The next day, the canon took its toll! We are standing in the Hokage's office, he announces the mission - protection and escort of the bridge builder Tazuna. Oh, how I hoped that we would have more time. Much more. I read about the local Zabuza - he is quite a monster.
- Tazuna-san, come in. This team will protect you.
A nasty wave of fear hit the room, disgusting, sticky. I even regretted my empathy. Then came the smell of fumes. And only then did I see the "client". Fat as a hippopotamus, with small eyes, sweaty, in dirty clothes... a disgusting impression.
- Hokage-sama, the client gives off a very strong sense of fear. Too much. - I am reporting my feelings. - And there was just a flash of panic.
- Are you sure, Naruto? - The Kage straightened up and fixed a not at all good look on Tazuna. - I'm sure, Hokage-sama. My sensory abilities are weak, but they never lie. - I bow slightly and notice a promising look from sensei. Oh my god, I'm already being driven around, I barely have time to sleep, and now sensorics! Gods, bring back good old Kakashi-sensei, and not this sadist...
- And what are you so afraid of, Tazuna-san? - The Kage's voice was like a slab on his grave.
- I, I didn't mean to! Our country is very poor, I have nothing to pay with! - Sorry, uncle, but we are not a charity organization, and my own skin is closer to me, I do not intend to die for someone's hungry children for free.
- Team #7, you can leave for a while, a rather unpleasant conversation is about to take place here. - Hiruzen said dryly.
We were invited back after about 15 minutes. Tazuna was sitting pale and completely sober. An iryonin and someone from Yamanaka came out through another door.
- The mission has grown to B rank, possibly counteraction by hired nukenin of about chunin rank. Kakashi-san, is your team ready for such a task?
- No. - The captain did not even think about the answer.
It is clear. We will smear the genin of the level of the academy graduates, after all, almost half a year of training under the guidance of a genius jonin takes its toll. We will probably cope with weak chunin, but it is difficult to predict, I have not yet encountered enemies of this level. Kakashi arranged fights with him himself, but practically slept during my attacks. A fight between a fly and a lazy fan... the fly screams, tries, but one swing of the blade and that's it, get back together again.
- Teams 10 and 11 are free now. One of them can be given to you as reinforcements. - The kage looks at the papers.
- Team 11. - After a short pause, the sensei makes a choice.
- Good. Maito Gai will be informed, meet at the gate in three hours. - The ruler has dismissed us.
- Hokage-sama, may I ask a question? - Sarutobi looked up at me with interest. - How did this beggar pay?
- The bridge becomes our property. Naturally, the taxes on the goods passing through it are also ours.
- Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, Hokage-sama! - A small bow.
It didn't take long to get ready, my field kit was always ready. I changed my clothes, checked the sharpening of my tanto (consumer goods, nothing remarkable about mine), threw in a new experimental poison that causes powerful hallucinations, the first one I created myself! Well, personally, Sakura did most of the work, as a medic, she understands more than me, and I threw in ideas and assisted. The basis for it was small toadstools that I found on the edge of the Forest of Death. A creepy place. I grabbed a large food scroll, which contains an emergency reserve for a week. Sakura is responsible for food for the team, and she also has most of the medicine. Sasuke carries only ammunition, with the exception of the seals - I have those. The meeting at the gate went... nothing. We met, nodded to each other, introduced ourselves. That's it. Kakashi sensei looked tired, and Maito looked like a rabbit from a battery commercial - almost running around in circles. A round face, huge shaggy eyebrows, a bowl cut and a smile from ear to ear. Dressed in a tight green jumpsuit, emphasizing powerful, sculpted muscles, a standard jonin armored vest with pouches. Doesn't look like an idiot, more like a ringleader.
Tazuna tried to keep a low profile, and for good reason. You can kill him for trying to deceive him - no one will say a word against him. They'll just be a little offended.
So, the eleventh team, who will become our comrades for at least a month, because the road is long, and they won't be building the bridge in one day.
Паренёк в чёрных шортах и бежевой куртке с множеством карманов, руки скрыты под бинтами, протектор повязан на лбу. Волосы собраны в косу, которая прижата к спине чем-то вроде запонки, дабы не болталась. Нейджи выглядит холодным, но просто фонтанирует любопытством в эмоциональном спектре. У него должен быть сильный бьякуган, что нам отнюдь не помешает. Малолетний гений, будет интересно потренироваться с ним в дороге.
Рок Ли. Выглядит как миниатюрный Гай, только жилета нет. Дефект системы циркуляции не позволяет ему пользоваться нин и ген дзюцу, однако он вроде-как должен быть невероятно силён в тай. I doubt he's worth anything at all. Well, in any case, it will be useful for Sasuke to spar with a new opponent, because he's already trained me so well that he can guess my moves almost four moves ahead without any sharingan. Well, I'm not a talent for tai, I'm completely untalented, nothing can be done.
Ten-Ten. Dark hair gathered in two buns on her head. Dressed in a gray shirt and green pants. If she can only throw iron, like in canon, then as a backup, she's absolutely useless, although it seems like there will be crowds of bandits at the end, where throwing around areas might come in handy.
Might Guy, aka the Green Beast of Konoha. Excellent taijutsu, enormous strength and speed, seasoned with a crazy attitude that seems contagious - look at Lee. But, still, he's a jonin and that's it.
We lined up around the customer. Sasuke in front, Neji behind him, Lee and I stood on either side of the customer, the girls behind. The Jonins moved off the road to the sides, they will cover, remaining invisible. After the meeting (Maito screamed until he was hoarse that his team was cooler) Sasuke remained the leader of our six.
- Let's move. We don't spare the old man. - He gave the command.
A quick step, a panting customer, terrible heat, and not a single leaf trembled - there was no wind. After an hour of walking, I was completely fed up with this and I launched a small jutsu, forcing the air around our company to spin slightly. It became easier, even Neji threw a grateful glance.
This weather lasted for four days of walking, and then it started raining. This event did not improve our mood. It was hot - it became wet, dirty and hot. We don't care, with chakra you can run through a swamp, unless it's a Doton technique, of course, but Tazuna was slogging through the mud, barely dragging himself along and swearing like crazy. I'm starting to think about killing him myself. He may be a genius bridge builder, but as a person he's still crap.
We're walking along the road, there are puddles everywhere, forest on the sides, and the mud under our feet is already getting to us. There's a very faint whiff of attention, seasoned with the thirst for murder.
- There's an ambush right along the way, I sense ki. - I warn you in a quiet voice. The teams immediately gathered.
- Neji, give me a tip. Naruto, I'm attacking with a fireball, support me. Rock, girls, cover the customer. - Sasuke gave the instructions.
A second later, Hyuga activates the Byakugan and throws a kunai with an explosive tag into one of the puddles ahead.
- Katon! Futon! Roaring fireball! - Sasuke and I perform a common jutsu, on a mixture of wind and fire chakra. The temperature of the resulting flame is much higher and in addition, the ball rotates, causing that very roar.
It banged hard. A moment later, I saw the opponents. Four, three were injured, scorched clothes, burns are visible under them, one is missing an arm. One of the enemies looks whole, but is probably shell-shocked. All of them have crossed out fog protectors and monstrous clawed gloves.
Sasuke and I launch another fireball, the opponents move to the sides. Neiji breaks into close combat, first throwing several kunai forward. I add a couple from myself, but with seals. Katz! The one-armed one was finished off, three remain. One of the enemies begins to fold seals, but Sasuke, who has suddenly approached, imposes close combat, not allowing the technique to be completed.
- Eight touches of heaven! - Hyuga shouts. Okay, now the enemies will be minus two. Kunai with explosive tags fly past, aiming at Tazuna. The blow is taken by the earthen wall, behind which no one remains, the girls jump back, and the bridge builder is pulled by the collar by Lee. We can't let the last enemy attack. I saturate my body with lightning chakra to speed up and close the distance. The enemy covers himself with a glove from the blow. In vain!
- Raiton! Discharge! - The nuke-nin's hand is cramping, he tries to jump back, but I don't let him, ducking under his arm, hitting him in the stomach with another discharge.
Yours! He's still holding on, almost ran into a kunai! I exhale sharply into the enemy's face. The exhalation, reinforced by wind chakra, is like a weak punch. The enemy's second of confusion gave him time for a third blow, to the chest with his left, with which he managed to grab a tanto. I'm pushing against the armor, wind chakra! There's a penetration, a hit to the heart, ready! And considering that my tanto is always lubricated with poison, the enemy has no chance, even if he's an iryonin. I jump back.
- Sasuke, alive! - he, naturally, doesn't answer. The next moment, the Uchiha exposed the enemy to Neji's blow. Eight touches, take two.
- Don't relax, there could be more! - Sasuke commands. But I completely forgot about that! It's not for nothing that he commands us, and not me, as it was at first. - Neji, what's around?
- Clear! - he answers a second later. - Only sensei.
I allow myself a relaxed exhalation. At first I didn't pay attention, but now I see that my hands are shaking from tension, and my heart seems to have moved into my head. Noise in my ears. Inhale-exhale. Inhale-exhale. I need to calm down.
- Ten-ten, the rope! - Neji asks, but the girl looks in horror at the enemy, torn apart by the explosion at the beginning.
So, she hasn't seen blood yet. However, Rock Lee has almost matched the color of his suit. Hyuga unceremoniously approaches and rummages in the stranger's backpack. Finally, the rope is found, the enemies are tied up, with special attention to the fingers, so that they don't hit with anything strong when they come to. Of the clothes on them, they left only underwear, because who knows! For example, I have a secret place in almost every seam, my teammates do too, I don't know about the 11th.
Sakura deftly destroyed the traces of the battle, after the search she buried the bodies with some kind of earthen equipment. Almost all the found junk was sealed in one of the free scrolls.
Kakashi-sensei decided to take the prisoners for interrogation. I volunteered to go with him.
The prisoners are seated facing each other.
-Will you tell me everything at once, or will I have to ask? - the captain's voice is filled with bloodlust.
-Sensei, leave me the one who knows less, I need to test a new poison, an experimental composition! It should cause terrible hallucinations and convulsions, but I'm not sure... - a smile from ear to ear and a crazy gleam in the eyes, seasoned with Kyuubi chakra, so the whites of the eyes turn red, the effect is simply wonderful.
Sensei did not have to ask. His ki pressure completely knocked out critical perception, and my almost improvisation made the prisoners chatter incessantly, proving that one is more useful than the other.
It turned out that there were seven of them. Four genin and three chunin who will be waiting for us further. Gato paid good money for the head of the bridge builder. Two chunin use Class B water techniques, and in joint attacks they can also use something from the A-rank arsenal. The third one specializes in genjutsu. They don't know anything about the other mercenaries, but a couple of times they saw a man with a huge sword and a guy in an oynin mask next to Gato - something like an ANBU from the fog.
- Kakashi sensei, on whom can we test the poison? - I took out a syringe. - Sakura and I have been experimenting in the evenings for about three months, hallucinations, loss of orientation in space, inadequate perception of irritants. When poisoned, it should answer all questions, a kind of truth serum. Death, according to Sakura, in about half an hour, as he said, convulsions are possible. The poison of one type of toadstool from the forest of death was used as a basis.
- Mm-hmm. Did you pass the development on to the ANBU?
- No, we want to test it first, and then pass on the working version. And they probably already have something similar, maybe even better.
-Okay, let's try it on both of them. Inject one, let the other inhale the aerosol - Sensei got ready and took out a notebook for notes.
The effect of the poison confirmed our assumptions. An unpleasant surprise was the side effect - hysterical laughter. The unfortunate ones laughed to death, sensei forbade finishing them off. They answered questions, but again with giggles. They did not react to pain at all, complete immersion in the world of hallucinations. Sensei checked resistance to genjutsu and suggestion - zero. If we make a weakened version (note - check the dosage, maybe small doses will produce the desired effect?) - it will be ideal for non-lethal interrogation. Morino Ibiki (master of torture, head of the interrogation department) will dance with happiness! The only downside, according to sensei, is that the poison will be neutralized by a general antidote, so it is only advisable to use it against a single enemy, so that he doesn't have time to swallow the pill, or indeed for interrogations. - First, a debriefing, news later. - Kakashi announced when we returned. - You discovered an ambush, struck the first blow, beyond all praise, well done. However! Sasuke, all the opponents were looking at you at the beginning, an ideal situation for genjutsu, where was it? When approaching, he could have killed immediately, but for some reason he waited for the enemy to accept the fight. Why? - A heavy look. Sasuke lowered his head. - Sakura, well done, no complaints. She covered the customer competently, she didn't rush into battle. - A happy smile. - Naruto! - so, it's my turn to receive, although for the life of me, I don't understand where I screwed up. - Two mistakes! The first! Loss of attention. The enemy threw explosive tags at the guarded object, you could have knocked them aside with an air wave. Second! Your blow to the enemy's stomach. Why lightning chakra? It would have filled him with wind and opened his peritoneum! He would have splattered him with blood - no big deal, as if he hadn't seen his guts. And so he almost caught a kunai with his ear, at least he had enough sense to finish him off with one blow. Overall, well done, for the first serious fight - very good.
We exchanged satisfied glances. Maito praised the already satisfied Neji, scolded Lee, advised Tenten to do something next time and with a sad face announced to Kakashi that the score of victories and defeats was now in our sensei's favor, since our team had shown itself better. Then followed a cry that in the name of the "power of youth" he would arrange such training for his charges that next time they would show us how the strongest shinobi should act. Lee took up the cry, Neji rolled his eyes doomedly. - And now about what we managed to find out. - Sensei began, who simply reeked of satisfaction. - Let's start with the good news. Naruto, Sakura, your poison works perfectly and will most likely be adopted. Work in the direction of lesser hallucinations and non-lethal options. - We exchanged satisfied glances. - Now for the bad news. Gato has at least five more missing-nin, among them two are possibly jonin, the rest are chunin. One of the jonin is Zabuza, he is one of the seven great swordsmen of the mist, the second is presumably a former oynin, both should have a lot of experience. Two chunin use water techniques, one specializes in genjutsu, the captured genin did not know anything else and were destroyed by us. What are your conclusions?
-If the chunin are experienced… - Sasuke began.
-They are experienced. They know B-rank techniques, and use A-rank techniques in joint attacks. - Kakashi adds.
-Then Tenten and Lee have nothing to do there. We can deal with the chunin only with your support, sensei. If they attack together with the jonin, there will be losses. If we attack, on terrain they have not prepared, the chances are higher, but it is still risky. - Uchiha continued. - If we continue the mission, there is a high probability of losses, we must either stop the mission or call a jonin or a couple of chunin for help. We, genin, are practically useless in this situation and can only play a support role in the worst case.
- Excellent speech, boy. - A voice came out of nowhere, the road began to be covered with fog. - You killed our students, we will kill yours, he-he. And then we will rip out your guts too!
- Neiji! - I scream.
- Three sources of chakra! They don't reach the jonin! The fog prevents us from seeing!
- Futon! Wind! - I use the technique, the fog reluctantly retreats under the air flow, but only as far as the forest on the sides, where the wind breaks against the trees.
Sensei performs some kind of manipulation and Tazuna disappears with a pop, followed by Tenten, Sakura and Lee.
On some instincts, I dodge a kunai thrown from behind at my head. A fireball launched by Sasuke is already flying in that direction. A water dragon suddenly bursts out of a ditch from the side, And the rank, damn! The attack knocks Guy into the forest. Kakashi pulls up his protector, revealing his sharingan, and runs into the thicket.
Sasuke and I stand almost back to back, a moment later Neji joins in. There is contact! One of the enemies jumped out of the forest. The same monstrous glove, his face hidden by a breathing mask. The forest along the edges of the road is overgrown with mouths and rushes at me.
- Kai! - the genjutsu dissipates, I dodge a swarm of shurikens.
Neji has already reached the enemy, trying to impose close combat, but the chunin deftly avoids blows. Sasuke comes up from behind and rushes to attack. The chunin abruptly moves to the side, the Uchiha barely manages to brake in time to avoid colliding with Neji. At the exit I met the chunin, hit him with a raiton, through the damp earth, the enemy's leg cramped, he almost fell. Hyuga managed to turn around and slammed his palm into his side, Sasuke lagged behind only for a second, the kunai entered his neck.
I wanted to exhale, but I notice - the enemy left with a substitute, the kunai pierced the doll. Trusting my intuition, I throw myself down, a clawed glove flies over my head. I send a wave of electricity from my legs, about a meter, did not catch. Suddenly the enemy twitches and looks somewhere to the side, starting to fall to the side. Apparently, he caught some kind of lethal genjutsu from Sasuke, that he remembered the mistake, and it is very difficult to get out of the illusions of the sharingan, this is my chance!
From a prone position, I throw a kunai with wind chakra. Deeply cut the enemy's neck, although I aimed for the head. Then a whole swarm of burning shurikens pierces his vest – Sasuke didn't miss the opportunity either. Ready! Nobody canceled poisons. What, they don't work? Apparently he took a general antidote before the fight, heard the discussion and insured himself, the bastard! That's it, he'll have to invent something lethal and without known antidotes, otherwise he can get burned beautifully. Everything doubles in his eyes and runs in all directions.
-Kai! – damn illusionist! I throw a kunai with a mixture of lightning and wind, but the silhouette only blurs into a cloud of fog, the illusion is in place, not on me, it doesn't just dissipate, the bastard.
The chunin becomes visible from the other side, the enemy covers the wound on his neck with his hand and tries to leave.
-Eight strikes of heaven! – The chunin finally got under the roller named Neiji, but it apparently had too weak an effect.
The nukenin jumped aside, but only to meet the back of his head with a kick from Might Guy, who was holding the unconscious carcass of another opponent in his hand. The fight was over. Neji and Sasuke fell to the ground, exhausted; unlike me, they did not have a dump truck of chakra in reserve. Kakashi came out from the other side of the forest; he had apparently killed his opponent.
- Naruto, is there any poison left? - the captain asked without preamble.
- Yes, one more flask. - Sensei nodded with satisfaction.
Half of the standard dose did not kill, but it did a great job of loosening the tongue of first one, and then the other. Guy only shook his head, listening to the prisoners' story. So we are in... trouble. They will greet us cheerfully - two jonin, one with the blood heritage - the element of ice, and the second is not for nothing nicknamed "the bloody demon of the fog." The senseis have more experience, but there is ballast in the form of us, which will have to be protected.
On the other hand, the chunins will not interfere with anyone, it has become easier. After a small dispute among themselves, the team captains decided to continue moving, in extreme cases the jonins will clash with each other, and we will quickly run as far as possible.
- Kakashi-sensei, how did you transport Tazuna and ours? - I ask the question that torments me.
- Replacement. You all have marks for techniques, so that in case of trouble I can pull you out from under attack. - The captain explained.
Beautiful. But I did not notice the elephant, as they say. I have a mark. But where?
The rest of the way was quite quiet. Neji looked around with his Byakugan every ten minutes, Rock ran ahead and did push-ups, waited until we reached him, after which he ran ahead again. Under Sakura's guidance, I learned to transmit chakra to my clones, because training on living people is risky, especially for me. I still remember the seals and those wet explosions.
We finally made it! We reached a seaside town, rented a small fishing boat, because it was a long way to get to the place we needed along the coast. In the process, it turned out that Rock was seasick. I said that he was pretending, because you can't do six somersaults in a row and not scratch yourself, and then hang on the side like a rag because of the slightly swaying floor. Neji supported me, giving Lee a slap on the back of the head.
The old wood creaks, the deck sways slightly on small waves. A weak gusty wind makes the sail flap a little. I sit on the bow of the ship, dangling my legs down. Beauty! An indescribable feeling of freedom and almost flight, seasoned with slight fear. I almost fell asleep, looking at the waves, it calms me down, bless you.
Half a day passed, suddenly the wind broke, the sail sagged and for some time we sailed only by inertia.
- Calm, the wind is silent.
Fell, like a white seagull to the bottom ...
(Lyrics from the song of the Aria group "Calm")
I could not stand it, and began to sing. I sing so out of tune that it disgusted me. Well, so what? I can't sing, but I want to. How long has it been since I heard music, how long! I try to put all my melancholy into words, otherwise what is the meaning? Somehow I finished singing, I turn around. Everyone was listening, including the fishermen.
- Free me from such a fate, kami. - The captain of the barge whispered. - Where is this song from?
Is it true? How to explain? To hell with it. I hope it works.
- I heard it somewhere. I think the sailors were singing in a pub.
In total, we spent two days on board, because the wind did not want to blow in the right direction, stubbornly trying to turn us back. Here it is, the Land of Waves! Tazuna said that we would be at his house by evening. In a few hours we crossed to the other end of the island, loaded into two boats, and rowed. My instinct for trouble literally howled like a wolf. I carefully made my way to the switched off engine and cut all the wires I could reach, disconnecting a couple of pipes at the same time. Neiji, who noticed my machinations from the neighboring boat, made a puzzled face. He asked me to repeat it with gestures. Hyuga nodded warily. The senseis naturally paid attention to our actions and straightened up a little.
We stepped onto the shore, the boats moved a couple of meters away, after which the fishermen began to frantically pull the starter, trying to start the engine. One of them threw his head up, getting ready to scream, but only caught a kunai in the throat, thrown by Tenten. The second was knocked out by Sasuke, who jumped into the boat right from the shore. - They are waiting for us. The ferrymen were ordered to warn the enemy with noise. We have about ten minutes, no more. We must use them wisely. - Kakashi says. No worries. We got caught and we got caught, now we have to get out. Amazing man!
They left Tazuna sitting in the reeds, under water, tied to a stone so that he would not float up. He was supposed to breathe through a thick bamboo tube. Oh, and his head will split from not being used to it! Lee stayed with him, also under water, in case they were found, he was supposed to run away with the customer in his arms, wherever his eyes looked.
We ourselves went to make a surprise for Zabuza.