In a dilapidated hut somewhere near the semi-constructed bridge,

Whoosh… ​​

A small petite figure agilely carries a large man on his shoulders. He lays the man on the ground and proceeds to remove the senbons stabbed in his neck.

Swoosh…

Zabuza grabs Haku's hand and stops him.

"It's alright. I will do it myself."

Zabuza removes the senbons from his neck and slowly sits up.

"You already came back to life?!"

Haku has a surprised expression on his face.

Crack… crack…

Zabuza cracks his neck and straightens his posture.

"We have already done this drill countless times. Now I don't feel that much pain. Nevertheless, the feeling of being close to death isn't much pleasing."

Zabuza swings his arms around to get back his motor sense.

"Still… I severely underestimated the Copy Ninja Kakashi. His combat abilities are far more superior as compared to the one listed in the Bingo Book."

Zabuza has an ugly expression on his face.

"Looks like we have kicked a hard metal plate this time. Never in my wild dreams, I thought we would face Kakashi as our opponent."

Zabuza helplessly shakes his head.

The trouble this time is too big for him to handle.

'Looks like I have to seek Gato for more compensation. Also, it will take me almost a week to recover from injuries sustained in this battle.'

"Zabuza!!… I will be the shield that will protect you from any harm. If required, I will be the blade that will cull the enemy's obstructing your way. I won't ever leave your side."

Haku has a resolute expression.

Zabuza stares at Haku before closing his eyes as he scoffs inside.

'For me, you are just a tool, a weapon meant to fulfill my interest. If your edge gets dull, I won't hesitate to get rid of you that very instance. As for trust and familial bonds, those are just the fallacies of a naïve and foolish person.

To survive in this world, I have slaughtered far too many people than I can keep the count.'

Old memories of the Blood Mist as well as the dirty deeds done under the orders of the Elder Akifumi surfaces in his mind.

Haku slowly nurses Zabuza's wounds as the latter is lost in his thoughts.

-----------------

Haah… Haah…

Naruto and Sasuke are currently sparring with each other as Sakura watches them from the sidelines.

"Sasuke-kun!… Naruto-kun! Both of you do your best."

Sakura cheers them.

'Sasuke-kun… beat Naruto up! Shannaro!!'

The inner Sakura clenches her fists.

Kakashi is lazily resting on a nearby tree with a book in his hand as he glances at the trio.

'Since Izuna-san has a plan, I won't interfere with that. I will treat this mission as a vacation for myself.'

Hu… Haan…

A pervy smile appears on Kakashi's face as he is deeply engrossed in the book.

"No matter how many times I read Icha Icha Paradise, I can't get enough of it."

"Kakashi Sensei!... what are you reading?"

"It is not a book meant for kids."

Kakashi answers Naruto without raising his head.

Naruto shrugs his shoulders and asks.

"Anyway… Kakashi Sensei! Since you are the Copy Ninja having copied over a thousand Jutsu; teach me a powerful jutsu. I want to defeat my enemies in a single move."

Kakashi closes his book and turns to Naruto.

"Naruto! Even I am unable to beat my opponents in a single move, much less you will. For now, you should focus on your upcoming chunnin exam. Although you folks are quite strong in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, the chunnin exam also tests your patience, endurance, intelligence, and all other factors.

Most importantly, you will take part as a team. As such, you should focus on teamwork and coordination."

Kakashi reminds them as his gaze lingers on Sakura.

'Izuna san has taught almost everything to both Naruto and Sasuke. So, it is futile for me to teach them anything. Sakura is a weak link of the team; I should teach her some jutsus to make her presence more useful during a battle.'

Kakashi ponders on Sakura's strengths and weaknesses.

'Hmm… her chakra control is quite good, but she doesn't have much talent for Ninjutsu. Maybe I should train her in some Genjutsu techniques.'

He turns towards Sakura and beckons her.

"Sakura!… I will teach a genjutsu technique to you. It will help you during the upcoming chunnin exam."

Upon hearing these words, a smile blooms on Sakura's face as she happily tip-toes towards Kakashi with an excited expression.

"Sensei! Please train me in the Genjutsu technique."

Kakashi nods his head as he instructs her on the hand signs for the Genjutsu techniques.

At the sidelines,

Tazuna stares at the group as he is busy with the construction of the bridge.

'These Ninjas have quite a sturdy body and their endurance is quite good.'

He turns towards Naruto as a sly smile appears on his face.

'Out of this bunch, this kid is the easiest to fool. Maybe I can ask him for help.'

He turns towards Naruto and yells.

"Oye! Yellow-haired kid…"

Huh!

Naruto turns towards the bridge builder and points a finger towards himself.

"Yes! You! I am talking to you."

Tazuna nods his head. Naruto walks towards him.

"Earlier I heard you want to train yourself. I can help you with that.

Tazuna points towards the heavy logs on the ground.

"Why don't you help me carry these logs to the end of the bridge? This way you will be able to train your body as well as help with the bridge-building."

Hmm…

Sasuke raises his head and senses Tazuna's intentions.

'Although Naruto is a knucklehead, he is not a fool.'

Sasuke closes his eyes and ignores them as he meditates.

"Nii-san told me that the Sharingan affects the state of mind. Its power stems from intense love and hatred. If hatred consumes one's mind, then they will eventually lose the power of their eyes turning blind. This is Uchiha's curse of hatred.

I must control my state of mind to prevent myself from falling prey to the curse of hatred."

Shiing…

Sasuke's black eyes changes as a three tomoe Sharingan appears.

'Izuna Nii-san, Shisui Nii-san, and Itachi Nii-san; all of them possess the next form of Sharingan called Mangekyo Sharingan. I wonder when would I be able to achieve those eyes.'

"Alright Old man! I will help you."

Naruto nods his head and agrees to help the bridge builder.

'Izuna Nii-san asked me to train my body. Only then would he teach me the Cool Sage Jutsu.

Though this old man wants to take advantage of me; his intentions aren't bad. So, I will entertain this old guy.'

Haah…

Naruto picks up a bundle of heavy logs and steadily walks towards the bridge.

Ah!

The eyes of Tazuna and the rest of the villagers widen in surprise as they gape at Naruto with their mouths wide open.

"This little boy can carry a weight meant for ten strongmen to lift on his own."

"How strong!"

A small boy with black spiky hair and dark-colored eyes stares at Naruto from a corner. The boy wears a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a simple pair of sandals. There is a blue and white striped hat covering a portion of his head.

The boy has stars in his eyes as he stares at Naruto.

"I also want to be as strong as him. So that no one will be able to bully mother and grandfather."

The boy resolutely clutches his fists.

------------------

In a small warehouse at the outskirts of the Land of Waves near the sea,

A short man with shaggy brown hair sporting a pair of small, circular sunglasses swaggers inside the warehouse. His two bodyguards follow behind with a fierce expression.

"Gato-san! It is nice to do business with you."

A group of thugs armed with swords, metal pipes, and various other weapons appear in Gato's vision.

Mmm…

Gato unnervingly nods his head.

"I want you bunch to wreak havoc in the village and disrupt the construction of the bridge. After the completion of the mission, I will pay you handsomely."

"Yes!" A smile appears on the faces of goons as they rub their hands together.

'Oh!'

An invisible shadow is hovering near the warehouse as it stares at the bunch.

'Looks like my golden goose is ready to lay eggs.'