Demons Thoughts/Speech

Human thoughts

Dreams

For a while the five travelers went on with no incident though Suzuran was getting increasingly unease and both Hinata and even Anko who hadn't heard the wolf's warning felt as though something was going to come to a head. Soon the whole group began to feel antsy when Tei picked up her head, scanning the trees before stiffening and pushing Naruto to the side. In that instant, a man clad in a dark cloak surged pass them just narrowly missing the blonde where her once stood. He skidded to a halt right in a front of Tazuna yet before any harm could come to the bridge builder, Anko tackled him to the ground while stabbing him in the arm with a kunai. The man rolled with her yet managed to come out on top and slash her quickly with the metal claws he was wearing.

While he was doing that Hinata was able to sneak up on the guy and punt him in the head, the man was dazed but really all that did was make him focus his attention on Hinata. As the girl braced herself, a rustle in the bushes close to her sounded before another man looking much like the first bulled into the young ninja. Hinata landed heavily on her back and the breath was knocked out of her. As she lay defenseless, Tei and Naruto both slammed into both men, carrying shuriken and using them as makeshift knifes. Anko had pulled herself up, telling them to move back while she castes a jutsu of a large snake, tearing into the men yet leaving them alive and unconscious.

After making the snake stand guard over the unconscious ninja, Anko down at her side where first ninja slash her and without any hesitation took her kunai and stabbed at the wound, watching with cold eyes as the blood flowed. "Does anyone have any bandages?"

"Anko-sensei, what just happened, why did you just stab yourself?" Naruto asked while taking a roll of gauze.

"Those ninja's claws were poisoned, I didn't really feel like dying so stabbing by draining the poison was the only way." Her gaze then turned on the bridge builder before narrowing in suppressed anger. "Why were those Mist ninja after you, Tazuna?"

When the old man turned his head and refused to talk, Anko walked up to him and grabbed his shirt hauling him close to her face. Their noses were practically touching as the woman ground out the question again and this shaking, the old man could not refuse her.

"We are a small and poor town, we did not have enough money to support a B or A rank mission. I didn't want to deceive you but I..."

Anko pushed him away and turned to her waiting team. She looked over them all; Hinata shaken but unhurt, Tei and Naruto looking unsure but determined not to be afraid. The dark haired woman let out a sigh and moved even closer to them before giving a humorless smile.

"Look, it's up to you really, there will be stronger ninja coming. This is way out of your league and I won't blame you for wanting to head back. What do you want to do?"

Hinata shifted from foot to foot, looking at Tei and Naruto who remained silent for a while too. Then Tei stepped forward and after giving her fellow Genin a brief nod, spoke for all three of them. "We'll stay and We'll fight if need be."

Anko closed her eyes, nodding with a smile. "Alright, you three have more spunk than I thought. On this mission it will be an honor to get ripped apart with you!"

Her smile grew when her statement set in and the trio looked slightly put off. "Do not worry though, I promise to bring you all through this. I will protect you with my life."

After that, Anko walked over to the bridge builder and happily proclaimed that even though he is a lying sack of shit and put them all in unnecessary danger, they would continue this mission rather than trekking all the way back and not getting their pay.

"Er, thanks?"

As they again began their trek to the Land of Waves, Hinata hung back to keep pace with Anko, worrying over her wound. Her blood was starting to seep through the gauze and while she had her hand pressed against the wound, when Anko pulled it away that too was covered in blood. The snake Jonin tried to reassure the younger girl and once again waved her off.

"It's okay Hinata, I've been wounded worse than this. More times than I care to count. I'll be fine, I promise."

Hinata after her as the Jonin walked ahead and shook her head, she wanted to believe that her sensei would be all right but... the girl's shoulders slumped but she continued on. Hopefully they wouldn't be attacked anymore till they got to the Land of Waves. For the next three hours all was peaceful and while Hinata continued to stay close to Anko, Naruto was walking beside Tei and the two were wrapped in a comfortable silence for a while.

"I, uh..." Naruto began, unsure of his words while Tei looked at him with a slight smile and motioned for him to go on. "I...wanted to...thank you. For saving me from that guy."

Tei's smile only got bigger as she clapped the blonde heartily on the back. "No need to thank me, Naruto. That's what teammates do, help one another. But now guess you do owe me."

As the two walked, Suzuran made her presence known to Naruto who glared at the she-wolf with open disdain. "Nice of you to show up when the fighting starts."

The gray/red wolf only smiled at the boy's words though this smile looked more like a sneer and shot back her retort without hesitation. "Says the boy who needed a woman to save him from getting killed. It was not my fight so I saw no need to get involved. You're a ninja now, boy. You should be able to handle these type things."

With that Suzuran ran off going in the opposite direction as the others with Naruto looking after her before turning his back and trudging on. Another two hours passed before Anko called a halt and told her group to rest, the three young ninja collapsed with a sigh and instantly began to relax against each other while Anko watched on and Tazuna stayed as close as he close stand next to the group.

The group had rested longer than they have and as a result Anko pushed them hard, Tazuna decided to complain that he couldn't keep up the pace and a quiet snarl Anko whirled on him.

"Listen to me, you old fool! If you didn't want to be driven forwars like this than you shouldn't lied about this mission. Now either you shut your mouth and march or my team and I will leave you here to fend for yourself!"

The silence that followed gave the snake Jonin her answer, with a snort she then turned on her heel and kept moving with Tazuna following a small distance away, shivering.

The day was finally drawing to a close and once agian Anko signaled for all of them to settle down for the night. Just as she was moving to take the first watch, Hinata came up and all but demanded that she do it.

"Does this have anything to do with my wound?" Anko asked, though she already knew the answer and decided that it was best not to argue with the girl. So Hinata kept watch for the first three hours of the night followed by Naruto then Tei and finally Anko. Dawn was just approaching when Anko began to doze. Her students didn't want to wake her ns so let her rest for a little longer before shaking her and after a few moments set off once more.

This time while Anko led the way, the three Genin stayed together, their heads bent close and whispered in soft tones.

"What do yoy think will happen next? Who will come after the bridge builder this time?" Naruto sked, shooting said man a dirty look and snorting.

Tei followed her gaze but instead shook her head and motioned for the boy to calm down. "Those two that attacked us were Chuunin, so it's safe to say that the next one will be Jonin, maybe even higher than that."

Hinata istened to this talk and let her eyes land on Anko, though she knew the older woman wouldn't complain she was still worried over the snake Jonin's stab wound. "Whatever happens we have to be careful. Anko-sensi is already hurt, we have to make sure she doesn't get harmed anymore than she should."

Tei gave the other girl a strange look yet before she could speak, Anko yelled out a warning for everyone to hit the deck. Just as Hinata was ducking a large sword came hurling at them and the tip of the collosel blade clipped the girl's arm. Though she was bleeding heavily, she was lucky not to lose her arm completely. But as the sword sunk itself into the bark of a tree, a giant of a man land on the hilt and stared balefully down on them.

Anko glared back while feeling the pain in her side and growled. 'This is bad, why did he need to show now?! We are seriously screwed!"

A/N: Welp, here's the newest chapter. Finally Zabuza has made an entrance, may you all be afriad. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.