Here's another chapter for you all, apologies if it's lacklustre, I wrote it and edited on mobile.


Chapter 6: Reflections

Night had bled into day and Team 7 had come to a halt. With their mission set to continue they had managed to cover a fair bit of distance before the sun had dipped below the horizon and they were forced to set up camp for the night. Calm flames illuminated the small opening a bit away from the main road, keeping each member of the team and their client visible. Tazuna sat by the fire, quiet and lost in his thoughts. He had a feeling that no one wanted to talk to him after what transpired a few hours ago so he would keep his trap shut unless he needed to talk. He would occasionally steal glances at the quad of ninja; he lied to them and put their lives at risk, and yet they continued with the mission.

He had a newfound respect for them, especially the little one that he had mocked during their first encounter. Back then he doubted she was capable of anything other than looking like a porcelain doll on some noble's display, but then she made easy work of a ninja several years ahead of her and was the one to push for the continuation of the mission. How does he even begin to thank her?

"Tazuna-san?"

He was reeled from his thoughts and the world regained its colour. Narrowing his gaze and focusing to his side he saw blue eyes meet his, "Natsumi…"

"Water, food will be ready in a few minutes." She held a flask in front of him, and he blindly accepted it taking a swig of the cool liquid. His body shuddered and he only just realised how parched he was. He sent a thankful nod to the young girl as she left him and wandered over to her pink haired teammate who sat by her tent in silence.

Unlike Tazuna, Sakura was aware of her surroundings perhaps a bit too much. Every little sound put her on edge and she thought she would go crazy if she continued to be so paranoid. Everyone else appeared relaxed –relatively speaking- while she was jumpy. Sasuke was keeping himself busy by sorting through his tools, Kakashi was sat against a tree with his book in hand, and Natsumi was just well, Natsumi. The girl acted like the mother hen as she checked on everyone and took on the responsibility of preparing a meal for everyone. For someone who had been poisoned some hours ago, the girl was calm. But what could she expect from her? She was the perfect kunoichi after all…

"Is everything fine Sakura-san?" said girl spared a moment of silence, examining her blonde teammate in an attempt to zero out any signs of angst. Rather all she could find in those azure pools were ripples of concern. Sakura sighed and her shoulders slumped, she could not even force a smile.

"No, everything's not fine." She whispered. Natsumi's lips fell into a frown and she looked over her shoulder.

"Kakashi-sensei, we will be right back." Natsumi notified the man who sent a wave in response. Sakura raised a brow as Natsumi urged her to rise and ushered her further into the thickets of the forest. Sasuke had caught wind of this and tempted as he was to follow after the pair, he had to watch over the campsite lest they wish to be taken by surprise.

The two walked in silence with the smaller of the pair guiding the way. The sparse glows of the moon penetrated through the darkness, leading them through the foliage. Sakura wanted to ask where they were going but instead she allowed herself to be whisked away, the creatures of the night steering clear as they journeyed further away from the camp.

"Your mind is not clear, talk to me." Natsumi broke the silence. It was then Sakura realized that they had stopped walking and were now in a smaller opening, just enough for their privacy. She looked down at her smaller teammate and even in the night's presence, her eyes were ever luminous ready to stare into her soul and cast judgment.

The weeks they have spent together taught the pinkette a lot of things about Natsumi; she was was perceptive, maybe a little too perceptive. It made talking to her a like a game of tactics, lying to her was nearly impossible and trying to concealing anything was a waste of time. She toyed with the idea that it must have been a result of living with a clan that could see through almost anything. She bit her lip. She did not want to show weakness especially at such dire times but a small voice comforted her.

"Back then, when those guys attacked us. I didn't do anything to help…" She had fooled herself into believing that she was of some assistance, that standing in front of Tazuna with a small knife somehow translated into any effort. In truth she was afraid, scared that her life would be forfeit. In that moment she only cared about her own wellbeing, thought only about how she could escape with her life. It had never crossed her mind that if such an event should occur, how would she react? The answer, an act of cowardice.

"I only cared about what would happen to me…you, Kakashi-sensei…and even Sasuke-kun, you were not my concern. T-The day we became a team, we all swore to protect one another, and I broke that promise even if it was for a while…I feel useless."

Natsumi listened, allowing the other girl to express her woes. She had expected something like that, Sakura was still sheltered in a sense. Out of all three of them she has had the least experiences, the kind that would allow for rapid response. However, Natsumi would not pit any blame towards her. Konoha's methods of teaching and preparation were questionable, especially for a village that has known war for so long. In brutal honesty, Sakura was a liability and the girl knew that herself, but this mission would serve her well, to help her get used to the cold and uncaring nature that belonged to their profession.

"There is no room for self-pity Sakura," she flinched at the cold tone the words carried, "But there is no blameworthiness in your actions. What happened, happened, the past is past and dust is dust. Use it as learning experience, hone your nerves and ensure that such thoughts don't entice you. To be selfish is human instinct, but you must do away with those ideologies soon. You speak to me now and confess your actions, that's a sign of progression don't let that stop. Remember we're a team, and a team always helps one another."

She felt warmth engulf her hand, Natsumi's digits brushing over her knuckles, "Him- I mean, Hinata always does that to ease my troubling thoughts. I don't know why it works, but it does. I'm not sure if it will do the same for you, but the thought counts…does it not Sakura-san?" Oh that haughty tone. Sakura would have snarled if she were still in the academy, but hearing it helped calm her. It meant that Natsumi was not upset with her. She had enough energy for just a small weak smile, holding back tears she peered into her senior's eyes and gave a firm nod.

"Excellent now let's head back to camp. We would not want to keep the rest of our team on hold. Once we reach Tazuna's abode expect a few training sessions."

They returned to camp without a hitch, their Jonin commander manning the fire as he tended to what little food they had left. He turned to face them and raised his hand, "Yo, welcome back my adorable Genin. Sooo, what were you two doing?"

Sakura fidgeted and Kakashi feigned a look of shock, "Oh my, how spicy."

"No, you overgrown dolt! We were talking." Natsumi huffed, playfully slapping at the man's shoulder. Although Kakashi mainly associated Natsumi with her father due to her cunning intellect, he could see a lot of Kushina's side the more he interacted with her. It saddened him that he was never able to be there for the girl, instead he could only watch her from a far.

"Maa maa Natsumi-chan, I was only joking."


Dawn came and the team was once more on the road and this time they were more alert of their surroundings. The rhombus they formed was much tighter and left very little in terms of opening, Kakashi had instructed them to be perceptive of their surroundings and to keep careful watch of Tazuna. The last thing they wanted was a dead client on their hands and a mission failed especially after all their big talk back at the Hokage's office.

Natsumi pondered on the situation. A few hours she and Kakashi spoke and the man had told her that the mission would now be classified as a B-rank, but he mentioned that it might increase even further with the underlying threat of a man named Zabuza Momochi. It was a name she knew but the being attached to it was something else. What little she knew was that he was a former member of Kirigakure's elite group, The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. From what her sensei shared he was no laughing matter.

Her eyes brifley scanned over her two teammates; call it arrogance but she was aware that her prowess was beyond theirs, and even then she knew that taking on someone like Zabuza would be a death wish...unless she used that but even then there was no certainty on her survival. However, none of these thoughts seemed to factor in the presence of the team's leader. Kakashi Hatake was a skilled man, one did not just fall under mentorship of the Yondaime Hokage and not become a legend in their own right. She had done some research on him and his feats were a mile long something that would be hard to believe considering the man's disposition, but who was she to judge? Many underestimated her due to her short stature, and those very same people often tasted defeat.

In her thoughts the Jinchuuriki almost missed their journey. With her sense subconsciously feeling the area, nothing of note approached them and she was allowed to retreat into her mind. Doing so led her to overlook the roads they took and shift in climate. Gone was the scorching heat of Hi no Kuni's summer, in its place a subtle chill.

"We're going to have to cross over by boat. I know someone who can help us with that." Tazuna said after hours of silence. The disgruntled man looked worse for wear, concern and worry weighing over him like an anchor. She did not hold any grudge against him, even if his choice of words and the lies he told were irksome she had long ditched any sort of malice towards, rather she pitied him.

"Alright, once we crossover we'll pick up the pace. The longer we're out in the open, the more time our adversaries have to prepare." They all nodded, hoping that it didn't come to a confrontation.


Sasuke knew the feeling of dread. He had felt it on that very day and he was feeling it now. Kakashi had told them that there was a slight chance in them confronting a notorious nuke-nin, but he knew that slight chance was in fact, massive, he could feel it.

Normally he would be excited, this is just what he needed to test himself, to gauge just how close he was to being able to slay Itachi and yet he was anxious. Any sense of anticipation would be followed by waves of unease, the kind that he struggled to qualm. He didn't want to entertain the idea of dying on this mission, the thought of it twisted knots in his stomach but it was a possible reality and one that he feared. If he were to die then Itachi would get away with the crimes he committed, the bastard would go unpunished and be allowed to roam the earth to do as he pleased.

He clenched his fists trying to calm himself. The rocking of the boat certainly did not help his case nor did the settling cold. At this point he just wanted the mission to end and a small part of him regretted even continuing the journey.

"You're oddly silent. Oh, that's just normal."

Sasuke would not admit it but hearing Natsumi's voice was a godsend. It reeled him from the darkening realm of his thoughts and shoved him back to reality. She sat opposite him and he was thankful that it was not Sakura, he would rather be in conflict with his feelings than try to stave off the raving fan girl.

"Hn, I could say the same for you." The Uchiha wouldn't classify Natsumi as being quiet, she was not opposed to speaking like him but she usually only spoke to humour herself.

"Thinking, thinking, and thinking," he raised a brow only to scowl as he managed to make out a smirk. How he hated and loved that expression.

"You know they say the Sandaime Hokage is always thinking of every possible scenario. I asked him about it once and he called it a rumour," She leaned in closer and now he could clearly see her face, he couldn't help but note how much it reminded him of a fox, playful and mischievous.

"And?"

"Nothing philosophical if that's what you're expecting. I just think rumours are funny. I heard that you only consume tomatoes. False since I've seen you eat more than just that, but it's funny thinking that the great Sasuke Uchiha has an obsession with tomatoes." He felt his eye twitch. Really, the girl was an oddball and it bothered him. She was so frustrating at times, constantly acting as if he was just and after thought and then there were moments like these where she spoke in riddles.

Suddenly an idea came to mind. He had trouble concealing the smirk that threatened to pull on his lips.

"Speaking of rumours. Word has it that you and Hinata of the Hyuga clan are betrothed." He watched as her face adopted a shade of red, followed by stammering lips. Well that was a first.

"N-Nonsense, Hime and myself are perfectly normal friends, our love is purely platonic." He struck a nerve and a he knew it...and loved it. Never has he ever been able to do that before and he relished every single second of it.

"Hmph, well played Sasuke Uchiha but I did not expect you to be so versed in gossip...or is there more meaning to your words?"

'What is she getting at?'

He tensed up as he felt her hands crawl up his lap. She was leaning in now and her intentions were unclear.

"Are you perhaps interested in mineself? Do you wish to make me your Uchiha bride?"

It was his turn to light up. He felt blood rush to his face and he was quick to push her away and avoid any eye contact. He heard her stifled laughs and cursed at himself, his victory was short-lived and turned against him. He played her good but it left him wondering if she was aware of his feelings towards her, or if that was just her jesting.

Unbeknownst to the pair, their third team-mate had been watching the entire affair. A look of hurt prominent on her features.


Kakashi led his team forward with the intention of getting to safety as soon as possible. They had crossed the vast expanse of water separating the island of Nami no Kuni from the mainland and were now just a few hours away from Tazuna's village. Despite his calm attitude the ex ANBU was tense. Although he has tried to put his Genin to ease he knew very well that a confrontation with Zabuza was inevitable. There were signs of the man's presence for he did not believe that the mist settling in was natural, it carried with it a weight of dread and malice.

He already had a plan in mind. He'd have Natsumi lead the others away from the fight and hopefully he would be able to keep Zabuza busy long enough for them to escape to their client's home, allowing him to go all out without fearing for their safety.

THUNK

He whipped his head around just in time to see Natsumi recover from her poise. The small Genin had launched a kunai into the foliage and knife had pierced both flesh and wood from the sound of it. The others looked on in confusion watching as the blonde stalked the bush and returned with the carcass of white rabbit. Sakura sighed as she placed a hand over her rapidly bearing heart, her blood ran cold as the burst of adrenaline sank.

"Geez Natsumi did you really need to kill the poor thing?" She asked trying to crack a smile, but something was holding her back from doing so. The de facto leader of the group eyed the rabbit, a stormy gaze scrutinizing the corpse.

"I have been surveying the local fauna ever since we set foot on land. The rabbits I have seen do not match this coat, is this normal Tazuna-san?" She enquired and the aged man scratched his head.

"Don't know what to tell ya kid, animals aren't my special-"

"GET DOWN!"

The shout came from the blonde as she slid to her knees. Kakashi managed to tackle Sakura and Tazuna to the ground while Sasuke was able to duck on his own. A blade embedded itself into a tree across from them, cutting deeply into the wooden flesh. Not too long after a figure appeared above the sword.

"Impressive, I was certain that would have managed to graze you at the least." A gravelly voice broke the silence and they were all quick to get back into position, surrounding their client as they confronted their enemy.

Natsumi managed to get a look at the man. He was tall and sported a toned physique, pale skin and beady eyes. Truth be told she expected him to look...different. The swordsmen of the Mist were described as being monsters, the man before them looked almost nondescript.

"Well if it isn't the Demon of the Mist, Zabuza Momochi. Fancy meeting you here."

The man gave a dry chuckle at Kakashi's words. Leaping from his place atop his sword he would yank the weapon out of its lodgings and hoist it over his shoulder. His dark gaze scoured over the small group and sized them up. He hadn't anticipated his target to be protected by one of Konoha's esteemed warriors...this was bound to be troublesome. The brats didn't look like much, if they caused any trouble he'd deal with the right away.

"Kakashi Hatake, what a pleasure, but what would be better is if you handed over the old man."

Kakashi sighed as he shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't do that Zabuza."

The other man let out a throaty laugh before pointing the tip of his sword at Team 7.

"I am both disappointed and glad you said that. I'm itching for a fight and my Kubikiribōchō...craves blood."

Chapter End


A/N: So there we have it, Zabuza finally makes his debut and the next chapter will be fights only.First of all I'd like to thank all those who reviewed and those who returned to give the story another go, I truly appreciate you peeps.Second, once again sorry for the shoddy quality of this chapter. I wanted it to be a bit laid back but also follow the team's thoughts right up until their first encounter with Zabuza. With Sakura I didn't want her to be a sudden and instant improvement so she'll still be rough around the edges for some time, especially after she witnessed her crush being comfortable with her other more talented teammate, jealousy is a powerful thing.I hinted at Natsumi having a trump card and I'll say right now, it's not Kurama, don't know when I'll introduce it, maybe when she fights Haku? Who knows.For now I'll work on the next chapter and hopefully have it done soon.RR