(Hey, guys. I know it's been months, but I've been preoccupied with other things. But now I'm back with the next installment.)

As Squad Seven and Tazuna continued down the path for the land of Waves, Naruto looked like he was concentrating, before speaking up, "Airazor and Waspinator confirmed there's no danger around us. At least not at the moment."

"That's a relief." Tazuna said.

"Even so we should still remain on high alert." Kakashi noted.

"Tazuna, any idea what other kind of assassins Gato might've hired to take you out?" Sasuke inquired.

"Gato spares no expense when it comes to preserving his ways. He hires only the best."

"So we could end up facing any kind of assassin or rogue shinobi?" Sakura asked in worry.

"Precisely." Kakashi answered, which didn't make Sakura feel any better.

High above them Airazor and Waspinator were flying while keeping an eye on things down below. As the bird maximal scanned around, she targeted a heat signature inthe forest trees, "Looks like we got a bogey. Better alert Naruto," she started communicating with Naruto through the chip in his forehead, "Naruto, this is Airazor, do you copy?"

Naruto concentrated, and responded, "I read you, Airazor, what's the situation?"

"I just pinpointed an intruder in the forest hiding in the trees. You're all closing in on its location."

"Think it's another assassin?"

"I'll bet my spark on it."

"Good job. You and Waspinator remain on standby and don't give yourselves away until I give the go."

"Roger that, Naruto. Over and out."

Naruto suddenly stopped which got his squad and their client confused, "Is something wrong, Naruto?" Kakashi wondered.

Naruto spoke quietly, "Airazor picked up a signature in the forest up ahead. Quite possibly another hitman." Sasuke and Sakura were surprised, while Tazuna was worried.

"What do we do?" Sakura asked.

"We should probably go around." Sasuke suggested.

"There's no way we can," Tazuna replied, "This is the only sure route back to Wave."

"Then we should probably get ready." Sasuke rethought his suggestion.

"No," Naruto replied, "We keep moving as if we don't know."

"What?" Tazuna asked.

"I agree," Kakashi spoke up, "If we act like we're aware of a potential hitman watching us they'll take off and strike from another location. But if we play ignorant then we'll have the element of surprise instead."

"Exactly." Naruto agreed.

"I don't know..." Sakura said concerned.

"Don't worry, Waspinator and Airazor are still watching us." Naruto assured her.

"Alright, let's move." Kakashi said, as the pressed on keeping it casual.

As they entered the forest and continued down the path, they each kept a straight face so to not give themselves away. While up in the air, the two flying transformers kept a close eye on them, as Waspinator spotted the mysterious figure, "Waspinator has all eyes on intruder. Intruder carrying something big. Intruder throwing big object!" he buzzed in fright.

As the group walked, Naruto responded to them, "HIT THE DIRT!" everyone dropped to the ground as something flew through the air like a boomerang before impaling a tree.

They looked up seeing a huge sword, "Whoa. Who does that belong to?" Sakura asked.

"To me." came a new voice. Appearing in the tree the sword impaled was a tall man with white cloth wrapped around his mouth, and the headband on his head bore the symbol of the Mist village.

"Who is that?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi squinted, "That sword and headband, you must be Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist."

"Guess my reputation still precedes me." the one called Zabuza snickered.

"Demon of the Mist?" Tazuna asked.

Naruto spoke up, "I've seen his image in the bingo book. A rogue shinobi from Kiri who fled his homeland after a failed assassination attempt on the Mizukage."

"The Mizukage had it coming." Zabuza retorted.

"So Gato hired you to kill Tazuna?" Kakashi asked.

"Of course, and to my luck I get to pit my skills against the infamous Kakashi of the Sharingan."

'The Sharingan?' Sasuke thought in confusion.

Zabuza pulled his sword out of the tree and landed on the ground. Kakashi armed himself with a kunai, and the two Jonin went at it.

"Guys, protect Tazuna!" Kakashi called, as the three genin surrounded the bridge builder.

"Leaving the old man's life in the hands of children?" Zabuza asked rhetorically.

"I trust them with my life." the Konoha Jonin answered.

"Your life's about to be taken." The swordsman called, as the two fought with Zabuza attempting to shop at Kakahsi who dodged resulting in a tree getting cut instead.

"A clean cut." Tazuna gasped, as the tree fell.

"That guy's no joke." Sasuke added equally shocked.

"He sure isn't." Naruto agreed.

"Naruto, you read up on him, what else do you know?" Sakura wondered.

Naruto answered, "Zabuza originally came from Kiri, and during the time decades ago their ninja academy system was lot different. Classes final exams was where you had to kill your classmates."

"They what?" Sakura asked feeling sick.

"Oh, yeah. Gruesome," Naruto agreed, "But Zabuza ruthlessly assassinated a whole class. And what's more crazy, he wasn't even a student."

"No way!" Sasuke gasped.

"Way," Naruto assured him, "That's what led to his reputation as the Demon of the Mist. Sensei's really got his work cut out for him. Especially against a former member of the Seven Swordsmen."

"Seven Swordsmen?" Sakura wondered.

"Yeah, a group of swordsmen from Kiri known for their skill in swordsplay and for wielding blades of tremendous power and skill."

In the midst of the battle, Kakashi gained some distance, "Guess I'm gonna have to use this." Kakashi lifted up his headband to uncover his one eye to reveal it was red with three tomoe in them.

"So the famous Sharingan." Zabuza noted.

"Sharingan?" Sakura asked, "But, Sasuke, isn't that your family's bloodline?"

"Yes."

"What's going on?" Tazuna asked.

Naruto answered, "Sensei's eye is Sharingan, a bloodline known only to the Uchiha clan. Sasuke's clan." he motioned to Sasuke who continued on.

"It allows the user to copy and mimic movements, and even jutsu as well."

Zabuza made hand signs, as Kakashi started mimicking them, "Water style: Water Dragon jutsu!" from a nearby lake erupted two dragons made out of water that collided with each other.

"And it looks like sensei, really knows how to use it." Naruto said.

Zabuza growled, and attacked Kakashi who was using his Sharingan to block and intercept the rogue's moves. Naruto deciding to help out, gave a quick mental command to the bots in the sky.

Suddenly laser shots were being blasted from above at Zabuza who barely managed to deflect with his sword, "What the hell?!"

Flying downward was both Waspinator and Airazor in robot mode, "Sorry to drop in without an invitation." Airazor joked.

Waspinator laughed, "Good one."

"What is this?" Zabuza asked while squinting his eyes.

"I brought in back up," Naruto answered, before holding out his communicator, "And here's something more. Optimus Primal, Megatron, transport!"

Teleporting before them was Optimus and Megatron in beast mode, "What are these things?" Zabuza demanded.

Optimus spoke up, "We're you're worst nightmare. Optimus, maximize!" he shifted to robot mode.

"Megatron, terrorize!" Megatron shifted into robot mode.

"Go get him, boys." Naruto ordered, as the two transformer leaders charged in and attacked Zabuza head on with Kakashi.

Zabuza swung his sword, only for Megatron to catch it in his T-Rex head hand and hold him in place. Megatron finally grabbed it out of Zabuza's hand and threw the blade to the side.

"Take him, Optimus!" Megatron called.

"Gladly." Optimus fought Zabuza using his raw gorilla strength to punch Zabuza back.

As Zabuza took the punches, he spoke, "Impressive for whatever you are."

"I'm just getting started." Optimus suddenly shifted into beast mode and grabbed onto Zabuza's body.

Zabuza struggled to break free, but Optimus kept his hold on the swordsman tight. Finally putting all he had into it, Zabuza broke free of Optimus and gained some distance, "Alright, let's see how well you can fight when you can't even see." he formed hand signs, "Water style; Hidden Mist jutsu!"

Suddenly the air around them started getting heavier, "What's happening?" Airazor looked around.

"A mist is rolling in." Optimus said.

"It's the hidden mist jutsu!" Kakashi announced, "Everyone hold your positions!"

As a heavy mist surrounded the ninjas and transformers, Zabuza's voice came from all around, "That's right. With the hidden mist jutsu none of you can see me."

"Guys, use your heatwave scanners!" Naruto ordered the transformers.

As the four tried searching the mist for Zabuza's heat signature, they were coming up nothing, "It's too thick. We're not sensing anything." Megatron answered.

"This is bad, without our sight, we're vulnerable to the silent kill technique." Naruto said in worry.

"Silent kill?" Sakura asked sounding scared.

"Zabuza is also a master of the silent art of killing. Stay close and alert."

Kakashi stood his ground and spoke, "Optimus. Megatron. Are you two close?"

"We're right beside you, Kakashi." Optimus answered, as he shifted into robot mode.

"Remember, Zabuza could come at us from anywhere. So don' let your guards down."

Waspinator and Airazor were hovering in the mist while looking around, "Waspinator have bad feeling about this." the predacon buzzed.

Airazor answered, "Keep it together. He has to be around here somewhere."

As the three groups stood their ground a blade was about to strike each of them. Megatron once again caught the blade in his T-Rex jaw hand, while the two flying transformers dodged, and Naruto and his squad grabbed Tazuna and hit the dirt.

"He's here!" Naruto called.

"No he's here!" Airazor called through the mist.

"I got him where he's standing!" Megatron called out.

"He's made clones of himself." Kakashi deduced.

"You don't miss a thing, Kakashi." Zabuza snickered.

"So we make go poof?" Waspinator asked.

"These aren't regular clones," Kakashi answered, "Knowing Zabuza's reputation, they're water clones. And unlike shadow clones, these ones have a big weakness."

"Silence!" Zabuza pulled his sword away from Megatron to attack the copycat ninja.

"Water clones can't go far from the caster, meaning they're all close to him!" Kakashi called, while dodging the sword.

"So we gotta separate them?" Sasuke asked.

"Easier said than done," Naruto replied, "But I may have a way to stop them. Inferno, transport!"

Teleporting in was Inferno in robot mode, "What is your order, royalty?"

"Crank up your flame gun to the max and singe these clones."

"As you wish," Inferno turned his flame gun up to full blast, and aimed it at the Zabuza, "For the glory of the Royalty!" he opened fire shooting a blazing blast of fire at the Zazbua who evaporated into nothing.

"A water clone." Sakura realized.

"Now get to the others." Naruto ordered, as Airazor who saw Inferno's flame shot through the mist called.

"Behind you!"

Inferno spun around and unleashed another blast from his flame gun at the Zabuza facing Airazor and Waspinator that evaporated, "Another water clone." the bird Maximal noted.

"Which means, this is the real one!" Kakashi realized, as he fought the real Zabuza, with Optimus and Megatron joining in.

Suddenly they saw the fog lifting, "The mist is lifting." Tazuna looked around.

"Zabuza must be getting weak." Sasuke deduced.

Inferno spoke to Airazor and Waspinator, "My comrades, we must assist our leaders."

"Yeah!" the two answered, as Inferno led the charge, as they aided Kakashi, Optimus, and Megatron against Zabuza.

Zabuza growled, as he tried another Water Dragon jutsu only for Kakashi to once again repel it with the same jutsu he copied from the swordsman.

"Kakashi, can you read the future?" Zabuza groaned.

"Yes, and your future is death!" The transformers were ready to attack again only for something to hit Zabuza in the neck making him collapse to the ground.

"Huh?" Squad seven gasped.

Dropping in was a figure wearing a mask, "Finally, I thought I'd never catch up."

"Who're you?" Optimus inquired.

"Based off that mask, you're a tracker from Kiri." Kakashi inspected.

"I am as you say," the person confirmed, "I've been tracking Zabuza for days now. I was afraid the trail went cold. Thanks to you all, my jobs been made easier."

Kakashi checked Zabuza's pulse, "Nothing. He's really dead."

Naruto squinted as he eyed the tracker, before giving a mental command, "Megatron, seize that tracker."

Megatron curious about Naruto's order obliged and went to grab the tracker who jumped back with Zabuza's body. This stunt shocked everyone.

"Naruto!" Sasuke gasped.

"What're you doing?!" Sakura asked in shock.

"That tracker's a fraud!" Naruto accused.

"Huh?" Kakashi and Tazuna were confused.

"Very convenient of you to show up right when we had Zabuza on the run and ready to be taken down." Naruto told the supposed tracker.

Kakashi thought, 'Now that I think about it, with just the right aim he could've landed a blow at a pressure point that could only put the victim in a temporary death state.'

"Guys, take him!" Naruto ordered the Transformers who all tried to attack together, only for the tracker to vanish with Zabuza's body resulting in them missing.

"He got away." Airazor grumbled.

"Well, that's just Prime." Optimus grumbled as well.

Kakashi sighed, "Well, at least we're still alive. Good work to all of you keeping Tazuna safe. And to you Transformers as well."

"It still feels like a Pyrrhic victory." Megatron noted.

"Well, a victory is a victory." Kakashi chuckled, before collapsing.

"Sensei!" Sakura cried, as they all rushed over.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Just overused my Sharingan." Kakashi managed to pull his headband down to cover his Sharingan eye.

"Can you get up?" Sasuke inquired.

"Not at the moment."

"Don't worry, we got you." Optimus said, as he and Inferno helped Kakashi to his feet.

"We should take him somewhere to rest." Airazor suggested.

"Don't worry. We're not too far from my home. We can rest up there." Tazuna said.

"Lead the way." Naruto said, as the bridge builder led the way with Squad seven and the Transformers following.

Meanwhile the tracker had appeared in another side of the forest safe from the others, before laying Zabuza down, "That was too close. I thought for sure this disguise would be enough to fool them. But maybe I should've waited a bit longer," he sighed, "No matter. Zabuza is safe, and I've once again served my purpose." he removed his mask to reveal he had a very feminine face.

(And there you go. Zabuza has made his debut and with the combined effort of Kakashi and the five Transformers they were able to hold him off. But now they know he has an accomplice, and will inevitably return.)