DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does. I don't own Hikari Aino.

A/C: Constructive criticism is warmly welcomed and appreciated, as well as readers' suggestions/ideas. (Particularly when it comes to Lemons – I really suck at those! :S) Flames and mean comments are not welcome – saying 'no offence' means squat. If you don't like what you're reading don't leave a comment!

ZABUZA THE 'DEMON'

Lie awake in bed at night.
And think about your life.
Do you want to be different?
Try to let go of the truth.
The battles of your youth.
'Cause this is just a game.

Kakashi-sensei walked slowly behind us, deep in thought. A heavily bandaged Naruto walking along just as silently but with a stubborn scowl on his face as Sasuke walked alongside him, looking slightly annoyed at the challenging, competitive look in his best friend's eyes.

"Over there!" Naruto suddenly yells and hurls a kunai into some nearby bushes.

I jumped at Naruto's unexpected outburst and frowned I couldn't sense any danger that Naruto supposedly noticed. I sighed tiredly.

"Naruto, what's the big idea?"

My friend paused briefly before scratching the back of his head sheepishly, realising his mistake.

"Eh? Nothing, just a mouse." He replied.

"Yeah right! Everyone can see through your stupid tricks! You're so obvious, it's embarrassing," Sakura griped.

"Naruto, those kunai knives are dangerous!" Kakashi scolded.

"Grr...stop scaring me so much you little dwarf!" Tazuna shouted.

Naruto sulked and scanned the area, still trying to find a worthy target. When he threw another kunai earning a bop over the head from Sakura in irritation.

"That's it Naruto!"

"Yeah, quit it already! This is getting ridiculous." I agreed much to Sakura's surprise.

She looked over at Sasuke to see if he was going to tell her off for handling the situation involving Naruto, and sighed in relief when he saw the approving scowl on his face that indicated that he agreed with what both Sakura and I had said to Naruto - who was being kinda reckless with his weapons. Kakashi approached the bush Naruto had thrown his kunai at and made a sad discovery.

Naruto had hit a poor defenceless rabbit.

"Look what you did!" Sakura angrily said. I gasped in horror and threw my best friend a disgusted scowl.

"Naruto, how could you?!" I growled, upset and felt a couple of angry tears leak out of my eyes.

"Gah! I'm so sorry little rabbit!" Naruto apologized, taking the dead rabbit and rubbing its soft fur on his face.

"All that for a rodent?" Tazuna asked, annoyed.

I glared at Tazuna like he was a complete moron.

"Rabbits are not rodents! They're mammals - get your facts straight!" I snapped, knowing I was being slightly irrational but not caring. I really hated death - ever since my father and grandfather had been wrongfully killed. Kakashi stared a bit more at the rabbit, frowning so deeply you'd think the rabbit would suddenly get up and disappear.

"Look out!" he suddenly yelled.

A huge sword was flung into a tree and started wobbling violently after impact. Looking up, we saw a man standing on top of it, with an arrogant smirk on his face. Naruto grinned with anticipation.

"Well, well. If it isn't Zabuza Momoichi, the rouge ninja from the Village in the Mist," Kakashi said, rising to his feet and stepping forward.

Naruto rushed forward to but was stopped instantly by Kakashi's outstretched arm.

"You're in the way. Get back." Kakashi ordered sharply.

We frowned at him and how serious his tone sounded.

"Aw, but why?" Naruto complained. It was clear he was itching to help Kakashi out.

"He's not like those other ninja. He's in a whole new league. If he's the opponent, I'll need this."

Kakashi raised a hand towards his headband which was covering his left eye. I always wondered why he had that covered. Almost as much as I questioned why he always wore that stupid mask.

"This could be treacherous." He surmised.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye. Did I get that right?" Zabuza asked.

I heard Sasuke gasp and he looked uneasy.

What's wrong?

"Sasuke? You okay?" I asked.

"Now quick! Manji formation." yelled Kakashi before Sasuke could respond. "Protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight. I taught you all team work now it's time to put it to use!" Kakashi ordered.

Then he lifted his headband to reveal his left eye. It had a single scar running vertically across it like someone had taken a kunai and slashed across it in anger. His eyelid opened and everyone gasped in shock when they saw a deep red iris with three black dots around the pupil.

His…eye! What happened to it!

"Well, I'll see the sharingan in action. Truly an honour," Zabuza remarked mockingly.

Naruto growled and all attention turned to him.

"Grr, everyone says 'Sharingan, sharingan!' What is that?"

Everyone except for Kakashi and Zabuza were surprised when Sasuke suddenly spoke up, answering Naruto's question.

"Sharingan: A rare power that resides in the eyes."

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline.

"The user of this visual jutsu, or 'doujutsu' can instantly comprehend any genjutsu, taijutsu or ninjutsu. Then he can reflect the attack back onto their opponent."

Naruto and I gulped when we heard this. This 'doujutsu' sounded extremely powerful.

"The sharingan is very rare and special...but there's more to it, a lot more." Sasuke trailed off, hesitating. As though trying to see if he could remember anything else.

"You got it right boy, but you only scratched the surface. The sharingan can analyze the technique and copy it to the last detail."

Suddenly the air turned foggy. Zabuza continued on about how well known Kakashi was.

Apparently, Kakashi has been since he was a child, a gifted prodigy and has been regarded as the best of his generation. While he studied in the Academy, he had received top marks and had shown an natural aptitude for the ninja arts while in the Academy and it allowed him to graduate from at the top of his class at the age of five.

Sakura gasped at this information. We then learnt that Kakashi eventually joined a team under the tutelage of Minato Namikaze, a fact that caused Naruto to grin when he heard that Kakashi had his idol - the famous 'Yellow Flash' as his sensei. He learnt alongside Obito Uchiha (Sasuke's eyes widened when he heard that a relative had been his teacher's teammate) and somebody called Rin Nohara.

A year later, Kakashi had become a chūnnin while facing and defeating Might Guy during the third stage of the Chūnnin Exams. Naruto frowned.

"Who's Might Guy?" he asked - earning a sharp smack to the back of the head by Sakura when he asked this.

"Does it matter at the moment, Naruto?" she snapped.

We looked back at our sensei with whole new respect for him. But we were slightly hurt when Kakashi ignored us, instead focusing on Zabuza and probably contemplating what his next move might be after he told us all about his life story.

Sheesh. Our teacher was always by the book about all this, particularly when we were generally interested in learning more about our teacher, since he refused to share anything when we first got to know him back on the roof of the Academy months ago.

Although, I instantly felt horrible when Zabuza, who hadn't finished telling us about our sensei - suddenly revealed to us something that made my heart break and caused tears to spring to both my eyes and Sakura's. Naruto looked horrified and Sasuke looked grim.

"Yeah, but while your Sensai had a few successes in his childhood. His father fell into disgrace when he decided to choose saving his teammates over completing the important mission he had been assigned on."

Zabuza sneered evilly at Kakashi whose eyes flashed angrily through this massive mask of hurt that suddenly appeared. I didn't like where this was heading. My fists clenched together in fury.

"You see children, his beloved father felt so dishonoured by his failure that he topped himself. Which is why your sensei is the way he is to this very day." He said with false sympathy dripping from his voice.

I felt sick and I was so angry that I was literally shaking.

"How dare you take pleasure in someone else's pain, you monster!" I snarled, taking kunai from my pouch. Zabuza, sensing how enraged I was getting, instead primed himself for battle.

"I'm going to end you!" I vowed advancing towards him, kunai raised.

"Right behind you!" agreed Naruto, equally as pissed off.

"NO!"

Kakashi's angry voice rang out over us and Naruto and I froze where we stood, looking at our teacher in disbelief.

"But sensei…" I protested with frustration.

"Just stick to what I already ordered you to do!" Kakashi insisted stubbornly.

But before we could protest again, Zabuza cut us off.

"Enough of this! I need to exterminate the old man."

Immediately, we jumped as one in front of Tazuna. But Zabuza retaliated by jumping into a nearby lake. He raised a hand and caused massive waves to form.

"He's building up a large amount of chakra," Kakashi said. And just like that, Zabuza disappeared.

"He vanished!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Sensei..." Sakura started, looking worried - but after hearing what her teacher had been through was determined to help.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi explained, checking his surroundings.

"Zabuza Momoichi is the former leader of an assassination group. A very dangerous one. Assassinations happen so quickly, you don't even realize you're dead until you already are."

Sakura and I paled.

"The sharingan can't even neutralize it, so be on your toes. If we fail, we only lose our lives." Kakashi told us, sardonically.

"How can you say that!" Sakura griped.

"That doesn't exactly make me wanna fight!" I cried exasperatedly, also checking that Zabuza wasn't about to sneak up on me.

The fog grew thicker and Kakashi disappeared. Zabuza came out of nowhere, naming the 8 vital points of the body.

"Now which do I go for first?" He asked, cruelly.

"How about none? Can you live with that?" I snapped sarcastically.

Sasuke shifted his weight from one foot to the other as a sudden blast of chakra came at us, forcing out a heavy wind. Sweat poured over Sasuke's face and I looked at him with concern, not liking the fearful expression on his face and quickly went over to him.

"Sasuke, hey you all right?" I asked worriedly.

"Don't talk to me!" He hissed.

He clenched his kunai with both hands and raised it towards his stomach.

"Sasuke, No!"

I wrestled with him, trying to grab the kunai and eventually got it off him before he could do any serious damage.

"Calm down Sasuke. I'll protect you with my life, I'll protect all of you. I won't allow my comrades to die, trust me," Kakashi assured, smiling at all of us - despite how angry he had been before.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Zabuza muttered, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

"It's all over for you."

Kakashi lunged forward and punched Zabuza in the stomach. But water leaked out instead of blood. It was just a clone.

"Die!" His deep voice yelled as he sliced Kakashi in half but Kakashi also turned into a puddle of water. Zabuza snarled angrily before Kakashi was instantly behind him with a kunai pressed to his neck.

"Don't move! Now it's over!" He tightened his grip. "You're finished."

Naruto cheered. "All right!"

Sakura and I giggled. But then, Zabuza joined in with a fearsome chuckle.

"Finished?"

We looked at him questioningly.

"You just don't get it, do you? I'll never be defeated by a copy-cat ninja like you." Everyone scowled dangerously at the Rogue Ninja.

"But you are full of surprises, though. You had your clone give that little speech while you hid in the mist."

He kicked Kakashi high into the air and rushed forward with his sword, ready to impale him on it. Zabuza slowed down, noticing some spikes protruding from the ground and an ugly scowl appeared on his face. Kakashi suddenly surfaced from the lake.

"Water Prison Jutsu!"

A large water ball formed around Kakashi.

"Sensei! NO!" Naruto yelled.

Zabuza turned and performed a clone jutsu. Naruto was kicked in the stomach and his headband came flying off.

"You all are just brats," Zabuza scolded.

"Get the bridge builder and run, you can't fight! He used a lot of power to keep me in this prison, so his clone can't get too far. Get as far away from here as you can, run!" Kakashi urged fearfully.

Naruto looked at him defiantly and then at us with a cunning grin.

Naruto…

"Let's do it!" Naruto exclaimed, running to Zabuza.

"Kuso! What are you doing!" I yelled.

Naruto flung kunai at Zabuza, who just blocked them with his sword. Sasuke jumped up unexpectedly, and surprised the assassin.

"Now!" Sasuke yelled.

"Too easy." Zabuza grabbed Sasuke's throat then threw him away.

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura cried.

"He got Sasuke!" Naruto fearfully said.

He turned to run away but his hand cramped up causing Naruto to remember his promise earlier about not running away or losing to Sasuke. Yelling, he charged at Zabuza. Kakashi looked on in horror.

"Naruto, no!" Kakashi yelled.

"Grr, Naruto, what are you doing!" Sakura growled.

"You'll be killed," I protested fearfully.

Zabuza went 'hmph,' then smacked Naruto away like he was nothing more than a ragdoll.

"What'd you think you would have accomplished by charging at him by yourself? Even Sasuke wouldn't have done that!" Sakura scolded.

"We're only Genin, you can't go against a Jounin!" Sakura rambled on.

Naruto held out his hand which now had his headband in it. He glared at Zabuza and I saw determination in his eyes.

"Hey you, the freak with no eyebrows," Naruto muttered, getting up. Zabuza turned to look at him, frowning.

"Put this in your bingo book: The ninja that will become the Hokage of the Village in the leaves, he never backs down. His name...is Naruto Uzumaki."

We all stared at Naruto with shock. Tazuna looked impressed at Naruto's actions.

Way to go, Naruto! I thought proudly.

Naruto looked at where Sasuke was dangling by the neck in Zabuza's clutches, trying hard not to choke.

"Alright Sasuke listen up. Can you hear me?" Naruto yelled.

"Yeah, I hear you." Sasuke croaked.

"I got a plan." Naruto declared confidently.

"Yeah, so now you're thinking of teamwork, huh?" Sakura blushed, probably thinking of how determined Naruto now was.

"Team, let's go wild. Ok, ready?"

We nodded, inspired by Naruto's determination.

"Let's take this guy down!" Naruto announced.

Zabuza smirked.

"Hm. Big words for a little man. You think your plan will keep you in the game?" Zabuza taunted.

"What are you doing, I told you to run! This fight was over the moment I got caught! Stay on the mission, save the bridge builder!" Kakashi shouted frantically.

Naruto looked at Tazuna, who sighed thinking we were going to abandon him to save our own butts.

"This is all because of me...I won't stand in your way, do what you must!"

Zabuza let out a maniacal laugh.

"You still haven't learned anything, haven't you?"

I frowned at him, not understanding.

Huh?

"Still playing little games...When I was your age, this hand had already crushed many opponents." Zabuza raised one of his hands as proof.

We gasped.

"Zabuza the demon..." Kakashi said, grimly.

"Zabuza the what?" I asked - unsure that I wanted to hear the explanation.

Kakashi explained about the Blood Mist Village and their custom of killing students to achieve the rank of Ninja.
We blanched.

"That's so cruel..." Sakura whispered.

"I couldn't do that…" I whimpered, feeling dizzy suddenly as I pictured the broken, mangled bodies of all my friends. Ino…Hinata…Naruto…Sasuke.

"All my friends…" I breathed, fighting the bile that quickly rose in my throat.

"It felt so...good!" Zabuza exclaimed, dropping and kicking Sasuke to the ground then stomping hard onto his chest. Sasuke cried out and spat up blood.

"SASUKE!" Sakura and I cried out frantically.

My fists balled up again and I shook.

I can't just stand here and do nothing!

"Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!" I hollered, and a giant shuriken appeared which I immediately flung at Zabuza. I gulped when he lazily picked up his sword and swung it like a bat - deflecting it and sending it spinning hazardously back at me.

"Kuso!" I cried and threw myself aside to avoid my attack, but ended up being nicked on the arm.

"Itai!" I cried out and thudded heavily to the ground clutching my arm in pain.

Naruto growled.

"Stop right there! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Clones appeared everywhere, impressing Zabuza a little.

"Here we go!" The Naruto Clones said in unison and they rushed forward to stab Zabuza who simply knocked them all down like they were nothing but air.

"His skills are too advanced," Tazuna commented in fear.

"He's far too powerful! There's no way to beat him." I rolled my eyes at his lack of faith that we would be able to protect him. Naruto went into his weapons pack the moment he was flung away. He turned his attention towards Sasuke, who was struggling to get to his feet.

"Sasuke!" He yelled, tossing over a large shuriken with 4 turning blades.

"Hey! I already tried that! It didn't work!" I called, begging them to rethink their plans.

"Demon wind shuriken: Windmill of Shadows!"

It went to Zabuza, who caught it. Unexpectedly, another showed up. Zabuza jumped up to dodge it, shocking Sakura and I.

Shit! He dodged it!

But then, the shuriken turned into clones of Naruto.

Oooh! Clever!

I grinned, impressed.

"Take this!" Naruto yelled, throwing a kunai.

Zabuza panicked and got grazed under the eye by the kunai. Growling, Zabuza moved to throw the large shuriken at Naruto.

"I'll destroy you," he glowered but he was stopped by Kakashi, whose hand was now bleeding. He turned and smiled proudly at Naruto, who grinned almost modestly.

"Naruto...that's an excellent plan. You've grown, haven't you?"

Naruto laughed and explained his plan. Tazuna's face twisted in disbelief.

"That was a fluke!" Tazuna complained.

Sakura and I glared at the Bridge Builder, irritated.

If I was him, I'd shut up. It's his fault we were caught in this death trap!

Zabuza quickly put together some hand signs. Kakashi, noticing this and using his sharingan, quickly copied the movements. Together they summoned water dragons that made big waves heading straight for us. Sasuke watched them almost fascinated now that he had finally learnt about and seen the Sharingan in action.

Little did we know was that up in the trees, a lone figure had come to scrutinize our long battle...