Chapter 13: I believe in you
The intensity from Naruto's chakra was something Zabuza had not expected. This twelve year old boy was displaying a level of chakra that not even he skin on Naruto's face slowly began to rip apart, evaporating into nothing, revealing his flesh to be nothing but crimson chakra. He continues to scream out, further intensifying his animalistic roars as the chakra he was producing continued to grow. When the transformation was completed, Naruto no longer existed. In his place was a miniature looking fox that had four tails swinging around. Without any hesitation, the demon began gathering chakra to create a purple sphere with red and blue chakra forming around it. He quickly released the attack, nearly obliterating Zabuza's body, who had quickly jumped out the way.
"W… What is this? W… What are you?" Zabuza asked as he inspected the destructive power this boy was showing. Following up with another demonic roar, the demon charged Zabuza with a speed that not even Madara's Sharingan could keep up with, and it flipped forward, sending Zabuza crashing into the ground with its four tails. Before Zabuza could pick himself back up, the demon began gathering more chakra in its mouth, preparing to release another Fake Fox Blast attack. Zabuza saw this and without wasting any time, shot a massive wave of water, using his Water Bomb Jutsu, which knocked the demon back slightly. 'Damn it… I need to take control of this battle, now…' Zabuza thought to himself as he prepared to go all out against this demon.
The demon slams both of its hands into the ground beneath him, forcing Zabuza to quickly jump back as the hands shout out in front of him, missing him only so slightly. He quickly swings his sword around and cuts through the two hands, causing immense pain to the demon before him. However, as quickly as they were cut off, the two hands grew back. The demon then extends another hand that shot out from his chakra arms, that were still in the ground, racing towards Zabuza to get ahold of the rogue shinobi. Zabuza saw this and applied chakra to his legs, giving him a boost in speed along with being able to increase his jump backwards. Following this, Zabuza began slashing away at the demon's hands, who continued to shoot out towards him.
"You want to play tag? Then let's play!" Zabuza shouts and he creates ten water clones, and they proceed to charge the miniature demon with the same ferocity as their original. Zabuza knew that his clones wouldn't last long and so he decided to lay all his cards on the table. He wouldn't be able to fight the others, but eliminating the Jinchuriki would make his next encounter with them significantly easier.
The ten clones of Zabuza were swinging their swords at the fox, who used his tail as its own sword, clashing against them, moving around like a wild animal that's lost. He was able to strike one of the clones through the chest, causing it to dispel, but another clone came up and managed to wound the fox's back, which healed almost instantly. The fox was finding itself to be getting frustrated with the sheer force of Zabuza's clones and felt the pressure getting to him. This caused him to jump up in the air and form another sphere of chakra. When the attack was released, the demon managed to create a massive crater in the ground, not leaving a single water clone alive. At the same time, the original Zabuza had finished his Giant Vortex Jutsu, using nearly all the water in the area to strike the demon down. He follows up his attack by creating another ten water clones, each of them quickly flashing through the hand seals, alongside the original, and ten water dragons shot into the water with a much powerful water dragon following right behind them.
The miniature fox was being damaged greatly by this attack, experiencing the full power of what an elite member of Anbu was capable of. The attack continued on and Zabuza wasn't letting up, not in the slightest.
Inside the mind of the fox, Naruto found himself floating, and an emotionless and exhausted expression was on his face. 'C… Come… C… Come here… Come here, boy…' Kyuubi says, histone is much softer, but full of its usual darkness. Without hesitation, Naruto's body slowly floated to the cage. 'Take the tag off… Unleash your power… Remember… It's kill or be killed…' Kyuubi said, hoping to influence his Jinchuriki to set him free. Naruto looks up at the tag and extends his arm, slightly loosening it.
On the outside, while being struck by Zabuza's ultimate water technique, a fifth tail was beginning to form on the demon as a result of the tag being loosened. The power coming from the demon also grew as it was finding itself resisting the incoming assault. Soon, the demon managed to blast through the attack, dispelling the multiple water dragons and it began to charge from the bottom of the lake.
Zabuza was breathing heavily. That last attack nearly drained him of all the chakra he had. "T… There is no… No way… T… That kid… S… Survived that…" Zabuza muttered out while using his Executioner blade as support to stand. But the Demon of the Hidden Mist was proven wrong as he could see a crimson colored figure racing towards him. "Impossible! How the hell did he survive that?" Zabuza asked nobody in particular. The demon emerged from the water, its arm extending out to grab hold of Zabuza and rip him to shreds. However, the Gods were looking down upon Zabuza and right before the demon got ahold of him, the demon was struck by a thousand water needles, sending him crashing away.
A shinobi wearing the Hidden Mist Village Hunter-nin mask appeared. The stranger made another hand seal, releasing another thousand needles of death that struck the demon. Clearly, the miniature fox was injured, and it was injured badly.
'Come on… Take it off… Rip it off… Let's kill…' Kyuubi whispered, trying its hardest to persuade its Jinchuriki to let him out. Naruto pulled off more of the seal, which allowed Kyuubi to pump more chakra into Naruto's body, further amplifying the demon's power. The miniature fox figure began going through another change, one that worried even the mysterious hunter ninja. A skeletal structure began to form around the demon's flesh as the sixth tail shot out. Its chakra continued to grow and the crater the demon was standing in began to crack even further.
Naruto had prepared to rip off the sealing tag that kept the gate closed, only to have his west grabbed by a mysterious stranger. This enraged Kyuubi greatly and the demon fox began to roar and howl. When Naruto looked at the man that grabbed his hand, he was surprised to say the lease. 'F… Fourth Hokage?' Naruto asked, unsure of how his former idol was standing before him.
'You bastard… What are you doing?' Kyuubi asked with a dangerous growl.
'When this seal was set, I sealed some of my own chakra in the event that the tag was in danger of being torn off. I can tell that I made the right call.' the Fourth Hokage says. He then let out a sad chuckle. 'Honestly, I really hoped it was going to be just a waste of my chakra because truthfully, I really didn't want to see you again, Kyuubi." The Hokage explained.
'Why don't you open this gate? I'll make sure your request of never having to see me again is granted." The fox threatened, its killing intent growing rapidly. Naruto looked at the Hokage with a mixture of disdain and surprise.
'What are you doing here, Fourth Hokage?' Naruto asked, addressing the former village leader's title with venom. Naruto used to idolize and look up to the hero of the hidden leaf. But after learning that his hero sealed the fox inside of him, causing the entire village and everyone to hate him. The young Jinchuriki lost every ounce of respect for the man.
The Hokage sighed sadly as he looked at Naruto with great remorse. 'As I said, if the seal was ever in danger of being removed, it would activate my chakra. Besides, having a chance to meet my son is something that I always looked forward to.' Minato explains. This caught Naruto off guard as he took a step back, a look of disbelief on his face.
'W… Why did you? Why did you call me your son?' Naruto asked. Before Minato could speak, Kyuubi continued roaring at the top of its lungs, demanding for Naruto to rip the damn seal off.
'I tell you what… It's a bit noisy here. I know a place where we can speak in peace.' Minato says and the two are then transported away from the fox. He then looks at his son, seeing him all grown up and as a shinobi of the hidden leaf. 'It seems Lord Third kept your relationship to me a secret. He probably wanted to suppress as much information about the nine tails as possible.' Minato explains. Naruto remained still as his eyes were shadowed by his blond hair that matched the same shade as Minato. 'Look… If people learned about your heritage, and that you were the son of the Yellow Flash, it would have put a massive target on your back… I'm so sorry, Naruto… I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me…' The Fourth Hokage says, sensing the growing emotional turmoil in his son.
A set of tears began to stream down Naruto's face as he began to shout. 'What the hell is wrong with you!? How could you seal the nine tails inside of your own son!? Do you know the pain that I went through!? The loneliness, the hatred from the village! I've been all on my own ever since I could remember! How could you do this to me!?" Naruto exclaimed at the top of his lungs, the tears running down were growing thicker. In a burst of sheer unyielding rage, Naruto punched his father in the stomach as hard as he could. 'You have no idea the hell I went through! Don't you dare act like you gave a damn about me!' Naruto continued shouting.
The deceased father of Naruto looked at his son, tears of regret falling down his own face. 'I know you hate me… You have every right to hate me for what I've done. I won't make any excuses, nor will I ask for your forgiveness.' Minato says softly.
'W… Why? Why did you do it? Why couldn't it have been anyone else?' Naruto asked through the sobs.
'It's because… I believed in you.' Minato admits. This statement catches Naruto off guard as he looks up at his father.
'Y… You believed in me?' Naruto asked.
Minato nods and ruffles his son's hair. 'That's right, Naruto. I believed that someday, you would learn to use and master the power of the nine tails to protect the village. I don't have much time left, so I'm going to need you to listen without interrupting me, okay?' Minato asked. Naruto nodded slightly, still trying to process and take in this revelation. 'On the night of your birth, the nine tails didn't just come out of nowhere. There was a man in a mask that had a Sharingan. Naruto, I believe this man will come back someday and he will try to destroy the village. I've seen everything that has happened and I know things have been tough for you. But Naruto, I believe in you. I believe that you'll overcome your own darkness, and you'll grow to become a fine young man.' Minato states.
'B… But dad… H… How can you say that? Y… You saw how the people hated me… H… How they… How they treated me… How can I overcome this darkness? I… I need to kill them before they kill me…' Naruto says. Minato nods, giving his son a look of understanding.
'To tell you the truth, Naruto… I don't know how you will overcome this darkness and move past the pain you've endured. But as your father, it's my job to believe in you. I believe in you, Naruto, with all my heart. I know you will get through this and you'll become one of the greatest shinobi ever.' Minato declares, a bright and warm smile shining on his face. This was a look that nobody had ever given Naruto, and it caused his sobs to increase as he buried his face into his father's chest. 'I'm running out of time. I'll quickly repair the seal on Kyuubi's cage but remember, Naruto… This is it. If the seal comes off, I won't be able to fix it. You need to stay strong, my son. You need to remember that you aren't alone. I believe in you, my son.' Minato says before his form slowly begins to fade and the tears on Kyuubi's tag return back to normal.
On the outside, the crimson chakra began to fade. The heat and intensity coming from the miniature demon was beginning to recede back into Naruto's body. The young blond's form appeared, his body was unconscious, his chakra was nearly drained, though he was already beginning to heal. Zabuza and the hunter ninja watched with caution and as Zabuza began walking towards Naruto's body with the determination to end this brat's life, he was soon stopped by Kakashi.
"Hold it, Zabuza. You aren't touching my student." Kakashi warns dangerously with the kunai at Zabuza's neck. "You've already used up all your chakra, it's over." Kakashi declared. Before Zabuza could respond, a set of two Senbon needles pierced through Zabuza's neck, making his eyes go wide with surprise.
"Thank you for distracting him… I hope you didn't mind, but I wanted the satisfaction of ending it myself." The hunter ninja says. Kakashi narrows his eyes as he places his two fingers on Zabuza's neck, confirming that the man was indeed dead.
"Your mask, it's familiar. You belong to the Hidden Mist Village's Anbu Black Ops, you're a hunter-nin." Kakashi points out.
"That's correct. I'm a member of the Elite Tracking Unit from the Hidden Mist Village. It's our job to hunt down any and all rogue ninja from our village." The boy explained.
'H… His voice… He's just a kid, no older than my Genin… Yet, he's already a member of the Anbu Black Ops…' Kakashi quietly thought to himself. Madara, Sasuke, and Tazuna quickly made their way over to Kakashi while the hunter-nin proceeded to Zabuza's body.
"I'll be taking the body for proof that Zabuza has been killed. Goodbye." The masked ninja said before vanishing via body flicker, leaving the Konoha shinobi alone. Kakashi then turns his focus to Naruto, noticing that his skin was greatly burned, probably from using the advanced form of Kyuubi or something.
"Tazuna, how far away is your house? I'd like to get Naruto some place where he can rest." Kakashi says. The bridge builder quickly snapped himself out of his daze.
"Uh… Y… Yeah… M… My house is about, uh, an hour away." Tazuna says. Kakashi nods and carefully picks Naruto up and places him on his back, being extra cautious to not irritate the burns on his skin. Madara noticed the wounds and was curious. Not even she had expected for Naruto to be so powerful and realized just how much more training she needed if she was going to be able to take the fox for herself.
"Let's hurry up and get to Tazuna's house. Naruto's condition isn't something I want to take lightly." Kakashi says and the four of them begin walking.
Author's Note
Before anyone decides to send me to the Shinigami, hear me out. I was watching the Birth of Naruto and got in my feelings. I could have had Kushina's moment with him, but I felt Minato would be a bit better, all things considered. This will be what jumpstarts Naruto's path to not being such a lunatic and sadistic killer, though it won't be an overnight change.
I got a little creative with Kyuubi's seal, Naruto ripping bits of it off, allowing for more chakra to get pumped through, and more tails to be released. Instead of being set for when the eight tails come out, I had it to where Minato would appear in the event that the seal is in danger of getting taken off.
Naruto's body is heavily damaged from using Kyuubi's cloak, which will be a huge thing for the rest of this arc, since Naruto won't be able to draw on the demonic chakra without his body experiencing pain. Consider him similar to Vegeta. He wants to push through the pain, but can't, and he gets quite frustrated. I don't know. Tomorrow, when it comes time for the next chapter, we'll go from there. I hope you guys found the initial fight with Zabuza to be interesting and entertaining. I appreciate the support and will see you guys in the next chapter.