Team Seven.

13.

"I know things aren't good right now, but I need you all to complete this mission." Minato started looking at the kids and Kakashi.

"Kakashi I'm trusting these kids life to you, and if you come back and the mission is a success I'll promote you three to Chunin." Minato finished, and everybody nodded, but there was Naruto's bad feeling again.

"This is a A-rank mission. The bridge builder could only pay the sum for a C, but this village will give you the full some of money." Kakashi nodded and Shikaku read the mission statement.

"Tazuna is a bridge builder in the wave country, he's building a bridge to escape Gato, a man who is leeching the resources of the wave and making the country slowly die and wither away." Naruto bit his lip. Something he's been doing a lot lately.

"Gato has hired a list of bandits and even some missing ninja's. Eliminate all threats to the wave and make sure the bridge gets built." The Genin nodded and Minato waved to let the bridge builder in, he came in drinking some sake, declaring that he was the most Important person to walk this earth.

"Go pack and meet at the eastern gate in an hour." Kakashi left and so did the Genin, Minato sighed and sat back in the chair, Shikaku frowned.

"You sent Itachi into that organization." Shikaku muttered and Minato nodded.

"He's determined to save the children, he even stated that he even had a small crush on Naruto but knew that was going nowhere." Shikaku hummed.

"You think it's Danzo?" Minato exhaled.

"It could be anybody. Danzo, Orochimaru. The Root is the answer since it was the root hiding in my office." Shikaku looked at the village.

"Did we do the right thing? Naruto's secret might be revealed in this mission." Shikaku and Fugaku knew when they all sat down in a undisclosed location.

"I'm hoping it is, then they will become more active if the kids are really the goal."

A hour later team ten left the village hellbent on protecting the drunken bridge builder who believed that only Kakashi could keep him safe and the other three were merely bratty teens. Sasuke surprisingly kept his cool but it was only because he was worried about Naruto.

Naruto knew his secret would come out, he had a funny feeling that something fishy was going to happen but it wasn't anything he could do. If he had to use this power to save his teammates, he would.

They reached the water that would take them to the wave. Naruto looked out on the water, his expression was a forlorn one. He felt Shikamaru try and give him a reassuring squeezing of his hand and Sasuke a reassuring smile.

"What's wrong, red head?" Tazuna asked and Naruto looked as the water was unnaturally calm, he bit his lip.

"It should be fine, I'm thinking too hard about this." Naruto tried to place a smile on his face but everybody knew it was fake.

"You are worrying us." Sasuke said and Shikamaru leaned a head on the shoulder of Naruto.

"I'm sorry." Was all Naruto said as the boat reached the port. They got off and was surrounded by mist, which made everybody tense, this was ninja made. There was a rustling by the bush and Sasuke took a Kunai and threw at the bush, a white snow bunny came out but that didn't do anything to calm anybody down.

It was the middle of summer, bunnies would be brown. There was a swooshing that Naruto picked up on, he turned to his left and felt two chakra signatures.

"DUCK NOW." Naruto yelled and the all barely missed a giant sword that planted itself on the tree, a man landing perfectly on the tree. He looked at the team and cracked a sadistic smile.

"Kakashi Hatake, for you to stoop so low and start training the mindless Genin." Kakashi was tensed, as every shinobi is when they counter an enemy. The Genin immediately went to guard Tazuna, each ready to jump in if need be.

"You have to stop being the bad guy and lead the world to peace sooner or later Zabuza Momochi." Kakashi said lifting his lone Uchiha eye.

"Have you trained your Genin well?" Zabuza asked, jumping down and removing his sword.

"I haven't no." Zabuza chuckled and thickened the fog.

"A mistake really, they're dead." Kakashi smirked.

"You didn't let me finish." Kakashi' a bright sharigan could be seen, darting around counting the clones that were headed to the teens.

"They were trained by the Shinigami's disciples." Kakashi didn't say anything else and lunged at Zabuza.

Naruto kept looking in the tree's he felt that presence, but he couldn't indulge in that now. He had to worry about protecting Tazuna. From the multiple clones Zabuza felt.

"The Shinigami's Disciples? Show me what you know?" Naruto made clones to surround Tazuna so they could beat this army. Sasuke's eyes activated while Shikamaru opened up a seal. In the midst of the circle of Naruto clones.

Naruto went into the first stage of fox sage, Nature chakra running rampant providing him with speed, and enhanced Taijutsu abilities. He didn't believe he should activate the second or third level for the likes of him. Naruto sent a clone to check on Kakashi, not that he wasn't capable but since he's half Uchiha using that eye is harder that a full Uchiha.

Tazuna watched as the kids he insulted, Strive to save his life and the life of those in the country. He felt so regretful, after the clones were defeated, A clone Naruto stood above a panting Zabuza, and a passed out Kakashi, he was in the second stage of Fox sage which entails, Genjutsu.

"I can sense you, come out now." Naruto said and there was a teen their age but looked to were a hunter mask.

"You're a hunter nin? You are here for Zabuza?" Sasuke asked, running a hand through that onyx hair.

"Yes, thank you for taking care of it, I'll take it from here." The Hunter nin went to pick Zabuza up and Shikamaru frowned.

"You've been watching him all fight, if my Sensei died, I would've killed you myself." Naruto said sizing the hunter nin.

"I'll be leaving." The nin left with Zabuza and then there was Tazuna's voice.

"Now all we have to worry about is Gato." The three teens looked at the old man who was smiling and going to pick up Kakashi. The teens shared a look and Shikamaru nodded as a reassurance.

That wasn't the last they would see of Zabuza and Haku.

They walked to the house and the introductions were made, the boy had a sour attitude but the teens understood, he lost his dad, and it didn't help the conditions they were living in.

They took Kakashi to a room that Sasuke was sharing with him. Naruto checked him out and exhaled, nothing but chakra exhaustion, he would be out for three days and in the meantime the teens would plan what to do.

They were up for a little before they ate dinner and talked to Tsunami, then went back to brain storm, with a final plan in mind they all drifted to sleep in the room, well all but Naruto. He laid awake, laying in the arms of Shikamaru.

He needed to stop letting his secret eat him alive, but as the stars twinkled high in the sky, his bad feeling skyrocketed and the need to keep his secret was increasing.

~