Chapter 24: Reconnaissance

Well here we are. The Wave Mission, Assassin style. Here's hoping you all enjoy it.

Ad first though. Dominator454 has a fanfic idea they wanted me to advertise. If you're familiar with the First Male Ninja concept for Naruto fanfic writers, this idea will be right up your alley. Please PM them for more information.

Also, lovinaelita has a fanfic as well. A Naruto and Destiny crossover. If you're interested, PM them if you're interested. *nods*

Secondly, I recently received a review (anonymous of course) for my Demon Dragon Rider fanfic from someone calling themselves "Hmmm". In which they proceed to say that he hates it in Naruto fanfics when people do 'disturbing amounts of unnecessary bashing'. He further states that it shows that 'one does not comprehend the manga', and ending with 'it's pathetic'.

So my anonymous guest reviewer, allow me to enlighten you: this is fanfiction. And the fanfic you just read was one where Hinata turns into a cold hearted killer because she thinks Naruto died, Naruto becomes a dragon rider from the Inheritance Cycle, and Kushina and Tayuya are both alive with the latter being Naruto's sister. At what point was my fanfic supposed to be ANYTHING like the manga? How does me writing a fictional piece of fan work that has nothing to do with the canon of the manga mean I don't 'comprehend' the manga?

People don't come to fanfiction to write, or read, fanfics that follow every little bit of the manga. They come here to write or read what THEY want to see in the manga, or to simply evolve new ideas that pop into their head that they want to share with other people. In my case, that involves taking down people in the manga or anime who I think deserve it, because they get off scot free when they should be punished. Or because they were douchebags and yet no one called them out on it. This site isn't about being accurate, it's about freedom of expression of idea.

If you want to read something that 'comprehends the manga', then go read the manga. Because here, you're going to get what I, the author, want. Whether or not it fits with your ideals is too bad, because you're not the one writing it. I am. If you want a 'better fanfic', then go write one yourself.

And by the way, next time have the decency to actually sign in and reply, so I don't have to waste the reader's time with rants or messages like this. But then again, that would mean I could actually try to argue your comment, rather then you getting to feel superior leaving behind an anonymous remark with me having no way of arguing you.

Sorry about that folks. Just irked me was all.

And now, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively.

Chapter 24

Reconnaissance

Naruto could only stare, wide eyed, as they walked through Tazuna's village. "This is horrible," he murmured, as Team Eight and Team Seven continued to escort Tazuna to his home.

The village was on the verge of collapse. Many of the buildings were showing signs of disrepair, while people slowly walked through the streets in ragged clothing, lifeless looks in their eyes. Children were begging for food, or trying to steal anything they could off of people around them. Sakura tried to bite back a small sob at the sight of a young girl begging for even a scrap of food. Anko gave the girl a few ration bars, and the girl quickly rushed off with the food.

Tazuna just nodded quietly, looking very sober. "This is the result of Gato moving in on our village. He's put a stranglehold on our island, and is bleeding it dry. There was no way we could stop him. We have no military, no defense force. We don't even have a daimyo, because our island is too small and too sparsely populated. Just a few fishing villages run by a head village. At least, until Gato came along and killed them," he murmured.

Raphael slowly looked around. "When I first joined the Assassins…my mentor told me that Rome, the city we were in…was much like this when he first arrived. A cruel family known as the Borgia held all the power, and they had terrorized the population into submission. It took him quite some time to erode their power, and reclaim the city for the people. And we will do the same here," Raphael said, as Anko, Hinata, and Naruto nodded.

"Thank you, but…I don't know if it'll be that easy," Tazuna said, as they soon left the village behind, heading to a series of homes built on docks along the beach. He soon came to one, sliding the door open. "Tsunami, I'm home!" He called out.

A woman soon came into the living/dining room area, wearing a pink blouse and blue skirt. She had dark blue hair, and brown colored eyes. Blinking, she smiled and rushed to hug Tazuna. "Otou-san, I'm so glad you're home!" She said as she hugged Tazuna.

Tazuna smiled as he hugged his daughter, before glancing over at the others. "Tsunami, these are the shinobi who came to protect me," he said with a grin, moving to one side, as the Konoha shinobi entered the house.

Kakashi nodded to her. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, jounin of Konoha. These are my genin students: Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Kiba Inuzuka," he said, indicating his students.

"And I'm jounin Anko Mitarashi, and these are my genin: Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka, and Hinata Mitarashi. As well as our own client, Raphael Cotrez," Anko said, as her students bowed, and Anko nodded his head to Tsunami.

"Welcome. And thank you for protecting my otou-san. I'm afraid though that we may not have enough room for all of you here in our house," Tsunami said a bit nervously.

"That's alright. My team has camping equipment. With your permission, we'll set up camp near your house," Anko said. "Though we would appreciate it if we could have our meals inside."

"Of course! Though I'm not sure if I'll have enough to feed everyone," Tsunami said hesitantly. "It's hard to buy food with Gato controlling all the supplies that enter our village."

"Don't worry, we also have some food. And we can see about getting more," Kakashi said, before looking to Anko. "For now, I want Team Seven to get settled in, while I speak with Anko and her 'client'," he said, his voice sounding like its normal aloof tone, though his stance said otherwise.

Anko just rolled her eyes. "Fine," she muttered, before turning to her genin. "Hinata, Ino. You two will be sharing a tent with me. Get it set up. Naruto, you and Raphael will share a second tent," she said, as she and Raphael followed Kakashi outside, and out onto the dock over the water.

Once there, Kakashi turned to them. "Alright, I want to know why Hokage-sama sent you and your team as my backup. We're facing off against rogue shinobi here, one of whom is a jounin ranked opponent. I would have expected at least a team of chuunin," he said tersely.

"Yeah, well Hokage-sama decided we were adequate. Especially after you confirmed Gato was the one behind the shinobi trying to kill your client," Anko said. "Besides, with the Chuunin Exams coming up, our forces are stretched thin in preparation," she added.

Kakashi crossed his arms at that. "Fine then…why exactly are you here then, Raphael-san?" He asked.

Raphael studied Kakashi. "…I'm here to deal with Gato. There is plenty of evidence to warrant his removal as a threat to Konoha. I am here to make sure that happens."

"You? Why not simply ask me to do it? I am a former ANBU captain, and a highly skilled jounin," Kakashi said.

"Because you have a genin team and your own mission to handle. Not to mention my specialty is the silent removal of people," Raphael said simply. "And Anko's team is here to help me in any way I might need them to. This is what they're being trained to do anyway."

Kakashi just looked at them. "Alright then. For now though, our best bet is to set up a guard schedule for Tazuna and his family, as well as possibly some training time. Keep our genin active and their edges up."

"Fair enough," Anko said, watching Kakashi warily. She hadn't forgotten his attempts to get Naruto onto his team, and he worried this might be a similar attempt. Still, it would be a good idea for her genin to train against others, see where they stood. Especially for the upcoming Chuunin Exams.

Kakashi nodded. "Well then…let's get to it, shall we?" He asked.

"You two handle that. For now, I think I'll wander the town, get a feel for things," Raphael said, as he moved to leave, only to be stopped by Anko gently grabbing his arm.

"Be careful out there. I'd hate to fail my mission," she said with a grin, though there was a hint of worry on her face.

Raphael just nodded, smiling back at her, before heading off.

Meanwhile, inside their hideout, Zabuza was currently lying immobile in his bed, with Haku watching over him, occasionally checking Zabuza's wounds and bandages.

At that moment, the door slammed open and Gato and two of his thugs stepped in. Almost as soon as Gato saw Zabuza, he began to sneer. "So, this is the mighty Zabuza? The Oni no Kiri? Laid out low like some amateur," he gloated, as he approached.

Zabuza just ignored him, staring up at the ceiling, as Gato now stood over him. "Tch, you ain't worth the money I've wasted on you," he said, reaching towards Zabuza's face.

However an arm shot out, gripping his arm. Haku glared up at Gato, her normally gentle eyes blazing with anger. "You will not touch Zabuza-sama with your filthy hands," she growled, squeezing hard enough to sprain his arm.

"GAAHHH, GET OFF ME BITCH!" Gato shouted, as his two goons prepared to draw their swords. Haku however suddenly appeared between them, their swords drawn and held in reverse grips against their necks.

"I am not someone you wish to trifle with, especially with your second rate goons," she said.

Gato, gripping his inured arm, glaring at the kunoichi. "Let's go!" He said to his goons, as Haku dropped their swords. They quickly grabbed them and followed Gato out the door, where said trading tycoon turned and glared at Zabuza. "Kill the bridge builder, or else I'll get the Kiri Hunter Nin after you," he snarled, before leaving.

Haku just sighed as she moved to Zabuza's side, while he looked at her. "That wasn't necessary," he murmured, as he slowly released his grip on the kunai he had under the covers.

"Maybe not, Zabuza-sama…but it was enjoyable," Haku said with a serene smile.

Zabuza just sighed quietly, looking back up at the ceiling. "…Haku…I don't trust Gato," he finally said. "When you're not busy with me, I want you to keep an eye on him. I want to know if he's planning anything."

Haku's eyes widened slightly. "You think he will betray us?" She asked.

"I can tell he has no love for shinobi or missing nin. Had we completed the contract already I wouldn't worry but now…I want all bases covered," he said simply.

"I understand, Zabuza-sama," Haku said. "I will watch Gato for any sign of treachery. But what about the Konoha shinobi?"

"Keep an eye out for them as well Haku. Find out about the adults. The genin are nothing," he said simply. Haku nodded as she reached for a bowl of medicine.

"Your will be done, Zabuza-sama. For now though, please rest. I wish to ensure you make a full recovery as quickly as possible," she said, as she dabbed her fingers into the medical salve in the bowl, and began applying it to one of his wounds.

The Next Day, Near Nami no Kuni

The waters surrounding Nami no Kuni were often shrouded in fog early in the morning. Despite this, Gato had patrol ships filled with his thugs out patrolling for signs of smugglers and others who were attempting to break Gato's rules.

Currently, one such patrol boat was out in the eastern waters, at the farthest point of the patrol route. Due to the fog, they could barely see anything, so the men onboard were instead simply lounging around, barely even glancing out at the waters around them.

A pair of them sat on the starboard side, which was pointed out towards the open waters. One of them grumbled, huddled in a tattered cloak. "What's the point of this? Nobody is bothering to sneak into Nami. There's nothing of worth sneaking in for," he said.

"Yeah, well if some of the civilians are trying to smuggle goods in, we need to stop them," his companion said. "Boss' orders. We can't have some fishermen giving them hope."

"Yeah, but still. Nobodies dumb enough to be in this fog except us," his companion complained, huddling more under his cloak.

Thirty minutes later, the fog was just starting to lift, and the ship was preparing to turn back to port, when one of the lookouts blinked. "I think I see something!" he shouted, looking towards the east.

The crew began looking eastwards as well, blinking as they tried to make out what looked like a patch of dark shadow. The shadow was steadily growing darker and larger, as if coming near them.

The captain of the boat blinked, bringing up a pair of binoculars to look at the shadow. His eyes narrowed a bit, before they widened in surprise and some fear. "ALL HANDS TO ACTION STATIONS!" He shouted, ringing a bell.

The thugs quickly began rushing to their battle stations as the shadow became clearer, revealing a large ship that was moving broadside to the patrol ship. Before the thugs onboard could react though, a series of panels along the side of the ship retracted, revealing ballistae and scorpions. Almost immediately each of them fired, launching large piercing bolts and metal balls at the hull and crew of the patrol ship. The projectiles ripped through men along the deck, leaving them maimed or dead as their blood and internal organs littered the deck. The hull itself was ripped through in several sections, as water began flooding the small ship.

The larger vessel continued to fire rapidly, ensuring the patrol ship did not survive. The riddled hulk soon was sinking beneath the waves, taking a goodly portion of its crew with it, while a few survivors floated on the surface amongst the debris. They however would not survive for long, as their dead and wounded comrades left a lot of blood in the water, and sharks would soon be there to feast.

Onboard the Ru-Same, Mukei watched as his crew retracted the ships weapons, and sealed up the ports for the weapons, before nodding. "There should be an empty cove along the north part of the island," he said. "Head up there, and then we'll begin scouting out the island. See what the situation is here," he ordered his crew. They quickly moved as the ship altered its course and headed towards the north, to skirt around the island.

Ameyuri pouted a bit as she watched the wreckage of the patrol ship. "I was hoping for a bit of fun," she murmured, idly toying with the hilts of her two swords.

Mukei chuckled. "You'll get some soon enough. If Gato's thugs are here, we'll probably have a fight on our hands."

She giggled a bit. "You always find the nicest vacation spots," she said, hugging him from behind.

The pirate captain smiled a bit, before that smile faded. "I can't help but feel it…he's here," he said softly. "And soon enough…we'll finally be able to end him," he murmured, referring to his crew.

"And after that?" Ameyuri asked him quietly, almost sounding a bit hesitant.

"Well…I don't know…I guess I'd talk to the crew, see what they want to do. We've been pirates for so long, I don't know if there is anything else we can or want to do. But what about you? Piracy can't exactly be a dream come true for you," he said, turning to face her now.

She just grinned. "Are you kidding? The freedom of the sea, the chance for a good fight, loot and plunder? Not to mention a sexy captain to share a bed with? I should have taken up piracy a while ago," she said with a grin. "In fact, I think my only complaint are these clunky things I have to use for swords. Wish I knew what happened to my Kiba blades," she said, pouting a bit.

Mukei chuckled a bit at that pout. "Well I'll keep an ear to the ground, and maybe we can find them," he said, before pulling away. "Now, look sharp. We need to get this ship hid away without Gato's men finding us. To your station, Miss Ringo."

"Aye, aye captain," she said, turning and waiting a bit, giving him a grin over her shoulder. He just grinned as he gave her what she wanted, a quick pat to the rear, making her grin more as she headed off. Mukei just smiled, turning, and looking forward as the ship slipped through the fog, heading northerly.

At Tazuna's house, the six genin were currently lined up outside as Kakashi and Anko stood in front of them, ready to give instructions.

"Alright, listen up," Kakashi said. "Our mission while down here is to protect Tazuna and his family. Tazuna is busy finishing his bridge, so we'll need to divide our efforts. We will be rotating teams guarding the bridge, and the family. At the same time, though, we will be training to counter potential threats. Currently we know that Zabuza Momochi and an unknown associate are out there, but there could be more."

Anko began to add her own two cents. "The training will mostly focus on working together to fight against a single, superior opponent. However, we'll also be pitting you against each other, among other things," she said, knowing that her team could utilize this to their advantage, what with the upcoming Chuunin Exams.

"For today, Team 7 will be escorting Tazuna to the bridge, while Team 8 will stay with me to scout out the village and protect the family," Anko continued. "After Tazuna returns, our teams will train and spar. Understood?"

The six genin quickly nodded in understanding, as Tazuna stepped out of his house. "Ready?" He asked.

Kakashi turned to him. "Tazuna-san, my team will be watching over the bridge today," he said.

As Tazuna left with his escort, Anko turned to her genin. "Alright, Ino and myself will stay here and watch the family. Naruto, Hinata, I want the two of you to scout out the village, see what you can find out about Gato and his thugs. But stay in the village, until we know more."

"Yes sensei," the two of them said, before gathering their equipment and heading out. Neither of them noticed the dark pair of eyes watching them leave from an upstairs window.

Inari, son of Tsunami and grandson of Tazuna, all but glared at the young genin heading off towards the village. He had been out taking a walk the previous day when they had arrived, and had been quite surprised to see people setting up tents outside his home when he came back. When he entered, Tazuna had introduced him to the shinobi who had brought him home. Inaru had just said a muted hello, and immediately went up to his room.

Now, he turned away, and plopped down on his bed, folding his legs up and hugging his knees with his arms. "Stupid jerks…they're just going to die," he muttered quietly, glaring at his knees.

Meanwhile, Raphael was currently surveying the village from a vantage point, getting the layout. The village had a central plaza in front of what had been a town hall at one point. Said building was the tallest in the village, with a bell tower that could be used to summon people to meetings, or send out an alarm. Apparently though, after Gato had taken over in the village, said town hall had been closed down and boarded up, as it had been made illegal for the populace to congregate.

Now, Raphael quietly crouched in the bell tower, trying to finish his mental mapping of the village. With a few easy movements, he turned and quickly fell off the side, latching onto protrusions from the wooden tower and deftly dropping and sliding down the back side of the tower, where no one could easily see him. He soon was on the roof of the town hall, and a few moments later finished dropping down to an alleyway running alongside the hall. Straightening up, he dusted himself off, before heading out through the village.

The situation here was just as bad as it had seemed when they first arrived. Gato had a stranglehold on this village, on the island, and was slowly bleeding it dry. Because they were unable to get supplies in from the mainland except through Gato, the shop owners were forced to mark up the prices on what supplies they did have. The marked up prices of course meant that few, if any of the villages could buy these supplies. The only ones who seemed be thriving so far were the few fishermen and shop owners who had caved and sold their services to Gato. It was an obvious ploy on Gato's part, to try and weaken the resolve of the people even more. If they saw their neighbors living comfortable lives working or Gato, they'd give in to end their own suffering.

As he walked past a group of villagers, and saw the despair on their faces, he knew that the majority of people in the village were on the verge of giving in. He could guess that the only thing stopping them was the promise of Tazuna and his bridge. If the bridge was completed, Gato would lose his stranglehold on the village. Suppliers other than Gato could bring their goods in over the bridge, and Gato could not attack them without drawing the ire of the various daimyo and their shinobi villages. What's more, once the goods entered Nami, the merchants who sent them would have a vested interest in ensuring that the shopkeepers and people of Nami would continue to buy up their goods, and thus would hire shinobi or mercenaries of their own to prevent Gato's thugs from destroying the goods once they were delivered into the hands of the shopkeepers. Gato would be forced to abandon Nami altogether, or risk being destroyed.

What Raphael could not understand was Gato's motives. Obviously his attempts to take control of so many port towns was to establish a monopoly for his trading company by sea, but why hadn't he done the same in island ports in Mizu no Kuni and other such islands. Nami was the first that they knew about so far. And not only that, but why had he tried to get a foothold in the hidden villages as well? The only way to know was to get the info from Gato.

Raphael stopped when he saw Hinata and Naruto nearby, with the former wearing a pair of contacts to hide her eyes. He approached them casually, stopping near them. "Find anything?" He asked them quietly.

Naruto nodded, while still examining the few items a street vendor was selling. "Gato has set up his headquarters down by the docks. Hinata tracked a patrol of his thugs with her Byakugan, and saw them enter the warehouses down there. I sent a clone in as reconnaissance, and found the layout. One of the warehouses is being used as a barracks for his thugs. Another one near it is an armory/treasury, though Gato has the treasury locked down extremely tight, so even his own men can't get into it. There's also several patrol boats, and a couple of larger barges, obviously for ferrying his men and supplies around," he said quietly, finally deciding against buying the trinkets he found. Even though he wanted to help these people, he simply didn't have the money to spare on these items. "I heard rumors though he has a mansion further in. The locals say it was a vacation home for a noble who abandoned it, and Gato simply moved in."

"Hinata, have you found it?" Raphael asked, seeing the girl shake her head.

"No, not yet Raphael-sensei," she murmured quietly. "It must be outside my Byakugan's range."

The Assassin Mentor tilted his head down in thought, before speaking. "You two keep searching around town. Try to find out anything on those missing nin we fought, or anything else on Gato. I'm going to go look for that mansion. Try over by the west side of the village. There are a couple of bars over there, some of Gato's thugs might be hanging out there," he suggested.

The two of them nodded, and began making their way over in the direction Raphael had suggested, while Raphael turned to the docks. It stood to reason that some of his thugs, or Gato himself, would lead him from the warehouses to the mansion. He quickly began heading off in that direction.

Meanwhile, at the bridge, Sakura was practicing her chakra control by helping the bridge building team. She had gone underneath the bridge, using the tree walking exercise to walk along the bottom of the bridge and look for cracks or weaknesses. She was quietly mapping everything she found on a blueprint of the bridge that Tazuna had provided her with.

Finishing up, she came over the side, glancing around the bridge. There were numerous workers all over the bridge, with Tazuna directing them when he wasn't working himself. Kakashi meanwhile was sitting on the railing, reading his book, while Kiba and Sasuke were patrolling the bridge. She quickly approached Tazuna with the map, as he set down a beam he had been carrying. "Tazuna-san, I just finished checking the bottom of the bridge," she said, handing him the blueprint she had been using.

He took it, smiling a bit at that. "Thanks. I have to say, shinobi seem to be pretty handy as more than just bodyguards," he said.

Sakura just blushed a bit, grinning softly. "Thank you Tazuna. But it was really nothing," she murmured, glancing down.

Before Tazuna could speak, one of the workers approached. "Tazuna…we need to talk," he said quietly. When Tazuna focused on him, he continued. "Tazuna…I can't do this anymore. Gato's thugs have started threatening the workers and their families. If we keep this up, they're going to kill us all. I have to think about my family," he said. "And you should be too. Haven't you lost enough already to Gato?"

Tazuna stared at the worker, his eyes narrowing in rage at the last part. "So you're going to just give up? Let Gato walk all over you?!" He demanded angrily.

"I won't let my family die or starve for this Tazuna! If I work for Gato, my family will survive," the worker said angrily.

Tazuna just growled, turning his back. "Survival isn't enough if you can't hold your head up high. I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees," he said, getting the beam. "Get out of here. I don't need cowards and collaborators working here," he said, as he started to carry the beam away.

The worker looked at Tazuna's back, then at Sakura. "You shinobi…do you really think you can protect us?" He asked in a dark, cold voice.

Sakura looked at the man, trembling a bit under his gaze. Then she closed her eyes and squared her shoulders, trying to be brave. "We're going to try," she said in as confident a voice as she could.

The worker looked at her, before pulling the brim of his hat down and walking away, his shoulders slumped as he did. Other workers watched him go, before getting back to work as Sakura slumped her shoulders. She jumped when she heard a voice behind her. "Well done, Sakura."

She turned, seeing her sensei there, his eyes locked on his book. She blinked, before giving him a small smile. "T-Thank you Kakashi-sensei," she said, bowing.

Kakashi just nodded, indicating Sasuke and Kiba. "Why don't you relieve Sasuke from patrol duty? Keep an eye out for anything suspicious," he said simply.

"Yes sensei," Sakura said, heading over to her teammates. As she did, Kakashi began to think.

While he didn't like the idea of being rescued and supported by Anko, he had to admit this was a rare opportunity for him. He could use the upcoming spars and training to help Naruto see how much better off he was under his tutelage. In a one on one taijutsu match, he was almost certain that Sasuke, and the training regimen he went through under his family and Kakashi's teachings would make him superior to Naruto, and guarantee his victory. Add in Naruto's vast chakra reserves and Kakashi's overwhelming arsenal of jutsu, and he easily believed he could show Naruto he would be better off learning under him. That would allow him to teach both his sensei's son and a member of Obito's clan as well. Add in Sakura, who was becoming more and more like Rin, and Kakashi was certain he could not only recreate, but improve on his old team. Maybe even turn them into the next sannin. He was certain he could do it.

He turned the page of his book, and mentally smiled, confident that soon, everything would be as it should.

The village west side

Naruto and Hinata, under the effects of a henge, sat in one bar, where they had found a small group of heavily armed thugs. Considering no one else in the village seemed to have actual weapons, it seemed obvious these were Gato's men.

The bar they were in was about half empty, considering most people couldn't afford to waste money on drinks. The few who could were mostly quiet, not wanting to draw the attention of the rapidly inebriated men at the bar. This worked in Naruto and Hinata's favor, as they unobtrusively listened to them, while pretending to drink some sake.

"So didja' hear? Those missing nins the boss hired failed to kill that bridge builder," one of them said to his friend, who nodded drunkenly.

"Oh I heard. He was pretty pissed, especially when that whore following Zabuza around nearly broke his arm. He was swearing all kinds of vengeance against them," his friend said.

"I don't know why the boss just doesn't have us all attack the bridge builder's house. There's no way those shinobi he's got could handle all of us. We'd be done in no time, and he wouldn't have to waste money on those no-good shinobi," the first said, only for the second to laugh.

"Are you serious? They'd cut us to pieces. I've seen shinobi in action before. No, the boss has got a plan. You'll see," he said.

At that moment, another armed man ran into the bar. "Everyone back to the warehouses! We got trouble!" He shouted, causing all the thugs to look up.

"What's that? What trouble?" one said drunkenly, only to get smacked by the one who ran in, an attempt to sober him up briefly.

"We just found debris and bodies from one of our patrol boats! It looks like it was attacked and sunk! Gato wants everyone down at the warehouses now!" He shouted, before turning and running, followed by the other thugs who drunkenly stumbled out of the bar.

Hinata glanced at Naruto, surprise in her currently brown eyes. "Who would attack one of Gato's patrol boats?" She asked.

Naruto grinned slightly as he realized the answer. "I think I know who. We should head back to Tazuna's place and let Anko-sensei know we might have gotten more reinforcements," he said, standing and paying for his and Hinata's sake. The two quickly left, and as soon as they had undone their transformations, were rushing towards Tazuna's home.

Meanwhile, down at the warehouses, Raphael was stretched out face-first on the roof, looking over the edge as the various thugs were quickly lining up in rough formation. He had seen a few small ships pull into dock near the warehouses, and one crew member rushed to the barracks warehouse. Not too long after another thug rushed off into the forest. Raphael would have followed, if a commotion hadn't arisen and the various mercenaries and criminals started gathering. He decided to wait and see what happened.

Soon enough, he saw a short stocky figure in a business suit come storming out of the woods with two men behind him, and the thug from earlier following. The short man in the lead, obviously Gato, stormed over to the assembled men, glaring. "How did this happen?! How was one of my patrol ships destroyed?! I want answers!" He shouted to his men.

One of the thugs who had been on the ship that discovered the wreckage spoke up. "We're not sure Gato-sama. We think someone attacked it with a ship. One armed with weapons. We found some of these floating in the water," he said, holding up a water logged ballista bolt with a broken shaft.

Gato growled as he swung around to all the thugs. "I want this island scoured now! Find this ship! Find anyone who might know about it! I want the ones who attacked my men dead! Do you hear me?!" He shouted, as the thugs quickly began to rush off.

Raphael remained still as the thugs rushed off to get equipped and begin their search. Glancing at the broken ballista bolt that had been tossed on the ground, he grinned a bit as he realized what it meant. "You arrived quite quickly, Mukei," he murmured, slowly crawling away from the edge of the roof. This could be quite useful in the long run for their plans.

He waited patiently as he heard everyone move out, while Gato ranted at them to move faster. When the last of the thugs were gone, Gato was heard muttering and storming off, his bodyguards in tow. Raphael slowly poked his head up, and not seeing any guards in the area, quickly dropped down. Finding cover, he watched the group leave, before following them at a distance. He knew this was his best chance to also find Gato's headquarters.

The trio was walking along a path someone had obviously made through the forests on the island. Raphael moved into the woods along the path, moving carefully to avoid making any sounds that would alert them. As he did, his eyes narrowed as he took in the two ronin. Both wore hakama pants, with one being shorter, and wearing a hoodie and beanie. The other was shirtless, and had an eye patch. Both were armed with katana, though it was obvious neither was a true master of their blade. The tall one kept grabbing the hilt each time he heard an animal noise, and glanced around. Despite the distance between them, Raphael swore he could see bloodlust on the man's face.

The trio continued along the path, completely unaware of the shadow following them. Raphael could hear some of their conversation from time to time, and tried to hear for any important information.

"The people of this island don't seem to understand who they're dealing with," Gato said to his henchman. "We might need to make another example, just like we did with that one fisherman. Help them to understand who owns this island."

"Heh heh heh, maybe a beheading?" Eyepatch asked, gripping his sword. Gato however shook his head.

"No…something worse. A fate befitting criminals. Yes," he said, as they kept walking.

Raphael's blood chilled a bit at hearing their conversation. His eyes narrowed, as he was tempted to simply move out and take Gato's life. But no, not yet. He needed more info, needed to know what Gato was up to, what contingencies he had in place. He kept following them, until the woods cleared and he found a mansion overlooking a cliff. He stopped in the woods as soon as he saw it, so as to use cover while studying it from a distance. He could see it was surrounded by a low wall, perhaps only two to three meters in height with no sign of any walkway for guards to patrol along. There was a single, solid gate in the wall, and beyond that, a few meters of cleared space before the mansion itself. The gate was opened from the inside by a pair of men as Gato and his henchmen entered, before quickly being closed again. Raphael could imagine that there were several men on the inside patrolling the grounds, and perhaps the interior of the mansion itself. He could also see a few shapes on the rooftops, armed with small bows, probably little more than hunting bows. They'd be deadly against an unarmored person, but they'd have considerably short range, and Raphael doubted they could penetrate his leather armor except at close to point blank range.

He glanced at the area surrounding the wall. It had been cleared for several meters of any trees, making it hard for someone to approach unobserved, especially with those rooftop sentries in their vantage points. However, the wall did seem to be built fairly close to the cliff, so depending on the severity of the cliff, it might be possible to ascend from that aside and slip in over the back wall. Slowly he began to move through the woods, to try and see the other side of the mansion. As the other side came into view, he saw a path leading down what he assumed was the side of the cliff. Seeing an opportunity, he began to back away. There were two possible options to sneak up on the mansion, but they would more than likely require a boat first to reach. Which was why it was important to find out if Mukei and his crew were in the area. Moving quietly away, he began to pick up the pace once he was far enough away from the mansion, heading back to the village, and from there, to Tazuna's house.

Tazuna's home, late afternoon

Teams Seven and Eight looked at each other as Anko and Kakashi stood with them in a clearing close enough to Tazuna's house that they could see his home. They had decided that they would assess their genin's capabilities through spars, and then move from there.

Anko looked at Kakashi. "Okay then, how do we decide who fights who?" She asked, though she already could sense one of the match ups Kakashi wanted.

"I think we should have Sakura and Ino fight, followed by Kiba and Hinata, and lastly Sasuke and Naruto," Kakashi said, giving Anko his eye smile. "That sounds fair, don't you think?"

Anko looked at him, before shrugging. "Sure," she said, her face remaining blank, even though she wanted to smirk.

Kiba however growled. "No way! I want to fight Naruto! Let the duck butt fight Hinata!" He shouted angrily, as Sasuke glared at him for the comment about his hair, while Naruto crossed his arms.

"I'm fine with fighting either one of them," he said evenly, looking at both Sasuke and Kiba.

"Kiba, I do not want you fighting Naruto because of your rivalry with him. This is a spar, not a brawl," Kakashi said firmly, making Kiba growl in annoyance. "Now, if Sakura and Ino will please get ready?"

The other genin begin to move out of the way, as Ino and Sakura got into their fighting stances. Sakura looked nervous, but Ino gave her a bit of an encouraging smile. Kakashi began to lay down the rules. "This is a spar. Taijutsu only. No ninjutsu, genjutsu, or weapons are allowed," he said, looking at the two. "Ready? Begin!"

As soon as Kakashi started the match, the two kunoichi moved to engage each other. It was clear from the outset though that Ino had the upper hand. While Sakura was competent with the Academy style taijutsu, and had improved after training and sparring with Sasuke and Kiba, Ino was showing she was the stronger combatant due to the fact that while training with Hinata and Naruto, she was constantly improving her taijutsu to match them. As Anko pointed out, since their team was specializing in assassination, they all needed to know how to fight in close quarters should their targets detect them.

Ino grunted as she blocked one of Sakura's kicks, stepping in while shoving Sakura's leg away to throw her off balance. Sakura tried to back step away, as Ino got in and delivered a blow to her chest, using less strength than if she had been in real combat so as not to hurt Sakura seriously. Sakura managed to quickly grab Ino's arm and throw her away, but Ino flipped in the air, landing on her feet facing Sakura, who readied herself again. Ino just grinned more, nodding at Sakura, who quickly moved forward, launching a flurry of blows that Ino managed to either dodge or deflect. She quickly got into Sakura's guard again, striking Sakura's leg to again throw her off balance before pushing Sakura back, causing her to fall on her back. Sakura quickly back rolled as Ino had followed up with an axe kick down at the ground, before leaping up and trying to punch Ino, who went into the splits before spinning on the ground, kicking out at Sakura. Sakura jumped back as Ino used her momentum to spin and roll back to her feet.

The two faced each other, before exchanging blows again, before Ino got a lucky hit, staggering Sakura. She quickly stepped in, tripping Sakura and dropping her to the ground before pinning her there. Kakashi stepped forward, raising a hand.

"Winner, Ino," he said, as Ino slowly stood, and offered Sakura her hand.

"You did great Sakura," she said with a smile, as Sakura nodded her own smile a bit smaller and weaker.

Kakashi just nodded as he indicated Kiba and Hinata. "Hinata, Kiba, you're next," he said.

"Heh, this will be easy. Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, I'll win this for team 7," he said, arrogantly stepping forward.

Hinata's eyes narrowed, as she reached up and tightened her bandana, making sure it was on properly. She quietly set the safeties on her hidden blade bracers so they wouldn't go off, and slid into her taijutsu stance. "You should check your ego, Kiba-san. It's promising things you won't be able to deliver on," she said.

Kiba just smirked, confident in his victory. "Heh., you can't do anything to me without your chakra. Your Jyuuken won't work. Besides, what do I have to fear from some exile?" He said, making all of Team 8 tense, while Hinata's eyes narrowed further.

"Ooohhh, you're dead now dog breath," Naruto said, while Anko just smirked a bit. Kakashi was also smirking, believing that Kiba would have the upper hand. While he wouldn't have the sharp claws that came from his beast mimicry jutsu, he'd still have his strength and speed, which he doubted Hinata could match. Especially since Hinata would be at a disadvantage, as Kiba pointed out. He stepped forward, and signaled them to begin.

Kiba lunged forward rapidly, trying to elbow Hinata in the chest to drive the wind out of her, only to find himself striking air as Hinata simply wasn't there. The former Hyuuga had spun away from his strike, and as she came around, she struck his arm at several points, like she was using the Jyuuken. However, they could see that there was no faint glow of chakra that accompanied the Jyuuken.

The two separated, and Kiba growled, not noticing the slight numb feeling in his arm. He launched himself at her again, punching, only for her to bat his arm away, striking at several points along the inside, before slipping around him, striking along his chest and rip cage as she did so.

Kiba growled as he turned to her. "You think those love taps will stop me?!" He shouted, only to gasp suddenly, feeling his wind gone as his right arm dropped dead against his side. Hinata just stood there, watching him, before speaking.

"Those love taps, as you put them, have just struck a series of nerve clusters on your body that have rendered your arm and chest numb. Anko sensei began training me in knowing where and how to strike the human body to disable it without the use of my Byakugan and Jyuuken, in case I couldn't use my chakra. I'm skilled enough to numb your body parts, rendering you immobile. If Anko-sensei had been the one to do it…you'd be in excruciating pain right now," she said. (1)

Kiba just growled, swinging his left arm at her, only for her duck under it and strike him along his arm, causing his entire left arm to go numb as well and flop to his side. Hinata took a step back, seeing him glare, his arms limp at his side. "The Hyuuga may have exiled me, Inuzuka-san, but do not think for one second that makes me weak. Never underestimate an opponent, Inuzuka-san," she said, before turning and walking away.

Kakashi just stared, surprised, before speaking. "Hinata Mitarashi wins," he said, as Anko just smirked, while Naruto patted Hinata on the shoulder.

Sasuke meanwhile narrowed his eyes a bit. He knew Hinata was strong, but he also knew that despite his teammate's loud, arrogant behavior he was a skilled taijutsu expert. He hadn't expected Hinata to so easily defeat his teammate.

He glanced over at Kakashi who nodded at him. Sasuke stepped forward, as Naruto did as well, setting the safeties on his bracers as well. The two faced each other, as Kakashi moved to referee. "Are you two ready?" He asked.

Both of them silently nodded, watching each other. Sasuke knew Naruto was a formidable fighter, but Sasuke believed he had the upper hand. He not only had been training hard outside the Academy and his team training, but he had been under the tutelage of Kakashi Hatake, a man many spoke of being the next likely candidate for Hokage, because of his impressive history and abilities.

Naruto meanwhile knew from experience that Sasuke was a fast and agile fighter. He would be able to get in quick, strike, and get out quickly. Naruto would have to try and pin him down to turn this fight in his favor.

Kakashi looked at them, before nodding. "Begin!" he shouted.

The two genin settled into their stances, watching each other carefully. Sasuke slowly began moving to his right, as Naruto did the same, trying to make sure Sasuke didn't get the upper hand on him. Sasuke immediately moved to his left, and Naruto tried to do the same, only to stumble slightly. Sasuke capitalized, moving in as Naruto was off balance, leading with a right hook. Naruto however grinned, having used the stumble as a feint to draw Sasuke in. He quickly grabbed Sasuke's arm, pinning it as he delivered a punch to Sasuke's chest, then his chin, letting go as he delivered the second blow so that Sasuke was thrown back from the momentum of the blow.

Sasuke stumbled back, grunting and holding his chest, as Naruto quickly followed up, launching a quick forward kick at Sasuke. Sasuke knocked Naruto's foot away and tried to punch him again, this time landing a blow to Naruto's cheek and sending him reeling. He quickly followed up with several more punches, before leaping and spinning, kicking at Naruto. Naruto managed to block the quick, grabbing Sasuke's leg and twisting it, slamming Sasuke into the ground. Sasuke had the wind knocked out of him, but managed to kick back, shoving Naruto off his leg. The Uchiha stumbled to his feet, while Naruto shook his head, readying himself again.

As the two faced each other, Anko glanced at Kakashi. And noticed he seemed slightly tense, his one visible eye fixated on the fight. It seemed he was far more interested in this fight then he was in the previous two. She frowned a bit, guessing why he might be interested in this fight. She turned her attention back to the combat, as the two engaged again.

Naruto grunted as he blocked another of Sasuke's blows, trying to quickly strike back, only for Sasuke to duck under the blow and punch Naruto in the stomach. Naruto grunted as he backed up, only to quickly respond and block another blow from Sasuke, retaliating quickly and stepping in to drive a blow into Sasuke's chest. As Sasuke stumbled back, Naruto punched him again, this time aiming higher and hitting Sasuke in the face, before leaping up, driving both his feet into Sasuke's upper chest and sending him flying.

Sasuke grunted as he hit the ground, and tried to get back to his feet quickly as Naruto leapt up back onto his feet, getting ready. The two faced each other, panting lightly, only for Kakashi to step forward. "That's enough…I'm declaring this a draw," he said, his voice neutral.

Naruto just lowered his stance, while Sasuke growled. "I can keep going," he snapped, stepping forward, only to be stopped by Kakashi.

"I don't doubt you can, but we are in the middle of a mission. If this match goes on any further, one of you will get seriously hurt, and we cannot risk that. Understood?" He said.

Sasuke glared at him for a moment, before nodding and stepping back, though he glared at Naruto again as he did so. Naruto just sighed, stepping back and wincing as he rubbed his chest. Anko came over to check him, while Kakashi did the same for Sasuke.

What neither of them noticed was the figure watching from the tree tops, before that figure turned and left, bouncing from tree to tree. As she left, Haku knew those two genin she had just witnessed fighting could be a major threat, if they got into another fight. They might need to be dealt with…permanently. She shook her head as she rushed back to the hideout, to take care of her master.

Finally got this chapter done. To be honest, was planning to handle all of the Wave Mission this chapter, but more I wrote and the longer it went, the more I realized I needed to split this up.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and again, please talk to Dominator454 or lovinaelita if you're interested in their ideas.

Thanks again to Kyuubi123 and BillAlain for all their help!

Till next time!

1. I thought it would make sense for Anko to know how to strike the nerve clusters on a person's body, given her skills and fighting style. And since she's rising and teaching Hinata, it made sense Hinata would learn this too, especially given her dexterity.