A/N: APRIL FOOLS! Like I'd ever abandon a story! Especially one that so many people love! Nah, I just wanted to see how many people would freak out. Anywho, at this point I think people are being major asshats just to get an explosive reaction from me. Say that shit without the Anonymity. Also, my Dad passed away years ago, but thanks for the painful reminder of what I've been without since my childhood.
Kitsuneswiftpaw: I am so sorry I made you cry.
One final note.
Who knew Fanfiction was a dating site?
Chapter 27: Demons Galore
"Jiji, I think Sasuke and Sakura are ready for a C-Rank," Naruto stated, much to the surprise of everyone, as he stood at Parade rest.
"What?" Hiruzen said as he wiggled his pinky in his ear. "I'm sorry, but I didn't hear you clearly. It sounded like you just said your sub- er, teammates are ready for a C-Ranked mission."
"That's exactly what I said. Besides the fact that they are both getting antsy and were about to mutiny, Sasuke and Sakura both display a strategic mind in spars against Jozun, they have both built up stamina and strength, and strengthened their chakra reserves. I'd even go so far as to say that they should start specializations soon. All evidence points to them being able to handle a simple C-Rank, especially with two Jounin as back-up." Sakura's jaw dropped at the report and that Naruto had delivered it, and so professionally. Sasuke stared at his best friend like he'd gone nuts.
"And what about you? Why say they can handle it with two jounin?" Hiruzen asked with a stern edge in his voice and a steely gaze leveled at his grandson. Naruto snapped to attention.
"I recently became aware of two missions taking place in the Land of Waves. Personally, I'd ask that I be given a leave of absence from duty to train with Ero-Sennin, but you should send your best operative to take care of the second, higher level mission. I'm confident they can handle a C-Rank escort without me. Besides, with the Chuunin Exams coming up, and the... odd entries, I have a feeling I need to train harder to be able to take on anything that could possibly come our way." Naruto met his Grandfathers' gaze, and Hiruzen knew what he was talking about.
"Jiji, since when have Kumo and Iwa come to a Chuunin Selection Exam that was held in Konohoa? Just because they extended a peace treaty for it doesn't mean anything. Kumo has been known to break peace treaties, and I'm sure Iwa would jump at the chance to assess our defenses." Hiruzen sighed at the blond's logic.
"Very well, you will train with Jiraiya. Meanwhile, Team Seven/ Twelve, you shall escort a client to Wave and protect him. Mister Tazuna, you may come in!" A door to the side opened and revealed an aged gentleman who wore a straw hat and had a towel around his neck and a large pack on his back. The Genin noted the sake bottle in his hand as he belched a noxious cloud of fumes and leaned against the doorway.
"Yer sending me home with a bunch of wet-nosed brats? They don't look like they could harm a twig... 'cept maybe the blondie over there."
"Actually, Naruto will not be joining your escort."
"Shame, he looks capable enough. Look here, I'm the legendary Bridge Builder Tazuna, and you all must protect me with your lives while I finish my bridge in Wave!"
"Okay guys," Kakashi cut in, holding Sasuke and Sakura by their shirt collars to stop them from pummeling Tazuna. "Pack for at least a month away to be safe, and meet by the gate in an hour." Finally, the Genin nodded and stormed out while Jozun and Kakashi walked out with Tazuna, discussing his bridge. Once they were gone, Hiruzen cleared his throat, but Naruto kept staring after his departed friends with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Naruto..." Iruka spoke up for the first time that day.
"I am not Naruto, Chuunin Umino." Iruka flinched at the coldness in the child's voice. No, not even coldness. Emptiness. It was as though the bright boy he knew had been replaced by a wall. Naruto reached into his pouch and removed a scroll, from which he unsealed his ANBU mask. After placing it on his face, he touched his shoulder and his Genin outfit was replaced by standard ANBU gear, the only difference being that instead of a single Tanto, Kage now had two Katana crossed over his back. He turned to face Hiruzen.
"My mission Hokage-sama?" a somehow audible crack echoed from the old man's chest at the sight he had wished to never see again. Oh, how he hated Kage.
"Your mission is to shadow Team Seven/ Twelve and protect them from afar as they carry out their mission in Wave. And, if given the opportunity, or motive, you are to locate and assassinate Gato the Shipping Magnate. This is a collective mission from the Kage's and Daimyo's of Hi, Kaze, and Mizu. Dismissed Operative Shadow." Kage bowed and vanished in a single blurry line.
"Who was that monster?" Iruka whispered fearfully, tears beginning in his eyes. Hiruzen sobbed once and rested his face in his hands.
"My best agent."
One Hour Later at the Gate
Kage looked down from the top of the Wall watchtower, unnoticed even in broad daylight out in the open.
"What's up with Naruto?" he heard Haruno Sakura say as the group he was to watch departed. He followed silently. Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Nin, sighed and shared a look with the other Jounin among the group, Jozun of the Bodybreak from the Sekazu clan.
"He's being cautious," the Younger Jounin said. "Iwagakure and Kumokagure have both enrolled a team or two in the upcoming Chuunin exams. Given Konoha's history with those two, it's probably best Naruto is training with a Sannin." Uchiha Sasuke, the younger of two remaining from that famed clan, remained silent, but looked up into the trees, almost right at Kage.
"Whatever, let's get moving," So, that was the legendary Uchiha broodiness. Haruno asked some simple question about Shinobi in Wave, and Hatake went into lecture mode. During the spiel, both Jounin and Kage noted the puddle the group passed. When two Shinobi melded out of the water and moved toward Hatake from behind, a mere shadow flashed over the group, and as they all snapped around, they noted that there was nothing. The puddle was gone, but there was nothing else of note. Kage noted that Hatake and Sekazu both shivered slightly. Uchiha looked confused, but turned and kept moving. Even though he knew, he couldn't figure it out. Kage shook his head.
"I will remove the silencing tag from one of you, and he will answer my questions," came a deadly quiet voice from the deep shadows. The two tied-up Chuunin-level Nukenin mimed laughing at the order, and the white and black mask jutted out slightly from the darkness.
"Or would you like to deal with the wrath of the Shadow of the Leaf?" both men suddenly turned deathly pale and began shaking their heads violently. A hand shot forward, and suddenly Gozu could hear his own breathe again.
"We are,"
"I know who you are, Demon Brother. You will tell me who you currently work for, what your objective is, and who hired you."
"We are subordinates of Momochi Zabuza, and we were hired by Gato to kill the geezer bridge builder before he can finish his bridge in wave."
A small nod. "You have been most co-operative. I will now silence you again," a flash, and Gozu was silent once more. "In exactly thirty minutes after I leave, a Konoha ANBU squad will find you. When they remove the silencing seals, you will tell them the Darkness grows, and offer yourselves up as hostages and defectors to Konoha. If you do not comply, you will die within the month. If you betray your new village, you will die immediately. Do I make myself clear?" both Nukenin nodded vigorously, tears running down their cheeks.
Kage leapt away, and as soon as he was out of sight, the Demon Brothers felt the KI that had been so pervasive and demonic it made them see their own deaths multiple times in multiple ways, disappear as well. They hadn't even noticed it was happening until it was gone, it had been so subtle.
Kage had just been given his motive.
Two days later- outskirts of Wave with Team Seven
"Get down!" Kakashi cried as he tackled Tazuna and Jozun shouldered Sakura to the ground. A very large blade whirled overhead and buried itself into a tree, before a muscular man in grey camo pants and Shinobi sandals with arm warmers and gauze over his mouth landed on the handle. His Hiate-ate, a scratch through the symbol for Kirigakure, was slanted as he turned his head to face the group.
"Ah," he said in a gravelly voice. "I get to face the Copy Nin AND the Body Breaker? My lucky day!"
"Jozun, stay with the Genin and protect Tazuna."
"Hai!"
"You expect Genin to stop me, Kakashi? Ha!" with a quick handsign, dense fog rolled in from all directions and enshrouded the battlefield. Everyone felt imminent death and fear, and the three surrounding the Client began shaking, in various degrees.
"Even a Jounin is fearful. A shame, but it proves that you tree huggers don't have the necessary skills. A shinobi is one who walks the line between life and death every moment. A Tool used solely for killing. In you, that mindset dies stillborn!" the gravelly voice rolled from everywhere at once.
"Calm down, guys. Momochi Zabuza is a master of the silent killing technique, and he enjoys mind games," Kakashi said, eye-smiling at his team, his Hiate-ate no longer covering his left eye. "I'll protect..."
"Stow the shit, Hatake. I don't give a damn if you were copying his Mizu Bunshin." with those empty words, the mist evaporated in seconds, and the monster known as Zabuza rolled onto the ground, broken and bloody, groaning in pain.
"Ahem... Kage... so good to know you were covering us all this time. But why spare Mamochi?" Kakashi asked, awkwardly rubbing his neck and re-covering his Sharingan. In answer, the Teen-sized Brunet ANBU dropped the severed head of an old man with gray hair and glasses, the face distorted in pure horror.
"Because he is no longer your enemy. His payroll, who was going to betray you anyway, Mamochi," Kage said with a nudge of his foot towards the man who was slowly sitting up. "Is dead. Now, Demon of the Bloody Mist, you have two choices." Zabuza groaned as he tried rotating his shoulder.
"And what would they be?"
"Either you join the Leaf and renounce all plans of helping the Rebellion in Mizu to end the Bloodline Purges," Zabuza stiffened and everyone else seemed shocked.
"Or?"
"Or you remain a Nukenin with the intention of funding the Rebellion, thus remaining our enemy, and I will kill you for your bounty to serve Konoha." Zabuza growled and his fingers twitched towards his Kubikuribocho, which was still oddly right next to him.
"I would think very carefully before you choose, Mamochi. Your choice also affects your adopted Daughter in the trees behind me." Zabuza froze.
How did he sense Haku? Even the best ANBU we've come across haven't been able to do that.
"She of course will receive her own choice, but your choice greatly affects the approach." with a roar, the Demon swung his massive sword at the speaker.
"NO-ONE THREATENS HAKU!" he was utterly shocked when his blade was caught between two fingers.
"A shame. Your skill and knowledge could have been useful." Kage rushed forward fasther than anyone could trace and plunged one Katana into his foe's abdomen, then ripped it up, bisecting Momochi Zabuza from the belly button up. Sheer shock registered on the man's face, before the two halves fell away and a fountain of blood and gore sprayed everywhere. The legs crumbled, the two flaps on either side flopping to the ground, and Zabuza's innards spilled onto the ground, causing Sakura, Sasuke, Jozun, and Haku over in the trees to vomit. Kakashi looked pale.
"Hatake, claim his sword for the bounty," the killer said tonelessly.
"..But your choice greatly affects the approach."
"What the hell..."
"Ah, I see you have experienced the effect of my KI. That was only one possibility. Now, choose." Zabuza vomited on the ground next to him, then picked up his blade and rested the tip on the ground. He used it to support himself.
"I... will... join you..." with those words, the demonic pressure let up, allowing everyone to breathe. Kage nodded, then turned around.
"Will you resist, or join your master?" he called. A blur later, and an androgynous youth was kneeling before the ANBU, panting.
"I will serve the Leaf... but may I know your name?"
"Why?"
"I wish to know who spared my life..."
A gloved hand slowly reached up for the mask.