The Cloud Over The Leaf

The group headed back to Tazuna's place with a grim atmosphere.

A big battle was coming and they needed to get ready.

When they came back inside, the group found Tazuna and his family sitting at the table with pale faces.

"I-I can't believe it. Gato is gone, but we are even more fearful in this place than before."

The group took off their disguises and sat down for an emergency meeting.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure those guys won't have the chance to attack you."

"What should we do, Senpai?"

Kakashi started to think of a plan when  they heard a knock on the door.

Sakura went to get the door and found Haku, Zabuza disguised as an old man, and two little twins standing with them.

The twins shot past Sakura and came up to Inari!

""Let's play!""

"Eh?! W-Wait!"

The twins grabbed Inari and brought him over to a nearby separate room.

Haku and Zabuza walked inside and sat down around the other ninjas.

*Poof*

Zabuza undid his disguise and held a serious face as he looked at the floor.

"I didn't expect him to come at us. It makes things easier, but now it's far more dangerous."

Kakashi nodded his head.

"Right. Is everyone from your group here?"

Zabuza nodded his head and looked back at the twins playing with Inari.

"Those two are Chuunin known as the Demon Brothers. I told them to keep the kid out of the room. This conversation isn't gonna be good for him to hear."

Kakashi and Yamato nodded in agreement while Zabuza pulled out a map from his bag.

"This is a map of the area in the North Forest. The most likely place he will confront us is near the water. It should be around here."

Zabuza points to a clearing on the map close to a river.

"This would be the best place for him. I'd pick here if I could set the rules."

Yamato nodded his head while Kakashi folded his arms in thought.

"How should we approach this?"

The three teachers looked at the map in silence while the others stood by.

"How about we go into groups and fight them that way?"

Shizuka offered up an idea.

"How should we split the groups?"

Yamato asked her, making her smile in response.

"We should split up based on the objective."

Maka nodded her head and pointed to the clearing.

"I think I understand. If the target is here, then we should have Zabuza-san go and fight him with his group."

"I thought you would get it!"

Shizuka smiled brightly as Maka continued.

"Our teachers should assist him so that he can take out Juzo and also to provide back-up in case the worst scenario happens."

"Eh?! With all three of them there, won't that guy get destroyed?! I haven't seen Yamato-sensei fight, but Kakashi-sensei is strong!"

Naruto tilted his head with his comment while his team seemed to agree with him.

"That's not the case, Naruto."

Hii shook his head as he looked at the map.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"It's too simple. Why would a guy who could fight evenly with Zabuza-san choose to fight in a place like this?"

Hii didn't understand what tactic Juzo could possibly be using. 

"Mom always said that any ninja with water techniques near water is double the threat. Why would he give Zabuza-san an even playing field? He could just hide in the forest and use the area to his advantage."

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement.

"That's right. There is only one good reason why he wouldn't use the forest method. It also explains why he waited so long and why we should provide back-up for Zabuza."

Hii nodded his head as well.

"It's because it won't matter where Zabuza-san fights him now. He's not alone anymore."

"Huh?! You mean there going to just crush us with numbers?!"

Naruto couldn't wrap his head around it!

Maka thought for a moment and looked up in shock!

"He must have back-up! He's only striking now because he knows he'll win!"

Shizuka looked grim as she thought of that possibility.

"If he is that confident now, that means the new person is a member of Akatsuki as well."

Everyone felt a cold chill in the room as they realized how bad the situation was.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples.

"There are two problems with the situation we have to face now if that's true."

The group looked at Kakashi as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yamato and I can at least handle one of the problems, but the other one is going to be difficult to deal with."

"What's the other problem, Sensei?"

Sakura asked Kakashi as the others waited for his thoughts.

He opened his eyes and looked at all his students.

"It's you guys. You will most likely have no choice, but to kill the other ninjas this time. Can you do it?"

The group had a mix of reactions as they heard Kakashi.

Naruto grimaced with a pale face while Sasuke seemed aloof, but everyone could see his trembling arms. Sakura just froze in place, making Kakashi sigh at the frailty of his team. 

He looked over at Yamato with hope.

"What about your students?"

They both turned to look at the other students and judged their faces.

Maka looked nervous, but determined to do her job.

"I will do what I have to if it protects everyone!"

Shizuka patted Maka and Hii's shoulders and nodded.

"My goal is killing someone anyway. I'm ready for this."

Hii just nodded his head.

"I'm ready."

Zabuza chuckled and shook his head.

"Looks like you have a few kids who aren't ready to get their hands dirty!"

Zabuza looked over at Hii with a grin.

"I'm glad you aren't as fragile as them. You must've trained hard for this."

Hii nodded his head.

"I'm determined to get stronger. This isn't enough to stop me from my goal."

"Heh! At least you are promising."

"Grrr!"

Naruto grit his teeth, but kept quiet.

Zabuza stood up and started to head for the door.

"I'll come back tomorrow. I'll leave the map here for you to go over."

Zabuza looked over at team 9 with a sneer.

"We'll see if you three have the guts for this. Come on, Haku."

"Yes! Let's go, you two!"

The two kids ran from the room and followed behind Zabuza.

""Bye!""

Zabuza transformed back into an old man and left the house with his group.

The Leaf group all sat in silence as the mood was at an all time low for the three Genin.

"Haaa. Alright. Everyone, get your things in order and concentrate on the mission. We have a day to prepare for combat. Don't waste it."

Kakashi advises his students, but they seemed to be lost in their own worlds.

Yamato turned to his students, nudging his head towards the others. Kakashi put his hands together as well, pleading for their assistance.

Shizuka and Maka nodded and got to work.

"Sasuke! We need to talk."

"Huh?!"

"Naruto~! Come chat with Onee-chan!"

"Eh?!"

Shizuka and Maka both grabbed their little brothers and headed to outside.

Hii sighed and walked over to Sakura and patted her shoulder.

"Hyaaa!!"

"...."

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Haaa~. Let's have a talk, Sakura-chan."

********

Shizuka dragged Naruto to the backyard and sat him down near a tree.

"What gives, Nee-san?"

"You wavered."

Naruto paused and stared at Shizuka.

"You wanted to refute him, but you thought he was right."

"...."

Naruto squatted down near the tree and sighed.

"Yeah..."

Shizuka squatted next to him and held her chin up with her hands.

"Are you scared of taking someone's life?"

Naruto didn't answer her, but she could see his body shiver at the thought.

"Just because you take someone's life doesn't make you bad, Naruto."

"Eh?"

"We're ninjas. It happens all the time. Just look at our father. He got a run on sight order for killing too many Hidden Rock ninjas and he became Hokage. No one calls him a murder, just a hero. This is just an obstacle we must overcome to be great."

Naruto thought about her words for a moment when she suddenly started to giggle in thought.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Naruto thought for a moment and nodded his head.

"...Yeah. You were scared to be around Mom and me. We always had to chase you around the house so we could sleep together."

Shizuka nodded her head as she looked up at the clouds.

"I was pretty silly back then. I was scared of growing attached to you guys."

"Why?"

Shizuka took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"Because I thought that nightmare would come true."

"...What nightmare?"

"...I thought I was going to wake up and you would both be dead. Killed by something I brought into your lives. I had that nightmare almost every night. Mom would just hold me tight while you slept. It took a long time before I could get over it."

Naruto didn't look at her face, but he knew she had that miserable expression on right now. He would see it often when she went to hide in a corner from time to time. She thought he never noticed, but he waited for her everytime.

He hated seeing that face. He couldn't do anything to stop it from appearing.

"That's why I keep getting stronger and studying more. I swore I would never find myself not being able to protect those I care about."

Shizuka looked at him with a smile.

"So if you can't do it, just leave it to me. I can protect you."

Naruto's fists clenched as he stood up abruptly!

"Hey, Nee-san!"

"Huh?!"

"I'm not going to be protected by you! I'm gonna fight those guys as well! I will protect you! I said I never go back on my word and I won't start now!"

Naruto pumped his fists in the air in defiance!

"I will be the greatest ninja ever and become Hokage!!"

Shizuka was surprised by his energy!

She stared at him for a moment, then...

"Pft!!"

"Eh?!"

Shizuka started to howl with laughter as she held her stomach and rolled around.

"Hahahahahaha!! You're gonna protect me?! With what?! Your Jutsus?!"

"Hey! I've gotten a lot better since the last time!"

"Hehehehe!! You farted up a storm last time too!"

Naruto's face grew red as he stomped his way back into the house.

"Shut up! I'm gonna get ready! Help me pack up some traps!"

"O-Ok! Hehehehe!!"

Naruto headed back inside as Shizuka got up and stretched her body.

'It's okay, little brother. You definitely won't be like Zabuza. You're too bright for that.'

She walked after Naruto with a smile on her face.

'Just let Nee-san handle the dark parts. It's the least I can do for you.'

*********

Maka and Sasuke went to a nearby pond close to Tazuna's home. 

Sasuke and Maka both looked out at the water in silence. The cool breeze gently rolled past them, bringing soft ripples to the pond.

"Sasuke?"

"....."

Maka called out to him, but he just stood silently.

She didn't pressure him any further and simply stood by him.

Sasuke gaze slowly went from the pond to his feet.

His fists slowly cracked as he tightened his grip.

"I..I.."

Sasuke tried to open his mouth, but the words wouldn't come out.

Maka didn't mind. She waited silently for him to finish his thought. She knew how he loved to bottle his emotions up, even if they were so clearly visible on his face. There was no need to rush him.

"I thought about what Nii-san would do..."

"And what do you think he would do?"

"I'm sure he would have already completed the mission by now."

Maka giggled as she heard him. She could tell he was pouting by his tone.

"I think you give Itachi too much credit. He must have went through the same things we are now. He just has more experience."

She could see that he was still moping in Itachi's shadow.

"I used to be the same as well with my Nii-san. He and Itachi would accomplish amazing feats together for the village. We both look up to them as our goals."

Maka bent down and picked up a nearby rock.

"But you seem to be confused about something, Sasuke. Something very important."

"...What is it?"

"We are not our brothers."

Maka chucked the stone and watched it skip the water 3 times before sinking down with a splash.

Sasuke now turned to Maka with confused gaze.

Maka picked up 2 stones this time and turned to Sasuke.

"We will never be our brothers, Sasuke. We can become like them, but we must ultimately be ourselves. They wouldn't want us to be like them either."

Maka tossed a stone to Sasuke. He caught it and continued to look at Maka.

"Try to skip it. See if you can get as far as me."

Sasuke turned to the water and saw Maka skip another stone. This time, the stone skipped 4 times before sinking.

'Yes! New record!'

Maka grinned with delight as she turned to Sasuke. Sasuke looked out and tossed the stone across the water.

*Plop*

"...."

"...."

The two looked at the giant ripple from the stone and then at each other.

"...Hehehe..."

Maka had a hard time holding her laugh in as Sasuke's face grew bright red. 

He quickly picked up another stone and quickly threw it as well!

*Plop*

"Hmmm! Hmmm!"

Maka now had to physically hold her mouth shut to stifle her laughter.

Sasuke was fuming at this point and tossed another rock high into the air!

*Plonk*

It landed right next to where Maka's stone went.

"Tch!"

"Hahahaha!! W-Wait, Sasuke! Hehehehe!!"

Maka grabbed Sasuke's hand and stopped him from leaving the pond.

"Hehehe! That was pretty good. You got as far as I did."

"That wasn't good! I couldn't do it like you at all!"

Maka tilted her head.

"I didn't say you had to do it my way. You just had to try and get it as far as me."

"...."

"See? You don't have to follow behind my footsteps to get to my level. You just have to find your own path there. The same goes for you and Itachi as well."

Maka patted Sasuke's head with a smile.

"So don't feel down about your progress. You're doing a great job."

"...I'm not little anymore. Stop it."

"Awww~. What happened to the Sasuke that would run to me when his brother wouldn't play with him?"

"Tch! He grew up!"

"....You're right."

Maka placed her forehead on Sasuke's, clinking their headbands together.

"He grew up. This trial should be no problem for you. If you can't kill, leave it to me. Just beat them up and I'll finish them for you."

"...."

Sasuke softly pushed Maka away and started to walk back home.

"I will be just as strong as Itachi. I won't lose to some Mist ninjas. I won't need your help either."

"Heeeh? Is that so? I guess I was worried for nothing."

Maka smiled as she slowly followed behind Sasuke back to Tazuna's house.

Sasuke stopped for a brief moment, stopping Maka as well in the process.

"...Thank you."

Maka's face grew shocked, then shined radiantly as she smiled.

Sasuke quickly hid his red face and continued walking back to Tazuna's house.

Maka followed behind him silently and watched his back.

'You will definitely be as strong as Itachi. It's in your blood after all.'

Maka's face grew serious as she followed behind him.

'I'll protect you as best as I can. I promise.'

Sasuke continued until he found a stray rock on the road. 

He quickly picked it up and tossed it towards the pond!

*Plish Plonk*

'He got a skip!'

Maka couldn't contain herself as she saw Sasuke's face beam with satisfaction. He ignored her for the rest of the trip while she giggled to herself the whole way back.

*************

"Haaaah."

Everyone scattered from the living room, leaving just Hii and Sakura alone.

Hii really didn't want to do this.

He could see Kakashi and Yamato both peeking at him from the staircase and shaking their heads.

'Haaaa! No way out, huh?'

{You gotta help her out.}

[Good luck.]

'Thanks. Well, here we go.'

"Sakura-chan?"

"....."

"Sakura-chan~?"

"Uuah! Huh?!"

Sakura broke out of her daze and looked down with a red face.

"S-Sorry, Hii-kun. I just..."

Hii closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Why are you a ninja?"

"Eh?"

Sakura was shocked for a moment, but soon smiled.

"Ah. Is this like a test or something?"

"No, Sakura-chan. I want to know why you wanted to became one. What are you striving for?"

"W-Well...."

"Besides Sasuke."

Sakura was stunned for a moment and grew silent.

The atmosphere grew tense as the Hii continued to stare at her.

"W-Well, I should get ready for the mission."

"Don't run. Answer me. What drives you?"

Sakura looked at Hii with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you doing this? What is your motivation to be a ninja?"

"I-I just want to be helpful to the team."

Hii shook his head as he began to become impatient.

"That's not what I'm asking you."

"Well, what are you asking me?"

"Haaa. I want to know what your dream is. Why did you become a ninja? What drove you to become one?"

Sakura's face grows a bit red, making Hii even more irritated.

*Bang*

Hii's hand slams into the table, scaring Sakura out of whatever she was thinking about.

"I refuse to believe you of all people don't have a goal! What did you learn Medical Ninjutsu for?! Just because you could?! To pass the time?!"

"..."

Sakura straightened her back and looked at Hii head on.

"I-I wanted to be able to save anyone that needed assistance."

Hii calmed down and nodded his head.

"I see. If that's the case, why did you freeze up when you heard we would have to kill enemies tomorrow?"

Sakura froze up again as she lost her confidence.

*Snap*

"Ugh?!"

Hii snapped his fingers, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Focus. Sakura-chan, let me give you a situation to think about."

"Ugh, okay?"

"Let's say you and your squad are recovering from an intense battle. You're the only one who is combat ready at the moment. The others are healing their wounds and you have to be on the lookout for the enemy. Suddenly, you sense someone watching you and prepare your medical technique for combat. The enemy appears behind you and holds your hands behind your back. They demand you give up your comrades or you'll die. What do you do?"

Sakura began to think of all the ways out of the situation. Hii silently waited for her answer.

"I...think I would use a Substitution Jutsu and gain some distance. I would then call for help and take them down together with my team."

Hii closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"A passive answer. Here's what I would do in that situation."

Hii opened his eyes, revealing a cold gleam from his icy blue eyes.

"I would use Dissection blade and cut the enemy's legs, immobilizing them since they came so close. I would then proceed to do the same to their arms and check them for any traps. Finally, I would ask where their comrades were."

Sakura's face became pale as she held her head down.

Hii sighed as his gaze softened.

"I'm not going to get mad at you, Sakura. There's no point in that. I am gonna get mad at you for giving the enemy a chance to possibly kill you and your team because you are too passive. Why bother with a substitution if they give you close access to their bodies so easily? You and I have both remembered where the deadliest spots on the body are for injuries, so why are you hesitating when you need to be aggressive?"

Sakura said nothing as she contemplated Hii's words.

"Just think if the enemy slipped past you and killed your team. Imagine if they killed Sasuke! How much regret would you have then?"

"!!"

Hii saw Sakura's ghastly face and sighed.

He stood up and walked beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not shameful to be afraid to take someone's life. The problem is that not everyone shares this sentiment. We will run into all sorts of people in our lives as ninja. Some as peaceful as you, and some as evil as this Juzo guy, or worse. All I want you to do is find your conviction and fight for your own place in the world. Naruto wants to be Hokage while Sasuke wants to be just as strong as his brother.Maka and Shizuka have a dream they strive for as well. I also have my own dream. You need something that will push you forward. Something that will be your desire and keep you wanting more strength."

Hii let her shoulder go and walked over to his room.

"The only person who can find that conviction is you. I just hope you prepare yourself well. This fight will definitely be tough without it. The same goes for the future beyond it."

Hii came to the staircase and saw Kakashi and Yamato nodding their heads.

'Good work. You should go rest.'

'Thanks.'

Hii went into his room and laid down on the bed.

{I think you handled that pretty well.}

[Better than I would've done.]

'Thanks. I hope she shapes up soon. Her life will be on the line.'

Hii thought for a moment, then decided.

'Let's use the dream training tonight. I need to make sure I'm ready for anything.'

{Yay!}

[Alright.]

The three trained for the rest of the day after Hii finished preparing his gear. He made sure he would be ready to face anything tomorrow.

***********

The next day came silently as the sun rose over the town. It was a beautiful day without any clouds in the sky. The people, however, were not outside. The town was empty as everyone kept their doors locked and windows shut.

It was the calm before the storm.

Tazuna and his family could feel the strange atmosphere even from inside their home. 

Kakashi sat on the couch nearby, going over the map once more with Yamato.

The first to be ready for the mission was Hii. He now had his blade strapped to his back, ready to intercept threats at any time. He made sure his tools were all prepared for the upcoming battle.

"Morning!"

The two looked up and smiled.

Yamato looked over Hii and nodded his head.

"Morning. I see you're ready for this."

"Of course, Sensei. We're a team after all. I'm not going to run if I can help it."

Hii sat down next to his teacher and looked over the map.

Many different notes were written in areas of the map, showing good locations for ambush and traps.

"Eh? When did you have time to look for all this information?"

Yamato grinned as he saw Hii's surprise.

"We have our ways. We'll wait for everyone to come before we go over the information."

"Aww~! Sensei is so nice!"

The three turned around and saw Maka and Shizuka coming over. Shizuka had her scroll belt filled to the brim with different seals while Maka had 2 holsters for shurikens strapped to her legs.

"Good morning, Sensei! Good morning, Kakashi-san!"

"Morning, you two. Looks like your team is all ready."

"Yep! I'm not scared at all!"

"We have to protect this town! We can't run!"

The two girls sat next to Hii and Yamato while they checked the map.

"Ooh~! I can make a good trap over there."

"This is a good vantage point."

Kakashi and Yamato waited patiently as the three kids went over the map for ideas and places to watch out for.

*Step Step Step*

The group heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and looked up.

Maka and Shizuka's faces lit up with smiles as they saw their little brothers ready to go!

"Alright! Let's kick some butt! I stayed up all night and figured out a new Jutsu!"

"It better not be a seduction one!"

"Hehehe! Don't worry! You'll like this one!"

The two sat on the opposite couch with Kakashi and looked over the map as well.

"Hmmm? So this spot is good for putting traps?"

"No, Idiot! This means you should watch out for traps!"

The two argued as soon as they sat down, making everyone smile and shake their heads.

Now the five of them went over key areas of the map between each other.

The sun started to go down slowly when they finally heard the sounds of movement upstairs.

*Step Step Step*

The group looked up and found Sakura coming towards them.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!"

Naruto greeted her, but notice she didn't respond. She looked indecisive.

"What's wrong? Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's looked up at the group and noticed everyone was worried about her. Her indecisive eyes slowly began to gain more clarity and passion as she grew mad at herself!

She didn't look as lost as before. In fact,her eyes firmed with resolve when she saw Hii nodding his head at her change.

She took a deep breath and let the worries on her chest go.

"I haven't found my own resolve yet! Please forgive me for not carrying my own weight!"

""Eh?!""

"I realized that I haven't taken myself seriously. I can't just keep thinking everyone will handle my problems for me! I have to be dependable for your sake and for my own!"

Everyone was taken aback as Sakura bowed her head to everyone!

"I'm sorry for not having the same resolve as everyone! I won't let you guys down or hold you back! I'll find my own resolve and hold my own against our enemies! I promise I won't let you down again!"

Sakura lifted her head back up, letting everyone see the determination in her eyes!

"I'll do the best I can for you guys!"

Maka and Shizuka both stood up and walked over to Sakura.

"Eh? W-What's wrong?"

""Sakura-chan!!""

*Glomp*

The two girls quickly hugged Sakura tightly as they surrounded her.

"Eh?!"

"Aaah~! I'm so happy for you! You'll find your own path soon enough!"

"It's so good to see you fired up! Now you can keep up with those two! We were worried about you!"

The two spun around with Sakura in their grasp before they looked over at Yamato.

"Sensei! We're going to go teach her a couple tricks we know really quick! We'll be right back!"

"Once we're back, we can get started, okay~?"

"Ugh, sure."

"Come with us, Sakura-chan!"

"We'll teach you all you need to know!"

The two dragged Sakura away as the others watched them disappear.

Kakashi shook his head with a smile.

"I'm glad everyone is going now."

Yamato smiled as well and looked at Hii.

"Good job, Hii-kun. It looks like your words got through to her."

"I only told her how I felt. It's her own strength that let her realize what she was missing."

Hii looked over at Naruto and Sasuke and chuckled at their crazy expressions.

Naruto looked genuinely shocked at Sakura's change while Sasuke...

'Hmm?'

Hii stared hard at Sasuke to make sure he saw what he wasn't hallucinating!

'Is he...blushing?!'

Hii quickly turned to see if he was the only one who saw this and made eye contact with the teachers and Naruto!

They all had the same expression!

Everyone stared at each other for a moment and quickly nodded their heads.

'....Ha!'

Sasuke shook his head of those weird thoughts he just had and realized he was staring too much!

'Crap! Those guys are going to-'

"So this spot here could be good if you get a shadow clone to watch over it."

"Hmmm?! I think I get it!"

"Good! I'll back you up if the opportunity comes to use that spot. We'll catch them off guard and ambush from here."

Hii and Naruto went over a point on the map while Kakashi and Yamato advised any other spots that could work for an ambush as well.

Sasuke sighed in relief and started to pay attention to the conversation.

Little did he know, the four of them all looked at Sasuke with sly smiles when he wasn't paying attention.

'Oh Sasuke! It seems Sakura-chan has a chance after all.'

Hii shook his head as he imagined how happy Maka was going to be when one of them told her the news.

*Knock Knock*

"I'll get it!"

Naruto jumped up from the couch and came to the door.

"Woah! You guys look scary!"

Hii turned his head and saw Zabuza, a masked ninja, and two menacing men standing behind them.

The ninja had on a Hidden Mist mask on had a green jacket with a black long-sleeve top underneath it. 

The ninja's long hair was put in a bun while their bangs draped over the sides of their mask.

Before Naruto could look any further, Zabuza pushed him aside.

"Get out of the way, brat."

"Tch! Whatever, creep!"

Zabuza walked past him while the masked ninja came over to Naruto.

"Don't mind him. He's just nervous about the mission."

"Eh?! Haku-san?!"

The mask ninja giggled and took off his mask.

"I thought you knew it was me."

"How was I suppose to know that?!"

Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

"Naruto, they already said they had 4 people and 3 of them don't have full cover masks over their faces. It should've been easy to tell who it was."

"R-Right! I knew that! It was just a test!"

Mezu leaned over to Gozu and whispered in his ear.

"Are we gonna be okay, big bro?"

"...I hope so."

Gozu shook his head and followed after their boss.

Zabuza looked around and counted the heads. Before he finished, Kakashi interrupted him.

"Everyone is doing the mission. The girls will be back shortly."

"Heeeh~? So you all have some guts after all, huh?"

"The Will of Fire isn't weak."

"We'll see about that."

Zabuza chuckled and looked over at Hii, more specifically, his blade.

"Good craftsmanship. I can tell from here."

"Thanks. My Grandpa helped me make it."

Hii looked over at the twins behind him.

"I don't think we've met officially. I'm Hii Kurokumo."

"I'm Gozu and this is my brother Mezu. I have one horn while he has two. We're known as the Demon brothers."

"Nice to meet you. We hope we work well together."

"Likewise."

The two began to introduce themselves to everyone as the sound of footsteps could be heard upstairs.

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling, then to Zabuza. 

"Looks like they'll be ready soon."

"Hmph! As long as they don't slow us all down, I don't mind waiting a bit more."

"You might be surprised by what they can do."

"I sincerely hope so."

"Sorry for the wait! Woah! Looks like we were the last ones!"

The girls all came back down and joined the group.

Everyone crowded around the map while Kakashi took the head of the table.

"Looks like everyone's here. This is the plan."

************

The moon was full as it hung ominously over the forest.

*Shuu Shuu Shuu*

Thr group all quickly appeared in front of the forest with determined gazes.

Kakashi looked over at everyone and checked his gear one more time.

"Everyone remembers the plan?"

The group nodded as Kakashi made sure his gloves were tight on his hands.

"Good. Remember to stick with your groups and above all, don't die."

Everyone began to focus as they started to group up with each other.

Gozu and Mezu would lead Team 7 while Haku would lead Team 9. 

Zabuza, Yamato, and Kakashi would head into the center of the forest and attack Juzo directly while the other groups would intercept the rest of the ninja and join the battle to assist afterwards.

"Remember, if you run into any one wearing a robe with red clouds, retreat immediately."

""Yes!""

"Alright! Let's go!"

*Shuu Shuu Shuu*

The groups dispersed into the forest and headed towards their positions!

*********

The teacher group quickly made their way to the clearing and landed in position.

"Well, you guys sure took your time getting here. I was starting to get bored."

At the other end of the clearing stood Juzo, smiling with the Executioner's blade leaning on his shoulder.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm glad you kept the blade clean for me."

Juzo chuckled as he looked at Zabuza.

"You've become bold, little demon. I guess since you have friends with you now, you're more sure of yourself."

"I would end you even without them here. This is your last day as a Mist swordsman."

"Hahahahaha! You know, you're not the only one who has friends."

*Shuu Shuu Shuu*

5 Mist ninjas appeared behind him as he took his stance. He scanned the other two ninjas behind Zabuza and frowned when he saw Kakashi.

"Hm? The Copy Ninja, huh? This will be a lot more entertaining than I thought."

Kakashi lifted up his headband and revealed his Sharingan!

"Come on, Yamato! I have a bad feeling about this. We should end this quickly."

Yamato put his hands together into the Snake sign!

"Then we need to hurry, Senpai!"

Zabuza pulled out two curved kunai and ran forward!

"The faster I get my hands on that blade, the better for all of us!"

"Hmph! Let's see if your worthy enough for it! Do it now!"

Zabuza quickly reached Juzo and the two swung their weapons at each other as the 5 ninja yelled out at the same time.

""Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!!""

*Clang*

The sparks of their weapons quickly disappeared in the thick mist followed by silence.

*************

Gozu and Mezu's group moved through the forest with no opposition. No traps or marks could be found on the way.

This put everyone on edge. It was too quiet.

Even Naruto was paying close attention to the surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of the enemy.

Gozu and Mezu lead the group as they finally got into position.

*Swish Swish Swish*

"!!!"

*Clang Clang Clang*

Gozu and Mezu both moved at the same time, blocking the enemy shurikens!

"Incoming!"

*Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu*

A group of 15 ninja encircled the group, projecting killing intent towards the group.

"Aww! We got a group of little chicks! I thought this would be fun."

"Well, we can always play with the girl for a bit. I'm sure Juzo won't mind."

"No way! Only you have that nasty mentality! I want a real woman, not a kid!"

The others laughed at their comrades while the Genin group gnashed their teeth in anger.

"You bastards!"

"....."

Naruto and Sasuke were furious!

"I-I will not fall behind you guys!"

Sakura pulled out her kunai and prepared herself!

The leader of the group finished laughing and pulled out their weapons as well.

"Alright then! Let's get this over with. I wanna watch Juzo-sama fight Zabuza-san!"

"Ooooh!!!"

Naruto weaved a hand sign with a cruel grin.

"I'll show you not to underestimate me!"

************

Haku's group moved quickly through the forest.

"....."

Hii looked around and felt an unsettling presence coming close to them.

[....That's not good!]

{What is this dark feeling?! Who is that?!}

[That's the guy I didnt think we'd run into right now! He's coming!]

"!!!"

Hii felt a strong shiver down his spine and stopped abruptly on the spot!

"Hii-kun?"

Maka stopped near Hii and saw him looking around.

Shizuka grew serious as she reached for a scroll.

"Can you sense someone here?"

"...."

Haku and Shizuka both formed around Hii as he scanned the surroundings.

"I'm surprised you sensed me."

"!!!"

Hii quickly turned towards the sound and put his hand on his blade.

The others turned with him and watched in the direction he was facing.

The four soon saw a wide man slowly lumbering his way towards them. His face was covered by a bandana and his hair looked like spikes.

The four backed up as they looked at the weird man and noticed the pattern on his cloak.

'Red clouds! We have to go, but he feels even more dangerous at a distance than up close.'

[Be careful. His weapons are poisonous too.]

'Gaaah! This is getting more and more difficult.'

The man soon stopped a distance away from them all as he scanned them.

"Hmmm. 2 girls, 1 boy, and... an unknown."

"I'm a boy."

The man turned to Haku and nodded his head.

"2 boys then. I'll have to screen you to see if you're worthy of my collection."

"Your collection?!"

Hii suddenly felt a cold killing intent come from the man!

"Move!"

""!!""

Hii quickly moved to the side with Maka behind him while Shizuka followed behind Haku!

*Swish Bang*

A tree behind the four fell down with a towering thud as a long, pale white mechanical tail drew back into the man's coat.

"Good. It would be a waste to consider adding you if you couldn't dodge that."

The man scanned the four once more as his tail positioned above him, waiting to strike.

"Now then, which one of you is the Ice brat?"