Author's note; I'm sorry for the late update everyone! We went out of town and I ended up with slight writers' block before finishing this chapter. I hope everyone likes it and all. I feel like the end is a little off but I'm okay with it.

On with the chapter! R+R+F+F

Chapter 5

Protect the Bridge Builder Pt 2

It wasn't for another hour before team seven and Tazuna reached the shore where a boat waited with one of Tazuna's friends to help them cross the fog towards the main land.

"Let's get a move on, I don't want to be here if someone suddenly shows up with your death on their agenda." The man said and everyone quickly climbed into the boat, though Naruto decided to put on shoes and walk on the water with his ice element. He was in no mood to sit still on a boat, not with what's going on in his head now at least. It'd not only drive him nuts but also scream out in frustration. And using chakra as well as keeping himself moving was helping him stay focused on what's in front of him.

"I'd prefer if he get in the boat." The boat operator whispered, but was stopped by Kakashi.

"It's best if he keeps himself moving, trust me, no one will see him as long as he doesn't go ahead too far." He said with a shake of his head. "I'd prefer him to keep moving, it's the only way he can stay focused when he's like this.

"As long as you're sure, then it's fine." The operator sighed and got the boat moving to catch up with Naruto, who was about a few meters ahead of them already on ice that seemed to form in front of him and melt away instantly right behind him when his foot lost contact with it.

It was on their way to shore that Kakashi talked thoroughly with Tazuna about the days' events and what was revealed to the team. The copy ninja wanted to go back to the village, gain jounin level ninja instead of using gennin for the mission because who was now involved. But the moment Naruto heard his plan, the blonde let out a menacing, red chakra surge towards him and the decision was final that they were going to continue guarding over the bridge builder until the mission was over.

Naruto still had yet to tell him why he sent him a wave of that red chakra in the first place, but Kakashi let it go because of Naruto's silence. He'd have a better time getting answers when Naruto was calmer than he was now, because a silent Naruto meant a Naruto that was either planning someone's death or he was conversing with someone he shouldn't. Broken concentration in that conversation meant bad news in itself.

"So, Tazuna, you said on our way here that you have a daughter and a grandson, how are they like?" Sakura asked, who seemed to finally compose herself in the hour it took for them to get to the boat, though she hasn't given Naruto a bit of attention and treated him like he wasn't there for the time being.

"Yes, Tsunami and Inari. Inari is still quite young, not yet eleven and is quiet most of the time like the brooding one over there but without the attitude." Tazuna said before pointing at Sasuke, who sent a glare at the comment from him. "But like everyone else in the village, he's lost his spirit, hope and courage and lives just to survive another day. I'm hoping that this bridge will change that in everyone, especially Inari. He was a kid who'd laugh all the time, I miss hearing his laughter throughout the house."

"We're going to do everything we can to help you, just don't leave us in the dark anymore, understand?" Kakashi warned, earning a nod from the bridge builder and the remaining of the ride was quiet.

"Hey, kid, let me out while you fight this guy Zabuza." Kurama snickered inside Naruto's head, though he earned silence from the usually loud blonde. "What's the matter? Fox got your tongue?"

"Shut up you fucking fleabag." Naruto hissed, it was apparent he wasn't in a good mood right now either. "Like hell I'm going to let you out during that fight. That guy is mine as a trophy, if you forgot what I told you an hour ago already."

"I didn't forget, but I was hoping for some fun." Kurama bellowed in laughter. "What do you say? You can let me out for just a minute or two."

"I'll think about it, fleabag, but I'm not promising shit to you right now. You're an annoyance and I have a headache right now."

"I'm an annoyance? I've had to deal with your crazy shit years before the village finally made you snap into the thing you are now. Don't forget who gave you your abilities, kid, I can take them back."

"Don't lie, you told me once already, you can't take it back after a certain amount of time, and it's well past that time. And here I thought you had a wonderful memory, but that's being proven wrong today."

"You're an insolent brat!" Kurama howled. "I'll be sleeping if you need anything."

"Don't need to tell me you're whole agenda for the day. You sleep way too much."

Kurama didn't answer him back, making Naruto snicker only to notice that they're already past the fog and approaching a small port. But he held back his enthusiasm and continued the pace he was going before jumping onto the walk way as the boat settled next to it.

"Thank you so much for helping us get here." Tazuna smiled with a small bow to his friend, who waved and took off back towards the fog they were just in a few moments ago.

"Alright, it's about another hour or two to my place, we just need to follow the path that's made and we'll be there." Tazuna said as he pointed to where the path started on land, earning a nod from Kakashi and they all started, with Naruto in front, Sasuke and Sakura on either side of Tazuna and Kakashi in the back. They decided, that since Naruto could sense the enemy faster than any of them, he should be up front.

"He's too quiet." Sakura whispered to Sasuke, now finally acknowledging the blonde's presence for the first time since the incident with the Demon Brothers about an hour into their walk.

"I know, it's starting to freak me out, he hasn't even tried to complain or walk on his hands like the moron he is." Sasuke whispered back, only for Naruto to stop in his tracks and look back between the two.

"I can hear every single word you two are saying, 'ttebayo!" Naruto bellowed like his old self while pointing a finger at his two teammates. The bellow had startled them all, but everyone but Tazuna felt relieved about it.

"Glad to have you back, dobe." Sasuke smirked as he dug his hands in his pockets. "You and silence don't go together."

"Whatever, teme." Naruto spat with a playful glare towards the raven, only to take notice of Kakashi's tense, rigid stance.

Immediately, Naruto sent out pulses of chakra to find that they were indeed near some trouble, and it was the person he was looking forward to meet.

"Everyone duck!" Kakashi suddenly screamed when a huge sword suddenly spun out from a tree and in their direction. Everyone but Naruto ducked, who decided to jump instead and land on the huge blade, sticking to it like glue with chakra in his feet. This caused him to spin faster than he's ever spun before until the sword lodged itself into a tree high above everyone's heads.

"That was fucking fun! I wanna go again!" Naruto said, true to his usual self as he almost fell off, only managing to stay on because of the chakra in his feet.

"Get the fuck off my sword you nut case!" Someone snapped before Naruto was kicked off and landed on his face on the ground. "These are supposed to be Konoha nin? This is a joke!"

"That fucking hurt asshole!" Naruto yelled as he got up, rubbing his face as he turned to stare at the one who attacked him from behind only to stare at him before bursting out laughing.

"What the hell is so funny!?"

"Naruto, that's Zabuza, if you're aware of it." Kakashi said once everyone got to their feet and surrounded Tazuna in a defensive formation. All of them but Naruto looking at the man's features, the muscles that looked strong from his years as a ninja that they could see because he didn't wear a shirt. It was understandable that he could wield that huge sword he flung like a kunai at the group. Powerful legs covered in a camo patterned pants and forearms that sported the same material. The only thing they couldn't see that they wished they could, was his face, which was covered in wraps.

"That eyebrow less freak is the Demon of the Mist!?" Naruto yelled in shock, only to laugh harder. Hard enough to lose his balance and fall on his ass.

"I'll make you eat those words mummy!" The one named Zabuza yelled.

"Like you're one to talk!"

It puzzled everyone when Zabuza referred Naruto as a mummy, because the last they knew, he didn't wear any wraps on him besides his hands which were usually covered at all times.

"Naruto must have covered his eyes when no one was looking." Kakashi thought to himself as he readied a kunai. "Get back Naruto, he's a jounin, someone on my level, he's not someone you want to go against."

"Kaka-sensei… you get back, because I'm going to have some fun. He's itching to get out and have some fun too." Naruto smirked as he looked back, confirming his suspicion in Naruto putting a wrap over his eyes. Thinking it must have been when he was spinning or pretending to be off balance.

"I'm not joking this time Naruto! It's not like fighting against the Demon Brothers! He's on a whole other level than those two!"

"So, you're the reason they never came back?"

"Yes, it was fun fighting with them, especially when I blew one up and froze the other before making him shatter into millions of pieces." Naruto answered with a dark chuckle as he tilted his head to the side a bit. "I want to hear what you sound like when you're screaming in agony from being boiled alive. Or should I set your insides on fire and make you explode that way? Oh, I know! This one's Kura's idea, he wants to skin you alive and keep the skin as a trophy! Then he wants to tear every one of your muscles one, by one while making sure you're awake to feel the pain."

"Are you fucking crazy? There's no way those two lost to someone like you! I can feel your chakra and it's fucking puny!" Zabuza snapped, though he was unaware that he only felt that chakra because Naruto allowed him to, and his outburst made the smirk on Naruto's face widen into a sinister grin that usually sent people in his village running the other way.

"Wait, Naruto, what did you mean when you said 'he's been itching for some fun too'?" Kakashi asked, only now aware of what Naruto said and made him pale quite a bit.

"Kurama is going to have so much fun with you, but I'll make sure he won't kill you. And first, I'm going to have some fun, just to see how strong you claim you are." Naruto said before he made a circle on the ground with his left foot, causing sparks to fly before he took in a deep breath, spinning on the spot before exhaling with a roar as he thrust his hands out to his sides. Making flames erupt from both of his hands and his mouth about ten feet out from his body.

Though, with the roar he made, only Kakashi was able to recognize it and immediately thought the worst.

"Sasuke, Sakura, I need you two to take Tazuna as quickly as you can out of here. I'm going to do what I can to help Naruto. Zabuza will be too distracted to focus on you three when you escape." Kakashi said in a whisper only the four of them could hear when Naruto stopped the fire and took off towards Zabuza with fire emitting out of the bottom of his feet, helping him fly around as Zabuza pulled his sword out of the tree and jumped as far away as he could from Naruto.

"But Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura whispered in worry, she never saw a jounin as pale as he was, especially since he couldn't take eyes off of Naruto to even look at her as she spoke.

"No buts, if you three get caught in this fight it's going to be the death of you."

"I'd listen to Kakashi, Naruto's giving off this murderous vibe that's making my skin crawl. I don't want to die, nor do I want you or Tazuna to die either. Kakashi can handle himself." Sasuke said, which made Kakashi relax knowing that Sasuke was on his side.

"Alright, but if you two don't come back, we're going to send word out to home asking for help." Sakura said.

"That's a good idea, here, you just need to write your message on this scroll. It will encode itself and shift into a bird that will automatically fly to Konoha on its own. It's something of my invention so I know it works." Kakashi said as he reached into one of his scroll pockets of his vest and handed it to Sasuke for safe keeping, knowing he'd be able to care for it better than Sakura. "Now get going!" He added when Naruto suddenly fell to the ground and skidded to a stop on his head just before falling flat on his front a few meters in front of them.

"That fucking hurt you freak!" Naruto cried out, only then making everyone realize he was missing an arm and Sasuke took that as their cue to get going. Sakura did not need to see anymore blood today than she already has.

"It's supposed to hurt, kid." Zabuza chuckled as he watched Naruto struggle to get up and grab his severed arm, only to gape as Naruto brought his severed arm back to where it was supposed to go and watched it stitch itself back on.

"That's the tenth time I've lost this fucking arm! And I swore to kill the next person who did it!" Naruto bellowed in a rage Kakashi hadn't seen in years. "No! You're not coming out this time! This fucking asshole is mine! And I'm going to have fun spilling his entrails everywhere!"

"Oh Kami, no, please don't tell me he's slipping again!" Kakashi thought to himself as he tried to think of a way to jump in so he could knock Naruto unconscious and get the hell away from here. But before he could get into detail, Naruto turned to glare at him, not having noticed that the wraps weren't over his eyes anymore until now.

"You interfere, I'll kill you."

"You need to calm down Naruto, yes, we need to stop Zabuza, but you're losing control! Becoming a ninja was to also help you control your killing urges too, remember?" Kakashi yelled as the wind around the clearing they were in started picking up, making it hard to talk at a normal tone so he had to yell.

"I want his head on a silver platter!" Naruto yelled at him.

"Naruto, I need you to focus on the mission. Yes, we're supposed to protect the bridge builder, but you don't have to kill Zabuza now. Just weaken him and we'll be able to go at him again another time." Kakashi tried to reason with the blonde, but it didn't look like he was getting through to him.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Naruto asked, who seemed to have started calming down after taking a few short moments to think about what Kakashi said.

"Yes, I'm serious. And with an opponent like Zabuza, losing your cool like this will get yourself killed."

"Fine, so what do you suggest we do then smartass?" Naruto asked as he made the wind die down but enough to keep their voices masked from Zabuza, who seems to be getting agitated about the stall.

"Are we going to continue our battle or am I going to have to behead you right now?" Zabuza yelled from the small pond that was nearby.

"Naruto, let's team up this time, okay?" Kakashi asked as he walked up and stood next to Naruto, knowing that doing so would possibly set him off again, but it doesn't look like it will.

"Fine, but just don't get in my way, I want something from him and I've yet to decide what that is." Naruto sighed before letting the wind die down. "I'll follow your lead this time, if I go in first I'll most likely try to sever you with him when you join."

"That's fine with me, now, I'm going to go in using my water style copied with my sharingan, you come in and use ice, followed by gail if you can do it. If not, use whatever kekkei genkai you can use to cause him to get paralyzed." Kakashi suggested, earning a nod from the blonde before he uncovered his sharingan.

"So, the copy ninja finally shows his hand and decides to join. I'm flattered." Zabuza chuckled.

"You'll know the signal for when to join, and don't worry if I get injured or not when you attack him. I'll be fine either way."

"You gave yourself a numbing injection that'll activate when I join in, didn't you?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but don't forget that I'll feel everything later."

"Gotcha." Naruto smirked when Kakashi pulled a kunai out of his pouch, spinning it a few times before catching it with the tip of its blade pointing towards the ground before he shot off towards Zabuza.

Naruto felt almost helpless, he always hated watching others do his battles, and this was one of those battles he particularly didn't want someone jumping in on. But Kakashi was right, he was starting to slip, and just thinking about going back on his word to everyone made his skin crawl. He knew that if he slipped completely, he'd end up killing Kakashi in the process and that alone would get him locked back up in the institution.

Just thinking about going back to that place made Naruto pissed off greatly, but what confused him was the fact that Kakashi put himself at great risk, knowing Zabuza was possibly stronger than himself to make sure Naruto didn't lose it. It confused the shit out of him that someone would go out of their way, risk their life for him. He'll never understand it though.

So as Naruto watched as Kakashi and Zabuza went after each other with a water dragon jutsu, he saw Kakashi purposely dive into the water when their battle ended up on solid ground because it looked like Zabuza disappeared when he was sent into the trees.

"This water doesn't feel right…" Kakashi said out loud to himself when he surfaced for a moment to see if Naruto had joined into the battle, but it wasn't until a moment later when he was suddenly trapped in a water prison jutsu. "Fuck…"

"And you're supposed to be smart." Zabuza chuckled from the side. "I bet it feels like you're being crushed in there, doesn't it?"

"I think this is the sign you're looking for. And Zabuza isn't paying attention to you." Kurama noted before Naruto grinned insanely like usual before he charged in after putting on his shoes he wears when he does ice manipulation.

When Naruto got close enough, he started bending the water in the water prison, making it so Kakashi was no longer in its center before freezing the half that held Zabuza's hand trapped inside it to keep it going.

"Wh-What the hell?" Zabuza stuttered, completely shocked that the kid he was just fighting moments ago used an ice attack, and one he didn't know existed. He was stunned enough to not notice that Kakashi was able to free himself from the water prison jutsu because of Naruto's attack.

The grin on Naruto's face grew slightly when he rushed in and thrust forward his hand that was charged with a ball, the size of the blonde's palm that was meant to be sent into Zabuza's chest, but something happened that caused Naruto to suddenly flip back out of range when Zabuza suddenly collapsed with two needles stuck in his neck and landed right next to Kakashi on a ring of ice.

"You're on half reserves of chakra right now, I'll be sending you some of mine if it's necessary. Not only that, but I'm surprised you didn't notice this other chakra while you were fighting." Kurama mentioned when Naruto and Kakashi jumped back some more, landing on semi-dry land next to the pond when Naruto dispelled his attack so he could use both of his hands freely.

"Thank you both for helping me capture this man." A boy's voice echoed around them before someone with a trackers' mask appeared next to Zabuza, who was barely floating in the water as it is. "I had been searching for him for a long time, and now, with your help, I can dispose of him."

"What is the meaning of this? No one touches that body but me." Naruto snapped, taking a step forward to the tracker ninja without so much as a though that this kid might attack him for getting too close.

"Naruto, it's his job, a tracker has to dispose of the body that's from their village or another village could use the secrets of that body to attack them. Our job is done and we can catch up with the others now. The battle is over." Kakashi explained as he put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and by the way Naruto was trembling, the boy didn't want to accept this.

"I want his goddamn head!" The blonde screamed loudly, wanting to yell out some more but Kakashi clamped his mouth hut with his hand.

"A long as we were able to help, we'll be going now." Kakashi smiled with a small wave before disappearing with Naruto towards where Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna ran off to. But Kakashi made sure he took note that the tracker ninja had disappeared with Zabuza's body, and it didn't sit well with him at all.

"Put me down you asshole!" Naruto snapped when Kakashi and him met up with the rest of their team just a few yards away from the fight.

"As you wish." Kakashi muttered and let Naruto fall from his shoulders where the boy was hanging from like a sack of potatoes, but he didn't fall to the ground, he floated in midair for a moment before landing on his feet. "Now, we won't be bothered by that ninja anymore, so, who's ready to head on towards Tazuna's house?"

"First, Kakashi-sensei, you're as pale as a ghost…" Sasuke mentioned as he pointed his finger at their teacher.

"Yeah, someone's gonna have to carry me the rest of the way." The gray-haired sensei chuckled before his whole body went limp and he collapsed onto the ground.

"I'll take care of this fucker, you guys stay behind me. I'll be able to keep him moving and sense if anything is coming after us." Naruto spat before he stomped on the ground and Kakashi was suddenly suspended in a box made of earth before walking on while dragging his heels on the ground. This making the box Kakashi was in move forward on its own.

"We should all keep clear of Naruto, he looks like he'll take anyone's head at this point." Sasuke muttered to Sakura and Tazuna, who all started walking behind the blonde with a couple yards between them.

"Yeah, we'll just not complain about anything and not bring up that fight that went on." Sakura nodded in agreement. Tazuna only watched as the blonde kept walking.

"It's only thirty minutes from here so it's not that far off." Tazuna yelled up to Naruto, who only waved back and turned his head to talk back.

"Then I'm going ahead, there's nothing around for miles and I'm sure you two won't be attacked. Kakashi needs a place to rest so I'll see you guys there." He says and hops into the earthen box Kakashi was laying in and sped on up after Naruto swung his arms in a circle towards the direction he was heading off in, leaving behind his team and their client.

"We'll be fine, if he says no one's coming for miles, then believe him." Sasuke sighed.

"How does he know that?" Tazuna asked.

"Naruto's trained himself to sense others with chakra pulses into the ground. He explained it like echolocation that bats and marine animals like whales and dolphins use." Sakura explained.

"I see… but let's hope my daughter won't try to kill him when she sees me not there." Tazuna chuckled nervously with a slight scratch behind his head.

"He can take care of himself. Despite his appearances, he will be fine and seeing Kakashi in the state he's in, she will take him in right?" Sasuke asked.

"Of course, but she'll treat him like a threat until I'm home."

"He could have taken us with him." Sakura fumed.

"Naruto used a lot of chakra in that fight Sakura, and a lot of chakra in the fight before. He's probably starting to run a little low. Taking all of us with him would have drained him completely." Sasuke snapped. "Besides, I'd rather let him cool off before I'm near him again."

"You're right." Sakura whined. "Oh, wait, since Kakashi's out of commission for probably a while, we should send word home to send someone out to help us."

"We'll do that when Kakashi's awake and we can assess the damage he took." Sasuke shook his head. "I don't want to use this unless we absolutely have to."

"Lets' just get to my place k? We can all talk about this when your sensei wakes up." Tazuna said when he realized the two have slowed down since they got deeper into their conversation.

"Right, sorry." Sakura said quickly before focusing on getting there and started walking faster, keeping pace with Sasuke who noticed what happened when Tazuna started speaking.

It was going to be a long thirty minutes before they got to their destination.