Naruto : Chapter 49
Naruto got the feedback from his clones three hours later and meditated half an hour to process it all.
Then he made two more clones. One started drawing a map and the other took out the bingo book to look up the pages with the ninjas he had identified in Gato's hideout.
The original started eating a ration bar. Once he was done with the bar, he went to Kakashi.
"We have a small problem, Kakashi sensei." Naruto said.
"What kind of problem?" Kakashi asked.
"Well, for one my clones found out that Gato never planned on paying Zabuza. He intended to double-cross him as soon as Tazuna was dead. But he had three other ninjas there. Ninjas with Iwa headbands.
I don't know if they are just doing normal business with him or if they were hired to end Zabuza's job, but they could pose a massive problem. My clone is just looking them and the four missing nins that I saw up in the bingo book." Naruto said.
"Why are Iwa ninjas a problem? While we were at opposite sides in the war; that was fourteen years in the past." Sakura asked.
"It's because who is on our team. I have a massive bounty on my head from Iwa for my part in the third shinobi war. If any Iwa ninja can get away with it, they'll try to take me out for sure, especially as my sensei was the fourth Hokage.
They hate no other ninja as much as the Yellow Flash, even if sensei died twelve years ago when he sacrificed his life to defeat the Kyubi. And Naruto unfortunately from a distance could be thought to be related to sensei.
They have the same hair colour. If Iwa even thinks there could be a relative of the Yellow Flash, they would attack on principle just to end any possible Namikaze.
You have no idea how many Yamanakas died shortly after the war just because they had a darker shade of blond hair." Kakashi explained.
"The Hokage had to change the teams that were assigned missions close to Earth Country to keep the Yamanakas away from there."
"I'll better change my hair colour then for the mission. Perhaps red would go well. After all, all the Uzumakis had red hair." Naruto pondered.
"No, that also doesn't work. You'll have to disguise yourself completely without relying on a jutsu. Iwa ninjas are masters of spotting those. Was a major problem in the war." Kakashi refused the idea.
"Okay, full body disguise it is then. Good that I have something like that in my spare clothes." Naruto said.
Kakashi knew which attire that was. It was Naruto's dark phoenix disguise. But as long as he didn't use the name that shouldn't be found out. Sasuke was deep in thought.
Kakashi might have played it down, but was there a relation between Naruto and the Yondaime Hokage? Their faces were somewhat similar, but the faces on the Hokage Monument weren't that good for comparison.
He tried to remember the photo in the Hokage's office, but he had never really paid attention to it.
Probably he would have to wait until they returned to Konoha to compare the two. If Naruto was a relative of the Yondaime, it would be best to not be on his bad side, besides the fact that Naruto was already jonin in all but name.
Naruto's clone came into the room and showed them the bingo book entries.
"I found who the most important ones are.
Tomoharu Haskaya.
39 years old.
jonin from Iwa.
A ranked.
Specializes in wide area earth jutsus. War veteran.
Bounty 15.000.000 ryo.
Known to be brutal against anybody connected to the Yondaime Hokage.
...
Ichikawa Sansetsu.
21 years old.
chunin from Iwa.
B-ranked.
Specializes in earth enhanced taijutsu. Said to have a body armour comparable to granite.
Bounty 1.500.000 ryo.
Holds a grudge against Konoha for the loss of both parents in the third war.
...
Mikiko Kamizuri.
24 years old.
jonin from Iwa.
B-ranked.
Specialized in insect based jutsu comparable to the Aburame clan.
Bounty 3.800.000 ryo.
Known to have sworn to kill the Copy ninja.
...
"
"Those are the three from Iwa. Then there were these three that are normal missing nins or missing nins that went to another village." The clone said and showed them three other pictures.
...
Aoi Rokusho.
25 years old.
jonin from Ame.
Missing nin from Konoha for treason, including theft of the sword of the Nidaime Hokage.
B-ranked.
Specialized in shooting senbons from an umbrella and kenjutsu using the sword of the lightning god.
Bounty 5.000.000 ryo.
...
Kimie Roino.
19 years old.
former chunin from Kiri.
B+ ranked.
Missing nin.
Bloodline limit of Poison Touch. Anybody who is touched by her on bare skin is poisoned and if not treated immediately dies if not immune against the type of poison used.
Bounty 9.000.000 ryo.
Known to work with Zabuza Momochi.
...
Sanae Nogunaba.
20 years old.
former chunin from Kiri.
A-ranked.
Missing nin.
Bloodline limit of Steel Release.
Can turn her whole body into steel. Also known as the living blade.
Bounty 15.000.000 ryo. Known to work with Zabuza Momochi." The clone read out.
...
"That definitely poses a problem. If those ninjas interfere with our plan to infiltrate and assassinate the bases it will be much harder to get this country out of Gato's grip. Were there others that weren't part of the bingo book?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes, Aoi Rokusho has a genin team with him. Didn't look too strong to me. If we're lucky and Gato doesn't find out about Zabuza's death that soon, the Iwa nins might be gone.
I can't imagine somebody like Gato working with regular ninjas. Those he can't really double-cross. That would only give him trouble from their villages." Naruto said.
"Yes, please keep an eye on things with a few transformed clones. I don't want to get nasty surprises. I remember Mikiko. She's a hard opponent.
She hates me because at the end of the war I managed to copy many of her clan's techniques and handed them over to the Aburame, the rivals of the Kamizuri.
From there on the Aburames blocked every plan of the Kamizuri." Kakashi informed his students.
...
Meanwhile at Gato's hideout said business tycoon was frowning that there hadn't been any message from Zabuza.
With the last information he had got, he knew that that cursed bridge builder was on his way back in company of some Konoha ninja. How he hated ninjas. But to fight them you needed another ninja or overwhelming numbers.
Well, he still had the two girls that Zabuza had left behind because he didn't think he would need more support than that Haku boy; he feared they wouldn't be as effective as Zabuza.
He could ask the Iwa nins that were here at the moment to take the Konoha ninjas out; they held a grudge against them since their last ninja war after all, but he wouldn't be able to cheat them out of their money.
Zabuza and his entourage were easy. Except for the Haku boy all were in that bingo book and if he double crossed and killed them after the mission was fulfilled nobody would look into it any closer.
And through a front man he had collected some nice bounties. Aoi was a known missing nin from Konoha, so he could blame things on the Konoha ninjas, but the Iwa ninjas were a problem.
They had been the protection of the last shipment from one of his business partners in the land of earth.
They would return tomorrow with the return shipment. But if the Konoha ninjas were that strong, they might be the only ones capable of taking them out.
But he didn't know who Konoha had sent. And he didn't know if Zabuza had failed or if things simply took longer after the demon brothers had been discovered.
"Boss, the bridge builder was seen to come back to his home accompanied by four ninjas with Konoha headbands." One of his minions reported suddenly.
Well, that meant Zabuza had failed. Now he needed more information. He saw the Iwa ninjas standing close by.
That could be a chance to get them to help without hiring them. Perhaps there was a ninja with the group that they hated enough to attack without payment.
"Do you have a description of the Konoha ninjas?" He asked, looking for that bingo book he had organized. While he hated ninja, it was always advisable to know your enemy.
"Yes. There are three kids, two boys and one girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen from what they look like, and one man. The man has silver, spiky hair and his face is mostly hidden with a face mask and his headband over one eye." The man reported.
"WHAT?" A loud scream from the female Iwa ninja came.
'Seems like I am lucky and she has a grudge. That could work out well for me.' Gato thought.
"Do you know that ninja?" Gato asked.
"Do I know him? Of course I know him! That is that damn Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. Oh, what a nice coincidence. Now I can fulfil my promise and kill him. Painfully." She said cackling.
"Mikiko, don't be hasty. Our job is to protect the shipment. We need to find out more to see if it is advisable to act. While I wouldn't mind getting rid of his student, we need to still do our duty.
What do the kids look like? If there are some kids from important clans the Tsuchikage might not mind if we returned a bit late." The leader of the team, Tomoharu, said.
"Tomoharu, why hesitate? There is only one team and with how it sounds it's only Kakashi and a genin team.
He will be busy protecting the kids and not fight at full power. And I also heard he slacked off the past few years and is nowhere near his former level." Mikiko argued.
"No reason to be careless. Kakashi Hatake is a formidable opponent. If the opportunity offers itself, you can go after him. Now how do the kids look like?" Tomoharu asked.
"The three look like normal kids to me. The girl a bit on the thin side. She has pink hair in a ponytail and wears a red shirt, black tight shorts and a red skirt. On her back was a white ring, perhaps a clan symbol.
The first boy has black hair that looks like a duck-butt, blue shirt, white shorts, lower legs covered with white bandages. A red and white fan on the back of the shirt.
The second boy has spiky blond hair, long black pants with dark red bandages on the bottom, dark grey shirt over a dark red one with a dark red vest. Couldn't see any clan signs as I wasn't close enough." The man who saw the group told them.
"Hm, that could be profitable. The black haired one is the last Uchiha and the blond one probably a Yamanaka. Two of the important clans of Konoha. I haven't heard about the girl's sign, probably civilian background.
Alone the Uchiha in combination with killing Kakashi would be worth it. Okay, we will go after them. Let them feel safe. After Zabuza failed against them, they'll probably be on guard for one or two days, after that they'll lower their guard a bit.
We can afford to wait three days before we strike. Mikiko, you wanted Kakashi, you can have a go at him, but Ichikawa will have your back. I'll get the two boys and then support you." Tomoharu said.
"YES! Count your days Kakashi, they will end soon." Mikiko cheered.
Nobody noticed a small black mouse vanishing in a cloud of smoke.
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