In Land of Waves,
Near a semi-constructed bridge,
"Kakashi-sensei, why did you allow that masked ninja to get away with Zabuza?"
Naruto questions Kakashi.
Sigh…
Kakashi takes a deep breath as he turns towards the bridge builder Tazuna.
"Tazuna-san… I am afraid this mission is now an A-rank mission. The involvement of Zabuza Momochi, the demon of the hidden mist, has complicated a lot of things."
Kakashi turns towards Naruto and answers him.
"As for your question, Naruto, that masked ninja is a part of the hunter-nin of the Kirigakure. It is a special branch of Anbu of Kiri assigned to capture and deal with the Rogue Shinobis."
"Ah… so that's how it is."
Naruto nods his head.
"Kakashi Sensei! How does the hunter-nin deal with the Rogue Ninja? Do they decapitate them or just capture them alive?" Sasuke questions him.
"Earlier, although the senbons pierced through the central nerves of Zabuza rendering him dead I have my suspicion."
Hmm…
Kakashi ponders for a while and answers.
"Usually as soon as the Hunter-nin spots a rogue shinobi, they would immediately take action and decapitate them without giving a chance to retaliate. But in some rare situations, they would restrain the rogue shinobi to interrogate them. However, that doesn't seem to be the case with Zabuza."
"So, Sensei you mean Zabuza isn't dead yet." Sakura speculates.
"Most likely… We have to prepare to confront him again. This time though we will get rid of him for sure." Kakashi remarks.
He turns towards Tazuna with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Tazuna-san, you need to give a suitable explanation and compensation for the current rank of the mission. We won't risk our life meaninglessly for such meager compensation."
Ah…
Tazuna has a grim expression on his face upon hearing Kakashi's words.
'I must inform them about the situation of the Land of Waves. Maybe out of pity they would agree to complete the mission.'
Sigh…
Tazuna sighs helplessly as he narrates his story with a sad expression.
Sniff… sniff…
Naruto and Sakura have tears in their eyes as they listen to the sad story of the bridge builder Tazuna.
At some distance from the group, on a tree;
Izuna rolls his eyes as he listens to the sob story of Tazuna.
"Regardless of other things, I have to say this old man has a way with words. His Talk-no-jutsu is in no way inferior to Naruto.
The situation of Lord of Waves is commonplace in Shinobi World. Many powerful people bullies common people in smaller nation and in turn these shinobis serves as dogs for some rich mogul."
Izuna turns his attention to Naruto to see his reaction.
Sniff… sniff…
Naruto has tears in his eyes as snot leaks from his nose.
"Here."
Sakura passes a handkerchief to Naruto to wipe his tears.
Brrr…
Naruto wipes his tears and snots on the handkerchief.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan.,"
Naruto passes the handkerchief back to her.
Eew…
Sakura's brows crease in disgust as she pats away Naruto's hand.
"You can keep it." She shakes her head and turns towards Sasuke with a hopeful expression.
Sasuke completely ignores her and directs his attention to Tazuna.
'Hmm… although the words of this old man are overly exaggerated; still there is some truth to them. But I don't want to needlessly risk my life for nothing."
Izuna's teachings come to his mind.
'In this world, the strong feed on the weak. Such is the rule of this world. However, one must follow their conscience and act accordingly.'
He turns towards Naruto and waits for his response.
"Old man!… We will help your village deal with this problem. Dattebyo!"
Naruto pumps his fist.
Sigh…
'Nothing less to expect from this idiot. He is too naïve and easy to manipulate.'
Sasuke shakes his head.
'Still, I won't allow anybody to take unfair advantage of him.'
Kakashi silently listens to the story of the Land of Waves. Before arriving here, he has already done some prior research about this place.
It has become a habit of his to uncover everything before the start of a mission. A habit instilled in him by his former Anbu Team Leader Izuna.
"Sometimes I wonder Izuna-san was overly concerned or a little cynical in his approach."
Kakashi murmurs to himself.
Oh…
"So that's what Kakashi thinks of me. Looks like I have to seize some of the books from his collection."
Izuna glares at Kakashi.
Brrrrr….
Kakashi feels a shiver run down his spine.
"Kakashi Sensei!… Kakashi Sensei!"
The Banshee-like screams of Sakura drag him out of his stupor.
Ahem…
Kakashi clears his throat and turns to his group.
"So, what's the opinion of you, bunch? If you agree to continue your mission, then we will complete it. But you think it is too much for you then we will end it here."
"I will do it, Sensei!"
Naruto pumps his fists in excitement. Kakashi turns to Sasuke and Sakura for their opinion.
"Since this idiot has already said it, then I won't refuse either. Also, I would like to test my limits with a B-Rank or A-Rank mission." Sasuke shakes his head.
"If… if… Sasuke-kun is doing this mission then I will also do it!" Sakura exclaims with a red face.
Mmm…
Kakashi nods his head.
"Still, since it is registered as a C-Rank mission; the compensation would accordingly be of the same rank. There won't be any rise in your pay grade."
At the sidelines,
Tazuna is relieved to hear this as he takes a deep breath.
'Finally, my people have some hope.'
"Alright! I will lead you all to the village. The bridge is already semi-constructed. You folks have to protect me and the villagers for a couple of days till the completion of the bridge."
Tazuna leads them towards the village.
Buzzz… buzz…
Kakashi hears a buzzing noise in his head.
'This is… this is the secret voice transmission technique of Anbu created by Captain Izuna.'
Kakashi turns around and inspects his surroundings. He notices a pair of red eyes at a faraway tree.
Shoom…
The surroundings of Kakashi changes as he appears in a vast empty world coated in red and black.
Whoosh…
Izuna appears in front of him.
"Captain!"
Kakashi greets him.
"What brought you here? I thought you were out on an important mission." He inquires.
"The mission was a false alarm. As for why I am here, I am here to naturally deal with Gato and his goons. You see… this Gato dude has no strong backing from any hidden village or organization but he still dares to deal in illegal business.
Since our organization lacks monetary funds; we will usurp all of his wealth and business. You and the group take care of Gato while I will make arrangements for his business."
"Yes, Captain. As you wish." Kakashi nods his head.
Whoosh…
Kakashi is released from the Tsukuyomi as his consciousness returns to the real world.
"Also… don't kill Zabuza and his acquaintance. Just incapacitating them is enough. I still have some use for them."
Izuna's voice echoes in his ears.
"Yes!"
"Sensei!… Sensei!"
Naruto's voice falls in Kakashi's ears as he nags him.
"Why were you staring blankly in the air for a second?" He curiously asks Kakashi.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about the earlier battle. Let's go!"
He nudges Naruto as the group follows Tazuna.
Whoosh…
Izuna appears at their previous place as he gazes at their faraway back.
"This Gato guy is an opportunity for me to get rid of my poverty. After investing in the model of chakra cannon, I am out of funds. The gambling in chunnin exam helped a little with the funds but all of it was consumed within a month."
Hmm…
Izuna ponders on his monetary situation.
"Looks like I will have to finally make a trip to Land of Silence to mine that reserve of pure chakra ore. That will substitute for the need for shinobis continuously pumping their chakra in the cannon to fire it. Also, the charging time would be a lot less with chakra ore acting as a fuel."
Izuna nods his head as he ponders over his next course of action.
'Since the canon has already started, I should also make suitable preparation accordingly. Also…'
Izuna activates his Mangekyo Sharingan and peeks inside his body.
Various small cracks in his chakra system appear in his vision.
'Then there is also this issue of me dying prematurely. My body is unable to content with my higher tier of chakra. Even my regeneration can't keep me going. I have to look for a solution to this problem as soon as possible.'
Sigh…
He takes a deep breath and shakes his breath.
'Taking too much tension is not good for my health. I have to visit Mei to calm myself.'
Whoosh…
He teleports from his location.
In a dilapidated hut somewhere near the semi-constructed bridge,
Whoosh…
A small petite figure agilely carries a large man on his shoulders. He lays the man on the ground and proceeds to remove the senbons stabbed in his neck.
Swoosh…
Zabuza grabs Haku's hand and stops him.
"It's alright. I will do it myself."
Zabuza removes the senbons from his neck and slowly sits up.
"You already came back to life?!"
Haku has a surprised expression on his face.
Crack… crack…
Zabuza cracks his neck and straightens his posture.
"We have already done this drill countless times. Now I don't feel that much pain. Nevertheless, the feeling of being close to death isn't much pleasing."
Zabuza swings his arms around to get back his motor sense.
"Still… I severely underestimated the Copy Ninja Kakashi. His combat abilities are far more superior as compared to the one listed in the Bingo Book."
Zabuza has an ugly expression on his face.
"Looks like we have kicked a hard metal plate this time. Never in my wild dreams, I thought we would face Kakashi as our opponent."
Zabuza helplessly shakes his head.
The trouble this time is too big for him to handle.
'Looks like I have to seek Gato for more compensation. Also, it will take me almost a week to recover from injuries sustained in this battle.'
"Zabuza!!… I will be the shield that will protect you from any harm. If required, I will be the blade that will cull the enemy's obstructing your way. I won't ever leave your side."
Haku has a resolute expression.
Zabuza stares at Haku before closing his eyes as he scoffs inside.
'For me, you are just a tool, a weapon meant to fulfill my interest. If your edge gets dull, I won't hesitate to get rid of you that very instance. As for trust and familial bonds, those are just the fallacies of a naïve and foolish person.
To survive in this world, I have slaughtered far too many people than I can keep the count.'
Old memories of the Blood Mist as well as the dirty deeds done under the orders of the Elder Akifumi surfaces in his mind.
Haku slowly nurses Zabuza's wounds as the latter is lost in his thoughts.
--
Haah… Haah…
Naruto and Sasuke are currently sparring with each other as Sakura watches them from the sidelines.
"Sasuke-kun!… Naruto-kun! Both of you do your best."
Sakura cheers them.
'Sasuke-kun… beat Naruto up! Shannaro!!'
The inner Sakura clenches her fists.
Kakashi is lazily resting on a nearby tree with a book in his hand as he glances at the trio.
'Since Izuna-san has a plan, I won't interfere with that. I will treat this mission as a vacation for myself.'
Hu… Haan…
A pervy smile appears on Kakashi's face as he is deeply engrossed in the book.
"No matter how many times I read Icha Icha Paradise, I can't get enough of it."
"Kakashi Sensei!... what are you reading?"
"It is not a book meant for kids."
Kakashi answers Naruto without raising his head.
Naruto shrugs his shoulders and asks.
"Anyway… Kakashi Sensei! Since you are the Copy Ninja having copied over a thousand Jutsu; teach me a powerful jutsu. I want to defeat my enemies in a single move."
Kakashi closes his book and turns to Naruto.
"Naruto! Even I am unable to beat my opponents in a single move, much less you will. For now, you should focus on your upcoming chunnin exam. Although you folks are quite strong in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, the chunnin exam also tests your patience, endurance, intelligence, and all other factors.
Most importantly, you will take part as a team. As such, you should focus on teamwork and coordination."
Kakashi reminds them as his gaze lingers on Sakura.
'Izuna san has taught almost everything to both Naruto and Sasuke. So, it is futile for me to teach them anything. Sakura is a weak link of the team; I should teach her some jutsus to make her presence more useful during a battle.'
Kakashi ponders on Sakura's strengths and weaknesses.
'Hmm… her chakra control is quite good, but she doesn't have much talent for Ninjutsu. Maybe I should train her in some Genjutsu techniques.'
He turns towards Sakura and beckons her.
"Sakura!… I will teach a genjutsu technique to you. It will help you during the upcoming chunnin exam."
Upon hearing these words, a smile blooms on Sakura's face as she happily tip-toes towards Kakashi with an excited expression.
"Sensei! Please train me in the Genjutsu technique."
Kakashi nods his head as he instructs her on the hand signs for the Genjutsu techniques.
At the sidelines,
Tazuna stares at the group as he is busy with the construction of the bridge.
'These Ninjas have quite a sturdy body and their endurance is quite good.'
He turns towards Naruto as a sly smile appears on his face.
'Out of this bunch, this kid is the easiest to fool. Maybe I can ask him for help.'
He turns towards Naruto and yells.
"Oye! Yellow-haired kid…"
Huh!
Naruto turns towards the bridge builder and points a finger towards himself.
"Yes! You! I am talking to you."
Tazuna nods his head. Naruto walks towards him.
"Earlier I heard you want to train yourself. I can help you with that.
Tazuna points towards the heavy logs on the ground.
"Why don't you help me carry these logs to the end of the bridge? This way you will be able to train your body as well as help with the bridge-building."
Hmm…
Sasuke raises his head and senses Tazuna's intentions.
'Although Naruto is a knucklehead, he is not a fool.'
Sasuke closes his eyes and ignores them as he meditates.
"Nii-san told me that the Sharingan affects the state of mind. Its power stems from intense love and hatred. If hatred consumes one's mind, then they will eventually lose the power of their eyes turning blind. This is Uchiha's curse of hatred.
I must control my state of mind to prevent myself from falling prey to the curse of hatred."
Shiing…
Sasuke's black eyes changes as a three tomoe Sharingan appears.
'Izuna Nii-san, Shisui Nii-san, and Itachi Nii-san; all of them possess the next form of Sharingan called Mangekyo Sharingan. I wonder when would I be able to achieve those eyes.'
"Alright Old man! I will help you."
Naruto nods his head and agrees to help the bridge builder.
'Izuna Nii-san asked me to train my body. Only then would he teach me the Cool Sage Jutsu.
Though this old man wants to take advantage of me; his intentions aren't bad. So, I will entertain this old guy.'
Haah…
Naruto picks up a bundle of heavy logs and steadily walks towards the bridge.
Ah!
The eyes of Tazuna and the rest of the villagers widen in surprise as they gape at Naruto with their mouths wide open.
"This little boy can carry a weight meant for ten strongmen to lift on his own."
"How strong!"
A small boy with black spiky hair and dark-colored eyes stares at Naruto from a corner. The boy wears a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a simple pair of sandals. There is a blue and white striped hat covering a portion of his head.
The boy has stars in his eyes as he stares at Naruto.
"I also want to be as strong as him. So that no one will be able to bully mother and grandfather."
The boy resolutely clutches his fists.
--
In a small warehouse at the outskirts of the Land of Waves near the sea,
A short man with shaggy brown hair sporting a pair of small, circular sunglasses swaggers inside the warehouse. His two bodyguards follow behind with a fierce expression.
"Gato-san! It is nice to do business with you."
A group of thugs armed with swords, metal pipes, and various other weapons appear in Gato's vision.
Mmm…
Gato unnervingly nods his head.
"I want you bunch to wreak havoc in the village and disrupt the construction of the bridge. After the completion of the mission, I will pay you handsomely."
"Yes!" A smile appears on the faces of goons as they rub their hands together.
'Oh!'
An invisible shadow is hovering near the warehouse as it stares at the bunch.
'Looks like my golden goose is ready to lay eggs.'
A week later,
Near the construction site,
"Hurry up! The bridge is almost complete. Once finished, our village will be free from the clutches of the Gato organization. We will no longer depend on him to sustain ourselves."
Tazuna nudges the other workers of the village.
"Look at that kid! He is younger than you folks by a decade or two. Yet he is so energetic and active."
He points towards Naruto who is carrying four giant logs on his shoulders.
The group of workers turns towards Naruto who is running back and forth with the logs.
"Let's go. We will finish the bridge today."
One worker tightly clutches a wooden log and lifts it.
"Haah… A kid won't outdo me."
Another burly man picks up four logs like Naruto.
The rest of the group stares at him in amazement but the burly man is having a hard time maintain his vigor.
'Damn! This is too heavy. How the hell is that kid carrying such weight? Even the shinobi kids are so strong.'
The group of workers works diligently till afternoon.
"Let's take a break."
Tazuna halts the construction work.
"If nothing unusual happens, then this bridge would be completely constructed by evening."
Tazuna takes a deep breath as he reminisces about the past. Their land of Waves is an isolated island situated quite a distance from the mainland.
Being an island village, they have to depend on the mainland to sustain themselves. The only way of trade available to them is through the sea.
But five years ago, the Gato company emerged out of nowhere and monopolized the sea trade; leaving the village at their mercy.
Any voice of discontent was quickly suppressed, and any attempt at revolt was brutally crushed. Tazuna closes his eyes as some memories flood in his mind.
At a distance from the bridge,
Whoosh…. Whoosh…
Zabuza and Haku hide in the shadow of a tree as they monitor the bridge-building.
"The bridge is almost finished constructing. We must stop them today at all cost; if not, we can only blow the bridge."
Zabuza clutches Kubikiribōchō as bloodlust appears in his eyes.
"Kubikiribōchō needs blood to reform its blade. In my last battle with Kakashi Hatake, the blade was chipped off at the corner."
Zabuza caresses the blade at the broken end.
Haku silently nods his head.
"As you wish, Zabuza. I will follow your wishes."
Haku silently stares at the construction site as Naruto appears in his vision.
Unknowingly a brief smile appears on his face as the memory of how Naruto mistook him for a girl while picking herbs for Zabuza surfaces.
The boy was so shocked by the revelation that he even asked him to open his pants and confirm it.
Haku's face turns red from embarassment.
'But why did he call me a Trap? Is it some form of address in Leaf Village?'
"Let's go!"
Zabuza's hoarse voice falls in his ears.
"This time I am prepared. I will occupy Kakashi Hatake while you will look for a chance to assassinate the bridge builder."
"Yes! Zabuza."
Haku nods his head.
Whoosh…
"Also… keep an eye for those kids. They are quite powerful for their age."
Zabuza warns him before flickering towards the bridge.
Whoosh…
Haku follows him.
Hmm…
Sasuke who is silently meditating on top of a tree slowly opens his eyes.
"Just now someone was monitoring us. It must be those ninjas. I must inform Kakashi Sensei."
Whoosh…
He jumps from the top of the tree and lands in front of Kakashi, who is silently reading a book while instructing Sakura.
"Sakura! Your chakra control is quite good, but your perception of elemental chakra isn't good. If you want to cast a powerful genjutsu, then you have to use elemental chakra in conjugation with the Yin release."
"Yes… yes… Sensei!"
Sakura nods her head as beads of sweat trickles down her head.
'Why am I so useless? According to Sensei, I have very good chakra control even better than Naruto and Sasuke but my elemental affinity is so poor. I won't be able to use any ninjutsu with such poor elemental affinity. I just want Sasuke-kun… Sasuke-kun to praise me.'
A blush appears on Sakura's face, but it is quickly overpowered by the harsh exertion of her chakra.
Hmm…
Kakashi closes his book and lifts his head as his eyes meet with Sasuke.
"Is there anything bothering you, Sasuke?"
"Kakashi Sensei! The enemy Ninja is on move. Earlier, I sensed a gaze on me while I was meditating."
Mmm…
Kakashi nods his head.
"I am aware of it. I was waiting for you bunch to respond. Looks like only you could sense the enemy attack. Good job!"
He praises Sasuke and commands the rest of the team.
"Sakura! Stop your practice for now. The enemy is about to attack us anytime. You will help in the evacuation of the workers and protect Tazuna with Naruto."
He then turns towards Sasuke and instructs.
"Sasuke! Zabuza has an accomplice this time. He is almost the same age as you. You will occupy him while I deal with Zabuza."
"Yes, Sensei!" Sasuke nods his head in affirmation.
Naruto drops his log and stops in front of Kakashi.
"But Sensei! I want to fight too. I am so bored these few days." Naruto complains.
"No! Prioritize the safety of the bridge builder. The mission is to protect the bridge builder, not to fight the assailant." Kakashi rebukes him.
"Yes, Sensei!" Naruto depressingly drops his head.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Two shadows appear on one of the pillars of the bridge. Naruto and the team raise their head as their eyes meet.
Swish… swish… swish…
Zabuza quickly makes some hand signs.
'Water Release: Hiding in the Mist Technique"
The air fills with thick mist and engulfs the bridge and the surrounding workers.
Aah…
"What's this?"
Tazuna and the worker panics at this scene.
"Please stay calm and follow me."
Sakura calms them down and slowly leads them away from the battle.
Whoosh…
Zabuza reappears behind the bridge builder and swings his massive blade to cleave Tazuna's head.
"Ninja Art: Silent Assassination"
Clang…
A kunai blocks the sword, and Kakashi appears in front of Zabuza.
"Not so fast, Zabuza!"
Clang…
Kakashi parries the attack and faces Zabuza.
Swoosh…
Zabuza swings his blade and puts it on his shoulder.
"Kakashi Hatake! Last time I wasn't prepared for you… but this time, I have made all the necessary arrangements."
Swish… swish…
Zabuza makes some hand signs.
"Sharingan"
Kakashi activates his Sharingan and copies Zabuza's hand signs.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique"
Both of them release their jutsu simultaneously as the jutsu collides with each other and cancels out.
A drizzle of water shrouds them as Zabuza smirks.
"Water Release: Hiding in the Drizzle Technique"
Whoosh…
Zabuza's body vanishes in water vapors as he completely conceals his presence.
"This technique… don't tell me it is Hozuki clan's signature technique."
Kakashi's eyes widen in shock momentarily.
"I see." He calms down and looks around.
"This technique was developed by the second Mizukage during the Second Shinobi War to deal with the members of the Uchiha clan.
So, the rumors were true, you were indeed a part of the New Mist Swordsman created by the Late Elder of Kiri."
Zabuza ignores Kakashi and silently travels towards the bridge builder to assassinate him.
'I don't have any confidence to win a fight against the Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake. I can only seek this window of opportunity to silently assassinate the target and escape. There is no need to sacrifice my life for this mission.'
Hmm…
Naruto senses something amiss while protecting the bridge builder. He senses a strong killing intent directed towards the bridge builder.
Recently, as his mastery over Nine-tails chakra increased; he is faintly able to sense strong emotions around him.
Since he is in the vicinity of the bridge builder, he sensed the killing intent.
"Enemy attack!"
Naruto warns Sakura and makes some hand signs.
"Wind Release: Great Wind Breakthrough Sweep"
BOOM…
He inhales a large amount of air and expels it outwards in a spherical form, blowing everything around him.
Whoosh…
The jutsu blows away the mist in the surrounding area and reveals the figure of Zabuza to Naruto.
"You are…"
Naruto recognizes the person who is in front of him.
"You were supposed to be dead? How are you still alive?"
Naruto has a serious expression on his face as he questions Zabuza.
"…"
Sakura, Kakashi, and Zabuza silently stare at Naruto.
"Anyway, since you are alive. I won't allow you to harm Tazuna-san."
Swish…
Naruto pulls a kunai from his holster and takes a stance.
Slam…
Zabuza slams his giant blade on the ground and confronts Naruto.
"Kid! If you want to live a little longer and cherish your life, then get out of my way or else…"
Whoosh…
Zabuza disappears from his position and reappears in front of Naruto and swings his Executioner's blade.
"DIE!!"
DIE!"
Zabuza swings the Executioner's blade towards Tazuna in a horizontal sweep. His aim is to slice the bridge builder in half, leaving no chance of recovery.
Clang…
Naruto blocks the blade with his kunai.
Aw…
The impact of the strike leaves a tingling sensation in his hands.
"What?"
Zabuza has a surprised expression on his face.
"How?"
In the previous strike, he used most of the strength of his body to release a devastating blow to slash the target in half. He even used the special blade techniques of Mist swordsman to deliver the strike. Paired with the Executioner's blade, that strike can even cleave through thick earth walls, but this little genin blocked his sure-kill move with only a kunai.
Zabuza is flabbergasted to see this.
Aww…
Naruto shakes his hands as his hand feels a little numb. He clutches his kunai and turns to Kakashi, who is watching from afar.
"Kakashi Sensei! I can fight this guy. Leave him to me."
Mmm…
Kakashi nods his head in affirmation.
Even he was surprised to see Naruto block that attack.
'Sensei! Can you see this?! Your son is also a genius like you. He is already strong enough to compete with elite Jounin.'
He turns towards the confrontation between Naruto and Zabuza.
'If Naruto isn't able to hold his own, I will step in and save him.'
Upon hearing these words from Naruto, Zabuza's expression turns ugly.
"You underestimate me, kid! A greenhorn like you thinks he can compete with a Mist Swordsman."
Zabuza swings his Executioner's blade with a bloodthirsty expression.
"Kubikiribōchō will bathe in your blood brat."
Whoosh…
Zabuza disappears from his position and reappears behind Naruto. He swings his blade towards Naruto's neck, aiming to end him in a single slash.
Poof…
Naruto disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving a kunai behind.
"A shadow clone?! Then where is the real body?"
Zabuza looks around for the actual Naruto.
The kunai flips in the air and turns into Naruto.
Haah…
Naruto has a kunai in his hand as he aims for Zabuza's head.
"What?!"
Swish… skid…
Zabuza kicks the surface of the water and instantly maintains a distance between them.
"This kid?!… He is too cunning. I can't lower my guard."
Zabuza has a serious expression on his face. Just now, he barely avoided the sneak attack from the kid.
"Kid!… I must say you have some skills for your age, but it isn't enough to stop me."
Stab…
Zabuza stabs the blade on the surface of the water and makes some hand signs.
Swish… Swish… swish…
"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique"
Zabuza manipulates the surrounding water and fires a giant water bullet towards Naruto.
Whizz…
The bullet closes on Naruto.
"Kid! Although you have some skills in Ninja techniques. In terms of Ninjutsu, you still lack experience."
Naruto calmly stares at the incoming water bullet and makes some hand signs.
"Wind Release: Giant Wind Bullet Jutsu"
He takes a deep breath and inhales large amounts of air and fires a giant wind bullet towards the incoming water bullet.
BOOM…
Both the wind and water bullet collide and cancel each other, leaving large amounts of water droplets in the surroundings.
"You got some moves kid, but it ends here."
Zabuza clutches his blade with one hand and raises another hand over his head as he takes a stance ready to cast his most powerful jutsu.
"I won't allow it."
A pair of hands creep out from under the water and grab Zabuza's legs.
"What?!"
Zabuza is shocked to see the hands. He lifts his head and stares at the 'real body' of Naruto.
Poof…
Naruto smirks at him and disappears in a puff of smoke.
"Another shadow clone?!… this kid!… Just who is he?!"
Haah…
The pair of hands tug tightly and attempts to pull Zabuza under the water.
Instead of panicking, a smile appears on Zabuza's face.
"I finally found you, kid. This must be your real body."
Swirl…
Zabuza's body turns into a puddle of water and engulfs Naruto.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu"
Zabuza's water clone turns into a large sphere of water and traps Naruto.
Burble… burble…
Naruto breathes heavily in the sphere as he attempts to get free from the prison.
"It's futile kid! I have spent quite an amount of chakra to form that water prison."
Swoosh…
Another water clone appears behind Zabuza. The water clone inserts his hand in the water prison to maintain it.
Kaching…
Zabuza draws the Executioner's blade and walks towards a terrified Tazuna.
Haah…
Sakura jumps in front of the bridge builder.
"I will protect you."
She tries to assure Tazuna. But her words do not affect him.
"This is the end for me. Gato company is too terrifying."
Tazuna closes his eyes in fear.
Sakura takes out her kunai and stands in front of Tazuna. Kakashi watches the entire series of events from the sidelines without interfering.
'Since Naruto asked me to not interfere, then I won't. Still, I am curious to see, how will get out of this predicament. Of course, I won't allow Zabuza to kill our target of protection.'
Kakashi turns towards Naruto who is struggling with the water prison.
'Water prison is a C-rank jutsu used to restraint one's enemies. But the power of a jutsu depends on the user. In the hands of a Ninja-like Zabuza, it could be quite challenging to get rid of this technique.'
Haah…
Naruto tightly clutches his hands as large amounts of red chakra surge from his body.
Haah…
BOOM…
The surge of chakra destroys the water prison and frees Naruto.
"Farewell! Bridge Builder!"
Zabuza swings the Executioner's blade to claim Tazuna's life.
"Kenjutsu: Secret art: Mist Execution"
Kakashi's expression turns serious as he makes his move.
'I can't delay any longer.'
Suddenly,
Fwoosh… swoosh…
A streak of orange light flashes past him.
"This is…"
Kakashi's eye widens in surprise as he is able to get a glimpse of the appearance of the streak.
"Sensei!!"
These words involuntarily escape from his mouth.
Whoosh…
Naruto appears in front of Zabuza to intercept his attack.
"Rasengan"
Naruto has a dense red Rasengan in his hand.
BOOM…
The Rasengan explodes on top of the Executioner's blade.
Crack… crack…
Cracks appear on the blade and the blade shatters into pieces.
"How can this be?!"
Zabuza's eyes widen in sheer disbelief.
"That was one of the famed swords of the Mist. How can it shatter this easily?!"
Haah…
Naruto tightly clutches his fist and punches Zabuza.
BANG…
Zabuza is sent flying by Naruto's attack.
--
Earlier,
Inside the village,
"That takes care of things."
Sasuke dusts his hands as two unconscious goons lay in front of him. They were precisely the bodyguards of Gato: Zori and Waraji."
"Earlier, I suspected Gato would make a move to sabotage Tazuna's family while we are busy dealing with the shinobi. Guess, I was right on cue."
He ties both of them with a rope and flickers towards the bridge.
"I will leave their fate to these villagers."
Whoosh…
Sasuke arrives beside Kakashi and reports to him.
"Good work!"
Kakashi nods his head as both of them turn towards the fight between Naruto and Zabuza.
Sasuke notices the red chakra of Naruto and silently murmurs to himself.
'I never expected this dunce to improve this much. While I have made little progress, he has improved tremendously.'
Sasuke feels the pressure from Naruto's growth.
'I don't want this idiot to leave me in the dust. After this mission, I will ask Izuna Nii-san to train me.'
Hmm…
Sasuke senses a shadow slowly creeping towards Tazuna.
'It's that hunter-nin guy. He is aiming to assassinate Tazuna while Naruto is engaged with Zabuza. He thinks he can get past me. Hmph…'
Sasuke snorts and immediately flickers towards Tazuna.
Whoosh…
Clank…
Sasuke deflects an ice senbon aimed at Tazuna's neck.
"Not so fast."
Tch…
Haku clicks his tongue and appears in front of Sasuke.
"I have to complete the task Zabuza gave me at all costs. Even if it means killing someone."
Haku solemnly stares at Sasuke as the surrounding temperature drops.
Brrr…
Sakura and Tazuna feel the chill in the atmosphere. Both of them rub their hands to get some warmth.
Kakashi's eyes narrow as he watches this phenomenon.
"Ice Style! A Kekkei Genkai user. It's going to be a fight between two Kekkei Genkai."
At some distance away,
Chomp… chomp…
Izuna and Ayaka crunch some popcorns as they watch the fight while floating in the air.
Ayaka is sitting on a small rock that is floating beside Izuna.
"Ayaka! I brought you here to get some experience. But why do I feel like you came here to watch a movie?"
Izuna helplessly stares at Ayaka, who is cutely munching on popcorns.
"Ne… Ne… Onii chan! Don't bother yourself over this small stuff. I am learning a lot from this fight."
Ayaka waves her hand and focuses on the battle.
...
Sasuke senses the chill in the atmosphere and frowns.
'An Ice Style User!'
Whoosh…
Haku quickly closes the distance between him and Sasuke while making some hand signs.
Swish… swish…
"Water Release: Secret Art: Thousand Stinging Needles of Death"
Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…
Haku creates a thousand senbons of water from the surroundings and aims them at Tazuna, Sakura, and Sasuke.
Swish…
He waves his hands and launches the needles at the group from all directions.
'Crap! I can easily avoid them but I can't say the same for Sakura and the bridge builder. Although these needles will cause superficial injuries to a Ninja; they are quite lethal to a civilian like Tazuna.'
Tch…
Sasuke clicks his tongue and makes some hand signs.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Fire Barrage"
Sasuke rapidly spats out a large number of small fireballs around to counteract the water senbons. The small fireball covers a large area and quickly evaporates the water needles.
The resulting clash creates a screen of water vapor and mist.
Using this opportunity, Sasuke throws multiple shurikens towards Haku.
Swish…
He draws a pair of metal wires from his holster and controls the movement of the shurikens.
Clang… clang…
Haku deflects the shurikens with a kunai but Sasuke controls their trajectory and continues to lock on Haku making him unable to counterattack.
Zabuza who is locked in a battle with Naruto momentarily stares at the situation and is shocked to see the battle.
"That boy… he can fight on even ground with Haku. No… he has forced Haku on defensive."
Bang…
Using this chance, the clones of Naruto punches Zabuza. Zabuza blocks the attack, but the impact sends him flying. He falls beside Kakashi, who silently walks towards Zabuza.
"It's enough Naruto."
Kakashi stops Naruto.
Swish… swish…
He makes some hand signs and taps Zabuza's forehead.
"Ninja Art: Chakra Suppression Seal"
Kakashi seals Zabuza's chakra and sits beside him as he watches Sasuke's battle.
Earlier, Kakashi received a message from Izuna to not kill Zabuza since he has some use for Zabuza.
"Kakashi Hatake…"
Zabuza stops resisting since he realized earlier.
'These bunches of kids are monsters. Then there is also the Copy Ninja.'
He turns towards Kakashi and curiously asks him.
"What's the deal with these kids? Who are they? Why are they are so strong?"
"Oh!"
Kakashi raises his eyebrow and answers.
"These kids were personally trained by Izuna Uchiha the 'Silent Shinigami'."
"Si… Silent Shinigami…"
Zabuza takes a deep breath as some terrifying memories of the Third Ninja War flashes in his mind.
He participated in the Third Great Ninja war as one of the chunnin of Kiri under the orders of the Noble Faction.
During a supply escort mission, he saw an Eight-year-old kid with a Konoha headband brutally assassinating the entire escort team.
He barely survived the massacre by jumping down a cliff.
"No wonder these kids are so terrifyingly strong. But still…"
Zabuza has a pensive gaze on his face as he stares at Haku.
"Haku has yet to use the power of his cursed bloodline, the power of his Kekkei Genkai 'Ice Release'."
He remarks.
"That kid might not be Haku's match once Haku gets serious."
"You think so…"
Kakashi shrugs his shoulder and remarks.
"Sasuke is an Uchiha. Unlike me, he possesses a complete pair of fully matured Sharingan."
"What?!" Zabuza's eyes widen in shock as he turns towards Sasuke.
"This boy has awakened his Kekkei Genkai."
"See for yourself."
Kakashi removes the mask from his eye and activates his Sharingan to watch the battle.
'Though I can't copy Ice Release, I can still learn more about its weakness and strengths.'
At the bridge,
Haku is caught in a desperate situation as he is unable to retaliate against Sasuke's relentless attacks. He is locked in a defensive stance.
Haah…
Haku riles up his chakra and deflects the shurikens and makes some One hand signs.
"Ice Release: Certain-Kill Ice Spears"
Swoosh… swoosh…
Suddenly, multiple ice spears erupt from the ground, impaling everything in its vicinity.
Whoosh…
Sasuke senses the danger and quickly jumps in the air, twisting his body to avoid the deadly spears.
Swish… swish… swish…
He makes some hand signs while mid-air.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu"
He spews out a large amount of flames from his mouth. The flames morph into a giant flame dragon and rams through the ice quickly melting it.
"Fire Release: Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu"
Sasuke makes some more hand signs and the flames congeal at a spot turning into a large dragon head shaped-fireball.
Haah…
Sasuke directs the fireball towards Haku in an attempt to end the battle.
'With this, the battle will come to an end. I want to preserve my chakra for sticky situations besides this technique requires a large amount of chakra to perform.'
BOOM…
The giant dragon fireball engulfs Haku and explodes on top of him. A deafening explosion rings in the surroundings, evaporating the surrounding water.
"This Jutsu… I never saw him use it. It is at least a B-Rank jutsu."
Kakashi murmurs to himself while witnessing the sheer destructive force behind the explosion.
"Looks like this battle is over."
He shakes his head.
"No… wait!"
As if sensing something, Kakashi turns towards the battle.
A giant igloo-like dome appears in his vision. The hunter-nin boy is encased in the ice while sheltered from the explosion.
There are some faint cracks on the ice dome but it still intact after sustaining that earlier explosion.
"Such a strong defense. It is almost on par with Kazekage's sand shield."
Kakashi murmurs as he inspects the ice Igloo.
Hmph…
Sasuke snorts at the giant Igloo.
"So, this dome can distribute the force of blunt attacks over its entire surface thus greatly reducing the impact."
He quickly figures out the weakness of the jutsu.
"In that case…"
Swish… swish… swish…
Sasuke quickly makes some hand signs.
"Lightning Release: Chidori"
Chii… chirp…
Chirping of thousand bird rings in the air as Sasuke infuses a large amount of Lighting chakra in his hand.
Whoosh…
He flickers towards the ice dome and attacks it with his Chidori.
Stab… Crack… crack…
The Chidori penetrates through the thick ice barrier and shatters it into countless ice fragments.
Stab… spurt…
The momentum of Chidori dies down but Sasuke still manages to stab through Haku's shoulder.
Aaah…
Haku tightly clenches his teeth and grabs Sasuke's left arm with his right hand.
Swish… swish… swish…
He quickly makes some One-hand signs.
"One-hand signs?!"
Kakashi raises his eyebrows.
"This boy has quite the talent for Ninjutsu, unlike certain someone."
Kakashi directs his gaze towards Sakura.
Ah!
Sakura senses a gaze on her. She looks around, but Kakashi removes his gaze and turns towards the battle.
"It's getting interesting every moment. I wonder what other surprises this boy holds and how will Sasuke react to them?"
"Ice Release: Thousand Stinging Needles of Death"
Haku uses the ice version of his earlier water jutsu and summons a thousand ice senbons to pierce through Sasuke and turn him into a porcupine.
"Hmph… Not so fast!"
Chii… chirp…
Sasuke infuses some more lighting chakra in his left hand and stabs through Haku's shoulder to free himself.
ARGH!!…
Haku releases a scream of agony and lets off Sasuke's hand.
Swoosh…
Sasuke jumps in the air to avoid the ice senbons.
Stab… stab…
Still, a few ice senbon manages to stab through his left leg. Sasuke feels a numbing sensation in his leg as the senbons freeze his chakra acupoints thus, disabling his left leg for a while.
Clang… clang…
Sasuke pulls out the senbons from his legs and throws them aside.
Haah… haah…
Haku is breathing heavily as blood spurts from his shoulder.
"I can't give up at this point. For the sake of dreams of the person I respect; I will give my all."
Whoosh…
The surrounding temperature plummets rapidly. Haku freezes the wound on his shoulder and starts to make some quick hand signs.
Kakashi observes the change in Haku's resolve and remarks.
"You have got quite the sophisticated tool, Zabuza."
"The world is a big place… Kakashi Hatake. You will never understand the pain and loneliness of being rejected and feared by your very own people."
Zabuza speaks in a hoarse voice.
"When I met this boy, he was all alone; without any family, without anybody to look for him. I just offered some sweet words, and he became a tool for me."
Kakashi lifts his head and turns towards Naruto. Sakura is tending to his wounds as he grimaces in pain.
'I might not understand his pain, but someone else might.'
Swish… swish… swish… swoosh…
Haku clasps his hands as he finishes his hand signs.
"Secret Art: Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals"
Shoom… Shoom…
The surrounding water vapors quickly condense in ice mirrors and surround Sasuke. The mirrors fuse to form a giant dome of ice mirrors.
Whoosh…
Haku enters one of the mirrors as his reflection appears in all other mirrors.
"Now, it's my turn to attack."
Whoosh…
Haku's figure enters the ice mirrors surrounding Sasuke.
Shoom… shoom… shoom…
Multiple reflections of Haku appear in Sasuke's vision.
"A cloning Jutsu?!"
A frown appears on Sasuke's face.
Hmm…
He scrutinizes the mirrors and realizes.
"No! They are his images formed by the phenomenon of the light trapped in this mirror. The light reflected from his body suffers a total internal reflection and thus multiple reflections of his forms in these ice mirrors."
Haah…
Sasuke takes a Taijutsu stance ready to intercept Haku's move.
Swish… swish… swish…
Haku and his reflections simultaneously make some hand signs.
"Ice Release: Thousand Stinging Needles of Death"
Multiple ice senbons lock on Sasuke's position.
Swoosh.. swoosh…
The ice senbon barrage attacks him from all directions.
Haah…
Facing the incoming barrage of the ice senbons, Sasuke takes a deep breath and calms himself.
"Sharingan"
Shiing…
Sasuke's eyes changes and a three tomoe Sharingan appears in both of his eyes.
Clang… clang… clang…
Sasuke's body moves at an incredible speed as he smoothly deflects all the incoming attacks. His breathing is normal, and there is no hint of exhaustion or sweat on his body.
"This is…"
Zabuza's eyes widen in shock.
"How is this boy able to keep up with Haku's almost light-speed attacks?" He murmurs to himself.
Soon, he notices the tomoes in Sasuke's eyes and gets his answer.
"No wonder… Haku never stood a chance."
Zabuza sighs and stops resisting.
Swoosh…
Sasuke deflects the final senbon and turns towards a mirror.
"It's time to end this useless struggle."
Swish… swish… swish…
He makes multiple hand signs and takes a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Blazing Fireball Shower"
He spits out a volley of fireballs into the air. The fireballs spread out through the ice dome and simultaneously attack all of Haku's images.
BOOM… BOOM…
The fireballs explode on top of the ice mirrors. Searing flames rise through the ice dome, raising the surrounding temperature rapidly.
Crack… crack…
Multiple cracks form on Ice dome's surface.
BAM…
The jutsu shatters into countless ice fragments which instantly melt in vapors because of the flames.
A figure falls from the air.
Whoosh…
Sasuke flickers in front of the figure.
Haah…
He performs a roundhouse kick and attacks the masked face of the figure.
Bang…
Haku is sent flying by Sasuke's attack.
BAM…
He crashes into a nearby wooden pillar and his hunter-nin mask shatters. Blood leaks from Haku's mouth. His eyes lifelessly stare at Zabuza.
"I am sorry, Zabuza. I failed to fulfill the mission you gave me."
Haku silently murmurs to himself as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
"Huh! He is…"
Naruto immediately recognizes Haku from the previous day.
"Hey! He is that pretty boy from the previous day."
Naruto immediately rushes towards Haku.
"Seems like you handled the situation well."
Izuna appears beside Kakashi and nods his head.
"It was not much big of a deal. Naruto and Sasuke did most of the job."
Kakashi replies without even turning back.
"I guess! You taught them well." Izuna remarks with a grin.
"Not as well as you did!" Kakashi retorts.
"Anyway, I will take things from here on."
Izuna turns towards Zabuza with a smile.
Gulp…
Zabuza gulps his saliva as he recognizes Izuna.
'The Silent Shinigami Izuna Uchiha. He is a death God in human form. Looks like this is the end for me.'
Hmm…
Izuna walks towards Zabuza and stares at the broken blade in his hand. He picks up the broken blade and draws his finger over the broken edge.
"I hope Mei won't be angry over this matter. It's still one of the famed blades of Seven Swordsman of the Mist."
'The flow of chakra is not smooth in this blade. Also, this blade has durability issues.'
Izuna judges the quality of the blade.
"My blade is much better than this."
He turns his attention to Zabuza.
"As for you… Hmm…"
Izuna ponders over Zabuza's fate.
Gulp…
Zabuza gulps another mouthful of saliva as Izuna's gaze lingers over him.
He breaks out in a cold sweat as in his mind an image of a Shinigami wielding a scythe overlap with Izuna. The Executioner's blade in Izuna's hand glows with a sharp tint as Izuna subconsciously waves it.
"I will let Mei decide your fate. Since you are a rogue shinobi of Kiri."
Phew…
Zabuza heaves a sigh of relief.
'At least it won't be worse than being handled by this Death God.'
Hmm…
Izuna turns his attention towards Naruto and Haku.
"YO! I never expected to meet you so soon."
Ugh…
Haku slowly lifts his head and notices Naruto.
"Na… Naruto…"
He slowly tries to stand up.
"Hey! Hey! Take it easy."
Naruto stops Haku.
"I will tend to your wounds."
He turns around and notices Izuna. Naruto's eyes lit up, and he waves his hand to Izuna.
"Nii-san!… I need your help Nii-san."
"This troublemaker…"
Izuna shakes his head and walks towards them. He notices Haku's injuries and turns to Sasuke.
"You went easy on this boy. It's so unlikely of you, Sasuke."
Swoosh…
Izuna uses Mythical Palm Technique to heal Haku's injuries.
"I did for sure. If not, then a certain knucklehead would pester me to no end."
Sasuke shakes his head.
"Hey! I won't." Naruto retorts.
"Oh! Really…" Sasuke smirks.
"If my facts are correct, then a certain someone exhausted himself while training in the wild and then slept like a log in the wild. If not for me keeping a close eye on you, then a certain someone might have sent you on your one-way trip to…"
Swish…
Sasuke does a cut-throat motion.
Gulp…
Naruto gulps a mouthful of saliva and retorts.
"In the end, I am safe. Nothing happened to me."
"Hmph… I don't know about his intentions. He might have detected my presence and thus I acted as deterrence for him or there might be some other reason." Sasuke snorts.
"OK! OK! Calm down, you both." Izuna calms them down.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" He turns to Haku.
"I… I…"
Haku stammers for a while before he gets hold of his breath. An earnest expression appears on his face as he answers.
"It's true that when I met Naruto, initially I had the urge to kill him and get rid of Zabuza's burden. But… but… somehow the way Naruto treated me made me change my mind. He… he treated me like a friend. Up till now, kids of my age were either afraid of my abilities and adults would try to kill me, once they came to know about them.
Only Zabuza was different. Even if he treated me like a tool; he never saw me with scorn like others. So… so… I was happy to be Zabuza's tool. He was my only family. Sniff… sniff…"
Haku has tears in his eyes as he recounts his past.
Sob… sob…
Tears stream down Naruto's eyes as he bowls his eyes out.
Sigh…
Sasuke shakes his head and pats Naruto's shoulder.
"…"
Izuna silently stares at the group.
'Look at this bunch, acting all grown-up and childish at the same time.'
Izuna only felt a slight sympathy for Haku.
'This is the dark truth of this Shinobi World. Konoha had it quite easy compared to other nations; thanks to the effort of a certain Hokage. Still, we had our cancerous tumors in the past.'
Izuna sighs to himself and addresses the bunch.
"Enough chitchat! I have to take him into custody and present him to Kiri for judgment. Despite his past, he still has committed lots of crimes under the orders of Zabuza. Now is the time to account for them."
"But Nii-san! He is…" Naruto protests but Izuna glares at him.
Naruto gulps a mouthful of saliva and swallows his words.
"It's alright, Naruto! I have to account for my sins. If I get an opportunity in the future, then we will meet again." Haku assures Naruto.
He turns towards Izuna and nods his head.
"I am ready."
'Oh! He is quite cooperative. Maybe his interaction with Naruto changed his mentality. That's the protagonist aura for you.'
Izuna shakes his head and turns to Kakashi.
"Kakashi! With this, your mission is complete. The only thing left for you is to deal with Gato and his goons."
Izuna turns towards the other end of the bridge, where a bunch of hoodlums are marching towards the group.
"Hmm… I will take care of it."
Kakashi nods his head.
Izuna grabs Zabuza and Haku.
"See you later, everyone!"
Ayaka jumps from the top of the tree and lands on Izuna's head.
"Ayaka!!"
Naruto and Sasuke stare at her in shock.
"I couldn't sense your presence till now." Sasuke shakes his head.
"You need more training, Sasuke Nii-san!"
Ayaka sticks out her tongue and teases them.
"I think so too." Izuna nods his head.
"NOOO!!"
Naruto and Sasuke sweat drop and yell in unison.
Haku is amused to see them act like this.
'They are already so strong. What kind of training are they doing?'
It piques Haku's interest.