Chapter 27: Journey to Wave

Konoha, training ground 11

It had been almost two weeks since the conclusion of team-11's first C-rank and the aftermath that followed. Shisui was pleased to see that his genin had recovered from the trauma of their first kills, or as much as they could. Once the three-day grace period had ended, the team resumed their normal activities seamlessly.

But Shisui was not fooling himself into thinking that nothing had changed. It wasn't something that most would have noticed, but it was apparent to the members of team-11 that a new dynamic had been added. The genin of team-11 still did as any other kids their age did. They talked, laughed, and played games. They hung out at all of their favorite spots, just being kids. That was something Shisui was thankful for.

But at the same time, there was something different about his genin. He saw it more often during their training session (though, on occasion, he would catch glimpses during their off times). Once there was an air of excitement about them whenever the three came to the training grounds. They were eager to learn and to become better shinobi. Their eyes had been innocent.

But that eagerness wasn't so much gone as it was tampered. They were taking their training more seriously, possessing a determination to be better. The innocence in their eyes had dimmed.

It was a strange feeling for Shisui, having a mixture of pride of the now determination his genin had. Even after facing one of the darker realities of shinobi life, Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke were still willing to press on. But at the same time, a weariness had settled over the Jōnin. He wanted his genin to be kids.

Shisui sighed and shook the thought off. He knew what had been done had been done. There was no changing that now. The best thing he could now was prepare them for times to come. And hope that a part of them would make it out on the other end.

"All right, team," Shisui said, grabbing the three genin's attention. "I think it's time we moved onto missions for the day."

Hokage tower

"So, what kind of mission do you think we'll get?" Naruto asked as he put his hands behind his head.

Sasuke shrugged. "Who knows?" He said. "Maybe we'll be asked to paint someone's fence. Or walk the Inuzuka dogs."

Naruto nodded. "Maybe," he said. "Just so as long it's not catching that demon cat, I'm just fine."

Next to Naruto, Hinata giggled. "Tora's not that bad," she defended the hell cat. "She's a nice kitty once you know how to handle her."

Sasuke snorted. "Easy for you to say," he said. "You haven't been on the receiving end of that demon's claws." Then he glared at Naruto when he heard him chuckling. "Don't act like your an exception, dope. I've seen that thing bite you more than a few times."

Naruto smiled at him and shrugged his shoulders. "Not as much as you," he said. "She likes me better. Once she settles down, she purrs almost as much as she does with Hinata."

"I don't know why she seems to like you guys," he said. He looked at Hinata. "Well, Hinata, I can see. But Naruto," he drew out, looked at Naruto with a deadpan look.

He heard a chuckle coming from Shisui. "It probably has something to do with the fact that he hasn't tried to set her on fire," he said. "Cats don't like that sort of thing. Most living things don't like being set on fire."

For the second time in the conversation, Sasuke snorted. "It's not like it would actually hurt that thing," he commented. "It'd probably feel right at home in the flames."

This got another chuckle from his sensei. "Maybe," he said. "But that's something we don't want to find out. So please don't go setting Tora on fire, even if she is a hellcat."

The others around him laughed, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes. "Whatever," he said.

Naruto shook his head. "Getting back on topic," he said. "I just hope we get something a little more exciting. Granted, the last few D-ranks haven't been so bad. They actually feel more like missions than doing someone else's chores."

Sasuke and Hinata both nodded their heads. Since their first C-rank concluded, they had returned to doing the normal D-ranks. Except they weren't doing chores around the village anymore, or not as much as before. Instead of missions like painting a fence or babysitting someone else's brat, team-11 had been getting stuff like helping sort out files and mission reports. Or patrolling around the walls of the village, things that felt marginally more important.

Shisui had told them missions like that were affectionately called D+ missions. It was a nice change in pace, in Sasuke's opinion, even if they were still stuck doing chores. Still, Sasuke was of the same thought as Naruto. He wished the team's next mission was something more exciting. Another C-rank would be nice.

The team entered the mission room, where they were greeted by the Hokage. Sasuke was briefly taken aback that instead of the usual Chunin helper, Itachi was sitting next to the Sandaime. "Big brother?" Sasuke said to his brother. "What are you doing here?"

Itachi smiled at the approaching team-11. "Just helping Hokage-Sama with some of his work today," he said. "I didn't have much to do today, and the Sandaime looked like he needed the help."

The Hokage smiled and nodded his head sagely. "Your brother has been most helpful today," he said. "It's even allowed me to catch up on some paperwork that has been backing up." Then he locked his fingers together and gave the team a grandfatherly smile. "So, tell me, Shisui, what can we do for team-11 today?"

Shisui nodded. "Nothing too much," he said. "We're just here to get a mission or two for the day."

The Hokage nodded and gestured to Itachi. "All right then, let's see what we have for you."

Itachi started to flip over a stack of papers. "Inuzuka needs someone to walk their dogs," Itachi said. "There is also a babysitting request from a merchant in the village," he went through a few more papers listing out the various missions available. If Sasuke was, to be honest, none of them sounded appealing to him. "What about a patrol along the village walls?" He pulled a paper out from the stack."

Shisui looked like he was mauling over the choices. Probably weighing out the pros and cons of the mission. "I think," he never got to finish his sentence when a chunin burst into the room.

"Hokage-Sama, I think you need to see this," the chunin said, running up to the Hokage and handing him a scroll.

With a nod, the Sandaime took the scroll and opened it up. He and Itachi read through its contents. "What's going on?" Naruto whispered into Sasuke's ear.

"I don't know," Sasuke whispered back. "But whatever it is, it's important," as they read through the scroll, the looks on both the Hokage's and Itachi's faces were unreadable.

They seemed to read over the scroll two or three times before it was placed on the desk, and the Hokage let out a long sigh. "Is something going on?" Shisui asked with a concerned look.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes," he answered. "Fortunately, you and your team are here now. I'm afraid that the D-ranks will have to wait. I have a mission for you."

At the serious tone of his voice, Shisui and the rest of team-11 stood at attention. "What is our mission Hokage-Sama?"

"The Jōnin-sensei for team-8 has requested immediate reinforcements for their mission," Sasuke's eyes widened, and he looked between his teammates, getting similar looks from them. That was Kurenai's team, which Kiba, Sakura, and Shino were on.

"Wasn't their mission a C-rank?" Shisui asked. "Their first one, if I'm remembering correctly."

The Sandaime nodded. "I'm afraid it may very well be their first B-rank now," he said. Then he tossed the scroll to Shisui.

Shisui caught it and read it over. At about what Sasuke guessed was the halfway point, a tight frown appears on Shisui's face. He looked up at the Hokage. "What was she thinking?" He asked.

"That's a question I would like to ask her myself," the Hokage said. "But for now, I am willing to trust her judgment. But I do want your team to reinforce hers."

Shisui was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure if my team is ready for something like this," he said. Sasuke was about to offer a protest when an outstretched arm stopped him. He looked at Naruto, seeing him a look that said, 'Don't.'

"Perhaps," Itachi said. "But this mission could present us with certain opportunities. Look through the rest of the scroll's contents." Shisui did as Itachi suggested. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He knew his brother was trying to communicate something to Shisui. But he couldn't decipher what it was.

Shisui looked back up at the Hokage and Itachi, an unreadable expression on his face. "I see," he said. He rolled up the scroll and tossed it back to the Hokage. "Then my team accepts the mission. We'll depart as soon as we can."

The Hokage and Itachi nodded. "Good," the Hokage said. "Debrief your team and set out."

Shisui saluted, and Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke quickly did the same. "Yes, Hokage-Sama," Shisui said. Shisui turned around and made for the door. The genin members of team-11 exchanged quick confused glances as they followed their sensei.

Once they exited the mission room, the questions came. "Shisui-sensei, what's going on?" Sasuke asked. "What was with that message?"

"Yeah," Naruto joined in. "I heard something about team-8. Are they in trouble? Do they need help?"

"Is Kurenai-sensei okay?" Hinata asked.

"Team-8 ran into a bit of trouble with their C-rank mission," Shisui explained. "What do you know about their mission?"

Sasuke tried to recall if Kiba, Sakura, or Shino had told them anything about their mission. "Not much," he said. "Something about a bridge builder. But that's about it."

Naruto nodded. "I remember Kiba mentioning the guy was a drunkard," he said. "But that's about it. What about you, Hinata?" The Hyūga girl shook her head.

Shisui nodded. "To get into the specifics," he said. "Team-8 was to escort a bridge builder named Tazuna back to his homeland, the Land of Waves. On the way there, the team was ambushed by a pair of chunin-level Shinobi, Gozu and Meizu, otherwise known as the demon brothers."

Concerned looks spread across the faces of Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke. "Are they all right?" Hinata asked. "None of them got hurt?"

Shisui nodded. "Thankfully, no one on team-8 was injured," he said. "Some fried nerves, but aside from that, no one was hurt," at this, the members of team-11 felt relief. "They were able to subdue and capture the demon brothers. After Kurenai interrogated the prisoners and pressed Mr. Tazuna for answers, she learned that he had lied about the details of the mission." The genin frowned. "The Land of Waves has been taken over by a Businessman named Gato."

"Gato?" Hinata said. The others looked at her. "I've heard about him. He runs one of the largest shipping companies in the elemental nations."

Shisui nodded. "That's the man," he said. "But most people don't know that he runs a small criminal empire. His shipping business is simply a front. Getting back to team-8, Tazuna, as it turns out, wants to free his nation by building a bridge."

Sasuke frowns, a little confused. "How would a bridge free his nation?"

"The Land of Waves is a small island nation," Shisui explained. "Their only means of trade is through boat."

"Which this Gato guy has a monopoly on," Naruto said. "I'm getting the impression that this guy hasn't been treating the Land of Waves very well, has he?"

"The country is starving," Shisui said. "So, no."

"So, if this Tazuna does manage to build his bridge, that would basically free his home," Sasuke said.

Shisui nodded. "Right," he said. "With the bridge complete, the Land of Waves could trade freely with the rest of the world. It would break Gato's stranglehold over the country."

"Something that this Gato guy wouldn't want," Naruto summed. "Which explains why shinobi came after Tazuna. I don't suppose there's any chance that they were the only ones."

Shisui shook his head. "I highly doubt it," he said. "In fact, we might even have an idea of who team-8 will come across next, now that the demon brothers have failed."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who?" he asked.

"Zabuza Momochi," Shisui said. "Otherwise known as the Demon of the Bloody Mist, the demon brothers are known associates of his."

Sasuke felt himself gulping. Anybody who got a name like that wasn't anyone to be messed with. "What if team-8 encounters the guy before we arrive?" He asked. "Can Kurenai handle him?" He saw the worried expression on Hinata's face.

Shisui rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure," he said. "But I would rather not find out. Our mission will be to reinforce Team-8 and help them complete their mission. While their mission started out as a C-rank, in all likelihood, it will be bumped up to a B-rank."

Sasuke and the others nodded. They were exiting the Hokage tower now. "So, when do we set out?" Naruto asked.

"As the Hokage ordered," Shisui said. He turned around to face his genin. "We set out as soon as possible. Go get your stuff and whatever provisions you can get. We meet at the main gates in two hours. Understood?"

The three genin stood at attention. "Hai, Sensei," they said in unison.

Shisui nodded at them. "Dismissed," he said, disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Sasuke and his teammates wordlessly nodded at each other before they departed. Sasuke got his wish about getting a more exciting mission. Now it would remain to be seen if he would regret that later.

Forest clearing

"So, you got another mission outside the village?" Yakumo asked. "A C-Rank?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Actually, it might be a B-rank," he said.

Yakumo looked at her friend in surprise. "A B-rank?" she asked for clarification. "Isn't it a bit early for that kind of mission?" It's not that she didn't believe Sasuke and his team could handle something like that. She was just worried.

"It's kind of complicated," Sasuke said.

"I got time," Yakumo picked her brush up and started on her canvas. Deep down, she desperately wished Sasuke wouldn't look under the cover she had hastily thrown over one of her other works. She barely had time to swap it out and cover it when she felt Sasuke's chakra. She hoped that he didn't see anything.

Sasuke nodded and explained to her what happened in the mission room. "So, I got about an hour before I have to go," Sasuke said.

Yakumo put her brush into the paint. "So, you came to say goodbye to me?" She asked as she examined what she had on her canvas so far. She felt that another shade of color might help, and maybe she needed to work on the shadows.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want to leave you wondering," he said. "I know we agreed to hang out today. But with the mission, I'm afraid we won't be able to do that today. Or for a while."

Yakumo smiled and turned her head. "Sasuke," she said, "We hang out almost every day. What's a day or two with each other going to do? Remember you were on that C-rank for what two or three weeks? And I was fine without you."

Sasuke scratched at his cheek. "I guess," he said. "Though I get the feeling that this mission will be longer. I'm guessing maybe a month or longer. It depends on how quickly we can catch up with team-8 and how long this bridge builder will take."

Yakumo smiled and turned her attention back to her canvas. She picked the brush up. "Then I guess I will see you when you return," she said. "Don't worry. I'll have the others to keep me company if that's what you're worried about. Besides, as much as I like spending time with you," and she did. The moments she spent with Sasuke were some of the happiest in her life. "It's nice to see others every now and then."

Sasuke chuckled. "Oh, trust me, I know the feeling," he said. "Spend any time with Naruto, and you'll wish for time to yourself. The dope talks too much and gets on my nerves."

Yakumo had to repress a giggle. "Now, don't be like that," she said. "If he were to disappear tomorrow, you'll be the first to miss him. Well, right behind Hinata, that is."

Sasuke snorted and crossed his arms. "Me miss that dope?" he said. "Like that would happen. I would enjoy the peace and quiet without him around."

Yakumo giggled and stroked her brush across the canvas. "You tell yourself that," she said with a smile. Then a frown tugged at her lips. "Hey, Sasuke?"

"Yes?" Sasuke said curiously.

Yakumo bit her lip. "When you get back," she started. "Do you think you can tell me about your mission? I like it when you talk about them."

She was met with silence for a second. "Sure," Sasuke said. "I can tell you what happened when I get back."

Yakumo smiled and nodded. "Thanks," she said. It was nice hearing about Sasuke and his team's missions. Sometimes she would even pretend she had been a part of them.

"Have you got any word about getting a team yet?" Sasuke asked after a moment of silence.

Yakumo paused mid-stroke. "Not yet," she said. "I guess they're still waiting for an opening to come up."

She could feel Sasuke staring at her. "I hope you get one soon," he said after a moment.

Yakumo smiled and continued with her painting. "It's not like I'm doing nothing," she said. "I still get to train, and they let do some D-ranks sole." She was also allowed to train with the other genin teams, mostly with her graduating class. So, it wasn't like her shinobi career was being completely stalled. "And even if I do remain in the reserves, it won't stop me from being a good kunoichi."

"I guess," Sasuke said. "I'm just worried that you might feel a little left behind. The rest of us have teams and can go out on missions outside the village. But you're stuck here waiting for your team."

Yakumo would admit that she did feel a little of that and maybe a little bit of jealousy.

"More than a bit."

Yakumo ignored the voice in the back of her mind. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Actually, I might be getting one soon," she said. "Maybe, or at least I think I have an idea of one of the people I'll be with."

Sasuke walked beside her. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a curious expression on him. "Go on," he said.

In her mind, the memory of meeting a strange boy surfaced. "He's another genin that's been placed in the reserves," Yakumo said. "He just became a genin."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Someone from our class?" he asked.

Yakumo shook her head. "That's the strange part," she answered. "I don't recognize him from our class. Or from the academy in general."

Sasuke rubbed his chin. "That is weird," he replied. "Did you ask him about it?"

Yakumo nodded. "I did," she said. "His family trained him until they felt he was ready for the academy's graduation exam.

Sasuke furrowed his brow. "I didn't know you could do that," he said.

"I didn't either until he told me, and I looked into it for myself," she dipped her brush into a jar of paint. "Turns out you don't need to attend the academy to become a shinobi of Konoha. Just pass its graduation exam."

"So, we didn't have to bother with all those years listening to Iruka's lectures?" Sasuke said with a smile. "We could have just been trained by our families have skipped the whole process. What a dream that would have been. Especially for Naruto, he loves Iruka like a brother, but he hates his lectures. Not something I can disagree with."

Yakumo smiled. Iruka was a good man and even a good teacher. But she had to agree with Sasuke (and the rest of her class) that the man's lectures were boring. More than a few times, she had caught herself nearly falling asleep through them.

Yakumo shook her head. "Getting back on point," she said. "He took the graduation exam and passed."

"I see," Sasuke said. "I guess he was placed on the reserves like you were."

Yakumo nodded. "Not a lot of teams available right now," she said. "I've heard that we got quite a few genin in the reserves at the moment."

Sasuke nodded his head. He had a faint memory of Itachi mentioning something like. He couldn't place when and where, though. "I don't know that there were so many."

Yakumo nodded. "It happens," she said. "Some get left behind by their teammates, or well," Sasuke nodded, knowing what she was alluding to. "And then there's me. The odd one out."

Sasuke frowned. "You're not the odd one out," he said. "You're just a little unlucky, that's all. I'm sure you'll get a team eventually."

Yakumo smiled. Not the best way to put it, but she appreciated the effort. "Which brings me to my point," she said. "I've heard that there's enough of us, that the Hokage is considering making new teams from the reserves."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And you're thinking that this guy will be on the same team as you?" He asked. For some odd reason, there was a subtle edge in his voice.

Yakumo chooses to ignore it, chalking it up as her imagination. "Just a feeling I have," she said. "He's around our age. Might even have been in our class if he had gone to the academy."

Sasuke remained silent for a moment. "What's he like?"

Yakumo tried to recall what the pale boy was like. "Well, first off, his name is Sai," she said.

"Sai?" Sasuke repeated.

Yakumo nodded. "Something like that," she replied. "He's a little on that strange side."

"Strange how?" Sasuke said, worried. "He hasn't tried anything with you, has he?"

"What? No," Yakumo said quickly. "He's just weird," she tried to explain. She tried to find the right words for the boy. She knew there was something off about him but couldn't place what. "I think the best way to put it is he's awkward around other people." That wasn't right, but it was the best thing she could come up with.

Now Sasuke looked more confused than before. "He's awkward?" He questioned. "Like how?"

Yakumo put her brush down and put a finger on her chin. "Well, first off, he's smiling all the time," she said. "But it's a very obviously fake kind of smile. It's like he forced himself to smile." It was also more than a bit creepy to her, but she wouldn't mention it to Sasuke. "Very rarely does it seem genuine."

"I see," Sasuke said. "Is there anything else that's odd about him?"

"Well, he does like calling me no-breath," she said. At the confused look on Sasuke's face, she explained. "It's in reference to my lack of stamina." Even after years of training, she was barely average when compared to others in her age group.

Sasuke had a tight frown on his face. "So, he's calling you names," he said in a low tone.

Yakumo knew where this was going and was quick to defuse any misunderstanding. "I don't think he means anything by it," she defended the boy. "He read somewhere in a book that a good way to make friends is to give them nicknames, particularly if they are some form of insult.

Sasuke gave her a perplexed look. "You sure he's not doing it to be mean," he said. "You did say the guy was strange, right?"

Yakumo let out a sigh. "I'm sure," she said. "I don't get a sense that he's trying to be mean. I think he's just clueless about the fact that whatever he read was bad advice. Honestly, he should return that book and get a refund."

Sasuke looked at Yakumo for a long moment, seemingly unconvinced by her assurances. "All right then," he said. "But if he does, start messing with you. You let me know. I'll take care of him. Trust me; no one will ever find the body." Sasuke had a vicious smile on.

Yakumo huffed out a laugh. "I'll keep that in mind," she said.

Sasuke looked up at the sky. "I think it's time I got going," he said. "I don't want to keep the others waiting."

Yakumo nodded. "Good luck with your mission," she said. She picked her brush back up and resumed her painting. "I hope everything goes well," then she paused momentarily as she bit at her lips. "Sasuke, can you promise me something?"

Sasuke looked over at her, intrigued. "Yes?" he said. "Anything."

"Promise me," she started. "Promise me that you will be okay. That you won't do anything reckless."

Sasuke's cheeks turned red, and he started to rub the back of his head. "S-sure," he said. "I can do that. I promise I won't do anything reckless or stupid. I'm not Naruto, after all. It's him you should be worried about."

Yakumo smiled, relief coming over her. "I guess so," she said. "But still, I wanted to hear you promise it."

Sasuke looked away from her. "I better be going," he said and started to walk away. "Be seeing you."

Yakumo nodded. "Be seeing you," she said.

Yakumo was surprised when she heard Sasuke's voice reaching her ears a few moments later. "Hey, Yakumo," Yakumo turned her head over to face Sasuke, his cheeks were still red, and he was scratching at one of them with a finger. "When I get back, you want to do something?"

"Something?" Yakumo parroted.

Sasuke slowly nodded. "Yeah, like eating out somewhere, just the two of us."

Yakumo smiled. "Sure, we can do that." She said. Her heart was racing for some odd reason.

Sasuke beamed at the answer. "Great, thanks," he said. "I'll see you then." Then he ran off, leaving Yakumo alone.

Yakumo shrugged and went back to her painting. About two minutes later, her brush stopped mid-stroke, and Yakumo's whole face turned red.

Wait, had Sasuke just asked her out on a date?"

Enroute to Wave

Two days later, team-11 was now crossing the lake that separated Wave from the mainland. Shisui had wanted them to make for Wave at top speed, so the team had been traveling at their maximum speed for two days. Only stopping at night to rest and moving out at the first light of the morning. Sasuke would admit it was a little taxing, he wasn't used to doing something like this, and it was starting to push the limits of Sasuke's stamina. But Sasuke understood the urgency of needing to get to team-8. If what Shisui said about this Zabuza guy was true, them getting to team-8 quickly could mean the difference between life and death.

So, Sasuke pressed on the best he could. He also knew something like this could happen again, so this was an excellent chance to see how far he could push himself and where he could improve.

Reaching the lake team-11 running over the water. Sasuke was glad that water walking was one of the first things Shisui had taught them as their sensei. It was a massive time saver, even if Naruto and he still had a little trouble with it.

"Naruto," Shisui said. "Do you have a visual on team-8?"

Naruto shook his head. "No," he answered. "Not yet. But I'm sending my eyes farther out and spreading them."

Shisui nodded. "Keeping looking," he said. "We need to find them before they are intercepted by Zabuza."

Naruto nodded. "Right," he said. "Anything I should keep a look out for?"

"Fog," Shisui said. "Zabuza was a former shinobi of Kiri. They have a jutsu there that lets them create a thick blank of fog. Zabuza is known to be a master of the jutsu."

Sasuke nodded. "A perfect chance for him to do his silent kill technique," he said. Sasuke repressed a shudder at the thought of the silent kill technique. A means of killing someone so quickly and quietly that often the victim didn't know they were dead until the Shinigami was before them. And Zabuza was considered a master of it.

"I think I can already see some fog," Naruto said. "Should I look into it?"

"Yes, do it now," Shisui said. "Where is it?"

They crossed onto the land. Naruto pointed in a direction. "That way," he said. "You think it might be them?"

Shisui nodded. "I'm willing to bet on it," he said. "With the failure of the demon brothers, Zabuza would have no choice but to intercept them now and try to kill Tazuna. This would be the perfect chance for him now."

Shisui glanced over at the genin of team-11. "All right, everyone," he said. "There's a good chance that team-8 is already engaged with Zabuza. We'll be jumping into the thick of it. I want the three of you to help the genin of team-8 protect the bridge builder. While I aid Kurenai in her fight against Zabuza. If it looks like things are going badly, I want you to get out of there with team-8 and Tazuna. Understood?"

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke nodded. "Hai," they said.

Shisui nodded, pleased by their response. "Good," he said. "Naruto, I want you to spread your eyes out and provide support where you can. Also, keep a lookout. You'll never know what Zabuza has up his sleeve." Naruto nodded. "Hinata, I want you to do the same with your Byakugan."

Sasuke remained silent during the exchange. He wished he could do more, but he had yet to awaken his Sharingan. Something he was more than a bit embarrassed by. His brother had awakened him when he was eight and his father at ten. Of course, he knew those were unusual cases, as most Uchiha didn't awaken their Sharingan until they were around his age. Sometimes even later.

Logically Sasuke knew that even if he had his Sharingan right now, it wouldn't be helpful right now. Naruto's Futogan and the Byakugan were well-suited for tracking and sentry duties. The Sharingan, not so much. It was meant more for combat situations. But he still wished he had it.

"Sasuke," Sasuke shook his head and looked at Shisui. "Did you hear me?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No," he answered. "I was distracted. What was it?"

Shisui had a tight frown on his face but seemed to move on. "I said I want you to be on alert as well," he said. "We're going into dangerous territory here, and each of us has to stay alert. Got that?"

Sasuke nodded. "Got it, Shisui-Sensei," he said.

Shisui still had his frown, but he nodded at Sasuke. He looked back in front of him. "Then let's go," he said. "We don't have time to waste.

Not long after, Naruto made a report. "Sensei, I got something," he said. "Several figures deep in the fog. They look like they're fighting."

"That's got to be Team-8 and Zabuza," Shisui said. "Can you make out what's going on?"

Naruto nodded his head. "Somewhat," he said. "The fog is making it hard to make things out. But I think I can make out the gist of what's happening."

"Tell us," Shisui ordered.

"Kiba, Sakura, and Shino are around some old guy. I'm guessing that's the bridge builder. It looks like they're fighting clones of Zabuza. Since he's from Kiri, I'm guessing they're water clones."

"How are those three holding up?" Shisui asked. "Water clones may not be as strong as the original, but they're still dangerous."

"Reasonably well, I would say," Naruto said. "Kiba and Shino just took one out."

Shisui nodded. "Then what Kurenai and Zabuza himself?" he asked. "Can you see what they're doing?" The team crossed into the fog. They would be on top of the fight any minute now.

"I do," Naruto said with a tight frown. "I'm afraid Kurenai may be in a worse position. She and Zabuza are over a nearby lake, but Zabuza has trapped her in a water ball."

"The water prison jutsu," Shisui said. "A Kiri classic, used either to subdue opponents or drown them. All right, you three reinforce the genin members of team-8. I'll jump in and save Kurenai. Then the two of us will engage Zabuza. Got that?"

"Hai Sensei!"

"Then let's go."

Land of Waves

Zabuza looked between the kunoichi trapped in his water prison and the genin she was leading. Admittedly he was somewhat impressed with genin even if they had yet to taste blood. Being able to hold their ground with his water clones was impressive. They did hold a tenth of his strength. So, the three sniveling brats had to be good.

Well, the Aburame and Inuzuka were. The pink-haired kunoichi wasn't so much. He looked back at the kunoichi. Kurenai, the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha, she had lived up to her title, trapping and ensnaring him in genjutsu after genjutsu. But Zabuza had not become the Demon of the Bloody Mist without coming up with a counter or two to genjutsus.

"All right, gakis," he said. "Here's the deal," he looked at the shaking genin. A smile formed under his face, wrappings. "I got something you want, and you have something I want," the genin caught onto what he meant. Judging by how he stiffened and paled, the bridge builder in the middle of their formation did too.

"What deal?" The Inuzuka brat snarled. He and his genin friends tighten their formation around the target. A low growling came from his canine partner.

"Simple," Zabuza said. "You give me the bridge builder, and in exchange," he looked at his captive. The kunoichi glared defiantly at him. "I let this pretty little thing go. A fair deal, don't you think? So, what do you say?"

The Inuzuka boy bared his teeth, and the pink-haired girl looked between him and the bridge builder. The Aburame just remained impassive. He had heard members of the Aburame were creepy like that.

The Inuzuka brat opened his mouth to say something. "It's a nice offer," only for another voice to cut him off. "But I think I'm going to have to say no."

It was only through his quick thinking and years of experience that Zabuza managed to jump out of the way of the incoming blade. But he was forced to break his hold on the water prison. That was a minor consideration as Zabuza was forced to duck under another sword swipe followed by another.

Growling, the former Kiri swordsman jumped back several times to distance himself and the newcomer. When he got a good look at the shinobi Zabuza ever so briefly felt a tinge of fear when he saw the blood-red eyes of the Sharingan.

Zabuza cursed under his breath. He should have known that the Konoha-nin would have called in backup. At the very least, Kurenai would have known who they would be going up against next after subduing the demon brothers. It was just his luck that the backup included an Uchiha.

Zabuza stole a quick glance at the bridge builder and the genin around him. He saw that three more genin had appeared and closed the gaps. He would have dismissed them as he did with the others. What was the difference between one snot-noised brat and the other?

Except Zabuza could tell that these three were different from the others. They hold themselves more like true shinobi. One was very obviously a Hyūga. The other one, Zabuza guessed, might have been another Uchiha. A little odd having a Hyūga on a team with two Uchihas. They were supposed to be rivals. The last brat, though, caught his attention. The one with bright blonde hair and an orange blindfold, with a Konoha Hitai-ate attached to it, wrapped around his head. The boy also had markings on his arms and hands.

Seals? Zabuza thought. That could make the boy a problem if he were a fuinjutsu specialist. Zabuza shook his head. Even if these new brats were more like real shinobi, they were still genin and posed little threat to him. He turned his attention to the real threats on the field.

The pair of Jōnin standing across from him. The Kunoichi, Kurenai, was gasping for air while the newcomer stood protectively beside her. One Sharingan eye on her, and the other focused on him. The Genjutsu Mistress he could handle, it was this Uchiha, Zabuza was uncertain about.

Zabuza tightens his grip around the hilt of Kubikiribocho. A smile formed around the wrappings that covered his mouth. This fight had just gotten a lot more interesting. Haku, you better be ready to bail me out. Just in case things get out of hand.

He charged at his opponents.

When the water prison broke and the water fell away around her, Kurenai was left coughing and gasping for air. On instinct, she channeled chakra to her legs and feet, keeping her from falling under the surface of the lake.

After catching her breath, she stood up and looked at the newcomer. "Shisui," she said, recognizing the man. "So, you're my backup."

The Uchiha nodded his head. "Me and my team," he said.

Kurenai looked at her genin, seeing that the genin members of team-11 had appeared beside them. Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke had closed in the gaps around Tazuna and were now helping her genin fight off the water clones of Zabuza. A small smile graced Kurenai's lips at seeing Hinata fighting so well and with confidence.

Then she turned her attention back to Shisui. "Thanks for the save," she said, pulling a kunai out. "You arrived just in the nick of time."

Shisui nodded at her. "Just doing my job as fellow shinobi of Konoha," he said. Then both Jōnin leaped back as Zabuza charged at them and swung his massive sword out in an arc. "But I think we can save the pleasantries for later. For now, let's handle this guy."

Both Jōnin landed back on the water, Shisui held his blade out. "All right then," Kurenai said. "But I owe you a drink by the end of this mission."

Shisui nodded. "Deal," he said. Zabuza came at them.

Shisui gritted his teeth as Zabuza swung his sword down. It collided with Shisui's blade, almost driving his feet into the foot. "So Konoha sends more nin my way?" Zabuza said. "I don't know if I should feel flattered or insulted."

Shisui smiled. "Probably the former," he said before he disappeared. Reappearing behind Zabuza, Shisui swung his sword out. Only for Zabuza to spin around and parry the attack. "You're the Demon of the Bloody Mist. Not exactly a lightweight."

Zabuza chuckled. "So, my name precedes me," he said. "But so does yours, Shunshin no Shisui."

Shisui smiled and flicked out of sight. He appeared again, threw several shuriken at the former Kiri swordsman, and then flickered again. He reappeared above Zabuza and went through a set of hand signs.

"Katon: Fire Spear no Jutsu." Shisui took a deep breath and breathed a stream of fire at Zabuza.

Zabuza was quick to react, though, as he used his sword to block the shuriken and then jumped out of the way of the stream of fire. The spear of fire hit the water, creating a plum of steam. However, Zabuza did not have time to relax, as Shisui flickered behind Zabuza as he jumped back.

Shisui swung his sword out, cutting through the ill-prepared swordsman and slicing him in two. Or it would seem. The two halves of Zabuza dissolved into water.

A water clone, Shisui thought, spinning around just in time for Zabuza to cleave him in two. But like what happened a second ago, the two pieces of Shisui dissolved into water. Zabuza raised his sword to block a downward slash from Shisui as he flicked back into existence.

"You certainly live up to your name," Zabuza comments.

Shisui smiled. "I try," he said. Then flickered out of sight.

Zabuza looked around, trying to scan for where his opponent would appear again. He let out a small yelp of surprise as a hand shot from the water and grabbed his leg. The hand then proceeded to drag the former Kiri swordsman under the water.

Zabuza struggled against the hand's grip while keeping his free foot steady on the water. "Why won't you let go?" Zabuza said. Then something seemed to dawn on him. With his free hand, he formed a hand sign. "Kai!" He pulsed his chakra out. The shadowy hand vanished, and Zabuza saw he was standing on the water with one foot while the other was halfway submerged.

That was about when he saw a fireball racing towards him. Keeping calm, Zabuza went through a blur of handsigns. "Suiton: Water Wall no Jutsu!" The swordsman threw his hands on the water. The water in front of him rose up, forming a wall. The large fireball collided with the wall of water, creating a thick cloud of steam.

Again, Zabuza did not relax as he was instantly on the defensive; this time, two figures appeared around him. Shisui slashed his sword out at Zabuza, aiming for his chest. While Kurenai swept her legs out, intending to sweep his feet out from under him.

But Zabuza jumped up, avoiding the sweeping kick from the Konoha Kunoichi, and parried the attack from Shisui. Both Konoha Jōnin twisted around to avoid colliding with each other.

That gave Zabuza some breathing room, which he used to jump back from the two, putting some distance between him and them. Shisui and Kurenai turned around to face Zabuza just as he started to go through a series of handsigns.

A smirk appeared on Shisui's face. He started going through his own set of handsigns. Handsigns that Zabuza quickly recognized.

"You're copying me," Zabuza said. "So, the tales of the Sharingan are true. It lets you copy any jutsu, you see."

Shisui's smile grew. "It can do more than copying you," he said. "Haven't you heard of the other tales of my clan's doujutsu? The rumors that say it lets us see the future."

"What the future?" Zabuza said, an edge of uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Are you telling me you can see what will happen?"

Shisui nodded. "More than that," he said. "I can see your future, Zabuza, and how this fight will end. I see your death Zabuza of the Bloody Mist. You will die by the end of this battle. I can see it. Both of us can."

"Both of you?" Zabuza said, looking at Kurenai. "What are you?" Then paused when he saw the kunoichi going through the same handsigns as him and Shisui. But that was a minor detail he took in as he gazed into the woman's red eyes. Red eyes that had spinning tomas in them.

"The Sharingan!" Zabuza said. "Impossible you can't have that. You're not an Uchiha," but here he was, seeing two sets of Sharingan eyes staring back at him. Both Jōnin were mirroring his every action.

Zabuza shook his head. No, this had to be a trick. There was no way he was dealing with two Sharingan users at the same time. Nor could they possibly see his future. No one could do that.

Kurenai smiled. "I can see your doubts, Zabuza," she said. "I can see the uncertainty in your eyes just as clearly as I can see your demise. These eyes of mine, they let me see the future," the toma in her eyes kept spinning and spinning. It was like watching a pinwheel. The same thing was happening in the eyes of Shisui. "The future has no place for you, Zabuza. Can't you see it?"

Zabuza grew more confused. What was this kuno… Then he saw it. A shadowy figure formed behind the two Konoha shinobi. That figure that was mirroring Zabuza's action. No more than that, the figure was a misty reflection of himself.

The figure finished its set of handsigns and seemed about to channel a jutsu. When it was cut apart, and fell to the water's surface in pieces before it vanished.

Zabuza felt a shiver go down his spine. Did he? No, he couldn't have. He couldn't have just seen his future, foreseen his demise.

Zabuza had to finish this now before what he saw had a chance to come to pass. He completed his handsigns and channeled his chakra.

The Konoha Jōnin finished at the same time as him.

"Suiton: Water Dragon no Jutsu!"

The water started to ripple and rise in front of the three battling shinobi. The waters formed into the heads of dragons that now seemed to glare at each other. Zabuza's water dragon rose and soared toward the Konoha Shinobi. Meanwhile, the water dragons formed by Kurenai and Shisui twisted around one another and shot out toward Zabuza's dragon.

Zabuza smirked. This was good. When the attacks collided, they would cancel each other out. Then in the chaos Zabuza would summon a blanket of mist to cover the lake. He would use that as an opportunity to pick off the Jōnin with his silent killing technique. Zabuza was already forming the necessary handsigns when the three water dragons collided.

Zabuza's smirk quickly melted away to a look of shock and horror as only one of the Konoha shinobi's dragons collided with his creating a thick wall of water that then fell back into the lake. But the second of the two dragons simply phased through Zabuza's and raced toward him.

"Impossible," Zabuza shouted, bracing himself for the incoming attack. It passed right through him. "What?" Zabuza looked behind, seeing the Water Dragon moving past him, then after a short distance, it turned around and started to circle around him. Faster and faster, it went until the water around it began to move.

Within moments Zabuza was caught up in a vortex. "How?" he said, struggling against the whirlpool. "How could one of the Konoha-nin's attacks pass through like it wasn't…." A thought struck Zabuza. He channeled his charka. "Kai!"

The water dragon circling around him vanished, and so did the image of Kurenai. For a moment, Zabuza thought the whirlpool would also disappear, and he would find himself standing back on the lake's surface.

Then he was pulled under by the currents of the very real whirlpool. Zabuza's eyes widen as he realizes how thoroughly he has been tricked. He tried his hardest to break free from the currents of the whirlpool. But at every turn, he was tossed about by the waters. Before the currents swept him away, the last thing he saw was the kunoichi standing at the center of the whirlpool.

His back slammed into a tree, and after that, he felt several kunai pierce his body.

Shisui walked up to the pinned Zabuza. A smile was gracing his lips. "Like I said," he spoke to the former kiri swordsman. "I foresaw your future, and your future says you will die here," Shisui held his sword out, ready to finish his opponent.

Then two senbon flew out and struck Zabuza in the neck. Shisui's eyes widened as he saw the blood explode from Zabuza's neck. The former kiri swordsman twitched for several seconds before his whole body went limp.

"You were right," a voice said. "You did see him die," Shisui turned to face the source of the voice. He saw a masked girl around his genin's age standing on a tree branch.

A hunter-nin, Shisui realized at seeing the Kiri symbol on her mask. She jumped down near the body of Zabuza. She quickly removed the kunai from his body, allowing it to fall to the ground.

Shisui sheathed his blade, relaxing just a little. But not entirely, Her timing feels a little too convenient.

The hunter-nin bowed to Shisui as Kurenai walked up beside him. He only needed the briefest of glances to tell how exhausted she was. "I must thank you for your assistance," the Hunter-nin said.

Shisui kept his expression natural as he looked at the girl. He held his hand to stop the genin from charging in. Namely, the Inuzuka boy who looked ready for a fight. "No problem," Shisui said.

"Hey, what's the big idea," Kiba growled at the new arrival. "Coming in like that and stealing our kill."

"Our kill?" Naruto said in a deadpan voice. "I think you meant Shisui-sensei and Kurenai-sensei's kill."

Kiba snorted and rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said. "But still, what are you doing here?"

"Kiba," Sakura said in an aggravated tone. "You're embarrassing us. I'm so sorry for his behavior Kunoichi-San," she bowed deeply to the hunter-nin. "He's acts all tough, but really he's a mutt."

"Hey!" Kiba shouted at Sakura.

Shisui held his hand out to silence the genin. "I assume the only reason why you didn't jump is because you were waiting for the right moment, correct?" He asked.

The hunter-nin bowed her head. "I did," she admitted. "Zabuza was no easy target. Several hunter-nins before me tried and failed. So, when I saw you two fighting him, I knew I had my chance."

Kiba scoffed. "So, you just waited around like a coward," he said, crossing his arms. A glare from Kurenai had him stepping back.

The hunter-nin didn't seem to be offended and shrugged her shoulders. "We are shinobi," she said. "We take whatever opportunity we can get."

She wasn't wrong. "If I may," Shisui said, stepping forward. The Hunter-nin tensed. "I would like to check and confirm that Zabuza is dead."

The hunter-nin looked at him for a second. She nodded her head. "By all means," she said, gesturing her arm to Zabuza. "Go ahead."

Shisui nodded and stepped up to Zabuza's body. He knelt and placed his fingers around his neck. No pulse, and the body was already cooling. Removing his fingers, Shisui examined the side of Zabuza's neck, seeing a pair of senbon sticking out.

Shisui stood up and backed away from the body. The Hunter-nin hovered over the corpse. "He's dead," Shisui said. He looked over at the assembled genin and Kurenai. The genin were letting out sighs of relief. But Kurenai had an odd look in her eyes.

Shisui looked back at the hunter-nin. "You may do as you wish with him," he said.

The hunter-nin nodded and knelt beside Zabuza's body. "Thank you, Konoha-nin," she said. "Without your aid, I would have never caught up with him. Kiri, thanks you."

Shisui smiled. Slowly he inched his hand over the hilt of his blade. "Maybe this will help improve relations between our two villages," he said. "With the state Kiri is in, I can imagine they can use all the help they can."

"Perhaps," the hunter-nin stated. Then without warning, she and the body of Zabuza vanished in a puff of smoke.

Shisui frowned. Well, sh…

Thunk!

"Kurenai-sensei!" Four separate voices said together.

Shisui turned around and saw the genin members of team 8 plus Hinata were now knelt around an unconscious Kurenai. Shisui let out a sigh. One problem at a time, he told himself.

"Kiba and Sasuke," Shisui said. "Grab Kurenai. We'll carry her back to the client's home. The rest of you protect the client." Then he turned to face who he assumed was Tazuna. "Tazuna-San I assume."

"Uhh sure," he said. "That's me."

Shisui nodded. "Then, if you would," he said. "Take us to your home. So, we can get Kurenai somewhere to rest and plan what we will do next."

"Wait, hold on," Tazuna said. "Just who are you guys, and what are you doing here? I remember hiring one team."

Shisui nodded. "I suppose we did skip over the introductions when we got here," he said. "I am Uchiha Shisui, and these are my genin. Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto. As for what we're doing here," he looked sternly at the client, who flinched away. "We're the reinforcements Kurenai requested when she learned of your deception."

Tazuna gulped. "So, you know about that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Shisui crossed his arms. "It's why we're here," he said flatly. Then held his hand up to stop any excuses the man might have thrown at him. "Don't worry. We'll still complete this mission. But we will discuss payment later," he gave the man a look that told him this was non-negotiable.

Tazuna nodded nervously. "Right," he said meekly. "I'll show you the way to my home."

Shisui nodded and turned to face the genin. Kiba and Sasuke were already carrying Kurenai, while Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Shino flanked Tazuna. "All right, teams 8 and 11, let's get to the client's house. Then we'll discuss what to do next. Understood?"

"Hai!"

"Then move."

So, we finally get to the wave arc, and it only took me (looks at a watch) ... 27 chapters. So. we're finally getting into the story proper, I hope you enjoy my take on it, things will turn out a little different than they did in cannon. Also, Yakumo hasn't gotten a team yet, but that is soon to change. You already know who one of her teammates will be, and the second one will soon follow. I even have an idea who the Jonin-Sensei will be.

One more thing befor I close off. A sneak preview of my next project.

"Lord Starscream, the alien vessels are hailing us. We're also receiving what appears to be a language pack."

"So, the locals want to speak, do they?" Starscream said, rubbing his chin. He still found it hard to believe that they were crewed by organics. The sensors must be malfunctioning. "Translate their language and play the message."

"Yes, my lord."

A moment later, a voice was heard over the comms. "This is Admiral Archie Cartwell of the Lunar Defense Fleet, in command of the UNS. Armstrong. You have entered the airspace of the United Nations of Sol. I order you to cease your conflict within our territory and to open a dialog with us."

Brave little primitives, weren't they?

"This is Admiral Archie Cartwell of the Lunar Defense Fleet, in command of the UNS. Armstrong. You have entered the airspace of the United Nations of Sol. I order you to cease your conflict within our territory and to open a dialog with us."

Optimus was quick to react. "Open a channel to the Armstrong."

"Channel open, Prime. But we only have audio."

Optimus nodded. The Ark had taken a lot of damage from the battle. So, several systems were either offline or barely operable. He prayed that its most important one was still intact.

"Prime?" Rachet said next to him. "What are you planning?" Elita was sharing a similar look of concern.

"Hopefully, saving us, old friend," Optimus said. "Admiral Archie Cartwell of the UNS. Armstrong. This is Optimus Prime of the Autobot Starship Ark. We will comply with your order, but we request that we be allowed to land on your moon. Our ship has taken heavy damage and needs to be repaired," Prime debated to himself if he should reveal the next bit of information. "We also request protection from the pursuing decepticon forces, should they not comply."

"Please, Starscream, see reason here. Do not drag another race into our war," Prime thought to himself.

"Prime!" Rachet said. "Are you really going to put our fate in the hands of a bunch of primitive organics? Have you gone mad?"

"They are not primitives, Rachet," Optimus chastises his old friend. "There may yet be more to them than meets the eye."

And truthfully, Prime did not know what else to do.

"We also request protection from the pursuing decepticon forces, should they not comply."

"Bloody hell!" Cartwell thought to himself. Just what they needed right now, another complication.

"Sir, what should we do?" Tactical said. "The uhh? autobot ship has complied with our order and powered down their weapons. Their power output has also dropped. They appear to be channeling what is left to their engines and shields."

"Sir," Comms said. "The rest of the fleet is requesting orders."

"Standby," Cartwell said. "Hail the decepticon ships. Reiterate our orders. Warn them that should they continue with their act of aggression, they will be consider hostile and fired upon."

A moment passed, and the decepticon ships were still firing on the autobot ship. "We're receiving a hail from the decepticon Command ship. The uhh? Blood of Unicorn? They're requesting visual contact."

"Granted," Cartwell said. The viewscreen lit, changing from the battle to showing the face of the new contacts. Cartwell's eyes widened. "A machine," he mutters.

The machine's face had a look of surprise on it before its expression twisted in disgust. "Eh, so you are organics. How quaint."

Cartwell's eyes narrowed at the being, he didn't like the tone of its voice. He got a good look at the machine's face. It was thin and elongated, ending in a pointed chin. Set against grey metal, its red eyes gazed at Cartwell with a dismissive expression. One looked at this thing, and Cartwell saw the face of a cruel man. Being?

"This is Admiral Cartwell," he said to the machine. "To whom might I be speaking?"

The machine stared at him with an expression of contempt. For a moment, Cartwell thought the thing would ignore his question. "Listen well, little organic," the thing said. "For I will not repeat myself."

"My species is called human," Cartwell interjected, trying his best to sound calm in front of the alien machine.

The thing rolled its eyes. "Whatever," it dismissed. "I am Lord Starscream, the second in command to the glories Decepticon cause. Which will soon achieve total victory in our war with the autobots when I seize the Ark."

Cartwell felt a frown tug at his mouth. This situation was getting more complicated by the minute. "Be that as it may," Cartwell said to the being calling itself Starscream. "Lord Starscream, you still have yet to follow my order and cease your hostilities with the autobot vessel."

Starscream scoffed at the man. "And why should I follow the orders of a primitive organic?"

This time Cartwell allowed a frown to appear on his face. "Because you are in our territory," he said evenly. "And brought your war into our space without our knowledge or consent. So, we are well within our rights to demand a cease-fire in our home."

The decepticon commander chuckled. "Brave for an organic, aren't you? Most would scurry away at seeing me or any other Cybertronian. So, I will forgive you for your rudeness."

"My rudeness?" Cartwell said evenly.

The decepticon smiled at him. It was unsettling. "Do not interfere with our battle with the autobot ship, and I won't turn your ships into slag. Farewell, human. I doubt we will see each other again."

"Now wait for just a," the image of the machine winked out, and once again, the bridge crew was offered a view of the battle happening outside Luna's orbit.

"He cut the transmission, sir." Comms said.

That much Cartwell could see. He felt his hands ball into fists. "Hail the decepticons again. Repeat our order to cease their conflict with the autobot ship." Briefly, he wondered if that was also crewed by machines. Had they discovered a race of machines? If so, who were their creators, and for what purpose? Were they even still around?

There were a lot of unknowns at play here. Cartwell did not like any of it. "Sir, the decepticons are ignoring our hails."

"Keep raising them, ensign." Cartwell said.

"Aye, sir." Comms responded."

"Admiral!" Tactical said. "The decepticon ships have deployed what appear to be strike craft after the autobot vessel. They will intercept in a matter of minutes."

"Admiral," Comms said. "The autoboot vessel is repeating its request for aid. The fleet is also requesting orders. Should they engage the hostiles or stand by?"

Cartwell looked at the projection of the alien ships. He could see the smaller stirk craft closing in on the autobot vessel. He shuddered to think what kind of ordinance those things could be carrying.

Was he ready to engage an unknown enemy to save total strangers? For all he knew, that ship was carrying criminals. The scum of whatever planet these machines hailed from.

Then his thoughts went to the being that called itself Starscream. The cruel face it had. These decepticons, there was something about them that unsettled him. They were not to be trusted. Instinct told him that. But was that enough to risk a war over?

"Order our forward lines to charge weapons and lock on the decepticon vessels. Have a wing of fighters dispatched to intercept their fighters," he ordered. "Send them one last message that if they do not break off their attack, they will be considered hostile and fired upon."

"Aye, sir." Comms said. "Message sent. The fleet as responded. Their charging weapons and locking onto the decepticon fleet."

"Any response from them?" Cartwell asked.

"Nega…"

"Admiral, one of the decepticon vessels is coming about," Tactical said. "They're heading right for us."

Cartwell's heart raced. "All hands battle stations," he shouted. "Standby weapons, engage on my command. Comms raise the decepticon vessel. Unidentified decepticon ship, you are approaching our fleet without authorization. Break off or you…"

"Energy spike!"

Transformers: The Sol Wars coming this August

I'll let you set on this one for a bit. Until then see you in the next update.