Zabuza looked towards Kakashi and cursed at Naruto.
"Now you will see why they call me the copy ninja," said Kakashi as he lifted up his headband which revealed a cut across his hidden eye. Kakashi opened his left eye and which turned out to be a red eye with three black spirals around the pupil.
"What's that?" asked Naruto as he got out of the water.
"It can't be…" said Sasuke.
"What's wrong Sasuke?" asked Sakura.
"That's the Sharingan," said Sasuke.
"What's a … Sharingan?" asked Naruto as he joined the rest of the group.
"It allows the user to copy any and all Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu," said Kurenai.
"Amazing!" exclaimed Naruto.
"He shouldn't be able to use the Sharingan," said Sasuke quietly.
"Why not?" asked Naruto.
"Because he's not a member of the Uchiha clan," said Sasuke.
"Hatake Kakashi … copy ninja … time for you to die," said Zabuza as he formed some hand seals. "Suiton: Hahonryuu No Jutsu!"
Suddenly an enormous wave appeared out in the lake and headed towards the group of Nin.
"You'll have to do better than that," said Kakashi as he performed the same hand seals and created an equal wave and launched it towards the first wave. They both canceled each other out in the center of the lake. Only a small ripple made it to shore.
"I guess I'll try something stronger than a mere wave," said Zabuza as he formed some hand seals. Kakashi followed suit making the same hand seals right when Zabuza made them. How can he create the hand seals along with me? … He can't be predicting my movements, thought Zabuza.
"Suiton: Suiryuudan No Jutsu," Yelled both Kakashi and Zabuza. Suddenly two large dragons made of water erupted from the lake. They curled around each other and then attacked each other. The both bit the other in the neck causing them to fall out into the lake.
"How are you predicting my exact movements?" asked Zabuza.
"This Sharingan can read all the movements you make so well it allows me to predict your next move," stated Kakashi. Kakashi then made some hand seals causing another huge wave to come to shore. The wave was barreling towards the group and the carts.
"If that wave hits the carts we'll lose all the supplies," said the bridge builder.
"I've got an idea," said Naruto. Naruto walked forward a bit and began to gather chakra in his hands.
"Naruto don't try to be a hero," said Sakura.
"I don't try … I do," said Naruto as the chakra in his hands turned blue.
"Visible chakra," whispered Kurenai.
Suddenly the chakra turned red and Naruto thrust his hands forward. "SUITON!" yelled Naruto as the water rushed up to them. The water then parted in front of Naruto missing him, the carts, and the group completely. Kakashi looked back in surprise to see Naruto diverting all that water. The water subsided and Zabuza was pinned against a tree. Zabuza walked away from the tree and started to head for Kakashi when a needle flew out of a nearby tree and hit Zabuza in the neck. Zabuza fell to the ground and everyone looked towards the source of the needle. A Nin wearing a mask was crouching in the tree.
The Nin had long black hair and fair skin. He was wearing a green kimono type garb with a yellow border. His fingernails were painted purple and he wore blue sandal-shoes. The mask he had on was white with red stripes going across one of the eye sockets.
"Thank you for distracting him," said the Nin.
"Um … you're welcome," said Kakashi. "Who are you?"
"I am a hunter Nin from Kirigakure … I was sent here to track this man and kill him for harboring the secrets of our village," said the Nin.
"Then we won't interfere with your work," said Kakashi.
"I thank you again for helping me in the way you did," said the Nin as he picked up Zabuza and jumped away.
"What was that all about?" asked Naruto.
"That was a hunter Nin," said Kakashi, "they hunt down missing Nin and kill them so they don't reveal the village's secrets to outside nations."
"That about sums it up," said Kurenai.
"Now more importantly how did you deflect all that water Naruto?" asked Kakashi.
"I don't really know," said Naruto. "All I know is that I wanted to make sure no one got hurt and I felt a huge rush of chakra go to my hands and it parted all of the water."
"Yeah right idiot, it had to have been that hunter Nin," said Sakura as she punched Naruto in the back of the head.
"Why did you hit me?" yelled Naruto as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Because you were making stuff up," yelled Sakura.
"I shouldn't use that much chakra in one bout again," said Naruto.
"What are you talking about?" asked Sakura in annoyance.
"I used a lot of chakra to divert the water," said Naruto.
"Why shouldn't you use all that chakra?" asked Hinata.
"Because I'm going to pass out now," said Naruto. A few seconds later he dropped to the ground and passed out.
"Idiot," muttered Sakura as she hefted Naruto into the second cart.
"He just saved us and you call him an idiot … why is that?" asked Hinata.
"Because he does too much for us … one day that is going to get him into a lot of trouble, and even though I don't like him all that much I wouldn't want that to happen to him," said Sakura.
"Well let's continue on then while Naruto sleeps," said Kakashi.
"Pff that dumbass will probably sleep through the entire mission," said Kiba.
"Don't call him that!" yelled Sakura and Hinata.
"Okay, okay jeez I'm sorry," said Kiba quickly.
Sakura and Hinata exchanged quick glances before they got onto the second cart.
"Keep doing stuff like that and people might start suspecting something," whispered Sakura.
"What do you mean?" asked Hinata.
"Naruto wants to protect you from the stuff that he gets on a daily basis," said Sakura. "That's why he hasn't told anyone that you two are dating."
Hinata looked back at Naruto and smiled. "Thanks Sakura."
"Don't mention it," said Sakura with a smile.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Kiba asked Shino.
"Don't know, don't care," said Shino.
"You know you're a real buzz kill," said Kiba.
"At least I'm focused on the mission at hand," said Shino.
"As should you Kiba," said Kurenai.
"Wah! Kurenai-sensei," yelled Kiba.
"Shh, not so loud," said Kurenai, "Unless you want the enemy to hear us."
"N-no I don't, it's just I don't trust those of team seven," said Kiba.
"If you can't trust the people from your own village who can you trust?" asked Shino.
"A wise question," said Kurenai.
"G-gomen," muttered Kiba.
The rest of the trip to the wave country's border was pretty uneventful save for the oxen needing a break part way through. They rested there for awhile while the oxen ate. Soon they would be in the wave country and would be assisting in the final stages of the bridge.