Ha! The last chapter was kind of fun to write, if I did not feel like I have missed a lot of things. This chapter will contain more action, and hopefully clear up some of the confusion I left behind in the last chapter.
One-Winged Angel
Chapter 2: Reliance
"Don't move."
Kakashi froze in shock and fear, the killing intent that concentrated on him freezing him in place. Images of his death flashed before his eyes, assaulting him long enough to the point that his mind couldn't separate what was reality. Right before Kakashi's mind started to break down under the pressure of fear, the images of his death stopped as suddenly as it began.
Sweat poured down Kakashi's face while he panted heavily in relief, his eyes widened open completely from the shock and fear. His fear had subsided to the point where he could think rationally, but the lingering presence of fear Naruto had almost incapacitated Kakashi with remained. The hardened shinobi forced himself to calm down – if only a little – and observe his situation. Naruto, the supposed dead-last, had his sword pressed against the Jounin's throat, his azure blue eyes still staring intently at the silver-haired ninja, but lacking in killing intent. Questions arose in Kakashi's head, but mostly fear, fear from the situation he was in and his confusion about what had transpired. Though he wanted to speak, he was still unsure about his position in this entire ordeal.
Just when Kakashi mustered the courage to speak, the blond spoke up in a low, barely audible whispered. "My blade hungers."
Kakashi's eyes slowly trailed the entire length of the blade, his eyes widening in awe of its beauty and length. Wielding such a blade effortlessly required skill no Genin could achieve, unless Naruto had hidden his true power in the last few years and acted like a complete idiot. Such an act wouldn't be surprised; the council would've taken the opportunity to gain an excuse to execute Naruto or secret organizations would've tried to recruit him for their own nefarious deeds. If the boy had purposely concealed his power for such suspicions, Kakashi couldn't help praise the blond for his intelligence to react and act accordingly. The words Naruto had spoken recently suddenly registered through his mind, igniting a small spark of fear and confusion to what he could mean.
"I can't control it," Naruto said, his eyes briefly glowing before turning to its natural shade, "when I refuse to give in to its orders, it controls my body." A hint of fear and desperation leaked from his voice. "I can't remove it."
Kakashi didn't think his mind would survive under the barrage of questions floating around. After thinking up the words he needed to get him out of this situation, Kakashi spoke up. "I can help you."
Naruto's eyes flashed in anger, his voice becoming ice and cold. "You can help me by dying."
The blade slowly slit across Kakashi's throat, drawing a trickle of blood, before stopping halfway across. Kakashi collapsed on the ground as the blade vanished as abruptly as it appeared. The Jounin's hands reached up to his throat, realizing soon that the cut wasn't deep or life-threatening. A simple healing Jutsu could cure his wound in an instant. He looked up when a shadow loomed over him, his eyes instantly narrowing.
"What the fuck was that?" It seemed that his fear had fully disappeared.
"A misunderstanding." Naruto replied, not feeling up to explaining what had just happened, especially to a stranger. He jiggled the two bells that he held in his hand. "Did I pass?"
In the world Naruto had previously lived as Sephiroth, most weapons that were found in monster-inhabitable locations were mythical in nature. There power did not stem from an enhanced spell crafted by the Ancients but from the spirits lurking in the weapons. Though these weapons hadn't been experimented upon because they were dangerous, the ones who used these weapons were well-aware of the danger. The essence inside the weapons possessed power – whether it was of a large amount or not – and could use its power to aide the wielder. These wielders always required payment in return for wielding such power, and despite Sephiroth's power, even he was to require payment once in a while. While he worked as a SOLDIER, his sword was always sated because of the endless battles, and never truly bothered the man. Now that Sephiroth had appeared in this world with a decent state of mind, he could mull over the sword's capabilities. Though he wasn't sure how he had descended into madness previously, he now suspected it was the sword's doing.
Naruto had refused to listen to the sword's whispers of killing Kakashi, finding no interest in the man to kill him. Sure he seemed to possess a powerful magic eye, but Naruto doubted he couldn't replicate the power in the eye, especially now that he possessed the full knowledge of the Lifestream.
But the blade prodded his mind continuously, finally succeeding to temporarily take over his body and nearly kill the man. Fortunately, Naruto had forced the blade's spirit away from his mind.
While Naruto was worried about the man's next actions after this test, he was more occupied with the blade. How could he be calm and rational at all times when a bloodthirsty sword could invade his mind at any moment? How much of a threat was this sword to him, and how far were his capabilities that he could change his owner and choose another wielder? Despite seeing the sword as a threat, Naruto had relied on the sword for years.
With the sword safely summoned away in some empty dimension, Naruto had no worries about the sword, but his addiction to the sword had made him unsure of how he was to battle. Could he refuse to fight without the aid of Masamune once battle approached? He was powerful, powerful enough to destroy the world if he put his mind to it, but his addiction of the sword ran far deeper than addiction to alcohol. Each time he slashed or cut through his opponent, he gained a sense of pleasure, a sense of relief. Without the sword, none of these feelings would surface, which left him almost as empty as a shell.
The blond sighed, briefly glancing at the teammates he had sat next to. Though he did manage to capture the bells, the entire situation that happened between them was something both wished to forget, and they came to a mutual agreement to tell nobody of what happened and ignore what happened. Kakashi had started to test Sakura and Sasuke, and after the bell rang he stopped the test, gathering the three hopeful ninjas to deliver his results. Though none of the three had managed to get the bell, Kakashi made up for his promise to tie somebody to a stump by choosing the person who had done little; Sakura.
"It seems like you guys are really hungry." Kakashi happily said, reveling in the angered and embarrassed gazes of Sakura and Sasuke. "Well, since you're all so eager to hear the results, I'll give them to you straight away."
Sakura and Sasuke looked up, hope reflecting in their eyes. Though they hadn't managed to get the bells, they had hoped their performance was good enough to make up for it. In Sakura's case, she hoped that Sasuke had compensated for his performance with his battle performance, since she passed out ten minutes after the test started, before she could even launch an attack on the Jounin.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaand…" Kakashi drawled, grinning widely behind his mask, "you…" He paused, waiting for his dramatic moment to break the news. "… You fail!"
Sakura and Sasuke's eyes shot open in disbelief, though Naruto's remained impassive, his eyes glazed over as if he was in his own world. The two Academy Students flinched when Kakashi spoke up, his tone frosty and serious.
"All of you are unfit to become ninjas. You should quit." He let the words sink in, speaking only when they showed signs of accepting that fact. "I know you're wondering why you should quit simply because you failed to get the bells. That's because you completely failed to understand the purpose of this test. Instead of thinking things through, all of you charged in alone. Under these circumstances, most people would work together, but because of your reluctance to lend aid to each other, you're not fit to become ninjas. Even under the worst circumstances, ninjas work together, but if you failed to cooperate because of a few differences, you are not fit to become a ninja. I'm not saying that you should rely on each other, but any ninja wouldn't risk the failure of a mission by refusing to work together with people he dislikes. In the real world, cooperation is a basic skill needed to survive. You three completely failed to realize this, which makes you incapable of being ninjas."
Kakashi truly felt that these three shouldn't be ninjas. Though he and Obito possessed a small feud in the past, their rivalry didn't stop them from working together. Team Minato had become one of the most reliable teams in Konoha because of their perfect coordination. In battle, Kakashi and Obito were capable of putting their differences aside and work together as if they had never fought. Most ninjas on the job didn't think twice about teaming up with associates they despised. In a mission, the importance was the success of the mission and only the mission. All feelings, all emotions were put aside. Kakashi's valued team bonding more than the mission itself, but even he couldn't deny that the success of the mission was important. His father may have been doing what he thought was right, but if he had completed the mission like he was supposed to do, Konoha would've gained an upper hand in the war. Kakashi was a person who had followed the rules strictly, always focusing on the success of the mission, but Obito had convinced him to see beyond those rules. While Kakashi wouldn't jeopardize the success of the mission, if there was a way to help his teammate without failing the mission, he would definitely choose that option.
"I really think you should quit." Kakashi said, in a complete honest and fair tone. "It's not like you will amount to anything anyway."
Sasuke abruptly stood up, charging towards Kakashi angrily. A second later, he found himself almost kissing the ground with his mouth and a large amount of weight atop him, Kakashi's foot pressed atop the back of head.
"Don't step on him!!" Sakura yelled, noticing where Kakashi's sandaled boot was placed.
"That's why you won't amount to anything." Kakashi said as if nothing had happened. He glared at Sakura and Naruto. "Are you guys underestimating what ninjas are? Are your minds too deluded with dreams of bliss and peace that you don't understand our purpose? Ninjas kill, we assassinate, we steal, basically, we're professional murderers. When you ascend into the ranks, the missions will become more dangerous and teamwork will be necessary to survive if your individual skill cannot allow you to survive yourself. Why do you think you were divided into teams and doing training?"
Sakura spoke up, understanding after a few seconds that it was not a rhetorical question. "Like you just said, to increase the success rate of the mission."
Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. The goal of this test was to see whether you can forget about your interests and successfully work together. And all of you just fucked up by not working together at all. Do you finally see your incompetence?" He paused for a few seconds, allowing the words to sink in. "Well… I didn't expect you to pass anyway. This test was purposefully set up to make you fight amongst yourselves, if you don't understand that the bells are nothing more than a distraction. You guys had not even thought of working together. Sasuke decided to take matters into his own hands and ignore his teammates, confident enough that he could defeat a Jounin with his Genin-level of skill. Sakura didn't even do anything, her infatuation with Sasuke clouding her mind to the point that she most likely thought of drawing him in a secret location and ravaging him." He grinned behind his mask at the embarrassed looks of the two Genin, his eyes resting on Naruto. "Naruto… well we fought and won, since you two weren't there to witness the fight, and he didn't fail to get the bells. Individual play that disrupts the team can put your comrades into danger, and even get you killed. If they die while holding the information needed to complete the mission, how will you proceed? Under these circumstances, you need to think about the wellbeing of your comrades."
Kakashi released his hold on Sasuke, removing himself from atop the Uchiha's back and walking towards a large stone displaying a whole list of names. He gazed sadly at the stone.
"Names of numerous heroes are carved on this stone. These are the ninjas who are recognized as the heroes of this village, the people who have willingly sacrificed themselves for the success of the mission and ultimately the village. I'm telling you this because you need to see the truth of what we do, we either die or live. In some cases, you are forced to sacrifice yourself. Will you have the guts to do that? If not, then you should seriously quit." He placed his hands in his pocket, solemnly staring at Obito's name upon the grave. "My best friend's name is carved upon this stone."
He turned around, glaring staring at the three students. "You guys… I'll give you one more chance. But after lunch I'll make it even tougher to get the bells. Those who still wish to challenge can eat lunch… except for Sakura. Don't give anything to her." He smiled at the confused gazes reflecting in their eyes. "It's punishment to try to eat by yourself. If anyone gives her food, they will fail immediately. I am the rules here!! Got it?" He received three nods. Without another warning, he vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving the three graduates behind.
Sasuke and Naruto didn't hesitate to eat, instantly diving in their foods. While eating, Kakashi's words repeatedly ran through Naruto's mind. 'This is not any different from what a SOLDIER has been taught. Teamwork is like a tool that needs to be used to complete the mission, but no SOLDIER would abandon another if it meant the loss of information or similar things.' His eyes drifted towards Sakura, who had her head bowed in disappointment. Naruto's extremely keen hearing – which he had to decrease drastically – could hear her stomach growling in hunger. He glanced sideways at Sasuke, who probably hadn't understood that this was another test. There couldn't be any other way, considering Kakashi had explained the true purpose of this test; to forget about your own interests – fear in this case – and work together. The Jounin had purposely said that there would be consequences into giving Sakura food, hoping to dissuade anyone from lending aid, which was ironic considering his previous words. To complete this test, Naruto had to do one thing…
"Want some?" He allowed his lips to form a small smile, hoping to convince Sakura into accepting his food. The pink-haired girl stared confusedly at the food in Naruto's hands.
"But… Kakashi just said you would be punished if you gave me food."
Naruto snorted. "I can't let my teammate be a hindrance if she hasn't eaten." Though his words didn't reflect what he thought at all, he couldn't find any other way to complete the test. He glanced at Sasuke, who finally received the hint after Naruto continuously stared at him.
"He's right. You'll only get in the way without food." Sasuke said, reaching forward with his own food.
"G-guys…" Sakura muttered quietly, her head bowed so deeply that her hair shadowed her eyes. "I-I…" Before she could complete her sentence, an almost crazed-filled voice echoed over the area. In a burst of gigantic smoke, Kakashi appeared, his eyes glinting in anger.
"YOU GUYS…!!!" Even Sasuke felt fear creep into his being. "… Pass." Kakashi said calmly, his aura of anger abruptly switched with an aura of calmness. He grinned widely behind his mask at the new Genin.
"Pass? But why?!" Sakura yelled, despite being only a meter removed from the Jounin.
"You guys are the first who have passed this test. The others were morons. A ninja must see underneath the underneath. Those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are trash… but you know what? Those who don't take care of their comrades… are lower than trash."
Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance. 'I thought his philosophy was mission first, teammates later. Now he has switched the damn thing around!'
"That ends the test. All of you pass. Starting tomorrow, you will officially begin as Team #7 with your duties. Assemble at the Administration Office tomorrow morning at 10 AM. Later!!" He vanished in a cloud of smoke.
"What a weirdo." Sasuke muttered, walking away without as so much glancing at the others.
"Wait!!! Sasuke-kun!! Please untie me!!!" Sakura yelled as Sasuke disappeared in the distance. She looked at Naruto. "Untie me dobe!!"
'Dobe?' Naruto thought. 'I won't help you, you ungrateful bitch!' "Fuck off." He turned his back towards the girl, sliding his hands into his pockets and walking away calmly, missing the flabbergasted look of shock Sakura shot him.
"So that's how you ended up here."
The smell of tobacco filled Naruto's nostrils. The Third Hokage puffed absentmindedly on his pipe while he massaged his chin. Next to the Hokage stood Kakashi, his attention solely focused on the blond instead of his book.
After the test, Kakashi had taken Naruto towards the Hokage to discuss what happened between them. Naruto had given a short explanation of how he was from another world and ended up in this world through his death. He also explained that he was kind of evil and that he killed Kyuubi and absorbed his powers, but before he could relish in his victory he was sealed inside Naruto and had killed the kid when the kid accidentally broke the seal a little, allowing him to resurface inside his body. He ended the story with his encounter with Kakashi and Masamune's thirst for blood.
"Are you evil?" Sandaime asked, not knowing if he should take the boy seriously or not. Despite the power Kakashi said he displayed, he didn't witness it himself. It was hard to believe that an untalented idiot could turn into a god-like warrior within a minute. He didn't even take his question seriously, merely trying to draw a reaction from the boy.
"I guess so…" Naruto said, shrugging. "It's hard to say. An evil person can't really describe himself when he's evil you know. I'm not sure; it's probably the blade that makes me feel all evil and bloodthirsty. I'm sure you've heard of the legend of Masamune, that once the blade is drawn, it cannot be returned to its scabbard without first having drawn blood, even if it requires the wielder to commit suicide. I've become so accustomed towards killing that I essentially turned out the same way as my sword, until I decided to refuse its request for once. While I don't hold compassion for others, I won't kill them anymore for the simplest reason. That's how you may describe me."
"Okay…" Sarutobi muttered, scratching the back of his neck. All this talk about reincarnated super-powered humans and bloodthirsty sword sparked the beginning of a terrible headache. The worst part about this was that he was standing in front of a boy who was powerful enough to effortlessly destroy Nine-Tails and had eradicated Naruto's existence without remorse. This being in front of him was powerful, dangerous and not afraid to kill if he had a reason. How could he even look at the being who looked exactly like the son of the Fourth Hokage but wasn't? How could he even stand to look at him while he had killed the boy who had been forced to endure so much in his life?
"I've told you everything you need to know. I'll leave now." Naruto said, turning around. "I'll work together with you for now, but once I find this village disappoints me, I won't return."
"How would the village disappoint him?" Kakashi muttered out loud.
"I would rather not know." The Hokage replied.
The next morning, Team Seven had assembled in the Administration Office. The Hokage had first given a short speech of how real and cruel a ninja's job was before announcing their first mission.
"Your mission will be to assassinate the bandit generals who reside up in the mountain. These generals rule a clan named the "Ravenous Berserkers" and command about 20 men each. They're located near the mountain region, and camp out in three separate camps. Each camp is owned by each general. Recently, these bandits have attack a merchant caravan and killed almost all of the merchants in the attack. The surviving merchant has pleaded with us to kill the bandits, most specifically the leaders. Since there are three camps, you three must liberate one camp each. Your instructor will not partake in the mission itself, but will be observing your actions and help you out when you're in trouble. Understand?" The three Genin nodded. "You're dismissed. Refer to your instructor for further details regarding this C-rank mission."
Once the team was outside the building, Sakura instantly shot Kakashi a question. "Are we ready for this?"
Kakashi shrugged, his eyes fixed on the orange perverted book in front of him. "It's not a very difficult mission. See it as a test of your fighting ability."
"This can't get any better." Sasuke commented, his lips forming a smirk.
"Wait a second… did the Hokage say that we're supposed to assassinate, as in kill?" Sakura asked meekly.
"Yes." Was the curt reply.
"But…"
Kakashi closed his book with a snap, eying the girl in front him. "If you're afraid to kill, you can quit now."
"No… I-I…" Sakura bowed her head in sadness, tears threatening to fall. "I-I don't want to…"
'Geez… didn't these kids get therapy?' "If you mess up, I'll save you." Kakashi said. He didn't really know what to say. By the time he was a Chuunin, Kakashi had done enough kills to feel nothing. Since he couldn't remember what it felt like to kill, he couldn't truly relate to the girl, and judging by her teammates' looks, they also couldn't. Naruto seemed to be born to kill, while Sasuke was too bent on revenge that he wouldn't feel any remorse. Sakura though was a fan girl, a young girl who had aspired to become a ninja because she probably found it a little more exciting than any other job. She may have been trained in the ninja arts, but she was not yet the hardened killer she was to be. Kakashi felt quite glad that the Hokage had decided to increase the rank of missions Genin would receive. They needed to toughen up sooner rather than later. "Anyway, meet me at noon at the gate. You need time to pack."
His hands formed a single seal, before he vanished in a swirling mass of leaves.
A warm breeze weaved past Naruto, ruffling his hair. He stood atop a hill of gray stone, flanked on all sides by rocks and boulders. The hilltop was surrounded by lush tall forest-green trees which could only be bred in the Land of Fire. Dozen tents in different shapes but same sizes were scattered around the field, as random as pebbles scattered in a beach. Though these tents were located far enough to only get a glimpse of them, through his eyes Naruto saw them as if they were in front of him. The smell of cooked meat filled his nostrils, and he spotted a pair of rogue-dressed men sitting around a fireplace, cooking meat. Several other bandits were doing manual labor or sharpening their swords, while one particular man was sitting in a secluded spot away from the rest, facing a map which most displayed the Fire Country. The man's eyes shone with intelligence, his clothes and stature giving him the bearing of a veteran soldier. Dressed in ornate Samurai armor, the man looked every bit as imposing as a soldier should be. From his appearance alone, Naruto guessed that the man had been in the army long enough to become a veteran. He was in his forties, his build reminiscing Naruto of a bear. His hair – though hidden behind the helmet he wore – was shaved, and his beard was cleanly shaved. One hand was firmly wrapped around the handle of his katana that was strapped to his waist. Even though the men were raggedly dressed, their hygiene looked well enough for bandits. They behaved oddly, as if they were soldiers. There could be no other way.
Naruto shrugged, whipping out a kunai in preparation. He didn't trust his Masamune enough to use, and despite his skill and almost innate talent to use the sword, he was not unskilled in other weapons. As a SOLDIER, he had learned to handle almost every weapon, daggers included.
"Blood and lust." Naruto whispered, before he rushed forward. His movements were swift and quick, exceeding human limitations. Before the bandits could react, Naruto was already within their midst.
The blond leaped towards the nearest bandit he saw, slicing down. Blood sprouted forth as the kunai cut through bone and skin, slashing the man through from his chest to the waist. The bandits turned in surprise when one of their comrades fell, and looked up to see a blond-haired child grinning devishly at them, clutching a bloodied kunai in his hands.
"Get him!!" One of the bandits yelled. In unison, all of the bandits charged.
Naruto chuckled darkly, using the Hiraishin to appear behind one of the charging bandits, slicing through the bandit's neck with a powerful slash almost simultaneously and separating his head from the rest of his body. A yell tore his attention from the head, and he looked up to see the bandits form a circle around him.
"You're surrounded, kid." A deep voice said. "Twenty soldiers surround you; even a Genin like you can't win by these odds." The leader of the bandits made his appearance, walking up to the blond while clutching his katana tightly.
Naruto said nothing, keeping up the grin he sported.
"I also have archers and one sniper surrounding you within the trees. Even if you manage to break through this formation, you won't escape alive."
"Wow! Your tactical skills are really amazing!!" Naruto said in a high-pitched voice. "Don't you read Manga? The hero always escapes when the tides turn against him."
"You read too much kid." The leader commented. "Before you die, I still need to know what you're doing here."
Naruto snorted. "Don't you even wonder why I'm cocky? I thought soldiers had common sense."
The bandit leader's eyes widened in mild surprise. "You figured it out huh? You're quite observant."
"And you're quite dumb. You just admitted your profession."
The leader gave Naruto a toothy grin. "I like you."
"I think I like you to." Naruto couldn't help but feel amused, an emotion that he started experiencing more and more recently.
The leader whistled. The bandits immediately rushed towards the blond while the leader disappeared amongst the crowd. Naruto sidestepped a powerful stroke, and then ducked under another swing. He plunged his kunai through the heart of one bandit. He ignored the blood splashing on his face after dislodging the kunai, and spun around to face another bandit, his dagger cleaving across. The kunai tore through the bandit's chest, cutting through his organs. In one smooth motion, Naruto pulled the katana from the bandit's hands and swung it up to another's neck which beheaded him.
Four bandits rushed in from behind, while five others from the front. Naruto's kunai flew from his hands, stabbing into one of the bandits' head. Naruto spun, his katana moving at impossible speed as it cleaved and slashed through his opponents. Naruto leaped back a decent distance, creating a space of ten meters between him and the bandits.
Suddenly, without warning, Naruto vanished without a trace, leaving only the drops of blood from his sword and body in his place. The bandits remained still for a couple of seconds, before one spoke up.
"Where is he?"
It happened so abruptly and quickly that none of the bandits were prepared. Blood spurted forth from the bandits, splashing upon the ground and dying it in crimson. Heads and limbs flew wildly, bodies fell and blood splashed. Numerous bandits fell, beheaded or cut cleanly into pieces. After a few seconds, a large pile of bodies were stacked upon each other, the blood from their bodies pooling almost the entire hill.
As abruptly as he disappeared, Naruto appeared before the pile, clutching the katana in his hands. His entire body was drenched with blood, leaking from his body as if he had just taken a swim.
"That was fun." His voice echoed throughout the deadly still area.
Fun indeed! For the people who have some knowledge about the legend of Masamune, I switched its legend with Murasame's in this chapter. I don't have anything more to say about this chapter (you can figure the rest out). If you read this, please let me know how you think about this story and review. This is my first fic so I need all the advice and criticism I need to improve my writing. I'm also sorry about any grammar mistakes I've made; my Beta reader didn't bother to correct this chapter.