Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Authoress Note: The only thing that made it hard to write this chapter was that Kurenai doesn't fight that much so it made it a pain to write a scene where she's fighting someone. Like I mean, I know she does fight, but since she uses genjutsu and whatnot, it's not very exciting.
But anyways, here's the chapter. Enjoy for I will be gone on a trip to the US for awhile so it'll be a little bit before I update again.
~*~
Bonds of Blood
By: Animeroxsmyworld
Chapter 24: Fighting Zabuza
~*~
"This was not in the mission. The mission clearly stated that we were to protect you from gangs or robbers. These men are Chuunin from Kiri!" Kurenai yelled at Tazuna as she pointed at the mentioned Kiri Nins, unconscious and bound to the base of a tree. They had attacked Team 8 as they were escorting Tazuna back to the Land of Waves, Shino and Kurenai being the first to move. Kurenai had trapped them in a genjutsu before they could do any damage while Shino's bugs flew out of his sleeves, making a protective wall entirely made out of bugs, surrounding the rest of the team.
Tazuna just stood there, letting her berate him.
"If you have shinobi after you, this would've been an expensive B-rank mission."
"Cool!"
"No Kiba! It is not cool!" Kurenai snapped as she glared at the Inuzuka. Luckily none of them had been touched by the claws on the Kiri Nins and so they didn't require any medical attention to get out any poison that Kurenai had later found the claws coated in.
"Before we take even a single step further, you will tell us what is going on." Kurenai demanded as her voice began to lower to her normal speaking volume. "Or we will turn right around and go back to our village."
"WHAT?!" Kiba yelped.
"B-but…Kurenai-sensei, we c-can't just l-l-leave." Hinata protested softly…which was saying a lot. Hinata wasn't one to protest. Shino nodded his head at the Hyuuga heiress' words.
Tazuna fell sombre before speaking up. He told them all about the man named Gatou, one of the wealthiest men alive. How he was against the completion of the bridge and had hired ninjas to kill of Tazuna because the bridge would interfere with his secret business of dealing drugs and taking over small countries.
When Gatou set his sight on the land of Waves, he took control of their shipping industry so the bridge would be the only way for the villagers to bypass using the ships. It would be their way of going against Gatou and he didn't approve of it.
Team 8 listened to the man's story earnestly before Kurenai bit her bottom lip and glanced out at her students. This was their first C-rank mission…they weren't ready for something like this. Who knew what level of ninja Gatou had hired?
"Why don't you come back to the Village with us and hire proper ninjas for this job." Kurenai responded in a more understanding voice now, ignoring Kiba's words of 'we are proper ninjas'.
"I don't have enough money to meet the pay for proper B-rank. I asked all the Villagers I could and all the money we were able to scrounge together could only pay for a C-rank." Tazuna explained as he shook his head sadly. His country really was in rough shape.
"Please…if you guys leave me now, I'll be killed. Then no one will finish the bridge." He pleaded.
"Kurenai-sensei, this guy needs help and we said we would help him." Kiba defended. "We already accepted the mission."
Hinata nodded in agreement while Akamaru barked.
"At the v-very l-least we could h-help him back t-to W-Wave." Hinata piped up while Kiba frowned. He wanted to actually help the man, no compromises. Tazuna looked between the two females of the group while Kurenai considered the proposition.
She straightened up, rolling her shoulders back. "Fine. We'll escort you to Wave." She confirmed. "But then…" She added, eyeing her students seriously. "We're heading back to Konoha."
~*~
Team 8 stepped off of the small boat that had led them to the Land of Waves, and stepped off onto a creaky pier. Tazuna bid good-bye to the rower of the boat while his protection for now busied themselves surveying the area for trouble.
"Oh boy…smell that air! Salty!" Kiba relished in a mix of delight and awe as he smelt the air, Akamaru following his lead.
"Indeed." Shino remarked, his bugs reacting inside his coat to the change in the air around him.
"Kiba, be serious!" Kurenai scolded as they began walking, Tazuna set firmly in the center of the group. This time, Kurenai took the lead.
"Aw relax sensei." Kiba complained, shoulders drooping. Did she have no faith in their abilities at all? They could've handled those two guys back there if she hadn't had finished them off first. She was taking all the joy out of this.
"It's only a little farther until we reach the town." Tazuna offered as he saw Kurenai glare at the Inuzuka boy. They had left the pier and were walking along a well remembered path, trees growing abundantly along either side. He knew this path like the back of his very own hand.
A few minutes of silence, Shino twitched. A rather unusual thing for the stoic bug user to do.
"S-Shino-kun?" Hinata intoned in concern.
"My bugs are…acting…" Shino paused to find the right word. Underneath his coat, his very skin, his bugs were skittering about in a way that he wasn't accustomed to. "unusual." He finally decided.
Kurenai turned to look at him when something in the trees caught her eye. Her heart dropped to her stomach in a moment of 'oh shit' as she assessed what she saw quickly.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!"
Kurenai tackled Tazuna around the middle, Hinata toppling into an oblivious Kiba, Shino hitting the ground with alert reflexes as something metal just scraped past the top of their heads. It whizzed through the air before crashing into a nearby tree trunk with a sickening crunch, embedding into the wood.
Whatever it was, it sounded heavy.
Kurenai jolted up off the winded bridge builder, eyes fixating on the huge sword sticking from the tree as a tan, shirtless man leapt down onto the handle of the massive sword. The bottom half of his face was covered in bandages in a masked fashion, making facial features nearly impossible to distinguish.
"Konoha ninja huh?" He asked as he turned around, eyeing them as the others began to come to their feet as well. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the kids standing upright. There was no way in hell they were ninja. They had probably never even killed a person before.
'This isn't good. This isn't good. HELL! This isn't good!' Kurenai's thoughts whirled as she grit her teeth together. That was Momochi Zabuza, a missing Nin from Kiri. He had a very bad reputation and was excellent and silent killing. Killing of any kind really.
He was known as the demon of the mist.
Why the hell did he have to show up on this mission?
"Momochi Zabuza." Kurenai growled out as she pushed herself in front of her students. "Stay back. All of you!" She hissed quietly as she thrust an arm out in front of Hinata, the one in front, and gently began pushing her back.
There was no way any of them could handle a ninja of this calibre.
"Now!" Was the heated reply she gave Kiba's defiant look.
A smirk pulled at Zabuza's lips underneath his bandages as he watched the pathetic attempt to protect the kids. Like she would be any protection if he decided to get really serious.
Ridiculous. They weren't even worth his time.
"Sorry but I don't know who you are." Zabuza said casually as he crouched down where he stood, one hand grasping the handle of the sword underneath him tightly. "And I have no intention of knowing."
"My only goal…is that bridge builder there." He clarified as he jerked his chin in Tazuna's direction, the older man flinching. Instinctively the three Genins formed a protective triangle around him, the most basic of protective formations one was taught in the Academy.
Zabuza almost wanted to laugh at them.
Kurenai felt herself standing tall as she faced him, muscles tensing. It was her duty now, to protect everyone. Tazuna's town needed him and her students needed her.
"You'll have to fight me first." She called out as her body sunk into a well practiced fighting style that she didn't even have to think about.
Zabuza's eyes sparked with amusement. "Oh?" He voiced, a brow quirking. He raised his feet and pushed off against the tree trunk, dislodging his sword in a flurry of movement. He disappeared only for the splash of water to give away his position.
His tall form stood on top of a small body of water to their left, past a few trees. One hand was poised in front of his mouth while the other rose into the air. "Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist no Jutsu)." He said as water splashed up, obscuring his form before he disappeared.
Thick, heavy mist filtered into the air, clouding everyone's vision and making Kiba feel like he was choking. He could hardly breath through the stuff, it was so dense. He could hardly see anyone either, his teammates and Tazuna were just visible to him because they were standing so close.
Kurenai hissed something obscene under her breath.
"Hinata!" She called out, the navy haired girl squeaking in response.
"Y-y-yes?" She stuttered back, tightening the grip on the kunai she had pulled out the moment Zabuza had said he was after Tazuna. She had to keep a level head. The prospect of dying seemed to real and evident in this circumstance that she felt like fainting.
And she couldn't do that under these circumstances.
"Can you activate your Byakugan and tell me where he is?!" Kurenai instructed as she moved her head left and right, trying to sense his chakra. Hinata fumbled for a second before squaring her shoulders and making a single hand sign, closing her eyes. She didn't even bother to tell Kurenai about the limits to her sight.
Her eyes shot open, veins around her temple bulging as chakra flowed through them. "Byakugan!"
The mist was suddenly gone, replaced with a world of chakra systems and the swirl of chakra. She could see the chakra swirling from her teammates and Kurenai not too far from all of them.
She slowly turned her head, scanning the now visible trees, careful not to overlook anything. She hoped fervently that she could be of use and that Zabuza wasn't out of her range.
"I'll help." Kiba whispered beside her before he thrust his nose into the muggy air, Akamaru following his example. It was so hard to breath with all this mist swirling around them.
A gasp ripped through the air, emitting from the Hyuuga as she located Zabuza's chakra network…coming straight at her!
Her words caught in her throat as fear encased her.
Her world began tilting, Hinata not noticing Kiba's hands pulling her down the same instance she caught sight of him. He had caught a whiff of his scent and had reacted.
Zabuza's sword swung through the air where Hinata had stood seconds before.
"KURENAI-SENSEI! HE'S HERE!" Kiba yelled as he continued to scramble back, taking Hinata with him. At his words, Shino yanked Tazuna away from the blade being lifted into the air once again.
"Tch, missed." Zabuza grumbled to himself. Kurenai snapped her head around before launching herself in the direction of Kiba's voice as Zabuza swung with his sword again.
Metal ground against metal as Kurenai's kunai grated against his blade, the Jounin grunting from the effort it took to keep him at bay. They broke apart and Kurenai ducked as she thrust her kunai upwards, embedding it inside his ribs. There was a gurgle from the missing Nin, Kurenai's eyes narrowing.
That was too easy.
His body morphed into water, splashing over her.
"Behind you Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata managed to yell this time, the real Zabuza glancing at the Hyuuga as he burst out from behind Kurenai and kicked the woman in the ribs. She grunted as she skid a few inches before spinning around, her body breaking apart into multiple flower petals.
'A genjutsu.' Zabuza thought to himself as he watched the petals float through the air. 'Too bad for her I know how to break genjutsu.'
"Kai!" Zabuza said as he twirled, swinging his sword in a wide arc into the air around him. There was a pained gasp as it struck something and the petals reformed into the solid form of Kurenai, clutching at her shoulder where the blade of the weapon was embedded.
Pain sparked from every nerve of her arm as Zabuza grinned and yanked the sword out, making Kurenai cry out before he swung his arm around and hit her in the temple with the back of his hand.
She flew into the small lake he had stood on not too long ago.
"KURENAI-SENSEI!" Kiba cried out in concern and panic as the water splashed around her, her body disappearing underneath the lake's surface.
Zabuza turned his body to look at the kids, eyes fixating on the only female standing. The mist was no problem for him. He had grown up in Kiri. The mist was nothing.
But this girl…
'She can see me through all this mist. She's going to be a nuisance.'
With the smallest twist of his ankle, Zabuza was rushing towards them. Like he predicted, the girl was the first to see him, her eyes widening. It wouldn't save her though, just seeing him. Not if she couldn't react.
"Ki--" She started in warning before Zabuza's fist connected with the underside of her jaw, the dog boy beside her turning in slow motion as her feet lifted off the ground. Not passing up his opportunity, Zabuza rammed his foot into her stomach and watched as she rocketed into a tree behind her before crumpling to the ground.
The dog boy looked shaken. "HINAT--" Was all he could manage to spit out before Zabuza landed a powerful blow to his face as well, both Kiba and Akamaru spinning to the ground as blood flew from Kiba's mouth.
The ground between Zabuza's feet cracked before splitting open a centimetre. Roots shot out of the ground, startling the sword master as the roots snarled around his legs, trapping him.
"Another…genjutsu…huh?" He choked out as the roots grew at an alarming rate, crawling now over his abs and continuing up over his chest. He leaked chakra from every pore in his body he could manage, the roots freezing before constricting against him viciously…momentarily, before relaxing their hold.
He turned and swung his sword, Kurenai's form materializing and jumping away before the blade could catch her. Zabuza's form disappeared into the mist before she could come at him again and she cursed, looking around blindly once more. She panted, wheezing the whole while.
She was in serious trouble. She couldn't move her left arm. The pain was close to overriding her brain, but her fingers weren't responding. Her wrist wasn't moving and her arm hung limply at her side.
She needed serious medical help if there was any hope left in salvaging the limb.
"Kiba, are you and Hinata alright?" Shino asked as he stepped towards their direction, slightly unsure where they were. He didn't have Hinata's vision. Thankfully his bugs urged him in the right direction as they recognised the nearby chakra.
Kiba groaned in response but Hinata was silent. Shino glanced at Tazuna for a second, the bridge builder still safe and healthy, before the bug user jogged over to the fallen Hyuuga. He knelt down next to her and checked her over.
She was merely unconscious.
"This is going to end now."
"What makes you so sure?" Kurenai challenged, her words stronger than how she felt inside. In truth he had the advantage in this battle.
"I thought you would've known." Zabuza's voice mocked from the concealment of the mist. Kiba growled as he spat up blood, the liquid trickling down his chin as he struggled to his feet. Shino looked around from where he was knelt down next to Hinata's unconscious form.
"Know what?!" Kurenai grunted as she held her wounded arm, pain bristling from the mere touch.
"I'm a master at silent killing."
Something heavy thudded to the ground and dread pulled at Kurenai. The mist began to lift, revealing the battleground and she could see everything clearly now since the battle first began.
Her student's…wounded. Alive, but wounded.
Zabuza, standing tall with his weapon in one hand.
Tazuna's body dead at his feet.
He had been unprotected. For one split second. And that was all it had took.
Zabuza picked up the separated head of the bridge builder in his free hand, holding the man by the hair. He sneered as he looked over at her stunned expression.
"Well I got what I came for." He replied. "You lose."
Mist swirled around him before disappearing, leaving team 8 alone in a clearing with Tazuna's body.
~*~
Kiba looked anywhere but the woman in front of him as she wailed into her hands. He couldn't stand the sound. Her shoulders shook and her face was hidden in her hands. At his side Hinata looked at the ground as silent tears fell down her cheeks as well, sympathy for the woman in front of her.
Tazuna's daughter.
They had stopped to visit her after swiftly treating to their wounds like amateurs. They would have to head right to the Konoha hospital for Kurenai's arm.
"Just go away…" The woman managed to say, her words broken and watery. They were raw with grief and bitterness. A loss of hope.
"We jus--"
"JUST GO AWAY!" She yelled before slamming the door, the force making all four ninjas grimace as the door rattled in it's hinges. The sound of her crying was still distinguishable despite the piece of wood separating them.
A heavy silence fell upon team 8 as they stood there silently, save for Hinata who sniffled, wiping at her tears with her sleeve.
"We should get going." Kurenai finally spoke up, her voice soft and offering comfort. It did little to lift the heavy weight that settled in their chests. "We have awhile before we reach Konoha."
The three Genins nodded their consent before they all turned and began walking away from the house. Their footsteps were heavy, seeming to echo through the air with each step they took.
A little boy dressed in overalls and a hat, no older than eight, passed by them, oblivious to their presence. He opened the door of the crying woman they had just seen and froze, startled. The door closed behind him, but his words reached their ears.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?"
They walked away quickly before they could witness him break out into wails of his own.
~*~
"Kyoko…Roku…can I see you two for a moment?" Iruka called out as he watched the two mentioned people spar against each other. The class was outside doing their daily sparring matches and Kyoko and Roku had been fighting with much more intensity then any of the other kids in the class.
They always got like that, but only when they were fighting each other.
They were the only match still going even though class was ending.
The two preteens paused right where they were, Kyoko blocking the copper haired boy's kick with her forearm. Three weeks ago and the opposing male would've been weary about fighting her, seeing how that was when she was released from the hospital.
She was perfectly fine now.
"Uh…ok." Kyoko responded, the two seeming a little dazed at having their fight broken. They seemed to finally come around when they noticed the kids trickling back into the Academy building.
"Oops, we did it again." Roku mumbled under his breath as he ran a hand through his unruly locks. Kyoko only smiled sheepishly as they followed the tan Chuunin into the building. They followed him down the hall, eyeing the other kids from the class as they returned to the classroom while Iruka lead them to another room.
It was just an empty, spare classroom. When the door closed, Iruka turned to face them, his face serious. The Namikaze half wondered if they were in trouble. They hadn't done anything that she could think of…besides talking in class.
And that was never dealt with like this.
"I've been watching you two since you returned to the Academy." Iruka started.
"I technically never left." Kyoko reminded a little moodily, Roku elbowing her lightly.
"Yes…well, ever since the start of the new term then." He continued, clearing his throat to fix his mistake. "And you're skills are better then the others in class. Not to mention that you already know all the material there is to learn. I've been watching you two fight and, although it is a little early, I think you're ready." He finished, his mouth breaking out into a smile.
He had, of course, checked with other teachers who had watched them as well. They had all agreed with his decision. Even though the two had only been average students the first time around, they had everything they needed memorized the second time, putting them very high in the class now.
Roku blinked before his face grew into an excited grin. Kyoko seemed a little confused.
"Ready? For what?" She questioned, looking between Iruka and Roku.
"To take the graduation test." Roku clarified instead, eyes dancing. Kyoko gasped before she grinned as well. Finally! She could get out of the Academy!
"Wait, are we going to have to make a bunshin again?" She asked, raising a brow. She honestly hadn't even attempted one since her failed attempt at graduating.
Iruka shook his head
"No, since you two will be trying to graduate earlier then the others, you're requirements will be a little different. You will have to do a test that covers all that you have learned from the Academy, not just ninjutsu." He explained simply. "If we're letting you out early, we have to make sure you're ready."
"So what will we have to do?" Kyoko asked as she sat on top of one of the nearby desks, Roku leaning against one as the two watched Iruka intently. This was their future he was talking about here.
Iruka opened his mouth for a second before pausing and closing it. He did that a couple more times, making Roku frown and Kyoko cross her arms over her chest.
"Um…I guess the best way to describe it would be an obstacle course. We're trying something different so we're going to test it on you two." Iruka said sheepishly, smiling as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Obstacle course?" The two echoed back in confusion. Roku thought the prospect seemed a little…kiddish, while Kyoko's brow furrowed. These were ninjas they were talking about. It was probably going to be some sort of twisted, demented form of an obstacle course that was going to make her wish she had killed herself.
"When will this 'obstacle' course," Roku started, making quotation marks with his fingers. "take place?"
"How does tomorrow afternoon sound?"
"Don't you have class?" Kyoko pointed out.
"I'll just get one of the other teachers to fill in for me. If no one can, I'll let them have a study period." Iruka shrugged nonchalantly.
With that taken care of, the three returned to the classroom, Kyoko biting her bottom lip in anticipation for what would most likely be a deadly ninja obstacle course, while Roku contemplated the ease of this childish test.
~*~
"So," Iruka began brightly the next day. "How'd you like the obstacle course?"
Roku simply gawked at him, the male looking pale and horror stricken. He was trembling slightly as he looked around, afraid something was going to jump out at him, his hair wildly messed up and his clothes dishevelled.
"Please don't make me do it again." Roku whispered suddenly as he grabbed Kyoko by the shoulders and put her in front of him like a shield. The blond just looked around, her clothes and hair in much the same state as Roku's, but her mentality seemed to still be in tact.
"I thought it would be worse." She admitted with a shrug, Roku only gawking at her instead.
"Well you've both passed. Congratulations." Iruka replied with a smile as he handed them both a forehead protector. Kyoko grinned as she tied it onto her head. She turned to say something to Roku before grinning mischievously at his still trembling state.
That test really did a number on him. It was horrible for her too but so much worse for him. Much worse…
He finished tying the forehead protector around his bicep--
"BOO!"
"GGGGAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Roku jumped three feet in the air, losing his footing as he tried to whirl around and landing in a heap on the ground. Kyoko was laughing over him, hands over her mouth to muffle the sound, but it was in vain.
Roku's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She apologized, chuckling as Roku stood up briskly, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at her. A sight that was a rare oddity on the boy.
Acting every ounce the peacemaker, Iruka stepped between them. "Now now. If we come back into the Academy building, you can meet the other member of you three man cell and then you're Jounin instructor."
"We're on a team together?" The two asked in unison, Roku momentarily forgetting about his discomfort.
"Yeah. More so for the third members sake. His name is Samada Itsuya. He's a 10-year-old prodigy but he had dependency issues. He has trouble working alone." Iruka started to explain as he slowly began leading them away from the obstacle course, mentally making a note to refrain from suggesting the obstacle course to other teachers again. "So we figured it be best to put him in a three man cell."
Kyoko nodded. It made sense.
Now, who was their instructor?
~*~
Doing missions drunk…
Walking around town naked…
Threatening civilians…
Being careless with weapons…
Being careless with weapons towards civilians…
These were all the charges that lead to her being required to do community service. Mind you, most of the charges happened because she was drunk. The only one she could find that didn't depend on that factor was threatening civilians, and even then she was joking half the time.
Well, unless they pissed her off and truly deserved it. Then she hoped they got what was coming towards them.
But this…this was too much!
"Babysitting a bunch of snot nosed, whiny, just out of the Academy, no good brats!" She hissed under her breath as she seethed inside of the classroom she currently occupied.
That stupid old Sandaime!
How could he do this to her?! She was not the type of woman to look after kids!
He called her into his office and showed her the different charges pressed against her amazing self and then claimed she had two solutions. One, she could offer to be a Jounin instructor for a year and get rid of the chargers that way, or two….
Well let's just say two was unpleasant and it was obvious which one she had chosen.
She turned and kicked the wall next to her, oddly relishing in the pain that throbbed in her toes from the action. She wanted to cause the stupid Hokage so much pain for this but she couldn't. Oh how she wished she could.
She would just make her students pay! Oh, her poor unsuspecting students.
"I'll make my students wish they were dead." She decided, a maniac smile spreading across Mitarashi Anko's face.
~*~
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Chapter notes: Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Authoress Note: The only thing that made it hard to write this chapter was that Kurenai doesn't fight that much so it made it a pain to write a scene where she's fighting someone. Like I mean, I know she does fight, but since she uses genjutsu and whatnot, it's not very exciting.
But anyways, here's the chapter. Enjoy for I will be gone on a trip to the US for awhile so it'll be a little bit before I update again.