3rd Person POV
"Crimson in position. I see the target. Only 20 feet south from me. Over." came the scratchy voice of one Namikaze-Uzumaki Menma through the earpieces of his team.
"Raven in position, as well. I see the target 25 feet to the northeast. Prepared to assist Crimson in its capture. Over." came Uchiha Sasuke's voice through the earpieces.
"Blossom in position. I see the target 25 feet to the northwest. Also ready to assist Crimson in capturing the target. Over" Sakura added her bit.
"Great job team. Maelstrom in position. Target only 15 feet from me, straight down from my position. You three will engage the target. I will only intervene if things get out of control, understood?" Naruto asked through the earpiece, earning quiet, yet firm 'hai's' from his team.
"Scarecrow in position. Target only 15 feet from me to the southwest. Same as Maelstrom, over." Kakashi inputed at last.
"Very well, team. In three... two... one... now!" Naruto instructed as the genin of Team 7 dove to capture their target.
"GAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! AHH! IT'S BITING MY FACE!" came the desperate screams of Menma through the earpiece.
"AHA! I GOT YOU, YOU DEMON!" came Menma's voice once more, inciting Naruto to ask:
"Can you confirm the target's identity?"
"Hai! Red bow on its left ear! Target Confirmed: Tora the Neko!" came Sakura's voice through the earpiece.
"Great work team. Let's head back to the missions office to deliver the target and mark the mission as a success... for the tenth time this month." Kakashi said through the earpiece. You could hear the sweat drop in his voice... Bizarre.
*Missions Office - Hokage Tower"
"I see you're bringing Tora in, team 7." Minato said as Team 7 walked through the door.
"Hai! Mission Status: Successful, Hokage-sama." Naruto announced while carrying Tora who was... purring?
"I can see that Tora still prefers you rather than your team, huh, Naruto-kun?" Minato said with a sweat drop as Madam Shijimi looked ecstatic at seeing Tora in good health and comfortable.
"It appears so, Hokage-sama..." Naruto sweat dropped as well, taking notice of his teams condition.
Menma had multiple scratch and bite marks all over his body. Sasuke had scratches all over his face and legs. Sakura had her hair disheveled, as well as scratch marks on her head, as Tora decided to use her scalp to sharpen her claws. And lastly, Kakashi's mask and uniform were torn up in many places.
Relative to his team, Naruto was in pristine condition. It seems that animals of all species had some kind of affection for Naruto, something his team took quick notice of with Tora and other animals they've had to deal with in missions for the past month.
"Very well. Congratulations on a successful mission, Team 7! Your pay for this mission, along with the other missions you've taken, will be deposited into your payment vouchers. They will be ready by the end of the month." Minato announced as he gestured to Naruto to hand Tora to Madam Shijimi, only to have the cat hold onto Naruto for dear life.
"Sorry, Tora. But you need to go to Madam Shijimi. She just wants you to know how much she cares for you." Naruto spoke to the cat?
'But all she does is strangle me while trying to hug me...' Tora spoke to Naruto?
To everyone else in the room, Tora simply meowed at Naruto.
"I know, but she takes good care of you. Otherwise, she would not pay every time you escape." Naruto answered? This was becoming a little bizarre to everyone in the room.
'I guess... Alright. But please take the mission again later, okay?' Tora asked Naruto as he smiled and nodded saying "Of course!". After the bizarre exchange, Tora jumped from Naruto's arms onto Madam Shijimi's, causing her to look at Naruto with surprise in her face.
"You can talk to cats, Senju-san?" she asked.
"Actually, I can talk to all animals, Madam Shijimi. It's been an ability I have possessed for many years now." Naruto told her, causing everyone's eyes to widen, making Naruto look at them weirdly.
"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" he asked, making everyone's mouths drop.
"You can talk to animals and never told us?! How can you even talk to them?!" Menma exclaimed as Naruto looked at him weird.
"Well, I assumed you knew after all my interactions with other animals during missions. Also, you shouldn't be so surprised. The Inuzuka can talk to their dogs too, and everyone considers it normal. Why should it be any different with me?" Naruto asked. He had a good point.
"Well, that aside... Will you be taking another mission today, Team 7? We had multiple missions come in today. You can help the Kurosaki clan paint their compound, or you can remove the weeds from the Yamanaka Gardens or-" Minato was suddenly interrupted by his son.
"NO WAY, TOU-CHAN! Give us a real mission! These chores will not help us increase our skills in combat!" Menma whined to his dad as Minato had the decency to look sheepish at Menma's behavior.
"Menma! Be respectful to Yondaime-sama! You just became a shinobi not too long ago! You're still not strong enough to go to higher missions!" Iruka scolded Menma as Minato took over the scolding to turn it into a lecture.
"Menma-kun, you know when you're on duty, you have to refer to me as Hokage-sama. Second, you just became a Genin a month ago. While you have completed your minimum of D-Ranks to go to a C-Rank Mission, your sensei still haven't cleared you for those missions. As you know, our missions ranking system works by..." and Minato proceeded to explain the ranking system of Konoha to his son, only to realize the end of it, that no one was listening to him.
"Hey! Pay attention to Hokage-sama!" Iruka yelled at the team, using his big head technique.
"But come on, Hokage-sama! We're strong enough to take a higher ranking mission! We have worked our asses ("Language!" Minato intercepted.) off to go to harder missions. We're ready!" Menma exclaimed, getting a nod of agreement from Sasuke, and a little more reluctant nod from Sakura.
"*sigh* Very well. If both your sensei agree that you're ready, I will give you a C-Rank mission." Minato relented, looking at the Jonin for an answer.
"But Hokage-sama! I was their instructor only a month ago, and they were no where near ready for a C-Rank mission! Please reconsider!" Iruka pleaded to Minato, only to get called out by one of the Jonin Sensei for Team 7.
"Chuunin Umino!" came Naruto's kage voice, as Minato, Kushina, Mikoto, Tsunade and Kakashi had learned to call it. It was rare for Naruto to use it, and even more rare to see him pull the ranking card. So to see them both together surprised both Minato and Kakashi.
"While your concern for Team 7 is appreciated, you need to understand that they are no longer your students. They are Kakashi-san and my soldiers. We know what they are ready for and what they are not ready for." Naruto scolded Iruka, who seemed taken aback by the declaration.
"I-I... I apologize, Naruto-sama. It's just that I worry for them a lot. I don't want them to be injured gravely on the field." Iruka relented as he sat down.
"That is understandable, Iruka-san. However, take into consideration who you're telling this to. I don't know if you're aware or not, but Menma-kun is my younger twin, while Sasuke and Sakura have become very precious to me. If anything goes wrong during the mission, both Kakashi-san and I will be there to either help them, or give them time to escape. You cannot coddle them anymore." Naruto scolded a little more gently this time, causing Iruka to look down in shame.
"Going back to what you were asking, Yondaime-sensei, I think Team 7 is ready for a C-Rank mission. They've progressed quite nicely under both Naruto-san and my teachings." Kakashi announced, looking straight into Minato's eyes, signaling how serious he is.
"Very well. Naruto-kun?" Minato referred to Naruto for an answer.
"They're ready, Hokage-sama." Naruto stated, ignoring the Genin's sparkling eyes.
"Very well. Bring Tazuna-san in!" Minato announced as the door opened to reveal a drunken old man, wearing a brown sleeveless shirt and brown 3/4 pants, holding a bottle of booze.
"This is the team that will protect me?! They're brats! The shortest one looks like an idiot, the duck for hair looks like an emo, and who has bright pink hair as a ninja?! They seem unreliable if you ask me." Tazuna said before taking a gulp from his bottle, only to have it shatter in his hand by a two-pronged kunai.
"I would be mindful of how you talk to the shinobi who're meant to protect you, Tazuna-san. I would refrain from verbally assaulting them." Naruto spoke as his eyes flashed red for a second, scaring the drunkness out of Tazuna.
"Erm, hai! Thank you for your help!" Tazuna quickly exclaimed as he straightened.
"Very well, what are the mission parameters, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked, turning his attention to Minato.
"You will escort Tazuna-san to Nami no Kuni, with the possibility of bandit engagement along the way. You will remain with Tazuna-san until he completes the bridge he is building. This is an C-Rank Mission with the option to deny. Do you accept the mission?" Minato asked.
"We accept the mission, Hokage-sama." Naruto said as he took the mission scroll from Minato.
"Very well. Good luck on your mission, Team 7." "Hai!" was the response he received.
"Alright team. We will meet in the Main Gate of the village in 2 hours. Pack for a 1 month trip. Don't be late!" Naruto directed the last portion to Kakashi who tensed briefly. Minato also flinched in remembrance of what happened the last time he made Naruto late.
*2 Hours Later*
"*sigh* We're here and our sensei, nor Tazuna-san, are here yet..." Sakura sighed, noticing Menma looking straight ahead, outside the village.
"Is something wrong, Menma-kun?" Sakura asked, drawing Sasuke's attention to them both.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing Sakura. It's just been a while since I've left the village, is all." Menma spoke as he turned towards his teammates.
"Oh, that's right. As the Hokage's son, you have gone out of the village sometimes, huh?" Sakura asked looking at Menma.
"Sometimes. Usually it was when my kaa-chan went as well, because she would take care of me. But mom usually preferred to stay in the village... Never knew why." Menma said.
"That is because one's village is the safest place." came Naruto's voice.
Turning their attention to their sensei, they noticed their other sensei and the client with him... Along with Kushina, the twins, Minato, Mikoto and Tsunade.
"Kaa-chan? Tou-chan? What are you doing here?" Menma asked walking towards his parents, Sasuke doing and asking the same to his mother.
"What do you mean, what are we doing here, 'ttebane?" Kushina asked, slamming her fist into Menma's head, inciting the twins giggles.
"This is your first C-Rank Mission! It's a big deal!" Kushina explained as she took Arashi into her arms, who was stretching his arms towards Menma, calling his attention. Mito was falling asleep.
"I-I guess that's true." Menma muttered in pain as he blushed.
"Naruto-kun." came Tsunade's voice to Naruto, inciting everyone else to listen to what she was going to say.
"You remember what we talked about, right?" she asked, peaking everyone's interest.
"Hai. I will be on the lookout for any information. I will send a Kitsune if I find relevant information, or a Yoko if the information is extremely sensitive. If anything goes wrong along the way, I will transport everyone to safety. You know how I roll." Naruto grinned a little towards the end, bringing a small smile the Tsunade's face.
"I know, Naruto-kun. But remember, you have many people waiting for you back here. Those brats won't forgive me if something were to happen to you. Kami knows how a single Senju could deal with so many Sharingan-using brats. Tobirama-oji-san might be turning in his grave." Tsunade joked, causing Naruto to laugh a bit and Mikoto to giggle. Sasuke only looked on in confusion at the mention of "Sharingan-using brats." What did that mean?
"Anywho, we must get going. The sooner we leave, the earlier we can complete the mission." Naruto announced, inciting everyone to say their good byes.
"Take care of my boy, Naruto-kun. I know he can be a little impulsive, but I've seen that you're getting through to him. Thank you, so much." Mikoto bowed, causing Sasuke's eyes to widen. He had never seen his mother bow to anyone.
"Don't worry, Miko-oba-san. I will take care of everyone. Even if it costs me my life." Naruto said, causing Tsunade's and Kushina's heart to clench a bit. Both knew he was not exaggerating.
"Alright. Let's move out! Diamond Formation! Tazuna-san, you will be in the center. Kaka-nii, you will take point. Sasuke, Naruto, sides. Sakura, tail. I will trail behind for scouting." and with that, Team 7 were off to their first C-Rank Mission.
"What was that about, Tsunade-sama?" Mikoto asked, causing everyone's attention to turn towards her.
"*sigh* Follow me home. We will talk there." Tsunade said as she began to walk to the Senju Compound.
*Senju Compound*
"Thanks for the tea, Tsunade-sama. It's delicious! What blend is it?" Mikoto asked as Kushina and Minato drank theirs. They agreed with Mikoto on the tea.
"It is Naruto-kun's personal blend. It cannot be found in this world. It comes from the Yoko-Realm and is mixed with a mystical blend from the Realm of Inari. If you want to know about the Yoko Realm, or the Inari Realm for that matter, you will have to ask Naruto-kun himself." Tsunade said as she took a sip of her cup, trumping Minato's attempt at questioning her of these places.
"So... what were you and Naruto-kun talking about at the gates?" Minato asked, his expression turning serious.
In return, Tsunade did the same.
"Have any of you heard of the mercenary group Akatsuki?" she began.
*with Team 7*
Walking through the forest of Konoha was a peaceful experience, to say the least. Many of the travelers who wandered around would agree. The trees provided the perfect amount of shade, and the sun provided enough warmth in the summer, while the trees were nourished and provided a cooling effect for those traveling. All of this would be nice... if a whiney genin would stop complaining.
"Naruto-sensei, are still far away?" Menma kept complaining. They had only been on the road for 3 hours, and Naruto was about to Kagutsuchi no Nakisakebi Menma's ass.
"Menma, we're still many hours away from Nami no Kuni. Shut up and be on guard." Naruto scolded, causing Menma to pout.
"Menma-kun, enjoy the scenery for a bit. It's nice out here." Sakura said as she took a deep breath in.
Tazuna was having some doubts on the team, but it was a little late to back down.
"Actually, I had a question for you, Tazuna-san." Sakura began, causing Tazuna to mumble a "go ahead."
"Does Nami no Kuni have shinobi?" she asked.
Kakashi answered.
"Actually, Sakura, Nami no Kuni doesn't have any shinobi. The only countries that have are..." and Kakashi began explaining everything.
'I thought she asked me...' Tazuna thought with a sweatdrop.
*two hours more later*
"blegh. I didn't think it would be this easy to tell when we left Hi no Kuni." Menma grumbled again.
"Heh. If you think this is bad, wait until we reach the actual border to Nami no Kuni." Tazuna said while taking a gulp of his bottle, which caused Naruto to twitch in annoyance.
'This man will be the death of me...' he thought in disdain.
As he walked, he felt his senses going haywire.
'This mist... it's laced with chakra.' he thought in suspicion while looking at Tazuna who walked as if nothing was wrong.
"*tick tick*" Naruto signaled at Kakashi using his sandals, a trick every ANBU had to learn in order to join.
At the signal, Kakashi tensed, knowing what Naruto was referring to.
"*tick clack tick tick*" Kakashi signaled back, all of this going unnoticed to everyone.
The team kept walking for another 5 minutes, until Naruto noticed a puddle on the side of the road.
'Hmmm. As far as I know, it has not rained in months around here. If we were a team of Chuunin, they might've succeeded in hiding. Tough luck.' Naruto thought as he "absentmindedly" kicked a rock into the puddle, noticing the rock landing inside the puddle without splashing.
'As I thought, a genjutsu.' As he thought this, all hell broke lose in the Genins' minds.
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi and Naruto were shred to pieces before their genin and the client.
"Two down, four to go." one of them said.
The Genin had their eyes widened in shock, only Sasuke snapping out in time to defend against the shinobi attacking them. After Sasuke, Menma responded as well, attacking the other shinobi as Sakura took a kunai out and protected the client.
"Y-your s-sensei a-are..." Tazuna couldn't even finish the sentence.
"D-don't worry, Tazuna-san. We will protect you until our dying breath!" Sakura announced with conviction, stunning Tazuna in the process.
"Hah! As if two wannabe ninja brats can beat us. Let's kill them and finish the mission." one of the masked ninja spoke to other, causing the genin to tense in anticipation.
"Let's go!" the other ninja spoke as they sped at Menma and Sasuke who were expectant of the attacks.
Sasuke began by aiming a low kick at one of the masked ninja, only to have the other aim a hit at his extended leg. Menma took notice of this and aimed his own kick at the stretched arm of the masked ninja. Menma's kick made contact with the clawed arm, not taking notice that he sustained a tiny scratch on his leg.
As the kick made contact, both genin jumped back, Sasuke landing on his feet, and Menma noticing his right leg, which as used to deflect the hit aiming at Sasuke's arm, was not responding.
"Shit. I think those claws are laced with poison." Menma muttered through clenched teeth as he felt his leg begin to numb.
"Damn it, I don't know if we'll make it out of this, Menma." Sasuke said, causing Menma to turn at him furious.
"What are you talking about, bastard! We cannot give up! That's not what nii-san or sensei would want!" Menma defied Sasuke, taking his eyes off the ninja
"Well, what do you expect idiot! They were killed easily by these two! There is nothing we can do if our own sensei were killed!" Sasuke said, taking his attention from the ninja as well.
"First of all, I am thoroughly disappointed in your performance, Menma, Sasuke." came Kakashi's voice from behind one of the ninja they were fighting earlier.
"And I can assure you, there will be repercussions for this." Naruto's voice came from the behind the other ninja.
Both the Jonin had rendered the unknown ninja unconscious with a hit.
"Naruto-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" came Sakura's relieved voice.
"Well done, Sakura. Out of the three, you showed the most professionalism while engaging other ninja. You took priority of the mission and protected Tazuna-san. Knowing your limitations is important, as well as knowing what do in a moments notice. I'm proud of you, Sakura." Naruto praised Sakura with a smile, causing Sakura to blush at the compliment.
"As for you two." Naruto turned to Menma and Sasuke again.
"While it is admirable that you engaged Chuunin-level shinobi, you both immediately gave up when you felt it got difficult. I expected way more of you two. Menma, you should've taken notice of their gauntlet. It is easy to tell they are laced with poison by the abnormal shine they produce. Sasuke, if a battle gets hard, knowing when to back down is good, but not admit defeat and expect death immediately. By doing so, you have forsaken the mission, your life, and your teammates." Naruto harshly scolded both boys, making them look down.
"You two are heirs to important clans. You must uphold a certain standard, or you will bring shame to your respective clans. Turning your attention from them would've given them the perfect chance to strike while you two argued with each other. Think before you act!" Naruto's voice took a sharp tone while he spoke, making the boys feel even more ashamed of their actions, knowing he was correct.
"How are you alive, sensei!? We saw both you and Kakashi-sensei be torn to pieces." Sakura asked, looking in the direction where she remembered their sensei die, only to see broken pieces of wood.
"As I said multiple times in training, simply techniques can save your life when used properly. A simply kawarimi with a small genjutsu was all it took to make you all think we were dead." Kakashi spoke, grabbing one of the unconscious ninja by his shirt.
"Now, is there something you want to tell us, Tazuna-san?" Naruto asked, looking at Tazuna with slitted red eyes.
"I-I-" Tazuna stumbled on his words.
"Well?" Naruto repeated.
"I-Im sorry! I know they're after me! The bridge I'm building... it connects Nami no Kuni to main land. I've been constructing that bridge for years now, hoping to finish it to free my country. We've been enslaved by an evil man by the name of Gato-" Tazuna was interrupted by Kakashi.
"Gato? Of Gato Enterprises? The Business Tycoon? That Gato?" Kakashi asked.
"The very one. His business is a cover for his shady dealings with drugs and illegal merchandise, including sex and human trafficking, so he set his eyes on Nami no Kuni to make his headquarters. He's taken over everything. We do not have food, he has imposed taxes that none of us can pay, and he kidnaps our daughters to deal with his businesses. He has even taken some boys as well. We don't even want to imagine what happens to those poor souls that are taken. One of us tried to stand up to him: my son in law, Kaiza. He tried to liberate us from Gato's filthy hands, but ended up being killed in front of his son and wife." Tazuna cried as he remembered everything he had witnessed while being under Gato's rule.
"I know I lied to you all, but please. Please don't let my country die!" Tazuna cried and begged to Naruto and Kakashi.
Both couldn't help but sympathize with the man, but with what they had just seen from their students performance, they were troubled with what to do.
"Menma, Sasuke, Sakura." Naruto called to them, his voice awfully serious. This was Kage Naruto, Kakashi took notice.
"From this point forward, this mission is no longer a regular C-Rank. This has just been promoted to A-Rank with possibility of becoming an S-Rank. From here on, we might encounter shinobi of much higher calibre than the Demon Brothers here. Both Kakashi and I are able to proceed with the mission, considering we're both S-Rank ninja. However, if you do not feel comfortable with proceeding with the mission, we will head back to the village and have another, more qualified team take over. What do you choose?" Naruto asked, looking at each genin straight in the eye.
At the mention of the rank jump, Sakura couldn't help but feel terrified. If they proceeded, then she could very well die along with her team. But if she didn't help, she would feel guilty if nothing improved in Nami. She was deeply conflicted.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was deeply considering on going forward. This could prove to be a great boost to his experience, and it could help make him stronger. However, he had to keep in mind the risks. An S-Rank was no mission for genin, let alone three fresh out of the academy a little more than a month ago. He needed to think this through.
As for Menma, he knew what had just happened was a mistake. A mistake he wasn't planning on making again. He knew he had his own trump cards in case of anything. Being the son of the Aka no Shi had it's benefits after all. No. They had to do this. There was no way he was going back home knowing there was a country that needed help.
"I say we continue, sensei." Menma spoke seriously.
"What just happened was a mistake. A mistake that won't be repeated, I can assure you." Menma took a Kunai and proceeded to stab the area that the demon brother had nicked, causing Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes to widen at the action, and Naruto's and Kakashi's to brighten a little with pride.
"From now on, I will be on high alert." he spoke with conviction.
"Very well. Sasuke? Sakura?" Naruto asked them.
"We must continue." Sasuke spoke next.
"Menma's right. What happened earlier was a mistake. A mistake I now know not to repeat. We must help them." Sasuke spoke with equal conviction, making Tazuna's eyes well up with tears.
"Sakura?" Naruto directed his attention to her.
"Let's continue. If Menma and Sasuke can go forward, so can I." any fear within Sakura's eyes faded as she listened to her teammates speak.
"Very well. Tazuna-san. We will continue the mission, however, keep this in mind." At this, the air around Naruto began to shift as a pressure began to push on Tazuna.
"When Nami gets back on its feet, you will pay us the equivalent to an S-Rank. This is not negotiable. The fact that I am not taking you back and having you blacklisted for lying about the mission is enough to let you know I'm serious about this." Naruto told Tazuna with an air of authority.
"H-hai!" Tazuna exclaimed.
"Very well. Let us proceed, team. Remember, be on high alert. The next opponent we encounter could be highly ranked. Do not slack off." Naruto ordered as Team 7 straightened and saluted with a "Hai!".
'Yes... Certainly a future leader." Kakashi thought with a smile.
*2 hours more later*
'This mist has certainly gotten thicker.' thought Naruto as he walked alongside a boat carrying his students and Tazuna.
"We're almost there. Are you sure this is wise, Tazuna?" the man moving the boat whispered.
"It is. We're close to finishing the bridge. I just need a little more. Soon we will be free." Tazuna spoke with much conviction as the man looked at him wide eyed.
"Very well. I hope, for the sake of everyone, that your bridge frees us." the man whispered once more, returning his attention forward.
'It seems many are reluctant to the bridge's construction. Has it been this bad? How has no one noticed or done anything about it?' Naruto thought suspiciously.
'I think there may be more in this than the eye can see.' he concluded as he noticed they were about to reach the other side.
"Alright. Here we are. I wish you guys the best of luck. Please save Nami." The man bowed at the team, who mirrored the action.
"You have our word." Kakashi responded for the team as they turned to continue walking.
They walked for about 10 minutes, until Menma threw a kunai at a bush.
"Menma-kun! What was that for?" Sakura asked startled.
"I saw something moving in the bush." Menma responded as Naruto inspected.
As he spread the bush to see what was on the other side, they stumbled across a terrified white-furred bunny.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'It's the middle of summer. Any animal with white fur means that it was raised indoors.' Naruto pondered as Sakura gently scolded Menma for scaring the team.
"Sorry, Sakura. But we need to be in full attention of our surroundings. Sorry for scaring you though." Menma apologized.
"It's okay, Menma. You did what was expected of you. Good job." Kakashi praised, causing Menma to blush at the compliment.
"Let's carry on." with that, the team kept moving once more, only to panic as Naruto suddenly yelled.
"DUCK!" Naruto screamed as he summoned a black hilted, red streaked, white bladed wakizashi from a seal on his wrist and parried a giant Danto onto a tree. Tazuna was tackled onto the ground by Kakashi and the rest of Team 7 managed to duck in time.
"*chuckle* Now I see why the Demon Brothers failed to kill the old man." came a voice from within the mist. A voice Naruto recognized very well.
"Hmph. If they're anything like you, you should've expected that. I'm surprised you were not aware of who was taking the mission." Naruto responded with a snarky smirk, surprising Kakashi and the genin. They had never seen Naruto like his before.
"Pft. All I was told was that a genin team had taken the mission. I didn't know you had been reduced to a baby sitter, Shiroi Akuma." at the mention of the nickname, Kakashi's eyes widened. Very few knew of Shiroi Akuma's presence. That was the reason Shiroi Akuma had an S-Rank with a flee on sight order. When you discovered his identity, it was too late. Only now taking notice of the blade, Kakashi knew who the sword belonged to.
"I prefer the term mentor, Kirigakure no Shijin." at Naruto's mention of the nickname, a shirtless man with white camo pants appeared on top of the giant sword.
"S-sensei? W-who is that man?" Sakura asked, terrified at the vibe the man was producing.
"That, Sakura, is Momochi Zabuza. An A-Rank bordering S-Rank Missing Nin from Kirigakure." Kakashi answered as he stood between the genin and the missing nin, just behind Naruto.
"And I see you also have Sharingan no Kakashi with you as well. It seems they don't trust you with teams after what happened last time, huh?" Zabuza mocked with a visible grin from behind his mask. Sasuke's eyes widened at Kakashi's nickname and Naruto's usual warm radiance turned cold and a little dark to the genin.
"You have no right to even mention that time. You who massacred your graduating class." Naruto snarled in anger. Real anger. Something not even Menma had ever witnessed. And even to Kakashi, who had seen it at times, this time Naruto was utterly pissed.
"Hahahahah! How precious! The difference is, I killed in pleasure. You, however, took your precious time to complete your mission, sacrificing those who counted on you." Zabuza kept mocking, pushing the worst buttons in Naruto.
"Shut up." Naruto whispered as his hair covered his eyes. Kakashi knew Zabuza was treading in dangerous waters. When Naruto was enraged, there was only one way to stop him: let Naruto complete his objective at the moment.
"I remember that day." Zabuza began, looking straight at Naruto.
"Shut up!" Naruto spoke louder.
"I reveled in their screams of pain and torture." Zabuza continued, grinning even more than before. It had been a while since he had a decent fight. He wanted to feel that euphoria once more, and Naruto was one of the few to give him a challenge in the past. His scars were reminders of the only two times Zabuza had to flee or risk dying. And Naruto held the victory of creating most of them. The only other person to damage Zabuza that much was Hoshigaki Kisame.
"Shut UP!" Naruto's chakra was becoming darker and darker by the second that Zabuza spoke, terrifying the genin and even putting Kakashi on edge.
"I had more fun tearing them to shreds with Kubikiribocho!" Zabuza's voice held a little craze to it. He was ready to fight.
"I said, SHUT UP!" In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Naruto was clashing his sword with Zabuza's.
"Then, MAKE ME!" Zabuza screamed in defiance.
In another blink, both swordsmen were interlocked in another clash of swords. Naruto kept blocking Zabuza's slash with his wakizashi, creating sparks everywhere. To the genin, it seemed as if they were moving at the speed of light. They couldn't keep up at all. Even Kakashi was having trouble following them with his regular eye.
"Make me feel ALIVE, you wannabe Demon!" Zabuza taunted, blocking another of Naruto's down slashes.
"Today's the day you die, ZABUZA!" Naruto spoke, looking into Zabuza's eyes with his red slitted eyes.
"HAH! PROVE IT THEN!" both of them kept slashing and blocking.
Naruto aiming a stab to Zabuza's chest, only to have it be blocked by Zabuza's Kubikiribocho. Zabuza responded by slashing down to cleave Naruto's arm, only to have it blocked. Jumping back, both swordsmen rushed at each other, slashing sideways, but righting their blades to deflect one another. The deadly battle was interrupted as both of them jumped back and began to form hand signs.
"Katon: Kagutsuchi no Nakisakebi!"
"Suiton: Mizu no Ryu!"
The water dragon slammed onto Naruto's white fire ball, creating a dense mist that still burned on contact, something the genin and Tazuna noticed immediately before being grabbed by Kakashi and being shunshinned outside the mist.
"Sensei! What is wrong with Naruto-sensei?! I have never seen him like this." Sakura asked in fear.
"He's mad, Sakura. Naruto-kun has only ever lost three teammates while on missions. The specific mission I'm talking about was a success thanks to him, but Naruto considers it his biggest failure. The reason of those deaths, is Zabuza." Kakashi explained as he moved his hand to his headband, causing the Genin's attention to turn to him.
"S-sensei... why did Zabuza call you Sharingan no Kakashi?" Sasuke asked in slight fear and anticipation of the answer.
"That is, Sasuke..." Kakashi began as he lifted the headband over his eyes.
"Because I have the Sharingan." Kakashi spoke as he opened his eye, showcasing the Sharingan in its glory.
"B-but how?! Only an Uchiha can have a Sharingan!" Sasuke asked in shock.
"This was a parting gift from one of my teammates before his death, Sasuke. That is why I have it. Now focus on the fight. You're about to see why Naruto is called the Shiroi Akuma" Kakashi spoke as Naruto dispersed the mist with a Daitoppa.
"Well, I'll be damned. It seems you did improve since that time. But it makes little difference. In the end, they all bleed the same." Zabuza spoke as he prepared Kubikiribocho once more.
"Sadly, I cannot say the same for you, Zabuza." Naruto's aura changed once more, this time, it was a white haze surrounding him.
Zabuza growled at the statement.
"You may have gotten under my skin, initially. But now, I will show you why I have three entries in the Bingo Book." at this, Naruto began to glow an eerie white, making Zabuza feel insignificant.
"W-what is this?! What is this pressure?!" Zabuza asked in real fear as he kneeled, feeling too heavy to stand.
"Do you have any last words, Zabuza?" hearing Naruto's voice right on top of him, Zabuza's eyes widened.
"W-what are you?!" Zabuza asked.
"Senju-Uzumaki Naruto: Shiroi Akuma... and the Hametsu no Hikari!" As Naruto's sword descended, Zabuza suddenly dropped dead.
Seeing Zabuza unresponsive, Naruto released the light aura surrounding him. While searching him for the cause of death, noticing three senbon needles stuck in his neck. Before he could check the area, a Hunter Nin of Kirigakure dropped before him.
"Thank you for distracting him enough to kill him. I have been on Momochi's trail for a long time now. I will be taking the body to dispose of it elsewhere. I don't think your genin can tolerate that sight." the Hunter Nin reached to grab Zabuza, until Naruto grabbed his wrist. Suddenly, the Hunter Nin fell paralyzed onto the floor.
"You're stupid if you think I will allow that to happen, poser." Naruto spoke, causing the hunter nin's eyes to widen behind the mask. Naruto was also able to tell that the hunter ninja was a fake by the feelings of fear and nervousness the ninja was radiating.
"I just applied a paralyzing seal on you, so you won't be able to move, unless I remove it. Had I been someone else, you may been able to fool me. However..." Naruto spoke, feeling his team and Tazuna standing right behind him.
"You never prepared in case you encountered a former ANBU or Medic. I happen to be both." the hunter nin's emotions were going haywire in fear.
"I have extensive knowledge of pressure and acupuncture points. I know that Zabuza is in a state of false death. And also, hunter ninja never care for the feelings of other ninja. They are trained to not give a fuck and complete their mission." Naruto spoke, looking at the ninja with indifference.
"I'm sorry. But I'm afraid since you're in the way of our mission, you will have to die." Naruto spoke, making the genin gasp. Turning a sharp look to them, Naruto took this as a chance to prepare two of his genin for the future of being shinobi. This would be the last test to make sure they're meant for this career.
"Menma. Sasuke." At this, both genin tensed.
"Up until this point, you both have proven to be frontliners. You are of the group that become elite with enough training. When the Demon Brothers attacked, you both took the initiative to attack in order to defend your team. You both froze. What I am about to order you to do, will be very rare. I usually prefer to spare, but these two will prove to be more trouble than it's worth to leave them alive. With this, I also hope that you are better prepared to do it at a moments notice." Naruto told them while looking at both straight in the eyes. Both Menma and Sasuke knew in their heads what Naruto was about to order them to do. Both knew that at some point, they would have to do it. But they never thought that it would be this soon.
"Menma. Sasuke. Kill this fake hunter ninja and Zabuza." Naruto had ordered them. Before either genin could act or respond, Naruto gestured to Kakashi to take Sakura and Tazuna away so they don't have to presence this. Sakura still had some ways to go before witnessing death and Tazuna shouldn't have to see kids kill someone. Be they ninja or not.
Kakashi took ahold of Sakura and Tazuna's shoulder and shunshinned out of the clearing into the forest, about 10 feet away.
"W-why did Naruto-sensei ordered them to do this, sensei?" Sakura asked, thoroughly terrified.
"Sakura, tell me, what does a shinobi do?" Kakashi asked while looking at Sakura in the eye.
"A shinobi is someone who learns and uses their skills to complete a variety of tasks for the benefit of the village. That is what they taught us in the academy. But what does this have to do with this?" Sakura asked, providing a textbook answer.
"While that is the official definition for civilians, there is another different that shinobi need to have in mind." Kakashi told her, making her look confused.
"Sakura, a shinobi is someone who endures. In the battlefield, the enemy won't care who you are, what you do, or where you come from. Being a shinobi, means that you will have to kill in order to prevent more deaths. It is the lesser of two evils." Kakashi explained as he covered his Sharingan eye.
Sakura looked thoughtful as she pondered upon what Kakashi had said.
"So, we kill... in order to prevent them from killing?" Sakura asked.
"In essence, that is the simplified way of thinking. We kill, in order to protect the ones we care about. Had Naruto not been strong enough to stop Zabuza or that fake Hunter Nin, they would have most probably set their eyes on us next. Had I fallen too, they would have killed you, Menma and Sasuke as well, allowing them to accomplish their goal: killing Tazuna, leading to Nami being in tyranny for much longer." Kakashi put things in perspective for Sakura, who seemed to understand what he meant.
"I see what you mean, sensei. That doesn't mean I must like it though." Sakura said as she looked down.
"That is perfect, Sakura. The day that you enjoy killing, is the day that you renounce to your own humanity, and become a monster." Kakashi told Sakura, turning around to see Menma and Sasuke walking towards them, looking haunted.
"How did it go?" Kakashi asked toward Naruto who appeared next to him with two sealing scrolls in his hand.
"They did it. They handled it way better than even some Chuunin that I have worked with." Naruto said looking at Menma and Sasuke sadly. He never liked instructing younger ninja to kill. He knew they would need to at some point, so it was better to give them the experience under a controlled environment, rather than having them freeze in the middle of action and being killed.
"Did you explain the meaning of being shinobi to them?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes. I'm guessing you did the same with Sakura?" Naruto asked, making Kakashi nod.
"Very well. Let's move on, team. We will speak when we reach Tazuna's home."
With that, the team began moving once more, at a little more leisured pace.
Once they were some distance away, a fly-trap looking creature emerged from the ground.
"It seems the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is way stronger than we expected." the black half of the creature spoke.
"He was AWESOME! Did you see that!? That was amazing!" the white half spoke excitedly.
"Shut up. We must report this to leader-sama." the black half said as they began to disappear into the ground again.
As soon as they disappeared, a shadow dashed from one of the trees in the direction Team 7 had left.
'I must inform Naruto-sama immediately.' the shadow thought in urgency.
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WOOOOH! Almost 7000 words for this chapter!
So, I'm sure many of you won't like that fact that I had Zabuza and Haku killed, but I simply couldn't find a way to have Haku create an impact on anyone of team 7 at this point in time. HOWEVER! Before you take out your torches and swords, I will say that I have a surprise in a future chapter. Hope y'all stay tuned for it. <3
Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you next time!
-Eddie <3