Naruko: The Story Retold

By: dbrame91

Sorry folks, it has been a while since this story got an update. This needed to be an important chapter, but I feel like I didn't do it the justice I wanted for it. I hope everyone does enjoy the chapter all the same though.


Chapter 10: Naruko and Kushina

"Good, now we can all see each other. How are you doing tou-san?" Naruko let go of Haku's wrist, while he took a step back before joining his master. "I thought you always preached to never do the same thing twice in a row."

"Hand over that old man so I can finish my job and get out of here." Zabuza's tone was rough and no nonsense as he stared down the group of Konoha ninja. 'I don't see Kushina, and I can't feel her either. Maybe the 'sister' Naruko mentioned was that piece of bubblegum?' Zabuza crossed his arms and glared at the four person team. "I don't like waiting Naruko, you should know that."

"Hai hai. You are Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Bloody Mist. You get the job done, and eliminate any obstacles in your way." As Naruko retorted Kushina rushed the swordsman and wrapped her arm around his neck, taking him over the edge of the bridge, separating the two Kiri killers. "Looks like Kaa-san didn't want to wait much longer."

"Subdue and detain. We want to take this one alive, just like Zabuza." Kakashi ordered his Genin as the three offense types huddled around Sakura, ready to act as shields. Naruko made several clones, three Mizu Bunshin and two Kage. The clones rushed forward, acting as the front line, and each began to work on the same familiar string of hand signs. "Namikaze Variant: Hidora Nesuto!" The hydra surged forward as Haku just stood there and watched.

Suddenly the jutsu froze in midair and crashed to the surface of the bridge, Haku uninjured. 'What?! Why did it turn to ice?' The masked boy took a step toward the group as he pulled out his weapon of choice. "My name is Haku. Descendant of the Yuki clan and last user of the true Hyoton." Haku's arm shot out, releasing his senbon. Each needle hit a clone and caused them to deform.

'This isn't good. If he can freeze any water jutsu he wants then that severely limits Naruko's options.' Kakashi watched the boy, barely older than his students, continue his walk. "Sasuke, Naruko. Turn this into a fight of taijutsu and don't let up." When the two objected, saying they should use more than just taijutsu, Kakashi explained. "Naruko, your suiton will be no help here since he can just freeze it. Sasuke, the Hyoton is a Kekkai Genkai. That means the ice is going to be a lot stronger than what a regular Katon can melt." As Kakashi spelled it out for his students he lifted his hitai-ate off of his left eye. "Sakura, get inside but be ready to get Tazuna to safety. I don't know how this is going to end." The second Sakura started moving Haku launched a small volley of senbon at the pinkette's back, only for Kakashi to intercept the deadly needles with a kunai.

With Kushina and Zabuza (parallel to events on the bridge)

"So you really are here Kushina?" Zabuza stood on guard, waiting for this version of his lover to burst into a cloud of smoke and reveal that the Kakashi on the bridge was a clone and that the real one was down here with him.

"Hai Zabuza. I am." Kushina relaxed a little, knowing that the swordsman would too. "Why did you never get in touch?" Kushina's fingers found their way to the chain around her neck, Zabuza's last written promise still tucked safely into the attached pendant.

"Things started off fine after I left Koriyo. I joined up with the resistance like I had planned, and we even killed that Mizukage Yagyu." Zabuza sighed after that. "I was the one who eliminated him. With Yagyu dead Kiri became politically unstable and was controlled by a council until a new Kage was appointed. Before that happened though they wanted to calm any unrest, and part of doing that was relabeling me a traitor before I was ever cleared the first time. About a month after that I picked up the kid on the bridge and we've been traveling ever since." The muscular man ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again.

"Well then we will just have to fix that." Kushina looked at the man and smiled sadly. "I've missed you Zabuza-san."

"I've missed you too Kushi." Zabuza smiled a bit under his bindings. "And I am already trying to work on the issue. If I can build up enough money I know a guy who can be bought off to close my file for good. I will be listed as dead, but I will also be clear."

"Kami, that nickname is still terrible." Kushina laughed a bit into her hand before regaining her composure. "I still can't let you kill Tazuna, or anyone on Team 7, though."

The tall man nodded, understanding what she meant. "Then put up one hell of a good fight Kushina, because I don't want to." Zabuza reached behind him and drew his weapon, his grip was slightly loose and his heart not in the spirit of the moment. He knew he probably wouldn't win. Kushina had been more skilled than he was, even when they were both village aligned ninja.

Kushina started. She was gone in an instant and the next her eyes were the only thing Zabuza could see. The Kiri ninja pulled his sword up to shield him as the redhead struck at him. Even with the Kubikiribocho taking the hit Zabuza was sent backwards, his feet still on the water's surface, and a deep ringing vibrated through the giant blade.

Zabuza countered by charging the redhead. His sword swung low, towards her legs. Kushina responded by stepping on the flat of the sword and using it as her launching point over the bandaged ex-Kiri ninja. As she traveled over Zabuza's head Kushina laced her fingers together under his chin and forced him to bend backwards, using her back to leverage him over her and face first into the water's surface. As soon as the swordsman hit the water his body exploded into a shroud of mist that covered the surrounding area.

Kushina quickly looked around for any sign of him before taking a deep breath and cutting off her chakra flow to her feet, dropping her smoothly into the cold water. Once under the water Kushina looked around her again, checking to make sure Zabuza wasn't coming from below the surface, before kicking off and using chakra in small bursts to propel her further away. The chakra swimming method was something Zabuza had taught her. With six bursts and kicks she escaped the mist filled area and resurfaced. Using a short sequence of hand signs Kushina pooled some chakra into the water around her and began to spin it in five spots, before launching the water from most of those spots as log tendrils of drilling water. As she took a curled up pose, using one knee to rest her weight on, four of the tendrils shot into the mist, their rotations pulling some of the mist into the vacuums that followed them, and back out before being pushed into the mist again.

As Kushina maintained her jutsu Zabuza's shadow fell over her as he brought down his sword on her, the back side of the massive blade aimed diagonally between her shoulder blades. Just as Zabuza was about to land the hit the fifth spot of spinning water shot up and forced the blade back. "Most of the Silent Killing targets can be hit from the back, so by obscuring the frontal targets I forced you to approach from behind where I was ready for you." As Zabuza swung his sword from the direction of her left she pulled her right side back and then swung that foot up, using her chakra to stick herself to the blade before letting the rest of her body follow the motion and then step back onto the water when she was safe. "If you don't want to fight us then why are you still trying?"

"I'm doing this to keep Gato away for as long as possible. He won't try to betray me while I am still doing his dirty work." Zabuza then laid out his plan to eliminate the backstabbing shipping tycoon with the information that he had Haku collect pertaining to the planed betrayal that Naruko had warned him about. "He is going to be coming here with his henchmen, and the actual Hunters from Kiri hiding out of site until he gives them a signal."

With Team 7

"Sasuke, get down!" Kakashi called out as he loosed a fireball in the direction of his only male student, the teen weapon locked with Haku. The fireball closed in fast, leaving scorch marks along the bridge. Sasuke dove to the side as late as he could, trying to keep the assassin too busy to flee but failing, allowing Team 7's opponent to get out of the way just as easily as the Uchiha heir.

Kakashi had been right to order his students to keep this a taijutsu fight, for the most part until Haku showed his skill with one handed signs. However, this still gave the team the distraction they needed to keep him from using his Hyoton jutsu freely. When the fake Hunter landed on the bridge again he was surrounded by a thick mist, curtesy of Naruko, where he began to weave hand signs only to get hit. As soon as he started Naruko drove a fist into his right kidney, without a single sound on her approach or her departure. Feeling the impact Haku reacted by swinging his arm back, a single senbon clutched in his hand, only to hit nothing.

Again Haku began to make hand signs, only to be stopped again when Naruko pulled his hands apart and used the hold to push herself knee first into his chin. This time before Haku could react Naruko disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing behind as the kage bunshin sent its memories back to the original. Naruko was crouched low, resting on one knee as she made careful chakra burns along the surface of the bridge. Where her fingers touched a dark line was left behind. Her current goal was to make a large scale heating seal in an attempt to weaken Haku's Hyoton even slightly. When she felt her clone pop the blond began to work faster, so far only having made half of the design. As she moved to the next position she made another clone when she felt the enemy's chakra start to build again.

"Are you done yet blondie?" Sasuke asked in a whisper, suddenly behind the Uzumaki heiress. When she only shook her head in response he was about to tell her to hurry up when she covered his mouth. With a quick set of motions; finger over her lips, pointing at where Haku was, a motion to her own ears followed by a shaking of her head, before dragging her thumb across her throat. Sasuke nodded as he understood, she was using her previous training in Kirigakure's silent killing to throw off their opponent with nonlethal surprise attacks. He nodded again as he motioned his intent to regroup with their teacher; pointing to himself, one hand "walking" along the palm of the other, and then covering his left eye. With that she shooed him away and got back to work.

Kakashi was standing around the outside of Naruko's mist field when he felt the air begin to chill and saw the mist starting to dissipate as it was frozen out of the air. "Naruko, he's freezing the mist. Pull back now and regroup!" He called out, hoping for his student to hear him. As the mist continued to thin Kakashi saw his late sensei's daughter rush towards him, her steps not making a noise as she ran.

"Did you feel his chakra at all when he started taking the mist down?" Kakashi shook his head in response. "Then he must have amazing control to allow such a small amount of chakra out." Looking towards her sensei Naruko noticed he had covered his Sharingan again. "The seal is in place, but I don't know how effective it will be. It wasn't made to be used large scale like this." Kakashi nodded his head this time, keeping his eyes on the direction that Haku was now approaching them from.

The normally masked boy walked through the frozen mist, keeping his eyes on the two in front of him as well as waiting for a surprise attack from the dark haired teen of Team 7. "Zabuza-san warned me about hurting you 'Miss Land of Iron'. He said he would kill me himself if I hurt you, but I am sure fighting back is fine." He raised his right hand, three senbon between each set of fingers. With a quick motion Haku launched the weapons forward, only for them to be knocked down by a horde of shuriken that came from above, and were then jerked to the sides, the thin ninja wire tied to them catching enough light to give their presence away.

Standing behind Haku was Sasuke who clapped his hands together and pulled on the ninja wire in an Uchiha technique that lead the wires around his target. The wire quickly fell into place and secured the other ninja, allowing for the Uchiha teen to make three hand signs quickly to release a stream of fire along the wire. As the flames raced towards Haku a large slab of ice formed in the way, around the wire, and stopped the attack. With the damage done to the wire Haku was able to shrug the thin binding off.

"This is starting to get unnecessarily dangerous." Haku's voice was flat as he watched Sasuke rejoin his team. Bringing his hands up into a sign that even Kakashi hadn't seen before Haku began to create a dome made of numerous disconnected ice slabs. "Makyo Hyosho!" Team 7's attack force was surrounded by the full length ice constructs, with Haku on the outside of the space. "Don't worry, I'll only kill the men," Haku said to the trio as he watched them from between two of the mirrors. Then he stepped to the side and forward, sinking into the flat surface with his image projecting onto the slab. Instantly the other mirrors reflected the same image before every one of the depictions of the hunter pulled out a bunch of senbon and began to throw them.

None of the three were ready for the assault. Sasuke took two needles to his left shoulder and one in his right bicep. Naruko's back was mostly protected from the attacks by her sword, but she still took one needle to her left calf and two in the thigh of the same leg with one in the front and one in back. Kakashi was able to avoid most of the ones that would have hit him, but still took several to his arms and legs that had been meant for his students. The silver haired leader of Team 7 also had about twenty in the back of his vest, however due to its thick design was left untouched by those senbon. Just as quickly as the flurry of needles began it was over, each mirror still projecting an identical image of Zabuza's second student.

Kakashi started to pull the senbon from his limbs as carefully as he could. Sasuke did the same, though he removed the needles with less finesse. The blond of Team 7 just pulled the weapons free without a concern to herself, a feeling that Yoko jumped on immediately. 'Be careful Naruko-nee! It is dangerous to just rip them out, especially when you're not familiar with the locations of things.' Naruko nodded as she slowly adjusted her shoulders and neck, letting her shake out the injured leg to test it. She wasn't in too much pain, so she could put up with the tiny holes that barely bled.

"Kaka-sensei, I'm putting the plan into action." The blonde dropped to one knee, brushing her finger tips along the surface of the incomplete bridge and putting the last marks into the seal. With the marks done Naruko spiked her chakra into the burned markings and activated the seal. "We have about a minute before it takes full effect. Get out of here and prepare a Katon, sensei."

"I'm not leaving either of you in here." The Jonin said as his one visible eye roamed the enclosure carefully. "We just need someone to use a Katon jutsu on the same slab as someone on the inside, it doesn't have to be me."

"You're the only one fast enough to get out of here sensei." Sasuke said from the Jonin's right. "I don't stand a change of getting out of here. And Naruko is too stubborn to run."

"Fine, but Naruko has to provide cover for you until we are ready," the silver haired man countered. Both of his students nodded as they got ready to make their move. "On three." Naruko watched her teammates closely as her hand went to the hilt of her weapon. "One." Kakashi gathered his strength to his legs, his point of escape being between two of the ice mirrors to his right. "Two." Sasuke braced himself, planning to follow Kakashi as a support. "Three!" The trio from Konoha jumped into action. Kakashi making his straight line for the opening, Sasuke at his ten o'clock position and Naruko on his five.

The blond's weapon was free from her back and swinging as soon as she heard the first set of needles approaching. With a quick twist of her body, the broad side of her sword shielded her teacher. The blade was back in place as quickly as it had been pulled free before Naruko began channeling a very small amount of her Wind chakra and turned back to her teacher. Putting her hand on Kakashi's back she made a small thrust with the arm and pushed him further, right through the chunks of ice.

As he landed Kakashi turned back to the ice constructs and began to run through hand signs at the same pace as his male student, both of them using the same jutsu. Naruko had her back to the spike haired Uchiha and her sword in hand once again, she watched as each reflection of Haku readied to throw another batch of senbon. As the needles began to fly the blond swung her weapon one handed, catching the hole in the blade before spinning it from that position. Her reach was cut off by a small margin as she wasn't using the grip of her Kubikiribocho. Her arms moved as fast as they could, covering every angle she could reach, keeping the heavy blade in motion as she batted away group after group of needles.

"Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu!" The voices of Sasuke and Kakashi both rang out as they blew large gouts of flame at the same mirror. At first the techniques didn't do much besides sending small and uncompromising cracks along the frozen monolith. As the cracks formed Haku increased his rain of senbon, speeding up further as well as throwing more needles. The Yuki's assault began to make its way through Naruko's defense, but only made it as far as her. Each senbon that made it through the blond's spinning weapon was stopped by the teen herself, letting the needles hit her instead of her male teammate.

As the only pupils of Kiri's Demon of the Bloody Mist continued their fight the cracks in the ice mirror began to run deeper and thicker, popping noises coming from them. Sasuke and Kakashi poured in more chakra to the Katon jutsu. Haku exited his mirror and rushed at the distracted Uchiha. Going on nothing except instinct and unnoticed guidance from Yoko, Naruko swung her blade up cutting off the fake hunter from his straight charge and stopping him for long enough. Just as Haku was about to start his charge again there was a loud shattering on the bridge, Haku's Hyoton breaking into slivers of thick ice.

With Kushina

Kushina was standing in front of the man who had been her lover and was now her opponent. Zabuza's giant blade had been lodged in one of the support columns of the bridge and he was currently being kept away from the weapon by the red headed woman, meaning he had to rely on his taijutsu or ninjutsu skills. Both ninja were breathing heavily as they stared each other down, Zabuza more so than Kushina.

"You're not going to get the Kubikiribocho back like this." The Uzumaki head said as she slid into a new offensive form. Narrowing her senses she could feel the fighting members of Team 7 on the bridge. "If you want to end this you can, Zabuza. All we need to do is put down Gato, his men, and anyone else who is waiting for this to be over.

"It's not that easy Kushina." Zabuza shifted himself into a lower position, bending his knees a bit further and widening his stance. "If I can get close to Gato, I can kill him before he can give the order for his men to attack. Without that tiny rat to give the orders his goons will be easier to deal with." With that said the nuke-nin made his charge. When he got in front of the Konoha Kunoichi he grabbed her striking hand by the wrist and pushed the blow to the side, as he deflected the attack he leapt up, his knee aimed for her forehead.

Kushina responded by leaning back, out of the reach of the flying knee, before rushing forward and grabbing the now slightly airborne ninja in a pushing tackle. Both of Zabuza's arms were held at his side, locked there by Kushina's full body grip. After taking two steps she wheeled around hard and slammed him into the bridge's support. "We can help you. There is a full team on the top of that bridge, one of which is a veteran of the Third war and another member is one of two young ninja you have personally taught." As he was pressed between the woman and the support Zabuza tried to bring a knee up into the woman's stomach, only to have her slam her fist into his kidney. "Give up Zabuza and we can end this positively." She looked up into his face, a tear in the corner of her left eye. "I don't want to fight you anymore."

The tall man squirmed as he tried to break even one arm free of the hold Kushina had on him. "Fighting me is no use Zabuza. Even if you do hurt me, you know that I am more than just an average ninja of Konoha, I am the Jinchuriki of the Leaf." Her voice was soft as she spoke now, not wanting any hidden enemies to overhear those words. "I am going to do what I have to in order to stop you Zabuza." Zabuza continued his struggle against the woman, planting his feet on the bridge support behind him and kicking off of it. The redhead adjusted her footing, trying to keep herself steady, as she pushed him back onto the column of cement.

Kushina let her hold loosen slightly as she looked up into his eyes. Carefully she shifted her arms from a full body grab to a simple and tender hug. Zabuza looked back at her with a hint of confusion before carefully extracting his arms and returning the hug. "I missed you Kushina." The next instant Kushina smiled and ran through a quick set of hand signs and a sphere of water surrounded the man.

"I'll let you out, on your word that you will go along with my plan instead of your own." She let a slightly mischievous smile grace her lips. One of her hands was in the orb and she was staring into his eyes. "So are you going to listen to your lover or keep being a stubborn fool?" The redhead stood and waited for an answer before realizing the most she would get would be masses of popping bubbles. "Nod if you agree to my terms."

Zabuza was glaring at her from the water prison and nodded as much as the oppressing water would allow. The water fell around him, with an easy exhale and a slow inhale he looked back at her again. "Fine, we try it your way."

On the Bridge

Naruko stood facing the Yuki descendent, her blade lifted between them. "Give up already. There is no reason to keep fighting." She called out to the boy and tightened her grip, ready to defend herself.

"There is a reason. Zabuza said to complete the mission, and so I am going to do just that." Haku reached for his backup supply of senbon. "I will continue until the job is finished." The assassin made his move, in a sudden charge forward with his arm poised to throw three needles. "I will end this quick."

Naruko responded to the incoming attacker by readying a downward swing with her weapon. Her fingers readied to shift the grip in her hand, switching the blade to it's broad side as it came down. 'If I can just knock him out with one good hit we'll be better off.' The blond's plan was to use her favorite weapon as a paddle instead of the blade it was meant to be. 'I don't need to go too easy on him. Sakura will be able to prevent any permanent damage and mend anything serious.'

As the sword fell into place Haku slid to the side gently, around the offensive guard, and prepared to strike the Namikaze girl in a way similar to when he incapacitated Zabuza. As Haku's needles were about to hit their mark Naruko felt a tug on her jacket collar and was pulled back by her sensei, her limbs trailing behind the rest of her. "Let me go damn it!"

As Naruko was pulled away from the fake hunter movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. The movement was just a blur coming up from over the side of the bridge and landing on the opposite edge. There stood Zabuza, Kushina slung over one shoulder while the Kubikiribocho was in his hand, with his back to the occupants of the bridge top. Slowly dropping to a knee Zabuza lifted Kushina off his shoulder and placed her against the barrier wall on the side of the bridge. When the Uzumaki woman's head rolled back the three Konoha ninja saw her eyes were closed. The sight shut down Naruko's thoughts, causing her to miss the slow rise and fall of her mother's chest.

Naruko's eyes widened in shock as her breath caught in her throat. 'Zabuza wouldn't hurt Kaa-san.' As she continued to look at her only living blood relative her thoughts started to shake more. The adult woman's stillness unnatural to the blond who was so used to seeing Kushina up and active. Yoko was trying to get her sister's attention as loudly as she could, but to no success. Naruko was also shut off to her teacher and black haired housemate's attempts.

Without a single thought or plan the teen was rushing at the pale man, her sword readied as she jumped slightly and swung. Zabuza turned and met his first pupil's blade with his own, blocking her, and looked into her furious eyes. His own dark eyes reflected sadness as he turned his weapon roughly to forcefully disarm Naruko before enveloping her in a hug that she fought against. "I know how you feel Naruko but calm down, this is all part of her plan." His mouth was right against her ear and his voice soft, trying to relieve her of the anger. "She will be just fine, she isn't even hurt."

Chapter End


I just want to say thank you to everyone being patient. There were so many times that I just didn't know where I wanted to go with this chapter, especially during the Team 7 v. Haku parts. Thanks as always for reading and expect more frequent updates hopefully, I plan to prioritize this story at least until the Chunin Exams.

Wishing you all well dbrame91