A/N: So sorry about how long it's taken me to get this chapter out. It was hell to write but thanks to my beta it's so much better now. Anyways I hope you all enjoy and hopefully the next chapter will be posted soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

Beta: Reenan Lefey

Chapter 5

On the eighth day they received their first C Ranked mission. Protect the bridge builder.

The day was bright and cheery, perfect for travelling. Despite a rocky start, (Kakashi had had to stop Naruto from attacking the insulting old man who had hired them) they were all in somewhat decent moods. Naruto was exceptionally excited being able to do a C Rank mission and leaving the village for the first time in his life. Tazuna, the old man, seemed to be himself (insulting) and Naruto was acting out against him like he would one of the villagers. The pair were at each other's throats through the first couple of hours of the journey. Only Kakashi noticed the suspicious puddle as they all walked pass.

All three Genin freeze when their Jounin sensei is taken out in the blink of an eye and a shower of blood. Two foreign ninja connected by a chain are a blur of motion as they attack. Sasuke recovers first, directing Sakura to protect the client. She grabs for a kunai and stands at attention in front of the bridge builder shaky but determined. Sasuke and Naruto move asone, perfectly in synch and using all the training at their disposal to incapacitate the first assailant but they are not fast enough to reach the second Sakura's death flashes before all their eyes as the enemy charges toward her and the client. At the last second their bastard of a Sensei, shows up, alive and well, between Sakura and the ninja, easily taking out the enemy.

Apparently the client had been lying about the mission level because his village couldn't afford a B rank. After a vote, they decide to continue the mission despite the changed parameters, much to Kakashi's displeasure.

Naruto swallows back his sense of impending doom when the water prison closes around Kakashi-sensei. This new threat, Zabuza, is well out of a Genin's abilities but he refuses to leave his sensei behind. He charges the water clone with his army of shadow clones, playing for time and wracking his brain for anything that could give him an edge. For once Sasuke is hanging back, protecting Sakura and the client, with a clear view of their captured sensei.

The plan takes less time to implement than it did to come up with. Their sensei is free in seconds, all thanks to Naruto and Sasuke's flawless teamwork, and Zabuza's body is taken by a hunter-nin from Kiri.

Naruto carries the unconscious Kakashi the rest of the way to Tazuna's house, where they will stay for the remainder of the mission. The three students meet Tazuna's daughter and grandson. Inari is an angry child and Naruto can see a little of himself in Inari. He doesn't pity the child though, he understands, but Inari is giving up and that is something Naruto doesn't approve of, so he tries to make Inari understand. The result is a screaming match.

During the week it takes Kakashi to recover, he teaches them tree climbing using chakra. It's the first chakra exercise their Sensei has had them work on since they've been together as a team. While they were happy working on teamwork skills and Taijutsu, they were excited to be learning something new finally.

Sakura is the first to master this while Sasuke and Naruto work for hours competing, each trying to better the other. Sakura was guarding Tazuna on the bridge while the two rivals continued to train.

Naruto pushed himself as he was known to do and ended up sleeping in the forest after exhausting himself training. He wakes to find what appears to be a beautiful girl. They speak for a little while and he helps her gather herbs. When she asks if he has someone precious to him, Naruto is happy to be able to answer the affirmative. He beams as he thinks of Iruka-sensei and his teammates, and the girl smiles back knowingly.

She is something special, sweet, smart, (Naruto didn't know an herb from a weed) and seems to genuinely enjoy his company. She's taller than him. But then, isn't everyone? She is taller than most girls his age though, probably a couple of years older. Every part of her seems to sparkle in the early morning light, her eyes, her hair, her smile, her skin, even her flowery yukata. She doesn't treat him like an idiot either, and patiently teaches him about herbs and remedies as they work.

Too soon, she stands to leave, expressing a need to return to her precious person. Naruto can only wish to see her again as he says his goodbyes. Before she walks away, possibly for good, she turns back to him once more with a sheepish smile.

"By the way… I'm a boy."

Naruto almost freaked out to know the person he had been conversing with was not in fact a beautiful girl but a very attractive boy. However, recalling what had occurred between himself and Sasuke some weeks ago, Naruto decided it really wasn't that big of a deal and went back to Tazuna's house regretting not getting the boy's name.

"A hero always shows up at the last second."

Kakashi was fighting Zabuza while Sasuke was facing off with the masked ninja from before when Naruto finally made it to the battle on the bridge. Naruto had been held up dealing with a couple of thugs who had attacked Inari and his mother. He didn't stop to think about what he was doing, all Naruto was thinking about when he appeared at Sasuke's side was helping him fight. Protecting someone important to him. Those words still echoed in his head.

The Ninjutsu used was like nothing Naruto had ever seen or heard of. They tried everything to break the ice mirrors but nothing was working. Then the unthinkable happened. Sasuke jumped in front of him and took an attack meant for Naruto.

Blood splattered Naruto's face, warm and wet. There were so many needles. The blonde lay there on the ground staring up at his teammate in stunned horror. That wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to protect Sasuke not the other way around and Sasuke may not hate him but the Uchiha certainly didn't like him no matter what he wished to believe. The distance Sasuke put between himself and Naruto proved that. So why?

Then Sasuke was in his arms not moving. Not breathing. Naruto was trying to get strong enough to protect his precious people. Sasuke was one of them. He was special to Naruto and he failed to protect him.

There was no time for grief, no time to let the tears that had gathered in his eyes fall. Right now there was only time to fight. Naruto saw red. Rage over took grief and all he wanted was to kill the masked ninja that took Sasuke, his best friend and rival, away from him.

Naruto was no longer tired and bleeding. So he struck, hitting the masked ninja and sending him flying through the previously unbreakable ice mirrors. That wasn't the biggest shock though. The biggest shock came when the ninja stood and his mask shattered and fell from his face in pieces. Naruto froze, his fist inches from contact, in recognition. The beautiful boy from the clearing. A person Naruto thought he could become friends with. Someone who taught him an important lesson about being strong.

Naruto was torn. This ninja killed Sasuke and he needed to die for that but Naruto simply could not make his body move to complete the attack. Naruto had no answer when the boy asked him why he stopped. He just let his body move and hit the boy, knocking him back and to the ground.

The boy spoke of pity while wiping the blood from his mouth and Naruto knew that wasn't why he stopped. Naruto needed answers. He wanted to understand what made the boy want to do what he does. He got his answers and they were more than what he was expecting. Here stood a boy too similar to himself for comfort. Someone else considered a monster for something he had no control over. Another person looking for recognition and acceptance but the other ninja wanted those from only one person. Someone who saw him as a tool not a monster. Someone who saved him.

The boy wanted Naruto to kill him. Naruto pulled out a kunai and moved towards the beautifully sad ninja but hesitated. He knew the other boy like he knew himself and didn't want to kill him even though a part of him was still demanding vengeance for Sasuke. He raised the kunai slowly while the other ninja stood in front of him passively waiting for his death.

At the last second though, the boy moved inhumanly fast. Naruto, thinking he changed his mind, chased after him. He didn't hear it at first. The sound of chirping birds. A sound that was out of place and he couldn't fathom why he was hearing that now. Then he saw it. His sensei, his hand surrounded with blue lightening running towards Zabuza. The boy running in the same direction and Naruto saw it all happening in slow motion.

The boy wasn't trying to get away. He was going to save the one person in his life who mattered by sacrificing himself. Naruto knew what was going to happen, he was pushing himself as fast as he could go, but he wasn't going to make it in time. He didn't know why he needed to stop it from happening but he wanted to stop them. So he scream as if his own life depended on it for Kakashi to stop.

He watched the unmasked ninja run in between Kakashi and Zabuza. Naruto froze just steps from the three of them thinking it was too late. Naruto watched the young ninja fall to his knees, blood soaking into the torn cloth of his shoulder. He saw that Kakashi just scored a glancing blow to the boy, nothing serious, and his Sensei had his hand buried in Zabuza's shoulder. A serious wound but the older ninja would be in some serous pain but would survive. Naruto could only breathe a sigh of relief. Zabuza hasn't moved an inch and he stays standing there with an almost bored look on his face even with Kakashi's hand wrist deep in his shoulder.

When Zabuza starts thanking, Haku, the young ninja for being useful, Naruto loses his temper and before Kakashi can warn his student to stay back he is there towering over the boy still kneeling on the ground in front of Zabuza. Kakashi was forced back a few steps when Naruto pushed his way in between the three shinobi, Zabuza merely grunted when Kakashi's hand was pulled from his body.

Kakashi relaxed his stance minutely, Zabuza's arms were useless and the boy at his feet was giving no indication he was going to move so he stood watch. Naruto opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted before he even began.

"Why?"

All three standing ninja looked down at the boy still kneeling before them. "Why what?" Naruto asked.

"Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

"You weren't defending yourself and you weren't attacking me. If I had killed you it would have been revenge not justice. I won't go down that path." Naruto tilted his head back to look up at Zabuza preparing to give the missing-nin a piece of his mind when another voice interrupted them.

Gatou showed up with a hundred of his underlings. They listened to him brag about the other's he had hired and killed, he never planned to pay any of them and now he was going to do the same to Haku and Zabuza.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry. This fight is over. Now that we have no reason to go after Tazuna, we have no reason to fight you." Zabuza said after Gatou's big speech.

"You're right." Kakashi replied.

The old man wasn't quite finished though. He lifted his cane with his undamaged hand and pointed it in Haku's direction. "I owe you. You squeezed my arm until it broke."

Naruto moved in front of Haku blocking him from the old man's sight. From the corner of his eye he noticed Zabuza hadn't moved at all.

"Aren't you gonna do anything? He's your friend and that guy is not only stabbing you in the back he plans to hurt or kill Haku." He shouted up at the older ninja.

"Shut up kid. We were used by Gatou just like I used Haku, that's all. I already said it, in the world of shinobi there are those who use and those who are used. We shinobi are simply tools… What I wanted was his blood, not him."

Naruto looked down at the boy he now knew as Haku. He had his head bowed and he was still kneeling at Zabuza's feet. "Do you really mean that?"

"…"

Naruto heard Gatou make a comment about annoying kids but ignored it. He pointed down at Haku as he shouted his words at the older ninja. "He really loves you. You are like family to him. He loves you enough to put his own life before yours. Do you really feel nothing? If I become as strong as you…Will I really become like you?"

"He was going to throw his life away for you. Without his own dream… To die as a tool… That's… Just too sad…" Naruto could feel the tears streaming down his dirty cheeks and couldn't stop them. He wanted to take Haku away and show him that he is better than a tool and that there are people out there who would appreciate the sacrifice he was willing to make. Naruto's eyes were trained on Haku's bowed head when Zabuza spoke.

"Kid…You don't…Need to say any more."

Naruto raised his head quickly in surprise at the hesitation he heard in the man's voice. What surprised him even more was the moisture welling in the older shinobi's eyes.

"It hurt him having to fight you…He's too kind. I'm glad we got to face you guys. You may be right kid. A shinobi is still human…We may not be able to become emotionless tools. Let me borrow your kunai kid."

Naruto threw the kunai in Zabuza's direction curious as to what he was going to do with both his arms useless and a fairly deep wound in his shoulder. He watched Zabuza catch the weapon with his teeth and nudged Haku in the back with his knee.

Haku tilted his head back to look at Zabuza who motioned in the direction of Gatou and his gang. Haku smiled at him and nodded. The younger ninja stood and walked toward Naruto, stopping when he was within arm's reach.

"Thank you Naruto and you should know he's not dead." Haku told him before walking toward Zabuza.

"Huh?" Naruto replied dumbly. It took him a moment of analyzing Haku's statement before he understood what the boy meant. Sasuke wasn't dead. Haku didn't kill him. By the time that realization set in Gatou was shouting for his army to kill everyone and Zabuza was speeding toward them with Naruto's kunai clenched between his teeth and Haku behind him preparing his own attack.

The gang of thugs was confidant they would win against both Zabuza and Haku until Zabuza reached those on the front lines and carved through them like they weren't even there. Zabuza cleared a path through a majority of the ones protecting Gatou, while Haku was taking out the ones that were falling in behind Zabuza but it was soon becoming clear to Naruto and Kakashi that just those two wouldn't be enough to kill them all, not in the condition they were in.

Naruto and Kakashi quickly made five clones each and raced into the fight. Zabuza finally made it to Gatou and proceeded to kill him with the kunai Naruto gave him still clenched tightly in between his teeth. The fight came to a standstill when Gatou fell to the ground dead.

In the middle of the silence Naruto heard Sakura shout out to him that Sasuke was alive. He knew that as Haku had already told him but when he looked over to find his best friend stand unsteadily with his hand raised in a wave, Naruto wanted to give him a hug, jump up and down happily and shout at the top of his lungs. But he did none of those things. He just smiled wide and bright saying 'welcome back Sasuke' loud enough for him to hear before he had to turn his attention back to the gang of ninja.

The fight picked back up again when it was once again interrupted. This time by Inari who was followed by what looked like every able-bodied villager from the island.

"Inari," Naruto shouted out happy to see the boy.

"A hero always shows up at the last second right?" Inari replied ginning.

Between the four ninja, their clones, and the villagers, Gatou's gang didn't stand a chance and fled. Zabuza collapsed finally having run out of energy with Haku sitting down heavily right next to him. He pulled out a sealing scroll filled with medical supplies and began patching the worst of Zabuza's injuries.

When Haku was done, Kakashi got Zabuza up on his back while Naruto did the same with Sasuke. The five ninja went back to Tazuna's house to patch up their wounds and rest. Sakura and a few of the villagers stayed behind to keep an eye on Tazuna while he worked for the remainder of the day.

Sasuke was disgusted with himself. It wasn't enough that he had needed Naruto's assistance every step of this mission and they tied in the tree climbing exercise, but he had actually been willing to sacrifice himself for that Dobe. Never again. Clearly he was a bit more attached to the blonde than he thought. He liked Naruto; he could admit that in the privacy of his own thoughts. But these feelings were a liability he couldn't afford as an avenger. And he'd actually allowed himself to be taken down by that pretty boy ice freak, whom dead last Naruto had somehow taken down.

Said ice freak was currently making time with his Dobe. Sasuke felt no shame as he leaned out the window so he could eavesdrop on the two boys on the porch.

"What are you two going to do now?" The sentence was spoken oddly softly for Naruto. He was attempting to be considerate for those who were already asleep inside.

"I don't know. More of the same perhaps. Look for someone to hire us. Try to make enough money to follow Zabuza's dream."

"Zabuza wouldn't do that to you. He said he doesn't want you to be a tool anymore, that you aren't cut out to be an assassin."

"It's not that simple Naruto-kun. It's not like we can settle in one spot with the price on his head. We don't have anywhere to go."

"Of course you do! You can come with us and live in Konoha. It'll be great. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will agree. And you guys are super strong. Old man Hokage is sure to hire you both as Konoha ninja. I bet the hospital in Leaf would want you. You're really good with medicines and stuff."

Haku giggled, "Naruto-kun, you can't just make decisions like that. There are politics involved with taking in a missing-nin, and no village will just take in strange shinobi. It's not safe. We could be spies or assassins there to kill the Hokage or kidnap clan heirs."

"Eehh, Gramps can take care of all that. He'll take you in if I say you're alright. And Kakashi-sensei can back me up."

Haku smile indulgently, "We'll see what Kakashi says in the morning."

Two weeks later found team seven along with Zabuza and Haku, fully healed and rested, standing at the now completed bridge, saying goodbye to Tazuna and his family. They said their goodbyes and Naruto reassured Inari that he would visit when he could. The six ninja left, four happy to be going home, two hoping to find a home.