Disclaimer: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto and Bleach is property of Tite Kubo. I don't own either manga in anyway so please don't sue me.
Chapter 5: Assassin in the Mist
Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi and Tazuna are all sitting on a boat while one of the villages from the Nami no Kuni. Naruto is sitting in a position with his back turned to his teammates and is simply sitting there his Zanpaktou across his lap. Sasuke recognized that Naruto was performing Jinzen to further his bond with Zangetsu. Sasuke smirked and sat and started to concentrate when suddenly his focus was broken by Sakura pestering him for a date again thus making Jinzen impossible for both Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto opened his eyes sighing and almost growling with annoyance. Kakashi turned to Tazuna
"Mr. Tazuna before we reach the pier I need to ask you something. The men who are after you I need to know why if you don't tell us I am afraid we will end this mission when we drop you ashore."
"I have no choice but to tell you, no I want you to know the truth. Just like you said this is beyond the scope of the mission. The man who wants my life is a short man but who casts a very long and deadly shadow."
"A deadly shadow? Who is it?" Kakashi asked slightly with a slight eyebrow raise at the weird description
"You know him or I'm sure you heard of him. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world his name is Gato, the shipping magnet." Kakashi's eye widens
"Gato, of Gato transport? He is a millionaire everyone knows him."
"Yes Gato is a wealthy business man but there's a darker side."
"A darker side?"
"With the same tactics he uses to take over businesses he conquers nations by selling drugs and hiring missing-nin to do his dirty work. Gato is a ruthless tyrant and anyone who stands against him just disappears."
"So the men who attacked us in the woods were under employ of Gato." Sasuke says looking at his teammates.
"If you cancel the mission when we get ashore they will assassinate me before I get home." Tazuna looks at team 7. "I won't blame you but my 7 year old grandson will probably cry and say, 'Granddad where's my granddad.' And my daughter will probably hate and curse all Konoha shinobi for abandoning her father to die." Naruto sweat drops looking at Tazuna.
"Is this guy for real?" Naruto asks himself.
("You're kidding me right.") Zangetsu says as he smacks his forehead.
"You're telling me." Kurama says as he sweat drops.
"Well I guess we have no choice but to continue the mission." Kakashi says shaking his head. Naruto suddenly felt a small trace of Reiatsu near their location and Sasuke turned his head to the location of the Reiatsu however the source quickly vanished but Naruto and Sasuke were now on high alert.
"This is as far as I can take you and even this was risky you know how Gato reacts to people who get in his way." The boat rower says
"I understand thanks for your help." Tazuna responds. Then the rower turns his motor back on and drives off. "Alright now I expect you to get me to my home in one piece."
"Alright team lets go but stay on guard next time they won't send some amateurs most likely they will send Zabuza after us." Kakashi says.
"Right." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura nod. After a few more minutes Naruto looks around as he senses a high chakra level on par with Kakashi's.
"So he is already here." Naruto thinks drawing a kunai from his pouch; when Sasuke notices this they were all on high alert as they know of Naruto's abilities as a sensory ninja. Naruto hides his kunai against his leg and after a few more feet Naruto chucks the kunai at a rustle in a cluster of bushes. Kakashi reaches for his head band as Naruto goes towards where he threw the kunai and his hand on the hilt of Zangetsu. "False alarm it's just a rabbit sorry." Naruto rubs his head. Just then the coat of the rabbit catches his eye. "This rabbit's coat is white which means that it was raised indoors away from the light, which means its only purpose was to be a substitution." Just then a giant butcher's knife comes flying in from the tree line to the right of them.
"Get down!" Kakashi shouts to his team and the four of them drop down while Sasuke grabs the client to protect him. The sword impales itself in the tree in front of Naruto and Sakura.
"Zabuza Momochi the Kirigakure no Kijin." Naruto glares at the man in front of him.
"Ah so a lonely gennin knows my name." Zabuza says bowing. "I see that my illustrious reputation precedes me." (Yes I got that from Dragon Ball Z: Fusion reborn, which I don't own either.)
"Well when you slaughter your entire graduating class and then try to assassinate the... I believe it was the Yondaime Mizukage that tends to get your name in the bingo book of every Shinobi village across the world." Naruto said with a pause recalling the Mizukage aspect pertaining to Zabuza.
"If he is our opponent then I will need to use my sharingan." Kakashi thinks lifting his headband
"Sharingan no Kakashi am I right?" Zabuza asks.
"Now quick Magi formation, protect the bridge-builder and stay out of this fight." Kakashi says. Kakashi then finishes lifting his headband exposing a fully matured sharingan.
"Hold on a minute everyone keeps saying sharingan, sharingan, what is the sharingan?" Tazuna asks
"Sharingan, a rare power it resides in the eyes, the user of this visual jutsu can instantly see and comprehend any Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The sharingan is a special rare form of Dojutsu; however there is a lot more to the sharingan, a lot more." Sasuke says
"You got it right boy, but you only scratched the surface. The sharingan can analyze an opponent's attack and copy it to the smallest detail." Zabuza says. Then mist roles in. "As for you Jounin in the assassination unit of the hidden mist we has a special order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book. It called you 'the man who copied over a thousand jutsu Kakashi, The Copy Ninja." Zabuza's eyes narrow. "Enough talking I have to exterminate the old man, now." Then team seven enters a protective formation. "So I have to eliminate you first eh, Kakashi? So be it." Zabuza grabs his blade and rips it from the tree and leaps on to the water.
"He is over there." Naruto says pointing out there opponent.
"So he knows the water walking exercise too."
"He is building up a huge amount of chakra." Kakashi notes
"Ninpo: Kirigakure no Jutsu." (Ninja art Hidden mist jutsu) Zabuza says then he vanishes.
"He vanished." Sakura says then Kakashi walks forward. "Sensei."
"He will come after me first."
"Just who is Zabuza Momochi anyway?" Sasuke asks
"Zabuza Momochi, ex leader of the mists assassination squad and a master of the silent killing technique."
"Silent?" Tazuna asks
"As the name suggests its happens in an instant without sound or any warning. It's so fast that you pass from this life before you even realize what has happened. The sharingan can't fully neutralize it so don't let down your guard. Well if we fail we only loose our lives."
"Then we can't let our guard down for even a second." Naruto says drawing Zangetsu then the mist gets a lot thicker.
"The mist is getting thicker and thicker." Sasuke says
"Nami no Kuni is surrounded by ocean the swirling mists are ever present." Tazuna says. Then the mist covers Kakashi.
"Sensei." Sakura says fear evident in her voice.
"Eight points." Zabuza's voice calls out.
"What's that?" Sakura asks
"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidney, heart. Now what will be my kill point?" Then Kakashi puts his hands together for the ram sign and unleashes a wave of chakra to disperse the mist. Sakura starts trembling in fear,
"What intense thirst for blood. One shallow breath one tiny movement of the eye is enough to bring on instant death. If it goes on like this I will go insane. The clash of two Jounin with the intent to kill I have never felt anything so chilling. It's as if my own life is being choked off." Sakura thinks and starts bring her kunai to a point where she will slit her own throat. "No, I can't bear it I rather take my own life." Sakura moves the kunai closer
"Sakura! Calm down!" Kakashi's stern voice snaps her out of it. "I will protect you with my life all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die trust me."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Zabuza's voice rings out again. Then in an instant Zabuza is behind all three of them. Kakashi spins around to see Zabuza standing there in the middle of their formation. Instantly Naruto springs into action and swings Zangetsu behind him and it collides with Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō blocking it from hurting his client.
"Nice try Zabuza Momochi but sneaking up on me won't be that easy." Naruto smiles his eyes flashing.
"You're pretty good with that sword kid where'd you get it?"
"My mother gave it to me and it has a name it's ZANGETSU!" Naruto swings and blasts Zabuza flies backwards the gust of wind from the swing blasts back the mist and Kakashi takes advantage of Zabuza's condition to attack stabbing a kunai into Zabuza's gut.
"Nice try Zabuza but it's over." Kakashi says.
"Oh really?" Zabuza asks as water pours out of the wound, then Zabuza explodes into a burst of water, then Zabuza appears behind Kakashi and slices him in half. Zabuza smirks under his mask, when the sliced body of Kakashi turns to water and Zabuza's eyes widen in shock. "Even in the mist he was able to copy my jutsu." Kakashi appears behind Zabuza and holds a kunai to his throat.
"Your right, now it's over."
"Nice try." Zabuza dissolves into water again and reappears behind Kakashi. "Now." Then kicks him into the water, then Zabuza grabs his sword and runs after Kakashi but then stops. "Makabishi spikes. Trying to slow me down. Foolish." Then Zabuza jumps into the water.
"SENSEI!" Sakura shouts
"I can't believe sensei got kick through the air like that." Sasuke thinks.
"His physical prowess is on par with mine." Naruto says. Then Kakashi reemerges from the water.
"This water isn't normal it's denser." Kakashi thinks. Then Zabuza appears behind him and sneers.
"Fool." Zabuza starts making hand-signs "Suiton: Suirou no Jutsu!" (Water style: water prison Jutsu)
"SHIT!" Kakashi yells
"This prison is made of water but its stronger than steel."
"Escaping underwater was a bad mistake."
"Now I have you where I want you, however now I must eliminate your little friends." Zabuza makes a one handed hand-sign. "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu." (Water clone Jutsu)
"Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto get the bridge builder out of here. He is put all his strength in to keeping me here the clone can't follow you that far!"
"Not an option!" Sasuke says "That option when right out the window the moment you got captured sensei!" Zabuza's clone smirks at the three gennin before him.
"You dare to call yourself Shinobi, when you've hovered between life and death so many times that it doesn't faze you, you may be called Shinobi. When you've become so deadly that your profile has been entered into my bingo book, then you may have earned the title Shinobi."
"You want to see power I will show you power." Naruto smirks then turns to Sasuke and Sakura. "Sakura stay out of this protect the bridge builder, Sasuke you're with me let's show him our power."
"Since when did you become such a big shot? But I guess I'll lend you a hand, Reduce all creation to ashes, RYUJIN JAKKA!" the Reiatsu of the release of Sasuke's Ryujin Jakka burns away the rest of the mist.
"You shouldn't underestimate Naruto or Sasuke, Zabuza." Kakashi smirks underneath his mask. "I did that once and it nearly cost me my life."
"You may be soft Kakashi but I'm not." Zabuza makes another water clone and makes the clone maintain the water prison then grabs his Kubikiribōchō and charging at Naruto but Naruto blocks with Zangetsu and the two swordsman clash back and forth. After a while of blades clashing again and again Sasuke jumped in and the two Zanpaktou users started pushing back Zabuza. "Such intense Reiatsu this is more intense then when Haku uses her Zanpaktou." Zabuza starts sweating from the heat of Ryujin Jakka. Naruto's Reiatsu flares and the blue aura covers his body and he swings his sword.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!" Naruto fired of the blue blast of Reiatsu blasting Zabuza back and almost sliced right through the real Zabuza who jumps out of the way to avoid having his arm chopped of by the attack and continued towards the clone which was sliced in half freeing Kakashi.
"Nice work Naruto, now stand back and let me finish this but I promise you if Zabuza gets past me you and your teammates finish him off." Kakashi says.
"Yes sir." Naruto and Sasuke leap back towards Tazuna, and then Zabuza and Kakashi leap back and forming hand signs.
"Ushi, Saru, Oo, Nae, Ee, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Nae, Tora, Inu, Tora, Mee, Ushi, Hitsuji, Mee, Ee, Hitsuji, Nae." Zabuza recites as he forms each hand sign
"Ushi, Saru, Oo, Nae, Ee, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Nae, Tora, Inu, Tora, Mee, Ushi, Hitsuji, Mee, Ee, Hitsuji, Nae." Kakashi follows along flawlessly.
"Jin, Saru, Tori, Tatsu, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Hitsuji, Tora, Mee, Nae, Saru, Oo, Ee, Tatsu, Hitsuji, Nae, Ushi, Saru, Tori, Jin, Nae, Ee, TORI!" Kakashi and Zabuza finish simultaneously. "Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!" (Water style: Water dragon Jutsu) instantly two dragons made of water rise up and coil around one another canceling each other out. Then their creators run in at one another Zabuza runs in with his Kubikiribōchō and Kakashi runs with a kunai in hand and their weapons collide and Kakashi press with all his might to keep Zabuza's blade from killing him.
"Could it be?" Zabuza wonders then runs to the left and Kakashi does the same movement and when Zabuza stops so does Kakashi. Then Zabuza makes the hand sign for the hidden mist Jutsu.
"He isn't just following he moves the same way at the same time." Tazuna says
"My movements it's as if it's as if he knows what I'm..."
"Going to do next." Kakashi finishes Zabuza's thought out loud for him.
"What is he reading my mind as well? He looks at me with that eye."
"It makes you furious doesn't it?"
"All you're doing is copying me like a monkey."
"You can't beat me with cheap tricks I'll crush you!" Kakashi and Zabuza say simultaneously.
"When I finish you, I will make sure you never open that monkey mouth again." Zabuza growls and forms hand signs, just then a shadow appears behind Kakashi causing Zabuza to pause in mid signs. "What is that?" The shadow starts to take form and after a few seconds Zabuza looks and sees himself. "It's me! But how? Is this his illusion Jutsu?"
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" (Water style: Waterfall Jutsu) Kakashi says then his sharingan spins around. The gigantic blast of water fires at Zabuza.
"I was just about to create a vortex but he created one first! He copies my Jutsu before I can even do them I can't keep up!" Zabuza gets blasted by the water and is slammed into a tree. Then several kunai connect with Zabuza
"You're finished."
"How? Can you see into the future?" Zabuza asks
"Yes I can. This is your last battle ever." Just then two senbon connect with Zabuza's neck. Naruto and team 7 look over to where the senbon came from and they see a person with and unable to identify his/her's gender. His/her shinobi outfit consisted of the standard Kirigakure pinstriped outfit which stopped at his/her knees. Over this he/she wore a green haori with white trimmings and around his/her waist a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped around his waist twice. He/She also wore light-brown platoon sandals with straps in the same color as his/her kimono and nail polish on his fingernails and toenails in matching blue green color. When wearing this outfit, his/her long hair was gathered in a white bun holder, while two locks of his/her hair fell loose framing his face, bound with metal hair cuffs at the ends. He/she also wore a hunter-nin mask, which was white with thin, curved eye-holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth, as well as the Kirigakure symbol etched in the top.
"You're right it was his last battle." The Oinin Butai says. Kakashi leaps over to Zabuza's corpse and places his index and middle on Zabuza's neck.
"No vital signs."
"I thank you for your assistance in taking him down I have been waiting for the opportunity to take him down." The Oinin Butai bows
"By your mask I can tell you're an Oinin Butai from Kirigakure." Kakashi says.
"You're well informed."
"Just what is an Oinin Butai?" Tazuna asks
"Oinin Butai are an elite group of ninja with very special skills. When a rouge ninja runs away from their village they carry all sorts of secrets with them Oinin Butai are sent out to ensure those secrets stay secret by eliminating them." Suddenly a blast of blue lightning flies past them towards the Oinin Butai, who dodges the attack by jumping into the tree nearby
"You think you can fool me?" Sasuke asked as he glared. "Naruto this is the source of the Reiatsu we felt earlier." Naruto instantly charge but the Oinin Butai jumped down and grabbed Zabuza's body and vanished before Naruto could kill them both.
"Shit." Naruto cursed.
"Naruto, Sasuke you could have just started an international incident." Kakashi scolded.
"That wasn't an Oinin Butai it was Haku regular Oinin Butai don't have Reiatsu." Sasuke said.
"Oh." Kakashi looked embarrassed. "At any rate we need to head back to Tazuna's house from there we will work on what to do." Kakashi says, and then he pulls down his head band to cover his sharingan. Then team 7 walk off thinking of the day's events. Just ask Kakashi takes his third step he collapses on the ground. "Damn no matter how many times I use the sharingan the backlash is always incredible."
"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto shouts and runs over to him and takes his pulse. "He's alive probably just suffering from chakra exhaustion."
"Alright Tazuna-san where is your home?" Sasuke asks.
"About 3 miles from here." Tazuna answers.
"Alright we'll be there in about 3 minutes." Naruto says.
"Three minutes kid, try about an hour." Tazuna stares at the kid.
"No I mean three minutes." Naruto brings her hands together in the cross seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Instantly 5 clones appear next to Naruto. "Alright you two grab Kakashi-sensei and you two grab Tazuna it isn't safe to stay out in the open like this. The last one grab Sakura we've got to use Shupo"
"Yes sir!" the Kage Bunshins responds and care out their instructions.
(Gato's hide out.)
Haku is next to Zabuza's bed pulling out her senbon out of Zabuza's neck.
"Damn it Haku did you have to throw those senbon in my neck?" Zabuza grumbles.
"Oh your awake I thought you would be out for atleast another day or two." Haku says smiling at her master.
"I can get the needles out." Zabuza reaches up and pulls out a bunch of the senbon out of his neck.
"Careful Zabuza-sama you shouldn't pull a bunch out a time or you could die of blood loss." Just then Gato walks in with his two samurai guards following him.
"You failed! Didn't you tell me that you would take care of it personally and the last thing that brat Tazuna would ever see was your sword?!" Gato yells at Zabuza walking forward and reaching for Zabuza's mask when suddenly a huge weight comes crashing down.
"How dare you try to threaten Zabuza-sama!?" Haku glares at Gato
"KILL HER!" Gato yells at his guards. Haku glares at the guards unleashing even more Reiatsu. The guards faint under the strain.
"Try that again and I ensure you that they won't get back up." Haku glares.
"Fine you have one more chance to complete the job or the contracts over!" Gato walks out
"That wasn't necessary I could have handled it." Zabuza says lifting up his bed sheet to reveal a kunai.
"We can't kill Gato just yet the murders would just draw their attention." Haku says. "We have to show restraint for now."
"Fine, how long do you think I'll be out of commission?"
"A week but knowing you it will take half that time." Haku smiles.
(Tazuna's house)
Naruto and the others reappeared from the Shupo the Kage Bunshins disperse and both Sakura and Tazuna ran over to the bushes and threw up as Naruto walked over to the front door and knocked on it and a woman opened it.
"Hello who are you?" She asks apprehensively.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki these are my teammates and our sensei is down can we please come in we have your father with us." Naruto responds. Just then Tazuna comes into view.
"Tsunami." Tazuna says happily
"Father!" Tsunami flings open the door and hugs her father. "Sorry please come in there is a guest room upstairs your sensei can recover there."
"Thank Ms. Tsunami." Naruto bows and he Shupo's Kakashi upstairs and Tsunami looks shocked.
"It's a ninja thing." Sasuke explained as he didn't want to reveal his and Naruto's power in front of people they didn't trust just yet.
"Well please come in make yourselves comfortable." Tsunami says and the rest of the Team and Tazuna walked in to the room. After a few minutes Naruto walks out Zangetsu on his back and he looks solemnly at Sasuke, who instantly feared the worst.
"I-is sensei...?"
"No he lives but Zabuza is still very much alive. That was definitely Haku which means we need prepare for combat I don't know how t we have until Zabuza strikes again which means every second counts." Naruto responds.
"What are you talking about Naruto-Baka Kakashi-sensei said his heart had stopped?" Sakura said trying to, once again, prove her love for Sasuke by putting down Naruto.
"Oinin Butai are supposed to know every aspect of the human body; stopping the heart without killing them would be child's play."
"You're just trying to look cool in front of Sasuke-kun!"
"Sakura...shut up." Sasuke said.
"Yes Sasuke-kun!"
("Fangirls am I right?") Ryujin Jakka said rolling his eyes.
"Tell me about it." Sasuke said trying not to slap his face in irritation.
"We have a lot of work we need to do in the days ahead but in the end Zabuza will fall to my blade, 'Ttebayo!"
Well I for one don't believe you for a second." A voice came from behind them and team seven whips around to see a boy that has spiky black hair and dark-colored eyes. He wears a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a simple pair of sandals. He also wore a blue and white striped hat under the brim of which he was looking at them.
"Inari where have you been?"
"Welcome back Grandpa!" Inari runs over and hugs Tazuna.
"Inari that is no way to talk to our guests it's because of them that your grandpa's here at all." Tsunami scolds
"It's ok I disrespect them plenty." Tazuna laughs.
"Why do you guys bother to try so hard?! No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gato's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work, the weak will only end up getting killed!"
"Yea right." Naruto scoffs. "You'll find neither Sasuke nor I are that easy to kill."
"What do you think this is all a game you know nothing of what it is to suffer?! You've grown up in your safe little village you know nothing of pain!" Instantly a huge weight crashed down on Inari as the fires of Sasuke's Reiatsu flared and Inari started struggling to breathe.
"I don't know suffering?" Sasuke said in a very cold tone. A new weight filled the room countering Sasuke's power.
"SASUKE UCHIHA CONTROL YOURSELF!" Naruto roared
"STAY OUT OF THIS UZUMAKI!" the weight tripled around Sasuke crushing him.
"I know you've suffered in the past and so have I, but control your Reiatsu or you'll kill Inari. Am I understood?"
"H-h-h-h-h-h-hai." Sasuke struggled out. For some reason Sakura stayed quiet but most likely was because she too was having trouble breathing. The Reiatsu in the room vanished. "I'm going to train."
"Fair enough Sasuke." Sasuke walked out when the awkwardness in the room cleared Naruto turned to Inari. "Let me tell you a little bit about suffering. Sasuke is my best friend and I consider him a brother in all but blood, you think the life of a Shinobi is easy well news flash kid it's not, both Sasuke and I have both taken a human life and not just the shinobi that attacked your grandfather, also Sasuke lost his entire clan in one night because of his older brother, the one person he respected above all others killed his entire clan, Sasuke's mother, his father, cousins aunts uncles everyone Sasuke once held dear to his heart is dead." Inari turned green from the thought. "And if you think that's bad what he went through doesn't even compare to what I've gone through. For 8 long years I lived on my own trying to scrounge up enough food to eat a decent meal once every 2 days and that was if I was lucky. I was beaten, bruised, poisoned, burned, crucified, stabbed and treated like the absolute lowest form of dirt." Inari looks shocked that anyone could survive everything Naruto mentioned. "I don't know about you but this guy Gato stands no chance against a real hero."
"There is no such thing as heroes." Inari walks toward the door.
"Inari where are you going?" Tsunami asks
"I'm going to look at the ocean." Inari says and closes the door behind him.
"I'm sorry about him but he was never the same after Kaiza died." Tazuna said.
"Who's that?" Sakura asks.
"He was my husband." Tsunami says.
"What happened?" Naruto asked confused.
"Well it all started three years ago when Kaiza arrived. He was a man who brought the word courage to our island."
"So what's Inari's relationship with Kaiza?"
"Kaiza married Tsunami and became Inari's new father. One day the flood gates to our dam open during a torrential rain and Kaiza managed to swim against the current and close the flood gates and Inari was so proud to be his son." Tazuna starts crying. "But that all changed when Gato arrived, it took all of Gato's gang to take down Kaiza but when they finally caught him they tortured him then executed him publicly and that's when Inari shut himself off from the world and now he never smiles."
"On that cheerful note we should probably go to bed." Naruto gets up and walks upstairs.