Naruto Uzumaki sighed as she watched her teammates talking around the table whilst completely ignoring her. /As usual they ignore me in favour of the Uchiha. I wonder what Saya and the others are up too?/ She stood up and took her plate into the kitchen. "Kakashi-sensei, do you mind if I go and do some training?" Naruto asked as she stood in the doorway.

Kakashi Hatake just waved his hand absently as he continued his conversation with the two younger genin. Naruto sighed again as she walked over to the door. "Would you like me to get anything for you when I'm in town, Tsunami-san?"

"Some more rice if you can. But don't go out of your way?" Tsunami said as she watched the blonde walk out the door. "Father have you noticed how they treat, Naru? I can't believe their attitude to that wonderful child."

Tazuna nodded as he watched his daughter wash up. "I have noticed that... but Naruto has also been helping out the village again. Just like the last time he was here."

Naruto walked through the village, asking the villagers if they had any work they needed done. Everyone she asked took her up on her offer.

"Here Naruto-kun, have a drink or a riceball." Mitsuki said as she held a tray. "You have been working so hard today."

"Thank you I don't mind working. It keeps my mind busy and off of things I don't need to be thinking about... but thank you for the drink." Naruto said as she took the glass of water. She leant against the wall she had been helping to rebuild. "What happened here? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Gatou." Mitsuki sighed. "He wants to control our village. So to get control he has been targeting the families of the men who stand up to him. And now everyone too afraid to endanger their families to fight back."

Naruto nodded as she handed the glass back to Mitsuki, and stood. "Hopefully everything will work out. I need to get back to work."

Mitsuki nodded as she watched the blonde kunoichi turn back to the wall she was rebuilding. "If only there were more people like you in this world." Mitsuki smiled sadly as she walked away unaware of the person watching them from the shadows.

Haku frowned as he walked back to Zabuza's hideout. "That shinobi is strange... why help complete strangers..."

"Because they are not strangers. I lived with them for a while before all this... chaos happened."

Haku spun around to stare at the blue-eyed blonde sitting against the tree behind him. "How did you... I didn't hear..."

The blonde stood slowly and walked over to the panicked teen. "I am guessing you are Haku. You seemed confused little one, didn't Zabuza tell you about me? That was naughty of him... I'll have to punish him when I see him."

Haku started to back away from the blonde glancing around in fear. "Please what do you want with me?"

"Just give this scroll to Zabuza. He'll understand when he reads it." The blonde smirked as Haku took the offered scroll. "I hope we will become good friends."

Haku just stared at the spot where the blonde had been before he blinked and rushed back to the hideout and Zabuza.

"Where the hell did you get this Haku?" Zabuza Momochi asked as he read the scroll.

"From a Konoha shinobi. He was blonde with creepy blue eyes." Haku said softly. "He had been helping the villagers rebuild while his teammates were ignoring him."

Zabuza smirked softly as he slid the scroll into his bag. 'At least I know where she is now. I wonder if she can help me out this time... I want to be a true shinobi again...'

Haku frowned as he watched Zabuza lay back on the bed. "When do we go to see this strange shinobi?"

Sasuke Uchiha frowned as he watched the way the villagers spoke to Naruto. 'What are these people drinking that make them like the dobe better than me. I'm an Uchiha! I am more important than him.'

"Kakashi-sensei, why isn't Naruto helping us guard the bridge?" Sakura Haruno asked as she frowned at the sight of Naruto helping a villager carry groceries.

"Because he doesn't have enough control to be of use here. Maybe in a few years when he can finally control himself he can actually help with our missions." Kakashi Hatake said as he continued to read his orange covered book. "Besides I thought you two would prefer the quiet."

Sakura and Sasuke just looked at each other and shrugged. "I guess you're right Kakashi-sensei. It is rather nice to be able to hear myself think."

~*~ Two Days later ~*~

"KILL THE SHINOBI! ESPECIALLY THAT TRAITOR ZABUZA!"

Kakashi looked up as battle cries and screams of pain rippled through the thick fog that blanketed the bridge.

As he struggled to see, a pair of ruby red eyes flashed in his direction before returning to the body of the mercenary Naruto was currently tearing to pieces. She glanced over at Haku who was staring at her in horror. "I apologise if I have given you a cause for concern, Haku-kun, I was unaware that you had seen my attack..."

"I'm not concerned... though I am glad we are on the same side." Haku smiled softly. "I am sure Gatou wishes that he had never heard of this village now... or at least he will when we get our hands on him."

~*~ Two Days after the Massacre on the Bridge ~ Way Back to Konoha ~*~

Kakashi frowned as he, Sasuke and Sakura watched the other three people in their group. 'Why the hell is Zabuza following us to Konoha... surely he doesn't think that he will be welcomed into our village with open arms.'

'I wonder what happened on the bridge I mean no one saw anything out of the ordinary yet Naruto seemed very proud of himself... like he'd done something spectacular.' Sasuke growled to himself. 'How the hell are we supposed to believe that he did anything he has claimed?'

Sakura glared at Naruto when she saw him talking to the dark haired boy from Wave. 'Why the hell did Kakashi-sensei have to invite them back to Konoha? It's not like the Hokage will welcome them with open arms…'

Haku frowned as he watched the other shinobi that surrounded them. He was still in shock that they hadn't killed the two of them on the spot back in Wave. 'If I didn't know better I'd swear that the blonde is more important than his teammates seem to think.'

TBC eventually