Disclaimer: Because, this is a new arc, we'll do it the right way. I donut own Naruto :)
Opening theme: Niggaz in Paris (Jay-Z and Kanye)
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Ultimate Naruto
Chapter Eleven
Finally, It's Begun! The Mission to Wave
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Naruto was at his door by 5:30 that morning. A groggy Sasuke welcomed him in; apparently just waking up himself.
"Yo, dobe", the Uchiha yawned.
"Good morning to you too, teme."
Sasuke stared curiously at him.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten, teme! You should know why I'm here."
When the Uchiha didn't say anything, Naruto swore and answered himself, "We get our very first C-rank mission today, idiot! Kakashi-sensei said so."
Sasuke's eyes widened dramatically, "Oh my, I wonder why I would have forgotten that."
The blonde growled in annoyance and shouldered past his friend.
The Uchiha household was busy despite it being the early hours. Mikoto was already at the sink, whipping up pancakes for breakfast and Itachi was at the table; Shinsengumi gear on, yesterday's newspaper in his hands. Katy Perry's soft voice could be heard over a small radio placed atop the refridgerator.
"Good morning, Mrs Uchiha, Itachi-san", Naruto greeted.
"Oh, how are you, Naruto-kun?", Mikoto asked, "So early?"
"Yup. Sasuke and I have a big mission today."
"It's only C-rank, Naruto", Sasuke drawled as he pulled a chair and slumped over the table.
"Oh, that's great", Mikoto said, pausing in her work, "I hope it won't be too hard. Who did you say your sensei was again?"
"Hatake Kakashi", her son replied.
"Hmm, maybe we should invite him to lunch sometime, Sasuke-kun."
"I doubt he'd make it", Sasuke mumbled, glancing at Itachi.
"Would you like breakfast too, Naruto-kun?"
"I'd love it, Mrs Uchiha."
". . ."
"Sorry, Mikoto-san."
The matron nodded and began layering pancakes with syrup on three plates which she placed before them. Itachi folded his paper and Naruto was mildly shocked to see that his eyes had reverted back to their normal onyx colour. It seemed his job must be wearing him pretty thin if he had to conserve chakra by switching off his ever-present sharingan.
He gave the blonde an eerie smile and said, "Hope you've been good, Naruto-kun."
Naruto nodded, "Though I wish I could say the same for you, Itachi-nii. You look like crap run over."
The Uchiha smiled genuinely this time and flicked the blonde on his forehead.
Breakfast was over in less than five minutes; which was fairly common when you had mercenaries for a family (they ate quickly so as to revitalize the chakra they usually spent), after which Mikoto peppered Sasuke with butterfly kisses before the two boys said goodbye and exited the house.
"Dude, I totally wish I was the one getting kissed by your mom like that", Naruto groaned to a smirking Sasuke.
Itachi offered to drop them off on his way to work and they rode with him for awhile before alighting and taking a bus to the boot camp.
Surprisingly, they met an alert Kyuubi waiting at the gates, refreshened and looking estatic.
"Guess who showed up", she called when they are appeared, "It's Dastardly and Mutely."
Sasuke frowned at the nicknames though not before appraising Kyuubi's appearance. The girl's skin was positively glowing and she had braided the ends of her hair this time around. Her lips were also covered in a new, pink gloss and her green top hugged her physique nicely. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the light blush that dusted his cheeks although it was still better than Naruto's, whose mind had shut down on the spot.
"My, my, this is a new one", said Kyuubi, purring deliciously (where had she learnt to do that?), "Are you checking me out, Sasuke-kun?"
". . ."
She gasped, "Ah! I knew it! You're in love with me!"
That snapped Sasuke out of his stupor and he glared at her before taking up a spot by the gateside.
"H-hey", Naruto said, unsurely.
Kyuubi grinned at him, "Hey."
If Sasuke wasn't mistaken, he'd say that her reply seemed to have brightened up Naruto's day.
The three sat down and waited patiently for Kakashi; Kyuubi chatting animatedly with them to pass the time.
The silver-haired jonin must have sensed their urgency because he arrived shortly after - shortly; being a time of one and a half hours. Still, that was a new record for Kakashi and the genin didn't complain, greeting him before cramping themselves in his beloved car.
"Yo, sensei", Naruto said, already beginning to pester Kakashi, "So what are we doing today? Are we going to rescue a princess from some evil daimyo? Or perhaps, fight off a horde of vampiric, demonic zombies? Or...no, wait, I got it! We're going on a search for the lost treasures of the second Hokage, ain't we?"
Kakashi sweatdropped, "I take it you're just kidding, Naruto."
"Yeah, heh heh, I am. Silly me. what was I thinking? Our mission would be something more like piloting a space shuttle, wouldn't it, sensei?"
The fellow occupants of the car groaned out loud.
The drive to HQ was short and soon, they were in front of Iruka's desk; watching as he haphazardly tried to arrange the files stacked up before him. From his tattered looks, it was obvious he had spent the night there.
"Hey, what's up, Iruka-sensei?", Naruto greeted, "You alright?"
The tired man sighed and began thanking Naruto for his concern when the blonde continued,
"You better be 'cos we're supposed to get our first C-rank today, tebayo!"
A tick mark appeared above the chunin's temple and his head swelled to gigantic proportions before he thought better of it and sighed again.
"Well, I did promise, didn't I?"
"Damn right, you did!"
Iruka smiled and checked his tab; where urgent missions had been grouped in place. The moment he heard that team three sucessfully completed their Konohamaru assignment, he was so impressed that he immediately began shopping a mission for them. Not to say it wasn't going to be an easy one though.
"Here", he said, handing the assignment to Kakashi, "This should be easy enough for you guys. It's a simple escort mission. Your client will be waiting for you at the mast by the east gates; exactly a quarter to noon. The passcode is in the letter."
Kakashi nodded and tore open the envelope to read the assignment.
Oniwabanshu company
Date:
Operatives: Team Kakashi
Mission briefing:
The client; Dozuki Tazuna, is a
civil engineer from the land of
Waves and has recently landed a
huge contract. He arrived in Konoha some days ago to pick up
equipment and would like
protection on his travel back home
from thieves and kidnappers who
might have become interested in
him. Ensure his safe-keep during the duration of mission and collect payment upon completion.
Passcode: Sporting waves.
Reward: 30000 ryo
"Wave country, huh?", Kakashi drawled, "Sounds fair. We accept."
"Alright then. Dismissed."
The team nodded and walked out of the hall.
"Can I have a look at the mission, sensei?", Sasuke asked.
The jonin gave the envelope to him.
"Wow, that's a lot of money", Kyuubi said, glancing over his shoulder.
"Hn. Considering the economy, it's not that big."
Sasuke then passed the note to Naruto.
"Woah, C-rank missions are great!", the blonde exclaimed, "Why don't we take on more of these, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Hmm, you don't have the experience for that yet, Naruto."
"Aww, come on, sensei."
"How about this", the jonin said, "Impress me enough on this mission and we'll see."
"Then, don't worry, sensei. Team NaruSasuKyuu won't let you down!"
Kakashi tried not to let his mind wander.
"Don't let your hopes get too high, Naruto", Kyuubi chirped, "We might not even get to battle at all."
"Heh, even if that happens, I can always kick Sas-gay's ass."
"Dobe."
They signed at Ayame's desk, where the girl proceeded to fondle Naruto's cheeks until Kakashi dragged him out of her hands.
"Alright", their sensei instructed, once they left the building, "I'll need you all to head back home and pack for a light trip. Bring some lunch if you can and we'll meet at the gates two hours from now."
As usual, he drove off without them.
"Fucking, lazy, stingy, aloof, bastard sensei", Naruto grumbled under his breath as he followed his teammates to go catch a bus.
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Two hours flew by quickly and Naruto; who had strung stuff randomly into a backpack, soon found himself hanging off a rail, waiting for his teammates to arrive. His beloved I-pod was with him and along with the black headband tied across his head, he also sported a pair of black, fingerless gloves. It was prudent, after all, that he look cool for his first C-rank mission.
Obviously, his teammates hadn't bothered doing the same because they walked up to him in their normal clothing, the only difference being Kyuubi's change to tennis shoes, which she probably did to facilitate quick movements.
"Apparently, our jonin sensei still hasn't learnt punctuality", Kyuubi noted, her nimble hands working her braids even tighter. She then proceeded to whip out her Xperia like she normally did whenever she was agitated.
Sasuke nodded at Naruto and the two began a game of thumb wrestling to pass the time.
It was 11:30 before Kakashi showed up; his black thawb flowing with the wind and a backpack slung on his shoulders. His orange book was out as usual causing Kyuubi to growl when she caught sight of it.
"Ready?", he asked
"Yeah, yeah, we are, old man."
His eyebrow rose, "Old man?"
Naruto shrugged, "Well, your hair is white; evident sign of aging, and you walk like an old man so you're always late. Plus, we've never seen your face before, you don't chew your food, and you love reading porn; probably 'cos you're too wrinkled to get some. So it must all mean you're aged then."
Team three were quiet for a moment waiting for Kakashi's reaction before the jonin eye-smiled.
"Well, what do you know? I must be an old man!"
His genin sweatdropped.
"I got these", Kakashi said, whipping three blue pouches out of nowhere, "On missions like these, mercenaries can't afford being without weapons. Basically, it contains shuriken, kunai and some mono wire. I expect you to start getting them yourselves the more missions we go on. You can pick them up at any weapons shop."
The genin thanked him and strapped it to their hips like he demonstrated.
"Good. Let's head for the gates then, shall we?"
The eastern gates of Konoha; though huge, was nothing more than a gate-post structure. Being the busy city that it was; cars drove in and out at a continuous pace. The gate levers were permanently drawn up and a few guards lingered about. Some distance away from the gates, a telecommunications mast stood and around its fence, they could make out an awkward man in a straw hat trying to blend in. Kakashi walked up to him.
"Dozuki Tazuna?", he asked.
The man slid the hat over his face and turned away.
"I don't know who you're talking about. Passcode?", he grunted comically over his shoulder.
Kakashi sweatdropped, "Sporting waves."
The man paused for a moment before grinning and throwing the hat off his head.
"Yo! I'm Dozuki Tazuna."
"We've already figured that out, mister", Kyuubi grumbled.
He was grey-haired, bearded and bespectacled, and even from where they stood, the genin knew he reeked of alcohol. He leaned towards Kakashi and asked, "You the one that's going to be escorting me?"
"Seems like."
"Seems like? You don't look like much and how come they send me only one?"
"Not to worry. I'm here with my team."
"Team?"
Kakashi gestured over his shoulder and the man craned his neck to see the three genin.
"What? They send me a bunch of kids!"
"Oi, who you calling a kid, you old geezer!", Naruto barked.
"Not to worry, Tazuna-san", Kakashi continued, "I, Hatake Kakashi; a jonin, would also be coming with you. Considering it is a C-rank mission, you did get a really, good deal."
The man grumbled, "I suppose, but are you trying to tell me that the loudmouth shortie there is a mercenary too?"
Naruto laughed, "I wonder who he's calling a shortie, teme."
Kyuubi and Sasuke deadpanned and walked closer to the blonde. Naruto looked at them and immediately noticed the height difference.
"...? You old geezer! I'll kill you", Naruto growled.
"Now, now, Naruto", Kakashi chastised, as if talking to a small pup, "You cannot kill a client that has paid for a mission."
Naruto growled again while Tazuna just grumbled and retrieved a beer from his travel bag. He took a deep swig causing Kyuubi to cringe and turn green. In seconds, he was finished and threw the crumpled can away.
"How do you plan on getting to Wave country, Tazuna-san?", Kakashi asked politely.
The man replaced his bottle, "I've already sent my goods on ahead of me. I came with the public transport so I guess, I'd be going back that way."
He then snuck a look at Kakashi, "Unless, of course, someone would have mercy on an old man like me and willingly give me a ride. But I doubt I could find such good samaritans like that in Konoha. We'll have to manage on foot. Oh, my back hurts."
Kakashi gave the man a blank look, "For the sake of your own safety. My car's parked nearby."
"Very good, then! Lead the way."
"I can't believe you fell for that, sensei", Kyuubi growled as they walked, already disliking the man.
"Hmm, it'll make our mission easier and it's bound to be cheaper anyway. The fuel allowance would be coming straight out of his wallet, after all."
Kyuubi didn't bother to comment that Kakashi would simply be taking it out of theirs.
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Barely three minutes into the journey and Naruto had already begun to quarell with Tazuna. Kyuubi who was riding shotgun to avoid the stink of beer (that was still permeating the whole car) growled angrily as she jammed her fingers in her ears to ease the noise.
"This is all your fault, sensei", she said, glaring at Kakashi.
The silver-haired jonin smiled back.
Naruto was now trying to throttle Tazuna though he couldn't get across Sasuke to do so while the man popped open another beer (where did he hide those things?). Kyuubi could only watch in pity as the Uchiha struggled not to break in the pouches that Kakashi got them.
"Here, help me put this in", said Kakashi, handing a CD to Kyuubi. The girl looked at him slyly.
"What happened to rule number three? The part about nobody touching your stereo?"
"It's either this or you get to put up with Naruto's griping."
Kyuubi sighed and collected the disc from him. She paused to look at it and made a face, "Seriously, sensei. Enya?"
"It'd help calm the mood."
The redhead shrugged and placed it in the player, allowing Enya's enchanting voice to resonate across the speakers.
"Which way are we going?", Kyuubi asked.
The jonin handed her a map. The Land of waves was visible as a not too easy to spot dot some ways away from Konoha.
"Wow, why go through all that trouble to hire mercs from here?", she wondered, considering the distance, "Wouldn't it be more prudent to hire mercs from your own country, mister?"
"That woulda been better, missy, wouldn't it? But we gat no mercs at home."
Kyuubi frowned at the nickname but was still perplexed all the same, "Huh?"
"Look here", Kakashi interrupted, pointing at his map, "You'll see that the land of Waves is a very small country, almost the size of Konoha; which is a capital on its own. Such countries do not or cannot afford to have mercenary companies and as such rely on outside sources for their dirty work; providing a source of revenue for organizations such as the Oniwabanshu.
These smaller nations also lack military strength due to this, because when it comes down to warfare, only a handful would dare think of attacking a large nation, for fear of provoking its merc population. When it comes down to it, only nations with mercenary organizations can stand out as world powers of the east."
"Oh", Kyuubi said, taking it all in, "But if having mercs within your nation is this beneficial, why would the government try to clamp down so hard on merc activities Fire Nation wide?"
"It's easy. The Fire prime minister is a foolish man."
"What?"
"Yup, you heard me. Frankly speaking, mercs do have their disadvantages, such as the property damage and the fact that they provide forces for politicians to backstab each other with but all that is negligible. The greatest factor is fear. When a mercenary company flourishes, it's power becomes noticeable and with it comes the thought that it will eventually surpass its lord. The early daimyos allowed our ancestors to erect the Oniwabanshu in Konoha but over time, the daimyos became wary of our strength. They felt that it would only be matter of time till we became discontent with just the capital and seek to overthrow them for control of the entire nation."
"Seems logical to me."
"Yes, it does, and the secret nature of companies do not help matters either, but can you blame them? When they have to protect jutsu and information from other companies constantly so as to remain the top.
The prime minister has a right to fear but with that fear comes paranoia and with that paranoia comes irrational thinking. Before they know it, they use their own hands to create the situatuions which they have always expected."
"How exactly?"
"Well, take the Oniwabanshu for one. Originally, the prime ministers were a source of funds and constant gratuity. This declined over time until it became non-existent. However, rather than shrivel up, the company evolved; becoming an independent and self-subservient organization. Knowing that forcing them out of the land could spark an all out war, the minister reverted to less provoking but still obvious tactics, such as the establishment of a super-powered police force; the Shinsengumi, and the revitalization of constitution.
All these were aimed as ways to curb and monitor the Oniwaban's power. Yet, despite the bad blood, politicians and the Minister himself, still employ mercenaries whenever their expertise is required, not to talk of the local populace. The whole thing is just one senseless, political, non-babble."
"What of the Hokage? How much power does he possess?"
Kakashi gave Kyuubi a sideways glance, "Hmm, you're quite the curious one, aren't you?" But then he noticed that Sasuke - and to an extent, Naruto - were also paying rapt attention to his words, so, he sighed and continued,
"Politically speaking, the Hokage has no say in the running of the country but military-wise, he is a force to be reckoned with. Cases of mercenary coups have been recorded in some countries, after all, Water being one of them. The Hokage has the influence of possessing a specialized, fighting force. Great care is taken not to assault him directly."
"Yeesh, this whole mercenary thing is too complicated", groaned Naruto.
"You mentioned Mizu no kuni, sensei. Are you saying that not all situations are like our own?"
"Of course. The Oniwaban is one of the five, great companies of the East that bear the privilige of answering a kage. Others are the Heihabachi of Kumo (Lightning), the Shigenobu of Suna (Wind), Iwa's Bakumatsu (Earth) and the Sekihotai of Kiri (Water). However, the relationship between country and company vary from land to land. The Heihabachi is feared because it has the full backing of its government. In Kaze no Kuni, the Shigenobu function as law enforcers in the capital of Suna. Others like the Sekihotai, however, have seized control of their capital and even seek to overthrow the entire government. The Oniwaban is very peaceful but the Prime minister's stupidity can prove to unbalance all that."
Kyuubi nodded and looked outside her window, "If that's the case, then he really must be foolish. Thanks, sensei."
The jonin eye-smiled again.
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They had been driving on a dusty road for some time now. Tazuna was fast asleep; snoring petulantly, while Sasuke nodded off once or twice. Kyuubi, who was twittering ardently, also felt the lull of sleep that only Enya's Salva me could cause, but Kakashi and Naruto were still alert; the blonde gazing out his window at the trees before them.
"Haven't you seen plants before, Naruto?", she teased.
The blonde turned away and flashed her a grin; causing Kyuubi to blush to the soles of her feet.
"Well, I have but funny as it sounds, this is the first time I've ever been away from Konoha. Everything looks so different, is all."
Kyuubi wanted to ask what planet he was from since everyone usually went on a visiting trip with their parents but then she remembered he was an orphan and frowned. She always hated whenever that thought came up.
Her musing was cut short with the sound of a loud, bursting noise.
Sasuke was alert in an instant, hand already inside his shuriken pouch. The car made a few sputtering, squeaking noises before Kakashi parked it.
"Zzzz, gnhk, whaddup?", Tazuna asked, waking drunkenly from his sleep.
"Hmm, looks like a flat tire", mused Kakashi before he got out of the car. Kyuubi got out with him too along with Naruto and Sasuke. They all needed to stretch their legs after all.
The jonin bent down to investigate his punctured tire and was surprised to see a nasty tear.
"Naruto! You better wash your hands before you get back in this car!", Kyuubi yelled.
"But, Kyuubi-chan...", Naruto grunted, peeing in some nearby bushes.
The girl flushed, "Don't call my name while you pee, idiot! You're making it sound like something else!"
A punctured tire, Kakashi mused, And a puddle of water lying underneath my car. Maa, wonder what would come next. Maybe, hail from the heav...!
But before he could complete the thought, spiked chains burst from the water and wrapped around his body.
"Kakashi-sensei!", Kyuubi yelled.
"What the..!"
In an instant, the chains cut into their teacher and pulled him forward; his flailing body vanishing into the water puddle below. A figure then burst out from beneath the car; cloaked, masked and reeking of death. He stretched a clawed hand through the open door to get to Tazuna.
'Shit!', Naruto cursed, fighting to stop the flow of pee while also trying to form handseals, 'I knew I shouldn't have drank too much fruit juice!"
Inches from Tazuna, Kyuubi's foot slammed into his face, causing the unknown man to lurch backwards. As she landed on the roof, another figure burst from underneath the car, a length of chain connecting his arm to the former. Kyuubi didn't notice as they flung the weapon towards her.
"One down. Two to go!", they chorused.
However, three kunai whizzed through the air, catching the chain and pining it to the ground. The stuck men barely registered what had happened before Sasuke's second assault was upon them; the Uchiha numbing their chain arm with a kunai to the shoulder of each. The men cursed.
"Shit!"
"Get the builder! I'd deal with this rat."
A hidden mechanism detached the chain from their gauntlets and they were on the move again. One leapt towards a still airborne Sasuke, his limp arm dangling uselessly at his side.
"Die!"
Sasuke smirked. Obviously, they had forgotten to factor in Naruto.
The blonde attacked the man from behind; the only weakspot he could see, which was the two eyes uncovered by his mask.
A two finger poke effectively blinded the would-be assassin.
"Gah!"
As the man tried to blink away tears, three sets of Narutos' fists punched him into the ground.
The other had leapt through the car door again for Tazuna; who screamed and scrambled to get out through the other end.
From the roof, Kyuubi smashed the car door on his assailant's face; causing a sickening crunch to be heard where it broke his arm.
"Stay in the car, mister!", she chastised Tazuna, as she dropkicked her target's face once again. The man skidded backwards, unhurt.
"You bitch!", he snarled.
Kyuubi smirked when she noticed that both his arms were now limp. However, he shocked her by raising a fist and firing off his gauntlet, causing the girl before him to leap down and barely duck.
The next instant though, a horde of Narutos crushed the man.
"You alright?", one of the blondes asked over his shoulder.
"Will live", Kyuubi said, checking her arm, "What of the other one?"
"Escaped. He used a replacement!", Naruto growled.
Sasuke jogged over to them, "Kakashi?"
His two team mates lowered their heads.
"Maa, you called, Sasuke?"
They looked up to find Kakashi reclining on a tree branch; his favorite book open, and his other hand holding up the unconscious form of the second assailant. He waved his book at them.
"Kakashi-sensei!", Naruto and Kyuubi exclaimed.
"Hn. Show-off", muttered Sasuke.
The tall jonin let the limp body fall to the ground before joining his students.
"Sasuke; nice weapon play. Kyuubi; nice reflexes. Naruto; don't do that again."
"What? How come every other person gets a praise and I don't?"
Kakashi sighed, "You used your most prized jutsu right off the bat, Naruto. Had the enemies been spies or information gatherers, that would have proven to be very detrimental."
"Fuck that shit!", the blonde snarled angrily, "They had just seemingly taken down a jonin! The speed at which they vanquish the clones would have given me a good evaluation of their strength! It was better than engaging them directly, considering all the odds! Don't talk to me like I don't know what I'm doing!"
Kakashi was mildly surprised. He had never thought Naruto to be capable of such foresight. But come to think of it, he had done something similar, back during their bell test.
"I see. My apologies then, Naruto."
The blonde turned away in a huff.
"I think Naruto did okay", Kyuubi said quietly, "Come to think of it, I was the most useless out there."
Naruto turned to her with wide eyes, "How can you say that?"
"Well, I did need saving twice."
"Yeah right, you would have taken them anyway and it's not called saving when there's teamwork involved! Besides, you were the first to move! Had it not been for you, Tazuna-san might not even be here now."
Kyuubi blushed and looked down, "Thanks, Naruto."
"That brings us to the order of the day", said Kakashi, rounding up the two men and staring blankly at Tazuna; who was eerily quiet where he sat, inside the car, "When I noticed the punctured tire and the water puddle under the car, I knew something was wrong. The road was too hot and dusty for any water body to exist and rain obviously hadn't fallen in a while. I feigned my capture with a replacement so that I could jump in after I determined who they were really after. Luckily, my intervention wasn't needed but I did glean one thing..."
The jonin pointed an accusing finger at Tazuna, eye slanting boredly, "Those weren't highway robbers or broke individuals lying in ambush. Those were assassins, sent after you. And if that is the case, then it means someone here hasn't exactly been truthful about the mission parameters thus endangering myself and my students. Explain."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, looking from one man to the other, while Kakashi glared lazily at Tazuna. They were interrupted by Sasuke's comment, however.
"Hn. You're bleeding, Kyuubi."
The girl held her right arm, where the gauntlet had previously grazed her, "It's just a scratch, teme."
Sasuke frowned, unhappy that she had grown fond of Naruto's nickname for him.
"Let me see that", Kakashi said, leaping to her side, "Those gauntlets were poisoned."
"Po-poisoned?"
The jonin cursed, "Shit, of all the times. I have no antidote with me. We might have to head back to the..."
"I might have something", Tazuna interrupted, alighting from the car. He withdrew a vase from his bag, "My daughter makes me carry this on all my travels, in case of snake bites and scorpion stings. It might work."
Kakashi collected the vase and sniffed it before retrieving Kyuubi's arm and loading a drop. The girl blushed scarlet from all the attention.
"I'm telling you, sensei. I'm fine."
The jonin began wrapping her wounds, "Maa, we might have to head back to a clinic, just in case. Poison can be a nasty..."
But before his eyes, the wound started healing itself. Kyuubi looked at him with wide eyes, afraid he had seen it. Kakashi shrugged and continued his bandaging.
So, what Sandaime-sama said really is true. Sensei never did defeat the Nine-tails. The girl is manifesting its power.
Kakashi chanced a glance at Naruto. But I thought...
When he finished, Kyuubi held her bandaged arm up to her chest. Her long hair covering her downcast face.
Kakashi looked once more at the contractor, "My student is injured, Tazuna-san. I won't ask you again to explain."
The burly man sighed and bowed his head, shoulders quaking anxiously.
"Everything I've mentioned so far has been true. My name is Dozuki Tazuna; a civil engineer from Wave country. I have recently been contracted to complete a bridge and I need protection. However, it is not robbers and kidnappers I need protecting against. . .it is Gato."
"Gateau? ", Naruto asked, "You're scared of cake?"
"No, you idiot! Gato, the businessman!"
"You mean the Gato corporation?", Sasuke interrupted. When Tazuna nodded, the Uchiha continued, "He is among the top 50 richest men on Forbes worldwide. My family have run business with him in the past. They are not exactly fond of him."
"Yeah, that's Gato alright", the engineer looked up, sadness in his eyes, "Nami no kuni is a very small country, independent but impoverished. When Gato brought offer of business to the state, our Governor leapt on it; seeing it as a golden opportunity to enrich the nation. Gato took up base, erecting a shipping and warehousing company but the leech was not satisfied. Gradually, he took over our fishing network, eradicating our local businessmen with his modern technology and manpower. Then, using his money to keep the Governor shut, he seized control of our oceans, effectively controlling all imports and exports."
His hands balled into fists, "Wave country has become a desolate nation because of this; wallowing in hunger and poverty! Our people have been broken. This bridge I'm building is a bridge of hope! With it, we will be connected to the mainlands and become able to partake in trade! My people invested so much in raising funds for this project; invested lifetimes, and I cannot fail them now! I will complete that bridge, even if it is over my dead body!"
There was a moment of silence as the man completed his words; righteous tears of anger running from his eyes. Team Kakashi allowed him a moment to wipe them of.
"I see. So, it is for this reason that Gato wants you dead. Obviously, the completion of the bridge will hinder his plans."
Tazuna nodded.
"Maa, but the truth is that protocol is protocol. A mission such as this is way past C-rank. Knowing that other mercenary parties are involved, this should be an expensive B-rank or A-rank mission; way above what you paid and way past the level of my students."
"I'm sorry but that was all I had! I can't afford the cost of higher paid missions..."
"Resulting in the endangerment of my students' lives and the breaching of a signed contract. You just swindled a merc company, Tazuna-san, you should be lucky you're even walking away with your life. We'll drop you at the next stop."
"Kakashi."
The jonin turned to look at Sasuke, "Mmm?"
"Let's complete the mission."
"You don't know what you're saying, Sasuke."
"Hn. But we've already come this far, haven't we? And we handled the first assault pretty well. No point in turning back now."
"It's not up for argument, Sasuke."
"Of course it isn't", butted in Naruto; as he tightened the band on his head, "We'll continue on to Wave."
"Huh?"
"I don't give a fuck about his speeches or his country or this chocolate person but in good faith, I cannot let him continue alone. So he fucked up, big whup; he had a good reason. At least, this shit's better than the stuff we do at home all the time."
"I give a fuck", Kyuubi interrupted, "I can relate. I want to help him."
"Woah, hold on a minute. This is too dangerous. Are you guys sure?"
The fire in their eyes didn't waver and Kakashi sighed, knowing that this was going to go nowhere. As usual. He really was a weak sensei.
"Alright then, get in the car."
His genin cheered while Tazuna breathed a sigh of relief. Kakashi smiled as he produced some mono-wire and began tying up their masked assailants to a tree. It was like his old team all over again.
He then got busy trying to glean some information out of the fallen foes.
"Hey, Naruto. Thanks again for earlier", Kyuubi said, giving the blonde a small smile. He shrugged.
"Meh, it was nothing. You did great; I was only saying the truth."
"Oh, and another thing."
"Yep?"
"Your fly's open, Naruto."
"?"
XXXXXXXXXX
A tall figure walked through the corridors of a dark hall; it's slender form blending in the darkness as it trekked towards its destination: a closed room off to the side.
The figure knocked slightly and pushed the door open, revealing a heavily muscled man who was sniffing something from a spoon he was heating. The man was seated on a bed and made no move to turn around at the sound.
"What is it?"
"It seems the demon brothers have been defeated, Zabuza-san. They couldn't kill the builder and I can't reach any of their cell phones."
"I see. So, the old coot has hired mercenaries of his own, then (sniff). I'll deal with him myself."
"Zabuza-san, whoever's with him took down Gozu and Meizu; the builder inches closer to his home."
"(sniff) Those fools were pathetic, and I said I'll take care of it! Give me a moment."
". . ."
"What?"
"You promised you'd stop doing that."
"I will (sniff), after this batch. It's the only way I can reign in my temper and not behead that limey bastard, after-all. Get me my sword (sniff); the Kubikiri-boucho is longing for some blood."
"Hai, Zabuza-san."
The door closed without a sound.
Inhaling the last of the heated substance, the hulking man flung the spoon and smashed the lighter in his hand. Rising to his feet, he cracked his neck audibly and retrieved his weapons pouch.
"Time to slaughter."
XXXXXXXXXXX
U N
Closing theme: Wind by Toshio Masuda
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No promises but next chapter will be out as fast as it can. I love this story and I ain't planning to abandon it for nothing!
I know, I know, you're prolly rolling your eyes and wondering, Wave arc again? That's been done a quasizillion times! However, remember that this is an AU and I'm ultimatizing the Naruto series. But do not despair, Ultimate Naruto has a totally beautiful plot of its own.
That said, did you enjoy this chapter? If you did, leave a review so I can pay off all the collectors. Seriously.
Do see ya next time! Arigatou.
Signed
Ki Sha