Daze
Chapter Sixteen: The battle of Kujira Bridge
A/N: Here's sixteen.
X X
Naruto awoke to the creaking of the ship and the sound of rainfall on metal.
Lightning crackled illuminating the cabin as he heard the thunder clap in the distance.
He sat up in his cot careful of the noise he was making.
He recoiled as his feet touched the cold iron of the ship's floor.
Silently stepping across the room he slipped out the door closing it silently behind him.
He made his way to the deck of the ship checking that the coast was clear he made a hand sign and slammed his hand onto the wood.
A small grey cat with a green scarf appeared.
"Ah Master another delivery."
"Yeah Koichi, you know the drill by now."
Naruto pulled a scroll from his jacket handing it to the cat who mouthed it giving him a small paw wave before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.
Naruto's ear twitched as he heard a creak.
Activating his sharingan he turned his head slightly catching the faint chakra signature of a hiding figure.
Their chakra was small with a faint tinge of green to it indicating they were using some form of sensory jutsu.
'It must be Ino.'
He reached into his jacket pulling out a senbon and sticking it into his mouth casually.
'Welp pointing her out will only make me seem more suspicious.'
He stepped up the steps to the captain's quarters.
"Hey Oji I saw a jackdaw earlier."
Naruto made a gesture to his neck.
The man turned to him and nodded catching onto his message.
"Aye pretty birds, but vicious."
"How goes the navigation?"
"Hardly blue skies, but this storm is nothing to worry about."
"I delivered your scroll to Oba Hiruka."
"Thanks gaki I hardly get to see her and the girls these days."
"They've definitely missed you Oji, Haruhi's really grown."
"Aye and I'd love to see her now, but the life of a sailor is one of long solitude."
The man adjusted his hat as he turned the wheel slightly.
"Well you should get some sleep. We've got a long day of sailing tomorrow."
"That's a good idea, night Oji."
Naruto gave a two hand wave and the man nodded grunting.
'Message delivered, phew.'
Naruto pulled the senbon from his mouth twirling it and opening the door to the cabin.
When he approached the room where he was staying Anko was waiting outside the door.
"You're up late."
"Yeah I had to drain the snake."
Anko chuckled.
"You're a lousy liar."
"Well, we can't all be perfect."
Naruto squeezed past her climbing into his bunk and kicking his sandals off.
Sasuke and Jiraiya arrived at the village gates as the midday sun shone above the trees.
"Ah, home at last eh gaki."
"Hnn."
"I hate when you do that."
Izumo and Kotestu nodded waving them in and they made their way to a tea shop by the gates which were opening its doors for the day.
They entered the establishment and saw a ragtag group of Jonin, Chunin, and Genin gathered around the table.
Gai gave the Sanin a respectful if enthusiastic bow before turning to the raven haired boy.
"Yosh Sasuke-Kun looking good!"
Sasuke smiled subtly fidgeting with the chibi necklace in his pocket as Jiraiya ran off to woo two buxom tea girls.
"Where's Sakura-san?"
A purple-haired girl he recognized vaguely pouted and Tenten set her Dango down.
"Sakura, Ino, and Tayuya left on a mission with Anko-sensei."
"Tayuya?"
Sasuke's eyes flickered with ponderance.
'Where have I heard that name before?'
He felt a hand graze his shoulder and turned to face the culprit.
"He-yo Sasuke has Jiraiya-sama kept up on your training."
Sasuke bowed respectfully to his masked sensei.
"He finds time to teach me things in between his daily stream of philandering."
Jiraiya spit tea at this statement practically flickering over to cut Sasuke off.
Jiraiya gave a nervous smile to the Tea girls he was flirting with.
"Baseless lies and slander on a sage, for shame gaki, I am a gentleman of the utmost kind I assure you."
Jiraiya guffawed comically, his chest puffing out like a rooster.
"Anyway it's good that you're here Kakashi I'm returning him to your care,"
Jiraiya scratched his hair adjusting his horned headpiece.
"-I've taught him all I can within reason since he declined my offer to sign the Toad contract we've reached the end of our journey."
Kakashi nodded with a sing-song hum.
"Eat up Sasuke, after all, you're friends here are throwing this little shindig to celebrate your return to active duty."
He leaned closer whispering in his ear with a smirk.
"Besides, you're going to need the fuel, first thing tomorrow I'm testing your skills.. by any means needed."
Unknown Hideout, present...
"Kabuto get in here!"
The serpentine man coughed wiping sweat from his brow and tugging at the bandages around his stomach.
"Orochimaru-sama what's wrong did the medicine not take?"
"It's not that, I can handle this accursed pain,"
He clutched the bandages in his fist tightly.
"-it's the humiliation I cannot stand, to be brought to such a state by fools such as them."
Kujira Bridge, South of Kusagakure, 6 months earlier...
"You're sure this lead is trustworthy?"
"Yes Orochimaru-sama Yura is one of my top spies, if he was compromised, I would know it,"
The boy raised his glasses to his eyes, the sunlight flickering on his lens.
"He was rather irate though about losing several men to gather this intel."
Orochimaru nodded.
"Send some of our own to appease him, we need him loyal, times are hard enough without our contacts being called into question."
"Hai Orochimaru-sama."
"Very well, gather the guard, it's times like this when the sound 5's absence is particularly troublesome."
The snake man growled clenching his fist in displeasure.
"I understand Orochimaru-sama but rest assured the new Snake guard are top men,"
The boy reached into his pocket pulling out a series of orange cards which he eyed with interest.
"-I've hand picked each for their unique skill sets and each is roughly on par with yours truly."
"I suppose we shall see now won't we."
The grey haired youth made a hand sign slamming his hand onto the dirt as ink spiraled out from his fingers.
A poof of green smoke later and six figures were gathered in a crescent before him.
From among them, one man wrapped foot to neck in bandages with cracked sickly yellow skin peeking out in places stepped forward.
He was a bald, bearded brunette, his left eye bloodshot-serpentine, his Otogakure Hitai-ate wrapped diagonally on his head so that it covered his right eye.
He wore nothing but purple pants with black pinstripes and a green oto-style rope belt.
"Hail Kabuto-san, Orochimaru-sama, reporting for duty."
"Secure the perimeter Abura we're expecting company and we must hold the upper hand."
"Hai Kabuto-san you heard him Serpents, get to work."
A series of hai's and his men vanished to corners of the forest.
a few minutes later...
"They're coming, my lord. I can sense them."
"Give your men the signal."
Kabuto reached into his pouch grabbing a small clay ball he leapt into the air and tossed it towards the clearing where it's fuse began to burn down.
The boy landed in a crouch next to his master.
"You're certain it will just be the boy and Kakuzu?"
"Hai that's what the intel said they're moving him to a secure location, they hadn't anticipated he'd survive the extraction so they're using him for his Uzumaki abilities."
"This will be troublesome I can already tell."
A boisterous voice rang throughout the woods as a young male voice and an annoyed older voice created a cacophonous dirge of conversation.
"Oi Oji-san why do I have to go to this stupid hideout anyway?!"
"Shut up gaki before I stitch your mouth shut."
The blonde boy made a rude gesture sticking his tongue out at the man but obliged him continuing to trail along in silence.
This continued for another few steps before the boy's eyes widened as he noticed something.
"Oi Oji do you see that spark?"
Kakuzu turned his gaze to where the boy was pointing and paled slightly.
"An ambush, get down!"
At that moment the wick reached its end and the bomb exploded with a cloud of purple smoke.
The masked man grabbed the blonde boy by his head and shoved him to the ground as a rain of kunai and shuriken flew from the surrounding foliage.
"How amateur."
The dark-skinned man pulled a kunai from his pouch and deflected the torrent of weaponry with his right hand.
His left arm pulsed and stretched unnaturally before black stitches exploded out spinning violently and dispersing the cloud of smoke.
Pulling down his mask the stitches on his mouth snapped as he shot out a black cloud of stitches at the brush to his left knocking over the trees and tearing out the foliage.
The shockwave sent dust and debris flying towards the hidden Kabuto and Orochimaru who had to leap away.
Three figures flickered into the air from the crash site, two of them shooting wind bullets from their mouths as the third fired a jet of flame.
They were all wearing green unitards with black anbu-esque vests, and brown clay oni masks.
Kakuzu's back broke open, two black masked creatures countering the flame with a torrent of wind propelled lightning.
"Gaki get up and assist my heart."
A red masked creature busted out of his back and fired a stream of fire at the untouched section of woods.
Naruto made a series of hand signs firing a wind blade from his palms at the fire and igniting an explosion which demolished the tree cover.
Three more figures scrambled away from the explosion one was caught on the arm by the blast but drew a tanto removing the arm with a slash before the fire could spread.
"Abura-senpai!"
"Urgh- I'm fine Tamako!"
The figures landed in the demolished woodfall revealing themselves to be a short hunchbacked blue-skinned man in a sleeveless hooded cloak with a mask;
and a pink-skinned woman with chin length messy black hair.
She was wearing a green leotard with a black chunin esque-vest.
The third, jaundiced bald figure appeared to be their leader.
"Impressive for a gaki to produce such wind you must be a chunin."
"Don't get too comfortable geezer that was just a warmup!"
Naruto smirked, drawing three kunai and stringing them together with green puppet-master strings.
"Puppet Master jutsu eh."
The man chuckled, lifting his hitai-ate and tugging lightly at the bandages on his face.
Naruto tossed the tri kunai chain, the wind chakra spiralling them into a pseudo chakram.
The tendril creature ignited it mid throw igniting them and causing them to explode violently.
The man yanked the bandages off his face revealing a steel socket eye and skull like wooden jaw where his eye and mouth should've been.
The socket glew with crimson chakra absorbing the explosion before it could impact.
"Tamako, Sujirin, you deal with the gaki and his pet here, I'm gonna go ensure that Kakuzu-san doesn't gain the upper hand."
"Hai-senpai." / "Hai."
The man jumped over the boy's head in a gust of speed the black creature turned to fire flames at him but was intercepted by the blue man tackling it.
Naruto reached out for him only to have his arm locked in a vice grip by the pink-woman.
"Let go of me you washed-out old hag!"
Naruto struck at the woman with a jab as he pulled her closer with his arm.
She released her grip ducking back to avoid the strike and jumping away as he followed it with a toe kick.
The woman glared at him, gritting her teeth.
"You stupid brat I'm only twenty-six didn't your parents teach you not to insult women!"
Naruto chuckled.
"Sorry but manners aren't really my thing I'm better at beating shinobi rejects like you losers!"
He slammed his fist into his palm flashing a toothy grin.
Kakuzu and his newly merged wind-lightning beast continued to push the oni-masked trio back with a series of laser-like blasts and tendril strikes.
They dodged effortlessly with a series of flips and acrobatic movements.
"Damn gnats you better have a good bounty making me chase like this."
As he said that the two smaller figures dove below the branches forming hand signs as the third figure dove at the man with a flying punch.
His masked beast shot a laser at the man but was tripped up by the branch it was on being sliced in half by a flame disc it tried to readjust it's aim but it's face was doused with thick liquid resin.
"Katon: Sun Plate!" "Suiton: Star Silk!"
The third figure's fist was encased in crackling lightning as he yelled out in a baritone voice.
"Eat this Raiton: Moon Impact!"
The lightning streamed outward forming a small shield of hardened light which was slammed into Kakuzu's guard.
Kakuzu's eyes widened as it tore through his guard burning his tendrils and nearly removing one of his arms.
'That attack's no joke!'
Thinking fast Kakuzu swung out with one of his arms tearing up the branches in the area and forcing them both to the ground.
The figure was forced to dispel his jutsu as the blastback would have injured him.
"Some interesting techniques but that just means I can't afford to play around anymore."
Kakuzu began to groan loudly in what must've been some hybrid of pain and exertion as the masked beast was sucked back into his body.
"Doton: Stone Spear!"
His skin hardened, turning steel black and glistening.
"Checkmate!"
His arms shot out grabbing the smaller figure on either side of him; the one in his right hand's leg was crushed and he was slammed backfirst into a tree trunk with a resounding snap.
He groaned in pain but couldn't collect himself in time as tendrils pierced his body and he screamed in agony blood leaking down the forest floor.
The left figure fired three flame discs from their mouth all of which bounced off Kakuzu's arm and chest harmlessly.
The figure grimaced but drew a kunai channeling fire into it and carving through their leg with minimal effort.
"Kamashi!"
The figure's voice cracked but the taller figure put a hand on their shoulder.
"I'll hold him, you know what you have to do."
The smaller figure nodded.
Clenching his fist he turned and ran to the downed figure ducking and diving over the tendrils.
One managed to clutch his leg but was severed by a spear of lighting.
"You can't afford to look away, Kakuzu-sama."
"Sama hn you know of me but I still don't know who it is I'm dealing with."
The man nodded removing his mask to reveal a green skinned, blue eyed man, with long feathered blonde hair.
"I am Kamaken of the Tsumiwara clan the boy you just killed was my brother Kamashi and the one about to strike you is my sister, Kamako."
Kakuzu felt a sharp gust of wind to his side and narrowly avoided a flying kick which splintered the ground where he had been standing.
The girl growled in annoyance leaping back to stand with her brother.
"We're originally from Takigakure same as you, we were exiled for following in the footsteps of our ancestors and using forbidden clan jutsu."
"Forbidden Jutsu, Tsumiwara... you don't mean."
The man's eyes widened.
The girl smirked, removing her mask which cracked in her hand fresh blood was dripping from her mouth.
Her long blonde hair began to defy gravity floating upward as her irises disappeared her blue eyes glowing.
"Hai, the Tsumiwara Forbidden Technique: Reverse Mitosis!"
The female figure began to yell as her muscles pulsed growing in size.
Chakra shot off of her in waves so severe they caused Kakuzu's tendrils to be blasted back.
"By absorbing our kin we can multiply our strength at the cost of the life of another."
"Originally there were eight of us now there are two,"
He looked at his hand opening and closing his fist and watching his muscles.
"-each unification has expanded our powers Kamako here was a chunin but with this latest growth she shall reach heights even a legend such as yourself will fear!"
The girl vanished with speed reappearing directly in front of the stunned Akatsuki who swiped at her with a knife edged chop strong enough to cut the wind.
She caught it in her hand pulling him forward by his wrist and spitting out a stream of severely boiling red water.
The superheated liquid began to wear down his armor to the point that a strong kick from her was capable of cracking his torso section.
He groaned in irritation, dropping the armor and shooting two masks from his body.
The blue masked creature began to fire a barrage of lightning bullets at the girl keeping her at a distance while the brown masked creature went on the offensive against the man.
Kakuzu began to fire tendril spikes at the girl's blind spots hoping to pierce her in a limb or joint to limit her mobility.
Back on the other side of the forest Naruto was locked in close combat with an enraged woman they were trading strikes parrying the other's attacks with clashing limbs.
Their battle along with the projectile combat of the masked beast and her accomplice had managed to push the four of them from the clearing.
They arrived into a larger area with two small lakes and a massive bridge visible in the distance.
Naruto began to gain the upperhand as he channeled faint wind chakra into his limbs enhancing his speed;
He managed to trip the woman with puppet strings catching her in the chest with a strong kick.
She coughed up spittle and fell to a crouch long enough for the boy to catch her in the jaw with a strong rising knee grabbing her legs and tossing her into an adjacent lake.
Naruto took the opening to channel a large flux of chakra and send a wall of wind at the hunched man.
The masked beast flew back firing three flame plumes into it and the man grunted with worry making a series of hand signs and drawing a large amount of water from the lake.
He raised it up in a violent spiraling water dragon around himself but the explosion struck him almost unimpeded, burning his cloak and half of his clothes off and shattering his mask.
He was sent flying into the half drained lake and landed slack sinking into the water.
The woman climbed from the other water body on her hands and knees breathing heavily and Naruto approached her channeling wind chakra into his palm.
"No hard feelings, but this is our duty as shinobi."
He chopped at her throat with his hand slicing her with his bladed wind.
The blood began to leak from her neck as she fell down grasping at her throat.
He looked away grimacing and focusing his gaze on the water in case the man jumped out.
'It never gets easier does it."
After a few minutes of silence save for the death throes of his opponent, Naruto turned to the masked creature.
"Lead me back to Kakuzu double time."
The creature began to bound towards the forest Naruto right behind it.
After he had left the blue man rose from the water making strange gurgle wheezing sounds from his gills.
He crawled over to the woman and weakly put his hands on her neck.
"Ninja Art: Sacrificial Regeneration."
He began to groan and wheeze as his chakra poured into her the light returning to her eyes.
When the process was done he fell still and she sat up holding her roughly closed wound.
"Tsujirin..."
Her eyes began to glisten.
Kabuto stepped out from the woods chuckling darkly, an annoyed Orochimaru right behind him.
"Don't waste your tears on that waste of effort, we have loads more like him at the lab."
Kabuto nudged the man with his foot picking up the charred remnants of his tube-like mask.
"The fact that he could die from that proves he was defective, his chakra stores were still too small and he couldn't even breathe on land without that toy."
The woman growled staring at her dead comrade.
"You sicken me."
"Ah come now Tamako is that anyway to talk to the man who indirectly saved you, after all you'd be dead if not for my pawn there."
"You're just lucky I serve Orochimaru-sama if he hadn't deemed you necessary I'd've killed you years ago."
Kabuto turned to look at the snake man.
"Well, she failed. What should we do with her?"
Orochimaru sighed in annoyance looking through the woman as if she were invisible.
"We'll give her a chance to earn her life either way she's useless to me at her current level."
The snake man smirked his neck stretching outward unnaturally as he bit the woman on her collarbone.
She screamed out in pain falling to the ground and writhing.
"When we're finished with the brat come back and check on her status though judging her myself, I don't like her chances."
The snake man walked past the screaming woman apathetically.
"Let's go Kabuto I didn't want to get my hand dirty but it appears the boy is a bigger threat than anticipated."
Present...
"And how did that all end up Orochimaru-sama?"
The raven-haired man growled gesturing to his stomach.
"Keep the snide remarks to yourself Kabuto before I blow a hole in your stomach and find a new medic."
Kabuto began to sweat in fear from the pure intent radiating off the man.
"Of course.. m-my lord I overstepped please let me go grab your medicine."
The man speed-walked out the door almost forgetting to grab the aluminum tray on his way out.
The waning orange of the setting sun kissed the decks as the island could finally be seen in the distance."
"Land Ahoy."
Naruto leaned against the ship's rails groggy from the trip.
"Finally."
The ship pulled to harbor with a lurch as the crowd made their way to the island.
Naruto took a quick look around noticing the leaf kunoichi were watching him like a hawk.
'I can't make my meeting with them watching me.'
He turned to the captain subtly whispering sideways to him.
"Hey can you have your crew hold up those four for say... Five minutes."
"Piece of cake gaki."
The captain whistled, calling his men over and pointed at the kunoichi.
"Hold those ones up, contraband check."
Naruto slipped into the crowd hengeing into a green-haired woman and slipped away while he heard Tayuya arguing with an older man and Anko trying to calm her.
What he failed to notice was the cloak hooded man behind him, the sound of gears clicking, and the single bloodshot eye trained on his back.
X END X
A/N: Just wanted to give a special thanks to long time readers Anarion87, biginferno and Antex The Legendary Zoruark you guys help motivate me to continue writing so thank you. -Ice
2/2/21: Chapter sixteen revised.