Naruto of the North

by Vermillion Clover

In the world of Naruto, there lies a continent north of the Elemental Nations. A land very few shinobi ever had the chance to visit. This land was called the Northern Realms, where the Nords called the frozen wastes home. From a ninja and such a Nord, a child was born, now holding the gifts of both people in his blood. (OP Naruto) (Norse Themed/inspired) (Harem) (Altered Lore)

3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Fen of the Wolves

Fen slowly opened his eyes, groaning as the dawn's morning sun peered over the forest's canopy. He rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up and taking a deep breath of the fresh, welcoming air of the wilds. He looked across from where he was sleeping, over the firepit to see the two Inuzuka sleeping softly. He chuckled, finding the sight rather adorable. He slowly got up, going to Tsume and gently picking up Kibi resting on the woman's chest. He went into the cave that held all that he owned, taking out a small basket of fruits and other wild foods he had gathered. He brought it back out and put it down for the two to wake up to. He would have spat on himself if he didn't make sure they had something to eat when they woke up. Kibi yawned as she was placed in his hood, cuddling into its warmth as the half-breed fox embraced the familiar scent of her closest friend.

With that taken care of Fen moved to sling his bow over his shoulder with a quiver on his back strapped around him. His hatchet was at his sides, never leaving its hold on his person even if he slept. He made his way down the hill, washing his hands and tunic from the blood of the deer that he hunted the night before. He didn't want to look like he massacred someone when he went to do these stupid missions with his new team. After he finished cleaning himself up he did one more look over at himself to make sure everything was settled. Once he made sure everything was right he let out a low whistle. The tune was so low that not even the hounds of the Inuzuka woke to hear it. But his wolves did.

The three came to him, their faces still red from the meal last night. He chuckled, going to them and giving them some love as he gave them each a hug. The three before him were the closest he had to family now, besides Kibi of course. There were two males and one female. The female was as white as snow, with eyes as red as blood and claws as black as obsidian. Her two brothers were identical mostly. Both had coats of solid black and a gray underbelly. Their eyes were the only things different, as one had eyes as pale as the moon and the other eyes as fiery as the sun. He stood back up after letting go of the last wolf, smiling as the three waged their tales at their master.

"Alright guys, we are moving out. I don't know what we will be doing, but I do not trust the two I am paired with. So, I ask you to stalk the woods we will be traveling along. If I give the signal, you attack what I am looking at. Skadi, Skoll, I need you two to be the ones to start the attack. Freki, I need you to hold back, I can not risk you losing your senses. Do you understand?"

The three wolves nodded, though the white wolf, now names Freki, just gave a soft growl of submission. Fen sighed, rubbing her ears and showing her a bit more affection at her reaction.

"I am sorry, sister, but I can't bare the thought of you losing yourself as Geri had done."

The wolf looked up at him, giving him a lick on the cheek as she understood. She couldn't end up like her brother. She would make him proud of the strong, powerful wolf she will become and overcome her curse.

With that said and done the wolves went to the trees, their scent and aura went as they acted as the silent guardians of the last Norung. Fen shifted the bow on his shoulder, taking his time to walk back towards the village as she brought his hand to a pouch on his belt and took out some stone arrowheads. All the way to the village he whittled small etchings into the arrowheads, carving Runes into them before pricking his finger with each one and letting his blood seep into the runes. He wasn't going to risk losing the idiots on whatever missions they would go on and had to prepare for anything to happen.

Back at the camp Hana was the first to wake up, groaning as she looked up to the sky and saw it was slowly getting higher in the sky. She looked down at her mother, who was now waking up with a yawn before looking at her and then around them.

"Damn, Fen must have left already." Tsume said, scratching the back of her head before seeing the basket of fruits laid out for them. "And he even left us some breakfast, I'm liking that guy."

Hana chuckled, taking an apple from the basket and her mother doing the same. The two sat there in silence as they ate, the fruits far better than the crap they sold in the village. Hana looked to where he was sleeping before, the scent of his wild, untamed fragrance still strong in her nose.

"Mom, do you think we could get him to visit our clan compound?" She asked with a bit of a blush on her cheeks, looking at her mother. Tsume smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Perhaps, I wouldn't mind seeing him around more often. The kid is quite the catch. Might try getting him for myself before some other bitch tries taking him."

This made Hana flustered while also a bit angry. "Mother, that is rather rude don't you think? Besides, knowing him he isn't focused on girls. After everything he told us last night, I feel like he is more worried about everything else on his mind."

She brought her knees up to her chest, feeling a bit sad about the fact she might be right. She didn't know exactly how she felt about him yet, but he was so honest with them. She could feel some sort of bond between them, maybe it was because of their connection to canines like he mentioned. But after talking with him and learning about him and what he carries inside him, she just felt…more towards him.

Tsume saw her daughter's reaction, smirking before letting out a chuckle. "He is focused on those things, I couldn't imagine a human who wouldn't have the thoughts of what to do and what had happened swell in their minds if they were in his shoes. But that's why he needs distractions like women. If he focuses solely on what he needs to do, he'll never see what he can do."

This made Hana feel a bit better, standing up and taking another apple. "Your right, I just hope he understands that. Maybe when he comes back from the mission he is going on we can invite him over."

The matriarch of the Inuzuka snickered at her daughter. "Maybe, maybe. Though if he is interested I am not afraid to claim first dibs."

This started a light-hearted argument between the two about who would go after him and why. Thankfully none of the others of their clan were around to hear this or to know that there is someone that strong with an even stronger wolf inside them. Things would be changing for the Inuzuka soon it would seem.

~~Hokage's Office, Hokage Tower- Konohagakure~~

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke were a bit pist at the moment as they waited for Fen to show up. They told him seven am sharp and here it was now nearly eight. This annoyed the team that their teammate seemed to have a knack for being late just like their sensei, but at least Kakashi didn't show up late for mission assignments. Hiruzen couldn't help but snicker at the irony of Kakashi's situation.

At exactly eight the door to the office opened, revealing Fen with the Fox on his shoulder and playing with one of his braids like a toy. This didn't seem to bother Fen at all as he closed the door behind him, standing beside the others of his team. Compared to Sasuke and Sakura, Fen was a giant of a man. He was easily a foot taller than the boy. He would probably sum it up to Nord genetics.

"Where the hell were you, brute!" Sakura yelled out, making everyone including Kibi flinch at the tone of her voice. Fen looked at her, giving her a glare that scream death if she didn't shut up. Sakura felt a cold chill down her spine when she saw that look, gulping and backing away submissively. Fen snickered, he had to remember to thank Fenrir for the advice on how to intimate with glares.

"If you must know, I was preparing myself for the mission to come. I had to take precautions and prepared more of my supplies in case I need to bail your asses out of something that even a baby of my clan could get out of."

This pissed Sasuke off, who turned and was about to punch him but Fen gave him the same look again. "I welcome you to try, Uchiha. I never skinned the hide of a man, but I will gladly do so to someone who finds it acceptable to harm one of his Warband."

This sent a shiver down everyone's spine. It was getting more clear to Sakura and even to Sasuke that Fen was not one to be fucked with. Fen just sighed, letting the gaze go before looking to Hiruzen.

"What is the mission, Hokage?"

Hiruzen had to collect himself from what he just felt. It wasn't killing intent, it was something else together. He cleared his throat, taking out a scroll and handing it to Kakashi.

"Team Seven has been tasked with escorting a bridge builder to his village and staying there while the bridge is being repaired. This is a C-Rank mission, so there shouldn't be too many issues besides the occasional bandit. The client is coming as we speak."

As if on cue the door opened up to reveal a bloated drunk of a bridge builder. Fen smelled the stench of the cheap sake he was covered in, making the standing of this man very low in Fen's eyes. He was about to speak, but the drunk decided to instead.

"What, this is all you giving me? Three brats and their sensei?" He said, his speech a bit slurred but comprehensible nonetheless.

Before Hiruzen could respond Fen acted, bringing an axe to the man's throat. The man dropped his sake bottle, letting it rattle on the ground as he looked at the boy. The drunkard looked over at the kid and noticed the distinct difference between him and the ninjas he had seen before. He gulped, trying hard not to piss his pants in fear.

"Y-you a-are an N-Nord?"

Fen nodded, keeping the blade to the man's neck as he spoke up. "Yes, I am. So don't you dare insult my ability to keep your disgusting, bloated ass alive old man. The only reason I do not kill you for that insult is for the fact that things in the Elemental Nations are done differently compared to back home. So I suggest you be happy with what you have and understand that we give no more than a single fuck about what you think of us. Understand?"

The man nodded, shaking in fear before Fen pulled the axe away and put it back in its holster. The man fell to his knees, gasping for air as he thought his smart mouth would have ended him then and there. Fen looked back to the others, seeing their responses to his actions. Kakashi and Hiruzen just looked at him astonished for even acting that way towards a client, even if the client was an ass of a drunk. Sasuke seemed to have a bit more respect towards him growing in his eyes, it seemed the Uchiha appreciated what Fen had done to the drunk. Sakura on the other hand was just horrified that someone that was supposed to protect that client, be it a drunk ass, openly brought a blade to his neck.

"Alright…" Kakashi said after he finished collecting himself for a second time that day. "We will meet at the main gate in an hour, make sure you are all prepared."

Sakura and Sasuke just gave a nervous nod, while Fen left and made his way to the gate. He was already ready, and the fact the others needed time to do so was another negative mark in his view of the ninja.

When Fen left, everyone seemed to let out a breath they didn't seem to realize they were holding in. Kakashi looked at the man, bowing his head. "I apologize for him, Tazuna. He is not very well-mannered."

Tazuna waved his hand dismissively. "No, no that fault is on me. I shouldn't have acted that way, and for that, I apologize to you all. That kid needed to give me that wake-up call it seems."

The group just nodded in agreement much to Tazuna's embarrassment. The Team moved out, along with Tazuna, to get ready for the trip. After they left Hiruzen just leaned back in his chair, taking a hit from his smoking pipe.

"That boy really is a handful…"

~~Main Gates - Konohagakure~~

Fen leaned against the walls of the village, only a few feet away from the gate as he was working on the leather of the deer he had taken the night before. He was working on the hide, trying to tenderize it and making it more flexible before he would start to work on stitching it. He had already decided what he would do with the leather and planned on turning it into bracers for his forearms.

One thing Fen always took pride in was his self-reliance on the bounties of the wilds. He never bought an ounce of cloth from the shops in the village, nor did he put a single weapon from the blacksmiths. He felt that keeping one's own ability to stay independent determined their worth in the world. It's why everything he wore was made by him, from his cloak down to the fur boots that covered his feet. He also was proud of his level of Runic Mastery and made sure that he put it to good use in everything he made. He looked back up at the sky as he kept working the hide, thinking about what was to come with this mission.

As he was lost in his thoughts he failed to notice the drunk man from earlier approaching him. The man was hesitant to approach the Nord that held his axe to his throat, but he steeled himself as he knew he needed to make amends with the man who would be protecting him.

"Uhm, hey there." He said sheepishly though it got Fen's attention.

Fen looked at the man, noticing the scent of sake was lessened on the guy compared to earlier. "Hello, stranger."

Tazuna chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "The name is Tazuna, I should have said to you earlier before my drunken rambling. I wanted to apologize for what I said, and that I offended you."

The Nord looked the man over, noticing the look of regret on his face. Fen sighed, rolling the hide up and winding a few strands of twine around it to keep it secure before having it put in his knapsack.

"Think nothing of it, Tazuna. My name is Fen Norung, of the Norung Clan."

Tazuna nodded, his smile easing as he stood a foot or so away from Fen. He looked to the sky where the boy was looking moments before. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Fen nodded, smiling at the attempt at small talk. "Yeah, though it has nothing compared to my home. The skies here are full of clouds but back home, at dawn and dusk, we have these brilliant lights illuminate the sky."

This got Tazuna's interest, looking at the boy as he looked at the sky. "I heard tales of those lights from traders of your people. You call them the Northern Lights, right?"

Fen smiled, nodding as he moved his hands into a pouch and pulled out a few arrowheads. He then reached into the quiver, taking a few un-tipped shafts with feathers, and started to attach the arrowheads to them.

"Yeah, the Northern Lights. Some of my people say it's the last flickers of creations leaving the world. I think it's the last beauty left in the world. Beauty untouched by war, greed, famine, and death."

Fen looked solemnly at his arrows, a smile fueled by old memories across his face as he worked. Tazuna smiled, seeing the fondness on the boy's face as he looked to the gate.

"We got here pretty early. We got some time to talk while we wait for the others to get here. I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in your people. The ships they sail to port were always a sight to see."

A chuckle left Fen's lips at the mention of the ships. "You mean the Longships. Yeah, they are fun to sail on. Though a pain to get done properly. There are only a few shipwrights in the Northern Realm that can proudly say their ships never sank on their voyages."

"I see. They must be sturdy to sail so far. I don't know where the Northern Realms are, but I'm told they are pretty far north past the Land of Snow. Is that true?"

Fen gave him a nod, looking up and smiling as he was more than happy to talk about his home. "From the Land of Snow, it would take roughly a day to travel to my homeland. From the Northern Realms to let's say, the Land of Waves, it would take roughly two or three depending on the weather."

Tazuna smirked at that. He was interested in how far away the mysterious northlands were. He never dared to talk to the Nords about anything but trade, the only information he had was mostly from the conversations he heard others have with them. He always wondered about the secrets of the Longships and their methods of travel. Yes, he was a bridge builder now, but before then he was what most in his country were born to be: sailors and shipwrights.

The two kept talking about the boats and their functions. Tuzuna was curious about where the men slept on the longships when they traveled, and Fen just told him that they slept where they sat. When he was asked about how they covered themselves from storms and rain, he told them they had tarps to cover themselves if the weather was truly severe. He told the old man that most Nords weren't affected by hard weather, that only the most severe of storms even bothered them.

They kept talking for another thirty minutes til Kakashi arrived. When the jounin saw the boy that threatened their escort not even an hour earlier he instantly tensed up. But that went away when he saw the two laughing. He walked over to them when they started to talk about his weapons.

"So, you have all that Ryo saved up from doing all those missions and you still refuse to buy new weapons?"

Fen nodded, letting Tazuna hold the axe that was at his throat earlier. "I craft everything on my own. I made those axes too before I had to leave my home. I needed help from my Jarl, he was an expert smith, but I ended up making those with my own two hands."

Tazuna nodded, giving the axe back to Fen. "That's pretty nice kid. I can't say anyone your age in this continent is as independent as you are." He chuckled as he saw the neat little trick Fen did, swirling the axe's beard around his wrist before letting it slide into its holster with ease.

"Thanks, I take pride in that. Oh, hello there Kakashi." Fen waved his hand to Kakashi, seeing him now beside them. "Me and Tazuna here were just making some chit-chat while we waited for you guys. Turns out the man isn't that bad when he isn't wasted."

The older man chuckled, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I already apologized to them about that. I promise, no more drinking while I'm with your teams."

Fen smirked, shaking his head. "Nah, you can drink if you'd like, just make sure you watch that tongue and give me some. That sake stuff isn't as strong as ale, but it gets the job done."

The eyes of Tazuna grew stars at the acceptance and grinned ear to ear as he managed to get a bottle of said sake out of his backpack. "Alright, it's a deal!"

Kakashi deadpanned at the two's antics, bringing his hand out to stop Fen from taking the bottle. "One: We are on a mission and this would only inhibit your abilities. Two: You are underage to drink this."

Before Kakashi could hand the bottle back to Tazuna it was swiped out of his hand and was now in Fen's own. "I don't know about your laws and culture here, Kakashi, but in my home when you can fight you can drink, party, and marry. We live lives destined to die in one way or another, and we have no clue when that will be. So we celebrate to enjoy it before we go to join our ancestors."

With that little lesson of Nord culture done Fen brought the sake to his lips, enjoying the sensation and flavor of honey and cherry. He offered the bottle back to Tazuna, who kept his cheeky grin.

Kakashi just sighed, looking away and hoping his two real students would get here to save him from this disaster to happen. Sadly they only arrived after ten more minutes of the two behind him going back and forth between what liquor was better and why.

When Sakura and Sasuke made it to the gate with a few minutes to spare they saw the two chuckling and sharing Tazuna's sake while Kakashi just had an air of depression around him. He was eager to get rid of Tazuna and get back home. He turned and saw the two genin, smiling brightly as they exclaimed it was time to get a move on much to Tazuna and Fen's disappointment.

~~Road to the Land of Waves - Fire Country~~

The group was mostly silent on the road, Tazuna and Fen getting the gist that their rantings weren't exactly welcomed by the rest of the team. This did put a damper on the mood of the two, but Fen understood when it was time to have fun and when it was time to work. Kakashi had taken the front of the group, acting as a point while Sakura and Sasuke manned the sides of Tazuna and Fen the rear of the party. While they walked Fen noticed a puddle of water, the same one Kakashi noticed. This was odd to him, there had not been a single drop of rain in the area for nearly two weeks, and there shouldn't be any puddles like that around. This put Fen on high alert, and he could sense it made Kakashi do so too.

Before anyone could realize it the puddle erupted and two men with conjoining chains to their metal gauntlets came from the puddle. This shocked everyone but Kakashi and Fen. When Kakashi saw how calm Fen was he had a feeling he already knew what was up. The two men aimed to take Fen down first since he was the closet target, and to Fen's surprise, none on his team seemed to act for his defense. They seemed content to watch him get killed. He bit back an insult he wanted to shout at them, instead opting to let out a low whistle.

The two men were both shocked and horrified that just as quickly as they had appeared two wolves the size of horses appeared from the forest's cover. The two wolves, Hati and Skoll, were quick and efficient. They both locked their jaws down on the assailant's throats, ripping their jugglers open before tearing off their heads with one quick, fluid flick of their heads. Fen looked back to the now-dead bodies on the ground, letting out a pitiful sigh at the two of them as both Hati and Skoll tossed their heads aside before coming to Fen's side and sitting dutifully beside him.

"What…the fuck?!"

Fen and the wolves turned to the group, seeing Sakura horrified at the display of pure savagery that the wolves showed before she screamed at them. Kakashi was also surprised, he was hoping that this ambush would be a good lesson for Fen to learn that he wasn't all that good, but he didn't expect those monsters of wolves to come out of nowhere with his whistle. He didn't even sense them the entire time they were walking.

Tazuna just smirked at the boy, looking at him with some pride in his eyes. He didn't know Fen that much or even that long, but he saw something in the kid that he looked forward to seeing grow.

Lastly was Sasuke, who looked amazed at the brutality that the two wolves showed at the opponent. Like Kakashi he couldn't sense them, he didn't even see their forms in the treelines as they walked. They had to be summons, that was the only explanation the Uchiha could muster up. And if they were, he would need them for his quest.

"Nord, I want you to give the summoning contract for those wolves!"

Fen just blinked at Sasuke, looking down at the wolves to see if they had an answer. They shook their heads, leaving Fen with little to nothing to work with. "What the fuck is a summoning contract? And who are you to demand anything from me?"

This caught the four natives of the Elemental Nations off guard. Kakashi cleared his throat to speak but was cut off by Sasuke.

"You Nords really are that stupid, aren't you? Those wolves, you whistled and summoned them did you not? Which means you summoned them from their realm. Which means you must have signed a contract to have them be your summoning companions."

Again Fen was lost in everything Sasuke was talking about. Though he really didn't appreciate the insults and walked up to him. He was about to put this little pup in his place til Kakashi got between them to stop a fight from breaking out.

"Fen, all Sasuke is asking here is to let him have those wolves as his own companions. More accurately, the scroll you signed to make them come to you when they did."

The Nord just shook his head before walking away from the two. They had no right to ask anything from him when they stood there and watched. He knelt down to the severed heads, taking off the two headbands they wore with the symbol of Kirigakure.

"I signed no scrolls, the wolves you see are loyal to me and come from the last litter of Fenrir himself. They are my brothers and sisters, and I will not force them to go to someone with so much arrogance and malice in his eyes. AS for anything else, I care little of what you will ever ask of me. You have not earned my trust. So get the idea out of your head that I will ever allow you to know any of my skills."

This sent Sasuke over the edge as he practically stomped all the way to Fen, but was stopped as the two wolves growled hungerly at the arrogant Uchiha. Sasuke smirked, taking a kunai out from his pouch and prepared himself.

"Fine, maybe they would make better pelts than minions anyways. Their fur looks very-"

He couldn't finish his sentence as the axe in Fen's hand was brought to his neck quicker than he could blink. The look of pure anger in Fen's eyes made the boy shiver, trying hard to keep his composure while his body screamed at him to run. Fen let out a deep, feral growl as he spoke. His voice changed to a deeper tone that hinted at the power he was holding back.

"I dare you to lay a hand on them, Uchiha." The Nord said with venom in his words "The moment you move an inch towards them I will skin you alive, parade you in the city, before pissing on your corpse on top of the graves of your clan. Do you understand me, you little fuck?"

The area around them seemed to grow cold, the sun's light even seeming to dim as Fen let out his killer intent to the boy who dared threatened his pack. Sasuke gulped, a look of anger plastered across his features as he backed away and put the kunai back in his pouch. As soon as he did the aura of cold warmed up, the sun returning to its full shine.

Fen stood up, taking a deep breath before going back to the heads and stuffing them into a sealing scroll. "These two high-ranking missing ninjas. The Demon Brothers of the Mist, I believe. They are rogue ninjas, and rogue ninjas aren't cheap. Tell me, Tazuna, what aren't you telling us about this bridge?"

Tazuna sighed, happy the tension seemed to die down a bit but he knew he was in for it now. He wanted to lie, but he couldn't do that to Fen. He was a good kid, and maybe he could still help him. Tazuna told them everything, to what was happening to the Land of Waves and the vileness that was Gato. Fen listened to every word, but it seemed his team wasn't as interested in it then he was. To them, the man lied to save his own hide in the end, damn the reasons behind so.

"Well, you lied about the parameters of this mission so you wouldn't have to pay fully for an A-Rank. Sorry, but I am pulling my team from this mission. I wish you the best of luck Tazuna."

Kakashi nodded to his team, more than eager to just end this ordeal and return home. He was now determined to have Hiruzen take Fen off his team. The madman's temper and willingness to threaten his teammates were not acceptable and would look into his being brought to the council for threatening Sasuke twice now. He knew Fen was his sensei's son, but he was out of control and he owed it to Itachi to protect and guide Sasuke. He owed no such promise to Minato.

Tazuna's eyes went wide with fear, getting down on his knees as he pleaded. "Please understand I have no choice! If you don't guide and protect me as I finish the bridge then you are damning the people of my country! Please, show some mercy!"

The Team just kept walking, well, all of them but Fen. When the three of Team Seven noticed the distinct lack of the vicious Nord walking beside them they turned to see what he was doing. To their annoyance and utter aggravation, Fen was kneeling in front of Tazuna and offering him his hand.

"I won't abandon your people, Tazuna." He said softly, helping the man up as he dusted the old man off from being on the ground.

Kakashi turned to Fen, pist at what he was doing. "Fen, as the team leader I order you to come back with us to Konoha. I already made my choice on the matter."

Fen turned to him, his eyes showing no respect or care to the three walking away. "I care not for the words and orders of a heartless man. You would rather let this man, his family, his home, and his entire country be strangled to death by a tyrant instead of showing him mercy and understanding."

The Nord kept himself planted where he stood, eyeing Kakashi and his team as he kept talking. "The people of the Elemental Nations say that the Nords are crude, brutal people that live only for warfare and battle. That may be so, but at least we know the value of helping those who need it. We do not turn our backs on those that ask for our help, or our mercy. If this causes me issues with that pathetic council of yours then so be it. I will not abandon Tazuna and his home to a fate that I can prevent."

With those words spoken, he was having an intense stare-down with Kakashi. Kakashi himself was torn at what to do. In truth he didn't want to up and leave Tazuna, he knew that would make him look weak to not only his team but to his peers. However, he had the oath to look over and protect Sasuke. He couldn't guarantee that if they kept going on this mission with Fen. Things could keep happening with the Uchiha's mouth and Fen's temper. After a few more moments of their eyes connecting Kakashi sighed, shaking his head as he turned around to keep walking.

"Do as you want, Fen. I am taking my team back to the village. Don't blame anyone but yourself when you die protecting Tazuna."

Fen just gave Kakashi a dirty look before sighing, turning to Tazuna, and smiling. "Looks like it's just me and you now. Let's get going. I know a faster way to get there now that it's just the two of us."

Tazuna raised an eyebrow before yelling out, feeling himself being picked up by Fen and helping him her on the back of Skoll. The wolf looked over its shoulder to Tazuna. The man just let a sheepishly hellow escape his mouth before the wold nodded and wagged its tail. He liked the man.

Fen went up to Hati, running his hand up and down his back before jumping on. He looked to Tazuna, smirking as he had no idea where to hold on. "Grab the back of their necks with both hands, it doesn't bother them too much. Just don't hold too tightly unless you want to lose a hand."

Tazuna just looked at Fen, and his eyes looked down to Hati who licked her lips at the comment about losing a hand. The bridge builder shudder at the thought, now moving to hold onto Skoll with just enough of a grip to not slip from his seat as the two wolves started making their way towards their destination at a faster pace.

Back with Kakashi and his team Sakura was trying hard to cheer up Sasuke as he was still fuming from what Fen had done. He felt so humiliated, his anger at himself just as much as Fen. How could an Uchiha elite like himself even let a mangy Nord like him cower? He should have killed those mutts and Fen to prove how strong he was. Though the words echoed in his mind, a threat so intense that it made itself burn in his memory. He tried to shake those thoughts out of his mind, thinking of a way to get back at that bastard for the humiliation. He snickered, making Sakura think she got to cheer him up, but it was due to the idea of taking this to the council that made his mood shift ever so slightly. They wouldn't take this lightly, and with any hope, they would force that fucker to give everything he had to Sasuke before executing him.

Kakashi looked back at the two charges he had taken, seeming them equally pist at Fen as much as he was. The jounin was lost in his own thoughts about it all, though. How could someone of Minato's blood be so aggressive and hostile toward his own teammates? Granted, Sasuke egged him on to act that way, but the fact still remained. Then there was the defiance Fen showed when being told to leave Tazuna to his own fate. He really was nothing like Minato outside of those sapphire eyes and blonde hair.

He let a sigh leave his lips as they walked back towards their village, hoping to report this whole incident to the Hokage before he would leave for the night. Maybe hearing firsthand about how savage Fen was would wake the old man out of this trance of seeing Fen as nothing other than another of the Hidden Leaf, let alone Minato's only son.

~~Over the Border into Wave Country - Wave Country forty minutes later~~

Fen helped Tazuna down from Skoll, chuckling at the thrilled expression on the man's face as he gave the wolf a large hug.

"I never thought I'd say this, but here I am thanking a wolf for giving me a good ride closer to home."

Tazuna let the wolf go, and the wolf in turn gave the man a lick on his cheek before scampering off to the woodline along with Hati. Fen just smiled, putting a hand on Tazuna's shoulder as they watched the two canines leave.

"See, wolves aren't vicious predators. I mean, technically they are, but that's not all of what they are about. They are loyal, lifelong friends if you get to know them."

The old man just nodded along as he and Fen made their way to the small wooden bridge that lay over the running river. This would be the last milestone they would reach before finally getting to the village. They would be arriving a whole day earlier compared to walking the entire way as they would have with the others. Tazuna was still hurt about their lack of empathy towards his country's situation, but talking with Fen the entire ride helped relax him some. Despite his rugged appearance and brutally honest nature, Fen was a wonderful person to talk to. He listened to every word that Tazuna said, and talked about anything he wanted to talk about. If he wasn't already a "ninja" for the Hidden Leaf, he would have tried to convince him to stay with his village. Sadly, that wouldn't be possible.

"Anyways, why did we stop having them give us the ride to my village? I thought you said that their stamina was legendary?" Tazuna snickered, walking behind Fen as they got closer to the bridge.

Fen just turned and smirked. "Doesn't mean they don't get hungry, Tazuna. They haven't eaten since the deer I brought to them the night before. They need to refill their bellies before doing anything like that again. We won't see them again for at least two or three days."

The bridge builder nodded, chuckling to himself about such wolves unable to do much on an empty stomach. He was about to say something til Fen stopped him by taking his axes out and bringing them up in an X formation. Tazuna was confused til he saw the massive sword barreling at the two of them. He ducked down only to see that Fen stood firm and let the blade clash against his axes. The sword that was hurled at him smacked against the steel of the axes, making Fen grunt as the blade pushed back before falling to the ground. This was a surprise attack, that much was clear.

Acting quickly Fen grabbed Tazuna and leaped backward before an axe kick from an unknown man could land on him. The impact of the kick left a small crater where the sole of the man's foot was. Fen narrowed his eyes as he reached into his pocket and tossed a few pieces of stone around Tazuna while the attacker reached down and picked up his sword. The stones sparked with life before forming a dome around Tazuna made of chakra. Tazuna blinked and looked around himself, seeing himself protected from the battle to come.

"A Nord? Now, this wasn't expected." The man said, now standing a few yards away from Fen and Tazuna. The man looked over Fen, and Fen did so in turn. The man was tall and rather muscular. His skin had a grayish tint to it with short, spikey hair and brown eyes. He noticed the mask of wrappings around the man's face, only letting him see his eyes along with the Kirigakure headband around his forehead that was tied sideways to have the steel plate cover the right of his head. The only thing on the man's chest was the large belt strap that no doubt was designed to holster the large blade Fen had just reflected moments before. His pants were just baggy, oversized striped pants with matching legs and arm warmers that were colored with brown and white camouflage.

Fen narrowed his eyes, keeping himself in a defensive stance with both axes in hand. "You are Zabuza Momochi, are you not? The Demon of the Mists and A-Classed missing ninja of Kirigakure."

The man smirked, bringing the sword up to rest on his shoulder as he looked into the eyes of his opponent. "Indeed I am. Tell me, what is a Nord doing wearing a Leaf band around his arm? I thought your kind didn't like betraying your clans."

The boy just huffed, letting the axe blades rub against one another to activate their lightning aspects. "I have no need to tell you my story. As it stands, you are an enemy. Tell me something, are you trying to kill the bridge builder for Gato?"

Zabuza snickered, though it was hidden under his wraps. "Yes, I am. Gato has paid me good money to end that drunk behind you. The money I need. So, why don't you just step aside and let me do what I was tasked with and we act like we never met?"

Fen just shook his head, never leaving eye contact with Zabuza. "I won't let you do that, I promised Tazuna here I'd free the country in the name of my clan. And if you know about my people, you know that those oaths won't end unless I die doing them."

The missing ninja just shrugged, bringing himself into a fighting stance as he prepared to strike. "So be it. I'll say I am rather excited to fight a Nord, your kind was a real pain in our asses back in Kiri. As a show of respect, I'll even make sure you die with your weapons in hand. That's the way you people like to die, isn't it?"

This actually made Fen give Zabuza a bit of respect. He nodded, preparing for the charge but said no words after Zabuza.

The two looked at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. They held their blades tight, neither trying to show their thoughts to start the combat. Soon enough, oddly, the cough of Tazuna started their engagement.

At shocking speeds, the two engaged one another, axe against sword as the two fought hard against one another. Every strike from Fen's hatchets was met by a deflection of Zabuza's sword, and in turn, every sweep of Zabuza's blade was dodged by Fen's superior mobility. Outside looking in one would guess that Fen should be able to easily take Zabuza down with his close-up combat style that got into someone's guard, but the Demon of the Mist was more than able to keep Fen at bay with a mix of his signature ken and taijutsu style revolving using his sword as a sort of pillar of balance to work off of.

Tazuna could only watch the duel happening before him, the two's blades having spark fly into the air from the pure force of their attacks. It was all so mesmerizing to the old man, the sight like watching masters at play. However, even masters can not hold forever. After five minutes of the intense exchange of blades both combatants jumped back, looking at one another and even panting.

Zabuza managed to get a few shallow cuts on Fen, but it was only on his exposed arms. He couldn't get back enough to properly aim for the boy's chest, nor could he bring enough force down to sever the arms thanks to how quickly Fen would get out of the way when he tried to. Fen, on the other hand, smirked as he saw the dozen or so cuts littering across Zabuza's chest and arms. Most were shallow, but two were deeper and let more blood leak from his flesh compared to the others. One was on his upper right shoulder and the other was on the left side of his abdomen. The two brought their weapons back up, preparing for another encounter.

"I have to admit, Nord, you fight damn well. I can't remember the last time someone was able to land this many licks on me. I got to say, you're pretty fucking strong for someone so you."

Fen snickered at Zabuza, his own blood leaking down his arms and onto the grips of his axes. "My thanks, Zabuza. I have read about your mastery of that blade. I will also admit you fight well. You're the first I could not take down within four blows. However, as much as my respect means to me, I can't let you kill Tazuna. So why not just back off of your job to kill him and I'll act like I never saw you."

This got a good chuckle from Zabuza, making the bleeding on his chest a bit more exaggerated from the tensing of his muscles. "Flipping my offer on me huh? Your one cocky bastard, I'll tell you that. But your right, we need to finish this."

Zabuza watched as Fen was about to charge forward, but stopped when he felt the cold steel of needles piercing his neck. The man fell down to the ground face-first on the river's shore. Fen raised his eyebrow, looking at his weapons before blinking.

"When the fuck did I do that? When did I even get those sorts of needles?"

Before he could go mad with confusion a voice spoke up. "This would be my doing, Nord. And they are called senbon."

Fen turned to see the voice coming from what appeared to be a hunter ninja of the Hidden Mist. He eyes the person, a bit of mistrust in his gaze as he saw the ninja picking up Zabuza.

"Thank you for distracting and wounding him enough for me to make my move. I was charged with hunting him down and now can finally return to my village after months of tracking him."

This only made his suspicion stronger as he watched the hunter-nin pick up the body. He may not be a native of this land, but he had done enough bounties to know you are supposed to remove the heads and burn the bodies of the bounty. He made a step forward, making the ninja hesitate as they were about to leave.

"I know what you must think. A Nord wouldn't know the procedure of taking care of a marked target like Zabuza there. But I know how it's supposed to be done. The universal rule is to sever the head and burn the body. You're doing neither, which tells me that you are not a hunter nin, but a friend to that man."

Now the hunter ninja was shaking a bit. They hoped that the stereotype of Nord's being utter neanderthal would be true and that she could just slip past without any issue. But she failed to understand that this Nord was anything but stupid.

Fen sighed, holstering his axes as he looked at the ninja. "Listen to me, and relay the message to your friend when you wake him up. I am here only to free this country from Gato's stranglehold. Be it by making sure the bridge is built or hunting and killing Gato myself. I'll give you both a chance to change sides, but if I see either of you attempting to take a chance at Tazuna's life again I'll have no choice but to kill. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

The ninja just blinked, though her hunter mask hid that. She could only give a small bow before she spoke again. "I…understand. Thank you, Nord. I won't forget this kindness."

Fen let out a gruff to her thanks, turning his back to them so he wouldn't see where they were going. The ninja took this chance to leave, carrying Zabuza with them as they made their way to their hideout. After they left Fen knelt down and started to crush the stones, disabling the barrier around Tazuna. The older man just stared at Fen, who in turn just looked confused at the stare.

"You…held someone like him off with only a few scratches on you? And what was that thing you put around me? Why didn't you kill them and stop them from coming back?!"

Again Fen just let out an annoyed sigh, shaking his head and walking across the bridge. Tazuna followed quickly after, staying close to his guardian. "Yes, I held him off but I knew I could kill him if I wanted to. That thing was a Rune Barrier, a specialty from one of the clans back in my homeland. Lastly, I let them leave because a voice in my head told me that there was more to their situation than they let on. So I allowed them to change their course before we meet again."

Tazuna just nodded along, not really in the position to question Fen. He knew the kid was strong, but this was far more than he ever expected. Fen just kept his eyes ahead, his gaze piercing through the forests and seeing his three wolf companions looking back at him. He shook his head, letting them know not to trail the two that he was fighting. The wolves nodded, going back to patrolling the forests. He sighed, silently happy he didn't whistle for them. If he did, then he wouldn't have been able to spare their lives as easily.