Sorry this took so long…again. I'll be updating more often for a little while because I just finished my real life book! Yay me!

""Wake-up." Naruto's eyes blinked open. There was a person in a pink kimono standing over him.

"Eh?" 'Must've fallen asleep training,' Naruto's groggy mind thought.

"What are you doing, taking a nap in a place like this?" the 'girl' asked as Naruto sat up and yawned. He grinned his infamous foxy grin and tapped his hitai-ate.

"I'm a ninja! I was training!"

"Oh, I see…" the 'girl' looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you fight for a precious person?" Naruto blinked at the sudden question.

"'Precious person'?" he repeated. Thoughts of Iruka popped into his head, and then images of Himaru teaching him also appeared. He grinned. "Yep!" The 'girl' smiled at him.

"I'm glad. I'm sure you'll become very strong. I'm here picking herbs for my precious person." Naruto nodded.

"My name's Naruto, what's yours?" The 'girl' seemed taken aback a moment, but answered.

"Haku. A pleasure to meet you." Haku stood and bowed. "I best be going." Haku turned and started walking away. "Oh, and I'm a boy." Naruto's jaw dropped to the ground.

'A boy? But he's prettier than Sakura-chan!' While his mind was reeling, Naruto felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey dobe, Himaru-sensei wants us." Naruto was to eager to meet with his sensei to even notice the 'dobe' comment. Sasuke sighed irritably as Naruto ran off and rubbed the circles under his eyes. Naruto hadn't been the only one who had stayed up training. "Where the Hell does he get all that energy?"

"Now that you're all here, I wanted to run a few tests," Himaru told his students as he flipped his bangs out of his eyes. "First, Sasuke. Show me the Nenshou Kousen." Sasuke nodded and quickly performed the seals.

"Nenshou Kousen no Jutsu!" The red beam shot from his fingers and pierced right through a tree.

"Good," Himaru said and beckoned for more. Sasuke complied and split his two fingers apart, turning the beam into two smaller ones. "Get the beam twice as thick, and then you'll get your gift." Sasuke's lips twitched downwards into a scowl. Himaru just smiled at the Uchiha and turned to Sakura.

"Sakura, I want you to practice punching the tree and rocks in the area. Do it until your hands hurt, then start reading the scroll again. Once you can recite me the scroll in your own words, I'll teach you a new jutsu." Sakura nodded vigorously and started on a tree, within Sasuke's line of vision, of course. "Don't forget, you need emotion for it to work right!" Himaru finally turned to Naruto and brushed the bangs out of his hair before speaking.

"Now I'm going to teach you the secret of Akaken. I showed you some of the movements, but can you guess why it's to be used only for killing?" Naruto looked completely blank. "You've never heard o Jyuuken, have you?" Naruto shook his head. "Then I guess I'll just have to tell you. You see, what makes this style so lethal, is that with each blow, you send massive waves of chakra through your limb. The chakra then enters your opponent's body and basically goes medieval on their insides. Normally, this style isn't very viable for long-term battles, but since your natural chakra level is borderline ridiculous, it should work for you." Naruto grinned and nodded rapidly. "Get practicing."

"Hai, Sensei!" Naruto dashed off and entered the Jyuuken-like stance by a nearby tree.

"Idiot," Sasuke said as they left Naruto to recover at Tazuna's house. He just had to overdo it, didn't he?

"Now, now, Sasuke. Naruto was just doing his best," Himaru gently scolded the Uchiha, something with which Sasuke was highly unfamiliar.

"The brat's got spirit, I'll give 'em that," Tazuna said. "Not much in the way of brains, though." Everyone shared a good laugh as they disappeared into the forest.

"Whuh?" Naruto bolted up right in bed, startling Tsunami.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," she greeted. "You're sensei said to meet him at the bridge when you woke up." Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Thanks, Tsunami-san!" Naruto straightened his more or less new clothes before dashing out the door. As Naruto sped through the forest, he noticed that the lower trunks of the trees were cut up. But it was the diced up boar that made him stop. Naruto's eyes widened as he checked. The cuts led to Tazuna's house! "Dammit!" Naruto turned on his heel. "Haipa-Sumiyaka no Jutsu!" Naruto blurred past the trees at in incredible rate, making it back to the house in seconds. He jumped down from his spot on the tree just as the two samurai started to charge Inari, who had been trying to save him mother.

"Oh no you don'!" Instinct took over, and Naruto briefly slid into the Akaken stance from behind the two samurai. They didn't even have time to turn around before his fists connected with their back. They fell to the ground like limp sacks of flour, and Naruto was too busy making sure Inari was okay to notice that they were dead. "Are you okay?" Inari nodded dumbly, and Naruto smacked him on the back. "I got to admit, kid, you were pretty brave!" Inari's face broke out into a grin as Naruto slapped him on the back again. "Well, I got to go help my team. See-ya!" Naruto quickly performed the seals again and was gone in the blink of an eye.

"I love this jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he zipped through the forest and quickly approached the bridge. He saw a thick cloud of mist as he approached. "That's not good!"

Himaru sighed and brushed the hair out of his eyes again. "What are you doing, Zabuza? Do you really think you can defeat me?" Zabuza scowled underneath his bandages.

"Those babies of yours will hold you down. My student, on the other hand, is a true shinobi. Look, the black-haired one is already shaking at only my water clones." Both Himaru and Sasuke smirked.

"I'm shaking…with excitement!" Sasuke turned into a blur as he jumped into action, and in moments all the water clones were reduced to puddles. Sasuke turned his onyx eyes on the masked Haku. "You're next, you masked coward." Himaru sighed at the combined display of Sasuke and Sakura's blushing at how 'cool' the last Uchiha was. Sasuke charged, and Haku ran to meet him. Kunai clashed with senbon as the pair dueled it out. Sasuke seemed to be leading, but Himaru had to drag his attention back to Zabuza.

"So much for your plan," Himaru said as he assumed the Akaken stance. 'This time, I have no need for you,' he thought darkly. "Sakura, stay by Tazuna, just in case." Sakura gave a slight nod and stood by Tazuna's side, a kunai already in hand. Himaru charged Zabuza and pushed the Demon of the Mist back with a flurry of punches. Once Zabuza had backed up a ways, Himaru blurred through some seals.

"Karyudan no Jutsu (Flame Dragon Blast Technique)!" The dragon of fire rushed towards Zabuza, but was cut short by Zabuza's own water dragon. The elemental dragons fought like long-time enemies, but both ended up as steam. Zabuza squinted through the new ocular blockade and listened carefully for footsteps.

"So your student has a blood-line?" Zabuza tensed at the voice from behind him.

'How?' Himaru was concentrating on the pyramid of mirrors.

'I appears I still need this man.' Zabuza gritted his teeth at the man ignoring him and swung his giant blade.

"Damn you!" Himaru caught the blade with only his pointer and middle fingers without even looking back at Zabuza.

'I doubt he'll listen if I try to reason with him, and even I can't take on both him and that blood-line boy at the same time without killing them…Hold on Sasuke.' Himaru rammed his free elbow into Zabuza's gut, minus Akaken. Soon, their duel changed into a taijutsu only, with Zabuza and his sword managing to hold Himaru off without his Akaken.

"Why are you going easy?" Zabuza practically demanded an answer. Himaru ducked his giant blade and attempted a sweeping kick.

"I have my reasons. Perhaps I'll tell you when Gatoh refuses to pay you." Zabuza growled.

"Shut-up!"

Naruto skidded to a halt before he set foot on the bridge. For some reason, Himaru's words rang in his head. "Ninja have to be sneaky, Naruto. They have to be quiet." Naruto was still not completely sure why he stopped for them. He never paid attention when anyone else told him that. Naruto shrugged and, even more surprisingly, stopped to think. After a moment, he nodded to the air and jumped down to the underside of the bridge.

"Chakra control, don't fail me now!" He stuck to the bottom of the bridge and ran along its belly. He stayed at normal speed to avoid missing his mark, and as soon as he heard Sasuke's voice, he prepared his new favorite hand seals. To the other combatants, it appeared as if the blond appeared out of nowhere when he jumped into the air.

"Bakuyaku Tsuba no Jutsu!" One of Haku's ice mirrors shattered, and didn't have time to reform before Naruto landed in the center of them. "Hey, Sasuke-teme, Naruto's here to save the day!" The needle ridden Uchiha was slack-jawed. Partly that Naruto had had to brains for the sneak attack, and partly that he'd been stupid enough to jump right into the jutsu!

"You idiot, what are you doing?" Naruto stuck his tongue out in response.

"Saving your butt." Sasuke leapt and knocked Naruto to the ground, barely avoiding the senbon.

"You can't even save yourself!" Before the pair could descend into further arguing, the masked ninja readied more senbon.

"Oh, no you don't! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Naruto, no!" Each clone was quickly destroyed, and a rain of senbon also hit the real Naruto. Sasuke was about to yell at Naruto, but then he noticed something. "Naruto, do you think you can make another batch of those clones?"

Himaru felt a smirk tug at his lips when he saw Naruto leap into the ice prison. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "Sakura, go help Naruto and Sasuke. I can protect Tazuna!"

"But-"

"Go!" Sakura looked briefly at Tazuna, how smiled slightly and nodded.

"Go ahead girl, do what you want. I've lived long enough."

"Thank-you." Sakura charged toward the ice mirrors and drew back her fist. "Here goes nothing!"

Haku was frustrated enough when the blond boy joined the fight, but now another person came in whom he would have to kill. He felt a remorseful frown form on his face as the pink-haired kunoichi joined her comrades. "Are you two alright," she asked, and Naruto beamed that she'd said the word 'two'.

"We're fine, Sakura-chan! It takes more than a couple wussy-"

"Naruto, more clones!" Sasuke barked. Naruto grumbled while he created the next platoon. And the being hit by senbon wasn't exactly fun, either.

"Gokayuu no Jutsu (Grand Fireball Technique)!" The tip of Haku's robes were singed before he made it back to his mirrors.

'How can he track my movements? It's not possible!'

"Sasuke, let me heal you!" Sakura shouted and began walking towards her porcupine-like teammate.

"Back, Sakura! If we're too close together he'll just kill us!" Sakura paused, and was hit by senbon in her hesitation.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out as the pink-haired girl struggled back to her feet. Naruto turned back to the masked boy, and his eyes flashed crimson for a moment. "Bakuyaku Tsuba no Jutsu!" The mirror Haku was in shattered, and he barely dodged Sasuke's fireball when he moved to another one.

"I can see him!" Sasuke shouted, for as soon as Sakura had been struck, everything tinted red. 'My Sharingan has activated! His movements are clear to me!'

'No, he activated his blood-line! I have to end this now!' Haku's gaze targeted a panting Naruto. 'I must.' Haku hit into high gear, and senbon rained down from all angles, seemingly simultaneously. Sasuke managed to deflect most of them that came his way, but Naruto hadn't been so lucky, especially when he moved to take most of the senbon aimed at Sakura.

"Naruto!" Sakura grabbed the blond as he stumbled.

"I-I'm okay." Naruto wobbled to his feet, and was stuck there. He just didn't have the energy left to move. Haku saw his opportunity, and propelled toward Naruto. Sakura was frozen in shock as Sasuke tackled Naruto out the way and took the senbon himself, but not before hurling Haku to the ground. Sasuke tackle shook Naruto out of his daze, and he caught the falling Uchiha.

"Why?" Naruto hissed as Sakura fell to her knees and cried. Sasuke chuckled lightly.

"I don't know. I promised myself I'd live until I killed that man. My brother." Sasuke craned his head to look at Naruto. "Don't let your dream die." Naruto watched in horror as Sasuke's eyes shut. He put Sasuke on his back.

"I hated you, and you saved me. I didn't ask for it, I didn't need your help…" Naruto's body began to shake, but Haku's voice cut through his reverie.

"Is this the first time you've watched a teammate die? It is truly sad, but he died with honor and as a true shinobi. Protecting those precious to him." Haku's words fell on deaf ears as Sakura crawled over to the Uchiha and began crying on his chest, and Naruto just stayed there on his knees.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura moaned, not even bothering to check the to see if the senbon had really killed him, for she was too gripped with grief.

"SASUKE!" Red chakra burst from Naruto and ripped across the ground. Sakura stopped crying and stared at her teammate. His canines grew into fangs, those silly whisker marks became deeper and menacing, and his eyes had turned red and were slit. His fingers elongated and grew claws, and killing intent poured off of him like a waterfall. Naruto's head slowly rotated to face Haku, who was frozen in his mirror in terror.

"You killed his dream," Naruto growled, "And now I'm going to kill you!" With a mighty roar, the senbon were pushed out of his body, and his wounds were healed. Haku snapped out of his terror, and tried to finish Naruto off while he was roaring, but the boy flipped out of the way on all fours, like an animal. Faster than lightning he grabbed Haku's wrist, and a crunching noise was heard. Haku could only stare at the demonic visage before him.

'Forgive me, Zabuza-sama. I cannot defeat this boy.' Naruto's fist met Haku's mask, and sent the boy flying out of the mirrors and skidding along the bridge. Naruto leapt out to finish him off, but even in his possessed state, stopped at Haku's revealed face.

"You…" Naruto slowly stood, and the red chakra and his new appearance receded.

"What the Hell was that?" Zabuza said once the frightening chakra dissipated. Himaru sighed in relief.

'Thank the gods, the Naruto hasn't killed him yet.' Out loud, he spoke to the missing ninja. "Zabuza, you and I both know that your student has surely been defeated, and you can't defeat me. Surrender." Zabuza gritted his teeth, and prepared to charge Himaru. He'd die before he surrendered. Himaru's eyes narrowed.

"Surrender or I will kill the boy. Painfully." There was a pause, and Zabuza dropped his sword.

"How did you know?" Himaru smiled.

"I just have a sixth sense, for these things. Now come, I have a feeling your student may yet talk Naruto into killing him." Zabuza's eyes narrowed, but he followed Himaru nonetheless.

'How does he know that?' "Haku, stop!" Zabuza said out loud, and caught the attention of his student, who had just finished telling Naruto his story, and why he wanted to die.

"Zabuza-sama?"

"Himaru-sensei?" At first, Naruto looked confused at why Zabuza and his teacher weren't fighting, but then sorrow replaces his confusion. "Sasuke's-" Himaru was already smiling and shaking his head before Sakura's scream.

"Sasuke's alive! It's only a temporary death!" A huge grin spread across Naruto's face, and he was about to run over to Sakura, but he stopped in mid-step. He turned to look at Himaru.

"What's going on, Himaru-sensei?" Himaru smiled and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"All will be explained in due time, Naruto. But first, go get Sasuke and Sakura." Himaru's face darkened. "A certain rat, is on his way." Naruto blinked in confusion, but ran off to get his teammates anyway.

"Well, well. Looks like you've lost again, eh, Zabuza?" A short, fat man in a suit with a broken arm approached them, and he was surrounded by goons. "Not that I was going to pay you anyway. Too expensive." Zabuza growled at the man and slowly walked forward to pick up his sword. "I'm going to enjoy watching that brat die," Gatoh continued, eyeing Haku, and touching his broken arm. Zabuza growled again and picked up his sword all the way.

"Allow me." Zabuza turned to stare at a smiling Himaru. "Consider it a present in honor of our soon-to-be alliance." Zabuza raised one of his hairless eyebrows at that last part.

"Gatoh is mine." Naruto's voice shocked all three ninja. Naruto walked past them, and a red aura was coming off of him. "After all he's done… I want him to pay!" Himaru was torn between smiling and frowning at the demonic Naruto. The process was going quickly, but perhaps too quickly.

"Naruto, he has betrayed Zabuza, he has full rights to his head. I was merely offering to trim down the goons."

"Let the…boy, do it," Zabuza said, not sure of what Naruto was anymore. Naruto started walking forward, but Himaru's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"STOP!" Himaru's voice echoed with a power similar to Naruto's chakra. He grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and leaned into his whisper into his slightly point ear. "If you kill in this form now, Kyuubi may take you. Do you know what he'll do then?" The red aura faded, and Naruto once again changed back. Zabuza raised his eyebrow again before turning to face Gatoh and his men.

"I accept your offer for the goons, Himaru." The black haired Konoha jounin smirked.

"I'm glade you see it my way." Himaru disappeared and then reappeared in the mass of the guards, who were still scared shitless from Naruto's previous killing intent. He slowly picked them off, one by one, as Zabuza flew through the mass of bodies, and straight for Gatoh. The evil little man barely had time to scream before he was cleaved in half. Once the deed was done, Himaru retreated from the goons, and Zabuza joined him.

"You killed our meal ticket!" One of the goons shouted.

"We'll just have to raid the town, then!" They were about the charge when an arrow stuck itself in front of them.

"You won't touch our town!" Inari, armed with a crossbow, appeared on the horizon, backed by all the citizens of Wave.

"Yeah!" the citizen's shouted. Now faced with an army and ninja, the goons ran screaming. Some even jumped into the sea to get away. Naruto grinned at Inari, who grinned right back and gave the thumbs-up.

"Spill," Zabuza stated simply once they had finally left Wave and were heading back to Konoha. "Why didn't you kill me and Haku?" The three genin and Haku also leaned in to hear. Himaru half-sighed and half-chuckled.

"I suppose I should tell you. This could take awhile." Himaru turned to Naruto. "Naruto, what was the first thing I told you when you told me that your dream is to become the next Hokage?" Naruto thought for a moment before grinning.

"Oh, yeah! You said that I was aiming low!" Sasuke, Haku and Zabuza all gasped simultaneously.

"You want to start a ninja village," Zabuza said. "That's why you wanted Haku, so the village would have a clan with a blood-line."

"And that's why when you complimented or critiqued Naruto, you were always careful to say 'kage', not 'Hokage'," Sasuke said. Himaru smiled, nodded, and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"What? But I'm going to be the Hokage!" Naruto shouted, completely determined. Everyone stopped walking and Himaru bent down to look Naruto straight in the eyes.

"I understand that you want Konoha respect, Naruto. But Haku told you his story, didn't he?" Naruto nodded. "Don't you want to created a village for people like him? A village of outcasts, of people pushed away by society for things out of their control? To show the whole world what underdogs are really capable of? A place where those abandoned by society can be safe an happy?" Naruto thought for a moment, and I mean thought really, really, hard.

"Yes." Naruto grinned. "I do!" Himaru smiled back and slapped his student on back.

"I knew you would."

"Excuse me, Himaru-sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?" Sakura squirmed a little, and poked her fingers together in a stunning imitation of Hinata.

"Why was Naruto…"Sakura stopped, for she couldn't quite find the words for it. Sasuke was interested as well. He had woken up during the time Naruto had turned demon for the second time. Himaru looked down at Naruto, and the two shared a look. Slowly, reluctantly, Naruto faced his teammates.

"I'll tell you…"

How was that? The fic will get better once I can start to deviate from the original plot a little bit more! Next come their costume changes! Please review!