DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK HAHA, I DO NOT RECOMMEND GETTING SICK I'LL TELL YOU THAT MUCH)
Twelve VS. Seven
- Somewhere in Migashisonogi: 10:30 PM -
To the dismay of Shino, Ino, and Naruto, they honestly thought that they were going to accomplish a lot of things today but their main goal, for now, was to locate the so-called "Red-Light District" in town.
Its location is not well-known for obvious reasons due to the type of work that is done there, sure you could stumble upon it through sheer luck but that would take too long. Asuma opted to do the asking to find out where the location was, he finally got an answer after a while of asking. He then told his students that all they can do was scout around the area to find good hiding spots to observe from afar as well as set up escape routes just in case things get hairy for them. But until then, they'll have to wait for the district to open late at night.
Once it was around midnight, the district became busier by the minute. One thing is certain, and that is business here is not affected despite the presence of the gang. It could be because the gang leader himself is a customer or the fact that sex still sells well in the town.
Asuma accompanied his three students while they were observing a brothel from afar, a lot of men poured inside the building to do "business" if you will. There were a lot of women standing on a balcony wearing rather revealing clothing articles whilst trying their best to look seductive. Out of his three students, Ino was the most uncomfortable but Asuma told her that she needs to get used to this sort of thing as a shinobi. She has to accept the fact that she'll see a lot of things in her career as a ninja, and this was merely scratching the surface. Shino remained expressionless whereas Naruto, was blushing at the sight of the female form and how could you blame him?
"Alright, listen closely. The plan is to wait for our target to arrive, wait for him to finish his business there, and then we'll follow him to wherever he goes. That way, we can get a rough idea of his usual routine. And from there, we can determine windows of opportunities to deal with him. Any questions?" Asuma asked his students, but none of them raised any questions though.
Team 10 continued to watch from afar as it got later and later but alas, no one fitted the description the bartender gave Asuma. Despite this setback, he still wanted to get something out of it, their team had no idea what the inside of the building looked like and this is where Shino comes in.
Asuma ordered his student to send some of his bugs to go inside the building and see what the situation was. Shino did as he was told and sent some of his beetles there, Shino then got an answer from his bugs after a while of waiting. Apparently, the brothel had no other windows other than the ones up front and the ones on the balcony. It had a hallway with rooms on all sides, there were no windows to ensure maximum privacy. His initial plan involved Naruto, he was to use the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) to pretend to be a prostitute, seduce Gato, and dispatch him while they were alone inside a room. Seal Gato in a scroll since Naruto told him that he now knows how to do basic sealing, he will then create a clone to pretend to be Gato and leave the brothel like nothing ever happened. But that was a bit too much for Naruto to do, he had no doubt about Naruto's skills but expecting him to do the mission alone was a stupid idea and a risky one too. Sure he could do it himself but that defeats the purpose of training his students since this would serve as a good experience for them. Asuma then told his students that their job there was done and their next task was to scout around Gato's fort just like the bartender told him the other day.
- The Next Day -
Team 10 was walking in the woods in search of Gato's aforementioned fort. It took a while to get there but they were finally able to find it and the bartender was right, you'll know you're there once you see it. Saying it was huge was an understatement which explains the bartender's use of the term "bigass" the other day. He wasn't kidding about the size, and due to its size, it's safe to assume that it houses a lot of his soldiers to guard and obey his every command.
It had high walls and was surrounded by a moat, it had a large drawbridge too. Guards could be seen walking on the walls, and breaking and entering inside the premises will surely be tough. And taking on a lot of enemies is not a wise course of action since they were heavily outnumbered. It did not matter that they were trained ninjas, they were still human after all, and charging head-on is just suicide.
Asuma contemplated how they were going to get a closer look inside the fort, they could find a vantage point and look from there but there were none in the area. An idea popped in his mind when he saw a bird flying up above, he looked at Ino and told her to use her clan's techniques to control the bird and get a closer look. Ino nodded and performed her jutsu, the Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Change Technique).
Ino then aimed her jutsu at the bird, triggered the jutsu and it was a success. She was able to hijack the bird's mind and control its body herself, her body went limp but Naruto was able to catch it thus preventing it from hitting the ground. Ino then flew above the fort and tried her best to remember the rough layout of the area. She then flew to the very top of the fort and landed on the railing to see that the room was empty, Gato wasn't there as well. Ino decided to keep looking and see more of the place and keep note of any notable features that would be valuable to them. Once that was done, Ino released her jutsu and her mind returned to her body only to see Naruto's face up close eyes. This flustered her, her face was extremely close to his but something was odd about him. She kind of liked the way he looked in the sunlight, Naruto then realized that Ino was back in her body thus giving her a foxy grin. He then asked her how it went. She peeled herself off of Naruto and cleared her throat to report her findings to her team.
She saw that the courtyard was littered with guards and that the fort had around. The fort had five floors and the top being his master bedroom, she also informed her team that Gato wasn't there as well much to the disappointment of their sensei and teammates.
Asuma sighed and told them that they have nothing else to do there, their team left and it was back to the drawing board again as they headed back to the inn. As they were walking in the forest, they noticed that it was getting a bit foggy which was a bit odd. Mori no Kuni (Land of Forests) is a long way away from Mizu no Kuni (Land of Water) where fog is a common thing. This alerted Asuma, he then told his students to be aware of their surroundings given the fact that they were surrounded by trees. Mori no Kuni (Land of Forests) has denser forests compared to their homeland in Konoha where there were still a lot of trees but the trees were far enough from each other. Here, space was an issue for them since the forest was packed so tightly.
The fog continued to become thicker and thicker, Asuma stopped in his tracks and so did his students. "Keep your guards up, something's not right" Asuma told his students.
Senbons began to fly directly at them from many directions, Asuma and Shino quickly performed jutsus that would create a wall. "Doton: Doryuheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)/Hijutsu: Mushisaikuron (Hidden Jutsu: Insect Wall)" they said respectively. Both a wall of earth and bugs prevented their team from being a pin cushion as a result. Asuma's earth wall then crumbled once its purpose was fulfilled and Shino on the other hand recalled his bugs that survived the attack.
Asuma was looking around to see where their opponent was coming from but at the very last second, Asuma turned around to block their opponent's blade. He saw what their assailant looked like, and he was sure as hell that this was someone not to be messed with or taken lightly.
The person was very lean and fairly tall, he sported long and shaggy straw-blonde hair. And his face was covered by a porcelain ANBU mask with slits as eye-holes and the symbol of Kirigakure was etched on its forehead. The man wielded a rather odd yet well-known blade, known as the Nuibari (Sewing Needle). The man cackled maniacally as he pushed his blade harder into Asuma's trench knives. Shino, Ino, and Naruto were quite shocked at what was occurring since it all happened so quickly, that they didn't even have enough time to react.
"Kushimari Kuriare, one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shu (Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist)… Get away from him, he's not someone you can deal with just yet" Asuma said to his students
"That's right kids, listen to your sensei. Run as far as you can, I love a good chase. But as much as I would love to do that, I'll have someone keep you occupied for now" the man taunted as he laughed. It was safe to say that this man was rather unhinged. A barrage of bullets then emerged from the fog which the three of them were able to dodge, thankfully there were plenty of trees to serve as cover. Naruto then saw one of the projectiles and picked it up, he wasn't sure if he was losing his mind but he's pretty sure the projectile was a bone.
"Kushimaru-sama, what would you like me to do with these people" a young man with pale skin, green eyes, shoulder-length white hair, and two scarlet dots on his forehead. He wore a black shirt, a green haori, a pair of black shinobi pants, and a pair of shinobi sandals.
"Keep them preoccupied Kimimaro, looks like I have a bounty to redeem later on. Isn't that right Sarutobi Asuma? According to the updated Bingo Book, your bounty is now 35 million Ryo, I would certainly love to have that much money. Won't you help me out Asuma?" Kushimaru said as he laughed once more.
"Don't worry Asuma-sensei, we can handle this guy. It's three to one after all" Naruto said to their sensei
"Don't be too sure of yourself kid" Kushimaru chuckled
Kimimaro took this as a sign from his master to show what he can do, "Yanagi no Mai (Dance of the Willow)" Kimimaro said as the bones began to protrude out of his body. Kimimaro then went into a fighting stance as he looked at Naruto. "Come and show me what you got" he said to Naruto specifically.
Naruto was quite shocked at what he saw earlier, he literally witnessed a person with bone coming out of his body as if it was nothing. Ino was in shock as well due to how unnatural it was in her opinion whereas Shino remained silent yet deep down he was also surprised.
"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)" Naruto yelled after which a multitude of copies of himself appeared in the forest, all of which were staring down at Kimimaro. "IKUZE!" the original yelled as he and his clones rushed towards Kimimaro.
Naruto and his clones then took out their kunais in an attempt to stab Kimimaro but all his attempts were foiled when his clones were dispelled by his opponent. Kimimaro kept slashing and swiping at Naruto thus preventing the blonde from getting close in the first place. His bones were hard and sharp enough to dispel Naruto's clones before they can even land a hit on him. Naruto knew he had to try something else, he then decided to use his Nebaiken style. More clones rushed toward Kimimaro, but this time they were going to use what they practiced. Kimimaro was able to take out the first few clones but after a while, one of Naruto's clones was able to get a hold of Kimimaro. The clone then applied chakra to stick to Kimimaro but Naruto was shocked to learn that his clone was still dispelled and the reason was unknown to him.
Naruto's clones were beginning to run out as Kimimaro dispelled each and every one of them until only the original was left. Kimimaro started at Naruto and his eyes showed disappointment at the blonde, Naruto knew what Kimimaro was implying to which he gritted his teeth.
"Is that the best you can do?" Kimimaro taunted
"I'm not finished yet!" Naruto exclaimed as he created more clones of himself. All of his clones ran around Kimimaro thus surrounding him from all sides. Naruto performed the following hand seals: Rat – Tiger – Dog – Ox – Rabbit – Tiger, "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Technique)" Naruto yelled as he and his clones performed the same jutsu. A barrage of fireballs began to fly at Kimimaro from all angles, Kimimaro was able to dodge each fireball with ease despite the sheer amount of it with the use of his dances that he utilizes in conjunction with his sword fighting. Kimimaro dodged, side-stepped, flipped and rolled thus preventing from being hit. One last fireball was coming at him and he easily jumped over it. Naruto smirked and Kimimaro knew he planned for this all along.
The ground cracked and revealed a clone that was about to grab his ankles while he was in mid-air, this was Naruto's specialty where he places a clone underground to surprise his enemy. "NOW!" Naruto yelled to his teammates to which they took the opportunity Naruto provided them now that Kimimaro was in a rather awkward spot.
Ino performed the Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique) to stun him in place whereas Shino threw a handful of kunais at Kimimaro. Kimimaro needed to make a move quickly in order to counter their attacks. Using one of his dances, "Karamatsu no Mai (Dance of the Larch)" Kimimaro said as he made some of his bones protrude out of his feet to stab the hands of Naruto's clone thus dispelling it. Kimimaro then pointed each of his five fingers at both Shino and Ino, "Teshi Sendan (Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets)" he said as he shot bone bullets which were made of the bones on his fingertips. These projectiles were launched at a high speed thus forcing Ino to cancel her jutsu, this also collided with the kunais Shino threw at him. Kimimaro then gracefully landed on the ground without breaking a sweat.
- With Asuma -
Asuma and Kushimaru were far away from their proteges since Shino, Ino, Naruto, and Kimimaro took their fight somewhere else. Asuma and Kushimaru were staring at one another, waiting for the other to make a move.
"So tell me Asuma, what brings you here around the area? Surely you're not snooping around Gato, are you?" Kushimaru asked
"I'm here to get rid of the gang I'm assuming you're part of. And what's one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shu (Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist) doing here in Mori no Kuni?" Asuma asked
"I want to answer 'What's it to you?' but I'll answer your question. There's a new Mizukage in Kiri and I don't like how she's running the damn place, she's way too soft for my tastes and the place is now a far cry from the Blood Mist I grew up in. And also, working for Gato pays. It's as simple as that. Lastly, I'm not part of his gang. I prefer to work alone"
"Alone huh? From what I've heard, you're supposed to be the most unhinged one in your group which was why you wanted to work alone. What's with the change of heart for you to decide to take on a pet project?" Asuma continued to ask
Kushimari chuckled at Asuma's questions, "You're that interested huh? I just found the bastard roaming around Mizu no Kuni, fucker won't leave me alone. Telling him to fuck off was starting to become a pain in the ass so I just decided to bring him with me" he answered
"Doesn't matter, I'll get rid of Gato one way or another" Asuma replied
"Not if I have anything to say about that, as long as he keeps paying me. You'll have to go through me" Kushimaru cackled as he vanished from Asuma's sight. Kushimaru was not only one of Kiri's ninja swordsmen but he was also of the same rank as him, Jounin. Meaning to say, that this fight was more or less an even playing field. One must wonder what would happen if one of the Twelve Ninja Guardians were to fight against one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
(A/N: Well would you look at that, Kimimaro isn't with Orochimaru. I've seen plenty of fics where Kimimaro never left Orochimaru so I decided to give him a new companion/master. Also decided to let Zabuza rest this time haha, time for a different swordsman to shine. I thought Kushimaru was dope when I saw him in the Fourth Shinobi War, and wouldn't it make sense of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to train Kimimaro who uses his bones as bladed or pointed weapons. And guess what? Kushimaru uses the Nuibari which is literally a Sewing Needle Sword. Lemme know what you think of this idea, I'm quite proud of it haha if Im being honest, but yeah that's about it. I also wondered what would happen if different groups fought against other groups like what if Suna's Puppet Brigade fought Iwa's Explosion Force, just a thought. Anyway I hope all of you are still enjoying this fic, please RnR and thanks for the continued support. Shoutout to GunBlade2022, thanks for your review. That's all cheers ^^)