Chapter 5- A Mission on Waves

Disclaimer: Still applies

[Mission Assignment Room, The Academy, Konohagakure]

Current Time...

Naruto and his team had been completing numerous D-rank missions, all of which felt like a waste of time and, to both Naruto and Sasuke, a waste of their skills. In Naruto's case most- no forget that- ALL of these missions didn't even require the use of his Zanpakuto. Naruto was dying to get some action and, after going on a mission to retrieve Tora, the pet cat of the Fire Daimyo's wife, for the tenth time, he almost used his Zanpakuto on the feline in his frustration, having deciding that he would just put the cat out of its misery and to get it out of his hair, so to speak. Kakashi managed to talk Naruto down, thankfully, after he promised that they wouldn't do this mission again. Naruto wasn't too happy in sparing the cats life but as long as he didn't have to deal with this cat ever again he was satisfied. Upon returning Tora, the Daimyo's wife crushed it with a hug and paid the Hokage before she left; Naruto now felt a little sorry for the annoying feline. As the Daimyo's wife left the room, Naruto decided to voice his frustration.

"Old man, this pile of crap that you call "missions" is not what I thought I was going to be doing when I graduated," Naruto said as he crossed his arms.

"I understand that these aren't the most ideal missions, but they are essential to the village's financial survival," Sandaime said as he got a frustrated sigh from Naruto and his teammates, as they were also tired of getting these chores.

"Can't you gave me a mission that might force me to put my some of my training to use?" Naruto asked. Naruto was getting a little edgy over the fact that he had not been able to use what he had learned during his training in Las Noches outside of practice sessions with the rest of his team and he couldn't even use full power even then after nearly, and accidently, killing an unsuspecting genin team when he demonstrated his Gran Rey Cero to his team.

"Well... there is this one C-ranked mission that we have here. A bridge builder from Land of Waves needs a team to escort him back home so that he can finish a bridge," Sandaime said as he looked over the mission description.

"Sounds better than walking a dog or pulling out some old woman's weeds," Sasuke said; he, like Naruto, was also at his wits end with all the ridiculous missions.

"Okay then, bring out the client," Sandaime ordered as two chunin near the door of the room went to retrieve the builder.

The "builder" was an old man holding onto a bottle of alcohol and seemed to be little more than a drunk to Team 7; what he said next did little to improve Team 7's, or at least Sakura and Sasuke's, opinion of him.

"What is this? I pay you guys to give me top protection and you give me a cyclops, an emo-looking, duck-butt haired freak, and a pink haired monster with the largest forehead that I have ever seen," the bridge builder said, earning himself some ugly looks from Sasuke and Sakura while getting a snicker from Naruto.

"Got anything to comment on me?" Naruto asked; he just was dying to see what this guy could come up with for him.

"Nice outfit," the bridge builder said as he gave Naruto a thumbs up; Naruto chuckled at this, to which Sakura and Sasuke got even more steamed.

"Mr. Tazuna, you only had enough money for a low rank escort detail. Besides, you said bandits and highwaymen were the only people that might come after you on your way home so I think that you are in good hands," Sandaime explained while smiling at Tazuna, who just rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. The Sandaime's comments, and Tazuna's reaction to taht comment, caused multiple alarms to ring out in Naruto's mind.

"Why would he need "top" protection if he's only worried about a bunch of thugs? If he's hiding something, then this might just make things interesting," Naruto thought to himself before he decided not to voice his suspicions.

"Shall we go then, Mr. Tazuna?" Kakashi asked Tazuna who gave the Jonin a sigh before nodding.

Tazuna and his shinobi escort left the Konoha and headed out to the Land of Waves a few minutes later. On the way there Sasuke didn't say much, Sakura tried to get his attention, and Kakashi rolled his eyes at Sakura's advnces while Tazuna drank the rest of his drink. Naruto, on the other hand, was thinking the Espada and his Fracciones. He wondering how they doing and if he would ever see any the Espada again; he knew that, eventually, he would see his Fracciones since he could call for them to join him whenever he pleased, though there was no need for that just yet. His snapped out of these thoughts when he saw a puddle on the right side of the road. Naruto would not have considered that out of the ordinary... if it wasn't for the fact that it hasn't rained in these parts for well over a month. Naruto smirked st this as he walked past the puddle only to turn around sharply and, with his left hand, stabbed the puddle of water in the center. Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura looked at Naruto as if he was crazy until blood pooled out of puddle and two masked figures jumped out.

"Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that," Kakashi thought to himself as he brought out a kunai.

"You little brat! How'd you find out?" one of the masked guys asked as he brought out his clawed hand, which was chained to the clawed hand of his counterpart.

"Next time you should transform into anything except a puddle of water when it hasn't rained here in over a month," Naruto said as he unsheathed his Zanpakuto.

"So the kiddy has a sword. Let's see if you can actually use that thing," other assailant said as he and his partner charged at Naruto with their claws ready to strike.

"Sasuke, Sakura, protect the bridge builder," Kakashi said as went to give Naruto a hand.

Sasuke was a little reluctant to do that but had decided, wisely, not to get on Kakashi's bad side while Sakura, on the other hand, had no problem staying out of the fight. Naruto blocked one of the attackers while the other one tried to attack from behind only to be cut off by Kakashi and his kunai for his efforts. Naruto spun around and kicked the attacker to his rear over Kakashi's head. When the rear attacker was sent flying Kakashi cut the chain connecting the him to his partner. Naruto then took the one he kicked by the throat and slammed against the ground, knocking him out cold. With that assailant unconscious Naruto turned his attention to the other one, only to find that Kakashi had already tied him up to a tree after he had defeated him.

"You know I could have taken them both," Naruto said as he was a little disappointed that Kakashi had stepped in during the battle.

"I know, but where's the fun in letting my students do all the fighting?" Kakashi asked, rhetorically, as gave Naruto an eye smile.

"Anyways, why don't we find out who this guy is," Naruto said as looked at the bound masked man.

"These two are the Demon Brothers of Kiri. The one you took out is Meizu, and the one we have here is Gozu. They were both ninja from Kirigakure but had defected a while back. Now they're just a couple of missing-nins," Kakashi said; Naruto nodded in understanding before he began to question Gozu.

"So tell me for what reason would a couple of missing-nins like yourselves have to attack us?" Naruto asked as he got close to Gozu.

"We were assigned to kill the old man so he couldn't finish his bridge," Gozu said; Naruto frowned at him upon hearing this revelation.

"If that's the case, then who was it that sent you?" Naruto asked, to which Gozu scoffed at him.

"You're gonna run into him sooner than later, you little punk, and when that happens you and your team are as good as dead," Gozu said; the missing-nin let out an evil chuckle as Naruto just smirked.

"We'll see about that," Naruto calmly said before he knocked Gozu out with a hit to the head.

"Is there something you forgot to mention back in Konoha?" Kakashi asked while looking at Tazuna; everyone else proceded to do the same. Tazuna let out a sigh before he answered

"I guess there's no reason to keep hiding it from you anymore. A powerful businessman and criminal boss by the name of Gato has been oppressing both my village and country. Gato runs a shipping magnate which he also uses as a front for smuggling various kinds of contraband and has taken over the shipping lanes into my country, which is our only way of getting supplies in and out of our country. If I can complete my bridge it will open a different way of trading with different countries, and get us free from Gato's grip on our country since he can't take that over without drawing suspicion from the other nations. Gato knows this and he has been trying to keep me away from the Land of Waves by any means necessary. I could only get enough money to pay for a C-ranking mission, which is why I said that bandits and thieves were the only ones that might come after me. I know I tricked you but you have to understand that my village, and my country by extension, won't survive while Gato remains in power. I'm not asking you to stay with me. You can leave and end the mission right now if you wish," Tazuna said while Kakashi looked, first at him,and then at his genin team.

"What to do you guys think we should do?" Kakashi asked his team who were now in thought; Naruto was the first one to answer.

"I knew something was amiss. Well, I wanted action, and now I've got it. It also sounds like this guy and his country are in a real bind and I can just stand around and let innocent people suffer. I'm in!" Naruto said, getting a nod from Kakashi.

"Sure, it'll help me prove that I am an elite," Sasuke said getting an approving nod from Sakura.

" Oh brother," Naruto thought to himself, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"I guess it's settled then. We will protect you until the bridge is completed, Tazuna," Kakashi said, earning a smile from Tazuna.

"Thank you so much," Tazuna said as he kept walking with Team 7 to the Land of Waves.

[Zabuza's Hideout]

Meanwhile...

"The Demon Brothers failed you, Zabuza Momochi. I am paying you top dollar for your services and this is what I get in return?" Gato said before he was cut short by Zabuza, who pointed his Executioner's Blade at his employer's neck.

"Calm yourself, Gato. I see now that it was a mistake to send those two; I will deal with this matter…personally," Zabuza said as he smiled underneath his bandages.

Next Time - Demon of the Mist? Not so Much