Silent Shinobi (Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter Ten

HEY guess who's back hehe I'm so sorry I didn't update, >< but I think this is pretty long and I've kind of decided to put ISWACHE on hold for now to focus on this :) enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading! <3

Zeri's POV

'Hah, you sound confident of yourself, but you humans never learn,' the dog growled, disgust in its tone. I narrowed my eyes, holding back my tongue. There wouldn't be any use in trying to argue with it. 'Your mission,' it's voice rumbled, 'will be to obtain the Tiger Claws of the Tanaka Clan.' I raised an eyebrow at the dog. "You mean the ones that are supposedly guarded by an undefeatable demon?" The dog barked out a laugh.

'So that's what you humans refer Rae to! How predictable,' it snorted. I shrugged. "I wasn't the genius who came up with it. So basically I'm supposed to get the claws and give them to you?" The dog nodded. 'It may sound like a simple task, but countless have failed it. I will remain here until evening. If you have not returned by then you fail.' I resisted the urge to bare my teeth at the dog's condescending tone, ignoring it and clasping my hands together, disappearing from the waterfall.

I reappeared in the air above the trees, doing a flip before landing on the ground and dashing through the forest. From what I'd heard, the Tiger Claws were located in a cave at the top of a mountain. I shook my head, trying to shake the stray strands of hair away from my face as the air whipped past. "This better be worth it," I muttered, seeing the mountain in the distance.

Taking a leap, I landed on the rocky cliff of the mountain and swung myself up, safely arriving at the mouth of the cave. I could feel the presence of others around the area, but I just wanted to get the job over and done with. "If they get in the way, then too bad," I smirked, walking into the cave.

The cave was dark, barely illuminated by the light from the mouth of the cave. My eyes glowed, changing to a cloudy amber colour, and my feet crossed the ground underneath silently. The path just kept going on and on, and there weren't any forks, surprisingly. I could see everything around me, and after walking for a while, I finally saw a faint light a few steps away. About time, I thought impatiently, as I walked towards it.

"So you have finally arrived," a voice rumbled, and I side-stepped as a burst of fire brushed past, feeling the heat against my skin. "Sorry to keep you waiting," I grinned at the bird in front of me as it extended its wings, it's bright red feathers glinting. "Did the dog tell you I was coming?"

"Of course," the bird tossed its head, a challenging look in its green eyes. "You pathetic humans come to this place, confident that you will get what you came here for. But you forget that we are far stronger than many of you combined!" I listened silently, and the bird arched its neck, looking down on me intimidatingly. "And yet you think you will be different. You will not leave this place with the Tiger Claws, nor will you leave this place alive!" It screeched, and I leapt away as another burst of fire escaped from its mouth.

The Phoenix screeched loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls of the cave, and I winced slightly as it rang in my ears. "You think you can run, human?!" I dodged to the right as a ball of fire scarred the rocks beside me, avoiding the burning flames as they began to surround the area. I won't be able to get the claws if this keeps up, I thought in annoyance. But I couldn't get close to the claws because of the fire.

I stopped abruptly, closing my eyes and forming handsigns. "Hah, you're toast!" Rae cackled, and I smirked slightly. "Not just yet," I caught the ball of fire in my hand, the fire surrounding my arm without any sign of burns. Rae cocked her head, sneering. "You think that will stop me? Die, human!" Flames escaped from her mouth, and I barely managed to dodge in time, feeling the flames burn ends of my hair.

"Shit, the flames are different," I growled, shaking my head to get rid off the remaining flames. "You're not getting away anymore!" Rae raised her wings, fire beginning to surround her entire form. The temperature was so hot, I could see cracks beginning to form on the rocks. "You'll burn to death, like the rest of those pathetic humans!" Rae shrieked, and I snarled, having enough of the insults.

"Do NOT compare me," I snarled, feeling my eyes beginning to flicker and change. "To the others!" I felt my temper flare, and as the flames began to engulf the cave, my chakra surrounded my body like a shield. I stalked towards the Phoenix, straining against the intensity of her flames when it noticed I was approaching. "I am the stronger one here, human!" It snarled, it's eyes flashing angrily. A hint of a smile appeared on my face.

"That's where you're wrong," I drawled, holding out my hands with my palms facing it. I smirked, channeling my chakra into my hands and feeling the familiar stings of lightning prickling my skin. "You shouldn't be too proud or overconfident, you know? It backfires," I continued, running towards it with my hands outstretched. The Phoenix's eyes widened and it tried to back away when it realised it's fire didn't have any effect on me, but I grabbed its neck. "Electrifying," I grinned wickedly, as its shrieks filled the cave, followed by a blinding flash of light.


Third Person POV

'Stupid girl,' the dog shook its head. 'What a pity. She seemed like a strong oppon-' The dog abruptly stopped, noticing a presence behind it. It spun around, only to see Zeri wearing the Tiger Claws, flexing her fingers in admiration. "These are really cool," Zeri told the dog, swiping at the air. "I wouldn't mind keeping them for myself." The dog's eyes widened slightly, noticing something on her right arm. It lunged forward, pouncing on a surprised Zeri and causing her to fall back.

The dog bit on the sleeve of her right shirt, ripping it away and revealing a strange tattoo on her arm. 'I see,' the dog's knowing voice rumbled. 'You are indeed from the Kazahe clan.' Zeri sat up, brushing off the tatters from her shirt. "What is that supposed to imply?" she questioned, staring at the mark on her shoulder. The dog huffed in exapseration, plopping down in front of her. 'What this means, is that you didn't even need to get the Tiger Claws in the first place. I am already bound to you due to your bloodline,' the dog told her, and its confession was followed by a sudden cloud of smoke.

Zeri's POV

I raised a hand, flicking my wrist lightly and the smoke began to blow away. I stood up, flexing my fingers once more. "So, your true form is..." I trailed off, my eyes widening slightly when I realised I was looking into a pair of dark grey eyes. "Yes, I am a panther, Zeri of the Kazahe Clan." A deep growl rumbled from the panther's throat.

The panther's fur was a golden amber with swirls of black and white along the sides of its legs and torso. One of its ears had a scar, almost as if it had been slashed. I squinted slightly when I noticed the mark on its forehead. "Is that...the clan symbol?" I mumbled, and the panther nodded, its tail lazily flicking from side to side. "Yes, all of us possess the symbol as a sign of our loyalty." The panther bowed its head. I remained silent, trying to digest this information. Why have I not heard about this before?

"This information was kept a secret from those under the age of 16," the panther explained, seeing the look on my face. "However, because of current circumstances, you know about this now," I closed my eyes, knowing that circumstances it was talking about. Struggling to keep the pain from showing in my expression, I opened my eyes and looked at the panther.

"Do you have a name?" I asked, and it bared its teeth at me in a grin. "You may refer to me as Kitzu," it responded, and a hint of a smile appeared on my face. "Well, my name is Zeri," I told it. I reached my hand out, resting my palm on the symbol on its forehead, and it closed its eyes. Closing mine as well, the wind blew past lightly as I continued. "I hope we can become strong partners together."



"Where's Zeri?" Kakashi sighed, and Naruto growled under his breath. "She was the one who ran off with the stupid dog! I'm hungry and I want ramen!" He whined, and Sakura smacked him in annoyance. "Stop whining like a kid, Naruto! You were the one who had to go and choose the biggest one! You're so useless!" Sakura screeched, and Sasuke just looked away, irritated by the drama.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I appeared beside Kakashi, causing him to jolt in surprise. "The dog ran away, and I couldn't find him," I added nonchalantly, and the rest of my squad sweatdropped. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion, and I smirked slightly before turning away from him. "Why are your clothes burnt, Zeri?" I looked at him in confusion, following his gaze to my clothes which were slightly charred. Ugh, I have to go get new ones soon, I scowled. Stupid Phoenix who couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"Wouldn't you like to know," I replied mysteriously. Kakashi sighed exasperatedly, but didn't try to push it. "Anyway, good job for today guys. I have to go file in the report for today's missions, so you can head home now," Kakashi smiled a closed-eye smile at them before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"H-hey Sasuke, wanna go out together?" Sakura stammered, and I rolled my eyes, already turning around and walking away. Didn't she have any pride? To be chasing someone that didn't return your feelings at all. It was like this love triangle, except Sasuke didn't have feelings for Naruto. "Hey, Zeri! Wait for me!" A yell came form behind me, and a few seconds later, Naruto came to a stop beside me.

"So, where are you heading?" He asked casually, and I raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would I tell you in the first place?" I shot back, and he pouted at me. I continued walking, with him continuously pestering me to tell him. Sakura must have been really harsh on him today, I grumbled.

"Zeeeeerrrrrriiiiii," Naruto whined, and I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. "I don't know where I'm going yet, okay! I haven't exactly explored the whole village! Are you always this annoying?" Naruto's expression brightened, and he grinned mischievously. "Heh, then I can show you around! I know this place pretty well, so follow me!" He grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him and I wanted to pull away, but as he began to chatter and point to things around him, I just went along. He was like an overexcited puppy, I thought, watching as he dragged me around. And he didn't even remember me insulting him, I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, is that Konohamoru? KONOHAMORU!" Naruto yells at a group of three kids, who turn around at his voice. The one in the middle smiles widely and waves back. "NARUTO!" He yells, and Naruto pulls me towards them. I scowl slightly. I didn't really like kids, especially those who were brats or thought they were so cool. I watched Naruto talk to the middle one animatedly and wrinkled my nose at the boy beside them. Ew, could he at least wipe it away or something? Gross. And the girl reminded me of Sakura.

"Hey, Naruto!" Speak of the devil and she arrives, I thought dryly, not bothering to turn around. I pulled my hand away from Naruto's as he went up to her. "Hey Sakura!" He grinned widely. No offense intended, but how was she attractive to him? I wasn't exactly attractive either but I didn't understand at all.

"Ohhhh, I see what you're doing boss! Heh, you're a real player, aren't ya?" The kid smirked, and I expected Naruto to deny it, but instead he went along with it. "Heh, what did you expect from a master like me?" He added cockily, and I narrowed my eyes. Sakura beat me to it, her fist coming down on Naruto painfully. "WHAT DID YOU SAY, NARUTO?!" she screeched, and Naruto backed away fearfully. I shrugged. Well, I'd never date someone like him anyway.

Sakura huffed, and Konohamoru turned to Naruto. "Hey boss, why're you dating such an old hag?" I smirked, seeing Sakura's expression. "You better run, kid. She's gonna eat you alive," I taunted, and Konohamoru and Naruto began screaming and running away from Sakura.

"Oof!" Konohamoru crashed into someone, and Naruto and Sakura stopped abruptly. I began walking towards them, squinting slightly. Sand Ninja? And there weren't just two of them, I realised, scowling. "Hey brat, watch where you're going, would ya? You just gave me a bruise," the guy scowled, and before Konohamoru could back away, he grabbed him by his neck. Smirking, he lifted Konohamoru off the ground.

"Hey you! Let go of him!" Naruto yelled angrily, taking a step towards the guy. Sakura looked nervous, her eyes shifting from Naruto to the Sand Ninja worriedly. "Heh, you brats need to be taught a lesson," The guy smirks, and I scoff. Brat? Really? That's the best he could come up with?

"Look, it's our fault. Just let him go, okay?" Sakura pleaded, and the Sand Ninja looked over to a girl beside him with blonde hair. "We've got a few minutes before he comes, right?" The girl just turns away in annoyance, and Konohamoru struggles to escape from his grip.

"Lemme go you big jerk!" He shouts, kicking and clawing at the guy's wrist. The guy just smirks. "Heh, you're a feisty one, but you're not gonna be so feisty after this!" The guy tightens his grip on him, raising his hand. Suddenly, the guy yelps, dropping Konohamoru and clutching his wrist. He waves his hand around, trying to extinguish the flame that appeared on his sleeve. "What the?!"

I walk towards him, a bored expression on my face. "That's why you shouldn't wear black in such hot weather. Even your clothes can catch fire. How do you even breathe in that thing?" I eyed his black clothing dubiously. The smirk returns to the guy's face as he looks at me. "Well hello to you too. What's your name, pretty lady?" He slings his arm over my shoulder casually.

"Hey! Leave Zeri alone!" Naruto yells, and I resist the urge to facepalm. The guy grins at me, playing with the ends of my hair. "A pretty name for a pretty girl. I'm Kankuro," he tells me, and I smirk, grabbing his hand. I see the girl beside him give me a shocked look, while the Kankuro grins widely. "And I'm not interested," I reply, spinning around and kicking him in the chest. His face crumples into shock as he flew away from me, crashing into a tree painfully.

"You're pathetic. Picking on little kids like you're some hot shot, just because you're entering the Chunin Exams," I scowl, and my eyes flash slightly. The flame disappears, and the girl sniffs, looking away uninterestedly. Kankuro gets up slowly, a grimace on his face. "Pretty and feisty, I like that," he half-smirked, reaching behind him. "Why don't we have a little friendly match? If I win, you go on a date with me." I cocked my head slightly, noticing that chakra strings were attached to his fingertips.

Puppet Master Jutsu? I wondered curiously. I hadn't seen one before. "If you're really that desparate to lose, then I don't mind," I smirked. Kankuro grinned, flexing his fingers, along with the chakra strings attached to his puppet. "Wait, you're gonna use Crow for this?" the blonde beside him butted in. "Kankuro, he wouldn't like this-" Kankuro shot her a look, and she shrugged, looking away.

I casually flexed my fingers, and Kankuro stood opposite me, a cocky smirk on his face. "You sure you wanna do this princess?" I scowled. I had a deep hatred for nicknames, and his wasn't any different. "Heck yes," I growled, and we ran towards each other. I ran straight towards him, seeing his surprised expression, and swiped at his body with my Tiger Claws. As he tried to dodge, I threw myself towards him, my claws raking out and catching his arm, tearing the cloth on his arm.

Kankuro hissed in pain, his other arm going to his hand as he jumped back. I grinned devilishly, my pointed teeth visible as I straightened. "First blood," I drawled, seeing the red liquid dripping down his arm. "I want to see how your puppet looks like, but I think this match is over." My eyes flickered to the trees beside me.

"And Sasuke, you can take over now. I'm done here," I continued, and Sakura's head whips to where Sasuke appeared, a slight scowl on his face. He shoots me a curious look, but steps forward. "You're a long way from home, and obviously way out of your league. Just get lost," he says, and I don't need to turn around to see Sakura's awed expression.

"Tsk, another brat to take care of?" Kankuro reaches behind him. "This is far from over-"

"Kankuro, back off. You're an embarrassment to our village." A deep, rough voice interrupts him. A red-haired boy hangs upside down on a branch beside Sasuke, his pale green eyes blank. Kankuro smiles uneasily, and his eyes travel from Konohamoru, Naruto and Sakura to Sasuke, before they landed on me. His eyes widened slightly, and I shot him a cheeky grin. "Hey Gaara, who'd expect to meet you here?"