Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Chapter 8: Rust on the Boat

Sasuke was day dreaming.

About tomatoes.

Big, ripe and juicy.

They would be warmed by the sun. Their flesh would be firm but would give under this teeth.

Perfection.

It wasn't that the quality of produce in Takikawa was lacking. But Sasuke yearned for the bounty of the Uchiha gardens he frequented when he was a child.

The gardens were a cooperative effort between many of the non-kunoichi women or those who already retired from the life. His mother, though she never worked on them herself, would often take him with her when she went to chat with the her fellow clanswomen. And as most little boys he was delighted to see just how dirty he could become before it was time to leave. He had many fond memories of sinking his fingers and toes into the rich black earth. A visit was never complete without a sampling of the produce either.

The others were more than a little surprised when Sasuke decided to make his own garden. It was a real tragedy though after all of his hard work, breaking up the virgin earth of the outpost grounds, tilling, planting and cultivating he wouldn't get one taste of what his labor wrought.

He almost didn't want to return to Konoha. It was a sentiment he knew was shared by the others but they agreed it was time to leave. They could have at least waited till his pineapple tomatoes, a variety he never had the pleasure of eating but heard were excellent were ready. The chunin couple that arrived to take over the running of the outpost promised to keep up his garden. It was a nice gesture but Sasuke was jealously spiteful towards them. They were going to eat his tomatoes.

Naruto settled next to him in the tree. "You're moping about that damn garden again aren't ya?"

Ignoring the comment, Sasuke gave his partner in crime a dull look. Anger at his lack of attention bit at his pride. It was growing harder and harder to keep focused. Though Sasuke would never admit it this mission was tiring and the strain was beginning to become too much. "You're late. Your half of the blast tags set?" he asked, digging in his heels and trying to find a spurt of energy.

"Ready to go," the blonde confirmed with a childish grin on his face. "I also got Sakura a present." He held up a small pouch.

Sasuke's pale lips pulled into a smirk. "What a coincidence." The black haired genin lifted up his own gift for their devious teammate.

Naruto snorted. "She's gonna be happier than a pig in shit."

The older genin rolled his eyes at the crass words. "You've been spending far too much time with Mitarashi." They both rose from their crouched positions, turning back towards their current lodgings.

"Hey, I only get to see her when she happens to stop by."

Sasuke snorted to drown out the groan wanted to spring forth as they broke into a steady run through the trees. "And your letter writing hobby?"

Blue eyes rolled as Naruto pulled out the detonator tag and activated with little effort. "We're pen pals so what? She has a wicked sense of humor." Neither shinobi batted an eye lash as an explosion ripped through the night air behind them.

"Exactly, why would she enjoy your company?" The sharingan user ducked under the half hearted swipe the comment earned. The two traded insults as they ran, stopping short of their destination to put their disguises back on. Soon after they slipped back into the headquarters of the Gatô Company to seek out their third just as the sun began to set.

The building, which they infiltrated by posing as thugs for hire only a week ago was a massive hive of criminal activity. It was extremely convenient that Gatô kept his employees close.

While they weren't laboring away loading ships with drugs, stolen goods and some legitimate merchandise and harassing the rest of the population of the tiny country, most of Gatô's unskilled men spent their time getting drunk or high, sometimes both and gambling away their earnings.

The two covert shinobi found Sakura amongst the chaos that their explosion threw the gangsters unoccupied with other duties into.

"There must have been an accident at the lab! All hands on deck. We must salvage what we can and get the injured men out!"

The call to arms did little to rouse those in a drunken stupor, but a majority of the men did manage to find their feet and file out of the main mess hall. In the confusion and bustle Sasuke made contact with a pair of sky blue eyes and silently communicated. Nudging Naruto beside him the two slipped out to an empty hallway, taking a few turns they found themselves in the deserted kitchen.

Sneering at the abysmal state of the room Sasuke settled into a clean chair, while his teammate hopped up on a nearby counter. A hard faced woman with pastel blue hair and arms covered in tattoos entered the room. "Nice work boys," she complimented. "But we have some company."

Sasuke frowned as Sakura informed them of the shinobi she observed while they were out and about. "The older one was in Kakashi's Bingo Book, name Momochi Zabuza. He's a missing-nin from Kirigakure and a former member of the Swordsmen of the Mist."

Slightly interested to find out their new adversary was a kenjutsu specialist Sasuke raised a dark brow. "Rank?" Sasuke questioned.

"Jônin, beyond what we're capable of dealing with. Carries this massive sword," she added with a hint of disdain at such a flamboyant weapon. Her snobbery amused both her teammates. "The younger is a mystery, no mention of… him." Her hesitation caught both boys' attention. She shrugged at their twin looks. "I'm not entirely sure if the younger is male or female, good looking, pale, dark eyes and long hair," she described.

Naruto chuckled. "Did they notice you?"

Sakura shook her currently pale aqua head. "No, I was too far away and as if they would notice me."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but knew she wasn't being arrogant or overconfident. Her innate ability to suppress and mask her chakra signature nearly rivaled Kakashi's. It made her the ideal candidate to get closer to those higher up in the company. A position she found herself in often during the past week. The drug lab was the third major target they hit in their plan to make things very difficult for Gatô and ultimately sink his company into complete disorder.

"Do we need to retreat? Kakashi will be here soon with the drunk. I don't think we should risk it with a jônin and an unknown hanging around," Naruto said, voicing the concern that Sasuke was also feeling.

Their female teammate nodded in agreement. "We should leave tonight. There was a lot of confusion. You two were supposed to be picking up a load tonight so everyone will assume you died in the chemical explosion. Even if I'm missed they at least won't connect me with the two of you and think of us as a group of three." Naruto leg fidgeted and something crossed his face for a moment, but it was gone the next second so the black haired genin dismissed the behavior.

Sasuke, himself had not considered Sakura's point but it was important that they not be connected. Three was the most common number of shinobi on a chunin team. It wouldn't do that the misfortunes that the Gatô Company suffered recently be thought of than anything other than that.

"Right," Naruto said as he jumped off the counter. He held up his small package to Sakura and jerked his head at Sasuke who produced his own small pouch. "Got you a little something before it all went up in smoke." The girl's lips twitched as she took her presents. "I'll see you two later. There was a cute waitress at that ramen bar in the village. I'd love to introduce her to my actual self." The normally blonde haired preteen left the room with a jaunty waive.

Pain stabbed through Sasuke's head suddenly and she was there, bloody and broken before him for a split second. He couldn't stop his hand from flying to his eyes or the gasp from escaping his mouth. Sakura was there in an instant with cool hands. Sasuke gritted his teeth and gently pushed her away. The sharp pain continued to throb through his head.

"It's happening again."

"Don't, it's nothing," he tried, knowing it wouldn't do any good. With the imaginary, coppery tang of blood in his nostrils he rose to his feet, willing his knees to hold firm. He was too tired for this and for her mother hen routine. "Now are you going to use that before we get out of here?" he asked trying to distract her with one of her favorite hobbies.

Sakura smiled in a way that made Sasuke almost wish he left with Naruto. "Oh yes," she purred drawing out the 's'. "I know just what to do with my present." The dark haired genin didn't feel the least bit sorry for Gatô. Not at all.

The man was scum. He used money to corrupt the very institutions that were meant to keep him in check and violence to keep the law abiding citizens of Nami no Kuni terrified. His legitimate business was a smoke screen, a very thin smoke screen for his much more profitable criminal business.

Another streak of pain ran though his head and he had to reach out a hand to steady himself. Sakura paused, her concern returning. "Can you get this done on your own? I need to eat."

He didn't want to leave her alone to carry out this task but knew he wouldn't be of any help. She waved him off and disappeared down the hallway. Sighing in relief Sasuke rested his head against the wall for a moment. He needed to keep it together for a little while longer.

Naruto plopped himself down on a stool and sent the girl working a charming smile. "Hi! Can I get a bowl of your special, spicy please."

The brunette sent him a small smile in return. "Sure, can I get you something to drink?"

"Just a beer, whatever is cheapest," he requested sending her another smile with teeth. The girl didn't even bat an eyelash at his order.

"We only have cans," she warned with one in hand.

"That's fine and I don't need a glass."

She set the beer in front of him and he cracked it with one hand as she turned to give his order to the cook. He was about to make conversation when someone took the seat next to him.

Blue eyes turned to glare at the person who skipped common social curtesy and took the stool adjacent to his own rather than one of the several empty stools at the bar which were no one was sitting beside.

A flush crept up into his cheeks and his eyes lost their anger when he saw the pretty face of his new neighbor. A very pale pretty face framed with long dark locks. Hopefully his blush was covering his sudden panic.

He totally got what Sakura meant now about not being able to tell if this was a guy or girl. But, whatever because he or she was so damn gorgeous. "Um, you, I, well… I mean, hello."

His neighbor smiled and Naruto felt his cheeks redden more. Seriously, looking that charming should be illegal. "Hello, I hope you don't mind me joining you, I'm afraid I don't know anyone here. Is this place good?"

It could be a coincidence, but it was a damn inconvenient one. Naruto scratched at the bandana that held back his shaggy blonde hair. "Yeah it's decent enough." The waitress who returned to take the order of the new customer made a noise at his assessment of her place of work. "Sorry, miss, I'm just really attached to a place in my home town. You understand right?"

The young woman rolled her eyes but offered up an understanding grin. "What can I get you?" she asked his new dinner partner. She was blushing slightly as well but seemed to be holding her own in the face of utter perfection.

"Whatever he is having and some oolong tea please," the yet unnamed shinobi requested.

Naruto's eyes slid up and down the enemy's form. Clothes were loose and gave no hint towards gender and were perfect for hiding a multitude of weapons. Feeling that there was nothing left to do but talk, Naruto took a sip of his drink, which wasn't great and smiled. "You on a crew?"

Dark brows furrowed slightly. "A crew?"

The genin nodded. "Yeah, that's what I'm in town for. My cargo ship's been hired." It was a good story. Using genjutsu and a simple water ninjutsu that created mist he and Sasuke caused two of Gatô's largest vessels to crash into each other not far off the coast. The ships sunk along with all the goods and the men were left to report nothing but fog and a mistake caused the unfortunate incident. Gatô's right hand was forced to outsource some of the transport of his merchandise. It didn't help that a majority of his smaller ships were somehow all turning up problems that needed to be repaired before they were seaworthy. "We're loading the next day or so and then setting sail!"

"Do you enjoy sailing?" she asked.

Naruto decided that this was a girl until he learned otherwise and nodded enthusiastically. It wasn't even a lie. He had the opportunity to sail on a mission recently and there was nothing else like the vast openness of the sea or the constantly blowing salty wind. "Love it. Wouldn't want to do anything else. All I need to be happy is a boat and the ocean!" It was a half truth really. Being a shinobi would always come first but he knew now how he would be spending his vacations and retirement.

If he made it till at least forty his pension would be more than enough to cover a sailboat with enough room for him and a lucky lady to explore the seas together. That was his fantasy anyway.

The waitress placed two steaming bowls in front of the customers and Naruto voiced his thanks before digging in. His dining partner also began to eat with more manners and less gusto. Taking a risk the Konoha shinobi spoke again. "So if you aren't part of a shipping crew what brings you to this island?"

The girl finished chewing before answering his question. "I'm here to help someone very precious to me achieve his dream."

Naruto blinked at the odd words, not sure how to respond to such a blunt, honest and yet vague answer. So this chick was into Momochi apparently, he concluded. "That's nice," he tried, sounding lame even in his own head. He busied himself with his ramen as he considered the situation. The girl wasn't being aggressive at all towards him and had yet to even hint that she might know who he actually was. Deciding to take the gamble for more information he spoke again. "Your friend is really lucky to have you."

His dark haired neighbor who was about to take another bite but paused. "You're wrong," she objected setting down her eating utensils. There was a strength in her voice now and Naruto saw a hard edge in her previously soft expression. "I am the lucky one." There was a silence after this pronouncement and just when he thought the conversation was over and he could eat his ramen and drink his beer in peace she began to speak. "Perhaps you cannot understand. Is there no one precious to you?"

He blinked at the question. Well of course he had people that were precious to him. Didn't everyone? But that wasn't always the case. He wasn't always a member of Team 7 and Iruka-sensei wasn't always his teacher. When he was younger he didn't really have anyone.

"I can see from your face that you do." A serene smile bloomed across the girl's face. "My precious person gave me my purpose. Without him I would be lost."

Naruto's ramen was gone and he wasn't sure if he was up for continuing…whatever this was. He finished his beer and pulled a few coins from Gama-chan. "Well I hope you are just as important to him as he is to you."

The blonde gave a smile of thanks to the cute waitress and turned down the street without a backward glance. Naruto wasn't sure what to make of the encounter but he did hope that they wouldn't see each other again. He felt sad for the enemy kunoichi. Her words reminded him strongly of a conversation he had with Sasuke.

Naruto leaned back against the rock letting the sun beat down on his chest. An afternoon without a mission and without training was rare. He wanted to soak in every moment. The sound of a blade being sharpened didn't interrupt the peace, adding instead a hypnotic rhythm to the lake clearing. The bastard really couldn't just kick back, he always had to be doing something.

Kakashi was off with Sakura on a mission and the two of them decided it was time to have a break from their near constant training. "Oi, Sasuke do you ever think about what might have happened if we weren't put on this team?"

It was something the son of the Fourth thought about quite often. Would he have liked a different team? He supposed being on Chôji's team wouldn't have been bad. The heavier boy was kind and had excellent taste in ramen, even if he preferred barbecue. And Shikamaru, a lazy bastard for sure but he was smarter than Sakura if he ever put his mind to something useful. The blonde shuddered when he thought of the only other genin that shared his hair color. Ino would have been a nightmare. The girl on Team 8 could have been fine, though Naruto couldn't remember her ever speaking.

"What a useless thing to think about," came his teammate's bland response.

Rolling his eyes at the unsurprising reply Naruto sighed. "I guess," he admitted. "But it makes me feel grateful ya know, to be on this team. Without you guys, without this assignment, I don't know who I would have turned out to be. Probably just that loudmouth punk who still only dreams about being Hokage so people will like me." He knew the sentiment behind the words was was wasted on Sasuke but he was thinking out loud. He was grateful.

The shick-shick sound of a blade being sharpened stopped. "Until that mission and Sakura…I thought that my purpose was to kill my brother, to avenge my family." Naruto remained still. He couldn't believe the other boy was actually voluntarily talking about this. After he and Sakura promised to help Sasuke they hadn't spoken of it again. "She nearly died for me. It made me realize that if my only purpose in life is to end his, if that is all I am, he has taken even more than my family away from me. And I've let him. I don't think another team could have made me realize this."

Naruto stared up at the clouds, not really seeing any shapes in them. He knew Sakura and Sasuke had spoken about the disaster mission once or twice, but those talks never included him. His teammate began his task again. The two boys didn't speak again, both knowing there wasn't any need for more words.

Even now he couldn't imagine it. He couldn't imagine one person being the entire reason he continued living. Sure he loved Sakura and Sasuke and even his porn reading teacher. He would give up his life for them in a heartbeat if it meant saving them, but devote his entire existence to them? Dying for someone was one thing, giving your life to someone was entirely different. Yeah, no thanks.

He headed out of town keeping his senses open. The enemy's appearance was unsettling and he needed to be sure he wasn't followed. When they first arrived in Wave Country they located Tazuna's house. There was a high probability that Gatô would send thugs to their client's home so Naruto kept a couple of shadow clones on watch duty. It was in the direction of the bridge builders home that he was now headed.

As soon as he made it within a hundred yards of the property a clone dropped down from the thick canopy. "Yo Boss!" it greeted giddily and Naruto rolled his eyes, great a cheery one.

"Any problems?"

The clone nodded his bandana clothed head. "We had two Kiri-nin by the looks of it, poking around but they seemed to be checking if the old drunk returned yet. Two guys, looked kind of the same. Not very bright."

That was expected but also unwelcome. "They stop by more than once?"

"Yep come and go they do!"

He didn't think he would ever get over the weirdness of having a conversation with himself. "On a schedule?"

His mirror image shrugged. "Couldn't say, you know we don't really have a sense of time."

Sighing Naruto reached out and dispelled the clone with a solid thump on the head with a little bit of chakra. His partner clone, felt the action and came running. "Oh it's just you, thought I was gonna see a bit of action. This is so boring boss." With a punch the whiney chakra construct disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tilting his head he acknowledged Sasuke landing on the forest floor beside him. "Any news?" the black haired genin asked.

He noted Sasuke's tired face, but knew any comment would be unwelcome. "We have some Kiri-nin poking around. They aren't the two that Sakura mentioned. I ran into the androgynous one at the ramen shop. Think it's a girl, maybe," he tilted his head at the thought. "Anyway, where is she by the way?"

Sasuke just blinked at him.

"What?" Naruto asked.

The black haired boy said nothing but raised a fist and hit Naruto, who hadn't thought his teammate would do such a thing out of the blue didn't try to block or dodge the blow. "Oi, what the fuck, asshole?!" Holding his cheek he glared daggers at the other genin.

"Mmm, it is you." Was Sasuke's only response.

"Of course it's me!"

"I didn't think a word like androgynous was in your vocabulary. Thought someone might be impersonating you."

"So you punched me?!" The furious blonde shoved the other boy.

Stumbling back only a step and then sidestepping Naruto's follow up swipe the unmoved Uchiha shrugged. "Would you prefer I stabbed you instead?"

Naruto rolled his eyes skyward. Knowing he would never get an apology out of the bastard he stretched his smarting jaw and moved on. "Sakura?"

"She should be here soon-" Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed.

The son of the Fourth stiffened as he became aware of what made his friend fall silent. They both leapt into the trees, suppressing their chakra as they headed towards the two foreign signatures that were closer to their client's home.

From their perch in the canopy they saw the two unknown shinobi move silently into the house and a scream followed. "Damn!" Naruto cursed as he launched himself towards the home. They had no idea who these two were or what rank they were. But he wasn't going to allow Tazuna's daughter or grandkid to be hurt or killed.

Sasuke was on his heels as they entered the house as quietly as possible, the woman's screams masked their entrance and gave them the element of surprise. He left the man holding Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter by the hair to Sasuke as he went for the enemy further across the kitchen kunai in hand.

His target defended against the kunai that would have found a home in his neck. The screech of metal on metal cut through the air, but Naruto was already moving on. He ducked under the a jab as one of his feet landed a crippling blow to the inside of his opponent's left knee while his unoccupied hand delivered a solid punch to the throat. The shinobi dropped to the ground choking on his cry of agony. Naruto rendered him unconscious with a powerful blow to the temple.

Turning on the spot and ready to attack again he saw Sasuke already took care of the second Kiri-nin. The black haired boy's double edged sword was bloody, but Naruto could see the enemy shinobi was still alive. Though he might not be for very much longer based on the growing blood pool.

Naruto's blue eyes met with Sasuke's dark ones and they silently communicated. He slowly dropped to a squat in front of Tsunami, who was still on floor and shaking. "Hey, everything is going to be okay. Why don't we move somewhere else? My friend here is going to take care of this mess and I'll make some tea." Tea was soothing, or so said Sakura.

The frightened woman slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. She was really pretty, he noticed, not as pretty as that other shinobi, but then again anyone would look better if they didn't have blood on their face. "We were hired by your dad. He's on his way." Slowly he raised his arm, not too high but giving her plenty of warning before he let his it settle on her shoulder. "Come on now."

She nodded her dark head and took in a shaky breath. "Thank you," she managed. Naruto helped her to her feet. "Just through there." She motioned with her arm to show him and he aided her way across the kitchen avoiding the blood into a cozy room. Just as he got her settled down she startled again. "My son! He should have been home an hour ago! What if they got him?"

"Where would he be coming from?" Naruto asked as he cursed himself. He completely forgot about the kid.

"He works down by the fishing docks after school, helping the fisherman unload their catch."

Naruto was about to make some shadow clones when they heard a yell from the front of the house and he sensed another presence. "Who the hell are you? What have you done to my mom?! I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you!" Speak of the devil, or in this case the brat. Naruto followed the frantic mother out to the source of the yells. The sight that greeted them was rather comical.

Sasuke had one arm outstretched, firmly holding the grandson of their client back as the young boy futilely tried to punch the Uchiha.

"Inari!" Tsunami cried, enveloping her child faster than even a shinobi could blink. "Where have you been? I was so worried!" Naruto wanted to point out that there was no way the kid could answered while he was smothered against his mother's chest.

Nodding to Sasuke the pair returned to the kitchen as neither of them wanted to witness the scene. "You always have to make a mess don't you?" the blonde commented as he took in the room. It was actually pretty pristine other than the body leaking blood all over the floor. "We should stop the bleeding. He doesn't have to die."

Sasuke shrugged. "Yours would still be alive," he pointed out.

Trying not to show his frustration at the callousness the blonde genin took out a small storage scroll from his pouch that held restraints.. "Given their nearly identical appearance, I'd say they're related. Probably won't talk if one of them is dead," he said trying to appeal to Sasuke's logical mind. "Where is Sakura when you need her?"

Yûki's heated gaze fell onto the woman laid out underneath him on sable fur. Her face was flushed from their previous activities but uncertainty and fear clouded her lust. His body throbbed like a giant beating heart overflowing with need and yet he could not move forward.

Could he really do this, steal from her that which should only be given by choice? Was it really stealing? His hand reached her inner thigh, playing along the seam of her under garments, pads of his fingers reveling at the feel of her silk like skin.

"Yûki!" Mao cried out in passion, her swollen lips forming an exquisite expression.

Her renewed vigor brought him closer to what must be. This was it. He finally would achieve what he most wanted. He would regain what was stolen from him so long ago.

And yet, he stayed frozen, unable to carry out what would be a pleasurable act for both, paralyzed by the undeniable love he felt for the innocent woman below him, the woman he positively ached for.

"Yûki," she said again, this time, however it wasn't a cry of passion. His name called his dark eyes to her's and a smile of joy and acceptance warmed her face in a way lust never could. "I know Yûki." Did she know? How was that possible? "I know why you sought me out. I know why you pursued me. I know." Guilt caused his breath to hitch and his body to shudder. A gentle hand brushed the damp hair from his face. "Let me be enough. Please I will give you what you want, just leave my village in peace." He turned his face away, not able to look at her soft expression. "The people who live there now, they aren't the ones who stole your magic. There is no revenge to be had against them."

He closed his eyes as the anger that he lived with for more than two centuries was brought forth. "I…" he began but couldn't find the words to continue. He wasn't sure what to say. She was asking him to dismiss his rage that was his only companion for so long.

Mao's legs curled around his hips and pulled his retreating form back. "I want you Yûki. I want you in all the ways a woman can want a man. I want you knowing in this act I will be giving you back the power to destroy my home. I am just asking that you don't."

His heart, something he thought he lost when his magic was stripped form him and only in the last few months was beginning to feel again swelled and with it his ardor. He gave her an answer with his lips as he relieved them both of any remaining obstructions.

A hand reached for the sweet heat of her-

"You know Sakura, if you were looking for a good book I could have given you a few suggestions." The voice in her ear, caused the blushing young woman to squeak and fall out of the tree she was perched in. A twisting flip saved her from hitting the ground in an unpleasant position. "And might I say it is very irresponsible to be reading while on the job."

Sakura glared up at the shadow of her teacher. "You know you are the definition of a hypocrite right now."

The clone dropped down to stand before her. "But when I read, people don't sneak up on me."

Her failure did sting her pride. "I was on my dinner break," she groused.

"No excuse," he responded in that fake, irritatingly cheerful tone. "But really if you want to read a book that will broaden your horizons sexually-"

"Stop!" Sakura commanded, red filling her face. "I don't need you to tell me about your damn sex books."

The copy looked genuinely confused. "But you were just-"

"You came to deliver a message I assume." She cut him off before he could finish the sentence.

"Ah yes," the shadow clone confirmed. "We will be arriving tomorrow and I want an update as to exactly where we are."

Sakura nodded. "Operation Chaos," she rolled her eyes at the name, "is well underway. We've so far destroyed two of Gatô's largest cargo ships and put a bunch of his smaller boats out of commision, helped misplace several valuable antiquities that were promised to a wealthy and politically influential patron, who will no longer be using his services and just a few hours ago Sasuke and Naruto blew up the lab that made a majority of his drugs. We had to leave our position though when Gatô hired some missing-nin from Kiri and one of them is a jônin with quite the reputation."

"Name?"

"Momochi Zabuza."

The clone's forehead wrinkled slightly which Sakura knew meant that her teacher was concerned. "And you haven't taken Gatô out himself?"

She shook her head. "He wasn't in the country till yesterday night." A dark smirk turned the corners of her lips up. "He was very displeased when he returned to find out all that happened in his absence."

"Displeased and suspicious?"

"Of his own men."

The copy of her teacher smiled behind his mask. "Very well done. Anything else?"

"Gatô takes a tonic for chronic stomach pain, probably has an ulcer or two. I may have slipped something else into his supply."

"Sakura."

The girl shrugged at her teacher's gentle scolding. "I know, I know it's bad form to leave some of the poison behind to be discovered, but I thought this way it looks sloppy, like an inside job done by an amateur. Helps that it was the drugs his people make."

The clone gave her a blank look. "You put crystal meth in his tonic?"

She tugged on one of the skinny braids that hung from her underneath her headband in thought. "He shouldn't be able to taste it I don't think. The tonic was vile to begin with and the meth is just bitter. He gets them in these single serving glass bottles. If he drinks two bottles definitely dead, Which, he may given the stress he's feeling…" she trailed off at the look that clearly said move on. "But if he drinks one bottle every four or so hours as he is meant to, I'm thinking arrhythmia, confusion, possibly paranoia and a whole host of other not so pleasant side affects."

The shadow clone stood from his crouch. "Right, well, I will report this. You can expect our client and my real self to show up some time tomorrow morning." The clone dispelled itself with a puff of smoke leaving Sakura alone in the trees.

Looking down at her romance novel she toyed with the idea of continuing to read for a bit before returning to Naruto and Sasuke. But that would probably be even more negligent of her duties than the short hour she already took to indulge her habit. Sighing she stowed the book in her small backpack.

When they took this job she had no idea how tiring it would be. Keeping up a simple transformation technique for a prolonged period of time was a strain on not only the chakra supply but also on the mind. Plus they had to blend in with a bunch of thugs which wasn't as easy as it initially seemed. Who knew being a bad guy was so exhausting?

They were packing to begin the mission and escort their client back to his home when Pakkun came in with a message from Kakashi's friend. Apparently the amazing bridge builder was not completely honest with them about exactly why he needed protection. Their teacher in his infinite wisdom decided it was high time they make their own choices, so he left it up to them whether or not they continued the mission.

After listening to Tazuna's story Naruto was totally taken in and even she was sympathetic, especially after they did a little research and found out Gato had his hands in all sorts of criminal pies, including the skin trade. But Sasuke being painfully logical brought up the glaring problem. Protecting their client until the bridge was built would not fix the problems of the small country and even if the bridge was completed it could very easily be used by those with selfish and greedy aims.

Though it took a while but Naruto eventually saw that they could not free an entire country from oppression. Even if they killed Gatô another would step up to take his place. So they settled on weakening the criminal empire that was strangling the life out of Nami no Kuni and hope the common people would seize the chance to help themselves.

After being here for nearly a week though, Sakura highly doubted that would happen. The string of islands that made up the country was geographically weak. The only reason they remained an autonomous country rather than being swallowed up by a larger nation was the land itself, despite being resource rich didn't lend itself to well to being governed. The disconnected land masses were perfect however for growing criminals who had very little fear of any kind of authority finding or catching them.

The main village of the island they were on was the largest community of the land. Whatever wealth and prosperity it once had was long gone. Even the rougher parts of Takikawa were far nicer.

Traveling through the trees Sakura's thoughts turned to Konoha. It would a few short weeks till they were back in their home village. The pink haired girl knew her mixed feelings on returning were shared by both her teammates, but for different reasons. Though they had all vowed not to give up on the home that had become not so welcoming Sakura knew both boys were having second thoughts after they started to really get a good view of who their opposition were.

A shot of adrenaline rushed through the genin when she recognized Naruto's chakra signature hurtling towards her. Right before her eyes caught a glimpse of his bright blonde hair she noticed it was a clone. Shadow clones had an exact copy of their creator's chakra system. There was almost no perceptible difference between a clone and the creator. Except, clones tended to embody only a certain facet of the creator's personality. This caused their chakra to flow in a pattern that differed from the creator. After living with Naruto and being with him nearly all day and night both Sakura and Sasuke could tell the difference. The same could not be said for their teacher, though. Naruto himself could pick out their sensei from his clones much to the frustration of his teammates. What was even more maddening was Naruto had no explanation for why he could tell them apart.

"Trouble Sakura! Two Kiri-nin went after Tazuna's family. Sasuke and I got them but the asshole had to go in sword happy and we could use your help," the shadow of her teammate explained.

Sakura's pushed chakra into her legs and exploded off the limb she was on, cracking it in the process. The clone tried to keep up but was out stripped by the pace the pink haired girl set. Excitement at the chance to practice her healing skills bubbled underneath her skin.

When she arrived at Tazuna's house she entered without preamble and followed the familiar sound of her boys arguing to the kitchen. "Don't you think I know that!" the real Naruto snapped at Sasuke who was leaning against the kitchen counter casually. The younger genin was on the floor, tightening a bandage around the shoulder of a rather sinisterly dressed man. "Sakura!" he cried in relief.

Not bothering to greet either of the boys she focused her attention on the injured enemy. She unwrapped Naruto's work and got a look at the problem. The wound was a clean slice that bisected the right subclavian artery and vein and several other minor vessels. It was excellent practice as she hadn't quite mastered the process of repairing and regenerating the differing types of tissue that made up the blood vessels.

Despite wanting the practice she paused. "Are you two sure this is a good idea? I mean we've got more than a bit on our plates right now."

"Shit Sakura, he's already made more than a puddle, just heal him," Naruto urged.

She still hesitated and could feel the man fading. Despite her concerns she did as Naruto wanted. Her chakra was cool but fizzed against the skin of her hands as she directed it and felt the damage her teammate's blade did. While she began the slow process of regenerating the cells to bridge the gap she simultaneously started to destroy the waste of ruined blood and flesh. The muscular tissue was not worth the trouble of healing. As much as she wanted to practice it would take too much time and chakra.

The healing was going well and once the first two layers of newly formed tissues bridged the temporary gap and sealed to each other she paused in her work. "I've repaired the blood vessels you severed. He's still lost a lot of blood. Want to fill me in on why I'm healing this guy now?"

She didn't have to look up to see the death glare Naruto was giving Sasuke. "We need info on who we're up against," Naruto said tersely.

The pink haired girl's brow furrows as she glances at the unconscious tied up body on the other side of the room. "Why isn't he enough?" Sasuke made a noise in agreement.

"We couldn't just let him die."

Sasuke mumbles something that sounds a lot like 'you couldn't' under his breath. This was obviously the source of their previous disagreement. "Well, now we have two live prisoners. I think we should keep them under sedation until Kakashi comes, which by the way will be tomorrow morning."

Sakura saw that both her teammates were relieved by this news. Though they had been handling their business pretty well up until now, none of them had any interrogation experience. Unrolling another of her medical scrolls the novice healer pulled out what she needed before injecting both of their guests. "Did you strip them for weapons?" Both boys scowled at her, obviously offended that she thought they would forget something so basic. She held up her hands in placation. "Just checking, wow you are both touchy right now."

Not waiting to hear their complaints she left the rest of the restraining to them as she needed to introduce herself. Tsunami and her son were sitting in the living room. The boy was squirming in his mother's arms clearly not wanting to be on her lap. "Hello," the pink haired girl greeted softly, not wanting to startle the already frazzled woman. "My name is Sakura, you've already met my teammates."

The dark haired woman bobbed her head in greeting. "I'm Tsunami and this is my son Inari."

"How the hell do we know you're here to help us! Mom, it's a trick. They're with Gatô!" the little boy howled.

Wincing at the uncomfortable pitch the boy's voice reached, Sakura ground her teeth together and tried her best to keep her face pleasant. "I can promise you we are not working for Gatô. Have you heard about his ships recently sinking?" The kid stopped trying to get out of his mom's hold for a moment and watched Sakura with suspicious eyes. He nodded. "That was us."

Instead of being impressed Inari scoffed. "Yeah right, you're just some kids. You couldn't do anything to Gatô."

The flickering beginnings of anger heated her face as Tsunami apologized profusely and shushed her son. "We are young, but we are shinobi. I received a message from our team leader who is traveling with your father. He should be arriving tomorrow morning." Relief spread across the older woman's face. "My teammates should have your kitchen cleaned up soon. Please go about your business but do not leave the house. We would like for the two of you to sleep in the same room tonight, preferably this one." The sitting room had multiple exits and enough space for all of them. If they kept the two in one of the back rooms they could be easily trapped with very little space to maneuver.

Sakura left the pair and returned to the kitchen to see that Naruto and Sasuke were already finished and sitting at the kitchen table looking at Kakashi's extra Bingo Book. "Threw them in the kid's room, boy sounds like a brat," Naruto explained.

"Why don't you go tell them that before they get their bedding," Sakura suggested with a huff of laughter. The blonde made a show of dragging himself out of the chair and leaving the room. Sakura dropped into the now vacant seat heavily. If Kakashi didn't run them ragged on the regular she was sure she would have passed out by now. "How's your head?"

Her broody teammate shrugged and made the noise that they all learned meant 'fine'. Knowing she wouldn't get much else from him she didn't try.

Tsunami entered the kitchen and offered to make dinner. The two genin declined politely as they both previously ate. The night passed with a few confrontations between Inari and Naruto. Sakura nearly took off Sasuke's head when he woke her for her watch shift. She watched as dawn broke over the trees that surrounded the house. Looking behind her shoulder to make sure everyone else was still sleeping she pulled the blood stained letter from her vest.

After this mission was complete it would only be a few short days of travel before they were back in Konoha. The closer it seemed to get the further away she wished it was. It wasn't that she didn't miss the village because she did. She missed her parents, but it wouldn't be the same. She missed Ino, for some strange reason that was beyond her. Living with men all the time got a little old and kunoichi company was rare at the outpost. Mitarashi Anko did not count, though the woman did have a fascinating knowledge of poisons.

Feeling Naruto begin to stir behind her Sakura shoved the letter back into the pocket it came from. "Hey," his voice called, still full of sleep. He plopped down beside her at the window and yawned. "Damn I could sleep for ten more hours." Sakura chuckled in agreement. He ruffled his shaggy head and reached for the bandana he abandoned the night before.

"Let me," Sakura offered. With a sleepy grin he nodded, extremely pleased. Sakura padded around the room gathering the needed supplies before kneeling in front of Naruto's back. She pulled the brush through his golden locks. "You need a hair cut. This is becoming unmanageable," she criticized with quiet fondness.

"Perhaps I should ask Sasuke, he did such a good job with yours." The comment earned him a soft cuff to the back of his head. Sasuke still went deathly pale when her shortened mane was mentioned. A fire jutsu got away from the Uchiha during a spar and Sakura's poor, nearly mid back braid was the victim. Kakashi ended up having to pull the infuriated girl off her bloody teammate.

They both felt their teacher's approach as Sakura finished tying the bandana in place. "I'm gonna start on breakfast." He got up, stopping at one of their food packs that Sasuke retrieved from their hidden stash the night before and headed into the kitchen. Looking back out at the sun rise she let out a sigh. As unsure as she was about going back to Konoha she hoped with Kakashi's arrival this mission ended soon.

Kakashi watched as Sasuke and Sakura stood at guard on the bridge. He couldn't help but be proud at what his students accomplished. As soon as they arrived with late in the morning with the bridge builder in tow they were greeted by the workers with word of Gatô's death and the imminent collapse of his criminal empire from infighting. To their credit Sakura and Sasuke didn't bat an eyelash.

He would be so happy when this mission was over and that was going to be soon. Babysitting Tazuna while his genin were out running about trying to destroy a crime syndicate had not been fun. After Pakkun arrived with more information on their mission curtesy of Tenzô, Kakashi knew it was time to take a step back. He had been hovering over them as if they were babies just learning to walk since the incident. As much as he didn't want to put them in unknown danger again they were shinobi and this was their job. He could tell they were nervous about taking on the mission without him as well. Their dependence on him needed to be broken despite how uncomfortable it would be. He had all the faith in the world that they were capable, the growth they exhibited in the past month was nothing short of extraordinary.

Sakura, while she waited for her body to fully recover from its injury ate up anything and everything to do with iryô-ninjutsu. It was almost frightening how enthusiastic the girl was. At one point Kakashi was worried it would pull her away from working in the field. She wouldn't be the first shinobi to show promise only to be drawn to the med-room.

But in the end he had nothing to worry about. Sakura was picking up healing much faster than even he anticipated but her true passion was finding ways to turn iryo-ninjutsu into an offensive weapon. Kakashi pegged her as being the most conventionally intelligent from the get go and now Sakura was showing just how accurate his initial analysis was.

Not that Sasuke or Naruto were falling behind their female teammate.

Sasuke's early training with his clan and gave him a very good base for his most recent interest, kenjutsu. After receiving some instruction from Namiashi the last Uchiha of Konoha practiced in every spare moment. Though Kakashi was no slouch with a sword he was far from a master. But Sasuke was more than lucky in the instructor department. Hayate Gekko, who Kakashi didn't know other than by reputation ended up staying at the outpost for nearly two weeks while waiting on intel. The special jônin was happy to help Sasuke in the mean time as long as Sakura was kept far away. The aspiring medic-nin was rabidly curious about the special jônin's chronic illness.

Kakashi also cautiously began to show Sasuke how to use his bloodline limit. The sharingan users made sure to practice only when they had privacy as Sasuke's awakening was still a secret. Pairing his newly acquired kenjutsu skills with his clan trademark was a match made in shinobi heaven. If Sasuke focused on genjutsu over ninjutsu as Kakashi suggested he would make one of the most formidable assassin's Konoha had ever seen.

And then there was Naruto. The hyperactive blonde was an absolute whirlwind. Though it generally took him longer to learn a new technique than his teammates when he did learn it he always had an innovative way to customize it to fit perfectly into his arsenal. It was something that took most shinobi years to accomplish. The boy did the same thing with the taijutsu Kakashi attempted to teach him. No matter how many times they drilled form. Naruto reverted to a much looser, brawler like style. It wasn't pretty but every member of Team 7 could attest to its effectiveness. Even the sharingan couldn't reliably predict Naruto's strikes.

His most creative student continued to study fûinjutsu, but it would be years before would come close to his father's skill much less his mother's. Naruto confided in Kakashi that he thought he felt the Kyûbi's chakra while he was rushing Sakura back to the outpost. He encouraged his student to continue trying to access the Kyûbi's chakra through meditation but so far there was no joy. But the meditation practice greatly increased Naruto's control and awareness of his own chakra. He would never attain a better than average level of control but he was beginning to show an aptitude for shaping his chakra. It was a rare gift that Kakashi could only nurture so far.

Though they all had their own interests and disciplines they trained in Kakashi made sure the team came back together and didn't neglect the all important basics. This mission proved their training was more than adequate for them to take the next step in their careers. Though it would probably be another year until they were promoted. The village was at peace and there was no reason to push genin, even ones as promising as his too quickly through the ranks.

Sighing he flipped another page of his worn out book. It was about time to send Sasuke out in exchange for Naruto who was back at the house minding Tazuna's family when the edges of his senses rippled as a chakra signature crossed into his range. Whoever it was they wanted to announce their presence. He sent out a slight pulse to his two students whose stances didn't change but their eyes began to shift about looking for the threat. Stashing his book in his back pouch he watched as two figures came into view through the mist that coated the bridge and made its end invisible.

He recognized the two shinobi that worried his students. He gestured behind his back for the two genin to stay. Though he was cautious he doubted this was an attack. The two stopped roughly fifty feet out and the workers they passed were frozen watching.

"We brought tea," Zabuza Momochi called gruffly and gestured to his partner who was indeed carrying a tray with a thermos and cups. "Will you permit a meeting?"

Kakashi sole eye blinked. "It would be rude not too, since you went through the trouble," he replied. The two parties met somewhere in the middle and without preamble took seats on the cold concrete of the ridge. Sasuke and Sakura stayed behind with Tazuna.

"You killed our pay day," the former Kiri-nin who was naked of his signature weapon accused before taking a swig of tea to show it wasn't poisoned. His associate poured a cup for Kakashi who sniffed it before taking the smallest of sips.

The silver haired jônin's eyebrows lifted in surprise at the fullness of flavor and lack of bitterness. It was damn good tea. He nodded towards the dark haired companion, who still went unnamed. "It's quite delicious, thank you."

"Enough about the damn tea," Zabuza growled out. "Gatô's dead Copy-nin Kakashi and I've got an arrangement that I think will suit all parties."

"Oh?"

Rolling his eyes the other jônin's chakra crackled in frustration. "Call over the bridge builder and let's talk business before I run out of patience."

Kakashi had half a mind to tell him no, but put aside his personal feelings. The pair didn't come to fight and he didn't want to start one. "Tazuna, come join us." He didn't let his eye stray from Zabuza but he heard the scuffle his invitation caused. Nearly a minute later Tazuna came to kneel at his side though slightly behind him.

"What do you want?" the disgruntled drunk asked with more venom than even Kakashi thought the not so sober man could muster.

Zabuza smiled showing rows of shark like teeth he no doubt filed himself. It wasn't like teeth like that were natural. Body modification was never his thing. "You have yourself here quite a gold mine. This country though is in desperate need of protection and a strong governing body."

"We had a centralized government. Gatô corrupted it," Tazuna interrupted heatedly.

The ex-Kiri-nin waved his hand. "Well, make a new one. My guess is these Konoha-nin are only here to protect you for a short time. What happens when their contract runs out? Gatô may be gone but eventually someone will take his place. You need to think long term. This bridge may have been your salvation but it is also a single road to and from the mainland. It can just as easily be used against you."

Kakashi could see where this conversation was heading and knew Momochi was right. Despite his students' efforts the Nami no Kuni was vulnerable and would always be until they had some kind of defensive force of their own. He could see the gears turning in Tazuna's mind as well. "Perhaps we can move this little meeting somewhere more comfortable and with more representation for your country," he added with a look towards their client.

A time and place that pleased both parties was eventually agreed to. The workers got back to work and the day went on as if nothing tremendous had just occurred. Soon the sun was setting and it was time to go back to Tazuna's. Over dinner Team 7 discussed the recent turn of events. Tazuna and his family were already fast asleep after the stress of the day.

"But how can they just put aside the fact they were hired to kill him? I mean how can Tazuna?" Naruto questioned.

Kakashi swallowed another mouthful of food and suppressed a moan. He sure missed Sasuke's cooking while he was on the road with Tazuna. "How do you think wars end?" he asked after swallowing.

Naruto's blonde eyebrows rose. "I never really thought about it."

"Enemies have to sit down at the same table, even after they have been fighting and killing each other for years sometimes." He saw his team was chewing on the thoughts this provoked and was happy to hide a smile behind his mask.

Sakura set her chopsticks aside. "Do you think Momochi will really honor whatever agreement they come up with? I mean he did betray his own village, didn't he?"

The masked shinobi snuck another bite of food while no one was looking. "We covered Kirigakure in our lessons. Their village has been tearing itself apart for years. You yourselves said you would stand against Konoha given the right circumstances. If you stood against them and lost… and lived… you would be branded a missing-nin. Perhaps in a another life Momochi could have been the leader of his village instead of the outcast."

The silence that followed this statement was broken by Sasuke. "Didn't answer her question. Do you think that Momochi will turn on them?"

Sighing and feeling the weight of his long shinobi career on his shoulders Kakashi answered truthfully. "I don't know. But our contract ends in five days. What happens after that is no longer our concern." Naruto's chair screeched as he pushed himself away from the table hard. Dropping his bowl in the sink the son of Minato left the house without a word clearly upset by the conversation.

"I'll take first watch," Sakura offered quietly before slipping into the neighboring room.

Sasuke's dark eyes flickered between the two exits before shrugging off whatever thought was in his head. "I cooked. You do the dishes."

Behind his mask Kakashi frowned not quite sure how that happened. By the time he finished the dishes Naruto had returned and passed out in a sleeping bag in the living room next to Sasuke. He joined Sakura who was outside.

"So how did it go?" he asked.

His students gave him a detailed run down of their side of the mission soon after he arrived that morning. But both parties of this conversation were well aware that was not what he was asking about. Green eyes slid over to him. "You want me to tattle on my teammates Kakashi-sensei?" Her lips turned up.

The veteran shinobi quirked his single visible brow at her. "I've been traveling with a stubborn alcoholic at a snail's pace for over a week Sakura. Don't tease." It was a truly awful week. The reason they arrived this morning instead of late last night was the man refused to travel at night. He very nearly summoned his pack to escort Tazuna so he could carry on ahead and be of some use.

Sakura chuckled lightly before falling into silence. He could tell his most intelligent student was thinking over what she wanted to report to him. "Sasuke had another episode."

"The pain in his head?"

The pink haired genin nodded. "The frequency of the episodes are increasing. When we return to Konoha he should see a doctor." She rolled her eyes. "You are going to have to drag him though. It has to be something to do with the sharingan. These attacks started after he activated it."

"You know that if this is truly being caused by the sharingan he cannot see just any doctor." It was worrisome but whatever was happening with Sasuke would have to wait until they were back in Konoha. "Naruto?"

Sakura hesitated before she seemed to seize some sort of resolve. "He still has yet to kill someone and goes out of his way in order not to."

The jônin was surprised at the steel in Sakura's voice. "That isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"We only learned this after the fact, but Naruto, without discussing it with Sasuke, decided to evacuate the workers of the drug warehouse they blew up only last night. Sasuke already set his tags and Naruto was late to their meet up." She licked her lips and lowered her voice before continuing. "It was unnecessary risk that could have ended with Sasuke blowing his tags with Naruto still in the building."

He could see that her concern wasn't misplaced. It was completely stupid of Naruto. Sakura wasn't finished.

"I healed one of those Demon Brothers because Naruto insisted. You know I always appreciate the opportunity to practice and I don't know if I would have been able to stand by and do nothing, but it was another risk. Keeping them prisoner has required our time and attention." She folded her arms across her body. "Like I said, I don't know if I could have just watched him slowly bleed out and he might have even survived, minus the arm, but Naruto didn't think about the danger of healing him at all."

His ever present mask covered the troubled expression he did not have the energy to keep off his face. Civilians called shinobi heartless as an insult. Almost none took it as such. To be a good shinobi one had to have the ability to turn off certain emotions. Being compassionate wasn't a bad thing, but when it put your team at risk it was unacceptable.

"Thank you for your honesty Sakura." She bobbed her head at his words of gratitude. "And you?"

The girl let out a sigh and shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. I don't feel guilty about killing Gatô." Her expression darkened. She scuffed the bottom of her boot on the ground. "I still wake up sometimes and feel like it's still there, in me and I can't breathe." She gestures to the area where she was stabbed. "And I see the bodies."

Her voice is carefully neutral and Kakashi is proud of the control she has gained. "It will pass in time."

"To be replaced by new nightmares?" she asks with a touch of bitterness.

"That's the life." He comes to his feet. He wanted to send her to bed and stay up the rest of the night just to give his kids a break. It was apparent that this mission was exhausting for them but he knew they would find his coddling insulting. "Wake up Naruto for next shift," he instructed before turning in for the night. He doubted they would see anymore action on this mission and it would be nice to have a few quiet days before they returned to Konoha and were put under a microscope again.

Pakkun was in need of tasty treat. He licked a paw as Kakashi's genin team said goodbye to the farewell party that was assembled on the bridge. He arrived that morning after picking up another message for Kakashi from Tenzô. He was happy to find that his partner and the brats were packed and ready to return to Konoha. He missed his good dog bed.

The pug eyed the two foreign shinobi who were standing off to one side, the big one leaning on a monstrous sword. Naruto, the idiot was chatting up the younger of the two. A chuckle escaped the waiting dog as he realized from the not so subtle flirting the genin was attempting that Naruto wasn't aware the other shinobi was also male.

"Are you going to tell him that's a guy?" Pakkun quietly asked Sakura, whose head he was sitting on.

He didn't need to see the grin on the girl's face to know it was there. "Nope. Haku thinks it's hilarious and who am I to spoil his fun."

"You're a terrible friend," the dog accused. "Never change." Sakura chuckled in response.

Soon Team 7 was on its way home. "I can't believe they named a bridge after you," Pakkun commented as he strode between Naruto and Kakashi.

"Why not? I'm amazing and I was the driving force behind us even staying with this mission. And I brought up some great points when they were negotiating with Zabuza." Pakkun scoffed and shot a look at his partner to see how truthful this was.

"Naruto did have offer some insightful suggestions."

"Ha see! I'm insightful."

"Oh yeah, you're insightful alright. So insightful, you didn't even notice that shinobi you were flirting with, quite poorly I might add was a guy."

"Pakkun! It was secret."

"What? Haku's not a dude."

"Sorry to break it to you but he most certainly is."

"WHAT! You all knew?! WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME?"

A/N: Thank to everyone who has followed, favorited, and special thanks to those who reviewed. Sorry I know I'm not updating often anymore. A lot of changes happening and I simply haven't had the time or the desire, but I'm getting it back.

So I know this wasn't what most of you were expecting or wanting. But I just couldn't do the typical Wave arc. It didn't fit with the development I built. Let me know what you think.

Side note: Any medical knowledge I have is basic at best and so I do my best to educate myself through the internet but I realize I have no idea what I'm talking about.