Lionheart: Sorry for making you all wait. This is chapter 11 folks. There will be an OC appearance possibly. Or…maybe a familiar character.

Note: There is a dreadful episode, number 11, that I just can't write about. It has no point except to explain Inari's behavior. I'll work my way around that, and go straight to Sasuke vs. ??? (You'll see who it is later.)

Reviewers: Thank you, I'm glad you all read my story.

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Haku! Prelude to the Battle For the Bridge

Summary: While, Sakura desperately trains to improve her Shinobi skills, Kakashi and our two Genin are deep in conversation about their skills and abilities.

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Kakashi watched amusedly as a tree fell down. A wearied Sakura stood at its edge, panting for air. She had gathered as much chakra as she could into her fist, as Kakashi had instructed. She then let loose a punch of enormous power. Unfortunately she was left with little chakra and stamina. It had taken awhile, but Kakashi knew with her growing control of chakra, she would soon be a force to be reckoned with.

"Alright, Sakura, I think that's enough for today. Keep going like that and you'll e too wearied out." Sakura nodded, "Alright, Kakashi Sensei." "Cha, I did it," shouted Inner Sakura, letting loose a one-two."

"Alright, then eat something quickly, and then we'll go see how Naruto and Sasuke are doing." Sakura nodded and quickly opened her lunch box, while Kakashi pulled out Icha Icha Tactics. He giggled do himself, as Sakura gulped her food down. Startling Kakashi, she quickly hopped up. "Okay, Sensei, let's go!"

Kakashi eyed her, amused by her change of attitude. 'Something must have happened to her. I've never seen Sakura so enthused like this…that is without Sasuke within five feet.' Kakashi figured she was excited to see him, though he had no idea how mistaken he was.

Sakura head was bowed as she followed Kakashi. Her mind drifted to three days ago, when she had been assigned to Tazuna, since Naruto and Sasuke had been training hard. A tear formed in her eye as she recalled the faces, the tears, the lack of hope, and the sadness.

Flashback

Sakura sat on the rail of the bridge, while construction workers chattered around her. The loud noise of cranes as they lifted the long metal poles for the bridge, many hammers hammering down nails, and drills rumbled through the air. Sakura was beyond bored, if there was any such thing and tried to stifle a yawn. Unfortunately it was loud, and even worse, it was right when Tazuna passed. He eyed the girl, suspiciously.

"Are you always this lazy?" Sakura tried to speak, but another loud yawn made her sound like, "Hmgn." Tazuna rolled his eyes nearly, but instead decided to ask about Naruto and Sasuke. "Yo, where are those other two. You know that Sharingan eye guy, and that weird kid with an attitude." Sakura, for a moment, twitched. "They're training," she said, "Working on their techniques I think."

Tazuna chuckled, "Too tough for you, is that it?" Sakura scoffed, "Actually I've already mastered all of them, and even better I get special training later. Anyway, since I'm the best, the sensei sent me here to protect you," said Sakura, lying through her teeth. Tazuna stopped, "You're joking," he said, seriously. Sakura's eye twitched and she growled in annoyance.

She was interrupted when a man walked up, "Tazuna…uh, I need to talk to you." Sakura eyed the new person. He seemed to be just about as old as Tazuna, and his face seemed to be nervous. Sakura listened to their conversation.

Tazuna sighed, "Yeah, what about?" The other man scratched his head, "Uh, thing is…I've been thinking a lot about the bridge. And I've decided," he started looking away, "I pushed my luck far enough, I want out."

Tazuna grew furious. "Now you're going to quit on me? Just like that! You're kidding!" "You know, I stayed on because of our friendship. But I'm putting my life on the line everyday I stay here. Gato and his thugs will show up eventually," he said, turning back, "And when they do they'll kill you, Tazuna, and the bridge will never be completed anyway."

Tazuna grimaced. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "C'mon, it's a lost cause Tazuna," said the other man with a sigh, "Why don't we stop now while we can still get out of this alive?" Tazuna didn't speak for a moment, and Sakura wondered if he was actually considering those words. She was about to yell, 'You'd better not,' when Tazuna spoke.

"No chance!" The other man gasped. "This is our bridge. Our island is poor, and it will stay that way until this bridge connects us to the mainland. Commerce, Trade, and hope…that's what we're building here." "There's not going to be much hope if we're all dead."

Tazuna began walking forward, past the other man. "It's already noon. Let's break for lunch." The other man raised a hand, "C'mon Tazuna…let's not end it like this?" "Save your breath," interrupted Tazuna, "Oh, and Iichi (SP?), don't bother coming back after lunch?"

6 Hours Later

Sakura followed Tazuna later as they walked through the town. "Um, where are we going?" Sakura nodded, and continued to walk beside him. She suddenly noticed a young boy running off with some food, while another yelled, "THIEF!" Sakura frowned. It was then she began noticing the people around her; adults carrying signs that said things like, "Homeless," and kids sitting alone of the streets. Everyone's face showed desperation, hopelessness, and fear. Their clothes were raggedy as well, with lots of holes.

'What's wrong with these people,' though Sakura. "Ah, here we are," interrupted Tazuna. Sakura looked up and followed him into an old looking house. She looked around at the shelves lined with a random assortment of fruits and vegetables. They were old looking and there wasn't too much. "Welcome," said an old man. Sakura frowned, 'this is a store? There's nothing here.'

Another man, passing by suddenly spotted the bag that Sakura carried. He smiled and reached out. Sakura suddenly felt something brush against her; it felt like a hand. She did an outside crescent kick and kicked somebody in the face. "YOU PERVERT," she yelled. "No," said the man, who flew into a wall, "I was…gahh."

"Wow," said Tazuna, once they had walked out, "you really surprised me back there. Girls around here don't usually fight like that." Sakura maintained her angry face, "They should," she said, nearly shouting, "Something is seriously wrong here."

Sakura stopped suddenly, feeling someone grab her ass. She tensed and nearly kicked out. 'AGAIN?' Turning around she yelled, "Hey, buster…" She stopped short, seeing a startled little boy. Sakura's eyes softened. The little boy held his hands out, "Please?" Sakura's eyes softened even more, as she rummaged through her bag. "Uhh…here," she said, giving the boy some candy. The boy's smiled happily as he accepted the candy, saying, "Aw, thank you." Sakura nodded.

Sakura wiped a tear away as she watched the boy run off. "This is how it's been since Gato came here. The children suffer, and the adults are afraid to stand up to him. They've lost all hope. That's why we have to finish the bridge. It will bring commerce and trade…but much more importantly that bridge is a symbol of courage. We must restore the spirit of our people."

Sakura watched him with saddened eyes. "When the bridge is finished, people will start to believe again. They'll believe they can live with dignity. We can't let Gato stop us."

Sakura looked up sadly. 'Sasuke…Naruto, we have to help them,' she thought miserably.

End Flashback

"Sakura," interrupted Kakashi. Sakura looked up, startled. "Don't worry too much about that story about Inari's father. I have already promised, that I will protect Tazuna and the bridge. We won't let Gato have his way. And, knowing Naruto and Sasuke, they won't either."

Sakura nodded, as the thoughts of Inari's father slipped from her mind. She smiled sadly, remembering how he had been described as a hero. She remembered every detail Tazuna had included when he described Kaiza's work in the village and his brutal death. She knew she wouldn't let Gato get away with that kind of murder.

She then thought of Inari. How he had been heartbroken, and how Naruto had clumsily called him a loser. 'But he was right,' argued Sakura's conscience. Sakura shed a tear. They would make everything better again. And she would help.

'Now, we'll get to be the heroes,' she thought.

Deeper in the Forest

In and empty clearing flashes of light could be seen, randomly appearing. However, they weren't just ordinary flashes, they resulted from the contact of two kunai moving at insane speeds. The two kunai belonged to none other than Sasuke and Naruto.

"Kage Buyo," shouted Sasuke. He got behind Naruto, whilst the other grimaced and tensed up for Shishi Rendan (Lion's Barrage). It never came as Sasuke grabbed Naruto and helped him back to the floor. He sat down, and looked up.

The two had been training for two days, non-stop. Although they're bodies were physically spent, they kept going on chakra alone. It was easy with the mass training they had done in their previous life. They knew how to maintain their chakra, and to continue to fight using their chakra to keep themselves up. Thus, they could train for long hours, to toughen up mentally, they could train to use just the right amount of chakra, and they would get faster and faster. The only drawback was, they slowly lost chakra and if they kept going they would eventually be unable to fight.

Both boys were worn out and held numerous cuts from the kunai blades. They hadn't been able to block every stroke every time. "Hey, I think we should call it a day, Sasuke," said Naruto, gasping for breath. Sasuke was covered in a lot of mud from Naruto's Earth Style Jutsus, and Naruto was feeling a little bit burnt from Sasuke's Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fireball Jutsu).

"Yeah, right," said Sasuke. Both boys collapsed, while Kyuubi gave them a quick recap of their training. "Okay, brats, not bad. You managed to get thirty hours of Ninjutsu training, fifteen hours of Taijutsu and Genjutsu training, and five hours for your special techniques and sparring. I still think your Rasengan is a little bit off, Naruto. But anyway, good job, take a break and maybe a nap and then we'll figure out what to do next."

"Right, Kyuubi," replied Naruto, lazily. "Whatever," said, Sasuke. Both boys shut their eyes and instantly let the darkness take them in. "Hehe, I'm getting soft," murmured Kyuubi, watching the two sleep peacefully. "Huh, what's this?" Kyuubi detected movement to the right of the two sleeping boys. He took over Naruto's nose and sniffed. "Oh no, it's him." Kyuubi panicked and started yelling, "WAKE UP, BRATS! IT'S HAKU, HE'S HERE."

Both Naruto and Sasuke twitched though they remained firmly asleep. Their loss of chakra had made them very tired.

Meanwhile, Haku stepped out from the shadows of the tree and approached the two boys. He stopped right over Naruto and slowly bent down. His eye twitched slightly as he reached out towards Naruto's neck. His fingers curved, as he made ready to break Naruto's neck.

'Here's my chance. If I do this, then Zabuza won't…' He stopped short, remembering his vow to fight an even match with Naruto. Haku struggled internally with himself, wondering why he couldn't break Naruto's neck. Remembering his fight, long ago with Naruto and Sasuke, Haku's memories flashed before his eyes. He remembered Naruto's words, how he wanted to be the best and to be recognized. He remembered how much the two Genin in front of him had seemed to dislike each other, but had come together to prevail against him. Haku's eyes softened and he shook both boys, before jumping back. They both groaned, but slowly opened their eyes.

"Kyuubi," whined Naruto. "What is the meaning of this," shouted Sasuke, "I'm trying to rest here." Kyuubi laughed, "Oh, you guys will probably wish it was me that woke you." As Sasuke and Naruto growled, waiting for Kyuubi to explain, a voice interrupted them.

"You shouldn't sleep on the ground. You'll catch a cold." Naruto and Sasuke tensed, and they turned to the left, where the voice had come from. "Haku," said Naruto, softly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He knew that in his current state, he would be hard pressed to fight with Haku. Naruto thought along the same lines, and his eyes darted left and right, thinking of a strategy.

"You don't have to worry," said Haku, seeing the way they eyed him as a considerable amount of danger, "I won't attack you…not here." Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance and they both nodded. For some time, Haku eyed both Naruto and Sasuke, resulting in an uncomfortable silence.

"I see you two have gotten stronger," said Haku. "We have," answered Naruto, "Because we've found our own precious people." Sasuke 'Hmph'-ed at this statement. Haku smiled, genuinely, "I see, well then. I can tell already what the outcome of our fight will be already."

Naruto and Sasuke remained silent, though their eyes narrowed. "However, despite knowing that I would probably lose in a battle against you," he said, ahead of Naruto's question, "I will fight you anyway. For my own precious person." Naruto shook his head, "Haku, you don't have to do this. Don't you remember the outcome last time, Zabuza sacrificed himself in the end anyway, and Gato doesn't care about you guys. Why don't you guys just give up? You can come to Konoha, I'm sure…" "NO!" Naruto's mouth closed, while Sasuke frowned.

"I'm sorry," apologized Haku, "But I have my own reason for doing this. And just as last time, I will fight you with all my strength. You have no need to worry about Gato or about Tazuna, I have already convinced Zabuza not to kill the bridge builder. He only wants his chance at Sasuke, and I want my chance at your Sensei. And another one of our…colleagues I guess you can say, wants his chance with you…Naruto. He came back from the dead just to have a word. I must say he isn't really my taste, but I have no doubt you will eat him again."

Naruto twitched, "What do you mean?" Haku smiled, mysteriously. "You'll find out in due time," he said, before walking away. Naruto shared an uneasy glance, they didn't like what they were hearing, but they were in no position to follow Haku.

Close by, Kakashi and Sakura walked past Haku, though they did not know it was the same hunter ninja that had saved Kakashi. Haku eyed them warily but muttered a simple, "Good morning." "Hi," said Sakura, friendly, while Kakashi just nodded. They passed without incident and found Naruto and Sasuke lying on the floor panting.

Sakura sighed, "Jeez, you two need to stop going all crazy with this training. How much use are you two going to be if you're all wasted away like this?" "CHA! Naruto, you're going to pay for making Sasuke all tired like that. CHA!" Kakashi frowned, "She's right. Take a break you two. Food is ready, so let's go eat."

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke were in a mood to argue so they stood up and followed the other two to the house. "Naruto, are you ready? I don't know who holds a grudge against you, but you're going to need to take him out. If we are to try and save Haku and Zabuza from pointless deaths this time, then…" "Shut up, Sasuke. I know already, don't worry about me."

Kyuubi laughed, while Sasuke smirked. He remembered back when Naruto was still brainless idiot. 'Heh, he still 'is' a brainless idiot.' "I heard that…" muttered Naruto, darkly. "But it is true," added Kyuubi, laughing with Sasuke. Naruto face got darker and darker.

The Next Day

Zabuza walked swiftly on the water towards the bridge. Behind him was his trusted apprentice, Haku, and a hooded man. "Zabuza, are you sure…will that boy come? I don't want to have wasted my time."

Zabuza grunted, "Of course he'll come, you can count on Haku's information that he will be here." "Good," said the masked man, while Haku remained silent, "because I will most definitely enjoy the look on his face when I kill him this time." Haku frowned, knowing he had no idea what he was in for.

"Haku, you ready? I don't know what happened to you the first time you met them, but I don't want that to affect your performance today. Is that clear?" Haku nodded, "Hai."

Meanwhile, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura followed Tazuna out the door. They left Naruto at the house, due to his request. "Alright," said Kakashi, "Let's go. Ms. Tsunami I'll leave Naruto in your care." As Kakashi turned Tsunami nodded, "Good luck," she shouted back, worried about Kakashi's condition. She was still unsure whether he was really okay or he was faking it. 'You'd better protect him with your life,' she thought.

She returned to the house and checked up on Naruto, who was training in the woods. She smiled. "Hey, Inari, come over here and help me." "Sure, mom," came the boy's reply. Meanwhile, two samurai drew their swords and stepped onto the porch. They both grinned. About the same time, Naruto stopped his Ninjutsu, and shifted his eyes toward the house. 'They're here.'

One Hour Later

"Oh no," muttered Tazuna. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all gasped. They stood on one end of the bridge, which had been extended since their stay. They could see the edge some distance up ahead. And in between that distance…there laid bodies. Dead bodies.

To make it worse a sudden mist was starting to descend on the group. "This mist," murmured Kakashi, looking fearful. "It's him," warned Sasuke. He leapt up and shouted, "Futon: Daitoppa." Sasuke let out a small gust of wind that blew away the mist. When it had cleared, Zabuza, Haku, and a mysterious hooded ninja stood in their path. Tazuna gulped and backed away, while Sasuke grimaced.

He knew they were at a disadvantage. He had no idea how much Haku had improved for this fight, and he knew he would have to face him on one-one. That left Kakashi to fight two other jounin ninjas, probably just as good as himself. It didn't look good. 'But then again,' figured Sasuke, 'It didn't look good last time either.'

'I knew he was still alive,' thought Kakashi, 'He just couldn't wait for round two.' "Sakura protect Tazuna. Me and Sasuke will handle these three." Sakura nodded, while Sasuke and Kakashi each drew a kunai. "Sorry I kept you waiting," said Zabuza, coldly, "And I see you still got those brats with you. Pitiful!"

Seven Mizu Bunshins appeared from the ground. "Ah, that young one is trembling," said Zabuza, pointing at Sasuke. Sasuke smiled, "I'm trembling…from excitement." Zabuza frowned. "Go on Sasuke," urged Kakashi. Zabuza forced his clones to all swing, but to his surprise they were all destroyed in a matter of seconds. Sasuke has used his palm at amazing speeds to slice through the bodies. "Impressive," said Zabuza, "Haku will easily take you down."

Sasuke frowned as Haku stepped up. He had put his mask back on and seemed to be emotionless. Sasuke knew he was having a hard time attacking. Sasuke nodded to Kakashi and stepped forward to face his challenge. He was going to let Haku have the first move.

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Lionheart: Sorry for the short chapter. Enjoy and please review. Hope you like cause I sure as hell spent a lot of time on it.

Notes: Next time, you'll find out who the mysterious hooded ninja is. Trust me, it's not an OC, but it's a character from the fillers. Let's see if you can guess.