A hawk screeched overhead as Team Seven walked beneath the hot afternoon sun.

"Say..." Sakura looked over at the old man. "Mr. Tazuna?"

"What is it?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Your country is "The Land of Waves," right?"

"What of it?"

Sakura looked at Kakashi. "Say, Kakashi-sensei..." The Jonin looked at her. "Are there Ninja in that land, too?"

"No, there aren't Ninja in the Land of Waves... But in other nations, while cultures and customs are different, hidden villages exist, and there are Ninja there."

"To the many nations on the continent," Kakashi explained. "The existence of Shinobi Villages is a measure of the nation's military strength. In other words, that is how these nations maintain their relationships with neighboring nations."

Kakashi paused and slipped one hand into his pocket as he walked. "Even so, the villages are not under the control of the nations. They are equal in rank. On a small island like the Land of Waves, where it is difficult to be influenced by other nations, there is no need for a Shinobi Village."

"Among the respective nations that possess a Shinobi Village, the five nations of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth— due to their large territory and immeasurable power, are called the Five Great Nations." He looked over his students, who each watched him and listened. "The Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire, the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water, The Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning, the Hidden Sand Village in the Land of Wind, and the Hidden Rock Village in the Land of Earth. Only the leaders of each of these Hidden Villages are allowed to have the title of Kage; the Shadow."

"The Hokage- Fire Shadow, Mizukage- Water Shadow, Raikage- Lightning Shadow, Kazekage- Wind Shadow, Tsuchikage- Earth Shadow; the so-called Five Shadows reign supreme over tens of thousands of Ninja in each nation of the whole world."

"Eh?!" Sakura's eyes widened. "No kidding... Lord Hokage is really that incredible?" She smiled, masking her true thoughts. "I wonder if that blah old man is really that incredible... Seems fishy!"

Naruto crossed his arms and scrunched his face in thought as he remembered the Hokage's reaction to his Sexy Jutsu. "That can't be true! No way!"

"Hey!" Kakashi raised his voice and Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened as he interrupted their thoughts. "You guys just doubted Lord Hokage now, didn't you?"

They shook their heads quickly and kept their heads turned away from their teacher.

Kakashi patted Sakura's head. "Well... don't worry. There are no Ninja battles in Rank C missions."

Sakura smiled and clasped her hands behind her back. "Then, there's no worry of getting into a scrape with foreign Ninja!"

"Of course not." Kakashi reassured.

Sasuke eyed Tazuna suspiciously as the man's expression darkened.

Naruto walked over a plain wooden bridge and glanced down into the clear water at the fish as they darted through the water. Behind him walked the rest of the group, and he looked back at the road ahead. As they walked, birds twittered in the trees and Kakashi glanced down at the puddle on the road before turning his attention forward again.

Once they were far enough away, the puddle rippled and shifted and the head of a Ninja slowly emerged. The rest of his body followed suit and he gazed down the road to where Team Seven walked ahead. His eyes widened and he launched a second Ninja that had been on his back at the group.

Kakashi's eyes widened and a length of spiked chain wrapped around his body, each Ninja holding an end. They tugged it tightly and Kakashi was immobilized.

"What?!" Kakashi looked down at the chain.

"W-What?!" Naruto and Sakura's mouths hung open as they looked at Kakashi and paled.

"The first one!" The foreign Shinobi glared at Kakashi with murderous intent and both Ninja pulled at the chain, slicing through his body in a splatter.

The Genin stared in horror and Tazuna stepped back with his eyes round and his jaw clenched.

What remained of Kakashi fell into a heap on the road and kicked up a cloud of dust and dirt. Sakura screamed and stepped back, her arms up as a shield.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled and his heart pounded in his ears. Behind him, the two Ninja appeared and narrowed their eyes.

"The second one..."

Naruto froze in place and a chill shot through his body. "Crap!" He turned to see the pair as they lunged at him and he let out a scream.

Sasuke leapt into the air and retrieved Kunai and Shuriken from his thigh pouch and threw the Shuriken the chains, pinning the weapon to the tree as his Shuriken landed heavily on the trunk.

"Hm?" The Ninja looked up at Sasuke, who threw the Kunai into the center hole of the Shuriken and secured the chain in place. They pulled at the chain but found themselves unable to free themselves.

"It won't come off!" One of them growled to the other behind his mask.

Naruto stared as Sasuke landed on the Ninja's extended arms coolly. He smirked and clasped their wrists, using them as an anchor as he kicked them both in the face and knocked them to the ground.

"W-Wow!" Naruto watched Sasuke as he stood rooted.

The Ninja growled and the chain snapped and disconnected from their gauntlets. They broke free and jumped back to take run at them again.

"Whoa!" Naruto turned his head toward the attacker behind him as he was struck by the gauntlet and thrown to the ground, while the second ran toward Sakura and Tazuna.

"They're coming!" Sakura stared wide-eyed in front of Tazuna. "I have to do it... I have to!"

Sakura held up a Kunai in a defensive position and placed herself in front of the old man. "Get back, sir!"

The Ninja landed in front of her and reached out to her with his clawed gauntlet. Sasuke turned toward them with a scowl and stood in front of Sakura with his arms outstretched to the sides to block her. As the Ninja's attack nearly landed on the Uchiha, Kakashi's arm suddenly looped around his throat, with the second assailant under his other arm.

Naruto looked up where he'd fallen to the ground and gaped at the Jonin who so easily stopped them.

"Yo." Kakashi said simply to Naruto, and Sakura grinned in surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei! He's alive!"

Sasuke made a face at the Jonin. "Hmph! Show off..."

"Whaat?!" Naruto stared at Kakashi, then slowly looked at where Kakashi's body had fallen. "Then... what was that?"

Pieces of logs lay around the road and Naruto blinked. "So, Kakashi-sensei... used Substitutions..."

"Naruto." Kakashi looked at him. "Sorry I didn't help you right away. I got you hurt. I didn't think you'd be incapable of moving..."

Tazuna released the breath he had been holding and closed his eyes momentarily. "I was saved, somehow..."

"Anyhow," Kakashi approached Sasuke, still holding both enemies under his arms. "let me just say, good job, Sasuke. You too, Sakura." He looked at the girl, who blinked in surprise and then smiled.

Naruto helped himself off of the ground with his eyes wide. "I... couldn't do anything..." He froze in place once again as he remembered the brief skirmish. "But Sasuke... It was his first real battle... Didn't he feel scared at all? He saved me like it was nothing and without getting any dirt on his clothes...

He stood fully and kept his eyes on Sasuke, who stood with his hands in his pockets and looked off in the distance with a plain expression.

"Hey." Sasuke turned to look at Naruto with a smirk.

"H-Huh?"

"Are you hurt... scaredy cat?"

Naruto gulped and his face twisted into anger as he clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists.

"Sasuke!" He moved to lunge at him, and Kakashi barked at him.

"Naruto!" Kakashi eyed the blond carefully and looked at Naruto's hand. Naruto froze in place and turned to his teacher. "Those guys have poison on their claws. You need to take the poison out quickly."

"W-What?!" Naruto gritted his teeth and lifted his scratched hand to watch as the area began to swell and redden.

"You have to open the wound and drain the poisoned blood. Don't move so much. The poison will spread." He paused. "By the way, Mr. Tazuna..."

Tazuna blinked quickly and looked at Kakashi. "W-What is it...?!"

Kakashi turned slightly toward the man. "I have something to talk to you about."

Kakashi stepped back from the tree he had tied the Ninja around with his hands on his hips. Team Seven stood spread out around them, with Tazuna near Kakashi in the center.

"Chunin from the Hidden Mist Village..." Kakashi observed. "These guys are Ninjas known for continuing to fight no matter what the sacrifice."

The Ninja scowled at the Jonin. "How were you able to detect our movements?"

"Ordinarily, there probably wouldn't be puddles of water on a clear day like today, when it hasn't rained for days."

Tazuna glanced to Kakashi with his brows furrowed. "Knowing that, why'd you leave it to the kids to fight?"

"If I felt like it..." Kakashi kept his eyes on the Mist Ninja. "I could kill these guys instantly... But... I had to know." His eyes narrowed at Tazuna and he looked at the man from the corner of his eye. "Who the true target of these enemies was."

"Hm?! What do you mean?" Tazuna blinked and Kakashi turned to face him.

"In other words... what I mean is that I had to know if it was you, or one of us Shinobi who was being targeted." He paused. "We hadn't heard anything about you being targeted by Ninja. The content of the request was just supposed to be protection from gangs, thieves, and the like... This is a mission with a B rank or higher."

Tazuna's head lowered as Kakashi continued.

"The request was supposed to be for backup protection until you finished building your bridge... If our enemies were to be Ninja, the mission would've been estimated without question as an expensive Rank B mission. It appears there's some kind of good reason for this, but being lied to in the request won't do. This is beyond the scope of our mission."

"This mission is too much for us right now..." Sakura sighed quietly to herself. "Let's just give it up!" She shrugged. "We need an anesthetic to open Naruto's wound and get out the poisoned blood... we have to return to the village and take him to a doctor..."

Sakura gulped and shuddered slightly. "Besides, I'm already dead meat if Natsumi finds out that Naruto was hurt so soon into our mission!"

"Hmm..." Kakashi looked at Naruto who was staring intention at the back of his hand as the swelling and redness grew.

Naruto noticed Kakashi's gaze and blinked. "Huh? What?"

Kakashi glanced upward at the sky with one hand on his hip. "This sure is a burden...!" He sighed. "Since we need to treat Naruto's wound, shall we go back to the village?"

Naruto gritted his teeth and pulled a Kunai from his pouch. He held it up and then pierced his hand with the point, wincing at the pain and shutting his eyes as blood began to pour from the wound.

Their eyes widened at Naruto and he kept his eyes closed, trembling slightly as he held the Kunai in the wound. Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise and Naruto slowly opened his eyes, turning his back to them.

"Why am I so different?!" He muttered under his breath. "Why's it always me? Darn it..."

"Naruto!" Sakura stepped towards him and stared at the bleeding wound with her face pale. "What are you doing?!" She raised a hand over her mouth. "Natsumi's going to pulverize me for sure!"

Naruto clenched his jaw and remembered training in his room. Hours of reading, stretching, and pushing his muscles to the limit doing sit-up after sit-up.

"I should be getting stronger... Here I'm steadily carrying out missions and doing special skill training by myself every day..." His eyes watered and a heat spread through his chest, determination flooding his body. "I'll never get into another situation where I have to be rescued. I'll never be afraid or be a coward... I won't lose to Sasuke... I can't disappoint Natsumi... I swear all of this on the pain in my left hand!"

Naruto watched the blood fall to the ground and quieted for a moment.

"I'll protect you, old man... with this very Kunai knife!" He turned around with a fierce expression and held up his hand to show the group, smirking through the pain. "The mission will continue!"

"Naruto..." Kakashi placed his other hand into his pocket. "It's all well and good to rid yourself of the poisoned blood, but any more than that and you'll bleed to death."

Naruto stared blankly at him for a while and began to tremble.

"Things will get hairy if you don't stop the bleeding quickly... seriously!" Kakashi leaned closer to Naruto, smiling a little too broadly for comfort.

"Yikes!" Naruto began flailing as Kakashi squatted in front of him. "Agh! No! No! I can't die like this, I say!"

Sakura rested her hands on her hips and approached him, shaking her head.

"Show me your hand." Kakashi sighed.

Naruto extended his hand, still trembling and wiggling in panic. "Help me! Help me!"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "You're really self-abusive, aren't you! That's masochistic!"

Naruto calmed and Kakashi grabbed his hand and examined the wound. As he watched, the wound began to close on its own almost instantly, nearly steaming as the flesh came together and the bleeding ceased.

"The wound is... already starting to heal..."

"Um... um..." Naruto gulped. "Am I okay?" Naruto's teeth chattered, his face almost green. "You look awfully serious..."

Kakashi retrieved a bandage from his pack and began to wrap Naruto's hand with it.

"Well... you should be okay." Kakashi reassured him. "Is it the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox...?"

Deep in the forest where all sunlight was choked by the dense foliage of the canopy, a large, cone-shaped base stood with rope bridges running between the building and the massive trees surrounding it.

"Did you say you failed?!" A short man with blond, tightly-curled hair in an expensive suit glared at a group of Ninja that knelt before him. "I paid a lot of money to hire you guys because you said you were once hot-shot Ninjas!"

The little man gritted his teeth and pointed to the assassin lounging on the throne-like chair in the center of the room.

"Stop your damned grumbling." The assassin warned, his words muffled slightly by the bandages covering the lower half of his face. He reached for the hilt of his massive sword and gripped it, then swung it at the man. The blade stopped only a few centimeters short of his neck and the assassin continued. "Next time, I'll kill him with this... the infamous Beheading Sword!"

The man gulped and straightened his tie as he looked at the Ninja from behind his tinted glasses. "It's really okay, right?! It seems that the enemy has hired good Ninja to protect him. On top of that, a tightened guard on account of the Demon Brother's failure means it won't be easy..."

"Just who do you think I am?!" The assassin narrowed his eyes at his client. "This is Zabuza Momichi, who is known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist!