Land Of Waves, Man of Mist
Cool water slid through my fingers as the gentle rocking of the waves hitting the little wooden boat attempted lull me to sleep. We were on a boat that would take us to the Land of Waves.
"This fog's so thick you can't see anything" Sakura whispered, looking around at the dense whiteness. Naruto sat at the front of the boat, sniffing. Why he was sniffing? God knows. In fact no, here it's Kami-sama. But anyway, he's Naruto, so he's allowed to.
"The bridge isn't far now" said Tazuna's friend as he rowed. "Our destination's just ahead, The Land of Waves" We all looked up at a massive bridge.
"WOAH IT'S HUGE!!" Naruto shouted.
"Quiet! I told you no noise! Why do you think we're travelling like this huh? Cutting of the engine and rowing, moving through the dense fog. It's so they don't see us!" Tazuna's friend hissed scoldingly. I could've sworn the guy was gonna smack Naruto with the oar for a moment.
Everyone looked at Tazuna confused at the rowers warning. I had placed over Naruto's mouth to silence him and he had placed his hands over my fingers to doubly seal his mouth shut.
"Tazuna-san, before we reach the pier I want to ask you something. The men who are after you… I need to know why" Kakashi said.
"Sexist!" I hissed. They all looked at me. "Naruto said it not me" I whispered. There are female ninja too you know. Everyone turned their attention back to Tazuna.
"If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore" Kakashi said seriously.
"I have no choice but to tell you... Iie, I want you to know the truth. Like you said this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who-"
"NARUTO?!" I whisperingly cried.
"Err… Iie. He is a very short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow" Tazuna finished.
"Deadly shadow?" Kakashi repeated. "Daredesu ka?"
"Huh?" I asked, wondering what Kakashi had just said.
"'Who is it'" Sasuke muttered.
"You know him, at least, I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. The shipping magnet Gato" said Tazuna.
"Oro? Gato? Of Gato Transport?! He's a business leader, everyone knows him" Kakashi said
"I don't" I stated. Naruto put his hands over my mouth to shut me up so we looked kind of stupid. Noticing this, or bored and wanting to talk, Naruto licked my palm with his wet slimy tongue. Recoiling in disgust, I quickly withdrew my hand and wiped Naruto's saliva on Sasuke's sleeve. Needless to say the Uchiha boy was not impressed.
"Who?! Who?! What?! What?!" Naruto asked eagerly.
"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a business company that's true but below the surface. With the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations he sells drugs and contraband--" said Tazuna.
"Druggie…" I mumbled.
"--Using gangs and ninja. It was one year ago when Gato first set his sight on the land of waves he came over to our Island and used his vast wealth to take total control over our transport and shipping anyone who tried to stand in his wave simply... disappeared. In an island nation a man who controls the sea controls everything, Finance, government our very lives! But there's one thing he fears the production of the bridge, when it is complete it will join us to the land and will break his control" said Tazuna he looked up at the bridge with a fire burning in his eyes. "I am the bridge builder."
"So that's it, since you're in charge of the bridge you're standing in this gangster's way" said Sakura.
"That means those guys we fought in the forest, they were working for Gato" said Sasuke. Naruto put his finger to his head and closed his eyes as though thinking, though it was blatantly obvious he hadn't a clue what was going on.
"I don't understand if you knew he was dangerous, he'd send ninja to eliminate you WHY did you hide that from us?" Kakashi asked.
"Because the land of waves is a small and poverish nation even our nobles have little money. The poor people who are building the bridge cannot afford to pay for an A or B ranked mission it's too expensive. If you end the mission and drop me ashore there will be no bridge. They'll assassinate me before I reach home. But don't feel bad about that my sweet little grandson will be upset he'll cry 'Granddad I want my granddad!'" I muffled a giggle at his terrible impression. "And well, my daughter will condemn the ninja of the hidden leaves, blame you for leaving and abandoning her father and live her life in sorrow" he finished.
"Aww!" I cried. Sasuke gave me a weird look.
"Ah well it's not your fault forget it..." said Tazuna.
"Well I guess we have no other choice we'll have to keep guarding you" said Kakashi, smiling behind his mask.
"Oh I'm very grateful" said Tazuna, with a victorious grin.
"We're approaching the shore" said the man rowing. "Tazuna we have been very fortunate no one has noticed us so far"
"Nice going" Tazuna replied. We went through a tunnel, temporarily bathing myself in darkness, until we reached the other side and arrived at our destination.
"Yeah!" cried Naruto as we jumped off the boat and once again stood on dry land.
"This is as far as I go, good luck" said the man, turning to leave.
"Right, thank you for taking such a risk" Tazuna replied.
"Just be careful" said Tazuna's friend as he started the engine; he sped off out of site lightly spraying water over us.
"Right! Take me to my home and I mean take me there in one piece" said Tazuna.
"Right" agreed Kakashi. We all began walking through another forest.
Sasuke walked in front with Naruto close behind. Myself and Sakura were talking about back in Konoha and what we were thinking of doing once the mission was over. Sakura said she needed to get something for her mother. I on the other hand, just said how I wanted to explore Konoha a bit more. The place was huge and I had barely scratched the surface of possible discovery.
Naruto and Sasuke had been immaturely competing over who got to walk in front, when Naruto suddenly ran out ahead looking around wildly.
"OVER THERE!" Naruto cried flinging a kunai into the bushes. Everyone stared wide eyed, expecting a huge ferocious monster to pop out the bushes and try to eat them with it's huge fangs and wide mouth.
"Hm? Oh it was just a mouse" Naruto said smiling.
"MOUSE!? Yeah right Naruto, everyone can see through your stupid little act, it's so obvious it's embarrassing!" Sakura cried.
"Naruto, those are kunai knives, they're dangerous" Kakashi said worriedly, speaking to him as though he was a four year old child who had picked up a highly sensitive bomb. I chuckled slightly at Naruto's sulky expression.
"GRRR! STOP TRYING TO SCARE ME YOU SCRUFFY LIL DWARF!!" Tazuna shouted, still with a tight hold on my shoulders. If I was him, I would've hid behind Kakashi, the Jonin, NOT ME.
"Huh is some one hiding over there? No over there! No no over there!" Naruto shouted, distracted once again and throwing another kunai into another bush. I looked over at the bush, sure I had heard something.
"That's it Naruto!" Sakura shouted enraged, thwacking him on the head.
"Sono tame ni naniwoshite ta no yo?! Someone really is following us I mean it!" Naruto whined. That's probably along the lines of 'what did you do that for?!'
"Yeah right! Quit lying and acting like a dumb kid!" Sakura scolded, hands on hips as she glared down at the shorter boy. Kakashi looked in the bushes investigating, only to see a white rabbit.
"NARUTO LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!" Sakura scolded, pointing at the poor, traumatised bunny.
"White?" I whispered. I loved animals and knew a lot about them. Snow rabbits were only white in winter to camouflage with the snow. This one would be first to be eaten, it must have been raised inside.
"AAAAH!! Usagi!" Naruto cried snatching it up and huggling it tight. "Gomenasai Usagi-chan! Gomenasai!" Rabbit-chan?
"All this fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna mumbled.
"Mammal…" I mumbled.
"Look out!" Kakashi shouted. A humungous knife-like sword came flying at us. Noticing I was just staring at it, Sasuke grabbed my head and pulled me down. I felt a gust of wind as it zoomed over us. I looked up to see a ninja standing on it.
He wore grey cargo capris, and his tanned skin had a slight grey tone to it. His torso was bare save for straps similar to the ones that held the sheaths for my katana, so I'm guessing there to hold that huge sword. He had short dark hair and cold, hard eyes. He was muscled showing his huge amount of strength. He looked a little taller than Kakashi, and a good deal more bulky.
"Well, well if it isn't Momochi Zabuza, rogue ninja of Kirigakure no Sato" said Kakashi.
"Mist Village" Sasuke whispered as he got up, pulling me up with him. Naruto immediately ran towards the Zabuza guy raring to go, but Kakashi put out his hand. "You're in the way. Get back" Kakashi ordered.
"Demo, nande desu ka!?" Naruto whined. There's a why to everything with you Naruto, this guys flipping huge!
"He's not like those other ninja, he's in a whole other league, if he's our opponent I'll need this" My team mates gasped. "This could be treacherous" said Kakashi in a deadly serious tone.
"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye, did I get that right?" Zabuza asked. Neji had told me about Kekkei Genkai when I asked him about his Byakugan (after he prodded me super hard around fifty times), he said the Sharingan was the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai that allowed the holder to mimic and read their opponents moves. So, how did Kakashi get it? He doesn't look particularly Uchiha-y. Sasuke looked shocked and I was pretty sure he was thinking the same thing as me.
"It's too bad huh? But you'll have to hand over the old man" said Zabuza.
"Now quick swastika formation! Protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight" Kakashi commanded. "I taught you teamwork now it's time to use it" Kakashi lifted his headband to show his left eyelid had a vertical scar over it. He opened it to reveal a red eye, the Sharingan. A sharp contrast to his other black eye.
"Well... looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action, this is an honour" Zabuza said mockingly.
"Everyone keeps saying 'Sharingan', 'Sharingan'' will someone please tell me what Sharingan is!?" cried Naruto in frustration.
"Sharingan... a rare power, it resides in the eyes. The user of this visual jutsu or doujutsu can instantly comprehend any genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The sharingan is a special rare form of doujutsu. However, there's more to the sharingan then that a lot more..." said Sasuke. Ugh Neji explained it almost exactly the same. Textbook-style.
"You got it right boy, but you only scratched the surface. The Sharingan can analyse a person's technique and then copy it to the smallest detail" said Zabuza. Mist surrounded us getting thicker by the second. "As for you, Jonin in the assassination unit of the hidden mist, we had a standing order to destroy you on sight, your profile was in our bingo book, it called you the man who copied over a thousand jutsu 'Ninjixyano kobi ta Kakashi desu.' 'Kakashi, the copy ninja'" said Zabuza.
"Wow! That's so cool!" Naruto squealed, looking round at our sensei as though seeing him in a new light.
"Enough talking I need to exterminate the old man now" Zabuza said icily. Me, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura raced to Tazuna. Me in front, Sasuke on my right, Naruto on my left and Sakura behind. "So, I'll have to eliminate you first, eh Kakashi? So be it" Zabuza said.
He pulled his massive sword from the tree, leaving splintered pieces of bark to rain down on us and quickly jumped away. Our eyes darted left to right trying to find him.
"He's over there!" cried Naruto, pointing diagonally to the right.
"Standing on the water!" Sakura gasped. I could sense him building up a huge amount of chakra. I don't know how I knew it, but I could feel the water becoming denser, energy running through it...
"Ninpou: Kirini kakusare jutsu!" Zabuza cried. The mist became thicker, denser and denser until Zabuza had almost completely disappeared. 'Ninja Art hidden mist jutsu' a little voice whispered in my head.
"He vanished!" Naruto said, staring at the spot he last saw him. But... His silhouette, yeah it's pretty hard to notice, but I can still see it... can't they?
"Sensei!" Sakura cried nervously.
"He'll come after me first" said Kakashi.
"But who is he?" Sakura cried.
"Momochi Zabuza, the ex-leader of the hidden mist assassination unit he's a master of the silent killing technique" said Kakashi.
"S-Silent?" asked Naruto shakily, I could feel him trembling a little beside me.
"As the name suggests, it happens in an instant, without sound or warning of any kind, it's so fast you pass from this life without even realising what's happened. The Sharingan cannot fully neutralise it, so don't lower your guard" Kakashi said seriously. "Well, if we fail we only lose our lives" Kakashi added with a slight shrug.
"How can you say that!?" cried Sakura shocked.
"Because its the truth" I said simply.
"The mist is getting thicker and thicker!" cried Naruto. Now I couldn't see him. I could sense him a little though, but he seemed to be absolutely everywhere.
"The land of waves is surrounded by ocean the swirling mists are ever present" said Tazuna, I could tell just be his voice he was scared, beads of sweat were rolling down his face as he peered through his glasses warily.
"Sensei!" Sakura cried as Kakashi disappeared into the mist. I could still feel his presence and knew exactly where he was... But how?
"Eight points…" came Zabuza's voice.
"Oro? Wh-What's that?" cried Sakura. I could feel the four people around me getting jumpy... I could FEEL their fear.
"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jungular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Now... which will be my kill point?" Zabuza's voice said. I pulled out a kunai readying myself. I could feel him. Feel his existence. I sensed Kakashi building up chakra. I could feel the thirst for blood. It was overwhelming... I felt my own fear rise. I shook my head bringing me back to my senses as the grip on my kunai tightened. It's the only thing I had to protect myself, this little lump of metal was my only shield against death...
I felt Sasuke's fear become stronger. My eyes slid over to him. He was ghostly pale, trembling as beads of sweat rolled down his face. He was breathing heavily. His hands shakily grasped his kunai; he closed his eyes tightly as though preparing to thrust the kunai into himself.
Sasuke's usually so calm... Seeing him so worked up... It's scary...
I reached out, putting my hand over his, making him lower the kunai. He looked at me like a frightened wild animal. I hated seeing people scared or upset, it's though I could feel their pain...
"It's ok... I'm here" I said softly, my fingers lacing with his. He stared at me as his breathing slowed, he tightened his grip, crushing my fingers slightly, it was as though it was his life rope. 'C'mon Sasuke-kun, I can't do this on my own" I said softly, giving his hand a little squeeze With that, he took a longer deep breath, well at least he looked a little calmer now.
"Calm down, I'll protect you with my life, all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me" Kakashi said looking around at us and smiling behind his mask reassuringly. He was a clone, I could sense it.
"I wouldn't be so sure..." came Zabuza's voice. He appeared behind me in front of Tazuna. My heart froze inside my chest and turned my blood to ice. My muscles ached with the extreme tension through them, yet in my statue like state, I felt helpless. "It's over..."
Kakashi appeared, pushing all of us out of harms way. We all went tumbling over the ground.
"Hey, hey Sasuke? You okay?" I asked, putting my free hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He nodded, though still seemed a little shaky. I was losing feeling in my hand... But the shaken Uchiha refused to let go.
Kakashi had stabbed a kunai into Zabuza's stomach. But instead of blood, water flowed out. A clone... but it was made of water? That's why I could sense Zabuza some where else... It was the same with Kakashi... Damn this is confusing! Neji had a hard time explaining clones to me. I had a hard time believing it until he showed me.
"Sensei behind you!" Naruto shouted suddenly. Another Zabuza had behind our sensei.
"DIE!" it shouted swinging its sword at Kakashi. Kakashi was chopped in half. Until Kakashi turned to water.
"Don't move" said another Kakashi, holding a kunai at Zabuza's neck. "Now it's over."
"You're finished!" Kakashi shouted.
"YOSH!!" cheered Naruto, relieved yet excited. Zabuza chuckled evilly.
"Finished? Your technique is nothing but an imitation you think I can be defeated by a mere copycat ninja like you? You are full of surprises, though you'd already copied my jutsu when you did your little speech, very skilfully executed; you made your clone say those words to draw my attention, while you hid in the mist, waiting for me to make my move. Nice try... But I'm not that easy to fool!!" Zabuza cried, as another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi. The one in front of Kakashi burst into water.
"Hey that one's a clone too!" Naruto shouted. Zabuza threw his sword at Kakashi who ducked. The sword hit the ground and Zabuza used it by holding the handle and aiming a kick at Kakashi. Kakashi was sent flying.
"NOW!" Zabuza shouted pulling his sword out of the ground. He ran at Kakashi but was stopped by spikes on the ground.
"Matsabishi spikes? Trying to slow me down? ...Humph, foolish..." Zabuza said before diving into the water.
"SENSEI!" Naruto shouted.
"He has great physical skill too" Sasuke said. He was still holding my hand. Not that I could feel it, all the blood was gone... It'll fall off any moment now... Realising this Sasuke let go. With a muffle "Gomen" which I think was an apology. I sighed in relief, rubbing my sore, blood deprived fingers.
Kakashi surfaced in the water, his head bobbing in view. That water was weird. I had a really bad feeling.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!!" I shouted, making my genin team mates' jump.
"Heh, FOOL! Water Prison Jutsu!!" shouted Zabuza. A sphere of water surrounded Kakashi trapping him. Zabuza chuckled evilly.
"This prison is made from water but it's stronger than steel, it's hard to fight when you can't move. I'll finish you off later but first... your little friends will have to be eliminated" said Zabuza, turning to face us...