Well... Truth be told I'm a little disapointed... I expected some votes on the pairings I listed but I only got one... So I've decided that I'll let the characters decide. This fic already seems to be taking on a lif of its own so I guess I'll see how the story pans out.

As time goes o I want to get a little more in depth with the characters that I have, I'm thinking about dedicating an entire chapter to each of the major character, as well as introducing some of the FMA squad to the narutoverse. I'm wondering if i should show what the FMA characters alternates are like, such as the narutoverse Roy Mustang, I already know that he is showing up :P If you want me to do a specific character let me know and maybe drop a few ideas my way.

Anywho back on track here. This is the final part of the training before the showdown on the bridge. That will be the next chapter, and I suspect it well be... VERY long. I tend to draw out major fight scenes :P Just let me know what you think, drop a review if you will please, and thanks for reading

Ed and Al's Training Grounds

The two brothers sat across from each other in a deep meditative state. During their training with their sensei, she insisted that they meditate to keep in touch with nature and things of that sort. They found that after a good training routine, meditation was also a great way to warm their selves down in a sense and to regain some of their energy. That wasn't the only reason for today though. Both had sensed a very strange, foreign, energy emanating from the ninjas. At first they thought it was just their minds playing tricks on them, but after talking together they found that it had to be something more, and meditation was the fastest and easiest way to find out. Meditation had come naturally to Al, him being of a gentle calm nature, he was just naturally suited to the more tedious and subtle things. Ed on the other hand, with his short attention span, found it much harder, but after a long time of practice; he became accustomed to doing it.

Both boys could sense the energy around them. Everything had an energy signature of some sort. Trees had one, the earth itself had one, even the air; but what bothered them both was that here, in this world, the elements seemed to radiate brighter, seemingly more powerful. They could see the world around them, green hazes represented vegetation, brown; the earth, but there was one color they didn't recognize… it was, white. There was never a white haze before, and what shocked them the most was that it came from the direction of the four from Konoha. It left the two completely dumbstruck. There was no explanation, except that these ninja had a power that they never encountered before. They had decided to be more cautious when dealing with the ninja from this point on.

After another half hour of meditation Ed stood to his feet and brushed the grass from his black pants. "Alright Al, I'm gonna head out to keep an eye on the four ninja." Al opened one of his eyes to look at Ed, "I'll see you tonight when I get back."

Al nodded his head in affirmation and closed his eyes to continue his meditation, "I'll just stay here a few minutes and then head to the house. Be careful not to get caught Ed."

Ed just nodded and walked in the direction he felt the strange power coming from. Whatever power it was these ninja had, he wanted to know more about it.

Team 7's Training Ground

With a quick burst of speed Naruto dashed to the tree and began to run up its trunk. After 30 feet he felt his concentration slip and quickly slashed the tree with a kunai and back flipped back to the ground. Breathing heavily he turned to see how his rival was faring… Damn… the bastard Uchiha had a full 2 feet on him still. He took a deep breath and looked at the tree menacingly and sighed to himself. He looked over to his other teammate and saw the pink haired girl resting against her tree trunk looking a bit exhausted. Suddenly a light popped into Naruto's head as an idea of immensely brilliant proportions began to make itself known to him. Quickly Naruto looked all around him and glanced quickly at Sasuke. Seeing his rival was still occupied with running up the infernal wooden torture devices, he began to creep ever so silently toward Sakura.

"Psst… Hey Sakura," The blond whispered to Sakura who was sitting against a tree, relaxing. When she heard Naruto call her, her eyes snapped open.

"What? And why are you whispering?" She said as she turned her head toward the blond ninja.

"Well," Naruto began, shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously. "I was hoping you might be able to help me get the hang of this…" His eyes shifted to the ground, "You got it so quickly and I was thinking you could teach me a trick or two."

Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise which turned to a calculating look. She looked him up and down and then smiled, "Since you asked, I guess I could."

Naruto's mouth split into a huge grin, "YATTA! You rock Sakura!" Meanwhile, in a tree, Sasuke looked down at Naruto and Sakura and frowned. So… the dobe is asking for help. Looks like I'll have to step this up a notch. With that Sasuke resumed his training.

A Few Days Later

Unbelievable… That was the only word that could be used to describe the scene in front of the golden eyed alchemist as he sat on a branch high in a tree. Below him, a blond was STILL trying to run up a tree. Now that in itself isn't so unbelievable it was the fact that he could actually make it a few yards up the tree is what had him completely dumbstruck. Ninjas where he came from had superb physical strength, sense, and overall ability, but they couldn't climb trees; well they probably could but they certainly couldn't just walk up the side of one!

As Ed watched in amazement, Naruto once again fell from the tree. Naruto, exhausted, managed to struggle to his feet and declare in an exhausted but determined voice, "I won't fall behind. I won't be 'dead last' anymore." Naruto clenched his fists at his sides, "I'll be Hokage one day, and I'll prove to them… I'll prove…" Naruto's voice began to drift as his body began to sway, "I won't…. give… up…" and at the last word his body fell to the ground.

Ed looked on with concern. "Is… is he dead?" He asked himself in a whisper. Ed jumped from the tree and landed silently. Slowly he made his way to the would be corpse and saw his chest rising and falling. Ed breathed a sigh of relief and sat next to the boy. He fondly looked over to the loud-mouthed ninja and smiled to himself. "You have so much talent… Talent that you didn't exactly ask for. In a sense it's a blessing, but it can be a curse too." Ed closed his eyes and looked to the stalit sky, basking in the icy blue light from the moon. The breeze picked up just a tad and rustled his hair and clothing some. "I know how it is. Having a gift that was built on the misfortune and suffering of others…" Ed clenched his right arm and brought it into view. "But… you can't let that stop you from using that gift to protect the ones you love…" Ed smiled to himself and began to stand back up, "but it looks like you already knew that." Ed took off his coat and laid it over top of Naruto's sleeping form. Ed stood to his feet and began to walk away, "Looks like I made the right decision in coming here."

Ed spent the rest of the night without sleep watching over Naruto.

The Next Morning

Ed woke with a start when he felt an unfamiliar power approach. Quickly he jumped to his feet, cursing the fact that he fell asleep. He quickly walked over to Naruto and grabbed his coat, throwing it over his back as he hastily hid himself from view. Only moments after Ed had hidden, a young girl dressed in a flowered sundress walked into the clearing carrying a wicker basket, merrily humming a tune to herself. When she came across Naruto's sleeping form she jumped a bit, obviously surprised to see someone sleeping on the forest floor. She calmly walked over to his sleeping form and knelt down next to it. She was about to wake him when she heard a voice from behind her.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," A young male voice spoke softly from behind her. Instantly every alarm in her mind went off. And she fought the urge to swing around and face the person who halted her. "Turn around slowly, I don't want any funny business ya hear?" the voice spoke again. Slowly the girl turned to face the blond haired boy who stood there with his arms folded across his chest. A smile crossed his features, "Name's Ed." The boy then gestured to her and she assumed he wanted her name.

"You startled me, my name is Haku," she answered, voice oozing cuteness that seemed to sugar coat every word that came from her mouth. She had used this technique many a time and it rarely failed to fool.

Ed looked at Haku with a calculating eye, "Haku, huh?" He said more to himself than to anyone else. "I've got some questions," the blond said with a small smile.

"Ah, certainly. Ask away." Haku said smiling her most disarming smile.

Ed relaxed his position a bit, "What're you doing out here so early? Isn't it a little dangerous for a girl to be wandering around a forest all alone?" Haku smiled at him.

"I am collecting herbs for someone who was injured," she said avoiding using Zabuza's name, just in case this boy was with those ninja from Konoha.

Ed nodded, "He must be seriously injured if you're using those herbs." Haku's eyes widened a bit at that. This boy must be well versed in the medical field to be able to identify these herbs in the blink of an eye. Her disposition didn't escape Ed's notice so he decided to push a bit further, "How was he injured?"

Haku's mind raced for an explanation, ANY explanation. "Umm, h-he was injured… injured while at work." She managed to sputter out.

Ed smirked to himself. She was definetly hiding something, and that look in her eye when she spotted Naruto told him it wasn't good. Besides she gave off an aura that reminded him of something… only… he couldn't recall what that was at the moment. "Ah, what does he do?"

Haku forced herself to calm down. There was no way that this boy would know anything, he wasn't even there, and he didn't have much more chakra that an average civilian would have if her senses didn't betray her. There was no use in getting all worked up over nothing, so she calmed herself and answered in a more confident tone, "He is a trader, he was injured while transp…" Ed shot up his hand to stop her. He finally remember what he felt from her. It was the same thing he felt from the other ninja…

"You can stop lying now." He glared at Haku. Haku paled visibly, she had seen eyes like his before… they aren't the eyes of a killer, no, nothing so cold. They spoke of untold horrors and misfortune and seemed to radiate a power of their own, and her senses told her, that power wasn't something she wanted to experience. "You're a ninja… and you're probably the reason why these guys…" Ed said motioning to Naruto's still sleeping form, "are on such edge."

Haku's gaze fell to the ground, she had been found out…. She was afraid this spelled the end for her, "Forgive me Zabuza-sama" she thought to herself. Slowly she nodded.

Ed sighed and sat motioned her to follow. Curiosity over took her and she followed him to a small clearing near there. Ed flopped heavily to the ground and motioned her to have a seat as well. Haku sat directly across from him. Ed looked to Haku, "I want to hear the full story in detail."

Haku nodded and complied, telling him everything from being hired by Gatou to the attack on the group from Konoha. After the story, she sat there quietly, waiting for him to make his move. She had expected him to kill her, slap her, or something of that sort, but what he did surprised her. He stood to his feet and offered her his hand. She looked up at Ed questioningly.

"Part of my code is that I don't hit girls, no matter what happens…" He stood there waiting for her to take his hand. Slowly she placed her small pale hand into his and he pulled her to her feet. "Go to Zabuza and tell him that he should just leave." Haku opened her mouth to protest but was promptly cut off as Ed spoke louder, "Tell him that if he still wants to kill Tazuna, he'll have to come through me." Ed's eyes narrowed at Haku, "I can tell you're innocent. I sense it in your aura. That's why I'm giving you this chance." Haku nodded dumbly, unable to respond. Ed turned his back to Haku and began to walk away, "Have a good one." He said as he casually made his way back to the camp with Al. Haku stood there a moment in shock before she turned to gather the rest of the herbs she needed.

Insert the standard Haku runs into Naruto sleeping on the ground at the end there... you all know it so I don't really feel the need to write it out :P If you think I'm lazy because of it, then you're right!

Please read and review!