(Redone 09/05/14)

Max casually stood in front of old man Tazuna in a vaguely defensive manner, the blade of her scythe held over her head, giving her a more intimidating silhouette. If anything really bad did happen then it was unlikely to get past her. That didn't make her any less annoyed about being pushed to the sidelines. Even Sasuke got to fight and Max was better than him. She would get her revenge.

So she was waiting, she knew what was supposed to happen but anything she had done might have changed it for the worse right now. So she decided to wait for Gatou to turn up and work from there. She didn't have to wait long before Naruto turned up. She turned back to watch Zabuza and Kakashi's fight and using a shadow clone pumped full of as much chakra she henged it and replaced it with the real one and immediately pinned Zabuza. She held a knife to his neck in a way reminiscent of the last time they met.

"What do you want brat?"

"I want to offer you a deal." Max growled, pushing the knife in a bit deeper. She needed to be taken seriously, and when someone could kill you, things were generally considered a bit more carefully.

"What deal?" The movement from his words caused the knife to break the skin and a vivid red line appeared under the blade.

"I know things you don't, like the fact Gatou is planning to kill you and Haku if you complete your mission. He only hired you with the hope you'd get yourself killed while killing the old man. I propose that when Gatou turns up we kill him. If you want I have a spare room back at Konoha…"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Gatou's a slimeball and there is a good chance of you dying if you continue to fight. You don't waste good."

"So you're telling me you are willing to save us." Max didn't blame him, in the same position she too would be sceptical.

"I would be willing to not kill you here."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Why not? You have nothing to lose." Max loosened her grip on the tall nin removing her blade from his throat. Zabuza thought for a moment, then held out his hand.

"Deal." They shook on it and sat back to wait for Gatou. Kakashi had been slacking anyway since becoming a jounin and could do with a Max style workout. It had nothing to do with wanting payback for making her sit out. It wasn't long before the mist cleared showing Haku just about to jump in front of the clone.

Max's eyes widened, she had forgotten about that. She forced her clone to disappear and everyone else stood in shock as the clone Zabuza disappeared. Haku stooped in his tracks barely avoiding a chest full of lightning.

"Oh don't stop on my account," said a voice from the end of the bridge. The ninjas turned to see a small army of mercenaries and other hired thugs with a man in a suit leading them. "Where's Zabuza. I imagine he's been killed. He never seemed to be a demon, more like a baby demon," mocked Gatou.

"You want a demon? I'll show you demon," said a voice from the side of the bridge where Zabuza was crouching, completely unharmed much to Haku relief. Zabuza held his massive sword out and disappeared, appearing just the other side of Gatou and everyone watched as Gatou's head slid off his body, landing on the floor with a sicking thump.

"You killed our meal ticket so I suppose well have to plunder the village." Thugs seemed stupider the more of them there were.

"You and who's army?" said Max creating her army of clones. Kakashi noticed the old team was part of it, standing proudly behind Max. Naruto and Kakashi contributed as well and both Zabuza and Haku stood near by with weapons ready.

An arrow flew through the air landing in front of the thugs.

"Don't forget us," said Inari, all the villagers stood behind him wielding anything they could get their hands on. The thugs thought for a second then moved back to the boat they had come by some jumping over the edge just to get away from the imposing forces.

With no more threat the bridge was quickly finished. Team seven were stood on the bridge and Tazuna, Inari and his mother were stood their saying their goodbyes, reminding the team they could visit at any point.

Behind the team were Zabuza and Haku, they had decided to at least see if Max could get them a place in the Leaf village, it would be good for them.

Max watched Naruto and Inari said goodbye she knew they had gotten close after the incident Naruto had snapped about being Inari being a tragic emo kid and to suck it up.

Sarutobi wasn't sure if he was impressed or if he should be giving Max another psych eval.

"So you want me to allow Zabuza, a missing nin from Mist who actively took part in a coup d'etat, and Haku his accomplice, to become Leaf ninjas?" Sarutobi asked, wondering if someone has slipped a hallucinogen into his pipe. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Yup, Haku's an amazing medic ninja and you're always complaining that you don't have enough. Zabuza, well it's better to have him on our side and not against us, besides they're awesome people."

Kakashi was probably also wondering if Max needed another psych eval. Zabuza had tried to kill her, and could have easily succeeded, yet here she was giving them glowing praise. She didn't do that for anyone unless it was sarcastic.

Of course he wasn't jealous.

"I swear you adopt these people like puppies," Sarutobi sighed, rubbing his temples.

"So is that a yes?" asked Max hopefully.

"I will permit it but both are on probation for a period of six months I assume they'll be living with you."

"Yes there's enough room since we last moved. I owe you one, see ya old man." With that she jumped out the window and found the two ninjas in question by the memorial stone. It had been the first place she could think of away from the busy village.

"You can stay but you're on probation for six months and you're staying with me," said Max in one breath, Haku cracked out a smile, Zabuza trying to hide his relief under a mask of indifference and of course the bandages that covered his face.

Meanwhile the Hokage had decided to send team 7.5 on a new mission which would basically be relaxing. Far away. Where they couldn't cause trouble.

They had been asked to send some ninjas to join a small group of explorers who were travelling west of wind country, there would be sand ninjas as well but since sand was forever getting downsized they wanted others to be sure.

So a week later, team 7.5 along with the sand siblings were heading west in the desert with seven archaeologists and explorers. Max and Gaara were really happy since they hadn't had a chance to see each other for a while, they had spent the beginning of the trip catching up and being introduced to his siblings who were amazed by the effect of one person.

They had been walking for a few more days; their mission was to explore the far west had the whole team bored as well as the sand siblings who were actually really nice when you got to know them.

They were west of wind country and had gone through a county called Xing and some rubble which used to be a settlement of some point

"Hey I see something ahead," exclaimed Naruto.

"It's called a mirage," mutter Max, this mission was really getting on her nerves.

"No it looks real."

They head to the shapes to find a village by a mine, in Max's mind something was familiar, the gloomy faces the sign on the building, the short blond kid leaning on a suit case out side, the suit of amour handing him a tray.

"Shite, not another one." said Max unknowing in English. This caught the attention of the brothers.

"Who are you? And where do you come from?" asked the blond, who Max recognized as Ed.

"Max, who is this?" asked Kakashi.

"Crap. I don't know personally but I know of them and we have a problem that he speaks a different language to you."

"Who are you?" repeated Ed, getting a bit annoyed at being ignored.

"Do you know the language?" Kakashi knew better than to ask where she had learnt it, the other people in the team were also curious but most knew Max wasn't going to tell.

"Yes."

"Who are you!?" yelled Ed who was tired of being ignored.

"My name's Max, this is my ninja team. We come from village hidden in the leaves and the trio over behind me are from the village hidden in the sand and the others are explorers. What about you?" said Max in flawless English, she was glad it was a language she knew well, she could only imagine what it would have been like it it had been anything else. German might nor have been terrible, she knew some of that and French.

"Never heard of it, I'm Ed this is my brother Al, we're alchemists and we come from Resembool. Why are you here?" Max could almost feel the hostile interest from the kid.

"We're here to explore. We come from the far east of here across the desert and beyond that," explained Max, she was itching to get this over with so she could explain to her team without seeming too rude.

"How come you speak my language?"

"My business not yours, would you give away secrets?"

"No, I suppose not. Why don't your friends speak the language?" enquired Al politely before his brother could respond with something potentially insulting.

"Because they never learnt it."

"You do know you'll need to come and meet the higher up to discuss stuff like why you're here and potential alliances."

"I know and I'm sure we'll be able to come to an agreement. Guys we may have to do some negotiating," said Max switching languages easily.

"Okay, but nothing we say will be concrete," said Kakashi and the sand trio nodded.

"Take us to your leader," smirked Max, she'd been dying to say that, between them, she, Laura and Louise had a list of movies quotes they wanted to say at least once.

"It may be a while since I have business here." The teams nodded after Max translated. Only then did they notice they had company of the mine workers.

"Hey dad more customers, and they don't look like state alchemists," squeaked the small kid excitedly.

"We don't need a place to stay, we camp out and have plenty of food," said Max, they also had no way of paying, so this made it easier.

"Well, well, well what do we have here, not quite the usual filth but filth all the same." said a tall guy wearing a blue uniform of sorts. He oozed superiority complex.

"Dude, he has a strange moustache," commented Naruto causing the two teams to snigger, which only enraged the man more.

"What are you low life's laughing at?"

"How stupid you mustache is,"

"It seems these children need to be taught a lesson"

"It seems that you don't know who we are, were ninjas, trained in the art of silent killing, we could kill you before you took a step forward" said Max with all the arrogance she could muster, twirling her scythe in a menacing way.

"Ninjas are only myths and stories."

"Care to test that opinion" The rest of her team withdrew weapons. The man paled, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead nervously.

"No, my business is not with you but with these miners" he said as he pushed passed and into the pub. Max translated most of the conversation for the people in their group who laughed. They noticed the conversation going on inside and saw Ed walk inside. Not long later the man and his men walked out followed by Ed.

"So what should we do?" asked Naruto.

"Stay and see what happens but since we are visitors we shouldn't interfere," said Kakashi wisely.

The others agreed and they walked to the outskirts of the area and set up tents, Max was sharing with Temari, since they were the only girls. Every one else were in their tents except Gaara who was sitting guard.

"How come you're so nice to my brother?" Temari asked as they started to settle in.

"We're friends, I don't just hate someone for something they can't control. He is more like me than he knows, besides I think I was his first friend around his age."

"Well I'm grateful for you being there for him. Kankuro and I were always kept away from him. Who knows how he might have been otherwise."

"I just wish I could help him more but because I'm a leaf Nin I don't get much time of to go see him."

"He talks about you sometimes. Well when he isn't threatening to kill someone. He sometimes talks about the stars and the pictures they make."

"…" Max was silent she didn't know what to say for once. Let's take a moment to remember this historic moment.

"I reckon you're more of a sister to him than I am," Temari said almost sadly.

"I guess so, I need to get some air, if I don't come back it probably means I feel asleep outside." said Max, the conversation was getting a bit awkward. She stepped outside and jumped onto a near by branch and watched the sun go down. She didn't notice Gaara appear beside her until she felt his hand on her arm.

"You have the shichibi don't you," whispered Gaara.

"Yes, I only found out recently," replied Max. They watched the mining village in silence but it was more comfortable than back in the tent. It was getting close to midnight when they saw a flash of orange and Max knew that the man's men had set the pub alight. Max dashed off ready to dowse it in water to at least stop the blaze. But by the time she got there, there wasn't much left to save.

Now for Laura FIN

Last time

"Yea we just need to find out the results for the test I wonder what's taking Yori so long" both FINs decided to go and look. Opening the door to the lab they saw…

And now for the next short episode

Yori was reading ichi, ichi, Laura recognized the book and knew what he was reading even though they tried to hid the book

"I tested the samples and they didn't match the ex's but the other two hadn't given samples before fortunately the next door neighbor has an alibi which leaves the boss"

"We should stake out this guys see what he does or if her returns to the scene of the crime" said Katsu

"Yea" agreed Laura and they jumped onto their bikes and 'The Who' music played. They rode toward where their suspect lived and stood inconspicuously near a stand and watched their targets house. Suddenly one of them was tapped on the shoulder

Started redoing them again now that I've caught up with crossposting to AO3