Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Team 7's Ascension
Chapter VIII – Water the Seed II
Tatsu, Tora, U – Naruto sped through the necessary seal sequence for his next Jutsu. Inhaling deeply as soon as he felt the buildup of chakra in his body, he abandoned the positions of his hands and switched over to a single handed Hitsuji with his right, while his left formed a ring in front of his mouth not unlike Sasuke's Gōkakyū.
"Suitōn: Mizurappa!"
A droplet of sweat moved slowly alongside his cheek as he concentrated on changing the properties of the technique, until the wave of water he had spat at the last loyal Uchiha was condensed into a thin beam with tenfold the pressure of the original Jutsu.
Sasuke had jumped to the side to avoid the wave but quickly continued to use further evasive maneuvers and flipped a few times, bringing some space between him and the Uzumaki. His red eyes narrowed as he saw that the technique had managed to gauge several inches deep into the hard earth toward the end.
With a bit more training and after the first few steps of elemental manipulation the beam could easily become capable of slicing through flesh and bone.
After this short analysis, Sasuke quickly started moving again and ran in an arc toward the blond, cycling through his own hand seals in the process.
"Katōn: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
Rather than using this technique airborne to carpet bomb a large area, Sasuke stayed on the ground and reduced the target area significantly – in return also shortening the intervals in which he spat out the small balls of flame.
Every time a new shot of fire left his mouth, he added a shuriken into the mix and concealed them in the flames of his technique.
Naruto didn't even attempt to run away. He knew that Sasuke could chase him endlessly with this attack as long as he stayed on the ground. The blond instantly move toward Sasuke – the quicker he came into Taijutsu range, the faster Sasuke would have to abandon his technique – and evaded the deadly flames while swaying from left to right.
It was a straight-up fight between Naruto's reflexes and Sasuke's ability to predict his teammate's movements.
The Uzumaki grinned as he finally made it through the barrage. He slashed with his kunai sideways, but Sasuke had quickly stepped backward to avoid having his throat cut open. That alone left the blond floundering for a second.
Naruto had anticipated that Sasuke would block the slash with his ninja-to. The reality was different though and he had nearly taken his friend's head off with his last attack. The Uchiha hadn't even touched his weapon...
… why?
Naruto's eyes narrowed; then they widened minutely as he saw wire glinting between Sasuke's teeth.
He had no time to contemplate further strategies of boxing Sasuke in. All his mental powers were – at the moment – occupied with surviving the double-layered attack the Uchiha had sent his way.
With the abrupt back step Sasuke had taken and some excellent wire-work, the shuriken were pulled into the direction of Naruto's unguarded back and left the blond no chance but to jump into the air where he'd be extremely vulnerable.
Triumph glinted in Sasuke's eyes. He had trained endlessly for the next maneuver and now it would finally make its debut. Sasuke unclenched his teeth, letting the wire fall to the ground – which didn't slow down the incoming projectiles – and quickly threw eight different shuriken toward the ones he had previously hidden in his flames.
Sasuke grinned. The shuriken met each other in a shower of sparks and just like he had calculated, the returning ones were hit at angles that caused them to fly into the air – directly toward the defenseless Uzumaki.
His satisfied grin was short-lived though, as he remembered what incredible strides his teammate had made when it came to using the Kawarimi. His hand went to his back and he unsheathed his ninja-to, bringing it up to guard his left side.
Had it been a second too late, Naruto's kunai would have impaled him.
His sharingan searched frantically for the target Naruto had used to substitute himself with...
… and his expression became comical as he noticed the bit of wire he had discarded earlier, loftily falling to the ground – some of the shuriken still bound to it.
The stalemate ended as soon as both males of Team 7 heard the unmistakable voice of their pink-haired teammate.
"Dotōn: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!"
Naruto and Sasuke jumped apart, just as Sakura's hands broke through the ground.
"Damn," she grouched as she heaved herself out of the earth.
Cursing her teammates' quick thinking, Sakura sprinted toward Naruto and wove several hand seals for a weak illusion. The moment of surprise had been her only chance of winning the three-way spar between them, and her current position was precarious.
There was no way she'd survive a close combat engagement with both of them pressing her from different directions.
"Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu!"
To her satisfaction, she felt the Genjutsu taking hold of Naruto's senses. The blond had learned how to recognize and dispel minor illusions – that, however, didn't mean that he could do so instantly.
The precious few seconds she gained while the Uzumaki rid himself of her technique was all the time she needed to reach his position and somersault over him, throwing two kunai in the process.
"Katōn: Endan!"
For a moment, Sakura feared for the safety of her blond friend. Sasuke had been right behind her as she raced toward Naruto, and if the searing hot stream of fire hit its target... nothing but a well and truly cooked Genin would remain.
Her somersault came to an end and she landed in a crouch behind Naruto, only to see that the wounds she inflicted with her kunai leaked water instead of blood.
Mizu Bunshin...
Her eyes widened. Naruto's body dissolved into a puddle of water, and now Sasuke's lance of fire was directed solely at her.
Sakura bit her lip in concentration and scrounged up a sizable amount of chakra before flying through a seal sequence and slapping her palms on the ground.
"Dotōn: Doroku Gaeshi!"
The wall of stone rose just in time, and she felt the flames of Sasuke's technique lick greedily at her quickly improvised safety barrier.
Sakura knew though that her foremost concern now should go toward evading the boys, and eventually losing her status as primary target for them. She simply didn't have the chakra reserves of her teammates and couldn't hold her own in a prolonged Jutsu fight against them.
Through Naruto's clever deployment of his Mizu Bunshin and the subsequent Kawarimi with it, she had completely lost sight of the maverick and that was as unfortunate as it got in such a spar. A tactical retreat was in order, if possible before Sasuke and Naruto went after her again.
The wall shielded her from sight for a few seconds and Sakura quickly performed a seal-less Bunshin that took her place while she vanished into the ground – courtesy of the Moguragakure no Jutsu Kakashi-sensei had taught her in combination with the Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu.
When she emerged behind the treeline that surrounded the clearing they were sparring in – several dozen feet away from her Bunshin – Sakura went down on her knees and breathed heavily. A frown marred her face as she analyzed the previous engagement.
She would definitely have to think of different strategies to surprise her teammates, as well as creating more room for escape maneuvers. Her ambush hadn't worked – it was unfortunate, but couldn't be helped. The fact that she had to use up nearly all of her chakra just to escape major injuries afterward... that irked her something fierce though.
Sakura moved a bit to the left and peeked around the tree. The second her chakra had stopped to sustain the stone wall, Sasuke's ninja-to cut through her Bunshin and unraveled the E-ranked Genjutsu.
Naruto chose exactly that moment to substitute himself with one of the kunai Sakura had previously thrown at his Mizu Bunshin and now entangled Sasuke in a fierce bout of Taijutsu that forced the Uchiha to momentarily abandon his weapon.
A harsh kick broke through the blond's guard and sent him flying a few feet away. Sakura had to admire the relentlessness of Naruto though... even injured and airborne, the Uzumaki managed to speed through a quick set of seals.
His goal became clear a split-second later, as a Mizu Bunshin – the second one during this spar – rose from the puddle the first one had left behind. Immediately it continued to prevent the Uchiha from using any Ninjutsu, or picking up his weapon.
The Mizu Bunshin didn't hold up long against the prodigal Genin, but it bought enough time for the original Naruto to rejoin the fight.
Sitting on a branch and observing the spar of Team 7 was Kakashi, his sharingan uncovered to spot even the most miniscule mistakes his cute little charges made. He inwardly patted himself on the shoulder as he watched them duke it out in the clearing of Ground 18.
After their first C-ranked mission two months ago, he had been quick to accelerate their competence in the Ninjutsu department. It was a simple, yet effective deal he had hashed out with his Genin. For each C-rank they completed to his satisfaction he had promised to teach them a new technique, regardless whether it was Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, or another esoteric shinōbi discipline.
It motivated them – nah, made them eager even – to take new missions. Something which actually had been a bit of a problem after the slaughter of bandits they had lived through during their first one. Another bonus point was that it gave him ample possibility to further mold and direct them into certain ways concerning their individual skill sets.
The majority of his offerings were, of course, usable Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.
Nonetheless, he had also given them instructions on different aspects of the shinōbi life. After their third C-rank – a quaint delivery mission to Otafuku Gai – for example, he had given Naruto the necessary instructions to finally produce his own storage scrolls.
They had really believed he didn't notice Sakura pilfering a few basic Fūinjutsu scrolls during their D-rank mission time...
… a bit naive but as Genin they couldn't help it, he supposed.
For other Jonin-sensei, giving out techniques at such a rapid pace would be a problem. He, however, was Sharingan no Kakashi, an Elite Jōnin who had copied over a thousand Jutsu. His fountain of new things to teach was far away from running dry anytime soon.
Ascending the stairs toward the Hokage's office, Naruto felt somewhat giddy as he thought about the prospect of another mission. The last one had been a week ago, and the surprising summon from the Sandaime made him believe that this time Team 7 could actually net a B-rank. It certainly was unusual that the Hokage had asked explicitly for them, a squad of mere Genin.
… I wonder what Sarutobi-ji wants from us, Naruto mused and chewed on the stem of his pipe in silent contemplation.
His teammates were walking next to him with equal looks of thoughtfulness visible on their faces. He exhaled slowly, gradually releasing intoxicating plumes of smoke that wafted through the air.
As soon as Kakashi-sensei – who had been walking in front of them – stepped through the office entrance, Naruto heard the Elite Jōnin's grave voice, "Team 7 reporting in as requested, Hokage-sama."
Naruto noticed the severity in the man's usual jovial tone, as did the rest of the team.
Their Jōnin-sensei hadn't missed the peculiar nature of the summon either, it seemed. Team 7's steps on the wooden floor were barely audible as they slid up next to him and stood in line, ready to receive their orders.
The solemn expression Naruto's surrogate grandfather wore was instantly replaced when he noticed the arrival of Team 7. It morphed into a steely one and that – more than anything else, really – convinced the blond maverick...
… whatever had forced the Hokage's hand to summon them, it wasn't a light matter.
"You're here; good. Your next mission is classified as a B-rank, possible A-rank," Sarutobi began.
Naruto's eyebrows rose.
Possibly A-ranked?
He observed his wizened leader and found that the man looked more angry with the situation than anything else.
"Three days ago, Team 10 under the leadership of Sarutobi Asuma left the village to escort a bridge builder to Nami no Kuni," the Hokage explained. "As it stands, they encountered a pair of nukenin, called the Demon Brothers."
The gray eyes of the Sandaime narrowed in obvious displeasure as he continued, "Despite the fact that their client obviously lied about the parameters, Sarutobi Asuma and Team 10 continued with their mission, but asked for backup."
With a quick motion, the Hokage threw a scroll at them which was snatched out of the air by Kakashi. "The details of your mission are in the scroll. Dismissed."
Naruto knew that he probably wasn't meant to hear it, but his sensitive ears picked up a few mumbled words from his leader as they filed out of the room.
"... go and save my foolish offspring and his team."
Outside of the Hokage Tower, Team 7 waited for their Jōnin-sensei to read the mission scroll.
Kakashi himself was shaking his head minutely as he skimmed over the black ink written on the parchment. The repercussions would be high once Asuma and his team made it back in one piece, he knew. Changes in mission parameters weren't unusual – generally excepted even in most cases – but those rules only applied to teams consisting of Chūnin and Jōnin.
To simply bullhead his way through a mission where the next enemy was guaranteed to be a shinōbi of a higher caliber was simply asking for disaster to strike if you simultaneously had to protect a team of inexperienced Genin.
"Your instructions, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked after seeing that the Elite Jōnin had put the scroll in one of the many pockets on his vest.
"We're going to follow Team 10's trail and then support them in order to complete the original mission. The chance that we encounter hostile shinōbi is high, so be prepared," Kakashi answered her question.
"For how long do we have to pack?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi looked toward the sky for a moment before he turned back to his blond student and answered, "It's unclear if the count of enemies is the only parameter that's changed. Pack for two weeks at least... better yet, make it a month. We're meeting up at the main gate in one hour."
The Jōnin made sure that his charges had understood his instructions and then used the Shunshin to make his own preparations.
As Kakashi walked through his apartment and gathered every necessary tool to kill someone he could find, the chain in his psyche that normally leashed his anger came loose for a second and unbridled rage mixed with grim determination flashed through his lone eye.
… if the mission was truly going to escalate into the A-ranking, he'd make damn sure that none of his Genin were going to die.
His gaze swiveled over to the old armor he had worn during his years in ANBU. Kakashi shook his head. He wouldn't wear the armor again – he had promised that to himself the moment he quit the black-ops.
Then he hesitated.
Not the whole armor; never again.
… but perhaps …
Kakashi lifted the two arm guards from the shelf and stared at them for several minutes, replaying the horrors of his time in service to the village in his mind. Shedding the last bit of hesitation, he put them on his arms and fastened them.
… they fit just as good as they had done back then, he mused.
His eye examined the various inscribed symbols on them. Fūinjutsu – the personal modifications he had made over the years – the same art he now tried to impart on one of his Genin.
And why shouldn't he? His own sensei had been one of the most accomplished masters of Fūinjutsu to ever wander the Elemental Nations. Kakashi's prowess wasn't even close to being comparable, but he had picked up his fair share of knowledge...
He walked away from the shelf and continued to pack everything else that he could possibly need on the mission – the bracers never left his arms.
The Genin of Team 7 abandoned the roofs as soon as they were only seconds away from Naruto's apartment. It was the closest place to the training grounds they heavily frequented, and most of the time – after Kakashi drilled them for hours on end – neither Sakura, nor Sasuke had the strength to walk any further toward their own homes.
Thus the small two-room apartment, while being a bit cramped with all three of them, became the place they met, ate, and sometimes even slept. Naruto who had lacked companionship during the most parts of his childhood certainly didn't mind his teammates' presence.
They quickly entered and Naruto immediately walked over to one of his cupboards, rummaging through the many different scrolls stacked up within. Sasuke had been the one who got the idea that now, with the Uzumaki's budding skills in Fūinjutsu, they could have him seal all the necessary equipment into prepared scrolls – even tailored accordingly to the possible length of their missions.
Naruto had been skeptical at first. Not because he wouldn't be able to seal the stuff, but because preparing so many scrolls for all three of them required an incredible amount of weapons beforehand.
… and again, the mighty Uchiha Armory came through. The amount of weapons Sasuke brought him on the next day had been staggering.
"... 1W? No. 2W? No... Ah, there you are!" Naruto exclaimed and pulled three scrolls out of the cupboard. "Here we go: three 'one month' standard issues filled with twenty kunai, two-hundred shuriken, ten kibakufudas and all the other good stuff..."
Before he could continue with listing everything positive about his beloved scrolls, Sakura walked past him. Completely disregarding the appreciating looks of her teammates, she stripped out of her clothes and moved toward the shower in the adjacent bathroom.
Naruto quickly gathered himself and threw the scrolls at Sasuke who expertly fished them out of the air and laid them down on the table.
"C'mon, Bastard," Naruto said with a grin, shrugging off his own clothes. "We better join Pinky in the shower, or we won't make it in time."
Sasuke – who would have balked at such a behavior a few months ago – shot the blond a look that screamed 'Way ahead of you, Dobe' as he carefully took of his armor.
Exactly one hour after they received their mission, Team 7 stood outside the main gate of Konoha and awaited further instructions from their Jōnin-sensei.
"Team 10 had to travel at civilian speed toward Nami no Kuni. We'll follow their route until we either find them, or arrive at our destination," Kakashi explained.
After those words all four jumped upward, propelled themselves from a low hanging branch and vanished into the treetops.
It took them around fifty hours of fast traveling alongside, or better said, above the road until they crossed the barely marked border between Hi no Kuni and Nami no Kuni. So far, Team 10 and their Jōnin-sensei remained illusive, but Team 7 had spotted at least one place on their way where trails of battle permeated the area.
The road they had followed ended at the eastern shore of Hi no Kuni and if they squinted hard enough, the Genin of Team 7 could even see the large isle across the mass of water – their destination.
"Well... I can't see any boats around so we have to cross the distance by water walking," Kakashi said and observed the incredulous expressions that appeared on the faces of his Genin.
He narrowed his eye a bit to remind them of the gravity of their mission. "Don't complain and consider it as a training exercise. If we're quick, then we can cross the distance within a few hours."
The unspoken message – your comrades are in danger – wasn't lost on them and they instantly followed their sensei onto the water.
Kakashi granted his charges an hour of respite after they arrived on the island in a record time of three hours – record time for most Chūnin that was. Those last hours had shown him, once again, that he had been right in his training methods, barbaric and sadistic as they were.
The cohesion between each member of the team was simply astounding.
He looked over to Sasuke and Naruto. Both were sitting under a tree, sweating like pigs and massaging their cramped and strained legs. Then he observed the pink-haired girl on his team and a feeling of pride filled him when he saw the incredible determination beneath the look of shame she wore.
Sakura had made incredible strides under his tutelage and her reserves had grown exponentially. Still, it hadn't been enough to constantly push chakra out of her feet for more than two hours, and for the last sixty minutes Naruto and Sasuke had taken turns in carrying her.
As far as he could see it, the girl – no, the young woman – wasn't just displeased by her moment of weakness, she downright loathed it with all her being. It was a far cry from the little girl he had once crushed completely.
Moments like this, Kakashi was sure, would give her the necessary will she needed to overcome her limitations. It had become clearer with each passing month that Sakura's aim wasn't just being useful anymore.
No. She wanted to be equally as strong as Naruto and Sasuke. She wanted to stand on the same pedestal as the obvious, and the hidden prodigies of her team.
It would be a long and arduous way. Somehow though, Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the thought.
She'd make it someday.
He was sure of that.
"Holy..." Naruto exclaimed as he surveyed the terrain in front of him.
The damage that had been done to this place was extensive enough that he could easily place the skills of their possible opponents at Jōnin-level. The small clearing next to the river was littered with shuriken, kunai and even three fuma-shuriken.
Sakura was crouching next to the blond and whispered, "The amount of chakra saturating the air is incredible."
"My thoughts exactly," commented Kakashi. "Sasuke, use your sharingan and tell me what you see."
Charcoal black morphed into blood red with two tomoe in each eye. "... I see blue wisps of chakra," Sasuke replied.
"Isn't that just normal chakra?"
"No... Normal chakra would be dark gray... I've seen blue before – when I sparred with you, Dobe," Sasuke explained. "Never this much though and the fight must have been days ago. Our opponents are definitely proficient at Suitōn."
"Orders?" Sakura asked.
"Sasuke, secure the perimeter. Sakura, Naruto... you're with me. Let's see if we can find something," Kakashi commanded.
As Sasuke vanished into the woods, Naruto kneed on the ground and carefully plucked a shuriken out of the dirt. He inspected it from all possible angles before taking another one.
Soon enough he looked at his sensei and said, "These shuriken are completely dulled, at least always at one edge. They're Konoha standard issue... so either Team 10 doesn't care for its equipment, or the enemy had something of superior metal quality to block them."
Sakura, who was standing half-way up a large tree, inspected a gigantic gash. "I don't think we have to search long for a reason, Kakashi-sensei."
The Hatake quickly joined her and looked over the evidence his student had found.
"Only a two-handed sword, or a proficient Futōn user could leave such a deep imprint," Kakashi uttered and frowned.
"The perimeter is clear. Nothing out of the ordinary was spotted," Sasuke interrupted as he landed between his teammates on the ground.
"Good work you three," Kakashi praised them. "From what we've found I can make a well educated guess and say that our opponent is probably one of those pesky sword men Kiri's pumping out like Naruto pumps out smoke."
"Oi!"
"It could potentially be a random Jōnin from Kiri, but it troubles me that our opponent worked together with the Demon Brothers. So, he's probably a nukenin... and the only ones from Kiri with such big blades are the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū."
Sasuke looked at Kakashi and asked, "What exactly does that mean for us?"
"... several things," the Hatake answered. "Our enemy is either Hoshigaki Kisame, Kurosuki Reiga, or Momochi Zabuza – those are the three sword men who've gone rogue in the last ten years. Every other sword men is either dead or loyal."
Then, Kakashi's eye narrowed into a thin slit. "That, of course, doesn't tell us whether Team 10's dead or not. We have to go on and gather more information."
The four nodded to each other and quickly took to the trees again. Their destination was the place where – according to their map – the nearest village should be.
As the night slowly settled in, Team 7 finally arrived in Shizuku-mura – one of the three villages big enough to be marked on their map. They hid themselves on a rooftop and used the shadows to remain unseen while planning out their next course of action.
"They're dirt poor..." Naruto murmured after observing the streets for just a few minutes. "It makes no sense. They should be swimming in money from the sea trade alone," he continued.
The Uzumaki knew just how much poverty could affect a kid and seeing children running around in rags, begging for food just rubbed him the wrong way.
"We need to get some intel," Kakashi decided at last. "Naruto, Sasuke... use the henge and visit the bars. Look if you can find out anything."
Then Kakashi's expression turned solemn as he gazed at the pink-haired Genin of his team. "I wanted to wait with this for a while, Sakura... but the circumstances demand action. Your objective is gathering information through seduction – use the advanced Henge I showed you, if necessary. Your possible targets are bandits and mercenaries who could have been hired by our opponent."
Growls emerged from Sasuke's and Naruto's throats at the mention of seduction. Sakura looked over to her teammates and saw that their eyes had narrowed remarkably. For a moment, Naruto's cerulean blue even acquired a small tint of red.
Kakashi had noticed the reactions of course and decided to give Sakura a last bit of advice, "If someone gets too fresh with you, dispose him. This isn't a Bouji-mission..."
Then he turned to the male members of his team and said, "You two... be careful not to drink too much. We've yet to test how you hold your liquor. Now, get to it!"
… in the meanwhile I'll try to find out more about this Tazuna character, Kakashi thought as he watched his charges jump away.
Two hours later they met again on the same rooftop. After a short query if Sakura was alright, which she confirmed with a yes, they compiled their findings.
"So... Gato, the business tycoon, is suffocating this country, pays several dozen thugs to do his bidding and additionally hired two shinōbi. One of them always wears a mask and the other one carries a sword that looks like a meat cleaver," Kakashi summarized.
"I'm pretty sure now that our opponent is Momochi Zabuza, A-ranked nukenin," he finished.
Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "We basically got nothing on the second shinōbi. All we know is that he looks like an Oi-nin."
"I wonder what kind of story Tazuna has told Team 10 for them to actually continue this mission," Naruto grouched. "This is so far out of their league..."
Sakura nodded in agreement. It might sound arrogant, but from what little gossip she had actually managed to pick up while doing D-ranked missions, she could tell that Ino's team wasn't even half as trained as her own was.
"Speaking of Tazuna," Kakashi interrupted. "I've managed to get the location of his house and it looks like Team 10 is still alive. From what I've gathered, he always has some shinōbi kids around him when he works on the bridge."
"Well... then let's go to Tazuna's home," Naruto said.
"Right," Kakashi agreed. "Team, follow me!"
With a huge leap, the Hatake jumped off the roof and vanished into the darkness of the night. Team 7 didn't need any further instructions and immediately followed him, looking forward to a hot meal and a good night's rest.
As they arrived at Tazuna's house, the four shinōbi still kept themselves hidden and crept through the shadows. They were ready to pull out their weapons at a moment's notice though, should the information they had gathered in Shizuku-mura be proven wrong.
Perhaps it was a tad paranoid, but it was a necessary precaution as far as Team 7 was concerned. With all the changes to the original mission parameters, it simply wouldn't do if they – additionally – also mistook an enemy's base of operation for their subject's home.
Kakashi revealed himself first. He walked toward the door and knocked softly while his Genin got in position to the sides and above of the house entrance. A short moment of silence ensued and stressed their nerves even further – until, finally, the sound of feet dragging over the wooden floor reached their ears.
"Hai?"
The tense atmosphere lifted instantly when they heard the unmistakable, lazy drawl of their former classmate. Now, being somewhat more relaxed, the Genin of Team 7 stepped into the light the opened door provided and came face to face with the bored expression of Shikamaru.
Kakashi stepped forward and regarded the Nara with a disapproving look. The boy had a kunai hidden behind his back – a wise precaution – but his stance was still too slouched. A well trained civilian could easily overwhelm him in this limited space, which was definitely a risk with all the thugs Gato had allegedly running around.
"Team 7, here to offer assistance," he addressed the Genin.
"Ah... well, come in then," Shikamaru drawled. Then, without another word he turned around and walked lazily into one of the adjacent rooms.
The Hatake frowned and turned back to his team. "Not exactly the kind of alertness I expected after they fought a shinōbi of Momochi's caliber... let's go in and take stock of the situation."
As soon as they walked into the room Shikamaru had apparently come from, they were greeted by a mixture of expressions ranging from curious over friendly to lovestruck.
"Good evening," Kakashi greeted the family to whom the house belonged. "I'm Hatake Kakashi, Jōnin of Konohagakure and this is Team 7. We received news that the mission became more difficult than originally planned and Hokage-sama dispatched our squad to provide further aid."
He sent the old man he assumed to be Tazuna a hard look, but his expression became visibly brighter once he refocused his lone eye on the brunette woman and her son. "My team is very self-sufficient, so please don't go through any trouble for us. We will hunt our own food, and the only thing that we need is a place to sleep."
The woman bowed in thanks, looking slightly ashamed and replied, "Thank you for your help, Hataka-san. I am Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, and this is my son, Inari. There's only one free room left and it's rather small, so we will have to improvise somehow."
"Ma, ma... no need to panic. We only need space for two persons anyway, because the other two will guard the house at night. The small room will fit our needs perfectly," Kakashi said and offered her a rare eye-smile.
His three students stood stoically behind him, although all three wondered what the hell happened with the demon they had come to know as their Jōnin-sensei. This cheery demeanor he currently displayed was something completely alien to them.
Tsunami smiled in relief and said, "Please feel at home and make yourself comfortable."
She bowed again and then vanished into the kitchen. Kakashi took that time to look around, formulating a course of action for the next few days.
"Naruto, take Sakura with you and hunt for some food – a rabbit will do," Kakashi said before turning to the Uchiha. "Sasuke, search for a good place from where you can oversee the area around the house. We don't need any surprises. Once you've all returned we'll go over the new mission parameters."
His students answered with a resounding, "Hai, Sensei!" Then they vanished, intent on fulfilling their orders.
Tazuna watched wide-eyed as the silver-haired Jōnin ordered his Genin around. They seemed to be around the same age as the other brats he had hired, but... they were different, somehow. A shiver run down his spine and he quickly took a large gulp of sake as the man who had introduced himself as Kakashi slowly seated himself at the table.
He had no doubt that the uncomfortable silence was intended by the man and Tazuna was relieved when the tension eased somewhat as Tsunami served the Jōnin some tea.
Kakashi took a sip, closing his eye for a second to enjoy the rich aroma. He murmured a quick thank you toward the brunette woman before turning his head to Asuma, who had watched silently alongside his team the whole time.
"We have several things to discuss, but first and foremost: how are you and your students Asuma?"
Asuma was an experienced shinōbi in his own right and didn't fidget under the Hatake's stern gaze as he answered, "My students aren't hurt, but I had a nasty case of chakra exhaustion and will need a few more days to recover."
Kakashi reevaluated the Jōnin in his mind. He knew that the bounty of eighty-million Ryu on Asuma's head hadn't been amassed by simply twiddling thumbs in the gigantic shadow of his father's reputation. That the man had taken on one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū and not only survived, but also won the encounter spoke well of his capabilities as a shinōbi.
Had it been Team 8 under the leadership of Yuuhi Kurenai – a freshly promoted Jōnin – the situation would be different, he knew. Still, the irresponsibility the Hokage's son had shown when continuing this mission was something the Hatake wouldn't easily forget.
"Momochi did quite a number on you, huh?" Kakashi uttered and eyed a few of Asuma's patched up wounds.
It was telling in itself that the man had a bandaged torso, visible because he had forgone his Jōnin-vest. The Sarutobi clan's strong constitution – not considered a bloodline, but still highly valued – was definitely working in Asuma's favor.
"Is Momochi dead?" Kakashi questioned.
Asuma scratched his beard and nodded slowly as he answered, "Ah... yes, he is."
"What about his accomplice?"
It was rare to catch a seasoned Jōnin flat-footed. Kakashi however didn't enjoy the dumbfounded look his fellow team leader returned. In fact, the particular expression of confusion on Asuma's face promised quite a headache for the Hatake and his Genin.
"Accomplice? What are you ta-," Asuma abruptly stopped. "The Oi-nin from Kiri?"
"Seems likely," Kakashi replied. "Before we arrived, we gathered some information in Shizuka-mura and learned that Momochi always had another shinōbi with him – a masked kid looking like an Oi-nin."
Asuma cursed under his breath, then looked back to Kakashi. "I checked Momochi's pulse before I let the Oi-nin take him away," the bearded Jonin explained. "If the Oi-nin really is his accomplice then he must have entered him in a deathlike state. The senbon! Of course... damn, how did I miss that?"
"It takes a while to recover from that, so you should be fully recovered by the time we have to face him again," Kakashi said and went over the numbers in his head. "That makes two Jōnin and six Genin against another Jōnin, a shinōbi which strength we don't know anything about, and several hundred thugs. Well, that's about as fair as it gets in our business."
Thirty minutes later, his three Genin stood before him once again.
"Report," Kakashi ordered while drinking his second cup of tea.
Naruto held up a bundle of two dead rabbits and smiled as he saw the approving look his sensei sent him. "Sakura gathered some herbs we can use to season them. I've seen a boar too, but that would've been overkill."
Sakura nodded in accordance to his explanation and showed a small satchel filled with the aforementioned herbs. It was just an easy order, but she was glad nonetheless that at least some of her acquired book smarts from her earlier days finally paid off.
Sasuke, standing next to his teammates, eyed the rabbits hungrily before reporting about his own doings, "I've found a large tree from which we can oversee the whole terrain a few hundred feet to the east... that should be the best place to station guards."
"Good work. Now, gather around and I'll fill you in," Kakashi complimented.
Team 7 quickly sat down next to their teacher and listened in on his explanation.
"As it stands, Asuma and I will fight against Momochi and the mysterious Oi-nin while Team 10 continues to guard Tazuna. Your missions will be somewhat more dangerous," Kakashi said, pleased to see that he had their full attention.
"We've got about five days until the next clash will inevitably happen... in that time I want you to search for Gato's headquarters and scout it out – without drawing attention to yourselves of course, in case the Oi-nin or Momchi are stationed there."
"Do we kill Gato?" Naruto asked grimly, eliciting gasp of surprise from the Yamanaka who had been silently watching Kakashi's and Asuma's discussion alongside her team.
Kakashi paid her no heed and nodded. "Yes, but that comes later. Gato's reputation precedes him... I have no doubt that he will eventually try to double-cross Momochi."
"Any specific orders after we've scouted the pig's headquarters?" Sakura asked.
"Yes... as soon as Gato and his band of thugs left, you'll infiltrate the base and see if you can liberate the man from his many monetary resources, Sakura. Sasuke, you are to eliminate Gato and his troops once they reach the forest and are on the way to the bridge."
Kakashi then turned to the blond on his team and said, "Naruto... your job will be to guarantee the safety of Tazuna's family. I wouldn't put it past the man to actually make an attempt at them. We'll also have to be careful of further shinōbi involvement. There's no telling whether the man hired more nukenins after Momochi failed the first time."
Team 7 nodded along with their Jōnin-sensei's explanation. The plan was sound and would keep them from getting overwhelmed by numbers. Open fields like the bridge were fine for a one on one battle, but not against that many foes.
If Gato's thugs made their way through the forest, Sasuke would easily be able to pick them apart piece after piece, leaving Kakashi enough room to fully concentrate on this Zabuza guy.
"Naruto, you'll take the first shift. Don't chew too much on your pipe and don't smoke in the house," Kakashi ordered with a smirk tugging at his lips.
Naruto only rolled his eyes and made his way out of the house, searching for the tree Sasuke had mentioned in his report. It didn't take him long to find it and after direction some chakra to his feet, he slowly walked up the trunk until he found a lovely, thick branch where he settled down.
In the house, Kakashi motioned toward the small room they would be inhabiting during this mission, and looked at Sasuke and Sakure. "You two know your objectives. Go to sleep, you'll need your strength tomorrow."
"Good night then," Sakura said and vanished inside the room, along with Sasuke.
As soon as they had left, Kakashi turned around to Tazuna. He noticed the man becoming more and more uncomfortable under the unwavering gaze of his eye. Tazuna's anxiety was palpable and if he really wanted to, Kakashi would probably be able to smell the sweat of fear running down the old man's back.
… good.
"I'm going to be brutally honest with you Tazuna-san," he started and the fearful look on the bridge builder's face only got worse. "You lied about pretty much every mission parameter and endangered three of Konoha's Genin. That is reason enough for either execution, or a heavy fine... and, just to be clear, had one of these three died – I'd be carving you up right now."
He noticed the wide-eyed expression of Team 10's Genin and made some shooing motions. "You three, go to your rooms and rest. You too will have a strenuous day tomorrow."
Ino first thought about protesting that order, but the harsh look of Sakura's sensei made her reconsider. This Jonin didn't seem as laid back as Asuma... and the efficiency in which he ordered around his Genin made her aware just how much they had screwed up on this mission.
Soon they heard the footsteps of Team 10, and when Kakashi deemed them far enough away, tightly compacted killer instinct started to ooze from him as his eye wandered to Asuma. The bearded Jōnin had expected something like this already and simply shook his head ruefully, looking ashamed of his own failures as a leader.
"Asuma, I can guarantee that this will have repercussions. It doesn't matter what kind of information you got from the client... leading half-trained Genin into a hostile combat situation is unjustifiable," Kakashi reprimanded. "Be assured that Hokage-sama will have words with you as soon as we're back in Konoha."
There were more things he would have liked to say, but those were better spoken in private.
"Tazuna-san, you're very lucky that we can – in all probability – alleviate Gato of some of his money, as it allows you to pay us accordingly. Team 10 and Team 7 will each receive the pay for an A-ranked mission. Additionally, you are expected to pay a fine for the miss information which might have cost three Genin their lives," Kakashi listed.
The Hatake did some quick calculations and his next words nearly made Tazuna's eyes explode.
"All in all, Konohagakure no Sato will receive about half a million Ryu for her services."
Then, without bothering to look at them any further, Kakashi rose from his seat and left toward the house's exit. He'd keep his blond student company for the night.
In the following days, the companionship between the Genin of Team 7 and 10 didn't exactly increase – more like the opposite, really. A certain kind of tenseness settled down in the bridge builder's home whenever the former classmates met, despite their past relations and friendships.
Talks between Ino and Sakura had been more than just awkward, they had even made the pink-haired Genin feel socially inept. The Haruno believed it to be the result of a huge gap in abilities and mindset that had formed between the former friends.
It was clear that while Kakashi had quickly made them see the error of their ways – letting them get in touch with the reality of their profession – Asuma had done nothing of the sort. Precious few topics were left for Sakura that she could actually involve Ino in, and the same went for her teammates.
Not to forget that it became an exercise in diplomacy to stop the trigger happy Uchiha from gutting Ino like a fish every time she tried to flirt with him. It actually took the combined forces of Sakura and Naruto to avoid the very real possibility of a bloodbath.
… bloodstains were so annoying to clean.
Early on in his life, Naruto had developed a certain fondness for the scion of the Nara clan, as well as the big-boned but always jovial Choji. They hadn't been friends per se, but they at least never ignored him and actually played with him sometimes.
All the more did it bother Naruto how things were developing between their teams. Especially the relationship between him and Shikamaru was strained, which he regretted, but couldn't really change.
Keeping a lax security as if he had no care in the world, never even bothering to train... and always the same bored expression when one of their superiors gave an order – Shikamaru's behavior was simply rubbing him the wrong way.
He wondered if it would help to talk with the Nara about this issue, but quickly discarded those thoughts. They were on a mission and he doubted that he had the necessary people skills not to make the matter even worse, which would endanger all their plans.
Irrespective of Ino's continued advances, Sasuke had similar troubles – although his anger, if one could really call it that, was directed against Team 10's Jōnin-sensei.
The man – son of the Hokage no less – had earned himself the respect of the Uchiha that came with his station as Jōnin. Then Sasuke witnessed that just now, when more than half a year since their graduation had already passed, Asuma taught his team how to walk on water.
It might have been that he was used to Kakashi's far stricter methods, but after watching Team 10's training for only two hours, an inexplicable shiver ran down his spine...
… perhaps it was comparable to a sense of dread.
The image of a burning Konoha, invaded by hostile nations and without any meaningful resistance appeared in his mind, and Sasuke shook his head forcefully.
This wasn't the time to ponder such thoughts. They still had a mission to accomplish.
On the day they had estimated Momochi to attack again, Naruto crouched on the branch of a tree and watched the area around Tazuna's house.
Men like Gato didn't hold themselves to a code of conduct when even a whiff of profit reached their greedy nostrils. It was a likely possibility that he had dispatched some thugs to harm the family in an attempt to weaken the moral, or to simply abduct them for later use as chips in his dirty game.
How many he would send was unclear and perhaps their would even be a shinōbi among them... whatever his plan was though, Naruto was determined to foil it.
He didn't have to wait too long; two hours at most.
The sound of rustling leaves and crushed twigs broke him out of the musings he had occupied himself with, and he quickly focused on the disturbance. A group of men equipped with axes and swords wandered out of the woods, taking the direct route to the house. They weren't talking – maybe in an attempt to surprise their victim – but didn't bother with sneaking around either.
In the end it didn't matter.
Naruto carefully laid down his pipe and took two kunai from his weapon pouch before starting to stalk his soon to be dead enemies. He moved silently from tree to tree until he halted on a branch directly over their position.
… the situation felt oddly familiar and with a start he remembered that the circumstances had been similar on his first day in Ground 44, months ago as he claimed the life of his first victim.
He ruthlessly squashed all unnecessary thoughts and jumped down with a kunai firmly gripped in each hand. The resistance of flesh as he drilled them into their necks didn't last longer than a split-second.
Naruto pulled the kunai out of his targets and landed in a crouch.
The other two men turned around when they heard the weird noises behind them and instinctively raised their weapons to ward off incoming attacks. Suddenly pain flooded their minds as the blond – still crouching on the ground – slashed their legs and unbalanced them.
Due to their momentary loss of balance it was easy to weave into their guards and slash their throats with his two already sullied kunai. Small splatters of blood landed on his face.
The kills were quick but not exactly clean, Naruto silently berated himself.
He was about to hide the bodies – the element of surprise had been helpful after all – when earth spikes suddenly erupted from beneath him. Naruto barely managed to avoid fatal injuries as he jumped away, but still got nicked on his leg by one of the deadly spikes.
It wouldn't hamper his ability to fight, but it rankled him to have been caught unaware.
"Dotōn: Ganchūsō!"
This time he was prepared. He glimpsed the position of his attacker, then substituted himself with a small rock a few dozen feet away. His mind though was working in overdrive as he considered the possible implications.
True, there had always been the possibility that Gato hired more shinōbi, but Naruto hadn't actually counted on it. Even more surprising: his opponent wasn't a nukenin, at least not one with a slashed headband. The village symbol of Iwa was clearly visible and unscratched on the man's Hitai-ate. If the hated time in the presence of the Daimyo's head-adviser had taught him one thing, then it was that such little details were of great importance.
There was a very fragile and brittle truce in place between Konoha and Iwa. That, however, only concerned their borders... on missions outside of their respective countries, everyone was fair game.
Why though would Gato hire someone from Iwa? Nami no Kuni was so far away from them, it was ridiculous.
His thoughts were interrupted as another set of spikes broke through the earth. He substituted himself again, only to repeat the process once more when a large ball of fire came his way, nearly singing his clothes.
Two opponents?
That meant, Iwa had sent a whole team... not really the odds he wished for, but now that he had finally assessed the situation completely he could start to fight back.
Naruto threw two kibakufuda and a single shuriken at the Katōn user. He'd deal with him first – water trumped fire after all – and then he could work on how to bring down the other guy who used B-ranked Dotōn techniques with frightening precision.
The tags exploded, but as expected the Iwa shinōbi had already jumped away from the blast, completely unharmed. Naruto's aim however had been something else.
A second after the tags went off and the danger of getting caught in the blast was nil, Naruto substituted himself with the shuriken and landed in the small crater, obscured by the amount of smoke and dust the explosion had left.
He quickly sped through a seal sequence and gathered his chakra.
Tatsu, Tora, U, Hitsuji - "Suitōn: Mizurappa!"
It was fortunate that after many hours of training with this technique over the last months, he had the manipulation of it's aspects down to a science. Contrary to how it went during Team 7's spar a few weeks ago, this time the beam of water that shot out of his mouth was already tightly condensed.
He jumped out of the crater, and directed the high-pressure Jutsu toward the Katōn user, who was caught unaware by Naruto's change of position. The Iwa shinōbi wasn't all that good it seemed – certainly not Chūnin level.
"Dotōn: Doryūheki!"
The Dotōn user however had noticed his switch with the shuriken, and the quickly forming wall of mud that now stood between Naruto and his target would have foiled the attack...
… had it been anyone else.
Naruto pumped even more chakra into the Jutsu – happy that Nami no Kuni was a very moist place. It was straining to condense even more chakra and Suitōn usually lost against Dotōn, but under the incredible pressure of Naruto's technique, a small spot of the hardened mud wall soon gave in.
The conscious decision not to abandon the attack and the following feat of water manipulation hadn't taken longer than a few seconds. It was enough time for a seasoned shinōbi to escape from such a disadvantageous place. The Katōn user though wasn't seasoned.
As soon as the Mizurappa penetrated the wall, a bloodcurdling scream resounded from the other side.
Sawaru Daichi watched helplessly as his wall got penetrated.
He was an experienced Chūnin from Iwagakure though and knew instantly to stop feeding chakra into his technique. It was the harsh reality that his teammate couldn't be saved anymore and now he had to reserve all his chakra for the blond menace that killed him.
The wall crumbled instantly, and the sight behind it wasn't pretty. Naruto's Jutsu had effectively cut diagonally through the Iwa shinōbi and left two pieces of dead flesh lying in a steadily growing puddle of blood.
There wasn't a hint of triumph in the blond's thoughts though. The largest threat, the Chūnin, was still around and prolonged use of Suitōn techniques would be foolish against a Dotōn user of his caliber.
"Dotōn: Doryūtama!"
… and that was exactly the sign he had waited for, as he dove out of the way and then sprinted toward his opponent. He'd have to settle this one in close combat.
"Dotōn: Doryūtama!"
Another projectile of mud flew past him as he leaned to the left. This was just like sparring with Sasuke and his endless Hōsenka barrages, the blond reminded himself... just a bit deadlier as his opponent really tried to kill him.
Daichi knew that his next Jutsu would be the last he'd be able to use before the blond shinōbi reached him, so he would try his best to make it count. Oh, how he wished to actually duke it out in close combat and kill the little prick... despite his training in emotional constraint, Daichi felt the hatred and resentment slowly creep up through his veins.
It wasn't reasonable. He should know better...
… and yet he abandoned his plan of sticking to Dotōn Jutsu, pumped chakra through his legs and met the Konoha shinōbi half-way on the battlefield.
The two combatants clashed against each other and Daichi tried his best to reign in his anger as he traded punches and kicks with Naruto. Merciless blue eyes stared at him as one of his feints failed after a particular vicious exchange of blows and the blond's fist came crashing through his hastily put up block, sending him flying a few feet away.
Naruto – now more assured of his victory – was about to pursue the Dotōn user, when another unknown voice, a third one, uttered words that abruptly halted his advance.
"Dotōn: Dosekiryū!"
The Uzumaki's eyes widened and he abandoned any notions he had about winning against the newcomer, when an incredibly large dragon made of earth rose out of the ground. Naruto quickly jumped back, avoiding the large avalanche of rocks and earth by a hair's width.
By the Rikudō's hairy balls... what the hell was that?
He stumbled a few steps backwards, desperately gripping his kunai. After seeing such a technique, there was no question in Naruto's mind as to the rank of the newcomer. Kakashi had prepared him for much, but definitely not for taking on a Jōnin on his own.
… and to think that he had actually believed his duty would be the most boring one.
"What a fucking joke," Naruto muttered.
His senses were on high alert. He wouldn't go down without a fight.
One minute went by, then two... and nothing happened.
He stretched his senses to the furthest, but couldn't find any traces of his enemy; not even of the Chūnin. When his mind came up with a possible explanation, he raced over to Tazuna's house – which hadn't become collateral damage luckily enough – and saw to his confusion that Tsunami and Inari were still inside the house and hadn't been taken by the Iwa shinōbi.
Another two minutes went by and although he was still wary, Naruto started to relax his tensed muscles a bit.
The only logical conclusion blew his mind.
Had they... fled from the battle?
Already a few miles away from the battle, Daichi who had been knocked out by his sensei slowly regained consciousness and noticed that he was slung over the man's shoulder like a sack of rice.
"Sensei? Is he dead?" Daichi asked.
The Jōnin was silent for a few seconds then answered, "No."
"What?" Daichi screamed in outrage. "He- he killed Zuko! Why didn't you kill him?"
Daichi's sensei sent him a harsh look for questioning his decision, but it softened toward the end. "Our client has grossly misinformed us about what we're facing. We're going back to Iwa."
"... but there was just this blond guy!"
"Who's teacher is Hatake Kakashi, Konoha's Fang of Vengeance," the Jonin answered gravely.
Daichi would have never thought he'd see the day when an actual shiver wracked the body of his sensei, but there it was and it was very real.
"You could take him, couldn't you? I can take care of the blond!" Daichi tried again, the hatred rekindled after remembering how his friend and fellow shinōbi had died.
"Don't be foolish, Daichi," the Jōnin answered. "Besides, he isn't the only threat around. There are actually two Konoha teams here in Nami. Gato probably won't live too much longer either. Calm yourself and rest... the way to Iwa is long."
Even though she didn't know it, compared to her teammates Sakura got the easiest job of the three – an intended part of Kakashi's plan. Infiltration sounded good on paper, might even give the pink-haired girl some confidence... under their circumstances though, it was nothing more than sneaking past a few thugs.
The girl was capable... Kakashi knew that – he had made sure of it after all – but she still wasn't on the same level as Sasuke and Naruto. She'd get her chance at fighting and taking names eventually.
Just not yet.
Sakura watched as dozens of Gato's hired mercenaries left the building she had become intimately familiar with over the last four days. Hidden in the shadows, she only had to wait until the majority of them moved toward the bridge before she infiltrated the building.
There she only had to knock out some guards, gather the necessary papers and secure everything that looked even remotely close to money and gold in storage scrolls Naruto had prepared for her.
Sasuke frowned when he saw how many enemies walked through the woods toward the bridge. He calculated dozens of possible ways to eradicate them, but settled for the use of kibakufudas first. A shinōbi he may be, but even an Uchiha would be troubled if he had to face such a bulk of trained warriors alone in close combat.
With completely silenced steps – and always regulating the correct output of chakra – he kept perfect balance as he raced through the treetops and sped approximately a mile ahead of them, where he had already prepared some nicely placed traps alongside the road they traveled.
They were walking slowly and to keep his mind occupied with some thoughts that weren't about the mindless slaughter he was about to commit, Sasuke murmured a few phrases he had once read in an old scroll from his clan's library.
"Shinōbi... ignorant that they, to steal and slay one's life, cross backwards and forwards by the backdoor, cross backwards and forwards by the front door... and spy. O shinōbi..."
It was odd that he remembered the exact wording. For him and many of his fellow shinōbi it was only a profession like any other – although they also did it to serve their village. To others though, they truly must look like demons sometimes... sent by the devil from the deepest pits of hell to bath the world in blood and gore.
After forming the rat-seal and activating the kibakufudas that littered the floor and the surrounding trees, he watched the ensuing carnage in front of him and acknowledged two things – he couldn't disagree with those people, and he did not care to.
A piece of flesh bumped against his left cheek and fell off, leaving a bloody smear.
There were some survivors, most of them panicked even more after seeing that through one of the explosions, a large tree had been felled and was blocking the road.
Sasuke's hands blurred.
"Katōn: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
Then he unsheathed his ninja-to...
… and truly looking like the devil – with the spinning wheels of death in his blood-red eyes – descended upon the pitiful few that had survived the searing hot flames of his Gōkakyū.
He wasn't Itachi, would never be and never wanted to be... but the longer he lived, and the longer he stayed in the service of his village, the more the lines between him and his brother seemed to blur.
When he arrived at the bridge, Sasuke immediately noticed the dense fog that permeated the air and made it nearly impossible to see anything. He was quick to activate his sharingan, and after staring into the mist for a while, he could actually make out four figures standing huddled together.
He scared the living shit out of Team 10 as he suddenly appeared in front of them, his red leather armor glistening with blood.
"Report," Sasuke simply commanded.
He wished to keep the interaction as short as possible. If one of the Jōnin needed help he would be happy to assists them. Seeing that the Nara had already opened his mouth and formed his lips to utter his favorite word, Sasuke sent him a hard stare with his copper-wheel eyes until Shikamaru got the hint.
"Your sensei engaged Momochi, and Asuma-sensei took on the Oi-nin. After that, the fog settled in and we couldn't see anymore," Choji explained.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "Protect Tazuna with your life. I'll try to help our senseis."
Without another word, the Uchiha vanished into the mist.
Hatake Kakashi was not a man of many words and preferred to let his actions speak for him. It was a trait that had served him well and was grudgingly acknowledged by his peers. It was also a trait despised by most of the enemies he had encountered over the years as a shinōbi.
As a genius even among prodigies, who had killed his first man at the tender age of six, and who later rose through the ranks unlike any shinōbi before him, Kakashi valued silence on the battlefield over anything else.
It let him concentrate on his moves and strategies without listening to annoying words, spouted by men who would die through his blade in a matter of seconds.
Thus it was unfortunate that Zabuza, incredibly skilled opponent that he was, simply didn't allow him his favorite battle setting. The man was hailed as a master of silent killing... only that he was currently lacking the silence and regaled the Hatake with tales of his demonic ways.
Kakashi wondered if Zabuza actually knew that he hated noise on the battlefield...
… if so, then he had bought himself a pretty high place on the Hatake's shit-list; and by Kami, no one wanted to land on that particular list. More often than not it proved to be hazardous for one's general health, and also for one's sanity. Most people notice pretty quickly that Kakashi was, in fact, a vindictive vicious bastard if the situation called for it. He had no qualms whatsoever to destroy a person's whole being if crossed.
He flipped backward, dodging another swing of the giant meat cleaver Zabuza affectionately called his sword, and had to endure another moment filled with senseless threats and pseudo intimidating words that would have worked on fresh Genin, but not on him.
A rusty and lazy Kakashi might have had some troubles with fighting the A-ranked nukenin, but after seeing how his students progressed in leaps and bounds, there had simply been now way that he – as their sensei – would allow himself to fall behind.
It became a humbling experience, when he once again started to train his body to the absolute limit and consequently felt how much of his skills had deteriorated and dulled throughout the years of peace.
A good shinobi prepares for war as soon as the first peace treaty is signed...
Some of the words his father had imparted on him which only made sense now that he gained a certain amount of wisdom himself. His Genin might not know it, but after each day of their training when they finally slept, his own training began. It was enough that after mere six months, he ascended once again to the coveted S-rank that only truly special shinōbi shared.
He saw that Zabuza had abandoned close combat for the moment and allowed himself to shortly survey the battlefield. Until now, none of them had done much damage to the bridge – something that would probably change as soon as the swordsman started to resort to Ninjutsu.
Kakashi had barely finished that train of thoughts when his senses started tingling and he jumped to the side, avoiding a wave of water that slammed onto the area he had stood on moments ago.
A game of water, eh? Well, I'll be happy to oblige...
"Suitōn: Suigadan no Jutsu!"
Liquid spikes formed in the water under the bridge and – one pulse of the Hatake's chakra later – rose up to attack Zabuza who looked a bit miffed that his Jutsu hadn't met its target.
Kakashi decided not to give the man any quarter and immediately pressed on, starting another sequence of seals.
Ne, Ushi, Hitjsuji, Saru, Tatsu, Tori, I, Inu, I, Hitsuji, Tatsu - "Suitōn: Suikōdan no Jutsu!"
The swordsman who still frantically dodged the spikes of water actually began to question his way of gaining money when he noticed how a large water shark formed in the puddles the spikes left behind.
Zabuza barely avoided becoming a splatter of blood on the bridge.
He wasted no time and grabbed Kubikiribōchō tightly as he ran toward the man who had made his day a living hell. Why did it have to be the one Jōnin who was actually deadlier in Ninjutsu than him...
Sasuke, who's only working sense in the current situation was his hearing, finally found his way over to the place where Kakashi fought with Zabuza. The residual trails of chakra indicated a heavy use of Suitōn Jutsu, and for once the Uchiha felt like Kami was on his side...
Not only had he copious amounts of experience against water thanks to Naruto, the Jutsu had also cleared out the area and lessened the mist somewhat. Once the tomoe in his eyes started to spin furiously, he actually managed to observe the battle in front of him.
Despite his sharingan, Kakashi seemed to move with a certain grace that seemed almost inhuman to Sasuke. His sensei definitely matched the swordsman strike for strike.
He looked over to Zabuza and a small grin tugged at his lips. The man was covered in cuts – some shallow, some deep – and was breathing harshly.
Kakashi-sensei's using him as target practice...
Not taking anymore time, Sasuke readied his ninja-to and leaped in, his blade descending on an unguarded spot he had noticed in the Demon's defense.
Both shinōbi were surprised when a blade suddenly came down from the heavens to bring death to the Momochi. Zabuza had to leave his right side unguarded in order to defend himself from the attack out of nowhere.
Sasuke!
Loosing no time, Kakashi used the opening his brilliant but hotheaded student had created for him and plunged his kunai hilt-deep into Zabuza's ribcage. He pressed onwards and onwards, not satisfied until his whole hand – also encased in lightning – was buried completely inside the man.
Zabuza had barely a second to look up in shock, before he collapsed on the ground – dead.
"Anti-climatic," murmured Sasuke, only to get his blood-soaked hair ruffled by the Hatake.
"No need to cry over spilled milk, Sasuke-chan. How's it going on the other fronts?"
"No clue what the dobe's up to, but Sakura's infiltration should be a full success. Nearly every hired hand of Gato left the hideout," Sasuke reported.
A few seconds later, Asuma appeared in front of them, still looking as healthy as a bull.
"The Oi-nin is dead, I take it?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes. He was annoying to fight though... had a secret bloodline," Asuma answered.
The mist had cleared up completely by now and Kakashi looked over to the spot Asuma had fought the mysterious shinōbi. The Oi-nin was lying lifeless on the ground, facing the sky - blood oozed from a huge gash across his throat, bloodying the bridge quickly.
Kakashi, who was about to make a tasteless joke about cleaning the bridge later on, was interrupted by a cruel laughter echoing over the bridge.
"I'll have to thank you... you spared me the cost from hiring him," Gato said, standing at the unfinished end of the construction with about two dozen mercenaries behind him.
"I thought you dealt with them?" Kakashi questioned Sasuke.
The Uchiha wasn't exactly the type to do a half-assed job.
Sasuke shrugged and answered, "I killed everyone who left the headquarter... so he must have left before me – Sakura would have killed them otherwise. Should I deal with him?"
"Hai, hai... but don't dirty the bridge too much. Think about all the cleaning we have to do afterward," Kakashi answered and cracked a grin at his own morbid humor.
"And what do you think you can do against my men? Stop bluffing... I know you're tired after all this fighting!" Gato laughed.
Sasuke started with a slow jog toward the group of mercenaries that soon escalated into a full blown sprint. He quickly weaved the necessary signs and used one of the Jutsu he had truly made his own.
Naruto had even affectionately named it the Hōsenka barrage.
"Katōn: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
Soon enough he was spitting small fire balls in rapid succession at them while continuing to run toward Gato.
That man wouldn't be cleansed by his flames...
… no, Gato had earned a vastly different end.
After Gato's men were nothing more than charred remains, he pumped chakra through his legs and vanished in a burst of speed, only to reappear directly in front of the business tycoon.
A split-second later, Gato fell to the side – dead – with a ninja-to sticking sideways through his head.
Three weeks later, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked over the assembled group that currently frequented his office. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the defiant glare his son Asuma shot him. The rescue mission to wave was a full success though and he allowed his features to soften somewhat as he regarded Team 7.
Those three really started to make an impact under Kakashi's tutelage and – to his personal joy – Naruto started to become an exceptional shinōbi, as did his teammates.
"Good job, Team 7," Sarutobi said. "The mission pay for a completed B-rank mission will be evenly distributed and transferred into your accounts. Kakashi, you will – of course – receive the bounty for Momochi Zabuza."
The Hokage munched on his pipe for a moment before continuing, "Due to the interference of an A-ranked nukenin as well as a team of Iwa shinōbi, this mission will actually be marked down as an A-ranked one in your files. You can be proud of yourself with such results."
Team 7 thanked the Sandaime and left his office with their heads held high. The same couldn't be said for Team 10 though, who looked with trepidation at their wizened leader.
"Asuma," Sarutobi barked harshly, making the Jōnin snap to attention out of pure reflex. "I am sorely tempted to mark this mission down as a failure in your file due to your lack of common sense... leading a team of Genin into a situation where death is a constant companion each step they take is inexcusable, especially when you had the choice to turn back."
The Hokage's son was about to protest, but Hiruzen simply continued, "As it stands, I do not want to mar Team 10's records for your miss-evaluation of the situation... nonetheless, there is a need for some form of punishment. Firstly, despite the increased rank and difficulty this mission is to be marked down as a C-rank in your team's profile. Secondly, the A-ranked mission pay Kakashi made the bridge builder pay will be reduced to that of a simple C-ranked mission for you and your team. The leftover money is to be charged into Konohagakure's treasury."
Asuma grit his teeth as his father doled out punishment like candy. True, he had been lucky that it did not lead to a demotion, but to have his failure so accurately pointed out to him by his father was hard to stomach.
"See reason and use the coming weeks wisely by training your team, Asuma. Team 10, dismissed!"
AN: This is going to be one hell of a Jutsu list...
Used Jutsu:
Katōn: Endan - C Rank: Moderately large stream of fire
Katōn: Gōkakyū no Jutsu - C Rank: Fireball
Katōn: Hōsenka no Jutsu - C rank: Several small fireballs
Dotōn: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu - D Rank: Grabbing/burying someone from below
Dotōn: Doryūtama - C Rank: Mud ball
Dotōn: Doroku Gaeshi - C Rank : Wall of stone
Dotōn: Doryūheki – B Rank: Wall of mud
Dotōn: Ganchūsō – B Rank: Earth Spikes
Dotōn: Dosekiryū – A Rank: Earth Dragon
Suitōn: Mizurappa – C Rank: Highly condensed beam of water
Suitōn: Mizubunshin no Jutsu - C Rank: Water clone
Suitōn: Suigadan - B Rank : Spikes of water
Suitōn: Suikōdan no Jutsu - B Rank: Water shark
Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu - D Rank : Shows fears