Chapter 9: Hunting in waves part 3.
( Zabuza's Hideout)
Gato and his group of thugs have arrived at Zabuza's hideout.
"And what do I owe the pleasure of you coming here Gato." Says Zabuza with a grunt with a black haired girl Tends to his wounds.
"There's a problem Zabuza. My men have mysteriously gone missing. My men claim it wasn't those Konoha Shinobi you encountered. But something that is I don't know beast like. I need you to make me believe if you can kill whatever it is that has killed my men?" Gato asked Zabuza who looked straight into his eyes and frowned
"Depends... but it's going to cost you extra since you want me to go after the bridge builder." Zabuza says with Gato glaring.
"Don't worry about the payment! Just kill whatever that has killed my men! Once you kill it and the bridge builder you'll get your money! " Gato says with a groan and with that he left leaving the swordsman alone.
"Zabuza-sama.. what is it that Gato needs you to kill?" Haku asked.
"I don't know Haku. But whatever it is. We're going to find out." Says Zabuza as he laid down with her tending to his wounds.
"I may have to go look for some Herbs soon Zabuza-sama." She would say looking at him.
"Go on ahead Haku. So that i could go and accomplish our job and kill whatever got Gato spooked." Zabuza says with a sigh as she nodded.
( Elsewhere)
Five of Gato's scouts are in the forest west from the village as they have been told to find out what has killed Gato's men and spies.
They reached to another outpost that looked like it was raided and attacked...
The five men gulped. Feeling very terrified and unease about going inside to see if anyone was alive..
All five men suddenly armed themselves with weapons they brought which could be swords or knives. They all went inside. The lead scout held a torch since the outpost seemed dark meaning there was no light or power.
They saw lots of destruction inside the outpost. Blood everywhere, limbs, arms and legs laying around...
It made all five of them green as they moved forward.
Neither of them noticed a invisible figure hiding in the darkness with its eyes glowed bright red.
"Okay... you two split up and search for any survivors.. you two stay with me." Says the Lead Scout as they began to split apart scared out of their minds.
Two scouts went separate locations. Unaware of the invisible figure following them.
One Scout was holding his torch and a spiked Bat..
He suddenly heard a clicking sound which made his blood freeze. He turned around and before he could do another the invisible figure swinged it's sword Beheading him.
The next figure frantically looked to his right he could have sworn he heard something.
"Hey! Who's there!?" He yelled looking around frantically as he was shaking. And before he knew it, he was suddenly grabbed and taken in the darkness dropping his torch and tried to scream but was muffled then was silenced after being stabbed In the back 5 times and then dropped dead.
"What's going on... sir... what do you think is doing this?" Asked a Scout
"I don't know..." admitted the lead scout as they kept looking around for signs of life only to find none or no bodies... just blood.. and limbs..
Suddenly a drop of blood fell on the lead scout who blinked and looked the drop of blood that fell on him. He then looked up and then widened his eyes as did the other two scouts besides him.
And what they saw. Was skinned headless bodies.. 8 bodies hanged up as the three suddenly pissed their pants.
"My Kami.. what the hell did this?!" Shouted another scout very terrified. Before the lead scout could answer him they heard growling as they turned to the source of it.
The third scout suddenly had his head blown off by a blue blast.
"FUCK!!" Screamed the Lead Scout as he and other scout started running for their lives.
The second scout suddenly tripped over a stool as his leader kept running leaving him to his fate.
He heard walking as the invisible figure had out its blades and suddenly went to him and stabbed him to death as he screamed.
The lead scout who heard the scream from his fellow subordinate. He knew he died as he kept running fearing for his life. He ran to the door and closed it shut. He ran to the bushes scared and started hiding.
"Oh my Kami.. what the fuck was that!?" He yelled really scared as he felt his blood pressure run up and his heart pumping from him running in fear.
As he hid in the bushes he looked at the outpost door to see if the attacker was going to come out..
He waited for 40 seconds and nothing came out.
He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, he needed to go inform Gato now. Suddenly something wrapped around his neck and yanked him further into the bushes as he screamed while at the same time choking as he clutched the thing round his neck in which was a whip. As he was pulled. He came face to face with a invisible figure that uncloaked itself. His eyes wide as he saw the figure reveal itself.
It was Artemis.
She snarled looking down at the pathetic human.
She did have blood on her from killing his partners.
She tightened her grip on her whip and yanked him away still choking him until he passed out.
( Later on)
The lead scout suddenly gained consciousness as he looked around his surroundings. He tried to get up only to widen his eyes and looked that his hands and legs are tied.
He suddenly heard a growl and from the right he saw Artemis who held her whip.
He flinched and tried to scream only that he couldn't as he noticed his mouth is gagged.
Naruto appeared uncloaked.
"Here is another one. Naruto." Artemis says as the scout seemed shocked that whatever she is it could speak.
"Good work Artemis. Now let's make our friend talk." Naruto says walking towards the lead scout who looked scared as he removed the gag from his mouth.
"Now... you are going to tell me who is this Zabuza. I hear he works for Gato." Naruto questioned as the lead scout winced and then he noticed Naruto brought out his wrist blades and pointed them to his neck.
"I'm sorry did I break your concentration? Please do tell me who Zabuza is or do I have to slit your throat. Or can skin you alive?" Naruto says with intimidation that it scared the lead scout as Artemis suddenly liked the sound of Naruto being threatening Which seemed to arouse her in some form.
"He's a Shinobi! A missing nin Gato-sama hired him to kill the bridge builder named Tazuna!" The Scout replied not wanting to die. He wanted to live.
"Is that all?" Naruto says in a cold voice
"He's a swordsman! A skilled one! That's all I know! Please don't kill me!" The Scout pleaded
"Are you sure that's all you know?" Naruto asks as the scout nodded frantically
"That's all I know! Honest! Please let me go!" He begged as Naruto stared at him for a few moments with Artemis besides him.
"Artemis let him go." He says surprising her.
"Naruto?" She says confused on why he's letting the scum go.
"You are going to relay a message to Gato and Zabuza. Tell him the Uzumaki Shredder will come for them." Naruto says with the man nodding as he cut him loose from his bindings as the man started running. Once he tells Gato his message along with Zabuza he's going to quit working forGato and find another job.
"Are you sure that was wise?" She asked frowning behind her mask.
"I'm sure, besides they already fear us. I want to see what this Zabuza is made of." Naruto says as he turned towards her.
She nodded understanding in what he was doing.
"Let's go weed out the rest of the thugs." He says as they both cloaked and left.
( With Gato)
Three hours later one of his scouts had returned only to look haggard and very terrified as he babbled out what Uzumaki Shredder had told him. Which made the small businessman scowl and glare. The rest of the thugs who were present felt terrified as the scout told them all of what he had witnessed which made them feel fear nervous.
"They were demons! I'm telling you! Especially the female one!" As he gave a description on what Artemis looked like she was taller than the male one he saw. At least 8 feet or 9 feet.
( An: You guys claim that the female Yaujta are taller than the male ones so... Artemis is 9 feet tall.)
"Be quiet! Just go and tell Zabuza exactly what he's up against!" Hissed Gato to the lead Scout who nodded.
Though on the inside Gato did feel slightly afraid of what his scout had told him.
Just what in Kami's name made Uzumaki shredder and this female masked being...?
( Two days later)
Anko, Hana Inuzuka and Yugao Uzaki along with her squad of Anbu arrived in wave to see what Kakashi is dealing with.
"So what's this in needing help Kakashi? Normally this doesn't sound like you?" Anko says With him sighing.
"Follow me and I'll show you why.." He says with them following but Yugao told her men to stay put and watch the area, as Hana told her three dogs to also stay put.
As they got the area Kakashi showed them the corpses that was still in trees as the three women suddenly turned green. Hana suddenly vomited as she smelled the smell of death.
"Oh my Kami..." Anko say with wide eyes...
"Yeah. I'm sure you all heard of the rumors..." Kakashi says as they nodded.
"Yeah... so this mysterious killer is in wave?" Yugao would say
"Yeah.. and I believe This Uzumaki Shredder is the mysterious killer... but he's not alone..." Kakashi says with the three turning to him.
"What makes you say that.?" Asks Hana
"From what Tazuna's daughter told us is that Uzumaki Shredder isn't alone and that there are five others with him." Kakashi says
"This is crazy... no one has never seen this mysterious killer.. yet some villager saw him or it?" Anko asks
"I know.. just makes me wonder.. is there like a clan.. since you said it's 6 of them." Yugao would ask
"Beats me" Kakashi says with a shrug.
"How are we going to capture it?" Hana cuts in with everyone now thinking of a plan on how to capture this mysterious killer.
"That's a good question... how can we capture it? It's like a ghost. That doesn't want to be seen or want to be seen.." Kakashi says stroking his chin.
"Think we need to place traps around Tazuna's house and we take turns in patrolling to see where it is." Suggests Yugao.
"Good idea. Plus my dogs could help." Hana added.
"Yeah... let's try that." Anko would say with others agreeing.
"But the other Five? What are we going to do about them? Should they realize we caught one of their own?" Yugao says with them going silent
"Yeah... if one mysterious killer was enough the other five could be much worse.." Anko says now realizing this.
"We will think this plan to capture them through." Kakashi suggested with the other two nodding as they turned to Hana who looked straight ahead and was tense as she was silent during this.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked Hana but she didn't answer
"Hana?" Anko walked close to her as did Kakashi with Yugao looking around.
"Hana! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Whispered Kakashi who grabbed her getting her attention as she turned from them but looked straight ahead into the trees.. as she felt tense and spooked..
"There's something in those trees..." Hana says quietly with everyone going tense.
From a far distance. Cloaked was Naruto as he had recorded their conversation and watched them.
"Do you think it's the mysterious killer?" Anko asks pulling out a kunai quietly. Feeling her blood turn cold as was everyone else.. knowing the killer could he watching them.
"I.. can't tell..." Hana says as she can't see what was far off into those trees but caught the scent and knew it was there.
"You think we can make it if we run..." Anko says
"No... we can't.." Kakashi says
"Why?" Yugao asked
"Because we're being hunted... but it's all right... let's just leave here real slow..." Says Kakashi
"Like hell it is!" Yugao hissed holding her sword.
"Let's go... now!" Kakashi says as they all started running like hell heading back to Tazuna's house...
( Tazuna's house)
They made it relieved that the mysterious killer didn't pursue them.
At least that was what they thought
Cause Naruto followed them back here.
They caught their breath and sighed
"I'm scared." Anko says.
"Bullshit Anko. Your rarely scared of anything! Hell your not even afraid of Ibiki!" Yugao said looking at her.
"I don't blame her for being scared.. cause I am... we all are..." Hana says looking at the trees
"I remember on the night of the Kyuubi attack.. a few of our clan members were searching for something and they found bodies hanged in trees with no heads or spinal cords... they couldn't identify who it was... but they smelled three scents they couldn't describe.." Hana says with edge in her voice
"There is something out there.. that's in those trees... waiting for us... and from what I smelled while we were at that location... was no man. Even my clan members who were there where they found the bodies that night said the exact same thing.. whatever they smelled was no man... but something else.. " Hana adds.
"And the Hokage wants us to capture whatever the fuck we are dealing with? He must have gone senile!" Anko hissed
"Anko just calm down." Kakashi says seeing her glare at him.
"Calm down? How the fuck can I calm down! When there's something we've never seen before that's scaring us to death! If we live through this I'm going to kick the Sandaime in the nuts!" Anko shouted
"Hold on now! You not thinking we all are going to die are we?" Yugao cuts in looking at Anko.
"I sure as hell hope to Kami we don't! Because I'm not dying until I kill the bastard that ruined my life!" Anko hissed walking off to go eat some dango to calm herself.
"I'm going to have my men keep watch on everything... we all need to keep our eyes open.." Yugao says walking off to go inform her squad.
Kakashi left to go check on his team.
Hana remained as she looked into the trees one last time...
Naruto while cloaked was also looking at her.
Hana decided to go in the house to go sit down and pray to Kami that she lives in this mission.
Naruto decided it was time to go.
To be continued
An: Zabuza will face off with Naruto in the next chapter.
Until next time.