Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I own none of it.

Summary: A more rational Danzo takes on team 7. The world changes accordingly

Chapter 2 - First Mission

Despite being promised only a month of training, Team 7 received almost two. Two months of brutal, relentless training under Shimura Danzo. They were clearly recognizable, but so very different. Gone was most of the baby fat previously present in the three, replaced by dense lean muscle. Gone was any uneasiness in their stance. Team 7 stood tall and proud, fully used to where they were and Danzo's methods. But to be clear, these were not root shinobi, Sasuke's slight smirk ever present, Naruto's goofy grin and brilliant eyes still shine, Sakura though? Sakura was different.

Gone was the fangirl. Gone was the little girl that became a Shinobi for a crush. Present here? A young woman with fire in her eyes. More heavily muscled than either of the boys, a slight forward lean to her stance suggesting an eagerness to be on. An excitement for the shinobi arts previously unseen.

Of course there were smaller differences present in the boys. Sasuke is slightly more relaxed, slightly less pain in his eyes. His smirk is less rooted in arrogance, and more in a genuine confidence in himself and his team. The differences in Naruto were less pronounced, less jittery and anxious, quieter. All in all you could say he'd calmed down a fair amount.

"Team 7, at attention."

"Hai Sensei!" Perfect unison. One of the first things they had drilled into them was how to move and act as a team.

"We have received our first mission. Officially it is a C-Rank escort mission. You will be escorting a bridge builder to Wave country, there you will guard him until the bridge is complete. Unofficially, I have acquired intel the Wave is currently occupied by a trade company run by Gato. His company has seized control of all trade, and by doing so he unofficially rules Wave Country. I believe he will hire mercenaries to kill our bridge builder.

Unless I determine the threat to great for you to handle you will run the mission yourselves.
We leave from the south gate at 8am. You will have the rest of today off."

"Hai Sensei!" As soon as they were dismissed, a quick shunshin took them back to their apartment.

"Hey wait! It's our first night off in like.. Forever guys!" Sakura sounded particularly chipper at the thought.

"And?" King excitable Sasuke, ever seeing all the grand possibilities in life.

"Well, I thought maybe it was time for a cheat day! Go out for dinner, maybe hit the hot springs!"

"That's a great idea Sakura-chan! But… Um… Well lots of restaurants don't really like me ya know? Why don't we get takeout and have a picnic!" Kami Naruto wears his heart on his sleeve, it doesn't take any perceptiveness to see how he feels about anything.

"Oh! Um… Of course Naruto. Why don't we all get some of our favourite take-out and meet up-"

"The Uchiha head family home. Through the foyer, left into the dinning room."

"Oh, sure Sasuke!" Of course he would miss home. I mean sure she missed her parents but she knew they were still there waiting for her. Sasuke… Well it must be hard not having much to remember his family by.

"Yata! Let's go guys, last one there does the dishes!" And off goes Naruto. Jeez he really just vanishes when he's not actively with you huh?

"Hn" And there goes Sasuke, his shunshin almost second nature.

Realistically Sakura knew she'd be doing the dishes. She usually did. Sasuke cooked, Naruto looked after their apartment, and she did all the odd jobs. Dishes, shopping, mending. It was a good system.

After picking up sushi and tempura (cheat day!), Sakura took off for the Uchiha district. It only took her a few moments to figure out which house. As she let herself in she noticed Naruto and Sasuke's shoes were already in the entrance way. When she came into the dining room, Naruto was reclined across a couple of the traditional seating cushions, and Sasuke was pouring tea.

"You really meant it when you said cheat day Sakura-chan! You haven't taken that long to run an errand since the first time Sensei cracked down on our 'time management'." Calmer and quieter he may be, but leave it to Naruto to chuckle over one of their most grueling training days. Oh to see the world so brightly.

"Yeah, well not all of us are supernaturally fast or have a perfect mental map of Konoha Naruto. I had to find the house too."

"Oh you knew I was teasing Sakura-chan. But hey what'd you get! Sasuke just bought a bunch of fruit and sweets, but I got three kinds of ramen and miso soup for everyone! Only from the best ramen stand in the world!" Oh she should have known Naruto would still be hooked on the stuff.

"In that case the sushi and tempura I grabbed should round it out nicely!"

Sasuke led them in a quick "Itadakimasu" before they all tucked into the feast laid before them. Apparently one of Naruto's clones was hiding in a corner and snapped a picture just as they all separated their chopsticks. Naruto just chuckled but if you looked closely you could see the slightest touch of pink on Sasuke's face. It felt like having a family dinner.

"You know Sakura-chan, I think I know why you were so late!" Sakura turns a little pink, leave it for Naruto to notice.

"Pft, as if Naruto. I got the food and came straight over!" It's more fun to play, even if she knows he's got her figured out.

"Oh sure, and I suppose you just naturally smell like your favourite cherry blossom lotion you ran out of last week then eh?" Cheeky jerk, he's way too attentive to the strangest things.

"What kind of boy is paying attention to what kind of lotion people are using! You're just jealous I'm going to be soft again while you deal with you can enjoy cracked hands and dry skin." Perfectly punctuated by her sticking her tongue out at him.

"Ha! You wish, your soft skin is store bought, mine is all natural and I make it myself!" He sticks his tongue out at her now.

"Wait, you make it yourself? When you said all natural I figured you meant no product. What's this made it yourself about now?" Even Sasuke is paying attention now as Naruto goes bright red realizing he gave himself away.

"Um, I… Ugh… Fine... " Reaching into his bag he pulls out a… container of miso paste? He opens it up and suddenly the room is filled with the smell of honey and… green tea? Come to think of it that is more or less what Naruto usually smells like.

"Most stores won't sell me nice things, so… I learned how to make myself smell good. I have a really sensitive nose and when I started shinobi training I couldn't stand the way I smelled and my hands got so rough. So… I spied on you and Ino. And I either couldn't afford the stuff you were talking about or they wouldn't sell it to me so I made my own. It's all just stuff I can get easily. Honey, tea leaves, some oil I normally use for cooking and a bit of salt. Quick scrub down before a shower and I come out smelling great! I have another one without the salt for my hair after I wash it." Still blushing and trying not to make eye contact he couldn't see Sakura's eyes go wide. Sasuke's just smiling a little as he watches his team banter, picking at some tempura while he waits for them to realize they could be eating.

"Naruto that's….. That's AMAZING! Oh wow that would work too… Hey don't look so embarrassed! It's good you're looking after yourself!" A pointed glare at Sasuke leaves the Uchiha looking quite offended while Naruto starts perking back up.

"Don't look at me. Uchiha have naturally flawless skin."

"Doesn't mean you couldn't ever try and smell like anything other than tea and weapon oil!"

"Not my fault you can smell everything in a room. Eat up you two before I finish it all." And with that Team 7 fell into comfortable banter while they finished eating.

As they were just picking at sweets and finishing their tea, Sasuke provided another surprise in procuring a bottle of sake, and a set of cups from the clan stores. Warming it with a quick and very controlled fire jutsu he served it out and raised his glass for a toast.

"To Team Seven." A sure sign of how much Sasuke was softening, in the clear affection and pride evident in his tone.

As the night wore on and they all cleaned up and started heading back to their apartment, Naruto eventually asked.

"So...Sake?"

"Yeah. The Uchiha clan toasts when a member first leaves the village." It went unsaid that Sasuke basically just named them all members of his clan. It had only been two months, but with how grueling they had been, team seven bonded deeply. Team Seven was his family now.

"Oh… Well I'm glad we did then."

"Hn." Well some things will never change, I suppose.

At 8am on the dot Team Seven arrived at the south gate. Unsurprisingly Danzo was there already. Though… No one else was yet. Weren't they supposed to be guarding a bridge builder? Oh well, a quick sign from Danzo indicated they should wait.

Danzo seemed unphased for the first ten minutes. Unimpressed when Sakura started braiding Naruto's not quite long enough to braid her for the next 10. And at the 20 minute mark he began to look downright displeased. Well, for those that know him. To the average passer-by he appeared the same as always.

"Naruto, our client appears to be having trouble finding his way here. He's an older man, strong frame, heavily tanned. Gray hair. assist him."

"Hai Sensei!" And to the shock of the gate guards, the Naruto he addressed poofed into smoke. A shadow clone?

Not 10 minutes later Naruto returned, this time with a grumbling old man with him. He was clearly hungover and recently awoken. Laying eyes on the rest of team seven he locks eyes with Danzo.

"Oh, and I suppose you're the one who told this brat to wake me up and drag me here are you? Is this what Konoha provides when you hire their shinobi? Three brats and their crippled grandfather?" Oh, it took so much self control for the young genin not to snap back at this guy. Come on sensei get 'em good!

"Of course not, but as our mission began some time ago and you hadn't arrived I feared for your safety. As per the mission I ensured you arrived safely via your gennin escort, Naruto.

Team Seven may I introduce Tazuna. Tazuna, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. They will be in charge of your protection with myself as a failsafe." They all gave a small salute at their names.

"You're serious. Well fine then let's get moving. I've got a super bridge to build ya know." Did… Did he already forget he was the one that was late?

Whether he did or not he was walking, Danzo keeping in step with him as team 7 took formation around them. They traveled in a reverse triangle formation. With Naruto at the rear and Sasuke and Sakura taking the front left and front right spots respectively.

Naruto couldn't hide his eyes full of wonder and excitement to be out of the village. And so team seven left Konoha, setting off on the first of many missions they would be on that would go disastrously not according to plan.

Leaving the village was nowhere near as exciting as Naruto had hoped it would be. The wildlife were pretty much the same, just more of them. There weren't many other people taking the road this way (I guess there's not much of a reason to, can't normally GET to wave this way), mild weather. All in all SUPER boring.

Oh! A clone popped! Naruto starts signing and coding to his team.

"Meanancing puddle ahead." Was clearly not what his team mates were expecting, if their faces were anything to go off.

"What?" Was the unanimous response.

"You heard me!" Oh, whoops. Naruto said that part out loud in plain english. Oh boy that's a disappointed look from sensei.

"Plan your engagement." Danzo signs at them, the glance at Naruto particularly pointed. And just like that team 7 gets serious before Naruto starts signing.

"M-Play." Twin nods, followed by Sasuke and Sakura dashing into the woods in opposite directions. A moment after they do, Naruto blitzes towards the puddle, which bursts into two wild eyed rogue Kiri shinobi. All you can really make out of them are their black hair, masked faces, notable horned headbands and of course the bladed chain linking their clawed gauntlets flying towards Naruto uncomfortably fast. Luckily for Naruto team 7's strength was team maneuvers, and Sasuke and Sakura appeared from behind the Kiri nins.

Sasuke's mark goes down easy, too dedicated to the attack on Naruto to react quickly.

Sakura's doesn't. Gōzu reacts rapidly to the pink haired wrecking ball suddenly occupying his space, and yanks the chain attack meant for Naruto in between himself and Sakura. It didn't stop her attack any, and the man was sent reeling back towards Naruto who promptly put a kunai through the back of his skull. No, what it did was dig deep twin gouges from the base of her jaw to her forehead, barely missing her left eye.

Team 7 may have panicked somewhat upon seeing Sakura's bloodied face. Naruto and Sasuke may have even been straight up terrified by the time Danzo pushed them both away from her and injected her with anti-venom. The wounds he closes not too delicately with a rough but functional healing jutsu. They'll leave quite the scar.

"Perhaps this will be a lesson on tactics for you. It's unwise to split up a team when facing enemies of unknown skill and ability. Better to stay on the defensive until you have a more thorough understanding of the situation." Naruto received yet another disappointed look. Not that he needed to. No one was more disappointed in themselves then Naruto himself. When he was quiet for the rest of the day everyone assumed it was because he killed a man. But all Naruto could do was stare at the bright red scars Sakura now bore. Scars that, in his mind, he caused.

And oh, they did continue. Danzo informed Tazuna that the mission was now B or A Rank, and the village would outline their compensation upon completion. Sakura was a bit sluggish but mostly fine, and Sasuke was… Well Sasuke can be hard to read.

The next morning it's obvious that Naruto hasn't slept. Nothing to be done about it really, besides Naruto could live off his chakra alone if he needed to, probably one of the only humans with enough chakra to do so.

Sakura is obviously concerned and tries to say something, but Naruto flinches away and avoids her, Sasuke just lays a quiet hand on her shoulder and shakes his head.

"He'll come around. He just cares too much."

"Then why is he avoiding me if he cares so much?" Sakura's exasperated more than anything. How could caring for someone make you want to avoid them?

"He cares so much it makes him afraid." Oh. Oh right. Naruto has never really had people has he? God he probably feels like she's going to be mad because she got hurt.

"I'll wait till tonight, but team 7 doesn't work if we're not in sync."

"Hn."

You would hope that would be the end of team 7's troubles. Surely two missing nin are enough for a first C-Rank mission? Right?

Well, the massive sword that just flew over their heads says otherwise. Danzo's not playing now and the moment heads are up he's signed to them for a combination jutsu and has started casting a genjutsu to make it seem like they were shocked. It would only buy a second or two, but that would be enough. Zabuza broke it just in time to see Naruto and Sasuke shout out in tandem "Team 7 Style! Flashfire Blitz'' before the world went white. The flames lasted just an instant, the fire jutsu so overwhelmed by wind chakra that it burned itself to nothing in a single moment, white hot and blinding. While the flames signed him sure, it was probably Danzo following directly behind the flames with a wind enhanced kunai that was the bigger issue.

In fact the whole situation was so surprising that were it not for what happened next Danzo may very well have cut Zabuza square in half. Luckily for Zabuza the kunai only mostly severed his arm before a flight of ice javelins suddenly forced Danzo to back off. Immediately followed by seemingly thousands of ice needles, blocked courtesy of an earth wall Sakura raised.

Unluckily for Team 7 when the wall went down a moment later the two ninjas were gone. A quick look at Danzo to determine if they were out of the woods later team 7 starts looking over each other for wounds. In the heat of things Naruto hadn't realized he was checking Sakura for injuries only to come to her face once more. His eyes go wide and he starts to pull away only for Sakura to catch him by the hand.

"It's not your fault. We could have disagreed with the plan." The panicked look in Naruto's eyes is so genuine it hurts.

"I should have known better. If sensei wasn't here the poison could have killed you. I shouldn't have rushed in like that." Sakura's grip changes from confrontational to firm and comforting. Sasuke picks now to chime in.

"But Sensei was here. This is why we have a Sensei idiot." Who knew you could call someone an idiot so fondly.

Naruto calms down, but the light in his eyes just isn't as bright as it was before they left the village.

While team seven sees to itself, Danzo checks on their client. He's fine of course, but to an observant eye, it's clear that he's begun to understand just what it meant to lie about the mission. Just what he was putting children though for the sake of his people.

You would be forgiven for thinking the remainder of the trip to Tazuna's was uneventful. In truth it's very lack of eventfulness is, in the eyes of the observant, the eventful part. For you see, something was profoundly different amongst team 7.

Naruto, a famously hyperactive and jittery youth (no matter how tempered by training under Danzo), wasn't. Not to say they were acting wrong, well, for anybody else. He held his formation, kept scouting with clones, and answered questions if asked but…

It's like there was something missing. The light in someone's eyes that makes them feel present is shut away somewhere. The childlike wonder of the world around him gone, seemingly replaced by disinterest.

Distracted might be the word. But… Well this isn't really the place to try and work on a pre-teens mental state. Danzo has a sense of urgency, it's implied that he doesn't think they've bought much time.

When they arrive at Tazuna's, the man gives a sigh of relief. And if you were looking closely you might notice Sakura trying to hide a similar one.

"Team, break for the night. Naruto's clones can keep watch. They won't be able to mount another offensive tonight." Well, Danzo's usually right so… If the boss says it's okay.

Tazuna beacons for them to enter, calling in past the door he holds open for the three young genin.

"Tsunami! Inari! I'm home! These super ninjas made sure I made it safe from Konoha!"

"Well at least you admit it's because of them!" A young woman with blue black hair and a tired visage comes into view as Team 7 enters the house, obviously the source of the voice. At the sight of them her eyes went wide.

"Father! What are you doing bringing children here, you know it isn't safe!" Team 7 share a look, but before any of them have a chance to speak, Tazuna's talking again.

"These kids ARE the super ninja I was talking about! I tell ya they're made fire and death itself! Even the little one's pretty good." Okay Naruto's not that little, but he's a little sensitive about that so no one's surprised when…

Oh actually everyone's surprised. No reaction at all. That's weird. Oh jeez even Sasuke's starting to worry now.

"Well then, I'm sure these super ninjas have worked up a super appetite! I hope you all like fish 'cause it's all we have lots of." She seems to be a mix of legitimately enthusiastic and exacerbated by her father.

"Anything you can provide will be more than adequate for my team and I. Worry not for your food stores after tonight we'll supply our own food." Mr. Practical Danzo, just diplomatic enough to not be rude.

As Tsunami gets everything set up for dinner, Sakura makes smalltalk. It seemed like forever since she'd been able to just chat with another girl. Well… Probably because it has. Certainly some of Danzo's aides were women and yet… Well they're not exactly big on talking.

Now that she was thinking about it… She missed Ino. She missed her Mom. Naruto could be surprisingly good at small talk for some girly things, despite his fashion sense. With his sensitive nose and a green thumb so he knows more about stuff like plants and perfumes and stuff then you'd think. Not that she'd tell anybody she'd been having girl talk with Naruto. No not even Naruto needs to know that. He hasn't seemed to clue in.

Speaking of Naruto! He's…. Staring at a plate with a blank expression on his face. You could think he was deep in thought, but even if a Yamanaka were listening in they'd get nothing but static.

Danzo's had enough.

"Naruto. Tell me three things you can smell right now." A moment to react, slow beyond measure to the eyes of a ninja, but eventually his eyes focus slightly.

"Um… Seawater… and fish… and cooking oil?"

"Good. 5 things you can hear." At that Naruto closes his eyes.

"I… ah… Tsunami talking, the fish cooking, the ocean on the shore, Tazuna doing… I don't know what, in another room. Changing maybe?"

"I said 5."

"Ugh… Sasuke breathing." That got Sasuke's attention off the little bit of mending he was doing. Not something he normally did but a torn sock is a torn sock.

"Hn." He didn't even think he was breathing all that loud. Stupid weirdo.

"Then don't sit so close to me if you don't want me to hear you breathe!" Naruto sticks his tongue out at him, a little of his fire seemingly restored.

Sasuke shuffles in his seat slightly, but doesn't actually move. Naruto is warm. Like, furnace warm, even sitting near him would warm you up. Probably something to do with the skyscraper sized chakra demon in his gut.

By the time dinner is served it almost seems as though things are back to normal.

Almost.

Bright and early the next morning Team 7 is having a quick meeting behind the house.

"I expect we have a matter of days before a new attempt on Tazuna's life. Any further failures will likely result in the bridge itself being targeted. Naruto. I want to know what Gato's working with. I want the number and location of his forces on the island, and if possible a list of places Zabuza and his accomplice may be hiding. Use your clones. You'll also be in charge of watching the house. Sasuke, Sakura, you'll both be with Tazuna and myself. I expect all of you to gather food throughout the day for our dinner."

"Hai Sensei!" Rings back team 7. Naruto handed a kunai to each of his teammates before hopping up to the roof of the house. A quick plume of smoke and suddenly eight more Naruto shot off in various directions, slipping into shadows or transformations of their own as they went.

Sasuke and Sakura (mostly Sakura) give him a wave as they head off. A quick shopping trip before they start the day at the bridge.

Certainly no stranger to tragedy, you would think our group's young Uchiha would be unshaken by what he saw that day in Wave. You would think wrong.

He was seething just below the surface. He's heard the stories of course. Gato's slow strangle grip on the town squeezing the life out of it while he emptied their pockets with the other hand. Why? Why are people dying at the whim of one man-

"To test the limits of my abi-" NO! Orange, Sakura petals, the way their room smells. Think of all the things that aren't him.

Maybe it made sense that Sasuke wouldn't take kindly to this kind of tyranny.

At some point a kid not much older than them tried to rob Sakura. She thought he was being a pervert. Before she crushed his skull Sasuke intervened and sent the man on his way. He's pretty sure only Danzo saw him slip some money into the man's clothes. He hopes it will be enough to feed whoever was worth risking stealing from ninja for.

That is of course if he can find the food to buy. This place is in rougher shape than they could have imagined.

Scouting an island like Wave isn't really all that hard. It's not so big, there's more than one of him, at least one of which is flying.

Trying to figure out which of the drunks, vegabonds, street toughs and 'business' owners worked for Gato, slightly harder.

Figuring out why there's a young woman picking flowers in a less inhabited portion of the island is perplexing. Almost as perplexing as the individual themselves. She… No he, no… Hasn't part of Naruto's training been identifying where a disguise stopped and started? This person's all over the place, mannerisms going back and forth, dressed as a young woman, bone structure not so different from Sasuke's everywhere but the face. Why does it even matter to him?

Oh right, the concealed weapons. This is definitely a ninja. That's why he's obsessing over this. But like, who conceals a single brace of senbon, that's not going to do much. Maybe they're just to scare off thugs and this person has nothing to do with them? Plenty of people have basic ninja training.

But no, the wave they move doesn't match with that. Too graceful. Too sure of themselves. They're too young to move like that.

Ah fuck it, they're not prepped for combat why not do a little more reconaisence? He puts on his best dumb blond look and follows a game trail into the clearing the suspect Shinobi is working in. He intentionally steps on a branch just before stepping into sight, the individual jumping into a more defensive crouch then their previous kneeling position.

A quick application of the signature head rub and awkward wave seemingly begin to put them more at ease. He even goes as far as to bat his eyes and look shy. One of the clones he's placed around the clearing would intervene if they tried to take advantage of his lack of attention.

"A-heh. Hi there, miss!" No reaction, did he get the right pronoun? God she's hard to read.

"Ah, yeah. Anyways. I got a little lost so I'm happy I ran into you! Could you point me back towards town? My team will be expecting me." Did she buy it? Who knows! Either way if she thinks his team is expecting him she's not likely to attack.

"Oh! Shinobi-San. Of course. If you just follow that trail there to the river, then follow it downriver to the coast you'll find town." She's certainly acting the part of the civilian girl.

"Thanks so much! I'm not from around here and with all the fog, it's so easy to get turned around. Call me Naruto though! Shinobi-San sounds like something you would call Sensei. What's your name!?" It's not acting. Not really. There's nothing to see through when this is what he's normally trying to cover up to be a better ninja.

Clearly somewhat surprised by his candor the unknown ninja starts to relax.

"I'm Haku, it's nice to meet you Naruto. I'm not from here either, but the fog and mist feels like home to me. Where are you from?"

"Oh that's easy! I'm from Konoha! Only the best Ninja Village in the whole world!" He points a thumb at his headband as if to illustrate.

"A long way to travel, even for a ninja. What brings you here?" Oh, she's definitely a ninja.

"Well, ya know I'm not really supposed to talk about missions. So I'll just say that me and my team are going on missions so we can keep getting stronger!" Genuine passion and enthusiasm are way better tools of deception than most people give them credit for. He's giving away basically nothing, but putting this foriegn ninja at ease. A lone blond knucklehead is nothing to be afraid of after all. She might even underestimate him the next time they fought.

"Why do you need to get stronger? Surely a ninja like you has nothing to be afraid of." More digging. Can't blame the girl though.

"Well ya know, the world's not always such a nice place. My team… My village. I don't ever want anything bad to happen to them ya know? And I've been screwing that up a bit lately. So I need to get WAY stronger to make sure I can keep them all safe, dattebayo!" oh, too much genuine feeling. This is hard. Oh well, no going back now.

And… Oh her face softens significantly. Rad he made the right play.

"That's a good reason Naruto. I believe that it's when we protect those precious to us that we're our strongest."

"You know, that's how I feel too Haku. Anyways! I gotta get back to my team before they worry. But ya know it was really nice getting to meet such a pretty girl out here! You get wherever you're going safe ya hear?" Oh that got a giggle! Oh it's a cute giggle too.

"Thank you Naruto, it was lovely to meet you as well. I know the woods well and I'll be safe. There's just one more thing though." Haku's already walking away as she talks.

"Oh? And what's that?" Naruto calls back to her

"I'm a boy." Is tossed back, accompanied by more giggles as Haku fades into the mist.

Of course Naruto has a clone following her… him?. That was the whole point of this after all. But boy oh boy is he confused now.

Back at Tazuna's that night they all meet up and fill each other in on their days. Sasuke neglects to mention his act of charity. Naruto neglects to mention Haku's gender one way or the other. Or his confusion about it.

With a clone of Naruto disguised outside of the enemy hold up, and a mostly accurate map of the enemy forces. Team 7 won't be getting caught off guard. They'll be ready.

Now just time to pray it would be enough.