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This story is rated of Rated M for Mature content such as scenes of sexual nature, explicit language and violence.

Chapter 11 (part 2)

Impossible… what is he, Haku thought as she tried to rise to her feet.

She knew she had to get away from that monster but as she tried to get her feet under her a lance of pain shot up her back. The sudden pain caused her vision to darken for a second and when she came to, she found herself face to face with a row of pointed and very sharp canine teeth.

"That was one nasty jutsu you had up your sleeve." Haku turned her face away from the fox in front of her and saw her foe walking slowly towards her. Behind the man she saw that all the trees within a 50 meter radius had been up rooted by the same attack that had hit her.

"What are you?" she gasped out through her pain. She tried to move again but this time it was the growl from the fox before her that stopped her.

"That my dear is what you are about to find out. Although I might be a monster at heart, it's a pity I have to keep my word."

…..

Haku could only watch as her opponent walked slowly towards her. She knew she had to do something or else she would be at his mercy. As her mind looked for a way out of her predicament, another part of her went back to the last time one of the few times she and Jin had exchanged words.

Flash back.

"You don't trust me do you?" Jin asked clearly her reading her guarded stance.

Haku forced her right hand out of the left sleeve of her kimono before speaking. "Jin-san nothing about you is trust worthy. There is an underlying presence of malevolence and secrecy around you that trusting you would be not only a foolish thing to do but worse than being one."

"Hmm…Zabuza has trained you very well." Jin smiled his eyes on her. The corridor they were standing in suddenly felt cold despite the blazing sun outside. "I am jealous. I wish I had a servant like you on my side. Hmm maybe…"

Haku felt her anger rise and before she could regain control of herself she found herself standing in front of him a single needle pointed at his right eye. Despite knowing that a push on her needle could end his life, Jin didn't move to stop her or even blink at all. In fact his smile broadened until she thought his mouth would split in two.

"Don't even insinuate that I betray my master." Haku felt her hand shake with the suppressed need to end his life. Still as much as she wanted to she knew wouldn't be able to go along with the feeling. It simply wasn't in her nature to kill someone without cause or her masters say so.

"Who said I was going to say that?" His words made her anger instantly evaporate.

"Didn't you just say…?" Jin cut her off before she could finish what she had been about to say.

"I didn't say anything of that sort nor was I intending to. I was going to ask if your little group of shinobi had a spot open for one more."

Without knowing why, Haku suddenly felt foolish. She took a step back, composed herself and asked, "Then what were you going to say."

Jin grinned, "I was going to ask you to join me."

Haku felt her face harden as she said, "No."

The grin on Jin's face vanished at her answer and to be replace by a thoughtful look. "You know what let me make you a promise. Before the month is over you will be on my side. Whether by your free will or not it's up to you."

"Not even after I am dead." Haku had replied coldly to his last words before they had both went on their separate ways.

…..

Naruto couldn't help but smirk as he made his way towards Haku. Even though the girl looked defeated her eyes told him she still had some spirit left within her. Still, whatever abilities she had still hidden he doubted whether they were going to do her any good. To him the fight was already over.

"Now why don't you be a good girl and …" the rest of his words trailed off as a shadow fell over the fog.

Puzzled, Naruto looked up and immediately wished he hadn't. As big as legends would have, the dragon fell on Naruto before he could even think up counter. The great powerful dragon seemed to swallow him whole as it picked him with little effort before it whirled around and crashed to the ground head first. Gallons of water crushed him ground with such might that all he could do was scream in pain as bones cracked.

Droplets of water continued to fall for a few more second. When the effects of the jutsu ended only his crumpled body remained.

"Damn it." Naruto cursed looking around.

"Still alive?" a voice reverberated from the fog. "That's a surprise. I was sure the full force of my ultimate water technique would have ended you there and then but no matter it seems Kubikiribōchō might be needed to finish you off."

Naruto immediately recognized that voice.

"Zabuza…" Naruto's words came out strained with pain. "Show yourself...I should have known you would be watching from the trees."

"I got curious when Haku did not show herself with your blood stained headband." Zabuza chuckled from the fog evidently enjoying himself.

Cursing once again, Naruto pushed himself to a sitting position all the while biting his tongue to stop himself from screaming as pain travelled his entire body with each movement he made.

Once he was comfortable, he intently turned his attention to his injuries while talking to hide what he was doing.

"Is your tool that weak that you had to come in to finish the deed yourself? You must be a terrible teacher and she a worse student. " Naruto threw the insult intended for both teacher and student.

He felt a sense of satisfaction when he caught Haku wince and clench her fists at his jab out the corner of his eye.

Turning in her direction he continued, "But I am sure she still had some fight left within her before your timely intervention."

Damn a few broken rib and torn muscles, Naruto inwardly grimaced at his took note of the injuries the dragon had caused. It's a good thing my consciousness is not fully tuned into this body otherwise the pain would have been worse. I hope Zabuza doesn't attack anytime soon. I need at least a minute or two to block the pain completely and so something about my motor functions. If it comes to it I will just have to leave this body, leaving a present for the two in the process.

"Zabuza-sama, I…" Haku started to speak but before she could finish Zabuza's voice from the mist stopped her dead.

"I think your usefulness has come to an end Haku."

Now what's this?, Naruto felt his ears literally perk up.

"But… Zabuza-sama, I can still fight. Please give me a chance to prove myself, I won't fail you again."Haku's face which had been pale from the beginning had gone even paler than anything Naruto had thought possible.

"No, you have already failed me enough as it is already. I was going to send those two to see what you have been doing but it seems I was right in coming in person. It's a pity I am going to had to deal with you once I am done with this brat." Although Naruto couldn't see his foe from within the mist he was sure Zabuza had just turned his attention to him once again.

"Hey, don't mind me at all. I think it's better if you deal with her while she is…"the only warming Naruto got was a sudden awareness of something behind him before he heard the sound of steel cutting through air.

Knowing that dodging while sitting on the ground was a formula for disaster, Naruto initiated a quick substitution with a nearby log just before Zabuza cut him in two. The log fell into as the large sword severed it in half. Naruto mentally congratulated himself at avoiding being cut in two.

I wonder what it feels like to lose a head.

As soon as he was out of danger, Naruto signalled his vixen to attack his foe with a single pulse of his potent chakra. The tiny red fox tore into Zabuza like a cat pouncing on a mouse, catching him off guard before sinking her teeth into the arm holding the large sword. However, before Naruto could capitalize on this given opportunity Zabuza's body suddenly collapsed into a puddle of water.

Huh a clone made of water? Clever but not clever enough…

Acting on his instincts, Naruto reached into his pouch and palmed a single shuriken before throwing it above the small vixen's head. Once again his instincts proved correct because as soon as the four pointed star left his hand, Zabuza materialised out of the mist like a ghost this time his large cleaver swinging for vixen's exposed neck.

Lucky for the young vixen, Zabuza had to abort his attack on her before she could lose her head to protect his unguarded head by bringing his weapon to cover his face. As his weapon bounced off, Naruto moved and blurred towards his opponent. His chakra enhanced speed allowed him to appear behind Zabuza in a blink of an eye and as fast as he could he sent a fist towards the back of Zabuza's head.

Unfortunately for Naruto, Zabuza once again proved himself not just like any other master swordsman but also faster as he moved to evade Naruto's attack in a sudden burst of speed and before Naruto knew it Zabuza's head was no longer in the path if his fist. Shifting his eye towards where he knew Zabuza's next attack was going to come from, Naruto saw that Zabuza crouching low his muscles taught as he prepared to cleave Naruto.

Realising he was now open for a counter attack from the older shinobi, Naruto thought about leaping away but when he caught sight of Zabuza's large sword coming for his legs from his right side, he knew such a move wasn't going to make a difference. Zabuza's swords was simply too long that a leap back simply wasn't going to be enough.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto prepared himself for the pain he knew was about of come. At the same time he quickly gathered his chakra a jutsu ready for his counter. He could only hope the jutsu he had in mind was strong enough and effective enough to even the damage he was about to receive.

Fortunately for him it seemed that luck was on his side once again. Blurring into the scene like a vengeful angel, Patches leapt at his attacker her canine teeth aiming Zabuza's unguarded nape.

Zabuza, sensing the attack, quickly aborted his attack on Naruto and swiftly leapt to his left in time to escape the vixen's clamping jaws. Her intended target gone Patches' momentum carried her into Naruto, her weight and momentum against him enough to topple him to the ground.

Knowing Zabuza was too experienced in shinobi tactics to let such an opening unexploited, Naruto let loose the chakra he had gather in one thundering roar that sent waves of force in the direction he had last seen Zabuza. Much like before the mist seemed to roil away in all direction and his attack rippled through the air. However unlike before his attack was only strong enough to pluck leaf only off their brunches.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."

Hearing the name of the technique, Naruto growled under his breath. As a shadow fell over him, he grabbed Patches by the neck and initiated a replacement seconds before a huge waterfall crushed onto the ground he had been.

"Is this all you have?" Naruto taunted from where the replacement had dumped him.

"Brat, you are beginning to annoy me. It's time to finish this." Zabuza's words were followed behind by a crushing sound. A few trees away, Naruto suddenly saw Zabuza's large weapon heading his way at a terrifying speed.

Naruto crouched lower and let the large cleaver sail over him.

"You missed!" he smirked.

"No, I didn't." Zabuza's reply came from behind him and as he turned he found the masked shinobi already in motion to end his life.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Zabuza's weapon put an end to anything that would have came out.

"No one escapes from Kubikiribōchō's sharp fang." Zabuza said as Naruto's heard hit the ground with an audible thud.

Hefting his weapon over his shoulder with a single hand he turned towards his apprentice's direction and said "It's now time for you punishment."

However before he could take a step in that direction, he faltered. A sudden wet cough escaped through the bandages cover his lower face and time seemed to still for a moment. Surprised he looked down and saw a solid tentacle like appendage sticking through his torso from behind.

Following the appendage with his eyes, Zabuza could only blink in surprise as he found himself staring at Jin's feline companion.

To be beaten by an animal that can use chak…

Naruto smirked as Zabuza looked over his shoulder. "I bet you didn't see that coming."

Don't worry neither did I." he proud of his little vixen and her new ability to morph her tail into a weapon.

"Zabuza-sama nooo!" Haku screamed in anguish as her master's body fell to the ground.

….

"Is this even a mission?" Kiba finally snapped. "Come on where are the enemies? Hell even a bandit or two would be welcome at the point."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you." Naruto said keep up with the teams pace as they hopped from on tree to the next. "There are experienced shinobi bandits out there…. you know."

"That's why Akamaru and I are here with you guys. Right, Akamaru?" Akamaru who was riding on Kiba's head barked in affirmation.

Changing the subject, Kiba grinned, "Man what a sight. Check how her muscles tighten up each time she lands. Man, I have to admit this beats a good fight anytime."

Blinking, Naruto followed Kiba's gaze and saw what had Kiba grinning like a dog. Despite himself, Naruto had to admit that Kiba was right. The way Kurenai backside shifted with each leap and landing was a sight to see.

"It's a pity she is out of your league." Naruto commented.

"Huh... Dude you speak as if you have a chance."Kiba shot back.

Instead of coming back with a snide comment, Naruto just grinned and took off ahead of the Whelp.

…