(Welcome back to my fic, guys. Hope you're ready to see Squad seven go on their first major mission.)
About a week and a half passed since Squad seven was formed, and since then they had taken up D-rank missions to start off. One morning, Naruto was up and relaxing with Soreth resting on his bed.
"These D-rank missions are child's play. I'm the Avatar, I shouldn't have to do such small charity work," he sighed, "Though what can I do about it, argue with Jiji? If I tried that I'd be up for an earful." he heard a knock at the door, and looked nervous if Soreth was seen by others who didn't know of him.
"Coming," Naruto said, as he went to his door and creaked it open to see Kakashi, "Sensei?"
"Come to the Administration building right away. The Hokage has a mission for us." he explained.
Naruto was surprised, but answered, "Ok, I'll be there." Suddenly Kakashi poofed into smoke.
"Shadow clone. Well, better see what this is about." Naruto slipped into his boots and headed for the building.
Once all of squad seven was presented before the Hokage, the old man spoke, "Now that you're all here, we can get down to business. I've gone over your mission reports and your teamwork countless times. I think just maybe perhaps you're ready for a C-rank mission."
"A C-rank mission?" Sakura gasped, as Sasuke and Naruto smirked.
"Before I make this official, what do you think, Kakashi?" Hiruzen inquired.
Kakashi answered, "Well, a mission out of the village will do them some good. As long as you approve."
Hiruzen spoke, "Then it's decided. Squad Seven I am assigning you a C-rank mission to the Wave country."
"Wave Country?" Naruto asked.
"Correct. Your mission is a simple escort."
"Who're we escorting?" Sakura inquired.
"That would be me." they turned around and saw an old man holding a sake bottle.
"Everyone, meet Tazuna. Tazuna, these will be your bodyguards." Hiruzen introduced them.
Tazuna eyed the squad looking disappointed, "I asked for strong shinobi, not children."
The squad frowned, as Kakashi spoke, "Rest assured, Tazuna, you're in capable hands."
Tazuna still looked skeptical of the squad, but sighed, "Very well. All right you lot, the thing is I'm a bridge builder from my home country and am currently working on a new bridge. I came here to Konoha for supplies and now I have to get back home, but I worry about being targeted."
"If he could get here without an escort then why should he have a problem getting back without one?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke, who found his joke amusing.
Sakura was suddenly curious, "Hang on. Why would you feel threatened about being targeted?"
Naruto was also curious, "Yeah. Who would wanna waste their time going after a bridge builder?"
Tazuna muttered to himself, "You have no idea."
Kakashi spoke, "All right then. Team, go on home and pack. Let's meet at the gates in ten."
"Hai!" the genin answered, as they left the building.
At Naruto's place, the young Avatar finished packing the essentials, before looking at Soreth, "Don't worry boy I'll be back soon. But just in case, I left you enough food for a few days. Just don't over eat it," Soreth growled. Naruto grabbed his air glider staff, "Well, I'm off. Behave yourself." he slipped into his boots and left.
Soon squad seven and Tazuna were at the gates. Kakashi spoke, "All right, let's get going." and so they started walking.
As they walked Tazuna was looking at Naruto and the staff on his back, "What's with that staff ya got there, kid?"
Naruto looked back, "This? Let's just say is a valuable weapon, and a gift from someone very special." he answered, thinking about Jinora.
As they walked down the road Kakashi and Naruto eyed a puddle of water. They said nothing, and passed it up. When all of them passed the puddle, a figure in a ragged cloak and breathe mask emerged from the puddled and launched a spiked chain from one of his giant gauntlets.
"Look out!" Naruto shouted, as he jumped in and used airbending to redirect the chain back to the attacker.
He dodged the chain and landed on the ground, "How did you know?" he demanded.
"That puddle trick may fool an academy student, but not us." Naruto answered.
"Sakura, Sasuke, guard Tazuna!" Kakashi ordered, as the two surrounded Tazuna.
"Brother, now!" The shinobi ordered.
Popping from from behind Kakahsi and Naruto was another breather mask wearing shinobi. Both Naruto and Kakashi jumped to avoid the attack.
Naruto and Kakashi saw the two stand together, and the Jonin spoke, "Meizu and Gouzu; the Demon Brothers of the Mist."
"Why would two shinobi like you be out here?" Naruto questioned.
"We're here for the bridge builder." Gouzu answered.
"Now step aside before we make you." Meizu warned him.
"You're not laying a hand on Tazuna." Kakashi answered firmly.
"Brother, let's go." Meizu said.
"Let's." Gouzu replied, as the two charged for them.
Naruto smirked, "Chumps!" he used earthbending to encase their feet and their arms in stone, neutralizing them.
"What gives?" Meizu demanded.
"I can't break free!" Gouzu struggled.
"You two won't be moving anytime soon. So why don't you tell us why you're here?" Naruto suggested.
"We ain't telling you anything." Gouzu spat.
Naruto frowned, "Wanting to do it the hard way, huh? Well, I can make you talk." he conjured a fireball into his hand, only for Kakashi to stop him.
"That won't be necessary, Naruto."
"What do you mean?"
"There's someone else here who knows why they're after him," Kakashi looked over and saw Tazuna who looked nervous, "Tazuna, you knew shinobi like these two would be after you didn't you?"
Tazuna seeing no way around it confessed, "Yes, I did. But I have my reasons."
"What reasons?" Naruto asked.
"The Wave is a poverty stricken place. It has been ever since Gato of Gato Shippings took over."
"Gato Shippings?" Sakura asked.
"What's that?" Sasuke inquired.
"A shipping company owned by a criminal named Gato," Tazuna began, "He moved into our country and forced people to rely on his services where he charges them for an unfair price. Anyone whose tried to stand up to him ended up murdered. But the bridge I'm building can put a stop to it."
"How?" Naruto wondered.
"Gato controls the waters in our country. But with my bridge we can bypass it and never be forced to rely on him again."
Naruto smiled, "Good plan," suddenly he turned serious, "But I'm sure someone like that would always find a way around your loophole."
"I'm sorry I lied to all of you," Tazuna apologized, "I wouldn't blame you for leaving me."
"Now I wouldn't go saying that." Kakashi spoke up
"Sensei?" Sakura asked.
"We'll continue with the mission." the Jonin answered.
"Thank you." Tazuna thanked them.
Naruto looked at the Demon Brothers, "How many more men does Gato have like you ready to strike?"
Gouzu answered smugly, "Wouldn't you like to know."
Naruto frowned, until Kakashi spoke up, "Forget it, Naruto. They won't talk to us. But I'll send a clone back to the village and inform the Hokage to have these two picked up." he summoned a clone that ran back to the village, "All right. Let's go." they got back on the road and left.
"Hey, get back here!" Meizu called.
"We demand you release us!" Gouzu demanded.
But they didn't stop to turn back, but kept on going. Taunza spoke up, "By the way, Naruto. How did ya control earth, wind, and fire like that? Is that how you normally use jutsu?"
"Nope. That's bending."
"Bending?"
"Long story," Naruto answered, as they carried on. As they walked Naruto thought, 'Maybe this could be my first real job as Avatar, to restore order to Wave. If this is the case, I better be ready for anything.'
Meanwhile somewhere in a forest inside an HQ, sat a short man looking at a very tall man sitting on a couch with a giant sword at his side, "Zabuza, those brothers you sent on my behalf have failed!"
The man known as Zabuza answered, "If they couldn't kill a simple merchant, than they weren't cut out for the job."
The man who was Gato frowned, "I'm warning you, unless that old man is dead you won't receive any payment from me."
Zabuza grabbed his sword and got up, "Don't worry, Gato. I'll deal with them myself now." he walked away and left the room only to be greeted by a boy who had the appearance of a girl.
"How did the meeting go?" he asked.
"Like it always did, Haku. Now come on, we're going after the bridge builder ourselves." Zabuza said, as Haku followed him.
They exited the building, only to come face to face with a man with dark skin, black hair in three ponytails, and his attire included blue boots, black pants, and a blue muscle shirt that left his biceps to be seen.
"Off to someplace, Zabuza?" he inquired smugly.
"Out of my way, Karok. I have a job to do." Zabuza warned him.
"Oh, right. You have to clean up the mess your two flunkies left." Karok laughed.
Zabuza gripped his sword tight before rushing, "I'm tired of you running that mouth!" he swung his sword separating Karok's top half from his legs.
Zabuza and Haku watched as both halves fell to the ground. Suddenly Karok's legs dissolved into water, and from his bottom half water extended out and took the form of a fresh pair of legs.
"Really, Zabuza. Even you know a waterbender of my talent doesn't die so easily." Karok said, as he got up.
Zabuza frowned beneath his wrapped up face, "Just watch yourself. Let's go, Haku, we're wasting time." the two walked past the waterbender who watched them leave and smirked.
'Zabuza Momochi, soon the demon of the mist will be a thing of the past.' he thought.
(And there's the chapter. Squad seven has their first real mission and are about to face a shinobi that's trouble. But he won't be the only problem they'll have. Tune in next time.)
