Chapter 10: Deadly puddles..?

Naruto's POV: (didn't expect that did you?)

I walked towards the Konoha gates to find Sakura, Sasuke, Emiko, Tazuna, Riki, and Ryo already there. Ovidously Kakashi-sense I wasn't there, but I didn't really expect him to be. I walked up to Saukra and Emiko who where in a heated argument on whether Sasuke was cute of not.

"Sasuke is gorgeous, your just jealous that he would never go for someone like you shorty!"

"And I hope he stays away! His hair is shaped like a ducks a$$ and he is an ignorant idiot!"

"How could you say that! He's probably 2- NO! 3 times stronger then you!"

Emiko snapped her Senbon and glared at her. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know that Sasuke has trained with many villages Kazakages and masters for 6 years. Please forgive me for not realizing that!"

I decided to step in here. "Hey Emiko, Sakura what did you think Ryo is talking about with the bridge builder?" I asked. They both looked at Ryo and saw, he was indeed talking to the builder.

Saukra chuckled "Probably something like... 'What do you like, sake or water better.' Haha" she said and smiled, but Emiko then told us...

"No he's not, Ryo is in his serious attitude right now, you can tell by the way his right hand is resting on one of his katanas." We looked over and saw his hand was on his katana. "Ryo has two personalities, his normal one... And battle Ryo, or serious Ryo. This one isn't goofy like normal Ryo, this one is like a battle machine. So they are probably talking about the mission, he trying to get extra information."

I frowned, why did she have to know so much about Ryo, when I knew so little. Now that I was looking for it, he had a serious expression on his face, his posture was tense. I was about to go over and ask Ryo what he was talking about when Kakashi-sensei poofed in.

"Okay everyone, let's go."

Me and Sakura screamed "YOUR LATE!" When Emiko added, "yeah Kakashi, even Ryo got here before you." And chuckled.

Kakashi-sensei looked at Ryo, when his eyes widened in shock. "Wow not that it's a first, but wow." Did my brother have time problems as well?

We all picked up our bags and started walking toward the Land of Waves, when I noticed Emiko, Ryo, and Kakashi-sensei didn't have any. "Hey," I started. "Why don't you three have any bags!"

Sasuke, Sakura, and the bridge builder looked at them, Sakura gave them a questioning look.

Emiko sighed and asked. "You guys don't know how to pack things in scroll?" We all gave her a confused look. Packing things in scrolls? How would that be possible, I-... I really don't-... Understand. The more I thought about the more confused I got." Noticing our expressions, Emiko shoot Ryo and Kakashi-sensei a confused look. "Wow, that was one of the first things Ryo taught me, I mean why wouldn't they teach that at the Acadamy, that's one of the most important skills for traveling ninja."

"Emiko, most Leaf genim actually aren't gone on missions for more the a couple of days, so it would fit in a bag. Some genin know how to pack things like this, but most aren't taught that until they start going on long term mission, you are one of the exceptions."

She nodded her head and looked foward has we walked through the forest. I frowned again. I knew that Ryo taught Emiko a lot of things, seeing he was her sensei for 6 years. But she just had such a strong connection to Ryo, I was jealous. I was just about to run up to talk with Ryo when I felt a hand pull me back. Emiko.

I eyes her annoyed. "What?!" I whispered.

"You want to try to bond with your bother right now, don't you?"

I sighed and nodded my head. "I want to get to know him, I'm jealous you know so much about him, you have stories together and-..."

She sadly smiled. "He's an interesting guys for sure, but now may not be the best time, you could possiblely try in another couple of hours, but not now. When the missions just started, and we just left the Leaf."

"Why what would happen."

"You never know. Ryo isn't himself when we leave a village, we used to get ambushed a lot so went we left villages Ryo started putting up his gaurd more, scaring away the ambushers. So you might want to wait a bit until you talk to Ryo. But I can tell you a couple things about him." She said happily.

I smiled. "Thanks."

-Time Lapse (a couple of hours)-

"Hey Tazuna, are there any shinobi in the Land of Waves?" Saukra asked out of the blue. Kakashi-sensei turned his head to look at her, has Tazuna shook his head.

"No they don't Saukra." Kakashi-sensei said. "Shinobi are pretty much only found in hidden villages, of course you come across the selective few who aren't form a hidden village, but it's a very, very, rare thing to see. So countries like the Land of Waves, a country with no hidden villages, have no shinobi to help them with things, so they depend on other hidden villages to help them in times of need, or moments like this. When they need an escort for an important Person." Kakashi-sensei explained to us. He continued to tell us how out of all the five hidden villages, the five most powerful were home to the strongest shinobi of the Land. The five Kages. When Kakashi-sensei told me that the old man was one of the most powerful shinobi in the world all I could think of was: how is the old man the most powerful, I once got him pretty good with my sexy jutsu... And the dude is really old. How could he be that powerful?

"You all just doubted the hokage didn't you!" Kakashi-sensei asked. Me, Sasuke, and Sakura all tensed up. How did he know? (Because he's magical!). I noticed Emiko just kept walking, no change in her pace. I guess Ryo already told her. And she just told us she trained with some of the other villages Kages, so she probably knows how powerful they are.

Suddenly, after a couple of seconds, I stepped in a puddle that I hadn't noticed before. I shook my foot, trying to dry it a little bit, with no luck. I sighed and kept walking. Suddenly Kakashi did a two note whistle. A low note, to a high one. I noticed Emiko tense the slightest. Before regaining her composure. She tapped her fingers four time on her kunai pouch. I saw Ryo do the same thing. What was up? Are they all like ADHD?

We walked a couple of feet before I heard the sound of boots running on gravel, running towards us. I whipped around to see 2 shinobi with mist head bands running towards us. They threw their chains and they wrapped around Kakashi-sensei.

"What!"

The two mist people pulled on their chains, sawing Kakashi-sensei in peices.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried out. The two mist ninja laughed, probably at her reaction. Before turning their attention to someone else. They threw their chains, knife heading towards someone at a lightning fast pace. I turned my head to see where they were heading. I saw them right has as they made contact with their target.

My brother.

The chain's knifes impaled his shoulder blades, he was thrown back and slammed into a tree, before sliding down. Hidden from veiw because of a large bush blocking the way. The most ninja pulled back their chains, pulling them from the bushes and my brother. My heart dropped down millions of feet. I was in a daze at the thought of my brother, no being dead. Because of the haunting thought I didn't realize the ninja now coming for me. They threw the chains at me, on, to have them thrown off course but two kunai, only avoided my completely. Th other grazed my hand bringing a stinging feeling with it.

"Naruto wake up!" A heard a voice yell.

"Come on Naruto, or are you too scared!" A heard Sasuke voice tease me. I jerked my head up to see Sakura protecting Tazuna, and Emiko and Sasuke were holding back the ninja. The mist ninja leaped over them and ran towards the bridge builder, Sakura looked panicked for a couple of seconds. The mist ninja grabbed a kunai each, that when I noticed their chains were... Chained to a tree, no pun intended.

Right before they were nearly an arms length away, two dark objects jumped and locked both of them in a head lock.

Kakashi-sensei and Ryo, alive and uninjured.

I feel back on my butt, how, what, just, WHAT?

"Well it seems we jumped in at the right time. Sorry we didn't help sooner, we didn't expect you to freeze up like that Naruto..." Kakashi-sensei said. "Well it seems these guys are taken care of." Kakashi-sensei and Ryo tied up the two ninja before turning to Tazuna. They looked like they wanted to say something when Sakura asked.

"How? We saw you get killed?!"

Emiko sighed and pointed to wear Kakashi-sensei "died." "Look, do you see Kakashi's guts on the ground... I don't think so." All there was, was a pile of logs. "They both preformed a substitution jutsu."

Sakura nodded her head. That's when one of the most ninja spoke up. "If you knew we were here, why did you let the genin fight...?"

"We wanted to know who you were after, if you were just after some power shinobi form the Leaf, you would have left when you "killed" us. But no, after we were put of the way you continued to fight the genin. But when you saw a chance you went after the bridge builder." Kakashi-sensei explained the looked at Tazuna. "Now, we have something to talk about. This was supposed to be a C-rank mission, just protection from bandits and theifs. Normal stuff like that. But these most ninja are chunin sent to kill you. You sir have some explaining to do."

"Also those claws have poison if we don't get it out soon Naruto will probably die." Ryo said a little too calmly. I froze up and grabbed a kunai from my pouch.

"Yeah Naruto's hand may prove a problem." I heard Kakashi-sensei say.

"Well you know-..."Ryo started to say but was cut off.

"And we are just genin, we just go out of the Acadamy, this is way above our level, we should go back." Sakura mumbled.

I growled. "Why is it always me?" I asked. I took the kunai and stabbed my hand. I hurt like Kami but I dug it in. "I'm the one who is the trouble! I swear by them pain of my left hand, I will complete this mission, no matter what, BELIEVE IT!" I yelled the last part.

"I was about to say, Emiko know medical Jutsu, she could have gotten the poison out..." Ryo mutter as Emiko nodded her head.

"And if you lose anymore blood your going to die..." Kakashi said... Again cheerfully?

I paled. Then had a mini panic attack. By mini I was running around scream,ing I don't want to die. Ryo walked over and said he'd wrap my hand if I calmed down. I sat down and gave Ryo my hand. I looked away, I don't want to see the cut. Suddenly I felt Ryo stop I looked at Ryo's face. "What wrong?" I asked. "You have a really serious look on your face..."

Ryo didn't reply but kept looking at my hand, he started wrapping it again but I heard him mutter.

"The dam Fox, the healing is amazing, but serious you dam Fox..."

I froze, did Ryo know about the 9-tails?

"Okay everyone up!" Kakashi-sensei