Alllright! I'm so sorry for the wait, thank you all for your patience with this, I'll be working on this a lot more. Also, is anyone else super obsessed with My Hero Academia?? I just finished binge watching it and holy moly did it turn out to be my favorite anime of all time! I kinda want to write a MHA fanfic oops lolol but I'm not taking on anymore projects until I get my existing ones done! Pinky promise!! Also I'm switching up the format cause I really hate the long paragraphs that only break when there's a change of view or a time skip
*Reader's P.O.V.*
Tazuna grunted, arms crossed and face set in a grumpy expression as always.
"I have no choice but to tell you- no, I want you to know. You were right, this mission is beyond the original rank. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who casts a very long shadow. I'm sure you've heard of him before. He's among the wealthiest men in the world- the shipping magnet, Gato."
Kakashi-sensei seems to recognize the name and place it to a business leader. It seems familiar to me, like I've heard of him before, but I know nothing about the man. Tazuna continues, "He is from a famous company that's true, but below the surface with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses, he sells drugs and contraband using gangs and ninja."
The man went on to explain how Gato had taken over all of The Land of Waves by controlling their transport and shipping. I nodded along as the story continued, my gaze passing over the other Genin and taking in their expressions. Sasuke, monotone as always, Sakura looked focused, and Naruto... looking as Naruto-y as ever. With the mention of the bridge, I look back over to Tazuna as he explains that the bridge is a sign of hope and better future for the whole population of the island. I take a deep breath. Gangs and enemy ninja? Will we be able to handle this? Will Kakashi-sensei even consider continuing on..? I grimace as the bridge builder rambles on.
"If you leave once you drop me ashore, they'll assassinate me before I even reach home. But don't feel bad about that. Of course, my sweet innocent grandson will cry. He'll say, 'grandad! I want my grandad!'" My jaw dropped at the whiney voice Tazuna took up. He's seriously using guilt-tripping tactics to get us to continue with this!? Even if it costs all five of our lives? It was incredulous. Then again.. even if Tazuna hadn't mentioned his grandson, I know what choice I would've made.
I'm a ninja, one that wants to protect everyone, save everyone.. because I failed, I failed to protect the ones I love most. I look down at my hand that is now clenched into a fist. (Y/b/n)... (Y/s/n).. Mother... because I failed to save you all, I will do anything I can to help others. I know you would want that. Although.. even though I want to help this bridge builder.. I can't help but wish Sakura would chop his head as he continued to list off all the things that would happen to him and his family if we were to abandon him until Kakashi-sensei finally gave in, though I had a feeling he would've accepted anyway without the guilt-tripping.
As we neared The Land of Waves and travelled through a tunnel, suddenly the thick fog vanished, though not entirely. I could tell it lifted everyone's spirits, even if they didn't show it as clearly as Naruto. After the boat guy dropped us off, Tazuna thanked him then promptly turned around and ordered us to take him home.
"And I mean in one piece." He added gruffly. As we began guiding the old man to his destination, I noticed Kakashi-sensei looked deep in thought. Why wouldn't he be? He's got four Genin to take care of plus the bridge builder. Plus.. I've only recently recovered.. I wonder if he thinks I'll be a burden. I only sigh and continue acting as a guard to our client.
After a few moments, I notice Sasuke's pace quickens and catches up to Naruto in the front. Is he.. trying to compete? I wonder, when out of no where Naruto runs ahead, looks around, then throws a knife somewhere random in the bushes shouting "There!" We all stand, dumbfounded, until Naruto straightens up and flicks his hair confidently, "It was just a mouse." He stated, to which Sakura bursts out about how stupid he is. Kakashi-sensei interrupts to try and scold him, but Tazuna wants to join in on the fun and starts yelling at Naruto as well. I sweatdrop and stay silent, observing the comical scene before me. His antics continue until he almost makes rabbit kabobs.
I get a chill, as if someone is watching us, and look around uneasily but don't spot anyone nearby. Weird.. However, it only takes a few seconds until Kakashi-sensei shouts a warning and we all duck, a large sword swinging above our heads until it cuts into the trunk of a tree. We all barely have time to stand up before a ninja appears on the sword's handle, and a scary looking one at that.. "Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, the rogue ninja from The Village Hidden in the Mist." Our sensei ever so politely introduces. Naruto tries to charge ahead, but the Jōnin stops him in his tracks.
"Get back, you're in the way. He's not like those ninja from before. He's in a whole other league. If he's our opponent.. I'll need this." I bite down on my lip as our sensei moves his hand to lift his headband. His other eye.. this enemy must be seriously dangerous.
"Kakashi of the sharingan eye.. did I get that right?" The rogue rasps out. His voice is deep and grisly, it reminds me of the rogue I had to face. A cold chill tickles down my spine, and almost subconsciously I get into a defensive stance. I was so focused on the ninja the words almost slipped past me and my eyes widened in realization. The.. sharingan? But Kakashi-sensei isn't part of the Uchiha clan.. No, no time to think about that. That can wait until later.
"It's too bad, eh? But you'll have to hand over the old man." His gaze is intense- not to mention he was overall intimidating- but our sensei shows no hesitation.
"Quick, get in formation. Protect the bridge builder. And stay out of this fight! I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it." He demands, to which none of the other Genin listen. I sigh and place myself in front of Tazuna, pulling out a kunai and gripping onto it while Naruto asks what the sharingan is after Zabuza mentions it once again. Sasuke takes up the duty of explaining, but I wonder why he doesn't mention it's the core of the Uchiha clan. My focus slips in and out, and I barely register the conversation at hand when both sides continue to talk. I only snap back into reality when the rogue ninja growls out, "Enough talking. I need to get rid of that old man, now!"
Finally, the other Genin join me in a flash. All of them take up a defensive stance with Naruto on the left, Sakura on the right, and Sasuke in the back. However, I can see Sasuke keeps glancing back to watch so I offer to switch with him. "Thanks," he muttered, and we swiftly switch positions. I don't mind being in the back, in fact it's probably best if I am, concerning my abilities and Kekkei Genkai.
Closing my eyes, I shift all of my attention to my (K/g) and try to feel each person's presence. As I stretch my mental touch out, I'm careful to only brush against the other's consciousness, not enough for them to notice but enough for me to vaguely know where they are. Tazuna and my teammates are easy to track, they're right beside me and are stationary. Zabuza, on the other hand, is extremely quick. I barely have enough time to find his presence before he's on the move and, by Naruto and Sakura's shouting, I can determine he's standing on the water. However, I don't attempt to reach out again. In that brief moment, when I had felt his presence, it was like a shock wave racked my body. I could feel his bloodlust much more clearly and intensely; again, it reminded me all too much of the rogue ninja I had to face before. So, I gave up trying to use my Kekkei Genkai. This might be a difficult battle for Kakashi-sensei.
"Sensei.." Sakura spoke up, clearly worried.
"He'll come after me, first." The so called copy ninja replies with, which I'm not sure exactly settles Sakura.
"But.. who is he?" She inquires- either she was too focused to hear the name or, quite possibly, she wanted more information sense Kakashi-sensei seemed to know so much about him.
"Zabuza Momochi. He's the ex-leader of The Hidden Mist's assassination unit. A master of the silent killing technique. As the name suggests, it happens in an instant. Without sound or warning of any kind. It happens so fast, you pass from this life without realizing what's happened. The sharingan can't fully neutralize it, so stay on your guard." The white-haired male finishes. This seems to unsettle everyone, but I can tell Sensei was only trying to put us on alert.
"Well, if we lose, it'll only cost us our lives." Or.. maybe he's really just trying to rack our nerves. We all know that our lives would be at stake when it was decided we would continue, but to hear it so nonchalantly like that really puts you on edge.
I squint open my eye, only to find I can't see anything because of the fog. Internally sighing, I stay still and try to listen. For a few moments, it's unnaturally silent. The eeriness of the situation creeps into my bones. And then, "Eight points. Larynx, spine, lungs.." Zabuza's raspy voice chants on, listing the most vulnerable spots on the body, "..now, which will be my kill point?" He finishes. I can almost feel my blood run cold. Zabuza is not like the other rogue ninja I faced at all.. he seems a lot calmer, which actually makes him a lot scarier.. it means he's in control, that he knows what he's doing. The rogue ninja I faced was insane, but Zabuza seems level-headed. I notice my teammates look just as uneasy as I feel. Naruto seems frozen to the spot, Sakura biting her lip to keep it from quivering, and even Sasuke is trembling, struggling to clutch onto his kunai.
"Sasuke, calm down. I will protect you with my life- all of you. I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me." The white-haired Jōnin reassures, glancing back with an eye-smile (because the rest of his face is covered).
"I wouldn't be so sure." I freeze. The voice sounds like it's.. directly behind me. How did he get there!? I gasp, and the others do as well. Just as Zabuza swings his massive blade, Kakashi-sensei is there to block it, knocking all of us away in the process. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Tazuna land relatively close to each other, but I'm separated on the other side of them. We all stare as we see our sensei with a blade sunken into the flesh of Zabuza's abdomen. I stare, dazed, until I realize that water, not blood, is dripping from the wound. A water clone..?
"Sensei! Behind you, watch out!" Naruto shouts, making no attempt to get any closer- a good thing, because he would just get recklessly injured if he did interfere. Zabuza swings his sword once again, slicing the copy ninja in half, but all that remains is water. Another water clone. The rogue ninja seems shocked, though only for a mere second. In that moment, Kakashi-sensei is behind Zabuza, a kunai pointed straight at his adversary's neck. Naruto and Sakura seem relieved, Sasuke just watches on.
"You're finished," Kakashi-sensei scowls.
"Finished?" Zabuza laughs, his confidence putting our sensei on guard. "You don't get it, do you? Your technique is merely an imitation, I'll never be defeated by the likes of you, copy cat ninja." He laughs again, then a second Zabuza appears behind the Jōnin and the one in front becomes a harmless puddle. "Nice try, but I can't be fooled that easily." Zabuza snarls, wielding his massive sword. The white haired ninja barely ducks in time to avoid decapitation. The rogue's sword hits the ground instead, so he skillfully spins and grabs it with his other hand, using the momentum to unsheathe it from the dirt while kicking out his leg and landing a powerful blow on our sensei. I peer around Tazuna in amazement. Incredible.. even when his sword was momentarily unavailable to aid him, he left no openings.. Zabuza rushes forward, but suddenly stops, and turns around. I squint to see what had halted him, and notice small spikes on the ground. The deadly ninja jumps, and lands in the water head first.
"Sensei!!" Naruto exclaims, worry claiming his voice. Sakura looks just as anxious, and even Sasuke now shows emotion.
"He has great physical skill, too.." He mutters staring wide-eyed ahead. Kakashi's head resurfaces, but it looks like he's struggling. Zabuza appears right behind him in a flash, walking on the water and quickly making hand signs, shouting the name of the jutsu: Water Prison Jutsu. Just like that, Kakashi-sensei is trapped in some sort of bubble. Zabuza's hand is inside of the water prison, rendering him immobilized. Somehow, though, I'm not sure Zabuza feels so vulnerable in this state, which worries me greatly.
"Pretty hard to fight when you can't move.. so much for the Great Kakashi. I'll finish you off later, but first I'll eliminate your little friends here. Water Clone Jutsu!" The mist ninja performs the hand sign with one hand, and a water clone emerges from the lake. This is bad.. Is the only thought running through my mind. "When you've faced death so many times it doesn't faze you, then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so dangerous that your name ends up in my bingo book, then you may be called a ninja. But to call upstarts like you ninja is a joke!" He snarls, using a hand sign and disappearing into the mist which thickens in mere seconds. Suddenly, I hear a surprised yell off to my side and see Naruto had been kicked away from the rest of the group, headband flying off. Kakashi-sensei warns us to run, but Sasuke looks ready to fight- and I am too. Just as Sasuke rushes forward, I begin to as well, but something grabs me and pulls me back.
Just as I'm about to shout, a hand covers my mouth and a gentle voice murmurs into my ear, "Do not struggle, it is useless. Your friends are as good as dead now, there is no point in resisting." I don't listen. I try and wriggle my way out of the person's grasp, but to no avail. Just as Sasuke attempts to engage Zabuza in combat, he's caught and held in the air by his throat. I reach my hand out, pushing forward and trying to yell. I almost escape, but their grasp is too strong and I'm pulled back once again. No! They're in trouble! I have to help! I can feel myself being dragged away, the mist helping to cover the scene of the battle. No!!
I'm not sure how far away I'm taken- my capturer made sure to blindfold me as we stray further from the battle scene- but it feels like a million miles away. The kidnapper now carries me in their arms, I'm not sure what they did to me but almost immediately after they got a hold of me I felt a pinch in my neck and am now paralyzed. After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reach a halt and carefully set me down. The blindfold is taken off, and I am met with a surprisingly kind face. I gaze up in wonder, about to speak, but they beat me to it.
"I have captured you to lighten the load off of Zabuza, though I know he could handle it by himself. He is very important to me, and I will do anything I can to help him.. My name is Haku."
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Super sorry for the long wait!! I hope you liked the ending of this chapter :P
Also apologies if y'all wanted to participate in the fight with Zabuza!! Honestly, writing this chapter was such a bore and I didn't have the energy to switch perspectives and all that, but I will next chapter! Don't get me wrong, I love writing this book, it's just all the talk and stuffs- I suppose I could've done a skip but oh well cause I've already written everything! I also had fun switching up the ending- even I didn't know that was gonna happen until the last moment I thought about it! Anyways, I'll get working on the next chapter when possible (I have finals this week and next so I hope you understand!) OH BUT FIRST!!! I'm going to post a Q&A for the characters tomorrow! I hope that will help you all with the waiting for the next chapter!
-love, Lemon <3