This takes place after the Land of Waves mission and Naruto and Co. just arrived back to Konoha.
On the way back to Konoha, Naruto was strangely silent. Kakashi knew that they had gone through a traumatizing experience, but he couldn't help but worry for the hyper knuckleheaded ninja. Sakura and Sasuke were a bit better, but without Naruto being all hyperactive like usual, the others were strangely off kilter. None of them had realized just how used to they were to Naruto's hyperness.
A few days later, team 7 had reached the gates of Konoha. To everyone's relief, Naruto was back to his usual self, if a little subdued. After they all signed in, team 7 was walking to the Hokage's office when they caught a glimpse of someone eerily familiar. Naruto's jaw dropped, Sasuke's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, Sakura's eyes watered, and Kakashi… well, he was his usual self, though on the inside he was gaping. "Haku?!" Naruto shouted in disbelief. "Haku" didn't turn around and got lost in the crowds.
Naruto turned to the rest of team 7, whom were all staring in shock and disbelief. "We have to go find him!" and they split up, to find this mysterious person.
Meanwhile, "Haku" was meeting with the Old Man Hokage. They were just finishing the mission report when something occurred to them. "Ano, Hokage-sama?" Hokage-sama puffed on his pipe whilst answering, "Yes?" They looked a bit hesitant as they spoke, feeling a bit fidgety. "Kakashi-san and his team seem to be following me, or at least trying to. I-" They stopped, seeing Hokage-sama give a startled cough, followed by an appraising look. "Yes," he hummed out slowly, "I believe I now know why Kakashi-kun and his team are trying to follow you." His eyes gleamed with a mischievous look that instantly put them on guard, looking a bit too much like Naruto's when they thought of a brilliant prank. "This will be your new mission," Hokage-sama began. "You will-"
A week after the mission to the land of waves, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura continued to look for the ever vanishing Haku. Every day without fail they would search for Haku. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were out of breath as they met up at their designated meet up place. They all looked disheartened and dirty, looking everywhere they could think of for this mysterious "Haku". Well, as disheartened as Sasuke could look anyway, being still salty about being beaten so easily. Kakashi then showed up in a shower of leaves. "My little kawa-" he broke off when he saw how dirty they were. He slouched even more, 'My cute little genins were looking for "Haku"' he bemoaned inside his head. On the outside, he grinned. "Team 7 meet up at the Hokage Tower in ten minutes. We have another mission." Team 7 groaned, even Sasuke at the prospect of more D-rank missions. Kakashi shunshined away and Team 7 were left to walk the rest of the way to the Hokage Tower, THAT WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VILLAGE, in ten minutes. Their enraged howls were music to Kakashi's ears.