Naruto: Jinchuuriki Chronicles
Author's Note: Sorry this took longer than last chapter but hopefully I'll get the next chapter out sooner.
Episode 7: Sink or Swim! The Demons in the Mist!
Through the stories told to children and their own keen senses, the four jinchuuriki and bridge builder were put on edge by the completely consuming fog the surrounded them. It was so thick that they could help think of the tales of oni monster like creatures with horn that could either bring bad or good fortune.
Fu had never been to Kirigakure, but if she had to guess, she imagined that the mist would be of a similar quality. Tazuna had had the foresight to rent a boat out beforehand. They made sure to ride with the motor off a move some would consider too cautious but the earlier encounter with the demon brothers had shown that in order to complete this mission they couldn't take any chances. Whoever hired those two couldn't have been happy, and was bound to retaliate in some way.
Tazuna took the back with the ferry man while Bee took the whole middle leaving the three genin crammed in the middle. This left Naruto in quite the precarious situation as he had to make sure he didn't touch Fu on penalty of being punched and making sure not to touch Gaara on penalty of being murdered. They rode in uncomfortable silence for about an hour until Tazuna finally spoke up.
"We should be able to the bridge soon." Tazuna said with a distinct feeling of pride. "If we move along the side of the bridge, we'll be at Nami."
How he was able to tell in such choking fog was anyone's guess, but sure enough, after a minute, they saw a dark outline of a structure standing across the water. If one didn't know any better you would think it was a land mass due to the sheer scale of it. By the time they finally made it to the bridge it completely dwarfed them with its monstrous size. The genin's respect for the old man grew knowing that anyone in charge of a project of this scale must be important. The pillars holding the new road alone were equally higher or even higher than the wooden barricade guarding the Konoha. The bridge itself must have been half-a-mile wide and the length of the road couldn't be determined from this distance. And to imagine, they were only halfway finish by the time Nami chose to hire Shinobi.
"It's huge!" Naruto shouted excitedly, causing the others to jump and nearly tip the boat.
"Quiet, baka!" Fu scolded as softly as possible, fisting him over the head for good measure. "We're using this boat and hiding in the mist for a reason. That's why we're rowing instead of using the engine. Any careless noises could alert enemies of our presence."
"That's something ya oughta know, Naruto." Killer Bee rapped; Naruto hanged his head in shame. "Tazuna-san, there's one thing we need to get straight and I don't think we have the time to wait."
Tazuna remained silent under his gaze. "We need to know who it is and why they're after you. Otherwise, me and the kids are through."
The three teens zeroed in on the elderly bridge builder who had suddenly become very fidgety. Tazuna looked toward his feet obviously weighing his options. The shinobi had proved skilled… well at least three of them did. They also seemed dedicated enough that they wouldn't just cut tail and run just because the mission parameters had changed. Though in the end there wasn't much of a choice, if he refused to talk he would be left with no protection.
"It looks like I'll have to tell you the real story." Tazuna sighed. "I mean, I would like for you to hear my story. As you said, this mission is most likely out of your job description. An extremely terrible man is after my life."
"A terrible man?" Killer Bee repeated. "Tell us what ya can?"
"I'm not sure a man from Kumo would know him." Tazuna stated seriously. "He's marine transport billionaire Gato."
"Gato?" Fu parroted, leaning closer to the old bridge builder. "As in the owner of the Gato Company? One of the richest men in the world, Gato?"
"You know him?" Gaara questioned.
"He did some shady dealing with Kakuzu, a Missing-nin from my village." Fu replied steadily. "He's supposed to be one of the wealthiest men alive and is the owner of his own marine transport company. But in the underground world, he uses gangs and ninjas to smuggle drugs and contraband goods. He's not one to be trusted as he gained a reputation of double-crossing his partners. That's how Taki managed to capture Kakuzu again."
"He deals in more than just illegal exports." Tazuna said grimly. "He also does nasty jobs to take over other companies and smaller countries. A year ago, he set his sights on Nami. He entered this country using violence and wealth as his shield and he quickly took over the islands sea traffic and transportation. On an island like Nami, controlling the sea means controlling the wealth, politic, and the people of this island. And the one thing Gato is afraid of is the completion of the bridge that has been under construction."
"So when you started making this bridge you posed a threat to his operation." Gaara said who for once looked mildly interested.
"So he was the one who hired the demon brothers." Fu stated.
"Goin' 'gainst Gato would make a big fuss." Killer Bee stated. "Why did ya leave it out when ya came to us?"
"Nami is a poor country." Tazuna answered mournfully. "Back in the old days when the Uzu Islands existed, we used to share in the wealth. But nowadays, even the Daimyo doesn't have enough money to spare. We don't have the money to request a B-Rank or above mission. If you quit your mission after I land, I'll be killed for sure while I go home." Without warning, he put of a tearful expression. "But there's no need for you to blame yourselves. Only my cute eight year-old will cry, wondering where his dear old granddad is. And my daughter will hold a grudge against ninja and live a lonely life. But it's not your fault."
"I don't believe this." Fu sweat-dropped."He's using guilt against us! ...Clever."
"Well, I guess it can't be helped ." Killer Bee shrugged, scratching his cheek embarrassingly. "A ninja has to work with the hand he's been dealt. We'll continue to escort you, 'cause that's what we ninjas do."
"Thank you, kind sir." Tazuna smiled dramatically. "Sucker!"
"Maybe I should just kill them; it'd save a lot of trouble." Gaara seriously considered.
Before Gaara could make a decision concerning the homicide of his teammates he was distracted by the shadow looming over head. They had passed under the bridge causing the mist to thin. On the other side they entered a tunnel hidden by a couple of trees. They held their breath as it would be very for an ambush team to be on the other side. As soon as they reached the mist had cleared almost as if it was never there to begin with. The team sighed in relief when they docked on shore.
Unloading on the dock, the Genin took the opportunity to view the Nami village settled across the lake before them. It was very small in comparison to the villages and the walls looked very dirty, but the water was sparkling-clear – not even Taki was this clean. Killer Bee had somehow been tricked by Tazuna to pay the ferryman, having excused this because he had claimed to have lost his wallet. Gaara spotted said wallet in the back of the bridge builder's pocket, but he didn't feel the need to point this out. Once taking his fare, the boatman started up the motor and raced out of there faster than Choji at a barbecue – he was brave, not stupid.
"We'll be going on foot from here." Tazuna explained. "Get me home safe and sound. Can you at least do that, squirt?"
"You…" Naruto growled.
"Naruto…" Fu leered warningly.
The orange Genin looked down like a child being scolded but complied with the greenette's demand. Like before the team was formed in the basic escort position with their guide, Tazuna in the front their strongest ,Gaara and Killer Bee, in the middle and their weakest ,Naruto and Fu, for rear support.
When asking why they chose this formation, Gaara explained that he and Killer Bee would be the quickest to defend, leaving the other two an opportunity to counterattack. Of course, he only said that to satisfy them. The real purpose was to keep Gaara closer to Tazuna in case anyone got near. His abilities were the most flexible and had the greatest defense rate of the group – he was the final wall between Tazuna and death.
The group started their path through the open forest, keeping their eyes open for any signs of movement.
"If they attack, they'll send a Jonin instead of a Chunin this time." Killer Bee hummed thoughtfully. "They better be better than good if they want a shot at Lord Killer Bee."
"This won't just be about you." A deeper voice scolded. "Gaara is strong enough, but you still have Naruto and Fu to worry about."
"You worry too much." Killer Bee replied confidently. "They'll be fine."
"How are you still alive?" The other voice sighed.
But there was a reason to be worried. Unbeknownst to Team B, a tall and lean Shinobi was watching from the branches of the higher trees, giving no sound for the enemy to detect. He possessed misty-pale skin with short, spiky, black hair and dark-brown eyes following the children. He wore navy-blue striped pants, mimetic arm and legwarmers, blue sandals, and single black belt, and a good number of bandages wrapped around his neck and the lower half of his face. The forehead protector of Kirigakure was placed sideways on his head, but held a long scratch cutting across the face, symbolizing his defection from his village. But the most peculiar and intimidating sight was the sword strapped to his back. It was quite possibly the largest broadsword any of them had ever seen with its appearance altered to resemble a great butcher knife having a circle cut out on the tope and a semi-circle near the handle.
The man's hands twitched on the handle of the severing sword, examining the Shinobi that was clearly the leader of the escort group.
"Seven swords, bull horn tattoo on his left cheek…" The man mentally checked. "No wonder the Demon Brothers failed. They wouldn't have lasted long against an opponent like him. Kumogakure's Hachibi Jinchuriki, Killer Bee. Facing a Jinchuriki is difficult enough, but facing one with complete dominance of his Bijuu is another. The only person strong than him is the Sanbi Jinchuriki: Lord Mizukage." His grip on the blade momentarily tightened. "When faced against an opponent that powerful, going one-on-one is suicide. That's why you need a strong strategy."
The trip through the forest was rather uneventful after the first ten minutes. According to Tazuna, his home was only a twenty minute hike through the trees and past the miniature lake. Killer Bee and his more knowledgably students were extra cautious while walking around the bed of water. Since the Demon Brothers were from Kiri, the opponent's had elemental affinity for water. Unfortunately, Naruto spent too much time glaring at Gaara's back to care. He was still angry over his teammate's performance in the last fight calm and powerful. He was making Naruto look bad in front of Bee-Sensei and Fu. The only positive side was that Sakura-Chan wasn't around to see his own cowardly nature.
"Gaara thinks he's so cool." Naruto grumbled. "I'll show him. I'm not gonna let him have all the good parts this time. Next time around, I'll show everyone that Naruto Uzumaki is…"
"Boo!"
"AAH!"
Consequently, that was Naruto screaming in his most girlish tone as he stumbled backwards and smacks the back of his head against the dirt. Everyone looked back to find the orange-clad prankster rolling around in the dirt, holding the sore spot on his head and muttering a string of unpronounceable words. They shook their heads at Naruto's stupidity before looking over to the source of their latest interruption.
Apparently, a boy around the Genin's age with white/blue hair was hiding in one of the lower branches and swung upside-down to scare the Uzumaki boy. The unknown preteen laughed heartily as he flipped out of the tree back to the ground, standing over his victim.
"Ha! This is the so called elite ninja from Konoha." The Boy said cackling his sharp teeth on display. "Real intimidating, I'm shaking in my boots!"
"That doesn't count!" Naruto snapped, scrambling to his feet. "You just caught me by surprise!"
"That's the last thing a ninja needs to do, baka!" Fu said a tick mark appearing due to being once again embarrassed by the blonde. Naruto hung his head in shame while Fu stood facing the possible enemy hand in her weapon pouch. "And who are you supposed to be? What do you want?"
"Oh, I'm Suigetsu." The white haired ninja said pointing his thumb to his chest. "I'm traveling around the world, looking for something very important to me. I was walking by when I saw you guys. The guy in orange looked kinda stupid, so I couldn't resist." Ignoring the angry outburst from said baka, Suigetsu looked between the differently branded forehead protectors between them. "Hey, none of you guys are from the same village? What gives?"
"That's because we're special." Naruto beamed. "We're in the…"
"Naruto!" Fu shouted her only warning before her fist slammed down the orange ninja's noggin. "Shut up big mouth we're not supposed to reveal that!"
"Fuuuu…" Naruto whined while rubbing his head.
'Maybe I should put some poison in their drink… no, too much evidence.' Gaara contemplated before detecting footsteps too heavy to be a forest animal's heading in their direction.
Killer Bee had also noticed it he stopped when Fu put Naruto and Suigetsu in a headlock, screaming something about boys and her chest. You have one guess to figure out what it was.
Suddenly a whooshing sound was detected by Bee's and Gaara's keen ears. They looked in that direction before seeing a flash like the sun glinting off a reflective surface. Instinctively, Bee hit the deck pulling the genin and bridge maker down to the ground with him as a great carving knife twirled across the air above them while Suigetsu jumped out of the way. Gaara, feeling no danger, stood in place and waited for the sword to come. Just before it hit the red head's sand shield, which as always, came to his defense the sand absorbed the impact of the sword catching it before throwing it towards a tree to the side of the road rattling the plants and its branches.
The sand slowly crawled back to its secure storage; Gaara glared in the direction of the blade.
"So you've finally appeared." Gaara said monotonously. "I was beginning to get impatient."
The Kumo Jonin stood in attention to their attacker, much to the relief of the preteens that learned to breathe once more. Once catching their breath again, Team B took notice of the sword wielder that had taken his position on the handle of the great carving blade with his back turned to the team.
"I didn't expect to see you here." Killer Bee said casually to the assailant. "We must be a real threat for you to appear. You tryin' to stop us with that big fancy sword, but I'm tellin' ya we're movin' forward."
"Oh yes, that's definitely him." The mystery assassin glared at the rapping Shinobi, but occasionally glanced in Gaara's direction. "And it looks like he has a student. The Suna kid must be considerably strong to deflect Kubikiribocho without moving. He's an interesting kid – I can smell the blood running off him in waves." His eyes flickered to the other preteens. "Them, on the other hand, won't be a problem."
"A new enemy is here." Naruto grinned eagerly. "This time, Gaara's not gonna steal my thunder."
"Hey, man, what the hell is wrong with you?" Suigetsu snapped. "You nearly took my head off! Who do you think you are, anyway?"
"Ya might want to hold on to your skin." Killer Bee forewarned. "Cause this guy is Zabuza, the Missing-nin. He was famous as one of the seven swords, but goin' against the Mizukage was more than he could afford."
"Will you cut the crappy rap already?" Fu exclaimed rudely. "I can barely understand a word your saying!"
"Little brat…" Killer Bee mumbled darkly.
"I don't really know what's going on, but who cares." Naruto thought earnestly. "This is my chance to make my mark."
"Naruto." The orange-clad blond stumbled and landed face-first in the ground due to Gaara's interruption. "It would be best if you stayed back. This man isn't like the enemies we encountered before – he's on a completely different level."
"Huh?" Naruto was clueless to the worry undetectably laced in Gaara's words. Not for his life but for the life of his teammates.
"Even men in Sunagakure have heard of the Infamous Zabuza Momochi." Gaara stated emotionlessly. "He goes by the moniker 'The Demon of the Hidden Mist'. But more importantly, he was one part of the most famous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist – a group of highly trained Shinobi that specialized in the art of Kenjutsu." His eyes travel along the lengthy blade. "His sword is Kubikiribocho – the Decapitating Carving Knife."
"Decapitating…" Fu gulped.
"Not only strong, but intellectual as well." Zabuza smirked under his bandages. "Of course, I would expect nothing less from one who was chosen to be the student of Kumo's Hachibi Jinchuriki."
Killer Bee didn't even have to see his student's reactions – they were pretty clear in his mind. Gaara's formally stoic expression was now wide-eyes with his mouth open, looking genuinely stunned. Fu clapped her hands over her mouth at the mention of the word 'Jinchuriki' and suppressed a shocking gasp behind her palms. Naruto, however, was a clueless as ever.
"Uh…" Naruto said causing his teammates to look at him. "…what's a Jinchuriki?" Naruto asked.
The question was so idiotic and so mood shattering that, thou Gaara would later deny it, both genin fell down in exasperation.
"BAKA!" Fu screeched, pounding him over the head. "How could you not know what a Jinchuriki is? The Mizukage is famous for being the only Jinchuriki to take the title of Kage!"
"Really? Is he strong?" Naruto asked innocently; the girl pounded him again. "Ow…"
'I know Kumogakure had come into possession of two Bijuu in the past.' Gaara's pondered; his mind racing over the facts. 'That would explain why he was able to cause me to retreat, but I never would have expected Bee-Sensei to be one of them. Jinchuriki are supposed to be hated and lonely, but he is always acting so carefree and wild. Is he…really the same…as me?' The emotional stress from this revalation was causing the insanity inside of Gaara to claw at the edge of his mind. Gaara gripped his head in pain. 'Damn it, not here!'
"Judging by the kid's expression, I'm guessing you never told them." Zabuza said amusingly. "I'd love to stick around for story time, but I've got a job to finish. So if you don't mind, I'll be taking the old geezer."
"Naruto, Fu!" Killer Bee shouted, snapping the duo out of their stupor. "I'll leave Tazuna-san to you. Gaara, back me up if you can. If I ever need help, I know you're the man." Gaara shook his head pushing down the last of his madness before nodding.
"Hey, why does Gaara get to…?" Naruto was cut off by the Kunoichi pulling his ear.
"Shut up and do what Bee-Sensei says." Fu scowled, dragging the poor blonde over to their charge.
Zabuza watched as the orange brat and the minted haired crossdresser took their position in front and behind the elderly bridge builder. Naruto was in the back giving him full range of the field his job obviously to intercept any attack thrown at the old man while Fu would then provide support. The red headed demon sent half of his sand to circle around him while the other half was feed into the ground. The leader of Team B reached both hands behind his back, stretching his fingers around all the handles of his seven swords. Suigetsu was just standing in the middle of the road, not having any clue what he was supposed to be doing. Zabuza grinned knowingly beneath his mask – this was going to be good.
"Everyone ready?" Zabuza chuckled. "Let's have some fun."
"You wanna have fun, that I can agree." Killer Bee smiled arrogantly. "Cause now you'll feel the sting of the Killer Bee! OOEEE!"
"You still suck!" Fu added.
"Brat…" Killer Bee mumbled
Thrusting his hands skyward, the Kumo Jonin launched all seven of his narrow swords to the air above them. Everyone watched with interest as the needle-tipped blade were pulled back to the ground by gravity, wondering what would happen next. Killer Bee flexed himself momentarily before catching all seven swords, but not with his hands. In an interesting turnabout, the rapping Shinobi grabbed the sword handles with both his elbow joints, one at his left armpit, one in his mouth, one in his right neck joint, one between his stomach and one at his right leg.
Given a full view, he resembled something close to a contorted porcupine – Fu developed a twitch in her eyes. But while others seemed to take this stance as a joke, Zabuza knew this was no laughing matter. His eyes narrowed with focus, watching Killer Bee hop around on one foot for a minute before catapulting himself to the next. The Hachibi Jinchuriki spun around with his blades pointed outwards like a spiked ball, giving no time for Zabuza to defend. So instead, the Demon of the Mist kicked his signature blade by the handle to dislodge it from the trunk while taking to the sky himself.
The Kiri traitor barely had enough time to flip over the crazed sword-user before he collided with the tree, shredding the trunk into six separate pieces. But Killer Bee was a master of his blade for obvious reasons. During the landing, removed the two swords from his shin and stomach and transferred them to his hands, which he tossed in Zabuza's direction in midair. Unfortunately, the Missing-nin was just as skilled, snatching Kubikiribocho out the air by the handle and twirling it around for a temporary shield to ward of the narrow weapons.
His first attempt failed, Killer Bee kicked off the remains of the fractured tree, twirling around the air to catch his swords by his ankles, all the while jabbing for swords at his enemy. Instead of using the surface of the blade to defend, the former Swordsman used the hole at the end of his decapitating knife to hook one of the Jinchuriki's swords. All he needed was a slight tug and Killer Bee was thrown off his rhythm, relinquishing the two swords on his ankles. Once the rapping Jonin's back was to Zabuza, he almost saw an opportunity to attack. But that was before he realized Killer Bee had intentionally tossed his wayward swords, waiting until the dropped back with a good opportunity to take out both of Zabuza's arms.
The former Swordsmen quickly caught on and pressed his foot against the Kumo-nin's back, propelling him out of the sword's path. When all was done, Zabuza and Killer Bee were standing on opposite sides of the path with two of the Kumo-nin's swords standing between them.
"What…just…happened?" Suigetsu gaped amazingly.
"They were moving so fast, I couldn't even catch them." Tazuna said honestly.
"Was I the only one that saw that?" Fu wondered. "His stance is ridiculous, but Bee-Sensei's moves are flawless. He moves in rapid succession without leaving a single opening, even for an experience swordsman like Zabuza. And even if it looks like he's messing up, he has a backup plan waiting." Her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Bee-Sensei is…so cool!"
"Hmph! I'm not too arrogant to admit it." Zabuza proclaimed in a low tone. "But you are one of the greatest swordsmen I have ever had the pleasure of killing. I'll be sure to tell everyone how you had the honor of going all-out with me."
"If ya think I'm goin' all-out." Killer Bee rapped confidently. "Then you don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. What they'll be talkin' 'bout cross land and sea is how you lost to the Hachibi Jinchuriki!"
The rapping Shinobi exploded forward like a cannonball, leaving a large impression of his feet in the ground. Killer Bee curled himself into his buzz saw motion across the grounds, taking up the remaining two swords between them. Zabuza nearly hesitated, but managed to force his muscles into actions and barely raised Kubikiribocho in time. When the blades had crossed, Killer Bee had all seven of his narrow swords sparking against the bladed edge of the Mist Sword. Killer Bee knew he had the advantage.
During his routine, the Hachibi Jinchuriki had pumped his lightning chakra through the swords to increase their cutting power. Any moment now, Kubikiribocho would be broken into multiple pieces. Oddly enough, the narrow swords didn't cut through. Zabuza smirked. Lifting his foot against the flat edge of his sword, the Missing-nin pushed the Kumo Jinchuriki away from him. While being thrown backwards, Killer Bee had unintentionally thrown six of his signature swords away, scattering them across the path. The stupefied Jonin held his ground against Zabuza, carrying only one blade between them.
"Now this is somethin' new." Killer Bee said thoughtfully. "Why didn't my swords cut through?"
"You think you're the first lightning-user I've encountered?" Zabuza stated, holding Kubikiribocho horizontally for them to observe. "This sword's greatest weakness is also its greatest strength because it can be broken in and also assimilate different metals making it strong and more resistant in elemental attacks. A couple years ago I found a special metal in Suna that repels electricity and absorbed it into Kubikiribocho."
He shouldered the sword, digging further into his thoughts. "I had originally intended this for that whore, Sukimono Ichigo, and her thunder swords, but it seems to have matched up all the same. Still…" His gaze wandered past the Genin, staring directly at Tazuna. "I do have a job to finish."
With his blade still resting firmly on his shoulder, Zabuza performed a single hand sign with his free hand. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But then, the fog that they had encountered earlier in the sea began rolling in through the trees, seemingly originating from the nearby lake.
Gaara could feel the familiar waves of killer intent washing over the area. But this time, it didn't belong to him. Naruto and Fu tried their best to stop fidgeting, but it was rather difficult when the mist was becoming thick enough to shroud the surrounding forest. Oddly enough, Suigetsu only eyed the mist with a curious interest. It wasn't long before Zabuza Momochi disappeared from everyone's sight.
"I've read about this before." Fu thought; her eyes snapped left and right constantly. "This is the Hidden Mist Jutsu that Kirigakure is famous for. It provides perfect cover by stopping the enemy's vision."
"According to the Bingo Book…" Gaara analyzed. "Zabuza was a member of the ANBU Black Ops that specialized in the Silent Killing Technique. They say that if you were ever caught in his mist, you were dead without ever realizing it." He ushered the sand around him, making sure it wasn't damp due to the misty air. "The sand will defend me and Bee-Sensei is more than capable. That only leaves…"
"Oi! Fu!" Naruto shouted, causing Tazuna and the girl to jump slightly. "What's going on? Where'd this mist come from?"
"Be quiet, you baka!" Fu screeched. "If you make too much noise, Zabuza will find us!"
"Uh…but you're making noise, too." Naruto pointed out.
"TEME!" Fu screamed furiously; Naruto scrambled behind the bridge builder.
"Will you two keep it down?" Tazuna requested in a hushed tone. "Maybe if we wait right here, Bee-san and that Gaara kid will save us."
"Too late for that."
The escort team froze Zabuza was behind them.
Next Time on Naruto: Jinchuuriki Chronicles
"You're nowhere near my level!"
"Trying to find your way through the jutsu is impossible."
"Hiyo, Eight-O."
"I won't stop until I save Fu-Chan."
Next time: Live or Die! The Ultimatum!
"I'm going to be Hokage! Believe it!"
Closing Author's Notes: Sorry about the huge Gap between this chapter in the last but hey at least it's smaller than the last gap right heh heh. Anyway as always all reviews are welcome and encouraged. Also question Now that the games are out and we all know how Fu fights in the games would rather she fight like that or still learn lightning release? See ya have a nice day.