Hi again! This took longer than I thought; life has been kicking my ass! Anyway, with this part, things will really be cooking! Enjoy!


As Kakashi and Sasuke trailed Tazuna on his way to work, Kakashi remained ill at ease. "Whoever that was I sensed earlier…he's still following us." Thankfully, their hunter still hadn't attacked them yet; it seemed he had considered the two Konoha nin problematic, a problem that must be approached with care. However, one could not risk doing nothing in this situation. If he was intending to kill Tazuna, of which Kakashi had no doubt, sooner or later he would strike. They had to launch a counter-attack NOW.

"Sensei." Sasuke whispered, catching onto his teacher's agitation. "I take it we're still being tailed?"

"Hm." Kakashi nodded. "It will be a problem if we drag this on."

Sasuke dug into his shuriken pocket. "Then let's…"

"Hold on." Kakashi warned him, holding the genin's hand. "There's too many people around; we could get innocent people hurt in fighting out here, and, depending on the type of people we offend, could cause an international incident."

Sasuke growled. "So…"

"Allow me." Kakashi assured him. "Watch and learn."


Haku watched them from afar, planted on a rooftop flat as a rug. As Zabusa predicted, they were going to try to avoid him. Little did they know of the real danger back home…After letting them get a little bit of headway, he moved forward. When he looked above the railing, he found them moving away from the ocean. "They're avoiding the bridge!" That could only mean they were onto him now! Haku quickly ran after them, stealth no longer viable. He then remembered Zabusa's words: "It won't be long before they try something…when you see them change their routine, you must attack them before they get away with Tazuna! Tigre wants the bridge unharmed!" Haku produced what seemed to be acupuncture-like needles from his hands. Quickly, he sprinted across the rooftops and threw them, impaling both Sasuke and Kakashi in the back. The two fell over like logs onto the street. Haku ran over to inspect them. "That was too easy…" As he checked Kakashi for a pulse, his body suddenly vanished in a poof of smoke, Sasuke's doing the same. "I should have known this wouldn't be that easy…"


From inside one of the huts, temporarily vacant of occupants before they broke in, Kakashi carefully peaked at their would-be assassin from the corner of a window. "He's a kid." Kakashi thought with surprise. Couldn't be much older than Sasuke. Yet he exuded power on par with his. "Still, power does not equal skill." He reminded himself.

"What now?" Sasuke asked, crouching in front of Tazuna, the man practically planting himself onto floor, as per their orders.

"Shit." The old man cursed. "I was hoping you would be able to DETER attackers…"

Haku then turned their direction, apparently detecting their presence inside. "He's good." Kakashi thought. "Good thing I assumed the worst from the get-go…" Kakashi put his fingers together, using his chakra to trigger a trap…


An explosive tag, planted on the opposite hut across the alley, exploded. While Haku was far enough to not be injured, the shock still threw him off balance. While he was vulnerable, Kakashi jumped through the door and attacked. He brought down his kunai, but Haku brought up his needles. They weren't solid enough to block it directly, but using his technique, Haku was able to handle them like chopsticks and redirect him. Kakashi stabilized himself and tried kicking him, but Haku fell back. Quickly, he threw his needles, travelling faster than most average shuriken. Kakashi weaved past them, though one managed to scratch his armor. "He was aiming for my tekatsu!" Kakashi realized. This ninja was a pressure-point specialist! Quickly, Kakashi made five hand signs, ending with the ram, pressing both index and middle fingers together while the other two on one side wrapped the others. "Doton! Tsuchi Nami no Jutsu!" Placing his hand on the street, he caused the rock to rise. Haku cartwheeled away and made hand signs of his own. However, he used only one hand. "What?" Kakashi wondered. Suddenly, the air chilled around him. Kakashi felt ice growing on his Kevlar, threatening to encase him. Quickly, Kakashi jumped onto the roofs. The crystallization stopped, the freezing confined to that immediate area. However, that escape gave Haku the opening he needed. "Sasuke!"

As Haku went to enter their hiding place, he fell back as a large fireball flew towards him, Sasuke standing between him and Tazuna. "You want him, you'll have to get through me!"

"That can be arranged." Haku said. Quickly, Haku caused the water in the puddles around him to rise, and solidify, becoming pin-point needles.

The needles shot towards him, but Sasuke was ready, quickly making the sings of the snake, the rat, and then the tiger. Instead of breathing fire, he fired shuriken, but this time it was the weapons themselves on fire! "Katon! Hosenka no Jutsu!" The flammable shuriken evaporated the needles, but Haku remained unharmed as he formed an ice barrier in front of him.

Haku had no room to breathe, as Kakashi rushed forward to kick him. Haku jumped back, but it was close; he felt his mask get scratched. Kakashi quickly pulled out a kunai to finish him…and it seemed he hit the mark, his hand going right through the ninja's chest. However, the body quickly turned ice-cold, and it felt like glass was cutting into his hand. "A clone!?" Indeed, Haku formed an ice clone right before the kunai impaled him and made a bee-line for Tazuna. Kakashi tried to pull away, but his hand was stuck! The ice-clone wasn't just a distraction, it was a trap! He could break out in a second, but that was all the assassin needed to take out his target.

Sasuke rushed forward with his own kunai trying to cut him, but Haku simply jumped over his shoulder and straight into Tazuna. After that, there was nothing that could protect him…


"Aw man, this sucks." Naruto huffed as he explored the rooms of the small house.

"We have our orders." Sakura sighed. Secretly, though, she was bored as he was. "Okay, Sasuke-kun is good." Another part of her thought. "But surely he's not THAT good. I could help too!" It seemed this would be another uneventful day; for all the talk Tazuna told them about the wrath of Gato, no one attacked the family in their own home as of yet. Sure, there was that Yakuza incident, but that was an outlier! Sakura sighed again. She then looked to the window in front of the sink, where Tsunami was doing the dishes. And Sakura caught a very slight reflection. It was very faint, almost transparent. But Sakura definitely saw what seemed to be a metallic weapon! "TSUNAMI-DONO!" Sakura shouted as she rushed towards her. "GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!"

Tsunami looked at her, and it was at that moment something burst through the window. Sakura tackled her and got her away in time. She quickly got up and dragged her away. "NARUTO! GET INARI!"

Naruto reacted and ran upstairs. Upon reaching his bedroom, Naruto simply kicked it down. "What the hell, you jerk!?" Inari yelled, clearly planning to sleep in. Naruto saw the figure about to swing into the window. Miraculously, Naruto reacted in time and threw his shuriken at the would-be assailant. As the would-be assassin blocked the shuriken upon entry, Naruto used the distraction to roughly grab Inari by the wrist and pulled him away.

Seeing his first chance was missed, the assassin hissed and jumped back out the window.


The two ninja dragged the mother and son into the street. They would later learn dragging clients out in the open was generally not a good tactic, but in this desperate situation the beginners simply went with the simplest option. "What were those!?" Naruto asked. He tried not to show it, but that thing scared him to death! He didn't even recognize it as a person!

They kept running, when Sakura spotted a puddle. Remembering the weather from the past week, she remembered that it hadn't rained in days. Why would there be one in the street? Sakura's eyes widened in realization, as she held her arm out. "WAIT!" They stopped, when suddenly something very sharp erupted from out of the puddle.

The two fell back. Naruto saw some strands of his blond hair float to the ground, as a large man with an even larger sword stood in front of them. "Impressive." Zabuza noted. "You caught my trap. Very observant." Twirling his blade like it was nothing, he added "Too bad for you, that's the only compliment I can give you."

Naruto growled. "Well, if we're so unworthy, what are you waiting for!?"

"Oh, it's BECAUSE you're unworthy that I'm just here to observe." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly the two assassins from before reappeared. They were covered in black wetsuits, wore snorkel masks and had clawed gauntlets on their left and right hand respectively. Quickly, they linked themselves together with a chain and wrapped the mother and son in it. "That's why I'm leaving it to them." Zabuza said.


Haku closed in on Tazuna and shoved a needle into his heart. "Apologies." Haku said. "I hope you find peace in the afterlife." Tazuna suddenly flickered. "What the-?" Tazuna's shape then turned into Kakashi's. Haku retreated as the clone exploded, sending Haku flying back out into the open.

By then, Kakashi broke his hand free from the ice clone. "You're strong. Very strong." Kakashi complimented him. "But regardless, we will never allow you to get to Tazuna."

Haku huffed as he brushed his kimono of. "Perhaps not yet. Still, I think it's cruel."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke questioned, pulling out a kunai.

"Allowing the old man to live…when his family is probably on the other side by now."

Kakashi's eye widened. "He wasn't alone!" It hit Kakashi like a ton of bricks! Haku had used his chakra to mask that of his master's! It wasn't an uncommon technique, but for someone of this boy's age to accomplish it-! "How could I have been so stupid!?" He should have realized it the instant he saw him.

"Bastard!" Sasuke charged as he brought his kunai down, going for a head-stab. However, his body disintegrated into snow, the assassin long gone now. "Damn it!"

Kakashi ran back into the hut, opening a shoji door to the closet. The real Tazuna, having heard everything, rushed out. "MY FAMILY! I'VE GOT TO-!"

"We'll take you there!" Kakashi grabbed him by the arm as he leaped onto the rooftops, Sasuke closely following after them.

Though they were going faster than Tazuna thought was possible for humans, he had a lingering doubt they would get there in time. "If anything happens to them-!"

"We'll make it! You have my word!" As he said that, Kakashi's eyes widened at the path ahead of him. For a moment, he could have sworn that he saw two kids, one with brown hair and purple stripes across her cheeks, and a boy with ski-goggles and spiky black hair.

"Sensei! What's wrong!?" Sasuke shouted from behind.

Kakashi shook his face, their images fading. "It's nothing! Hurry!"


"Leave them alone!" Sakura raced forward and cut the chain with a kunai, her aim on point. Naruto put his hands together as his clones distracted the two brothers and hurried to get the family away from the assassins. "Incompetents!" Zabuza made a few hand signs, and water suddenly sliced the clones protecting the mother and son apart. The assassin then stood in their way, threatening them with his sword. Tsunami hugged Inari in close. "Your old man is on the other side by now. Normally, I'd finish you here…" He then looked up at his apprentices fighting the other two. "…but I feel I should evaluate these two first." Bringing his giant sword down close to them, he said "Watch as your so-called protectors fail you."

The two assassins clashed claws with blades against Naruto and Sakura, neither of the two genin doing well. Naruto was caught completely off guard when his opponent kicked him in the stomach and swiped his kunai out of his hand. Naruto fell flat on his back, his opponent eying him. Naruto suddenly felt himself tremble. He faced off against Mizuki; that should have been enough to make fighting others easier. But this felt different; it was like the assassin in front of him was pushing some kind of negative energy at him. Naruto just FELT death was certain. "Move!" His body would not move, as if completely paralyzed.

Zabuza smirked, sensing what was going on. "A very common technique from my home village, to project your chakra forward to intimidate your opponent. Against amateurs, it can completely paralyze them. It just means this boy had no business being a ninja."

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she blocked another swipe from her opponent. "Make your clones, we'll shield everyone!" Sakura saw Naruto wasn't moving. "NARUTO!"

Finally, the black assassin opened his claws and prepared to skewer the blond. At that point, Naruto just gave up. The assassin lunged forward…and Naruto suddenly felt himself tackled away. The paralyzing fear that had gripped him suddenly ebbed away, and he saw Sakura on top of him. "S-Sakura?"

Sakura hissed; it was clear she was hurt bad, taking the claws meant for him to her back. Getting up, she yelled "Baka! Get it together! We have to-"Sakura stopped midsentence, her body beginning to tremble. Her eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head as she collapsed on Naruto.

"Sakura? Sakura!" Naruto tried to wake her, but she was unresponsive. That was when Naruto noticed the scratches on her back; they weren't deep, but he noticed something purplish at the edges of the scratches.

"Their claws are coated with a specially home-made poison. Most victims fall into unconsciousness within seconds; it only takes slightly longer for them to die." Zabuza bragged. Tsunami and Inari shook in terror as they felt their own doom being certain.

Naruto crawled out from under her, as the two assassins slowly closed in on him, silently debating the best way to kill him. However, he didn't see them, only the girl before him. His mind then went back to Iruka, back during the incident he was taken hostage. Just like before, he was helpless to protect himself, so someone else had to fight for him. "She protected me-! All because I was too scared to do anything!" Naruto tightly gripped her hand. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"Enough!" Zabuza yelled. "Finish the boy and leave the girl to suffer! I will finish these two after!" The two assassins leaped towards Naruto…and felt themselves pushed back by some unseen force.

"What!?" Zabuza thought, also feeling that spike. "This chakra…this dread…I've never felt anything like this…!"

Naruto stood as he released Sakura, then turned his head up to stare at the assassins right in the eye, showing the beginning of some sort of transformation. His teeth elongated into fangs and his eyes turned red. The two assassins took a step back…and seemingly at the speed of light, Naruto was upon one, punching him square in the face. The dark assassin was sent careening into a building, and into the building after that. His brother finally got over his fear and made for a slash at Naruto. Naruto grabbed the claws with both hands, and twisted his arm, the bone giving an audible snap. "AHHH!" Naruto threw him down onto the ground and punched him hard enough to leave an indentation in the earth. Releasing him, it was clear his hands were cut, but the wounds sealed up immediately. The poison clearly had no effect on him in this state.

Zabuza was so entranced by what he saw, he did not notice Tsunami grab Inari and run away from their captor. Though the assassin refused to show it, he felt his hand tremble. Naruto then stared at him with his red eyes. "What is this chakra!? How can he possess more power than even Haku!?"

"I hope you're happy…" Naruto growled, his voice becoming deeper and echoing. "…because now, I'm coming for you!"


Kakashi also felt it; they were getting close to Tazuna's home, but Kakashi had little doubt he would have been able to feel this chakra well on the other side of the island if they were that far! "No-! It's already begun!?" "Hurry, Sasuke! We're almost there!" Kakashi picked up the pace, and now, he wasn't sure who he should be more concerned for: Naruto, or the assassin?


Naruto suddenly charged at Zabuza on all fours, the motion surprising the seasoned ninja. On reflex, he swung his giant sword. Under normal circumstances, this would have bifurcated the genin for sure. However, Naruto slammed his palm down on the side of the blade, burying it in the earth. Zabuza quickly got ready for taijutsu, certain he could match him in technique if not strength. Indeed, he easily landed a powerful punch across Naruto's face, but the boy didn't seem to feel it. Instead, he grabbed hold of his arm and threw him clear over his head. Zabuza was taken completely by surprise, he couldn't even land on his feet as he rolled across the dirt. "Uhh…" Zabuza was certain he broke the boy's jaw! Yet the boy looked more angry than hurt! Naruto ran at him again. Quickly, Zabuza made the sign of the ram, the snake, and then the dragon. "Suiton! Suikabe no Jutsu!" A wall of water rose in front of Zabuza before Naruto could reach him. Naruto's fist made quite a dent in the barrier, but he ultimately couldn't puncture it. It was enough for Zabuza to roll out of the way and put some space between them.

He quickly thought of the nature of this power…and, after thinking back to Konoha's known history to the outside world, came to one conclusion. "Of course!" he thought. "A Biju can't be defeated so easily! Not without a container-!" Zabuza sneered nervously under his mask. "I never thought I would meet such an individual on the battlefield!" Naruto stared at Zabuza, preparing for another attack. "I've only one chance to turn this around!" Zabuza unleashed needles in his hand. Naruto made a slashing motion at him like a lion, but Zabuza flipped over him, and quickly jammed a needle into the right side of his neck. Naruto stumbled, dazed at the impact. "That would have paralyzed a normal person!" Zabuza stared in awe. "I'll have to strike all his points!" Naruto charged at him as he stood on two legs again, slower than before. This time, Zabuza struck him directly, hitting Naruto in the other side of the neck, up in the arm, two between his hips…and finally one to the right of his heart. Looking like he was wrestling with a porcupine, Naruto was shaking as he struggled to stand. His fangs receded, and his red eyes became blue again. Finally, Naruto fell onto his arms, the boy breathing heavily as if he had gone through one of Kakashi's training sessions.

Zabuza quickly eyed his sword. He then noticed the woman and her son were out of his sight! "Idiot!" he cursed himself. "I should have finished them when I had the chance!" Grabbing the Kurobuchi by the handle, he lifted it. "Still, I should take care of the problem in front of me here and now; I can hunt those two down with ease afterwords." Zabuza raised the sword, and brought it down, only for Kakashi to stand in front of Naruto and block the blade with a single kunai.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!?" Naruto stuttered. Sasuke then jumped to his side, pulling a needle out. "OW!"

"Hold still!" Sasuke shouted, pulling the other one out.

"Ah, Hatake Kakashi. We meet at last. A pleasure." Zabuza said.

"I can't say the same, Momochi Zabuza." Kakashi answered back.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto breathed. "Sakura-chan…"

Quickly, Kakashi reached into a patch and tossed them a vial. "Make her drink it. It's a universal antidote; it should work on almost anything. Now hurry!" Zabuza finally managed to push Kakashi to the side, but he remained out of the blade's reach, and engaged him again.

While Naruto was rushing to Sakura's side, Sasuke looked back at Kakashi. To block that monster of a sword with a small piece of steel…his teacher's strength must have been incredible! And despite that, he did not yet draw his sword... "Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted as he turned her over. "Wake up!"

Naruto pulled out the vial as he tried to unscrew it…and the vial slipped out his hand. Both Sasuke and Naruto expressed a panicked look, as Naruto fumbled with the vial, practically juggling it, before Sasuke caught it. "Give it over here, you idiot!" Sasuke shouted. Supporting her head, he popped open the vial as he emptied its contents into Sakura's mouth.

After a tense few seconds, Sakura groaned, and opened her eyes. Despite the glassy look of her eyes, she could still see, as Sasuke looked over her. "Sasuke-kun…" she groaned. Her eyes closed again.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto panicked.

"Relax." Sasuke assured him as he felt her pulse. "She's stabilizing. She's going to be fine." Looking up at Naruto, he noticed his fists were clenched. "What now, dobe?"

"It's my fault!" Naruto chocked. "I froze, and she nearly got killed because of it-!"

Sasuke got up and forced Naruto to stand. "Are you going to let it happen again?"

Naruto looked at Sakura's sleeping form, and back to Kakashi and Zabuza dueling. Looking back to Sasuke, he said "Never again."

"Then you have your answer." Sasuke said.

They turned back to the two jonin-level ninja dueling, kunai vs freakn' large sword. "Kakashi-sensei's got him on the ropes!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. Given the difference of weapons, it seemed impressive to him that Kakashi could keep that large hunk of metal at bay. Looking to Sasuke's stoic face, he asked "Right?"

"If anything, it's the other way around." Sasuke answered. "He's good, but so is the other guy. And he has the better weapon."

"Most impressive, Hatake!" Zabuza shouted as he swung his sword, Kakashi blocking with the kunai. "Impressive…yet disappointing." Zabuza pushed forward, forcing Kakashi to let his arms bend as the blade came dangerously close to his neck. "It seems you have a fine sword there on your back. Why don't you use it?" Kakashi's visible eye only squinted. "It was your father's wasn't it?" Zabuza hissed. That seemed to have struck a nerve with Kakashi, as his body tensed. "Ah, yes. It must have been fun to be the son of the famous White Fang…until that mission, anyway!"

Kakashi seemed to have lost it, as he suddenly head-butted Zabuza in the face, putting distance between them. While the assassin was stunned, Kakashi jumped to the air and kicked him in the sternum, knocking him over. Before he could launch a third attack, Zabuza threw a sharp shuriken at him. Though Kakashi dodged, that moment as all Zabuza needed. Turning his sword the other way, he rammed the hilt of his weapon into Kakashi's solar plexus. While he lurched forward, Zabuza quickly landed a right cross against him. As Kakashi rolled away, he threw a smoke bomb on the ground. The smoke stung Zabuza's eyes as his opponent disappeared from view. "Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!" A fireball erupted from Zabuza's left, the mist ninja being forced to dodge. As he got up on one knee, he saw the smoke fading. However, Kakashi was already upon him from behind, impaling him in the back of the neck. At first, it felt like that was the end of the fight.

However, the body quickly softened. Suddenly, Zabuza's body splashed onto the ground in a puddle of water. "A Mizu Bushin!?"

Zabuza then erupted from the same puddle on the ground, his sword cocked back. "Kakashi-sensei, look out!" Naruto shouted.

Zabuza swung…and found his mark. Or so it seemed. Kakashi shot his head back at the last minute, and all Zabuza cut up was the cloth protecting his left eye. As Zabuza stared at him intently, he swung his sword back. It was a strike certain to find its mark this time around…and yet, Kakashi dodged it seamlessly as he rolled on his side. While Zabuza completed the arc, Kakashi shot back with a punch to his opponent's gut and a low kick to the knee, causing Zabuza to stumble. "That was close." Kakashi panted, holding his left eye. "Okay. I was hoping not to use this until the last minute. But you're good. I guess there's no point in holding it back now…"

Zabuza's eyes widened as he stared at Kakashi's second eye. A scar ran down his eye; judging by how deep the cut was, surely it would have destroyed the eye! Kakashi did indeed have an eye inside his socket, but it did not match the other one. The iris was bright red, and inside three tomoes surrounded the pupil. "That's…"

"Zabuza, allow me to introduce you to the eye that gave birth to Konoha's most famous dojutsu techniques…the Sharingan!" Kakashi announced. "And with it, I foresee…your death!"


And there you have it! The premier of the Sharingan!

I hope you enjoyed the callbacks and subtle changes here! I thought having someone on Team 7 getting hurt when Naruto freezes up would help his resolve later in the future, since in the original it was more his own ego that drove him afterwards (though not in a bad way).

If there's one thing I'm not proud of in this chapter, it was Zabuza letting Tsunami and Inari live. I tried to think of other ways for this to go down, but unfortunately what you've got is the best excuse I could think of. If anyone else has a better idea, I'd love to hear it (that's not sarcasm).

So, I will see you all next time!