Dudtheman: yayyy! Thank you! :P

JeremiahB : Me too bro, me too.

Stiehl : you are right in both ways ;) read this one to find out

Essex: I think it was only coz they were non ninjas. And the riders had little to no combat experience.

Cloud: Sorry. They aren't really ready for a big baddy yet, their first has to be Haku for things to go as planned. The rest wont fit if I bring in someone new. Its not a video game you know, to have a boss fight at the end of every chapter :P

Ugh… so that you guys are informed earlier… I hate AN… and as such… I want to tell you that I will be creating some of my own jutsu as well, and as for now, since I do not know any Japanese and simply do not like to use a translator, all of my own and some of others will be used with their English names.

I know I know, I could have used them in the beginning. But, I find the Japanese names much cooler, and I do not want to insult Kishimoto's genius in creating these moves.

Anyways! Read! :P

Without Uchiha Sasuke

Chapter 7: Rapid Deployment

Sakura heard her stomach grumble as she sped through the trees alongside Naruto. She silently cursed herself for not having dinner last night, but she doubted she would have been able to had she known that she would have to race against time yet again the following morning.

Whatever it was that the new Jounin squad had told Kakashi had to be important for their sensei to interrupt their meal. She knew it was also urgent by the pace that the Jounin had set once they had set off from the Kanika camp.

Sakura looked at Kakashi as she jumped from branch to branch. The man was too lost in thought or was too deep in concentration to even notice that both she and Naruto had their gazes fixed on him. She wondered what it could have been that had bothered him so much. All she knew was that they were headed towards Konoha. But the time for answers would be later, when they stopped for a rest.

Kakashi called a halt sometime around noon, asking them to quickly have lunch as they had a lot of ground to cover. Thankfully, they had some bento boxes the Kanika cooks had made them before they left and the two genin dug into them gratefully.

Kakashi had vanished as soon as they had started eating only appearing once again when they were almost done.

"Kakashi-sensei." Called Naruto, his mouth stuffed with the last of the rice from his bento box.

"Why the sense of urgency?" he asked as he resealed the bento box as did Sakura.

The silver haired man glanced at the two genin, a look that told them that there was a lot to explain and that what they heard they might not like

"I'll explain once we are in the trees." Said Kakashi as he jumped up onto a branch. "I've done some scouting and we've made much more ground than I hoped to during the past few hours which means we can slow down now."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she jumped up after Kakashi, Naruto following close behind. Even though she had a new training regime that worked her to her limits, her previous meager diet had left her muscles sorely underdeveloped and she was still catching up in that department. At least now it would be a lot lighter on her legs.

Once they had set a steady pace, Kakashi spoke.

"The Jounin sent from Konoha brought with them another mission request. One that I had thought slightly delayed until we returned. But there has been a slight complication."

"Complication?" echoed Sakura, as she jumped from branch to branch with ease.

"Yes. It seems that a team has taken the mission reserved for us, without going through the proper procedures and now, they seem to be in trouble." Said Kakashi.

"What kind of trouble?" asked Naruto as he appeared on the other side of Kakashi.

"A Konoha Hunter-nin has reported sightings of an A rank missing-nin in the area. The hunter-nin never reported in after that so the Hokage wants us to go and back up that team." Said the Jounin.

"Whose team is that?" Asked Sakura, curious as to who would have taken that mission. "Ino's?"

Kakashi shook his head and glanced at both of the genin before uttering one name. "Sasuke."

Both genin faltered, Naruto missing the branch while Sakura barely managed to grab onto it with one hand.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked as the both of them hoisted themselves up to face the now stationary Kakashi.

"Yes." he said with his trademark hand through hair. "I do not know the full detail. All I know is that he went on the mission, along with two other genin and one freshly promoted Jounin."

It was Naruto's turn to speak. "How did he get a team? I thought you sent him back to the academy."

Kakashi nodded. "I did. The Hokage did not disclose much detail about the squad to the Jounin. I am assuming that this was a team formed by the council rather than the Hokage himself."

"Why would they do that?" asked Sakura in disbelief.

Did the council not understand why he was sent back to the academy in the first place?

"It's simple." Replied Kakashi. "The Uchiha Clan has one of the most powerful Doujutsu in the whole of the shinobi world much less Konoha. The council feels that Konoha is weak without the Sharingan to safe keep them and Sasuke being the only one with Uchiha blood, is now royalty to them."

Sakura felt her head reel. Even after the survival training, she had hoped deep down in her heart that he would see the light and the advantages of teamwork. Though he had virtually destroyed her crush on him, she still felt drawn to him every now and then.

"But every team goes through the survival test right?" asked Naruto.

Sakura silently thanked him for his interruption. She had not wanted to focus her thoughts on what might be happening to Sasuke at this very moment.

"No." said Kakashi. "All the teams that go through the Hokage undergo the test as this is something the Hokage feels is compulsory for each team. However, it is different in Sasuke's team."

"How?" asked Sakura.

"For one thing, it is a team formed by the council for Sasuke. So it means they won't risk him being sent back by the Jounin. Thus they wouldn't have gotten the test." Said the silver haired man.

"Who do you think is in the team?" asked Naruto. "Teme better not have disbanded an existing team for this." He added with a slight growl.

Sakura had thought about Naruto's and Sasuke's rivalry for a while and still wasn't able to find head nor tail of it. All she knew is that both of them hated each other with a passion. A passion she would love to know the origin of.

"All I know is it's a fully new team. The genin are actually last year academy students, pulled out early so that he'd have a team. The Jounin is freshly promoted with little experience in running a team."

"Let me guess. They were all bullied into it." Snorted Naruto.

Sakura would have bashed Naruto in the head had she not seen Kakashi nod at his statement.

"Bullied? By whom?" she asked, though in her mind she hoped it was not her Sasuke-kun.

"The council has a way of convincing people to do their bidding regardless of what they feel." Said Kakashi. "I think it is best we be on our way now. We never know when the team will come across the Nuke-nin."

With that, the three sped off again, towards what the two genin assumed to be the other team and their rightful mission.

X—X—X—X—X

The team jumped at a medium pace, fast enough to catch up to a team that walked yet slow enough not to tire the two genin out.

Naruto was so lost in thought that he nearly ran past Kakashi as the Jounin stopped. The only thing stopping him being the silver haired mans gloved hand holding his shirt.

Naruto stopped as Kakashi pointed a finger towards the road below. His blue eyes coming to rest on the 5 people heading towards them. Sure enough, they had found the team from Konoha, if it even could be called a team.

Naruto heard Sakura groan and glanced at her. The pink haired girl was looking at the squad, hiding her face behind one hand.

"Sakura-chan?" he whispered to her, curious as to why she had groaned.

"Don't tell me they haven't noticed the puddle." She said as she pointed to a very small puddle laying on the road in front of them. Genjutsu realized Naruto. There had been no rain at all that day and no way that there could be such a puddle.

"Tane knows." Whispered Kakashi as he watched the two.

"Tane?" echoed Naruto. "The Jounin? You know him?"

Kakashi nodded. "I was the one who conducted his Jounin exam. Just a day before I gave you two the survival exam. He's a bright one, though a bit lacking in the leadership area."

"Should we go in?" Asked Sakura.

"No." stated Kakashi. "There are two Shinobi hidden in that puddle. And by the look of it, neither of them are A ranked."

Sakura looked at Kakashi in awe.

How did Kakashi know how many shinobi were hidden in that puddle? And more, how did he know what rank they were?

Is this what a Jounin truly is? She wondered.

Kakashi held up a hand as the Konoha team neared passed the puddle, the Jounin giving it a wary glance but dismissing it. That move in itself gave Sakura the impression that he in fact did not know about the genjutsu but she guess that was exactly what he wanted them to feel.

A head slowly formed from the puddle, revealing a slashed mist headband. Nuke-nin, thought Sakura. This would be their first encounter with Nin from another village in a hostile situation. But she was ready.

The most difficult part had gone, their first kills. Now all they needed were the skills and the Jutsu to be able to take on almost any ninja in their path.

Naruto tensed again as if he was going to jump in and engage the enemy but Kakashi held him back. "We only go in if they need us. It is important that not even the genin know of our presence."

Naruto clenched his teeth and separated from the team, him and Sakura inching closer to the group in two different directions. Kakashi knew that even though that Naruto was itching for a fight, the boy would control himself.

The genin of team 7 were almost on top of the Konoha team when the two mist Nin attacked. They burst from the puddle, immediately wrapping the Jounin in a barbed chain before ripping him into shreds.

Fast! Thought Sakura as she watched the two Nuke-nin charge the genin non-stop. She silently urged them to move but she assumed that the 'death' of their sensei had frozen them. She saw Naruto grit his teeth harder. A moment more and she knew he would intervene.

Tane himself was running through the bushes towards his team. Somehow, for some reason, the log he had replaced himself with had not been so close by and he was hard pressed to reach his team in time. He reached the team just in time to see a kunai come out of the bushes and pin the chain to a tree, surprising the Nin. A figure then appeared in a puff of smoke taking the two Nin out in one smooth blow.

Tane walked out of the bushes as the smoke disappeared and looked at the man who had just appeared.

"Impeccable timing as usual sempai." He said with a smile. "Sometimes I wonder why you must be so tardy to other things."

The silver haired man returned the smile. "Seemed like you could have used the extra pair of hands." He said, nodding over to the trembling genin as he tied the two unconscious nin to a tree stump.

"What brings you here Sempai?" Asked Tane as he helped the senior Jounin.

"Oh, I was going back to Konoha after a mission and felt your chakra signature and thought I'd say hi." Stated the man as he stood up.

Tane nodded. "Somehow I do not believe you Sempai." He said with narrowed eyes.

"The Hokage received a report from ANBU that a missing-nin was in the area. Felt an unfamiliar chakra signature here so I came." Said Kakashi. "Word is that one of the Seven Swordsman is nearby."

Tane's eyes widened. "Mist?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Nuke-nin."

"Do you know who?" asked Tane, the worry apparent in his voice.

Kakashi was barely able to shake his head before a new voice interrupted their conversation.

"So, Kakashi. Where are the other two? Dead yet?" asked Sasuke as he walked over.

"No, no." said Kakashi as he turned around to face the Uchiha. "They are around and training hard" said the Jounin nonchalantly.

Sasuke made a dramatic show of looking around for them. "huh." He said. "I don't see them. Guess they must have run off. Scaredy cats."

Up in the trees, Naruto was having trouble holding Sakura back from pummeling Sasuke into the ground. Though he had imagined Sasuke getting pummeled, he had never imagined him having to hold HER back from doing it.

"They are around Sasuke-kun." Said Kakashi with a smile. "And they are better than you think." He finished.

Sasuke snorted. "A dobe will always be a dobe, Kakashi. It won't stop the inevitable." He said as he walked away from the two Jounin.

"Sempai, If I may ask a favor." Spoke the younger Jounin.

"Ask." Said Kakashi as he walked alongside Tane.

"I would really appreciate it if you could accompany us at least until we reach the bridge builder's house." He said pausing hesitantly.

"I am not quite ready to lead a team of Chuunin let alone a team of fresh undergraduate Genin."

"Undergraduate?" asked Kakashi with wide eyes.

"Yes. Both Hisemi and Heni are undergraduate, the top of the current academy class."

It finally hit Kakashi, the magnitude of the council's decision to form a team for Sasuke. "Why did you take the mission then? You know they are not ready for this."

Tane bowed his head. "I requested for some D ranks but Sasuke insisted that he was ready for a C rank. This was the only one available."

Kakashi looked at Tane. "So what is your mission?"

Tane sighed. "Protect the bridge builder till he finishes the bridge. It was supposed to be a simple C rank. But with the new twist should be the more expensive A rank."

Kakashi nodded. "It seems like we need to get some answers from our client."

Tane nodded. He was having mixed feelings about the mission. Even with Kakashi along, things would be hairy and he knew his genin would be almost of no help. It would all come down to how well Kakashi had trained his team.

X—X—X—X—X

The moment of truth came soon for the bridge builder, whose name Kakashi found out to be Tazuna. The two Jounin threatening to abandon the mission on terms of falsified information by the client. Tazuna soon gave in, stating that he would explain everything during the crossing to the Wave country. It would be the only time that he would be able to tell them the whole tale.

Tazuna started at the beginning of the whole crisis, from when Gato first came to the country and started monopolizing the transport of the goods between the small island nation and the main land. He explained to the Jounin and Team 11 as they were now known that Gato had gained this monopoly by any means necessary, be it by hook or by crook. He also described the state Gato had driven his country to, the poverty he had been the cause of, by imposing the large taxes and fees for the transport of every little thing including food for the citizens.

The country was slowly going bankrupt he said, even the rich losing all their money just trying to import food for themselves. Their only hope of breaking out of this poverty being the bridge Tazuna was building. It would allow traders from the mainland and even the citizens from the Wave to transport goods and even themselves to and from the mainland without any cost. And Gato would never let that happen.

He would try by any means to stop the bridge from reaching completion, even if he had to hire Nin to kill the builder and Tazuna believed that both the Mist Nuke-nin as well as the Demon Brothers were hired by Gato to kill him. Kakashi understood. Gato had the money to hire any amount of any level Shinobi to kill the bridge builder, yet the bridge builder had a limited budget to hire some to protect him.

They finally agreed to continue the mission. Both of the Jounin saying they would find another way to pay for the upgrade. It was the least to say that Tazuna was pleased. It would have been certain poverty for the Wave had they turned back and sent the old man alone to his sure death. Now, if they succeeded in completing the bridge, the Wave would owe the Leaf Village for everything they were to gain by it.

X—X—X—X—X

Naruto and Sakura had one of the dullest nights ever during the crossing to the Wave. Kakashi and Team 11 had gotten to ride in a boat the whole distance, but the genin of Team 7 had had to water walk the whole way to the island.

Sakura thought back to the night as they silently haunted the other Konoha team through the trees. She wouldn't have claimed it a total loss. Though they hadn't slept, staying up talking to each other as they kept an eye on the sleeping Konoha squad, she had managed to learn a lot about her blond teammate. A lot that made her think about him yet again in a different sense than she had during the past few weeks.

He was deeper, she realized. His mask had started falling off his face. The pain he had felt showing in his eyes to her, though she still doubted anyone else would be able to see it so clearly. He hadn't explained the reason for the pain, but she assumed it had something to do with the way the villagers treated him. She still remembered what she had seen during her visit to the hospital with him.

She had decided she wouldn't push for it. It was obvious to her that he was opening up slowly. Letting her deeper into himself, showing her the deeper reaches of his personality. He hadn't shown her everything. Maybe he never would. But she decided to let him do it in his own time.

She would have continued her train of thought had her eyes not caught a white snow rabbit amidst the bushes. Snow rabbits changed color according to the amount of sunlight that hit their body. White was their winter color and this being summer, this snow rabbit should be brown. It left only one possible explanation. This was a rabbit which had been just released from captivity and there was only one reason for someone to release it this far away from their home. Kawarimi. She glanced at Naruto and their eyes met. He had seen it too and knew what it meant. There was going to be an attack soon.

X—X—X—X—X

Tane had forgotten all about Kakashi's genin the moment they had boarded the small motor boat and started their crossing only remembering them the moment they had woken up the next day. He had immediately fallen into a slight state of panic thinking they had left them behind. After all, they were his only real hope of keeping the bridge builder safe once a fight broke out. Depending on the Nuke-nin's caliber, it would take Kakashi's full concentration to take him down and Tane himself would have his hands full with the Demon Brothers. Tane had no guarantee that Tazuna would be safe were he to fall under attack by any ninja or even hired mercenaries while the two Jounin were kept busy.

Yet, the two chakra sources were still there when they had walked off. That meant the genin had crossed, but Tane was certain that they had not boarded the boat even under genjutsu. It had simply been too light. That left only one other option. Water walking and for two genin to be able to water walk after only 1 single month of training was impressive.

Tane filed more questions to ask Kakashi later as he walked along. He needed to find out how the two genin had improved that much. He also wanted to find out why there were only two genin and not the usual three. He would have asked Kakashi had it not been for Sasuke's question.

"What are you doing here Kakashi? Won't your two little charges die without you to save them?" asked the black haired boy with an arrogant smile.

Tane had never really heard Sasuke speak since he had joined the team as their sensei but he noticed that Sasuke never lost his haughtiness whenever he spoke. He knew by the way that Sasuke spoke that he and Kakashi had some sort of history with each other.

"Oh. I'm here just because your sensei asked me to." Said the silver haired Jounin, not even bothering to turn around to face the Uchiha.

"They have a better chance of surviving by themselves than you do." He finished.

"You can't compare clanless Nin to me, the last remaining member of the elite Uchiha clan. I'll beat them any day." Said Sasuke.

"Well, the so called clanless nin passed a test that you, the elite Uchiha couldn't even understand. I wouldn't be so full of myself if I were you." Said Kakashi as he walked on.

There was a sudden dim in the two chakra signatures in the trees. A signal, Tane realized and readied himself for an impending attack. He knew Kakashi had noticed as the senior Jounin's voice had a ready edge to it.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was furious. "I took you on myself! Out in the open as well! But they only got those bells through trickery!"

"Teamwork isn't trickery Sasuke." Said Kakashi, obviously keeping up an act of being unaware of the enemy shinobi present.

Whoever it was, was good. Tane could barely pick up his chakra signature. Must not be a sensory type or else he would have gone after the two in the trees and that would complicate things.

"Call it what you want Kakashi. It's not going to change anything. A dobe will always be a dobe. Nothing will teach them talent they don't have and unfortunately for them, they don't have the genius I do."

Sasuke would have had continued his ranting had it not been for the body of Tane knocking him to the floor with a loud whoompf. The Jounin knew the Uchiha would have turned on him had it not been for the dull thud of the large Zanbato embedding itself in a tree. Sasuke cursed, he had been saved again. First by Kakashi when he intervened with the two Mist Nin. Now, by Tane who had obviously knocked him from the path of the large blade.

A deep throaty laughter echoed through the forest as the Konoha Nin rightened themselves.

"It seems that Konoha Nin aren't too shabby at all." Spoke a voice.

Kakashi smiled as he looked up at the man standing on his sword. "You underestimate us Zabuza. Though I expected someone strong to come along with the Demon Brothers, I never expected it to be someone of your caliber."

"My, my, my." Spoke the man as he turned around to face Kakashi.

"My first real encounter with Konoha nin and I get to fight the infamous Copy Ninja, the man who is said to have copied over a thousand Jutsu."

"Momochi Zabuza, Bloody Demon of the Hidden Mist. Prepare yourself. I don't have time to play with you." Said Kakashi, his hand going up to his headband.

Zabuza vanished, reappearing on the pool in front of them. "What an honor, to see the legendary Sharingan on our very first meeting. Very well, in that case I shall not hold back either. Kirigakure no Jutsu."

Sharingan? Though Sasuke. That couldn't be. Only Uchiha blood had the Sharingan. It was their Bloodline Limit and as far as he knew Kakashi was not an Uchiha.

Up in the trees, Naruto watched as thick mist rolled in from all the sides, impairing their vision and hiding the battle from them. Even he could not see any further than the tip of his fingers from where he was.

"Sasuke, Heni, Hisemi. Protect the bridge builder at all costs. Do not get separated." Said Tane as he took out a kunai ready to back Kakashi up if need be.

The intensity of the situation was overwhelming for the genin of Team 11. Their small hands white from gripping their Kunai as tight as they could. The urge to kill themselves increasing as they sought a way to free themselves from such killing intent.

"Hmmm." Came Zabuza's voice from the mist causing everyone to start looking around. "8 points. Liver, heart, spine, Jugular vein, Clavicle vein, Brain, Lungs, Kidney. Which one shall I aim for?"

Kakashi immediately formed a seal before blowing the mist away with a blast of his Ki but Zabuza was already in position behind the bridge builder.

"It's over." Said the mist Nin as he swung his large zanbato.

The genin dived away from the sword, intent on saving their own lives and leaving the bridge builder to fend for himself. Tazuna closed his eyes, waiting for his end to come. He knew he would not be fast enough to avoid the blow and was surprised when a body knocked into him sending him sprawling in the dirt.

He looked up just in time to see Kakashi shove a kunai into the stomach of Zabuza, water immediately pouring out of the wound.

Water? Thought Tazuna as he saw the man burst into nothing but water.

A shinobi technique, the man realized in awe of the skill shown between the two Jounin.

Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, immediately decapitating the Konoha nin who also turned into water.

Zabuza was taken aback at this.

When had Kakashi managed to copy his jutsu let alone use it?

His train of thought was broken as a kunai slammed home just beneath his ear.

The man turned into another puddle as a shadow appeared behind Kakashi, cleaving him into two with the gigantic zanbato. Zabuza expected this Kakashi to turn into a puddle as well but was surprised when the body disappeared in a poof of smoke instead. "Kagebunshin?" he thought as a chakra signature appeared behind him. The Kiri Nin was ready this time, pivoting on his heel as he delivered a powerful kick towards the signature.

Though there was no impact, Zabuza watched Kakashi flip back and instantly pressed him, swinging his Zanbato at the Konoha Nin. He smiled when Kakashi dived into the water to avoid the blade. It was game over.

Kakashi had not expected Zabuza to recover that fast. He had been hoping that the mixed usage of the two bunshin techniques would disorient the Kiri Nin and allow him to end the fight quick. He was about to move in for another attack when he heard the intonation for a jutsu from the Bloody Demon of the Hidden Mist.

"Souirou No Jutsu" spoke the man, extracting Kakashi from the water in a sphere of chakra controlled water.

Kakashi struggled to break free of the prison, trying to move his hands to his kunai holster for a weapon to slice the water with.

"Its not use, Kakashi." Said Zabuza. "My prison cannot be breached as long as I maintain physical contact with it. It is solely my chakra that makes it so strong. Try all you can though, it will only make it harder for you to breathe. But don't worry, you have enough time to watch my Mizubunshin take out the team and the bridge builder before you die." He said as he chuckled throatily.

Zabuza created a water clone which literally died on the spot.

"What?" thought Zabuza as he searched around for the man that had so easily killed his clone.

"Good job Sakura." Spoke Kakashi as he pocketed his kunai. "You can let go of the henge now."

Zabuza heard a poof and looked at the person he had caught in his prison. Instead of the legendary Copycat Sharingan no Kakashi, he had caught a young genin in one of his most prized jutsus.

Zabuza looked at Kakashi and spoke. "Don't tell me I have been fighting her all this time."

Kakashi shook his head. "No. You haven't. The first clone was mine, the second Naruto's, the third was Sakura whom you've caught there."

"It's over Zabuza." Continued Kakashi. "I've only used one clone while you yourself have used three plus the chakra for the Kirigakure no Jutsu and the Souirou. You would be hard pressed to beat me without your full chakra capacity."

Kakashi was right. He had used a lot of techniques while Kakashi had split the load between three people.

"You might want to let go of Sakura there, Zabuza." Tane called out. "The longer you hold it the less chakra you have to finish this fight with."

Zabuza was just about to release the jutsu when he heard a voice call out. "Suiton, Shinjuu Zanshu No Jutsu."

The Kiri Nin was barely able to look downwards before a hand grabbed his ankle and pulled him under the water. The hand let go of his leg the moment his hand had broken contact with the water prison. The Kiri nin resurfacing to see the girl and one boy clad in orange standing beside Kakashi.

"Mission, Rescue the Damsel in Distress has been a success!" yelled out the blonde boy unable to hold himself quiet any longer.

"Naruto!" Came a yell from the girl who had been 'saved' before a fist clobbered the 'hero' right on the head as the 'damsel' fought furiously to hide the blush at being called that.

Kakashi nodded and began walking towards Zabuza. "Now that you have no one to use as a hostage, how about the two of us finish this? One on one."

Zabuza grinned as he slung his zanbato over his back. "Finally, I get to kill the strongest Konoha Jounin currently in service."

Kakashi revealed his Sharingan once again. "Know this, Zabuza. I never fall for the same trick twice and since I've seen your Souirou, I will not fall for it."

The two Jounin circled each other, Kakashi copying every single movement Zabuza made all the way down to the way he tilted his hand. The two then quickly flashed through handseals, both of them yelling out "Suiton, Suiryuudan No Jutsu!" at the same time.

Two similar dragons rose out from the large pool, clashing together above the two Nin and raining water on them while the two nin clashed Kunai against Zanbato underneath. It seemed to Zabuza as if Kakashi knew exactly each and every move he would make before he would make it.

"Stop copying me like a monkey!" said the Nin, both of them at the same time.

Zabuza's eyes widened. "How…"

"Did I know what you were going to say?" finished Kakashi for Zabuza.

"Can you…" started Zabuza as his eyes widened more.

"See the future?" Finished Kakashi again.

Zabuza had heard of Kakashi's copycat skills before and knew to what extent the man could copy others' movements. Yet this was something he had never heard of before. And to be honest, it was freaking him out.

Every move Zabuza made, Kakashi made at the same time. Be it a hand movement, a leg movement or be it the little victory jig Zabuza did after winning a battle. It was as if Kakashi knew exactly what he would do in the future.

"Stop copying me you damn monkey!" yelled Zabuza as he fired his hands through a set of hand seals, Kakashi forming the same ones at the same time. There was no way Kakashi would have seen this jutsu thought Zabuza and this made him fumble on the ending seal. Kakashi however did not, yelling "Suiton, Daibakufuu no jutsu."

The explosion that followed was one of the largest explosions either of the five genin had ever seen. The water ripping trees off of its roots as it flooded the surrounding area around it. The genin each resorting to their own methods to keep themselves from being washed away by the tidal waves. Zabuza, meanwhile, had been washed up against a tree and was hard pressed to catch his breath.

"How did you know what Technique it was?" he breathed towards Kakashi.

"I can see the future." Said the Konoha Jounin as he took out another Kunai. "And your future is death."

Kakashi was about to deal the final blow when a couple of senbon came out of nowhere and hit Zabuza in a specific spot near the neck. Zabuza's motionless body fell to the ground as Kakashi jumped back, his body poised for action.

"Thank you for your assistance, Hatake Kakashi." Came a voice from the treetops and every single one of the Konoha troop looked at the new arrival.

The boy in front of them was a Mist Hunter-nin, Naruto realized. One of the shinobi elite of their village sent with the specific job of hunting down their missing-nin and ensuring that the village's secrets were kept secret. Even though it was his first time seeing a hunter-nin, Naruto was awed. Not only was the hunter-nin good, he could not be any older than Naruto was himself. He must be a prodigy, Naruto realized.

The Nin disappeared, reappearing near Zabuza's motionless body.

"I thank you again for your assistance in aiding the capture and recovery of this missing-nin's body. He has plagued our village since the military coup he attempted not a few years back and has sent numerous hunter-nin back in body bags. I would not have been able to do this without your help."

The hunter-nin took no chances, immediately lofting Zabuza's body and disappearing before Kakashi could say a word. This was bad, Kakashi thought. Zabuza and the Demon brothers had been bad enough, but a Kiri Hunter-nin as well would make things even harder for them to protect the bridge builder.

"Tazuna-san." Kakashi called. "How far is your home? It seems we all need to have a little talk." Said the Jounin as he nodded to his team and Tane.

The message was clear. There were things he needed to explain and things he needed to know but here was not the time nor the place. And this needed to happen as soon as possible.

"Alright." Called Tane as he lifted Tazuna onto his back. "Keep up and don't fall behind. We have no time to waste."

The two Jounin immediately launched themselves towards Tazuna's house, the genin following them. Sakura felt her heart beat more rapidly as they set a brisk pace. The excitement too much for her to bear. It was obvious to her that things had gotten even more challenging than it had been. And somehow, she liked the feeling. She glanced over to Naruto and the both of them exchanged grins. This was exactly the kind of things they had signed up for.

X—X—X—X—X

Alright! Chapter 7 is done! Umm… im very sleepy as it is and cannot think of much to write here

So…. REVIEW!