Twelve Years After the Kyuubi Attack…

Mission To Wave

Blue eyes watched in morbid fascination as the senbon made completely of ice sailed towards him in slow motion. His entire world condensed into that one moment and he couldn't stop it. Haku's aim was deadly and he was sure he would not make it, not when he was already weakened. He cursed himself for going into this fight without thinking but Sasuke had been in trouble and he had no time to plan his attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto watched the boy land in one of the ice mirrors nearby.

Just as the sticks of death (as he fondly named them) were inches away a shadow fell upon him in the form of Sasuke. The needles punctured his skin as though he was a pin cushion. As he fell to the ground the air in Naruto's lungs escaped in one long gasp.

No. Not Sasuke. He was his teammate. His rival and dare he say, friend. How could he just die in such an anticlimactic way? Jumping in front of him to save him when his wounds were already healing. How could he? A terrible sadness fell upon him and suffocated any hope he had of saving his friend from the darkness that plagued him.

Life froze as the blond stared at the prone figure. Tunnel vision took over as the image was ingrained into the back of his retinas. Slowly, everything faded as if the lights had gone out, and very suddenly he found himself facing two cold blue eyes. Floating in what seemed like a snow-covered wasteland, dazed and somehow far too relaxed, the blonde could do nothing but stare.

"So, you have finally come to me. It has been far too long… Naruto…" a deep voice echoed forth. The blonde took in the rest of what he was facing. Fangs, a white and black pelt that seemed to glow and snow. Around him, it fell in slow strides towards the ground. Everything seemed so peaceful he almost forgot what had occurred a moment before.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked slowly.

"I am a piece of your soul. One that was sealed away along with the fox long ago." Its voice rang out. His mind was now working a mile a minute and panic set in. There were no bars to hold this being back. He could strike out at him in a second and all Naruto could do was watch.

As the blonde attempted to find a way out of the situation the snow fell in increasing swirls and patterns as if reacting to his own panic. "Do not fear, Naruto. I cannot and do not wish to harm you. Such an act would be the equivalent of cutting my own heart out."

"What do you want then?" Naruto asked, glaring at his presumed foe.

"I exist only to keep you safe, dear King." The leopard began to circle him. "To do so you must open your eyes; all will be made clear later."

"My eyes?" The blond questioned as the snow turned into a blizzard. Its fall impeded his vision, and all became white.

In the real world, Naruto's body was wrapped in white just as Haku made a second attack. A pillar of pure chakra shot up into the sky. Before fog-covered every surface of the bridge but now the light blinded everyone. The beam broke the cloud coverage and more seemed to form around it. They circled around it ominously, a picture of foreboding in and of itself. The sky was dark, and lightning echoed in the distance. The temperature around the bridge fell dramatically.

Against the darkening sky, the beam was so bright Kakashi immediately covered his Sharingan in fear of going blind. Zabuza stared, shocked at the power surge. "What the hell!?" He screamed, barely heard over the mighty roar.

'Is that… no the Kyuubi was far more malicious. But this… this is just as terrifying.' Kakashi surmised, slightly less nervous knowing it wasn't the Kyuubi but not comforted that it was an unidentified power seeping from his student. 'At least if it was the Kyuubi I would know where it was coming from, this, on the other hand, is something uncharted. Damnit Naruto…'

Even he shook at the sheer amount of chakra pouring out from him. Tazuna and Sakura had been completely incapacitated as soon as it had let loose. Haku, being the closest had been blown backward. The ice dome he had crafted was shattered and he was backing away as alarm bells went off in his head.

"What is he?" He muttered clutching senbon between each finger.

The beam subsided at that moment. Slowly fading out like the receding light of a flashlight. Amid all the chaos stood Naruto. Around him, chakra circled slowly. In one hand a Shakujō, with one end shaped in the form of a crescent; flung over his shoulder was Sasuke's lifeless body.

Naruto's eyes were their cerulean blue glowing so bright it seemed like they could turn anyone caught in his gaze to ice. In the next second, he stood beside the now conscious Sakura and deposited his closest friend's lifeless body beside her.

Tears sprang to the pinkette's eyes. "H-he's…?" The question stuck in her throat. She brushed the hair out of the raven's face.

"No," Naruto uttered, turning to the front of the bridge. "Get ready they're coming." His voice was full of cold fury. There was no love in the quiet, yet audible tones.

Confusion swept through everyone at the bridge. Who was coming? Even Zabuza took the moment to look past the blond twelve-year-old as a crowd of gangsters and thugs broke the tree line. Standing in front of the small army was a short, grayed man in a business suit.

Gatou, the business tycoon that had hired the missing-nin to dispose of the ninja and Tazuna, stood in front and began laughing maniacally at the rest of them. Everything he had been planning was coming together with this shitty island. All he needed to do was get rid of these shinobi and it would all fall into place.

Kakashi glanced at his new comrade. The two analyzed the situation in milliseconds. They were no longer foes. They nodded at one another and marched on towards their wards.

Zabuza motioned for Haku to get ready for a new fight. Kakashi was worried for his team. They were young and ill-prepared for what would come. 'Granted', he thought, 'I was their age when the last war happened and there was much more carnage.'

That aside Sasuke was incapacitated and Sakura was completely useless in a fight. Kakashi was suddenly met with how much of a failure he was so far as a teacher.

He shook those thoughts from his head as his gaze fell upon the stock still form of Naruto. He had not moved an inch since he had pointed out the large group of mercenaries. The unknown power seeped from him. Its essence entangled itself into the air and burned Kakashi's skin like dry ice.

"Look at what we have here. Zabuza, I knew you couldn't live up to your name!" The short, grayed man laughed. "More like a baby demon aye boys." The crowd laughed at the grinning tycoon.

"You backstabbing little imp!" Zabuza shouted.

"Oh shut up you should've known that I would never pay you for your lackluster performance. Boys kill the men but leave the women. You all can have them once I'm done with them!" Gatou guttered out. The men cheered but before they could descend upon them the sound of soft bells chimed.