Chapter 4: Wave
"Naruto don't kill the client …. … its bad for business" the hokage chuckled.
"Ok jiji, for you" Naruto said putting his kunai away before going to stand next to Kakashi.
"So I say we meet at the west gate in one hour" Kakashi said before he disappeared via a shunshin.
(One Hour Later West Gate)
Naruto was looking at a rather confusing site it seemed like Sakura was trying to dispel Kakashi as tho he were a genjutsu. Naruto had learned about dispelling genjutsu from one the scrolls his clones had read, and Kurenai sensei had helped him be able to dispel and detect some basic genjutsu when he had some missions with team 8.
"Were is that Naruto Baka. I cant believe he would be late just goes to show how useless he is. He's nothing like Sasuke-kun" Sakura said.
"What do you mean Sakura, Naruto is in that tree over there, hes been there before I got here although he is doing a good job hiding his presence" Kakashi said.
The three stunned genin turned around to see Naruto lazily leaning against a tree branch.
'How did I not notice him. I mean come on he wears bright orange' seethed Sasuke.
"Well shall we get going this mission isn't going to complete its self" the blond joyfully spoke.
"Your a weird one aren't you gaki" Tazuna spoke.
"maybe but I'm starting to think a lot of great ninja have odd quirks. For example Kakashi-san here obviously likes to read my sensei's perverted books in public. And there is this crazy snake lady that basically lives at training ground 44 who has a thing for blood" Naruto said shivering at the memory. He and Jiraiya had gone to train in the forest of death, only for his sensei to leave him upon the arrival of one Anko Mitarashi.
"Anyway we should go, Naruto where is your stuff" the silver haired ninja asked.
"Got it here Kakashi-san" Naruto responded pulling out a few scrolls from his small back pack.
Kakashi nodded and the small group headed out towards wave.
(Several Hours Later On The Road to Wave)
"Naruto Baka what are you doing with those balloons, your just trying to be the center of attention your never going to be as good as Sasuke" the pinkette screeched.
"I'm doing an exercise my sensei left for me. And I'm almost finished it anyway, so why dose it bother you" Naruto responded.
"Naruto is right maybe if you did some exercise's dickless over there will pay more attention to you" Sai said causing Naruto and Kakashi to chuckle and Sakura and Sasuke to go red in anger.
Kakashi was watching the blond very closely he had known immediately what the exercise was and knew how close the knuckle head was to completing his sensei's prized jutsu. 'Jiraiya-sama how much has Naruto improved from the dead last in the class if he is this close to finishing the rasengan only three months after graduation' Kakashi thought.
Several hours later Naruto noticed what looked like two relatively large puddles on the ground and then realization kicked in.'hang on everything else is so dry how could there be those puddles when it looks like it hasn't rained in weeks' Naruto looked to Kakashi who glanced back and faintly nodded indicating that this was indeed a genjutsu.
The group walked past the puddles. But when Naruto and Kakashi felt a chakra spike they immediately turned around to see what looked like two Kiri ninja with breathing devices on. They charged at Kakashi but missed the fact he used a kawirami to substitute with a log. Naruto quickly jumped into action producing five shadow clones and sent them to intercept the two ninja who were making a dash for Tazuna. Getting in the way two clones successfully stalled the missing nins while a third pined the chain connecting them to the ground.
They soon recovered though and disconnected from the chain, dispersing three of the clones. Naruto responded by kneeing the closest ninja and using clones to hold him down while Sasuke and Sai dealt with the other.
After the confrontation Kakashi walked out from the bushes much to the shock of the genin of team 7.
"Kakashi sensei I thought you died" Sakura screeched causing all present to wince and Kakashi to point at the log wearing his jacket with red paint on it.
"Well this is unexpected Guado and Mezo the demon brothers, B rank Missing nin from Kirigakure. I didn't expect this. This mission is definitely not C rank anymore its more like a B borderline A Tazuna I think you have some explaining to do" Kakashi said stearnly
"I think it was Gato who hired them. You see Wave has been bled dry by Gato, and he wants me dead so I cant finish my bridge and the country no longer has to rely on shipping to gain supply's" Tazuna said laying on the guilt trip.
"Well we were still given false information, if you couldn't afford a higher rank you should have told the hokage and organized another payment method. Now we have to decide whether or not to continue or go back to Konoha" Kakashi said.
"I say we go on. He needs help and has a honest goal to free a nation, and I cant abandon him" Naruto declared.
"Hmp if the dobe is staying then so am I, I cant have an incomplete on on my first C rank mission" Sasuke said which followed by statements of agreement from Sakura and Sai.
"Fine we will continue, but once your country is back on its feet we will be expecting a full mission payment for the eventual rank of this mission got it" Kakashi finished.
"Yes that wont be a problem at all, that you all so much" Tazuna said happy to still have protection of the small group of leaf ninja.
(2 days later)
"So Tazuna-san how much longer until we reach your house" Kakashi asked curious how long it could be till he could read his little orange book again.
"Not long should only be about another hour at this speed" the bridge builder replied.
Half an hour later and Kakashi was on edge the fog they were in didn't seem natural and was getting thicker. It wasn't long before Naruto flung a kunai into a nearby bush but all it ended up being was a bunny 'strange that rabbit had white fur which is rare around these parts especially in summer my guess would be that it was raised indoors' the musings of Kakashi were soon drowned out by the sound of metal moving towards the group at a fast speed.
"Get down" Kakashi yelled Naruto grabbed Tazuna and tackled the old man to the ground as a large cleaver flew just over head.
"Well well well, what do we have here a little genin team" a figure said as he came into view he could be seen as a a bit taller than Kakashi with a similar face mask and no eyebrows.
"Zabuza Momoichi, the demon of the bloody mist wanted for the assassination of the water dynamo and attempted assassination of the Mizukage" Kakashi recited in a calm yet serious tone.
"Oh my, its Kakashi the copy ninja rumored to have copied over 1000 jutsu it will be a pleasure killing you" Zabuza said in a cocky voice.
"Ok guys you stay and guard the bridge builder. I will handle Zabuza" Kakashi said as he raised his hetai-it to reveal his covered eye.
"So I get to see the sharingan this early I'm honored Kiriagakure no jutsu" the mist grew so thick that nobody could see through it even Kakashi although he could still predict attacks with his sharingan had no way of seeing the man.
"8 vital spots heart, jugular, kidneys, liver, sub clavian artery, spine, larynx, lungs now which will be my attack point. Zabuza taunted from the mist.
Sasuke was shaking from the killer intent unable to move as he sat there under the massive killer intent.
Slowly he was bringing a kunai up to his neck to end it but was cut off by Kakashi.
"Don't threat Sasuke you will be alright I will protect you" Kakashi said in order to prevent the untimely death of his student.
"Oh I don't think so" said Zabuza as he appeared behind Tazuna and brought his cleaver down towards the bridge builder but before he could Kakashi intercepted and deflected the swing with a kunai.
Kakashi kicked Zabuza back into the mist where he couldn't be seen before running off after him. Appearing behind the demon of the mist, he held a kunai to his larynx and slit his neck but noticed he turned into water 'Mizubushin' the copy ninja thought as he was struck with the cleaver ripping him in half before dissolving into water.
"Well I'm impressed Kakashi, even in the mist you were able to copy my moves but that's all it is, a copy. It has nothing on the original" Zabuza boasted planing his next attack he kicked Kakashi out of the fog and onto the water.
As Kakashi got up he couldn't see Zabuza anywhere 'hm where is he.. ' but before he could finish his thought he felt a chakra spike and found himself trapped in a orb of water.
"Forget about me. Take the bridge builder and run, he has to use contact to keep me here and its draining his chakra" Kakashi ordered his team.
Team 7 looked ready to comply but Naruto refused to budge.
"Are you kidding. If I just abandoned a comrade I would never be able to look at erosennin in the eye again you just watch Kakashi-san ill kick this guys ass then get you out of there" the blond yelled.
Seeing Naruto's resolve and not wanting to be out done Sasuke came and stood next to Naruto as Zabuza created several Mizubushin to deal with what he considered a pest.
Naruto reacted quickly creating twenty shadow clones and sent them to engage the Zabuza clones. The members of team seven were stunned, Naruto the class 'dobe' had just made twenty clones and not only that these were not some illusion but full body solid clones.
'How is he able to do that and why haven't I been taught that jutsu, if anybody deserves a jutsu like that its me' Sasuke seethed.
Zabuza's clones were quickly dispatching the shadow clones with relative ease so Naruto decided he best stay back 'I need to think of something if I can distract the clones enough so that I can sneak by and attack the real Zabuza so we can free Kakashi-san I know' "Sasuke, Sai I need you to throw as many kunai and shuriken at them as you can. I have a plan" Naruto finished by creating twenty more clones.
"heh clones again. Cant you children see your out of your league" Zabuza smirked as Naruto's clones bent down to push off in a sprint while Sai and Sasuke began attacking at a distance with kunai.
As the clones engaged suddenly ten more Naruto clones appeared around the original Zabuza and attacked him from all angles forcing him to jump 'what the how did that kid get past my clones' he thought before coming to the realization that he had just released Kakashi from his watery prison.
"Yes! it worked I had some clones henge into rocks on the floor while my others picked them up and when they engaged the Mizubushin's quickly throw them towards the real Zabuza" Naruto explained to the mystified team 7 and Zabuza.
'Very clever Naruto. But now I have to finish this' thought Kakashi.
"Eh I got distracted and forced to let go of the water prison" Zabuza said not wanting to think he was outsmarted by a fresh genin.
"Don't flatter yourself you were forced to let go" Kakashi said as he waited for Zabuza to start the first move.
Zabuza jumped away from Kakashi and started running through hand signs at the same time as Kakashi in the end both finished at the same time ending shouting "water style: water dragon jutsu" (im far to lazy to write the real names and there English translation I will still keep the main ones like chidori, raikiri, and rasengan don't like it sue me) identical streams of water clash.
'How did that happen the sharingan allows the user to copy and recreate what the other is doing but they defiantly finished at the same time, how' thought Zabuza as the jutsu ended.
Zabuza jumped back and started to run though hand signs, but failed to notice that Kakashi was once again performing the same jutsu only this time faster.
"Water style giant vortex jutsu" Kakashi finished and a large spinning wave of water hit Zabuza throwing him into a tree.
"How...how are you doing that can you -" "See the future?…. Yes and in your future, I see death" Kakashi finished for Zabuza. But before he could deliver the killing blow senbon needles shot out from a nearby tree and impaled into Zabuza's neck apparently killing him.
"Thank you for weakening my target, I have been chasing him for a long time" the masked hunter nin said in an even tone.
"Allow me to take the body, farewell leaf ninja" the masked hunter said as he picked up the body and left with a shunshin.
"Well anyway, are we almost at your house Tazuna-san" Kakashi questioned.
Tazuna was about to answer when Kakashi collapsed from exhaustion and over using the sharingan.
"Kakashi sensei" Sakura cried out in worry for her fallen leader. Naruto Sai and Sasuke checked him making sure he was alright. Pulling his headband back over his eye Naruto created a couple of clones that picked him up, and they headed for the bridge builders house.
On arriving at the house they were greeted by Tazuna's daughter Tsunami, and given rooms to rest in. the following day Kakashi came down stairs on crutches. Looking around saw his genin and Naruto eating breakfast Kakashi was about to speak up when Naruto voiced his very own concerns.
"Um Kakashi-san, I believe that Zabuza is alive"