"You couldn't wait five more minutes?" Jiraiya asked Haku as the fake-hunter removed the senbon needles from Zabuza's neck.

"Would you rather have had Zabuza-shishkabobs?" Haku retorted as the man began to stir. "Don't try to move right now, Zabuza. I had to paralyze you, as was part of the plan."

Zabuza didn't open his eyes and spoke softly, saying "That's fine... Master Jiraiya, what's the next part of the plan?"

"I still need you to play the part of the ruthless missing-nin mercenary. Once you've recovered, you'll be fighting them again at Gato's demand, though no doubt the both of you will be fighting that battle," Jiraiya said. "If Gato's reputation is accurate, then he'll be ready nearby with a band of his goons to kill everyone there, regardless of if you win or lose, and since he's impatient he'll probably jump into the fray if it even looks like you're losing. That will provide ample time for my other teams to raid his base, kill any guards there, and secure it for Wave and Leaf."

"And where will you be, Master Jiraiya?" Haku asked.

"Watching the battle, especially if Naruto is fighting. I need to make sure that the kid doesn't lose control," Jiraiya responded. "If he does, even I will have trouble fighting him."

"Impossible!" Haku said. "He's just a genin, and a bad one at that if he thinks orange is a good color for a ninja!"

Jiraiya merely chuckled and said, "Ninja lesson #1: Never judge by appearances; always look underneath even what seems to be hidden. Trust me, Naruto's far more than just a 'cute kid' with blond hair and blue eyes."

Haku began to leave and said as the mask went back on, "We'll see, in due time, I suppose. I'm going to go see if Gato is on the way." With that, the hunter left the two older ninja alone.

"Kids..." Jiraiya said as he turned back to Zabuza. "Anyway, please reconsider my request to become an official Leaf ninja. Haku needs a better life than always traveling and waiting for another meal. I'm grateful to you for being my spy, but surely Haku needs some grounding."

"I know, but do you realize how big of an incident it would become if a former Mist ninja, and the 'Silent Killer' at that, allied himself with a nation that is currently involved with a 'cold war' with Mist?" Zabuza asked. "Haku can go at anytime, but the kid doesn't want to leave me, for some odd reason, so let's wait and see. Besides, my name and headband are good enough for me." The sword shifted and Zabuza looked at it, saying "Yes, Kubikiri, you're good enough for me too."

"A living sword, huh? Are all the Mist swords like that?" Jiraiya asked.

Zabuza's shoulders shifted slightly. "I guess so. The only ones I know of for sure is my own and the Shark-tooth Sword that belonged to one Kisame of the Mist."

"Itachi's partner..." Jiraiya muttered.

"Yeah, and I'm going to prove to him that he and his sword are no match for mine, you can count on that," Zabuza said.

Jiraiya nodded. "You may have a better chance of getting the opportunity if you join Leaf. I'll let you rest in the meantime; I have a brat to trail. I'll be back in two days." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

…

"Welcome home, Father!" shouted a voice from inside the house as Tazuna walked up to it. A beautiful woman in her early thirties came out and hugged the old man, sobbing. "I'm so glad you're home safe and sound!"

"It's alright, Tsunami. I have the best of the Leaf Village for my guards!" Tazuna crowed. "I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am that these people showed up. Let's get everyone settled in, though, and I'll tell you what happened after that."

Tsunami nodded and bowed to the Leaf Ninja. "Thank you very much for watching over my father. Come on in; dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, so you should have enough time to settle in and wash up." She led them into the house, which looked fairly small on the outside yet was spacious and cozy inside. There wasn't much in the way of furniture or anything, but somehow it still looked very homey.

Hinata looked around and said, "You have a beautiful house, ma'am. Did you decorate it yourself?"

"Indeed I did, young lady," Tsunami responded, smiling brightly. "We don't have much, but I've always thought that a little imagination went a long way."

Ino joined Hinata and nodded in agreement as she looked around as well. Even the men among the group had to admit that the place was expertly designed and looked very appealing. Tsunami disappeared into the kitchen and called out, "Make yourselves at home! The guest bedrooms are upstairs, the second and third door on the right. The bathroom is in the last room on the left. Hurry up! Dinner will be ready shortly!"

Naruto and everyone filed upstairs, glad to finally be off their feet. The women were given first priority to the bathroom, though the jonin were careful to make sure Ino and Hinata took as little time as allowable in the circumstance.

Over dinner, which was a small portion compared to what they were all used to, Tazuna began to talk about the adventure he'd had on his way back from the Leaf Village. Kakashi noted that Tsunami was constantly in suspense as her father talked, but her son seemed to be disinterested. At the end of the meal, the ninja retired upstairs to plan out their training week. Saito and Kakashi would guard Tazuna as he worked on the bridge, while Yuugao and Anko would guard Tsunami. The genin would rotate every two days, with the exception of Shikamaru and Shino, who would get personal training from Yuugao in swordsmanship. They would be prepared for the next battle.

…

"Aww, man!" Chouji exclaimed as they left the village. "I forgot to pack as many potato chips as I need!"

Sakura groaned in response. "Chouji, you already have five scroll's worth of potato chips; you couldn't possibly need more." She tried to tune him out by humming a light-hearted tune that she made up on the spot.

"No worries, Chouji," Kiba said as he walked with Asuma at the head of the group. "Asuma did promise to take us to the barbeque place when we got back, so just think about that." Akamaru barked and wagged his tail happily, sniffing the ground as he walked in front of Kiba, and Kiba nodded in return. "I know, I can just about taste it too!"

"Aw, Kiba! You're making me hungrier..." Chouji muttered as he glanced longingly at Kurenai's backpack. She'd insisted on carrying everyone's food supplies, and Asuma had readily agreed to it. Their mission to Wave, they were told, was a training mission to clear out a Leaf outpost in that land of bandits who'd taken up residence there. Supposedly there were valuable documents belonging to Leaf that hadn't been retrieved when it was abandoned, though the paperwork on the withdraw was lost. Chouji decided to think about the mission instead and asked, "So, why did it take so long for us to find out about the outpost and its fate?"

"The bureaucratic process is never without holes," Kurenai responded. "It's part of being human; we're all bound to make mistakes every now and again."

"So, why did we have an outpost in Wave country in the first place?" Sakura asked.

Asuma said, "Because the ninja village there, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpool, was one of our allies awhile back before it was destroyed. A couple of ninja families who'd survived moved to Konoha and now serve in the Ninja Corps, but not many did. At the end of the war, Wave was declared neutral country with small towns that served as their own independent states. It's been relatively peaceful there, but it's a prime hideout for bandits, so occasionally we go in to clear them out."

"Do they pay for such a mission, like this one, or are they ordered directly by the Hokage?" Kiba asked.

"Usually we're hired by one of the towns, but sometimes the Hokage orders one if reports come in regarding a massive influx of malcontents into the area," Kurenai responded. "No doubt that this sort of mission would've been tended to at some point once we learned of their activities, regardless of our being paid or not."

Kiba nodded and was about to say something, but both he and Akamaru picked up a scent. Alarmed, he ran past Asuma and stopped further up the road, bending over to sniff something.

"Kiba, what is it?" Asuma asked, on edge because of the abruptness of his movements.

"Blood, sensei!" Kiba shouted back. "It's Naruto's!"

They all hurried up to check it out. When they arrived, Kiba continued. "It's about two days old. I can smell poison as well; it's faint and not lethal, but definitely there. He must have gotten into a battle with a rogue ninja and been hit with a poisoned blade." He frowned as he sniffed around the area. "He continued to bleed through the wound, which must have been a large one if he dropped this much blood, but it looks like he stopped bleeding about a mile down the path." Remembering the incident at the ramen shop, he muttered, "It must be his regeneration kicking in. Good thing, too..."

"Regeneration?" Sakura asked, though Asuma and Kurenai shared knowing looks.

Kiba nodded and said, "Yeah, apparently Naruto heals much quicker than normal people. It must be why he's able to do some of the crazy stuff he does and get away with it." He started sniffing again. "I think they were ninja that his team fought, but it's odd. Despite there being four jonin with them, the two unknown ninja managed to escape with their lives. I can't smell anything else, though..."

"Excellent work, Kiba," Asuma said. "Sakura, Chouji, what would you suggest we do at this point?"

"Well, we can't abandon our mission, sensei," Sakura said, "and we can trust their teachers to be mindful of the danger that they put their students in. I think we should proceed, but with caution."

"I'm worried about Naruto," Chouji began, "but I've known him long enough to know that anything of that sort won't keep him down. In fact, I doubt death itself could stop him."

"Then it's settled. We move on," Kurenai said as they began to walk down the path again.

They soon made it to the border of Wave, which was formed by a river-like body of water that separated the nearby islands with the mainland, forming the border between Wave and both Fire and Mist. As they approached, they were met by two Leaf-headband-wearing ninja. "Hello!" Asuma greeted as they walked up to the boats where they were waiting.

"Good day, Asuma!" the first responded. "Running a C-rank, huh? That's why I like being a chunin. Not too many dangerous missions, but we get to travel, right, bro?"

The second looked up as he packed their travel packs in his boat. "Yup. Better than being stuck at that gate all the time. Hey, Asuma, how are Izumo and Kotetsu doing?"

"They're doing fine," Asuma replied as he looked back at the students. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah, we're ready," Kiba said.

Asuma nodded and looked over at the other boat, where Kurenai and Sakura were sitting. "Ladies, ready to set out?"

"Yes, Asuma, we're ready," Kurenai responded.

"Okay, let's go," Asuma said. The two boats immediately launched into Wave's waters, nothing other than footprints signifying Team Eight's first mission to another country.

…

Yuugao stared at Shikamaru and Shino as she paced in front of them. Shikamaru looked nervous, as he usually did when Yuugao would teach, but Shino looked as stoic as usual. "We're beginning your training today. These bokuto will familiarize you with the shape and weight of a real katana while keeping you out of unnecessary danger." She tossed two of the bamboo swords at the two genin, both of whom caught them, though Shikamaru seemed to fumble with his for a second.

"Sensei, why are you training me in swordsmanship? None of the ninja in my family have ever shown proficiency in it, and our family jutsu is designed for sneak attacks from a distance," Shikamaru asked.

"I must admit a curiosity toward the same, sensei, for the same reasons," Shino said. "Surely I have shown no proficiency in any bladed weapon, though I'll freely admit that it would certainly come in handy since my kikai bugs don't require hand signs to control."

"You both lack close-quarters combat skills," Yuugao responded as she swung her own bokuto, warming up her arm muscles. "A sword is an important tool, no matter the size or shape. Surely you two remember how difficult it was for me to fight the Silent Killer, even alongside Saito?" Shikamaru and Shino nodded in affirmation, and Yuugao continued. "We're going to go over the basics right now; later you'll practice with various types of bladed weapons to see which you're most comfortable with."

"Yes, sensei!" the two genin responded.

Yuugao nodded and got into a stance. "Now, watch me and repeat after me." She then began to go through basic movements, which Shikamaru and Shino both mimicked. This went on for about two hours, and Shikamaru had started to get both tired and bored, but he dared not show any sign of it; Shino was getting tired too, but he knew the value of the basics so he said nothing. They then stopped to rest for a few minutes, but went right back to it. This kept up for the whole day, though they stopped for lunch and dinner as well, and they didn't go back inside the house until lights-out. Shikamaru and Shino both slept deeply that night, though their minds continued to go through the movements.

…

"Control, Naruto! You must refine your control," Saito said as the boy kept running up and down a pillar. "You must not leave ANY footprints, understand?" Early that morning, when Yuugao left, Saito took Naruto and Sasuke with him to the bridge for the first watch, while Kakashi kept Hinata and Ino behind to work on chakra capacity at the house; Anko would jump between helping Tsunami around the home and helping Kakashi.

"I'm trying, sensei, but it's easier to do it standing still!" Naruto responded between heavy breaths. Even with his stamina, Naruto was beginning to tire and would sometimes leave footprints in the wooden beam.

"Of course it is! Remember that movie that came out a couple of months ago? 'Do, or do not; there is no try!'" Saito responded. "Do it!" Turning to Sasuke, he frowned; Sasuke had better chakra control, but his emotions caused him to lose focus entirely. It was so bad that Sasuke was leaving a body-shaped pit under his pole. "Sasuke, focus on the mission, not your thoughts! Take them captive and make them work for you; don't work for them!"

"Yes, sensei..." Sasuke gritted as he ran up his post again. He kept trying to remember Inoichi's thought-focusing exercises, but the training was making it difficult and his mind would always wander to Itachi and trying to find him.

Ino and Hinata had already drained their chakra reserves and were resting at this point. According to Kakashi, the chakra coils were much like the primary group of muscles in that when they were exercised they would increase in size. So during the rest of the time Kakashi would teach them about strategy by playing chess, much like Asuma would often do with Shikamaru during their off-days. In this Hinata surprised Kakashi by being Ino's superior, though he would routinely beat them, but Hinata would be able to take out more of Kakashi's pieces than Ino by making surprising movements. Often they would be disastrous in the long run because her king would be left open on some front, but Kakashi knew that both Hinata and Ino, the latter of whom would watch intently, would get better as they played more. Kakashi also noted inwardly that Hinata would focus more on the individual strengths of each piece, while Ino would try to factor in all the pieces at the same time, so he suspected that Ino would end up surpassing Hinata in this aspect.

Anko found herself enjoying spending her time with Tsunami, who had more in common than just interior decorating, though they spent a lot of time working on that. Tsunami was a kind soul, but vicious when it came to defending her family; it was to her credit, mainly, that Gato's goons had never really approached their house since the whole thing started. Anko didn't speak much about herself at first, but as the day wore on she began to talk about things that she wouldn't talk about to either Kurenai or Yuugao. Tsunami easily understood Anko's feeling of loss, having lost her mother when she was a teenager and her husband a year ago, though she knew she could never understand Anko's rage at the one who'd betrayed her. By the end of the day, both Anko and Tsunami knew they'd found a lifelong friend that they could trust.

At dinnertime, Naruto animatedly described how they were going to 'kick Zabuza's butt' the next time they fought him, as well as any backup the Silent Killer might get. Suddenly, Tsunami's son spoke up, saying "Why even bother? Gato's going to kill you anyway! Just give up."

"Why should I give up?" Naruto asked, clearly offended. "I swore that I would save this village from Gato, and that's what I'm going to do! I'm training as hard as I can so that I can protect my team; what are you doing?"

"I'm accepting my fate, but I don't expect you to understand! I bet you never had to suffer any loss, being safe and secure in a ninja village!" the kid said.

This struck a nerve in both Naruto and Sasuke. "Shut up! You don't even KNOW the meaning of the word 'suffering'!" As Naruto said that, they both got up and ran out of the house.

In tears now, Hinata got up to follow, but Kakashi held up a hand and said, "Let them be, Hinata. They need their alone time." Almost immediately afterward they heard two distinct crashes that seemed to come from different directions. "Yeah, you're not going to be able to help them right now. I'm sorry."

Hinata sighed and said, "I know, Kakashi-sensei, but I still..."

"Yes, I understand, but trust me; they need to work this out of them," Kakashi said.

Tsunami was split between horror at her son's words and surprise at Naruto's and Sasuke's reactions. "Inari, I want you to say sorry to them when they get back."

Inari looked at her, the surprise from Naruto and Sasuke still shining in his eyes though it was mixed with hurt pride, before getting up and going out onto the front porch. Kakashi got up as well and followed behind him. "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll explain it to him. Saito, if you could please fill our guests in?"

"Will do," Saito said. After Kakashi walked out the door he turned his attention to Tsunami. "Anko, could you please explain Sasuke's connection to this issue once I'm finished with Naruto's side?"

"Sure," Anko said, her voice surprisingly subdued as she thought back to her own sufferings.

…

"Neither of them are mad at you, Inari," Kakashi said as he sat down next to the boy. "They've had a rougher past than most ninja in this day and age, especially Naruto. Tell me, though, why did you say what you said? Does it have to do with the torn pictures in the living room?"

"..." Inari looked up at Kakashi, and though he couldn't tell what his whole facial expression looked like, the jonin's eye shone with sympathy. "My dad was killed by Gato. He was the village hero; he helped us when the river flash-flooded, but he also helped me when some bullies stole my cat and stuck him in a box in the middle of the river. I couldn't swim, so I kept begging them to go get him back, but they just laughed. Then, out of nowhere, he came up and fished the box out of the river, then scolded the kids and sent them running. He asked me why I didn't try to rescue the cat myself, and I told him that I couldn't swim. He then told me that it was because I wasn't courageous to try, but that I could be courageous."

…

"He isn't Inari's father, but Inari would follow him around everywhere he went," Tsunami said. "We married soon after that, and the year we were together were so happy. But then Gato showed up and oppressed the townspeople, and when he tried to oppose Gato the tycoon killed him and put his head on a platter for everyone to see, making an example out of him." The tears welled up as she finished. "Inari hasn't been the same since."

"I'm so sorry, ma'am..." Saito responded, and the others shared their sympathy. "We ninja are trained to deal with death, so the pain you're going through must be far greater." His mind's eye began to watch his memories as he thought back. "I lost my father in the most recent war, then my mother to the Nine-tailed Fox's attack on the Leaf Village twelve years ago. By then, though, I was an accomplished ninja already. Naruto, who was a newborn at that time, lost both of his parents that day, and he grew up as an orphan. For this and other reasons I can't explain, he had to fend for himself a lot as a child, right, Anko?"

Anko nodded. "Yeah. Despite what you might think of a prosperous ninja village, the streets in some areas aren't all that safe, especially since we no longer have an active police force and the duty falls to the few ANBU who are ever around to patrol the city. Naruto, given his circumstances, had a rougher time than many of the other orphans; no one, it seems, was willing to adopt him. He's had to claw and scrape his way to every achievement he's made, including becoming a ninja. For him, there is no such thing as 'giving up'. He fights, not only to protect the village, but because he believes that the people will love him once he becomes Hokage; he's desperate for love, so he bonds easily to just about anyone who will acknowledge him, but he knows evil so he doesn't bond too closely for fear of drawing out that evil."

…

"Sasuke, on the other hand, knows what it's like to lose family at an old enough age to remember it while young enough to not know how to handle it," Kakashi continued as he spoke to Inari. "Several years back, Sasuke's brother went insane and killed every member of his family in cold blood, leaving only Sasuke alive." Inari gasped, and Kakashi nodded as he continued. "Yeah, it was a gruesome sight. Being one of the first people to show up at the scene, I'm surprised Sasuke has any of his own sanity left, but the point is that suffering comes with being human. We all experience hardships at some point and to varying degrees, so it's unfair to assume that you're the only one suffering in the world. If you want further proof, consider your mom. She lost the man that she loved deeply with a love only a grown-up man and grown-up woman can have for each other; you're too young to understand that, but just know that your own mother suffered greatly that day." Inari was silent as he considered everything. Kakashi got up to go inside, but paused and said, "Don't stay out here too long, but do spend some time thinking about it." With that, he went inside.

…

A rustling sound woke Naruto up from his sleep. To his surprise, he found himself in the middle of the forest, staring at a person picking stuff up from the ground. As he gasped, the person turned around, revealing a beautiful girl around his age, wearing a pink kimono. "Uh, hello!" Naruto said.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to wake you," the girl replied. "I just like to come out here to pick herbs and other such items; they make good medicine."

"Oh, alright. Can I help?" Naruto asked as he sat up.

The girl nodded. "Certainly. You see the leaves shaped like a spade? Pick those, but be careful not to just tear them off; I need the root, too." She turned and went back to work, Naruto kneeling next to her to help. "So, I don't think I've noticed you around the village before."

"No, I'm from the Leaf Village. I'm a ninja. Uzumaki Naruto; pleased to meet you!" Naruto said, grinning.

"Ah, Naruto. I'm Haku. Pleased to meet you, too," the girl said. "Will you be here long?"

"I'm not really sure. Our teams are training right now, preparing for when we meet Eyebrow-less in battle, which Kakashi-sensei thinks will be a week from now," Naruto explained. "We're trying to get to Gato, so we can save the village from his grasp."

"How noble of you!" Haku exclaimed. "You are truly a hero! Why would you care about such a small village, though?"

Naruto looked thoughtful as he continued to pick the herbs. "Because I know what it's like to be bullied and harassed, and I don't want anyone to suffer like that."

Haku nodded as she moved to another set of herbs. "That's incredible. Tell me, do you have a precious person who you would give your life for?"

Naruto looked over at her and said, "Well, there's the Hokage, and I've sworn to protect him, as part of my ninja duties, but he's a lot stronger than I am. There's Iruka-sensei, my Academy teacher; he's been watching out for me since I entered it. The Ichiraku Ramen Shop owner and his daughter, they've been feeding me since I got kicked out of the orphanage." He was about to say Hinata, but he paused as he thought about it.

Assuming he was finished, the girl smiled and said, "It's wonderful that you have so many people who are precious to you. I have only my father... well, he's not my real father, but my parents died when I was four, and he took me in. It's thanks to him that I've lived this long; I would give my life a thousand times over for him." At this point both of the baskets she brought were full, so she stood up and wiped her hands with a small towel she'd brought with her, took up the baskets, and bowed. "Thank you so much for helping me."

"You're welcome, Haku!" Naruto said. As Haku turned to leave, Naruto blurted out, "Will I be able to see you around the village?"

Haku turned back and smiled, saying "Maybe, if you have good eyes." As she turned and left, she said, "I should tell you right now, though: I'm a guy."

Naruto's head exploded (metaphorically, of course) as he digested this new bit of information. Haku had already long since left before he went "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" This shout sent every bird from there to the Leaf Village itself, it seemed, to flight in fear from the sudden sound.

Meanwhile, Haku contemplated their meeting, thinking 'He's just a genin, yet he's got such strong goals... it'll be difficult for me to fight him, even if I am holding back.' Remembering the state of the forest around where Naruto had been lying down, Haku muttered, "There's something not right, though. No genin could have made as much destruction as he seems to have done... and many of the trees look like they were shattered by claws and burned at the same time. Something's definitely not right..." The ninja's heart could not shake the fear creeping up around it, threatening to freeze it over and then shatter.

…

Sasuke and Saito found Naruto at the same time, and what they saw was unbelievable: Naruto was curled up in the center of a cleared part of the forest, muttering to himself, "Impossible... impossible... can't be..." repeatedly. Saito rapidly went through a series of hand gestures and, using a miniscule amount of water, whispered "Water style: Water Bullet jutsu" and a small bubble of water shot out of Saito's mouth.

It hit Naruto in the head and the cold water shocked him awake. He stood up, shouting, "It's impossible!" Breathing heavily, he looked around so rapidly that Saito vaguely considered the possibility of his head coming off, but he relaxed as he saw Saito and Sasuke. "Oh, it's you guys... when did you get here?"

"A minute ago," Saito responded. 'Odd, Naruto is never this out of it...' He then glanced around and took in the damage. "It's time to get to the bridge, Naruto. I packed a breakfast for you, in case you were hungry. Let's go; Kakashi's waiting there with Ino and Hinata." Turning, he began walking away.

"Naruto, what happened? I know I had to vent my anger, but it looks like you fought a war here," Sasuke asked.

"I don't know, Sasuke. I remember running out of the house, beating up on a tree, then waking up to the sight of a girl picking herbs..." He shuddered at this point. "Only... she wasn't a girl..." Naruto leaned against one of the few trees left standing as he got dizzy.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You sure have some weird dreams, Naruto... come on, Saito-sensei will yell at us if we don't catch up." Helping his friend up, Sasuke began making his way to the bridge.

…

"Zabuza, Master Jiraiya, we have a problem." Having dressed in ninja attire, Haku entered Zabuza's room. The two were sharing breakfast as the young ninja came in.

"A problem?" Zabuza asked. "Is Gato jumping the gun?"

"No, it's the blond ninja," Haku replied. "We can't fight him during the rematch."

"Naruto? Why do you say that?" Jiraiya asked, fearing the worst.

"When I went to pick herbs for Zabuza's medicine, I found him in the middle of a cleared area of the forest," Haku replied. "From the freshness of the damage it looks like it was done sometime yesterday, maybe even last night. There were burns and slash marks on many of them; others looked like they had been blown up from the inside out."

"I was afraid of this..." Jiraiya muttered. "Look, I'll do my best to keep Naruto out of the battle, but my options are limited." He began muttering to himself as he paced. "No one from his team can ever find out about this... the consequences could be disastrous for him. At least I could take him on as my apprentice, but he needs to be around kids his age. If word of this leaks out, especially to that one, he could be forced to be a hermit; the village would riot if they found out, clamoring for his death..."

Haku, for once, looked confused. "I don't get it, Master Jiraiya. Why is Naruto so strong?"

Jiraiya turned to Haku, his gaze fiercer than the young ninja had ever seen before. "I can't tell you why, but I will tell you this much: it's not Naruto... or, at least, not entirely him. I need to go... things just got serious." With that, he vanished out of the room.

"Uh, Zabuza? I..." Haku began.

Zabuza nodded and said, "Don't worry, you won't have to fight him. Master Jiraiya always comes up with a plan, and if the kid shows up, I'll fight him myself. I can tell you care about him already."

"Oh, no, Zabuza! I can't have you fight him and have him unleash that kind of power; it could defeat even the Mizukage!" Haku said.

"I'm the 'Silent Killer', remember? He'll be unable to fight the battle before he even knows what's happening. I won't kill him, since we're not supposed to be fighting to kill in this battle anyway, but a wild-card like him can't be left to fight," Zabuza said. "Now, please, help me with breakfast. I managed a couple of bites before my arm stopped moving."

AN: I've been thinking a lot about the flow of the story, and I am beginning to feel like it's too fast, like I'm trying to resolve everything quickly. Is this the same feeling you all get? Please leave some feedback in regards to this, because I want this story to be the best that it can be.