Author's Note: I just realized that I never out the disclaimer that I don't own Naruto and I'm not making any profit out of this fanfic. But...plenty of fanfics don't put it either, so I don't think it has to be that important, right? Either way, I already said it in this note. Anyway, enjoy the chapter:
Chapter 47:
Prelude to the Invasion
or
What does it take for Zabuza to love somebody?
After the Crimson Citadel was secured, Mei ordered the rest of her forces back into the Kirigakure's Hope. Once they were in the security of the open sea, the Mizukage aspirant called for a meeting at the ship's war room. Like the previous meeting, her highest ranking officers and Konoha's Jonin were present.
"First of all, congratulations everybody on a job well done. We managed to recover most of our prisoners of war, my head of intelligence among them, and we did so while sustaining minimal loses," Mei praised all the ninja before them, before her expression turned serious. "However, what we did back then is nothing compared to the task ahead. It is now time to invade Kirigakure."
"And there are more complications that the ones we initially expected, right?" Kakashi guessed.
Mei sadly nodded. "Yes. Despite our best efforts, they managed to sneak a message to Kirigakure, and now Yagura knows what happened there. Since he knows we finally came out of hiding, we have no choice but attack Kirigakure now. If we take too long, Yagura will drag us into a war of attrition we have no hope of winning."
"And do you believe that, with our current forces, we will be able to take over a major village?" Asuma asked.
"Especially now that they know we're coming for them," Kurenai added.
"Yes. Now that we rescued so many p.o.w's, our numbers have grown to a more acceptable level. Besides, there might be a silver lining to our prison break not being a secret anymore," Mei stated and nodded at Ao, who took a step forward.
"This victory has proven that the Blood Mist is not invincible. We know of many groups and individuals who opposed Yagura, but feared him too much to join us. We believe it might not be the case anymore," Ao explained. "And with the news that we now have four of the Seven Swords in our power, as opposed to the two that remains within the village's walls, it will help our cause to gain more support as well, especially with the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water.
"But we shouldn't ignore the fact that even with the additional support, the information leak robbed us of the element of surprise. Yagura will be waiting for us to come, and there won't be any way to prevent that," Mei added.
"Kirigakure has two accesses: one from land, and a gated dock," Ao continued.
"I can take a small team with me to infiltrate the village and open the dock gates, just like Ameyuri did when we stormed the prison," Zabuza suggested.
Mei, however, shook her head. "Sadly such thing won't be possible anymore, since Yagura will be expecting that. In fact, my original plan consisted in luring Yagura's forces to the land gate, while a small team of infiltrators would open the dock gates, which the bulk of our troops would use to penetrate the village, and trap the enemy between us. The typical pincer movement. Our best option would be to do the last thing Yagura expects us to do."
"But that would be full assault from land, and we aren't going to do that," Chojuro pointed out, then he nervously looked at Mei. "...right?"
Mei looked at him, and sighed. "I'm afraid we have no other options."
Needless to say, the whole room erupted into a cacophony of yells, shouts and even profanities as the present ninjas tried to support or debunk the reckless, almost suicidal strategy of the Mizukage aspirant. It took Ao and Mei a couple minutes to calm down everybody, at which Mei continued her explanation.
"I'm not done yet. Listen, I'm not suggesting that we take over the village with our current forces. That's impossible and stupid. But we can do what we did at the Crimson Citadel: if we kill or capture Yagura, the other side will have no choice but surrender," Mei explained.
"But they will expect that too as well. The Mizukage's Palace will be heavily guarded. How will we reach Yagura then?" a Kiri Jonin asked.
"While the village defenders are busy with our forces, a small team lead by myself will infiltrate the palace and confront Yagura. We will either kill him, or capture him alive. Presumably the latter," Mei explained.
"Why do you care so much if that monster dies? He's the reason we're doing this!" another Kiri ninja protested.
Mei nodded at Ao, who took another step forward.
"Because, while there's no solid evidence to back it up, we suspect that the Mizukage might be under somebody else's mind control. After sharing our intel with our Konoha allies, we suspect that it might be the same man who orchestrated several attacks on Konoha: an Akatsuki under the name of Obito Uchiha," Ao told them.
Kakashi couldn't help but sigh in sadness upon hearing his former friend's name. "Kirigakure too, Obito? Is this because of what Kiri did to Rin?"
"So if we manage to expose the Mizukage, we will be able to end this while avoiding unnecessary bloodshed," Ao finished, taking a step back.
"Who will be part of the infiltration squad?" Zabuza eagerly asked. It was obvious he was dying to have another shot at fighting Yagura.
"Besides myself, it will only have one more ninja: Naruto Uzumaki," Mei told them.
"WHAT? You want my student to fight a Kage on his own!?" Kurenai indignantly asked. Asuma placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, hoping to wordlessly calm her down.
"As far as I've been told, Naruto is a Special Jonin who has mastered senjutsu, and is the jinchuriki of the strongest Tailed Beast. Between the two of us, we should be able to subdue Yagura and whoever is guarding him," Mei explained. "I know that you might feel attached to him given he's your student, and he's pretty young as well. But don't worry, Naruto will be fine under my care."
"But even then...just you and him? Shouldn't a four squad man will have a higher chances of success?" Kurenai suggested.
Mei shook her head once again. "They will expect infiltrators. The fewer we are, the less chances of being spotted. And between the two of us, the only ninja we should worry about is Yagura himself."
"I understand. It doesn't mean that I have to like it, but I understand it," Kurenai regretfully said.
Mei smiled. "Good. Now that's out of the way, let's talk about the invasion in a more minute detail. Konoha's medical corps will be a key to keep our casualties to a minimum. The enemy will foresee that, so we should assign a division to keep them alive and..."
Mei and the rest of the Jonin there spent the rest of the day discussing the invasion plan.
…
Once lunchtime was over, the ship's cafeteria soon became empty, as everybody else went to spend their time elsewhere. Everybody except a certain blonde, who took advantage of the place's large tables and the current quietness in order to work in his current project.
Naruto had created multiple clones and spread them around the table, all working tirelessly on a seal that could disable those pesky chakra golems, while the original studied the theory he had available now.
Spread in front of him, there were several books and scrolls on fuinjutsu, as well as several crumpled papers, the result of a failed attempt at seals. After his latest attempt followed the same route, Naruto groaned, and rubbed his eyes.
"Naruto-kun? Are you still here?"
Naruto turned around and saw Hinata walking towards him.
"Yeah, I am. Why, I'm not sure," the blond half joked.
"Weren't you able to make the seal work?" Hinata asked, as she took a seat beside him.
Naruto shook his head. "Counter-seals are way more complex than regular seals. And the seals that power and direct those golems are way more complex than anything I've seen so far. If only dad was here to help me, or had more time..."
"Don't feel so bad. You did what you could. Besides, it's not that those golems are invincible," Hinata reassured him. "We beat them before."
"Yeah, but if I came up with a seal, it could help a lot with the invasion of Kirigakure," Naruto replied. "Besides, I'm an Uzumaki, and these are Uzumaki seals. I should be able to know how to undo them, right?"
"Oh, I see, so that's what's bothering you," Hinata realized.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"You're facing an enemy that uses knowledge of your clan to fight, and that is eating you on the inside," Hinata pointed out. "It's like if I fought an enemy with a stolen Byakugan."
Naruto let out a weary sight. "And that's not the worst part. They seem to use it better than me, an actual Uzumaki! You'd think they have Uzumaki on their side or something!" Naruto complained.
"From what you told me, the fall of Uzushio happened many decades ago. They had a lot of time to learn about their stolen fuinjutsu art. Even with Shadow Clones, you can't hope to bridge such a massive gap," Hinata told him, as she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "When all of this is over, I'm sure Mei-san will be more than happy to give you everything Kirigakure plundered from Uzushio."
"I hope so," Naruto said, not entirely convinced.
"And then, maybe we can convince Hokage-sama to create those golems for Konoha as well," Hinata suggested.
"That would be cool. I'm sure dad would love to open one of those up and see how it works. I'm sure we could even find a way to make them better!" Naruto excitedly said.
Hinata smiled. "Now that's the Naruto I know. Though, if you have some trouble with this, maybe you could ask Karin-san for help? I'm sure two Uzumaki are better than one."
"Even if that one can become one hundred?" Naruto cheekily replied.
"Does having a hundred clones increase your intelligence a hundredfold, or gives you a new hundred point of views and perspectives to see things?" Hinata replied, just as cheekily.
Naruto then frowned. "You know, Hinata, nobody likes a smartass."
Hinata, however, continued smiling, and kissed Naruto in the cheek. "But I know you love this smartass, Naruto-kun."
"How I hate that you're right," Naruto said, as he returned the kiss as well.
"But seriously, you should ask Karin-san. Maybe she can be of help," Hinata insisted.
"Eh, Karin-neechan is more into medicine than fuinjutsu, besides those chain thingies. And even then, I heard the invasion is going to be real soon, so I don't think we'll be able to pull it off," Naruto replied.
"In that case, then maybe you should try something more productive?" Hinata asked. "Do you want to spar with me a little?"
"Yes, please," Naruto said in an almost desperate tone, happy to have a excuse to get away from the books and scrolls.
…
"Are you sure nobody can hear us?"
Kakashi and Rin were inside an empty cabin that wasn't used by anybody at the moment. The door was locked, Rin was wise enough to know that such thing wouldn't be enough to secure the privacy she needed.
"Fuinjutsu is far from my specialty, but I'm really good at privacy seals," Kakashi said as he finished placing the last one on the wall.
"When did you learn to do privacy seals?" Rin asked.
"During my time in ANBU. They're pretty much a must. They made you do them so many times, you end being able to do them in your sleep," Kakashi answered.
Kakashi had told Rin about how Minato convinced Kakashi to join ANBU in order to get him over the deaths of his teammates, though by Kakashi's own admission, that hardly helped him. It wasn't until he became the sensei of a team of Genin that he started to rediscover his lost humanity.
Rin was hoping she could also help with that. As well as try to bring Obito back from his dark place.
"And done. Nobody will hear us, and nobody can enter this room," Kakashi said, then he crossed his arm, and his friendly demeanor grew a bit more serious. "Now, I believe there's something you should share with your old teammate."
Rin sighed heavily. Even if Kakashi was one of the persons she trusted the most, it was still very hard to open up to him. Or maybe because it was so important to him.
Wordlessly, Rin extended her hand at Kakashi, with the palm facing upwards. Kakashi took a look at her palm, seeing nothing at first, until a flower started to grow. The silver haired man's expression remained unchanged.
"So, you do have Wood Release. Interesting," Kakashi observed, in an almost boring tone.
Rin titled her head, a bit confused. "'Interesting'? I have the First Hokage's Bloodline Limit, and that's all you have to say about it?"
"Rin, I remember as if it was yesterday how I used my Chidori to impale you through the heart. Yet here you are, fine and unharmed, talking to me as if nothing happened. I think I went past the point of these kind of things being surprising," Kakashi replied in the same casual tone.
Rin had to admit he had a point.
"Besides, you're not the only one in the village with that ability," Kakashi pointed out.
"I know. The Hokage's daughter has it as well," Rin stated.
"I mean besides her," Kakashi said. Rin was visibly surprised. "During my time with ANBU, I met this guy who also had Wood Release. Turns out, Orochimaru had experimented on him as a baby in order to reproduce the Wood Release. Of the fifty children he infused with the First's DNA, he's the only one who survived."
"That's...monstrous," Rin said, visibly horrified. She wanted to hope that Obito didn't do something similar in order to bring her back to life, but deep down she knew the answer.
"So, who else knows about this?" Kakashi asked.
"Just Hokage-sama and Tsunade-sama," Rin replied. "They told me not to tell anybody, at least until I could master my powers and grow stronger, since that would make me a prime target for kidnapping. I only used Wood Release back then because it was an emergency, and the fog could hide the nature of the jutsu I used."
"You did good in keeping it a secret, even from me. Don't worry, I won't tell anybody about your new abilities," Kakashi told her in a reassuring tone.
"That's...that's not all," Rin uneasily said, as she rubbed her arm.
"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.
Once again, without saying a word, Rin pulled out a kunai, and much to Kakashi's shock, she cut her pinky finger off, before tossing it to a trashcan.
"Rin! What the-?" Kakashi asked in shock.
"Just wait," Rin calmly said as she held her four fingered hand.
In less than a minute, the wound stopped bleeding, and healed completely. Then, little by little, a small bulge appeared on her stump, and it grew longer until it became another finger.
"Can your friend do this too?" Rin asked.
This time, Kakashi was genuinely surprised. "No. At least, I think he can't."
"I can regenerate my whole hand as well. Though I didn't dare to check if I could regenerate an arm or a leg," Rin explained.
Kakashi knew that the First has a healing factor in a similar vein to Naruto's, in that he could heal in minutes wounds that would take hours or even days to normal people. But what Rin had was beyond that.
"I told you I don't think I'm the real Rin. I may not even be human anymore. Do you see why now?" Rin asked.
Kakashi could see why Rin was having such identity issues. Still, that didn't mean he wasn't going to help her.
"Hey, Rin, remember that time, during the Third Ninja War? Gai, you and me were completely surrounded by Iwa's forces. You went to call for help while Gai and I held up the enemy," Kakashi began.
"Yes, I do. I was really worried that I wouldn't be fast enough and that, by the time I could bring help, it would have been too late. But thankfully you two managed to survive," Rin finished the tale. "Why do you bring that up?"
"You remember that. If you do, you must be the real Rin, regardless of how much they modified your DNA. Because, what are we, if not the sum of our memories and experiences? And you clearly have the original Rin's memories, regardless if your body is the same one or a clone," Kakashi explained, then he placed a hand on his former teammate. "And in my eyes, that makes you the real Rin."
Rin held Kakashi's hand on her shoulder, as she pondered her older friend's words. She let out a sad sigh.
"I wish it was just that easy, Kakashi," Rin replied, as she slowly removed Kakashi's hand. "Anyway, is there anything else you want to know about me?"
"No, that's all."
"Alright then. I think I'm going to take a nap," Rin said, before exiting the safe room, with Kakashi leaving as well shortly after.
That's when an ink mouse came out of hiding, climbed inside the trashcan, took the severed finger, and ran away back to its master.
…
Tenten was alone resting in her cabin when somebody knocked the door. The brown haired girl got up from her bed, and opened the door. She smiled upon seeing her boyfriend standing there.
"Oh, Haku, hi!" Tenten happily greeted.
"Hello, Tenten-chan. May I enter?" Haku asked.
"Sure," she replied, moving aside to let him in. She immediately noticed that there was something wrong with the Ice Ninja. "Haku, are you okay? You look tense."
"We...we need to talk," he said, not without difficulty.
Tenten tensed up. Those four words usually signaled the end of a relationship. Worrying thoughts started to form in her mind Did she do something wrong? Did Haku meet another girl, somebody from Kiri? However, her rational part decided to push them away and listen what her boyfriend had to say.
"What's going on Haku?" she asked.
"You know that in case we manage to oust Yagura, Zabuza will remain in Kiri as the new captain of the Seven Swordsmen," Haku explained.
Tenten nodded. "Yeah, I guessed so. How does affect you?"
"I told you how Zabuza-sama saved me from a certain doom, and in return, I became his faithful follower. That's why, if Zabuza-sama asks me to remain with him in Kiri, I will do so. Which means...if that happens, we will have to break up," Haku finally said.
"Wait, what?" Tenten asked, shocked. "But...aren't you happy in Konoha?"
"I am, but this doesn't have to do with me. I can't disobey Zabuza-sama," Haku regretfully told her. "Listen, you can be angry at me if you want. It was I who asked you to become my girlfriend, not realizing that this could happen, and for that, I will always be sorry. I will try to make it up for you, I promise."
Tenten felt an hurricane of emotions forming between her. She wanted to shout, to cry, to yell...but once again, her rational part stood triumphant. She breathed deeply, before making her question.
"Did Zabuza tell you that he wants you to continue with him?" Tenten asked.
"No, I didn't ask him. But I'm telling you this, just in case," Haku replied. "Listen, Tenten, Konoha has been great, and you were the best part of that. But I swore I'd help Zabuza-sama help to realize his ambitions, so if he wants me to be by his side, I have to obey."
"I see," Tenten replied. "Then if such thing happens...I'll move to Kirigakure with you."
This time, it was Haku's turn to be surprised. "What? But...you can't do that!"
Tenten raised an eyebrow. "And why not, exactly?"
"But...what about your life in Konoha? Your friends? Your family?" Haku asked. "I can't ask you to leave all that behind just for me."
"First of all, I don't have a family. I don't even have a last name, remember?" Tenten asked. "And second, I will be doing the exact thing you're going to do, so I don't think you have the right to call me out on it."
"Yes, precisely! Do you think it's easy for me not just to leave you behind, but my teammates, sensei and friends as well? I don't want you to go through that as well!" Haku insisted.
"Sorry, but that's not your decision to make," Tenten replied, as she moved to hold both of Haku's hands. "We will go through this together. We will be there for each other."
"There's nothing I can't tell you to make you change your mind, right?" Haku asked.
"I'm a strong, independent woman who takes her own decisions. So no," Tenten replied with a smirk.
Haku couldn't help but a smile. "Thank you, Tenten-chan. You're a great person, whom I don't deserve."
"Maybe you don't. Be thankful you're pretty cute," Tenten said as she leaned closer and kissed Haku in the lips.
…
Speaking of Zabuza, the Swordsman Captain was sparring against the newest member of the Seven Swordsmen, Miyako Kiui, whom Mei had given the Helmet Splitter, with everybody else's approval.
"Come on, put more strength into it!" Zabuza told her as he pressed his attack.
"I'm trying, dammit!" Maiyako replied, dodging Zabuza's fast swing.
"The bluntsword is a weapon meant for an all out offense! Stop dodging my attacks and attack me already!" Zabuza insisted.
"I would, if you let me some room to breathe!" Miyako protested.
"Oh, sorry princess. Guess that you also expect the enemy to have such a consideration with you!" Zabuza angrily snarled, as he attacked with even more ferocity.
"But this is just training!" Miyako countered.
"Training or not, there's no purpose without threat!" Zabuza replied, as he continued his attack.
"ENOUGH!" she yelled.
Fueled by anger, Miyako nimbly dodged Zabuza's latest swing, and taking advantage of her opponents slower movements, she dashed towards Zabuza, and tossed the hammer half of the weapon at him. Zabuza moved his sword aside, deflecting the flying hammer. Just as Miyako expected, as Zabuza was left momentarily wide open, and took the chance to sink the axe half into his chest.
Zabuza then dissolved into a puddle of water.
"Not bad, girl, not bad," the real Zabuza said from behind. "You're getting it. Maybe you'll be able to get some skill with the bluntsword by the time we invade Kirigakure."
Miyako nodded and smiled in satisfaction.
From a box above them, Mei and the rest of the swordsmen watched the display, just like they did when Zabuza was testing Ameyuri and Chojuro.
"Do you think she's the right choice for the Helmet Splitter?" Ameyuri asked the Kage aspirant.
"I believe she is. However, despite what Zabuza's saying, she won't be nowhere near as ready for the invasion," Mei replied. "Carrying one of the Seven Swords will make her a target, and without the proper training to master it, that weapon will be like a bull's-eye painted on her back, rather than an asset."
"Pity. More swordsmen to our side would have been a boost to our troops' morale," Ameyuri lamented.
"They know we do have a fourth sword, even if they won't see it. We still have three Swordsmen," Mei countered. She then looked at Chojuro. "That's it, if all of them are completely recovered from the prison break."
"I am, Mei-sama," Chojuro replied, winding up his previously damaged arm to show that it was fine. "Like I said before, the Konoha medic-nin did a good job fixing it."
"Good. Because we're risking pretty much everything on this attack, and I don't want any of my soldiers to be in less than perfect condition, much less one of my swordsmen," Mei sternly said.
"Boy, I can't wait to get my hands on the remaining swords," Suigestsu commented. "Of the ones we can get, there's the Sewing Needle, and the Splatter...I think I could master both, but I'll have to choose one..." he then turned at Kumori. "Which one do you prefer?"
If Suigetsu was expecting to get an answer other than silence, he was about to get disappointed. Suigetsu unamusedly frowned.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Suigetsu said before stomping out of the room.
"How long do you plan on doing that, Kumori-san?" Mei asked..
"As long as it's funny, Mei-sama," the cloaked man asked.
…
Land of Water, Mainland
A couple days later, the rebels abandoned the Kirigakure's Hope and established a hidden base within a forest near Kirigakure. Mei had sent messengers to her scattered forces, telling them to drop whatever they were doing and meet at the designated point. It was about time to gather all their forces and launch the invasion.
Even if there was still some unrest caused by a combination of lack of activity and the impending invasion, pretty much everybody were glad to be outdoors rather than trapped inside that ship. And most people found ways to keep themselves distracted until the time of attack.
One said person was Ino Yamanaka, who was looking for her best friend in order to talk for a bit, and maybe do some sparring. It has been a while since the last time she fought Sakura, and wanted to check which one of the two was stronger. However, she was starting to grow frustrated due her lack of result.
"Where is she?" Ino asked to no one in particular. "You'd think somebody with bright pink hair would be easy to find..."
As she wandered around, somebody drew her attention. A pale looking, black haired boy sitting by himself, and drawing in a sketchbook. Ino then remembered a conversation he had with Sakura some days ago in the ship about some creepy guy that insulted her, and this guy matched the description. And both she and Sasuke, but mainly the latter, believed that this guy was up to no good.
Pushed by curiosity, she decided to get to know the boy a bit better.
"Hello there," Ino greeted with her usual charm. "Name's Ino. What are you doing?"
The boy turned around and smiled at her. Ino could easily see it was a fake smile. "Hi, blondie. My name is Sai. And as you can see, I'm drawing."
Ino raised an eyebrow. "Blondie?"
"An affectionate nickname. I read in a book that friends give each other nicknames," Sai explained, never dropping his smile. "But the last time I used it, I got a negative response. This time, I decided to use a more objective nickname, based on your hair color."
Ino stared at him in disbelief. Where did this guy come from? It was certainly weird, and that constant, painfully fake smile wasn't helping.
"Okay, you clearly didn't read that book right, or that book is complete bullshit," Ino said, shaking her head. "While it's true that sometimes friends give each other nicknames, they do it when there's a lot of trust between them, not when you're meeting new people. In fact, calling a stranger by a nickname is something extremely rude to do."
Sai's smile disappeared, and was replaced by an expression of mild surprise. "It is?"
"Yes, it is. It's considered insulting in most of the times. Just because somebody might allow a friend to call them by a nickname, even an unflattering one, it doesn't mean they'll extend the same courtesy to a stranger," Ino explained.
"I see. By the way you talk, you seem to be versed in the art of socializing," Sai replied.
Ino's chest swelled in pride, taking his neutral observation as a compliment. "I'm more than 'just versed', Sai."
"Then you'll know what to do in case you want to get close to somebody? All my attempts have been unsuccessful, despite following many books' advice to the letter," Sai told her.
"Okay, first of all, drop the nicknames. And that fake smile as well, it will make people think you're a shady guy. At best," Ino stated. Then, she remembered her conversation with Sakura and realized that this boy might be shady.
"Oh. That was the opposite of the impression I wanted to transmit," Sai replied.
"That's the opposite of the impression anybody wants to transmit," Ino said, rolling her eyes.
"Once I do that, what do I do next?" Sai asked.
"If you want to make a good impression, asking people about themselves is a good way to let them know you care," Ino explained. "For example, I saw that you like to draw, so if I wanted to get close to you, I'd ask you about it."
"Showing interest in other people's interest..." Sai repeated. "Yes, I think it sounds logical. But what if I don't know anything about them?"
"Well, you ask them, of course," Ino replied, as if saying something obvious.
"But we're ninja, and we're supposed to conceal as much about ourselves as we can. If somebody else shares personal information, they're giving the enemy potential information to use against them," Sai explained.
Ino groaned loudly. Where did this guy come from? "Sai, I don't think that a hobby, or a particular interest in clothes, books or movies can be used against somebody in any serious way."
But then again, Ino did remember back in the academy how many girls did she shame because they wore clothes she thought were unfashionable. Oh well, those days were behind her now, and it was unlikely than young adults like themselves would fall into that.
"I see. And why can't I smile? People smile a lot," Sai pointed out.
"Yes, but it has to be a natural smile, not a forced one," Ino told him.
"And how do I make my smile natural?" Sai asked.
"...you really have issues, did anybody tell you that?" Ino asked, weirded out. There was being socially awkward, and there was being this. "But to answer your question, your smile will be genuine when it appears as the result of being happy."
"This sounds way more complicated than the book made it appear," Sai said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by this new information.
"It's easier than you think, you only need practice," Ino said, smiling.
"I will do that, then. I will follow your teachings from now onwards, Ino-sensei," Sai replied, smiling once again.
"Ino-sensei? Heh, I like the way it sounds," Ino chuckled.
Meanwhile, not far away from there, Naruto, Hinata and Haku where happily chatting, when they noticed their sensei walking towards them. Walking alongside Kurenai was a brown haired girl with purple markings on her cheek. A certain girl Haku remembered saving more than a year ago from Orochimaru's lair.
"Hey, Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto said upon seeing her approaching.
"Hello there. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Rin, these are Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Haku Yuki, whom you met already. Guys, this is Rin Nohara, a former classmate and friend of mine," Kurenai introduced the girl.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rin said, making a slight bow.
"Hey, you're that girl that came back from the dead, right?" Naruto pointed out, before Hinata nudged him in the ribs. "What?"
"Naruto-kun, be more tactful. That's not something she'd like to remember," Hinata gently chastised him.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry!" he apologized with a sheepish grin.
"It's okay. I guess that's a part of me that's impossible to ignore," Rin replied with a light chuckle.
"Anyway. Naruto, I'd thought you'd be interested in meeting Rin, given that she used to be your biological father's student, alongside Kakashi and, regrettably, Obito Uchiha," Kurenai said.
"Really? Wow, that's so cool! You have to be super strong if you were trained by the Fourth!" Naruto gushed.
Rin giggled sheepishly. "Well, not as much. I filled more of a supporting role while Kakashi and Obito did the heavy lifting. Though I'm trying to change that now."
"There's nothing wrong with fitting a more supporting role. From what I heard, you're a medical-nin, right? Keeping your teammates alive is something important as well," Hinata replied.
"Yeah! You have no idea how many times Hinata-hime saved our skins!" Naruto cheerfully added.
"Besides, I still have some catching up to do. Working at the hospital this year made me realize how much medical science has advanced. Besides, I don't think I can compete with a generation of medic-nin trained by Tsunade-sama herself," Rin said, rubbing the back of her head.
"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You performed an eye transplant in the middle of a battlefield when you were twelve. I'm sure you'll do fine," Kurenai encouraged her.
"From what I heard, you refused to rejoin Konoha's ranks when you returned to the village. What made you change your mind?" Haku asked.
"It was Kirigakure who kidnapped me and started the chain of events that led to my death and Obito's downfall. And that memory made me terrified of being in a battleground again. However, I didn't want to be afraid all my life, and that I needed to face my demons. Hence I'm here. And if everything goes fine, I will ask Hokage-sama to formally rejoin the ninja ranks," Rin told them.
"While my case isn't exactly the same, I did lose a lot thanks to Kirigakure as well. In fact, I'm a native of the Land of Water," Haku stated. "It might be too late for me, but I know I can help other children have a better childhood than mine."
"Yes, I hope that nobody else has to go through what I went through as well," Rin replied. "Once this war is over, I might be able to finally move on."
"That's the spirit! You can't let such an insignificant thing like dying get in the way!" Naruto cheered.
"Insignificant?" Kurenai asked, mildly upset.
"Hey, she came back from it! If she did that, then why can't everybody else?" Naruto asked.
Kurenai merely sighed and shook her head. Rin simply giggled.
"You know, despite how much you look like Minato-sensei, I'd say personality-wise you are more like Kushina-san. She was really energetic and carefree, and saw the good side of everything and everyone," Rin said.
"Naruto-kun is just the same. Nothing can keep him down, not for long at least," Hinata replied.
"Are you two a couple?" Rin asked, noticing the closeness between Naruto and Hinata. Upon receiving an affirmative nod from the two of them, she added: "You know, the two of you kinda remind me of Minato-sensei and Kushina-san, if they swapped personalities, hehe."
"What about you, Rin? Is there somebody special in your life?" Naruto cheekily asked.
Rin blushed a bit. "Well, not now. I used to have a crush on Kakashi back in the day, but given my current state, I don't think there will be anything beyond friendship between the two of us. Not that I'm looking for a relationship right now. My very existence is still kind of a mess."
"I do think that a relationship would help you a bit with your issues. Help you back into the good things of life," Kurenai intervened. "Besides, you're pretty cute. Lots of boys would love to date you."
Before the conversation could continue, one of Mei's unofficial ANBU appeared before them, making his presence known immediately.
"Naruto Uzumaki, Mei-sama requires your presence," the ANBU stated in a cold and professional tone.
"She does? Oh well, better not to make her wait," Naruto said with a shrug as he accompanied the ANBU.
Hinata and Haku noticed their sensei tensing up when the ANBU made his request.
"Kurenai-sensei? Everything okay?" Hinata asked.
"I'd like to think that it is, but I'm not so sure," Kurenai uneasily replied.
"It seems that you know something we aren't aware of," Haku pointed out.
Kurenai sighed, and nodded. "I know why Mei wants to see Naruto. She's going to tell him about a special mission he has to do during the invasion."
"A special mission? Is it dangerous?" Hinata asked, a bit worried.
Kurenai nodded once again. "Mei wants Naruto to help her take down the Mizukage in combat."
…
Later that day, the sun was starting to set. Mei had ordered everybody to go to sleep early, since they would attack before dawn, and she wanted every one of her troops to be as rested as possible. So far, the only people not resting were the night watchers, who wouldn't take part in the attack for obvious reasons.
After having so many meetings and planning the last details of the invasion, the Mizukage aspirant was beyond exhausted. Then again, she doubt she would be able to sleep, given that she had to face Yagura himself in combat. If she and Naruto failed, then the whole invasion would be for naught.
Going to her private tent, Mei noticed that there was somebody else awake besides the sentries. The captain of her swordsmen, Zabuza Momochi, was sitting on the grass, at the edge of their camp, sharpening most of his weapons. Mei walked towards him.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" the redhead asked.
Zabuza stopped sharpening his kunai, turned his head to shot Mei a brief glare, before returning to his job at hand.
"I could ask the same thing to you," Zabuza retorted.
"The burden of leadership," was Mei's answer, before she decided to elaborate. "I had to give the plan the last touches before we're good to go. I was going to get some sleep, but then I saw you here. You know, you're one of my strongest soldiers, and I want you to be in your top condition for tomorrow."
"I'll go to sleep when I feel I have to. I don't know the rest of your cronies, but I don't sleep on being ordered," Zabuza replied.
Mei raised an eyebrow, before she sat down beside him. "Your attitude is not something I approve. But your performance so far has met my expectations, so I think I'm going to let this insubordination slip."
Zabuza grumbled something inaudible, and continued sharpening his weapons. He then stopped upon noticing that Mei was still there, sitting beside him. Their eyes met, and Mei shot him a friendly smile that left him completely unnerved.
"Well? Aren't you going to sleep?" an annoyed Zabuza asked.
"I was, but I realized that we didn't have a chance to be acquainted with each other a bit better, and this is a good chance, don't you think so?" Mei asked, in the same friendly tone.
"I agreed to fight for you and the rest of your naïve, goody-two shoes followers, not to befriend you. So scram," Zabuza grumbled.
"Now, now, that's not a way to talk to your superior," Mei replied, using a tone a mother would employ on a misbehaving child. "And naïve goody two-shoes? Seriously?"
"I'm telling things the way they are. You are a fool if you ever think that you and your merry friends will change anything," Zabuza replied.
"So far, we've been doing pretty good. What, you think Yagura and his forces are too much for us?" Mei asked.
"You're not fighting a war against Yagura, but against reality itself. This world is a cold and merciless place, where only the strong survive. Trying to pretend otherwise is to delude yourself," Zabuza said.
Mei frowned a little. "Now I want to think is the Blood Mist that's actually talking, and not you. I know that deep down, you aren't like that."
"Even if you read my profile in the bingo book, you know much less about me than what you think, woman," Zabuza harshly replied.
"I know you better than you give me credit for, Zabuza-kun," Mei said as she shot him one of her irritating smiles. "I'm not that much younger than you, we probably went through the same things. What I do know, though, is that beneath all your talk about the world being nothing but misery and death, and the only way to survive is being the top predator, there's a man that cares."
"You really think those Konoha tree huggers tainted me that much? That's insulting," Zabuza spat.
Mei chuckled, and shook her head. "No, I think that Konoha merely brought out your true self. For example, I know how you rescued and took care of that boy of the Yuki clan. An unempathic killer would have never done that."
"I only took Haku under my wing because of his unique abilities, not because I cared about his wellbeing. Do you have any idea how many other orphans I crossed paths with?" Zabuza retorted.
"Many, I'm sure. But even if your reasons to take Haku were selfish, it doesn't take a genius to see that the years you spend together, both traveling and in Konoha, you developed a bond with the boy, not unlike how a father would see his son," Mei countered.
"That's the biggest..." Zabuza tried to reply, but stopped. He wanted to say that Haku meant nothing to him, other than an useful underling. But for some reason, he couldn't. A battle of conflicting feelings started to take place inside of him, not for the first time.
Zabuza's pride wanted him to admit that no, there was no kind of emotional attachment to the boy. He didn't want to be seen as a softie. But there was another part of him that tried to refute that, and wanted him to admit that yes, he did love Haku as if he was his son. His inner battle continued as he remained silent, something Mei took little time to notice.
The redhead kunoichi's smile widened. "Did I hit a nerve, Zabuza-kun? Thought so. I know your parents were monsters, and raised you to be one. You were weak, and they despised weakness. That's why you did such a number on the Academy, and swore to never be weak again. But here's a little thing that will give you some much needed perspective: love isn't a weakness. Love is a source of strength, the biggest of them all. Because when you fight to protect somebody you care for, you're able to tap into a strength greater than any Bloodline Limit."
"Oh Kami, not you too..." the masked man groaned.
"Why do you think I have so many followers? Because I'm strong? Well yes, I'd lie if I said my power played no part in helping me lead the rebellion," Mei admitted. "But it only played a part. People don't want to live in a world of blood and fear, and will follow anybody that promises them something better. I like to think it's my conviction that plays the biggest role in making me a good leader. The fact that my ninja know that I'd die for any of them just like any of them would die for me."
Zabuza glared at her in disgust. "You sound exactly like those tree huggers. If Kiri under you is going to be like that, I might as well commit seppuku and save me the suffering."
Mei let out a laugh at Zabuza's statement. "Oh Zabuza-kun, you're so melodramatic, it's hilarious."
Zabuza narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't dare mock me."
"Then don't make it so easy," Mei replied with a shrug. "But seriously, it's quite obvious that there's something that's upsetting you. Something about Haku, I might add. So you'd better sort that out before the battle begins."
Zabuza inwardly sighed in relief when the rebel leader got up and walked to her private tent. However, rather than bring him relief, he felt even more uneasy that before. He wanted to shake off Mei's words about he and Haku, but found himself unable to.
"Haku...what I'm going to do with you?"
…
When Mei returned to her private tent, she saw that there was somebody in front of it, presumably waiting for her: Kurenai Yuhi. She clearly wanted to talk with her, probably about Naruto, and she was really not in the mood.
"Hello, Mei-san. I know it's late, but there's something I wish to talk with you," Kurenai told her.
Mei let out a weary sigh. "Listen, I know you're worried for Naruto, but you must understand-"
"You didn't even let me begin! And that wasn't what I wanted to talk about!" Kurenai protested, silencing the rebel leader. "Though yes, it's about Naruto. Here, take this."
Kurenai handed Mei something. Mei saw they were several sealing tags she was unable to identify.
"What is this?" Mei asked the red eyed Jonin.
"If you plan to have Naruto fight Yagura, he will more than likely be forced to use the Nine Tails' chakra. However, Naruto's control over the beast's power is very limited, and the demon may take control over him. That's why Hokage-sama created those tags. If such thing happens, slap one of them on him, and they will suppress the Nine Tails' chakra."
Mei studied the sealing tags in her hand, before nodding. "Got it. I wished you told me about it earlier, but thanks. I'll keep what you told me in mind."
"You should also know that the tags aren't infallible. If Naruto has more than four tails' worth of chakra, they won't work, so use them the moment he starts losing control," Kurenai told her.
"Again, thanks a lot for this. But now we should both go to sleep. Tomorrow we will have to face a daunting task."
…
Akatsuki Hideout, Unknown Location
Inside a dark, underground cavernous chamber there was a massive, grotesque statue, composed by a huge head with nine closed eyes and wide open mouth, and two arms separated from it. On each fingertip there was a shadowy figure, distorted and translucid, almost as if it was actually an spectral avatar rather than an actual person.
Floating in front of the statue was a large man in a red clad armor. There was a red colored stream of energy coming from the man's mouth and flowing into the statue's, as if it was draining the man's very soul. And even if it wasn't the case, the man would be dead once the process was complete, which happened in a few minutes.
The flow of energy ceased, and the man's lifeless body fell to the ground. Then, one of the statue's closed eyes opened.
"The first Tailed Beast has been successfully extracted and sealed into the statue," the leader of the group said. "But this is nothing but the beginning. There are eight other Jinchuriki that need to be captured and their Beasts harvested."
"Regarding that, we have news that might be of interest," Zetsu's white half interceded. "The Kirigakure rebels are going to invade the village. It's more than likely that they will try to kill Yagura."
"If that's the case, then we need to evacuate him as soon as possible. We can't afford letting any jinchuriki die," the leader replied.
"Kirigakure, you say? I volunteer to go, then. It will be nice see how my former village is doing," a tall man with a sharp grin mentioned.
"You know Kirigakure the best out of us, Kisame, so I find your request acceptable," the leader then looked at a feminine looking man whose hair was styled in a ponytail. "Deidara, you'll accompany him for this mission. Your air support will be necessary for this mission to succeed."
"Alright then. It would be a great chance to show my art to those Mist whackos," Deidara replied, grinning widely.
"If nobody has anything else to say, then the meeting is over. We will gather again once the Jinchuriki of the Three Tails is safe and secure within our grasp," the leader declared.
Then, all ten figures vanished, and the statue disappeared in a puff of smoke.
OMAKE #1: ZABUZA'S NOT A VERY NICE GUEST
After succesfully bringing Tazuna to his home in the Land of the Waves, Zabuza was now staying at the brigdge builder's house, since his job wouldn't be done until the bridge was finished and completed.
"Thank you for protecting my father, Zabuza-san," Tsunami said, as she placed a cup of tea in front of the swordsman. "You're helping this country immensely."
Zabuza snorted, as he lowered his mask to drink the tea. "Don't thank me. This is just a job, and I'll make sure it's finished."
"Yeah, sure. All will you make is getting all of us killed," a new, high pitched voice whined.
Zabuza turned around, and saw a kid, no older than ten, glaring at him with his arms crossed.
"The hell did you say, brat?" Zabuza snarled at the boy.
"Inari! Don't be so rude to Zabuza-san! He's going to protect all of us!" Tsunami chided the kid. "I'm sorry Zabuza-san, this whole situation affected my son way too much, and he doesn't feel that good..."
"Why are you even trying? Nobody can oppose Gato! Everybody who does ends up dead!" Inari insisted once again. "Not only you will die, but you will get all of us killed too!"
Suddenly, the entire room was flooded by a vicious killing intent. It was mostly focused on Inari, but it was so intense, Tazuna and Tsunami could feel it as well. Inari felt an oppresive force gripping his heart, as he was invaded by a sense of dread unlike any other. Clutching his chest, he looked at Zabuza, who stared back at him with bloodshot eyes. For some reason, there was an aura around the swordsman that made him look inhuman, demonic even.
"Tell me, brat," Zabuza's voice sounded like he was death itself. "DO YOU THINK GATO IS WORSE THAN I AM!?"
"Ah...ahh...WAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Inari couldn't take it anymore, and ran upstairs while crying loudly, as tears of pure terror streamed down his cheeks.
Zabuza dispelled the killing intent, and went to drink from his cup of tea. "Your tea is excellent, Tsunami-san. Might I have another cup?" Zabuza asked, while he realized the way Tazuna and Tsunami were glaring at him. "What? What did I do?"
OMAKE #2: MEI AND KURENAI'S MEETING - ALTERNATE ENDING
"Hello, Mei-san. I know it's late, but there's something I wish to talk with you," Kurenai told her.
Mei let out a weary sigh. "Listen, I know you're worried for Naruto, but you must understand-"
"You didn't even let me begin! And that wasn't what I wanted to talk about!" Kurenai protested, silencing the rebel leader. She then looked away, and blushed a little. "There's something I need to take out of my chest. Listen, Mei-san...I like you. I like you a lot."
The rebel leader was taken aback. "You what?"
"There, I said it. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't take it anymore..." Kurenai said as she started to leave.
"Kurenai,wait!" Mei said, grabbing her hand. "The truth is...I like you too!
"Seriously?" Kurenai asked.
"I thought I was only into men, but seeing such a radiant beauty as yourself, who's also a magnificent kunoichi...I feel that we're bound to be together."
"Oh, Mei-chan!" Kurenai squaled, as the two women embraced and shared a kiss in their lips.
Giggling, Mei grabbed Kurenai's hand, and the two of them headed towards the former's private tent, where they spend the night exploring each other's body, and opening themselves to a new world of beautiful feelings of carnal pleasure unlike any others...
...
"...that would only be the beginning of their road together," Jiraiya said, finishing writing the scene. Putting down the pencil, he looked at his latest work, and smiled. "Boy, I outdid myself with this one. Icha Icha Civil War will sell like crazy!" Jiraiya then frowned as he reread the scenes leading to that moment. "...I should better change Mei and Kurenai's names. I have the feeling that being Hokage won't deter them from trying to make me horrible things if they find out what I wrote about them..." the Sannin decided, as he erased the Kunoichi's names and replaced them with something else.
Author's Note: Yeah, I know, it was a slow chapter, but the story needed a moment of calmness between the assault on the Crimson Citadel, and the invasion of Kirigakure. Which will begin the next chapter, and I'm confident it will be epic. And don't worry, we're now on the home stretch of this arc, since I know some readers aren't enjoying this arc as much as past ones. Besides, the best of this arc is yet to come ;)
Boy, I really like writing scenes with Zabuza and Mei together. They have a lot of chemistry and bounce off each other pretty well, don't you think so? Too bad I can't write their impending relationship in more depth without bringing the story's pace to a screeching halt. Thankfully this arc won't be the last time these two will appear.
And yeah, Tenten isn't breaking up with Haku even if that means moving to Kiri. I'm going to say this now: once a couple forms, it's here to stay, so no, there aren't going to be any breakups. I don't want romantic drama to overshadow the mostly adventure-oriented plot of this fanfic.
As for the omakes, the first is canon. The second one...perhaps? XD
Onto the first omake, well, everybody knows how much I dislike the Wave Arc, not because of the arc itself, but how often it's copy-pasted into fanfics. And from that arc, Inari is the character I like the least, and I don't think my sanity can withstand seeing him being a little bitch for the billionth time. So yeah, I'd found funny the idea of Inari doing his little pessimistic speech to somebody like Zabuza, which, well, didn't end as he expected XD
Thanks to gio08 for betareading this chapter.
Anyway, the ending of the Kirigakure Civil War arc is even closer now, and Akatsuki joins the frey, with Deidara and Kisame (remember that I said all seven swords would be featured in this arc) choosen to capture Yagura, and Naruto if they see him. How will the invasion end? Find out in two weeks. In the meantime, leave a review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!