If some of the characters are OOC, don't complain because this is an AU fanfic, meaning some of them will be OOC.
The italics is the voice speaking.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Minato would've said goodbye as an old man.
Chapter Six: The Monster's Hair-Trigger
"After today, you no longer have names," Kakashi had told them. Naruto recalled this memory as he remained hidden above the target. His muscles were straining, but he couldn't let go. "You're Fox, Flame, and Flower. I shall be referred to as Founder." Naruto remembered getting shiny dog tags without their names on them. Just a set of numbers for a name for them. He could feel the cool metal against his skin now as he waited for the signal. "I hope you never fail." Naruto felt the building shake from Sasuke's explosion as he dropped from his hiding spot. "Never miss." The target was a young man, but he was a dictator over a small village somewhere near Kiri. He quickly disposed of the body and waited for his team to come while smoking a cigarette that gave off grey-green smoke. "Turn this into a deadly weapon." Founder was such an idiot. That was too easy. He sat on the bloody desk and licked the blood on his sword. Blood. Blood. Sweet blood.
"In here!" Naruto realized some important things as the door opened. One, the explosion was to signal a retreat because a bell was for attack. Two, he was going up against a group of men twice his size. Three, he didn't know his teammates' positions. Naruto didn't panic as they came towards him. He threw his cigarette on the ground and went through unrecognizable hand seals for the tiny cancer stick to blow up. The burning bodies fell back as more came in. Naruto knew his backup plan would have to work.
"Fox! Fox!" His radio was blaring into his ear. "By meeting point two." Naruto didn't say anything as he set off the explosives he set up earlier to bring down the entire building. The screams were so sweet to his ears. Naruto waited by the body as everything crumbled around him. It was a few hours later that Naruto made it to the meeting point with a dead target. Kakashi stood there with approval in his eyes. Naruto looked at his teammates. Sakura was in field dressings but would have to be moved soon while Sasuke was in slightly better shape. Naruto looked at Kakashi, who had finished getting what they needed off the target for the bounty.
"Flower was discovered. She got Flame's help to set off the explosion. We got into some fights, and I'm almost out of chakra. Fox, you need to radio in for a backup team," Kakashi said. He made it to the futon before passing out from over using his sharingan. Naruto, with his own set of injuries, knew he needed backup soon before Sakura's damages got the best of her. He turned his radio to the right channel and sent in the code for another team immediately. Naruto blacked out outside the room as his radio slipped from his fingers.
"Foxy-kun, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked. Naruto was moving on somebody's back. He looked at the purple hair and sighed. Anko had come to get him. He couldn't see what happened to the rest of his team. "We found the dogs picking at you, and I've sent everyone ahead because that girl needs a medic." Naruto's basic medic skills wouldn't have been enough to save her. He relaxed against Anko and just kept conscious. "Go back to sleep, Foxy-kun, before the painkillers wear off. You aren't too good yourself. I promise to protect you." Naruto drifted into the darkness with Anko talking about something random. He was safe with this woman.
ICECOLD
Naruto woke up in the hospital. He looked around to see he was in the same room as the rest of his team. Kakashi was hooked up to an IV and was still sleeping. Sakura had many wires and tubes connected to her. Naruto glanced at Sasuke to see him hooked up to an oxygen mask and an IV. They were a sorry bunch it seemed. Naruto himself took off his oxygen mask and listened to everyone's heart monitors. He scratched at his, wanting to remove it. Everything felt like he was stampeded on, but he figured that would pass. He just needed to find his stuff because they only thing that they left on him was his stupid dog tags. He didn't want to be reminded he was just another number in the system.
"Morning," a voice said. Naruto looked at Anko, who looked exhausted. "You've been out for two days and flat lined three times since bringing you in. The girl did too. Doctors brought you back." Anko walked over and sat in one of Naruto's visitor chairs. "I haven't told Kurenai. She would probably be here without another word if she knew." Naruto didn't want Anko to tell Kurenai that he had died three times. "I bet you feel like crap. You let a building collapse on you just for the sake of getting a body. Are you crazy?" Naruto wanted to tell her. Why yes we are. He wanted to tell her so bad.
Meanwhile, Kurenai was waiting for the receptionist to come back with information on Kiba and his room number. The dog ninja was injured during training and was to be released today. Kurenai was given permission to take him by Tsume. She sighed as she sat down in one of the plastic chairs. Two nurses were walking by and stopped at the desk to gossip.
"Didn't you hear? That Uzumaki boy is in again," one nurse said. She made a small shiver as the other one laughed. "I'm serious. He kept flat lining yesterday, and even the doctor was going to call it quits. We got him stabilized." Kurenai was shocked. Why wasn't she told? The Hokage tried to keep her in the loop with what was wrong with Naruto. "Have you been in Room Seventy-Seven yet?" Room Seventy-Seven must be wear he was. Kurenai waited to hear more.
"Yeah, that scary lady, Anko, was in there with him. Uzumaki was awake with her. He looked to be in pain, so I gave him some medicine, but when I tried to ask him some questions, he shut down and wouldn't speak to me. I wanted to know if there was anyone I needed to contact." Kurenai got up slowly and walked to the elevator to take her to Naruto's floor and room. He was on Mission Injuries floor and in a team room. She stayed by the door and listened to Naruto talk. He seemed distant.
"What happened to my stuff?" Naruto said. Anko's reply was muffled, but Kurenai knew it was Anko. "Masks? I'm in a hospital, and you're wondering what happened to that thing?" Naruto was almost to laughter. "That stupid thing broke on our first mission. I'm waiting on the replacement. They weren't too happy with me." Kurenai stood in the doorway and was noticed by Naruto first. "Kurenai." The white haired boy was wrapped up all over and connected to a heart monitor and IV. The oxygen mask hung around his neck. His face was bruised, but it wasn't deformed. He looked tired.
"Naruto," Kurenai said. Naruto didn't look or say anything to Anko to make her leave. She just got up and left the two alone. Kurenai walked over and sat in Anko's seat. She didn't look at the rest of the team. It was a mission gone wrong. It was good news that they all came back alive. Nobody died. It would probably be a few weeks before they're all recovered. "How did this happen?" Naruto felt everything blurred together. He sat up and brought his knees into his chest. Naruto looked ready to vomit. She doesn't know! She doesn't know about the blood. Tell her about the blood! Naruto wanted to scream. He looked at Kurenai.
"Mistakes were made. I misheard a signal to retreat, and I was surrounded by myself," Naruto said. Kurenai couldn't imagine that. Surrounded was one of the worst things to happen to a Genin. "I brought the building down to save myself. I didn't want to die, but I had to complete the mission." Naruto was starting to sound like Yuki. Kurenai could remember being in a similar room with her brother. He at least smiled and tried to hide his injuries. Naruto probably didn't have the strength. He looked exhausted. Go to sleep. Let me play. Let me play. Naruto closed his eyes to block out the voice.
"I want to say that things will get better, but they probably won't," Kurenai said. She wanted to cheer him on. She remembered the light leaving her brother's eyes and his laughter losing the emotion behind it. "Look at the bright side though." Naruto looked at her, skeptical of this brighter side. "You're team is out with injuries. Sakura's look like they will take a little longer than everyone else's, but until everyone is back, you'll be on break." Naruto looked at his teammates and realized how pale they looked. They didn't look alive. Dead. Dead. They're all dead! Naruto felt sick. He started feeling an intense pain in his skull and started screaming. He tried to claw at his mind. Kurenai pressed the nurse call button before leaving with an upset face. Naruto calmed down after she left because he chased her away. The nurse came in and gave him a sedative, which brought him back into the darkness.
ICECOLD
"Yuhi-san, Uzumaki Naruto was released a day after Inuzuka Kiba. The rest of his team is still here though," the receptionist said. Kurenai was shocked. Naruto's recovery shouldn't surprise her anymore, but he never spent less than a week in the hospital. They always wanted to run some test on him. "Yuhi-san, if you need to know anything more, it's wise to speak with the Hokage." There was a rush going on behind them. Kurenai looked behind her at someone being taken on a stretcher while his bloody teammate stood in the doorway. The teammate had familiar white hair, stained by blood. Naruto looked at Kurenai before leaving the building. Kurenai chased after him, but he was gone.
"Kurenai-san?" a voice asked. Kurenai looked over at Iruka. The school teacher looked like he was coming back from the Academy. "Would you like to have a bowl of ramen with me? I was going to ask Naruto, but he's never home, not even at the Headquarters." Iruka looked sheepish. Kurenai realized what Naruto was to Iruka. It didn't matter that the Kyuubi killed his parents. Naruto was like his little brother that he was slowly losing to the shinobi lifestyle. Only Kurenai would understand. She smiled and followed Iruka to Ichiraku. Teuchi greeted them warmly and immediately got them two bowls.
"Have you seen Naruto recently?" Kurenai asked. Iruka looked at his ramen with a frown. "He was in the hospital a week ago, but they let him out almost immediately. I saw him right before I ran into you, but he took off without a word. I wonder what he was doing in his uniform and with a teammate." Iruka looked away from his ramen and tightened his grip in his chopsticks. "You know?" Kurenai didn't know if she should be furious or concerned.
"Naruto is on the active duty list. The rest of the team isn't. Hokage-sama said that they didn't want to waste Naruto on putting him on the other list. He's been running solo and paired missions. Every mission is completed, and Naruto doesn't understand what they're doing to him. I'm trying to get him paired with another Genin team on a simpler mission. Just to relax for once," Iruka admitted. He was working with the Hokage on how to get Naruto on a C-ranked one. The Hokage agreed that Naruto should be on at least one. It was time to put to rest the Fox because the world was becoming aware. He needed to lay low soon. "We just got the updated Bingo book. Naruto's photo is in it. He's listed as an A-ranked with a bounty pretty high. I don't know how to help him." Iruka was hurt by the distance. Kurenai and he fell into silence for the rest of the meal. They didn't know what else to say.
ICECOLD
"So, Kurenai-sensei, we've been Genin for awhile now," Kiba said with a smile in his tone. Akamaru was yipping excitedly. Hinata and Shino were looking away and trying to stay out of Kiba's way. The dog boy would do the smooth talking. Only Kiba would be able to complete this task. He flashed a smile at Kurenai and looked so sweet. "As you know, we've only done D-ranked missions. I think we should try for a C-ranked mission." Kiba looked oh so innocent. Kurenai sighed and gave in with a smile. Kiba jumped up and cheered with Akamaru. Smiles were good. The red-eyed woman just couldn't say no to Kiba anymore. He reminded her of her little brother.
"It's been awhile, huh?" Kurenai said. She looked up at the sky and wondered where Naruto was and how he was fairing. He was probably on a solo mission. "Maybe we can get an escort mission." Specialty teams were a great idea, but they had to be able to do everything else as well. Kurenai waved her hand and led the way to the Mission Room. Everyone was pretty much quiet out of being nervous. What kind of mission would it be? Kurenai hated bugging the Hokage for such missions, but they had to get to the Mission Room below the tower. Other Genin teams would be there for these missions too.
"Sensei, who is that boy smoking?" Hinata muttered. Kurenai looked up the road at the tower. Outside was a boy about Kiba's height, smoking a cigarette. A mask was against the side of his face, so Kurenai couldn't tell who it was. As they got closer, a shock of white hair could be seen. " Looks like Naruto." An older man was sitting on the grass next to Naruto. They both looked tired and had dried blood all over them. "Naruto-kun, are you waiting for a mission too?" Naruto looked at them. He had a distant look to his eyes as he tried to recall their names.
"Hinata," Naruto said. He felt so far away. The voice wasn't even bothering him. "What?" Naruto looked around him. He quickly checked the pulse of his buddy before looking at them again. "Oh, missions. No, Iruka and the Hokage told me I need a break. This last one was pretty bad. Don't die, Hiro." The older man shrugged and looked like he was on drugs. Kurenai sent her team inside as Hiro got up and stumbled away. "Kurenai, how are you?" Kurenai looked him in the eye. "It's a toxin. I know it looks bad. Hiro hit something, released it into the room, and didn't tell me. I'm not allowed to leave until Iruka clears me. The drug is somewhat lethal because it can cause a cardiac arrest." Naruto looked at the cigarette in his fingers and then at the ground. "My weapon of choice and a great relaxer." Kurenai didn't want to believe him. She just turned and walked into the room. Naruto would just have to wait.
ICECOLD
"Toxins?" Kakashi asked. Naruto looked at the Jonin in hospital scrubs. He didn't say anything. "Fox, the Hokage informed me about the latest mishap. Hiro and you have been getting into a lot of trouble." Naruto didn't care. He wasn't looking for a lecture from a man on crutches. "You're participating in Team Eight's escort mission to Wave. You'll follow their orders. Don't kill unless without another option. If a problem arises, take care of it in silence. The less this group knows the better." Kakashi held out a bag. "Cigarettes and some weapons." Naruto didn't say anything. He felt like he was playing a part in a performance. "Flower just woke up. Flame is said to be able to leave next week." Naruto didn't care. He knew they wouldn't be treated the same as him. They would be given a break or something.
"It doesn't matter. It'll be awhile before they're both mission ready. You aren't even well enough. It's been me and Hiro. Hiro is a fool who almost got killed last week!" Naruto shouted. He felt so strange and on edge thanks to the drug. He felt like beating his teammate. Naruto grabbed the back and marched into the Mission Room. He ignored the looks he was getting and sat down on the floor. He listened to the briefing and Iruka explaining Naruto's involvement.
"Naruto, you need to stay behind," Hokage said at the end. Naruto sat there as the rest of the team left. He expected to listen to another lecture on carelessness. "The toxin should be cleared." Naruto stood up and prepared himself for a lecture. "Be careful. I want this mission to be almost like a vacation for you." Naruto looked at the floor. He glanced at a pitiful Iruka quickly and wanted to get out of there. He bowed and left quickly. He went to the only place he knew was safe these days. Tora's old apartment greeted him and made him feel so at home.
"I'm home," Naruto said, quietly. He knew that nobody would hear him. He walked back the hall and placed his ear against Tora's door. Never was this door opened because Naruto was too afraid to see any memories left behind. The tired boy walked away into his own room, which didn't change much from the room with Tora. He gently touched the spins of his fairytale books. So childish. Completely worthless is this room. Naruto didn't care. He loved this room. It was better than the cold and lonely apartment he had. "I'm home. I love this place." Naruto didn't say anything else as he got ready for the mission. He could almost forget that Tora didn't live with him, but he could never forget the moments they shared. "Goodbye, Father. I'll be back soon." Naruto packed the bag Kakashi gave him and left the apartment. He wondered what would've been if Tora lived.
ICECOLD
"So, Naruto is joining us?" Kiba asked, sitting by the gate. He was uneasy about Naruto. "That display of his in front of the Mission Room was from a drug on a mission? I don't feel right about Naruto's joining." Kiba scratched at Akamaru's head sticking out of his jacket. The dog yipped in agreement. "There is something lose in that guy's head. He hasn't been right since that Mizuki problem." Kurenai sighed and looked at her team. They didn't understand Naruto. Then again, who did? "Can we get him off the mission?" Kiba had that smile again, but Kurenai had to say no. Naruto was an important person to her.
"Kiba, have you tried to get through to Naruto? He's different than what you think. His problems weren't entirely his fault," Kurenai said. She met Naruto after he lost the most important person in his life. "Naruto has had it rough, and I have a feeling Naruto is just a toy to the council and the Hokage. I can't be sure about Kakashi." Kurenai trailed off and tried to find something else to talk about. "Kiba, how is your family doing?" Kiba understood instantly. Naruto's past wasn't theirs to discuss. Hinata and Shino soon arrived in silence. Kiba greeted Hinata, who blushed and looked away. "Hinata, I meant to tell you not to worry about the medical supplies. Naruto's training calls for him to know some basic medic skills. It's okay if you brought more. Probably a good thing though." Tazuna showed up with Naruto in tow. The white haired boy had an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Tazuna was rambling on about the importance of bridges. "Is everybody ready?" Kurenai smiled at them. Naruto was repeating Kakashi's words in his head because he couldn't kill in front of them. "Let's go." The gates opened, and Naruto stepped out to perform his first C-ranked mission, where he wouldn't have to kill anyone.
ICECOLD
"Training with Akamaru isn't exactly hard, but it's not easy either. You have to be connected with the animal, and only then can the true training begin," Kiba rambled. Kurenai wasn't so sure why Naruto asked about it, but she was glad to see the calm on his face. Hinata and Shino were in front of her with Tazuna between them and Naruto and Kiba. Kurenai wasn't sure about Naruto's skills, but what she was able to gather from Iruka and Kakashi, Naruto was a powerhouse of energy. "So, why don't you tell us about one of your cool missions or your training?" There it was. Naruto's eyes turned cold, and he refused to look at them. He couldn't do that to them. They weren't monsters. Monsters aren't allowed human contact, you know. One day, they'll lock you up for good. Naruto wished Kiba would ask another question. About anything but that. "Naruto, who is Tora?" Naruto stopped walking and looked at Kiba with confusion. "Uzumaki Tora was a name I saw in a book, so I thought you'd be related." Naruto's face relaxed as he ignored the voice's rambles. A jerk who abandoned you.
"Tora was my father," Naruto said. He put away his unlit cigarette and looked at the sky. Hinata was surprised to hear Naruto talk about a parent. It was known that he was an orphan. "I met Tora when I was three after I was in the hospital. He was my caretaker until he decided to adopt me. He gave me a family with his sister Hikari." Naruto's tone changed to a sad one. "He was killed on a mission not even a year after meeting me. Then it was me and Hikari, who wasn't around a lot." Naruto wondered if Tora would be proud of him. Probably not. "The thing I remember most about my father is his voice. He would tell me all sorts of fairytales. Passing the stories of his father down to me." Naruto's eyes had him in another time where he was three and getting ready to sleep.
"Naruto, that's wonderful that you had a father," Hinata said. Kurenai knew that Naruto was so ashamed of himself that he couldn't bear to look inside his father's room or have any pictures up. Naruto shrugged. "So, you took up Tora's name?" Naruto nodded. "What happened to Hikari?" It seemed just so funny that he didn't live with her. Naruto felt sad again. He remembered the jumping and the escape. He looked at Kurenai and sighed before turning forward.
"Hikari died too. It was a mission as well. We didn't spend a lot of time together. She would tell stories about heroes and called me 'little guy'. I was four when she died. By then, I said I had enough of the loneliness, so I stole a kunai out of her old set and took off," Naruto said quietly. He rubbed the scar on his neck. "I met a woman with red eyes that reminded me of the Uchiha clan. She terrified me because I didn't want to be capture by one of them, so I did the most logical thing in my mind. I slit my own throat to forever escape. She saved me, and I made a promise to her. She's become somebody I can't live without. My most precious person." Kurenai wanted to smile at her students' questions on who this woman was. Naruto ignored them as they passed by two puddles on the road. The white haired boy paused for just a second by one as he hoped the others wouldn't ask about Itachi. Everything fell to pieces only a few minutes later.
"Naruto!" Kurenai shouted. Naruto spun around to see Kurenai wrapped up in a shuriken chain. He looked at the two shinobi connected to the chain. Kill! Kill! Kill! Naruto started shaking as he resisted the urge to obey. His will broke when Kurenai was sliced into pieces. Naruto fell to his knees, screaming. The twins went for him next, but he stood up and took out his lighter. Not caring anymore, he threw the lighter at the one, Meizu, and had it blow up in his face. The other brother, Gozu, disconnected and let the chain wrap around his neck. Naruto grabbed a hold of the chain and yanked on it to bring Gozu close. He blocked out the screaming Meizu.
"Say goodbye to your teammate," Naruto said. His voice was dark and hopeless. Gozu was truly afraid of this child. There was no info on this one. "Too late." Naruto heated up his hand and shoved it through Gozu's chest and ripped out his heart. Naruto unwrapped the chain from his neck and dropped the body. "I broke orders." Naruto went over to the screaming Meizu. He wasn't dead. Just badly burned. Naruto sighed. "You killed her. This is what you get." He raised his arm, but it was stopped by a soft hand. "Kurenai." Kurenai thankfully got the rest of the team to move to a secure place before Gozu was killed. "I'm sorry." Kurenai looked at the screaming man. She put him into a genjutsu to stop the pain and to interrogate him. Naruto was busy flushing the poison out of his blood.
"Naruto, what you did was unexpected. I escaped at the last second. I shouldn't have done that, but I needed to be able to sneak up on them," Kurenai explained. She felt bad because Naruto turned away from her. "Naruto, please don't take it too hard." Naruto looked at her. "There has to be another one. A master mind. He died before I could get more. Naruto quickly changed his shirt and burned the one he was wearing. "Say something. Tell me that you're okay." Lie to her. Tell her that she's a fool.
"Kurenai, I was under orders. If there's another one, I'll scout out ahead to find him. I can't hurt them," Naruto said. He turned away from Kurenai, hiding his scars from a fire. They were the worst. He took off ahead as Kurenai went back to her team. Explanations were quick, and Tazuna broke down and admitted his deception. Kurenai worried about Naruto as they continued on.
ICECOLD
"Sensei, it's Naruto!" Kiba shouted. Through the mist, they saw Naruto standing there. He was smoking and looked down at a dead animal. It was a white bunny. Kurenai was slightly worried. "Why the hell are you looking at a rabbit that has been dead for at least a day? They're not good to eat." Naruto flicked off his ashes and shrugged. Kiba willingly picked up the rabbit and threw it into the bushes. Akamaru strained to keep from running after it. Naruto was waiting for something. "What are you doing here? Did you find anything?" The cigarette was tapped out as Naruto looked at them.
"The rabbit was a decoy, but we're a little late. This mist is a little thick, and no, I haven't found anything else," Naruto said. He pulled out another cigarette. "It's making me nervous." He lit it with another lighter. "There's a third guy, and he's got to be the stronger one. He's making all this mist. I don't like it." Shino silently noticed that Naruto's hands were shaking. He looked to be on edge and ready to snap. "We should just get moving before something happens. Please." Kurenai ushered them forward with Naruto taking his position next to Kiba. He stomped out another cigarette as another one was in his mouth. Something dark and nasty. Stronger than these losers. Naruto looked around through the mist. He heard the whirling with Kiba. "Duck!" Everyone hit the dirt as a giant sword flew over their heads.
"Naruto, we need a distraction," Kiba whispered into Naruto's ear. Naruto's mind was calculating everything. He needed Shino and Hinata to protect the target. Hinata already pointed where the enemy was. Naruto jumped up and into that direction. He met a fist into his face and was kicked in the stomach back to the ground. "Naruto! He's got crazy energy!" Kurenai was providing the backup and would attack while Kiba and Naruto distracted him.
"Pathetic. I thought the feared Fox would be a better challenge. How in the world did you take down those men without help? You're pathetic," the deep voice said. Naruto felt every fiber of his being telling him to run, but he couldn't move. He wanted to shout for Kiba, but he only looked with his jaw open. "It's impossible that a pathetic child could even take down those men. Must be a look alike. Didn't your father ever tell you that being a copy cat was going to get you nowhere?" The enemy kicked him in the stomach again. "My name is Zabuza. Tell Hell that they haven't got me yet." Naruto stopped the foot coming toward his face. He pushed the enemy back and remembered that name.
"Momochi Zabuza," Kurenai said. Naruto looked at her and stepped back. He would let her take care of it. "I didn't think that we would find Kiri's underbelly here." Zabuza glared at her. He went for his sword in the tree as did Kurenai. He was just quicker and kicked Kurenai out onto the lake nearby. Naruto lost sight of them as the mist covered them. He went back to the team with Tazuna and waited nervously. Cigarettes weren't helping. He needed to help her. He needed to protect her.
"Naruto! Somebody is flying toward us!" Hinata shouted. Naruto jumped up and was able to catch the body. It was Kurenai. She was out cold. Naruto placed her on the ground and stared at the blood on his hands. The mist cleared enough to show Zabuza in bad shape but not as bad. "What do we do?" Everyone was looking toward Naruto. He was staring at the blood on his hands. Kurenai's blood. He willed the demon to stay down. A slaughter wouldn't be good right now. "Naruto." Shino stepped forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"If you love her, you won't hesitate to defeat the man who hurt her," Shino said. He saw Naruto wince at that one. Something in the past that was unspoken. Shino knew that even together, Zabuza would defeat them. The only one with a shot after Kurenai fell was Naruto. Naruto closed his eyes and thought. "Kiba, attack his legs. Give an opening." Naruto opened his eyes to watch Kiba be beaten back. He wouldn't watch them die. He wouldn't watch them fall. Naruto charged unlike his usual self. Shino smiled as he went to take care of Kiba and Kurenai. "Only Naruto can change the tides." He smiled at Hinata, who looked like she was ready to cry. "He will bring the end." A black, minty smoke covered them. "Always protecting the team." Shino had only guessed that Naruto loved Kurenai, but it didn't matter. Just as long as Naruto knew how to protect.
"Fox, coming out to play?" Zabuza taunted. Naruto's attacks were dodged and blocked, and he wasn't getting any room. Naruto stood several feet away from Zabuza and remembered the killing room. He instantly forgot about everything but killing this man before him. Even Zabuza noticed the change in how the anger melted away. "I was just starting to warm up too." Naruto pulled a ball out of his pocket and threw it up into the air. It burst, and some sort of liquid fell on them. "What is this? Water!" Zabuza wanted to laugh at the childish antics.
"Zabuza, I deal with fire with my cigarettes," Naruto said as they were both covered in the liquid. He went through the seals for a fire jutsu. Naruto watched Zabuza go under the water. He didn't notice the burns on his arms. It didn't make any difference. He reached into the water and tore the missing ninja out of it. He flung him back to shore and began to repeatedly throw him about. His eyes becoming darker each time he landed a hit. Eventually, he had Zabuza against a boulder. Several senbon needles filled Zabuza's body. Naruto jumped back at caught the thrower. "Stop where you are." He pinned the masked shinobi against the tree with his arm across the enemy's throat. "Who are you?" Naruto saw the symbol, but he didn't care. Kill! Kill! Kill! Zabuza had already flopped to the ground, a dead man.
"You don't want to cause an incident, do you? I have a teammate nearby. An international incident wouldn't be good for an Assassin to get caught up in," the masked boy said. He was not older than Naruto himself. Naruto's dark eyes narrowed and weighed the options. "Just let us take the body, and we'll let you on your way. It'll be painless." Naruto released the boy and jumped down to Zabuza. He checked the pulse and almost cursed. "Thank you for your kindness. Konoha should be so proud of you." Naruto didn't even watch the boy carry off the body.
"Naruto, you're hurt," Hinata said. Naruto didn't care. He looked over at the two who were out cold. He felt worthless. "Let me bandage you up." Silently, the group sat as Hinata worked on his arms. He lit them on fire, and most of his shirt was gone from the fire. The chest underneath was untouched. Just like the Kyuubi kept it. Burns were nasty buggers on expanding lungs. It made the skin tight. The white haired boy eventually just took off his shirt. "How did you get all these scars?" Hinata traced a few going down Naruto's wrists. He didn't know how to tell her.
"Hinata-chan, perhaps we should get somewhere safe before we talk more about this subject," Shino said. Hinata blushed and nodded. Naruto sighed and agreed. They moved on without any troubles with Kurenai on Naruto's back and Kiba on Shino's. The bug ninja looked at Naruto and gave him a half smile. "You did well and fought well. I'm surprised at your lack of jutsu. I thought someone like you would have more." Naruto did, but they didn't need to be used. "You've made me believe that what the villagers say about you are lies. You're no monster." Naruto looked at Shino and felt like he was gaining a friend. "I'm proud to call you a friend." The feeling was great as Naruto was able to forget the pain.
"Shino, thank you. I'm proud to call you a friend as well. Some of what the villagers say is true though," Naruto said. He was a monster. Only a monster could hear the voice and switch off and on like a light bulb. We're monsters. Your hair-trigger is that woman. She doesn't see the monster. Nobody can see the monster. Someday the monster will kill. Naruto wished he could smile, but he gave Shino that eye smile instead. "Maybe one day, I can disprove the rest of that." Naruto wanted hope.
ICECOLD
Kurenai woke up in a strange house. Everything felt painful to move. She mentally groaned and remembered the fight with Zabuza. She faintly remembered hearing a voice telling her that Naruto would protect them. She looked to the side to see Kiba resting several feet away. He got injured too. Hinata and Shino were playing a game of checkers while Naruto was sleeping against the wall. He looked so calm that it was almost cute.
"Kurenai-sensei! You're awake," Hinata said. She rushed over to the injured woman. "This is Tazuna's house. Naruto told us it should be safe because he has traps all over the place. They're activated as long as somebody from the team or family is in the house." Hinata looked over at the sleeping boy. "The doctor told us you should be able to get up in a few days. Kiba is the same. Naruto carried you all the way here on his back with his arms all burnt up." Kurenai looked at the exposed skin and noticed not a single new scar. He was healing again. Kurenai smiled Hinata. "You should rest some more. You're safe here." Kurenai fell back into slumber again.
"Why are you afraid to tell her that he took off?" Shino asked. Naruto wouldn't sit still. He was careful to stay out of everyone's way. Inari, Tazuna's grandson, just couldn't leave him alone. Shino found them similar. Both had 'fathers' who died as heroes and were proud of them until the day they died. Only Inari ended up resenting his. Naruto felt ashamed and like he fell out of favor with Tora. "She'll have to know eventually." The sleeping clone dispersed as the real Naruto walked in. He yawned and took the place of the clone. He looked at the checker game.
"Zabuza isn't dead. I just remembered that hunters only need the head. It's the same way with assassins," Naruto said. Shino nodded and was thinking about how they would finally defeat Zabuza. "That mystery kid is another problem. We don't know his style." Hinata was too nervous to move. She looked at the board and waited for Naruto to tell them what to do.
"Well, we'll just have to keep protecting Tazuna until they decide to attack again," Shino said. Naruto nodded and sat in silence. Hinata relaxed and sent a silent prayer that Kurenai and Kiba were okay by then. They couldn't do it without them. Naruto watched the game without any interest. Until then, it's best to keep the hair-trigger safe. Naruto ignored the voice and went on to talk with Hinata about medical ointment. Shino joined in too. Doesn't matter. We're alone. Alone. Alone. Sometimes, the voice was just too right.
You'd tell me if his character is too crazy right? I just get so rushed, so if it is, I'll fix it up to match. Thank you – Kyuubi no Kitsune0101