NARUTO
Nox Noctis Ingredior
Surprise Attack
Tazuna's Home…
By late afternoon, Team 7 was able to finally rest from a day of walking, and a not too extreme event. Since they had passed most of the major threats on their journey so far, not to mention securing one of those threats along the way as an ally, the group had plenty of time to kill. They were introduced to Tazuna's small family upon arrival, Tsunami, his daughter, and Inari, his grandson. Understandably, the boy seemed displeased at the ninja, the moment they walked into the dining room, he stormed off.
After introductions were made, Kurenai pulled Zabuza and Tazuna aside for talking, leaving the Genin to their own devices. While the adults sat at the dining table, Hinata and Haku were outside, talking about other matters, whereas Shino was sitting under a tree, admiring the view of the setting sun. Naruto, however, had gone off somewhere.
Slamming his empty glass down, Tazuna sighed and shook his head.
"Gatou is getting desperate," the old bridge builder stated, looking between Kurenai and Zabuza sitting on opposite ends of the table. "Seeing as that he's starting to higher dangerous mercenaries to try and kill me, means that he's getting worried at the completion of the bridge."
"How long until the bridge is completed, anyway?" Kurenai asked.
"We've got about a week until it is finished," Tazuna replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Since I did ask for a C-Rank protection mission from Konohagakure…"
"Don't worry, my team and I will be sticking around until the bridge is done, you have my word," Kurenai stated. "We were paid beforehand to protect our client until he has completed his task; that was the original agreement, and we're gonna stick to it…"
Zabuza nodded his head, sword propped up next to him, and his fingers laced together. "No doubt Gatou will continue finding ways to stop you. Once he finds out that my group has 'failed' to kill you, he's more then likely to hire somebody else to replace me."
"Did he happen to mention a replacement for you if you should fail?" Kurenai asked him, curiously. The ninja swordsman shook his head.
"I scared him out of that idea," Zabuza replied, grinning underneath his mask. "I do have that way with people, after all."
"Of course," Kurenai sighed. "Tenacious, ruthless, ugly, eyebrow-less…"
"Hey!" Zabuza glared at her. "That was a low blow…"
Kurenai giggled. "Sorry…I just had to…"
"You people are insane," Tazuna commented, glaring at the two ninja.
"If we weren't, then we wouldn't be ninja, now would we," Zabuza added, glancing over at the old bridge builder, leering. "You have to be crazy to be a ninja. We live our lives as hired guns, weapons that are expendable assets. Shinobi must be prepared to live for their people, or die for them. To serve, to protect and to kill, silently or soundly, that is the way of the shinobi."
"Apparently, a lot of ninja these days are starting to lose sight of that purpose," Kurenai commented, taking the cup of tea laid down for her by Tsunami and taking a sip. The woman continued pottering over the stove, making dinner for her family and their guests. "Ninja fight for the beliefs forced upon them, but I'm starting to see that this newer generation is starting to develop more, relinquishing those chains of rules that influence our actions."
"Naruto definitely shows promises of that," Zabuza stated, propping his head on his hand. "But sometimes I believe he knows more then he cares to let on to. He's always… wandering off to places… searching for something. I just don't know what…"
"Anko said something about his behavior, but she didn't go as far as to say that the boy had a rough childhood," Kurenai stated.
Zabuza grunted and looked back at Tazuna, seriousness etched on his masked expression. "Point being, old man… once your bridge is completed, you'll put that midget of a businessman out of a job in this area. Your land will return to being prosperous once more…"
"That's correct," Tazuna stated. "The bridge will become a symbol of courage to the people, who will rise up once more, and make this land great again. We will be able to throw Gatou out of our land with this bridge, and it will be a grand day, I know it!"
"What if that rat, Gatou, decides to take more extreme measures against you and your people," Zabuza began pointing out. "Why just target you? Why not blow up the bridge? That's a question I can't seem to answer."
"I'm wondering about that to," Kurenai said, looking at the old bridge builder, who was considering the questions being thrown his way. "Gatou is incredibly powerful, financially and economically. If he knows how vital this bridge is to the future of Wave Country, why doesn't he just destroy the very symbol threatening his business empire?"
"His business monopolization of this area revolves mostly around the shipping industry, it is vital for the branch of his company here. However, the shipping companies are run by not only his people, but by our people as well. In any attempt to blow up the bridge or attack it directly, a reaction induced from the villagers may be out of anger, and there will be blood in the streets. Without us, his whole operation in Wave dies, and if the bridge is blown and lives are lost because of it, he will become a wanted man. That is something a business man doesn't want; attention from the ninja nations because of a crime," Tazuna explained, looking up. "The man may be a monster, but he is smart. He controls people by breaking their willpower, and does so by making other people do his dirty work. The only way we can stop any bloodshed is by destroying his grip on us…and that is through this bridge."
"He can be traced back through any minor crimes, but the people solely responsible for the offenses will be the ones to get blamed, not him," Zabuza theorized. "I get it. While others suffer and receive punishment, he sits high up on his throne, safe, with many other lackeys surrounding him and protecting him."
"So you attack him where it hurts the most; economically," Kurenai said with a smile. "It's smart, I can give you that." Tazuna smiled at her, but then frowned and sighed, rubbing a hand over his brow and through his graying hair.
"The people of this land are suffering from poverty, and this bridge is the only way we can restore order. Relief will only come once this project is completed, and I will not stop till I see that bridge stretching from our coast to the Land of Fire!" Tazuna said. "Too many people have given their lives for this country, and many more have worked hard to see this dream come true. Gatou will not win…"
Zabuza sighed and got to his feet, wrenching his sword up and propping it on his shoulder. Kurenai watched as the ninja looked down at them, particularly towards Tazuna in an expression she recognized as sympathetic.
"Never giving up till the end… I like that!" Zabuza commented, with Tazuna looking at him in surprise. "You've got guts. It reminds me of my student, and the yellow haired brat…"
"Where is he now, anyway?" Tsunami asked from the stove, drawing the group's attention towards her. She nodded out the window, where she could distinctly make out three of the four youngsters that had come along with the convoy, sitting around the clearing. "Naruto isn't sitting out there with the others…"
"I'll go look for him," Kurenai sighed, getting to her feet. "Honestly… always running off like that…"
"Why don't you send one of your students instead?" Zabuza replied, gesturing out the window. "It'd be best. You still have a job to do after all…"
Kurenai, easily seeing the reason behind his words, nodded her head in agreement.
A little later…
Elsewhere…
Hinata was sent off to find Naruto, since she was the best tracker with her Byakugan on the group. Instructed just to bring him back for a team meeting, the purple haired member of Team 7 quickly made her way though the forest, scanning it along the way, before heading into town.
When she arrived at the port town, now succumbing to night, Hinata began wandering around in search of her friend and teammate. The sights of poverty stricken ruin sat around every corner, the streets not only filled with homeless adults, but also by children too. However, they seemed more cheerful, and Hinata was a little surprised when she saw groups of them running down an alleyway to some unknown location.
Curious, she followed them, taking her down more rundown pathways surrounded by slum like houses, before coming to a town square area, most likely a playing field for the children during the daytime. A river ran by, and all the children were gathered around it, a bit of a commotion rousing from the crowd. When Hinata approached it, she saw above the heads of the younger kids, Naruto sitting around a fire, making grilled fish kebabs, and handing sticks of his fried catch to the children. Everyone received one, and they all went to sit around the fireplace, spreading out and thinning the crowd.
Hinata watched on with a smile as she watched Naruto's kindness at work, and when it came down to the last kid, the blond noticed his teammate being the only one left standing. Blinking up at her from where he sat on his log, he then smiled and picked up one of the last dozen on the fireplace, and gave it to her. The Hyuuga blushed and took it, before taking a seat next to her companion and crush on the same log he was sitting on, being one of the three dozen children to have gathered around the area.
Under the shelter of night, illuminated by the warm glow of fire, Naruto and Hinata ate, and watched over the kids feasting around them. The boys and girls who did finish gathered around the blond, and sat or lay there, watching him, admiring the Good Samaritan that had fed them tonight.
Naruto sighed and looked up towards the sky, following the trail of cinders leaving the fire with the smoke. Hinata looked in his direction, noting the change in his mood.
"I never told anyone else this before, Hinata-chan… but I grew up in places like this," the blond said, looking down at his surprised teammate, his expression, though saddened, still holding a smile. "I grew up experiencing pain all my life, not being accepted or wanted by anyone, not knowing what it was like to have a family, or a home, or friends. I didn't even have parents to take care of me, or teach me anything. Because of that life I started in Konoha, I fled to the streets, living off whatever I could find, scrounge and beg. Because of the hatred I experienced months on, nonstop, I even ran away from Konoha. That was when I was barely even six years old. But even when I did run away, wherever I went, loneliness and pain continued to follow me. I was fighting for my life the moment I was born."
Hinata gazed into the boy's eyes, noticing the emptiness and the cold that he had shown many times before, behind his mask. However, she was seeing a completely new side to her friend, a completely new look. It was not one of suppressed anger an grief, it was one of immense hurt. He was crying on the inside.
"It was a year later I was found by Jiraiya, and for the first time ever, I actually had someone close to me who cared for me," Naruto replied, looking back to the fire and shifting the stick between his hands. "He taught me most of the things I know today, and told me a lot about my real family… whom I've never even met, or even knew. But… because they sacrificed themselves for my life, then I know they loved me more then I can even dream of." The boy sniffed and shook his head. "At least I know that my parents did love me…"
Hinata smiled at the boy, seeing him poke the fire with a stick, causing more sparks and cinders to fly. "But now you have more people who love you, Naruto-kun."
The whiskered boy looked at her, seeing her crystal clear eyes gazing at him lovingly, with the faint streak of red across her cheeks.
"T-They may not be your mom or dad, but those who love you…for the person that you are, t-they are family," Hinata stated. "We… we may not be related by blood, but if someone who loves you with all their heart, looks out for you, protects you and c-cares for you, you can consider them as kin by heart and soul…Naruto-kun."
The blonde shinobi blinked at his teammates brave and strong words, and smiled a half smile as his mind began registering to this new information. She returned his appreciative smile with a full smile of her own.
"You're right… Hinata-chan," Naruto exclaimed. The girl twiddled her fingers a bit, now feeling a bit flustered under his gaze, but in a good way. She looked at him from under her lowered gaze, and giggled as his smile turned into that handsome grin. "And I will protect my family and those I hold most dear to me, with my life…"
He reached out and wrapped an arm around her, pulling the Hyuuga heiress closer to him. Hinata smiled up at him fully, as she felt her body move into his.
"That's what my way of the ninja is telling me…and my heart…"
Hinata barely had time to respond when the blond leaned in a gently kissed her and gently kissed her on her lips. What followed shortly after several seconds of unregistering brain functions was a silent gasp against the boy's lips, widening eyes, and a flaring red face. Like a light, the girl went out. She fainted, and fell into the boy's embrace with a silent 'eep', and a smile on her face. Naruto, surprised at first, chuckled afterwards, and allowed the purple haired girl to nap on his lap.
"I-Is that true, Naruto-sir?" a young, brown haired girl sitting close to the boy asked, next to what looked to be her younger brother.
"Will you really protect those you care about most… with your life?" another child asked, this time a young boy on the other side of the fire. It was at this point Naruto saw that all the kids in the area were looking at him in admiration, and he grinned at all of them, and nodded his head affirmatively.
"It's only sensible," the blond exclaimed, resting a hand on Hinata's head, and caressing her as she slept. "If you truly have someone precious to you, someone you love or care for, a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a friend… your kin… you would do anything to make them happy, and you would protect them if they were in danger."
"Is she a person precious to you, Mr Naruto?" another young boy asked.
The blond ninja didn't need even a second to think about it. Giving the child a smile, he looked down at the purple haired girl, and caressed his hand along her shoulder, as if comforting her.
"Yes… she is…"
Later that night…
Naruto eventually returned to Tazuna's home, carrying Hinata on his back who was still passed out, or sleeping peacefully. He had decided to take the main road home, since it was a beautiful night out, and he enjoyed the pleasant breeze of the cool, salty air on his face and the sight of the starry sky high above. True he got to see the night sky back home, but there was always light pollution blocking out a lot of the sky. Here in Wave Country, he had no problem seeing at all.
When he arrived up the road onto Tazuna's front porch, he found Kurenai waiting for him, leaning against the side of the house next to the entrance, arms folded. Zabuza was always waiting, sitting on the steps of the front porch, sword impaled in the ground and standing straight up. The moment the saw Naruto, Zabuza stood up, and Kurenai got off of her post.
"I know running off like that is normal for you, Naruto. But next time, tell me when you are going to run off like that again. You really had me worried, you know," Kurenai explained, watching as the boy climbed the stairs to the house, noticing Hinata lying fast asleep on his back with her head on his shoulder. Naruto smiled at her and stopped, Zabuza also stepping aside to let the boy through.
"Sorry, sensei. Next time I will," Naruto replied. Kurenai smiled back and nodded, allowing Naruto to pass.
As soon as the boy had disappeared into the home, and entered the living room where Team 7 would be bunking for the night, Kurenai glanced over at Zabuza, who was smiling under his mask and leaning on his sword. He shrugged his shoulders in amusement.
"Instead of your student bringing the missing brat back home, it turns out to be the other way around," Zabuza replied. "Apparently, Naruto-brat has become quite the ladies man…" Kurenai laughed out right, while turning to face the sword wielder fully, hands on her hips and a rather entertained look on her face.
"He's some ladies man, he even has my best friend trying to hit on him," Kurenai stated. She then raised a hand, beginning to count the girls by finger. "There are his two teammates, Sakura and Hinata, who really have developed something more then friendship with the boy, Asuma's student Ino also has a crush on him… or… more of an obsession from what I've been hearing, and there is also Princess Katsumi from the Land of Bamboo Reeds."
"He bagged a princess? (Whistles)" Zabuza jerked his head and nodded, clearing showing he was impressed through his body language. "I only ever had two girlfriends in my life, with two more that were more into all that blood and gore S&M crap, which was what attracted them to me in the first place from the stories they had heard." The swordsman visibly shook at the recurring images coming back to him. "They scared the hell out of me…"
Kurenai smirked. "Not a good line of girls, eh?"
"Well… not all of them… the other two were great though…" Zabuza replied, scratching his chin with his trigger finger as he looked up, thinking. "Haku seems to attract a lot of girls whenever we go to the hot springs… mainly because they think he's cute. To be honest, I don't really see it…"
The raven haired Jonin sighed and rubbed the side of her face. She had dealt with a lot of these people before, and she didn't want to deal with them again. First there was Anko, then the Hokage, Kakashi, and now this guy. This proved that even deadly, enemy ninja had their own problems.
"Well… I'm going inside to watch the kids…" the red-eyed woman stated, opening the door and looking back at Zabuza, who was still engrossed in his own little world of thought. "You should get some sleep too."
"Yeah, sure…"
After a while of watching, waiting, and making sure everything was in place, Kurenai went to bed, pitching up a sleeping bag next to Shino and dozing off. Shino was already asleep, lying there like a mummy with his glasses still on, staring up at the ceiling like he would if he were awake. Naruto had tucked Hinata away into her sleeping bag alongside the bug user, the girl smiling with her eyes closed and cheeks still red, her dreams filled with her spiky-blond, prince charming. Haku was also sleeping peacefully, on a pillow provided to him by Tsunami, and his robe as a blanket.
Things seemed to quite down once the lights in the house went out, with the sounds of crickets hiding in the grass outside being the only things making any noise for the rest of the night.
While everyone, including Tsunami and Inari were bunked down and out, this left only a couple of people still awake.
By candle light, sitting at the dining table, Tazuna was up and about, reading design plans and making calculations on the bridge. He had his design tools of the trade out, a pencil, sharpener, ruler, compass, geoliner, and a bottle of Iwa Sake on the side.
While he was working, calculating a faster way to speed up the process, he was suddenly interrupted by Zabuza coming to sit at the table next to him. Propping the sword up against the wall, the rogue ninja sat adjacent to the bridge builder, letting out a sigh as he undid the wrappings around his face. Tazuna watched him cautiously.
"Haha… don't worry. If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done so hours ago," the swordsman stated, letting the gauze falling away, revealing his chiseled face and shark like grin. "I don't want to though. You're a descent, hard working man with a family to take care of, and I would feel terrible taking an innocent life like that without a damn good reason."
"Thanks," Tazuna replied gruffly. Pulling out another glass, he poured some sake into it and pushed it towards the tall ninja. "Here… have some why don't yah."
"Appreciated…" Zabuza replied, taking the glass and sipping it. It was a sharp taste, and it definitely hit the spot when he consumed it. "Great sake! Iwagakure brand?"
"Yeah. I got it years ago when Wave was still a free country. Really hits you where you live," the old man exclaimed. Zabuza chuckled.
"A lot of the sake from Kirigakure has a salty taste, it tickles your nose."
"Well, this one tickles your appendix," Tazuna pointed out jokingly. He raised a glass to the man, which Zabuza did so to, both of them smiling. "To prosperity…"
"…and peace…" Zabuza added. The two grinned and chimed glasses together, before sculling it in one go. They put their glasses down, and both of them let out satisfied groans, Tazuna wiping his lips clean.
"Ahh… you know," the old man looked at Zabuza, who was now refilling his drink. "You're a pretty descent guy when you're not holding a sword."
"Don't get that many people around here, do you?" the swordsman asked.
"Well… not really. There is the occasional thief, and one of Gatou's goons. But definitely no one around here carries a giant butcher's knife with them, like you do," Tazuna acknowledged. "Back in the days, the days I want to bring back to this land, people solved their problems with a good elbow scrubbing and a coat of wax. We worked things out through favors and words. That's what made Wave so great, and also made it such a big, fat target on the map for companies looking to buy and sell!"
"A lot of Kirigakure's shipping went through here to," Zabuza said, nodding his head. "Our country had a lot of ships out on the ocean, with quite a few people having their sights set on the big countries. We did business with the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, with the industry becoming a huge part of our economy…"
"Tell me about it," Tazuna said, smirking. "We depend on it. Soon, all of this evil and corruption will be all behind us when we set this country right, and it will all happen by the end of this week."
"And I will help you guys along with it," Zabuza said, holding his cup up to him. "I know I can't be of any more help, but I will help guard your back while you're working on the bridge…"
Tazuna smiled at the Jonin, and once again clanged glasses with him. "Thanks a bunch…" The two drank, and continued to enjoy the peace of mind they had while doing so.
While the two were chatting, they were joined by Naruto, the blond coming to sit on the opposite side of Zabuza. The boy looked tired, but he was far from it. Instead, the boy got himself a glass, and asking permission from Tazuna, then poured himself some. Although the old man wanted to object to the boy drinking at first, Zabuza said that the 'brat' was fine, and watched the blond drank his first glass.
"When you kill someone, you just want to forget," Naruto said, putting his glass down. He glanced up at his client, who was looking at him thoughtfully. Zabuza on the other hand, was now engrossed in his own drink, swirling it as he held it between both his hands on the table. "If you think I'm bluffing, I'll show you the bingo book I carry around with me…"
"Don't forget the scars on your body," Zabuza added, before glancing at Tazuna and nudging him in the arm. "You should see the one on his chest… that one is nasty…"
Naruto sighed and played with his drink, looking into the ripples on the surface of the alcoholic draft, and the reflection that looked right back at him. "(Sigh)… Though I am happy to have friends I can depend on, protect, and whom I can fight alongside with, no matter how hard I try, I still have demons in the shadows chasing after the one I have inside of me." The blond looked up at Tazuna and shrugged his shoulders. "Until I find what and who I am looking for, only then I can sleep easy."
"That's the only reason you continue to put on that mask, and masquerade as the shadow less ninja," Zabuza said, looking at the boy dead in the eyes when he turned to look at him. "Opposite your life you share with your friends, your teachers, and the rest of Konohagakure, there's another life you live…"
Naruto nodded. "I'm trying to write all the wrongs in my life with what I do," the boy stated, without a hint of hesitation whatsoever. "I can ignore it all I want, but I am the jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox after all, and because of it, I have great responsibilities. I was given it for a reason…"
"Any luck finding my shark-faced partner?" Zabuza asked.
"No…" Naruto replied, balling his fists tightly. He gritted his teeth angrily. "Every time I get close to those black cloaked freaks… they always manage to slip away!"
"You know you're not strong enough to even last five minutes against one of those guys?" Zabuza stated, giving the boy's angered look a quick go over, and quickly easing in his advice. "Kisame alone is incredibly powerful. If he wanted to, he could kill all the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen combined, and you're thinking of going after him."
"Not just him… the others as well," Naruto replied, "When he and his partner Itachi confronted me a couple years back, they made it perfectly clear that they are after the Tailed Beast inside of me. Their organization… their group called Akatsuki, are after the other hosts as well. I need to find out what their plans are, so we can stop them."
"You can't do it alone kid," Zabuza said, raising an eyebrow at him. "But why are you looking for Kisame, specifically?"
"I've got beef with that guy," the blond simply said. "The last time encountered him; he chopped off my left leg. Thankfully, I was saved by Ero-Sennin, and Baa-chan was able to reattach my limb. Now all I've got as a reminder of that day is a big ugly scar where the cut was made. Point being, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki are my only real problem. If I can take them out, then I can consider most of my problems over and done with."
Naruto reached into his jacket, after a few seconds of rummaging, pulled out a book. Zabuza recognized it as a bingo book, and under the candle light, he saw it was crammed with leaflets, bookmarks and notes crammed in between the pages. When the blond opened it, the swordsmen also saw it had notes scribbled all over it, marking describing weak points and pinpointing things more accurately. He also saw lists of techniques, and a whole lot of strategies and calculations the boy had been working on.
Naruto flipped through the pages in his bingo book, and while doing so, he spoke. "Ero-Sennin and my dad carried bingo books just like this one, and wrote down everything new that they found out and researched. I started my own bingo book two years ago. It may not be as elaborate as theirs, but it helps me keep track with where I'm at." He flipped it open to a split page, showing Uchiha Itachi on one and Kisame Hoshigaki on the other. It was riddled with ink and pen markings. "What I want is Kisame's Samehada destroyed, and Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan neutralized. That's one of my goals."
"Well… that's understandable…" Zabuza murmured, leaning over to get a better look. On Itachi's page, he saw that Naruto had sketched a version of the Uchiha's Sharingan, next to a completely different one which looked like a three-pronged shuriken.
"The Mangekyo Sharingan of the famed Uchiha Clan. That is the biggest challenge for me. After fighting Itachi the first time, I learnt never to look a Sharingan user in the eye when in combat, because that's how they get you with their Genjutsu," Naruto stated, looking up at Zabuza, who was now listening intently. "I also found out that without their precious eyes, the Uchiha wouldn't be able to perform half of the jutsu that they know, because they depend on it so much. It not only provides them with extended vision, ability to copy ninjutsu, and neutralize different forms of ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu, but also increases their reflexes substantially. When using the Sharingan, it increases their fighting prowess ten fold, which is why without the handicap of the Sharingan, they are blind…"
"You've really thought this over, haven't you kid?" Tazuna commented, paying more attention now to his bridge work.
"I've been studying," Naruto stated, smirking. "I learned this much from first encounters, as well as Ero-Sennin teaching me the basics of the techniques. Itachi Uchiha used it on me the moment I looked him in the eyes, and after he paralyzed me with that damned Genjutsu, Kisame proceeded to slice my limbs off so I wouldn't get away. Thankfully, I was saved."
Zabuza reached over and took the book from the boy, and also studied the pages. He moved back to the front and began moving through it, Naruto refilling his sake glass and sipping quietly as he watched the swordsman read.
"I've got a lot of information in there, and I've got copies at home," the blond stated. "You'll also notice my personal mark. On the pages with the red line across them, those are the ninja I've killed. The ones with the X in the corner are targets. That is the only copy I've marked…"
"You've got a lot of pages without your marks though," Zabuza commented, moving from one page to another. "However, you seem to have iced a lot of missing-nin even remotely associated to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Akatsuki. Heh… you even got Danzo… he must have been tough…"
"I got him by surprise," Naruto replied, gesturing to the page he was looking at. "He had information related to Orochimaru in his office when I went out searching for answers on his whereabouts, and after some more digging, I eventually decided to take him out of the equation. Anything on Akatsuki connected to the Snake Sannin goes cold, since I discovered he left the group about a year ago. I also found out that any traces leading to group have been wiped from the records. Plus, the only members I know from that organization are Itachi, Kisame, former member Orochimaru, and Sasori. I have no idea who the leader is."
"You've highlighted the deceased ninja in this book who you haven't killed as well. That's handy…" Zabuza added, flipping quickly through the pages now. "The one's you have killed though: Jiga, Ruiga, Hisame, Murasame… Suien… you got Suien as well? Impressive. You also killed Shura, incapacitated Monju… Toki was buried, which is what you wrote in here…oh, you even got Aoi Rokusho? Who would want that ninja on their forces?"
"I got the sword he had back… well… broken anyway…" Naruto replied, laughing and rubbing the back of his head. "Oji-san was not pleased with that at all…"
"You've crossed out planning on going after Orochimaru?" Zabuza queried. He closed the book and slid it over to Naruto. "That's a little odd."
"He's Jiraiya's quarry… not mine," Naruto replied.
"Well… here's to a better future," the swordsman exclaimed, raising his glass to the boy. Naruto did so as well, and clanged glasses with him. "Maybe I'll help you out on this private mission of yours, for old-times sake, and Haku too. He'd be glad to help out a friend."
"Thanks a bunch, Zabuza."
With that, the two drank, and for the rest of the night, they talked, shared stories, and had a good time. All the while, they were thinking about how the events of the present were going to unfold, and what plans Gatou had in store for the bridge.
The next morning…
Tazuna had fallen asleep at the kitchen table again, and Tsunami was a little flustered he didn't go to bed properly, since sleeping on the chair was bad for his health. She instead let him doze for a bit and went on to making breakfast. She had also noticed Zabuza had fallen asleep kneeling in the corner with his sword propped up against his shoulder. As a ninja, he was accustomed to sleeping in all sorts of peculiar places, and his sharp senses even while unconscious told him that a person of the household was up and about.
Naruto, meanwhile, had taken the liberty of cleaning up the drinks, and putting away Tazuna's bottle of sake. When Tsunami walked in, she saw that he was still awake, and writing in his personal journal. Though she didn't know what he was doing, the blue haired woman knew he was working hard, and merely said a good morning before moving n to making breakfast.
The blond bit his bottom lip as he looked over the list of Akatsuki and 'suspected' Akatsuki associated he had made, before crossing out a random name, dropping his pen next to the unfolded paper extracted from his book.
"Damn… this is not going to work. It'll take me another three or so years of training before I'm ready to face any of these guys," Naruto thought angrily. "Itachi is a former ANBU shinobi of Konohagakure, an exceptional prodigy of unmatched skills, with a holder of a record of missions completed without fail! He was also capable of killing his entire clan in a single night, including the clans' security forces! Kisame Hoshigaki is no different, having completed over a hundred S-Class missions, was a personal aid to the former Mizukage of Kirigakure, and is at least five times stronger then Zabuza!" The blond looked over at Zabuza, who was snoring away in the corner with a bubble seen forming at the end of his nose, inflating and deflating with every breath.
"Hm…mmm…y-yes…uhh… put the coffee…on the table…" he mumbled.
"Although how he ever retained his position as one of Kirigakure's finest shinobi I'll never know," Naruto thought when he heard this, before looking back down at his sheet. He growled at it and folded it up, shoving it back into his book and slamming it shut. "Information on Sasori is limited, but I know he is a genuine member, and Orochimaru… well… there's just too much chatter around him to even matter."
Pocketing his book, Naruto got up off of the table and went over to help Tsunami with breakfast. Even though the woman insisted she make it, she eventually gave in to the boy's pleading look and allowed him to help her. By the time breakfast was ready, Haku and Shino were up, with Hinata following soon after. As soon as all three sat down around the table, Tazuna awoke with a start, jabbering and almost losing his glasses.
Picking up his things from the table, the bridge builder went to put them away with the rest of his materials, before rejoining everyone else at his old seat.
"So… did everyone have a good sleep?" he asked.
"Very peaceful," Shino said, voice monotone as ever.
"L-Lovely," Hinata exclaimed, smiling up at the old man. "You can never r-really experience a good night's sleep like that back in the village…"
"I thought it was very pleasant," Haku said, before glancing over at Shino across from him. "It's a welcome change to sleeping outdoors."
Shino nodded in his direction. It was then the unmasked by noticed his sensei was still snoozing in the corner, and shook his head in amusement when he saw the swordsman twitch and snort. Hinata and Shino also noticed Zabuza sleeping in the corner, and both of them wondered how he was able to sleep like that comfortably. Of course, they were soon able to find out the reality of sleeping like that when Kurenai came into the room, and seeing the swordsman head-down in the corner, sighed and walked up to him, kicking him in the leg.
"Hey… good morning," Kurenai exclaimed, scratching her ruffled up hair. She had slept in her uniform that night, and she also got unusual bed-hair from her turning in her pillow. It was more wild and un-groomed, but no one really took much notice of it.
Zabuza woke with a start and hit his head against the wall. "OWWW! MY HEAD!" Using his sword, he pushed himself to his feet, only to hear another crack, and feel the effects a second later. "OWWW! MY BACK!" Groaning and crippled from his sleep, he trudged over to the table and pulled up a chair, sitting in it.
"You've got to stop sleeping like that, Zabuza-sama," Haku exclaimed, smiling at the tall swordsman. "If you keep doing that, your spine will be bent out of shape, and even I can't fix that…" The Jonin waved a hand at the boy and sighed, straightening his back, and hearing anther series of light cracks from it as he readjusted his posture.
"Just get me a stool to sit on instead and a torture machine that stretches you out, and I'll be fine," Zabuza groaned. He then looked over at Tsunami, who walked over to the group with breakfast ready to be served, rice with a side of fish and fruit salad. "Do you have any milk I can drink?"
Tsunami smiled at him. "Sure… just wait a moment…" She quickly moved over to the fridge next to the stove, fumbled around it for a moment, before coming up with a bottle. Pouring a glass, she then gave it to Zabuza, who smiled in gratitude. "Here you go…"
"Thanks a million," he replied, and immediately drank it down half-way. The cool refreshment was a welcome change to his digestive system, and he answered this with a sigh of satisfaction. "Man… two months without milk kills you…"
"So… what are your plans for today?" Tazuna asked from where he sat, as he served himself from the dishes Tsunami laid out for the group. Naruto served Hinata and Haku, and proceeded to get some for Kurenai.
"Well, I think today we'll break it up a little. If you're going off to continue work on the bridge, I'll have a couple of my students accompany you, while another half of the team can stay here and watch over the household, and perhaps catch up with some training," Kurenai said, turning to the Genin sitting around the table and beginning to eat. "Under the new conditions enforced by the Hokage, I'm encouraged to train you guys as much as I can for the days ahead."
"Fine by me," Shino replied, getting a taste of the sauce mixed in with the fish. "Boy, this stuff is good…"
"I'll also go to the bridge," Zabuza said, cracking his neck a little. "I'd like to soak up a little bit of the culture around here, and maybe lend a hand with the heavy work…"
"I can live with that," Kurenai replied, lacing her fingers together, and watching as Naruto sat beside Shino to join in the feast. The blond enthusiastically dug in, while listening to what their team leader had to say. "Naruto can stay behind with Hinata and Haku, while Shino and I will escort you today…"
"That's good," Tsunami exclaimed, while attending to cleaning up the kitchen desk area. "You guys can hang around with my son. Maybe you can convince him to go outside and play around for a bit…"
"Okay. Then I guess we've got no problems here…" Tazuna said, throwing his hands out. He then slapped them together and rubbed them. "Tuck in everyone!"
The day unfolded just as Kurenai had planned, with Team 7's force divided in two to better protect their client and his family. The young Jonin figured that in light of the new events that have transpired over the course of the last 24 hours, and from all the information she was able to collect from both Tazuna and Zabuza, the situation called for more team oriented measures. She knew that she could count on Naruto and Hinata to baby sit, and that they could protect their client's daughter and grandson. She had also come to trust Zabuza more, as well as his student, as they had had plenty of time to kill their client, but didn't, and that showed her a lot.
She also believed more in her students' words, and took their opinions to heart and consideration. They were growing up fast, and so far, she had a great report to submit to the Hokage.
While Kurenai, Zabuza and Shino escorted Tazuna through the village, at the same time getting an even greater perspective of the effects Gatou was having on the country, Naruto, Hinata and Haku remained at the house, helping Tsunami with her chores, and taking on guard duty outside.
In the next couple of hours that passed, Naruto and Hinata were able to get down to some comrade-to-comrade training, with Haku watching from the sidelines of the front porch. He first watched the two of them do a lot of strenuous exercises together, as well as chakra control, with the two of them sharing tips and learning a bit more as they went along. Afterwards, they both got down to some good, old-fashioned sparring.
The two of them exchanged blows across the clearing of the front yard, Hinata using her Clan's famed Gentle Fist style enhanced with her chakra to tackle on Naruto, who returned her blows using Wing Chun style, which he learned from Shizune. He took on the Hyuuga Genin's blows with seemingly effortless ease, movement and grace. The girl skidded back from a particular counter which had her blows nullified by the boy, and gritting her teeth, she lunged at him, attacking with flash like blows.
Naruto wasted no movement, blocking and moving back to avoid her first onslaught of punches, before suddenly pivoting and ducking low under a hook, in slow motion, sliding right under her attack. Hinata spun around and returned it with a round house kick, cutting through the air with great speed. Naruto blocked her kicked and returned it with a quick jab, spinning it with the aid of chakra to increase its momentum. Hinata, learning from experience, knocked it aside and struck below his arm, knocking it upwards and attempting to attack with chakra point blows.
But the blond had other tricks up his sleeve, and with a smile, blocked her first series of punches and strikes, before catching her left palm strike and curving his arm around hers. With a quick precision he managed to knock her arm down and then steal a blow to her stomach, knocking her back, staggered.
Hinata became winded from the swift hit, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping. Shaking her head off, she glared up at Naruto, seeing him take a regular stance and holding his hand out, also glaring down at her.
"Great, Hinata…" he commented.
Huffing, the girl wiped her face down on her sleeve, and stood up. When she did, she activated the Byakugan in her left eye, now beginning to take the spar a bit more seriously.
Resuming her regular stance once again, the girl shifted around, trying to find her opponent's blind spot. When she did, she charged in, taking Naruto on his right. The blond responded, quickly moving into to defend Hinata's blows as they came in, and he watched as blue streams of air coursed around each of her blows, from her hands, down her wrists, to her legs.
The blond backed away slowly, mostly using his hands and dodging when need be as the purple haired girl advanced on him. While he fought with a stoic expression, his comrade fought with seriousness burning in her eyes, and a grunt escaped her lips as she attacked with precise fury.
Naruto yielded to her attacks, yet remained in his stance like a bamboo, deflecting and redirecting Hinata's attacks. He attacked and defended from his center line, combining his strong defense with quick grappling techniques and threw off Hinata's attacks. From her Byakugan, she began analyzing the blond's style more closely in their battle, and proceeded to pressure his weak points. However, because Naruto was so adept at multiple attacks, as he had learned so much himself using his clone jutsu, he continued to hold up a strong base of defense.
Hinata spun in with a quick series of Gentle Fist strikes, are particular palm strike hitting Naruto as he spun his arm around his chest and struck him against his forearm, sort of staggering him. She then brought both her hands back and with a yell, thrust forward, only to meet a quick block, her arm batted aside by an elbow, followed by a palm strike to her shoulder, and then another to her chest, knocking her back. Stepping back for space, the Hyuuga then fell to her knee, catching her breath.
She looked up at her opponent, seeing him approach her and offer a hand to her.
"Perhaps I should introduce you to the wooden man, Hinata-chan," Naruto exclaimed happily, earning a surprised look from the Hyuuga. "Your Gentle Fist style bares a lot of similarities to my Wing Chun style. Maybe I can show you a bit more of my training in close-combat to improve your style and your speed." Hinata, considering his words, dropped her Byakugan in her left eye and accepted his hand. The boy pulled her to her feet, and she fell into his caring embrace. "The faster your strikes in taijutsu, the more chances you have in beating your opponent with the number of hits you can land. If you can counter their strikes and resist their attacks firmly, while protecting your center, then I can guarantee you will have an awesome Gentle Fist style…"
Hinata beamed. "Really…Naruto-kun?" The blond nodded, before taking the initiative to his statement as promised. Quickly, he ran around the area collecting some wood, and with some help from a series of rope, a kunai and a hammer, was able to create a wooden dummy similar to the one Shizune introduced him to.
For the rest of the day Naruto trained Hinata with use of the dummy, and taught her a series of grappling and useful precision attacks while doing so. He also taught her how to keep a firmer stance, and remain rooted yet yielding at the same time. This went on for a lot of the hours, the Hyuuga determined to increase her strength and fighting prowess to match her comrade's. Haku also got into the training a bit, sitting down with Naruto and teaching him more about hand seals, as well as his one handed ones, which the blond desperately wanted to learn.
By the time Tazuna and his group returned to the household, it was already late in afternoon. That night, Team 7 went to bed satisfied with the day's proceedings, Naruto once again keeping watch for the second night in the row. Kurenai also stayed up for that night, while Zabuza went to sleep on the couch.
While Naruto was up on the roof, looking up at the stars and marveling at the vastness of the pen sky, Kurenai joined him, and the two of them just sat there, star gazing.
"You don't sleep that often, do you?" Kurenai asked, looking at the boy as he stared upwards, lying back a bit against the angle of the roof.
"I have nightmares…" Naruto replied, looking down and over the ocean's surface, with night sky reflecting off of the calm blue. "Every so often, I would first think about my earliest days in Konohagakure, when I started living in my apartment. I was harassed by the kids, shunned away, and sometimes attacked by the adults. Then I remembered living on the streets like the children here, cold, alone, hiding and begging. Because of this…I was always alone… and that always haunted me in my dreams…"
Kurenai nodded her head in understand. She reached out and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, causing the blond to look in her direction, showing just how tired he really was. Not from lack of sleep, but from years of torment.
"I know what you've been through," Kurenai said softly. "Anko told me. A lot of her friends wanted to keep an eye on you, making sure that you were safe. But a lot of us were called away on missions for most of the time, and couldn't do so. But…then…"
"I ran away," Naruto simply said, lowering his head while bringing both knees up to him, folding his arms on top and resting his head on them. "It doesn't matter now though, I just have to deal with it…"
"That's what ninja do," Kurenai replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "But just because you can take in the pain, and hold onto it, it doesn't make you strong. If you can endure everything that is thrown at you, and keep getting up every time you are knocked down… that is strength."
Naruto smiled, letting out a sigh. "I have to do that, huh?" He then looked up at the woman, his expression becoming a bit curious. "Hinata-chan? She's been through a lot like I have… hasn't she?" Kurenai couldn't deny him this answer, and simply nodded her head.
"Apparently everyone in Konoha has issues," the woman said, shrugging her shoulders. "The pain of losing someone, the pain of being alone, excluded by friends, family members, ridiculed for being different… even tormented over clan politics. Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuuga… he wanted the clan to have a strong leader from the main family, something the clan has been doing for years and years. Hinata, being his daughter, made her the heiress to the Hyuuga clan and next in line. However…well…"
"I see…" Naruto mumbled, letting out a sigh. "He thought Hinata was weak… and I can only guess…he started shining more attention over the next in line… the younger daughter…"
"Yes. When he said he had no more use for her; he gave her to me…" Kurenai said. "She would have lived a life exactly along side yours if I hadn't offered to take care of her."
"What Hiashi doesn't realize is that she is much stronger then he can ever imagine," Naruto said affirmatively, showing absolute confidence in his teammate. "I have never seen anyone work so hard before. She is strong, kind, caring and considerate, and she never gives up, no matter what."
"Kind of reminds me of someone," Kurenai exclaimed, looking down at the boy. Naruto blushed and hid his face a bit, earning a giggle from the older woman. "She really loves you, Naruto. She idolizes you and looks up to you, wanting to follow in your footsteps. The day she met you in the academy, a person who shared the same drive to prove their worth to the world and become stronger, I noticed that she started training just as hard, to meet you halfway…"
The two sat in silence for a moment, with Naruto contemplating the words Kurenai had given him. For a while, the only sounds that could be heard were the waves, and the music of crickets drifting over the night air. After readjusting his sitting position again, Naruto just let out a sigh and smiled.
"I'm glad she's my teammate…"
"And I'm glad she's found someone to be with…" Kurenai added, smiling at the blond. Naruto grinned back, and for the rest of that night, they stayed there.
Little did the pair know was that Inari had been awake and sitting by his window, also looking out over the ocean. When he heard what Naruto had to say, the boy felt a little bad for judging him too soon, and looked down shamefully. With a saddened expression, the youngster ducked back into his room, and closed the windows.
The next day things continued to proceed smoothly as usual. This time, Naruto and Hinata took up guard duty over Tazuna along with Haku, while Kurenai, Zabuza and Shino watched over his family. When Tazuna's group arrived at the bridge, they immediately set to work. With the few workers they had on hand, their schedule was all blocked up, and everyone was in haste to get the project finished. Naruto and Hinata even helped out, moving the metal frames and bars, as well as helping lay the cement. Haku helped with the support beams down a level, making sure everything was in place. Of course, Tazuna was concerned that the kids were helping out a little too much, exceeding their orders, but they said they didn't mind.
Meanwhile, Kurenai altered between training Shino, and talking with Zabuza. There was even one point where the three of them sat around a table and played Chinese checkers and poker. For some strange reason, Zabuza kept losing against Shino because of his awesome poker face.
Some time around lunch, while Naruto was sitting on a stack of bricks, resting with Haku, they were confronted by an unexpected guest to the worksite. As tit turns out, Inari had come down to the coast with Shino to visit his grandpa, and bring him some sandwiches for a snack. When the boy noticed Naruto and Haku sitting on the sidelines, a little dirty from helping with some of the work, the boy decided to approach them.
When he did, he just stood there looking at his feet, until Naruto and his friend noticed him. The blond looked over the kid for a moment, before temporarily setting aside the conversation he was having with Haku, and turning his attention to Inari.
"Hey… what's up?"
"Umm… uhh…" Inari was hesitant at first, but then mustered up the confidence to look the boy in the eye. "I-I'm sorry about what happened… when I first saw you… telling you to leave and stuff. It was bad…"
Naruto blinked, listening to what the bridge builder's grandson had to say. Afterwards, the blond smile and shuffled forward a bit, reaching out and patting him on the head. Inari looked at him, still feeling a little discouraged.
"I know what you've been through here," Naruto exclaimed, smiling. "We all have to be strong if we want to beat these times. Whenever we get knocked down, we get back up, never giving up." The blond nudged the boy a little, grinning, while watching as Inari smiled at him slightly. "You're tough, Inari. I know you'll do great things for the future of this land, and its people."
It was this comment that had Inari grinning wildly. The two of them laughed, with Haku smiling on the sidelines.
It was a pretty great day…
Things seemed to be going great on the forth day, with the days earlier pretty much going on as usual, as per routine. Tazuna's workers were excited now, with the prospects of the bridge being completed. They could easily see the Land of Fire's coast line from left to right, the bridge now just about fifty meters or so away from the cliffs. They were so close to completion. All it took now was to align the bridge with the edge of the cliff, and make sure to lead into it properly. Everything was holding up nicely so far, and they were a day or so away from finishing.
Kurenai felt it was best today to have everyone go down to the bridge for the closing moments of construction. She had this funny feeling that Gatou has not given up on his plans to destroy Tazuna's project, or the man himself, and would throw down the trick card he had up his sleeve on this very day to see that the bridge didn't even touch the Land of Fire. Even Zabuza felt a cold change in the air.
With the sun out, the sky so clear and the air cool and fresh, something was just not right. The day was too perfect. So, believing it to be the best course of action, Kurenai instructed the whole of Team 7 to move out, with Naruto leaving a dozen or so clones around the house to watch it and along with Zabuza and Haku, the group moved out. Inari saw the off, and later headed on inside to help his mum with the dishes.
The trip was uneventful as usual, with Naruto and Haku catching up still, with Hinata and Shino also joining in. Things seemed to go perfectly, with the quick detour through town receiving praises and wishes from some of the citizens, hoping that everything would go well.
However, when Naruto and everyone else got to the end of the bridge where the construction was, they received a rather unpleasant shock.
"Well, well… I see you rats made it!" a croaky voice exclaimed from the end of the bridge, dressed smartly in a suit and walking stick in hand. The glasses, frizzy brown hair, and thin mustache and goatee did not go unnoticed, with Tazuna fuming under his hard hat.
"You!"
"Yes… it's me," Gatou exclaimed, stepping forward. Behind him, where all the construction was going supposed to be going on, now closed down and barricaded, the corrupted businessman had obviously not come alone.
Behind him stood a dozen or so lackeys, a crowd of hired mercenaries who looked nothing like ninja or could even hold their own against one, dressed in shabby clothes and armed with all sorts of weapons. Team 7, now on their toes at the sight of the opposing crew, counted out knives, swords, scythes, spears and other weapons of all kinds, bared menacingly in their direction, and flanking their client. Gatou seemed particularly pleased at the turn out, and was not at all surprised to see Zabuza and Haku with his target.
"You've been busy, Tazuna," Gatou spoke up, shouting over the fifty meter spread distance between him and Team 7. "Not only have you hired ninja to protect you, but you've also managed to buy over the ones that I had hired to kill you!" Zabuza frowned, glaring angrily at the midget, with Haku frowning and slipping his mask over his face, knowing full well that a confrontation was about to erupt into a battle. "I'm disappointed Zabuza… you had so much promise! I only assumed with your reputation and everything, you would at least be good at what you did…Demon of the Hidden Mist! Don't make me laugh!"
The chuckles and taunts that came from the crowd behind him enforced his cynical statement.
"Don't mock me, little man!" Zabuza growled, reaching over and grabbing his sword's handle, eyes not leaving his target. Naruto, Shino and Hinata stepped forward, spreading out in front of Tazuna and Kurenai, and readying themselves for a fight. Gatou laughed at the small display of resistance.
"But, I guess I don't have to rely on you anymore!" the glasses wearing corporate owner jeered. "I never liked you anyway! You were too expensive! These guys however… they're cheap! They can settle for less!"
"You think that these nobodies can defeat a group of fully armed and trained shinobi?" Kurenai called out, also getting into the confrontation. "You're sorely underestimating our abilities if you think a group of thugs can take us down. Take off now, Gatou… so we don't have to cause any unnecessary deaths! Particularly yours!"
"Oooh… I'm shaking in my boots," Gatou returned mockingly. "Fortunately for me, I came prepared for this situation. I predicted the famed Zabuza Momochi would fail one way or another, so I opted to go for more practiced hands!" The man said this while looking down at his hands, checking his fingernails in a bored and overly confident manner. "Of course, this other shinobi I hired was much more affordable then your group, and was more than happy to come on down here to help me out! Plus…I like his style…"
"Shut up, small fry!" Zabuza shouted, bringing his sword around and holding it out with two hands. Stepping forward, he gently shoved by Haku and Naruto, now moving to the front of the pack. "I have taken on hundreds of shinobi, and killed them without fail! Once I deal with your new meat, I'll personally deal with you!"
Gatou smirked. "Then please… do your worst…"
"Your funeral!" Zabuza grunted, taking a stance. Haku leapt forward, slipping past his master and bringing his hand up, senbon at the ready.
"Allow me… Zabuza-sama!" the boy stated while glaring through the small slits of his mask. "This man has insulted you, and stained your good name. It will be my honor to slay him in your stead!"
"Go ahead, Haku… make it painful," the swordsman exclaimed.
Grunting, Haku shot forward, sprinting across the fifty meters in a matter of seconds. Gatou smirked and watched the masked boy charge. Just before he could get anxious at the proximity, and Haku was just within accurate enough throwing distance, his foot suddenly pressed down on a less then solid surface, and the teen ninja only had a split second's glance to see what he had stepped on, before he was engulfed in a massive explosion. A column of fire erupted from the bridge's surface up from where he stood, barley grazing Gatou with the force of the explosion and staggering him back a little.
Team 7 watched in shock as the explosion skyrocketed, the blast hitting them like a gust of wind, and nearly knocking Tazuna's hat off of his head. Naruto stepped forward, but Zabuza beat him to the punch line.
"HAKU!"
"Oh no…" Hinata shouted. Activating her Byakugan, she looked in through the smoke of the blast, as the fire and debris died down and fell back down to earth, and over the sides of the bridge. Through her chakra enhanced vision, the girl scanned the area for any trace of their companion, and eventually found it when unexpectedly, an ice mirror formed in front of them, and Haku staggered out. Falling forward, Shino caught him and lowered the older boy to the ground, his gi torn up a little, half his mask cracked, and skin scorched a little.
"He's alright…" Shino said, Zabuza walked towards his student and knelt down, also seeing to his wounds. Tazuna was worried for the boy, but then also became concerned for their safety, as that blast had just punched a hole in their bridge.
However, they didn't have much time to get to work on Haku's wounds, when Hinata spotted something emerging from the smoke.
"Guys! I…I see someone…" Hinata shouted, eyes widening. "H-His chakra is huge!"
Kurenai and everyone else looked in the direction of the construction end of the bridge, and from the smoke rising from the middle of the structure; they saw a shadow step into view, approaching them. Gatou grinned as he watched his man of action get to work.
From where they stood, Team 7 saw that the newcomer to the battlefield had long blond hair in a high ponytail, a mass of hair covering the left side of his face. He also wore dark blue pants and black sandals, a dark blue vest with ninja mesh sleeves and a purple coat with extra long sleeves going over his concealed hands. The face hidden under the yellow hair, bared a menacing grin, black rings around blue eyes, and had a headband covering his forehead, clearly showing the Iwagakure symbol, with a scratch drawn across it.
"Fine art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment we experience…hmm," the man spoke up raising both of his hands, one of them coming around, and brushing the hair out of his face, his grin still worn enthusiastically. When he opened his palms and flashed his hands, he shocked the group of shinobi glaring him down that he had mouths on his hands, both of which opened and stuck out their tongues.
"Hmph. You fools will succumb to the beauty of my art! The sheer magnificence will make your heart quake, cower in awe, and recoil in despair! Because true art…IS AN EXPLOSION!"
TO BE CONTINUED…