Naruto: Jinchuuriki Chronicles
Author's Note: I'm back. And I'm in a bunker so you can put you guns down you'd be wasting your bullets. Nothing else to say but here it is! Once again I welcome all rants, flames and criticisms.
Episode 9: Game Changer! The Sandstorm Formation!
The natural mist of Nami was slowly creeping its way back into the forest, providing almost the perfect cover for the newcomer to observe undetected. Standing in one of the tall trees, concealed by the veil of vapor, was a masked figure relatively equal to Fu in terms of height and body structure. The only visible trait under her mask and clothing was the inky-black hair that was gathered in a white bun holder and the two locks framing her face. Her attire consisted of a moss-green, striped turtle-neck sweater with matching pants, a green-blue short kimono with white edges, a green-brown obi, light-brown sandals, and blue-green nail polish on her pale hands. Clearly the most unique feature about her was the porcelain-white mask with red wavy designs over the mouth and four wavy lines on the forehead – the symbol of Kirigakure. The masked woman rested her hand against the trunk of the tree, piercing through the approaching fog with her steely gaze.
"It would seem thing have taken an interesting turn." The woman hummed thoughtfully.
Back on the battlefield, everyone was waiting in anticipation for the next move. Zabuza, carrying the broken segment of Kubikiribocho, was the only thing standing between Killer Bee and his students. The rapping Jonin would have just bulldozed the former Ninja Swordsman of out his way, but the current condition prevented him from doing so. Suigetsu had demonstrated the Hozuki clan's unique Hydration technique and Fu was presently trapped inside his miniature version of the Water Prison Jutsu. The only reason she hadn't suffocated by now was because the shark-toothed teen still had use for her. That just left her two teammates to handle the situation. It took much convincing, but Naruto had managed to convince his sand-wielding comrade to rescue the girl.
"You have a plan?" Gaara questioned seriously, stepping up to his teammate's side.
"You bet I do." Naruto smirked mischievously. "Better hold on cause things are about to get wild."
"You guys are bluffing." Suigetsu called out. "Take even one step closer and the flat chested bitch sleeps with the fishes. And that's in a literal sense."
"The brat is right, ya got to go." Killer Bee warned. "They're too much for ya, Naruto."
"Forget it, Bee-Sensei!" Naruto answered stubbornly. "We're a team! There's no way we're going to abandon our friends that easily!"
"That kid can be a pain in the ass." Killer Bee thought, showing a small smirk. "But ya could say he has Minato's brass."
'It's not just Minato's influence that drives him.' The Hachibi added. 'Haven't you noticed it? He's not the same little boy that was charging ahead without thinking. He's taking your teachings to heart and is prepared to fight for it. I think we're about to see a completely different Naruto.'
'Maybe…' Killer Bee hummed.
The sudden rush of footsteps pulled the Kumo Jonin from his thoughts and swiftly raised his only remaining sword to his defense. The narrow blade sparked against the hollowed edge of the broken Kubikiribocho, much to Zabuza's dismay. The masked swordsman forced the clashing swords out of the way, giving him an opening for a winding kick to the Jinchuuriki's face. Killer Bee stumbled away from the initial shock and kneeled with his sword being used as support. The Hachibi Jinchuuriki had got distracted and left himself wide open; something he had never done before. He must have been more worried about the kids than he thought. The muscular Jonin shook his head and returned to his attention full, intending not to let Zabuza get the best of him. Speaking of whom, the former Ninja Swordsman had used his opponent's momentary reprieve to weave a set of hand seals.
"Water Clone Jutsu!" Zabuza shouted. Just as the technique was named, ten copies of the Demon of the Mist formed from the nearby lake, surrounding the Jinchuuriki. "There's no denying that you're strong, Killer Bee. This is the first time my blade has been damaged to such an extent. But you have one fatal weakness: you care about your students."
"Why ya always got to chatter." Killer Bee rapped nonchalantly. "I don't get how that matters."
"Placing too much faith in one person will dull your own strength." Zabuza proclaimed within the sea of clones. "I'm sure you've been around long enough to hear about Kiri's graduation exam."
"I knew the exam that used to exist." Killer Bee frowned. "Back when Kiri was called the Bloody Mist."
"It took place before the Fourth Mizukage was inaugurated." Zabuza explained. "When children started in the academy, they were assigned into teams of three just like your students. They laughed, cried, and ate from the same table. They formed emotional bonds during their years together. But when the graduation exam arrived, friends that had bonded together were pitted against one another in fights to the death. Those who were exceptionally skilled were prime candidates for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"But the Mizukage put an end to it at last." Killer Bee grimaced. "Especially after what happened to the last class. One hundred students were ready to deploy, but they were all killed by one little boy. That was little boy was the straw and we all know it was you, Zabuza."
"That…sure was fun." Zabuza chuckled darkly. "Your villages are dripping with hypocrisy. You continue to bolster your power for the sake of peace. But peace can never exist, because if it did than the idea of shinobi would be gone. A long as someone wants to live someone else has to die."
"Ya think you're better cause ya work alone." Killer Bee said with new found confidence, flipping his only sword in hand. "But those kids have something ya don't."
"And that is?" Zabuza questioned with narrowed eyes.
"Teamwork." Killer Bee answered before charging in.
Back with the younger generation, Suigetsu narrowed his eyes in suspicion at his opponents. The blond knucklehead was leaning close to the redhead, whispering something behind his hand. They were seriously gonna try for a rescue attempt, were they? He had the girl – he had the upper hand. Then again, the guy with the gourd didn't seem to hold any affection for the flat chested bitch, so that may end up being a problem. A minute later, the whisker marked Genin pulled away from his teammate.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Gaara asked with uncertainty.
"Just trust me on this." Naruto said insistently, taking a step closer to the enemy. "We're definitely going to get Fu-chan back."
"But the question is whether you'll still be alive afterwards." Gaara mumbled in a low tone.
"Hey, dumbass, didn't you hear me?" Suigetsu called in a sadistic tone. "Any closer and the bitch goes under. Not even you are stupid enough to – well, you might be stupid enough. But you're insane if you think you're saving her."
"We're not the one that gonna save her." Naruto replied with a foxy grin.
"Huh?" Suigetsu blinked in confusion.
"Hey, Fu-chan!" Naruto shouted, garnering the Kunoichi's attention. "You got captured way too easily! What kind of a man are you?" Even from this distance, the blond knucklehead could see the veins bulging in his teammate's forehead. "Oh, sorry, I might to say girl! It's kinda hard to remember when you have a chest as flat as cardboard! And what's with that hair? It's like someone chopped lettuce and dumped it on your head!"
"Naruto…" Fu muttered softly.
Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "Hey, kid, I think your pick up lines need work."
"Here we go." Gaara said monotonously, calling his Sand Shield to action.
"Ok, why do I feel like I just missed something?" Suigetsu scratched his head. All of a sudden, his prisoner started struggling against her restraints, threatening to throw him off balance. "Whoa! Stop moving, bitch!"
"I'm gonna kill you…" Fu murmured before exploding into a savage rage. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, NARUTO!"
With her anger granting untold strength, the mint-haired Kunoichi ripped her foot from Suigetsu's chest, splattering water across the dirt. The shark-tooth teen tried to keep his water prison secure around the girl's hands and head, but was slowly losing his hold. But the effort was fruitless once Fu activated his signature Exoskeleton, ripping the walls of the aquatic sphere apart. Suigetsu, barely dodging a swiping kick from the enraged Kunoichi, flipped backwards away from the Genin squadron. The Taki Kunoichi had caused extensive damage with her outburst, meaning it would take much longer to reshape his body. Then it was rather fortunate that she was charging in the opposite direction, leaving a trail of dust and dirt in her wake; she was seriously pissed.
Meanwhile, Naruto pumped his fist into the air in celebration. The first step of his plan had worked and Fu was free. But the blond knucklehead forgot to take his teammates rage into account. Once she was close enough, she focused all of her Exoskeleton strength into her left fist, drilling her knuckles into the side of Naruto's face. Gaara had never been happier to have the Sand Shield protecting him or he would join Naruto in the ten foot pit that just formed.
"Fu, that would kill a normal man." Gaara deadpanned, … or just stated; it's hard to tell with him.
"You #$%^&* teme!" Fu grabbed her woozy teammate by the collar and literally slapped silly. "You think that's funny, huh? Maybe I should do you a favor and turn you into a woman! Ya like that?"
"Fu-chan…" Naruto mumbled incoherently.
"Fu, that's enough." Gaara stated sternly, earning a glare from the heated Kunoichi. "I understand your anger, but you'll have to put it aside for the time being. Now that you're free, we can move on to the second stage of Naruto's plan."
"Naruto has a plan?" Fu blinked surprisingly, looking back at her half-dead teammate.
"Yes, and it's surprisingly good." Gaara nodded. "It's a two-part scenario. The first step was for Naruto to draw out anger so that you could break free without us risking your life in the process. Now that you're here, we can move on to the second step."
"And the second step is?" Fu questioned, meekly helping the blond Genin back to his feet.
"We're going to use the Sunaarashi Formation." Gaara replied.
"The Sunaarashi Formation?" Fu repeated surprisingly, suddenly being pulled back in her memories.
-Flashback-
It had been the day after the team had passed their Genin Exam and Killer Bee had taken it upon himself to call them Team B. Naruto was still arguing over the name change, but the Jonin wasn't budging. The newly formed Team B were standing in the middle of the training grounds that they had visited the previous day, officially declaring it their team training area. Killer Bee was working with some new rhymes that he had just added to his notebook, much to the irritation of the three Genin lined up in front of him. The rapping Jonin finally snapped his book shut, catching his student's attention.
"You three handled like a dream." Killer Bee rapped; Fu restrained herself from insulting him. "Now it's time for your first day as a team. First we'll learn about cooperation and then I'll teach ya some team formations."
"Team formations?" Naruto asked excitedly. "That sounds really cool!"
"It is really cool." Killer Bee nodded. "So pipe down, ya fool. Ya all have your special skills, but it can quickly go downhill. When you three use your skills combined, I'm sure you'll do just fine." He opened his notebook once more, ruffling through the pages. "I've got a trick that'll work for you three. I call it formation Sunaarashi."
"The sandstorm formation?" Gaara questioned exasperatedly.
"Take these notes and learn what ya see." Killer Bee instructed, passing his notebook to Fu for the others to see. "Remember, teamwork is key!"
-End Flashback-
"So we're really gonna go with the Sunaarashi Formation?" Fu questioned seriously, struggling to keep Naruto steady on his feet. "This won't be a training scenario like Bee-Sensei had us doing. It'll be the first time we use it in actual combat."
"It's the best formation we've practiced with." Gaara answered. "And besides, Naruto is serious about this teamwork thing."
The mint-haired Kunoichi feebly glanced at the knuckleheaded ninja hanging by her shoulder, wondering if he was a genius or a gutsy moron. Fu sighed. Naruto Uzumaki was the most surprising ninja she had ever met. Recalling the formation plan from her memory, Fu passed off the blond Genin to Gaara before making a charge for the shark-toothed traitor.
Suigetsu had finish reshaping his missing limbs just in time to duck under the Kunoichi's sweeping kick. This girl must be a glutton for punishment in Suigetsu's opinion. The white-haired warrior pulled a kunai from his side pouch, spinning the blade for show, and swiped the weapon upwards. The mint-haired Genin pulled back just far enough to dodge the tip of the knife, dropping on her back, and flipping back to her feet again with a flying punch in waiting. Suigetsu tilted his head to the side, barely letting the knuckle graze against his moist cheek. The mint-haired Kunoichi had left herself wide open for attack, which Suigetsu would have taken advantage of if it wasn't for two things.
First, he remembers what happened when he used a kunai last time and it shattered to pieces against her unnatural skin. And secondly, he briefly noticed the thick streams of sand closing in. Suigetsu didn't have time to think before the sand waves came crashing on either side of him. The shark-tooth teen instinctively jumped into the air just moments before the columns of grain collided with one another – the sand had purposely avoided Fu. While skyward above the Genin, Suigetsu noticed that the entire forest floor had been covered in sand, partially changing the environment. It took a moment for him to realize that the flat chested bitch was only distracting for so they could bury him in the sand field.
"Hah! He nearly had me there." Suigetsu thought amusingly. "But it'll take a lot more to catch Suigetsu Hozuki."
"Don't get too comfortable." Gaara warned, clapping his hands together.
Upon command, the sand field created close to fifty large clumps of grain, shooting them to the sky with impressive speed. Suigetsu scowled, but nonetheless stabbed his kunai through the sand bullets since he couldn't dodge in midair. But just as he knife started digging into the grain, he met with some resistance that sounded like clashing metal. You could only imagine his surprise when the orange-clad Genin from Konoha emerged from sand sphere, grinding his own kunai against Suigetsu's. The shark-tooth warrior recovered from the initial surprise and swiped a kick across the kid's face, only to have him disappear in a puff of white smoke.
"Shadow clone!" Suigetsu exclaimed. "Wait, then what about…?"
"Here I come!"
The white-haired traitor quickly snapped his head in attention. The remainder of the sand bullets washed away, revealing an army of annoying ninja in orange jumpsuit – the ultimate nightmare. Suigetsu understood now. While he was distracted by the flat chested bitch, the Konoha brat had made his shadow clones and buried them inside the Suna Genin's sand, waiting for this moment. Any normal ninja would have been thrown off-guard and left wide open for attack. But Suigetsu wasn't any ordinary ninja.
The shark-toothed teen stepped on the closest clone as a foothold, equally to maintain his balance and launch himself at the orange army. Suigetsu demonstrated that he wasn't an opponent to be underestimated. The white-haired deceiver used the clone to rebound from place to place, stabbing his kunai in vital points before moving on to the next. Two of the shadow clones attempted a simultaneous attack, but the heir of the Hozuki clan grappled their arms in mid-swing, pulling them to stab each other in the throat. There was only one point in the airborne struggle that Naruto had a chance to strike. While Suigetsu had beheaded another clone, one Naruto clone had glided in from behind and stabbed his kunai blade through the enemy's back. Unfortunately, that was in a literal sense.
Suigetsu had used his family's Hydration technique to temporally liquefy himself and allow the knife to fly through with a splash of water. The white-haired warrior brought his foot down on the clone's head, dispelling him in a cloud of white smoke.
"We're running out of ammo." Fu commented, referring to the piles of white cloud forming in the sky.
"Yes, but that's why the Sunaarashi Formation was made with a backup plan." Gaara stated calmly, holding his open palm out to his female teammate. "Get into position."
"This is so degrading." Fu whined.
The Taki Kunoichi complied nonetheless, lowering herself to the ground and pulling her arms and legs closer to her body. She additionally activated her Exoskeleton to cover every portion of her body, giving the impression of the green-haired cannonball. Gaara raised his hand with the sand mimicking his movements and reshaping itself it what appeared to be a three-fingered claw. Fu visibly tensed as the claw grasped her bundled form and started reeling back before pitching her towards the sky in Suigetsu's direction.
The teen in question grappled the last clone by the shoulders, using his kunai knife to slit his throat. Due to the white puff left behind from the orange-clad doppelganger, Suigetsu was blinded for a short moment while he tried to fan the smoke away. Thought later on, he wished he didn't.
Once the cloud had faded, the Fu-cannonball was only feet from colliding with the water-user and he had no chance of dodging. The Hozuki boy had no choice but to use his full-body Hydration technique, transforming himself into a complete liquid state. Fu splashed through the teen's body, splattering portions of him across the ground in a miniature rain storm. The mint-haired girl flipped and landed on her feet in a spectacular manner at the same time Gaara withdrew his sand back to the gourd. The forest floor was littered with puddles of various sizes, each one holding a small portion of Suigetsu.
"Hell yeah!" Fu cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "Now that's teamwork!"
"Hehe! What did you expect?" Naruto smirked arrogantly. "When you have an awesome ninja like me on your team, there's no way we can lose."
"None of your clones could land a hit." Gaara commented, earning a scowl from the blond. "Fu and I had to do all the work."
"Grr…Gaara!" Naruto screamed angrily. He made a lunge for the Suna redhead, only to smack face-first into the Sand Shield. "I really hate you."
"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Fu sighed tiredly.
"You guys…aren't bad." Team B turned in the direction of the voice, finding that Suigetsu was already halfway finished reforming himself. "I'll admit you brats aren't half bad, but I'm not out just yet. I've got plenty planned for you guys. First, I'm cut off your arms, then I'm gonna rip out your teeth as painfully as possible, and then I'll rip off your skin piece-by-piece. And if you're still alive after that, I might show some mercy and gouge your eyes out before cutting your heads wide open."
"First: eww." Fu commented disgustedly. "Second: you've got some serious mental issue."
"Stand back, Fu-chan." Naruto said, suddenly sliding in front of the girl. "A hero always keeps the damsel safe."
"Wanna try calling me that again?" Fu sneered, rapping him over the head.
"Sorry!"
"Ya know, for a ninja, you're not very bright." Suigetsu mocked; he was nearly restored.
"You won't be laughing for long." Naruto proclaim confidently, making a crossed sign with his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A moment later, ten Narutos were standing side-by-side. "I'm gonna kick your butt with my ultimate technique!"
"Ultimate technique?" Gaara repeated curiously.
'Naruto has a better technique than the Shadow Clone Jutsu?' Fu thought in awe. 'He's actually being serious for a change. He came up with a cleaver plan to get me free and now he's about to show his best move.' Her copper cheek tinted slightly red – they've been doing that a lot recently. 'Maybe I've been wrong about him all along.'
With a righteous battle cry, the swarm of orange-clad soldiers marched ahead, surprisingly not drawing any weapons. Suigetsu cursed under his breath. He was still repairing himself from the earlier assault and barely had enough strength to keep standing. The best he could do was guard. But as the orange clones clustered around him on every side, he soon discovered that protecting himself would be pointless. But what happened next really took the cake.
"Transform!" The clones cried simultaneously.
All ten Naruto-s exploded into clouds of white smoke, leaving everyone wondering what was to come. The results were very much …unexpected. Suigetsu's jaw dropped to the floor as he found himself surrounded by ten drop-dead beautiful women with blond pigtails and not an article of clothing covering them.
The shark-toothed warrior was perpetually frozen in place as the nude woman pressed themselves against his body, softly cooing and saying his name in a sexy tone. Suigetsu may be a coldblooded killer, but he was still a hormonal teenager. Team B's reactions were almost expected: Gaara's expression didn't change in the slight, but Fu looked ready to breathe fire any moment. The situation was too much for Suigetsu and he literally melted to a puddle at the girls' feet. The enemy neutralized, Naruto dispelled the clones and the transformation, appearing in his normal state with a smug grin.
"Hehe! Another falls to the Harem Jutsu!" Naruto laughed.
"Naruto!" Fu screamed. Before the blond knew what happened, the mint-haired girl dashed over and smashed her fist into the boy's face, creating another unnecessary crater. "What the hell? That was your ultimate technique? I was right about you all along! You're nothing more than a disgusting little pervert!"
"Fu-chan…" Naruto cried silently.
"Leave it to Naruto to come up with such a ridiculous technique. I don't even know why I'm surprised." Gaara sighed. "I knew I should have stayed with Temari and Kankuro."
Back with Killer Bee and Zabuza, the rapping Jonin had finished the last of the water clones and clashed blades with the Demon of the Mist. Zabuza Momochi was at a loss. He had used water clones and various other water-based jutsu, but the Hachibi Jinchuuriki had outdone him every time. In terms of swordsmanship, they were both on equal ground. But with Kubikiribocho snapped in half, he may as well be throwing rocks at the Jonin. Killer Bee took to the offensive as he shoved both swords to the side and kicked the masked swordsman in the chest, throwing him back. Zabuza flipped around and landed on his knees with the broken half of Kubikiribocho stabbed into the ground. The Demon of the Mist was panting heavily, but was angered by the fact that his opponent didn't look close to exhausted. And from the brief lapses of shouting stretching across the field, Zabuza surmised that Suigetsu had been defeated.
"I knew that kid was worthless." Zabuza said gruffly. "But to be beaten by a bunch of children. What an embarrassment."
"Those kids aren't all what they seem." Killer Bee rapped, reflecting the sun against his single sword. "Ya never know what they can do as a team. Those little brat are gonna fly, but you, my friend, are gonna die."
"You're wrong, fool." Zabuza scowled. "They don't call me the Demon of…"
Quick as a flash, the former Ninja Swordsman ended his speech and dropped forward with his eyes wide in shock. That wasn't something Killer Bee had been expecting. The Kumo Jonin dropped closer to inspect the fallen Shinobi, joined shortly by his students that had been watching from a distance. If he didn't see it for himself, Killer Bee never would have believed it. The feared Demon of the Mist was taken down by two senbon needles lodged in his neck. And for the first time that day, Killer Bee and Gaara detected another presence in the forest – one that had been masked from them the entire time. Standing clear as day in the highest branch of the tree overlooking them was the masked woman from Kirigakure, holding a set of senbon between her fingers.
"You're right." The woman sounded amused. "He did die."
'Who is she?' Gaara thought curiously. 'She concealed her presence so well that even the sand couldn't trace her. This woman is no ordinary Kunoichi.'
"Hmm." Killer Bee hummed, sounding almost serious. He touched his fingers around Zabuza's neckline, trying to find even the slightest pulse. "He really is dead."
"I thank you for your assistance." The woman suddenly appeared in the middle of the group, causing everyone – even Gaara – to jump in surprise. "I have been looking for a chance to kill Zabuza for quite some time. If you had not distracted him at the appropriate time, I would have failed."
"That mask…" Killer Bee stated with his arms crossed. "You're a Hunter-nin from Kirigakure. I remember the Mizukage being one before he was elected."
"You seem to be well informed." The woman said politely.
"Eh, what's a Hunter-nin?" Naruto asked clueless.
"Seriously, why did you even go to the academy?" Fu scolded. "Hunter-nin are highly trained assassins who are assigned to kill Missing-nin like Zabuza that have betrayed their village. They do it to conceal any secret in their village."
'Judging by her height and voice…' The Hachibi said within Killer Bee's mind. 'She must not be that different from Naruto or the others. And yet, she's a Hunter-nin at that age. Plus, judging from those senbon's angle that looked like a 300 meter shot. I can't say for sure…but I think she has what it takes to kill you.'
'Then I should watch my step.' Killer Bee replied gravely. 'There are kids younger than Naruto, but just as powerful as me. Gaara and this girl are living proof of that.'
"Your battle ends here for now." The woman said, pulling the Jonin from his thoughts. Though she was small, the girl had lifted Zabuza's corpse onto her shoulders and carried the broken half of Kubikiribocho in her free hand. "I must go dispose this corpse. It's a body filled with secrets. I will be sure to inform the Mizukage of what you have done for Kirigakure."
And with that, the mysterious Hunter-nin vanished with the approaching mist, leaving the Jonin and his students in uncomfortable silence. They were distracted by the Hunter-nin's sudden appearance that they failed to notice the series of puddles escaping into the forest. Suigetsu swore he'd get them back someday. After a minute of staring into nothingness, Killer Bee finally turned back to his students with a victorious thumbs-up.
"Looks like the good guys finally won." Killer Bee rapped proudly. "All I can say is a job well done." But his praising rhythm was only met with accusing stares; Fu didn't even try to tell off her teacher for his terrible rap. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Ya'll lookin' a little blue."
"Well…" Fu spoke hesitantly, glancing sideways to her teammates. "We heard Zabuza call you a Jinchuuriki. We just want to know…is it true?"
"It seems a little hard to tell the youth." Killer Bee sighed, scratching the back of his head. "But I guess it's ya knew the truth."
"What truth?" Naruto asked worried.
"There's a reason I'm workin' with you three." Killer Bee said, preparing himself for the worst. "It's because we're all Jinchuuriki."
Next Time on Naruto: Jinchuuriki Chronicles
"What the hell is a Jinchuriki?"
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple."
"Too bad, I was hoping to add Kubikiribocho to my collection."
"If you don't want to die, you should go home."
Next time: Demon's Revival! The Clocks Ticking!
"I'm going to be Hokage! Believe it!"
Closing Author's Note
Hey guy's I'm not dead! I just finished my college work for the year and I finished my part time job so you expect a lot more chapters.