A/N
First of all, let me apologise for not updating for so long. I have been on holidays for quite a while and now I'm working day and night. I finished my degree so I am officially a slave now. I'll keep on writing though so don't worry, there's no writer's block or anything. Still, if you have any ideas, be sure to let me know. There's always room for improvement!
The previous chapter was a bit rushed at the end. The reason for this was that I posted it literally an hour before I had to go to the airport for my trip to Italy. Therefore, it had not been checked for inconsistencies and/or mistakes. Spell-check should have taken out most of them, but there wasn't any time left for me to do the rest.
Someone complained unnecessarily about the story having plot holes and even wanted to know who the current Hokage was. I suggest you re-read the fic if you feel you've missed something because it clearly states that Tsunade is the Hokage and Sandaime helping her out occasionally. As for the title, previous Hokages are obviously still highly respected. It would feel strange to call the man who has been Hokage for several decades by a lower title all of a sudden. When it involves another village, people would probably say Sarutobi-sama but for Leaf shinobi it will remain Hokage-sama.
I've been looking forward to this part of the story. Even though the mission to Wave Country seems the same at first, it will be completely different, having huge consequences for a future arc.
I will try to update faster than I have been doing for the last couple of months. Things have been hectic here with me going off on holidays, than having to move to a different city (London) and starting my new job. I'm 70 hour weeks at work so there isn't much time left to write. I will finish this fic, though it might take a while. I promise I will update quicker than I have now, three months is very long but a lot has changed for me.
Thank you ever so much for reviewing my chapters! I appreciate you guys taking the time to leave me a small note. I know authors always ask for them, but it's the only way for us to see whether or not you enjoy the story. Why else would someone continue to put so much time in writing it? Most of you seem to like it and I can assure you that I will finish it. It might take a while though as this story will probably become quite a long one. Please continue to give me your opinions.
God, that's long, sorry for that… Let's move on!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
I would like to thank my beta-reader Amped for helping me out. Be sure to read his story: 'Strength of a Hero'.
Chapter 10:Grudges from the past
Naruto's team, accompanied by Haku and Tazuna, had left Fire Country and were currently on a small fishing boat, crossing a large lake towards Wave Country. During their journey, their boat entered misty weather, effectively concealing them from their surroundings. As they approached the shore, the fisherman who had smuggled them into the country told them that they would have to continue their travels alone from there. They thanked the man as they got off the boat and moved on over land.
Time went on as they got closer and closer to their destination. Tazuna was obviously tense. He knew he had taken a big risk by requesting a C-ranked mission. Now he was back, accompanied by six brats of which two were supposed to be upper class shinobi.
Still, he had seen first-hand what Gatoh was capable of doing. He feared his life and that of his family. He knew he was the country's sole chance of finishing the bridge and end its despair. He also knew that the fate of the bridge lied in the hands of these six young shinobi.
The group walked through a small forest. Clouds had descended upon the ground, giving the area an eerie atmosphere. The forest seemed to be haunted by ghosts and strange sounds were coming from deep inside the forest. The Konoha shinobi were obviously tense, expecting an attack at any moment. They had surrounded Tazuna when entering the forest. Once the mist set in, the group had moved closer together, trying not to leave any openings for an opponent.
"Everyone duck!" Naruto suddenly yelled.
Haku quickly tackled Tazuna as the four Genin dropped to the ground. Naruto simply stepped aside, being the only one to have sensed the direction from which the danger arose and the path it travelled.
When everyone looked up, they saw a long, wide sword cleaved into a tree. They sped away, creating some distance between the weapon and themselves. They noticed a man standing on top of the sword, covered in bandages and equipped with a slashed Hitai-ate from the Hidden Mist village on the side of his head.
"So we meet again… Uzumaki Naruto," the man spoke.
Naruto smirked at the sight of his enemy. "Indeed we do, Momochi Zabuza. I still remember our last meeting like it was yesterday. I hope I didn't hurt you too much," he taunted.
Sasuke, Ino, Hinata and Shikamaru were surprised to see that the two knew each other from the past and that apparently Naruto had once defeated the strange man.
Then they noticed Haku, who had his fists clenched at the sight of his former master. For a second he lost control over his chakra, which drew Zabuza's attention to the other shinobi.
"Well well, if it isn't my former slave. So nice to see you again Haku. So you're still playing shinobi with these weaklings?" he sneered at the ANBU.
Zabuza directed his attention back to Naruto. "As much as I'd love to chat with you, I have a mission to accomplish. Hand me the old geezer and I'll let you go this time," he said.
Naruto frowned. "I don't think you're in the position to ask for anything, unless you think you can defeat all of us here," he countered the demand.
"Pfff, those kids of yours aren't shinobi. As long as you aren't in my bingo book, you're no threat to me. It's just the two of you."
This caused Naruto to grin. Trying to suppress his laugh he spoke again. "It seems you've forgotten the last time we fought all those years ago. Even for the Demon of the Mist this is too much."
The answer to the young Jounin's statement came in the form of dozens of shuriken heading towards the group from all directions.
Surprised by the sudden attack from outside, Naruto and Haku blocked the assault with their kunai while the Genin protected Tazuna from getting hit.
The group looked around, trying to find their hidden enemy.
"Byakugan!" Hinata yelled as the veins around her eyes bulged. She stood still for a few seconds. "I see eight people hiding in the bushes around us Naruto-sensei," she said, trying to keep her calm. So far she'd done well in keeping her composure. However, the situation at hand threatened to take that all away.
"You can come out now, you've been spotted." Naruto spoke to the eight. A few seconds later the figures appeared around Zabuza.
"Uzumaki Naruto, at last we meet. We will make you pay for all you and your father have done to us," one of them snarled at him. The man looked enraged, similar to the looks on the faces of the other seven from his group.
"I am not my father and I've certainly never done anything harmful to anyone from Iwagakure. Why do you wish to fight me over something I have never been involved in?" he asked the leader of the group.
"Because that filthy piece of low life scum killed our families and friends with that cheap technique of his!" the Jounin screamed. "And it seems you have taken over as Konoha's Yellow Flash!"
"Konoha's Yellow Flash?"all four Genin thought in unison. "Naruto is the son of the Fourth?" Ino yelled. The others were equally shocked. They had heard of Yondaime's Shunshin no jutsu and the devastating effects it had had on the Stone during the last Shinobi war. The idea of their sensei being the son of this legend was a bit hard to digest.
"Hehe," Zabuza laughed. "You see Naruto; you're not so popular outside that stupid village of yours. It seems you're in trouble now boy!"
Naruto cursed inwardly. Here stood the Devil of the Mist, accompanied by eight Stone shinobi, from the looks of it five Jounin and three Chuunin. They were still in a small forest, making it more difficult to fight a larger number of enemies. Naruto wished for more space, many of his techniques had a high destruction ratio and the last thing he wanted to do was endanger his students or level part of the forest.
Zabuza eyed the four Genin, seeing some anxiety in them. He smirked and turned to Naruto once again.
"So how are we going to do this? If you give me the old man, I'll let the children live. You, however have some unfinished business with my colleagues here."
Haku, whose anger had reached its boiling point, stepped in front of his friend. "Naruto-kun, please let me take Zabuza. I owe him something for what he's done to me in the past."
Naruto smiled and put his hand on Haku's shoulder. "Just be careful okay?" Haku simply nodded and walked towards Zabuza. His hands flew through some hand seals as he angrily shouted: "Suiton Suiryuudan no Jutsu (Water Element: Water Dragon Blast)"
From the lake next to them, a giant water dragon arose and lunged forward towards Zabuza and the Stone shinobi, all of whom jumped away to avoid being hit by it. The enemy was now scattered all over the area, giving Naruto the time he needed to instruct his Genin.
"Guys no matter what, protect Tazuna. Stay as far away from me as possible. I need space for this fight," he instructed the four. He then nodded at Hinata, who had difficulty breathing. Ino noticed her team mate's nervousness and tried to pick her up. "Ne Hinata-san, we trust you. You'll be fine."
"Listen guys," Naruto instructed. "You'll probably get a few opponents yourself. Think about your teamwork, remember your training. Together you can beat them!"
He then bit his thumb and formed some hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he said. A man sized ape appeared.
"Otara-kun, please protect my students and our charge from harm." The ape nodded at Naruto and joined the Genin.
"Now GO!" Naruto yelled.
"Hai," his students confirmed as they turned around to create some distance like their sensei had told them to.
"Stay alive guys," Naruto thought as his attention returned to the Stone shinobi.
While Naruto was talking to his students, Zabuza instructed the Stone Jounin. "Remember our deal Daiki. I need the old man but it seems that I'll be fighting my former slave. Some of you have to do it now."
"Yeah yeah," the leader of the group replied. He turned to his comrades and pointed at three of them. "You three, get the old man and kill those kids!"
The three Chuunin confirmed the order and sped off in pursuit of Tazuna and the four Leaf Genin while the other five Jounin focused on the blonde Leaf Jounin. They changed formation and now surrounded their single opponent.
Haku and Zabuza were now facing each other in a small clearing next to the lake. They both used a lot of Suiton jutsus so both of them preferred to be around a source of natural water.
"Do you really think you can take me on Haku? Aren't you overestimating yourself?" Zabuza sneered at the boy.
"No, I believe it is you who is overestimating your own skills. If I recall all those years ago, Naruto turned you into a piece of ass wipe!" Haku retorted.
Zabuza kept his smile up, though inside he was fuming. His humiliating loss to the blonde was still enraging him.
"That may be true, but fortunately for me, I'm facing you right now. I have grown since then and I don't think that your bloodline limit will have the same effect on me as his does." With that he performed some hand seals, causing an unnatural mist to envelope the area around them.
"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique)"
Haku immediately poured some chakra into his ears to increase his hearing and leapt away, trying to hide his presence as much as possible. He then silently created a handful of water clones and told them to engage the adversary.
"Haku Haku Haku… What are you thinking boy?" Zabuza sneered. "What difference do you think a couple of clones are going to make?"
Haku himself chose not to answer. Zabuza was trying to locate his former tool. Making unnecessary sounds was not an option against this enemy.
Zabuza had made quick work of the clones as he had slashed through all of them instantly. "Is that all you've got brat?" the Demon of the Mist asked.
"Not really, I just needed some time to pull this one off," Haku retorted as he performed some one-handed seals Hyouton: Ashikase no jutsu (Ice Element: Leg Entrapment).
As Haku slammed his palm on the ground, a line of ice raced towards the unsuspecting Zabuza. Having the mist obscuring his sight, he noticed too late when shards of ice started moving up his feet and calves. The ice shackles prevented him from jumping away from the impending danger.
"Nani!" Zabuza inwardly screamed.
Not too far away from Haku and Zabuza, four Genin and a man-sized ape were busy fending off three Stone Chuunin. Hinata had ordered Otara to stick close to Tazuna and keep one of the Chuunin busy while she and the rest of her team handled the other two opponents.
All four of them realised that the key to getting out of this mess in one piece is sticking together and working as a team. Over the past weeks, Naruto had split the group into two teams of two shinobi, making them train as much as possible to get used to each other's fighting styles. When the two groups had grown into decent pairs, he had them fight him over and over again to make the two teams know each other's strengths and weaknesses inside out. This would help them in working together efficiently in battle.
Now, Ino and Shikamaru had moved behind Sasuke and Hinata. The Uchiha and Hyuuga were much more proficient in hand-to-hand combat, while said duo relied more on long-distance attacks. This way, they were able to complement each other's shortcomings and stay alive.
The Stone Chuunin decided to split up, feeling confident in taking on two Genin at once. Using Doton - Doryuuheki (Earth Element - Mud Wall Current), everyone was forced to jump away from the large mud wall that appeared between them. The four Genin were now split up in two pairs of two. The problem was that the Genin were not with their regular partner but someone else instead. Normally, Sasuke and Ino fought together as did Hinata and Shikamaru. Now, there was one pairing that specialised in hand to hand combat and another pair which preferred to fight from a distance.
The Chuunin who was given the job of killing the ape and Tazuna swallowed with some difficulty in seeing the large ape standing in front of him. He quickly assumed his fighting stance and waited for the ape to engage him.
Sasuke and Hinata were not having a great time….. Their opponent was a big man, big by every definition. On top of that he seemed to be able to form a layer of chakra reinforced rock all over his body, rendering Hinata's Jyuuken useless.
This left most of the action to Sasuke while Hinata tried to cover her team mate as best as she could.
"Katon - Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Fire Element - Grand Fireball Technique)" Sasuke yelled when he tried to crack the rock surface with his flames.
"Ku ku ku," like such a pathetic technique would work on my rock skin," the Stone shinobi laughed. Sasuke jumped back, next to his team mate. "Kuso, we can't get through him like this."
Sensing his chance, the man prepared for a technique himself. Performing some quick hand seals, raised his voice in delight.
"Juuro Senbon!" (Raining Needles)
In the sky above them, a cloud of chakra appeared. Soon enough hundreds of razor sharp senbon needles came down at the two Leaf nins.
Seeing the attack coming from above, Hinata immediately jumped in front of Sasuke and started to rotate rapidly.
"Hakkeshou Kaiten!"
A high cylinder shaped wall of chakra raced in circles around Hinata's body, deflecting the incoming senbon needles, which now fell to the ground harmlessly.
Back with Ino and Shikamaru, Ino had created 2 Mizu Bunshins and kept her opponent busy while Shikamaru was thinking.
"There's no choice. If we want to get out of here alive, we will have to kill them. Kuso, am I ready for this? I have always know that being a shinobi would mean that at some point I will be forced to take someone's life…Now that that moment has come I am chickening out. Come on you stupid arse, it's troublesome but dying is even worse. I guess I'll have to use it then…"
With that he snapped out of his thoughts and readied his hands. His hands formed the 'Rat' seal. Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu (Shadow Neck Bind).
A black hand appeared from Shikamaru's position and moved towards the Stone nin who was still fighting off Ino's clones when suddenly he froze in his tracks as he felt a hand crawling up his body towards his neck.
A sickening cracking sound was heard as she shadow hand broke the Stone shinobi's neck like a twig. Shikamaru dropped to knees in despair.
"My first kill… How many more will follow?"
Ino quickly ran to her team mate. She stood behind him and hugged him in comfort.
"It was the only way Shikamaru-kun," she said, trying to soothe him. "It was either him or us."
Shikamaru turned his head, looking at his team mate. "It's strange if you think about it."
Seeing his friend's confused look he explained.
"Our parents have killed many people throughout their careers. Still when not on a mission they can be affectionate and happy."
Ino knew exactly what he meant. She had often wondered how people could put the horrors that came with shinobi life behind them and continue to live their lives.
"They say the first kill is the hardest to deal with," she answered. "We are shinobi, warriors trained to kill others. We kill for our village, because our leaders have asked us to. Though that doesn't take away the fact that we are still human beings who have other goals in life. We still need the comfort of others around us and we still want to be happy in our lifes. Somehow we will get used to it and be able to put it aside and move on with our lifes."
Shikamaru simply nodded as he slowly got up. "We should go help the others. I'm feeling quite drained from that jutsu so I won't be of much use for a couple of minutes."
With that they walked away from the lifeless corpse behind them. Ino stayed close to Shikamaru, holding his arm to prevent him from falling. Shikamaru looked at his team mate and managed to put a small smile on his face.
"Thank you Ino-chan,"
Sasuke was getting tired. He had been trying to burn his way through his opponent was he wasn't faring well. Nearby, Hinata was having a go at the enemy using a Raiton jutsu she had leaned from Naruto but the rocky surface on the Stone shinobi's skin blocked all her efforts.
"We need to get rid of his protection Sasuke, nothing is working!" Hinata said to the Uchiha.
"Any ideas?" Sasuke replied. He was already running low on chakra, as was Hinata.
The Stone shinobi made some quick hand seals. "My turn to attack!"
"Doton - Doryu Dango (Earth Element - Mud Ball)!"
The ball of mud slammed into Sasuke, propelling him through the air and into a tree. Upon impact, he fell down on the hard ground and lost consciousness.
Hinata was getting really nervous now. Her partner lay behind her defeated and she was getting tired. Everything seemed hopeless.
"Only a little girl left. You Leaf shinobi are truly worthless trash."
"Who are you calling trash shitbreak!" came from behind him. Ino stood there alone, waving her fist angrily into the air.
"Jeez, you guys are like insects; can't get rid of them," the Stone shinobi moaned.
"Oh yeah? I'll show you what these 'insects' can do! "Magen Jubakusatsu (Demon Illusion: Tree Bind Death)" Ino screamed at the man in front of her.
"How is that for an insect eh?" she yelled at the man who was now trapped in the branches of a tree.
"Ino-san, we need to get rid of his rock armour." Hinata said to the blonde Genin.
"I got it, be ready Hinata!" Ino replied while preparing another technique. Hinata quickly prepared herself for what was to come. With her Byakugan blazing and Jyuuken readied she waited for Ino to finish her technique.
"Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Mind-Body Switch Technique)"
Ino's body slumped into the ground while at the same time her Genjutsu was cancelled because her soul had left her body temporarily. The Iwa Chuunin's joy was short-lived as he felt a foreign presence taking over his body.
Hinata looked at the struggling man in anticipation. Suddenly a wide smirk appeared on his face. "Alright, I'm in!"
"Ino-san, is that you?" Hinata asked to make sure.
"Yeah it's me alright. Listen, I will cancel this rock armour jutsu-thingy of his and leave his mind, I won't be able to do much for a couple of seconds so I need you to take care of him for me Hinata.
Realisation hit the Hyuuga. She would have to kill him. There was no way around it. Sasuke was out, Ino incapacitated for a short while and she couldn't see Shikamaru anywhere.
"I d…don't k-know if I c…can……" she said unable to control her voice anymore.
Ino saw the despair in her team-mate's eyes. "I know Hinata-san, but there is no choice. Shikamaru had to kill as well in our fight. I would do it for you if I had the opportunity but I can't….. Please Hinata; use your Jyuuken to make it quick. I'll be here for you afterwards."
The Hyuuga heiress had trouble swallowing. She knew that she would have to take the man's life but that doesn't console her even the slightest. For years, she had been prepared by her father and the rest of the Hyuuga clan to become a kunoichi, but now that the time had come to shed her innocence by making her first kill, hesitation took over.
Ino, who was starting to get tired, noticed the internal war that was going on in her team leader's mind. "Hinata-san, we trust you and Naruto-sensei trusts you. He made you team leader for a reason. You know you have to do this. Do it to keep us safe. You are the only one left standing and it's either him or us."
Hinata understood Ino's reasoning. She nodded slightly. "H-hai," she almost whispered.
Ino, still inside the Stone shinobi's body gave her a pained smile. You can't afford to wait when you have the chance Hinata-san, make it quick. I'm running low on chakra here so get ready!"
Hinata stepped forward; her knees threatening to give in any moment now. She shuffled towards her enemy and assumed her Jyuuken stance. "I-I'm rea…ready I-Ino-san."
Hinata saw the possessed Stone nin in from of her close his eyes. Obviously Ino was preparing to leave his body and return to her own vessel.
Ino spoke to her friend and team mate one last time. "As soon as you see him slump down to the ground, you can be sure that I've left his body. Whatever you so, don't wait Hinata-san. One clean strike, that's all you need. I'll come to you as soon as I can. Be strong Hinata!"
With that the Stone nin closed his eyes ones more and fell down to the hard ground.
Hinata suddenly felt sweat coming out of every pore in her frail body.
"This is it. I have to protect my friends and team mates. My team mates have put their faith in me, Naruto-kun has put his faith in me; Konoha has faith in me. I can't let them down. This is my life, my destination…"
"I am responsible for the lives of my comrades and the life of my charge. I will not allow anyone to hurt my friends. No one… no one will ever be let down by me. I have stood on the sidelines for too long. They gave me another chance, a chance I will cling on with everything I've got in me. I will not let anyone push me away anymore. I WILL NOT BE FORSAKEN!"
With those last determined words racing through her mind, she leapt forward and delivered her fiercest blow she had ever dealt in her life.
"JYUUKEN!"
The Stone ninja, who was still trying to re-collect himself after being possessed, never even had time to defend. His hands grabbed his chest as he coughed up an enormous amount of blood. After what seemed minutes a look of utter horror appeared in his eyes before they rolled back in their sockets. He was dead.
Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes. She had done it, taken someone's life. Even though she knew it was imperative to do so, her heart ached as a result of her actions. No matter how much she wanted to, she just couldn't pry her eyes off her victim. She fell forward on her knees and cupped her face, fighting to control the burning tears that begged to flow. Failing to find neither will nor strength to hold them back, she soon cried uncontrollably.
Ino, who had been leaning against a tree to overcome her dizziness, had seen everything. She was relieved that Hinata was able to finish him off, but now felt truly sorry for the girl.
Although still a bit dodgy, she made her way towards the Hyuuga girl and enclosed her arms in a comforting embrace.
"Calm down sweetheart, it's over now. We all knew it had to be done."
Ino let herself fall backwards on the mossy floor of the forest. Spreading her legs slightly, she let Hinata sit in-between them, still holding her delicately from behind. They continued to sit there for a while, Hinata desperately trying to find peace with herself and Ino doing her utmost best to help her friend and nakama.
Tazuna was scared, very scared. While Naruto's ape summon was trying to fend off the last remaining Iwa Chuunin, he had been moving around in an attempt to stay away as far as possible from the fighting duo without losing sight of them. Somewhere in the forest there were still five Iwa and one Kiri Jounin around, who wouldn't hesitate for a second before killing the bridge builder.
There had been a few close calls already, when the ape got overpowered by his opponent. Just before the nukenin was able to deliver a killing blow, Otara could come between them and take the blow himself.
Now, the fight was rather one-sided. The countless injuries were taking its toll on the ape. The Stone Chuunin, although not without quite a few wounds himself, smelled victory. He prepared for another vicious attack.
At high speed he ran towards the summon, out for the kill when he heard something coming from behind some bushes on the side.
"Kage Shuriken no Jutsu."
A barrage of shuriken forced him to abort his run. He looked in the direction of the onslaught of weapons and saw one of the brats from earlier. The boy, his hair tied up and cuts and bruises visible through his fishnet shirt looked at him with a curious smirk on his face.
The Chuunin was annoyed. He knew the Genin wouldn't pose too much trouble but still, the brat had forced him to abort his attack.
"What do you think you can do against me punk? If you want to die, you'll just have to wait. I'll be with you in a minute."
"Che, how troublesome. I'm tired of you guys so let's get this over with," Shikamaru sighed.
While Ino went to help Hinata and Sasuke, the shadow user went looking for Tazuna and Otara. He was just in time to prevent the ape to be defeated, leaving the bridge builder defenceless against the Iwa Chuunin.
While he stepped out of the bushes into the small clearing, Shikamaru saw the man opposite him preparing himself for a jutsu.
Soon enough his hand seals were completed when the Stone nin threw an oversized boulder towards him.
"Doton - Doryou Dango!" (Earth Element - Mud Ball)
The large boulder flew directly towards Shikamaru, who looked petrified at the flying piece of rock. He gathered some chakra to his feet and jumped away. He cursed when he realised he had miscalculated the speed of the attack and found himself unable to dodge in time. As the boulder crashed into him and knocked him away, the shadow user screamed in agony.
A huge cloud of dust and smoke appeared around the area of the attack. Trees were pulled out of the ground by the sheer size of the boulder before the whole area was swallowed by the cloud.
"Jeez, pathetic Leaf shinobi," the Stone ninja sneered. He focused his attention back on the ape, ready for the kill. He made is way towards the animal when suddenly his body stopped in its tracks.
"What the….?"
"Kagemane no Jutsu…. success," was heard from behind him.
Shikamaru stood there, smirking.
"You didn't think it would be that easy to defeat me, did you?" he asked.
"But… but I killed you with that jutsu," the man stammered. Then he gasped in realisation. "A shadow clone."
"Hmph, for someone from a clan which uses shadows fore their techniques, I'd be a stupid not to know how to create shadow clones don't you think?"
The trapped man was confused. "A mere Genin like you shouldn't e able to perform a Jounin-rank technique like that."
"Pffff, ignorant fool!" Shikamaru retorted in annoyance. As I explained, my clan uses shadows. Therefore, creating shadow clones is much easier and less taxing for people like me. You clearly underestimated me and overestimated yourself."
Before the man could reply, he saw Otara approaching him. His cream was short lived as the ape delivered a strong open-handed strike to his neck. A sickening crack was heard and the man's head fell forward.
Shikamaru released his Kagemane no Jutsu, letting the dead body of the Stone Chuunin fall the ground.
He looked up at the ape, who nodded in appreciation before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Shikamaru scanned the area, looking for Tazuna, who had just come out from his hiding place.
"Everything alright Tazuna-san?" he asked the older man.
"Yes, I didn't think I would get out of this alive," the bearded man answered. "I'm sorry; I have put you kids through a lot by deceiving you with this mission. I hope you can forgive me."
Shikamaru released a deep sigh. "That is of no concern now. Let's go find the others and wait until our sensei comes to pick us up. We don't know what's happened to him and Haku-san."
With that the two figures started walking back into the forest.
Three Stone Jounin stood around in a half open part of the forest. Two of their colleagues had been defeated already and lay dead in the forest. In front of them stood a single Leaf Jounin, Uzumaki Hitomi Naruto. The Uzumaki clan was seen as the nail in Iwagakure's coffin since the last Great Shinobi War. Uzumaki Arashi, at that time one of the top Jounin of the Leaf had slain over fifty Jounin from their village with his signature technique Shunshin no Jutsu, earning him the infamous nickname "Konoha's Yellow Flash."
Now, little over twelve years after his famous death, his only son and heir to the Uzumaki bloodline limit stood in from of them. The two dead Jounin had lost their lives through the technique which made his father famous, Shunshin no Jutsu.
The blonde Jounin looked at the three in front of him. Inside he was worried sick about his students and friend Haku. He prayed they would be okay and somehow make it out of this mess alive. He pushed those thoughts about the others from his mind. His first task was to survive this ordeal himself.
"Why do you want me dead so badly?" he asked them. "I have never killed any Stone nin until this very day. People die in wars. Have you ever thought about all the people you killed during that same war, all the bloodline limits that have disappeared because of that? It is no different than my father killing your men, it is part of war."
"SILENCE!" the leader of the three roared. "That worthless piece of shit has killed more people than anyone else. He killed people from every family and caused so many children to become orphans. We hate him and his clan. We will not rest until you are dead, you filthy piece of low life trash!"
Naruto's face remained straight. "Look at your comrades. Do you really want to follow them to hell? I have no intention to fight you. However if you continue to attack me, I will have no choice but to kill you as well. Otherwise, I'd like to make my leave and find my students and my friend."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" the leader laughed. Those brats are already dead. Do you really think that 4 lowly Genin and a medium summon can stand up against three experienced Chuunin? Also, that friend of yours us up against none other than the 'Demon of the Bloody Mist'. He'll be dead soon, like YOU!"
Immediately the three started attacking again. Engaging in taijutsu, they tried to corner the blonde prodigy, who unfortunately was too good and too quick to be cornered that easily. After a few minutes of engaging each other, the Stone Jounin halted to reassess the situation.
"You're good, I'll admit that." Still, you stand no chance against our combined effort. Not even your father's bloodline limit can save you here brat."
Naruto smiled confidently. Theses guys were just asking for a lesson.
"Since you guys like my Gekke Genkai so much, I'll make it up to you. I'll follow in my father's footsteps and finish you now with the very technique that hurt your village so much before."
The three started at him in anger. When they noticed him biting his thump an performing some seals with just one hand they swallowed.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu"
Expecting an animal of sorts, they were shocked to see the boy in front of them holding a long piece of rope with dozens of strange kunai attached to them in his hands.
It didn't take them long to recognise those kunai. Everyone in Iwagakure knew the kunai that had cost them dearly. These were the exact same kunai that were used against them by the Yondaime Hokage.
Now even swallowing was becoming too difficult…
"Let me explain something to you," Naruto started. "The technique that killed your men wasn't Shunshin no Jutsu as you've grown to believe. Listen carefully as I perform this technique as it will be the last thing you will ever hear."
Naruto jumped high up in the air while rotating rapidly. He let go of one of the ends of the rope, causing the special kunai to fall of the rope one by one and hurl themselves towards the ground at high speeds.
Upon landing Naruto noticed his enemies' shocked and scared faces. The whole area was covered with the kunai, sticking in the ground, bushes, trees…everywhere.
He smirked in content as he performed another set of one-handed seals.
"Ninpou: Hiraishin no Jutsu!" (Flying God of Thunder)
All the three Stone Jounin could see was a vanishing blonde Leaf Jounin. Leaping from kunai to kunai, Naruto chose not to teleport himself to the kunai in front of them just yet. Instead, he opted to create some confusion first. It was the first time he would use this technique in battle, so he chose to be extra careful.
The three could only see brief images of their opponent, who was darting all over the area, keeping his distance. They had positioned themselves in a triangular formation, giving them the best chance of survival. All of them were turning their heads around at high speeds, trying to locate his next destination. All they could do was hold their weapons in hand and hope they would notice in time if he chose to appear in front of them.
Suddenly, the leader heard a scream coming from behind him. When he turned he saw one of his men collapsing. Looking closer he saw a deep stab wound in the man's chest, bleeding profusely. He instantly knew the man was dead.
Now standing back to back, they looked around, sweat covering their bodies. Again, they saw their opponent appearing at random points all over the area. When Naruto appeared right in front of them leader himself, faking a hit, the man shrieked in surprise. His comrade quickly turned around to help the man when he felt a kunai being embedded into his temple. Not even able to make a sound he fell to ground against the legs of his partner.
Feeling something hit his leg, the remaining Jounin turned to see his final partner dead next to him. All alone now, fear of death started to take over. Thirty meters in front of him, Naruto appeared and remained.
"I-I will let you go this time so stop fighting me," he pleaded. "I will inform my leaders to stop the attacks on you, I promise."
Naruto snorted. "If after twelve years you are still trying to kill people from my clan, I don't think your village will ever stop. You are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. What you are doing is childish since you killed just as many people as we did. Our villages may not have been on good terms since; we have never held anyone from Hidden Stone responsible for our victims from that war and the things that happened in it. There is no way you will leave this place alive so stop your cowardice and at least die like a man, that is the least you can do after having lived a moronic life, pursuing a hypocrite and foolish goal."
"Che, whatever," the man mumbled. "You are the last of your clan. Other will follow my example and chase you until you are finally dead. Then, the Uzumaki will finally be no more and the world will be rid of your disgusting bloodline limit!"
As soon as those final words had left the man's mouth, Naruto vanished once again and suddenly stood right in front of him.
"Game over," Naruto spoke thrusting his kunai into the Stone nin's throat. The final enemy's eyes bulged as he gurgled due to the blood in his lunges. He soon fell down dead.
The fight was finally over.
Naruto took a deep breath and walked away from the battlefield. He moulded some of Kyuubi's chakra, enhancing his senses in an attempt to locate the chakra signatures of the others. He soon noticed Haku's presence nearby and jumped off towards him.
Upon arriving he saw his friend standing over the body that once belonged to Momochi Zabuza. The nukenin from the mist had water needles sticking out from every part of his body, blood seeping out from his mouth and ears.
"Are you alright Haku-kun?" he asked the boy next to him.
"Hai Naruto-kun, I'm fine. He got what he deserved. I can finally let go of the past now."
Naruto understood what he meant. Even though Haku had found his smile again during his stay in Konoha, part of him was still in pain over what happened when he was younger, the soulless tool Zabuza wanted to make of him.
"Let's go find the others, I felt their chakra nearby. They are still alive although I don't know about their injuries. During my fight I felt my summon leaving so either he dispelled himself or he was defeated."
Haku looked up to Naruto. "What happened during your fight Naruto-kun? Do you need any healing?"
"Iyé Haku-kun, they couldn't hurt me. Even then I'd still have Kyuubi to fix me up," the blonde answered with a smile on his face.
Naruto and Haku eyed the four Genin and Tazuna. As soon as they arrived they felt the depressing aura in the air. Hinata was still in tears, Ino behind her. Shikamaru was tending to Sasuke, who had just regained consciousness. The Nara boy himself looked exhausted and had a pained look on his face.
Naruto walked towards the bridge builder. "Everything okay Tazuna-san?"
The man nodded. "I'm fine Naruto-kun. These kids are remarkable. In a combined effort they managed to defeat the three enemies."
Naruto looked at the man with a questioning look on his face. "What's with the depressed atmosphere then?"
Tazuna paused for a second, collecting his thoughts. From what I understood from their stories. They split up in two pairs of two to face one enemy each. Your ape protected me against the third person. Apparently the girl there and that boy were forced to kill those men. Your summon killed the last after working together with the same boy who had killed one of the men before," he finished, pointing at Hinata and Shikamaru.
Naruto nodded. Now he understood their pain. It had been their first kill. Even though it is never something to be happy with, he couldn't help feeling a slight sensation of pride. Killing, no matter how terrible it is, is part if the life of a shinobi. There is a first time for everyone. The slight pride he felt had to do with the realisation that these four Genin could handle themselves well and knew what had to be done.
Now that the fighting was finally over, Naruto went over to his students to take care of them. Haku was already healing the girls' injuries. Naruto walked up to Shikamaru and a groggy Sasuke and used the skills he had learned from his kaa-san all those years ago. When everyone was physically capable of travelling, the group started moving towards Tazuna's house.
Five weeks have passed since that faithful day when the bridge, connecting Wave Country and Fire Country, was finally finished.
The battle wounds had healed and Hinata and Shikamaru, be it with great difficulty, have managed to put the mental ache that comes with a first kill behind them.
The days were filled training and guarding Tazuna and the other bridge builders. Even though Zabuza ad the Stone nin were defeated, there was still the threat from Gatoh and his thugs.
Every day, either Naruto or Haku would guard the bridge along with 2 Genin, while the others trained in a nearby forest. Hinata enjoyed learning ijustsu (medical) from Haku, while the others were learning some useful Suiton jutsus from the medic-nin. Naruto trained them in taijutsu mainly, promising them that he would teach them a couple of new jutsus as soon as they got back to Konoha.
One day, Gatoh turned up with a horde of thugs carrying samurai swords. From the way they held themselves, it was clear that they did not possess much skills, their appearance was mainly a front to scare off anyone who dared to oppose the corrupt shipping magnate. He wasn't aware that Zabuza had died weeks before and didn't stand a chance against an enraged Naruto, who made quick work of his death. When the demon vessel was about to finish off the thugs, the villagers, lead by a smiling Inari arrived at the bridge, scaring the harmless thugs away through the sheer amount of villagers present.
The whole village had come at the bridge to express their gratitude to the Konoha shinobi.
Tazuna walked up a makeshift wooden stage and put his hands in the air.
"Dear people, be quiet for a second."
Soon, everyone was silent, looking at bridge builder expectantly.
"We have gathered here on this fine day to say goodbye to six extraordinary people from Konohagakure no Sato. These six, still young enough to be called children, accepted a mission they were not ready for, even after being deceived.
A murmur went through the crowd. Some were confused by these words, other had heard of what Tazuna had said to the mission office in Konoha.
"STILL…" Tazuna raised his voice to be heard by all. "…They continued to protect me on our way here. All of them fought hard to keep me safe against enemies stronger than them."
Cheers erupted from the crowd. The people close to the shinobi frantically shook hands and thanked the group.
"We…" Tazuna continued. "We owe everything to these fine people. They have given us the chance to rebuild our country, to make it prosper once again. Let them be an example to us. We may not be strong individually, but as a community we can defy anyone. We can have the power to stand up against our oppressors and fight for our way of life."
The cheering continued when Tazuna moved towards a large object, standing at the foot of the bridge. It was hidden from view by a large curtain. The bridge builder held the curtain in his hands as he spoke once again.
"From this day forth, this bridge shall be known as the 'Konoha Bridge'."
With that, he pulled the curtain down. A large monument was now visible, shaped like a giant leaf. Inside the leaf, the Konoha symbol was embedded. Underneath the leaf carving, a plaque displayed a message.
'To commemorate Uzumaki Hitomi Naruto, Uzumaki Haku, Hyuuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, Yamanaka Ino and Nara Shikamaru. Six brave heroes from Konohagakure no Sato, who fought for the lives and future of a whole nation.'
Once the cheering and applauding had stopped, Tazuna announced one last thing.
"Let this day be known as the 'Day of the Leaf'. From now on this day will be marked by a nationwide festival to honour our saviours."
The crowd voiced its acceptance as it slowly started to disperse. Tazuna walked towards the Naruto and the rest of the group.
"How can I ever thank you enough for all you have done for us?" he said, his voice obscured by a lump in his throat.
"It's alright Tazuna-san." Naruto answered. "Make sure this nations prospers again soon and continue to stand up for what you believe in. If you want to help Konoha, request missions from us in the future as well…. Just make sure you'll tell us what to expect next time," he finished with a mocking smile on his face.
Tazuna smiled at the group. "I certainly will my friends. Again, please accept my deepest apologies for all the trouble I have caused you. I'll make sure that as soon as we have the money, I will send you the rest of the mission payment we owe you."
The group exchanged their last greetings and waved goodbye.
"Be sure to come back soon. Wave Country will always welcome you!" Tazuna shouted to the group, who smiled as hey started their journey home.
"Grow stronger and become leaders of your village my friends. Konoha should be proud to have you amongst its ranks," Tazuna thought as he saw the group disappearing from view. He then turned around and walked off the bridge, into the new future that has been given to his country.
Surrounded by his friends and students, Naruto felt very proud. He could finally say he was happy being a Jounin instructor and that he understood his mother's reasoning when she informed him of his new job.
"Guys, let me tell you that I am extremely proud of all of you, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru and Hinata," he said as he looked at all his students. You have grown immensely over the past six weeks and you have shown everyone that you are perfectly capable of handling yourselves in battle."
Then he looked at Haku. "Haku-kun, thank you for helping us out. Without you, we wouldn't have come out of this as healthy as we are now."
The others smiled at their leader.
Suddenly, Naruto got a sadistic glare on his face.
"As a reward, because you've all grown so much, I think I will train you even harder from now on!"
"AAAAAAAAAW NOOOO! How troublesome!" everyone yelled at once.
"Uh uh uh guys, you know what that means, double punishment for all of you for complaining when we get back." He snickered again before adding, " …wearing heavier weighted suits…"
"AAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGG!" was heard in a ten kilometre radius.
Holding his belly in laughter, Naruto continued to lead the group back home.
Back at the site where the group had battled a couple of weeks ago, 5 Stone Jounin inspected the area.
"There's no mistake in this. This is the work of that blasted Uzumaki Hitomi Naruto," one man said.
"How can you be so sure?" another man asked.
"These kunai. There were used by the man who later became Yondaime Hokage during the last Great Shinobi War. They are used for his bloodline limit, which killed many of our forces."
"Oh… right," was the only answer.
The man looked up from his musing, eyes blazing furiously.
"This means war!"
A/N
That's it for now. Again my apologies for the long wait. I made this chapter extra long to make it up.
In the nearby future, there will be some romance. I have not completely decided on Naruto's pairing yet. Although I might have given you the idea that it will be Temari through previous chapters, I am still undecided between Temari and Kurenai.
I will not make this a vote, but I want you to give me a good reason to go for either one of them. Convince me, give me a good reason to go for either one of them
Let me know what you thought of this chapter, reviews are always appreciated.
Ja ne!
