Hi no Ishi, Scroll One: Kannabi
Full Summary: As Orochimaru and his allies threaten to topple Konoha, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke are becoming the leaders of their generation. The question is, will they survive the Daiyonji Ninkai Taisen or end up like the previous Sannin – broken? AU diverging at the chuunin exams. FemNaru because I can. Team 7-centric.
A/N: I just realized I made several mistakes in this chapter *looks away shiftily*. This is a fixed version of this chapter. Chapter seven is now in progress. Also I now have a beta! Pancake of Epic Proportions will now work as my beta, thankfully. Chapter seven will be the first chapter beta-ed chapter of Hi no Ishi.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just torture the characters. ;)
Glossary
Hi no Ishi - Will of Fire
Kannabi - Where the Gods Do Not Help
Daiyonji Ninkai Taisen - Fourth Great Shinobi World War
Sannin no Sairai - Second Coming of the Sannin
Konoha no Jyuuninin – Konoha Twelve
Kaa-san - Mother
Suiton - Water Release
Kekkai Genkai – Bloodline Limit
Katon - Fire Release
Doton - Earth Release
Sharingan no Kakashi – Kakashi of the Sharingan
Aka-shi – Red Death
Ninken – Ninja Dogs
Iryoujutsu – Medical Techniques
When I'm dead and gone, I want people to remember that I was Yamanaka Ino, jounin of Konoha, infiltration specialist. I want them to know that I lived in the time of the Sannin no Sairai and the Konoha no Jyuuninin. I want them to remember I was human, not some undefeatable legend.
-Yamanaka Ino
Chapter Six: Dance with the Devil
Warning bells began to blare frantically in Kakashi's head when he and Sasuke escorted Tazuna to the bridge, only to find the workers thrown to sides of the structure, half-dead. Tazuna's eyes widened in panic as he rushed over to the closest of the builders and asked frantically, "What happened?"
"M-Monsters…" the worker gasped out.
Kakashi glanced from side to side. 'Zabuza's here,' he realized. 'And his partner too, probably.' Suddenly, a thick mist began to form. 'Kirigakure no Jutsu...' Kakashi realized. 'I was right. He survived, and now he's come back to finish things.' With an unspoken command, Kakashi and Sasuke took position on opposite sides of Tazuna, facing outwards and into the mist.
"It's been a while, Kakashi…" murmured Zabuza, his voice echoing throughout the mist."You have one of those brats with you too. The poor thing's trembling again."
Sasuke's mouth curved up into his trademark arrogant smirk. "I'm trembling with eagerness for a rematch," the Uchiha said confidently.
The mist faded slightly to reveal ten of Zabuza's Mizu Bunshin surrounding them. Kakashi's eye curved up into a cheerful smile as he ordered brightly, "Do it, Sasuke."
Sasuke's smirk widened before he put on a burst of speed and sliced through all ten of the clones. Kakashi knew that the clones had only really been to test Sasuke's improvement, but it was still rather impressive for a genin to be able to take them all out in under two seconds.
Zabuza and the fake Oinin stepped into sight, several meters in front of Sasuke. "Well, it looks like at least one of your brats has improved. Don't you agree, Haku?" the nukenin chuckled.
"Indeed," the fake Oinin assented.
"Sasuke, release the flare," Kakashi ordered.
Sasuke nodded and retrieved a piece of paper with a violet border that had a series of complicated characters scribbled on to it. It was one of Naruto's hand-made flash tags that released a brilliant flare of pale purple light that could be seen from a good fifteen kilometers away. The Uchiha wrapped it around the handle of one of his kunai before tossing the weapon high into the air. Ten seconds later, the tag exploded with a spectacular flare of violet light and a large bang.
"He's an impressive kid," Haku remarked. "Even if the Mizu Bunshin only had ten percent of your strength, he did very well."
"But we're still on the offensive. Go, Haku," Zabuza ordered.
Haku disappeared without another word, only to reappear in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha blocked the three senbon Haku held in between his fingers like claws with a single kunai, smirking the whole while.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Sakura looked up from her cards with a frown when she heard a large crashing noise downstairs. Naruto silently dropped her own hand before placing her ear to the floor in an attempt to improve her hearing.
A moment later, Naruto's hands started moving. /Two enemies. Weak. Taking hostage. We go now./
Sakura nodded sharply. Naruto stood up soundlessly, Sakura right behind her. Naruto quickly lead the way outside.
"LET GO OF MY KAA-SAN!" Inari shouted as he charged recklessly towards the two samurai thugs. Sakura was about to rush forward, but stopped when Naruto leaped in and whisked the kid out of the way.
"Stay here and don't get hurt," the blonde ordered sharply. Almost instantaneously, Naruto turned and aimed two shuriken at the charging samurai.
"Hah!" the one on the left snorted as both of them blocked the projectiles with their scabbards. "Do you expect these to affect us?"
"Not really," Naruto said dryly. /Kill./
Sakura's jaw tensed and she trembled slightly, but she did what had to be done and slit the thugs' throats.
The two bodies collapsed to the ground, blood gurgling out of the clean slit across their throats. Blood pooled across the wooden floor. Tsunami leaped away from the corpses immediately. Sakura sheathed her swords slowly, unable to take her eyes off of the corpses of the two men she had just killed. "Oh gods…" she muttered, not bothering to hide the horror in her voice.
"Sakura," Naruto said.
Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes met with the Naruto's. There was nothing visible in their blue depths except for a slight softness hidden behind a wall of steel. "You did what you had to do," Naruto said quietly. "Don't hate yourself for it."
Sakura nodded unsteadily, but she was still unable to get the image of the two dead thugs out of her head. Suddenly, a large flash of purple light lit up the sky, followed by the faint boom of an explosion. Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly. 'That's the signal flare. Did Zabuza return?' she wondered in a slight panic.
"Sorry to leave you with the cleanup," Naruto said to Tsunami before both she and Sakura rushed off towards the bridge.
0o0o0o0o0o0
"Sasuke, be careful," ordered Kakashi. "Our duty is to protect Tazuna above all else."
Sasuke nodded sharply before returning his attention to the fake Oinin named Haku.
"I don't want to kill you," said Haku, "but you won't leave quietly, will you?"
"Don't be stupid," Sasuke replied smugly.
"As I thought. However, you won't be able to match my speed for very long, and I have two advantages."
Sasuke frowned. 'Two advantages?' he thought.
"First, the water splashed all over this bridge is an excellent resource. Second, one of your hands is occupied blocking my senbon, so you only have one hand left to defend yourself with."
When Haku was finished speaking, his free hand began weaving seals. 'Wait,' thought Sasuke, 'seals with one hand? Is that even possible?'
"Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishou!" Haku muttered as he stomped his sandaled foot.
Water from the puddle-splattered bridge and the fog materialized into a cloud of needles that surrounded Sasuke on all sides. Thankfully, none materialized above him, allowing for a possible escape route.
Sasuke focused a large amount of chakra into his feet as he leapt upwards, causing him to practically explode off of the ground. From several feet in the air, Sasuke aimed a handful of shuriken at Haku. His weapons were joined by twenty-odd kunai a second later. Sasuke landed a second later a meter or so away from Haku and wondered, 'Where did those kunai come from? Are Naruto and Sakura here?'
Haku's hands flickered forward as he threw another volley of senbon towards Sasuke. The weapons were stopped by several shuriken tossed from somewhere to Sasuke's left. Naruto leaped out of the mist a second later, indicating that she was the thrower. Haku was about to attack again, but he was interrupted by a pair of swords that almost decapitated him from behind. Haku turned around and pulled the sword-wielder's wrist over his head, sending her flying towards Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura hit the ground with a painful thud. She stood up with a pained groan, both of her swords clenched tightly in her hands.
Sasuke frowned when he saw the partially dried blood on Sakura's swords. 'Did they run into somebody before they came here?' he wondered. "Are you guys okay?" he asked, a little surprised at the amount of worry in his voice.
Sakura gave him a weak smile. "Yeah. It was just a couple of thugs."
Sasuke could tell that there was something more to the story, but he decided not to push it. "This guy uses senbon as his main weapon," the Uchiha explained. "He's pretty fast too. He's only used one ninjutsu so far, but it was a suiton."
Naruto nodded in understanding once while Sakura merely smirked.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi called. "Set up a wall around Tazuna-san. All three of you, leave a clone by the wall!"
The three genin leapt backwards immediately to surround Tazuna, each of them forming their own set of hand seals. "Doton: Doryuuheki!" Sasuke muttered as he slammed his palms into the ground. A circular wall of stone rose up to surround Tazuna just as Naruto formed a Kaminari Bunshin and Sakura a Ho Bunshin. He created his own Tsuchi Bunshin before being forced to dodge several senbon sent flying his way.
Naruto disappeared from his sight, reappearing in front of Haku to slam a chakra-enforced foot into the fake Oinin's stomach, sending him flying towards Zabuza.
"You know, you had that coming," Kakashi remarked lazily. "Sasuke is one of the best genin in Konoha. Sakura is one of our brightest, and Naruto has enough secrets and surprises to fill most of Konoha's library."
Zabuza snorted, but the action quickly morphed into a twisted, hysterical parody of laughter. "Haku, you do understand that if this goes on like this, we may actually lose?" the Kirigakure nukenin said.
"I do. What a pity," replied Haku as his chakra began to materialize around his body and the temperature dropped by several degrees.
'Why does the air suddenly feel so cold?' Sasuke wondered as he looked around warily.
"Hijutsu: Makyou Hyoushou!" exclaimed Haku. A moment later, sheets of ice formed of the water on the bridge and air started rising up from the floor. They formed a complete dome of ice mirrors that surrounded both him and his teammates. 'Wha-? What is this technique? These mirrors are made of ice, so could they be a kekkai genkai of some sort?' Sasuke worried. 'Whatever this technique is, we'll find a way to defeat it!'
Haku literally stepped into one of the mirrors. Immediately, all of the other mirrors showed a perfect reflection of the fake Oinin, making it impossible to tell the difference between the real one and the reflections.
Sakura's next words summed up his thoughts perfectly.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…"
0o0o0o0o0o0
'So that kid has a kekkai genkai,' Kakashi observed. 'This could get very bad very fast.'
"Well, we can play while our children do the same…while mine kills yours, of course," Zabuza chuckled.
Suddenly, three familiar screams rang out through the air. Kakashi's jaw tensed worriedly. 'Could this be any worse?' he wondered. "Damn it…" he muttered. 'If I go help those three, I leave Tazuna-san completely open to attack. Sasuke's wall won't stay there forever, and neither will their clones. But at the first sign of a Kage Bunshin, Zabuza will just counter with his Mizu Bunshin. I'd just be wasting my chakra. So the only way to help them is to finish off Zabuza as soon as possible.' "You'll forgive me if I end this now," Kakashi murmured as he began to uncover his Sharingan.
Zabuza snorted, "You're going to use the Sharingan again? You lack finesse."
At that moment, Zabuza leaped off of the ground and thrust a kunai forward, towards Kakashi's Sharingan. Kakashi brought his free hand forward to intercept the blade, purposely allowing the kunai to pass halfway through his palm. "You can talk all you want about my lack of finesse, but that doesn't change the fact that you're afraid of the Sharingan and me," Kakashi intoned darkly, allowing his chakra to flare dangerously.
"A shinobi's ultimate technique shouldn't be used randomly. It should be used judiciously and should never be seen more than once!" Zabuza sneered.
"You should feel honored," Kakashi said. "Nobody else has seen it twice. And nobody shall see it three times."
"By all means, try and defeat me," Zabuza chuckled. "But you'll have to deal with Haku as well, you know. Since he was a toddler, I've beaten fighting techniques into him. Even in the face of unimaginable adversary, he has always prevailed. He has become a killing machine, a true shinobi. And his kekkai genkai is one of the most formidable around. I have honed a weapon with the sharpest edge, unlike the scraps of trash that follow you around."
Kakashi snorted as he revealed his Sharingan and pulled his hand away from Zabuza's kunai. "Is there anything more boring than listening to somebody brag? The chatting is over, Zabuza."
"You know, you said something during our last encounter," Zabuza said. "Something along the lines of 'just so you know…the same jutsu won't work on me twice!' Since I had a chance to see the famed Sharingan in action, I was able to figure out how it works. I wasn't just letting you hand my ass to me on a silver platter; I was testing your abilities. Haku was hiding up in the trees, observing our every move. Haku has a very analytical mind; for him to see a technique is for him to understand everything about it."
In that moment, Zabuza disappeared into the mist.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Sasuke grimaced as he stood up and began attempting to dodge Haku's senbon again. 'He's not aiming for vital areas. Even Naruto aims for more sensitive areas during training. Although, that might not be a very good comparison. But then there's this technique he's using; is it a clone technique of some sort? I'm being hit from all sides before I can even see him move. But if it's a clone of some sort, then why bother with the mirrors? Whatever technique this is, these mirrors are the key!' he analyzed. /Sakura. Naruto. Got anything?/
/Reflection of mirrors is key,/ Naruto signed back. /He moves very fast. Not clone. Only speed./
Sasuke's eyes widened. 'I should have known Naruto would be the first to figure out his technique; her eyes are the most observant. So he uses the reflective properties of the mirrors to increase his already impressive speed to such an extent that we can't even see him! If that's the case, then maybe, if given enough time, my eyes could adjust.' /Naruto, get Sakura out. Sakura, attack with katon. I'll protect with doton,/ Sasuke instructed.
Naruto formed a cross-like seal and muttered "Kage Bunshin," as dozens of clones burst into life. Sakura quickly took advantage of the distraction and leaped out of the dome of mirrors. Moments later, all of Naruto's clones had been destroyed by Haku's needles and Sakura was just outside the dome of mirrors.
"It won't end like this," Sasuke announced smugly. "We have dreams to fulfill!"
Haku stopped moving, and his head dropped slightly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion. 'What is he thinking?' the Uchiha wondered uneasily.
"I find it difficult to embrace the full shinobi philosophy," the fake Oinin admitted. "I cannot help but hope that you three not force me to kill you. However, if I must, I will kill my heart with a blade and act as any other shinobi would. This bridge is where we, and our destinies and dreams, meet and combine. Not all of them will come out again. I have my dreams as you have yours. Please try not to resent me, but I will do whatever it takes to protect my precious person. I will fight for him, I will murder for him. To do so is my own dream. To do that, I will become a true shinobi and kill all three of you."
0o0o0o0o0o0
'This fog is too thick to be the normal Kirigakure no Jutsu. Zabuza shouldn't be able to see more than a foot in front of his face, but then again, neither can I,' Kakashi thought grimly. 'What exactly is he up to?'
The whistle of metal flying through air reached Kakashi's ears only a couple of seconds before a volley of shuriken entered his range of vision. He blocked them all with the kunai clutched in his right hand, but it was a close call. 'This mist makes it hard to predict his movements,' Kakashi observed.
"You blocked those nicely, but I expected no less from Sharingan no Kakashi," Zabuza chuckled from behind the silver-haired Konoha jounin.
Kakashi turned around immediately, but started slightly when he saw that Zabuza had his eyes closed. Zabuza's apparent understanding of his Sharingan's workings combined with his student's peril had him on a rather short fuse, and even he could tell that he wasn't thinking as clearly as he normally did. 'How long has it been since I've had a fight like this?' Kakashi frowned inwardly. 'I've let myself get weak. When I was in ANBU four years ago, I would have been able to take out Zabuza during our first encounter.' Peacetime could be as deadly as war. Kakashi was a prime example of that fact.
"The next time you see me will be the last," Zabuza murmured ominously. "You've overestimated the power of your Sharingan." With that, the former Kiri-nin melted into the mist and his voice began to echo once again. "You pretend it enables you to see all, but you've turned out to be a false prophet. You cannot read my mind or the future. Your prized Sharingan is simply a hoax, a cheap trick used to psych out your opponents. To be more specific, it combines the Sharingan's ability to predict the movements of another and its ability to cast genjutsu. By using those skills in unison, you can predict the movements, thoughts, and techniques of your opponent. You analyzed my body movements, copied them, and used the speed of your mimicry to induce fear and insecurity. You then calculated when those emotions would reach their peak before suggesting which technique I preformed through the use of genjutsu. And then all you have to do is copy that suggestion! Knowing that, it was quite simple to create a counter-measure. All I have to do is hide myself in this thick mist and limit your range of vision while I close my eyes to cancel out any chance of you casting a genjutsu on me. And since I am a master of silent killing, all I have to do is wait for you to make a sound!" Zabuza crowed triumphantly.
Kakashi grimaced as he was forced to block another set of shuriken. 'He's seen completely through it. I guess that trick really won't work anymore,' he realized grimly.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Sasuke quickly wove the seals for his technique before stomping one foot on the ground and muttering, "Doton: Iwa no Tate!"
A dome of stone erupted from the ground and surrounded Naruto and Sasuke, blocking them from Sakura's view. She quickly completed her own set of hand seals and intoned, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
She breathed out a giant ball of fire that engulfed Haku's dome of mirrors. Seconds later, it faded, only to reveal that she had barely damaged the mirrors at all. 'What?' she thought in shock. 'Those mirrors must be pretty strong if they're holding up that well against a katon.'
Sakura had only one technique that was more powerful then the Goukakyuu, but it was draining and her chakra reserves would be depleted by the time it was completed. 'But if it means I can help defeat this Haku guy, I'll do it!' Sakura decided. 'I won't lose!'
With that, her hands once again began to form seals. She took a deep breath before spitting out a small, pebble-sized ball of fire. "Katon: Yurika!" she announced.
Upon contact with the bridge, the small fireball exploded into a dozen different sheets of flame that together formed the shape of a lily, lighting up the surrounding area with a brilliant orange glow. Sakura grimaced when she saw that the flames had only melted one or two of the mirrors. 'At least it's better than none at all,' she reasoned. "Shit!" she swore as her knees buckled underneath her, sending her crashing to the floor. Her breathing was harsh and it was hard to keep her eyes open. "Damn…it…" she muttered as she lost the battle to stay conscious. 'Sasuke-kun, Naruto…it's up to you now. Don't you dare lose!'
0o0o0o0o0o0
Kakashi leaped backwards as soon as his sensitive ears caught the loud whistling of a massive object flying through the air. He just barely missed being sliced in two by Zabuza's blade, which smashed into the bridge instead.
Zabuza laughed again. "You may have dodged this time, but your ability to read my movements has been fogged up by this mist. Heh, I will enjoy this, Kakashi! Don't worry, Haku should be finishing off those brats of yours right about now. You'll be reunited with them shortly. You can beg for their forgiveness in the afterlife."
"No," Kakashi interrupted. "I have faith in their abilities. As a team, they are as unbeatable as your Haku. Sakura's intelligence, Naruto's scheming, and Sasuke's ability as a fighter make them a perfect team. And they all come from worthy ancestors; Sasuke is the only survivor of the Uchiha Clan, Naruto is the last Uzumaki, and Sakura is the granddaughter of Haruno Mihu, the Aka-shi."
Zabuza's eyes widened in shock before he disappeared into the mist again. "To think that one of the Uzumaki survived the massacre... nobody knew. I hadn't heard any news of Haruno Mihu having descendants either. I suppose it's no wonder that they are more powerful than your average genin. But either way, they cannot win against Haku!"
"Zabuza, do you really think that I survived with only the Sharingan? I too was once an ANBU. What I'm about to show you isn't something I learned with the Sharingan, but a technique I created myself," Kakashi declared as he pulled a scroll out of one of the pouches on his vest.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Naruto pressed her lips together worriedly as Sakura's chakra lowered to a level that indicated she was unconscious. /Sakura unconscious,/ she signed to Sasuke. /I'll make clone to protect. You distract./
Naruto barely caught Sasuke's nod in the dim light. The dome collapsed into a pile of rubble, leaving Sasuke's heavy breathing and exhausted state much more obvious. 'If we don't finish this soon, we're screwed,' she thought. 'Thankfully, Sasuke's eyesight is starting to adjust.'
Sasuke quickly formed a mass of Tsuchi Bunshin, allowing Naruto time to create her own Kage Bunshin. It leaped out of the dome of mirrors immediately and picked up Sakura before moving off to the far end of the bridge.
"You two move well," Haku commented. "But your friend is unconscious. My next move will take you down."
Naruto grimaced as she caught the blur of Haku's senbon heading toward her neck. 'Fuck! I'm not fast enough to-!'
She was saved by Sasuke's arm around her waist as he pulled her down to the ground. Naruto looked up at him in surprise. 'How did he-? He's not faster than me, and his eyes shouldn't be able to keep up with Haku's speed!' she thought. But then she saw that his eyes had turned crimson. The right eye held two tomoe while the left held one. 'He's awakened the Sharingan,' she realized. 'Tch. He's probably ahead of me in strength again now.'
"I see," Haku murmured. "You too possess a kekkai genkai. I am afraid I cannot allow this to drag out any longer as my own technique takes up a lot of chakra. Please forgive me."
'I'm at a severe disadvantage here,' Naruto realized. 'I can barely see Haku, and my speed isn't even close to matching his.' When she saw Haku blur towards her, she threw out a massive amount of chakra in an attempt to deflect him in some way. For a moment, she could sense everything within the range of her chakra – Haku's attack, Sasuke's movements – but that all faded when she felt Sasuke's chakra lower dangerously.
Sasuke stood in front of her, six needles skewered through his neck at various angles. "Why?" she gasped out, on the verge of crying.
"You idiot," Sasuke gasped out, somehow able to keep speaking. "Remember what Kakashi taught us? Those who don't protect their comrades…are lower than trash. Don't you dare die, Naruto."
Sasuke collapsed backwards, his eyes shut. His chakra flickered.
And died.
There was still a little left of course, but chakra remained in a corpse for a period of three to five days.
Once again, Naruto's world shattered. Somebody she had cared about had just died. This is what she had been trying to prevent; she had been trying to spare herself from the gut-wrenching pain of watching a precious person die in some way or another.
Gods, it hurt so bad. She just wanted the pain to end. She wanted somebody to pay. And…Sasuke's killer was right in front of her.
An irrational rage swept through her; in her head, she knew that death was an unavoidable part of the shinobi lifestyle, but her heart didn't give a shit about what her head thought. And at that moment, it was her heart that was in control.
"He was worthy of admiration," Haku said, his voice almost gentle. "He went into what he knew full-well to be a trap to save a comrade. Is this the first time a comrade of yours has died? Such is the life of a shinobi."
"Shut up…" Naruto whispered hoarsely as a foreign, malevolent chakra coursed through her body. 'I'm never going to forgive you, Sasuke.' "You're dead!"
0o0o0o0o0o0
Kakashi's eyes widened when an enormous, horrid chakra emerged from seemingly nowhere. 'Is this Zabuza's doing?' he wondered suspiciously. 'No. This isn't human chakra, but it's oddly familiar. Wait, this is the Kyuubi's chakra! Has the seal slipped after all this time? By the feel of it, it hasn't broken completely. If I finish this quickly, there's still a chance-!' In one lightning-fast motion, Kakashi unraveled the scroll he was holding and swiped a finger covered with his blood across the series of kanji. "Listen to me, Zabuza," he said. "I'm a busy man. You're a busy man. We've both got a lot on our plates. It goes against the grain to even suggest this, but what do you say we stop screwing around and finish this? One big move, winner take all?" Kakashi asked as he rolled up the scroll again and held it between his thumbs and hands as he formed the tiger seal.
"Sounds intriguing," Zabuza answered darkly. "Show me what you've got!"
Kakashi formed a series of four hand seals, clutching his scroll the whole time. When he was done, he slammed his scroll on to the ground and directed a large amount of chakra into it. Kanji came alive and, like living creatures, spilled out of the scroll and onto the ground. "Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!" he murmured quietly.
"This posturing will get you nowhere, Kakashi! You can't even tell where I truly am! On the other hand, I know exactly where you are and how to defeat you! You are completely enmeshed in my technique!" Zabuza boasted.
Suddenly, a large crack and crash echoed throughout the mist as Kakashi's dogs burst out of the ground.
"When your eyes and ears have let you down, you can always rely on your nose," Kakashi said as the mist faded slightly to reveal Zabuza, trapped by eight ninken of various sizes biting down on him in some form or another. "This technique worked because you shut your eyes in the mist. This summoning technique was designed specifically for tracking. That's why I allowed you to stab me in the hand. The smell of my blood was all over you and your weapons – there's no way my ninken could have missed it. So, care to tell me who's enmeshed in who's technique now? The fog is lifting. I can see your future…and it is death."
"'My future is death?' I've had enough of your bluffs," Zabuza snorted.
"Who's bluffing now? There's no way out of it. You're going to die. You've had your fun, Zabuza. The day you left Kiri, all of your information was given to Konoha's Oinin squad. We all know about your failed coup you staged. You've been trying to raise funds for a second attempt, which is what has lead you to work for a leech like Gatou," Kakashi said as he formed the three seals necessary for his original technique. Lightning gathered around his palm, forming a condensed, pale blue ball of electricity. "Raikiri!"
"Tch…"
"You're a loose cannon. The man you are trying to kill, Tazuna-san, is the heart and soul of this place. The bridge you are trying to prevent him from building is this country's hope. You're willing to sacrifice this country and everybody in it just to further your own ambitions. That's not what a true shinobi does."
"Spare me the philosophy lesson. I've always fought for my own ideals, and I'm not about to stop now!"
"I'll say this just once more. Give up. Your future is death."
Zabuza rolled his eyes. Kakashi sighed, but charged forward, his right hand extended towards Zabuza's chest.
His Raikiri pierced it like a hot knife through butter. Zabuza convulsed once before he died, his gaze disbelieving. Kakashi closed his eyes in a short moment of silence for a man who had always fought for his own ideals and lived his life to the fullest. Then, he pulled his hand out of Zabuza's chest and raced towards the half-shattered dome of mirrors.
He was greeted by the sight of a seemingly dead Sasuke and a Naruto at least partially controlled by the Kyuubi.
The blonde was surrounded by an aura of crimson chakra that took the form of a fox with elongated ears and three tails. Her normally tame hair was wild and her naturally blue eyes were bright red. The air resonated with the Kyuubi's vile chakra. 'This is bad,' he thought.
An unmasked Haku lay on the floor across from Naruto, a giant wound most likely caused by the Kyuubi's chakra claws going from the top of his right shoulder to the bottom of his ribcage. He was barely conscious and would be dead within half an hour, but that wasn't really what Kakashi was worried about. The jounin buried his grief for Sasuke and called out gently, "Naruto, listen to me."
His response was a clawed foot formed purely of the Kyuubi's putrid chakra. He managed to duck the first swipe, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge the second. The Kyuubi's claws ripped diagonally across his chest, leaving three bloody slices that tore through his clothing, exposed bone, and cracked several ribs. He was set flying back by the force of the blow.
Kakashi gasped out in pain and surprise. 'Is this what Naruto is forced to hold back every day? My god…' "Naruto," he whispered, pleading, "please listen to me."
He coughed violently, sending some blood up into his mouth, which he quickly spat out before replacing his mask.
Naruto looked as if she was about to attack again, but she was distracted by the thud of a cane against stone.
"Well," a short, fat man with pale brown hair that Kakashi recognized as Gatou said, "It looks like it's a good thing that we came here today, eh boys?"
He got a roar of agreement from the mob of thugs behind him.
Kakashi grimaced underneath his mask. 'I'm in no condition to fight right now, Sakura's unconscious, Sasuke's dead, and Naruto's as likely to kill me as she is to kill our enemies.' He let out a pained groan and collapsed to his knees as his wounds flared with pain. 'The Kyuubi's chakra seems to work as a poison. I won't be able to fight at all.'
"Kill them all, boys!" Gatou ordered.
The thugs rushed forward with a roar. Naruto's head whipped around and a feral grin spread across her face as she leapt into the fray. She ripped apart man after man with the Kyuubi's chakra claws – Kakashi refused to think of them as her chakra claws. They were butchered like pigs. Little by little, they were whittled down until there was only a dozen left. Bodies were tossed randomly across the bridge, and the entrails and blood of the men where splattered all over the place. It was a gruesome sight to behold.
Only when every single one of them, including Gatou, was gone, did the Kyuubi's chakra start to fade.
0o0o0o0o0o0
In her rage, Naruto had lashed out at anybody and everybody who had come near her. Now that almost everybody on the bridge was dead except for two chakra signatures she vaguely recognized as allies and another which was too weak to pose any threat. Slowly, the rage faded from her alongside the Kyuubi's chakra.
As the inhuman chakra left her system, the realization of what she had done kicked in. Her breathing sped up and her hands trembled as she looked around her and saw the results of her rampage. All of the memories were there, even if they were tinged with the red of her own anger and the Kyuubi's chakra. She could remember slaughtering all of those men. She could remember almost killing Kakashi. 'Oh god,' she thought, 'What have I done?'
When she looked at her hands, they were covered in blood.
Naruto quickly turned around only to see Kakashi collapsed on the ground, bleeding heavily from three long slices over his chest.
Madara's voice echoed through her mind. "You're a danger," it mocked.
'I…I almost killed my own sensei. He taught me almost everything I know, and this is how I repay him? I…Madara was right. I am a danger. A security risk. The villagers were right to shun me.'
Naruto trembled before she disappeared, unable to face her teammates in the face of her shame and self-hatred. The last thing she saw was Kakashi's sad, almost pleading look.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Sasuke groaned softly as he returned to consciousness.
"Welcome back to the world of the living," a soft, sad voice said.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he immediately looked towards the owner of the voice. It was the boy he had met in the forest several days ago, yet, he was wearing the outfit of the fake Oinin his team had been fighting.
Ten Days Ago
Sasuke was taking a short walk through the forest outside of Tazuna's house. He entered a tiny clearing, only to find an androgynous…somebody…picking herbs.
The person looked up. "Oh, hello."
Sasuke gave the stranger a small smile. "Are you a boy or a girl?" he asked bluntly.
The stranger laughed quietly. "A boy," he replied.
"So what are you doing here?"
"Gathering herbs to help one of my friends get better. He got injured badly a week or so ago. I don't know what I would do if I he died."
"Hm."
"You must be a shinobi, right?"
"Mhm."
"I think that a person can become truly strong when they have somebody precious they want to protect. Don't you?"
"You…You're that boy," Sasuke said hoarsely. "You were working for Zabuza all along?"
Haku smiled weakly. "Yes. I'm sorry I lied to you."
Sasuke winced slightly when the large wound across Haku's chest. He was going to die soon. "Why?" the Uchiha asked quietly. "Why did you follow a scumbag like that?"
"…I can tell from the look in your eyes that you have experienced the pain of not knowing your purpose in life. At one point in time, you didn't have anybody, did you? You were all alone, with nobody there to comfort you.
"I was similar. During the time of my childhood, in Kiri and the surrounding villages, kekkai genkai were viewed as harbingers of death and destruction. Everybody who had one was hunted down and killed. My mother had a kekkai genkai, but she had gone into hiding. One day, my father found out and killed my mother. He tried to kill me as well, but my kekkai genkai activated and killed my father. Thus, the only family I had ever had was dead.
"What I felt afterwards was the most painful thing. I had to accept that I was unwanted; superfluous. But Zabuza-san saved me from that. He acknowledged me and coveted the blood that everybody else hated. If somebody accepted you for everything you were and everything you weren't, wouldn't they become your most precious person?"
Sasuke looked away from Haku momentarily as he thought of his teammates.
"Please try and understand what I did."
Sasuke did. He could understand Haku's motivations and his feelings. He let out a lengthy sigh. "Who won?" he asked finally.
"…Kakashi killed Zabuza-san and I will be dead soon as well. Gatou showed up with a few thugs, but they are dead as well."
"I see…" Sasuke murmured as he slipped into unconsciousness once again. He knew Haku would be dead by the time he woke up again. Surprisingly, that knowledge hurt.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Kakashi hissed as the pain in his chest flared up again. Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura were all safe, resting at the bridge-builder's house, but he needed to find Naruto before she did something stupid. There was simply no telling what she was thinking right now. Not only had she made her first kill, she had also released a chakra that, to his knowledge, she didn't know she had.
He sniffed the air, thankful that he had finally caught a trace of Naruto's scent. It led deep into the forest, following a small river that carved through the island. A couple of kilometers later, he found Naruto sitting on the riverbank, her hands and feet dangling in the frigid water. She was still covered in blood.
Kakashi was careful not to mask too much of the sound of his footsteps. He didn't want to surprise Naruto, especially not when she was in her current state. "Naruto," he greeted quietly.
"Hatake-san," the blonde replied, her voice blank and emotionless.
Kakashi frowned at the unusual form of address. Naruto always called him "Kakashi-sensei". "Naruto, what-?" he asked.
He was cut off by Naruto. "When we return to Konoha, I will request to be pulled out of your team," she interrupted. "I will not endanger you or your students any longer, Hatake-san."
Kakashi's frown deepened as she implied that she wasn't one of his students. 'Is this all about her losing control of the Kyuubi?' he wondered.
"If it's worth anything, I am sorry that you've had to put up with me for so long. Being constantly reminded of the monster that caused your sensei's death could not have been easy."
'She's not leaving my squad.' "Naruto," he said quietly. At the sound of his voice, Naruto looked away, refusing to meet his eye. "Let it go. I didn't die."
She didn't respond.
"Besides, what would you do if left Team 7 anyway?"
"I'd drop out of the shinobi program and become a civilian before leaving Konoha," Naruto replied automatically.
Kakashi's eye widened in surprise. 'Drop out of the shinobi program?' he repeated mentally. 'Leave Konoha?' "Why?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm a danger."
Kakashi's eye narrowed in suspicion. 'This isn't something she came up within the hour or so she's been alone. This has been festering in her mind for a long, long time.' "You are not," he said resolutely.
"I cannot control the Kyuubi's power. I am a danger."
"Then become strong enough to control it."
"Even the Yondaime couldn't control the Kyuubi. If somebody like him couldn't, there's no hope of somebody like me succeeding."
"He's your father. The new generation always surpasses the previous."
"…Perhaps."
Kakashi's jaw clenched angrily at Naruto's careless attitude. "Don't act as if you're only purpose in life is to be strong!" he snapped. "You're twelve, for god's sake! The fact that you survived this mission is a miracle in and of itself!"
"You were a jounin at the age of twelve. Uchiha Itachi was in ANBU at that age. As for the first thing you said…what else do I have to live for, Hatake-san?"
"If you left Konoha, Sasuke and Sakura would cry," Kakashi admitted, his voice softer.
"No they wouldn't."
"I would miss you."
"No you wouldn't. You'd be grateful that the monster that killed your sensei was gone."
Kakashi wasn't normally an impulsive person, but he couldn't stop himself from slapping Naruto across the face. The force of the blow almost sent Naruto tumbling to the floor. "Look at me, damn it!" he snarled as Naruto avoided his gaze once again. "Look at me!"
The blonde hesitantly met his gaze, her blue eyes empty except for the resignation within them. From the look in her eyes, she thought he would actually try and kill her. And she wouldn't stop him.
"Don't call yourself a monster," Kakashi whispered. "You're not the Kyuubi and you never will be."
"But that's all that matters, isn't it?" Naruto replied quietly. "The only thing other people else care about is the Kyuubi and my strength as a murderer, Hatake-san."
"No," Kakashi said steadily. "Sakura and Sasuke care about you as a person, not just you as a shinobi. I do too."
Naruto snorted disbelievingly and looked away. "What's there to like? I'm sarcastic, rude, and bitchy. I'm not a nice person. I don't have any redeeming qualities. I'm a tool. A weapon of mass destruction created by Konoha to slaughter, to kill, to murder. If I can't fulfill even that purpose, then there's no point in living."
Kakashi could practically feel his own frustration. "While you may hide it underneath your defenses of sarcasm and blankness, you are a kind person on the inside. Would a mere weapon bother learning iryoujutsu? Would a monster even care if an ally was hurt?"
"That does not change the fact that I am too weak."
"Then become stronger!"
Naruto sighed. "What's the point?" she muttered. "I'm obviously not doing my job as a jinchuuriki. It would be better to pass the Kyuubi on to somebody else."
"You do know you'd die if the Kyuubi was extracted from you?"
"Yes."
"Don't talk about your own death so carelessly! Don't you know what would happen to everybody if you died?"
"Yeah, I do, Hatake-san. Nobody would give a shit."
"Sasuke and Sakura would cry. Anko too, probably. I would miss you."
"Sasuke and Sakura wouldn't give a fuck one way or another. I'm not worth Anko's tears. There's no reason that you would miss me."
"You've managed to get Sasuke to open up and you helped turn Sakura into a real kunoichi. You are one of the very few friends Anko has. As for me, I rather enjoy your sarcasm. It keeps things interesting."
Naruto didn't comment.
"The fact that you have a low opinion of yourself won't stop you from becoming one of the best shinobi Konoha has ever seen. It won't stop you from learning to control the Kyuubi. I have faith in you, Naruto. One day you will be able to do it."
Naruto looked up at him in shock.
"Let's get back to Tazuna's house."
"Yeah. And thank you…Kakashi-sensei."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Jutsu List
Hijutsu: Sensatsu Shuishou
English: Secret Technique: One Thousand Water Needles of Death
Rank: B
Classifications: Ninjutsu, Offensive, Short-Range
Creator: Haku
Description: After the hand seals are completed, a cloud of one thousand senbon formed of water appear around the target, surrounding them from all sides. However, no needles form above the target, allowing for an escape route.
Hijutsu: Makyou Hyoushou
English: Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors
Rank: A
Classifications: Ninjutsu, All Ranges
Creator: Haku
Description: This technique forms a number of ice mirrors predetermined by the user. It takes advantage of the reflective properties of the mirrors and the user's impressive speed to create a variation of the Shunshin no Jutsu that is so fast the normal world seems to slow down around the user as they use it.
Doton: Doryuuheki
English: Earth Release: Mud Flow Wall
Rank: B
Classifications: Ninjutsu, Defensive, Short-Range
Description: After the hand seals are formed, the user slams their hand or foot into the ground. A thick wall of earth or stone will form in an area decided by the user's chakra. The shape of the wall can also be manipulated by a skilled user. Alternatively, the user can spit out a wall of mud from their mouth.
Doton: Iwa no Tate
English: Earth Release: Stone Shield
Rank: B
Classifications: Ninjutsu, Defensive, Short-Range
Description: Once the necessary hand seals are completed, a dome of stone will surround the user and anything standing close to them.
Katon: Yurika
English: Fire Release: Fire Lily
Rank: B
Classifications: Ninjutsu, Offensive, Long-Range
Description: As the hand seals are completed, the user spits out a small, compressed ball of flame about the size of a pebble. When the flame hits something solid, it will explode outward into several sheets of fire which together take on the form of a lily.
Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu
English: Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fange Technique
Rank: C
Classifications: Ninjutsu, Offensive, All Ranges
Creator: Hatake Kakashi
Description: This is a variant of the Kuchiyose no Jutsu. After the target is marked with the user's blood, the user pulls out a scroll and smears their blood on to it before preforming the necessary hand seals and placing the scroll on the ground. The ninken are summoned underground and then burst up through the ground to capture the enemy.
The title of this chapter is Dance with the Devil by Breaking Benjamin