(Hey, guys. I've got a new chapter all ready. Enjoy away.)

After a run-in with the infamous Hidden Mist Swordsman Zabuza Momochi, Team Seven and Team Kappa had taken their weak and injured sensei's to Tazuna's home where they could recover.

Tazuna brought the group to a house by the sea. Naruto looked around, "Nice set up. And right by the sea."

"Must be peaceful." Karai said.

"It's not much but it is home." Tazuna admitted, as he knocked on the door. The door slightly opened and a pair of eyes peeked out before seeing who it was. The door was unlocked and opened to reveal a beautiful woman.

"Dad!" she gasped, as she hugged the bridge builder.

"Hey, Tsunami. I'm back." he greeted.

The woman pouted, and started scolding him, "You should've been home two days ago! What kept you?"

"I'll explain later, right now we got two men down." Tazuna motioned to Kakashi and Tatsu being held up by Sasuke, Sai, Naruto, and Hun.

"Oh, my. Please come right in." Tsunami welcomed them inside.

"So who're you?" Sai asked the woman.

Tazuna answered, "This is Tsunami, my daughter."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Naruto began, "Sorry to drop in like this."

"It's no worries. After all you have been protecting my father, correct?"

"Yes, we have." Hun confirmed.

Soon enough, both Kakashi and Tatsu were laying down on futons, with their squads keeping vigil over them. After Tsunami treated their wounds, all they could do was wait for them to wake up.

Sakura spoke to Team Kappan, "If Tatsu-sensei's blind how will he know he's awake?"

"Remember, Sakura, sensei has an acute sense of hearing." Karai reminded her.

"Yeah," Naruto confirmed, "When he awakes he'll be able to hear us."

Eventually both Jonin started stirring, and Kakashi spoke up, "Thank Kami I'm not dead."

"I thought for sure I was." Tatsu replied.

"Thank goodness." Sakura said in relief.

"How do you two feel?" Sasuke asked.

"I've been worse." Kakashi admitted.

"Never better." Tatsu added.

"You're lucky, your squads got you here so fast." Tsunami said.

"I don't understand why you two would use those techniques if they're so exhausting." Sakura told the two Jonin in confusion.

"Especially after already taking plenty of hits before that." Tazuna put in.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say." Kakashi replied.

"So what happens now?" Sasuke awaited instructions.

"Well... they probably won't send anyone for a few days at most, but there's something I'm feeling I'm missing." the Sharingan Jonin replied

"Like what?" Karai asked.

"Well, how many hours since we saw the tracker and Zabuza?"

"About three... why?" Hun asked.

"That tracker ninja, he used senbon, and those aren't usually meant to kill unless they hit a vital spot..."

"So you're saying... The tracker was working with Zabuza?" Naruto asked in surprise, as the rest of the genin were just as shocked.

"That's my hunch." Kakashi answered.

In the forest near the ocean, the tracker ninja laid Zabuza's body out and rolled out a cloth that had many tools of different shapes and purposes. He reached for a knife like tool and went up to Zabuza's head with it but just then the swordsman's hand gripped tightly to his wrist and Zabuza opened his eye's and stared at the tracker.

"Wow, you woke up fasted than I thought." the boy said.

"Dammit, Haku, what the hell were you trying to do?" Zabuza sat up pulling the two senbon from his neck.

"I was just saving your life." Haku chuckled a little.

"Did you have to put me in a temporary death state by stabbing me in the neck?" the swordsman growled.

"Well, I had to move quickly, and the most effective way to induce temporary death is through those pressure points. And it worked right?" he asked bluntly. Zabza only grunted as the boy continued, "What are you going to do now? You really should be resting after taking such a hit from that Foot Jonin. But knowing you you'll force yourself up in half the time."

"First I'll rest, then I'll find Kakashi and Tatsu, and next time... I'll see right through Kakashi's Sharingan. And I'll make that blind fool pay for using that move on me. And why are you still wearing that mask?"

"I have many memories with this mask... very many." Haku took of the mask revealing his face looked rather feminine than masculine.

Back at Tazuna's place, the group was still cautious about Kakashi's theory, "That tracker's timing was too close." Sai noted.

"Especially after Tatsu-sensei struck Zabuza with the Sato Oshi Strike." Hun put in.

"He knew the exact spots to strike Zabuza to put him in a temporary death state." Karai said.

"Those two together make a very deadly combo." Sasuke feared.

"Exactly." Kakashi said.

"Which is why we need to be prepared for when they inevitably return." Tatsu said.

"And how're you two going to do that given your conditions?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"This is nothing, Naruto." Tatsu replied as he sat up.

"Grandfather!" came a voice.

They saw a little boy rush in and embrace the old man, "Inari, good to see you." Tazuna ruffled the boys head.

"I was so worried you had died out there!" he cried.

"Don't you worry about your grandpa." Tazuna chuckled.

Tsunami spoke to the shinobi, "Everyone this is my son, Inari."

Inari looked up from his grandpa to the ninjas, "Who're they?" he asked.

"These ninjas helped me home, Inari," Tazuna explained, "And they're gonna continue to help until I finish my bridge."

Inari looked at the group of ninja as if studying them, while the genin were curious about what was running through his head. Finally after a long silence, Inari spoke up to Tsunami, "Mom, they're gonna die!"

"Huh?" Team Kappa and Sakura asked in shock that he would say such a blunt statement.

"Inari!" Tsunami scolded him.

"Well, they are!" he argued.

"Kid, it's rude to make a statement like that to someone you just met." Naruto warned him.

"You being here makes no difference! You're just going to get in the way!" Inari continued to shout.

"Inari!" Tazuna gasped.

"You should all just go home!" Inari shouted, before bolting from the room.

The ninjas looked at the door for a bit, until Karai spoke up, "So what's got him all melodramatic?"

"I'm so sorry about Inari's behavior," Tsunami began, "But the condition of our land has been very hard on him more than any of us."

The group decided to drop it, as Kakashi spoke, "Now then, we should continue some extra training for you guys."

Later on they were outside Tazuna's home by the forest with Kakashi on crutches, "Sensei, should you really be up so quickly?" Sakura asked in concern.

"Don't worry about me." he answered.

"And I've dealt with much worse." Tatsu assured, as he himself stood up right.

"So what're we doing out here?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, you all know a ninja's most important weapon is their chakra," Kakashi began, "If you can control it you won't strain more then you need to for Jutsus and such. Learning this will make you better at using jutsu and techniques that require certain amounts of chakra."

Kakashi walked up to a tree stopping at it and closed his visible eye. Dirt swirled around his feet as he put one foot on the tree and then the other and began to effortlessly walk up the tree.

Team Seven watched intrigued, while Team Kappa smirked. As Kakashi hung upside down from a branch, he spoke, "And voila. You guys will be tasked with getting to the top of the tree," he tossed down some kunai, "Use those to mark your spots."

"Good luck." Naruto told the squad.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, what about you guys?" Sai wondered.

"We already covered this at the academy." Karai answered.

"You what?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

"Compared to your academy, we learn more than just the basics." Hun explained.

"It's true." Tatsu confirmed.

"Well, in that case, you three have some work to do." Kakashi told his team.

Team Kappa sat back, and watched as the genin of Team Seven started running up the tree, until Sasuke and Sai lost focus, but marked a spot on their trees before falling back down. However Sakura managed to make it all the way to the top on her first try.

"Yes!" Sakura pumped a fist.

"On her first try." Hun gasped.

"How about that?" Naruto crossed his arms impressed.

"I guess she's not utterly useless after all." Karai said.

"Impressive, Sakura," Kakashi commended, before turning to Sasuke and Sai, "You two keep at it."

As the two continued to practice the tree walking, Sakura came down, and spoke, "I think I'll go with Tazuna into town. Ms. Tsunami said she needed ingredients for dinner tonight."

"I'll come with," Karai offered, "I could use a change in scenery."

"We'll leave you girls to it." Naruto said.

"So what about you and Hun?" Sakura asked.

"We're gonna go spar." Hun answered.

"Don't be out too late and don't go too far." Tatsu warned them.

"Yes, sensei." the two answered before heading off.

Later on in a clearing somewhere in the forest Naruto and Hun were engaging hand to hand, before Naruto summoned three shadow clones to fight his teammate. Hun used his brute strength to take two of them out, before forming hand signs.

"Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" he started spitting multiple fire balls at both Naruto's managing to take out his clone, while the real one dodged.

As Naruto got close to Hun he started kicking his torso repeatedly before sweep kicking him knocking him onto his back.

"Not bad, Hun." Naruto helped him up.

"Thanks. Not so bad yourself." Hun replied.

As they sat down for a break, Naruto spoke, "I can't get over what Kakashi said."

"I know. Zabuza still alive, and that supposed Hunter ninja was working with him." Hun added.

"Not to mention what Zabuza said about himself. Hard to imagine ninja like him to have lived such a life." Naruto said.

"That's partly what made him so infamous." Hun reminded Naruto.

"Maybe, but I hope when I go down in history I won't have his kind of track record."

"Well, would you murder an entire academy class?" Hun asked rhetorically.

"Of course not!"

"Then you're on the right track." Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at Hun's attempt to lift his spirits.

Meanwhile in town, Tazuna, Sakura, and Karai were walking around purchasing ingredients for Tsunami. Unfortunately for them getting the ingredients wasn't so easy. The whole town looked like the slums, with people living on the street with ragged clothing, children holding make shift signs asking for food or work. Even the shops themselves were low on supplies and food.

"This is terrible." Sakura said in shock.

"And this isn't even the worst part." Tazuna replied.

"Everything's this way because of Gato?" Karai asked the old man.

"Unfortunately," he sighed, "There was a time this town used to be full of life and energy. People were happier, nobody went hungry. But when Gato moved in, everything changed. His protection rackets put everyone in poverty, and anyone who disagreed paid with their lives."

"I can't believe one man alone could do this much to a whole town." Sakura said in sorrow.

"That's why we need this bridge. It's our only hope for the future."

Karai nodded, as she looked at a woman and her two children huddled together wishing for luck to bless them. Smiling, Karai walked over and reached into her bag before leaving plenty of the food she packed on her trip for them. The three looked at the kunoichi who spoke, "You need this more than I do."

The mother smiled with tears in her eyes, as her children brought the food over so they could share. Karai took her leave with Taunza and Sakura.

As it got late, everyone returned to Tazuna's place where Tsunami had finished making dinner. They were all seated around the table each enjoying their meal.

"This is very delicious, Ms. Tsunami." Tatsu commended.

"Thank you, Tatsu."

"Nothing like a good meal after a long day of training." Naruto said, which made Inari flinch and glare.

"So Sasuke, Sai, how did you guys do on your exercise?" Sakura asked.

"Well, we didn't make it all the way to the top." Sai admitted.

"But we came close," Sasuke added, "By tomorrow we'll be sure to reach it."

"We're counting on it." Karai said.

"Yeah, we need everyone here to be at the top of their game if we're going to have any chance in protecting Tazuna until the bridge is finished." Naruto put in.

At that moment, Inari stood up and walked out of the room without saying anything. Naruto spoke up to Tazuna and Tsunami, "Is he always this rude to guests?"

The two sighed, as Tsunami spoke, "I'm sorry about my sons behavior. But as I mentioned before, the situation in Wave has greatly affected him more than the two of us."

"Why is that?" Kakashi inquired.

"It's because Gato killed his father." Tazuna answered.

"Huh?" the genin gasped.

"Whoa." Naruto gasped.

"Well, not really his father," Tsunami injected, "He was my second husband. A few years ago Inari fell into the water and this man named Kaiza saved him. He taught Inari about being brave and protecting those precious to him. Then when Gato came to Wave, only Kaiza stood up to him, and that in turn cost him his life. Since then Inari has given up on all hope that our country could be saved from Gato's cruel reign."

Naruto thought deeply about this and could see why Inari could have such an outlook on life and doubt he and his team of Squad seven could do anything to help them. But he wasn't about to let Inari's doubts keep him from doing what he knew had to be done. Just because this kid has given up all hope doesn't mean he would.

Karai and Hun looked at Naruto and could tell exactly what was on his mind. Sharing his belief they also weren't going to give into doubt and see the mission through till the end.

(And there you have it. The group recuperated, and now they ready themselves for when Zabuza returns.)