Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Inner Secrets ❯ Of Battles and Training ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I do not own anything!!!

A/N: Wow would you look at all those pretty reviews. Okay folks I have decided that I will incorparate a little humour in this story, and when I mean a little humour I simply mean that one chapter is going to be crazy good!

Previously on Inner Secrets:

"Teme!" Naruto shouted as he pulled a senbon out of his arm. "Is that all you can do?" He cried out in annoyance as he walked over to the Uchiha and glared at him, hand on hips. "For someone who brags a lot you suck!" He said hoping that his words would cause the boy to try harder.

Haku saw the major opening in the boy's stance and hurriedly launched a barrage at him.

Sasuke saw the needles with his Sharingan and hurriedly shoved the blond out of his way taking several of the needles directly to the neck.

"Sa..Sasuke..." Naruto whispered quietly as he looked on in horror. In a swift move he moved forward and caught the falling genin before he hit the ground and he held him gently on his lap. "Hang in there teme!" He shouted with tears in his eyes.

"Heh.. Dobe... I didn't do it..." Sasuke mumbled out, blood flowing from his parted lips.

"Shh." Naruto said, "Try to conserve your strength."

"I never reached ...my dream... To kill him.. my brother..." He whispered before succumbing to the numbing chill that signified death.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried loudly eyes clenching shut in pain as he clutched the cooling body tightly to him. 'And the winner for the best actor goes to Uzumaki Naruto for his dominating performance in 'The Death of an Uchiha!' Naruto thought as he imaged himself shaking hands with some big important person while hold a shiny award. 'I'd like to thank all those who have given me their support--' He began only to be cut off.

'Kit! Though, I commend you for your lack of creativity at this scene, I'd like to point out that you should probably stop your mask's bawling and give a show to that boy, one so great he can't help but die happily at the end of all this. It is the least we can do...' Kyuubi said sadly.

'Let's get serious!' Naruto thought as he reopened his eyes which were no longer blue but instead a red as deep as blood.

Chapter 5

'What the?' Thought Haku as he looked into those crimson eyes that promised pain and death all in one intense look that sent shivers coursing down his spine. 'What is he?' He asked as he leaned back a bit.

'Kyuubi, lets give him the greatest show ever.' Naruto thought as he tapped into the Kyuubi's chakra and became encased in a swirl of crimson chakra which lashed out, whipping in random spurts, slashing through mirrors and cement alike.

'What is this power?' Haku silently questioned as the temperature rose steadily hotter, before it peaked into a sheer inferno, completely obliterating every mirror sending the 'hunter nin' flying backwards by the intense heat and power burst.

"What the--?" Kakashi said as he and Zabuza turned their heads to look off in the direction of the Ice Dome, which was barely visible through the mist. "It feels like..." the silver haired Jounin trailed off as his eyes widened. 'The Kyuubi! It can't be! The seal couldn't have broken!' He thought with worry as he pushed down the urge to race in there to see if his smallest student was alright. His thoughts were cut off suddenly as the Ice mirrors shattered and steam filled the air making everything more difficult to see

"That power.... isn't Haku's..." Zabuza commented. "But it is far stronger then his." He added after a moment. "I understand now..." He said with a smirk before he pulled his sword up and pointed it at the Jounin from the Village Hidden in the Leaf. "Let's fight, for real this time!" Zabuza shouted as he launched forward and swung his blade.

Kakashi, shocked by the sudden assault snapped his head back to the nuke-nin and in a last ditch effort to avoid the swing of the sword took a slight leap backwards, the blade cutting a deep gash across his chest, crimson blood squirting out in a waterfall upon impact.

Sakura screamed. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she saw her instructor get wounded before she took several steps backwards towards the Bridge Builder.

Haku managed to land on his feet. "His chakra has manifested into a physical form..." He whispered in awe. "So strong... and disturbing..." He muttered as he noted the needles still within the blond were expelled from his body and all wounds small and large healed up in the span of a second. 'They are healing themselves!! What on earth is he?!?'

'The seal is still in place, but it seems to be cracking. I had better hurry.' He thought as he withdrew a scroll. "Listen Zabuza, you and I are both busy men with a lot on our plates so lets stop screwing around and get serious." Kakashi concluded in agreement to what Zabuza had said before he attacked with that giant sword.

"What say you, winner take all?" Kakashi asked as he moved the scroll through a few fancy moves before he opened it and smeared a long stretch of blood along its length as the nuke-nin vanished from sight within the fog.

Haku released a barrage of senbon at the boy, though as they were only a few feet away they were sent soaring before they clashed to the ground. 'What!?! He deflected them without even touching them.' He thought in amazement a fear coiled itself around his stomach.

"He's attacking!" He exclaimed as he withdrew a kunai knife. 'He isn't the same boy as before, he is so blood thirsty...' he thought as he jumped up and used the downwards motion to propel himself towards the blond, who jumped back in an incredibly impressive summer sault and landed it with skidding ease.

The backwards motion soon halted with amazing speed as the blond propelled himself forward in a blur and nailed him with a fierce punch to the face, mask crumbling on impact, and it sent the boy flying backwards with great speed.

"Zabuza..." He whispered as he slowly pushed his battered and bruised self off the ground. "I... am finished...." He closed his eyes with a smile as he awaited the death blow.

"Haku... You don't deserve to die..." Naruto said causing the senbon wielder's eyes to snap open and his jaw to unhinged the slightest bit which allowed the blood to flow freely from his mouth.

"I killed your friend, your teammate... yet.. you say I ...deserve to live?" He asked with a little bit of difficulty.

"You are too pure... and Sasuke is still alive." Naruto whispered as his eyes changed from crimson back to blue. " You spared him by doing the same thing you did to Zabuza at our first encounter. A life for a life. You saved Sasuke... I'll save you." He said looking at the dark haired boy with determination.

"I'm not the one that needs to be saved... it's Zabuza that does..." Haku said sadly as he looked at the blond with a regretful expression.

"Then... I'll just have to save the both of you, letting you slip away, when everyone else thinks you are dead..." He explained as blue bore into brown.

"Your heart... is kind..." Haku smiled before his legs gave out and he crumbled to his knees. "What is your plan?" He asked weakly while looking up with great determination.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" exclaimed as he rammed both hands and the scroll flat on the ground with enough force to crack the very cement of the bridge.

Laughter erupted from the mist. "Stop your posturing Kakashi! You can't even locate me with all this mist." Zabuza teased. "I, on the other hand, have you spun within my web, you are at my mercy!" He exclaimed when all of a sudden a deep rumbling shook the bridge.

He looked down and out of the ground sprang hounds with their fangs barred and yet before he could react he was standing beside Haku, who was hurt pretty badly. "What the?" He asked in confusion before he spun to look at the blond before looking back at his living weapon. "What's going on Haku?" He demanded wondering why on earth he had been pulled out battle when the sound of his own voice reached his ears.

"How did you find me?" Zabuza's own voice rang out causing the one standing with the boy to widen his eyes.

"When the eyes and the ears deceive you, you can trust your nose." Kakashi's voice carried through the mist.

"Zabuza-sama..." Haku began as he pushed himself up.

"I found you by the scent of my blood which clings so tightly to your blade. Why else do you think I let you slice me up back there?" The jounin asked in a mocking tone.

"I summoned a blood clone and had it transform into you before using a substitution jutsu replacing you with the fake." Naruto explained quietly causing the sword wielding ninja to look at him with an appraising look.

"You're just like Haku... you wear a mask... the only difference is that yours is a metaphorical one..." The demon of the mist muttered with narrowed eyes.

"The fog is lifting! I can see your future and it is death..." Kakashi said in a cool manner as the fog around him and the ninja who stood with many hounds holding him in place with their fangs which were causing blood to flow freely.

"It is time to end your schemes, I know your plans. You were only taking this mission so that you could acquire funds to try a second attempt on your Mizukage as you had failed the first one." Kakashi said as the three looked on, still encased in enough mist to go unnoticed.

"It is time for you to die, and this time it will be by an original jutsu." Kakashi said as his hands flowed through three seals before his right hand was encased in chakra so potent it was visible to the eye. "Raikiri!!" He shouted as he raced towards the immobile ninja.

Naruto hurriedly moved through a blur of his own seals as he created another blood clone, this time in the likeliness of Haku. "Haku open a mirror here and right by the clone, hurry!" He ordered and the young man hurriedly complied using his blood line once more.

Two mirrors appeared where requested and the clone vanished from sight and used a genjutsu with great craftiness to make it appear as though the clone had walked out of the mirror, and it seemed to real that Kakashi didn't even doubt the boy in front of him was Haku, but he was unable to halt his progress as his hand wielding the great lightning edge pierced through the boy's chest.

Blood flew in every direction as the blood clone was impaled through the heart by a horrified looking Kakashi and a shocked looking Zabuza-clone, and the mist cleared a little more allowing Sakura and the bridge builder the privilege of seeing Kakashi with his hand all the way through the boy's chest.

"Heh..heh...heh..." The clone chuckled darkly, completely ignoring that blood of the boy that he had raised and trained staining him and his clothing. "It seems your prediction is once again wrong. You don't make a very good psychic." He said with a sickening smile.

"Za...buza-sama..." The Haku-clone breathed out as blood flowed free from his lips as he brought both hands up and clenched at the arm still within his chest, holding it there firmly.

"This is the second time you've said my future is death, and still I live." the bloodied man sneered.

"Tell me boy.... you are the one he was looking for aren't you?" The real Zabuza asked as he looked at the convincing scene before them.

"...Yes." Naruto answered in a hesitant manner as he looked at the two of them. "Will you go and tell him?" He asked with a blank expression.

"No... to the world we soon will be dead, and so we will go to the Secret Valley of the Swordsmen, hidden deep within the land of Rain. We will become stronger and then you and I will fight, but until then, if you need a hand, use this and call us." Zabuza said as he handed a small ring over to the boy.

"A ring?" Naruto asked skeptically as he eyed the black and silver piece bearing many foreign symbols.

"Not just any ring, it is the ring that each of the Seven Legendary Swordsmen wield. To use it just add your blood to it and call my name and that will make my ring glow before pointing in your direction. The reason I have two is because on the night one of my friend's turned traitor to our group we fought and I lost but he left me alive, bloodied and battered with his ring." Zabuza explained with an unreadable expression.

"Oi! Naruto right?" He asked and the blond nodded. "Make my death a noble one too 'kay?" He said with a smile that looked almost twisted on the man's face.

"Of course." The blond answered with a nod. "You two should leave now, the fog is soon to clear." Naruto said as he waved a fair well to the two who both vanished into the mist, the larger of the two supporting the smaller one. "May we meet again under good circumstances." He muttered before blue eyes moved over to the scene before him as he slipped the ring onto his index finger.

A small boy raced through the village panting heavily but on his face was a look of sheer resolve. It was now the time to act, the time to be strong, and he would do it. He was determined to do it as he rushed up a familliar set of stairs drawing closer and closer to the slightly rundown looking home at the top.

As he reached the closed door he slammed his fist against the surface in a knocking way hoping to hurriedly get the attention of the occupants so that he could go help. "I need you to come to the bridge with me!!" He called through the thick wood of the door as he hit his hand against the rough surface again.

"Please Gi'Ichi-san! I know that if we all work together this time we can be Gato and his gang of hired thugs!!" Inari exclaimed boldly as he banged on the door yet again.

"I'm sorry Inari." A man's voice sounded through the door, slightly muffled. "We aren't going to fight back any more." The voice said dejectedly. Your father was a hero, the greatest one we have ever known, but now he is gone.

"If we were to fight we would be throwing away a lot of innocent lives, and we have already lost and sacrificed so much." He continued in a sad voice. "None of us want to loose anymore, we don't want to harbour more regrets." He concluded.

"I don't want any more regrets either." Inari voice in a somber manner as he looked at the door with a steeled look. "And that is why I have to fight." He looked at the ground. "I love my mother, my grandfather, you and all the others in this village.... And now I understand." Inari declared as he looked up and took a few steps away from the door and turned half way. "I understand that I can't protect anyone by being a little crybaby!" He shouted before he turned all the way and raced down the steps still as determined as ever.

Inside the home that the boy was hurriedly retreating from stood a middle ages man leanning against the door with a downcast expression that showed his unease, and near by sat his wife, knitting a shirt. "Dear..." The woman began not once looking up from her work, " Inari may be growing up into a fine young man... but are you sure you want him to do this all alone? Do you honestly think he'll be alright?" She asked.

"Inari!" Tsunami said in disaproval as she set her hands on her hips and looked down at her son as he fitted his boots on his feet, face concealed by the green army helmet he worn on his head. "You can't go to the bridge all alone!" She exclaimed worriedly as she looked on at her little boy who was growing up.

"I have to..." He began still not looking up at his mother. "No one in this village is willing to protect it, so I have to." He stated simply as he finished tying the lace of his boot as he looked up at his mother.

"But that doesn't mean..." She exclaimed desperately as Inari jumped to his feet and grabbed his cross-bow and loaded it before walking to the door. "Wait! You're still a little boy!" She exclaimed in a last ditch effort to keep her baby safe.

"Mom..." Inari said as he stopped and looked over his shoulder at his worried mother. "I may be little... but I know how to fight... after all.... I am my father's son." He said with a true smile before he ran out of his domolished front door only to stop in his tracks at the sight that greeted him just beyond his front door.

'The mist is clearing...' Naruto thought with a sigh before he placed his idiot mask back in position and began to look around frantically, eyes only stopping when he was able to see everyone clearly, and they could see him.

"Isn't that," The bridge builder began, "The boy that wore the mask?" He asked the pink haired girl who stood beside him.

'He jumped in front of me to save Zabuza...' Kakashi thought with respect blooming for the fearless boy before him.

"Brilliant Haku." Zabuza said with pride.

'He is already .... dead...' Kakashi noted as he stared into lifeless brown eyes, slightly unnerved that the boy still had his death hold on his arm even after succumbing to death's cold embrace.

Zabuza-clone grabbed his sword and swung it forward in an attempt to cleave the man, held in place by the dead, in two.

'He will cut through the boy just to get at me!' Kakashi thought as he wrapped his other hand around the boy's slim waist and jumped backwards, easily evaded the blow and he set the boy down flat on the ground as he withdrew his hand with a sickening squelching noise.

"Heh...heh...heh... you were able to evade because poor Haku was already dead." Zabuza-clone surmised as he stared at the lifeless form of his 'living weapon'.

'Time to do what I do best...' Naruto thought with a sigh as he began to tremble with suppressed rage.

Kakashi, sensing the rising heated emotion hurriedly looked at his student with eyes that bore many dark and painful secrets. "Naruto! Stay out of this." He ordered sharply as he looked down at the dead boy before he sadly closed the brown eyes for the last time. "This is my fight!" He stated as he looked up with steeled emotions befitted to the best of shinobi.

'Naruto...' Sakura thought in shock as she saw her blond haired teammate. "Naruto! You're alive!" She exclaimed with wide eyes and a hint of relief in her voice.

'Sakura..' Naruto thought as he regarded his pink haired teammate with clouded blue eyes.

"Where's Sasuke?!" He demanded as her eyes roamed the area for the other member of their small team.

Naruto visibly flinched at her words before he snapped his head to the side focusing in the direction of the motionless Uchiha that was concealed slightly from the remnants of the fog.

"Focus Kakashi! Don't let your guard down!" Zabuza-clone admonished as he launched forward sword at the ready.

Kakashi leapt forward, hands landing smoothly on the ground as he brought his left foot up and over, and kicked the oncoming threat smack dab in the stomach sending him flying backwards upon impact.

Sakura trembled where she stood, her world shattered as she was oblivious to her surroundings. "Come on, I'll go with you so you can see him without disobeying your sensei." Tazuna's words reached her and took a moment to register before she grabbed his hand and began racing in the direction the blond was looking, passing said blond without even a second glance.

'I feel loved...' Naruto thought sarcastically.

Sakura slowed down as she reached Sasuke's side, her eyes growing wide as she stared on at the bloodied and battered from of her crush, who had several hundred needles through his body like a pincushion one used for sewing. "Sasuke..." She whispered breathlessly.

Tazuna turned his head to the side as he released her hand in order to give her some time to herself as she looked on at the boy she had 'loved' for so long.

She fell to her knees at the boy's side and brought a trembling hand up to gently caress his cold cheek. "He's so cold..."She stated. "It isn't an illusion then." she said in a voice that shook as much as her hand as she tried to suppress her tears.

"Don't hold your emotions back on my behalf." Tazuna said quietly as he focused on the ground, feeling guilty about this as he had lied to the ninja, resulting in this boy and his teammates being sent on this mission; the very mission that claimed the boy's life.

"I..." Sakura began, " always got perfect scores on every exam I took I memorized each and every rule of proper shinobi conduct and I was able to write them out with great pride.Once we had an exam and the question was... 'What is the twenty-fifth rule of ninja conduct?' And I was easily able to answer it." She paused as tears slowly began to cascade from her eyes.

"The rule was 'A true shinobi must never show their emotions, no matter the circumstance.'" She explained as sobs racked her entire frame. "A ninja's mission is the only priority and you must carry that out. In your heart you must never shed a single tear." She finished as she succumbed to mournful tears that dripped onto the face of the lifeless boy before she leaned her arms and face over the still chest and cried her heart out.

'So this... is what I shinobi is...' Tazuna concluded sadly as he looked down at the distressed girl and the motionless boy. 'A weapon.. a tool... only a means to and end, wether it is for good or evil, right or wrong.'

Naruto listened on to his teammate's words a sad look on his face as he hand clutched the material of his shirt just above his heart. 'Her pain is so thick that I can feel it. It's seeping into my very core.' He thought sadly. 'Maybe.. she isn't as bad as I had thought, no one who cares this much for anyone can e that bad... right?' He asked himself.

'Kit... It's not that she is bad, it that she is just following her parent's behavior towards you. It is natural for her to be less than nice as that was all she knew towards you as she grew up.' Kyuubi said sadly as guilt gripped the old demon's heart. He had caused his host much pain and suffering and he felt more guilt then he had ever before.

'Kyuubi... I don't blame you for anything I've gone through. I blame those who are too blind to see what is really before them. But one day I'll show them, and that day is when I become the next Hokage.' He thought with a hidden smirk.

"Why.. c..can't ... I... keep up?" The sword wielding clone panted as he leaned heavily on his blade as he regarded his silver haired opponent. "Damn it!" He raged as he launched himself onto his feet and tore off towards the man, his sword held at his side.

Before he could swing his mighty blade, Kakashi appeared in front of him, his gaze downcast as he backhanded the nuke-nin with no effort, though it still sent the man flying a few paces back.

Eyes wide with barely suppressed rage, Zabuza-clone swung his sword in a horizontal arc only for it to slam with enough force on the cement where his opponent once stood, and a hand pressed to the back of his head. "Now there is no way for you to beat me." Kakashi said in an eerie manner as he stared at the man.

"What!?" The man exclaimed more then asked as he peered over his shoulder at Kakashi his eyes wide.

"This is over, and yet you don't seem to notice it yet..." The silver haired jounin concluded as he withdrew two kunai knives which he spun in circles until they were pointed dangerously in the direction of his target. "This is good bye 'demon'!!!" He exclaimed darkly.

Just as Kakashi was bring his arms hand towards his target, the man swung his sword behind him causing the jounin to tuck under the swing while he jabbed the two knives into his enemy's sword arm before he leapt back, leaving the Zabuza-clone's arm useless.

"Now both of your arms are useless, one from my hound and one from my tools." Kakashi said as he looked on at his handy work. "No more katas, not more jutsu" He concluded.

"Well! He certainly has made a mess of you!" A voice cut through causing everyone to look over at the suit wearing man who hand wandered onto the bridge. In his hand that was wrapped in a thick cast, was a thick, but polished cane as eyes bore at the 'demon of the mist' through designer shades.

Behind the man stood one hundred or so hired thugs that were supposedly Gato's body guards.

"Gato... What are you doing here, and why did you bring all of them?" Zabuza asked, while Naruto inwardly sighed at knowing the appearance of the 'Great Gato'. Otherwise his plan would have crumbled right there.

"Heh..heh...heh. Zabuza there has been a slight change in plans... well your plans. This is what I had in mind all along. 'Demon' you are going to die, here and now." The small but evil man explained darkly.

"What?" Zabuza said in shock as he looked over at his now former employer.

"Surely you must have guessed that I had never once intended to pay you." He sighed. "It is such a bother to hire shinobi from the top villages as they are expensive and tend to have friend's that don't take well to my killing their fellow shinobi off after they completed the task.

"It is by far more simple to hire renegades such as yourself to do my dirty work as once you have completed the task I can just kill you off without any hitches. All of you Shinobi love to fight each other, and after a while even the weakest of thugs can take you out as you are worn down. It's a great business plan, cheap and efficient." Gato concluded with a nod.

"I suppose my only mistake this time was hiring you. It was false advertising calling you the 'demon of the mist'. You are no demon, you are weak... like a baby demon." The man sneered as he leaned on his shiny cane.

"He is so beat up he'll be a breeze to smack down!" One of the armed thugs stated causing the others to raise their weapons and cheer like idiots.

"Forgive me Kakashi, our fight is over. No longer do I have any reason to assassinate Tazuna and that settles our differences.

"Yeah.." Kakashi said in agreement as he peered over at the now useless man.

"Huh?" Naruto asked loudly.

"Oh! That reminds me.." Gato trailed off as he approached the lifeless form of Haku. "I still have a score to settle." He muttered darkly as he peered down at the dead boy. "You crushed my arm until almost every bone had shattered." He said as he drew his foot back and kicked the boy square in the cheek sending his head to the right as the blood that rested in his mouth spewed out.

"What the hell are you doing you sick freak!?!" Naruto hotly demanded as he rose his fist in the air for emphasis before he ran forward only to be stopped by his teacher's hand that was held in his path.

"Calm down Naruto, think. There is more there than you can handle." Kakashi said gently as he looked down at the blond feeling the same resentment towards the suit wearing business man as his student did.

"Why? What don't you do something! He worked for you! He was practically your slave!!" Naruto raged as he focused on the Zabuza-clone that was just standing there.

"Like what? Haku is dead." He asked quietly.

"But you should care! That overweight scumbag of a pig stuffed in that suit is disrespecting him! He was your comrade! Your partner! The guy who you 've worked with for years!" Naruto exclaimed

"Gato... has been using me and I... I used Haku... Weren't you listening. We shinobi are one of two things Users, Tools or both." Zabuza explained. "I didn't value Haku for himself...but for the taint that his blood bore and for what his talents could do for me. I apologize for nothing."

"You.." Naruto paused before restarting. "Do you really mean that?" he asked as he pulled free of Kakashi's grip and moved over to the nuke-nin-clone. "He really cared about you!" The boy exclaimed determinedly as he pointed at Haku. "He was devoted to you! But you just think that is nothing! That he was nothing! Don't you feel a thing?!?!" Naruto demanded.

"Are you really that heartless?" He asked as tears flowed into his sky blue eyes. "Is that how you think when you become strong?" He shouted as he closed his eyes. "He gave his life for you! He died without achieving any of his dreams... he died as a tool for a monster like you...That's cruel..." He finished quietly.

"Kid..." Zabuza said as he looked over at the blond. "Not... another word." He ordered as tears flowed from his eyes causing both Naruto and Kakashi to look surprised.

"Kid..." Zabuza began again. "What Haku did.. was not just for me. While we fought, his heart was breaking over you and your friends. He was always too gentle, and I am glad that my last battle was against you boy...You're right you know." He paused.

"No matter what we say or try to do, deep down all shinobi are people who still feel. And I have lost everything..." He looked down remorsefully before glancing back at the blond. "May I have your kunai?" He asked before bitting through the bandaged covering his face.

"Sure..." Naruto said quietly as he withdrew a kunai and lightly tossed it towards the man who easily caught it in his mouth before he launched himself forward, his arms flailing uselessly behind him.

"What?!?!" Gato exclaimed as he took a step back. "What are you guys waiting for?!?!?!" Gato demanded. "Attack!" He ordered and all his thugs launched forward.

"Even if you are a ninja, you are a half dead one going against all of us!" One thug exclaimed. "You don't stand a chance."

All the thugs frozen in their position as Zabuza released his killing intent which was so strong that it formed a dark aura above him that resembled the very demon he had claimed to be.

With a swift move, he slaughtered many a thug in his way with only the kunai in his mouth while ignoring the piercing pain of the various blades and weapons being shoved deep into his flesh. He pushed onwards, slicing through everyone in a direct path for Gato who had retreated to the back of the pack.

Breaking free from the gang, Zabuza moved forward and jammed the bloodied kunai deep into Gato's chest, leaving his back open. The opening was hurriedly taken advantage of as many shoved their weapons in the unfazed man's back.

"Why won't you die?" Gato asked as he coughed up blood. "If you are so desperate to be reunited with your little friend you can go alone!" The man added.

"I have no intention of going where Haku is." Zabuza said simply, though the words were slightly muffled by the kunai in his mouth.

"What are you babbling about?" Gato demanded?

"I'm taking you with me to hell!!!" He said darkly as he pulled his blade form the man's chest and hurriedly lopped his head off in a fountain of crimson blood. The head rolled off to the side and many of the hired thugs shirked as the backed away from their now lifeless boss's head.

With that last thing, Zabuza dropped the crimson kunai and fell to the ground.

Naruto's eyes widened before he looked to the side with sad eyes.

"Naruto, don't look away." Kakashi said quietly. "This was the end of a man who lived full out." He explained with a sad look.

Off to the side was an oblivious Sakura who continued to sob desperatly as she clung to the blood and tear soaked dark blue shirt.

'Am I...dead? ...wait that sounds like Sakura...does that mean..' Sasuke's thoughts were pulled to a halt a he opened his eyes. "Sakura..?" He asked weakly as he looked at the pink blob on his chest. "You are.. heavy.." He mumbled.

Sakura's head shot up and she looked at the living Sasuke in surprise while Tazuna looked on with a small smile. "Sasuke! Oh Sasuke!" She exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.

'I'm so happy for you Sakura.' Tazuna thought with a sad smile.

"Sakura.. you're hurting me..." Sasuke muttered.

"Oh.... s...sorry.. "Sakura said as she pulled back with a tearful smile.

Sasuke slowly pushed himself up into a squatting position. "I'm alright.... How's Naruto? And that creep in the mask, what happened to him?" He asked.

"Please don't move." Sakura said gently. "Naruto is fine and the masked boy is dead." She said, answering his questions.

Sasuke's head immediatly shot up to stare at Sakura. "Dead?! Did Naruto..." He trailed off unable to ask if Naruto, the blond dobe, had killed anyone.

"No... Well.. I'm not really sure because I couldn't see very well... but he died trying to protect Zabuza." She answered.

"I...was... afraid... I thought--" Sasuke began but was cut off by Sakura.

"You were amazing Sasuke-kun!! You survived a death blow!!" Sakura squealed as she reverted to fangirl mode.

'No I didn't... he didn't plan to kill me from the start...' Sasuke thought with a frown.

"Naruto!!" Sakura shouted as she stood up and waved an arm at the boy as he turned around. "It's Sasuke! He's alright! He's alive!" She exclaimed happily.

Sasuke stood aswell and waved a hand towards the blond while he looked off to the side, not seeing Naruto's relieved expression.

"Aren't you sweethearts forgetting something!" One of the thugs demanded as he slammed the shaft of his pole on the ground. "You killed our meal ticket! And now we are going to kill you, then over run the city and plunder it for goods so we get out end of the deal." He concluded.

The men launched forward only to be interupted by an arrow which struck the ground before them causing them all to halt and look up at the other end of the bridge where all the villagers stood, armed.

"Stop! This island is our home so if you take one more step we'll kill you!" Inari exclaimed as he placed another arrow in his cross bow. "Now who's the hero?" The boy asked as he smirked over at the blond.

"Good one kid! Mind if I join in?" He asked as he formed the cross seal and four clones appeared beside him.

'I can't manage anything solid with my chakra so slow... but I'm sure a bluff will fool these idiots.' He thought as he brought his hands up in a seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Kakashi style!" He said and suddenly eighty clones appeared, each in a different pose.

The thugs, seeing that they were outnumbered and out classed, fled onto their boat and a few into the water.

Kakashi dispelled all of his clones and walked over to Zabuza and squatted down beside him. "Kakashi... do me... a favour...?" He asked as Kakashi brought a hand up to his headband.

"What is it?" He asked as he looked down at the bloody and beaten form of the dying nuke-nin.

"I.. .want to .. see his... face..." He requested with hope shinning in his dark eyes.

The silver haired Jounin pulled the ninja band over his eye as he looked to the side with a sad smile. "Sure." He answered before he slowly pulled each and every blade out of the man's body and then he picked him up bridal style just as the sky started to release fluffy white snow flakes.

"It's snowing... in the middle of summer..." One of the villagers stated in awe as he held out his hand for a flake to land on.

'My dear Haku... are you crying?' Zabuza asked silently as he looked on at the falling snow. "Thank you... Kakashi." Zabuza said as the man placed the battered ninja down next to the lifeless 'hunter ninja'. 'You were at my side right from the start... and I am at yours in the end...'

"If I could..." Zabuza began. "If I were able... I would want to.. go to the same side.... as you.." He trailed off as he fell into the darkness of the afterlife.

Near by, two cloaked figures watched on before turning and dissapearing in a thick mist.

Two Weeks Later

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi all stood on an outcrop of land as the sun began its descent over the horizon. All eyes were focused on the monuments that stood proudly in the sun's golden rays.

Two wooden crossed had been constructed to honour the two that had died upon bridge, and by the larger cross was Zabuza's sword, stuck firmly in the ground. 'Haku...Zabuza... I hope you two are well... And I hope that we do meet again someday..' Naruto silently prayed as he bowed towards the two crosses and turned before walking away leaving his stunned teammates and teacher behind as he headed off towards Tazuna's home for their last night there as they had completed the bridge just earlier that day.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked once the blond was out of sight. "What's up with Naruto-kun?" She asked with a frown.

"I think..." Kakashi began. "He understands what it means to be a ninja..." Kakashi answered before he cast the two crosses a last look before turning and following his smallest student back towards the bridge builder's home.

"Naruto-kun...." Sakura said with a frown before she turned and wen tto follow her sensei leavinf Sasuke were he was as she didn't want to intrude on his thoughts.

'Dobe... You're up to something... and I intend to find out just what that something is...' He silently vowed before he turned and made his way back towards the house.

"Thanks to you, our bridge has finally been completed. It is going to be awefully dull around here once you leave." Tazuna said with a small smile as he regarded the four ninja standing on the bridge that had been completed, back packs on and ready to go.

"We've enjoyed your hospitality." Kakashi said with a smile.

"No problemo! We'll come back to play with you again some time." Naruto said with a cheshire smirk on his face.

"You better." Inari said with tears in his eyes which he refused to let fall.

"Inari, don't let it get you down, you can cry if you'd like." Naruto said with a gentle but honest smile.

"I'm not going to cry Naruto-aniki!" The boy excalimed loudly as tears began to flow down his cheeks the moment Naruto turned around.

"See ya!" He shouted over his shoulder as he and the other three waved good bye before walking off.

"That boy touched out little Inari's heart, and through Inari touched all of ours. Naruto built the bridge that eventually helped us all to hope and courage. Oh! And speaking of bridges, we have to officially dedicate this one and there is only one name that would fit it." Tazuna said with a great grin.

"What is that father?" Tsunami asked as she looked up at her dad.

"The Great Naruto Bridge!" He said proudly and his choice was met with great sheer from the villagers.

- - - - - - - - -

It had been a week since Team 7 has returned from their mission in the land of waves, and because they had completed such a mission, the Hokage had given them a little Rest and Relaxation time, meaning they were off duty for some time.

Though not every other team was so lucky.

In a training field stood four people, three Genin and one Jounin.

"Last night while I was running my laps around Konoha I was struck with a sudden thought for a training exercise." The green spandex clad Jounin began as he eyed his students. "Of course, the idea struck me when I saw some youthful flames racing about doing it, but seeing as you are far older then they I decided to up the level of difficulty." Maito Gai said with a brilliant smile.

"Oh Gai-sensei! What is this new task?! If I am unable to do it I shall do one thousand pushups!" Lee, a bowl cut boy who looked much like a younger verison of Gai, declared as he struck a pose, his unnatural looking circular eyes burning with the passion of his fiery spirit.

"I'm certain you three will be able to accomplish it, for your new training exercise is..." He paused for suspense. "A scavenger hunt!" He declared as he struck a noble pose and waves crashed firmly behind him.

"This," He began as he withdrew a scroll, ignoring his other two students disbelieving expressions, "scroll here contains a list of 100 items you need to acquire, though the next will only show after you go the first. Meaning you will only know what you have to get once you got the thing before it. That way you three can't split up to do this." He explained cheerfully.

"There will be no time limit and some things will be easy and some will be hard. Some you might be able to ask for, but others you'll have to be crafty with." With those parting words Gai handed it over to the most responsible member of the team Hyuuga Neji and raced off so fast that he seemed to have vanished.

"Okay then..." The only female on the team spoke up as she looked over at the Hyuuga. "What's first on our list Neji-kun?" She asked with a sigh, honestly not sure if she liked the idea that Gai had composed the list of things they had to locate.

The white eyed boy unrolled the scroll and looked at the first and only visible item and blinked. "Nara Shikamaru's fish net shirt..." He said before looking over to his teammates. "Who is this Shikamaru?" He asked them as he frowned trying to remember if he had ever seen the person before.

"Isn't he one of the Genin that passed with the last bunch? "Tenten asked as she looked over at the green spandex wearing boy.

"Yes! And I have seen him before on many of my laps around Konoha! He tends to sleep or cloud watch on a certain hill top on my route when he isn't training or at home!" Lee exclaimed before he turned and began leading the way towards the hill.

Neji and Tenten exchanged a look before they both began to follow, the Hyuuga tucking the scroll into his pocket.

The walk had taken only a few minutes and soon enough Lee pointed up at the hill where two figures were located, one was lying down the other sitting.

The team climbed the hill and were soon able to fully see the ones there. The boy who was laying on the grass was dressed in a simple pair of dark colored pants, traditional shinobi sandals, had a fish net top on and overtop of that he wore a button down green shirt that he left unbuttoned and his hair was up in a ponytail that looked much like a pineapple. On his arm he bore his Hitai-ate, the symbol that his was a shinobi of the leaf.

The other was slightly larger then normal, and way larger then the other who was very slim. He had some strange blue head gear with swirls painted on his cheeks and he wore a pair of shorts, a simple coat and a dark scarf. And attached to his peculiar head gear with his head band, also marking him as a ninja of the Leaf.

"Excuse my interruption!" Lee said in a loud and cheerful voice as he and his teammates approached the two, causing them to look over at the newcomers with curiosity. "Are you Nara Shikamaru?" Lee asked as he looked at the dark haired Genin wanting to make sure he was the right person.

"Yes." He asked though his voice had an underlined question of 'why' that he just didn't feel like adding in.

"Yosh!!" Lee declared happily as he tackled the Genin and grabbed a hold of the boy's fish net shirt and tried to pull it free while Shikamaru on the other hand struggled to keep his shirt in position.

"Lee!" Tenten shouted as she raced over to the bowl cut boy and smacked him upside the head before dragging him off the poor Nara. "What were you trying to do?" She demanded as she glared at her teammate.

"Nara Shikamaru." Neji said as he approached the boy who was looking at them with distrust in his brown eyes. "I apologize for my teammate's actions." He said as he motioned towards Lee who was having Tenten chew his ear out. "He is Rock Lee, the girl is Tenten, and I am Hyuuga Neji." He said by way of introduction.

"He's Akimichi Chouji and as you know I'm Nara Shikamaru." The boy stated as he eyed the Hyuuga wearily.

Neji nodded towards the chip eating boy who was watching him before returning his attention to the pineapple haired young man. "I didn't mean to intrude, but Gai-sensei has given use a new training exercise and it is a scavenger hunt." Neji explained calmly. "The first item on the list is your fish net shirt." He concluded.

"My shirt?" The Nara dead panned with a sigh. "No, my mother would kill me if I didn't loose the shirt." He said in dismissal.

"Would it make you agree if I offer to swap shirts with you for the duration of this assignment?" Neji tried again, ignoring the non verbalized dismissal.

Shikamaru looked at him and shook his head no.

"How about you just lend it to us and I will go speak with your mother when I return it so that she will understand." Neji offered with a frown.

With a sigh Shikamaru sat up while muttering something about bossy people that were so troublesome. "Fine." He said going along with that plan as he figured it was the best way to get the three Genin off his back. He pulled his unbuttoned shirt off before slipping off the fish net top and tossing it to the Hyuuga before placing his top shirt back on and laying down with his eyes closed.

"Thank you." Neji said as he tossed the still warm shirt over to Lee who plopped it into a backpack that he had materialized out of thin air and the three left, leaving the two alone once more.

"Well that was weird..." Chouji commented and Shikamaru merely grunted in agreement.

Lee looked over at Neji for a moment before asking, "What is next on our list?!?" He asked with barely concealed excitement as he watched the Hyuuga withdraw the scroll and unroll it.

The scroll now had a second thing written on it and the first item they had acquired had a line through it. "We need to locate Ebisu-san and get his sunglasses." He stated with a sigh.

"I know where he is!!" Lee shouted as he raced off in a green blur leaving his two teammates standing on the path alone.

"How do you suppose he knows where everyone is?" Tenten asked her handsome teammate as they halted in their tracks to waiting for the mini Green Beast of Konoha to return.

Neji just looked at his teammate without answering before he looked in the direction the green spandex boy had raced off in and he could see a dusty tornado heading straight for them signifying his return. "I got them!!" He declared happily as he held the item out for the others to see before he plopped it in his bag.

"What's next?" Tenten asked as she regarded Lee with a curious look.

"Do you guys remember that cat that belongs to the Lady of Fire Country?" Neji asked his teammates and in return he got two nods. "Well we have to get that cat." Neji said with a frown.

"I already got her!" Lee said with a bright smile. "I saw her on my way bag here so I scooped her up and put her in my bag to return to her Ladyship when I see her next." Lee said as he pulled off the back pack and opened it to show them a brown cat with a ribbon on its ear happily curled up within the bag.

"Well... That was quite the coincidence." Tenten said before looking at th Hyuuga who still had the item scroll out.

"A box..." He said as the trio made their way back into the busier areas of Konoha where they snatched an unused box from the box emporium and added it to their collection.

"Nine genin Hitai-ate. Let's split up and get three each. Tenten, you have the Nara's Team. Lee you have the Uchiha's team, and I'll take Hinata-sama's team." He said before he headed off in search of the three bands.

Neji raced off heading towards the area that he knew Hyuuga Hinata always trained at during this time of day. As he arrived, he concealed his presence as he watched the girl whom he hated deeply weakly attack a post while her two male teammates were having a spar. With a deep sigh, Neji steeled his emotions and revealed himself causing the two boys, Hinata and Kurenai, their instructor to look over at him.

"Neji-kun!" Hinata exclaimed nervously as she brought he fingers up to just below her chin and tapped them together in a nervous gesture. "Wh...what... brings y.. you here...?" She stuttered as she looked any where except at her cousin.

"Training." He answered curtly as he bowed towards his cousin as he showed respect towards the main family. "I am in need of yours and your teammate's Hitai-ate for a training exercise given to my team by Gai-sensei." He answered as he straightened out ans watched as Hinata hurriedly removed her head band and held it out to him.

He stepped forward, as cool and calm as ever, smirking slightly as he watched his cousin tremble, and retrieved the band before looking over at the two boys expectantly.

"Why the hell should we give you them?" Kiba demanded as he set his little white puppy on his head.

"To aid a fellow shinobi of your village on their mission." Neji responded as he wearily eyed the two.

"Please Kiba-kun, Shino-kun?" Hinata asked still nervously as she looked pleadingly at her teammates.

Inuzuka Kiba turned wide eyes over to his teammate who looked far more nervous than was normal for her. 'Just who is this guy to Hinata? They both have the white eyes, a trait to the Hyuuga-clan' He thought with a small frown before he sighed. "Fine. But I'm only doing this for Hinata-chan." He said quietly as he tossed the piece of metal and cloth over to t he boy who caught it with ease.

Shino spoke no words as he removed as, allowing some of his winged insects to carry the ninja band of Konoha over to the teen who gladly accepted it, not even slightly perturbed by the insects.

"Thank you Hinata-sama." He said as he dutifully bowed towards the young heiress before straightened and nodded at her teammates and instructor. Without a further word, the Hyuuga boy turned and left, his three had been collected, and he honestly hoped the others had faired well also.

- - - - - - - - - -

End of chapter

Sorry about the short chapter, I promise that the next one I make will be longer.

It would have been longer this time, but it is hard to type with one hand when the other is busy holding a telephone while talking to the bestest friend ever.

Now some one wondered when Itachi-kun would come in and that should be in either the next chapter or the one following the next or the third away... soon... lets just leave it at that.

Also. the matter of the technology being too advanced, well it is my belief that ninja villages are falling behind in those kinds of advancements, living solely on their prowess. But then you ask why was wave so un-advanced, that is simply too, they were so poor they could hardly afford food, making it next to impossible for them to own better machinery and so forth. This is just a theory, and might not be true to the original series, but it will hold true to my story. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks for reading, please review.