The sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air for only a second before Kakashi was grabbed and torn to pieces. The genin bringing their hands up as the man's blood sprayed in different directions. "One down...four to go." Meizu said, his brother nodded, "this is child's play--"

Naruto's counter was quick. Quick enough to slip past Meizu and place his hand on Gozu's head. The sound that echoed through the area could only be compared to the sound of a dry twig snapping. He hadn't twisted Gozu's, only bending it at such an angel that it snapped completely. The man fell like a puppet with its strings cut, his body hitting the ground with a soft thud and his face stuck in a permanent state of confusion. "Goz--"

Meizu didn't get far, Sasuke quickly handled the man via ensnaring him in steel wire and pulling the man down, "Demon brothers...mercenaries that operate primarily within wave country...why would they be all the way out here?." Naruto asked as he looked at Tazuna. The bridge builder began sweating bullets, "Yeah that is weird." Kakashi said as he appeared next to Tazuna, his eye wandering to the dead Gozu. "Oh and by the way. Good job guys...I thought these guys would've given you a bit of trouble but it seems like I was wrong."

Kakashi turned around. "Tazuna...is there something you want to say?."

Tazuna quickly broke eye contact. His eyes dropping to the ground, "I...I..well, you see..."

"we were told this was an escort mission. Protecting you from bandits and thieves would be a simple enough task but protecting you from Shinobi..."

Sakura stepped up, "Sensei I don't think we're re--"

"I say we go. I mean me and Sasuke dealt with these guys pretty easily and if that's all there is then there should be no problem." Naruto said as he kicked Meizu causing the man to groan and mutter a few curses under his breath. "But we're not ready!, who knows what's going to be up ahead."

"you keep saying we...I think you mean you aren't ready." Sasuke said, Sakura frowned. "That's not true!...unlike you and Naruto I'm thinking logically. There's no reason for us to put our life on the line for a liar."

Kakashi sighed, "oh man." He muttered, Tazuna stepped forward. "If you don't want to help that's fine, I'll handle Gatou myself--"

"the shipping magnate?." Naruto asked, "you know him?."

"of course. He's responsible for a good amount of trade that happens in the leaf."

"He much like most of the people in his circle engage in...unsavory behavior and activities. He's used his massive amount of wealth to buy out private ninja cells and armies of bandits. He owns everything, every company, every farm and every means of transportation."

"what about your kage?, can't they do something about it?." Sasuke asked, "Wave is what is referred to as a proxy nation. It was controlled by the mist during the first and second war before it fell into the hands of Konoha for a year or so before it was released and left to its own devices. Their kage if they had one would've been the mizukage or the hokage." Naruto said, Tazuna nodded, "our economy was heavily reliant on the leaf and mist so when they left it took a very heavy toll, but again don't worry about it. You don't have to help if you don't want to...I'm sure my very young grandson will survive and my daughter won't live a very tough life."

"Manipulation." Team seven thought. "What a lowlife." Sakura thought. "Well we're already more than halfway there so I guess we can keep going until you reach your homeland."

"I win." Tazuna thought.

"So what do you think. Is wave country suitable?."

"hm. Finally come out of hibernation?."

He suppressed a laugh as he heard slow growl, "I wasn't hibernating boy, I was helping you complete your little plan."

"ah once again, thank you...but no, wave country isn't the best option. There are a few islands a couple hundred miles off the coast and I'm hoping to get a good look at them once we get there...if all goes well that is."

"So you've established a new home base, but what about a time for temporary departure."

"after the Chunin exam, so many foreign Nin will be coming and going so it'll be easy for me to slip through...just a grain of sand on shifting beach."

"what if you're recognized?."

"Then I guess I'll fight."

"Naruto!."

Naruto's head snapped right to Sakura, "What do you want."

She jerked her entire body back, caught off guard by the sudden burst of annoyance. "Just checking in...seemed to be--"

"I don't need you checking in on me." Naruto snapped. "Interrupting my conversation like that...what kind of Jackanape...ahh whatever." Naruto thought as he sighed. Drumming his fingers against his cheeks before sighing again. The small boat that had carried them across the water bumped into the thick mud that lined the bank of the lake, the sudden loss of energy causing the boat to shake and its passengers to jut forward. "This is as far as I can take you. From here it's just another two hours before you fully enter wave...good luck."

Kakashi looked back at Naruto as they walked, he had been quiet for most of this journey. Hanging back with his head low. "Interesting." He thought.

"Two gate guards...three anbu cells patrolling the outer walls of the village, jonin and Chunin coming and going. Hunter Nin always on the prowl...even if I slip out during the exams I'll still have to take someone down." Naruto thought as he looked up, his eyes wandering to the trees ahead, "new visitors."

He looked over to a small bush. His eyes narrowing for a moment before a he released a concentrated ripple of chakra. The energy ripped through the air at breakneck speeds and destroyed the bush and what ever was in it. White fur, blood and bone flew into the air before falling to the ground. "Naruto, what is wrong with you?. Was that an attempt at being cool?."

Naruto ignored her and looked to another bush, situated at the bottom of a tree. The same fate would come to it, the energy ripped it apart and bringing down the tree. White fur, again. Kakashi was ready to chastise him but quickly stopped, walking over to the destroyed bush and inspecting the bloody white fur, "white fur...in mid spring?." He whispered, no animal around here kept white fur after the winter. This animal, what ever it was had been domesticated.

"This thing was being used specifically for bait and body switching."

Naruto looked back, back to where he had looked the first time. He slowly got low, kneeling and ready to warn his teammates but Kakashi had beat him to the punch. "EVERYONE GET DOWN."

A sword, if you could even call it that flew over head and slammed itself into a tree. Had the tree been thinner by just a few centimeters the sword would've gone clean through.

Zabuza sat on the hilt of the sword, a smile present beneath his bandages. "...none of you move. This guys on a different level." He said as he lifted his headband, "You are Kakashi Hatake right?, I hate to be such a bother on such a beautiful day but I'll have to take the bridge builder." Zabuza said, Kakashi's sharingan flashed for a moment before settling down. "Is he an uchiha?." Sasuke thought as he stared at the man.

"all of you...protect Tazuna. That is your one and only objective from now until I say so."

Zabuza frowned. "I was hoping you'd be a bit more reasonable about this but...dangling that eye in front of me..." his words trailed off as he grabbed his blade and pulled it out of the tree. "I'm honored." He said simply.

There was a rush of silence before both men rushed at each other. A thick mist following Zabuza, Sasuke frowned and backed away. "This ki...cold, I'll be killed if I move."

"you'd be right about that." Zabuza said as he appeared behind Sasuke, bringing his sword up and attempting to cleave the genin in two. Kakashi intercepted the attack and quickly dealt with the water clone, quickly spinning around and getting torn in half via the main body of Zabuza. "Not so--"

"don't move." Kakashi said as he placed a kunai near Zabuza's throat. "It's over."

"Over...over...not even close." Zabuza said as he watched Kakashi's water clone evaporate. He slammed his elbow into Kakashi's mid section causing him to back away, spinning on his heel and planting a firm kick into the jonins face. Knocking the man clean off his feet and throwing him a dozen meters into the water. "No way, Kakashi Sensei got knocked down!." Sakura thought. "Now then...what is it you said, it's over."

Zabuza ran across the surface of the water and weaved hand seals. "WATER STYLE:WATER PRISON!."

"Damn."

He was ensnared instantly in bubble of water. "Your first mistake was fighting me in a domain that I'm adept at...the second one...bringing a bunch of children as backup. Fret no Hatake, I'll deal with them."

the water bubbled for a moment before a perfect replica of Zabuza made of water came into being. It flickered for a moment before vanishing, reappearing behind Naruto and bringing the massive blade up, Naruto's evasion and counter was almost instinctive. Bouncing of the balls of his feet and landing a few feet away, clone limb in hand. "You're very fast...even for a clone." Naruto said with a small smile.

"A head on attack will do." He continued, propelling himself forward, the clone awkwardly brought its blade up and swung it wildly, Naruto skipping across the flat side and taking the clones other hand before slamming his foot into the back of its head, pushing his head into the ground and putting it down for good. "Man...I've got some moves." Naruto said with a laugh.

Zabuza whistled, "Not...bad, especially for a genin. But a head on attack won't always work. Leaving your client open is also a pretty bad idea as well."

Another Zabuza clone made its way around Tazuna, Sasuke quickly stepping up and slamming his shoulder into the clone allowing Naruto a clean shot. Tossing a kunai into the clones head.

"Hmm...perhaps I underestimated you."

"if we don't act fast Hatake's going to drown." Sasuke said

"yeah don't worry. I'll deal with him. You focus on getting Kakashi out."