As they walked, Naruto retracted his gloves when no one was looking. He placed the second half of his chakra paper between his hands and tried again. It was just cut in half. Returning the paper to his pocket, and replacing his gloves, he thought about this. Venom was practically living water so it made sense.
While Sakura spoke with Tazuna about the Land of Waves, Naruto let his senses search for trouble. And it found it ahead of them. As they got closer, Naruto kept looking around for it but didn't see it. Eventually, the sense of danger moved to the ground. Naruto followed it until he stopped by a puddle. He tilted his head as he looked at it. He was never wrong but nothing about it seemed dangerous.
But, again, he was never wrong. He made a fist and slammed it down on the puddle. The two chunin barely avoided it as they jumped out. They wrapped Naruto in there chain. "One down."
"None down," Naruto corrected as the chain was cut on his blades. Naruto grabbed the head of the one to the left, twisted, and used him to lift himself into the air. His boot connected against the other chunin. He flew back and hit a tree. With a grunt of pain, he stood back up and ran straight for Tazuna.
Sakura ran forward and tripped him while Sasuke brought his knee down on his spine. Tazuna looked at the down man and then the other. He couldn't tell if that one was breathing. Not likely with his neck at an impossible angel. "...Wow."
"I was expecting to have to get involved," Kakashi stated. "Naruto, how did you know they were there?"
"...It was a puddle," Naruto stated like it was obvious. Both him and Venom thought quickly to keep his ability a secret. "It hasn't rained in a while so why was it here?"
Kakashi nodded. "Correct, but you could have waited until after they attacked so we could find out what they wanted."
"Tazuna," Naruto said, pointing at the paralyzed ninja. He had been running at him.
"Hmm, Tazuna, I want a word with you."
—oo000oo—
Naruto hadn't paid attention to the conversation. It was never a question about whether or not he was going. He was and that was it. As he walked through the mist of the island, he felt... Nervousness? Excitement? Something that he was unused to. And it made him grin and put his mask on.
"How does he do that," Sakura asked as Naruto faded in and out of view when just moments before he was clearly seen.
"He is covering up any part of him that would be seen," Kakashi told her. "While that white is viewable, yellow is a target. It gives us something to focus on, allowing others to see him."
"Just like that haze he made back during the bell test," Sasuke concluded.
"Yes, just like. Without something to focus on, it is easy to lose track of something." Eventually, Naruto disappeared altogether. And in his absence was the the feeling they were being hunted. Sakura found herself humming the tune of an old TV series called the Twilight Zone.
"Hey," Naruto said, appearing in front of them.
"AHHHH!" Sakura then hit Naruto on the head several times. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you stupid, whiskered face blond!"
Naruto only laughed while he let her do it but was back to business once she stopped. "Kakashi-sensei, I feel as if something is ahead of us. I don't know what but it makes my heart quicken."
"That means what," Sasuke asked.
"I am never wrong with my feelings," Naruto replied. "By the lake ahead, I am sure there are two people waiting for us." After saying that, he disappeared back into the mist. Without moving this time.
"WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT!?"
"No," Naruto whispered in her ear, making her jump.
Kakashi sighed. Naruto was unpolished, clearly. But he was obviously going to be a hunter nin. He already had a mask.
The four and the ghost walked by the lake. And the mist thickened, proving Naruto was right. Suddenly, Naruto appeared, throwing kunai as a bush then up at a tree, followed by the tree to their right.
"Naruto, will you knock that cloak and dagger shit off," Sakura yelled.
"Kakashi-sensei, he is bigger than you and has a large sword," Naruto stated.
"...Come on out, Zabuza," Kakashi called. The sword Naruto spoke of bit into the side of the tree and he walked out on it. "Long time."
"Yeah," Zabuza said. "Must've been, what, fourteen years? Back before you made jonin." He glared at Naruto. "You ruined my entrance."
"And we are sure it would have been epic," Naruto replied. "But no use in crying about spilled milk. Let us guess, you want Tazuna?"
"Kid, you hit the nail on the head."
"Sorry, Zabuza, I can't let you have him," Kakashi replied.
"So, once again we are at odds," Zabuza stated. "Think one of us will die this time?"
"I'd say probably but it has always been probably."
"Not to bother you two," Sasuke spoke up, "but mind telling us lowly genin what is going on?"
"Oh, we have had a rivalry going on for years now," Zabuza stated. "Myself and my Zanbatou against Kakashi and his Fang. I heard that it was broken?"
"It was, last mission with my team."
"Too bad," Zabuza said with a shrug. "Not many blades of that quality. So, lets see. Ambush, ruined. Stating what I want, done. Ah, yes, opening." Naruto grabbed Tazuna, Sakura, and Sasuke and jumped over the trees to hide them. "Interesting kid."
"You have no idea," Kakashi told him. "I have been wondering how you have progressed since we last fought." He lifted his headband, revealing the Sharigan.
"I also heard you got a Sharigan but didn't believe it."
—oo000oo—
Sasuke heard that and tried to see for himself. "Don't," Naruto warned.
"You don't understand! That is..."
"Don't," Naruto told him again. "Just wait, right now, our job is to stay out of their way and protect Tazuna. Besides, we'll put the screws on him later for information. We need to find the second guy now."
Naruto closed his eyes and focused. 'This guy is quiet. I am having trouble finding him.'
"Where is he," Sakura asked.
"...We're not sure. He is too quiet to lock on." He kept looking for him until... The second person settled on a branch and it gave a minuscule shake. Enough for Naruto. "There he is," Naruto said, glad. "Halfway between us and them, in the...oak tree."
All three of them nodded to each other and jumped into the trees. The circled this person and waited for an opening. Naruto created a tri-bladed shuriken and threw it. It hit the tree, catching the person's clothing. He spun to look at it. And the three genin descended on him.
As the weapon dissolved, the ninja ducked under Sakura and tossed her back to the ground. Followed by ducking under the kick from Naruto, leaving him wide eyed. Grabbing him by his collar, he was thrown into Sasuke. "Nice try," a melodious voice told them. He tried to move but found his feet stuck. Looking down, he saw webbing had trapped him in place.
"Gotcha," Naruto yelled as he dive tackled the ninja. The both hit the ground, two stunned to move. Naruto had in his hands two very soft mounds of flesh that were unique to the female gender.
They looked at each other's mask for a moment before Naruto jumped up, "SORRY!"
The girl sat up, humility in her voice. "I have just been groped by a genin."
"...You are a hunter nin," Sasuke said as he dropped down to them.
"I am," she replied.
"Then you must be after Zabuza," Sakura said as she limped over. "Pardon me a moment." She then turned to Naruto. His spider sense screamed danger but he was still too stunned to move. The next instant, he was in too much pain to. "YOU PERVERT," Sakura screamed as she brought her boot back to the ground.
Naruto straightened up after a minute. "We are very sorry, hunter-chan! Please forgive us for that!"
"...It is alright," she said. "...What are you three doing here?"
"We knew that there was a second person here so we went to deal with them while Kakashi-sensei fought Zabuza."
"I see," the girl said. "Well, as I am not here to fight you, I guess you don't need to watch me."
Two of them nodded at that. Naruto didn't. "Something wrong, dobe?"
"Yeah, just a feeling."
"And your feelings are never wrong," Sakura finished.
"Yup. And this time, they say more is up here than we know." He looked at the Hunter nin. "And they center around you. Something you would like to tell us?"
She looked in the direction of Zabuza and Kakashi. "That your sensei has been trapped."
"...Shit," Naruto yelled as he realized the same thing. "Sakura, guard Tazuna. Sasuke, hunter-chan, we have to go save him."
"I strike better from concealment." She jumped into the trees again, disappearing.
Naruto and Sasuke came out of the trees in time to see Zabuza raise his sword, about to bring it down on Kakashi, stuck inside a sphere made by several water clones. "Bye, Kakashi."
"I got the sword," Naruto told Sasuke. "Get rid of the clones." Naruto shot the webbing from his hand, hit the sword, and pulled it from his grasp. At the same time, Sasuke took several kunai and threw them at the clones. But they were better than that.
"Run! He can't go far without dispelling the clones!"
"Kakashi-sensei, the mission was over the moment you were caught," Naruto stated. "He beat you, how can we win when he comes for us."
"You can't," Zabuza said. He took the Zanbatou from one of his clones and turned back to the genin. What he saw was Naruto examining the Zanbatou. "Good weapon, right? It is a zanbatou called Keiri."
Naruto did the unexpected then. He tossed it in the air and caught it by the handle. "Very nice. We hope you don't mind." He threw it into a tree.
"Don't mind what?" His answer was a black staff growing out of his hand. And then the up of it pass his hand flattened out with the side with the curve sharpening. A hole appeared in the tip as well as a notch close to the handle. It was a black copy of the Keiri.
"We make weapons," Naruto said to him. He looked down at the water and tried to walk on it. But he couldn't. "You want to kill Tazuna, you will have to go through us."
"Well, let me accommodate you." Zabuza ran forward and locked blades with Naruto.
"Sasuke! Don't just stand there! Help us or take out the clones!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth but turned to Kakashi. "Fireball no Jutsu!" It flew at them, evaporating water as it went. It hit the first clone and destroyed it. But there were still three more.
Naruto started pushing back against the swordsman. Before he dropped and disappeared. Zabuza stumbled forward and spun around. He saw Naruto standing not far away, his zanbatou on his back. His hands were in a handsign that looked like a yin-yang. "Haze no Jutsu." Darkness settled over them and Naruto vanished. "Did you know there are eight points in the body that promises a kill almost instantly," Naruto asked from no where and everywhere at once.
"That is my line, kid," Zabuza stated. "You working to be a master of silent killing? Definitely off to a great start." He closed his eyes and listened. This kid was real good, he didn't even disturb the air as he moved. But...
"There!" Zabuza kicked out, clipping his shoulder. Naruto spun along the kick and brought the zanbatou down on him. Zabuza dropped his weapon and grabbed the copy. With a kick to his chest, he knocked to kid into a tree. "Very good, easily as good as the original. Now you will die by your own weapon." Zabuza walked over to him, raised the sword up, and brought it down.
"Fourteen...Fifteen," Naruto said with a smile. The blade disintegrated just before it cut Naruto in half. He stood up, wiping the dust from his clothes. "And now you have no weapon." He kicked Zabuza in the stomach and sent him into a tree. Before he continued, he spun, created several shadow shurikens and threw them while Sasuke used another jutsu to destroy a clone. The water fell around Kakashi as he stood up.
"There'll be no living with them after this," Kakashi stated before he shushined and caught Zabuza's hand as he went to grab the Keiri. "The Demon of the Mist brought down by two genin."
"The one in black is special. I underestimated him."
"Tricky things, ranks," Kakashi said to him. "They only tell you information if that is the rank the deserve." His Sharigan spun as he drew a fist back and punched Zabuza in the face while he ducked Zabuza's punch.
While Zabuza started to retrieve his balance, Kakashi jumped back on the water. "Ram, bird, money, horse, serpent, dog!" He slammed his hand against the water and what sounded like singing came from the bottom. "This is something I learned several years ago in Snow. Enjoy!" Kakashi jumped out of the way as a narwhal made of ice shot up from the water and landed where Zabuza had just been. He was able to get out of the way but not when the whale shattered and ice spears flew everywhere.
Sasuke tried to dodge all of them but he knew there was far to many. He knew that Kakashi and Naruto, though he hated to admit it, could avoid them but he lacked the skill. 'I am going to die here.' His eyes grew sharper for the moment before he closed them as the wall of spears were about to hit him.
"Well, that is disconcerting," Naruto said right in front of Sasuke. With his hands on the ground, he was looking at a black wall that caught all the ice pieces. They had stopped an inch from Naruto's mask. Standing up, Naruto looked back to Sasuke. "Okay, buddy? ...Hey, nice eyes."
Sasuke wanted to growl. He had beat Naruto out for Rookie of the year but this whole time, Naruto had been at least ten steps ahead of him. "...Eye?"
"Yeah, they look like that freaky eye of Kakashi-sensei. The red one with three dots in it. Although your's only have two. But you have both." He turned back to where Zabuza was. He was impaled through the right shoulder and left hip. "We bet that hurts."
Sasuke spun him around. "Are you joking with me? Are my eyes really different!?"
Naruto pulled his mask down and let Sasuke stare at his reflection in his eyes. "They are. How did you do that? Adds a great touch to your glare."
Sasuke smiled. "You can't do it, it is my bloodline. I guess I should thank you for saving my life."
"Hey, what are friends for? We know you will one day do the same when you surpass us." He offered him his hand to shake. "But for now, we need to make sure Zabuza is down for the count." Naruto pulled his mask back on and faced Zabuza. He pulled the two ice shards from his body.
"Damn," he said. "Looks like I am going to die here."
"See ya when I get to where you are going." Kakashi took a kunai out and was about to throw it right into Zabuza's eye. But several objects made the kill before hand.
"That was amazing," the hunter nin said as she dropped down to the ground. "So you are Sharigan Kakashi. I must say, I wish I could spar with you. But I have work I must do." She walked over to Zabuza. "Those must have hurt," she said, looking over his wounds.
"Hold it," Naruto said. Something besides the symbiont said to make sure. "You could be working with him after all." He walked over and checked for a pulse. Nothing. He let out his breath. "We apologize again."
"Understandable. Hey, if we meet again, if you show me your face, I'll show you mine." Naruto was rocked back on his heels by how open she just flirted with him. The hunter nin picked up the body and vanished.
"...What she say," Sasuke asked.
"Ah...that she had to go take care of the body," Naruto replied. "He was dead, Kakashi-sensei."
"Good..." He fell to a knee. "Looks like I over did it. Guess I haven't been working out enough since I became a sensei." He looked up again. "Sasuke, go get Sakura and Tazuna. We are heading to his house. Naruto, I am going to need you to help me make it."
—oo000oo—
Haku carefully removed the shenbon and took out a knife. "Let's see, remove the head, drain the body of blood. How shall I go about destroying it this time?"
Zabuza grabbed the hand with the knife. "Completely and not wasting time."
"Ruin my fun," she said in a pout.
Zabuza rolled his eyes before he started to sit up. A move he regretted. "...How long until you can heal these?"
"If you are able to move again freely in three weeks, it will be impressive."
"Damn... How close will the bridge worker be to completion by then?"
"Very," Haku replied. "But right now, only the genin are capable of fighting. If you want..."
"No. The dark haired boy is average and of no consequence. But the one in black, we can use him. Haku, try to get him to come over to our side. When I am able to, we will strike them."
Haku smiled a little. "Yes, Zabuza-sama."
—oo000oo—
"Kakashi-sensei, can you show us how you walked on the water like that," Naruto pleaded when they got there. "We promise we won't ask for anything else until this mission is over!"
"...Naruto, that is a chakra control skill." He grinned under his mask when Naruto dropped his head. Naruto was horrible at chakra control. That is why he used only a few jutsus and more taijutsu. "So if you want to be able to do that, you will have to learn the first step. We have a month here so we will get to it."
"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto stood up and walked to the door. Before he turned back. "Kakashi-sensei, when a girl tells us, 'you show me yours and I will show you mine', she is flirting right? As in she likes you?"
Kakashi looked stunned. "Yes, that is normally how it works."
"Okay. We were not sure." He walked from the room, leaving the jonin to wonder who would say that to him. Sakura would never do that.
The next morning, Kakashi took them out to into the forest. "Okay, I assume you all want to learn how to water walk?" They nodded. "Then first you have to be able to climb trees without your hands." He arched an eyebrow when he noticed that Sasuke no longer had black eyes but the Sharigan. "This is how you do it. Simply focus your chakra into your feet to hold onto the tree. Easy in theory, hard in practice." He walked up the tree, crutches and all."
"Now that is cool," Naruto said. "This is what you meant back before the test."
"Yes."
"...We don't know if we have the control to stop our Kekkei Genkai from climbing up without it." Naruto frowned at that. He never actually tried to learn how to stop it. He never had reason to not to climb up a wall.
"Then you will work to gain that control," Kakashi told him. "Sakura, Sasuke, take it at a run to show Naruto just what he is lacking." That made Sasuke smile. They ran and did as Kakashi said. Sasuke made it up seven feet before he was pushed off by using too much chakra. While Sakura made it to the top. "That was perfect, Sakura. I guess I will get you started right on the next exercise."
"Wait," Sasuke called. "...Can you show me one more time? I will pay more attention."
Sakura smiled. "Yeah, sure." She ran to the tree while Sasuke made sure to watch all of it with his Sharigan. He saw the tendrils of chakra move from her feet and grip the tree. "See it this time?"
"...It only takes that little," Sasuke asked in disbelief. "Thanks Sakura, you really helped me." He went to his tree and pressed a foot against it until he got a feel for it. He then changed to his other foot and did the same with it. He repeated the process until he felt they were the same at each try. Then he moved back and ran up the tree. He didn't quite make the top but he got far enough that it didn't matter.
"Impressive, Sasuke, very impressive." He smiled at his two students. "Naruto, as no one can help you with this but you, I am going to work with these two on water walking."
"Hai, Kakashi-sensei."
—oo000oo—
Tsunami looked out the window. "Are you sure he will be alright," Tsunami asked. "It can be dangerous out in these woods."
"The dobe will be alright," Sasuke told her. "After all, he is almost as good as me."
"Don't know why he is training," Inari, Tsunami's son muttered. "He will just stay weak."
"That is where you are wrong," all three ninja corrected him.
"Naruto was the reason we were able to beat Zabuza," Sasuke told him. He felt ashamed about it but he had to admit it. He had been no where near as of use as Naruto. "I think he would have beaten him. Maybe not killed him but beaten him yes."
"I know Naruto is good but is he really that good," Sakura asked.
"He is," Kakashi told her. "He came up with a plan to beat Zabuza on his own. And it would have worked had he kept pressing his advantage. I bet he is able to take the chunin exam right now."
"No way is he stronger than Gatou."
Sasuke laughed. "That man has no strength of his own. Or else he would have killed your grandfather himself. He has money and that is it."
"What would you know! You live in a village that never knows hardships!"
There was a clink as Sasuke nearly slammed his bowl down. "Hardships? You think you have it hard?"
"I know I do."
"Sasuke, he doesn't know," Kakashi told him.
"Do you know the warm embrace of your mother? The strength of your grandfather placing his hand on your shoulder? Being scolded because you did something wrong. But also because your parents wish for your best possible future? Do...Do you have someone there for you everyday? Always glad to see you and always will be!?
"When I had to face it that Naruto was stronger than me, I followed him to find out what his secret was. Did I ever find it. All of those things, neither he nor I have. But I knew it at one time. Naruto never did. And it is worst. I have always had people to look after me in my village. Naruto never had anyone. What he had was the coldest looks of hatred from people that wished his death."
Inari looked shocked at that last part. "That's right. Naruto, a twelve year old boy that has never done anything wrong besides a few pranks, is wanted dead by most of our village. He is strong to gain their approval. To protect these same people." He sat back down and took a deep breath. "Cry if you want to, I don't know what you lost nor do I care. But don't ever say we haven't have it hard. Especially in front of Naruto."
—oo000oo—
It took half the night before Naruto finally gave up and removed his boots. He was able to get started then. He fell asleep where he fell early in the morning.
He opened his eyes when he felt someone shaking him. "Okay, okay, we're am up." He looked through his mask and saw another one. "...Hunter-chan?"
"Good morning. Care to take advantage of what I said?"
Naruto just shook his head to clear the cob webs out. She meant no harm or his spider sense would have woken him. Plus she would have taken advantage of him being asleep. "...Uh, what was it you said again?"
She began to pout. "I said if you showed me your face, I will show you mine. How could you forget in three days!?"
"We have been busy." He tilted his head at her. She didn't look much older than him. "How old are you?"
"Thirteen."
"And already a hunter nin, impressive. That is what we are going to be before we become Hokage."
"Well, that takes a lot of power. Sure you can handle it? Maybe you should settle for just being a hunter nin."
"No. We are going the full nine yards. So, before we get to our faces, shouldn't we start with names?"
She hesitated. "I am not supposed to reveal that."
"A handle then," Naruto told her. "You may call us Venom."
"Ice."
"Well, Ice, we have been training for a while so if you will let us stretch our muscles to get them working, we can continue." He jumped up and did a few stretches. "Can we ask what element you are?"
"No."
"Sorry, we were hoping for some pointers in ours. We control both water and wind equally."
Ice looked at him shocked. "Equally? As in a bloodline?"
"Exactly," Naruto told her. "I have them both so I have been wondering what jutsus I could use."
"...You can use Ice," she told him.
"Ice? We thought the five elements were earth, fire, wind, water, and lightning."
"They are. But when you have a Kekkei Genkai for two of them, they often combine to form a new one."
"Wind and Water makes Ice?"
"Yes," she told him. "...My family had that ability." The water in the air formed around her hand to create a kunai from ice.
"Wow..." He looked at it amazed. "Oh, here." He pulled back his mask, revealing blond hair and blue eyes. "A pleasure to meet you, Ice-chan."
She smiled as she took her mask off. "I am glad to meet you, Venom-kun."
—oo000oo—
Naruto was slammed into the wall by a red hand that stretched a dozen feet to a red and black body. In the red figure's other hand was a girl with dark hair and pale skin. He recognized her as Ice. And she was no longer breathing from the grip on her throat.
"Let her go!" Naruto brought his hands down on the red one. But he couldn't break the grip.
The figure just laughed. "What is wrong? Don't like to see someone that was nice to you die?" He laughed again before tossing aside the body. "Don't worry, I plan on taking so much more from you. There is a whole list of people that I will enjoy killing while you watch. How about that Hyuuga girl? I know you think she is pretty." His other claw stretched out and pulled back Hinata.
"N-Naruto-kun, h-help me."
"Don't you dare hurt her!" His hands crushed the claws holding him to the wall and ran to free her. But several tentacles shot from the figure's body, impaling her. He dropped her and Naruto caught Hinata just before she passed away. "You monster..."
"What? I couldn't hear you. I was laughing to hard."
"YOU MONSTER!" Naruto lunged at his own throat. "Just who the hell are you! Why are you doing this!?"
The vagueness surrounding the figure left and Naruto backed away. "Me? I am Carnage!"
"He is dead! Kasady was killed!"
"But he isn't the man behind the mask," Carnage said, stabbing Naruto. He pulled him close. "You want to know who really is?" The mask split at the mouth showing a face that was clearly insane. "You," Naruto said to himself.
—oo000oo—
Naruto opened his eyes and stretched his arms. "We hate that nightmare." He popped his neck and looked around. Another day he had trained right through. 'Venom, why do I keep having that dream?' The symbiont told him it was because of under lying fear that one day he would be like that. It wasn't mad that he was afraid the symbiont would make him so. Both him and Carnage seemed to be stuck with the sociopaths. Only Hybrid and Toxic ever got the ones that were good people. Well, until now. Two years with a host and still on good terms, a new record.
Naruto did his stretches and looked at the clearing. It was a war zone now after five days. And Ice was coming by again. "Morning," he said as she walked up behind him.
"Good morning. Slept outside again, I see," she said, disapprovingly. "You are going to get sick at this rate."
"We are plenty warm when we do."
"A suit and mask is not enough," she told him.
"This suit is. Maybe tonight, you would like to stay and find out?"
"You are charming, Venom, but not that charming."
"...That reminds us, why are you still here?"
Ice froze. "What do you mean?"
"Your mission is over. So why stay?"
"Because there is this cute boy that, though he made a bad first impression, I really like him." She sat down next to him. "So...can I ask you a question?"
"You just did but go ahead."
"Would you come with me?"
"...Nani?" He looked at her in disbelief. "Just like that, leave our village?"
She turned away. "It was a stupid question."
"No, it wasn't," Naruto told her. "...Our home isn't exactly the best. But the truth is, if knew about us, you would dislike us too."
"No I wouldn't. You are kind but strong in combat, able to keep both lives separate with only a personality quirk. I really like you and would like to know more about you."
"...Could you like us if we were a demon? Something monstrous?"
"What are you talking about?"
"...Something we shouldn't talk about. Not if we don't want you to hate us too." He stood up. "We should probably go meet with our team. We have been gone for a while. We will see you when we go training again."
He walk back to Tazuna's home, feeling her eyes on him the whole way until he was out of sight. "We are back," Naruto said when he entered.
"What took you so long," Sakura yelled at him. "We were worried!"
Naruto tilted his head. "Why? Nothing out here that is dangerous."
"Yeah, except Zabuza and his partner," Sasuke told him.
"Zabuza is dead, we checked ourselves."
"Really? Then how was his body disposed of?"
"By..."
"You can't say because you don't know," Sakura said to him. "How about this. What did she use to kill him with?"
"Shenbon."
"Right. She used needles to kill a jonin that is Kakashi-sensei's level."
"...Hunter-chan...lied to us? To us?" That second part was meant to himself.
"Why would you be so special," Sasuke asked.
"...We aren't. We were just checking in. We'll be back soon."
Kakashi watched him leave. "Sasuke, follow him. I have a feeling he is about to make a hard decision."
"Everyone and their feelings," Sasuke muttered but did as he was told.
—oo000oo—
"Hello, Ice-chan," Naruto said when he returned. But it lacked the enthusiasm he had before.
"Something wrong, Venom-kun?"
"...How did you dispose of Zabuza-san?" She hesitated, the first time since she met him. "Do you have his headband? His sword? His head even?" She didn't reply. "Are you working with him?"
She lowered her eyes and that was all the answer Naruto needed. He reached back and pulled up his mask. "We are sorry, Ice-chan, but we cannot train with you anymore." He turned and walked away. As he passed a tree, he said, "Hey Sasuke."
—oo000oo—
Author's Notes: Toxin was the second symbiont hero and the offspring of Carnage. He bonded with a cop from New York. Hybrid bonded with its guard, Scott Washington. He has the same unique abilities as but Venom and Carnage. And his unique ability is that he keeps a separate mind from his host. To be precise, he talks to him, at times acting like a child. He once refused to help his host until he apologized for an argument they had.
Now the basis of Naruto and Sasuke being put together on the same team is simple. I believe that there is more considered in team assignments than grades, despite what was said in the manga. Key example, team Ten. How is Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji balanced? By grades, I think they are close, with Shikamaru the lowest. Naruto and Sasuke were put together because they hate each other. But, as I know, some jobs you just have to be able to work with the people you hate the most. Plus, they needed a taijutsu/kenjutsu expert.
Yeah, I have been watching Cowboy Bebop recently. Also it was said in one of my first reviews for this story. Thank you, Hotshot45 for the ending phrase.
See ya, space cowboy.
