Ohayo! well at least here it is, I get the week off! Normally I only respond to individual reviews if they present a question that I can clarify without spoiling the story, this is one of those times.

HitoshirenzuKage - It's not that Naruto nor Zaiaku are skilless, but they've had no formal swordsmanship training, compaired to one of the mist seven they're like kids swinging sticks. On the contrary if you read there are several times where Zabuza compliments them, saying they do have noticable skill. I'm doing my best to keep Zabuza in character so he's not going to be showering them with praise.

To everyone else, thank you for the kind reviews. Without you guys, both of my stories would be dead in the water.

I also made a decision last chapter, I hope you agree with it, but I felt I needed to do a little more for Zabuza.

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Chapter 4: Teaching Sensei, Sangemaru!

Zabuza sighed as he exited the hot spring and prepared for the day, 'I hope I'm doing the right thing getting involved in all this, Haku.' Leaning against the dresser in his room he gazed at himself in the mirrior. "What the hell AM I doing?" He questioned no one.

-Flashback-

"ZABUZA-SAN RUN!" cried Haku as the flames roared higher

In the next moment a huge explosion blew the house apart and sent Zabuza skidding into the dirt, regaining his feet he gazed at the smoldering rubble, "HAKU!"

-Forward Flashback-

"...how you repent, is your decision..."

-End flashback-

Looking back into his reflection he sneered, "Demon of the Mist indeed," reaching up he tore off his head band and threw it to the floor. Casting one last look at the discarded object he sighed, 'Can you forgive me, and my foolishness?' turning he walked out of the room to join his students. Glancing at each of the three boys training he grinned mischeviously, "Alright! You three have one hour to get to town, buy me some dango, and make it back here."

"Are you stupid?" Sputtered Naruto, "It takes an hour just to get here from town at a full blown sprint!"

"You now have fifty nine minutes," was Zabuza's only reply.

Zaiaku was the first one to break out in a run to town, Gaara and Naruto in tow. "He's crazy!" yelled the bonde.

An hour and five minutes later all three boys were back at the house, upon entering they found Zabuza sitting at the table with three Dango sticks on his plate, "You took too long." Looking at their murderous faces he simply shrugged, "Eat up, we train in an hour."

As the three teens sat at the table eating Naruto scrunched up his face, "We need to do something for Zabuza-sensei."

"I agree, it takes a lot for someone to stop wallowing in their own self induced guilt." Added Gaara.

Zaiaku swallowed his bite of food, "Yea, we can all vouch for that." Leaning back in his chair he closed his eyes, "but what to do?"

Gaara took his normal thoughtful posture of closed eyes and crossed arms, "He is one of the mist seven correct?" Naruto nodded, "Yet he has no sword, he gave it up. Maybe we could aquire a new one for him?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I already told you, there is no weapon built like the Kibukiri Houcho."

"I'm well aware of that, but did he not relinquish it to you? Therefore he doesn't WANT another Kibukiri." Retorted the Redhead

"I agree," replied Zaiaku, "Tomorrow morning we'll leave early and meet the blacksmith in town, he's one of the best."

The next morning all three boys were up before dawn, silently making their way out of the house, and once again going at full sprint all the way to town. Upon arriving they immediately spotted a small house with black smoke billowing out of the chimney, knocking on the door an old man appeared, his face covered in black soot, "Ohayo! Come in, Come in!"

"Thank you," Said Zaiaku as the three entered the home, quickly discarding their shoes, "We were wondering if you would be willing to make something for a friend?"

The man scrunched up his wrinkled face, "A comission then? It's been a long time since I've had one of those." Clapping his hands he grinned widely, "Well! I'll take it as a challenge!" quickly he pulled out a peice of rice paper and a charcoal pencil, "Now! what are the specifications?"

Zaiaku turned to see Naruto and Gaara looking at him expectantly, "What? Just because I use a sword doesn't mean I know how to make one!"

A dull thud was heard, turning they all saw the old man on the floor, "Well, let's brainstorm then shall we? Now is he a large man?" all three nodded, "Has he ever used a sword before?" again unanimous nods. Quickly sketching down some numbers and diagrams the old man beamed, "I think I've got it!" Showing the teens the diagram, all three grinned.

"One last thing," interjected Gaara

When the house came into veiw again the teens noticed Zabuza standing, arms crossed, and looking overall not happy. "Well?" he asked expectantly.

"We went to town," replied Naruto.

"And missed over an hour training this morning," retorted the jounin. "Naruto I want you to get started on your 500 slashes, horizontal and vertical, remember NO chakra. Gaara you'll practice with Naruto, stopping his attacks. Zaiaku come with me I'll show you what you need to be practicing." As Naruto and Gaara began, Zabuza lead Zaiaku over to a very thin tree, "Cut it down, you only get one strike." As Zaiaku began to draw his sword and take his kenjutsu stance Zabuza whacked him.

"Itai!"

"Iaijutsu is the art of drawing and cutting in one motion, you fight well enough with your sword out, but the less energy you have to exert in a fight the better. Now CUT!" shouted Zabuza

reaching down to his waist he gripped Shimotsuki, as fast as he could manage he drew his sword and sliced at the tree. On impact the small tree bent and caused the sword to bounce off harmlessly. "What the hell?"

"You're too slow," Zabuza stated, looking over his shoulder he narrowed his eyes, "Until you can cut that tree down, you'll learn nothing more from me." Silently he made his way to back to the other two.

'Even when we were fighting the Akatsuki forces I had no idea there was so much involved in swordsmanship' thought Zaiaku

'It is a very complicated fighting style little one, and Zabuza-san is a master,' replied Shiva, 'now let us focus on completing this training.'

The white haired teen nodded, 'Hai, Shiva-san.' Again sheathing his sword he focused on another attempt.

Walking up to Gaara and Naruto, Zabuza noticed the blonde looked fatigued and his friend was dazed, "How many vertical?" he questioned.

"three hundred and ninety six" Gasped Naruto

"And horizontal?"

"Three hundred and ninety seven"

Then the large man tuned his eyes to Gaara, "How many did you stop?"

"All of them" he replied in a daze.

Zabuza looked between the two of them, "well?" he questioned, "continue, you have two hundred-twenty five more strikes to go." Both boys groaned.

'He's killing us!' thought Naruto

'This is much better than the training you recieved in Konoha, this man is less forgiving and isn't coddling any of you. I dare say if you three had trained like this in the other world things would've been different.' replied Kyuubi.

Gaara stood on shaky legs, 'I can't block another one of those, Naruto hits like a stampeding rhino.'

'If you don't block it your head's going to come off,' stated Shukaku simply

The redhead grimaced as he blocked another heavy blow with his sand. 'This is harder without your chakra.'

Shukaku sighed, 'Yes well, you can only handle a small amount of my chakra in your current state. According to Kyuubi a year from now you're bodies as well as chakra systems will be more mature, then we'll start feeding you three our chakra in waves.'

'A year of this?' Gaara groaned audibly

"What...are...you groaning...for?" gasped Naruto, "You're...just...standing there."

Gaara glared, "I'm, doing this with my chakra."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow, "Shukaku's...not helping?" Gaara shook his head, "Kyuubi's...not either...says that we have to wait...another year. Something about...giving us waves of Chakra." He gasped. 'Baka Fox!'

Said fox growled, 'I CAN hear you, you know that right?'

The months rolled on with the same routine, and the boys growing in strength and stature. Then one morning in early spring a bleary Naruto walked outside to see small spots of green grass probing through the blanket of snow, 'It's good to see somethings stayed the same'

'I remember THAT mission, I was sealed in that mechanical monstrosity,' added Kyuubi, shuddering.

'I always wondered why Zaiaku never wore chakra armor,' Pondered Naruto

Kyuubi snorted, 'You've seen him on a battle field, and you saw what he did to his father. Do you think he needs his chakra amplified?'

Naruto grimaced, 'You're right,' suddenly Naruto went wide-eyed, 'Oi! Kyuubi what day is it?'

'I seem to have misplaced my calender,' growled the fox..

Ignoring the demon Naruto charged into the house and immediately pounced on Gaara and Zaiaku, "Wake up! We have to go to town!"

"If you don't be quiet Zabuza will wake up and we'll have to start training," grumbled Gaara.

Zaiaku stood and pulled on his pants and shirt, "We need to go now before he wakes up."

The results of their training began to show as the three made it into town in fifteen minutes. Once again knocking on the familiar door to the blacksmith's shop they waited patiently for the old man. Slowly the door creeped open and just like before, the soot faced blacksmith beamed at them, "Ohayo! I see you're hear to pick up your order!"

"Yes please," answered Zaiaku as the three entered the small house, noticing several new pieces of weaponry Zaiaku whistled, "You've been busy oji-san."

The little man grinned, "Yes, yes. Your comission inspired me, it's been so long since I've made something of this craftsmanship I couldn't let that feeling go away." walking over to the corner he hefted a box, seven feet in length, and set it on the counter. Opening the lid revealed a nodachi, it's hilt measuring two feet and the blade taking the other five.

Naruto was wide-eyed as he examined the ivory hilt wrapped in black leather in a woven pattern. "It's beautiful, oji-san"

The little man bowed deeply, "It was an utmost honor, my young friends, you've reinvigorated my life." Then he smiled softly, "I felt like I had lost my way, that I had reached my peak, then you came in and gave me a project and it brought back my old fire for life, Arigato." Then he clapped his hands together and grinned, "NOW! Take your friend his gift!" and with that he shoe'ed them out the door never asking for payment.

Gaara just stood dumfounded, "That was-"

'Odd' finished Shukaku.

Making their way to the house they saw a glaring Zabuza, "You know, I was going to give you the day off being that it's the first of spring. HOWEVER!" pausing he inspected them more closely to see Naruto carrying a long slender box and beaming, "What is that?" he questioned pointing.

"For you!" exclaimed Naruto, thrusting the case in the jounin's hands.

"What?"

"Open it," all three chorused.

As he did so his eyes went wide, "This is..." lifting the sword and placing the box on the ground he examined it, slowly he removed it from the scabbard and gave it a few swings, "...beautiful." Quietly he stepped up to a large tree. Reaching down he gripped the handle and in one lightning fast, yet fluid, motion drew his blade splitting said tree in half.

"So that's how you do it!" exclaimed Zaiaku as Zabuza stepped back infront of them, "So what are you going to call it?"

The jounin pondered for a moment then smiled under his bandages, "Sangemaru."

"Repentance?" questioned Naruto, "I love it, now about that day off."

Zabuza grinned evily, "Oh no, today..." he unsheathed Sangemaru, "It's combat practice."

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End Chapter 4

Read and Review, I hope you enjoyed!

Preview Chapter 5: Youki