Chapter 102 - Venom

"Get down!" Kakashi ordered, pushing Tazuna's scruff to the ground. His students luckily listened to him, letting a massive spinning cleaver pass above their heads. The sword dug itself half-deep into thick tree bark.

"Copycat Hatake Kakashi." Zabuza landed on the pommel of his blade.

"Dobe, this time, let me have some fun." Sasuke walked out, but when he tried to pass around Kakashi, the jōnin halted the black-haired boy.

"Well, well, how nice to see a friendly face, Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of Hidden Mist." he started, pulling Sasuke behind his back, "Stand back all of you. Protect Tazuna, Zabuza is on an entirely different level."

"Unfortunately for you, I need the old man's head, Hatake."

"Oyaa~. Would you fight your allies, Momochi? You bad boy..." he teased, uncovering his Sharingan.

"No hard feelings, Hatake. The old man is just the means to an end."

-----

"Psst... Kana-chan, isn't he?" Utakata hid next to Kaname.

"Yep, Mei-chan send Zabuza as our transport. Maybe he has something to do here as well. Want some?" she exposed a half-eaten bag of popcorn.

"Haaa... Don't you want to stop them?"

"Nope, let their pėnɨs measurement contest work itself out. We will enter once the fight finishes. Wanna bet?"

"Pft..." Utakata snorted, "Sure, what are we betting?"

Kaname smiled. "Whoever loses has to listen to the other party's orders for a single night."

"Eh? Damn, Kana-chan, you drive a hard bargain. Let's see - it's a close fifty-fifty between them. I have to vote for my fellow-countryman."

"So it's a bet. We will stop them before the killing blow comes."

"There is no single boring day with you, is there, Kana-chan?"

"Admit it, Utakata. You love it when the days are interesting as well."

"Haha..."

-----

"Ah, I already get to see the famous Sharingan. I'm honored. The man who has copied over one thousand jutsus, let's see how you deal with a true predator." Zabuza flickered away, landing on the closeby pond. With quick handiwork, his jutsu was ready. "<Kirigakure no Jutsu> [Hiding in the Mist Technique]" a thick mist rose from the pool of water, quickly enveloping the battlefield.

"He will come after me first," Kakashi explained, "Zabuza Momochi is known as an expert in the art of silent ȧssassination. You won't notice him until you died. It's not like the Sharingan can see through the mist. Be careful, guys."

The disbodied Zabuza's voice came from everywhere around them. "Eight choices: brain, clavicle vein, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, neck vein, and spine."

"Uhh-" when a massive amount of bloodlust hit the kids, Hinata swayed on her legs.

"Damnit, so this is how it feels to fight against a serious jōnin. It's like my life is being suċkėd out of my body." Sasuke ġrȯȧnėd.

"Calm down. Remember to take full, deep breaths ~ttebayo." the blonde replied, putting the hand on Hinata's arm.

"Ugh, how are you okay, Dobe?"

"It's just the usual amount of bloodlust my Sis exerts when she is angry at me ~ttebayo. I got used to it, Teme... Be careful - he may be anywhere."

"Good. Don't worry, kids. I will protect you, even if it kills me." Hearing his small teammates' words filled the silver-haired jōnin with pride. "I don't let my comrades die." Kakashi eye smiled at the kids, going through multiple hand-seals in preparation.

"We will see about that!" Zabuza flickered next to Tazuna, right in the middle of team six's defensive formation. Kakashi charged right at him, impaling his kunai into his opponent's stomach and throwing the kids and the man away from the danger.

"Hoh~, you are fast." Zabuza's injured clone dispersed into a puddle of water, letting the real swordsman flicker behind Kakashi and swing his cleaver.

The silver-haired jōnin's shadow clone puffed out of existence, leaving behind a small piece of paper.

"Shi-!"

*Kaboom!*

Hiding behind the blade, Zabuza was blasted across the field. Kakashi did not let him get up - he stood above his downed body with a kunai on Zabuza's neck.

"Heh, you're a tricky son of a bitch, Hatake."

"Thanks, someone showed me that trick. Is that enough? I don't want to kill a Kirigakure shinobi. It's over, Zabuza."

"He-hehe. Do you-" Zabuza chuckled, "think it's over?" a voice came from behind Kakashi's head.

The second water clone dispersed, quickly enveloping the Konoha shinobi in a cocoon of water before Kakashi was able to dodge the trap.

"You're not the only one that's fast on his feet, Kakashi. Suirō no Jutsu [Water Prison Technique], don't resist, you can't get out of it yourself. I will finish you later. You can watch as I deal with them." As he stood above Kakashi, Zabuza created another water clone that slowly marched towards team six.

"Where is the old man, kids?" the water clone questioned them.

"Puff, your target disappeared. Hehehe." Naruto laughed in the jōnin's face.

"You think you are funny, brat? Wearing forehead protectors and acting like real ninjas, are you? Let me burst your bubble. A real ninja is someone who survived numerous brushes with death. As long as you are not in Bingo Book, you can't refer to yourselves as ninjas." Zabuza's duplicate flickered to Naruto swinging his leg at the blonde.

"Heh, then write in your own book, Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage!" Nine glowing yellow chains shot out from Naruto's body, gripping Zabuza's extended appendage. Kaname's foster brother's teammates reacted at the same time, attacking the water clone from both sides.

The experienced shinobi swiftly understood his situation and used another high-speed movement to dodge their attack. Reappearing behind Naruto, he swung his sword arm, trying to kill the children in one quick swoop.

Uzumaki's bloodline reacted like a living organism, pulling Sasuke and Hinata closer to Naruto's body, and enclosed themselves around the blonde and his friends in protection. The power behind the strike sent the trio tumbling on the ground.

"Your brats are good, Kakashi. A Hyūga, an Uchiha, and the freaking Uzumaki? Always wanted to hunt an Uzumaki down myself."

"Uhh, Naruto-kun? Are you alright?"

"Hehe," the blonde laughed, wiping off the blood coming from his cut lip with the back of his hand, "I have got a plan ~ttebayo."

"Haah..." Sasuke stood back up on his feet, "Took you long enough, Dobe. Spill it."

"Remember the <Sennen Goroshi> [One Thousand Years of Death], Teme?"

Sasuke's questioning look was quickly replaced with a smirk.

...

"Enough talking, brats? Ready to die already?" the clone growled out.

"Hey, eyebrowless freak, you like your clones? <Kage Bunshin no Jutsu>!" eight blonde clones materialized in front of Naruto, "We will kick your ȧss!" Each clone sprouted out chakra chains from their bodies and rushed at Zabuza's clone.

"Kid, it does not matter how many of you are there. Multiplying a zero by whatever number you copy yourself into is still zero!" He stated, efficiently disposing of Naruto's clones.

"Eight isn't enough ~ttebayo? Have some more! <Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu>!" The ever-present mist thickened as over 60 shadow clones filled the clearing.

"Hoo~, the legendary Uzumaki's chakra reserves. It still doesn't make any difference-"

"CHARGE!" The crowd of blondes attacked the water clone. Naruto's self-proclaimed 'ten-blonde special forces' jumped around the mob of clones hurriedly executed under the blade of the two-handed sword and headed straight at Zabuza.

The Demon of the Mist gripped the first clone's neck with his free hand. A slight squeeze later, he dispersed it. "Hahaha! You guys will never grow up. Still playing ninja. When I was your age, I had already killed all of my classmates! I don't need both of my hands to dispose of you!" he replied, swiping with his leg to scatter another duplicate.

The unnaturally agile red-eyed clone ducked under the cleaver's blade and kicked it upwards, letting the sharp sword pass over the second clone's head. With the cleaver away from its head, the succeeding pale-eyed clone spun on his heel and swung its hands in a circular motion, striking Zabuza's armed left appendage - numbing it.

At the same time, the following clone flickered six steps in front of the Kirigakure jōnin. With his enemy's guard broken apart, nine chakra chains shot out from Naruto's body.

"Grah!" Zabuza caught the chains the moment its spearhead-like tips drew tiny droplets of blood. Unfortunately for him, he had to use the hand that held Kakashi trapped in his jutsu. "I WILL DESTROY YOU, FUCKING BRATS!!" he roared, yanking the chains and sending Naruto smashing into his friends, canceling their changeover. The Demon of the Mist flickered above the downed kids swinging his cleaver down. A moment before team six died, Zabuza was sucker-punched away from the trio.

A soaked Kakashi appeared in front of his team, "Good job. You three have grown up. I'm very proud of you."

"Ugh." Zabuza stood back up, "I made a mistake in allowing you out."

"Wrong. The kids forced you to release the technique." Kakashi's Sharingan blazed red, "Time for payback, Zabuza." Two ninjas jumped away from each other. Their hands became a blur as they readied their techniques.

"<Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu>!"

"<Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu>! [Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet]"

Twin house-sized dragons made out of water collapsed on each other. The resulting explosion of water washed team six and Tazuna away from the battlefield. Two experienced shinobis clashed their weapons.

'It's strange...' Zabuza thought, looking at Kakashi perfectly mimicking his own movements. Breaking apart the hold between two weapons, he prepared another jutsu.

'He is doing-'

"-them at the same time." Kakashi continued for him.

"Haha! All you're doing is copying me!" Zabuza laughed out.

"You can't defeat me, you stupid monkey!"

"You can't defeat me, you stupid monkey!"

The two shouted at each other.

"DAMN! I will erase yo-" the Demon of the Mist looked straight into Kakashi's Sharingan. 'Eh? It's me?' he saw his exact copy doing the same hand signs next to Kakashi. 'Shit! It's a genjutsu!'

"<Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu> [Water Release: Water Bullet Technique]!" With a distraction, Kakashi finished the jutsu first and shot out a high-pressure projectile of water at Zabuza.

"Suiton: Suida- GRAH!" the swordsman got hit by the water bullet. It sent him skipping on the surface of the lake until he hit the closeby rock.

"It's over. Give up, Zabuza." Kakashi landed on a closeby tree branch.

"Ha-hahaha. Do you really think so, Kakashi? You lose." he threw his sword at unarmed Tazuna.

'Kana-chan will kick my ȧss for that, <Kamui>!' Kakashi's Sharingan spun wildly, developing a new pattern. Its design gave the appearance of three triangles wrapping themselves around the pupil. A small black point jumped around the blade, trying to suck it in space-time ninjutsu. 'Shit! I can't do it from that distance! I could use some help, Kana-chan!' he thought, dropping back down on the ground from fatigue after using the Mangekyō Sharingan.

A punch of yellow chains hit the flying sword, deflecting it just a hair's breadth away from the bridge builder's body. "Yeah! I'm getting the hang of it ~tteabyo!"

"Ugh. At least I will finish you." Zabuza staggered slowly to Kakashi.

"Okay! Good fight!" Kaname and Utakata flickered to the two.

"Kaname... Uchiha? W-what are you doing here a week before?"

"Hey, Zabuza-san." she waved her hand in a greeting.

"Took... you... some... time, Kana-chan."

"Heh, you're welcome, Doofus-kun."

The swordsman looked between Kakashi and Kaname, "You are here together?"

"Yeah. Mostly. What's this?" Kaname caught a senbon needle flying next to her. "Hmm." Looking over the sharp weapon, Kaname shrugged her shoulders and used it as a toothpick. Releasing a leftover piece of popcorn hiding between her teeth, she threw the senbon away. "Thanks, Hunter-chan!" she waved at the tree-line to her right.

"They're... not out opponents, stand down!" Zabuza shouted out.

"So, Zabuza-san? Can I know why did you aim to kill my foster brother?"

"*Sigh* Let me guess, the blondie? He is a problematic one. You're the only one that could teach him to be such a pain in the ȧss." Seeing Kaname nod her head, he sat on the ground. "I want to recreate the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. For that, I need the legendary blades. Gatō has found two of them. That's the only reason I'm working for this son of a bitch."

"Why won't you just take them from him?" Utakata asked.

"I tried to, but he got two other shinobis that are on my level."

"Join us then, Zabuza-san. We will most likely have to end the shorty's business either way." she proposed.

"Hmm, I wouldn't mind. But a mission is a mission. I don't want to have a smear on my record."

"I see. Do you need any medical ȧssistance?"

"Wait, what, Kana-chan? Zabuza just declared himself as our enemy." Utakata turned to her.

"Yeah, you really are a pain in the ȧss, Kaname Uchiha. And no, let me keep the rest of my pride." Zabuza nodded.

"As you wish. We will let you and your little Hunter-chan go. Just remember about my offer." She replied, moving aside and allowing Zabuza to retrieve his sword.

----

"I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama. I failed." A masked child apologized. She had long black hair and a slender frame.

"We will talk about it later, Haku."

Haku's shinobi outfit consisted of the standard Kirigakure pinstriped outfit, which stopped at her knees. Over this, she wore a green haori with white trimmings, and around the waist - brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped around her waist twice. She also wore light-brown platoon sandals with straps in the same color as her kimono and nail polish on her fingernails and toenails in matching blue-green color. When wearing this outfit, Haku's long hair was gathered in a white bun holder, while two locks of her hair fell loose framing her face, bound with metal hair cuffs at the ends. She wore a hunter-nin mask on top of her forehead protector, which was white with thin, curved eye-holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth, as well as the Kirigakure symbol etched in the top.

"Thank you, Zabuza-sama. W-who was that? You looked troubled when she appeared in front of you."

"Kaname Uchiha," Zabuza growled out, limping back to Gatō's base.

"Isn't that the person we are waiting for?"

"Not now! I need to rest..." Zabuza fell face-first on the ground.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama." Haku pulled his arm over his shoulders and flickered away.

----

"Nice to meet you, Tsunami-san."

"Likewise, Kaname-sensei." a woman looking about Kaname's age greeted both teams into her home. She had long dark blue-colored hair. She wore a short-sleeved pink shirt with the end of the sleeves and the collar red in color. Tsunami also wore a long blue skirt, "Thank you for protecting my father all the way from Konoha."

"Ah, it wasn't me." Kaname pulled on unconscious Kakashi's hair, exposing his face, "See this sack of potatoes? He did most of the job."

"Umm, what is wrong with him? Do you want me to search for the first-aid kit, Kaname-sensei?" Tsunami questioned.

"Nah, Doofus-kun was stupid and used something he wasn't ready for. He just needs to rest."

"Inari!" the woman called out, but her cry wasn't met with a response. "Where did my child go again? You can put Kakashi-sensei in the free room upstairs."

"Thank you." Kaname replied, "Team 7, after me." Koji gruntled under the weight of Kakashi on his back.

Utakata waited for her already in front of the stairs, "I can't let you fall down the stairs, can I?" he smirked at her.

Kaname rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner, "You're lucky that I'm too tired to argue now."

"So he is taken, pity..." Tsunami murmured, seeing the happy couple walking up the stairs.

"Did you say something, my daughter?" Tazuna astonishedly turned his head towards his daughter-in-law.

"Geez, father! I'm a young woman, can't I have some dreams as well? Kaname-sensei's boyfriend is hot."

-----

"So you say that you failed me again?!" Gatō shouted at Zabuza.

"Ugh, just shut up, pipsqueak." he growled back, "My head is killing me, Haku?"

"Yes, Zabuza-sama. You have twelve broken ribs and a broken hand. You won't be able to move for at least a week." Zabuza's personal guardian explained while bandaging the swordsman's ċhėst.

"Fuck... The bridge builder had an escort of an experienced Konoha jōnin. It would be all over if an unannounced guest did not show up."

"I don't care!" two ninjas appeared at the businessman side, "I will make sure you can't betray us."

"Ugh," Zabuza shakily sat back up on the bed, "Fuck off!" his killing intent hit Gatō hard, making him fall back on the ground, protecting his face.

"Bad boy, you shouldn't scare your employer." the shinobi from Kumogakure called out childishly to Zabuza, protecting Gatō with his body.

"This younger generation... No respect for the elders." the old jōnin from Iwa mocked.

"Zabuza-sama, do you want me to eliminate them?" Several senbon needles showed up between her fingers, ready to strike down Zabuza's targets.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, little girl." the bald man pointed at the back of his neck. A small yellow bee sat upon Haku's body.

"Ugh, Zabuza-sama?" the girl froze in motion.

"If you think that holding her hostage will protect you from me, you are very wrong. Haku is nothing but a tool." he leaned on the legendary cleaver to stand back up on his feet.

"Still playing the tough guy? Luckily for us, you have a soft spot for this girl." The late shinobi commander for Kumo laughed out.

"AHH!" the bee stung.

"No!" Zabuza shouted out, "I will kill you!"

"Hahaha, it's a venom, and only I do have an antidote. You will listen to us, or your little Haku-chan will die in about two weeks. Is that understood, dog?"

"Before the week finishes, you three will lie dead before my feet. I promise you that."

"Did you say something, dog?"

Looking over the spreading dark veins on Haku's neck, Zabuza grumbled out, "... No, I did not."

"Hehehe, see? I knew he was a softy!" the second jōnin laughed out.

-----

"Ugh," Kakashi ġrȯȧnėd, "Huh? Where am I?"

"Morning, Doofus-kun." Kaname's long legs were propped up high on the sofa's armrest, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. What has happened? I don't remember anything after you showed up."

"I let Zabuza go and brought you back to Tazuna's daughter's house."

"... Of course you did." he sighed, "And where are my kids?"

"Yours? Hehe, you warmed up to them. I did not expect that out of you."

"Yeah, me neither, Kana-chan."

"Utakata took your team to give them some training. According to Zabuza, there are two more shinobis his level on Gatō's side."

"Damnit. I'm pretty sure I could deal with Zabuza... Kana-chan, can you help me?"

"Nope, I promised I won't do it." Kaname laughed.

"You and your promises, now I have to persuade the stubborn blonde mule." Kakashi tried to stand back up from his bed, but his muscles did not respond to his brain orders.

"Yeah, you're not leaving the bed for a week. Doofus-kun, your body is not yet ready for Mangekyō Sharingan power. You're lucky you're still alive."

"I noticed. Have you got any idea on how to train that?"

Kaname shrugged her shoulders, "I'm stuck, one of my... Danzo could spam Kotoamatsukami like insane - the only hint I got is Hashirama Senju's cells, or maybe his blood. Unfortunately, he is long dead, and grave-robbing is not my cup of tea."

"What about Tsunade-san? She is the First Hokage's granddaughter."

"Gods know where she is at the moment. After Madara's betrayal, I doubt a Senju will help an Uchiha or generally - any Sharingan user that easily."

"True, maybe Jiraya-san knows where to find her, but acquiring her help would be... problematic."

-------

"What'd ya mean ~dattebayo!? I'm the bestest of best ninjas in Konoha!"

"You suck at elemental release, Naruto. That's a fact." Utakata words made the boy grumble.

"Maybe, but I have Uzumaki's bloodline ~ttebayo. That should count for something!"

"It does, but if you want to become a Hokage, you need more than a pedigree. You require at least the most basic skills of a shinobi. Do you see Hinata or Sasuke complaining about their training?"

Naruto looked at his friends. The water coiled around Hinata's hands, slicing through dummies every swing of her arm. Each succeeding explosion from Sasuke's fireball was hotter and brighter than the previous one.

"Hey Utakata, can I choose it myself? I want to have the same nature as Sasuke and Sis."

"Nope, it all comes to luck, Naruto. Here is the piece of chakra paper. You know how it works?"

"Yeah? I put some chakra, and it shows something?"

"Yes, fire nature will burn the paper; Wind will split it in two;

Lightning - the paper will wrinkle.

If you have earth nature, the paper will turn to dirt and crumble away. And finally, water will make it damp." Utakata explained.

"Why Sis didn't test me before ~ttebayo?" the blonde received a piece of brown paper.

"You're not the only one that's exceptional in team six, Naruto. Nature manipulation techniques are more of low-chūnin-level."

When Naruto injected a small dose of chakra through his palm, the piece of paper instantly cut itself in two and then crumpled.

"Hah-hahaha! You're one of a kind, Naruto."

"Ugh, what does that mean, Utakata?"

"You have two affinities. A primary one is the wind, and the second is lightning. Thinking about it now, unknown to anybody, you couldn't have better teachers."

"I still don't get it. I wanted the fire nature like Sis has."

"Kana-chan has two affinities, fire and wind. She is one of the few with this rare affinity. Kakashi has a lightning affinity. You couldn't have better teachers than those two, Naruto."

"Hehehe." he scratched the back of his blonde head.

"Now, get some leaves. I have training for you in my mind.

"Leaves?! Again?!"