A Team of Five
As some of you may have guessed already, being there is now Hinata in the equation the fighting here will be much different from the original. Sorry for the really long wait but I had too work some things out with this one. I always felt that the battle against the Demon Brothers was way too short so um I fixed that.
Hey I think I should warn everyone, I have the ghastly habit of killing people off in stories. So if there is anyone in particular you don't want to die you should tell me now. Except Naruto and Hinata I'm not gonna kill them anyway.
Chapter Six: Shinobi of the Mist
"So who's this loud kid again" asked the bridge builder, Tazuna, pointing to a twitching blonde shinobi.
They had just started off and Naruto was already going squirrely. It seemed Naruto had never before left the gates of Konoha and was rather excited.
Said ninja stopped looking from side to side to answer proudly "I am Uzumaki Naruto future Hokage. Remember my name because it's gonna be one you come to respect"
"Riiight. Kid even if you were the Hokage I wouldn't respect you. Hey am I really safe with him" Tazuna finished turning to Kakashi.
"Well, I'm a jounin so you should be ok" Kakashi answered.
"THAT'S IT! IM GONNA KILL 'EM" yelled Naruto struggling against Kakashi's grip on his jacket.
After walking for several minutes Hinata turned to Tazuna.
"Ano...T-Tazuna-san y-you come f-from Wave Country, yes? A-are t-there n-ninja there?" she asked timidly.
Kakashi choosing to answer for the older man looked at Hinata and began a long explanation of how the shinobi villages, particularly the five great countries, worked as well as the position and power of the Kage. He also added that the Hokage was considered the strongest of all the Kage.
"So you see, there's nothing to worry about" Kakashi said smiling to Hinata.
This last statement received worried look from Tazuna that went unnoticed by all except for Sasuke.
"Wow I didn't know the Hokage was so great" beamed Sakura. Inner Sakura "That old lecher is that powerful?"
"The old man can't be so incredible I got him with the sexy no jutsu" Naruto mumbled to himself.
Sasuke also had similar thoughts running through his mind. Kakashi startled all three out of there thoughts though.
"You all just doubted Hokage-sama...didn't you?"
Hinata was listening and giggled slightly at the looks on her team mates faces. Just then she sensed something out of place, it wasn't so much she had perceived something but more she felt it. At the same time Kakashi had noticed the puddle standing off to the side of the road.
The group moved on ahead past the puddle with Naruto on point with the others following behind. Kakashi, without anyone noticing prepared for the attack. Hinata had sensed it, sure, but was so down on herself she thought she had been imagining things and put her worry to the side.
Slowly two figures, standing back to back, rose quickly and quietly from the puddle which was in fact simply a genjutsu. This illusion is what Hinata had picked up on being sensitive to it with her blood line.
Once fully emerged figure on the back of the first leapt into the air heading for the group. As the pair landed on either side of Kakashi they wrapped the chain, which linked there clawed gauntlets, around his body and pulled it cruelly tight. Finally with a cry of own down the two ninja pulled the jagged chain hard on both sides, slicing Kakashi apart.
Both Sakura and Tazuna were frozen with similar looks of fear while Hinata looked ready to weep. Sasuke looked concentrated and Naruto was completely shocked.
The next target of the shinobi was clear as they appeared directly behind Naruto, who was in the back of the group.
"Two down" came the muffled voice of one of the ninja.
With that the two enemies prepared their next attack, planning for Naruto the same fate that had befallen the jounin.
But Sasuke was too quick and as the chain whirled in the air he jumped up throwing a perfectly aimed shuriken straight at the chain. The star took the chain with it and lodged into a tree and Sasuke pinned both with a well placed kunai.
Realizing they were stuck the Demon Brothers released the chain and charged around Naruto. One going for Tazuna, the other running at Naruto.
"Get back" Sakura yelled to Tazuna as she moved in front of him in a defensive stance.
Before the nin could make it as far as Sakura, Sasuke had landed with one hand onto the out stretched gauntlet of the assailant. Spinning his whole body while bringing it low Sasuke delivered a vicious round kick to the mist ninja's face sending him flying back.
The man caught his balance, and digging his heel into the dirt managed to stay standing and faced Sasuke, both in a stance.
Hinata's heart had nearly stopped when she saw Naruto attacked but he was then saved by Sasuke. This time Sasuke was occupied and Naruto seemed paralyzed. She had never before seen him like this and honestly she was even more frightened than him, but just as in the fight with Kakashi she felt the same emotions and her body moved on its own. Only this time it was not anger it was the will to protect Naruto-kun.
Naruto had completely frozen up and as the attacking ninja was about to strike he raised his hands in defense and closed his eyes. After several seconds of nothing he opened his eyes to see Hinata engaging the ninja with the gentle fist style. She made several hits but missed about one out of every three.
Hinata was managing to dodge or block the ninja's attacks and with each block she struck causing internal damage. Until, she managed to sweep away a blow from the clawed hand but was kicked square in jaw in return. As Hinata returned to Earth the mist shinobi aimed to spin on the leg he first used and hit her square in the solarplexes.
As the young girl fell on her back on the ground she sat up to see Naruto pushing back the blow from the unknown shinobi. The man spun around in a circle to face Naruto again and received a punch from a very aggravated leaf ninja.
With the enemy down Naruto turned to help up Hinata.
"Thanks Hinata I don't know what made me freeze up like that" said a rather embarrassed Naruto to a very nervous Hinata.
"N-No, t-thank you N-Naruto-kun. He w-was about t-to finish me b-before you s-stepped in" replied the Hyuuga girl blushing.
"Hehe I guess we helped each other out this time. You did really good you know I was impressed how long you stayed in there with him"
Hinata blushed even darker and started twiddling her forefingers "Arigato N-Naruto-k-kun"
Naruto scratched the back of his neck and flashed a trademark grin turning to see how the others were faring.
Turning around Naruto hear Hinata gasp and saw the previously defeated ninja of the mist now on his feat and lunging straight for Naruto.
He was petrified again. Hinata was behind him and not fast enough to help him like the last time. Naruto knew he had no hope this time, he was going to die. He raised his hands to protect his face and neck. The sharp pain went through his arm as a large gash reached from his wrist to elbow. Then nothing. No searing pain of a fatal wound or blackness associated with death.
Naruto slowly opened his eyes to see Kakashi standing there with both ninja unconscious, one under each arm.
While Hinata and Naruto were busy with the first of the two attacking ninja, Sasuke had engaged the second, shrouded, ninja in a taijutsu battle.
The two combatants charged at once, Sasuke diving under the clean swipe of his opponents clawed hand, and the mist-nin following up with a high knee, which Sasuke blocked with his two arms in a cross.
They remained pushing against one another for several moments until the mist-nin swept at Sasuke's legs, taking the genin by surprise and punched at his gut.
Sasuke missed the sweep but saw the fist coming at him, grabbing the fist he pushed off and faced the enemy.
In a swift motion the mysterious ninja threw a kunai intending to hit Sasuke in the face. Sasuke dodged but this distracted him enough for his opponent to charge after Tazuna with Sakura out in front still in a defensive position.
The Uchiha prodigy attempted to reach his companions in time but was too slow. Luckily just as he reached Sakura and crouched to attack her neck, the mist-nin was clothes lined by Kakashi and placed under his arm as he faded out to assist Naruto.
Six people know stood in the road, one holding two more under his arms. Sakura looked on in shock of her sensei's speed while Sasuke stood into his laid-back demeanor like nothing had happened. Naruto, who just registered the pain in his arm, clutched at the angry looking slice up to his elbow. Kakashi looked his usually lazy self and Hinata could do nothing more than stand there blinking.
"Sorry I didn't step in sooner you were all doing very well, and I need to know exactly who there target was" at this Tazuna gulped rather loudly "Plus I didn't expect you to zone out like that Naruto" with that said Kakashi walked towards a tree to tie up the captured ninja.
Sasuke turned to Naruto with his hands in his pockets, slouching slightly "You gonna be ok there scardy cat"? Smirked Sasuke.
"Mist shinobi, nasty little buggers. I believe these two are the missing-nin known as the Demon Brothers" Kakashi noted jerking his head in the direction of said ninja. He turned to Naruto who was still just staring of into space "Ok so lets see how that wound is doing"
As Kakashi walked over to inspect the scar, Hinata stepped up beside Naruto and looked at his arm for the first time. She began to weep seeing the nasty gash reaching from his wrist to elbow.
Their sensei bent down, grabbing Naruto's arm he looked it up and down then standing back up he looked to everyone else.
"Well the good news is it should heal quickly, bad news those guys like too use poison. We're gonna have to call off the mission and return to treat Naruto"
He just couldn't take it. First he had needed saving from Sasuke, then he almost got Hinata hurt because he couldn't handle it, then he needed help again from Kakashi-sensei. Now they all had to go back just because of him.
Everyone froze and turned to look at Naruto who had taken out a kunai and was in the process bleeding himself to remove the poison. Hinata nearly fainted seeing this and everyone else, including Sasuke, stared on in disbelief. Naruto had a look no one had seen on him before, it was a look of pure determination and he smirked in a way that would scare any enemy and encourage any ally.
"I swear on the blood I today have shed, I will never again need my companions to save me, never again will I run in fear or freeze at danger. I will never take back my word...this is my nindo"
"Uhhhh Naruto that's cool how you did that and everything but umm if you don't stop your gonna die of blood loss...seriously" Kakashi warned casually, though in truth he was very much impressed.
The blonde ninja visibly paled and started jumping around waving his hand in the air.
"Save me sensei someone heeeeelp" Naruto yelled, running in circles screaming.
Someone placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and calm washed over him. Naruto looked down to see Hinata removing a lavender shirt from her pack, ripping it she wrapped it around Naruto's wound saving him from losing any further blood.
"H-Hinata-chan..." Naruto whispered almost inaudibly.
Hinata jerked up into a standing position and blushed intensely. Wait had he just called her Hinata-chan?
"H-Hai N-Naruto-kun" she replied
"Thank you Hinata-chan" he said softly.
"Eeee he did c-call me chan" she thought blissfully, trying desperately not to become too light headed.
Suddenly Naruto seemed to pull himself back to reality.
"Heheh I guess I needed to be more careful neh? Ya know you should really be a medic" Naruto said in his usual loud voice.
Hinata was similarly pulled from her reverie.
"Ano...O-Otou-san w-would not a-approve" Hinata began looking to the ground and pushing her fingers together thoughtfully.
"Really? Well we could always change that" the young genin flashed Hinata, who had an increasing blush, a foxy grin.
Looking down to his arm he noticed a large tear in his coat's arm "Oh what the hell! Great now I need a new jacket. Son of bitch" growled Naruto.
"Ahem if you two are done I think it would be best if we continued on" Kakashi turned on Tazuna "We will escort you to your home, but unless the situation and why you have ninja after you we will be unable to guard you while you complete your bridge."
Tazuna sighed and resigned himself to explain what was really going on. By the time he had finished his long explanation of the state of Wave Country, the group was already on the boat which would carry them from the Fire Country.
"And so you see, we could not possible afford an A rank mission, we could barely afford this D rank. But if you don't wish to continue that's fine" at this point Tazuna put on a very desperate voice "my little grandson will just cry for a few dies and my daughter, of course, will be totally heartbroken."
"Well, hahah I guess we don't have much of a choice we will continue this as a D rank mission" Kakashi smiled weakly.
Tazuna thanked them but in his mind...
"I win" flashing the victory sign.
"Tazuna-san we have arrived" called the boatman.
"Thank you" Tazuna replied happily.
As the six stepped onto shore Kakashi was contemplating how their next opponent would almost assuredly be a jounin. The girls were stealing sidelong glances at Naruto and Sasuke, neither of which noticed because they were busy dwelling on battles that were most likely to come.
"Get me to my house and you guys can stay there until the bridge is finished"
"Don't worry Tazuna-san we'll get you home soon enough" sighed Kakashi. "We may get attacked at any moment and this time it won't be a chuunin. So Hinata I want you to keep an eye on the surroundings so we're not caught off guard."
"H-Hai Kakashi-sensei" Hinata focused chakra to her eyes and "Byakugan" she activated her bloodline technique.
Team 7 stationed themselves around Tazuna with Hinata in the back, Kakashi in front and Sakura and Sasuke on either side. Naruto took point and was constantly looking around and, much too everyone's annoyance, attacking every sound he heard. Sakura had finally had enough when he nearly killed a rabbit.
Hinata suddenly sensed movement in the trees beside the road but before she could warn anyone a giant sword, the size of a man, was tearing through the air at head level.
"Get down!" was all she managed before hitting the dirt.
Everyone followed suit, diving for the ground, Sasuke taking Tazuna with him.
Naruto looked up from under his arms to see the giant blade embed itself into a nearby tree. He blinked once and suddenly a man was standing on the handle of the sword facing away from the Konoha ninja.
Once the risk of his head being removed was gone, Kakashi got to his feet and inspected the ninja in front of him.
"Another missing-nin of the mist...Momochi Zabuza the Devil of Hidden Mist" Kakashi was speaking more to Zabuza than anyone else.
Naruto had made it back to his feet along with the others and was ready to attack at any moment.
"Well no wonder the Demon Brothers didn't stand a chance. The infamous copy ninja of Konoha Sharingan Kakashi."
This got everyone's attention. Both Hinata and Sasuke knew of the sharingan and Sasuke couldn't understand how Kakashi had the technique of his clan. Naruto and Sakura on the other hand had no clue as to what this was.
"Hmm and a Hyuuga and last Uchiha as well if I'm not mistaken." Zabuza continued looking at the four genin positioned around Tazuna. "Hahah this might actually be some fun."
"Dammit, Sasuke again" Naruto roared to himself.
Naruto had planned on attacking Zabuza but it seemed Kakashi had predicted it.
"Everyone back! He won't be like the others. Against him..." he raised his forehead protector revealing hie previously hidden left eye "I'm going to need this."
His eye was completely red except for three comma like marks surrounding his pupil and a dark line connecting all three marks.
In a flash Zabuza was standing on the surface of a nearby, miniature lake. An obviously unnatural mist began to fill the clearing blocking him from view as the mist-nin flashed through hand seals.
The ominous sound of Zabuza's voice flashing through the vital spots of the human body filled the area chilling everyone deep down.
Sasuke was about ready to snap he was seriously begining to consider offing himself just to break the tension in the air that was crushing him.
Suddenly everyone was thrown in diffrent directions a,s first Zabuza appeared in a striking stance ,then Kakashi came to grab him before he could kill the four genin and Tazuna.
Naruto watched in shock at the jounin battle in front of him. These were really ninja nothing like him and the others, Zabuza could kill him in an instant he realized. Naruto turned to run but as he put pressure on his left arm to stand the pain stopped him.
Looking down at the bandage Hinata had put there his vow came back to him and he knew he couldn't abandon his team.
Kakashi and Zabuza, still battling in the middle of the road, each struck at the other and both disappeared with a splash revealing they were water clones.
Naruto caught movement out of the corner of his eye. As he turned to look at what it was he saw Zabuza in mid-swing behind Hinata about too cut the young Hyuuga in two.
Alright I gotta end it here cause I'm gonna tweak this fight like the last one but to do that I need to think and I would like to get this out this week so review please.