A/N: -cue song and dance routine- I've got a beta, yes I do. I've got a beta, how about you? My beta is awesomer and…-boo-ed and tomato-ed off stage- Ingrates can't even recognize true musical genius.

This Chapter: Uhm… nothing to tell really, I'm sure my foreshadowing (horrible it may be) has alerted you to the fact that this is Naruto's pov and we're nearing the end of the Wave arc so battles abound…READ ON!

If I owned Naruto, I certainly would not be writing this fic on here, ne?

"Spoken word"

'Thoughts'

"Demon speech/speech between host and demon"

"Jutsus"

"Snake/Master speech"

'Demon thoughts'


(Tazuna's House)

"What the hell were you thinking? Running off after a foreign shinobi, and an Iwagakure one at that! In case you've forgotten Leaf and Stone are not on the best of terms currently. And on top of that you ditched your backup after Neji graciously ran after you knowing the danger and you didn't even come back with any relevant information! No matter the situation, the mission comes first! Only one thing is acceptable when jeopardizing a mission: The life of your teammates! Well, anything to say in your defense?"

"Gomen-nasai, Kurenai-sensei."

"Sorry indeed, from this moment until we return to Konoha, you're on lockdown. Shino you will take Naruto's place and assist Neji in guarding Tazuna, you are both to leave any unnecessary fighting to me, and that includes Zabuza. Uzumaki, you are restricted to this house and its grounds, if you move so much as an inch outside its boundaries I will see to it you are back in the Academy faster than you can blink. Am I understood?"

A chorus of 'Hai, sensei' replied, and Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. Neji on the other hand was furious; just what did Naruto see in that Stone shinobi to chase after him like that? Then again, he really was just using Naruto to enrage his uncle.


(Flashback)

"Uncle, the teams have been reassigned."

"So I have heard, and what team have you been assigned to?"

"Team 8; Kurenai Yuhi's reconnaissance team, along with Shino Aburame and Naruto Uzumaki."

"They dare put a Hyuuga on the same team as that trash!?"

"With all due respect, Uncle, the Aburame is-"

"I am not speaking of the Aburame, Neji you are not to associate with the Uzumaki brat. I have kindly allowed this bisexual phase of yours to slide; I will not tolerate further disappointment. Do not fail the pride of the Hyuuga. Dismissed."

(End flashback)


As far as Neji was concerned it was destiny that he had been given the chance to show his uncle that Neji has some form of independence, and he intended to use it by getting as close to Naruto as possible, curse mark or not. Besides, who wouldn't want a Hyuuga's affection? Naruto had no idea how many people would kill to have Neji treat them the way Neji treated Naruto. Neji had a bigger following than Sasuke Uchiha.

Shino was upset by this new arrangement also. This would mean less time for him to practice with his insects and acquire new specimens to return home with. He had been training hard for their current duration in Wave during his scouting missions while Naruto and Neji continued to guard. He was in the process of developing variations on current standard Aburame techniques and had also collected a number of new insect specimens. He currently had three jars replicating the insect's environment to return home with. His family will be pleased with the new study samples. Logically, however, he would have far less time studying his new species and for training while guarding the bridge builder. The entire situation was tiresome.

Satisfied with her work, Kurenai went check on Tazuna. Most of his workers had quit after Zabuza attacked and the work was moving at a much slower rate. Despite Tazuna doing most of the work himself, the lull in attacks gave him plenty of time to catch up with schedule. The bridge was due to be completed in two days.

"I don't like it Tazuna-san, it's been too quiet."

"I hear ya, but I'm thankful for small blessings. There's not much they can do now, my work will be finished in a couple of days. And Inari has been a lot better since that other ninja saved him and his mother."

"Yes, funny you should mention that shinobi, I'm still not clear of his motives or why the Stone is sending its operatives out here, so to be safe I suggest Inari and Tsunami keep a weapon or some form of calling one of us if they have to leave the grounds and Naruto's protection."

"Pretty hard on the brat, weren't ya?"

"No, its high time they all learned, in the world of shinobi disobeying orders is not to be taken lightly, and abandoning your teammates is even worse. This will only serve to teach them all further. Naruto will think before he acts, and Neji and Shino will learn to compensate for a fallen ally."

"Always a lesson, eh?"

"They're too talented, and Shino is the only one who will take any lectures I may have to heart, so all that leaves me is practical lessons."

"Any particular reason why?"

"The chunin exams, I'd be a fool not to realize their potential, I hope this mission and the few D-ranked ones we'll receive back home before the exams will teach them more than individual talents. But, that doesn't mean I will send them to the exams unprepared, if I'm not satisfied with their progress they'll just have to miss out."

"Tch, sounds like you ninja have it even worse than us civilians."

"You don't know the half of it, but it's my job to teach them, the rest falls to them."

Tazuna sighed heavily and left for bed, he threw one last comment over his shoulder.

"Don't get too discouraged, they have the potential, that's for sure, all they need is the courage to bring it forth. And these old bones can feel it; something is coming to give them that courage."


"Shino, you're a rear-guard and scout, don't take chances, and alert us immediately if you get overwhelmed."

"Understood."

"Right, Neji as always you're to serve personal guard over Tazuna. I'll be supervising. If we're lucky this will be our last day, Tazuna here is almost done."

"Then I'll have to be sure that I finish him off quickly."

"Neji, Shino, cover Tazuna!"

Kurenai moved into a defensive stance in front of her students and Tazuna, but Zabuza just smirked and stood still waiting at the unfinished end of the bridge.

"What's wrong Zabuza, still feeling our last encounter?"

Kurenai's taunts did nothing to Zabuza's patience he continued to stand still and this was worrying her.

"Sensei!"

Neji's warning came too late for Kurenai; she was slammed in the side by a water clone but was otherwise unharmed. From the corner of her eye she could see Neji and Shino occupied by water clones themselves, but were able to hold them off with relative ease. She was reengaged by the first water clone, which made sure to leave her little breathing room. She sent a low kick to its leg and followed with a strong jab to its abdomen. Her relief was short lived as a kunai thrown from the original Zabuza who had yet to enter the battle.

Just as Kurenai swung around to face him, the water clone reformed and slammed her in the back. Shino and Neji we're also having an increasingly difficult time keeping the clones from reaching Tazuna, who had minor scratches from where stray kunai slipped through their defense. The air was abuzz with the Kikai insects and metal against metal.

Seeing his guard down, Kurenai threw a bomb-tagged kunai at the original. The rogue kunai caught Zabuza unaware and it hit him dead on, exploding on contact…revealing another water clone!

Kunai was in shock and missed the kick aimed straight for her knee. The kick connected, knocking her knee socket out, but she recovered quickly enough to dispel the clone with another bomb-tagged kunai, boiling the water away. A Palm Rotation and some loud buzzing and Neji and Shino were free from the clone onslaught as well.

Shino stood as guard while Neji tended to Kurenai's leg. His Byakugan showed him there was no internal bleeding, and the leg wasn't broken, but he was hesitant to snap the knee back in place.

"Suck it up, you're a shinobi!"

And with that Kurenai snapped her own leg back in place with low grunt of pain. Besides her leg, no one was seriously injured besides minor bruises and cuts, and Kurenai wanted to know why.

"Alright, any ideas?"

"About what, sensei?"

"What do you think, Neji? About why we left this battle relatively unscathed when Tazuna is so close to his goal, surely Zabuza wouldn't give up that easily."

"Perhaps he is no longer content with serving Gato."

"That is highly illogical; if that were the case he would not have attacked us at all, except for pride, and then he would attack with more force."

"Alright Aburame, if you're such a genius, why did he do it then?"

"I have no reason to explain myself to you."

"Boys! This situation is stressful enough without you bickering! You are teammates, start acting like it!"

"I have no need for the Hyuuga's assistance, I am in no serious condition to hinder my fighting capabilities, and the Hyuuga gets in my insects way."

"Well maybe if you got your own hands dirty every so often-"

"It would not be very intelligent not to play to your strengths."

"Are you-?"

"ENOUGH! Not another word from either of you or its a thousand laps around the island, swimming! Now we have no other choice but to continue so get to your posts, Tazuna we're finishing this bridge if it kills us."

"And me and my village thank you for it, I'll get back to work right away."


(Unknown Location)

"Zabuza, I'm sorry for what must happen, but you have abandoned me. You've changed Zabuza; you are no longer the man I learned to fight for. This must end; I will do what I must."

Haku continued his preparations during his monologue, he had began working shortly after Zabuza had left and double checked to make sure everything would go as closely to plan as possible. His Zabuza was no longer alive, that man had died a long time ago when he abandoned his goals and essential himself. He had broken the promise he had made Haku and it was time he paid for it. Haku hated to fight, but he learned and he did to protect his precious person. Now there is to be one final fight, as Haku no longer had a reason to live and fight.

Once he was set, he headed out from his and Zabuza's hideout, before leaving the clearing he threw a single kunai bomb; it hit the entrance with only his deadly accuracy and exploded setting off the chain of paper bombs inside, and in a blaze of fire the hideout was gone and Haku was quickly making his way to town. 'My plan will work it has to, and for it to work that Stone shinobi will have to be cooperative. Hopefully he will work peacefully; I do not wish to fight more than it is already apparent I will have to. Now the question is where to find him.'

Haku sped through the forest and into town, intent upon finding his target, the rising sun ironic to the ending about to come.

"I will finish this Zabuza, I cannot allow you to finish your plan, this day you will die, and so will I."


(Back at the nearly completed bridge)

'It's nearly noon and Zabuza hasn't attacked again yet. What can he be planning?'

Kurenai kept a vigilant eye on her surroundings and charges; she would not be caught by surprise again. Tazuna was working steadily, his minor cuts healed quickly and the bridge was quickly reaching completion. Shino was stationary at the bridge's beginning his eyes scanning the horizon and his insects were constantly scouting the area and sensing for chakra signatures. Neji looked bored, there was nothing for him to do while there was no fighting happening, but his Byakugan was activated just in case.

'Tsunami and Inari should be arriving with our lunches soon, I hope I'm not remiss at allowing Naruto to accompany them, and I sincerely hope Zabuza doesn't attack while they are here.'

Shino was definitely getting annoyed at his current situation, he hadn't thought this plan would work and his logic proved him right yet again. Their enemy hadn't rose to the bait and now he felt like a fly caught in a spider's web. What had his sensei been thinking, showing dissension had not helped their situation at all. All that fake fight with Neji had accomplished was wasted energy and... Shino's eye's widened in acute surprise and rushed from his post to alert Kurenai-sensei of his insect's discovery.

"Shino! Why have you left your post?"

Shino's movement had attracted Neji's and Tazuna's attention as well, but he waved them off, this had to be handled delicately.

"Because, we must use all stealth and speed possible on what has just been brought to my attention."

Kurenai glanced around and lowered her voice to barely above whisper, Shino was seriously rattled which meant it was very serious.

"And this would be?"

"The earlier skirmish was merely a distraction as we guessed; the bridge's legs and edges are covered with concealed paper bomb tags, all it takes for one to detonate is the barest touch of chakra and it will explode, unleashing a chain all across the bridge. Zabuza aims to take us and this bridge out."

Kurenai's eyes widened in fear and surprise, she whipped around to call Neji but a shout from the distance chilled her to the bone.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"


A/N: Ha! A cliffhanger and I better one than last time, aren't I great? Yeah, I know I said Wednesday, and I am not making excuses-well kinda; School, the bane of all students, I no longer have the freedom to write during the week as I have previously. Thus from now on chapter updates will be on Sunday, I'll try for two since Wednesday is gone, but I make no promises.

Next Chapter: We find out Haku's plan and more background on why I altered his character as he meets up with Gaara.

-- Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu – Yeah, it's the anime and manga's version, Zabuza or anyone who knows the jutsu forms a dragon out of water that they have some form of control over.

Review! I do take the advice in them into consideration and alter the story accordingly, so if you don't like something tell me, or if you do, still tell me. Anything you'd like to see, tell me that too! REVIEW!