(And here I am with my next chapter. Hope you're all ready for some action and twists.)

After their unexpected run in with the demon brothers of the Mist, Squad Seven and Tazuna continued onto Wave.

"So you're this special chosen one meant to serve as this bridge between spirit and reality?" Tazuna asked.

"That's right. This has happened for over a thousand years. And I'm the unexpected chosen Avatar." Naruto confirmed.

"All of a sudden I'm glad you guys were assigned to protect me." Tazuna said gratefully.

Kakashi spoke up, "We should be reaching our destination soon." suddenly they heard a ruffle in the bushes, and they stopped.

Naruto squinted his eyes and used airbending on the bush exposing a white rabbit, "A rabbit?" Naruto asked, until Kakashi squinted at the rabbits coat.

'White at this time of year?' he realized, "A distraction. Everybody, get down!"

Hearing that, everyone hit the dirt as a giant sword swung in and nailed a tree. They looked up seeing the weapon and Sakura gasped, "Where did that come from?"

"From me." came a voice as Zabuza suddenly appeared and pulled his sword out of the tree.

"That guys huge." Sasuke gasped.

Kakashi squinted at the man, "That sword and your Mist headband. You must be the infamous Zabuza Momochi the demon of Kiri."

"Right you are. And based off your appearance you are Konoha's Kakashi of the Sharingan." Zabuza replied.

"Sharingan?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"So you're targeting Tazuna as well." Kakashi said.

"Yes. Since those idiotic brothers were unsuccessful, it's up to me to clean up their mess." Zabuza gripped his blade.

"We're not going to let you near Tazuna!" Kakashi called.

"That's a promise." Naruto added.

"You four are no match for me." Zabuza warned them.

"We can try," Kakashi answered, "Guys, protect Tazuna."

The three genin surrounded Tazuna, as Kakashi jumped into battle against Zabuza. The three protected Tazuna while watching Zabuza and Kakashi go at it in terms of strength and jutsu.

"Look at them go." Sakura gasped.

"So this is what a match between two Jonin is like." Sasuke said in amaze.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, and thought, 'Hmm. I got this feeling we're not alone.'

Hidden in the trees was Haku who was now wearing a mask over his face. He waited patiently until he felt it was the moment for him to jump in. He thought to himself, 'This Jonin Kakashi Hatake, he's incredibly strong, but Zabuza is more than a match for him.' suddenly he felt a present behind him, and was almost hit by water shots.

Haku dodged and saw in another tree was Karok smirking, "Karok, what're you doing here?"

"I'm on a mission of my own. I'm gonna take you and Zabuza down."

"Are you insane? We're all hired under Gato."

"Yes. But if you and Zabuza deal with the bridge builder than I won't be getting the bigger pay. And... Well, I just can't have that."

Haku tightened his fists, "You dare betray us?"

"I dare and I do." he Waterbended water from his own body at Haku.

Back on the ground, Kakashi and Zabuza's fight was interrupted when they all heard the commotion from above, "What's that?" Naruto asked.

'Haku?' Zabuza thought.

Landing on the ground was Haku and Karok, which surprised Squad Seven, "Now what's up?" Sasuke asked.

"Karok, what do you think you're doing here?" Zabuza demanded.

Haku answered, "He wants to eliminate us and take credit for eliminating the bridge builder."

"What?!" Zabuza demanded, as Karok smirked.

"Who is that guy?" Sakura asked in confusion.

Naruto squinted his eyes and flashed back recalling a wanted poster hanging around Republic City, "I've seen that face before."

"You have?" Tazuna, Sakura, and Sasuke inquired.

Naruto nodded, "He's Karok, a fugitive born at the North pole in the Northern Water Tribe. He relocated to Republic city and became the new head of the Triple Threat Triad organization. But after a warrant was put out on him he skipped town."

Karok chuckled amusingly, "You know your history, kid."

"Anything else you can tell us about him?" Kakashi inquired Naruto.

"He's a unique type of Waterbender. He can break down his very body into water itself. He can even bend his own body and can regenerate his limbs and such because he's made of water already."

"That's right. He's such a pain." Zabuza grunted.

Karok smirked, "You're going to be the one in pain." he started bending and water shot from his own body in the form of water bullets.

"Look out!" Naruto shouted as he slammed his palms on the ground causing a wall of earth to rise up and protect them. Though the wall was strong, Karok's water bending bullets left holes in it.

Karok noticed what happened, "So the blonde's an Earthbender. How interesting."

Behind the earth wall, Naruto spoke to Zabuza and Haku, "Looks like we're all in the same boat now, huh?"

"Don't be so sure, kid. This has nothing to do with you." Zabuza retorted.

"Somehow I don't think he's going to let us live after he's done with you." Kakashi replied dryly.

"He's not killing me or Haku." Zabuza promised Kakashi.

"Zabuza," Haku began, "Whether you see it or not, this is both our fights. So we need to work together."

"Silence, Haku." Zabuza ordered him.

"Hey, you can't talk to him like that!" Naruto argued.

"Uh, guys. I hate to break up this argument, but got an insane Waterbender attacking us!" Sakura reminded them.

Karok jumped above the earth wall, and Waterbended a jet of water at them. Naruto seeing this quickly whipped out his folded up air glider and twirled it like a baton. Combining that move with his Arbending was able to blow the water back, and Karok flipped backwards looking shocked.

"You Earthbend and Airbend?"

Naruto nodded smugly, "I also Firebend and Waterbend, thank you."

"Only one being is capable of doing all four... You're the Avatar?" Karok gasped.

Naruto smirked, "The one and only."

Karok's look of shock was replaced with a look of excitement, "Ooh. Imagine the bounty I'll receive and the fame I will gain if I succeed in killing the Avatar!"

Naruto frowned at his cockiness, "You're not killing me or anyone here, got it?"

"Enough talk!" Karok called, as he bended water bullets from his body again.

Naruto was prepared to defend only for Zabuza to deflect them with his sword, "Zabuza?" he asked.

Zabuza looked back at him, "You're the Avatar? Well, then things just got interesting." he stood ready, as Kakashi and Haku joined him.

"Looks like I may have to use this after all." Kakashi lifted up his headband to reveal his hidden eye which was red with three black tomoe marks inside it.

Sasuke gasped, "My family's eye."

"Naruto, back us up. Sasuke, Sakura, if he gets past us defend Tazuna." Kakashi ordered.

"Hai!" they agreed, and surrounded Tazuna.

The four took off and fought Karok. Zabuza swung his sword at Karok, only for the bended to jump away, "You're slow, Zabuza! Perhaps it's best you retire and leave the bounty work to fresh blood."

"You blabbering pest!" Zabuza growled, "Kakashi, kid, stay close to me."" he formed a hand sign, and suddenly the mist around them was getting thicker.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Zabuza's hidden mist jutsu." Haku explained.

"Clever, Zabuza, but I'm too smart to fall victim to your little silent kill." Karok said, as he stood in the mist, and suddenly spun around and caught Zabuza's arm, as the swordsman was planing to stab him in the neck with a kunai.

"What?" Zabuza gasped.

"Now you're mine!" Karok called, as he Waterbended a bubble of water around Zabuza's head cutting off his air supply.

Zabuza held his breath and thought, 'Damn this bending asshole!' he dropped his sword unable to concentrate on holding it.

"Now die!" Karok ordered.

"Leave Zabuza alone!" Haku jumped in with Naruto, as the masked shinobi formed a hand sign making ice spears pop up from the ground, close to where Zabuza and Karok were. Karok quickly released Zabuza and jumped away before the ice pillars could pierce him.

"Whoa, are you a Waterbender?" Naruto asked Haku.

"No. This is a bloodline ability." Haku answered.

"Cool." Naruto admitted.

Zabuza caught his breath and formed hand signs, "Water style, Water dragon jutsu!" from a nearby body of water rose up a dragon made of water that was aimed right for Karok, who dodged it.

"Nice try." he said smugly, before getting attacked from behind by another water dragon.

Zabuza was confused until he saw the second came from Kakashi, "So that's the power of the Sharingan."

Karok landed on the ground, but got back to his feet seeing Naruto run at him and started Firebending. Karok was dodging the shots of fire, and spoke, "Not bad for a half baked Avatar."

"Half baked? Well, let me show ya full baked!" Naruto summoned five shadow clones, and they all started using Firebending.

Karok continued to avoid, but Sasuke noticed Karok was beginning to sweat. He thought, 'Of course. He may be made of water, but even water has a limit to intense heat,' he spoke to his teammate, "Sakura, protect Tazuna."

"What? What're you doing?" Sakura asked.

"I'm gonna help." Sasuke ran to help, while forming hand sign, "Fire Style, fireball jutsu!" he launched a jet of fire at Karok from behind making him cry.

"Whoa!" Naruto gasped, as the group saw Karok stand in the middle looking like he was melting.

"So much for your great skill, Karok." Zabuza mocked.

Karok growled, "You haven't seen the last of me!" he dissolved into water and the drops fled into the soil.

"No!" Naruto called, but knew he was gone.

Zabuza ended the mist, and spoke, "Now then. Where we were?" he turned back at Squad Seven.

"Even after all that you will want to continue?" Kakashi asked in disbelief.

"You don't know me, Kakashi Hatake." Zabuza said, as he prepared hiss word.

Suddenly he was blocked by Haku, "But I do." he answered.

"Haku, get out of the way!"

"No!"

"You dare defy me?" Zabuza gasped.

"I may be your tool, Zabuza. But this has gone far enough. Besides I know you didn't care about killing the bridge builder. You only wanted to fight stronger opponents to test yourself."

"Haku." Zazbua warned him.

"It's true. That's the real purpose you took up this job with Gato was in hopes of fighting stronger opponents. I watched you fight with Kakashi from the trees, and you looked like you were having fun."

"Don't be ridiculous." Zabuza looked away in denial.

"You can't fool me, Zazbuza. I know you better than anyone. So just drop this charade." Haku pleaded.

Zabuza frowned beneath his face wrappings, before he lowered his sword, "Dammit, why do you have a way with words?"

Haku giggled, "That's how I am."

Zabuza sighed, "Fine, you win little brother."

"Brother?" Squad seven asked.

Haku looked back, "Not biologically, but he's as close to family as I've had in so many years." he removed his mask, "My name is Haku. It's very nice to meet you all."

Naruto was taken aback by Haku's feminine appearance, while Sakura thought, 'He looks prettier than me.'

"Ok, since Zabuza and Haku won't be attacking us now. What do we do?" Naruto asked.

"All I know is I wanna chop that Karok's head off!" Zabuza growled.

"There will be time for that, but right now I think we should press on." Kakashi suggested.

"My home's not too far from here now," Tazuna said, "We can go rest there. You two are welcomed to come with us. My daughter's an excellent cook."

"That would be very gracious of you." Haku said, and elbowed Zabuza.

"Thank you." he grumbled.

"All right. Let's get going." Kakashi said, as squad seven continued on with the addition of Zabuza and Haku.

Meanwhile back at Gato's lair, Karok had returned and the little man spoke, "Karok, what're you doing here? I'm waiting for Zabuza."

"I'm afraid Zabuza and Haku have gone and betrayed you." Karok lied.

"What?!" Gato shot up from his seat.

"They were conspiring against you with the team protecting the bridge builder. I tried to stop them, but I was unprepared for what I had to face."

"What could've made you unprepared?"

"I was fighting the Avatar."

"The Avatar?"

"Yes, the legendary bender above all benders in the nations."

"I see. Well, then we'll have to rethink our strategy. I will inform you once I've come up with a plan."

"Yes sir," Karok left, and smirked to himself, 'Sucker bought it like sale.' he thought.

(And there's the chapter. Looks like Zabuza and Haku have found themselves siding with Squad seven for now. But with Karok playing under Gato, will the little crime boss see through him or fall victim to a surprise scheme? See you next time.)