"We're almost there," The boatman said. "Just under this archway and past the mangroves and we'll reach the pier."
Everyone snapped to attention as they made their way under a large archway, passing through it and coming out on the other side to a small inlet lake. There were several buildings around the bank, and a few sparse trees located around and in the water.
As they got closer to the shore the group found that the buildings were mostly rundown, with rot and fungus spreading along them. Some of the buildings even looked burnt out, no doubt from Gato's thugs using violence to bring the population under Gato's heel.
The boat made it to the dock and the Konoha ninja plus one master bridge builder got off. After Tazuna and the boatman exchanged farewells the group set off again. For the most part it was silent, only the breathing of the group being heard. Naruto was taking point again, while Sakura and Sasuke were located on either side of Tazuna. Kakashiwas taking up the rear, his book safely stashed away in his pocket due to the seriousness of the situation.
As they continued moving Naruto stopped and looked into a bush that rustled a bit.
"Naruto?" Kakashi asked, looking at his student. "Something wrong?"
"… No." Naruto shook his head and continued moving. They stated moving again, with Naruto paying extra attention to their surroundings.
As they continued walking Naruto paused and threw a kunai into a bush, startling the other genin and Tazuna.
"What the hell Naruto!" Sakura hissed. "Why do you have to try and scare us like- huh?"
Naruto walked right past Sakura and moved the bush branches aside, only to see a small white rabbit shaking like a leaf with a kunaistuck right above its head.
"Naruto-baka! Look what you did to this poor rabbit!" Sakura finally yelled, grabbing the rabbit and attempting to sooth its rattled nerves.
"Hn. Stop trying to act cool dobe." Sasuke commented, "It only makes you look even more like an idiot."
"Shut up teme," Naruto said, not giving Sasuke the chance to respond, the blond turned to look at Kakashi. "Um…sensei, I could be wrong about this but, isn't a rabbit's fur supposed to be brown this time of year? We have the same type of hare in Konoha, and they have a brown coat this time of year." He should know after all, he had skinned at least thirty of the critters.
"Yes it is," Kakashi said his mind a whirlwind of activity. A white rabbit at this time year means it was raised in doors. That could only mean that someone used it for a…Kawarimi.
Both Naruto and Kakashi who had been using chakra to enhance their senses heard a whoosh.
"Get down/ hit the dirt!" The two shouted at the same time. Kakashi grabbed Sasuke and Tazuna, pulling them to the ground, while Naruto did the same with a shocked Sakura.
WOOSH-WHOOSH- WHOOSH- WHOOSH- WHOOSH- THUNK!
The group looked up to see a large zanbatou stuck in a tree with a man standing on top of it. Said man was shirtless, with two cameo style armbands and pants. His face was half covered in bandages up to his nose and his head band was tilted slightly like Kakashi's, except not covering his eyes, holding up spiky black hair. The symbol of Kiri displayed on the head band with a slash mark running across the center.
"Well, well if it isn't Hatake Kakashi," The man said, in rough sounding voice.
Kakashi stood up and glared at the man. "Momoichi Zabuza, The Kiri No Oni. I never would have expected someone like you to be working for scum like Gato."
Zabuzashrugged, "It pays the bills. Besides it's all worth it if I get to fight an opponent like you. You know back when I was in Kiri, you were listed as an A-rank ninja with a kill-on-sight order in our bingo book. Hatake Kakashi, the man who copied over a thousand jutsu."
I had no idea that our Sensei was so famous. Sakura thought.
"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, why don't you hand over the old man and I'll let you and your genin squad go," Zabuza suggested.
"I'm sorry but you know we can't do that," Kakashi glared at the missing ninja. "It wouldn't look very good for Konoha if we just let you have him without even putting up a fight."
Zabuza shrugged, "Don't say I didn't try diplomacy first." Grabbing onto the hilt of his blade, Zabuza kicked off the tree. He landed on the lake a little ways away, and made a hand sign. "Let's see how well you can do Kakashi, Kirigakure No Jutsu (Hidden Mist Jutsu)."
A thick mist spread across the land, blanketing the already misted area so heavily that no one could see more than a few feet in front of them.
"Defensive Formation you three!" Kakashi ordered his genin squad, causing them to surround Tazuna in a frontal triangle formation with Naruto as the point, Sasuke on the left and Sakura on the right.
"Zabuza is a master of the Muon Satsujin Jutsu (Silent Killing Technique), if you're not careful you'll be dead before you even know it. Protect the bridge builder and leave Zabuza to me…" Kakashi turned back towards the lake and began to lift up his head band. "It looks like I'm going to need this."
"Ah! The Sharingan," Zabuza voice came from within the mist, his outlined form barely even visible. "It's an honor to be facing it so soon."
How did Kakashi-sensei get that! Sasuke thought in shock. Only members of the Uchiha clan - my clan, can possibly have the Sharingan! Could he…
If Kakashi-sensei is using the Sharingan then this guy must be really strong.Naruto thought to himself, Damn, I wish I had gone over that Bingo book Anko gave me! At least then I would know a little bit more about this guy.
"Still we both know that the Sharingan is useless if you can't even see," The mist began to thicken even more, making Zabuza disappear completely.
Damn it, this mist cuts down the Sharingan's effectiveness.Kakashu cursed, trying to peer into the mist.
"Eight points…" Came the disembodied voice of Zabuza, causing the three genin and Tazuna to freeze as an intense killing intent filled the air. "The liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular artery, brain, kidney and the heart. Now, which one shall I choose first?"
Shit! Naruto cursed. This killing intent is unreal! Way more than anything Anko ever produced! And it makes it even worse with this mist, I can't see and I can barely think straight!
The blond began shaking a bit before catching a hold of himself. Got to remember what Anko taught to counter act the affects…
Taking a deep breath Naruto pushed out his chakra to counter the killing intents effects like Anko told him to do. He instantly felt a little better, though it was still affecting him some.
This…this killing intent,Sasuke thought, struggling to breathe against the killing intent the two jonin were producing.
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