The Dragon in the Maelstrom
Chapter 17: Precious People.
Written by Jlargent.
Me: Another year has come and gone and it is now 2011. So from me to you Happy New Year. Now that that's done I do not own Naruto or ATLA in any shape or form.
Naruto's POV
I decided to head outside after my little speech to Inari about his behavior I head out to a nearby clearing and decided to unleash my pent up frustrations and do some evening training. What Inari said to me last night reminded me how bad things were for me before mom adopted me, shaking my head of thoughts of the past I focus on trying to improve my genjutsu skills by practicing my tree walking technique and meditation to increase my charka control and using my new favorite jutsu the Shadow Clone and I thought back to what my mom told me about it.
Flashback
"Now Naruto this jutsu is a double edged sword technique. It's primary use is gathering information, whenever a clone is dispelled or destroyed the information that is has gathered is transferred back to the caster. While this may be useful you also should be aware of overusing it especially if you use several at once. If you dispel multiple shadow clones all at once then the information feedback can cause severe brain damage to the user, at best you should dispel them at five minute intervals in order to give you time to sort out the information that you received. Also since it is a charka construct it shares the same personality traits of the user, not to mention since you really don't need the control you can be a literal one-man army. Now I want you to create a single clone for me."
I followed her command and mom takes it with her out of sight all of a sudden a feeling of pain hits me and makes me collapse on the ground as the memories come rushing in;
Clone's POV
I follow boss's mom into the clearing and all of a sudden she teleports behind me and delivers an atomic wedgie and follows up with a strong kick in between my legs. The last thing I remember is boss's mom whispering in my ear.
"That's what you get for all the pranks." and with that nothingness is what I feel.
Naruto's POV
I open my eyes to see mom with a sadistic grin that promises untold pain and suffering. Before mom has me creating multiple clones in an attempt to prevent bodily harm on me as a form of training.
End flashback
I break out of my thoughts after dispatching the last shadow clone and assimilate the memories and make a mental note to wear reinforced gloves in the future for additional power in my punches when exhaustion was coursing through me, I glance at the night sky and lie down on the cool grass and close my eyes and before I know it I…started…to feel…tired.
The next morning
I groan at the feeling of a hand gently shaking my shoulder bringing me to a full alertness I stretch realigning my spine from my awkward position and open my eyes to see a girl my age wearing a light pink kimono gazing down on me with kindness in her eyes as she gently brushes my shoulders scaring the birds that were perched there off.
"You need to get up other wise you'll catch a cold laying on the ground like this." the girl spoke in a soft melodic voice as she gently pulls me up off the ground as I stretch to regain feeling in my legs I brush my pants off and remove some of the morning dew that has accumulated the night before.
"Thank you miss…" I said to her fishing for a name to go with the face.
"My apologies, my name is Haku. And you are?" the girl now revealing herself to be Haku asks me as I finally finish removing the stiffness out of my joints.
"Naruto Uzumaki. So tell me what a nice girl like you is doing in a place like this?" I ask her curiously while she sets the small basket she was carrying with her on the ground and starts searching the grasses for something.
"I'm out here looking for some medicinal herbs for my father. He was attacked by some bandits on our way here and the clinic in town was closed due to Gato's influence." Haku explained I thought for a moment and remembered that there was several businesses that were shut down and it would make sense that Gato would target places that give him the least amount of trouble.
"What about you? Why are you outside sleeping on the cold ground?" Haku asks me.
"Me? Well last night I had gotten mad and decided to come out here and vent out my frustrations. By the time I was finished I was too tired to head back to the house I was staying at and fell asleep here." I spoke as Haku raises her head up and looks at me.
"Judging by your clothing are you a ninja by any chance?" I admit a feeling of pride was swelling up in me as she was talking to me.
"Yes. Why do you ask?" I ask her as Haku's eyes became clouded in thought.
"Do you have someone precious to you?" she asks me throwing me completely off guard by her statement.
"What do you mean 'someone precious'?" I ask her as my voice seemed to focus her attention to the past.
"I have heard that when you are fighting for a person you deeply care about then you're truly strong." Haku said as her words made me think to the people that have become precious to me: The Hokage, mom, Anko, Iruka and Hinata and various others that I have made a connection to drift into my mind.
"You're right, I didn't realize that a person fighting for someone precious to them makes them strong. Well I have to get back to where I am staying, it was very nice to meet you. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere else." I said as Haku finishes picking collecting the herbs she needed.
"It was very nice to meet you as well Naruto." Haku said as she turned to walk away but stops at the edge of the clearing and turned to face me.
"By the way, I'm actually a boy." the now revealed boy tells me as she/he turns back to the forest and continues onward Holy shit! Only I would be attracted to another guy. Well he looked too feminine to actually be male in the first place so that's not my fault. I wonder if Inochi could erase this memory from my mind when we get back to Konoha? I thought as I head back to Tazuna's home contemplating a possible mental breakdown.
The next morning.
I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping in the air after a grueling day of training the previous night I managed to stumble into the house and collapse on my sleeping bag not bothering to change out of my clothes and immediately fall asleep. I pull myself off the floor and amble towards the bathroom and turn on the faucet and splash cold water onto my face waking me up. I head into the kitchen where Tsunami was cleaning the breakfast dishes.
"Good morning Tsunami." I call out catching her by surprise.
"Oh Naruto! Good morning, your mom told me to tell you that you're having the day off." Tsunami said as she resumed washing dishes and I realize that my mom and the rest of my team has gone off to protect the old man without me, I quickly rush to the room I was sleeping in and quickly grab an extra kunai holster and rush out the door. I stop at the entrance and make a few clones and ordered them to guard the house in case Gato sends some of his thugs here and rush off into the forest taking a shortcut to the bridge.
As I hop through the trees a revelation hits me: the hunter nin that incapacitated Zabuza said that his orders were to bring him in alive. That doesn't sound right, why would a hunter nin bring in his prey alive when they are supposed to kill them on sight? Unless he's a really good actor. Damn it we've been had, Zabuza's alive. I need to tell mom about this when I make it to the bridge. I thought to myself as I make my way towards the bridge only to see the incomplete end covered in a thick fog I spoke to soon he's already here I mentally cursed as I picked up speed.
Azula's POV
Shit, shit, SHIT! I didn't expect that hunter nin to fake Zabuza's death, let alone show up for a rematch. I thought as Anko and I engage Zabuza in a fight while Katara is guarding Tazuna and Hinata and Shino are fighting the fake hunter nin. I duck Zabuza's sword as Anko let loose with a few kunais coated in poison striking Zabuza dead on, only to break apart in a splash of water indicating that it was a water clone.
"Damn it Zabuza fight fair!" Anko growled in frustration.
"We're ninjas, if you wanted a fair fight, fight a samurai. Otherwise it's every ninja for themselves." Zabuza remarked as two more water clones appeared.
Hinata's POV
I jump to my left as I dodge a senbon needle aimed for my throat and Shino tries to kick the hunter nin only to miss completely as the hunter twists his body at an almost impossible angle leaning backwards as the three of us separate and prepared for the next attack.
"I must admit I am impressed by your skills. But it ends here." the hunter nin spoke as he then run his hands through several signs until he stops on the tiger sign "Ice style: Demonic Ice Mirrors." he finished as the water surrounding us from the destruction of the water clones started to rise and form into multiple mirrors surrounding us in a dome. The hunter nin then steps backwards into the mirror behind him and to our amazement became one with it.
"Now you shall see real speed." he said in a dark tone as the mirror turned slightly and reflected onto the other mirrors giving each mirror his image as he pulls out three needles.
Naruto's POV
I arrive to see my mom and Anko fighting Zabuza, Katara guarding the old man and a dome of mirrors rotating slowly as if it was a carousel and I could see between the mirrors that Hinata and Shino were standing there and their clothes looks as though they had seen better days, I rush over to the both of them only to see the figure in the mirrors prepare to launch senbon needles I run as fast as I can but to my horror I was too late and bore witness to multiple needles sticking out of my friends as the call to the ground.
With a roar of anguish I enter the mirrored dome and grab Hinata and shake her shoulders.
"Hinata, HINATA! Please don't die. We have so much to do together and I can't bear the thought of you not being there with me." I cried desperately as I grip her tightly crying into her shoulder, I stop as Hinata's arm lifts up and gently brushes my cheek as her lips move in a whisper.
"Naruto I am glad for the times we had together and I want you to live your life without any regrets. I knew this would happen and I accept it, I only wish that we didn't have to part so soon." her final words ring in my ear as her hand drops to the ground, I gently lay Hinata onto the ground and wipe the tears from my eyes and raise my head to the reflections of the Hunter nin that has surrounded me.
"Is this the first time you have seen a comrades die before your eyes? Many ninjas never forget that moment that they curse themselves for being weak and not saving them and not being there sooner. If it helps they fought and died like true shinobi, never flinching and facing the threat as best they could. For that they have earned my respect." the hunter nin spoke as he pulls out more needles and his reflections copying his actions would tell a normal ninja that they would face a quick and painful death but I am not a normal ninja.
At that moment all the anger and rage of my friends being killed in front of me was building until at last I submit to the Kyuubi's power and unleash a roar of anger and death to my enemies as the charka starts to coat me like a shell.
"You shall pay for this!" I roar as I let my rage consume me and become lost in the sheer power of the Kyuubi's charka flooding me. The fake hunter nin starts firing needle after needle in an attempt to stop me but with a roar I deflect them and dodge the attempted attack that the nin tried to perform from above me but I grab his leg and he hisses in pain as the Kyuubi's chakra was burning his bare skin, I then throw him through one of his own mirrors shattering it and grab Hinata's killer by his shirt and lift him into the air.
"I want to see the face of the one who killed my precious people." I growled as I reach for the mask of the person that killed my friends.
To be continued.
Me: I know I'm a bastard for having a cliffhanger end this chapter but don't worry the wait is worth it. Next time: Gato's fall. Keep the reviews coming people they make the fics go round.
As always Hoody Hoo!