SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT GUYS (AND GIRLS (do girls even read this?)) BUT I FINALLY HAVE TIME TO WRITE FANFICTIONS NOW! *EPIC CHEERING PLEASE?* FIRST TO ADRESS ONE OF THE REVIEWS. JUSTIN THE CONSTANT REVIEWER, I WILL TRY TO CUT THESE PRE-STORY MESSAGES DOWN BUT NO PROMISES IM SORRY. AND ONE MORE ANNOUNCEMENT, I WILL NO LONGER BE CONTINUING SPARTANS IN CHUNNIN EXAMS AS I AM NO LONGER WITH SHELLY AT THIS TIME AND IT FEELS WRONG TO WRITE HER AS MY GIRLFRIEND STILL. SORRY BUT ANYWAY LETS GET ON WITH THE STORY.
Altair hugged his son tightly as Naruto's eyes groggily opened.
"Dad?" asked Naruto
"Yes my son?" replied Altair still gripping his son tightly
"I can't breathe" Naruto choked out
Altair let go of his son and allowed himself to smile.
"My son, I was extremely worried for you!" Altair beamed at his son. "Your chakra networks are still disturbed so I would not try anything too strenuous if I were you"
"Of course father" Naruto replied, a little shocked over how protective his father was being
"I shall inform the others of your awakening" Altair said "but I shall not let them enter until you are fully ready, do you understand?"
"Of course father" Naruto again replied
However when Altair left the room a thud echoed from the window sill besides the room. Naruto chuckled and said
"Dads gone now you guys, you can come in now"
As soon as the words had left his mouth the window opened and Leonardo, Ezio and Rosa all tumbled in.
"Bastardo testardo" Rosa muttered, smiling. (stubborn bastard)
"Ah nothing can keep you down for too long can it fratello?" Ezio laughed
"It is good master Quauhtli was there to save your chakra networks" mentioned Leonardo
Naruto chuckled at his friends "you should know by now I am MUCH harder to kill than I look!"
"Aye we do" said Ezio jokingly "from personal experience"
"So what happened to Zabuza and Haku?"
"We don't know Master Altair took Zabuza away as soon as the fight was over and refused to tell anyone where they were going" Rosa muttered, deliberately leaving out the brutalization of Haku "is your father always this secretive?"
"Not usually" Naruto answered "but I'm sure he has his reasons"
"I am sure he does" Ezio grunted "I do not like not knowing what is happening around me, I like to make a habit of knowing my enemies movements"
"But this is the great Altair we're talking about here" Leonardo interjected "maybe we should not question his methods"
"Have you forgotten the creed?" asked Naruto "'nothing is true everything is permitted', we are taught that we are to make our own meaning from this statement and my personal belief is that in order to understand we must question"
"Such philosophical words from a boy so young" Rosa commented
"Not really, that is what Jiji-sama thought the creed meant when dad first told him and I thought it was pretty cool" Naruto replied sheepishly.
The three face faulted before feet were heard coming up the stairs.
"Shit" muttered Naruto "that'll be dad, get outta here or he'll bust you for 'ruining my rest'"
"We're already gone" Rosa smirked as she began climbing out the window
As the three made their way out of the window and shut it, Altair walked in with a thin soup and some bread.
"I trust that Ezio and his friends where not keeping you from resting?" asked Altair with a sly smile on his face.
Naruto smirked right back and said "I have no idea what you are talking about father"
A COUPLE DAYS LATER IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION
"Let me see if I understand you correctly" Zabuza muttered sarcastically "you want me to be one of your little assassins for the greater good of the world?"
Altair did not flinch at the survivor of the Bloody Mist and stared him down.
"That is correct Zabuza" he said "you would become a brother and a leader to new recruits, a part of an order dedicated to keeping peace in the world"
"How's the pay?" Zabuza interjected through his bandages
"There is no pay" Altair replied stoically "you join for the betterment of the world around you, however we always take care of our own"
"So what you are saying is that I would be killing who you want me to kill for no pay whatsoever?" Zabuza grunted "and people say I'm insane"
"I do not think you are truly listening to me" Altair said "we assassins have"
Altair paused
"Mutual benefactors" he said tactfully "that support our activities in various lands"
"the way I see it" Zabuza said "that's no different than the way I work, get a contract kill a target collect my gold and go home"
Altair paused.
"I cannot force you to work for us" he said then pulled out a thick stack of papers "then I will just use a less discreet method"
Zabuza looked at the stack of paper.
"And that is?" he asked
"A contract" Altair said "within it you will find ten targets and the contract requests"
Zabuza picked up the contracts
"Lotta' rules here" Zabuza remarks "I'm not really one for following rules"
"Then you don't get paid, simple" Altair said "you get half now and half on the completion of the job"
"And if I refuse?" Zabuza asked the hooded assassin trying to read his facial expressions
"then I am , by order of the Hokage, to kill you" Altair replied "this is an offer at life Zabuza, an offer to do what you do best, get paid and clear the trash from the world."
"You're not really giving me a choice here are you" Zabuza grunted out "I'm not even fully healed from my fight and you're already threatening me"
"And it pains me to do it too you" Altair said apologetically "but you cannot expect your previous crimes to go un-answered"
Altair sat down and looked Zabuza in the eyes.
"Shall we negotiate the price of each target?" he asked
Zabuza stared right back at Altair.
"fine" he said simply.
WITH KAKASHI AND MARIO
The two were again walking through the village this time they were not hassled by thugs, but by thankful villagers offering thanks. The two politely declined and continued their patrol of the village debating the two teams.
"I think they are not ready yet" Mario argued "Ezio is too brash, Rosa can't control her temper when it is most demanded and Leonardo cannot even fight that well"
"I agree completely with you" replied Kakashi "but I learnt that a trial by fire will bring them into the reality of being a killer"
"And you think the Chunin exams will strengthen them?" asked Mario "it could just as well kill them!"
"Do you have such little faith in your team Mario?" asked Kakashi
"Of course I do" Mario answered "but you cannot over extend them too soon!"
"then why not swap teams" Kakashi asked "you take my team for training and I will take yours"
"and you think we might be able to see flaws where the other could not?" Mario asked sceptically "you do not even know their fighting style"
"Exactly" Kakashi replied "which is why we can both teach and learn from each other, call it a cultural exchange"
The two sat on a nearby bench Mario crossed his arm and looked thoughtful
"I will admit" Mario mused "It would be nice to learn a few tricks from your team to warn mine about"
"and with your team I can perhaps learn how to teach Sasuke how to control his temper about his clan" Kakashi said sadly "that boy needs to get a new hobby other than obsessing about killing his brother"
"The path of revenge only leads to ruin" Mario said sadly and shook his head.
"so do we have a deal?" asked Kakashi
"indeed we do Kakashi" Mario said "but I suggest we wait till we get back before springing this on the poor souls"
THIS TOOK TOO LONG TO WRITE AND I AM VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT BUT I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME FOR THAT…AND FOR THE LACK OF ACTION.
TILL NEXT TIME
KAMAKASIE
(edit: sorry just realised I put Haku in there when he/she/it's dead)