11 Chapter 11: Clash! Demon of the Hidden Mist!

"I-I can explain." Tazuna said as he breathed out.

"It's no longer about whether you can explain it or not." Kakashi said.

"This mission is beyond us because we were never given proper information so we could prepare. At this point, we would need to return to inform the Hokage." Kakashi stated.

"That's right, we haven't trained enough for missions like these, we're not ready!" Sakura agreed.

Speak for yourself, Sasuke thought, I need a good challenge and this mission seems perfect to put my skills to the test! Naruto looked down in thought, he also wanted to continue. He wondered how he could convince everyone to keep going.

He looked up and saw Kakashi looking at him. Then he thought of something.

"Wait, hold it Kakashi-sensei, we can't give up the mission!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh? Why's that Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"It's because I promised to complete this mission!" Naruto stated.

"I don't see how that's relevant to our situation." Kakashi sighed.

"It's my nindo, I'll never go back on my words and I'll never give up. I said I would complete this mission and I'll see it through!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I see, and are you prepared if Sasuke or Sakura were to die on a mission we weren't prepared for just because you didn't want to stop the mission?" Kakashi asked Naruto seriously.

Naruto just grinned and looked up with determination in his eyes. "I won't let that happen. How can I become Hokage if I let my friends die on my watch!"

Kakashi looked at Naruto deeply before smiling.

"Alright, we'll continue the mission then." Kakashi said.

Sasuke smiled to himself, while Sakura groaned. Tazuna just looked at Naruto im surprise.

"However, Tazuna, when we get to our destination, I need you to explain everything." Kakashi said glaring at Tazuna.

Tazuna gulped and nodded his head.

"Good, now let's move out." Kakashi said.

The group continued on their way. Kakashi left a clone behind to interrogate the unconscious hidden mist ninja. When they came to, Kakashi had threatened them and interrogated them. But he got nothing from the two as they committed suicide. He sighed yo himself before dispersing, transferring the information back to the original Kakashi.

Eventually, the group reached the place where they would meet the man that would ferry them across the water.

...

...

...

The waves rocked against the boat as they slowly moved through the fog. The entire group was silent as they made their way. The ferryman had a stern expression and was keeping a constant vigil on their surroundings.

"The mist is thick, and so far, it seems we haven't been detected yet." The ferryman said cautiously.

"Just up ahead is the bridge, soon we'll reach our destination."

The group silently admired it with wide eyes. Naruto remembered the first time he saw it and how he couldn't help but exclaiming out loud. He smiled a bit at the memory and went back to admiring the bridge again.

"We may not have been detected so far, but I'll take the route with more vegetation just to be safe. The ferryman said.

"Alright, thank you." Tazuna replied.

Kakashi looked over at Tazuna. "Tazuna, now that we have a moment. Why don't you explain what's really going on."

"Right... You see, the man that is after my life is a terrifying man." Tazuna began.

"Terrifying?" Kakashi asked.

"He is someone who I'm sure you have heard of as well. A shipping magnate by the name of Gatou!" Tazuna said.

"What?! Gatou.... as in from the Gatou company?!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"Who's Gatou?" Sakura asked.

"Gatou is one of the world's richest men. Who on the surface is the chief executive of a shipping company. But beneath it all, he deals in drug-trafficking using gangs and ninjas. He came about a year ago to the Land of Waves. Using his wealth and power, he took complete control of the island's maritime transportation and shipping." Tazuna continued.

Naruto thought back to the brief time he encountered Gatou previously, he hated how despicable the man was. Then he turned his attention back to Tazuna as he continued explaining his circumstances.

"Having control over the seas for an island nation means having control of finance, the government, and everything. But the one thing that could ruin Gatou is the bridge that I am currently building. Tazuna finished.

"I see, since you're the one building the bridge, you've become a nuisance to Gatou." Sakura said, understanding the situation.

"Then that means the ninjas from before were hired by Gatou." Sasuke remembered.

Naruto already knew all of this so he just sat back thinking about how he would change things this time. However, because of this, Sakura and Sasuke thought that Naruto didn't understand a single thing that was being talked about.

"So, if you're under attack by a man this dangerous, why didn't you come up front about it when you submitted the mission?" Kakashi asked.

"You see, the Land of Waves, and by extension, it's people are very poor, we had no money to afford a B rank mission or higher...." Tazuna answered.

"I understand it if you decide to pull out of this mission, but if you were to do so, then I would die before I make it home. But you don't need to worry about it" Tazuna started saying.

Sakura started to feel guilty as Tazuna spoke.

"But if I were to die, then my grandchild who will turn 8 soon will be sad and cry his heart out."

"Geh." Sakura and Sasuke exclaimed.

"Oh, and my daughter will only blame the hidden leaf shinobi for all of her life and grieve in solitude!"

"But it's not your fault at all." Tazuna finished.

Team 7 all looked at each other with a guilty expression.

"Well, we don't have a choice, we'll finish this mission and keep you safe." Kakashi said after scratching his head.

Tazuna grinned inwardly to himself and thought, I win.

"Oh, I am most grateful." Tazuna expressed.

As the group sat in silence the ferryman spoke up once more.

"We're almost there."

The boat sailed forward and soon the group saw a small town built atop the water. They couldn't help but appreciate the view. Soon they sailed next to a wooden platform where they got off.

"This is as far as I can take you, take care." The ferryman said.

"Thanks, you've been a big help." Tazuna replied.

Then they parted ways, and team 7 along with Tazuna continued on.

Kakashi sighed inwardly as they walked since he knew that whoever came next would be jonin level instead of chuunin like the two ninjas that attacked them previously. The group had entered the woods and were walking down the path. Naruto was thinking about what he should do when Zabuza showed himself as he walked in front. But as he was walking, Sasuke had walked up beside him. Naruto wondered what Sasuke was doing. But as they were walking he and Kakashi noticed something and he threw a kunai at it.

Sasuke and Sakura freaked out as well as Tazuna and they started berating Naruto about not doing crazy things. But Kakashi went and inspected the area that Naruto threw his kunai at, and found a white snow rabbit.

A snow rabbit? But why is it's fur white? It only gets like that during the winter due to little sunlight.... Which means it was raised indoors without sunlight to be used as a substitution....

Up in the trees a figure was watching Naruto and his group. No wonder the demon brothers couldn't take out these guys, they wouldn't be able to. Not with the copy ninja of the hidden lead, Kakashi of the Sharingan, he thought.

Kakashi looked up towards the trees. Guess they're already here, huh, he thought.

Then Kakashi and Naruto noticed something coming at them.

"Get down!" They both yelled, and every dropped onto the ground as a giant sword spun over their heads and sliced into a tree. Then a figure appeared on top of it.

It's him, Naruto thought, Zabuza.

"Well, well, if it isn't the rouge ninja of the hidden mist, Momochi Zabuza." Kakashi stated looking up at the figure.

"I'm honored, for the Kakashi of the sharingan eye to know my name." Zabuza said amused.

Sharingan? Sasuke thought to himself, so that is what I saw back during the survival training. Sasuke thought back to when they were fighting against Kakashi and saw Kakashi pull up his forehead protector. He had, for an instance, seen the sharingan eye, but he thought he had been mistaken. But now, he knew for sure, he had seen Kakashi with the sharingan eye. But only certain members of the Uchiha possessed the sharingan, and he was the last remaining member, so how did Kakashi have the sharingan?

"I'm sorry Kakashi, while I would love to test my skills against an opponent such as you, I have a contract to finish. So step aside for a minute would you." Zabuza asked.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my team accepted a mission to protect Mr. Tazuna from harm. So you will have to go through me if you want to touch him." Kakashi replied.

"Naruto, I leave Tazuna to you, Sasuke, and Sakura. Stay out of this fight." Kakashi commanded.

The three of them nodded and got into a formation around Tazuna.

Mist slowly started forming around the area they were in.

Zabuza grinned as he pulled his sword out of the tree and landed on the water nearby.

"He's over there on the water!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kakashi pulled his forehead protector up and opened his eye revealing the sharingan. Then he stared at Zabuza who was gathering chakra.

<Ninja art: Hidden Mist Jutsu>

The mist around them grew thicker, Kakashi walked forward in front of the group.

"Sensei?" Sakura called out.

"Well, he's most like after me, so you guys shouldn't have to worry, but stay on your guard." Kakashi said.

"Sensei, who is he?" Sakura asked.

"Momochi Zabuza, he's a former anbu black ops member of the hidden mist village, and is an expert of the silent killing technique." Kakashi explained.

"Silent?" Sakura asked.

"As the name suggests, it's a technique used to silently kill your opponent in an instance. Best suited to missions such as assassinations." Kakashi answered.

"By the time you realize it, it's already too late, and you'll have ended up in the afterlife."

Sakura gulped in fear.

"Well, if we fail, we'll only die." Kakashi said casually.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Sakura yelled out.

Eventually the mist grew to the point that Naruto and the others couldn't see Kakashi anymore. So they grew even more tense. Naruto had calmed down his mind, and began concentrating, feeling the area around him as he began sensing for Zabuza's chakra.

Kakashi slowly released his killing intent and chakra into the area as he focused. The mist was cleared away and Sasuke soon found himself caught in Kakashi's killing intent and felt like he was suffocating, he couldn't move. It was too much for him to bare and right as he gripped his kunai, Kakashi spoke to him.

"Sasuke, don't worry, I will protect you with my life. I will not allow my comrades to get killed." He said smiling.

"I wonder about that." Zabuza suddenly asked. Then he appeared within the formation of the group. Just as Kakashi had spun around however, Naruto had already taken his kunai and lodged it straight into Zabuza's gut. While shocked, Zabuza slowly turned into water, revealing that he had been a water clone. Then the real Zabuza came from behind Kakashi and sliced him in half. But, Kakashi had also used turned into a water clone, surprising Zabuza.

What? A water clone? Don't tell me, he copied me from the beginning? Zabuza thought, Kakashi pressed a kunai up to Zabuza's neck from behind.

"Don't move." Kakashi instructed.

"It's over."