Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke observed the patrols around the large building carefully noting the routes taken by the men around the perimeter. There were three on the ground and five on the roof.
"So what's the plan Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto asked, eyeing the patrols. 'Don't worry Inari, I'm coming to get you.'
Kakashi looked over at the building again, when they had found the building Kakashi had summoned his ninja hounds to scout the building out. When the hounds reported back the smallest one, Pakkun, informed them that the building itself had only one entrance, but Bull, the largest of the pack, discovered what appeared to be a tunnel that lead under the building, most likely an emergency exit.
"Alright here's the plan." Kakashi said to his team, "I'll go in through the front door and keep their attention on me. You guys follow Pakkun through the tunnel and infiltrate from there."
"You gonna be alright sensei?" Sakura asked, a slight trace of fear evident on her face.
"Don't worry about me." Kakashi said with a smile, "After that workout yesterday I feel like I'm back at one hundred percent." The three genin all nodded.
"Good luck sensei." Naruto said as he and his teammates headed towards the tunnel. With that team 7 separated to begin their rescue mission. Meanwhile, hidden within a puddle of water, the demon brothers observed the Konoha ninja initiate their plan.
"Sir, they've taken the bait." One of them said into a radio. "Kakashi Hatake is going to act as a diversion while his genin sneak in through emergency exit."
"Ignore Kakashi, you two aren't strong enough to take him on." Zabuza's voice responded through their earpieces, "Focus on the genin. Don't kill them yet."
"Yes sir." The brothers replied in unison. Once they cut the connection the two emerged from the puddle and stared after the Konoha ninja. The two looked at each other and without speaking nodded. They took off after Kakashi Hatake.
"What do you mean you're still going to work on the bridge?" Tsunami practically exploded at her father once he told her that despite the recent attack he still had every intention of continued construction of the bridge.
"Someone's got to do it." Tazuna stated as he put on his hard hat, "And I don't trust half of those idiots out there to stick around without me there."
"My son, your grandson, has been kidnapped, and you're just going to keep going as if nothing happened?" she yelled, tears gathering in her eyes. "Aren't you at all worried?"
"Of course I am." Tazuna whispered. "I'm absolutely terrified. If I could I would drop everything and be joining the ninjas in their rescue, but I'd only get in the way. So instead of being frozen by fear, instead I'm going to do what I can do, and trust Kakashi and the others to get Inari out safely." There was a moment of silence as father and daughter stared at one another. His argument made Tazuna turned to leave.
"Wait." Tsunami said. Tazuna stopped and turned to his daughter, who had retreated into her room. A few minutes later Tsunami emerged from the room having replaced her pink and blue dress with a white work shirt and brown coveralls. Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail, and under her arm was a hardhat like Tazuna's "Let's go." Tazuna smiled as he followed his daughter.
Tsunami wiped the sweat from her forehead as she put the heavy bag of cement next to the mixer. With short heavy breaths she brought her water bottle to her lips and took a long gulp of it, before she cut the bag open and poured its contents into the rotating machine. Once the gravel was in the mixer she paused to look over to her father and the three men who had actually showed up today.
Despite her worry over her son's fate, Tsunami smiled. Her father was selflessly putting his life on the line by trying to complete this bridge so their country could be a better place, and now she was helping it along. Gato had attacked her home and kidnapped her son in order to intimidate them, but they would not be intimidated. Even now her son was being rescued by the very ninja who'd kept her father safe from Gato's assassins, and who'd defended her home from the army of thugs at his disposal.
Gato's time was coming to its end. She could sense it. 'Are you watching this Kaiza? We're saving our home just like you.' Tsunami couldn't be sure whether or not her husband's spirit heard her from the afterlife, but at that moment she felt a calm reassurance come over her.
"How's it going over here?" a voice intruded on her thoughts, causing Tsunami to turn to face the speaker. One of the workers, a short man named Giso, had come over carrying a small set of tools with him. "How's the cement mixing?" he asked looking inside the mixer.
"It's fine." Tsunami replied, checking the mixture herself.
"Yeah looks about ready." Giso said, "Let's pour it in." Tsunami nodded as the poured the cement into the hole where it would harden into another piece of the bridge. As they worked a thick blanket of fog started to roll over the construction site. At the sight of the fog Tsunami noticed Giso becoming slightly uncomfortable.
"Are you alright?" she asked the construction worker.
"I think we should go over to the others." Giso said as he pulled what looked like a cross between a hand shovel and a knife from his bag.
"Why what's wrong?"
"Just trust me. If this is what I think it is, we don't want to be isolated."
Tsunami nodded and together they made their way back over to where Tazuna was talking with the other two workers. "Something wrong?" the older man asked.
"I don't like the look of this fog." Giso said gesturing to the heavy mist.
"You've got good instincts there." A deep voice rasped from deep within the mist. Tsunami and the others all spun in the direction of the voice to see two figures approaching them. As they got nearer Tsunami was able to make out some of their features. One of the new comers was a tall man in dark clothes with white bandages wrapped around his face, not unlike Kakashi's mask. Strapped to his back was the single largest sword Tsunami had ever seen. The second one in contrast to the first was small, judging by height Tsunami felt that he couldn't be much older than Naruto and the others. He wore a green haori over brown clothes and wore a porcelain mask to conceal his face.
"Za-Zabuza?" Tazuna stuttered as he recognized the intimidating swordsman. "You're alive?"
"Shocking isn't it?" the bandaged man asked. "And this time there's no Kakashi to keep you safe."
Pakkun paused and sniffed the air again as the genin behind him kept wary eyes out for any guards. While ultimately pointless, as virtually all the guards in this building were currently preoccupied with fighting Kakashi at the main entrance and he could smell all of the ones that weren't, Pakkun appreciated the caution. After a few sniffs Pakkun located Inari's scent.
"This way." The small dog whispered as he padded down the hallway, the genin following close behind. Pakkun followed the scent through a long twisting maze of corridors, the dog made careful note of each turn it took. Finally the dog paused to sniff the air once more.
"Something up?" Naruto asked.
"The child's nearby." Pakkun answered. "This way." Pakkun took off down a corridor with the genin in tow. After a few minutes of running all four of them came sliding to a halt outside of a thick wooden door. "He's in here." Pakkun informed them, sniffing the air, "There are at least four men inside with him." The three genin nodded as they each took a position by the door, Sasuke placed an exploding tag on the door before he got into position. Once they were in place Pakkun padded up to the door and started to rake his nails down the wooden frame, barking all the while.
"What the hell?" a muffled voice called from the inside. "How the hell did a dog get in here?"
"Who cares, just scare it off." Another voice responded.
"Yeah, yeah." The first voice grunted as the handle for the door turned. Pakkun moved away from the door as Sasuke made a seal and lit the explosive on the door. The following blast was small, not enough to blow the door to shrapnel but enough to blast it open and ensure it would never close again. The man who was opening the door was thrown back into one of his companions when the three Genin burst into the room. The two men on the floor were quickly knocked unconscious by a swift kick from Sakura while the remaining two men were just as swiftly dispatched by Naruto and Sasuke. Once all the guards in the room were rendered inert the three genin turned to see Inari, bound and gagged in a chair with a surprised look in his eyes.
"I told you nothing would happen to you while we were here." Naruto said as he started to free the young child. Once the final rope was cut Inari pulled the gag from his mouth and leapt onto Naruto hugging him tightly.
"I knew you guys would come." He cried as Naruto hugged him back. "I knew it."
"We need to get moving now." Sasuke said calmly, "Someone might've heard the explosion and may be on the way." Naruto nodded and gently pulled Inari off of him.
"Stay close to us Inari." The blonde said, "We'll get you home in no time." The little boy nodded and together the five of them started to make their way back outside. Just as the exit came within view Pakkun slid to stop and growled.
"There's someone out there waiting for us." The dog said, just before a series of kunai and shuriken flew into the hallway. The flying blades caught Sakura and Sasuke unaware and before long the two of them were lying on the ground, blades sticking out of them like pincushions. Naruto had just managed to react in time to deflect the blades flying towards him and Inari, and Pakkun and avoid the blades by digging into the floor.
"Well brother. It looks like the blonde brat's gotten better since last time." A voice called as two figures appeared at the tunnels entrance.
"Shame the same can't be said of his friends." The other said as Naruto recognized the two shinobi standing before him.
"Not you guys again." Naruto groaned as he remembered the two Kiri ninja who'd humiliated him at the beginning of this journey. "Didn't we beat you guys bad enough last time?"
"Correction, your sensei defeated us." One brother stated.
"But he's not here is he? The Kakashi who was with you earlier was a clone. And now with your friends dead, you are all alone and outnumbered." It was then that Naruto noticed the slightly charred appearance of the two ninja in front of him.
"Looks like you learned that the hard way." Naruto grinned. It was true, Kakashi had indeed sent a clone with them instead of coming himself, a lightning clone that when destroyed would give a shocking surprise to the poor bastard who did the deed. "And you're wrong about the other things too." Just then Naruto made a single hand seal and both Sasuke and Sakura disappeared in a puff of smoke. "My friends here were just shadow clones I had transform into them. And finally and this is really the most important part." Naruto said as he made his signature hand seal. Suddenly the entire hallway filled with copies of Naruto Uzumaki. "I'm never alone or outnumbered." They all declared as they all pulled kunai from their belts.
Zabuza couldn't help but smile as he saw the small group of bridge builders step between him and his prey. While he acknowledged their bravery he couldn't help but point out the obvious flaw in their fool hardy exercise. "You lot do realize that against me you might as well just lay down and die right?"
"Things are not always as they appear Zabuza." The one in front stated as he pointed a kunai at him, "It's one of the first rules a ninja learns." And with that the three bridge builders before him disappeared in a puff smoke, only to be replaced by Kakashi Hatake and two of his brats. The dark haired Uchiha and the pink haired girl.
"Oh clever idea." Zabuza sated once the disguises were dropped. "Lure us in by making us think you were no threat. Wouldn't you agree Haku?" the masked child nodded in agreement.
"Indeed Lord Zabuza." Haku stated, "An impressive gambit to be sure."
"So Zabuza, will you have the child save your skin this time too?" Kakashi mocked, "Either way you should feel honored, no one's ever seen my sharingan twice before." Kakashi said as he moved to lift his headband. "But I promise you, you won't be seeing it a third time."
Just as Kakashi was raising his headband however Zabuza rushed forward, kunai in hand and stabbed for Kakashi's scarlet eye. The blade would've stabbed deep into Kakashi's eye socket if he hadn't caught the blade by letting it stab through his palm.
"Allow me to borrow a line you said to me once." Zabuza said as he pulled the blade free from Kakashi's hand. "The same technique won't work on me twice."
Sakura watched horrified as Zabuza attacked her sensei. She was about to call out to him with Haku's voice whispered in her ear.
"Don't you have more pressing matters to attend to?"
The pink haired girl instinctually flinched as she struck out at the voice only for her hand to be caught in an ice cold vice. She watched as Haku pulled a senbon and moved to stab it into her neck. The needle never reached her as Sasuke blazed forward and caught Haku by the arm with one hand and struck out at him with his other. The masked boy leapt back as he did something Sakura would've sworn was impossible. The Kiri ninja was making a series of hand seals with only one hand.
When Haku landed the various puddles all around them all leapt up into the air and froze into hundreds of razor sharp ice needles.
"Get down." Sasuke shouted as he tackled Sakura to the ground, an instant before the spot they were standing on was turned into a pin cushion. "He's fast." Sasuke said, his sharingan activating. "We'll have to keep on our toes."
"What about Tazuna and Tsunami?" Sakura asked, glancing over to the two noncombatants who were hiding behind a pile of crates.
"For the moment it looks like their more interested in us." Sasuke said as he stood up. "But we shouldn't leave them unguarded." Sasuke stepped forward as Haku started towards them again. "You stay back and watch over them. I'll take care of him." Sakura nodded as the young Uchiha charged forward. She slowly backed towards the two civilians as Sasuke and Haku began their battle. Sakura didn't know much about taijutsu, but she knew enough to know that in terms of pure skill and speed, Haku was the superior of the two. The girl couldn't help but wonder how well Sasuke would fare against such an opponent if he didn't have his sharingan to help him.
As it was however Sasuke was able to block and counter a majority of Haku's attacks, but some were getting through. And with every time one of Haku's attacks got through, Sasuke found another senbon buried into his body. Sakura looked back at the Tazuna and Tsunami unsure of what to do. Should she continue towards them to protect them or should she go assist Sasuke. Sakura stopped her retreat as she saw Sasuke take a particularly savage blow to his face. The young Uchiha was thrown onto his back and Haku stood menacingly over him. When they noticed her looking back and forth between them and her teammate both Tazuna and Tsunami nodded at her. The meaning was clear.
Moving faster than she ever had before in her life, pumping chakra into her legs to increase her speed, Sakura charged forward and leapt into a flying kick that connected with Haku's chest. The masked boy flew back from the force of the kick and rolled to a stop several yards away.
"Sasuke are you ok?" Sakura asked as she helped her teammate to his feet.
"I'm fine. Thank you Sakura."
Sakura turned beat red at the Uchiha's words as they turned to face their opponent. Haku had regained his footing and was staring at the two of them. Any expression his face was making was disguised by his mask, and his body language was too damn neutral to gauge. But when he spoke, his voice was soft and somber.
"Please stand aside." He asked, "I would rather not be forced to kill you two."
"Why so you can kill Tazuna and Tsunami?" Sakura asked as Sasuke stepped forward protectively.
"I hold no ill will towards the bridge builder or his family." Haku replied, "But I am Lord Zabuza's tool, and Zabuza was hired to end the bridge builder and I will assist him in any way I can."
"And we were hired to protect him from people like you." Sasuke said, dropping to a low stance.
"So it seems we are at an impasse." Haku said sadly. "In that case I am truly sorry." Haku then made a hand seal that neither Sasuke nor Sakura had ever seen before. Sensing danger the two genin charged forward to prevent whatever jutsu Haku was about to unleash. They weren't fast enough.
"Ice Release: Crystal Ice Mirrors."
Naruto panted heavily as he stood across from the equally exhausted Demon Brothers. He had hoped that he could simply overwhelm them through sheer numbers and be on his merry way but it wasn't meant to be. He had managed to push his way out into the open where his numbers advantage would be of greater use but he underestimated the ferocity of the two Kiri ninja before him. They had managed to hold their own against the onslaught of Uzumaki and had even come close to scoring a hit on the real him with their poisonous claws. Naruto looked around at his two remaining clones then at Inari who was still hiding inside the hallway, Pakkun protectively walking around the boy.
Naruto knew he'd have to end this soon or he'd be of no use to others who were most likely fighting at the bridge right now. Naruto caught the eyes of his two clones who both nodded at him. The two clones immediately started flashing through hand seals while Naruto channeled a large amount of chakra through his feet launching him high in the air. Whilst airborne Naruto start the sequence for his wind claws. At the same time the Demon Brothers attacked, one leaping into the air to intercept Naruto while the other charged the two clones. The latter was two slow and before he could respond was consumed by a raging firestorm as Naruto combined his jet stream jutsu with a fireball. The former was focused solely on ending the life of the real Naruto and so didn't notice the small ninja dog charge forward and tackle the Kiri ninja in his stomach.
As he fell backward, Naruto descended with his hand enveloped in slicing wind chakra and landed on his enemy before he plunged his clawed hand through his shoulder. The Demon Brother cried out in pain before Naruto followed it up with a kick to the face.
"One down." Naruto sighed as he turned to see the other ninja was similarly unconscious, his body burned badly by the combined jutsu. "Make that two." With the two ninja defeated Naruto called out to Inari who quickly ran to his side.
"You ok?" the boy asked as Naruto slumped to the ground.
"Fine just need a moment." Naruto said between breaths. "So how'd I do?"
Inari smiled, "That was awesome. I knew you'd be able to beat them."
Naruto smiled at the boy's praise before Pakkun strolled up to them.
"Thanks for the help Pakkun." Naruto as he reached out to scratch the dog behind his ear.
"Hey cut that out." Pakkun protested, as his leg started kicking uncontrollably. Naruto just smiled as he forced himself to his feet.
"Can you get Inari home from here?" he asked the dog, whom nodded in response. "Good, Inari follow Pakkun home ok. I gotta get to the bridge."
"What are you gonna do?" Inari asked as Naruto started walk off.
The blonde smiled, "I'm gonna save the fucking day."
Haku watched impassively as the two genin before him struggle to their feet. The two of them both resembled pin cushions with the number of senbon he'd thrown at them. They had long since given up on any offensive efforts, his mirrors were indestructible to mere genin, and instead had focused purely on survival. The Uchiha had the worst of it, his sharingan allowed him to follow Haku's movements and he was just fast enough to react to them. So Haku had decided to focus his attacks on the girl, and as he had predicted, the Uchiha kept taking hits for her. None of them had been crippling or life threatening, yet. However Haku was anxious to see this battle end so he could go assist Lord Zabuza in fighting Kakashi.
"I will ask you one last time." Haku said from the safety of his mirrors. "Please surrender, you need not die." The girl had decided to take this opportunity to remove some of the senbon from the boy. Haku allowed it to happen. He'd let them catch their breath for a moment so they could see how hopeless their situation was.
"Why are you so against killing us?" the Uchiha asked. "What does it matter to you?"
"I have killed many people in my service to Lord Zabuza." Haku told them. "Mostly hunter ninja looking to collect on his bounty and clients who try to betray him. I killed them swiftly and without hesitation or remorse, but always for the sake of his safety. But you genin are different from the others I've killed. You're pure. You don't wish for Lord Zabuza's death, only to protect your client. I sympathize with you, but alas I cannot defy Lord Zabuza's wishes. He was hired to see to the bridge builder's death and so will honor his agreement. So I must honor my position as his tool and assist him. And if that means killing you then I will, but not gladly and not without remorse."
"I cannot surrender." The Uchiha said. "I must not surrender. I have a tiny chance of besting you. We both know it. If you must kill me then fine, but please don't hurt Sakura. Unlike me she is of no threat to you at all."
Haku frowned at the Uchiha's stubbornness. At the shocked expression of the girl. Were he capable, Haku would've cried at the tragedy. "What is your name?"
"Sasuke Uchiha, the last of my clan."
"Sasuke Uchiha. Last of the Uchiha. I am Haku Yuki, last of my clan. I will honor your request and remember you for the rest of my life. Prepare yourself." Haku emerged from his mirror and rushed straight towards Sasuke who slid into a defensive crouch. At that moment two things happened. Sakura moved to place herself in front of Sasuke, and an orange blur placed itself in front of them. In that moment Haku threw his senbon as the orange newcomer scored a hit that knocked Haku against one of his mirrors.
Slightly dazed Haku heard Sakura shriek the newcomer's name, "Naruto!" Haku watched as Naruto, with four senbon sticking out of his neck and an additional four near his heart, fell backwards. Haku watched sadly as the blondes teammates rushed to his side.
"Naruto you idiot, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked as Sakura supported Naruto's head on her lap.
"I saved Inari." Naruto wheezed, "Thought I'd come by and help out."
"Why?" Sakura asked, tears streaming down her face. "Why did you get in the way?"
"I lost my brother already. I didn't want to lose my friends too." Naruto looked at Sasuke who was on the verge of tears. "I'll tell your family you said hi when I see them."
"Shut up you moron." Sasuke sobbed, "You're going to be fine."
Naruto just smiled as blood began to leak from his mouth. "I'll finally… get to see… Arashi again." And with that Naruto closed his eyes.
"Naruto?" Sakura sobbed, gently slapping her fallen comrade, "Naruto wake up. Wake up."
"Is this the first time you've seen a loved one die for you?" Haku asked, his voice somber. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."
That was when Sasuke turned to face Haku, tears rolling down his cheeks, his sharingan blazing. Except it was different than it was before. Instead of the three tomoe that surrounded the pupil, Sasuke's sharingan had taken on a unique pattern of three intercepting ellipses, resembling a star.
"You're not sorry." Sasuke said, "Not yet."
Naruto is dead. Sasuke has awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan. Will it be enough to stand up to Haku and his powerful ice release? Next time: The Death of a Swordsman
AN: Well that was fun. So yeah I gave Sasuke his Mangekyo a "little" early. How this change things up I wonder. To those of you who're afraid that I'll just have him spam Amaterasu to beat Haku, plausible strategy by the way, don't worry. I'm actually trying to come up with something unique for his Mangekyo. I always felt like he got the black flames from Itachi and never actually learned what his specific set of eyes could do. I haven't finalized his yet and am going to be taking suggestions if anyone cares to give any. Any who, as always please read and review.
