ZY: Winter Break. Hurray.

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Dreams of Passion turned into Reality, Chapter 4: The Real Mission

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The mission wasn't going so well for Team 7... Their client was almost killed 3/4 of the way to the Land of Waves. Two rouge ninjas appeared out of nowhere and practically played off the bad vibe Naruto and Sasuke had with one another and nearly killed Tazuna, but thanks to some quick action from Sakura and Kakashi, he was fine. The kunoichi pulled a surprised punch on one of the rouges, effectively breaking his nose and stunning the other long enough for Kakashi to subdue. Team 7 also learnt that Tazuna lied about the difficulty of the mission, the mission was probably a Rank B or A, but he could only afford a Rank C mission, and that an evil tycoon named Gatō wanted him dead. And worse yet, Kakashi was REALLY scolding the blond and Uchiha for not only their lack of teamwork but also nearly letting the rouges kill the client because of their disagreement. The two Genins had the huge bumps on their heads to prove the Jōnin's dissatisfaction.

"Not to pry, but what happened between those two to make them act that way with eachother?" the bridge builder asked Sakura. She was silent for a minute before saying "They... Had a... Really bad argument..." Tazuna didn't need to hear anymore to understand that.

Not even seven minutes later, Team 7 ran into a new enemy. The Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza.

}i{ }i{ Back in Konohagakure }i{ }i{

"You just missed him. He's currently on a mission that took his team outside the village," Itachi told Hinata and Neji, as he poured some green tea for everyone. Kisame then added "He'll be gone for a while, But we'll let you know when he gets back and I hope he gets back before our anniversary." Itachi agreed. Hinata said that it was fine. Itachi immediately picked up on the vibe the two Hyūgas were giving off and asked if there was something wrong and if it had to do with them being on different teams. The Hyūgas nodded. "I'm sure Hiashi had a reason for it, I mean, he wouldn't do it knowing how it would effect you two without a good reason," Kisame said trying to cheer up the two, but he wasn't doing so well on that. Itachi elbowed him in the gut for it. "Ano, you guys getting ready for the twins when they arrive?" Neji asked trying to get off the current topic.

Kisame grinned and said "We just finished painting the new baby room purple." "Why purple?" the Hyūgas asked in unison. "Well, we are having a girl and a boy," Itachi said with a chuckle, then added "Plus purple is a good colour for both genders." Kisame nodded in agreement and said "We also got tons of diapers, lots of baby clothes, couple of blankets, six bottles, a stroller for two, and some toys for them." "You didn't say you had a crib for them." Hinata said to the older ninjas. The two nodded their heads. Kisame explained as Itachi sipped his tea "Since the twins are technically citizens of both the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, we want a crib to represent that. We haven't found one that does yet." Hinata and Neji nodded, they understood, they knew that the pair wanted their children to be cultured in both parents' nations of origin.

"We wish you two luck with your search," Neji said with a smile and Hinata added "And if you need a babysitter, Hanabi has already volunteered." Itachi raised a brow and said "Did she now? Then I hope she's finish all of her babysitting training before the twins arrive." Kisame patted his Soulmate's stomach. Hinata smiled and said "Don't worry, she'll be ready for them." The Soulmates chuckled a bit. "I certainly hope so," Kisame said with a laugh.

All present could feel the twins' joy.

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

The battle between the Missing Ninja Zabuza and Kakashi of the Sharingan was epic, at least in Naruto's opinion. Team 7 was totally surprised by the red and black wheel eye in Kakashi-sensei's left eye socket, Sasuke especially. He explained what the Sharingan does and he also explained that it was a rare and unique ability that only belongs to the Uchiha Clan. "Wait are you serious?!" Naruto exclaimed, he knew for a fact that Kakashi was not a member of the Uchiha clan. "I'm completely serious. Itachi-nii has the Sharingan and already mastered it," Sasuke stated in a serious tone. "So... How did Kakashi-sensei get that Sharingan?" was all Sakura asked her teammates.

The battle continued until the two where over a lake and Zabuza trapped Kakashi in a Water Prison Jutsu. "FORGET ABOUT ME! GET TAZUNA OUT OF HERE!" Kakashi shouted at his team, urging them to get out of here while Zabuza had him trapped, since he couldn't move while the prison jutsu was activated.

There was no way they were leaving their sensei. If things couldn't get any worse, Zabuza created a water clone on himself to kill them.

Naruto jumped into the air and used the Kage Bunshin No Jutsu to create ten clones on himself. The shadow clones weren't a match for Clone Zabuza when they tried to dog pile on him. Naruto pulled a blade out of his bag and tossed it quickly to the Uchiha. Sasuke caught the windmill shurinken, thought 'So that's the plan! Surprisingly good thinking from that baka', spun in the air, and opened the weapon completely. The Uchiha aimed the weapon at the real Missing-nin and threw it with amazing accuracy. But the older ninja caught the weapon and easily dodged the windmill shuriken that was hidden in the first's shadow. Zabuza chuckled and said "Nice try brats."

"I'M NOT DONE!" Shouted a voice from behind Zabuza. When the Missing Ninja looked behind him, he saw Naruto aiming his kuni knife at him! Zabuza pulled his arm out of the Water Prison to avoid the kuni, thus releasing Kakashi from the justu.

That was when Zabuza realized that the first windmill shuriken was an ordinary weapon, the one in the shadow was Naruto. Kage Bunshin No Jutsu was a ruse! The plan was to use the first shuriken as a distraction and to allow Naruto-in-shuriken form to get behind Zabuza. Clever, but now Zabuza was pissed! He was about to use the windmill blade on the blond, whom fell into the water, when Kakashi stopped the blade with the back of his own hand. "About time the two of you started working as a team. Good plan," Kakashi said to Naruto and Sasuke.

Now the battle between the Missing-nin and the Copy-nin continued. Kakashi was gaining an edge by predicting all of Zabuza's moves with his Sharingan.

The next thing everyone knew, Zabuza had sharpened wooden needles piercing his throat as he fell to the ground, dead. That was when everyone saw the Hunter-nin, whom said politely "I apologies for taking your kill, sir. But, I needed him dead." Kakashi quickly checked to see if Zabuza had a pulse, he didn't. The Demon of the Hidden Mist was dead.

The Hunter-nin politely bowed and said "Thank you very much. I have been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time." Naruto was looking back and forth between the corps and the Hunter-nin, before finally shouting "WHAT THE HELL?! WHO ARE YOU?!" Kakashi started walking towards his team and said to the blond "Don't worry Naruto-chan, he's no enemy." Before Naruto could argue, Kakashi patted his head and said "I know how you feel, Naruto-chan, but it's true. That there's someone younger than you, but stronger than me." Naruto was actually quiet for a bit. 'There's no way in hell that this Hunter-nin's stronger than Itachi-nii,' Sasuke thought, keeping his narrowed eyes on the new arrival.

The Hunter-nin disappeared and then re-appeared next to the corp. He said something about having to dispose of the body and vanished with the corp that was twice his size with a farewell.

Kakashi covered his Sharingan with his headband and said "All right, let's take Tazuna-san home." The bridge builder was happy and thankful, and offered the ninjas to rest at his home for a bit before heading back to their village. Suddenly, the Jōnin fell to the ground. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!" all three Genins shouted in unison. "I... Guess... I used the... Sharingan too much..." Kakashi muttered wirily, his body couldn't even twitch.

}i{ }i{ Back in Konohagakure }i{ }i{

Lee was doing push-ups in a forestry area of the village. His goal was 500 push-ups in a row. Sweat was rolling down his brow, he only needed five more. He needed to be stronger.

Four more left.

He had to prove to Neji that he was his Soulmate.

Three more.

Prove to everyone that he was not weak.

Two more.

Prove that he was a Taijutsu master.

One more.

Prove to the Hyūgas that he was perfect for Neji, to be by his side through thick and thin.

500 push-ups completed.

Lee was panting as big drops of sweat fell off his face. He collapsed on the ground. He rolled to his back to look up at the blue sky. The clouds were really white and puffy today. 'Neji doesn't seem to really trust the team all to much... I wonder why?' Lee thought, panting out a couple of breaths. The young Taijutsu master knew SOMETHING was preventing Neji from trusting others, it showed during the trust exercises.

Lee sighed. He knew getting Neji to acknowledge him would be a challenge in of itself, but he didn't know it would be THAT challenging. Lee closed his eyes, remembering the gentle smile Neji gave him in his Soulmate Dream. Lee opened his eyes to stare at the sky and thought 'Yes, it would be completely worth it.' And he knows that Neji will appreciate it too.

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna somehow managed to carry Kakashi to Tazuna's daughter's house, she said her name was Tsunami. She was glad that her father was alright and that the ninjas who helped were okay too. Kakashi said that he'll be fine in a day or two to help the village with the nightmare plague. He explained that Dream Empaths recover twice as fast as a normal ninja.

"Kakashi-sensei, how did you get that Sharingan?" Sasuke asked his sensei seriously, both Sakura and Naruto where egger to know as well. Kakashi sighed and said "I knew this would happen when I had to use it... I'll explain it all when we return to Konohagakure..." "But Kakashi!" Naruto started, but Kakashi interrupted by saying "Please." Everyone was quiet yet again. The Jōnin finished explained "I have a job as a Dream Empath to help the village with the nightmares and I need to have a clear mind when I do. Remembering that particular memory... Will... Not keep my mind clear. So please, wait until we finish this mission, then I'll tell you everything..." things where quiet for a while before Sasuke asked "Can you at least say if you treasure that eye?" Sakura noted that that was a odd question to ask. Kakashi quietly said "Yes, I do... That's all I can say until we finish the mission." That was when he finally lost consciousness.

After another moment of silence, Tsunami asked if the Genins wanted anything to drink.

}i{ }i{ Meanwhile }i{ }i{

The Hunter-nin took Zabuza's corps to an unknown location. Before the hunter could do anything, the corps came back to life and pulled one of the needles out of his throat. "Oh! Be careful or you really will die," the Hunter-nin said as Zabuza took the second needle out. The Missing-nin asked the Hunter-nin how long he was going to wear that mask. "Hehe, sorry, but it reminds me of the good days and it was useful," the fake hunter-nin said as he removed the mask. He was no older than Naruto.

The fake hunter then said "If I hadn't saved you, you definitely would have been killed." Zabuza spat out some blood and said "If you were going to put me into a Momentary Death, you didn't have to use my neck. You could have aimed for a safer acupuncture point. You're annoying as always, Haku." The fake hunter, Haku, chuckled and said "You're right!" then added "I just didn't want to scar your beautiful body... And the neck doesn't have much muscle. It's easier to hit the acupuncture points there. You shouldn't be able to move much for about a week though. But, you might be able to move pretty soon." Zabuza sighed and said "You can be so pure and clever... That's what I like about you." A mischievous gleam appeared in Haku's eyes when he said "Pure, me?" then he rubbed himself against Zabuza's leg.

"Oh, Kami! What where you thinking about to get that hard!" Zabuza said as soon as he felt what was under Haku's clothing. How on earth did he, or anyone else in this case, NOT notice THAT. Haku smiled and said "It wasn't something I was thinking of. Watching you fight that ninja really turned me on." Zabuza sighed and said "You're only unbearable when you get like this. Fine, find something to use as lubricant." Haku pulled a small bottle from his pocket, showed it to Zabuza, and said with a smile "Already have some ^^." 'Does he really carry that around with him?' Zabuza thought with a sweatdrop.

}i{ }i{ Back with Team 7 }i{ }i{

Kakashi's eyes immediately shot open, scaring the living daylights out of Sakura and Naruto. The two were trying to find out what was under that mask their sensei was wearing. Kakashi sat up sluggishly and put a hand on his covered face.

"Crap, I just realized something. Something important..." Kakashi said in a serious tone. "What is it?" Naruto asked. "Hunter-nins usually dispose of the body of the person they killed right there." All three Genins were confused. Kakashi continued "How'd that Hunter-nin dispose of Zabuza's body?" Sakura shrugged and said "How could we know? The masked boy took his body with him." "Yeah... If he needed proof of his work, he could have just taken the head. And the weapon that he used to kill Zabuza..." Kakashi stated firmly. 'The needles...' Sasuke thought, then it hit him like a ton of bricks and he said "No way." Kakashi nodded. Tazuna asked what they were talking about. Kakashi answered by saying that Zabuza was still alive.

Everyone was in utter shock by those words.

}i{ }i{ In That Unknown Location }i{ }i{

"Ah!" Zabuza groaned out as Haku added another finger. The Missing-nin was on his knees, his slacks were hanging on a nearby branch, he was using his knees, elbows, and arms for support, his forehead was resting on his left arm, and his ass was in the air. Haku was moving his lubricated fingers in and out of Zabuza's anus. The fake Hunter-nin was using his other hand to rub the lube on his dick. 'He's...Ah!... A little... Ah!...Too good at this,' Zabuza thought, shaking in pleasure.

The Missing-nin suddenly gasped. "Oh~ Looks like I found that magic spot~" Haku said happily. "Haku, what did I tell you about saying stuff like that when we're doing this," Zabuza tried to say sternly, but Haku's ministrations were making it very hard to do so. "Sorry~" Haku didn't sound all too sorry.

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!" Naruto excamed, and Sakura shouted "KAKASHI-SENSEI, YOU CHECKED AND SAID HE WAS DEAD!" Calmly, Kakashi said "Yeah I did. But most that was most likely, just a Momentary Death." The Jōnin continued to explain "The needle that the Hunter-nin used... Unless it hits a vital organ, it has a low probability of killing your opponent. It's even an item used by doctors in acupuncture therapy. I'm sure his goal wasn't to kill Zabuza, but to save him."

}i{ }i{ In That Unknown Location }i{ }i{

Zabuza gasped as Haku entered him. 'Damn... He's still too big for his age... No matter how many times we do this,' The Missing-nin thought trying to adjust to the appendage inside him then thought 'But it's still feels good.' Haku slowly sank into the older ninja. He knew he lubricated himself well enough and stretched the older ninja, but it was still a tight fit. 'Ah~ Zabuza-sama feels soooo good and warm~' Haku thought blissfully, sinking himself into Zabuza to the hilt.

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

Kakashi explained that a person who is put into a Momentary Death will be unable to move for a week or so until their body returned to normal. "So... You'll be in fighting shape before Zabuza..." Sakura said. Kakashi nodded and said "I will be, but I'm not sure if he knows that I am a Dream Empath, or that I have a mission to help with the nightmares here, or even if that Gatō knows about me being here." Sasuke folded his arms and said "If Gatō does know... Then our mission just became a bit more complicated. The guy's not the most honest person in the world, not to mention people like him would just love to have a living treasure, like a Dream Empath." Tazuna lowered his eyes to the ground and said "If Gatō is going to after you Kakashi-sensei, then..." Tsunami added "Our village will continue to suffer form the nightmares... Just like that monster wants..."

}i{ }i{ In That Unknown Location }i{ }i{

Haku flipped Zabuza onto his back before he continued to thrust into the older nin. The younger ninja was able to reach deeper into the Missing-nin in this position. Zabuza kept his arms above his head, preventing his head from hitting the tree. Haku love this position the most, being able to see the older ninja like this, willingly letting him have control like this, it just added to the younger ninja's pleasure.

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

"Mom, Grandpa..." asked a young boy, half the age of the Genins, with short spiky black hair, black eyes, and was wearing a white shirt and green overalls. Tsunami quickly looked towards the front door and said "Oh, Inarī, your back." Tazuna said hi to his grandson. Inarī spotted the ninjas out of the corner of his eyes and asked who they are. Tsunami happily said "These are the people who helped your grandpa get home safely, and the silver-haired man is the Dream Empath who's going to help us with the all of those horrible nightmares." The boy's eyes lit up and raced up to Kakashi asking him if he really was a Dream Empath. With a tired smiling eye, Kakashi said "I am. But, I sorry to say that right now I cannot help anyone. I need to rest a bit longer, to regain some of my chakra." the Genins could tell that Kakashi WAS doing his best to stay conscious.

"But, even in this state, I can tell that you're plagued by the nightmares," Kakashi added before laying back down on the futon. Tsunami told everyone that Kakashi was right, Inarī unwillingly agreed. Kakashi continued "And I can also tell that the nightmare isn't natural. Which means I can assume that Gatō has a couple of Nightmare Radios (1) scattered around the village." Tazuna was shocked by that and said "Come to think of it... Gatō's goons have been killing anyone who get close to certain places, even if they get close by accident. They even killed a four-year-old kid who was just following a butterfly and unwittingly got too close to one of those location." While being completely disgusted with this Gatō guy, Sakura was completely impress with Kakashi's deduction as she said "Wow Kakashi-sensei, you MUST really be a really strong Dream Empath if you can sense what kind of nightmare someone's having without even going into their Dream Plain." Kakashi said nothing, apparently he fell back to sleep. It didn't seem like he was going to wake up anytime soon.

"Whether Gatō or Zabuza are aware of Kakashi-sensei's abilities or not, we still need to be on our guard to protect him when he's working," Sasuke said seriously. Naruto and Sakura nodded. "We were chosen specifically to double as Kakashi's guards. So there's no way any of us are going to let him or our village down," Naruto stated both proudly and seriously.

}i{ }i{ In That Unknown Location }i{ }i{

The two ninjas where in their own world of pleasure. Haku was really thrusting into Zabuza. The older ninja's penis was leaking pre-cum, and those droplets where flying all over his body because of the momentum of the younger ninja. "Zabuza..." Haku gasped out. "Yeah, I'm close too," Zabuza said in a haze of pleasure.

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

Sasuke turned away from the blond and said coldly "Long as you don't run that mouth of yours, then things'll be fine." Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it almost immediately. He knew what the Uchiha meant. Sasuke was actually surprised that Naruto didn't snap back. Sakura quickly pipped in by saying "Come on guys, remember what sensei said about that? Until the mission is over, don't fight each other." The two knew she had a point.

}i{ }i{ In That Unknown Location }i{ }i{

Zabuza was laying on the ground, unconscious, panting, and covered in his own semen. Haku slowly and gently pulled out of the older ninja. A big glob of the younger ninja's semen leaked out of the older ninja's anus. Haku took a minute to get down from his high, taking in the sight of Zabuza, and he said "I better clean him up and get him to base."

}i{ }i{ With Team 7 }i{ }i{

Sasuke stood up and said that he was going to summon a messenger bird to send to the Hokage, explaining the circumstances of the mission had change. "Do you think dad'll send another team to help?" Naruto asked the Uchiha. "I certainly hope so... I'm not sure if the three of us can handle all of Gatō's goons and destroy the Nightmare Radios," Sasuke said looking through his bag to find the summon scroll. "What about Zabuza and that fake hunter?" Sakura asked. "Kakashi-sensei'll deal with Zabuza... I'll handle that fake hunter," Sasuke said as he pulled out the scroll. "What makes you think you can handle that kid?" Naruto said suspiciously. As Sasuke stood up to leave the house, he said "Do YOU really think you can defeat him?" then he walked out. Naruto looked at the floor. 'Could I?' Naruto thought to himself. Sakura didn't say anything, but she needed to do something. So, after a minute, she got up to follow Sasuke. Naruto didn't really feel like stopping her.

}i{ }i{ Sasuke POV }i{ }i{

I wrote the letter to the Hokage on the scroll and then summoned the messanger bird. "Go straight to Konohagakure and give the message to Hokage-sama," I ordered the bird, whom nodded and then flew off.

"How long are you going to stay mad at Naruto? It's obvious that he already feels horrible about what he said," asked an all too familiar voice to me. "I'm... Not sure..." was all I can answer. "Sasuke, I know he messed up, but he's obviously trying to make it up to you. Maybe, just acknowledge that he IS trying, just a little bit," my DDVS told me. "I... Can try... But, I'm still not sure if I can ever forgive him," I said looking at the ground. I felt my DDVS's arms wrap around me and said "I'm sure he'll think of something to do to mend the bridge between you. After all, when does he ever give up?" I can think of one thing. "True, but did he give up because they kept pushing him away or because he saw nothing he could do?" My DDVS asked me, knowing full well what I was thinking. Damn, it was a really good point.

}i{ }i{ Normal POV }i{ }i{

Sakura was just around the corner from where Sasuke was. "I'm... Not sure..." She could hear the Uchiha say. 'Huh?' Sakura thought. Was Sasuke doubting his own abilities? "I... Can try... But, I'm still not sure if I can ever forgive him." Sasuke said. 'Is he talking to someone?' Sakura thought as she peered around the corner, making sure he couldn't see her. But only Sasuke was there, no one else. 'Was he talking to himself?' was all Sakura could think. Sasuke gave a semi-smirk and said "Why is it you always have to make a point?" From what Sakura could see, it did look like he was talking to someone. "I do have to wonder if the real you is like this," Sasuke said with a smile.

Now it HIT her like a truck. 'Oh Kami... He's... Having a conversation with a DayDream Vision of his Soulmate!' Sakura thought with a look of utter shock on her face. Now with a sullen look on her face, she thought 'So that means... He's already had his Soulmate Dreams... And I'm not his Soulmate...' Tenten was right... All she had WAS a crush on the Uchiha, and by the way he was talking... His Soulmate was not in Iruka-sensei's class. So that meant... No one in Sakura's class was his Soulmate! No one... Now Tenten's words, that Sakura brushed off, WERE indeed the truth. It hurt more than Sakura could have ever imagine...

Sakura decided it be best to leave Sasuke alone, and left.

}i{ }i{ 48 Hours Later }i{ }i{

Over the next two days, Team 7 kept a low profile. They wore disguises when they left Tsunami's house, and they kept close to Inarī, so they didn't get lost. Kakashi was unable to go into the main areas of the village because of the Nightmare Radio frequencies. Those two days where not wasted, the three Genins found out where all of the Nightmare Radios where and marked them on a map and wrote how many of Gatō's goons where guarding them, and Kakashi kept an eye on the bridge Tazuna was building.

One thing the three couldn't help but notice was how the all villagers where acting. Some were very grouchy, some were acting like they could fall asleep at any moment, and some were jumping at every little thing. Considering that there are Nightmare Radios in the village, it made sense, but still... Who would willingly make people suffer like this?

Another thing was how the village looked. All the stores the Genins saw barley had any merchandise and most of the villagers were stealing from one another. Sakura decked a so-called pickpocket who missed her bag and touched her butt. 'She's certainly has a strong punch,' Naruto and Sasuke thought at the same time.

Guess they REALLY NEEDED the bridge.

}i{ }i{

When the Genins and the child entered Tsunami's house, Sakura asked Inarī "Has the village been like that since Gatō came?" Inarī, nodded and said "That monster also killed people who stood up against him as an "example"... He killed the person... Who was like a father to me..." Inarī looked at the ground. Sasuke placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. The Uchiha knew how he felt and said "Don't worry, we WILL make sure that Gatō pays for the pain that he put you and the village through."

"Aww, didn't know you had a soft spot of kids Sasuke-kun," said a very familiar voice to the Genins. All three turned to the voice, it was Inuzaka Kiba! Just over the dog-nin's shoulder was the rest of Team 8. "Sorry for the intrusion," Kurenai said to Inarī, then added "Hokage-sama got your letter Sasuke-kun and sent my team because we just happened to have finished a mission roughly two villages away from here." Akamaru sniffed Inarī, who was happy there was a big dog in front of him.

}i{ }i{

An hour after Team 8 arrived, and explaining why they were here to Tsunami and Tazuna, all of the Genins (minus Sasuke and Hinata, whom were currently guarding Kakashi) split into teams to destroy the Nightmare Radios. Kakashi asked Inarī and Tsunami to descretly bring the people who were suffering the most from the Nightmare Radios into an abandoned storage unit for him to help. That place out of the accursed devices' range, so Kakashi could work in peace. Kurenai was guarding Tazuna as he continued to work on the bridge.

}i{ }i{ About 30 Minutes After Team 7 & 8 Left the House, Unknown Hideout Location }i{ }i{

Haku was not in a good mood right now. Why? Gatō tried to touch Zabuza, whom was laying in a bed because of the side-effect of the Momentary Death. Haku merely bruised the bones in his right arm and scared the two guards that was with Gatō bad enough that they nearly wetted themselves. The evil tycoon warned Zabuza that if he failed again, he'd be sorry.

"GATŌ-SAMA!" shouted another one of Gatō's goons shouted as he raced into the hideout. The goon quickly whispered something into the tyrant's ear. "WHAT?! All of them?!" Gatō asked his underling, whom nodded. The tyrant growled and stormed out with his minions. Leaving the two ninjas alone.

"That was unnecessary Haku," Zabuza stated plainly, he had a kuni knife under the blanket with him, for such occasion. "I know," Haku said then added "But, I couldn't let him touch you. I'm the only one who can." Zabuza pulled a hand out from under the blanket and said "If it's not a fight, then yes, you're the only one who can." and placed that hand on Haku's cheek. The teen smiled and put a hand on top of Zabuza's. "We need that guy alive for now," the Missing-nin said stroking the younger's cheek and added "Just put up with him for now until we're done. We don't want to attract THEIR attention." Haku nodded.

"Zabuza-sama, what's a Nightmare Radio?" Haku asked suddenly. Zabuza pulled his hand away and asked "Why do you want to know? And where did you hear that?" Haku explained that he heard the goon that ran in told Gatō that all the Nightmare Radios in the village were destroyed. "Why would Gatō need to use those? Nightmare Radios simply give people nasty, continuous dreams," Zabuza said pulling his hand back under the blanket. "The villagers are already scared him... Why beat the dead horse, so to speak?" Haku asked the older ninja, whom simply said he wasn't too sure.

}i{ }i{ About an Hour Later, With Sakura and Shino }i{ }i{

"Ano... Shino... Can I ask you something?" Sakura asked as the two walked down a semi-busy street. "You just did," Shino said in a monotone voice. Sakura glared at him and said "Don't be a smart-ass." Shino sighed and said "Fine. What's the question?" Sakura took a deep breath and said "How did you feel when you finished your Soulmate Dreams and realized that Kiba was your Soulmate?" Shino was quiet for a long 30 seconds before saying "Why? Did you complete your Soulmate Dreams and is Ino your Soulmate?" Sakura immediately shouted no and that's not why she was asking. "Then I can assume that you found out that Sasuke completed his Soulmate Dreams and realized that you're not his Soulmate." Sakura was stunned she said "How'd you know?" Shino simply said "I have a very acute sense of observation, so it not too hard for me to figure out what people are thinking." Sakura muttered "No wonder you hardly say anything." then she realized something and asked "Is that how you knew that Sasuke-kun completed his Soulmate Dreams?" Shino nodded and explained "Over the years I learnt that people act a certain ways after they complete their Soulmate Dreams and they also act certain ways around their Soulmates immediately afterwards, Sasuke was no exception. No matter how good of an actor he may be. I surmised that his Soulmate was no one in our class, or the school in this case, because of those behaviors, or a lack thereof." Sakura had to know "So why didn't you say anything?" Shino quickly and calmly answered "It's none of my business and I respect Sasuke enough to not be all nosy about it. He'll say something when he wishes." 'That's a little too simple... But he is right,' Sakura thought quietly.

"You remember what Hatake-san said about Soulmates?" Shino suddenly asked. Sakura nodded "Yeah, that a Soulmate is some one who you need and who need you..." Shino nodded and said "Kiba and I need each other, that is why we are Soulmates." "But... Why do you NEED each other? I mean... You two hardly seem compatible..." was all Sakura could ask. She had to know who could need Sasuke and who could he need? Shino smiled, actually smiled. Sakura NEVER saw the bug-nin smile before. "That is for the Soulmates to find out for themselves," Shino said happily as he walked ahead of the now confused kunoichi. "But I can tell you this Sakura," Shino said turning towards the pink-haired teen, whom looked at him with curious green eyes, and with that smile still on his face added "Despite our obvious difference, neither of us would change a thing about ourselves. It's one of the reasons why we love each other so much."

Now Sakura's eyes were now filled with amazement.

}i{ }i{ With Sasuke, Hinata, Kakashi at the Same Time }i{ }i{

Kakashi opened his visible eye and removed a hand from the person's head in front of him. That person felt soooooo much better and happily thanked the Jōnin. "Kakashi-sensei, don't push yourself too much," Hinata said in a worried tone. "I know... But now that the Nightmare Radios are gone, the villagers should be having regular dreams when they fall asleep next time," Kakashi said stretching, he was a bit stiff from sitting for a few hours, and said "So my job's almost done here." Inarī happily said that Kakashi was sooooooo cool. "You should really thank the Genins, I couldn't have done this without them," Kakashi said with a smiling eye. "Why?" Inarī asked. Sasuke explained that Dream Empaths can't get near or do their job around Nightmare Radios, so the other Genins had to destroy the devices for Kakashi. Now Inarī was amazed. Tsunami had to take her son shopping, so the two left, with the boy happily thanking the ninjas.

Kakashi suddenly placed a hand on the top of Hinata's head and said "Hiashi-kun told me that putting you and Neji on different teams because it was for your own good." Hinata and Sasuke's eyes went wide and both asked how'd he knew. "Well, I was there when we were organizing the teams," Kakashi said still with that smiling eye, then added sullenly "I know what happened to you three in the past, but you have to put it behind you and learn to trust those outside your families."

Both Sasuke and Hinata glanced at the floor. Kakashi patted the Hyūga on the head and said "Trust is important, for you, Sasuke, and Neji. You'll learn in time that it was the right decision." "That's... Easier said then done, sensei..." Hinata said with her eyes still towards the ground. "I know, I've been there," Kakashi said motioning the two to follow him.

'What did he mean by that?' both Hinata and Sasuke thought at the same time as they followed the Dream Empath.

}i{ }i{ With Naruto and Kiba at the Same Time in a Forestry Area (Akamaru's guarding Tsunami's home btw) }i{ }i{

"Oi, Naruto, did you and Sasuke get into some kind of argument or something?" Kiba suddenly asked the blond. Naruto froze. Kiba took that as a yes and asked what he did. Naruto got defensive by saying "What make you think I started it?" Kiba sighed and said "You really think Sasuke would START an argument? Beside, you're normally the first one to say something without thinking about it." Naruto's eyes went to the ground and said softly "You got that right..." then he said louder for Kiba to hear "I... Said... Something really stupid." The dog-nin stated that that wasn't much of a surprise, but Naruto stated "Not that kind of stupid..." Kiba then asked "What kind of stupid we talking?" "The kind that might get someone killed..." was all Naruto answered. Kiba's eyes went wide and he said in a really surprised tone "What? Really? What the hell did you say?" Naruto didn't answer for once. Kiba placed a hand on the blond's shoulders and said "I guess this means that you're going to start thinking before you say anything. I hope Sasuke will eventually forgives you for whatever you said." "Same here..." was all Naruto said.

"If you really didn't mean whatever you said to him, he'll forgive you," said a voice that neither of the ninjas recognized. The two Genins turned to see a young girl, around a year younger then Naruto with long black hair, big black eyes, a yellowish pink kimono, and a small basket full of herbs. "Considering what I said... I don't think he'll forgive me anytime soon..." Naruto said staring at the girl before him, thinking she was really cute. Kiba narrowed his eyes at the girl. She tilted her head to the side a bit and said "It was really that bad, huh." Naruto nodded. The girl smiled and said "I'm sure your Soulmate will eventually forgive you." Naruto turned red, immediately shook his head vigorously, held up his hands, and shouted "NO, NO, NO, SASUKE'S SOOOOOOO NOT MY SOULMATE! HE'S JUST MY TEAMMATE!" Kiba stated that those two aren't even friends. The girl quickly apologized and said "I didn't know, goodness, I probably made things a bit awkward for you." "Why'd you even assume that Naruto was arguing with his Soulmate? He's 14," Kiba asked suspiciously. Now the girl's cheeks were pink when she said "Oh, I'm sorry... You looked 15, and I assumed... Oh my, I am sooooo sorry."

Naruto said that it was fine and that he was really looking forward to having his Soulmate Dreams, then commented "Kiba here already had his and is with his Soulmate." "You didn't need to say that," Kiba said sourly, but Naruto commented that they were on the topic of Soulmates. "Are you happy with your Soulmate?" the girl suddenly asked Kiba. The dog-nin stated plainly "Of coarse I am, I love my Soulmate." The girl smiled and said "I know how you feel. My Soulmate and I are really happy together. I would do anything for my Soulmate." Kiba nodded and said "So would I. I guess you can say that my Soulmate is my strength." She said with that soft smile "I agree, when a person has someone they love, that is when they are at their strongest." Both ninjas were moved by this.

When the girl realized what time it was, she left the two ninjas, waving good-bye. "She was really pretty," Naruto said dreamily and added "I hope my Soulmate's a cute as her." Kiba sighed and said "Yeah, he is pretty, but I still prefer my cute'n cuddly Shino."

Hold on...

Naruto suddenly shouted "WAIT! HE'S A BOY?!" Kiba simply said yup and added that his nose never lies, he could smell the boy's sent clearly. Naruto wasn't sure what to say at the moment. 'The world is certainly weird,' Naruto thought as they headed back to base.

}i{ }i{ The Next Day }i{ }i{

Gatō was lounging on a expensive couch and talking to Zabuza over a walky-talky like device telling him to ambush all of the bridge-builders tommorow. "Yeah, yeah. I heard ya the first time. There's no reason to repeat every order," Zabuza said sourly over the device. Gatō growled and shouted at the Missing-nin to just follow the orders or he won't pay him, and tossed the device across the room.

"Gatō-sama..." one of Gatō's minions said nervously. Gatō glared at the goon and stated "What?" "Ano... Th-there's a-a... Ano... W-we h-have re-re-reports th-that a-a D-Dream Empath in th-the v-village," the goon stated nervously. "A Dream Empath, here!" Gatō's mood went a complete 180, when the goon nodded. Now Gatō was grinning like the devil himself.

}i{ }i{ At Zabuza and Haku's Hideout }i{ }i{

As soon as Zabuza turned off the communication device, he gasped in pleasure.

Haku smiled softly. Both were in bed, naked, when that tycoon tyrant called them. Haku was fingering the older ninja when it happened. 'Annoying pest,' the teen thought when Zabuza talked to Gatō. They were just getting to the good part.

So as soon as Zabuza was was done talking to that tyrant, Haku went back to were they left off.

"You're unusually eager today," Zabuza gasped out. Haku smiled and said, as if he wasn't currently thrusting his fingers in and out of the older ninja, "Well, we are celebrating your recovery from the Momentary Death ^^" Zabuza chuckled as Haku pressed his lips to his neck and said "Then let's not "celebrate" too much. I have to fight against Kakashi, remember?" Haku replied that he remembered as he pulled his fingers out of the older ninja.

Suddenly, Zabuza pushed Haku to the bed and sat on his waist, the lubricant inside the older ninja slowly leaked out onto the younger ninja's skin. "How's about we try a new position for this celebration," Zabuza suggested seductively. Haku smiled again and ask innocently "A new position, huh? Is it a good one?" Zabuza smirked a bit as he reached behind him to softly grip Haku's harden penis, the older ninja lifted himself of the younger ninja and positioned himself over the organ. Zabuza lowered himself onto Haku's member, using his own hand to steady the other's penis as he did so. The younger ninja couldn't help but be amazed at this, being able to see his member being engulfed by the older ninja's anus like this.

When Zabuza took in Haku's penis completely, he sat there for a bit, trying to adjust to having the member that deep inside him. "En... Enjoying the view?" Zabuza panted out with a smirk, seeing how Haku was looking at him. Haku rand a hand up Zabuza's leg and said "A lot. This is certainly a good way to celebrate." The Missing-nin lifted himself up and then lowered himself, setting a slow rhythm. "Don't push yourself too much ^^, you said you're fighting that ninja with the Sharingan, remember ^^," Haku said with a smile. Zabuza grunted and said "Why'd you think I'm going slow."

So, the two continued their "Celebrating".

}i{ }i{ At Tsunami's House That Night }i{ }i{ .

"Okay, who's taking the first watch?" Kurenai asked as she walked in the room. Naruto immediately volunteered. "Just make sure you keep the noise down," Sasuke stated to the blond as he leaned against the wall with Hinata. Naruto quickly stated "The only noise I'm going to make is the sound of victory." Hinata said whatever and left the room with Sasuke.

"Eash, what's her problem? I know Naruto can be annoying, but still," Sakura said as soon as the two left. The blond commented that he was still in the room. "Hinata's probably still suffering from separation anxiety," Shino said softly. "Huh? Why would she have separation anxiety?" Naruto asked the bug-nin. "Think about it. Have either of you ever seen Hinata and Neji apart from one another?" Shino said as he snugged in Kiba's arms. "Come to think of it... I don't think I EVER seen the two that far from each other. I been thinking that Neji's probably right around the corner ever since you guys got here," Sakura said, now realizing what the bug-ninja said. Naruto couldn't help but think 'No wonder she's been staying near Sasuke the entire time she's been here... She's not use to Neji not being around, and Sasuke's her friend... But... Why doesn't she or her cousin trust anyone?' Naruto folded his arms as the other ninjas went to sleep.

Naruto then muttered to himself "Maybe I should try again... With trying to be their friend... I think I can get them to open up... I mean... The Hyūgas are good people." 'I know I can be their friend if they let me...' Naruto thought as he glanced out the window, looking up at the crescent moon. 'It feels like... They really need some friends they can trust,' the blond's blue eyes softened. "Yeah... I'll start when we get back to Konohagakure. Now's not a good time," Naruto muttered as he moved to the roof of the house.

}i{ }i{

1) Nightmare Radios are man-made devices that causes people to have continuous nightmares. These are illegal to use, for obvious reasons, but that doesn't really stop people from using them. Dream Empaths CANNOT get within striking distance of a Nightmare Radio because they can sense the signals and it gives them painful migraines as long as they are within that close proximity. There have been some cases where the Dream Empath goes mad because of the Nightmare Radios, but Team 7 doesn't have to worry about their sensei going mad, he's too strong willed.

}i{ }i{

ZY: If you gotten this far, then thank you for reading. Next chapter will be the Battle on the Bridge. Comments would be nice and it's a great way to ask me questions.