"Alright, while we rest I'll once again explain you the mission."

At this moment, they're only a night away from the land of wave. Their mission target lies in the land of waves, coincidentally they're going to the same location as Team Kakashi. There, they're needed to protect a person assigned by Flynn.

"Who's this person sensei?"

"He only said that the person is a kekkei Genkai user with Ice nature transformation…"

"Nothing else?"

"What the heck?! I won't waste my time searching for someone in a big place like the land of wave!"

"Flynn-san said it'd be easy to find the person, he's near Naruto he said…"

In the 3 months, they've been together, Hiura and Erika already known about Naruto and Hotaru's relationship. They're a brother, aside from working in the shop and doing their mission, the brats come to Hotaru when he's bored, or dine in Teuchi if he's having some money.

Furthermore, it's less likely for them to not know about the teams' in this generation. Because most of them go to Teuchi to dine, like team Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi, even team Gai goes to dine there sometimes while shouting 'YOUTH', and eating with Neji, ten ten, and Rock Lee…

"working in a ramen shop really widen my connection…"

"I agree…"

"You always welcomed to help in the store you know"

Even in his hectic days working on his mission, Hotaru always makes a time to help in the shop.

"They even sometimes make a personal mission on the mission building to have you…"

On some hectic days, even while he's doing the espionage the Hokage will let him go and do the mission, well, the personal quest he receives only for formality since doing so blatantly will make him looks like some ninja that abandoning his mission.

"We should have arrived soon…"

..

.

.

Turning back the time for a bit, after their way to the land of waves. Kakashi's team meet an obstruction from a mercenary ninja of mist…

"Never would have expected to meet the A class missing ninja, Demon Zabuza here…"

Turning up his headband, Kakashi has shown his 3-Tomoe Sharingan to the enemy.

"That eyes… the copycat ninja I presume…"

Without answering the question Kakashi attacks Zabuza and order his member to protect the old man.

Acknowledging the order, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto cover the old man and stayed in vigilance checking the surrounding area.

As expected, thugs accompanying the ninja attack them.

"Sakura, protect the I and Naruto will take care of the thugs"

"Understood, Sasuke-kun!"

"Why'd I need to be ordered by you?!"

"Shut it retard, you can just stand there and help Sakura then…"

"You know I won't do that!"

Knowing the enemy is an amateur, they bait them to attack their selves.

Working the way, they wanted to, Naruto and Sasuke then use a shuriken to hit the thugs. Nailed their shuriken in the thugs' shoulder, the thugs then moaned in pain. They smiled and have a high five only to be embarrassed and turn their back on each other.

The old man that sees the thing have a better impression on them, while on the other side. Kakashi still fighting against the enemy.

"you are strong"

"Same as you, as expected of the demon"

Using his seal, Zabuza quickly did the hand seal and summon a jutsu of water dragon only to be countered by Kakashi, with the same jutsu. His Sharingan spiraling in his eye, and he copies the jutsu the enemy does.

Knowing how dangerous the enemy in front of him, Zabuza then unleash his great sword and attack Kakashi using it.

Bam

The ground cleaved by the swords massive impact astonished Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto all look at the fight.

"Isn't bad?"

"It is bad retard…"

They want to help Kakashi, but they know that they need to protect their requestor, although they are pissed by him at his condescending glare at the time they see them. They'd still do their mission as best as they could.

Knowing they can't do anything, the thugs in the ground lay there. They want to use a gap to attack their target, not to mention their enemy is a kid.

Thus, they waited…

"Don't you need to tie the bastards in the ground?"

The words of the old man ruined their plan…

Being tied by the girl, while the other 2 brats eyeing them, they can only give up. Thus, ended their scene…

Not long after, the battle slowed down, with Kakashi that breathing heavily and Zabuza that wounded all over.

"hahaha, never expect that I'll be heavily injured like this…"

"You're strong, your reputation didn't head over you it seems"

He chuckled at the remark, but then…

"A trash should just die"

He shot a kunai to the tied-up thugs, it nailed their head and killed them on the spot. Leaving the thugs to become a corpse.

"How could you that to your friends!"

Naruto shriek towards the veiled man before him, while the man laughed out loud.

"friends, you say? I've been killing more friends that you do in your age kids! Don't make me laugh"

Astonished.

Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto even the old man does. While Kakashi adds sentences in

"the land of mist, of the water village, once called bloody mist. They do a graduation difference from another village. they led their student to battle even kill each other, and he… Momochi Zabuza comes out of the trial by killing 100 of his classmates and gave him the name demon of the mist…"

"It seems Konoha's intelligence department do their works beautifully"

At Zabuza's mock, Kakashi grips his kunai stronger and move to attack him only to be intercepted.

Swish

Stab

The needle pierces through Zabuza's neck and killed him on the spot. Seeing that they're astonished and look at the source of the attack.

They see a person with a mask, having a mist village mask in there he introduces himself as an executioner of the mist, and grab Zabuza's body away with him.

The brats want to obstruct him but stopped by Kakashi.

He explains them, that an executor is some bounty hunter from mist village and tell them, that their specialty is corpse disposal since many secrets could be found from a dead ninja body. They then gave up and continue their journey.

Along the way, although Kakashi been sure that he already checked Zabuza's dead he still felt that something's weird, however, he's injured so he can only rest along the journey…

Arrived at their destination, they rest for a while and Kakashi trains the kids in tree climbing using their chakra control.

While Sasuke and Naruto unable to do that in their first time, even Naruto bang his head real hard against the ground. Sakura can do it easily…

Not giving up, Naruto tries again, only to fail. Looking annoyed he turns his back, and nearing Sakura and ask her some trick how to do it, while Sasuke too headstrong to do so.

Kakashi smiles at them, and leave them.

…

Days passed, Kakashi's injury healed.

They know that their mission this time exceeds the grade given in the mission report, however, since they already do it. They continue to do the mission.

Today should be the day the bridge completed after some drama Naruto has with the old man's grandkid.

Naruto overslept while the other already on the bridge, looking at the time he hurried up and ran outside the house. While on the way, the grandkid and daughter of the old man stay silent at the kid's stunt.

Not long after, thugs hired by Gato giving them a visit and threatened the daughter. While the grandkid that pushed away ordered to hide by his mother, the daughter of the old man.

He obeyed his mother, and hide while tearing out.

He then remembered the scene with his dad, and call his courage out and strike at the thugs. Alas, he's weak and lost to the thugs.

Luckily for him, Naruto come back and beat the thug, and saved the day.

Knowing the plan of Gato, he dashes to bridge construction place, and leave the tied-up thugs. Meanwhile, the grandkid showed his courage and calling out the villagers to fight against the tyranny of Gato and his henchmen.

In the bridge.

Kakashi's hunch is right, and Zabuza's still alive, while the executioner is Zabuza's ally.

They obstruct the team, while Sakura protects the old man, Sasuke fight with the executioner. At the same time, using a mist jutsu Zabuza fought against Kakashi in his home ground.

Hiding in the mist, the executioner attacks Sasuke with his needle, using them to tied Sasuke. While Sakura continues to protect the old man with vigilance.

Not long after, Sasuke enshrouded by a mirror.

It surrounding him and half sphere formation, from inside the mirror the figure of the executioner can be seen.

He then used the needle to attack from inside the mirror, the mirror surrounded Sasuke 360, and leave him no time hiding.

At that time, Naruto comes to the rescue.

He idiotically entered the formation and whispering to Sasuke only to receive a hit from him. Knocked unconscious by an attack from the executioner, Sasuke then protects him.

By the time, he wakes up. Naruto can see the punctured Sasuke, the executioner warned him to step back, and forfeit their mission.

Naruto didn't hear what the warning, and rage. A red chakra simmered from him, and created an image of a fox, the executioner shuddered at the sight, and punched by Naruto in the face, cracking his mask.

Naruto astonished by what he sees.

He knows him, the boy that even more pretty and graceful than Sakura he met yesterday looking at him, with sadness in his eyes.

"why are you here Haku-san?"

Naruto sees him, and sad at the sight.

Haku just smiled and do nothing but throw his needle towards Naruto, Naruto tries to deflect it but some stab him in the stomach.

Bearing with the pain, he growled at Haku.

Meanwhile, at another front.

Kakashi and Zabuza fight without care, they trade jutsu after another, while Kakashi throws a shuriken at Zabuza, Zabuza deflects it with a kunai.

Zabuza then uses a water clone jutsu and threw a Fuma shuriken, a big sized shuriken to Kakashi. With a poof, the stabbed Kakashi transformed into a log and appeared behind Zabuza.

Zabuza then slashes Kakashi with his great swords and receive a stab of a kunai, while Kakashi can only retreat at the big swords' slash.

They then standstill, Zabuza retreating into the mist and stay there, while Kakashi does a hand seal, and not long after.

Bark

Bark

Zabuza appeared within the thinning mist, bitten by dogs.

"I've been deceived…"

"You're being careless…"

"indeed"

They only share a little word, then Kakashi unleashes a Chidori. The lightning ball appeared in his palm, with a shunshin he appeared directly behind Zabuza and…

Pierce

Haku appeared right before the Chidori, shielding Zabuza from the attack.