Chapter 22: Courage, Purpose, and Planning

I have returned. My apologies to you all, but I needed a break.

The Battle on the Bridge is fast approaching, but we still have a little ways to go, I'd say this chapter and then the action happens. On a more positive note you should see new techniques this chapter.

Also, I'm going to be messing up the order of events so I hope none of you are bothered by that.

Before all of that however, let's check in with Team 8.

Once again, I don't own Naruto.

Konoha

"I am happy to report that Team 8's first C Rank mission was a success, Hokage-sama," Kurenai told the elderly ninja.

"Excellent work! Kurenai, I will be needing an official report soon. Until then, Team 8 is dismissed," Hiruzen responded.

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Kurenai said before leading her team out of the Hokage's office.

Once Kurenai closed the door, she turned to her students and said, "You three preformed exceedingly well, take tomorrow off."

"Hai Sensei!" the genin responded.

As soon as Kurenai left to prepare the report Hinata turned to Kiba and Shino and said, "I suppose I will see you both later then."

"Hinata, you really shouldn't worry so much, I'm sure Naruto is fine," Kiba told her.

"I know but still…," she trailed off.

"You could always check with Iruka-sensei if you are that worried," Shino said.

"Yes, I think I'll do just that," Hinata said as she left for the Namikaze residence.

"Okay: so we have the flowers; we have the wedding party picked for the most part; and the location for the reception. So what's left?" Iruka asked.

"The menu for the reception; our honeymoon spot; sending out invitations to everyone else who we want to come; my dress, the bridesmaid dresses; your tuxedo, and the best man and groomsmen's tuxedos," Anko answered sounding exhausted.

"How about a break?" Iruka asked, feeling as tired as his fiancée sounded.

"Yes please," Anko said as she laid down on the couch. The Namikaze living room was covered in notes and lists needed for her and Iruka's special day. Iruka went to get them both something cold when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Anko said from her spot on the couch.

"Hello Anko-sensei, Iruka-sensei," Hinata greeted.

"Oh Hinata-chan, I hope you don't mind if I don't get up, planning a wedding is more tiring then I thought it would be," Anko explained.

"That's fine, Anko-sensei," Hinata said.

"Hinata-chan, I hate to ask but when you see your sensei next could you tell her that I need to ask her something?" Anko asked.

"Of course," Hinata answered.

"Also, how would you feel about being one of my bridesmaids?" Anko asked.

"I would be honored, Anko-sensei," she answered.

"So what brings you here today, Hinata?" Iruka asked as he returned with a drink for all three of them.

"I was wondering if Naruto-kun was home," Hinata told them.

"I'm afraid not, Hinata," Iruka responded

"I'm sure he's fine, I mean how much trouble could he get into?" Anko asked rhetorically.

"Anko-chan," Iruka said, wishing she hadn't asked that.

"What? Even if say a missing-nin shows up, Kakashi is with them, Naruto and the other gakis will be fine," Anko said.

Back in Wave

I need to come up with some new techniques or I could be in deep shit, Naruto thought.

"What exactly are you trying to do again?" Kurama asked, having just woken up from a nap.

I'm here in the middle of the woods trying to come up with a way to use the advice Kakashi-sensei gave me, Naruto answered.

"What was his advice, I'm a little groggy but maybe I can help," Kurama offered.

All he was able to tell me was that the higher level Kiri ninja like Zabuza don't like bright light, Naruto told the fox.

"That can't be all he said," Kurama said incredulous.

It most certainly is, "After their eyes adjust to the Kirigakure no Jutsu, a bright enough light will take them out of the battle." Naruto told his partner.

"So just exploit weaknesses created by the jutsu, that's basic strategy, you could have figured that out yourself," Kurama said.

I know, I'm pretty damn disappointed, Naruto responded.

"Because the idea is so simple or because you didn't think of it first?" Kurama asked.

Both really, Naruto thought.

"That Taiyōken technique of yours should work, shouldn't it? So what's bothering you?" Kurama asked.

Getting rid of the mist and the mirrors, Naruto answered.

"Well Fūton: Daitoppa should handle the mist, at least one would think so," Kurama said.

That's what I was thinking, but then I wonder why Kakashi-sensei didn't do that. It's doubtful that he doesn't know the jutsu, Naruto thought.

"My guess is that it wouldn't clear away enough mist," Kurama suggested.

Maybe, but he already had a strategy in mind and clearing the mist might have ruined it. It's a moot point anyway, I just need to clear enough to see the sun where my opponent and I are located, or I could use kage bunshins to try to clear the mist away entirely,Naruto explained.

"And you think the mirrors will interfere with that," Kurama said.

Well they are mirrors, Naruto reminded the fox.

"Right, reflect light and, in this case, block the wind," Kurama remembered.

My choices are limited to melting them or smashing them, but whatever I choose it needs to get rid of all the mirrors at once because that's the only way I'll get the chance to do any of this, Naruto reasoned.

"You might be right about that, but Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu may not be strong enough and Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku would kill your teammates, so melting the mirrors is out," Kurama mused.

My thoughts exactly and I haven't really had the opportunity to practice Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku, so smashing them is my only option, it sucks that they're mirrors, Rakuhouha would be ideal for this, Naruto said.

"True you can't use it but it might still be helpful, if you could do something like that with your ethereal blades and strike with enough force you should be able to smash those mirrors," Kurama suggested.

That's a good idea, let's get to work, Naruto said, eager to get started.

"Rakuhouha!" he shouted as he punched the ground, trying to get an accurate measurement of the speed of the projectiles and the force of impact.

The balls of light travelled quickly enough but they stopped as soon as they hit an object. Upon learning this, Naruto decided to fix that before moving on. The problem is, he had no idea how to do that, Rakuhouha was an accident after all. Trying to remember what he did to perform the technique the first time, Naruto started to gather light chakra into his hand. Then feeling inspired he put up a mu barrier around the same hand and started to mix dark energy in with the light. When he punched the ground he noticed a few things: the projectiles were now a dark purple; they traveled faster; and that they kept going after they hit something, however the number of projectiles stayed the same.

"I think I'll call you 'Messenkou'," Naruto said as though the technique cared what it was called. I wonder what happens when I keep the light and the dark energy separate until I strike the ground, he thought. Naruto soon succumbed to his curiousity and tried it: he gathered light in one hand and dark energy in the other; brought his hands together and struck the ground. Large oval-shaped projectiles shot out of the ground. The projectile glowed a dark blue and were rather large and were spaced out by about a foot-and-a-half. "That one is 'Shin Messenkou'," he said simply.

After a few more tests, Naruto decided that he was ready to try to perform the technique with Interdiction instead of light projectiles without much luck. "I don't understand, I've shot ethereal blades out before," Naruto said.

"One at a time in a straight line, not in all directions at once," Kurama reminded.

I suppose it was naïve to think that there wouldn't be much difference between Rakuhouha and this, Naruto admitted.

"Light and Mu are two different things, you know that. I think trying to alter those Mu traps that shoot the blades would be a better place to start," Kurama suggested.

I would have to set them up in advance though, and there is no guarantee that Haku would create mirrors anywhere near where I set the traps, Naruto countered.

"Right, it would need to be instantaneous or you run the risk of getting hit with those senbon, damn," Kurama cursed.

I think you're on the right track though. Let me try something, Naruto said to partner. In a manner similar to how he used his Mu Lightning, the air around Naruto's hand began to crackle and something began to happen. The dark matter around him began to form into something tangible, a dome made of ethereal blades similar in shape to Inderdition although much smaller. There was a problem however, they were too far away. If Naruto judged the distance between the blades and his body they would be separated by the ice mirrors.

That's a good start I suppose, let me see if I can get them to move, Naruto thought as he thrust his arms to the sides. Faster than the eye could see, the mini-blades shot out in all directions and then dissipated after a short while. Okay, now let's see if I can't get the dome smaller, he thought.

After about an hour all Naruto had succeeded in doing was making the dome larger. Okay, any further away and I won't be able to see it, what am I doing wrong? he asked.

"No idea, apparently your first one was all the smaller it's going to get for now. If you had more time you could probably manage to get it to work, but you only have two more days to finish preparing," Kurama said.

Yeah, our two weeks are just about up, damn, Naruto thought.

"Don't worry about it too much. I don't usually do this but if the situation gets too bad I'll help you turn it around," Kurama said, trying to reassure his partner.

Turn it around. Turn it around, Kurama, you're a genius! Naruto mentally shouted.

"Thanks, but why am I a genius again?" a confused kitsune asked.

Let me ask you something; The blades have to shoot outward because, why? Naruto asked.

"They don't, do they," Kurama said after giving it some thought.

Let's try the standard dome again, this time bringing the blades inward, Naruto thought, eager to try this new plan. After forming the dome instead of thrusting his arms out he crossed them with a sweeping motion, thinking that would make a difference. Apparently it did because it wasn't even a few seconds later before Naruto used Shadow Sneak to take cover.

"I'd call that a success but if your timing is off you're dead," Kurama said.

Mizuki and my childhood gave me an excellent reaction time, I'm more worried about whether or not it will kill Haku, Naruto thought.

"You don't want to kill your enemy? That's odd coming from someone who trained to be an assassin," Kurama said.

Gatō the real enemy, Tazuna and Wave are in danger as long as he's around, Naruto responded.

"And as soon as you kill him they will kill you because they won't get their money," Kurama pointed out.

If half of what Tazuna-san said about Gatō was true then he isn't going to pay them, Naruto countered.

"So what, you think that Gatō's going to wait until the fighting is over and they're both too worn out to fight back to kill them? That sounds rather plausible actually, but you're making a lot of assumptions," Kurama pointed out.

I know, that's why I need proof, anything that suggests that Gatō doesn't trust Zabuza to get the job done would probably work, Naruto thought.

"It would take a miracle to get something like that," Kurama said.

Well I'll worry about that later; right now I think it's time for dinner, Naruto thought as he made his way back to Tazuna's home.

Apparently today's training had taken more out of Naruto than he had thought. He managed to stumble into the house but as soon as he took his seat at the table he slumped over.

"Naruto-kun are you alright?" Tsunami asked.

"I'm okay, Tsunami-san, I just overdid it today is all," Naruto said trying to reassure the poor woman.

"I know how that feels, those bunshins of yours are hard to keep up with," Tazuna said before he started to laugh.

"Tou-san, you need to be careful not to overdo it, you too Naruto-kun," Tsunami scolded.

"I'm not promising anything Tsunami-san," Naruto said tiredly.

"Why?" Inari asked.

"What?" Naruto asked back.

"Why do you bother to try so hard?! No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gatō's men! No matter what you say, no matter how hard you work the strong always kill the weak!" Inari yelled.

That outburst shocked everyone into silence except for Naruto who said, "You might be right, maybe it is pointless, but all we can do is press forward. You can't always avoid something just because it's hard."

"What the hell do you know?! You have no idea what it's like to suffer!" Inari yelled back.

"So you're telling me it's okay to sit around and cry all day? Alright then, I hope you cry forever you little wuss," Naruto said coldly.

That shut Inari up, but caused Sakura to find her voice. "Naruto, that's going too far!" she yelled.

"Whatever," Naruto said as he made to leave the house.

"Training?" Kakashi asked.

"Yep."

"Be careful," Kakashi said as his blonde student left the room. Turning to Inari he said, "You pushed the 'You don't know what it's like to suffer' button. You shouldn't have done that."

"Huh?" was Inari's response.

"Naruto didn't mean any harm by what he said, he's just frustrated is all. Like you, Naruto also grew up without a father. Actually, he never knew either of his parents and for years he didn't have a single friend. The fact of the matter is he's had a rougher past than you," Kakashi explained.

Inari's only response was a contemplative silence.

"Looking back, I don't think I've ever once seen him cry or complain," Sakura said, remembering Naruto in his younger years.

"That idiot is always trying to get people to acknowledge him, it's something he'd risk his life for," Sasuke added.

"At some point he probably got tired of crying. Naruto knows what it means to be strong, just like Kaiza. He may understand your feelings better than anyone else. I think he's actually pretty worried about you," Kakashi finished.

Inari remained silent but he knew he had a lot to think about.

After his outburst, Naruto had gone off to the forest to train. Working off his frustration only served to tire him out though and he passed out on the forest floor. Luckily for him, Kurama had started to stir and noticed that someone was approaching.

"Naruto, wake up, someone is headed this way," Kurama told his partner.

Is it a threat? Naruto asked.

"It's that Haku kid, so maybe," Kurama answered.

That's perfect actually, I imagine that he's more reasonable than Zabuza, Naruto thought.

"Don't get your hopes up; don't forget Zabuza's the one in charge," Kurama reminded.

Well it's worth a shot anyway, Naruto countered stubbornly.

"Why do you care so much about keeping those two alive?" Kurama asked.

I don't know, for some reason I feel a connection with them, Naruto answered.

"Well, I can respect that I guess. The old man said there are some things you just have to feel," Kurama said deciding to trust Naruto's judgement.

Thanks Kurama, I want you to know your support means a lot to me, Naruto mentally stated.

"Don't get all sappy on me," Kurama yelled, although he was blushing about as much as a fox could.

Alright, it's showtime anyway, Naruto responded, cutting the link. As soon as his internal conversation was finished he sensed Haku entering the clearing.

Haku was out gathering the herbs needed to help Zabuza complete his recovery when he noticed Naruto seemingly asleep in the forest clearing. He immediately recognized the blonde genin, but did not go in for the kill. Instead, he went to wake Naruto up. "Hey, you'll catch cold if you sleep out here," Haku said as he shook the blonde.

Opening his eyes Naruto came face to face with Haku, but nothing could have prepared him for the faux hunter-nin's current appearance: someone with feminine facial features in a pink kimono with long, flowing hair.

I'm hoping like hell he's one of those 'real men wear pink' guys, Naruto thought. "Oh, thank you, I guess I overdid it last night," Naruto said with a convincing yawn.

"What do you mean?" Haku asked.

"I had a fight with one of my hosts last night," was all Naruto said.

"Oh, that headband, you're a ninja aren't you?" Haku asked.

"Yeah, just became one not long ago," Naruto answered, deciding to play along.

"You said you had a fight with one of your hosts?" Haku asked. Perhaps about something Zabuza-sama can use, Haku thought hopefully.

"Have you ever had someone tell you that you don't know what it's like to suffer?" Naruto asked.

"Ah, I think I can guess what happened," Haku responded, now feeling guilty for trying to get information out of Naruto.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name is Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said, hoping to have an actual discussion with Haku.

"It's very nice to meet you Naruto," Haku responded while scambling to think of a fake name.

"You know it's polite to give your name in return, Haku," Naruto said calmly.

"So you knew?" Haku asked, shocked.

"I could recognize your voice. Also, the whole 'ninja in Wave' thing has been old news for a while," Naruto explained.

"I'm not someone who enjoys deceiving people," Haku said defensively.

"I'm not judging you. Honestly, I was hoping to talk to you," Naruto said.

"Why is that?" Haku asked.

"Do either you or Zabuza trust Gatō?" Naruto asked in return.

"I don't, but it doesn't matter as long as he pays us," Haku answered.

"What if I could prove that he had no intention of paying you?" Naruto asked.

"Can you?" Haku asked in return.

"No I can't. But if I could prove that Gatō didn't trust Zabuza to complete the job would the two of you stop trying to kill Tazuna-san?" Naruto asked.

"It would be up to Zabuza-sama but I would think so. However I must ask, how would you do this?" Haku asked.

"Stand there and I'll show you," Naruto said. And before Haku could blink, Naruto had charged at and passed right through him.

Memories both familiar and not passed through Haku's mind. Of course, Naruto had seen them too and said, "I apologize for looking through your memories Haku, but now I really feel the need to keep you and Zabuza alive."

"What was that?" Haku asked.

"It's a technique of mine. I can view people's memories as well as show them mine if I want. I could look through the memories of one of Gatō's thugs to see what he is planning and then show you and Zabuza," Naruto explained.

"It's an impressive ability Naruto-san, but I doubt you'll find what you are looking for that easily," Haku said.

"Does that response mean that you'll believe me if I can get that information?" Naruto asked.

"At the very least, it means I know that you're someone I can trust, but I will still need to discuss this with Zabuza-sama" Haku responded.

"That's good enough for me, I need to discuss this with Kakashi-sensei anyway," Naruto said. Continuing he said, "One more thing Haku, if we do have to fight, be prepared to watch me shatter your mirrors."

Now Haku was not a competitive person but there was only one proper response to a statement like that, "You can try."

"Alright, well I should go and talk to Sensei, I still think we can resolve this with Gatō being the only one who needs to die," Naruto said as he turned to leave.

"Until next time, Naruto-san," Haku said.

"I'd like to resolve this your way Naruto but you must realize that you're asking for a miracle," Kakashi said when Naruto explained what happened in the forest.

"I know, but I still think it's worth trying," Naruto said.

"We don't know where Gatō and his thugs are though. And there is no guarantee that Zabuza will listen anyway," Kakashi reminded his student.

"I know," Naruto said solemnly.

All too soon, the day Team 7 had been training for had arrived. Naruto had had no luck finding the information he needed to convince Zabuza and Haku to turn on Gatō and he was dreading the upcoming battle. As Team 7 and Tazuna were headed for the bridge Kakashi noticed that his blonde student seemed depressed.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I know you don't want any unnecessary death but in life things rarely work out the way we want," Kakashi said.

"I know Sensei, I know it was a lot to hope for but still I…" Naruto started to say before he noticed something.

"Something wrong Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"No Sensei, infact I think I just spotted that miracle I was looking for," Naruto said.

And scene, or chapter I guess.

I know it isn't all that exciting but this was just to get things in position for the next chapter.

I'm sorry if anyone was hoping for a spectacular anti-Kiri strategy, but really bright lights just seemed logical. It also seemed like the only idea that hasn't been done to death, but I may have just missed those fics.

Think about it, Zabuza is always in a dimly lit room or using his jutsu to create mist making the battlefield dark. The only exception is his first encounter with Team 7 and that is only in the anime, I can't tell in the manga, so his eyes are most likely always night vision ready. Anyway that's my reasoning.

Next time is the Battle of the Bridge, hope to see you then.