Hey Everyone.
Hope you are doing well.
Naruto absently ate his dinner as he wondered just how in the world he was supposed to contact and convince Zabuza of all people to actually listen to what he had to say.
It was this once that he found himself to be very alone.
He couldn't talk to anyone in his team because of his promise to Jiji. He couldn't ask Jiji for any advice because he had no way of contacting him from here. Sending a letter was out of the question as it had been forbidden, and even if he disobeyed that order then there was no way in hell that it would reach Konoha within time enough for Jiji to do anything.
He was completely by himself on this one.
He wracked his brain hard over this, barely paying any attention to other people at the table as he robotically consumed his food.
The only viable plan was to create as many clones as he could and send them randomly in all directions while extending their senses and trying to detect Zabuza's chakra signature. It was a far stretch considering that his trail would probably be covered, but that was all he had.
Now he had to find a way to get out, a bit far from the house so that his movements didn't draw too much attention.
…
Inari came inside the house, the days seemed to get longer and more miserable everyday since Gato had taken over. He wasn't allowed to go into the village any longer, and they were stuck eating nearly the same thing everyday, because everything else was expensive.
His eyes moved towards the dining table wherein the shinobi his grandfather had hired were pigging out. He had seen the dark-haired guy run vertically on a tree continuously throughout the day with the pink-haired girl doing the exact thing sometimes. These guys were apparently fought once against someone Gato had sent, and were training to get stronger so that they could beat him next time.
'Useless,' Inari thought, 'These guys are just going to die, what do they think they are trying to do fighting against Gato.'
He was about to leave the table and head into his room when he heard the blonde ninja speak something about 'never giving up.'
That was when his dam broke.
"What do you guys think you are even doing," Inari spoke, "Trying to fight against Gato. You know nothing of hardship, and here you are pretending to be heroes!"
He looked up them in the eyes, memories of Kaiza and his death went through his head.
"Heroes are nothing but liars," Inari spoke, "You cannot defeat Gato, no one can."
With that he got up and went to his room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the blonde ninja get up from the table and leave.
…
Naruto ran out of the house as fast as he could, Inari's words really stung him.
He really wanted to contest what Inari spoke, Naruto wanted to yell at him for giving up but had swallowed his words as soon as they threatened to leave his mouth.
Jiji had taught him better.
Naruto would show the boy that heroes existed, and that if you just focused ahead and trained hard, no matter how boring or difficult it got, then you could win.
It didn't matter who you faced, you could still win. His time under Jiji had taught him that much.
With that Naruto pushed the thoughts out of his head, the episode had managed to get him out of the house.
He could now execute his plan. He formed a cross seal and focused as much chakra as he could, once he had built up enough he let it out and the entire area was bathed in orange.
'Alright,' Naruto thought, 'I got about 40 of 'em, with that much chakra they should last for a few hours.'
"Alright guys," Naruto spoke, "Each one pick a direction and start moving, once you're a bit far from the house start extending your senses, try to cover as much area as you can before you run out of chakra."
Once all of them were gone, Naruto formed 2 clones with his remaining chakra and felt himself stagger. An entire day of training with clones and the spying had taken its toll on him.
He really needed to rest.
A clone held him by the arm and supported him on a wide branch, another pulled a pill from his pouch in preparation for the splitting headache he would get when the memories of all the clones hit him in a few hours. Naruto gulped down the pill and plopped against the tree. Today had been a long day, and it certainly wasn't getting any easier.
…
Haku moved around in the forest as he collected the necessary herbs for the medicines required to heal Zabuza. The strain of fighting a Chunin-team and Hatake Kakashi continuously had pushed his body a bit too far, and they had run out of medicines a tad bit early.
The herbs he was collecting were a bit un-common in the area, so he had to cover a rather large tract of forest to gather the necessary amount.
He knew he was a bit close to the settlements whereby Hatake Kakashi and his team were likely residing, but he was willing to take the risk given that none of them had seen his face in the last encounter and his current getup modeled after his mother made it difficult for a person to even gauge his gender.
He had to heal Zabuza-sama as fast as he could, Gato was getting impatient they did not have much time.
…
Naruto woke up groggily as one of his clones nudged him, he had a rather uneasy night given that the clones kept bombarding him with memories every few minutes and he had nearly run out of his stock of pills to stop the increasingly bad headache. He had only managed to get some sleep in the last 2 hours after his last clones had dispelled, and did not appreciate being woken up.
"What," he mumbled to his clone as he rubbed his eyes.
His clone stayed silent and gestured towards the east. Naruto followed his line of sight to see a girl a bit far away who was collecting plants in a basket.
'Something's off,' Naruto thought as he looked at the girl. The place was a bit far even from Tazuna's house, and quite the ways from the nearby village.
What was this girl doing here?
Naruto got up on the branch and started extending his senses, one of the main things about the sensory stuff that Fuu-sensei had taught him was that he naturally remembered the chakra signature of any person he fought against. That was the main reason he had counted on his clones on somehow finding Zabuza, but they had failed.
However, the girl in his sight had a very familiar signature herself. It was hidden, but still she was within his range and he could identify her signature quite well.
'The Hunter-nin!' Naruto nearly jumped in excitement, 'She's the Hunter-nin who was with Zabuza!'
This was it! He could now get to Zabuza!
…
Haku felt a chakra signature flare in his immediate vicinity, he turned to see the one of Hatake Kakashi's charges drop down from a nearby tree and walk towards him.
As casually as he could, Haku put a hand in his basket and clutched at a senbon.
"Heya nee-chan," the boy spoke as he came near Haku, "What'cha doing?"
"I'm collecting herbs to make medicine," Haku spoke, his grip on the senbon loosening slightly, "Someone is hurt."
"Oh," the boy spoke, "Can I help?"
"Sure," Haku spoke, his hand leaving the basket, "I need this herb to make medicine."
The boy got down to his knees and started collecting herbs, Haku noted that his clothes appeared to be worn down from continuous use. He could sense that even the chakra level in the boy was quite low.
"Are you a shinobi," Haku asked as he gestured to the boy's headband.
"Ah yes," the boy spoke as he fingered the metallic band, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, an awesome Ninja."
"A ninja I see, I'm Haku," Haku spoke as he looked at the boy, "Were you training?"
"Yup," the boy replied with a smile, "I train everyday."
"Why?" Haku asked.
"To be the Hokage," the boy spoke, "I have to be strong to be one, so I train as much as I can."
"So you train for yourself?" Haku asked, quite surprised at the boy's statement.
"Uhh," the boy rubbed his chin a bit, perhaps a bit unsure as to what to say.
"Do you have someone precious to you?" Haku spoke, "Someone you would protect with your life?"
The boy cupped his chin, as if trying to think hard.
"I think so," he spoke after some time.
"Good," Haku spoke, a smile dawning on his face, "It is when you fight for the sake of others, to protect those precious to you that you attain true strength."
"Is that why you are doing this?" the boy asked, "Making medicine for someone precious to you?"
"Yes," Haku spoke, "I am doing it to help someone who is very dear to me."
"I see," the boy spoke, he bent to pick a few more herbs and came a bit near to Haku, "I guess Zabuza must be very precious to you then Hunter-san."
In a flash Haku withdrew a senbon from the basket, faster than the boy could react he raised his hand and thrust the senbon into the back of his neck.
That was when the boy dissipated into a plume of smoke.
…
Naruto felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck as the memories of the clone hit him. Although he had seen his clone get stabbed in front of him…experiencing the same first hand was completely different.
He could have just died there. His body probably thrown into a ditch to be eaten by fishes, no one being any wiser as to what happened.
That was how deep in he was on this thing. This was the dark side of the Shinobi world he had been taught about.
'No sense backing out now,' Naruto formed a cross-seal and multiple copies of him swarmed the clearing from all sides.
If there was something he knew, then it was that he could still rely on his training.
He would do as he had been taught.
Maybe this could work out if he spoke like Fuu-sensei did during his lessons? All he had to do was appear calm.
…
Haku cursed his lapse in judgment as he got up and picked the basket. The blonde ninja had revealed his ability to form clones during the previous fight with Zabuza, and yet the thought that he had been talking to one had never crossed his mind even once.
He had reacted in panic, something that Zabuza had always advised him against doing. His first reaction to his cover being blown had been to immediately put the blonde in a false-death state as he had done with Zabuza, but the move had backfired rather spectacularly.
He got up and sprinted as fast as he could away from the hideout, even if he was captured then he would not let the leaf shinobi find Zabuza.
"It seems you're in a hurry," a voice spoke just ahead of him as Haku froze in place. He looked on ahead to see the blonde shinobi standing in his path.
Haku immediately turned, however his senses were momentarily overwhelmed as clones of the boy surrounded him from all sides.
'The chakra is evenly distributed among all of them,' Haku sensed as he pulled a few senbon from his clothes, 'I can't find the original like this. I'll have to fight it out until I can find a way to escape.'
"I wouldn't recommend it," a voice spoke.
Haku turned and immediately fired a senbon at the speaker, perhaps it was the original?
Unsurprisingly the speaker dissipated into a plume of smoke.
"You know," another of the boy's clones spoke, "We could do this all day and get nowhere. Not to mention that Kakashi-sensei and my team are just around the corner, you make too much noise and they might just come by to say hello."
"The way it seems," Haku spun around and released senbon in all directions. He was able to get 3 clones, but many of them managed to simply dodge his attack, "You would have already called them for backup. Wasting time here with you will only increase my chances of being caught in your trap."
Haku rushed one of the clones and engaged with it in a brief taijutsu duel, the clone was able to resist him surprisingly well but was immediately dispersed after a well placed kick to the solar plexus. Haku continued his assault as he engaged with another clone, but this time his combo was cut off by another kunai-wielding clone who also managed to give him a small scratch on the arm before it was dispersed as well.
Haku dodged a flying kick from a clone, quickly dispersing it with an elbow to the chin as he spun around. That was when another clone managed to catch hold of his hand and he received a nasty haymaker on his left shoulder.
'Shit,' Haku thought as he jumped fired 2 more senbon to disperse the clones, 'He's much faster than he was in the last battle. Even his clone attacks are highly coordinated.'
Haku found himself in a rather bad predicament as he flipped in midair to dodge a hail of kunai the clones threw at him. He could not go all out as it would risk revealing their position completely to the boy's comrades, who would without doubt be combing the forest searching for them. Additionally the morning air was quite dry and chilly, and he was atleast a kilometer away from any major water source.
So ninjutsu was out.
'If only I had my weapons,' Haku thought, he dodged a spinning kick to his forehead only for another clone to knee him painfully in the left shoulder again, 'Atleast I could have used some Shuriken-jutsu and poisons to escape.'
Contrary to him, the boy was well armed. Any kunai or shuriken he managed to get hold of immediately dissipated into smoke, and the lack of moisture in the air meant that even his stock of ice senbon was starting to run low.
'I'll just have to use something big,' Haku thought, 'That way even if his comrades find me, atleast I can use the original as a hostage to barter for an escape.'
Haku blocked a downward kick with his right arm and formed a single seal with his left, the moisture in the air condensed into water and immediately ice projectiles rained down upon all the clones effectively neutralizing the threat.
Suddenly a pair of arms shot out of the grounds and caught hold of his legs, Haku immediately peppered the hands with senbon but instead of dissipating into smoke the hands started to bleed.
'There's the original' Haku thought as he struggled to escape from the iron hold, 'Now all I have to do is-'
Haku began to form another series of seals to trap the shinobi when all of a sudden he began to feel lightheaded.
'What is happening?' Haku thought as his control slipped, the edges of his vision were blurring as he tried to focus on his technique…but his arms felt like lead.
'The kunai,' Haku thought as he looked at the would where he had been knicked by a clone, 'It was coated with poison…dammit.'
'I'm sorry Zabuza-sama,' was all Haku could think before his vision faded and darkness claimed him.
…
'Dammit,' Naruto thought as his clone pulled out another senbon from his arm, 'The ice made it numb earlier, but these hurt even more than the steel ones do.'
Attacking the Hunter-nin had not been a part of his plan but the girl's reaction had left scope for little else. Thankfully he had some of the poison Jiji had given him in his pouch, otherwise he had little doubt that he would probably have been transformed into a pincushion by now.
'A cold one at that,' Naruto thought as the last of the senbon were removed from his arms. Once that was done, the clone applied the healing salve he had packed and bandaged his hands like Naruto had been taught. Naruto then sat down and began channeling chakra through his arms to help with the healing process and to keep them warm. He continued the process for over half an hour before he felt as though he could move his arms a bit again.
'Alright,' Naruto thought a he got up and moved to where his clones had restrained the girl. Her arms and legs had been tied, and her fingers were restrained with a series of knots to prevent her from forming any hand seals.
"It's actually a 'he' boss," a clone spoke, "We confirmed it when we tied him up."
'Damn,' Naruto thought as he looked at the now restrained 'boy' in front of him, 'He's prettier than Surume-sensei without her mask.'
…
Haku woke up feeling tired and groggy, it felt as though his head was spinning and his vision was lidded to a point that he could not even confirm where he was.
'What happened?' Haku thought as he tried to move. His feeble attempts however proved to be pointless as he felt the restraints dig into his skin painfully everytime he moved a muscle.
"It seems you're awake."
A familiar voice spoke as Haku realized exactly what was happening.
He had been caught by the enemy.
He was compromised, a broken tool that was of no use to Zabuza.
"Please kill me," was all Haku managed to speak as he looked at his blonde captor, "I am of no use to Zabuza-sama anymore. I'm afraid that I cannot reveal anything to you, even so you may do what you must."
"I was actually thinking about something different," the blonde spoke with a raised eyebrow, "Something which could benefit the both of us, and Zabuza too if he is keen to listen."
Haku looked up confused as to what the boy was saying. He then extended his senses, and was surprised that he felt the presence of none of the boy's comrades in the nearby vicinity.
'If anything,' Haku looked around, 'We're further deep into the forest than we were before. Even more distant from the settlements than we were before.'
What did this boy want? Was he not one of Hatake Kakashi's charges?
…was he acting independently? Perhaps for a renegade unit in the Hidden Leaf? Zabuza had taught him that such forces existed in every Hidden Village.
"I'm sure you're wondering what I'm talking about," Naruto spoke, "So I'll get to the point."
Haku looked up at him.
"What I have," the boy spoke, "Is perhaps the most valuable thing you would want for Zabuza – information which could save his life…"
Haku's eyes widened.
"…I won't tell you the exact thing ofcourse," the boy continued, "But tell this to Zabuza: Tomorrow at night," he gestured to the north, "He has to meet me at a clearing about 3 kilometers in that direction. I have an offer for him I'm sure he'll find to be very interesting. Can you relay this message for me?"
Haku nodded as much as his restraints permitted him.
"Good," the boy spoke, "Now for your clarity, no Hatake is not involved in this…and he wouldn't be if you stick to what I told you. Understood?"
"Yes," Haku spoke as the boy undid the bandage over his mouth.
"Good," the boy spoke as he undid the other restraints, "Because the poison I gave you will permanently paralyze you within 48-72 hours of its infusion unless you drink a full vial of the antidote. Unless Zabuza wants to lose you, tell him to meet me there in the next 16 hours."
"…and what is to stop me from taking the antidote from you myself now that I am free?" Haku asked as he got up, he was not at 100% but he could probably use his more destructive techniques given their distance from his comrades.
"The very simple fact that I'm not even here," the boy spoke before disappearing into a plume of smoke.
'Dammit,' Haku thought, 'I have to inform Zabuza-sama immediately.'
…
(Next day: Night)
Naruto, as usual volunteered for the night watch. After making sure that everyone was indeed asleep he created a few clones to watch the house and then moved towards the destination he had in his mind.
He jumped from branch to branch as he neared the city of Kishugiri. For the meeting with the Demon of the Hidden Mist, he needed Zabuza to take him seriously.
If it was one thing Naruto knew, then it was that money made everyone serious.
That was where the slip Jiji gave him came into the picture.
He went to the bank in the city, stopped to take a look and then moved forward.
From what Naruto had been taught, the business of banking dated back to even before the era of the warring clans. There were many banks across the continent. They provided many services such as deposits, loans, finance, international transfers etc. Naruto himself had an account in a bank in the Leaf as well.
But there was another lesser known system which ran parallel to, or even dwarfed the traditional banking system in comparison. One that was so old that its origin could not even be traced. It spanned across the continent, and specialized in moving money across borders at speeds that even put the most advanced banks to shame.
It was the system of Hawala, a network of agents across the continent that moved and stored cash for a commission. The network didn't officially exist at any place except the crescent moon kingdom, where it was legal and tax-free. Hawala agents operated in complete secrecy, and there was no way for anyone to gain access to their services unless you were introduced through a trusted source or you inherited the account.
What Danzo-Jiji had given to Naruto was a Hundi, a form of promissory note that gave Naruto access to Jiji's account in the Hawala system. Naruto was under instructions to never use the slip unless he had no other choice, but he was sure that this situation qualified.
He jumped across the roof of a nearby building, the rules for locating a Hawala agent in his mind as he came near a small medical store, he walked over to the owner and spoke.
"I wanted a favor," Naruto spoke, "I got this itch, and I think I'll need a dose of melgum for it."
"Melgum?" The shopkeeper enquired, "I think we have some in the storage room, my son should be at the back, why don't you talk to him?"
Naruto nodded and moved to the back. He knocked at the door thrice before he was given permission to enter. He was then escorted into a dimly lit room wherein an old man set behind a table, a single candle being the only source of light.
"Here," Naruto put the hundi on the table before an old man, "I want to activate the account, be ready to move cash on short notice."
The agent took the slip in his hand and surveyed it, convinced about its authenticity he looked up at Naruto and spoke.
"How much?" he asked.
"20 million, cash and gold," Naruto spoke, "But be ready to move more."
"Understood," the agent spoke, "The money will be ready within 2 hours."
Naruto took the slip and pocketed it. The hundi was something he had to preserve with his life. He moved out of the building and went into a nearby alley, once inside he formed a cross-seal and 6 clones popped into existence and all of them moved in different directions. Naruto was pretty sure he wasn't being tailed, but it never hurt to be careful.
Once away from the town he moved to the location Haku had given him. About a kilometer away from the location Naruto formed a clone and had it go on ahead while he continued behind at a slower pace. Even in his injured state Zabuza was dangerous, and that was not mentioning Haku who seemed to be quite adept at fighting as well.
'I just hope this works out,' Naruto thought as he trailed behind his clone at a safe distance. One mistake and he knew that it would be Zabuza's blade on his throat.
…
Zabuza narrowed his eyes as the orange-clad midget moved into the clearing. He had 2 water clones scour the area constantly to ensure that this was not a trap. He didn't really appreciate Haku fixing a meeting with the enemy without notice, but he would be lying to himself is he said that the 'offer' of this kid made him curious.
Not to mention that losing Haku was out of the question, the kid had grown on him. If only they had the necessary ingredients to make the antidote themselves…
"I haven't got time to waste kid," Zabuza spoke, "So let's get to the point, what's this 'offer' you are giving me?"
"Momochi Zabuza," Naruto spoke, doing his best to copy how Fuu-sensei spoke during his training, "I would agree to the fact that you do not have much time, considering what I know that is…"
"You think Hatake can kill me?" Zabuza narrowed his eyes.
"Not Hatake," the kid shrugged, "But I know someone who seems pretty eager."
"Hmpf," Zabuza spoke as his fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt of his blade, "I told you I don't have much time."
'The kid will work as a nice hostage, then I'll-'
"Gato," the kid spoke, "is planning to pit you against Hatake Kakashi at the bridge. He has called dozens of mercenaries to finish off the survivor of your battle, in the end you'll end up dead no matter what."
Zabuza's grip loosened as the words hit him.
"Kid you-"
"If you do not believe me, have your underling spy at Nanashibari," the kid spoke, "The mercenaries will arrive in a few days, Suiryou is their leader who has been designated to finish you off and claim your blade. Gato is playing you, and if you don't take my offer I'm sure he will succeed."
Zabuza finally let go of the hilt, taking this kid as a hostage had seemed like the best option once he was sure Hatake was not around…but suddenly the situation had changed completely.
"We will meet again in 12 hours," the kid spoke as he started walking away, "By then you should be able to confirm what I told you."
"Wait," Zabuza spoke, for the first time since hearing Haku he was actually considering the 'offer' this kid was giving, "What offer did you have for me?"
"For starters," the kid continued to walk without looking back, "I'll equal what Gato is paying you. The rest can wait until I've had a nice nap."
With that, the kid was gone. A vial of brown liquid was left on the spot where he had previously stood.
"Haku," Zabuza spoke in a low voice as a figure jumped down from the trees.
"Yes Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked.
"Go to Nanashibari," Zabuza spoke, "If what that kid said was true, then the boats will come in by tonight. Follow this Suiryou around and learn what Gato is planning."
"Understood Zabuza-sama," Haku vanished into thin air with the vial, leaving Zabuza alone to his thoughts.
…
The Naruto-clone moved as far away from the original as it could before it dispelled itself. A few kilometers away the original Naruto smiled as the memories of the clone hit him.
It worked! Goddamit it was a stupid and downright crazy idea but it worked!
'Everything is going according to the plan,' Naruto thought. Now all he had to do was wait for Zabuza to accept his offer. Then he would talk to the next person he needed for his plan.
…
Haku pulled on his mask as he neared the red light district in Nanashibari, the first half of information Naruto Uzumaki had given them had already proven to be true. Dozens of mercenaries from the Kaizo guild had disembarked from the last ship to leave the harbor. Haku had tailed them silently as Suiryou currently led a bunch of them into one of the fancier buildings in the area.
Haku closed his eyes and started extending his senses, he had memorized Suiryou's chakra presence, miniscule as it was. Tracing him inside here would not be too difficult.
'2nd floor, 3rd room from the right,' Haku noted as he jumped from his hiding spot in the trees. He stuck to the wall and slipped into the nearest room. The busy occupants were knocked out with little effort and Haku took in his surroundings.
'The rooms are separated by screens,' Haku thought, he jumped up to the roof and looked to his left, the gap in the screen was wide enough for him to peer into the adjoining room yet small enough for him to remain unnoticed.
'There he is,' Haku observed as he channeled chakra to his ears enhancing his hearing.
"…and I tell you this is going to make us biiiiiiiiiig," Suiryou slurred as he spoke to another guy across the room.
"You're out of your mind Suiryou!" another guy spoke as he chugged a bottle of beer, "Do you even know what you are saying? Zabuza Momochi and Hatake Kakashi!? Do you not know who they are!?
"I knoooow," Suiryou spoke, a grin on his face, "But it still works out. In 2 days Zabuza is going to face Hatake on the bridge across the island, they're gonna fight until one of 'em is dead. That's when we get in, we kill the bastard that's still standing after that and BOOM! We're the biggest shit in the entire continent!"
"How the hell do you know that!?" The man spoke.
"Gato," Suiryou spoke, "Is one manipulative gnome. He's got Zabuza on his payroll, so Zabuza has to do what Gato tells him to, and Hatake's protecting the bridge builder. So they will fight. Once either of them is down the mist will lessen, and that's when we attack!"
"So we…"
Haku listened to the entire conversation between the men until they passed out, then jumped back to the floor and out of the window straight to their base.
Naruto Uzumaki was telling the truth, Zabuza-sama needed to know.
…
Zabuza absorbed the information Haku fed him in stunned silence, the kid's information had been true to the last word.
Gato was setting him up.
'That little midget!' Zabuza thought, 'I'll show him what it means to mess with the Demon of the Hidden Mist!'
He clenched and unclenched his fingers around the hilt of his sword multiple times as he weighed his options.
He couldn't straightway kill Gato as he was under the Daimyo's protection until he was in his palace. The added mercenaries would only increase the challenge, they were mere flies but had to be swatted away nonetheless…and in that mess the big fish could certainly slip away. Robbing the place would be even more difficult considering he had no access to sealing scrolls or any other equipment to keep the loot. Alone on the road he wouldn't be able to carry more than a little cash and maybe some gold ornaments.
He couldn't just disappear and abandon the assignment. If he just up and left then his reputation in the black market as a blade for hire would be destroyed, not to mention the fact that the Elemental Nations would be rife with rumors of how the Demon of the Hidden Mist turned tail and ran when faced by Hatake Kakashi.
…and most of all, he needed the money. He really needed the money.
'…I'll equal what Gato is paying you…'
It was a long shot, but suddenly it didn't sound like such a bad option.
…
Naruto moved to the roof of Tazuna's house, grateful for the fact that Kakashi-sensei was in a deep sleep right now. He created a clone to take his place for the watch and then moved towards the meeting place with Zabuza.
He hoped his offer was enough.
At a safe distance from the clearing, he created another clone to go ahead and waited.
…
Zabuza looked on as the kid came back to the clearing. They both stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Zabuza spoke.
"What is your offer?"
"It seems you have verified my information," The kid smirked, "Anyways it's like I say, I'll equal whatever Gato is paying you. In return you work as a double-agent for me against Gato for the next few days, and when the time comes I'll have you strike."
Zabuza narrowed his eyes, killing Gato wasn't something he was looking to do but if was getting paid for it…then what the heck he'd do it!
"How do I know you are for real," Zabuza looked at Naruto, "Who are you working for? What do you really want?"
"I represent people far too important for you to know about," the kid shrugged, "As for my authenticity, what would convince you to accept my offer?"
'I'm not getting played again,' Zabuza thought.
"Gato offered me 30 million for the bridge builder," Zabuza spoke, "If you are for real, then I want half the money before the job is done. Then I don't care whose throat you want slit."
"Done," the kid spoke, "Do you want the money here or in water country?"
'How did he-' Zabuza was stunned but managed to retain his composure, "In water country, Isekai."
"Ok," the kid spoke, "Who will be collecting it? I need the physical description and a name."
"It will be a woman," Zabuza swallowed, his throat felt dry at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, "Medium build, long hair extending below her knees – color may vary, green eyes and a long scar on her lower back to the left."
"Name?" The boy asked.
"Her name," Zabuza felt himself sweat, he hadn't spoken the name in a while, but in the end he was doing it for a bigger cause, "is Terumi Mei."
"Alright," the kid spoke as he started walking away, "Tell her to collect it from the nearest post office. Once it's done have Haku contact me where we first met for future instructions."
Zabuza finally allowed himself to balk a little at what had just transpired. Now he understood just why Kisame once told him that he could never be fit for the position of the Mizukage. The amount of backstabbing and politics in a simple job on the road weighed on him more than the deaths of all the people he had killed.
Zabuza finally accepted that he was a simple man. He was murderous demon, but still he was pretty simple-minded. He could take orders and execute them with brutal efficiency, but he was not someone meant for the level of power games he was currently being played in like a fool by a midget who couldn't lift a sword and a kid less than half his age.
'Mei is better suited to be one anyway,' Zabuza thought, 'If I live through this, I'll go back to her. If nothing, I could be of some use against Yagura.'
"Haku," Zabuza spoke without looking up, "Send the word to Isekai, let's see if the kid is for real."
…
(Isekai: Angel Ladder Dance Club)
Terumi Mei, or Mashi Hibara as she currently went by danced around the pole in one of the many dance-bars that dotted the landscape of the port city of Isekai. She took off her shirt and threw it at the crowd of drunk men as they leered at her body. The job was demeaning in many ways but provided nearly perfect cover against the Hunter-nin Yagura kept sending after her.
"Hey girly!" One of the men shouted, "I'll give you 5 thousand if you take off the bra!"
She narrowed her eyes but fixed her expression and kept dancing, blowing her cover would not do her any good. Instead she smiled and winked seductively as the crowd went wild.
2 hours later her shift was done, she was about to pick up a used shirt and head to the back before a man came near her.
"Hey," he spoke in a silky-smooth tone, "How about a private dance?"
"I'm sorry sir," Mei spoke, "But my shift is over, I'm sure you will find someone even better than me."
"No really," the man moved closer intruding in her personal space, "Afterall it's not everyday that you get to see a lotus in the sea."
Mei's eyes widened at those words.
"We have a few rooms at the back," she spoke as she led him inside a stuffy room without windows. She locked the door behind him and turned to face the man.
"Speak," she spoke, the fake persona of a bar dancer completely gone.
"I come with compliments from the demon," the man spoke, "There is a gift which you are requested to collect from the nearest post office at the earliest, and confirm receipt of the same."
Mei raised her visible eyebrow at the man's words. She had not heard from Zabuza since his failed coup had separated them 2 years ago. She had since believed him to have gone away forever, but it seemed that he was now trying to help her instead of running off on his own against Yagura.
"Understood," Mei spoke as she squeezed her body into a pullover, "I will confirm in some time, wait at Kiziku Grill near the north port."
The man nodded and left leaving Mei alone. She then undid her hair, tying it into strings of long braids as she walked out.
"I need some dried seaweed and blueberries," She came before a grocery shop and spoke, "preferably from the deep sea."
"I'm afraid the stock here has run out ma'am," the guy at the counter spoke, "but we've still got some in the back. Why don't you go over, my brother will be there."
"Thank you," Mei spoke as she went to the back. She opened a door and was let into a room wherein a woman sat behind a large desk.
"I'm here to collect a consignment," Mei spoke.
"Name?" the woman asked.
"Terumi Mei," she spoke.
The woman surveyed her from head to toe before she looked at the notebook and back at Mei.
"Confirm scar," the woman spoke.
Mei turned her back to the desk and shrugged off her top, a long jagged scar was visible on the left side from the bottom of her lungs till her buttocks. She then pulled it back up and looked at the woman again.
"Alright," she spoke, "We got 15 Million, 10 in cash and 5 in gold. You want to collect it here?"
Mei froze as she heard the amount of money Zabuza had sent her. That much could fix a lot of problems faced by the resistance.
"5 in cash here," Mei spoke, "the rest stays for now."
The woman nodded at her and gave her a marked hundi for the money and a man handed her the cash. Mei unrolled a scroll from her pocket, sealed the cash inside it and walked towards the north harbor.
She couldn't help but let a smile form on her lips, things were definitely looking better.
Now if only she could have Zabuza on her side once again.
…
Haku moved inside the temporary hideout, he jumped to the roof of the cave to avoid the traps as he neared his master.
"Report Haku," Zabuza spoke.
"The consignment has been received," Haku spoke, "Terumi-sama conveys her desire to meet with the Demon again."
Zabuza couldn't help but smirk under the bandages. The kid was for real, and this time it wouldn't matter even if he died. Atleast he would have made some meaningful contribution in the fight against Yagura.
"Meet with Naruto Uzumaki as per his instructions," Zabuza spoke, "ask him when and how he wants Gato to roll."
"Hai, Zabuza-sama," Haku spoke before he disappeared in a shushin.
He would make sure his precious person survived whatever the future held.
…
Naruto waited by the bridge as he looked at the workers milling around doing their work. Kakashi-sensei had given him the watch for the day, and it had all worked out quite well for him. He got down from the post and created a bunch of clones, most of them went with the workers to help them and a few went into the forest to train on tree-climbing. One clone in the meanwhile slunk away towards the clearing where the original had met Haku.
'Let's hope for the best,' Naruto thought as he cleared a small area and started doing push-ups.
…
Clone Naruto moved to the clearing, as he had hoped Haku was there collecting herbs. Making sure that there was no one else in the surrounding area he jumped down from the tree and walked towards Haku.
"Haku," he spoke as he neared the boy, "Is Zabuza agreeable?"
Haku straightened himself before speaking.
"The money has been received," Haku spoke, "Zabuza-sama has agreed to your offer. How would you want Gato to be dealt with?"
"Make it seem like your arrangement with Gato is still working for now," Clone Naruto spoke, "As we know, you will be asked to attack the workers directly on the bridge, so what you have to do is…
"…and when it ends, you are free to go. You will get 1 million of the remaining amount in cash on that day. The rest can be collected from Isekai."
Haku nodded as he absorbed what the blonde had just told them.
"Hai, understood," Haku bowed slightly, "It will be done as per your instructions."
"Good," Clone Naruto spoke, "I'll have the cash ready, and my clones will deliver it to you once you confirm everything has gone according to the plan."
Haku bowed again before picking up his herb basket and walking back towards the hideout. His mind had been rendered numb from simply figuring out the plan the boy had conjured up.
What was he exactly? Who were these people that he claimed to work for? How powerful were these people? What was that chakra the boy had started leaking when they had first met?
Just who in the world was Uzumaki Naruto?
…
(Hideout)
"…so that's what the kid wants?" Zabuza asked.
"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku spoke, "He will pay us a million ryou in cash. The rest will be payable at Isekai."
"Alright," Zabuza spoke, lifting his massive blade, "That will be enough to get us back into Water Country once this is over. You'll need to learn the water clone technique for all this to work out though, so get down to it. We don't have much time."
Zabuza then instructed the boy on how to form Water Clones. Haku was able to get down the technique in little time and then went off to practice alone leaving his master to rest. As Zabuza lay down on his makeshift bed, only one thought dominated his mind.
'Naruto Uzumaki,' Zabuza thought, 'You're going to be someone very dangerous in the future.'
…
(Konoha Underground: ROOT Base)
Danzo was analyzing a few mission reports on his desk when he heard a knock on his door and Fuu came inside and bowed before him.
"Danzo-sama," Fuu spoke, "The Hundi we had given to Uzumaki-san has been activated, a transaction has been reported from our account."
"How much?" Danzo asked. The boy would receive fitting punishment if he was utilizing emergency resources for something stupid such as charity.
"15 million Ryou," Fuu spoke, "From Kishugiri in Wave Country to Isekai in Water Country. The money has been collected by a woman named Terumi Mei at Isekai. The Operator at Kishugiri has instructions to keep 15 million more on standby for transfer in the next 48-72 hours."
Danzo gave no outward reaction, but couldn't help but be curious at this strange turn of events. For the boy to have moved such large amounts of money from a remote town in Wave Country to an unknown entity in Water Country was not something which could have been done on a fleeting whim.
It was clear that the boy was either facing some apparent emergency…or that he had been killed and his Hundi had been scavenged by someone from his corpse.
The second scenario seemed unlikely given that the boy was under the protection of Hatake Kakashi, but Danzo did not want to take any chances.
"Keep the Hundi active for now," Danzo spoke, deactivating it at a time when the boy could be in desperate need of finance was not something he wanted to risk, "Have Kagebo's team at Genkai head to Wave immediately. Tell him to initiate contact with Uzumaki if feasible under the circumstances, but make no approach unless he is within Hatake's immediate vicinity. If he is being held hostage then retrieve him immediately, we cannot afford to let anyone gain access to the Jinchuriki."
"Hai, Danzo-sama," Fuu bowed.
"Lastly," Danzo tapped his pen onto the desk as he thought, "Have them provide backup covertly if the boy needs it. But not in case he is working with his team. Our association to him must not be revealed."
Fuu bowed and moved out.
Alone with his thoughts, Danzo put down in pen and wondered what exactly could have forced the boy's hand to do what he had.
…
Naruto smiled as the memories of his clone hit him, everything was going according to the plan.
"Tazuna-san!" he cried out as he went near the bridge builder.
Now all that he needed to do now was secure the last variable.
…
Inari was looking at the sea from the window in his room, looking at the waves calmed him down in these dark times.
He remembered the times when his mom would cook him his favorite dishes, when he could go to the village and play with the other kids. His grandfather was a bit of a drunk, but he was really cool and would often bring him toys from his travels to different places, and would promise to take Inari with him across the world when he grew up.
Everything had been so much better before Gato came.
They barely had enough food these days, he couldn't go out anywhere because their family was on Gato's hit list. His grandfather spent most of his time working on the bridge, and had little time to spend with his grandson.
There was a time when Kaiza had given him hope…but that was a long time ago.
Kaiza broke his promise to protect this land, and they were all doomed to one day fall before the tyrant that was Gato.
No one could stop it, he didn't even understand why those stupid shinobi even tried. There was no way in the world they could defeat Gato.
…especially that orange-clad idiot that stormed off when Inari spoke the truth, he was the most stupid of them all.
…
Tazuna listened in stunned silence as the blonde midget in front of him spoke about what was about to happen at the bridge.
He had been a tad bit annoyed to have the kid around him, but was pleased by the fact that unlike his teammates he atleast helped him actively in bridge construction. Those clones of his were really convenient.
What he had expected when he was dragged away by the kid was to be bugged about the village not having any quality ramen…but what the kid just spoke was far more sinister in nature.
"…and remember, this is between you and me," the kid spoke, "You can't tell this to anyone else until you are alive, not even someone on my team or any other leaf shinobi. The consequences of it won't be…pretty."
"But," Tazuna spoke, "Gato always has guards around the mansion even when he is out. What about them?"
"I assure you that there will be no one there," the kid spoke, "You just need to do what I told you. In the end I promise you that Gato will be gone, and then you can get back to your lives. Are you in agreement?"
"A few of the revolutionary army working against Gato are disguised as workers here on the bridge," Tazuna spoke, "They aren't ninja by any means but they will get the job done. Tell me when."
"I'll have a clone go with them," Naruto spoke, "It'll tell them when and what to do, just make sure they listen to him."
Tazuna forced his body to move, and gave a weak nod.
"Good," Naruto spoke as he went back to his cheery persona, "Now tell me where I can get good ramen in this place-ttebayo!?"
'Just what is this kid?' Tazuna thought.
…
Naruto stepped out of Tazuna's house after dinner, everything was in place for his plan.
Tomorrow was the day Zabuza attacked, and hopefully his plan worked out.
He created a few clones to keep watch and moved a bit deeper into the nearby forest for a walk. He was a few hundred meters away from the house when suddenly a kunai flew through the air straight for his head, Naruto was barely able to parry it when another Kunai came whizzing from the right. Naruto painfully twisted his body and leapt off the ground and managed to save himself from a stab wound. His mind was working in overdrive as he found his right hand tighten around the holster on his thigh.
Who was attacking him? Has Zabuza betrayed him? Did Gato somehow find out about their arrangement and send someone after him? Did Kakashi-sensei find out about the stuff he was doing and wanted to know about Jiji?
Whoever it was, they knew how to hide well. Despite having extended his senses the moment he parried the first kunai Naruto was unable to catch a whiff of whoever was attacking him.
Naruto landed on the balls of his feet, he was about to form a few clones for distraction before he felt his body go numb.
'Paralysis technique,' Naruto thought, 'Can't move at all…Shit!'
A masked figure dropped down to the ground from the trees, Naruto moved his eyeballs towards the person, but was unable to see anything in the pitch black darkness of the forest.
'Dammit!' Naruto thought in his mind as the figure came into his vision.
So, I hope you liked this.
Please leave a review if you liked, or even if you didn't. It helps either way.
See you next chapter.
Until then, stay safe.