Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based story. I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. Only the Original Characters and any Original Plots are mine.
Chapter 2 : To Wave Country We Go
Hokage's Office, Hidden Leaf Village
"Oh, my sweet, sweet, Tora!" The Feudal Lord's wife squealed as she practically squeezed the life out of a brown cat with a pink bow in her ear. "Mommy missed you so much! I am never letting you out of my sight again!"
Five days had passed since the formation of Team Seven and since then, the four Genin, under the supervision of Kakashi Hatake, had completed many missions. However, there was one thing that the Academy had failed to mention about the missions fresh Genin were assigned.
They were nothing but menial tasks.
While Mamoru was glad for all the pay he had received from the D-Rank 'missions', he wanted a bigger challenge. He didn't spend hours in the training ground just to fix someone's broken fence or pull out their weeds or walk their fucking dogs. It wasn't that he didn't like dogs because he loved them, but he was annoyed and he could tell that the others were as well.
Naruto had been the most vocal about the kind of missions they were assigned and while Sasuke didn't say anything, the clenching of his jaw and the twitching of his eyebrows was enough to convey what he felt about their chores. Sakura was the only one who seemed somewhat content.
Mamoru sighed mentally. 'I suppose all dreams have to start somewhere.'
"Serves you right, you stupid cat! You deserve to be strangled." Naruto growled, his face ridden with scratches courtesy of the devil cat, Tora.
Sitting in the center of the room with two Chunin, including Iruka, was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The aged warrior sat with grace and exuded an aura of wisdom and power. Mamoru had always admired the leader of the village. He had fought through three Great Shinobi Wars. He was hailed throughout the ninja world as the Professor and the God of Shinobi – a title previously held by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju himself. Many children of this generation admired and idolised the aged warrior and Mamoru was not ashamed at all to admit that he was one of those children.
"Alright then," The Third Hokage began to speak and Mamoru was snapped out of his fan-boyish thoughts. The old man's wooden pipe hung from his lips as he sifted through the documents set before him, "we have a couple of requests that need to be attended. Helping a civilian woman with her shopping, babysitting the grandsons of an elderly man, painting the fence of-"
"NO!" Of course it was Naruto who cut him off with a rather loud rebuttal. "I want to go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting! Not this stupid kiddie stuff!"
"HOW DARE YOU, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Iruka roared as he rose to his feet, pointing his finger angrily at the troublesome blond. "You are just a fresh Genin with absolutely no experience whatsoever! Like everyone else, you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself! You're in no position to demand anything from Lord Third!"
"Are you serious!? Babysitting is not a mission!" Naruto fired back, his voice just as loud and ear-aching as Iruka's. Mamoru glared at the cerulean-eyed blond in annoyance whilst rubbing his right ear which unfortunately, had to take the brunt of the noise.
'I should probably invest in some ear-plugs if I'm going to be working with Naruto…and Sakura for that matter. Or maybe there's a jutsu for that.' Mamoru mulled before a gleeful smirk wormed its way onto his face when he saw Naruto be silenced with a fist to the head – courtesy of Kakashi. The blond-haired boy began whimpering as he rubbed his noggin while the Copy Ninja scolded him.
"Naruto, it seems you do not understand the tasks you've been given." Hiruzen stated and Mamoru straightened his form, all his attention focused on the Third Hokage. "You see, everyday our village receives many requests for everything from babysitting to assassination. We take all those requests and sort them into categories from A to D, based on the degree of difficulty. We have also divided the shinobi into classes based on their level of skills. After we of the upper echelon have sorted all the requests, we distribute them amongst the ninja of the village. And if the ninja in question completes those duties successfully, then they are paid a fee. Thus far, the four of you have only just achieved the rank of Genin and D-Rank tasks are the missions you begin with. After you have completed the necessary amount, you may be assigned a C-Rank but for now…"
His words were filled with wisdom and logic. Unfortunately, the one whom they were directed at wasn't paying any attention.
"Hmm... I had pork ramen for lunch yesterday, so I think I'll have miso ramen today." Naruto informed his teammates with a satisfying nod and the vein on Hiruzen's forehead began throbbing once he realized the blond boy hadn't heard a word he said.
"LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!" The Third Hokage snapped at Naruto who returned his glare with one of his own.
"I don't want to hear it! All you do is lecture me like I'm some little brat but I'm a full-fledged shinobi now and I want an actual ninja mission! There's more to me than the troublemaking screw-up who always pulled pranks, Gramps!" With his piece said, Naruto then gave a harrumph and began pouting childishly.
Silence. While the Third Hokage mulled over whether or not he should grant Naruto his wish, Mamoru turned to address the blond boy.
"Hey blondie…" Naruto blinked and looked over to Mamoru who was eyeing him weirdly. "…why do you call Lord Third gramps? That's disrespectful to his status in the village, you know."
Naruto just shrugged in response. "It's just what I've always called him. Ever since I was a little kid I've been calling him Gramps whenever he came to visit me and he never corrected me on it so I guess he liked it or something."
Mamoru blinked in surprise while even Sasuke and Sakura began looking at Naruto in confusion. He had thought that Naruto was being his usual disrespectful self when speaking to the leader of the village but this gave him something else to think about. Why did the Hokage spend that much time with Naruto when he was little? Sure he was an orphan and everything, but so were Mamoru and Sasuke yet the two of them never addressed him in such a carefree manner when he came by to check up on them. For Naruto to be comfortable calling the Hokage gramps… that was a whole different level of familiarity.
Mamoru decided to think over it later when Hiruzen suddenly cleared his throat and the black-haired youth's attention was drawn to the aged Hokage. "Very well then, Team Seven. You will be assigned a C-Rank mission which will require you to act as bodyguards for a certain individual."
Mamoru blanched at the Third Hokage's words. He was actually going to give them a C-rank mission? Not that he was complaining or anything, he was just surprised. He didn't think the aged Hokage would actually accept Naruto's less-than-respectful request.
Naruto was the first to speak, his features instantly lighting up while he jumped to his feet. "Who, who is it? Is it a princess? A noble? The Feudal Lord?"
Hiruzen chuckled silently. "Hold your horses, Naruto. I will bring him in now." He then turned his elderly eyes on to his secretary. "Please send in our visitor."
The secretary nodded before opening the door and giving way for…an old man with glasses, carrying what seemed to be a heavy backpack and who was clearly drunk.
'I wasn't expecting someone really important but still…an old drunk?' Mamoru thought with a less-than-ecstatic look on his face.
"What the...a bunch of snot-nosed brats?" The old man barked, his voice slurred. After taking a big gulp from his bottle of sake, he scrunched his nose at the sight of the four Genin. "And you, the midget with the idiotic look on his face. Do you really expect me to believe that you're a ninja?"
Naruto started laughing. "Who's the midget with the idiotic look on his face?" Then he looked at his teammates. Mamoru and Sasuke were roughly the same height while Sakura was slightly shorter than the two of them. The three of them all had one thing in common though – they were all taller than Naruto. Also, Sakura was a girl. "I'll demolish you! Let me get him! Come here!"
"You don't attack the client, Naruto." Kakashi grabbed the blond boy by the scruff of his jumpsuit's collar before he could pounce on the old drunk. "It doesn't work that way."
"My name is Tazuna, a master bridge-builder." The man said after taking another swig from his bottle of sake. "I must return to my country, the Land of Waves. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your lives."
And thus, the end of the old drunk's speech marked the beginning of Team Seven's first C-Rank mission.
Main Gates, Hidden Leaf Village
It took less than ten minutes for Mamoru to pack all the essentials he would need for a mission that would take place outside of the village. A small box filled with rice-balls, two bottles of water, his small black Bingo Book and an extra set of kunai and shuriken all were placed neatly into his backpack. Also, in case the mission stretched for longer than two or three days – which was the supposed regular time-span of a C-Rank, at least according to his sensei – he added in a small scroll on Earth Ninjutsu which he would be able read and practice in any free time he may get.
Once everything was set and ready, he headed out of his apartment and made his way over to the designated meeting point at the gates of the Leaf Village. When he arrived, he saw that he was the first of his teammates to arrive. The only ones there at the moment were Tazuna and, much to Mamoru's surprise, Kakashi. The silver-haired Jounin was reading a little orange book and upon noticing Mamoru, he sent the black-haired youth an eye-smile and a little wave.
"Yo, Mamoru." He greeted, his voice a strange combination of both laziness and alertness. "The others aren't here yet. Why don't you come here and wait with us."
"Sure…" Mamoru muttered, his grey eyes narrowed at the Copy Ninja who raised an eyebrow in question.
"Is there a problem?"
Mamoru shook his head quickly. "No, just surprised that you're actually here on time."
Kakashi chuckled. "I would never be late for a mission like this, Mamoru. It's unprofessional."
'So is reading smut in public but that's never stopped you.' Mamoru thought mentally while sending the silver-haired Jounin a deadpan look. He walked up to where his sensei and Tazuna stood and joined them in silence. It was only after a minute or two that he noticed that Kakashi was studying him carefully, as if he was some ancient relic of a forgotten time. He also noticed how his lone eye traveled down to Shusui and widened by a small fraction.
"W-what is it?" Mamoru asked, unnerved by the intensity of his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"…No reason. You just remind me of someone, that's all." The Copy Ninja hummed thoughtfully before turning away and focusing his attention all on his little orange book. Suspicion filled Mamoru's eyes but nevertheless, he reluctantly accepted his answer and turned away. Thirty minutes later, the rest of the team arrived and the group of six prepared to leave the village.
"Alright!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fists in the air as soon as Team Seven stepped out of the village threshold.
"Why are you so excited, Naruto?" Sakura questioned the blond boy.
"Because this is the first time I'm out of the village! I'm a traveler now, believe it!"
Tazuna snorted at Naruto and then turned to look at Kakashi with half lidded eyes. "Am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!"
"Don't worry, Tazuna. He's with me and I'm a Jounin." Kakashi replied glancing at him with a single lazy eye.
The words runt and joke echoed inside of Naruto's head and the hyperactive boy turned around to face the geezer of a client his team had to protect. "Hey, never insult a ninja because it's a big mistake! I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Someday I'm gonna become Hokage and you'll have no choice but to look up to me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, remember it!"
'I don't think that's quite accurate.' Mamoru thought. Confidence was good, but too much confidence could easily turn into arrogance. Naruto had the potential to become a great ninja, but right now he simply wasn't. With some time, serious training and hopefully a change of clothes, the blond boy could start calling himself an actual ninja.
"The Hokage is someone who is powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage is the day I'll grow a pair of wings and fly." Tazuna said dismissingly after taking another gulp from his bottle of sake.
"Shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit that I'm the top ninja of the village, including you!"
Tazuna sneered at the Naruto. "You can become Hokage ten times over for all I care. To me, you'll always be a nobody, a loser."
"Watch it you drunk." Mamoru suddenly snapped and the old man's eyes darted over to him. "Your life is in our hands. I don't think angering any of us is in your best interest. I doubt one failed C-rank mission will affect the Leaf in any way."
Tazuna paled while Kakashi sent Mamoru a lazy but chastising look. Naruto on the other hand, was beaming at Mamoru for coming to his defense. Mamoru just sent him a nod before Team Seven began their journey to their new adventure.
An hour later
Sakura looked at her team's client. "Mister Tazuna?"
"What is it?" The drunkard asked, his voice slurred.
"Your home is the Land of Waves, right?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
The pinkette then turned to look at the Copy Ninja. "Kakashi-Sensei, there are ninja in the Land of Waves, right?"
"Actually, no." Kakashi answered. "But there are other hidden villages in other countries with their own different cultures. To the people of this continent, the existence of shinobi villages means military strength. In other words, that's how they protect themselves and maintain the balance of power with neighboring countries. The ninja villages are not controlled by any government; they're independent and have equal status. Now, a small island like the Land of Waves gets natural protection from the sea, so there is no need for a ninja village. The five ancient lands that possess shinobi villages are the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth. They each occupy vast territories. Together, they are known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Land of Fire has the Hidden Leaf Village, the Land of Water has the Hidden Mist Village, the Land of Lightning as the Hidden Cloud Village, the Land of Wind has the Hidden Sand Village and the Land of Earth has the Hidden Stone Village. Only the leaders of these hidden villages are permitted the name Kage, which means shadow. Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage and Tsuchikage. These are the leaders, the five shadows that reign over thousands of ninja."
"Oh, so Lord Third must be very important!" Sakura exclaimed in delight. Unfortunately, the slight twitch on her face gave her true thoughts away. Naruto as well seemed unconvinced with Kakashi's words, which he noticed.
A killing intent that seemed to pour out of their sensei stopped the pinkette and the blond boy right in their tracks. "You two just doubted Lord Third, didn't you?" The Copy Ninja stated. Sakura and Naruto rapidly shook their heads, too scared to say anything and Kakashi crinkled his lone eye into an eye- smile. "That's good to know. Anyways, you shouldn't worry that much. We shouldn't encounter any foreign ninja to battle in a C-Rank. So, you can relax."
Mamoru noticed that Tazuna looked a little uncomfortable at the mention of foreign ninja. He had an awkward, one might say even guilty expression on his face. The black-haired youth narrowed his eyes at the man. He was hiding something that was for certain, but Mamoru was curious as to what exactly that something was.
After a while, Team Seven crossed a small wooden bridge. On one side of the path, Mamoru noticed a small puddle. It was sort of strange when taking into consideration that there had been no rain since last week. What was that puddle doing there? In the end, he shrugged his suspicions off and continued to stay focused on his mission.
Suddenly, the black-haired youth heard the sound of metal piercing its way to them. He took a look back and, before he knew it, two barbed chains had wound themselves tightly around Kakashi's body. In an instant, two shinobi wearing black coats and claw-like gauntlets appeared right next to them. The last thing he saw of his sensei before he was shredded to pieces was the shocked expression on his face.
"Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto yelled but before he could do a thing, the two enemy shinobi had moved behind him, chuckling evilly at the Genin's fear.
"Now it's your turn." One of them said.
Mamoru and Sasuke were the first of the group to react. While Sasuke threw a single shuriken to pin the chains of the two enemy shinobi to a tree, Mamoru grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his jumpsuit and moved him out of harm's way. Sasuke, who had landed on the arms of the assassins, quickly kicked them both in the head and then jumped back as they broke free.
Mamoru figured that they'd come after him and Sasuke but instead they rushed at Sakura, or rather Tazuna who was standing behind her. The black-haired youth cursed and prepared to cast a jutsu to ward them off but before he could, Kakashi suddenly reappeared – completely unharmed – and slammed his arms against the necks of the enemy shinobi, instantly knocking them out.
The silver-haired Jounin turned to look at them with his unmistakable bored eye expression. "Hello there."
"Kakashi-Sensei, you're alive!" Sakura gasped in shock.
Naruto gawked at the Copy Ninja. "But... Kakashi-Sensei was..." He trailed off and looked back at the spot where their squad leader had presumably died. There was no flesh or blood, but a pile of logs instead.
"Substitution..." Mamoru muttered as he also spotted the pile of logs.
"Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I simply didn't think you would freeze up like that." Kakashi told the blond boy before turning to the other two boys of the team. "Sasuke and Mamoru, well done to the both of you. Very smooth and good reaction."
Naruto clenched his fists in distress. The fact that Mamoru had to save him filled every cell of his being with embarrassment and jealousy. He was the future Hokage not some terrified little kid who needed saving from others.
Sasuke turned around and smirked at the blond boy. "Hey, you're not hurt are you? Scaredy-cat."
Naruto growled at him. "Sasuke-!"
"Naruto!" Kakashi interrupted the blond boy's rant before it could begin. "We need to take care of the wound on your hand quickly. You have been infected with some sort of poison from the gauntlet claws. It's in your blood so don't move around, or else you'll make the poison to spread."
Because of the heat of the moment, Naruto hadn't realized that he had a big cut on his hand. Now that he looked at it, his features paled and he gulped.
"By the way, Tazuna."
"Y-Yeah?" Tazuna asked somewhat startled.
The Copy Ninja of the Leaf turned his head and stared at the bridge-builder with a steely look in his visible eye. "After I take care of these two, you and I need to talk."
Ten minutes later
"These two are Meizu and Gozu, Chunin who hail from the Hidden Mist Village also known as the Demon Brothers. Their specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice." Kakashi stated as he stared down at the Hidden Mist shinobi who were tied up against a tree.
"How did you know about our attack?" Meizu demanded with a glare.
"A puddle on a clear day when it hasn't rained in weeks? I found that to be rather odd." Kakashi hummed and Mamoru's eyes widened by a small fraction. He knew there had been something wrong with that puddle but he never could have imagined enemy shinobi were hiding in it.
"In that case, why did you leave the Genin to do the fighting alone?" Tazuna asked with narrowed eyes.
"I could've taken them out quickly if I had wanted to, but in that case I would've learned nothing. I had to know who their target was and what they were after." Kakashi responded as he narrowed his visible eye, giving the bridge-builder a look that made the drunken man gulp.
"What are you getting at?" Tazuna asked with false courage.
Kakashi stood up and glared at Tazuna. "This. I wanted to know what they were after. Were they after us, the ninjas? Or were they after you, the man that we were protecting. When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection in case you encountered robbers and thieves. But you never said that there were shinobi after you. That alone makes this mission a B-Rank, maybe even an A-Rank. Our task was simply to get you to your destination safely and protect you while you finish your bridge. If we knew that we would encounter enemy shinobi, we would've labeled this mission as a B-Rank and charged you the proper amount for one. I'm sure you have your reasons, but lying to us is not acceptable. As of now, we are officially beyond the scope of this mission."
As the Copy Ninja spoke, Tazuna lowered his head in shame.
"We are Genin, this is too advanced for our level of training. We should go back. And besides, we really need to check Naruto's hand and get the poison out as soon as possible. We can take him to a doctor back at the village." Sakura said, trying to reason with her team. She knew that Kakashi, Sasuke and Mamoru were up to the test, but not her.
"Naruto's hand could become a problem later." Kakashi acknowledged her point with a nod. "I guess we should go back to the village."
Before anyone could say anything further, Naruto pulled out a kunai and stabbed himself where his wound was. Blood started to pour out at a rapid rate but he didn't seem to care.
"I worked so hard to get here, pushing myself until I got hurt, training alone for hours, anything to get stronger and to reach my dream. I will never back down again and I will never let anyone else rescue me again. I will never run away and I will not lose to Sasuke or Mamoru. Upon this wound I make this pledge, believe it. Bridge builder, I'll complete this mission and protect you with this kunai. A real ninja never gives up and neither will I. Don't you guys worry about me, I'll be fine. Now let's go!" The blond-haired boy's words were filled with a fiery passion and his eyes were filled with determination.
...
"Naruto, that was really cool how you got the poison out and all, but you're going to die if you lose any more blood." Kakashi commented casually.
Naruto blinked.
...
"WHAAAAAAT!? No, no, no, no! I can't die yet, I'm too young! No, no, nooooo!" Naruto started to freak out, jumping from one place to another.
"Then why did you do something so stupid!? Stop acting like an idiotic kid, Naruto!" Sakura yelled angrily.
"Idiot." Sasuke grunted in annoyance.
Mamoru rolled his eyes and stepped forwards. Everyone in the Academy had been taught basic first aid so Mamoru could somewhat help stop the bleeding. "Show me your hand, blondie."
Still in a state of panic, Naruto thrust his hand out for Mamoru to take. The black-haired youth gently took it, examining the wound. His grey eyes widened in shock when he saw the wound steam and then close on its own.
'What the...?'
Naruto was trembling like a leaf in the wind. "Mamoru, you ha-a-a-ave a-a really s-s-serious look o-on your f-f-face. Am I g-going to be-e ok?"
"Uh, yeah." Mamoru quickly said. The black-haired youth pulled out a roll of medicinal bandages from his shuriken pouch and gently wrapped it around Naruto's hand. "You'll be fine. But here, take this just in case."
Mamoru also pulled out a small bottle of pills and gave one to the blond boy who blinked as he took it from him. "Huh? What is this?"
"Eat it. It's a blood pill. It helps you regain a portion of your blood when you get wounded." Mamoru explained.
Smiling thankfully, Naruto placed the blood pill in his mouth and chewed it. Almost instantly, he gagged. "Aagh! It tastes awful!"
Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "Well, what were you expecting, blondie? Did you think it would be ramen flavored?"
Naruto nodded vigorously and Mamoru sighed before his mind wandered over to how quickly Naruto's wound had healed. He was still in a slight state of shock, if he were being honest. Perhaps, Naruto had some special healing ability. It wasn't too far-fetched a thought.
While he pondered this, Kakashi was watching him with a serious look in his visible eye.
An hour later
Team Seven found themselves on a small boat entering the Land of Waves. The place was misty, dark and quiet. The only thing that seemed to cause noise was the soft sound of the waves lapping against the hull of the boat. The difference between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves was clear for anyone to see. As Mamoru looked down at the waves, his mind wandered over to their no longer C-Rank mission.
Mamoru had to admit, he was excited for it. He wasn't a fool; he knew he was a strong Genin but was also aware of his limitations. Nevertheless, to break one's limitations, one had to be met with challenges. He knew that partaking in a mission that might be a B or even an A-Ranked one would be just the thing to help him get stronger. The sudden turn of events had turned the apparently dull and simple C-Rank into something more...interesting.
"I think it's time we talk about the mission." Kakashi suddenly spoke up, drawing all eyes to him. "Tazuna, is there anything you might want to tell us?"
Tazuna let out a tired sigh. "I believe there's no point in hiding anything from you guys any longer. I'm not going to mess around. There's a terrible man after me."
"A terrible man?"
"Yes. You should at least have heard of the name: Gato."
Kakashi's visible eye widened in clear surprise. "You mean Gato, the billionaire from the Gato Company? He's one of the wealthiest individuals in the world."
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Gato? Who the heck is he?"
"Gato is the president of a marine transportation company on the outside, but underground he uses gangs and ninjas to smuggle drugs and contraband goods. He also does nasty jobs such as takeovers of other companies and countries. A year ago, he set his sight on the Land of Waves. He entered this country using violence and wealth as his shield, and he quickly took over the island's sea traffic and transportation. On our island, controlling the sea is equal to ruling over the wealth, politics and people of this island. And the one thing that Gato is afraid of is the completion of the bridge that has been under construction for some time now. The bridge that I am building."
"I see." Sakura said as she let the information sink in. "That means that you, as the master bridge-builder, became an obstacle to him."
"Then those assassins were sent by Gato." Sasuke concluded.
Mamoru was confused about something and voiced his thoughts. "Why did you keep this from us? Don't you think this information would've been vital for the mission?"
"Land of Waves is a really poor country. Even the feudal lord doesn't have much money, and we certainly don't have much. We don't have enough money to request an expensive B-Rank or above mission. If you choose to quit the mission after we land, I'll be killed for sure on my way home." Tazuna said casually. Then his tone changed to one much more innocent. "But there's no need to blame yourselves. Only my cute, eight year-old grandson will cry and cry and cry some more. Also, my daughter will bear a grudge against Leaf ninja for the rest of her life. But then again, it won't be your fault. At all."
'Emotional manipulation, huh?'
In the end, Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess we don't have much of a choice. The mission goes on."
Two hours later
The Land of Waves
"This is as far as I can go." The boatman said as they landed on a dock located in a small fishing village. Team Seven and Tazuna climbed out of the boat and Mamoru understood within seconds what Tazuna said to them earlier about the Land of Waves being poor. The village was dirty and full of garbage, and the houses, if one could call them houses, looked way too fragile. They seemed like they could barely sustain their own weight. Mamoru was willing to bet that a properly done C-Rank Earth Ninjutsu would probably destroy around half of the village houses. Not even the shadiest parts of the Leaf were this miserable.
"I understand. Thank you for taking such a risk." Tazuna replied. Even transporting people to the land in Gato's presence was dangerous nowadays.
The boatman nodded. "Just be careful." And with those words, he turned on the engine of his boat and drove away.
Tazuna watched him go and then turned to the Leaf shinobi. "My home is this way. Please follow me."
To Team Seven's relief, the mist that had once adorned the atmosphere was gone and the sun was now shining. They left the fishing village in a matter of minutes and now they had reached the forest that led to Tazuna's house. Mamoru couldn't help but be on constant alert. The earlier attack they endured against the Demon Brothers made him realize just how focused he should really be if he wanted to survive this mission. Sure, they had Kakashi with them but if he continued to rely on him too much, he would never grow into a proper shinobi. After all, he wouldn't always have his teammates or his sensei to back him. Teamwork was fundamental, but so were a ninja's own skills and techniques.
Meanwhile, Naruto was glaring at Sasuke and walking faster than the rest, making sure that he was 'leading' the group. 'I am not gonna let either Sasuke or Mamoru take the glory this time. Believe it!' Naruto started to look around for any strange signs. When something caught his sight, he grabbed a kunai from his pouch and threw it into a bush nearby. "Over there!"
Nothing happened.
Naruto clicked his teeth. "It was just a mouse."
"Just a mouse? Yeah right! Stop trying to act cool, idiot! You're so obvious it's embarrassing!" Sakura shouted, clearly annoyed.
"Naruto, that's a kunai. It's a dangerous weapon." Kakashi scolded the whiskered blonde boy.
Tazuna was more than furious. "STOP TRYING TO SCARE ME YOU DAMN TWERP!"
"Hey, is somebody hiding over there? No! I think he's over there!" Naruto ranted, looking everywhere. He couldn't help it. He simply had to prove to his team that he was a ninja worthy of becoming Hokage. Not to mention that the memory of freezing out of fear when the Demon Brothers attacked still haunted him. "Or maybe... over there!"
Another kunai was thrown by the whiskered blonde boy, earning him a smack on the head, courtesy of Sakura. While Naruto rubbed his head and whined, Kakashi went to inspect what he had thrown the kunai at. Close to the tree, a snow-white rabbit lay, almost shocked to death. The kunai was embedded deeply into a tree, just inches away from the abused animal.
"All that fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna questioned no one in particular.
No one noticed how Kakashi was frowning. 'That's a snow rabbit.' He thought. 'They only have that fur during winter, when the days are short and there is little sunlight. This rabbit was raised far away from here and I can only think of one reason why: a replacement jutsu. That means they're already here.'
Then the Copy Ninja's eyes widened when heard the telltale whistle of a blade cutting through the air.
"To the ground!" Kakashi bellowed.
Luckily, the Genin reacted quickly with Mamoru pulling Tazuna to the ground as a huge weapon passed by. Had Mamoru not done what he did, the master bridge-builder would've lost his head.
The huge weapon turned out to be a sword bigger than any Mamoru had ever seen. The sword imbedded itself to a tree, and a man was standing on its handle. The man wore grey baggy pants along with arm sleeves with a camouflage pattern and shinobi sandals. His headband was tied on the left side of his forehead while his face was covered in bandages, similar to Kakashi. His spiky, dark hair meshed well with the grayish color of his skin. The man stared at them but said nothing.
Mamoru paled the longer he stared at the man who had ambushed them. The night before, he had stayed up late reading the Bingo Book and he remembered seeing this man's face…the sword he wielded only confirmed his suspicions. His head snapped to the right when he saw Naruto about to charge at the dangerous man with an eager look on his face. He quickly lashed out and grabbed him by the scruff of her jumpsuit before he could do anything stupid.
"Hey, Mamoru, what gives?!" The whiskered blonde boy exclaimed incredulously.
The black-haired youth kept his grey eyes trained on the man. "This guy is Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist. He is way out of our league. Had you charged him, you would have died."
"Oh?" Zabuza tilted his head as he regarded Mamoru with interest. The black-haired youth had to repress a shiver as he stared into the swordman's predatory eyes. "It seems my reputation has reached the ears of children."
"Well, I don't care who he is!" Naruto yelled as he struggled to break free of Mamoru's grip. "I'll kick his ass all the same!"
"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, instantly silencing the whiskered blonde boy. "Mamoru's right. This one isn't like the others. That's why I will be engaging him myself. The rest of you protect Tazuna. His safety is paramount."
The Demon of the Mist turned his attention to the silver-haired Jounin and let out a hum. "Kakashi Hatake, the Sharingan Warrior. The prized pupil of the late Fourth Hokage. I must say, it's an honor."
As Mamoru kept his eyes trained on his sensei's back, Kakashi said nothing in response to Zabuza and instead reached for the left side of his headband that covered his eye, slowly lifting it to reveal a strange red eye with a black pupil and three tomoe surrounding it. The black-haired youth let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. So that was the Sharingan, one of the Three Great Dojutsu. According to the Bingo Book, the silver-haired Jounin had copied over a thousand jutsu with that left eye.
"Looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action. I feel quite lucky." Zabuza said as he glanced at the red eye. Mamoru could practically see the predatory smirk that was hidden beneath the man's bandages. "Let's see how fun you can make things."
"Everyone's talking about Sharingan this and Sharingan that, but can someone please tell what exactly is the Sharingan?" Naruto yelled in annoyance. Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who answered.
"The Sharingan is a rare power that resides in the eyes. The user of this Dojutsu will be able to instantly see and comprehend any type of Taijutsu, Genjutsu or Ninjutsu, as well as reflect the attack back on the attacker. However, there is more to the Sharingan than that, a lot more."
"You got it right, boy, but that's only the beginning. The Sharingan can copy your enemy's moves to the smallest detail." Zabuza stated before he formed a hand seal and mist started to pour in out of nowhere. "As for you, Jounin, I've had my eyes on you for quite a while. I recently picked a Bingo Book to see if you were still out there, and I was right. Just so you brats know, the man you call sensei is known is quite the legend in the shinobi world. An S-Rank ninja."
"Wow, that's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed in awe.
"Enough talk. I need that old man dead." Zabuza voiced coldly. The Genin quickly surrounded Tazuna in a four-man formation as the rogue swordsman jumped down from the tree and onto the water, his feet remaining steady on the surface of the lake. "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
The mist around them expanded and thickened itself to the point where Mamoru could no longer see anything further than three meters away. The black-haired youth clenched his teeth and held Shusui's grip tightly while trying to keep his breathing in check.
"Ma-Mamoru..." Sakura called out fearfully and the black-haired youth glanced in her direction. "W-who is this guy?"
Mamoru searched for the information about the rogue swordsman in his mind before answering his teammate's question. "From what I read in my Bingo Book, he was formerly one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, in possession of the Executioner's Blade. He was also the ex-leader of the Hidden Mist's Assasination Unit. The book says that he is a master of the 'silent killing' technique, but I don't know what that means."
"It's exactly as the name suggests." Kakashi spoke up from in front of them. "It happens in an instant, without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast you die without noticing. Not even the Sharingan can fully neutralize it, so don't lower your guard."
…
"The mist is getting thicker." Mamoru noted as he looked around at his surroundings, trying to distract himself from his growing anxiety.
"The Land of Waves is surrounded by the ocean." Tazuna explained. "Here, the mist is as normal as the clouds in the sky."
Much to Team Seven's displeasure, the mist became so thick they could barely see anything. Kakashi was now invisible to them, which made the Genin move closer to each other. Mamoru was now sweating. This...this was the kind of thing you couldn't learn from books or by listening to the lectures during the classes in the Ninja Academy. This was the kind of thing only the real world could ever show you, and as he was learning, the real world was the harshest sensei a ninja could ever learn from.
"Eight points..." A hidden voice whispered loud enough for the Genin and Tazuna to hear. "Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone, kidneys and heart. Now, which one shall I hit first?"
Even the normally cool and calm Sasuke was unable to keep his hands from shaking. Mamoru couldn't blame him. The bloodlust was almost unbearable. His eyes widened, however, when he saw his raven-haired teammate pull the tip of his kunai closer and closer to himself. He quickly reached out and grabbed Sasuke's hand, keeping him from doing something stupid. The Uchiha looked up at him in surprise, appearing almost as if he hadn't been aware of his own actions.
"Sasuke, calm down. I will protect you with my life, all of you." Kakashi declared, then turned around and gave them an eye-smile. "I won't allow my comrades to die. That is absolute."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Mamoru's eyes went wide. That was Zabuza's voice. And it was coming from behind them. "It's over."
In less than a second, Kakashi spun around, fixed his Sharingan on Zabuza and buried a kunai into the man's stomach. The Genin took a couple of steps back, visibly startled by the speed of their sensei's reaction. Blood started to pour out of Zabuza's wound, or so Mamoru thought at first. Taking a good look, he realized that it wasn't blood that was pouring out of the rogue swordsman, but water. It was a water clone. A figure appeared behind Kakashi.
"Sensei, behind you!" Naruto yelled. Kakashi looked back just in time to see the real Zabuza slicing him in two. But just like Zabuza's clone, Kakashi's' body was also made out of water. Then, the skin of Zabuza's neck was greeted by the cold and unforgiving metal of a kunai.
"Don't move. Now it's over. You're finished."
…
Naruto was the first to react. "Wow! Kakashi-Sensei, that was so cool!"
The Demon of the Mist chuckled. "Finished? You really don't get it, do you? Your technique is nothing but a simple imitation. I'll never be defeated by a copy-cat like you. You are full of surprises, I'll give you that. You were able to copy my jutsu in the middle of your speech. Very skillfully executed. You made your clone say those words to draw my attention while you were in the mist waiting for me to make my move. Nice try, but I'm not that easy to fool."
The moment he finished the last word he appeared behind Kakashi and swung his sword to slice the masked Jounin in half but the latter ducked fast enough to dodge the attack. The rogue swordsman turned and kicked Kakashi in the chest and sent him flying in the air. Kakashi landed in the lake and he had barely got his head and shoulders out of the water when the Demon of the Mist appeared behind him and performed a series of hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!" Zabuza shouted. The masked Jounin's body was immediately surrounded by a spinning water sphere with Zabuza's hand plunged into it in order to keep the technique going by supplying a constant and controlled flow of chakra.
"This prison is made of water stronger than steel It's hard to fight when you can't move, wouldn't you agree?" Zabuza taunted. "So much for the famous Sharingan Warrior. I'll finish you off once those brats are out of the way. Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu." An exact clone of the rogue swordsman rose from the water, gripping the Executioner's Blade tightly. "You think you can call yourselves shinobi just by wearing those headbands? Pathetic. The only ones who might be able to call themselves shinobi are the ones that have seen the face of death so many times it doesn't even faze them. When you become so deadly that your profiles appear in my Bingo Book, then I might consider you a true ninja, not a minute earlier. The fact that you call yourselves ninja is nothing but a joke to me."
Once he finished his speech, the clone disappeared into the mist and then he reappeared right in front of Naruto and kicked him in the gut. The whiskered blond boy was sent flying a couple of meters back before he crashed to the ground. Zabuza grinned menacingly at him beneath his mask and stomped on his headband.
"Listen to me! Get the bridge-builder and run! You can't win this fight!" Kakashi yelled to his team. "He's using all of his power to keep me in his water prison, so he can only fight you with his clone. But his clone can't go much farther away from his real body. If you get away now, his clone won't be able to follow you. Now run!"
Mamoru shook his head. No, running away wasn't an option anymore. It was removed as a choice the moment their sensei had gotten caught in Zabuza's trap. No matter how fast or far they went, the Demon of the Mist would track them down and wipe them out. If they tried the four man formation again, he'd just get past it again. In the end, their only chance of survival was to rescue Kakashi.
"Sasuke!" The black-haired youth barked and exchanged looks with his raven haired teammate. They both nodded before Mamoru pulled out Shusui and charged at Zabuza's clone with Sasuke close behind him. Once he was within range, Mamoru began swinging his black blade with all his strength but Zabuza evaded each and every one of his strikes.
"That sword…" The Demon of the Mist murmured in recognition before he swung the Executioner's Blade in front of him to block the flurry of shuriken Sasuke had sent flying at him. Mamoru took his chance and crouched low before swinging at the water clone's exposed midriff. Just as Shusui's sharp edge was about to make contact, the rogue swordsman twisted his body and evaded the strike before lashing out with a kick at the grey eyed Genin's chest and sending him flying back several feet. Sasuke lunged forward and tried to stab him with a kunai but Zabuza snorted at him and grabbed him by the throat, throwing him back as well.
Mamoru groaned as he pushed himself to his feet as Zabuza's clone stalked in his direction, a predatory glint in his eyes. "You, boy! Who are you?"
The black-haired youth blinked in confusion at his words before a snarl twisted his features. "Go to hell!"
Zabuza hummed, eyeing Mamoru with a newfound interest. "I once knew a man who wielded the exact same blade you do. A formidable swordsman and a powerful shinobi by the name of Tadashi Yukimura. I faced him during the Third Great Ninja War and never before had I ever been so…outclassed." The Demon of the Mist halted in his step and pulled down his shirt slightly, exposing the beginning of a jagged and ugly scar. "He gave me this wound with that very sword you are holding right now and left me to die a slow and painful death. And now you wield it. So I ask you again: who are you?"
The black-haired youth gripped Shusui tightly and steadied the blade in front of him. "My name is Mamoru Yukimura! Remember it, you fuck!"
The rogue swordsman's eyes widened by a small margin before they went wild. "I see…so you're Tadashi's brat, eh? How interesting…yet you don't appear to have his skill with the sword. That's disappointing."
Mamoru exhaled slowly as he prepared to charge at the clone again but someone else beat him to the chase. With a roar, Naruto rushed at Zabuza with his fist cocked backwards. However, the moment he came within striking distance, he was sent flying back with a punch and he landed near Sasuke.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Sakura shrieked in fear and anger. "Even Sasuke and Mamoru couldn't get him! We're only Genin! We can't defeat a Jounin! You could've gotten yourself killed!"
Naruto said nothing but instead, slowly, but steadily, got back to his feet, gripping his headband tightly in his right hand. "Hey, you...eyebrow-less freak! Put this in your Bingo Book. The ninja that will become Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village is standing right in front of you. He never backs down, and his name...is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Everyone went quiet after the statement and Mamoru couldn't help but smile at Naruto's words. He may not be the best ninja in the world as he liked to claim, but he was likely the most stubborn. Shaking his head, he slipped Shusui back into its sheath before dashed over next to Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke.
"Hey blondie, Sasuke, Sakura, I have a plan."
The whiskered blonde boy grinned enthusiastically. "About time if you ask me. I'm ready. Let's take this guy down!"
Zabuza laughed harshly. "I don't care what kind of plan you have in mind. I'll rip you apart all the same."
"What do you think you're doing!? I told you to run! This fight was over the moment I got caught, so take off!" Kakashi's frightened voice came out. "Your mission is not to prove how brave you are, it's to save the bridge-builder! Stay on task!"
Naruto looked back at Tazuna. "Bridge-builder?"
"Well, I guess this all happened because of me, because of my desire to live. But I won't let that stand in your way now. Forget about me and do what you have to do. Go ahead and fight to save your sensei." Tazuna responded with a wide grin and a thumbs up.
Mamoru smirked. "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. That was the first thing you've taught us, Kakashi-Sensei. If you want to bitch at us later, you're free to do so. But first, we are getting you out of there."
Zabuza started to laugh once more. "You really don't get it, do you? Still playing your little game, pretending to be a shinobi. When I was your age, my hands had already crushed many opponents."
"Zabuza… the Demon of the Mist… long ago in the Village Hidden in the Mist, also known as Blood Mist Village, there was a final task one had to do in order to become a ninja." Kakashi said as looked up at the demon holding the Water Prison Jutsu.
Zabuza looked down at Kakashi with a twisted sense of excitement. "So you know about the Graduation Exam?"
"What Graduation Exam? And what's so special about it? We had a Graduation Exam as well." Naruto said.
"Is that so? And did you have to kill another student to pass?" Zabuza asked back with a psychotic smile on his face, shocking the Genin. "Just imagine, ninja like you eating together, training together, and then comes the final exam. Only the rules change. You can't stop until your opponent is finished. It is either them or you."
"That's so cruel." Sakura whispered as she held her hands together, tears threatening to run down her cheeks.
"A couple of years ago in the Hidden Mist Village, the Graduation Exam had to change." Kakashi said. "One year before, a dark evil came to the Academy. Without any pause or hesitation, a young boy who was not even a ninja approached the class and slaughtered over a hundred other students."
Zabuza stared into the sky, sighing wistfully. "That...was one of the best days of my life."
Mamoru steeled his nerves as he glared at the man, no, the demon in front of him. "Naruto, Sasuke, I want you both to listen to me…"
Once he was finished relaying the plan he had designed, he waited to hear what his fellow male teammates would say.
The whiskered blond boy grinned brightly at him. "I'm game! Let's kick his ass already!"
Sasuke nodded his approval as well and the black-haired youth smirked. "Just wait for the signal."
With his piece now said, Mamoru lunged forward and ran at the water clone. Reaching into his weapon's pouch he pulled out five shuriken and threw them at Zabuza.
"Child's play." The Demon of the Mist muttered as he raised his massive sword to swat them aside. But Mamoru wasn't finished.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The black-haired youth shouted and the five shuriken flying at him multiplied to fifty. Zabuza simply clicked his teeth, still unfazed at the bladed weapons hurtling his way, and swatted them all aside with a powerful swing of his Executioner's Blade. Mamoru skid to a stop and without turning back, shouted: "Naruto!"
"Alright! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The blond boy exclaimed while crossing his fingers. In an eruption of white smoke, thirty copies of Naruto appeared and rushed in to attack the clone. Zabuza, although strong and powerful for a clone, still had difficulty dealing with the overwhelming number of clones that were ganging up on him. In the end, the water clone let out a roar and pushed all of shadow clones back at once, making them 'poof' out of existence.
"Earth Release: Stone Pistol Jutsu!" Mamoru kneaded chakra in his gut and then expelled a series of rocks out of his mouth. This was one of the higher ranked jutsu in his arsenal and one that he had yet to fully master. Even after hours of having practiced this particular technique, Mamoru could tell that it lacked the proper amount of fire-power and accuracy needed to truly make it a deadly attack. Nevertheless, the rock projectiles did their job and forced Zabuza to jump out of the line of fire.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he threw their teammate a Demon Shuriken from his bag.
The Uchiha caught the weapon effortlessly and smirked, his eyes fixed on the clone. "Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows!"
The raven-haired boy threw the Demon Shuriken as hard as he could, making sure that the weapon was sent directly at the real Zabuza. When the weapon was a few meters away from its target, the Demon of the Mist raised his hand and caught the Demon Shuriken by the handle. His eyes widened as another Demon Shuriken suddenly flew at him, one that none of the Genin had thrown. His surprise didn't last long for as the shuriken reached a meter away from him, he jumped into the air, allowing the weapon to sail harmlessly underneath him.
"You can't hope to defeat me with that!" Zabuza taunted and failed to notice the smirks on Sasuke's and Mamoru's faces. Suddenly, the second shuriken that had been thrown exploded in a cloud of white and was replaced with a grinning Naruto holding a kunai.
"Eat this, you psycho!" The whiskered blond boy yelled and threw the kunai with every ounce of strength he had. With an expression of anger, Zabuza moved out of instinct and pulled his hand out of the water prison so he could dodge the kunai flying his way. The bladed projectile thinly cut his cheek as it flew past him, drawing blood.
Enraged at the fact that the blond brat managed to catch him off-guard, the rogue swordsman started to spin the Demon Shuriken he had stopped a minute ago with the clear intention of killing Naruto. "I'll destroy you!"
Before the Demon of the Mist could carry out his threat, however, the shuriken was stopped by Kakashi's metal plated glove. The silver-haired Jounin reacted just in time, and even if he was somewhat weakened by the water prison and the constant use of his Sharingan, his determination was clear for all to see right now. Blood started to come out of his hand, but he couldn't care less about that. His Sharingan eye met Zabuza's obscure gaze while Naruto landed in the lake nearby unharmed.
"Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura yelled, relieved to see her sensei out of the water prison for good.
"Mamoru, that was an outstanding plan. Naruto and Sasuke, excellent execution. You three really have grown, haven't you?" Kakashi asked rhetorically, pride evident in his voice despite the situation.
Naruto laughed as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment before he excitedly began to explain the plan they had come up with and flawlessly executed.
"Don't brag about it, loser. You were plain lucky." Sasuke commented, although the smirk on his face was still there.
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Whatever it was, let's just enjoy this victory."
Zabuza spoke up with a grimace. "I just got distracted, nothing more."
Kakashi snorted at him. "Don't flatter yourself. You weren't distracted, you were forced to let go. Your technique worked on me once, but I assure you it won't happen again. So, what's it going to be?"
With a vein bulging on his temple, Zabuza poured more strength into his grip on the Demon Shuriken. Both Jounin were now struggling for dominance, and after a brief moment, Kakashi tossed it away. In an instant, both adversaries jumped back and as they put more distance between each other, Zabuza formed the first hand seal. Kakashi's Sharingan eye widened as he realized what his opponent was planning. The moment they reached the surface of the lake, they started to perform a series of hand seals in unison. Mamoru, who had never seen the Sharingan in action before, was awestruck at how perfectly Kakashi mirrored Zabuza's hand seals. So this was the prowess of the Leaf's elite.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Kakashi and Zabuza declared in unison as two dragons formed out of the lake. They both circled around their respective users before slamming into each other. Water went flying everywhere, spraying the observers of the battle.
Zabuza growled as he started to run in a circle with one hand in the air. The rogue swordsman then formed a random hand seal and when he finished his movements, his eyes widened in horror as he realized that Kakashi had mirrored his actions.
"He's not just following him, he's moving in the same way and the same time. You shinobi sure have some really interesting abilities." Tazuna admitted as he watched the ninja fight.
'He's copying my movements perfectly, like a damn mirror. It feels like he's—' Zabuza was trying to think before he was interrupted..
"-he knows what I'm about to do next?" Kakashi finished his thought for him.
'What!? Is he reading my mind as well!?'
"It makes you furious, doesn't it?"
Zabuza sneered at the masked Jounin. "All you do is copy me like a monkey! You can't-"
"-beat me-"
"-with just-"
"-a few tricks!-"
"-I'll-"
"-crush you!" They both declared in unison.
"When I'm done with you, you'll never open that bitch mouth again!" The Demon of the Mist roared with bloodshot eyes. But as he started making the hand seals for his next jutsu, his eye caught something behind Kakashi. It was a shadow of some sort, but that wasn't possible. Even though most of his mist was gone, his surroundings were still foggy. No natural shadow was possible in such an environment. Narrowing, he realized that the shadow had disappeared and had been replaced by...
…a clone of himself.
"Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"
Zabuza had been so distracted by the illusion that he failed to notice Kakashi having finished his hand seals. The water of the lake churned as a massive vortex was formed and sent hurtling at the Demon of the Mist. Zabuza, unable to react in time, was blown away by its sheer strength and sent slamming into a large tree hundreds of meters away. Four kunai were quick to follow him and stabbed into his arms and legs, making him scream in agony.
Kakashi, who was sitting on a tree branch nearby, spoke up. "Now it's over."
"H-How? Can you... see the ... future?"
"Yes, and, spoiler alert…this is your last battle."
Before anything else could be said, two senbons were buried into Zabuza's neck. The rogue ninja's shocked expression went without the quietest of shouts, for the attack was as deadly as it was sudden. His body went limp and his vision cloudy, darkness surrounding him as he fell to the ground.
"Indeed, it was his last battle." A voice echoed through the woods. Everyone looked around and saw a mysterious figure standing on a tree branch. The figure wore what Mamoru assumed to be an ANBU mask, dark green pants and a blue, short-sleeved robe with a green, long-sleeved shirt underneath and a brown sash around the waist. Judging by the long and black hair, the black-haired youth guessed they were a female, but he couldn't be sure.
Kakashi approached the unmoving body of Zabuza and placed two fingers on his neck, looking for heartbeats. "No vital signs."
The unidentified ninja lowered their head. "Thank you. I have followed Zabuza for a while, waiting for an opportunity to take him down."
"By your mask, I take it you're a Tracker-Ninja from the Hidden Mist." Kakashi replied coolly.
"Impressive. You're well informed." The shinobi replied. "I'm a member of the elite tracking unit from the Hidden Mist Village. It was my duty to stop Zabuza."
"What is this!? Who the hell do you think you are!?"
Mamoru groaned in discomfort as Naruto screamed, his voice drumming uncomfortably in his ear drums. The whiskered blond boy seemed to be caught in a rage as he jutted his finger at the Tracker-Ninja.
"Did you hear me!? I asked who the hell you think you are!" Naruto yelled again.
"Easy, Naruto. He's not out enemy." Kakashi chided softly.
The whiskered blonde boy whirled around to glare at his sensei. "That's not the point! Did you see what he did? Zabuza was huge and powerful like some kind of monster, and this kid who's no older than me brought him down in one move like it was nothing! I mean what does that make us? We're just bumbling around, we don't know anything! How am I supposed to accept that!?"
Kakashi sighed and ruffled the blond boy's hair. "Even if you don't accept it, that's what happened. In this world, there are kids out there who are younger than you and stronger than me at the same time."
The Tracker-Ninja flickered down to where Zabuza's body lay and effortlessly picked it up. "Your struggle is over for now. I must deal with the remains, for there are many secrets hidden in this body. I cannot let those secrets fall into the wrong hands. Please excuse me. Farewell."
And with that said, he became enveloped in a small whirlwind and disappeared from sight. Naruto let out another scream of frustration, and the others looked relieved that they had survived their first confrontation with a dangerous enemy. Kakashi sighed as he lowered his headband to cover his Sharingan eye before turning to look at his Genin and Tazuna.
"We still have a mission to complete. The bridge-builder has yet to return to his home." The masked Jounin voiced.
Tazuna laughed heartedly. "Sorry about all the trouble I've caused you, but you can rest in my house once we get to the village."
"All right, let's get a move on." Kakashi declared as he began walking once more with the bridge builder by his side. After a few seconds, his Genin team followed suit.
Okay so I feel like I need to start putting this at the end of every chapter so people know what they're getting into. While this story will somewhat change for the inclusion of my OC, it will, for the most part, remain canon. This is sort of a test for me, to see how well I can insert an OC into a pre-existing timeline.
Now to answer some of the questions from the reviews:
EmpressOfTheSun: Yes, Yuichi was in the same team as Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru which is why they are called the Yonnin. I won't be changing the original pairings such as NaruHina and SasuSaku since I do want to eventually write a story for Boruto: Naruto Next Gen.
As for the pairing for this story, this is what I've narrowed the choices down to:
- Hanabi Hyuga (She will obviously be aged up)
- Fuu
That's it. You guys can let me know if you have any other ideas for pairings but I've pretty much finalized these two. I hope people are okay with it and if not, well then, I'm sorry.
If you've liked what you read so far then feel free to drop a favorite and a follow!
Until next time! :D