AN: So yeah, wanted to get these out sooner but work has been murder recently and I'm too exhausted to write most days. I'm going to try and cram more writing into the weekends to get updates out at a reasonable-ish pace, but I make no promises.

AN2: To 'God of Wind 200', why should Tenten be replaced here? She still does her job but isn't going above and beyond for it. She made her points and Gai has been mishandling the situation. The Hokage wouldn't kick her from a team because she lost respect for her sensei. Especially when she makes valid points.

Trickshot

Chapter 13

-Gai-

This was not perfect.

Things had started rocky, as he had expected them to. Lee had been excited, throwing his hands up with a 'Yosh!' and a declaration that if he could not lead his team properly then he would do a hundred laps around Konoha upon their return. Tenten had a stoic blank expression that was clearly hiding displeasure, and likely more thoughts of nepotism. Neji had just been scowling, shooting furious looks between Lee and himself.

Instead of Neji and Tenten seeing Lee doing his best at efficiently leading his team, and thereby gaining respect for their comrade…things had only deteriorated further from there.

Lee was trying his best, but it seemed that with trying to get Lee's Taijutsu skill up to par, he'd neglected his pupil's tactical ability. Lee knew where he'd at least be useful, and he knew enough about Taijutsu to place Neji. But his knowledge of where Tenten would best be placed was clearly lacking.

He'd started by having her take point, saying if she had good eyes from her weapons training then she could scout ahead. Not realizing that Tenten worked best at accuracy over certain distances and would have been better at the back to cover them while Neji took point with his Byakugan for reconnaissance.

He could tell Lee consistently wanted to charge after any hint of a threat to fight them himself, leaving the others to guard the caravan; not processing that as temporary team leader he needed to stay and coordinate.

For the past three days things had been growing more tense rather than less as he'd hoped. The second they got to the border village and deposited the group they'd escorted, their return group not set to arrive till the next day, Neji and Tenten spread out through the village to get away from Lee.

"Maybe I should have had them take turns being in charge of D ranks or war games against other teams." Gai slumped, his brilliant plan proving to be far less brilliant than he'd hoped.

-Haku-

Sitting up in bed, Haku grimaced as he felt his healing wounds protest. Zabuza's knowledge of healing jutsu was minimal at best so they were mostly having to get by on medicinal herbs and those limited medical Jutsu to get Haku back to fighting shape.

"Easy Haku." Zabuza's expression was stern. Haku knew it was not out of concern, he was still only a tool. If anything, it would just be worry about Haku making his injuries worse when he still had use for this current mission. "Those are already going to scar. The last thing we need right now is them opening up again."

"Yes, Zabuza-Sama." Haku bowed his head in deference to his savior, sipping at the warm broth filled with meat and herbs to help his recovery, "I should be back to fighting strength by the end of the week."

"Good." Zabuza nodded, sharpening Kubikirihocho as they spoke, "I don't see any signs from the kid that the Konoha nin are accelerating their plans, so this should work well."

Ah yes, Naruto Uzumaki, the genin that Zabuza-Sama had informed him of. Over the past four days, Zabuza had been going out to gather herbs and medicine, 'accidentally' running into Naruto while gathering food and such each time. Or a clone at any rate.

Zabuza-Sama had, at first, stated it was just an attempt to gather information.

Then he'd bandied out the idea of trying to take the kid with them. That Naruto Uzumaki could be of use for the dream Zabuza-Sama had told him of.

But Haku could tell that, even if Zabuza-Sama refused to admit it to himself, that the Demon of the Bloody Mist was growing attached to the enemy genin. Zabuza had spoken well of the determination he saw in the blond genin. Of the potential given what he saw in that first fight.

Haku knew Zabuza wished to take the foreign genin with them once the bridge builder was dead and Haku would do all he could to ensure this happened.

Zabuza-Sama deserved more companion than a simple discardable tool.

-Naruto-

"I'm back!" Naruto stretched with a yawn as he entered the house, "Dropped off the meat and herbs at the usual spots."

"Good work squirt." Tsume grinned at him, ruffling his hair even as he failed at stopping her.

"Any signs of Zabuza or their accomplice?" Asuma looked over from where he was helping the others with a chakra control exercise.

"None." Naruto frowned, "Seen a couple wandering merchants. A few hunters. Even some of Gato's thugs that I…dealt with." He grimaced, still not fully comfortable with killing bandits and other scum even if he knew it was the best course of action. He gave Tsume an appreciative nod when she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Still, best be cautious." Asuma frowned, stroking his beard in contemplation "Who knows if we took out his accomplice or if he has others. Not to mention Zabuza himself is no slouch." Before Naruto, or any of the others, could respond they were cut off by Inari, the grandson of their client who'd not said a word to them the entire time they'd been in Wave. Keeping any interactions to scowls or huffs.

"Just shut up already!" Inari snapped, fists balled as he yelled at them, "Why do you even bother when Gato's just going to kill you anyway?!"

"Gato's no match for a Shinobi kid." Asuma shook his head, "His guard Zabuza? That's a threat but one we already sent running. We've got this handled."

"Yeah right!" Inari was near spitting now, "No matter how hard you train or what big claims you make you're still no match for Gato's men! The weak only end up getting killed! You're just going to make us suffer more from Gato! You stupid ninja from your pampered village. I bet you haven't had to suffer or struggle a day in your entire life!" Any further ranting from Inari was cut off as by the sound of the wood table splintering under Naruto's grip, and the glass in Sasuke's hands shattering.

"Don't know…about suffering?" Naruto felt burning rage bubbling up in his gut. Sasuke was breathing heavily, working to control his own temper even as his Sharingan flickered on and off. He felt Tsume trying to calm him down, but his blood was boiling in his ears.

"Do you have a mother?" Naruto's tone was cold as he stared down at a now shaking Inari. "Do you have a grandfather?"

"Y-you know I do you stupid-" Inari tried to get his courage back before Naruto slapped a palm down hard on the table.

"Then you still have more than Sasuke. More than me." Naruto snarled "He had to watch as his family were killed in front of him. I lost mine the day I was born. I have been beaten. I have been robbed. I have been betrayed. But I've…kept…going. I didn't curl up and start whining like you!" Naruto felt his breaths becoming ragged, his fury rising up far faster than it should have.

Needed to get away from this, he stormed out of the house before the others could stop him, slipping through the traps as he ran into the dark woods. He needed to get away.

-Tsume-

"Naruto!" Tsume shot to her feet to give chase once she processed what had just happened, only stopping when Asuma put a hand on her shoulder.

"You won't catch him Tsume." Asuma scowled, "By the time you got the key to get past the traps he'd have a solid lead. Given his skill at stealth and how much of the forest he's learned then none of us would find him until he's ready to be found. Give him a bit to cool off then go." As he spoke, she felt him subtly tapping a coded message on her shoulder.

'Saw eyes starting to turn red. Kyuubi might have been trying to break through. I think he's trying to calm down safely. Follow and observe carefully.'

"Fine." She scowled, not wanting to let the boy who was essentially her second son suffer this alone. Leaving the still furious, but also now confused, Sasuke to be helped by his team; Tsume ran upstairs to get the key to get past the traps, noting Inari was being comforted and chastised by his mother as she ran out into the night after her boy.

-Zabuza-

"The hell?" Zabuza looked about the ruined clearing in confusion, wanting to find some wild boar to make one of Haku's favorite dishes. The tracks he'd been following led here but there was no sign of the trail left. He saw deep furrows dug into the ground, trees shattered, rocks smashed. Added to that, the area looked scorched, for lack of a better word. But clearly not by fire. There was no soot nor smell of smoke. At the center of it all though, was Naruto. The blond, and he could tell this was the true Genin, was laying passed out in the clearing.

"Hey, Kid!" Zabuza carefully shook the Genin awake, "Kid, you shouldn't be sleeping out here." He was carefully keeping track of what was around him as he woke the genin up but sensed no trace of the kid's team or sensei.

"Wha?" Naruto sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily "Where?" as the kid spoke, he blinked rapidly, eyes regaining focus and clarity, "Fuck, Tsume-Sensei's gonna kill me." Naruto groaned, slamming his head back against a tree.

"Oh?" Zabuza raised an eyebrow, wondering if he'd get some useful new intel.

"Got into an argument with someone last night." Naruto admitted, seeming tense even as he spoke. Zabuza figured the kid was trying to keep certain bits private but wanted someone safe to vent to.

"Yeah, that happens when you get people together. They argue." Zabuza shrugged, "It's human nature to fight. To disagree."

"But people work together regardless." Naruto pushed back, the kid still having a spark of hope in him. The Shinobi world was a cruel one to those who still had that spark.

"Maybe." Zabuza shrugged, avoiding a new argument, "So you came out here to cool off?"

"Yeah." Naruto kicked the dirt, twirling a stick between his fingers. A nervous tick possibly, he'd noticed how high energy the kid was.

"You should get back to them kid." Zabuza shook his head, "They're probably worried and you need to rest somewhere that's not half rubble."

"I know." Naruto slumped, clearly dreading the coming conversation.

"Good. Head back safely, ya hear me brat?" Zabuza gave a good-natured grin as he got up, leaving the kid to get up and head back. He still had to find that boar after all.

With Haku recovered, this was to give them energy and vigor. Tonight, they made their move.

As he left, he never noticed the dark haired kunoichi observing him unseen from the trees.