Warnings: Blood and violence, minor character death, and minor swearing

Please enjoy!


After a day of traveling, the group managed to get to the Land of Waves without much trouble. Besides, crossing paths with a few bandits here and there. However, most of them spotted the shinobi gear on the team and decided to run away. The three twelve-year-olds were still chipper about receiving their first C rank mission but had an underlining tension with a high amount of unknown danger within the mission. While Obito and Iruka remained calm and collected, both used to unwanted surprises popping up in mission no matter the rank. However, Tazuna seemed understandably anxious and in a hurry to return to his village.

"Are we there yet?" Naruto drawled out in a long whine for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Almost," Iruka answered blankly. While he continued his pace with the Uchiha sensei behind Tazuna, who was a couple of steps behind the genin students. Then the Umino sensed multiple low-level chakras nearby, "Obito-"

"I know," the Jonin-sensei replied, easily then added when he noticed Iruka starting to become tense. "I want to see how long it takes them to notice. That way, I can get an idea if any of them can be a sensor or not."

"How come we're not there yet!" Naruto yelled with growing irritation, which shocked everyone for a moment from the sudden outburst.

"Naruto, shut up already! We're not going to get there until we're there! So, stop asking!" Sakura replied in the same volume, glaring at her blonde teammate. Know that if there are any enemies around, the loudmouth Uzumaki could give away their location.

"Yeah, but if we're not there, why are there so many people around us?" Naruto grumbled with a pout as he asked in oblivious confusion. To the point where Obito thinks his Sensei's twelve-year-old son is trying to be an idiot.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, now joining the conversation.

However, before the blonde jinūriki could say anything, Obito gave soft applause. That caused everything to stop walking, as Iruka felt the chakra signatures coming closer and starting to surround their group. Obito didn't worry though, he knew that with his skills and the power of his eyes, he could execute all of the unfamiliar chakra signatures around them in under thirty seconds.

"Good job, Naruto!" The Uchiha sensei praised, ruffling the boy's spiky blonde hair. Then calmly asked the preteen, "can you give me an idea of how many people do you think are around us?"

"I don't know for sure... More than five?" Naruto replied, uncertain like he's asking the Sensei's a question.

"Correct! There are about fifteen people around, so all of you prepare themselves. They don't feel strong, but never underestimate your opponent," Obito lectured to his young genin students.

"Yes, Sensei!" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura respectfully replied as they stood taller, not wanting to disappoint their sensei. While Iruka gave the Uchiha a sharp nod in understanding, Tazuna kept a straight face.

Not much later, a heavy mist settled over the area as the group was in a clearing. Before being surrounded by fifteen men, that looked like a lot more like bandits than shinobi. The genin quickly gets into Monji formation around the bridge builder, as the jonin and chunnin start picking off the enemy one by one. Even though the three preteens still wanted to fight but stayed back to protect the bridge builder from any unexpected attacks. Mostly, being a stray kunai or shuriken whizzing towards, but easily blocked by the genin students.

When the last two bandits standing Obito roundhouse kicks one of them as if passing them to Iruka. The Chunnin-sensei decides to subdue the thug by hitting his pressure points. Similar to how academy instructors use pressure points to stop academy students from fighting and saving some of his chakras in the process. While the older Uchiha headbutted the other thug as charcoal eyes swirled to crimson red capture, the bandit in a genjutsu. The group watched as the Uchiha kept the bandit on his feet by his tight grip on the thug's grimy shirt collar. While the man started to blurt-out information on him and the group he is working for. Mainly about a greedy businessman named Goto. Then about wanting to get paid his share of money and supplies from the raids in the nearby village before they sell the hostages. That made the Leaf shinobi's group worried and concerned, but the thug started spouting out about members of their group found dead. While their potential profit disappeared, they muttered about some odd group shinobi wandering around the area.

Obito smirked at all the information they were getting and noticed that the bandit had no more information. So, the Uchiha used his genjutsu to put the man asleep and dropped him, letting the criminal crumble to the forest floor. Then Obito stepped over the body, moving to his team and bridge-builder to make sure all of them were okay. While the Uchiha was about to speak, he suddenly felt another chakra signature. This chakra was far stronger than anyone else they met in the Land of Waves.

"Get down!" Obito yelled when spotted, the fading light of the sun reflecting on a blade through the heavy mist.

Everyone dropped to the wet grassy ground when they heard the Uchiha call out, just as a massive sword pinwheeled over their head as the sound of cutting air loomed over their heads. Before the breeze carried the spinning blade up as the blade jammed itself a quarter of the way in a large trunk of a pine tree.

"Well, well, who would've thought that I would meet Obito Uchiha all the way out here," an eerily rough voice ranged out through the mist.

That was when the mist slightly started to clear, as a man appeared, standing on the steel hilt. Obito's eyes widened as he turned and looked at the man before narrowing dangerously. While Naruto moved to his Sensei's side, trying to get a good look at the newcomer with the dramatic oversized sword. The man had short dark brown hair with bandages wrapped around his lower face and upper neck. And a headband tied lopsided on the left side of his upper forehead as the metal plate of the headband showed the symbol of the Hidden Mist Village. The man also wore an X-shaped harness over his chest with light purple pants with thin dark violet stripes stitched straight down from one end to the other and white arm warmers designed with dark brown patches.

"Zabuza Momochi," Obito replied in an acknowledging yet mocking tone. While slowly placing a hand on Naruto's shoulders, gently guiding the blonde genin behind him back towards the group.

"Team Seven, stay back with the bridge builder," Obito ordered in a calm, serious tone, which the genin students knew that this was the time to do as they are told and to not doddle.

"What is the demon the mist doing here?" Iruka quietly asked as if he was thinking aloud. While holding a small scroll that Obito recognized as the Umino's scroll filled with defenses seals.

"I could have the same to you, hero of Kannabi. Or is it Obito of the Red Leaf," Zabuza answered in a dangerous tone. Obito and Iruka can tell that the Demon of the Mist was smiling under the bandages covering his face.

"Obito of the Red Leaf?" Naruto repeated in a confused tone as Sasuke, and Sakura gave similar looks of confusion.

"Depends? Where did you hear those nicknames?" Obito answered with a cocky smirk, but the group could see tense run through his body as his hand clenched into fists.

"Why the story of Kannabi Bridge is well known to everyone. That is all you need to know," Zabuza replied in a bored tone.

While he stepped onto the tree. While he casually pulled the sword out of the tree trunk. Then calmly walked down the truck of the damaged tree. If the situation wasn't so tense, Obito would have found his students' shock expressions were comedic. Since Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura have never seen someone walk on surfaces with just their chakra. Sure, they know chakra can aid them in jumping higher and running faster, but not strolling up a vertical surface, like a wall or a tree. However, this was not a time to teach. This was the moment of how they will get to Tazuna's village without suffering any casualties.

"I see. Then I guess we best be on our way," the Uchiha answered with a large grin as his posture shifted to a fake relaxed pose.

"Oh no. No one is allowed in or out of the village right now," Zabuza spoke out in a low warning tone as he stood in the path that leads to the village.

"Why? Is it because you are working for Goto?" Tazuna questioned in a dark tone. While the name of the greedy businessman rolled off his tongue like venom.

The bridge builder was no fool. He knew that this man known as the Demon of The Mist could end his life in more ways than he would ever know. Not that he wants to know. He may be an old man now, but he would prefer to die an older man than he is now. However, his grandson was still taken from their village, his home. When Goto's thugs started terrorizing the village, Inari and ten other children vanished from their homes and the streets without a trace. That was when Tazuna left, leaving his distressed daughter at home in the village. Determined and desperate to find help from the Hidden Leaf Village.

Zabuza laughed loud and hard for a few moments before answering with a more relaxed tone, "no. I have my reasons, but no one will pass without a fight."

Before throwing two kunai, instantly killing the two bandits that Obito and Iruka had just subdued. While the genin and the bridge builder gasp at the unnecessary killing. Obito and Iruka glared at the Demon of the Mist as the mist cleared, revealing the other thirteen bandits all laying dead from where they were knocked out from the Leaf Shinobi. Some of the thugs were killed with slit throats or a kunai in the head or other vital spots, as fresh blood stained the grass crimson while watering the already moist soil.

"Who is this guy?" Naruto loudly yelled as his fists trembled in rage at the unnecessary slaughter.

"Zabuza Momochi, a former Number of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist. He's also known as a Demon of the Mist due to his specialties in the silent killing technique. And the only one who passed his graduation exam," Iruka answered, in a grim tone, and keeping his eyes on the rouge shinobi blocking their path.

"So, what! We had exams too!" Naruto argued as he bared his teeth at the swordsman only a few yards away from him. While his sensei had a tight grip on the collar of his orange jacket. As if to prevent the blonde genin from charging the deadly Mist shinobi.

"True, but did you have to kill all your other classmates to pass?" Zabuza asked, in a matter-of-fact tone, as he stuck the massive sword in the ground while leaning on the hilt.

"What?" Sakura was shakenly questioned as her complexion paled at the thought of such a cruel exam.

"Imagine. You grew up together, you train together, you eat together, but then at the final exam, the proctors changed the rules, and only one of you will survive." Zabuza added, his voice remained in a dark, eerie tone, but Obito could see the darkness in his eye, the darkness that comes from trauma.

"A fight to the death," Sasuke muttered under his breath. Appalled by the idea of having to kill all his classmates to become a genin.

"It was the only time the village ever used such methods in their Academy program," Obito added in a solemn tone.

"Why would they do something like that?" Naruto asked, still horrified at the idea of having to kill all his friends in his class.

"Because we are Shinobi. We must be able to kill when needed, whoever it is, no matter our personal feelings. Besides, you don't count as a shinobi. You have not even taken in life. You're not even in my bingo book. Once you're able to be on a page in my book, then maybe you have the strength of a shinobi. Maybe then you'll have earned the right to be called a Shinobi." Zabuza spoke in a darker tone as if he was scolding the three students than threatening.

"That's enough, Zabuza. Let us pass," Obito warned, not wanting the rouge ninja to traumatize his students. However, Obito knew this experience, will help his students gain a better understanding of the dangers of the shinobi world. However, they need to make it out alive to make this a positive learning experience. Although, the Uchiha feels pretty confident since he has Iruka to watch his back and help protect and kids and the bridge builder.

"Sorry, but I'm not letting anyone through, not even Leaf shinobi scum like you." The Mist shinobi growled venomously as his dark eyes narrowed into a fiery glare.

"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you're going to get," Obito warned as his black eyes dangerously swirled into the glowing red of the Sharingan.

"Then let's see what's stronger your eyes, or my blade," Zabuza replied. Smiling under the bandages covering the bottom half of his face, as he raises his sword, preparing to fight.


A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a good weekend! Sorry, but my posting schedule will be changing to Saturdays since my working schedule got changed (again). Life is as busy as usual, but I'm trying to manage to where I can find time to write more. Sorry for all the grammar and spelling errors, I was trying to hustle through this chapter in the next chapter in Alone No More (which will hopefully be ready next week). Anyway, if you like this chapter, please leave a favorite and comment. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter, I hope it reaches your expectations, and I hope you all can look forward to the next update. Thanks again!

Although, I am curious, where do you think, this story is going to go next?