Drifting

by AlphaDelta1001

Naruto is many things; troublesome, wild, unpredictable, adventurous, untamable, unique. But there's a benefit to being wild and unpredictable; no one has the faintest idea what you're going to do next. NarutoHarem

13. Land of Waves Arc - Mist VS Red Cloud

NARUTO

Drifting

Mist Versus the Red Cloud

The very next morning…

Situated on another part of the island, ways out of the way of Gato's mansion and Zabuza's home, and concealed beneath a large tree behind a thick metal door, there sat an elaborate underground complex.

With supporting walls hammered together out of wood, positioned in a way that it looked to have been constructed on a tight budget in a short period of time and with a handful of chambers making up its interior, the base stood as one of many small laboratories and outposts' setup by one Lord Orochimaru. Dank, hidden under the thick roots of a massive fig, and carrying the constant stench of decay in the air, every aspect of the hideout spoke of the Sannin in some way. It practically fitted his character to a T, yet he wasn't the one currently inhabiting its rooms.

When it was first established, the powerful shinobi formerly of Konohagakure left it in the care of one of his most trusted servants. It was a branch of study he'd hoped would continue his cultivation of an entity capable of surviving in the harshest of environments; the sea being one of the many he wished to conquer one day. The head of the department Amachi, for many years now has been focusing on the creation of a being able to transform their body freely into that of an amphibious creature capable of breathing, hunting and living underwater.

It was an elaborate process. This research would not only help in the production of a new form of shinobi, one able to stretch the boundaries of what humans were capable of, but open the doors to a whole range of possibilities. This was why Orochimaru was investing so much time and effort into the project, because he wished to unlock these doors and gain access to them with his own body.

This was also the reason why he sent his most loyal subordinate, Kimimaro, to check on the facility and to get an update on their progress.

Several levels down, in the main laboratory where all the testing and blending took place, the white haired Kaguya himself stood waiting inside of the dark chamber, looking at all the tanks and knickknacks lying around him. To him, the sight of all the dead animals, body parts and vials of ooze strewn about the place were familiar and not at all unusual. Having spent a lot of his time in facilities very similar to this one, he wasn't put-off or thrown by the odd collection of research material in the slightest. He was even able to stomach the organs he was able to see from his spot and merely eyed them with a level of indifference.

After about half an hour of waiting, Kimimaro then had his attention drawn to one of the room's many entrances to see his host Amachi and his right-hand girl Isaribi emerge from the dark. Carrying in his arms a steel cylinder of sorts, the medical nin stood before the envoy and handed him the object, which the boy took without hesitation.

"These are the samples Orochimaru has been expecting from me," Amachi exclaimed, nodding to the package as Kimimaro analyzed it carefully. "Master has been investing a lot of interest in unification and refinement lately, particularly in animals and entities of an unconventional nature. I was finally able to figure out the formula for perfect convergence, one that would not only grant him the abilities from the subject he desires but leave the original physical structure of the user unaltered. I'm sure he'll be most pleased."

Blinking at the small tube, Kimimaro nodded before pocketing it. After which he then turned to Isaribi, whom he saw walk over and hand him a couple of scrolls. When the timid girl stepped back, Amachi gestured towards the new items in his grip.

"My research notes pertaining to the samples I just gave you," the medical nin replied, slipping his hands into his pockets. "They're but a first edition to the untold number of discoveries I wish to make in the foreseeable future. I only hope I can count on Orochimaru-sama's continued support in the matter."

Kimimaro acknowledged his good words with a silent stare before turning his eyes back onto the bandaged Isaribi. Seeing the girl shrink under his gaze, the boy frowned, "Are you happy with the work you are doing for Orochimaru-sama?"

Feeling the eyes of the Kaguya bore into her like drills and the crushing sensation of his presence fall upon her, Isaribi glanced up at him meekly while trying to make herself look as small as possible. "Y-Yes."

Kimimaro allowed a small smile to cross his face, "Rest assured; it is all for a good cause. Master only wishes to learn everything he can about the world and its secrets, so that he can one day conquer the strong that stand above the others and bring about a new era of peace and understanding."

Gazing at the older boy, Isaribi saw Kimimaro beaming at her with unwavering eyes. Despite the kindness he showed on the outside, underneath his gaze the girl saw the eyes of a man devoted entirely to his cause. It would only take a single word from the man he served to will this person to move, and Isaribi was certain from looking into the boy's irises that he was capable of laying waste to everything in his path.

His presence was choking, something that neither she nor Amachi could ignore. After all, they both knew he was Orochimaru's best and most powerful soldier. The teen was frighteningly assertive with his physical state and wasn't at all hesitant about making his existence known to all those in the room.

"Your work here will help uncover these wonders for Orochimaru-sama and elevate him to a higher plain of existence, one that will benefit the entire shinobi world," Kimimaro stated, pocketing the two scrolls as well and turning back to the head of the facility. "From what I can see with my own two eyes you are continuing to be of great service to our master."

"Indeed," the researcher exclaimed with a friendly visage. "I only wish I can do more for him."

"Perhaps one day you will," Kimimaro stated, looking between the pair before cutting his eyes fully towards Isaribi. "We are all destined for many great things. I believe this to be true, and that I am destined to serve my master to the end of time and to see that all of his dreams are realized."

"Well then, I pray for your continued success and hard work for Orochimaru-sama," Amachi bowed. "I hope this has been an enlightening trip for you."

"My many thanks for your hospitality," Kimimaro bowed in kind before looking around the lab once again, making one last check of everything and ensuring he had all details covered. "I believe I have seen all that I need to see here. If there is anything else you wish to report, do so now before I take my leave."

"Not at all," Amachi replied, at the same time turning to look down at the girl standing obediently beside him. "Your work for today is done here, Isaribi. You may return home."

Blinking, the girl glanced at her superiors before focusing on the medical nin once more, "W-What about your promise?"

The man laid a hand atop her head and patted it gently, "All in good time. Now go on." Amachi gently nudged her towards the exit, which the girl reluctantly approached. After looking back one last time at the high-standing individuals in the chamber, she then disappeared through the archway and around the bend.

Watching the girl leave with baited curiosity, Kimimaro glanced towards the head of the base and expressed his interest gently, "What is this 'promise' you made to her?"

Amachi smirked cockily, sensing his subordinate was now out of their reach, "I said to her months ago that if she continued to work for Orochimaru-sama and me that I would one day cure her of her condition."

"Condition?"

"She was the first of many test subjects in master's attempt to create a superb being capable of living and fighting underwater. Unfortunately… she is a… imperfect specimen; one who is unable to completely transform back into a human. In reality she's actually distorting the line between man and monster."

"She is defective then?" Kimimaro asked.

The scientist shrugged carelessly, "Of course, but she's still useful to me. She follows orders like a good girl and acquires all the material I need for my research."

"Then why aren't you helping her?" Kimimaro inquired in puzzlement. "Haven't you discovered a solution to her problem yet?"

Amachi let out a harsh laugh and looked around the lab grandiosely. "Not at all. To be frank, I haven't even bothered to look for a cure." He glanced back at the boy with a dark look in his eyes. "Why would I want to search for a solution and lose a good servant when I can just continue to bribe her into working for me? She's just a failed experiment, a project gone wrong… trash on the side of the road."

Kimimaro blinked in surprise. "You say she is trash, yet you keep her around."

"Look, the only worth she really has is to be recycled. Once she has done everything she can for me and her usefulness has run its course, I will dissect her and use her to further my experiments. That way I won't have to waste a single cell of her," Amachi chuckled, turning to face the boy fully once again. "After all, this is all for Orochimaru-sama."

Hearing this earned a moment of silence from the teen. After considering the man's words carefully and the point he was making, the envoy then nodded in understanding. "We must do what we can for our master."

Amachi chuckled, "That's what I thought."

While the scientist and Kimimaro concluded their business in the main lab and the former left through another exit to collect the rest of his research notes, unbeknownst to both of them, behind the archway she had walked through Isaribi stood quietly, having hung back long enough to listen to what they had to say.

After hearing what her handler said to Orochimaru's most loyal servant, the girl quickly fell into complete and utter shock. Pressed up against the wall with her body trembling and fingers clenching, the purple haired chimera slowly slid down to the floor and gripped her hair in bunches.

She couldn't wrap her head around it. Eyes wide in disbelief, Isaribi attempted to process everything that she had heard with everything she had done in the past couple of years. From what she could figure, all of the work she had seen through, all of the crimes she had committed and all of the people she had hurt to get to where she was right now, all in the name of this Lord Orochimaru person, it had all been for naught? The promises that had been made to her; they had all been empty promises?

"H-How could they…?"

The road she had been walking down this entire time she had originally believed to be her salvation. She thought that if she'd continued to do the best she could for these people that they would cure her of her disease and release her from this curse that had been so cruelly thrust upon her. But in reality, all of that hard work, all it led her towards was nothing; just a cliff at the end with a long drop and her demise.

All Amachi had been doing was wearing her out and using her to fulfill his own ends. Instead of finding a solution for her, he'd found a different use for her, a use that lay at the end of a knife.

Tears brimming in her eyes, Isaribi thought back to all the blood and sweat she had shed, and the people that had pushed her away, shunned her, and ridiculed her. The eyes that looked at her on the streets, the sneers and the terrified faces of civilians, all of it came back to her all at once and filled her head and heart with despair. Sobs starting to make their way to the surface, the girl's hopes for escape from this retched world plummeted. At the same time, a sense of dread befell her as she began to believe that all was lost for her… that there was no light for her at the end of this tunnel…

Only nothingness. A life filled with sorrow and loneliness…

However, as despair and anguish started to take her over and consume her, in that very instant she remembered one other thing.

Out of all the clutter and darkness of her past, a small glimmer of hope suddenly emerged; a single speck of light that gleamed through the black. This came to her in the form of a recent memory, of a person who came to her and sat with her, treated her like a person and accepted her for who she was. The face of a grinning, blonde haired boy appeared in her head, one that had Isaribi look up in stunned surprise when she remembered his words.

"If you need any help Isaribi-chan, don't be afraid to come find me, okay?"

"N-Naruto-kun?"

Out of all the misery and desolation that came to her, why did his face appear? Was it her mind responding to her in the search of a way out? A lingering thought? Memory? Something she thought might comfort her in her time of need?

Having been alone all this time and treated as an outcast, she'd grown to distrust the world and its people. As a result, she felt no need for comfort and didn't give any to herself. Maybe it was because of this the boy's voice resonated so strongly in her head, because he had been the only, sole comforting voice she'd heard in a long, long time.

Whatever the answer was, Isaribi realized it was not over for her yet. No.

There was still one person out of the entire world out there who held out hope for her; a person who could help her. She wasn't just going to sit here and cry, nor was she going to offer herself up as a piece of meat to the people using her. No way. Not to these liars and definitely not to this Orochimaru. If there was no light at the end of this path, then she needed to find another.

Wanting to see Naruto's gentle, reassuring smile again, Isaribi bucked up whatever strength she could muster and prepared to leave. However, before she could make her way to the ocean-direct exit of the facility, she suddenly heard a commotion in the room behind her and stopped. Quickly and carefully, the girl peered around the archway and back into the lab, wondering what all the scuffling she could hear was about.

When she did, Isaribi caught a glimpse of the events taking place beyond the threshold, a sight which had her eyes widen in terror.

Standing in the middle of the room with a look of surprise on his face, Kimimaro glared towards the archway Amachi had exited through a few minutes ago. It was there the Kaguya saw that the man had returned, but for some strange reason was standing there, still as a statue, with a hole in his stomach and looking back at him with dead eyes.

After remaining upright in place for a few more seconds, swaying a couple of times, the medical nin finally tipped over, hitting the ground with a deafening thud.

When the body fell, the dead Amachi revealed that a new figure had in fact been standing behind him in the shadows of the corridor. This stranger stood at the same height as Amachi, so he had been able to conceal himself until the grand curtain fell. Wearing a long black cloak with red clouds and a mask that concealed much of his face and head, the person stepped out of the darkness and into the dull light of the laboratory. Looking around in momentary interest, his eyes then locked onto Kimimaro positioned directly before him in the chamber.

"Well, isn't this interesting," the deep, menacing voice of Kakuzu filled the room as he approached the still cool-looking Kaguya. "And here I was beginning to think I had just found Zabuza Momochi's new hideout, but it turns out to be somebody else's…" Stopping several meters out from the albino, he looked the boy up and down before taking careful note of the purple rope wrapped around his waist. "To think that Orochimaru actually had a base setup all the way out here in this dead-end of a country."

Kimimaro's glare hardened, knowing full well exactly who he was currently addressing and the organization he represented. In spite of this, he showed no signs of fear or any intentions of backing down whatsoever. That was not his call to make. "What business does Akatsuki have here in the Land of Waves?"

"Oh, nothing much. I'm just here on a little hunting trip with my mentally handicapped teammate. I was actually in the process of searching for my prey's nest and just happened to stumble upon this place by accident," Kakuzu replied offhandedly, his green eyes hardening on the youngster. "I believe this is something of good fortune to me, since my group has been chasing up any leads that they can regarding the location of one of our former members for quite some time now…" The bounty hunter said this next bit with a little more venom in his voice. "Being one of his lackeys, you should know exactly who I'm talking about. Why don't you tell me where your boss is hiding and I will let you leave here with your life."

Eyes narrowing dangerously, Kimimaro rolled his left shoulder, shrugging off his robe in that area before a loud creaking sound echoed out. A second later, a white protrusion of some sorts suddenly poked out of his collar before he reached up with his right hand, grabbed it, and yanked it out, revealing it to be a sharp, white blade comprised entirely of bone. Upon drawing this weapon, he took a balanced stance and glared his foe down with the coldest gaze he could muster.

"My sole reason for existing is in service of my master," Kimimaro said with a cool yet firm voice, which carried the spit of a threat. "No one, not even Akatsuki trash like you, will be able to get that kind of information out of me. All of you are so far beneath his greatness you won't be able to lay even one finger on him.…"

"That's not what I heard from Itachi-san," Kakuzu chuckled darkly, tilting his head to the side. "From what I was told, your boss isn't as untouchable as the Sannin legends say he is. The snake took off with his tail hanging between his legs the moment he had his hand lopped off by his former partner. That's pretty laughable if you ask me. Does he still have the ring that was attached to it? We would really like to have that back."

Kimimaro frowned as he seized the shadowy figure up. Ignoring the besmirching information regarding his beloved leader being shot back at him, the white haired boy decided to spin a little spiders silk himself. "Your organization was of no interest to my master, nor were its miniscule goals. After all, you mongrels are only focused on hunting down those tailed beasts and their human containers, the jinchuriki. With such narrow-minded ambitions, it doesn't surprise me one bit that Orochimaru-sama only wished to hasten the progress of his own aspirations by acquiring some of your secrets for his own use."

Eyes widening, Isaribi pulled back a little and searched her memories quickly. "Akatsuki… hunting tailed beasts and jinchuriki?" That's right. Naruto was a jinchuriki.

What the hell did these people want with him?

"Your reputation precedes you, Kakuzu of Takigakure," Kimimaro exclaimed, seeing the man remain still in his place. "I hope you don't think I should fear you because of that."

Kakuzu breathed an exhausted sigh and cracked his neck to the side carelessly. As much as he liked banter with his opponents on occasion, this kid was so turned around it was like trying to convince a fulltime and ardent smoker to stop smoking. "I guess we'll be doing this the hard way then." The masked bounty hunter glared across at the teen as he set himself for battle. "This whole hunt for the Demon of the Hidden Mist has been starting to grind on me. It will do me a world of good to take some of my frustrations out on one of Orochimaru's lap dogs."

"I can assure you that you will not find me to be an easy opponent," Kimimaro stated calmly. "If that is what you are hoping for than I'm afraid you're to be sorely disappointed."

"Personally I prefer that my targets lasts more than just a few seconds in a fight. It gives me something to vent on while I make a mockery of their abilities," Kakuzu exclaimed, looking the youngster over. "You're a descendent from the Kaguya Clan, its sole surviving member… and an inheritor of their feared kekkei genkai, I see." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "It's been a while since I last fought one of your clansmen wielding your unique bloodline… about fifty years by my estimate."

Kimimaro frowned, "You seem very knowledgeable about me."

"I am," Kakuzu stated while holding up his right hand. When he did, his dark skin turned a grayish black as he formed a fist, which he bucked towards his opponent threateningly. "And I'll tell you this now… the one that I squared off with all those years ago didn't end up living for very long after facing me. Your fate will be the same as hers, boy."

"We'll see," Kimimaro replied.

The moment the Kaguya said that, he sprang forth from his spot and charged, spinning his bone blade in his hand before swiftly lunging with it at the Akatsuki member. Kakuzu effortlessly blocked it with his bare hand, a loud clang ringing out as sparks flew between them. In the midst of the exchange Kimimaro glared furiously yet calmly at his opponent, who in turn stared back with his unreadable, blank gaze.

Feeling the pressure building between the two combatants and the situation starting to become noticeably more dangerous, Isaribi quickly decided to take her leave so as to not get caught in the crossfire. Since neither of them knew she was still there she knew she was safe, and with the information she had been able to acquire from them, would be able to stay ahead of whoever these Akatsuki people were.

Dashing down the corridor and down the stairs, Isaribi headed for the exit as swiftly as she could.

She had to warn Naruto…

OOO

Meanwhile…

Across the channel…

Sitting up in a tree overlooking a large waterfront with a handful of ferries docked at the number of peers leading out over the water, the plucky, red haired kunoichi Tayuya sat quietly overlooking the area. After a full afternoon and night of hard running across the country, the musician soon found herself on the southern coast in the area of the Land of Wave.

It didn't take her long to find the exact channel leading between the mainland and the island nation, with the latter being a little bit closer to where she was then she originally thought. It was about a kilometer across; nothing too major. However, as soon as she arrived at the nearest port with ferries scheduled to make trips to and from the neighboring country, she found her route blocked by a very familiar sight.

Mercenaries and staff working under the Gato banner marching all around the water front. Any and all stations selling tickets for passage across to the other side of the causeway were being run by Gato Shipping and Transport, a view that Tayuya hated with a passion.

Apparently the memories of what had been done to her by similar goons working for the same man were still fresh in her mind, feelings she had to keep tightly bound on a leash to prevent her from going down there and laying waste to the entire place.

There were a few regular civilians walking around amongst the thugs, all of whom were looking a little stressed out due to the presence of the muscle. This illustration alone was more than enough for Tayuya to determine that things around this part of the Land of Fire and ocean front were more than just a bit strenuous. It was like déjà vu, a repeat of what the Land of the Great River had been like two years ago, except this one was being covered up a lot better than the other country.

It appeared that Gato had learned a thing or two about setting up shop and lynching money from the people from past experience. The port she was looking at appeared fine from a distance, but on closer inspection of the staff, workmen and civilians, things were beyond normal.

The fire breasted swallow sitting on the branch beside her chirped quietly, which got a nod from the kunoichi. Though Tayuya couldn't understand the bird, she got the gist of what she was probably saying to her.

"I can't believe shithead made it through there without being discovered," Tayuya whispered, glaring up and across towards the island in the distance. Due to the morning mist covering the water, it made surveying the various sea patrols along the way a little more challenging. "The transporter must have had special clearance. Only people who are invited are going to get through there without any hassles."

Putting a hand over her eyes, Tayuya looked to her left across the port and down the coast, where she could see a few more boats docked a little ways away, as well as what she guessed were a few patrol vessels.

She had to admit, Gato really knew how to dress up his security. All of the smaller boats she could see out on the channel through the fog were there to keep the troublemakers out and the customers in.

"It's like trying to sneak into a damn fortress," Tayuya murmured, biting her teeth together. While she knew a shinobi would be able to get through this blockade easily, it still looked like a harrowing venture. "That weasel really knows how to grate on people. What am I supposed to do?"

She wasn't going to be just satisfied with sneaking in. Oh no. Looking down at the seaport below, she could see the mercenaries strutting about like they owned the place and how they came off as so untouchable. That shit just wasn't going to fly with Tayuya. She needed to do something about them otherwise they were going to continue harassing the people in this region, as well as anyone coming in and out of the area.

So, quickly deciding on an appropriate course of action to take, Tayuya allowed a smirk to cross her face as she pulled out her flute. She looked across at Swift to see the bird ruffle her feathers and ready her wings to go.

"Want to help?" She saw the bird nod and whistle brightly, resulting in her grin widening. "Alright. Let's raise some hell."

She needed to perform a little reconnaissance. But once she was certain of the number of people here and who she was dealing with, soon this port was going to be hers.

Unlike Naruto, she had her own way of beating the shit out of cannon fodder…

OOO

Sometime later…

On another far part of the island, up in the enormous mansion built for the billionaire shipping magnate in charge of all business in the area, it was just another regular morning. Waking to the sound of his alarm clock going off and getting ready in the usual manner with help from his servants, the boss of Gato International, Gato himself, slowly headed down to his office for a long day of 'work.' What with all the things that had been going on in the past couple of days, cutting payroll, firing people, and hiring terrifying bounty hunters to take care of some local problems, you could say the man had a bit of paperwork to get through.

However, instead of sitting down and getting right to it, the man instead decided to start the day off with a healthy breakfast. Once again calling upon the aid of his servants, Gato ordered a delightful Western style meal with orange juice, a treat only he could enjoy with the amount of wealth he possessed in such a poor nation. Pulling up the paper as he kicked back in his swivel-capable chair, the boss looked out the window as the day slowly pulled into early noon just a few hours away.

While he sat and enjoyed himself under the glow of the rising sun, Gato was soon joined by Waraji and Zori, both of whom went about occupying themselves in the office however they could. They pulled up to their table on the side of the chamber and had their own breakfast over a game of dominoes. It was routine for them as well, with nothing pressing taking place in those first couple of hours to warrant any concern or action.

However, while looking up the economy section of the newspaper to check on his stocks, the magnate suddenly heard the buzzer on his desk ring. Moaning in annoyance, the man folded up the paper, sat forward and jabbed his finger on the button, silencing the noise.

"What?"

"Hey uh, boss, umm… sorry to disturb you, but uhh…"

The business owner rolled his eyes, "What is it? Speak up."

"There's… this uhh… kid at the front gate here to see you. Umm… he says he has an appointment with you."

Raising an eyebrow, Gato looked over at his two henchmen. Having heard the voice over the com, both Waraji and Zori shrugged, as neither of them knew anything about any visitors or appointments. Taking this as his answer and not knowing anything about this, the mogul returned to answer the speaker.

"My book says there's no appointments listed. Tell the brat to buzz off!"

"Right'o, boss." 'Click'

Gato groaned as he sat back in his chair, picking up his paper again and unfurling it, "Sometimes the people I hire just don't know how to use channels at all. If there's an issue regarding a customer, contact my fucking secretary. There's a perfectly good one in the lobby." Licking his finger he turned the page, not really interested in dealing with employee competence at the moment.

Seeing their boss return to his business, Waraji and Zori did the same.

The next several minutes passed by in relative silence, with Gato's breakfast soon arriving to be laid out before him. As he dug in with his fork and continued to read the paper, about fifteen minutes of silence later, there was a knock on the door. Groaning again at the person's failed use of the buzzer, he turned towards the entrance and growled.

"What is it this time?!"

Watching the handle turn, the three men in the room then saw a woman's head poke into view. Recognizing her as the secretary, Waraji and Zori sat back and continued drinking their juice, while their boss welcomes the sight of his cute desk assistant.

"Uh Gato, sir," the woman spoke up.

"Yes, Sonia, what is it?" Gato asked, lying back while watching the lady with brown hair and wearing a brown suit step fully into view. She was lucky she was so attractive otherwise he would have thrown the book at her.

"You have a visitor, sir."

"If this is Klaus's vice president coming to discuss new agreements, tell him I'm busy," the short man dismissed with a wave while picking up his own drink.

"Well umm," Sonia continued while stepping aside even more, grabbing the door handle to pull it further open. "It's not a representative, sir. He says he's family."

"Family?" Gato recoiled slightly in his seat while holding his glass. "I don't have any siblings, and father died long ago…" The exact cause of death was shrouded in mystery, but that wasn't important right now.

Whining uncomfortably, the secretary then decided to open the door completely, where Gato then saw a few of his guards standing in an orderly fashion, inside the frame, at attention. Upon being revealed, the three burly looking men dressed in suits, stared lifeless across at the befuddled tyrant before, at the exact same time as each other, keeled over. When their bodies slammed into the ground with three simultaneous thumps, they revealed a boy of around eleven years old or so, dressed in orange with a mop of yellow spiky hair on his head, standing atop their backs proudly with his chest puffed out.

Foot placed on the back of one of the men's craniums he was astride, the familiar, whisker-marked face of one Naruto Uzumaki came into view, a sight that had Gato's eyes widen in horror and the grip around his glass of orange juice loosen. His morning drink bounced off his desk and shattered on the ground, spilling its contents everywhere.

The jinchuriki grinned widely as he came face to face with his longtime enemy, before throwing his hands out grandly, "Aww, come on Gato! Don't you remember me?"

Both Waraji and Zori, in the middle of drinking, spat out the juice in their mouths in shock and coughed when some of it went down the wrong way. Immediately upon recovering, both men leapt to their feet and gripped the handles of their swords in preparation for attack. Before they could even draw them however, Naruto had already swiped his hand through the air and fired off two projectiles at them.

The fast moving balls smacked the pair in their faces and exploded, splattering unidentifiable ooze across their gobs. Unable to gasp due to the their mouths being covered, both men dropped their weapons and, in a panic, tried to rip the gunk off, only to have their hands glued to the same shit when they reached up to grip it. Staggering and struggling to breathe, they collapsed to their knees as Naruto hopped off of his previous victims and, hands resting comfortably in his pockets, strolled across the carpet towards Gato's desk.

By the time he arrived within a few feet of the station, both Waraji and Zori were out cold on the floor, having panicked into unconsciousness due to a significant lack of oxygen.

All of this commotion didn't seem to bother the still present Sonia in the least, who stood by the open doors looking a little bit bewildered.

Gato however, knew exactly what was going on and backed up into his chair as much as he could. Unfortunately for him, his chair didn't have wheels and as a result, he was left to sink into it as Naruto casually hopped onto his desk and, hands still sheathed, marched over to his side of it. Kneeling down, the blonde came in close proximity with his prey and grinned when he saw sweat begin pouring down the magnate's terrified face.

Gulping, Gato gave a mouse-like squeak. He couldn't talk normally anymore due to the fact he suddenly found himself afflicted by an uncommon case of dread and foreshadowing. "Y-You… w-what…"

"Yes~" Naruto said slowly, encouraging the man to continue.

Gato gulped deeply, "W-What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Naruto began, "Enjoying the sights, beating the shit out of your thugs…" His grin grew a few centimeters wider, "Visiting old friends."

"Y-Y-You're…" the magnate stammered, "Th-That brat…"

The jinchuriki nodded while giving his characteristic fox-like smile, "Naruto Uzumaki; local super hero and employee of the month, at your service."

Ignoring the rest of it, all the magnate could do was essentially wet his pants as he saw the blonde place a finger on his chin and look up thoughtfully. The company boss was shaking so much it was almost like he was having a seizure.

"Hmm," the jinchuriki murmured curiously. "Now let me see… what is it that I normally do when I run into an old friend I haven't seen in two years, particularly one responsible for putting me and Tayuya-chan through all that shit from before." Thinking on it a little, Naruto then made an expression of sudden realization and snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah… that's right." He looked back at the boss. "I knock their lights out!"

Before he knew it, all Gato saw next was the Cheshire grin that appeared across Naruto's visage, followed shortly by the blonde's fist filling his vision when it impacted against his face and knocked him backwards, along with his chair. After a dull thud echoed throughout the room, Gato soon found himself on the floor, on his back, with his glasses shattered, nose broken, teeth missing, and a fist imprint in his face.

Shaking his left fist out, the blonde smiled down at his handiwork and said, "That was for Tayuya," before looking over at the secretary, who had watched the entire scene with great interest.

The jinchuriki had been grateful for the fact that the lady up front was actually an islander and had been forced into working for Gato when he took over, otherwise getting past her would have been hell.

Nevertheless, getting up here had been no trouble at all, which had Naruto beam back at the assistant and give her a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Sonia."

The woman in the suit smiled brightly in response, "Anytime, Mister Naruto."

OOO

Outside Gato's mansion…

The area in front of the estate's gates was currently the site of utter chaos and ruin.

After informing Gato that he had a visitor and being informed in kind that there were no visitors scheduled for that hour, the guards at the front of the mansion had then gone through the excruciating effort of attempting to harry Naruto off of the property. This turned out to be a futile venture as the jinchuriki not only stubbornly refused to move from his spot, but after having over a dozen knives and weapons drawn on him, the kid proceeded to beat the stuffing out of every man in sight.

The gate guards were the first to go, which in turn heralded the arrival of dozens more men that had been strutting about the estate and watching the walls. However, despite the sheer numbers that came out of the woodwork to deal with the intruder, Naruto defeated each and every single one of them swiftly without even breaking a sweat. While some of the more burly and larger than normal mercenaries proved a bit more of an obstacle to climb, the blonde downed them with a few quick shots to the stomach, liver and spleen, before hitting them across the head.

Sure he could have used shadow clones, but none of them gave him the exact same satisfaction he got caving in faces with his own two hands.

Eventually, the entire courtyard was littered with unconscious and badly beaten brutes. After which, Naruto then marched his way into the lavish home, asked the nice secretary lady at the lobby-like entrance to take him up to Gato, and kicked the shit out of all the men he bumped into on the way there.

This all eventually culminated in his current situation. After sacking the shipping magnate and his goons stationed in the room, Naruto then tied the boss up, removed the gunk from the two unconscious swordsmen's faces, tied them up, left them against the wall, and dragged Gato's gagged and bound body back to ground level. He wasn't going to kill him or the muscle… not yet anyway. If this nation was ever going to get back to its feet, he was going to let the people get their chance to deal some justice. All he did was soften them up a little.

Naruto returned to the gate at the front to find all of the mercenaries he'd left scattered across the yard still in their places, to which he gave a single look over before summoning a plethora of shadow clones to gather them up and bind them.

Once everyone was shoved up against a far wall, Naruto then proceeded to carry Gato's body over his shoulder through the gates towards the village. However, just before he could get fifty paces out of the entrance, he suddenly felt a small presence approaching him from the lowlands and looked in the direction of said beacon.

Several seconds later, upon picking up the person's signature on the wind, he spotted a very familiar figure emerge from the nearby forests, sprinting towards him. When Naruto saw the person cart to a stop in front of him, he smiled when he saw that his hunch as to the identity of the person had been right on the mark. "Isaribi-chan. What's up?

Out of breath and sweating, the exhausted, purple-haired teen slowly looked up at the boy from her hunched over position and locked onto his eyes. Though she was all kinds of amazed to have actually found him here after splitting up from him further down the road a day ago, she was still composed and clear-minded enough to remember why she'd ran all the way up here to Gato's residence in search of him.

She had intended to start looking for him here when she arrived, since she was the one who gave him directions to this place. How lucky was she to actually meet him here the day after?

"N-Naruto," Isaribi gasped, wiping moisture from her brow with her gauze covered arm. Recovering as best she could, she braced herself where she was doubled-over, "I need to tell you… y-you're in danger."

"Huh? Me?" Naruto asked, unceremoniously dropping Gato's unconscious body to the floor like a bag of flour. It hit the ground like a bag of flour too from the thud that rang out, but neither teen seemed to notice or care. "What danger? What's going on?"

Just as the jinchuriki was stepping towards her, the boy suddenly saw Isaribi swallow hard before unexpectedly leaping at him with a hug. The blonde froze in place when the girl's arms snapped around him and remained standing there with a deer caught in the headlights look for the next few seconds.

Staring ahead of him momentarily, Naruto then looked down when he started to feel the girl shivering against him. Slowly but surely, after registering to the fact that he was being hugged, the blonde also wrapped his arms around her in kind when he heard the girl sniffle into his jacket.

"The people I was working for…" Isaribi sobbed, rubbing her eyes into his shoulder, "They promised me that if I continued to work for them that they would help me one day … and make me normal again… b-but…" Her body tensed in the boy's grip, getting the blonde to look down at her in concern, "But they weren't going to! They lied to me!"

Stunned, the jinchuriki remained quiet as the girl cried into him and rubbed her back gently. When he felt her trembling ease up, he let out a steady breath, "I'm sorry…"

Isaribi gripped his jacket tightly, opening her eyes to the world again as she felt his gentle embrace seemingly envelop her even more so. "I was just being used. They were going to force me to keep working for them for as long as they could a-and then… they were going to dissect me… kill me…" Sniffing a bit more and rubbing her eyes, she looked up at the boy and showed him the tears in her eyes. "That's all I ever was to them. Just a failed scientific experiment, worthless trash, a freak… a monster… I… I don't know… I don't know what to do… I…"

Placing his hand behind her head, Naruto pulled her into another comforting hug and held her tightly. As the girl started to cry again, the jinchuriki beamed as she let it all out, gently rocking her from side to side in a soothing manner.

After a moment of letting her express her emotions, Naruto spoke up, "There's nothing wrong with you, Isaribi-chan." He loosened his grip so that the girl could ease off. When she did and looked him in the eyes, he gazed at her, "You're not a bad person, you're not a freak… and you're not a monster. You can't let these people get to you, no matter what. If you do, then their faces and their voices will just haunt you for the rest of your life. You can't let them do that."

Blinking away her tears, the girl was about to open her mouth to say something until the boy continued on without missing a beat.

"Even though they lied about helping you and used you, it doesn't mean it's the end. There are always other avenues you can take and things you can do to find a solution. After all, where there's a will, there's a way," Naruto quoted cheesily before his grin came out full force. "You're a strong girl, Isaribi. Don't let this thing beat you. Everything will be alright, I promise."

Upon hearing his words, Isaribi gave a small nod of her head and wiped away the rest of her tears. Backing up, she blushed a little at the wet stain she left in Naruto's jacket, before slowly returning to the situation at hand. Fingers interlocking, she stared at the boy warmly. "Thank you…"

"Don't mention it," Naruto replied with a fond gaze. "I did say for you to come find me if you ever needed any help, didn't I? Well… here you are."

Before their conversation could carry along that line, Isaribi then quickly recalled the other important thing she had to tell the boy before her emotional storm had interrupted them. It had been really tough on her finding out that after all this time she was just an experiment being used, and had been an even more turbulent experience seeing her previous handler from months past murdered by a terrifying stranger.

Speaking of which, it was this person who was the main reason that she had gone off to find Naruto so quickly.

Shaking her head, Isaribi recovered as fast as she could and stepped towards the boy with concern reflected in her eyes, "Naruto, there is a man on this island hunting for you."

"A man?" Wait… could she mean…?

"Yes," Isaribi nodded, "A man wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it and a mask. He's someone from an organization called the Akatsuki; a group that the envoy from Lord Orochimaru said was hunting for tailed beasts and jinchuriki." She gulped when she saw the shocked look come across Naruto's face. "I think… by jinchuriki… he means you…"

Looking away for a moment, Naruto thought about the two men whom he saw back in Gato's office the other day. While it was apparent to him that both of the mercenaries were bad news, he had very little information regarding the organization that they represented, as well as other potential members that were a part of their group. Zabuza said that these people were powerful and that even one of them alone could give them more than a few problems.

That was worrisome enough. Now however, he had something even more staggering to add to the facts he'd already managed to compile regarding the strangely dressed men.

They were after tailed beasts? Jinchuriki?

That meant those guys were after the Kyuubi inside of him. If that were the case, then whatever business these people had with the biju and for whatever reason they wanted the fox for, didn't fill him with anything positive. It actually filled him with a sense of trepidation, as he could sense something foul about the whole thing.

In spite of the shock he received from learning this, Naruto shook his head and looked back at Isaribi to see her staring at him in worry. "So their organization is after people like me? Okay. Good to know." His expression became serious as he gazed back into the girl's shimmering eyes. "If that's the case, then I should probably keep my distance from them. They're definitely not the kind of scrubs I want to mess around with if they're looking to catch and kill jinchuriki." He clenched his fists tightly and looked over his shoulder next. "However… I think I'm safe for now."

"Really? H-How come?"

"If they were really after jinchuriki now, like actually going from country to country hunting for tailed beasts, then that Hidan guy would have recognized me on the spot." They were a shady organization that only a handful of circles knew about and were chasing after specific targets. If this was true, then one even as closed off from the world as Naruto could safely bet that they would be pretty well informed.

There were only a few jinchuriki, right? So that meant they were looking for certain faces and profiles; something the blonde was sure these guys would have spent a lot of time memorizing.

That Hidan guy didn't appear to be very bright though, so even if they were hunting for jinchuriki, he probably wouldn't have recognized him.

Naruto nodded as he landed on a reasonable conclusion before looking back at Isaribi. "If he didn't recognize me, then I don't have to worry about both of them coming at me in full force."

"O-Okay," the girl nodded in understanding, seeing the blonde smile assuredly towards her. "So… what are you going to do now?"

This question had the boy send her his most dashing smirk before he wiped his thumb across his nose confidently. Puffing his chest out, he straightened up to full height, "We're going to save this country. That's what we're going to do." When he saw the confused look on Isaribi's face, the jinchuriki pointed down the hill in the direction of the main village as well as the continent resting over the horizon. "A couple of friends and I have setup an ambush down on the incomplete bridge next to the channel. We're going to lure one of those Akatsuki guys onto it, surround him, and take him out. If we can get rid of him, then we'll be able to take care of his partner or force him to leave this place. Once they're both gone, Gato won't have any more power to enforce his rule here." To emphasize this, he kicked the unconscious man on the ground in the side, eliciting a grunt from him. "Simply taking him hostage won't be able to chase these two thugs away. I'm sure they will fight back to try and free him. But if we hold him out of sight and keep him in our possession, we'll have the advantage."

Isaribi nodded, her expression livening up as she fully processed what Naruto was telling her.

If you were to look at the current picture as a game of chess; Gato was the king, and the many mercenaries he had under his banner were his pawns and rooks. These two Akatsuki guys however, even though they were working for the enemy king, they weren't part of his army. They were basically knights of a different color taking orders from a higher power, but had allied themselves with the magnate. Even though Naruto had managed to capture the king and had taken down the small platoon of pawns protecting him, these Akatsuki guys would still act on their own for the king.

They were still a threat. As long as they were in the area, they were a danger to both the family Naruto was protecting and the nation itself. They needed to be taken off of the board in order to win the game, which was why the jinchuriki and his friends had coordinated themselves in this way.

Once those two were beaten, it would all be over.

It was then a serious look crossed Isaribi's face, "About your plan…" Naruto quickly had his ears on her, "That man I mentioned to you earlier, the Akatsuki one… he's currently stuck at my handler's base fighting Orochimaru's strongest bodyguard."

"Huh? Seriously?" Naruto asked. Damn. That was convenient. "Will he be able to hold him off?"

"I… don't know," Isaribi replied, looking a little tense. "But I do know that Kimimaro is incredibly powerful… everyone working for Orochimaru knows that. He won't go down so easily, even against an army."

"Well, if he can keep that guy there, then that's perfect," Naruto said with a grin. "We'll be able to focus on taking out the other one without having to worry about his partner walking in on us." Bending over, he picked up the bundle that was Gato and hung him over his shoulder again. Making sure he had a good hold of him, Naruto beamed across at the still worried looking girl. "It's three against one, with the three consisting of Haku-chan, me, and an angry Jonin carrying a cleaver capable of making cutlets out of an entire buffalo. If you ask me, I really like our chances in this."

Isaribi stared at the boy silently for a bit. Seeing him smile and practically glow in the light radiating off of him, the girl couldn't help but gaze at his face in awe.

After a minute ticked by and the purple-haired diver was left to ponder over her tremulous thoughts, she then arrived at a decision with herself and looked up at the jinchuriki, "C-Can I come with you?" Seeing the blond blink encouraged Isaribi to continue, her resolve steeling and determination returning. This young strange had expressed confidence in her and given her comfort no other person ever had before. She was resolute in wishing to abide by these words and hang onto the one thing that had helped lift her up in her time of need. "Please, Naruto-kun."

Processing her question, the jinchuriki gave a smile. "You don't have anywhere else to go?" Seeing her shake her head had Naruto's smile transform into a grin. "Sure. You can tag along. But you may want to keep your distance for this one, Isaribi. It's going to get a little rough."

Brightening up at hearing his answer, the purple haired girl then gave him a very serious, very roguish looking smirk. This was something Naruto didn't expect to see from the mostly timid teen, not to mention the thing she had to say next. "I've been sacking Gato's ships by myself for the past few months I've been stationed here, so I'm not as weak as you think I am." She held her hands at her sides and clenched them into fists. "Plus… I think having me on your team makes your odds of success a little bit better, don't you think?"

Wow. Where did that come from?

Maybe Naruto's words gave her more of a confidence boost then he previously thought they did.

Upon seeing the reflection in Isaribi's eyes change, the jinchuriki returned to his usual persona of brightness and acknowledged the girl's words accordingly. "Alright then. Let's do this."

OOO

Sometime later…

Elsewhere on the island, not too far away from Gato's mansion, a certain silver-haired, sailor-mouthed assassin was currently in a slight pickle of his own.

While not engaged in actual combat or anything like it, having traversed much of the woods the entire night beforehand, you could say that Hidan was in a bit of a foul mood. Cursing up a storm and treating his sickle like it was a machete, the man sliced his way through the forest at a furious pace, his focus dead-set on finding that blonde haired brat that smashed him with a fifty year old oak and attempted to drown him under it. Anger at that memory aside, he also wanted to kill the kid and that family with him so as to fulfill his obligation to his God.

"All three of them will make a fine offering to Lord Jashin!" Hidan growled, "Especially that runt! When I get my hands on him, I…" He suddenly stopped.

After cutting his way through into a clearing, the Akatsuki member wielding the scythe froze and looked around him when he sensed the approach of someone or something in his general area. Holding his weapon out to his side, the man's eyes panned through the woods, shrubs and canopy, scanning the rays of light breaking through the leaves as well as the shadows of every branch. Eventually, the entity responsible for setting off his warning bell came into sight; Hidan's eyes fixing on the tree above to see the familiar form of his target drop down from the canopy onto a visible branch below.

Wearing his characteristic grin, Naruto waved as he squatted down on the tree's limb, his own dangling in front in a provocative manner.

"Yo!" the jinchuriki saluted, "How's it going?"

"Cocky runt," Hidan growled, spinning his sickle in his grip and rounding on the child to face him fully. "Don't think you'll get away from me this time!"

"Oh, I don't intend on running," Naruto exclaimed with a challenging smirk, "You want to fight me?"

"Fight you? I want to fillet you like a motherfucking fish, that's what I want to do!" Hidan snapped, just seconds away from leaping up at the kid and cutting into him with his triple-bladed weapon.

"Well then, if you want me, come and get me," Naruto said, holding up his hand, "The original is waiting for you at the end of the unfinished bridge at the main village. You'd better get there fast, otherwise you'll lose him." He then saluted with the same hand he was gesturing with, which had Hidan glare even harder, "Later." The shadow clone then vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving no trace of his corporal form behind.

Pissed that he had not only been talking with a shadow clone but was taunted by it as well, the sickle wielding assassin turned heel and ran at full sprint for the designated meeting spot. Due to the copious amounts of killing intent he was emitting and the amount of frustration he was expressing at his numerous failed attempts to capture his prey, the possibilities of the kid having a trap lying in wait for him was far out of his mind.

He wasn't exactly the fastest of his group, but he was certainly the most relentless…

"I'm going to kill that little smart-aleck!" Hidan roared, his voice echoing throughout the woods.

OOO

Several minutes later…

It was all quiet down at the waterfront, with not a single living soul on the street no matter where you looked or where you turned. It was like a ghost town walking down the village's main road, somewhere you'd expect to be a lot of people.

Sure, it wasn't the busiest village due to the recent problems involving Gato, but there had to be at least some people. What? Did the entire population just up and leave? Or had they been cleared out by somebody?

Hidan didn't seem to care one bit whether there were thousands of people in the area or none at all.

The assassin would have carved a path regardless of the quantity of civilians. Without prior thought or care, the man wielding the sickle stormed down the dirt path and up to the barriers at the entrance to the bridge at the end of the street, sliced his way through it, and began making his way down to the incomplete section of the structure. Since it was just a week or so away from being finished, the current length of the structure was still surprisingly immense. It took the Akatsuki member several minutes to make it to the halfway mark and then some.

When he finally arrived at the spot he was informed his target would be waiting, the man found nothing. Hell, there weren't even any workers. All that was there on that portion of the bridge was a lot of scaffolding, a couple of cranes, equipment, and tons of material deposited all around and being used in the causeway's construction. There was also a massive barrier at its end to prevent unwanted traffic and ferries from trying to access the walk space from the open end that had yet to reach the mainland. For an island nation on the verge of caving in on itself, the amount of effort and funding that must have been put into this was astonishing.

Hidan took a moment of his time to inspect the area, turning on the spot a few times and throwing his arms out. "Somebody is fucking with me." His teeth bit together hard just seconds before he turned to the sky and bellowed out in frustration, "I don't like being fucked with! COME ON!" He slashed his scythe out furiously, "I was promised a fight damn it! How the fuck am I going to make it up to Lord Jashin if I don't have anyone to slaughter?"

This was just a waste of his damn time.

However, just before the man was about to pack it in, a new development suddenly had him stop in his tracks and plant his feet into the ground for the second time that day. Feeling the temperature and winds change, Hidan's eyes cut around when, out of nowhere, he saw a mist creep up on him from over the sides of the bridge. It started off as a thin haze, like the one produced by a fog machine, but this layer of fine fumes slowly turned into a dense cloud.

In a matter of seconds, the Akatsuki member was consumed in a blinding cloud.

Seeing nothing but white and the edges of the bridge sink into the thick as he glanced about, Hidan tightened his grip around his scythe before propping it against his shoulder. The mercenary smirked and breathed a sigh of exhaustion, "Just my luck. Could this day get any fucking worse?"

Looking up, Hidan glanced around again for a moment as the conditions became even worse. Soon, it was impossible to see even two feet in front of him through the mist. No way was anyone going to get work done on the bridge in this mess.

However, this was of no concern to the Akatsuki member at all. What came of concern to him was the sharp stinging in his neck followed by something grazing the bottom of his peripherals.

Eyes widening and a strangled shout suddenly escaping his lips, the cloak wearing man leapt straight to the side as fast as he could, but was too slow to avoid having his neck sliced open.

Blood spraying through the air in the direction the blade had cut and he avoided, Hidan choked up the fluids he was breathing in and skidded to a sudden stop. He hunched over as he slapped his hand over his hemorrhaging throat.

Breathing heavily, Hidan growled angrily as he bit back against the pain, even though the thing that hit him the most was the shock of the sudden attack.

Whatever the hell managed to inflict this wound came in swiftly and silently. He didn't even have the chance to counter since he had no idea it was coming.

While recovering from the silent attack, a very deep, disembodied voice suddenly spoke up from the thick mists surrounding the Akatsuki member, filling Hidan's ears with a haunting tune. "Tsk. You're lucky I missed. I could have sworn I hit the jugular and sliced your neck clean open."

Hearing this and still slumped over, a pissed off Hidan bit his teeth together tightly before allowing a harsh chuckle to escape his lips. Hand still wrapped tightly around the wound bleeding onto his cloak, he looked up into the fog and sneered. "Oh no, you didn't miss. You were right on the mark, buddy." He slowly brought up his scythe and held it out in front of him, the cable clicking loudly for a second before he slammed the blades into the concrete floor beside him. The assassin then proceeded to rip off a piece of his cloak to wrap it around his neck. "No. The mistake you made was not cutting off my head when you had the chance. Now that I know what you're aiming for and I know that you're here, you'll be lucky to even get a second shot, you fuck."

Hiding deep in the mist, Zabuza's brow furrowed. "I got him? No way. That can't be right. He's still standing." He was probably just messing with him because he did miss and was playing off the injury. Maybe he was trying to throw him off or something. No one could survive having their throat sliced open, unless he only grazed the side and cut into muscle and nothing vital.

He tried to take his head off, but his target picked up on his intention while his blade was going in and avoided. That was good reflexes.

Hidan knew he got to the guy from the silence that prevailed. After securing his neck and making sure the opening was sealed enough to heal by itself the Akatsuki member then ripped his sickle out of the ground and held it up defensively. Wiping his mouth and chin clean of blood, the man's eyes then panned around carefully as he once again began scouting the fog for the enemy that had, in all good conscience, just killed him.

Thank Jashin that he was a follower of that faith, otherwise he would have been dead the moment the attack struck and he wouldn't have even known he'd just been killed.

Now that he knew what was after him though, the white haired mercenary knew exactly what to look for, and tracked the source of the scent on the air back to its source.

…

…

…

It was standing right behind him.

Head snapping over his shoulder, Hidan's grin widened considerably as he swung his scythe around in a swift arc. A loud clang rang out a split second later when his bladed end slammed into something metallic, the grappling match that followed shortly afterwards causing the thing he hit to emerge from the mist.

The area of fog he'd struck pulled back to reveal a large man with a gauze mask wielding a large broadsword standing right behind him. Standing at the same height as Hidan, the masked individual in the dark ensemble squared off with the Akatsuki member, his sharp eyes locking with the mercenary's as his duel-handed grip pushed back against Hidan's own, keeping the three blades of the scythe from driving into his side.

It was a close call that was for sure. A few inches more and he would have gotten skewered.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall for it a second time?" Hidan asked, his grin widening even more so as he pressed his weapon further into the sword blocking him, "Give me some credit here."

Grunting in annoyance, Zabuza used all his strength to push back against the sickle user and threw him off. The Akatsuki member skidded along the ground after being forcefully disengaged and glared up to see the swordsman still standing there, looking at him with killer in his eyes. The sight had Hidan chuckle.

"Nice look. Are you planning on staring me to death? Good luck with that." It was then Hidan blinked out of his confident visage and looked across at the individual more curiously, "By the way, who the hell are you?"

Zabuza clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow at the person he was facing off with.

So this was Kakuzu's partner, Hidan? Though he expected something more in terms of appearances, the fact that he was able to pick up a sneak attack from behind, in the mist and from the same silent approach the swordsman used for damn near all of his kills, supported the statement that you should not judge a book by its cover.

"Guess that S-Rank classification isn't all for show. This guy might be more trouble than I originally thought," Zabuza murmured in his head, hardening his stare on his confused looking opponent. "Does it matter who I am?"

Hidan huffed and stood up to full height, casually placing a hand on his hip, "I guess not. You're going to be dead in a few minutes anyway, so what's the point." He then tilted his head at the swordsman as he inspected him from a distance. It was then after taking stock of his sword, appearance, use of the mist and headband as a whole, the nuke nin finally clicked on who exactly he was facing, and pointed at the man in surprise. "Wait… aren't you Zabuza what's-his-face?"

"Zabuza Momochi," the missing nin grumbled back, a bit annoyed at how ignorant this guy was. "Yes. I am."

Upon hearing this, Hidan let out a bark of laughter. "So you're the one that Kakuzu has such a hard-on for. Heh, and here I was just looking for some blonde haired brat and a bridge builder's family. This makes it the whole set!" After laughing off his good fortune, Hidan turned to grin menacingly back at the swordsman. "God is smiling on me today. I'm so going to use you for my ceremony." Without a word, he suddenly slammed his left foot on the floor in front of him, before moving it across.

Zabuza watched with a puzzled expression as his target proceeded to draw some strange symbol in the ground with his own blood; a circle with a triangle inside of it. After that the Akatsuki member just stood there with that smug look on his face, grating the nerves of the swordsman a little more as he had no idea what the hell he was doing.

"It's true what they say then. Everyone in Akatsuki is some kind of freak of nature," Zabuza thought in slight disgust. After sizing up his opponent fully, the Jonin rose back up to full height and backed away into the mist.

Seeing his would-be assailant sink into the white had Hidan baffled. "Oi! What the fuck? Are you just going to cut and run on me? You pussy!" Instead of rushing forward, he watched as his opponent disappeared completely, the fog around him converging on his area again and knocking out his field of vision. This had the white-haired mercenary grit his teeth in frustration and glance around, silence falling over the entire area. "Fucking mist is starting to piss me off. What the hell is this?"

Clearly he'd never encountered somebody who could use a jutsu of this type and scale. Hidan was a close-range fighter and used to overwhelming his opponents with his weapon and ferocity. He just never had to deal with someone who was not only a close-range type but could also use a jutsu to knock out one of his most used senses. It sure as hell annoyed Hidan something fierce that he couldn't fight like he usually did, because his opponent kept disappearing on him in this blanket of fog.

He needed to change the pace of this fight; otherwise he was going to get nowhere.

A grin crossed his expression as he looked around quietly. Even if he didn't have his sight, he had a few other things he could rely on here; one of which just so happened to be the thing that gave away his attacker's intentions on his attempted second attack.

Yanking on the cable up his sleeve, Hidan's grin widened considerably, "You want to play this hide and seek shit with me? Fine! I'll just drive you out!" Spinning low, the silver haired mercenary gave a hard pull on the length of metal attached to his scythe and drew more of it from his cloak.

In a shocking display of finesse, the cable coming from his sleeve suddenly extended in length several times, looping around his form in a protective shield of sorts before he used it to whip his scythe out of his grip and drag the staffed weapon across the air. Spinning on the spot, he threw his weapon outwards in an arc, cutting a circle through the mist across the area of bridge with him acting as the center. The faster he span, the further the weapon at the end of the cable extended outwards.

Eyes widening, Zabuza suddenly leapt backwards through the mist to avoid the windmill of death as the sickle came shooting at him from the side, threatening to cut him down. He skidded to a stop when he dodged the unexpected attack and glared ahead of him.

Hearing the skid and gasp, Hidan's eyes cut in the direction the echo originated from and drew his scythe back in. Catching it in a single grip, he sprinted out towards the area he knew he heard the movement, "Got yah!" He closed in on the silhouette, swinging his weapon back and lashing out with it.

Zabuza countered immediately with his own blade, the massive clever clashing with the scythe's in mid-air with a resounding clang and a shower of sparks. Clearly being the superior in terms of physical strength, the swordsman managed to bat his opponent's weapon away and, continuing on the follow-through with his attack, spun back around for another horizontal slash, this time intending to cut his opponent in half.

Instead of trying to counter the swing due to losing out in the exchange, Hidan expertly back flipped into the air to avoid the second attack. Performing an acrobatic spin, while he was suspended above his foe the Akatsuki member hurled his scythe down at the swordsman like a whip, the three blades cutting towards Zabuza along a dangerous path.

Spotting the incoming attack from above, Zabuza leapt back as well, barely avoiding the sickle when it slammed into the floor and embedded itself. The swordsman skidded to a stop and glared up, where he then saw his opponent drop back down to the ground about fifteen meters away from his weapon, which was still attached to him via the metal band.

"This guy's got some serious taijutsu and the range he can hit with that thing is ridiculous," Zabuza thought, watching as Hidan yanked his weapon back into his grip. The cable seemed to be attached to some sort of mechanism hidden underneath his cloak that allowed him to extend his range to however long it would allow. That was bloody annoying as far as close-range fighting went, because it allowed him to attack at a distance. "Not only that, but the angles he can throw that sickle and the path it follows means it's going to be really difficult avoiding him at medium range. Even when he's retracting it he can control its return flight."

It wasn't just the weapon he had to worry about, but what the hell was up with that circle he painted on the floor before? Sure the guy was screwy, but that was no ordinary pentagram. He drew it with his own blood.

Normally Zabuza wouldn't be worrying this much over an opponent. However, the guy he was currently fighting was an S-Rank rogue ninja from an organization comprised of some of the most dangerous men in the world.

From that smug look on the mercenary's face, Zabuza knew he would need to be extra careful fighting him. The guy had something planned for him, and the swordsman wasn't too keen on finding out what that was.

Hidan grinned, "Not too shabby."

"You're not so bad yourself." The former Kiri ninja raised an eyebrow. "How were you able to survive that last attack? Wait. Scratch that. How were you able to detect my presence the second time? There are only a handful of people in the world who can counter my silent killing technique, so how…" There was the fact that he was squaring off with a high-level opponent. He wouldn't be surprised if his senses were even more finely tuned then the prey he was used to hunting.

The scythe user chuckled, "It's your bloodlust, pal. You reek of killing intent." Hidan then proceeded to wipe his nose cockily, "It's next to impossible for shinobi even with skills of your level to get the drop on me or my partner. We're used to dealing with that sort of shit." Yeah, he was one to talk. After all, he nearly got his own head sliced off and didn't even know it was happening till the sword was about halfway through.

Zabuza grunted. He figured the answer would be something along those lines.

As the name suggests, the silent killing technique is simply a very quiet method of killing an opponent, usually from behind with a blade. Naturally, because the user moves silently, against conventional opponents it cannot be defended against, because the attack cannot be anticipated. In terms of skill, Zabuza was second to none in his use of it, having slain many in the past through use of his mist and blade. However, there were a few exceptions to the rule.

Against opponents of A-Rank level or lower, Zabuza could approach them easily and dispatch them without much effort. But against a person like this guy, someone who was S-Rank classified and strong to boot, even with full use of his Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hiding in Mist Technique), he couldn't even begin to attack. The moment he got close a second time, the guy picked up his intent and countered without a second thought. Talk about staying on your toes.

"Looks like we're going to have to handle this directly," Zabuza thought, digging his blade into the floor next to him and forming a hand seal. It took a lot to get him to throw in the towel. But when confronted by a person who could negate his use of the mist and fight so fluently with him, then a change in approach was needed.

Hidan noticed his sudden hand sign, "Oh? A jutsu?"

"Not exactly," Zabuza replied.

A few seconds later, it was quickly revealed what the swordsman was doing when the fog around them suddenly lifted and the bridge came into full view again. While the sight of the mist dispelling brought a small smirk to Hidan, it was when the pearly white blanket behind Zabuza disappeared that his frown returned.

Standing directly behind the swordsman, side by side in a row, Hidan saw a girl with purple hair wrapped in bandages, an older girl with long black hair wrapped in a white bun, wearing a green battle dress consisting of a pinstriped outfit, haori with white trim and light brown platoon sandals, and the blonde haired brat he'd been chasing the past two days.

It was the latter that really got the man to lose his composure completely, "You!"

Naruto, along with the other people standing alongside him, glared hard at the assailant across from them. "Yeah? What?"

Hidan raised a finger and pointed straight at the boy in orange, "You… I'm killing you first."

While the blonde continued to glare, Zabuza glanced across at the boy interestingly. "Geez. What did you do to piss him off, kid?"

At this question, the jinchuriki gave a sheepish laugh, "Like I said; I dropped a tree on top of him."

"And it hurt like a bitch too, you little bastard!" Hidan snapped, slamming his scythe blades into the ground with a loud crack. The man seethed as he locked the group with his best death glare. "Getting run down by something equivalent to a freight train isn't fun. To top that off, you also tried to drown me. As much as I would like to tear you limb from limb for that shit, I think I would rather offer you up as a sacrifice to Lord Jashin." His grin returned as he started cutting between the four people in front of him with murderous intent. "Oh yes. All of you will be sacrificed."

"Ri~ght," Zabuza exclaimed, a little put off by this man's continued use of the word sacrifice. It was freaky enough he was able to survive having his airway effectively cut open, but the swordsman was not deterred. That aside, he had more pressing matters to attend to, and that was getting a second opinion on who they were up against. He glanced towards his subordinate, "What do you think, Haku?"

The dark-haired girl, now dressed in her full shinobi attire, stared pensively at the man facing them down before speaking. "His preferred method of battle appears to be taijutsu at close-range. But thanks to that modification to his weapon, he can also attack at middle range, so approaching him will be incredibly difficult. He's also got good reflexes and technique, is astonishingly agile, and his timing is spot-on." Her brow furrowed as all of them looked across at the maniacal looking mercenary. "His weapon of choice however is rather unusual."

"Why do you say that?" Naruto asked. He'd seen swords, axes, staffs and sickles before, but the one this guy was wielding was really strange. Three blades? Sure it looked technically menacing, but the blonde couldn't see it being that practical in battle unless you were seriously good at using it.

"It's not a conventional weapon, nor is it light," Haku stated, gesturing towards the weapon in question. "The number of blades it possesses, the material it's made out of and its sheer size means that it must be weighted. I can imagine that it inhibits his attack speed greatly, but not enough to stagger his movements. He's the same as you in terms of wielding a weight-bearing weapon, master. However, it's the primary function of the sickle that's interesting." Haku looked up at Zabuza to see the Jonin was looking across at Hidan more seriously. "Its structure of three blades extends his range, but also decreases its lethality. The increased range and unorthodox design isn't meant to kill… its main intention is to wound."

"I see," Zabuza murmured, looking at the strange scythe again before turning to Hidan. If it was a specific design with a certain function, then it must serve a specific purpose for the man, "All the more reason to avoid it then."

"Yes," Haku nodded.

Hidan grunted while throwing the older girl a disapproving scowl, "Noisy brat. You're next on my list after I deal with your friend."

"Like we're going to give you that chance," Zabuza replied, not even needing to look to know that Haku and Naruto had assumed fighting stances alongside Isaribi. The swordsman also grabbed the blade he had embedded next to him and held it up towards the mercenary. "I'm sorry to say this, but you're going to die here today, pal. That's a promise."

The smirk on Hidan's face couldn't have been any darker, "Give me your best shot." Cocking his sickle out to his side, the Akatsuki member took flight straight towards the group of young shinobi.

Zabuza countered immediately before anybody else could take action, sprinting forward while dragging his massive blade across the ground. Kicking up dust with his speed and etching a long gash across the concrete, the rogue Kiri nin then swung his blade around before slicing upwards, exchanging killer blows with his opponent. Sickle and sword met once again in a shower of sparks, with the force from the swordsman's strike smacking Hidan back a tad, who retaliated with a spin and lashing across with his scythe.

Catching sight of the furious response, Zabuza ducked under it by a hair's breadth and drove his blade upwards, getting Hidan to leap back before dashing around him. Jumping through the air and spinning, the Akatsuki member hurled his weapon across at his opponent, who swayed around it and sprinted to the side, rolling under the cable as it whipped through the air and returned to the user's grip. The swordsman barely avoided it when the sickle made a return pass on him.

Skidding to a stop, Hidan rushed at Zabuza as the swordsman did so in kind.

Before they could cross blades again however, the silver-haired attacker caught wind of an attempt from the side and leapt into the air to avoid a cluster of senbon that shot past the area he was about to cover. Spinning backwards through the air, the Akatsuki member glared down at the bridge to see Zabuza's apprentice moving forward, needles in hand and at the ready.

"Damn bitch," the Akatsuki member cursed, touching ground and sliding backwards to a stop. When he did, he saw Haku switch positions with Isaribi.

Taking the head with Zabuza retreating to let the others throw in a few shots, the purple haired girl focused her chakra through a single hand seal and puffed her cheeks out. "Suiton: Taihodan!" (Water Release: Large Projectile) A split second later, a blast of water was fired from her lips in the form of a powerful stream.

It shot across the bridge towards her target at the speed of a fast flying arrow. Hidan however saw the attack coming and, rolling his eyes, intercepted it with his sickle. He stopped and split the powerful stream with the head of his weapon, the force of it pushing him back a few as the surface of the bridge was drenched in splashes from the deflecting jet of water. When the attack died down, Hidan revealed himself from behind his raised sickle with a smug look on his face.

"Is that all you've got? A hose down?" he asked. "If I wanted a bath, I could have just jumped into the fucking oce-"

"Makyo Hyosho!" (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals) Haku's voice echoed over the wind, the teenage girl finishing her single-handed hand seal combination and her eyes focusing on the Akatsuki member standing at distance from them.

Before Hidan could react, a large dome of mirrors formed out of the pools of water around him and froze over. The twenty-one reflective ice panes encircled the baffled mercenary and hovered around him, leaving him to look into all visible angles of his likeness. Naruto, Isaribi and Zabuza then watched as another mirror formed directly next to their nearby companion, who sunk into it and disappeared, only for her appearance to flicker into one of the many mirrors surrounding the startled Hidan.

"Wow," Naruto exclaimed in surprise, looking across at the formation of ice. "That's pretty awesome."

"That's her kekkei genkai, kid," Zabuza stated, glancing over at the blonde to see it become more intense as he focused on the battlefield. "Watch. You're about to witness something few people ever get to see."

From the ice mirror she landed in, Haku glared at the silver haired Akatsuki member with her battle expression in play. It was one of complete calm and collectiveness. "You are now in the heart of my jutsu. You have no way out and no possible way of defending yourself." Senbon appeared in between the fingers of both her hands and she crossed them over her chest, readying herself for battle. "Surrender now."

Hidan smirked when he faced down the girl and took a stance of his own. "You think I'd surrender just because I'm trapped in your little fun-house of mirrors?" He spat on the ground and prepared to charge, "Dream on girlie. The only way you'll be able to beat me is to cut my arms and legs off and kill me, which I highly doubt you'll be able to."

"Very well then," Haku replied in a warning voice. "If you will not concede defeat peacefully, then I will force you to comply and make sure that you never move again." In the blink of an eye, her image suddenly flickered into all twenty-one mirrors encompassing the Akatsuki member. A little caught off guard, the man looked around at all the reflective panes to see every one of the copies cock their hands back with senbon bared. If he was to make an approximate count of the number of senbon being bared at him, it would be somewhere between a fuck-ton and uncountable. "You're finished."

In a flash, Hidan suddenly felt a sting in his shoulder and looked over to see a cut had formed. Before he knew it, every single reflection of the girl in the mirrors surrounding him hurled their senbon at him all at once, peppering him from all sides with a hail of needles. The Akatsuki member attempted to deflect them accordingly with his scythe, but after a few seconds of struggle, he just couldn't hash it anymore, and as a result, his body was cut down by the rain of death.

Naruto and Isaribi watched on in awe as Haku proceeded to attack her opponent mercilessly. From the observing chimera's perspective, all she could see was a shower of needles cascading down on Hidan from all corners of the dome. Naruto on the other hand, his reflexes being far more polished than others, could see what was actually happening as if he were watching the whole thing in a different time frame.

While from the outside it looked like Haku had multiplied herself throughout the mirrors and was attacking with an onslaught of clones. In a way this was true, it was just that the copies of her in the mirrors were just an illusion. The real one was actually moving between the ice panes faster than the human eye could see; something comparable to the speed of light if Naruto had to estimate. That was unreal.

The rate she was moving between them made it look like she was in multiple mirrors at the same time, a level of agility that Naruto hoped he could perfect one day as he watched Hidan crumble under the barrage of senbon.

For the next minute or so Haku continued to attack her target, hitting him from all possible sides and every so often darting past him to clip him with direct attacks before returning to a mirror on the other side. After using up a decent amount of needles rushing between the panes to attack the Akatsuki member, Haku eventually finished her assault by flickering into one of the mirrors up a level and allowing her copies to fade. Glaring down at the center, she saw her opponent was absolutely riddled with senbon.

His back was so covered it made him look like a hedgehog and his limbs, particularly the joint areas, were stuck with blows that would have rendered him completely immobile. The seemingly wounded Hidan stood in place, slumped over with his sickle in hand, swaying from side to side and giving the impression he was about to tip over.

Zabuza, Naruto, Isaribi and even Haku believed that he was done; that their opponent was finally beat.

After a harrowing several minutes of conflict, it seemed that the battle was over.

Unfortunately, this was not to be.

The group froze when they heard a dark chuckle escape the doubled-over Hidan before the man himself straightened up to fool height. Blood dripping down from the corner of his mouth, the assailant cackled madly before glaring up at Haku, who now appeared stunned at his response. "Ahh~h! MAN! What a rush! What an attack! That was totally AWESOME! Shit!" His expression then dulled into one of fury and he stuck his middle finger at the girl, causing her to recoil. "I'm in so much fucking pain right now, you little bitch! God damn it! What the fuck?!"

"What?" the ice user thought in shock. "W-What's going on…?"

Zabuza, appearing just as surprised, stepped forward with his hand bringing up his sword. "That attack should have killed him, or at best immobilized him." Surviving that first blow to the neck from the mist was just bare luck. It must have been. A second time from an even greater assault by his student from all sides was impossible. None of her senbon missed. "Why isn't he going down? Haku?!"

The girl looked back over her shoulder at her master, "I don't know, Zabuza-sama."

Growling through bared teeth, the silver haired mercenary grabbed the bunch of needles lodged in his shoulder and ripped them out. His blood splattered across the ground as cluster after cluster, he carelessly began ripping the senbon out of him. He tried to get as much of the ones lodged in his back, but the best he could do was get the ones out of his ass and thighs.

If it was painful having the senbon stuck in him, it was even more painful yanking them out the way he was.

"SON OF A BITCH! What in the name of Hashirama and Madara doggy-styling the Sage of fucking Six Paths was that? Why the fuck do these hurt so much?!" Hidan roared, ripping the last of the ones he could out of his body and stomping forward. He growled up at the bewildered girl in the mirror and jabbed a finger in her direction. "Just for that, I'm killing you right fucking now! Fuck that blonde haired kid! You're dead!"

Haku frowned and drew another set of senbon, the needles flashing into view. "The number of senbon I hit him with should have disabled his muscles and rendered him unconscious. Why didn't it work?" Did she miss? No way. Her aim was dead-on. There was no way she could have messed up. Whatever the hell this man was, he certainly wasn't human if he was able to withstand an assault of that caliber. "If hitting him in the pressure points and targeting his vitals directly doesn't work, then I'll take him apart."

This man was clearly not someone that should be kept alive. Haku sensed nothing but poison and darkness coming off of him.

Seeing her getting ready for another attack had alarm bells go off in Hidan's head once again. Reacting spontaneously, the man grabbed the cable up his sleeve and pulled. "Oh no you don't! Like hell I'm going to let you do that teleporting shit again!" With a yell and a spin, his cable extended once more and coiled around him, before spreading outwards in a series of violently undulating loops.

Haku blinked in surprise when she saw the steel cable the mercenary had attached to him unravel and spread throughout the airspace around him to such a length. Looking around, the ice user saw that all of her paths to the other mirrors were being blocked by the airborne string, a result that kept her isolated in her current pane.

Not wanting to remain cornered, she prepared to knock the length of metal cable out of the air, only to see her opponent whip his sickle out of his hand and send it sailing off.

Controlling the undulating coils, Hidan growled and hurled his flying scythe straight towards the mirror Haku was in. The teen had a split second to react before the weapon suddenly slammed into her pane from the side at full force and shattered it.

Zabuza knew that his apprentice's ice mirrors could withstand a significant amount of punishment, as he'd seen her use her panels to block fire balls and cushion the blast of explosive tags. However, her mirrors were still susceptible to certain levels of blunt force, which was why she never remained in one mirror for too long and kept moving between them, because her mirrors could still break.

Based on this information, it was safe to say that the swordsman was more than a little shocked when he suddenly saw the sickle literally cut into the mirror his subordinate was isolated in and busted it into a million pieces with one swing. That was one hell of an arm.

Hidan laughed triumphantly at seeing the mirror with the girl in it shatter, before watching Haku's form drop out of one of the larger shards, hit the concrete floor and tumble across the ground painfully. When she rolled to a stop outside of her dome, wounded and knocked senseless from the unexpected blow from the side, the rest of her mirrors dissipated at the loss of concentration.

When the dome melted before his eyes, the S-Rank mercenary huffed in amusement and rose to full height. As soon as he was upright, he sprinted out of the collapsing circle of mirrors and moved straight towards the fallen Haku, who was now struggling to get to her feet. From the speed he traveled at, despite having been hit by such a high number of attacks, he didn't appear damaged in the slightest.

The moment he saw his student get thrown to the floor and her opponent dash towards her, Zabuza reacted instinctively and charged forward with his sword held back. Despite his immediate response, Hidan still arrived at Haku's side first.

Weapon over his shoulder, the hardhearted assassin from Akatsuki took aim at the teen shakily forcing her body up onto all fours. "End of the line, you bitch!"

"No!" Zabuza thought in panic, speeding up.

The back of her head was turned to the Akatsuki member, so there was no way Haku would even see it coming…

TO BE CONTINUED…

---

Author's Note: Another chapter, another battle. Sorry to leave you all hanging there, but I hope you enjoyed it thus far.

Tayuya is held up at the coast, so she won't be able to make it across for a while.

Naruto, Zabuza and Haku have finally taken action. Gato has been captured to be dealt with later. Naruto didn't kill him, as he's going to leave him for the country to deal some much-needed justice. The biggest concern at the moment is taking care of Hidan and Kakuzu, as they are the main problem on this island now.

Still looking for Zabuza's hideout, Kakuzu stumbles upon Orochimaru's instead, and ends up fighting with Kimimaro. Both of them are powerful shinobi, especially Kimimaro. That kid is crazy. But things are really heating up and I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

And Hidan is facing against four opponents. We saw in the series before how stubborn and difficult an opponent he can be, even on his own. He could go toe to toe with Kakashi, who fought toe to toe with Zabuza, and showed impressive taijutsu. Aside from his immortality, this is a big strength for him, and he's also up against Haku, Naruto and Isaribi fighting in tandem.

Hidan's also shown to have good senses too. He was able to pick up Zabuza slicing his head off and respond accordingly before he could lose it completely, which shows his pluck as an S-Rank combatant. This plays on the fact that he and Kakuzu could pick up a sneak attack from Shikamaru before their fight with Team Kakashi and respond quickly. But you still wonder who's going to come out on top in this fight, now that it's boiled down to direct combat.

Also, for all those nitpicking, I just picked up in some translations Hidan's weapon is referred to as a sickle, and in others it's scythe, so I chose to use both, and that blood wouldn't sit right in a mist and would run all over the place, but Hidan can write his mark on grass, so not everything really makes sense. Furthermore, Haku has mentioned that he can travel between his mirrors at the speed of light and is also a part of the technique's description, and I'm not going to argue against it and so will use it every time.