The Wolf Inside - A Naruto Fanfic - Watty Award Winner 2013

Chapter 5

Edited 29/06/2015

Kakashi's POV

"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" I call, as Zabuza stares at my Sharingan eye in frustration and disbelief.

"W-What?!" he yells, water beginning to violently swirl at my feet. It forms a ring above my head, gathering more and more water from the lake beneath us. The vortex explodes towards Zabuza, crashing into him heavily and throwing him backwards

I can't help but be a little bit smug, knowing how much it would annoy him that I'd just used the same Jutsu that he was about to use.

I hear Zabuza shout in frustration, as the vortex of chakra fuelled water cascades through the forest, washing the Demon of the Mist along with it. I spot Naruto hurriedly grabbing for a tree, not wanting to be swept along with Zabuza in the small flood. Luckily, Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna aren't in the line of fire.

Zabuza grunts in pain as he is bashed against a tree, the water pushing him up against the bark and flowing powerfully around the base of the trunk. I quickly throw four kunai at Zabuza, the knives piercing through his clothing and pinning him to the tree. Bending my knees, I leap up to a branch above Zabuza and glance down at him over my shoulder.

"You're finished" I inform the injured man darkly, before taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. Fights between Shinobi don't usually last this long, and I'm beginning to feel a little tired now. Time to finish this before Zabuza has a chance to catch his breath.

The rest of the water I'd used for my Jutsu rushes past Zabuza, forming a rather large puddle some distance behind him. Clearly irritated, the Mist Ninja raises his head and glares up at me.

"How?!" he asks me sharply. "Can you see into the future?!"

"As a matter of fact, I can" I lie, pulling another kunai out of my weapons pouch. "I can see that this is going to be the last battle you ever have a part in!"

"I see no one's dead yet" a voice mutters from somewhere in front of me, sounding a little disappointed. I glance up, only to see Ashley standing on a tall rock in the middle of our battlefield. She stares back at me, only for her eyes to flick up to my left, an unimpressed scowl suddenly appearing on her face.

"Ashley?!" Naruto calls out in surprise.

"What are you doing back here?" I question my most unfriendly student, though her eyes don't stray from whatever it is she's glaring at.

Before I can ask what she's so troubled by, Zabuza suddenly lets out a yell and slumps heavily to the ground.

"What the-?" I exclaim in surprise, jumping down to the ground without finishing my sentence.

I see two needles sticking out from Zabuza's neck, his eyes closed. He looks dead to me, but just to make sure, I place two fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse.

"He's got no vital signs" I eventually announce, sighing.

Glancing up into a tree, I see a figure dressed in green and yellow, wearing an ANBU mask. That must have been what Ashley was glaring at. But why did the presence of an ANBU irritate her so much?

Actually, everything seems to irritate her, so it's not really that strange I guess.

The figure in the tree suddenly chuckles as he jumps down from the tree, his voice light and silky.

"Looks like you were right" he agrees softly. "It was his last battle."

The rest of my team, as well as Tazuna, all watch the new Ninja cautiously as he approaches us. Ashley bends down and suddenly appears next to me, staring up at the newcomer darkly, scowl still in place.