothing more than hypnotism and attention to detail. Just a dance involving prediction and a hypnotic Genjustu…" The voice grew more confident. "The answer to beat it is shockingly simple." Kakashi heard the man, but it was like fighting Gai, fast and strong. The hit had driven him back even when he guarded. Kakashi miscalculated and panicked slightly.
"First, make that keen eye of yours useless with the mist. Then, ensure the Genjustu is useless by closing my own hehe." A voice that seemed to come from below Kakashi mocked him.
"You'd put yourself that far at a disadvantage? Why?" Kakashi tried to decipher his location as Zabuza laughed.
"Don't you remember? I'm unparalleled in my ability at Silent Killing, I don't need my eyes." The voice erupted victoriously in the fog as Kakashi tried to find his center. He'd been out of ANBU for close to two years, he'd grown used to easy missions. Assassinations that were little more than writ of executions of wannabe gang lords and missing-nins. He was in a fight for his own life and maybe his students.
The son of his teacher, the weapon of Konohagakure, and the loudmouthed deadlast. The brother of his protégé, the heir of the Uchiha, and the Rookie of the Year. The civilian born kunoichi, top of her class, and most likely to be neglected. 'Relax. Panicking is out of the question… Why is he talking to me… What is the goal of that…' And Kakashi knew, the fireballs behind him and his general position gave him an idea. He was being driven back.
He rushed through the mist and he almost smiled even as Zabuza hefted his blade toward 'Tazuna'. It was quick due to surprise, but he ducked under the blade and as fast as Zabuza was, even parrying the kunai as he let the sword fall onto the Bunshin. Kakashi delivered a kick to his sword hand, he felt a few fingers break as he kicked off.
"You were saying earlier about who's underlings are better?" Before he rushed back to him. A quick assault of kunai slashes that revolved into kicks when parried as the taller man attempted to heft his sword out of the concrete as Kakashi placed his own weight on it. "Did you think I survived solely on the Sharingan? I was ANBU Black Ops." He said as he attempted to separate the Swordsman from the Sword, he locked the mans free arm and forced the man to wrestle him, he thanked Gai for the odd challenges over the years. A series of one armed blows as the man tried to fight him off before abandoning the blade.
"Peh… A cheap trick… I'll give you that much, this actually might be fun…" Zabuza's voice called out, but Kakashi had disarmed him and all he had to do was prevent him from getting past him. He just needed a moment to focus, to bring forth the eye.
'He won't abandon the sword…' Kakashi scanned around himself. Kakashi knew it, the man was wearing the damned uniform of the Swordsmen and wore Kiri's mark. Kakashi had taken a prize in the sword, one that Zabuza could not abandon on his honor as a Swordsmen of the Mist.
Swordsmen of the Mist… The eye responded to that. He felt it twirl as he felt the feelings of self-loathing, duty, and regret bring the eye forth. The mist was still thick, but Kakashi could see the color of the chakra better, small Katon flames burned in the corner of his eye and he could see how the mist parted as Zabuza moved. A hint, but it was something. Mangekyo Sharingan brought detail and contrast even to the mist.
"Heh, let's enjoy this a little more, eh Kakashi." The mist moved in front of him, he didn't trust it completely, but he confirmed it with his nose. He had a general lock on Zabuza. "Haku has probably killed the other two brats, maybe even the girl and the bridge builder." Kakashi could see the water whip crawl along the ground toward the blade. The chakra glowed to the Sharingan. "You'll get the chance to apologize soon enough for your lack of strength." Kakashi sent a small amount of Raiton chakra into the sword as the whip touched it. A hissing sound led to Kakashi loosing a few kunai.
"I said before don't doubt my student's. Naruto's determination isn't something to be disregarded and Sasuke is a member of the most accomplished clan in Konoha." Kakashi inhaled the brief smell of blood as his eye started to bleed.
"Hmm… you mean?" An interested voice hissed from the mist.
"His name is Uchiha Sasuke. A gifted shinobi with their clan's Kekkei Genkai running through his veins." He stalled to ensure his guess was right, even if his ninken would miss.
"Like Haku then a member of a cursed clan. Hahaha…" Zabuza seemed to relish the idea. "Too bad, Haku's Jutsu has never been beaten." There was pride in Zabuza's voice as a presence burst into being and both men paused their commentary. Enough to snap Kakashi's eye back to it's resting form, the three tomoe could still see waves of the chakra in the air.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sakura was exhausted. Her hair was matted slightly from keeping her Oboro Bunshin active for so long and as far as she was. She nearly stabbed the clone that nudged her while the real Naruto distracted the others, she had to silence the clone before it gave them away, but it'd worked. Tazuna and her had successfully used the railing to get around the enemy even if it meant abandoning her team, but it was Sasuke's plan. They had come up with it during the dinner the last few nights, an escape plan where Naruto would distract the enemy while Bunshin would serve as replacements in order to set an ambush.
"No one behind us." Tazuna said wiping face with his wife beater, the towel had fallen off during the climb. "Thank god, that kid is super loud, ha-ha." Tazuna shared another small bit of laughter.
"Stay in the seal until we get some sign that Kakashi-sensei or the others are in command of the situation. I won't use the tags unless I have to." Sakura did her best to appear calm despite how winded she was, Tazuna winced at the mention of the paper bombs, but a scarred bridge was better than no bridge and him dead. The wind started to blow her hair as it picked up and a sound that was a mix of broken glass and stone filled the air along with a malefic presence that briefly brought a chill to her core.
"I think that's Naruto." Tazuna spied an Orange body down the bridge. "And I think he has the Masked Kid on the ropes." Tazuna shielded his eyes from the sun as he tried to peer through the curtain of haze all he could see was a blip of orange.
"Do you see Sasuke?!" Sakura asked any pretense of professionalism dropping as she showed her worry, her eyes were wide as whatever oppressive air petered out. She frantically looked only to see an orange blob and a darker one, but no confirmation. The mist started to thin as Sakura took a step forward. "Ah…" She stopped herself before abandoning Tazuna.
A hand grabbed her shoulder. "Looks like they have it under control, I'll keep behind you." Tazuna nodded at her with a grateful look on his face. She kept a good pace as the mist thinned, and thinned. Close enough to make out the orange of Naruto's jumpsuit in the fog before it darted away as the fog once again receded and a smell of ozone and iron filled the air.
Sakura and Tazuna slowed as they came closer. Kakashi was engaging a chewed up Zabuza and winning handily. Fast as Zabuza was Kakashi could backhand him or dodge a strike to counter. The fight was over, the hunter-nin was lying on the ground dead, but where was Sasuke?
Naruto was yelling something as the mist cleared further, but the world seemed small. Sasuke was still surrounded by small flames, needles, a scroll, and the remains of the shattered mirrors. Still and covered in needles. She broke a little at the sight, but tried to retain her composure. She touched his cheek and felt how cold it was and felt the tears come.
This was Sasuke, the person who scored perfect every time the first time, who knew things even some of the Academy teachers didn't, who beat some of the Academy teachers. He was always so cool and he was just as cold and unmoving as always, but… "This isn't fake…" The words came out of her throat, but she didn't know she said them.
"Don't mind me, it's alright if you need to cry." Tazuna said from behind her. His voice was steady and reassuring as he took sight of the beaten Zabuza pointlessly engaging Kakashi. She cried eventually and Tazuna resented his hiring of team 7 for the first time since they came to the Wave. The young kunoichi's wail traveled far enough to strike at Naruto's core.
Naruto watched as Kakashi battered Zabuza, he didn't know what to feel. Anger? Hate? Grief? Sasuke was dead, his rival and teammate, and so was Haku, whatever he was to Naruto. He was stuck in a daze as he watched Kakashi disable the man's arms. He didn't know what to feel anymore, so he respected the order to leave the fight to Kakashi and watched.
A click of cheap wood resounded over the bridge. "Oh this is a disappointment." A pompous voice resounded. "You got your ass kicked, Zabuza." A short man in an expensive suit stood near the end of the bridge. He took some enjoyment at the sight of Zabuza brought down.
"Gato. Why the hell are you here? What's with the men?" Zabuza questioned harshly.
"Well, the plan has changed for you. This is a way of cutting expenses, just business really. I was never going to pay you, they bounty on your head is worth tenfold the pittance I was paying you for every other job." The man smiled with glee at his revelation. "Generally hiring a proper shinobi from one of your villages is both expensive and they ask questions, so I hire you missing-nin, who are desperate enough to not ask questions and are disposed of easily enough." He took great enjoyment at the irritation it presented Zabuza. "Then every once in a while something like this happens, two of you fight and these gentlemen clean up. Doesn't cost me much at all really." The men beside him eyed the wounded shinobi hungrily, swords were unsheathed, spears were pointed, and clubs were readied.
Kakashi scanned and estimated, he came out the fight on top, but sheer numbers could overwhelm and the other end of the bridge likely shared the same fate.
"The only real problem this time was you. Some Devil, couldn't even kill a bunch of kids and an old man. Was Devil just some cute little nickname they cooked up for you to sound threatening?" Gato mocked the bloodied man.
"Kakashi this over. I have no reason to go after Tazuna. I have no reason to continue our fight." Zabuza voiced his resignation with exhaustion at the futility of his efforts.
"Huh?" Naruto finally realized what had happened. The fog cleared as he realized what happened.
Kakashi just took notice of the situation. Even if he wanted to try, Naruto's seal had slipped, Sasuke was either injured or dead, and Sakura by the wailing was in no condition to fight. "Yeah, alright." He spoke in agreement to a cease fire. He was drained and he knew it, a withdrawal was the only option.
"Oh that reminds me, I owe this one something." Gato's previous good mood evaporated as he approached Haku. He poked the boy with his cane like a sick child would a corpse in the woods. Experimental then more childlike tapping the dead boy's face with his shoe. "Broke my arm, but he's dead." A smile flashed across his face as he dealt a kick across the corpse, and a another causing Haku's corpse to lose a tooth. "Hehehe." The short man seemed a child as he desecrated the child soldiers corpse.
Rage and indignation quickly cleared any doubt's in Naruto's mind. Haku might've been an enemy, but he was a good person someone who deserved his respect even in death and Gato… Gato was trash. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU BASTARD!" He found his will to fight as Kakashi pulled him back.
"Hey! We're outnumbered. Don't lose your head, Naruto." Kakashi didn't have any hesitation at the moment, just thoughts of preserving his students. The reprimand was quickly and sternly spoken. The boy at the end of his arm growled as Gato's smug face smiled at the feeling of impotence in Naruto.
"WHAT ABOUT YOU! WEREN'T YOU FRIENDS?" Naruto turned his rage to the stoic Zabuza.
"He's dead, be quiet." Was the curt reply, that boiled more and more rage up from Naruto. Exhaustion fled as the sweet, fiery anger flowed out from him.
"You don't feel anything? Weren't you always together?" The boy screamed at the passive shinobi. It seemed so impossible that the man couldn't care about Haku; Zabuza's partner, protégé, and friend.
"He was useful, but in the end he was a means to an end. I used Haku as Gato used me. That's all it was, I've said this before. In the world of shinobi, there are those who use and those who are used. We shinobi are tools, to be used. I want his blood and skills, not him. I have no regrets." Zabuza's rough voice listed dryly without misstep.
"Are you serious? Do you seriously mean that." Naruto ground his teeth in disbelief as Kakashi darted his eyes at the mob and back to Zabuza as he felt Naruto nearly pull him off his feet.
"Naruto, he's not the enemy. Stop!" Kakashi rebuked him to no avail as the boy slipped out of his bloodied hand.
"Shut! He still is!" Naruto barked at the Demon of the Mist who gave a disinterested side gaze at the nuisance of the Leaf, who stared at him with disgust and anger. "He… He really loved you! He loved you enough to die for you! Do you feel nothing seeing him do that to him?" The boy panted as he caught his breath as he grew red faced. "Do you really feel nothing at all, not anything?" Naruto cried at the idea of being used by someone so heartless despite Haku's love, it crushed him the thought of someone living to die for someone like Zabuza. "Does everyone who becomes as strong as you become like this? If I do will I…" The boy choked out.
"Crying like a woman…" Gato tapped Haku's head with the cane as Naruto bore his heart.
"He threw away everything for you… to die as a tool without a dream… it's really sad…" Naruto choked out as he looked upon the unmoving monster next to him as tears and snot rolled down his chin, he wiped it off on the ruined jacket only for it to be futile as he started to rant again.
Zabuza just stood silent against the barrage. "…Kid… you don't need to say anything else.." Zabuza's calm broke as Naruto noticed a glimmer at the man's feet. "It pained him to fight you… he wasn't just thinking about me. I knew it, he was too kind." Zabuza's rough voice came out like a whisper. "I'm glad that we got to fight you in the end. You might be right… Shinobi can't be emotionless tools, whatever humanity we have gets in the way. I've lost." There was a bitterness in the realization as the man chewed through his facial wraps. "Kid, let me borrow your kunai."
"Sure." Naruto threw it. A few bitter tears were shed at the realization of what Zabuza meant. He threw it without feeling it leave his hands, but the Demon of the Mist caught it easily enough, his filed teeth bleed as they clutched the knife, but it was a pain that grounded Zabuza. He had a task and he ran to it. Arms limp from their injures and played fell wildly as the Demon started it's hunt.
Gato saw the man's stance drop, the eyes fixed on him seeing through him like they could see into the next world and he knew terror. "Alright, that's enough waiting kill them all!" He fled from the fearless mad man. He swore he could feel Zabuza's breath on his neck as he stepped into the crowd, someone tripped him and he stumbled.
Thugs, killers, and madmen of the four corners of the world stood ready to kill a demon, to win prestige, and to make pocket change. They lowered spear and readied sword, it would be easy they thought until they felt the presence, the chill in the air. Whatever spirit now possessed Zabuza has shaken their spears men rushed foolhardy as they were cut down as the demon danced.
"He's something isn't he?" A voice said next to Kakashi. He turned his eyes slowly, another hunter-nin. "He never failed a mission when he was in ANBU, always got his man. Don't worry we're not here for you or the Jinchuriki or the dead Uchiha." The hunter-nin said as he watched. "I wonder can you see him in the crowd, I doubt Zabuza even notices him." The hunter pointed to a man next to Gato.
Kakashi searched with the Sharingan. A covered face, but the scar was there, the height was right. A swing of a staff decreased the density of the crowd and Gato was pushed forward. He fell on his knees and looked up terrified, shaking, and his tongue twitching as the blade came down. His head came off cleanly, as did the toupee. Naruto saw the eyes blink as the head sailed off the bridge and it was over. Maybe five had died, but the headless corpse had bleed like a geyser as the Demon huffed and the kunai dropped with a clatter as cheap thugs squirmed away.
"If you're done." The cloaked figure began. "You'll be going back to Kirigakure, Momochi-kun." It commanded the half-dead demon, a brief exchange of eyes between Zabuza and the interlopers occurred. "I'll permit you to say your goodbyes, if you come peacefully, you've had your revenge." There was a brief stare down between the short commander and the demon of the mist, but whatever bloodlust had been satiated and there was a resignation of fate. A Deadman walked back to the corpse a tear or two came out as his legs failed him and a hand caressed a cheek as dead eyes looked up.
The demon of the mist, who fought so hard took the small charity and said some small words to his companion, that Kakashi could barely make out. "Kakashi…"
"It'll be done." A short nod as Kakashi watched both intruders.
"Secure the prisoner." The short man called out as the hunter-nin walked towards Zabuza and collected the man who surrendered.
"Kakashi-sensei are we really gonna let this happen." The boy asked some fear in his voice as the shorter man stared at both of them. Cold, and judicial. "This better not be some trick!" The voice quaked.
"You're rather loud for someone in your position. We are here for Momochi-kun, for his crimes against Kirigakure. Save your strength, Jinchuriki. Kiri has no side in your conflict." The man walked toward the sword and hefted it. It dwarfed him, but he strapped it to himself none the less as the other Kiri-nin gave a short jab to Zabuza's neck as the man limply fell back.
"What crimes?! Who the hell are you to come here and boss us around!" Naruto roared back; anger chewed away any conflict in his mind. Kakashi could see the Biju pushing its influence with the Sharingan.
"Naruto!" Kakashi stood and grabbed the boy harshly and pulled him back. "Now is not the time…" He whispered as his fingers dug into the boys shoulder. The boy tensed back before understanding and backing down.
"A true servant of Kirigakure, Karatachi Yagura. Momochi-kun is wanted for treason, did you think he became a missing-nin for no reason." The eyes of a zealot narrowed in anger. "He threw a coup and attempted to assassinate the Mizukage, he stole a weapon sacred to Kirigakure, and harbored an enemy of Kirigakure." The purple eyes relaxed. "This sword was used for the execution of the highest criminals once, and it will again." The man walked back to join his companion. "I offer my apologies that our problem became yours once again, Hatake-san." The tone was calm and polite, but it felt like twelve years ago. The same tone, the same insincerity.
"Best of luck to the both of you." The other joined in as they brought their hands and the remaining missed whirled around them. Zabuza was gone, Kiri was gone, and Kakashi felt slightly relieved for a moment. All he had was a bandit army in front of him, a conflicted student, and a mourning student.
"So we just let that happen…" Naruto just seemed at a loss and Kakashi brought down the hitai-ate. No frustration this time, just shock. Sasuke was dead, Haku was dead, Gato was dead, and Zabuza was taken to be executed. Tazuna was protected for now, but there was no real happiness at that, the job wasn't well done by any stretch. "Could we have done anything?"
"No, that's how it ends sometimes." Kakashi admitted it with a little bitterness. He knew how Kiri dealt with captured rogue ninjas and Zabuza would be paraded around before his own sword met his throat.
"Naruto!" Sakura's voice shot through the mist like sunlight. "He's alright! Sasuke's alive!" It was choked, but there was a mad sort of happiness to it. Vibrant and desperately happy despite the current events. Whatever fear Naruto had worn evaporated, he cried again as he saw Sasuke upright, covered in senbon like a pin cushion, but still defiantly proud.
"That's good, I was worried, but Sasuke is alright." Kakashi felt a tingle of relief as he watched the Uchiha nearly fall flat on his face. He was dazed and weak, but refused to be carried. "That's great." Naruto's mouth squirmed to a smile as he turned to face the corpse of the Yuki.
The shrill tapping of a polearm had alerted them to the presence of the bandits, thieves, and thugs who had collected themselves after the interruption. "You guys are way too relaxed!" "DAMN SHINOBI!" "Killed our meal ticket…" Came a chorus of cries, grumbles, and laughter. "After we kill you, we're gonna raid that city for anything!" Cried the mob. "Let's tear them apart!"
"Well, this is bad…" Kakashi groaned as he rose to his feet. He had a few paper bombs on him, but it would likely just cause them to scatter. Usually bandits would just stab each other if he moved around too much, but they likely wouldn't go for him.
"Kakashi-sensei, you've got a Jutsu for this right? Something that could take them all out?" Naruto panicked as the horde charged towards them.
"I'm a little low on chakra from the fight with Zabuza, we can fallback for now. How many clones can you make?" Kakashi asked in a tone that reminded Naruto of Rin asking how his day was. Calm. But before Naruto could answer an arrow found itself lodged in front of the attackers.
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"Should be about a days ride until we reach the Land of Tea." The ANBU spoke, the fishing boats engine puttered on in the background. "I'm surprised he hasn't bled out from how bad his arms are, but you really think it's best to have the boy look after him?" The wheel house was large enough to allow Yagura to stand beside him, but Yagura was not nearly large enough to see over the wheel.
"Whatever he has isn't communicable, all that's required is to clean the wounds and keep Momochi-kun restrained. It's a shame about the Yuki child." Yagura commented.
"There were more followers, according to his report."
"Likely they scattered, if they're anything like Momochi-kun, delayed gratification must have scared them off." Both men laughed for a brief second.
"Like I said we were lucky." The ANBU clicked his tongue as he checked the compass. "Genin keep getting older and older these days, I mean when we were their age we were already bloodied." He ranted. "I had to restrain myself from not shutting that kunoichi up with the crying, she was a disgrace. Even their Jinchuriki with the sniveling." He rolled his eyes in irritation. "Leaf-nin are too soft these days…"
"You didn't cry when you first saw a friend die? Not at your graduation?" Yagura replied in a condescending tone. "I could have sworn I remember you crying during the aftermath." The smaller man tapped his chin.
"…." The ANBU just kept his eyes forward on the coastline. "We should have at least taken the bodies back with us."
"Wouldn't have been a good move, the Uchiha are already rare enough could spark a war if they do enough digging. The last time we touched a member of Hatake-san's team, he nearly killed me in peace talks." Yagura mentioned. "The Yondaime would've had the Yuki dragged through the streets, you remember what happened to the little girl they found? I believe even Momochi-kun was around for that." The air in the pilots nest was still for a moment at the utterance.
"You've gotten soft, playing it so safe." The taller man laughed a little. "Mei will want what's his name to take the sword, follow in the tradition of Kirigakure like the Shodai would've wanted. Her little apprentice is a bit of a whiner though, killing rabbits isn't the same as a human being. Maybe we should give him the honor?"
"An execution is an execution, but tradition dictates that whoever gives the sentence carries it out. I doubt he'll be able to heft it though, likely one of his relatives will be given the honor."
"It'll be an execution to remember. All of Kiri will be watching…" The boat chugged along towards it's destination, snow fell and shrouded it's exit from the Land of Waves. A door opened below deck and the sound of coughing could be heard over the calm sea.
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Jutsu:
Oboro Bunshin – Fog Clone. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu have that weird fuzzy state of being where they intersect. Canonically this a ninjutsu, but creative license I guess.
Author's Note:
This took a long time because I'm conflicted on it. The entire arc is a message on how shinobi are tools for their higher ups, Naruto being a Jinchuriki is a tool branded on the day he was born. He has no choice in being a shinobi because of that, but also in that he wants recognition in a military state. I'm basically abridging it because well, Haku and Zabuza are strong, and smart enough to take advantage of Kakashi's dilemma of having to protect both his students and his employer. If it isn't broke, don't fix it.
More or less I didn't focus on the fight in the mirrors because it's kinda boring to copy stuff and I didn't really change too much. I kinda just wanted to have skipped this, say it happened like the Zabuza fight I skipped over. But yeah I like the Land of Waves arc, I like it a lot, but I really don't want to change too much. I just made one big chapter where it happens.
This stuff also just kills my motivation, copying or not changing shit. I have another C-Rank planned so hopefully that'll be more satisfactory.
Have a blessed day everyone.