This is a Naruto Fan Fiction only.

As we walked I decided to have a somewhat casual conversation with Kakashi, much to Sakura's discomfort, but I really didn't care either way.

"Don't you find it strange Kakashi we haven't had any major rain in more than a month and the bushes and trees are green as always this time of the year. The sky is so clear I can practically see Mars, it is showing quite bright don't you think so?"

Kakashi finally got what I was saying and played along. "Why yes Naruto nature is amazing, and you are right Mars is quite bright today. Some think we might be headed towards a battle, but I never put much stock in fortune telling."

I quickly used hand language to tell him I was going to talk to our enemy ready to ambush, I also said I would leave a shadow clone to keep talking about nonsense to distract our attackers, he nodded his head.

I used a bit of chakra and decided to infiltrate the puddle genjutsu where two men wearing gauntlets and had two arms linked with a chain were waiting for my team.

"I told you it hasn't rained in over a month. This genjutsu is a really dumb idea." His brother was quite annoyed and told him since he didn't offer a better alternative he could shut up before the team guarding their target notice them.

"I personally agree with your brother, the way this ambush was planned is really stupid. It's like someone didn't spend enough time to think things through. Wouldn't a bush or an underground ambush be better than this."

The first brother agreed with me without realizing I was not supposed to be there at all. "Exactly, glad somebody else thinks so. We didn't need to rush our planning of this ambush at all. So what that Gato wants the drunken bridge builder. We could have left a poisoned bottle of booze and get the job done better than this."

"Hey wait a minute who are you? It was supposed to be just my brother and me under this genjutsu." I smiled at them and decided to point the obvious.

"Who me? I am one of the people guarding the drunk that is your target. Now do you two want to resolve this peacefully or do I have to go feral on you! If I could sneak under here I am no unskilled brat. So what will it be? Talk it out or die?"

The idiot of the two brothers was ready to fight by the looks of it, but his brother stopped him. "Look we are just doing our job, it was nothing personal. We weren't even going to harm your team at all. We were just going to kill the drunker and go. I swear!"

The genjutsu was dispelled and I knew he was telling the truth. "Look guys you are being used and swindled. Did you get any up front payment from this Gato guy? No, you were told you be paid after the drunk bridge builder was dead didn't you?"

I saw them looked quite angry as they realized I was telling the truth. *So do me a favor? Mind telling your team leader I need to have a friendly chat with him? I need to deal with a certain drunken liar first."

They were only too happy to do me that favor.

They both left in what I call friendly terms. The guy that agreed with me practically left as a friend after a chat. I turned around and I walked towards Tazuna with a kunai and really wanting to gut him like a fish.

"Now Tazuna, would you kindly tell me why did you lie to our Hokage?"

Tazuna, Sakura and Sayomi were both sweating as I was looking at him.

"Alright, I am sorry that I lied. My town is under the thumb of a crime boss. I am making a bridge to allow commerce to flow to my town. This crook controls all transport into my town. We are spending everything on the bridge. We had to lie, cause if I told the truth the mission would be higher rank and we can't afford that."

I understood that very well, but part of me wanted to return to Konoha and tell the truth to the Hokage before this supposed mission continued. In the end I decided to put it up for a vote and we should decide how to proceed as a team.

"Mission parameters have changed and we could by all rights go back to the village and let our Lord Hokage decide, but I would like to ask you do we go back or do we continue this mission? I can understand that this was the act of a desperate man. In my opinion we go finish this mission, but Tazuna has to pay the right amount for this mission, once his village economy recovers."

Sayomi smiled a little but quickly hid it behind the emo mask she wears, "For once we agree dope. I wanted a tougher mission anyways. So as far as I am concern this fits me like a glove. I'm in all the way. Hope this enemy is tough, god I love a challenge."

We both looked at Sakura and she did as expected. "As long as Sasuke wants to continue this mission I will agree too."

We all looked at Kakashi and he was smiling or so we thought. We couldn't see his smile thanks to that facial mask he wears. "Ok we continue but we send a reinforcement request to Konoha and tell the Hokage why. I already wrote a scroll when you three were deciding what to do. As your jounin instructor you made me very proud with your decision."

He summoned one of his dogs and we all knew who it was. "Paku take this scroll to the Hokage and to him only. You know where we are headed in case he sends a reply."

Kakashi put the scroll in a carrying pouch on him and he took off faster than we could track.

"Will you stop crying Tazuna, we got a long way to Wave and you getting dehydrated is not going to help matters any." For a second there I feared he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

He jumped up and hugged each of us saying thank you over and over again. Boy am I happy the demon brothers had gone to deliver my message to their leader, cause this was embarrassing.

It turns out there really were bandits nearby and wouldn't you know it, Tazuna just had to piss right next to a bandit ambush. Let's just say even I could feel some level of sympathy towards my usual prey.

The were so upset that they tried to rush Tazuna and kill him. I substituted myself with him and saved him from the wrath of the understandably upset and pissed bandits. I killed them in one use of my variation to a technique Neji taught me. I had to be sure to thank him once I got back.

"Naruto why did you save Tazuna? I sort of understand wanting to complete the mission but that was excessive. You know anyone else in our team could have done that." Sakura, Kakashi and Tazuna were fast asleep in the makeshift tents. I was on guard duty with Sayomi.

In a way I am happy to be able to spend any alone time with her, but deep down I am still bothered by her pretending to be a guy. I can't shake the feeling that if this keeps up she might develop interest in girls and that most definitely be a bad thing for me.

"Sasuke I merely saw that the drunk managed to make a bad situation even worse. Honestly I had no time to think things through. You want to tell the Hokage that our client is dead cause he managed to make a bunch of bandits go feral because he pissed on them?"

She quickly said that she wouldn't want to report such a failure. "I guess you are right, Naruto. I just think that we should confiscate the rest of his liquor, and no I don't mean you can have some!"

Tazuna came over to me smiling as he did. He placed an hand on my shoulder. "Say Naruto aren't you a bit young to drink fire whiskey?"

I brushed his hand off my shoulder and looked at him. "Old enough to kill, Old enough to drink. I drink fire whiskey for the flavor. It has a nice spicy, nutty taste to it. Now if I wanted to really get drunk, Inferno Dragon Sake. There is just no substitute for it. Not many stores carry it since it does tend to kill people."

Tazuna was surprised to hear anyone could drink it. The liquor was mostly used as a liquid to fuel cremations. One spark and the bottle exploded in such a way it was known to burn down houses, or kill due to liver failure.

We all waked until I saw something strange on the road. A white furred rabbit, that was weird it still had winter fur. "Everyone hit the floor!" As I said that a big sword came flying and I had to act fast or the blade would kill the rabbit too.

I caught the bunny and shielded her with my body. As the blade came to get stuck in a nearby tree I looked at the bunny looking rather afraid. I began to pet it to relax her. "There, there no need to be afraid. Nothing bad happened to you. I looked at the man and immediately knew who he was. He was in the current bingo book.

"One hell of an entrance Zabuza Momochi. You sure have a flare for the dramatic, but was it really necessary? I did tell the demon brothers I needed to talk with you. I however need to ask you daughter who is up on that tree over there to come and get her bunny. No need to scare it anymore is there?"

He jumped down and held his sword in hand. "What makes you think that rabbit is a pet? Or that it belongs to my daughter?" I told him the rabbit had the smell of a woman's perfume on the fur.

A masked kunoichi jumped down and walked towards me. I placed her bunny in her open hand along with some carrots. "She looks hungry. Don't worry I didn't hurt your bunny."

She left and I looked at Zabuza, "So what do you want to discuss other than pet care?"

I looked at him my teammates were sweating heavily due to the killer intent he was sending to the surrounding area, me it didn't matter one bit. I felt much worse when mom was angry when I did something she didn't approve off.

"You know Zabuza it just strange to me. If this guy is such a successful crime boss, why doesn't he buy explosives and with a few raft place them on the bridge? Explosives aren't that expensive or hard to find. Hell you could probably make them yourself, and that includes the rafts."

Zabuza was nodding his head in agreement. "That is interesting, but what is your point?"

I walked closer to him. "Maybe he isn't as successful as he pretends to be. Maybe the reason he doesn't blow up the bridge is because he can't afford it. He's got his shipping company as the only source of income, if they can send goods without him he is bankrupt."

"I think that if I am right he plans to invite you over to dinner after you succeed. He will offer you a drink and he will have poisoned your drink and food. He can't afford explosives, what makes you think he can afford you?"

Even Tazuna could see that my words were indeed striking home, if his smile was any indication.

"Let's say for argument sake you are correct. What exactly do you propose? If we don't do as asked he might try to betray my friends even sooner. I don't know you, but the way you saved my baby girl's pet at least let me know you are decent."

I looked at the both and couldn't help but to smile. "Here is what I propose. You pretend to be injured for a solid week. In that time my teammates and occasionally a shadow clone will pretend to train. In reality I will sneak around town and gather evidence of Cato's finances. If they are as bad as I figured his own thugs will kill him."

"Then I help Tazuna finish the bridge, you of course are free to help us at this point. Once the mission is over I will invite you and your friends to join Konoha. It gets you respectable employment, better living conditions and off the bingo book. No more looking over your shoulder for a hunter. What do you Zabuza?"

He smiled and put his sword back on his back. "Why should I believe a word from a total stranger? How do I know you are honest about this?"

I placed a hand on my chest and closed my eyes. "I swear on the honor of my mother Kushina Uzumaki that all I said was honest and would never betray a promise, or let the shinigami eat my soul right now!"

Zabuza walked over to me and did something I didn't expect. He hugged me. "I can't believe the son of my dearest friend is alive. I was told you died with your mother. Haku no need to be shy! This is the son of your godmother. Now knowing this of course I will help you out!"