Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise or any of the characters.
"Do you have eyes on the target?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes, it's three meters away," Naruto responded on his walkie-talkie.
"Don't mess up, Naruto," Sakura said from elsewhere.
"Alright, I'll count you down. Don't make a single speck of noise. Three…two…one…GO!"
Naruto leaped out of his hiding spot to trap the target, his shadow clones doing the exact same.
"YAHHHHH," Naruto yelled as he jumped onto the target with all of his might, covering its furry body with the combined weight of both his clones.
The cat shrieked and clawed him as Naruto grabbed its arms and legs and held it towards its chest.
"Is it Tora?" Sasuke asked, coming out of the tree behind him.
Observe.
[Observing…]
[Observation successful!]
Name: Tora
Title: "The Lost Cat of Konoha"
Level: LV3
Naruto leaned the cat to the right, pretending he didn't know it was Tora already. "Ribbon on the left ear, yep, it's him."
[Ding!]
[Quest: "Finding Tora" Completed!]
[Rewards: Exp. 50]
An entire week of doing D-rank missions was painful to the mind, and the body. Naruto hadn't leveled up once, and his Taijutsu never increased any levels. So far, training with Kakashi was more like doing chores than actual training.
The skill "Scouting" was now level five, even though it didn't really matter much. Funnily enough, that was the highest level in any skill he had so far. But considering that all he did for the past week was scout for lost items and other random activities it kind of made sense.
Team 7 went to the Hokage's office to drop off the cat right after. Madam Shijimi, the wife of the Fire Daimyō, profusely thanked them before enveloping her cat in a bone-crushing hug. Naruto felt slightly bad, but also knew that the cat deserved it for the torture it put them through.
Hiruzen let out a puff of smoke before reading out their next mission. "Team 7's next duties are…babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighborhood village, and helping dig some potatoes in the local farm."
Naruto was quick to retaliate, tired of all the random chores being given to them. "Hell no, old man! Missions are supposed to be cool, not babysitting your grandson!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow with how Naruto talked back to the Hokage himself.
"I never said it was—"
"Please give us a better one!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, his eyes hopeful.
Not only were the missions they were currently doing boring, he needed some quests that give more experience so he could level up. He could tell Sakura and Sasuke agreed with him.
"Naruto! You're only a rookie Genin! You're not the only one doing this work, even the Hokage himself started from these duties," Iruka barked at him from the desk.
"It doesn't matter! Please just give us some better missions…"
"Naruto…as Genin, D-Rank missions are all you really get. But alright, I'll make an exception."
Naruto looked up in surprise.
[Skill: Persuasion increased by a level]
[Persuasion is now Lvl 2]
"I can manage to give you a C-rank…an escort and protection mission of a certain someone."
Alright, that sounds more fun already.
Hiruzen tapped once on his desk. "Come inside."
And came out the door was a tall man with a black, sleeveless shirt wrapped with a towel, and loose scad pants below it. He had a bottle of alcohol in his left hand, clearly sounding drunk already. With a small, grey goatee, and tiny glasses, he looked like one of the shady grandpas back in Konoha.
"Kids? Some brats are protecting me? Especially the short, blond one, are you really a 'Genin'?"
"Shut up, drunkard…" Naruto started, but wilted against Kakashi's glare.
The man pushed his glasses up. "I am an expert bridge builder by the name of Tazuna. I will require your protection until I get back to my country, and finish up a bridge."
[Ding!]
[New Quest: "Protection of Tazuna" Created]
[Quest Details: Keep Tazuna alive until the bridge is complete.]
Quest Rewards: Exp. 3000, Class: "?", Title: "?"]
[Failure: Death.]
[Does Player Accept The Quest?]
[Yes/No]
Three thousand?! Hell yeah. Naruto grinned. "Don't worry, drunkard, the future Hokage is protecting you!"
{—}
"Let's go!" Naruto shouted out, hands to the air. They were officially out of Konoha, way past the large gates that guarded his villlage.
"Why are you so excited?" Sakura asked.
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I've never been outside of the village, so it's interesting!"
[Title: "Genin of Konoha" is currently applicable for increased stats.]
[Equip Title: "Genin of Konoha"?]
[Yes/No]
Yes, please. Naruto thought to himself. Five percent didn't sound like much but was useful nonetheless.
Tazuna scoffed. "Are you really a shinobi, kid? I'm starting to fear for my own safety."
"Hmph, you're somewhat shady yourself, old man."
If Naruto's "Observation" skill was higher he would've noticed the slight widening of Tazuna's eyes at his words, or the brief twitching of his long, callused fingers.
Kakashi did, however.
"Tazuna-san, you're from Wave Country?" Sakura asked curiously.
Tazuna looked at her appraisingly. "Hmm, yes, I am."
"Sensei, there aren't any shinobi in Wave, is there?"
"No, but that's better for us in the long run. There won't be any really dangerous shinobi coming after Tazuna, after all."
This time Naruto did observe how Tazuna kept his head down. Suspicious…
[Ding!]
[Skill: Deduction increased by a level.]
[Deduction is now Lvl 3]
But Naruto wasn't the type to think the worst of others. He let the moment of panic from Tazuna slip past him.
But what was this other feeling…
[Ding!]
[Warning: Bloodlust Detected!]
Chills spread through Naruto's arms as he paused mid-stroll.
"Sens—"
An enemy appeared out of nowhere, manifesting from the small puddle near Kakashi-sensei. Another cloaked, masked person jumped into the air, grabbing a thick, black rope along with him. The rope circles around each side of the Jonin before entrapping him entirely.
"One down," a deep, bored voice sounded out.
With a twist and turn of the hands and waists, the spiky rope cut through Kakashi, leaving behind a small pool of blood and organs.
All Naruto saw was red. That wasn't out of anger, no, it was just the blood that pooled along his feet, marking his sandals with the visceral color. Kakashi sensei was dead.
"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed instantly.
Naruto jumped to the sides as a pair of spiked ropes impaled into the empty space he was once in. His eyes widened with exhilaration, his muscles aching for some sort of release, but his mind…there was no doubt about it—he was scared.
[Ding!]
[New Quest: "Encounter: Demon Brothers" Created]
[Quest Details: Defeat the Demon Brothers!]
Quest Rewards: Exp. 500, Kakashi's respect.]
[Failure: Die.]
[Does Player Accept The Quest?]
[Yes/No]
But when there was a goal, Naruto never gave up.
[Activating…]
[Skill: Uchiha Clan Taijutsu- Lvl 1 Activated!]
[Usage drains 20 MP Points each minute.]
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Naruto roared in anger, both at himself for freezing up and the enemies for killing Kakashi sensei.
Naruto began running towards the enemy nin with renewed vigor, and alongside him Sasuke began his attack. Sasuke threw both shuriken and kunai, embedding one end of the spiked ropes into the tree, rendering their ranged weapons entirely useless unless they wanted to retrieve them again.
The taller enemy shinobi went for Sasuke, leaving the other one for him.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Clones of Naruto appeared beside him, running a few steps behind the original. The blond spun his kunai that he took from his pocket, holding it in an icepick grip. He was in range.
The second the masked man swiped his razor claws at Naruto, the blond slid to the floor, past his legs, and at the same time swiped his kunai across his legs, drawing blood instantly.
"Argh!"
The clones jumped onto the man with battle-cries of their own, but eventually became smoke after a few swipes of the man's claws. Naruto looked back to see the man's bruised face.
Then he started his assault.
Naruto cocked his head to one side to avoid a strike, before immediately responding with a hook to the man's stomach. Due to the height difference between the two, Naruto was forced to come close due to his short range. But the cloak covering the enemy's body made it ridiculously easy for Naruto to see through his attacks.
Another strike, but this time, it managed to barely tear up the skin near his hand.
[Ding!]
[Poison detected!]
Naruto didn't care. He continued his frenzy, dodging and countering each and every attack the man made, the close-combat style surprisingly suited for fighting against the mysterious man, who seemed confused on what to do.
The second he saw the start of handsigns, Naruto tore the hands apart with his own, before kicking the man down.
[Ding!]
[Quest: "Encounter: Demon Brothers" Completed!]
[Rewards: Exp. 500, Kakashi's respect.]
It was over.
But Naruto didn't stop there.
He continued to thrash the shinobi on the floor, not giving him a single chance to breathe.
"Enough, Naruto."
"But he killed Kaka—"
Naruto paused.
Observe.
[Observing…]
[Observation failed.]
[Target's level is too high.]
[Would Player like a partial observation?]
[Yes/No]
Yes.
Name: Kakashi Hatake
Title: "Copy Ninja"
Occupation: Jonin Sensei
Level: ?
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
Chakra: ?
STR: ?
VIT: ?
DEX: ?
INT: ?
WIS: ?
LUK: ?
"Wait, you're alive?" Naruto asked, staring into the eyes (one of) of Kakashi.
"You sound disappointed. But, yes, I am alive. I simply used the substitution Jutsu. Regardless, it seems like I wasn't needed at all. Nice job, Sasuke, Naruto. And good on you Sakura for prioritizing the client."
Naruto looked at the groaning shinobi below him. Sasuke dragged another one closer, who looked similarly in pain. Kakashi tied them up and placed them against the trunk of the tree.
"Tazuna-san…I need to talk to you," Kakashi said.
Naruto shivered at his sensei's glare.
"These are Chuunin from the Hidden Village of Mist. Known for their vigor while fighting, and sometimes use of poison. The wound on your arm, Naruto, is currently filled with poison. Don't move or else it will only get worse. We can cut it open and take out the poison afterwards."
"How were you able to see where we were?" One of the Chuunin asked.
"A puddle of water during this sunny day? Not possible."
Tazuna coughed. "Why didn't you help the kids when you could have?"
"I wanted to find out who they were really targeting. And in this case, it was you, Tazuna-san. The mission entailed us to protect you from some thieves and crooks, not trained shinobi. At the very minimum, this is a B-rank mission already. We would be conducting outside of our transcribed duty if we continue this mission."
Naruto uncomfortably looked at Tazuna, seeing the look of desperation on the man's face, before he looked back at his hand. The poison was spreading, and each second he could feel a jolting pain cross his arm.
Sakura gulped, sweating. "I think it's better we quit now, sensei. Naruto needs some medicine for the poison, and we really aren't trained for this at all."
Kakashi nodded. "I would agree, Sakura."
My EXP! The Quest! If I don't complete it, will I die? How seriously should I take the system? Naruto thought, hyperventilating.
He grit his teeth. He had to make a decision now.
Grabbing his kunai, Naruto jammed the weapon into his arm. Blood burst from the cut, removing the red liquid along with any remnants of poison in his body.
"Naruto?! What the hell?" Sakura screamed.
Naruto grinned through the pain. He held out his bloodied fist to Tazuna, whose eyes widened. "Oi, drunkard. Look at this fist closely. No matter who comes to stop me, even the Hokage himself, I'll protect you until your stupid bridge is built, alright? We need to continue the mission!"
[Ding!]
[Skill: Public Speaking has increased by a level.]
[Public Speaking is now Lvl 3]
[—]
After being scolded for cutting his hand so deeply, Kakashi wrapped Naruto's hand with bandages, noting now the wound was practically healed already.
[Ding!]
[New Skill Achieved: Self Regeneration - Lvl 1]
Sweet! I can heal by myself now? No wonder I'm not feeling much pain in my hand either.
Naruto eyed his hand with wonder, but he ignored it for now.
Team 7 got on the ferry carefully, trying not to tip the boat as their combined weights sat on the wooden ship. Mist quickly gathered over the waters, which left the blond blindsighted.
The ferry guide gently rowed the boat, each stroke sending them further along the sea.
A huge bridge eventually appeared above them, its cobalt structure visible through the slightly cleared mist.
"It's best we don't make any noise, if Gatou even gets a sniff of us—we're all gonna die," the tour guide said gravely.
So this was the bridge that opposed Gatou's entire control on the shipping industry surrounding Wave? In Naruto's opinion, it was kind of small. But it was also the first step towards a good direction.
The ferry went through a wall of canals, leaving them in a tunnel of darkness for a bit of time. But once the opening became clear, Naruto could clearly see the welcome presence of trees and other greens began to appear.
"Wow!" Sakura pronounced with stargazed eyes.
The ferry was parked near one of the docks, giving time for Naruto and the others to leave.
"I can't go any further; I wish you the best on your venture, however risky it is," the ferry guide said to Tazuna.
Tazuna smiled. "I understand. Thank you for your assistance."
"Please, Kakashi-san, get me home safe," Tazuna asked the Jonin, tipping his straw hat.
"What did you say?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly.
"Nevermind."
Naruto looked at the road ahead of him, following the footsteps of Sasuke who was slightly ahead of him. He personally had a lot of work to do in the mission, and it was certainly crucial. Three thousand EXP was the most he was ever offered for a quest, and getting that would give him a serious boost to surpass Sasuke.
There was also the mysterious "Class" and "Title" he would be getting. He knew that the title would give him some extra points, but the "Class" he was receiving was completely ambiguous. Usually the system would pop up and give him a brief description of what it was, but this time it never did.
Naruto's game plan for his next few attributes was to stock up on dexterity and wisdom. His luck was terribly low, for whatever reason. But he didn't want to "waste" the points on something so basic like luck.
The blond noticed how Kakashi's hands twitched slightly, which was weird considering he would probably never notice that normally.
Maybe my deduction skill is acting up…
"EVERYONE, DUCK!" Kakashi yelled.
Naruto went to his knees as a gigantic sword flew through the space his head was, before piercing itself into the wood of the tree above them.
And on top of the blade…
Naruto shivered.
[Ding!]
[Warning: High Bloodlust Detected!]
The man only showed his bare back to them, the slightly grayish skin looking alien to the Konoha shinobi. Striped, baggy pants and leg warmers covered the bottom half of his body.
But that wasn't the scary part.
The man's face was covered with bandages, leaving only his eyes and hair for viewing. The sheer intensity of the glare made Naruto freeze.
O-observe.
[Observing…]
[Observation failed.]
[Target's level is too high.]
[Would Player like a partial observation?]
[Yes/No]
Yes…
Name: Zabuza Momochi
Title: "Demon of the Hidden Mist"
Occupation: Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist
Level: ?
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
Chakra: ?
STR: ?
VIT: ?
DEX: ?
INT: ?
WIS: ?
LUK: ?
This guy…he's on the same level as Kakashi. "Demon of the Hidden Mist"? "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist"? As much as I hate to say it…we're not a match for him right now.
"Momochi Zabuza-kun, Hidden Mist's infamous missing-nin, I didn't expect to see you here. Everyone, stay far back. He's on another level."
I know.
"I guess I'll have to reveal it now…" Kakashi said, pulling up his headband.
Kakashi's eyes glowed a scarlet red, with a few black tomoes swirling around the pupil.
What is that? Naruto thought with a frown.
He observed how Sasuke's face scrunched up in confusion.
"One of the symbols of Konoha's supremacy, the Sharingan. It's an honor to see it in person," Zabuza said, his deep voice cutting through the mist.
Naruto glanced at their sensei. "Sharingan?"
Sasuke glared at Kakashi. "The Sharingan is the counter to all Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. It's a Dōjutsu that is available to only some. But the trademark ability of the Sharingan…"
"The Sharingan gives the wielder the ability to copy their opponents techniques while they see them. The shinobi who has copied more than a thousand jutsu: 'Copy Ninja Kakashi'," Zabuza finished, before crouching onto the sword.
"Cover Tazuna-san, and don't interrupt the fight—it's an order."
Zabuza disappeared in a flash, before appearing once more, standing on top of the water next to them.
"Over there!" Sakura pronounced.
"Ninpou: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Strands of mist manifested and twirled through the air like the tentacles of an octopus, before hiding Zabuza completely behind the thick density of the air.
"Zabuza is well known as a silent killer, an assassin. Be on guard."
Naruto gulped. "The mist…"
The white air continues to become even more concentrated and thicker, to the point where Naruto could barely see the orange in his own clothing.
[Ding!]
[Warning: Extreme Bloodlust detected!]
[New Skill Achieved: Ki Endurance - Lvl1]
Naruto could feel his hands and legs trembling as he looked at the others in worry. Sasuke and Sakura were the same, to the point where Sakura almost fell down in fear.
"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura. I assure you not to worry," Kakashi said, looking back at them with an eye-smile. "I never let any of my comrades die."
"Tough luck."
Naruto felt his heart tear out of his chest as Zabuza's voice echoed from behind him. But just before Zabuza's blade sliced through them all, Kakashi sensei dove, piercing his kunai into the man's skin.
But it was a water clone.
But Kakashi was also a water clone.
But then Zabuza was also a water clone.
"Is this how a Jonin fights?" Naruto asked no one in particular.
"Yes," Sasuke answered plainly.
Kakashi was promptly thrown into the pond next to them, Zabuza following closely behind.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
Kakashi's gargled voice gasped out loud as a ball of swirling, chaotic water encircled the Jonin, making him completely trapped.
But that wasn't even the least of the Genin's worries. Water collected in front of them, slowly taking the form of Zabuza.
"You kids…really think you're worthy of being ninja? Standing there, cowering as I release a tiny bit of bloodlust. Have you even done your first kill yet? Hmph. At your age I murdered my entire class," Zabuza growled.
Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. "You think that's impressive? You're a mons—"
A foot hit him directly in his chin a second later, knocking him several meters away. Naruto groaned in pain as he felt his jaw with his hands, making sure nothing was bent in any way. He had grabbed his headband in midair, which had become loose the second he Zabuza kicked him.
"Sasuke, take the others and run away with Tazuna-san! Zabuza can't move as long as this Jutsu is active," Kakashi shouted from his stuck position.
Run? Again? Am I really that useless? Iruka gave me this headband. I promised I would become Hokage. All that struggle, just to run away.
Naruto stood up, swiping away the dust on his headband. He began tying it to his head. "Someone once told me…those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. I won't abandon you, sensei!"
The clone snorted. "Words won't—"
"Shut up…eyebrowless freak. I'm not just an ordinary Genin, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage of Konoha. Write it down!"
Sakura stood, surprised. Is this really Naruto?
"Sasuke, I got a plan."
Everything was set up, from the seals to the strategy which made them.
Zabuza smirked. "Arroga—"
Naruto couldn't just stand and listen right after he made such a cool speech, could he?
"Shut it! I don't have time for your words—Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Fifty to sixty clones appeared around Zabuza, creating a swirl of dust around the terrain.
[Activating…]
[Skill: Uchiha Clan Taijutsu- Lvl 2 Activated!]
[Usage drains 20 MP Points each minute.]
"YATTA!" The clones yelled, charging towards the lone man.
But even with better Taijutsu than the Naruto from the academy, the clones got decimated. Each swing of Zabuza's sword managed to wipe out five or six of his clones. But all of that didn't matter—the clones managed to remain alive longer than they would've. The superior acrobatics of the Uchiha made sure of that. Once around half remained, Naruto gave out his command.
"Self Destruct!"
Smoke burst out from each clone, covering the grass fields with white. It wouldn't last long, but a brief second was all they needed.
Naruto tossed the Fuma Shuriken to Sasuke, who smirked in recognition.
"Now we're talking," Sasuke said, smirking.
With a dramatic flash, Sasuke unwinded the shuriken to its full mast. He leaped high into the air, before throwing it with insane velocities. The shuriken went past the clone and to the real target—the real Zabuza.
Zabuza smirked. He caught the shuriken with his hands, before jumping over the other one while maintaining the Jutsu on Kakashi.
But in place of the shuriken passing by, Naruto materialized out of thin air. Carrying a kunai in one hand, he placed his fingers together. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Both clones and the original Naruto threw the kunai at Zabuza, trying to distract him from the Water Prison technique.
Zabuza rolled his eyes. "It's almost embarrassing how you guys underestimate me."
With a turn of his sword, he reflected all of the kunai lazily.
But Zabuza's back was turned.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
A ball of scarlet, searing hot fire aimed directly at Zabuza flew in the humid air. Zabuza, with one hand in his prison, wouldn't be able to counter the Jutsu.
Or so he thought.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Jutsu!" Zabuza growled, doing one-handed hand signs.
The ball of water met Sasuke's fire in the middle, creating even more steam to spawn in the already present mist. But while the vision mattered, the currently split concentration of Zabuza mattered more.
The Demon of the Mist was occupied with doing one-handed seals and maintaining his prison for Kakashi at the same time, and didn't notice how Naruto was nowhere to be seen.
A hand grabbed hold of Zabuza's leg from underneath the water, and yanked him into the pond.
Naruto wasn't sure what he was thinking to willingly pull Zabuza towards himself, but it was a spur of the moment thing. Immediately, the assassin's enraged face came to his vision underwater as he began moving his sword.
[Ding!]
[Battle Strategics increased by a level]
[Battle Strategics is now Lvl 3]
Leveling up didn't have the same effect while you were about to die.
Goodbye, world.
Kakashi grabbed the blade before it struck, his Sharingan spinning wildly.
Naruto quickly swam away as the Jonin level shinobi began their battle once more. He came on shore a few seconds later, panting for air as Sakura helped him get up.
And that was when a battle of stormsstarted.
Jutsu after Jutsu of water was issued from each shinobi as the Genin stared at the intensity of the battle in awe. Tsunamis of water were casually thrown at each other, uncaring of anything that stood in the way.
Naruto never in his life realized just how much potential water really had, neither did he realize just how scary it was.
Eventually, the water died out. Naruto and the gang cheered as they saw that Zabuza was completely cornered. Running forward, they tried to see Kakashi deliver the final blow.
That's when two senbon impaled themselves into Zabuza's neck, drawing blood instantly.
Sakura gasped, pausing her movements with Tazuna, whereas Naruto and Sasuke trudged forward.
The person stood boldly on a branch of a tree, his strange clothings marking him as…different from the rest of them. With similarly striped pants like Zabuza, green haori, brown sash, and peculiar mask—Naruto couldn't really decide whether it was an enemy in front of them or not.
"I have to thank you for dealing with Zabuza for me, it has certainly been a tough journey tracking this man," the person said with a surprisingly gentle voice.
"You're a Hunter-nin of the Hidden Mist," Kakashi pronounced.
"Correct. It's our duty to hunt down missing-nin like Zabuza here."
The conversation continued, but Naruto toned their voices down. He knew what the masked boy was saying made sense, but his gut…it told him something was wrong. The continuous, tingling feeling made him do something.
Observe.
[Observing…]
Please don't fail this time…
[Observation successful!]
Let's go!
Name: Haku Yuki
Title: "Apprentice of Mist"
Occupation: Missing-Nin
Level: LV16
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
Chakra: 350/350
STR: 9
VIT: 8
DEX: 16
INT: 8
WIS: 6
LUK: 2
Missing-Nin, Apprentice of Mist…this person…is on Zabuza's side! Naruto realized with a widening of his eyes. But why would he kill Zabuza? No, there had to be something else going on. Haku was at an absurd level of sixteen, there was no way she would make such a mistake.
If he told Kakashi about his absolute findings, he would be questioned about the source. Naruto definitely didn't want to tell anyone about the system he had and be seen as a complete delusional.
The only option was…directly confronting her!
Naruto walked towards Zabuza's body and Kakashi, practically feeling Haku's eyes on him.
"Kakashi sensei, something's not really adding up. Ya' mind if I test something?" Naruto whispered.
Kakashi nodded. "Sure."
Naruto took a deep breath. Commence Stage One.
"Hey…you don't happen to be on Zabuza's side, do you?" Naruto asked loudly.
On second thought, this really wasn't a good idea. Haku's calm composure immediately dwindled down, his posture a nervous wreck.
Sakura began walking towards the group with Tazuna behind her. "Hey, guys! What's happening—"
A senbon was placed a millimeter to her neck a second later, Haku behind her. Or was it a clone? It didn't matter, Sakura was in trouble.
"Sakura!" Naruto yelled in distress.
"Anyone of you move and I'll kill her in front of your eyes."
Haku's calm, comforting voice was entirely gone, replaced by the cold, monotone voice of a…weapon. Naruto noticed how Kakashi's and Sasuke's hands twitched, waiting for the right moment to strike.
While Sakura's predicament was horrible, it also proved one thing.
Zabuza was alive.
Commence Stage Two.
"Leave Sakura alone or else I'll kill Zabuza, right in front of your eyes," Naruto said, motioning to kunai he placed on Zabuza's neck the second he saw Haku move.
This was a huge gambit, but one that could potentially pay off. Naruto had made a huge mistake, which was tempting the anger of the trigger-happy Haku instead of letting her go with the basically dead Zabuza.
Haku let go of Sakura right after, her motions portraying her eagerness to keep her master alive. Sakura gasped before she ran towards Sasuke, pulling out her kunai.
Good, now we can just have Kakashi kill Zabuza and team up on Haku—
Naruto's kunai stabbed itself into water.
They had severely underestimated Zabuza.
When the hell did he switch with a clone?
With a swirl of wind, Haku disappeared a second after.
Naruto fell to his knees with a deep breath. "It didn't go too bad, right sensei?"
Kakashi eyed him. "We need to have a talk."
The Genin groaned. This wasn't going to end well at all.
[—-]
"So you thought it was too much of a coincidence for the Hunter-nin to appear right when Zabuza lost?" Kakashi asked, trying to confirm his thoughts.
Naruto sweatdropped. "Uhhh…pretty much, yeah."
No, actually I have a blue box thing that tells me a person' name, title, occupation, and abilities at a single glance, and I've used it against Haku to find out who he really was.
The truth was sometimes so unbelievable, that it was better to flat out lie.
Right now, Kakashi was laid down comfortably in a sleeping bed, resting his body after the strenuous use of the Sharingan.
"Well, thanks to Naruto, we know that Zabuza is still alive. And while Sakura was in a strained position because of it, something bad could have happened regardless considering it was a water clone. Good job, Naruto!" Kakashi said with his signature eye smile.
Naruto blushed with the praise.
"Regardless, we need to start training once Zabuza comes back. While it was a clone, I know that the real Zabuza was heavily damaged, so, for now at least, we have time to train and be more prepared."
"Train? Sensei, that guy is way too strong! He's somewhere around your level, what chance do we have against him?" Sakura whined.
"Overestimating oneself is bad, but underestimating oneself can sometimes be even more detrimental. Yes, you can beat Zabuza as of now, but the Hunter-nin is also a target. Plus, you guys are seriously improving, I was impressed by the ideas Naruto made during the whole fight, as well."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes on Naruto. Was the dobe always this smart? Or was he faking it all during the Academy?
Sakura nodded in agreement at the statement, she was pretty impressed by Naruto as well.
"Woohoo! I'm hyped to train now!" Naruto exclaimed, the smile on his face working to ease the atmosphere.
"What are you so excited for? That's just useless."
A short kid came from the hall, the perpetual frown on his face evident, ending up hugging Tazuna.
"Inari, these are the ninja who helped protect grandpa during his travel. They'll help us too," Tsunami said, frowning at the kid.
Inari stared blankly at them. "But, Mom, these ninjas are gonna die anyways!"
"What did you say?!" Naruto growled.
"You're no match for Gatou."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't—"
"Naruto!" Sakura scolded, dragging the blond back. "He's just a kid, idiot."
Naruto quelled his anger, before letting his grin creep back up.
[Activating…]
[Skill: Will of Fire- Lvl 1 Activated!]
"I don't know who the hell Gatou is, but he stands no chance against me! No matter how many people say I can't do something, I'll prove them all wrong. I'll save you and your village in this mission. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage of the Leaf, believe it!"
Inari's glare deepened. "What's a Hokage? Another word for stupid?"
For once in his lifetime, Naruto had nothing to say.
I just want my three thousand EXP…
()()()
Yo!
Another week, another chapter. It seems like it's been a long time, yet it also seems like it hasn't. The story is starting to divert from canon, and will continue to do so as the story continues, especially the Wave Arc. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's gonna be epic.
I hope I didn't make Naruto seem like he's an intelligent, 200 IQ genius, cus I feel like I managed to keep it balanced. Naruto was already smart (the shuriken thing he did against Zabuza), and here he increased his intelligence points and Battle Strategics, so it makes sense. But that doesn't mean he beats Jonin level shinobi off the bat.
I personally find that Zabuza, One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Jonin-level, flinching from a KUNAI thrown by a child is insane. Please tell me y'all think the same. Kishimoto still made an awesome arc tho.
Annnnnd for the questions of the day:
Pairings. Seems to be a never-ending question.
Question #1: What weapon do you want this Naruto to use, assuming he gets one? Review. I'm leaving this to you guys.
Question #2: Who is your favorite villain in Naruto? I personally prefer Pein, but Madara seems to be the popular choice.
*Author Question: Current word count is 5k, think that's a good balance currently. Y'all prefer them longer or should it stay like this?
Bonus: Rams or Bengals?
Update schedule: Every Tuesday, timings may vary.
Thanks as always, make sure to review. Any and all criticism is accepted. I read them all.
I'll see you next Tuesday, stay safe until then, and drop a follow if you don't wanna miss out.
Cya' there.