Naruto froze up, seeing these two ninja ambush him. He didn't know what to
do. Sasuke, on the other hand, acted without hesitation. He leapt up into
the air, and pulled out a small shuriken. He flung it hard towards the
chains, pulling out a kunai dagger. With another powerful thrust, the kunai
sped through the air, and went right through the hole of the shuriken,
pinning the chain to a nearby tree.
"It won't come loose!" hissed the first ninja, pinned to the tree like his partner.
Sasuke landed on their mechanical arms, and with one hand on each gauntlet, he fired a kangaroo style kick into the ninja's skulls. The chain that connected the two ninjas snapped, and both flew in opposite directions. Sasuke landed crouched, thinking he was finished with them. The kick only dazed them, and now one was charging for Sakura and Mr. Tazuna while the other went for Naruto. Naruto dodged in time, but got his hand cut by the claws of the ninja's gauntlet.
Sakura was facing a different problem. The other and more scary looking ninja was charging for them, straightening his clawed hand.
"Here it comes!" she thought, "I've got to do something! I've got to!!"
"STAND BACK, SIR!!!" she cried, pulling out her own kunai dagger.
The creature thing still came charging for them at full speed. Sasuke saw this, and in the blink of an eye, he slid in front of Sakura to defend her. The ninja was about to attack when he ran right into a lariat strike.
"AAIEEGH..!" cried the choked warrior, who was flung up by none other, than Kakashi.
"Master Kakashi! You're alive!" said a relieved Sakura.
"Hmph." Thought Sasuke, "He had to butt in."
Naruto was still frozen from shock, but a sudden revelation came to him: He couldn't do anything within that moment, but Sasuke, who had never been in a real battle, acted like it was no big deal; he didn't even break a sweat, and yet, he managed to save Naruto's life.
"Are you okay," said Sasuke with a smug grin, "You big chicken?"
This made Naruto snap back into his usual grouchy mood.
"Naruto! This is no time for fighting." Said Kakashi, holding both limp ninjas in his arms, "Their claws are poisoned. We have to clean that wound as soon as possible."
Naruto looked at the gash on his hand with angered fear.
"For now, keep as still as possible to stop the poison from spreading." Commanded Kakashi, tying up the ninjas with their own chain.
"Who are they?" asked Mr.Tazuna.
"They seem to be journeymen level ninja of the Kirigakure Clan- Mist Ninjas." Explained Kakashi, stepping back from them, "These Shinobi are renowned for their willingness to fight on until their goal is achieved, even if it costs their own lives. Our attackers were obviously waylaying for us."
"How?" asked Sasuke.
"The sun is out, and it hasn't rained for several days, so there shouldn't have been any puddles on the ground."
"But if you knew all that, why did you even let those creeps attack you?" asked Mr. Tazuna.
"I could have killed them at any time," Replied Kakashi, "But..."
"I wanted to see...who their real target was."
None of them understood what Kakashi meant by that, so he explained it to them.
"But, Master Kakashi, this is way over our heads, right?" said Sakura, a little wiped out, "we'll need medicine for Naruto's wound before we can re- open and drain the poison. Can't we return to the village and have a doctor look at it?"
Kakashi paced a bit.
"Hmm...."
He thought for a moment.
"This is...COMPLICATED!" he sighed, "Do we go back now so we can make certain Naruto gets medical attention?"
Naruto had enough of this. Grabbing his kunai, he sunk the blade deep into his wounded hand. Out bled his contempt, his pain, his hatred and his rejection.
"Why am I so different?! I hate not fitting in!!!!" screamed Naruto, still firmly gripping the blade.
"NARUTO, WHAT ARE YOU--?! NO!! STOP THAT!!" cried Sakura, seeing the blood fall onto the dirt.
"By now, I should be really strong!" shouted Naruto, remembering his hours of uncut training, "But I blew it...Even though I've been doing tons of extra training every day on my own, trying to build my skills!"
Blood was still trickling onto the dirt, staining the soil.
"I swear no one's ever gonna have to save my life again...I'm not going to be the one who hangs back or freezes up..."
"I swear it...by the pain in my left hand..."
Naruto turned to face the group.
"I will protect the old man. Reporting, fit for duty, master!" answered Naruto, grinning in confidence and pain. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Author's note: If you wondering, this is somewhat copied, but for a very good reason! You'll find out in the next chapter, so hence forth, we must continue!
"It won't come loose!" hissed the first ninja, pinned to the tree like his partner.
Sasuke landed on their mechanical arms, and with one hand on each gauntlet, he fired a kangaroo style kick into the ninja's skulls. The chain that connected the two ninjas snapped, and both flew in opposite directions. Sasuke landed crouched, thinking he was finished with them. The kick only dazed them, and now one was charging for Sakura and Mr. Tazuna while the other went for Naruto. Naruto dodged in time, but got his hand cut by the claws of the ninja's gauntlet.
Sakura was facing a different problem. The other and more scary looking ninja was charging for them, straightening his clawed hand.
"Here it comes!" she thought, "I've got to do something! I've got to!!"
"STAND BACK, SIR!!!" she cried, pulling out her own kunai dagger.
The creature thing still came charging for them at full speed. Sasuke saw this, and in the blink of an eye, he slid in front of Sakura to defend her. The ninja was about to attack when he ran right into a lariat strike.
"AAIEEGH..!" cried the choked warrior, who was flung up by none other, than Kakashi.
"Master Kakashi! You're alive!" said a relieved Sakura.
"Hmph." Thought Sasuke, "He had to butt in."
Naruto was still frozen from shock, but a sudden revelation came to him: He couldn't do anything within that moment, but Sasuke, who had never been in a real battle, acted like it was no big deal; he didn't even break a sweat, and yet, he managed to save Naruto's life.
"Are you okay," said Sasuke with a smug grin, "You big chicken?"
This made Naruto snap back into his usual grouchy mood.
"Naruto! This is no time for fighting." Said Kakashi, holding both limp ninjas in his arms, "Their claws are poisoned. We have to clean that wound as soon as possible."
Naruto looked at the gash on his hand with angered fear.
"For now, keep as still as possible to stop the poison from spreading." Commanded Kakashi, tying up the ninjas with their own chain.
"Who are they?" asked Mr.Tazuna.
"They seem to be journeymen level ninja of the Kirigakure Clan- Mist Ninjas." Explained Kakashi, stepping back from them, "These Shinobi are renowned for their willingness to fight on until their goal is achieved, even if it costs their own lives. Our attackers were obviously waylaying for us."
"How?" asked Sasuke.
"The sun is out, and it hasn't rained for several days, so there shouldn't have been any puddles on the ground."
"But if you knew all that, why did you even let those creeps attack you?" asked Mr. Tazuna.
"I could have killed them at any time," Replied Kakashi, "But..."
"I wanted to see...who their real target was."
None of them understood what Kakashi meant by that, so he explained it to them.
"But, Master Kakashi, this is way over our heads, right?" said Sakura, a little wiped out, "we'll need medicine for Naruto's wound before we can re- open and drain the poison. Can't we return to the village and have a doctor look at it?"
Kakashi paced a bit.
"Hmm...."
He thought for a moment.
"This is...COMPLICATED!" he sighed, "Do we go back now so we can make certain Naruto gets medical attention?"
Naruto had enough of this. Grabbing his kunai, he sunk the blade deep into his wounded hand. Out bled his contempt, his pain, his hatred and his rejection.
"Why am I so different?! I hate not fitting in!!!!" screamed Naruto, still firmly gripping the blade.
"NARUTO, WHAT ARE YOU--?! NO!! STOP THAT!!" cried Sakura, seeing the blood fall onto the dirt.
"By now, I should be really strong!" shouted Naruto, remembering his hours of uncut training, "But I blew it...Even though I've been doing tons of extra training every day on my own, trying to build my skills!"
Blood was still trickling onto the dirt, staining the soil.
"I swear no one's ever gonna have to save my life again...I'm not going to be the one who hangs back or freezes up..."
"I swear it...by the pain in my left hand..."
Naruto turned to face the group.
"I will protect the old man. Reporting, fit for duty, master!" answered Naruto, grinning in confidence and pain. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Author's note: If you wondering, this is somewhat copied, but for a very good reason! You'll find out in the next chapter, so hence forth, we must continue!