DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANYONE ELSE!

Before I begin, thank you all for submitting ideas to help me get this moving again. To be honest, this was the only part that I was having trouble moving along, so it was really pissing me off that this one arc was gonna kill me. I plan on this taking at least two chapters to do, simply because I don't want to rush through any of the story arcs like some people do. At any rate, let's begin.

Also, starting from now on, there will be a note section that translate the jutsus when used for the first time into English. These will be marked in the story with a number as so: (1)

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Morning came, and soon the group found themselves on a boat heading for the Land of Waves. Naruto and the others seemed to notice that Tazuna was becoming more and more tense with every passing moment. Naruto, who was balancing a kunai on the tip of his finger, decided to kill some time and break the awkward silence.

"Hey, old man." he called out. "What's this place like anyways?"

"Naruto, you will address him as Tazuna-san at the least, do you understand?" Kurenai asked.

"Fine…" sighed Naruto. "Tazuna-san, what is the Land of Waves like?"

"Well to be honest…" the old man replied. "It used to be a land of promise and opportunity. Before Gato came along, it was a prosperous port village. We mainly specialized in shipping and trade, but it was also a relaxing place to relax on a vacation perhaps."

"I suppose this all changed when Gato came along?" Shino asked.

"Yeah…" Tazuna said as he took a sip of his sake. "He originally showed up with the promise to be able to help our little village become even stronger. His plans that were showed to the mayor of the village and the council were pretty sound. For a time, they were as well. Gato was actually given control of the place since he was doing so well, that's when things went straight to hell."

"I think I see what happened next." Kurenai said. "The money that was flowing into the village started going somewhere else."

"Bingo." Tazuna said. "It went straight to Gato's pockets. Trade began to decrease, taxes rose, the council and mayor were given the boot, and before long, Gato essentially became a self-proclaimed king."

"Ano… If he was so bad, why didn't the village get rid of him?" Hinata asked.

"The Land of Waves isn't like one of the other major countries." Shino explained. "Instead, it seemingly acts as an independent state of sorts. Because of this, while they do have a military force, it is not strong. Also, if Gato had as much money as Tazuna-san says he does, he was probably able to buy the favor of some of the military, or even hire his own."

"You're pretty smart for a runt." Tazuna said. "At any rate, that is the truth. Gato has quite an army of rouge ninja, samurai, and the likes. They also manage to blend into the town rather seamlessly, so you guys will have to be pretty alert when we get there to do your job."

"We know…" Naruto said. "It's not like we need you tell us how to do our job!"

The boat eventually slowed to a stop and the team disembarked and began to make their way across a forest path towards the village. Tazuna led the way with Kurenai right behind him. Both the three Genin followed suit by forming a triangle of sorts around them. As they trudged on, the air around them began to get misty and thick. Kurenai began to move a little slower causing the others to follow.

"Strange…" she said. "It's mid-afternoon. It shouldn't be getting foggy and such like this right now."

"You're right…" Tazuna said. "Very unusual weather for this time of year around here."

"You guys know what to do." Kurenai said.

As if by instinct, Hinata activated her Byakugan, Shino sent several of his bugs to scout the area around them, and Naruto summoned a small snake to move ahead some to see what was there. Tazuna let out a low whistle as he saw them do this without a single word being mentioned.

"Not bad for a bunch of runts…" he said.

"Tazuna-san, with all do respect, give my team credit." Kurenai said. "If the Hokage didn't think they were ready for an escort mission, he wouldn't have sent them."

"Kurenai-sensei… We are not alone." Shino said as his bugs returned.

"Alright then… I'll take point now." Kurenai said as she moved to the lead. "Naruto, Shino, Hinata, you three form a triangle defense around Tazuna-san."

The three followed their orders immediately. Once they ensured that he was safe, the team began to move again, cautiously. They were nearing a river when suddenly Hinata came to a stop. She looked around before she suddenly gasped in surprise.

"Everyone down!" she shouted.

Naruto pushed Tazuna down to the ground quickly as the rest of the team ducked just in time for a giant cleaver sword to impale itself into a tree. Kurenai looked up at the sword just in time to see a man wearing a Kirigakure headband land by the tree and rip the sword out. He wore bandages over his lower face, a blue jumpsuit of sorts, and had no eyebrows on his face at all. The most standout thing about him, was the fact that his headband had a slash through the Kirigakure symbol.

"Damn… Just missed them…" he said as he set the sword against his back. "Looks like ol' pale eyes there can see pretty good in this mist."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto shouted as he pulled himself off the ground. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?!"

"Shut up, brat…" the man said. "You're annoying…."

"What?!" Naruto shouted. "That's it, I'm gonna kick this guy's ass!"

"Naruto, stand down." Kurenai said as she walked forward. "You wouldn't be a match for him at your level, isn't that right Zabuza Momochi?"

"Hmmm… So you've heard of me?" the now identified Zabuza asked. "I'm impressed."

"Don't be." Kurenai responded. "Being a wanted criminal is nothing to be proud of. Listen, things may get a little rough from here. I need you three to hang back with Tazuna and protect him. Leave Zabuza to me."

"But Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto protested.

"No buts." she replied. "You aren't ready for an opponent like this, none of you are."

"Look… I really don't like beating up ladies if its possible to avoid." Zabuza said. "So just give me the old man over there, and I'll get out of your way."

"Sorry, but that's not an option." Kurenai said.

"Have it your way, just don't expect me to go easy on you!" Zabuza said as he charged forward and sliced at Kurenai.

The genjutsu specialist nimbly jumped out of the way as he attacked. She formed several hand signs as she landed, and began to blow a line of fire at the swordsman. He quickly countered by making several hand signs. He spiral of water fired out of his hands at the fire, canceling the attack out effectively.

"Not bad…" Kurenai said. "Canceling out my Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu(1) with Suiton: Hahonryū(2)."

"Don't get to full of yourself. I'm just getting started." Zabuza said. He made several more hand signs, and afterwards, he was joined in battle by a clone of himself. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu…" he said with a smirk.

"A clone?" Naruto asked. "That's his big plan?"

"Yes…" Shino replied. "Did you not notice it? He used the water in the nearby river to form the clone. In a way, it's like your shadow clones. It'll be able to attack and use jutsu like he can."

The two Zabuza grabbed their blades and ran forward towards Kurenai. Each one let forth a mighty swing in the opposite direction, each blade slashing right through the Jonin. Kurenai smiled as her body began to waver and disappear upon being slashed, causing Zabuza's eyes to widen in shock.

"An illusion?" he asked. Suddenly a kunai flew through the air and pierced the clone, killing it instantly.

"They don't call me the Genjutsu Mistress for nothing." she said as she appeared behind Zabuza.

"I guess that's true, but likewise, I'm not called the demon of the mist of no reason either." Zabuza said.

The remaining Zabuza that stood before her fell apart into water. Suddenly, right after that, another Zabuza appeared right in the middle of the Genin and Tazuna. As he swung his sword, Kurenai seemingly appeared out of nowhere as well. She quickly managed to push them all out of the way, and quickly forced a kunai through Zabuza's back. She smirked as she saw the water falling out of his body where the kunai struck.

"Behind you, sensei!" Naruto shouted.

Another Zabuza rose from behind Kurenai. With a flick of the wrist, he swung his blade down, smiling as it sliced right through her. Hinata sighed in relief though, instead of seeming worried like Naruto did.

"What is it, Hinata?" Shino asked as he noticed the Byakugan activated on her eyes.

"It was only a shadow clone…" she replied as her eyes deactivated.

"A clone?!" Zabuza shouted.

"Yes." Kurenai replied as she pressed a kunai to his neck. "It's over now, though."

She quickly formed several hand signs and vanished from sight. Zabuza's eyes widened as tree roots began to grow around his feet, before an entire tree was raised from the ground. Branches expanded forward, binding around his arms, preventing him from moving what so ever. Zabuza struggled to get free, but to no avail. He cursed as he stopped struggling.

"What the hell is this?" he asked.

"Magen: Jubaku Satsu.(3)" Kurenai said as she slowly appeared from the tree trunk. "Now that you are completely unable to move, killing you off will be a breeze."

"It would be… If it were actually me." Zabuza said.

"KURENAI-SENSEI!" Hinata shouted. She quickly reactivated her Byakugan and gasped in horror. "RUN!"

Her warning came too late. The swordsman body suddenly reverted to water and fell to the ground. Kurenai's genjutsu immediately dropped as she looked around, only for the swordsman to appear out of a tree and punch her across the face. She fell over the river, barely managing to gather chakra to keep herself on top of the river. She had barely pulled herself up on to her feet when Zabuza attacked by swinging his sword at her feet. Kurenai jumped over the blade and then let herself fall into the water in order to try and put some distance between the two.

"Got ya…" Zabuza said with a smirk as Kurenai suddenly swam back to the surface.

"What is this?!" Kurenai thought. "The water is heavy!"

She struggled against the water as Zabuza began to make several hand signs at a rapid rate. Kurenai, as well as the water around her rose into the air and surrounded her until she was trapped in a floating ball of water. She through a kunai against the walls of her prison, only to be greeted by a chuckle from Zabuza.

"Sorry, babes…" he said. "But there's no escape from my Suirō no Jutsu(4)… Now be a good girl and wait there while I finish off the old man and your brats." A clone of Zabuza rose from the water and began to make his way towards the Genin and Tazuna. "Now then…" he said. "Which one of you wants to go first?"

"Crap… He took down Kurenai-sensei like it was nothing…" Naruto said as he pulled a kunai out of a pouch on his belt.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata called.

"What are you two waiting for?" Naruto said. "It's up to us to save the day!"

Naruto ran straight for the clone, kunai in hand and attacked. The clone simply jumped back before launching a kick that landed straight into Naruto's stomach. The Genin skidded away from the swordsman clone, his headband being knocked off in the process. Naruto shakily stood up and grabbed his kunai that lay by his side. Zabuza smirked as he stomped his foot onto Naruto's discarded headband.

"What are you all doing?" Kurenai asked. "I told you, you're no match for him! Take Tazuna and run!"

"HELL NO!" Naruto shouted. "If I ran away every time things got tough, then I wouldn't be a Genin today…"

Naruto once again charged straight for Zabuza's clone. Kurenai eyes widened as her friend's son was throwing his life away on some silly whim. The blonde Genin launched another attack at the clone, who once again kicked him away. This time, Naruto came straight to a stop in front of his teammates.

"You idiot!" Kurenai shouted. "Listen to your sensei and run!"

"Kurenai-sensei is right, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said. "We're only Genin, we're no match for him."

"Hinata…" Shino said. "Look…"

She looked as Naruto stood back up on his feet. In his hands, was his headband. He tied it around his forehead and grinned as he looked back at his teammates. Shino pushed his glasses up on the bridge if his nose. Hinata looked at him as a small smile appeared on her face. Naruto then turned back and looked at Zabuza.

"It'll take more than that to kill a Leaf Shinobi." Naruto said to him.

"Naruto…" Shino said. "I trust you have a plan?"

"Oh, yeah…" Naruto replied. "It's party time."

"What's wrong with you all?!" Kurenai shouted. "This fight was over the second he caught me! Don't forget your mission about protecting Tazuna! Take him a--"

"Heh…" Tazuna cut in with a chuckle.

"Tazuna-san?" Hinata asked looking back at the bridge builder.

"Let's face it kids." he said. "We're all in this mess now because of my lies. I've had a real long life, and it would be wrong for you kids to all die just trying to protect me. So go ahead, give this freak everything you got."

"So that's it then…" Shino said.

"Yeah…" Hinata added.

"Ok guys, I need you to cover me long enough, can you do that?" Naruto asked.

"Hai!" they both said.

"Good." Naruto replied. "Hinata, I need you to fight the Zabuza clone. Shino, stay back and guard Tazuna-san just in case."

As if planned from the start, the Hyuuga girl ran straight towards Zabuza. She began to attack in her Jūken(5) style, Zabuza's clone barely managing to stand one small hair ahead of the girl. She would strike with her palm that he would barely manage to duck under. Eventually, he grew tired of the attacks, and managed kick her back. Hinata fell to the ground, and barely rolled out of the way in time for Zabuza's sword to strike the ground where she was laying. As she began to rise to her feet, the clone was already on top of her with another attack. The sword began to drive right down into her, only to be blocked by a wall of bugs.

"What the hell?!" Zabuza asked.

"Mushi Kabe no Jutsu(6)…" Shino said from beside Tazuna. "I don't need to be close to you to aid in the fight."

"Kid…" Tazuna said. "Did you just…"

"Yes." Shino replied. "I attacked with bugs that just happen to live inside of me. It's fine if it makes you sick, but please hold off on throwing up until we're safe."

"Thanks, Shino!" a dual set of familiar sounding voices shouted. Zabuza looked in the tree Hinata sat in front of just in time to see an army of Naruto jump down and grab a hold of him by his arms and legs. Another Naruto walked forward with a smile on his face. Hinata's Byakugan deactivated as she looked at him. "You did good, Hinata. I'll handle the rest. Get out of here."

"But…" Hinata began.

"Trust me, nee-chan…" Naruto said.

"Right." she immediately replied. She ran off to join Shino by Tazuna.

"Now then…" Naruto said as he looked at the clone. "Time to finish things off." He grabbed a hold of one of Zabuza's hands, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a kunai with his free hand. Then in an act surprising everyone, he stabbed his own hand. He then formed a single hand sign with both his and Zabuza's hand while smiling evilly. "Sōjasōsai no Jutsu!"(7) he shouted.

"No…" Kurenai thought as she heard the technique's name escape Naruto's lips. "He wouldn't… He can't!"

From out of the sleeves of his trench coat slithered two snakes, each one biting both Zabuza and his neck and wrists. The shadow clones that were holding Zabuza's clone vanished, along with Zabuza's clone itself. Naruto fell down to the ground still smiling, and panting heavily.

"Idiot…" the real Zabuza said. "Sacrificing his own life to kill one clone."

"You think?" a familiar voice asked.

Zabuza looked up just in time to see Naruto jump down from a tree and punch him square in the face. His hand fell out of the water prison that held Kurenai, freeing her in the process. Zabuza swam back to the surface after being knocked into the water. The swordsman was needless to say pissed. Naruto smiled at him as he helped his sensei out of the water, onto a rock that was in the water.

"How?" the swordsman asked.

"Shadow clones." Shino replied. "Correct, Hinata?"

"Yes." Hinata answered. "I recognized that they were all shadow clones when I had my Byakugan activated, that's why I gave up on staying behind so easy."

"For a Jonin, you sure are an idiot." Naruto said to Zabuza. "Do you really think I would submit to killing myself that easily? The technique I used is a last resort one, so I just had a shadow clone do all the last resorting for me. While you and your clone were busy, it gave me the time I needed to finish it off while the real me was able to sneak over and free Kurenai-sensei."

"You brats think you're hot stuff?!" Zabuza shouted. He jumped out of the water, placing chakra onto his feet to stand on it and began making several hand signs.

"Naruto, get back!" Kurenai replied. The blonde Genin followed his sensei's orders as she began to follow through several hand signs as well.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!(8)" shouted Zabuza.

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!(9)" shouted Kurenai at the same time.

From the water rose a dragon made of water who charged right for Kurenai. At the same time, a blast of fire escaped from Kurenai's mouth. The fire and water clashed which resulted in both canceling each other out. Zabuza's eyes widened as through the mist flew several shuriken, each one smashing right into Zabuza. The Demon of the Mist flew back and landed against the tree breathing heavily.

"Watch out!" Hinata shouted with her Byakugan activated once again.

Everyone looked up in the trees that she did just in time to see a masked boy unleash a handful of senbon needles that pierced Zabuza in the neck. The swordsman's body fell limp and hit the ground with a solid sounding thud.

"Dead…" Kurenai said to no one directly as she walked forward and put her fingertips against his neck. She looked up at the masked boy in the tree as he jumped down and walked towards Zabuza.

"Thank you for your assistance." the boy said. "We've been after him for quite a while."

"That mask…" Kurenai said. "You're a shinobi hunter from Kirigakure, correct?"

"Yes." he replied.

"Shinobi hunter?" Naruto asked. "What's that?"

"A ninja who specializes in hunting down rouge ninja and outlaws." Shino replied.

"Strange…" Kurenai thought. "Judging from his height and voice, he's not any older than Naruto or the others. He's already a full-fledged shinobi hunter though."

"Wait a minute!" Naruto shouted. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Calm down, Naruto." Shino said. "He's not an enemy."

"I didn't say he was!" Naruto replied. "But look at this! He killed Zabuza with one flick of a wrist, while we were sweating over it and struggling to stay ahead! To make it worse, he's only about our age! Do we suck or something?"

"Calm down, Naruto." Kurenai said as she walked over to the blonde. "I can understand how this would make you mad, but I have to admit that this won't be the first time you see a person who might be younger than you, with skills that are on a Jonin level."

"At any rate… I'm afraid I must be on my way." the boy said as he put Zabuza's body over his shoulder. I must dispose of the body, so if you'll excuse me…" The boy disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Squad Eight and Tazuna alone.

"Well, that must have been humiliating!" he shouted as he adjusted the brim of his hat. "Regardless of who finished who off, I owe you all my life, so I'd be honored if you stayed at my house to lick your wounds."

"Thank you, Tazuna-san." Kurenai said. "That'd be nice." Kurenai began to walk past her Genin as the bridge builder followed. "Well then, shall we be on our way?" The team immediately began to follow, Shino being his usual quite self while Naruto was muttering under his breath about the shinobi hunter. Hinata lingered for a moment before she jogged to catch up to the others, deactivating her Byakugan in the process.

"Zabuza…" she thought. "I don't think he was dead… I'll ask Kurenai-sensei about it alone later tonight, so I don't start up a fuss until we're sure…"

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THERE IT IS! I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING ME OUT OF MY SLUMP! I WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THIS STORY ON A REGULAR BASIS ONCE AGAIN!!! THANK YOU ALL!

NEXT CHAPTER: BATTLE AT THE BRIDGE

NOTES:

1) Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique

2) Water Release: Rapid Crasher

3) Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death

4) Water Prison Technique

5) Gentle Fist

6) Bug Wall Technique

7) Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique

8) Water Release: Water Dragon Blast Technique

9) Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique (I made this stronger in the story than normal, due to the fact that it being used by a Jonin should normally increase its power)