A/N: I do not own the Naruto anime or manga series

Zabuza of the Mist

Team 7 manage to get Tazuna to the shores where a friend of Tazuna waited with a motor boat. They cross the sea without much issues but almost to their destination a fog formed, the boat oawner cut the engineand rowed through it. Hinata offered to use her byakugan to look ahead, but the man told her he can guide them there as he was use to traveling through fogs like this.

"The bridge should visible soon." the man said.. "When we reach the side of the bridge, we'll be in the Land of Waves."

Sure enough as they moved closer aa giant bridge under construction appeared through the mist.

"Whoa! It's huge!" Naurto yelled.

"Wha--Quiet! I told you no noise! Why do you think we are traveling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine? Rowing in a dense fog? So they don't see us."

Naruto covered his mouth.

"Mr. Tazuna." Kakashi said. "Before we reach the pear, I want to ask you something."

Tazuna remained quiet but knew this was coming.

"The men who are after you. I need to know why? If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you a shore."

They waited for Tazuna to answer.

"I have no choice but to tell you--no, I want you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one that seeks my life is a very short man who cast a very long and deadly shadow."

"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi asked. "Hmm, who is it?"

"You know him--at least, I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world--the shipping magnet, Gato."

"Huh? Gato? Of Gato transport?" Kakashi responded. "He's a business leader. Everyone knows him."

"Who? Who?" Naruto asked being of course clueless. "What? What?"

"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company. That's true. But below the surface, with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over business and nations, he sells drugs and contraband using gangs and mercenary ninjas and even samurai. It was one year ago when Gato first set his sight on the Land of Waves. He came to our island and used his vast wealth to take total control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply disappeared. In an island nation, a man who controls the sea controls everything--finance, government our very lives. But there's one thing he fears--the bridge. When it is complete, it will join us to the land, and that would break his control. I am the bridge builder."

"So then, since you're building the bridge, you're standing in Gato's way," Sasuke said. "Which means those guys we fought in the forest, they were working for Gato."

Naruto rubbed his forehead trying to process it all.

"I don't understand. If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?" Kakashi asked.

"Because the Land of Waves is a small impoverished nation. Even our nobles have little money," Tazuna explained. "The common people who are building this bridge, they can't pay for an A or B ranked mission. It's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore, there will be no bridge. They'll assassinate me before I reach home." Then Tazuna changed his tone. "But, don't feel bad about that. Of course, my sweet little grandson will be upset. He'll cry, 'Granddad! I want my granddad!'" Tazuna spoke in a childish voice. "Oh, and my daughter will condemned the ninja of the Hidden Leaves, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and living her life in sorrow. Oh well, it's not your fault. Forget it."

Kakashi sighed. "Well, I guess we have no other choice, We'll have to keep guarding you."

"Oh, I'm very grateful," Tazuna said silently cheering for victory in his head.

"We're approaching the shore," the boatman said. "Tazuna, we've been very fortunate. No one has noticed us so far."

"Nice going," Tazuna complimented.

They went through one of the tunnels that were along side of the island the bridge was connected to. The tunnel then open up to a small seaside village with trees sprouting up from the water.

"Yeah," Naruto cheered as quietly as he can.

They docked and everyone but the boatman got off.

"That is as far as I'll go. Good luck."

"Right. Thank you for taking such a risk." Tazuna responded.

"Just be careful." the boat man started up the motor and headed off.

"Okay. Take me to my home, and I mean get me there in one piece," Tazuna told team seven.

"Right," Kakashi said as they headed off thinking, "The next ninja they send won't be Chunin. They'll be Jonin. Elite ninja with deadly skill." The thought didn't really made Kakashi happy since not only he was a jonin but he knew Hinata Sasuke and Naruto wouldn't stand a chance.

Meanwhile Naruto was walking slightly ahead until Sasuke caught up.

"I'm not going to let Sasuke get ahead this time. I got to prove myself as son of a Hokage. Believe it." Naruto ran ahead a few steps and started scouting around. "Over there!" Naruto yelled as he threw a kunai knife scaring everyone. "It was just a mouse," Naruto reported which was a lie.

"Naruto, those are kunai knives. They are dangerous." Kakashi scowled.

"Oh, Naruto," Hinata responded.

"Stop trying to scare me, you scruffy little dwarf!"

"Hey! Is someone hiding over there!" Naruto scouted around.

Kakashi sensed something, which Naruto noticed.

'Over there!" Naruto threw another kunai knife into some bushes. Kakashi looked to see a white rabbit that was scared to death.

"A rabbit!" Naruto rushed over and picked up the rabbit and cuddled it. "I'm sorry little rabbit, I'm sorry."

"All this fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna responded.

"That's a snow rabbit," Kakashi noted. "But the color--they only have white fur during the winter. When the days are short and there's little sunlight." Kakashi watched the area around them. "This rabbit was raised indoors, away from the light. Which could only be for one purpose--a replacement technique. So they're already here."

Just then Kakashi heard something. "Look out!"

A giant sword game swinging toward them. Everyone got out of the way as the sword moved upward and hit a tree, digging in. A man with bandages covering half his face wearing a long clothe ninja headband with the metal plate at the corner of his head with the same design as the Chunin before landed on the hilt of the sword.

"That must be--" Kakashi thought.

"Here it is! My chance to show what I can do. Believe it! I'm ready this time. I'm not going to loose out to Sasuke."

"Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi--Rogue ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist" Kakashi greeted.

"Rogue Ninja! Whatever! I'm son of a Hokage, I can take this guy on," Naruto thought. Naruto charged forward but Kakashi stopped him.

"You're in the way," Kakashi warned. "Get back!"

"But why?" Naruto asked.

"He's not like those other ninjas. He's in a whole other league." Kakashi said. "If he's our opponent, I'll need this." Kakashi reached for his headband covering his eye. "This could be treacherous."

"Kakashi of the sharingan eye," the ninja known as Zabuza said. "Did I get that right?"

That caught Sasuke's attention.

"It's too bad, huh? But you'll have to hand over the old man.

"Sharingan?" Naruto thought.

"That's one of the dojutsus of the leaf besides my Byakugan," Hinata thought.

"Sharingan..." Tazuna thought.

"Now quick! Manji formation! Hinata keep your Byakugan ready for anything! Protect the Bridge Builder!" Kakashi ordered. "And stay out of this fight!"

"Huh?"

"I taught you teamwork. Now its time to use it!"

"Byakugan, huh? So you have a Hyuuga with you too." Zabuza said.

Kakashi uncovered his eye, which had a slash mark scar down the middle. When he opened it, it was red with a ring around the pupil and three tomei on the ring like marking a place of a triangle. "I'm ready."

"Huh? His eye? What is that?" Naruto thought.

"Well, looks like I get to see the sharingan in action," Zabuza said. "This is an honor."

"Everyone keeps saying Sharingan, Sharingan, Sharingan? What is it exactly?"

"Sharingan--" Sasuke started. "A rare power that resides in the eyes, also known as Dojutsu, like Hinata's Byakugan. But the user of the sharingan can instantly see and comprehend any genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The sharingan is a special rare form of dojutsu. However there is more to the sharingan than that. A lot more."

"You got it right boy. But you only scratch the surface. The Sharingan can analyze the opponent's technique, And then copy it to the smallest detail."

A mist started forming around the area.

"As for you, Jonin, in the assassination unit of the hidden mist, we had a standing order. Your profile was in our bingo book. It called you, 'the man who copied over 1,000 jutsu.' Kakashi the Copy Ninja."

"Wow. That's so cool! So you're a famous ninja!" Naruto responded.

"But the Sharingan is a rare trait that is only found in my clan, the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke thought.

"Enough talking. It don't matter if you have either or both the Sharingan and/or the Byakugan. I need to exterminate the old man. Now!"

Naruto Hinata and Sasuke surround Tazuna in a triangle like formation.

"So, I'll have to eliminate you first, eh, Kakashi? So be it!" Zabuza kicked his giant sword known as a Zampacto out of the tree and jumped ontop of the water.

"He's on the water!" Hinata responded.

Zazuba made a handsign as water and mist surrounded him.

"He's building a huge amount of chakra," Kakashi thought.

"Ninja art Hidden Mist Jutsu," Zabuza shouted as he caused the mist to thicken around them.

"He vanished." Naruto said.

"Hinata keep your byakugan peeled," Kakashi said.

"Huh?" Hinata responded.

"He should come after me first. But to be safe the Byakugan should see through his hidden Mist jutsu!" Kakashi said.

"But who is he?" Naruto asked.

"Zabuza Momochi--the ex-leader of the Hidden Mist assassination unit. He's a master of the silent kill technique," Kakashi said.

"Silent?" Naruto asked. "Is it like my dad's thundergod jutsu?"

"No. Your father's jutsus is a form of teleportation jutsus, where as the silent kill is a fast movement technique where one kills without sound or warning. The sharingan cannot fully neutralize it, but we can at least see through his Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

"Oh, right! With the Byakugan." Naruto said.

"I'll try my best," Hinata made a series of hand signs as the mist grew thicker. Even Kakashi disappeared in the Mist.

"Eight points," Zabuza said as he started listing off fatal points on the human body.

That didn't deterred Hinata as the chakra network bulge out around and in her eyesm "Byakugan."

She Gasped. "Behind us!" Hinata responded.

Sure enough Zabuza was in side the formation in front of Tazuna.

"So you saw through my jutsu!" Zabuza said. "But it's too late."

Kakashi jumped in and stabbed Zabuza with a kunai. But instead of blood leaking out it was water.

Then Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi and slashed through him with his zanpacto as the one Kakashi struck turned into water.

However, Kakashi too turned into water.

"Water clone jutsu!" Zabuzua thought as he realized Kakashi was still able to copy him. "He had me worried about the girl with the Byakugan, so I wouldn't noticing that he already copied my jutsu."

Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza with a kunai at Zabuza's throat. "Now it's over," Kakashi said.

A/N: sorry it took so long. I hit I snag in trying to update on my laptop and now force to find a way to update on my phone. Not fun. I'll get back to this story in November to make it up. I'm saving October for the fanfictions I have that involved the horror genre for Halloween.