"Please," Tazuna begged, his voice breaking in desperation.
Before Kakashi could deliver the final, crushing refusal, Naruto's fist shot into the air. "We'll protect you! I swear it!"
Naruto's declaration hung in the air, a stark, defiant contrast to Kakashi's cold professionalism. The blond's eyes blazed with a conviction that bordered on foolishness, but it was pure, untainted by the cynicism of a seasoned shinobi.
Sasuke watched, a flicker of something—disgust? Envy?—crossing his features. This was the idiocy of the dead last, acting on pure emotion without a thought for strategy or consequence. Yet... there was a strange magnetism to it. A raw power that Sasuke, with all his carefully honed skills, couldn't replicate.
Sakura looked from Naruto's determined face to Kakashi's impassive one, her own expression a tangled mess of confusion and budding admiration for her teammate's sudden heroism.
"Naruto," Kakashi said, his voice dangerously soft, a stark contrast to his usual lazy drawl. "This isn't a game. This isn't some academy challenge. We are outmatched. Our job is to complete the mission, not to get ourselves killed because a client lied."
"But he needs our help!" Naruto retorted, pointing a trembling finger at Tazuna. "As a shinobi, how can we turn down someone who needs us?" He then looked at Sasuke and Sakura. "Are you just going to let him talk about going back like that?" he asked, hoping for some support.
Sasuke said nothing, not because he agreed with Naruto's foolish plea, but because he was analyzing Kakashi. He saw the flicker in the man's eye, the subtle shift in his posture. He was putting on a show. This wasn't about protocol; it was another test.
A test to see if his team had a heart. A test to see if they were more than just tools for hire. A test to see if Naruto was a hero or just a loudmouth.
Still, Sasuke didn't overly care either way. While the rules clearly stated that they were supposed to turn back now that they had learned the client had lied, he didn't care about those dead rules. This mission was clearly far more interesting than going back and doing more D-ranks, and he might even be able to get more combat experience.
So in the end, he didn't say anything, but his silence did speak for him.
Sakura was also clearly wanting to go, though she wasn't as pure as Naruto, because who was? She was still kind at heart.
A kindness Kakashi had seen in many shinobi. It had been in Obito, in Rin... in fact, Naruto and Sakura reminded him a lot of those two, with Sasuke clearly being him on this team.
This was why he couldn't just let them turn back, not now. This was a chance to teach them what it truly meant to be a shinobi.
Not to mention that he didn't think this would be all that dangerous. Sasuke had just demonstrated the ability to handle a low C-ranked threat without even trying, and from what he saw at the bell test, he and Naruto could likely handle any Chūnin out there.
As for any real threats? That was unlikely. At most, someone like Gatō might hire a Tokubetsu Jōnin, and those were no real challenge with him there.
So he gave in.
"Alright," he finally said, causing Naruto to cheer loudly. "But this is no longer a standard mission. This is now a personal request. We will protect you, Tazuna-san, but know this: from this point on, you put your trust in us. All of us."
The relief on Tazuna's face was palpable. "Thank you. I'm so sorry I lied, but truly, thank you. I promise that once the bridge is finished, I will find a way to repay you."
"I'll hold you to that," Kakashi said with a lazy wave, before turning to face the direction they had been heading. "Come, let's get moving. We've wasted enough daylight."
They continued their journey, but the atmosphere had changed. The light-hearted curiosity from before was gone, replaced by a tense, professional alertness. Sakura walked closer to Tazuna, her hand hovering near the kunai pouch on her thigh.
Naruto had stopped bouncing, his eyes scanning the forest with a newfound seriousness. Even Sasuke seemed more focused, his Sharingan inactive for now, but his senses were clearly heightened.
The next two days passed without incident. They were quiet, tense days. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves, sent a jolt of adrenaline through them. They traveled faster, covering more ground each day. Kakashi was no longer just reading; he was constantly scanning their surroundings, his one visible eye missing nothing.
Yet, in the end, nothing happened. It was clear that the news of the Demon Brothers' defeat hadn't yet reached their enemy, so Gatō had no chance to send someone else at them.
It wasn't until they caught their first sight of the sea, a vast expanse of shimmering blue, that the tension began to ease slightly.
"Wow! The sea!" Naruto shouted, his earlier seriousness forgotten as he ran towards the water, his excitement infectious.
Sasuke watched him, a small, almost invisible smirk on his face. He had to admit, it was a beautiful sight. He had seen pictures of it, but to see it with his own eyes was something else entirely.
Sakura, too, was captivated, her eyes wide with wonder
.
"Keep it down," Kakashi warned. "We are close to Wave now, and the enemy might be waiting, so if we can avoid getting spotted, all the better."
But despite Kakashi's warning, Naruto didn't stop, though he did quiet down.
Soon after, they found a small boat hidden among the reeds, and Tazuna led them towards it.
As they got closer, Kakashi noticed they were being watched, and Sasuke wasn't far behind. Yet as he moved his hand toward his shuriken, Kakashi stopped him.
"I think that is our transport," he said in a low voice.
And indeed, moments later, a fisherman walked out from between the trees. "Tazuna, there you are. I was starting to fear you wouldn't come back," he said, not in greeting, but more in a whisper.
The fisherman, who introduced himself as Giichi, had a face weathered by sun and sea, with eyes that darted nervously towards the forest line. "We have to move quickly," he said. "Gatō's men are everywhere. If they see us, we're dead."
The boat was small, barely large enough for the five of them, and it made a soft swishing sound as it cut through the calm waters of the estuary. They lay low, hidden by the reeds and the dim light of the setting sun.
"Stay down," Giichi whispered, his voice barely audible over the lapping of the water. "Gatō's men watch the waters day and night to try and stop us from running away."
The boat glided silently through the water, the only sounds the gentle lapping of the water against the hull and the distant cry of a seagull.
Sasuke could feel the tension in the air, a palpable thing that made the hairs on his back stand up. Even his Sharingan could barely see through the fog that hid them.
This feeling, this tension, was what a real shinobi mission was supposed to feel like.
It was terrifying, but it was also exhilarating.
He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, a stark contrast to the mind-numbing boredom of the D-rank missions.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached a small, hidden dock. Giichi helped them out of the boat, and with a quick nod, he disappeared back into the fog.
"We're here," Tazuna said, his voice filled with relief. "My home isn't far from here. Giichi, thank you for the help," he thanked the fisherman, as they went their separate ways.
Despite Tazuna claiming his home wasn't far away, it wasn't close. It was rather isolated from the village, so they had to walk farther through the forest to reach it.
Still, the land itself was beautiful, with soft green grass, tall trees, and lakes with pure water.
The environment was disarming.
Sakura, Naruto, and even Sasuke couldn't help but relax as nothing happened while they drew close to their goal; it truly seemed like it was over.
Only Kakashi, a true veteran, knew not to relax when outside the village. Ever.
Suddenly, a bush up ahead rustled unnaturally, and Naruto, almost by instinct, threw a kunai at it.
The blade was thrown hastily, so it didn't hit anything. It just ended up startling a little white rabbit.
"Naruto!" Sakura couldn't help but curse. "Be careful, you almost killed the poor little thing," she said, clearly feeling sorry for it.
Neither the children nor Tazuna thought it was strange to see a rabbit out here, at least not at first.
But as Sakura continued to nag Naruto, Sasuke couldn't help but feel something was wrong about the rabbit.
It was a small, white rabbit, but it was the middle of spring, and it was the middle of the day.
Rabbits, especially white rabbits, should have been brown during this season, and even more so, they shouldn't have been out in the open like this.
He quickly realized what was going on and shouted, "Get down!"
He didn't have to say it twice, as even Kakashi had already noticed the same thing, and he too had already pulled Tazuna down.
Naruto and Sakura, despite their confusion, followed their example and ducked, barely in the nick of time.
Because a second later, a large sword came flying through the air, right where Naruto's head had been, and with a loud thud, it embedded itself in a nearby tree, the sheer force of the throw causing the tree to groan in protest.
Naruto, Sakura, and even Tazuna, who was a civilian, looked at the sword with wide, shocked eyes.
Even Sasuke couldn't help but be a bit impressed by the sheer power behind the throw.
As for Kakashi, he was already on his feet, his one visible eye narrowed, a grim expression on his face.
As he looked up, a figure landed on the handle of the sword, his body perfectly balanced, as if he weighed nothing at all.
He was a tall, muscular man, with pale skin and sharp, shark-like teeth. He wore a dark, sleeveless shirt and a pair of pants, and on his face was a strange, striped mask with only one eye-hole.
The sword was the most terrifying part. It was wrapped in bandages, yet its sheer size alone was enough to make it a terrifying weapon.
"Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi said, his voice low and dangerous. "The Demon of the Hidden Mist."
"Hmph," Zabuza grunted. "Well, well, if it isn't Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye. It's an honor to meet a man of your reputation."
Zabuza! The Demon of the Hidden Mist! Sasuke couldn't help but think as he looked at the man.
He was a legend, a missing-nin who had once tried to assassinate the Mizukage, the leader of the Hidden Mist Village.
To fail at such a thing and live to tell the tale was a testament to just how strong he was.
For a man like that to be here, as a simple hired gun for a man like Gatō, was absurd.
And yet, it was the only explanation.
This is bad, Sasuke thought, as he looked at Zabuza, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow.
(End of chapter)
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