chapter 6

Chapter Six

Battle Royale

Disclaimer: I think the only things I really do own are my car, computer, TV and PS3. Other then that, not much of anything, so definitely not the rights to Naruto

A/N: A couple things to mention. Team seven wasn't necessarily all there to kill Naruto when he was down. In fact the only one who probably harbored such thoughts was Sasuke. The other two wouldn't have minded seeing him tortured a bit at that time though. Also I'd just like to note that this is my story based on the Naruto manga and anime. That means that there will be both major and minor differences between their versions and mine

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Sasuke smirked as he rushed right up to Haku, not bothering to wait for Kiba. This didn't worry Haku at all though as she easily blocked the punch and following kick. She watched as Sasuke got more and more frustrated with each blocked attempt, wondering how someone who fell into a rage so quickly ever became a ninja. She saw the other boy running over, so she quickly caught the kunai that was aimed at her and did one handed seals. "Sensatsu Suishō." Forming a dome of water senbon around them, she caused Kiba to stop in his tracks as he no longer able to get close without getting caught in the attack. Just before the attack was able to hit though, Sasuke disengaged and did a quick kawarimi with the only thing close enough. The only thing heard besides the sound of the senbon hitting flesh was a yell of "What the hell?" From Kiba and a yip of surprise from Akamaru who was now running to his downed owner.

Haku was sickened that the raven haired boy would use his teammate like that. The dog boy was lucky that she hadn't been aiming for any vital organs. He would live, but he was out of commission, so at least she only had to deal with the Uchiha. She would make him pay for hurting someone he should have been watching the back of. She would make him feel pain much worse than his teammate did. "You are despicable. Using a comrade to save yourself."

"Hah. I am the last Uchiha. He should be honored to die in order to save me. When you are the last of your bloodline that is just the way things work."

"Really now? So what happens then, when two of the last of their bloodlines meet and fight?"

"That's easy. The strongest bloodline wins, and there are none stronger than the sharingan."

"The sharingan huh? I've heard of it, but I don't see it in you."

Haku smirked behind her mask while Sasuke prickled at the jab. "It just hasn't activated yet. It takes a life or death situation to do so. Which means I haven't met an opponent strong enough to even be my equal let alone push me enough to be a challenge."

"Oh you have met one. He was even eating under the same roof as you. The blond one, Naruto."

"How dare you even compare such a weakling to me. A dead last like him could never be a challenge to one such as me."

"Perhaps, but now you face another who will be your challenge. Now we will see who has the stronger bloodline. You; an Uchiha who has no claim to the true nature of his name, or I; the last of the hyōton users and fully capable of using my bloodline. I will show you my greatest achievement. Try not to die too quick, mighty Uchiha. Makyō Hyōshō..."

Sasuke could only stand there as ice mirrors formed all around him. When he tried to escape through an opening that one hadn't formed in yet one immediately appeared to block his path. Smirking he gathered his chakra and performed his favorite jutsu. "Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" The fire blazed against the ice with Sasuke pouring as much chakra as he could into it. Smirking he ran through the smoke to hide his escape, but was stopped when he ran face first into the ice mirror he thought he had melted.

As Haku stepped into one of the mirrors, she laughed at the boy. "Your fire won't work against me dear Uchiha. This ice is imbued with my chakra. It would take a flame hotter then your little body can produce to even make them steam. Now learn your place in this world." As the last of her body melded with the mirror Haku's reflection was duplicated on every mirror in the dome. Sasuke looked on in horror for the first time in his life as each reflection drew a set of senbon. "Feel the pain of betrayal Uchiha." With that the senbon flew through the air toward the lone target.

• • •

Back at the house Naruto was just beginning to wake up. He felt a little sore in his chest, but after rubbing it he found the wound had already healed over. This would have surprised most people, but for him this was life as usual. It hadn't mattered how bad the beating or how many times he was stabbed. Most wounds he got were healed by the next day. After getting dressed and doing some morning stretches he was making his way downstairs when he heard a scream. He landed at the bottom with one jump, just in time to see a screaming Inari run out the front door.

"Let go of my mom!"

Realizing what was happening Naruto followed the boy out, and caught up just in time to perform a quick kawarimi with Inari and draw his own blades to block the two swords that were meant to slice the kid in thirds. "Now now gentlemen. There are nicer ways to ask a woman out you know." His ninja-to held firm as the sword it blocked was easily kept at bay. On the Katana side however, his arm was shaking a bit from the pressure. 'This one is either a bit stronger or, more likely, I'm not used to a katana yet. It might be a few years to early for such a blade. If Zabuza's reaction was anything to go by though it may not hurt to keep it around for intimidation purposes.'

The two ronin drew back their swords and got into a ready stance. "Shut it kid. Gatō wants this little whore to get back at that bridge builder, and Gatō gets what Gatō wants. Isn't that right Tamotsu?" Naruto had just enough time to register the sound of a blade cutting through the air before he was sliced down the back.

*POOF*

In a cloud of smoke he was gone and so were Inari and Tsunami. The three mercenaries looked around frantically for their lost charges. "Dammit! this is why I don't like dealing with ninja they're always so sneaky. No offense Tamotsu.

"None taken, I don't like dealing with my own kind all that much either." The new man replied.

The sound of metal cutting through air was heard again as the two samurai turned in time to block a couple shuriken thrown their way while Tamotsu just jumped out of the way. He was a distance fighter and shuriken usually came before a close combat rush. To all of their surprise though they heard another *POOF* as the shuriken turned into clones. Before they could react the two samurai were out cold. While the ninja easily took the one charging at him out with a shuriken of his own. He stood there in the middle of the street outside Tazuna's house waiting for the attack to come. "You're not bad kid I'll give you that." He was hoping to taunt the boy into giving away his position. He soon found out it wasn't necessary.

Naruto calmly walked around the corner of the house and stared at the ninja. "Tamotsu Uesugi aka Herald of the Squall, Missing-nin of Kirigakure no Sato, last known rank: chūnin."

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage. You are well informed for a kid. I would ask your name, but when you're dead it doesn't matter."

"Uzumaki Naruto no known aliases, genin of Konohagakure no Sato." Naruto did a small bow while smirking at his opponent. "I'm glad I picked up that Bingo Book on the way here. Otherwise I wouldn't have known whose heads to collect." Naruto slowly pulled the katana back out to test his theories and watched as the eyes of the chūnin got wider and wider with every inch that came out, proving that it was indeed a good intimidation factor. At least against Kiri ninja.

"N-no...way..." That was when he made his mistake. The chūnin knowing exactly who the sword belonged to attempted to escape the one who seemingly killed him. "Suiton: Mizurappa." With some quick hand signs he made a small spout of water rush towards the blond before running into the trees nearby and taking to the branches He yelled over his shoulder as he heard the boy pursuing him . "There's no way in hell a genin could have defeated him! Who the hell are you?!" His blood froze as the answer seemed to be whispered right into his ear.

"Your worst nightmare, and now your death. Goodbye Herald of the Squall..."

In a flash of steel and a spray of red the deed was done. The chūnin now lay headless at Naruto's feet. After scavenging what he could, and sealing away the head, Naruto burned the corpse so it wouldn't be contaminating the forest near Tazuna's house. He didn't want to chance Inari or Tsunami stumbling upon it if they decided to go for a stroll anytime soon. Heading back to the house he found the two samurai kind of tied up to a post with Inari standing next to them, a huge grin plastered on his face. "I kept them company Nii-san!"

Naruto let out a chuckle. He couldn't stop himself. "Good job Inari, and good job protecting your mother. That is what real men do. That is what heroes do..." Naruto went over to the samurai and untied them. Inari was about to protest when Naruto gave him a smile and signaled for him to wait. He went through their belongings removing anything sharp enough to cut and anything useful to him including their weapons. Their money pouches he tossed to Inari, whose eyes bulged at the weight. After everything was sealed away he tied them back up, correctly, making sure to do it slow enough that Inari could see.

It was about this time that the two started to wake up. While they may have been a bit startled to see it was the blond to greet them, they soon began to grin evilly. "Looks like you're the lucky one kid. By now your friends at the bridge are dead, and so is that builder." Inari was on the verge of tears as Tsunami ran out and clutched him to her in a mother's attempt at protecting her child no matter what the enemy was.

Naruto on the other hand had a grin of his own on and was staring down the mercenaries. "I don't care if the three stooges die, but you will be hard pressed to find someone that could take on Kakashi. He already beat Zabuza once. He will do so again." He quickly beat the two with the blunt end of his sword before turning to the two distraught family members. "Don't worry. Tazuna-san will be fine. I promise. Keep an eye on these two for me awhile please. If they start to wake up just bash em on the head with a wok or something." Seeing them both nod as they wiped their tears away he turned and sped down the road towards the bridge.

• • •

Things weren't looking good for any of the bridge defenders. Sasuke was doing his best impression of a porcupine in the middle of the ice dome with the help of Haku. He had partially activated his sharingan, but after sustaining so many injuries it was pointless. He was in so much pain that even breathing hurt like hell. Haku on the other hand was having the time of her life. Kiba lay outside the dome unconscious while Sakura stood beside Tazuna wondering what she should do. She couldn't see anything because of the dense fog, but she could hear Sasuke's screams of pain and the sound of metal hitting metal from Kakashi's fight.

Kakashi was having a rough time with Zabuza as well. The mist was so thick that his sharingan was practically useless. The only benefit it gave him was that he had just enough time to dodge most of Zabuza's attacks as they showed in his limited vision just a couple of feet before hitting. He still managed to get a slice on his arm and another across his chest, but he was still alive. None of hem noticed as a blur shot towards the dome, keeping just outside of viewing distance of those inside. Naruto watched as Haku's senbon repeatedly pierced Sasuke, never giving him time to block the projectiles. The attacks came from all sides it seemed, though he noted that each set was timed a little differently. After a few moments Sasuke couldn't take anymore and collapsed to his knees. Naruto was about to head in and bring him out, but halted as Haku's mirrors began to melt away.

The girl walked up to Sasuke until she was just out of his reach. Notable by his half hearted attempts to swing at her. "You see Uchiha. Even one so great as you can fall. Without teammates to watch your back you are nothing. Perhaps if you hadn't switched out with that dog boy he would have been able to block the attacks at your back. Then you both probably would have outlasted me. Know that it was your arrogance that was your undoing." She brought out another senbon and prepared the final attack, but was stopped as another body blocked her path.

"Ah Naruto, so Zabuza-sama's attack was pointless after all. I am glad to see you are well, but I must ask you to not interfere."

"I'm sorry but I can't let you kill him. He may be an asshole but he's still my comrade for this mission, and it is my duty to keep him alive if possible." It was at this point that Sasuke was able gather enough strength for one more action. He quickly grabbed Naruto's left shoulder and right arm as he stood up.

"Th-this way you will...die knowing that you...protected an U-Uchiha. Feel privileged...d-dobe." Unfortunately for Sasuke he had lost almost all his strength, so when Naruto turned around and backhanded him to the other side of the bridge, he was powerless to stop it. He collapsed in a heap as he was knocked out cold.

"Well he won't be bothering us for a while. Now where were we."

"It amazes me that after such treatment you are still willing to save him."

"Trust me, it would be a lot worse for me if I didn't. Now, I have to ask you to trust me Haku-chan." Haku cocked an eyebrow at him though he couldn't see it because of the mask, but the way she turned her head to the side as she did it indicated to him she was questioning his motives. "There is a memory replacement seal on the back of your neck, and I would like to remove it if you will let me."

Haku took a step back. "And why should I trust you to do such a thing. How do I know you won't just attack me while you have my back?"

"You don't, that's why I am asking you to trust me. I don't want to have to do this the hard way..." Naruto held out the seal he chose to use on her to show her what it was. "I will place this over the seal on the back of your neck and will cancel the effects for as long as it's on. That will allow you to remember what you had been forced to forget until I can cancel the seal out permanently. If you want you can put this on yourself, this edge needs to face up. Other then that it's pretty straight forward." He held the seal out further for her to take if she wanted. She cocked her head to the side again as if considering the offer.

"And what are the side effects of the seal?"

"You will feel tired for awhile, but you won't be harmed. You may not be able to fight at your full capacity until the effects wear off, but other then that, nothing." He smiled as she reached out and took the seal from him, studying it closer. "Your seal is about here." He said pointing to a spot on his own neck so she knew where to place the counter-seal.

"Had you deceived me and said it did nothing I would have skewered you where you stood, but you seem to be telling the truth, and you left me go in the forest when you could have easily killed me. I will return that favor with my trust. My life is in your hands Naruto-san." taking a deep breath she slapped the seal on the back of her neck and instantly felt the vertigo from it. She could feel herself getting drowsy just like he said, but more importantly she could see her true memories as they flooded back to her. In just a couple of minutes she was on her knees crying as she threw her mask away. "He killed them. It wasn't from the bloodline purge. He did it!"

Naruto was by her side in an instant, keeping her face from hitting the bridge. "Haku! Are you ok? I swear it wasn't supposed to hurt you. Let me see it. I'll fix it!" She slapped his hands away from her.

"No! I have to have this. I won't allow him to control me anymore!"

"Who was it Haku? Who was controlling you?" He already had a hunch, but he needed to get her to say it.

"...Zabuza" In seconds she was on her feet again with determination in her eyes as she weaved her way unsteadily over to where they could hear metal clashing. As they neared they heard the new sound of dogs growling as the two jōnin talked. Then through the fog they saw light crackling nearby accompanied by what almost sounded like a flock of small birds chirping. Another few seconds and the mist started to dissipate showing a wounded Zabuza being held down by numerous dogs as Kakashi stood in front of him, a crackling ball of chakra in his hand. Zabuza looked over at Haku and smiled.

"Ah looks like you don't get to kill me today Kakashi."

Said jōnin ignored him as he rushed forward, intending to end Zabuza's life. He was stopped short as a hand grabbed his wrist and held him fast. He followed the arm to see a familiar face. "Naruto what the hell are you doing?" Naruto just shook his head and looked over to where Haku was advancing on the immobilized Zabuza.

"Haku, get rid of these mutts so I can get this show over with. Then we can kill the old man and get our payment." Haku just walked closer. "Haku did you hear..."

"It was you..." Zabuza looked at his partner as she advanced on him. Her dangerous undertone was easily apparent. "It wasn't my father that killed my mother, it was you."

Zabuza now saw the corner of the paper sticking off her neck. He glared over at Naruto. "So you figured it out. I admit I'm impressed."

Haku continued as if he hadn't said anything. "You killed my father when he refused to hand us over. Then my mother right in front of my eyes when she refused to help you with your plans. I couldn't do anything to stop it back then. I was barely able to make more then a ball of water. You covered it all up and trained me to be your tool. Using me all this time knowing that you were the one who killed my parents." Haku was now standing in front of the missing-nin glaring at him. "You are sick!" She once again created a dome of senbon, this time around her, at one time, father figure. With no way for the man to get away Kakashi's dogs dispersed.

"You never did have the heart to kill Haku. Cold as ice, but still too soft." Zabuza began laughing up until the senbon closed in on him. With a sickening spurt of blood it was over. The once mighty swordsman was now nothing more then a soulless pile of flesh.

Haku stared at the corpse for a full minute before a pair of arms encircled her waist. Only then did she allow herself to cry as she turned around and collapsed into Naruto's chest.

"Naruto I'm going to have to ask you to step away from her. She is still an enemy. She attacked two ninja of the leaf, and killed one."

"Neither are dead." Came Haku's weak voice.

"What?"

"Neither are dead. I've never killed anyone...until just now. Though I intended to kill the Uchiha every attack up to this point was non lethal."

"So why did you intend to kill Sasuke?" The cyclopean jōnin asked.

"He used his own teammate to switch out. Forcing the dog boy to take the hit that was meant for him, but those too were not lethal."

Kakashi wanted to puke. His own student tried to sacrifice one of his teammates in order to live? He should have never passed them, but he knew that whatever decision he had made at the time, the Konoha council would have pushed the boy's team through.

"I will vouch for her Kakashi." He turned to the blond. "She has more honor then your whole team combined. I will vouch for her."

*Clack Clack*

"As touching as all this is, I am a very busy man. So how about we end this now?"

All conscious heads turned towards the unfinished end of the bridge to see a short businessman surrounded by hundreds of mercenaries. Naruto and Kakashi rushed in front of Tazuna, getting into defensive stances.

"I see that my hunch was right. Zabuza was no match for the Konoha ninja, and neither was that halfwit I sent to get his daughter."

At the mention of Tsunami Tazuna took a step forward. "If you lay a hand on her I will gut you myself!"

"Ah the mighty bridge builder does have a spine. I'm sorry my dear man, but in this world money is power, and when you're as wealthy as I am you can afford a lot of power...kill them." With a roaring battle cry the wave of mercenaries charged forward as the small man disappeared from sight behind them.

"Kakashi, how strong are you right now?"

"About a quarter."

"Shit. Haku will be out of commission for a bit, Kiba and Sasuke are out for now as well and Sakura's pretty much worthless. Ok I'm going to buy you some time. Take a soldier pill and rest a little. When you're ready, join the fun." Without waiting for a reply Naruto charge the mass of death head on. As the two sides got closer he cried out. "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" In a huge cloud of smoke the bridge was now filled with combatants from both sides. In seconds they clashed in a huge cloud of smoke an blood as both sides began taking losses when fatal hit matched fatal hit. As the numbers dwindled groups of fighters were split up. All of the lesser fighters lay dead or severely wounded as the battle masters jumped around them guarding and attacking in a desperate bid for survival against Naruto's relentless assault.

Kakashi was smart enough to listen to Naruto and was currently watching the fight waiting for any sign that the boy was faltering. His cue came when a slightly bloody Naruto was slung out of the fray by the end of a staff. He had been fighting alone against four of the brawlers and holding his own before his foot caught on one of the fallen and he was forced off balance. It wasn't a killing blow, but it was enough for an opening. That opening was filled before they could make use of it by Kakashi. He wasn't at one hundred percent, but he couldn't wait any longer. Besides these were just normal fighters, not ninja and Naruto had already taken out about three quarters of them with his clones. As he blocked the initial blows a whistling was heard over the clashing sounds of battle. All heads turned towards the other end of the bridge where a large group of people were now standing.

The rag-tag band of villagers were armed with anything they could find. Shovels, picks, axes and even the odd cane could be seen waving in the air in fury. Naruto, now recovered from his spot on the ground, smiled at the sight and nodded to Inari who was holding a miniature crossbow. He turned back towards the fight and glared at those still living that caught his eye. Everyone present was engaged with an opponent, but rather then helping any of them out he rushed past them as he yelled towards Kakashi. "I'm going after Gatō. Keep the villager's safe." Kakashi only grunted in response as he blocked another sword strike with his kunai. Running to the unfinished area of the bridge, Naruto was in time to see a boat cast off. A smile formed on his lips.

Gatō was on the boat smirking up at them reveling in the cries of the dieing. When this day was done the ninja and the bridge builder would be dead. Even if they managed to win it wouldn't matter. Where there was money there were also reserves. People would always be willing to fight for money. As he looked up at the bridge once more he saw a lone figure looking down at him. He smirked at the boy who seemed to have been with the ninja side before. It was too late though his boat had already cast off from the base of the bridge. There would be no stopping the inevitable. His eyes widened though as he watched the figure walk over the edge, but refused to fall. Instead it bolted down the side of one of the pillars holding the bridge up. He expected the boy to try to swim towards him futilely, but cursed his luck when the kid just ran on the water's surface instead of splashing into its depths.

Naruto ran towards the boat at full speed dodging or knocking away the few arrows that came towards him from the boat's few defenders. Creating a few more bunshin as he closed in, he watched the boat's defenders draw out their close combat weapons getting ready for him to board. He wasn't one to disappoint and jumped high in the air, causing the boat to rock when he landed on the railing. A few of the fighters lost their balance, and soon their lives followed as Naruto stuck to the planks with chakra allowing him easier movement on the now unsteady ride.

Gatō saw the boy leap and cursed as his defenders fell one by one. He turned to those that were rowing and yelled at them to get up and fight too. He offered mountains of money to the one that could bring him the blond's head. It was pointless however. Those on the boat were the least skilled of his fighters since he was so sure of victory, or at least a safe escape. His personal guard was sent to get Tazuna's family, but it seemed that had fallen through as well. Now he had his back up against the bow of the boat, gibbering at the kid like a fool as he offered him more money than he'd offered anyone, just to let him live. He promised to give money to Wave, to live in poverty, but his crimes outweighed his bank account.

"Come now boy, I am rich beyond imagining. I could give you enough money to buy your own village. You could have any woman you want. Nothing would be out of your reach. I could give you everything you ever dreamed of and more."

Naruto spat at the thought of it.. "You talk about buying anything as if everything were for sale. What I want you can't afford. What I desire isn't any material possession. What I dream for, is respect."

"Hah! Respect. You can easily buy that. With as much money as I have people respect me or they fall."

"No one respects you Gatō. Fear you sure, but respect, no. Respect is earned not bought. You have earned the respect of no one here and now you will no longer have the chance to right those wrongs." Naruto drew his ninja-to one more and in a single fluid motion, sliced across.

"Whether you kill me or not, it doesn't matter. This village will still fa...khak...khak.." Gatō's words were cut off as the blade sliced through his throat. As he laid there choking on his own blood he look up and smiled at the blond. Even through his pain and dimming vision he had evil thoughts on his mind. Thoughts about the men positioned nearby. Men who had already been paid, and would attack tomorrow even if no word was heard from today's attack. He would have his revenge on this pathetic town.

As the boat floated lazily past the bridge, no longer having oarsmen to push it upstream, Naruto jumped off and tied it up where it had been before Gatō had tried to run away. He took his time climbing back up since he didn't hear the sounds of fighting anymore. Reaching the top he was finally able to see the aftermath of the battle. No mercenaries were left standing, and it looked like only a couple of the villagers had been either severely injured or dead, but all in all the fight was a success. He saw the bodies of Kiba and Sasuke side by side with Kakashi pulling the numerous senbon from them with Haku's help while Sakura stood nearby crying at the sight. Haku still looked weak, but at least she was helping and that was a good sign since Kakashi wasn't objecting.

By the time he made it to them they were finishing up with the last of the senbon. "I see things seemed to have gone well up here."

"Gone well?! Can't you see that Sasuke-kun was hurt, and it was that bitch there that did it!" Sakura pulled a kunai out, fully intent on skewering Haku where she was kneeling as she checked Kiba for any more injuries. She ran forward but was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. When she struggled to get free she was picked up and tossed backwards away from the weakened ninja. Looking up at her attacker she found Tazuna glaring down at her. "Why? Why won't you let me kill her? She attacked Sasuke-kun!"

"Because she was being manipulated! Maybe if you opened your eyes a little to see more then your precious Uchiha, you would see the world for what it really is instead of the sunshine and rainbows world you live in." Tazuna looked at the girl in disgust. Never had he seen someone so obsessed with another human before.

"Sakura, Haku didn't kill either of them. In fact she went against her leader in going out of her way to make sure they didn't die. She may have attacked us, but at the time she didn't know exactly what she was doing. She only believed she did what she thought was right." To Kakashi's ire Sakura just let out a 'Hmph' and turned the other way pouting. 'Yes, that is very mature.' Sighing he turned back to the now awakening pair.

"Ugh, wha? Where am I? Kakashi-sensei? The bridge...The fight!" Kiba shot up before putting a hand to his aching head and falling back down. His head turned to the side and he saw Sasuke. "You bastard! You tried to get me killed!" Kiba wanted to punch his teammate, hurt him more than anything he wanted to hurt before, but he could barely lift his arms let alone shift himself to a striking position. Instead he settled on trying to glare the boy to death.

Kakashi looked down at the boy in pretend confusion. "What do you mean Kiba?"

It was a smug Sasuke who answered him. "I used a kawarimi to get out of an attack. The closest thing I could see was Kiba so I switched with him. He should be honored that he was so useful."

Kakashi had enough of the brat. He drew his fist back and rammed it into Sasuke, much the the shock of everyone there that didn't know of the tension in the group. A sensei just knocked out his own student. They were brought out of their staring when Kakashi turned to them, rubbing the back of his head. "What?" He gave a big eye smile at them causing a few sweat drops.

"Kakashi. I'm taking Haku back to the house. I'll leave some clones to clean up this mess. I need to see about getting rid of her seal. I also need to talk to you as soon as your able." Getting a nod from Kakashi, he made his clones before picking up Haku bridal style and set off for Tazuna's house never noticing the blush covering the girl's face.

• • •

Later that night there was one extra place setting at the table as everyone sat at a celebration dinner for their victory. Most people there were happy and talking animatedly. The only ones who weren't were the team seven genin. Sakura was still pissed at Haku, but she was happy that Sasuke was alive. Kiba was pissed at Sasuke but happy that he himself wasn't dead. Sasuke was pissed at everyone. He was pissed at Kiba for not being of more use, Sakura for hanging all over him and being even more useless than Kiba, Kakashi for punching him after a valid explanation, but most of all he was furious with Naruto. The blond had humiliated him like no one else had ever dared to do. Not only had he found a way to beat Haku by seeing something that no one else had, but he killed off most of the mercenaries and Gatō himself. A glory that should have belonged to the Uchiha. Now he was going to have another special meeting with Kakashi about information that he apparently was not privy to. Him, an elite, was not allowed to hear what the dobe had to say. Not even if it would help him grow stronger. Not even if it got him closer to getting his revenge.

Then Kakashi went so far as to tell him he couldn't go through the gear that Naruto and he got off the mercenaries that they killed. He was told that since he had acted in such a way to destroy the teamwork they had been working on that he would be denied those items that he should have gotten. It was just luck that the blond had gotten in his way. Otherwise that ice bitch would have been dead by his hand. Even when he'd punched out one of the clones to get the weapons it had, he found himself lacking as the clones were sealing everything away as they found anything of use. When he'd tried to pick up the scroll that the clone dropped he was pulled back rather harshly by Kakashi and ordered to protect the bridge builder. Once again someone got in the way of what he needed to get stronger.

As the revelry continued Naruto led Haku upstairs to Kakashi's room where they would have some privacy. Once there, he began to work. An intricate seal array soon covered Haku's neck and back. Luckily for them Zabuza was not very proficient with seals. As such they wouldn't need anything too taxing to cancel it out. With the array in place Naruto held his palm to her back and began to channel his chakra. Instead of the normal sealing process which made the seal condense into it's final form, a counter-seal drew the target seal out of its finalized form and back into it's original state. The only downside was that the counter-seal's intricacy had to match or surpass that of the seal. In many cases this was nearly impossible without knowing the original seal intimately. A few minutes later the entire memory replacement seal was in it's basic form and intertwined with the counter-seal. With a wet rag they were able to easily rub both away. The process had caused Haku a bit of discomfort as the seal was pulled away, but the refreshing feeling of her mind being in one piece more then made up for it.

Now that Haku had time to sit and think, she began to sob slightly as the realization of all that had happened hit her. The memories of Zabuza killing her father and her mother in front of her was too much. Then she came to the memories of her training with Zabuza. He had been a harsh sensei and drove her to the brink with his training despite her desperate pleas. No matter how much she would seat or bleed, if she didn't do what he said she was punished. He had arrived back at their hideout one night with a huge smile on his face. He had found the seal that had changed her life. After that point what was once so clear, became a little fuzzy for a few years of her memories. She could remember traveling with Zabuza thinking that she was simply a tool for him to use. The numerous odd, and often morally questioning missions they had to do. She remembered the short, businessman's eyes as they roamed over her body, and her disgust at his leering. She remembered her first encounter with team seven. How everything was going well until a blond boy showed up and ruined it. The meeting with the blond in the woods where they had learned each others names. How he knew exactly who she was and didn't attack, which still confused her a bit. She saw the fight on the bridge. How she had seen the Uchiha use his own teammate. Then how she trusted Naruto to help her, going so far as allowing her to put the seal on herself.

As soon as the seal hit her she had been overwhelmed by all the memories she had lost. It had to be real too since Naruto, for all she knew, had never seen her parents and would have had no knowledge of her training. She cried then, for the first time in years, but at the same time she felt a need burning inside her. Today was the day she had taken her first life life, and it was that of her so called father figure. She had taken it willingly and didn't feel remorse for him, but it was still her first actual kill. The first time she watched as the life left someone's eyes by her hand. She had watched the disdain in his gaze turn to surprise when her needles pierced his flesh. Then the look of realization that followed when he knew that it would be his last breath. Suddenly overcome with grief she turned in Naruto's arms and cried openly into his chest. He didn't push her away, he didn't call her weak, didn't sneer at her or laugh. He just held her close rubbing her back and trying to sooth her. The only other effect on him was that he was now blushing brightly. They had taken the top half of her battle kimono and her shirt off in order to draw on the seal and now she was pressing her uncovered front against his chest.

It took the better part of an hour until she finally settled down. She was out of tears and out of energy as she fell asleep in his arms. Gently, so he wouldn't wake her, Naruto lay her down in his futon. He blushed a bit at her exposed chest, but tore his thoughts away from it as he covered her up and crept out the door. As he rejoined the party below Kakashi walked up to him and grabbed his shoulder before motioning Naruto to follow. Once they were in a secluded room alone they sat down facing each other.

"What is it this time Naruto?"

"As I slashed Gatō's throat he was mentioning something. I wasn't able to stop my blade in time but I can guess. I'm betting he has other men waiting somewhere to attack should the bridge attack fail. Starting tonight we will have to be on guard. If I'm right they could attack at any time."

"Good assumption. We'll have to take shifts until the bridge is finished. We'll do it in pairs and alternate every eight hours. One team with Tazuna, one at the house the other resting. Teams will be me by myself, you with Sakura and Sasuke with Kiba. That should keep us decently even."

"No, teams should be you with Sakura, Kiba and Sasuke and Haku with me. I don't trust the others to be alone with her, and Sakura is the weakest of us so she should be teamed with the strongest." Kakashi smiled at this.

"I'm so glad you think I'm the strongest Naruto. How humble of you." Naruto smiled back.

"Well maybe strongest is pushing it but you do have the most experience." The two laughed as they traded jibes back and forth until Naruto felt a chill go up his spine. Without warning he rushed out to the party and looked around the room. There were people missing who shouldn't be. He leaped up the stairs, barely touching any before he hit the landing before sprinting down the hall towards Kakashi's room where Haku lay sleeping. The door was already open, not a good sign. He barely registered Kakashi catch up as he crashed into the door frame, using it's opposite to swing into the room. They were just in time to catch the two blades that were swinging down on the unconscious body in the middle of the room.

"You just don't know when to quit do you teme?" Naruto kicked Sasuke back away from Haku as Kakashi lifted Sakura off the ground by her weapon wielding arm. "You disgraced yourself, you disgraced your team and you disgraced your village. Now even though you've wiped us through the mud we still won the battle and yet you are trying to stomp your boot on us trying to drive us further into the muck. Just what did you hope to accomplish here?"

"What do you care dobe. She is the enemy and I will kill all my enemies." Sasuke attempted to throw his kunai at Haku but it was intercepted. The loud clang of metal on metal waking the sleeping girl.

Haku looked around the room in confusion for a couple seconds taking in the scene. Kakashi was holding the pink haired girl off the ground while Naruto stood between her and Sasuke with his ninja-to held out to the side. A kunai lay half buried in the floor mats a few feet from her. Realization hit her as she began to back away into a corner away from the hostile couple that were glaring down at her.

"Get out of the way dobe! I will kill my enemy!"

"She isn't your enemy anymore Uchiha. She has her memories back and she will not attack us unless we attack first, which you obviously don't seem to understand."

"Once an enemy always an enemy, now MOVE!"

"Sasuke!" The boy glared over at his sensei. "You are attacking an unarmed ninja that is cooperating with us. She has the potential of holding valuable information. Killing her would be in violation of mission objectives. As it stands simply attacking her will have to be brought up to the council once we return to Konoha. If you want to make this harder on yourself then keep this up. I will restrain you and toss you on the floor at the council's feet myself unless you cease this action."

"You dare talk to me like that Hatake? You go right ahead and tell the council. I've had people do that before and you know what it got them? Nothing. I'm far to valuable to risk, so I can do as I please."

"You Keep thinking that teme." The new voice from the doorway came to them just as Sasuke was hit from behind. After he fell over unconscious, Kiba was revealed standing in his place. "Kami that felt good."

Sakura was livid. "How dare you use such a sneaky attack on Sasuke-kun, but I can see why. You're so weak and pathetic that if you..." She never got to finish as Kakashi knocked her out as well with a quick chop to her neck.

Kiba walked over to the now mostly aware Haku making all three of those still conscious tense. They had no need to worry though as Kiba looked at Haku. "I want to thank you for not killing me on the bridge. I know it was well within your power. I also want to thank you for putting the Uchiha-teme in such pain. He deserves more then you could have made him feel."

"Th-thank you." She did a slight bow while holding the blanket to her chest to keep her modesty.

"Well I guess this means some modifications to the teams. We will have to work in two shifts. Twelve on twelve off." At the confused looks from Kiba and Haku he explained. "It seems Gatō had a backup plan. There will be another attack sometime soon. We'll work in teams of two. It will be Kiba with myself and Haku with Naruto. Since Haku has had rest and Kiba was injured pretty bad in the fight Naruto's team will have first watch." Getting nods from those involved he picked up Sakura. "Kiba, get Sasuke and follow me. These two are too much trouble to let roaming around free. Naruto, when you are ready you may start your patrol." After Kiba and Kakashi left with Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Naruto addressed his new teammate.

"Well Haku-chan, looks like we have work to do. Meet me out front and we'll get to work."

"H-Hai Naruto-kun" She waited until he was out of the room before uncovering herself and getting dressed. Her gear had been stripped, but since she could make weapons out of water it wouldn't matter much. Cautious of another attack she took the window to get out of the house instead of going through the crowded first floor. When she got to the front of the house, Naruto was already there waiting for her. 'Seems he takes his job seriously. That makes at least two of them, maybe three since the dog boy..Kiba they said his name was, had enough sense to know I had aimed to disable and not kill.' She walked over to him making sure that he could hear her presence.

"You don't have to stomp Haku-chan. I have very good hearing." He hadn't even turned towards her to talk.

"So you have a bloodline that enhances your senses?"

"...something like that..."

She could hear the undertone saying that it was something he didn't want to talk about. "I see..." Without another word the two headed off into the night to start the first patrol.

• • •

It took four more days until the bridge was finished. The ninja kept up their teams of two. Naruto and Haku patrolled at night and guarded Tazuna in the morning. After noon Kakashi and Kiba took over while the other two rested and ate. After dinner Kakashi and Kiba would do some searching until returning at midnight to switch over. Sasuke and Sakura were bound in a room all to themselves, formerly Sakura's room, only freed for meals and bathroom breaks. They had made a few attempts of getting free, but Naruto had put suppression seals on them to keep them somewhat under control. With their weapons gone and their chakra locked up they were of little use, but at least this way even Tazuna could muscle them around if needs be. This ended up being a major benefit for Naruto and Haku, as they didn't trust to leave the two unattended as they slept. When a couple villagers came and offered their help they were readily placed on guard duty while everyone slept. They were more then happy to help after hearing why the two ninja were subdued. In a village where everyone was working hard together for the goal of saving their country, little was more valuable than teamwork.

Naruto and Haku were just starting their fifth patrol when one of Naruto's clones popped. He had been using them to scan portions of the forest constantly, looking for the pending attack. It cost him some mental exhaustion, but it had just paid off. "Haku we need to get back to the house, now." Hearing the urgency in his voice Haku immediately spun on her heal and followed him back on the short trek to Tazuna's house. As soon as they arrived Naruto burst through the door to find Kakashi and Kiba still up, talking about their next patrol route. "Kakashi let's go. We found them."

Kakashi looked at Kiba "After we leave I want you to cut the others loose. If there is a group out there, then there is a possibility that they could have some slip past and try to attack here. You may need backup." The boy gave a nod before Kakashi turned back to Naruto. "Lead the way." He ordered and the three shot into the forest. "So what can you tell us about them?"

"It's a bunch of mercenaries just like at the bridge. There didn't look to be any ninja with them, but I wouldn't count them out either. There could be one or two samurai though, so they should be our top priority."

It was a couple of miles until they reached the camp, but eventually Kakashi got a good view of what Naruto described. He did indeed see a few samurai, but they looked to be more along the lines of ronin than true masters of the blade.

"Ok, we'll start with the largest long range attack you have. Make three points and attack from all sides. In the confusion we should be able to take out most of the worst targets easily. Clean up what you can while they're confused. When they start getting organized, fall back and we'll strike again. We should be able to hit them two or three times until they put up a decent defense. All three of us should be pretty well rested by now, but try to conserve your chakra. We'll need it when they get organized." The two younger ninja nodded in understanding. Kakashi was elated. He had two experienced ninja who knew how to follow orders without question, and even gave suggestions without thinking that they would immediately be accepted. They knew their skills and carried out their tasks without whining about it. How he wished this was his genin team. He could have spent all night reveling in that fact, but they had a job to do. With a nod they split up.

In the camp below men, and a few women, were just getting ready to move in on the town. Final preparations were being set into place for the assault. The villagers would have no warning. A slight cry of pain jarred everyone's attention to the center of the camp where a man was falling to the ground with a kunai embedded in his head. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" Was cried out by those closest to the dead man as everyone shot into action. Before most could get to decent cover though attacks started raining in on top of them. Ice projectiles flew in from the Southeast impaling many. A hurricane force wind blew men into weapons racks and each other from the Southwest. From the North came a large dragon made of water that slammed into men sending them sprawling to the ground. Right behind the attacks were blurs that shot out from the shadows.

Kakashi followed right behind his Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu, slicing away at those it had hit and sending kunai and shuriken at anyone near enough to be a good target. He saw them beginning to regroup around him and with a quick shunshin was clear of all danger. Over on Haku's side she passed by the many bleeding bodies of her Hyōton: Hyouchuu. Normally she wouldn't have killed the men, but something in her awoke when she got her memories back and took Zabuza's life. She viewed these men as people who could potentially do the same to someone else that had been done to her. She pictured Zabuza's face on all of them and killed without mercy. Unlike Kakashi she didn't rush, instead choosing to form each ice blade perfectly before making it fly towards her targets with deadly accuracy.

The most devastated area though was Naruto's by far. Not only had his initial Fūton: Daitoppa thrown the camp into disarray, but when he started his assault it was pure chaos. Hundreds of lightly armored, black katana wielding kage bunshin raided in on the unsuspecting hired goons. It didn't seem to matter how many they destroyed a new one would just take it's place. Moral in that section quickly fell as men and women were cut down in droves. Then as soon as the attacks started, they stopped. The camp gathered itself trying to find some semblance of leadership until it all started again. By the time the second assault was finished the former organized camp looked like it had been through a brutal hurricane. Debris lay everywhere while in the center a small group managed to pull some wagons onto their sides in a makeshift fort along with a few other groups that were scattered about the area.

Out in the trees the three ninja regrouped. "Ok good job. We got more then I'd hoped. Now for the hard part. The ones left will be the best of their fighters that were ready when we came. Don't be reckless. If you have to retreat and regroup do it. Same sections, use whatever you can to take them out, but keep yourself defended as well. Don't let them flank."

"Kakashi-taichō . Instead of breaking up for this, should we try staying as a group? We can hit each group randomly then retreat and hit another. That way they never know which to cover. Meanwhile we will be able to tear them apart little by little. Even if we tire before we can finish them there won't be enough to raid a house let alone a town." It was a little odd for Haku to call the man captain, but it seemed somewhat fitting at the moment since he was the ranking ninja.

Kakashi seemed to mull the idea over a bit before nodding. "We'll try that. If it's not working after awhile or becomes too dangerous then we pull back. Agreed?" This was beginning to seem less like a C-rank mission turned A-rank, and more like an ANBU operation with each passing moment to him. He wasn't complaining though. He would take this over babysitting the brats any day. Had the council given him a choice he would have taught Sasuke what he could about the sharingan when he had breaks from ANBU missions, but they insisted that he be the boy's team sensei. He guessed that their goal was for him to teach the Uchiha more then just how to use his sharingan.

They spread out just a little bit as they scouted the camp, looking for the best target to hit. The easiest was a small group that was staged on one side of an overturned table. They were guarding what they could see while relying on the table to keep their backs safe. A fatal mistake as they soon found out when shards of ice shot through the wood and into their back. One group down six to go.

The next was a little more defended. After seeing the fate of the first victims they were taking no chances and watching all sides. The piles of logs they were between would not be easily breached by Haku's ice spears, and any head on attack was going to be seen. After a little deliberation Naruto sent in a disheveled and beaten looking clone to 'give himself up'. The men behind the barrier were cautious and made the clone drop its weapons. Luckily the clone was behind some rubble so the defenders never saw them poof into smoke as they hit the ground. Once the clone was disarmed it walked towards them. One man came out with weapons ready and bound its arms behind its back. Leading it back behind the barrier, they soon started telling the other ninja to give themselves up. All they got in response though was a word from the clone. "Boom." It was a spectacular display of fire and smoke and when it was over there was a good sized crater with a red tinged edge. Two down five to go.

Since the former defensive point had guarded two others' sides, those were now open on a new front leaving them slightly more accessible. Running through the smoke from the exploding clone the three ninja advanced on the two targets. Haku and Kakashi went to the left while Naruto went to the right. It seemed a clash of fire and ice as Naruto used a couple weak katon jutsu to burn down the wagon that was being used as cover, burning those inside alive before throwing kunai at their flailing bodies, mercifully killing them. At the other side Kakashi was pulling water out of the ground, still drenched from his dragons, for Haku to create a cloud of senbon to rain down into the ditch that held a group of three defenders. Four down three to go.

The last three defensive positions were strategically aligned. Each was able to guard the others back while still looking towards the outside of the camp. It was going to be difficult to rush these survivors. They would have no doubt braced the structures they hid behind to protect them against the first assault method, while keeping enough openings to see if attackers were coming.

"Any ideas?" Kakashi looked at the two hopefully. Haku was panting slightly while he was bleeding from a few cuts and sweating. Naruto seemed the least effected. He was covered in blood but none of it was his own, at least that's what he surmised from the lack of wounds. He was still a little drained though. Even with a villager guarding the dynamic duo he had kept his senses open as he slept in case they slipped by making him slightly exhausted.

"Haku can you make any ice mirrors?" Naruto turned towards Haku watching her as she seemed to be figuring out if she could.

"Maybe a few."

"How many can you make? Ten?"

"I thin I can make about thirteen, but they would only be up for a few seconds once fully formed, and I would need water where ever they need to be made."

"That will have to be good enough. Kakashi, I need you do put as much water as you can between two of their little forts. Once you have enough there, Haku, start making mirrors in two lines, about three feet apart and as close as you can between each of them. Once they are up we will rush through. Since they are able to watch all directions between the three of them, they shouldn't be guarding their middle as much if at all. We each take a pile and hope for the best. I'll send a few clones with each of us once we're close." It was ballsy but about the best option they had aside from a siege or getting backup, neither option appealing to any of them.

"Alright we'll give it a shot. As soon as the water hits the ground start making your mirrors Haku. We won't have a whole lot of time before they figure out what's happening. Ready?" The two teens gave a nod as he stood up and started his hand signs. "Sūiton: Mizurappa!" A jet of water shot out from Kakashi's mouth and right between two of the forts before he ducked back down. They could hear the jeers from behind the walls.

"Hah! Losing your aim ninja?"

"Are the sneaky little bastards getting tired?"

Haku was the next to stand and, concentrating, she began to form the mirrors up as thin and close together as possible. The tunnel would be short, but it should be enough. With Naruto and Kakashi blocking any projectiles coming towards her she was able to put her full attention into her jutsu. When the last of the mirrors was in place she whispered to her comrades. "Go." they were off and sprinting the distance to the tunnel as projectiles flew at them from two sides. Then they were in. They could hear a few more pangs as spears and arrows hit the ice behind them, and the clattering as the jutsu started to crumble.

Just as the last mirrors fell they were out the other end and immediately split of to their designated shelter. The confusion was evident in the hushed murmurs inside each post as the three ninja snuck up to the easiest entrance point. They signaled to each other with their fists clenched around small cylinders to three. On three the cylinders flew over the blockades and into the midst of the defenders, exploding in a cloud of thick smoke as the ninja jumped over and unleashed hell. Screams echoed once more into the night as more mercenaries fell in the confusion and chaos that ninja thrived in.

It took only minutes but by the time the smoke was clear enough to see once more, three ninja stood facing each other breathing heavily and dripping with blood. Some theirs, most not. They simply stood there facing each other down before one cracked a smile. As Naruto showed off his bloodstained teeth the other two couldn't help themselves. In the adrenaline filled aftermath of the battle they stood there and laughed like madmen. It was more of a mental defense than anything. They had ended hundreds of lives since the mission started, and had found a trusted ally in each other. Someone that they could trust with their back and would watch the backs in turn. After a few minutes of reflection they walked off into the forest, limping and exhausted, but alive.

"So, Kakashi. What are you going to do with the teme and the ditz when we get home?"

The man sighed. He really didn't want to think about the fiasco he would have to deal with in Konoha. A C-rank turned B-rank turned A-rank mission. It's true that this could have gone a lot better, but it also could have gotten a lot worse. Without Naruto's help, and through him Haku's help, they wouldn't have pulled this off. There would be hell to pay for someone, but the three in his charge were going to be the biggest issue. "You know I'm not sure, more than likely the council will brush it off and worship Sasuke so he stays content. I know there will be issues that come up, but you know, I don't think I really care right now. I'm half tempted to add them to tonight's body count and call them casualties."

"Well you still can, we won't tell." Naruto grinned at him while Haku gave an animated nod.

Kakashi laughed. "Hah. As much as I'd like to. If I went back and told them I got the last Uchiha killed, if they didn't send me to be interrogated for suspicion they would probably just execute me out of spite."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Guess that means we'll just have to drag them all the way back with us kicking and screaming." Kakashi lifted an eyebrow as he looked towards the blond. "What? You think I'm going to trust them to walk back nicely without trying to stab Haku or me in the back? Forget it. They're staying tied up until we get to the Hokage's office. I don't care what kind of repercussions we have to deal with."

Kakashi sighed again. This was definitely going to be one of his least favorite returns to the village. He did have to agree with Naruto though. Those two would be far too much of a handful to just let them run loose. He wasn't worried about them actually succeeding in killing either of his companions, but if they got hurt in doing so it would be on his head. Sasuke as the last Uchiha got extra special treatment, and the Haruno's mother was on the council. She had a pair of lungs that could only be rivaled by her daughter.

• • •

When they got back to the village they took a quick dip in the river to get the worst of the grime and gore off before heading back to the house. Tsunami had them stand outside as she got them towels and some dry clothes to wear. There wasn't really much of a place to change in the area so they just took turns going into the shed nearby to slip on their new clothes after toweling off. Now dry and reasonably clean they were allowed to enter the house where they were met with a mixture of smiles and glares. The perky pair were sitting at one end of the table looking tired but refusing to go to sleep without hearing exactly what happened. Since they were up, Kiba was up too making sure they behaved. Tazuna was up out of worry as was Tsunami while Inari was asleep in a chair in the corner.

"Well?" It was only one word but considering who it came from it sounded more like a scolding order as Sasuke poured as much venom into it as possible

Ignoring the boy Kakashi addressed Tsunami. "If you wouldn't mind, some tea would be very nice right about now." Tsunami rushed off to the kitchen. "and some medical supplies if you have them." hearing a confirmation from the woman he sat down at the table as Haku and Naruto took the couch just wanting to rest and recuperate after the recent ordeal.

"Are you going to talk or just sit there Hatake?" Sasuke was now glaring at his instructor with a malice that would melt lesser men, but for someone like Kakashi who had seen hell it was little more than a gnat. Annoying, yes, but harmless.

Tsunami could feel the tension in the room when she reentered. Being a civilian from a non ninja village she wasn't used to the amount of killing intent that was being thrown around the room, by the time she made it to the table tea was spilling out of the cups from her shaking. Sasuke just smirked at her as Kakashi glared at him. "Before you go making demands Sasuke, first make sure the person you are demanding information from is willing to give it. If not, then they must either be weaker than you, lower in rank than you, your charge or your captive. Since I am none of the above and I am unwilling to share information with you I will not answer you. Now calm yourself before I remove you from this room for being a threat to the mission."

Sasuke was angry, but could do nothing in regards to his sensei. No matter, there were other ways. "Dobe. Tell me what happened."

"No teme."

"Tell me now dobe! I am an Uchiha and I demand to know!."

"Yeah tell him Naruto-baka. He deserves to know anything that goes on more then your worthless self." Sakura shrieked causing Kiba to plug his sensitive ears from the pain as he put some distance between them.

Naruto looked between Sasuke and Sakura before laughing in their faces. "Teme, you don't outrank me nor are you stronger. Which also means it'll be a cold day in hell before I'm your captive. There is no way I am going to give you anything you want so you can piss off."

Sasuke was quickly losing his cool and they all knew it. Kakashi shifted in his seat to get a better push off should he need it. "Grr...Fine then. You. Girl! Tell me what happened."

"No. I don't think I will."

Sasuke pounded his fist on the table which only succeeded in Naruto getting ready for action as well. "I demand you tell me what I want to know. You are our captive and you are outranked. Now tell me before I torture it out of you!" He got up from his place at the table and started moving towards Haku only to have Naruto step in front of him. "Move dobe. I am questioning my captive, just as your little guidelines said I could. Now get out of my way!"

"No, you have no rights to question her either. She is not a captive. I have freed her from her bindings and now she has already assisted us on this mission, even going so far as to kill her former partner. She is now a companion, and under my care. Not yours." Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"I still outrank her so she must answer my question!"

Kakashi answered this time, keeping his bored tone. "Actually she is not a registered ninja. That makes her a civilian. No ninja outranks a civilian unless it's the Hokage, or we are in a time of crisis. The crisis for this mission has passed, and you are far from being the Hokage."

Sasuke gave up trying to reason with the others and instead attempted to force Naruto out of his path as he pulled a knife off the table. He only made it half a step though before he was forced back into his seat by a very pissed off Kakashi. "Get the fuck off me!" He struggled against the jōnin for a few minutes before settling with glaring at him as hard as he could. Willing the man to burst into flames.

"I told you to calm down you spoiled brat. If your parents were still alive to see you like this they would be ashamed to call you an Uchiha." If Kakashi was hoping that would calm the boy down he was sorely mistaken.

"How dare you even think you know what my parents would say. I should kill you for even uttering my clans name. You stole our eye and suddenly think you are better than us!"

*SMACK*

Kakashi glared at the boy making him cringe a bit despite his intentions. "Listen here you little prick. I knew your family far better then you ever have. I had friends, teachers, teammates that were Uchiha. None of them behaved like you are now. If you had half the humility most of them did you might make a decent human being." Kakashi shoved him back into his seat before turning around. "With any luck, after this mission is through I will have enough reason to send you back to the academy, if not take you out of ninja service completely."

Sakura looked horrified. "Y-You can't do that Kakashi-sensei!" When he fixed his gaze on her she backed into the corner as he slowly walked towards her.

"You Haruno, you should have never even been accepted as a ninja candidate. Book smarts get you nowhere if you can't apply them in the real world." Sakura looked on the verge of tears. "Out of all the members of team seven, I would say that Kiba has improved the most. He was able to engage in a fight, and the thought of using his own teammate probably never crossed his mind. He still needs to learn a lot, but he is on the right track to being a true ninja of Konoha."

Sasuke couldn't stand it. He'd been humiliated more than ever before in his life. Back in the academy days he was the best of the best and now his sensei was telling him it all meant jack shit? What happened between then and now. What changed so much to make someone think he was less than the greatest. Sasuke looked around and his eyes fell on one person. 'Naruto...If you were still the dead last dobe from before no one would care a bit about you. You turned people against me that should have been helping me get stronger. Well two can play that game. An eye for an eye.' Sasuke jumped from his seat with the forgotten table knife in his hand and rushed towards Naruto. Seeing the blond getting ready to engage him he smirked and ducked to the side, now heading for his real target, Haku who, though still tired, had begun to make her way over to provide him backup should he need it. It took all of five seconds, but it seemed to last an eternity. The dull blade gleamed in his hand as it shot forward. Tearing cloth was heard as silver disappeared in a spurt of red and woman's scream could be heard throughout the surrounding area.

A/N: Now I know this is going to be asked, about Sasuke and Sakura trying to take out Haku. Sasuke was humiliated by Haku and thinks she's still an enemy so he wants to kill her. Sakura is of course following him blindly again. Also, as you can see, Naruto still prefers his Ninja-to over the katana. The shorter sword is quicker to draw and he's more used to it. Plus it fits his smaller size better than the more difficult to draw katana. It still has it's uses though.