Traveling too Wave

They had been on the road for thirty minutes when Sakura finally spoke up. "Excuse me, Tazuna-san but what do you need protection from?" 

Taking a swig from his flask on his side Tazuna would respond a few seconds later, "Bandits and thugs mostly. I've received a lot of threats while building my SUPER BRIDGE! It'll increase the economy of wave, and let us more easily get help to deal with them."

Sakura's eyes began to sparkle slightly, "So you're building your bridge to save your island! That's amazing. How long is going to take to complete it?"

Tazuna would hem and haw for a little bit before saying, "About three weeks of construction are left, but we stopped because of those gangsters!" Stars could practically be seen in Sakura's eyes as she continued to talk with Tazuna. 'That fantasy every child has, of being the hero or helping the hero...' 

Take a quick moment to look backward Naruko could see the determination in Sasuke's eyes, whereas Sai seemed relatively uncaring but still somewhat interested. 'Well, this will shatter some fantasies, if that's good or not...' A grimace formed on her face for the smallest of moments before disappearing. 'I suppose we can only see.' 

-Later that day- 

Having made camp for the night while sitting around the campfire Tazuna let out a groan rubbing his back. "Damn back..." 'He's not faking it, interesting.' "Don't get old kids. It just gets more painful." 'And he doesn't know what he's saying.' Narrowing her eyes slightly Naruko turned her head away from him. 'Any Shinobi would know that would cause my killing intent to arise, he's clearly not one. So a Kiri sympathizer?' Catching Sai who was frowning his face tightening she'd subtly shake her head. 'As a former trainee of ROOT Sai definently feels that phrase is a threat.' Closing her eyes Naruko began to rest, only idly listening as the conversation picked up.

"Tazuna-san how long is it till we get to wave?"

The sound of a swig of a flask could be heard before Tazuna spoke up, "About 3 days left. When we get to the ocean there's only a few hours till we get to my home. We'll have to get a boat ride from my friend of mine - but that should only last 30 or so minutes. You all will get to see my super bridge while on the waters!" 

As the conversation continued Naruko tuned it out. 'So the attack won't happen on the ocean, but afterward, I see. It makes sense, fighting near the bridge would be bad for Kiri, after all the bridge will help their offensive. It'll let them more efficiently base Genin and Chunin in the Land of Wave.'

Closing her eyes, for a brief moment Naruko felt a pang of regret. 'It seems I will for once... have to kill people that should be protectors of this world. All so that Sasuke and Sakura can understand one vital lesson that-' 

-Two days later, the 3rd out of 4 days of travel- 

'Only a few more hours till we make camp, and we should be at the ocean by noon tomorrow. It's a good thing I didn't send a Shadow Clone, who knows how I'd get it to maintain itself for weeks on end.' Naruko's eye twitched slightly towards the forest ahead of them as she thought that. 'Aah. Bandits, interesting. Purposeful by the Kiri ninja to make us fully trust in the mission? Or just bandits being bandits?' As she was at the back of the group, for a brief moment her form blurred before a couple of seconds later she was walking normally with the group again. 'Alright, now let's see how they react.' 

About a minute later a whistling noise could be heard, and it was Sasuke whose eyes widened and reacted first, "Attack!" Pulling out a kunai in each hand he swiftly deflected the half a dozen arrows that came flying out of the forest. 'Aah right! He did use a bow when he was a small kid.' Keeping her hands in her pants she'd strolled forward near the client as bandits began to emerge from the forest and more arrows flew by. "Team, deal with them. Don't worry about the client."

Sasuke and Sai moved first, followed by Sakura who looked back at Tazuna before nodding hesitantly. "Yes, Sensei." Sakura moved out as well. What followed wasn't a fight, but a slaughter. Within a couple of minutes all of the bandits lay on the ground, a mixture of unconscious and dead.

Looking around Naruko was blanked-faced as she stared at the slight grimace Sasuke was sporting, and the rapidly paling and green-looking hue of Sakura. "Tazuna-san, how about we move away, we don't want you getting sick now, do we?"

Tazuna himself was looking quite pale, and he rapidly nodded. "Yes! Uh, that sounds like a good idea." 

"Team, we'll be over here take as long as you need." Looking at Sai she'd stare at him for a moment before nodding, and he slowly nodded back. 'Alright, Sai will stay with them.' Walking a few minutes backward with Tazuna, Naruko would slowly stop. "First time seeing someone killed Tazuna-san?"

He grimaced leaning against a tree. "No, I've seen it before. It's just never easier." 'That was a good setup to talk about his son-in-law and he didn't.' 

Naruko nodded. "Indeed, the ending of a life should never be easy." She stared at him for a moment, hoping that he'd confess, but when he didn't say anything she simply leaned into a tree and closed her eyes. 'Fine. I gave you your chance.' As her team slowly came back to them, a surge of memories filled her as her shadow clone popped. 'So they were sent by Kiri, even if the bandit didn't realize it - those people he saw were definitely Kiri Nin.' 

Pushing off the tree she'd stand up straight. "Alright everyone, my clone has already fully cleaned out the area, so we're good to go." Her team didn't react, whereas Tazuna seemed confused, but affected by the mood so he didn't ask.

About thirty minutes more into their travel, Tazuna would finally sigh, "This is why I hired guards. The gang members and bandits absolutely hate the existence of my bridge and will do anything to deal with it. Luckily they don't have access to explosives, but if they did..." His eyes turned distant. 'The more he talks, the more I'm convinced of what he says. So why does he look so different from the Tazuna in my memories? Is it the difference in Universes, or does he simply believe he is Tazuna? Does Kiri even have the capability to do that?' 

Holding back a groan, Naruko continued walking as the somber mood continued, no one replied to Tazuna, but everyone reacted in some way.

-The Final Day of Travel- 

Standing at the edge of the ocean looking over it, Naruko externally was smiling at the beauty, while internally she was as hard as steel. 'It's closing in. Any moment now... I sense nothing in the waters - so that means they will attack us afterward. But when? When we land? No - too soon. If they wanted to attack us immediately it would be in the waters.' Focusing on her Minds Eye of Kagura she extended it downwards and outwards as far as possible. 'Indeed, I sense no one - besides a person slowly coming towards us, civilian chakra signature. More than likely the boat we'll be using. So in that case, it'll be either at the house or on the way to it. More than likely considering cannon - on the way to it.' 

"It appears your friend is almost here Tazuna-san, look over there." Pointing her finger, one could barely make out a small boat making its way through the light fog.

"Nice catch Tsubaki-san! Alright remember, try to be quiet, just in case we don't want anyone taking us while on the boat."

Her team nodded. "Tazuna-san, will we be able to see the bridge?" Looking over at Sakura Tazuna would smile.

"You should be able to barely see it when we're about halfway across if he takes his usual route. If not I'll have to show you it later! It's the greatest bridge in the whole wide world after all!" 

The conversation died out as the boat got nearer, Tazuna exchanging some words with the man before they all hopped in. 'Now, the game is afoot. If there are too many, I force my team to get the fuck out of here. If not, I let them watch.' As they left the dock and sailed off into the water, Naruko looked back onto land, and into a specific bush, in it - rested a singular tri-pronged Kunai. 'If you send that many forces Zabuza that I need to Hirashin away my team... I can only say you fucked up.' 

Looking back towards the ocean, Naruko would gaze around before staring at her team who were enthralled by the water, the smell, and the sights. 'Aah. I forgot they aren't like me. For them, even Sai, this is all new...' 

A quarter of an hour later Tazuna quietly raised his finger and pointed to the right of them before whispering, "It's right there." In sync with her team, Naruko raised her head, and stared, slightly awed. 'It truly is beautiful.' 

"Tazuna-san, that's amazing!" Whisper shouting Sakura once more had stars in her eyes. 

"I know, It's my masterpiece!" Smiling slightly Tazuna a bit less upbeat and more serious would continue, "It's the hope of the Land of Waves, and it will end our poverty and suffering."

There was silence for a while, and as they were nearing the shore, once more Naruko spread out her Minds Eye of Kagura as far as she could, only to finally receive feedback. 'A scout on the shores, Chunin level. They're already leaving. About six and a half kilometers inland there are roughly 12 Chunin and 3 Jonin...' Calculating it slightly in her mind, Naruko hid a smirk. 'Well then, that's far better than I expected. Looks like my team can get a workout, and I can deal with them all with no issues. Based on their strength, I can even use Water Clones which won't show off my Chakra Reserves like Shadow Clones would.' 

As they landed on, well land, the fog began to slightly increase. Taking a few moments to get their land legs back, they'd once more continue on their journey, casual conversation picking up for about five or so minutes, before dying back down. It was in this silence, that Naruko who had taken the front of the group would stop, and turn around. "Tazuna-san, I think it's time you tell us the truth. Why do I sense 3 Jonin and 13 Chunin a few kilometers ahead of us?"

Shock spread across all of Team 7, as Tazuna rapidly paled. "I- I can explain!"