Naruto: Dark Beginnings Original

Chapter 5

Chapter 4: A Deal is made

Kitsune smiled inwardly as he ate his food, grinning at the other's obvious disappointment that he didn't remove his mask. They had reached Tazuna's house without incident, for which Kitsune was grateful. He was still trying to work out a way to end this scenario peacefully.

"Would you like more, Kitsune-sama?"

"Hm?" Kitsune looked up at the women serving him. She was attractive, there was no doubt about that, but hanging around Kurenai so long made someone's appearance seem completely irrelevant. Beauty had no effect on him anymore. Still, she was smiling and being friendly, which was an improvement on the majority of Konoha. "Er, yes please."

"Tsunami, leave the kid alone!" Tazuna grunted, "How is he supposed to protect me if he's bloated?"

"My apologies Kitsune-sama," Tsunami bowed.

"Ah, cut the Sama, it isn't needed amongst equals." Kitsune tiled his head.

"Equals?" Tsunami blinked.

"I am sure you could stop an entire army with your beauty and your cooking." Kitsune grinned. He had spent his entire life avoided by women, and was making up for it in any way he could. That and he had been hanging around Jiraiya a little too much during his mercenary career, on several trivial missions. Such as being hired to steal all the women's towels in a hot spring, which seemed easy enough when he was told to do it (Kitsune was still low ranked and had to take all the work he could get), Jiraiya had conveniently forgotten to warn Kitsune that he was raiding a Jounin Hot spring. This was the main reason Jiraiya was not on his precious people list, although Kitsune wouldn't deny he liked the old man.

"Oh please Kitsune-kun, you are too kind." Tsunami blushed and left the room.

"I have to go somewhere," Kitsune stood up suddenly, "I have a solution."

As he left the others looked at each other, "A solution to what?" They all asked in unison.

"Someone should go with him," Kurenai stood up, "The sun is setting and even Nar..."
"Pudding!" Kakashi yelled.

"What the hell do you mean by pudding?" Sasuke asked as the Genin turned to face Kakashi.

"Yeah, I felt like yelling something random." Kakashi shrugged.

"Someone should go and keep and eye on Kitsune, even he would struggle to fight in the dark." Kurenai silently thanked Kakashi for covering up her mistake. She was still getting over how the little boy she cared for had grown into such a powerful hunk and her thoughts were distracted, which had cost her in the earlier battle. Maybe she had been talking to Anko too much, but the sight of his sheer destructive power excited her far more than she thought possible, which was worrying her somewhat.

Zabuza stared at his blade as he prepared to lead the attack on the Bridge Builder's house. They would all be dead by the morning. Glancing at Haku, he felt kind of sorry for the girl. It looked like Naruto had chosen Konoha over her.

Haku was merely staring at nothing. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, she never had training in these kinds of circumstances; did everything that Naruto and her go through nothing to him, because they sure as hell meant a lot to her. He had taken her innocence and she had given him her love, but yet he was perfectly happy to side against her? And to make matters worse he had replaced her with other women.

"Are you alright?" Zabuza turned to the girl. No more did he see her as a tool in his quest. Now his quest was ended, he saw her as more of a daughter figure, as she in turn started to view Zabuza as a father figure.