Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Rumiko Takashi's work. Nor do I own anything by Masashi Kashimoto. Ok I do own this story and characters not in any of the series by the authors of said stories. Anything that sounds like someone else's work is purely coincidental.

The Fox Siblings Ch 23

"Talking"

Shouting

*Sound Affects*

[Written Words]

{ Memory }

The next day found Rin's three students sitting in a clearing in the forest just outside of the village they were staying in. "You can come out Haku." Naruto called seeming to nobody.

"It is nice to see you again, Naruto." Haku said as he the came out of the bushes.

"So did you need help with something, or is it that you couldn't stay away?" Tayuya asked her ears twitching.

"Why? Did you miss me?" Haku asked demurely.

"No more than my presence was, apparently." Tayuya mumbled.

"He's acting calm now but when you left he was crying every night for a week, it was annoying." Zabuza said rubbing Haku's head.

"I was not. You're the one that kept looking around for them." Haku said looking up from under the hand.

"If it isn't Zabuza Momochi the Demon of the Mist. What business do you have here?" Kakashi asked calmly as he stood behind the other man holding a kunai to Zabuza's neck.

"Here to pick up my part-timer, Kakashi Hatake the Copy-cat Ninja." Zabuza said looking over his shoulder. "What's it to you? The brats yours now?"

"Climb, climb you worthless maggots!" A familiar voice yelled followed by mad cackling followed by cries of pain and fear was heard in the distance.

"No their sensei is motivating my students at the moment." Kakashi answered a sweat drop appearing on his forehead.

"Oh, what a coincidence, I'm here to train her team." Zabuza said looking at them. "So what are you going to do?"

"You can do what you want, but I'm watching you." Kakashi said as he backed up keeping his eye on Zabuza.

"Um Kakashi-sensei I've been training with Zabuza-sensei for a few years now." Naruto interjected as she stood her tails swishing behind her.

"Yes, they'll survive." Zabuza said.

"Don't expect me to let my guard down so readily." Kakashi shot back watching intently.

Sasuke walked into the clearing groaning as she stretched her arms over her head her two tails held straight behind her finishing the stretch. "That was fun." She declared with a smile as she relaxed.

"Where's Tatsumi and Sakura?" Kurama asked.

"Rin-sensei has them doing water walking." Was her answer.

Haku meanwhile had been standing there agape since Sasuke made her appearance.

"What's his problem?" Sasuke asked with a coy smile.

"Who's she?" Haku asked whispering to Tayuya.

"That would be Sasuke Uchiha." Tayuya answered matter-of-factly.

"Less talking more training!" Zabuza yelled as he tossed a training sword at the red-head.

"B-b-b-but this is Naruto's training not mine." Tayuya shot back in disbelief as she caught the bokken.

"You're a Ninja, aren't ya?!" Zabuza asked coming at her with a training sword of his own.

"Yeah!" Tayuya yelled in surprise as she dodged and attempted to parry Zabuza's strikes.

"I think Zabuza's looking for replacements for the Swords." Haku told Kurama as Naruto attempted to land a hit on Zabuza as Tayuya brought her tails into play.

"Nah. All the rest of them are currently held by Kiri or Kiri missing-nin." Kurama answered. "Good going Tayuya make good use of Iron Tail!" Kurama yelled encouragingly as Tayuya stopped the executioners blade with one of her tails.

"Shut up Kurama!" Tayuya yelled throwing herself to the side to dodge a slash.

"They're sure acting feisty." Sasuke observed sitting down next to Kurama.

"Aaah! Somebody Save Us! She's insane!" Sakura and Tatsumi ran into the clearing, dripping wet. They quickly hid behind Haku, Kurama and Sasuke.

"Quit your whining you wusses." Rin said walking into the clearing with a smug look on her face. "It's your own fault for not being as far along as Sasuke." Noting whom was in the clearing Rin asked. "Haku what are the two of you doing here? Shouldn't y'all be at Gato's hideout?"

"We're scouting out the enemies weaknesses like good little ninja, by the way here's some takoyaki." Haku said holding out a container he had removed from a scroll.

"My takoyaki." Rin growled out as the container of tasty morsels disappeared from Haku's grasp, taking a moment to sniff them before slowly eating them with a look of pure bliss on her face.

By this point Kakashi had relaxed his guard about Zabuza some walking towards the group as he ducked under Naruto whom had been sent flying. "You think they might have enough by now Zabuza?" Kakashi asked as said ninja sent Tayuya flying as well.

"Enough? They've obviously been slacking. At this rate Haku could take them easily." Zabuza said.

"Naruto, Tayuya just what are you playing at?" Rin asked from her spot. "Trainings not done for the day."

"Well pardon me for putting my broken body back together!" Naruto called as she limped into the clearing.

"Can't we call it quits for th' day?" Tayuya asked from the tree she was in. "My bruises have bruises."

"You heard her. Back to work minions." Zabuza said.

They were working on it when they heard a voice on the wind. "Supper." Came the quiet call on the breeze.

"Food!" The four Kitsunes called as they disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"Well that answers that." Rin said looking in the direction the four went. "Looks like training's done for the day.

"Guess we'll be leaving as well." Haku said as he got up.

"Later Kakashi." Zabuza said as he passed Kakashi.

"It appears so." Kakashi replied as he watched the duo leave the clearing. When they were gone Kakashi turned to follow his students and teammates.

OOooOO

Dinner was uneventful before the students went to bed tiredly falling asleep.

"You don't look to happy about certain events that have happened recently." Rin stated as she looked at Kakashi across the sitting room.

"Just a little displeased you kept certain information from me." Kakashi replied.

"It was on a need to know basis and you didn't need to know." Rin answered much to Isobu and Kurama's amusement. "Besides I made sure that I was going to be put on any mission that Zabuza was going to be in the area of." Rin added with a grin.

"I see." Kakashi commented.

"So don't get all bent out of shape because mister ANBU captain doesn't have all of the facts." Rin chastised sarcastically.

Kakashi looked at her incredulously.

"Oh oh I know." Kurama yelled off to the side.

"What?" Kakashi asked looking at her tiredly.

"Kakashi doesn't want everyone to know that he not all there." Kurama declared.

"Really Kurama?" Rin deadpanned.

"Of course, A person's sanity is directly proportional to their strength, so I had to sacrifice a few marbles." Kakashi answered.

"So by your reasoning the Hokage is mad as a hatter." Kurama stated.

"If he's mad as a hatter what does that make you?" Rin asked.

"The epitome of sanity." Kurama answered with a straight face.

"Despite the fact it took a death god to bring you down while you were berserk?" Kakashi asked skeptically.

"After you reach a certain level of insanity you have no choice but to be sane." Kurama answered. "Besides that's not my attribute. You'll have to talk to Shukaku about that."

"Isobu begs to differ about that." Rin stated.

"Tell that paranoid turtle to come out here and say that to my face." Kurama challenged standing pointing at Rin her tails fluffed up.

"I'm going to sleep, and don't care if you choose to pursue the same course of action." Kakashi said.

"Truce?" Kurama asked Isobu's jinchuriki.

"For the sake of being prepared for Gato we agree." Rin answered as the pair left to get some shut eye.

OOooOO

It had been about a week since Zabuza and Haku had started training with the Konoha shinobi in Wave. The duo had been 'observing' their opponents every day during that time.

"What's taking y'all so long to eliminate a couple of weak Konoha ninja? I thought you were supposed to be the demon of the mist." Gato demanded as he stood just inside the doorway of the hideout that Zabuza and Haku were using.

"You don't remain alive in my line of work long if you just dive in headfirst into fighting to full teams of ninja." Zabuza answered his hand twitching because he really wanted to take off Gato's head but refrained.

"I'm paying you a lot of money to get rid of them. I will not let an investment go to waste." Gato stated angrily.

"We'll be attacking later today if you must know." Zabuza answered laying his head on the back of his chair looking for all the world like he was relaxed and unguarded.

"Finally. If I'd known it was going to take this long I wouldn't have even bothered hiring you. Now get out there and get to work." Gato ordered his face going red.

"All in due time." Zabuza answered waving him off.

OOooOOooOO