(Naruto) Team Seven: Life Returned (OLD)

End of the Beginning

Kakashi raised his brow at what Zabuza said "That seems unusual, that an enemy nin would request for more opponents, Zabuza" Kakashi said

"And a ninja wouldn't argue for more comrades, even if they were genins, Kakashi" Zabuza retorted to which Kakashi answered with a shoulder shrug "I have full confidence in myself that I could defeat you"

Zabuza laughed "Let's see about that". Zabuza spewed out a bunch of seals, with Kakashi the Copy Ninja copying him.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu"

Two water dragons formed that spanned 7 feet long and attacked each other, exploding into a watery mist. Suddenly Zabuza leaped towards Kakashi with his sword, with Kakashi dodging the attack whilst throwing a Kunai towards Zabuza, in which he had avoided.

Sparks flew and Jutsus copied, Sakura and Sasuke watched with the rest of team 8 with hidden interest. Hidden Interest with the meaning that they noticed how toned down Kakashi's Jutsus were. There they've realized what he was planning, and Sakura connected the dots.

'That's why he had been disappearing from the beginning when we got here'

Kakashi while he spewed out another Jutsu against Zabuza thought about he had done

Kakashi closed his book and stood up, which surprised Sakura "Where are you going Kaka-sensei?" As she saw the silver haired shinobi go to the door "Just...somewhere. I'll be back later." Kakashi said in a nonchalant manner as he raised his hand and waved before dissapearing in a swirl of leaves.

Kakashi appeared in front of a building. A building which was too big to be in the Land of the Waves. At the entrance where guards who hadn't noticed Kakashi yet.

"Maa, should I really do this?" Kakashi said aloud. One of the guards noticed Kakashi and immediately noticed Hitai-ate.

"Konoha Shinobi! Evacuate the building and get the boss out of here!"The guard said as he unsheated his sword and went to attacked Kakashi. Kakashi, while dodging it, had left the weight of his left arm behind his back with a kunai in his hand. This resulted to the guard running into the kunai and dying right there and now.

Kakashi looked at the panicked guards with a bit of amusement. He wasn't amused because he thought they were puny or he was bloodthirsty. Or perharps he was. After all, they protect the biggest scum the people in Wave could ever face.

"One step further and you're dead!" One of the guards shouted to Kakashi. Kakashi raised a brow and took a step forwards.

"You better make sure that you fulfill that promise." Kakashi said like cold steel "or you won't make it out here with your lives"

2 hours later

Kakashi stood out the building and breathed in the cold air. He had done it. There was no turning back now.

Kakashi looked at the moon and wondered why he had done it. He had never tapped into his emotions. He had simply operated on what had been taught to him and imposed on him. Yet this situation proved that there had been a leak on that fortress he had made.

Then in his mind, he had made a plan to dismiss this emotional leak.

Or perharps this was the cause of it. His mind wandered into the face of a boy that had died by his hands. The same mission he's doing again. Then he remembered Rin, a memory he had never moved on from.

Then Kakashi made a conclusion.

It was tiring to be a Shinobi and he had been his entire waking life. Sometimes, tapping into raw emotions once in a lifetime would be alright.

Sakura watched the battle unfold between Zabuza and Kakashi, using jutsus that, in her past life was never used in this battle before. Kurenai simply watched and observed. Even though she was leader of a tracking team, in all reality, she had been taught how to retrieve information from simple observation. That's what she excelled on. That's how she learned about her students. And that's how she noticed Kakashi's change. Kurenai observed the little things and bring out the bigger picture and, from a man she had seen and talked to for years, even if it was just a mask, the little things like how Kakashi talked to his team to even how he walked, she digested this information.

"Are you tired Zabuza?" Kakashi said as he landed after his attack. Zabuza looked at Kakashi, then sheated his sword "It's a good fight Kakashi, but let's stop fooling around. I know you killed my employer, and for that, I have no more reason to kill you" as he turned around "It might seem stupid but I do have a code to follow. That's why I hadn't sent Haku to attack your students" Zabuza said before he walked away with Haku.

"That...was a surprise" Kakashi said as Kurenai and the rest put away their weapons.

Suddenly Naruto and Kiba came running in, panting as they had ran all the way

"Where's Zabuza?"Naruto asked in confusion as he saw no one attacking

"Gone"Kakashi replied "Because he had no more employer, it wasn't his duty to kill us anymore"

"So... we... ran...all...the...way...here for NOTHING?!" Kiba said as he panted from exhaustion, as Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"And why is his employer 'gone' Kakashi?" Kurenai asked to which Kakashi looked back with a shrug I haven't got the faintest clue" Kakashi said with an eye smile. Kurenai just breathed deeply and breathed her frustrations away. She wouldn't get answers from Kakashi anyway. "Let's... just finish the mission"

For all the while, a figure from the tree line watched the interaction with interest, most of all, Sasuke.

"You have grown... Sasuke" The figure said as he smiled lightly before another figure popped out.

"We aren't gonna attack them?" The other figure asked the first one.

"No... We'll tell Leader-sama that it isn't worth the resources and the attention to get the Jinchuuriki today" The figure said as he turned around and walked away

"Whatever you say... Itachi-san"