Hello my loyal, an unloyal fans!!! I have returned!!! I have brought you earthworm babies a chapter to enjoy!!! Sorry, was watching Invader Zim…
Well, here is the chapter that was originally going to be included in chapter 4, but it got way too fucking long so I split the chapters… Now, I do go a slightly different route here, so you're going to have to deal cause I'm not changing it… Mean ole me, right?
So, I hope you enjoy this, and if you don't, well that sucks…
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto… Sad for me… :'(
Chapter 5
Demons
Sasuke stumbled through the front door of Tazuna's house. His breath was ragged and his clothes were dirty and drenched in sweat and blood.
Sakura was in the front room when Sasuke stumbled in and was the first to notice him.
"Sasuke-kun!!!" she exclaimed in horror. She rushed forward to try and help him as he slowly staggered forward, but Sasuke pushed her aside.
Biting her lip, she tried to reach out to help him only to be shoved back by Sasuke without a word.
He limped into the kitchen to find Kakashi talking to Tazuna. The Jonin glanced over at Sasuke and nodded.
Tazuna stared at the Uchiha for a moment before reacting fully.
"What the hell happened to you!? Was it Zabuza and his kid?!"
Sasuke shook his head. Kakashi chuckled.
"Don't worry so much Tazuna-san, it was just Naruto." Sakura and Tazuna's jaws dropped.
Sasuke flopped into a chair and rested his head on the table.
"That's why I didn't feel like joining in on the training, I know how that routine is thanks to a certain… acquaintance of mine."
Sakura glanced at Sasuke, glad that she wasn't able to keep up with the two when they ran off at full speed through the forest. She had decided that it would be best for her to stay and help Tsunami with dinner rather than try and find her two team mates who were long gone.
Seeing this however, made her wonder what kind of condition her blonde team mate was in if Sasuke was this bad.
Sasuke closed his eyes as he remembered the 'light' exercise as Naruto had put it. There was nothing light about it to Sasuke. They had started by sprinting through the forest for an hour at least, not ever decreasing speed. Sasuke had done his best to keep up, but found that afterwards, he had very little energy left to do much else.
That's when Naruto had taken it slow a bit and ran through a few Katas for his Taijutsu. Sasuke, not wanting to seem like a slacker, had done the same with his own style, while keeping a close eye on the blonde Genin.
The style was one that Sasuke was not too familiar with. He was sure that he had seen a few clan members use a few of the stances and forms that Naruto was performing, but not the entire style Naruto was using.
Then, Naruto suggested some sparring. This is where everything took a wrong turn for Sasuke.
Flashback
Sasuke smirked when Naruto asked him for a spar. 'The Dobe is dumber than I remembered.'
"Fine by me, just be sure not to be too upset when I beat you."
Naruto said nothing as he struck a strange pose.
His legs seemed locked and his left arm was folded behind his back while his right arm was held in front of him, palm up.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. 'I've never seen that stance… But what's the purpose of it? There are openings everywhere, and it doesn't look like he'll be able to use anything to surprise me with.'
Sasuke bolted forward, intending on bringing Naruto to his knees when the blonde seemed to vanish from sight.
The next thing Sasuke knew was pain flashing through his skull as Naruto appeared next to him, bringing his elbow down on Sasuke's head.
Sasuke recovered quickly as he swept at Naruto's feet to try and unbalance him.
Naruto jumped back and landed before bolting towards a rising Sasuke.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he was forced to dodge and block a hurricane of punches and kicks.
'When the hell did he get this good?!' Sasuke wondered as he blocked a ruthless roundhouse kick that rattled his arm.
Then, Sasuke noticed the hole in Naruto's offense.
'Left side!' was the Uchiha's only thought as he kicked out.
He caught Naruto in the ribs and flung him a side.
He didn't fly far, and was back on Sasuke again.
Sasuke gritted his teeth. 'Looks like I need to stop playing around! The Dobe is much better than I thought.'
Pushing himself, Sasuke began to fight back. Naruto's eyes widened before grinning.
'He's definitely not Lee, but he's fucking good…For a Teme.'
Naruto lashed out with another roundhouse kick only to have Sasuke dodge under it.
'FUCK!' thought Naruto.
Sasuke's fist connected with Naruto's stomach, lifting him off the ground slightly.
'Did Naruto get heavier since the Academy?' Sasuke wondered as he flung Naruto back.
Wincing, Naruto rubbed his throbbing stomach.
"Nice move there, Teme."
Sasuke glared at him. "Like I thought, you're not much of a Shinobi. Still just a loser."
Naruto clenched his fist. 'A Shinobi must control his emotions…' Naruto recited.
Breathing in, Naruto felt Sasuke's chakra fluctuate.
Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke went through the seals for a familiar Jutsu.
Naruto sloppily did the same seals, pumping chakra as he did so. Sasuke's eyes widened at Naruto's actions.
Both breathed in at the same time before simultaneously releasing the flames of their Jutsu.
"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" The two fireballs met in the middle, battling for dominance before they both contorted and exploded.
Fire was everywhere as both Genin were flung back and slammed against trees.
The explosion died down and both Genin stared at each other.
'When the hell did he learn that Ninjutsu?!' Sasuke thought angrily.
Naruto panted slightly. "I put a lot of chakra into that technique and he it still wasn't enough." Naruto had felt the amount of chakra Sasuke had used and compared to Naruto's it wasn't that much.
Sasuke stood up and glared at the Uzumaki. 'What the hell is going on?! The Dobe is improving so much! He's even catching up to me!'
Without another thought, Sasuke focused chakra into his feet and ran at full speed towards his team mate, intending on ending the fight.
Naruto quickly noticed and ran through his options.
'Do what Lee would do…' Naruto thought with a grin.
Sasuke's eyes widened when Naruto vanished from view again.
'Where the hell is…' His thought was interrupted when he felt Naruto's foot crashing into his jaw and launching him upwards.
Sasuke felt his mouth fill with blood as he bit the side of his tongue painfully.
Naruto watched as Sasuke fell back to the ground painfully.
'Wow… That worked really fucking well!' thought the blonde as he started to walk towards the Uchiha.
"Nice Teme! You're really good!"
"SHUT IT!" Sasuke yelled as he staggered to his feet, his hand at his jaw.
Naruto stopped where he was and stared at his raven haired team mate.
"What the hell!? I was just saying that you're really good and you gave me a run for my money!" Naruto yelled back.
Glaring, Sasuke turned around and walked back to Tazuna's.
Flashback end
Sasuke gritted his teeth before wincing from the effects of Naruto's kick.
'I need to get stronger… Strong enough to beat Naruto… Strong enough to kill Itachi.'
Naruto's words seemed to float to him from the other day at this thought.
'I was a fool to think Itachi wanted me to kill him… Everyone values their lives. Why the hell would Itachi want me to kill him…? He was hindering me… Hatred…'
Sasuke raised his head and scowled at the table. 'I need to get stronger…'
Without a word, he slowly rose to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked politely as he brought his little orange book out.
"…training…" Sasuke replied before slowly walking back outside.
Sakura said nothing as Sasuke passed her wordlessly.
Naruto unleashed a flurry of strikes against the tree in front of him.
'Fuck the Teme… I try to be nice and that's what happens?! Fuck that!'
With every strike against the tree, bark would splinter or shatter, leaving parts of the tree bare.
'Every time I'm nice to one of those two, it always bites me in the ass.'
Naruto jumped up and preformed Konoha Senpū. The results would normally please Naruto, but he took no notice of the large indentations in the tree.
Naruto continued on with pummeling the tree in front of him, not letting up even though his knuckles were beginning to ache and bleed.
'It's just like most of Konoha, always labeling me a delinquent, or a demon…'
Naruto jumped back from the tree only for him to charge it again with renewed vigor.
'Fucking Kyubi… All it ever does is hinder me… Some Jinchuriki I am!'
With that final thought, Naruto used a palm strike that shook the entire tree violently.
Breathing heavily, Naruto slightly grinned at this point when he finally noticed his results. 'Focusing chakra can help strengthen my strikes.' However, pain shot through Naruto's palm. He turned his hand over and looked at his open hand. His eyebrows shot up when he saw burns covering his palm.
'…D…Did the chakra actually burn me?' he wondered as he flexed his hand only to wince as pain shot through it again.
Sighing, Naruto looked up at the sky to see the morning was ending.
"Better get back so that we can go to the bridge" Naruto said to himself.
Gato yelped as Haku gripped his arm tightly. He felt the bones where the boy was gripping him snap loudly.
The two Samurai behind him went for their swords only to have their blades held to their necks by the young boy.
"Never, lay a hand on Zabuza-sama… Or I'll kill you all."
The two Samurai shivered at the killer intent coming from Haku while Gato backed away slightly before regaining his composure.
"Just, keep me in the loop from now on! I want that bridge builder dead!!!"
Haku dropped the two Katanas while walking past the three men.
Waraji and Zori gathered their blades, glaring at the Shinobi then retreated after their master.
Gato grumbled as he walked away from their room. "Damn Missing-nin…" He mumbled as he cradled his now broken arm.
"I'll make sure that they both die when they've finished their jobs…"
The two samurai grinned at this, knowing of Gato's plan from the very beginning.
What could go wrong?!
Naruto and Tazuna returned that evening from the bridge, both in high spirits.
"That was funny when Ichigo-baka nearly dropped the beam onto those clones when he heard about how pissed you were!" Naruto roared with laughter as he said this.
"I know what you mean! I'm glad we've all been getting this work done! It's lifting the mood quite a bit!"
The two of them sat at the kitchen table eating dinner as Sasuke slept with his head down and Sakura shot confused glares at Naruto while concerned looks were cast towards Sasuke.
"It'll be nice when the bridge is finally done though…" Tazuna said with a smile.
Naruto nodded; however, his smile had vanished.
He glanced over at Kakashi who met eyes with him.
Naruto was pretty sure Kakashi could tell what he was thinking, but he wanted to discuss it with his sensei.
'If Gato isn't taken care of though, he'll try and destroy the bridge… Then all this work will have been for nothing.' the blonde thought.
He had to ask Kakashi if there was a way they could arrest him, or… Naruto didn't want to think much on the other option, but he knew that it was there.
"I'm glad you Shinobi agreed to help protect me while this bridge is finished… It's good to have some type of hero here." Tazuna said with a calm smile.
Inari's voice cut in suddenly.
"Why do you even bother trying!? You're all just going to die!" the young boy yelled.
"Inari!" Tsunami reprimanded. Inari, however, continued.
"There are no such things as heroes! No matter what, Gato is just going to kill you for doing this!"
Naruto glared at the child while Sasuke had just woken up and glared at the boy as well.
"People who believe in heroes are just dumb!"
That was the breaking point for Naruto as he stood up, his chair falling back with a clatter.
Inari glared at the taller boy.
"So, you're saying, that those who believe in the heroes in my village are all dumb?! That our heroes aren't just that?! They're just a bunch of idiots!?" Naruto's voice was beginning to rise.
"Pretty much! Heroes don't exist! Just more idiots!" Inari yelled.
Naruto clenched his fists, and his teeth, trying to gain composure and failing epically.
"Shut the fuck up, you cry baby… You don't know anything. Kaiza was an idiot to have believed in you at all..." Naruto said as a slight amount of killer intent leaked from him.
Inari's eyes widened at this, not ever having been so forcefully insulted or even threatened. Then mention of his surrogate father however, was too much for the boy.
The boy's eyes began to well up as he ran upstairs.
"NARUTO! That was uncalled for!!!" Sakura yelled as she stood up as well. 'Who the hell is Kaiza?!' she wondered.
Sasuke said nothing as he glanced at the pink haired girl and the blonde haired boy.
"The same goes for you Sakura" Naruto said as he walked out of the kitchen and then the house.
Kakashi sighed. 'Never mind what I thought about them getting along…'
Tsunami apologized to the remainder of squad seven profusely.
Kakashi just shrugged and took the apology.
That's when Tazuna decided to tell them why Inari felt this way.
Starting with how Inari had gained a father, a man named Kaiza, someone who had saved him and the entire village. He had been a hero.
Then, Kaiza had opposed Gato, and was made of an example of and publicly executed.
"I take it that Naruto already knows?" Kakashi asked. 'It would explain why he mentioned the name Kaiza.'
Tazuna nodded. "I told him a few days ago when he asked why Inari seemed like, and I quote, 'has a stick shoved up his ass that just won't come out…'"
Kakashi chuckled and Sasuke even smirked at this comment.
Tazuna shook his head, a smile gracing his lips.
"I'll tell you now; Naruto doesn't seem like the sympathetic type."
Kakashi nodded. "He's had a difficult life… I believe that he thinks Inari should be more grateful with what he has… A mother and a grandfather."
Kakashi hesitated before continuing.
"Naruto has been alone his entire life, just cast aside by the village. He had no friends when growing up and no family to take care of him. Yet, he can have such a positive attitude, when he wants to be that way…"
Tazuna chuckled. "I wouldn't have guessed that with how the runt acts."
Kakashi shrugged as he stood up. "I'll go apologize to Inari for Naruto. I'm sure he feels bad… a bit."
Kakashi limped on his crutches past Sasuke, who was deep in thought.
'Why would Konoha do that?' He wondered as he thought of his blonde team mate. 'Strange…'
Naruto was back in the forest, holding nothing back as he trained harder than before.
'Fucking brat! Doesn't realize just how well off he is!'
Naruto ran through the hand seals for his great fireball technique.
Not noticing just how much chakra was in the technique, he let it loose upon the forest, incinerating most things in its path before dispersing. Many trees were still on fire when the Jutsu ended, which caused Naruto to grind his teeth in frustration.
Focusing and molding chakra in his left hand he used the mist hanging in the air to provide the water for his Suiton: Hahonryū.
Again, he didn't notice just how large of an amount of chakra he had put into the Jutsu as he unleashed the Jutsu on the trees.
While the fire was extinguished, the Jutsu also smashed through trees, causing them to buckle and crash to the ground loudly.
Naruto cut the flow of chakra and fell to his knees, exhausted and his stomach burning once again.
'…Didn't… mean… for that… to…' Naruto couldn't complete his thought as he passed out from the lack of chakra.
Haku smiled as he picked herbs in a small clearing as birds twittered happily. A few brave fowls actually landed near the serene boy and tilted their small heads side to side curiously.
Haku chuckled as he stood up and continued forward to find a few more necessary things to speed up Zabuza's recovery when he saw a charred and splintered tree on the ground.
Raising an eyebrow, he knelt down next to it and inspected it.
'Ninjutsu… Not more than twelve hours ago…' He looked up and raised an eyebrow when he saw the boy that had struck Zabuza with that water Jutsu that had complicated his recovery, just lying on the ground unaware of the world around him. 'He passed out from chakra exhaustion it looks like' concluded Haku as he glanced at the fallen trees.
Haku approached slowly, gazing at the unconscious blonde and reached forward slowly.
Naruto's eyes snapped open when he felt a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake.
"Hey, you'll catch a cold if you stay out here much longer."
Naruto shook his head as he sat up and stared at the pretty girl that had just shaken him awake.
"Um…hi" Naruto said as he yawned slightly.
Haku gave Naruto a perplexed look and shook it off as he smiled at the boy.
"What are you doing out here?" Haku asked Naruto.
Naruto looked around the clearing and moaned. "Uh… Training… I'm sure you noticed by the Hitai-ate that I'm a Shinobi."
Haku blinked and asked cheekily, "Are you a strong Shinobi?"
Naruto was taken aback by the question. A few months ago, he would have declared that he was the best there was and that nobody could stand in his way… But now, he was different, more mature.
"Are you kidding?! I'm going to be the best Shinobi in my village! I'm going to become the Hokage!" Naruto said as he pumped his fist into the air.
Haku giggled at this. "Well, I suppose a strong Shinobi such as you wouldn't mind helping a civilian such as myself pick some medical herbs, would you?"
Naruto grinned. "No problem!"
Sasuke woke up early, and still Kakashi was downstairs before him, slowly doing pushups on one finger.
"93…94…Good morning Sasuke, 95…"
Sasuke grunted as he walked past the Jonin and out the door for some training.
'Looks like Naruto got under his skin a bit…' Kakashi thought at 98.
"So why are you picking these things again?" Naruto asked as he examined one of the plants that they had been picking for an over an hour.
Haku stared off for a moment as he thought of when he was rescued by Zabuza.
"Do you, have anyone precious to you?" Haku asked suddenly.
Naruto blinked. "…Say again?"
"Do you have a precious person?" Haku repeated. "Someone you would do anything for? No matter what the consequences are?"
Naruto thought for a moment, pondering the meaning of the question, not realizing how much of an impact it would have on him for the remainder of his life. As he thought about it, faces began to materialize in Naruto's mind.
'Jii-san, Iruka-sensei, Ichiraku-jiji, Ayame-chan, Kakashi-sensei, even the Teme…'
Naruto smiled as he nodded. "Yeah… I do… I would do anything for them no matter the cost!" he declared with such power and vigor that Haku was slightly taken a back.
Haku smiled as his hair covered his eyes.
"Then… you really shall become strong…" he said quietly as he stood up.
Naruto looked confused. "Do you have enough herbs ma'am?"
Haku's smile turned slightly mischievous. "Yes I do… Thank you Naruto-kun… I must go now…" Haku turned and walked away before stopping for a moment.
"Oh, and I'm a boy." With that said, Haku continued walking away, leaving a shocked Naruto in his wake.
'NO FUCKING WAY!!! THAT CHICK IS A DUDE!!! HE'S GIRLIER THAN SAKURA!!!"
Sasuke walked past the boy, glancing back at him before looking back at a gaping Naruto.
'What's wrong with the Dobe?'
One week later….
Kakashi smiled as he sat at the breakfast table that morning. "I take it Naruto is still out training?" he asked Sasuke.
The raven haired Uchiha nodded.
"Well, we better head off now and he can catch up when he's done then!" the Jonin said with a smile.
Tazuna grumbled again, having grown a bit closer to Naruto with their joking and working together. The blonde had been a huge help with the construction of the bridge and it was nearly completed. Another four or five days with Naruto's help, and they would be completely finished with everything.
'Gato's hold over us will finally be broken!' Tazuna thought happily as they walked out of his house and towards the village.
Inari watched his grandfather walk towards work with his group of bodyguards.
The young boy had finally apologized to Naruto after hearing what Kakashi had told him.
Not having any friends or parents there to help the Genin grow up had hit a nerve with Inari.
He had felt so bad, that whenever he saw Naruto, he would try and do something to assist the blonde. Although, it annoyed Naruto at times and would end up with Naruto walking away rudely.
However, Naruto had smiled when Inari had started declaring Naruto as his brother, his Nii-san.
When his grandfather was gone from view, he went upstairs to wash his hands so that he could assist his mother with the cooking for that night.
He didn't see the two figures head towards his house from the forest.
Zabuza and Haku sat in a small rowboat beneath the large bridge.
"Humph. Not bad…" Zabuza said as he admired the structure.
Haku simply nodded as he put the Hunter-nin mask on to cover his face.
"Now then Haku, let us begin…" With that said, he dropped a communicator into the ocean below, not intending on listening to Gato bitch at him any longer.
Zabuza ran through a few hand seals.
"Kirigakure no Jutsu!" The mist came in quickly, surrounding the small boat as well as the workers on the bridge.
Zabuza chuckled. 'It's time for round two, Hatake Kakashi…'
Naruto sat in the clearing meditating. Kakashi had suggested it to him to help sharpen his sensory abilities.
He could vaguely sense Kakashi and the others leaving Tazuna's house and head towards the bridge.
'I'll meet up with them when I'm finished here…' thought the blonde as he tried to focus a bit more on distinguishing between each chakra signature.
With no luck, he continued meditating, even after their chakra disappeared as they moved too far for him to sense. 'At least if I concentrate, I can sense far enough to not be surprised…'
Then, something caught his interest.
'Who are these two?' He wondered as he felt two more chakra signatures appear.
He paid them only a slight bit attention until he felt that they weren't a threat. From there, he tried clearing his mind, but something seemed to be gnawing at him, something he had overlooked.
Then it struck him.
'They're heading towards Inari and Tsunami!!!'
Tsunami continued to struggle as the two samurai dragged her out of the house.
They had encountered Inari as well, but the woman had threatened to drown herself in her own blood if they harmed him.
So, they had taken the one prisoner, one very pretty prisoner.
"I'm going to have a lot of fun with you my dear" Waraji whispered to her.
Tsunami shivered as the man grabbed her ass.
'Oh god… Not this…'
The men both laughed as they began to lift her skirt when a shrill voice echoed from the entrance of the house.
"Don't touch my mommy!!!"
The samurai sneered. "Well, we tried to let him live… oh well" Zori shrugged dramatically.
"INARI RUN!!!" Tsunami yelled.
The young boy however did not listen.
'Grandfather, dad…Naruto… I'll be a hero as well!!!'
Inari charged at the two Samurai as they withdrew their swords.
"Punk!" Zori yelled as he sliced the boy in half.
However, the boy vanished a puff of smoke, leaving two halves of a log.
"What the hell?" Waraji exclaimed.
"Wow… You guys really are stupid drones…" a voice said from behind them.
The two of them whirled around to find an unconscious Tsunami and Inari, protected by a blonde boy wearing a red and black jacket.
"Who the hell do you think you are kid?!" yelled Waraji.
"Just the guy who's about to kick your ass." Naruto said before disappeared in a display of speed. The two thugs hit the ground seconds later, knocked out cold.
Tazuna and Sakura gasped at the sight that greeted them when they reached the construction site of the bridge. Through the dense mist was a most gruesome sight for them.
Bodies littered the ground around them, blood splattered on the concrete.
Tazuna saw one of the bodies slowly crawling towards them. He ran to the man and turned him over.
"What the hell happened here?" Tazuna asked the injured man.
"…T…they came from… the mist… just… appeared…"
"Zabuza…" Kakashi said simply.
As if called, Zabuza's voice floated to them from the dense mist.
"Hello again Hatake Kakashi." Not far from them, Zabuza and Haku materialized from the mist.
"So the Hunter-nin was in league with you…" Kakashi said. He already knew, but he wanted to hope beyond hope.
"Looks like your short one Genin… The blonde… And the brunette, he's shaking again… Poor thing."
Sasuke grinned.
"Go ahead Sasuke" Kakashi said with a smile as they were suddenly surrounded by ten Mizu Bunshin.
Sasuke disappeared and then reappeared, kunai in each hand as the clones exploded into water.
"He's gotten better Zabuza-sama" Haku commented.
"It seems that way" Zabuza growled.
Sasuke smirked. "The reason I'm shivering isn't because I'm scared, I'm simply anxious for a rematch."
Zabuza chuckled. "The boy is fast…"
Haku nodded as he stepped forward. "We shall see just how much he has improved."
Naruto shook Inari awake, feeling embarrassed that he had been the one to knock him out in the first place.
Inari slowly opened his eyes to find a smiling Naruto.
"N…Naruto?" mumbled Inari.
Grinning, the blonde nodded. "Yeah, I guess I got here just in time! Those two are taken care of" he said as he gestured behind him. Standing there, were two other Naruto's with the two Samurai bound and gagged. They both were unconscious and riddled with various bruises.
"I broke their arms just in case, but their legs are intact so that you can get someone to walk them to a jail cell or something like that."
Inari nodded.
"I'm going to wake your mom up then I have to head to the bridge to help the others out."
Inari said nothing as Naruto woke his mother up and explained the situation to her.
Standing up when everything was done, Naruto patted Inari on the head and ruffled his hair.
"You know… Your dad would be proud of what you did today" said the Genin.
Inari gazed up at Naruto in awe. '…He would?'
"You're not a crybaby, your growing up!" Naruto said with a grin before turning around and running off into the distance.
"Good luck, Naruto…"
Sasuke panted as he went toe to toe with the fake Hunter-nin.
'He's fast, but I'm faster…' thought the Uchiha as he exchanged a few more blows with the other.
The two Shinobi exchanged a few blows before locking together, kunai against a senbon.
Both struggled against each other, neither of them gaining any ground.
"All this water from those Mizu Bunshin shall be used for my next technique, while I have your hand occupied."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this as Kakashi tensed slightly.
Haku raised a hand and began forming on handed seals at a quick rate.
'One handed seals?!' Kakashi exclaimed. He glanced at Zabuza who was watching him carefully for an opening.
'I can't do anything to help Sasuke right now…'
Haku stomped the ground with his left foot.
"Sensatsu Suishō !" The water around Haku and Sasuke rose and formed needles that surrounded the two.
Haku jumped back, causing Sasuke to pitch forward slightly before recovering.
'Focus the chakra into the soles of my feet' Sasuke thought as he tried it.
The water needles crashed and exploded where Sasuke was. Haku grinned behind his mask, thinking that he had succeeded until he felt movement behind him.
"You may be fast, but I'm faster…" came Sasuke's voice. Haku jumped over a sweeping kick from Sasuke and the two began exchanging Taijutsu blows once again.
Zabuza raised an eyebrow at the exchange. 'Hmm… The boy is as fast as Haku… This should prove to be interesting. Haku, when will you reveal it?'
Kakashi watched Zabuza intently, reading his expressions and body language.
'He isn't worried… He seemed surprised by Sasuke's speed, but he's still sure of his partner's success… He must have an ace up his sleeve.'
Sasuke and Haku backed away from each other for a moment, staring at one another.
"I shall admit that you are quite talented, however… I think it's best that I reveal my ultimate technique."
Sasuke thought for a moment that the water needles were back, but as Haku ran through a few hand seals, he noticed the temperature in the air drop dramatically.
'What the hell is this?' Sasuke wondered as the water rose around him and formed a dome of ice made mirrors.
"What kind of Jutsu is this?" Sasuke wondered aloud this time as he surveyed the cold mirrors.
"Makyō Hyōshō!"
Haku stepped into one of the mirrors and Sasuke's eyes widened as the image of the Hunter-nin was displayed on every mirror.
"This is my Kekkei Genkai, unique only to myself… This is why I am Zabuza's tool." Haku said softly. "Now, prepare yourself" he said forcefully as readied a few senbon needles.
Before he knew it, Sasuke felt senbon needles pierce him from every direction.
"AARRRRGH!!!"
Kakashi didn't recognize the technique that the Hunter-nin had just used and he had been tempted to interrupt the brawl between Sasuke and the boy, but he had refrained from doing so. However, Kakashi moved forward when he heard Sasuke's screams of agony but was intercepted by the former Kiri Jonin.
"Don't forget Kakashi, that I am your opponent today!"
'Fuck…' Kakashi thought.
"Sakura, protect Tazuna!!!" he yelled.
Suddenly, the mist seemed to thicken and Zabuza disappeared from sight completely.
"What's this? The mist is even denser than it was last time…" Kakashi mumbled.
Zabuza's laughter answered him from the dense fog.
"This is the one weakness to your Sharingan Hatake! As long as your eye can't see me, it can't hypnotize me or copy my techniques… No more of your cheap parlor tricks!!!" Zabuza declared with glee.
Kakashi huffed at this. "Big flaw there Zabuza… That means you can't see me either. We're at a stalemate!"
Again, Zabuza's laughter echoed as Sasuke screamed from further down the bridge.
"You forget Kakashi; I'm a master of silent killing. I know exactly where you are! I don't need sight to find you much less to kill you."
Kakashi swore. 'Forgot about that detail… Well, I have my ways as well.'
Sasuke gritted his teeth as he stood up shakily. "Fuck… you…"
Haku said nothing as he prepared his senbons again. "Then, this is goodbye…"
Using the mirrors, Haku flew towards Sasuke, intent on ending the theatrics once and for all.
Zabuza grinned in the thick mist, his eyes closed and concentrating on Kakashi's position. "How long until your Genin is killed by Haku?" he asked Kakashi.
It was silent before Kakashi's voice answered. "Sasuke won't go down easily… You see, he's from the Uchiha clan."
Zabuza's eyes opened in surprise. "That cursed clan? Heh… Well that's fitting… You see, that ice technique is a Kekkei Genkai, just like the Sharingan."
"Is that so?" Kakashi asked blandly, listening intently for any movement.
Zabuza chuckled. "None of your Genin are a match for Haku… Not even your blonde annoyance."
Kakashi chuckled at this. "Well, the thing about Naruto is… He's not your ordinary Shinobi… I like to refer to him as…"
Haku fell to the ground when a strong Futon technique slammed into him through the spaces between the mirrors.
"Careful everybody, Uzumaki Naruto, the maverick Shinobi, has arrived!!!"
There in all of his glory, was Naruto, his coat flapping in the slight breeze left behind by his Futon: Daitoppa.
Haku and Sasuke stared at the boy before the latter blew up at the boy.
"GREAT YOU IDIOT!!! NOW WE'RE BOTH TRAPPED IN HERE!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY AND ATTACK FROM OUTSIDE!!!"
Naruto pretended to clean out his ear. "Sorry, just thought you may appreciate having your ass saved is all…"
Sakura heard Naruto's introduction and smiled. "Naruto's here! Now that we're all here, we stand a good chance!!!"
Tazuna nodded, having seen how a small bit of team work had released Kakashi from imprisonment the first time they had encountered Zabuza.
'We may have hope once again!'
Sasuke rose unsteadily to his feet. "Do you have a plan at the very least?"
Naruto glared at the Hunter-nin as he stood up. 'His chakra… It seems… Familiar…'
Naruto shook his head. "Sorry but no… Wait!!! Let's try melting the mirrors!"
Sasuke actually gaped at Naruto. 'Why the hell didn't I think of that?!'
Haku stepped backwards, becoming one with his ice mirror again, his image reappearing all around the two Konoha Genin.
"That won't work… Fire cannot even scratch this technique."
Sasuke and Naruto however, were both finishing the seals required.
"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" The two large fireballs hit two ends of the dome, yet nothing seemed to happen.
Haku readied his senbon once again, a new target having joined the fray.
'I do not enjoy killing… but it may be necessary.'
Sakura screamed as a slash from Zabuza that was aimed for her was countered by Kakashi. On the down side, Kakashi had to resort to using his own body as a shield and was rewarded with a large gash in his chest. Thankfully for the copy-nin, it wasn't life threatening and would be a slight hindrance. Zabuza grinned as he felt flecks of blood hit his face as he cut through Kakashi's chest.
'That was too close, wasn't it Hatake?' Zabuza thought to himself.
Once again, he vanished back into the mist.
'It's nearly time for me to end this all…' Kakashi thought to himself as he winced from the pain. He then glanced over in the direction he knew Sasuke and now Naruto were in.
'Be careful you two…'
Naruto had been doing pretty well in dodging and deflecting the hail of senbon that was being sent his way. Occasionally, he would take advantage of the fog around them and use his one water Jutsu to send a torrent of water at his opponent.
'Knowing how to make this fog would really help with this Jutsu… It's so much easier to do with all this water in the air!' he thought excitedly.
He looked over at Sasuke to notice that he was starting to get the hang out it, but he was still getting hit quite a bit by the senbon.
'Looks like the Hunter-nin is focusing more on me rather than on Sasuke…' Naruto thought as he glanced at the mirrors once more.
Yet again, the reflections of the boy all prepared more senbon before striking.
Naruto deflected and dodged most of them. However, a pained yell from Sasuke distracted him and six senbon struck him.
Two in his left leg, one in his left arm, three in his right thigh.
Naruto winced and knelt down on the ground.
He tried standing back up but felt a large amount of resistance.
'FUCK! He struck some pressure points… I can move, but… These weights are keeping me down…'
He looked over at Sasuke and saw the boy glaring at the mirrors, his breathing labored.
Naruto gritted his teeth and stood up.
'I can do this… I can do this!!!'
The next wave of senbon was impossible for the blonde to dodge completely and he earned a few more of the needles in his back and legs. The senbon had done more damage than Naruto had originally assumed and the weights weren't helping.
Sasuke had dodged most of them, a few senbon striking him, barely missing more pressure points.
'It's getting easier to follow him…' Sasuke thought as he glared at the mirrors.
Haku however felt his heart stop for a split second.
'Sharingan!' he mentally exclaimed. Both of Sasuke's eyes had gone from onyx, to red with two tomes each.
'It isn't fully developed however… But this does present a problem.'
Haku looked over at the blonde to find that he was kneeling, slightly distracted with his thoughts.
'So be it… it is necessary it seems…'
Sasuke widened his eyes when he noticed what the Hunter-nin was doing.
'NO!'
Naruto was fumbling with his weights, trying to get one of them off.
'Sorry Gai-sensei, but I have to…'
That's when he sensed movement. He looked up to find Sasuke standing in front of him.
Naruto's eye widened when he realized what had just happened.
'No…no…no no no!!!'
Sasuke shuddered as he fell backwards, his body looking like a pincushion at this point.
"Why…" Naruto asked.
Sasuke chuckled weakly. "I didn't… My body moved on its own."
Naruto was in shock. Sasuke coughed. "I… I thought that…kill him… Itachi…"
Sasuke grimaced in pain for a moment. "J…just don't die… Dobe…"
With that, Sasuke's eyes closed and his body went completely limp. Naruto stared, not able to comprehend what had just happened.
Haku sighed. "Is this your first time losing a comrade?"
Naruto did not answer.
"It is a difficult thing to have happen, but we are Shinobi, this will happen often. We must kill, or be killed…"
Anything Haku was going to say was cut off by Naruto.
"…Shut up… you bastard…" Naruto growled.
Haku felt something in the air shift. The temperature seemed to increase, yet his Jutsu was still sustained.
'What is this?' he wondered.
"You killed him… you fucking killed him…" Naruto's voice grew darker, and it sent shivers up Haku's spine.
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!!" Naruto roared as red chakra surrounded Naruto slowly.
Haku felt his heart stop when he saw Naruto's eyes. No longer were they innocent blue, but a fierce crimson, pupils contracted into slits.
The small whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks seemed to darken, his nails lengthened to claws.
Haku watched as the wind picked up and swirled, just as the red chakra swirled around Naruto.
Then, above the blonde boy, the chakra took form. Staring at Haku, a malevolent grin adorning its face was the head of a fox, made of the red chakra.
Kakashi sensed it first. 'Naruto!!! Is the seal breaking!?'
Zabuza was the next to sense it. 'What the hell is that? This feeling of dread… Is it Kakashi?!'
Kakashi focused, sensing Naruto and the seal.
'No, it's slipped, I think… So, Naruto is using it now… Let's just hope it doesn't consume him…'
Kakashi slipped a scroll out of his pocket and slid a thumb into wound on his chest.
"Zabuza, you and I are both very busy men, so what do you say to ending this all once and for all?"
Zabuza chuckled. "End it all? What do you have in mind Kakashi?"
Kakashi opened the scroll while sliding his blood soaked thumb along the length of it before it rolled shut.
Kakashi ran through a few hand seals before slamming the ground.
"Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!" Kakashi looked up as the ground around him rumbled slightly.
'Alright Zabuza… This is it…'
As soon as it came, the fox disappeared and the swirling red chakra disappeared back into Naruto.
The Genin however, still retained his new features.
Haku then noticed that the senbon that had been in Naruto's body and limbs, were littering the floor around him.
'He pushed them out with his chakra… What is this boy?'
Haku grabbed a few more senbon, and charged Naruto using the mirrors.
Haku threw them, aiming at a few vital spots on the boy. What happened next caused Haku's senses to go crazy, warning him to run.
Naruto simply roared an unearthly roar. Haku felt the power and chakra behind it as it repelled the needles.
'I need to get to the next mirror!' Haku thought worriedly.
The next thing he realized was Naruto's hand gripping his arm.
'Fast!'
Naruto drew back a fist as Haku prepared himself for the worst. The next thing Haku realized was that his mask had shattered into tiny pieces and he was flying backwards through one of his mirrors.
The Jutsu around Naruto collapsed, having disrupted it by breaking one of the mirrors.
Haku hit the ground and rolled painfully. Gritting his teeth, he felt blood pouring down his face where shards of the mask had lodged themselves.
He slowly rose up to see Naruto charging him, another punch at the ready.
'I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama…'
There was a loud crack and Haku winced, yet, there was no pain.
He looked down to find that Naruto had punched the concrete in front of Haku.
Naruto withdrew his hand from the large clean hole he had just created.
"You…" he said with his hair covering his eyes. "You're the one from the forest… Haku…"
Haku nodded. "Why did you hesitate to kill me…? I just killed your team mate."
Naruto gritted his teeth before punching the boy with all his might.
Haku hit the ground hard.
'That punch, it was strong, but it wasn't what it was before…' Haku thought.
"You… have the same eyes as I do…" Naruto whispered angrily. "You're like me…"
Haku looked up at the blonde, wondering what he meant.
"Naruto, please… You have defeated me, utterly… I have failed Zabuza-sama… I have killed your friend… Just, please, kill me…"
Naruto's eyes widened at this request.
"Kill, you? Why? Why the hell do you want me to kill you!?" Naruto screamed.
"I am no longer a useful tool to Zabuza-sama" Haku answered simply.
Naruto gritted his teeth. "Why the hell are you so loyal to that eyebrow less freak!?"
Haku smiled sadly. "Because, he is the only one that accepted me…"
These words struck Naruto hard. 'He accepted him… just like… how Iruka-sensei accepted me…'
Haku smiled sadly. "Where I come from, Kekkei Genkai are not welcome… The people of Mizu No Kuni hates them, looks upon them as if we were but demons… They hunted down those with bloodline abilities, killing them off… My mother was a survivor of this… She took refuge in a little village full of snow where she met my father… My parents were a happy family, and I was part of that family. My father and mother loved each other so much, as they both loved me very much… We lived in that snowy little village as a happy family… However it did not last… When I was very young, it was discovered that my mother had a Kekkei Genkai, and when my father found out about it, he killed her, and then he tried to kill me…" Haku's smile was replaced by a sad, haunted look.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"When that happened, my Kekkei Genkai, manifested, and I killed my father… From there, I ran away, tried to live on the streets, yet… That was nearly impossible."
Haku's smile returned as he remembered the day he met Zabuza.
"Then, he came… He found me, knew what I was…"
Zabuza's words echoed through Haku's head. "You are my tool…"
"I was wanted…" Haku said as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Your friend, he too had a Kekkei Genkai, he may have known about the kind of persecution I am speaking of…" Haku slowly stood up.
Naruto shook his head at this.
"He doesn't… In my village, Konohagakure, bloodlines are welcomed, revered nearly… I however, know exactly how you feel…" Naruto said as he rubbed his stomach.
Haku smiled solemnly. "If only I had been born there…"
"I may not have a Kekkei Genkai, but I contain a Biju within my body…"
Haku's eyes widened at this. "A Jinchuriki?"
Naruto nodded. "I'm hated there… Unwanted… Many places won't accept my business… The only reason I'm alive was because of the Sandaime Hokage, who passed a law to protect me… The same law that was passed had forbidden anyone who knew of my Jinchuriki status to keep it a secret and never tell anyone who was unaware of it… Including my age group… But, they still told their children to stay away from me, to hate me… I was alone, all my life… Yet, I found some people that accepted me, both that know and are unaware of what I contain."
Haku felt curiosity gnawing at him. "What Biju do you contain?" he asked, although he had a decent guess from what he saw earlier.
"The Kyubi no Kitsune… The Yondaime Hokage sacrificed himself and sealed the Biju in a baby boy when it attacked our village years ago… That boy was me…"
"Why did he pick you? What of your parents?" Haku asked.
Naruto looked Haku in the eye. He didn't know why, but he wanted to tell Haku, he knew the secret wouldn't leave him… He had shared his own past with Naruto, it was only fair… They were just so alike.
"My father was Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage and the man that sealed the Biju within me… My mother… Uzumaki Kushina is dead…"
Haku raised both eyebrows at this. 'His own father gave him such a burden… Although, he had no choice…'
"Please Haku, don't give up… Just because you think you failed Zabuza doesn't mean that you have! He will probably still want you around…"
Haku was about to reply when he heard chirping in the distance and a shift in the air.
'Zabuza-sama!!!'
"Naruto-kun, I believe you will become a strong Shinobi, but I believe, this may be good bye, I am sorry…"
Naruto's eyes widened when he realized what was happening. He felt the chakra in the distance for a powerful Jutsu; he felt a few other chakra signatures, pinning Zabuza down… He felt Haku perform two Jutsu at once. A Shunshin and his mirror Jutsu.
Naruto knew he was too late as he raced through the mist, but he had to make sure, there could be a way!
Zabuza's eyes widened as Kakashi charged him.
'Damn dogs!!!' Zabuza thought wildly as he tried to struggle, yet he was pinned.
Kakashi traveled at new speeds, the electricity and chakra in his hand making the strange chirping noise.
Then, the noise of tearing flesh rang through the air. Kakashi's eyes widened as well when he saw what he had struck. Both he and Zabuza were stunned, at the sight of a smiling Haku, Kakashi's arm having been rammed through the boy's chest.
The dogs disappeared in puffs of smoke, the scroll used in their summoning impaled by senbon needles.
Ice mirrors that had materialized last minute around them were slowly melting away.
'He's… already dead!' Kakashi realized as Zabuza began talking.
"Thanks to you Haku, Kakashi's prediction of my death was once again, foiled.
Grabbing his large cleaver-like sword, he swung it, intending on cutting through the dead Haku to get to Kakashi.
Kakashi jumped back, carrying Haku with him.
He landed far enough away from Zabuza to remove his arm from the boy and lay him on the ground.
'…such loyalty…' He closed the blank eyes of Haku, and shook his head.
Naruto came into view and from the look on his face, he felt horrified.
"I'm sorry Naruto…" Kakashi said, quickly figuring out that the two had been talking.
Naruto slowly approached Haku and knelt beside him.
"H…Haku…" he whispered as he touched his face.
"It's amazing, that I found such a fantastic tool in the gutter!!!" Zabuza called out.
Naruto felt the heat from the chakra he felt earlier, but ignored it, concentrating on keeping his emotions in check.
Kakashi jumped forward, intending on finishing the fight with Zabuza's death.
He dodged to the left from a swing of Zabuza's sword.
'He's getting worn out…' Kakashi thought as he withdrew two kunai and spun them on his fingers.
He ducked underneath a horizontal swing from Zabuza before lodging the kunai into Zabuza's left arm.
Growling in pain, he swung his useless arm at Kakashi who merely dodged and planted a kick in Zabuza's midsection.
They were about to continue when they heard clapping.
Naruto had come to when he heard the clapping right behind him and jumped away towards Sakura and Tazuna's location.
"Naruto! You're alright! Where's Sasuke!?" Sakura asked as she ran towards the blonde boy, leaving Tazuna alone to stare at who had just arrived.
Naruto said nothing as the mist began to dissipate and he noticed the large army of mercenaries behind a short businessman with a cast on his left arm.
"Bravo Zabuza, bravo!!! You truly live up to your reputation of a demon."
Zabuza glared at the short man and his army. "Gato, what the hell are you doing here?"
Gato laughed an evil laugh. "Oh this? Well, the truth is, that I never intended on paying you. I just wanted all you Shinobi to wear yourselves out and when you were tired enough, just hire an army of bandits to kill you all! Missing-nin are never truly missed and they're so easy to manipulate."
"Well Kakashi, it looks like our fight is now over" Zabuza muttered angrily.
Kakashi nodded as he relaxed slightly.
"Looks that way…" he mumbled.
Naruto wanted to protest that the swordsman was still his enemy, but his attention was focused on the short man at the moment.
'This man… he's the one who's caused all of this pain!!!' he thought angrily as he fought to keep his emotions in check and to keep the power that was trying to worm itself out at bay.
"Some Demon of the mist you are Zabuza! More like a baby demon if that!!!"
Gato walked towards the dead body of Haku and looked down in disgust.
"Then there's you… You broke my arm… I still owe you for that…"
With that said, Gato kicked Haku's face.
Naruto felt everything snap at that moment.
"Fucking trash…" Gato said loud enough for everyone to hear. The mercenaries behind him laughed haughtily at his actions.
This only fueled Naruto's anger.
"You…you FUCKING BASTARDS!!!" Naruto roared as the chakra seemed to explode out of him.
Sakura was right next to him and was thrown back through the air and hit the concrete hard, knocking her unconscious. His already damaged jacket was torn off of him and the remains were caught by the winds and carried away.
Naruto felt the red chakra surround him, encasing him in a cloak of sorts.
Kakashi felt fear grip his heart as he watched the red chakra surround his Genin, taking the shape of a fox, a single tail behind the blonde Shinobi.
Naruto crouched on all fours as Zabuza felt the same feeling of dread come over him as it had not that long ago.
'This boy… what the fuck is he?' he wondered, eyes wide and fearful.
Naruto felt the chakra burning him, giving him strength. He felt another presence within him, stirring, trying to push more of the burning energy into him.
'No… This is all I need to kill these bastards!' Naruto thought to himself, not realizing just what he had thought, what he was planning on doing.
The short man, Gato, felt killer intent wash over him as he felt his bladder empty as well.
'This… this isn't human' thought the man.
Naruto growled slightly as he watched the man retreat behind the mercenaries.
"KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!!!" yelled a frightened Gato.
From the crowd, an arrow flew at Naruto.
His eyes flashing malevolently, Naruto felt the chakra urge him forward, practically whispering him what to do to get rid of the projectile.
Naruto let out a yell, an unearthly yell that shattered the arrow as it soared towards him.
Tazuna slowly backed away from the blonde. 'Is this more Ninjutsu?' He wondered fearfully.
Kakashi and Zabuza appeared behind Tazuna.
"It's best to stay out of Naruto's way… I'm not sure if he's still in control." Kakashi said quickly, ready to intercept Naruto if he were to charge them.
Tazuna nodded as Zabuza stared at the boy in front of them.
Naruto roared again as he slammed his hands into the concrete beneath him.
The bridge began to shake slightly before two large arms of red chakra appeared in front of the army of mercenaries.
The arms tore through most of their ranks with one swipe, tossing the bodies into the ocean below while the more unfortunate were torn apart. Arms were severed from their bodies; some torsos were ripped in half.
Gato sat at the back of the remainder of his forces, feeling his bowels evacuate.
The various thugs and bandits that were still alive and on the bridge decided then and there to make a break for it, not wanting to meet their ends courtesy of a blonde powerhouse.
Gato however couldn't move. His eyes had locked with the blonde's and what he saw kept him rooted. Beady black eyes met furious crimson eyes.
'A…a…d…demon!!!' he thought as he tried to urge his body to move. However, not matter how much he tried, his body wouldn't respond.
The two chakra arms receded back to Naruto as he stood up straight and began walking towards the man.
"You said that Zabuza wasn't a demon… Well, it sounded as if you were sorely disappointed with that, so let me make it up to you… With the power of one of the strongest demons…" Naruto spoke, not truly aware of just what he was saying.
"W…What do you mean?!" Gato finally spoke as his body began to shake.
Fear was clawing at the businessman's heart, every alarm in his body screaming death was approaching, and yet, Gato still couldn't move.
Naruto kept his eyes locked as he walked up to the small man and looked down at him.
"Ever heard of Kyubi?" the boy asked.
Gato nodded. Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Good…" Naruto withdrew a kunai. "You can thank him for your end." Naruto drove the knife between Gato's eyes in a flash. The man couldn't even make a noise as his body went limp, eyes still widened in fear.
Naruto felt the power begin to fade away before he realized what he had just done.
He stared at the body of the dead man in horror, realizing just what he had done.
'I…I killed him…'
Naruto dropped to his knees. "I…I killed him… I…"
He kept staring at his first kill, HIS first kill. His stomach lurched before he threw up on the dead man.
"I actually killed him…"
"Yes… You did" came Kakashi's voice.
Naruto couldn't react; he was in too much shock at the brutality he had shown.
"You actually killed a few of them Naruto…"
Naruto felt his eyes tear up. "Why…why did I do it?!" he cried out.
Kakashi sighed as he knelt beside his student. "We are Shinobi… Tools… We have to kill, it's our purpose."
Naruto felt the tears running down his face.
"Naruto… I know it's hard, and there isn't much I can say to make it better, but you did the right thing…"
Naruto felt shame washing over him as he continued to look at the dead body.
"He would be ashamed…" Naruto whispered to himself. Kakashi sighed.
"He wouldn't Naruto… He killed… You're father killed quite a few Shinobi in his time."
Naruto looked up at Kakashi. "I knew your father as he is the one who taught me."
Naruto nodded numbly.
"Look, it's difficult your first few times, but it will get easier… All I can say is, don't let it bother you too much, but never forget them."
Naruto nodded again. "I used it…" he finally said. "I felt the Kyubi giving me all that power… He tried giving me more, but I could feel what it was doing even though I could barely realize it… Am…Am I becoming more like him?" Naruto looked up at Kakashi fearfully.
Kakashi shook his head. "No Naruto… You're not a demon; you feel remorse for your actions, even when it was Gato that you killed. He did deserve what he got, and I doubt I would feel anything from killing Gato other than satisfaction… If anyone was a demon, it would be Gato for what he did to this country."
Kakashi watched the blonde consider his words before speaking again.
"Come on Naruto, we need to get you Sakura and Sasuke back to Tazuna's you three need to rest."
Naruto's eyes widened at Sasuke's name, but before he could tell Kakashi what had happened, he felt his fatigue catch up with him and he fell into blissful unconsciousness.
Naruto felt like crap to put it simply. His entire body ached, as if he had been beaten repeatedly with a large wooden mallet.
Then, everything hit him… The memories. Sasuke, Haku…Gato…
Naruto opened his eyes and sat up.
He was back in Tazuna's house, put in the bedroom he and Sasuke had shared over the past two weeks.
Naruto felt his stomach twist uncomfortably at the thought of his deceased comrade.
"Morning Naruto…" Naruto looked over and saw Kakashi sitting in the corner of the room, reading Icha Icha Paradise.
"I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei… I tried… I really did but…" Kakashi interrupted the downtrodden Genin.
"Sorry for what?" he asked confusedly.
Naruto swallowed, trying to keep his emotions in check.
"…for Sasuke."
Kakashi blinked. "Sasuke? What happened?"
Naruto gritted his teeth. 'He's going to make me say it… he should know by now!'
"For Haku killing him!" he yelled out.
Kakashi stared at Naruto before closing his book with a sigh.
"Naruto… Sasuke is alive…"
It took Naruto a moment to fully understand what Kakashi had told Naruto. "Wait… he is?"
Kakashi nodded. "It seemed as if your friend, Haku, couldn't bear killing him, so he just his a certain few points with senbon needles to put Sasuke in a deathlike state… Just like with Zabuza."
Naruto gaped at his sensei. "He…he's alive! YES! He's still alive!" Naruto grinned triumphantly.
Kakashi chuckled. "Yes he is… That is not why I am here though."
Naruto's smile faded as he realized what they were going to talk about.
"Naruto, I need to ask you… When you accessed Kyubi's chakra, were you in control?"
Naruto inhaled slowly as he remembered the fuzzy memories.
"Yeah… I was… Anything I didn't know how to do, I just instinctively knew how to do…"
'So the chakra enhanced roar was an instinct…' Kakashi thought to himself.
"Did you talk to the fox at all?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto shook his head. "No… Do I have the ability to do that?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Like the Sandaime told you, we don't know much about that specific type of seal… I don't think it was meant to create a Jinchuriki. However, I assume that most Jinchuriki can usually contact their Biju…"
Naruto nodded. "Anything else?" the blonde asked his sensei.
Kakashi was silent for a moment, analyzing his student.
"How do you feel about your first kill…?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't really know… I mean, I wanted him dead when I first heard about everything he was doing here, but at the same time, I feel like I've done a horrible thing…"
Kakashi nodded. "Like I said Naruto, it's not easy to do at first, and with you, I don't think it will be often… However, it was the right thing; you saved thousands of lives by killing Gato."
Kakashi continued to stare at Naruto as he spoke.
"It was really the best thing you could do… Do you happen to remember the others you killed?"
Naruto shook his head. "That seems fuzzy, the chakra kind of knew what my true target was, and it just took care of the rest…"
Kakashi nodded. "Well, try not to take it so badly… Anyways, you need to get out of bed; you've been here for three days."
Naruto processed the information for a moment before reacting.
"THREE DAYS!?"
Zabuza stared at the spot where Haku had been buried.
"I'm sorry Haku… You were like a son to me…" Zabuza sighed as he remembered when he had first met the boy, how he had trained him the moment he had laid eyes on the young orphan.
He had taught him everything, used him and now, he felt horrible over everything that had happened to the boy.
'One day… I would like to see you up there in heaven; however, I don't think I would be allowed in there.'
"You may be able to though, one day…"
"Humph… What do you want Hatake?" Zabuza asked angrily.
Kakashi walked towards the grave and offered a quick silent prayer.
"Nothing, other than to pay my respects…"
Zabuza said nothing as he stared at the mound of earth containing his protégé.
"Haku befriended that Jinchuriki, Naruto… He always did relate to other outcasts."
Kakashi chuckled. "I think Naruto is the same way…"
Zabuza sighed as he turned towards the Jonin. "That boy, he reminds me of another blonde Konoha Shinobi that passed away thirteen years ago."
Kakashi said nothing, knowing where this was headed.
"That boy looks a lot like the pictures of one Namikaze Minato, especially with that jacket he was wearing."
Kakashi shrugged. "Must be a coincidence." Zabuza stared at the copy-nin, searching for answers.
"I guess it is…" mumbled the former Kiri-nin as he turned back towards the grave.
"So, where are you heading now?" Kakashi asked.
Zabuza shrugged. "I don't really know. I need to keep on the move to stay off of the Hunter-nin's radar… May simply just travel…"
Kakashi closed his eye. "Well, I have only one request… Do not tell anyone of Naruto or what he contains…"
Zabuza nodded. "I don't think Haku would have appreciated it if I did… I'll keep that information to myself."
"Thank you…" Kakashi said as he turned around.
Zabuza said nothing as Kakashi walked away.
'Haku…' Zabuza gripped the hilt of his giant blade.
Closing his watering eyes, he swung the sword and impaled the ground with it, marking the grave.
"Goodbye… Haku…"
Naruto grinned when he came downstairs and found Sasuke and Sakura sitting at the table together.
Sakura looked happy to see Naruto awake and well, which slightly unnerved the blonde.
"Naruto! Thank god you're okay! Sasuke and I were wondering if you would ever wake up!"
'That's why… Sasuke was worried so she was…as…well? Wait, Sasuke?!'
Naruto glanced at Sasuke who smiled slightly before nodding.
"Good to see that you're alright Teme!" Naruto exclaimed happily.
"Humph…" Sasuke said, although a small grin adorned his usually grumpy face.
Tazuna wasn't in at the moment nor was Inari, but Tsunami hugged Naruto the moment she came into the kitchen.
"Naruto! Thank you so much! We heard that you were the one that killed Gato!"
Naruto felt a chill run up his spine at these words, but he ignored it.
"Thank you so much Naruto-kun, you saved our country" she said as she gave him a strong, yet motherly hug.
Blushing, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It wasn't just me… Sasuke and Sakura were there, and so was Kakashi-sensei."
Tsunami smiled at the blonde as she sat him down at the table and ran around the kitchen, gathering up food for the boy.
"Well, none of them were passed out for three days straight! I think you deserve to get some food in your system!"
Naruto grinned. 'Wonder if I ask nicely enough if she'd make me some ramen!?'
Tazuna nodded as he watched Zabuza walk into the forest of Nami no Kuni.
"You sure it's okay to just let him go?" the old man asked Kakashi.
The silver haired Jonin shrugged. "I don't really know, but we are no longer enemies and he has just suffered a loss… Let's leave him be."
Tazuna nodded. "I have to say, these past few days have been strange… Learning of Jinchuriki and Biju…"
Kakashi nodded. "Like I said, don't tell anyone of this… The only reason I told you was because you were there when it happened and Zabuza inquired about if Naruto was indeed a Jinchuriki… It's an S class secret back in Konohagakure, so if you do breach it and it gets out, there is a slight chance that you will be killed for it…"
Tazuna gulped. "Isn't that a bit extensive?"
Kakashi nodded. "A bit… However, it would be the Foundation that would send its forces after you… They are outside of the Hokage's reach and are under a different authority… I would be careful with that information…"
Tazuna nodded. 'So Naruto is the pariah in his own village, because their leader sealed a demon in him at birth to save them all… Some people have all the luck while others have none…' he thought sadly.
He looked out at the bridge that was getting a few last minute touches.
'The damage from Naruto is fixed now at least, and the bridge is pretty much finished… Now all I need is a name for it…'
Naruto had enjoyed the last few days in Nami no Kuni.
He had gone back to the charred clearing for some more training and found that he had actually gotten a bit stronger. He had upped his weights once more and was focusing on mastering his Futon: Daitoppa, his water Jutsu, and his two fire Jutsu.
Sasuke had occasionally watched Naruto training, but Naruto had stopped as he had found out about Sasuke's Sharingan.
Sakura was at least being decent towards the Blonde Genin now, but was still hounding Sasuke constantly and whenever she could, she would throw an occasionally glare at Naruto when he interrupted her.
Finally, squad seven was leaving Nami no Kuni. As they said their final goodbyes to Tazuna and his family, the people of the country had come to say their farewells.
"THANK YOU!!!"
"WE LOVE YOU!"
"COME BACK SOON!!!"
"YOU'RE ALL HEROES!!!"
Naruto grinned at a sobbing Inari.
"Y…you don't have to leave you know…" Inari said through tears.
Naruto patted the boy on the head. "Sorry Inari, but I've got to head home, life as a Shinobi and all…"
Inari sniffed as he hugged Naruto.
"Come back soon then!" he cried.
Naruto hugged back. "I'll try."
Naruto shook Tazuna's hand and was kissed on the forehead by Tsunami.
Sasuke received the same gestures while Sakura received a hug instead of a kiss from Tsunami.
Kakashi had nonchalantly waved at the family before pulling out his usual book and began walking forward.
As the Konoha Shinobi walked along the bridge, people began wondering…
"What are we going to call the bridge?"
"Kakashi is so cool!!! Let's name it after him!!!" A few people suggested while a few girls suggested on naming it after Sasuke.
A few people even suggested on naming it Haku, after the one pure soul that had died there.
Tazuna however, had something different in mind.
"Naruto… The great Naruto Bridge."
Inari grinned at the name while Tsunami raised an eyebrow at this.
"Um… Father, are you sure about that?" She liked the name, but she knew that Tazuna had taken a particular liking to the boy for his spunk and fun attitude.
'He changed Inari, he killed Gato, and he freed this country… It's fitting… Naruto is determined on becoming Hokage and I'm sure that he will do just that… He changed us all, and he will change his own village… I'm sure of it.'
"Yes Tsunami… I'm sure…"
Translations:
Konoha Senpū – Leaf Whirlwind
Kirigakure No Jutsu – Hidden Mist Technique
Fūton: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough
Suiton: Hahonryū - Water Release: Tearing Torrent
Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu - Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Makyō Hyōshō- Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors
Sensatsu Suishō- Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death
Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu- Summoning Technique: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique
Mizu no Kuni – Land of Water
Kekkei Genkai – Bloodline Limit
TADAA!!! The Wave Arc is finished and I am slightly satisfied with it. I used a midchapter time skip and I apologize for that… I'm not the biggest fan of those but it wouldn't have been very interesting otherwise… Naruto did this… and this… daily routine crap...
OH!!! AND YEAH!!! I KILLED HAKU!!! Don't like it? Then I'm sorry but it was time for a fucking change… Too many fanfictions out there, my other one included, has Haku living along with Zabuza and the two joining Konoha… I decided to take the true route… I doubt that the demon of the mist would be allowed into Konohagakure by any means… Haku, maybe… a HUGE maybe… Plus, I haven't read a fic where Zabuza is the one to live while Haku dies alone…
Another thing, yeah, Naruto hit the one tailed state… Again, don't like it? Sad for you!!!
He connected with Haku more this time, and losing both Sasuke and Haku and then Gato disgracing his newest friend by kicking their dead body, along with his ever increasing rage. Plus, his body is stronger than it was in canon with all the training and meditating he's been doing, I would assume he could access and control more of Kyubi's chakra… Hence him completely shattering and destroying Haku's mask in one blow compared to cracking it.
Oh!!! And for those who think that, and I fucking quote, 'Now that Squad seven is getting along, this fic is officially ruined…' well, something like that… Anyways, if you think that… FUCK YOU!!! They're not getting along, they never really do entirely. There are moments when they're like family, they're close, or they hate each other… If you don't like that, then why did you ever read Naruto in the first place?! Oye…. So, while Sasuke and Naruto got along for a bit last chapter doesn't mean that they're going to be BFF or anything… It's Naruto and Sasuke, come on!
My story, my rules…
I'm such a HUGE dick. XP I love it!
Anyways, next chapter Naruto and the gang arrive back in Konoha and after chapter 6, the chunin exams will begin… I wanna do a few things in between first to help the story a bit.
Now, many people have been pestering me for some Naruto Ino action… Let me be clear on this… They will NOT be hooking up right off the bat… I mean, do you honestly think that Ino will see Naruto and they'll jump in the sack?! They're 13!!!!! And not today's stupid 13 year olds who are actually having sex… Ew by the way…
The relationship will happen, but I'm not rushing it and so you should know not to try and push me to do it… This fanfic is going at my pace like it or not… I know, I'm a big poo poo head for doing this, but I'm okay with that.
So, I'm going on vacation until the beginning of December, so when I do get back home, I'll get back to the fanfiction stuff and another update will be seen within a week or two of December first… Probably before the tenth as that day is my fiancé's birthday. Oye…
Well, if you have questions or comments, go ahead and review, or message me… either way works.
Have a fun Thanksgiving this month, I hope I do!!!