The Nine Tales of Naruto: Ni-ban

Ch. 7: The Seven Ninja Swordsman

Death? These people think that I would be so easily killed, even in my own home? No. No that would not be the case for me. There was still much to do. Many people needed to be taught what it meant to think of me as a monster. No matter. I will handle these seven.

"I am sorry to hear that Zabuza. I am interested to know how you survived from back then. I saw you and Haku die. I had hoped you had come to me as a friend. But now I see that is not the case. No matter. Here you will die and here I will make a name to fear in this world. The one who killed the Seven Swordsman."

Zabuza paused a moment as I spoke, almost in thought. He looked at me as if he didn't remember me. After a few moments he laughed, his covered face moving under the bandages. "Funny little boy. Let's see what you have. Haku!" The room filled with mist and mirrors of ice surrounded me.

At first it caught me by surprise. The next surprise came in the form of a masked woman coming through the ice mirror.

I barely recovered from the shock in time to avoid the needles that flew from the woman's hand. A kunai seemed to have formed out of nowhere in my hand as I deflected the projectiles.

We clashed a moment, both pushing against the other, "Tell me how you survived?!"

A chuckle came from behind the mask as my outburst settled. I made distance the best I could, being surrounded by the mirrors. Zabuza seemed happy to just watch on the sidelines, so it proved he had faith in this person. Or little expectations of me. The kyubii decided he didn't want to have me embarrassed, and by affiliation himself, so he let some of his power flow through me. The rush had become a familiar friend since the first time it happened.

The red chakra flowed over me and I took a deep breath. upon it's release a shock wave of air smashed into the mirrors and shattered them. Haku came out with a roll on the ground before Zabuza. He was dazed and a mild stumble was seen when he tried to walk.

"Is that the best you can do? I think you have bitten off much more then you can chew." I said to him. His companions were the ones that seemed angered by the remark. No matter, any anger could set them off their game. Being out numbered made me want to stack the deck in my favor any way I could.

The first to go on the attack was a man with a dark-colored beard and hair which he ties into a topknot. The remainder of his face appears to be rather angular and features a very protuberant nose. He wears a sleeveless dark shirt and matching pants along with a waist-guard, pin-striped arm and leg-warmers and Kirigakure's forehead protector. He also has bandages around his neck which I thought was odd. But what caught my attention most was the large ax connected to a hammer that he welded for a weapon.

The man moved swiftly to me and swung hard with the ax. I barely caught the blade with a kunai before the hammer followed to smash into the ax and causing him to cut right through my kunai. The blade of the ax narrowly missed my forehead. The scrap from my protector was heard as well as the sparks that flew off.

I decided to abandon the room and escaped outside, where the other swordsmen had been waiting. Cursing under my breath the man emerged from my hideout. "I am Akebino Jinin . Allow me the fortune of sending you to hell." He smiled and launched at me once more. Knowing better I decided to dodge his attacks. Where the blade missed the hammer covered. It was like fighting two enemies at once. If I blocked one, the other hit as well. It was a nightmare.

Calm yourself Naruto. Think. Use my power.

I put distance between me and my opponent, then began to draw on the foxes chakra. As always I felt energized as the cloak covered me. The transformation gave the enemy pause.

"What is the meaning of this?" He declared. I smiled without answering him. As I rushed at the man he brought up his weapons to guard. Dirt and rock kicked up behind me as my speed closed the gap in a blink. My fist connected on his guard and blasted him off his feet. He bounced on the ground a few times before making a hole in the surrounding landscape. I appeared next to him and was about to deliver a finishing blow then I was attacked by another swordsman. This one used her blades with lightning. I was caught off guard and blasted back the way I came. With a quick recovery I stood and looked at the woman before me. Slowly Jinin rose from the ground. I saw the wear on his body as he staggered slightly.