Disclaimer: I'll leave this one short and blunt: Kishimoto owns Naruto. I don't. Sadface :(
When morning came, all shinobi went to work gathering their belongings and preparing for their journey back. Both teams from Konoha and Iwa were about to make a long journey and they wanted to hurry on their way to make sure they got back home quickly.
About an hour had passed before both groups were ready to leave. Both sets of Shinobi and Yen were standing right in front of the Tenchi Bridge, ready to part ways.
Han and Anko took out the scrolls with the mission details and traded them, giving each other proof that they had met up. It would also function as proof that Konoha completed their part of the mission.
"I thank you all for your assistance in helping watch over Yen for the night." Han told the Konoha shinobi as he gave them a slight bow.
"It was no problem. Glad we could help out." Anko replied with a bow of her own. Her students did the same.
"Help? How? Not like we actually had a battle that required help." Risho scoffed.
The boy received an elbow and a glare from Kurotsuchi, which kept him quiet for the rest of the time.
"Anko-Sama, Naruto-Sama, Hinata-Sama, Shikamaru-Sama," Yen started to speak out, directing his speech to all the Konoha shinobi, "I would like to thank you all so very much for your protection. I would have most likely died by myself on the way here, and you all were such a joy to talk to. Thank you all so much for taking your time to guard me and I hope to see you all at some point in the future." The merchant than gave a polite bow to them.
"Don't sweat it Yen. We'll meet up again one day." Naruto said with a laugh. "For now, though, just get home safely."
"We'll make sure that happens!" Roto replied with a smirk.
"Ahem." Han cleared his throat. He seemed both bored and annoyed. "It is probably time we head back. It's a long way for both of us, so we should all start back."
"Right." Anko agreed. "Best of luck then on the road. Later!"
"Same to you!" Kurotsuchi replied for her team.
The groups proceeded to head their opposite ways. The Iwa team headed across the bridge on their way to Yen's home in Tsuchi no Kuni. Team Three of Konoha headed back the way they came back to their village.
Neither team were aware of the events that were about to happen.
The Iwa shinobi and Yen crossed the Tenchi bridge and continued walking down the path back to Tsuchi no Kuni. Not much conversation occurred between the group until a few minutes into the walk.
"So, I think I might actually miss those Konoha guys." Roto admitted to the group.
Kurotsuchi looked at the boy in surprise. Han, himself, rose an eyebrow in shock at the boy's words. Risho, in contrast, merely scoffed.
"I have no clue what the hell that has to do with anything, but really? I thought you'd be stoked like I am to get away from those wimps!" The sword-wielding boy mentioned.
"Well, I mean I still don't like Konoha at all, but they weren't that bad! The Hyuuga girl was quiet, but she was nice. And Naruto actually is someone that was kind of fun to talk to!" Roto stated, defending himself.
Kurotsuchi nodded, a smile on her face. "Agreed. They were all pretty nice. And I enjoyed talking to Shikamaru. It was nice to know that there is another shinobi my age that isn't a complete idiot."
"Hey!" Roto glared in response.
Yen chuckled in amusement as he listened in. One of the major issues he had with yesterday was all the tension and ill-feelings between the Konoha and Iwa shinobi. The merchant was happy to see that the harsh feelings seemed to have lessened, at least a little.
"Psh! You all have no pride in your village!" Risho hissed.
An argument broke out between the Iwa genin, as Kurotsuchi and Roto argued with their angry teammate about pride and Iwa.
Han listened with mild amusement. While the man may despite humanity, he did find other people interesting on occasions. He couldn't help but be interested in the change of opinion in Roto, who was firmly against anything and everything Konoha prior to the mission.
The jonin didn't get too much time to listen and enjoy the conversation, however. A minute later, he sensed something: a rather large source of chakra approaching them at a rapid speed. 'We're under attack!'
"Everyone, get close to me. Now!" Han ordered everyone.
The Iwa genin and Yen stopped the conversation immediately and followed the jonin's command without a second thought. As they got next to him, Han started to form hand signs rapidly.
"Ninja Art: Steam Barrier Jutsu!" He shouted.
Steam shot out the furnace on Han's armor and surrounded the group. As more steam formed, it started to harden into a dome like structure.
"Wh-What's going on Han-Sama?" Yen asked nervously, starting to sweat.
Before Han could even give an answer, a massive blast of lightning struck the dome of steam. It generated a shrieking, explosive noise that caused the genin and Yen to clutch their ears in pain, but the steam prevented any other real damage. After a few seconds, Han released his jutsu and started to make more hand signs.
"Risho, Roto, Kurotsuchi: protect Yen. We have company." He stated as he scanned the area for the source of the lightning.
When the steam disappeared, two figures could be seen approaching the group. Both were men wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them.
"Nasumareta, be more careful. You could have killed the jinchuuriki with that blast!" Kakuzu informed his partner irritably.
"As if. If he really died from that simple blast, then he probably wouldn't be that much help to Akatsuki even with the Gobi!" Nasumareta scoffed. "But as you can see, he didn't die, so it's all moot anyway."
Yen felt himself become extremely nervous. Although he had been attacked before outside of villages, his attackers had only been common bandits. Never before had he had ninja come after him.
"Stay calm, Yen-San. We'll protect you!" Kurotsuchi comforted the merchant while also preparing herself for battle. Roto nodded in agreement with his teammate as he pulled out a kunai with a purple colored tip. Risho didn't even bother looking to the merchant: he merely pulled out his sword and prepared for battle.
"Who are you two?" Han demanded from the two enemy shinobi as he activated another jutsu. Steam poured out his furnace and covered his arms and legs.
Nasumareta only smirked in response. "We're here for the Gobi."
"What the hell was that?" Anko shouted to her students.
Not long after the Konoha shinobi separated from the Iwa shinobi and Yen, an explosion was heard coming from the opposite direction. The blast shocked the group and caused them to look back, wondering what caused it.
Hinata didn't waste any time activating her Byakugan and trying to find out the source of the explosion on her own. With her doujutsu activated, it didn't take long for her to see what was going on about two kilometers from where they were.
"...I can see two other people walking towards the Iwa shinobi. I think they caused that explosion." Hinata replied as she further concentrated her vision.
After another second of concentration, the Hyuuga heir gasped at what she was seeing. "I...I see lots of chakra being released from Han-San. The other men also have large chakra supplies around them as well. I think they're going to fight now!"
"What?" Anko's eyes widened at her student's report. "The Iwa shinobi were ambushed?"
Naruto and Shikamaru, too, were stunned by Hinata's words. They had just bid farewell to the Iwa shinobi no more than thirty minutes ago. Now, they were being attacked by foreign shinobi?
"...so they're being attacked. What do we do then sensei? Do we go back and help or do we just keep going?" Shikamaru asked his sensei as he stared in the direction where the explosion came from.
At the mention of 'help', Naruto's face grew more determined and focused as if he was mentally preparing himself for battle.
"Well, our mission is done and we aren't necessarily required to help the Iwa shinobi." Anko informed them. 'That, and they probably don't need our help. If any of the rumors about Han are true, he should destroy those attackers in a few seconds tops!' She mentally added before speaking again. "Still, I'm kind of curious why shinobi would be going after them. Are they after Yen or just attacking for the hell of it? I wouldn't mind staying in the area for a little bit and seeing how the battle goes. Maybe make a decision later based on that!"
Her three students nodded as they headed back towards the bridge and to where the battle was going to be. They made sure to stay far enough that they wouldn't get involved right away. Hinata still had her Byakugan activated and was watching the area intently, ready to relay any information she saw.
'...Han...be careful...' Naruto inwardly thought as he waited for more information on the situation.
"...the Gobi?" Yen asked nervously, confused at the words of the two strangers.
The Iwa genin stiffened when they heard what the men were after. Han, however, only rose his eyebrows in response.
"You are after me then?" He asked. His voice sounded almost amused. "And if I were to refuse to go with you two?"
"Refusing isn't an option." Kakuzu spoke up, cracking his knuckles.
"Hmm. Very well then." Han noted as he got into a position to sprint towards them. "It's been a long time since I've sensed such large amounts of chakra. Perhaps you two could amuse me?"
"More than amuse!" Nasumareta smirked as he reached into his cloak and pulled out his lightning rod.
"Er...um..." Yen babbled to himself in fear. He could see what was going to happen.
"Kurotsuchi, Risho, Roto: protect Yen. I will deal with these two." Han informed his students. The trio nodded in understanding as they surrounded Yen and readied themselves to fight if needed.
Nasumareta pointed the sharp end of his lightning rod at Han. The Iwa jonin didn't waste another second: he charged directly at the two attackers with great speed.
In mere milliseconds, Han was right in front of them with steam surrounding his arms and legs. The armor-clad shinobi delivered a roundhouse kick that struck Nasumareta right in the side. The former Kumo ninja was sent flying in Kakuzu's direction, but the older man was able to get out of the way just in time. Nasumareta, instead of hitting him, just landed face first into the ground.
"What speed!" Yen gasped in awe as he stared in amazement at Han.
"Heh, that's our Sensei!" Kurotsuchi noted, a proud smile on her face. "That's his signature fighting style: he uses the steam that he generates from the furnace on his armor to increase the force in his attacks. The steam that surrounds him helps him move at faster speeds and hit harder than pretty much any shinobi!"
Nasumareta pulled himself off the ground quickly and turned to the Iwa jonin with narrowed eyes.
"Damn, you are fast!" He noted, pleased. "This'll be fun!"
"Take this seriously brat!" Kakuzu ordered as he pointed his right hand towards the jinchuuriki. "We are going against not only a jinchuuriki, but a shinobi with a great deal of experience. Fight with appropriate focus!"
Black threads on Kakuzu's hand started to untangle. The hand charged forward towards the jinchuuriki. Han moved out of the way in time and charged forward at the former Taki ninja. Kakuzu raised his left hand and released the same threads within it. When Han appeared in front of the older shinobi, he launched his fist. It made direct contact with his face, knocking him back a little.
'He actually made a hit on Sensei?' Kurotsuchi gasped in response. "Han-Sensei!"
"Nasumareta, get rid of those brats. Make sure they don't interfere with our capture of the Gobi." Kakuzu ordered as he moved his hands to surround the Iwa jonin.
"Heh, that'll be easy. They probably won't stand a chance against one of my clones!" The former Kumo ninja replied as he put a hand into his robe. He pulled out a smaller lightning rod. He then tossed the second rod into the air and made a hand sign. "Lightning Style: Lightning Clone Jutsu!"
Lightning elemental chakra surrounded the rod. In a few moments, the lightning spread out around the rod and formed the shape of a human. The lightning then disappeared after creating an identical clone of Nasumareta.
"A lighting style based clone?" Roto mumbled in surprise. "I didn't even know such a jutsu was possible! How can lightning take a physical form like that?"
"Very simple actually. All it really needed was a medium to base its shape around." The former Kumo ninja replied nonchalantly before he turned his head back on the genin and faced the jonin that Kakuzu was dealing with.
The lightning clone landed on its feet on the ground, a large grin on its face. It turned to face the genin and Yen and charged at them.
"Ah!" Yen screamed in fear. The merchant's body started to shake.
"Calm down Yen-San. We will protect you!" Roto informed him as he raised his kunai.
"So what's the report Hinata?" Anko asked her student.
Hinata had not said a word the entire word that she was studying the battle. At her sensei's request, she finally turned off her Byakugan and faced her team to tell them what she saw.
"T-They're fighting yeah. Han-San is currently taking on the two men while a c-clone of one of the two men is attacking the genin. I-It's pretty intense right n-now." Hinata said with a stutter. She was currently surprised by all that she was seeing.
Anko noticed her surprise and decided to question further. "How so? Did you get to see any jutsu? Or just a lot of chakra?"
"B-Both." She replied. "T-The two men and H-Han-San are releasing t-tons of chakra. H-Han-San has used s-some jutsu from steam. One of t-the two men was able to use a j-jutsu to separate his body p-parts and use them as an a-attack. He used it to hit Han-San..."
Anko's eyes widened once again in response. 'From all the reports I've heard, very few people could put a scratch on Han's armor, let alone actually get a good hit on. And from what Hinata is describing about their chakra...these 'attackers' are more than what I thought they'd be.'
"Anko-Sensei? What should we do?" Shikamaru asked again, still staring in the direction.
Naruto had been quiet nearly the entire time. He had been in deep thought about his fellow jinchuuriki. He remembered in detail the conversation they had the previous night and was thinking about some of the things Han mentioned about his life.
'Han's always been alone. He hasn't had any real friends since his only ones left him. No one's probably ever done anything for him...' Naruto thought to himself.
'...I bet no one's ever defended him. Well, that's going to change starting now!' The boy decided.
"We're going back. We're going to help them." Naruto declared seriously.
"Hmm? Naruto, who is the Sensei here? I don't believe you have the authority to make such a command!" Anko replied in an irritated tone. Sure, she was strongly considering going back to help, but she didn't like it that Naruto was starting to try and take authority.
"Anko-Sensei, they may need our help. Sure, they're strong, but you never know what can happen. I want to help them." Naruto spoke.
Anko, Hinata, and Shikamaru were shocked by the seriousness and determination in the boy's voice. His words actually inspired for his teammates to speak up after a second.
"Naruto's right. I've had a bad feeling ever since I saw the explosion. They may not need it, but I'd rather go back in case if someone went wrong." Shikamaru agreed.
"I agree." Hinata nodded. The stuttering was gone once again as she looked more determined than ever before.
Anko looked at her students in shock and awe. Never before had she seen such focus in genin level shinobi. She doubted she even had that much determination when she was that young. The tokubetsu jonin, after a few seconds, had a smirk develop on her face.
"Well, brats, if you all want to help them that bad, then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up!" She declared as she sprinted forward.
The Konoha genin followed her lead. In moments, the four shinobi were now on their way, heading towards the battleground.
'Risho, Roto, Kurotsuchi...Han...be careful.' Naruto inwardly thought.
Kakuzu and Nasumareta surrounded the Iwa jonin, ready to go for in for another attack. The jinchuuriki was currently trapped, tied up in the weird thread that Kakuzu's hands released.
Han appeared to be struggling to get free from the grasp, causing his two opponents to approach with their guards slightly lowered. As they got closer, Han smirked underneath the cloth over his face. 'Ninja Art: Steam Cannon Jutsu!' He shouted inwardly.
Steam rapidly sprayed out of the furnace on his armor once again. Instead of forming a barrier, however, it shot forward in a straight, single blast at the two Akatsuki members. The two shinobi barely had enough time to dodge.
Han then took the time to move his steam covered arms and break free from the thread trapping. The jonin then charged forward towards Kakuzu, preparing his fist to strike the man.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball Jutsu!" Nasumareta shouted as he pointed his lightning rod at the Iwa jonin.
Lightning chakra surrounded the point of the rod and formed into a large ball of pure lightning. The ball of lightning was sent flying towards the two shinobi and managed to hit Han's fist, causing a mini explosion. Han and Kakuzu backed up immediately, away from each other.
Han then turned his attention to the former Kumo shinobi. "Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason you are using a lightning rod for your jutsu? Can you not produce lightning without it?"
Nasumareta shook his head. "It's just a good way to have better control over lightning style ninjutsu. It also attracts lightning chakra in the air, and obviously real lightning." The man then started to smirk as he raised it in the air. "I've also developed jutsu that I can use it for, like this: Lightning Style: Charged Shot Jutsu!"
Lightning chakra covered the entirety of the lightning rod in seconds, particularly around its point. Nasumareta lowered his rod and pointed it at Han. Rapid bolts of lightning were shot out, each one moving quickly.
Han proceeded to dodge the bolts. Nasumareta started to laugh as he continued to fire the bolts of lightning with no stop. The Iwa jonin continue to dodge to the best of his abilities while trying to get in closer to his attacker. Eventually, Han surrounded himself with more steam and charged forward. He was able to get in before Nasumareta could release another bolt of lightning.
"Lightning Style: Gian!" Kakuzu shouted as he approached the group.
Han was once again interrupted from landing a hit on his opponent. Kakuzu launched a straight beam of lightning from his hands that moved forward towards the jinchuuriki. Han was forced to end his attack early and get out of the way, which gave Nasumareta enough time to fire enough charged bolt of lightning at him.
This time, Han activated his Steam Barrier Jutsu again. The steam surrounded him and prevented him from taking any damage from the bolt of lightning.
"Yes! Oh yeah, I haven't had this much fun in a battle in forever!" Nasumareta declared excitedly as he raised his rod again to absorb more lightning chakra.
"Glad you're having fun. Good for you that you will die on a happy note." Han replied as he made another hand sign.
The lightning clone of Nasumareta continued its charge at the Iwa genin and Yen. It took shuriken out of its cloak and tosses the towards them. Risho smirked in response as he got in front of his team.
As the shuriken got closer to the group, the boy raised his left hand. The shuriken stopped moving and remained motionless in air.
"Using weapons like shuriken against me, a member of the Kurogane Clan? Big mistake. Feel the power of the Iron Release!" Risho shouted as he moved his hand forward.
The shuriken turned direction and flew towards the clone at a faster speed. It dodged the shuriken barely before it started to charge again. Risho charged forward as well, gripping his sword tightly in his right hand.
The Iwa genin slashed at the clone. Once again, the clone was able to dodge barely. The edge of the sword's blade rested near the clone's side. Risho smirked in response as he made a hand sign with his left hand.
"Iron Style: Length Increase!" He stated.
The sword's blade extended forward at a fast pace, increasing its length. The blade pierced the clone straight though its chest. It gasped in pain before disappearing in a poof of smoke. A log was in its place.
"Substitution?" Risho mumbled as he started to look around.
The clone jumped out of a nearby tree and held out a lightning rod of its own. Lightning chakra collected on its edge and formed into a ball. The clone launched its own Lightning Ball Jutsu towards the boy.
Before he could react, Kurotsuchi jumped in front of him. "Lave Style: Quicklime Jutsu!" She shouted as she took in a deep breath.
After her breath, Kurotsuchi breathed out quicklime from her mouth. The corrosive gas flew in front of the lightning ball and caused an explosion in the air, canceling out both techniques. The kunoichi proceeded to run towards the clone after making the hand signs and breathing in. She released the same jutsu again, this time aiming for the clone.
The Nasumareta clone attempted to dodge but was burned slightly near its leg. The clone fell to the ground and started to move slower.
It was in this state that Roto decided to attack. The boy immediately chucked multiple kunai with purple tips at the lightning clone. The clone used its lightning rod to block the kunai as it charged at the boy.
"Ninja Art: Poison Darts Jutsu!" He shouted as he took a deep breath in.
Roto started to spit out poison shaped like sharp darts at the clone. The clone proceeded to dodge them, only barely dodging at certain points.
"Ugh, if we can get a good hit on it, then we get it dispelled. That way we can go help Han-Sensei." Roto noted as he prepared to launch more darts.
Risho and Kurotsuchi agreed with his sentiments. The three genin were working hard to land one truly good hit on the clone in order to get away and help their sensei.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball Jutsu!"
"Ninja Art: Steam Cannon Jutsu!"
Nasumareta and Han released their jutsu at the same time. The Akatsuki member's lightning ball charged straight forward at the jinchuuriki's steam blast. The two attacks collided and canceled each other out.
Kakuzu took this time to get in close to the jinchuuriki. He attempted to land a solid punch on the man, but his fist was by the Iwa jonin. Han made sure to have a tight grip as he readied his other hand for a punch of his own. Before he could land the hit, however, Kakuzu undid the thread in his other hand and hit the man straight in the face.
Han backed up in pain for a second. This gave Kakuzu an opening as he made the tiger hand sign.
"Lightning Style: Gian!" He shouted. Nasumareta saw his partner make the sign and proceeded to point his lightning rod at the jonin as well.
"Lightning Style: Charged Shot Jutsu!" The former Kumo ninja shouted as well,
Two incoming blasts of lightning were released simultaneously from different directions. Both jutsu managed to collide on the stunned Han, causing him to get electrocuted. The jonin screamed in pain.
"Heh, got him!" Nasumareta smirked.
The two Akatsuki members watched the jonin suffer in pain until he started to fade away. Han started to evaporate until there was no sign of him anywhere.
"What the hell was that? A steam clone or something?" The former Kumo ninja groaned as he started to scan the area for Han.
'This jinchuuriki is even more skilled than I thought. To make a clone and replace himself without either Nasumareta and I noticing...he's definitely an experienced and seasoned fighter like the reports claimed.' Kakuzu noted as he started scanning for Han as well. 'Still, I've had experience myself. And I think it's time I finally took advantage of that weakness he ha-'
Kakuzu never got to continue his train of thought. Han jumped from the trees and attacked the man with a single steam punch. The punch went straight though the former Taki ninja's chest and directly into his heart. Han's bloodied fist was now sticking out from the older man's back.
Kakuzu's eyes stopped moving and his mouth coughed up blood. The steam covered fist had completely crushed his heart. The man was dead now...
"One down." Han noted as he removed his fist from the Akatsuki member. Kakuzu's body fell to the ground immediately after. The jinchuuriki then turned his attention to the other ninja. "One more to go."
Nasumareta blinked in surprise. His eyes moved to his partner for a second before he started to laugh. "Who said to be careful, Kakuzu? Looks like I ended up being more careful than you!"
"...pathetic human. Disregarding your comrade's death and treating it as if nothing happened." Han shook his head, both in disgust and anger. "I think I am actually going to enjoy killing you."
Han charged forward toward the former Kumo ninja. Nasumareta dodged just in time before suffering the same attack that Kakuzu suffered.
The jinchuuriki continued to try and land a single hit on the Akatsuki member. Nasumareta continued to dodge to the best of his abilities, knowing that one hit to the heart would be all it would take to kill him.
Han was so focused on striking at the man in front of him that he failed to notice Kakuzu's body moving.
"Lava Style: Quicklime Jutsu!"
Kurotsuchi released another blast of quicklime straight at the Nasumareta clone. The clone proceeded to dodge the attack, this time not even taking a small hit.
"Damn it, this thing is taunting us!" Kurotsuchi hissed as she made hand signs for her jutsu again.
Her hand signs were interrupted when the clone jumped in front of her and gave the kunoichi a kick to the stomach, sending her flying to a nearby tree. She was caught by Roto before she was made contact with it. The boy's face was staring straight at the clone. He proceeded to spit out his poison darts. Once again, the lightning clone was able to dodge each individual dart as it made its way closer to the two Iwa genin, gripping its lightning rod tightly.
As the lightning clone was about to strike at the two with a close range lightning jutsu, Kurotsuchi made one final hand sign and got out of Roto's grip. She released another blast of quicklime at the approaching clone. The clone canceled its own jutsu and jumped out of the way. The quicklime, however, managed to slightly burn his leg once again.
"Okay, where did it go now?" Kurotsuchi questioned angrily. She was getting really fed up with chasing this clone over and over.
She and Roto scanned the nearby area, looking for any sight of the clone. Eventually, though, they found their sign in the form of a sceam.
"AHH!" Yen screamed in panic.
The lightning clone jumped in front of the merchant, a lightning ball glowing from the top of its lightning rod. It released the ball at the terrified merchant, who was now having visions of his death.
"Iron Style: Armor of Iron!"
Risho jumped in front of Risho and the incoming lightning ball and grabbed the merchant. As his hand touched the merchant, the two were encased in a silver-greyish colored iron. The lightning ball managed to hit them both, but did no damage. Risho released his jutsu and the armor faded away, leaving him and Yen completely unharmed without even a single scratch.
"I recall this match was between just you and us: the Iwa shinobi. Don't get our client involved!" Risho snapped at him as he pointed his sword at the clone.
The young man charged directly at the clone, ready to cut it in half.
'Just one hit. That's all it will take.' Han informed himself as he tried to land a hit on Nasumareta.
The Iwa jonin had been chasing the former Kumo shinobi around the battlefield, trying to land one fatal hit on him. Han was motivated to kill this man and he was going to make sure he accomplished just that.
Nasumareta continued to barely dodge all the hits. Each time he dodged, it was getting harder to avoid the next hit. The Akatsuki member was starting to get really tired.
'I need to stop running already, but it's getting harder to do anything else. I'm not good with all this close hand-to-hand fighting. I need some range dammit!' He inwardly complained. 'Come on Kakuzu! Hurry up already!'
After a few moments, Han was able to get a nonfatal punch to Nasumareta's shoulder. The man fell to the ground in pain as Han picked him up with his right hand.
"Well, that makes two. You both were stronger than most humans I've fought, but you are still only human. Challenging me was your mistake." Han informed him as steam covered his left hand.
"Fire Style: Zukokku!"
A small fireball was launched and headed rapidly towards Han. The jinchuuriki had no time to react. The fireball hit the back of his armor and erupted into a firestorm that covered every inch of his armor's backside. The fire was able to scorch the furnace on his back. Han immediately dropped Nasumareta and fell to the ground, his furnace leaking a combination of smoke and steam.
Han struggled to get up as the fire started to fade away. As he looked in the direction where the fireball came, he saw Kakuzu still standing. This time, however, the man looked different. He was no longer wearing his Akatsuki cloak. He had on a black shirt and pants with a white belt near hist waste. Every inch of his body that wasn't clothed was covered in the same black thread that his hands were covered in. In addition, three floating masks were floating right by his side.
"What the...you...you should be dead. I felt myself crush your heart..." Han questioned in shock.
"You did. Lucky for me I've got multiple hearts." Kakuzu replied nonchalantly as he pointed to the masks floating by his side. "Also helps me control various different elemental nature, including fire. You're usually more careful around fire aren't you?" Kakuzu then pointed at Han's furnace, which was still leaking steam and smoke. "That steam armor and the furnace are connected to you and are the source of your fighting style. And if that furnace were to overheat, that would complicate things, wouldn't it?"
Han gave no response as he finally pulled himself off the ground. The hissing sound coming from the furnace and the mix of smoke and steam were the only answers the former Taki shinobi needed.
"Just as I thought." The older man smirked.
Han charged towards the main, steam still covering his body. Although he was still quick, he was moving significantly slower than earlier. He struck at Kakuzu's face, but the older man was able to block the attack with his arm. The two proceeded to fight hand-to-hand, blocking the other's fists while trying to land a hit.
"As I thought. Looks like we are more even now. Earlier, this would be impossible with the steam magnifying the strength of your attacks. But you're overheating, and therefore, your attacks are weaker." Kakuzu noted again as he continued to try and hit Han.
"You talk too much." Han replied as he finally found an opening.
The Iwa jonin managed to land a solid hit on the former Taki shinobi. This time, however, Kakuzu was not sent slying backwards. He only inched backwards a little in pain: a strong contrast in comparison to Han's earlier attacks.
Nasumatera took this time to finally attack again. The Akatsuki member released his Charge Shot Justu at Han, releasing multiple bolts of electricity. Han was able to dodge the first few bolts, but was unable to avoid them all. The jinchuuriki received damage, causing him to kneel down in pain.
"Fire Style: Zukokku!" Kakuzu shouted once again.
One of Kakuzu's masks launched the same fireball from earlier. The fireball hit Han's furnace, releasing the excess fire once again on his armor. Han fell over once again, his furnace hissing even louder and releasing even more smoke. The man was starting to sweat greatly underneath his armor, in addition to all the pain he was feeling.
'Damn it. The furnace is overheating way too much. My steam is getting weaker, and therefore, I'm getting weaker.' Han cursed. 'Guess I have to switch tactics. Damn, can't believe they are pushing me to this level.'
'Then again, they wanted the Gobi. Oh, I'll give them the Gobi...'
Nasumareta's lightning clone continued to dodge each and every attempt of Risho's to destroy it. The Kurogane Clan genin attempted to cut it down with his sword but missed every strike.
"Damn it, stand still for a second!" He hissed as he attempted to cut it down one more time.
The clone seemed to comply the boy's request. It raised the lightning rod in its hand and it used it to block the sword's strike. It was then that Risho started to really study the lightning rod the clone was using.
'That thing...I think it's made of iron.' Risho grinned as he made a singular hand sign.
The lightning rod the clone was using started to get weaker and rust. Risho's sword was able to easily cut through it. The boy proceeded to try and get another strike at the clone.
The lightning clone proceeded to dodge the attack by jumping over the boy. Kurotsuchi and Roto then jumped over to the area.
"Lave Style: Quicklime Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi declared.
The girl breathed out her traditional quicklime attack on the clone. This time, being in the air, the clone wasn't able to dodge it. It took the hit and felt its body burn.
Roto took this time to toss a kunai at the clone. It went straight through it this time, causing the clone to disappear: leaving the lightning rod used as the medium for the lightning behind.
"Finally!" Risho exclaimed.
It was at that point that the lightning rod started to light up once again. The lightning that was used to form the clone was still present and surrounding the lightning rod. The stray lightning was sent flying towards the Iwa genin. The three shinobi were shocked by the blast and were momentarily stunned.
"Ugh!" They all groaned simultaneously, falling to the ground.
'That was just stray lightning leftover from getting rid of the clone. And it came out, attacked us, and did that much damage...damn. That guy from Kumo put a lot of chakra into that.' Roto noted from his pain.
After a few moments of pain, the stunning effect of the electrocution went away and three Iwa genin were able to move.
"Okay, that's done with. Come on, we have to help Sensei!" Roto stated.
"Um..."
The three Iwa genin turned to face their client. Yen was shaking and hiding behind a nearby tree.
"Yen-San, are you okay? You didn't get hurt at all during that battle, did you?" Roto asked, checking up on the client.
"N-No. One of you always by me when I n-needed it." Yen stuttered out.
"Okay, as long as you are fine." Kurotsuchi spoke, relief in her voice. "Now, one of us should stick with you while the other two go help Han-Sensei. Let's-"
The kunoichi never got to finish her speech as the trio all of a sudden felt a massive wave of chakra pass them. Yen nearly passed out in shock while the genin started to shake.
"W-What was that?" The merchant questioned nervously.
'...is Han-Sensei releasing the Gobi?' The students came to the same conclusion. The three turned in the direction of the battlefield where their Sensei was, nervous to find out if their answer was correct or not.
As Han got up, red chakra proceeded to surround the man. In a few seconds, the jinchuuriki was covered in a cloak of the red chakra, with one chakra tail sticking out of his armor's backside.
"Ha ha! Looks like he is finally using the Gobi's chakra!" Nasumareta cheered as he readied his lightning rod. "Things are going to get really good now!"
"Damn it you stupid brat, focus!" Kakuzu commanded as he focused on the jinchuuriki, ready for any possible action.
Han paid the men no mind for a moment. He breathed in and out, making sure that he was the one in control of his body. After feeling confident that the Gobi had zero influence over him, he turned to face his genin students.
"Kurotsuchi, Risho, Roto: take Yen and leave! This battle has gotten too dangerous for all of your safety, so you four need to get out!" Han ordered.
The three genin seemed to get out of the shock of seeing Han in his chakra cloak. They each simultaneously shook their heads in disagreement.
"Han-Sensei, we can't do that! We can't let you take them on yourself!" Kurotsuchi called out.
"You are genin and I am your Jonin commander: you will do as I say!" Han informed them. "You need to leave and protect the client!"
The three Iwa genin turned to face Yen, looking at him intently. The merchant seemed extremely terrified, more so than earlier due to all the action he had witnessed. He looked awkward and out-of-place. Despite all of these obvious feelings, the man was trying to come off strong and determiend.
"A-Actually, Han-Sama, as the client, m-my authority equals yours in terms of orders." Yen declares with a slight stutter. The man was still coming to try come off tougher than he actually felt. As he continued to speak, however, he started to feel more confident. "A-And...I order them to f-fight with you. I can't, in good conscience, allow you to fight on your own against these villains. I'll put my life on the like you all have, and be unprotected for awhile here if it means that they can fight with you!"
"Yen, you-" The jinchuuriki started.
"Save it Sensei! It would be dishonorable to leave you!" Risho declared as he raised his sword once again.
"We got your back." Roto added as he raised his kunai again.
"We aren't abandoning you Han-Sensei!" Kurotsuchi stated, making hand signs.
Their words surprised Han. His students were disobeying his orders...in order to fight with him and make sure he lives? He was even wearing the chakra cloak of the Gobi, but humans were actually willing to put their lives on the line for him?
"Ah, how touching!" Nasumareta noted with a sigh, his lightning rod lighting up at the point. "Not like it matters if they stayed or not: they were going to die regardless!"
Han finally focused his attention back to the Akatsuki members. "You won't harm them or me! You both will die at my hands!"
"Psh!" Nasumareta scoffed as he pointed his lightning rod at the genin. "You can't stop us! Lightning Sty-"
Nasumareta didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as arrows started flying towards him and Kakuzu. His jutsu was interrupted as he, along with his partner, jumped out of the way.
"Reinforcements?" Kakuzu questioned as he started to scan the area for nearby enemies.
Four figures jumped out of the trees and landed in front of Han. The Iwa shinobi gasped: it was the Konoha shinobi.
"You guys..." Roto mumbled in surprise.
"Looks like Konoha is interfering too. I didn't plan on this." Kakuzu grumbled.
"Doesn't matter; they'll die as well!" his partner replied.
"We were going to frame them with the disappearance though. This makes things complicated." The former Taki shinobi reminded him.
"Eh, whatever. Doesn't matter." Nasumareta shrugged as he took a hard look at the new Konoha shinobi. His eyes seemed to focus on Hinata in particular, however. 'Hmm...those eyes. She's a Hyuuga. And no seal? Unsealed Byakugan huh...'
"Anko-San, what are you and your team doing here?" Han questioned, once again in surprise.
Naruto was the one to answer, a smirk on his face. "We're here to help. These guys are doing down dattebayo!"
Author's Note: Faster, wasn't it? I promised I wasn't going to be that slow ever again and I maintain that promise! :)
Please give me your opinion on this chapter in particular though. I consider this my first true experience in writing fight scenes (sure I wrote those battles between Mizuki and the test Anko gave, but they don't count as much in my mind). Let me know what you liked and didn't, so I can make sure these get better for the future fights to come! :)
Things really are starting to heat up aren't they? And I think next chapter will only get worse...you'll have to wait and see for the conclusion :)
Thank you all once again for your support! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll see you all for the next update, which I will work on immediately! Until then :)