A Tale of Two Beasts: Harmony & Chaos Chapter 3, a naruto fanfic

A/N: For this chapter, I had to really force myself to get back into the world I'm crafting. Essentially, I think it's time to get things moving. This should be pretty long in comparison to my other chapters, and I hope you enjoy it more so, as I'm going to try and improve. I've been slackening up on my writing technique, and I need to start giving a shit more. Anyway, this chapter covers the Wave arc, and a bit further beyond.

Oh, and yeah... I haven't read all of the Kakashi Gaiden, pretty much just the plot summary on Wikipedia (I live in rural Georgia [it's horrible, btw, and have dial up... no manga dls for me.) so some of the details surrounding the death of Obito and Rin and his back ground could be a little sketchy, so just try and bare with me. In the end, it'll work with the story, and sets the backdrop for a new one I'm about to start constructing.

And I'm SO sorry you've gotta read through yet another Wave Arc scenario, as if you're anything like me, you've gotta be disgusted with reading the same shit over and over again... but it's gotta happen.

Sorry. I'll still try and vary it up a little, and I'll probably just end up summarizing some of it, though I don't like taking those kinds of short cuts.

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A Tale of Two Beasts – Harmony and Chaos

Chapter Three:

The Rift Between

Several weeks had passed since the conception of Team Seven into Kakashi's life. As of then, he hadn't passed any other possible pupils, and really, he was having mixed feeling about this current batch. Most of those who had previously failed had been morons. Some strong, some weak, some cunning, some idiotic. But in this group, he found a mutual tension that somehow kept them bound together. It seemed as if the threads of fate had grasped around their little group with a tenacious hold, and had no plans to be letting go. Kakashi sighed, running both calloused hands through his silver locks, clenching tight to ease the pain of an incoming head ache that always came after awakening from any form of a deep sleep.

Kakashi knew the cause to be his nightmares, those terror filled trips through hell that visited him during rest. His mind had by now learned to block his conscious self from remembering them, in an attempt to save his sanity, but still such horror caused him agony. The migraines pulsed, beating against his skull. He knew it wouldn't be too much longer before this routine forced him to either kill himself or go off on a suicide mission he knew someone as valuable as him had no business going on. Year after year the pain was worse, and he could feel insanity closing its deathly cold, skeletal grip around him, choking rational thoughts from his mind and filling him with the panicking adrenaline that he had only felt once before, after the deaths of Rin and Obito. Yondaime had saved him then, but with the great shinobi gone... nothing he had discovered, and no one he knew of could cure him of this manic disease that ate away at him.

With a final sigh, he straightened up, and reached for the little orange book next to his alarm clock and smiled faintly. There wasn't a Jounin alive that had no quirks of their personality. It was an escape, a self centered behavior they set on themselves in an attempt to make themselves more than what nature had made them. They set their image to beyond sky high perceptions, and acted like the world revolved around them. If they didn't, what more reason did they have to continue living the life of a death dealer, a ninja, an assassin. A good shinobi, an evil shinobi. Slice it any way you want. They were all heartless beasts. Brutal, savage monsters. Each and every one of them. What's more, all of them knew this, deep down inside. Very, very few could openly cope with this, and those that did, usually ended up like the estranged Sannin Orochimaru. A cold, lonely, hateful thing that desired nothing more than to cause as much pain as possible before someone finally grew tired of them and killed them, usually in a very gory, very extravagant manner.

Kakashi had a routine, deeply set in the fiber of his being since his rigorously active days as an ANBU captain. He showered at night, slept from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM, stretched and worked out to 5:30, showered again and brushed his teeth, and then ate a carb heavy breakfast before finally dressing and departing his home at 7:00 sharp. After this, he walked to the Memorial Stone and talked to Obito and Rin, trusting the guardians of the Stone to take his words to the departed. At nine, for he never spent less than an hour and a half just talking to the ghosts of his past that had changed him so, he would leave, off to his normal duties.

Hatake Kakashi was a powerful man. In his Genin days he had been trained personally by the Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi in ways of the ninja, and specifically, offensive techniques, for those are of the like which piqued the young shinobi's interest. As a Chuunin, he'd been on literal dozens of assassination missions with elder Chuunin, and toward the end of his Journeyman Ninja period, he'd gone on missions bordering suicide of the spirit. Coupled with hardened shinobi and kunoichi, all of the Jounin rank, for at that time Kakashi was undoubtedly the strongest Chuunin, he'd slaughtered hundreds. The missions passed in a blur of carnage. As the Yondaime had been a flashy ninja, many of the Chuunin's ninjutsu were devastating acts of rampant destruction that butchered dozens per use.

Before the death of Rin and Obito, he'd been noted as a demon in human guise by many civilians. The boy who left in darkness, and returned when the shadows were gone, covered in gore and smelling of gratuitous amounts of coppery blood. He spoke very little, and was always fixated with a weary look and a slight grimace/grin that carried a sinister edge. Had the young Chuunin been assigned the fateful mission that ended with Kakashi dragging what was left of Rin and Obito back to Konohagakure with blood caking his left cheek and a make shift eye patch crafted from his tattered head band covering up said socket, things would have been much different. Say, the prodigious shinobi slaughtering as many of his fellow Konoha ninja and departing in a manner similar to the enigmatic Uchiha Itachi, a few years later.

During the time in which his mind had blocked itself off from all emotions, the Chuunin turned ANBU had become a killing machine previously of that time never before heard of. Hatake Kakashi, Copy Ninja of the Leaf was a horrible thing, a monster clad in human skin. Hundreds, if not actual thousands had fell to his hands. Men, women, children, nothing mattered to him in this state. Infants burned from fires he sat, a jealous heir's wish done for the right price. Through it all, the Sharingan burned everything into his memory. For all the jutsus and techniques and information he'd learned, his sanity was the price.

And then, after working with a young ANBU by the code name of "Weasel", he'd retired from his squad. Itachi had, even then, been far too gone in his coldness to be revived. Kakashi wasn't going to let himself turn into that kind of beast. For far too long had he caused death in a manner swifter than the sky cast lightning, and for far too long had he aged beyond his meager years.

Now, nearly a decade later he walked down this oh so familiar path, it's winding stretch set in stone, decorated delicately with rare, exotic flowers that radiated sublime peace. His visible eye rose, meeting the sight of the small black stone jutting from the landscape like a tumor, it's noble quest warped in Kakashi eye to maim like a knife wielded with deadly intent.

He approached warily, his movements loose and relaxed, "Good morning, Obito, Rin. It's been a decent number of years, I suppose, since I last saw you two... I'm a little regretful that our team had to be hindered by an ass like me... This team I have begun to train are amazing. The blond I've been talking so much about lately, Naruto, is so full of potential that's it's out right ridiculous someone hasn't tried to tap into those resources he possesses. He is very similar to you, Obito... Looks a bit like Arashi-sensei, too. The Uchiha boy is fast, and strong, but his chakra control needs some work. Sakura is very smart, but lacking in many important areas. In everything but chakra manipulation, I'm afraid she's got the short end of the stick," Kakashi's voice sharpened a bit, "The Minamino boy, Kurama... He's a sly one. It's somewhat difficult to imagine someone so... damn cunning not being a spy of some sort, especially considering his history and the lack of time spent here...

"One thing Konoha needs to work on is its immigration policies. I'm really thinking they're far too lax... But, it's nearly impossible to imagine him as being a spy. He is lacking in lots of knowledge common for a Genin, and I really think he's just... a prodigy. Really, the term is getting tossed around a bit too much what with all the clans running around. Where Sasuke performs quickly, Kurama seems to do things instantaneously. Where Naruto manages to go for hours on end without stopping, Kurama pushes past, and seemingly with ease... And he grows so rapidly. Each and every day he seems to know more and more techniques. Each and every day his chakra grows more potent, more concentrated, more abundant. His speed, his strength, his wit, everything..." the Jounin turned away from the stone, looking towards the Hokage Mountain before speaking again, "They were getting a bit antsy and finally got me to request a C-rank mission. We'll be starting it today," he paused and turned back to the stone, "But really, I think that's enough about them, " Kakashi finished, his slightly narrowed eyes returning to normal and a smile filling what was visible of his face.

"Now then, how's about we catch up on the latest issue of Icha Icha, Obito?"

Kurama watched his teammates from the log he sat on, thinking. He'd seen Kyuubi play tricks on humans before. The kitsune lord could open portals to the human world fairly easy, and could shift it to appear as a doorway or tunnel of some sort, something a human would enter with little thought or apprehension. He'd then put them through terror after terror, sometimes through a series of illusions, or just burn them until they passed on, or just eat them alive. Kurama had never eaten a human, and was curious as to how it must be to now be imprisoned inside what you took fed off. Kyuubi had no love for humans whatsoever. They were pawns, tools, toys, and more importantly, they were food. How did the beast do as he did, cracking open a mortal's skull and drinking down the mashed remains of their brain to access their knowledge before he split open their torso and devoured their warm innards. Personally, Kurama couldn't see what was so pleasant about dining on the much too metallic tasting things that had such filthy habits. And as he was spoiled and had never fought to survive as the Kyuubi must have, he had not attained the habit of treating the humans as a delicacy, or learned to taste the spirit, the very fiber of these creatures that was somehow imbued into their fleshy shell.

But there was one thing Kurama had learned from watching his mentor's ways involving the devouring of humans. That horrible, burning, lustful, hungry gaze that Kyuubi cast on all his victims. Not of the sexual greedy look that males turned to their female counterparts, but that look a predator gave to those it hunted. That sinister, devilish glare Kurama had deduced to the glare that instilled within your prey the images and the sounds, smells and ultimately, the utter terrifying idea of being consumed, torn open and eaten piece by piece.

Still, while he could simulate such a gaze, Kurama didn't have that heartlessness towards the species, that defiling hunger needed to truly see the humans as prey to fully emulate such a demonic look. And for this, he was glad, for if he had indeed gained such a gaze, he doubted he would have ever lasted this long in this village. Sure, he could probably take out a good hundred or so shinobi if he was fully powered up and fueled by that enrapturing battle fever that took him, but after seeing how truly powerful these humans were and lacking that god-like power Kyuubi possessed that could warp the dimensions at will, Kurama knew sooner than later he would fall.

"Kurama!"

The crimson haired shinobi looked up at his name, centering his vision on the blond that had called to him who stood a few feet to the left of him. "Yes, Naruto?"

"I just saw Kakashi coming from the Memorial Stone! Do you think we'll be able to go on that C ranked mission? I'm so fucking sick of these bull shit ones... Mowing grass? Please... and if I have to catch that damn cat one more time I'll tear his fucking head off and make that fat bitch eat it!"

Kurama chuckled and stood, stretching as he turned and walked over to Naruto who motioned for he and their other two partners to follow him to the clearing entrance. Naruto waited until Kurama was standing next to him and began to walk, Sasuke following with the entranced Sakura trailing behind him less than a foot away. "I'm not sure... I really hope so. I'm looking forward to testing myself against some real opponents." He pulled out The Ninja Bible and flipped its well worn pages open to somewhere in the center, "Says here that if there are any possible enemy encounters, they'll most likely be nothing more than bandits, but it's unlikely that there will be any enemy ninja, even of the Genin rank... Still, it's gotta be more entertaining that cleaning yards."

Naruto grimaced, "You know, he might not have even been able to get us a C rank! What if we're stuck doing D ranks for months?! I talked to Chouji and Shikamaru, and according to them none of the other teams have had anything above D rank... Man, I cannot see us pulling weeds three months from now."

Kurama nodded, sliding his book back into the self sealing pocket he always carried it in, "Major cock would that sucketh, Naruto." The blond laughed loudly. While Kurama really had no love for any of these humans, he'd came to the conclusion that such an attention starved, and magnetic personality possessing person like Naruto would be more cooperative with a friend figure than someone who barely acknowledged him like the Uchiha boy, Sasuke, did. And maybe, just maybe, this period spent here would in the end make him much stronger, so why hurry this along? After all, if there was one thing Kurama was if he was nothing else, it was cunning, and who was he to deny himself more power in the long run?

Team Seven met Kakashi at the opening to the clearing. Hatake Kakashi turned on his heel without looking at them, eyes boring a whole in the small orange book he held. He began walking away, and without a pause motioned them to follow with his free hand.

The trip to the Hokage Tower took less than ten minutes, and during the time they spent walking, none of them spoke. Sasuke and Naruto kept themselves occupied with prayers for a C-rank mission, Sakura praying for Sasuke to make a move on her, and Kakashi and Kurama both scanning their own respective texts.

As they entered into the Mission Assignment station Kakashi put his book away and leaned in close to the unaware Umino Iruka who sat slouched with his head propped up on his crossed arms, seconds away from falling asleep. "Eh, Umino-san?"

Iruka shot up straight, then upon seeing Team Seven smiled, "Oh, uh, sorry. Here for your mission assignments, I guess. I've got a ton of D ranks in right now... The daimyo's wife has lost her cat again and-"

"NO! I REFUSE TO CATCH THAT FUCKING CAT EVER AGAIN," screamed Naruto, startling many of the slouching Chuunin that sat inside the office.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled into a smile, "Actually, Umino-san, we're here for a C rank mission..."

Iruka frowned, "Well, don't you think it's a bit too soon for a C rank? None of the other Genin teams have gone on one yet."

Kakashi's eye arched further, "That's kind of the point, Umino-san."

As much as he disapproved of Naruto being sent on something potentially dangerous, the Chuunin began searching for something, and after a few seconds of flipping through the folders, settled for something on the latter end of the C- pay ranking. While there were main rankings like D, C, B, A, and S, they were actually split into such ranks as A , or B-, where they leaned towards the next rank. Countries often paid extra to have their missions to be ranked as so a team Chuunin and a Jounin would be sent instead of a Jounin and Genin team. It hadn't yet been officially worked into the record systems for individual ninja records, but it was in the works to add some weight when being judged for promotion to Jounin.

"Here ya go. You'll need to speak with the Hokage before you leave, Kakashi, so please do so. Good seeing you, Naruto," Iruka said. He smiled and then stood, waving them off and heading to the kitchen for some coffee.

Naruto spoke up, "Wonder what's up with him... seems a little off today, eh?"

Both Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke nodded, seemingly without noticing their acquiescence to his question. Kurama turned to the blond, "How does he normally act, then?"

Naruto shrugged, "I dunno... just not like that. Seems a little... mopey."

Kakashi understood the Chuunin was worried without giving it much thought... but the notion seemed so foreign to his four Genin that it just passed right over their heads. "Yo, can you shut up, please? I'm trying to read..." Kakashi looked at the large clock ticking away the seconds, and cursed quietly. He closed his book and set it away, "Follow me to to Hokage's office... and that request for silence has turned into an order... It's too early for that noise."

The Sandaime Hokage whispered into Kakashi's ear, "Watch the Minamino boy. Closely." Kakashi nodded very subtly, and backed away from the Hokage, turning and motioning to his party to gather closer.

"We'll be leaving in thirty minutes, and this mission is sure to last no shorter than a week, so pack for an extended stay. Meet me at the main gate as soon as you're ready, and no horsing around. Dismissed." Each of his Genin saluted and darted off, the crimson haired Kurama performing a quick Konoha Shunshin to escape the large office, the others simply sprinting to the balcony and leaping off.

The Sandaime turned to look at the Jounin, "I'm feeling that there is something off with this mission... I've sent Tazuna-san off to the cafeteria... and I know he's not telling the whole truth about the premise of this mission. Something will happen. Be careful, Kakashi." Said Jounin nodded, backed away a step, and saluted, then teleported out of the office, leaving the Hokage to his own thoughts.

Kurama pulled open his dresser, drawing out six additional suits that were pretty much identical to the one he now wore, though he also packed one casual outfit. He folded them up and sealed them into a scroll he labeled "Clothing" in bright, blood red kanji, and laid the scroll alongside a few others he would be carrying. Each was neatly stacked against the next and put above the last to form a, circular bundle which Kurama felt would be easier to grasp and hold than some of the ornate patterns which he had observed many a ninja using. He pulled out a strand of nylon rope and pulled it tight around them, tying it off with a slipknot before grabbing the bundle and tossing it into the black, heavily padded sack he'd gotten earlier that week. Kurama tied it closed and threw it over his shoulder.

As he walked out of his apartment, locking the door with a pulse of youki which forced the plant harbored inside the locking mechanism to grow and hold it shut, Kurama began thinking deeply about the situation he was in. How, exactly, was he to go about this? He'd already learned that the human who had crafted the seal on the blond's stomach had been the most powerful shinobi to ever live in this village, and many people whom he'd spied on had believed with all their heart that the Yondaime was actually the greatest ninja to ever live, period. If such a man was able to stop, and even imprison his mentor, then how could he, at not even a sixth of Kyuubi's power, be able to free him from such a beast of a man's seal?

Kurama found himself standing at the gate sooner than he thought he would, his thoughts still a jumble of hopeless paradoxes about how the seal must work and how to counter it, and the heavy presence of guilt about not being able to assist Kyuubi. Not only could he not just kidnap the child, as obviously Kakashi and the Iruka man kept close tabs on him, and the great elder of this village, the Hokage, kept that infernal crystal ball trained on him for periods no less than 24/7, he surmised. It would be suicide to attempt it. He couldn't even defeat Kakashi, so how was he to go about destroying the most powerful ninja in the village?

Killing him was out of the question, which he'd already figured out shortly after awakening. Not only would that not accomplish what he needed to accomplish, it would send Kyuubi's soul into the eternal void. Kurama was no fool. Kyuubi was a demi-god. Reikai wouldn't be able to hold a creature that rivaled Enma. He would be destroyed and cast into the great trash bin known as Oblivion... And if he killed Naruto, no doubt he would be killed soon after. He couldn't open portals to the Reikai or Makai as Kyuubi could, and at which the speed he'd seen some of these ninja move, he had doubts about even being capable of fleeing them successfully. Kurama was brought out of his reverie by a loud shout, "Yo! You're here early!"

He looked up, and saw he'd been very close to running into the blond shinobi that was the center of his thoughts, "So are you."

Naruto shrugged, as if avoiding the comment and muttered with a sort of gritty, angry rasp, "That fucking Tazuna is really pissing me off. Stupid sack of whore shit. I tell you, that stupid piece of trash doesn't know a fucking thing about me! I'm not some god damned pipsqueak. I'll eat that mother fucker, you hear me?" The short blond glared up at Kurama and shoved a finger into his chest, then suddenly pulled back sharply, looking confused, "Er... I dunno why I just said that. Sorry... I'm not normally, well... like that."

Kurama's eyes narrowed and stared hard at Naruto's stomach while the boy's attention was on his hands that were being held aloft in front of him, palms up. On his second plain of vision, he sensed a great burst of power too warped and inhuman for most of these shinobi to sense. Kyuubi was affecting the young one, and Kurama was of the sort of thinking that his presence being so close to his Lord's own was doing nothing if not helping Kyuubi influence the boy. He smiled, eye relaxing, "No worries. Hey, look. It's Kakashi and the others. I think they saw us; looks like they're heading straight for the gate guards. We better catch up."

The trip seemed to take forever, though in reality, the distance between the two lands wasn't all that far, only a two or three day trip, and only three if you were crawling there. Without the burden of Tazuna, they could have made it without even stopping for the night, but as it was, they were forced to stop as soon as the sun fell below the horizon and they were following the trail by star light.

Hatake Kakashi suddenly stopped in the direct center of a clearing and held up a closed fist, signaling to his subordinates to also cease movement. He signaled to Sasuke and Naruto to both search the area for hostiles or dangers, and Sakura sprinted over to Tazuna, clenching both hands around kunai. The elderly bridge builder looked startled, and asked quietly, somehow sensing the tension, "What's going on?"

Sakura whispered back, her eyes never pausing in their scanning of the dense forest around them, "We're stopping for the night. He sent the other two to check for any possible enemies, and I'm guarding you. Occasionally enemy ninja will wait until their target has paused and has his guard down before they attack, so its now become standard procedure of Konohagakure ninja to routinely check your surroundings and remain alert after finding a possible campsite, for security's sake."

Had Kakashi heard her, no doubt she would have been severely punished. To reveal any, even minor details surrounding the policies Konoha had about it, was treason, and even one so young would have been knee deep in shit. But as it was, the girl talked about why they had to do so, and what got it started, and basically gave the foreigner a back stage pass to their camping procedures so the man could counter any security they set up without difficulty. Sure, that wasn't going to happen as Tazuna wasn't against Konoha, but had their charge been as such, then most likely many shinobi and kunoichi alike would die until Konoha changed its methods again. And who's to say they ever would, as who's to say their measures during rest periods weren't proficient?

Kurama, as per his role in their "securing camp site" thing stood next to their sensei, poised to react and counter any enemy attacks. Kakashi waved his hand as soon as Sasuke and Naruto returned, and they all relaxed. Kakashi peered out into the forest, and after a few seconds turned around and faced them from his point at the head of the party, "Pitch the tents. I'll take the first watch. Kurama, you'll take second watch, and Sasuke, you will take the last one. Now get some sleep. Oh, and Naruto. Stay close to Tazuna-san... just in case."

Unlike the other Genin, Kurama sat up beside Kakashi with his arms crossed, both sitting in a cross legged position. The elder Jounin looked down at him with his one visible eye, "You not heading in, Kurama?"

The crimson haired boy cast him a gaze with amber eyes, "I don't need much sleep. I draw nutrients from the plants around me, and my body heals much faster than the average human. I don't need to shut down like most do." Kurama settled in and leaned against the massive coniferous tree at his back while Kakashi sat straight up. "I also needed to ask you something, Kakashi-sensei..." He waited until the Jounin acquiescenced to his request and continued, "Well, I'm afraid many of the shinobi in high positions within Konohagakure seem to see me as a threat, an anomaly. I don't wish to be seen as an outsider... I wish to be trusted by your village. Suppose any of them get some nationalist tendencies towards me and tend to get violent. How should I approach such a situation. I don't think my status as a shinobi allows for random slaughter, even in self defense."

Kakashi didn't hesitate, "You incapacitate them. Personally, if one of our civilians is stupid enough to assault a shinobi, I think they deserve some kind of punishment, and from the way you fight, I'm sure if they were slain, it would be quick, and more to the point, a very clean kill. Incapacitate them, then bring them in to the tower. Ibiki-san will take good care of them. Believe it or not, many of the non-militaristic inhabitants of our village don't like the ninja. If they care not for those that protect their way of life, they deserve no way of life." He turned and stared Kurama in the eyes, his single orb burning with intensity, easily matching Kurama's little flare of youki. "Don't abuse your power. And get rid of those feelings of wanting trust. I'm being frank with you, Kurama. The civilians are wretched little people who have limited themselves to an insignificant existence. They threaten you, you do what you need to do, but the only way to gain their trust is to be their slave. And you and I both know that you would be the last one to do as such, aren't you?"

Kurama didn't nod, as he knew he didn't need to. He stood, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," he muttered, and turned towards the tents. Maybe he did need some sleep...

His dreams came as without mercy as they often did. Horrible, wretched things puking filth into his thoughts, leaving the kitsune writhing on the futon he lay upon within his tent, images of his mother stretched upon a cross, nails shot through her arms and legs, screaming as the humans around her tossed stones that broke skin and bone as they struck. Next she was strapped to a stake in the ground, burning in a grotesque fiery torrent of yellow, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.

As always, he slept on. The dreams ceased only when daylight began creeping through the thin canvas of his tent, and while his body had done the job of recuperating, his mind was still in turmoil. He had been nearly a hundred years old before they'd actually met, but the time he spent with the Goddess he cherished, as would any kitsune. Considering their bond of blood, it was pretty understandable the feeling was only intensified.

Kurama had long since learned to quit chalking it up to his dreams to tell the ever foggy future, so he wasn't worried about her well being, especially since she was virtually immortal, but he was weary all the same. Some times his mind went against his better interest, and one as powerful as his naturally was nae impossible to control when asleep.

He sat up and stretched, shoving a quick, physical burst of youki out and burning all the dirt off him and cleansing his body. The shinobi stood and pulled out his clothes, exchanging his old set for a new, clean uniform of the same color and type. Kurama dressed methodically, his thoughts preoccupied with how he was going to go from here. He knew he could only roll with the punches for so long, less he inadvertently kill someone and be found out, or some similar "accident" happen.

Soon his thoughts had faded to the background, and he was traveling at with his comrades, just behind Tazuna. Sasuke stood at the helm of the party, with Kakashi in the middle standing next to Sakura. Again they traveled at a slow pace to compensate for Tazuna's taxing presence. But according to Kakashi, they had made the half way mark, and come morning they would arrive at their target area. His senses were clouded, but even so, he knew an ambush lay ahead and used common sense. He alerted Kakashi who nodded nonchalantly and kept moving. As such, he kept walking and didn't mention it again, though he did let chakra start churning, ready for the call.

The ambush came in the form of a puddle that suddenly shot from the ground and tore Kakashi apart. Kurama had seen the quicker than lightning hand sign that Kakashi had performed and thrust his palm forward with little concern of harming his teacher, pushing out a torrent of raging chakra that intercepted the two figures in their path towards the Genin, burning off their clothes and melting the light armor the two wore. Their skin flaked off as the hellish fire consumed them, completely knocking them off their course and slamming them straight into one of the many massive trees, bones cracking audibly. Kurama cut the flow off and leaned on his knee, grasping his wrist tightly. "Overkill, eh?"

Seconds later Kakashi had appeared and observed the two deceased shinobi. "The Demon Brothers of the Hidden Mist. C-Rank missing nin. Good job, Kurama... but you might want to try leaving some alive in the future. Information is one of a ninja's most important tools. Also, use less chakra. Tighten the passage and force it out in a more accelerated manner, like putting your thumb over a hose." Kurama mentally slapped himself in the face for having not done so in the first place, and chalked up another point on Kakashi's score for annoyances. Just because it was good advice didn't mean he wanted to hear it from a fucking human.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi worked out a few seals and burned what was left of the two into ashes, then another ninjutsu sent them flying on the wind. He motioned ahead, "Kurama. Carry Tazuna. We're getting to Wave Country in the next hour, come Hell or high water. Understood, everyone?" At three instant nods and a single jerk of acknowledgment from Tazuna the party shot off at break neck speed.

"Kakashi, I feel something."

The Jounin screeched to a halt, and his four Genin followed his example. "I know, Sasuke. I can feel his presence. It's a very strong shinobi, whoever it it. Kurama and Sasuke, prepare to defend. Sakura and Naruto, hang tight to Tazuna. This is my fight. Only engage the enemy when no other option is possible."

Kurama set Tazuna down to let him fall back to a safer distance, and charged his chakra, lacing each burst of energy that burned through his veins with a torrent of youki. He remained in a relaxed state, opposed to Sasuke who was arched forward, arms poised in half ram seals, his eyes eager for bloodshed. Naruto and Sakura stood facing away from each other with Tazuna in between. The mist, only minutes before a faint, moist breeze now covered everything, blinding the party.

"You're earlier than I expected. I suppose it was a bad idea to trust those worthless brothers. Of course, it's not really surprising they couldn't hold you off for very long, considering their opponent was the infamous Copy Ninja of the Leaf, Hatake Kakashi. Tell me, how's your father doing these days?"

The voice carried to their ears had a sinister, malevolent feel to it that sent shivers down Kurama's spine. This man, clad in a minimalistic uniform of gauze and cloth with a zanbatou strapped to his back, stepped out of the mist and glared daggers at each member of the party, his eyes only touching Kakashi. Kurama had felt similar emissions from Kyuubi, and... well, pretty much every demon he'd encountered. This man was worthy of his attention. Of this much, he was sure.

Kakashi however didn't seem to take heed of the alarming amount of killing intent pouring off Momochi Zabuza and armed himself with a kunai, as well as arming his Sharingan eye, to which the ebony haired Sasuke gasped with a startled step backwards, his battle lust slackening in shock. Their tutor took little notice of his pupil's amazement and alerted his party as he addressed the shinobi, "Not very well, Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist." Kurama's eyes widened, and Kakashi continued, "Team Seven, do not interfere. Defend our charge." The two Jounin shinobi shot at each other with lightning quick speed, exchanging blows in rapid succession.

Kurama stood still as his emerald eyes followed the swift movements the two warriors made without much effort, his mind whirling. 'Would Demon of the Mist just happen to be a title? Then again, perhaps he is a hanyou of sorts. I've heard of such half breeds, but I can't imagine anyone letting such a worthless creature exist. Then again, I suppose they'd make good troops in a human world. Even with inferior blood to the pure, most would still be much stronger than a human and require much less, resource wise, the live and be manged... If I'm ever in charge of a human colony, I think I may mass produce the little bastards... Bah, it's obviously a title. I smell no scent of demon kind whatsoever, and while his movements are trained and graceful, he's still not at home in battle, no matter how much he might believe he is... Kakashi should have little trouble with this one, now that I see the strain hidden under that mask of gauze he wears.'

As it were, Kakashi did seem to have the upper hand by a wide margin. Though Zabuza's attacks were powerful, quick and his counters succinct and punishing, Kakashi performed just as well with much less exertion, his face free of the wrinkles wrought by concentration, and little perspiration. In stark contrast was Zabuza, who, while never faltering, looked as if he were about to blow a blood vessel within his skull. Suddenly Zabuza leaned into a punch he was sending towards Kakashi, then spun out of the way, drawing his giant sword and speeding towards Team Seven and Tazuna with a deadly purpose. Kakashi instantly reacted and sped forward, intent on stopping the Demon of the Mist from completing his objective.

Kurama was a bit faster, and his youki blasted forward, and a blade of grass he'd picked from the ground halted the assassin's path with a fatal impact, the thin, razor sharp makeshift sword splitting through Zabuza's sternum, the man's momentum further pushing him down the long shaft until he lay mere feet from Tazuna, but his blade had dropped from his hand the instant the grass penetrated his chest and exited his back. Kurama pulled on his weapon, and the movement sent Zabuza to the ground, split open from the chest through his skull. Team Seven watched in repulsion as his ruined gray brain matter leaked and spread onto the ground from his split skull, mixing with the crimson blood which also poured from the contents of Zabuza's corpse. Kurama let his blade of grass shrink and fall into the breeze where it fluttered for a few moments before falling to the ground. He smiled, "One for Konoha."

Kurama, carrying Zabuza's massive blade, walked behind his teammates and just in front of Kakashi, who had the black bag containing the Demon of the Mist's corpse slung over his shoulder. "Kakashi-sensei... Do we get a monetary bonus for killing Zabuza?"

The Jounin nodded an affirmative as they began crossing the bridge into Wave, "Yes. I imagine you'll all receive a bonus as well, especially Kurama. Bringing back his body will provide the proof, and they'll be able to extract some genetic information from it. We'll throw his sword in the treasury, or some vault or something and I'm sure you'll all get a bonus for recovering an artifact like that. Though it was made recently, all of the Mist's Heavenly Swordsmen, of which Momochi Zabuza formerly belonged to, have masterfully crafted blades all worth a hundred times their wielder's weight in gold," Kakashi finished with, "Also, the mission is at least a B rank, now that we've encountered such as powerful opponent..."

Hiding the small smirk which threatened to blossom across his face, Kurama subconsciously tightened the grip on Zabuza's zanbatou, "Perhaps we could just sell off the sword...?" Kakashi made no reply for several minutes, and they merely continued to walk across the bridge.

As they grew closer to the entrance, Kakashi spoke on the subject, "You are a soldier, Kurama. A soldier that fights for his country before all things. Konoha comes before you wants, your goals, your god, and your very life. If you find this not to your liking, and you'd prefer the life similar to that of the man you just killed, then by all means, leave and sell the sword off. For some reason I feel a the way of the mercenary suits you, Kurama... But remember this, I catch you giving any attempts at robbing Konoha of this treasure, I'll consider our relationship void and you will be cut down. Am I understood?"

Kurama nodded an affirmative, "Yes, Kakashi-sensei. Forgive me."

Their sensei paused and tilted his head to the side to look at the motley group of Genin behind him, "Good, because I've taken quite a liking to you little bastards. Now come on, the mission isn't quite over yet."

In the short span of time since the disposing of Zabuza, Tazuna had revealed a few little hidden matters pertaining to their mission. The summary was that the Wave was in deep shit, and that Tazuna's only running project, the massive bridge that was to connect the Wave directly to the larger continent and open up trade on a much larger scale. Apparently an international thug known as Gatou had terrorized the Wave into subservience, and now had fully taken into account the threat that the new bridge held on his occupation of the poor country.

Tazuna surged into action as the party stood within several feet of the gate and motioned at the guard to allow them in. The old man turned towards them, "Follow me to my home. There will be food and a place for rest there."

At Tazuna's home the squad discovered the old bridge builder had sired a daughter, Tsunami, who took their vests and offered to clean them. The woman was fairly young, in her late 20s at the most. Her hair was a common black and she was moderately attractive with a fairly good build. The shinobi remained respectful, and Sakura stayed silent and attempted to seem docile and non-assertive to allow the matron of the household to be the dominant female, just as she was taught by the Ninja Academy.

As they settled in to sleep until dinner time arrived, they also met Tazuna's grandson, Inari. Kurama's interest in his name seemed a little quirky to his teammates, considering he was somewhat satirical in his analyticity regarding most topics of conversation. Soon Kurama's interest in the child would be replaced with borderline aggression under a professionally tuned mask of dismissal.

It was during dinner that Inari's immature, depressive meanderings exploded and he fled from the scene at his pathetic display being challenged by the blond Naruto. Shortly the full story of the Wave's past few years unfolded before them, and Kakashi announced to his team as the tale reached the finale, "Officially, I'm raising the rank of this mission to A. As far as the money goes, it would not be a stretch for Konoha to allow an extension on the payment, so don't worry Tazuna. As it is, I can't allow the Wave to continue in such a away and tarnish the Leaf's good name. The time span stays one standard week, and you will all undergo some very important chakra development training in the next two or three days. Kurama, I need to speak with you in private before you head in to sleep. Good night, everyone. Thank you for the lovely dinner, Tsunami-san."

While Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura headed up to bed, Kurama exited the house and stood on the porch with Kakashi. They stood silent for a few moment, before Kakashi spoke, "I could give two shits about the state the Wave is in, Kurama. After the things I've seen and done, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for me to change the objective of this mission to some bullshit about protecting our national security and having this whole town ravaged and every single citizen put to death. As far as your teammates are concerned, they're still a little naive about this whole ninja business, but I can see the hate deep inside you, boy," Kakashi faced the shorter shinobi and continued, "I know you've seen great death, and I can smell the stench of blood and decay from your very skin. Frankly, I thought maybe you had just come from a violent country and were used to the presence of death in your life, but... no. Your prowess far encompasses what most shinobi your age are capable of.

"In this world, there are children younger than even Naruto that are more powerful than I. This isn't some game, Kurama. Your team has yet to comprehend this, but soon, sadly, they will understand. Anyway, Kurama, what's going to happen is this: You and I are going to kill Gatou, then we're going to go home and turn his head in for a bounty, and none of your team is going to know about it. We'll all take part of Zabuza's bounty, but Gatou's will remain between the two of us.

"I know you're having a little trouble with deciding whether or not a stable shinobi career is suitable versus the free reigning missing nin's lifestyle, so the only reason I'm handling it like this is to show you that you don't have to abide by all the set standards for what is supposed to be heralded as an upstanding citizen, because you're a soldier. Keeping the bounty between us doesn't hurt Konoha, as selling the Demon of the Mist's sword would, and it also ensures us some extra cash as well. I hope this should satisfy your rouge tendencies for the time being. Now tighten up, skipper. You're going to have to participate in these exercises as well. Just go with it. In the end, going over all these basic exercises will strengthen you, so don't bitch. I'm heading in. See you in the morning," after the lengthy monologue, the silver haired shinobi waved him off and vanished back inside. Kurama sat on the porch for a few minutes, then returned inside as well, heading into his team's designated room.

Naruto didn't get much sleep that night. He lie on his back for several hours, ignoring Kurama's arrival and just staring at the ceiling. What exactly was he here for? According to Sakura and Sasuke, Kurama hadn't even had formal training, yet he was without question the strongest Genin Naruto had ever seen. After years of being for the most part ignored, if not looked down upon and beaten, Naruto had ingrained in himself a steely determination and a stern, "FUCK YOU!" attitude as a means of coping with his on insignificance. Now that same horrible, agonizing worthless feeling swallowed him and had no plans of letting go, it seemed. After so many years of training and so many hardships, how did some kid just show up and completely shatter all his merits without any effort whatsoever? It wasn't fair that someone who hadn't seen and experienced a lifetime of abuse to be given such great power... It wasn't fair...

Kurama and Kakashi stalked through the harbor silently, Kakashi's arms reaching out with deadly intent towards the guards patrolling about the structure, the kunai he held extensions of his fatal will. They fell without a sound, a wordless scream passing through the night as steel carved a path through flesh, spilling blood in brilliant crimson spurts. The blades passes through each man's throat as if guided by an invisible force, so quiet and specter-like was the great Jounin's stealthy prowess. Kurama followed behind as a shadow, hiding the bodies away with small bursts of his youki that threw them over the edges of the dock, into shadowed corners and against walls, out of direct view.

The duo passed nearly thirty nameless men, now corpses, before they finally ran into some conscious opposition, in the form of a young shinobi that almost got the chance to shout an alarm as Kakashi's kunai glinted off the bright light given off by the many torches which lined the stairs which led into Gatou's base. The kunai, ever faithful of its master's will, split the boy's skull open like paper, and Kurama's demon power pulled the corpse through the air and chunked it into the sea, hundreds of yards away. Kakashi waved slightly, telling him to conserve his energy. Kurama nodded, though he was not the least bit winded.

Kurama and Kakashi wound their way up the long staircase, barely visible flickers as they sped along the steps, leaping into the alternate spaces not fully lit by the torches. The two guards stationed at the top were decapitated by Kurama's whip in a single flick of his wrist, and Kakashi's kunai flew through the air and cut the burning wicks of the torches which stood high above them mere seconds before the sight of the two necks spurting an almost comic amount of blood into the air. They let the corpses drop and followed ran across the small plateau which spread out before them, the barracks for Gatou's makeshift army more or less placed evenly along the dirt.

Kakashi paused and gave a small facial gesture which Kurama interpreted to be a smirk, then launched into a lengthy set of complicated seal patterns. At the end, the entire area lapsed into chaos. The barracks were crushed under an invisible fist, the ground opened up before them and bright, fluorescent flames shot forward and engulfed the soldiers. It was a messy, loud, overpowered display of power, and as such, the attention of every living being within 50 miles was aware that a "bomb" had gone off in the poor country of the Wave.

Gatou reared his head from the balcony which overlooked the plateau in his quarters and was met with a single kunai that pierced his throat and sent him flying back into his room and pinned him through the spine to the stone wall. Nearly one hundred yards away, Kakashi let his hitae ate back over his swirling crimson eye and gave Kurama another small smirk, "Child's play."

After a few more days spent in the Wave, making sure all the loose ends had been tied up and the Great Bridge completed, Team Seven began to leave. Naruto had apparently made quite an impression on Tazuna and all the other inhabitants of Wave, Kurama learned as he finally saw the great sign at the start of the Bridge they now crossed on their way back to Konohagakure. 'The Great Naruto Bridge...'

The journey back to Konohagakure was a languid, leisurely walk through the forests of Fire Country. Kurama chatted animatedly back and forth between Sakura and Naruto while Sasuke spoke quietly to Kakashi at the head of the pack. "So do you think you finally got that chakra walking thing down, Naruto?"

The blond grinned widely, "Yep! I've got it down so well now that I don't even have to think about, you know, like, forcing the chakra out and taking hold. I can just, like, naturally walk. If I run, sometimes I accidentally shoot myself off of the tree, but... I mean, it's only been a few days since I've learned it."

Sakura smiled slightly, "Yeah, you've gotten way better at it, Naruto. Of course, it's all thanks to me, but still. Nice job!"

Naruto's smile brightened considerably, and he started rambling off about the brilliant explosion that had engulfed Gatou's fortress. Kakashi and Kurama had chalked it off to Gatou having an target on his head, which he no doubt had, and gave the excuse of their being gone that night to investigate it. Nobody questioned it.

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(A/N): Yeah, several months since I posted the last chapter, sorry. I'm a lazy shit. My bad. I actually had most of this written but I just never got around to finishing it out, and I sorta cut some corners just to get it done. I'm still interested in finishing this out, it's just that I don't have a lot of time to work on this stuff anymore. Between school, band practice (I have an Experimental Metal band, not the school band), weight training, work, and just fucking around when I have free time with friends, it's hard to go, "Yeah, I think I'll sit at my computer for three hours and write that chapter, then masturbate or something instead of going out to so and so's house and getting shit faced. Yeah. Nice."

Any who, I'll try and get some more updates later on. I hope you're not pissed at the shitty quality of this chapter. Peace.

- No, not going to use his sword.

- Good to be the author and have unquestionable control over the characters and their motives, thoughts and actions.

Vocabulary:

Uh... I don't think there's anything unfamiliar.

STATS:

Words: 8543 (Story)

Words: 8974 (All)