Sonic and the Jinchuriki
Wave arc
Kurama no Kyubi: This is the final chapter of this arc, and after this one, I won't be starting on the next arc in quite some time. Especially considering that before that I'll need to have figured out who Gaara will look like as he's the only one who appears next chapter that I haven't figured out yet. Also, in case people are wondering, the design used for Haku in this story is the one used for Fiona when she was still a Freedom Fighter, 'course she's still got Haku's clothes. Also, have you guys seen the trailers for the new game/TV show, Sonic Boom? What are your thoughts on it, and what do you think of the new designs?
ImagineBreaker7: Awesome chapter, I enjoyed the fight scene. So that's who Zabuza and Haku are, I can't wait to see what other characters you will use. By the way thanks for answering my question I guess I just missed their use of their abilities last chapter. Hmm I can't decide though who would make a good Mina. I look forward to seeing who you will decide on for Naruto's pairing.
Kurama no Kyubi: Only Kakashi used his ability in that chapter, though. Naruto used his in his debut chapter. And as for who Mina is, well, you'll just have to wait and see.
Guest: will sonic use wind jutsu's
Kurama no Kyubi: Sonic doesn't have any chakra, so he can't use any kinds of Jutsu.
johnsoncutter: well mina seems to be a good fit for hinata not a lot of confidence but pleanty of talent provided she can overcome her insecurities.
Kurama no Kyubi: Good point, but I've already picked out someone to be Mina. You'll just have to wait and see who it is.
name: charecters sugestions knuckles or gamma-garra eggman-kankuro cyrus from sonic underground or charmy bee-shino vector or mighty-might guy sonia-tayuya
Kurama no Kyubi: Thanks for the suggestions, though Charmy isn't really a good fit for Shino, personality-wise. And who do you mean by "Gamma-Garra Eggman"? E-102 Gamma?
johnsoncutter: tail is able to chaos energy to a certain extent such as in the clash against mammoth mogul.
Kurama no Kyubi: Tails is the Chosen One, of course he can absorb Chaos Energy. Probably even more than what Shadow and Knuckles can. Though everyone can absorb Chaos Energy, it's really only just a few who can go Super.
"Chaos Emerald." Normal speech
'Chaos Emerald.' Normal thought
"Chaos Emerald." Biju and God speech
'Chaos Emerald.' Biju and God thought
Kakashi: Kurama no Kyubi doesn't own anything.
Chapter 4: Battle at the Bridge with a spice of Bad Luck
It was the morning of the sixth day of training and Naruto was lying unconscious in the middle of the forest with the kunai still in his hand. Just yesterday, Tazuna had told them the story about Inari's foster-father as well as mentioning that Inari used to cause bad luck to everyone around him, though it stopped after his foster-father's death. Afterwards, Naruto had left to continue training, and he continued all the way till he fell unconscious due to exhaustion.
Meanwhile, the Fox girl that was working with Zabuza was out in the forest, picking up herbs. As a small bird landed on her shoulder, she looked at it before it flew off towards the sleeping two-tailed Fox and it didn't take long for the girl to recognize him. As she approached him, she extended her hand towards his neck making it seem for a moment that she was going in for the kill, but instead she shook him awake.
"You'll catch your death of cold, sleeping on the ground." She said.
"… Huh?" Naruto looked at her before sitting up and with a blush on his face asked "Wh-who… are you…?"
Elsewhere in the forest
Sonic was currently sitting on a branch, leaning back on the bark of a tree as he seemed to be in deep thought about something, something that was quite unusual for him.
'Now, aside from that Kodos look-alike, there hasn't appeared to be any threats that these guys would need my help to defeat. Personally, I wish that voice I heard in my head when I first came here would explain a few things to me, like why exactly I'm here.' He thought before recalling when he had attempted to summon up his chakra 'And what's more, it appears that I can't use this chakra thing that everyone else has. Of course that's not a problem as I can fight well enough without it, but what really bugs me is that green energy I saw. What was it? It felt similar to the energies within the Chaos Emeralds…' He then put his hand on his forehead "Ugh. All of this thinking is giving me a headache."
Suddenly he saw a flash of red light behind some trees in the distance and wondering what it was he ran in that general direction. As he landed on a branch, his eyes widened at what he saw; there, down on the ground was some weird red crystalline orb.
'What's that?' Sonic thought before a wave of red energy suddenly burst out of it in every direction and as it approached the blue Hedgehog, he held his arms out in front of himself as if to defend himself while also closing his eyes, but the energy just passed harmlessly through him.
When he opened his eyes again and put his arms down, he noticed that the red orb was gone and in its place was a weird red ring with a flame constantly burning in the hole in the middle. And when he looked around he could see that there were other identical rings scattered around the place.
'What… was that? That energy also felt similar to that of the Chaos Emeralds… but, at the same time it was totally different. Almost like the Sol Emeralds and the Secret Rings.' He thought before jumping down and walking towards the ring "Anyway, I better tell Kakashi about this to hear his thoughts; he might know something I don't." He then picked the ring up so that he could show it as evidence and in hopes of figuring out what it was.
With Naruto
"Are these grasses and weeds really medicinal?" Naruto asked as he pulled up some weeds from the ground and put them in the basket.
"I'm sorry to have imposed on you." The female Fox said.
"That's some job you took on, girl… harvesting all that this early in the morning." Naruto said.
"Look at who's talking. What were you doing in the middle of nowhere at the crack of dawn?" The Fiona look-alike asked.
"Training." Was Naruto's instant reply.
"Really? That Hitai-ate you're wearing… are you some kind of ninja?" The girl asked.
"Yup!" Naruto said with a grin as he blushed while his left hand scratched the back of his head.
"Wow, that's incredible." The girl said, causing Naruto to chuckle before the girl asked "What are you training for?"
"To build up my strength." Naruto said.
"But… but you look so strong and manly already." The girl said.
"Nope! Wrong! I need to be a lot stronger than this." Naruto said.
"But… why…?" The girl asked.
"To become the top Fox in my home town. All the people who used to treat me like dirt will have to say "he's the number one ninja". And right at the moment, I kind of have to prove a point to a certain person I know." Naruto said.
"… Are you doing this for the sake of that person, or for your own satisfaction?" The girl asked.
"Um, the first one, I guess." Naruto said with a slightly nervous tone in his voice as he blushed and the girl giggled "What's so funny?"
"Do you have anyone special in your life?" The girl asked.
"What are you getting at?" Naruto asked, the blush slightly growing in intensity.
"When people are protecting something truly precious to them, they truly can become as strong as they must be." The girl said.
"Yup! I know all about it!" Naruto said with a wide grin.
The girl then smiled before rising to her feet and she turned around as she started walking away "You will get stronger. I know we'll meet again."
"Right." Naruto said as the girl continued walking as Sasuke arrived and passed her.
Tazuna's house
"Hmm, you say that this ring along with many others just appeared out of nowhere after the stone vanished?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the ring which was lying on the table, the flame pointing straight up, which it appeared to do no matter what angle they held the ring at.
"Yeah. I've never seen anything like it." Sonic said as Sakura held one of her fingers over the flame.
"That's strange. It's not warm." She confirmed before looking at Tazuna "Has anything like this ever happened before?"
"No. Not that I'm aware of." The old Lynx said
"Now that I think about it, it kind of reminds me of an old legend my sensei once told me." Kakashi said.
"What legend?" Sonic asked.
"I… don't remember it very well." Kakashi said, causing everyone to sweatdrop.
"Anyway, I'm going out for a run. See ya later." Sonic said as he walked towards the door.
Next day
"Where did Naruto go this time…?" Kakashi asked as he and Sakura were in the part of the forest where they trained "Pushing himself beyond his limit, going out by himself again last night…"
"And at breakfast time, Sasuke-kun says he's going for a walk… and he disappears, too." Sakura said just before a kunai hit the ground in front of them and they looked up to see Naruto lying on a branch that was high up in the tree.
"Naruto can climb all the way up there?" The Amy look-alike said in surprise before thinking 'Amazing…'
"Heh heh. Look at how high I can go now." Naruto said before climbing to his feet, but just then as he put his left foot down on the branch, it slipped "Whu-oh."
"You baka!" Sakura yelled.
"No! If he falls from that height…!" Kakashi said just as Naruto seemed to fall off the branch only to slide to the underside of it, his feet sticking to the bark.
"Gotcha!" Naruto yelled.
"You… you… almost gave me a heart attack, you ass!" Sakura yelled as her inner self added "Cha! I'm gonna kill you for this… later!"
However, then Naruto's feet suddenly let go of the branch, causing the Fox to fall towards the ground as Kakashi's visible eye widened.
"OI! Twice is too much, Naruto! Stop messing around!" Sakura yelled.
As Naruto fell, he tried to spin his tails to fly, but he had used up too much energy during his training. Then Sasuke appeared on the underside of the branch as he grabbed one of Naruto's tails.
"You loser." He said.
"YES! Sasuke-kun saves the day! He gives me shivers!" Sakura said.
'Well, they are coming along nicely.' Kakashi thought.
"Now that was a close one." Sonic said as he stood behind Kakashi.
"And how long were you standing there?" Kakashi asked without turning around, the conversation going unnoticed by the others.
"Oh, I got here just now." Sonic said before asking after a small pause "Have you figured out anything about it yet?"
"Other than there seeming to be some strange power emanating from it, no. But you already knew that, didn't you?" Kakashi said.
"Heh heh. Yeah, I guess. I've been in contact with so many magical objects by now that I've developed a sixth sense for the things." Sonic said.
"Really? Do tell." Kakashi said.
"I'd rather not." Sonic said.
"Well, at any rate, I don't think I'll find out much more about this thing. So why don't you take it?" Kakashi asked as he pulled out the ring.
"Heh. Sure thing." Sonic said, grabbing it.
That night
"Want to head back?" Sasuke asked as he was standing atop of the second tallest tree in the forest.
"Sure." Naruto said as he was clinging to the top of the tallest tree in the forest.
Tazuna's house
"So, you're finally back. Looking like something the cat dragged in." Tazuna said as Naruto ad Sasuke came in.
"Heh… Both of us… We made it to the top of the tree." Naruto said.
"Good. Naruto, Sasuke, starting tomorrow, you two can help Sakura protect Tazuna-san." Kakashi said. (Kurama no Kyubi: In case you're all wondering, the reason why Kakashi didn't mention Sonic here is because said Hedgehog is patrolling the country, looking for Gato's base as well as any signs of Zabuza.)
"Yes, sir." Naruto and Sasuke both said in unison before sitting down at the table.
"Whew. Well, I'm dirty, sweaty, and real worn out from all of the work on the bridge today. But construction is almost complete." Tazuna said.
"Father, you and Naruto are two of a kind. Please don't work yourselves to death." Tsunami said.
"Yep." Tazuna said.
As Inari looked at Naruto who was sitting across from him, he remembered some things that his foster-father had said as tears started welling up in his eyes before streaming down his face.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked before Inari rose to his feet and slammed his hands down on the table.
"Why do you wear yourself out trying? No matter how hard you train, you'll never be a match for Gato's thugs! You act all cool, and you talk all tough. But big, strong guys like that are always too much for people weaker than they are. They'll destroy you!" He yelled.
"Shut up. I'm not you, and I'm not gonna lose." Naruto said.
"Just watching you ticks me off! You go running your mouth when you don't know a thing! This isn't your town! And you don't know a thing about me! You're always clowning around and having fun. You don't know a thing about suffering or loneliness or what my lif is like!" Inari yelled.
"So… you figure it's noble to star in a melodrama and treat everyone around you like guests at your pity party? It takes a really big man to sit around and cry, you brat. You big baby." Naruto then rose to his feet and walked away.
"Naruto! You went too far!" Sakura yelled.
Soon after was Inari sitting at the edge of the wooden planks outside as Sonic approached him from behind.
"Mind if I sit down?" He asked before sitting down next to Inari.
"You know, I haven't known Naruto for all that long, but from what I can gather he grew up without either a father or a mother or has a single friend." He said, catching the young Lynx's attention "And in the little time I've known him, I've never seen him cry, not once. I guess he must've just gotten fed up with crying one day. He understands fully well what it means to be strong. He knows what it costs and what it's worth just as your father did. Naruto probably understands you better than even you yourself do."
"What?" The Larry look-alike asked.
"He can't leave you alone because you've gotten under his skin." Sonic said.
Next day
"Please take care of Naruto. He's worn himself out. I doubt he'll be able to move for the rest of the day." Kakashi said as he, Sasuke, and Sakura left with Tazuna.
"We're off, Tsunami." The old Lynx said to his daughter.
"Bye." His daughter said.
Later
"Nanda? I over-slept?" Naruto cried out after he had woken up before looking into the room where Tsunami and Inari currently were "Hey! Hello? Where'd everybody go?"
"Oh! Naruto, what are you doing up? Kakashi-san wanted you to take today off." Tsunami said before Naruto ran off and threw off his pajamas and put on his jumpsuit.
"Oooh! I knew it! First chance they get, they leave me behind!" He then ran for the door "I'm outta here!"
With Sonic
Sonic was currently running along the branches and trees while occasionally going down to the ground, however, as he continued running, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes.
"Wait a second…" He said before running over to a dead boar who seemed to have been cut to up by something, and he also noticed several gash marks on the trees leading back to Tazuna's house.
"Oi! Sonic!" Naruto called out before landing by Sonic's side. He then noticed the boar and the marks on the trees "Hey, it looks like someone are on their way to Tazuna-san's house."
"Yeah, that's what I figured." Sonic said as he crossed his arms.
"Think they could be Gato's thugs?" Naruto asked as he looked at the Hedgehog.
"Probably. But I've got a hunch that they won't be much of a threat." Sonic said before turning around "I'm gonna head on over to the bridge to see if everyone's all right." He then ran off.
"Ah! Hey, wait for me!" Naruto said before spinning his tails so that he could fly after the blue blur.
Bridge
"What happened?" Tazuna exclaimed as all of the bridge workers were lying half-dead in front of them.
He then ran over to one of the workers and asked "What happened? What… could have…?"
"M-monsters…" The worker said.
'It can't be…' Kakashi thought.
Tazuna's house
"Inari, could you please help me do the laundry?" Tsunami asked as two of Gato's thugs was outside the door to their house.
"Okay, mom. But I'm in the bathroom now." Inari replied as the two thugs smirked.
Bridge
A mist then started rolling over the bridge.
'The mist…' Kakashi thought before saying "They're coming!" They then went into a manji formation as the Chameleon thought 'I was right. He survived… and he's come back to finish things.'
"Kakashi-sensei is this…? That man we met… his "Kirigakure" no Jutsu… isn't it?" Sakura asked as Sasuke started trembling, though not with fear.
"Been a while, Kakashi… And I see you've got those brats tagging along, just like last time. And the little boy is trembling again, poor thing…" Zabuza's voice could be heard through the mist just before a group of Mizu Bunshins appeared out of nowhere, surrounding them, and even one in the middle of the formation.
"I'm shaking with eagerness for a rematch." Sasuke said.
"Go ahead… Sasuke." Kakashi said, and faster than the normal eye could see, Sasuke had destroyed all of the clones, causing them to splatter into water.
"Well. My Mizu Bunshins were obviously no match for you. It seems the brats have matured quite a bit into worthy rivals… eh, Haku?" Zabuza said as he made his appearance known along with the Fiona look-alike who was wearing her mask again.
"Indeed." She said.
"Looks like I was right. Our masked friend is playing on Zabuza's team." Kakashi said.
"She has the nerve, showing up like this!" Sakura yelled.
"This one's mine." Sasuke said before looking at Haku "That was quite a show you put on before, but we're on to you now… and I hate ham actors."
"Sasuke-kun's so cool!" Sakura said as her eyes turned into hearts when she looked at the male Hedgehog.
'Sakura challenges everything Naruto says or does, but she takes Sasuke completely at face value, without question.' Kakashi thought.
"Impressive kid, isn't he? Even if your Mizu Bunshins have only a tenth of the strength of the originals… it's amazing he was able to do so well." Haku said.
"But we're still on the offensive. Go!" Zabuza said.
"Yes, sir." Haku said as she disappeared in a swirl of leaves and reappeared just in front of Sasuke to swing at him with a senbon, but he blocked it with a kunai.
Tazuna's house
The two thugs broke down the door to reveal that one of them was looking like a Crabmeat and the other one looked like a Slicer.
"Old man Tazuna's daughter, huh? Sorry, but you're coming with us." The Crabmeat said as he looked at Tsunami.
In the meantime was Inari in the bathroom, washing his hands until he heard a scream.
Back with Tsunami and the two robots were the female Lynx crawling back towards the kitchen part of the room as the two robots stood before her.
"Kaa-san!" Inari yelled as he came into the room.
"What do you want, brat?" The Slicer asked.
"Run, Inari! Don't come in!" Tsunami yelled.
"Should we grab him, too?" The Slicer asked.
"We only need one hostage." The Crabmeat said, causing Inari to flinch.
'Hostage…?' He thought.
"Heh heh. Too bad… for him." The Slicer said as he got ready to throw one of his blade-like arms at the young Lynx.
"Wait! If you dare touch my child, I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood. Then what will you do for a live hostage?" Tsunami said.
"Heh… Be grateful to your ma, kiddo." The Crabmeat said.
"Aw, man… But I'm dying to cut someone." The Slicer said.
"Relax. You gave your slicers a pretty good workout before we even got here. So get over it, and let's go." The Crabmeat said before they escorted Tsunami out of there while Inari fell to his knees, crying.
'Okaa-san… I'm so sorry… I'm a weak little cry-baby… I can't save you… And I'm afraid. I don't want to die.' He thought before remembering what Naruto had said.
"You big baby!"
He then remembered more of what Naruto had said before remembering some of what Sonic had said, and he then recalled something his foster-father had once said.
"If something is precious to you, protect it with all the strength you've got even at the risk of your own life."
'Everyone else is so awesome… so cool… and strong…' He thought before stopping to cry as he rose to his feet and clenched his hands into fists '… Can I… Could I… be strong too… daddy?'
"Heh heh… Such beautiful skin. So smooth and lovely- It's a shame I'm not to be able to cut it…" The Slicer said as he and the Crabmeat led Tsunami across the wooden platform.
"WAIT!" Inari yelled as he came up behind them, causing them to turn around.
"INARI!" Tsunami yelled.
"Well, looky there. The brat came back." The Slicer said.
'Yes, I can…!' Inari thought as he yelled "You get away from my mama!"
"Jeez. This kid is a waste of space." The Slicer said.
"So cut him…" The Crabmeat said.
"Yeah…!" The Slicer said as he got ready to throw his slicers at the young Lynx.
"INARI!" Tsunami yelled.
However, just as the Slicer was about to throw his deadly blades, a loud crack was heard from under his and the Crabmeat's feet. Upon looking down, they saw that the wooden planks under them were cracking as though they weren't able to hold up the robots' weight. The planks then gave away and the two robots fell down into the water with a splash.
Inari – who had fallen backwards onto his butt – looked towards the hole in the wooden platform where the thugs had stood just seconds earlier in amazement.
'Did… I do that?' He wondered.
Bridge
'He can keep up with Haku's speed.' Zabuza noted as he observed Haku and Sasuke, both of which were in a deadlock.
"Sakura! We have to cover Tazuna-san. Take that side, and stay close. Let Sasuke handle Haku." Kakashi said.
"Yes, sir." Sakura said.
"I don't want to have to kill you, but you probably won't leave quietly, will you?" Haku said.
"Don't be stupid…" Was Sasuke's reply.
"Just as I thought… However, you won't be able to match my speed for long, and I've laid the ground-work for two attacks." Haku said.
"Two attacks…?" Sasuke questioned.
"Firstly, there's the water splashed all around us. Secondly, I've trapped one of your hands with parrying this move, which leaves you only one hand free to defend yourself from my attacks." Haku explained before weaving a series of hand signs using only her left hand.
'With just one hand, she's…!' Sasuke thought in surprise.
'She's making signs with just one hand? I've never seen anything like it…' Kakashi thought.
"Hyoton: Sensatsu Suisho!" Haku called out the name of her technique, causing the water surrounding them to rise into the air, forming a countless number of needles made up of ice.
'So… "I don't want to have to kill you"…? I wonder if she truly means that.' Zabuza thought.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled.
As the needles then flew towards the black Hedgehog, Sasuke focused as much chakra as he could into his feet before jumping into the air just in time to avoid the needles from piercing him as they hit each other and turned back into water.
"Where did he…?" Haku asked no one in particular as she skidded to a halt, having jumped backwards just in time to avoid the needles herself. However, then she noticed something above her and she jumped backwards to dodge several shuriken which Sasuke had thrown at her.
As she skidded to a halt again, she suddenly heard a voice behind her, but it was not Sasuke's "You call that speed? Hah! I'll show you true speed!"
As Haku looked over her shoulder to see who it was, she was suddenly sent flying by a punch to the side of her head. She quickly managed to regain her balance in mid-air before landing in a crouching position as she looked towards the one who had attacked her to see none other than Sonic the Hedgehog, and she knew without having to look that Sasuke was standing behind her.
"Hey, don't go butting into my fight!" Sasuke said as he glared at Sonic.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, I've been doing those boring patrol missions this whole week so I need to went some steam. So is it all right if I just borrow her for a little while?" Sonic said.
"Tch. Fine. But only for a minute." Sasuke snorted out.
"Great! Now then…" Sonic said before charging towards Haku.
The ice-using Fox reacted quickly by jumping into the air as she was about to pull out several senbon, but then Sonic suddenly shot past her, and with a kick to her back sent her back down to the bridge.
She then rose to her feet just in time to see the blue Hedgehog appearing in a blur of speed in front of her before delivering a punch to her gut and following up with a roundhouse kick, sending her flying.
Sonic ran after her flying form before curling himself into a ball and shooting himself directly at her, sending her into the railing of the bridge. As the blue blur then landed on the ground, Haku was hanging off the edge.
'Nani…? Haku… is actually losing a battle of speed?' Zabuza thought in surprise. (Kurama no Kyubi: You… don't know much about Sonic, do you?)
"Heh. Sorry, I tried holding back as not to damage the bridge too much, but I guess it was still too much, huh." Sonic said.
Haku then pulled herself up with such force that she flew into the air and landed behind the blue Hedgehog.
"And now it's over." She whispered too low for anyone to hear as she held up a senbon, but just then she found Sonic delivering another strong punch to her gut, sending her skidding backwards before she came to a halt before her master.
"All right, your time is up." Sasuke said as he approached his fellow Hedgehog.
"Aww. But it was just starting to get fun." Sonic said.
"Haku… do you understand, if this goes on, you could end up dying at the hands of the very person you sought to spare?" Zabuza asked.
"Yes, I do… What a pity." Haku said as he rose to his feet.
"Hey, why'd it get so cold all of a sudden?" Sonic asked as he felt the temperature dropping like a stone.
Haku then formed a hand sign as she said "Hyoton: Makyo Hyosho!" Suddenly several ice mirrors rose out of the water on the bridge, surrounding Sonic and Sasuke.
'I… don't know this Jutsu!' Kakashi thought.
Haku then walked into one of the mirrors and her reflection appeared on all of the other mirrors. Kakashi then – realizing that the two Hedgehogs were in danger – charged towards the mirrors, but then Zabuza came up in front of him.
"Let's not forget… I'm your enemy. Our children can play together… while my boy kills both of yours." He said.
'Iie…' Kakashi thought.
Ice mirrors
"Now that it's all in place…" Haku started.
"What're these mirrors for?" Sonic asked.
"Don't know. But I think we should get ready for anything." Sasuke said.
"… Let me show you some real speed." Haku finished her earlier sentence before starting a barrage of senbon which seemed to come from every direction. However, as Sasuke was hit at every turn, Sonic easily dodged any senbon thrown at him.
"Sasuke, Sonic…!" Kakashi yelled as he heard the formers screams of pain.
"Any sudden moves and I'll kill those other two." Zabuza said.
"Gomen nasai, Tazuna-san… but I'm going to have to leave you for just a little bit." Sakura said.
"Go ahead. I'll be fine." The old Lynx said as Sakura charged forward while pulling out a kunai before throwing it at one of the mirrors, however, Haku's upper body emerged from said mirror and she grabbed it.
'She caught it!' Sakura thought before Naruto suddenly appeared and hit Haku on the side of the head with his twin tails, causing his fellow Fox to fall out of the mirror.
"Uzumaki Naruto at your service!" The Tails look-alike said before spinning his tails to hover in the air as he continued "Here I am, to save the day. You know how the story goes. Things look bleak… till the hero arrives. And then… POW! Bye-bye bad-guys."
'Exasperating little…! What we needed was an ambush. Instead, he all but paints a target on himself.' Kakashi thought.
"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.
'Big talker…' Sasuke thought.
'Heh. Couldn't have said it better myself! Only, he forgot who the real hero is.' Sonic thought.
'Hmph. The brat again, huh?' Zabuza thought as he looked over his shoulder before smiling under his mask as he threw several shuriken at the two-tailed Fox, and Haku threw several senbon as she had gotten up on her knees.
'Here it comes!' Naruto thought as he braced himself, but the senbon then hit the shuriken, causing the two attacks to cancel each other out.
"Haku… what are you doing?" Zabuza asked.
"… Zabuza-sama, please let me have this boy. I want to fight him in my own way." Haku said.
"So, you want me to keep my hands off him, eh, Haku? How charmingly naïve of you… as usual…" Zabuza said.
'She… naïve? Yeah, right. Look at me, it's like I'm being cut to ribbons by a thousand needles. But the cuts are all superficial. She's killing me by inches… saving the vital targets – and the death-blow – for later.' Sasuke thought before he looked over at Sonic 'Yet, he's not been hit by any of the needles at all. How can he possibly be so fast as to have dodged all of them?' He then turned his attention towards the ice mirrors 'If only I could figure out what Jutsu she's using…! Her Bunshins all hide within the mirrors and then strike simultaneously. I don't even see him move. He strikes before I can spot his weapons' trajectory. It can't just be the Bunshin no Jutsu… the ice mirrors are a part of this, somehow, but I can't figure out their significance. Whatever is going on, the mirrors must be the key. Looks like our only chance is to concentrate on the battle here, and trust Naruto to set us free from outside…'
"Yo, Sasuke! I'm her to rescue the two of you." Naruto said as he appeared right in front of the black Hedgehog.
"Y-you doofus! No stealth, no caution, and you call yourself a ninja? Now that you've gotten yourself trapped in here with us… just do what you want. I don't really care." Sasuke yelled.
"Oh, fine! I went through hell to rescue you, and this is the thanks I get?" Naruto yelled back.
"Hey, guys." Sonic said, catching the two's attention "How about less arguing and more trying to find a way out of here?"
'Leave it to Naruto… once he starts "helping", things go from bad to worse." Kakashi thought before looking at Zabuza as he continued 'If I go to help Naruto, Sasuke, and Sonic, Tazuna-san will be completely exposed, but I can't just leave the boys. But at the first sign of a Kage Bunshin from me, he'll counter with his Mizu Bunshins… I'd just be squandering my chakra. I just hope that Sonic will be able to get them out.'
In the meantime, Haku stepped back into one of her mirrors, catching the attention of the two Hedgehogs and one Fox.
'So that's it! Her real body's over there.' Sasuke thought as he started to pull out a kunai.
"Over here." The female Fox said from a mirror behind him, causing his eyes to widen as he got a new cut on his right cheek from one of the Fiona look-alike's senbon.
'Looks like destroying all the mirrors may be our only hope!' The Shadow look-alike thought as he weaved a series of hand signs.
"Hey, what's going on?" Naruto asked.
"Brace yourself li'l buddy!" Sonic warned as he prepared himself for the on-coming onslaught while Sasuke finished the hand sign sequence.
"Katon:…" 'These are mirrors made of ice, so…' "Goukakyo no Jutsu!" He called out the name of the Jutsu as he spat a huge ball of fire towards the mirrors, but it didn't even make as much as a dent, nor did the mirrors melt.
"It didn't work?" Naruto said in surprise.
"That pitiful flame will barely touch my ice mirrors." Haku said before continuing with her barrage, Sonic being the only one able to dodge.
'Where's the attack coming from? They don't feel like Bunshins, so then what are they?' Naruto thought before saying "Where's the real one?"
"Your eyes will never see the truth. I can't be caught." Haku said.
"Can't be caught, huh?" Sonic said with a smirk from his current position in mid-air before he rolled himself into a ball and shot into the mirror which Haku was currently in, though it proved too tough, sending him falling back to his teammates on the ground where he landed on his feet.
"Man, that ice is denser than I thought. Seriously, I've punched through steel walls with less density than that." He said as he rubbed the bruise he had received on his forehead from the impact with the mirror.
"These mirrors are unbreakable. You can't get out." Haku said as she thought 'How could that blue Hedgehog possibly know which mirror I'm in? Is it possible that it could just be a lucky guess…?'
"That so, huh…? Then I suggest you look down and say that again." Sonic said, and Haku looked down before her eyes widened behind her mask; cracks in a spider-web pattern had formed at her abdomen and it looked like just one more solid hit would shatter it.
"Naruto, that's her true body!" Sasuke exclaimed as he pulled out a kunai, an action mimicked by his yellow-furred teammate.
"Yosha!" Naruto exclaimed and the two of them threw their respective kunai towards Haku, but just before they could make contact, the Fox shot out of the mirror in a burst of speed before she entered into another mirror, though Sonic followed her every move.
'He does know where I am. He can somehow see my movements, but that should be impossible.' She thought before saying "The Jutsu I'm using is part of the shunshin, and the only tool I need to perform it is the mirrors that hold my image. I move so quickly, the three of you might as well be standing still, or at least, that's how it should have been." She looked at Sonic at the last words.
With Kakashi and the others
"Now I see…" Kakashi said, catching everyone's attention as he continued "I never imagined that anyone so young could master such a technique."
""Such a technique"?" Sakura asked.
"It's a Kekkei Genkai, a genetic trait, running through the bloodlines of those of the purest shinobi pedigree. Some of the most extraordinary Jutsu are handed down from generation to generation solely on that basis." Kakashi explained.
"You mean…" Sakura started.
"Precisely… It's of the same order of skill as my Sharingan. But even my Sharingan can't copy, mimic, or break this girl's Kekkei Genkai." Kakashi said.
Ice mirrors
'The cracks I made on that mirror are a clear indication that I can break through them, but not in one go. Argh, if I only had a Power Ring!' Sonic thought before his eyes suddenly widened in realization '… A Power Ring…' He looked down towards his weapons pouch which he had despite not having any weapons with him 'I wonder if…'
"It can't end like this. I've got a dream to fulfill." Naruto said, causing Haku to remember some of what the male Fox had said when she first met him.
"I… find it difficult to embrace the full shinobi philosophy. I can't help but prefer that the three of you not force me to kill you. However, if you three are going to come at me… I shall kill my own heart with my blade and act as a full-fledged shinobi would. This bridge is a nexus of our destinies, and all of our dreams and futures balance on the edge of a knife. I have my own dreams as you have yours. Please try not to resent me, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect the one I care about most… to fight, kill, or die to fulfill that person's dreams. Doing so is my own dream. To that end, I will become a true shinobi and I shall kill you all." Haku said.
With Kakashi and the others
"Sasuke-kun! Naruto! Sonic! Don't you dare lose to a person like him!" Sakura yelled.
"Stop encouraging them, Sakura." Kakashi said, catching the pink Hedgehog's attention "Even if we knew of a way to counter her Jutsu, your teammates still wouldn't be up to the task of defeating that boy."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Sakura asked, causing Zabuza to laugh.
"Those three haven't developed the psychological strength to turn their hearts to ice and take someone's life. That girl has lived with the kind of emotional anguish that prepares her to be a true shinobi. No true shinobi could ever be born of a place like your village, a place of weakness… of peace. You don't live with death, or grow up needing to kill to ensure your own survival. In you, those skills – and the mindset they require – die stillborn." The Lion said.
"Kakashi-sensei… What can we do?" Sakura asked, and Kakashi then brought his hand up to his Hitai-ate.
"You'll forgive me if I put an end to this…" He said.
"Heh heh… Going to use the Sharingan? What a vulgar maneuver. So obvious, so lacking in finesse." Zabuza said.
Zabuza then charged at Kakashi as he pulled out a dagger, but Kakashi blocked it using the palm of his right hand.
"You can sneer all you want about my "lack of finesse", Zabuza… It doesn't change the fact that you're afraid of the Sharingan. And of me." Kakashi said.
"Heh heh heh… A ninja's secret weapon should be employed judiciously, not displayed at random to every foe you face." Zabuza said.
"You should feel privileged. No one else has ever lived to see the Sharingan a second time. And no one will ever see it thrice." Kakashi said.
"Heh heh… By all means, defeat me, if you can. You still won't have what it takes to kill Haku." Zabuza said.
'That masked girl is so powerful that even Kakashi-sensei can't win…?' Sakura thought in surprise as she said "Sensei…"
"Since she was a cub I've beaten her fighting skills into her. Even in the face of unthinkable adversity, she has always prevailed. She's lost all regard for her own life and become a killing machine… a true shinobi. Her skills surpass even my own. And she bears within her the formidable legacy of an inherited Kekkei Genkai. Thus, I have forged and carry with me a weapon of matchless quality and skill, entirely unlike the scraps of trash that follow at your heels." Zabuza said as he withdrew the dagger from Kakashi's palm.
"Is there anything duller than listening to someone else brag? It's show time!" The Chameleon said as he pulled up his Hitai-ate.
"Perhaps you might hold off a moment, now that I've caught my breath. And – to borrow your own idiom – permit me one more boast. You turned a very pretty phrase at our last encounter… Frankly, I've been dying to steal it. Something to the effect of, "Just so you know, the same spell won't work on my twice". Having had a chance to see it in action, I now have a thorough understanding of the arcane workings of your Sharingan. There was far more to our previous battle than the apparently humiliating defeat I permitted you to hand me. Haku – who was hiding nearby – observed and studied every aspect of our fight, from beginning to end. Haku is extremely intelligent. For her, to see a Jutsu is to analyze and understand it. And with understanding, she can develop effective counter-measures." Zabuza said before thinking 'And now… Kirigakure no Jutsu!'
A thick fog then rolled over the bridge, obscuring everything from Kakashi's view, even Zabuza.
"Sakura! I'm counting on you to protect Tazuna-san." He said.
'… He's right… I've got to have faith in Sasuke-kun, and concentrate on what I have to do.' The Amy look-alike thought.
'Where the hell is this fog coming from? You can't see your hand in front of your face.' Tazuna thought before Sakura appeared just in front of him.
"The air is crackling with his energy, Tazuna-san! Stay by my side!" She said.
"All right, Sakura…" The old Lynx said.
'This fog is too thick for the Kirigakure. Even Zabuza won't be able to see anything through it.' Kakashi thought before noticing something, and he quickly deflected several shuriken with a kunai.
"You repelled those nicely… No less than I'd expect from Sharingan no Kakashi." Zabuza said from behind Kakashi, eyes closed "However, the next time you see me, it will still be the end."
'His eyes are closed!' Kakashi thought as he had turned around.
"You've overestimated the value of your Sharingan." Zabuza said as he was obscured by the fog again.
"Nani…?" Kakashi asked before Zabuza explained in great detail how the Sharingan worked.
"With my own eyes closed, I eliminate the possibility of your hypnotizing me while we're in close proximity." He said after the explanation.
"But then… while I can't use my eyes, neither can you." Kakashi said.
"Ah, but you forget… I am trained in Sairento Kiringu. My genius lies in the ability to hunt by sound alone." Zabuza said.
'Kuso…! I've been so worried about Naruto, Sasuke, and Sonic I hadn't considered. How long it's been since I had to fight under conditions this adverse. And with his ability to track me by sound alone, even becoming invisible will be useless. I've got to calm down… stay smart… Who will he target next?' Kakashi thought before his eyes widened in realization and he turned around 'IIE!'
In the meantime, Zabuza appeared behind Tazuna and drew his massive sword. Sakura noticed him just in time and managed to push Tazuna to the ground and out of the way, though leaving herself wide open to the attack as Zabuza's sword swung towards her. She held her arms up in front of her face as to defend herself, but just then, a light appeared out of nowhere, leaving a large hammer in her hand, said hammer – despite being made out of wood – blocking the massive sword.
Ice mirrors
'I just hope that this works…' Sonic thought before pulling out the ring he had found earlier.
'Hm…? What's that…?' Haku thought.
Sonic then held the ring over his head and called out "Ring, give me your power!" Suddenly, the ring started glowing before going into Sonic's body as he was engulfed in fire. The sclera of his eyes turned coal black as his irises turned yellow and his pupils became red. His fur looked like it had been set on fire as the image of a black ring appeared on his stomach.
Chapter preview
Haku 'Wh-what is this power…?!'
Sonic "This is the end of the line for you, Zabuza."
Zabuza "DIE, HEDGEHOG!" (swings his sword at Sonic)
Sonic "That's…!"
Kakashi "Next time on Sonic and the Jinchuriki: Back to Konoha."
Gato "Well, he's certainly made a fine mess out of you. What a pity… Zabuza."
Character status
Sonic: Level: 46
Chaos Energy Level: Kage.
Techniques: Spin Dash, Homing Attack, Figure 8, Sonic Screw-Driver, Light-Speed Dash, Sonic Whirlwind.
Weapons: none
Race: Hedgehog.
Naruto: Level: 10
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Henge, Kawarimi, Oiroke, Harem, Kage Bunshin.
Weapons: kunai, shuriken.
Race: Fox.
Sasuke: Level: 10
Chakra Level: Jonin.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi, Katon: Goukakyo.
Weapons: kunai, shuriken.
Race: Hedgehog.
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan (not awakened yet).
Sakura: Level: 5
Chakra Level: Genin.
Techniques: Bunshin, Henge, Kawarimi.
Weapons: Piko-Piko Hammer, kunai, shuriken.
Race: Hedgehog.
Kakashi: Level: 61
Chakra Level: Kage.
Techniques: Genjutsu: Sharingan, Sennen Goroshi, Mizu Bunshin, Kage Bunshin, Taju Kage Bunshin, Raiton: Kage Bunshin, Magen: Narakumi, Ninpou: Fukashi, Katon: Goukakyo, Doton: Moguragakure, Doton: Shinju zanshu, Doton: Doryuheki, Suiton: Daibakufu, Suiton: Suiryudan, Kuchiyose, Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga, Fuja Hoin, Raikiri.
Weapons: kunai, shuriken.
Race: Chameleon.
Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan.
Haku: Level: 15
Chakra Level: Jonin.
Techniques: Hyoton: Hissatsu Hyosho, Hyoton: Senatsu Suisho, Hyoton: Makyo Hyosho.
Weapons: senbon.
Race: Fox.
Zabuza: Level: 60
Chakra Level: Jonin.
Techniques: Kirigakure, Mizu Bunshin, Sairento Kiringu, Suiton: Suiro, Suiton: Daibakufu, Suiton: Suiryudan.
Weapons: Kubikiribocho.
Race: Lion.
Character information
Name: Uchiha Sasuke.
Age: 12
Looks like: Shadow the Hedgehog.
Affiliation: Konohagakure.
Affinity: Fire.
Likes: Training.
Dislikes: Itachi.
Info: Sasuke grew up in the shadow of his older brother, and everyone expected great things from him. However, that all changed one day when his brother, Itachi, murdered their entire clan only for the sake of testing the limits of his own abilities. Enraged at his brother's actions, Sasuke swore to get revenge on him no matter what it would take.
Kurama no Kyubi: I had originally planned on this chapter being longer and going to the end of the Wave arc, but Sonic using that ring and transforming was too fitting a way to end a chapter to pass up. Also, since next chapter will not only bring an end to this arc, but even go into the next one, I will wait with writing it until I'll write the next arc, which could – unfortunately – be a long time from now. Of course, I still need a suggestion on Gaara as he appears in the next chapter. Now then, one last thing; do you guys have any ideas for a name for Sonic's new form? Cause I can't come with anything good. Also, should I have Inari come to Konoha with team 7 and have him become a ninja? If so, he'll make that jinxing ability of his into a Ninjutsu.