A/N: I spotted a mistake in the last chapter. Zetsu meant to say that his pawn would be put to the test in two months not a month and a half. The error has been fixed. This gives Team 7 about three weeks in the wave mission (bridges don't get built in a week ya know) and then a week to get their shit together before the beginning of the Chunin Exams. Okay, done with that. Anyone seen my sunglasses? Meh not like I'll need them for Wave since it's pastel-y and what not. On to the Chapter

[Insert Disclaimer]


Eleven: Wave Part I

-A month later-

The Zetsu stalkers never came back after their first time observing me. I figured they thought I was just fodder to be overlooked. That day they were around I didn't do anything remotely impressive, however I had this bad feeling regarding them, Black Zetsu in particular, he just gave me bad vibes for one too many reasons.

Shisui and I had met up one more time. He wanted me to put up seals all over the Uchiha Compound, to which I complied. I had let Shisui know about how the Zetsu had stalked me and simply caused pure havoc for me that one day. Shisui took it well but he, much like I, believed it wasn't over and in preparation for their eventual return, he had me design more seals to put around the village, in important buildings. So the entire month, when I wasn't dealing preparations to travel to Wave, I was making seals like it was no ones business.

In the middle of my seal-making extravaganza, I had put seals all over the Hachimitsu Estate. There was no way in hell that I would let Black Zetsu spy on me within the comforts of my home. I had to specially design the seals so that if I set one off, the others like dominos would activate and put the entire estate and all rooms under lockdown. Sure it was flawed on the count that if Black Zetsu happened to be in the same room that I was in when the seals activated, we'd both be trapped. I know, not the brightest ideas but I was heavily relying on my sensory to pick up on his dark emotions and keep him far from me, far enough that we wouldn't be trapped together. I was working on another seal, something less noticeable that would, if I managed to succeed, hurt anyone who set foot into the Estate grounds with bad intentions. I had yet to work out the kinks of it. It was something that had never been attempted and required the complex study of chakra network around the brain, complex fuinnjutsu arrays that I was unfamiliar with. I needed a particular scroll to move forward with that project, a scroll that Kisaski-mama obtained from Lady Suisei.

About mid-month, Kisaski-mama had written to notify us of her arrival in a month for the Chunin Exams. She was going to bring me the scroll I needed to complete my new work. With her visit too came the flurry of preparations for her arrival. The entire Estate was in motion readying Kisaki-mama's personal wing. Aunt Himitsu had also written that she too would visit with her son, Mitsubachi. For the Chunin Exams, it seemed most of the main family would be housed within the Estate. It would be interesting, that's for sure not to mention we'd all be viewing the Chunin Exams together. Just thinking about the exams made me nervous because Team 7 would be participating in it, if canon held true in this timeline.

Team 7 as of late had been busy with missions and I understood why they couldn't visit me like other times. They were hauling ass doing D-Ranks and training. Naruto though, he made time for his nightly visits. With each visit, we exchanged redbooks, talked about random stuff, well he talked, I listened and tried, key word there, I really tried hard not to get too bold with my, ahem, advances but with each visit it got harder and harder, because Naruto tried harder and harder to rile me up, to make me accept that perhaps those feelings he claimed to see in me, were real. My logic though, it always reared it's head with my wants, and so Naruto and I never went beyond caresses, hugs and holding hands but occasionally with those little kisses on the cheek, he was wearing me down.

'I don't think I'll be able to resist further… Why is it that when he's near me I just get lost and my damn impulses, I really need to reign in on them.'

I was taken out of my musing by Naruto's bright chakra that approached my window. I jumped off my bed and reached the window to greet him. He jumped in and practically glomped me. I knew he was grinning brightly because his chakra was moving rather happily.

"Ero-Hachi." He greeted me and nuzzled my cheek. A gesture he had started to just use since he learned I knew about the Kyuubi. The butterflies liked it and let me know by making my tummy do summersaults. Naruto let me go and smirked as he saw my red face. In the dim light I couldn't help but admire his whiskers as I ran a hand over them. He smiled warmly and pulled me to sit on the bed.

Naruto slowly unzipped his jacket. My heart began to drum in it's cage, the butterflies froze mid flight. Once the jacket was open and his black shirt was visible he slowly leaned forward. I gulped as he smiled mischievously. He stopped a few inches from my face and grinned brodadly.

"Tada!" He pulled out the red book I had lend him from the inside of his jacket. My heart ached and the butterflies sadly resumed their flight in my stomach.

"I finished it… Ero-Hachi?" He proclaimed and waved his hand in front of my face. I wasn't really paying attention because I was mentally berating myself for falling for that stupid trick. I snapped out of it when Naruto began laughing. I took the redbook from my lap, where he had set it and and as I watched him laugh, I got a little mischievous and Naruto probably noticed it as he began getting nervous as I pushed him to lay on the bed and I moved close to lie on my side.

'So? What you think?' I signed choppily with one hand. I crept closer to him and decided to lay my head on his shoulder, my back slightly over his arm, to which he adjusted so that I wasn't on it, instead his arm wound up around me pulling me much closer to him. I couldn't see his face but he was very self aware and probably a bit embarrassed. I smiled at that, but the butterflies, they did a loop-de-loop.

"Uh-ahem, you know, as always, good story. Ah, It was better than those orange books, you know the ones the scarecrow reads." His voice went up an octave but then went to normal levels as he suppressed his blush. I grinned. I raised my hands up so he could see my signing.

'Oh? You've read those? My, my aren't you much more pervy than I am.' I smirked as I heard Naruto whine.

"Come on Hachi, you know it's for my- my, HACHI?" His voice went up an octave again, this time as I turned and inched my face his face. In the process of turning, I blushed a bit but didn't let it bother me as my body brushed against his, I put a bit of my weight on him and one of his legs was now between my own. Before getting overly red from the excess contact and all the fluttering in my stomach, I nuzzled his cheek in the same manner he had nuzzled mine earlier. I knew I sent shivers down his spine and he quickly turned things on me as he turned his face so that his lips were at the corner of my lips. Immediately I knew my face went beet red. The butterflies in my stomach, like the others times he was straightforward, settled on my stomach and waited patiently.

'This is it.'

I closed my eyes and waited. Naruto's aura turned to pure amusement and then he started to laugh. I opened my eyes and pouted.

"Hehehe, that was so easy. Ero-Hachi needs to stop falling for that one." He said between laughs and I jumped on him putting all my weight on him, straddling him. I pinned his arms down and with my legs, prevented his legs from moving. His laughing stopped and his breathing slowed. I gave him a lighthearted glare and his aura shifted to a docile flame instead of his usual bright energetic one.

"Alright, I'm sorry for leading you on." I nodded satisfied and go off him to sit beside him. He looked at me with his big blue eyes and then smiled a little.

"Ya know, it's not fair to me either, since you started it." I gave him a small glare and he held up his hands defensively.

"Alright, Alright, truce." I nodded and he sat up from my bed.

"So, which book is next?" After letting Naruto ransack my collection of red books that were hidden under my bed, I helped him find the right one. It was the one about the Princess and the Ninja. As Naruto tucked in the red book into his jacket, he turned to me and looked serious. He was excited it seemed.

"We got a mission today, a C-Rank. We leave tomorrow morning ya know. I came by to let you know that too and, um," Naruto didn't finish because I pulled him into a hug. I inhaled his scent and closed my eyes as I buried my face into the crook of his neck. The butterflies relished in the contact and his scent was driving them wild. He was a bit embarrassed but his arms wrapped around me and that embarrassment turned to comfort and a bit of gratitude.

After a few minutes I pulled away. Naruto gave me a bright smile, I on the other hand, was a bit afraid for him, for Team 7. This mission, would be Team 7's first brush with death; Naruto's first time tapping into Kyuubi's chakra and he'd find his nindo, his own ninja way. In the manga, when I had read it, it was cool, it was inspiring but now it was different. As his close friend, and semi-sorta in love with him (yes, I admit that much), it was nerve-wracking and I just couldn't smile.

"Hachi? Why are you sad? Don't send me off like that." His hands brushed away tears from my face, tears I hadn't noticed because I was too busy being a worry wart.

'I'm just worried for you, Pinkie, Sasuke and Kakashi. I just, I can't help it okay. I know that you're a ninja and it's part of the job to go out and do missions but-' Naruto this time pulled me into a hug.

"I know. We'll be careful. I'll make sure Haruno, Teme and even Kaka-baka-sensei are safe." I nodded and he let me go and wiped my eyes once more.

"Now stop crying and give me a smile ya know? I won't leave if you don't smile. I don't care if I spend the night and everyone finds out." He threatened playfully and I smiled a bit and Naruto grinned brightly.

"Better." He said and I impulsively kissed his cheek, shocking him and myself. He wrapped his arms around me once more and we stayed that way for a bit.

"It's late, I should really get going. I'll see you when I come back." Naruto said as he pulled away. I nodded and gave him a soft smile. He gave me one last grin and jumped out the window. I sighed as I felt him get farther and farther away.

'Only you would make me feel like this, you damn adorable blonde, not even gone and already I miss you.'


-10 Days Later-

I was dressed in my best travel hanbok, a teal chima skirt with colorful soft orange, yellow and pink flowers around the hems, the jeogori shirt a soft purple with the teal sleeve cuffs decorated in the same flowers as the chima and the tying ribbon a soft yellow with teal, pink and purple and orange flowers embroidered on the ends. My hair for the travel was neatly tucked into a side braid and tied with a teal ribbon. An orange flower pin held my bangs to the side, it was something Yui insisted upon.

Yui herself wore a black chima skirt with slits on the sides, a red jeogori shirt with white cuffs and around her midriff a white belt that held a small knife. Her attire had been put together for easy mobility and less for fashion. She did however, to uphold her position as my Lady-in-waiting, wear in her up in fancy circular styled elegant fashion that reminded me of Gisaeng. In her hair she had red, white and green flowered hair accessories that when pulled out were sharp like senbon. Her duty on this trip, would be to protect me as a last line of defense should things go awry. Yui wasn't as fragile as I had initially thought. There was a reason Mim had wanted her to become my Lady-in-Waiting.

Yui had studied at the academy, she had once aspired to be a kunoichi but those dreams she put aside when her grandmother, Yuri-baba, got sick. Yui dropped out the academy to help Yuri-baba but she never stopped training. I had no idea that while I was in the Land of Honey, Mim had been in contact with Yuri-baba and Yui. Mim had pulled strings to get Sandaime's approval for Yui to get special kunoichi training. So for the past 5 years, Yui worked her ass off to be at par with a mid level chunin, not to mention the Rudimentary Hachimitsu Clan lessons she also had to get through just so she could be my Lady-in-Waiting. Half of what she had been working hard at was for moments like these. Now she was not only by extension a representative of the Clan but also a reflection of the kinds of people my clan kept around.

I peeked out of the carriage spotting the carriage drivers who were feeding the oxen while we waited for Jun-jiji to arrive at the gates. Yui was standing outside the carriage not too far away from me.

"Hachiko-hime, they are here." Yui announced, she was beaming on the inside, that much I was able to pick up on. I nodded as I had registered up four signatures along with Jun-jiji's. One I knew was Shisui but the others I wasn't familiar with. I hopped off the carriage and smiled brightly only for my smile to falter a bit, I hid it by bowing at the four shinobi guards.

'That's not- no. Why are they here? They shouldn't be here! They are part of Root! How the fuck did I forget about Root? Shisui, that little shit, he better tell me when I ask again because I do not like being blindsided!'

"Hachiko, Yui, these four will be our guard for the trip. We all know Uchiha Shiusi-dono but the rest of the guard are Nē Sai, Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū. They have been informed of the circumstances of our travel and of all the complicated matters. They've also been filled on your individual skill's, that way should we be attacked, they'll know you can fend for yourselves if we happened to be outnumbered." Jun-jiji explained.

I meanwhile focused on Sai's last name, Nē, that was the dead give away, that this 14-year-old pale kid with jet black hair was the Sai. But if that didn't give it away, then the two older teens did who wore the matching short sleeved, midriff lenght black vest with red straps over the shoulders, gave it away because I vaguely recalled that Root Members wore those black vest thingies. That and I knew for a fact those two 16-year-old looking boys were Danzō's best, once-upon-another-timeline.

'Shisui what kind of deep shit are you involved with to have these three with you on a mission to protect moi?'

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Hachimitsu-hime." Yamanaka Fū bowed. He was tall broad shoulders, amber eyes that slightly glinted with life, despite that he was a damn Root agent. He had shoulder lengthy auburn colored hair pulled back into a ponytail and he wore a dark brown kimono shirt.

Aburame Torune was truly a young man of no words, because he just simply bowed. He was lean, slightly shorter (by like a few inches) than Fū. Torune was decked out in black. His eyes were concealed behind this mask thing that covered most of his face, except his nose and mouth. His hair was black but not as black as Sai's. Sai critically eyed me, he didn't bare a fake smile, instead he had this impassive face. Sai wore to (my damn surprise) black shinobi pants and a tight black long sleeve that covered his midriff.

'This is not the Sai I thought he'd be. This one is different but I'm not sure if that's good or bad.'

"Don't mind Sai-kun here, he's just in mission mode." Shisui smiled and messed up Sai's hair, to which he got a slight glare from. I felt Yamanaka Fu's amusement and a small smile crept on his face. Aburame Torune didn't show any facial expression but on the inside he was entertained. I mentally filed away that Shisui was comfortable with the Root Trio.

"Is there anything you need help with? Loading items?" Torune politely asked breaking out of his silence. I noted how deep his voice was. Jun-jiji shook his head.

"We have everything loaded in storage scrolls. Helps with keeping the carriage light and we cover more ground faster this way." Jun-jiji informed them all. I noted the way Shisui stared at Yui. He had never seen her dressed up this way and I knew that look, it was the same look of Naruto had for me when I had returned to Konoha.

"Ahem, Well then let's get going since it'll be a long trip and we're on a tight schedule." Shisui's cleared his throat and set the trip into motion. Jun-jiji helped me into the carriage and then helped Yui, who still hadn't gotten use to the chima skirt and slipped backwards. Luckily for her Shisui was quick to stand behind her and catch her by the shoulders, he then helped Yui into the carriage. I smiled a little spotting a small dust of red on Yui's cheeks. As we sat down I couldn't help but teasingly smile at Yui who looked away to cover her blush. Jun-jiji entered lastly and ignored us while he was looking through some documents. I overhear Shisui talking to the Root trio.

"Square formation, I'll take up the rear with Sai. Torune, Fū the front." Shisui commanded and I didn't miss the way the three Root members obeyed him with out skipping a beat. Not long after the carriage started to move and the boring part of the trip started. Four hours of sitting on my ass, was not what I had wanted from this trip. When we stopped for a small break, I practically jumped out of the carriage and twirled like mad.

"Hachiko-hime, please. You're freaking out the shinobi." Yui pleaded with a soft laugh. I stopped my spinning and got dizzy and stumbled a bit but smiled stupidly and signed.

'Don't care. They're actually quite amused except for Mr. Serious over there, he's trying to figure me out, he's near my age but is too mature. Pity.' I signed and as the world stopped spinning Yui held my arm so that I stopped moving too much. Shisui let out a laugh and I felt Sai's small glare aimed at me.

"Hachiko if you would please stop fooling around come and have a drink." Jun-jiji berated me and I sighed but nodded I was halfway to him when I stopped.

"Hachiko?" Jun-jiji asked.

'They need a drink more than I do. They've been walking while I've been just sitting.' I signed and Jun-jiji nodded and the shinobi got a drink first. I earned strange looks from the Root Trio. Once we got back to walk I overhead some of the comments Yamanaka Fū made with Aburame Torune, nothing negative but they didn't expect me to be so out of character for a civilian clan heiress.

The rest of the travel went by quietly until we had to make camp, a ways from the road. While the perimeter was secure and the two large tents were set up, for safety reasons I wasn't let out of sight.

'I'd like to wash my face.' I signed to Jun-jiji who nodded and called over Shisui.

"Sai lead Yui-san and Hachiko-hime to the river." The teen led us down a small makeshift path. I smiled upon seeing the river. While Yui gathered some water in a bucket I decided to make some small talk with Sai.

'Hello.' I signed to start with. He glanced at me with his ink eyes. My actions confused him it seemed.

"Hachimitsu-hime, are you bored? Is that why you're… communicating with me?" He asked and I grinned.

'You catch on rather quick. I like you. You are granted permission to use my first name.' I signed and felt like giggling when I saw, finally an appropriate expression on his face, he was confused but it quickly went back to impassive and I pouted. His emotions though were very conflicted.

"For the mission, it's inappropriate." He informed me.

'There aren't reasons within the parameters to prohibit it. Besides, you're part of my guard. You're going to risk your life to see this mission through and as such, I'd rather be on a first name basis if both our lives are at stake, even if I'm the protectee and you the protector.' I signed and now he was further confused. Yui set down the bucket before me and turned to Sai.

"Would you like to wash your face as well? There's more than enough water." Yui offered but Sai refused. After Yui and I washed our faces, I had Yui gather more water and we had Sai carry it. I wanted the other ninjas and the carriage driver to have the water available should they want to wash their face.

In the evening around the campfire, I noticed Sai's confused feelings were slowly going away, now he was curious. Shisui noticed it and for fun made little comments I couldn't hear but I knew they must have been rather embarrassing because Sai would blush a little and he was feeling extra aware of himself. Sai got up and went off to sit with Fū and Torune who were polishing their weapons.

"Hachiko, Shisui we need to go over a couple of things before tomorrow." Jun-jiji led us into the tent. I noted that Shisui gave small commands that I didn't know the meaning to but the Root Trio understood. Yui stood outside, at the foot of the tent entrance. Shisui and I sat on a cushion while Jun-jiji frowned as he sat down.

'Hachiko, privacy seals please.' Jun-jiji requested and I nodded. I set up one of my modified seals on the ground the barrier went up, all around the tent. I noted that Yui was within the barrier but still outside the tent. I thought it no harm if she overhead, I had after all, full confidence in her.

"This trip so far has been too easy. Don't you find it strange? There haven't been any assassins so far. We're a ways from Konoha now, something should've happened by now. I don't like it." Jun-jiji started and Shisui nodded. Both were troubled by the lack of bandits and attacks for our first day of travel. Carriages always caught someone's attention.

"I had my team scout ahead with their unique abilities. Sai is able to create ink animals, Torune has his special bugs and Fū hasn't picked up anything strange with his sensory." Shisui reported with a slight frown. He was very worried but hadn't shown it earlier. I shook my hands to get their attention with the ringing of the bells on my bracelet.

'Perhaps this is just the beginning and it's to put us in a sense of false security. I mean think about it. We're going to a meeting in Wave. A meeting in which Gato will for sure try and take us out to take over our shares and somehow weasel in a contract to get us to sign before he offs us so that he can secure our private businesses. This, the lack of bandits, the lack of assassins, it's to make us feel secure and so that we won't pick up on the trap that lies ahead. Most rich investors and merchants take something like this, no trouble on the road, as a good omen.' I signed letting them know my take on it and I somehow managed to surprise Shisui but Jun-jiji, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Sometimes I question my sanity when you think ahead like this." Jun-jiji uttered and Shisui stared at me questioningly.

"She's done this before?" He asked Jun-jiji who nodded.

"I wasn't kidding when I said all this mission, the hiring of the ninja, the business endeavors, it really was all her idea." Jun-jiji let Shisui know. For some reason Shisui looked at me wearily.

"Hachiko-hime, just what exactly are you expecting in Wave?" He asked carefully. I looked at him and then at Jun-jiji.

'Well he asked and if Jun-jiji is here, might as well let them know what I'm really expecting.'

'Not that anyone's noticed or bothered but Gato seized all of Wave. The Daimyo is powerless and poor. Can't even protect his citizens properly. The citizens, even they are afraid to stand up. Naruto, before going off on his mission, told me his team was escorting and protecting a bridge builder. This bridge builder, I believe is going to be a prime target of Gato's, putting all of us second to him, Why? Well because Gato can't afford to lose control in Wave, not before our meeting but I expect some sort of revolt against him before we even arrive. That Bridge Builder is like a small spark of hope for those people. I assure you that if the people of the Land of Waves don't take Gato out, we will.' Shisui frowned and Jun-jiji let out another heavy sigh.

"Hachiko, what you're saying is beyond my teams mission paramet-" I clapped and got Shisui to shut up.

'Not exactly. You forget, Team 7 is in Wave too protecting the Bridge Builder and if my hunch is correct, they're going to need assistance. Do you really think Gato is going to get rid of the Bridge Builder with lowly thugs? No. He's going to use Missing Nin so that the job is done right and we all know, Missing Nin are less susceptible to rant about their kills. I have no doubt that these Missing Nin are the same ones that are suppose to off us during the investors meeting, technically, all this still falls within the mission parameters, if it all goes down as I think it will. The first priority is getting rid of all threats.' Throughout my ramble Shisui had gone listless, he couldn't' believe anything I had just relayed to him and Jun-jiji until realization hit him.

"You plan to take over all of Gato's Businesses. You plan to acquire an entire shipping industry, the control of ports and get the Daimyo's favor." Shisui silently said with a monotone voice. I nodded. Jun-jiji hadn't heard that last part from me until now. He went listless.

"Y-You thought all that out and planned all that out? I don't know if I should be scared of you? You, you could rival a Nara with planning like that." I shrugged at Shisui's words.

'That's just one of the high possible scenarios. Politics are a scary game.' I mused, I felt Jun-jiij's stare, he wasn't proud but he like Shisui was just taken back by all I was planning to accomplish with this one simple business endeavor.

"What kind of aim do you have to want political favors from Daimyo's? No, never mind, I don't want to know. Most of what you spew from your head is overly complicated and I'd rather just watch it play out." Jun-jiji withdrew his question and simply shook his head.

"For now, I'll let my team know of what could happen and the severity of this mission. One question though, why didn't you mention this before Hachiko-hime? This mission is not a B-Rank. With all the political ramifications of this, it's should be an S-Rank." Shisui was a bit ticked off at me and he looked much older as he became worried.

'I just thought of it when you brought it up.' I half-lied. I was heavily planning for it to go that way. I really wanted Wave and it's Daimyo at my damn disposal not to mention that I was not going to let small glitches in the timeline ruin my little business and political endeavors.


-A Few Days Later a few feet from the Incomplete Bridge-

The butterflies in my stomach fluttered like mad, not the good kind mind you. I had this bad feeling. The air was heavy, it had fading traces of a familiar kind of heavy chakra that made my stomach acid burn, at least I think it was my stomach acid. The carriage stopped as I sensed within my range Team 7.

Sasuke was down and his chakra was compressed, forcefully. He was numb by the lack of emotions, so it was safe to assume he was fainted. Pinkie was near Sasuke and she was very upset. Kakashi's crackling mass of chakra was low. I picked up on a mass of angry chakras, they were slightly smaller than Pinkie's own chakra reserves but larger than civilian ones, among them there was one small civilian sized one.

'Gato and his army of Disney Characters.'

One diminishing chakra that was full of pain, sorrow and rage.

'Zabuza… Then that means Haku is dead.'

I sadly noted and then the butterflies and I froze as I felt Naruto's chakra shift.

He was a mess of sadness a bit of rage and small traces of red tainted his chakra reserves, well his low on chakra reserves, which explained why it seemed more like a ball of fire rather than a raging sun but his chakra quickly perked up and became a mess of bubbly confusion and then there it was, he was fully aware now.

'He knows I'm here.'


A/N: Yes, I'm ending the chapter like this, builds up the hype for the oncoming chapter. If you guys haven't noticed, Shisui is in the summary description now, seeing as he has more appearances than Kakashi, who I still love but, Shisui is key for a bunch of stuff for HK II.

So how was the dose NaruHachi? Boy do I have fun writing those scenes out. Their getting bolder with thier moves, sometimes I tell myself this is seriously like a game of chicken for them. It's cute, it's semi-smutty but rather clean and 'pohisticated, I love it and I hope you guys do too.

So ShiYui is a thing now? Several reviewers have started to ship it and well, to satisfy some of you, I threw in a little ShiYui. What did you all think about Yui's background? What about Root, who I have yet to fully reveal? Any predictions (I did give hints)?

As always my lovely/handsome readers thanks for fav-ing (not a word but I still don't care), following, reading and reviewing! You guys seriously make my day when you do these things.

-Anbu