whew I'm glad I was able to finish my homework, school kills me. At least I was able to get on with a new chapter, and I'm excited to write it too!

I can count on it that this is going to be an interesting chapter than the one before!

REVIEW after this one!

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: To the Rescue Again!

"Tweet! Tweet!" The calls of nature chirped for the sun, to rise together to make a much more beautiful day than the last one…

"ZZzzzzzzZZZzzz,"Naruto went on, "ZZZzzzzzzzzZZzzz…eh? Uh? Where am I?" Asked Naruto, not recognizing where he was last night, lying on a bench with a near by Ramen Restaurant. At huge focus of the Hokage statues. "I'm in Konoha…"he mumbled, "Oh crap! What time is it?" He panicked rush to a place where it has a clock. "Ek! 11:45a.m.! Oh shit now I'm in for it, I hope Kakashi-sensei is really late today!" He rushed to the bridge as fast as a jack rabbit.

Naruto finally caught up at the bridge, 'thank god Kakashi-sensei is no here yet!' he thought. He started slowing up as he starts seeing his team mates, Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura came up to Naruto started talking about tardiness. "Now, Naruto it's not good to be late, especially for a ninja—not including Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto was quiet for a moment, not having an excuse a quickly as he use to then a small came with his words, "S—sorry Sakura-chan!" Sakura and Sasuke looked at Naruto like he was some kind of alien. Naruto was silent not even noticing their reactions; he looked at the water passing through the ridge they were standing on. Sakura came up behind Naruto looking all worried about him, "Um, Naruto are you okay?" Naruto gave her a small smirk but only looking at the water passing by instead of her face then answered, "I'm doing fine…"

Sasuke still arms folded and leaning on the railing lifting an eyebrow at his team mate. Sakura putted her against her hips looking at Sasuke, and Sasuke looking at her with curiousness. Then Sakura started to complain, "Sigh, what is taking Kakashi-sensei so long, I cannot stand this tardiness of his, he shouldn't even be a ninja if he's always late. I mean if someone was to kill me right here and now, who would save me?" The other ignored there complained. Sakura had a glum look on her face then spitted out. "I guess nobody…"

"I'm sorry I was late everybody, I was caught in traffic." Said the silvered hair Jounin. Sakura bellow at her sensei, "Liar! How could get caught in traffic!" Kakashi scratched his head then looked at Naruto surprisingly not even upbraiding him about being late at all. Seeing Naruto looking at the water still, Kakashi looked at his other two subordinate with a 'what the hell is wrong with him face'. Sakura shrugged and Sasuke nodded to him.

Kakashi crouched down to height and asked,"Um, Naruto," Kakashi began, "is everything okay?" Like Sakura, Naruto did not look at Kakashi and responded, "I'm fine…" Kakashi stood back up then folded his arms like Sasuke and shrugged at the other two, then went back towards Naruto. Clenching on his left arm, "Ah, Naru—" "Ow!" Screeched Naruto loudly, it gave the other three a jump like they just saw a ghost. Naruto grudged his arm feeling massive pain on the arm. "Hey, Naruto, let me see that," demanded. She walked to Naruto looking right at his arm, rolling the sleeves up to his shoulder. The other two started to crowd him. They saw a white bandage with red blood bleeding through it!

"Gasp! What happen Naruto!"Shouted Sakura.

"Um…nothing…it. It happened during practice."

"That's a lie," interrupted Sasuke, "You couldn't have injured yourself a then, I was watching you the whole entire practice."

"Sasuke-kun is right," agreed Sakura, "plus I had the medical kits so you couldn't have possibly got one without asking me for one!"

Kakashi gave Sakura and Sasuke a glare. They both responded to his expression and they both just shut their mouths up and kept quiet, and waited for his response to Naruto.

"Naruto, just tell us exactly how you got that scratch?"

"Um…the bushes from the forest slashed my arm and caused it to bleed."

"Bushes from the forest?" Looking at Naruto surprisingly.

"Um…yeah."

"Why?"

"I just wanted to go for a night walk."

"Alone?"

"I was with someone…"

"With whom?" Sakura interrupted.

"Um…well…"

Then someone interrupted. "Team 7, wait a minute!" It was Shizune running up towards them like a stampede of animals, the four of them jumped wildly and got out of the way. She finally caught up to them and took deep breathes.

"Wait! Ahem, on be half of the fifth Hokage, here is your assignment." She declared than handed the scroll to the instructor, Kakashi, then smiled and blew away to the Hokage office.

"I wonder what the mission is." Stated Sasuke.

"Read it sensei! Read it!" Rushed Sakura.

"Fine, fine…" he went on, "Um...oh this is regular were just going to pick up someone from the forest and drop them off to Konoha."

"What this person's name?" asked Sakura.

"Well…" pausing Kakashi looking for the client's name, "Well all I can say that this person's name is T.H.?"

"That weird."

"Agreed," declared Sasuke.

Naruto finally looked at the other three's faces and muttered, "Then let's get going…I have a feeling this is going to be a very exciting mission, even with a person named like that!"

They all stared at Naruto. Then they grinned at him.

"I guess Naruto is bad to normal now," muttered Sakura.

"Well…I…" Interrupted Naruto.

"Hm? Well what," scolded Sakura, "Aren't you! I'm actually getting tired of you acting like this, what's with you today?"

"But Sakura—"

While those two start to have a conflict, Kakashi sighed and gasped, "Yep, things are back to normal."

"I get tired of this," said Sasuke.

"Yes, but its normal." Kakashi start walking as also the rest of the three to the forest…

"I'm hungry," declared Naruto.

"You're always hungry, Naruto," replied Sakura.

The four of them were strolling in the forest to find this T.H. guy.

"Kakashi, do you know where this T.H. person is going to be when we're about to pick him up?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm not exactly such, replied Kakashi skimming through the scroll, "all it says is that you pick T.H. in the forest, and so it could be sooner or later."

Naruto listened to the conversation while they were walking then he pictured of what happened last night. "Ratou..." he softly said.

"Hm? What was that Naruto?" Kaksahi interrogated.

"I...I said ramen! I want some ramen right now!"

"Seriously Naruto, this mission will only take about fifteen minutes so try to hold your stomach for that long, okay!" Sakura upbraided again.

Naruto sighed after that, and then he noticed his sensei giving him a suspicious look. Naruto started actually normal just so his suspicious level lowers down a bit. Which it did.

Naruto sighed again and thought, 'Ratou, when will I see you again?'

Kakashi started slowing up, 'hmm, this is too quiet, way too quiet, birds aren't even chirping as usual during a spring day like this. Something is about to unravel, I can tell…' Then Kakashi sped up faster to ketch up with his team.

Just like what Kakashi said, quiet, soundless, no tone to be heard, except for Sakura yelling at Naruto from time to time. Sasuke stares at Naruto because of his abnormal reactions. The trees swished swiftly, Kakashi stopped. The other three kept walking until Naruto stopped and asked, "What's wrong Kakashi-sensei?" He ignored Naruto then pivoted backwards and three kunai knives at the trees'leaves and three ninjas popped out from the top of the trees. The four on the ground had their fighting stance prepared for whatever might ever happen to them.

"Hm, looks like you guys found our hiding place, guess were it!" muttered the silvered hair low pony-tailed masked male ninja.

The four scowled at the three intruders. Naruto started at the three ninjas suspiciously. 'Wait a minute,' thought Naruto, 'these guys aren't wearing any headbands at all, just like the other four I met last night!'

The three ninjas charged after them. A tall black spiky hair guy did hand signs to perform a skill, 'Ninja skill-Shadow clone art. Copies of shadows that looked like him flashed. Naruto did the same thing, 'Ninja skill-Shadow Clone Art'. Sakura pulled out a kunai for protection. Kakashi uncovered his left eye, which revealed his left eye. Sasuke did the same thing, but using two instead of one.

The pony-tailed ninja glared at Kakashi and announced to his comrades, "I got this one guys!"

"Hai," copied the other two. They drifted apart to pair up with an opponent. Kakashi vs. pony-tailed ninja, Naruto vs. tall guy, and Sakura and Sasuke vs. shaded guy with a face mask on.

The battle started, Kakashi and the pony-tailed squeezed there hands with one another and pushed their hand against. The silvered pony-tailed ninja grinned and said, "So this is the great Copy Ninja huh? Hatake Kakashi.

"Guess I am famous around your kind." Kakashi replied.

"Indeed, the one who knows over a 1000 ninja skills is pretty impressive…"

"I'm honored."

They both pushed with full forces which caused them to break up and spaced out.

Sasuke used his hand signs 'Ninja skill-fire breathe!' then Sasuke blew flames which eventually made the ninja block it. Sakura gawked at the fire and didn't notice enemy sneaking up behind her. Sasuke yelled, "Sakura, watch out!" Sakura looked behind, gawking so widely in fear. She held up her kunai to block the hit, which did happened and worked. She stared at the ninja, noticing what Naruto did, no headband.

"Hey!" She yelled to Sasuke, "They don't have headbands on themselves."

Sasuke jumped to get Sakura out of danger and jump back up carrying her then observed at the opponent diligently, "it seems so…" he mumbled the answer.

Naurto's shadow clone traced down to pair up with one of the tall guy's clones. "Everyone paired up?" He asked.

"Hai!" The Nauto shadow clones answered.

"Too late, kid!" said the tall ninja.

Naruto thought quickly and blocked his move with one of his shadow clones. The Naruto clone went poof from that attack.

"It's over," the ninja mumbled.

"Yeah, right!" Replied Naruto. A few of Naruto clones gathered around the ninja and form a circle. Naruto punched him in the gut which sent him in the air a bit and his clones got into the action. Naruto began, 'Naruto Combo!' before he could deliver the final blow the tall guy jumped out of the attack and landed ten feet away from Naruto.

The other two regrouped with and negotiated on the next step of the plan.

"What should we do, Raikari?" The tall man asked the pony-tailed guy.

"Am not so sure yet," he answered, "maybe we should regroup and come back."

After he said that one his comrades, who was the one who faced Sasuke and Sakura held a kunai on the tall man's neck. Crouching desperately because of the height difference.

"What are you doing, fool!" The tall man asked.

"You obviously don't know who your comrade is…" the ninja spoke up.

Team seven looked at the situation. Naruto looked at the guy who was holding the kunai carefully. The other three were puzzled.

"What are you doing, Seako?" The pony-tail guy demanded.

"Do you really know who you're talking to?" he replied.

Seake poof into a different figure, which to Naruto is familiar.

"You!" hissed Raikari.

"Yep, that's me!"

Naruto smiled at he saw Ratou rescue him and his team mate. "Ratou!" he gasped happily. His team mates stared at him curiously.

"You know we're not after you," muttered Raikari.

"I know," Ratou replied.

"Nor any of those four!"

"Duh!"

"Then let him go!"

"Why is your organization around here then?"

Raikari grinned and thought of something, he pulled a small glass container from his pouch. Then threw on the ground, this caused Ratou and the gang to cough.

"Cough, cough," they all went on.

After the cloud of dust faded away, Ratou punched to the ground, cursed to himself.

"Dimmit!" he gasped.

Naruto walked towards Ratou. Naruto blushed, "Um, hey Ratou, glad to see you!" Smiled at Ratou and he stood up.

Ratou changed his and smiled also. "Hey, Naruto, I'm glad to see you too!"

The rest of the gang crowed the two. "Ahem," began Sakura, "Naruto, would you like to introduce us to your friend." She blushed when she saw the sights of him. "Oh, this is Ratou, the guy I met last night."

"Wow, so dreamy," she gasped to stared back at Sasuke and blushed more, "But Sasuke-kun is dreamier…"

Kakashi covered back up his Sharingan and greeted Ratou, "Nice to meet you!" Smiled with a happy warm welcome.

"Hey," muttered Sasuke, folding his arms.

"Hm, we better finish up our mission, our client would be mad if were late."

His subordinates scowled at him when he said that, then sighed.

"Um, who's the client's name?" Ratou asked.

"The name is T.H., weird name huh?"

Ratou blushed very red, coughed then spoke, "Um…that would…be me!"

The four them were in shock when they heard. Silence pervaded again. Naruto looked at Ratou and tried not to faint. A single sentence blurted out simultaneously from team seven, "WHO WOULD CALL THEMSELVES T.H.!"

Whew I finally finished this Chapter!

REMEMBER:REVIEW please!

Next Chapter: Chapter3: Ratou's Secret!

Wonder what the secret is?

By:Kakashigurl20