{Land of Fire, Konohagakure, Hokage tower, lower level}
April 14th.
Two weeks later.
"Whoever decided it was a good idea to invent D-rank missions should be strung up and skinned alive. I would personally take pleasure in doing the job myself." growled out Naruto as he held an annoyed Tora.
This was the third time in a row that they had to chase this damned cat around the village, and Naruto was not happy.
Although there were no claw marks on him this time, the previous two times they chased the cat, he was unlucky. No. This time, it was Sasuke's turn to get mauled, and Sasuke's face was now covered in long scratch marks and band-aids.
They entered the room their client was waiting in, and the woman shot up and snatched the cat out of Naruto's arms, squeezing the life out of it. "Oh, my poor baby! Thank goodness you are safe now."
The three genin smirked at seeing the cat suffer at the hands of his owner, and Kakashi sighed in relief that the mission was over faster than expected.
Iruka nodded in approval as he handed them their pay, and they bowed in thanks.
"Well done, team Kakashi," said Hiruzen. Your progress as a team continues to impress me. This is a new record. With plenty of time on your hands, we can assign you another mission if that is acceptable."
Sasuke and Sakura perked up at the idea of a potential C-rank mission, with Naruto crossed his arms, already knowing not to expect much.
"Let's see…" began Sarutobi, examining the various mission scrolls and files. "We have a guard duty at the northern wall, assisting in renovating the Merchant pub, or-"
"Hokage-sama," interrupted Naruto, gaining the attention of the three adults in the room. My teammates and I have been at this for some time, and… we are growing restless with these chores. We'd like a mission that will challenge us—something other than painting a fence or watering a garden.
Iruka sighed at this. "Naruto-kun. I know you are eager to prove yourself, but I understand that tD-rank missions are more important than you may think. they are a-
"Mundane," interrupted Sasuke. "Why do we train if the most we end up doing is unclogging toilets and chasing annoying rodents?" he said, gesturing to his scratched face.
Sakura nodded in agreement. "I think we're ready for something better too. We are a lot stronger than we were in the academy.
Iruka raised a brow and turned to the Hokage.
The old man smiled amusedly as Naruto's annoyed expression reminded him of Kushina or a rarely annoyed Minato. 'Okay, then. I have just the mission for you kids.'
Kakashi sighed and bowed in apology. "I'm sorry for my team, Hokage-sama. It seems they've forgotten their manners.
The Hokage raised a hand to dismiss it. "there's no need, Kakashi. These youngsters are still in training after all."
Iruka smiled as the Hokage got a scroll and handed it to the team.
"Come in, Tazuna…" spoke Hiruzen.
A mildly drunk man walked through the door and surveyed the kids with a disappointed look.
"These are the brats who are supposed to protect me?" commented Tazuna rudely, peering at the genin assigned for his protection. "They don't look like much. Especially the short one"
Tazuna said this while pointing at Naruto.
Naruto glanced at Sakura, then Sasuke, and realized that, unfortunately, he was the shortest.
Sakura smirked slightly at this, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.
Naruto scowled at the insult. "excuse me? just who do you think you're-
"Naruto, relax," said Kakashi in a placating manner. 'for all his maturing, he's still easy to rile up.'
"Now, Tazuna-san, I understand that you're a visitor here and aren't familiar with our customs," said Sarutobi, puffing out some tobacco from his pipe. "But refrain from insulting my shinobi. I gave them the mission. I won't tolerate any insults directed at them. They will be putting their lives on the line for you.
Tazuna sighed in response. "very well. Forgive my drunkness. It was a rough journey here.
"Umm, it's drunkenness, and you're excused," said Naruto, causing Tazuna to bristle.
Sakura actually laughed at the comment, and Kakashi just shook his head. 'this is going to be a long mission.' thought Kakashi.
Line break.
{Land of fire: Konoha: Naruto's residence}
"Hey! Open up! You promised to hang out with me!
Naruto's eyes slowly opened, and he rolled out of bed with a groan.
He'd finished packing before falling into bed, and unfortunately, he did so too early.
"Naruto!" yelled a voice he knew too well.
He sighed and forced himself to open the door." I was asleep.
Konohamaru smirked at his new older brother figure and slipped into his apartment, much to his annoyance." It's not like you were busy or anything.
Naruto shook his head in annoyance. "I am, actually. It's why we can't hang out. Sorry.
Konohamaru flopped on his couch and crossed his arms. "Well then, let me chill in here.
Naruto stared at the boy and knew what this was about. "Is Ebisu looking for you?
The younger boy scoffed. "Does it matter? He'll never find me.
"I'd rather not have to deal with him today, Konohamaru. Can't you just endure his crap and train? It's for your own good, ya know?
"and it's boring," whined Konohamaru, getting to his feet and pouting. "he's not the one who taught me tree walking, and he's not the one who taught me to blow fire from my mouth.
Naruto shrugged. "I didn't teach you that last bit either.
Konohamaru shot up at that. "but you did enable me to do so! Now I'm your disciple!
He shook his head at this and walked into his kitchen, pulling out some food. "You hungry?
Konohamaru gave a nod.
Naruto prepared a meal for himself and his pseudo-younger brother.
Konohamaru had no siblings, so he latched on to Naruto because the older boy accepted him for him and not his status as the Third Hokage's grandson.
After their meal, they chatted and hung out until Konohamaru finally returned home to his grandfather's estate after some convincing.
Naruto then fell back on his bed to sleep.
Line break.
{Land of fire: Konoha: Sasuke's residence}
With all his strength, Sasuke beat the training dummies at the Uchiha training field. He'd been thinking about the few months that had passed with them being genin, and a bitter feeling had built up inside him.
The revelation of Naruto's secret strength was too much for his pride to handle. He perceived them as equals, but as time passed, he got bitter with the blonde for having hidden his strength so well in the academy. They aren't equals, and he knows it. He has water and wind jutsu at his disposal, but there is still no explanation for how he got his hands on it. They may have been developing as partners, but he's still bitter.
'I need to catch up. That sneaky bastard thinks he can toy around with me like I wouldn't notice. Like, I'm stupid and can't perceive that he has even more up his sleeve. That bastard!' yelled Sasuke in his head as he punched the head off of one of the dummies, causing it to explode into splinters.
The boy huffed and shook his hands in annoyance. "damn it, I'm just not good enough!" he growled as he looked at his throbbing hang.
On the bright side, ever since being acknowledged as a rival to the blonde, he's gained strength at a faster rate. Soon, he feels he'll surpass the blonde and put him back in his place, but until then, he needs to become stronger.
'This is the mission I get to show my true skill. I won't fall behind you, Naruto,' Sasuke thought with determination.
Line break.
Team Seven met at the gate at 10 AM sharp the following day.
Sasuke was the first to arrive, and Tazuna and Sakura were second.
Kakashi was there next, and when Naruto arrived, they made their way through the village gates to escort the bridge builder, officially starting their mission.
They trekked through the forest toward the land of waves. Kakashi had his novel in front of him, Sasuke simply walked quietly, Naruto was also reading, and Sakura was thinking about how to impress Sasuke on this mission.
Tazuna was worried. He knew what was coming for him and felt a sense of dread, hoping that whatever god may be out there, the Jonin could protect him at the very least. 'This is such a bad move on my part. If they come for me and something happens to the kids, I'll never forgive myself,' he thought to himself.
As they were walking, they passed by a water puddle along the path. Naruto sensed the two chakra signatures of foreign shinobi well before even passing by the puddle. He glanced at Kakashi to find that his face hadn't left the book. He knew for a fact that Kakashi had great tracking abilities and concluded that he was creating a false sense of security for the enemy shinobi. He frowned and kept himself on guard, ready for anything.
He was not disappointed as two enemy ninjas erupted from their hiding place and sped on either side of Kakashi, who looked surprised at the sudden appearance of the enemy ninja.
He went for his pouch, but the Shinobi dashed in perfect coordination and wrapped Kakashi up in spiked chains attached to their gauntlets and ripped Kakashi apart, a pile of flesh being all that remained of him.
Sakura screamed in horror, Sasuke tensed, and Naruto sprung into action.
Drawing his Kunai, Naruto threw It right at the chains and lodged it into the tree behind them, pinning the enemy ninja down.
Naruto took the opportunity to dash at the one on the right and dodged under a punch, cutting the man's armpit open with his Kunai, the man's arm going limp instantly.
"Fuck!" yelled the man in pain, and he whirled to backhand Naruto, but he missed and was kicked in his head hard enough to send him tumbling to his side for his troubles.
The man went to get up, but Naruto slammed his Kunai into the man's hand, pinning him there.
He couldn't move his other arm, so he was truly fucked.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was dancing around his brother's attacks effortlessly, his agility a sight to behold.
The demon brother yelled out in rage, flipped a trigger on his gauntlet, unclipping the chain and sprouting a smaller one.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the man spun the chain like a whip, dashing from side to side to avoid it. When the man winded up for another attack, Sasuke dashed toward him, side-stepping the attack before leaping up and kneeing the man in the face.
The demon brother growled as he stumbled back and felt himself bump into someone.
He turned around to see Kakashi there giving him an eye smile. "Aren't they just impressive?
The man's eyes widened, and he went to attack but was suddenly face-first on the ground. "w-what the?! I thought I-
"You thought wrong., said Kakashi as he stared at Naruto's handiwork. 'Hesuccessfully incapacitated the other one all on his own. Impressive. Though iIwish he was a bit more cautious as Sasuke was. These chains seem to be poisonous., he noted in his head as he saw the gleaming liquid on the chains. I wasn't oil, as one would think.
Sensei!" shouted Sakura happily, forgetting the dead body for a moment. "You're alive! But… how?"
"Substitution," replied Kakashi, not even turning away from the enemy. "…Good work on defending yourselves. Considering the circumstances, you both performed amiably."
Naruto smirked and nodded while Sasuke crossed his arms. "I had that.
Kakashi sighed, "I know. But one cut would have cut this mission short.
Sakura tilted her head. "why?
"Poison," was all Kakashi said as he knocked out the demon brothers. "I'm going to chat with these two for a bit. Stay close to Tazuna.
Moments later, we find Kakashi stomping his way towards Tazuna in anger after squeezing what he could out of the Demon brother.
"You idiot!" barked Kakashi, clearly displeased.
Tazuna flinched back reflexively. "What you've done is jeopardize the safety of my students! They could've been killed if it hadn't been for their quick thinking. If we continue on this path, then we're sure to face even stronger shinobi, and More likely than not, they'll be at my skill level. I cannot risk my team getting hurt. We're heading back to the village."
"Hang on a second, sensei," interrupted Naruto, and Kakashi turned his attention to his student. We handled them well enough, right? We shouldn't leave this man to fend for himself. We should at least hear him out."
Sasuke nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Sakura nodded in agreement, too, though looking a bit nervous.
Kakashi folded his arms as he looked at all three of them. He shook his head in exasperation.
"it'll be dangerous. Extremely dangerous Naruto," spoke Kakashi.
"I know. This is what we signed up for. We have the power to help this man. Let's try.
Tazuna gave the boy a grateful look and decided that he liked this kid now. 'that's the last time a judge a book by its cover.
Kakashi sighed and nodded. "Fine. However, the mission has now turned into an A-rank mission. You three are to follow my instructions at all times, to the letter. Is that clear?"
They nodded their affirmations. Tazuna looked extremely thankful as he started thanking them all for their kindness. Kakashi grunted and had them all keep pace.
As they walked further through the forest, Kakashi explained why the mission had become dangerous. He explained that a man named Gato was ruling over the land as a crime lord, squeezing every penny out of the citizens of Wave Country as an acting illegal suzerain.
"I see, hummed Sasuke. " so a crime lord is oppressing your people.
"Yes, whispered Tazuna. We barely had the funds to afford a C-rank mission from Konoha. I wasn't expecting children to be my protectors, and I insulted you guys not because I thought you were weak but because if anything happened to you, it'd be my fault. I was hoping they'd send adults in your stead."
" let me stop you there, Tazuna, spoke Kakashi. I get where you are coming from, but you still lied about the nature of this mission altogether. Even if my team ended up getting swapped out with some chuunin and maybe a jonin, they still wouldn't have been prepared for what was coming next.
Luckily, my skills as a Jonin are higher than most in Konoha, so I'm not worried about failing. I'm worried about protecting my students from whomever this Businessman might send after us to deal with me.
Tazuna nodded, and the team looked at each other grimly.
Kakashi turned to them with an eye-smile. " I'm not going to allow any harm to come to my three little genin, so you guys can relax.
He then glared at Tazuna." but from now on, I want the truth and only the truth. Understood?
Tazuna nodded in haste.
Kakashi smiled once more and continued walking.
Line break
The sun began to set, and the sky grew darker as they walked deeper into the woods. The taller and thicker trees grew shorter and less pronounced, and everyone could tell that they were no longer within the inner section of Fire Country.
" We aren't far from the border now. The docks are only 2 hours away; why are we stopping? Asked Tazuna.
Kakashi leaned back against a tree as he watched his students prepare their tents for the night.
"They need rest. I understand that your country is in danger, but my students come first. Be patient," spoke Kakashi.
Tazuna looked at his feet before nodding his assent.
Kakashi stood up straight and addressed his team. "we will be camping here tonight. I don't expect any trouble since we are still in friendly territory, but if it does arise, you are to defend yourselves without hesitation.
The three nodded and continued their work on setting up.
When Sakura finished setting her tent up, she contemplated on going to Sasuke to see if he needed any help, but he was already finished. Naruto, however, seemed to be having a bit of difficulty.
The tent was halfway set up, but something seemed to have gotten twisted and was preventing the structure from forming properly.
'Maybe I'll offer to help him set up, ' thought Sakura. Ever since she offered the team to hang out for lunch and Naruto refused, she understood the rift that now existed between her and her teammate.
She never hated Naruto, not really. She just found him annoying and a pain to be around. But that was during the academy. He's changed since then. Hell, when she thought about it, he wasn't that annoying the year prior, either. It makes her feel like such a bitch that she only ever looked down on the boy when it was convenient to her.
'So I'm gonna help him. no more procrastination.' She resolved.
She walked over to her fellow genin and crouched next to him." I'll set the rest up if you want.
Naruto looked at the hand for a moment before sighing." I'm not a total idiot, Sakura. I just twisted it in the wrong way and couldn't find my way around the mess I made. I'll be fine, I've got it.
She looked away and retracted her hand." oh. Ok. I'll be over here if you need any help. Is that okay?
The boy didn't say a word as he unraveled his tent and properly set it up.
Sakura sighed and walked back over to her tent, sitting down and holding her knees to her chest.
Talking to Sasuke would get her nowhere, as he'd likely reject her. She'd tried so hard to earn his love, but he was having none of it. She just knew that he'd be harsher than normal if she even tried it in the middle of such an important mission, but she needed someone to talk to.
She glanced up at a relaxing Kakashi and decided to ask for help.
Kakashi kicked his feet up when he felt his student come close to him." Yes, Sakura? What can I help you with?
The girl twirled her fingers nervously. "um. I have a personal problem I wanna get off my chest, sensei.
The man sighed internally, but decided that this was actually a good thing. Hopefully. "what is it Sakura?
Sakura looked up at him before sighing. "it's about Naruto. I really messed up when it came to him.
Kakashi patted the seat next to him. "go on and have a seat.
She did as he suggested and spoke. "i realize now that i bullied Naruto a lot during the academy.
Kakashi tilted his head in surprise, but Sakura continued. "Not just a little, either. I would sometimes hit him or shove him to the ground. I did it to get Sasuke's attention, but he would never say or do anything. Naruto never really fought back against my attacks; he just let them happen and kept doing what he was doing. After the bell test, I realized that he could have hurt me back if he wanted. he wasn't what he seemed to be, and I know that now. I feel so...
"ashamed? said Kakashi.
she nodded, looking at him." I think he's come to realize this too. He hasn't asked me out since the academy, and not once has he gone out of his way to interact with me outside of missions. And... with Sasuke willing to compete with Naruto, and the boys seeming to have come to some kind of.. arrangement. I feel left out... and alone.
Kakashi nodded. So, basically, she has realized her past actions toward the boy and is feeling regret for how she acted toward him. She also realizes she may no longer be the one he likes and that it's making her feel a bit insecure. That, and Naruto may be the only way to keep the team dynamic equal.
The man nodded and crossed his arms. "you may need to simply apologize to him.
"I tried! I tried last week, three days ago, and I tried to help him with his tent today, but he ignores me or brushes me off," she explained. "I just feel like we won't ever get to be friends."
The man raised a hand. "I'll see what I can do. But I'm no miracle worker.
The girl nodded and went back to her tent.
When she was gone, Kakashi slumped. 'so now I've become a counselor for the kiddos. Well, now i understand you a bit better sensei. I bet if it were you, you'd have a solution on the spot.
He then looked at Naruto to see him already getting some sleep. 'what am i going to do with these kids.
Line break.
The next day, they met with Tazuna's helper.
The man happens to be a guide and a fisherman who was sick of seeing his people treated like cattle. he agreed to help them across the river to their country and in the direction of the land of waves.
Sakura marveled at the Massive bridge they were passing under, and she looked at Tazuna, who nodded in affirmative at her silent assessment." yup, this is the bridge that will free my people and open up trade.
"It's huge," she almost exclaimed.
Tazuna chuckled at her enthusiasm. "it's a sight worth seeing, isn't it?"
Sakura nodded with a smile and looked to the boys, who seemed just as impressed at the sight as she was.
" how long has it taken to build such a massive structure? Asked Naruto.
"Oh, it's taken about six years to get to where we are now. The construction started before Gato took over, and ceased three years ago. We've been sneaking repairs and progress in whenever we can, but whenever he found out, he would start killing the workers and setting up guards to keep us from continuing."
Naruto nodded and suddenly turned upward, sensing the men on the bridge.
"but we have been able to make some designs that will help us speed up the progress by a large margin. The shortcut isn't something we builders ever enjoy implementing, but we are desperate right now, and can make modifications when the bridges lead to the other side."
Naruto looked back at him with curious eyes.
"so, what kind of shortcuts are we talking about?" asked Naruto.
Tazuna laughed. "Well, in order to get to where we are now, we had to cut a few corners here and there, using wood instead of concrete like we wanted to and trimming some of the supports thinner than they should be.
Naruto frowned at this news. "but won't that affect the strength of the bridge?"
Tazuna nodded his head. Yeah, this means Caravans won't be able to cross until the bridge has raised enough money for the country to fully complete the project.
Kakashi raised his hand, and everyone, including the Guide who was rowing the boat, stopped what they were doing and remained silent.
Everyone was tense as Kakashi stepped out of the boat and walked on the water, to Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna's surprise.
He slowly peaked from under the bridge on water level and heard two guards conversing about something mundane before making his way back to the boat.
"no more talking. There is too much activity nearby. He whispered in a tone that brooked no argument from anyone.
Naruto nodded. He'd already sensed those two, though, he probably should have said something.
'I wouldn't have even known were it not for this ability of mine. Kakashi really is no joke.'
Line break.
As they got closer to the mainland, they found the mist was starting to thicken around them.
Kakashi noticed Naruto stiffen a little and knew he was sensing chakra in the air.
He turned to him, and Kakashi motioned to stay near the bridge builder. This was all the indication the boy needed to know that what he was sensing was indeed very wrong.
'He senses it,' thought Kakashi. He senses whoever is making this mist. They are definitely nearby. The chakra is light, and the mist is artificial in nature, pointing to slight weather manipulation. Naruto is a shinobi I would want on any squad, lucky me,' thought Kakashi with a little pride.
Sasuke seemed to pick up on Naruto's sudden edge and was on guard as well.
'Naruto picked up on the two enemy shinobi faster than I could. If he's tense like this, it means trouble. What is he sensing?' Sasuke thought to himself. He looked around for anything that might give away the enemy's position but couldn't spot a blemish anywhere. They hide well, it seems.
Then, there was a slight rustle, and on instinct, Sasuke threw a kunai at the source of the rustle.
Kakashi and Naruto tensed in surprise at this, and Sakura flinched a little.
"who's there?" barked Sasuke.
Naruto's eye twitched a bit, and when he stretched his senses out, he noted that there was something there, but not a shinobi.
He cautiously walked over to where Sasuke had thrown his Kunai and picked up a startled bunny. "nice one teme. You sure know your stuff. Is anyone up for some rabbit stew?
Sasuke glared, Tazuna chuckled, and Sakura stomped up to Naruto. "A-absolutely not! Put the poor bunny down!
Naruto sighed and did so, but as he did, his eyes widened, and Kakashi shouted. "Everybody, get down!
They all immediately hit the floor, Naruto creating a clone to dive at Tazuna and shove him to the floor, dispersing to the sword that came after as a large broadsword flew by right where their heads would've been. It impaled on a nearby tree as a mist-ninja appeared on top of it.
"Well, well. This is a surprise…" said Zabuza, surveying the team of genin. I was surprised to see the bridge builder alive and couldn't understand how those fools could have failed a simple task like killing this old goat. But now I see why. The demon brothers could never stand a chance against Copy-cat ninja Kakashi, the man who's copied one-thousand jutsu, the pupil of the late Yondaime Hokage."
"Momochi Zabuza," said Naruto, surprising his teammates and Zabuza.
If Zabuza had eyebrows, he would've raised them. He got off of Kubikiribōchō and pulled it out of the tree it was embedded in, landing before them. He stared at Naruto intently.
"So you know who I am?" said Zabuza.
"You are in the bingo book. I saw you when looking up swordsmen," said Naruto.
The man simply grunted and looked back at Kakashi to see him raise the left side of his headband, revealing a three-tomoe Sharingan on his left eye.
Sasuke's eyes widened. 'What in the? How does he have my clan's Dojutsu?! ' he thought in shock.
Kakashi looked back to his team." Mangi formation! Now! Protect the bridge builder! Remember what I taught you!
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto quickly formed a circle around Tazuna.
Zabuza brought up the water sign, and Mist seemed to materialize all around them. "If it were just you and me, you'd have more of a chance Kakashi. a shame you have baggage when dealing with someone like me." said Zabuza as he disappeared in the thick fog.
" Stay on guard. He's after me first," said Kakashi.
Sakura went to respond, but Kakashi continued: "Zabuza Momochi is an ex-member of the hidden Mist assassination unit. He's a master of the silent killing technique, a Technique that can kill so fast that you pass from this life without realizing what has happened. My Sharingan cannot fully breach past it, so don't lower your guard.
Kakashi sighed." well. If we fail, we only lose our lives.
"How can you say that?! Yelled sakura.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he noticed the mist getting thicker, and when Kakashi came out of view, Sakura became nervous to the point of shivering.
Sasuke's eyes widened as the moisture in the air became so dense that he felt like he was underwater. The mist got heavier until he could barely see in front of him. When he looked to his left, the only indication of him not being alone was the dark silhouette of Naruto next to him.
"8 points. A gruff voice rang out from the mist.
Sakura jerked in response. "what's that?!
The voice chuckled before continuing. "Larynx, Spine, Lungs, Liver, Jugular, Subclavian artery, Kidneys, Heart. Now. which will be my kill point?
The genin were frozen in fear at the sound of the voice.
Kakashi's response was fast as he flared his chakra to clear a small pocket of the mist they were under, allowing them to see one another again, but this did not calm the genin even a little.
Sasuke's hands were shaking as he gripped his Kunai. ' what an unquenchable thirst for blood. One shallow breath, one movement of the eye, is enough to bring on instant death. If it goes on like this, I'll go insane! he thought to himself in panic. " the clash of two Jonin intent to kill. I've never felt anything so chilling; it's like my own will and life is being choked off! No! I can't bear it; I'd rather take my own life! He screamed inside his mind.
"Sasuke! yelled Kakashi." calm down. I'll protect you with my life, all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me," he spoke as he turned to smile at Sasuke.
This visibly calmed Sasuke and Saura down, but Naruto was still very much on guard and turned just as Zabuza appeared in the middle of their formation. " don't be so sure; you are already dead! Yelled Zabuza.
Before he could even think to react, Kakashi was right there to stop Zabuza's sword mid-swing and stab him in the chest with a Kunai.
FAST!' thought the genin as Zabuza and Kakashi stood there in a stalemate.
The genin were shocked at how fast Kakashi moved, but more than that, they were stunned at how easily Zabuza was defeated.
Kakashi looked down and narrowed his eyes as he saw that Zabuza's blood was actually water.
"water clone, he whispered to himself as he turned to see the real Zabuza appearing behind him to slash him from the waist.
Kakashi wasn't fast enough, as the Zabuza clone held Kakashi's arm as it dissipated, allowing the real Zabuza to cleave Kakashi in half.
"Kakashi sensei! Screamed Sakura in panic.
Zabuza laughed with glee, but his laugh ceased upon realizing that Kakashi had also prepared a water clone, and the person he slashed was a fake.
The man raised his sword to block a kick from Kakashi that was strong enough to send him skidding a few feet, then leaned away from a Kunai thrust.
He let his sword go for a moment while grabbing Kakashi's striking arm and kicking him away, sending Kakashi flying into the mist.
Zabuza chased after him, and from that point, the genin could only hear the signs of battle, with each clash being too close to Tazuna for comfort.
After a 3-minute exchange, the two Jonins seemed to reappear before them as the Mist was blown away by Zabuza's Sword swing, no longer finding the Mist to be a viable strategy against a user of the Sharingan.
Zabuza growled and dashed forward, bringing his sword down on Kakashi, who blocked it with his two Kunai.
Kakashi countered with a quick strike of his own, and Zabuza dodged it.
They both began exchanging blows with lightning speed, neither able to land any attacks on the other until Zabuza initiated a feint by letting his sword fall to avoid a clash and slammed his foot against Kakashi's chest, sending him into the lake the road is bordering.
Kakashi swam back up in haste but realized that the water he was in was far denser than normal. It wasn't until a Zabuza clone emerged from behind him that he knew he was screwed.
Water style: Water prison! Yelled the Zabuza clone.
Kakashi found himself engulfed and imprisoned by a sphere of water that he couldn't move in and knew the battle was over.
The real Zabuza went to take over the Prison justu, before his Clone could dissipate from the chakra use.
Naruto looked panicked, and before he could rush to the aid of his sensei, he felt a chakra signature in the trees and knew something was very wrong. 'what the hell?! Another one?!
"Run!" advised Kakashi, inwardly kicking himself for having gone on this mission at all. His water techniques only have a close proximity range. If you run away, then he shouldn't be able to reach you! Forget about me!"
Naruto growled in frustration and looked at Sasuke, who seemed willing to follow his lead. " Forget that! I'm not abandoning you, sensei!
"This fight was over the moment I got caught. Get out of here, Go! That's an order! Yelled Kakashi.
Sasuke scowled and looked at Naruto. "what do we even do?! We can't fight a Jonin!
Naruto glared. "we don't need to. We just need to free (our) Jonin.
Sasuke's eyes widened, and he sighed. "you'd better not get us killed, Uzumaki.
Naruto rolled his eyes and kept his senses stretched at all times. "you'd better not lag behind.
Kakashi felt a new level of frustration at the thought of watching his genin hurt or killed because of their stubborness. 'what the hell was i thinking allowing the Hokage to take me out of the Anbu! I should have stayed! I'm not cut out for this ninja teacher shit! God! Minato! What would you do in this situation?!
"You should listen to your sensei. I can't leave the Prison unoccupied until he's drowned, so now's your chance to run with the bridge builder, " said Zabuza.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. That's not an option. He has someone else in the trees watching them. If they leave, whoever is in the trees will come upon them and engage them. Or worse. Execute Kakashi to free up Zabuza and doom them to death.
"Sasuke. We just need to force him to move from his spot, no more, no less," said Naruto seriously as he started walking forward.
"you think you can take on a jounin?" Laughed Zabuza. You three are pathetic by Kiri's shinobi standards. At your age, I had killed my entire graduating class. That was the test we of the mist had to go through to become full-fledged genin. I bet you kiddies haven't even tasted blood yet."
The man made a Water clone with a single-hand seal and ordered it to attack Naruto. He wanted to make this quick and merciful. It's the least he can do for a respected opponent such as Kakashi. he won't drag things out.
The water clone charged Naruto and Naruto Charged back.
The clone brought its sword into a side arc that should've been impossible for a genin to block or dodge, but Naruto did the latter, flipping over the slash and sending a kick to its face.
His foot was caught effortlessly, and Zabuza slammed the boy to the ground with force. He then went to slam the sword down on his head, only to miss as the boy rolled away. He was not fast enough to avoid a kick from the clone, though.
The boy growled, Naruto was sent skinning away. 'too fast and too strong.'
Naruto made shadow clones, and they charged the singular Zabuza who laughed and started cutting them apart one by one. "do you think a cheap trick like this would work on a man who has lived and killed as many times as i have?!
When all of his clones were cut apart, the real Naruto crossed his arms and looked back at Sasuke who seemed to be thinking. "any bright ideas?
Sasuke frowned. "I don't want to hurt Kakashi.
Naruto shrugged. "it won't.
Sakura, who was shaking with stress, blinked in confusion. "what won't? What are you guys planning? You haven't even-
"Relax Sakura. Just watch," said Sasuke as he went through hand signs.
"Fire style: Fireball jutsu!" yelled Sasuke as he sent a ball of fire at the clone.
Zabuza's clone smirked under his mask, and he slashed his sword with enough force to split the flames in half.
He looked surprised to see Naruto jumping over him and growled, reaching up to slash the boy out of the sky. But upon doing so, Naruto burst into wind and sent him flying back.
A wind clone? Ah. The fireball was to prevent me from seeing the signs. That little shit.' thought the clone.
Zabuza stopped on the water as Naruto, to the shock of everyone there, ran upon it, and the boy clasped his hands together. "water style! Water turbulance!
Zabuza's eyes widened, "crap!
He dashed straight for Naruto and slammed his foot into the boy's chest as the water became unstable with waves. Even an E-rank jutsu like that can cause problems.
Naruto was sent skidding back, and Sasuke slowed his approach, watching Kakashi with concern as the man struggled against the water prison.
Zabuza clutched onto the thing for dear life as the water became almost ocean-like in nature, but it slowed and calmed. Had Naruto finished his little trick, he would have been too off balance to keep the prison up.
It's impressive trying to utilize a training jutsu to that effect. But I'm a Jonin. If you want to play dirty, then so will I, ' he thought with a bitter edge. Almost being thwarted by such a weak jutsu will do that to you.
Naruto sighed as Zabuza made three more clones, and Sasuke shook his head. "this is insane." he said dully.
Naruto stood up, brushing off his chest. "yeah. It is. We have no choice then." he said with an annoyed tone.
"Kakashi! the boy yelled, and Kakashi perked up. "Brace yourself!
Sasuke started performing hand signs, and the clones of Zabuza obviously weren't having it as they dashed.
Naruto was fast, though. He created clones of his own to slow them down before going through the sequence with Sasuke.
"Winde style: wind cyclone!" yelled Naruto, and a cyclone of wind raced forward.
"Fire style: Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, and he engulfed the cyclone in flames.
The Zabuza clones stopped in their tracks at seeing this phenomenon, and quickly turned tail. However, the cyclone started sucking them in, and unfortunately for them, their water bodies didn't have the necessary force to hold their place and they were pulled into the cyclone, disintegrated into water vapor by the wind, and were further burned by the fire.
Kakashi felt himself sweat even in the water as the cyclone got closer.
'oh dear,' the man thought as he prayed that his students knew what they were doing.
Zabuza was shitting bricks, realizing that these kids were not to be underestimated. "absurd! You'll kill your sensei!
The boys didn't listen, simply manipulating the jutsu to steer close enough to hinder Zabuza and not hurt their sensei. When Naruto released his hands, the flames blew apart and knocked both Kakashi and Zabuza further into the water, the latter having slight burns.
"shit!" yelled Zabuza as he hit the water.
Tazuna clapped and cheered. "these kids are incredible! I can't believe they are only genin!
Sakura nodded, her eyes wide at what she was seeing. The silhouette of the two boys standing side by side was etched into her mind.
Naruto turned back to her and Tazuna and gave them a thumbs up, and Sasuke rushed next to the bridge builder.
"there. Problem solved. You'd better not crew this up, Kakashi!" yelled Sasuke.
"I won't," growled an angry Kakashi behind a recovering Zabuza.
Zabuza whirled and narrowly avoided a slash to his throat, skidding back into the water, his shoulder sliced.
The men were parted, a few feet away now.
"Well, it seems I underestimated the team you were leading, Copycat-san. I've got to hand it to you. Teaching them to collaborate like that on the fly. You must be proud.
Kakashi said nothing. But oh, was he indeed proud. And thankful. 'I need to make it up to them. I need to make this count. No more laziness, and no more taking shit slow. I owe them my life now. It's time to show them the power of a jonin!'
Kakashi and Zabuza rushed at one another and clashed hard enough to kick up the water from underneath them. They soon broke away from one another to circle each other at high speed before Zabuza rushed in again, bringing his sword down in an arc and forcing Kakashi to sidestep. Zabuza was still spinning his sword to follow up with a series of slashes, and Kakashi weaved and flipped away, throwing a kunai while doing so.
Zabuza's eyes narrowed at missing, and he leaned his head back to avoid a kunai to the throat and followed up with a quick jab to the gut, only for Kakashi to deflect the jab and elbow Zabuza in the face, causing him to stumble. Kakashi quickly followed up by slashing with his Kunai, and Zabuza found himself on the defensive, bringing his Kubikiribōchō up to defend himself.
Zabuza blocked and dodged what he could but found himself getting cut by the number of close calls he was having while facing the Sharingan user.
He jumped back in a hurry and found himself breathless.
'It seems that Kakashi was playing defense earlier before due to the genin being in close proximity. I'll need to get that advantage back,' he thought to himself as he made a dash for the genin squad, but Kakashi seemed to already be on the move by the time he fully processed the situation.
Kakashi was faster, crashing into Zabuza before he could think to rush to Tazuna, and received a kick in the chest for his troubles.
Zabuza landed on his hands and flipped onto his feet before dashing away from a kick sent by Kakashi. He then blocked the shuriken sent towards him by a fleeing Zabuza.
Zabuzaskidded across the water and immediately began making seals, but his eyes widened when he saw Kakashi making the exact same seals at the exact same time.
"Water style: Water Dragon Jutsu! They yelled simultaneously, and both unleashed a massive Water dragon that curled against each other for dominance before crashing down beneath them and sending them both away.
The explosion was big, and the waves made it so that Team Seven had to back away as water rained from the sky, soaking the team.
" incredible,' whispered Sasuke and Sakura in unison as they watched the two Jonin go at it.
Naruto nodded, staring in awe at the sight.
"This is ridiculous, " Zabuza ranted as he rode the wave created by the clashing jutsu. How in the world did he-.
He was cut off from his musing as shuriken ripped through the wave of water before him, and he deflected with his sword.
He turned moments later when Kakashi lept over the wave to get behind him and throw Shuriken at his back as well.
He dodged, not having the strength to lift his sword fast enough to block, and was struck in the leg by a couple of Shuriken.
He grunted and fought through the pain as he charged a landing Kakashi.
Kakashi brought his blade up and was sent away from the impact that the blade made, his Kunai breaking in the process.
Zabuza growled as Kakashi got up and noted that he was unharmed from the attack.
He proceeds to perform multiple hand signs, only to find Kakashi doing the exact same hand signs and movements as him.
'WHAT IS THIS!, he yells in his head.' How does he know what I'm going to do before I do it?
Kakashi just smirked and looked at Zabuza. " you're mine now, he stated calmly.
Water style: Giant water Vortex! Yelled Kakashi.
The water they were standing on turned against Zabua in an instant, and the Lake was turned into a weapon. A massive Vortex large enough to uproot the trees around them burled through the forest and beyond the path the team was on, with Zabuza hurling within it.
He was knocked around with ease, bones breaking and flesh tearing as Debree rammed and ut into him. The vortex grew larger and larger until it finally stopped, and Zabuza was smashed into a tree.
He was gasping for breath, his entire body covered in wounds and bruises. Before he could even think to get up, Kunai were embedded into his joints to prevent him from making a move.
He yelled in pain and struggled to get up in a panic but quickly found himself unable to even lift his arms.
"It's over, Zabuza. I won. Spoke Kakashi calmly.
'h-how? Can you see into the future?
"yes. and this is your last battle, ever. Said Kakashi as he drew another Kunai and prepared to finish Zabuza off.
Before Zabuza could even reply, Senbon pelted Zabuza's neck out of nowhere, seemingly killing him instantly.
Zabuza hit the ground unceremoniously, and Kakashi whirled to see a masked figure standing on a branch nearby.
This person floated towards Zabuza's body and spoke." you were right. This was his last battle.
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto looked shocked at the appearance of this masked figure, who then bent to inspect Zabuza's body.
"I must thank you. I've been tracking Zabuza for some time now, but couldn't find the opportunity to engage him due to his strength.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes." from your mask, I see you're a hunter-nin from the mist village.
The masked person tilted their head." you're well informed. I shouldn't be surprised, though, considering your rank.
Kakashi stepped between the masked person and his genin.
'Based on this person's voice, they are female. And probably no older than my genin. If not, maybe only a bit older,' thought Kakashi.
Sasuke was staring at the person with clenched fists." how in the world did she even-, she killed Zabuza undetected?
Sasuke scowled and crossed his arms." so what happens now? he asked.
the female looked at him and answered." I'll be taking Zabuza's body with me to the mist village for processing.
She picked up Zabuza's body and disappeared in a gust of cold wind that left a chill in the air.
Naruto was going to comment, but he noticed Kakashi wobbling a bit.
He frowned and dashed forward to catch him. "did you push too hard with that last jutsu?
"It wasn't the jutsu, Kakashi drawled. The Sharingan takes a lot out of me, that's all.
He covered his eye with his headband and turned his head to Tazuna. " how far is it from your place?
Tazuna perked up. It's an hour away from here.
Kakashi nodded. " good. Let's pay your family a visit then. I could use the rest right about now.
Tazuna nodded, and both Naruto and Sasuke helped Kakashi the rest of the path forward.
Kakashi nodded his thanks. " you've come a long way in such a short time. I'm proud.
Naruto smirked, and Sasuke grunted. However, Sakura felt a bit left out as the praise was not helping her since she stood by as her team members did the work.
Line break.
Naruto and Sasuke carried Kakashi most of the way as Tazuna's daughter and grandson greeted the team.
Tsunami feared the worst when opening the door. Not long ago, her neighbor warned her that there were armed thugs in the area, but when she opened the door, her father stood in front of her and sighed." Oh, thank Kami, you're all alright," she spoke with relief before realizing the condition of her father's entourage.
"Oh my! Please come inside and make yourselves at home! We have plenty of rooms to go around," said Tsunami, moving out of the way for them.
They entered and placed Kakashi down on a mat in the living room, where Tsunami made him as comfortable as she could while they explained their encounter with the masked person who took Zabuza's corpse back to the mist.
Tazuna looked down." I owe all of you an apology. It's clear to me now that I shouldn't have asked a group of genin to come with me on something so dangerous. I am so sorry."
Kakashi looked at Tazuna seriously, causing him to gulp in response, but before he could even speak, Naruto spoke up.
"Don't do that. At this point, it's in our hands now. We had the chance to turn back, knowing that going forward, things would get messy, yet we decided to continue. Anything that happens is on us now. We are here to help.
"That's right; Kakashi replied in an exasperated tone. Those weren't the words he'd have used, but the conviction in them made him rethink them, and it was another example of Naruto showing the traits of his father.
His team was in agreement, and it made Tazuna feel worse that they weren't afraid to risk their lives to help him, even though he manipulated them into coming on the mission.
the old man moved his glasses out of the way and wiped his eyes." you have no idea what this means to me, he sobbed." I- I don't have the words. Thank you all. I mean it, Thank you.
Inari, who was peeking around the corner, had widened his eyes at the conversation he'd just heard, but a scowl found its way onto his face soon afterward.
'What a joke, ' he thought bitterly. There is nothing but despair in this place. No one can beat Gatou. He's killed all who stood in his way. What can a bunch of kids do against that?!' the boy thought bitterly.
"Go home. We don't need false hope around here." Tsunami whirled around to see Inari glaring at the team. You may have my grandfather fooled, but you won't fool me. There is no such thing as heroes. No one will save us. The country is rotten, and our fate has been set since Gato took over.
Tsunami looked angry. "Inari! Stop talking like that and show some respect!" she snapped at her grandson.
"But it's true! If Kaiza couldn't save us, then what could anyone else do? The village is doomed! There is nothing we can do! I'm not getting my hopes up just to be disappointed all over again!" yelled Inari, causing the genin to look on in either confusion or slight annoyance.
Inari ran back upstairs, and Tsunami gave everyone a saddened expression before running up to Inari's room.
Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi had mixed emotions as Naruto sat there, clearly pissed off at Inari for talking like that to the people that have saved his grandfather's life, yet he could only sigh and sit on the couch. " what a way to kill the mood." he said sourly.
"Please don't mind my grandson. He... he's been through a lot. We've all lost a lot since Gato took over. he had taken all of our family wealth, and in desperation, Kaiza fought back for us, but he lost his life as a result of this. The man was a hero even before Gato came.
Kakashi nodded." I understand. Don't worry about it.
Sasuke sniffed the air and felt his stomach growling." do you have any food around? He asked Tsunami, who was coming down the stairs with a dejected expression.
"yes! I'll bring something out in a moment, said Tsunami as she excused herself to the kitchen.
Naruto felt the exhaustion hit him like a freight train as the adrenaline that kept him going finally faded away. And he slumped onto the couch and sighed.
Some rest and some food should have them up and running. Imagine saving an entire country from a tyrant. It's almost too good to be true. It won't be long now before team seven makes its mark, and on their first serious mission of all things. Funny.
Line break.
End chapter.
{Authors note}
Initially, this one and the genin training chapter were the same chapter. I cut it in half because of how long it was. I'm not sure if people like long chapters, so I'll be keeping them a bit shorter while maintaining the amount I write, so it shouldn't make that much of a difference. I also don't like skimming past important bits of the Naruto franchise. I notice how a lot of writers like to skim past this part of the story, but I feel like it's an important bit. They rush to the chuunin exams and then just stop writing there. It's a shame, really. Anyway, the next part is already written, so stay tuned. i need to edit it before i can post. Same for the chapter after that one, because yes, that one is done too.
Thanks for reading.