A/N: As always, thanks for all the reviews for last chapter. I'm glad so many of you liked it.

Now, I'll admit this chapter was difficult to write but I think it turned out fine. Not much happens in this chapter because I'm setting everything up, but I'll get to the real epicness of this arc in the next chapter. So much foreshadowing in this chapter, so much thought fodder… I wonder if anyone will catch it all. Hope you like it. Enjoy.

Infiltration of Kirigakure, Part One

Naruto sighed and leaned back against the tree he sat against. Through the cracks and spaces between the branches and leaves that loomed over his head he could see the night sky and the small clusters of stars that decorated the black space. The moon was illuminating the sky, its crescent shape visible from where he was sitting. Naruto felt quite relaxed in this setting. The only sounds he could hear were the chirping crickets, the crackling fire in front of him, and Zabuza sharpening his sword.

Naruto peered over the fire to look at the ex-mist nin who was idly tuning his weapon. He dragged a sharpening rock over the flat side of the sword with calm, precise strokes. The jinchuriki couldn't tell if Zabuza even noticed his observation of him. He was so focused on his work…

"You want to talk about something?"

So he did know he was watching.

"I want you to tell me honestly," Naruto said, leaning forward a bit. "How do you feel about all this?"

"I'm surprised." Zabuza admitted. "This isn't how I imagined I'd be returning to my homeland. I sure as hell didn't expect to die in my other life either."

It was just the two of them sitting around the fire. They could talk about their past lives without worry of anyone else hearing.

"Do you have any questions you still want to ask me?" Naruto asked curiously. "If there's anything you're confused about…"

"I'm still sorting through everything. Still, for a kid, you sure did experience a lot." Zabuza mused.

"You sound like an old man when you say stuff like that." Naruto chuckled.

"This 'old man' can gut a twerp like you anytime he wishes, may I remind you." Zabuza replied, chuckling along with the blonde.

The duo sat in silence for a while. Despite their lighthearted exchange, Naruto still felt uneasy about the man he was traveling with. They had been enemies once after all. He would admit that he felt some kind of bond with the ex-mist ninja because of the memories they shared, but he wouldn't go so far as to call him a friend.

Speaking of friends, his teammates hadn't taken his departure very well…

X-X-X-X-X

"You're going to Kirigakure?" Sasuke exclaimed, looking at the blonde like he was crazy. He gestured wildly to Zabuza and Haku. "And with these two?"

"Kakashi-sensei, you're really going to let him go?" Sakura asked. She was also very surprised.

Naruto and Kakashi shot each other tired looks. Haku's face was impassive, while Zabuza just looked annoyed. Tazuna and his family had left the ninja to give them some privacy with their discussion and were waiting upstairs for them to finish their conversation.

They had tried to come up with a good reason for Naruto to leave with Zabuza and Haku to Kiri. They tried to come up with an explanation that would be plausible. Unfortunately, no reason they thought up would work without raising suspicions.

What more could they do than tell them up front?

"Look guys, I know this seems sudden, but this is something I need to do." Naruto said, giving both of his teammates a serious look. "There's something I have to check out in Kiri, and Zabuza and Haku are my tickets in."

"Why would a missing nin and his accomplice agree to get you into Kirigakure?" Sasuke asked. "Better yet, what makes you think Kiri will let one of their missing nin inside their lands?"

"I know how we can get in." Zabuza said seriously. Everyone turned towards him. He smiled under his mask. "We have to ask them nicely to let us in."

"…And if that doesn't work?" Sasuke deadpanned, not seeing the humor in the man's joke.

"We start killing people."

"Kakashi-sensei, you can't let Naruto go with these people!" Sakura said, pointing at them. "They were our enemies once, you know that! How can you entrust them with Naruto's safety?"

"I can take care of myself just fine." Naruto put in.

"Kirigakure is notorious for having an excellent military and an abundance of rouge ninja." Kakashi said. "It will be dangerous for Naruto to go by himself, so that's why Zabuza and Haku are going with him."

"What about us? Why can't we go?" Sasuke demanded. "Why send complete strangers with him when we're his damn teammates?"

Sasuke stiffened when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Naruto smiling at him.

"Jeez, teme. Want to spend some time with me that badly?"

"Don't joke about this! I'm being serious here!" Sasuke glowered, pushing the boy off of him. "All you've said is that you're going to Kirigakure, yet you've given no reason for wanting to do so. I want to know why you need to go and why you can't take us with you."

Naruto sighed. He had to give them an explanation. Part of him wished he could give both of them his memories and their old ones, but he knew that would complicate things. Not to mention their past lives would influence them both greater than anyone else. Especially Sasuke. But what reason would satisfy them…?

Naruto nodded. He would give them a reason, but not an answer.

"Sasuke, you have things you don't want to talk about, right? Things concerning your clan and your brother." Naruto said, looking at his friend.

Sasuke grunted, turning his head away. Even if his brother was only mentioned, that was enough to make the Uchiha fume.

"You need to kill your brother. It's something you need to do, no questions asked." Naruto said, smiling sheepishly at him. "You have to understand that this is something I have to do, no questions asked. All I ask is for you to trust me when I say I have a reason, I just can't give it to you right now."

"When will you give it to us?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

"…I don't know. Soon though, I promise." Naruto grinned.

Sasuke looked like he still wanted to protest, but was silenced when Kakashi spoke up.

"Sasuke, if someone has a secret and doesn't want to talk about it, it's best if you just leave it alone." Kakashi said. "At least until that person is ready to talk about it. We all have things we don't want to talk about. It's not that Naruto doesn't trust you, he just isn't ready to tell you."

"You'll get a reason. Just not now." Naruto smiled, trying to reassure them.

Sasuke and Sakura both shot each other unsure looks. Sasuke let out a deep sigh and turned back towards his friend.

"…I don't like it, but if you really need to go to Kirigakure that badly then I guess it's something you have to do." Sasuke sighed.

"As your teammates, we'll respect your decision to do this." Sakura frowned at him, not entirely satisfied but respectful of Naruto's choice.

"Thanks guys." Naruto smiled gratefully at the two of them. He glared at Sasuke when the boy punched his shoulder. "Hey, what was that for?"

"We better hear a reason sometime soon." Sasuke threatened, crossing his arms.

"Someday you will." Naruto replied. "I promise."

And hopefully, it would be a promise he could fulfill in this lifetime.

X-X-X-X-X

Naruto knew that they would protest, but was pleasantly surprised by their strong adamancy on the subject. Even after agreeing to accept his decision without questions, they had pestered him for the rest of the night, repeatedly asking to go with him.

He had been touched. To think that their bond with him was already this strong so early on made Naruto swell with pride and joy. He loved his teammates.

Still, goodbyes had been much easier than the telling of his departure to Kirigakure.

X-X-X-X-X

"So hopefully I'll see you guys in a few days. Don't miss me too much, 'kay?"

Naruto gave his teammates a convincing smile, but they still weren't buying. Both of them were staring at him with suspicious looks on their faces. Despite their talk last night, they were still curious about his reasons for going to Kiri. Tazuna stood behind them with Inari and Tsunami, listening to the team's exchange. Sasuke and Sakura glanced behind their blonde teammate at the two other people that stood behind him. An unmasked Haku was casually looking around the area with a small smile on her features, while Zabuza just looked impatient. Like Naruto, both of them were carrying travel bags on their backs.

"I still don't understand why you have to go." Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"We should go with you, at least." Sakura added, with an annoyed look on her face.

"As we said before, he has his reasons." Kakashi said, placing his hands on their shoulders. "We all talked about this. This is something Naruto has to do."

Naruto smiled sympathetically at his two friends. They were confused and frustrated at what was happening. He couldn't blame them, and was sorry he couldn't explain more to them.

"Hey kid, let's get going. I wanna reach the border before nightfall." Zabuza announced, turning on his heal and walking down the trail. Haku followed after him.

"H-Hey! Just wait a minute!" Naruto called after them. He quickly turned back towards his teammates, smiling apologetically at them. "Sorry, looks like I've gotta go."

"Whatever, just come back in one piece." Sasuke scoffed.

"Stay safe." Sakura said, surprising both herself and Naruto when she gave him a goodbye hug. The blonde happily returned the gesture. Tazuna and his family stepped forward.

"Kid, I don't know how to thank you." Tazuna smiled, grabbing the boy's hand and giving it an over exaggerated shake. "You've done a lot for my family and for this village. I hope one day I'm able to return the favor."

"When I get older, I'll become a ninja, just like you!" Inari smiled up at Naruto. "I'll get strong so that nobody like Gatou will have the guts to come push around my home ever again!"

"Really, Naruto-san, we thank you and your teammates from the bottom of our hearts." Tsunami beamed at him, bowing towards him.

"Yeah, and that swordsman didn't turn out to be such a bad guy after all." Tazuna chuckled. "Come back safe! The bridge will be complete when you return!"

"Thanks guys." Naruto smiled. He smirked at his teammates. "Have fun helping out with construction."

Sakura and Sasuke both glared at him. Kakashi had gotten them another mission to add to their completed escort one. They were to help Tazuna complete the bridge until Naruto returned before going back to Konoha. They were getting paid for it, but that wouldn't make the work any less tedious.

"Well, let's get to work!" Tazuna smiled, grabbing both Sasuke and Sakura. "Some hard labor is just what you brats need to get in shape! It'll teach you the value of a good day's work! That bridge is gonna be super!"

Naruto laughed as Tazuna dragged away his groaning teammates with Inari and Tsunami trailing after them.

"Despite what I say, I'm not entirely comfortable with sending you off to Kirigakure with Zabuza and Haku either."

Naruto smiled at his teacher. Kakashi stood in front of him, smiling back underneath his mask.

"C'mon. If you came then we'd have to take Sasuke and Sakura too." Naruto grinned. "A sensei shouldn't abandon his students."

"It's ironic for me when you say something like that." Kakashi chuckled. Naruto laughed.

"If you don't hurry up we're leaving you behind!" Zabuza voiced called from down the trail.

"Well, guess I'd better get going." Naruto said, readjusting his pack. "See you when I get back, Kakashi-sensei."

"Yeah."

Naruto blinked when Kakashi placed his hand on his head and ruffled his hair. Kakashi smiled down at his student.

"Be careful out there, Naruto. Your father wouldn't forgive me something happened to you in Kiri." Kakashi grinned.

Naruto smiled up at the man. Not only was his bond with his teammates stronger than before, but Kakashi was slowly becoming the caring older brother he had always wanted. Kakashi removed his hand from his student's head, his eye crinkling upwards in a smile.

"You had better get going then. I don't think Zabuza will wait for you any longer than he has to." Kakashi grinned.

"Yeah. I'll see you soon, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto smiled, waving at his teacher as he ran down the trail to catch up with the mist ninja.

"Good luck finding Utakata and the Sanbi!" Kakashi called back at him. He waited until Naruto was out of sight before heading back into the Wave village.

X-X-X-X-X

Naruto leaned back against the tree as he thought about his departure. He let out a shaky breath as he thought about what was happening.

"This is… different…" Naruto murmured to himself.

This was the first real, genuine change. The first deviation from the past, and it scared him more than he would admit.

"Hey, kid…"

Naruto's head snapped up when he heard Zabuza's voice. The man was done sharpening his sword and was staring at him through the fire.

"Tell me more about the people you fought against in the other life." Zabuza ordered. He said it casual, but he still sounded intimidating. "From the memories I've singled out, three names come to mind. Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Madara. Tell me what you plan to do about them."

Zabuza raised his eyebrows when Naruto took on an uncharacteristically dark look. The jinchuriki looked at the fire with narrowed eyes, remembering the three men who had hurt and killed so many people.

"They're people I have to stop. People I have to kill." Naruto said darkly, clenching his fists as he thought of the men responsible for everything he and his friends had gone through in his past life. "I blame Orochimaru for Sasuke's betrayal. He had always felt inferior to anyone who was stronger than him since his damn Uchiha pride wouldn't let him admit he was weaker than someone else. Orochimaru promised him power, and he took the offer. There was more the snake bastard wanted to do with him, but he never got the chance."

"That kid, your teammate… he killed you." Zabuza said as he pulled the memory out of his mind.

"Yeah." Naruto said softly, saddened by the memory of his best friend stabbing him through the chest. "I… I hesitated in our battle. Everyone kept telling me one of us would die that day, but I was hoping to avoid that. I hoped… I thought I knew there was still some good in him, but… that person I fought on that horrible day wasn't my friend. I realized that Sasuke died a long time ago…"

"Orochimaru caused you problems in your younger days." The swordsman said. "However, Kabuto and Madara overshadowed him and became your prime enemies when you got older."

"Kabuto was Orochimaru's right hand man, and an expert in medical jutsu. Back when I was a kid, I never would have imagined he would turn into that… thing." Naruto said, remembering Kabuto's appearance after he had absorbed Orochimaru's remains. "He was responsible for giving Madara an army. We had strong ninja, and he resurrected strong ninja to fight us using that technique of his."

"I was one of those ninja he brought back to life…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he shot his head up to look at Zabuza. The man had a furious look on his face.

"I was used as a tool by that freak… I was his puppet." Zabuza seethed as he remembered. "I took part in that battle, and so did Haku. We died twice in that other life. Two stupid, meaningless deaths…"

"…I'm sorry." Naruto said, lowering his eyes. He thought back to that battle, when he fought old friends like Chiyo, Asuma, and Utakata who had been reanimated corpses used to fight against the united village army.

"If I ever see that four-eyed freak I'll kill him." Zabuza growled with distaste as he remembered his deaths. He shook his head and tried to push the troubling memories to the back of his mind. "It's all in the past. Now what about Madara…?"

Naruto sighed and shook his head, causing Zabuza to gaze at him questioningly. The blonde directed his attention to the night sky.

"Truthfully, there's not much I can tell you about him." Naruto muttered, looking up to the stars. "He's cheated death, living longer than you can imagine. He's smart, strong, arrogant, deadly… just someone who needs to go down. His idea of a perfect, peaceful world is… it's crazy. I need to beat him this time."

"His Eye of the Moon plan to hypnotize the world." Zabuza nodded. "That's a pretty fucked up idea of peace alright."

"It's a fake, hallow peace. It's not real." Naruto said. "He's essentially taking away our free will. That's not the way to bring true peace to the world."

"Hm… looks like I missed some pretty huge events." Zabuza murmured as he looked into the fire. "…I wonder what I would have done if I been alive during the war…"

"Maybe you'll get a chance to find out." Naruto remarked, smiling at the man. "After all, you're alive now, aren't you? All I'm asking from you is to take me do Kirigakure and anything you do after that is up to you. I won't refuse you if you and Haku want to be my allies."

"It's food for thought." Zabuza replied, leaning back against a tree. "But I'm more of an 'in the now' kind of guy. We'll see how things turn out after our business in Kirigakure is done." An excited smirk made its way onto his face. "I was just thinking… infiltrating Kirigakure is gonna be fun, but getting out might offer even more excitement to me…"

Naruto gave him a nervous smile as the demon of the mist started chuckling to himself. That was true. There was no way they'd get into Kirigakure without opposition, and since Zabuza was a missing nin he'd also need to think of a way to get back out of Kiri to avoid getting captured.

"You still haven't told me what your plan for getting in is." Naruto commented. "Do you plan on telling me anytime soon?"

"I thought I already told you the plan." Zabuza said, raising an eyebrow. "Just do what I say, don't ask questions, and you'll be in Kirigakure talking with the Mizukage in no time."

"That isn't a plan…" Naruto grimaced. "You're not just gonna make things up as you go along, are you…?"

"Ha! Don't worry, I have a way of getting us in undetected." Zabuza laughed. "I was once a mist ninja, and I'm still familiar with the layout of the land. Granted, we may have to… improvise if the situation calls for it."

"This is going to be a long mission…" Naruto groaned, ignoring Zabuza who was chuckling at the boy's despair. The swordsman suddenly stopped laughing and stared at Naruto with a serious look on his face.

"Hey kid, I wanna ask you about the bijuu." Zabuza said, leaning forward a bit. "What are the benefits of being a host?"

"Benefits?" Naruto said, incredulously. He resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "You're kidding right? If I had a choice, I'd gladly give the furball to someone else."

"C'mon, don't give me that." Zabuza replied, sounding oddly excited. "I have your memories, and I've seen what you can do with the Kyuubi's chakra. Can you use it's chakra whenever you want?"

"Ha, no." Naruto chuckled. "The furball and I aren't exactly on the best of terms with each other. What we have is more of a strained partnership than anything else. It's like collecting rent from someone. He uses my body as a place to live, and I use his chakra to give me an edge in battle every once in a while. Really, the only things I get for free are increased chakra reserves and a healing factor. The Kyuubi really only let's me use his chakra when my life, which would include his life too, is in danger."

"The Hachibi container seemed to get along with his demon." Zabuza pointed out.

"Bee could get along with anyone." Naruto grinned, remembering his friendly, rapping fellow demon container.

"I'm just saying, if you could find a way to get along with the Kyuubi, you'd reap all the benefits." Zabuza smiled. "If I had one of those demons inside me… I wouldn't have needed that coup'd etat to overthrow the Mizukage…"

"…Wait, what are we talking about here?" Naruto asked, a little uneasy about the direction their conversation was going.

Zabuza wasn't seriously thinking about becoming a jinchuriki, was he?

"Well, I'm gonna turn in for the night." Zabuza said, stretching as he slowly got to his feet. He placed his sword against the tree behind him and retreated to one of the two tents that were set up for them. He glanced back at the blonde. "Better get to sleep soon. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Ha… I guess so." Naruto smiled, already forgetting their previous conversation. "I've turn in a little bit. Good night." Zabuza nodded and retreated inside the tent.

Naruto picked up a stick and started to idly poke the wood that the fire was eating. Since he couldn't distract himself by talking to someone, he started to speculate about their mission tomorrow.

Would everything turn out okay?

"Naruto-sama, we're back."

Naruto looked up and smiled at the person who had called his name. Yuzura and Haku stepped into the clearing with armfuls of firewood. The fox girl tossed her bundle into the fire and took a seat beside her master while Haku placed her cluster next to a tree to save for later. She took a quick glance around before turning towards Naruto.

"Has Zabuza-san gone to bed already?" Haku asked, directing the question towards the blonde.

"Yeah. He just went to bed." Naruto replied, grinning at the girl. "You should probably turn in soon too."

"Take your own advice, Naruto-san." Haku smiled. "But yes, I'll be going to bed. Good night, Naruto-san, Yuzura-chan."

"Good night, Haku-chan." Yuzura smiled at the girl. The fake hunter nin bowed and entered the same tent Zabuza had gone in.

Naruto watched their exchange in mild interest. He glanced at the girl beside him who watched the dancing flames in front of them with mild fascination. He had been surprised by Zabuza's sudden inclusion of her to say the least.

X-X-X-X-X

"Sorry about that." Naruto smiled as he stopped in front of Zabuza and Haku, having just gotten done with his goodbyes. "So, we ready to go?"

"We've been ready." Zabuza scoffed. He took a quick glance around the area. "Where's your friend? Isn't she going to come with us?"

"Friend…?" Naruto said, puzzled by the question. His brain clicked. "Oh, you mean Yuzura?"

"Yeah, her."

"I'm sure she's around somewhere. She prefers to stay hidden." Naruto smiled.

"Tell her to come out." Zabuza ordered.

"Huh?"

"Did I stutter? I told you to get her out here."

"Why is my presence required, Zabuza-san?"

"Wah!"

Naruto jumped when he heard Yuzura's voice from behind him. Zabuza and Haku didn't look phased by her sudden appearance. Naruto gave her an annoyed look.

"Remind me to get a bell for you when we get back to Konoha…" Naruto muttered. Yuzura simply smiled at him.

"Who is this?" Haku asked curiously, staring at the white-haired girl.

"Ah, this is Yuzura. She's a friend." Naruto smiled, gesturing to the girl. He was happy she had appeared in her human form wearing her bandana. Showing off her ears would have raised a lot of questions on Haku's part.

"I am already acquainted with Zabuza-san. I'm pleased to meet you as well, Haku-san." Yuzura smiled warmly, giving the girl a polite bow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Yuzura-san." Haku smiled, also bowing at her. "Will you be joining us on this mission?"

"Yes. I will be here to assist Naruto-sama and his party should he require it." Yuzura replied.

"…Sama?" Haku questioned, giggling lightly as she shot Naruto a suspicious glance.

"Please, ignore the suffix if you can." Naruto groaned.

"A vassal such as myself must always show my master proper respect." Yuzura asserted cheerfully, much to Naruto's embarrassment and Haku and Zabuza's amusement.

"Interesting… I hope we may get along." Haku smiled.

"Same here." Yuzura replied, also giving the girl a smile.

"Well, stay where we can see you from now on." Zabuza ordered. "Since I'll be needing someone stealthy like you for this mission, I'll want you visible when you're not sneaking from here on out, got it?"

"Is that suitable, Naruto-sama?" Yuzura asked, turning towards him and completely disregarding Zabuza.

"Yeah, it's fine by me." Naruto replied, wondering why she needed his permission. Yuzura nodded happily to him.

"I hope my presence will not be a burden."

Naruto smiled at her. To tell the truth, he was actually glad Yuzura would be helping them with the mission. Knowing she was watching from the shadows was reassuring, but knowing she would be right next to help should danger arise was even more comforting.

X-X-X-X-X

"You're using the –chan suffix now?" Naruto asked amusedly. "Since when were you two so close?"

"Haku-chan and I are actually very much alike when it comes to our ideals." Yuzura smiled at him. "We both wish to protect those we have devoted ourselves to. Plus, she is a very likeable person."

Naruto silently marveled at the two girls' sudden camaraderie. He suddenly saw a lot of similarities between the two. Both were calm, quiet girls who spoke when they needed to, and had aloof, likeable personalities. Even their jobs were the similar. Haku served Zabuza as a tool while Yuzura considered herself his servant and did everything she could to help him. Their comparable personalities were probably why they hit it off so well.

"If Naruto-sama is tired he should get some rest." Yuzura said, looking at her master with concern. "I can serve as the night watch. I do not mind staying up."

"Ah, no, that's okay." Naruto waved her off. "To tell the truth, I don't think I could fall asleep right now even if I was tired."

"Why is that?"

"Nerves, mostly." Naruto replied shortly. He was aware of Yuzura's studying gaze.

"…Why do you feel so nervous?" Yuzura asked.

Naruto sighed. He didn't exactly mind telling her.

"It's just… this is a big change, you know?" Naruto said, looking at the flames of the fire. "I never did this in my past life. Zabuza and Haku are alive, Gatou was killed early on, and now I'm trying to infiltrate Kirigakure. I'm doing something that I never did in my past life and it scares me because I don't know what to expect."

"Why would you be scared? Nobody can predict the outcome of a mission." Yuzura remarked, a little puzzled by what Naruto was saying.

"I know, but that's not what I'm talking about." Naruto said slowly, trying to organize his thoughts and put them into words. "It's just… I know about my past life. I know about future events that could eventually happen. Because of that, I have an idea of what to expect and can think up plans and ideas to avoid getting in trouble, but I can't do that now. Why? Because I can't know what's going to happen this time. I never once did anything related to infiltrating Kirigakure in my past life so I can't predict what might happen and think of ways to dodge bad events. I'm just nervous because I have no idea what to expect…"

"Ano… if Naruto-sama doesn't mind me saying so, I think that your reason for being scared is groundless." Yuzura said thoughtfully.

"What makes you say that?" Naruto asked, arching an eyebrow at the kitsune.

"In your old life, you didn't know what missions were going to be like and that didn't discourage you." Yuzura pointed out. Naruto raised his eyebrows at her. "You were always excited at the prospect of going out on a mission, and despite not knowing how a mission would turn out made you nervous, but you were never afraid. You were ready to face whatever difficulties missions threw at you head on, regardless of the danger."

"I wish I was as careless now as I was back then." Naruto chuckled. He had consequences to think about. Two lifetimes had forced him to throw away his ignorance… and his naivety.

"Naruto-sama, you can't predict how a mission will turn out. They require on the spot thinking." Yuzura said, almost sounding like she was scolding him. She smiled. "Besides, I think you're looking at this the wrong way. After all, you accomplished your goal, didn't you?"

"I accomplished what?" Naruto asked, confused by her words.

"You changed things." Yuzura smiled. Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "You said it yourself, this is a change. You never did this before in your past life. You kept Zabuza-san and Haku-chan from getting killed. This proves you can change events for a better future…"

"You're right!" Naruto said, standing up. He held a hand to his head, an excited smile forming on his lips. "I… I never realized it up until now! I was skeptical and afraid I could only change small things, but this proves that…!"

Naruto sat down, letting out a huge breath of disbelief as he sat back against a tree.

"This makes me extremely confident." Naruto grinned happily like he had just been offered all the ramen he could eat for free. "Everything I did up until now stuck close to the original scenario, but I never thought about how much things have changed until recently." He smiled gratefully at Yuzura. "You really made me feel a lot more confident about this mission, Yuzura."

"I'm happy I was able to encourage you, Naruto-sama." Yuzura replied happily, blushing at his praise. Both of them turned their attention back towards the fire.

Naruto slowly stole a glance at his companion who was once again staring at the flames with a happy smile on her face. He felt himself grin as he continued to look at her. Yuzura noticed his gaze and turned towards him with a questioning look on her face.

"Naruto-sama, is something wrong?" Yuzura asked.

"Nothing's wrong." Naruto assured her, giving her a smile. "I was just thinking how lucky I am to have someone like you around. I kinda wish you had been there in my past life too."

"I'm happy that you would say so, but it's only because of my seal that I am with you now." Yuzura tapped the back of her neck, reminding him of the seal that was there. "It connects me to you. It allowed me to come back with you."

"Can I see it?" Naruto asked. Yuzura nodded and turned her back towards him, lifting her hair up a bit to show him her nape. The seal was now visible for him to see. "It looks kind of similar to the seal on my stomach."

"I believe we had a similar discussion before." Yuzura replied, her back still presented to him. "Your parents modified your seal to attach your soul to your old body, sending you back in time. The seal on my neck connects my soul to yours, which allowed me to come back with you."

"My parents sure were amazing…" Naruto muttered, touching his fingers to her neck. "Sending you back with me was just another gift they gave me, I guess."

"They knew you needed allies, and they knew of my abilities." Yuzura replied as the tips of Naruto's fingers grazed her neck. "With my powers, you could get others to help you in your endeavor to change the future. I am indebted to them…"

"I see…"

Naruto slowly ran his fingers across the seal on Yuzura's neck. He didn't know why he was doing it or why he hadn't pulled away yet.

Her skin is very soft…

His sudden thought surprised him.

"N-Naruto-sama…" Yuzura blushed as he softly ran his fingers over her pale skin.

Naruto's fingers hit the back of her kimono, slipping the collar down a bit. It was then he noticed jaggad scar on the back of her shoulder.

"Yuzura, what's that?"

His reply was Yuzura pulled her Kimono back up and abruptly standing to her feet. She held her kimono by the collar, hiding her blushing face from her master. Not only that, but she had also let him see something see never wanted anyone to see.

"Good night, Naruto-sama."

"Yuzura, wait, I-"

She disappeared into the other tent that they were supposed to share.

Part of him wanted to go after and follow her, but Naruto knew she wanted some time to herself. He slowly leaned back against the tree and watched the flames of the fire dance in front of him.

"That was a scar on her back…" Naruto said quietly.

Naruto was reminded again how little he knew of her past, while she knew everything about his. His accident had gotten him a small clue to her past. He'd find out more later on. For now, he'd wait until he was sure she was sleeping before turning in for the night. After all, he'd need all the rest he could get in order to prepare for tomorrow's mission.

"Hopefully everything will turn out alright…" Naruto muttered as he threw a small piece of wood into the fire.

He knew it was impossible to say how the mission would turn out.

X.X.X.X.X

"The mist is getting thicker." Naruto commented as their group made its way through the trees.

"That means we're almost to the border." Zabuza responded, stepping through the forest foliage with Haku standing not too far behind him. Her repaired mask was back on, hiding her face from view.

"I hear something." Yuzura spoke up from beside the blonde. "I hear water…"

"Good. That means we reached the border." Zabuza smiled, crouching down next to some bushes. Naruto, Yuzura and Haku followed in suit. The swordsman made a few hand seals and gestured to Haku. "You know what to do."

"Yes, Zabuza-san." Haku nodded, getting back up and stepping through the bushes.

From his position, Naruto could clearly see that past the bushes and trees there was a huge clearing with a large river running through it. Other than the river, there was really nothing else to see. Haku stepped out into the clearing and walked towards the river.

"…What are we doing exactly?" Naruto asked. His answer was a firm chop to the back of the head.

"Just shut up and watch." Zabuza growled, pulling his hand back. Naruto noticed the fog around them start to thicken.

"We aren't the only ones here, Naruto-sama." Yuzura murmured quietly, surprising him with her statement.

Naruto turned his attention back towards the clearing. Haku was almost in front of the river now. To his shock, the water in the river started to rise up and take shape. The water twisted into a large dome and fell back into the river, leaving at least a dozen ninja dressed in hunter ninja garbs standing on the water. All of their masks had the hidden mist symbol on it.

"State your name and business." One of the ninja demanded, pointing at Haku.

"My name is Haku, and I was on a mission for the Mizukage." Haku replied in monotone. "I was sent to retrieve a missing nin who had vital information to Kirigakure."

"Is that so?" The hunter nin replied, sounding oddly suspicious. "Then where is the ninja you were sent to retrieve?"

"I brought him with me, of course." Haku replied. "He's with us right now."

It was only after Haku said this did Naruto notice Zabuza had disappeared.

"What are you going on about?" The hunter nin asked, clearly confused by what Haku had said. "I don't see anyone here besides-!"

The ninja was cut short when a sword materialized in front of him and cut straight through his midsection. The severed body fell into the river while the remaining ninja readied themselves, trying to spot the unseen threat as the sword disappeared again. Before any of them could react, six more of them were hacked to pieces and dropped into the river. The remaining ninja bunched together, fearing for their lives. One of them spoke up, finally realizing what was happening.

"This is a jutsu! It's the Kirigakure no jutsu used by Zabuza Momo-!"

He never finished his sentence. He and his other companions were all caught in a sweep by Zabuza's sword, severing their heads from their bodies. The corpses fell into the river, joining the others as they sunk into the surprisingly deep waters.

"You two can come out now." Haku said, turning towards the brush as Zabuza materialized beside her.

Naruto and Yuzura came out from the bushes and stood in front of the two ninja. Zabuza nodded towards the river.

"This is the border." Zabuza said, gesturing towards the stream. "All it takes is a few steps across the river and we'll be in Kirigakure. Getting to the village will require a lot more stealth, however."

"There is a lot we should be on the look out for." Haku told Naruto and Yuzura. "Any wet areas are usually where mist ninja will be stationed. Avoid damp areas, look out for puddles, and stay in the forest. Yuzura-chan, your sharp senses will be a boon to us. Zabuza and I will lead and you tell us when you sense something close by.

"What should I do?" Naruto asked.

"Stay quiet and don't do anything unless we tell you. Your clones could make good decoys or meat shields if we run into any trouble." Zabuza added as an afterthought.

Naruto took a deep breath as they started to cross the river. This was it. Time to get things started.

Mission Infiltrating Kirigakure was a go.

A/N: Nice. I know not a lot happened, but like I said, the really cool stuff happens in the next chapter, I hope.

I don't really have much to say since this is only the first part, but I look forward to writing the rest. I'm sorry for posting this chapter late, but I'm actually glad I did. I had to revise it a lot since the first version wasn't that great. Explaining everything in flashbacks was so much better and easier than building up events. Plus, reading the recent chapter of Naruto helped form the conversation between Naruto and Zabuza.

Spoiler for the new chapter: Some of our old favorites are brought back from the grave. Zabuza, Haku, the jinchuriki, a few kages, Asuma, Chiyo, and even Neji's daddy. All courtesy of Kabuto.

I want to establish more a relationship with Naruto and Yuzura, plus form bonds with Haku and Zabuza for him, so expect that later on. Can't wait to get to the Mizukage, Sanbi, and Utakata.

Tell me what you think. I've been busy lately, but hopefully things will calm down this week and give me more time to write. Be sure to review so the next chapter will come sooner.

And just one last thing to add for the 410 people who favorited this story… I've compared the stats to the amount of the reviews I get from each chapter, and realized something… most of you are willing to take the time to sign into your accounts and click a few checkmarks to favorite/alert, but you can't spare a few more seconds to leave a few encouraging words? Seriously, I'm grateful to those who have reviewed (Very grateful), if you like this story enough to favorite it, then review and show your support.

Well, whatever. I'm just happy that so many are liking this story. Next chapter will be posted soon depending on the amount of reviews as usual. Have a good one.

Kiiam