Yo.

How you guys doing? Finished writing another chapter for later, so I upload another now. Would have updated this morning, but it was my girlfriend's birthday today. Sorry, but she comes well before this story. XP

But anyways, I changed a lot in my storyline, if you haven't noticed already, as you are about to see in this chapter and the next. Haku won't make an appearance until the next chapter. And we get a sneak peek at a few of Naruto's new jutsu that will not be named until next chapter also. }:P

But whatever, here's Chapter Ten of Bloodline.


Chapter X: Waves of Wisdom

Kakashi eye-smiled at his student. "Good to see you too, Naruto." He shifted the guy on his arm. "Like I said, nice job dealing with these two."

Kakashi turned to face the rest of the team. "Sasuke, you did well also." The Uchiha was pouting in a brooding way, but his features lightened up some after the praise.

Kakashi turned to his last student. "Sakura, while you did not fight, you showed good wits and awareness about you, guarding the bridge builder like you did." Kakashi said in a friendly tone.

Sakura did a jump for joy, a small squeal splitting from her lips. Her brow furrowed in confusion quickly afterwards. "But Kakashi-sensei, I... We... thought that you..." she trailed off, not finishing the thought.

Kakashi simply pointed to where he had 'died' and lying on the ground in several places were shredded pieces of wood. The collective thought of Team Seven wrang through their heads with obvious idiocy, 'Substitution. Of course.'

"And speaking of the bridge builder..." Kakashi spoke, setting the two dead weights for people down, glaring slightly at the older man. "Would you care to explain why two missing-nin are trying to kill you specifically, especially when these two ninja are the Demon Brothers of the Mist, Gozu and Meizu?"

Tazuna paled considerably. He shook his head, as if coming to the conclusion that there was no avoiding where this was going. "Okay, okay. I lied about the mission information. I have some ninja out to get me because of the work I do. An evil man named Gato has seized control over my village and we are suffering greatly. If the bridge I'm constructing gets completed, he'll no longer hold any power in our country. Which is why he is trying everything he can to kill me and prevent me from constructing the bridge..." he said, shedding a few tears at the last part, visibly shaking with rage.

Naruto's eyes softened, then hardened once again with determination. "Kakashi-sensei, let's continue the mission."

Kakashi looked lazily at his student. "Naruto, this mission has now gone from a C-rank to a B, possibly A-rank. Do you have a good reason for wanting to continue?"

Naruto nodded, his eyes boring into Kakashi's one visible eye. "Yes. Though you guys don't know it, I had a sensei before I graduated the academy. We only spent time together for about half a year, but he instilled into me the will to bring peace in this world."

He paused, looking down, gripping a hand into a fist. "That was his dream; to bring peace to this world." He looked back up at Kakashi with defiance and determination flaring in his cerulean eyes. "And his dream has become mine. The reason I fight is to bring peace to humanity. And if this man... Gato... is really causing all of this trouble, then I would be going against my ninja way if I decided to turn back now."

Kakashi seemed taken aback by Naruto's short monologue, as were the rest of Team Seven and Tazuna. Mentally adding Naruto some respect points, Kakashi turned to the rest of his team. "Well guys, what do you think?"

Sasuke grunted defiantly. "I agree with Naruto. Let's keep going."

Sakura looked unsure of herself, but seeing Sasuke quickly give the response to go on, she nodded her head also.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask at his three students. "Alright then." He faced Tazuna. "Well Tazuna, it looks like we'll still be accompanying you on this mission after all."

Tazuna was in utter shock. He snapped out of his daze and wept in front of Team Seven. "Thank you all so much! I promise I'll pay you in full when I finish the bridge and our economy stabilizes once again!"

Team Seven all sweat-dropped, while Kakashi just waved a hand aside. "Don't worry about it. Let's just focus on getting to Wave, shall we?"

And with everything sorted out for now, they all continued on their journey to Tazuna's home country, leaving the Demon Brothers tied to a tree where they were to be picked up by another Konoha team.

***A Few Hours Later, Near Wave Country***

Team Seven and Tazuna were now in a boat, being steered by paddle by a boatsmen whom Tazuna knew and trusted. They had met up with him at the shoreline of the ocean separating Fire Country and Wave Country. Now they were all close to seeing Wave for themselves.

Though it was just now beginning to show signs of the day turning to evening, a mist had enveloped the water around them, making eyesight a minumum.

"Are we almost there?" Sakura asked to Tazuna.

The old man nodded in response. "Yes. We are very close. In fact, the bridge should be coming into view very soon."

Not even ten seconds later, a large strut appeared as a shadow through the thick mist. Naruto followed the strut up, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

The bridge was massive, to put it simply. The single largest architectural feat the genin had ever seen. Portions of the bridge had several missing materials. Through the openings of the unfinished parts of the bridge were several work boxes, tools of all kinds, and equipment.

Naruto found himself marvelling at the sight before him. Such a thing so massive; it looked as if God were making the bridge itself, just the right size that he would be able to walk on it, while it dwarfed anyone else who walked over it.

Naruto looked back at the constructor of such a colossal structure. The old man was smirking, clearly proud of his work done so far on the bridge. They passed under the huge construction, heading for the shoreline. They reached it with the thud of the boat hitting sand. everyone except for the boatman stepped on the soft sand of the Land of Waves.

Tazuna faced the boatman, bowing to him slightly. "Thank you for getting us here."

The boatman nodded to all of them. "Good luck Tazuna, you're gonna need it." And with that, he shoved off of the land and back out into the sea, heading downwards along the coast.

Tazuna faced the four ninja. "Alright, let's get going."

And so Team Seven and Tazuna went. Thirty minutes into their travel to Tazuna's village, a mist began to settle on their path. None of the team took notice, until Kakashi abruptly threw a kunai into a nearby bush. The bush rustled, and out came a frightened white rabbit.

The three genin and Tazuna looked to Kakashi to explain why he had done so, but they tensed when they heard the whoosh-ing sound of something flying through the mist. "Duck!" Kakashi yelled. Instinct took over them as Naruto and Sasuke hit the dirt, followed by Sakura after getting Tazuna down also.

Naruto spared a glance up, just in time to see what looked like a huge knife fly over them and impale itself into a nearby tree. It was followed by a blur of movement. All eyes snapped to the sword and the man standing on top of it as the mist began to dissipate.

A lean and muscular man stood on the oversized butcher knife. His black ninja pants and sleeveless shirt hung loosely on his body. Elbow-length gloves adorned his hands, and his face was covered from chin to nose in bandages. His black eyes, the same color as his short and spiky hair, held no remorse, pity, or regret in them. He wore a sideways headband, a slash through the symbol for The Village Hidden in the Mist. "How about you hand over the bridge builder there, nice and easy, so no one goes home minus an appendage." he said in a deep and dark voice.

Kakashi's features hardened as he took in the man on the giant sword several yards away. "Zabuza Momochi. Demon of the Hidden Mist. Ex-member of the Seven Swordsmen of The Hidden Mist. S-rank missing-nin for planning a coup d'état against the Fourth Mizukage."

The man identified now as Zabuza let out a laugh that sounded more ominous and menacing than anything Naruto had ever heard before. "Kakashi the Copy Ninja. Rumored to have copied over a thousand jutsu with his secret weapon; the Sharingan."

All three genin's heads snapped to Kakashi, each showing surprise, especially Sasuke. Kakashi lifted his headband above his left eye, closing his right eye in the process. When his left eye opened, the iris was crimson red, with three tomoes in triangular positions around the black pupil.

Zabuza smirked behind the face wrap. "I'm honored Kakashi. Already bringing out the Sharingan to fight me, eh?" He let out a dry cackle, sounding something like a choking cat mixed with a maniacal tone.

Kakashi leveled into his fighting stance. "Team, guard the bridge builder. I'll take care of Zabuza." He gave them a stern glare when Sasuke and Naruto were both about to interject.

Zabuza hopped off of his huge sword and effortlessly pulled it out of the tree. "Let's see if you are all that the bingo book makes you to be Kakashi." He made a single hand sign. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!" In a matter of mere seconds, the Leaf-nin and Tazuna were swept over by a thick mist that rolled in from no where.

Team Seven's genin formed a tight circle around Tazuna, ready for when Zabuza came for them. Kakashi's eyes scanned the mist carefully. Even with his Sharingan, he could only see a few feet in front of him. 'This mist. It must be chakra laced. It's the only thing that the Sharingan can't see completely through.'

His thoughts were interrupted by another sinister chuckle that echoed from everywhere in the mist. "Heart." Zabuza's voice echoed from Kakashi's left. "Spine." the voice said from his right. "Jugular." it said again from behind him.

Kakashi turned in every direction the voice seemed to come from, only for it to change positions with the next word that came. "Clavical artery. Lungs. Liver. Kidneys. Seven points on the body that causes instant death. I wonder which way I should kill you."

Meanwhile, Team Seven was on full alert, their eyes scanning the mist, although it wasn't as thick around them as it was where their sensei was. "Hey Sasuke, did you know that Kakashi had the Sharingan?" Naruto asked, to which the raven shook his head.

"I did not. The Sharingan is strictly limited to the Uchiha clan. It's a dojutsu that allows the wielder to anticipate any ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu attack, and copy it down to its simplest levels. But... I wonder how Kakashi-sensei got one..." Sasuke answered.

Back with Kakashi, he was fed up with Zabuza's taunting and was on full alert for any attack. In a sudden burst of movement, Kakashi dodged to the side just as the giant butcher knife sliced into the ground where he stood just moments ago.

Kakashi rushed the ex-Kiri nin, a kunai poised to kill. Zabuza side-stepped bringing the gargantuan sword down on the cyclops. Kakashi reacted just in time to block the sword strike, the force from the blow pushing him away from Zabuza.

Kakashi glared at the swordsman. who returned his glare. Zabuza rushed in again, his large sword poised to deal a definite killing blow. Kakashi rushed to meet him, the engagement ending with the same result as Kakashi skidded away from Zabuza.

Zabuza at some point released his mist jutsu, and began going through a long series of hand seals. Kakashi performed the same hand seals, keeping equal pace with the missing nin. Team Seven and Tazuna could only think one thought; 'So fast!'

The two fighting ninja finished with the same hand seal, yelling out simultaneously, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" From the water around the area rose two roaring dragons composed of water, glaring the other down with yellow eyes. Both of the jutsu surged forward colliding in an explosion of water, resulting in a rain shower.

"Enough of this Zabuza!" Kakashi yelled, making three hand seals, his arm coating in lightning. "I'll finish this with one of my only original jutsu!" He rushed forward towards the ex-Mist nin.

Zabuza, having no time to evade, did the next best thing and tried to block with his sword. Kakashi reached him, his electrified arm held out to harm Zabuza. "Lightning Blade!" Kakashi yelled as his jutsu hit the sword.

For an instant, nothing gave way, but after the first few seconds, the huge knife of Zabuza's cracked from the extensive pressure of the lightning jutsu. Zabuza's eyes widened in fear as the technique hit him in the chest, piercing him.

Kakashi glared at the S-rank criminal in front of him with an unemotional stare. His face contorted to discomforting confusion when Zabuza smirked before turning into water. 'A water clone.' Kakashi thought.

As soon as the last of the water from the clone hit the ground, the mist returned, as did the raspy chuckle of Zabuza. "You put up a good fight Kakashi. Even if it was only a clone, it is still a great feat to carve through my Executioner."

"Still, I can't hope to beat you without backup unfortunately. I'm not stupid; fighting you alone would be dangerous, but coupled with your team, it's quite possibly suicide. But I love a good fight. More than the money for this damned job... So I'll give you five days time to prepare yourselves for another meet. And I'll bring friends. I'm sure you're already acquainted with the Demon Brothers, are you not? And you have yet to meet my greatest tool..."

The mist began to fade, the voice becoming distant. "Don't disappoint Kakashi." were Zabuza's parting words as the mist vanished all together.

Kakashi let out a tired sigh. He walked back to his team, who had lowered their guard the moment the mist had disappeared. "Well, that was interesting." was all their sensei could say.

Sasuke stepped forward. "Kakashi-sensei, how do you have the Sharingan?"

Kakashi was about to give an excuse, but Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's hold the question's for now. We have to focus on getting to Tazuna's house. Then we can ask all of our questions."

Scowling slightly, but nodding regardless, Sasuke dropped the subject. Kakashi turned to Tazuna. "Alright Tazuna, we can continue on our journey once again. Which way to your home?"

The trip to Tazuna's house was criminal-free the rest of the way there. They arrived just in time to see a woman with long black hair rush out of the house and hug the old man. "Father! You made it back!"

Tazuna smiled gently at her. "Of course I did. Though I have these fine ninja here to thank for it."

He turned to Team Seven. "This is my daughter, Tsunami. My grandson, Inari, is around here somewhere... I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."

He gestured for them to come forth. "C'mon inside so we can discuss all the preparations we need to make for the upcoming week."

And so Team Seven entered Tazuna's house. It was a quaint little home; not too fancy nor too plain. Everyone sat in the living area. Tazuna and Tsunami sat on the sofa, Team Seven sat in chairs around a coffee table, and Kakashi sat in a chair facing the rest of the people.

Sasuke was the first to speak. "Now that we are here, answer my question from earlier; how do you have a Sharingan?"

Kakashi's shoulders slumped, his one visible eye flashing from carefree to pained. "It was a gift from a comrade. He was an Uchiha, and he died during the Third Shinobi World War... He gave his eye as a gift. He told me that I was worthy to wield it."

Sasuke nodded his head, accepting the answer. Sakura took her turn to speak. "Kakashi-sensei, what are we going to do about Zabuza?"

The jonin shrugged. "Don't worry. I'll make sure all of you are at least ready for a fight, which means we will be doing some training during our stay here. I'm going to need all of you to be able to handle your own in a fight, because it will be life or death out there." he reminded his genin.

Naruto spoke next. "Zabuza said that he would return with friends, the Demon Brothers being two of them. We probably should have made sure they got picked up before we left them there.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, a terrible mistake on my part. I should have been more wary of what I was doing back there, but never-the-less, you and Sasuke handled them pretty well, so they shouldn't be that big of a threat when the fight comes."

Tazuna spoke nervously. "Excuse me Kakashi, but is there any possibility that Zabuza might come to my house?" he asked fearfully.

Kakashi closed his eye, thinking it over. After a minute, he reopened it, saying, "I do not believe so. He said that he wanted a fun battle the next time we met, and he would give us five days to prepare for the battle. Even though he was hired to kill the bridge builder, the challenge of facing a worthy opponent comes above getting a paycheck for him, I guess."

"Now," Kakashi continued, "today, we will rest since we just finished our long journey. Tomorrow morning, meet here at eight o'clock so we can go out and begin training." He turned to Tazuna. "I hope you don't mind us staying here Tazuna."

The bearded man shook his head. "Not at all, not at all. We only have one spare room, though."

Kakashi nodded. "That's fine. Sakura can just room with Tsunami, if that's okay with her," he received a nod as a response, "and the boys and I will take the spare room."

Tazuna nodded. "Alright then. And thank you for all you people are doing. We really do appreciate your service."

Kakashi waved him of with a hand. "Don't mention it." He turned to his team. "Alright team, we'll be staying here for the next week, so go ahead and get situated into your rooms."

As he said these words, he began to ascend a staircase with Tazuna leading and Naruto and Sasuke in tow, while Tsunami led Sakura to her room to situate herself.

***The Next Morning, 8:30***

Team Seven had met up at eight o'clock exactly, surprising all the genin when Kakashi was actually downstairs waiting for them. From there they had eaten a simple breakfast and proceeded to a small clearing in the forest around Tazuna's house.

"Alright," Kakashi said to his three students, "we will be working on the tree climbing exercise."

Sakura raised her hand. "But Kakashi-sensei, we already know how to climb trees..."

Kakashi wagged a finger. "That is true, but can you do it without using your hands?" As if to express his argument visually, he nonchalantly walked to the nearest tree, and began to ascend it by walking up the side until he was completely upside down beneath a branch.

He dropped down, landing in a crouch. "Now, I want all of you to practice running up the tree. Keep in mind that you must keep a steady flow of chakra going to your feet; too little and you won't stick, and too much and you'll blast off of the tree."

He took out three kunai, throwing them down at the genins' feet. "Mark your progress on the tree with these kunai."

Sasuke and Sakura immediately took to their new task, running up the tree and slashing at it when they fell from it. Naruto was the only one who remained in his place. "Kakashi-sensei, I already know how to do the tree climbing and water walking exercises."

Kakashi looked mildly impressed. "Would you mind showing me then?"

Naruto obliged by scaling up a tree equal to ten stories in less than a few seconds. Kakashi nodded. "Alright Naruto, you can come down now."

With a steep dive and rolling flip, Naruto landed on his feet, a triumphant smirk plastered on his face.

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Nice job. You're free to go back to the house then while I work with these two."

Naruto shook his head. "Actually Kakashi-sensei, I'm going to go and train for a while longer by myself. And besides... I've been working on a special jutsu of my making!" the blonde said with a sly grin before dashing off into the forest.

Kakashi stared at the spot where Naruto had disappeared into the foliage. He chuckled lightly, 'Just like his father.'

Turning back to his two remaining students, Kakashi smiled inwardly at the hard work they were putting in. While Sasuke was only a quarter way up his tree, Sakura had scaled it completely, and was sitting on one of the branches.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all." the cyclops said to himself.

***A Few Hours Later***

"Huh... huh... huh... Almost... Got it... Down..." Naruto half-spoke half-panted as he stood among several trees in the dense forest. Surrounding him were several shuriken and kunai. Oddly enough, Naruto had almost no scratches on him.

He made three more shadow clones, one for himself and two to do the exercise. The group of two clones stood a considerable distance apart. One jumped into the air, while the other threw several kunai at him, all on a trajectory that will hit.

The airborne clone did a single hand seal, and he jumped again while in the air, making him go higher and avoiding the kunai completely. The clone landed on his feet, and smile of victory on both of their faces before they disappeared in plume a smoke.

Naruto did the same thing with his clone partner, ending with the clone not going anywhere once he got airborne and getting dispelled by the kunai that were sent at it.

Naruto frowned at the results. "Guess I still need to work on it some more..."

"Hey, Naruto!"

The blonde faced the direction from where his name was called. Kakashi stood leaning against a tree, his book in hand. "C'mon. Let's go back."

Grunting a tired agreement, Naruto and Kakashi made their way back to Tazuna's home.


Next chapter - Chapter XI: Waves of Justice