(Hi, guys. Welcome to the New Year. I can't wait to see what surprises will be in store in this new year. Anyway I hope you enjoy my newest chapter. And the one Guest reviewer constantly leaving all those reviews. I'm guessing English isn't your best language, because I can barely read them. Anyway you don't have to leave any more of those constantly in all my previous chapters. I appreciate whatever ideas you've been giving me, but I got plenty of them already in mind. Thanks anyway. Enjoy my friends.)
As Squad seven as their three comrades were getting closer to their opponents, Zabuza spoke, "All right, everybody ready?"
"As always." Haku answered.
"Same here." Naruto replied, as the rest agreed.
"Then here we go." Zabuza said, as he formed hand signs and released a water dragon forward.
Kakuzu and Hidan seeing this attack coming right for them, jumped away. The two saw their enemies appear before them, "There they are." Kakuzu said.
"Just hand over the girl, and maybe Jashin will spare you heathens." Hidan warned them.
"Not going to happen." Naruto answered, as he and his friends got ready.
"Then we're just going to have to do it the hard way." Kakuzu said, as he and Hidan went on the attack.
Naruto, Kakashi, and Zabuza went after Kakuzu, while Sakura, Sasuke, and Haku went after Hidan. Zabuza called to the other three, "Remember another important fact about Hidan, don't let him sample your blood!"
Hidan growled, "Damn you asshole blowing my secret!" Hidan didn't have time to continuously curse Zabuza, as Sakura, Sasuke, and Haku were busy throwing what they had at him.
Sakura was Earthbending boulders at Hidan who was swinging his scythe around to break them up. Sasuke drew his swords and went at it with Hidan, weapons clashing, "Guess your blood's first." Hidan smirked.
"Don't count on it," Sasuke answered, as he started channeling Chidori throughout his body, "Chidori Stream!" his attack shocked Hidan into a temporary paralysis.
"I can't move!" Hidan cursed.
"Quick, disarm him!" Sasuke ordered.
Haku attack knocking the scythe right out of his hand. Sakura looked at the weapon, and spoke, "And for good measure." she used Metalbending to bend the weapon up making it useless.
"You brat!" Hidan shouted, as he regained his mobility, "Fortunately I come prepared." he pulled out of his cloak two retractable spears.
"Scale Powder!" Fu jumped in and used her powder technique to blind Hidan.
"Good, job, Fu. My turn!" Haku used his Icy Style, and a spear of ice rose up from the ground impaling Hidan in the stomach deeply.
The shinobi watched seeing Hidan hang off the ice spear unable to move, "That'll hurt." Sakura cringed.
"Dammit, I can't move now!" Hidan shouted, as he flailed around.
"He's still breathing?" Fu gasped.
"He really can take a blow." Sasuke gasped.
"At least we got him immobilized." Sakura noted, until an explosion knocked them off balance.
They looked over seeing Kakuzu fighting, Zabuza, Kakashi, and Naruto, who were throwing all they had at the rogue Waterfall ninja. Kakuzu launched a blast of Fire at them, only for Zabuza and Kakashi to each launch a water dragon projectile at him the two jutsu's overpowered the fire blast and nailed Kakuzu.
"Way to go, guys!" Naruto cheered, until they saw Kakuzu get on his feet, with his cloak bulging all around, "Uh, what's happening to him?"
Suddenly Kakuzu's cloak shredded as four black creatures appeared behind him wearing a mask each. Squad Seven was taken aback, as Sakura spoke, "What're those thing?"
Zabuza answered, "Those are Kakuzu's other hearts."
"Other hearts?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.
"That's right. I did say he could use all five chakra elements, but what I didn't say was he's able to use the other four elements through the usage of hearts of those who did have that chakra affinity."
"You're telling us this now?" Naruto snapped.
Suddenly one of the masked creatures shattered and dissolved, "What just happened to it/" Sakura asked.
Kakuzu growled, "Your combined water jutsu destroyed my Fire Chakra heart. Looks like I'll have to replace it when this is over."
"So we have to go for the masks." Sasuke analyzed.
"And if we destroyed his fire heart, then those other three represent wind, lightning, and earth." Kakashi added.
"Right. So hit them hard with a jutsu that can counter it!" Zabuza ordered, as they went on the attack against Zabuza and his masked beasts.
Kakuzu was blocking most of their attacks barehanded, while Sakura, Haku, and Sasuke fought the three masked creatures. Sasuke eyed the one representing Kakuzu's earth heart and got an idea, "Sakura, Haku, give me some cover!"
Sakura and Haku nodded, as they used Earthbending and Ice Style to cut the lightning and wind heart creatures from the earth one, as Sasuke channeled Chidori to both his swords. He dashed for the Earth Heart as fast as he could before crossing his blades, "Chidori Slice!" he performed a double slice appearing behind the heart. The Earth heart creature suddenly fell part, much to Kakuzu's shock.
"No!" he growled.
Naruto smirked, as he pulled out two metal bracers, and threw them at Kakuzu. Using his Metalbending he cuffed the Akatsuki shinobi's arms together, "Got him!"
"Not quite!" Kakuzu answered, as his arms launched from his body like rockets.
"What?!" Naruto gasped, as he whipped out his glider staff to deflect the two arms.
Everyone saw from Kakuzu's limbs was multiple black tendril stitches. Fu gasped, "Kakuzu, what happened to you?"
Kakuzu answered, "After I killed that foolish council who sent me on that suicide mission just to get rid of me, I used the forbidden jutsu I stole to not only take their hearts to obtain all chakra elements, but allow usage of these stitches to keep my body together. Now you see why they call me a zombie."
"Hey, Kakuzu!" Hidan called, "If you're finished with your shitty ranting, how about helping me out here!"
Kakuzu ignored Hidan, as he used the tendrils from his arms substituting for hands, and was ready to continue his onslaught. He looked back at his two remaining hearts, and summoned them back into his body, "Now to take back the fight and new hearts." he unleashed strong air blasts at his enemies, knocking them off their feet.
Naruto used Airbending to pull up and landed safely, before using it to catch the others, "With his two other hearts back in his body we should take them all out together."
"Easier said than done, kid." Zabuza reminded him.
"Don't worry, I got a plan. But I need all of you to hold him still and make sure he doesn't go anywhere. Can you do that?"
"We'll do what we can, Naruto." Haku answered.
"You leave it to us." Fu saluted.
"Let's do it." Kakashi said, as the group armed themselves and went at it with Kakuzu.
Sasuke was using his swords charged with Chidori to slice the tendrils trying to strike them along with Zabuza and his massive blade, as Sakura was hurling rocks at him. Haku was launching ice shard bullets at Kakuzu, while Kakashi was using his own Chidori to strike Kakuzu. Fu was flying around using her powder jutsu to blind Kakuzu, as Naruto was taking this chance to go into sage mode. He wasted no time in using the power of Airbending to help shape a Rasengan in his hand that took the shape of a windmill shuriken infused with wind chakra.
Naruto took off heading right for his opponent, and called out to the others, "Everyone, move!" his comrades got away leaving Kakuzu wide open. Naruto threw his jutsu right for him, "Rasenshuriken!" he shouted at the jutsu engulfed Kakuzu who screamed as chakra was piercing his body inside out destroying his final extra two hearts in the process.
On the ground, everyone watched in shock at what Naruto unleashed on the rogue shinobi, "What jutsu is that?" Fu gasped.
"It's nothing I've ever seen before." Zabuza noted.
"So powerful." Sakura gasped.
"No kidding." Sasuke agreed.
Kakashi smiled to himself and thought, 'Minato, Naruto's taken your jutsu further than you could've ever imagined.'
When the jutsu ended, Kakuzu fell to the ground looking like he wouldn't be able to get up at all. Everyone gathered around him, as Naruto's sage mode ended, "How is this possible? Beaten by a brat!"
Naruto shook his head and sighed, "You don't get it, Kakuzu. You were fighting just some brat. You were facing a brat who is both a Jinchuriki and the Avatar. And I don't go down so easily."
Zabuza spoke while motioning to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, "And it's kids like him and these guys that'll eventually surpass our generation and those before us."
"As it is the never ending cycle of shinobi." Kakashi added, as he formed a Raikiri.
Kakuzu sighed, "And that's a fact." was his last words as Kakashi slammed his jutsu into Kakuzu's real heart, thus ending him for good.
"That's the end of him." Sasuke said.
"Now what do we do about him?" Sakura asked, while motioning to the trapped Hidan.
"Let's see if we can get a word out of him." Kakashi said.
Haku nodded, as he manipulated the ice spear to pierce downward thus pinning Hidan to the ground, "Damn this hurts like a S.O.B!" he cried.
"Your partner's gone, Hidan. And you're pretty much finished yourself." Naruto explained to him.
"So what?"
"Before we dispose of you, you may as well tell us whatever you can about the Akatsuki. Like what do they want with the tailed beasts specifically?" Kakashi inquired.
"Like hell I'm telling you guys anything." Hidan spat.
"Guess, we're going to do it the hard way." Zabuza said, as he dropped his sword down cutting off Hidan's right arm.
"Oh! Mother!" Hidan cried.
"Willing to talk now?" Naruto asked.
"Go to hell!" he cursed only to have his left arm cut off.
The group watched as Hidan was being cut to pieces with every rejection he gave Zabuza. When he was just a head attached to his body, he cried, "All right! All right! I'll talk!"
"Was that so hard?" Zabuza asked.
Hidan grumbled, "Look, from what I've been told is the Akatsuki plan to use the powers of the tailed beasts as a weapon against all nations. We'll have all shinobi nations rely on our mercenary services until they bankrupt themselves. Then use the power of the tailed beasts to suppress all the nations into submission into never going to war again. Yeah it's all one big money making scheme. Something I am totally against."
"In the end, the Akatsuki are only after world domination." Kakashi deduced.
"Typical." Naruto sighed.
"There, I told you. So can you let me go and find a way to put me back together?"
Zabuza looked like he was pondering on it, before raising his sword up, "Don't think so." he dropped the sword down cutting Hidan's head clean off. Sakura and Fu cringed while clutching their throats.
"Dammit, why the hell did you do that?!" Hidan shouted.
Naruto and Sasuke looked at the severed head in shock, "He really is still speaking." Naruto said.
"Immortality's never looked so nasty until now." Sasuke added.
"We got to dispose of his body parts where no one will find him." Kakashi said.
"Yes, but where?" Haku wondered.
"Anybody got any bright ideas?" Zabuza asked the group.
Sakura, Sasuke, and Fu didn't have a clue on what to do, until Naruto spoke up, "Actually, I have a good idea."
"And where's that?" Sakura asked.
"The spirit world." he answered.
Upon hearing the Avatar's answer, Squad seven was taken aback, "The Spirit world?" they asked.
"Yeah. Problem?"
"Is it wise to be dumping someone like Hidan to that place, even in pieces?" Sakura asked.
"Don't worry, there's a special place there where no one will go looking for him. But I'll tell you that when we get there."
"And how? It's a long flight to Republic City, that is where the one portal is." Kakashi reminded them.
"Unless you count the North and South poles." Sasuke added.
"Too cold for me." Fu replied.
"Actually, we won't have to go all the way there." Naruto answered.
"What do you mean?" Haku wondered.
"There are in fact smaller hidden portals everywhere across the world to the Spirit World. Not many can find them though. But for me, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Are there any close by?" Kakashi inquired.
"Let me focus," Naruto concentrated on finding portal spiritual energy close by. He opened his eyes and spoke, "Found one not too far from here."
"Then let's go." Sasuke said.
"First thing's first. We gotta bag this guy up." Naruto unsealed a big empty sack.
"Touch me, and I'll bite you!" Hidan threatened them, until Zabuza grabbed him by the hair and threw his head into the sack. They threw his arms and legs into the sack. The final piece was the torso which they removed from the ice spear and tossed into the sack. Hidan cursed them non stop, until they closed the bag.
"So where too, kid?" Zabuza asked.
"Follow me," Naruto answered, as he led them off. They followed Naruto through the forest, until he stopped before a burrow, "Here we are."
Zabuza looked at the burrow in disbelief, "You're kidding, right?"
"This is where the spiritual energy around me has led me too." Naruto confirmed.
"Well, Naruto. Lead the way." Kakashi said, as Naruto crawled through it followed by the others.
"Good thing this hole's big enough for us to crawl through." Sakura said, as they crawled through the tunnel.
"See anything up there, Naruto?" Haku asked, as he crawled from behind them all.
"I see some light, this is it!" Naruto said, as they all reached it.
They each crawled out into a forest of the spirit world. Everyone got up and looked around. Fu looked amazed, as her eyes lit up, "This is so beautiful." she said with a smile.
"This is unlike any place I've ever seen." Haku noted.
"Yeah. Can we go?" Zabuza asked, feeling uneasy by the place.
"Don't worry. The place I have in mind to send Zabuza will be closer than you think." Naruto explained, as he concentrated, and suddenly the group found themselves standing a top a cliff with a huge blanket of fog in a valley below them.
"That was fast." Fu gasped.
"What's down there?" Zabuza looked down into the fog.
"The Fog of Lost Souls," Naruto explained, "A prison for humans in the Spirit World. Anyone sent there or foolishly walks into it not only get lost in the fog for life, but will be driven into madness as they are forced to face their darkest memory for life."
"Seriously?" Fu asked with a shiver.
"That's right. One prisoner who's been stuck there since the days of Avatar Aang was Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation. Only one's been able to overcome the power of the fog, and that was Master Tenzin. Nobody will think of looking for Hidan in there, and even if they did they wouldn't be able to handle the curse of the fog."
"Clever idea." Kakashi commended him.
Naruto grabbed the back and using Airbending propelled it far into the fog, "Later, Hidan," he turned to Fu, "Now let's get you to my friends here where you'll be safe."
"You gonna do the same thing again?" she asked.
"Of course." Naruto answered, as he concentrated and they found themselves at Iroh's tea shop.
"Where are we now/" Haku asked.
"Welcome to Iroh's tea shop." Naruto introduced them.
"Iroh, as in..." Zabuza began, until Naruto interrupted him.
"Yes, yes, veteran Fire Nation General and all that. Come on." Naruto led them inside.
Upon entering they saw many spirits enjoying some tea and sweets, until they saw the rest of the Jinchuriki in hiding with Iroh. The old man looked in the entry and saw the familiar faces, "Naruto and Squad Seven, how wonderful to see you all."
"Same here, Iroh." Naruto greeted the old man with a hug. He looked over at his fellow Jinchuriki, "How're you guys doing?"
"Never better." Utakata answered.
"What brings you guys here?" Han inquired.
"Well, you'll be happy to know I brought a new playmate for you all."
"Playmate?" Roushi asked in confusion.
"Everyone, meet Fu the kunoichi of the Waterfall village and Jinchuriki to Choumei the seven tails." Naruto introduced them.
Fu gasped, "Wow! So all these guys are Jinchuriki like us, Naruto?"
"You bet." Naruto nodded.
"This is so cool!" she cheered.
Suddenly appearing before them were their tailed beasts in small chibi form, with Choumei looking more like a larvae than his full beast mode, "Hey, everyone. Good to see you." he greeted the others.
"Choumei, good to see you too." Son greeted.
"Glad to see those Akatsuki punks didn't get to you." Kokuo said.
"Well, they almost did if not for Naruto,Kurama, and their friends."
Zabuza looked over seeing Yagura, "Lord Fourth?"
Yagura seeing Zabuza was just as surprised, "Zabuza? What're you doing here?"
"I came here with Naruto."
Yagura turned to Naruto, "How are you standing here next to Zabuza Momochi alive?"
"Relax, Yagura, Zabuza and I are friends now."
"Friends?" Yagura looked at Zabuza.
"Kid's special. Though I don't need to tell you that." the swordsman answered.
"So now that I've secured Fu, all of us Jinchuriki are safe from the Akatsuki for now. Plus we just defeated two more members so another victory." Naruto explained.
"Think it's safe for us to come out yet?" Utakata asked.
"Not quite yet. But I have a feeling it will be soon enough," Naruto turned to Fu, "You'll be safe here until then, Fu. Iroh will take care of you as will the other Jinchuriki here. Think of it as an extended family."
"Family, huh?" Fu asked, before smiling, "I like the sound of that."
"As do I." Iroh agreed, "Come, everyone have some of my famous tea."
"Sure. I'm parched." Naruto answered, as they all sat down to enjoy some tea and sweets.
Later on, after returning back to the real world through the same small portal they came through, Zabuza and Haku were ready to take their leave, "Well, we're off." Zabuza began.
"You really have to go now?" Sakura asked.
"Afraid so. Lot more work for us to do out there." Haku explained.
"I hope you're aware that with more Akatsuki members dropping a storm is inevitably coming." Kakashi reminded them.
"We know that. If you ever need us. Just contact us." the swordsman explained, as Naruto smiled and nodded in agreement.
"See you until then." Haku said, as he and Zabuza took off.
Squad Seven watched their allies leave, as Kakashi spoke to his squad, "Come on, guys. Let's go home." Everyone smiled and agreed, before heading back to Konoha in victory.
(And there's the chapter. They secured Fu and defeated the supposed immortal duo. Don't miss next time where Naruto has to recover the other half of Kurama from the one person that's been carrying it since Kurama's sealing. See you all then.)