A/N Yay, I have more time now!

I'm kinda just going with the flow right now. And I have no idea how this story will end, but we're at least halfway at this point...I think...

Maybe I'm rushing a little bit? But I can't help it. Personally I find it difficult to write alterations of canon (since deviating takes some amount of effort)

Oh well, here you go (also may have a couple spelling/grammatical errors here and there).

~ Chapter 24 - INTO THE MIST

"Have I changed too much?" Miyu carefully cleaned her sword, using the time to chat with her partner. The house itself was quiet; she had almost forgotten how lonely a home with no one in it was.

What defines too much? The fox asked, glaring at the metal blade. He greatly disliked the self-proclaimed Masamune, even if its spirit had only appeared on their first meeting.

"I wonder." She had a lot of things to consider. For one, Konoha was flourishing with Minato as Hokage, especially with him actively working to repair the broken relationships they had with other villages. It was considered one of the safest, most secure hidden village, most likely because of their overwhelming strength, having come out on top during the last war. But would this deter her enemies? Could she protect Sasuke from Orochimaru? Was Sasuke even his prime target anymore? "I have no way of knowing if their motives have changed."

Either way you can adapt, Kurama rumbled, I believe you will able to stop the snake. And if he were to get his way, there will be no defection. There is no need for it. He spoke truth; after all, the snake would find no vessel here, no one willing to become a slave for power. But this much you know. It is something else on your mind troubling you.

"You know me too well," She gave a small laugh, holding the sword up to the light, and searching for and chips in the blade, "How much of my life will Naruto be forced to go through? He has a loving family and the village treats him well. He's grown up with good morals, Kushina made sure not to spoil him, but I wonder if he understands what it is to be a ninja."

Ah… The demon sighed, padding over and resting his head on her lap.

"Sasuke was forced to learn the hard way, and I took away from him the pride backing the Uchiha name," It would be a lie if she said she regretted her actions, it was merely the consequences that left her unsatisfied, "He may not have seen it with his own eyes, but he understands death more than his other classmates."

What do you expect? They are growing up in a rare peace. For Miyu is was the proof of her efforts but the fact that they were shinobi meant that even with peace your life would still be in danger.

"Do you remember, when Neji came back from his C-rank a few weeks back Gai called me over to talk with him. You see, he finally picked up his first kill. He did it to protect a teammate, but apparently it put him a state of shock." As stoic and calm-headed the genius Hyuga was, apparently he found it difficult to come to terms with how fragile the human body was. "I think it's particularly bad for his as a taijutsu user. To kill your opponent with a single well placed strike you would have practiced with your friends earlier. He became afraid Gai told me. Apparently he refused to spar with anyone, especially Hinata."

I do recall you got injured during your 'talk' was that his doing? The fox questioned, remembering the echo of pain he had felt through their link.

"I merely reminded him that he was in control of his actions. If he didn't want to hurts his friends then he didn't have to. It's a simple fact." And she may or may not have purposely hurt herself to show him that people can recover, but that was a small side note. "If that was Neji, when I think of Naruto I can only worry. Surely you know what is about to happen?" He knew everything about her including the details of her memory. As such, as soon as Team 7 received their first C-rank, they knew it would only be trouble.

You could interfere. Make sure it ends how you want. And indeed she could, she had at least that much power. But then they will not learn.

"I don't even know if they'll meet." She sighed it was tiring to think about, "Will Naruto meet Haku in that field? Will he have a reason to go there? Will they talk and befriend one another? Or will Haku simply die protecting Zabuza. Dying together with no one to hear their story, it seems sad."

"I'll go." Miyu replied with a wry smile, she couldn't help it.

"Are you sure?" Hizashi asked as the both of them and a handful of other jounin stood in the Hokage's office.

"Yeah, I'm more than strong enough to act as back up," The blonde stated confidently, "I've also been meaning to take Kimi out of the village for a bit and now would be a good chance."

"Alright," Minato acknowledge her resolve, knowing she was more than able to take care of herself, "Do you remember the details of the mission?"

"Kakashi informed me before they left that they were escorting the bridge builder to the Land of Waves."

"Correct." The Hokage sighed tiredly wondering if he should have acted on his suspicions and instincts to avoid the whole mess, "Tazuna is lucky it was Kakashi's team I sent."

"Indeed. I'll prepare to leave straight away."

So you will go anyway? The fox's chuckle was loud in her mind despite the owner being far away. Am I to stick to our plan? She gave the equivalent of a mental nod, none of the shinobi around her ever noticing the mental conversation she was having. Good luck, she wished knowing that she wouldn't be seeing the demon for a long few weeks.

"This is the Land of Waves?" Kimimaro looked around warily, keeping himself alert and prepared.

"Relax, Kimi," His sensei called as she stretched her arms out, her semi-gloved hands stretching out from her rather long sleeves, "We won't run into any dangers, not here." She motioned around at the expanse of water they were simply walking across.

"Hai, sensei." His tense body lightened up ever so slightly, and Miyu assumed it was the best she would get from him.

"Over this way." When they stepped onto land she led him away from the worn path and instead into the forest, walking confidently between the tall trees. Her student didn't question a thing. He never did. Every time they had travelled in a foreign land she had never led him astray, leading the way as if she knew the place like the back of her hand. This time was no exception.

"Gah!" They heard a familiar shout along with loud splashing that scared away any bird lingering in the area.

"See they're right over here." The exited into a clearing with a large lake and three children trying their hardest to stand on its surface, much like the duo had accomplished on their way here.

"Welcome, Miyu." Kakashi called from across the clearing, leaning his back on a wide tree, a simple crutch sitting beside him.

"Nee-san?" As much as her little brother wanted to turn around, he couldn't afford to, not unless he wanted another freezing bath.

"What are you doing here, Oneechan? You brought Kimimaro with you to, is it a mission?" Naruto had no such problems as he was already neck deep in the lake water. It seemed Sakura was the only one remotely dry and even still, her legs were trembling.

"We're your back-up." She walked right up to him and flicked his forehead. The lake was big enough that the easiest way would be straight across, and her student demonstrated it beautifully. "Looks like Zabuza gave you a run for your money, Kakashi." The man gave an indignant grunt. He had been caught by surprise, and he was still the one who came out on top…even though both jounin had been incapacitated.

"If he didn't then he wouldn't be the Demon of the Mist." He said simply with a shrug, "It seems like everything will be decided in the next fight, so I'm trying to prepare them for it, but…"

"It'll be fine now. Kimi is more than enough to fight off Zabuza's little helper should he pose a problem, and Zabuza will not win against both of us." Miyu spoke confidently, reassuring the worried man.

"That makes me feel a little better," Kakashi sent her a loving look, "What would I do without you, ne?"

"Hah…" He let out a small sigh, his breath fogging in the morning chill. Despite the cold his body was warm through his practice, and fluid in its movements. After last night's scuffle Kakashi's students had sulkily returned to their rooms and their hosts had done the same. Despite its cosy appearance the home's atmosphere was stifling, especially when the topic of a child's dead father had come up. He sighed again and lowered his blade. He had never had the best upbringing so he found it hard to understand the boy's emotions. After all when his father and clan had been slaughtered in their arrogance, he had felt nothing. Maybe he could liken it to his own sensei dying, not that he would ever allow that to happen. A rustling in some nearby caught his attention and he quickly pulled his sword back, ready to strike like a startled snake. "Who's there? Come out now."

"Sorry for peeking," An androgynous boy in a pink kimono stepped out of the bush, small leaves scattered in his long black hair, "I came here to look for some plants but before I realised I was watching you…" He seemed to be trying his hardest to appear harmless, but the ninja remained sceptical. "I'm Haku," He greeted in an overly sweet voice, "Are you a shinobi?"

"Hai," He lowered his weapon, minding his manners but not leaving himself defenseless against the unknown. "Kimimaro," He introduced, "What kind of plants are you looking for?" He couldn't see and weapons hidden on the stranger and slowly sheathed his sword, confident he would not be caught unaware.

"Medicinal ones," Haku held out his basket, showing his collection of local remedies, "I'm sorry to have interrupted your training."

"It's fine…" A small silence drew out as they merely stared at one another, assessing the level of threat, "Allow me to help." Kimimaro recognized a few of the flowers and leaves, also remembering which ones he had spotted in the area.

"Ah, thank you," The feminine boy was taken aback but appreciated the help. His eyes held a certain sharpness about them that weren't unnoticed. "So, what is it like?" He asked curiously, "Being a shinobi that is."

"I-," Kimimaro seemed to hit a wall as he tried to reply, "I've never known what it was like to not be a ninja. It is normal." As odd as his reply was, Haku seemed to understand, maybe a bit too well.

"Do you…have someone important to you?" he questioned, immediately receiving a response.

"Yes," The swordsman searched for his gaze, those eyes were not the eyes of a civilian, "And so do you."

"It seems…someone can only become strong when they have something important to protect." The familiar words escaped his lips, and he wondered why exactly he was speaking to the Konoha shinobi.

"I understand that." How could he not after his sensei had drilled those words and meanings into him.

"Then you are strong."

"Welcome back Kimi." She had that knowing look in her eyes again, pausing her conversation with Tazuna to greet her wayward student, "How was your walk?"

"Interesting." He watched as his sensei and the old man rose and fell as Kakashi completed a set of push-ups with the both of them seated on his back.

"He was so cute when he was little," Miyu whined to the bridge builder, ignoring the fact that her student was standing right before her, "Why did he get so big so fast?"

"That's how kids are," Tazuna laughed heartily, "You look away for a second and they're off doing their own thing, getting married, having children, growing taller than you. By the time you're my age, you learn that's just how things are."

"Right now Sasuke and Naruto are the only ones that let me spoil them, but soon I'll only have my younger cousin left." She missed those days where she could drop by houses and play with the younger forms of her friends.

"Shouldn't you have your own child then?" A spluttering came from beneath them as Kakashi collapsed out of sheer embarrassment. "What's up with him?" Tazuna asked, noticing the slight tinge of red above the ninja's mask.

"Well…" Miyu was also a bit red. This wasn't the first time the conversation had turned on her like this.

"Sensei and Kakashi-san are dating." Kimimaro supplied monotonously.

"Really?" Tazuna looked between the two jounin disbelievingly and then down at the silver haired ninja he was sitting on, "You got yourself a good one."

"I know." Kakashi gave his patented eyes smile as he was helped up from the ground and dusted himself off.

"So… how long?" The old man asked in a gossipy tone.

"4 years." He replied instantly.

"That's quite a long time…4 years and you still don't have kids?" The bridge builder seemed genuinely amazed. He seemed to realize something and leant closer, whispering only for Kakashi to hear. "You two have, uh, done it right?"

"Of course." Miyu cut in, annoyed, "Kunoichi have several methods of avoiding pregnancy old man, our jobs don't really allow for children unless you're prepared to leave the roster for a couple of years, or permanently."

"It's exactly as she says." Kakashi confirmed, "A lot of Kunoichi rarely return to duty after having kids."

"But you do want kids, right?" For Tazuna it was difficult to understand the norms of ninja life so he chose to ask simple questions. The reply he got wasn't verbal but instead a look he was forced to read off their faces, and he was curious as to what it meant.

"Inari, I'll prove to you," Her counterpart stated, struggling to keep himself calm, "I'll prove to you that heroes do exist." This conversation had been going on since the start of their stay. Inari, Tazuna's grandson was as Miyu remembered during her past. And Naruto, despite his differing experiences, still shared the same values she had had. Sure, no one was running out of the house in frustration but the tension was still there.

"Why do you guys bother to try so hard? No matter how hard you train you're still no match for Gatou's men," Miyu leant back listening to the boy rant out his frustration, "No matter what glorius claims you make or how hard you work, when facing the strong, the weak will only end up getting killed!"

"Whatever kid…I'm not like you." Naruto replied, somewhat tiredly. Indeed his upbringing had been different, but he still harboured that sole, heavy secret and the emotions he would never show.

"I'd hate to be like you!" Inari retorted, tears running down his face as he shouted, "You don't know anything about this country yet you're being so nosy!"

"Yeah, yeah, you've been saying the same thing since we got here." Tazuna's daughter shook her head sadly. Her heart pained seeing her son like this. "I know enough-"

"You don't know anything…You're always clowning around, acting cheerful... you don't know how hard life can be!" Something seemed to snap at his words, not in Naruto though… no the boy was forcefully calm, instead it was in his friend beside him.

"Shut up." Sasuke's cold voice cut through their argument his dark eyes boring into the whiny child, "You're the one who's ignorant here. How exactly do you want us to act then?" This new turn of events seemed to surprise everyone at the table, scraps of dinner lying long forgotten, "You're a mere civilian, what could you know about being a shinobi? You simply do what you want, cry when you want, without even thinking of the consequences of your actions. Look how miserable you've made your family." As if to prove his point he directed Inari's attention to his heartbroken mother, "You don't like seeing people happy, you want everyone to be miserable just like you."

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura pulled on the boy's sleeve and he took a precious second to collect himself.

"You don't know the weight of a life, to protect one or to take one," He exhaled slowly but held his gaze firm, "The feeling of anxiety when the ones you care about are sent on dangerous missions, the helplessness. We devote ourselves to the village, shinobi are tools placed in the hands of their leaders, and at any time we could die a painful death." His hands trembled, either from fear or frustration, but the presence of his teammates beside him calmed him down greatly.

"I don't know if I have the right to say this, since I was originally a civilian as well," Sakura began slowly, deciding to speak up, "But while your life may not be the best, it certainly isn't the worst. Crying gets you nowhere, because if I was a villain I could care less about some kid crying in his home, so you might as well stop. Instead think about what you can do, for yourself and others. You dad was a hero and fought for what he believed, so don't tarnish his memory simply because he died for it. We're here to offer you our help, and I believe we're strong enough to defeat Gatou so is it that bad to put a little of your faith in us?" Miyu allowed herself to smile; these kids had grown up well.

"Long time no see, Kakashi." A hoarse, disembodied voice cut through the heavy mist, bringing about a certain pressure with it that promised pain and death, "I see you brought company. Traded out the blond brat for another, prettier version it seems."

"…I'm flattered." There was a slight pink tinge on her cheeks. Zabuza had made a big impression on her when they had first met…how could he have not? The curious thing was the shape of that impression. It just so happened that the so called Demon of the Mist had been her first, short-lived, love.

"Ahem!" Kakashi cleared his throat loudly, not exactly appreciating his lover's reaction, "I'm going to ask you one last time Zabuza, abandon this job and you're guaranteed your life."

"No can do Kakashi," The bandaged missing-nin replied, "Gatou's paying me big money to eliminate the bridge builder."

"You know he's not going to pay up." Miyu cut in, "So take the opportunity to leave and find your money elsewhere."

"I know the type of man Gatou is, and I know how to deal with him. If he tries to betray me, I'll just take more than what he owes, his life included," He slammed his cleaver of a sword down on the ground, cutting through the stone of the bridge, "Now cut the chit-chat, and fight me, Kakashi."

"I'll stay back and protect Tazuna with Sakura-chan," The older blonde stated, "I can tell you want to fight, Sasuke." She had no right to interfere, and she knew that Haku would not kill her younger brother, nor would she allow him to.

"Arigatou, onee-san." The young Uchiha was shaking with excitement; his blood was running hot through his veins. It was a shame they left Naruto behind that morning.

"Where's Kimimaro-san?" Sakura asked anxiously. Unlike her other teammates she was admittedly afraid, but she had enough resolve to stay and fight in the least.

"I sent him to protect the villagers, in case Gatou's men are prowling around." Miyu replied calmly. Around her she could hear the sound of steel as the fight began. To one side Kakashi and Zabuza fought with kunai strikes aimed at each other's vitals, while over to her left the two younger ninja competed with speed. She knew exactly how things were to pan out and until she deemed it necessary she would not interfere, no matter how much she wanted to.

"What the hell is that?" Tazuna exclaimed as a familiar ice done formed on the bridge.

"It's a kekkei genkai, a technique passed down within specific clans." She explained, watching as Sasuke lost his small advantage. No matter how much he differed from the one in her past, he was still no match for a chuunin level ninja with far more experience…at least not without his awakened eyes.

"Like the Sharingan-!" Sakura jumped forward mid question, wanting to run over and help the boy as his clothes began to stain with red, only to be held back by a firm grip. "Sasuke-kun!"

"Don't worry," Miyu told the girl as well as herself, "Looks like Naruto's arrived, so let's let them fight for a bit longer." Her cousin made a showy entrance, loud enough for everyone to take notice. And stupidly he had done exactly the same she had at this point, and stepped into the ice cage.

"Idiot!" they could hear Sasuke shout as his plans of having an outside attacker went down the drain. Instead of focusing her attention on the kids Miyu was forced back to Kakashi's fight. Zabuza had once again 'overcome' the fearsome Sharingan, as his mocking voice echoed in the thickening mist. He really was a genius at silent killing, but it was not nearly enough to overcome the advantage she had.

"Nice try, Zabuza," Miyu said as she blocked his attack, her own slim blade looking like it would snap under the might of Kubikiribocho, "But you're better off fighting Kakashi." He had attempted to use the mist as a shroud to assassinate his target but hadn't counted the older blonde as a threat.

"A swordsman," The demon of the mist gave her sword a scrutinizing look. It was odd, especially seeing as the edge was on the back of the blade, but he couldn't quite say his own sword was normal either, "It's rare to meet another one."

"I'd appreciate if you could get away from them, Zabuza." Kakashi called, throwing a handful of shuriken at his opponent.

"Protective, aren't we?" He grinned under his bandages, mostly out of anticipation, "I'd much rather fight her if this is the level you are at." He mocked, "Who would have thought a little mist was all it took to conquer the mighty Sharingan Kakashi." He faded away into his shroud, looking to end the silver haired man quickly.

"You seem to think I've survived in this world with only the Sharingan," Kakashi called, his voice echoing in the bridge, "You seem to know a lot about me so I'll show you something special, my own jutsu."

"!" Everyone seemed to halt, as they felt the overwhelming pressure of a sickening chakra leaking from the ice dome.

"Naruto." Kakashi caught on quickly, and pulled a scroll out from his pocket, running his bleeding palm against the black ink before throwing it into the air, his hands flicking through the necessary signs before he slammed them onto the ground. "Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu." Miyu found her eyes straying to that of Sasuke's body. She could see now, that he wasn't dead, but it still wasn't pleasant. Haku was far too kind. Naruto though, was in an uncontrollable rage. His whiskers had thickened and his eyes were a dark crimson as he growled ferally, the guttural sound reaching even her ears. He swiped at his opponent, smashing through the unbreakable ice mirrors, and landing a strong hit on the masked boy. She could not only see his moves, but also remember her own. For a second time Haku stood there, as broken as his mask, his face emotionless as he awaited death as a useless tool. And only then, while watching her possessed cousin, did she realise her mistake. She had changed too much, this Naruto had never met the feminine boy in the forest, never talked to him or even seen him before. They were strangers fighting so of course there was nothing to hold the furious blond back. He would kill him.

A/N Yet again, thank you for keeping up with this series.

As you can see Miyu is starting to seriously consider the effects of her interference in this timeline. And she has a right to.

Uh, simply because I doubt Naruto would end up storming off and training out in the woods, Kimimaro was the one who met with Haku. And I feel like they are both very similar in a lot of ways...

Also, concerning that ever-memorable scene (the small fight in Tazuna's house between Inari and Naruto), whilst Naruto actually grew up very differently i still believe that he has that heroic mindset. Though it didn't end with him getting angry, instead that's reserved for Sasuke.

...Did I mention I really like Zabuza? In the anime he was one of my favourite antagonists mainly because he wasn't an ass. He was a very good example of a ninja that, while ruthless, still had his own resolve...and he genuinely cared about Haku.

Other than that I have nothing else in particular I want to say. So I'll see you next chapter.