(A/N) Honestly I'm too tired for this, save me.

"We can't just leave them to fight," Naruto decided.

"Yes we can," Sakura disagreed. "They're both jounin, and we're just genin. What could we possibly do to help without hindering or outright hurting Kakashi-sensei's chances of winning?"

"Distract Zabuza?" Sasuke asked.

"And possibly distract Kakashi-sensei as well?" Sakura replied immediately. "Are you even thinking clearly?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I would think Kakashi-sensei can tell when to focus on the enemy and not us."

"Tiny genin doing stupid things are more distracting then you think," Sakura snapped. She fiercely shoved Orochimaru's irritated voice out of her head. "He'd be worried if he knew what was good for him."

The boys pouted. "And if he gets stuck?" Naruto asked.

Sakura sighed heavily. "Fine. If he gets really stuck, we'll help him out. But only long distance stuff. Tazuna, stay here, and don't move!"

Tazuna nodded fearfully, and Sakura smiled. "Boys, we'll stay in the foliage just in case Kakashi-sensei is captured. If he defeats Zabuza with no issue, we sneak back here, if he doesn't, we intervene with only long distance attacks."

They nodded, and Sakura led the way into the undergrowth, sneaking to where she had a good view of the battle.

It didn't seem to be going very well, with Kakashi at a somewhat major disadvantage.

It all came to a head with Kakashi trapped in a water bubble. Zabuza finally realized the bridge builder was gone, and looked rather angry about it.

"Long distance now?" Naruto whispered.

"Yep," Sakura muttered, sending her silver dust out to ensnare Zabuza and trip him up. Naruto had the wolf puppet leap out to growl menacingly at Zabuza. Well, it made the motions to growl, as it wasn't capable of sound.

"Oh, a little doggy who can't even growl," Zabuza said mockingly.

The 'little doggy' lunged and tried to tear his throat out. Zabuza dodged of course, and Naruto twisted the strings to make it look like the wolf was standing on the water.

Zabuza eyed the wolf warily. "You're a summon aren't you."

Naruto quickly disproved that theory by having a side panel on the wolf open up to reveal a blade.

"A puppet?" Zabuza sounded so confused, and Naruto snickered.

Sakura smirked as her dust encircled Zabuza's ankles, and she dragged it up into the air, somehow managing to hold him upside down for a full four seconds before he substituted with a log, setting Kakashi-sensei free.

It was a short battle from there, and Zabuza was quickly subdued. Unfortunately, after the hunter-nin took Zabuza's body, Kakashi-sensei passed out.

"Well," Sakura said. "I guess we're pulling out the moose."

"I guess we are," Naruto agreed.

"Fun," Sasuke sighed.

So they pulled out the moose, a large puppet Naruto had mostly made on a dare. At least it was coming in handy now.

It took the combined effort of Sakura and Sasuke to get Kakashi properly situated on the puppet, then some help from Naruto to actually tie him onto the puppet so he didn't fall off.

Tazuna was certainly surprised when they came back with a moose and an unconscious sensei.

"Don't worry," Sakura said, doing her best polite smile. "We'll take care of you. Sasuke? Did you bring any of the birds? We should send a message for some backup."

"I didn't bring any, sorry," Sasuke said, shaking his head.

"Oh well, I guess we're doing this on our own then," Sakura said, nodding firmly to herself. "Alright, lets get a move on. We only have so much time before sundown, and we have to get to Tazuna's house before then."

Tsunami met them at the house with a very confused look at the moose.

"It's carrying our sensei," Sakura explained, polite smile firmly on her face. "He was protecting Tazuna, and has passed out from chakra exhaustion." Inwardly she added 'stupidly' to the end.

From the looks she got from her teammates, they caught the undertone. "Might you have a room we can stick him in?" She asked.

Tsunami nodded distractedly, stepping aside to allow them entry.

The boys had been working on getting their Sensei off of the moose in the meantime, and Sakura looked back just in time to catch Kakashi's head before it hit the ground harshly.

"That was close," Sasuke noted after a moment's silence.

"Very," Sakura said dryly. "Let's not give him brain damage, hm?"

"Yep, sorry Sakura," Naruto said quickly, taking Kakashi's head from her dust. She pushed it back into the sheath.

Sakura watched carefully as the boys got Kakashi into the designated room, setting him on the bedroll Sakura had set up for him.

"He'll be out for anywhere from like four days to one or two," Sakura said after the boys had finished laying him out. She pulled a blanket over their sensei. "We should practice in the meantime."

"Dinner!" Tsunami called.

"And eat," Sasuke told her in no uncertain terms.

"And eat," Sakura agreed, letting the boys lead the way downstairs.

"The food is really good, thanks Tsunami-san!" Naruto chirped, shoveling down his third helping.

"Thanks for putting up with us," Sakura told her, smiling apologetically. "We can be a handful, I know."

"It's really no problem," Tsunami disagreed. "You're protecting my father while he builds his bridge, and that will benefit us all, so it is really no issue."

Sakura smiled at the woman. "Still, thank you."

Tsunami smiled in return, absently scooping more food onto Naruto's offered plate.

"I'll help hunt down some meat tomorrow," Sakura promised. "So we aren't completely eating you out of house and home."

"Ooo, stew," Naruto said with his mouth full.

Sakura bopped him on the head. "Swallow before you speak Naruto."

He swallowed. "Sorry."

(A/N) Haku next time. I have to be up kinda early to drive 14 hours, yay me. Kill me now.