Chapter Eight: Liberating Wave
Author's Note: I'd like to thank everyone who has left a like, follow, and review for this story. I genuinely appreciate it.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this story.
Bold: Technique Name (English Translation)
Italics: Thoughts
Horizontal Line: Flashback
(Scene Change)
Naruto woke to the sound of dripping water. Confused, the boy slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by large, leaky iron pipes that hung from a metal ceiling; the pipes faintly glowed orange, flickering like a flame in the wind.
"How did I get here? Last I remember, I was fighting that sewing freak who tried to kill…Haku-chan!" Naruto shot to his feet, his blue eyes wide and frantic as he scanned his surroundings. "Haku-chan?! Where are you?!" The boy yelled, his voice echoing down the tunnel, hoping to hear her light, soothing voice. Instead, the voice that responded was dark and rough;
"Kukuku, is the brat worried for his mate?"
Naruto's head whipped to his right. "Who are you?! Where's Haku?!"
The voice chuckled, "Come and find out." A bright orange light flared at the end of the tunnel, flowing down the pipes and making Naruto's eyes water.
"Bastard!" Naruto cursed as he rubbed his eyes and began following the glowing pipes, the light at the end of the tunnel disappearing.
Naruto couldn't tell how long he walked down the damp, dark tunnel. He had tried to keep track of the passing seconds in his head, but the uneven dripping of the pipes echoing around him threw off his count, much to his annoyance and the voice's amusement.
"What's the matter? Can't keep time? Is a little water distracting you?" The voice tutted. "Not much of a shinobi, are you?"
"Shut up," Naruto muttered, his steps becoming more forceful. "I'm a good shinobi."
"Really?" The voice asked with faux surprise. "I didn't know a 'good shinobi' needed someone to save them."
"I said 'shut up," Naruto growled, his pace quickening as he recalled the old lady toad saving him from Kushimaru. The image of a bound and crying Haku, watching with fearful eyes as Kushimaru's clone descended, would be forever burned into Naruto's brain.
"Pathetic. What kind of 'good shinobi' needs an old toad to save them? Though that's not the only time someone's saved you, is it?"
"Shut. Up," Naruto forcefully stated as he began jogging, running towards the voice and away from the memories to little avail; he remembered freezing up in front of the Demon Brothers, only to be saved from their claws by Kakashi. Naruto recalled Sasuke's mocking question, "Are you ok, scaredy cat?"
"Hmm, I never thought I'd agree with an Uchiha, but you are a 'scaredy cat.' Always needing your Sensei to save you, isn't that right?"
"Shut up!" Naruto roared, his eyes shut as he sprinted down the tunnel, water splashing and splattering off the walls as a dim glow appeared at the end of the tunnel, making it lighter. Though Naruto didn't notice this, he was lost in the memory of Iruka's tear-stained face hovering over his own; the man had protected Naruto from a windmill shuriken thrown by the traitorous Mizuki.
The voice scoffed. "My least favorite of your life and death situations; insulting how that ingrate could confuse a sniveling welp for me!" The voice roared as a wave of killing intent rushed forth and made Naruto freeze, pausing his mad sprint and making him faceplant into the cold, unforgiving ground.
Naruto felt like he couldn't breathe like he was at the bottom of the ocean with a mountain pressed down on his chest. Zabuza and Kushimaru's killing intents combined couldn't hold a candle to the crushing force Naruto was feeling.
The voice darkly chuckled. "That's a good little ningen, groveling before your betters. But it's rude to speak to someone without looking them in the eye…." The killing intent lessened considerably, making Naruto feel like he was treading choppy waters rather than drowning. "…Now, get up," the voice commanded.
Naruto gasped as he rolled to his back, taking deep, shaky breaths as his blue eyes focused on a crimson-slitted eye that was larger than him that was embedded in a furry, orange fox head that was bigger than a small house, a head which housed white fangs taller than a full grown man. Naruto's breath hitched as his mind registered what he was looking at. "You're the-"
"-Kyūbi? Why yes, I am." The Kyūbi grinned as it sent another wave of killing intent towards the boy, less intense than the first but enough to make the boy short of breath. "I told you to get up."
Naruto shot to his feet, his eyes wide and frightful as they darted to and fro, looking for an avenue of escape; he was in a large room with a giant cage featuring hundreds of thin bars and a piece of paper acting as the lock. "Wait, cage?" Naruto took a breath and looked beyond the bars to see the towering form of the Kyūbi, its nine tails lazily waving behind it. Naruto felt a surge of courage flare in his gut at the sight of the mighty bijū behind bars.
"You think you can order me, damn fox?! I'm not the one trapped in a cage!" Naruto yelled, only to let out a pitiful yelp as a surge of killing intent fell upon the boy's shoulders, forcing him to his knees.
"And yet you kneel before me," Kyūbi growled. "Know this, jinchūriki; I may be caged, but I am far better than you or any other human will ever be."
Naruto clenched his fists. "That's not true," Naruto gritted as he struggled to stand. "Humans are better than demons."
"Oh? And was it demons or humans that sealed me within you, making you a weapon, jinchūriki?" The fox asked mockingly.
"The Fourth sealed you to protect the village," the boy stated as he rose to his feet on shaky legs, his blue eyes glaring fiercely into the fox's red ones. "And I am not a weapon! I am Uzumaki Naruto!" The blonde roared, his legs steadying as he stared down the fox.
The two beings silently looked daggers at one another, the blonde seeing the utter contempt for humanity that dripped from the fox's eyes. In contrast, the fox saw the same calm determination shining in the boy's eyes, reminding it of the bastard Fourth Hokage. They held their stare off for what felt like a lifetime. Finally, the boy broke the silence by asking, "What do you want, fox?"
The fox reigned in its killing intent as it leaned forward, brushing the blond's bangs with its fetid breath. "Nothing you would give me," the Kyūbi's eyes flicked towards the seal for a fraction of a second, scowling at the piece of paper that held it captive before refocusing on its jailor. "And nothing you could give." For a second, Naruto swore he saw the mighty bijū's eyes glaze over in sadness before being banked by irritation. "I just wanted to meet my jailor, face to face, and I must say, you are pathetic."
"What was that?" Naruto wondered as he observed the beast. "Can demons even feel sadness?" Then the fox's last words registered in the boy's mind; "Oi! I'm not pathetic! I'm strong!"
The fox scoffed, rolling its eyes as it snarked. "Sure you are; ask Kushimaru, the Demon Brothers, and Mizuki. Or do you not recall your trip down memory lane?" The fox then rested its head on its front paws. "If it weren't for your sensei, teammate, and most importantly, me, you would be dead, jinchūriki."
The blond was about to deny the fox's claim but was confused by its last assertion. "Huh? What do you mean 'me?' You've never helped me."
"Your shoulder," the fox stated. "Did you think your mate's ice healed the hole in it?" Kyūbi snorted, "Though maybe I should have left it so it'd match the hole between your ears?"
"Oi," the young ninja shouted, reflexively holding his right shoulder, "Quit insulting me!"
The Kyūbi rumbled, spiking its killing intent, though it was irritated that the boy failed to flinch. "Your existence is an insult to my very being, jinchūriki."
"Quit calling me 'jinchūriki!" Naruto exploded, pointing his finger at the fox. "I have a name; use it!"
"It'll be a cold day in hell when I use any human's name, especially a jinchūriki's," the fox growled, baring its teeth.
"What do you have against jinchūrikis?! Against me?!" Naruto shouted as he marched towards the cage.
"Other than being my prison?!" The bijū snarled as it pressed itself against the cage's bars. "How about being sealed into a human for the sole purpose of being a weapon?! A glorified chakra battery?! How about knowing that your brothers and sisters suffer the same fate?!"
"I am not a weapon!" Naruto denied it as he stopped right in front of the bars.
"You are a shinobi!" The fox spat as it rose to its full height. "And that is what shinobi are: weapons! You kill and destroy because you're ordered to! And they made me your tool, and for that, I will always hate you and your kind! Now, begone!" The Kyūbi roared towards the boy, sending him tumbling away from the cage, down the tunnel he came from, and into the waking world, leaving the fox to stew in its rage and sorrow.
(Scene Change)
Naruto shot up, gasping, his blue eyes wide with fright as his ears pounded with the rush of blood. Instincts forged through years of training forced him to scan his immediate surroundings, finding that he was in a familiar room, the guest room in Tazuna's house. The blond slowly released the held breath in his chest as he tried to calm his racing heart.
"Was that a dream?" The young shinobi wondered as he looked down at his lap, seeing that he had thrown off the covers of his futon during his abrupt wake-up. "No," he shook his head, tightly gripping his blanket. "That killing intent felt too real to be a dream….Though what did it mean by 'brothers and sisters? Are there more demons like the fox out there? Are there more people like me?"
The clicking of the door's latch broke Naruto out of his thoughts. He turned towards the sound, his blue eyes greeted by the sight of his girlfriend standing in the open doorway with a pail of water, smiling at him. Her face was slightly swollen and bruised, which did nothing to detract from the warmth of her shimmering brown eyes.
"Ha-" Naruto began to say, only for the girl to drop the bucket, cross the room in a few strides, and plaster her lips to his own.
The blond's eyes widened for a fraction of a second until they began to flutter close as he lost himself in the feeling of her kiss. Naruto couldn't tell if the kiss lasted seconds or hours, though he could say for sure as Haku drew away that the kiss was better than their last one. "Wow," Naruto gasped, opening his eyes.
Haku giggled, her face slightly flushed as she cupped Naruto's cheek and began rubbing his whiskers. "Yeah, wow."
Naruto leaned into her hand. "Can I ask why you kissed me?" Naruto asked, though he quickly amended his question, "Not that I mind!" Naruto then threw a bright grin her way, "I really don't mind."
"I'd hope so. It would worry me if my boyfriend didn't like kissing me…." Haku teased, trailing off as she bent down towards Naruto's ear, her lengthy, black hair curtaining them from view as she whispered, "...because I really like kissing my boyfriend." She punctuated her statement with a kiss on Naruto's neck, drawing a moan from the boy. Haku pulled back, a satisfied smile on her face as she returned to rubbing her boyfriend's whiskers, a therapeutic gesture for both of them.
Naruto sent a shy smile toward Haku, his face burning red as his pupils began to dilate. He drank in her form until he noticed the bandages wrapped around her upper arms that disappeared under her pink kimono. Naruto's smile evaporated as he remembered how his girlfriend got those injuries. "Haku-chan, are you ok?" He asked as he grasped her hand, stopping her ministrations.
"Hmm, why wouldn't I be?" She asked as she followed her boyfriend's eyes, seeing them focused on her bandages. "Oh," she gasped, releasing his cheek and placing it on her chest. "You don't have to worry, Naruto-kun. Shima-sama dressed my wounds and assured me there wouldn't be any scars," She reassured the boy with a smile.
"Oh, that's good," Naruto smiled, though her answer reminded him of their amphibian rescuer. "Shima's the old lady toad who saved me, right? By the way, what happened? I know that Kushimaru knocked me out…." Naruto trailed off as he looked away from Haku, the images of his failure in saving her and Zabuza flashing in his mind. He wasn't allowed to stew in shame for long as he felt Haku gently grab his chin and tilt it towards her.
Haku looked Naruto straight in the eyes, her brown orbs shimmering with tears, a grateful smile on her face. "Naruto, you protected Zabuza-sama. You stalled Kushimaru, placing yourself in danger," Haku sobbed. "Even though I lied to you." Her tears began streaming down her face as guilt gripped her heart. "I'm sorry." She let go of Naruto's chin, turning away from him as she made to stand up, "I should-" Haku was cut off as Naruto pulled her into his chest.
"-I love you, Haku," Naruto said into her ear as he wrapped her in his arms. "And I forgive you."
Haku's eyes widened as she tightened her grip on Naruto's shirt and soaked his shoulder with her tears.
They held each other for a few minutes, with Haku's sobs subsiding until she finally placed her hands on Naruto's chest and pushed herself up, staying in Naruto's arms as she looked down towards her boyfriend.
Naruto looked up at his girlfriend, taking in her red cheeks, puffy eyes, and messed up hair; he got struck with a sense of dé·jà Vu, which made him chuckle.
Haku arched an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"
"Just reminded of our first date," Naruto explained as he stroked her hair. "You're beautiful, Haku-chan."
"I remember," Haku blushed, a fond smile on her face. A smile that soon turned sensual as she lifted her right leg, straddled Naruto's hips and slid her left hand from his chest to the back of his neck, threading her fingers through his blonde hair, "Though I forget what I did after your compliment." She leaned down, her breath brushing his lips, whispering, "Could you remind me?"
Before Naruto could act, he and Haku froze at the sound of perverted giggling.
"Hehehe, you were right, Kakashi-kun; this boy is a goldmine! And those notes you took, you'll be getting a writing credit in my next book."
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama!"
Slowly, Haku and Naruto looked to the open doorway, finding two of the most fearsome shinobi Konoha has produced, Jiraiya of the Sannin and Kakashi of the Sharingan, furiously scribbling in notepads and giggling.
"Go on, don't mind us," Jiraiya motioned for the couple to continue with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, please don't stop on our account," Kakashi gave the two teens his patented 'eye smile.'
The two teens looked away from the door and towards each other, noticing that both faces were doing remarkable impersonations of lobsters.
Jiraiya and Kakashi quickly left the doorway, cackling as they fled downstairs to avoid the futon, pillow, hail of ice-senbon, and a pair of sandals that peppered the hallway wall.
A few minutes later, Naruto and Haku walked down the stairs, where they found the rest of the shinobi gathered around the dining room table. Jiraiya was sitting at the head of the table, a stoic expression on his face as he read from a scroll. Kakashi was seated on one side of the table, leaning back in his chair and reading from his orange book. Sitting across from Kakashi were Sasuke and Sakura, with Sakura staring longingly at the Uchiha, while the boy in question was studiously ignoring her and throwing cautious glances towards their last table guest, Zabuza. The former Demon of the Mist sat opposite Jiraiya, sporting crossed arms, a scowl, and more bandages than usual, with a repaired Kubikiribōchō leaning against the table.
"Good afternoon, Zabuza-sama," Haku greeted her master as she sat beside his left while Naruto sat between her and Kakashi. "How are your injuries?"
Zabuza's scowl softened. "They're fine," He rolled his shoulders and flared his chakra a bit, "A bit sore, but I can finally channel chakra now." The missing-nin then looked towards Naruto, "Hey, Brat…."
Naruto's eyebrows twitched. "Yeah, no brows?"
Zabuza's nonexistent eyebrows twitched. He had a barb on his tongue when he spied the slightest narrowing of Haku's eyes. Zabuza sighed, swallowing his retort, before continuing, "...I just wanted to thank you for helping with Kushimaru."
"It's no big deal," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head. "It was the right thing to do."
Zabuza scoffed. "The right thing to do?' That isn't a line a shinobi says."
"Well, it's a line that this shinobi says," Naruto stood up and jabbed his thumb at his chest as he stared Zabuza straight in the eye. "And I'll say it till and after I become Hokage."
They held the stare for a couple of seconds before Zabuza chuckled, "You know what, kid, you may just do that. Hopefully, Haku and I will be right there to see it." Zabuza then turned his attention to the eldest shinobi, who was looking at Naruto with a proud gleam in his eyes, "Jiraiya-sama, what's the word from the Hokage?"
Jiraiya held up the scroll in his hands. "Our Hokage is willing to hear you and Haku out, particularly Haku." Jiraiya mock coughed as he held up the scroll like a town crier about to read a proclamation, "And I quote, 'I can't wait to meet my grandson's first girlfriend. Treat her like a gentleman. Or I'll tell your Ayame-chan to ban you from Ichiraku's for a month."
Everyone got a good laugh at the blushing young couple.
Jiraiya waited for the table to settle before he adopted a more serious expression, "Though your meeting will have to wait till we deal with Gatō." He rolled up his scroll and slid it to Kakashi.
"So Sandaime-sama wants us to eliminate Gatō?" Kakashi asked as he opened the scroll and scanned it, his one visible eye widening as it got to the bottom of the scroll. "He wants my genin to participate?"
Sakura gulped. "Ho-Hokage-sama wants us to kill Gatō?"
"Hnn," Sasuke grunted as he rested his chin on his laced fingers.
Naruto remained silent, though the sudden tensing of his shoulders and the slight curling of his lip told the veteran shinobi all they needed to know of what he thought about the Hokage's decision.
Jiraiya nodded as he addressed Kakashi. "He thought it would be a good opportunity for your team to get their first kills in a safe environment. In addition, Sensei's worried about Gatō's ties to Kiri; he doesn't want the current Mizukage to get a foothold so close to Hi no Kuni."
"I see," Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Do you know where Gatō's base of operations is?"
"Yes, I've had my summons trailing his goons; Gatō's got a warehouse near the docks that must be neutralized, but his main base is the daimyo's castle on the north shore. My summons count his men at around five dozen." Jiraiya looked toward Zabuza, "Does that sound right?"
"Yeah, though we'll have to go tonight; Gatō's a rat. When Kushimaru doesn't show up, he'll flee," Zabuza advised as he placed his hand on Kubikiribōchō's pommel. "Speaking of, what happened to Kushimaru? I owe him a few cuts."
"I secured Kushimaru in a prisoner scroll and had him delivered to Konoha," Jiraiya answered. "Right now, he should be in the custody of our T.I. division." The Sanin then turned towards the Konoha jonin, "Kakashi, you'll take Sasuke and Sakura to deal with the warehouse, while Naruto, Haku, Zabuza, and I will deal with Gatō."
Sasuke interjected, "And why does Naruto get to assault Gatō's main compound?"
"Because he can summon an army of Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones) at the drop of a hat and because I said so," Jiraiya explained as he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. "Any other questions, genin?" Jiraiya asked, stressing Sasuke's rank.
Sasuke, deciding discretion was the larger part of valor, shook his head and said, "No, sir."
"Good," Jiraiya nodded. "I'll leave some summons here as guards. In addition, I want Naruto to leave a team of ten clones scattered across the house using the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) to disguise themselves as household objects, just in case." Seeing Naruto's nod, Jiraiya addressed the group, "We move out in twenty minutes." Jiraiya stood up, pushed away from the table, and walked towards the front door.
"Hey, old man," a voice said from behind him, causing the elder shinobi to stop at the door. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a familiar pair of cool blue eyes staring sharply into his own, commanding his attention, just like the boy's father used to do back in the day.
"After our mission, we need to talk," Naruto stated, his voice measured and determined.
Jiraiya tightly nodded, then left out the door, leaving the other shinobi to prepare for the night's grizzly work.
(Scene Change)
Just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky a dark orange and dashing the dirt streets with long shadows, three shinobi landed on a roof across from Gatō's warehouses. They could see three men outside, standing guard.
"What's the plan, Sensei?" Sakura asked as she nervously fingered the ring of her kunai, her green eyes studying the three men below her.
"Hmm," Kakashi rubbed his chin, "We need to clear the warehouses; find evidence regarding Gatō's dealings with Kiri or any other useful information and eliminate his men."
Sakura shuddered at Kakashi's use of the word 'eliminate.' "D-do we ha-have to k-ill them, Sensei?" Sakura stuttered, her hands beginning to shake, her pupils turning into pinpricks as she started taking short sharp breaths through her nostrils. "Can't we just, just knock them out? Leave them for-"
"-Sakura, name and registration number, " Kakashi firmly said as he crouched down and placed his hands on his genin's shoulders, cutting off her ramblings.
"Haruno Sakura; 012601." Sakura's breathing calmed.
"Again."
"Haruno Sakura; 012601." Her hands stopped shaking.
"Again."
"Haruno Sakura; 012601." Her eyes returned to normal.
"Are you good?" Kakashi asked.
Sakura nodded. "Yes."
Kakashi gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I know you don't like the idea of killing, and frankly, I'd be worried if you did. But part of our roles as shinobi is to act as the shields and the swords of our Kage. I understand if you can't handle this, and I won't judge you for it. I'll leave a clone up here with you while Sasuke and I deal with Gatō's men. However, I will have to report this to the Hokage, and you will likely be removed from the Shinobi forces."
Sakura's eyes widened. "But-"
"-No 'buts.' You're a Shinobi, a soldier. And sometimes, soldiers have to kill," Kakashi explained. "Now, what do you want to do?"
Kakashi's question hung in the air as Sakura looked inwards, asking herself, "Can I do this?"
"Of course, we can do this! We're the kunoichi of the year!" Her inner voice answered. "And what would Sasuke-kun think if we couldn't do this?"
"But we're talking about killing people!" Sakura argued back. "Wouldn't that make us bad?" She then spared a glance towards her crush, noting that the boy hadn't said a word, his eyes trained on the street below. "Would Sasuke still want us after?"
Sakura could practically feel her inner voice roll its eyes as it stated, "Sasuke's a shinobi; he'll be in the same boat as us."
"Oh, you're right," Sakura sheepishly thought.
"Plus," her inner voice explained in a gentler tone, "If we want to be a kunoichi, we'll have to do this. Because as Sensei said, 'Sometimes, soldiers have to kill."
Sakura gulped at that thought, then took another look at Sasuke and decided. Taking a deep breath, she turned to her Sensei. "I can do this."
Kakashi patted her on the shoulders as he stood up. "Good. Know that after this, my door will be open for you, or you can speak to a member of the Yamanaka clan." Kakashi looked over his shoulder, "The same goes for you, Sasuke."
"Hnn," Sasuke grunted, his eyes tracking the goons, a kunai gripped tightly in his right hand.
Kakashi restrained from sighing as he walked to the roof's ledge. "Now," the jonin said, his visible eye hardening on the three guards, "Here's the plan; honey trap."
(Scene Change)
Nibui leaned against the warehouse, picking at the dirt underneath his nails with the tip of his tanto.
"I'm bored," Namakemono yawned, scratching his long, hairy forearms as he lazily scanned the empty streets. The villagers knew better than to walk by Gatō's warehouses, especially at night.
Nibui grunted in agreement while grooming when he felt a tap on his right shoulder. "What, Akio?" Nibui grumbled as he turned towards the third guard.
Akio pointed down the street. "Look."
Namakemono and Nibui followed the man's finger, their eyes lighting up as they landed on the svelte form of a young, black-haired woman wearing a red qipao dress. She was taking small, shuffled steps, her head down as her long hair hid her eyes.
"Well, looks like the entertainment's arrived," Nibui quipped as he pushed off the wall, walking out into the street and stopping in front of the woman, startling her. "Hello, what's a pretty thing like you doing out so late? Are you lost?" He asked, leaning forward and leering at her.
The woman yelped, squeaking like a mouse, as she stumbled backward and ran into the arms of Namakemono. She looked up into the goon's black, beady eyes, her green eyes wide with fright. "I-"
"-Hey, it's alright," the long-armed thug cooed as he tightened his grip on the lady. "Why don't you let these kind 'uncles' help you?"
The woman lowered her head, her green orbs curtained by her dark locks as she fell deathly silent.
Nibui chuckled. "I'm not hearing a 'no." The large brute locked eyes with his comrade and jerked his head towards a nearby alley.
Namakemono nodded, a salacious grin on his face as he dragged the unresistant woman towards the dark alley, followed by Nibui.
Neither man saw a shadow descend on the third guard, Akio, as they exited the street.
Namakemono pushed the lady against a wall, placing his knee between her thighs as he pinned her arms above her head with his left hand. The goon was surprised when the woman wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Looks like we got a kinky one," Nibui joked as a man with gray hair glared down at him unnoticed.
"Looks like," Namakemono agreed as he leaned towards her. "Now, give us a ki-"
The woman's head shot forward, her large forehead striking the goon on the tip of his chin, cracking his jaw, scrambling his brain, and making him bite down on his tongue so hard he chomped it in half. Reflexively, the thug released the lady's arms as his legs gave out and crumpled to the ground, the girl following him down as she wrapped her hands around his throat.
Nibui made to grab her when Kakashi dropped down behind him and snapped his neck with a sharp crack. A similar crack, though duller, was heard a second later.
Kakashi observed his student as she sat on the corpse, staring down at her hands still around its throat. She didn't even notice that the Henge (Transformation) around her had faded, returning her hair to its natural pink and her body to its coltish appearance. Kakashi was about to say something when he saw Sakura slowly release the man's throat and stand up on shaky legs. She walked two steps and promptly vomited in the alleyway.
The jonin looked upon her with a mixture of sadness and understanding as he watched Sakura empty the contents of her stomach; he had vomited after his first kill. He stood there, waiting for the genin to finish, resisting the urge to comfort her because the mission came first.
When the girl's retching subsided and turned into shallow breaths, her commanding officer asked her, "Are you good?"
The young kunoichi spat out some remaining bile, then looked deep into her commanding officer's eye, seeing no judgment nor pity—only concern. The genin took a shuddering breath before straightening her back. "I'm good."
The jonin nodded. "Return to the roofs and watch the back entrance of the warehouse."
Sakura quickly channeled her chakra to her feet and climbed up the nearby wall.
Kakashi watched her disappear over the roof, then crouched near the corpses and observed their faces, committing their looks to memory. When he was satisfied, he stood up and summoned a shadow clone. They both then transformed into the dead men, Kakashi taking the form of Nibui, while his clone took the form of Namakemono.
The transformed men quickly examined one another for any obvious faults with the illusion; too small eyes, too large ears, etc. But found nothing to correct. Satisfied, the real Kakashi left the alley first while his clone stacked the corpses on one another before flashing through hand signs.
Kakashi ignored the bright orange flash behind him as he approached the warehouse's front door, where Sasuke stood in the guise of the third guard. "Any company?" The jonin asked, scratching his chin.
Sasuke shook his head, slightly tightening his grip on Akio's polearm. "Nope, the street's…dead." His transformed brown eyes flicked towards the alley, where the flash of light had died down, and 'Namakemono' had emerged. "And how was your…company?"
"She was good," Kakashi grunted as he opened the front door and walked inside the warehouse with Sasuke silently trailing behind him, leaving the polearm leaning against the wall.
The first thing that greeted the two transformed ninjas was the pungent smell of chemicals, followed by laughter from a room at the end of the hallway.
"No fire," Kakashi whispered to his student as they walked down the hallway, approaching the sounds of laughter.
"Understood," Sasuke answered, his voice equally low, as they walked by a wide doorway covered by thick, black curtains. Curious, they stopped and slightly parted them, seeing the warehouse floor and finding Gatō's drug operation in full tilt. They observed men in cloth masks and rubber gloves working at tables where they appeared to be soaking and straining some white mixture and turning it into a white paste.
"What are they making?" Sasuke asked as he watched one man take some of the paste and mold it into a brick.
"Cocaine," Kakashi replied as he scanned the room and saw a windowed office overlooking the warehouse floor. "It's a stimulant derived from a plant found and grown in southern Cha no Kuni. It's highly addictive and can lead to heart attacks."
Sasuke counted the men in the room; twenty. "I kind of wish the dobe was here; his clones would make good meat shields."
"True," Kakashi agreed as he stepped away from the curtains. "But we'll just have to make due." He then turned and continued down the hallway toward the end room.
Sasuke followed his Sensei. They passed by one more door that was closed and locked. Kakashi paused, pushing his ear against the door and channeling chakra to his ears; he heard the unmistakable sounds of painful defecation.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, his eyes shifting from the end room to the warehouse floor entrance.
"Bathroom. And it's occupied," Kakashi answered as he cut the chakra to his ears. "Stay here and watch the hallway," the jonin ordered.
Sasuke jabbed his thumb toward the door. "And what about the bathroom? What if he comes out?"
Kakashi ran his thumb across his throat. "Make sure it stays occupied."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed before nodding as he leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed against his chest, a scowl on his face.
Seeing his student in position, the leader of Team 7 went to the final room and opened up the door, finding a small break room and five more guards. Four played cards around a small table, while the fifth leaned on a small counter smoking a cigarette.
"Nibui, the fuck you doin' here? You're supposed to be out front," the smoker said, his eyes narrowing as he studied the large man standing in the doorway. There was something off about him that was setting his instincts on edge. Unconsciously, his right hand moved closer to the handle of his katana propped up against him.
'Nibui' noticed the smoker's actions as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Needed to shit, but someone's in the can."
One of the card players, the one facing the door, released a bark of a laugh, his face flushed from alcohol. "You dumbass, you forget that Atsuo's been in there for the past hour?"
'Nibui' shrugged his shoulders. "Thought the moron would be done by now." Nibui noticed the smoker tense as he gripped his katana and stood up. Something one of the other card players noticed as he glanced from the smoker towards 'Nibui.'
The disguised jonin quickly gauged their positions and distances and devised an attack plan. He channeled chakra through his right arm as he prepared to drop his Henge Jutsu (Transformation technique).
"Moron? That's a new one. You usually call him 'shit for brains," the card player with his back to the transformed man said over his shoulder.
'Nibui' locked eyes with the smoker as he said, "I felt a 'change' was in order." The big man was suddenly covered by a large plume of white smoke, shocking the guards in the room.
The smoker instinctively drew his blade, his mind barely processing the four shadows flying out of the smoke, followed by four meaty-sounding thunks. He opened his mouth to shout but found himself jerked forward and quickly placed in a headlock with an arm wrapped around his throat.
"There's no need for that," Kakashi chided into his ear, sounding like he was scolding a small child as he casually knocked the man's weapon out of his hand. "Now, tell me all you know about Gatō's drug operation," the jonin ordered as he eased the pressure on the man's throat, just enough so he could speak.
The smoker glared straight ahead as he opened his mouth to yell, only for the jonin to grasp his jaw and squeeze. The smoker felt his jaw creak and his teeth crack.
"First warning," the scarecrow shinobi growled. "This can be quick and painless like your friends over there…." Kakashi jerked the smoker's head down, so his eyes could focus on the four corpses surrounding the table. Each corpse had black knives buried near the hilt in their skulls. "…Or this can be slow and painful."
A few seconds passed as the smoker stared at the four bodies, their faces twisted in shock as blood and brain matter leaked from their ears and nostrils. He then slowly nodded into Kakashi's grip.
The jonin eased his grip. "Good, now tell me about Gatō's businesses here in Nami no Kuni…."
(During Kakashi's Interrogation)
"I killed a man," Sasuke thought with a clinical distance, remembering the guard he had executed under Kakashi's watchful eye—the guard whose guise he was currently wearing.
The Uchiha genin recalled swooping down like a striking falcon, sinking his kunai into the back of the man's neck right near the base of the skull, severing the brain stem. The man didn't even know what hit him. As the fresh corpse fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, Sasuke ensured to catch the man's polearm before it could strike the ground and make noise.
It was a textbook assassination, and Sasuke felt nothing. Not rage nor guilt. At best, all the Uchiha heir felt for the man was apathy; he was an obstacle in his way that needed to be dealt with.
And that bothered the young man.
"Is this how that 'person' felt?" Sasuke frowned, staring down at his hands; they were tan with short stubby fingers, the complete opposite of his own, which were pale with long, thin fingers. The same fingers as that 'person.' "Am I turning into them?" The young genin clenched his fists and glared at the opposite wall, silently vowing, "No, I refuse. I will never be like 'them."
The sound of a flushing toilet made the genin tense. His eyes flicked to the curtains to see if anyone was coming through as he took out a kunai. Sasuke heard the lock unlatching and prepared himself.
The door opened, revealing a bald man with sunken cheeks and a stud piercing his nose. He took one step out of the bathroom and quickly felt a sharp prick in his throat as his world went dark.
Sasuke caught the body midfall and dragged it into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with his shoes, his nose wrinkling at the awful stench. "What the hell did this guy eat?" the Uchiha muttered as he dropped the corpse and began patting it down, searching for valuable information. Finding nothing, he retrieved his kunai, pulling the blade out with a wet splat and wiping it on the man's shirt.
"Hey, Atsuo, you still shitting your guts out?" A gruff voice asked from behind the door.
Sasuke's eyes widened in panic. His mind froze. He looked from the door to the body, appearing like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar or, in Sasuke's case, a kid with a corpse in the bathroom.
The doorknob turned, causing the door latch to click. "Huh, the door's unlocked." The door began to open, revealing the silhouette of a large man.
The genin's mind faded into the background as he let his body take over. Instinctively, he channeled chakra to his eyes, his vision becoming sharper as his world seemed to slow down as he threw the kunai in his hand at the man's throat. Sasuke watched with panicked satisfaction as the large man's eyes seemed shocked with surprise, only for the wind to be taken out of the genin's sails as he watched the large man effortlessly catch the blade between his fingers.
"Oh, it's you, 'Akio." The large man closed his eyes, bending his eyelids into an upside-down 'u' shape that looked like a smile.
Sasuke sighed, feeling the adrenaline drain out of his body quickly as he realized it was his Sensei. "Yeah, it's me."
"I'll wait for you to finish; don't take too long," Kakashi said, closing the door when he stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot; here," the transformed jonin stepped forward and handed Sasuke's kunai back to him. "Now be careful with that," Kakashi chided, wagging his finger. "You might poke someone's eye out with that thing."
The Uchiha rolled his eyes as he returned the dagger to his sleeve. "I'm good to go now."
"Great to hear," Kakashi stated, turning on his heel and exiting the bathroom, his student trailing behind him. He waited for the genin to close the bathroom door before updating him on what he learned in the breakroom while honing his senses on the curtains leading to the drug lab.
"Did anyone come in the hallway while I was gone?" The jonin asked.
The genin shook his head. "Negative. Not one."
"Interesting," Kakashi commented, analyzing that piece of information. "The men in the warehouse either have bladers of steel, or they are going out back to piss. We'll need to reconfirm their numbers. Speaking of…I confirmed Jiraiya-sama's intel: these warehouses and the former daimyo's castle are Gatō's only bases in Nami no Kuni. Once we're done here, it will be up to Jiraiya's team to finish their part."
Sasuke crossed his arms."And how do we do that? You told me no fire jutsu."
Kakashi nodded. "I did because fire and chemicals make bigger fire or make boom, and I don't think the good people of Nami would appreciate a giant conflagration or explosion, my little firebug," the jonin mockingly explained.
Sasuke scowled at the jab. "Then what are we going to do?" His eyes flicked toward the curtains. The Uchiha was confident he could take all the men alone if ordered.
Kakashi motioned for his student to follow him as he approached the curtains. He slightly peeled back the black cloth and counted the men on the floor, finding twenty men busy making drugs. "Huh, convenient," the jonin thought. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kakashi mentally measured the room as he planned to eliminate the men. "About 300 square meters," he concluded as he ran through the mental catalog of the jutsu he knew and thought of one that fitted the situation perfectly. He drew back from the curtains and turned towards his student. "There are many ways to skin a cat, oh dour student of mine, and, thankfully, your awesome sensei knows a thousand of them."
Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his teacher's boasting, but he was intrigued. "And what jutsu will you be using?"
"Nehan Shōja no Jutsu (Nirvana Temple technique), a genjutsu that lulls targets in an area into a deep sleep," Kakashi explained as he canceled his transformation, placed his hands in the tiger seal, and began carefully molding his chakra for the technique.
Sasuke's eyebrows rose at the action. "And if you could do that this whole time, why didn't you?"
"Because you and Sakura needed experience in eliminating targets on your own, and I'm not skilled enough with this technique to cover the entirety of this warehouse," Kakashi told his genin as he finished molding the chakra. The jonin then motioned towards the curtains with his chin. "Would you kindly?"
Sasuke widely peeled back the cloth and watched his Sensei casually stroll through the opening and towards the center of the room, surprising the drug workers.
"What the-" one of the workers began to say as he rose from his stool at the sight of the one-eyed shinobi, only to be distracted by a bunch of white feathers fluttering down from the ceiling. For some reason, the feathers made him feel tired. So, very tired. The man's eyes drooped shut as he fell to the ground, banging his head on his table on the way down.
Sasuke watched, amazed at how fast the jutsu neutralized the twenty guards. "I need to learn some genjutsu," he concluded.
Kakashi ended his jutsu and looked over his shoulder. "Sasuke, go outside and tell my clone to retrieve Sakura while I deal with them. Then we'll search this place for further intel about Gatō's operations."
"Understood," Sasuke responded as he canceled his transformation and left to fulfill his Sensei's orders.
Kakashi turned towards the unconscious group of goons, drew a kunai, and began quickly and efficiently slicing each man's throat. "I wonder how Jiraiya-sama is faring," he muttered as he slashed his fifth throat.
(Scene Change)
The daimyo's castle sat upon a cliff overlooking the sea; it was three stories built in a pagoda style and constructed of wood and stone. The castle had a dirt courtyard enclosed by a ten-foot tall wall where a few of Gatō's men patrolled while two others guarded the thick wooden gates, the only entry for ordinary men.
"When we reach the top, Zabuza, you and I will deal with the men patrolling the grounds while Naruto and Haku infiltrate and clear the top floor, capturing Gatō if they find him. If not, they'll have an opportunity when you and I begin clearing the first and second floors," Jiraiya explained as he and his group slowly scaled the cliff face, sticking to it with their chakra.
Zabuza chuckled as he walked next to the elder shinobi while the two younger shinobi trailed behind them. "Make the rat seek higher ground?"
"Exactly."
"Though, why does the Hokage want us to capture the midget? I thought he wanted him dead?"
"He does, but he'd rather let the villagers swing the blade."
"I see," Zabuza said as he looked over his right shoulder, seeing the blond whispering something into Haku's ear. "Are you sure the gaki is up for this?" Zabuza asked, his voice low with a tinge of worry.
Jiraiya stifled a snort as he glanced behind him, seeing Haku nod towards his godson, a serious look on her face. "Never thought I'd see the Kirigakure no Kijin worried about a kid; he can handle Gatō's goons."
Zabuza scoffed, facing ahead, noting they were one hundred feet from the ledge. "You know that's not what I'm worried about."
"I know…" Jiraiya sighed, taking one last look at the young couple, seeing the care and worry the young woman had for his godson. The sight lightened his heart as he looked forward, "…But he has Haku caring for him."
Zabuza didn't respond. He rolled his shoulders, adjusting his blade so that its handle was sticking over his right shoulder, though hidden beneath his bandages was a small smile.
The group crested the top of the cliff, climbed over the ledge, and found themselves fifty meters away from the back of the castle.
Jiraiya gestured towards the two young shinobi, holding up three fingers with his right hand for a second, then quickly lowered two fingers and pointed down with his pointer.
The young couple nodded, then rushed towards the castle, clearing the distance in a blink of an eye as they leaped from the first roof to the second and finally the third without making a sound.
Jiraiya and Zabuza waited three minutes, then rushed the castle themselves, clearing the distance even faster than their young charges as they leaped straight to the second roof without a sound. They circled toward the front courtyard, peered over the ledge, and started counting their targets:
Thirteen men were in the courtyard; a trio patrolled the western wall, two with hands on their weapons while the third held a lantern; a duo leaned against the eastern wall, smoking cigarettes; a group of five were in the middle of the courtyard, crouched around a game of dice near some lit braziers; one was in the northeast corner taking a piss in the shadows; the final two were guarding the inside of the gates.
Jiraiya processed this information in a matter of seconds. The Toad sage raised his hands, placing them in a cross-shaped seal. "You take the center; I'll take the flanks. Meet at the gates."
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)," the Senin thought as a double of himself phased into existence, crouched on its creator's right.
Zabuza grasped the handle of his blade. "This will be fun," he chuckled, channeling chakra to his legs.
"Go," Jiraiya ordered. As soon as the command left his lips, he and his clone leaped from the roof. The original took the left, while his clone took the right.
Zabuza waited a second before he leaped off the roof, aiming to land in the center of the gambling goons.
Jiraiya's clone landed on the ground with a clop of its geta sandals and shot off like a rocket, reaching into its left sleeve as it did so and pulling out two kunai.
One of the smokers heard the sound of sandals. He looked over towards the noise as he took a drag of his cigarette, only to choke on the smoke at the sight of a large man in kabuki clothing charging toward him.
"Intru-" He began to cough out, only to be cut off by something piercing his neck. He suddenly felt something warm trickling down his neck as his legs turned to jelly. His legs gave out from under him as he fell to the ground, landing on his knees. He reached up towards his throat with numb fingers and felt something hard, cold, and slick with liquid. "Is this.." his mind trailed off as his vision rapidly darkened, his final thought.
The second smoker's death was more merciful, for the clone's kunai had pierced the side of the man's skull, striking his brain and killing him instantly.
Jiraiya's clone left behind the cooling corpses as it proceeded toward its final target, who was zipping up his fly. The clone closed the distance instantly, appearing behind the guard and wrenching the man's neck, producing a sharp crack as the man quickly stilled.
The clone frowned as it let the body drop. It then turned on its heel and rushed towards the gate.
At the same time, the last loyal Sanin soared through the air, flashing through six hand seals with a speed that most jonin would be hard-pressed to track, channeling chakra through the roots of his long hair as he descended upon the patrolling group of guards like a swooping falcon. "Hari Jizō(Needle Jizō)," the elder shinobi thought as he felt his long mane of hair extend, harden, and sharpen around his body, forming a spiky shell that would make a sea urchin jealous.
The legendary ninja landed on one of the guards, crushing and skewering the man and splattering his compatriots with his blood.
The other two men were still shocked, their minds still trying to process the sudden loss of their comrade, when the elder shinobi formed a single seal, directing the chakra to his scalp to launch his hardened hair follicles into the two goons.
"Hari Jigoku (Needle Hell)" The two goons were riddled with a barrage of hardened hair needles that peppered their bodies, making them look like macabre porcupines as they fell lifelessly to the ground.
Jiraiya released his technique, his long mane reverting to its less deadly form as he sprinted toward the gate, noticing out the corner of his eye that Zabuza had descended on his hapless victims.
As Zabuza fell, he charged chakra through Kubikiribōchō, sharpening its edge as he landed in the middle of the group, crushing their dice underneath his heels and sending bills of ryō flying into the air. Before the guards could process his sudden appearance, Zabuza swung his massive blade in a circle, bisecting the five men and showering the courtyard with blood and viscera. His job done, the former Kiri-nin rushed towards the unfortunate gate guards who had watched the murderous mutilation happen with wide eyes.
The leftmost guard dropped his spear while his partner shakily raised his as they both stared down their oncoming death when something pierced their skulls rendering their worlds black forever.
"Oi, those were my kills," Zabuza whispered, appearing next to the original Jiraiya.
The Sanin merely rolled his eyes as he crouched down and retrieved his kunai from his kill, wiping the blade on the dead goon's shirt before returning it up his sleeve. He looked at his clone and motioned toward the gate.
The clone nodded, hopped to the top of the gates, and disappeared over them. A moment later, two thuds were heard, followed by a muted pop as wisps of white smoke snaked through the gate's seam.
Jiraiya didn't bother reviewing the clone's memories as he walked through the courtyard and towards the castle's front entrance, with Zaubuza flanking him, their sandals splashing in the pools of blood from Zabuza's kills. "Time to flush out the rat; you take out the first floor while I clear the second." The Gama Senin leaped to the second roof.
The former Demon of the Mist merely grinned behind his bandages, feeling his blood pumping as he drew some kunai and charged through the front entrance.
(Scene Change)
While Jiraiya and Zabuza were terminating the guards on the grounds, Haku and Naruto infiltrated the castle through a window after slicing through its thick wooden slats with a wind-enhanced kunai from Haku. They found themselves in a large linen closet if the folded-up futons were anything to go by.
They crept across the floorboards towards a thick wooden door, placed their ears upon it, and listened. It was silent. They pulled back, and Naruto reached towards the door handle and slightly opened it, just enough for Haku to quickly poke her head through and scan the hallway.
Haku's brown orbs were greeted by a darkened hallway on her right that went on for some thirty feet before leading to some narrow stairs. To her left, the hallway went on for some twenty feet before turning a corner where Zabuza's apprentice could make out the glow of an approaching lantern and hear the sound of creaking wood. Quickly, the last Yuki pulled back and motioned towards her boyfriend to close the door.
Naruto followed her silent command and closed the door, drawing a kunai from his holster as they waited for the guards to pass.
Haku closed her eyes and focused on her hearing, utilizing her training under Zabuza to count the men passing by. She could hear three distinct sets of footsteps, which she relayed to her boyfriend with her right hand as she drew four senbon from her pouch with her left.
Naruto gripped his kunai tighter as he heard the men pass by, readying himself for what he had to do as he watched his girlfriend for the signal.
Haku waited for the men to make it halfway to the stairs before opening her eyes. She looked at her boyfriend and mouthed the word, "Go."
Naruto nodded, pulled open the door, and both shinobi swooped into the hall and rushed towards the men, throwing their weapons at the turning guards with deadly precision. Two guards had a pair of Haku's senbon embedded in their throats, while the third guard had Naruto's kunai lodged in his.
All three reflexively reached for their necks as they began crumpling to the ground, their glass lantern following suit, only for it to be caught by Naruto before it could shatter on the floor.
The blond hissed, repressing the urge to shout as he felt a burning sensation in his palm; he had caught the lantern near the flame.
Haku, seeing this, walked over and blew out the lantern before taking it from her boyfriend's hands. She placed it on the floor, then channeled Hyōton chakra to her hands and grasped Naruto's hands with her own.
Naruto sighed in relief at the cool sensation of his girlfriend's hands and gave her a nod of gratitude, receiving a smile in return. Naruto then released her hands, walked over to the fallen guards, and crouched near their bodies.
The blond observed that the men Haku targeted had died instantly. The same could not be said for Naruto's target; the man was still alive, clinging to life as he bled out on the floor, choking on the blood gurgling from his throat. Naruto frowned as he leaned over the man and reached towards his kunai, looking the man in the eyes as he did so; the man's eyes were teary, unfocused, and filled with fear. Naruto's hand shook as he grasped the blade. He took a shaky breath before he plunged the weapon deeper, then slashed the man's neck, ending his life.
Naruto swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he wiped the kunai on the man's shirt and returned it to his holster. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder; he turned and met Haku's brown orbs shining with concern. The blond sent her a nod as he stood up.
Haku squeezed his shoulder, then motioned towards the bodies. "Could you make some clones and hide them in the closet while we clear the rest of this floor?"
"Yes," Naruto responded as he placed his hands into a cross-hand seal and summoned three shadow clones in a puff of smoke. "After you three are done, stick to the ceiling and watch the hallway," the jinchūriki ordered his clones.
"Good idea," Haku complimented with a smile before adopting a more serious expression. "Now, let's go," she said, turning around and walking down the hallway.
Naruto nodded and shadowed her as they turned the corner and were greeted with another hallway that ended in a dead-end. It was lined with six doors, two on the left and four on the right, with no light coming from beneath any of them.
One by one, the shinobi approached each door and cleared the rooms; first, Haku placed her ear against the door and used her training to listen for any inhabitants, then Naruto opened the door, and they both checked the interiors with their eyes to ensure no one was there. The doors on the left were more storage rooms with paintings, scrolls, vases, and even an old suit of samurai armor on a stand, but no people. The first three doors on the right were guest rooms equally devoid of people. As they approached the final door, Naruto stiffened, his eyes glazed over, and he became slightly pale—something Haku noticed.
"Are you ok?" she whispered, touching his shoulder.
The blond blinked, his eyes refocusing on his girlfriend's. "I'm fine," he assured her with a smile, though it appeared forced. "One of my clones dispelled, showing me that two more of Gatō's goons had come up here to check on the other guards and…well…." Naruto trailed off as he looked down at his hands and remembered what his clones did; they dropped down on the two unsuspecting men, latching onto their backs and smothering their mouths with their hands as they slashed their throats. He then watched his clones drag their bodies into the linen closet with the other three corpses. Three corpses. That's how many people Naruto had killed tonight, and he'd probably add more to the tally before the night was done and more as his shinobi career continued, and that thought chilled him.
"How many people will I have to kill?" Naruto wondered. Before the young Uzumaki's thoughts could spiral out of control, he was brought back to reality by a hand cupping his chin and raising his face to see his girlfriend's caring expression.
"Naruto, I love you…" she began, her tone carrying all the warmth and affection in her heart. "…And I understand what you're going through, but I need you now. I need you to watch my back, to protect me, just like I'll protect you; your body…." Haku stepped forward, her hand leaving his face and slipping down his chest to rest over his heart as she hugged the blond. "…Your mind…" she rested her forehead on his own, staring deep into his eyes, "…and your heart," she finished by giving a gentle tap over the organ in question, followed by a brief but meaningful kiss. "Can you do that for me?" she asked once she pulled back.
"Yeah, I can do that," Naruto answered, his eyes clear and determined.
Haku smiled. "Good, now let's-" Whatever Haku said was cut off by a loud gong, followed by many shouts of alarm.
The duo's eyes widened before they burst into action; they barged into the final room, quickly finding nothing, and returned to the hallway, sprinting towards the staircase where they could hear the sounds of battle climbing up from the lower floors as well as hurried footsteps. Naruto and Haku exchanged glances, then leaped up and clung to the ceiling with their chakra just before three guards and Gatō himself came barreling up the steps and rushed towards the linen closet door.
"Open the door! We'll leap out the window onto the roof!" the diminutive drug lord shouted from their midst.
"But what about the bars?" One of the guards with a black crewcut asked, while another with brown dreads reached towards the door and wrenched it open. 'Dreads' took one step inside before pausing in the doorway.
"Knock them out, you idiot!" Gatō snarled as he shoved past the man in the doorway. "And why are you standing there like a fuck…." Nami no Kuni's tyrant trailed off as his eyes drank in the five corpses stacked like cordwood in the linen closet with two identical blond boys with piercing blue eyes with kunai in their hands.
"Shit!" 'Crewcut' cursed as he roughly grabbed his boss's shoulder and flung him into the hallway just before 'Dreads' got struck by the two knives, one piercing his gut while the second slipped through his ribs and stabbed his heart. 'Crewcut' then kicked 'Dreads' body into the room and slammed the door shut, pinning it with his body while the final guard, a bald man with heavy tattoos, went over to help their boss.
"Argh!" Gatō yelled as his shoulder slammed into the wall and felt a sharp pop. His eyes watered as 'Tatts' rolled him onto his back and helped him up. Unbidden, his eyes landed on the ceiling, and he felt his blood chill in his veins; looking down at him was the same pair of sharp blue eyes glaring down at him in contempt, joined by a familiar pair of brown eyes that were glaring down at him furiously.
"Boss, you ok?" 'Tatts' asked as he hauled his employer to his feet.
Gatō weakly raised his hand, pointing up at the ceiling where he watched in slow-moving horror the two shinobi drop down upon him and his guard, feet first. The drug dealer's last conscious thought before he got drop-kicked in the face was, "Is this how I die?"
Haku experienced a dark thrill of satisfaction shooting up her spine as she heard and felt the disgusting imp's shades and nose shatter under her heels. "That's for thinking you could make me your sex slave!" she thought as she watched Naruto jump off 'Tatts' body and leap towards the surprised 'Crewcut' dispatching him with a flying stab to the chest with a bloody kunai. "Good work, Naruto-kun," she complimented as she watched her boyfriend clean his weapon by wiping it on his fifth kill's shirt before returning it to his holster. "Now, do you have some wire to tie up this pig?" Haku asked as she resisted the urge to stomp Gatō's head in.
"Yes," Naruto answered as he walked over to his girlfriend and handed her a spool of wire from his hip pouch.
Haku made quick and efficient work of hogtying their target, making sure to tie the knots tight. "Do you think you could leave some clones here to watch him while we go downstairs to help clear the lower floors?"
"No need, the old man's here," Naruto said, looking down the hall and spotting Jiraiya's white hair cresting the top of the stairs.
"Good work, you two," Jiraiya praised as he approached, examining the young couple for any injuries and, thankfully, finding none. "Have any trouble?"
Haku shook her head as she got up and went to stand next to her boyfriend. "No. It was a clean infiltration, elimination, and capture mission."
"Good. I'll want an A.A.R. written out and ready to submit to the Hokage when we return there," Jiraiya ordered them both.
Naruto nodded while Haku turned towards her boyfriend with a puzzled look, asking, "A.A.R? What's an A.A.R?"
Naruto looked at her in disbelief. "You don't know what an A.A.R. is?"
Haku arched an eyebrow. "Would I be asking if I did?"
Naruto waved his hands. "No, I'm just surprised that you didn't know. A.A.R stands for 'After Action Report.' It's a written report that we submit after completing a mission. It is an official record of what happened and can help us learn from our mistakes." Naruto muttered, "I would know. Iruka-sensei had me write hundreds of them as punishment."
"Oh, I've never had to do that when completing a mission. Our employers never cared for paperwork as long as they got results, and given Zabuza-sama's reputation, those results were rather…evident," Haku explained as she thought about the looks on some of their former employers' faces when they saw the aftermath of their assignments; one doesn't appreciate how much blood the human body has until its painting the walls, floors, and ceilings.
"Did somebody call my name?" Zabuza asked as he appeared at the top of the stairs.
"I was just explaining how I've never had to write an A.A.R. to Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama," Haku said to her master as he walked toward the group.
Zabuza's shoulders slumped as he remembered the hours of his life spent writing reports. "Fuck, I forgot about that stuff." Zabuza then looked at Naruto, then at his apprentice. "How serious are you about the brat?"
"Zabuza-sama!" Haku exclaimed as she threw a hyōton infused chop to the top of her master's head.
"Ouch!" Zabuza yelped. "I was joking!" He rubbed the top of his head, hissing at touching the newly formed bruise when his eyes landed on the bound Gatō. "Are you sure we can't just gut the imp right now?" Zabuza asked, his eyes narrowing on his former employer's minute form.
Jiraiya shook his head. "Sorry, but orders are orders, but that doesn't mean we can't hurt him. I want to know more about his deal with Kiri and any other countries," Jiraiya punctuated his statement with a glare that could melt steel aimed towards the diminutive dictator. Konoha's last loyal sannin was not blind to the role Gatō played in his godson's near death. Jiraiya also didn't care for how one of the man's goons had shaken down and roughed up one of his informants. Oh yes, the Gama Senin would take great joy in making the malicious midget talk.
Zabuza grinned viciously behind his bandages. "Oh, I can't wait to make him squeal."
Jiraiya picked up the bound Gatō, carelessly slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Zabuza, you're with me. Naruto, create a dozen clones and have them gather the bodies and place them in the courtyard. At the same time, you and Haku will search the castle for any information about Gatō's businesses or anything else you deem relevant." Jiraiya then disappeared in a swirl of leaves, followed by Zabuza in a swirl of water.
"Will do," Naruto sighed, not looking forward to handling all those bodies. He raised his hands in a cross-shaped seal when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be with you, Naruto-kun," Haku assured her boyfriend, giving him a gentle smile—one which Naruto returned.
"Thank you," Naruto said, then cast his signature technique, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique).
The hallway was covered with a plume of white chakra smoke, which slowly faded into the aether as a dozen Naruto clones undertook their tasks. At the same time, the original began scouring the castle alongside his girlfriend.
Gatō was defeated, and Nami no Kuni was free.