"Talking"

'Thinking'

Jutsu/ Bijuu/ Summons

Flashbacks, Letters, and Setting

I don't own Naruto

Chapter 24: Mission to Wave Part 4

Gato tumbled across the ground as he was roughly thrown at Naruto's feet by Zabuza.

"Found the little rat trying to sneak away through the forest." Zabuza told Naruto.

Naruto crossed his arms as he looked down at the dirty form of one of the richest men in the entire world. "Well, well. Who do we have here? If it isn't big-shot-sama himself in the flesh." He proceeded to pick him up by the collar of his expensive business jacket.

Gato had never been so scared in his entire life. He had been scared at the ruthless efficiency of the Genin and Chunin who had massacred the majority of his thug army, but the man who was holding him up? He made those 6 shinobi look like bumbling babies, the way he slaughtered over 50 men with what almost appeared to be a dance, in less than a minute. He looked into the icy blue eyes of the blonde Konoha ninja, which contrasted sharply with the crimson blood that covered him, and he swore he could see the Shinigami looking down at him. The limbs he saw lying all over the bridge attested to the man's brutality.

"P-p-p-p-please! I-I'll do a-a-anything! I-I'll pay however m-m-much you want! J-j-just let me l-l-live!" Gato stuttered heavily, making Hinata look eloquent and confident by comparison.

Naruto's smirk turned into a look of disgust, as he saw a yellow liquid drip down the legs of Gato's expensive tailored suit. Still, he had Gato right where he wanted him.

"So, you don't want me to kill you, huh?" Naruto asked, and Gato nodded his head as if his life depended on it, because it did.

Naruto smirked as he pulled out several documents, which he had stolen from Gato's office the night Narumi met Haku. "Great! Why don't you sign these and hand over your company and entire fortune? I've already written and signed my part. All you gotta do is sign "Gato" next to "Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto", which I already signed."

Zabuza's eyebrows shot up when he heard the name. The man who had defeated him in combat was the son of the Yondaime Hokage and one of the last members of the destroyed Uzumaki Clan. He should have recognized that blonde hair and talent for battle earlier.

Gato was shocked at Naruto's impossible request, but one look at Naruto's face made Gato realize he would not budge. He held all the cards after all. He had been in that position many times before, and knew Naruto had no reason to let him off easy. He reasoned he could always make more money, but he only had one life after all. He'd recoup his lost fortune somehow and have this blonde son of a bitch assassinated. He would put out the largest bounty ever recorded just to have his blonde head preserved and put on his desk. But to do all that, he needed to get out of this situation alive first. He reluctantly signed the papers.

Naruto carefully read through the papers. He was now the owner of Gato's shipping empire, and one of the largest fortunes in the world. His parents' lost fortune was but a fraction of the immense wealth that he now held, even if he added his already sizable fortune that he earned from taking so many S-rank missions. He had to read the amount of Ryo he had just received from Gato several times to make sure he read it correctly. This was more than he had seen in his wildest dreams.

Narumi had never seen her brother smile a smile so big. 'Hey! How come he never smiled like that back home! Just what was on those papers?' Narumi thought to herself.

Naruto sealed the documents away. "Tell me one more thing I want to know and I won't kill you. Tell me where you hid all of your money that's not in your bank accounts. I have the power to tell if you're lying, so don't try any funny business." That last statement was a lie, but there was no way for Gato to know, and he wasn't about to risk his life to find out. Gato sang like a canary, telling Naruto where all of his hidden wealth was located, and the passcodes for his safes.

This couldn't have been a better day for Naruto. He decided to keep his word. "Very good. Thanks for all the lovely information! Since I'm in a good mood, I'll keep my word. I won't kill you."

Gato let out a breath he had been holding. Looked like the worst was over. Now all he had to do was figure out how to get his money out of his accounts before Naruto withdrew his money.

"Hey! Inari! Tell the villagers he's all theirs!" Naruto shouted out.

Gato's eyes opened wider than he had ever opened them before. "Wait! This isn't what we agreed upon! You said you'd let me live!"

Zabuza smirked. Ah, a double-crosser getting double-crossed. Sweet poetic justice. It seemed the gods were alive indeed.

"Hmm? What do you mean? I said I wouldn't kill you. I don't see my sword in your brain right now, do you? I never said I'd protect you, you know. What they do to you is none of my business." Naruto said with a straight face before he turned around with the biggest shit-eating grin you'd ever see on his face.

Gato's face paled as he fell to his knees. That damn bastard! How dare he! Did he have any idea who he was dealing with? He was Gato! Gato! He was more powerful than some Daimyo! He couldn't be treated like this!

He looked up when he saw hundreds of feet in front of him, only to see the angry, yet smug faces of the hundreds of people he'd screwed over.

"You thought your day of reckoning would never come, huh?" Tazuna said to Gato, saying what was on the minds of all of the villagers who had gathered.

Gato was speechless, and began shaking in fear. He knew what was coming.

"This is for my dad, Kaiza!" Inari yelled as he slapped him in the face. That started off the lynching by the crowd. In a matter of minutes, Gato's battered body lied on the bridge, next to the bodies of the thugs he had hired to terrorize the people of Wave, unmoving. He was dead, beaten to death by the people he had stolen from, sold, beaten, raped, and killed.

Wave was finally free.

The people of Wave cried and cheered as their new reality finally set in, and people were clapping and hugging each other all over the place.

The Genin and Inari were a little unsettled by the brutal way Gato was killed, but the fury during the lynching and the unbridled jubilation at their liberation served to show how much the people of Wave had suffered at Gato's hands. Besides, the Genin had done their own share of killing that day, so they weren't in the position to judge.

A Couple Days Later, At the Bridge Completion and Wave Liberation Celebration

The people threw the biggest party they had ever thrown in the last 50 years, to celebrate 2 momentous occasions. One, for completing the bridge, which connected them to the mainland, and to the Land of Fire, and two, to celebrate their liberation from Gato.

Naruto had collected all of Gato's money, and he had generously donated a fifth of the massive fortune for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the village. He had also paid for all of the alcohol and food that the villagers were enjoying at the festival-like party, and the people of Wave were immensely grateful to him.

They had even tried making him the Daimyo of Wave, but Naruto had politely declined, instead suggesting Tazuna, as he had risked his own life to save Wave. The people readily agreed, and Tazuna reluctantly became the newest Daimyo of Wave.

Zabuza sat at a table near the massive bonfire in the middle of the town, eating his food with Haku and the Demon brothers. He had been recovering under the care of Haku and Hinata, and Haku was surprised and grateful for the valuable insight Hinata was able to provide with her Byakugan and medical knowledge she had learned from Shizune.

Zabuza looked around, and saw people celebrating, drinking alcohol freely, dancing, and singing. So, this was what it was like when an oppressed people overthrew a tyrant. He sighed and chugged from his bottle of sake. It was all dandy for the people of Wave, but he was now back to where he was before this whole mess with Tazuna and Gato began. He needed to get more funds for the rebellion for his own home country. He wondered if he would ever live to see this sight in Kiri.

He was broken out of his thoughts when Naruto came and sat at his table.

"Mind if I join you for a drink?" Naruto asked the former Kiri ninja.

Zabuza shook his head. "Not at all. It's your celebration after all."

Naruto chuckled. "Please. This is Wave's celebration, for their own liberation, not a celebration for me. They're just happy I bought their booze. Boy, can they drink."

Zabuza chuckled as well as he took another sip.

"How about you three join my Genin for a second? I'd like to talk to Zabuza alone." Naruto told the Demon brothers and Haku, who agreed and left.

"So, what did you want to say?" Zabuza asked, curious at Naruto's sudden change in attitude.

"Well, you're kind of famous. Tried to kill the Mizukage, failed, and ran away. Now you do odd jobs as a missing-nin, doing whatever to make money, like working with scum like Gato." Naruto said indifferently.

"Right. Thanks for reminding me." Zabuza said as he rolled his eyes. He took another long chug.

"Yeah. It's a waste you know. Someone of your skill degrading yourself like this. I know you're not done with the Mizukage just because you had your ass kicked once. I bet you plan on fighting him again one day if you can."

Zabuza was getting annoyed at Naruto's lack of tact. "So, what are you getting at? What is it you want to tell me?"

Naruto smirked as he pulled out a scroll, and handed it to Zabuza.

Zabuza was a bit annoyed, but he took the scroll anyway. His annoyance vanished when he opened up the scroll and read what was written in it. His mouth hung open, and his eyes were bulging.

"… You can't be serious." Zabuza finally said after a few moments of speechlessness. "You're giving me 100 billion Ryo?"

Naruto grinned. "Well, I guess you could see it that way. I guess you could also see it as funds for the Kiri rebellion, and for rebuilding Kiri if you guys win."

"… Why would you go so far to help us? We have nothing to do with you." Zabuza asked, unable to believe what was happening. This was more money than he had been able to gather for years. The amount he had managed to scrape together wasn't even close to 1% of what Naruto was offering.

"And the people of Wave had anything to do with me? Let's just say I hate seeing people suffering under stupid tyrants." Naruto said to Zabuza, as his mind went back to that mission he and Itachi had back in Ame, where he saw helpless civilians and children get massacred by Hanzo's shinobi as they tried to flee from the tyrant Mizukage in Kiri. He had seen a lot of violence, but that sight had stuck with him throughout the years. He was able to relate with their plight, growing up as an orphan in a rebuilding village, and feeling helpless with nobody caring about your wellbeing.

"Besides. If you guys win, maybe Kiri and Konoha could have improved relationships. I mean, I don't want my sister's new friend to be in an enemy village. Hard for them to stay friends that way, you know. Anyway, what do you say? Sounds like a win-win situation, no?"

Zabuza couldn't say anything. If he turned down such a ludicrous offer, he would be an idiot, and Zabuza was no idiot. "Fine. I'll accept."

Naruto smirked. He would let Zabuza play it cool. "Well, now that that's done, I'll be going. Enjoy another bottle." Naruto said as he grabbed a bottle from the platter of a server who walked by, and placed it in front of Zabuza. "It's on the house." He then began to walk away.

Zabuza watched as Naruto walked away, before yelling out to him. "Hey!"

Naruto turned around. "Hmm?"

"…Thanks…" Zabuza said in a voice that was almost too quiet for Naruto to hear.

He still heard him though. Naruto gave him a smile and a thumbs up, and walked away.

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto… I'll remember that name…" Zabuza muttered to himself. "This one's in your honor." Zabuza said to himself as he took another sip of sake.

Back at Tazuna's House

It was nearly 3 in the morning, when Naruto came back. The Genin had already been sleeping for the last 2 hours.

He took off his shoes, and was about to head to the guest room he was sharing with Sasuke, when the door to Tsunami's room slid open.

"Hello, Tsunami-san. Did you enjoy yourself at the party?" Naruto asked the older woman.

She nodded. "I sure did. We haven't had a celebration like that since… well, ever. At least not as long as I can remember."

"I'm glad to hear that, Tsunami-san. Wave deserves it after suffering for so long." Naruto said with a rare soft smile.

"We owe it all to you. Thank you, Naruto-san. If it wasn't for you and your team, our village would have been doomed. You brought us hope, freedom, and now, a better tomorrow." Tsunami said gratefully. "You've helped not only Wave, but you've brought my son out of the darkness as well."

Naruto smiled. "You're quite welcome." He began to head upstairs, before a thought popped into his mind.

"Actually, would you mind having a drink with me, Tsunami-san?" Naruto asked.

Tsunami blushed a little at the thought of sharing a drink alone with the handsome savior of Wave. "I'd like that Naruto-san."

Naruto poured each of them a small bowl of sake. He just wanted to have a drink and talk, not get wasted. They began to drink, enjoying their sake and the conversation they were having.

"It's amazing how you managed to keep your family above the water when everyone else was going under. It attests to your skill with managing finances." Naruto complimented Tsunami.

"Why thank you. I've studied business a little bit before Gato came, and I had to get creative with how to make money to feed my family." Tsunami replied.

Naruto smiled. "I have a proposition for you, Tsunami-san. How would you like to be the new CEO of Gato's shipping empire?"

Tsunami was taken aback. "What?"

"I said, how would you like to run your own company? I'd like to make you the new CEO of Gato's shipping empire."

"…Do you really mean that? I mean… as amazing as that sounds, I'm not sure I'd do a good job…" Tsunami told Naruto.

"If you were able to keep your books in the black during the worst recession in Wave history, I'm sure you can do a good job with Gato's company. Besides, I'm too busy to run a company, and you're someone I can trust. I know you'd be able to do a fantastic job."

Tsunami looked at her reflection in the cup as she thought. Here was a chance to completely change their lives. They had the opportunity to go from struggling to get by, to becoming wealthy beyond imagination. She thought about all the opportunities she could afford for her son, and all the good she could do with the money. She could really make a difference in this world.

The only thing holding her back was self-doubt. Could she really handle such a responsibility? She was just some small-town woman, who barely had any experience running a business, let alone a massive company on the scale of Gato's empire.

After a bit of contemplation, she decided she wouldn't let self-doubt destroy her chance at making a difference in her community, and the world. The gods had presented her with an opportunity, and she made up her mind not to let the chance slip from her fingers.

She looked up to see Naruto's beautiful blue eyes waiting patiently for her response. This man had changed her entire life in a matter of weeks, in so many ways. She was immensely grateful, and vowed to herself that she would never let him down.

"I'll accept your offer, Naruto-san. I'll give it my all to run it properly, and not let you down." Tsunami told Naruto with strong resolve evident in her voice.

Naruto chuckled as he watched the petite woman in front of him go from self-doubt to showing such strong resolve, one befitting a warrior. He knew he made the right choice.

"Alright! Sounds good. I know you won't let me down. I know I made the right decision today."

He raised his bowl of sake, and motioned her to do the same.

"To Gato's-" he paused. That didn't sound right. He decided he would rename his new company. "To Wave Shipping Company and her newest CEO! May they always prosper!"

Tsunami smiled. She liked the new name. "To Wave and her savior!"

The two clinked their bowls together after their toast and drank their sake. It was the start of their beautiful relationship as business partners, and of a new era for Wave Shipping Company.

A few days later, on the bridge

The whole village had gathered to see Team 7 off, and they had decided to do the bridge opening ceremony on the same day, with Team 7 receiving the honor to be the first to use the bridge.

The people were all sad to see their beloved heroes leave the village, and asked them to stay a little longer, but they had to politely refuse, saying they had to get back home.

Zabuza decided to stay for a few more days to recover before heading towards Kiri, and was also present to see Team 7 off.

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto… I'll remember that name." Zabuza said as he raised his hand to shake hands with Naruto.

Naruto smiled at the bandaged man in front of him. He saw many similarities in the man, including his need to hide his emotions and his awkward attempt at hiding an emotional goodbye by trying to look cool.

He reached out and grabbed Zabuza's forearm, and Zabuza did the same with Naruto's. It was a man's handshake. Or at least, they thought so.

"Heh. Why thank you. Good luck with your fight against the Mizukage." Naruto responded, and Zabuza nodded before stepping back.

Haku came forward to give Narumi a farewell handshake as well. She had never really had friends before, and was very unfamiliar with goodbyes.

Narumi smacked her hand away, before enveloping her in a bear hug. "Forget a stupid handshake! This is how real friends greet each other goodbye!"

This was new grounds for Haku, but she decided she enjoyed it. It made her feel warm inside in a way she hadn't felt in years. She would look to get more hugs in the future.

"Thank you, Narumi… You're my first friend… and… I'll always cherish our friendship." She said shyly before stepping back. She was just as terrible with goodbyes as her master was.

"You will all always be welcome in Wave. Please come visit again! We'll surprise you with how much we'll change for the better!" Tsunami said cheerfully as she waved goodbye.

Naruto had given her further funds to give out as interest-free loans for people seeking to build up their lives and businesses again, and she intended to have Wave become more prosperous than ever, to show Naruto his faith in her and the village were not misplaced. The people of Wave and Tsunami owed him big time.

Nobody was sadder than Inari at Team 7's upcoming departure. He had really bonded with them during their stay, even though they had a rocky start to their relationship. He really enjoyed Narumi's bubbly personality and Hinata's kindness, but he would miss Naruto especially.

"Do you have to go? Can't you stay another week or so? Maybe we can hire you for another mission or something?" Inari suggested.

Naruto laughed and ruffled his hair. "Hey! I barely got Tazuna to pay the proper amount for his mission, after I basically gave him that money too! Besides, my Genin have families they need to get back to. Use your money for better things, brat." He said fondly.

Inari's face failed to hide his feelings, as his face fell. He wondered if he'd ever see them again.

"Listen, I've got to get back home to my own village, but who knows? Maybe I'll come by again in the future. I've invested quite a bit in your village you know." Naruto told Inari who brightened up a little.

"Now, I don't want you to go back to being that whiney little brat you were when we first met. I need you to be strong, and look after your mother and grandfather, ok?"

Inari nodded. He wouldn't let Naruto down.

Naruto gave him a smile. "Good. I like that look in your eyes. I know you won't let me down."

He unsealed a scroll, where he continued to unseal a wooden training sword that Narumi once used as a child, and a training scroll for basic kenjutsu katas.

"Here. I have a feeling you'll be able to put these to good use." Naruto said as he handed Inari his gifts.

Inari's eyes had stars in them as he eagerly accepted the gifts bestowed upon him by his hero.

"Train hard, ok? I might just drop by to see if you're slacking off, alright?" Naruto told Inari.

"Of course, nii-chan! I'll work my butt off and become a skilled swordsman just like you!" Inari responded back.

Naruto chuckled. "Good to hear that."

He pulled out his ANBU chokuto and handed it to Tsunami.

"Hold on to that for me. If Inari trains hard and masters all his katas, you can give that to him for his 12th birthday."

Tsunami nodded and took the sword.

Inari was ecstatic. The sword that was used to free Wave was now being passed down to him! He would train every day to earn the rights to that sword.

"Anyway, it's time for us to head back to Konoha. I'll take your proposal for an alliance and trade agreement with Konoha to the Hokage." Naruto told Tazuna.

"Alright Team 7! Let's head back!" Naruto told his team, and they turned to leave.

Tazuna handed Naruto a large pair of scissors to cut the ribbon on the bridge before he left. "Please. Do us the honor, and officially open our new bridge!"

"Does the new bridge have a name?" Naruto asked as he received the scissors.

"Yes! We decided to call it: the Bridge of the Swordsmen, or alternatively, the Swordsmen's bridge." Tazuna announced proudly.

Naruto and Zabuza both smiled. What a fitting name.

"The Swordsmen's Bridge, huh?" Naruto mused on the name. "I like it. But I can't cut the ribbon with these then." Naruto tossed the scissors back at Tazuna.

"Oy! Zabuza! Mind lending me that toothpick of yours for a second?" Naruto yelled out to Zabuza.

Zabuza decided he would let Naruto's disrespect slide just this once. He tossed the Kubikiribocho to Naruto, who grabbed it with one hand, with the help of some chakra. He wasn't as strong as Zabuza was after all.

He looked over the legendary sword, admiring the excellent craftsmanship, and the love and care that went into maintaining it.

He raised the sword, and swung the massive blade to cut the ribbon. Everyone cheered loudly, as the Bridge of the Swordsmen was officially in commission now.

A Few Days Later, in Konoha

The Genin on Team 7 couldn't have been happier to enter through the massive gates of Konoha. As much fun as they had in Wave, this was their home, with all of its pros and cons.

They still had to give their reports before heading home, and before long, they were in front of the Hokage in his office, giving their mission reports.

Naruto gave his report last, after his Genin. He told the Hokage how the mission went, but he left out some details, especially regarding what happened to Gato's wealth, or how he spent it.

He had only brought back a small portion, which was still a huge amount of Ryo, to Konoha, saying he raided one of Gato's stashes.

The Hokage spoke after attentively listening to all of the reports.

"I see. You've all done an excellent job on such a difficult mission. With the involvement of Zabuza and the demon brothers, this mission will officially be raised to an A-rank mission, and you will all be paid the corresponding pay."

The Genin looked at each other, proud of their achievements, and excited at being praised and paid so richly by their Hokage. This whole mission was awesome, and they couldn't wait to tell their friends.

"You are all dismissed now. Except for you, Naruto-kun. You stay."

Naruto winced when he heard that. He knew what was coming. Great.

The Genin were oblivious to Naruto's plight and gladly left, excited to see their friends and families again after over a month of being away.

When the door closed behind the Genin, Hiruzen turned his attention to Naruto.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!? YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN THOSE KIDS KILLED!" Hiruzen yelled at the top of his lungs. He was furious that Naruto had breached standard protocol so recklessly and egregiously.

"You should have reported the breach of contract and returned to Konoha immediately. This is a gross violation of mission procedures for Genin."

"And then what? Leave the old man to die? I'm sure that would have been great for Konoha's image, abandoning a client because we got scared by some stupid Chunin." Naruto argued back.

"WE COULD HAVE SENT ANOTHER TEAM! They may be stupid Chunin to a shinobi of your caliber, but you have a TEAM OF FRESH GENIN WHO'S ONLY DONE 5 D-RANKS!" Hiruzen shouted at Naruto.

The secretary outside the door was worried. The Hokage usually never yelled like that. The ANBU hidden in the room however, were barely able to hide their snickers as they watched an ANBU legend get chewed out.

"Sheesh. You don't have to yell. Let me remind you, that it was those very Genin who defeated them. We have to push them to really let them grow, you know. I know you didn't train the Sannin by babying them."

"Those were different times, Naruto-kun. And none of them were clan heirs of our most important clans, who would have thrown a fit if anything had happened. I've already heard enough complaints that I was showing your team favoritism, and if anything had happened, it would have been a disaster." Hiruzen told Naruto, a little quieter, forcing himself to calm down.

"Yeah, but it wasn't a disaster. It was a huge success that went beyond anyone's expectations. We saved an entire country, and they are indebted to us. They even asked us to be their allies, and offered us favorable trade deals which would help out with our economy. I'm sure that would shut councilwoman Haruno's mouth, no?" Naruto reasoned. "And I know the loot I managed to bring back will be appreciated."

Hiruzen had to give him that one. Naruto always did things a little unconventionally, but things always seemed to work out better than what was expected from the mission. It was the damn Uzumaki in him. It was that same unconventional attitude which had made them the greatest seal masters of all time. Hiruzen supposed there was no point trying to change something or someone who consistently brought back stellar results.

"… Fine. I'll let things slide since you've brought back undeniably great results, but one of these days, your disregard for the rules will come back to bite you in your butt." The Sandaime told Naruto.

"I've been hearing that ever since I joined the ANBU at 11, Hokage-sama. And so far, my butt has remained unbitten." Naruto said as he turned around to point at his rear.

"… just get out of here. I want the written report by tomorrow." Hiruzen said as he dragged his hand down his face.

"As you command, Hokage-sama." Naruto smirked as he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Since you all find this so funny, one of you guys can sweep up this mess." The Sandaime told the ANBU who were supposed to be protecting him.

Sighs could be heard from the corners of the office.

The Uchiha Household

After a long day of work, Mikoto was excited to see her son again after his mission which kept him away for over a month.

She invited Izumi for dinner, as the girl had almost become a daughter or niece to her. Sasuke would probably appreciate her being there as well.

She picked up some mackerel and pickled tomatoes, two of Sasuke's favorites, to have for dinner with her son.

The three Uchiha soon found themselves at the dinner table, for a home cooked meal Sasuke had been missing.

"So how was your first C-rank mission, sweetheart?" Mikoto asked her son.

"Actually, it ended up being promoted to an A-rank mission." Sasuke said nonchalantly as he reached for a piece of grilled mackerel.

Mikoto dropped her chopsticks. "WHAT?!"

"Oh. But everything went well. You don't have to worry." Sasuke replied as he ate.

"AN A-RANK? AS GENIN? AND YOU WANT ME TO NOT WORRY?" Mikoto couldn't believe her ears.

Izumi put her hands on Mikoto's shoulders to help her calm down, and sit back down, as she had stood up in the middle of her yelling.

"Perhaps it was just an A-rank for some technical reason, Mikoto-sama. Why don't we hear what his mission was like?" Izumi suggested.

Mikoto wondered if she was overreacting, and decided to hear Sasuke's retelling of the mission himself.

Sasuke didn't see what the big deal was, not realizing the seriousness of the situation, and told the two Uchiha policewomen what had happened on his mission.

"WHAT?! ZABUZA? THE DEMON OF THE MIST ZABUZA?" Mikoto was about to faint.

Izumi was shocked too. "That was very… irresponsible of Naruto-kun. I can't believe he decided to let you guys continue the mission after realizing there were ninja that were at least Chunin level that were involved. I didn't expect that from him."

"Hey! Don't talk about Naruto nii-san that way! What's the big deal anyway? We took care of them pretty easily!" Sasuke argued.

"Calm down Sasuke-kun. I wasn't saying anything bad about him. I'm just surprised he let you guys fight Chunin on your first mission out of the village." Izumi told Sasuke.

"You were never like this when Itachi went on his missions. Do you not trust me to handle myself on mine? Besides, it was good experience for us. I even got to try out the Hosenka no Jutsu (Phoenix Sage Flower Technique) on the mission, Kaa-chan."

Mikoto realized she might be treating Sasuke a little unfairly, as Itachi was doing even more dangerous missions at an even younger age. Maybe she was being over protective.

"I suppose you're right. I just worry about you, you know." Mikoto admitted.

"You know we just worry about you because we care for you, Sasuke-kun. I guess we were just surprised because the situation was just so unusual. Trust me when I say we have faith in your abilities." Izumi told Sasuke.

"So, were you able to pull off the Hosenka no Jutsu without any problems? You were having some issues making the jutsu work properly during our time training." Mikoto asked Sasuke, deciding to forget about the fact that he was taken illegally on an A-ranked mission, and focusing on the positives.

"Yeah. Naruto nii-san has us train our elemental affinities and chakra control constantly, and the extra training with Kakashi-sensei helped me get the hang of it." Sasuke told his mom.

"Wow! Now you can do 2 Katon jutsu! That's pretty impressive for someone your age!" Izumi commented.

"Actually, it's 3. Naruto nii-san and Kakashi-sensei taught me the Ryuuka no Jutsu (Dragon Flame Technique) as well. I was actually able to use the shuriken in the Hosenka no Jutsu to set up the wires for the Ryuuka no Jutsu." Sasuke informed the 2 women.

Izumi whistled, impressed at Sasuke's skill, while Mikoto looked at him with a warm smile. She was proud of her boy. He was showing the same prodigious talent that her husband and Itachi had shown.

"That's very impressive, Sasuke-kun. Most people wouldn't think to connect those 2 jutsu! Looks like we got a genius here! You're gonna be stronger than me in no time!" Izumi told Sasuke.

Sasuke enjoyed the praise, but his mood soured slightly when he remembered one thing that had been bothering him.

"I mean, I guess it's cool, but I'm still far being a genius. I haven't even unlocked my Sharingan yet." Sasuke mumbled.

Despite all of his achievements, he felt inadequate. After all, what was an Uchiha without their Sharingan?

"I'm sure you'll unlock your Sharingan soon, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to be so anxious. It'll happen when it happens." Izumi told Sasuke in an effort to make him feel better.

"Sasuke-kun, you'll unlock your Sharingan when you need it most. You don't have to worry about it never activating." Mikoto also told her son.

He nodded in agreement, but inside he was having some doubts of his own.

'Why is it taking so long for my Sharingan to activate? Am I not challenging myself enough?' He figured he would ask his sensei for advice.

At the Senju Household

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WAS AN A-RANK MISSION?!" Tsunade yelled out in shock at hearing Narumi's tale at the family dinner.

"Super cool right? It was everything I imagined a mission would be like, unlike those stupid D-rank missions! We fought some bad guys, protected some people, and even saved an entire country!" Narumi boasted.

"Naruto! I can't believe you would risk your whole team like that so carelessly! You allowed your untested Genin to fight 2 missing-nin Chunin?! Alone?! What were you thinking?!" Tsunade scolded her blonde nephew.

"Sheesh. How many times am I gonna have to hear this today?" Naruto complained as he picked his ears from all the screeching he was hearing. "I've tested them, and I knew they were capable of putting up a fair fight against them. Besides, I was right there if anything went wrong. So why don't you can it, ya old hag. I don't need to hear about being careless or irresponsible from you."

Tsunade glared at Naruto. He promised he wouldn't tell anyone about the details on how he found her, but he hinted at it all the time. That cheeky little bastard.

Shizune cut in before things escalated further. "But I'm impressed you were able to beat them! The demon brothers are on the bingo book as C-ranked missing-nin! I'm not sure any other group of Genin would have been able to fight them as well as you guys did! Great job!"

Tsunade turned her glare to Shizune. That traitor! She was supposed to help her scold Naruto, not indirectly praise his decisions.

Narumi was rather oblivious to all the subtext going on, and beamed at Shizune's praise. "I know right? Our team is awesome! We all work so hard to become stronger, and we motivate each other to try harder too! Our teamwork is pretty great! You should have seen the way we were beating those thugs left and right! It was all like, boom! Pow! Slash! It was pretty awesome. Can't wait for another A-rank mission!"

The 3 adults gave her a strange look.

"What? We did pretty well on this mission, no? We proved that we can handle A-rank missions, so they should give us more, right, nii-chan?" Narumi asked.

"As well as you guys did, this was a fluke. The demon brothers weren't prepared to fight Genin who were as well trained as you guys were, but if they didn't underestimate you guys after they thought they took me out, they would have easily beaten you. Also, they only raised it to a B-rank. The A-rank was from Zabuza, who I fought, not you guys. He would have destroyed you guys. So, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Naruto told Narumi, who seemed to deflate at hearing him.

"Well, you guys still did a great job, so don't feel too down. You might not get another A-rank immediately, but I'm sure this will all be taken to consideration for you guys to be nominated for the Chunin exams!" Shizune tried to cheer up Narumi.

"The Chunin exams?" Narumi asked as she tilted her head to one side.

"You know, to get promoted into Chunin. It's an exam where different villages send teams of their best Genin to compete in a series of tests to see if they are fit to be Chunin. It all ends in a tournament, which is one of the big events of the year. The next Chunin exams are gonna be held in Konoha, but that's only a few months away, so it might be too soon. You'll probably have to go to the Chunin exams in Suna or Kumo." Shizune explained.

"Wow! That sounds pretty sweet! We can show the whole world how awesome my team is! I wonder if Haku will be able to come!" Narumi commented.

"Who's Haku?" Tsunade asked.

"You know, the masked kunoichi that was with Zabuza. She's my newest friend! She's pretty awesome! She can use ice to fight! It's pretty cool! Get it? Ice? Cool?" Narumi was pretty enthusiastic about her new friend.

"Ice?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "This friend of yours is a Yuki?"

"Yeah! How did you know? Her name is Yuki Haku!" Narumi told Tsunade.

"She's one of the last of the Yuki Clan, huh…" Tsunade mused to herself out loud. "You know she's from Kiri where they kill bloodline users like her right?"

"Yeah… she told me. Kiri is stupid. Why would they kill people who can do awesome things like Haku? Wouldn't they make their village stronger? I wish we had people who had cool powers like that." Narumi told Tsunade.

"There's 2 kekkei genkai users on your team, silly. They have 2 of the most coveted ones too." Tsunade informed Narumi.

"Yeah, but theirs is more like they can see better. Sasuke hasn't even unlocked his Sharingan yet. Besides, it's not as cool as making a storm of ice senbon! Now that was awesome! I wish I had a cool kekkei genkai." Narumi sighed.

Naruto smirked. She didn't even know she had a powerful bloodline of her own. Or the fact that her brother had one. He would wait until he told her. He didn't want her to accidentally reveal her powers and have it taken advantage of.

"You know, with the civil war in Kirigakure, I doubt your friend will be able to come to any Chunin exams any time soon." Shizune told Narumi.

"Yeah… you're probably right. She said she would help Zabuza fight the Mizukage, but who knows what will happen. I wish Konoha would help them." Narumi said disappointedly.

Naruto smiled. She didn't know he had given them a huge donation to their war effort. They should have a much better chance now, with the extra money for supplies and the aid they could hire. Zabuza's presence should be a morale booster too.

'I wonder how that's gonna turn out. Wonder if I made the right decision in helping them. Hope it doesn't come around to haunt me later.' Naruto thought to himself.

Hyuuga Household

The Hyuuga main branch and the family of the head of the cadet branch were having dinner, and Hinata reported how her mission had gone.

"Congratulations, Hinata-sama. You have brought honor to our clan with your A-rank mission, and excellent performance." Hizashi told his niece.

Hinata smiled slightly and nodded. "T-thank you Hizashi-sama."

Neji scowled. He hated how his father had to kowtow to this weakling. Once again, the main branch was receiving preferential treatment, with weaklings like Hinata going on A-rank missions, when a prodigy like himself had to limit himself to C-ranks. It seemed the whole village was also on the main branch's side.

"That is how a Hyuuga should perform out in the field. Good job doing what was expected of a Hyuuga." A Clan elder told Hinata.

Hinata disliked the elders. They always had a way of making all of Hinata's shortcomings her own fault, while they diminished all of her achievements by saying she was simply doing what she should be doing. She couldn't show her displeasure outwardly though.

"T-thank you. I'm glad to be able to uphold our r-reputation." Hinata responded.

"I suppose I made the right decision letting you go on that mission. You've finally shown yourself to be more than the disappointment you showed to be at home." Hiashi said coldly.

Ever since Hinata had gotten kidnapped, Hiashi had become a lot sterner to her. The elders kept pressuring him, saying she was too meek to be the clan head in the future, and he needed to either make her toughen up, or seal her with the caged bird seal, and send her into the cadet branch.

He did what needed to be done to prevent his daughter from living the life of a slave, intensifying her training, and trying to get the meekness out of her. His wife tempered his tough love with her soft touch, but after his wife died while giving birth to Hanabi, he not only lost the light of his life, he lost the one who he relied on for advice. He was stuck with doing what he knew, the way his father had raised him. He became stricter and stricter every time Hinata failed to meet his expectations, until he eventually became used to treating Hinata harshly.

Hizashi kept telling him he was being too strict, and he needed to be gentler with her, and the way their father raised them wasn't what was best for her, but it was easy to talk when your own child was a prodigy. Hiashi was secretly jealous of Hizashi, and every time Hizashi tried to tell him what to do, it irked him to no end.

He still loved his daughter, but it had been a long time since he remembered how to express it. He felt his harsh treatment of her was his way of showing love, by trying to save her from being branded with the caged bird seal.

'I suppose any but the worst shinobi would be able to take on some thugs, but to be able to fight Chunin-level opponents as a Genin? That would require a prodigy of some note, and I've never seen anything like that from her. Was this a fluke? Or is she stronger than she lets on? Is it her sensei? I wonder what else she might be hiding… perhaps she isn't the failure I dreaded she might be…' Hiashi thought to himself secretly. Maybe his tough love was finally paying off. Maybe there was still hope for her.

Meanwhile, Hanabi was very impressed. She was always pitted against her sister, and they made it out like she was so much better than her sister, but she always knew her sister was stronger than her. She knew Hinata was holding back, out of love for her. She could never say it out loud though, as she feared being treated badly too.

Still, she loved and admired her sister for her inner strength. Hearing Hinata had been instrumental in taking out 2 Chunin, and defeated a group of thugs that outnumbered her team by more than 30-to-1 gave her hope that others would come to see how strong she was.

'Come on nee-chan. Time to show all the doubters how strong you really are! I know you can do it!' Hanabi cheered Hinata on secretly.

After a Council Meeting, A few days later

The council poured out of the doors of the meeting room after their regular council meetings.

They had discussed the details of their renewed alliance with Takigakure, and their offers and demands that the son of the leader of Taki, Shibuki, had brought.

Another big topic that had been discussed was the new alliance with Wave. Everyone was happy to have another ally and economic partner, especially one that was indebted to Konoha, but there had been a lot of complaints at the fact that Naruto had gotten off with breaking mission procedures, and unnecessarily putting his Genin at risk. There was a lot of grumbling, as people thought the Hokage was favoring Naruto, and allowing him to do as he pleased.

Danzo was quiet, but he noticed this. He never smiled outwardly, but he was smirking in his mind. He would use this golden opportunity to drive a wedge between his two greatest enemies.

'You are quite useful to the village, but you are too much of a risk. You know far too much...' Danzo thought to himself as he watched the blonde clan head of the Uzumaki Clan walk away.

'I'll turn your lapdog into a rabid dog that will bite your throat, Hiruzen. This village has squandered its resources and power for long enough, because of your foolish notions. It's time Konoha rises to its rightful place on top, like Tobirama-sensei intended.'

*Author's Note*

And that's the end of the Wave Arc! What did you guys think?

Glad you guys liked the One Piece reference in my last chapter! Lol Zoro is one of my favorite anime characters, so I had to.

I know the next arc I want to write, but I'm still wondering how I'm gonna transition into it. Should I do fillers, (won't be completely useless and unrelated to the plot, but not really a full arc, just other missions they'll do, since they won't be jumping straight into a big mission) or should I just do a short time skip and get to the next big mission?

Sooo I guess people hate the Sasuke and Hinata pairing. Lol I mean I hate their pairing too if they follow their canon personalities, but they're kinda different, no? Anyways, it seems to make some people physically ill, so I'll take that option out for now lol.

Someone wanted to know if I was gonna do another vote for Naruto for his final pairing. The answer is no. I like interacting with my readers and taking their opinions, but I don't want to give away too much. I feel like this way, when you see Naruto with someone, you won't be like, oh she's just a side girl, they're gonna break up soon, and even if they break up, you won't know if she'll come around again later. I think a bit of unpredictability would be nice, since I'm roughly following the Naruto timeline and storyline, which everyone knows, anyway. At least for now.

As for Narumi's pairing? I'm probably not gonna start her pairing until Shippuden era, but I still want to at least lay the foundations for their relationship, and hint at it, so hopefully I can come to a conclusion soon.

Here are the voting scores

Sasuke 56

Shino 12

Shikamaru 52

Gaara 46

Haku 47

Kiba 1

So, if you take out Sasuke, Haku, and Kiba, it looks like Shikamaru is in the lead. Interesting. I guess it's his destiny to be with a troublesome woman, one way or another.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you guys think in a comment or PM, or let me know if you guys have any suggestions or complaints! I'll try to get back at you if I can without giving away too much.

Hope you guys all have a great day and stay safe! Until next time!