DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own. PLEASE REVIEW! I will take advice and suggestions from my readers while continuing the story.

Thinking

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

Emphasis

Naruto couldn't help but fight the sleepiness that was nearly overwhelming her as she laid inside her tent. They had stopped on their way toward the sea to camp, and she had a feeling it was as much for her sake as it was Tazuna's. Maybe Sasuke's too.

I just - I just straight out killed that guy like it was nothing!

Kurama hummed in her mind. "So be it. You read in the Bingo Book that the so-called Demon Brothers," he sneered their name in disgust, "were rapists and murderers, Naruto. This world is better off without such filth."

"Yeah, maybe. But they have a mother - and maybe more family and stuff! Who's to say that one of them won't come back to take vengeance on me?" Kurama rolled his eyes a bit. "Vengeance on the village? Oh, it's totally the cycle of hatred all over!" Naruto nearly whined the last bit as she pulled her hair.

So dramatic... "Enough! Go to sleep! You're exhausted and won't be fit to fight the Mist nin if you do not rest."

That was true enough. Still, though, how could she sleep? She was the team's sensor! Not to mention the fact that they'd already had a run-in with Zabuza. She'd thrown a shuriken and was sure if that low, pained grunt had been anything to go by, that she'd actually hit the "Demon of the Mist." Kurama snorted at that name. "How can you be so blase about this?"

"Because I am me and you are pathetic." Kurama laid his head down on his paws and closed his eyes. "I also agree that Ice-boy will be angered with his master for losing what is undoubtedly the boy's delectable treat."

Naruto agreed with that - well, the sentiment that Haku was probably at least secretly upset. It was hard to believe that ZABUZA, "You're-A-Tool-san," himself, would be carrying around a rabbit to use as a substitution; the white fluffball just had to be Haku's, and she intended to give it back to him. Zabuza's a 'tool,' alright... She regarded the white bunny sleeping in the wooden cage she hounded Tenzo to make next to her and scowled. "It's so uncool to make a living thing act as a substitution!"

"Other than using an Uchiha, I agree, kit. Momochi is truly detestable, and that is why you should not waver."

Oh gods, here we go again. Naruto had debated long and hard for years with not only Kurama but also Shikamaru about allowing Zabuza and Haku to die again. She didn't want that! She would not have their deaths on her or her teammates' hands and had several strategies to see that it didn't happen this time. Capturing the bunny played right into one of them. Hitting Zabuza, though, and him running away? No, she hadn't thought of that happening, but it could all still go alright…

Feeling the blonde half-brained kit's stubbornness, Kurama was too lazy to fight her - for the moment. "Sleep: I will stay awake and monitor the surroundings." Naruto looked at her Bijuu suspiciously. They both knew how much the fox loved to sleep; he probably loved napping more than anything, just like her aniki. "Tch! Don't compare my magnificence with the lowly Deer-boy." Naruto would've rolled her eyes at that, but was having difficulty even keeping them open.

She felt Kakashi's well-restrained chakra above her and knew that he was on watch. "What if Zabuza comes back, and…"

"Enough! I will protect your..." Here he groaned, "your measly 'precious people.' Not to mention the one you are truly worried about: your mate." Seeing Naruto's embarrassed flush as she squawked at the word, he felt some degree of satisfaction. "Sleep before I knock your ass out!" Naruto squeaked again and allowed sleep to overtake her.

Kurama smiled a toothy grin as he debated on one thing, however. If they come after the Uchiha, I'm not moving. It was hard to stay alert with such a delicious thought; he knew he'd dream of the Uchiha's demise happily if only he had not promised to stay awake.

Tazuna woke up to the smell of food and nearly vomited. Too bad he was out of sake to take away some of the hangover pain he was experiencing. He struggled out of his tent and was approached by the pretty, petite blonde woman who was nice enough, but simultaneously gave off vibes that were scary as hell.

"Ohayōgozaimasu, Tazuna-san. Here: you're not allowed to spit it on me this time, ne?"

"What? I would never!" He looked at the hideous mixed-green with bits of orange ball and nearly barfed from just the looks of it. "What the hell is that anyway?" He looked away and grabbed the woman's offered bottle of water before he blew chunks.

"Secret recipe, I guess you can say. It doesn't taste bad, it's just weirdly gummy or chunky, but I promise it'll do the trick." It was clear by Tazuna's expression that the man didn't believe a word she said. Naruto sighed. "You owe me anyway, old man! You did spit one just like this on me when we met: you were just too wasted to remember it, I'd wager."

Well, shit. That was embarrassing, and he really didn't at all recall being previously introduced to the team he'd been assigned when they'd met up at the gate the morning after he'd arrived in the Leaf. To think I reacted that way - and to a woman, no less. From what he'd seen of her so far, he was lucky to have escaped such a thing with his life or his balls. Feeling guilty over the whole thing, he took a tiny bite and gagged.

"Best to eat it in one go," Naruto said as she crossed her arms under her chest and waited patiently.

Tazuna grimaced and forced himself to follow her directions. By the time he'd finished chewing the monstrosity, his headache had already eased incredibly. "Wow! That's really something, Pretty Lady!" He ignored the way Naruto's lips twisted up at what he'd called her. "Is this how you ninjas drink so much? You'd probably get a pretty ryo for that concoction."

"Nah - and not all of us drink to excess, ya know. And it's… just something I kinda learned a long time ago. I've looked after a giant pervert, his wannabe gal-pal who's an alcoholic sucker, and just mixed their remedies with what I learned from a loudmouthed hothead." The blonde shrugged her shoulders, unaware that Kakashi's eyebrows shot up in surprise at her words as he was putting on his gloves inside his tent. "Think you can eat? It'll help!" Tazuna nodded his head as by now even his stomach was beginning to feel normal.

Naruto began to dish up the hearty breakfast she'd warmed up from her storage seal. "Whoa… Did you make all this?!" Naruto only nodded at the geezer's question and continued piling food onto plates. She gave the bridge builder chopsticks and continued her morning cooking and cleaning routine - outside this time. "This is great!" Naruto smiled at the compliment and passed a dish to a still-quiet Sakura who was giving her weird looks. "I tell ya what, Beautiful: you're going to make a hell of a wife someday. Maybe I'll - maybe I'll have to make you my own," he joked.

An annoyed Kakashi suddenly appeared between the two of them, startling them both. Naruto nearly fell into the fire. He felt a little better when Naruto called the old fart a pervert, and the man had been so obviously horrified. "It - it was just a compliment, I swear!"

Tenzo sighed once again as he grabbed a plate. Senpai definitely had it bad for the blonde, and wasn't that something? The only thing Tenzo could recall senpai being attracted to was the Memorial Stone. Oh, so very troublesome...

Both Shikamaru and Shikaku sneezed without covering their mouths at the breakfast table. They each got smacked in the cheek with a wooden spoon for their lack of manners from Yoshino.

It's just not appropriate, Tenzo thought. The way Tazuna had spoken, even in jest, to Uzumaki? Not appropriate. He looked toward Sai, who was eating much too quickly to be healthy behind his Icha-Icha Paradise: definitely not appropriate. The way Naruto was smiling at senpai: not appropriate, either. He shook his head and continued eating, knowing he didn't want to or even need to look at the others to know what was going on. The way Pinky would be undoubtedly be shamelessly fawning over the Uchiha: certainly not… WHAT?

Haruno was just eating, staring straight ahead of her, not even within inappropriate touching distance of the always-scowling Uchiha. He tried to release a genjutsu, but what he was seeing was REAL! Realizing that he was gawking at the two, he looked away but still noticed that it was only at that time that Sakura moved a bit closer to the emo. Tenzo tried to shake off the wariness he felt for some reason but realized that Kakashi-senpai was quietly observing the pink-haired girl, too. I need to keep an eye on Pinky.

Naruto was happy that everyone ate the breakfast she made and felt a little embarrassed by the thanks she received for her "excellent cooking" from the four oldest males in the group. Sakura didn't say anything, which made Naru a little sad; after all, she thought they'd made up a bit after they were assigned this mission. Sasuke was being a bastard, as usual, that is until she realized he was the only one in close proximity to her. She tried to ignore him.

"I heard you yell last night," Sasuke stated with a tone of dark amusement. Naruto swirled her head around to him in near, but not total, disbelief.

Did I have another nightmare? Did I really cry out? Why didn't anyone mention it?! She felt her cheeks heating up as her heart begin to race a bit. She didn't want to answer any questions about her problem, and could only feel a tiny bit of relief that she didn't remember any bad dreams she might have had last night.

"You should have never become a kunoichi," Sasuke sneered at her. Naruto's eyes went wide in shock before she started getting angry at the asshole.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, telling me that?" Naruto's hair started to rise, but she didn't care. Kurama was also now awake and plenty pissed off at the nerve of this douchebag, too. "Fucking Teme!"

"Oh, it's 'Teme' now again… Is it, Hime?" the Uchiha sneered. "It's just like Tou-san said: you aren't fit to be a ninja," he lied - somewhat. His father had said it once - and his mother had nearly put a kunai in the Uchiha Clan Head's eye because of it.

It didn't matter that she had no idea of what he was talking about - although there were tons of people that definitely didn't want her to be in the military. "Some of us don't have a fucking choice, you miserable cunt! You stay the fuck away from me, or I swear to Kami, I'll rip your stupid red eyes right out of your head, shit down your eye sockets, then shove a spiraling ball of doom so far up your asshole that it comes out your shitty-assed mouth." By the end of her tirade, she was snarling, and her eyes were no longer blue. It was only when she realized that she was being dragged away by big, strong arms from the little fucker that she regained any control of her temper.

"What the hell was that about?!" Kakashi asked in confusion. He'd just been about to pull up his headband to reveal his Sharingan because the Kyuubi seemed to be coming out to play - er, kill the last loyal-ish Uchiha.

"Nothing!" Naruto jerked away - or tried to - but Kakashi didn't let go. He just continued to stare at her, before giving up and wandering over to Tenzo.

"That brat's got serious problems, senpai," Tenzo whispered, feeling a little shaken at the uncharacteristically and completely stupid display of one of his Genin. Kakashi thought he meant Naruto and got right up in Tenzo's face. The Mokuton user put up his hands but continued. "I heard what he said to her: not cool; not cool at all." The hair on his arms went back to normal as Kakashi's subtle but effective KI subsided. He watched as Naruto threw together her pack, before sitting down to reorganize her scrolls. She had her back turned away from her team, which is something that should be completely fine when one is with teammates, but it seemed to anger Sasuke.

One of those, Kakashi thought. The Jonin had seen it at least a hundred times, though for the most part not among decent Leaf shinobi, particularly when they were with a teammate. Turning your back on another shinobi, especially an enemy, was seen as the ultimate insult by so many idiots… Sasuke began leaking Killer Intent and he watched Naruto turn around. At least she looks like her normal cute self again, minus the glare she glanced up at the Uchiha with.

"Keep staring at me like that, Uchiha, and you'll find yourself inside out, with your feet going through your eye sockets." Naruto began calmly. "Then I'll roast ya into nine distinct pieces that no one'll want to snack on since you probably taste so disgusting." She took a breath before smiling up innocently at the open-mouthed Tenzo, who was holding his old-style hitae-ate and head in his hands. "Are we ready to go, Tenzo-sensei? Kakashi-taicho?"

Kurama was laughing loudly and even lifted his paw and swirled it around in support of his precious kit. Not to mention his great backing of roasting an Uchiha after hours of torture. Especially THIS Uchiha.

Naruto moved along in their practiced formation to the left of Tazuna, who kept looking at her, then looking away. He's afraid. She sighed heavily, wondering just what the hell it was that set her off that badly. Usually, she could control that raging Uzumaki temper within her. "Gomen, Tazuna-san. My behavior was completely inappropriate." Tazuna nodded back at her, saying it was no problem, but she saw Sasuke's smirk and felt the urge to attack him once again.

Kakashi shook his head sadly after seeing the little prick's look of triumph at Naruto's simple, but heartfelt apology. Oddly enough for him, he'd felt like making the kid into a pincushion with kunais in various non-lethal or maybe even lethal areas of the brat's body for a moment. That wasn't like him. He normally didn't give a rat's ass about things like this, as long as the arguing shinobi weren't attacking each other - and even sometimes then...

The kid was a problem, though. As was Sakura, who hadn't reacted to the argument or anything else between her teammates at all. Considering how the girl was always creeping on and defending the Uchiha, something was wrong with her, too.

Moving silently across the water toward Wave, Naruto closed her eyes to sense where the rogue nin might be. The mist surrounding the boat was chakra-enhanced. No, wait! It's not that..!

"A barrier," she quietly exclaimed in wonder. "No - it's… multiple barriers!" How did I not sense anything before?! Even now she couldn't see the series of barriers, though, at least not until she closed her eyes - and then they were really blurry.

"Not bad, little lady," the boat's captain said with a smile. "It's been a long damn time since anybody's detected it, let alone worked on it. But it suffices, ne?"

"It's incredible!" Naruto said with her eyes still closed.

Kakashi pulled up his headband to observe the area with his Sharingan, but only saw chakra thinly blanketing everything in sight. He lowered it back down. Naruto had said that she sensed high-Jonin reserves escaping them when she attempted to pick off whoever it was and then grabbed the rabbit. He needed to save his chakra for the battle to come. Women and cute, soft things: honestly… Although, Naruto's soft and cute. Head in the game, Hatake!

Back up should be arriving within two to three days. He'd summoned Pakkun to alert the Hokage to the drastic change to the missions' parameters, as well as asking the pug to return with some things he really needed to take a look at from his family's old compound.

The captain continued to stare at Naruto meaningfully as he piloted the boat. Would he answer her earlier question about where these barriers came from? "Tell ya what sweetheart: where this came from? They're all dead and gone now."

Naruto's eyebrow shot up. "Uzushiogakure?"

The man looked surprised but nodded after a few moments of thought. Someone her age knows? Well, he supposed it wasn't that surprising. What was surprising is that she sensed the barriers at all. In his opinion, it was also surprising and a Kami-damned travesty for people to have forgotten about Wave's devastated sister land and the heroic warrior Uzumaki that once led them. I wonder…

"Ne, captain-san: which way is it to Uzushio?" Naruto asked sweetly.

"Maa, maa, Naru-chan, we're on a mission so let's keep our mind on it!" Kakashi wanted to stop what he just knew was running through his little wife's mind. There was no way in hell he was going to allow her to take off on an unsanctioned trip mid-mission, whether or not it was to visit her ancestral home on her mother's side. Seeing Naruto's full pout, he scoffed at the little vixen and stood back up.

"It's haunted anyway, Beautiful," the captain said after seeing the blonde so sad about her superior's rather lazy but still in-effect order.

"Meh, I bet I could walk there," she replied. "I just need to know what direction to…"

"Naruto," Kakashi warned in a bit of a sing-song voice with just her name. The blue-eyed woman's lips formed into an even bigger pout.

"Kuwaii," deadpanned Sai, not sounding like he meant it at all. He went back to his book, making Naruto twist her face up like a confused kitten.

Kakashi's eyes were on his blonde wife, wondering whether or not he'd have to tie her up. Uzumakis, Kushina-nee had often said, have an overwhelming need to live in or at least regularly visit their homeland. She wasn't allowed to go back once she received her promotion to Jonin, mostly because of her known relationship with Minato-sensei, along with the war. She was pregnant after the war ended, obviously. He was caught up in memories that didn't seem quite so sad anymore but kept his eye vigilant for whoever was going after Tazuna. Between him and Tenzo, they should be fine, unless it was a Kage-level rogue. Or he's got Jonin-level backup.

Haku sneezed out snowflakes making Zabuza let out a single, quiet choke of laughter that he quickly pretended didn't happen. Haku immediately apologized, as he made sure that his master's abdominal wound from a shuriken was neatly dressed. It was healing well, he was glad to see.

Tenzo's eyes were on Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke reacted to the idea of walking on water the way he thought the brat would, considering that he and Sakura had only mastered tree-walking the day before they left. He had been puzzled because of Sakura's lack of reaction, however. And she's the one from a civilian family! Has she seen someone water walk before? She must have. He remembered that Naruto had performed the task like it was second nature during their Bell Test, but Sakura hadn't been conscious at the time. Her reactions and mannerisms since before this mission began aren't reflective of the Pinky I've been previously observing. What could he do about it at this stage in the game though?

Team Seven plus Tazuna deboarded and stepped onto the grand bridge. Tazuna certainly was talented. The only partially-built bridge was already amazing to see.

Naruto crouched a bit. "The Mist has changed: he's here." Yeah, Kakashi and Tenzo already knew.