How many people realized I got the wrong date?

Hell, I didn't realize I wrote the wrong date until I was writing this.

Hush, didn't mean to get your hopes up. Here, I wrote a long chapter as an apology.

Chapter 51 Fangs of the cold.

"This wasn't what I was expecting when I came to the land of waves looking for Akatsuki wannabes," Ina muttered looking at the winter wasteland that was the land of waves. The sea around the country was now a platform of ice and snow. It would be beautiful if it wasn't so unsettling.

Kisame's fangs were on full display as he grinned with delight. He wasn't attached to his fellow swordsman of the mist, as he left that village a while ago, but he felt almost proud when he saw Zabuza fighting.

"You really are a demon," he said to the red hair seductress. "I can't believe you gave them that stuff. You're as bad as Orochimaru." If being compared to the snake bastard offended her, she didn't show it. Ina's green eyes were fixed on the ice user that was toying with the leaf genins. There was history there he was told. They say she was from the leaf. After seeing the village mistreat the Uchihas she faked their deaths and spirited them away. She did a lot of that, spiriting away. Moving from place to place taking promising children as her own and building on empire.

Kisame would never get used to powerful warriors calling her "mother."

"They would have lost otherwise," she said finally. "Your fellow swordsman is no match for Kakashi, and he has Asuma Sarutobi by his side." She smiled a wicked smile that made him shiver. "I didn't expect things to change like this, who knew team 10 would be on this mission. It doesn't change my plans, but it is interesting." She was muttering it again. She did that a lot and is was always disturbing. She was always scheming, and no one could tell what she was thinking, not even her, "Children."

"We'll go in, only when they need our help," she said leaning on a tree that shielded her from the cold. She pulled up her kimono, wearing it properly to fight of the frosty air.

"Do you believe they'll need help," Temujin one of her many children spoke up. He was more familiar with the power of Gelel then many, being a descendant of some royal family. Kisame was curious as well, he saw what the brat Temujin could do with a stone and there were two down there. Would they really need to help them?

"As powerful as they are now, they can't beat an Uchiha and an Uzumaki working together," she smirked at their surprised faces. Ina was building an empire filled with powerful clans that fell from history. The Uchiha and Uzumaki are by far the most powerful in her arsenal. No one can beat a Uchiha in speed and accuracy and no one can out last an Uzumaki in a battle of ninjutsu. Their sharingan and fuinjutsu were the reason they were "wiped out" to being with. Everyone knew to fear their clan, and Ina had them all living together like it was normal.

Individually they are a force to be feared, together. The ground trembled as a pillar of flames rose from the icy wasteland. Together, they were a walking disaster. If anyone knew what Ina was doing there would be another great ninja war. This time everyone would have their blades pointed at her little empire.

"I was unaware you'd left any Uchiha or Uzumaki behind," Temujin said, glancing at the pillar of fire. "Was your goal not to provide a safe haven for the clans?"

"As much as I want to take them for myself, it would complicate things," she said, not at all fazed by the display of power, with the way they lived, Kisame wasn't either. "They have a role to play, I can't interfere with that."

The pillar of fire exploded breaking the ice to reveal the sea again.

"Who in their right mind would try and manipulate those brats?" she said as the mist was blown away. "I'm no fool, I know my place."

Sasuke's insides burned. Everything burned, his chakra felt like lava. "Turn up the heat," was what Naruto told him to do, before transferring chakra to him. It was always a hit or miss when it came to Naruto's chakra control. One moment he could heal a dying fish, the next, they're having sushi for dinner.

Thankfully thanks to Sakura, transferring chakra among themselves was relatively easy. Sasuke's onyx necklace glowed a burning red. The chakra Naruto gave him was stored in the necklace, giving Sasuke a taste of Naruto's true power. It was over whelming, in a way it explained why Naruto was so hyper, with all this energy rushing through him, he couldn't sit still. Sakura most have known. She never complained when Naruto had annoyingly active, running around like an idiot. Then again, Sakura spoiled him every chance she got.

Sasuke's attempts to warm his body with chakra exploded outwards with the introduction of Naruto's chakra. The air around him heated and melted the ice, the puddles evaporating before they could turn back to ice. Yeah, with this they could win.

Naruto released his justu, and the wall of chakra fell. Haku stopped attacking to stare in awe at Sasuke's display. It wasn't so hot it melted his mirrors, but it took concentration to maintain them.

"let's do this Sasuke!" Naruto said, standing beside him unbothered by the heat. Even though the blond said that with confidence, Sasuke knew. Naruto was running low on Chakra. With how powerful, Sasuke felt, Naruto must have given him near all the chakra he had left.

"This idiot," Sasuke muttered, but didn't argue. He wouldn't waste it. The ground became their enemy as it produced spikes of ice. They leaped into the air and landed a top the deadly ice.

"Lava ground it is then," Naruto said grinning. "First one to fall loses!"

"It should be a fair game since none of us can fly," Sasuke said smugly, even as the ice beneath him melted.

"Sakura really need to teach us how to make that seal," Naruto whined, no doubt thinking back to when Sakura cheated by floating in the air. The two genin leaped once more as the ground opened to a maw of death.

Naruto summoned a clone and used it to throw him out of the way, Sasuke threw a kunai with a wire string attached and pulled himself to safety.

"You're the one who studies fuinjutsu, can't you figure it out?" Sasuke said as he landed on a pillar of ice.

"I tried but there's more to it like weight and forces of the earth or something, what was it called?"

Sasuke breathed fire to stop the attack of ice needles.

"I should have known you're pea for brain wouldn't be able to figure it out," Sasuke muttered taking out a hand full of Shuriken.

"What did you say bastard!"

The shurikens multiple at Naruto's will and hounded in on Haku who was forced back into his mirrors to block the attack. The shurikens bounced off the mirrors and fell to the ground.

"Maybe that's why Sakura didn't even try to teach you how to make it," Sasuke watched Haku come out of the mirror and glared at them.

"As if you can do better!"

As Haku stepped on the shuriken they exploded in a poof of smoke.

"Tell you what stupid, I'll help you with the jutsu when we get back to the leaf."

A herd of Naruto's jumped Haku each covered in explosion tags.

"Really!" Naruto asked excited. "You promise?"

"Promise." Sasuke sighed.

The ground ice shook with the explosion of the clones.

Naruto grinned.

Haku staggered to his feet, his left hand burned and useless. He wasn't a fan of killing but he felt he would die if he wasn't careful. His opponents weren't normal. He already knew that, but he thought that with the increase in his power, he stood a better chance. He was starting to doubt whether these children were human. How did they have this much chakra? Without the stones power, Haku would be dead by now.

His burned hand tingled as it healed. The bones healed and snapped back into place correctly without his input. It was a truly monstrous power and yet he felt he would lose even with it. His eyes wondered and he found Zabuza fighting the two jonin senseis. He had a grin on his face, but he was also covered in blood. At least one of them was having fun.

"What's the matter?" Haku focused on the Uchiha. "Heat getting to you?" Sasuke was now standing on water, the ice around him having melted. Haku glared at him before he realized his mistake. The blond boy wasn't near him.

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Shit," Haku cursed and summoned a mirror.

"Dance of wild flames!"

"Whirlwind dance!"

Fire and wind met and embraced to form a fire storm. The flames wrapped around Haku like a snake cracking his mirrors from the heat. This was bad. The flames greedily ate the oxygen leaving him breathless. If the flames didn't kill him, he would suffocate to death. He fell to one knee and struggling to breathe as the flames roared around him.

The memory of him as a child struggling to survive came to mind. After his father tried to kill him, he was left to survive in this cold world alone. Leaving his home through the forest brought him close to death for the second time when a pack of wolves attacked him and tried to eat him. He survived thanks to his kekei genkai but he never for got the feeling of terror.

Maybe that's why.

Power rushed through him as he pulled on the power within the stone. He wouldn't die here, he was Zabuza's sword, his tool, and the only one he could rely one. He could not let Zabuza down, would not let the man who saved him, be disappointed. He was kind, yes, but he had someone to protect, and that made him stronger.

"Night of the hunt," he muttered, and a blast of cold extinguished the flames, mist taking its place. Naruto and Sasuke gasped in shock as their vanished and their efforts yielded no fruit. Haku was done playing, he would get rid of them and returned to Zabuza's side. These children would know what it felt like to be hunted and pay for standing in Zabuza's way.

"I am a tool," he said as the mist cleared. "I will not bring shame to lord Zabuza!"

Around his kneeling form, stood a pack of wolves made of mist but cold as ice. It wasn't the ice wolf jutsu, no it was more. Haku learned from his fight with Naruto and Sasuke. They were strong, but only because they worked together, if he forced them apart, they would succumb to him.

He stood and the Wolves growled in anticipation, clawing at the ice ground.

"Go."

They launched at Naruto and Sasuke who stood on either side of him. Sasuke through a handful of shurikens at his wolves but the blades went through them and came out the other size a frozen mess, breaking as it hit the ground.

"Ahh!" Naruto cried out in pain as the wolf bit into his arm turning it to ice. The blond narrowly escaped with his arm intact, but it was covered in frostbite and was now useless. He hissed in pain as he was forced to run from the wolves.

Sasuke breath fire to ward them off but was attacked from behind, it was a tactic they used on Haku, and he was now returning the favor. The Uchiha that was a beacon of heat, escaped with no damage, the wolve having vanish after getting too close. Sasuke was untouchable currently but that wasn't the same for Naruto. The blond used explosion tags to ward the wolves away, but they led him further from Sasuke, his only source of heat.

A savage grin formed on Haku's face as he watched his handy work. Together they were a treat but apart they were easier to handle.

Naruto leap into a pillar of ice out of the wolves' reach, panting heavily. His movements were slowed thanks to the cold, and it only got colder the further he was from Sasuke, with his chakra running low, he wouldn't last long.

It was time to end this.

The scream of a hawk grew Sasuke's attention. He looked up to see a flock of ice birds diving towards something. He followed their trajectory and found a horrifying sight. Naruto was on a pillar surrounded by wolves with the hawks attacking him. As if that wasn't bad enough, mirrors of ice formed a ring above his head, with the image of Haku within them.

It took Sasuke a second to realize what was wrong. Naruto didn't have the heat to protect him like Sasuke did, and distracted as he was, he didn't notice Haku gearing up for an attack.

He'll die.

Sasuke's body moved before he could think up a plan. Had he been thinking, he might have done things differently. He needed to be the one to think rationally in their group. Naruto was an idiot and Sakura was reckless, he needed to be the one to bail them out of their mess. But in the end, it seems he as a reckless fool.

It was warm.

Naruto was in a warm embrace before he knew what was happening. It was so cold before and when he thought he escaped the wolves he was attacked by birds. Then he was suddenly warm. He wrapped his good arm around the warmth and moaned in satisfaction. Then he smelt it.

He opened his eyes and a saw Sasuke, the bastard hugging him. He would have thrown him off any other day but now he was left frozen, not with the cold, but with horror. There was so much blood. Needles all too familiar were imbedded in his back, the ice coating them melted under Sasuke's heat to reveal metal.

Sasuke's body became heavier, but Naruto barely registered the weight. The blond looked down at his teammate and friend, Sasuke was smirking at him.

"You dump ass, I swear you guys will die without me," Sasuke croaked.

"Why," Naruto trembled. "I didn't need your help!" he yelled, gripping Sasuke tighter.

"My body moved on its own," Sasuke's voice became smaller. "Don't die Naruto, or Sakura will cry. A real man… doesn't make… women… cry."

Sasuke body slumped in Naruto's arms, the sudden weight forming the Uzumaki to his knees. The cold air creeped in as Sasuke's necklace lost its glow. It was quite, almost peaceful as the frost kissed Sasuke's cheek.

Naruto placed the boy on the ice pillar careful of the needles.

"I really hate you, "Naruto muttered, taking out a needle from Sasuke's back. "You always try to act cool in front of Sakura as if she can't wipe the floor with you. Don't make Sakura cry? Take your own advice, I'll find a way to the after life and whoop yo' ass." Naruto's shoulder trembled as he pulled a needle gently from Sasuke's neck. "Don't make Sakura cry, what about me?" Tears and snot ran down his face as his body trembled.

Waaaaah!

Unable to hold back he waled into Sasuke's unmoving chest.

Haku landed on a pillar near the crying blond. Sasuke must have known it was a trap, yet he still shielded the boy. He risked his life to protect Naruto. Haku sighed. He coated the needles to look like ice needles. Thinking he was unaffected by the cold Sasuke would protect the blond instead of blocking the attack. At least that was the plan. He didn't expect it to go so well.

"He was a fool, what good is he if he's dead," he was being cruel and he knew it. "He gave his life for nothing, now you're going to die too." He readied his ice needles; he would try to make it painless at least.

"Shut up."

Haku recoiled from the voice the blond spoke with. Was his voice always that deep.

"You'll pay for this," the blond vowed. Steam rose from his body as the air around him heated. The ice beneath him began to melt at an alarming rate. Within seconds Naruto was standing on the water again, the wolves and hawks unable to get near him.

Haku leaped back putting distance between them. He looked on in horror as Naruto's useless arm, healed before his eyes.

"What!?"

Naruto held Sasuke in his arms as the ice platform melted away. His gently hold was a stark contrast to the feeling of death he gave off. This simply wasn't real, if he had this kind of power, why didn't he use it earlier?

Naruto disappeared from Haku's view. The ice user looked around franticly for him before finding he was on the bridge above. He placed the Uchiha down gently and even stroke his cheek.

"I'll be back," he said before leaping off the edge, and back onto the water. Haku's body trembled despite himself. It wasn't the first time he was exposed to killing intent, being Zabuza's partner that was a day occurrence. But never saw something like this.

Naruto was angry, he understood that. The blond wanted to kill him, he expected that. What he couldn't comprehend was the calm. Naruto's blue eyes were now a crimson red slit, like an animal. His teeth were fangs and his hair stood on end and his hands bared claws. He transformed into a beast with a thirst for Haku's blood.

Confused as he was he understood that too, anger changes people. But with all that rage that Haku felt, Naruto didn't show on his face.

Naruto's red beast like yet were blank and calm, calculating. He didn't attack recklessly, he walked with purpose. And this sacred Haku more than anything. What's scarier than a mad dog, is a calculating wolf.

Naruto chakra burned a bright crimson and formed a fox with nine tails over him. The beast roared as Naruto should have, a great wind blew from the boy. Haku shield his face from the pressure, his eyes trembling.

"I'm going to kill you." Naruto promised.

Haku believed him.

Night song, my night walkers. This was fun to write! It didn't take as long as the others did, I guess I do work well when not under pressure.

It's the Chinese new year! The year of the Tiger, I think. Hope You all enjoy the day. In celebration of this day, I give you an omake!

Enjoy!

The forest burned around them as Sakura glided down atop her blade. The earth was scorned the trees charcoal as he walked by. Ground zero was the worst of all the ground might as well be lava and the trees were ash. She might have over done it.

Surprisingly the corpse of her prey remained, charred but still there. She knelt and poked it; the body crumpled away like dust in the wind. Red eyes looked down at the pill of black ash with disappointment.

"You scared him away."

"It was necessary."

"It was fun while it lasted."

"Its not like we won't see him again."

"He won't play with you because your so scary. This is why our clan don't allow our women to become warriors, they might turn out like you. You'll never get a husband."

This silent conversation went unheard and except for the slight twitch in her brow there was no change to her blank expression. She stood from the pile of ash and stood atop her sword once more. The thought of why Orochimaru was here was placed in the back of her mind for review. She had a dwarf to kill.

She flew off leaving the charred remains of a forest behind.

As her chakra signature was far enough away, the snake sage rose from the ground, with a gasp. He'd shed his flesh at the last second and escaped under ground when he realized he could block the attack. He looked down at the charred remains that could have been him and shivered.

"It seems the leaf village is still creating monsters," he muttered.

It was odd however, he heard that only two Uchiha boys were left behind in the leaf village. Did Ina miss one or did she leave the girl on purpose? There was the possibility that she lied about who she left behind, but Orochimaru didn't want to start miss trusting the woman. Better to just do as she says and not appear in Shino's visions.

Orochimaru looked at where the girl left and sighed. She was going to kill Gato, he could and arguably should try and stop her but…

The image of those flames right out of hell coming towards him flashed in his mind.

"I did my best," Orochimaru said as he walked in the oppose direction. They had no use for the man anyway, he'd rather deal with Ina's disappointment than that's girls wrath.

"It's a shame I didn't get to keep those swordsmen though, they would man amazing test subjects."

He stopped in his musing and frowned.

"Maybe just a little bit."

Next chapter February 15.

Night song!