Birth of an Assassin: Heir to the Namikaze
Chapter 8
Redemption through the Creed
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Naruto.
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
"Jutsu"
"Tailed Beast Speak"
Pairing: NaruxSaku
Assassin!Naruto
MAJOR SUGGESTION: Head to my profile before reading the chapter and look up what Mizu Assassin robes to better envision the characters in the chapter.
Hello everyone, we are here again with a new chapter of Namikaze Assassin. We are now getting into the thick of battle with Zabuza and Haku engaging Kakashi and Sasuke. Naruto and Sakura are getting ready to come to their aid, but will they make it in time? What is it about Zabuza that only Naruto knows? And how will they finally free Wave from Gato's tyranny?
I think at the end of this, you will see that I like Zabuza very much, I think his style is very cool and his personality is top notch for a ninja coming from the Bloody Mist. I see how necessary it was for the plot to have him appear to Naruto early and die, but I would have preferred if he lived on. I would be a bigger fan of Haku if he was a girl in canon, but since he's a boy it kind of just ruined his character for me.
You might be confused if you watched the anime and saw the battles take place during day while these take place during late afternoon to evening. Its because of the totally different timetable the battles and arrival of Team 7 are going from, so the story is supposed to be like this.
Also, I might be taking a delay in writing the next chapter for Blonde Uchiha to see if I can get inspired to write for Mercenary for Hire. I've been psyching myself for it by playing Mercenaries and Alpha Protocol, along with reading a few other stories I have.
If I don't get through to it, I will just move back to Blonde Uchiha but as I like to say, its imperative for authors to have multiple stories with multiple settings to prevent writers block and disinterest.
000
The Creed
Stay your blade from innocents
See but be unseen
Never compromise the Assassins
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
000
Nami no Kuni
Bridge
"Sasuke.." The Uchiha looked at his teacher, wary of his tone. "Don't lose."
Sasuke smirked and readied a kunai, there was no way he would lose to this masked ninja. Naruto couldn't beat him and that meant that this was his chance to show the Uchiha were superior to all. When he was done with Haku, the cut on his arm would be the least of his worries.
Kakashi kept his eyes on Zabuza, wary of any treachery shown on his part. This was the rogue criminal that attempted to kill the Yondaime Mizukage, the ex-Kiri Assassin that created the Silent Killing technique that made Kiri infamous. Naruto would be better suited to handle him than Kakashi, but even then he was not only a talented assassin but a Jounin shinobi with the skills of a master swordsman.
The man was what any shinobi would aspire to be in skill, but he had surpassed man and went to the level of demon fitting of his nickname. Numerous murders, raids, and shinobi bounties were orchestrated by him, leading him to be a very wanted criminal in all major village circles.
'Without proper assassin training, there is no way I can keep up with him without my sharingan. This is going to be a tough battle..but I'm more worried about Sasuke. That kid's an assassin too..'
"Mizu Bunshin." Haku's ice-cold voice woke him from his stupor and he watched as five clones of Haku surrounded Sasuke.
Before any could launch an attack, Sasuke leaped into action and sliced through three of them. The fourth was able to parry his kunai with a needle and the fifth threw a few of the senbon at him. Sasuke used his free hand to grab hold of the water clone he was entangled with and pulled him in front of the ranged attack, making the clone explode in a splash of water when it was hit.
The fifth clone was getting ready to charge when Sasuke ran forward and stabbed it in the stomach, causing it to fall as well. Zabuza gave a low whistle at the boy's ability; to be able to take on five Haku's at one time was no easy feat, even if they were just clones.
The real Haku appeared next to Sasuke in a glimpse and revealed his hidden blade, ready to slice through the boy's neck. Just barely keeping at the same speed, the Uchiha brought up his kunai to block and a power struggle ensued as they pushed against one another.
'This guy..he has the same weapon as Naruto.' A sudden feeling of unease arose in Sasuke's gut as he realized that this boy had the same skill as Naruto, perhaps even surpassing it.
Haku sensed his weakness and capitalized on it as he began to weave hand signs with one hand. Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of just using one hand to make hand signs, it was unheard of to do so.
'That guy must have done some serious chakra exercise training to be able to mold with just one hand..even I can't do that.'
Sasuke saw the water around him began to float into the air and knew something was off. The hand signs were weaving some sort of jutsu and he needed to get out of there before he finished. If he just fell back though, Haku would pursue and they would be back in the same situation.
Zabuza smirked as Haku unleashed another of his talents; advanced shape manipulation of his chakra. The globules of water quickly took the shape of dozens of needles, all poised to hit the brat in one shot. To be able to do such shape manipulation in conjunction with nature transformation and with just one hand, that showed talent at its highest value.
'That's it Haku..show them how much you're worth.'
Kakashi watched on in fear of the outcome, he didn't think Sasuke had the speed to avoid it. He glanced at Zabuza and saw his eyes were watching the fight with a certain amount of glee behind them. Maybe he could move fast enough to get Sasuke out of harms way and still get back into position to protect Tazuna.
One foot turned in the direction of the battle and Kakashi was face to face with Zabuza. Even under the worn midnight blue hood, Kakashi could still see Zabuza's killer intent. With one hand on the hilt of his blade, Kubikiribōchō, and the other palm flat on the ground to steady the weight, the swordsman was one attack short of slicing through Kakashi.
"What did I tell you that you did not understand, Kakashi? If you move to interfere, I will kill that bridge builder." Kakashi glared at Zabuza and looked past him to watch the battle continue unabated.
Sasuke saw the needles launch at him and Haku still held him there with the threat of retribution should he retreat. In a hasty move, he jumped up through the small hole in the needle's attack just as Haku disengaged to avoid getting hit. The assassin slid back along the bridge and waited for the mist to clear to show his kill, yet instead he was rewarded by Sasuke's presence behind him.
"Looks like you're too slow for me." Haku twisted around and met Sasuke again with his blade but saw that he was able to parry it.
He dropped down to do a leg kick but was repelled when Sasuke kicked him in the face. Haku was sent flying back to their side of the bridge while Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief and Zabuza was surprised that the kid actually beat Haku in speed.
'Looks like the Uchiha brat has something that befits his family's skill level.' He admitted with a slight grimace.
"Haku, you will be defeated if you continue like this. Quit going easy on him." Haku picked himself up and felt embarrassed Zabuza was scolding him.
'I'm better than this..I must defeat him to protect Zabuza-sama. I have to hurry just in case that assassin recovers sooner than I expected.' A cold air began to exude from Haku as he formed a unique hand sign; Sasuke didn't understand what was going on.
"Yes..Zabuza-sama." The swordsman smirked as Haku revealed his most prized skill, even greater than the assassin techniques he taught the boy.
'This is something not even I could learn rather than teach. Only Haku can have this strength..and this is why he is so useful to me.'
"Its..getting so cold all of a sudden." Sasuke mumbled as ice sheets began to form around him, taking the shape of large slabs.
Kakashi knew better and saw that Haku was using a jutsu, but this time it was something else. The hand sign was something he did not recognize and there was no water being used to form the ice.
'That cold air is visible chakra being used for this jutsu..it must be a kekkei genkai from Kiri!' This realization changed the entire battle.
If Sasuke hadn't been outmatched before, he definitely was now. Going up against a kekkei genkai you understood was one thing, but an unknown one was lethal to even a Jounin. With Zabuza in the way though, Kakashi could only watch as the ice created a prison of mirrors around Sasuke and Haku entered one of the slabs, making his body appear all around the prison.
"Now..I will show you my true speed."
Before anyone could react, Sasuke was accosted by dozens of needles thrown from what seemed like each separate image of Haku. They sliced his outer skin, making dozens of cuts and scrapes along his skin. Some pierced the skin and remained inside, causing Sasuke to scream in pain as they punctured muscle tissue.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi looked as if he would move but Zabuza quickly stepped in front of him and prevented his movement.
"Your fight is with me, remember?" Kakashi eyed Zabuza cautiously and grabbed a kunai from his thigh pouch while Zabuza unsheathed his sword.
"I'll make this short."
Zabuza smirked.
"We'll see about that copycat."
000
Nami no Kuni
Forest
The forest of Wave was quiet as the early evening mist began to encroach on the boundaries of nature. As the visibility lowered and the nocturnal wildlife came out, a certain pair decided it was time to go. From within the tunnel, a gloved hand pushed and moved the fake grass tile aside.
Naruto slowly crept up to the mouth of the hole and peeked out to see if anyone was observing them. He took in the scent of the area as well as the sights and knew they were alone with only a few animals around. With one fluid movement, he was up and out of the tunnel in a low crouch, wary of danger.
Sakura, on the other hand was struggling to climb up through the hole as there were very few handholds for her to hold onto. She had to use her chakra control just to keep from sliding down without a grip to hold onto. When Naruto leaped out, she began to panic and tried to go faster to get to the top, making her pay less attention to what she was doing.
A loose groove in the dirt that served as a handhold fell through just as Sakura grabbed onto it, causing her to lose her grip. Before she could even scream in fear, Naruto grabbed a hold of her and pulled her back up with ease. He eased her out of the hole and helped her to her feet as she seemed a bit shaken from the close call.
"Thank you Naruto-kun." He nodded in return and began to look around to get his sense of direction.
"Alright." He said after a moment. "There's no doubt the assassin I fought is in league with Zabuza Momochi, and the thought of having to fight him is something I would like to not think about." Sakura was surprised that even Naruto was nervous about fighting this Zabuza character, which meant he must be strong.
"Who is he Naruto?" The blonde sighed and looked at the ground in thought.
"Zabuza Momochi, Jounin of the Hidden Mist, master swordsman, and an infamous Kiri assassin. From what our archives of him read, he was the greatest Gladiator the Kiri clan ever produced. He killed many shinobi and assassins, Namikaze too, during the Third Shinobi World War." He sounded like a heartless killer to Sakura, nothing like Naruto who killed in pursuit of peace.
"But it wasn't until his attempted assassination of the Yondaime Mizukage did Zabuza fall from honor completely. After his failed assassination, he left Kiri and went into hiding and committed many crimes that go against our code. It looks like he has fallen from the Creed completely, and that means I must kill him so that he no longer dishonors us." Sakura became terrified at this and quickly grabbed his sleeve, making him look at her.
"You can't Naruto! He's a Jounin, an assassin from Kiri! He will destroy you if you try and fight!" Naruto just smiled and placed his hand over Sakura's.
"Have a little faith in me Sakura-chan, I am stronger than you think."
"But Naruto-" His serious look made her quiet her protests as she knew there was no way to dissuade him.
"Even if I die, I will die as a true assassin. There is no greater death than dying for what you believe in..or for someone you care about." Sakura watched as he smiled at her when he said this and blushed.
"Now come, we don't have much time." Naruto began a brisk run through the forest and Sakura struggled a bit to keep up.
'Naruto..' Sakura caught herself from thinking about the blonde's upcoming fight, it would only make her worry more. 'I have faith in you..but how can I go against logic? He's bigger, stronger, and has way more experience than either of us combined. How can you be so calm..' Her eyes wandered to Naruto as he ran through the forest, even then he still maintained calm in the face of danger.
"So..you really plan on taking this Zabuza guy on?" Kyuubi asked only to be met with silence.
"Dammit..Figures you would try something like that. This isn't going to be like that bandit though, this guy is only a few notches below your father in skill..don't let your guard down."
'Worried Kyuubi?' The beast growled at the assumption.
"Maybe because my host is going out to get himself killed with me still inside! At least tell me you have a plan." Naruto hummed in thought.
'I'm working on it..' He ignored Kyuubi's annoyance and kept running, every once in a while glancing to make sure Sakura was still with him.
'I'm sorry Sakura..I don't want to worry you by fighting Zabuza. But this is my duty as an assassin, and I hope you will understand one day.'
Naruto was touched Sakura cared about him enough to raise her voice to him, but this was not negotiable. Zabuza Momochi was compromising the brotherhood and harming innocents, that was two of the three tenants broken. To do such a thing would lead to severe punishment by the clan, including death as a possible consequence.
Either Zabuza was not with the clan anymore, or he was too valuable to let go.
It was then that he noticed something odd in the forest and came to a halt. Sakura, noticing his halt, came to a stop next to him on the branch of some tree. She followed his eyes and saw a wounded boar along with many slices and cuts in trees all heading in one direction.
"It seems that some swordsmen have passed by here.." Naruto mumbled in thought.
"But why would they be randomly cutting stuff along the way? Wouldn't that dull the blade?" Naruto wondered that too.
"They either were quite bored with walking and cut the trees along the way for entertainment, or they were marking their path for some reason. The logical choice would be the latter, but knowing Gato's men, chances are they were doing this for fun." Sakura nodded at his conclusion as it sounded about right.
"Come on Sakura, let's go check it out." Naruto dropped down to the ground and began running in the direction the swordsmen took.
"Uh, okay!" Sakura dropped down from the branch and ran fast to catch up with the assassin.
When she began to catch up, she asked him a question.
"Naruto, I know this could be important but what about the bridge? Isn't that where Tazuna-san and the others are?" Naruto nodded but kept running.
"This event may be related to the bridge Sakura-chan, Gato wouldn't send his goons out here for no reason. If we can defeat them, then we may be able to help Kakashi and the others on the bridge." She hadn't thought of that.
"Okay Naruto-kun, let's hurry!" Naruto smiled and picked up the pace with Sakura close behind.
It wasn't too long before they arrived at the edge of the forest and found a small, secluded pier. The light had almost totally left as evening set in and the mist was somewhat thick, but Naruto could make out a house at the end of the wooden path.
"Naruto, look!" He looked at Sakura and saw her pointing at something.
There, on the beach, were two of Gato's thugs. They were the samurai that were guarding him in the office, it seemed they'd come here for some business. Naruto was still regretting he didn't get a chance to end their lives the last time so now was a perfect chance to rectify it.
"Ok Sakura, I'll be right back." Sakura watched as he left their hiding spot within the forest and crept into the mist.
No matter how strong she knew Naruto was, Sakura would always worry when he fought. It was something she would have to get used to because in the future Naruto would fight and kill many people. If joining him as an assassin would help her protect him, then she could be happy.
'Good luck, Naruto-kun!'
000
Nami no Kuni
Tazuna's Home
Tsunami was sitting in the family room, holding her son Inari tight to her chest. Around her was Squad 8, save for Kurenai who had posted herself at the front door in the next room. She had been getting ready to do the dishes when the ninja came back and told her to get Inari and stay in the main room until her father returned.
That had been over twenty minutes ago, and no one had spoken a word to her.
'My father's life must be in danger right now..maybe they thought Gato would come after us too?' She didn't want to think about that and just held Inari a little tighter.
"Kaa-san..what's going on? Why do we have to sit here?" Inari complained as he tried to wrestle from her grasp only to fail from her vice-like grip.
"The shinobi are protecting us sweetie, just stay with mama for right now." Inari didn't understand as the three ninja named Shino, Kiba, and Hinata were just standing there around their table.
"Protecting us from what?" Tsunami stroked her son's back, trying to both comfort him and herself.
"Gato sweetie. They think Gato may be coming here.." Inari's eyes widened and he began to shake in fear as his memories surfaced of his father's death.
'No! Stay away from us! Haven't you gotten everything you want?'
"Why? Why is he coming here kaa-chan?" Tsunami held back her own frightened tears to comfort her son and hold him tight, leaving the ninja to continue to watch in relative silence.
Kurenai peeked around the corner to see how they were doing and was glad to see nothing had changed. As long as they kept Tsunami and Inari safe, Gato wouldn't have a bargaining chip to stop them. Kiba and the others had been very inspired by Kakashi's squad's presence and they were taking their job very seriously now.
"Hinata, do you see anything outside? I haven't heard anything but with your Byakugan it might be good to take a look." The Hyuuga nodded and activated her kekkei genkai with a few hand signs.
"Byakugan." She whispered and pressed her vision outside of the small house and onto the pier.
It was then that she noticed three figures that she did not recognize, they were very close to the front door.
"Kurenai-sen-" Hinata was interrupted when the front door burst open and Inari screamed in fear.
Kurenai took out a kunai and entered the kitchen area where the front door was and saw that a thug hired from Gato had been thrown through the door and was struggling to get up. She turned around and saw Shino and the others gather around her and pointed at Tsunami.
"Stay with her! I think Kakashi's here-" She was cut off by a masculine voice begging for mercy and turned her attention back to the door.
"No please!" Naruto revealed his hidden blade sliced right through Wajari's neck as he knelt in front of him, begging for mercy.
Zori had gotten up from when Naruto rammed him through the door and pulled out his katana, taken over by fear and anger. He had killed his partner, and no matter how dangerous they knew Naruto was, he was going to pay for killing Wajari.
"Damn you kid!" By this time, Tsunami and Inari had gotten up to watch the commotion in the crowded doorway with the rest of the ninja.
Naruto looked at Zori with indifference as he pulled his blade from Wajari's neck and began to walk into the house. The samurai began to shake but held his blade steadily in front of his body, ready to attack or defend.
Kurenai thought about intervening and capturing him, but the way Naruto seemed to be looking at him from under his hood she knew better. It was as if he was locked onto a target and was not going to let him go, even if it meant fighting another Leaf ninja.
"Take this!" Zori ran forward and did a vertical slice, bringing his sword down right on top of the assassin.
Naruto easily sidestepped the blade and sent his left-handed blade right through the mercenary's shoulder, making him cry out in pain. Zori dropped his sword and stumbled backward, holding his shoulder as blood began to soak his heavy jacket. Naruto walked up to him and nonchalantly grabbed his collar and threw him toward the door where his partner's body was slumped over on the pier.
Zori hit the ground hard and tried to crawl away as Naruto exited the home with the moon at his back. The samurai turned over and watched as Naruto descended upon him with his blade, not even able to utter another scream before his soul left his body.
Sakura came running down the pier and rejoined Naruto just as he got up from the corpse. While it was always a gruesome sight to see dead bodies, Sakura mainly ignored them as she followed Naruto inside to check on everyone. Their eyes were still wide as everyone watched the assassin, amazed and frightened at his skill.
"Is everyone ok here?" Kurenai got out of her stupor and nodded.
"Yes, we were sent back this way to protect Tsunami and Inari while Kakashi and Sasuke stayed with Tazuna. Kakashi was worried about you two, where have you been?" Kiba and the others listened in as they wanted to know what happened.
"We..were attacked by one of Zabuza's accomplices and I had to rest a while to recover from the fight. We were on our way to the bridge but saw some markings leading this way so we came here instead." Naruto explained, skipping the fact he was in the process of assassinating Gato so no questions would be asked.
"I see, and then these two..?" Kurenai indicated the two bodies outside and Naruto shrugged.
"Sakura spotted them once we arrived at the pier and I saw that they were Gato's thugs. Even though I didn't know who lived here, I figured they must be important enough for Gato's two bodyguards to come here. I'm guessing that they were after her?" Naruto pointed at Tsunami who gave Naruto a sheepish nod and patted Inari's head as he buried himself into his mother's knees, hiding from the assassin.
"Good, then we came in time. We better get to the bridge though, I've got a bad feeling about what's going on over there." Naruto began to make his way out with Sakura tagging along and Kiba made to follow.
"Kiba, stay here." Kurenai ordered and he looked at her with excited eyes.
"Come on sensei! We missed out on the action but if we head to the bridge, we can take the fight to 'em!" Sakura hit him on the head from the doorway, hands on her hips in annoyance.
"Are you an idiot? More of Gato's thugs could come here when they figure out these two failed. You have to stay and protect those two!" Kiba scratched his head, he hadn't thought of that.
"She's right Kiba, we can't let our guard down here." Shino warned and Hinata nodded in agreement.
"Aw..alright I guess." Sakura smirked in triumph and went to follow Naruto when Inari came running out of the house after them.
"Wait!" Naruto turned around in annoyance to see the child from inside staring at him with tear-reddened eyes but an annoyed look on his face.
"What do you want?" Sakura looked at Inari with curiosity, what could he want with Naruto?
"Why are you trying so hard to beat Gato's thugs? He'll just bring more and crush you..what makes you think you can protect anyone here?" Tsunami came running out and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down.
"Inari! Don't say such things to the boy that just saved you!" Inari looked up at his mother's angry face and was confused, why was she sticking up for him.
"But kaa-chan-"
"You want to know why I fight? You want to know why I kill those I see as unjust or dangerous?" Naruto asked out of the blue, walking toward Inari and his mother.
Betraying his fear, the boy nodded.
"I fight.." Naruto took a moment before continuing. "I fight because it is my duty as an assassin to kill those who hurt the innocent. The rules that all assassins must follow forbids us from harming the innocent and sets us loose on those who are corrupt and evil, like Gato."
"It is a shared hope that one day, the world will be free of war and violence as long as we stay true to our Creed. And it is my goal to make sure everyone will see peace, no matter if it costs my life or not." Tsunami and the others were humbled at Naruto's dedication and Inari had a flashback of something similar his father said.
'If you truly care about something..even if its sorrowful or heartbreaking to continue..just keep trying and trying, even if you lose your life, you keep protecting it with these two arms of yours! That way, even if you die, you will leave proof you were a man..'
'Is this what you meant father? Is this what it means to be a man? To be driven by something so much you would give your life for it?'
"That is a very honorable goal." Tsunami said to Naruto and he nodded.
"I don't know if I will live to see the fruits of my labor, but maybe the next generation will instead." Naruto turned around and began to walk, signaling for Sakura to follow.
"We'll see you guys later!" She said as she ran off with Naruto, desperate to get to the bridge in time.
Inari still stood there on the pier for a little while after they left. Tsunami thought the boy might have actually struck a chord in her son, something that hadn't been done since her late husband was with him. If so, she would be sure to thank him kindly the next time she saw him.
"Come on Inari, let's go back inside." Tsunami gently pulled her son inside or else he might have stood out there the rest of the night.
Kurenai had her squad set about replacing the door and continued to watch Tazuna's family until she got the all clear from Kakashi.
000
Bridge
Outskirts of Battle
Two figures ran across the mist-encompassed bridge, searching for the sight of battle. It hadn't taken them a particularly long time to get to the bridge and they hoped the battle was still not finished. Naruto came to a stop as he realized the mist was too thick to be from just natural causes. He brought his hands together in the ram sign and forced his chakra out around him into a physical force, dispersing the mist in a wide area around them.
Sakura looked around and saw Kakashi facing off against a man dressed very similar to Naruto; he wore the same type of robe, only his was a variety of blues and silver to Naruto's white and red. And in the distance, she saw what looked to be ice, slabs of ice hanging in the air.
'What's going on here.' Naruto's voice made her jump into action.
"Sakura, stay with Tazuna. I'm going." Sakura nodded and ran over to Tazuna, she looked back at Naruto only for a few choice words.
"Don't die baka!" Naruto was taken aback for a second but then smiled.
He ran toward Kakashi and Zabuza to join the Jounin. Zabuza regarded the new arrival with a sense of humorous interest; Kakashi regarded it as a welcome relief.
"Naruto!" The boy joined the Jounin as the two broke their fight off for a moment. "Its good to see you and Sakura are ok."
"Yeah..we ran into a little trouble though during our scouting trip. Another assassin..Zabuza's latest failure of an apprentice I'm sure." Zabuza heard the remark and glared murder at Naruto as the boy smirked; Kakashi looked at Naruto curiously, he spoke as if he knew Zabuza.
"Why you little brat! How dare you insinuate I cannot train an assassin properly.." Naruto just kept smirking and took a few steps forward, much to Kakashi's ire.
"Wait Naruto! This guy is way out of your league!" Unperturbed, he continued toward the Kiri Jounin.
"Zabuza Momochi, I see your robes are in shambles. It doesn't even look you've tried to keep them in good order." It was true, the Kiri robes were tattered and ripped from many years of wear and tear.
"Ha! This old thing? I still wear it more as a mockery than anything, why bother restoring something I no longer adhere to." Naruto bunched his hand into a fist but held his anger back.
"Probably better they lost a weakling like you..someone with such lust for power and money to sink so low and work for the likes of Gato would be an insult to Kiri." Zabuza's eyes widened in fury and he took a step forward, a hand resting on his sword sheathed on his back.
"What are you trying to say you little bastard.." Naruto got into a defensive stance as they were only a few feet away from each other now.
"I'm saying..that you are ashamed of yourself because of your defeat at the hands of the Yondaime Mizukage. So much so that you fell from grace to try and gain more power so you wouldn't feel weak. You don't deserve to wear the robes of the assassin for how far you've fallen."
Zabuza growled and charged forward, bringing the broadsword down on Naruto who sidestepped to the left. He sent a punch for Zabuza's face but the man caught it with his free hand. Naruto used the grip as leverage and sent a kick to Zabuza's center, making him stumble back and pull his sword from the ground.
"What would you know of me? I am Zabuza Momochi, the greatest Gladiator Kiri had ever seen! I killed hundreds and perfected the clan's Silent Kill technique where no one else could..what have you done Namikaze?" Naruto wasn't surprised he recognized his robes from the Third war.
"I..have stayed loyal to the Creed. That's more than you can say." Zabuza's eyes widened and he charged forward, swinging his large sword multiple times with ease.
The blonde had some difficulty dodging the attacks, but as he suspected Zabuza focused on power much more than speed. As a Namikaze, his natural speed was enough to keep on par with his attacks, but he was being pressed to defend himself without a sword. He was using his fists on purpose though, he wanted to show how weak Zabuza was to himself with all his weaponry and prowess.
One strike, Zabuza got the sword stuck in the ground and Naruto went in to attack. The Jounin used the stuck sword's hilt to hold onto and kicked Naruto in the stomach, forcing him to slide across the bridge. The kick took a lot out of Naruto and Zabuza pulled his sword out to capitalize on his weakness.
Kakashi met him in the middle and intercepted him with a kunai, beginning a test of strength. The concerned teacher looked back at his student to see him pick himself up.
"Naruto! Go help Sasuke, I will handle Zabuza!" Naruto growled and ran forward, disappearing in a flash.
Zabuza looked around for him, wary of tricks. Kakashi saw him appear behind Zabuza and give him a hard backward punch to the cheek, forcing him to slide along the bridge. His speed was astoundingly different from when he first started the battle, Kakashi noticed.
"This is my fight..and I'm just getting started. You go help Sasuke Kakashi, I will handle Zabuza myself." Kakashi was at a loss for words, Naruto seemed quite intent on taking the ex-assassin down.
"Naruto..are you sure?" All he received was a nod and Kakashi sighed; the boy was too stubborn.
"Fine. But I'll be back here as soon as I've gotten Sasuke away from Haku." Naruto got into an offensive stance and let out a slow breath.
"It'll be over in a flash." The way he said it reminded him of Minato during their times together.
"Kakashi, stand aside..it'll be over in a flash."
Naruto ran into the mist after Zabuza and Kakashi ran in the opposite direction, toward Haku and Sasuke. Sakura remained in the middle of the two with Tazuna. She was a bit sad she couldn't join in, but she knew that Tazuna had to be protected at all costs, and she would not disobey Naruto.
'Come on Naruto, you can beat him!'
000
Zabuza wasn't just angry, he was furious. This Namikaze boy, a mere child, thought he could speak so highly of himself and lord over Zabuza like he was dirt? Never!
'I'm going to enjoy killing him..'
His advanced hearing gave him warning as he heard splashes of water coming at him. He turned into Naruto's leap attack and blocked his hidden blade with his sword.
"You will have to do better than that runt.." Naruto smirked and jumped back before jumping back into the fray and engaging him in swordplay.
Naruto's hidden blade did not have the power of the Decapitation Knife, but it did keep his speed high enough to parry and sidestep Zabuza's more powerful attacks. Each attack left the swordsman getting more and more frustrated and exhausted and allowed Naruto to get closer and closer to landing a hit.
He weaved in and out of each swing and entered Zabuza's personal space often, only getting blocked or pushed away at the last moment.
"You are getting weaker..you don't have the right to take on an apprentice. You are twisting him with your weak-willed lessons.." Naruto grunted as he launched a particularly close attack, ripping Zabuza's hood and revealing his enraged face.
"What do you know of my past? Of my hardships in Kiri?" Zabuza used the blunt side of his weapon to push Naruto back and did a horizontal swing, trying to cut him in half.
Naruto did a back flip and avoided it but Zabuza was on him in a second, possessed by some energy he didn't have before. Zabuza began to rant in response to the Namikaze's goading.
"A privileged assassin pet like you Namikaze wouldn't understand what Kirigakure was like to live in. It was a den of killers, crooks, the corrupt with too few assassins willing to do the job. They gave up and I became enraged by Yagura at how he was letting our clan slip in power! I tried to usurp him not for the Mizukage seat but for the place as Master Assassin of the Kiri clan!" This surprised Naruto as he did not know the motives behind the assassination; the hesitation gave Zabuza the time he needed to give him a good kick and sent him flying back.
"But the Yondaime used our clan against me, even as I was fighting to free us from him! I killed brothers and sisters alike as I was blinded by what I thought was right! Then Yagura defeated me when I could go on no longer and forced me to flee in shame. At that point, all I wanted was revenge, and that is still all I want today. If I must resort to using Gato to fund this, then I will do so!" Naruto got up and just stood there instead of attacking and it took Zabuza by surprise.
"You have explained your story to me Zabuza-san, and I respect the reason why you attempted to kill the Yondaime now. However, you have dishonored what you once stood for by resorting to revenge, something we are warned against. You allowed revenge to cloud your judgment and you killed many innocents and betrayed your oaths to the brotherhood." Zabuza bit his lip and used his sword to point at the boy in anger.
"What makes you think you can lecture me. What would you do in my place?" Naruto took a deep breath and waited a moment before answering.
"You are right that I cannot understand, however, I know where my duty lies as an assassin. I will not throw away the Creed just because things seem hopeless, for it is my duty to carry on until I fall. No matter what part of the world you come from Zabuza, we all have the same oath; To balance the world by ridding it of the corrupt and unjust and protecting the innocent, even in the face of persecution or death. Have you already forgotten it?"
Zabuza slowly lowered and sheathed his sword, his eyes set on the ground in thought.
"Yes..I suppose I did."
Naruto watched as Zabuza fell back into the mist and then he was alone. Had he gotten Zabuza to rethink his ways? Or had he just given him another opportunity to attack?
Unsure of the outcome, Naruto ran back to join Sakura in protecting Tazuna.
000
Kakashi ran for the ice prison as Sasuke was ripped through again by another barrage of needles. His anguished cries filled the air as Haku unrelentingly battered him with attacks. The Uchiha had just barely been deflecting the needles with the kunai when Kakashi arrived.
'I need to track him with my sharingan to get the timing right.'
Haku noticed Kakashi had approached the prison and knew it would be dangerous to allow him to watch his attacks. Images of Haku appeared on the outside of the ice prison as well as in and began to attack Kakashi with senbon needles. He cursed and wove back and forth, dodging the projectiles and analyzing Haku's movements.
'They are just reflections..the boy is actually moving between mirrors at high speeds. I will have to intercept at just the right time.'
Sasuke was tired and annoyed that Haku was giving him so much trouble when he had him on the ropes before. In anger, he threw shuriken right when the next wave of senbon started scattering the projectiles. Kakashi took the moment Haku was focusing on the Uchiha and leaped inside the prison. He got a hold of Haku's mask and slammed the assassin into his own mirror, cracking the ice from the pressure.
Haku's body went limp for a moment and began to fall; fed up with the fight and hungry for revenge, Sasuke took the chance to attack the fallen boy. He leaped up and sent a hard punch right at Haku's face, sending him right out of the disintegrating prison and shattering his mask.
Just as Sasuke was about to pursue, Kakashi held onto the back of his shirt. When he was going to order the Jounin to let him go, Kakashi pointed at Haku and Sasuke looked. The mist was beginning to clear and revealed Naruto and Sakura standing with Tazuna. Zabuza had appeared in front of Haku and picked the boy up somewhat graciously and allowed him to stand on his own feet.
The master swordsman turned to Naruto and sighed in what seemed like defeat.
"I suppose there is some truth in what you said, Namikaze. Even though I have fallen far since my prime in Kiri, I never forgot the three tenants of the Creed, and you are correct I have broken them. It seems like there are still some things even I can learn..no matter how much I wanted to forget and take the easy path." Naruto smiled and took a step toward Zabuza, bringing a fist over his heart.
"We assassins willingly take the hardest route Zabuza, to protect those who cannot." The swordsman looked at Naruto and chuckled a bit, bringing his own fist over his chest.
"Aye. I'm not sure if I'm ready yet to become an assassin again, but I will take Haku and return to Kiri. Perhaps once I return to where it all began..things will become clear." Naruto nodded and Kakashi sighed in relief, their battle was over.
"Tsk Tsk. Zabuza I am very disappointed." The entire group turned to see Gato with a small army of thugs at the end of the bridge, all of them seemed hungry for a fight.
"Gato..what business do you have coming here? I no longer am employed in your service..the bridge builder is your problem now." Gato grimaced and tapped his cane on the bridge a few times in annoyance.
"I figured that you wouldn't beat these ninja, too much trouble for ya. That's why I came along to finish what's left..shame you haven't died yet, but at least this way I can see it. Your pay was too much for your trouble Zabuza, too bad it worked out like this huh?" Zabuza glared at Gato and then smirked as the Namikaze joined him at his side; they exchanged glances.
"I've always wanted to see a Kiri Gladiator in action." The swordsman lifted up his sleeves and revealed the uniquely-crafted Gladiator gauntlets; instead of a hidden blade as other assassins used, Gladiators had two cleaver blades for close combat rampage.
"Prepare to be amazed then." He unleashed the two cleaver blades attached to his gauntlets and, with a glance at the Namikaze who unleashed his dual tanto blades, charged at Gato with Naruto and the others behind him.
The Demon of the Mist lived up to his name that night.
000
A Few Days Later
Nami no Kuni
Bridge
Naruto and the rest of Squad 7 and 8 stood at the mouth of the completed bridge. It was Tazuna's crowning achievement and the man was still crying over it, at this point he was kicking a dead horse though. Naruto saw Inari and Tsunami had joined with the rest of the village to see them off and was proud of what happened a few nights ago.
The group of shinobi and assassins slaughtered Gato's would-be army and Zabuza finished of Gato, decapitating him and pushing his body into the sea. Just as the battle finished, the entire village had armed themselves under Inari's banner and came to support the shinobi. While everyone was glad they did not have to fight, the courage they showed contrary to the past raised their spirits high and helped finish the bridge in record time.
Zabuza and Haku left that night to return to Kiri, and Naruto wished them luck in their travels. They promised to keep in contact with proper messenger birds and Zabuza promised that "When you need us, we will be there.". Naruto wasn't sure why he would need Zabuza for anything, but the offer was a good olive branch to the previously unknown Kiri clan of assassins.
"Naruto-san, thank you again for protecting our family." Naruto awoke from his thoughts by Tsunami's warm and thankful voice.
"Of course Tsunami-san, it was my pleasure." He bowed in return and she blushed a bit.
"Yeah, you kids didn't do half bad. Thanks for seeing us through to the end." Tazuna gave them the thumbs up which Kiba returned with spunk.
"No problem old man."
"Who said I was talkin' to you?"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
Everyone got a good laugh as the two butt heads. Inari walked over to Naruto and tugged on his robes, bringing his attention back to the boy.
"Naruto-san..I'd like to thank you for saving us-" Naruto was about to say it was no problem but Inari quickly continued. "And for inspiring me to protect my family and my village..just like my dad. I was wondering..does that mean I could be..someone like you too?" Naruto was surprised only for a moment before he smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"As long as you have the drive and determination to protect the innocent, you are welcome in our brotherhood. For now, focus on becoming bigger and stronger and protect your kaa-san and grandpa." Inari smiled and nodded.
"When I grow older, I will come back here and teach you the ways of an assassin. Remember this always.." Naruto took his hand with his and shook.
"All assassins are family, and the family protects."
"Yeah! You got it Naruto! I'll get big and strong and then I'll help you and Sakura save the world!" Naruto laughed and patted him on the head again, sending him back to Tsunami.
'Go in peace, Inari.'
000
After the Leaf shinobi disappeared from sight on their return home, the village remained at their side of the bridge.
"So Tazuna..what should we name the bridge?" One of the townfok asked, eliciting many tones of agreement.
"It's got to mean something powerful, something that will last." Tazuna thought as he stroked his beard.
"What about the assassin kid, its thanks to him we made it right?"
"Yeah, what was his name?"
"Naruto, Naruto Namikaze!" Inari shouted out loud for everyone to hear.
Tazuna patted him on the head and smiled.
"Well? What does everybody think of the Great Naruto Bridge?" The townspeople agreed heartily and everyone clapped.
"Yes, that is a perfect name I think." Tsunami said with a smile.
'The Great Naruto Bridge..who knows, maybe some day it'll be famous thanks to him!'
000
Alright everyone, I got this chapter hammered out all in one day. I was really proud that I had all my notes lined up and I hit all the major points I wanted to hit before, yes, a time skip to the beginning of the Chunin Exam Arc! What's going to happen in the upcoming events and what roles will the upcoming characters play in our warped telling of Naruto; Assassin's Creed style?
Only time will tell.
Make sure to leave a review and vote in my favorite village poll if you get the time.
Review!
Peace.