Chapter 32
Darkness crept over the land, due to it being sundown. There is no other real reason it would otherwise. As it did, two men, or one and half, snuck through the darkness. Soon, they came upon a mansion. Past all guard without notice, they entered.
They came upon a room, and crossed the threshold of the door. Inside, sat a short man, flanked by two ronin. Fox spoke, "Hello again Gato." The trio of scum turned in surprise of the new visitor.
The two ronin moved to attack, and then dropped from Hare shooting senbon into their eyes. Gato was starting to shake in fear slightly, before asking, "Who are you?"
"Have you forgotten me already? It can't have been that long," Fox replied, "I told you that day in Silver Star not to interfere in Leaf affairs. The little bridge builder that you're so eager to kill has hired us. Should you continue to interfere in our affairs, I will gladly fulfill my promise. I hope you remember what it is."
The duo of operatives then exited, and melted into the shadows. In actuality, it was just an illusion. The pair then appeared again some distance away from the mansion, and Fox spoke, "Hare, what have you found so far?"
Hare answered, "He has two ninjas under his command. Missing-nin. Zabuza of the mist, and an unknown hunter-nin. I have located where those two are currently residing. It strange though, the hunter ninja seems to only be high chunin. Mist doesn't let their people hold that rank until at least mid-jonin."
"So perhaps a fake, used to help Zabuza make an escape in unruly situations. Makes for a great excuse. We'll wait for now and engage Zabuza when Kakashi get's here. You fight the fake hunter, and I'll assist Kakashi," Fox replied.
"Yes sir," Hare answered, before continuing, "So what are we going to do for the next four and half days. It will take about that long for Team 7 to arrive."
"Sleep," Fox replied with a yawn.
"Can't you be a little more motivated," Hare asked?
"I could, but that would take too much effort," Fox replied.
"Team Seven is currently in the water," Hare said, "They will be here in about an hour at their current pace. Zabuza and his accomplice are also moving again. They are pulling back from the shoreline. Seems they want a different point."
"We'll wait here, absolute silence. Once he's closer, the moment we move, Zabuza will hear us. It's his specialty after all."
Hare simply nodded in response, and then the presence of the two disappeared. After several minutes, Hare slowly and silently signed to Fox, 'Target seventy meters forty-two degrees.' Fox slowly nodded in response. After a little over an hour, Hare signaled again, 'Team Seven arrived land. Meet target ten minutes.'
Fox replied in form, 'Move on target ten seconds before encounter. Order Team 7 to move back. You engage chunin. I and Team Seven Captain engage Jonin.'
Nine minutes, and twenty-four seconds later, two ANBU sprinted from cover. Less than two seconds later, both Fox and Hare sent a barrage of weapons on Zabuza.
The missing-nin casually dodged the weapons, and moved out into the small clearing. Fox then ordered, "Kakashi, your with me, Team Seven, fall back now!" As he was doing that, Hare left the group to fight the chunin level ninja.
The opponent that Hare sought was a small distance away in the trees, and Hare opened up with a barrage of kuni. The other ninja deflected them with their own barrage of senbon. Hare shifted left to dodge the additional senbon, before forming seals for a great breakthrough. Hare fired, but the ninja dodged the attack.
Hare drew his tanto and moved in. The other ninja matched his movement with a previously thrown kuni. The weapons clashed and the two pushed against each other. The fake masked ninja then went through a set of one handed seals as the two fought for dominance.
The long haired masked ninja muttered, "Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death." Immediately, a countless number of needles surrounded Hare and shot towards him. Hare jumped over the attack before sheathing his tanto and he stretched out his arms on mid air, and fired senbon from both his launchers. As he did this, he muttered, "Wind Release, Gale Palm."
The launched senbon accelerated under the wind, and fired at high speed towards the unknown masked ninja. The enemy managed to dodge the senbon, but was hit by the high speed winds, causing the person to spin back.
Hare landed on a tree and launched himself back forward to press his advantage, sword once again in hand. She moved to block his slash, but jumped back the moment she saw his blade cutting threw her senbon. He failed to draw blood. He did however successfully put a nice cut in her mask.
The two paused in their actions for a moment. A leaf blew by. Hare then created three shadow clones, while he himself jumped back. The hunter ninja created more water senbon and shot a barrage toward him. The clones leapt over the barrage, and shot a flurry of senbon from their launchers, which were further empowered by gale palms.
The female ninja leapt over the attack, and was promptly attacked by Hare with a wind infused tanto. The hunter ninja blocked the attack with an ice senbon that appeared in her hand. While blocking the attack, she was thrown slightly back. After landing, she then said, "Your wind cannot pierce my ice."
Hare grunted in response and suddenly the three shadow clones descended on her. The female ninja shot out a another barrage of water senbon in response, dispelling them. She then went through a quick set of hand seals, and said, "Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."
Instant, multiple ice mirrors surrounded Hare, and after quickly entering one, all the mirrors had reflections of the hunter ninja.
Hmmm. I've never heard of this technique. How to handle it.
Hare moved to escape the mirrors, but was stopped by a massive barrage of senbon. Hare moved back and blew a set away with a gale palm, causing him to suffer no injury. The ninja then spoke, "You stand no chance now."
Hare responded by forming multiple shadow clones, and had them all use gale palm while he ran. The time, Hare succeeded in escaping while avoiding damage. Hare then quickly formed another clone, and the original shot a great breakthrough while the clones shot a fireball. Hare muttered, "Inferno."
The result was a massive firestorm that destroyed many of the surrounding trees. After the flames disappeared, it could be seen that half the mirrors did as well. Hare then chuckled under his mask.
"Yes, you do have an affinity for destruction," the fox commented within Hare's mind. Hair chuckled again.
Seconds later, the mirrors started shifting position, all the while firing senbon at a rapid rate towards Hare. Hare started dodging, but as the mirrors started positioning themselves in flanking positions, Hare also started getting nicked by the senbon.
Can't use another massive fire technique like that again. The mirrors are too far split apart. It would be a waste of chakra. The mirrors have to be extremely strong to be able to take a wind blade and not have all them be destroyed by my inferno technique. Although not in all the mirrors at once, he can shift between them at a ridiculous speed.
Hare then created several shadow clones, and had them split up. Several shadow clones were dispelled, but Hare managed to give himself some breathing room.
What can I do...I wish I had another power technique that didn't require so much chakra. I really need a powerful small scale attack. She's found me. Damn silent killing technique.
As Hare's previous thoughts were being processed, he was dodging another barrage of senbon. Hare fired another gale palm to block the next barrage of senbon, and then launched a wind enhanced kuni at a mirror. As expected, the kuni was deflected.
What can I do that's powerful...the nine-tails!
As he was moving, Hare muttered under his breath, "Can I use some of your chakra?"
The nine-tails responded, "I can't see why not. I doubt your ability to take someone like this by yourself."
Hare muttered some unkind things about the fox as he accepted its power. Hare then gained a red foxy aura about him, with two tails swishing behind.
Not nearly as difficult to use as before.
Hare then observed as senbon that were thrown at him simply melt upon contacting the red cloak. Hare then ran to a mirror and casually back handed it. That is to say, a casual but extremely empowered backhand. The mirror shattered in response.
Interesting. Well...he's...there!
Hare in less than the blink on an eye came upon a mirror, and smashed it with his fist. This mirror disintegrated in response. The female ninja also took injury. Hare then grabbed the ninja by the leg, and smashed them into the ground.
This resulted in the said ninja going unconscious. The fox the commented, "I would say that you made the ending anticlimactic."
Hare shrugged in response.
Fox and Kakashi have defeated Zabuza. Not much surprise there. Kakashi being one of the top ninjas, with Fox's help would be a cause for certain victory.
Hare proceeded to drag the female ninja towards where the other group was. By the time he arrived, the bridge builder and the rest of team seven had arrived. Kakashi asked, his closed eye showing mirth, "How was your fight Hare?"
Hare simply shrugged in response, and tossed the unconscious ninja next to Zabuza, who was also unconscious. He then walked to the body, and tied it up with ninja wire. Hare then noticed the large sword, in Fox's hand. Hare asked, "You keeping that?"
Fox shook his head before saying, "Nah, I'll give it to some other ANBU. Pretty much anyone but Dog. He would lose it. So, why go so far in your fight?"
Hare responded, "She had an Ice Bloodline, along with an extremely annoying technique. Either that, or run completely out of chakra." Fox nodded at the answer.
Sasuke then stepped forward and asked, "How long have you been an ANBU?"
Hare stared at him for several long moments. Sasuke, who initially looked resolute, started to feel uncomfortable. Hare finally answered, "Classified. If I told you, I would be forced to kill you. Then I would kill your teammates to eliminate witnesses."
Sasuke looked unnerved at the answer, Tarin shocked, but Sakura looked outright terrified.
Haruno. One of the families well embedded within the civilian populace, though still have a number of ninjas. Stands to reason she would be terrified. After all, ANBU went on a killing spree five years ago.
Deciding to put them at ease, Hare added on with a depressed voice, "No one understands my humor."
The trio instantly looked a lot more relieved after that. After a quick nod to Fox, the two picked up the bodies of the missing-nin, and ran off into the forest. After some distance in, Naruto pulled out an equipment scroll, and fetched himself some senbon. He handed a few to Fox, before they started stabbing senbon in various places on the unconscious bodies of the ninjas.
That should keep them out. Pressure points and a paralytic poison.
They left the bodies, before running for a additional few minutes, and coming upon Gato's mansion. Fox ordered, "Kill them all."
The targets in question were a large amount of body guards surrounding the mansion. Fox was fixing to move but was held back by Hare. Hare formed a three shadow clones. Two pairs of Hares then each used the Inferno Technique, the mixture of flame and wind.
The nine-tails commented, "Those poor trees."
The result was two large paths of destruction, which went travelled right next to the mansion, but leaving it unharmed. Hare then said, "You can use your new toy for those remaining."
That number being four. Fox proceeded to heave the blade, chopping the poor souls in half. Fox then said, "I like this. A bit heavy, but nothing a ton of training can't fix."
Hare then asked incredulously, "You would actually put that much effort in?"
Fox took a moment to look at the massive sword, before nodding. The duo then casually entered the building, while also casually chopping any further guards into pieces. Whether it be with a oversized sword, or a wind empowered tanto.
When they arrived to Gato's room, they found him shivering in fear. Fox then spoke menacingly, "I warned you, now you shall learn that I keep my promises."
Gato then sputtered, "Whatever they're paying you, I'll double it, triple it! Just let me live!"
Fox paused, then said insightfully, "You could easily multiply my pay by ten. I doubt the benefits will match though. So no."
Fox slowly released and increased his killer intent. Gato screamed in fear. Fox hefted his new massive sword, and swung. The swing resulted in the little mans decapitation. The nine-tails then spoke, "See, that's how you have a climatic ending. You're terrible at that."
Naruto huffed in response.
And there is the Wave Arc! At least for our heroes. If you complain I didn't make it as it was in the anime, well, this isn't that. Kakashi had ANBU back up. Naruto used the nine-tails with two tails, when no tails beat Haku. It was pretty much a stomp for Leaf. Make sure to review!