(AN: This chapter contains a little bit of graphic violence.)
Jon Uchiha, Hinata, and Sakura were waiting for Kurenai.
"Your stance is a little off," said Jon Uchiha. He was behind Hinata and puppeteering her arms. "Yeah, like that." Jon Uchiha was showing her a martial arts stance that was easy to switch between the Gentle Fist, and it helped defend against its counters. Jon Uchiha smelled her hair. "Nice fragrance," whispered Jon Uchiha into her ear. She blushed.
"Jon-kun!" shouted Sakura.
"Yeah, Sakura-chan?" Jon Uchiha let go of Hinata, which made her look sad, and he walked to Sakura.
"What are you doing?" asked Sakura. She looked sad too, but there was a tinge of anger in her voice, also.
"Just helping Hinata out, gosh," replied Jon Uchiha.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with seeing you like that," said Sakura, glancing away.
"Geesh, babe, we're just ninja training. Besides, you're the one who said you weren't sure about us."
"Y-yeah, you're right. But do you have to do it right in front of me?"
"Babe, like I said, we're just ninja training," said Jon Uchiha. Sakura was looking really sad. Jon Uchiha moved a hand under her chin and gently guided her face up to look her in the eyes. "But if it's that important to you, I won't." Her face lit up, and they hugged.
"Thanks, Jon-kun," whispered Sakura.
"No problem, Sakura-chan." She smelled like blossoms. "You smell better, anyways." Sakura giggled, and nuzzled into his neck. Jon Uchiha winked at Hinata. She blushed.
Suddenly, Kurenai-sensei appeared. She cleared her throat, and Jon Uchiha jumped out of Sakura's arms. He quickly straightened himself out.
"Sup, babe-sensei," said Jon Uchiha, briskly brushing his full black bangs back.
"Please don't call me that," said Kurenai, glaring and blushing.
"Aw, but c'mon, you're such a babe, sensei," pleaded Jon Uchiha.
"I said no!"
"Aw, fine, gosh," wined Jon Uchiha, manly. Sakura nodded, and so did Hinata. They liked confident, sensitive men.
Suddenly, Jon Uchiha gleamed his eyes. Kurenai then pulled out a piece of paper. "Alright, we have our first C-rank mission!" said Kurenai.
"Yeah, sensei? What is it?" asked Jon Uchiha.
"I am also feeling curious," said Sakura and Hinata, but not exactly at the same time. Jon Uchiha frowned.
"Girls, please, let Kurenai-sensei talk," said Jon Uchiha.
"Thank you, Jon-kun," said Kurenai.
"W-we're s-sorry," said Hinata and Sakura, but not completely in unison. Jon Uchiha frowned deeper.
"Right, so we're to escort this bridge builder to the Land of Waves. Protect him from bandits, whatever. Standard stuff," explained Kurenai.
"Sounds super easy," said Jon Uchiha. "Check this out." He jumped on top of a one hundred foot tree. "I can probably see the Land of Waves from here!"
"So cool!" blushed Sakura. Hinata looked at Sakura, then blushed.
"Get down from there, Jon Uchiha!" shouted Kurenai.
"Aw, but babe-sensei!" yelled Jon Uchiha.
"JON UCHIHA!"
"I mean, Kurenai-sensei..." Jon Uchiha jumped down, landing next to babe-sensei. Jon Uchiha took a bow, grinning. Sakura clapped her hands, then so did Hinata. (AN: If Jon can't call her that, I guess I will! I hate having to think about how to spell Kurenai!)
Babe-sensei was not amused. "Jon Uchiha!" she shouted in her sultry voice. "I had thought you were a decent, cool young ninja! Perhaps I was mistaken!" She was frowning.
"Jon-kun, I think Kurenai-sensei may have a point. The way you're acting right now kind of reminds me of that Naruto," said Sakura. Jon Uchiha stared at her, then glanced away.
"I'm sorry everyone," said Jon Uchiha.
"Alright, well, this mission may be easy, but don't let your guard down. You never know what will happen outside the village," said Kurenai.
"Yeah, that's right," said Sakura. "Jon-kun, you may be the best in the class, but Kurenai-sensai is a jounin!"
"That's right, Sakura. The village has many enemies. I'm not sure what Iruka was thinking putting an Uchiha and a Hyuuga in the same class."
"What do you mean, sensei?" asked Hinata.
"I mean, those eyes of yours are very valuable." She narrowed her brows. "There are some ninja who wouldn't hesitate to kill even a kid for them."
"But sensei, I haven't awoken my sharingan," lied Jon Uchiha.
"Some would still love to study the secrets of your body," explained Kurenai. "Kakashi of the Sharingan is not an Uchiha, yet he can use the eye. Someone may think they might be able to awaken it too!"
"That's true," muttered Jon Uchiha, feeling foolish.
"We should get going. Our employer will be waiting for us at the village gates."
And so began their journey to the Land of Waves.
While walking Jon Uchiha tapped Sakura on the shoulder and said, "hey, Sakura-chan, fall back with me." He offered his hand and she took it. They walked together and Jon Uchiha said, "Baby, how are you?"
"I'm exited, Jon-kun. Today I feel like a real ninja!" She smiled.
Suddenly, Zabuza of the Mist attacked Kurenai without so much as an introduction! Jon Uchiha had heard of the mercilessness of the Mist Village. Anyway, Kurenai was no slouch and weaved some hand signs, but at the same time Zabuza created a thick fog of mist. Jon Uchiha ran up to Kurenai.
"Babe-sensei, did you get him?" asked Jon Uchiha. She scowled.
"No, Jon, I don't think so. This mist likely interferes with genjutsu."
"I didn't know there were such countermeasures," said Sakura.
"Well, the fog strongly effected Zabuza's senses at the right moment. If I were able to catch him off guard, I should be able to put him under hypnosis now, since his body would already be accustomed to the fog," explained Kurenai.
Jon Uchiha ran into the thick fog.
"Jon-kun!" shouted Sakura, but her voice was only a faint echo.
"Kid, who are you? Do you wish to die? My only target is the bridge builder. Get out of here," came a voice like a demon.
"I am Jon. Jon Uchiha," replied Jon Uchiha, but his voice was much deeper and darker than normal, and had the fire and determination of a Hokage. He heard the patter of footsteps, then they disappeared. Soon, the mist cleared and Zabuza was gone. Kurenai, Sakura, and Hinata ran up to Jon Uchiha.
"Jon!" exclaimed Kurenai. "What happened? Where is Zabuza?"
"I don't know," said Jon Uchiha. He narrowed his eyes. "But don't you sense it, sensei?"
"Yeah. He's lurking about. The killer intent is real," she replied.
"He told me he was after the bridge builder," explained Jon. "Maybe he didn't expect him to be guarded. He might try to assassinate him while we're not looking."
Everyone tensed up, especially the bridge builder. "You're no ordinary bridge builder!" exclaimed Kurenai, whipping around and pointing dramatically.
"No, it is true. I am not," the builder responded. "But I object to an interrogation!"
"Then just explain yourself!"
"I am a very important bridge builder. If I build my bridge, it will increase the economy of my home, and the mob boss who runs the place won't be able to extort its people as much, since their options will increase, and the village will be able to become more trade based," explained the bridge builder.
"Damnit," muttered Kurenai. "You've endangered the lives of these children! They are only genin! And you've cheated our village!"
"I'm sorry, but my village is very poor because of the oppression." He looked genuinely remorseful, and sad.
"We have to help him," said Hinata. Jon Uchiha smiled at the kindness in Hinata's voice.
"Please, Kurenai-sensei. We can't just leave him here," said Sakura.
Kurenai sighed. "Yes, I suppose we can't."
"We can," said Jon Uchiha. "This is how the world works. We have our own village to worry about. Kurenai-sensei, if you were to die here, we'd lose one of our strongest ninja for such a foolish reason." Sakura looked at him, mortified. "That's what I'd like to say," added Jon Uchiha, "but I won't back down, and if we get rid of Zabuza, that'll help the village, too."
"Get rid of?" asked Sakura.
"Kill him."
"Yes," said Kurenai. "He is too dangerous. That is our job as ninja."
Sakura looked sad, but then a sudden determination lit up in her eyes. "Alright!"
Kurenai smiled. "Okay, my genin! Let us continue. Stay alert. Surround Tazuna," said Kurenai. The three genin made a triangle around the bridge builder, and they carried on with Kurenai in front.
Soon, the air thickened, then a fog rolled in. "He's making his move," said Jon Uchiha.
Kurenai was already weaving hand signs. A clone of her appeared. One of the Kurenai moved to the back of the group's formation.
"Byakugan!" shouted Hinata. "Oh no! There's someone else here!"
"What? A second enemy?" asked Sakura.
Kurenai tensed. "This is bad. If there is another of Zabuza's level..."
"Hinata, where are they?" asked Jon Uchiha.
"Zabuza is to the left, and the other is northeast, about 20 feet up in a tree."
Jon Uchiha ran northeast.
"Jon-kun!" shouted Sakura.
Jon Uchiha came to the tree where a masked ninja was standing on a limb. "Haku," said Jon Uchiha.
"How do you know who I am?" asked Haku.
"Nevermind that," replied Jon Uchiha. "I need you dead, so just die." Jon Uchiha gleamed his eyes, then Haku took out a kunai and stabbed himself in the throat. The body fell to the ground. Jon Uchiha walked over to the corpse, severed its head and stuffed it in his backpack. Then he ran back to the others.
The bridge builder was dead and Hinata was laying on the ground, her left arm laying about ten feet away. Kuranei and Sakura were tending to her.
"Jon!" shouted Kurenai. "Look what happened! Where were you?"
"I-I...I killed the other one." He knelt down near Hinata. "I am so sorry, Hinata." Tears fell from his eyes.
"I-I-It wasn't your fault," said Hinata with a weary smile.
"But...your arm...your beautiful arm..."
After tending to Hinata, Kurenai said, "where is the other's body?" Jon took her to the corpse. "What happened to the head?"
"It got blown up," lied Jon Uchiha. Kurenai narrowed her eyes.
"Do you know who it was?"
"No, but he wore an anbu mask."
Kurenai's eyes grew wide. "Zabuza was working with the anbu?"
"It would appear so," said Jon Uchiha.
"We need to get back to the village and report all this. This...this doesn't make sense."
They returned to the village and Kurenai went to the Hokage to report the details of the failed mission. Jon Uchiha returned to his home. He drew a summoning circle on his floor, performed the blood ritual, and a large raven appeared. He then put Haku's head in a box and gave it to the raven. His eyes gleamed, then the raven flew out the window, carrying the box, and unseen by anyone, aside from Jon Uchiha. He put the anbu mask in a drawer then gleamed his eyes.