The next morning, Kakashi decided that they would take the bridge builder to the shore, but the team had to be very alert now. The sky was gray and foggy and they were in a boat, sailing to the Land of waves.
This fog is very thick, unless I use my byakugan, I won't be able to see a thing. Hinata thought not being able to see a thing due to the fog.
"The bridge isn't far now. Our destination is just ahead, The Land of Waves" The man rowing the boat said
As they were close to the Land of Waves, they were able to see the unfinished bridge Tazuna was working on.
"Wow, it's huge!" Naruto said with a big smile.
"Quiet! I told you to be very quiet, why do you think we're traveling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine and rowing, moving through the dense fog, so they don't see us" the man said
Naruto quickly covered his mouth as he and his teammates were listening to the guy rowing the boat.
Kakashi sat there, looking at Tazuna "Mr. Tazuna before we reach the pier, I want to ask you something." He said but Tazuna kept listening with his head bowed, his hat covering his eyes "The men who are after you, I need to know why? If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore"
Tazuna raised his head and looked at the team "I have no choose but to tell you. No, I want you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man, who cast a very long and deadly shadow."
"A deadly shadow? Hmm who is it?" Kakashi asked
"You know him or at least I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world, the shipping magnet Gatou!" Tazuna said
Kakashi eyes widen "Gatou?! Of Gatou transport? He's a business leader, everyone knows him"
Naruto looked excited "Who? Who? What? What?"
Well almost everyone Kakashi thought
"Gato, he's a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true. But below the surface, with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and other illegal items using gangs and ninja. It was one year ago when Gatou set his sight on The Land of Waves. He came to our island and use his vast wealth to take total control of our transport and shipping, anyone who tried to stand in his way simply disappeared. In an island nation, a man who controls the sea controls everything. Finance, government, our very lives but there's one thing he fears, the bridge. When it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control" He looks up at his unfinished bridge "And I am the bridge's builder"
"I-I understand, b-because you're the one i-in charge of the construction of t-the bridge, y-you stand in this g-gangster's way" Hinata said putting it in simple terms
"That means those guys that we fought in the forest, they were working for Gatou" Sasuke said
"I don't understand. If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, then why did you hide that from us?" Kakashi asked in a sharp tone
Tazuna looked down "Because the Land of Waves is a small, impoverish nation. Even our nobles have little money. The common people, who are building this bridge, they can't pay for a A or B ranked mission, it's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore, there will be no bridge. They'll assassinate me before I reach home." He, then looks up at everyone "But don't feel bad about that, of course my sweet little grandson will be upset, he'll cry Granddad, I want my granddad! Oh and my daughter will condemn the ninja of the hidden leaves denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and living her life in sorrow"
For someone who says not to feel bad, he's giving us plenty of reasons to. And after what he said his daughter might do, I feel like this is a guilt trip and blackmail all roll into one. Hinata thought feeling conflicted about this mission
"Oh well, it's not your fault, forget it" Tazuna said
Everyone sighs and Kakashi taps on his headband "Well, I guess we have no other choice, we'll have to keep guarding you"
Tazuna puts on a feign surprised look " Oh, I'm very grateful" I win! He though congratulating himself.
"Everyone, we're approaching the shore" The man said as he was getting them there "Tazuna, we've been very fortunate so far, no one has noticed us so far."
"Nice going" Tazuna said
They sailed to a tunnel that leads to the shore, as they reach the end of the tunnel, they see that the fog had disappeared and the sky was bright. They also saw houses that were very close to the water, everything looked peaceful. After a while the boat stopped at the shore and everyone got off except the man that was rowing the boat. "That's as far as I go, good luck"
"Right, Thank you for taking such a risk" Tazuna said thanking him as he watched him sail away. He turns the Team 7 "Ok, take me to my home and I mean get me there in one piece"
"Right" Kakashi said leaving the shore with everyone. The next ninja they send won't be chunin, they'll be jonin, elite ninja with deadly skills -sighs-
They were walking peaceful at the start with Naruto ahead of everyone. However Sasuke caught up a little and was now walking besides him.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with a glare I'm not letting Sasuke get all the glory this time, believe it! He then starts running ahead a little and was looking like he was searching for something. Everyone stopped and watched him. Naruto stopped and looked to the left "Over there" he said throwing a kunai knife into the bushes.
Everyone's eyes widen at that display and waited.
"Hmm, it was just a mouse" Naruto said trying to look and act cool
There was nothing there! Hinata looked bit annoyed at Naruto
"Naruto, those are kunai knives, they're dangerous!" Kakashi said reminding his student the importance of ninja weapons.
Tazuna was growling "Stop trying to scare me, you little dwarf!" He yelled
Naruto ignored them and continued "Hey, is someone hiding over there? No! Or over there?"
Kakashi looked in a certain direction and as he was, Naruto threw a kunai in the same direction "Over there!"
"N-Naruto please, that e-enough! There nothing here" Hinata said
"What are you talking about?! Someone is following us, I know it" Naruto said to her
As they were talking, Kakashi went through the bushes to investigate and sees a snow white rabbit that almost came close to dying from the kunai Naruto threw.
Everyone went to see the rabbit, Naruto knelt down holding the rabbit, apologizing. Kakashi stood a small distance from the others thinking.
Hinata looked at the rabbit "T-This is a snow rabbit, b-but it's spring. I-It should have shed it's w-white fur by now" She said to herself
Just what I'd except from my observant student. She's absolutely right, that type of rabbit only has white fur during winter when the days are short and there's little sunlight. Kakashi thought looking around This rabbit was raised indoors, away from the light. Which can only be for one purpose, a replacement technique.
In the trees above them, a ninja, dressed in only pants, bandages wrapped around his nose and mouth, carrying a huge sword was watching them. Kakashi turned his head in the direction of the ninja but just enough so the ninja wouldn't notice that he was discovered. So they're already here.
Hmmm no wonder the demon brothers failed in their mission. It's the copy ninja from the village hidden in the leaves, Kakashi of the sharingan. The ninja then moved, throwing his sword at the group.
Kakashi quickly notice the attack "Look out!" He said warning everyone. They saw the blade coming for them and quickly threw themselves on the ground dodging the blade. The blade hit a tree close to them and the ninja appeared, standing on the end of his sword, looking down on them.
That must be.. Kakashi thought looking up at the ninja with everyone else.
Naruto had this twitchy look on his face with his hands ready to action Here it is, my chance to shine, Believe it! He then looked at Sasuke, I'm ready this time, I'm not going to lose out to Sasuke!
Hinata stood there, feeling nervous but focused waiting for the time to move. She looked over to her teammates, she saw Sasuke focusing on the enemy and saw Naruto with that look she knows all too well. Please don't tell me he's thinking of besting Sasuke now?! I understand they are rivals but now is not the time!
"Well, well if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja from the village hidden in the mist" Kakashi said walking close to the tree.
Rogue ninja? Whatever, nothing gonna stop me. Ready, Go! Naruto goes charging but was blocked by Kakashi.
"You're in the way, get back" Kakashi said
"But why?!" Naruto asked annoyed
"He's not like those other ninja, he's in a whole other league. If he's our opponent, I'll need this" Kakashi said reaching for his headband. "This could be dangerous"
Zabuza looked down at Kakashi "Kakashi of the sharingan eye. Did I get that right?"
Sasuke's eye widen after hearing that and looks at Kakashi.
"It's too bad huh? But you'll have to hand over the old man" Zabuza said looking down at everyone
Kakashi glares at Zabuza, had his hand on his headband, ready to remove it.
Sharingan? What is that? Naruto thought confused
S-Sharingan?! But that's a visual jutsu only in the Uchiha clan, isn't it? Hinata thought looking at her teacher and then over to Sasuke. Did Sasuke know about this?
"Now quick surround and protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight" Kakashi said to his students. "I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it." He said, removing the headband from his right eyes, revealing his sharingan eye "I'm ready!"
Naruto looked at Kakashi's eye Gah! His eye?! What is that?!
"Ah looks like I get to see the sharingan in action. This is an honor" Zabuza said
" Everyone keep saying sharingan, sharingan! Will someone please tell me what sharingan is?!" Naruto asked wanting to know
Sasuke spoke "Sharingan, a rare power that resides in the eyes. The user of this visual jutsu can easily comprehend any genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu and reflect the attack back at the attacker. The sharingan is a special, rare form of dojutsu, however there's more to the sharingan than that, a lot more."
"You got it right boy but you've only scratch the surface, the sharingan can analyze an opponent technique and then copy it to the smallest detail." Zabuza said
Then the area around everyone started to get foggy, as that happened Zabuza spoke "As for you jonin, as the assassination unit of the hidden mist, we have a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book, they called you The Man Who Copied Over Thousand Jutsu, Kakashi the copy ninja"
I've heard rumors about the copy ninja but I never thought that sensei would be that ninja! Hinata thought
Naruto smiled "Way that's so cool!"
Sasuke looked over to Kakashi with this analyzing look. Wait a minute, the sharingan is a rare trait that occurs in only a few members of the Uchiha clan, my clan. Could he be?
"Enough talking, I need to exterminate the old man now'" Zabuza said preparing to attack
Tazuna had this panicked look on his face and backed up a bit. The student then surrounded him in order to protect him with Hinata on the left, Sasuke in the middle and Naruto on the right. All of them with kunai knives in their hands.
"So, I'll have to eliminate you first Kakashi? So be it" Zabuza said removing his sword from the tree and disappeared, then reappeared standing on the lake beside the group.
The students looked at where the enemy was. "He's over there!" Naruto said. Hinata eyes widened a bit "H-He's standing on the water, but how?!"
Zabuza was in a stance with one arm folded in front of him with two fingers pointed up and the other arm raised above his head with two fingers pointed up too. The mist and water swirling around him.
He's building up a huge amount of chakra Kakashi thought looking at his opponent
"Ninja art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" With that, Zabuza disappears into the mist
"He vanished" Naruto said looking at the spot Zabuza was before.
"K-Kakashi-sensei, what going to h-happen now?" Hinata asked
Kakashi got in front of his team, his back facing them "He'll come after me first"
"But w-who is this rogue n-ninja?" She said
"Zabuza Momochi, the ex-leader of the hidden mist assassination unit, he's a master of the silent killing technique" Kakashi said
"S-Silent?" Naruto questioned
"As the name suggests, it happens in an instant without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast, you pass from this life without realizing what has happened. The sharingan can not fully neutralize it, so don't lower your guard" Kakashi warned them. His students becoming a bit tense and nervous after that. "Well if we fail, we only lose our lives" he added
"S-Sensei that's n-not helping!" Hinata scolded him
Moments pass and nothing has happened, however the mist increases in that time.
"The mist is getting thicker and thicker!" Naruto pointed out
Tazuna spoke "The Land of Waves is surrounded by oceans, these mists are ever present"
Hinata looked in front of her and saw that their teacher disappeared in the mist "S-Sensei?!" She got close to the bridge builder and form hand signs "Byakugan!" She looks around the area, This mist is full of chakra, I can't make out anything!
"8 points" a voice said
Hinata heard the voice and looked around with her byakugan "I hear someone but I-I can't see them"
The voice continues "Legs, spine, lungs, liver, arteries, kidneys, heart now switch will be my kill point?"
Kakashi stands in the middle of the mist for a moment and form a hand sign, chakra surrounds him easily clearing the mist. His students covered their faces from the blast and could see him.
Sasuke starts sweating, losing himself, What an intense thirst for blood! One shallow breath and tiny movement of the eyes, enough to bundle an instant death. If it goes on like this, I'll go insane. The clash of two jonin intent to kill, I've never felt anything so chilling, it's as if my own life is being chocked off. No! I can't bear it, I'd rather take my own life. He then grips his kunai with both hands.
Hinata feels the tension in the air and the intent of both jonin, she was lucky that she was use to this feeling do to watching intense training sessions between the jonin of her clan. She turned and saw Sasuke shaking and Naruto unfazed. Naruto may not understand this feeling but Sasuke does, it must be the first time for him, this feeling makes people go crazy or take their own lives. She sees him grip his kunai tight and realize what he's about to do. He needs reassurance. She thought back at the other night when Sasuke assured her that they could complete this mission and smiled at her. With that in mind, Hinata gets a little closer to Sasuke and places her hand on his.
Sasuke jumped a little and looked down to see a hand on his own and turns to see Hinata facing him a assuring smile. Just by her smile, he calms down a little. After calming down, he gives her a small smile and nods thanks to her.
Hinata was glad that her teammate was ok again, she looks and sees his smile again and blushes a little, her heart beating fast. W-Why does his smile do this to me?
Kakashi turned and looked at the two. It seems Hinata has a calming affect on Sasuke, that's good. But I'll reassure them "Everyone, I'll protect you with my life, all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die, trust me" Kakashi said smiling through his mask.
"I wouldn't be so sure" Zabuza said appearing right in the middle of the formation the group made around Tazuna "It's over!"
Kakashi turned, focusing his sharingan on him, moving quick stabbing Zabuza in his abdomen with a kunai. However instead of blood pouring out, it was water. Another Zabuza appeared behind him.
Naruto pointed behind Kakashi "Sensei! Behind you!"
Kakashi turned to react, causing the Zabuza he stabbed turned into a puddle of water.
"Die!" With that, Zabuza slice Kakashi in two, smiling through his bandages. However he stopped smiling and his eyes widen when see saw him turn into water. The water clone jutsu?! It can't be! Even in the mist, he saw through my illusion and copied it in an instant.
Before he could do anything, a kunai knife was to his neck "Don't move" Kakashi said, being the one holding the kunai. "Now, it's over, you're finished!"
Naruto and everyone looked at the two and Naruto shouts "Alright!"
Zabuza starts chuckles, which confused Kakashi "Finished? You really don't get it, do you? Your technique is nothing more than a craft imitation, I'll never be defeated by a mere copy cat ninja like you" Kakashi glared at him but he continues to chuckle "You are full of surprises though. You already copied my water clone jutsu when you made your little speech. Very skillfully executed, you made your clone say those words to draw my attention while you hid in the mist waiting for me to make my move." Suddenly Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi and the Zabuza in front of him turn to water "Nice try but I'm not that easy to fool"
Naruto's eyes widen and shouts "Hey, that ones a clone too!"
Zabuza swings his sword to slice Kakashi but he ducks and the sword hits the ground. But Zabuza switched hands and kicks Kakashi hard, causing him to go flying and hit the lake. "Now!" Takes his sword and goes running to the water but stops when he sees spikes on the ground. "Makibishi spikes. Trying to slow me down, foolish" he thens backflips into the water.
"Sensei!" Naruto shouted in horror
"S-Sensei. H-He send him flying." Hinata said looking at where Kakashi landed
Sasuke narrow his eyes "He has great physical skill too"
Kakashi surfaces from the water but stops for a second This isn't normal water, it's dense, heavy.
Zabuza appeared behind him and form hand signs "Ha, fool. Water Prison Jutsu!"
"No!" Before he could react, Kakashi was imprisoned in an orb of water. Escaping in the water, bad mistake!
Zabuza stood besides the orb with one hand in it, chuckling. "This prison is made of water but it's stronger than steel. It's hard to fight when you can't move, so much for The Great Kakashi . I'll finish you off later but start, your little friends will have to be eliminated" he forms a hand sign "Water Clone Jutsu!"
Kakashi grunts He's even more skilled than I thought!
Naruto watches in horror as another water clone of Zabuza begins to form. "You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja. When you've hovered between life and death so many times it doesn't faze you, then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly, your profile is entered in my bingo book, then you may have earned the title ninja. But to call up-starts like you ninja is a joke." With that, the clone disappears into the mist.
Naruto froze He disappeared again! Then out of nowhere, he was sent flying so hard, his headband fell off and he landed, hitting the ground hard.
The clone stepped at Naruto's headband and looked down at him "You're just brats!"
From a distance, his teammates turned and looked at him in shock and concern. "Naruto!" Hinata shouted
Kakashi grunts from his prison "Listen, get the bridge builder and run! You can't win this fight! He's using all his power to keep me in this prison, so he can only fight you with his water clone. But the clone can't go far from his real body, if you get away from him, he can't follow. Now run!"
Run away? Not an option, Sasuke thought looking at Kakashi in his prison. That became unthinkable the moment you got caught, no matter as fast we run or how far we go, he'll track us down and wipe us out. The formation we were in before he got around it in an instant. He looked back to back at Naruto and Hinata and then back on the prison. In the end, if we're on our own, we're finished. Our only chance of survival is to rescue you. "We've got to do it!" He said charging at Zabuza
Hinata eyes widen in horror as she saw Sasuke running toward him "No, Sasuke, stop!"
The clone saw him coming and reach for his sword. Sasuke started throwing shuriken on him but he deflected them. Then Sasuke jumped to catch him off guard but the clone caught him by his neck and he struggled to get out of his grip and was thrown to the ground.
"Sasuke!" Hinata shouted wanting to help but couldn't move for her place because she was closet to Tazuna and had to protect him.
Naruto watched his teammate go down "He got Sasuke!" Then started shaking as he turned back and saw the clone looking at him. So this is a jonin is, a true elite ninja! I-I-I got to get away. If I don't, seriously, he'll destroy me! He then turns to crawl away but the pain of the wound he got from the demon brother came back. He looked at the bandaged wound, remembering the oath he made to never run away. He looked back at the clone and then at his headband the clone was stepping on, remembering how special it was because it first belonged to his father figure, Iruka and other memories up to this point. That's right, I'm a ninja now, believe it! He thought getting up, clutching his fists. I swore an oath of pain, I won't run away! He thought charging at him.
Shocked at the action, Kakashi yelled "Naruto, No!"
"Idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Sasuke yelled
Zabuza's clone chuckles watching the boy come at him "Fool" he said knocking him to the ground again.
Hinata looked at Naruto in shock "N-Naruto, are you o-ok? W-Why would you do that?! Sasuke couldn't even get to him, we are genin, w-we can't beat him, h-he's a jonin. What w-would you gain by-" she stopped when she looked in his hand and saw his headband. H-He wanted his headband back?
Naruto slowly got up grunting "Hey you, the freak with no eyebrows, put this in your bingo book. The ninja that will become Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves" putting on his headband and tightening it "He never backs down, his name's Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto... Kakashi thought as Zabuza's clone trembles in anger
I thought he was all talk but this kid got guts Tazuna thought looking at Naruto
"All right Sasuke, listen up. Can you hear me?" Naruto asked
"Yeah, I hear you" he replied
"I've got a plan" Naruto said
Hmph, now he's got a plan, this guy.. "So now you're thinking about teamwork?"
He's so determined, I wish I was like he is Hinata thought
Naruto wipes the blood dripping from his chin "Alright guys, let's go wild!"
Zabuza chuckles "Big words for such a little man, you think you're plan is going to keep you in the game?"
Kakashi realize what's going on This isn't good "What are you doing, I told you to run! The fight was over the moment I got caught! Now take off! Your mission is not to prove how brave you are, it's to save the bridge builder, stay on mission!"
Hinata was conflicted, she wanted to save her sensei but at the same time wanted to complete the mission. She looks at Tazuna "M-Mr. Tazuna?"
"Hmm 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." Tazuna said looking at them "Forget about me! Do what you have to do, go ahead and fight to save your sensei!"
Sasuke smirks a little "Alright, you hear that?"
"Yeah, believe it! You ready?" Naruto said
"Hinata, Naruto and I will take care of this, you protect the bridge builder" Sasuke said
"B-But I" she looked back and forth at them, when she looked back at Sasuke, he give her a reassured look and she sighs "O-Ok, good luck, you two"
Zabuza clone starts laughing, it's grows louder and louder by the second "You really haven't learned anything have you? Still playing your little game, pretending to be ninja." He said looking at his hand "When I was your age, this hand had already crushed many opponents"
The team gasps in horror. Kakashi looked at the real Zabuza beside him "Zabuza, the demon"
"Ah so I was in your book too?" Zabuza asked
Kakashi looked back at his students "Long ago, in the village hidden in the mist also known as blood mist village, before a student could become a ninja, there was one final test"
Zabuza looked at him "You know about the graduation exam?"
"What graduation exam?" Naruto asked but the clone chuckled "What's the big deal anyway? We had graduation test too!"
"Did you have to kill the other students to pass?" The clone asked, Naruto gasps at the question. "Imagine young ninja like you, eating together, training together and then come the final exam but only they change the rules, kill or be killed, you can't stop while your opponent still breathes. He was your friend, shared your dreams, now it's him or you"
Hinata look at him in horror, shaking a little "H-How cruel"
Kakashi explained "Ten years ago, in the village hidden in the mist, the graduation exam changed. One year before, a dark evil had filled the school with terror. "
Hinata thought for a minutes and gasps realizing "N-No way"
Naruto looked confused and scared "What terror? What cause the change?"
"Without pause or hesitation, a young boy who was not even a ninja approach the class and took down over hundred other students" Kakashi said answering the question
Zabuza's clone stood there for a moment and spoke "I-It..it felt so...Good!" He then looked at the genin.
Both Sasuke and Naruto stood in terror then in a instant Zabuza knocked Sasuke to the ground, causing him to slide on the dirt. Without giving time to recover, he elbowed Sasuke in the gut hard as he was flat on the ground causing him to cough up blood.
"Sasuke!" Hinata shouted watching in terror as her teammate was being beaten.
Zabuza's clone stepped on Sasuke's stomach hard and kept applying pressure causing Sasuke to grunt in pain and chuckles "You're nothing"
Naruto forms a hand sign "Stop right there! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a moment many clones of Naruto appeared.
"Oh shadow clones? And there's quite a few of them" the clone said looking around him
All the Naruto clones pulled out a kunai knife "Here we go!" jumping into the air and coming down on Zabuza's clone, luckily Sasuke got out of the way in time. There was a pause and then with a swing of his sword, Zabuza's clone cleared all the Naruto clones off him.
Both Hinata and Tazuna watched how he easily pushed all of the clone off him "His skills are too advanced, he's too powerful, there's no way to defeat him" Tazuna said
All Naruto's clones were pushed back, flying everywhere disappearing but the real Naruto was digging into his bag looking for something "I'm not giving up, I still got this!" He pulled out a large item and threw it to Sasuke.
Sasuke saw it and caught and realizes the plan, So that was your plan, not bad Naruto!
"Huh?" Zabuza's clone said confused
Sasuke unfolds the large item, revealing it to be a large shuriken "Demon Wind Shuriken! Windmill of Shadows!"
"A shuriken? You'll never touch me with that" The clone said
Sasuke got ready and jumped into the air, throwing the large shuriken. Zabuza's clone was ready for it but was surprised when it went around him and to his real body.
"So you pass the clone and aimed for my real body, smart" Zabuza said, catching the shuriken "But not smart enough!" Then he looks up to see a second one coming at him. A second shuriken in the shadow of the first, The Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!
The second one is coming straight at him, with both hands occupied he won't be able to dodge Hinata thought watching the action
Sasuke and Naruto waited as the second shuriken got closer and closer to Zabuza, but just at the last second he jumped over the shuriken "I told you a shuriken can't touch me!"
Hinata was about to go into despair but then she saw Sasuke smirk, H-He's smirking? She looked back at the battle to see the second shuriken transformed into Naruto. Everyone except for Sasuke gasps in surprise at this.
Zabuza turned around with a wild look in his face "What?!"
"Eat this!" Naruto said throwing a kunai knife at him
Zabuza saw the kunai coming straight at him, removing his hand from the water prison in order to dodge it. But the kunai grazed him just below the eye and he turned to Naruto spinning the large shuriken he caught earlier and moves to attack "I'll destroy you!" Before he could get close to Naruto, Kakashi blocked one of the blades of the shuriken with his hand and give Zabuza a menacing look.
Hinata smiles "K-Kakashi sensei, you're ok."
Kakashi spoke as he was still blocking the shuriken, looking at his student in the water "Naruto, that was an excellent plan, you've really grown haven't you?"
Naruto grins "Ha Ha Ha I knew I couldn't beat him with my shadow clones, that was just to distract him. While he fought the clones, I turned into the Demon Wind Shuriken, he didn't know what to do, Believe It! I knew i couldn't fight Zabuza myself, that wasn't in the game plan. I just wanted to break up his water prison, I didn't know his clone would be gone too, that's a bonus, Believe it"
"Don't brag, you just lucked out" Sasuke said smirking
"The whole thing was just a fluke!" Tazuna said annoyed
I'm not sure if it was a fluke or not but what I'm proud of is the teamwork those two showed, it was amazing! Even without telling each other, they still knew what to do. They make such great team, I wish they would act like this all the time Hinata thought smiling.
"Hmph, I got distracted and lost my grip on the water prison" Zabuza said
Kakashi glared "Don't flatter yourself, you weren't distracted, you were forced to let go"
Zabuza shoot Kakashi a look "Your technique worked on me once, but it won't work again. So what's it gonna be?" Kakashi asked
Everyone waited for Zabuza's answer, while they waited, Sasuke looked at Hinata "Hinata, you know what to do". "Right" she answered and the two blocked Tazuna.
Zabuza dug the blade of the shuriken into Kakashi's hand and fold it again, so that all four blades were cutting him. Kakashi knocked the shuriken out of his hand and send it flying. The two jonin jumped into the air, making distance between each other. As Zabuza was in the air, he began forming hand signs, with the sharingan, Kakashi copied each hand sign Zabuza was made, chanting the same words he was. Then they both shouted "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" From the water came two dragons, swirling around each other battling.
As that was happening, waves of water hit everyone, Naruto was caught in the wave since he was still in the water. A wave came at Sasuke and the other but they stood firmly on the ground trying not to have been washed away. Sasuke looked back at the jonin, Wow, so many hand signs and he mirrored them all perfectly, instantly!
Hinata was on her knees, checking the bridge builder to see if he was alright. What a powerful jutsu!
As the dragons were fighting above, Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting below, his kunai knife to Zabuza's large sword. Both of them trying to knock the other one off balance. Something isn't right, the sharingan can comprehend and replicate the enemy's technique, however both jutsu occurred at the same time. Could he?
From a distance, a masked ninja stood on a branch of one of the trees, watching the fight.
They both made distance between each other again and moved in harmony.
Zabuza looked at his opponent, thinking. My movements, it's as if...it's as if he knows "What I'm going to do next" Kakashi said interrupting Zabuza's thought on the situation. What?! Is he reading my mind as well?! He looks at me with that eye.. "It makes you furious, doesn't it?" Kakashi asked copying his moves.
"Ha all you're doing is copying me, like a monkey!" Zabuza said "You can't best me with cheap tricks! I'll crush you!" Both jonin said at the same time. Zabuza became more furious at that "When I'm finished with you, you'll never open that monkey mouth of yours again!" He then see a shadow besides Kakashi and sees it's himself. That's me! But how?! Is it his illusion jutsu?!
As Zabuza was trying to figure out what was going on, Kakashi finished forming the hand signs for the jutsu "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"
"What?! Impossible!" A giant swirling vortex appeared and washed Zabuza away. I was about to create a vortex, but he created one first! He thought as he was being thrown around in the jutsu. He copies my jutsu before I can even do it! I can't keep up! The jutsu ended, slamming him into a tree as that happened, kunai knives stabbed him and he yelled in pain. Above him on the tree he slammed into, Kakashi stood there, looking down on him. "You're finished"
Zabuza looked up at Kakashi "H-How?! Can you see into the future?!"
Kakashi took out a kunai knife "Yes, this is your last battle, ever!" Before anything, two needles came, stabbing Zabuza in the neck. Everyone gasps at what happened, Kakashi looks in the direction of where the needles came from and saw the masked ninja.
The masked ninja watched as Zabuza collapsed and chuckles "You were right, it was his last battle."
Kakashi jumped from the tree, landing in front of Zabuza's body. He laid his fingers on Zabuza's neck to check for a pulse and sighs "No vital signs" he says, looking up at the masked ninja again
The ninja bows "Thank you, I've been tracking Zabuza down for a long time, waiting for this chance to finally take him down."
"By your mask, I see that you're a tracker ninja from the village hidden in the mist"
"Impressive, you're well informed" The masked ninja said
Naruto came in the middle of Sasuke and Hinata, ready to fight again "A tracker!"
"You loser, you don't even know what that is, you missed the lesson on it. Try coming to class instead of goofing off" Sasuke said
"N-Naruto, tracker ninja h-have a special role. When a r-rogue ninja breaks a-away from his v-village, he carries t-the secrets of his people. T-Tracker ninja are training to h-hunt down this ninja and eliminate them. T-That way the secrets of t-their people remain s-secrets" Hinata explained
"That's right. I'm a member of the elite tracking unit of the village hidden in the mist. It was my duty to stop Zabuza" The ninja said
From his size and voice, he must be the same age as Naruto, yet he's an elite assassin. He's no ordinary kid but what is he? Kakashi thought
Naruto ran up to the tree, looking back and forward at the ninja and at Zabuza's body becoming more furious each time, then points his finger at the masked ninja "What the hell is this?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Kakashi got up "Easy Naruto, he's not our enemy"
Naruto turns to his teacher "That's not the point, did you see what he did? Just like that! Zabuza was huge and powerful just like some kind of monster and this kid, who's no bigger than me, he brought down Zabuza with one move like it was nothing. I mean what does that make us? We're just running around, we don't know anything! How can I accept that?!"
Kakashi walks up to his student and stops in front of him "Well even if you don't accept it, still it did happen Naruto" He ruffles and pats his head "In this world, there are kids younger than you and yet stronger than me"
The masked ninja came down and gathered Zabuza's body "Your struggle is over for now, I must deal with the remains. There are many secrets in this body, they must not be allowed to get into the wrong hands. Please excuse me, farewell" with that he disappears with the body.
"He disappeared?!" Naruto said running to the spot the ninja was kneeling on.
"He's gone Naruto, let it go" Kakashi said hiding his sharingan again
Naruto groans in anger and falls on his knees, punching the ground "What are we going here?! We're nothing! I can't believe it!"
"Naruto" Hinata said watching his tantrum
Kakashi goes up to Naruto and grabs his arm before he could punch the ground again "As ninja, the things we encounter are never easy, save your anger for the next enemy" he said letting go of Naruto's arm and turning to the others "We haven't completed our mission yet. We still have to get the bridge builder to his bridge"
Tazuna fixed his hat, smiling "Sorry I caused all this trouble for you, but you can rest at my house when we get to the village!"
"Alright, let's get a move on" Kakashi said as he began to walk but then he suddenly stops and collapses onto the ground.
Everyone gasps and ran to him. They all looked down at him, wondering what happened. Hinata knelt down beside him and checked him over "S-Sensei is ok, he's still alive". She activated her byakugan and checked his chakra levels "But he's lost a lot of chakra, w-we need to get him to the village s-so he can rest"
Sasuke nods and looks up "Ok, here's what we do, Naruto and I will carry Kakashi to the bridge builder's home, Hinata you stay near him and keep protecting him. Ok everyone?"
Everyone nods, Naruto and Sasuke each took a side and carried Kakashi on their shoulders and started walking. Hinata had a kunai ready in her hand and followed them with Tazuna close by her side as they made their way to his home.