Disclaimer (For all my Stories): I don't own Naruto or any other known sources used within this piece of fiction. Any infringement from other sources is credit to the owner of the source. If any infringement is spotted feel free to claim your due credit.

This story is rated of Rated M for Mature content such as scenes of sexual nature, explicit language and violence.

Chapter 11

Naruto was already awake and aware of his visitor even before that person made it to the door to his given room. If it wasn't for his keen sense of smell there was little chance he would have decided her arrival short of the knock that would have heralded her presence at the door.

"How can I help you, Haku?" Naruto said before she could knock, getting up from his bed and stretching his back with a jaw cracking yawn.

On the other side of the door, Haku felt a momentary sense of shock. The hand that she had just about to use to knock on the door froze still when she had her name being called out. After observing his daily habits for the last 5 days, she hadn't expected him to be awake yet.

This person…this shinobi is definitely more than what he shows the world. Not even Zabuza-sama is capable of detecting my movements unless I am within his personal space. It was quite possible that this person was possibly above her in skills and caning. The realisation sent a chill down her spine. It was plainly obvious that if this man was this capable then the danger he presented to his master was very much real.

"Jin-san, Zabuza-sama requests your presents in his room." She said out loud while in her mind she thought, this person is someone not to be underestimated at any cost. I must warn master as soon as possible.

"Hmm I wonder what he wants." Naruto mumbled to himself before saying out loud, "Okay give me a few seconds to put something on."

He quickly put his shinobi gear, ran a hand along his dark short hair before opening the door. He found Haku was standing on the other side her attire much different from the one he had seen the previously. The kimono she was wearing light blue in colour with dark blue flower designs.

She looks ever prettier in a simple kimono, Naruto thought after eying her up and down in a blink of a civilian eye, it's a pity she is probably armed to the teeth.

Haku took the lead and Naruto followed behind her until they came to a particular room in the upper most part of the entire place.

The entire hideout was unlike anything he had ever seen. It occurred to Naruto that if the entire tree house was made from grass and bamboo then a simple fire could bring the entire place blazing down in flames.

Naruto shook his head before turning his thoughts back to the present although he filed the thought in case he needed to escape. Haku knocked once before going in with Naruto trailing behind him.

Zabuza was sitting in the same chair Naruto had first met him with his large sword on his lap. Naruto eyed the sword with interest, wondering how heavy it really was. the thing looked too big to be versatile in a fight.

"Here he is Zabuza-sama." Haku said slightly bowing her head.

"Good." Zabuza said turning to Naruto who was slightly behind Haku.

"Hmm where are the so called Demon brothers?" Naruto suddenly wondered aloud. The twins or Demon brothers as they preferred to be known as where strangely absent.

"Oh… those two… I sent them on an errand?" Zabuza's gruff voice made him want to check if his ears were still working.

His interest peaked; Naruto raised one of his eye brows and waited, and waited before sighing when Zabuza didn't go clarify further.

…..

"Why do are you keeping him around zabuza-sama?" Haku said one Jin left the room closing the room behind him. it was puzzling to her that her master would keep someone not under his control near him.

"You have so much to learn Haku?"

The disappointed tone in his words was like a slap in the face.

"What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly, casting her eyes to the ground.

"Isn't it obvious? …I knew for sure this kid was dangerous as soon as I saw him but I wasn't sure just how much of a danger he posed. However… now that I have gathered as much…I am going to let him test the waters for a while," then he grinned behind the bandages as he continued, "and when he is not colour those waters red with his blood when he is not suspecting."

Listening to her master's words Haku for once wasn't sure he was right this time. While her masters words held an undeniable conviction that filled her heart and mind told her master with strength there was a small part of her, a sense born from her previous life, that was telling her to be very weary around Jin.

"But why give him such a task." She asked after a few minutes of thinking.

"Like I said… to let him test the waters."Zabuza grinned again behind his mask. "I can't kill him until I know who he and those he is working for. There is a chance that he is a Konoha spy sent here by purpose. So if he suddenly went missing that would be very troublesome for me."

"Should I follow him?"Haku felt her soul sore at the prospect of being useful to her master.

Zabuza hefted his meat cleaver with a single hand before giving it a few swings. "Of cause, Haku and make sure he doesn't see you."

"Hai, Zabuza-sama." She said before departing the room with the use of a perfect body flicker.

…..

"The hell…sending me to do his errands...who does he think he is anyway?"Naruto grumbled aloud although there was no body to hear him. "Seriously I don't understand why the guy just doesn't let me be on my merry way."

"What do you two think?" this time his question was directed at his two companions. There was no reply, not that he had expected the two vulpine vixens to comprehend his words to let alone speak their minds. While intelligent, there intelligent was however very much limited.

Naruto stopped walking and looked around for the two. When he didn't see them, he took a deep breath through his nose searching for the two familiar scents.

Hmm what are they doing back there I wonder? , Naruto cast a glance behind him a thoughtful look on his face before shrugging his shoulder and resuming his walk through the forest.

Zabuza had told his the direction in which the city lay. As he walked through the forest, Naruto couldn't help but wonder why the blue skinned shinobi had bothered to do so. It was common knowledge that Wave country had a single main city. Naruto knew this because of a map his father had shown him one time when Naruto had asked about his mother's home, Uzushiogakure.

Sure he had been young then for what he had seen to stick in his memory but the fact that his mothers homeland he been invaded and destroyed by a band of allied hidden villages had been what kept that memory alive.

The sight that greeted him when he finally made it out of the forest to its edge made him almost trip on his own feet. It wasn't the city its self that gave him pause but the people he could see wondering through the streets and the gloomy atmosphere he could almost taste blanketing the city.

The sense of despair hanging above the cities citizens was almost tangible. A sliver of pity whirled up in his chest as he watched children whose eyes were almost vacant with what he could only assume was hunger and the weight of the their miserable lives.

Whatever happened here must be…, Naruto let the thought trail off, at a loss of words to describe what he was seeing. He had to shake his head to pull himself back together before making his way into the city.

…

"Hey old man hit me with the strongest spirit you have got." Naruto shouted above the din within the small tavern before sitting down on an empty chair in front of the counter.

The tavern he had chosen for his mission was one of the few he had found sufficiently populated despite the horrible state the small city was in.

By god is everyone in this city a hire thug? And how in hell is Gato paying for their services? Naruto mentally shook his head as he let his eyes scan each table.

Just like every tavern and shop he had entered thus far this tavern was also populated with Gato's thugs and from what he had seen outside it was a wonder the city was still standing with the number of thugs wondering its streets.

The sound of glass sliding on wood told him his order had arrived. Naruto looked up at the man and asked, "How much?"

The innkeeper told him how much. Naruto counted the required amount and handed the notes to the man with a little bit of hesitance for show. The old man took the notes and went back to cleaning the table.

"Well although the price is nothing short of day light robbery…this stuff is worth the sacrifice?" Naruto licked his lips. Whatever it was he had just drunk it was very hot to the throat on its way down to his guts. Funy enough as there were no other effects aside from the burning, and having never drank any alcohol before Naruto didn't know what to feel.

Naruto took another large gulp before sliding the container towards the innkeeper, "One more of the same, old man"

The old man made a refill without a word before going back to his work.

"Hey old man… say… what's with the bunch of thugs wandering around the city like rats?" Naruto asked in a low voice, nodding behind him.

"TCH…." The old man cast a look over Naruto's shoulder before adding in low voice, "Those are Gato's thugs."

Naruto put on a thoughtful look on his face before asking, "Hmm… Gato…the same Gato that owns the shipping in this side of the world? Why does he need thugs for?"

"Don't you know?" the old man looked at Naruto like he had two fox ears on his head.

Naruto shook his head. "No…I just arrived this morning with a new supply of shipment and…"

…..

Haku stared at the tavern Jin had entered through the narrow slits of her white mask. From the building opposite the tavern it was easy to keep watch on her prey without being seen by the civilians below. Her skills in stealth and silent killing allowed her to be virtually invisible and impossible to detect if she didn't want to be.

So far she had managed to tail him up until he had entered the tavern. She had watched from the roof tops as he wondered through the city until entering the small tavern he was now in. Keeping herself her presence hidden from even the most skilled and abilities of shinobi, she carefully watched watch each person that entered and left scanning for any signs of chakra usage.

Any shinobi that goes inside is a possible spy and probably working with that man. I have to make sure to know who he is reporting to.

As of yet she hadn't spotted anything suspicious. In fact from what she could sense the only shinobi inside or in the area was Jin himself. Still, she decided to maintain her spying until Jin came out of the tavern.

Haku kept her watch for another hour until Jin came out.

What took him so long?...Did he drink too much that he fell asleep? She could help but wonder. However as she watched him make his way up the street, she knew the answer. Even from that distance she could see that Jin looked lively and steady that someone who had been drinking alcohol for a long duration.

She watched him for a moment longer before following his path from the rooftops all the while keeping presence hidden from anyone aside from the most experience shinobi.

….

Having milked the tavern owner of the information he had been looking for, Naruto decided to wonder the city for a while before heading back to report his findings. He wondered the city aimlessly socking the despair around him.

I have to say who ever this guy, Gato… is he certainly know how to hold these people by the balls all the while keeping them from acting against him. Naruto felt envious of the man who could elicit this much despair from so large a population.

Every face he came across had a look that spoke of a people whose heart had been crushed utterly and ruthlessly. The sense of helplessness seemed to grow stronger as the day wore on. Naruto let himself bathe in their pain and suffering, ignoring his surroundings.

Unfortunately his moment of bliss, if he could call it that, was interrupted when his senses warned him that someone was following him. At first he thought it was Haku but then dismissed the thought as quickly as it had came. Haku was too skilled in the shinobi arts to make such a mistake.

Frowning in thought, Naruto kept walking until he reached an intersection where a moment to decided which was to go before taking a turn into an alleyway that ended in a dead-end. As he turned into the alley he managed to catch a glimpse of who was tailing him.

Hn its those thugs I remember seeing in that tavern. I wonder why they are following me. Didn't any of my questions stray into their ears or are they just acting out of suspicion? He didn't have the answer to his question however the three thugs behind him did. It was only a matter of killing the rest but one.

….

Haku had to stop when she saw Jin take a turn into a path that ended abruptly after a few paces.

What is he up to now? She wondered but even as the question popped up her sharp brain produced an answer. It was obvious to anyone that he was railing the three who where following him.

She thought about helping him but had to mental shake herself. Her job was to tail him and observer whatever he did then report back to her master. Even better this is a chance to see what he is capable of without being seen. It's a pity these scum wont prove much of a challenge.

And as if Jin had heard her silent word, his body blurred into action. Everything happened too fast that the thugs didn't have time to react. Haku barely saw Jin grab one of the thugs by the face before slamming him into the wall with enough force to kill him out right. His other hand then appeared to vanish before appearing a second later having pieced the man right through his chest.

Haku felt the hairs at the back of her head rise as she watched Jin pulled his out of the man's chest slowly before flicking the blood off his hand with a fast wave of his hand. No longer supported by Jin, the man's fell face first dead before he hit the ground, blood leaking through the opening on his torso onto the ground.

When he came to the last man however, Haku was surprised when Jin did not kill him out right just as he had done to the first two. Instead he appeared to ask something and when the thug shook his head, Jin vanished only to appear behind the kneeling man before a single twist off the head killed him.

Once the last man was dead, Naruto cast his eyes where he knew Haku was watching and grinned knowingly before vanishing in a explosion of white smoke. The use of the body flicker allowed him to traverse his way through the population as a great speed until he stopped at the sport where he had entered the city and without another thought he let the forest of tree swallow him into its hidden depths.

….

Haku kept her presence didden as soon as Jin left her masters side. She had listened to him report to her master the information he had managed to draw out off the people he had encountered. Everything he had told her master had been information they had already known but then again that had been the point of the test to begin with.

"Was he telling the truth?" her master asked as soon as they were alone.

"Yes." Haku confirmed bowing to her knee. The thought to wonder how her master had detected her presence just before she could reveal herself didn't concern. As far she was concerned her master's power was unmatched by none.

"Hmm, it appears that little weasel has finally lost the iron hold he had held over the population in that retched place." Zabuza thoughtful said stroking his meat cleaver. "Unfortunately for him what happens in that city doesn't concern us. What does however are the Konoha shinobi that are most likely going to pay the city a visit?"

"Why would Konoha be concerned about what happens outside their own lands?" Haku dared ask.

The laughter that came from her master sent shivers of fear down her spine. "Haku….Haku. You see unlike most hidden villages, Konoha is known for its valour of helping the weak and needy. Hell, among missing-nin it's rumoured that Konoha has a brain washing regime they use on their genin to give them a twisted black and white view of the world. While they normal do not involve themselves with other nation, I am sure the citizens of Wave have a plan to bring a group of shinobi to deal with Gato and indirectly me.

"Shouldn't we leave before they arrive?"

"Not yet…I have a plan to deal with whoever Konoha is going send." Zabuza let out a dark chuckle. "But before that… I am leaving Jin to you. I am very confident that with your skills he won't pose much of a threat."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama." Was all Haku said before she left her masters side to plan for her next mission.

…

"Grraaahhhh this is boring!" Naruto jumped off the fence he had been sitting on and watching Kiba paint their section of the fence.

"Those are my words, damn it." Kiba sent a glare at him.

Naruto waved his hands before delivering an off handed comment, "Hey it's not my fault you lost our game of hand-paper-scissors. Beside this kind of work is beneath me."

"You bastard…you are enjoying this aren't you?" Kiba growled.

"Hmmm me? No …""Naruto shook his head before adding, "This is like …"

Naruto let his sentence trail off knowing Kiba would fill in the rest for himself and that whatever Kiba's brain came up with was better that anything he could have said.

Before Kiba could make a came back, their sensei appeared behind them her red eyes narrowed into slits.

"Sensei…Naruto is not doing anything."Kiba jumped in before Kurenai could say anything. His dog companion who had been silent ever since the D-rank mission began backed a few times as if adding his own mind.

"Yes…I can see that and I would like to know why." Kurenai kept her eyes on Naruto. The words were delivering in a flat and icy tone that for a moment it occurred to him that maybe he should run.

"Wait a minute…" Naruto protested raising his hands in front of him, "its Kiba's fault. He is the one who started the whole thing."

It was a lie of cause since Naruto had suggested a bet in the first place. However since Kiba had been the one to bring up hand-paper-scissors, Naruto was hoping Kurenai would overlook his little contribution.

"The hell I did!" Kiba shouted before pointing at Naruto with the hand holding a paint brush. "You are the one who started it. All I did was well…a game of hand-paper-scissors to settle the bet."

"Exactly …he is the one who asked for a game of hand-paper-scissors and lost. Which is why he is doing the painting on his own while I watch, give him pointers whenever necessary." Naruto nodded, what he had just said was perfectly reasonable.

"Not another word between you two." Kurenai snapped before folding her arms under her chest, a stern look on her face. "Both of you…what did I say about your petty rivalry."

For a moment Naruto let himself marvel at the way her chest pushed up.

Man those are definitely….he mentally shook his head before saying out loud, "To put everything behind us and start asking as a time."

Kiba nodded causing Akamaru to cling tightly on his hair or else fall to the ground.

"Now…" Kurenai started a smile on her lips.

…..

The following night after hid errand to the city of wave, Naruto or Jin depending on who you ask, woke up at the first sign of light to a morning grey with the morning fog. As soon as he was awake he left his room through the window landing on the ground after a 5 meters drop.

He stood still where he had landed then looked around the area. For a second he had been sure he had heard a noise just before his landing.

Must have been a rodent or something, he thought shrugging his shoulders and leaping onto the nearest tree in a single bound.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking. Scar and Patches had put together a small den under a hollow tree just a few feet near a very small lake most likely because small lakes where the best place for hunting. The island of Wave had a lot of small rivers and lakes that it was impossible to go travel a mile without coming across any such bodies of water.

Naruto ignored the two for the time being and made his way towards the lake. Because of the fog above the water it was hard to see how deep the lake was without wading into the water which Naruto suspected was probably very cold. After a moments consideration he settled for washing his face instead, the chilling water sending shivers down his entire body.

It was then that with his guard down the attack came. Naruto didn't hear the attack coming and were it not for one of his companion he would have died. The only indication that something had occurred was a loud high perched whimper before a body collided with his back hard.

Cursing, Naruto turned to find the older of the vixens in her final throes of death a translucent shard protruding from her neck. Naruto watched in disbelief and incomprehension as life left the eyes of his companion forever.

Naruto reached out a hand to stroke Scars fur already knowing she was dead. He brought his hands to the shard and was startled to realise it was made from ice and was very cold to the touch. Lost in his thought Naruto excluded the world around him and let his hands run along the strange spear trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

There was no doubt the thing was made from cold ice but what his mind was trying to understand was where it had came from. Ice didn't no come from nowhere like that unless it had fallen from the sky itself, something he very much doubted. The angle of which it had entered her neck was wrong for that theory to be true.

Then this means it was an attack and one that had been aimed at me.

The thought brought a wave of anger and hate that his hands started to shake. He curled his hand around the shard causing it to instantly melt back to its basic form. The temperature around him started to raise cause steam to rise from his cloths and the ground he was standing on.

Naruto clenched his hands tight and stood up. As if that been the signal his attacker had been waiting for, another attack came. This time, Naruto was ready but even then the attack surprised him. Tiny and barely visible senbon shot towards his exposed neck so fast and silent that he only had time to raise his arm in defence.

Naruto grunted in pain as the tiny needles entered his skin.

Damn I hope these things are not poisoned, Naruto silently cursed as he pulled both needles out of his arm. Naruto took a sniff at the weapons and let out a curse before looking around the forest.

"Ahh…just as I thought, so he sent you instead of coming himself to do to the job himself …ehh… Haku." He didn't raise his voice. The silence around him was so complete that he was positive his words could be heard for miles.

His words however were met with silence. Naruto tried to locate her sent in the air but was met with total failure the fog in the air too thick.

"What's this…suddenly shy?" Naruto turned his body around as he talked, "Or is it because your mouth is sore from servicing your master?"

Again his words where met with silence. Frowning, Naruto stopped and stood still. When no attack came he let out a single low yelp.

…..

Haku tried not to let Jin's words get to her. She was sure any emotion from her would be easily detected. However she wasn't so sure that she could fight Jin face to face without sustaining severe damage or worse.

It was a pity her first jutsu hadn't killed him. Had it not been for that fox she was sure her mission would be over by now. She had carefully waited until the chill water to do its job to his mind before forming a spear of ice from the fog around. The attack had failed of cause and so had her attempt with her senbon.

Briefly, she wondered were the fox had come from but quickly had to dismiss the thought as simple coincidence. Frowning slightly behind her musk she thought of her next move.

Although it was hard to see through the fog, her master had taught her how to fight under such condition so to her such conditions were favourable to a shinobi like, hence why she had decided to initiate her mission in this time of the day. A deft flick of her hand brought two senbon into her finger, ready to be used as soon as her prey stopped moving.

The opportunity to deliver a lethal strike to her target came a moment later. Cocking her hand to prepared to throw her weapons, she hesitated when her target let out a strange sound.

What's he up to now?

She didn't have to wait longer for her answer because before she knew her position had been exposed.

The feral growl came from nowhere and before she knew it she found herself looking down at a pair of feral slited eyes.

…..

Naruto reacted as soon as her growl reached his ears. He formed the hand seal to the kawarimi with the ease of one familiar with the shinobi art before vanishing instantly as he switched places with his remaining companion.

"So this is where you where hiding." Naruto grinned before attacking.

He opened his mouth wide and out came an orange sphere the size of his fist. Once out of his mouth, the sphere suddenly expanded as it came into contact with oxygen and within a blink a giant sized fire ball was in its place. It was the same fireball he had swallowed during his fight with Sasuki.

The fire ball roared and crackled with flames as it flew toward a surprised Haku. Taken by surprise Haku almost acted too late. Jumping of the tree and letting gravity pull her down. The fireball exploded as it came into contact with the tree, the explosion also destroying five more trees behind.

Haku hit the ground in a roll but before she could recover, Naruto was already on her. His hand shot towards her throat in a blur, but to his amazement his hand closed on empty air because somehow Haku had managed to nimbly dance her way around his hand.

Cursing, Naruto leapt back as the kunoichi sent a high kick to his exposed left side. The kick however still narrowly missed him by a hair's breadth.

He then sent a fast kick at Haku's exposed side. Haku however proved a good taijutsu fighter by propelling herself to a safe distance easily with one foot.

"Kukuku, I knew you where fast but this…." Naruto licked his lips as he followed after her, "is something else. I wonder what else you have hidden, especially underneath those clothes…."

The rest of his words were cut off as a single senbon headed for his jugular. This time Naruto used his superior reflexes and easily dodged the projectile easily by simple tilting his upper torso to the right.

"I must apologies Jin-san. It seems I have to resort to my full abilities I am to fulfil my mission." Although her face was covered with a mask, her voice came out loud and clear.

Naruto dropped his grin and raised his eyes.

"Full abilities? Now this sounds interesting." he chuckled. "I don't see how you are going to beat me unless of cause you decide to take off your clothes…."

Once again, the rest of his words died unheard in his throat when he saw Haku form a series of hand seals with her right hand alone. Moments later the fog around them came together into droplets of water before seemingly solidify into hundreds barely visible ice needles around him.

"Now die. Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death." With that all the needles of ice fell on him like rain.

Naruto's eyes momentary widened in surprise before narrowing into slits. He took a deep breath then mixing it with his chakra let out a thundering roar that shook the forest. The shock waves of sound exploded from his mouth in every direction causing devastation in their path. Trees simply broke apart in splinters as the waves passed while the needles of ice from Haku's technique simply evaporated.

Haku herself did not go unscathed. The wave hit her before she knew what was happened, the force lifted her body off the ground until her flight came to an ended several meters with a bone braking collision with a very large tree trunk.

…..

Impossible… what is he. Haku thought as she tried to rise to her feet.

She knew she had to get away from that monster but as she tried to get her feet under her a lance of pain shot up her back. The sudden pain caused her vision to blackout for a second and when she came to, she found herself face to face with a row of pointed and very sharp canine teeth.

"That was one nasty jutsu you had up your sleeve." Haku turned her face away from the fox in front of her and saw her foe walking slowly towards her. Behind the man she saw that all the trees within a 400 meter radius had been up rooted by the same attack that had hit her.

"What are you?" she gasped out through her pain. She tried to move again but this time it was the growl from the fox before her that stopped her.

"That my dear is what you are about to find out. Although I might be a monster at heart, I have to keep my promises."

…..

Fin