The Heart of the Demon

Chapter 6

Demon vs Demon

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters

Team seven walked down the road in relative silence, after Kakashi and Naruto had returned they had set off again toward the land of waves, that had been almost three hours ago and almost no words had been spoken; they all just walked in an uncomfortable silence. Sasuke had been having a mental battle with himself, he knew Naruto, they had been best friends for years and he had never seen her act like that it didn't seem to fit. The more he thought about it though, while a great friend, Naruto was maybe a little unstable. Sasuke had noticed things in the past that, now that he was thinking about them did seem to suggest she might be a little crazy, the way she always likes to taste the blood of an opponent, even if it's just a little, like when she fought Kiba at graduation, or the way she was always so eager to fight. The more Sasuke thought about it the more it really seemed like Naruto to do what she did, and he was an enemy, he would have killed them just as gladly as Naruto had killed him. So while he was maybe not happy that the girl he loved could kill with a smile, he wasn't going to shun her for it, maybe they could work on it later, after all he was going to marry her… eventually.

They arrived at a small dock at the edge of the land of fire "Well here we are, this boat will take us to the land of waves" Tazuna said as he boarded what could hardly even be called a boat. Team seven followed Tazuna onto the small row boat and soon after they boarded the man that had been waiting on the boat pushed them off to go to the land of waves.

Sasuke after now deciding that what Naruto had done didn't bother him tried to start up a conversation with her "So Naruto, was that enough action for you? You looked like you had fun" Naruto perked up at Sasuke's words, she had been afraid he wouldn't accept her after he saw her tear that man apart, his talking to her again gave her hope he would.

"I did have fun! I've waited soooo long for some action! I only wish it would have lasted longer, that guy was hardly even a fight." Sakura was surprised Sasuke seemed to have already moved past what Naruto had done, she could hardly look at the girl without seeing the smiling blood covered face she wore as she tore apart that ninja, how could Sasuke already be over it?

After the fairly short boat ride they arrived at the land of waves, there was a heavy mist in the air making it hard for them to see more than a few feet in front of themselves. Kakashi was wary he could sense the chakra in the mist this wasn't natural, someone was creating this, he had to be on guard they could be attacked at any moment. They continued down the road, Naruto and Sasuke idly chatting when Kakashi suddenly yelled "get down!" they all dropped to the ground as a huge cleaver looking sword flew over their heads and impaled itself into a tree a few yards in front of them. Kakashi jumped up glaring at the sword and the man now standing on top of it.

"Kakashi of the sharingan, no wonder the demon brothers failed with a ninja like you guarding the bridge builder."

Kakashi took only a moment to recognize the man from the bingo books "Zabuza Momichi, the demon of the mist, so you're the one after Tazuna."

Zabuza smirked "I'm honored you know my name Kakashi, and yes my employer has paid a great deal of money for the bridge builders death."

Kakashi glared at the man "You'll have to go through us before you can get Tazuna."

Zabuza laughed "I'm so afraid you and a few brats, what ever will I do."

Kakashi wore a smirk of his own "These brats are the ones who took out you're men, I didn't do a thing." That surprised Zabuza though he didn't show it he simply looked over the three genin, a pink haired kunoichi who, while hiding it well, he could tell was terrified by him, an over confident little boy with something to prove and, this one was interesting a blonde kunoichi wearing an almost evil smile clearly eager for a fight.

"Let me guess the blonde and the boy took out the demon brothers? Pinky hardly looks like she can stand much less fight."

Naruto let out a laugh "Those weaklings were an insult to the name, I'll show you what a real demon looks like!" Naruto's eyes went red and her canine's grew before she shot toward Zabuza

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled before going after her.

Naruto charged forward faster than Zabuza would have thought possible for a genin, getting to him in less than a second. Zabuza wasn't some push over like the demon brothers were though, he swung from the handle of his sword to avoid Naruto's strike, pulling it free from tree just in time to use it to block Kakashi's attack. "Sasuke, Sakura guard Tazuna! Don't let him out of your sight!" Kakashi jumped back to avoid Zabuza's sword as it came towards his stomach. Naruto grabbed onto a tree branch using her previous momentum to launch herself back toward Zabuza who jumped out of the way as she hit the ground using her claws to tear the place he was just standing to shreds. "Earth Style: Earth Dragon" Kakashi immediately followed up forcing Zabuza into constant defense.

Zabuza jumped back again forming his own hand seals "Water Style: Water Dragon jutsu" the two dragons collided in and explosion of mud. Naruto jumped through the mud explosion expelling wind chakra as she went through the mud to shield her from the force. Naruto flew out of the mud heading straight for Zabuza who quickly put his sword up and used it as a shield from her strike. Naruto's wind enhanced claws left deep scars in Zabuza's sword as the collided with it. Zabuza jumped back again onto a small lake, but didn't get any time to rest as Naruto immediately followed. Naruto threw an endless onslaught of attacks at Zabuza who weaved and dodged around them until he saw an opening and used the broad side of his sword to bash Naruto away. Naruto skipped across the water and back into the forest as Kakashi jumped past her to engage Zabuza.

Kakashi landed in front of Zabuza, his sharingan now uncovered, and watched him waiting for Zabuza to make a move. "That's quite the kid you got there Kakashi" Zabuza said with a smile "it's a shame I'm going to have to kill her."

Kakashi sensed Naruto coming back and decided to attack to keep Zabuza's attention "Water Style: Water Bullet"

Zabuza countered with his own Water Style jutsu "Water Style: Water Wall." The jutsu collided sending water everywhere and blocking Zabuza's visibility for just a second, a second Naruto used. As the water went down four Naruto's shot right toward Zabuza converging on him in the blink of an eye assaulting him with a barrage of attacks from all sides. Zabuza dodged and blocked with all of his skill, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up. Zabuza risked a small opening kicking one of the clones in the chest causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke. Unfortunately for Zabuza one of the clones was able to capitalize on the attack and slashed him across the chest. He was able to avoid severe damage by bending backward and countered by swinging his sword around and slashing the clone with his sword.

A second later Zabuza's eyes widened as he heard Kakashi call "Water Style: Giant Vortex jutsu." Zabuza and both Naruto's were engulfed in the giant vortex of water as it shot out of the lake tearing apart the forest as it went.

"That was close, you almost got me" Kakashi spun around to see Zabuza standing there with a smirk Kakashi cursed on the inside 'damn he must have been able to substitute away.' Zabuza span around as he felt yet another Naruto land behind him, his eyes widened when he saw she was covered in paper bombs. Zabuza quickly put his sword between himself and the shadow clone an instant before it exploded, violently throwing him across the water to the other side of the lake.

Zabuza stumbled to his feet now bleeding from several gashes over his body, he had burns on his right shoulder and arm and at least a few broken ribs. He wasn't given a chance to rest as Naruto landed a few feet away with a sick grin on her demon like face "I call them suicide clones, you like?" she didn't give him a chance to answer before she went in to continue the attack, forcing him back onto the lake. Zabuza blocked and dodged every strike but he could feel his body giving out he couldn't keep this up, they had him on the defensive from the beginning and he hadn't gotten the chance to go on the offensive the whole fight.

As if to reiterate the rest of the fight he felt Kakashi send another jutsu at him from behind "Water Style: Water Dragon jutsu." Naruto jumped away and started going through her own hand seals as Zabuza brought his sword up to protect him from Kakashi's water dragon. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame jutsu" Naruto shot the searing flame toward the exposed Zabuza who quickly let the chakra out of his feet allowing him to fall into the water allowing the two jutsu to collide. The jutsu hit each other causing steam to go everywhere, drastically reducing visibility, just how Zabuza liked it.

Sasuke had been the watching the fight from the side lines only not joining because it really looked like it was going their way and he had orders to stay put and guard Tazuna. When the jutsu hit and the steam went everywhere Sakura was the only think kept him in his place, as he was about to rush in Sakura grabbed his arm "Sasuke! We were told to stay put, I know you're worried but if anyone can handle this it's Naruto, and she has Kakashi backing her up we have to stay put."

Sasuke grimaced but finally nodded "I guess you're right" a few seconds later he heard Naruto scream and glared at Sakura "Does it sound like she's fine!" he yelled at her before charging into the mist to look for Naruto.

Zabuza climbed back onto the lake's surface, he had to act fast this steam wouldn't last long, if he wanted to use it his advantage he needed to do it fast. Zabuza quickly found where his opponents were and decided to go after Naruto who was much closer. Naruto stood on the water's surface looking around trying to locate Zabuza, she knew he was still alive and she wasn't going to let him get away. She felt a sudden pain on the right half of her chest and coughed up blood before looking down to see Zabuza's blade sticking through her chest.

"You were good kid, but not goo—" Zabuza was cut off as Naruto let out a wail and shockwave of chakra so powerful it sent him several yards back leaving his sword impaled in Naruto's chest. Naruto then put her hands in the familiar cross for the shadow clone jutsu and clone appeared behind her. The clone grabbed the handle of Zabuza's blade and ripped it out of Naruto's chest causing her to scream in pain. After the sword was out a visible cloak of red chakra formed around Naruto and she turned to Zabuza who was laying wide eyed on the lake's surface. She had never looked more like a demon than at this moment her hair was flailing about like it was in water and she almost glowed with hate and bloodlust. She glared at Zabuza for a moment before taking his sword from her clone and dispelling it.

"What are you?" Zabuza said in disbelief of what he was seeing

"I already told you." she shot forward much faster than she had been before and planted her knee right into his solar plexus sending him flying back and crashing hard into a tree about 100 feet away.

Zabuza looked up with blurry eyes as the visage of the devil came into view through the steam, walking slowly towards him. "This is what a true demon looks like!" Naruto yelled as she hurled his sword right as his head. His eyes widened as he looked at his death coming at him in the form of his own sword. To Zabuza's surprised the sword impaled the tree just the left of his head just grazing his shoulder. "I'm going to saver this" Naruto said licking her lips "I'm sure you taste delicious" at that moment two senbon entered Zabuza's neck and he went limp, dead.

Naruto was stunned for a second before fury and rage refilled her, she looked to where the senbon came from to see a young ninja with a mask "You kill stealing bitch! HE WAS MINE!" Naruto screamed at the ninja who just looked at her. Naruto was about to take from this ninja what he at taken from her when she heard Kakashi call for her

"Naruto" that caused her to stop and with one last glare at the hunter ninja she released the chakra cloak and returned to her usual blue eyed self. Kakashi showed up a moment later "Naruto, what happened? Where is Zabuza?" She pointed to the limp corpse of Zabuza which was now being picked up by the ninja

"I had him, but then he showed up killed him."

Kakashi nodded to the ninja who nodded back "Naruto that is a hunter ninja from Kiri, he was doing his job killing Zabuza and disposing of the corpse."

Naruto just sneered "That would have been covered in five seconds anyway" she said as she walked away back toward the rest of the team. Kakashi spared one last glance at the Kiri hunter ninja, who was now pulling Zabuza's sword from its place in the tree, before following Naruto.

Naruto barely made it three steps away from Kakashi before Sasuke nearly crashed right into her. Sasuke skidded to a stop and grabbed Naruto by the shoulders "are you okay? I heard you scream, where is Zabuza?"

Naruto pushed his hands off "he's dead, some ass hole showed up and killed him before I got the chance."

Sasuke watched her walk past and looked to Kakashi who sighed "we can talk about it later."

As they exited the steam Sasuke noticed that Naruto's shirt and mesh armor were torn and there was dried blood and pink scar on her back "what happened? You're shirts ripped and is that a scar?"

Naruto glanced at him "Yeah, Zabuza stabbed me" she said it so nonchalantly Sasuke couldn't believe it

"he stabbed you! How are you even walking around?! That wound looks weeks old!"

Naruto simply shrugged "I heal fast." Sasuke's jaw nearly hit the ground.

As they came into view Sakura began waving her hands at them "Thank god you're all right!" she looked to Sasuke "What were you thinking rushing in like that?" then she looked at Naruto "and what the hell is wrong with you?! Attacking a veteran ninja with no regard what so ever! You're lucky you're not dead!" Naruto just glared at her with an incredibly annoyed look

"Sakura everything is fine, I honestly don't know if I could have defeated Zabuza alone and, while she shouldn't have charged in so recklessly, Naruto is more than capable in a fight" Kakashi said to calm her down. "Now let's just get to Tazuna's house so we can rest, it's been a long day." Sakura conceded and stopped talking while Tazuna led the way to his home.

Authors note: Before anyone says anything, there is a reason that people can't sense when Naruto is using the nine tails chakra and it will be explained later.