Mission to the Land of Waves - 3

They followed Anko over to a bearded man seated on a bench, sipping sake leisurely. He looked up expectantly as they approached.

"Tazuna-san," Anko showed a bit more respect than what the genin had expected, "I am Mitarashi Anko. Are you about ready to get going now?"

"Yeah," He then looked at Naruto, Haku and Gaara, "What the hell is this? Trusting my life to a bunch of kids?"

Gaara gave him an annoyed scowl.

"You've got a problem with that?" Naruto snapped, unable to control himself, "We're ninja! If you want to give us a hard time, then go back to the Land of Waves by yourself!"

Tazuna sniffed, "Gladly."

"Please forgive Naruto, Tazuna-san," Haku didn't want to create unrest with their client, "But we are ninja, and you can be assured you'll be perfectly safe with us as your guards."

"I doubt it."

Haku sweat-dropped, 'Well, I did my best. I suppose we'll just have to deal with his attitude until we get him back to the Land of Waves...'

Anko smirked, proud of how Haku tried to be welcoming and how he gracefully accepted Tazuna's criticism. Naruto, on the other hand, clearly wasn't fond of the old windbag at all.

"Let's get going then." The kunoichi was growing impatient, "Don't knock it before you try it."

"What do you think Ero-sensei got up to last night?" Naruto wondered out loud.

Haku and Gaara weren't very inclined to think about it. Whatever his inappropriate behavior had warranted the night before, it was enough to land him in jail and most likely related to his perverted habits.

"I believe the issue began after he thought he could get away with his antics in Konoha again," Haku answered thoughtfully, "Sensei is normally careful when he sets out on his...research. He typically goes outside of the village to do it, where there is less enforcement. Though in Konoha…he is taking a chance."

'Although maybe this will finally teach him a lesson.' Haku hoped in the back of his mind.

"We'll have to break his habit," Gaara decided, "By whatever means...he'll thank us for it later."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we do owe him a kick in the head don't we?" He avoided a large puddle in the dirt path as they marched on.

Tazuna wasn't fond of their chatter, "Will you three can it? All your girlish gossip or whatever, you should be paying more attention."

"I don't think thugs are keen on a quiet attack, Tazuna-san. We'll know if there's danger." Gaara said matter-of-factly and Naruto snickered as the old man huffed in annoyance.

Anko seemed relaxed. "In the event of an attack, noise isn't always a bad thing," She pointed out, "It's a good thing they're able to communicate with each other. It gives us an advantage in a fight."

Haku was about to rethink her words of wisdom before she sighed irritably, "But jeez, I wish someone would show up...it gets really boring when nothing happens..."

Gaara said nothing, but in his own mind agreed with her. Where was the action? Apparently C-rank missions weren't what they had pictured in their heads.

Haku fiddled with the strap of the back pack he wore. Its weight was doubled, carrying both rations for himself and Gaara. This was the arrangement that had been agreed upon so that Gaara could bring his larger, self-fashioned sand gourd with him.

Haku's mind wandered as they walked. He remembered the kindness of Hiroshi; the man that had fostered him until he was brought to the Leaf Village. Memories of his birthplace, his parents and the anguish of being orphaned briefly surfaced. Haku tried to put them out of his mind, realizing how inappropriate a time it was to reminisce.

His train of thought was interrupted when a sudden shout of warning came from Anko. All of his senses were again at full alert. Haku watched as a short distance ahead, as if it were in slow motion, a dark, cloaked shinobi left the shadows and lunged at Tazuna, with metal claws outstretched for the kill.

The dark haired boy called for the old man to move, to run, or to defend himself in some way, but his terrified cry never escaped his throat.

Gaara appeared beside the bridge builder.

'Wasn't...wasn't he behind me?' Haku watched in amazement as his friend stood beside Tazuna with his arms folded, ready to clash with an opponent.

The enemy's weapon met a wall of sand and Gaara merely glared at the dark figure, raring to fight back. He was also aware that their client was scared speechless behind him and unwilling to run for it.

The dark ninja leapt back when his attack failed, and sized up Gaara's unique defensive ability to decide how to avoid it to reach his target.

Haku's eyes were wide but he didn't see Naruto or Anko anywhere. He did see, however, a second dark ninja leap from his cover in a tree on the side of the road, 'What do I-?'

His rational thought ceased as the second unknown shinobi moved toward him; deadly iron claws catching the sunlight as they appeared from under another tattered cloak. Haku felt his knees lock and he wondered why he was standing his ground when he had absolutely no intention of attacking. Instinct, overpowering his mind, the instinct to run...but his body simply wouldn't comply.

"Haku-kun!"

He felt a hand close like a vice around his upper arm and shove him off balance towards the ground. He fell gracefully. He didn't realize that the unidentified enemy had come as close as he had until he watched the claws rake down Naruto's face and continue to his navel, ripping him open like a paper bag of flesh.

'Naruto!'

Haku felt his head hit the ground and the impact made his eyes lose focus for a few seconds, 'Naruto-kun! This...this can't be happening! Why didn't I do anything?'

Eyes blurred, Haku squinted and saw the Shadow Clone that had saved his life revert to a puff of smoke. Immediately his brain was back up to speed and Haku felt his hand quickly grab three senbon. He slid his feet back beneath him and stood.

His nerve returned to him after Naruto (his clone rather) had demonstrated such bravery. The enemy ninja cursed under his breath that he had missed, but before he could round on Haku again with his gauntlet, a mass of black snakes enveloped him from behind.

Anko smirked, "Hm, two of you huh? Let's have some fun!"

With unexpected strength she pulled back on the shadow snakes ensnaring her opponent and sent him hurtling back and down to the ground. Haku watched on shaky, anticipatory legs, wondering how she'd finish him.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A dozen replications of Naruto materialized and dove recklessly at the startled nin, knocking him senseless with many painful kicks to the head and gut as he struggled to free himself from Anko's snare.

Across the way, there was an agonized scream and Haku looked over to Gaara, who was methodically crushing sections of the first attacker's body with a cloud of concentrated, merciless sand.

Tazuna stood near him, looking away from the ordeal. Knowing that it was over nearly as soon as it had begun Haku put away his senbon, ashamed that he had been nothing but a burden to his companions.

After beating the enemy ninja into total submission, Anko's shadow snakes bound the pair to a nearby tree. After a short moment of eyeing their hitai-ate, she sneered at them, "Well, well...if it isn't Gozu and Meizu, the Demon Brothers of the Hidden Mist Village. Earlier I noticed that we were being followed but I didn't think it'd be the two of you."

Naruto, Haku and Gaara looked on silently next to Tazuna as the two Mist nin slowly regained consciousness.

Gozu, the elder brother, spoke up, "When did you begin to suspect us?"

Anko snorted, "Any moron would've seen that stupid puddle on the path! It's the middle of the freaking summer and it hasn't rained in days! Seriously, you could have been more thoughtful! Fire Country summers are much dryer than in Mist."

Naruto looked startled; he had nearly stepped in that 'stupid puddle' it was so convincing. But it seemed that both Gaara and Haku had been just as oblivious on the matter as he had been, '...how the hell were they hiding in a puddle?'