Zabuza sees the Leaf Jounin looking around suspiciously with his limited vision and grins. Time for some fun. "Hidden Mist Jutsu," Zabuza says, forming a thick mist to cover the bridge. The Leaf ninjas and the builder huddle up together.
"Let's go, Haku," says Zabuza. "Time to make an entrance.
Zabuza uses his favourite Epic Entrance Jutsu: voice projection followed by sudden appearance. "Well, well, well," Zabuza says, sending his water clones through the mist to surround the Leafys. "Looks like a bunch of tree huggers got lost. You're a long way from the forest, Leaf shinobi. The water is MY domain." He grins as his water clones land amongst the little group on the bridge. "Oh, look!" he says patronizingly. "The little girl is shaking! Maybe she should leave if she is scared."
"I'm shaking in anticipation!" says the little girl, a bit too defensively.
"Go ahead, Sasuke," says the jounin, smiling through his mask.
Stupid man, Zabuza thinks. The mask is supposed to hide your expressions, not make them easier to read!
By the time Zabuza has finished thinking that sentence, the little girl with blue hair has already pulled out two kunai and dispatched every water clone. As the water falls to the ground where the clones were, the little girl spins the kunai around in her hands, back in the place she started. Zabuza is impressed; it took the girly less than a second and she's what, 12? The jounin looks proud and the builder is gaping at the girl in surprise.
Zabuza clears the mist away and walks forward with Haku following close behind. "So it seems the little girl is a worthy opponent for you after all, Haku," Zabuza says, directing his words at the Leaf girl, but addressing Haku. "You can have her all to yourself."
"Thank you, Zabuza sensei," says Haku, who is as calm and collected as usual. Hopefully that unnerves the Leafys.
"Zabuza?" the jounin says. "Then are you Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"
"Yes, that I am," grins Zabuza. "I'm in your Bingo Book aren't I? Now let me see if I can remember your mug from MY Bingo Book." Zabuza has a good think. "Ah, now I remember: you're Kakashi Hatake the Copy Ninja. Or 'Sharingan Kakashi'."
The little girl turns her head sharply to look at the jounin. She looks confused.
Before the kid can say anything, Kakashi of the Sharingan says, "And you are otherwise known as The Demon of the Hidden Mist, correct? And this young lady is your apprentice, Haku of the Ice Style."
Zabuza grins. "That's right. Kill the blue one, Haku."
Haku attacks the other kunoichi; senbon crosses kunai as the little girl fights back.
"Inari!" calls Inari's Mum. "Come and help me with the laundry!"
"Alright Mum," Inari calls back. "But I'm using the toilet right now!" Inari finishes up and washes his hands. Then he hears a scary noise and sneaks into the kitchen, scared that something bad happened. Inari peeks around the kitchen door and sees two of Gato's thugs standing over his mother. Inari gasps when he sees that they are the very thugs that killed his Daddy.
The two thugs hear Inari and turn towards him. "Oh look," says the one with the hat on. "It's her brat. Too bad for him: we only need one hostage!"
The one with the eyepatch grins and reaches for his sword.
Inari takes a step back in fear. He is shaking harder than he did when he thought Poochie was gonna drown.
"STOP!" screams Inari's mother. "If you harm my son I will bite off my tongue and choke on my own blood until I die! Then what will you do for a live hostage?!"
The two thugs look mad. "Looks like you'll be spared, kid." sneers the thug with the hat.
"Aww," whines eye-patch. "I wanna cut something!"
"Quit whining," says Hat. "You cut plenty of things on the way here."
Inari slumps down on the floor and starts bawling. Inside, Inari is a mess of fear, self-pity and shame. I am just a big cry-baby, just like Naruto said! Inari whines to himself. Inari is afraid that if he tries to fight back he will die.
Then Inari hears Naruto's scornful voice echoing in his mind: While I rise above the people who treat me like dirt, you'll be nothing but a CRY BABY! Inari feels something snap inside him. He does NOT want to be a crybaby! He wants to be someone worthwhile! Someone Daddy would be proud of. If Daddy was here, he would already have fought those guys; wouldn't have cared that he might lose. If someone tried to hurt his family, Kaiza lept into action.
If only Inari was strong enough…
If you protect what's important to you; then even if you die in the attempt, at least the world will be left with the memory of a man who lived a life worth living.
Inari clenches his fists. I want to be strong too, Daddy!
Determined, Inari marches outside and yells, "Wait!"
The two thugs turn around to face him. "Look who's trying to be all brave. How cute."
"Get away from my Mama!" yells Inari.
"NOW can I cut it?" asks Eye Patch.
"Go ahead," sneers Hat.
"Inari!" screams his Mother as the two thugs slice him into three pieces.
But the moment the thugs sheath their swords three pieces of a log fall to the ground instead of three pieces of Inari. "A substitution?" exclaims Hat.
Naruto is there and he rescued Inari in the nick of time. He even managed to grab Inari's mum as well. "Sorry I'm late," grins Naruto. "But you know what they say about the hero arriving in the nick of time, dattebayo!"
"Naruto!" Inari feels an immense relief wash over him.
"Hey, isn't that one of Tazuna's discount bodyguards?" comments Eye Patch.
"Good job, Inari," says Naruto, patting Inari on the head. "Your distraction was exactly what I needed to save your mum."
"Kill him," says Hat.
"Suckers," grins Naruto and pulls out a brush and paper. "Fuuinjutsu:" he says, writing on the scroll. "Lightning Cannon!" a burst of electricity shoots out of the design Naruto just drew and electrocutes Tazuna's henchmen. Both goons are knocked out instantly. Naruto ties them up and suspends them off the footpath, leaving the pair of unconconscious men hanging in the ocean with their heads above water.
"Naruto?" asks Inari. "How did you know those two were coming?"
"Well I found a wild pig that was all slashed up," explains Naruto. "And a bunch of slash marks in the trees that led to your house. It wasn't hard to figure out."
Inari stares down at his feet.
"Inari...:" Naruto says uncertainly.
"Huh?" Inari looks up at Naruto.
"Sorry I called you a crybaby," apologizes Naruto, scratching the back of his head. "You were brave just now." he puts Inari on the head. "You're a brave, strong boy, and you have potential." Naruto nods firmly a couple of times.
Inari is so touched he starts tearing up. "Aw, man!" he says, wiping away the tears. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry! Now you're just gonna laugh at me again!"
"Don't be silly!" says Naruto. "There's nothing wrong with crying when you're happy!" Naruto grins so widely Inari can't help grinning back.
Naruto isn't so bad, Inari decides.
"If these guys attacked here," says Naruto, poking at the head of one of his victims. "Then the bridge is probably under attack too. I better go help out. You can handle things here, right?"
"Yes!" Inari salutes.
"This hero business is a lot of effort!" says Naruto, launching himself into the air and flying away.
Inari stares after Naruto, mouth agape. "HE CAN FLY?"
"He was flying when he arrived," says Inari's mother. "I saw him but those two did not. I wonder where he learned that."
Wind and Rain finally make it to the border between the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire. They do not stop to rest but, start to run straight across the ocean.
"There has got to be a better way to cross," mumbles Wind.
"There is, but I haven't mastered it," replies Rain. "I hope we get there in time," he adds.
"Isn't this Gato's territory?" asks Wind.
"Yes, it is," says Rain darkly. "And if they do take down Gato, I wonder who will try to take over from him."
"No one if I have any say."
"If only the Hidden Whirlpool were still around. They would never have stood for Gato's behaviour."
"You make it sound like he's a naughty child."
"The only difference between him and a naughty child is that I want to kill him with fire."