52AN: Here's a new chapter for yall (yeah I'm also shocked that I updated this soon) anyway! TRIGGER WARNING This chapter will contain some gore, and a character talking about sexual assault. I will mark the scene for those who wish to skip it.
Chapter 10: Defloration
"You will never amount to anything! Not in this clan, nor this lifetime."
Hinata flinched from her position behind the wall. The elder Hyuga's voice was loud and angry, carrying with it unbridled disappointment. But Hinata herself was not the subject of this fury, instead it was her dearest friend.
Natsumi stood before the Hyuga elder with her head hung. Her fists had clenched and the flesh bleached white.
It had been a simple mistake, a non-issue with no consequences, but that was enough for the elder to tear her down. Natsumi was still in her orientation phase being shown around the compound and being instructed in her tasks; the branch member who had been helping her was dismissed and she was left to take the brunt of the old man's frustrations.
"I don't know what Hiashi was thinking bringing you in, that boy." He snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You're trouble, pathetic, and a stain to this clan's prestigious reputation-"
Hinata had heard enough. In a rare moment of bravery she peeled herself off the wall and marched towards the two. The elder glanced at her, a sneer lifting the corners of his lips.
"What do you want girl?"
Damn Hiashi for only producing female spawns, it was unfortunate that Hizashi was relagated to being a branch member, his boy would have served well as an appropriate heir. Not this meek-
"Leave her alone!"
Perhaps the worm had a spine after all.
"Where are your manners child? Is that how you address your elders?" He glared at her, causing her to flinch but her resolve quickly returned. There was a fierce scowl on the girl's face, something he had never seen nor expected from her.
"Leave Natsumi-chan alone!"
His eyes wandered back to the outsider. So she was the source of this sudden bravado.
"Hinata, it's fine..." Said girl finally spoke up, voice soft and hoarse.
"No, he can't treat you like this. He's just upset because he's old and he's going to die!"
A defeating silence claimed the compound. The elder's eyes widening and his face turning flush in disbelief and rage. His cheeks ballooned and his lips twitched, words tried to escape but he couldn't even begin to formulate a coherent sentence.
Natsumi had opted to stare in shock not expecting the outburst from her friend. And well Hinata was still on the high of her adrenaline, Byakugan fully active and primed.
"That's enough."
A new voice entered the fray. Hiashi stepped through the open door and onto the porch. His eyes surveyed the scene, lingering a bit more on Hinata as she stood defensively in front of Natsumi. His daughter wasn't one for confrontation so seeing her in such a state was quite intriguing, perhaps this Uzumaki child was what he needed to give her that much needed push.
"Hiashi-boy, your child has a lot of nerve to address me in such a manner!"
He turned a cold gaze towards the elder, "Hinata was only aiding her friend, or do you forget that we are in Natsumi's debt?"
The elder bit the inside of his cheek.
"The child is inept, I was simply reprimanding he-"
"That is for me to decide, Natsumi is my responsibility if you have issues with her, you'll approach me."
The elder was practically fuming at this point, but rather than continue the debate, he spun around and walked away. The clicking of his cane was the only thing heard as he turned the corner and vanished.
"I apologise for the Elder's behaviour Natsumi. Do not pay him any heed."
With that said Hiashi left, sparing his daughter a glance before his form fully retreated into the main house. The two girls were left alone and Hinata could finally focus on Natsumi. A glossy sheen had coated her eyes as she was on the verge of tears.
No words were spoken between the two as Hinata enveloped the older girl in a hug.
Hinata sighed wistfully as her body swayed back and forth. The metal chains of the swing creaking with each motion that rocked her body.
Her mind was occupied by her Uzumaki friend. She was still on her mission with no word of return and she could not help but worry. She knew Natsumi was quite capable and was above their peers, but she still could push down the concern that stung her heart.
Her feelings for the blonde were...complicated, they weren't really, but think they were comforted her slightly. She adored Natsumi, cherished her, dare she say -loved- Natsumi. Whenever they touched she could always feel a spark, and there was no doubt that the power she held over Natsumi was intoxicating. She could snap her finger and she would do anything for her.
But Hinata did not want to rely on Natsumi. She wanted to be strong too, to be as bold as she was. She made a promise that she would be just as capable as her. That way she could challenge the Hyuga council, and correct the many wrongs of the clan.
"I promise Natsumi, I promise."
"Would you like some tea, Natsumi-san?"
Haku would offer as she held up by the flask with a plume of steam rising from its top.
"I assure you I have not tampered with it."
Natsumi smiled and dismissed the girl's attempt to sway her of any misconduct, she was good at sensing ill-intentions at this point in her life.
"I would love some."
As Haku poured a cup for her, Natsumi continued to scout the mansion ahead. For someone swimming in money Gato cheaped out on security, his ego inflated head must have convinced him that no such attempt would be made on his ill-gotten property.
There were a few mercenaries patrolling the front of the mansion, most barely qualified to be considered Genin. A few stood out, particularly a lone signature that was within the mansion but it wasn't of significant concern. Gato himself was away to inspect his warehouse in the dock area.
"Here." She accepted the cup and took a moment to inhale the sweet scent.
"Thank you Haku-san."
Although she hadn't voiced it, Haku was happy about the temporary alliance. She was forever in Zabuza-sama's debt, but even she grew tired of only training and killing. Having someone her age to talk to was a breath of fresh air, especially someone like Natsumi. At first she had harboured a vendetta against the Konoha nin after seeing what she did to her master, but speaking to her was rather pleasant and they shared a common trait.
They both lived to protect those precious to them.
"Momochi-san doesn't seem all too terrible." Natsumi would say in-between measured sips.
Haku hummed, "His methods may be...unorthodox, but he is caring...deep down. Very deep down."
It was never something she'd say in the man's presence, but Zabuza had his moments. Behind the whole grumpy and bloodthirsty façade was a man driven by a goal. He wanted the best for Kiri, to see an end to the senseless bloodshed brought upon by the Mizukage.
"I see. I just hope he and Hatake-san are getting along."
Haku could only agree but could not help but laugh at the idea of the two Jonin trading blows over something so trivial.
More time would pass as the two shared tea and continued their observation of the mansion. During that hour a few more mercenaries strolled through the gate pulling behind them a cart with massive crates. It was another one of their hauls of contraband retrieved from the warehouse, no doubt what Gato was currently occupied with.
"Well, I suppose it's about time we helped Gato with his charitable donations. Don't you agree Haku-san?"
The dark haired girl nodded as she sealed her flask and the cups they had been drinking out of. She joined Natsumi as they both stood atop the thick branch of a tree a few metres away from the mansion's perimeter.
"I'll take the east wing if that's okay with you."
Haku hummed in agreement as she slid her mask on, nothing else was exchanged between the two as they seperated, flickering out of existence simultaneously.
Sasuke was upset, no he was beyond that, he was livid. He was ordered to remain with Tazuna's family and Sakura, while Natsumi and Kakashi went off to conduct some investigation. He argued his case but Kakashi would not budge in his reasoning, he wanted him to protect their client and make sure that Gato didn't try anything.
But why Gato? Shouldn't they be more concerned about Zabuza? It was all too fishy, and he tried to prod something out of Natsumi but she was coy with her answers, and kept the conversation going round in circles. He had to call it quits when they both left, leaving him to glare holes into the forest.
"They're going to kill him, aren't they?"
He blinked before looking over his shoulder. Sakura stood a few feet away from him and for once she did not look like she wanted to fawn over him.
"Kill who? Zabuza?"
She shook her head tossing about long cerise strands, "Gato, sensei took Natsumi because she's killed before."
That...was both surprising, and not at the same time. But Sakura made sense in her guess. If Kakashi did intend on killing Gato, then Natsumi would be a good pick if she's taken a life before, but how did Sakura know about this?
"She told you?"
"While we were training she told me about her life before the Hyuga clan," that immediately captured his interest.
"She lived in the Saigai district and had to 3 kill people on seperate occasions in self-defense. And another man who tried to kidnap Hinata when they were kids."
That was a body count of 4, all before becoming a Genin...that explained a few things. He didn't want to say that Natsumi was unhinged, but she definitely had a little something going on in her head but that's what kept shinobi sane. His father once told him that to be a ninja, a person needed to have a few screws missing otherwise they would never survive. His blonde teammate was a well disguised maniac. She always held this unnerving glint in her eye, and his stupid teen brained loved it.
"Do you...do you think we'll have to kill someone?"
"Hn, I'll set up some traps." Was all Sasuke said before leaving the house, he needed to mull things over.
Sakura was left with her question unanswered, a sinking feeling weighing her stomach down.
Kakashi could not help but shake this feeling that things were not going to be as easy as Zabuza claimed they would be. Not because he believed that the missing nin would turn on him, no, it was something else. The docks had to them an unnerving vibe that made him tense. He tried to keep himself distracted by reading a few chapters of Icha Icha Paradise, but nothing stuck and the words just turned into inked scribbles.
"Worried about your brat or somethin'?" He glanced over at Zabuza who had opted to switch up his wardrobe for something with less cow print on it this time around. The man was currently occupying himself by tending to his blade, making sure it was sharp and ready to cut through flesh and bone.
"If so, don't. Haku is a good kid, no matter how much I try to beat that habit out of her. She'll keep blondie safe, not that I think she needs to."
Kakashi sighed as he shut his book permanently.
"I'm not worried about Natsumi, I think her and your little apprentice can handle a couple of goons. I still can't help shake this hunch that there's something or someone around here that's a little higher on Gato's pay grade."
Zabuza grunted, he didn't want to mention it but he also couldn't shrug off the oppressive atmosphere.
"If he got someone else, it will be a whole lot sweeter to cleave off his head."
They heard some chatter and decided it was time for action. Both Jonin crept behind crates and the tall warehouse buildings that dotted the docks, there was a bit of movement as some grunts moved back and forth from the cargo ship that been docked nearby. Gato's voice milled from the distance as he barked out commands to the hired men.
Kakashi was the first to take peek from behind a tall stack of crates. He could see Gato standing on a platform and next to him was a tall hooded figure whose features were obscured due to the distance and the robes he wore, undoubtedly that was the person responsible for the unease Kakashi was feeling.
"Small fries and a mystery man." Zabuza said under his breath. The mercenaries weren't a problem, he could probably cut through all of them in a single slash if he was enthused enough, but considering they had an unknown variable in the picture, he would play it careful.
"Right, this should be close enough. We can keep an eye on Gato and his pal over there while we wait for the girls to finish up."
He hoped Haku and her new playmate were quick with their objective, Zabuza was itching for a fight after spending the good half of a month inactive.
"Aaaah!"
One goon dropped to the ground with a soft thud, followed by another, and soon four men lay face first on the ground unconscious with long needles sticking out from their necks.
Haku moved through the halls as quiet as a ghost, picking apart her prey with pin-point accuracy before they even knew what was happening. None of them posed a threat and it would seem that her master's habits were beginning to rub off on her because she was utterly disappointed so far.
She rounded a corner and happened upon Natsumi as she slammed a grunt's head into the floor.
"I only sense one left."
Haku hadn't realised just how many bodies they left behind. Some were unconscious, while others were halfway through the afterlife, but it appeared that Natsumi and her worked well together considering how quickly they had managed to sweep through the mansion.
They both stated at the before Natsumi made the move to open it. The door revealed an open and spacious office with bank notes haphazardly strewn about. This was definitely what they were looking for but they had a matter to attend to first.
Resting atop the sea of money was a green haired haired man who seemed oblivious of their presence at first. He was mumbling to himself and showering his face with wads of notes.
"You're enjoying yourself quite a lot there Oji-san, mind if we join you?"
The man immediately sprang to his feet, only to slip on the discarded money. He yelled in frustration much to Haku and Natsumi's amusement.
"It would seem we found ourselves a bumbling fool." The blonde smirked as she cranked her neck sideways and allowed a kunai to sail past her harmlessly.
"Tch, I'll show you who's a bumbling fool! You'll never take me back to Konoha!" The man threw another volley of kunai at the pair, but this time Haku took the initiative and deflected the blades with her own kunai.
Natsumi raised a brow as she observed the man, she noticed the hitai-ate wrapped around his brow with a slashed leaf insignia.
"Oh, a rogue nin from Konoha? I could get a nice bonus from returning your head." This time Natsumi seemed a little motivated as she pulled out her tanto from behind her waist.
"Like hell you are! You can't beat me, not when I have this!" He reached for a cylindrical object from his waist that he immediately held in a crude stance. The room hummed and suddenly the object crackled and a blade of electricity sparked to life.
The man cackled manically while the two girls took a moment to share a look, one of confusion. Realising he was not receiving the reaction he wanted, the man halted his chortling and glared at the girls.
"Do you have any idea the power I hold in my hands? This is the very same blade that the Nidaime Hokage wielded into combat! The mighty Raijin!"
Once again the room was heavy with an awkward silence occasionally broken up by either of the girl's fluttering clothes, or the buzzing weapon. Haku turned to Natsumi hoping for an explanation, but the blonde shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
"It's a powerful weapon! I stole it right from under the Hokage's nose, you must have heard of me."
The Konoha kunoichi sighed shaking her head, "I don't even know who you are, but enough chit-chat."
The man's eyes widened as the blonde flickered out of existence and reappear before him, elbow poised and aimed for his sternum. He tried to swing for her head, but he quickly found himself disarmed by a flurry of senbon stabbing into his hands and wrists.
He doubled over as the elbow finally smashed into his chest, a fierce burst of chakra blasting him back into the wall. He bounced off the surface and landed on his knees, but before he could get his bearings right, his face was swiftly introduced to the sole of a sandal pressing back into the wall.
Still disoriented he felt his shirt crinkle before he was hoisted back up and onto his feet. He tried to regain control of his body and engage in the fight, but his torso and abdomen fell victim to a sequence of blows each sending a sharp stabbing sensation that dug deep into his body.
"Divergent Fist: Nirvana!" One final blow landed, and it was the worst sensation he had ever felt in his life. It was like his chakra was forcefully being pushed out of him, rendering him catatonic before his whole form burst through the wall and down to the ground below.
Natsumi pursed her lips together, wondering why she even bothered pulling out her tanto seeing as how she resorted to taijutsu. She peered through the hole she had created and saw the man immobile with blood pooling around his head. He wasn't dead, but definitely unconscious and would remain so for a long time.
"Who was that?" Haku asked having left Natsumi to handle the situation.
"I have no idea Haku-san, but I'm sure the Hokage would love to have this back." She would say as she bent down and picked up the discarded blade.
She examined it for a moment, figuring how it functioned after a few tries. Natsumi was no sword master, but she could see something like this coming in handy. Maybe she could convince the Oldman to lend it to her, after she was the one who found it.
"But enough about that. Let's gather the money and burn this place down."
Haku could only offer a nod of affirmation as she moved to help Natsumi gather the fallen money.
This was odd...
Sasuke and Sakura watched as their former academy sensei sat before them with an unassuming smile. The silver haired man had just appeared and claimed he was sent by the Hokage to assist in their mission.
The two Genin sent one another coded glances, trying to figure out if the Mizuki sitting in front of them was real or someone in a henge.
"Can I get you anything to drink, Mizuki-san?" Tsunami asked as she peeked out from the kitchen.
"Oh no, I appreciate the offer but I'm fine. Thank you."
Tsunami must have felt the tension in the room as she quickly scurried back into the kitchen. Sasuke cleared his throat and got up from his seat.
"Mizuki-sensei can you help me secure the perimeter?"
The chunin smiled, "Of course, I was sent to help after all."
Just before they walked out the door, Sasuke sent Sakura a look and the pinkette subtly nodded. As soon as the door shut, Sakura hurried to the kitchen and whispered to Tsunami.
"Tsunami-san, follow me."
"Why? Is something the matter?"
She looked over her shoulder making sure that Mizuki was not lingering around.
"That man, something's not right."
The older woman frowned, "Is he not your comrade?"
Sakura shook her head. She didn't know what was going on with Mizuki, but whatever it was, he wasn't here to help them.
"I can't say for sure, but something's up. Please, let's grab Inari and head out."
Not wishing to get caught Tsunami nodded as they carefuly headed upstairs. They found Inari in his room, eyes glued on the lake as per usual.
"Inari stay quiet and follow us."
The boy fluttered his eyes in confusion but seeing the serious look on his mother's face, did not protest. He complied and walked over to his mother, fear settling in as he subconsciously clutched at her dress.
Sneaking down the stairs out the house using the backdoor, Sakura instructed for them to sprint into the forest, leaving Sasuke to handle Mizuki and whatever intentions he had. She didn't want to leave him alone, but she knew she had to keep Tsunami and Inari safe. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty, making keeping a hold on her kunai nearly impossible. Her intention was to find shelter somewhere in the village or to hopefully bump into Natsumi or Kakashi-sensei, that way either of them could return to assist Sasuke.
Meanwhile with Sasuke...
"You know Sasuke, there's someone who's really interested in you." Mizuki suddenly spoke up as they circled around the house.
The last Uchiha stopped in his trek, glancing over his shoulder and spotting the smirk that had appeared on the Chunin's face.
"And who might this person be?" He fully turned to face the man as his hand reached for his back, no doubt to unhook his fuma shuriken.
"My master, he's had his eye on you for quite a while. Says he sees some potential in you," His voice grew gruff and the remainder of his words were spat like venom. He fully unclipped his shuriken, and held it by his side. At this point he wasn't even hiding his intentions anymore.
"But all I see is just a damn brat with the name of a dead clan."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he pulled out a kunai.
"He sent me to test your skills, to give you what he calls a necessary push. But I think I'll just kill you, and lucky for me Kakashi isn't around. But, I still gotta make this quick!"
With a yell he launched the shuriken at Sasuke, the metallic star cut through the air with rapid speeds and aimed for the Uchiha.
Sasuke steeled his nerves and ducked underneath the shuriken as it lodged itself into a tree a couple of metres away from him. He turned his focus back on Mizuki only to be caught off-guard by a punch to the jaw.
Sasuke stumbled back and threw his arms up to defend against the next strike, but Mizuki managed to slip past his guard and land a pair of punches to his sides.
"Rookie of the year doesn't mean squat punk!" Mizuki grinned as he grabbed both his wrists and managed to throw him to the ground.
The Uchiha grunted but managed to roll out of the way before Mizuki could stomp on his head. Creating some distance he quickly raced through some handseals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" his lungs filled with air and chakra before a massive ball of fire spewed from his mouth, aiming to engulf Mizuki in its fiery embrace.
Mizuki cursed as he was forced to abandon his assault and quickly swap himself out with a wooden log that was immediately burnt to a crisp. He didn't have time to waste, Kakashi could return at any moment and he was not confident enough to handle that man. It's unfortunate that the blonde bitch wasn't around, he has a bone to pick with her.
'Let's give this a shot.'
Mizuki concentrated on his chakra, drawing on it until he could find that pit of darkness. He bit down and endured the discomfort as he felt his master's chakra begin to flood his pathways.
Sasuke who had cancelled his Jutsu watched in morbid fascination as dark markings crawled along Mizuki's skin, the man appeared to be in pain but he could sense the spike in his chakra as a foul aura flooded the area. He wanted to gag as the vile feeling continued to intensify, but he had to remain focused.
Mizuki had dropped to his knees, the sound of boned cracking leaving his body. He shuddered at seeing them shift beneath his skin, but much to his shock the silver haired man was growing in size as fur began to sprout from his face. His uniform tore and fell apart and a sudden burst of chakra erupted from him.
Sasuke was forced back, but managed to stay on his feet by anchoring himself with chakra. He removed his arm from his face once the wind had settled, and what he saw left him speechless.
Mizuki now resembled a bipedal tiger with a large muscular frame and claws that threatened to seperate his head from his shoulders. His visage was animalistic and stuck in what looked like a permanent snarl as sharp teeth poked out from his lips.
He had no words to describe what he was feeling, and the inability to move was not helping him.
"This...is my master's gift!" Mizuki roared, once more unleashing a wave of that corrupt chakra.
With Sakura...(Trigger warning for attempted SA)
The village seemed so far away, but Sakura had to keep on pushing. She was behind both Tsunami and her son just in case Mizuki got past Sasuke and came after them. She probably couldn't do anything against the man but she could at least keep him busy for a few moments, enough for the family to get away.
"We're almost at the village!" She heard Tsunami call out from in front. She nodded, a sense of relief washing over her.
"Well look what we have here!"
Suddenly Inari was snatched up and so was his mother. Sakura came to a skidding halt. Standing ahead of her were two men, one wearing a dark hat and sporting dark markings around his eyes and the other a shirtless man with an eyepatch.
"Guess we didn't have to go far to get the job done eh Waraji?" The one with the hat spoke, placing his head on Inari's head much to the boy's protests.
"It's our lucky day, Zori."
Sakura gulped, her team was not around to bail her this time. She was on her own, and she needed to handle this situation. She eyed the two men as they tightened their hold on Tsunami and Inari, but the one with the eyepatch leered at her, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Y'know I haven't wet my dick in quite a while, Zori."
His partner seemed to reel at the comment, "Jeez man, she's just a kid. At least mess with the mother."
The eyepatched man shook his head.
"Can't help but wonder if the carpet matches the drapes."
Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Suddenly memories of the kunoichi classes flooded her mind, the graphic descriptions of possible ends that captured kunoichi typically met replaying in her head. She was rooted to the spot, her inner-self screaming at her to do something.
"Take the woman and her brat, I'll make it quick." despite not agreeing with his friend's methods, Zori did not protest. Grabbing both Inari and Tsunami he began to drag them back to the mansion.
"Don't worry girly, I'll be reeeeal gentle with ya." The man cackled as he approached her. Sakura was still unmoving, her eyes still cast to the ground. Her hands were shaking but her fingers refused to loosen their hold on the kunai she held.
"There we go." She felt his hand clasp around her shoulder.
And then something in her mind snapped. Red took over her vision and Sakura thrust her arms forward, catching the man off guard as the blade pierced his abdomen.
Sakura unleashed a shrill scream and pull the kunai out of the man's gut, however she wasn't finished. She stabbed into him once more, and then again, and again, until Waraji could no longer remain on his feet. The man stumbled to the ground and Sakura stradled his waist as she continued to stab and disembowl him.
Hearing the commotion, Zori turned around and saw his comrade on the ground, guts hanging out from a large and crude gash.
"What the fuck! Waraji!"
He released his captives and rushed back to try and help his friend. But just as he reached the downed Waraji, he made the attempt to kick Sakura off of him, but the pink haired girl managed to grab his leg. She bit down hard on his calf and he screamed, trying to shake her off.
"Let go of me you dumb bitch!"
"I'm sick and tired of you all!" The distraught Sakura yelled, using her kunai to cut into the back of the man's foot and severing the tendon.
Zori fell over and screamed in pain, the girl was now making her way to his chest and he was afraid that he was about to meet the same fate as Waraji. As she brought her kunai up, he quickly covered his stomach as the knife plunged into his forearms.
Sakura reeled back again, ready to continue the onslaught.
"Sakura-san please!"
Tsunami's voice cut through the thicket of the forest. She looked up and saw the woman clutching at Inari and covering the boy's eyes. She saw the horror and concern in the older woman's face, and just like that Sakura sobered up from her rage. She looked down at herself, hands fully soake in blood. Her cheeks were wet with the same crimson fluid, and her dress as well but its colour hid the stains.
"Oh god..."
Tsunami carefully approached her, still keeping her hand around Inari's eyes. It was a miracle that she herself wasn't folded over behind some bush emptying her stomach. Perhaps it was the fact that she had witnessed her own lover executed in public that steeled her nerves.
"Let's get to the village, please."
Sakura could only nod numbly, standing up and shuffling past Tsunami. The mother remained for a few seconds, sparing the two men a glance. The other was bound to die in a few minutes while the other would live, lest he bleed out.
She shook her head and promptly followed after Sakura.
The villages gathered as they watched Gato's mansion be consumed by an orange inferno. Dark smoke scaled the air and rose to the clouds.
"What is going on?"
"Ha! Take that!"
"Is everything alright?"
Chatter filled the streets as the crowd grew dense.
"Excuse me, people of Nami."
They all turned and saw the blonde girl that had a appeared a few weeks ago.
"My friend and I paid Gato a visit, unfortunately, the man was not around, but he was kind enough to leave behind the fortune that he stole from you."
The girl reached into her kimono and pulled out stacks of money, she counted the bills and tossed them in the air, "Consider yourselves free from the shackles of his oppression."
"Are you saying?"
"It can't be!"
"Is it true?"
"My sensei and his associate are dealing with Gato as we speak, soon you'll be free to raid his warehouses and do as you wish with whatever you find. We will leave documents and the sorts with Tazuna, but for now, rejoice."
It was almost instantaneous. The crowd erupted into cheers and applauds. Tears fell from tired eyes, and neighbours hugged.
"Have you considered being a revolutionary?"
Natsumi turned to Haku and rolled at her eyes at the girl, who in turn giggled, a rather pleasant sound. However, their moment of reprieve was short lived as she Natsumi caught sight of a clump of pink hair. She pushed through the crowd ready to meet Sakura with a smile, but stopped as she saw the dead look in the girl's eyes...and the blood still fresh on her hands.
"Oh thank god, there you are Natsumi." Tsunami pushed through.
"Tsunami-san what happened?"
"I can't say for sure, we had to leave the house because a man claiming to be your ally appeared. Sakura was taking us to safety when we were ambushed by Gato's thugs."
As she said that, Tsunami's eyes veered towards Sakura. The girl hadn't said a thing, still locked in her mind.
"Damnit! I knew things couldn't be that easy!"
Natsumi immediately created a clone, and instructed it to remain behind with Tsunami and Sakura.
"Haku-san, I have one more favour to ask of you. Assist me in helping the Uchiha."
Haku nodded without hesitation and the two took off running in the direction of the house.
Natsumi's clone approached Sakura, and as soon as it was in front of the pinkette, she immediately wrapped her arms around it. She sobbed but could not muster the strength to wail, letting hot tears soak the pristine kimono the clone wore.
The team of Natsumi and Haku came across Gato's aforementioned goons. One man lay dead and the other tried to crawl away from the scene.
"You..." Natsumi approached the man as he tried to scurry away.
"Please! I'm sorry! I-I wasn't going to hurt them!" Zori yelled but his pleas fell on deaf ears, Natsumi was merciless with her execution as her tanto sank right in-between the man's eyes.
"Good riddance. Let's go Haku-san!"
She nodded and once again they hurried towards the house, where they could hear the sounds of combat. Upon reaching the fight area, Natsumi took a moment to survey the scene but could not fully process what was happening as she saw Sasuke on one knee, vulnerable to the oncoming attack that would undoubtedly end his life.
Said Uchiha was breathing hard. His body was littered with cuts and deep gashes, and his head was bleeding profusely. Whatever Mizuki was on, it was dangerous and the man was nigh invulnerable to everything he threw at him. Sasuke was exhausted and almost out of chakra, it was at this time that he swallowed his pride and hoped that Natsumi or Kakashi would come to his aid.
"Sweet dreams, Uchiha runt!" Mizuki roared, claws cutting through the air with the intention to rip Sasuke's heart right out of his chest.
He closed his eyes and reflected upon his goal. This was how he would meet his end, he always hoped that his death would have been natural. Somewhere nice and warm, a beach house, yeah that would have been nice. Surrounded by his family, a batch of grown up blond and brunette brats surrounding his death bed. Oh and her of course, face still youthful and possessing those cute whiskers.
'Well shit...' Sasuke thought.
Something warm splashed his face, seconds passed and he could still feel his beating heart drum against his chest. He peeled one eye open and the first thing he saw were golden strands, many of which were now marred by a red liquid.
"N-Natsumi?"
She took the blow for him. Mizuki's hand had pierced through her abdomen, his claws dripping in blood were mere inches away from Sasuke's face.
"W-why did...I do that?" The girl spoke through gritted teeth, blood sipping between them and sliding down the corners of her lips.
But it would seem Mizuki did not leave the exchange unharmed. A blade of pure energy had stabbed into his chest.
"Why! Why did you do that?!" He yelled at her.
She turned her head and glared at him, "A thanks would have been...appreciated. H-how ungrateful of you Uchiha-san."
Mizuki ripped his hand out of her stomach and she immediately dropped to the ground, Sasuke acting fast to catch her. The beastly man howled in pain as he ripped the sword from his chest and tossed it aside, glaring daggers at the downed Natsumi.
"That's what you get you fucking demon!"
"Natsumi-san!"
Haku was not fast enough to stop Natsumi from tossing herself in front of the odd man, and she was horrified to see her endure such an attack. She was bleeding profusely and as much as she wanted to work on her wound, there was still the issue of the animalistic man still at large.
"H-Haku?" Sasuke looked at the girl, recognising her as the one he met in the forest. He saw her outfit and it clicked, she was the hunter nin. But why was she here? Ultimately, that did not matter. He felt Natsumi's fingers brush against his cheek, smearing a bit of her blood on his skin.
"Learn...to...fucking...dodge." She chuckled, feeling the energy drain from her. She could feel Kurama's chakra rush to her wound, but she could no longer keep her eyes open.
"I'm going to...close my eyes now." She rolled her head to the side, "Haku-chan, look after this dumbass for me."
Sasuke watched as her eyes turned dull and fully shut. Her body went limp and her breathing practically came to a halt. The world around him lost its colour and sound, the only thing he could feel was her still body and her warm blood running down his neck.
His eyes stung, no, they burned and he could not discern if it was from the fury he felt or from the tears building up. Unbeknownst to him, what was once a pair of coal black eyes, was now a pair of crimson orbs dotted with black markings, three in total, with his right possessing two tomoe.
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
Meanwhile...
Natsumi found herself sitting in front of Kurama. The fox looked down at her, lips twitching.
"Don't. Say. A. Word."
"Why am I always sealed inside of idiotic hosts?"
"Hey! I acted out of instinct!"
"That's the second time! In the same mission!"
Fox and human went back and forth, both failing to notice the woman they had been hosting, stir from her comatose state.
There was nothing Zabuza loved more than cutting through flesh and bone with his favourite weapon, well maybe except for the gorgeous Terumi Mei, but that was neither here nor there.
Kubikiribōchō was stained with blood, enough to keep it healthy for months to come. And all around the former member of the Swordsmen of the Mist, lay dead mercenaries.
Zabuza did not waste anytime as soon as he saw the mansion go up in flames. He had waited long enough. His Mist jutsu had flooded the docks and soon screams were the only thing he heard other than the squelching of flesh and metal meeting bone.
He wasn't sure what the tally was, but he was certain that he killed more than Kakashi. The man was powerful but lacked the bloodlust to keep him in the lead, in fact he was sure that the Konoha nin was leaving behind some stragglers on purpose. Damn tree huggers and their morality, he bet the blondie would have killed more than her teacher.
"Enjoying ourself?" He heard Kakashi ask as he approached him in the mist.
Zabuza hoisted Kubikiribōchō over his shoulder and allows the blade to rest in place.
"You could say that. Now let's deal with Gato, and call this a day."
Kakashi hummed, but sighed as he felt a chakra spike. Right, there was still the case of the mystery man who hadn't moved an inch from his place next to Gato.
"We still have one more matter to deal with."
Both turned to face the hooded man as he moved for the first time.
"I should have known you'd stab me in the back Zabuza, but at least I was right to half-trust my intuition." Gato spat, but a grin quickly morphed his features.
"I got some more reliable help, someone who can actually get the job done. And your stupidity really helped him out, now he's going to get your pay as well."
The hooded man reached for something within his coat before pulling out a book with a black cover. He flipped through a couple of pages before pausing.
"Hatake Kakashi of Konoha, also known as Sharingan no Kakashi. S-rank." He turned pages a few more times, "Momochi Zabuza, also know as the Kirigakure no Kijin. S-rank."
The man pocketed his book and pulled his hood down. Upon recognising who it was Kakashi could not help but slump his shoulders and sigh.
The odds of encountering one S-rank missing nin on a C-rank mission were pretty low. Encountering two, was astronomically low, but here was standing with the man who fought the Shodaime Hokage and outlived him: Kakazu.
The man's green and red eyes pierced through the thin fog and looked over them with a cold and calculating stare.
"You two will fetch me quite the pay."
Zabuza snarled, "And who the fuck is this?!"
End of Chapter 10
AN: Sooooooo! Quite the uh eventful chapter. As you can tell, we're not in Kansas anymore. Mizuki showed up! Aoi showed up and promptly got his ass kicked! And now we have Kakazu in the fray! The next chapter will be the end of the wave arc so don't worry about fights lasting like 10 chapters (they're not my forte anyway)
Sakura got her first kill, but you can start to expect major deviations with her character going onwards. Sasuke thinks his galpal is dead and has finally reawakened his Sharingan. Kakashi and Zabuza are about to face one of the most annoying people to fight. And Kurama has had it with these Uzumaki women.
Oh and what's this? Our mystery lady is finally awake? And Hinata finally admits to herself that she's definitely team blonde. I'm tired and rambling, don't mind me.
Once again thank you for the support, much appreciated. I'm truly enjoying revisiting this story and writing again. I hope yall enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the wave arc conclusion!
Ciao!