"You were right, this was his last-"

"I'm a member of the elite…"

"Zabuza is alive…"

"Aaaahhh! No, stay back! Don't come in!"

You shot up, gasping for air. A cold sweat ran down your face and back as Sasuke's scream echoed in your head. You tried to slow your breathing, chanting calming words to yourself. 'It was dream…just a dream!'

When your breathing finally returned to normal, you glanced around yourself. It was morning, and a very sunny morning at that. The grass you had been lying in was wet with morning dew and birds were flying around the clearing, chirping.

It had been too dark last night to find the clearing you had been training in with your teammates. Instead of getting lost, you had settled on this clearing. You hadn't planned on falling asleep outside; you must have worn yourself out.

You stretched, yawning as you looked to the tree you had practiced on last night. Although you didn't have your original tree to compare it to, you were pretty positive you were getting better. At least there were no dent marks in your tree. You gazed pensively upon the kunai slashes as you ran a hand through your long hair. You hoped it wasn't too horribly knotted.

A presence set off your senses. Your head immediately whipped to the side, your ears straining as you heard footsteps nearing your clearing. Moments later, a flash of pink was skirting the bush around your clearing.

You crinkled your eyebrows together. "Sakura…?"

Seconds later, the figure emerged, but it wasn't Sakura. You immediately scrambled to your feet as a girl walked into the clearing. She had long, dark brown hair that was slightly longer than yours and reached to her lower back. Her eyes were a deep brown and seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. She was wearing a simple pink kimono and was holding a woven basket in her left hand.

"Sakura? Are you looking for that person?" the girl said, wandering towards you. Her voice was soft and innocent.

You shook your head. "N-no, sorry. I just saw pink and I thought you might be my teammate."

The girl tilted her head, watching you. "I haven't seen a girl in the woods yet today; but I am seeing quite a few people out here today. Usually these woods are desolate."

"Huh?" it was your turn to cock your head in question.

The girl smiled warmly. "I've run into two people so far while I've been out here, and you are the third."

"Two other people?" you asked.

The girl nodded. "Yes, one said his name was Naruto."

"Oh, Naruto! He must be out here training."

The girl smiled, nodding. "Yes, he did say that's what he was doing. I think the other boy I passed was looking for him."

'Sasuke.' You guessed.

"What are you doing out here so early?" you asked, peeking down at the girl's basket. It was filled with what appeared to be herbs.

"I'm collecting medicinal herbs for my friend…he's hurt badly."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," you said sympathetically, glancing back up to the girl's face.

"Naruto, is he a friend of yours?" the girl suddenly asked.

Her change of subject caught you off guard. "Oh, um…I guess you could say that. We're teammates."

"Ah. Well the two of you seem very nice; the other boy did not appear so."

"Yeah, Sasuke's usually in a foul mood," you nodded, forgetting that you were talking to someone who didn't really know what you were talking about.

"Are you training too?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," you subconsciously looked over to your tree. "I came out here last night to get some extra training in, but now it appears I'm lost."

You scratched the back of your head sheepishly.

The girl cocked her head to the side again. "Are you training for the same reason he is?"

You blinked. "What reason did he give you?"

"He said that he wanted to become stronger and stronger, so that one day he could be the number one ninja in his village."

You nodded. "Yeah that sounds right."

"I told him…" the girl's eyes seemed to lose their focus, like she was thinking of a distant memory. "That to become truly strong…you must do so because you want to protect someone important to you."

You watched the girl quietly for a moment. The image of your brother flashed in your mind, then an image of Kiba and an image of squad seven.

"Do you have someone that is important to you?" the girl asked, retraining her attention on you.

Slowly, you nodded. "Yes…yes I do."

The girl smiled before slowly glancing over her shoulder. "Your friends are that way; just head completely straight."

After a moment of letting your brain catch up to the conversation, you smiled. "Thanks, Ms…..?"

"Oh," the girl giggled softly. "Your friend made the same mistake. I'm a boy."

You blinked, mouth dropping ever so slightly. 'What!? How can a boy be that pretty!?'

"I-I'm sorry," you apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you! It's just, you look so pretty and-oh I'm sorry!"

The boy continued to smile. "I am not offended, don't worry. You're very pretty too."

You blushed, laughing nervously.

"I'm sorry but I must be going; I need to get these herbs to my friend," the boy said.

"Of course. I should probably go find my friends," you nodded.

The boy smiled, giving you a nod in goodbye and moved past you. You looked over your shoulder, watching him leave, suddenly remembering you hadn't gotten his name. Shrugging, you picked up your kunai from the grass and ran a hand through your hair as you made your way to find your teammates.


"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Sasuke asked.

You stood behind a tree, holding your breath. You had been about to walk into the clearing when you had seen your two teammates, until Sasuke started scolding Naruto. You hadn't been seen yet and you were too curious to interrupt this conversation.

"Why would I know where she is?" Naruto asked. "She must have snuck out after me."

"We need to go find her," Sasuke sighed.

"She's probably just out in the woods, I'm sure she'll find us," Naruto whined.

"Unless she passed out from training and cracked her skull open, you moron," Sasuke glared at the blonde.

Naruto gasped, grabbing at his head. "You're right! We need to go find her right now!"

"Calm down," Sasuke bopped Naruto in the back of the head.

Your eyebrows crinkled together. Was Sasuke actually worried about you? That was weird. Naruto's concern was a little less surprising, but still some all the same. Now you just needed Sakura to be worried and you could officially declare hell frozen over.

Stepping out from behind the tree you'd been hiding behind, you walked into the clearing. Sasuke's back was to you and Naruto was standing directly in front of him, blocking his view.

"I'm so touched with your concern, Sasuke," you smiled, stopping behind the boy.

"Nakao!" Naruto grinned, peering around Sasuke.

Sasuke merely turned around, watching you with his usual lethargic expression. "I wasn't concerned."

"That's not what it sounded like to me," you teased.

Sasuke crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."

You rolled your eyes right back. Gesturing your middle finger at the boy, you walked past him to your tree.


"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice rang through the clearing. She and Kakashi-sensei stopped in front of your trees, glancing around. "Naruto still hasn't shown up and Sasuke never came back from his walk…"

Suddenly, a kunai came hurtling towards the pair, digging itself into the ground at their feet. Surprised, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei glanced from the kunai, up into Naruto's tree. He was in a very high branch, lying atop it with his legs and arms hanging on either side.

"Woah…someone like Naruto can climb that high?" Sakura whispered in surprise.

"How do you like that!? Look how high I can climb!" Naruto grinned. He hopped to his feet, hands on his hips. However, just as he stood, he lost his footing and started to fall.

"Ah, idiot!" Sakura cried as she and Kakashi-sensei watched with wide eyes.

Just as Naruto fell beneath the branch, however, he reattached his feet, now hanging upside down on his branch. "Haha, you guys totally fell for it!"

"Naruto, you moron!" Sakura yelled, a vein pulsating in her forehead.

Naruto grinned, chuckling to himself for a moment until pop. With a sound like a large bubble popping, Naruto's feet detached from the tree branch. Sakura screamed while Kakashi-sensei's eye widened. In a flash, you darted up a tree nearby, jumping over to Naruto's. Attaching your feet to the bottom of the branch like Naruto had done several moments earlier, you managed to catch him by the ankle.

"Haha, Naruto, you idiot! I totally just saved your ass," you grinned, hair falling around you as you hung upside down.

"Woah, Nakao can get that high too now?" Sakura breathed.

"I think you owe me ramen now," you told the boy.

"What!? Never!" Naruto tried to twist his body to yell at you.

"Ah, Naruto, no!" you cried out, but it was too late. The velocity that Naruto was exerting pulled against your body and with another pop, your feet also detached from the tree branch.

"Ah, Naruto I'm going to kill you!" you screamed, squeezing your eyes shut. Naruto had already started yelling, flailing his arms out.

But just when you thought you were going to die, you were jolted to a stop. Blinking, you glanced up to find that Sasuke had caught you by your ankle.

"You both are complete idiots," Sasuke said.

"Hey, don't make me pull you off this branch too!" you threatened.

"I'll just drop you."

"No, don't drop me!" you cried.

On the ground, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei sweatdropped.


The night was warm with a gentle breeze, enough to make the leaves on the trees sway. The moon was just a crescent, shining and illuminating your body. You, Sasuke and Naruto were perched on the very tops of your trees, looking down at the canopies below. You breathed heavily, trying to regain your breath.

Sasuke was standing on the top of his tree, his head bent down and his arms crossed. Naruto was clutching onto the top of his, looking much like a koala bear. You had stuck your kunai into the very top of your tree and were resting one foot on it, the other lying against the tree trunk, that foot being the grip on the tree.

You grinned, shaking the damp hair out of your face and looking over at Naruto. "Naruto, you totally owe me and Sasuke ramen!"

"What!? I totally beat you!"

"Yeah right! I stuck my kunai into the tip of my tree first!"

"Awwww," Naruto threw his head back in disappointment. You stuck your tongue out at him, smiling playfully.

"Let's head back," Sasuke said from the other side, glancing up and smirking.

You looked over to him, smiling. "Roger that."


"Why do we have to carry you, Naruto?" you whined. You and Sasuke were supporting Naruto between you. "I'm tired too."

Naruto mumbled something in reply. Reaching the front door to Tazuna's home, your little group stopped.

"Nyeh, Sasuke, get the door," you glanced over at him.

"You get the door," Sasuke countered.

"Don't be such a baby."

Sasuke glanced over at you. Your eyes locked for a moment as the breeze blew past you, blowing your hair gently around your shoulders. Finally, Sasuke looked away, grabbed the door handle and pushed it inwards. The three of you stumbled inside awkwardly, due to the fact the door was not wide enough to fit the three of you horizontally at once.

When you entered, everyone was sitting at the dining table, Tsunami placing food on the table. Everyone turned to look at you as you wandered in. Tazuna spoke up. "You three are filthy."

"We made it to the top…all three of us," Naruto smirked, struggling to raise his head to look at everyone in the room.

Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Good. Then Sasuke, Naruto, Nakao; the three of you will beginning guarding Tazuna tomorrow as well."

Naruto grinned, his eyes widening happily. He jumped up into the air. "Yes!"

"Ah, no!" you cried as Naruto couldn't keep his balance and he fell backwards, bringing you and Sasuke with him.

"You idiot!" Sasuke scoffed.

You landed on your back, sighing but smiling. Everyone else in the room proceeded to laugh.


Sitting beside Sasuke, you had scoffed your food down. In fact, Sasuke had even turned a raised eyebrow in your direction several times from your lack of etiquette. Now that the food was all eaten and Tsunami was clearing away the plates, you all sat around the table, content.

"The bridge is almost complete," Tazuna announced. "And it's all thanks to you."

"But don't push yourself too hard," Tsunami warned.

"I've been wanting to ask you," Tazuna glanced at Kakashi-sensei. "Why did you continue with the mission even when I had hidden details from you?"

"Not doing right when you know it is right is a coward's way. There are no weak soldiers under a valiant commander," Kakashi recited. "Those are the words of the first Hokage."

You listened, watching your sensei with your head resting on your arms that lay crossed on the table top. Both Tazuna and Tsunami seemed impressed by the words. You had heard them before, in the academy.

"Why…" you heard Inari whisper from your right.

You glanced over. His head was bowed and tears were dropping from his face and onto the table. Everyone else looked over as well.

"Why what?" Naruto asked, across the table. He too had been resting his head on the table and glanced up when Inari had spoken.

Inari got to his feet, slamming a small hand down on the table. He glared at you and your teammates. "Why are you trying so hard that you wind up like that!? You can't beat Gatoh's men even if you train! No matter how hard you try to say those good-looking words, weak people are going to lose against strong people!"

You had lifted your head off of your arms and were staring at Inari, mouth slightly open. Your other team members, save Naruto, were just as surprised about the outburst.

"Shut up, I'm different from you," Naruto responded, putting his head back down on the table.

"Shut up!" Inari screamed, causing you to jump in your chair. "Seeing you pisses me off! You don't know anything about this country and yet you butt in! I'm different from you; someone who doesn't know any real pain and laughs all the time!"

You cringed. Naruto didn't even lift his head when he responded. He kept his face shadowed. "Is that why you pretend to be the main character of a tragic play and cry all the time? An idiot like you can just keep crying, you crybaby!"

"Naruto! That was too much!" Sakura scolded.

You disagreed with Sakura but said nothing as Naruto got to his feet and walked out of the room. You watched him leave before slowly glancing over at Inari. His head was bowed and he was crying even harder now, tears streaming down his face. His shoulders were rising in a hiccup motion from his cries.

After a moment, without glancing up, Inari ran from the room. Looking concerned, Tsunami quickly followed. The room was now silent. Tazuna didn't even say anything and only looked to the table top.

Finally, Kakashi-sensei sighed and looked to his three remaining students. "You should probably get some sleep. We have to be up early tomorrow."

"Ummm…" you started, awkwardly.

"What is it, Nakao?" Kakashi-sensei asked, focusing his beady eye on you. Sakura and Sasuke looked to you as well.

You glanced away from all of them, adverting your gaze to the side. Embarrassed, you replied. "I…um…I can't get up…"

You were too exhausted. Your body felt like a ragdoll.

"You're such an idiot," Sasuke sighed.

You turned our head to glare at him but he was on his feet, already moving closer to you. Surprised, you watched as Sasuke slung your left arm over his shoulder. You could see Sakura bristle over his shoulder.

"Thanks…" you mumbled as Sasuke helped you walk to your room.

"Whatever," was all Sasuke said. He didn't say it with an attitude, but more in the tone of "don't mention it". Sasuke just had a different vocabulary. The two of you entered your room and Sasuke helped you over to the bed Tsunami had laid out for you.

"Okay…I can get it from here," you said, pulling away from Sasuke.

Turned out, you lied. The moment you let go of your teammate, you immediately fell forward towards the ground. Actually, since your bed was so close to the wall, you were going to smack your head into the wall first, then hit the ground. But just as that was going to happen, Sasuke grabbed you around the waist.

"You're an idiot," Sasuke told you once again, tugging you away from the wall.

The two of you were so close that your back was almost touching his chest. Your breathing immediately shallowed. You didn't know why, but your nerves were popping, your cheeks growing warm. Sasuke removed his hands from your waist and repositioned them to your shoulders, helping you onto the ground.

As soon as you were sitting on your bed and Sasuke had removed his hands, the air around you was suddenly room temperature again. The sudden change in the air capacity your lungs could hold was embarrassingly noticeable. You could barely bring yourself to glance up at Sasuke.

"Thanks…" you shifted uncomfortably atop your bed.

"Don't hurt yourself trying to sleep," was all Sasuke said before turning his back on you and leaving the room.

You watched his back disappear out of the doorway, your chest rising up and down. It took several moments for you to even realize you'd been insulted.

"Hey!" you yelled to the empty doorway.


"Please take care of Naruto," Kakashi-sensei asked of Tsunami. "He used his body to the max so I don't think he'll be able to move far today."

It was early morning now and your team, Tazuna and Tsunami were gathered outside. Tsunami was seeing you off, for you were leaving to head to the bridge. Birds chirped above you as the two conversed.

"Are you sure your body is feeling well enough?" Tsunami asked your sensei.

"Yes," Kakashi-sensei assured.

"Bye!" Tazuna said, turning his back to his daughter and leading your team towards the bridge. This was going to be your first time actually seeing it close up.


"Wh-What is this!?" Tazuna exclaimed.

When the five of you had reached the bridge, several bodies on the ground greeted you. They were construction men. Most of them were dead, and one or two were grasping at fatal wounds, their faces contorted in pain.

As you looked on, mouth agape, a heavy mist began to roll path your group. You took a sharp intake of breath, immediately remembering the distinct feel of the thick mist.

"Sasuke, Sakura, Nakao, he's coming!" Kakashi-sensei warned.

Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke and you surrounded Tazuna, keeping him in the center of your group. Sasuke and Sakura both pulled out a kunai, eyes scanning the mist. You brought out your daggers.

"Kakashi-sensei, this is the Mist Concealment technique, right?" Sakura asked.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi," Zabuza's voice rang all around you. "And you're still carrying around those brats I see. And that one's still shaking, how pitiful."

You gasped as Zabuza clones appeared all around your group. You pressed your back tightly against Tazuna, holding your daggers out defensively.

"I'm shaking with excitement," you heard Sasuke muttered confidently.

"Have at it Sasuke," you heard Kakashi-sensei say.

In a flash, Sasuke had driven his kunai through every water clone that had surrounded you in a circle. As he landed back in his original spot, the clones dissolved to water and splashed onto the concrete ground.

"So, he can defeat the water clones. The brat's improved."

You glanced over your shoulder to see Zabuza standing several yards in front of your group. He had changed his outfit and was no wearing a black tank top and purple legwarmers and arm guards. He was still wearing the bandages wrapped around his face. The tracker ninja boy was standing beside him, still wearing that mask over his face.

"Looks like you have a rival, Haku," Zabuza commented, never taking his eyes off of your group.

"It appears so," Haku said. His voice was as soft as before.

You gritted your teeth together, tightening your grip on your daggers.