Technology Troubles

Chapter 5: The Demon of the Hidden Mist.

Disclaimer: I own nothing cannon.

"blah" Talking

'blah' Thinking

"Wow." They all said. Team 7 was in a small boat traveling past an enormous bridge nearly covered in mist.

"That thing is huge!" Naruto yelled.

Hinata nodded in agreement and Bill simply said, "As far as bridges go, yup."

The man poling the boat goes into some thick vegetation and stops by and old building. "Well this is as far as I go. You're on your own from here." The man said.

"Thanks for taking us this far." Tazuna said.

Tazuna began fishing around his pockets for money when the boat man said, "No need old friend, take care." Tazuna nodded in thanks and left with his escort.

The group traveled through more vegetation with everyone keeping watch while Naruto's eyes shifted back and forth between the road and Bill.

'Like hell I'm gonna let him steal all the action!' Naruto thought. He went ahead of everyone and began scanning the sides of the beaten path.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Kakashi said, obviously annoyed.

"There!" Naruto suddenly shouted and threw a kunai into the bushes. Going over to where the kunai was thrown they saw a white rabbit obviously paralyzed with fear.

"Naruto it was just a rabbit." Bill said a little annoyed. Kakashi said nothing but looked at it in suspicion, and then realization dawned on him.

"This rabbit is a snowshoe hare." He said.

"Snowshoe what?" Bill asked.

"It's a kind of rabbit that grows white fur to blend in with the snow." Kakashi answered.

"What's your point? It's a rabbit that's a little too far south, so what?" Bill said. Kakashi simply looked at him.

'How can he not know? According to his medical files he can use 87% of his brain and his tests scored high in survival, he should know this stuff.'

Bill noticed Kakashi staring at him and motioned him to move away from the others. "Alright what's up?" He asked.

"I'm a little puzzled you don't know what a snowshoe hare is despite your records." Kakashi answered.

"So you do know huh? Well that at least answers one question. But to answer yours, in my travels I encountered a lot of animals but not many of Earth origin." With that he walked back to the group leaving Kakashi with one answered question but with so many more because of the answer.

Kakashi walked back too and said, "Be on your guard everyone."

Naruto and Hinata looked at him strangely. "Huh why?" Naruto asked.

"The snowshoe hare g is a kind of rabbit that grows white fur during the winter and then sheds it in summer. That rabbit's been kept inside where there's not much light. It's the kind used for Substitution." Everyone realized what this meant and began scanning the area.

In a tree a shadowy figure stood there watching the group. "Well this will complicate things. They have the Copycat ninja, Kakashi. But that boy, there's something not right about him."

"Everybody get down!" Kakashi yelled as a Zanbato swung over them. Kakashi and Tazuna ducked, Bill, his back turned at the time kinda limboed under it and Naruto dived to the ground taking Hinata with him. The blade stuck into a tree and a shirtless man wearing bandages for a mask, grey camo leg warmers and a mist headband with a scratch through it appeared on the handle. Everyone stood up and stared at him except for Kakashi who glared at him.

"Well well well, if it isn't the Leaf's famous copycat ninja, Kakashi." The man seethed.

"The Hidden Mist missing-nin, Zabuza Momochi." Kakashi said glaring at Zabuza.

"Momochi? What kind of name is that! It sounds like a kind of sushi!" Bill said obviously not picking up that this is a very dangerous man.

Everyone sweat dropped at his antics and Kakashi just thought, 'He's going to get himself killed with that attitude.' "Everyone be careful, Zabuza is very dangerous. He perfected the art of silent killing. It's why he's known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist."

"Flattering Kakashi, but that won't get you anywhere. Now hand over the bridge builder." Zabuza said.

"Sorry we can't do that. We were hired to protect him and we intend to do so."

"Very well then," Zabuza formed a single hand seal and said, "Hidden Mist Jutsu." The already thick mist became even thicker.

"Everyone be on your guard." Everyone moved into position to protect Tazuna. "I didn't think I would have to reveal this." Kakashi lifted up his head band and opened his right eye revealing a red eye with three tomoe surrounding the pupil.

The entire team was thinking the same thing, 'Where did he get a Sharingan?'

"Hehehehheh. 7 points, liver, jugular, kidney, spine, liver, subclavian artery, heart…" Zabuza said through the mist in a sinister voice that sent chills through everyone. "Which one will it be?" Kakashi tightened his grip on the kunai he'd drawn, preparing for the inevitable attack. The air was thick with tension as everyone waited. The genin felt like they could barely breathe from the tension in the air.

"Don't worry guys." Kakashi suddenly said. "I won't let my comrades die." He turned back to them and gave them the closest thing to a smile while wearing his mask.

"Bold words Kakashi." Zabuza said from within the mist. Then suddenly Zabuza appeared behind them. Everyone turned in surprise, unable to react quickly enough and as Zabuza was about to bring down his Zanbato. Then Kakashi was there with the kunai in his stomach causing him to bleed... water?

"Hah!" Zabuza yelled from behind Kakashi. The Zabuza in front of them exploded into water and the real one behind them cut Kakashi in two. Zabuza chuckled evilly until Kakashi burst into water just like his clone.

"What! He copied my jutsu through the mist." He exclaimed.

Kakashi reappeared and attempted to strike Zabuza with his kunai but was blocked by the blade. Kakashi with considerable effort repelled the blade and dashed past him down the bank of a nearby lake with Zabuza on his heels. Kakashi tried to deter him with ground spikes but Zabuza just leapt over them and struck Kakashi in the side with the blunt side of his sword. Kakashi skipped over the water a couple times before landing in the water. He surfaced unharmed but immediately noticed something was wrong.

"This water, it's heavy." He said.

"Heheh… Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"Zabuza yelled. Within seconds Kakashi was encased in a sphere of water.

"Don't try to struggle, this water is stronger than steel. There is no escape." Zabuza said. With one hand in the water to maintain the chakra flow to it he used his free hand to make one handed seals to make another water clone.

"Dang another one!" Bill said irritated.

"All of you get out of here!" Kakashi said from within the bubble. "This mission was over the moment I got caught. You have to get as far away as possible, the clone can't go far from the original, you're mission is to protect the bridge builder!" Kakashi yelled.

"There is no way we're leaving you behind Kakashi!" Yelled Bill. "We'll rescue you one way or another."

"Old man?" Naruto asked.

"It's fine with me, go rescue your sensei." Tazuna said. Zabuza started laughing for some reason.

"What's so funny?" Naruto demanded.

"You three." He answered. "It's three little brats like you, thinking you're ninja that's so funny. Do you think that just because you wear that headband that it makes you ninja? Only when you have a brushed with death so many times it doesn't faze you, then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly that your profile is in my bingo book, then you may have earned the title ninja. But to call three green genins ninja, is nothing short of a joke." Zabuza seethed.

The team shifted uncomfortably under the high tension of the moment. Bill glanced over to Hinata and Naruto. "We should try plan 2. It's our best shot at rescuing Kakashi." Bill said.

Hinata gave him a worried look. "Are you sure? It's risky." She said.

"He's right though." Naruto said.

"Okay," Bill gripped the handle of his hammer. "I'm going in." Bill rushed forward while the others stayed behind.

The clone smirked. "That boy thinks he can take me on his own?"

Bill brought his hammer to bear and held it over him ready to strike. The Zabuza clone went into a defense stance. Bill was in range and brought his hammer down onto the Zabuza clone. The Zabuza clone leapt back a short distance to evade the strike and smirked.

"Is that all you have?" He challenged. Bill smirked and jumped sideways, giving the clone a clear view of the two-dozen Naruto Shadow Clones from all sides a second away from him with kunais. 'He drew my attention away while the blonde created all these Shadow Clones. Smart, but not smart enough.' The Shadow Clones threw themselves at the Zabuza clone one after another. The Zabuza Clone swatted them away in succession with his Zanbato, but because the Zanbato is a large bulky weapon the clones slowly piled onto him. The Zabuza clone remained under a pile of Naruto clones for several seconds. Suddenly all the clones flew away in all directions, each one dissipating in a cloud of smoke. From the smoke screen, Hinata took Naruto's place in the offense while Naruto stayed back to guard Tazuna.

'Ah I see now. They're rotating positions while making sure the next assailant can start with a surprise attack. Not bad brats. Too bad you sent the weakest of your little group.' The Zabuza clone took a counteroffensive and charged at Hinata with his Zanbato poised to strike. He swung and Hinata ducked down and sent a chakra charged palm strike at his leg using her clan's signature fighting style, the Gentle Fist. The second the Zabuza clone felt the chakra strike he leapt backwards onto the water.

"So she's a Hyuuga. I've heard stories about their fighting style and Kekkei Genkai but I have never actually seen it." The Zabuza clone remarked.

Further out on the water the actual Zabuza watched the battle from afar. "Your bunch of brats is smart Kakashi, coming up with a plan like that all on their own. They're lucky my clone's only on the defensive.

"They had it all planned out before I was their sensei." Kakashi said from within the water prison. 'But, it's not over yet.' He thought.

Zabuza returned his focus back to the battle commencing and realized something his preoccupied clone hadn't. 'There are only two of them. What happened to the one with the hammer?'

As if to answer his question, Bill leapt out from the shadows of the tree line. Obviously the time spent back there had been used preparing something but just what was a mystery to all but Naruto and Hinata.

"Hey Zabuza! Eat this!" Bill took a deep breath. "Plasma Blast!" With a loud concussive thump Bill shot three baseball sized spheres of plasma from his mouth. The Zabuza clone could only gasp in shock before one of them shot through, evaporating him and keep going. The real Zabuza and even Kakashi wore the same expressions of shock and awe. One of the spheres fell short and impacted the water, evaporating a great deal of it. The other two stayed on course towards Zabuza. Zabuza realized he could not dodge the spheres without standing still; the radiant heat alone would burn his skin badly and possibly compromise the integrity of his Zanbato. Without much choice Zabuza pulled his hand from the water prison he was maintaining and leapt to the side, far away from the plasma spheres. Bill grinned satisfactory that the plan worked. Zabuza roared and rushed at them, only to be stopped by the now freed Kakashi.

'Damn it! Because I was forced to dodge, Kakashi was released!' Zabuza swore.

"You're fight is with me, not them." Kakashi said.

"For now Kakashi, but when I'm finished with you they're next!" Zabuza said and jumped far back from Kakashi.

"Kakashi-Sensei you all right?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine Naruto. That was an excellent plan though." All of them beamed from the praise. "But you all should back up. Things are going to be rough." The genin nodded and moved closer to the tree line with Tazuna.

Kakashi turned back to face Zabuza who in turn was glaring daggers at him. "Don't think I won't be easy. Those brats caught me off guard."

"Believe what you want Zabuza." Kakashi said. Zabuza's glare intensified and their battle resumed.

To the untrained eye it was as if they vanished into thin air, the only evidence they were still in the area was the sound of them trading blows.

"This is how your sensei fights?" Tazuna asked astounded.

"He's not a Jounin for nothing." Naruto remarked.

"Man am I glad I got you guys." Tazuna said.

Their conversation was cut short by twin cries of, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" followed by two dragons made of water rising out of the lake. The dragons clashed with each other with mirrored movements, battling for dominance. Because the jutsus were the same it would be obvious the attacks would cancel each other out, but Kakashi had another trick up his sleeve he was about to implement.

The dragons reared back in perfect synchronization about to charge at one another for the final strike. Or would've been had Kakashi's dragon not suddenly veered off towards Zabuza.

'He copied my dragon's moves so I would only anticipate that!' Zabuza thought in shock. 'I can't dodge, it'll just follow me… it seems I'll have to unveil my Ace in the hole.' Beneath his bandages Zabuza's mouth curled into a smirk that would send shivers through anyone that saw it. Reaching into his equipment pouch he grasped a device he'd 'borrowed' from Gato's base of operations. A rather intriguing place considering it should've been very hard and very expensive to construct a structure of that size with steel (at least he thought it was steel) and while Gato was richer than the Great Nations Daimyo's combined, he was a big cheapskate. He watched the water dragon surge towards him, waiting for the right moment to activate his little gadget and when the moment came he activated it.

The dragon struck spraying water everywhere. Kakashi thought he had scored a direct hit and was about to execute his follow-up when a dark chuckle from the mist stopped him cold. As it cleared Kakashi got a better look at the Demon of the Mist and saw he was without a scratch, and surrounded by a white force field.

'That… that's a force field!' Bill thought. 'How did he get a pocket shield? The only possible way he could've found one is... on one of my starships…' Bill's felt a surge of panic course through him. If he had found and figured out how to work one piece of his technology then it meant anyone with the drive and knowledge to could do the same! 'Wait don't panic, he could've easily gotten it off the street from some merchant that bought it from a long chain of other merchants.' Bill thought trying to calm himself with an unlikely scenario. 'I should just calmly ask where he got it.'

"Where the hell did you get that?" His mouth wasn't exactly following his brains commands.

Zabuza let out a dark chuckle. "I 'borrowed' it from my employer. He has so many interesting gadgets lying around his base." That clinched it for Bill, someone had found one of his ships and was exploiting the technology in it, the very thought of what Gato of all people could do with such advanced weapons, armor and, god help them all, the WMDs made him break out into a cold sweat.

"I didn't realize Gato had developed such a thing." Kakashi commented.

"And there are many more, most of which I saw on his thugs." Zabuza said. Now Bill was sweating even more.

"Hey Bill?" Naruto asked. "You okay?"

"What else did he have?" Bill asked, either ignoring or not hearing his friend.

"Heh heh heh." Zabuza chuckled, believing Bill to be getting cold feet about the mission rather than the fact he was using his technology. "Some interesting weapons, some of them also went to his thugs."

"Enough talk." Kakashi cut in. "I figure for something generating that strong of a barrier must not have a long lasting power supply. So tell me Zabuza." Kakashi brought his hands together. "Just what does it take to kill that device?"

Just as Zabuza was about to deliver some snide comment in response to Kakashi's question, he was cut off when Bill suddenly yelled. "Insane amounts of brute force!" Bill's panic had gotten the better of him and he'd leapt at Zabuza and brought his hammer down.

Sorry this took so long, I didn't know I put up a partially finished chapter, but I have found the will to write again! After the RPs stole my soul. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed my cliffhanger!