Author's Notes:

Thats right, an update!

Very sorry for the long wait, but I have been busy and while continuing this story has always been on my mind (the thought of abandoning it never really crossed my mind), I just didn't have the time or inspiration to put it ahead of other important things in my life. Sometimes – as all writers know – inspiration just leaves you and the subject you are on and places it somewhere…else.

Also – while there isn't really an excuse for such a long time period between updates and I wouldn't dare blame this as the reason for my long wait alone – the fate of Tobi, Kabuto, Sasuke, Itachi and several others have been weighing on my mind and the flow of this story, cause those characters play an important role in my story – the ones before mention for sure – and I wouldn't want to look too stupid when their time comes. I'll admit, I am a bit paranoid when writing and planning. I don't like doing something un-canon and having no real reason for it.

On a final note, I have seen the changes this site has made and heard about more to come. I had planned on having a few encounters of sexual nature but I guess that is out the window as I'd rather not have my story removed for something not entirely important to the story. As it stands, I see no reason for my story to be removed. I am, however, a little angry that a story on my favorite's list was removed without any warning and I simply cannot figure out which one it was…I'm honestly more annoyed that I don't know which story it was rather than the story itself was removed. Though I'll probably be pissed when I found out which story got the ax.

IIII
Ninjas in Wave Country
IIII

The boat-ride was a quiet and somewhat somber affair and it annoyed Naruto to no end. He was used to energy, loudness, something, anything

I feel like I'm riding the boat that's taking me to my execution

He shook his blond-haired head, attempting to clear it of such morbid thoughts. Still, he couldn't push them away entirely with all the information rattling around up there. He usually didn't think too much or as hard as he was at the moment, but when he did, he went all out.

Asuma was easily an A-ranked ninja who was one of the strongest jounin the Leaf had to offer, but so was Momochi Zabuza – only he didn't have a conscience if the Bingo Book's description was anything to go by. He also didn't have a group of freshly-minted ninja or an old drunk to watch after like Asuma did. Zabuza, however, had one clear goal that was plain as day: Kill the old man along with anyone assisting or defending him.

So many things can go wrong, Naruto thought, glancing from his teammates, to his sensei, to their client who was, to be perfectly honestly, the last person he was worried about.

Failed mission or not, Naruto was not about to sacrifice a precious person for a client who had deliberately lied to him, Ino, Shikamaru, his sensei and the Hokage of all people. It honestly surprised – and disappointed – him how Tazuna managed to fool the old man so easily. He was the Hokage and being fooled by a drunk wasn't setting a good example for anything in life, let alone the leader of a military-based village.

The old man was a legend everywhere – not just in Konoha or Fire Country – and a master of deception along with every other ninja art known to man, and while part of him thought that maybe – just maybe – he had given them a harder mission to test them, he also know how very unlikely that was. Their sensei was his son and while he probably knew his abilities better than most jounin under his command, he wouldn't trust the life of a few green genin with anyone on such a dangerous mission.

There was also the fact that he would take a lot of shit from the council were anything to happen to them with Ino being the daughter of a clan head and Shikamaru a son. There was also what he held in his belly…

Naruto lifted his forehead protector and rubbed at the exposed area with a groan. Stop thinking so hard! Supposed to be clearing my head of such miserable thoughts…

Casting another look, he sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Wave also wasn't doing much to cheer up his mood, the foggy atmosphere seemingly carrying all the gloom he felt inside around him and his team like a thick, muggy blanket. They were ninja, and the low visibility didn't affect them too much, but it just hinted bad intentions. It wasn't a jutsu, but Naruto knew a jutsu – or anything for that matter – didn't need to actually touch them to have an effect, and that applied to any area of life, not just ninja. They were not supposed to show emotion, but that didn't mean you couldn't feel them and little pick-me-ups like clear skies and a lack of hunger could be the difference between life and death.

The sight of the bridge helped, but that was akin to drinking a single cup of water while dying of dehydration in the barren deserts of Suna, or eating but one bowl of ramen when hungry.

Not wanting to dwell on hard choices or that of life and death anymore, Naruto finally decided to break the silence aboard the rickety vessel.

"So Tazuna-jiji, what's it like in Wave?" he prodded.

The atmosphere didn't get any better with his question asked and the jittery man whose boat they were aboard was really starting to pry at Naruto's nerves.

You'd think Zabuza was listening to us here and now, clinging to the bottom of this shit raft!

"Horrible," he muttered, drawing Naruto's attention and glare away from their conductor. "Gatou has destroyed everything we once were with anything he could, from drugs and prostitution to extortion and murder." He shook his head in disgust, glaring at the approaching tunnel in the distance. "This bridge is our only hope and if it doesn't get completed we might as well rename Wave after Gatou." He spat over the side of the boat, obviously done speaking on the subject.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, tilting his head back and squinting at the overcast sky hanging above them, only for it to disappear as they entered a dark tunnel.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Troublesome."

IIII

The ride itself wasn't interrupted and may have even been pleasant under different circumstances, if they had not been taking it into a hostile zone, if they didn't have to worry about a dangerous missing-nin, if this wasn't there first truly dangerous mission…

Or if the boat didn't move so fucking slow!

Much to the annoyance of Team Ten, the slowly approaching docks weren't approaching fast enough for some.

"Yahoo!" Naruto shouted, throwing himself atop the water and hauling ass.

Droplets of water splashed against his whiskered face as he sprinted across the water, arms splayed behind him and nearly dipping into the water below.

Of all the Team Ten members, Asuma was annoyed the least, mainly in part to the fact that he was only annoyed because Naruto's serious facade hadn't even lasted a boat ride, but on the other hand, the happy-go-lucky Naruto was better than a gloomy one – the mission and country had enough gloom already without the energetic Uzumaki become a boring drone. Ino was annoyed mainly thanks to the splash Naruto initially made upon exiting the boat, soaking her to the bone, though she had not been dry beforehand and Shikamaru was annoyed because his peaceful boat ride was likely at its end, due to the separation of his protectors Tazuna would likely urge the man transporting them aboard his boat faster in fear that the Demon of the Mist might attack him when they were separated from one of their own.

Naruto could care less – he was having fun! Too bad his momentary fun was at its end as he came to skidding halt, sending water in every direction before he launched himself upon on the waiting pier. Grinning, he turned back to the water, "Come on you lazy shits!"

"Are you sure he's fit to be a ninja?" Tazuna muttered, more to himself than anyone aboard the boat.

Asuma chuckled good-naturedly, throwing himself over the edge of the boat and landing atop the water with well-practiced ease and form, sending but a small ripple of water around him. "We're ninja," he said, shrugging and walking the final few feet before the water met land. "You have to be a little crazy in our line of work."

IIII

The overcast sky had cleared leaving them able to walk in the sunlight, but the humid conditions weren't much better.

It's so hot, and wet, and moist, and sticky! And I hate it!

Deep in Naruto's subconscious something was roaring with laughter at his jailer's thoughts.

Naruto was not one to be deterred by the weather of all things. "Well –" Anything he planned on saying was cut short by a scream – no, not a scream, a high-pitched squeal that signified something cute and positively delightful.

"How cute!" Ino marveled at the snow-white bunny happily snuggled in her arms.

Shikamaru snorted. "You'd think she wasn't terrified just two seconds ago."

Asuma chuckled, though it was without a drop of humor. "Anything to relieve the tension," he muttered, glaring harshly at the bunny in Ino's grasp as though it were an actual danger.

With his sensitive hearing, he heard it whirling through the air before he saw it. With no hesitation Naruto was already falling and had a kunai with ninja wire sailing towards the still unprepared Yamanaka bent on protecting the bunny as Shikamaru hit the dirt with a lazy flop; Asuma flung Tazuna to the ground. With a jerk the kunai planted itself into a tree, and with a tug of wire, Ino was sent sprawling to the ground, the rabbit taking the chance to flee.

The momentary danger was seemingly replaced with a killing intent, not coming from their attacker, but from the sensei of Team Ten, focused directly at the shirtless man perched atop a massive, cleaver-like blade stuck deep in the side of a tree.

"Momochi Zabuza," he all but growled. "I was wondering when you would finally make you're grand entrance."

Naruto could read people well and Zabuza appeared positively delighted his entrance had drawn such a reaction from his sensei. "Sarutobi Asuma I presume? Runt of the Third Hokage and an A-rank jounin of Konohagakure no Sato," he rumbled, crouching atop his blade and chuckling darkly.

"Runt am I?" snarled Asuma, freeing his trench-knives and preparing himself for a fight. Naruto didn't know whether to be excited or nervous, so he settled for both.

Zabuza was atop the water with his large blade in a flash, his hands curled into a modified ram seal with one hand high and the other low; the water he stood atop seemed to be quivering at his feet, twisting and transforming into a fog not unlike the one that'd been plaguing them. "What else would I call the son of a legend, living off his father's accomplishments and table scraps?" They couldn't see it, due to the bandages covering the lower portion of his face, but they could hear the sneer in Zabuza's gravelly voice. "Had you been anything but a disappointment you'd be the leader of all those tree-hugging faggots! Now, be a good little shinobi of the Leaf and stand down while I remove the bridge builder's fucking head."

Asuma nodded, resigned. "That's it; I'm going to kill you. Team!" he barked, all business, "guard Tazuna with your lives and do not interfere in this battle!"

"But sensei…" Naruto whined.

Shikamaru cuffed Naruto on the head with his kunai-less hand. "Listen to sensei, Naruto," he mumbled out the side of his mouth. "We have no place in a fight between ninja of their caliber."

"Shikamaru is correct, Naruto," said Asuma, assessing the former Kiri shinobi with hard eyes. "I've told you this already – Momochi Zabuza is a real monster, having slaughtered his genin class just to become a Kiri-nin. He will show no hesitation or mercy to us, the enemy."

"Whatever," Naruto grumbled, fingering a kunai.

Zabuza wasted no more time shouting out something lost among the rippling water, and in a flash, the fog that had been stirring at his beckoning became thicker and so much more frightening. The killing intent that seemed to be blanketing them didn't help either.

"Shit," Naruto cursed. "Too bad we don't have a Hyuuga to see through this," he muttered, straining his eyes to no avail.

Ino was the one to cuff Naruto on the back of the head this time and while Naruto knew it was meant to lighten the tension, he could feel her hand tremble as it struck him with a shaky blow, and that worried him.

People were known to do reckless and extremely foolish things upon feeling fairly potent killing intent – like the kind Momochi Zabuza possessed – for the first time. Naruto'd be lying if he said he had felt killing intent this viscous and spine-chilling before, but he had also lived with glares piercing his back since but he knew what a glare truly was. He took every unkind action some of the hateful villagers dealt out and used it as a lesson.

And I'll be damned if I fall to shambles the first time I'm truly tested! I won't ever let those bastards think I'm a failure!

"Ino!" he snapped, startling the poor girl. "Keep your shit together and don't do anything stupid with that kunai. Asuma-sensei would never let anything happen to us so try and block it out as best you can, and Shika," he added, turning slightly to the grim-faced Nara, "if she tries anything put her down."

It was an obvious testament to the situation they were in, that not only did Shikamaru forgo complaining, but Ino refrained from questioning him as well.

Then the situation got a whole lot worse.

"Eight choices…" a voice rasped, hidden within the mist. "Liver, lungs, spine, collarbone, jugular, brain, kidneys and the heart! Now…which should I go after?"

There was a shuffling sound, almost a rustling of wind and leaves, which only a fellow shinobi could pick up after hours upon hours of training with. As it was, no member of Team Ten was very surprised when a comforting light breeze came in and some of the mist clogging their vision dissipated into nothingness.

Still, sometimes being blind to what is really right in front of you is actually better than seeing it, especially when that something is a murderous nuke-nin, right in side of your guard ready to kill you.

"It's over!" he cried with a monstrous swing of his massive cleaver that would likely end more lives than one if the sword's aim was true.

"Not yet!" Asuma roared back, sending a kunai laced with wind chakra straight through Zabuza, barely missing the man they were tasked with guarding.

Tazuna damn-near fainted when Asuma's kunai missed nicking his throat and all but wet himself when Zabuza burst like a balloon filled with water, drenching all but Asuma who was still a fair distance away.

All was quiet as the mist continued to disperse in the wake of Asuma's wind jutsu.

"Team, execute the shadow diamond right now!" their sensei bellowed.

Wasting no time they formed around Tazuna with Naruto taking the lead, six feet directly in front of Tazuna whom was two feet in front of a squatting Shikamaru and four in front of Ino; three shadow clones quickly came to life, one taking Tazuna's left and another, his right, with the last taking the open spot behind Ino.

The shadow clones, however, were not the reason this particular formation was called the shadow diamond. To an outsider who heard its name and knew what a shadow clone was, it would seem fairly obvious, especially if the person in the center kept his or her mouth shut. However…

"Hey! What are you doing?" Tazuna demanded, trying to move but failing spectacularly.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "Stop fighting it or you will just tire me out. With me in control of your body's movement your chances of survival increase drastically."

Tazuna didn't like it, but orders were orders and the kid had a point. The lazy brat could move a fair deal faster than he when he wanted to. Too bad it wasn't the energetic brat pulling the strings.

"It won't make any difference," Zabuza's disembodied voice crooned from beyond their sight.

"Enough of this!" Asuma snarled, slamming his hands together and roaring, "Fuuton: Daitoppa!"

The mist cleared and Zabuza wasted no time engaging Asuma whose chakra-knives were already free and ready for combat.

The fight was fast, it was furious, and it was brutal. Neither shinobi was holding back and both were aiming to kill or at the very least injure on a debilitating level.

Just watching, Naruto felt his body trembling slightly in excitement and pent up nerves. This was real ninja fighting looked like. Mizuki had been a sad joke as were those two trash shinobi they'd dealt with prior to reaching Wave.

Asuma and Zabuza were on a level Naruto'd admit he had not reached yet and that both excited and terrified him. A giant splash of water snagged his attention.

Another Zabuza clone had just exploded in a shower of water when a giant dragon with menacing yellow eyes composed of water swirled to life and slammed hard into Asuma, who was promptly replaced with a wooden log.

Where the hell did he find a log atop a lake?

Naruto shook his head, focusing back on the fight. Asuma was nowhere to be seen and Zabuza stool fearlessly – stupid really – in the open, with no weapon in hand, oddly enough.

Two Asumas appeared suddenly, surrounding Zabuza and engaging him furiously and relentlessly. They had the advantage but Zabuza was skilled and no direct hits had yet to be landed. When both Asumas plunged a blade directly into Zabuza's chest he barely withheld a shriek and it was a good thing too, seeing as it was another water clone and a blade-wielding Zabuza was on them so fast one Asuma didn't make it, puffing out of existence.

Asuma inhaled sharply, letting fly several 'wind bullets' at the missing-nin who had little trouble – amazingly enough considering the size of the blade he was carrying – dodging the small, yet numerous and quickly approaching aerial projectiles. With a perfectly executed hand-plant, Zabuza was upon their sensei with his blade aimed to kill, when Asuma flickered out of existence only to reappear mere inches away and already lunging.

Naruto gasped this time and he was sure he'd heard several more from behind him. He suddenly got a bad feeling which only worsened drastically when the Zabuza impaled upon Asuma's trench-knives grabbed hold roughly and shoved Asuma backwards. The large blade fell from the leaking Zabuza and was caught before it even reached the water and quickly swung ferociously, decimating the clone that had held the blade and dropping Asuma with a spray of real, crimson blood.

Naruto was moving before his sensei hit the water, with a speed he had no clue he possessed. He was on Zabuza with a kunai in each hand, swinging as hard, fast and with as much skill as he could in his current state of undisguised rage.

He never even realized he had been running on all fours.

Zabuza seemed shocked a mere genin could move as fast as he did or had the amount of strength he possessed for his size. Coming to a deadlock, he got a good look at his opponent's hateful eyes: they were crimson and filled with murder.

Ahh, this is a real shinobi! He could have been something back in the Bloody Mist! Perhaps he will replace Haku when I–

Naruto did not allow his time for thoughts, swinging with reckless abandon. He was out for blood – Momochi Zabuza's blood. He had hurt – possibly even killed – his precious sensei and he had to pay for what he'd done. His first mistake was betraying his comrades in Kiri, his second was taking the mission to kill Tazuna and his last was injuring the leader of Team Ten. Naruto would see this man dead before his days were done.

Snarling in frustration he swung out with a kunai attempting the technique – swallowing the fly? – Asuma had recently shown them in a moment of over-excited indulgence. What he hoped for was wind chakra, but that was not what materialized off the end of his blade and tore into Zabuza. The chakra looked nothing like the kind Asuma had used. His, Naruto's, was a deep orange, tinged with red that looked very much like the blood currently coming out of Zabuza's chest.

He didn't hesitate when he saw Zabuza hit the top of the water in an oh-so similar way to his sensei and that thought alone sealed his fate further. He lunged at Zabuza with a roar that frightened even his own self and clamped his clawed-hand – claw? – around Zabuza's throat and squeezed, easily lifting the larger man off the water's top. Naruto could see him choking and the blood staining the bandages covering his mouth as he gripped him tighter. He could even smell the fear on him and he wished to drag it out a little longer, but his sensei was his priority and he would simply have to kill the scum in his grip quickly before checking on his beloved sensei.

"Release Zabuza-sama at once or the lives of your comrade's are forfeit!"

Naruto growled low in his throat and turned, only to freeze at the sight he saw. On paper, the choice should have been obvious and he was positive the more fanatical ninjas of his village would have ended Zabuza's life without a second's hesitation. He, however, would not let a teammate die at his watch and especially not right before his own fucking eyes.

A masked ninja – obviously affiliated with the scum in his grip if his ridiculous term of endearment (talk about a fucking fanatic!) was anything to go by – stood calmly in-between Ino and Shikamaru with his arms spread in either direction, senbon pointed directly at the throat of both Ino and Shikamaru. He wanted to scoff and laugh at the thought of senbon being a danger to anyone, but vaguely remembered a story Iruka had told them all during their time in the academy. He didn't remember the details, but it was about how a Leaf-nin who went by the name Riddick was captured by Iwa during the third war and how he killed a man with only a tea-cup before managing to escape his jailers and amazingly make it back to Konoha. The story had sadly lost most of its luster due to the Yondaime's destruction of Iwa during the war but was still a favorite 'war story' of some.

The situation could have been worse. The masked shinobi could have easily killed both Ino and Shikamaru before making his move onto Tazuna…if the last two clones weren't still guarding him.

Naruto wondered what Asuma would have done before sparing his fallen sensei a quick glance; the pool of blood he lay in didn't look that bad, but he needed medical attention as soon as possible.

Making his decision, he slammed his free hand as hard as he could into Zabuza's temple and tossed him roughly towards land before the familiar sound of shadow clones bursting into existence permeated the surrounding area.

No words were needed and none were spoken.

All four clones had kunai-in-hand, no doubt ready to end Zabuza right where he lay, but the masked-nin took his opportunity and fled with him before anyone could even blink, disappearing in a shower of water and what looked like ice.

Naruto didn't know if he was hallucinating or the blood surging through his veins was playing tricks on his ears, but he could have sworn he'd heard someone whisper, 'Thank you.'

Holding back a pitiful sigh of relief, he made his way towards land where the clones were carrying his sensei. The rest of his team and Tazuna were already there waiting anxiously.

"What the fuck happened?" he demanded the moment they were all close enough, wincing as the energy seemed to be leaving him.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, wiping a pearl of crimson blood from his throat. "That masked ninja just appeared out of thin air ready to take out our throats. I still had Tazuna held within my jutsu when he appeared, while Ino on the other hand had broken formation and was solely focused on the fight."

"Do not put this on me!" she screamed.

Naruto noted her eyes were glassy but said nothing. He could understand Shikamaru's annoyance with Ino's loss of the objective, but the likely outcome wasn't much better. Had she stayed it'd of just been Shikamaru with a senbon at his throat with her watching helplessly a few feet away or vice-verse. Sometimes it's better to be part of the tragedy, rather than being forced to take on the role of helpless observer. Naruto knew without a doubt he'd rather be in a fight to the death with his team rather than watching his team fight till their death.

Shikamaru grunted as he stood, wringing out his limbs. "Naruto should have opened Zabuza up when he had the chance and dealt with the consequences." Naruto had never felt like hitting Shikamaru as much as he did then and there. "Don't give me that look," he snapped while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "The possible outcome could have been our deaths, or he could have gone berserk and went straight for Naruto, leaving us both unharmed."

Shikamaru had that damnable smirk on his face and Naruto still felt like hitting him, but his logic had made a bit of sense. Either way, they would never know. It was the Land of Waves, after all, and one had just come and wiped the slate clean. Zabuza and his partner would prepare for the next showdown, but so would Team Ten, only this time they'd be ready!

And make no mistake; I shall have my revenge, Zabuza! You will die for hurting a precious person of mine!

"By the way," Ino spoke up. "What kind of technique was that, Naruto? I mean, you moved so fast!"

Both Ino and Shikamaru seemed very interested and to be honest, he had no idea what had really happened either. Somehow he just knew on an instinctual level that it was the Kyuubi's doing; he did not know whether he should be fearful or thankful. And he had promised himself he would tell them the next time they were in real danger…He opened his mouth to speak when a groan stole all of their attention at once.

"Sensei!"

He tried pushing himself to his feet only to let loose a stream of curses before trying again with the other hand, still barely making it to his knees with the help of Naruto's clones.

When they had all gotten a better view, every single eye could only stare at one thing.

That one thing being the ruined stump that used to be Sarutobi Asuma's left hand.

"S-sensei!"

"Troublesome."

"Zabuza will die!"

"Do you think the Hokage will send me a replacement since this one is broken?"

IIII

Author's Notes:

Didn't expect that did you? I'd planned on it happening but just couldn't figure out how to get it down in writing. I've always had a clear picture of how I wanted the final part on the bridge to go and the subsequent chapters after this 'arc', but getting to the point can be difficult.

I'll try and get out another chapter as soon as possible and will kill myself before taking as long as I did this time.

Till next time!

Translation:

Fuuton: Daitoppa – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough