Naruto:Death's Second Chance

by Le loup de Kaiser

Ever since the attack of the Kyubi, Naruto was shunned as ‘Konoha’s Demon’ when he was born with the Kyubi sealed in him. His life was miserable beyond grief. NaruHina, Naruto/Bleach Crossover.

18. Predator's Prey

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ever since the attack of the Kyuubi, Naruto was shunned as 'Konoha's Demon' when he was born with the Kyuubi sealed in him. His life was miserable beyond grief. Time passed by and he has slowly proven himself as its jailer instead of its incarnate. But despite this, love never truly touched the young jinchuuriki's heart until death came over him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: I do not own Naruto, Bleach or any other canonical characters. If I did, I wouldn't be here in FF now would I?

A/N: I had a hard time deciding what to do with Haku and Zabuza in this chapter. But hopefully, my decision won't change the story drastically. Really am sorry about the very long update since I got sick during the first week of the New Year.

Talking
'thinking/flashback'
Kyuubi Talking/Jutsu
'Kyuubi Thinking'

Chapter 18

Predator's Prey

With the rising of the sun…

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

Dawn once again shone its face upon the slumbering country of Wave as its gentle rays elegantly woke most of the island's residents both permanent and temporary from their slumber. One such temporary resident entered the forests in search for herbs for his wounded comrade.

Despite his feminine looks and long black hair, he was definitely male with the way he carried himself throughout the forest in his pink, sleevless yukata and black choker with a white sash tied in a ribbon at the back to hold his elegant yukata together. His steps were graceful yet firm as he knelt several times to pick the healthiest plants to use as medicine as he tossed them in the small basket he carried.

Without a care in the world, he happily picked plants as a bird perched on his left shoulder making the mood sunnier as he smiled gently at the feathered animal. The bird however, had more important things to do and left the boy to his work as the young bishounen managed to see over his shoulder where the bird had perched, the slumbering form of a young blonde with a Konoha hitai-ate on his forehead and a black sleeved shirt and pants that where bandaged at the ends with white bandages that also bound his black tabi boots and a white sleeveless jacket and black fingerless gloves on his hands.

The young bishounen was surprised when he saw the young blonde fast asleep in these treacherous lands without a care in the world. But as he looked closer, he saw that the blonde wasn't sleeping alone as another carefree person had slept behind him.

She had bluish black short hair, a light brown jacket with white fur at the ends of the sleeves and hood as well as the bottom, dark blue pants and shinobi sandals and the same hitai-ate around her neck as she slumbered peacefully by the young blonde as several balls of orange fur were found curled here and there around the young couple.

The black haired bishounen was curious at the sight that lay before him. If an artist were to see the scene, his blood would boil with joy at the potential portrait that lay on the grassy plain of that forest.

As he sharpened his gaze at the couple, he realized that the two were from the same shinobi team that was protecting Tazuna the Bridge Builder. His eyes widened in fear at what he just stumbled upon.

There they lay, defenseless and separated from the main group. It was a golden opportunity to eliminate them once and for all. The young bishounen warily, but softly, marched towards the sleeping couple as he had his basket in one arm and senbons tucked neatly in his yukata for ready usage when he got within range. He took his time calculating his steps as he finally stood in front of them. Without further delay, he knelt down first to the sleeping blonde as he reached out his hand to strangle the young blonde's neck. But just before he was able to perform his deed, he hesitated and instead, shook the sleeping blonde to awaken.

While the slumbering blonde was being disturbed of his peaceful nap, elsewhere in the house of Tazuna, his comrades had just awoken and sat down around the table for an early breakfast as Sakura, the last one to awaken, walked sloppily towards the table. She rubbed the sand from her sleepy eyes and yawned as she noticed something amiss.

"Naruto and Hinata haven't come back yet." The pink haired girl said as she looked around the room until they heard the door creak as the lavender-eyed girl entered from the front door. Kurenai sighed in relief seeing her favorite student enter the room.

"Where have you been Hinata? And where's Naruto?" The crimson-eyed kunoichi asked of the lavender-eyed girl.

Hinata then replied, "Naruto-kun is still training in the forest. He said to me to tell everyone so that they didn't have to worry."

Kakashi's visible eye became a u shape as he deviously said, "I see. So did you two have a fun time together last night? You sure picked a nice time to come home. I'd love to hear what you two have been up to all this time."

Hinata's face became beet red as she held her hands over her mouth when she realized the awkward predicament she was in causing her teammates and several others in that room to have their eyebrows raised.

Hinata then nervously replied, "I-It's not like that Kakashi-sensei! I-I got worried last night when Naruto-kun didn't come back so I went out t-to look for him. W-When I found him, I was too sleepy to move and fell asleep."

Kurenai nodded in acknowledgement knowing that Hinata wasn't one to allow herself to be taken in so easily despite her passion for the young blonde. However, that wasn't the real case as the lavender-eyed girl remembered what the young blonde had told her earlier in the morning.

Flashback

Dawn had approached as the young blonde woke up and scanned his surroundings. He was surprised to see his Hyuuga princess lying there next to him.

'She stayed with me out here in the forest? I guess she was that worried for me. But she can't stay here the whole time when Haku comes around.' The young blonde thought as he woke the sleeping Hyuua heiress.

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times before his face came into focus. The lavender-eyed girl smiled as she sat back up and hugged the young blonde causing him to blush as he said, "Hina-hime, as much as I'd love to stay with you, you need to get back or else they will get suspicious."

"But how about you? You said it yourself that Haku would be here later to pick up medicine for Zabuza. What if he doesn't accept your proposal?" Hinata replied in worry.

The young blonde placed his hands upon her shoulders and smiled.

"I understand why you're worried Hina-hime. But I know what I'm doing. One way or another, they will choose between joining us and fighting us. Hopefully they will join us and become Konoha shinobi. But if they decline, then we would end up fighting them just like before except with more numbers in the mix since your team got involved. Right now, he should be getting dressed to head out into the forest as we speak so you have to get out of here." Naruto said to his female companion.

Hinata was a bit distressed at what Naruto said. She still needed to get used to constant danger in missions and the young blonde knew it. If there was any way for her to avoid all this, he would make sure it would happen. But she was a shinobi and he knew that she loved being one despite the danger it brought otherwise she wouldn't have joined the academy in the first place.

The Hyuuga heiress and the young blonde stood up as she nodded in acknowledgement. Seeing her submissiveness, the young blonde then began to replay the plan to her once more.

"Ok Hina-hime. I'll tell you the plan once more. Haku will come to this forest today and I'll try to convince him otherwise. But if he refuses, we will need to reinforce the bridge and set traps just in case they send in more men which they probably will knowing that they're at a disadvantage. The training we did will come in handy but it won't be enough to defeat them without raising suspicion of our abilities so we need to work together in a simulation of the bridge so we have the advantage of the elements on our side. Try to convince Kakashi and Kurenai-sensei to do so. If they get too suspicious then stop so that I can improvise." The young blonde said to her as he turned around and with a one-handed seal, made a clone that transformed itself into Hinata.

Naruto smiled at the Hyuga heiress causing her to smile back as she saw that he wasn't worried in the slightest bit. Mustering all the courage she could, she walked back to Tazuna's place with borrowed bravery from the young blonde.

End of Flashback

The Hyuuga heiress was twiddling her fingers as she sat down beside Shino. The bug user could see that she had something on her mind and he had a feeling it involved Naruto as well.

"Is there something on your mind Hinata?" the bug user asked.

"W-well, actually, I was wondering…

Back at the forest, the young blonde had woken up to see the young bishounen that was Haku in a pink, sleeveless yukata with a smile on his face.

'Sometimes I wonder if he really was meant to be a boy with that face of his. But with those good looks and a kind heart, he'll get a number of fangirls that'll overshadow Sasuke's record unless he sticks to unisex clothing.' The young blonde thought to himself as he sat back up.

"Did you wake me up? By the way, what are you doing?" the young blonde asked the smiling bishounen.

"I'm picking herbs to cure injuries and illnesses." The young bishounen said trying to keep his cool.

"But doing a tedious job so early in the morning?" the young blonde questioned him.

"What are you doing here so early in the morning with your girlfriend?" Haku said trying to avert the subject so as not to be caught.

Naruto blushed at the mention of the word girlfriend as he saw his disguised clone fast asleep while the several balls of orange fur began to uncurl revealing them to be young fox kittlings that ran up to the young blonde and sat around him with their tails wagging in delight.

The young blonde then pumped up his fist and said, "We're training to fight this huge guy named Zabuza who nearly killed us the other week ago!"

Haku was mentally taken aback by his words but he knew all too well that this young blonde was one of those shinobi who fought Zabuza that week ago.

Still trying to keep the element of surprise, the young bishounen then replied, "What are you a ninja or something? That hitai-ate is…"

"Do I look like one? Do I look like one? Yes, I'm a shinobi!" the young blonde said as he smiled in delight.

"Wow, you're amazing." The young bishounen said as the young blonde scratched his head in reply.

Haku then had a downcast look in his eyes as he averted his gaze from the young blonde. Naruto knew at this point where this conversation was heading as the young bishounen then asked him, "But why are you pushing so hard? There is no need to go so far. Is there someone worth risking for all of this?"

The young blonde nodded as his eyes showed deep maturity.

"I have a lot of precious people to protect so yes, there is someone worth risking for all of this just like you have Zabuza who you're risking to protect as well."

The young bishounen was shocked by what he heard. He snappily took to his feet and blurred past the blonde as he had a senbon pointed at the heart of the sleeping 'Hinata' behind the young blonde with his eyes having a cold and piercing stare. Naruto made a weak smile as he dispersed his clone shaking Haku from his wits as the young blonde said, "It's ok, I'm not here to fight. I'm actually here to talk if you'll listen."

The young bishounen gazed at him warily as he kept his senbon ready to strike while he nodded reluctantly.

Haku then asked the young blonde sharply, "How did you know and for how long? And how did you know where I will be?"

"That hunter-nin has the same smell as you and the fact that you quickly reacted and showed me shinobi-like reflexes and are holding the same weapon as the hunter-nin. And to answer your other question, I've been around Wave long enough to know where the best herbs are growing just in case you'd show up to treat Zabuza's wounds." The young blonde said never leaving his gaze from the young bishounen.

Haku lowered his weapon slightly but kept his distance as he sat down on the grass in a more casual position.

Expecting the worst, Haku then asked again as he said, "What was so important to talk to me about that you willingly risked your life for?"

Naruto then crossed his arms as he then gave Haku his serious proposal.

"Please listen to me. Gato is not worth the money he's paying you. You and Zabuza must have had a hard life living like outcasts where you have to live off trash like Gato. Won't it better to quit this life of constantly running away and give your lives to a better purpose?" the young blonde calmly stated.

Haku shook his head as he replied, "I don't understand what you're trying to get at. I'm sorry but if Zabuza wishes for this life then I must obey him as his tool."

Naruto then took the young bishounen by the wrist as he coldly said, "I can't accept that answer. Everyone has the right to think and choose. You don't have to follow him around like a stray mutt and live a life you obviously don't want. I can see it in your eyes that you're tired of this way of living. Tell me…why do you persist on lowering yourself like this?"

His words struck hard and deep as the young bishounen sulked his head in defeat as he replied, "Because a monster like me has no place in this world."

The young blonde released his grip as he listened to Haku's story.

"I was born with a power that was so terrible that my clan was wiped out for except my mother. She kept it a secret even from my father until he found out and in fear attacked my mother and I. I accidentally awakened my powers that day and ended up killing my father and the mob that gathered with him. In fear, I ran and have lived like an outcast until Zabuza found me and took care of me since then. I knew he wasn't a good man, but he took care of me and in a way, we were both one and the same…monsters." The young bishounen explained with melanchony in his voice.

Naruto felt hurt having to hear this again. But being in the same position as Haku, he knew better and understood more pain than Haku could ever imagine.

The young blonde then closed his eyes as he placed his hands on his lap and said, "Monster my ass. If you were really a monster then you would've killed all of us without a moments notice. The fact that you can think otherwise says that you're not a monster. Why don't you drop this mission so that the people of Wave can be free from Gato's grasps and come with us back at Konoha where you can have a new leaf in life not as the monster that people believe you to be. It won't be easy, but it will be better. That's all I wanted to really say to you."

A brand new life, a clean slate is what the young blonde offered to the young bishounen. Haku was perplexed with this boy who just offered his enemy a hand instead of a kunai like he should have. Even though he wanted so much to have a brand new life where his past cannot affect his future, he still felt guilty of leaving Zabuza.

The young bishounen was nervous and nerve-racked by what he just heard. He was torn in two as one side of him wanted to cling on to hope of vindication and mortification while the other wanted to receive retribution. But eventually, Haku shook his head in defeat as he replied, "I really want to drop this mission and join you. But Zabuza will get hurt if I do so and I cannot allow my precious person to get hurt despite who he is. Please understand."

Naruto nodded seeing the nobility and purity of heart of the young bishounen. He knew from the beginning that it wouldn't be easy but he was somehow glad seeing the real love that Haku had for his precious person despite the evil man he was.

As the young bishounen got up and took his basket in hand, the young blonde then stood up and said, "By the way, I'm Naruto. Namikaze Naruto. My offer still stands so please think about it."

The young bishounen stopped for a while and turned around as he gave a genuine smile and said, "My name is Haku. It was pleasant to meet you Naruto even if it will only be a short while. I will think about your offer. But when we meet it might be our last so please put your precious people's lives above your enemy's."

With that, the young bishounen turned on his heel and walked away. The young blonde closed his eyes as he mentally told his tenant, 'You know…we could've been the best of friends if the situation was different. By the way, when I was talking to him, I could hear howls in his heart as he spoke. It was beautiful but sad. Maybe I'm just thinking too much.'

Kyuubi, being the perceptive person he was, then replied to his master,

The howling you heard was the cry of his heart. As you become more attune with your spiritual elemental affinity, you become aware of the affinity of others. You heard his howling because his heart was caged and wanted to break out of the cycle he was in.

As the fox kittlings gathered around the young blonde, another unwelcome guest entered through forest as the daylight of the morning sun highlighted his features and contrasted his raven black hair and depressed and moody eyes as Sasuke entered the scene. When he saw the smiling blonde happily cuddling and playing with the fox kittlings, his mood became even more depressed as the wide smile of the blonde tugged many emotions and images from his cold heart.

'Why? Why does he always get to laugh like an idiot and smile like there's no tomorrow. Doesn't he know that we're on a mission? How come he can be so calm and easygoing despite everything and achieve things as if they were nothing? What does he have that I don't?'

When the raven haired boy was right in front of Naruto, the young blonde then looked at him and said, "Sasuke! What are you doing here?"

The raven haired boy then knocked some sense into him as his fist dove into the head of the young blonde. Naruto held his aching head and said, "What was that for?!"

The raven haired boy then crossed his arms and said, "Did you forget about breakfast time baka?"

The young blonde was pissed but tried hard to keep his cool as he said, "Alright, I'll head back. But I take it that that's not the only reason you came out here right?"

The raven haired boy nodded as he helped the young blonde to his feet and said, "Kakashi-sensei said that after breakfast we're going to simulate a battle on the bridge so eat fast."

The young blonde smiled knowing his plan had worked. As they walked further along, the young blonde turned around and noticed that one of the fox kits decided to tag along.

Sasuke, who wasn't one to be easily amused, said, "We don't have time for this Naruto. Let's move."

The young blonde ignored his hot-headed companion as he took the young fox kit and placed him in his downed hood where he could safely ride as they continued on their journey back.

Meanwhile, in Tazuna's home, the eager joint-team of team seven and eight waited until they heard the door creak signaling that the two have returned.

Naturally, Kiba, the first one to be irritated, said, "What the hell did you do last night? I bet you probably trained to death and couldn't wake up in the morning. Do you have anything in that thick skull of yours? What if Zabuza came and sliced you to shreds or something then what?"

Naruto made his foxy grin as he scratched his head until the energetic fox kit leaped from the young blonde's hood and on Naruto's head as he yipped and wagged his orange tail.

"KAWAIIIIII!!" exclaimed both Sakura and Hinata as they quickly took a hold of the young fox kit and cuddled it in delight.

Kurenai and Kakashi both sweatdropped in nervousness as the crimson-eyed kunoichi then asked Naruto, "Ano…Naruto…that….animal is…"

"Oh, Yeah! He followed me home so I decided to keep him." Naruto said as he took a sliver of meat from the table and fed the young kit making it purr in delight causing the two other kunoichis to cuddle the young kitsune in delight while Kiba tried to hold Akamaru down as the young pup made a low growl at the young fox kit.

Shino then looked over to Sasuke looking for an explanation causing the raven haired boy to place his hands in his pocket as he said, "I found the baka practically surrounded by at least six or seven of them in the forest. He's a magnet for kitsunes "

Kakashi was even more distressed by what he heard from his student concerning Naruto. Shino, ever observant, took note of Kakashi's sudden change in expression as he sharpened his gaze at the young blonde.

Kurenai, of course knew that Shino would easily become suspicious and said to the young blonde, "Anyhow, you can't keep him Naruto. He's an animal of the wild and must remain here in these forests." 'Not to mention the number of angry villagers who would await on us with pitchforks and clubs the moment they see the kitsune.'

Naruto frowned as his newfound friend shot a puppy eyed stare at the crimson eyed jounin making both Hinata and Sakura do the same.

Kurenai had veins throbbing on her head as she said, "My word is final. No wild pets. Honestly, you just can't pick up any stray animal you see on the road as a pet."

The young fox kit then began whimpering as its ears folded down while it held its two paws together in a praying fashion while Naruto and Kakashi were doing the same as they imitated the kitsune.

Annoyed beyond grief, Kurenai let out a sigh as Naruto, Hinata, Sakura and the young fox kit perked up in joy while Kakashi then placed an understanding arm around Kurenai's shoulder as he said, "Now, now, even Naruto should have the right to having a friend. Kiba has Akamaru and he's doing fine."

Just as Kakashi said that, Akamaru leaped out of Kiba's control and chased the fox kit around the room until the fox kit made a backflip during the chase causing Akamaru to ram his head onto one of the table legs causing a fork with some meat on it to fall as the young fox kit caught it with his tail and ate the sliver of meat. When he finished his meal, he then pushed the mechanical trashcan near the wall so that the stepping platform was facing the wall. It then placed the fork on top of the lid and pounced on the platform sending the fork flying back and effectively landing back on top of the table.

The onlookers clapped their hands in praise of the young fox kit as it made a gentleman's bow before scurrying back up onto Naruto's hood as Kiba rubbed the bump on Akamaru's head.

Shino then approached Kiba and stoically said, "It looks like Naruto's friend is one step ahead of your hound Kiba." 'But why did Akamaru chase the fox? Come to think of it, he's been rather moody around Naruto.'

Soon, the entire joint team took to the bridge and began the simulation. They had no idea what would be coming for them but they knew that being prepared is much better than having your head lopped off and served on a platter for Gato to see. After the simulation, Naruto stayed behind on the bridge to help in its completion as him and his clones helped the bridge builder and his crew with the last few planks of wood for the night before he took off to Tazuna's house.

As soon as everyone had gathered in that room, Kakashi then spoke up as he said, "Now that we've done a simulation of a battle on the bridge, we should be at the very least have an idea on how we would fight them should a fight commence."

The rest of the team nodded as Sasuke then said, "We barely have any info concerning Zabuza's partner and his abilities but we do know that he's just as dangerous and the likely chances of us defeating him one-on-one are slim to none so we should stick together as a team."

By the time Sasuke had finished his sentence, Naruto had also finished drinking his tea as his fox kit took the empty cup and brought it to the sink to be washed.

The young blonde said with all seriousness, "We can't just focus on those two only. With so many of us on this mission, Zabuza would probably bring some other nins with him so he can even the odds a bit more. Plus the fact that the bridge isn't the only place he can ambush us in."

The rest of the team nodded as they realized that either way, things were to get ugly. Luckily for the young blonde, Ichigo was nearby so just in case there were any mess-ups, he could help out without problems.

As they finished their meals for the night, Tazuna then spoke up as his face brightened up with the news he was going to bear upon their shoulders.

The old bridge builder then said, "The bridge is almost complete. It's thanks to all of you. But I'm still shaken up by the fact you guys are still here even though I lied about the request details."

Kakashi then made a serious face as he replied, "Not doing right when you know it's right is a coward's way. There are no weak soldiers under a valiant commander."

Tazuna and Tsunami were surprised by what they heard as were the rest of the joint team except Naruto who inwardly smirked when he remembered very clearly those words both from his father as well as Kakashi during this day.

Kurenai knew very well these quotes as she then replied, "Those were the teachings of the previous Hokage. The fourth always emphasized them before every battle during the Third Shinobi World War. Until this day that motto remains for all Konoha shinobi to follow. Some of which are already living out this motto unknowingly."

Inari, who had been silent and downcast throughout the few weeks then looked at the exhausted blonde who had fallen asleep on the table. As the melancholic boy looked at the young blonde, he remembered his previous father and the valiant heroism that he portrayed during his life with him before Gato mercilessly abused and made a mockery of him before his untimely death before poor little Inari's untainted eyes.

The melancholic boy's eyes began to drip with tears as he said, "Why….Why are you trying so hard that you end up like that! You can't beat Gato's men even if you train!"

Shino then looked at the crying boy causing everyone in the room to unknowingly pay attention as the bug user said, "Inari, we fight because we believe we can. We won't just stand around doing nothing and allow these people to die needlessly. We believe your cause is worth fighting for that's why we took up this mission."

Inari paid him no heed as they listened intently to the crying boy's words as he said, "No matter how hard you try and say those good-looking words…weak people are going to lose against strong people!"

Naruto woke up to those harsh words as he frowned and cleaned his ear with his pinky as he replied, "Shut up! I'm different from you."

Outraged by the sudden reply of Naruto, Inari then stood up and barked at the blonde, "Shut up! It pisses me off when I watch you! You don't know anything about this country, and you're so nosy! I'm different from you, someone who doesn't know any real pain and just laughs all the time!"

Naruto's face darkened in seriousness as he heard those words skewer his heart. Hinata and Kakashi were dismayed when they heard those words since they both knew what Naruto really went through in life and the hell he's been through.

'Oh No! Inari shouldn't have said that. Naruto, please don't hurt him.' The Hyuuga heiress thought as Naruto approached Inari and gave him a sharp slap to the cheek as Naruto's eyes burned brightly.

The onlookers were to scared to move or say anything as the young blonde then coldly said, "Watch what you say gaki. Don't assume that I'm no different. I ate trash from the garbage can for breakfast when I was four because for some reason, most people despised me. In fact, the only other time I was given food during that age, I found out that there was a hint of gunpowder mixed in it and I couldn't go to the hospital to get cured because the nurses would beat me with the chairs there until I ran out. I couldn't get money or a house on my head until I was six so I was homeless for most of the time meaning I got mugged, beaten up and my all time favorite, used as a pin cushion for knives by the street thugs that lived near the alleyways. My only home at that time was a trashcan in the corner near the back of the brothel in the red light district in Konoha next to the theater. It wasn't pleasant since the stench of alcohol and another obscene stench that I'm not allowed to say to your tiny ears, was constantly fuming the place…"

Horror filled the hearts of the entire team. Kurenai couldn't take anymore as she placed her hands on her mouth.

'Naruto…you faced so much hardship that it makes me look like a fool.' The raven haired boy thought as he remembered the night he first met the young blonde in that hospital.

Kiba and Shino were at a loss for words at what they heard as Sakura began to remember all the times she picked on Naruto whenever he annoyed her and felt guilt burden her conscience at the sudden realization of what he went through as her eyes watered. Kakashi began to burn inwardly with anger and frustration at this newfound knowledge.

However, of all who were heavily touched by his words, only one was dying inside as the lavender-eyed girl could no longer hold it in as tears began to form on her eyes as she slowly crept closer to the young blonde.

Naruto then grabbed the melancholic boy by the collar and continued his story as he said,

"I lived in misery at that time in my life all because I didn't do something about my situation and here you are, acting like the main character of a tragedy. An idiot like you can keep on crying like I did before. But you know what, I did something about my life and that's why I'm here today with this hitai-ate on my head. It wasn't easy, but it was a whole lot better than living in a rut for the rest of my life."

The young blonde put down the crying boy as he walked out of the room with his fox kit following suit and Hinata chasing after him.

Inari cried even more as he slumped to the floor before running up to the roof. Kakashi was the only one to regain his resolve as he said, "I'll go comfort Inari."

"But what about Naruto, sensei? I think he needs more comfort." Sakura said as her eyes began to water.

The one-eyed jounin then replied, "Don't worry about Naruto. Hinata is with him so it will be all right. What better comfort to be in than the arms of the one who loves you the most. That was something I read from my book before Kurenai forced me to burn it."

Kiba, who couldn't keep his resolve together for much longer, then said, "Kakashi-sensei….is everything that Naruto said true? I can't imagine that being real. How could anyone live through all that?"

Kurenai frowned even further in her depressed state as she replied, "Who said he did? The fact he's here and alive is a miracle in itself. I really don't understand all of this myself…but those eyes….they were filled with so much sadness and pain…"

They were at the peak of depression as they heard Kurenai's downtrodden reply as Kakashi left to look after Inari's injured heart. While the mood hadn't lifted from that room, another scarred heart was out by the nearby sea as he peered his flaming azure eyes into the vast ocean while his three white tails curled around his body while his orange furred friend sat beside him as he looked over the horizon.

"You think I was too hard on the gaki? Then again I did reveal a part of my life story to him." The white maned kitsune said as he placed his paw in the water. It was cold, but somehow, it relaxed him.

His furry friend then looked at him and to the white maned kitsune's astonishment, replied as it said, "I think the baka deserved it. He whines too much for his own good."

The white maned kitsune leaped out of the water as his eyes became saucers until he slapped himself with his paw as he said, "Of course, I'm a kitsune now sheesh. So what's your name buddy? I'm sure you have a name."

The orange furred kitsune then replied, "Kohaku. Nice to meet you Kyuubi-sama."

The white maned kitsune face faulted into the sand as Hinata finally arrived on the scene. She kneeled down and gazed into the flaming azure eyes of the white maned kitsune as hers bore a worried expression on them.

He gazed deeply into hers and said with a smile, "I'm alright now Hina-hime. I just needed to blow off some steam."

The lavender-eyed Hyuuga heiress then hugged the white kitsune tightly as she cried upon him. Her tears dampened his fur as he allowed himself to feel her warmth and the love and care she had for him.

As the lavender-eyed girl sobbed, she said to him softly, "I never knew how painful of a life you lived. If only I could have been there for you…no, I should have been there for you kitsune."

"It's all right now Hina-hime. I knew that you'd say something like that. But these things happen regardless and it isn't in our control. All we can do is choose the right path or the wrong one." The white maned kitsune replied as he reverted back to human form in her arms.

"But I still wished I was there so we can share the pain together, hand in hand." Hinata replied to the young blonde.

Naruto then hugged her back as he caressed the back of her head and ran his hands through her short, bluish black hair before wiping away the tears from her eyes as he gazed into those deep lavender orbs of hers.

"They're like shining pearl orbs. They're very beautiful." They young blonde said as his flaming azure eyes gazed into them causing Hinata to blush into a shade of crimson as she turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Please don't say that. It's embarrassing." The Hyuuga heiress said as she flustered.

The young blonde just smiled as his furry companion yipped in delight while wagging its tail.

Naruto and Hinata both looked at the young fox kit as the young blonde introduced them.

"Hinata, this is Kohaku. I found out his name when I was in kitsune form. Kohaku, this is Hinata, my girlfriend. Don't tell anyone." The young blonde said as the young fox kit bowed in respect while Hinata blushed from the apparent awkwardness of their situation.

As her thoughts returned to awareness of the situation at hand, Hinata asked the young blonde, "So what happened with your conversation with Haku? Did he take it well?"

Naruto then shook his head as did Kohaku as the young blonde said, "He said he'll think about it. But most likely we'll have to stick to the bridge battle."

Hinata bowed her head in defeat at what she heard from the young blonde. She knew that Haku wouldn't give in easily after she heard of his story from the young blonde. They both sighed in defeat since they knew that one way or another, they would end up fighting Haku and Zabuza and death was inevitable.

Naruto then brought Hinata closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her and said, "It's alright Hina-hime. I'll do my best to protect all of my precious people because they are my number one priority…especially when they're shy and sweet girls like you."

Hinata felt his love for her as she took refuge in his loving arms. They huddled closer to each other as the moon shone upon them reflecting its light of hope as the loving couple bathed in the moonlight while the silence caressed and soothed their souls as they gently kissed while laying down upon the shoreline.

Sand began entering some of the nooks and crannies of their clothing as they lay down upon the soft sand with Hinata in his arms as she leaned her head upon his strong frame. The blonde's flaming azure eyes gazed upon the pale beauty of the moon until an orange-headed figure prevented him from viewing it.

"Oi, how long are you guys going to stay there?" Ichigo said, surprising the two as they stood on their feet to meet the shinigami substitute. The young couple began to blush as they looked away from each other.

The strawberry named shinigami then smiled as he then said, "Sorry for interrupting your time together but your mom is on the phone and she's pretty pissed."

Ichigo then took out the GPS from his right sleeve as he handed it to Naruto. The young blonde then placed the pink phone to his ear and fell backwards as several screaming noises ran through that ear causing both Ichigo, Hinata and Kohaku to sweatdrop.

"BAKA! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN AND WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED US!" Kushina shouted from the phone.

Naruto began cleaning the ear that was shouted on as he placed the phone near the other ear as he replied, "Okaa-san! You don't have to yell. Besides, Ichigo probably told you already so don't worry so much. Anyhow, what's been going on there? How's otou-san doing?"

As the young blonde chatted away, Ichigo looked over to Hinata and said, "Family reunions can be tiring so it might take a while. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo by the way. Nice to meet you."

The Hyuga heiress then looked towards the young man and bowed in respect as she replied, "I'm Hyuga Hinata. I'm very pleased to meet you." 'So this is Ichigo that I've heard so much about. He's a lot stronger than he looks.'

Eventually, the argument between Naruto and his family settled down as he turned off the GPS and approached the two.

"I guess you guys are already acquainted. Anyway, what did Rukia say Ichigo?" Naruto said as he asked the orange haired youth and handed the GPS to him.

Ichigo then replied, "After I called up Rukia, they said that they're headed over here and the Gotei thirteen are investigating the problem of the elemental gods. According to your dad, it seems that their location is well hidden even from the monitors of Soul Society so they need to look for it themselves."

Naruto slapped his forehead in bitter realization of another careless mistake on his part.

"Who's heading here?" Naruto asked as he sulked.

"Rukia, Renji, Ishida, Chad, Inoue, Yoruichi-san and Urahara-san." Ichigo said causing Naruto to frown in bitter defeat.

As inescapable and inevitable as it was, the young blonde could only accept his loss and move on forward as planned. He fought hard to get here and he wasn't going to let up at any point yet.

"They just had to come. I barely managed to keep okaa-san from coming here but them? Great. But then again, you guys are too stubborn for your own good." Naruto said with a foxy grin on his face.

"What are nakama for?" Ichigo replied as he rubbed his fist on Naruto's head.

Hinata smiled as she saw the deep bonds that Naruto had with Ichigo. Although he had gone through so much toil in his life, he also received even more blessings because he was always surrounded by friends who loved him and cherished him for who he is.

The young blonde then began strolling back with his hands in his pocket with Hinata following him.

As they were leaving, Ichigo then said to him, "Naruto…take care. I hope your plan works. It would be much better to just go over to Gato right now and take care of things, but I'll trust you this time so you better do good."

Naruto turned his head around and smiled at Ichigo before they finally departed back to Tazuna's house.

Ichigo on the other hand had his work cut out for him. He then opened up the receiver of the GPS and dialed away the phone number to the Urahara Shop.

"Hopefully this thing doesn't charge me a lot for making inter-dimensional collect calls." The orange haired youth said as he placed the phone to his ear while it rang indicating that the device was making the call.

Back in the Urahara shop, a man in green hakama with a black haori over it and a green and white striped hat over his short, wild blonde hair was lazily reading a newspaper in one corner of the candy shop. Normally, it was a legit candy shop that sold sweets but underneath that cover, it was a shop that sold commodities to shinigami including contraband ones and this lazy blonde was its shop owner.

While he was busy doing nothing and squandering his time, the shop phone rang ending the silence that normally blended the background of this lazy day.

"I'll get it!" a muscular man said as he entered the shop from the back room in a blue apron, green pants, brown shoes, and a white muscle fit shirt. As he took the receiver of the phone close to his ear, the sun began to shine much clearer past the open door of the shop as it shone on the face of the muscular man as it revealed that he had brown cornrosed hair, a connected beard and mustache and rectangular framed glasses.

"Moshi moshi. This is the Urahara Shop. How may I help you today?" The muscular man said over the phone.

"Oh! Ichigo! How have you been? You haven't called for a while now. Oh, I see." The muscular man said as turned to face the wild haired blonde and said, "It's for you Urahara-san."

The wild haired blonde then took the receiver as he pressed it between his ear and shoulder as he continued reading his newspaper.

"Kurosaki-san! How have you been? The last time you called was yesterday morning. Missed me already?" Urahara said trying to sound as upbeat as possible, which irritated Ichigo to no end.

The orange haired youth then replied, "I called to find out what's been happening on your end. How's my family?"

"They're doing well. How's Naruto? Soul Society has been in an uproar ever since they heard the news of the elemental gods being revived. Shuhei's been looking for the little fox ever since he disappeared from the rabbit hole. Is our fox alright?" Urahara asked of Ichigo.

The orange haired man sighed as he looked over the horizon and said, "He's been messing up lately. Sereitei's number one military tactician, who normally is the most levelheaded on the battlefield, is extremely tense right now. He needs our help badly even if he hates it."

Urahara sighed as he replied, "Yare, yare, yare. But the gate won't open for another few days. You think you can hold up before then?"

"Hopefully I can. But I don't know about Naruto." Ichigo replied before the phone line suddenly was cut.

"Battery finally ran out." Ichigo said as he kept the now spent device inside his shihakusho.

As the orange haired man shunpo'd out of sight, the young blonde, Kohaku and Hinata had just entered Tazuna's house to see that it was already dark and they had retired for the night. They decided to do the same as they bid each other goodnight.

Soon, morning came as the night withered away leaving only the young blonde to sleep peacefully as Kakashi said to Tsunami, "Please take care of Naruto. He's been using his body to the max so I think he won't be able to move for today."

"Kakashi-san, is your body feeling well today?" Tsunami asked of the one-eyed jounin as Shino left the house to join the group.

"Yes, somehow…" Kakashi replied.

Kurenai sighed as she said, "Hopefully, he'll be in enough shape to make sure that Tazuna is kept out of harms way."

Kakashi scratched his head in defeat. Hinata however was a bit worried concerning Naruto. But she knew how strong he really could be and that this was all part of his plan.

As the genins checked their stuff one last time before departure, Kurenai looked one last time at the house before they finally departed and headed for the bridge as they gathered around Tazuna. With every step they made, anxiousness filled their battle ready hearts as they felt an ominous wind blow past them.

'Something tells me that we're going to face a powerful enemy up ahead. I don't like this at all.' Sasuke thought as he gripped his hands into a fist to relieve himself from the tension he was going through that seemed to infect his other teammates.

They trugged onwards to the bridge until a few feet away, they could see a heavy mist fog the area as it eerily seemed to sap the life out of the team as they rushed into the fog.

"What is this?" Tazuna screamed as he saw the many injured construction workers lying around the bridge.

The team began to take their precautions as planned. Shino took to the back with Sasuke as Sakura and Hinata protected Tazuna's front and back while Kiba and Akamaru ran to the injured men along with Kurenai and Kakashi.

The crimson-eyed jounin checked their pulses and nodded causing the team to sigh in relief until they saw their former enemy across them with the fake hunter-nin and four more missing nins.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Kakashi and Kurenai. But to be fair, I brought some friends of mine along with me." Zabuza said as he moved his right arm to check its flexibility before gazing back his murderous eyes at the tense joint team that took on the defensive.

Zabuza smiled as he said, "He's shaking again. How pitiful. In fact, they're all shaking."

Zabuza was right. The genins were still shaking in nervousness as they never faced a battle this intense in their entire life as the air just choked their confidence and wits despite how hard they struggled to fight it from engulfing them in their own fears.

Sasuke on the other hand was shaking for a different reason. He smiled smugly as he said, "I'm shaking in excitement."

"I see. But where's the other one? There's only five of your kids. Or are you keeping him somewhere around her to make a sneak attack?" Zabuza said cynically as six Mizu Bunshins surrounded the team until Sasuke quickly dispatched them of. His swift attacks caused them to revert back into water.

"Cheh. Show off." Kiba said as Akamaru barked in agreement.

"A rival has appeared for you Haku." Zabuza said to his younger companion.

"Yes, it seems like it." The masked boy said as he analyzed the situation.

This was it. The battle that they've been preparing for as the ex-mist nins began the assault.

----------o)0(o----------

Meanwhile, back at Tazuna's house, Tsunami was busy cleaning the house as she began her chores for the day.

"Inari, come and help me in the kitchen!" Tsunami hollered out to the boy.

"Hait!" Inari said as he moved towards the kitchen.

As they peacefully ran through their chores without a care in the world, two men waited outside with swords strapped to their side.

One man wore a blue hood-down jacket, brown shorts and getas, a dirty white sash around his waist and a navy blue snowcap over his neck length silver hair.

The other man wore getas as well. He also wore big gray pants with white zigzags on it and a jacket tied to his waist for his sword to be tied to. He wore no shirt to reveal his semi-muscular physique and the number of tattoos on his body with his stomach in bandages as he also wore an eye patch over his right eye and he had three small ponytails in reminiscence of the old samurai hairstyle. It would appear that he was a ronin with the huge stitch over his forehead and hair growing from the spaces where it would normally have been shaved if he were a samurai as his beard pointed to the ground.

An evil smirk formed on their faces as they began unsheathing their swords. The muscular ronin then sliced the door open, surprising Tsunami in fear of the two men at the door who entered as unwanted guests of the house.

"So you're Tazuna's daughter. I'm sorry, but you're coming with us." The snow capped ronin said.

As Inari had just finished washing his hands, he heard his mother scream in terror as the two ronins began roughing her up. Inari ran as fast as he could to the kitchen and saw his mother prone on the floor.

"Okaa-san!" Inari cried causing the three other people in the room to turn their heads to see the young boy. Tsunami began sweating in fear that her son was foolishly entering the scene of danger.

Fearing for the boy's life, the mother cried, "Inari, don't come here! Run!"

"What do you want kid? Should we take him too?" the muscular ronin said to his compatriot.

"We only need one hostage." The snow capped ronin replied.

Inari shirked back in fright as the muscular man brought up his sword to slay poor little Inari. Tsunami was at a loss at what to do.

She had no other choice as she said, "Wait! If you do anything to him, I'll bite my own tongue and die! You need a hostage right?"

The two ronin gazed at her in spite as the muscular man sheathed the gleaming blade.

"Thank your mom gaki." The snow capped ronin said to the young boy.

Inari was helpless. He cried his little heart out and slumped where he stood as the two ronins approached the self-sacrificing mother.

The young boy felt darkness consume him as he thought, 'I feel so helpless. Okaa-san is going to be taken away and I can't do anything about it just like otou-san. Please! Anyone…save my mom…anyone! Oji-san…Otou-san…Naruto nii-san. Anyone!'

"Anyone! Please save us!" Inari shouted out loud.

His cries were not in vain as a kunai struck deep in the back of the head of the snowcapped ronin rendering him dead as he fell to the floor. The muscular ronin then began to draw his sword when suddenly the butt of the hilt was kicked back as Naruto stepped his left foot into it. Without hesitation, he quickly spun to the left allowing him to give a strong roundhouse kick with his right foot to the head of the muscular ronin.

The ronin was sent flying to the wall. Before he could realized what happened, the young blonde had already plunged his right hand into the man's chest and ripped out the his heart leaving a heartless cadaver as blood gushed out of the body and began flooding the floor.

Tsunami and Inari where shocked at the gruesome display that took only three seconds to deliver at the leisure of their innocent eyes. The red water soiled the young blonde's jacket and right hand as it dripped.

He then looked at Inari and said, "Good thing you screamed or I'll never have woken up." 'Way too slow. Normally they'd be dead within a split second. I need a good training partner when we get back to Konoha.'

Inari was still to shaken up by what Naruto had just done. It took a good fist to his head for him to wake up from his stupor as Naruto said, "Hey, Inari…take care of your mother for me. I need to head back to the bridge to help them out. Gato's behind all of this so I need to protect Tazuna. If anyone tries to harm your mom…"

The young blonde then handed the two swords of the dead ronins to Inari and continued, "You know what to do."

The young blonde said as he turned around and Shunpo'd his way to the bridge for a final showdown with Zabuza and Haku.

----------o)0(o----------

The joint team then grit themselves for battle as the six missing nins begun their assault.

Haku ran towards the back and assaulted Sasuke with Zabuza charging Kakashi and locking him in place with the pressure of his Zanbato on Kakashi's kunai. Kurenai sprang into action to help when suddenly, one of the missing nins blocked her path. Kiba and Akamaru tried to rush to Sasuke's aid until one of the remaining missing nins also blocked his path and begun attacking him. Shino decided to help out Kiba since he could see that Sasuke was holding his own while Sakura and Hinata decided to stay out of the fight and guard Tazuna as they begun the battle on the bridge. The other two missing nins left charged the kunoichis guarding Tazuna until they were kept in check by Shino who sent a bug wall to help as he shifted his attention to the other two missing nins.

"Hinata, Sakura, please keep Tazuna safe and stay out of the fight unless we say otherwise. Without Naruto here, it will be a long battle." Shino said calmly as they begun to defend the life of Tazuna.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sasuke's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Haku begun spinning wildly as a partial cyclone formed around him until Sasuke waited and blocked the senbon of Haku with the kunai in his right hand.

"Oh? So he was able to catch up to his speed." Zabuza said as he quickly glanced at the deadlock of Sasuke and Haku.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings." Said the one-eyed jounin as he intentionally fell back and landed on his hands allowing Zabuza's full weight forward as he kicked the missing nin upwards.

Zabuza timed his momentum in the air and flipped so that he landed back upon solid ground just a few feet away from Kakashi as the one-eyed jounin charged with kunai in hand as he resumed the deadlock.

Sasuke managed to break away from the deadlock with Haku as he armed his other hand with a kunai and they both begun spinning hoping to use the momentum of the spin attack to stab or slice the other.

The sounds of metal clashing rang through the condensed air as their blades constantly met until they stopped spinning and landed back where they started. Neither one gave way to the other as they struggled to push.

Haku, being the normally kind and gentle soul he was, spoke to the young Uchiha with sadness in his heart.

"I don't want to kill you, but you won't back off, right?" he said without losing his grip on the senbon.

"What are you? Stupid?" Sasuke said with all seriousness.

Haku then replied confidently, "As I thought…but you won't be able to keep up with me for my next move. And I'm already ahead of you."

'He's just bluffing. There's no way out since I got one of his hands full.' Sasuke thought as he kept his cool. "Two steps ahead?" the young Uchiha said sarcastically.

"The first one is the water on the ground. And the second one is that I'm keeping one of your arms busy. Therefore you can only take and block my attacks." Haku stated as he began creating seals with one hand which caught the young Uchiha by surprise.

'Nani?! He's creating seals with one hand?!' Sasuke thought as he witnessed abilities far beyond his capacity.

Even Kakashi, who managed to glimpse the feat at the corner of his eyes, was surprised with the astounding ability as Haku then said, "Hijutsu, Sensatsu Suishou."

The masked boy then kicked the water upward causing them to transform into senbons of ice that surrounded the young Uchiha ready to impale him.

Sasuke , with his free hand, formed one handed seal and then concentrated hard as he thought, 'Remember the training. Mold up chakra immediately…and send it to my legs.'

With the end of his chain of thoughts, came the end of the existence of Sasuke as the senbons impaled his position. Sakura was shocked however Hinata knew better as she saw Sasuke's nimble movements just before he was nearly impaled by the icicles of death.

Haku managed to back up in time to keep his distance for the next attack. But when he looked at where Sasuke once stood, he noticed that the raven-haired boy was nowhere to be found. Sasuke however was in the best place of attack as he was airborne and ready to swoop down upon the baffled Haku. The masked nin noticed it quickly and leaped back several times to evade the shuriken thrown by the raven-haired boy as he landed back down onto the ground to begin the next phase of attack.

By the time Haku had stopped, Sasuke was already behind him ready to strike.

"Your'e pretty slow. Now you can only receive and block my attacks." Sasuke said with confidence.

Both nins blurred out of the way as they resumed their assault. Haku once again got Sasuke within a deadlock as Sasuke blocked his senbon aimed at his right side with the kunai in his left hand and his right hand coiled back to his left shoulder. He then dexterously switched his grip on the kunai in his right hand and threw it at Haku causing him to duck to avoid the kunai allowing Sasuke to kick him in the face as Haku skidded a few feet away.

Zabuza then kicked Kakashi out of the way just in time to see his prized tool beaten in his own strength.

"Haku was beaten in speed?" Zabuza said as his eyes widened in amazement.

"Looks like my speed was better." Sasuke said as he ran towards Kiba to join his battle.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kiba's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxx

The missing nin began by throwing a shuriken towards Kiba and made handseals as he said, "Kage Shuriken no Jutsu!"

The shurikens then multiplied in number and nicked Kiba's left arm as he evaded the attack until he felt a strong killing intent of a clone of the missing nin ready to strike until Sasuke swept him off his feet allowing Kiba to spin and leap back to give him a haymaker to his chest as the dog-boy drove the clone into the ground. The clone reverted back to water from the attack while the missing nin then pulled out a kusari-gama from his back and threw the weighted end at the dog boy. It caught him until Akamaru leaped out of his jacket and charged at the nin.

"Kuso! I hate dogs! Get away from me bakemono!" the nin exclaimed as he threw a kunai at the dog causing Akamaru to divert from his path to avoid the attack.

Kiba on the other hand began to wind himself up in the chain allowing himself to close the distance with the nin until he was arms length of the nin. Sasuke then made a Kawarimi with Kiba allowing a log to appear in Kiba's place with an explosive note on it. The nin had no time to react as he let go at the last second and ended up getting his chest armor burned badly as he skidded back and landed on his knee.

While Kiba and Sasuke were fairing well…Shino's battle was a different story.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Shino's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The two missing nins each threw a bottle in to the ground and then made handseals and both shouted, "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The water that spilled on the ground then rose and shaped themselves into clones of the nins that begun to form handseals and one shouted, " Suiton, Suigadan!"

The clone of one reverted back into water and became pressurized drillheads of water that headed straight for Shino. The bug user then made a wall of bugs that halted most of the attack until an opening in the wall allowed the other Mizu Bunshin to charge straight through and grab Shino and explode like a suicide bomber of water. The nins were surprised that the fallen body of Shino suddenly degenerated into bugs that seeped into the cracks and crevices of the wooden planks of the bridge.

"Crafty little runt. Keep close. He's hiding somewhere." The nin said to his comrade as they created more Mizu Bunshins to surround and protect themselves until one of the nins spotted a shade in the mist and threw a kunai at it until it revealed itself to be bugs in Shino's shape.

The kunai then dropped to the floor as the bugs sank back into the floor. The clones then huddled closer to the nins as they protected their masters with their short lives. As they tensed in the mist, a different colored smoke appeared from underneath them. They saw the smoke and begun separating as they fell for Shino's trap. Several of Shino's bugs lay in wait in the crevices of the planks and the moment the nins separated, the bugs begun latching onto them. The bugs began eating up the chakra of the clones and the originals as the clones became the first to loose shape and return back to water. The nins attempted to use their bunshins to wash away the bugs all to no avail as they hung on quite tightly.

"Why? How come they won't come off!" the panicked nin said to his comrade. He then grabbed onto the ledge and couldn't remove his hand and realized what just happened to them as Shino revealed himself from the mist.

"Hai. It's as you suspected. The smoke grenade contained a special substance made from bug extract to condense with water forming a sticky fluid to whatever objects it comes in contact with." Shino said as he adjusted his dark spectacles.

"Since when did you have time to get something like this? Did you foresee this?" the nin said as he became immobile to his spot.

"After our fight with Zabuza a few weeks ago, we made sure not to fall into the same traps again or potential ones since we knew the potential level of danger that we would be caught in. these grenades are proof of that." Shino said calmly as the nin slumped to the floor from chakra exhaustion.

However his comrade wasn't ready to give up as he recklessly ran past Shino and charged to maim and kill the two kunoichis and Tazuna.

'Shoot! I let him get past me!' Shino thought as reached to grab his kunai only for the missing nin to be already within stabbing range as he drew his kunai and grabbed Sakura and threw her back at Shino to hamper his counterattack only to receive a sharp pain in his side from a juuken strike by Hinata. The nin leaped out of the way just in time as he took off his jacket and shirt to relieve himself of the bugs on it.

"Good move girl. But you could've killed me if you wanted to. Did you really think that just beating the shit outta people is enough to end the fight? You gotta get serious if you want to live. But then again why not leave these pricks and come with me instead. I've always wanted a pet and you'd be perfect. Whaddya say? It's not like you're a match for me anyway." The nin cynically said to Hinata as it terrified her.

But nonetheless she stood firm and took her stance as she readied herself for her first true life threatening battle.

Zabuza was amazed with what he saw from his point of view as he said, "These kids are pretty good to hold their own. I'm surprised."

Kakashi then confidently said, "You can't make fun of our team just because we have children. Sasuke is Konohagakure's top rookie. Sakura is the village's shrewdest child."

Zabuza then smirked as he said, "Shrewd? She got her ass handed to her by Heitaro. What's so shrewd about…"

Before he could say any further, Heitaro's right hand suddenly blew up as blood and torn and burnt up flesh splattered around. He kneeled in pain as he grabbed the bloody stump and writhe in agony. He then gazed hatefully at Sakura and screamed, "DAMN BITCH! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, YOU'LL SCREAM FOR MERCY. I'LL VIOLATE YOU TILL YOU DIE!"

The nin went berserk and charged recklessly attempting to brutally wound Sakura in the most agonizing way. Shino then made a hasty effort and pushed Sakura aside as he took the full brunt of the nin as the nin raised his leg and shouted, "Get the fuck out of my way insect boy!"

He then smashed his leg into Shino. The bug user made a kawarimi in the last second as he appeared a few feet at away from the nin's right side. Shino then raised his right hand and goaded him to charge at the nin. The nin fell for it and charged.

Zabuza then shook his head in embarrassment that his team was even more childish than those genins.

"As you can see, Shino is an expert of stealth and strategy with the way he handled the fight. Kiba, his complete opposite, is in his own way a capable fighter who knows when to fight and how despite his limited skills and Akamaru as his partner. Hinata as you've just witnessed is of the Hyuga clan from her fighting style. She may be timid, but she's no pushover with the amount of determination she's shown so far." Kakashi said as he took to his stance once more.

Zabuza looked at each one carefully and true enough, the genins were talented and capable. But as he thought about the genins, he then realized something.

"You're missing one. The one who stabbed me in the back." Zabuza pointed out.

Kakashi then calmly explained, "THAT ONE…he can be really stupid at times, but is the number one in surprising people. Believe me when I say that he is an enigma." 'Even I don't know what goes on inside that thick skull of his. But at least I know it contains anything but air. I'm still surprised that he suggested that we simulate a possible battle at the bridge where we would face greater numbers. Even though we knew that the battle could be elsewhere, the chances of fighting on the bridge was too high to neglect. But to plan to this degree with all the wild cards on the enemy's side and still cope up is something that an experienced war captain would do. I just wonder for how long we can hold them till Naruto gets here.'

Unfortunately for Kakashi, that would be a few more seconds as Kurenai decided to end her fight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kurenai's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kurenai decided to focus on taijustu since her opponent was less skilled in taijutsu than her. The nin then brought out a small hatchet and tried to even the odds as he swung it left and right until Kurenai grabbed that arm with her left hand and stabbed the kunai into it. The nin didn't flinch as he grabbed her by the neck with his free hand until she kicked him away. The nin then removed the kunai just in time to see the crimson-eyed jounin dissapear into cherry blossoms. He then placed his hands into a familiar seal and said, "Kai!"

The genjutsu failed as the nin then turned around and punched her deep in the gut as he brought out his kunai and stabbed her in the arm as he threw her back on the floor and began tearing up her clothing with his bare hands as he pinned her against her will. She was helpless and the nin smiled wildly as he said, "That wound is payback. But I'll be gentle this time. I'll take my time with you so that I can have my fun."

The nin then began squeezing her breasts until his hands suddenly sank deep into her body and Kurenai wrapped her legs around his waist. The nin panicked as she transformed into a cherry blossom tree that had him in its grasp as the branches formed around his body and held him upside down while half of Kurenai's body emerged from the top of the trunk as she said with kunai in hand, "This wound will be payback for you perverted personality. But I'll be gentle this time. I'll take my time with you so that I can have my fun."

The nin panicked as sweat poured from his face. She then plunged the kunai into his crotch without hesitation as the nin screamed in agony from the horrible wound that he received. She then twisted the blade which inflicted more pain as she then slid her torso along with the blade allowing the kunai to split him in half until the genjustu faded leaving her crouching beside the now brain dead nin from the suffering of shock.

Zabuza and Kakashi, who were the only ones that was witnessing that battle shuddered in fear as they both thought, 'She's scary when she's serious. I'd better keep clear for now.'

Kurenai then tried to get back on her feet as she held her left arm and gut until she keeled over and fell on her hands and knees.

"I knew I should have fought him a bit more seriously. But then again we were evenly matched until now." Kurenai said as she panted and relieved herself of the bloody kunai in her left arm.

All in all, the battle was swinging in the joint team's favor as the young blonde was nearing the bridge.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kiba's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kiba then fed Akamaru a soldier pill causing the dog to become more feral as its coat of fur became a deep crimson with its locks of fur standing more feral than before. This of course scared the nin since his fear of dogs became more evident as he backed away.

Seeing the rattled senses of the nin, Akamaru then leaped on Kiba's head as the dog boy quickly made handseals and said, "This is a technique passed down to the Inuzuka clan for generations. I haven't learned the other one that can be used with this one in a combo, but this should be good enough for you. Juujin Bunshin!"

The dog boy then crouched on all fours and his loyal partner transformed into a feral clone of him on top of him as Kiba's nails and fangs grew longer.

"Kuso! I hate dogs! I'll make sure that your filthy hands never scar me again." The nin said as he leaped on top of a ledge and made five Mizu Bunshins to keep the dog boy and his feral companion busy as the two leaped into action and began tearing through the ranks. But by the time they had finished, the original was on top of the railings of the bridge and he had finished his handseals.

Sasuke noticed the handseals and quickly ran to the dog boy's side and began his own set as the missing nin then said, "Suiton, Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

The same dragon of pure water rose from the side of the nin and reared its head as it tore through the side of the bridge and flushed Kiba in its water as it began carrying him away. Akamaru then came charging at the nin to break his concentration. He lunged his head at the nin and bit down hard his neck only to find out that it was a Mizu Bunshin.

"With all this much fog I can't find him properly." Said the dog boy on the other side of the bridge hanging from a railing.

The water dragon was too much for the dog boy and now he was several stories above the watery grave that waits below him to carry him to the next life.

The nin then approached the ledge and looked down to see the boy hanging by a thread while his companion with a missing hand smirked as he kept his gaze upon Shino who was worried of Kiba's predicament as did Sakura, Hinata and Tazuna.

The nin gazing at the boy then made two clones as him and his clone began the same set of seals once more while the other clone then went towards the nin with a missing hand and aided him in forming the same set of seals as they quickened their pace.

Kurenai tried to get up but was too far to reach them in time as Shino made a bug wall around Sakura and Hinata. Kiba managed to climb back up just in time for all four nins to shout, "Suiton, Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

Four water dragons rose from the sides of the bridge and tore through the ranks as it flushed Kiba, Kurenai, Shino, Sakura, Hinata and Tazuna.

"Oh no!" Kakashi said as he turned tail and ran to them only to get cleaved in half by Zabuza's Zanbato.

Zabuza then smirked. "Keep watch of your back Kakashi. It's disgraceful." He said until the fallen form of Kakashi transformed into water.

The one-eyed jounin couldn't get close with the water dragons rampaging the bridge until he heard Sasuke shout, "Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The raven-haired boy then blew a giant fireball at them as it cancelled one of the dragons but could not stop the other three.

"A fire that small isn't going to stop…" the nin could not say anymore as kunai hidden within the flames passed through the other dragons and killed the two clones and lodged themselves in the shoulder of the nin missing a hand and the leg of the water dragon summoning nin causing the dragons to disperse back into water that flooded the surface of the bridge before receding and streaming out through the sides which made it look like several small waterfalls as the bridge became slippery with the watery coating.

After the water attack, Kurenai and Shino were both knocked out of the fight as Kakashi managed to save them and Sakura, Hinata, and Tazuna from immediate danger. Kiba managed to leap out on his own while Akamaru had reverted back to normal as he sat beside Kiba.

Sasuke made a weak smile until several senbons lodged on his back. he turned his head to see nothing until he reflexively realized as he saw Haku's foot smash into his face causing him to skid to the back.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted as Hinata held Sakura back and said, "Sakura-san. Please focus or you may never live to see him again."

Sakura looked over to Hinata and realized she was right. Her hands were trembling saying that she was worried as well but she knew better than to let her guard down.

"It's a shame." Haku stated as he approached Sasuke.

The raven-haired boy got up to his feet as he drew his twin kunais once more. He sharpened his gaze at the masked boy as he got into a fighting stance once more with an aura of cold air emanating from him.

"That's cold air." Sasuke said as his eyes widened at what he saw.

Haku began forming handseals. As he molded his chakra, ice began forming behind and around the two as they formed into the shape of mirrors that began to surround them in a globe.

At the same time, the two nins still alive aside from Zabuza and Haku, removed the kunai from their bodies and threw the bloody pieces of metal back at Kurenai and Shino. Kakashi went in front of the two and deflected the kunai with his own but was too late to stop the charging nins as they attacked Kiba and the rest of the team aside from Sasuke.

The genins were too dazed from the last attack to do anything until two young blondes kicked them aside. Hinata brightened up in joy as Sakura made a sigh of relief. Before she could comment on the situation, the clone near the nin with one hand quickly rushed in. the nin threw a fist as Naruto swerved to the left and went under his arm and threw his hand in and it sank deep into his solar plexus as the red water flowed into his arm. The clone smiled as he pulled out his intestine and while holding the bloody organ, ran towards the back of the other nin as the original attacked the nin.

The nin was too exhausted from the last attack to move out of the way and decided to block the fist sent at him as the nin put up his two arms to block the left fist. But at the last second, Naruto switched the fist into an open hand as he grabbed the two arms and pulled them down and gave him an elbow to the left temple before giving him a side kick back for the clone to do his job as the clone wrapped around him the bloody intestine like a rope before sending the two nins to their watery grave that was the river below.

The nin wrapped in his companions insides managed to glimpse the young blonde's crimson slit eyes as the young blonde transformed the clone into a large shuriken for him to hold in his right hand.

"Kuso! He's the Kyubbi vessel. I need to report this to Zetsu-sama!" the nin said as he fell into the water, tied to the cadaver of his companion. This of course did not bode well to Naruto's ears as the nin was carried downstream.

The young blonde was at a loss at the nins words until his fiery tenant told him, Don't worry about him gaki. The main base of Gato should be downstream so if he lives, which he would, we can interrogate him later.

The ones who witnessed that fight were surprised by his sudden entrance and the way he dealt with the nins as the young blonde said, "Uzumaki Naruto is reporting for duty. Nice to meet you all!"

This of course, snapped them out of their stupor. Zabuza, who was amused by the fight, said, "I presume he's the number one at surprising people. The enigma you mentioned."

Kakashi nodded as Naruto commanded, "Kiba, Sasuke needs our help. Hinata and Sakura, pull out Kurenai and Shino from the fight. Kakashi-sensei, do you think you can stall Zabuza?"

"For how long I don't know. But if worst comes to worst I'll have to kill him." Kakashi said to the young blonde as the team did as they were commanded. But of course, Naruto didn't make it in time to stop Haku before he brought up his technique as the masked boy said, "Hijutsu, Makyo Hyoshou!"

Sasuke was trapped in the half globe formation of ice mirrors as Haku entered one and his reflection was seen on all the mirrors.

"What is that technique?" Kakashi questioned. Zabuza laughed as he crossed his arms in confdence.

"These are…mirrors. What is he going to do?" Sasuke said, as he found no opening to leap out from.

Zabuza then blocked Kakashi from turning to save his student as he said, "I'm your opponent, remember? He's a goner now that Haku has used that technique."

Haku then told the young Uchiha, "Let's begin. I will show you my true speed."

The masked nin began throwing senbon after senbon as it grazed the young Uchiha left and right. Sasuke began screaming and grunting from the velocity and sharpness of the senbons that pierced the young Uchiha's skin.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed as she saw her crush being slowly torn asunder by the needles that cut and pierced the raven-haired boy.

"Kuso! You're not getting away with this!" Kiba said as he formed a handseal and then shouted, "Juujin Bunshin!" Akamaru transformed into a clone of Kiba and they both attacked the mirrors.

"Yamero Kiba!" Naruto shouted as Kiba and Akamaru were suddenly pushed back by several senbons that sprouted out of the outside of the mirrors. Akamaru was knocked out of the fight as Kiba struggled to get up.

"Kiba-kun, Akamaru!" Hinata said as she helped the dog-boy and his companion.

"Kuso…I can't get up properly." The dog boy said as he winced in pain before being set down with his dog next to Kurenai and Shino.

Hinata then activated her Byakugan and scanned his body as she slowly took out the senbons from the both of them.

"He paralyzed your nerves so you won't be able to fight for the duration of the day. That and also you were exhausted from the last fight. Let Naruto-kun handle the fight now." Hinata said as she took out her healing salve and began placing them on the wounds of Kurenai, Shino Kiba and Akamaru.

Kakashi on the other hand was at a bind as Zabuza said to him, "If you move without thinking, I'll kill the three behind you and the rest of your team if they interfere."

Sakura could not take it any longer as she mustered her courage and said to the old bridge builder and Hinata, "Tazuna-san, I'm sorry. I'm going to move from here for a minute. Hinata-chan, please look after them for a while."

"Sure. Go." Tazuna said as Kiba tried to protest.

Sakura then took out a kunai from her holster and leaped up into the air and threw it as she said, "Take this!"

The kunai then headed straight in between the mirrors. The pink-haired girl then thought, 'Yosh! It will make it!'

'It's too slow. Haku will catch it for sure.' The young blonde thought as he reached into his pouch for a bag of salt from his first aid kit. While the kunai passed through the space, Haku did catch it in midair from one of the mirrors.

Sakura was shocked as she exclaimed, "He caught it!"

The raven-haired boy fell to his knees as blood gushed out of his forehead and arms and legs. Naruto sharpened his gaze as he stabbed his large shuriken into the floor and took a set of shuriken and tied some wire to them and coated the shuriken in salt from the pouch of his first aid kit and placed a chakra storage tag upon them.

Haku then went back inside of the mirror as Naruto said to the masked boy, "Haku…I'm not surprised that you joined the fight. But my offer still stands. But I will not hesitate to end your life if you decide to kill my precious people like the ronins that Gato sent to try and kidnap Tsunami and Inari back at their house."

Many emotions were thrown into the mix as each had different thoughts. Tazuna was panicked at what he heard until Naruto said, "Don't worry. They're all right. I took care of them before I left that's why I'm late."

The team sighed in relief while Zabuza said, "Typical of that swine to try something dirty. He sends his tools to do his dirty work while he rests in a comfy chair back at his headquarters."

Kakashi then hardened his gaze at the Zanbato wielding nin and said, "Knowing that you still persist? I'm guessing that Naruto met your subordinate some days ago and asked him to stop all this because he knew that Gato was a very cruel man with the way he was doing things to meet his ends. Am I right Naruto?"

The young blonde nodded as Sasuke began to get up as he thought, 'Naruto said he won't hesitate to end his life if he decides to kill us. So does that mean he's just toying with us? He didn't aim for any vital organs. With his skill I should have been dead by now. But when did that baka meet him?'

"Sasuke! Look alive!" Naruto then threw his large shurken to the mirror until Haku threw his senbons at the shuriken causing his clone to poof out of existence. The young blonde then took his salt-coated shurikens and charged at the mirrors.

"While they're busy fighting Haku, lets continue our match." Zabuza said as he created more mist that killed the line of sight of Kakashi. He could no longer see Tazuna and the injured crew or his team seven. The battle with Zabuza must be won either way for him to aid his team.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

While running towards the mirrors, he created clones of himself as the clones surrounded the mirrors. The original then threw his shurikens allowing his clones to grab them as the simultaneously threw them to spin and maneuver around the mirrors as the wires stuck on the mirrors before intersecting and falling inside the half-globe formation for Sasuke to catch.

By the time Haku understood what was the young blonde's plan, Sasuke got to work as he grabbed the shurikens and quickly did handseals before shouting, "Katon, Ryuuka no Jutsu!"

The raven-haired boy then blew the flames through the wire as the plume quickly passed along the wire and into the entangled mirrors causing them to break and shatter apart as Haku landed safely behind Sasuke with kunai in hand until Naruto gave him a quick kick to the face only to realize that he was a Mizu Bunshin.

"Where did he go?" Sasuke questioned until both of them noticed that there were mirrors around them in a larger arc than before.

"It's useless. The trick was clever but I still have the upper hand." Haku said as he threw senbons at the clones and Naruto and Sasuke. Both the young blonde and the raven-haired boy fell on their backs as the clones dispersed.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto!" Sakura shouted in horror as her teammates were being beaten.

Naruto began getting up and screamed, "I won't let you beat me Haku. I have a dream and to fulfill it, I will do whatever it takes to do so."

This caused Haku to inwardly shed tears as he remembered that day when Zabuza first found him beside a bridge in the cold snow.

The masked nin then said with sadness in his voice, "It is difficult for me to become a pure shinobi. If it's possible, I do not want to kill you. And I do not want to make you kill me. However, if you are going to fight me, I will kill my compassion with a blade and become a shinobi. This bridge is a battleground that leads to the dreams of many people. I will fight for my dream. And you will fight for your dream. Please do not hold any grudges. I want to protect an important person. I want to work for him, fight for him, and make his dreams come true. That is my dream. In order to make it come true, I will become a shinobi. I will kill you!"

"Stop joking around Haku!" Naruto shouted at the masked nin that was taken aback by his words.

The young blonde then took out the pair of katars hanging from the back of his jacket and strapped them on as he said, "You call that a dream? That's just payback for Zabuza's kindness. It's not a dream. Have you ever had an ambition of your own that you're willing to put yourself on the line for? That's a dream. My dream is to become the Hokage of Konoha and no one told me to dream it. I did. It is my dream and I will do whatever it takes to achieve it."

When the young blonde had strapped the katars well on his arms, he gazed at Haku with his flaming azure eyes and said, "That, my friend is a dream that I will become a shinobi for. I will kill you if you stand in my way!"

Naruto then made twenty Kage Bunshins and then ordered Sasuke. "Oi, Sasuke…can you keep track of Haku's movements? My bunshins will stall you long enough to find the pattern of his movements. When you do, use this smoke bomb and we'll take him together."

Naruto then handed the smoke bomb to Sasuke as the bunshins made a mad dash for the mirrors.

Clone after clone was being destroyed by senbons while Sasuke began concentrating on finding Haku's location. They endured the hellion of his attacks as the senbons flew.

'It was faint…but I saw a trace of his movements!' Sasuke thought as he kicked up some water in the air.

"You don't understand it's futile?" Haku said as begun his assault once more. The senbons kept flying and tearing through the flesh of the young blonde and the young Uchiha. For Sasuke, it was a painful experience since there was no other alternative. For Naruto however, it was a different story as his tenant ranted to him.

Baka. What are you trying to achive this time with your stupidity?

The young blonde inwardly smirked as he told his tenant, 'Sasuke's Sharingan. By doing this method, we can awaken his powers like last time. After it's awakened, he'll have the ability to track Haku's movements much clearer.'

Both genins fell back on the floor as Naruto quickly got up and said, "Again!"

The clones kept coming in and so did the senbons.

'Just because I saw a trace of him doesn't mean that I can actually see him move. But the water is getting repelled. But what if that isn't water? Okay the next time he attacks, I'll make my move.' Sasuke thought as he got up and looked clearly the movements of the masked boy as he kept repelling Naruto's efforts.

Sasuke took advantage of the distraction and blew a fireball at Haku. The masked boy was surprised by what he saw, but he didn't flinch as he moved back and forth from the mirrors and took out the clones one by one. That was until one clone was left and Sasuke got the timing almost perfectly and blew a fireball that slightly singed Haku's pants. This didn't go unnoticed by Naruto as he saw Sasuke's determined eyes.

'Just a little more and he'll get it.' Naruto thought as he made more clones and attacked once again. This time, as Naruto ran towards the mirror to get outside, Haku quickly glided towards that area allowing Sasuke to quickly form handseals and blow his fireball once again to Haku who evaded it and while still in mid-air, threw a senbon that lodged into Sasuke's shoulder as he attacked Naruto forcing the young blonde back near Sasuke's side.

"Just a little more." The young blonde said as he attempted the same method without the clones. Sasuke ran to the other side but was repelled by Haku once again as they both had senbons lodged into them and fell back in place. They couldn't move until they heard Sakura scream.

Naruto knew things were going to get ugly at this point. He then poured chakra into his feet and said, "Alright. Let's see if you can keep up this time."

The young blonde then sprinted around the mirrors as Haku followed him.

"Naruto, behind you!" Sasuke shouted to the young blonde. Naruto then leaped back and out of the way as he used the wind to swing his body fast enough to evade the senbons. As he kept running and evading while Sasuke kept his focus.

'This is bad. He won't be able to keep this up for very long. I need to do something.' Sasuke thought as he saw Haku switch his focus and send senbons at him instead. Naruto wasn't able to catch the senbons in time so Sasuke then quickly took a senbon from the floor and deflected them allowing Naruto to charge close enough to the mirror where Haku was and intentionally slip so he can kick water onto the surface of the mirror as Haku switched his location again.

'How could he see my movements? I was going for his vulnerable spots but he keeps dodging them.' Haku thought as he began his assault once more.

Sasuke was able to dodge and deflect the senbons as Naruto used his katars as shields to defend himself while he too dodged the senbons he could at this level.

'They should be hanging by a thread…No, that's not it. The black haired one named Sasuke is fighting as well as covering for that boy. Can he see my movements?' Haku thought as he saw the way Sasuke was fighting. Slowly, but surely, Sasuke was adapting and getting used to the movements of the senbons though some still managed to get by and hit him.

'Calm down. Concentrate on his movements, and see through him!' Sasuke thought as he finally was able to see Haku's movements much clearer.

Haku then began to let loose his next attack giving Sasuke the signal to move. Sasuke then pushed Naruto aside and leaped away as the senbons landed on the ground. Haku was baffled by how the young Uchiha was able to perform such a feat until he noticed the eyes of the raven-haired boy. It was the same eyes as Kakashi except there were only two tomoe instead of three.

Naruto noticed this and smiled as he said, "Alright. You got your Sharingan active. Lets beat that sucker down."

Sasuke then smirked as he threw down the smoke bomb allowing the cloud to hamper Haku's vision.

"This cloud won't affect my vision. I can still see where you are." Haku stated as he saw a silhouette of the two. He then shifted to the mirror behind the silhouette of Sasuke and threw the senbons. They landed until the shape transformed into that of a log and a crackling sound was heard. Suddenly, the log exploded blowing away the smoke and cracking the mirror as he saw Sasuke, with senbon in hand, attempt to break the mirror further. He looked for an opening to run to and saw that Naruto was shielding his eyes from the blast. He then took to the mirror behind him and was about to attack the blonde until Naruto smiled and quickly lunged his katars into the mirror. The mirror cracked as the surface melted rapidly allowing Naruto to give Haku a good headbutt to his face as the nin was thrown back with his masked cracked open as blood began to trickle from his forehead.

Sasuke was too tired to move any further and fainted giving Naruto the chance to take down Haku without restrictions.

Now gaki! Naruto's tenant screamed at him.

The young blonde then used Shunpo just as Haku was about to get up. This of course surprised him as the young blonde appeared behind him and said, "Kanashibari no Jutsu!"

The young blonde then used his chakra empowered hand and touched Haku's nape causing the young bishounen to fall prone to the floor, paralyzed by the technique.

"How did you do defeat me? And what was that technique you just used? And how do you know an ANBU level jutsu?" Haku questioned as he looked into the flaming azure eyes of the blonde for answers to which he complied as he knelt down to explain.

"The smoke bomb was all part of the plan. I lured you to get behind a specific mirror that was coated in water from when I slipped. When Sasuke had been able to read your movements carefully, he used the smoke bomb to hide our presence so that you wouldn't be able to see me hand an explosive tag to him and tell him about the property of my katars which was pure sodium." The young blonde explained.

Haku grew wide eyed when he realized how it was done. He then said to the young blonde, "So that's what happened. Sodium is highly reactant to water and you used that to your advantage. But that makes things more complex since a specially made weapon cannot be brought around everywhere he or she went unless the user knew when to exactly bring such a weapon for such an occasion. Who are you Naruto?"

"A friend. That's who. Unfortunately, you won't be able to help Zabuza anymore in your condition. So use the time you have there on the floor to reflect on things. After all, if Zabuza had the heart to nurse you and raise you, then he also has the heart to allow you to live your life the way you see fit. You're not a tool. We all are weak human beings that need to live in order to get stronger and we still have emotions as long as we live. The only thing you can do now is live for him and get stronger than he is. That's what a human being does. Tell me, what is your ambition?" Naruto said as he used Shunpo and carried Sasuke on his back and used Shunpo again to join the protection of Tazuna as the mirrors of Haku cracked and splintered apart leaving Haku to ponder on Naruto's words.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kakashi's Fight

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kakashi stood in his ground as he heard the explosion followed by Sasuke's voice as it suddenly changed from a question to screams of agony.

Zabuza smirked as he said, "It sounds like they're being beaten. It won't take long once Haku uses that technique. After all, he created that jutsu all by himself and I can't copy it."

Kakashi sharpened his gaze as he replied, "A Bloodline Limit jutsu. So that explains it."

Soon enough, Kakashi heard the screams of Sakura. He then shouted to the mist, "Sakura! Go and protect Tazuna now!"

Soon, fleeting footsteps were heard as Sakura headed for Tazuna where Hinata was guarding in front of him. When the Hyuga heiress saw Sakura through her Byakugan, she then hollered out to Sakura, "Sakura-san! What happened to Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun? What about Kakashi-sensei?"

When the pink haired girl arrived and guarded Tazuna alongside Hinata, she then replied, "Sasuke-kun and Naruto are battling Haku right now. They're not doing too well. I hope they beat him."

"I see." Hinata replied. Though she said that, her mind contradicted that as she thought, 'There's no way Naruto-kun could allow himself to be beaten by a shinobi of Haku's level without reason. He must have something planned. But what could it be?'

Only Kami knew what Naruto was up to making even the one-eyed jounin wonder.

As Kakashi racked his mind for a strategy to defeat Zabuza, he realized there was no other choice as he reached for his hitai-ate and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to finish this quickly."

Zabuza smirked as he replied, "Sharingan eh? How unoriginal."

The Zanbato wielding nin then reached his left hand into his pocket and quickly dashed to Kakashi as he brought out a kunai in his left hand and lunged it to Kakashi's head as the one-eyed jounin managed to catch his hand before it reached. However, he wasn't able to lift his hitai-ate because of the attack.

Blood began to drip from his right hand that caught the blade on instinct as the red water made droplets on the floor. Kakashi wasn't afraid to get hurt. More so when Zabuza lunged like that at him.

The confident, bleeding jounin looked Zabuza in the eye and said, "Even if you say its unoriginal, are you still afraid of my Sharingan, Zabuza?"

Zabuza countered that question by replying to him, "You're not supposed to show your master technique more than one time to another shinobi."

Kakashi then replied, "Be thankful, you're the only one who gets to see this eye more than once. And there will not be a third time."

Feeling still confident, Zabuza then said to him, "Even if you can beat me, you can't beat Haku. I've taught him fighting techniques since he was a little boy. I taught him everything I knew. And he proceeded to improve his own techniques. As a result, he was able to produce results in any difficult situation imaginable. He threw away his beliefs in a heart and a life. He is a fighting machine labeled as a shinobi. On top of that, his techniques surpass mine. He has that dreadful ability, the Bloodline Limit. I got myself an advanced tool. He's different from the scraps you carry!"

Zabuza then withdrew the kunai from Kakashi's bleeding hand as he backed away a few steps to get into position.

"Even if scraps attack in numbers, they can't beat Haku. He is the best tool." Zabuza said with a smug grin underneath his bandaged mouth.

Kakashi was not amused. The one-eyed jounin then said, "There's nothing more boring than hearing someone brag. Let's begin."

With that, he lifted his hitai-ate revealing his Sharingan eye. Zabuza smirked at his luck.

"Wait up. Let me brag to you about one more thing." Zabuza said as he tucked away his bloody kunai.

Kakashi listened warily as Zabuza said, "I didn't simply get defeated by you in the last battle. I made Haku observe the battle as he hid. Haku is smart as well. With his analyzation skill, he can create a counter for any move he sees just once."

Kakashi knew he wasn't bluffing with the way he counteracted his removal of his hita-ate over his left eye. He listened well as Zabuza continued.

"I've been eager to copy what you said. Let me tell you that the same technique won't work against me twice, was it?" the Zanbato wielding nin said in mockery to Kakashi.

Zabuza then made a handseal and said his trademark jutsu, "Kiri Gakure no Jutsu!"

Mist began to engulf the surroundings even further causing Zabuza to disappear from sight.

"What is this super thick fog? The visibility is almost down to zero." Tazuna said as visibility dropped drastically.

Thinking on her feet, Hinata then said, "Tazuna-san, stick close to me. Zabuza is probably using this mist to conceal his movements. Even with the Byakugan, I can't see him very well so we need to be on guard."

"This is just perfect. We're going to hear his sarcastic voice again. My ears are already ringing from all the water that went in." Kiba said as he tried to clean his ears of any water left in his ears as Sakura huddled closer.

Kakashi kept calm as he thought, 'Even if he concealed himself in this mist, the mist is too thick…Zabuza himself shouldn't be able to see anything either.'

A familiar whirring sound could be heard behind the white-haired jounin as it got louder and sharper. Thinking on his feet, he reflexively turned around and quickly deflected the shurikens that were tossed at him to hit him from behind.

"You dodged that quite nicely. Just what I expected from Kakashi, the Sharingan user." Zabuza said to Kakashi from behind him with eyes shut as he concentrated his chakra with a handseal.

'He…has his eyes closed.' Kakashi thought as he saw the focused nin.

"But when you see me next, that will be the end. You overestimate your Sharingan." Zabuza said as he concealed himself in the mist once more.

"You talk as if you knew everything…" Zabuza said as his voice continued to echo around Kakashi. Zabuza then continued his threat as he said, "Your prediction was incorrect. Kakashi, you cannot see through my mind or the future. Your Sharingan is just trickery that makes another think so. One who possesses the Sharingan has an eye of insight and an eye of hypnosis. Using those two abilities, you executed techniques one by one and acted like you knew the future. First you copied my movement right away using your eye of insight. This is the Form Manipulation Step. You used that to disturb me…and once you confirmed that my mind was shaking, you pretended that you were me and decided what I was thinking. That was the Mind Manipulation Step. Then after you confirmed I was severely disturbed…you set up a clever trap. You used your eye of hypnosis to show me an illusion, made me form seals first, then copied it. This is the Technique Manipulation Step."

Kakashi was marveled and panicked at the detailed analysis he made of the Sharingan as Zabuza then said, "Since that is the case, the solution is easy. First I conceal myself in this heavy fog and render your eye of insight useless."

Kakashi leaped out of the way just in time to avoid a deep sword wound from Zabuza.

'Kuso, I can't guard myself in time.' Kakashi thought as he got back on his feet with his kunai drawn.

"Then I close my eyes and kill the possibility that you will use your eye of hypnosis in close combat." Zabuza stated.

"Why? That makes you blind too." Kakashi said, stating the obvious.

"Have you forgotten? I am a master of silent killing. I can locate a target with just sound." Zabuza said causing the white-haired jounin to pale in realization of how vulnerable his situation was. He fought with himself first in order to focus on finding a way to Zabuza.

The white-haired jounin sighed as he thought, 'Kuso. It's been a long time since I had to fight in such a bad situation. I'm worried about Sasuke and Naruto but…focus Kakashi. Be calm. Think. Where will he strike?'

Like lightning, the answer flashed in his mind.

"Shoot!" Kakashi said as he ran towards Tazuna and the group. Tazuna was already tense as Hinata guarded his rear with Sakura at the front. Kurenai and Shino were just about to wake up when Kiba sniffed something unfamiliar in the air.

"Watch out!" the dog boy cried as Zabuza appeared right before Hinata with sword raised. Kakashi jumped in just in time as Zabuza said, "Too slow!" with that, he swung his sword down nicking the chest of Kakashi. Sakura screamed in fright as Hinata froze on the spot in terror. Kurenai and Shino had just woken up as they saw the bleeding form of Kakashi but were still too dazed to help.

"Kakashi-sensei." Sakura muttered.

The wound was superficial but a wound nonetheless as Zabuza took pride in his efforts as he said, "You were slow to guard yourself, Kakashi. Your wish to help those kids made you lose your cool and further fog up that Sharingan of yours. Even if you have nice eyes, your ability to read an enemy's movement is numbing. Come on. Entertain me some more Kakashi. I want to pay you back in a more fun way. Haku will beat those kids soon so there's no need to worry about them."

"I doubt that Zabuza-san." Hinata exclaimed as the nin smirked in protest.

Zabuza readied his sword behind him as he said to Kakashi, "Cry and apologize to them about your lack of power in the other world."

The nin then chuckled darkly as he disappeared from view once more.

"It looks like things aren't going so well. And I can barely stand straight." Kurenai said as she helped Shino up as well. And just in time, Naruto arrived with Sasuke on his back.

Sakura dreaded at what she saw happened to them as she exclaimed, "Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto then laid down Sasuke on the floor as he plucked out the senbons from his body.

Sakura looked to the young blonde to whom he answered, "I'm not sure. He exhausted himself in battle and suffered deep wounds in several places."

The pink-haired kunoichi bowed in regret as she gazed her eyes on the unconscious form of Sasuke as her eyes welled up in tears. Hinata the looked after Naruto as she said, "Naruto-kun, you need to rest this time. Let them handle it from here."

Kakashi then ran a bit further away from the group and hollered out to Zabuza, "Hey Zabuza, let's end this fight right now. What do you say?"

"Impatient to help out your friends. But a grand end sounds nice to write about when I take your head."

Kakashi then took out a scroll from his front pocket and unraveled it as he laid it out on the floor and rubbed his thumb on his wound and then onto the scroll as he made handseals and said, "Kuchiyose, Doton, Tsuiga no Jutsu!"

He then placed his right hand upon the scroll and soon Zabuza cried in pain as the mist cleared revealing his position in front of them with several dogs biting down hard on him to keep him in place.

"But How?" Zabuza questioned.

"The answer is simple. My blood was on your sword. Those ninken are trained to sniff out their target in which case is my blood that also was on your sword. I really don't have timeto explain but I will use my only original technique on you so pay attention since it will be your last."

Kakashi then blurred through many handseals which astonished both Zabuza and the rest of the team including Naruto who still was marveled at the speed he was performing the handseals. the moment Kakashi finished the last handseal, he then held his right hand close to his chest and supported it with his left as lightning began forming around his hand.

"No way! First a water dragon now lightning?" Kiba exclaimed.

"My only original jutsu. Raikiri!" Kakashi said before charging at breakneck speed and thrusting his electrically charged hand into Zabuza's chest. Time seemed to stop for the team as did Haku who was able to see what was going to happen. He was helpless and could not do a thing to help his mentor except watch his untimely demise before the arm went through the man's chest. Haku's eyes widened as tears began to fall from them. Zabuza coughed out blood as the weight of the red water tore the bandages on his mouth. Zabuza saw his life flash before his eyes as his memories both good and bad passed through his mind unti one memory stuck long enough for him to see clearly.

Flashback

Haku had just returned from the forest carrying his bag of herbs as he sat beside Zabuza's bed and begun grinding up the herbs as he started the process to transform them into medicine.

Zabuza looked over to Haku and saw a pleasant expression on his face. He wondered what the young bishounen was so happy about and decided to ask him.

"What's with your face today?" Zabuza asked of him.

Haku then sighed as he replied, "Zabuza-san…is there any other way to live than the way we are living now as monsters?"

Zabuza felt a deep wound in his heart from what he heard. But he knew that it wouldn't take long before he could think on his own.

"There are many paths in life. But as long as you choose this path, you will forever be my tool and a monster. Understood?" Zabuza stated coldly.

"I understand completely Zabuza-san. I just wanted to hear it from you." Haku said as he smiled. It was a fake one though as sadness could be felt emanating from the young bishounen."

End of Flashback

Zabuza felt another pang in his heart as he saw the sad expression on Haku's face. With the last of his strength, the dying nin then said, "Shinobi are tools of war and destruction. But before we are shinobi…we are human first. We cannot completely change that fact. That smile on your face proves it as well as those tears from your eyes. I'm sorry I couldn't show you the right path in life. But please…live….so you can find that path…yourself…."

And so, Zabuza fell upon Kakashi's shoulder as his body grew cold while the mist completely faded away. Kakashi then looked over his shoulder and saw Haku lying prone on the floor in tears as Sasuke began to stir. Sakura was delighted to hear his voice as his eyes opened up. She smiled in delight as she hugged him and said his name before he sat back up and said, "So it's finally over."

Kakashi nodded as he placed Zabuza's body on the floor and returned to the team's side as Naruto came back with Haku tied up. The nin died with a sad smile on his face as Haku stared into Zabuza's lifeless eyes.

It was a sad moment as Kurenai then said to her team, "What Zabuza said about shinobis are true. But what he said about us being human first is also true. This is the life we chose to live in. this is the life we will face everyday where death is a part of our job."

Hinata then went closer to Haku and stared at the corpse of the nin as she said, "He really cared about you despite how cold he was to you. He said…"

"I know what he said. I read his lips. He was a cold man. But he also was a caring one even though he was a monster. He even got mad at me when I told him that I met Naruto in the forest and the offer he made me. But he also looked out for my welfare and cried at times. He wasn't perfect, but he was the closest family I ever had aside from my mother and father. And just like them he withered away."

Naruto then placed his left hand on Haku's shoulder and his right hand on his nape as the young blonde discreetly removed the paralysis of his nerves as he said to Haku, "At least in the end, he decided to give you the right path and your freedom. It's up to you now what you want to do with that freedom."

But during this solemn moment, Gato and his goons arrived on the other end of the bridge as Gato stepped out of the crowd and said, "I'm disappointed in the both of you.

Haku looked at Gato coldly as he asked him, "What is the meaning of this?"

"We had a little change in plans. I'm glad that one of you died so now I have less work to take care of." Gato said as he approached the body of Zabuza and placed his foot on it. Haku's blood begun to boil as Gato gave the corpse a good kick as he said, "Worthless piece of scum should die like the dogs they are. In the end, it's the master who get the meat not the dog sent to fetch it."

As the cruel man snickered and his mob of thugs laughed, Naruto released the ropes that bound Haku as he nodded at him. Haku looked over to the other team and they all nodded. Even Tazuna said, "If he's that important to you, then make sure he gets a proper burial later.

Haku then got up and removed the bun tying his hair back as he approached the corpse causing Gato to back up in fear. Haku then knelt down and placed his hands over Zabuza's eyes as he closed them.

The young bishounen then closed his eyes and said, "You always ordered me to do your bidding and I complied. Now that I am free, I will do one last wish for you before setting off live the life I choose."

Haku then opened his eyes revealing them to be cold and uncaring as he quickly took Zabuza's Zanbato. Gato was even more fearful as he ran away and said, "Don't come near me! What are you waiting for boys? Get him!"

Gato ran to the very back and felt safe and secure until Haku charged swiftly and darted in and out of the mob until he was right in front of Gato who coincidentally backed away until he was just in front of the railings of the bridge.

Haku then lifted his sword up and said, "For your cruelty against these people and Zabuza as well as the cruelty to other people you have terrorized…receive your punishment. May Kami-sama have mercy on you."

And the young bishounen swung his sword horizontally as the blade decapitated Gato's head as both the head and body fell into the water below. Haku then strapped the sword behind him as he marched back to the team and said, "Arigato, for allowing me to avenge my mentor's death. I'm sorry for all the troubles I have caused."

"You think we'd forgive you just like that after what you did?" Kiba barked back as did Akamaru. Naruto was about to scold Kiba until Haku raised his hand to the blonde and said, "It's alright. I understand that I won't be able to get forgiveness from you so I've decided to earn it by helping you out in anyway I can."

Kakashi and Kurenai both looked at each other and saw the predicament of the team as they were in bad shape. Kurenai then nodded as one of the thugs shouted, "Hey, he killed our meal ticket. Let's rough up these guys for payback!"

The mob shouted in glee as the joint team plus Haku stood their ground until an arrow landed at the feet of the mob. The team looked back to see Inari with the villagers as the young boy reloaded his crossbow and said, "Reinforcements are here so don't sweat!"

Naruto smiled back as he made a fox grin and stepped up closer to the now fearful mob and shouted, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Several clones appeared which of course scared the mob even further.

"Just a little more pushing and it'll be all over. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kakashi said as he made more clones and completely scared the mob off. The villagers rejoiced as did the team seeing that the mob ran off.

"We may be free from Gato's tyranny but we need to finish this bridge." Tazuna said to the team.

"C'mon! We just saved your asses and we got to work on the bridge? We still have wounded people here." Naruto complained.

Tazuna smiled as he said, "Who said you guys have to work? The heroes of Wave need rest and relaxation as well as medical attention. We'll take the super jobs from here."

Naruto exclaimed as the rest of the team sweatdropped.

"After all that fighting he still has the stamina to leap around like that?" Haku asked the team.

Hinata then replied to him, "Naruto-kun is always energetic so it's not very unusual for us. But what will you do now Haku-san?"

Haku then smiled as he said, "Like I said, I will earn my apology by helping you guys in anyway possible. I've decided to head back to Konoha with you so that I can become an official shinobi and maybe make a living in Konoha. But first, I will give Zabuza-san a proper burial."

With that, Haku took Zabuza's body and left for the burial while the rest of the team trugged back home for some well deserved rest as they retired for the night to recuperate and help out with the work for the bridge's completion the following days. For the young blonde however, it was a completely different story.

As the moon shone above the beehive abode that was once Gato's lair, a shadow of a young lad nearing his teen years with a hood on and crimson slit eyes that pierced into the darkness gazed upon the lair. He could smell the stench of men all around the lair and inside it as he made a wicked smile that revealed his fangs as he held a serrated sword in his right hand and begun making handseals in his left.

When he had finished making his handseals, his tenant then smirked and told him, so it came down to this. Carnage is most beautiful at night. But I'm surprised you would turn to extermination as an answer.

"It's the only way to keep them free from seedy influences for at least a couple more years. Those years of peace and prosperity are needed for them to live as a country. If you will excuse me…Makyoton, Makai no Shimon!"

Suddenly, a dark aura began to flood the premises of the beehive buildings. Many rent-a-thugs and ronins patrolling the buildings both inside and out began to feel a cold chill down their spines as the darkness enshrouded the area as it numbed their senses. They fell for the genjutsu perfectly as Naruto Shunpo'd to the top of the highest of the hives and made a one-handed seal that allowed two more bunshins to appear as the each blurred to the top of the hives and the three blondes made simultaneous set of handseals and then said, "Makyoton, Kage Kitsune no Shura…"

Many of the guards were unaware of what was happening as the nin who had fell into the water earlier was busy inside the complex writing a letter as he said to himself, "Kuso! The Kyuubi vessel is actually here. How could I have not seen this. Damn bastard had to make me station here."

A ronin then entered the room where the nin was and said, "Hajima-san! There's a strange red light engulfing the place!"

Hajima then grumpily walked out the room and looked around and indeed an eerie red light flooded the three complex buildings.

"What the hell is going on here? Why isn't anyone noticing this? And what's that cold feeling that I'm getting?" Hajima said. Completely puzzled and perplexed.

Naruto smiled as he saw his jutsus taking effect before speaking out, "Toboe."

The shadows of every nin exposed to the light began to change shape as it materialized out of the ground into a wicked fox head made of shadows with six slitted, crimson eyes devoured their masters from head to toe.

Chaos and blood spilled all over the place as the ronins and thugs ran for their lives but found it hopeless as they could not leave the area because of a special barrier that sent them back into the compound every time they tried to escape and those who were under the ominous red light were devoured by their own shadows. Hajima was horrified by what he saw as an arm from a nin just above his floor fell to the ground as the bloody part twitched slightly before dying completely as the red water flowed out of the torn muscle and protruding bone. The nin named Hajima could not take it any longer and ran back into the compound hoping for safety.

Screams rang through the night as the young blonde made another set of handseals along with his clones as they simultaneously shouted, "Makyoton, Shura no Inu!"

The blood of the dead began to take shape as the red light singed it and the red water rose from its place and shaped into a three-headed dog of crimson eyes and black fur.

Naruto then telepathically commanded his subordinates who complied as the dogs traveled through the shadows and into the complex where most have taken shelter.

"What the hell happened out there?" a large ronin said to his panicked lackeys.

"We don't know sir! Anyone who was under that red light suddenly got eaten by their own shadow." The lackeys replied.

The large ronin didn't believe it for a second until a three-headed dog appeared from the shadows and attacked them. They screamed and fought for their lives but were consumed by the dog. And with every victim the dogs consumed, more would spawn from the spilled blood of the dead men.

The original young blonde could smell an overwhelming aroma of metal as the crimson colored paint flowed from every man that was in these complexes of the underworld.

It wasn't long before his clones dispersed themselves as the young blonde said, "So he's in the main building. I better pay him a visit."

The young blonde then Shunpo'd his way into the complex and right behind the nin named Hajima. The nin was far too scared to respond until he felt a serrated blade close to his neck as Naruto said, "If you say anything other than what I ask of you, then I will feed you to the dogs wating outside. Everyone in this area has been exterminated. Only you, me, and my pets are here. Is that understood?"

The man nodded as he fell to his knees while Naruto began the interrogation.

"So how many members do the Akatsuki have and who are they? What is their purpose and objective? Where are they hiding?" the young blonde coldly asked.

The nin flinched and tried to turn his head until Naruto stabbed his sword into the man's arm and twisted it and yanked the sword out. Because of the blade's unique shape, the method was most horrendously bloody. The man screamed, and writhes in pain as he rolled around in the floor while blood gushed out of his now limp arm.

"Akatsuki has ten members! One left the group but there has been a replacement and one intern!" Hajima quickly said.

"Anything else?" Naruto asked as he cleaned his sword with a napkin from his pocket.

The nin didn't respond. The young blonde then took out his kunai from his sleeve and coated it in alcohol and stabbed the kunai into the man's left thigh as he pulled the kunai down and made a deep opening. The man screamed again from the pain of the alcohol dipped kunai as it burned his skin.

"THEY'RE SUPER S-CLASS MISSING NINS! THEY WISH TO CONQUER THE WORLD OR SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE HIDING!" Hajima screamed out.

As the interrogation goes along, the man finally gave in and spilled everything. Naruto knew that some of the info was fake since he knew from his past life some of the Akatsuki that have come looking for him.

"Thank you for the info. But sadly you lied to me as well so I have to punish you." Naruto said as he stared his crimson slit eyes into the man's soul as he took some wire and stripped the man of his now bloody clothing off his bloody and beat up body, as he tied one end of the string to a pole just outside the balcony and the other end to his genitals as he threw him over the balcony and left him to hang by his privates until the wire cuts them off.

With Naruto's work done, he Shunpo'd out of the area and back to the shore where Ichigo waited for him.

"So did you take care of things here?" Ichigo asked him as the young blonde put down his hood and his fangs and claws reverted back as his eyes became the flaming azure ones once again. The young blonde nodded before bidding him goodnight as he retired for the night without anyone noticing he had left.

A battle was won but the war wasn't over. Some were predators in the war while others were prey. And for the young blonde, many would become the predator's prey.

&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

Finally! It's done after many weeks! I'm back in the game and I'll make up for lost time! Really I will. I hope you guys like the chapter. I put a lot of effort here and I'm beat. Thanks and Ja ne!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Makyoton, Makai no Shimon(Demonic release, Netherworld Gate of Death)- a powerful genjutsu that requires youkai and a full moon to activate. All those locked into the genjutsu cannot escape the psychic barrier through physical means. All those caught in the genjutsu have their senses numbed and their movements become sluggish to a near drunken state unless attacked.

Makyoton, Kage Kitsune no Shura(Demonic release, Carnage of the Shadow Fox)- a ninjutsu formed from the genjutsu of Makai no Shimon. Requires Makai no Shimon to be active first. Once the handseals are performed and the name of the jutsu is uttered, the user must also utter Toboe or howl as the activation of the technique. Once activated, the opponent's shadow materializes into a fox head of shadow that consumes the opponent.

Makyoton, Shura no Inu(Demonic release, Dogs of Carnage)- A ninjutsu that require's youkai and a full moon to activate. Three-headed dogs made of blood are spawned and the user can command them telepathically as long as they are within the range of the user in a twenty mile radius. Every time a dog kills an opponent, more are spawned from the slain foe. Will last as long as the user keeps them around or the moonlight fades or lack of youkai.