To Umbra Venator: thanks for reviewing. The mysterious Hyuga will appear during the Chunin Exams. And you'll know who it will be during before the finals.

To UzumakiKirofu: thanks. I tried imagining the fight in my head and was pleased with the results. Thanks for reviewing.

To Guest (who reviewed after Shadow of the Fallen Sage): Thanks for reviewing. Your comment actually made me laugh. Thanks for that.

To LordHero: Honestly, I'm leaning towards sharing the main character spot but most likely it'll be Naruto. The Konohamaru crush was kind of a last minute thing to be honest. Thanks for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 7: First C-Rank Mission

"I swear to god if we do anymore of these chores I'm going to go crazy!" Naruto exclaimed as he picked up a large potted plant.

"Hn. Hurry up so we can finish this mission." Sasuke grunted out.

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Sasuke... Just do your job. Naruto... Just shut up. We're almost done so hurry up."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at her. He placed the large plant on its designated area before wiping his hands on the black of his jacket. "Hey guys, I'm done over here." He called out.

Sasuke entered the room, his hair all dusty and his hands grimy. Natsuki walked in with her hair in a bun and a large amount of dirt on her clothes and face. "I don't understand why he gave you and Sasuke the easy jobs of reorganizing the house while he gave me the harder task of pulling the weeds out." She mumbled.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh! The injustice of it all!" Naruto said sarcastically. Natsuki nodded her enthusiastically. "Finally, someone who understands my pain!"

When the Genin left the house, the first thing they saw was Kakashi talking to the owner of the house. When the Genin walked up to them, it seemed they finished conversing and the man gave Kakashi a folder. "Thanks for doing such a great job with the old place. I would've done it myself, but I had to do lots of errands." The man said.

Kakashi gave the man an eye-smile. "It was no problem Moritake-san. Just call us whenever you need a Genin team to do what you can't."

Moritake nodded. "I will keep that in mind. That folder contains the mission pay. Now for the rest of you, I want to thank you for a job well done. I hope you all have a nice rest of the day."

Naruto nodded his head respectfully. "No worries Moritake-san. It was our job."

Moritake laughed. "I see. Well, I'm sure you Shinobi have other things to do, don't let me hold you back. Goodbye now."

As they were leaving, Naruto asked, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei? Why are we doing these D-rank missions? They seemed more like chores rather than actual missions." Sasuke and Nastuki nodded their head in agreement.

Kakashi sighed. "There are two different purposes for having these types of missions." He said catching their attention. "The first reason being to promote teamwork between teammates. That is the reason we Jounin sensei are supposed to give you. The other and most crucial reason is to destabilize fear."

The Genin blinked. "To destabilize fear?" Sasuke asked. "What do you mean by that?"

Kakashi looked at his Genin. "Most civilians think of Shinobi as ruthless killers. We do these missions in order to show them that we are not just ruthless killers."

Natsuki's eyes widened. "Oh, so it's to show that we aren't going to flip out and kill everything in sight."

Kakashi eye-smiled. "That's what I said didn't I?" He said getting Natsuki to blush.

At the Mission Reception Desk

"Here is the report Hokage-sama. They did exceptionally well on today's mission." Kakashi said.

The Hokage smiled. "That's good to hear Kakashi. Know if you and your team want to do anymore missions we still have some left."

Kakashi looked at his team. They were looking disinterested yet still full of energy that seemed to be abundant for those their age. "Actually, I would like to see if there was a C-Rank available." He said surprising everyone in the room.

Naruto sped up to Kakashi, his eyes sparkling. "You really mean it sensei!" Kakashi sweat dropped while trying to pry his Genin off of him. "Ah, Natsuki, Sasuke, a little help here?" They nodded and helped get Naruto off of their teacher. They wanted a C-rank mission dammit!

Iruka looked concerned. "Are you sure that's a wise decision Kakashi? They've only been Genin for a couple months. Are you sure they're up to the task?"

Kakashi nodded. "We've been doing many drills together and their teamwork is surprisingly top-notch. They should have no problem with this mission since I'm participating."

Iruka didn't look convinced. "I ho-"

Just then, a man who has long, spiky, black hair and dark eyes came entered the room out of breath. He had a strip of bandage running across the bridge of his nose and a light-coloured marking on his chin and wore the standard attire of a Konoha shinobi complete with a forehead protector and a flak jacket. He was breathing heavily as if he ran a long way.

"Hokage-sama. We have received news stating that the C-Rank mission you assigned Yuuhi Kurenai and her team has been upgraded to a B-Rank due to an encounter with the Demon Brothers, Gozu and Meizu. They have requested backup as soon as realistically possible." Said the exhausted Chunin.

The Hokage looked back to Kakashi. "Well it seems like we have an answer to your request. Although I would usually send in a team of Chunin to help assist Kurenai and her team, I think an elite Jounin and his team would be the next best thing don't you agree?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, usually I would disagree with you, but I think that two Jounin and two sets of Genin can protect a bridge builder." Kakashi turned to his Genin. "What do you guys think?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. 'My sister is a member of Team 8. I hope she's ok...'

Naruto was grinning so hard, Kakashi thought his face would split in half. Natsuki shook her head. "So she do we start?"

Kakashi nodded. "Hokage-sama, Team 7 accepts this mission and will leave at your command!" Hearing the Jounin talk seriously, the Genin unconsciously straighten themselves.

The Hokage looks at the Genin with a critical eye. "You are dismissed. Prepare for your mission and leave as soon as possible. Now go!"

With the command said, Kakashi grabs this students and uses the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body-Flicker) to appear at Kakashi's home. Naruto blinked. "Okay... how the hell did we get here?"

Kakashi didn't even listen. He moved through his apartment and got the necessary supplies and gave each of his Genin a backpack. "Look we don't have any time to waste. I want you to go to your homes as fast as you can and get all the necessities you will need on our mission. Our mission is a B-Rank so you will need weapons, clothing, and basic medicinal supplies. You need to pack appropriately. We leave in 10 minutes so I suggest you hurry up."

Without another word, the Genin scrambled off to their respective apartments frightened by their sensei's sudden seriousness and packed what they were supposed to. Once they got the necessities, they rushed to the main gates of Konoha. Seeing Kakashi already there shocked them, but not as much as his expression. It was dead serious.

Kakashi looked at his Genin. "Okay, before we leave I want to go over a quick equipment check. Open your packs and let me see what you have."

Doing as their sensei told them to do, they opened their packs as Kakashi observed them. 'Good, they all have what I told them to pack. Nothing seems odd except for the fact Naruto has more shuriken than kunai...' He mused. Spotting nothing of consequence, he ordered them to move out.

Once on the move, Naruto asked their sensei a question. "Hey Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi looked back at his orange-clad student. "Yes Naruto?"

Naruto increased his speed to match the pace his sensei set. "Where exactly are we going?"

Kakashi eye-smiled as he hopped over a puddle. "We are going to Nami no Kuni (Wave Country). More specifically, we are supposed to meet Team 8 at the clients house in Nami no Kuni. I have been given the address so we won't get lost. There, we join together with Kurenai's team and protect this bridge builder until he completes his bridge. Does that answer your question?"

Naruto hopped over a particularly large stone as he nodded. "Yeah. Will the other team be ok though?" He asked gaining Sasuke's attention. "That Chunin guy said that they encountered the Demon Brothers."

Kakashi nodded. "If they were able to send a message to our village, then they are most likely still in one piece. They most likely have defeated the Demon Brothers and requested backup soon afterword."

Hearing Sasuke sigh in relief, Naruto stopped asking questions. Team 7 continued on their way until Kakashi asked for a stop. "Why are we stopping sensei?"

Kakashi pointed at Sasuke, who was breathing heavily. "We crossed most of Hi no Kuni in a matter of hours. I'm a little surprised you aren't gasping for breath like Sasuke over here."

Naruto frowned. "I'm fine. Why would I be that tired?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Because unlike me, you're a Genin. I wouldn't expect you to have as much stamina as I would have. Natsuki, has a special bloodline, if you can call it that; that allows her above average chakra and stamina than a person her age, so I'm not that concerned for her."

Naruto looks at Natsuki who just waves at him. She didn't look tired at all. Once Sasuke regained control over his breathing, Kakashi reminded them that they only had ten minutes before they had to set off again.

"Hey sensei?" Naruto asked. "I was just wondering. Does Nami no Kuni have any shinobi villages?"

Kakashi lifted his head from his book. "There are none in Nami no Kuni, however there are shinobi in surrounding villages such as Kumogakure and Kirigakure. They are the closest to our destination. But the main point is, no. Nami no Kuni is a small country so there really isn't a need for shinobi."

Naruto nodded. "So that's why they came for us for help."

Kakashi nodded. "That's right. Now go and rest. I'll tell you when we are moving again." The orange-clad nods and goes to sit down on a large rock.

Getting bored easily, Naruto walks over to Sasuke, who raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Eventually, impatience overcame Sasuke and he asked, "What do you want."

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know how to say this, but why did you look so concerned when the Chunin mentioned that Team 8 requested backup?"

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a while, before sighing. "My sister is a part of Team 8. I was hoping she was ok. Does that answer your question?"

Naruto nodded as Sasuke grunts before walking off. Turning around, he jumps at seeing Natsuki standing a meter away from him. She looks at Sasuke's retreating back and sighs. "He's worried for his sister. I would be too... If I had a sibling." She said.

Naruto looked at the ground. He wondered if Shikamaru or Choji would be worried for him if they knew he was on a B-rank mission. He would be worried for them. They were his friends. He looked up and smiled confidently. "Then," he said gaining the female Uzumaki's attention, "I guess we better hurry up and find Team 8 then. Don't you think so?"

Natsuki grinned.

After running for a couple more hours, Team 7 arrives at a secluded shack. Looking around, Naruto sees a boat tied to the shore and Kakashi knocking on the door of the shack. After a while, no one answered the door, so Kakashi tried knocking again; only for the door to open slightly.

"What do you want." A voice answers from the darkness from the shack. Kakashi merely says, "The Will of Fire gives the shinobi of Konoha the strength to continue fighting against all odds."

Once that was said, the door closed itself before the sounds of many locks being unlocked was heard. When the door opened, a man stepped out and flinched when his eyes came into contact with the sun. The man was tall, although not as tall as Kakashi. He wore a green short-sleeve shirt and straw pants that went to his ankles. He rubbed his eye before blinking. "Kakashi, is that you? Man I haven't seen you in ages."

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, I now have responsibilities." He gestured to his Genin with his head. Looking at the Genin he smirked when he saw Natsuki and Naruto. "Heh, the redhead reminds me of another one who hated being called a tomato, and the blonde reminds me of the flaky looking boy the redhead was head-over-heels in love with. Ah, that brings back memories. So what can I do for ya."

Kakashi reached into his pouch and pulls out a scroll. "This is a request for you to sail us across into Nami no Kuni. We are supposed to rendezvous with fellow Konoha shinobi for a mission where they called for backup. Think you can help me out one more time?"

The man grunted. "Yeah, why not. Not doin' anything these days either. Not since Gato started slowly sucking the place dry. I'll take you and your brats alongs. Come on then."

He gestured to behind the shack where Kakashi immediately followed. The Genin, not wanting to be left behind, quickly followed.

The two Uzumaki walked up to their sensei as Sasuke held back, his mind elsewhere. Once they caught up with their sensei, Natsuki asked, "Kakashi sensei, how do you know this man?"

Kakashi laughed. "I've known this man for quite the long time now. I've known him ever since I was in my old Genin team." He said earning surprised look from both his Genin.

Naruto's eyes brightened. "Hey sensei! Do you think we could meet your team soon?"

Kakashi, once he heard that, gave a fake smile that was easily identifiable through his mask. "I hope not. I wouldn't want to lose you three a couple months after getting you, now would I?" He said with a controlled voice.

Subtly getting the hint, along with the sharp elbow he got from Natsuki, Naruto changed the subject. "So where's the boat that guy said we're going on?"

Kakashi smiled. "Just wait a while, he'll get it out."

After hearing a loud crash, followed by some colorful vocabulary, The man came out of his shack pulling a large boat with a piece of rope. "So," the man said, "Y'all wanted a ride to Nami no Kuni?"

'That's it! I officially hate this day.' Kiba screamed inside his head as he ducked under the huge-ass sword that went flying past them. This mission was the worst thing that ever happened to him. No- wait, second worst thing that happened. The punishments his mother gave him were the worst.

When the Inuzuka was first assigned his team, he was mostly indifferent. Sure he got the hot Uchiha, which was really, really ironic. He also got the quiet Aburame. Hence, his indifference. When he saw his sensei, he swore he died and gone to heaven, but when she tested them, they barely passed and he was covered in bruises from their teacher putting them against each other with Genjutsu.

Soon afterwards, they had team training and boy; was that rough! Even Akamaru was tired! After a month, they started going on missions once their sensei thought they had good enough teamwork between the three of them. And she was right. They were like family. A strange dysfunctional family, but still a family. They went on D-Ranks, became disappointed and had their dreams crushed, and learned things that they would've never found out on their own. Then, Kiba had to open his mouth.

It was another morning for Team 8, and after they finished team training, they decided to take a mission. When presented with the endless crap that was D-Ranks, Kiba got angry. When he first complained to the Hokage, Kiba expected the usual. First, he'd get smacked by Satsumi Uchiha on the head. Second, he'd get reprimanded by his sensei; Kurenai. Thirdly, he'd get rejected by Iruka sensei and then given a crappy D-Rank mission.

What he didn't expect was for the Hokage to ignore Iruka and give his team a C-Rank. Their mission was to bodyguard an old drunk named Tazuna. He was the worst! He made fun of him because he was the shortest out of the three of them. His exact words were, "What?! I paid for real shinobi to guard me! Not a bunch of snot-nosed brats! Hell, I bet the damn mutt can protect me better than these brats."

While Satsumi and Shino brushed the insults off, Kiba and his loyal companion growled. Kiba for being insulted and Akamaru for being called a mutt. Tazuna sniffed and blinked through his glasses and took another swig of his happy juice. "Just looking at them makes me feel scared for my life. The creepy one looks so stiff that a breeze could fly him like a kite and the girl looks like an emo. The dog looks the strongest out of all of them and the hairy midget looks like he'll fall over and die at any minute."

Yeah, not good first impressions. What sucked next was the complaining the old sot made over every single thing. "Your sensei is a female? Man the money I wasted bringing it to this place..."

The only good thing was the glare their sensei gave the drunk. The way he dropped his bottle and pissed his pants was funny the first five seconds. Later, the smell became an issue.

Not even an hour into the mission, Team 8 ran into two nukenin Kiri ninjas. Gozu and Meizu. The Demon Brothers. They were taken care of easily and their sensei easily captured them in a Genjutsu and tied them up. Tazuna was confused too. He said that he thought only bandits and some cocky drug lords might come after him for his bridge. He never thought about shinobi. Kurenai confirmed it when she used some Genjutsu to pry the truth out of him and told them that he was telling the truth.

Even as they sent a message back to Konoha, some odd feeling never left Kiba. Soon after they made it to Nami no Kuni and Shino confirmed that, once he got his bugs back, reinforcements were sent to help us out. Akamaru stayed hidden in Kiba's shirt and Satsumi looked very focused. Kurenai told them to stay together and guard the bridge builder. Not even five minutes passed when a thick mist rolled by and the bridge builder said that they were close to his home. They saw the huge bridge and Kiba could say that for a drunk, the builder knew how to make bridges.

They got off their transportation and started to go to the drunk's house when their sensei told them to duck.

Even as the huge-ass sword passed over them, Kiba felt totally calm. Like nothing was going to go wrong. He was totally wrong.

When Team 7 made it to the marshlands of Nami no Kuni, Naruto felt excited the most. This was his first time out of the village and he felt anxious yet totally calm. An odd combination, yet it felt totally right. He didn't have time to feel this way when they left the village in a rush, so taking the time to feel this way now was the best he could get.

Kakashi gave his farewells to the old guy who brought them over here and told them to hurry up. Naruto didn't know how Kakashi knew which way was the right way, but they still followed him. Not even two minutes and the mist started picking up. Going faster to reach the speed his sensei was traveling, which raised an eyebrow by said person, Naruto asked his question. "Hey sensei, what's with all the mist?"

Kakashi continued running for a couple paces before speaking. "Nami no Kuni is surrounded by a large body of water. Speaking from the textbook: Mist is tiny droplets of water hanging in the air. These droplets form when warmer water in the air is rapidly cooled, causing it to change from invisible gas to tiny visible water droplets." He said. Not understanding this at all, Naruto could only look at Kakashi with a blank look which brought a sign from the cyclopean Jounin. "Basically, since the water is cold, when it touches the warmer ground, it becomes a sort of steam that rises off the ground." He said. Naruto nodded still not getting it very well, but understanding that it was basically steam.

Suddenly they were hounded by Natsuki. "Sensei! I don't know how, but I can tell that there are people fighting not far from here!"

Kakashi nodded storing the information of his female Uzumaki being a sensor away for the moment and turning his attention to his Genin. "Ok." He said getting their attention. "It seems that Team 8's sensei is fighting against an enemy that is trying to kill the client. What I want you all to do is stay out of the fight and help the other members of Team 8 with guarding the bridge builder. Got it?" He said getting nods, they pushed towards until they saw a woman with black hair and a dress that seemed to be made of bandages. She held a kunai as she stood across a man who held a giant blade. The man was seen shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt to which he attached his blade to. He wore baggy pants with the striped pattern typical of Kirigakure and mimetic wrist-warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching leg-warmers.

Gulping, Naruto and the rest of his team rush towards the Genin of Team 8.

"Well, well... if it isn't Momochi Zabuza. The Kirigakure no Kijin, (Demon of the Hidden Mist). Rouge shinobi from Kirigakure."

The six Genin's eyes widened. Rouge shinobi? "Well shit." Was heard from Kiba as they got on guard to protect the bridge builder.

The man, Zabuza, just smirked. "Sharingan no Kakashi. Did I get that right? It's too bad, eh. But you'll have to hand over the old man like I told the woman playing ninja." He said earning a growl from the leader of Team 8 and confusion from the two Uchiha.

'Sharingan?' The two Uchiha shared a look of disbelief. That was a doujutsu reserved for members of the Uchiha clan only. How did Kakashi have one?

"Stay out of this fight. Team 7, I taught you teamwork, now it's the time to use it! Team 8, follow your original mission and protect the bridge builder. Your sensei and I will take care of Zabuza."

He turned his attention to Kurenai. "Can you still fight?" He asked.

She nodded. "I haven't been injured at all yet. It's a good thing you made it here at the last moment. My kunai was about to break." Kurenai said as she showed him the chipped kunai.

Kakashi nodded. He turned his attention back to Zabuza and lifted his headband revealing his Sharingan. "So Zabuza... You ready?"

Seeing the proof right before their eyes, the Uchiha twins gasped as they saw the red eye with three black tomoe. Naruto made a face. "What's with his eye?" He asked.

Satsumi turned back to Naruto. "It's the Sharingan. It's a doujutsu, or rather visual technique that only members of the Uchiha clan have." Sastumi said. Sasuke picked up on where she left off. "It can let the user instantly see and comprehend any Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu and let him or her reflect the attack back on the attacker. That's just the basics. There is a whole lot more than just what she mentioned."

Zabuza nodded as he lifted his blade off of his shoulder. "You got it right brat. But you've only scratched the surface. The Sharingan can analyze and opponent's technique and then copy it to the smallest detail. That's what we've been informed of back when I was in the Kirigakure Assassination Squad. We were told to eliminate you on the spot. The man who copied over a thousand ninjutsu... Sharingan no Kakashi."

Natsuki blinked. 'So our sensei was super famous the entire time? And he didn't teach us any cool Jutsu?' Little did she know, Sasuke and Naruto were thinking the same thing.

"Enough talking! I need to exterminate the old man now! But it seems I have to eliminate you and the woman first, eh Kakashi." Zabuza said as he disappeared.

The Genin blinked. 'He just disappeared!' Was the main thought between them all. Naruto strained his eyes as he saw a figure standing on the water. "Hey sensei! He's over there. Standing on the water."

Natsuki bit her lip. 'What's this crushing weight? It keeps on growing and growing...'

Kakashi gripped a kunai and Kurenai pulled another one out. "He's building a large amount of chakra." He whispered to his fellow Jounin.

Zabuza made a handsign and called out, "Ninpo: Kirigakure no Jutsu..." Just then, an even thicker mist overlapped the previous thick mist, making everything visible disappear.

Natsuki made the first comment. "The mist is so thick it's like he vanished!"

Kiba sniffed the air. "The air is too damp for me to smell him out. What about you, Akamaru?" Said puppy smelled the air and whined. "Seems like Akamaru can't either." Kiba said scowling.

Shino pushed his glasses up. "I haven't got the chance to mark him with one of my allies yet. Therefore, I cannot track him as of now..."

Kakashi spoke up. "He'll come after us first. After all, Momochi Zabuza was the leader of the Kirigakure assassination unit. He's a master of the silent killing technique. As the name suggests, it happens in an instant without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast you passing this life without realizing what has happened. My Sharingan cannot fully neutralize it. So don't lower your guards for a second." He said making his fellow Jounin gulp in apprehension. The Genin just pulled out their kunai in a reverse grip and held their breaths as a dismembered voice spoke out.

"Eight points... Larynx, Spine, Lungs, Liver, Jugular, Subclavian Artery, Kidneys, Heart... Now, which one shall be my kill point..."

Akamaru whined and as Kiba tried to shush him while Shino stood stiffly as his hive buzzed nervously. Naruto and Natsuki stood beside each other with a weapon in each hand. Sasuke started shaking with fear as his sister tried to calm him down. 'What an intense thirst for blood! One shallow breath, one tiny movement of my eye... is enough to bring on instant death! If it goes like this, I'll go insane! The clash of three Jounin with intent to kill... I've never felt anything so chilling. It's as if my life is being choked off...' He never noticed the hand of his sister grasp his as he unconsciously squeezed it in fear. 'No! I can't bear it! I'd rather run...'

"Sasuke, calm down." Was the sharp order by Kakashi.

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie and noticed his sister squeezing his hand. He saw her smile a bit as he squeezed her hand back. He focused on his teacher's voice as he continued. "I'll protect you with my life. All of you." He turned back and eye-smiled. "I will not allow my comments to die. That is absolute."

Feeling himself calm down, Sasuke released his sister's hand and felt his blood run cold when he heard, "I wouldn't be so sure..." As Zabuza appeared in front of the Genin sword raised for a horizontal strike. "It's over." He said with confidence.

Kakashi, with great speed, appeared in front the Genin. "Your fight is with me."

He blocked the blade and pushed Zabuza back where Kurenai was waiting. As the masked rouge nin stumbled back to where the female Jounin was, Kakashi followed up with a kick that sent Zabuza straight into Kurenai's blade. Zabuza gave a death rattle as he sank to his knees.

Kurenai smirked as she felt a warm liquid run down her hands but gasped when she realized it wasn't blood. She ducked and rolled to the side just as Zabuza's blade cut through the air where she was just standing.

Making a displeased grunt, Zabuza threw his blade at Kakashi as he saw the man making handsigns. The blade cut through the masked Jounin as he collapsed into water. 'What?! He copied my jutsu that fast? Impossible.' Zabuza thought as he moved to the side as Kakashi stabbed where his back was a moment ago.

Zabuza went low for a sweep kick but Kakashi jumped over it and then brought his kunai down mimicking a hammer blow. After his kick missed, Zabuza completed the motion as he somersaulted backwards and mule-kicked Kurenai as she prepared to stab his downed figure.

Smirking as the female Jounin was sent flying by the kick, Zabuza wrenched his blade out of the tree it got caught on and spun around smacking the side of the blade against the face of the Genjutsu mistress.

The Genin winced when they heard a sickening snap that was Kurenai's nose as she crumpled and hit the ground as Zabuza prepared to bisect her.

Seeing their sensei in trouble, Team 8's eyes widened as Kiba yelled out a "No!" and threw his kunai at the sword-wielding Jounin. Hitting him straight in the neck, the man's hand went straight to its bloody neck as it collapsed into water.

"Time to die kid." Was the comment made as Zabuza appeared in the middle of the swarm of Genin. 'Shit! We're to slow!' Naruto yelled mentally as he and the others turned towards Zabuza. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw through a kunai that was covered in a blue energy straight at Zabuza.

Said rouge Jounin scoffed and deflected the blade with his own, but immediately regretted it as his arms went numb. 'Damn it! Kakashi infused his kunai with Raiton chakra. I can't move!' He cursed mentally as he felt himself become swarmed with many bugs. "It's over missing nin-san. Why? Because my allies drain your chakra with each passing second." Shino stated and Zabuza could confirm the statement as he felt his strength wane with each passing second.

Gathering the ability to move his arms, he said, "Not killing me when you had the chance was the biggest mistake you'll ever make." He dispersed into water as the Genin heard, "Not that you live long enough to learn from this."

Right as Zabuza swung his blade, Kakashi appeared and clashed blades once more. "Aren't you forgetting about someone?"

Zabuza smirked. "No, aren't you?" He said as a clone appeared in front of the twin Uchiha, scaring them from its sudden appearance with its sword raised, going for a clean decapitation. Kakashi cursed as he pushed Zabuza back and threw his kunai at the clone before drawing another to fight the original.

The clone expertly blocked the thrown projectile while it swung the sword at the two Uchiha. Snapping out of her fear, Satsumi pushed Sasuke out of the way as she closed her eyes. Hearing Sasuke's cry of fear for his sister, Naruto and Natsuki blocked the sword together with their kunai and fell to their knees at the strength of the blow. Sasuke, seeing his chance, kicked the legs of the clone making it fall backwards, as he lifted his kunai and stabbed the clone on the chest making it leak water before dispersing.

Zabuza grunted as he pushed Kakashi back and took a horizontal swing at the masked Jounin, who ducked and attempted to sweep the legs of his opponent. "Your Genin aren't bad. It's a good thing that wasn't the real me. If it was, they would've died since the strength of a Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone) is only a tenth of the originals strength." Zabuza said as he jumped backwards on the water, leading Kakashi to him.

The Genin paled. If a Mizu Bunshin really was only one tenth of the originals strength, then they were screwed. Royally.

Kakashi followed Zabuza on top of the water and converted his chakra to Raiton. He clashed blades with Zabuza again, only for his opponent to turn to water and electrocute him as his chakra was used against him. 'Ugh, what's with the water. It's too heavy.' Kakashi realized it too late as he heard, "Suiton: Suiro no Jutsu!"

Within seconds, a large spherical orb if water formed around Zabuza's hands and trapped Kakashi inside of it. "Heh... I got you. This prison is made of water, but is stronger than steel!"

Kakashi cursed. 'He's more skilled than I thought.'

Zabuza laughed. "So much for the great Kakashi... I'll finish you off later. But first," he said, staring at the Genin. "Your friends have to be eliminated." With a handsign, 2 water clones appeared.

The clones walked toward. "You think wearing your headband makes you a shinobi?"

The other continued where the other left off. "When you hovered between life and death, so many times it doesn't phase you..."

They both started talking. "Then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly your profile is entered in my bingo book. Then you may have earned the title, ninja."

The Genin and bridge builder took a step back, as the original called out, "But, to call upstarts, like you... Shinobi, is a joke..."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto gripped the kunai in his hand harder just as the clones disappeared and punched him and Kiba across the face.

Shaking their heads, the clones shouted, "You're just brats!"

Kakashi, knowing when he lost, called out to the Genin. "Listen! Get the bridgebuilder and run! You can't win this fight!" He said gaining shocked looks from the Genin. Kakashi continued. "He's using all his power to keep me in this prison! So he can only fight you using his water clones. The clones can't go for from his body. If you get away from him, he can't follow! Now run!"

Seeing the facts hit the other Genin's faces, Naruto walked over to Sasuke. "Hey..." He whispered catching the male Uchiha's attention. "I got a plan. Can you help me out?" Naruto said pulling a set of large shuriken out of his pack. Sasuke smirked. They seperated from the group and charged the clones.

Kakashi rubbed his eyes. "Idiots! What are you doing?! I told you to run!"

Zabuza's clones laughed. "Seems like they want to die. Sorry Kakashi. Well, not really." They said as they swung their blades, bisecting the two boys in half.

"No!" Screamed Natsuki and Satsumi. Kiba and Shino stood there with shocked looks on their faces as Tazuna resisted the urge to puke and failed miserably.

What they didn't expect was for both boys to disappear in clouds of smoke upon contact and for one of the water clones to revert back to water. "What?!" Was the response of the remaining water clones as the smoke dispersed revealing Sasuke preparing to throw the windmill shuriken that he received from his teammate and Naruto throwing smaller shuriken at the clone while making handsigns.

Once completed, Naruto yelled, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" His shuriken multiplied from five to fifty as they cut through the Mizu Bunshin like it wasn't there at all.

Naruto grinned. "Now Sasuke!" He yelled prompting Sasuke to throw the windmill shuriken towards the sword wielder. To the Genin's surprise, the man just plucked it out the air like a frisbee. "Too bad brats. That was a nice plan you had, too bad it fail-"

He was cut off as another shuriken appeared from the shadow of the earlier one thrown. Without another choice, Zabuza jumped avoiding the thing entirely. But not predicting the shuriken to transform itself to a Naruto, who then flung its kunai at the rouge Jounin.

Cursing at the damn brats for being tricked, he let go of the prison technique and cut down the orange-clad boy, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. 'Kage Bunshin? They teach that move to kids these days?!'

Zabuza had to quickly duck so he wouldn't become decapitated by the lightning-infused kunai Kakashi swung at him, and kicked Kakashi's wrist; knocking the kunai out of his hand and flying towards the forest.

Not deterred, Kakashi grabbed Zabuza by the foot and tossed him ashore where he met the Jounin with a kick that smack him to the ground. Zabuza coughed as blood stained the bandages around his mouth as he kicked Kakashi in the gut, which sent the man flying to a tree. Standing up with minor difficulty, Zabuza began handsigns for his strongest jutsu; the Suiton: Suiryudan no jutsu (Water Dragon Bullet).

Zabuza had to stop short as he dodged a kunai aimed at his back from the woman he swore he knocked unconscious with his blade. Kurenai, while leaning against the tree, had her hand held out, which signified the kunai thrown that stopped Zabuza from competing his technique.

"Kurenai sensei! You're alive!" Yelled Kiba followed by happy barks from Akamaru. Smiling at her student, she began to limp her way to them before she fell to her knees and coughed up more blood before falling unconscious. Her last thought was, 'That last hit I took really got me...'

Zabuza stood up as he began his handsigns just as he saw Kakashi copying him. He grunted. "That's all you are-"

"-a damned monkey! Right? That's what you were going to say." Kakashi finished for Zabuza.

Said sword wielder's eyes widened. "Can you-"

"-see the future? Yes. And you know what?" Kakashi said. "Your future is death!" He finished the handsigns and called out the name of the technique. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Great Waterfall)!"

Zabuza's eyes widened as his technique was finished by his opponent. 'He really can see the future. Fu-' was his last thoughts as the fatigue and the crushing power of the water sent him into unconsciousness.

Kakashi, seeing his opponent down for the count, went to confirm his kill when senbon needles were shot down towards Zabuza's neck where the man's eyes widened before slowly closing. A masked shinobi appeared in a crouch and called out to Kakashi. "Thank you for weakening my target to the point of unconsciousness. I dealt with him and will dispose of the remains elsewhere as to not divulge the secrets of Kirigakure to outsiders. Again, thank you for your assistance." Was said before the masked shinobi left with the body of Zabuza.

Kakashi turned to the Genin. "Well then, time to-" was all that he could say before he passed out from chakra exhaustion.

The Genin went silent and took a moment to digest the situation. Zabuza was killed. Good. Their sensei were either dead, unconscious, or unable to move and they are just standing their. Two seconds later, Naruto and Natsuki make Kage Bunshin to carry Kakashi and Kurenai as the bridge builder snapped out of his shock.

"Are they alright?" Tazuna asked.

Shino nodded. "It appears that Team 7's instructor has chakra exhaustion. Why? Because of his last few techniques which I observed had enough chakra to cause chakra exhaustion. Our sensei, however, is unconscious from blunt trauma. Why? She was hit with the flat of the large blade the man, Zabuza's blade." Shino finished.

Satsumi shook the bridge builder's arm causing him to jump. She rose an eyebrow. "Where is your house? We need to get there before anyone else tries to stop us."

Tazuna nodded. "It's not far from here. Come on! It'll only be a few minutes so hurry up."

With that, the Genin and their unconscious sensei rushed with the bridge builder to his house before anything else happens.

At the same time, the masked shinobi places Zabuza on the ground and removes the senbon from his neck. "Hm, it seems that the copy ninja really did send you to unconsciousness."

The shinobi waved smelling-salts under Zabuza's nose, waking him up from his unconsciousness. He looked around to see if here was any sign of danger before seeing his apprentice with the damn mask on again. He sighed.

"Looks like I failed this time." Zabuza said before scowling. "Haku, take that damn mask off!"

Haku giggled before removing the mask revealing a feminine face. "My apologies, Zabuza-sama."

Well, that's it for this chapter. I want to thank all of you for reading this and for reviewing my story. If you guys want any questions answered, just review or PM me. Thanks for reading again, and make sure to Review. By pressing the button there. Yeah that one.