A/N: Hey...it's been a while hasn't it? I'll be honest was not expecting a worldwide pandemic to happen so that kept me busy along with college (but I'm in my final year and I'm taking easier classes. But for my fellow Americans, this is really fucking us up). So, I honestly forgot about this story but I was checking through my computer and realized I never finished this chapter. What am I planning for this story? I have no clue, but I still have ideas about what I can do with it so, all to say, I'll post when I post. But yeah...enjoy.
Ch. 6 A Quick Escalation
Team 7 rushed behind the trees in the forest after seeing their target rustle the leaves in a bush.
"What's your distance to the target?" Kakashi asked over his headset.
"About five meters, Sensei. I'm ready whenever," Naruto replied.
"So am I."
"Me too."
"Whatever. I'm ready too, I guess." Ino grumbled.
"Alright, Ino, it's your time to shine," Kakashi said.
"You know, this is insulting. My clan didn't develop our jutsu just to return runaway cats to their owners," Ino barked out indignantly.
"Ino, your Mind Transfer allows us to finish our mission more efficiently and quickly than any other Genin team," Kakashi reminded her.
"Plus that cat's vicious for no reason!" Naruto interjected. "It always scratches when we capture it. This is the only way to calm it down, Ino."
"Do you have eyes on the target?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah," Ino grumbled. "Here I go."
Ino formed her clan's signature hand sign and aimed her hands at the rustling bush. "Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu." Ino projected her spiritual energy into the bush and her body slumped to the ground. After a few moments, a cat with a red ribbon on its left ear walked to where Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were.
"Is the cat our target, Tora?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah. A ribbon on the left ear. It matches the description," Sasuke answered.
Kakashi got up from his hiding spot and teleported to the team's location. "Good. Mission complete, you guys." Team 7 started to walk back to the Hokage's office but was interrupted by loud meowing from the captured feline. Tora walked over to Ino's body.
"Right, who's taking Ino back?" Naruto inquired.
"Ino's too heavy for me to carry," Sakura commented with a sneer that was replied with hissing from 'Tora.'
"Then you'll be responsible for the cat when Ino is tired. This might be the furthest that Tora has gone so far and Ino can only walk so far in that body," Kakashi replied. "Work on your strength, Sakura. You don't know when you'll have to be the one to care for Ino's body." Sakura groaned while 'Tora' purred in a rhythm similar to laughter. "Sasuke. Naruto. It's between you two. You need to learn how to take care of Ino when she uses her jutsu."
Naruto turned to Sasuke and extended his hand with a fist in it. "Rock, Paper, Scissors. Two-out-of-three."
Sasuke crossed his arms. "No way, loser. She's your friend; You carry her."
"And like Sensei said she's your teammate!" Naruto retorted back.
They glared at each other, neither relenting on their stance on the matter. The glaring continued until Tora started hissing relentlessly. With an eye roll, Sasuke finally gave in and set his hands in position with his body more relaxed than his tense, crouching opponent. Naruto grumbled as he walked to pick up Tora. Sasuke had beaten him consecutively.
"We're taking turns so I'm definitely not carrying her next time, Sasuke! Don't you forget!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke as he picked up Ino's unconscious body and carried her piggyback style.
"Whatever, loser. Just hurry up. We already wasted enough time playing your stupid little game."
"Alright, you two. Suck it up and let's get going," Kakashi said.
Team 7 arrived at the mission assignment room in the Academy and returned Tora to her owner, Madam Shijimi. Madam Shijimi took the sleeping Tora from Sakura's arms and snuggled her tightly against her face. Sakura chuckled to herself as 'Tora' woke up abruptly and frantically looked around to figure out what was happening. Ino released her jutsu and started to awaken on Naruto's back. Naruto set her down and Ino stretched her stiff body.
"This is why I hate this mission. I always get tired from walking in a smaller body and return to a stiff body," Ino complained.
"Oh, my baby, Tora. You had mommy so scared," Madam Shijimi cooed. "Thank you so much for returning my baby. You ninjas get faster and faster each time."
"And we thank you for your patronage, Madam Shijimi," Kakashi responded.
Madam Shijimi went to pay for the mission. Team 7 approached the Hokage to receive their next mission.
"Let's see...Your next mission could be babysitting an elder's grandson, helping a pregnant woman with her shopping, farming potat-"
"No!" Naruto interrupted. "Enough of these chump missions! I want a real mission! One that'll test my skills!"
'Oh, brother." Ino thought. "He's as impatient as ever. But I am sick of switching places with a runaway cat."
"For once the dope has a point," Sasuke thought to himself.
Sakura shot a glare at Naruto. "He's so annoying!" Inner Sakura screamed.
"Oh boy, I knew this day was coming soon," Kakashi thought with an exhausted appearance.
"You ingrate!" Iruka yelled. "You just graduated! All rookies must start with simple duties to work on their teamwork and gain experience!" Iruka explained.
"Babysitting some brat ain't teaching me squat on how to be a ninja! There's no way I'll become the greatest Hokage with these missions!" Naruto retorted.
"Enough already," Kakashi said, pounding Naruto in the head and knocking him to the ground. "Sorry, Lord Hokage."
"Naruto, you seem to not understand the importance of these missions." Sarutobi started to explain the whole system of mission and ninja rankings to the genins. Missions are received from clients and are ranked from A to D. Ninjas of lower rank perform D-ranked missions and as they improve in skill and rank they will be able to partake in higher-ranked missions. Once a mission is completed, the client pays the village. As the Hokage finished explaining why genins should stick with D-ranked missions, his words fell on deaf ears with Naruto sitting on the floor away from him asking his sensei what kind of ramen he should eat later.
"I'm talking to you, Naruto!"
Naruto groaned. "Yeah, Yeah. I've heard it all before. I'm not a kid anymore; I want a mission that'll really test me," Naruto pouted.
Kakashi sighed. "I'm gonna get a mouthful later." Sarutobi paused as he took a drag from his pipe. He closed his eyes, laid his elbows on the desk, and rested his head on his arms. "Ok. Fine."
Team 7 looked at him with subtle surprise. "I'll give you a C-ranked mission. A simple protection mission."
"Yes!" Naruto shouted. "Now you're talking! Who are we gonna protect? A Lord? A princess?"
Sarutobi chuckled. "Calm down, Naruto. I'll introduce the client to you. Can you come in, please?"
The door to the office slid open. In came an old, drunken man drinking a bottle of alcohol he already didn't need. He looked rugged like a working man with his calloused hands, scarred body, and plain attire. He wore a green, sleeveless shirt with a white fabric tied around his waist, olive plaid pants, and a white rope around his forehead. He slouched his body against the door frame and slid up his glasses to assess his assigned protectors.
"This is who I get?" He slurred. "A bunch of stupid brats? No way these are ninjas, especially that shorty with the dumb face."
Naruto laughed out loud with his hand on his stomach. "Who's the shorty with the dumb face?"
Naruto's laughter ceased when Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura stood side-by-side with him. Sasuke was the tallest followed by Ino and Sakura leaving Naruto to be the 'shorty'. Naruto furrowed his brows and scowled at the client.
"I'm gonna kill you, geezer!" Naruto shouted. Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the collar to restrain him from attacking the client. Naruto kicked and flailed, trying to release himself from Kakashi's hold.
"Naruto, you can't attack the people you're assigned to protect. Control yourself!"
"I am Tazuna, the expert bridge builder. I expect expert protection until I get back to my country and finish the bridge. I want to leave by tomorrow afternoon."
"A C-ranked mission? Already?" Inoichi asked.
" I guess so," Ino replied while packing her things for the journey.
"Wow. This generation is growing up really fast. My first C-rank wasn't until almost a year since I graduated from the Academy."
"Well, your team didn't have a 'Naruto,'" Ino chuckled lightly. "He was persistent in wanting to go on a C-ranked mission."
"That does sound like something he would do," Inoichi said with a smile.
"Just be careful, sweetie," Hana chimed in. "And look after each other. Don't neglect the rest of the team but keep an eye on Naruto. You know how he can be," she rambled.
"No need to worry, Mom. It's a bodyguard mission. How hard can it be?"
"You never know. Missions outside the village can always get off track; you have to be prepared for anything," Inoichi advised.
"I will make sure Naruto will stay out of trouble." Ino finished packing and turned towards her parents. "So, what's for dinner?"
Team 7 gathered together at the front of the village's gate early in the sunny afternoon. Naruto shouted in excitement at leaving the village for the first time. Tazuna questioned the aptitude of the 'brat' to Kakashi to which he sheepishly rubbed his head. He comforted him by explaining how his team was formed of capable ninjas and that he would be in safe care since he was a Jonin in charge of all of them. Naruto became irked hearing Tazuna doubt his skills.
"You don't know how great of a ninja I am, old man! I'm going to become Hokage: the most powerful ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village. So, remember the name Naruto Uzumaki!"
"The most powerful ninja in the village? I doubt that'll be you, kid." Tazuna retorted nonchalantly.
"Shut up! Just you wait! I'll do anything to become Hokage!"
"All right, we get it, Naruto!" Ino spat in annoyance. "Stop arguing with Mr. Tazuna!" Ino pulled Naruto's ear to reign in his anger. "The mission hasn't even started and you're already getting riled up. Relax. It's going to be a long mission."
With Naruto simmered down, Team 7 began their trek to the Land of Waves. A few miles outside the village, Sakura asked Tazuna if they had ninjas in the Land of Waves. Kakashi answered her question by explaining which villages had ninjas and what they are used for.
Ninjas are soldiers for their respective villages. They are a militaristic form of power compared to the power each countries' government holds. Ninjas come from the Five Great Shinobi countries with their own respective hidden villages. The Fire country has the Hidden Leaf Village, the Water country has the Hidden Mist Village, the Wind country has the Hidden Sand Village, the Earth country has the Hidden Rock Village, and the Lightning country has the Hidden Cloud Village. Within each country, there is a ruler called "Kage." The five "Kages:" Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage all rule over the ninjas in the world.
Kakashi explained how since the Land of Waves doesn't have ninjas since it's a small country, it pays the Great Five Shinobi countries for theirs. On a C-ranked mission, other ninjas should not be a problem.
Team 7 continued on their journey passing by a large puddle on the side of the road.
"A puddle? It hasn't rained in weeks," Ino thought to herself. Ino walked up to Naruto to talk about the abnormal puddle. Before she could say anything, two cloaked ninjas had Kakashi wrapped up in a barbed chain connecting both of them. Team 7 jumped back in surprise.
"One down," one-half of the cloaked duo said. Kakashi's eyes widened. The duo ran away from each other at full speed, slicing Kakashi's body and leaving chunks of flesh where he just stood a moment ago. Team 7 looked in horror at the pieces of their dismembered sensei.
"Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto yelled, horrified, and shocked by his teacher's brutal death. Naruto didn't have time to stay shocked since the duo suddenly appeared behind him.
Sasuke sprung into action when he noticed the two thugs behind Naruto. He lept into the air and threw a shuriken at the chain connecting them into a nearby tree. He then threw a kunai, pinning the chain into the tree and leaving the thugs stuck together. Sasuke landed on the machines on the thugs' arms that keep them connected by the chain. Sasuke leaned forward, and with his hands on the machine extended his legs back, kicking the thugs in their faces. Naruto stared at Sasuke's attack, shocked by how he expedited action.
Sasuke's attack left them unbalanced. The thugs unlatched themselves to the chain and regained their balance, then one of them rushed towards Naruto, the other to Tazuna and Sakura. Naruto froze where he stood. He couldn't help but look at his attacker and wait for his demise. Moments before the attacker reached him, his face was full of blonde hair. Ino, brandished with a kunai, shoved Naruto to the ground to avoid both of them from being swiped by the thief's mechanical claw.
Sakura watched the other thug rush towards Tazuna. "He's coming. I have to protect him; I have to move!" "Stay behind me!" She shouted, holding a kunai with both hands, fighting back her fear and standing her ground. Sakura tensed her whole body in preparation for the attack, but Sasuke rushed in front of Sakura, anticipating the thug's attack. Sasuke sunk his body and spread out his arm, protecting Tazuna and Sakura. Before he could get any closer, he ran into an arm that caught him by the neck. The force of the impact threw his whole body upward, knocking him out.
Team 7 and Tazuna looked in awe at Kakashi having both thugs incapacitated in his arms and standing unscathed.
Nice Job, Sasuke," Kakashi complimented nonchalantly with both thugs still in his arms. "You too, Sakura and Ino. It's good you kept everyone safe. Naruto, sorry for getting you injured. I thought Ino got you completely out of the way from the attack."
"Huh?" Naruto thought as he started to pick himself off the ground. "I...just froze. I couldn't do anything. Yet, Sasuke, Ino, even Sakura could still fight. Ino saved me... and Sasuke doesn't even have a scratch on him!"
"Hey."
Naruto perked at attention and faced Sasuke. "You alright...Scaredy Cat?" Sasuke teased with a smirk. Naruto tensed with vexation and angrily glared at Sasuke.
"Come on, Sasuke," Ino chided, "now's not the time." Ino walked over to Naruto and offered him a hand up. "Sorry about your hand, Naruto. At least it's nothing serious." Naruto looked at Ino's hand. "She did it again…" Naruto put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up. "I'm fine," he grumbled.
"Well...I wouldn't be too sure about that," Kakashi interrupted. Naruto and Ino were puzzled by what he meant. "Their claws were soaked in poison. We need to open the wound and extract the poison before it spreads." Naruto looked with alarm at the gash on his hand.
Kakashi turned his attention to the bridge builder. "Tazuna. We need to talk."
Kakashi rounded up the pair of ninjas and tied them to a tree nearby. "These are Chunins from the Hidden Mist Village. These are soldier ninjas that fight until their mission is accomplished," Kakashi explained.
"How did you anticipate our attack?" One of them asked.
"It was the puddle. There's no way it could have formed since it hasn't rained in days. But I don't think I was the only one to notice the discrepancy," Kakashi said, turning his head to Ino. "I think you were about to ask Naruto about the puddle yourself before the ambush happened."
"Oh, yeah," Ino answered shyly, crossing her hands in front of her body. "My parents were talking about how they were hoping it would rain soon so that our spring flowers would bloom. That's why I noticed the puddle."
"Well, good eye on you, Ino," Kakashi complimented leaving Ino with a slight blush from his praise.
"If you knew they were coming, then why'd you let the brats fight in the first place?" Tazuna asked.
"I could have ended the fight as soon as it began but I needed to see who their target was." Kakashi turned and faced Tazuna, "And right before I stepped in, it looked like they were after you."
"Wha-? What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I think we're in over our heads because of you. A C-rank mission shouldn't involve ninjas, especially if it's assigned to freshly graduated Genins. Now, this mission is B-ranked, at least. To protect you from thieves is one thing, but with ninjas after you, you would have had to pay the price of a more expensive B-rank mission." Tazuna lowered his head and remained quiet.
"You lied about what this mission would entail so that you could pay for it. Not to be difficult-you may have your reasons-but we are operating outside our duties."
"Maybe we should return to the village?" Sakura suggested. "Naruto's hurt and he needs to see a doctor and get medicine for the poison."
Naruto looked at Kakashi with widened eyes and a stiff posture. He was anticipating Kakashi's answer, pleading with determined eyes that he wouldn't call off the mission; that he would be fine. Kakashi's gaze shifted upwards, thinking about what they should do next. "Maybe we should head back," he muttered. Naruto grits his teeth. Indignant rage welled up within him; rage at himself-at his incompetence. How could he get the mission and then be the reason for them to fail? He was the only one that got hurt because he did nothing. He can't keep standing by!
"Naruto, what are you-?" Ino began to ask, but before she could finish, Naruto, brandished with a kunai, stabbed himself in his wounded hand. Blood gushed out of the wound, dripping down his hand and onto the ground. "Naruto!" Ino shouted. She rushed to his side to check his hand but he pushed her away.
"No! I'm tired of you always saving me-of you trying to protect me!" He shouted.
"What are you talking about?"
"Growing up, ever since the fire, you've been like a hawk! Watching over me. Acting like I'm so helpless!"
"What are you on about? Are you seriously mad that I watch out for?"
"No! I'm mad that you put yourself in harm's way to protect me!" Naruto pointed to Ino's arm. "That scar will always be a reminder to me of that. So, stop it! I've gotten way stronger!" Naruto grunted as he plunged the kunai deeper into his hand. "I don't need to be protected and I'll never need to be saved ever again!" He declared with a seriousness that Ino, let alone his team, had rarely seen with him. "I'm not going to be afraid or try to run away anymore. I swear it on this pain in my left hand." Naruto's hands started to shake and he began panting from the pain. "I won't run away ever again. I'll protect this old man. We're going on with the mission!" Naruto announced with a grin and gleaming eyes enveloped with a resolve that wouldn't take no for an answer.
Team 7 stood silent as they let the weight of Naruto's vow linger in the air. Kakashi was the first to break the silence. "I'm impressed with your resolve, Naruto, but you made the wound too deep. You'll die from blood loss before the poison gets you."
Naruto's face blanched and he started to develop cold sweats. "What! No way! I'm too young to die like that!" Naruto screeched as he flailed around wildly.
"Hold still, Naruto," Kakashi said calmly as he crouched down to Naruto's level. "Let me take a look." Naruto placed his bloodied hand in Kakashi's. Kakashi took out some gauze and began to wrap Naruto's hand up, but when he got close to the wound, he saw the wound healing extraordinarily fast; the deep gash was transforming into a small cut before his eyes. "It must be because of the Fox." Naruto waited abashedly as Kakashi kept staring at the disappearing wound. "So, Sensei, will I be ok?" Kakashi shifted his focus to Naruto himself and closed his eye and gave a hidden smile underneath his mask. "You'll be just fine," he answered in a bright tone.
"Kakashi," Tazuna interrupted. Everyone looked at him. "I need to come clean about this mission." Kakashi stood up and put one hand in his pocket, "What about it?"
"It's true. I was lying about the full extent of the mission. I'm actually being targeted by a very powerful man."
"By who?"
Tazuna sighed. "The shipping magnate, Gatou."
Kakashi's eye widened with shock. "Gatou?! From the Gatou company? He's one of the richest men in the world. Why is he after you?"
"Gatou's main business is the shipping industry, but he secretly plays a huge part in the drug trade and other illegal substances. He owns gangs and ninjas to control other businesses and smaller countries. About a year ago he set his eyes on the Wave country. Through his wealth and violent means, he took control of our shipping industry and now has a monopoly on all business traffic in the country. That's why he wants to stop the bridge from being complete."
"Then your bridge will damage his monopoly over what goes in and out of the country," Sakura comprehended. "That's why he wants to get rid of you."
"So, those ninjas that just attacked us were hired by Gatou?" Sasuke asked.
Tazuna stayed silent.
"Then why didn't you say anything about being targeted by ninjas in the first place?" Kakashi asked.
"It's like you said before, this is a B-rank mission, but my country can't afford that. Even the feudal lords don't have the money for it." Everyone solemnly looked at Tazuna. "Well...if you quit now, I'll definitely be killed. But don't worry your heads about it!" He laughed, making Team 7 uncomfortably indirectly guilty. "My 10-year-old grandson will just be traumatized and my daughter will be miserable, forever hating the Hidden Leaf for abandoning her father. But it's completely fine if you quit," he continued, adding on to the guilt.
Team 7 collectively slumped at Tazuna's obvious attempt at guilt-tripping them. Kakashi looked at his team, calculating the best course of action for them. "Well, I guess we can at least protect you until you get home."
The gang was fresh off the boat and arrived in the Wave Country. The countryside was scattered with piers, wharves, and docks that supported shantytown-like dwellings. Team 7 walked into a forest on the way to Tazuna's house. Suddenly, Naruto decided to throw a shuriken into a nearby bush, shouting 'there!' Dead silence hung in the air when nothing appeared out of the bush.
"It's fine, everyone. It was just a rat," Naruto said, cooly.
"There was obviously nothing there in the first place, you idiot!" Sakura barked back.
"Please, Naruto, watch where you throw shuriken. It's dangerous," Kakashi said in a pacifying manner.
"You brat! You tryna give me a heart attack or something!" Tazuna shouted at Naruto. Naruto swiveled his head around as if he was looking for something. "But I swear I saw something." Everyone looked at Naruto unimpressed with his newfound hypervigilance. As Naruto turned his head, he heard some rustling within the bushes. "There it is!" He shouted as he threw a kunai. "Knock it off, idiot!" Sakura scolded him as she bashed him in the head with her fist. "But something really was there," he said in a quieter voice. Kakashi went over to uncover what was hiding in the bush. There laid a startled, white snow hare with a kunai a few centimeters above its head. Naruto immediately grabbed the rabbit and began spewing apologies to it as he hugged it tight against his body.
"A snow hare? In the middle of Spring? So why does it still have its winter pelt?" Kakashi thought. "Its pelt turns brown with sunlight...it must be a decoy that's been held inside."
"Hmm...just a bunch of weaklings, huh? They probably couldn't even handle the Demon Brothers. Yet, their leader-it's Kakashi of the Sharingan!" A mysterious man thought as he viewed the group from above in a tree. "I better end this quick." He leaped from the tree, creating a rustle. Kakashi promptly stood alert. "Everyone, take cover!" He ordered. Kakashi quickly ducked as a giant sword-like cleaver swung through the air aiming to cut the group down. Everyone else followed suit as Sakura shoved Naruto down and Sasuke and Ino shoved Tazuna away from the sword. A tree stopped the blade's path causing it to be embedded within the trunk. A shirtless man with a bandaged mouth with arm warmers and leg warmers covering his pants landed on the handle, his back facing the group. Naruto got up and glanced at Sasuke. "There's no way I'm gonna let him outshine me again. Here's my chance." Naruto began to prepare a charge at the mysterious swordsman but Kakashi stopped him. "Don't get involved, Naruto. This guy is way above your level." Naruto gave a confused stare.
"So...Zabuza Momochi from the Land of the Water. You've come to pick a fight?" Kakashi reached for his headband that covered his eye. "It looks like I might have to use it." Zabuza turned his head to look at Kakashi, "there'd be no need, Kakashi of the Sharingan, if you give up the geezer," he answered in a wickedly collected tone. "Sharingan?!" Ino, Naruto, and Sasuke thought as they looked at their sensei. "Assume the Manji formation and protect Tazuna! Stay out of this!" Kakashi commanded, "I'm counting on your teamwork for this." Kakashi slowly lifted his headband to reveal his Sharingan: his ruby red-eye with the pupil surrounded by three black tomoes. "He really has it," Naruto thought to himself. Zabuza fully turned around on the sword to face Kakashi. "To pull out your legendary Sharingan from the start of our battle, you flatter me, Kakashi."
"Hold on. What's this Sharingan that Sensei has?" Sakura asked."A rare ocular power," Sasuke began to explain, "the user of this doujutsu can penetrate the components and reality of any taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu and reflect it back on the attacker. This is its power of Insight. It also has a lot more abilities."
"You're just scratching the surface, kid. Its most infamous power is its acuity to analyze and perfectly copy the opponent's technique with one glance. As an assassin of the Hidden Mist, I had the bingo book and your wrap-up was quite extensive. The most interesting part was your feat of having copied over a thousand jutsus giving you the alias-Kakashi, the Copy Cat ninja."
As Zabuza explained Kakashi's abilities, a cloud of fog began to consume their surroundings.
"A thousand jutsus? Is Kakashi-sensei and the Hokage that incredible?" Sakura thought.
Sasuke gave Kakashi an analytical glare. "The Sharingan is unique to a small amount of the Uchiha clan. Is he…?"
"All right, enough of the chit-chat. I have a job to do and I'm on a tight schedule." Zabuza announced. He menacingly looked at Tazuna prompting Team 7 to get in formation guarding against all cardinal directions. Kakashi stood boldly not moving an inch. He stared right back at Zabuza with fierce intensity in his eyes. "You're in my way Kakashi so I'm going to have to kill you first." Zabuza dislodged his sword and propelled himself to the lake in front of Team 7. Instead of sinking, he was standing on top of the water, performing a hand sign. The act caught Team 7 off guard except for their sensei. Zabuza built up a significant amount of chakra causing ripples in the water where he stood. "Now watch one of the finest of the Ninja Arts: The Hidden Mist Village's jutsu."
Zabuza's figure dissipated into the fog surrounding the area; he completely disappeared. "He's gone!" Sakura shouted.
"Everyone, be on guard!" Kakashi commanded. "He'll come after me first. Zabuza Momochi is part of the Hidden Mist's assassin corps and is most famous for his mastery of the Art of Silent Killing. Even my Sharingan can't catch it all so be on your toes!" The deafening silence in the air only elevated the Genins' signs of nervousness: their breathing, their pounding heartbeats, their anxious sweating became so painfully noticeable. As they anticipated the attack, the fog was steadily growing thicker. "Why is there so much fog?" Naruto asked. "I can barely see my hand in front of me," Ino chimed in.
"There are eight targets." A voice hanging amongst the fog said sinisterly. Everyone perked up in attention to the voice. "Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclavian artery, kidneys, and the heart. So many choices...which will I choose?" The voice chuckled snidely. Kakashi did a hand sign and dispersed a huge, swirling amount of chakra to dissipate the fog around them. The bloodlust, the intent to end human life was strangling the air around the Genins. Ino started to tremble. "This chakra...it's so dark. Is this gonna be the end?" Ino's grip around her kunai tightened, her muscle tense with anticipation. "Sakura...I'm so sorry," Ino mumbled. "I'm sorry for messing with you all those times; I'm sorry for everything," she whimpered with fear, tears brimming in her eyes. "This bloodlust...if I even blink wrong he'll kill me! I feel it!" Sasuke thought, sweat dripping from his face. "I don't know how long I can take it... my life is wrapped around his finger...What the fuck?! I gotta end it!"
"Sasuke! Ino! Get a hold of yourself!" Sasuke snapped out of his spiraling suicidal thoughts, and Ino stood at attention, both turning their gaze to Kakashi. "Calm down. I'll protect you guys with everything I got." Kakashi turned to Team 7 and smiled with his eyes closed, "I will never let my comrades die." Team 7 collectively calmed down from their sensei's affirmation of protection. "Hm, let's see about that." Zabuza suddenly appeared within the team's formation. "It's over." Kakashi quickly leapt into action, Sharingan staring into Zabuza. Before Zabuza could swing his sword, Kakashi knocked everyone away as he stabbed him with a kunai, but instead of blood that leaked it was water. Out of the mist, another Zabuza emerged behind Kakashi. "Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto shouted. Kakashi twisted his neck to see him preparing to swing his sword at him as the Zabuza in front of him transformed into water. Yet again, Team 7 watched in horror as they watched their teacher's body bisected, but this time instead of a log, his body was replaced with water. "What?! A water clone?! He copied me...even in the mist?" Zabuza felt a cold, sharp metal to his neck. "Don't move," Kakashi said coolly, his kunai pressed against Zabuza from behind. "Game over." Team 7 glowed with glee at their teacher having one-upped the hired assassin. Zabuza laughed with a smirk. "You think I'm that easy to defeat? This fight has just begun. It'll take more than just copying a few techniques to get rid of me, but I am impressed with how you copied my jutsu in such a short time. When you said that bullshit of protecting your kids the real you hid in my Hidden Mist Jutsu. But don't get cocky, I'm not that gullible." The Zabuza that Kakashi had at kunai-point transformed into water, and Zabuza stood behind a surprised Kakashi, sword at the ready for another attack.
Kakashi dropped low to avoid his swing, but Zabuza used the momentum of his missed swing to dig his sword into the ground to leverage a powerful kick that knocked Kakashi to the water. "Sensei!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke sternly watched at Zabuza's tremendous act of strength while Ino and Sakura stared anxiously as the fight waged on. Kakashi sprung up from the water. "Why does the water feel...heavy?" Again, Zabuza snuck up behind him, standing on water and holding an unusual hand sign. "Hah! You idiot. Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!" The water from the lake started to form a sphere around Kakashi, engulfing him with no means of escape. "Now just sit tight in my water prison. You running around makes my job so much harder, so, now I can deal with you later...after I've dealt with them." Zabuza formed a half-hand sign and a water clone started to form from the water in front of him. Team 7 stood in abject horror at the clone and their captured sensei. "You little wannabe ninjas. Do you think you're a ninja just because you wear a headband? It doesn't prove anything. A real ninja is made by traveling through the Valley of Death as many times as you're commanded to and living to tell the tale. No one cares about the clothes but the skills you wield. You need skills good enough to be listed in my Bingo Book of enemies before you deserve to be called "ninja." Without any skills like that, you're just…" The clone vanished into the fog again. "Where'd he go?" Naruto thought. Before he could look around, he felt a powerful, blunt pain in his stomach. The clone kicked Naruto away, making his headband fall off and leaving him skidding against the ground. The clone stepped on the headband and menacingly looked at them. "Naruto!" Ino and Sakura shouted with concern. "...brats," Zabuza finished.
"Everyone, you don't have a chance! Take Tazuna and get out of here! He's stuck making this prison so he can't leave! If the water clone is a certain distance away from the main body, it'll lose control!" Kakashi shouted with desperation. Team 7 was overloaded with emotions. Fear, frustration, and slight hopelessness at defeating the assassin. "We gotta get out of here...he's a real ninja; he'll kill us!" Naruto thought as he slowly crawled back away from the clone, trembling. As Naruto flipped himself over to run away, he stumbled as he felt throbbing pain from using his left hand. "I swear it on this pain in my left hand. I won't run away ever again. I'll protect this old man. We're going on with the mission!" Naruto remembered the promise he made; the promise to his team and himself. Memories started to trickle into his consciousness. Memories of fighting to be a ninja; fighting to be seen as a ninja; fighting to make his dream come true. Naruto grits his teeth at the clone and stood up shakily. "That's right...I made a promise." Naruto suddenly made a rush towards the clone. "Stop it, Naruto!" Kakashi warned. Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke looked in disbelief at Naruto's recklessness. The rush was futile as Naruto was sent skidding back to his teammates. "Are you trying to show off?!" Sakura exclaimed, "Genins like us could never-" Sakura stopped her lashing when Naruto slowly pulled himself off the ground, headband in hand. "So...what's life like without eyebrows, Freak?" Naruto puffed out with blood dripping from his mouth. Zabuza furrowed his brows with anger. "You better get your Bingo Book out and remember the name of the guy who is gonna be the next Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village." Naruto stood up straight and tied his headband to his head. "Naruto Uzumaki!" Everyone gazed with awe at Naruto's resolved fighting spirit. "Ino, Sasuke, I got something to tell you." Sasuke and Ino looked at Naruto
"What?" Sasuke asked. "I just came up with a plan." Sasuke smirked, "so now you're all about teamwork?" Ino looked between the two. She closed her eyes and took a breath to solidify her resolve. "It's nothing new to me," Ino chimed in with a determined look on her face. "OK! Then let's do this!"
Zabuza smirked. "I'm sensing a lot of arrogance from you brats. Do you really think you stand a chance?" Kakashi watched in shock at his students preparing themselves to fight. "What are you guys doing?! This was over the moment I got caught! Did you forget that our mission is to protect Tazuna?!" Team 7 looked over to Tazuna. "Well…" He started, "...I put you guys into this situation. So it's partially my fault for your sensei getting caught. I'm sorry, guys; do what you have to do." Zabuza couldn't help himself from chuckling, but his small, sparse chuckles morphed into exaggerated maniacal ones. "You brats really insist on 'playing ninja,' eh? Please, I was already a killer when I was about your age." Team 7 recoiled with shock. "Demon Zabuza…" Kakashi muttered. "Oh? Do you know the story, Kakashi?"
"Long ago, in the Hidden Mist Village, also called the Bloody Mist Village, there was a final obstacle in the ninja graduation exam." Zabuza started to laugh some more. "What? What was the final obstacle?" Naruto asked. "FIght to the death between the students," Zabuza answered with a sickening face of satisfaction. Naruto's eyes widened. "Comrades who trained and ate together were pitted against each other and went at it until one of them lost their life."
"That's terrible," Sakura commented.
"The Hidden Mist had to change the exam ten years ago because of what they called a demon," Kakashi added.
"Why? What did this demon do?"
"Without any hesitation or remorse, a young boy who was not even a ninja killed over a hundred students."
"Yeah..." Zabuza smiled softly, "that was so much fun." He then turned his sights on the Genins. Their bodies tensed as they saw Zabuza rush them, but no one was quick enough to do anything about him driving his elbow into Sasuke, sending him flying. Zabuza then caught up to him while he was in flight and slammed his fist into him, crushing him into the ground. Sasuke spat out blood from the impact. "Sasuke!" Sakura screamed. Naruto held up his Shadow Clone Jutsu sign. "Ino, watch my back!" Dozens of Narutos surrounded Zabuza. "Ah...shadow clones and quite a few to boot," Zabuza said with blithe amusement. Ino started to weave signs. "Ninja Art: Infinite Darkness!" Zabuza's began to blur. "What the…?"
"Go, Naruto!" Ino shouted.
The clones of Naruto rushed at Clone Zabuza, creating a massive dogpile, but it was disrupted by Zabuza swirling himself along with his sword, sending Naruto and his clones in all different directions. Skidding against the ground, Naruto dug into his backpack. This is my only shot! "Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he threw a giant shuriken out of his backpack towards him. Sasuke rolled across the ground to reach it. His eyes widened slightly, then he smirked. Alright, Naruto. I see. Clone Zabuza's eyes focused on Sasuke as he stood wielding a Demon Wind Shuriken. "Like that's gonna work on me, brat." Ino watched Sasuke's grip from afar and noticed something was off. Once she connected the dots, she went by Sakura's side. "Cover me, Sakura." Sasuke leapt into the air and threw the giant shuriken. As Clone Zabuza prepared himself, but the shuriken completely missed him. "So, I was the real target?" The Real Zabuza asked as it flew towards him. "Well, that's not gonna be-" Zabuza's words cut off as his head slumped down. As the shuriken drew closer, he did the unexpected. He withdrew his arm from the water prison and sank into the lake. Once he popped his head above water, he choked out, "don't worry, guys. I got him." The shuriken flew off over the lake, but a second hidden one withdrew from its shadow and transformed into Naruto who fell into the lake. "What...wait?!" He asked. "It's Ino, everyone!" Sakura shouted as she supported Ino's slumped body.
"I liked the plan, Naruto, but it worked too well as a distraction to pass up," Zabuza said with a smile.
"You guys have really impressed me," Kakashi said with a smirk, "you've grown a lot."
"So what should I do, Sensei?" Zabuza asked. Kakashi reached down and pulled Zabuza out of the water and carried him over his shoulder. "Just hang on until we get to land. I have a plan as well." Kakashi walked while Naruto swam back onto land. Kakashi set him back and told everyone to get behind him. "Ino, sit back on that tree. When I finish the hand signs, release the jutsu." Zabuza nodded his head. As Kakashi did hand signs, the water from the lake started to swirl behind him. As Ino steadied herself to get the timing right to release the jutsu, she felt a stabbing pain in her neck, then lost consciousness.
A/N: I'm getting good at these cliffhangers. But for those who really like this story, I do plan to at least finish the Waves arc (I might skip around some stuff because it's fanfic, you know the plot already). I do have a conclusion that diverges from the cannon more and sets up more original content for the Chunin Exams, but no promises for that arc! One step at a time since that arc is way longer and I rereading the manga since I forgot the earlier parts. Also, are these lengths good? I could bust out more if they're less than 10k words a chapter but sometimes if it gets juice I don't care for it to be short so let me know (e.g the Bell Test had the most words so far, so are chapters that length good?). Alright, have a nice day :)