How are we doing today people! We get to meet Haku now and there's going to be a special change right now! prepare your boats and get ready for some cannon fire, we're going in with all engines blazing! Anyway, let's go!
Super hero time!
Ex-aid: new objective: Collect those herbs!
Naruto: time for a mid-boss! fight the cruel dealer!
Ex-aid: watch out, there might be a villain in your midst!
Naruto: Don' worry, that's something Shuujin would probably deal with more than me!
E-a + N: Game start! Showtime!
"Did Inari tell you about his father? I didn't think that e would give up the cause of his sadness so easily…" Tsunami stated with a worried expression, looking to the side where that torn picture lay. The family were all together, looking the epitome of happiness in a frozen moment of a better time. If it hadn't have been for the large section ripped out, it might have been a nice memento to act as a memorial.
"Kaiza was one of the few people who were willing to stand up for Wave against Gato, but they were far too small to do any lasting damage." Tazuna explained with a cheap bottle in hand. The day's work had been completed and now they all sat in the living room, Inari wherever he chose to hide himself. "Wasn't even from here; fisherman from a different part. Managed to catch the heart of my girl and everyone else in this place. However, Gato didn't want people thinking they had a chance, did he? Next thing we knew, instead of giving a speech to raise hope, he was giving his life on stage to be made an example of in front of his son and wife."
"I can listen to this! It just makes me want to rip that guy's guts out even more!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, slamming his hands upon the wooden table and making the whole thing shake dangerously. "Next time we lay our eyes on that Zabuza guy, we're offing him and drawing Gato's attention, then we'll shoot the man in the eye!"
"You can count on us being right there beside you." Tenten promised as she punched her fist. "It'll be easier if I shove my trident into him, pin him down- you know?"
"But are you sure that you can beat him? From what I've heard of him, Zabuza's no simple man to beat. He killed his entire class without even entering the academy if the rumours are right!" Tsunami worried, the woman tensing up. Being a place without any ninja, it was still strange for her to have children openly discussing murdering men in her own living room.
"Don't worry! We just need to get some more training in!" Lee declared, standing up ready to go. "I'm sure we can beat them if we dedicate ourselves to our regime! We should begin once more my friends!"
"I'm sorry about his eagerness, but we really should get going." Hinata apologised, standing with her own type of regality, followed by her other two crewmates. Watching them walk off into the back garden talking of their frankly monstrous training compared to what the pair had seen their home grown warriors do, Tazuna and Tsunami sat in silence together.
"Do you think they actually have what it takes?" Tazuna eventually asked around the neck of his bottle.
"I don't know exactly why, but they inspire a lot of confidence in me, and it seems Inari too." The elderly builder's daughter answered, sinking into her seat before she too stood with a sigh. "I wouldn't underestimate them father."
"…I know. I just don't want to see their corpses on my bridge if I can help it."
Haku had been on a peaceful walk, despite the relatively depressing atmosphere that weighed down on the majority of different people that resided in Wave. The forests were left unaffected by the threat Gato held on the people; animals after all, didn't have to deal with debt or lack of trade, and a nice stroll was always good at clearing the mind even if Haku did have a job to do. When the pink kimono wearing person managed to chance upon a red coated boy snoozing next to a tree, several logs hanging from ropes and viciously slashed, Haku was left in confusion at how to act.
'Clearly, they're dangerous, but do I disturb them? They might get ill.' Haku pondered, throwing long brown hair behind as they approached the sleeping boy. With a slight shake, blue eyes looked around in confusion as they got accustomed to the greater amount of light entering the. Giving a scratch to his whisker like scars, Haku nearly recoiled when the judging look came, the boy leaping back in surprise.
Naruto too was unsure of how to react. When you had a pleasant nap followed by a beautiful girl waking you up in a peaceful forest, he couldn't exactly say he disliked it, but when the fact came rushing into his mind that yes, this is Wave, where there are killer ninja vying for your blood, Naruto had to make sure the pretty girl wasn't a threat.
"My apologies. Are you a ninja?" Haku asked in a sweet voice, Naruto relaxing his tense pose at the question.
'If they're threats, they don't ask if you're alright or wake you up without killing you.'
"Well yeah. I guess you caught me at a bad time." Naruto admitted with an awkward chuckle as he looked at the chaos he had wrought onto the trees that surrounded him. He had managed to find an abandoned lumberjack's house and was able to get a whole bunch of logs for free. Pair it with an abundance of rope and you get a fairly simple reflex dodging and multi target training area. "What brings someone like you to the forest then?"
"Well I was collecting herbs to help my precious one recover." Haku stated with a soft smile on her face, looking down and messing with her Kimono. Looking at the ground suddenly became so much more attractive.
"That's good. People seem to really underestimate the herbs around here when I asked at the Konoha shops." Naruto remarked, Haku's brown eyes looking up once more. "You must have a good eye for these sorts of things. Only the few dedicated doctors know of this, usually because the Wave exports are fish, so herbs go under the radar."
"Quite a few of the big villages don't need to look to such places for their herbs due to the amount they need, but he ones I've found so far do make for an effective medicine." Haku agreed, giving the basket she held a light shake. "I'm sure someone like you must have a precious one that you want to help, right?"
"Well certainly not as many as I would like, but the one's I have – I wouldn't trade them for anything else in the entire universe." Naruto answered honestly with a clenching of his fist upon his heart. It was true: Hinata, Tenten, Lee, Teuchi, Ayame, the Hokage… many people would boast about how many people they were friends with, but he didn't need to because everyone already knew how much he cared for those close to him. "You look like you could use some help though. Do you want me to join you? I don't look it, but I've got the right eyes for herbs too!"
Haku had to think about that for a moment, closing her eyes. As Naruto awaited an answer, he couldn't help but feel like he had said something wrong. Eventually, she slowly open her eyes and gave a firm nod.
"I'm glad there is another that thinks the same as I. I would appreciate it if you were to help me; the herbs I need are desired in great amounts so I can make a large batch.
"Right, then let's get started!"
Hidden behind a tree's trunk, Tenten, Lee and Hinata gathered once the pair had disappeared into a different area of the surrounding forest, suspicious looks upon their visages.
"Don't you think that was really odd sounding?" Tenten asked, Hinata nodding in agreement.
"Finding herbs to help a precious one heal… things could get dangerous if we leave those two alone." Hinata concluded. "I don't want to betray his trust… but I think we should follow just in case."
"Then it's decided then! Let us go!" the two girls had to use all of their strength to hold the boy down, slapping their hands over his mouth.
"Lee we need to use the thing all ninjas need, you know, stealth!" Tenten scolded, nodding to her fellow female before they took off, Lee having to rush to catch up to them.
"I'm sorry! I'll be stealt- oh yes, no shouting…"
"Hmph, took you long enough. Care to say what had you keep me waiting?" Zabuza gruffly questioned as Haku re-entered the place with a now full basket of herbs.
"My apologies Zabuza-sama. I had managed to come across one of the Konoha ninja that had been hired by Tazuna. I managed to escape using my usual technique." Haku stated without emotion, falling to the ground as Zabuza sat up with slight discomfort. The cut he had received in the fight had been cauterised, but that didn't mean that the pain was entirely gone. It didn't take long before Haku had her pestle and mortar, crushing the various plants together with a variety of different other ingredients until it formed a green paste. Having a spoon held up to his face, Zabuza couldn't help but roll his eyes as he opened up, letting Haku feed him like a baby.
"You do remember that my hands are fully functional, right?" He asked, Haku giving a swift nod.
"You need to conserve as much energy as possible. I am unsure what they've done to you, but there's actually an overstimulation of the nerves, but the initial medicine I gave you prevented that from being so evident." Haku explained, a pleasant surprise to Zabuza. While he was no doctor, he still liked to think he could tell when there were side effects to certain attacks. A hand went to the now useless left eye, no feeling as he dragged it down the scarred tissue.
"…I see. So they're smarter than they look." Zabuza praised reluctantly. "By doing something like that, most people would think twice before going back into a fight, thinking something dangerous might be happening to the body."
"Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be a truly harmful effect." Haku reassured. "Once you get this medicine into your system, there should be relatively quick effects." Zabuza nodded, already feeling the soothing pleasure go through his body.
"Then it's time we said hello to those brats once more. Maybe we'll finish it this time." Leaping out of the bed, Zabuza saw how Haku hesitated, picking up his sword and hefting the Kubikiribocho onto his shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Scared that they'll not want to see you after revealing yourself as a boy?"
"Not at all, I wait for your command Zabuza-sama."
"Well I already goddamn gave it, didn't I? Let's get moving."
It was another shift at the bridge, Naruto and Tenten watching as the men toiled away with the woodwork, Hinata and Lee relegated to protecting Tsunami and Inari just in case that anyone aimed for them. The two were only able to stand idly by as a different worker chose to throw in his gloves, unable to bear the threat of death hanging over his head despite how the bridge would be able to help them all out.
"Don't you know that this is our last chance!? Without this bridge, you can count yourself as good as dead anyway!" Tazuna roared, the quitter flinching back but staying resolute in his decision.
"I just can't deal with this sort of thing, what if we end up like Kaiza?" The man quietly answered, looking around as if a blade would fly out and kill him for even muttering the name. without another word, he fled and left the rest alone to carry on their work, Tazuna sighing as he picked up his materials once more.
"You know, if you need some help, then I can supply some clones for you to use. Their solid too, so don't worry about them being useless." Naruto offered, but the elderly drinker just shook his head.
"If we did that, things would be much easier, yes." Tazuna admitted. "However, that would make the whole point moot. Sure, the bridge would be built quicker, but the symbolism is that the people of wave managed to build the thing that resulted in the revival of the land. As long as you stick to your job of making sure there are no interruptions, then everything should be fine."
"Well I guess this is the best time to make my entrance, isn't it?" the sarcastic question rang out a rolling bank of mist, many of the workers fleeing immediately as Zabuza and a second nin casually walked out. Pulling his gun and sabre out, Naruto gave a grim frown.
"Nice timing. Not much to say this time is there?" the captain declared, pointing the black barrel towards the two. "Feeling threatened? Or is the second guy just here for the show?"
"You really don't recognise them, do ya?" Zabuza responded, a dismissive wave towards his partner making them disappear in a blur. "Maybe once you see them in action, it might come back."
Tenten had to rapidly spin her trident to block the incoming senbon, a thrust out being avoided acrobatically by the nin. Naruto naturally made to move towards them as Tenten lashed out again, but the giant hunk of metal coming out made him pause in his tracks.
"Don't you dare brat; your fight's with me." A second swing had Naruto sent into the air, with only a lack of wind in his lungs thanks to his sword taking the brunt of the damage. Flipping in the air, several shots rained down no Zabuza, only to be met by water bullets.
'We need something special if we want to make this one the final shot.' Naruto thought, looking over to where the weapons mistress was, only to find that the mask had come off of the second ninja to reveal the same brown eyes and hair as…
"Haku…" the sight was enough to make him pause for a second, which was all that was needed for Zabuza to punch him in the gut. It was the small amount of mercy that the swordsman of the bloody mist didn't kill him immediately, instead choosing to bask in the pain Naruto was exuding.
"Who would've guessed that you'd fall into despair thanks to a familiar face?" Zabuza mused, slamming the Kubikiribocho's blade into the earth beside the blonde's head. "Yep, Haku works for me. Ironic, isn't it? That you would help your enemy get better!"
Naruto scrambled to his feet, barely registering the arrival of Hinata and Lee on the scene. His hand managed to land on his mobirate, the boy rushing to his feet and flipping both the phone and the Gokai-red key open with a slurred, "Gokai change!"
GOOOKAIGER!
"Ah yes, the suit! Don't think that's going to protect you! Kirigakure no jutsu!" surrounded by a bellowing mist, Naruto stock still as he tried to think up a reaction. While Hinata would be perfectly fine thanks to her Byakugan, that still left the other two dealing with an incredibly fast HAKU of all people and he with Zabuza.
'There's nothing I can do!' Naruto raged mentally, slamming his hand onto the button upon his belt subconsciously. Looking down, his eyes fell upon a spiked pink top.
'Naruto... time to...Summon…'
Zabuza watched in curiosity as Naruto picked the key off of the buckle and flipped up the legs to reveal the legs. Rather than put it into the weird device he had though, the metal was pointed directly towards him to the swordsman's surprise.
'But he shouldn't be able to sense me within the mist!' he couldn't think anymore though when he was suddenly shocked by pink lightning, breaking his concentration and causing the mist to fade, revealing a dome of ice where his teammates and Haku once stood. Letting the different tendrils come together, a bright light coalesced into a single person, wearing a doctors coat, bright yellow t-shirt, red jeans and an odd looking neon green belt upon his waist. Looking around in confusion, the man's eyes landed upon Naruto, walking towards him.
"Hey, what kind of game world is this?" the man asked the captain. "I just activated stage select and now I'm here."
"Oi, is this some sort of reinforcement you've brought kid?" Zabuza asked, drawing the man's attention onto him. "Doesn't look like much. You better scram before you get yourself killed!"
"Oh I see, so you wanted a support character. Fair enough." The man concluded, giving a deep stare into Zabuza's one function eye before reaching into the depths of his coat. "My name is Egi Yuuno, paediatrician. Might I ask what yours is?"
"…Zabuza."
"And you?"
"Name's Naruto."
"I see. Then Zabuza, Allow me to change Naruto's fate with my own hands!" pulling out a chunky looking cartridge done in a glistening midnight black in his right hand, Egi pressed a button upon the back before thrusting it towards the left, bringing it around as he flipped it upside down. "Henshin!"
GOD OF GAMINDUSTRI! GENERATION X!
A giant screen burst into life behind him, various crystals flying to fill the area while Naruto watched in amazement. Zabuza wasn't too sure how to react, seeing as this man had managed to do something just as weird as the brat that summoned him.
"Don't worry about him anymore Naruto." Egi reassured, looking to the dome of ice that was filled by the sounds of combat. "I'll deal with this man. Sounds like your friends could use your help in whatever that thing is." After a moment's hesitation, Naruto nodded, moving towards the dome while yelling,
"Thanks a bunch!" As he pulled out another key to use in the mobirate. "Gokai change!"
MAAAGIRANGER!
"Maagi magi! Magiro!" a bright burst of crimson flames washed onto the ice, leaving a whole quickly reforming, but with just enough space that Naruto could just about slip in to.
"Now Zabuza, it's you and me!"
GOD GASHAT!
GATCHAA! LEVEL UP!
LET'S HEART! MECCHA HEART! MUUCHA HEART! WHAT'S YOUR ART!?
I'M A GODDESS RIDER…
Anchors aweigh! Oh yes, I went there. I guess you could consider it a line of questioning; what do you think happened to the kamen riders? Well maybe the one that went to a different world might be able to transfer his power across worlds to the one his iriginal resided in, going to Naruto considering everyone else is dead.