Naruto: Fourth Hokage

"This mission is clearly A-rank," Kakashi stated, "This isn't the kind of mission I've trained my team for as of yet. However, we'll continue with the mission on one condition Tazuna."

"And what's that?"

"When your country gets back on its feet, you're to pay us the appropriate sum of money," Kakashi said and Tazuna nodded in agreement, "Thank you."

They all boarded the boat and started on their way to Nami No Kuni. The ride was spent in silence. Meanwhile Naruto was in deep thought as though his mind was off elsewhere in another world. His facial expression gave no indication as to what was going through his mind or how he was presently feeling. After a while, they arrived at the shore of their destination and got off the boat to continue on their way into Nami No Kuni by foot.

"All of you are welcomed to stay at my house as I got two extra rooms for both the girl and boys to use and a sofa for one of you three guys to sleep in," said Tazuna as he was showing them the way to his house through the trail, "I doubt any of you will find a hotel or anywhere else to stay that can promise a roof over your heads due to our village's economic crisis."

While walking through the dirt road trail to Tazuna's, Naruto was still contemplating everything that's been happening and hasn't said a word since the boat ride. Sensing a presence, Naruto snapped out of his train of thoughts as he pulled out his kunai from and threw it into a bush that was moving slightly nearly hitting a defenseless white rabbit now backed up into a tree. The end result had earned a yelling Sakura who attempted to hit him only for her fist to be effortlessly grabbed by Naruto in the process.

"Something's erroneous with this picture," Naruto noted while looking into the direction he threw his kunai, "It's a hot summer day and the color of that rabbit is white like snow. It shouldn't be out with that kind of fur. Which means…"

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!," Kakashi said quickly while he grabbed Tazuna, Naruto grabbed Sai, and Sasuke pulled down Sakura. Everyone got down to the ground in time as a large sword missed their heads.

"It appears that this new bunch is more aware of the dangers before them. No matter, you're all going to die here," said the dark voice of the man who appeared before the group standing with his giant sword.

"Momochi Zabuza, The Demon of the Bloody Mist I presume," Naruto calmly said as he and the others stood back up.

"Yes and just whom might you be, boy," said Zabuza inquired, "I'm impressed that you know of me."

"We had a little run-in with two of your friends," Naruto replied, "Sad for them their run-in with me was their last. Even Kisame gave me a better fight."

Zabuza's eyes widened by this; he now knew who the blonde was.

"You must be Godaime Hokage's son, Senju Uzumaki Naruto," Zabuza said.

"I'm impressed that you know of me," Naruto said repeating Zabuza's exact earlier words. Zabuza said, "Yes, rumors about your battle with Kisame have spread throughout all of Kirigakure. Amazingly, as skeptic as I am about these rumors, you've made quite an impression to everyone in holding your grounds against a former member of Kirigakure No Shinobigatana Nananin Shu and against Itachi."

Sasuke growled jealously at this. The very thought that Naruto's name and reputation and his encounter with Itachi and Kisame reached as far as Kirigakure angered him.

"Your skeptics are rather understandable," Naruto remarked, seeking to draw needless attention away attention from himself, "Whatever rumors you or anyone else might have heard about my ordeals with Kisame and Itachi were more than likely exaggerated. Itachi could have killed me; his mistake however was that he got careless and too sure of himself. Kakashi-niisan can testify to that."

Sasuke now found it hard to believe that Naruto didn't brag about how his reputation against a former member of the Shinobigatana Nananin Shu and Itachi became that wide known, but instead refuted it.

"Copycat ninja Kakashi," Zabuza stated, "I heard of you as well though I question if what they say of your abilities are true."

"Naruto, help the others keep Tazuna safe! I'll handle this," stated Kakashi, lifting up his head protector and revealing the Sharingan.

The Sharingan, thought Sasuke with a puzzled expression.

Zabuza said, letting out a gravelly chuckle, "During my days in the Hidden Village of the Mist's assassination squad, our bingo books had your information. It also said: The ninja who copied over 1,000 jutsus! Capture or kill by whatever means possible."

Is Kakashi-sensei that great of a shinobi, Sakura asked herself.

"I don't understand! The Sharingan is bloodline limit that appears in only in the Uchiha clan. Could he be…How could Kakashi-sensei have the Sharingan," Sasuke said silently.

"Enough talk," said Zabuza, "I need to kill that old geezer and fast."

"What's your role in all this," Kakashi inquired.

"I was hired to kill the old man over there. Hand him over and I'll let the rest of you go," Zabuza said confidently. Naruto snorted and Sasuke, Sakura, and Sai formed a ring around Tazuna. Kakashi stood his grounds before Zabuza, as did Naruto.

"But it seems I have to kill you first, Kakashi. So be it," Zabuza said, held his large sword and vanished. He reappeared on the water not far from them.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure No Jutsu," Zabuza said and the fog thickened, making sight almost impossible.

"Damn," Sakura "I can't see anything."

"Be quiet. He'll kill you before you know it if you don't keep your voice down," Naruto said.

"Who is he," Sakura asked

"Momochi Zabuza is an exiled shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Naruto explained, "He killed over 100 ninjas, and he wasn't even a Genin at the time. He's known as the Demon of the Bloody Mist, and trust me; you don't want to get in a fight with him!"

"How do you know this," Sakura asked.

"I forced the information out of the two demon brothers I tortured earlier today," Naruto answered with no emotions, causing Sakura to shudder in fear of him.

"Momochi Zabuza is also renowned for his "silent killing" jutsus. "Silent killing" is a way of killing that is executed in a flash and in absolute silence. In some cases, you are dead before you realize it," Kakashi explained, "So don't let your guard down."

Team 7 tightened their grip on the kunais they had pulled out.

"Eight places," came Zabuza's voice, seemingly from everywhere.

"Huh," Sakura said

"The larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, kidney, brain and heart. Now, which vital organ do you want to get struck at," Zabuza asked, bloodlust filling his voice.

Kakashi sent out a wave of his own killer intent, so much that even the three Genins under his charge felt disturbed by it.

"What…is this feeling," Sakura asked, her voice quivering.

"This is the feeling that comes when two strong ninjas do battle. Their bloodlust…it is so great that it can make weak minded people commit suicide to escape," Naruto explained calmly while being unaffected by the waves of killing intent. Zabuza suddenly appeared right in the middle of the ring, in front of Tazuna.

"DIE!," Zabuza yelled and swung his sword, but Kakashi was fast enough. He pushed his three Genins out of the way and stopped the sword while stabbing Zabuza with a kunai.

"Uuuugghh." Zabuza said, but instead of blood, water poured out of the wound. Sasuke, Sakura and Sai lay on the ground, staring at Zabuza. Naruto's voice snapped them out of it.

"Mizu Bunshin," Naruto said and Zabuza smirked before collapsing into a puddle of water. Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi.

"DIE!" he yelled again as he swung his sword and cut Kakashi in two. But Kakashi turned into water as well.

"Huh? A Mizu Bunshin," Zabuza said in surprise and felt a kunai at his throat.

"It's over," Kakashi commanded

"Sensei," Sai and Sakura yelled happily. Then Zabuza started to laugh, He copied my jutsu.

"It's over? I don't think so," Zabuza said and dissolved into water.

"Another Mizu Bunshin," Sakura yelled surprised. Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi with a downward strike with his sword. Kakashi used his kunai to block the massive sword. Zabuza tried to strike Kakashi with his own kunai, however Kakashi jumped away. Zabuza followed up with slashes that Kakashi barely evaded. Kakashi threw his kunai towards Zabuza, but he dodged it. Kakashi then vanished and appeared on top of the water, doing seals. Zabuza smirked and vanished. Kakashi suddenly jumped over some shurikens launched at him and crouched down on top of the water when he landed. Zabuza appeared behind him.

"Baka! Suirou No Jutsu (Water Prison Technique)," Zabuza said. A blue sphere formed around Kakashi with Zabuza holding onto the sphere.

"You can't get out of this prison. With you moving around, I'll have a much harder time killing the old man. So just kick back and watch me kill your precious students," Zabuza said and a Mizu Bunshin appeared in front of him. But before it could take one step, it was destroyed by several kunai thrown by Sakura, Sai and Sasuke from different directions.

"If you think it will be that easy, then you are wrong," Sasuke said. Zabuza huffed and created more Mizu Bunshins.

"Well, you aren't as useless as I thought, but you can't beat this many Bunshin," Zabuza said. But then two of the Bunshins dissolved after being hit by a couple of shurikens in courtesy of Naruto.

"Hey Kakashi-niisan! When do you plan on getting your ass out of that sphere," Naruto yelled. Zabuza's eyes widened when Kakashi in his prison popped away.

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