"You did what?" Naruto spat at Tazuna. His anger built like a steaming kettle.
Sakura shook her head in silent judgment. Sasuke was still recovering from post-vomit fatigue, so he settled for a suspicious glare.
Kakashi dropped the second of the freshly hogtied enemies next to a tree. "I sensed these guys watching us a long time ago. Our mission brief didn't mention enemy ninja, so I wanted to see which of us they were after before I took them out. It seems they were targeting you, Tazuna." He retrained his gaze onto the bridge builder. "But you already knew that."
Tazuna grunted and avoided eye contact. Kakashi continued.
"If we'd known this information earlier, we could have assigned the mission to a squad of the appropriate skill level. We were only expecting to guard you against petty thieves and gang members, not trained assassins like the Demon Brothers of the Mist. Given what we know now, this mission is far too dangerous to be classified as a C rank."
"What's your deal?" Naruto said, stomping over to Tazuna. He pointed a finger in his face, but got no reaction. "Hey! I'm talking to you, Mr. Tazuna. You trying to get us killed?"
"No, it's not that at all," Tazuna said in a low tone. He cast a somber frown up at the sky. "You kids probably wouldn't understand, being from such a well off, fortified place." He shivered, his eyes shutting tightly as if he were trying to block out a painful memory. "Back home in my village, we don't have the guaranteed support of military forces to fall back on. We work for every scrap we manage to scrounge up, and even then life is a struggle. We don't have the kind of money needed to order a skilled detail of ninja. It's a drop in the bucket for wealthier lands like yours, but between the thugs terrorizing our people and the farmland that doesn't always yield enough product, paying a higher rate just isn't an option for us." He looked at the group with a defeated stare.
Naruto froze; he'd never seen such utter hopelessness in someone's eyes before, and he found it hard to form words. The pure desperation on the bridge builder's face made blaming him for his actions feel wrong somehow, but with effort, Naruto shook it off. He looked back at Kakashi, who was quietly processing Tazuna's words.
"Okay," Naruto said, "to be honest, yeah. You're right. I don't know what it's like to struggle to get by. I grew up in an amazing village, with plenty of resources and strong people I look up to. But that doesn't change a thing! You still tried to pull one over on us by saying this was just a standard escort mission. According to the rules, our mission should be terminated. The right thing to do would've been to be honest with my dad and see if he'd work something out."
Kakashi nodded. "Naruto's right. But honestly, I think we should all have a say in this. What do you two think? Once we pass into the Land of Waves' territory, it'll be treacherous. We may not be able to back out so easily at that point. So I'm leaving it up to you three."
Sasuke's forehead crinkled as he weighed the pros and cons. "Well, we're already part of the way there. I say we stick it out."
Sakura looked from Sasuke to Naruto. "I'm in if you two are. Sensei, you taught us that teamwork is one of the most important things for a squad of shinobi. Right?"
Kakashi smiled. "Exactly, Sakura. Well said. And you, Naruto? Are you up to the challenge? We may face some really dangerous enemies who are on a different level than these guys." He nodded toward the still-unconscious Demon Brothers. "I can't promise I'll be able to properly protect the three of you along with Tazuna at all times."
Basic logic told Naruto that it was better to let another team pick up Tazuna's request. Maybe he could speak on the man's behalf to Minato about accepting the mission for a cheaper rate. Just this once, his father might allow an exception given the circumstances. Then again, Naruto asked for a more difficult mission to begin with, and now it had fallen into his lap. This must have been fate, he mused. Refusing to take this opportunity would be silly.
"Well, alright then," Naruto said. "I vote we hang in there. I'm not about to back down from a challenge, believe it." He raised a fist and smiled. "Let's do this!" Cutting the moment short, he glared at Tazuna. "No more secrets though, old man!"
Tazuna bowed his head, no longer giving off hostile or skeptical vibes. "I promise. No more secrets." He pulled a half empty bottle of sake out of his bag and took a swig.
"Also maybe lay off the alcohol," Kakashi said. "You'll need your wits about you as we cross into enemy territory."
"Yeah," Naruto said. "Geez! Can't you stop chugging that stuff for even a second? You're worse than Grandma Tsunade."
"Grandma...Tsunade?" Tazuna echoed, mouth widening in surprise. "As in Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin?"
"Yeah," Sasuke said. "She's our godmother."
Taking in the young Uchiha's words, Tazuna dropped his arms to his sides, nearly spilling his bottle. He blinked several times at Sasuke, who looked back with a plain expression. "You're serious. Well, how about that."
This guy was unbelievable. Most times, when Naruto met people from other villages, they treated him with respect. Some even feared him. His family's reputation preceded them, after all. Yet somehow, this sake-inhaling machine of a man had heard little of Naruto's family, or their connection to two of The Legendary Sannin. Folks in the Land of Waves must have missed the memo, what with having no ninjas and all.
"Anyway," Kakashi said, "I'll send word to the village to pick these guys up and then we can head out." He formed a few hand signs and touched the Demon Brothers' foreheads, placing them under what Naruto recognized from his studies as a paralysis jutsu.
Naruto grinned. "Don't worry about that, Kakashi-sensei! I'll take care of it."
"How are you going to manage that?" Kakashi asked, scratching his head.
"When I punched them earlier, it wasn't about landing a hit." Naruto walked over to the men and held one of their palms open, revealing his Flying Thunder God mark at its center. "See?"
"Ah," Kakashi said. "Pretty impressive. Even I didn't notice you pull that off."
Sasuke smirked. "You're always working some angle, aren't you?"
"Wow, Naruto," Sakura said with a broad smile, "that's amazing!"
The team had very little daylight left, so they wasted no more time. Kakashi scribbled a note on a piece of paper, stuck it in one of the Demon Brothers' pockets, and gave Naruto the go-ahead. He sent them to his dad's kunai that he marked during training. The vague sensation of his diminished chakra reserves was little more than an itch, but it worried him.
He had plenty of chakra to spare compared to most people, but even for him, each teleportation used a noticeable amount. Now that he was familiar with the jutsu, knowing that Dad could use it so often without needing to recharge was mind-boggling; was his father really just that strong?
The group stayed their course, not speaking much until they made it to the shoreline. Tazuna in particular offered little in the way of conversation, other than informing everyone about the identity of the person who wanted him dead. He was a crime boss named Gato.
❖ ❖ ❖
When they reached the dock leading to the Land of Waves, it was dark out. Fog rolled in from across the water. A quaint wooden boat arrived under the cover of fog to pick them up. Team 7 waited for their client to board first, then climbed in after him. Naruto took note of the fact that the motor was off and the rower had traveled here by hand. The latter exchanged whispered words with Tazuna before taking off from the dock. He moved the boat back across the water with his passengers in tow, carrying them deeper into foreign territory. The thickening fog seemed to have a life of its own; the hazy beast crept closer and closer until at last, it swallowed their boat whole.
An uncomfortable chill set in. Rhythmic splashes of water punctuated the uncomfortable silent journey, further cementing the reality that they'd officially departed from the Land of Fire. Sakura was the first to break up the monotony with a series of questions. Speaking just above a whisper, Kakashi provided a brief overview of differences in the culture of the Land of Waves versus the Land of Fire. While the impromptu lesson was interesting, Naruto couldn't help feeling distracted.
His lips curled into an involuntary smile. Sure, they were headed somewhere dangerous, and that wasn't great news, but there was an upside. Naruto couldn't wait to measure his skills against real combatants — people who weren't having a friendly spar with him or pulling their punches because he was the Hokage's kid. It's not like he wanted to get beat up, but there was a small part of him that wondered how many of his victories were earned versus due to people holding back.
"Why are you grinning like that, idiot?" Sasuke said, cutting his thoughts short.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Who knows? Maybe I was just thinkin' about taking out more bad guys than you when we face Gato's thugs."
Sasuke scoffed and looked out over the water. "In your dreams." His words lacked weight, giving the impression that although his body was here in the boat, his mind was elsewhere.
Could Sasuke be worried?
No. There was no way he'd let something like this shake him up. He was always so confident. Naruto put the silly thought out of his mind.
Their boat ride stretched on for a mind-numbing amount of time. Naruto found himself struggling to stay awake more than once. A quick peek at the others reminded him of the seriousness of the situation. Kakashi-sensei scanned the area, doing his best to see through the boundless fog, Sakura was biting her nails, while Tazuna was curled up against the side of the boat, trying to make himself as small a target as he could. Everyone may have acted calm, but it was all a facade.
The boat glided along, a mere speck next to the massive unfinished bridge spanning across a large swath of the ocean. It loomed over them, shrouded in fog like some ghastly monument. Naruto's mouth fell open. This was the unfinished version?
"Hey Mr. Tazuna," he said, startling everyone out of their inner thoughts. "What's the reason you're building this bridge, anyway?"
"Honestly?" Tazuna sighed. "That bridge is our lifeline. A small country like ours, that doesn't have ninja for protection, is bottlenecked in an isolated location. Gato, the man I told you about earlier, is using our isolation against us and controlling our flow of resources." He peeked over the rim of his glasses. "All trade is internal and closely monitored by his gang of lowlifes, but this bridge would connect us with the rest of the world and promote economic growth. Gato doesn't want me to finish my work since it will allow our people to break free of his control. He'll stop at nothing to ensure my death, and he knows that because there are no trained warriors in our village, no one is going to challenge him. Not since…"
The old man broke off, grimacing at the slow-moving waters. It didn't take a mind reader to know he'd dredged up more painful memories. Naruto decided not to pry further — at least for now.
"Well, we'll make sure it gets built. No petty criminals are gonna scare us away! Believe it!" He gave the dejected bridge builder a thumbs up, hoping to raise his spirits.
Tazuna returned a weary smile. "Thank you, Naruto."
The ever-present fog thinned out, revealing the entrance to a long tunnel that signified their arrival in Tazuna's homeland. When they reached the other side, Naruto gaped in awe at the sparkling waters and giant wetland trees. A series of wooden buildings on support beams dotted the mazelike boardwalk around the inlet. Kakashi hopped out first, then reached down to help Tazuna. Sasuke assisted Sakura, but Naruto flipped onto the deck before he could do the same for him.
Sasuke chuckled. "Showoff."
"Home's right this way," Tazuna said, leading the group off of the docks and down a forest path.
Some time later, an unfamiliar presence made Naruto nervous. Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke appeared to have noticed as well, and were reaching for their ninja tool pouches.
A faint whistling in the air grew louder, prompting everyone to turn around. Naruto was quickest to act. He tackled Tazuna aside, rolling across the grass. Kakashi shouted a warning to duck just in time. A large metal blade sliced through the air, but arrived a moment too late to claim its target's head. The sword embedded itself into a tree at the edge of the path. An unknown man alighted on its protruding hilt from out of thin air, his back to Team 7. He turned to them with a sidelong glare.
Kakashi strode toward the newcomer with his hands in his pockets. Snorting at the over the top entrance, Naruto stayed near Tazuna and focused his chakra.
"Well, well," Kakashi-sensei said with nonchalance, "if it isn't the rogue ninja of The Hidden Mist, Zabuza Momochi!"
Sasuke and Naruto shared a look, watching and waiting in silence. Whatever came next, Naruto knew adapting to the situation would prove crucial to keeping Tazuna safe.
A careful once over revealed much about the rogue ninja before them; Naruto noted the bandages concealing the lower half of Zabuza's face. His baggy striped pants looked similar to clothes people from the Land of Water wore when they visited The Hidden Leaf. The spotted design on the man's wrist and leg warmers, however, was unique to him.
Why would you bother wearing stuff like that if you're gonna walk around shirtless? Naruto asked himself, frowning at the guy.
"Naruto," Sasuke said, seizing his attention.
"Huh?"
Sasuke's eyes flitted toward Zabuza, and Naruto followed his gaze, taking in the silent signal. Words were almost unnecessary for the two of them, but Sakura looked between them in confusion. Realizing this, the young Uchiha approached her and whispered in her ear. While he relayed the necessary information, Naruto tuned back into the conversation with Zabuza.
"I assume you are Kakashi of the Sharingan, " their new foe said. "Hand over the bridge builder."
Naruto turned to his brother at the mention of his clan's genetic trait, unsurprised to find his eyes fixated on Kakashi.
"You must be the one," Sasuke whispered, as if recalling a long lost memory. "The non-Uchiha Sharingan wielder."
"That's right," Kakashi said, reaching for the portion of his face covered by his headband. "If it's Zabuza we're dealing with, I'll need to use this." He exposed his hidden Sharingan, taking a battle-ready stance.
Zabuza turned to Kakashi, maintaining balance atop the hilt of his blade. "Well, well," he said with a hint of intrigue, "I never expected to see the infamous Sharingan so soon. This is an honor."
A metallic wire darted between Zabuza's legs, looping past one of them before constricting around his foot. He looked down and gasped, stumbling and flipping off of the sword hilt in order to free himself. Sasuke pulled on the other end of the string, preventing Zabuza's escape. The Mist assassin rolled in midair, breaking his fall with both muscular arms. However, he was unable to move from his grounded position due to the wire still wrapped taut around his leg. Naruto swooped in, taking the opportunity to toss a volley of kunai at the incapacitated man.
Zabuza shielded himself as the ninja tools rained down. Despite his raised arm, the kunai lodged themselves into his body in several locations, drawing blood. This didn't last long. His body destabilized, turning to a gel-like substance before completely collapsing into a puddle of water.
"Hey, brats," his voice called from across the nearby lake. "You missed."
The Genin turned to observe Zabuza, who posed casually atop the water. He chuckled, getting into a combat stance.
"Naruto, Sasuke?" Kakashi said with disbelief. "I never expected that sneak attack from you."
"We wanted to see if this guy was all talk, sensei," Naruto said. He snickered as Kakashi stared back at him. "Right, Sasuke?"
Not acknowledging Naruto's words, Sasuke whispered, "Damn. I was hoping we could land a hit early on."
Sakura looked around, as shocked as Kakashi. She backed up toward Tazuna with a deep frown on her face, the reality of her inability to keep up sinking in.
Tuning into this with near-psychic awareness, Kakashi called out to her. "Good job, Sakura. Stay vigilant and protect the bridge builder."
"Yeah," Zabuza said, his voice coming from another location this time. "He's right."
Sakura and Tazuna took a moment to process that he was no longer standing on the lake and that he sounded much closer. They turned around and gasped in horror: there Zabuza was, crouched at their blind spot, a murderous glare on his face.
"You wouldn't want something like this to happen!" he seethed.
Sakura lunged toward the assassin, kunai in hand, but was swatted aside by one sinewy arm. Kakashi dashed to intervene, catching her before she could slam into a tree.
"Sakura!" Naruto shouted. "Tazuna, run!"
Rising to full height, Zabuza grabbed Tazuna by the throat. He lifted him off of the ground, applying pressure. The bridge builder's body twitched and, with a wet snap, went limp.
"No!" Sakura cried, staring at the fallen body of their client. She sank to the ground, shaken by the sight before her. Kakashi stood by with a hand on her shoulder. A loud poof interrupted the gravity of the moment.
"What?" Zabuza growled, watching as the fake Tazuna before him vanished. He searched the area for the caster of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, his previous confidence gone. The real Tazuna disappeared behind the treeline alongside Naruto.
Sasuke smirked at the Jonin's rage. He called out to Sakura as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, Sakura! We have to protect them." Following his lead, she ran for the forest.
Realizing what their plan was, Zabuza flew through hand signs, conjuring a wave of water from the lake and morphing it into the shape of a dragon. Kakashi stood in the way, mimicking his opponent's hand motions with little effort. He countered the technique with a water dragon of his own.
"How?" Zabuza said, frozen in surprise. "You copied my moves before I was finished."
"It's simple," Kakashi said as his jutsu crashed into Zabuza's. Water sprayed in all directions. "I can see your future, Zabuza. Your future...is death."
The agitated Mist Ninja grunted. "Figures they don't call you Kakashi The Copy Ninja for nothing. But don't underestimate me either!"
Droplets of water pooled together near Zabuza's sword, taking the shape of a replica of himself. The Water Clone wrestled his blade free from the groove in the tree, then tossed it at Kakashi's head.
The Leaf Jonin reacted without turning around; he fell forward, and with a rising back kick, sent the blade on an upward arc. Then Kakashi focused chakra into his hands and feet, pumped off of the ground, and followed up with a spinning kick to the tip of the sword's handle. Zabuza scarcely had time to dodge before the blade shot forward at an angle, embedding itself into the dirt behind him.
Kakashi landed and returned to a neutral stance. Fog settled in while the two men stared one another down. "I can see your moves, Zabuza."
❖ ❖ ❖
A blur of trees and shrubs flew by as Naruto hurried through the forest next to Tazuna, who led the way to their destination one panicked instruction after another. Making sure to stay close enough that Tazuna could keep up, he mentally prepared himself to move at top speed if necessary. Zabuza was a Jonin, not just some weakling. His catching up to them was a very real possibility, even with Kakashi-sensei holding him off. If that happened, Naruto would have to fight like their lives depended on it to survive.
Sasuke and Sakura's chakra signatures grew stronger by a small amount, but it was enough to bring a smile to Naruto's face. That meant his and Sasuke's plan worked! The others were on their way. They just might get Tazuna out of this mess after all.
Sensing a sudden spike in foreign chakra, Naruto nudged Tazuna out of the way and raised his kunai to counter an incoming attack. A needle-like projectile punctured the tree beside him, and a few more came hurtling at him from behind the overgrown foliage. Naruto deflected the needles with near perfect accuracy, dodging one that would have hit its mark. Then he put his all into tracking the assailant.
It was no use. No matter how hard he squinted or tried to trace the unfamiliar chakra source, he was still unable to make out the location or identity of his attacker. The dense forest provided such effective cover that for all he knew, the enemy could be anywhere right now. Whoever they were, Naruto was pretty sure they weren't Zabuza.
Stopping to observe what appeared to be common senbon lying at his feet, he motioned for Tazuna to get behind him. The man complied, shriveling in fear. A voice rang out from within the trees that sounded much calmer than expected, given the circumstances.
"I would rather not kill a child. Please, hand the bridge builder over to me."
"Fat chance!" Naruto shouted back. He bared his teeth. "If you want him, you're gonna have to get through me first! Believe it!"
"Very well. Please do not blame me for what happens next. You see, I have a mission I must complete."
"Oh yeah?" Naruto said. "Well so do I, pal!"
A rustling in the trees overhead made Tazuna shudder. Naruto closed his eyes and took deep, slow breaths. The enemy might strike at any moment. A calm mind would help him to focus, as his mother used to say during sealing lessons. He stopped trying to isolate the enemy's chakra, prioritizing staying attuned to sounds or sensations that felt out of the ordinary.
He saw nothing. Felt nothing. Save for the man cowering behind him, his sole purpose was to detect and neutralize whoever was about to strike. The stillness of the atmosphere was in direct contrast to the anxiety spasming through his body like pins and needles. Finally, the faint snapping of a twig behind Naruto alerted him. He tossed a marked kunai into the distance, then pivoted so that he was between the approaching threat and Tazuna.
A masked ninja in a kimono was dashing toward him, but they disappeared before he could react. Naruto raised a kunai in anticipation of having to counter a Body Flicker-enhanced blow. Instead, hairs bristled on the back of his neck when he noticed a presence in the treetops. He looked up and, sure enough, the enemy was perched atop a tall branch. They flung another round of senbon at Naruto and Tazuna, but not before the former activated Flying Thunder God to send his client to the discarded kunai. A fallen log replaced Naruto's perforated body. The enemy looked around, but was unable to find him.
The snap of a twig drew his foe's attention, and they leapt from tree to tree, landing in a clearing near where the sound originated. Then a faint sizzling prompted them to glance down, where a large rock tagged with paper bombs was a fraction of a second from obliteration. The enemy flipped backward, but the chunks of rock that scattered from the epicenter of the blast pelted their mask, cracking it in two.
Mask still intact, they paused to take a breath. A ring of trees surrounding the area were shaken by the blast and hailed a blanket of leaves amongst the rubble. Then a consecutive series of poofs shrouded the unknown ninja in smoke. They looked up to see that the many leaves had been replaced by several dozen Naruto clones, which were freefalling in their direction.
"Gotcha!" they announced in a chorus of triumph, descending on Tazuna's pursuer.
What happened next was difficult to process. The temperature dropped so fast that before any of the clones could reach their target, they found themselves immobilized. Ice coated their bodies and the air itself froze over, reducing their cheers to muffled grunts. A ball of frozen moisture expanded into a reflective mirror under the enemy's feet. They descended into the mirror and then it destabilized, leaving behind a puddle of water. Icy clones rained down on the clearing, most shattering on impact.
The real Naruto watched from afar, having just managed to evade the cold snap before his hand froze. Still, movement was more difficult and he couldn't feel a thing in a few fingers on the affected hand. He rolled his shoulder, doing a quick check and finding Tazuna was still headed toward his destination deeper in the forest.
Good going, old man! I'll catch up to you as soon as I take this guy d-
Another ice mirror formed in an instant. If Naruto hadn't known how to sense for chakra spikes, the kimono-clad foe would have dealt far more damage to him than a cut on the cheek. They dashed past and did a quick heel turn to stop their momentum. Iced-over blades of grass crunched under their sandals. Behind Naruto, the second mirror turned to slush. He rolled onto his feet, cursing at the hit he'd taken. The enemy gripped a senbon between each knuckle, wielding them like a claw.
So fast—it's like fighting Dad!
"I don't wish to kill you," came their filtered voice. Its calm, yet firm tone made the words almost more unsettling, but Naruto schooled his expression.
"Then just leave us alone and go back to wherever it is you came from!"
They raised their false claw, poised to continue the battle. "I would rather not have to fight, but if you insist on getting in Zabuza's way, I simply must. That is my mission."
"I already told you, if you go after him, you'll have to answer to me!"
The wind picked up, causing their long black hair to sway to one side. "This mission means a lot to you, doesn't it?"
Naruto paused, caught off guard by the sudden shift in atmosphere. "Uh, yeah. Of course it does! It's my first away mission. There's no way some weirdo with a bunch of needles is gonna mess it up for me!"
The masked person hung their head, as if in reluctant acceptance of his resolve. "You're a brave one, boy. Maybe in another life, you and I could have gotten along." They slid into a combat ready stance. "However, I must kill you."
"Go on and try it!"
Moments from engaging in one of the most dangerous fights of his life, Naruto smirked.
❖ ❖ ❖
Zabuza spiraled in midair, slashing a tall tree in two. Kakashi skidded to a halt out of range of the attack, a kunai in one hand. Balancing his blade in the dirt, Zabuza cartwheeled on one hand, gripped the hilt of his sword, and used the momentum he built to carry it upward. His strike missed by a hair; Kakashi backflipped to avoid the blow, stopping next to the lake.
"Nice moves, but you lose." Zabuza chuckled. "I have you right where I want you."
Something clamped around Kakashi's leg, and he flinched. Looking down, he realized Zabuza had created a Water Clone and hidden it underwater at some point during the fight.
Damn it! He was waiting for this moment.
"Water Prison Jutsu!" Zabuza's double shouted, letting off a rough laugh as he emerged from the depths of the lake.
No!
Kakashi spun around and grabbed for the clone's wrist, trying to deflect his gesture, but it was too late. A calloused hand grabbed hold of the Leaf Jonin's military vest. Moisture gathered around him and assumed a spherical shape, suspending the Leaf Jonin in midair. The barrier around him grew denser by the second.
The Mist ninja's copy stood with one hand in the Water Prison, smugness radiating from him. The real Zabuza stalked over to his prey. Both versions of him laughed, and the original lifted his sword.
"Looks like this is it for you, Kakashi of The Sharingan."
One mighty swing cleaved the dense sphere, as well as Zabuza's Water Clone, in two. The assassin leaned into the momentum of his weighty weapon, taking a knee. He dug his blade into the dirt, lethal end first. Then he rose to observe his handiwork—and lost all composure.
"What?"
All that remained as evidence of recent events was a pool of water running off into the lake in a steady flow. No body, no blood, and there was no log as evidence of a substitution. His prisoner was gone.
"How?"
Cold steel ripped across Zabuza's body and he staggered forward, falling to his knees with a grunt.
"It's like I said before," Kakashi answered matter-of-factly, kunai in hand, "your future is death, Zabuza. Nothing can change the outcome of this battle."
Through visible effort, Zabuza managed to direct one trembling eye behind him, where he saw Kakashi perched in a crouching position atop the grounded hilt of his weapon. The former captive turned to meet his gaze. His hair and clothing were damp, but he appeared as confident as ever.
"What's that look you're giving me?" Kakashi said with a coy tilt of the head.
"I'm going to kill you," Zabuza growled, pain slurring his words. "You hear me?"
"It's not looking that way." Kakashi placed a finger on his chin. "Though I do have my sensei to thank for showing me how to do that jutsu. If not for him, I'm pretty sure you would have defeated me just now. Anyway, from there it was as simple as casting a Replacement Jutsu."
Kakashi formed a series of hand signs. Zabuza tried to stand, but his legs buckled. He collapsed again, but pushed himself back onto his feet. Kakashi eyed the long diagonal slash down Zabuza's back, plus the quick tendon severing blow he'd dealt in the same instant. There was no way the swordsman was still in fighting shape. Relief washed over the victor of the battle as he looked upon the state of his foe.
Thank you, Minato-sensei. Your lessons saved me quite the hassle, and possibly my life.
Kakashi extended one arm, channeling a current of his dwindling chakra until a mass of lightning enveloped his hand. Trying to keep this jutsu stable was like holding an exercising weight steady, with the added annoyance of an endless chirping in his ear. He stepped around Zabuza and stood over him, making eye contact.
"Any last words?" Kakashi asked, his voice flat.
"Damn you!" the Mist ninja choked out. "What the hell was that jutsu?"
"It's called Flying Thunder God. As one of the Seven Swordsmen of The Mist, I'm sure you've heard of it."
Zabuza responded with a defiant growl.
"If I'm being honest, I've neglected to put time into practicing it after The Fourth taught it to me." Kakashi shrugged. "I'm as surprised as you are that the seal I placed on your clone worked at all."
"I'm not dying here," Zabuza spat, clutching tufts of grass in an apparent futile attempt to withstand the pain coursing through him. "You are!"
Having heard all he cared to, Kakashi pulled his Lightning Blade wielding arm back and widened his stance. He thrust forward at a downward angle, going for Zabuza's heart. Kakashi's exposed Sharingan enhanced every detail, ensuring his aim would be true.
❖ ❖ ❖
Frozen flakes fell like rain through the trees as Naruto crossed weapons with the masked enemy. He leapt from tree to tree, matching most strikes and evading those he couldn't. The pure ease with which this person kept up with him was shocking, to say the least. Dad's speed drills were in large part to thank for his not being full of holes.
The two pushed off from one another, landing on parallel branches and taking a moment to rest. Naruto frowned at the sight of his enemy, who wasn't so much as panting from exertion. They leveled one frosted-over senbon, putting him on edge. However, no attacks came his way.
"You are skilled," the raven-haired ninja said. "But I must not lose."
"That's my line, believe it!" Naruto retorted, balling a fist.
He paused when a chakra signal nearby alerted him to trouble. Spikes of pain radiated from the backs of his calves, sending him to his knees. He glanced back at two senbon that dug deep into his legs, immobilizing him.
Sure enough, there was a mirror in the distance. The masked foe was no longer in front of him. Their reflection stared back at him from inside of the mirror.
When did they even start that attack?
Worse than the piercing sensation in his legs was the devastating reality that even at his current speed, he might be outmatched here. Naruto ripped the senbon out, gritting his teeth through the pain, then wobbled to his feet. Regardless of how bleak things were beginning to look, giving up here wasn't an option. Sasuke always said that no one was unbeatable; it was time to test that theory.
"I'm surprised you can still stand," the enemy said from within the ice mirror. "As a sign of respect for your resolve, I'll grant you a swift demise."
Naruto readied his kunai, but in the time it took him to raise the weapon, his foe vanished from the mirror. The crystalline structure fell apart. Tense silence claimed the forest once again. Naruto dropped to the forest floor and made a wide stance, keeping his back to a tree. Out of nowhere, a single senbon flew at him from the side. He tried to dodge, but the enemy was too quick; the senbon drove itself into his neck. His body seized and he lost all control of his movements. Stiff as a beanpole, Naruto took a hard fall, chin first. The impact left him dazed and confused until the moment he blacked out. The sound of the ice user's footsteps approaching his motionless body filled him with dread.
❖ ❖ ❖
Sasuke led the way through the forest, hopping from branch to branch with Sakura close behind. Naruto and Tazuna were moving faster than he expected. A couple of minutes into the journey, one of their chakra signatures blipped out of existence, then reappeared further away. Sasuke honed in on the isolated signal and grunted in recognition.
He glanced over his shoulder mid-jump. "Sakura."
She blushed and wiped hair out of her face. "What is it, Sasuke?"
"Naruto's sent the bridge builder up ahead with Flying Thunder God. He must be in trouble."
"What? But Kakashi-sensei's already fighting Zabuza back there, right?"
"He must not have come alone. It would be a smart move." The Uchiha clicked his tongue. "To be honest, it was stupid of us not to expect something like this."
"So what do we do?"
Sasuke let the moment hang before he replied. "If I know that idiot, I'd guess he wants us to go on ahead so he can fight alone."
"But that's dangerous! Why would he-"
He narrowed his eyes. "He's Naruto."
"...Good point."
"Anyway, you go ahead of me and meet up with Tazuna. I'll split off to check on Naruto." When she took too long to answer, Sasuke turned back to find her brow wrinkled in concern. "Got that?"
"Are you sure? What if he's fighting another Jonin?"
Sasuke stopped, and Sakura settled on the branch beside him. He turned to her with a hard stare. "Look, Sakura. No matter what kind of threat it is, our primary objective is to protect the bridge builder. The longer we debate this, the more danger we could be putting him in."
She frowned, but didn't object. "I understand. B-be careful, Sasuke."
Sasuke nodded and darted in the direction of Naruto's chakra signature. Behind him, Sakura continued on as instructed. Whoever Naruto was fighting was giving off a stronger signal. Did that mean Naruto was losing? Sasuke put a bit more chakra into his feet, increasing his speed.
When he arrived, a stranger was walking over to Naruto, who lay motionless in the dirt. Whatever happened to him, he seemed to have been rendered unconscious. The enemy ninja wore a mask and kimono. Upon seeing them lift a hand armed with senbon between each finger, he flung a flurry of shuriken to ward them off. The foe shimmered away, standing a few feet from Naruto in silence. Sasuke landed beside his brother and shook him with one hand while keeping an eye on the new variable in this situation.
"Naruto, are you alright? Wake up!"
"I haven't killed your comrade," said the masked ninja. "Not yet."
Sasuke glared, running through dozens of potential scenarios in his head. He didn't know this person's jutsu or capabilities, so he couldn't be certain how a direct confrontation might end. If whoever this was had taken Naruto out, that meant they were no pushover.
"You're probably wondering how best to defeat me right now, aren't you?" They lowered their clawed hand. "I don't like to fight, but I will if I must. Maybe you are more logical than your friend here. Take him, and the girl who was with you a moment ago, and leave."
Sasuke's blood ran cold; he'd assumed Sakura was far enough away not to be noticed.
"If you give me the bridge builder," they said, "I won't end your lives. Stay out of Zabuza's way."
Using the time they allowed him to consider the proposal, Sasuke leaned down and pulled an object free from Naruto's neck. It was a senbon. There was blood on the tip. Hoping with everything in him that it wasn't poisoned, Sasuke turned to his foe. He drew two kunai, holding one in each hand.
I have to hold them off until Naruto wakes up. There's no way I can carry him and fight this enemy off!
"I see you have made your choice," they said with a tinge of sadness. "Very well."
They closed in fast, swiping with the clawed hand. Sasuke ducked under the strike and sliced through the assailant's ribs — or so he thought. His hand felt nothing but air. He looked around, but his attacker had vanished.
Sasuke's heart threatened to beat out of his chest, but he refused to back down. He couldn't. If he did, the mission would be a failure. Even if he managed to survive, he would never be able to face his comrades, Lord Minato, or Lady Kushina again. Most damning of all, someone who was that much of a coward didn't deserve to have survived The Uchiha Massacre.
Every sight, sound, and smell in the forest seemed amplified as fear set in. Sasuke gripped his weapons tighter, centered himself, and focused. He needed to rely on his training now more than ever, or he and Naruto were as good as dead.
Waiting until he sensed the enemy's presence again, Sasuke rolled forward. Wind brushed the top of his head as their sneak attack missed, and he took the opportunity to slash at their exposed leg. Sasuke rose to his feet. The enemy stood a few paces away inspecting their kimono. There was an unmistakable tear in the fabric above their left foot. Even with a mask on, their surprise was palpable.
"Due to my speed, few are able to keep up with me. But you and that boy have both managed to do so." They switched into a combat stance. "I wasn't using all of my power, but even so, it is impressive."
"I guess you counted us out too soon then, huh?" Sasuke smirked. "Come on, Mist Ninja. Let's finish this."
While he wasn't certain he could back those words up, he thought it best not to show weakness of any kind right now.
The enemy all but glided forward, reduced to a blur, and delivered several catlike slashes. Sasuke did his best to block and parry, but was beaten back by the force of the strikes. He tripped over a root on the forest floor. Capitalizing on his vulnerability, the foe tore him to shreds, then stared in shock at the chunks of wood that took his body's place. Taking advantage of the element of surprise, Sasuke charged in with a spinning kick. He missed by an inch and his foot landed in the crook of an aging tree. Minato's speed training was a godsend, but even so, it was fast becoming apparent that this person was on another level.
"You can't defeat me like that."
"I wouldn't be so confident!" Sasuke shot back, using the tree as a support to spin sideways and toss one of his kunai. They snatched it out of midair without flinching, then examined the hilt, where an inactive paper bomb was applied.
"Your friend tried this trick earlier."
The masked ninja flung the explosive away, then formed hand signs. Sasuke grimaced; he didn't know this sequence. Whatever the jutsu was, it had to be bad news. He threw his second kunai to stop them from completing the signs, but they finished in time to catch the projectile yet again.
"Too slow," they said in an ominous, monotone voice.
Sasuke smirked and pulled hard on a metallic string attached to the end of the kunai. The Mist Ninja was thrown off balance and fell forward into the path of a powerful backhand. They brought an arm up to absorb the blow, only to be knocked off of their feet. Sasuke charged in for a follow up attack as the enemy rolled into a kneeling position.
A chilly breeze picked up and a mirror made of ice materialized behind the enemy. They stepped backward, into the mirror. Sasuke's incoming punch arrived too late; his fist smacked harmlessly against the ice. A reflection of the enemy stared back at him from within the mirror. Sensing an uptick in their chakra, he distanced himself and braced for an attack. Instead, a series of identical mirrors materialized among the trees. Sasuke whirled around, losing count of how many there were. Some were at ground level, and others floated as high as the treetops. The Uchiha deflated at the realization of the scope of his adversary's abilities. It wasn't like he was accepting defeat, but fighting someone like this and saving Naruto at the same time felt next to impossible. How could he-
No. There's one way.
Sasuke returned to Naruto's side, weaved the signs for a fireball, and sucked in a breath. He directed the flame at the closest mirror, using the obstruction in his enemy's vision as a window. Dropping to one knee, he nudged Naruto again. This time, the blond groaned and lifted his face from the dirt.
"Sasuke?" he rasped, taking a moment to register what was going on.
"Naruto, send us to Tazuna, now! There's no time to explai-" Sasuke paused to whip out a kunai and deflect a flurry of senbon. They'd come flying at him through the mist and smoke left behind by his fireball, which failed to melt the ice mirror. "Just do it!"
"I won't allow you to escape," said a chorus of voices. Sasuke looked from mirror to mirror. The enemy's reflection was in each one.
Naruto got to his feet, rubbed his neck where the senbon struck him, and joined Sasuke's side. "Damn. That bastard got me in the neck!" He hissed through the pain, going silent for a moment when the Uchiha boy turned to him. "Hey Sasuke, your eyes. They're…"
His speechlessness gave his brother pause. Sasuke touched his face out of reflex, brushing his fingertips against his eyelashes. Now that Naruto mentioned it, there was a marked difference in the acuity of his vision. He hadn't noticed the shift due to being so caught up in the heat of the battle. Taking stock of the changes, Sasuke realized that the most minor details around him—dust particles, moisture on the leaves of trees, and even the imperfections on the skin of Naruto's shocked face—were visible in exquisite detail.
My Sharingan manifested? Looks like 'he' was right, after all.
He and Naruto stared at one another with looks of mutual recognition. The Mist Ninja zipped toward them at high speed from a mirror in their blind spot. Sasuke gasped, but noticed the danger too late to react. His awakened eyes could only watch as the enemy's arm swung forward to deliver a killing blow.
Not enough time!
His body moved on instinct, placing him between the enemy and Naruto. There was no question of who should fall here if evading the attack wasn't possible. Sasuke closed his eyes, envisioning those especially important to him: both sets of mothers and fathers he'd been fortunate enough to have in this lifetime, his godmother and godfather, and even the overconfident goofball he was about to die for in this forest.
Two sandaled feet flew onto the scene and planted themselves in the side of the enemy ninja's face when they were an inch from striking Sasuke. The momentum sent them careening into a thicket. One half of their mask broke away and clattered to the forest floor as they fell.
❖ ❖ ❖
Naruto and Sasuke gawked at the sight of none other than Genma Shiranui, one of Minato's personal guards. He stood tall between them and the would-be assassin. Per usual, he was holding a senbon between his teeth.
"You alright, boys?" Genma asked without taking his eyes off of the enemy.
"Yeah," Sasuke said, wiping his brow. "We aren't hurt." He blinked and noticed his vision had returned to normal. It stood to reason that the Sharingan had deactivated after Genma eliminated the threat.
"U-Uncle Genma?" Naruto forced out, still stunned. "What are you doing here?"
"Your father sent me. When he received word of the change in mission status, he got worried and sent me as backup just in case. Now get going." The unmistakable smile in his voice gave away how eager he was for the battle. "I'll take care of this."
The enemy froze in their tracks, one hand over their mask to keep it from sliding off. Their single visible eye widened and they muttered, "Zabuza!"
Naruto exchanged a concerned glance with Sasuke. The ice user made signs with their free hand, dispelling all mirrors except the one at their rear. Genma spat his senbon toward the foe at a deadly speed, but they disappeared into the mirror just in time. The moment their body was absorbed into the icy surface, the mirror melted, taking with it any trace of its creator.
❖ ❖ ❖
Lightning screamed down from above. Zabuza tensed in anticipation of the killing blow as Kakashi thrust his Lightning Blade forward, but something stopped the Leaf Jonin's arm in its tracks. He stared in confusion at a pillar of ice rooting him in place.
"What the…?"
A low, taunting chuckle made Kakashi's spine tingle. He looked down to see a confident glint in Zabuza's eyes. A new presence had joined them in the thickening mist.
"Zabuza, are you alright?" asked a calm voice.
"I'm alive," Zabuza said through his laughter. "Good work, boy. Let's fall back for now."
Kakashi pressed a hand against the pillar and wrenched his trapped arm free. Blood trickled from where the ice scraped against him, but he had other concerns. When he turned back, Zabuza was gone. He no longer sensed the chakra of the person who saved him, either. Powerless to do anything more, Kakashi rested his hands on his hips.
Damn.