Chapter 31: Freeing Wave

Tazuna's Home:

The time had finally come. One week after they had come to Wave. One week after the battle with Zabuza. One week that Gato had left to live.

Naruto could feel the anticipation in the air. "Is everything ready?" Shisui asked. He looked over his genin.

The members of Team-11 were busy inspecting their gear and going over the plan. Naruto nodded. "I got everything I need," he said. His eyes were also in position. Keeping a watch on Gato and for anything else that could happen.

"What about the storage scroll?" Shisui asked him. "Remember, we'll need his head as proof of the deed."

Naruto nodded. "I know that," he said. "It should be able to keep the little bastard's head fresh and clean." Well, as fresh and clean as one could get with a man like Gato.

"Good," Shisui said. Then he looked around at his genin. "So, do you think you all be able to do it? Kill a man like Gato in cold blood."

In particular, he was looking at Hinata. If everything went according to plan, she would be the one to take Gato's life.

Hinata looked at the floor nervously. "I think so," she said. Then she looked around at her teammates. Naruto and Sasuke, both gave her comforting nods. A determined expression flashed across her face, and she looked back at Shisui. "I will," she affirmed.

Shisui had a smile on his face, but Naruto could tell that it was strained. "All right then," he said. "Naruto and Sasuke, do you remember your parts?"

Both boys nodded. "I'll stay outside the hideout and keep an eye on things," Naruto said. "But mostly to make sure that Zabuza and Haku are busy fighting Kurenai-Sensei and her team."

"While I go in with you guys," Sasuke said. "And keep a look out while Hinata deals with Gato. If someone tries to come in before you finish, I'll have to deal with them."

Shisui nodded. "Good," he said. Then, a frown appeared on his face. "Look, guys, I know this will be tough on you. Gato might be a slimeball, but still being asked to kill the guy."

A frown appeared on Sasuke's face. "So what?" Sasuke said. "How is it any different from when you asked us to kill those bandits?"

Naruto already had an idea what the answer was. "Because they got to go down fighting," he said. "They had weapons in their hands when we killed them, and they could fight back. Gato is just a pathetic little man we're being asked to kill. If given the chance, he'll run away or beg for his life."

Shisui nodded. "That's right," he said. "The bandits, however slim of a chance it was, they had a fighting chance. Gato, on the other hand, won't be given that luxury. In fact, if all goes well, he won't even have a chance to register that he's in danger."

Shisui crossed his arms. "That's a little bit different from killing someone in a fight," he said after a moment, letting the genin think. "If you have any doubts, I can do this mission myself if you like. I won't push the three of you when you're not ready, not again."

Now the genin understood where their sensei's concern was coming from. "We'll do it," Sasuke said, stepping up to face Shisui. "We can't run from stuff like this forever."

Naruto nodded and turned his head to face Shisui. "You told us that team-11 will be a deep strike team," he said. "So, that means we'll be doing a lot of this stuff. Not just taking out bases or enemy formations. We'll be expected to assassinate more guys like Gato."

"W-we have do to this," Hinata added. "We're Shinobi, which means we won't always get pretty missions. But they still have to be done."

Naruto nodded at Hinata and faced Shisui. "We're happy you're so concerned for us, Shisui-Sensei," he said. Naruto saw the others around him nodding. "It makes you a good sensei to us and a good guy period. We'll complete this mission and any other the old man can throw at us. Is that right, guys?"

"Hai," Sasuke said.

"Hai," Hinata said.

Shisui looked at them with a hard stare for several moments in silence. Then, a wry smile spread across his face. "Alright then," he said. "Then let's get to it. Let's get downstairs and meet up with the others."

"Hai, Sensei," the three genin said together.

A moment later, they were downstairs and gathered with the rest of the Konoha-nin.

Bridge

Shino could feel the anticipation in the air, and it was almost as thick as the mist hanging in the air. Shino might not have shown it, but he was very nervous about what would come. Yet, simultaneously, he was excited that he would soon get a chance to test himself against an opposing shinobi. Even his Kiaku buzzed excitedly, something that only an Aburame could notice.

Outwardly, he maintained the stoic attitude that his clan was famous for. His teammate, on the other hand, displayed the Inuzuka brashness. "I still can't believe that Naruto and his team bailed on us," he said with a scoff.

Shino pushed his glasses up and glanced at the Inuzuka boy. "They did not bail on us," he said. "They are simply scouting the area to ensure that Zabuza or Gato do not pull any deceptions on us."

Kiba scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right," he said. "I think they're just chickening out of a good fight."

"Team-11 is providing us an invaluable service," Shino argued. "If Gato were to make a move on the bridge or the nearby town. We would not know until it was too late. Likewise, if Zabuza has any hidden plans, they may be able to uncover it and warn us." In truth, Shino suspected that more was going on, but he could not ascertain what.

"Yeah, well, whatever," Kiba said. "Just means we'll get all the glory when taking Zabuza and his lackey out."

"You mean when I take Zabuza out," Kurenai said with a smile.

Kiba flinched back and rubbed the back of his head. "Kurenai-Sensei," he said nervously. "You know what I meant." Shino shook his head, and he could hear Akamaru letting a disappointed bark.

Kurenai chuckled and looked back at the road. "Don't worry, Kiba," she said. "You get plenty of a chance to show off."

"R-right," Kiba said. Then Kiba looked around the group, walking up to the bridge. Aside from their client, Tazuna, it was just Kurenai and the male members of Team-8. Sakura had been left behind at the client's house to protect his family.

"You know," Kiba said. "I wouldn't mind having a little extra help. Even Sakura would be nice to have around."

Kurenai nodded. "I know what you mean," she said. "I don't like to face our enemy with our strength reduced like this. But we will have to make do with what we got."

Shino nodded and silently added, I hope the others will finish their objective quickly.

"You know," Kiba started. "It's not too late for us to?"

The Inuzuka boy was cut off when Kurenai abruptly stopped and held her arm out. Shino looked past his sensei, noting they had arrived at the bridge. He also noted the prone bodies strung across its surface. Kiba also looked over, and he started to growl.

"What's going on here?" Tazuna said, walking up to Kurenai's side. "Why did you…" Then he froze at seeing the bodies. "Are they?

Kurenai shook her head. "No," she said. "Look closely, and you can see that they're still breathing. Their unconscious."

Their sensei didn't have to give the order when Kiba and Shino flanked Tazuna on either side. Kurenai had stepped in front of the client with a kunai drawn. Shino could feel his hive buzzing more intensely now. Kiba had his claws and fangs bared, and Akamaru had jumped out from his coat, growling with his hackles raising.

Shino was scanning the area, trying to determine where the enemy was. At the same time, he subtly released his kikaichu into the air and had them fan out. Because of that, he knew that the mist was thick with chakra.

"Kurenai-Sensei," Shino said.

"I know," Kurenai replied.

"Well, well," a voice called out around them. It was Zabuza's voice. "We meet again Kurenai-San."

Shino saw Kurenai smirk. "It's good to hear your voice, Zabuza-San," she said. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show. That your injuries were greater than I had anticipated."

Zabuza's voice chuckled all around them. "The wonders of having plenty of bed rest and a good medic," he said.

Shino kept looking around, but the mist made it hard to see anything. His Kikaichu was also having difficulty picking up on the chakra of Zabuza.

"My Kikaichu are having a hard time with this mist," Shino reported to his sensei. "It's saturated with chakra."

Kurenai subtly nodded. "What about you, Kiba?" She whispered. "Can you smell anything?"

"I can't," Kiba answered. "This mist is making it tough to pick up a scent. Even Akamaru can't smell anything."

"Of course, you can't," Zabuza said. "In this mist, I am everywhere, nowhere all at once. I can be right beside you, or I can be across this quint bridge."

"Quint?" Tazuna said. He was ignored.

"I can even be up in the air, and you would never know," Zabuza continued.

Kiba growled and bared his fangs. Shino was about to reach out for him to calm down. But it was too late to stop the brash boy from shouting. "Come out and face us, coward."

Zabuza chuckled. "Inuzukas are always so easy to provoke," he said. "But very well. If you insist." This time, his voice was coming from a single direction. Team-8 directed their attention to the source. They saw two shadowy figures standing in the mist.

The mist started to part around the figures, allowing Team-8 to see them clearly. They were Zabuza and the fake hunter-nin from before. "So, Kurenai," Zabuza said. "Care for round two?"

En Route to Gato's hideout:

"Sensei," Naruto said. "Zabuza has made his appearance."

Shisui nodded. "Just as we expected," he said. "Did he bring his partner?"

Naruto nodded. Haku was right next to Zabuza as he continued to speak to Kurenai. "She is," he said. As he said that, the fighting began. "They've been engaged. Kurenai is fighting Zabuza, while Kiba is taking on Haku. Shino is staying close to Tazuna."

Shisui nodded. "Good," he said. "With them distracted, that should make our mission a lot easier. What about Tazuna's family? Are they okay?"

Naruto directed his gaze towards the eyes watching over Tazuna's house and his family. "They're okay," he said. "Sakura is still watching them," a frown flashed across Naruto's face as two figures entered his field of vision. "Hold on. Two of Gato's thugs are walking up the house."

Tazuna's house

Inari didn't know what was happening. One moment, he was walking through his home, heading to the kitchen to see what mom was doing. Then, just as he was about to enter the kitchen, he heard a loud crashing noise, and his mother was screaming. Panic raced through the young boy as he ran into the kitchen.

Then he froze when he saw two men grabbing his mom as she screamed for them to stop. "All right, little lady," one of them said. "Just come in quietly. Gato wants to have a word with you."

His mother continued to kick and scream at the men. Then, one of them landed a punch on her. "Quite bitch," the man growled as Mom hit the ground.

That was what finally spurred Inari into action. Without a second thought, he ran up to the kitchen counter, grabbed a knife, and ran out to face the thugs. "Leave my mom alone," he said to the men.

The two men looked at him in surprise for a second. Then, they both smirked at the boy. "Or what?" One of them said, showing his teeth through his smile. "What are you going to do, little man?"

"Yeah," the other man said. "What are you going to do? Use that dainty little thing?" He pointed to the knife in Inari's hands. The man's smile grew wide as he reached for his sword. "Because mine's bigger," he unsheathed the sword and pointed it at Inari, who stepped back.

Then, in one motion, the man put the sword to Inari's mother's neck. "I have it right at your mom's neck. One wrong move and," he pressed the blade into her neck, drawing a small trail of blood.

"Inari," his mom said through tears. "Please just run."

"I suggest you listen to your mommy, little boy," the other thug said. "Before you're left as an orphan, or she has to look for a new kid."

Inari did not know what to do. He didn't want his mom to be taken from him. But at the same time, he desperately wanted to run away.

Seeing him freezing up, one of the thugs snickers and walks towards him. He had his hand on his sword. Inari closed his eyes, waiting for whatever the thug would do to him.

He heard the distinct sound of a sword swinging in the air and flesh being separated from flesh. It was then followed by a sickening splashing sound.

For a moment, Inari thought that the thug had cut him down, and when he opened his eyes, he would be facing the Shinigami. I'm sorry, Mom, he thought as he opened his eyes. I couldn't save you.

But instead of seeing the Shinigami, he saw the headless thug faling over and hitting the floor. Shocked, Inari looked up to see that the other thug had decapitated his partner, and there was a vacant expression in his eyes. That was when a kunai pierced his skull, and the thug fell over dead, right on top of his partner.

Inari looked down at the dead bodies. His mind was unable to process what had happened. He was returned to his senses when he felt someone's arms wrapping around him.

"Inari," he heard his mother say. "Thank Kami, you're safe. You were so brave back there."
Inari looked away from the corpses and turned his head to see his mother's head next to his. Tears were streaming down from her eyes.

"Mom?" Inari said. "What happened?"

Through the tears, his mother managed to turn her head around to face another direction. "She saved us," she said.

Inari looked over and saw one of the Konoha-nin standing by the door. The pink-haired girl he had talked to a few days ago. She was staring blankly at the dead bodies. "Sakura?" Inari said.

At the mention of her name, the girl tore her eyes off the dead thugs and looked at Inari and his mom. The blank stare she had was quickly replaced by a look of recognition. "Inari-San, Tsunami-San, are you two okay?" She said, running up to them.

Inari's mom nodded as she used her hand to wipe the tears off her face. "Yeah, we are," she said. "Thanks to you."

Inari glanced over at the dead bodies of the thugs. "Sakura-San," he asked the girl. "Wh-what did you do? Was that you?"

Sakura looked at the bodies as a dark expression fell over her face. "Yeah, that was me," she said distantly. "I, uhh, cast a genjutsu one of them."

Inari tilted his head to the side. "Gen-jutsu?" He said the unfamiliar word.

Sakura nodded as she looked back at the boy and his mom. "It's a type of illusion we shinobi can use," she said. "Basically, I trick one of them into thinking the other was his enemy. Then, I dealt with him when he was finished. Before he could come to his senses."

There was a tremble in her voice that Inari could notice. But he really didn't pay that much mind. What mattered to him was that he and his mom were safe. All thanks to this girl in front of him.

Tears started to well in his eyes as he tried to fight back a sob. He failed. "Y-you saved us," the boy wailed out. "I tr-tr-tried to sa-ve m-m-mo-m. B-b-ut I wa-s s-o sc-scared. I cou, Could-d-n't," he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

Inari looked up to see that Sakura was giving him a soft smile. "It's okay, Inari," she said. "You're safe now, and so is your mom. All thanks to you."

Inari felt his eyes widen. "R-really?" he asked. How had he been of help? He had frozen up and done nothing.

Sakura nodded at him. "Yes, you did," she said. "You kept the thugs busy long enough for me to cast my genjutsu on one of them. What you did was a very brave thing, Inari," A small giggle escaped her lips. "Who knows, I might even be able to learn a thing or two from you about being brave."

Inari stared at the girl for what felt like an eternity to him. Then more tears well from him, and he wrapped his arms around the girl and started to cry into her chest. He didn't know how long he had been crying when he felt a hand on top of his head.

"It's okay, Inari," Sakura said. "Just cry yourself out. Then we can see about getting you and your mother to safety. Does that sound okay?"

Inari couldn't get any words out through his sobbing. But he nodded his head. He didn't know what would happen. If he would ever stop crying. But he knew one thing for certain. He was never going to be scared again.

En Route to Gato's Hideout

Naruto had relayed the events to the rest of his Team. Shisui had a faint smile on his face. "Kurenai would be proud," he said. "How is Sakura-San holding up?"

Naruto looked at Sakura, seeing how she was reacting in the aftermath. "I think she's holding up well," he said. "But she is shaken up. I think she's focusing on keeping Inari and his mom safe for the time being."

Shisui nodded. "Good," he said. "I'll have to let Kurenai know to talk to Sakura. She should be able to help her."

Sasuke pulled up next to Naruto. "Sakura really did a good job, didn't she?" He said.

Naruto turned his head to face his friend. "Did you really have any doubts about her?" He asked.

Sasuke nodded his head from side to side, acknowledging Naruto's point. "Well, she was one of my fan girls," he said.

"So was Ino," Naruto pointed out. "But then she straightened out. So, why is it so hard to believe that Sakura has done the same?"

Sasuke hummed to himself. "I guess you're right," he said. "It's just that," he trailed off for a moment.

"That's because she's still holding out feelings for you," Naruto finished for him.

"Sakura-San has changed," Hinata said, joining the conversation. "She might still be holding feelings for you, Sasuke-San. But I think she's slowly coming to terms with the fact that you don't see her in the same light. She's learning to move on."

Both Naruto and Sasuke had surprised expressions on their faces. "You're saying that she's going to stop crushing on me?" Sasuke said, unhappy to mask the surprise in his tone.

Hinata shook her head. "No, not anything like that," she said. "I think she'll always have feelings for you. But I think she is learning to let go."

"I see," Sasuke said, looking forward. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I think you should talk to her," Sasuke whipped his head around to look at Hinata. "I think it would help her."

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something. But then he closed it and nodded. "I'll think about it," he said, looking back forward.

"If you three are done talking," Shisui said. "We've arrived at our destination."

Shisui stopped atop a tree overlooking Gato's hideout. Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke stopped on the same tree, on different branches below their sensei.

"So, this is it," Naruto said. "Our first assassination job." He felt a shiver go down his spine. He saw Hinata nod nervously while Sasuke had a passive expression on his face.

Shisui looked at the genin. "One last chance, guys," he said. "You can turn back and let me handle this. You can join up with Kurenai's Team in their fight against Zabuza."

He got no other answer than the silence from the three genin. He nodded. "Then let us proceed," he said. "Naruto?"

Naruto nodded and directed his gaze toward Gato's compound. "Gato is still in his room," he said after a moment of searching. Then, a frown appeared on his face. "But there appears to be fewer guards around."

Shisui also frowned. "Any indication where they might be?" He asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Not that I can see," he said. "Should we still continue with the mission?"

Shisui's frown deepened. "Yes, let's," he said. "But Naruto, I want you to send your eyes off to the docks and the nearby town. I get the feeling that Gato might be planning something."

Naruto nodded. "On it, Sensei," he said. He channels chakra into the seals on his arms, summoning more pairs of eyes. Then he sent them towards the docks and the town. "Done."

"Let us know if you find something," Shisui said. "Sasuke, when we infiltrate Gato's hideout, I want you to search the place. See if there might be anything Naruto might have missed."

Sasuke nodded. "Anything in particular I should look for?"

Naruto answered the question for Shisui. "There appears to be a record room of some kind in the hideout," Naruto used his eyes to project the inside of Gato's hideout. He showed Sasuke where the record room was. "I'd try looking in there. My eyes can't open scrolls or books."

Shisui nodded. "Good thinking, Naruto," he said. Then he looked over to Hinata. "Hinata, before we kill Gato, we'll try to interrogate him. Understood?"

"H-hai," Hinata said nervously.

"Don't worry, Hinata, we won't have the time for a proper interrogation," Shisui said. "If the fear for his life won't break him, we'll proceed with the mission as stated."

That seemed to relax Hinata a little. "Hai," she said.

Shisui nodded and looked at Gato's hideout. "Team-11," he said. "The mission is a go. Hinata and Sasuke, you're with me."

"Hai, Shisui-Sensei," the three genin chorused.

Bridge

Kiba threw himself at his opponent. He lashed his clawed hands out at the mask-wearing Kunoichi.

The Kunoichi dodged his attack and threw several senbon at the Inuzuka boy. Kiba dodged the attack and threw a kunai at her. She deflected that attack, then stepped to the side, avoiding an attack from Akamaru.

But Kiba did not allow the Kunoichi to relax as he charged at her. Getting in close, he tried to claw at her with his hands. The masked woman deflected the attacks but was caught off guard as Kiba quickly lowered himself and swung his feet out to her head.

The Kunoichi was able to avoid one of his feet, but the second ended up connecting with her head. Kiba smiled, hoping that the blow would stagger her. His smile faded when he saw that his opponent took the blow.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash and a glint. Reacting quickly, Kiba pulled himself away from the Kunoichi. He avoided most of the senbon thrown at him, but a few had found their way into his shoulder.

Kiba ignored the sharp pain in his shoulder. "Not bad for a fake Hunter-Nin," he said with a cocky smile.

The Kunoichi stood before him, holding out more senbon in her hand. "The deception was necessary," she said.

Kiba rolled his eyes and casually dodged the senbon thrown by her. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. We're Shinobi. That kind of thing is right up our alley," he said. "Naruto never mentioned that you were annoying to talk to."

Kiba figured that the Kunoichi's eyes must have narrowed behind her mask. "Naruto?" She asked. "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name."

Kiba snorted. "Don't go playing dumb with me," he said. "Naruto knew who you were from the beginning, Haku," he saw the Kunoichi stiffen up."

"I see," she said. "Then I made a mistake by talking to him."

"Jury is still out on that one," Kiba said. "Naruto, for whatever reason, thinks you're nice."

There was a slight pause before Haku responded. "Then he is mistaken," she said. "I am a shinobi and do what I must to complete the mission."

"About that," Kiba said. "I am afraid your mission includes killing the man my team is protecting." Akamaru had walked to his side.

Haku was silent for a moment again. "We don't have to fight," she said. That took Kiba back for a loop. "As I said, I will do whatever is necessary to complete my mission. That does not have to include fighting you and your Team."

Kiba bit back a growl. "Is that so?" he asked through bared teeth. "Would you just let me, and my Team go? Just like that?"

Haku nodded. "You and your team can leave now," she said. "I can convince Zabuza-Sama not to come after you once he has dealt with the bridge builder. No one else needs to die here."

Kiba stared at the Kunoichi for a moment before he let out a snort and lowered himself into his clan's fighting style. "Naruto was right about you," he said. "You really don't have a killer bone in you. Do you?"

"What?" Haku said.

Kiba shook his head. "Never mind," he said. "I'm going to have to give your offer a hard pass. I'm a Shinobi, meaning I must do whatever I can to complete my mission." Quickly, he tossed a pill over to Akamaru.

Haku followed the action but was too slow to act on it. "What was that?" She asked.

The effects of the pill were almost instant as Akamaru swallowed it. He appeared to grow larger, and his fur turned red as the dog started to let out an angry growl. Kiba smirked at his opponent. "Simple," he said. "What I need to do for the mission. You know of my clan's specialty, right?"

Haku nodded. "Only what Zabuza-Sama has told me," she said. "Members of the Inuzuka clan work with their dog partners during missions. The Inuzuka have even developed special techniques that require both man and beast to work together."

Kiba had a feral smile on his face. "Good then," he said. "Because you're about to see a demonstration."

Kiba got to all fours and channeled chakra throughout his body. "Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Four Legs no Jutsu."

Next to him, a puff of smoke enveloped Akamaru. When it dissipated, it showed a copy of Kiba. "Beast Human Transformation."

Haku pulled her senbon out. "I see," she said. "So, you're pulling all the stops out for this."

Both Kibas charged.

The clang of metal meeting metal could be heard across the bridge. Then again and again in a quick session. Zabuza kept swinging his sword at his opponent, who kept parrying the blows or outright avoiding them.

Metal met metal as Zabuza pressed his weight into a downward swing. He would admit he was impressed with Kurenai for being able to hold under his assault. "Not bad," he said. "You've gotten better since we last met."

The Kunoichi smiled at him. "A good shinobi always strives to be better," she said. "Especially when they face an opponent for a second time."

Under the wrappings around his face, Zabuza smiled. He couldn't agree more with the Konoha-nin. "So, very true," he said. "Which is why I brought a friend. A little something to keep the kiddies busy while the adults sorted things out."

"Speaking of," he looked around the field of battle. "I noticed that you are missing some of your numbers. Care to explain?" He figured that one or two of the genin would be left behind to guard the bridge builder's family. But that didn't explain why Shisui wasn't here with his Team. Something was up, and Zabuza did not like it.

Kurenai's smile turned into a smirk. "Now, why would I tell you?" She asked. "Even if I did know."

Zabuza raised a non-existent eyebrow. "You mean to tell me you don't know," he said. He pulled his sword away and jumped back as Kurenai swung her sword at him. That was a new addition to her arsenal. If Zabuza had to guess, she must have borrowed a spare from the Uchiha Jōnin.

Kurenai shrugged. "What can I say?" She replied. "He's his own Jōnin. Whatever he does is no business of mine. And I don't have any pull with what the Hokage says."

In other words, Zabuza wasn't going to get anything out of the Kunoichi. Zabuza snorted. He had figured as much. But sometimes, trying the direct approach didn't hurt. Oh well, Zabuza thought. He held his sword out and formed a handsign with his free hand.

The mist around them started to thicken, reducing the field of vision for everyone on the bridge. I'll just have to keep an eye out for any tricks these Konoha-nin have. With that thought in mind, Zabuza charged and swung his sword at his opponent.

Hinata and Shisui were moving through the compound when they got a report from Naruto. "I found where Gato's men are," he said.

The two Shinobi hid in the shadows as a pair of thugs walked by. "Where are they?" Shisui asked.

"They've gathered at the docks," Naruto said. "And they got their weapons on them. You think they're getting ready to attack the town or even the bridge?"

Hinata felt her heart rate quacking at that thought. She didn't want to imagine what would happen to the town if Gato's men attacked. Nor did she like that they would join the battle between Zabuza and Team-8.

"Either is possible," Shisui said. "We'll just have to keep an eye on it until we have dealt with Gato. Speaking of. Sasuke, have you gotten to the records room yet?"

"Almost Shisui-Sensei," Sasuke said over the radio. "I'll be there in less than a minute."

Shisui nodded. "Good," he said. "Once you're in there, look for anything that indicates what Gato is up to."

"Hai."

Shisui nodded and looked down at Hinata. "Hinata, are you ready for this?" He asked.

The Hyūga girl had a pensive expression on her face. But she nodded and said, "Hai!"

I have to do this, she told herself. She had to prove herself worthy of being Kunoichi of Konoha and prove to herself she could stand alongside Naruto and Sasuke.

Shisui looked at her for a moment. "Then let's get to it," he said.

"I don't mean to make you worried or anything," Naruto's voice returned over the radio. "But it looks like that Gato is getting ready to leave."

Shisui frowned. "Come on, Hinata, we need to hurry," he said before he dashed down the hallway. Hinata nodded and chased after him. "Naruto statues on the fight between Team-8 and Zabuza."

"Pretty evenly matched, I'd say," Naruto said. "The mist is making it hard to make out the details, but Kurenai-Sensei is holding her own with Zabuza. Shino is guarding Tazuna while Kiba is fighting Haku."

Hinata and Shisui were moving through the halls at a blistering pace. "How is Kiba holding up against Zabuza's accomplish?"

"Holding his own," Naruto replied. "It looks like he's taking this fight seriously. He had Akamaru transform a little bit ago, and now both are coming at Haku like wild animals. It's hard to tell them apart now."

Shisui nodded. The duo of Hinata and Shisui were almost at Gato's room now. "What about Sakura? Has she gotten to Tazuna's family to safety?"

There was silence on the other side of the radio. "About that," Naruto said. For a second, Hinata saw Shisui's eyes narrow. "I don't know what the kid said to her. But Inari has convinced Sakura to take them back to the town. They're on their way there now."

Shisui had a frown on his face. Hinata spoke up in her defense before he could get any wrong ideas about Sakura. "I'm sure she has her reasons."

Shisui glanced back at her and nodded. "All right," he said. "I'll hold my judgment in reservation until she can explain herself. But for now, let's focus on the mission."

Hinata nodded. They turned the corner, coming into sight of Gato's room. As the two ran down the hall, the door swung open. Two men walked up out with a third smaller man right behind them. He was dressed in a business suit.

Shisui vanished from Hinata's sight just as the men shouted out. "What the?" One got before his head was separated from his shoulders. Shisui appears behind the man.

The other man turned around as a shocked expression morphed across his face. Then, a Kunai lodged itself into the side of his neck, courtesy of Hinata.

But Hinata paid the dying man no mind as she focused on Shisui as he grabbed Gato by the collar of his shirt and threw him back into his room. Hinata ran into the room as Shisui slammed the door shut behind them.

Gato had been slammed into the foot of his bed. The diminutive businessman got back to his feet. He angrily stared at Hinata and Shisui. "What is the meaning of this?" He shouted. "You can't just barge in like th," his voice died when suddenly a blade was placed to his neck, and the man's face turned to a very pale shade of white.

"Now, now Gato-San," Shisui said with a smile. "It's rude to yell at your guests like that. After all, we are here on business."

Gato was shaking like a leaf as he realized the danger he was in. "Pl-please don't kill me," the man pleaded. "I-I'll do an-anything you say. J-ust d-don't kill me."

Shisui had a deadly smile on his face. "Then you can start by telling us what you are planning."

Bridge

Haku avoided another attack from the boy named Kiba. Or was it his dog partner, Akamaru? She had long lost track of who was who as the pair continued their relentless barrage on her.

The rumors don't do the Inuzuka justice, Haku thought. She knew that Inuzuka and their dog partners fought in unison. But she never realized how perfectly synced up an Inuzuka pair could be.

When one went for her throat, the other went for her legs. While the other defended, the other attacked. If one was forced to dodge, the other came in with a swift counter. Haku found it extremely hard to take advantage of any openings she saw and was hard-pressed to defend herself.

Looking at the pair of feral boys, it was hard to tell which was a man and which was a beast. Haku sidestepped a claw strike at her face and threw a senbon wave at one of the boys. The Inuzuka boy was able to maneuver out of the way of the senbon. Then, he and his partner threw their claws out at the young Kunoichi. Behind her mask, Haku gritted her teeth. She avoided the claws, but only by a thin margin.

Haku knew she was the faster of the three fighters. But with how wild and unpredictable her opponents were moving, it was getting harder and harder to avoid them. At this rate, I'll have no choice but to use that, she thought as she ducked under her opponent and shot her arm out to strike out one of the boys' stomachs. The hit connected, sending the Inuzuka skirting across the bridge.

For a moment, Haku had hoped she had gotten the dog partner. If the dog was under some form of henge, that blow would have dispelled it. Unfortunately, no smoke enveloped the boy; instead, he gave her a feral glare as his doppelganger appeared next to him.

Haku eyed both warily. The one to the right is the real one, while the one to the left is his dog partner. Haku prepared a handful of senbon. I must take one of them out, or they'll overwhelm me.

She was about to throw her senbon and dash for the dog partner when she noticed something. Both boys nodded at each other and looked back at her with feral smiles. The Inuzuka boy, the real one, in particular, had a smug expression on his face.

Haku's eyes narrowed behind her mask. Now, what are you planning? She got her answer a second later when both boys charged at her. Reflexively, she threw her senbon at them. The attack was quickly avoided by the pair.

"Fang over Fang!"

Haku's eyes widened as she saw both boys start to spin around so fast they became like drills. The drills began to overlap around each other and hurtled toward Haku. Reacting quickly, Haku jumped out of the way of the drills. She narrowly avoided the attack. But she was caught flat-footed when the drills suddenly turned in the air and returned to her.

The drills broke apart from each other, coming at Haku from different angles. Haku was able to maneuver herself in the air to avoid one of the spinning drills. But the second managed to clip her in her side.

A sharp pain tore through Haku's body as she was sent flying from the impact. The Kunoichi let out a pained grunt when she slammed into the ground and back into the air for a second before she landed again with a thud.

Haku shakily got to her feet, feeling pain all over her body. She held her side, wincing at the contact from her hand. A clattering sound caught her attention, and she looked down. Haku's eyes widened just a bit when she saw the broken pieces of her mask on the ground.

She looked back up to see her opponent standing across from her. He had a smug smirk on his face. "You going to give up now?" He asked.

Haku glared at her opponent. She pulled out another handful of senbon.

The Inuzuka snorted. "I thought not," he said. Then, a frown crossed his face. "Look, I don't want to hurt you any more than I have to. Naruto seems to think that you're an okay girl. I don't think he would like us fighting like this."

A smile spread across Haku's face. "He did come off as a bit more than naïve," she said. "It's not a good trait for shinobi," and so is having a soft heart.

Her opponent chuckled. "Yeah, maybe," the boy admitted. "But his heart is in the right place. Besides, it's not like you're any different."

Haku's eyes narrowed at the boy. "Care to explain that?" She asked, readying to throw her senbon.

The Inuzuka boy looked at her with a hard stare. "You don't have it in you to kill, do you?" He asked. For a moment, Haku felt like a Kunai had cut her. "I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed. But I can tell that Senbon is no good for killing. Not unless you know what you are doing."

Haku frowned at the boy. "I know how to kill with senbon," she threatened.

"There's no poison on the ones you hit me with," her opponent pointed out. "And you haven't been aiming anywhere where it could be fatal for me or Akamaru. You've been aiming for places that would slow me down or paralyze me. You don't want to kill me, and you don't want to hurt me either. And that's holding you back."

Haku winced internally. The boy had gotten right to the heart of her most fatal flaw. Haku could not bring herself to hurt or kill others, even when necessary. It was something that Zabuza told her would get her killed one day. Would cause her to fail him one day.

Haku felt her hands shaking at that thought. She couldn't fail Zabuza, not now, not ever, not after everything he had done for her.

"Give up already," her opponent said. "You can't fight for much longer. Not with the injury I gave a second ago."

"I won't give up," Haku spat out. "I can't fail Zabuza-Sama."

Her opponent's eyes narrowed at her. "Why is that guy so important to you? He's a jerk." He narrowly dodged the senbon thrown at his neck. A look of surprise spread across his face.

"Don't you ever speak of Zabuza-Sama like that," Haku shouted. "If it weren't for him, I would not be here," in her mind, the memories of her life in Kiri flashed by. First were the good times, when her family had been whole when they were happy together. Then came the darker memories: her father killing her mother, a mob of people coming for her, and bloodstained ice.

Her opponent's frown deepened. "Why shouldn't I?" He asked. "He's the enemy and has been trying to kill us and the client. But I can't figure out why someone like you would work for someone like that. For Kami's sake, they call him the demon of the bloody mist. People don't call you that if you're a saint. So, why are you so loyal to him? He probably only sees you as a tool to be used."

Haku lowered her arms as the boy's words cut deep into her. He was right, and Haku knew it. Her master was a bloodthirsty killer; there was no denying that. Haku knew he didn't treat her like a friend, partner at best, or tool, most likely. Not to say he wasn't cruel to her. He just rarely showed her any kindness, if ever.

Haku knew that wasn't much of a reason to follow a man like Zabuza. But she still did, and with a fervent devotion. A faint memory played in the back of Haku's mind as her grip tightened around her senbon. A memory of an empty road covered in snow and a man walking up to her.

He had offered her something no one else had given the young girl. A choice. A choice between life and death. "Because he saved my life," Haku said just above a whisper, enough for the boy to hear her. Haku looked at her opponent. She saw the look of surprise on his face. "Because he gave me a reason to live." She formed several handsigns with her free hand.

The air around the combatants became frigid, and the wind picked up. Her opponent looked around, trying to see where the cold air was coming from. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"A gift that I was born with," Haku explained as the wind swept around her and formed ice crystals in the air. "And the reason I was hunted back in Kiri.

Her opponent's eyes as the realization dawned on him. "A Kekkei Genkai," he muttered. "You have a Kekkei Genkai."

Haku nodded. "One that grants me control over Ice," she said. The Ice crystals in the air began to grow and form into Mirrors that surrounded the combatants in a dome. Haku took a step back, entering one of the mirrors. In an instant, reflections of herself appeared in all the mirrors.

"Hyoton: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."

The Inuzuka growled, which was followed by his partner joining him. "What is this?" He asks, looking around at all the ice mirrors.

"My strongest jutsu," Haku said, looking at the boy with pity. "And your doom." She could not fail Zabuza, not now, not ever, not after everything he had done for her. If she had to, she would shatter her own heart.

Blade clashed against metal as Kurenai and Zabuza danced around each other in the mist. Kurenai wasn't a sword specialist but knew enough to keep up with other sword-wielding opponents. However, against Zabuza, a former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, it was a struggle just to survive.

The genjutsu mistress ducked under a sword swing that would have taken her head off. She swung up with her sword, which was parried by Zabuza. Kurenai had tried casting her genjutsu to get an early win on the swordsmen, but to her chagrin, she found that the man had come prepared for them.

As it were, she could only use simple genjutsu to even the playing field. One here to make it look like she was moving faster or slower than what she was, another to reverse his sight. Subtle little things that kept her alive and fighting. It spoke of her opponent's skill that he managed to adjust to them or break the genjutsu she cast on him.

But Kurenai knew that this could not last forever. Zabuza was simply too good of a swordsman for her to best, and with his counters to genjutsu, most of her arsenal had been locked down. She still had a good Ninjutsu and Taijutsu skill set to fall on if she faced an ordinary foe. She could manage a win. It was just her luck that she was up against Zabuza.

Zabuza swung his massive sword out, cleaving through Kurenai's side and cutting her in two. The genjutsu mistress reappeared behind Zabuza just as the shatter log fell. She swung her sword out, aiming for the missing-nin's neck.

He spun around and blocked the attack. It was a good thing that Kurenai's mission was not to beat Zabuza. Only delay him long enough for the mission to be complete.

Somehow, Kurenai could see the smirk under Zabuza's face wrappings. "I admit you're not half bad for a swordsman," he said. "I don't know many that could hold out this long in a straight-up sword fight against me."

Kurenai smiled back at her opponent. "If this had been a straight-up sword fight, I would be dead by now," she said.

This got a chuckle from the form Seven Swordsmen. "True," he said. "Without your little tricks, I would have gutted you by now and have been down with that bridge builder. You truly live up to your reputation as the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha. It seems your village of tree huggers are not as weak as everyone believes it is."

Kurenai ignored the subtle jab at her village. "Just have a look at our history," she said. "And you'll see that for yourself."

Zabuza nodded his head, acknowledging her point. Then, the two Jōnin felt a frigid air blow through them. They turned their attention to the direction of the cold air. "What the?" Kurenai said. She could feel the chakra laced in the cold air.

A chuckle from her opponent brought her attention back to him. "Zabuza, what's going on?" She asked him.

Even with the face wrapping on, Kurenai could tell that Zabuza was smiling at her. "It looks like one of your brats has managed to push my partner to take her fight seriously," he said. A mad look appeared on the swordsman's face. "And I think it's time I did the same."

Shisui, please hurry, Kurenai thought.

Gato's Hideout

"Uh-oh," Naruto's voice grabbed Hinata's and Shisui's attention.

Shisui frowned as he glared at Gato's sniveling form. "What is it, Naruto?" Shisui asked. "Something going on with Kurenai and her team?"

"You can say that," Naruto said. "Kiba got a good hit on Haku used that spiny drill thing his clan is known for."

"Fang over Fang," Shisui quipped.

Hinata rolled her eyes as Naruto responded. "Yeah, that," he said. "But it didn't drop her out of the fight, and now she's taken it up a notch. She's summoned these weird ice mirrors all around Kiba and entered one of them."

Hinata saw Shisui's eyes narrow. "Ice mirrors," he muttered. "But that would mean," Shisui's eyes almost seemed to bulge out. He cursed under his breath. "Damnit, I should have known that Zabuza would have a trick like this. His partner is no ordinary kunoichi. She has a Kekkei Genkai."

Hinata felt her eyes widen. "A Kekkei Genkai?" Naruto's voice said over the radio. "You mean like what Sasuke and Hinata have?"

Shisui nodded. "Correct," he said. "Though, in this case, it's not a doujutsu. It sounds like an elemental release.

A smirk appeared on Gato's face as the fear faded away. "Ha, it looks like my boy Zabuza and his girl are coming through for me," he said with an arrogant smirk. "They'll be finished with your friends and come after you next."

Shisui stared blankly at the diminutive businessman, who kept his cocky smirk up as he stood up from his knees. The man promptly screamed and fell back on his bed as a kunai buried itself in his leg.

Hinata looked at her Sensei with shock as he pulled his outstretched hand back. "Hinata, I think it's time you finished the mission," Shisui said coolly. "We got what we want from this man."

Hinata felt a cold chill go down her spine as she realized what would happen next. She slowly nodded at her sensei and, with a breath, looked at Gato. Hinata walked up to the man clutching his bloody leg and drew out one of her kunai.

Gato noticed her approaching him and paled when he saw the kunai in her hand. "Wait, no," the man said. "I told you everything I know. You can't kill me like this. You promised to spare me."

"No," Shisui said. "We never agreed to spare you."

Hinata was standing over Gato as he looked between her and Shisui. "But you said you would spare me if I told you my plans for Zabuza."

Hinata didn't need her Byakugan to know her sensei was shaking his head. "I said we would consider sparing you if you told us what you were planning," he said. "And we've considered it. Unfortunately for you, we still have a mission to complete."

"Wait, no," Gato pulled a large sum of cash from his jacket. "Whatever they are paying you, I can pay you double, no triple. You can even take some of the women we have."

Hinata looked at the man with disgust. "I'm afraid we can't do that," Shisui explained. "We have direct orders from our Hokage to have you killed. It would seem that somewhere along the way, you managed to upset some very powerful people, Gato. Now they want their pound of flesh or, in this case, your head. Hinata?"

Hinata nodded and held her kunai. Fear filled the eyes of the man in front of her. His shaking hand drops the wade of cash. "Pl-please, you d-don't have to do th-this," he pleaded. For a moment, Hinata felt anger building up in her. After everything he had done. The way he had made the people of Wave suffer. How many others had pleaded with him? How many begged for their lives before he had them killed?

Now he had the gall to beg for his own life? "Please don't kill me," Gato continued to beg for his life. "I'll do anything. Whatever it is, money, power, women, it's yours. Just don't kill me."

Hinata felt her grip tighten around her kunai. Everything she had seen here in Wave flashed before her eyes. The people in the streets, the empty shops, the hunger, and the dead look in the eyes of the people. The children begging for scraps. "Bring them back," she said.

"Wh-what?" Gato said, looking at Hinata.

Hinata's eyes narrowed at the pathetic man before her. "I said bring them back," she repeated her demand. "Everyone you had killed and starved to death because of you. Everyone whose blood is on your hands. I want you to bring them back. I want you to make amends for everything that you have done."

"B-b-but th-that's impossible," Gato said. "No one can bring the dead back." Then his eyes widen as he realizes what he did. "Wait, no," his last plea died in his throat as the kunai found its way into his heart.

Hinata twisted the kunai into the man's chest, causing him to let out a guttered choke. He tried to reach his hand out. For what, no one could tell. His arm fell to the floor as the rest of his body went limp, his head hung down.

Hinata stood up and looked down at the man she had killed. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Shisui giving her a sad smile. "Good job," he said. He looked over at Gato's corpse. "I'll take care of the rest from here. Do you have the scroll?"

Hinata nodded glumly as she was still staring at Gato's dead body. Unconsciously, she pulled the sealing scroll Naruto had made out and handed it to her Sensei. The scroll was taken out of her hand.

Shisui walked into the field of Hinata's vision up to Gato's corpse. He knelt and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Hinata," he said, pulling the sword from its sheath. "You don't have to be here for this. You can go outside while I finish up here."

Hinata opened her mouth to say something. But then she closed it and nodded. "Thank you, Sensei," she said, bowing. Shisui nodded at her.

Hinata walked out of the room. When she closed the door behind her, she put a hand over her mouth and tried to breathe. I killed, again the thought went through the young girl's head. She has killed for the second time in her life, and this wasn't against bandits or out of self-defense. She had killed a defenseless man, a terrible man, but still a defenseless one. One that had begged for his life.

Hinata felt her legs shaking, but she remained standing. She knew that it had been a part of the mission, that she did her duty as Kunoichi to Konoha. Not to mention that Gato, in all likelihood, deserved what happened to him. With everything he had done and things he allowed his thugs to do. Even still, Hinata felt guilty about what she had done.

She remembers her conversations with her parents about killing in the days following Team-11's first C-Rank mission.

"Father, mother," Hinata had said. "Will I always feel this way? When I kill someone, will I feel this guilt? Like that I did something wrong?"

Her parents had exchanged a look, a sign they were having a silent conversation. Her father had been the one to answer. "It does get easier, Hinata. You feel a little less each time you do it, and the guilt will ache a little less. But you will always feel something Hinata, and I think that is a good thing. It shows that you are still human. That you are still my sweat, little girl."

Then her mother spoke next. "Just remember Hinata. You don't have to shoulder all your burdens alone. You have people who care about you. They'll want to help you."

Looking back at it now, Hinata found some comfort in her parents' words. The door behind her opened. Shisui walked out, holding the sealing scroll. "We're done here," he said to Hinata.

Hinata nodded at him and followed him down the hall. "Sasuke, did you find what we're looking for?"

There was some static over the radio for a second. But a moment later, Sasuke's voice sounded in Hinata's ear. "No," he said. "But I did find a lot of Gato's financial records, not just on his business. But for all his activities."

Shisui nodded. "Good, we can use that," he said. "Don't worry about finding out about Gato's plans. Me and Hinata already got it out from him. Just grab everything you can find and meet us outside the hideout. We'll return for the rest once we finish Zabuza."

"Hai-Sensei."

"Guys," Naruto said. "I think we need to hurry back to the bridge. Gato's men are heading there now, and Kiba looks more and more like a pincushion."

Hinata looked at Shisui, seeing the worried expression on his face. "Everyone to the bridge, now!"

Bridge

Kiba got to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain he felt throughout his body. He was certain that he resembled a porcupine more than a human or even a dog.

He glared at his opponent or one of her reflections. It was impossible to tell which one of the Icy mirrors contained the real Kunoichi. Those mirrors were a real pain in the ass to deal with. Not only did it make it impossible to pinpoint where his opponent was, but the things were damn near invincible.

Kiba had tried everything he could to shatter the mirrors around him, from punching them to using Fang over Fang, not even a scratch. He had even attempted the few Katon jutsus he knew, and they had no effect.

"Damn you," Kiba choked out, glaring at the woman's reflection. He turned his gaze away for a second to see how Akamaru was doing. To his dismay, he saw that his partner was doing no better than he was. Akamaru's henge had long since dispelled, and the poor thing looked more like a pincushion with legs.

"Surrender now," Haku said, staring at him with an impassive face. "I do not wish to inflict any more harm than I have to. Please don't force me to kill the two of you."

Kiba glared back at the Ice-wielding Kunoichi and growled at her. "Like hell, I'll give up," he said. He bared his claws and fangs. "I still have a mission to complete." Of course, the question was. How was he supposed to do that against an opponent like Haku?

Every time she jumped out from one of the mirrors, she moved at such high speeds that she appeared to be a blur to Kiba. He had to wonder if even the eyes of a Uchiha could keep up with her.

Haku pulled out more senbon. Just how many of those things did she have? "Very well then," she said coldly. "You leave me no choice. I am sorry."

Kiba prepared himself for the hail of senbon that would fall on him and Akamaru. He was even ready for the possibility that he would fall and not get back up. The Kunoichi moved out from her mirror. Kiba saw a blur, then several flashes and the sound of metal meeting metal.

"What?" Kiba said, having expected more senbon to have struck him, but instead, his opponent had returned to a mirror. She had a look of shock on her face as her hand was covering what looked like a burn mark.

"Looks like we got here just in time," a familiar voice said.

A smile spread across Kiba's face as he turned to face Sasuke. "Hey teme, what took you guys so long?" Kiba said. "Got tired of your little patrol in the town and decided to join up with the real action?"

Sasuke smirked at him. "Something like that," Sasuke said. Then he turned his attention to Haku. "Just sit tight, Kiba, I can handle this."

Kina frowned. "Like hell, I'll let you fight her alone," he said.

Sasuke's smirk grew. "Who said I was fighting her alone?" It was then that several eyeballs started to float down around them. Kiba looked outside the dome of ice mirrors and saw Naruto standing there with swarms of eyes surrounding him.

"Don't worry, Kiba. Sasuke and I got this," Naruto said. He formed a handsign, in a puff of smoke, several shadow clones of the boy appeared.

Kiba let out a snort and chuckled. "Still," he said. "I think we would like to finish what we started."

"It won't matter," Haku said, looking at Kiba and Sasuke. "It does not matter how many of you there are. I will fight all of you if I have to. Anything for my precious person."

Kiba saw Naruto frown. "So, he was the guy you were thinking of," he said. "He's your precious person, isn't he?"

A sad smile spread across Haku's face. "Naruto," she said, turning her head to the side. "I had hoped you would stay out of this. I didn't wish to hurt you."

Naruto nodded. "And I don't want to hurt you either," he said. "But a mission is a mission. I don't like it, but I guess that's the life of a Shinobi sometimes."

Haku's smile faded, and Kiba saw genuine hurt in her eyes. "So, what will it be?" She asked. "Will I have to kill you? Your friends? Because I will freeze my heart over for Zabuza."

A strained smile spreads across Naruto's face. "With any luck, that won't be necessary," he said.

The confused look on Haku's face mirrored the one on Kiba's. "Uhh, Sasuke?" Kiba whispered to Sasuke. "What is he on about?"

Sasuke looked at him. "You'll see in a moment," Sasuke said. "The same thing goes for you, too, Haku. If everything goes as planned, your master won't have a reason to fight us anymore."

Haku raised an eyebrow but remained silent on the matter.

"It's about time you got here," Kurenai said harshly as Shisui appeared beside her. "I wasn't sure how long I could hold out against him."

Shisui gave her a cheeky smile. "What can I say?" he said. "Heros always got to be a little late to the party."

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "I assume you completed the mission," she said.

Shisui nodded. "We won't have to worry about Gato anymore," he said.

"So, you finally decided to show up," Zabuza said. "And here I was about to get bored fighting your lady friend."

Shisui looked around the mist, trying to locate Zabuza. "Zabuza, it's good to see you," he said. "Or I guess I'll hear from you. How about you come out? I got a little something to show you." He pulled out a scroll.

There was low laughter throughout the mist. "And why would I do that?" Zabuza said. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"No,' Shisui replied. "I don't. But I think you will be interested in this scroll's contents." Without giving the former Kiri swordsmen a chance to respond, Shisui opened the scroll and applied chakra to the seal written on it.

A heavy silence fell over the mist as the contents of the scroll were summoned. "You are tricking me," Zabuza's voice came over the mist with a low growl.

Shisui shook his head as he held the severed head of Gato up in the air. "It is no trick, Zabuza," he said. "You can examine the head yourself if that doesn't convince you. Head back for your little hideout and examine in Gato's chamber."

More silenced, answered Shisui. Then, the mist around them began to clear but did not completely go away. Just enough so that Kurenai and Shisui could see where Zabuza was standing. The swordsman still had his sword drawn, and he had an unreadable expression. "Hand me his head," he said.

Shisui nodded and tossed the head over to Zabuza. "Just be careful with it," he said, pulling another scroll out, Team-11's mission orders. "We need it as proof of my team's completion of the mission." He tossed the mission scroll over to Zabuza.

The head landed at Zabuza's feet while he caught the scroll. With a flick of his wrist, the scroll fell open. Zabuza's eyes went between the scroll's contents and the Gato's head at his feet. The unreadable expression was still on his face.

After a moment, that expression fell away to something between amusement and disappointment. A low chuckle escaped from the man's throat. "So, Gato finally went and crossed the wrong person," he said. "And here I was, hoping to be the one to deal with him." Zabuza placed his sword on his back and rolled the scroll up. He picked up Gato's head and tossed it and the scroll back to Shisui. "Well, played, Shisui, well played."

Shisui smelled as he caught the head and scroll. "I assume we no longer have reason to fight," he said. "Your employer is dead now. He won't be paying you anymore."

Zabuza snorted and dispelled the rest of the mist. "Don't worry," he said. "The bridge builder is safe." He looked at the dome of ice mirrors several feet away from him and the Jōnin. "Haku, stand down. Our mission is a bust. Gato is dead."

Shisui and Kurenai nodded at each other.

"Team-8, stand down," Kurenai said.

"Team- 11, stand down," Shisui said.

Just like that, the battle of Wave had ended, or it seemed.

Haku was surprised when she heard her master telling her to stand down. But like the obedient tool she was, she stood down.

She dispelled her ice mirrors with a simple hand sign and sighed in relief when she saw the Konoha genin doing the same thing. She shared a brief glance with Naruto. The boy smiled and nodded at her. Swarms of eyes floated around him.

So, he was the one with those eyes, Haku thought to herself. She would have to inform Zabuza of that. With a handsign, she vanished from where she stood and reappeared next to Zabuza.

Her master gave her a curt nod before he turned his attention back to the Konoha Jōnin. Looking at the one known as Shisui Uchiha, she could see why Zabuza had told her to stand down.

Their employer, Gato, was dead. Not that Haku was saddened by that fact. A small part of her was just disappointed that Zabuza and her had been beaten to the punch.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Zabuza asked the Konoha Jōnin. "Do you let us leave in peace? Or can we expect hunters from Kiri soon?"

Shisui shook his head. "We can settle that later," he said. Then, an expression fell over his face. "But first, we got some other matters to deal with."

"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up," Zabuza said. He turned around to face something while reaching for his sword.

Haku raised an eyebrow and turned around to face the same direction as her master. Her eyes narrowed at what she saw. An army of armed men stood at the end of the bridge. Gato's men had arrived.

"Well, this is unexpected," one of the thugs said. "We came here expecting to pick up the scraps. But instead, we're getting the whole main course."

Even before the Konoha Jōnin spoke, Haku could feel her jaw clenching together. "As you can see, Gato never intended to pay you."

"Yes, I can see that," Zabuza said in a low, dangerous voice. "What are you lot doing here? I thought Gato wanted me to off the old man."

The thugs smirked at Zabuza. "Well, here's the thing," one of them said. "Our boss had second thoughts about that. He thinks you and your partner were a bit too expensive. So, he sent us to cheapen things up."

It was at this point that Haku started to see red. She stepped forward, ready to turn the low-life thug into a popsicle, and a low-quality one at that. An outstretched hand stopped her.

Haku looked glared at the source of the arm. It was the boy she met a few days ago, Naruto. The blonde-haired boy with the headband as a blindfold smiled at her and mouthed wait.

Confusion overtook anger as Haku stared at the boy. He just kept smiling at her. A snort got her attention. "Well, too bad for you, none of us are getting paid today," Zabuza said. He nodded toward the Uchiha Jōnin.

The Uchiha stepped forward and held Gato's head out for all to see. A ripple of gasps washed across the horde of thugs. "Gato is dead," the Uchiha Jōnin said. "There is no need for any of us to fight."

Chatter began among the horde of thugs. Some of them seriously considered leaving now that their employer was deceased. Then, one brave idiot spoke up. "Yeah, so what if our meal ticket is gone," he said. "I say we pillage the town and take everything they have. Then we can sort through what Gato has left behind." That got more talk among the thugs. From what Haku could hear, most agreed with the man.

The man turned his attention to the group of Shinobi on the bridge. "And I say we start with killing these brats and their senseis," he said. His smirk grew. "There's only a few of them and an army of us." That galvanized the rest of the thugs.

Haku frowned and drew the senbon out, readying herself for a fight. From the corners of her eyes, she saw Zabuza and the Konoha-nin doing the same thing. "You sure about that," Naruto shouted at the thugs."

The same thugs sneered at Naruto. "Oh, and why is that blind boy?" he said. "I know you can't see, but even you can tell you and your friends are outnumbered."

An arrow stuck itself in the ground right in front of the thug. The man backed away in fright. "What the?" He shouted out.

Naruto's smile grew. "Not as outnumbered as you think," he said.

Everyone turned their attention to the source of the arrow. Haku raised an eyebrow, Zabuza started to laugh, and the rest of the Konoha-nin looked surprised. However, the Uchiha Jōnin had a knowing smile.

Behind the army of thugs were all the townspeople assembled together. All of them were armed with whatever weapons they could find. Pitchforks, rakes, scythes, kitchen knives, you name it, at least one townsperson had it on them.

In front of this makeshift army was a little boy armed with a crossbow and the pink haired Kunoichi holding a kunai out.

At the sight of the angry and motivated army of Wave's people, fear emanated through the thugs. They were not so sure about their chances anymore. But still, Haku could see a few brave souls in their ranks.

"Well, I guess they need a little more persuading," Naruto mutters. He made a single handsign, and dozens of clones appeared in a puff of smoke. The Konoha Jōnin made the same handsign, summoning more clones to the bridge. The Hyūga genin activated her Byakugan, and the Aburame had a swarm of insects coming out of him. The other genin pulled out kunai.

Haku channeled her chakra, summoning several ice mirrors into the air, and pulled out her senbon. Fear ripped through the ranks of the thugs at seeing what they were up against. Haku could see that their morale was hanging on by a thread. One more push, and they would break.

"Oh," Naruto said, like he had just remembered something. He held his hand out. "One more thing," a twisted smile spread across his lips.

There was screaming in the air as several thugs fell to the ground, bleeding out from their eyes. Or they would have been if their eyes had not been flying through the air and toward the blonde-haired boy. There was no hiding the shock on Haku's face at what she witnessed.

Whatever it was, it was the final straw for the Gato's thugs. With a panic scream, the thugs began to run away in every direction they could. Most jumped off the bridge to avoid the angry mob of villagers and the Shinobi.

Zabuza let out a disappointed snort. "Wusses," he said, putting his sword back on his back. "And here I was hoping to have some fun."

Even as the cheers of the villagers reached her ears, Haku could not help but roll her eyes at her master's antics. However, there was a smile on her lips. She turned to face Naruto, who was smiling at her. "I'm glad we were able to avoid fighting each other," he said. "I don't know what I would do if we had."

Haku nodded at Naruto, sharing his sentiment. She didn't want to think what would have happened if that had been the case. She didn't want to be responsible for the death of someone she would call a friend.

The battle of Wave had ended.

Thus the battle of Wave ends, and this time Haku and Zabuza are still alive. I bet some of you were thing one or of them were going to die. How this will effect things will have to be seen. But Wave is free now that Gato is dead.