Back again with another update. This time around I've decided to up the ante and make the chapter longer as to get major events in one fell swoop. Hopefully you like it, so let's get on with it!
On with the show!
Zabuza was here! Naruto cracked his neck silently, his hands flowing around his body, searching, exploring, anything to help him. Aside him, Haku and Tenten flew to their kunai holster, equipping the knives precisely in their hands. Sharply wide eyes narrowed to the smoke puffing up softly into the sky. Repositioning themselves on either side of Naruto, they stood guard—firm legs staggered to a stronghold of a stance.
Ripping a kunai alongside a paper bomb from his holster, he too started his eyes at the rising white smoke. No telling what was to come out of there... yeah, right.
Come on, he told himself. Where are Ibiki-sensei and the anbu?
"Naruto-kun, did you see what made that explosion?" Tenten questioned.
Naruto shook his head.
"Were any of the workers over there?" Haku asked as she ever so slightly turned her head to him.
This time Naruto responded. "Not that I know of. There was no yelling when this thing went off."
Wind gusted through their skin and suddenly they were no longer a part of that world. In an instant the matter that made the three teenagers present corroded and fell to the ground, lifeless like a doll falling from its strings; they weren't there Stepping over toppled stone and never-worked material black sandals proudly strode. No silence though. No disruption of the wind. A dog wouldn't be capable of smelling them.
Ibiki would be proud. At such a young age, Naruto, Haku, and Tenten walked calmly forward as they surveyed the area.
Naruto gulped. What was in that smoke that had suddenly caused everything on that once lively bridge to ultimately fall into a coma? Could it be some sort of workers' fault that had caused an explosion, or has Zabuza already made an appearance? His fingers shook as he took another deprived and anxious drink. He gulped, again. Step. Step. Step.
Breaking the silence now would be nerve-breaking.
Haku on his right kept a calm eye, her posture unintelligible, careful movements. Surgical, almost. Hellish black hair stood tall in a bun and the proud woman she symbolized made it evident she would not be backing down any day to what was to come, for there was blood to pay. Nothing would stand in her way, of revenge, and... her eyes sipped at Naruto's visage—she would never let Zabuza touch him.
Tenten bit her lip slightly, hoping to hide her slight tremble. Calmly, the world around her slowed to a halt as she absorbed water, stone, plaster, hammers, smoke, and… blood?
Her head tipped slightly. Blood... Following the trace to a pile of crates sitting skillfully off to the side, ten feet away to her left, was a man holding his arm, fondling it with his free hand. Fumbling around, he attempted to pull something out of his arm, but with little luck. She felt him.
Turning her attention back to her situation she felt the strong feeling of helplessness creep down her spine tingling her body as if thousands of needles had just poked sickeningly down to the marrow.
"Tenten-chan, what do you see?" Naruto whispered.
"A man is bleeding off to my left."
Naruto's head leaned back. She could tell he was checking his wound.
"He'll be fine. Do you see anything in front of us?"
"No."
Naruto crept further. His feet barely touching the ground, like a ghost. The smoke imploded turning white and brushing out into the three.
Naruto's pupils stretched and turned large as he pulled Haku and Tenten close. "Stay together."
"What are Ibiki-sensei and the anbu doing? They should be guarding this area too!" Naruto added hastily.
"What are they doing?" Tenten murmured. Her brows furrowed as her eyes peered down to her feet momentarily.
Haku answered, "Zabuza and his apprentice must be giving themselves cover. Shrouding the battlefield leaves them with a bounty of options."
"Then why aren't we trying to get out of it?" Tenten said, eyeing Haku.
"Any ideas?"
"I'll tell you once I figure out what they're doing."
"Well, let's get moving then while you think." Turning around, Naruto flicked his wrist, telling the girls to follow him. Once out of the mist, shattering shock waves of attacks pounded and blasted the bridge.
What are they doing?! Naruto whipped two senbons out of his sleeves, five in total with Haku and Tenten following suit.
"I have an idea now," Tenten offered sarcastically.
"Care to tell?" Naruto requested cheekily.
Tenten merely nodded once to the battle ahead. Several of the anbu made star-like acrobats, flinging themselves around a huge sword resembling a butcher's knife, nimbly swinging themselves closer and farther as they observed Zabuza. Naruto could practically hear their thoughts firing off behind their masks.
Ibiki and another anbu both made an effort to get closer to the Kaguya brandishing bones swiftly through the air.
"So, tell me," Ibiki yelled. "Why are you going after the bridge-builder?"
He was questioning him, and rather fittingly so. He made his voice friendly, likewise making his body lax. His back even slouched. Deeply, his voice fashioned words as to look and feel warm and kindly like a viper does just after eating its meal. The anbu next to him was acting the predator, strutting back and forth, the slits of his eyes craving the boy's skin as he imagined what the anbu was doing behind the mask in actuality - probably licking his lips the way he was moving. His finger itched at the tanto strapped to his back.
Oh, he was hungry.
Licking his lips, Naruto gripped his senbons firmly—they were coming closer to their unknown queue. Then, Ibiki rushed Kimimaro and his mind pounced on the idea of helping.
"Haku-chan, Tenten-chan! C'mon!"
Rushing forth, Naruto scrambled to the scene.
"Hai, Naruto-kun!" They both yelled. Running after him, they both trailed behind him coming to nearly step on his heels. In-lined, Naruto jumped right and left staying behind Ibiki and his moving form.
His idea was to stay behind Ibiki and out of Kimimaro's sight. After all, the best surprise is one that is never seen, until it too late.
There!
He stomped savagely on his foot forcing himself to a magnanimous speed, Haku and Tenten keeping pace perfectly. As he neared Naruto could hear Ibiki's talking become louder and louder.
He was playing with him.
"Know there's no way you will get out of here. Not in one piece," Ibiki smirked sickeningly. "Oh, I know! When I get my hands on you, I will be sure to hand you over to my little friend." He held two fingers up tall. "This guy here is my little interrogating buddy. You see, when he is introduced to big meanies like you he always scrunches his little knuckles before saying hello to the middle of that big meanies chest."
He made a motion to Kimimaro and Naruto slowed to a halt. Ibiki poked out and his arm outstretched before he hooked his fingers like he had just caught something huge before ruthlessly pulling down, a mad grin blazing his face in a fiery passion. Naruto watched their sensei's technique before shortly turning to Haku to see her mesmerized.
Seems she's really getting into torture, Naruto noted.
"Well, we all knew he was creepy, but this is a new one," Tenten supplied.
"Yeah, he's just being plain creepy now," Naruto agreed.
Haku spoke up, "He's trying to implement fear into Kimimaro. Watch," she pointed out gently.
And like Haku said, Kimimaro looked disturbed, a look of perfect discomfort marring his usually passive look. Moving his mouth, he said something perfectly quiet.
Then bones. Marrow. White sticks of pure bone shot out of his body, perfectly aimed straight at Ibiki and the anbu who had begun to advance. They moved.
Naruto sprinted quickly, shooting off two senbons into Kimimaro's bicep and past his shin, into his heel. Four other metal needles soared gleefully through the air, either pairs puncturing him, crippling him.
The teenager's eyes laid wide. Eyes full of fear.
Haku took her chance, tipping her head slightly as the anbu and Ibiki made their way to his and Tenten's spot. Brushing the dust off her robe, she approached Kimimaro in an agonizingly slow pace. His face emblazoned and strict. She licked her lips.
"Are you going to do what I think you're doing, Haku?" Naruto asked, worried.
Haku nodded. "I am. There's not a better time to do this. Remember the tale I told you about my origins?"
"Yes."
Her glare couldn't have been more deathly directed at the fallen young man in front of her.
"Then do you know who left me?"
"I do."
"But did I ever tell you what they looked like?"
It was this bastard in front of her. Pathetically idle on the floor with his muscles taught and the bones inside him glazed with a special poison she concocted only a year ago. She flicked a singular senbon in his neck erecting a cry of pain.
"These two are the ones who left me."
"What?" Naruto yelled!
Haku looked back to him, settling his rage with the soft touch of her stare. She knew his intentions were good. She needed closure though. Picking at one senbon in particular, she contemplated torturing him first and then questions before deciding against that. The most effective way was to ask questions first and then torture if the bastard did not cooperate.
She ripped the senbon out of his neck painfully making sure to wriggle it out as she went.
Her next words were practiced through timed executions and tone-shifts that ultimately shook Naruto and Tenten, no matter how many times they heard it.
"Tell me. Is there a reason you are targeting my client," her voice sounded omnipotent and the utter enchanted, yet cold taste it left made Naruto nearly sick. His throat clenched.
"Will you tell me?"
No response.
Haku smiled, chilling herself to prepare for what she was going to do next. The shocker. In any other case she would have to cast a jutsu to begin the torture, in this case, though she just needed her face and the scar faintly bridging between her lips.
She removed her mask.
His reaction. Perfect. She would have taken a picture if she could have. His face contorted in an immediate recognition as he began to shed faint tears, causing the anger to swell in the pit of Haku's chest—he remembered.
Staying steady, she lithely lifted the senbon to her eyes, comfortably taking pleasure in the blood running its length, dropping to the solid stone below—she never knew she could get this sadistic.
"Now will you tell?"
Kimimaro actually flinched and attempted to muster the strength to think up something, anything to stave off the girl.
Then an idea came, his voice calm and scarred, "I am, but I need to tell you something."
Haku smiled coolly, patting the side of his face, gently gesturing for the others to come further. The poison sure was doing its job, she noted. As the others approached she felt the air distort and suddenly a large blade clashed with the ground splitting stone and flinging pieces of rubble at her. A thud and she closed her eyes. Desperately, she searched for options quickly before deviously sidestepping the blade coming down on her like a guillotine; pushing the rubble back and rocketing them towards the side of the bridge she launched herself out of the way.
"Get away!" A man roared ferociously.
Leaping back, Haku stood alongside Naruto and Tenten who eyed her carefully, starting at how different she acted. Tenten looked deeply into Haku's eyes, searching for the answer to her endeavor. Her hatred...
"That's Haku, Zabuza-sama," they heard him mutter. Haku watched his eyes clamber to her form causing her to snarl and scowl out. Arms wrapped around her.
"Wha—?"
"Calm down, Haku-chan."
Swallowing, Haku stood enthralled with the warmness of the hug, until the warmth left after a mere moment of serenity. Relaxing her muscles once more, she focused back out, voraciously staring down the ground in repent. What got into her?
Then she heard Naruto's voice, "We'll talk about this later, okay?"
Nodding to herself, she returned her attention to Zabuza and Kimimaro, who had staggered to his feet, an arm thrown tiredly around Zabuza's clenched and worn neck. It looked like Zabuza had taken the small reprieve to quickly pluck some of the senbons from his skin, throwing them to the ground behind him. He looked tired—with his eyes pulsing a veined red—he hoisted his humongous blade towards them.
"Haku?" Zabuza muttered, almost as if he was scared to know the answer.
"Yes, Zabuza-sama, she was hiding behind that mask those two were wearing," he pointed out.
Everyone stood in rapt silence in varying degrees of nervousness. The anbu numbered the same as before, only a few breathing harder than they were before.
"So, she's anbu?"
"I don't know, but there's no genin that can effectively throw senbon like that."
Naruto wrapped his hands around Haku and Tenten's waist while they waited and listened. Whatever they had to say, the squad would allow. Anything could provide a definite advantage, and by the way things were looking it seemed they would need the upper hand to come out unscathed. And from Naruto's perspective it seemed that Zabuza had fight left in him.
Kimimaro flinched slightly at that.
Tipping his head to the side, Zabuza muttered quietly, "I've never seen anbu without an animal pattern on their faces before."
"Think the boss will get angry if we abandon the mission?" Kimimaro suggested.
Zabuza reared an angry eye as Naruto thought he was about to strike his apprentice. "I told you! When we take a job we don't abandon it 'til it's complete!" What he said became incoherent as he realized they were being listened to.
The boy nodded.
Meanwhile, Ibiki coordinated silently with the anbu as they attempted to clean small gashes in their black uniforms. He wanted them to rig the area with as many traps as he could while Zabuza was pre-occupied with his macho-standoff act. With that in mind, he informed his squad of his plan.
"Here's what we're going to do," he stated quietly, eyes locked on Zabuza. "You three are going to keep these two distracted with your interrogation techniques since you won't be able to take on Zabuza by yourselves, prodigy or not," he observed Haku specifically. "Keep doing what you're doing. That was great intimidation!"
From the rubble behind the anbu, a man injured grasped his arm in complete pain, going so far as to arch his back uncomfortably against the small patch of stone laid clumsily behind him. His shirt was torn, blood seeping out of various cuts in his brown ragged shirt, short blades of rock sticking shortly out of his black leggings, then a giant gash carving to the bone made his getting to safety impossible. The showing of Zabuza and his apprentice suffered him invaluable time transitioning his small hope of life into immediate death as he would not be able to crawl away without somehow being caught in the cross-fire.
A smile lit up Konan's face as she loosed his grip on his arm. Everything was working perfectly.
Her henge had kept her safe thus far, and she was perfectly in tuned with what was happening now that she listened. It took only a second for her to replace herself with a dead-worker who had died in the blast to make her presence believable, and with the shinobi so focused on the nukenin… Zabuza… it was easy enough to stay hidden—since who in their right mind would try and detect a henge now?
It was only when one of those genin, or anbu, she thought sarcastically, was when she became slightly worried. So she acted. Brilliantly so she might add.
Ever since her childhood her friends always said she was no good at acting—well if they could look at her now! Tricking a few shinobi, a few famous ones at that, made her feel good.
"Hey! Get that guy out of here!"
Shocking her out of her mind, Konan shook her head, perfecting her facade of being in pain, she gritted out, "Focus on Zabuza. Not me. I'll be fine."
The anbu seemed to consider her words, even going so far as to turn around to continue his mission. Here Konan spread her wings, flapping for a second she flew, propelling herself into the air, allowing sweet smoky white mist to claim her in the blue skies above. She would stay high in the air, she concluded. That was the best plan. Her eyes would watch from above.
Giving an uneasy squeeze to both the girls, Naruto walked forward—Haku and Tenten following.
With a practiced breath Naruto began his training's pay-off. "Zabuza-san, Kimimaro-san. You two know you are surrounded. Whether you refuse to accept it or not you are outnumbered and outmatched."
In a cool voice Naruto continued, slowly, pouring righteous ice effortlessly into the essence of his caring voice. "It is within your power to refuse my offer of surrender," he cracked his jaw. "You could also… persuade me to leave you be, in return for information inherently related to my best-friend, Haku-chan."
"That's only if I deem worthy," Naruto added. Motioning to Haku behind him, he raised an arm tiredly towards her, waiting for her standing next to him. When she graciously blessed him with her emotionless façade, he checked her over before waving Tenten over.
Standing aside Naruto perfectly, Haku and Tenten both tipped their head opposite Naruto's straight face as if questioning Zabuza and Kimimaro. Mist collecting proportionately around the three, Haku pressed her mask back to her face—this forced a frown on both of the missing-nin. From their stances Tenten chuckled slightly joined in thereafter by her friends.
"Well—" Zabuza stood at a loss for words
"Come now, cat got your tongue?" the three said, chuckling.
Behind all of them Ibiki stood watching the scenario as closely as possible. He watched as Zabuza settled his sword down, leaving a definitive blade mark in the ground from the sheer weight. He observed the condition of Zabuza and his apprentice and smirked confidently to himself. He would need to commend his team for a work well done on their training—any other person who attempted to talk down a missing-nin like this would've shit themselves.
"Ibiki-san," an anbu greeted.
He raised a hand, silencing the anbu. "I know. Do it."
Konan's eyes widened high in the sky.
"Naruto! Move!"
Again. Konan flapped her wings helplessly, memory creatively distorting her easy-going mood effectively, creating a chaotic dystopia in her mind at the mention… Naruto…
Suddenly, a wave shocked the bridge, spewing copious water bullets high onto the bridge. Bursting in a sloppy mess like a water balloon reacts to a needle, the clear water cleaning away several large boulders of debris off and to the murky water below. Three dragons formed of water, craved flesh opposite them on the bridge—thank you, anbu.
From down below Naruto dodged, slipping every which way, and rolling to hide behind the rock wall the dragons were nearest with Haku and Tenten joining him. Haku looked to him and then to Tenten swallowing a mouthful of water she had taken by incident.
Standing there, Naruto had used the routine they had spent countless hours on. Simple, yes. But utmost effective against most—as they practiced on some willing individuals; poor Shikamaru always being so close. Zabuza had only been able to see their masks after a moment of his questioning due to Haku's great control of her ice. She could effectively spindle thousands of small ice shards to hide them with almost the same effect as a shroud of mist with the exempt purpose of actually hiding within the innards of her ice. This combined with their masks made it so that the opponent would only see the thing that made them family.
Poetic, almost.
Then again, Naruto mused, the whole plan was based around the concept that Haku's presence would throw the duo off—which it did—but then that would almost certainly conclude their technique worthless.
"Hey, Tenten-chan, Haku-chan…" He paused. What could he say?
He laid his head back, batting his eyes lightly, he drank air like some addiction. Slow. Melodious.
"Are you two thinking the same thing I am?"
"If what you're thinking is how much longer it will take to capture those two than two minutes," Tenten battered, smiling.
Haku chuckled, nodding her head.
"I agree. No ways will Zabuza or Kimimaro esca—"
"Don't let them get to Ibiki-sans students!"
Running towards them, scratched to hell, and battered to shit Zabuza and Kimimaro ran to them at full speed. Armed. Whether they liked it or not they would answer. Cursing himself, Naruto nodded to his teammates before sending hand-signals quickly to Ibiki, who was only a measly fifty yards away, Zabuza just behind him.
Stay back, find an opening, and take Zabuza down.
Behind them the three dragons dissipated, falling back into the water as they went. Good. Ibiki-sensei was listening.
"We can be the distraction again. Let's go," Naruto said, annoyed. To think he thought they were done. Reckless.
Picking himself up quickly Naruto seamlessly plucked several more senbon into his hand, awaiting his orders. The ground ahead of him glazed with water teasingly mirrored his, Haku, and Tenten's reflection as they sprinted forward to the Demon of the Bloody Mist. Spiting the ground Haku formed mirrors of ice before creating a barrier panned out like a dome around them, leaving little slits of air to come in and out; just enough to throw weapons. Tenten unwound a long manila scroll quickly spinning it around almost reviving a tornado made of sand.
Cold mist draped their dome as Zabuza and Kimimaro circled around. Their feet stomped efficiently as they moved. One little step by Tenten and one toss of her scroll and hundreds of kunai expertly pierced the icy mist circulating around them. Crying out, Kimimaro dodged and blocked several of the kunai, his own in hand—Zabuza simply outrunning the hailstorm.
Retracting her scroll, Tenten slipped several senbon into the ice storm, subtly moving just outside their barrier—twister-like debris swirled around effortlessly. An enthralling shrieking noise was her result, nodding to Naruto and Haku.
"Stay on them using your scrolls, Tenten-chan," Naruto stated.
Turning to Haku, Naruto merely smiled before giving her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder, not wanting to disturb her concentration.
"Alright. We're going on offense, Naruto-kun. Haku-chan can go ahead and control her ice and we'll slip in some attacks while we can!"
Naruto grinned softly.
Outside Konan watched from above in rapt attention.
Naruto? No way, not in hell.
Regarding the battle closely below, Konan flew serenely above the clouds, making sure to stay between the cracks of clouds, and with the mist there she sent wads of her paper to make a clean viewing area by clearing some of the mist. In her position the skies were not by any means clear and the mist below only served to annoy her further. She watched as the anbu took on the missing-nin with little more success than earlier—which wasn't saying much.
"Damnit! Hurry up already!"
Wide-eyed Konan's mouth cracked open into a shocked state. Zabuza and Kimimaro were running towards the three who were hiding against a wall. She continued to watch. An ice dome formed almost immediately. Shots of Kunai. Lots of them.
Stopping in her tracks, dissuading the wind from continuing its track, she watched as the barrier broke down.
And then a flash of red.
Well I hoped you all enjoyed the chapter after my long silence. Anyone who wishes to know I was in Limbo with how much homework I was dealing with at the time, not to mention fund-raisers, and then finally training. It's been exhausting, far more than I wish to express. Anyways, if you could:
R&R and PM, it does help.
See ya!