(A/N: Finally, The GH has come back to FFN! ...er, don't mind my pseudo-wrestling rants. I'm just happy I can update at all.

This has been a hectic period for me. I couldn't access a PC for a while, then my personal PC got virused, and finally I hit a dry spell in inspiration. But now I'M BAAACK!

As usual, reviewer answers come first, for those kind souls who actually bothered to read my stuff:

black: Hmm, I'm happy you liked it after all. From this chapter on, you'll notice things will change a bit.

crazyone: Don't worry about Naruto. He'll get some major screen time starting next chapter - specifically, NaruIno interaction.

Ayce Shade: I'm aware my character's stats tend to be high. However, notice that the characters with high stats are all chuunin, technically. Also, Arisa's stats are very similar to Lee's. I took the Chuunin Exam stats, FYI. And Maki is supposed to be chibi-Tsunade.

DarkJackel: Basara herself isn't overly fond of lying to Ino, as she's coming to like the blonde genin. Well, just read… heh.

dfourthhorseman: I have no plans for a fox summoning, but Naruto is going to have an exceptional teacher later on, so don't worry. In fact, most neglected characters will get large screen time, including Hinata.

Mr. Anonimity: Sasuke is supposed to stay lonerish a while longer still, and besides I have particular plans for him.

g-bus: Patience is a virtue. But I accept your critique. Hopefully this chapter will make you happy.

ErikKoekkoek: Yes, Ino's Shintenshin no Jutsu actually will place Basara in control of her body. As you can imagine, this can change the tide of battle in a hurry.

Frank Cadena: The Hidden Moon's interest in going to the Chuunin Exams is simple: to show potential clients how strong their shinobi are. Simply put, they think of the Chuunin Exams as a way to showcase their skill and therefore get more jobs. To this, you must add that an infamous S-Class criminal is being tracked down by them… it'd make sense for them to send a covert team in.

The Hidden Marsh has different reasons. They don't care about the Exams, they're after Naruto.

Dan Inverse: Think of it this way: the Hidden Marsh has been struck by demonic curses. You don't expect cursed ninja to be normal, do you?

----

Ahh, done. From this point onward, the fic will take a radically different path from the one in the manga, so be warned. Anyway, enjoy!

IMPORTANT NOTE: You'll notice that Basara speaking no longer uses the brackets. This is due to FFN eating them in upload. Blame them, not me. Bah. I'll later edit older chapter to conform them. Sorry again!)

DISCLAIMER:

Naruto and all its characters are property of Kishimoto Masashi, and I don't claim ownership of them, though I sure as hell would LIKE to . The characters of Basara, Onikage, Maki Yamazaki, Kagura Moritsuna, Jun Rando and Rin Watanabe, however, are original creations of mine, along with any other OCs that may pop up later.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Many thanks to:

Hunter Sopko from GameFAQs for suggestions on the story, new jutsu and original characters' personality, as well as proofreading;

TheHomelessGuy and TG Cloud from GameFAQs for feedback on my OCs and suggestions for jutsu;

TheCerebralAssasin from GameFAQs for more suggestions;

The Wretched from GameFAQs for checking the names of my new jutsu;

Tsukinosakura and Gochan from RKDreams for more proofreading;

Ice Dragon XXI for MORE proofreading ;

Several other people from GameFAQs who contributed opinions (you know who you are! )

And thanks to YOU for reading this fic, of course!

(Italics indicate thought. Bolded text indicates Basara speaking.)

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Chapter 5: Confrontation

--Wave Country--

"That's some really thick fog," Ino commented sourly. She hated damp weather. It made her sleepy. "Is it always like this around here?"

"Most of the time, yes," was the boatman's reply. Tazuna had illegally slipped them in with the favor of the mist on a small boat, to avoid detection by the enemy, but the wall of fog before them was... unsettling to say the least.

"Anyway, we should be seeing the bridge soon. By following it, we'll reach the Wave Country."

As if on cue, a massive shape started emerging from the fog. It was an incomplete bridge of immense size, and the three Leaf genin found themselves staring at it wide eyed.

"WOW! It's huge!!" Naruto yelled excitedly. Immediately afterwards a moan of pain escaped his lips as Ino clocked him in the head.

"Be quiet, you moron. We're sneaking in here, and alerting the whole Wave Country to our presence isn't recommended."

Naruto blushed in embarrassment. Ino had a point - yelling could spell disaster for them all. Especially if that man Gatoo found them...

Kakashi sighed. The mission had taken a very bad turn, but they couldn't well go back to the Leaf - especially after Tazuna had essentially conned them into protecting him at least until they reached the Wave Country. Still, the jounin felt restless. Gatoo was a very, very powerful man, and crossing him could easily have fatal consequences.

After a little while, they reached the disembark point. As they got off, the boatman told them to be careful, then left in a hurry.

"Well," Tazuna said after a while, "get me home now."

"All right," Kakashi replied, brooding. If they attack us again, he thought, this time it'll be jounin, not chuunin. I feel sick just thinking about it...

Meanwhile, Naruto walked alongside Sasuke. At one point, he snuck a glance at him and an idea dawned in his mind.

This time, I'll be the one looking good. Heheheh...

Naruto began looking around himself, as if he had seen something. He then quickly drew a shuriken and threw it in a nearby bush. "Over there!" he yelled.

"..."

Everybody wordlessly stared at him. Then Naruto straightened, struck a cool pose and said: "Well, just a mouse..."

Ino sighed. While she could understand Naruto's desire to prove his worth, he was just making himself look stupid now.

"Stop making a racket, you damn kid!" Tazuna exploded right then. Naruto, however, ignored him and looked around again. The others looked at him with a defeated expression.

Tch!, Basara suddenly spoke up. Ino tensed - Basara was giving off a wary feeling, and she had noticed Kakashi suddenly tense up as well.

Just then Naruto threw a shuriken in another bush. "So you're over there!"

"I said STOP IT, damn kid!" Tazuna raged, whacking him on the head.

"Ow! What was THAT for?!" Naruto protested.

Both Kakashi and Ino ignored him and headed for the direction Naruto had cast his shuriken in. As they brushed the foliage aside, they revealed...

A small white bunny. A scared small white bunny. With a shuriken mere inches from his head.

Naruto gawked, then started petting and hugging the bunny, apologizing profusely. Tazuna and Sasuke shook their heads. "It was just a bunny..." the old man muttered.

Meanwhile, though, Ino and Kakashi were looking at each other, a wary light in their eyes.

"Is it normal...?" the blonde genin asked. Kakashi shook his head.

"No. Get back there and stay near Tazuna at all times. The other two can take care of themselves."

"Right away, sensei," Ino nodded, and quickly walked back with an apparently carefree attitude.

----

In a tree above them, a figure watched the group.

Right. It was too strong of an opponent for the Devin Brothers, the figure thought. The Hidden Leaf's infamous Copy Ninja... Kakashi of the Sharingan!

Then he jumped.

----

GET DOWN!

"GET DOWN!"

Ino had almost reached Tazuna when the simultaneous warning by Kakashi and Basara rang in her skull. Her reaction was immediate - she dived for Tazuna and tackled him to the ground. At the same time, Kakashi ducked and Sasuke dived for Naruto, taking him to the safety of ground.

Moments later, a loud whoosh signaled the passage of something huge over their heads. Something huge and very sharp.

The giant blade wedged itself in the trunk of a nearby tree, and its owner landed on its hilt right afterwards. Kakashi and the newcomer found themselves staring at each other.

I know him, the jounin thought, realizing just how much trouble they were in.

Meanwhile, Naruto's mind was racing. Good, our opponent has finally showed up, he thought, tensing up. This time, I won't let Sasuke one-up me...

Just as he was about to spring forward, however, a hand caught his wrist in a vice-like grip. As he looked at his side, he saw Ino shaking her head. Then Kakashi moved his own hand in front of him.

"Back off," the jounin said. "You'd only get in my way. This one is completely different from those two before."

Ino nodded in response, backing off slowly and dragging Naruto with her. She shot a look at the two boys with her and motioned towards Tazuna.

"Cover the old man and stay out of their way. We're going to have our hands full just protecting him."

Sasuke and Naruto immediately nodded, slightly creeped out by Ino's undecipherable expression. For some reason, she felt like a different person right now...

----

...okay, now what?, the blonde genin inquired in her mind. Basara mentally shrugged.

Now we wait. That creepy individual over there is strong, but Kakashi should be able to handle him just fine.

All right...

Oh, and if the two kids near you get in trouble, stay back for a while. I'm curious... I detect great potential in them, and I'd like to see how they perform under pressure.

Um, I don't..., Ino began in a hesitant tone, but Basara cut her off.

Don't worry, if they find themselves in mortal danger, we'll just get their asses out of it. All right?

...fine. I'll trust you for the time being. But remember, the blonde girl added, her thoughts suddenly laced with steel, once we have some time available, you're telling me EVERYTHING you're hiding from me.

...very well. Now, pay attention.

With a final nod, Ino's attention returned to the battle.

----

Just what's going on with Ino?, Sasuke thought to himself, peering at his teammate with the corner of his eye. She is acting almost as if she's used to giving orders, and I feel no hesitation in her...

The young Uchiha was confused. Ever since the 'bell training' Kakashi put them through, he had the feeling that the normally cheerful girl's mood had become increasingly worse. In addition to this, Ino often displayed unexplainable increases in physical abilities when her stress reached a breaking point. In fact, during the previous fight with the Devil Brothers, she had move faster than anyone Sasuke had ever observed so far, save for Kakashi-sensei.

The black-haired boy cast another cursory glance at Ino, wondering what was wrong with her. Whatever it was, he decided, was most likely something she had no desire to talk about.

With a sigh, he let his eyes return to the battle between Kakashi and the mysterious ninja. I just hope we will live long enough to talk about it, he thought darkly.

----

Naruto's main concern in that moment was keeping his eyes glued to the fight. Kakashi had uncovered his left eye, and there were three odd dots in it. The sensei and the other man, whom Kakashi had identified as 'Zabuza', said something about a 'sharingan' and how Kakashi knew well over 1,000 jutsu. Naruto could hardly believe it. This lazy pervert of a sensei knew that many techniques?

As he watched the events before him unfold, he became aware of a bank of mist building up around them. The sudden rise of the mist looked highly suspicious even to him, and when Zabuza jumped on the water and muttered something about 'Mist Veil', he knew he had been right - it was his doing.

With no more visibility around himself, he backed away cautiously, drawing nearer to Tazuna. Then...

----

"...Kkuu...!!" Ino gurgled, her legs shaking. All of a sudden, a terrifying murderous intent had struck her, filling her with dread. She barely noticed that her teammates were equally shaken, and the only reason why she didn't drop to her knees right away was because immediately after the first wave of dread struck, Basara started radiating what could only be described as unthinking glee.

Heh heh heh...!, Ino heard her dark half cackle inside her head. This is going to be fun. Can you feel this tension, young one? That man is no mere goon. He's a merciless killer... Finally, an opponent worth our time!

"H... how can you be so happy?" Ino replied in a strangled whisper so low no one heard it. "We are all going to die!"

Nonsense! That man is about to find out that there's always someone better than him in the world.

"...that one being... us?", the blonde genin asked. Basara nodded mentally.

Us, too. Kakashi, as well. Hahaha... I can't wait to see blood flow.

"...you're scaring me." Ino murmured, shocked by her inner self's words.

You're being weak, now, Basara scolded her. A ninja deals with pain, blood and death on a daily basis. Get used to it or seek another job entirely.

"I... will try."

Hn, Basara mused, her bloodlust leaving room to more rational thoughts. You're not ready yet, I see. All right, for the time being, let us protect the old man. Now, get ready!

Those words snapped Ino out of her trance.

Just in time...

----

Zabuza had suddenly appeared behind Sasuke and Ino, ready to lash out. Ino's reaction, however, proved once again adequate - she jumped on the spot and lashed out at Tazuna with her feet, kicking him out of harm's way as well as propelling herself to a safe distance. Meanwhile, Kakashi got up close and personal with Zabuza and managed to jam a kunai in his ribs.

Unfortunately, Zabuza turned out to be a water clone. Another Zabuza popped out behind Kakashi, lashing out at him. Kakashi's body was cleaved in half by Zabuza's sword.

However, the jounin turned out to be a water clone as well. Zabuza stared dumbfounded at the puddle of water before him. What...? He copied my Mizu Bunshin in the middle of all that fog...?!

"Don't move. This battle is over."

Zabuza froze as a kunai touched his throat, recognizing the voice behind him. Then, he lowered his head and chuckled.

"Heh... the battle is over, you say? You don't understand..." the Mist nin said. "You'll never beat me by copying me. But I admit you're good. You copied the Mizu Bunshin and used the copy to get my attention while you hid in the mist, observing my movements. But..."

Just then Basara attracted Ino's attention.

What is it...?, the genin asked.

Something's odd. There's something not quite right about him...

Eh? He looks like he's real to me, Ino replied in a puzzled tone.

Don't ever trust your eyes when Bunshin are involved, Basara pointed out. They're perfect replica of the original, except for...

Basara's voice broke, then she screamed in rage.

It's a trap! That body has no odor! It's another clone...!

As Ino's eyes widened, yet another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, and the copy before the jounin melted into water.

"...but I'm not that gullible, Kakashi," the Mist nin concluded triumphantly.

As Kakashi turned around, a wall of water closed around him, trapping him in a water bubble.

"Suirou no Jutsu," Zabuza murmured, a triumphant light in his eyes. Naruto and Sasuke watched in shock as their sensei futilely struggled against his watery prison.

Tch, things just got a bit tougher to deal with. Oh well… let's get to work, young one, Basara commented in an unconcerned tone.

How can you be so calm?!, Ino asked her inner voice. Sensei's in trouble, and that guy is too strong!

Nonsense. I'll tell you what to do. Here's the plan… Hm? Wait… Naruto is up to something. See, his aura feels different… he's regained confidence.

Ino's attention returned to Naruto who, after a brief scuffle with one of Zabuza's clones, had recovered his fallen forehead protector and was now radiating determination.

With a quick movement, Naruto whipped out a giant shuriken and threw it at Ino.

"Ino-chan, I'm counting on you!" he yelled.

Ino looked at the shuriken in her hand, and suddenly realized the idea Naruto had.

Impressive, Basara commented. To think up such a plan in so short a time.

That's more like a nasty prank…, Ino commented with a smile. It so fits Naruto…

All right, business time!, the Kitsune spirit grinned inwardly.

With a sharp twist of her wrist, Ino unveiled the four-point shuriken and held it before her. Staring right at Zabuza, she murmured:

"Kage Shuriken no Jutsu."

Then, with a swift motion, she hurled the shuriken… aiming directly at Zabuza.

----

The Mist nin smiled. "Nice try," he said nonchalantly, "but it's not enough."

Extending one hand, Zabuza blocked the suriken in mid-flight. His wicked smile, though, froze when he noticed another shuriken, hidden in the first one's shadow.

"Tch…!" he spat as he jumped straight up, narrowly avoiding getting his legs chopped off. As he landed, he smirked again. Then, he noticed Sasuke and Ino smiling, and a lout 'poof' came from behind him.

Turning around, he saw Naruto behind him, who had been posing as the second shuriken, throwing a kunai at his head.

As the kunai rapidly approached his head, Zabuza's eyes widened. At the very last instant, he sapped back, letting go of the water bubble Kakashi was trapped in, and barely avoided the blade, which scratched his cheek.

Eyes filled with rage, he turned around to attack the impudent genin who made a fool out of him…

C R A C K

…and his neck was forced to move in a way it wasn't supposed to by a foot solidly planted on his cheek. Snapping his head back, he turned around again, finding himself face to face with the blonde kunoichi who had participated in the joint attack.

What the…, Zabuza thought, shocked. How can she be so fast?

Then the Mist nin noticed a detail that creeped him out even more. The girl's eyes were yellow and red.

"What…? You're not…"

Zabuza's phrase was unceremoniously interrupted by another kick barely missing his head. With a backflip he put himself at a safe distance. A second look at his opponent's eyes revealed they were blue again. What was that…?, he thought.

Less talking, more fighting, the young girl said in an oddly distorted voice. Then she smirked in contempt. Or would you rather just give up?

----

Ino could hardly believe what she was saying. Moments before, she had felt a rush of power unlike any other fill her, and had reacted on instinct upon seeing Zabuza distracted, moving faster than she ever had and blindsiding him.

And now… now she felt more confident than ever before. Was this the effect Basara had on her?

is that what you meant, Basara, when you said we could take him?, she asked her inner voice. An approving feeling returned from within.

Indeed. This one, we can take. Even alone… our teammates are extra help.

You will tell me, won't you? Why you can give me such power… and everything?

I promised, young one. And I keep my promises.

Good… hn? Someone in the trees!

As soon as Ino had noticed the sudden movements, a series of needles struck Zabuza squarely in the neck. The Mist nin's eyes bulged out, and he staggered for a second before dropping to the floor with a thud, lifeless.

"I apologize for startling you," a voice said.

Everybody's eyes darted to the tree branch from which the voice and the needles had come. There, standing nonchalantly, was a masked ninja bearing the Mist's symbol on his mask. His long black hair and lithe frame made it hard to understand his sex, but his voice was decidedly male.

"A hunter-nin?" Kakashi murmured. The newcomer nodded, jumping down.

"Indeed. I had been tracking this traitor for a while now. And thanks to you, I finally caught him. You have my gratitude."

"Hmm…" Kakashi said before dropping to one knee. Sasuke and Naruto were instantly to his side.

"What's wrong, Sensei?" Naruto asked him. The masked Jounin shook his head.

"Nothing, just… using the Sharingan drains me. I'm a bit weak, that's all…"

"You look like you can barely move, Sensei," Sasuke interjected. "The Sharingan does more than just 'drain you', does it not?"

"…true. I need rest… it'll take a few days to recover."

"Well then," the Mist hunter interjected. "It appears you have your own business to take care of, so I'll leave now…"

With those words, he picked up Zabuza's body. A whirlwind picked up, submerging him in leaves, and then he was gone.

"…that was something," Naruto commented.

"…" Ino merely stared at the spot the two Mist nin had disappeared from. The rush of power had disappeared, but now she was curious - and a little afraid.

What was it that Basara had been keeping from her?

"Hey, Ino-chan! We're going! Come on!"

Naruto's voice snapped her out of her reverie. Basara ad remained silent, so she guessed the explanation would come later. Turning around, she waved and smiled at Naruto. "Coming!"

Deep within, Basara thought about the day's events. She, herself, was afraid of the coming confrontation.

Don't reject me, Ino. It is all I ask of you, she murmured to herself. I have nowhere to go…

She paused again, then added:

…and I have grown so very fond of you…

--Hidden Marsh Village--

Maki Yamazaki, Jun Rando, Kagura Moritsuna and their sensei, Rin Watanabe, waited in front of the Onikage's residence. They had been called urgently, regarding a mission they were to be assigned to.

"I wonder what Onikage-sama wishes us to do?" Jun said to no one in particular. Maki just stared straight ahead. Jun guessed that her friend felt worse than usual today, as she had looked like she was getting winded faster during training.

"We'll find out now, it seems," Kagura stated casually as the house's doors opened. As the Onikage stepped out, the three girls gave him curious glances - it was actually the first time they got to see him in the daylight.

The Hidden Marsh's Kage was a tall, thin man, who looked like he had aged before his time. Long, green hair framed a strangely emaciated face, and while he looked sickly, one could tell he was probably in his thirties. He wore a grey and dark blue ninja uniform, but appeared to not have any weapons. His crimson eyes almost glowed in the sun as he watched the four women standing before him.

"I will be brief, my trusted kunoichi," he rasped, looking tired. "Word has come to me by my scouts in the Konoha area that Uzumaki-sama has left on a mission for the Wave Country. Moreover, he appears to have run into trouble. I wish for you to track him down and observe. If it is absolutely needed, offer assistance. Otherwise, remain unseen.

"That is all. Depart at once."

That said, the Onikage turned around and slowly walked back in his house, leaving three socked girls and a mildly worried sensei behind.

"Wave Country? That's the first I'll see of the outside world… I can't wait." Jun said, feeling good.

"…We're not sightseeing, Jun," Maki breathed out, her face set in stone under her bandages. "Don't forget that."

"Yeah, yeah… spoilsport."

"Sensei… is this all right?" Kagura asked the brooding figure with a scythe beside her. Rin shrugged.

"I'm not happy with it, but what Onikage-sama says is what must be done. Let us go."

And turning around, the quartet departed on a travel that would change their lives forever.

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(A/N: All right, done! Once again, I apologize for keeping you waiting so LONG. I'm not worthy… forgive me!

Anyway… hope you liked it. As you can tell, things are changing… As usual, R&R! Criticism welcome! Ad hopefully, the format won't be eaten by FFN again.

GH out. Happy new year!)