Hello! here's chapter 7 for you wonderful people, updated as swiftly as I could. Before we start I'd like to thank all those who've been keeping up so far, the support keeps me going, but I won't keep you. On with the chapter!
Chapter 7: The Gambit
The situation was bad, no that was an understatement, it was dire. Natsumi weighed in their options and the most sensible solution was to retreat...that would have been logical but there was an outlier in this thought process. They had a civilian with them and their opposition could be capable of anything. As they stood there rooted to the spot, the mist around them gradually thickened obscuring their surroundings bit by bit. He was not content with letting them slip by and the only force that could occupy him was their sensei. Natsumi however had something that could assist, but even with that as an option the risks were too great; the technique was still awkward to use and there was no telling what it could do with a group in tow. No, there had to be something else they could do, something that did not risk damning their lives to the unknown.
"What's the matter Kakashi? You seemed abrasive when I first offered the challenge, now you're silent." Zabuza mocked, his features creasing as he grinned beneath the roll of bandages. Kakashi clenched his fist before relaxing, it would seem he had no other choice. He raised his hand garnering attention to himself as his digits grabbed the cloth concealing his eye. Their adversary leaned in with anticipation, salivating at the thought of conquering one as prestigious as Kakashi Hatake, with his Sharingan active no less.
Raising his headband Team Seven's leader revealed his trump card, an eye of crimson dotted by a set of three tomoe all circling his pupil. The Last Uchiha of the team stared in shock and bubbling anger, how did he have that?! There were so many questions Sasuke had and as much as he wanted to demand answers, even he knew it was not the time for such squabbles. This could be their only salvation.
"There he is! The Great Sharingan no Kakashi, this ought to be interesting. I hear that the Sharingan can predict the future. Tell me, what spoils lie ahead for me?" The Swordsman asked, flicking his wrist and adjusting his sword. The silver haired Jonin tensed and briefly glanced at his team before returning his red eyed gaze to the man ahead.
Zabuza's grin widened and with a sudden burst of invigoration he brought his fingers together and the mist finally engulfed them, concealing every shape and form that was beyond them. The Genin flinched and got into position; Sasuke pulled out a kunai and stood in wait, while Natsumi settled into her stance. The last member of the team could only huddle in between her stronger teammates, hoping that they could keep her safe from the madman.
"Look at your brats Kakashi, shivering and shaking like leaves clamoring to a branch. What a pathetic sight."
His voice echoed, giving no indication of his location. Even with his Sharingan, Kakashi could not identify Zabuza's location. All he could do was let out a small burst of chakra to give his team some vision.
'This...this feeling,' Sasuke momentarily retreated to his thoughts. His breathing had become shallow, and his heart thumped like a beating drum. Try as he may he could not stave off the constant shiver that ran down his spine. The air was thick with a miasma of death, promising to end his life before he even knew it. He wondered how Natsumi could remain so calm in such a situation, not even a bead of sweat dared rolling down her face. He wondered what was going on through her head, maybe if he knew he too would be calm and collected.
His thoughts died, and his body ceased to move. His eyes could only widen as the man stood in the middle of them all, sword poised and ready to cleave through them. Sasuke wanted to say something, to scream a word of caution, but any attempt was futile, trapped in his throat as dry lumps.
'Oh no you don't!' Kakashi reacted, ducking beneath the swing and plunging his kunai into the man's flesh. The sound of penetrated flash seemed to animate them, drawing mixed reactions ranging from relief to horror. Kakashi gazed upon the embedded knife and watched as water dripped, a clone. He felt a presence behind him, and without hesitance the massive sword sliced through him. The gathered team of Genin watched the scene unfold, the blonde of the trio already formulating her next move.
Zabuza's grin fell as he felt little resistance behind the swing, water splashed and he scowled.
'A clone?!" He twitched, feeling cold steel press against his throat.
"It's over, Zabuza."
His lips trembled for a moment before turning into a smirk. It seems Kakashi's Copy-Cat moniker was no joke.
"I am no fool, Kakashi."
Team 7 witnessed in shock, their sensei get launched into the air and off into a body of water. Before the man could recover he was trapped in a globe of water. Kiri's demon watched in glee, examining the children's expressions before settling on the smaller one's face. Unlike her teammates she met his gaze and refused to stand down.
"You've got a feisty one there Kakashi, let's see how she handles a grown-up's world." As he said those words, small puddles of water took shape and mimicked the missing nin. Around half a dozen duplicates approached them, taking their time in surrounding them.
"It's about time you stopped droning on, I almost felt jealous of the romance between you and Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke stared at his teammate as if she had grown a second head, but seeing the stone cold expression she wore told him she meant business. He exhaled through his nostrils and balled his hands into fists. If she could look death in the face and mock it, so should he.
"She's almost right, you've been belittling us this whole time and yet you haven't fought us." He cracked a smirk, one matched by his whiskered peer. Sakura looked on in awe and as much as she wanted to be brave and jump into the fray, she was no fool, she knew she would only be getting in the way.
"Getting cocky aren't we?"
The clones rushed in, having enough of the affair. Natsumi undid her kimono and tossed it at one of the clones. The clone swatted at the garment but as its vision returned it saw no sight of the brat until it was too late. The blonde crouched underneath its sword, palm thrust forward and burying into its abdomen. An explosion of chakra ripped the water construct apart with ease.
"Impressive, but not enough to save your life!"
Two clones attacked her simultaneously, their blades aiming to cleave her. Natsumi was quick on her feet, hopping back in time as the swords cut into the ground.
"Sasuke!"
The Uchiha leapt into the air, flowing through a sequence of handseals without fail.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A great heat swathed the area and the water bubbled, however before the technique could reach the clones, Natsumi got an idea. Racing through her own set of seals, she brought her hand to her mouth and focused on her chakra.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The two techniques met and a great inferno was born. An explosion of orange painted the landscape as the roaring flames and the howling winds deafened the silence. Twirling flames rose and both Jonin watched as the clones fell victim to the combined technique. Zabuza growled in annoyance having not expected lowly Genin to possess such an arsenal, this meant he had to be more serious with them.
Sasuke panted watching the blaze of glory with a grin on his face. He would have called it a work of art if he was the type, but he was pleased with it nonetheless. No words needed to be spoken between himself and Natsumi, they worked well together and it showed. He eyed the girl as she did not take a moment of reprieve, instead she launched herself forward, breaking through the inferno.
"Natsumi wait!"
He called out but his words fell on deaf ears. The flames cleared and he cursed as he watched two more clones appear, this time Natsumi was not by his side. The girl in question now stood face to face with the real Zabuza.
"What's this? Came all this way for me? I'm touched."
His jest was met with silence. The girl was in no mood for quips. He called upon three clones and they wasted no time flanking her. Natsumi ducked and weaved, evading their attempts to harm her. She could feel the air rush past her with each successful dodge. She needed to free Kakashi from his watery prison before she needed to resort to anything drastic.
One clone threw a vertical slash and sidestepped it, and without missing a beat she kicked off its crouched form giving herself air time. While she rose she flashed through handseals and completed them by the time she reached her apex.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
Clasping her hands together and gathering chakra, howling wind gave her a confirmation that the technique was ready. Thrusting her palms outwards she unleashed a blast of compressed air. Two of the three clones were caught by the technique, dispersing with little effort as the air crushed them. The last managed to defend against it, using the flat side of the sword as a shield. Natsumi landed on the surface of the water but failed to recover in time as the clone raced through a set of handseals of its own.
"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
She felt the water collide with her, blasting her away from the two Jonin and back to land where Sasuke had just managed to defeat his clones. He rushed to catch her, only for both of them to hit the ground and tumble to a stop.
"You three just go take Tazuna and go! That's an order!"
The blonde of the team groaned as she rose back to her feet, Sasuke assisting as he regained his bearings. She sneered before chuckling, "Now now, Kakashi-sensei, I'd much prefer not to be scum."
'And that just came back to bite me in the ass,' He should be proud, but he was annoyed at his old mentor's daughter. Just like him, she refused to back down from a fight. Zabuza was starting to grow annoyed by these brats, but he had to respect their tenacity at least they stood their ground. However, he could not say much about the pink haired one.
"If we fought on the same side I would have liked you brat, but unfortunately you're becoming a thorn in my side." He commented as he created his last trio of clones, he was starting to feel the toll of upkeeping a technique while constantly creating clones. He needed to end this soon.
Natsumi turned to her dark haired teammate, "Sasuke, I need you to throw one more fireball." She requested and as much as his body protested against it, he knew he could manage one last attempt.
"You have a plan?" He asked as he prepared himself, feeling the chakra rush to his throat.
"I'm going to free Kakashi-sensei, but I need some cover. So make it as big as you can, but don't push yourself too hard.
"Hn," for her, anything and everything.
Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The Uchiha poured all the chakra he could into the technique, the great ball of fire swallowing anything in its path. However, it fulfilled its main purpose of obscuring Zabuza's sight. The missing nin could only watch as his clones tried to combat the flames with streams of water, the two elements combating and struggling.
Sasuke quickly looked to Natsumi but she was gone, in her place were curious dark spaces slowly sowing shut.
"Nice try kids, but I far outclass you!" Zabuza roared from his side of the battlefield, watching as his clones were slowly getting pushed back.
"Words of a fool."
His eyes widened as he whipped his head around to see the whiskered brat appear from thin air, palm reeled back and ready to slam into his back. He could not parry the attack from the angle it came from, which meant he needed to dodge it...which meant realising Kakashi. He swore, freeing his arm from the water prison and jumping away from the stealthy Genin. Team Seven's leader was free at last but despite this fact, Natsumi pressed on, rushing after the retreating demon.
He cursed, stepping side to side as he dodged the girl's palm strikes. He didn't need to be a sensor to feel the deadly amounts of chakra blasting with each attack. The girl was far stronger than he gave her credit for, he should have expected no less from a student of Sharingan no Kakashi.
"Divergent Fist: Nirvana!"
He slipped up and left himself open. His body went rigid as her palm pressed into his abdomen, sending a wave of pain throughout the entire region. His ears popped and suddenly he felt an intense wave of pain course throughout his body before he was sent backwards, skidding against the surface of the water. He managed to come to a halt, clutching at his stomach where the pain permeated. That was one nasty technique and he could still feel the foreign chakra throb and pulse in his pathways, sending jolts of discomfort and pain. It almost fit the bill of a Hyuga's strike, maybe even worse.
"You're going to pay for that one." He managed to say through gritted teeth. The familiar taste of blood seeping between his gums. This was supposed to be an easy job, after he was through with these pests he's going to have a word with Gato in regards to a payment increase.
"No, she isn't." He heard Kakashi's voice call out, and he seethed. The brats were annoying, now he had to face Kakashi in a personal battle. The grey haired man held his Genin up, the girl looking to be on her last leg as she fought back the fatigue. He wondered which of the techniques drained her that much.
"I-I can still fight sensei." She said, trying to push off him but he walked to shore and dropped her off. Sasuke staggered to the two and held onto the blonde, stopping her from protesting. She glared but ultimately relaxed, allowing herself to lean against the Uchiha.
"Sakura...do you see my kimono anywhere?" She asked and the pinkette snapped out of her stupor, finally existing in the conflict. She looked around and spotted the blue silk garb and rushed to it, grabbing the wafuku and its obi. She returned to Tazuna's side and awaited the return of her teammates, the pair wobbling as they neared them. She could only admire them, their efforts saved her life and they worked so well...together…
"Thank you Sakura-san...shame it got dirty, this was one of my favourites." Natsumi joked as she eyed the sullied material.
"T-twerp." She could barely throw out her usual riposte, it was an insult at this point.
As the team interacted, Kakashi stood face to face with the man who had threatened his Genin. His Sharingan burned and sought vengeance.
"You've got a tough lot there Kakashi, but how about we settle this as men?"
He did not respond and Zabuza retorted by flying through a sequence of seals, the very same that Kakashi mimicked.
Ox → Monkey → Hare → Rat → Boar → Bird → Ox → Horse → Bird → Rat → Tiger → Dog → Tiger → Snake → Ox → Ram → Snake → Boar → Ram → Rat → Yang Water → Monkey → Bird → Dragon → Bird → Ox → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Snake → Rat → Monkey → Hare → Boar → Dragon → Ram → Rat → Ox → Monkey → Bird → Yang Water → Rat → Boar → Bird
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
They yelled in unison, the water before them deforming and bubbling before two colossal water serpents rose and coiled into the air, intertwining with one another before colliding in a grand explosion. Water crashed onto the shore, sweeping at Team 7's waists before settling.
'He...He copied him flawlessly, he didn't miss a step,' Kakashi envied the man for possessing his clan's Kekkei Genkai, one that even he did not have access to yet. It still bothered him how the man even had one.
The two Jonin class ninja clashed, kunai versus sword. The struggle died as soon as it began and the two parted. Zabuza glared at the man across from him before raising his arm into the air, but just as he did, Kakashi mirrored the action.
'What the…'
He stared into the Konoha nin's eyes and saw a reflection of himself performing the seals he was intending on doing. Before he could voice his confusion, Kakashi spoke and he felt a spike of chakra followed by the sound of rushing water.
"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"
A spiralling wall of water formed behind Kakashi and Zabuza was swept up by the violent technique. His body was thrown around by the raging current that washed over the forest, destroying several trees in its path. He smashed into the pillars of wood, one after another before finally crashing into a sturdy tree as the jutsu died down. Defeated by his own technique, was this what they called poetic justice?
"You asked me what the future has in store for you...the answer Zabuza...is death."
He let out a dry chuckle, looking up from his position against the tree. Water raced down his face and in his blurry vision he could make out Kakashi's approaching form. He was foolish to attempt to fight the man in a battle of jutsu, he should have stuck to his sword maybe then he stood a chance...no it was those damn brats and their tricks.
Kakashi was prepared to end Zabuza's life, kunai in hand he stepped closer to the man but quickly leapt back as he heard whistling. A quick succession of thuds followed and three senbon needles buried themselves into Zabuza's neck. The man went limp and toppled over, lifeless. A flurry of leaves kicked up and a masked stranger appeared crouched over Zabuza's fallen form.
"I must thank you Konoha-san, I have been hunting Zabuza Momochi for quite some time but you managed to make my job easy." The masked ninja spoke, grabbing a hold of Zabuza's arm.
"A hunter nin? Well, it's my pleasure I suppose." He remarked, narrowing his eye for a moment before smiling. No more words were exchanged between them before the masked ninja vanished with Zabuza's body.
Kakashi returned to his team, walking through the war torn forest and finally finding them huddled together. He jogged up to them and quietly observed them for any injuries, they all seemed well but Natsumi appeared to be one step away from collapsing. He could not blame her, she effectively carried the team through the encounter and she deserved some rest.
"Hm? Are you just going to stand there like an owl Kakashi-sensei?" She teased, weakly smirking at him. He chuckled as he watched her taking wobbling steps forward. Once she was just a foot away, he tilted his head down to meet her gaze. She was definitely Minato's daughter. The Genin playfully punched his gut before slumping over into Kakashi's awaiting arms.
"Natsumi!" Sakura rushed over to examine the girl, but Kakashi shook his head.
"She'll be fine, she just wore herself out. Tazuna, hold my bag would you?" The man did not need to be told twice as he took possession of the satchel. Kakashi was careful as he carried Natsumi and adjusted her on his back.
"Alright team, we still have a mission on our hands."
"I would scold you for using that technique so haphazardly, but you managed to make me proud out there." Kurama's booming voice dominated the chamber, his crimson eyes glaring down at his container.
"Now Kurama, it was that or death, but I am pleased to hear I managed to move you with my performance." The giant fox huffed. Why did he always get the haughty ones?
Natsumi proceeded to peer beyond the cage, just behind the mighty fox. A pallid pair of eyes stared back.
"How is she?"
The fox looked at the subject, "She may seem to be awake, but her mind consciousness still sleeps. However, I estimate that within half a year she will be fully cognitive."
She hummed and nodded.
Team 7 reached its destination with no further interruptions. Tazuna's home was a little off from the main village which was tactfully sound in Kakashi's opinion, it gave him room to train his students without any intrusions. Tazuna allowed them in and there they met his daughter, the young woman immediately showed concern for Natsumi.
"Father! Is she alright? Does she need anything?" She doted.
"She's quite alright, my cute little Genin just needs some rest. I think we all do." The woman nodded as she rushed up stairs with Sakura in tow. The two prepared the rooms and Natsumi had priority as she was stripped down for comfort and allowed to sleep in Natsumi's bed.
Sakura remained in the room, watching the girl as she slept. Her hair fanned out underneath her, creating a pillow of gold. Her tan skin lacked some of its life, showing just how exhausted she was.
"Thank you Natsumi...I promise...I promise I won't be a burden…"
She left, leaving her teammate to her rest.
Kakashi finally felt his body give into the battle, and he too was given time to rest.
The Next Day
Team 7 with the exception of Natsumi gathered around Kakashi, the man now using a crutch to keep himself upright.
"Our encounter with Zabuza proves that I may have lacked in training you guys, and that is entirely on me. It is thanks to your ability to act as a team that we managed to leave the fight without any casualties," he stared at them both, Sasuke snorting but otherwise paying attention. Sakura looked to the floor and refused to meet his gaze. He wouldn't say anything to her, at least not now, he would speak to her privately.
"While we wait for Tazuna to confirm his schedule, I'll set up some training sessions for us...I have a feeling that this isn't over."
The two flinched.
"A-Are you saying Zabuza might still be alive?!"
"Yes...that Hunter nin was suspicious in his ways of carrying out protocol. Kiri is rather strict about how it's hunters perform on the field. By ruling, they were supposed to retrieve Zabuza's head on the spot and dispose of his body."
"And he used senbon," they all turned to see Natsumi climb down the stairs, her hands latching onto the railings for support. She still looked to be out of it, eyes sunken and skin missing its vigor. She had draped on her kimono, the dress barely concealing her as she staggered towards them.
"Natsumi, you're supposed to be sleeping!" Sakura exclaimed but was met with a small smile.
"You're all so loud, how am I supposed to get my beauty sleep? The nerve of you bunch."
The trio all smiled, even Sasuke's lips had a little smirk on them. With the whole team fully assembled, Kakashi could fully lay out a plan.
"Now that we're all here, with Zabuza still being a possible threat, I'll need to ensure that we're prepared for the next encounter. I'll work up a tailored session for the whole team, and then one for each of you. We don't know anything about his partner so we need to expect the unexpected and prepare for it, am I clear?"
They all nodded.
"Good, I will go talk to Tazuna right now," Their leader left and the three Genin were left alone. Silence reigned supreme and Natsumi found it annoying, this was unlike them. So sombre and coy, it disgusted her. She rolled her eyes and plopped down on a couch, the old beaten seat letting out a groan. That must have been the one Tazuna used.
"Why so glum? It feels as if I'm at a funeral." They stared at her, further enticing her annoyance.
"If this is what I get for oh so selflessly throwing caution to the wind, please remind me to be more reserved with my life."
"You know I liked you more when you were asleep." Sasuke said, but the creeping smirk on Natsumi's face made him realise what he said.
"Awww, Sa-suke-kuuuun, how adorable. Watching me sleep were you? Tell me, am I graceful in my slumber as well? Of course I am, even now you're enthralled."
Sasuke groaned as he walked away, internally his inner-self cackled at his misfortune. She turned to the other girl of the cell, "Who knew we were in a team with two perverts, it's times like these that call for us to stick together Sakura-san."
Sakura nodded dumbly as she stared at Natsumi. She wasn't sure how she felt. On one hand she was furious, outraged by the blatant flirting between her two teammates. On the other hand she yearned to be so bold, to be able to fluster the mighty Uchiha with such ease. What did Natsumi have that she didn't?! She was taller, looked more mature, prettier, and had a chest!
"Oi, are you staring at my breasts? Hmph, it seems you're all perverts. Woe me."
The pinkette stammered, face red as her dress. She growled before storming off, leaving Natsumi to her lonesome. The petite blonde sighed as she sank into the old seat. What a series of events it has been, and more were queued up.
"I wonder how Hime's doing, oh my sweet...sweet Hime…"
End Chapter
A/N: So there's chapter 7, I tried to be update as fast as I could but damn does the vaccine knock you out.
Some stuff happened this chapter, Natsumi got to show off some of her skills even a mysterious technique, well it's not really mystery if you put two and two together. Some may be upset by this choice, but blame 2018 me for this choice. Yes, Divergent Fist is a nod to Jujutsu Kaisen (currently my favourite thing of all time and a crossover I'm contemplating) and Natsumi's version of the Gentle fist is essentially that whole concept, with the added benefit of having her chakra linger in the pathways and sporadically pulse and disrupt the flow.
The fight focused on Natsumi, and I was surprised when I rewatched the episode, the fight between Kakashi and Zabuza was far shorter than I remembered. Sasuke got his moment to shine to impress his c-r-u-s-h, and Sakura didn't really do anything, which to note, I'm not bashing her, I'm against bashing in general and would rather improve a character than senselessly hate on them and make them the laughing stock of the story. Sakura will improve with time, she's currently still running on emotions as seen with her conflict regarding Natsumi and Sasuke.
To address some reviews. Someone brought up Chakra chains...will Natsumi have them? I dunno~ maybe, maybe not, only time can tell.
someone else brought up Haku being a possible romance for our witty blonde, and it's a thought worth entertaining. I'm still not quite sure what to do with him and Zabuza. Natsumi's whole love life is still questionable for me, I dunno who'll best match her, who knows she might be the harem queen of Konoha, I kid...unless...nah I'm joking.
Another question was how come Hizashi was still alive and Neji's more friendly disposition, that's an answer that will get its own chapter in the future.
I really want to reach the Chunin exams because that's when things will really start to get interesting, I already have some chapters for that written out and boy we'll be entering Berserk territories in one specific chapter. Heck even the next chapter might have an unexpected surprise. Well that's enough teasing from me, best I get some rest and tomorrow I'll try drawing Natsumi.
Thanks for readng!
