A certain authoress would like to apologise for her extreme laziness in the art of updating. She suffers from a severe condition called 'Shikamaru-itus'. Unfortunately it is incurable.

However, having actually just updated another one of my fics, then got a review for this one, I suddenly thought, 'Hey, I feel like updating!' so please forgive the length of this chapter, I'm doing my best to keep my motivation and this was the best place to stop! And I have actually made a (small) start on the next chapter! Same with Meldarion.

Soon I have two weeks off work before I go to uni, one of which is spent at my aunts, but is totally relaxed and I can get some work done then! So I'm going to try and really work on these fics!

For those reading 'Revenge' and wondering when the hell that's going to be updated, it is still thwarting me. Damn you Horowitz, for making your plots detailed and plausible, and thus making me feel there is a standard to meet!

Anyway, on with the incredibly short chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own a ninja, nor a dragon. However if I did, I would take over wizarding Britain, and force Harry and Voldie together, cause that's how it's meant to be!


When Motivation Returns!

Naruto liked his new teammates. They gave him great amusement when he and Kakashi turned up several hours later, only to be faced with a screaming fangirl and an Uchiha with a bad twitch. Naruto chuckled to himself, before bursting out laughing in his head, remaining calm and collected on the surface, as Kakashi was doing beside him whilst giving the lamest excuse Naruto had heard recently.

"So, you two are going to start your missions today! Best hurry up otherwise all the good ones will be gone!"

Naruto snickers slightly as the pressure in the air increases, aimed directly for Kakashi.

"Damn Kashi! They got killing intent mastered already!" Naruto jokes, mockingly, only to have the focus switched to him instead, which he just shook off.

"Come on then, off to the hokage's office!" Kakashi announces happily as he jumps off his post, Naruto following just behind him and both start on their way to the Hokage tower, the two genin following behind them grouchily.

Naruto smirked to himself, causing Kakashi to send him a curious glance over the top of his book. Slowing his walking down until he's next to Sasuke, ignoring the glares from the other one, he proceeds to simply continue walking, rather close to Sasuke's side. He felt the Uchiha tense slightly, before speeding his walk slightly, only for Naruto to easily keep pace beside him. Now the Uchiha was stuck, he couldn't outright run, so the only other option was the walk with the blonde.

"Lovely day, ne Sasuke?"

Sasuke jumps slightly at the sudden conversation before slouching again, "hn".

"Now that's no good Sasuke! You need to open up more! So we can practise our communication skills every morning from now on!"

The Uchiha tripped slightly on the path before straightening and glaring at Naruto, "I can talk fine, I choose not to."

"Well, I like to pester people and Kashi seems to have learnt to ignore me the majority of the times, so I need some fresh meat!" at that he allows his eyes to snake once over the boys body before smirking, not quite lecherously.

The Uchiha shivered slightly before deciding he didn't care about his appearance, if running was what it took to get away from this blonde…

Thankfully he was saved the humiliation as the entrance to the Hokage tower came into view.


Naruto liked his new teammates. The twitches they developed when the two of them were sent on some trivial mission for the first time gave him a deep satisfaction. And it just grew when the Hokage then turned to him and gave him a delivery mission, followed immediately by two pissed off glares. They sure knew how to keep him amused.

So Naruto set out at full speed to a nearby village to deliver a scroll to the village leader from the Hokage. He was hoping to be able to have an hour or so with Evrae before returning, seeing him every few weekends just wasn't really enough! So on every mission he went on he went at full speed to try and give him a spare hour or so.

The mission itself went smoothly and he was quickly headed deeper into the forest, to the meeting point they had decided on for times such as these.

'You going to be long Evrae?' Naruto called mentally, chiding him for his lateness.

'I'll be there soon Naruto. Don't get your panties in a t-'

'Evrae…? Evrae!' Naruto screamed, panicking when there was no reply for several seconds.

The seconds turned into a minute and just as Naruto was preparing to spring in the direction he knew his dragon to be in Evrae spoke again.

'I'm sorry Naruto. Some ninja spotted me. I lost them but things are going to be more difficult from now on. I'm sorry.'

Naruto could hear the guilt in Evrae's voice and felt bad for having called him to meet today.

'It's all right Evrae… we can meet again soon. Did they… did they hurt you Evrae?'

'No Naruto, I could easily avoid anything they threw at me. They were merely Chuunin who took fright, but now rumours will start to spread. We will have to be much more careful from now on."

"We'll take it as it comes Evrae. Kakashi and I will do as much damage control as possible but if it comes to it, we'll come out to the Hokage. There isn't much he can do; you've never hurt anyone. It would be great if we could get passed the jounin exams at least before anything comes out."

Evrae hums in agreement before moving conversation on to more menial subjects, such as Naruto's pursuit.


It was strange for Team Seven. They had just set off on their first C ranked mission and it just felt off. Not only had they already been attacked by a pair of Chuunin level missing nins but the blonde Chuunin was away on a separate mission. He had been sent off by the Hokage, without a description of the mission, just a nod between the two, and none of them were any the wiser. Sasuke had a suspicion that Kakashi might know where the blonde was, but the jounin certainly wasn't giving anything away, except anxiety. That had been a week ago now and, though he didn't show it, Sasuke was slightly worried for his teammate. On the first few days it had been a nice relief, knowing how the blonde felt for him if his piercing looks and occasional possessive hands were hint enough. He was just thankful Sakura hadn't noticed yet. That wouldn't be a pleasant encounter.

But now they were off on their first C rank mission and it was already proving to be more than expected. Kakashi had forced Tazuna to admit to incorrectly categorizing the mission purposefully, and, after facing the Demon Brothers, and Kakashi admitting that the next enemy will be even stronger, Sasuke could admit to being slightly concerned. Not that he didn't trust Kakashi; just having Naruto with them as well would have been nice. He swallowed and shook his head, focussing himself as they walked along the track and listening for any movement.

A twig snapped to his right and before his mind even processed the movement, a kunai threw straight through the bush to the origin of the noise. Sakura and Tazuna whirled to the place his kunai had landed, on guard, but Sasuke noticed Kakashi already looking in other directions. Not bothering to check where his kunai had landed, Sasuke also began to look for the opponent, positive they would have escaped the kunai with a kawarimi, ignoring Sakura as she pulled a white rabbit from the bush, and Tazuna as he groaned about a heart attack. Prepared as he was, when Kakashi yelled for them to duck he was ready to pull Tazuna to the ground as Kakashi dragged Sakura with him. Standing again, Sasuke quickly pulled Tazuna behind him as he turns to face the new opponent.

"Demon of the Hidden Mist: Momichi, Zabuza."

"Sharingan Kakashi."

It seemed impossible to both the genin, that their sensei was beaten by another shinobi. That he was held captive where he couldn't protect them. That he was telling them to leave him to his death and run with Tazuna. That the mission was more important than his life. It was going against what he had taught them, but in this situation, what else could they do? Sakura took a stumbling step backwards, reaching out blindly and grasping onto tazuna's arm. She twisted her whole body, beginning to move in the opposite direction. And in that she missed the split second movement that sent Zabuza flying across the water surface.

The blonde straightened, unsheathing a katana simultaneously, glaring murderously across at the swordsman.

"No one messes with Tousan."


Zabuza grunted, picking himself up from the waters surface as the newcomer pulled Hatake from the water.

They exchanged brief greetings before Hatake took several steps to stand slightly back from the blonde, during this Zabuza took the time to look over his new enemy, recognition soon entering his mind.

"Ah, the Hatake brat. In the bingo book since the age of 6 when you became a genin under Hatake Senior. Then higher ranked in my book when you reached Chuunin at age 8, and now a Jounin I see, at… 12 is it? Impressive. And I thought my day would get no better after butchering Hatake. Show us what you've got, kid."

Naruto gave him a brief second after his monologue, before charging, drawing his katana as he paced across the water between them.

Surprised by this head-on assault, Zabuza waits until the jounin is too close to avoid at such a speed, before swinging his blade in a horizontal arc, preparing for an assault from the real shinobi, assuming this one is a clone for diversion.

However, the blonde allows the blade to come at him, not moving his katana to block as he lets his legs move before him and nimbly arcs his back under the blade, his hands moving under him to support his weight as he brings his legs up, planting them in Zabuza's face before pushing up and flipping back onto his feet. Using the moment of unawareness his kick caused the missing nin, Naruto swipes forward with his blade, slicing the bicep of the arm holding his sword, the resulting spasms followed by an unusable arm, causing him to drop the sword as his other arm grasps the blood soaked appendage.

The mist nin jumps back, warily watching the teen as he flicks the blood off his sword before taking a step forward.

Before he can lift his good arm to form a block, another kick is landed on his chest, sending him flying off the water and skidding across the dirt, the opposite side to the watching genin.

A quick shunshin lands Naruto at the lakeshore, approaching the downed shinobi. However two senbon flicker through the air, piercing simultaneously into the neck of the missing-nin.

Moments later a hunter nin lands next to the body, placing an arm over their shoulder.

"Thank you for your assistance, shinobi. I have been tracking this missing-nin for several weeks now."
Naruto merely nods before stretching his katana out to place parallel to the senbon at Zabuza's neck.

"Allow me the privilege, hunter-nin?" he asks, watching the nin tense before flickering away with a slight breeze.

"Hm" Naruto voices to himself before pulling a rag to wipe his katana with from his pouch and resheathing it.

Returning to the lake, Naruto smiles at his adopted father, "Told you I'd get there a year before you!" he declared, pointing at his Jounin vest, a cocky smirk.


Authors notes!

Naruto, genin – 6

Chuunin – 8

Jounin – 12

Kakashi, genin – 5

Chuunin – 6

Jounin - 13

Apparently, took that from wiki I think. Or google. Somewhere. If it's wrong, do inform me!

Sorry about how short it is!

Also it's important to note that fight scenes are not my forte!

If people are going to comment on how easily Zabuza was beaten, firstly Kakashi is not that easy an opponent, so he will have worn him out partly, and Zabuza has just beaten Kakashi, he's kinda cocky at that point.

On another note, the title of this chapter had nothing to do with the story, was more a reflection on my inability to update.