A/N: Hoo boy. 5 months, huh? I really don't have much of an excuse aside from being busy due to army things, but we all know that it's just that: an excuse. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 12: The Battle of Wave
Gatō grunted as he was lifted roughly up into the air, Daichi's muddy blue eyes glaring furiously down at the diminutive man. Around them, the hustle and bustle of Gatō's men unloading after arriving at their employer's personal dock abruptly stopped. Wary stares and hushed whispers spread all around them, but Daichi was far too incensed to care.
"Why the hell did we retreat?!" The thug roared, his voice echoing throughout the dock. "I had him on the ropes! A little more and-"
"And that's why I'm the successful criminal mastermind, while you're nothing more than a hired sword. Or axe, in your case." Gatō sneered. "Did you seriously think that that Gem of yours – which I must remind you, was provided to you BY ME – would let you handle that many shinobi? The orange brat alone went from a single one to six of him, nevermind his teacher!"
"And besides," Gatō fixed Daichi with a glare of his own behind his sunglasses. "Your top priority isn't to kill them, it's to protect me. Now, let. Me. Go."
Growling, Daichi continued to hold his employer up by his shirt before finally releasing the man, dropping him with a click of his tongue.
"Now then," Gatō brushed himself off. "I'd say that I more than deserve a break after all that hubbub. You're all dismissed until I call for you again."
And just like that, Daichi's rage rushed back in full force.
"You can't be serious!" The large man growled, his scarred face twisting into an ugly scowl. "You're just going to let them go?! We should be putting those peons in their place while we still have a chance!"
"Oh, will you shut up already?!" Gatō flippantly replied as he turned to walk away. "I decide when we attack and I decide when we rest, and right now, I've decided that we're going to rest. Need I remind you again that I'm the boss here?"
Gatō walked past Daichi, barely sparring him a single glance.
Which was why he missed the tightening of Daichi's fists, the gritting of his teeth, and the tensing of his muscles.
And ultimately, he missed the savage grin that slowly found its way onto Daichi's lips.
Just as he was about to exit the docks, Daichi's voice rose again. "You're right, the boss gets to make all the decisions."
Gatō spun around – mouth open to shout at Daichi once more – only to pause as he was met with the sight of the much larger man slowly pulling out his axe.
"W-what are you doing?" The business magnate managed to stammer out as he began to pale. Stubby legs backpedalling, Gatō broke out into a cold sweat as the green haired titan slowly approached.
"Oh, I'm just doing what I should've from the start." The mercenary coldly stated even as he approached. "Since the boss gets to make all the decisions, I just thought we could use a change of command. Y'know, to shake things up a bit."
"Y-you can't seriously be trying to do this?" Gatō gulped as his back hit the cold surface of a wall, Daichi's sneering figure looming over him. "And what about the rest of you?! I pay all of you!"
Daichi snorted at the smaller man's appeals. None of the other hired men dared to do anything against him. They'd all seen how well he'd handled himself against Zabuza, a man that they'd been terrified shitless over. He knew that for a fact, and judging by his employer's pale white face, so did he.
Well, ex-employer, anyway.
"Waitwait-!" Gatō could barely stammer out before his entire head was crushed in an instant. In a single blow, the leader of a criminal organisation spanning multiple countries met his end, not by the hands of the law, but by one of his own hired men. As blood spurted out onto the crumbling wall behind the deceased crime boss, Daichi raised up the faintly glowing Gem he held in his hands.
"Thanks again for the gift, boss." He chuckled darkly, before turning to the rest of the men in the docks. "Now then, I think it's pretty clear that I'm in charge now! Any objections?!"
Upon being met with terrified silence, Daichi gave a grim nod. "Good."
Blood pooling around his feet, the mercenary slammed his axe down in front of him. He looked across the room from left to right, remaining silent as he drank in the stares of Gatō's, no, his men. Resisting the urge to smirk, Daichi instead took a deep breath before addressing his new subordinates.
"From now on, you all answer to me. Refuse, and you'll end up like this pig!" He declared, kicking Gatō's corpse for emphasis. "Follow me however, and I'll bring us to heights you've never imagined!"
"Money! Women! Power!" He continued, taking a step forward with each declaration. "All within your grasp, so long as you obey me! So, are you with me?!"
Daichi grinned as he was met with a roar of approval. It would seem that riling up a group of mercenaries was no different from riling up a group of bandits. Especially when some of said bandits were within that group of mercenaries, and were already loyal to him.
Giving a nod to one of them, the former bandit leader turned back to address the rest of the men.
"First things first, why don't we resume where we left off?" Daichi then pointed at one of the goons. "You! Gather as many men as we have left! And you! Ready the ships! I want them all fully stocked and ready for war! The rest of you lot, assist them!"
As the mercenaries scrambled to carry out his orders, Daichi looked towards the direction they had just retreated from.
"Those peasants made a fool out of me before," the man growled. "Now it's time for them to pay. In blood."
"Yo, you're finally here." Kakashi casually said as Naruto entered the room, with Arisa, Shinobu, and Inari following close behind. The red-haired girl had a difficult expression on her face, tracing a finger along the side of a nearby drawer.
"It's barely been a year since I've been here, but it felt like decades." She whispered wistfully as she looked around the room. "I'm glad that they didn't really touch most of my old home."
She then shook her head, chasing away the memories. "Though I suppose it's no longer my old home, but rather my home again now."
"Ojou-sama…" Shinobu closed her eyes.
"Oh, so you used to live here, huh?" Naruto thought out loud. Most of the expensive looking furniture dotting the study they were in was intact, a fact that surprised him. Bookshelves filled to the brim with books and scrolls alike lined up against the walls, while a large wooden table stood between the curtain-covered windows. On it, a large map sprawled across its surface; a map that Tazuna, another old man that Naruto remembered Inari calling Giichi, and the rest of Team 7 stood around.
Along with a tan dog wearing sunglasses.
Huh.
As Naruto, Arisa and Inari joined the circle, the blonde genin took a closer look at the map on the desk. What laid before him was what seemed to be the layout of the town and its surroundings, spanning all the way to where the bridge was being constructed a few kilometres away.
"What're these supposed to be?" Naruto asked as he pointed at one of the rectangular tokens that were placed over what he assumed to be the nearby shore.
"That's meant to represent our resident troublemakers." Kakashi explained. "I was hoping they wouldn't be coming back after our previous display, but it looks like they're not giving up just yet."
He then bent down to pet the sunglasses-wearing dog, garnering a pleased whine from it. "I had a couple of my dog summons keep an eye out just in case, and Akino here came back about an hour ago after spotting several ships heading towards the main island."
[Quite a persistent bunch, aren't they?] The Fifth sighed within the Jewel. [I swear, types like them that don't know when to give up are the worst.]
"So, they're coming here right now?!" Naruto frowned. "Shouldn't we be hurrying to stop them then?"
"That's the thing," Akino – much to Naruto's surprise – spoke up. "From what I could tell, they aren't heading straight for town, but rather for the shore near the bridge."
"Huh? Why would they do that?"
"If you ask me," A gruff voice answered from behind Naruto. "They're scared of getting swept away by Water jutsu if they approach the town directly. They know I'm here, after all."
Naruto turned around to see Zabuza and Haku entering the room, both looking a lot healthier from when he had last seen them.
"I see you're up as well." Kakashi casually greeted the newcomers. "And I can see your point. Between you, me, and all this water around us, they'd have a hard time setting foot into town via ship."
[That's true.] The Third hummed in interest. [I never experience naval combat, but I definitely wouldn't want to fight in the water against people who can make giant whirlpools in an instant.]
[I've seen it happen from afar, and it's not pretty.] The Seventh affirmed, shuddering. [Thank god I wasn't on the other side.]
"We know why they're not coming here, but what about what we're going to do next?" Sasuke asked, arms crossed against his chest.
"That's the thing." Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "Protecting the bridge was one thing. Having done it against a high-ranking missing-nin was another. And now to protect an entire town on top of that? This mission has gone far beyond its initial scope."
"I apologise for that." Tazuna said, bowing his head. "I never thought things would become this super-complicated."
"You guys have helped us plenty already." Giichi spoke up as well. "We understand if you don't want to be caught up in all this any further."
He then gave a smile and a nod towards Arisa and Inari. "Besides, we've already rekindled the will to fight, thanks to these youngins!"
"I appreciate your understanding. But…" Kakashi chuckled. "I'm sure it won't be needed. We've already come this far, and I'm not one to leave a job unfinished. I'm sure my students aren't going to let me either."
"You betcha!" Naruto grinned, though it soon became a concerned frown. "Though I am a little worried about my chakra levels. How long do we have before they attack?"
"At the speed they're going, they'll likely make landfall this evening." Akino said. "They seemed to have a good bit of cargo on them, so maybe even later."
[Sounds like they're going to set up camp near shore then.] The Sixth observed. [No way they'll attack until tomorrow morning then.]
When Naruto relayed his great grandfather's observations to the rest, Kakashi nodded.
"That sounds about right. We'll have less than a day to recover and prepare then. How's everyone holding up?"
"Um…I didn't get to do much in the previous battle, so I'm still able to fight." Hinata shyly raised her hand.
"I'm still a little sore, but I should be fine." Sasuke nodded.
"As for myself, I can keep going after a bit of rest." Kakashi said.
"A certain insistent brat made it easier on me, but I can't say that I'm on top form right now." Zabuza admitted. "Still, that's never stopped me before, and I sure as hell isn't going to let that stop me now."
"I've recovered as well, thanks to Naruto-kun." Haku smiled at the aforementioned blonde. "I'm sure I'll be able to help."
"I guess that saves me the need to ask if the two of you are willing to help." Kakashi chuckled.
"Despite my reputation, I'm not above repaying my debts." Zabuza sniffed. "Besides, that axe-wielding asshole is likely going to be there. I have a bone to pick with him."
"I'll keep that in mind." Kakashi then turned to his remaining student. "What about you, Naruto?"
"I'm a bit low on chakra." The spiky-haired genin frowned. "Healing took a bit more out of me than I expected. I'll just sleep it off though."
"Don't push yourself too hard." The one-eyed jōnin warned. "Chakra exhaustion can be fatal. If you haven't recovered enough by tomorrow morning, then I'm putting you in the rear this time."
"But-!" Naruto tried to protest, only to be interrupted by his father's voice.
[You should listen to Kakashi.] He gently said. [I know you want to help everyone, but you can't do that if you run out of chakra and collapse.]
Naruto pursed his lips, but fell silent. He knew for a fact that they were right, but standing idly by while the others fought? It just didn't sit right with him.
Then again, he supposed that was how Hinata felt. He glanced at his female teammate, noting the tension in her face. He hadn't known her for very long, but even someone like him could see that she had some underlying self-esteem issues. Having not played an active part in the previous fight couldn't have helped that.
Giving a resigned sigh, Naruto nodded and tried to pump himself up. "Yeah, alright. Leave the rear to me!"
"You can count on our cooperation as well." Arisa grimly smiled. "Wave must have a hand in taking back our own destiny. I'm sure the others feel the same as well."
"Feelings are one thing, but are you sure they're capable of fighting?" Kakashi asked, his single eye narrowing. "Though you're able to rise up as a nation, it won't amount to much if your men can barely lift a spear."
"You won't have to worry about that." Tazuna replied in Arisa's stead. "That pig Gatō had a lot of food locked up in this mansion, all ill-gotten gains. We've already started distributing it to all the townsfolk, so our hearts and stomachs will be super-full by the time those bastards come back!"
"I see…" Kakashi hummed. "In that case, we'll be relying on your help."
"Hahaha, that should be our line!"
Having gotten a feel for everyone's conditions, Kakashi started questioning Tazuna and Giichi about the topography of the area. Naruto tried to pay attention, but his ancestors started speaking up again.
[Gahaha, you're trying too hard!] The First laughed. [We can all tell you aren't satisfied by this. Not that I blame you, I'd rather be out there cracking some skulls myself!]
[That being said, unlike this musclehead, there are still things you can do while in the rear!] The Second pointed out rather passionately.
[In fact, there are certain things one could only do while overlooking everything from afar.] The Eighth agreed.
[Hell, given the circumstances, isn't this actually a golden opportunity for Naruto?] The Sixth asked.
[You're right! We have a good bit of manpower on our side, one that may be inexperienced, but is already united and willing to fight!] The Fourth excitedly exclaimed. [And the best part is, you don't even have to pay them! In fact, you're the one getting paid at the end of all this! It's a win-win no matter how you look at it!]
[Fufufu, this should be fun alright!] The Third chuckled ominously. [I can already think of several ways to spice this battlefield up!]
[Don't you worry, Naruto!] The Seventh laughed jubilantly. [Just listen to us and everything will go smoothly!]
"You say that, but I don't even know what you guys are talking about!" Naruto harshly whispered under his breath.
[Isn't it obvious?] The Fifth calmly asked. [It's time for your first skirmish.]
Daichi stared out at the ocean before him, waters dyed orange by the waning sun. It wouldn't be long now before they'd reach the shore. As he idly barked at his men to keep an eye out, the now self-employed mercenary couldn't help but feel tense. Sucking in a deep breath, he tried his best to calm himself down.
The preparations were going smoothly. He had a small army at his beck and call, with five merchant-style sailboats flanking each side of the yacht he had commandeered from Gatō's personal collection. His men had scrounged up enough supplies off of their ex-employers' monopolised stocks to see them through even a prolonged siege, though he laughed at the notion that the peasantry would be able to put up a siege-worthy wall in the span of a day.
And last but not least, he had the power of the Gem on his side. Skills that could repel even a renowned jōnin like Zabuza. No to mention his own capabilities with his trusted axe. There was no way he could lose!
So why was it that he couldn't shake off this bad feeling? This premonition that something was about to go awry?
His musings were disrupted by the sound of his men announcing that they've spotted the shore. Taking one last deep breath to steady himself, Daichi stepped forward to order his men to begin preparations for landing.
That was when the arrows started flying.
Sailing through the air in an arc towards them, Daichi reacted swiftly and brought up his axe to parry the arrows. Gem glowing bright red, he sent out a Slash Wave at a volley of arrows of about twenty arrows rapidly approaching him. The Skill cleaved through most of the wooden arrows as if they were mere twigs, exploding them in a shower of splinters and liquid.
It took Daichi a moment to realise that one of those components shouldn't be there. Something wasn't right here, and he felt it down to his bones.
Fear slowly gripping his heart, Daichi dashed out to the bow of his yacht to assess the situation. What he saw was his men, confused, but mostly unhurt. There were around three to four salvos, but the wooden arrows had barely done anything against his men's skin and clothing; let alone the thick, wooden boards of the merchant ships that they were using. However, it soon dawned on him that not all the arrows were simple arrows.
No, some had thin leather pouches tied to them. Pouches that burst apart upon landing on the ships, leaking their payload onto their decks.
And as he spotted two figures – a dark-haired boy accompanied by a silver-haired man – over by the shore, one that had almost seemed to be much further than he had remembered, his brain finally registered what the pungent liquid spreading across his ships was: oil.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!"
"Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"
Flames shot out of the black-haired boy's mouth, flames that were soon bolstered and sent soaring over to the ships by the winds created by his teacher.
"F-fire! We're on fire!"
"AHHH, IT BURNS, IT BURNS!"
"Get into the water!"
In an instant, six ships were set ablaze, their oil-stained sails and flooring feeding the hungry flames. Absolute panic broke out among his troops, their surprised cries and shouts mingling with the sound of crackling fire.
Some of them abandoned ship almost immediately, dropping into the ocean waters, some even while on fire. Some stood aimlessly, paralyzed and transfixed by the inferno around them. While others ran around frantically, desperately trying to stop the blaze by pouring water, only to exacerbate the problem by spraying burning oil across their ships.
Smoke billowing around him, Daichi cursed his carelessness. He had no time to dwell on it however. Instead, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"ALL SHIPS THAT AREN'T ON FIRE, GET TO SHORE NOW! THOSE THAT ARE, SALVAGE ALL THAT YOU CAN AND GET THE HELL OUT! AND FOR THOSE IN THE WATER, IF YOU RUN AWAY, I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"
His voice cut through the chaos, but it still took the mercenaries a precious few moments before their orders set in. Time, in which their supplies were getting burnt away.
As his own yacht began moving towards shore, Daichi glared at the retreating figures of the two ninja that had set his fleet ablaze.
He would not be stopped by this. This, he swore.
On a cliff a distance away from the inferno burning below, Naruto watched as the hastily-formed archer squad started retreating towards the designated rendezvous point. They consisted of a mere forty men, all of whom had only ever fired bows at wild game before. Still, they volunteered their service when they were informed about the upcoming battles, giving Naruto the manpower he needed to carry out this stratagem.
Their figures disappeared into a nearby forest, where they were to meet with Kakashi and Sasuke there before moving back to town, just in case any of the mercenaries noticed them and tried to give chase.
To his side, Arisa gazed in wonderment as Gatō's men frantically tried to salvage what they could from their ships.
"It really went exactly the way you predicted…" She gasped.
"Ahaha…" Naruto grinned wryly. "I guess you could say I had really good advice."
[But of course.] Naruto could practically hear the Sixth's smirk. [Warfare is a specialty of the Namikazes. A simple skirmish like this is nothing!]
[The fact that there was an ample amount of cooking oil even in this impoverished town was a stroke of good fortune.] The Fourth noted.
[I'm just surprised it worked as well as it did.] The Fifth commented. [You'd think they'd have some sort of precautions against fire, but apparently not.]
[I guess that it just shows how amateurish our opponents are this time.] The Seventh harrumphed. [I was hoping for something more glorious for my grandson's first skirmish, but I suppose this will have to do.]
"Distract the enemy with weak arrows, only to mix in arrows carrying oil sachets…Setting them on fire with a Fire jutsu while using a Wind jutsu to increase the spread…" Zabuza listed, eventually turning towards Naruto with an appreciative gleam in eye. "You're going to be terrifying down the line, aren't you?"
Naruto's grin took on a more pleased turn as he took the compliment. Admittedly, most of the plan had been thanks to the Sixth's experience in naval combat, but the idea to use ninjutsu instead of regular fire arrows had been his idea. After all, he had a first-hand experience on how effective a Fire-Wind combination could be.
"I got the idea from my fight with Haku." Naruto explained, though he soon frowned. "Too bad it only got some of them, but I guess that would've been too easy."
"That it would." Zabuza grunted, directing his gaze back onto the smouldering remains of the ships.
"Strange, I can't seem to spot Gatō down there at all." Arisa noted, squinting her grey eyes.
[Knowing people like him, he won't be coming out this time around.] The Third noted derisively. [He got too confident and had to be bailed out, after all. Much like someone I knew.]
[Dad…] The Fourth's voice whispered.
Naruto wasn't used to hearing such heavy emotions in the Third's voice. The Fourth's reaction only served to highlight that. Having only heard the basic outline of his family's history, Naruto knew that he was missing something here.
However, that didn't mean he could just ignore it. Bringing a hand up to the Jewel, Naruto tilted it to the side as if it were his head.
[Oh, are you trying to comfort me?] Having caught the message, the Third laughed. [You really are a good kid, eh? Don't you worry, it's all in the past! And look, the archers have linked up with your teacher. 'Bout time you started moving too, no?]
Reluctantly, Naruto let his arm fall back to his side. Nodding at Zabuza and Arisa, the trio began their descent back towards the town.
Within the Jewel, the meaningful gazes of all the Namikaze clan heads were locked onto one Namikaze Masato, aka the Third Namikaze Clan Head. The man in question could only give a chagrined smile, as he tried to ignore the other heads.
Eventually, his son – the Fourth – broke the silence. [Dad, that was-]
[Don't.] Masato interrupted. [Like I said, there's no reason to dwell on the past.]
It was times like these that he was glad they could control what Naruto could and couldn't hear. It wasn't something he wanted him to hear. Not yet, anyway.
[I don't see what's the big issue here.] The Fifth pointed out. As Masato directed his gaze towards his grandson – the one he never met until this whole Jewel business – he saw the rest of his descendants agreeing with the Fifth. On their part, the First and Second simply looked confused, for they died before him, and thus didn't know about what was going on.
Masato sighed as he mulled things over. Perhaps he was being a little childish? No, perhaps it's because of who they were talking about that he was being childish. It wasn't like he didn't have his reasons though. Opening his mouth, the Third addressed his fellow clan heads.
[Don't get me wrong, he'll learn about me eventually.] He began, shaking his head. [I just don't think he needs to hear it right now. You've all seen it too, haven't you? The way he shines. Naruto has that sort of innocence that can make even a twisted guy like me feel something. No reason to taint that with my opinions on my own past.]
[And besides…] Namikaze Masato fixed the other Namikazes with a stern stare. [I think I'm the only one here with the right to say that I don't like to talk about how I died.]
"…based on that, we only have enough supplies to barely last us for a week."
Daichi glared balefully at the man who delivered the report, causing him to gulp in terror. Daichi held his glare for a couple more seconds before dismissing the man with a wave. As the man scurried out of the large tent, Daichi leaned back against the wooden chair that he had brought down from the yacht.
His features darkened as he looked at the slightly singed map before him. Having gotten ambushed before they even landed had not done wonders for his men's morale. Already, there were doubts within them about whether they'd be able to go up against ninjas. Their force of five hundred men had been cut by a third, and more than half of their ships lay as wreckage beneath the ocean.
Daichi suppressed a growl. This wouldn't do. He had only just taken over, and his men were already questioning him. No, he needed a victory – no matter how minor – and he needed it fast. Analysing the map before him, he saw that there were practically no defences around the town. The most it had was a rudimentary wall and gate, as well as the trees surrounding it, and even that was easily navigable. Hell, they could bypass the wall entirely if they went by the river.
That meant that they could go for a direct assault without needing to perform a siege. It was a stroke of good luck after the terrible start they had, since they had nothing in terms of siege equipment. Not even simple ladders to scale walls.
It'd also mean that they wouldn't need to worry about any further fire attacks. No way they'd risk damage to their own town and land with a widespread fire. It was why they had set up camp within the forest instead of the shore as well.
That meant that the only thing they had to worry about was the shinobi. And he knew for a fact that he could handle Zabuza perfectly fine. The brats shouldn't be a problem either. And so long as he could have his men keep the silver-haired one occupied, he should be able to pick them and Zabuza off one by one.
From then on, it'd be easy pickings. Even better if his men can occupy the town while he kept their heavy hitters at bay. He wasn't above taking hostages, after all. That girl that led the townsfolk came to mind in particular. If she was some sort of leader figure, then she'd make the perfect hostage.
Nodding to himself, Daichi put out the lantern on his makeshift desk. For now, he needed to rest. Come tomorrow, his glorious rise to fame shall begin.
"W-what?" Daichi spluttered out as he glared at the sight before him. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Indignation rose within him. How? How had they done this? None of his scouts reported this being here! There was no way they could construct something like this in less than a day! He had even made sure to force his men to march over at the break of dawn to catch his opponents off guard!
So why the hell was there a giant wall made of ice standing in his way?!
The wall gleamed under the morning sun almost mockingly, its appearance almost like plate armour made out of several interlocking mirrors. It stretched out above the trees, making it virtually impossible to scale without the use of equipment.
Equipment that they didn't have.
"What should we do, boss?" One of the men asked worriedly. Daichi cursed as the man's question caused the others around them to direct their gazes towards him, awaiting his instruction.
But what the hell could he even tell them to do in the face of this?
Growling irritably, Daichi activated his Gem and sent out a Slash Wave. The attack crashed against the wall, gouging a cut within it, but not bringing it down by any stretch of the imagination.
"There's your answer!" He barked. "It's just ice, chip away at it, and it'll fall!"
"I'm afraid we can't let you do that." A voice from atop the wall said.
Snapping his head upwards, Daichi squinted his eyes at the lithe figure standing on top of the ice wall, their silhouette illuminated by the sun. Apprehension within him grew, but he swallowed it and pointed forward.
"Don't mind them! Charge!"
At his command, his men charged at the giant wall of ice with a raucous roar, intent on bringing it down. The figure seemed unperturbed however, even seeming disappointed.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." They said before leaping down. Bracing themselves for combat, the mercenaries were perplexed when, instead of landing in front of them, the figure had melded into the wall.
As soon as they did, one became many.
And many, soon became a flurry of needles.
Screams rang out as a veritable torrent of senbon surged towards the vanguard of the mercenary forces, the needles embedding themselves deeply within their flesh. The chaos was only exacerbated by the sudden addition of arrows and fishing spears that came from behind the wall as soon as the needles stopped. Unlike the pure wooden arrows that had attacked their ships, these were properly tipped with steel; and as such, proved to be lethal enough to the lightly-armoured thugs and ronin that made up Daichi's forces, even with the comparatively small number of arrows.
Daichi could do nothing but grimace as his men started retreating despite him not giving the order. Faced with an alternating storm of senbon and arrows, it was only natural for everyone's self-preservation to kick in. Even though he knew it was a lost cause, Daichi continued to bark orders at his men, demanding that they hold their ground. He also motioned for his most trusted men to start moving through the forest instead, taking advantage of the chaos. Even with the projectiles aimed their way, the canopy should provide some semblance of protection.
With that in mind, they moved quickly in hopes of bypassing the wall and striking the archers from behind.
In their haste, they failed to account for the fact that none of the other shinobi were present.
A small squad of ten men moved as stealthily as they could amidst the chaos, entering into the safety of the forest and away from the screams of their comrades. To say that they were tense would be an understatement. Twice already, they've been caught completely off-guard by the opponent's tactics. What should've been an easy raid on a town of malnourished, underequipped country hicks became a fight for survival, and they were on the losing side.
Brief contemplations of running away flashed through each of their minds, but they shook those thoughts away. From the start, they had nowhere else to go. They were the definition of low-life scum, people who had only survived till now by riding the coattails of those stronger than them. Even if they were to run, there would be no future for them.
The only path for them was forward. So, forward they had to go.
Unfortunately for them, forward was a path that was steadily getting obscured by mist. It made it harder and harder for them to see in front of them, let alone each other. Nerves already frazzled, they tried to write it off as a byproduct of the giant wall of ice that they were trying to find a way around in the first place.
But they already knew the truth. They knew who they had crossed just a couple of days before.
A man, no, a demon.
One who lurked within the mist he summoned.
One who was as silent as he was fierce.
One who held the moniker "Demon of the Hidden Mist".
All it took was a slash here. A stab there. One by one, another life was lost, unbeknownst to the next victim.
And when the last one finally realised that he was alone, all he could do was shudder as he saw the shadow of the demon looming behind him, his steel glinting with malicious intent. And as soon as he saw him, a large blade pierced through his chest, wet gurgles coming unbidden to his mouth.
Mist finally fading from his sight as he collapsed to the ground, the man could only dimly note one thing as he looked at the figures of his fallen comrades:
They hadn't even made it past a few steps before they met their untimely end.
"Feh." Zabuza snorted as he hung Kubikiribōchō back onto its holster on his back. It had taken him barely a few minutes to dispatch the small group of men that entered the area he was protecting. Admittedly, it might have taken him slightly longer if it weren't for the fact that he had assistance.
"Still, this is ridiculously useful." The Mist jōnin mused as he focused his mind on the map that was projected within his mind. Red blips dotted the area within it, with the largest cluster being in the centre where the wall Haku created was.
[Map] and [Search], Naruto had called it. Skills that gave him a mental projection of the surrounding area and location of allies and hostiles respectively. As well as [All], a third Skill that granted the benefits of certain Skills to other people. The utility of the three when used in conjunction together was not lost on him.
If he had this on his side back then, maybe his coup would've been successful.
Zabuza let out a bitter chuckle as he discarded that thought. 'What ifs' weren't his thing, and even if they were, this wasn't the time for it.
He still had a job to do.
Breathe in. And out.
In. And out.
As Hinata watched the red blips in her mind draw closer, she tried her best to steel her nerves. She could do this. Alone though she was, she too was a ninja. She could, and would carry out the task given to her.
The fact that Naruto had entrusted said task to her only served to bolster her motivation.
That being said, she was aware of her shortcomings. Painfully so, given her circumstances. She always had come up short, even to the point of being deposed of her status as clan heir to her younger sister, Hanabi. Even in the previous battles, she had barely contributed anything while Naruto and Sasuke were getting battered and bruised.
That's why…
"I-I can't let you pass." She said as resolutely as she could when a small group of five men appeared from between the trees.
Hinata resisted the urge to curl up in a ball out of embarrassment when the men took one look at her and laughed.
"Please missy, do you really think you can stop all of us alone?" One of them sneered, supported by the laughter of his friends.
She didn't know.
But that didn't mean she shouldn't do her best.
"Byakugan!" Hinata shouted. The men's laughter was cut short as the veins around her eyes bulged out, a clear shift in atmosphere around the blue-haired Hyūga. Realising that Hinata might be more of a threat than she appeared, the mercenaries started drawing their weapons.
However, Hinata had already moved.
After all, she was a ninja.
For all her lack of self-confidence, the fact that she had trained all her life towards being a kunoichi meant that she was stronger than an untrained thug. Her control over chakra also meant that she was fairly adept at doing something that was practically ingrained in all shinobi and kunoichi when they started: augmenting their physical capabilities with chakra. An aspect that was more closely linked to the physical side of chakra rather than its spiritual side.
(Gather the chakra in my hands and feet!)
Dashing forward in a burst of speed, Hinata struck out with her fingers and hit the arms of a man who was about to pull out his katana. Immediately, the man's arms went limp, a fact that made him let out a cry of pain and distress.
Who could blame them? From their perspective, they only saw the girl they were mocking moments earlier lightly tap one of their men's arms. And yet, that simple action had disabled him in an instant.
Hyūga-ryū: Jūken or Hyūga Style: Gentle Fist.
A technique used by the Hyūga clan, one where the user injects their chakra into their opponent's chakra pathways. A side-effect of this is that it damages the surrounding body due to their proximity to said pathways. Be it muscle, organs or nerves, a simple tap would let her damage them all.
A fact that she quite disliked, if she were to be honest. She knew it was contradictory for her to feel that way as a ninja, but the idea of harming another was never appealing to her.
But its disabling capabilities was exactly what she needed right now. And she could limit the damage at the very least.
Muttering a silent apology in her heart, Hinata slammed a palm into the stomach of the man she had just rendered unable to fight, she struck out at another nearby mercenary. With the benefit of forewarning this time, the man managed to dodge out of the way. She didn't stop there however, continuing to strike at the man to prevent him from drawing his weapon.
(I can see it!) The genin thought as she kept attacking in a flurry of blows. Her Byakugan allowed her to see the tenketsu – the chakra points – in a person's body. The Gentle Fist her clan used was built around this ability, for it allowed them to strike at the pinprick-sized tenketsu.
That wasn't its only function however. It also gave her near 360-degree vision.
Which was why she was acutely aware of the remaining three men slowly approaching her from behind, trying their best to sneak up on her.
Knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to handle all four of them at once, Hinata redoubled her efforts on attacking the man before her, eventually landing a clear blow on each of his shoulders. Slamming a non-Gentle Fist-style palm squarely on his chest with a note of finality, Hinata formed a Tiger hand seal as she kept her back turned.
(Mould the chakra…) The mercenaries were but a few steps away from striking distance when they suddenly heard the sound of churning water. Turning around, they were met with the unnatural sight of water rising up from the nearby river, coalescing into three separate orbs.
(…and release!)
"Suiton: Teppōdama!" She yelled as she directed the orbs forward. The basketball-sized projectiles launched forward, impacting each of her remaining opponents with great forcing, launching them all past her. Their bodies tumbled roughly against the ground and rolled until they were stopped by the surrounding trees.
Seeing no signs of any of the mercenaries getting up, the adrenaline slowly faded from Hinata's body. Letting out a shuddering breath of relief, she allowed her hands to fall back to her sides and her eyes to return to normal.
Then it dawned on her.
"I-I…won?" She whispered to herself. A slow, unbelieving smile spread across her face.
She did it. She had won all on her own.
Having practically sat out the previous two encounters, she finally managed to contribute in some way. Albeit it was against common thugs and mercenaries, of which were never likely to be able to stand up to a halfway competent ninja.
But it was still more than what she thought she could ever achieve, especially on her first mission outside of Konoha! To say that it did wonders for her self-esteem would be an understatement.
She wondered if Naruto would compliment her after all this was said and done. The thought alone set her face on fire as she imagined the blonde's radiant grin, telling her she did a great job.
"It's a little too early for you to let your guard down, kid." A gruff voice suddenly said, shocking the blue-haired genin.
Settling back into a combat stance, Hinata was just about ready to activate her Byakugan once more when she realised that the reading on Naruto's [Map] and [Search] didn't show any hostile signals.
"I've been watching your fight for a few minutes now." Zabuza grunted as he landed in front of her. "You're really lucky I'm not an enemy."
"T-that…You're right." Hinata bit her lip, her eyes downcast. "I'm sorry."
Just like that, her self-esteem plummeted back to how it was before. Maybe even lower. How could she have been so careless? She was in an active battlefield; she should've known better than to drop her guard the way she did. This was exactly why her own family thought her to be incompetent!
"I'm not your teacher. There's no need to apologise to me. But well…" Zabuza frowned deeply, scratching at his chin. "I guess you did pretty good for a brat."
"Eh?" She squeaked, looking back up at the ex-Mist jōnin.
"Pulling off that jutsu like you did was decent work. Making three at once takes at least a good grasp of the basics, as well as good chakra control. All you really need at this point is to refine it so that you can make more, and faster." Zabuza turned to walk away. "So stop looking like I just drowned your puppy. You did good."
Hinata blinked. Was this Zabuza's way of being considerate? She could hardly believe her ears, but she recalled the fact that Haku was practically raised by Zabuza. Could it be that something similar had happened in the past? A small smile returning to her face, Hinata couldn't help but let out a small giggle.
It seemed that even Demons had their soft spots.
"Um…T-thank you!" Hinata bowed. "I'll be more careful in the future."
Zabuza merely grunted back as he began walking, not sparing her a single glance. Instead, he looked at the unconscious body of one of the mercenaries.
"Though if there were one thing I'd really have to critique, it's the fact that you left them alive."
"H-huh?"
"Don't 'huh?' me, you're a ninja, aren't you?"
"B-but killing someone…I-I-I couldn't!"
"Tch, just what is Kakashi teaching you brats…Or could it just be a generational thing?" Zabuza lamented, shaking his head. "You're just the same as Haku."
"I am?" Hinata asked, wide-eyed in surprise.
"Forget it." The sword-wielding jōnin grunted. "Looks like we're done for the day, anyway."
Haku's wall of ice shattered with a loud crack. But not by the hands of Daichi and his men, but by Haku's own.
In its place were a series of wooden platforms as well as stairs, wobbly precariously as the last archer walked down the stairs. Now that the main structure they had been leaning against was gone, the system of platforms was held together only by the trusses in the middle of their structure.
Still, the fact that they still stood was a testament to Tazuna's skill in construction, the man having volunteered the talents of him and his crew to help build the platforms.
Naruto nodded to himself in satisfaction after confirming that Gatō's men were in full retreat. Leaping down from a nearby tree, the blonde let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks for holding out as long as you did, Haku." He said to the older teen.
"Don't worry about it." Haku had a smile on his face, but its strained nature was not lost on Naruto. "I'm just glad it worked as well as it did. It certainly surprised me when you proposed this idea."
"I'm glad it worked too." Naruto laughed sheepishly.
It had been a risky gamble, after all. They had been considering their next move for when Gatō's forces finally began to approach, and the obvious conclusion had been that they couldn't afford to mount a defence directly around the town. No, they had to stop their advance long before they ever reached the town.
The question had been: how?
And while his ancestors and team had been discussing this point, Naruto had thought of something.
"Say…" Naruto began, an idea slowly coming to life in his head. "If we just needed something physical to block them with, why not use Haku's mirrors?"
The suggestion had given everyone pause, silence suddenly filling the room. Eventually, Haku shook his head.
"That won't work, it takes a lot of chakra for me to make a dome like before, nevermind an entire war." He said.
"But what if you could reduce that?" Naruto asked. "Like you make the mirrors really thin or something?"
"I suppose I could, but that'd make them a lot weaker." The brown-haired teen frowned. "A good hit would break them easily."
"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of using the mirrors as a wall then?" Sasuke interjected. "Making them easy to break in exchange for having more of them seems…counterintuitive."
"That's true." Naruto nodded, a small smirk slowly forming. "But what if the enemy doesn't know that?"
Naruto's confidence raised the eyebrows of everyone else in the room. Seeing their waiting silence, the blonde genin continued.
"So long as the enemy thinks of the wall as some sort of insurmountable obstacle, they won't try to get near it. Even more so if we take the initiative away from them by attacking first."
"Arisa-chan!" He suddenly exclaimed, turning towards the startled girl.
"Y-yes?!" She yelped in response.
"You guys have regular arrows around here, right?" Naruto fervently asked, his mind working at top speed. "Not just the wooden ones we quickly made to do the fire attack, but regular, steel-tipped ones?"
"I can answer that." Tazuna spoke up. "Some of us did a little hunting on the opposite shore. You know, back when Gatō hadn't set his sights on this country. That's why we had enough men who knew how to use a bow for that attack of yours earlier."
"So…is that a yes?"
"Well…Yes, but we don't have many."
"Hmmm…" Naruto hummed. "Then Haku, do you think you'll still be able to make senbon after creating the wall? If we were to assume that you made it as thin as possible? What about platforms for archers?"
"I guess if I conserved as much chakra as I could while making the wall, I would be able to manage a handful of volleys." The ice-user replied, starting to catch on to Naruto's plan. "The platforms...I'm not so sure."
"You do realise that I'm a bridge-builder, right?" Tazuna harrumphed dramatically. "Getting a few platforms up quickly is nothing to me and my crew!"
"Then, there we go!" Naruto grinned. "If we alternate between arrows and senbon, it should put enough pressure on them that they won't approach the wall. As for the chakra, if I boost you, that should solve it."
"I see." Kakashi cupped his chin. "In that case, they'll likely try to take cover within the forest."
"And what if they try to get around the wall that way?" Zabuza challenged.
"If they do try that, they likely won't send large groups of people. In which case, we shinobi can lie in wait to ambush them."
"Sounds like my kind of plan, but can you guarantee that none of them will break through? I'm confident in my tracking skills, and I'm sure Kakashi is no slouch either. But what about you three?"
"I have something in mind for that." Naruto smiled mysteriously. "I just need your hand for a bit."
And after showing everyone the capabilities of [Map] and [Search], as well as [Full Over] to boost Haku, there were no further objections. Arisa and Tazuna gathered as many arrows as they could, with some of the fishermen volunteering their spears as extra projectiles. Meanwhile, Naruto and Haku determined the best place to construct the wall, as well as getting everyone used to the effects of Naruto's Skills.
Thankfully, the plan went ahead without a hitch. Paralyzed by the onslaught of projectiles, the mercenaries were pinned down and didn't attempt to breach the wall through a frontal attack. Their attempts at circumnavigating the wall were only met with failure as the other ninja intercepted them, with Naruto maintaining his Skills to spot their locations.
The only part that worried them at the beginning was when Daichi damaged one of the mirrors, but thankfully Haku managed to strengthen that one just in time for it to hold.
Naruto couldn't help but grin as another victory was earned that day. And the best part? He came up with the plan himself! His satisfaction was evident for all to see, including his ancestors.
[Hahahah, as expected of my grandson!] The Seventh roared with laughter. [We'll make a tactician out of you yet!]
[Misdirection can be a matter of life or death on a battlefield,] The Third said in a singsong voice. [It just so happens that it's also fun!]
[I'm pretty sure that's just you.] The Fifth sighed.
[If it were me, I would've just taken them all head on!] The First huffed.
[Knowing you, you probably would've succeeded that way too…] The Second groaned. [Somehow, anyway.]
[That aside, isn't it about time?] The Sixth interjected, bringing everyone's focus back to the situation at hand.
[Naruto, your chakra should've recovered a good deal by now, right?] The Eighth asked.
Naruto rolled the Jewel forward as if nodding. Even with the drain from maintaining his Skills for the duration of this battle, he was confident in saying that he was able to actively fight once more. By tomorrow morning, he should've had at least more than half of his reserves recovered.
[Good.] His father said. [Then it should be about time to end this.]
[It's time to bring the fight to them.]
A/N: And that's the end of it. Not exactly the longest chapter after a 5-month wait, but I cut it short here because I think I've gone on too long without an update. As I said at the beginning, I really don't have too much of an excuse for taking so long, so I do apologize for that. It's sometimes hard to justify spending time on writing when I'm usually coming home in the evening while tired out from work. I'll work something out eventually, but for now, chapters will continue to be a bit sporadic.
Til the next one,
Sul~