Kakashi x Mina

Chapter 21 The Snake and Demon Unite The Return of The Monkey King

Itachi after internally festering on his damnation and the price that might need to be paid for Sasuke to become strong enough to kill him focused on the fight before him. He had to hold back since killing them will play into Danzo's long term scheme. However, Haku had been taken in and somewhat trained by Lord Third before he died and Orochimaru's canon fodder alongside him are a strong trio themselves but even stronger than in canon and under Haku's leadership no less. Not to mention there within a sub-territory of the Land of Water specifically by the coast. 

Itachi is strong but without resorting to the full power of the Mangekyou Sharingan it wouldn't be easy. "What do you want kid you couldn't handle a nerfed reanimation on your own and you want me to fight alongside you?", Enma rebuked. "Please Monkey King I have no right but please if you honor this contract I will defend the leaf and serve the Sarutobi Clan forever", Haku pleaded. Enma was somewhat impression at the boy's cordial and credence of respect regarding summoning animals and contracts. "Hiruzen you always were too soft on this boy almost as much as the brat and Naruto", Enma reflects grieving for his fallen friend. "All right kid but I lead the Sound Three can watch flank", Enma commanded.  Zaku wanted to bad-mouth the simian but after Konoha crush he knows better and he wants to get out of this alive. "Hidden mist jutsu", Kin casted as the fog began to engulf the battle. "Shadow clone jutsu" "Transform", Haku and Enma casted as a multitude of Haku's rose to life all welding Enma bow staffs. They all charged Itachi as they were combining water style and strategic timing and countering. Dosu set his gauntlet and some senbon while he and Zaku set up their jutsu. "Water style Raging waves ", Zaku casted as the ocean water became pressurized and began to form a small tsunami. "Resonating Echo drill!!!", Dosu amped his gauntlet enhancing  both his attack as well as Zaku's tsunami. "Multiple Senbon jutsu!!!", Kin cried as Dosu's senbon began to multiply; all with bells at the end of each of them. Haku and Enma were just waiting for there cue. The clones began to flank Itachi though the rogue was still able to hold this own. Haku then casted a collaboration sealing jutsu to bind Itachi in place while the multiple senbon combined with the echo drill and the tsunami culminated in a massive ocean wide attack. "Team Ice: Frozen Tsunami formation!!!", Team Ice bellowed. The Tsunami hit Itachi dead on and while underwater, the Haku clones made the finishing move, "Multiple Crystal Ice Mirror!!!" The Tsunami flattened into Ice as the enemy was pierced and maimed from every conceivable angle. Team Ice had truly won.

Team Dosu then collapsed from exhaustion as they were just about out of chakra. Suddenly, they are each attacked by Enma  freeing them of the Genjutsu.  Dosu was confused, Zaku was frustrated and Kin was completely devastated as the real Haku was the one to take the hit. Kin was shaking to her core. Not willing to accept the worst, she dashed over to Haku's side only to notice him covered in blood and senbon gauge wounds. Haku coughed and began to breathe heavily indicating that he was alive. Kin just cuddled her beloved lost in her own emotions. "Impressive you sacrificed a water clone at the very last second but that doesn't mean you came out of it unscathed. It appears the leaked intel we received was fake and the nine-tail is still in the village", Itachi regaled. Faster than Enma and the kids could react, Itachi used his good eye to cast an advanced Genjutsu knocking everyone unconscious. 

Meanwhile, Zabuza and Curse mark Anko were having a hard time fight off Kisame. Almost as if he wasn't fighting at all. "How come we're not putting a dent in him?!", Anko growled frustrated. Zabuza gritted his teeth but was fully aware of the situation; "That's the power of the Samehada. It synthons the opponents chakra and redirects it back at the enemy with greater force and damage", Zabuza explained. "So he's been playing with us", Anko scowled. "I'll give you some credit Zabuza. You're stronger than this weakling at least hahahahaha", Kisame trolled. 

Zabuza then lunged at his former comrade and the kenjutsu battle began and the Zabuza was making some small ground; that is until Kisame purposely fell off the cliff into the ocean below. Anko tries to warn Zabuza but it was too late. They were both from the hidden mist and the water was their element. This fight would be decided with the fastest reaction and counter. During freefall, Zabuza is able to knock the Samehada out of Kisame's hand as the shark man weaved his hands signs. By the time the demon realized it, it was too late. "Water Style Super Shark Bomb Jutsu!!!", Kisame roared as the ocean water pressurized and contorted once more in the form of a shark. Zabuza tried to counter it with the Water Dragon jutsu but the ocean shark engulfed the dragon enlarging it. Before the shark bomb made impact, Anko leaped from the cliff and wrapped the two in a construct barrier of snakes causing them to take most of the damage. The explosion that followed spewed a mix of sea water and blood as it rained down below. Kisame took a whiff of his victory only to discover that it was mostly snake blood. Kisame reached out to Samehada and it independently returned to his side and chakra. "You always were a glutton", Kisame quipped to his weapon. Kisame then noticed a thick fog surrounding him. "Using the last of your chakra to cast the hidden mist jutsu during the impact Zabuza. Either trying to throw off my aim or just a fool. If I get too carried away the jinjuriki will be transferred as a precaution and our intel would have gone to waste. No matter I can just kill them another time", Kisame thought. Itachi then arrived to Kisame's corner of the battle and the two after "retreating" to the border to regroup. 

Shortly after Enma and Dosu regained consciousness and carried the three to the rendezvous camp. Miraculously, the contract remained intact during the fighting. Enma then disappeared as  the group decided to head back to the village and get medical attention. Despite Anko's best efforts even resorting to the curse mark, Zabuza still got the worst of it. This was because he was maxed out of chakra as well as the fact that he was cut and gauged and tried to throw off Kisame's attack. Anko hummed at the sentiment as they began to depart. As our heroes returned home to report their success, one questioned plagued each of their minds.  Either Itachi didn't see the point in killing them or he was undercover for Konoha?!!! 

Next Time 

Chapter 22

The Akatsuki's Arrival 

The Battle of the Sharingan