This Chapter is going to be *mostly* centered on Team Eleven.
Chapter Thirteen: The Mist Encroaches
(Road to Wave - Land of Fire - Team Eleven)
Aoba motioned for Tazuna to take a seat as he pulled a scroll from his pouch. He sat down as well with a pen ready to write. The bridge builder sat down near and squirmed a little under the glances Aoba sent him.
"Do you care to explain yourself?" Aoba inquired after Tazuna flinched an eighth time.
"... I lied about the kind of danger I was expecting." Tazuna confessed while wringing his hands in an effort to prevent himself from reaching for his sake jug. "It was wrong, but we didn't really have any choice…"
Aoba glanced up from his writing. "Do tell." He commanded. "Or I call this mission off from the lack of intel."
Tazuna grimaced. "The Land of Waves is in dire straits sir. Look… It isn't bandits after us. A powerful shipping magnate named Gato has bought out and taken over well… Everything."
"Gato... Of the Gato Company?"
Tazuna nodded in sadness before wiping his mouth. "Yes. He's a vile wicked man… Uses his legitimate businesses as a front to commit heinous crimes. Wave is under threat… His henchmen work to keep everyone in line and I've seen… Seen some real terrible things. He wants me dead so that I cannot build the bridge to the Land of Fire as I want. If I do it, he loses what control he has over us, and that is why I must succeed." He paused for a moment before adding. "However I never expected Gato would hire Shinobi to do his dirty work."
Aoba sat silent and still, staring at Tazuna who was worried while the inscrutable Jonin contemplated.
I could abandon the mission entirely and face no repercussions from the Hokage considering the blatant disregard for procedure… However, it's warranted. I can understand why he did what he did based on what little he's actually said. The Land of Wave probably has little to no money of its own outside of Gato's control. Aoba hummed with his thoughts and turned to look at the others who stood watching the prisoners as he stood up. "You wait here Tazuna." He then walked away leaving the bridge builder to let out a sullen groan as he leaned back.
Aoba wasted little time as he marched to the Genin under his command and looked at each of them.
"So, what's up?" Sasuke decided to inquire, his arms crossed and his head tilted and turned to the side as he looked up at the Jonin.
"I'm debating." Aoba responded as the others moved in closer and they were standing in a diamond formation, watching each other's blind spots at once. I'm so proud of them! "Normal protocol dictates that we abandon this mission due to the dangers involved. I have also learned from Tazuna he wasn't malicious in his intent to deceive us. I believe he only thought bandits were the least of his worries."
"So… You want our opinion then?" Sakura piped up and asked.
Kaida frowned in confusion as she rubbed her forearms but remained silent.
Aoba nodded, and continued onto his query. "Should we help him and continue to Wave, into a certain unknown danger considering the gravity of enemy Shinobi. Or should we leave him and the people to their devices and in the very same danger."
Sakura's shocked gasp drew the other's attention. "I… I don't think we should leave them in such danger."
"But, why are you considering it sensei?" Kaida decided to throw her own confusion out as she gestured her right hand to the side, her hips tilting as she asked. "In all seriousness, we shouldn't be on B rank missions or higher."
"Because." Sasuke interjected as Aoba was about to respond, looking back at Tazuna. "They're like cows to slaughter for… Gato was it?" He asked and continued when he got a nod from the Jonin despite the semi-confused look he received. "I say we do it sensei, we can send a missive back to Konoha asking for any reserve teams to be sent to us while we continue as backup allowance protocol allows. Even if Wave cannot afford to pay for any mission B or A ranked, they could get the money quite easily after their economy stabilizes with their bridge. As well as improve the quality of life of the rest of the Land of Fire with more trade."
Kaida hummed in thought. "So… If we can get help, yeah. I say we do it."
"Either way, I think we should as well." Sakura says, clenching her fist in a determined manner. "Let's go save them all."
I swear they're growing up quickly. Aoba thought as tears almost welled up in his eyes. "Then I'll prepare the message asking for the reserve team to come as well in the update for Hokage-sama on the new mission threat status. From this moment on, Team Eleven is on it's first provisional B Rank mission that has the risk to upgrade to A Rank. Be warned, there is a chance you will have to kill and hesitation would mean your own life." He ignored the 'we know!' chorus from the Genin. "Sasuke, I want you and Sakura to make sure those two won't wake up for pickup from the TI squad. Kaida, prepare a shallow ditch and camouflage it. We move as soon as the missive and your tasks are finished!"
"Yes Sensei!" The Genin shouted and broke off to do the tasks set to them, with Aoba walking back to Tazuna while pushing his sunglasses up his nose.
Tazuna looked up from where he was staring at the ground dejectedly to see Aoba standing above him when the shadow crossed his vision. "So… I'm screwed aren't I?"
"On the contrary. We decided that we're continuing the mission." Aoba smirked. "Consider yourself lucky… Although, do not lie again or I might change my mind."
"Yes sir!" Tazuna exclaimed.
Within the start of the next hour, the group resumed their trip. A messenger hawk soared through the sky back to Konoha, while the pair of unconscious nukenin lay in a shallow ditch hidden under a tree for pickup.
(With Hiruzen - Back in Konoha, three days into Team Eleven's Journey)
Sarutobi Hiruzen was enjoying one of his rare breaks in his office, smoking on a pipe and reading a fresh novel with a familiar orange cover courtesy of his student. Missions assigned for the day, paperwork managed and caught up on, and so far nothing wrong when I last checked on Team Eleven. He glanced at the crystal ball sitting on his desk for a moment before shrugging and puffing on his pipe a few more times. He couldn't help but feel good today. Jiraiya-kun is making sure Team Seven is doing nicely as well. Absolutely nothing can go wrong. He thought. At first.
A loud knock echoed from his door and he looked up to where the door was already opening. "Something had better gone wrong." Hiruzen warned before he saw a chunin bow quickly.
"Y-yes sir, we just received a messenger hawk from Yamashiro-"
Hiruzen felt his gut drop some, sitting up straighter in his chair. "The scroll, now!" He snapped his fingers with urgency.
"Right." The chunin tossed the sealed scroll at the directive, and dashed out of the office before he could be ordered too.
Hiruzen unravelled the string that sealed the document, reading the contents with rapid focus.
"This is going to be a long week…" He groused, leaning back in his chair upon finishing and lighting up another batch of tobacco in his pipe. "Cat, fetch me Kakashi-san and his team."
"Yes Hokage-sama." A cat-masked ANBU woman with purple hair appeared before him in a bow before turning and vanishing through the door.
(Four days later; Back with Team Eleven)
"Ugh… How much longer?" Kaida complained from her spot walking behind Sakura, looking around her at Aoba.
"Hush, it won't be much longer if you don't keep complaining." Aoba chastised as he led the group down the road. "We've only just entered the Land of Waves, right Tazuna?"
Tazuna nodded with a heavy grunt. "Yes, we have. The air is much cooler here now that we aren't in the Land of Fire anymore." He was looking more relaxed, and the others nodded in recognition of his statement.
"On our right!" Sasuke shouted, flinging his arm out to throw a kunai at a bush that shook and rustled. Another one on the left of that shook, and he flung his arm out again to attack that spot.
"What is it?" Sakura inquired as she walked over and checked, before gasping. "Sasuke-kun, why'd you attack a rabbit?" She bent down and picked up a shaking white-furred rabbit, using gentle pets in an attempt to soothe it.
"I sensed an enemy." Sasuke started to defend himself, his arms raised defensively when Sakura began to get irritated at him.
"You attacked a rabbit instead! Aren't you better at telling what is fals-"
"He's not a wild rabbit." Kaida chirped, staring at the rabbit. And all of the Genin stared at the lapine in surprise, realizing it's white fur was anomalous during the summer.
"So… What's that got to do with it?" Sakura shouted at Kaida as a whistling sound approached.
Aoba's eyes widened from under his sunglasses as he reacted. "Get down!" He shouted, pulling the confused Tazuna down to the ground as Sasuke reacted to do the same for his teammates. They ducked just in time, a massive sword twirling through where they were all standing while looking at the rabbit. He pulled out two kunai in a swift motion, braced at the ready as he looked to where the attack came from. With a loud wrenching noise the sword collided deep into a tree with point inward.
"Well well, I missed." A voice snarled from nearby. "Figures, I only want the old man." Standing on top of the massive sword, a tall six foot shinobi with his face half-masked by bandages. A shinobi headband with the Kirigakure symbol worn sideways on his head framed his dark brown eyes, and he stood with his chest almost bare beside a belt for a holster on his back. His pants are a light blue striped pattern. Mimetic wrist warmers and matching leg warmers adorned his wrists and ankles above his sandals.
"I'll give you a chance to release the old man and let you all leave. I'm only being paid for his death." The man declared, flexing his muscles and unleashing his killing intent upon all present. Dropping from the sword, he pulled it from the tree and began to stalk forth with predatory intent.
Sakura and Kaida dropped to their knees from attempting to stand up, gasping for air. Even Sasuke began to sweat as he looked up in fear at the man above. Tazuna was worse off, falling prone and curling up into a fetal position.
Aoba recovered the fastest, intercepting a slash from the enemy that almost struck Tazuna and grunting from the effort to deflect the massive weapon. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline… Zabuza Momochi."
"Ah, so you know my name." The enemy shinobi growled as he pressed down with superior strength in an attempt to push Aoba out of the way.
Aoba bent over backwards, opting the path of least resistance with a kick up to Zabuza's jaw by flipping. He pushed back to grab Tazuna and get out of the way of the sword slamming into the ground.
Sasuke began to pull out a kunai from his ammo punch when, feeling the intensity of the enemy's killing intent growing stronger. This pressure… It's so harsh. He's going to kill us. He thought as he turned his head to eye Zabuza who's attention was full on Aoba. I'll take- Clenching the weapon tighter, he was about to stab his own heart when he redirected his own motion to slash his leg. The jolt of pain cleared his mind and he turned around, flashing through hand seals. "Fire Style: Flame Dragon Shot!" No! I can't let him beat me!
Zabuza turned around at the last moment, and moved out of the way of several large fireballs being shot from the Genin's mouth that would incinerate the ground he was standing on in a wide margin. Raising the Kubikiribocho, he slashed at Sasuke only to tsk in annoyance as the Uchiha dodged.
Before he could slash again, Kaida came in on his left forcing Zabuza to react and avoid damage from two well aimed kunai. Reading her range with experience, Zabuza stepped back and kicked the other Uchiha brat in the face, sending her flying before her follow up attack could even be enacted.
Zabuza even had to dodge a brace of shuriken launched from Sakura, who utilized a wire mechanism to assist her and hurl the dangerous stars with piercing force that pelted the ground with deep gouges. He jumped away from the group of Genin, landing further down the road and regarding the four opponents before him. "You're very annoying brats."
Aoba appeared with a shunshin, entering Zabuza's space and throwing his arm forth to attempt a slash to the kiri-nin's face. Zabuza reacted, drawing the Kubikiribocho free and deflecting the attack with ease. In response, he slammed his hand into Aoba's throat and lifted him into the air as he drew the weapon further and held the Jonin in one of the circular cutouts. "Last chance for you Konoha. Leave the bridge builder to me or die."
Zabuza was not expecting the Aoba he was holding to burst into smoke, and wires to explode around him in a spiralling formation.
Sasuke held the wire strand in his grasp, and pulled with force and a grunt! The wires alighted with oil burning along them, racing to Zabuza who actually seemed impressed before he vanished in a mist replacement just as Aoba replaced with a scroll.
"Then I'll just…" The mist grew more intense, permeating the surroundings with a complete nature.
"Hiding in Mist." Aoba realized, and beckoned the Genin to him to surround Tazuna as the mist's prevalence grew until it choked out all around in dense fog. The few sounds of nature around dimmed. "A silent killing technique. I should've known he'd resort to this. Be on your guard, you won't know where the attack comes until it's almost too late."
A dark chuckle echoed throughout the fog in response, coming as if from all around at once. "And it will always be too late to defend against my silent killing technique. There are several points in your body that will guarantee your death… Do you want to know what they are before you die?"
Sasuke frowned as he glanced around, his worried expression on his face. Damn, I don't have my Sharingan yet…
"I could slit your carotid and watch you bleed in minutes." Zabuza taunted, and Kaida yelped in fright as she slashed at the space behind her with a kunai.
This prompted Aoba to draw in a breath as he gathered chakra through him, and with a burst flexed a wave that rushed the mist away from the group. Zabuza stood in the center of them, raising his weapon to strike down Kaida as her back was still turned from her frightful retaliation.
Sasuke and Sakura acted in tandem, moving on either side of Kaida and rolling up, raising their hands to smack the bottom of the kubikiribocho with palm strikes in hopes to raise the weapon enough to miss, as a sudden brave Tazuna acted to pull Kaida down and away from the dangerous blade.
Unperturbed, Zabuza's weapon still continued where it would've been despite the interference and cleaved a deep rung into the earth. He turned around, slamming his opposite palm against the hilt of the weapon to kick Aoba as the Jonin rushed in to attempt to attack behind his back.
Aoba grunted as he took the hit, being launched through the air to land in a massive pool of water that was a lake.
Smirking, Zabuza pulled the cleaver from the earth and ran with a burst of speed, getting behind Aoba in time for the Jonin to pull himself to the surface and begin forming the string of handseals for his Jutsu.
"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu." Zabuza summoned a prison of water that surrounded Aoba in suspended restraints. His right hand in the sphere, Zabuza turned to face the brats who still rebelled against him. "Now to deal with you lot." Holding up his left arm, he formed a one handed seal to create a Water Clone nearby.
"Shit." Sasuke panted, exhausted and grimacing. "We're not gonna be able to handle him on our own are we?"
"Don't give up Sasuke." Sakura stood by his side, holding her kunai in a reverse grip. Her headband was askew from the constant movements she made.
"Yeah." Kaida stepped onto the other side of her Clan-mate. "We're going to have to pull a victory out of our ass." She said with a deadpan, the footprint on her face present from the kick earlier.
"Hey… Uh." Tazuna stammered. "If you have anything up your sleeves, now is the time!"
Sasuke looked back at him, his eyes widening in realization, and then he stepped forward lifting his shirt from his body. Black lines were forming on his arms, stomach, and chest; twisting towards a point on his heart and forming a locking mechanism. He stepped onto the water, towards Zabuza as he gained a determined look.
A seal? What in the world? Zabuza frowned under his mask.
His clone rushed forth, rushing Sasuke with murderous intent and raising his weapon to slash through the teen.
Sasuke raised his left hand up, touching the point on his heart as well as lifting his right hand. The chakra glow from his fingers laced through to wave with the seal, and the black lines began to pulse a brilliant blue as they released. A snap was heard, and Sasuke hurled his fist forth to slam into the Zabuza-clone.
The water around them exploded into a concussion wave from the colliding forces. And then Sasuke ran out of it, trailing the water in a high speed slide to dodge a shuriken from the real Zabuza.
Okay, what the fuck. Zabuza created another Water clone, who moved in front of Sasuke to block with the Kubikiribocho. Sasuke slammed both of his feet into the blade, cracking it under the force as the cloned material sundered. However the clone remained, moving to kick the Genin with a savage blow.
Sasuke met it with one of his own, spinning with his hand turning and rearing back to clock the clone in the chin to raise it up. Twisting again, Sasuke raised up with both of his fists clenched right into the clone's stomach, bursting it into water. Another clone formed, rushing to Sasuke who was ready.
Sakura and Kaida stared with wide eyes and open mouths at what Sasuke was doing. "Holy…" "Crap…" They alternated in turn.
Aoba watched with a calculated understanding. The seals Naruto gifted Sasuke through Itachi and Shisui letting him in on their secret training methods. I understand now… Through undergoing incredible training every day, via putting higher pressure through themselves to fight every waking moment. No wonder those two are monstrous Genin.
Zabuza was the most confused, besides Tazuna, and looked incredibly frustrated as he summoned two more clones when Sasuke broke the one he sent forth in half with a knife thrust and splitting his hands. Somehow he went from being prodigal to monster level.
Sasuke was thrilled. He danced back and avoided the relative slow slash he saw coming from one of the clones, and then tumbled around the slash from the other to roll along and slap his feet against the second clone and take off into the air. The speed I can move at. The strength I release. The Pressure Seals are incredible! Why did I never think to release this before?
He spun through the air, landing on the spot behind Zabuza. Ignoring the clones he withdrew a kunai from his pouch, stabbing at the opponent with a rapid thrust.
The water prison burst from the strike as Aoba tumbled out, hacking up water. "Sasuke, look out. He let me go." He lay on the water, unable to move as he watched in worry.
Sasuke moved back to put some distance, but he felt a hand clench tightly on his arm.
Zabuza's visage became surrounded in a demonic aura, his sword drawn and a hand clenching tightly around Sasuke's wrist. "I severely underestimated you boy. But I'm done holding back."
W-why can't I move?! Sasuke thought as he tried to pull away. He felt weakened, his body spasming from exertion.
"Whatever you did had a weakness. You get a burst of power in exchange for damage inflicted upon your body. However, you won't live to correct your mistake." Zabuza angled the Kubikiribocho around Sasuke's neck.
Aoba rolled around and threw six senbon, striking Zabuza in the back. Hitting his shoulders, legs, and lower back in dual points his chakra funneled down the wires attached to them from using his paralysis Jutsu. Zabuza collapsed from the effect, sinking to his knees.
"H-how?" He asked in a choked voice.
"Needed you to be distracted. The reluctance to outright kill me and my team was your weakness I wanted to exploit." Aoba clenched the wires tighter. "Now you're going to-"
Zabuza's eyes rolled back into his head as two senbon pierced his neck from the side, and he fell lifeless onto the ground.
"Fuck." Aoba grimaced and turned ready to defend when a Kiri hunter nin appeared before him.
"At ease. I have no quarrel with you Konoha shinobi. I'm merely here for my mark." A calm and cool feminine voice echoed from behind the mask.
"You could have waited for me to interrogate my prisoner before killing him." Aoba groused with an irate tone.
"Apologies but I'm under strict orders to prevent Kiri missing ninja from spilling our secrets to outsiders. If you will, I must claim the body as it is my jurisdiction."
Aoba hummed, and nodded in an exhausted manner. "Very well I'll concede as we aren't in the Land of Fire."
Inclining their head, the hunter ninja collected Zabuza's lifeless body and vanished in a shunshin.
Immediately after, Aoba hobbled over to Sasuke to help him up and hold the Genin stable. "You doing okay Sasuke?" He asked with a touch of genuine concern while he rejoined the others.
"Yeah. Just… Unbelievably sore Aoba-sensei." Sasuke responded. "I don't even feel like this after working out with Father."
"Sasuke! Are you okay?!" Sakura exclaimed as soon as she was done patching up Kaida's face. The female Uchiha looked annoyed to still have a footprint on her face.
Aoba shook his head. "He'll be fine with some rest. Come, we're almost to Tazuna's hometown so let's get there and prepare."
"Alright sensei." The Genin agreed. Tazuna collected himself and stood, leading the group onward to his village.
Why do I feel like something is wrong. Aoba wondered to himself as he led the group.
Welp. This took way longer to finish than I thought. I had to deal with work life more than I wanted.
So, a major change here is Zabuza not being as motivated to kill Team Eleven. I have a reasoning for this. He's not paid any more to do so. I have a theory that in the Original Series the reason he wanted to kill Kakashi was to A) prove himself against another of his relative caliber. And B) Kakashi could have a bounty due to being "Kakashi of the Sharingan" and so killing him would mean more money for his goal (which was to amass money for another coup on Kirigakure.)
Thanks for Reading. Next chapter begins already in Wave, and it is already finished. I plan on posting it just before the new year.