It's what you've all been waiting for, the coveted CHAPTER 5! In this chapter, we're met with more action, more hilarity and more Naruto! So sit back and enjoy!

Naruto: Chaos Master

Demon of the Mist, Psychokinetic Showdown!

The blonde protaginist and the others were all cramped up in a little wooden boat, sailing across the vast waters surrounding the Land of Waves, which was covered thick in a deep mist, very helpful for keeping hidden. Steering the boat was a dear friend of Tazuna's who was asked to help out, though was a bit concerned for being caught. So in order to remain silent, the engine had to be turned off and everyone had to row instead. Heck, Sakura actually DID something for once, though when I say everyone...

"Naruto!" Sakura squealed as she gripped the oar "Hey! Quiet! If you keep yelling, it'll attract a lot of unwanted attention!" The kunoichi toned her voice down, for fear of exposion to Gato and his men

"Naruto! Why aren't you rowing, Baka!" Naruto himself sat in the centre of the boat while a Shadow Clone took his place. He turned to his female companion "Well, I didn't want anyone to panic, but there's a hole in the boat, and my foot is the only thing that's stopping us from drowning. But if I move to the side of the boat, then we'll become fish food." He signalled to his foot which was planted firmly on the wooden floor.

"Is there really a hole in the boat, Naruto?" Amy was aware of the jinchuriki's various plans "Pft, no. It's just an excuse not to have to row." Sonic snapped his fingers "Ingenious!" Naruto smirked "Why, thank you."

Sakura fumed quietly "Well, show it to me then!" Naruto shook his head "Weren't you listening? If I take my foot off the hole, the water will come through." He tapped his head in a mocking tone as Sakura gritted her teeth. However, Tazuna and the boat owner had worried looks on their faces, Kakashi stared at the Namikaze with a questioning gaze and Sasuke was being his usual arrogant self.

"Dobe, we all know what you're up to. There's no hole, so give it a rest and row." Naruto smirked "Really? Because the only hole I can see is the one at your crotch." Sakura, Kakashi, Tazuna and the rower were shocked that Naruto had said such a thing, while you can pretty much guess what duckman's reaction was.

In pure, blind rage, he raised his oar out of the water and attempted to knock Naruto's head off with it. So, to defend himself, the blonde grabbed the other end of the oar before it could reach his head. To make it all worthwhile, he shoved the oar back into Sasuke, which caused the Uchiha to fall off the boat and into the water.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura sreamed. How no one had discovered them yet, nobody knew. Kakashi quickly fished his student out of the icy waters, who, if looks could kill, would have disembowled Naruto by now "Look Sasuke, I know like swimming, but can you please wait until we get to our destination?" Sasuke was going to retort when he got a firm stare from his sensei as to not draw attention to them.

"Hm, I've already humiliated the Uchiha. So what's left that I can do?" He noticed everyone's bored expressions, except for Sasuke, who was still absolutely livid, and thus gave Naruto an idea "I know something that'll lighten everybody up! A little music!" The group stared as Naruto brought out a classic style banjo "Oh dear god." Knuckles muttered.

Naruto began to play a mississippi style theme on the banjo as Squad 7 groaned and Tazuna and the rower smiled "Ah, reminds me of home." The bridge builder closed his eyes while Naruto continued playing "You know, I'd make a pretty good substitute for Kermit the Frog." The mobians sighed heavily as the others facefaulted.

After the avenger had dried himself off, while releasing killing intent at Naruto, who seemed unfazed, the group eventually made it ashore after passing a forest of mangroves and docked at a pier. As Naruto got out of the boat, Sakura growled "See, Naruto! Sasuke-kun was right, as always! There's no hole in the boat, there never was!" Naruto looked over his shoulder to see that she was correct.

"Huh, how about that? Looks like it miraculously mended itself." Sasuke and Sakura snarled at Naruto's lame excuse.

"All right, I've taken you as I can go. Best of luck out there." Tazuna looked back to his friend and smiled "Thank you. I am endearingly grateful that you risked your life to help our cause." The rower nodded before getting back into his boat and zooming off.

"Now all we have to do is to get to my house on foot, without getting assasinated, of course." Kakashi sighed deeply "Great. Now that those chunin failed, they'll probably start sending Jounins or higher. I just hope my team can handle the situatio-" He lost track of thought when he spotted Naruto with a microphone and the clone that was rowing with a large video camera.

"Dare I ask?" "Uh, Naruto, what are you doing?" He was quickly silenced by Naruto who had a finger on his lips. He turned back to the camera "Hello, my adoring fans. I, Naruto Uzumaki, personally welcome you to my show 'Wildlife across the Shinobi Nations'. In this installment, we have arrived in the Land of Waves, seeking the most beautiful and bustling creatures and plants this land has to offer."

He listened closely and heard a faint rustling in the bushes behind him "Aha!" He threw a kunai into the bush with frightening speed and accuracy "Naruto-baka! Don't be so stu-" Sakura was cut off as Naruto peered into the bush and saw that his knife had struck directly above a rabbit's head, causing it to faint from the shock "Oh yes! Please tell me you got that on camera!"

He coughed and regained his composure "Here we have a clear white Snow Hare, which, oddly, still has it's winter pelt on." Kakashi would have sweatdropped if he hadn't noticed something "He's right. That hare still has it's winter coat on and it's the middle of Spring. Someone's laying a trap for us, and I'm willing to bet it's one of Gato's henchmen."

Hidden in a tree above the party, a powerful ninja was surveying the situation "It appears that there are only two people I need to watch out for are the leader of the pack; Kakashi Hatake, The Mirror Ninja, with his rumoured Sharingan eye, and the blonde Genin. After all, to hit a target with such speed and precision intrigues me."

Kakashi's eye widened "Here it comes!" "Everybody get down!" The Jounin commanded. Kakashi grabbed Tazuna and ducked along with Sasuke and Sakura, however.. "Bah! I can take whatever they throw at me, quite literally!" Naruto gazed at his feet and gasped in excitement "Ooh! A penny!" He crouched and picked it up while a massive cleaver sliced the air over their heads. "Every little helps." Sonic advised. Unfortunately, the blade had claimed the life of the Shadow Clone carrying the camera, cutting him in half as it poofed into smoke, thus causing Naruto to panic "Ack! Must. Save. Footage!" He picked up the camera and placed it into his travel sack.

"Phew! That was a close one!" The blue hedgehog sighed. The sword finally wedged itself into a nearby tree before a figure landed on the hilt of the blade. He was quite built, sporting long striped pants and camo-style wrist and leg warmers. As well as being bare-chested, he was wearing bandages covering his mouth, and his headband was tilted.

"Kinda reminds you of someone, doesn't it?" Knuckles was obviously referring to Naruto's silver-haired sensei "Zabuza Momochi, scourge of Kirigakure and one of the 7 legendary swordsman of the Mist, I presume?" Kakashi stood firm against the mysterious attacker.

Sasuke clenched his fists "This is it! I'm not going to let that loser hog all the glory! It's time I show everyone what it means to be an Uchiha." The raven-haired Genin dashed forward, but was halted immediately by his teacher "No, Sasuke. This opponent is nothing like the Demon Brothers. I must face him alone." Sasuke scowled as Naruto spoke "All right. But the second you go down, he's mine, ya hear?"

Kakashi facepanned "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Naruto." The newly named Zabuza chuckled "Oh, don't worry. You'll get your turn soon, after all, I have yet to see what you are truly capable of. But I must ask; what is your name, kid?" Naruto flashed a smirk "The name's Naruto Uzumaki, don't wear it out." "Don't underestimate him, fool!" Kyuubi warned.

"This battle will be tough, so you three guard the bridge builder at all costs." Kakashi reached for his headband and brought out his secret weapon: the Sharingan eye. Sasuke's eyes widened "How does he have a Sharingan? Those are unique only to us Uchiha's. Could he be one of us?" Naruto remained at the front while the other two flanked the sides.

"Well, Kakashi. I would have never imagined I'd get the honour of fighting you so soon, but I guess that's the way life works, isn't it?" Zabuza spoke. Kakashi stared unflinching and ready to do battle "To make a long story short, I'm here for the bridge builder's head." Tazuna gasped and started sweating while the Genin tightened their defences. Well, Sasuke and Sakura did, Naruto stood on the spot.

"However, since you're so eager to die, Kakashi, I'm sure I can comply. While I was still a Kirigakure Jounin, the Bingo Book that I had was stocked full of information about enemy ninja. And, of course, you were in there. It was quite a good read, let me assure you. Kakashi Hatake, the copycat ninja, who has analyzed and mimicked over a thousand different jutsu."

Sakura gaped "A thousand? I had no idea Kakashi-sensei was so famous!" "Was one of those techniques, by chance, the ability to get somewhere on time?" Naruto asked. Kakashi turned to his student and gave a simple answer "Not. Funny."

Zabuza grinned "Now then, let's get started." The masked assassin yanked his Zanbatou out of the tree trunk and vanished onto the lake, and I mean ONTO the lake "He's walking on water! How in the world is he doing that?" "I'll tell you when you're older." Naruto told her female comrade, who huffed and tried to ignore him.

Zabuza was using a handseal where one hand was at his torso, and the other was above him "He's gathering chakra. He's up to something, a jutsu of sorts, but what?" Kakashi readied himself "Allow me to demonstrate the most powerful of the ninja arts." He closed his eyes "Kirigakure no Jutsu."

With the technique complete, a thick mist cloaked the playing field, and Zabuza had dissappeared from sight "Wh-Where did he go?" Sakura was nervous "Don't fret, I'm his target. But that doesn't mean you can relax just yet. Zabuza Momochi is one of the most deadly ninja you'll come across, with the ability to kill without a sound. If you don't stay on your guard, your dead meat."

Sasuke gulped loudly, Sakura was trembling fiercly and Naruto was grinning like a madman. He was even giggling "Hee hee. He has no eyebrows." "Ew!" Amy stuck her tongue out.

"What's going on? You can't see a darn thing in this fog!" Tazuna complained "There are eight vital points." "H-Huh? Who's there?" Sakura gripped her kunai firmly "Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclavian artery, kidney, heart. There are so many choices, I can't decide which to pick. Heh heh." The voice sent chills up nearly everyone's spines.

"Uh, you forgot the carotid artery..." Naruto pointed out. The team stared dumbfoundedly at the blonde as he began counting on his fingers "...As well as the septum, the larynx, the floating ribs, the fourth cervical vertebra, the clavicle..."

"Not helping, Naruto-baka!" Sakura had a huge tick mark above her head. As for Kakashi, he found it mortifying that a boy his age knew so many vital spots on a human body "Huh, thanks kid. Now where was I?"

There was a deathly silence. All five..or four, at least, of them knew that if they made a wrong move, it would cost them their lives. Kakashi suddenly perked up and weaved a Ram handsign before vanishing. Soon their were sounds of steel clashing as well as grunts and groans.

Sasuke was scared to within an inch of his life, sweating, not bullets, but shotgun rounds "Wh-What is this feeling? It's like some kind of sick game where if I move even a muscle, I'll die! I can't take this anymore! I'm ending this right now!" The scared avenger lifted his kunai, ready to plunge it into his stomach for suicidal purposes "Do it, Sasuke Uchiha. You know what must be done." A strangely familiar voice sounded in his head.

Sasuke was about to end his own life when Kakashi reappeared to his original postion "Sasuke!" The Uchiha gazed at his sensei "Snap out of it! Remember, I'm still here..." He turned his head and eye-smiled "...And I never let my teamates down!" Sasuke managed to calm down a little. Naruto, however, had his eyes closed shut.

"Ah, dang it! So close!" "Yeah! Even with that telepathic message!" Knuckles always enjoyed watching Emo-boy suffer. The Uzumaki kept his eyes closed still "Remember, Naruto. Concentrate." Ezio put emphasis on 'concentrate'. Naruto obliged by sending out chakra to find the former Kiri assassin "I wouldn't be too sure about that." "There!" Naruto brought the sword off his back while it was still in it's holder, he then caught in mid-air and unsheathed it, but not completely, just half-way, and parried a vertical swing from Zabuza set on completing his mission and killing Tazuna. Sasuke bristled with anger when he saw Naruto's katana, after all, he hade made countless attempts at robbing Chaos Edge along with the Chaos Emerald, though all of them ended with him being beaten to a pulp, cut in various places or just plain humiliated.

The rogue nin forcefully pushed his Zanbatou down, but with Chaos Edge being reinforced by both of Naruto's hands, one on the handle and one on the sheath, the block was almost unbreakable "Ho ho! That's a nice sword you have there, and believe me, I know a good blade when I see one. What say we test your skills, brat?" Naruto gave a foxy smirk.

"You must first to earn that privelage. Because, right now, you're not even worth it." Zabuza growled ferociously as a vein popped on his head, he tried putting more force in his swing, but the boy wouldn't budge "Besides, you've got bigger things to worry about." "What are you- Urk!" Kakashi had snuck up behind Zabuza and pierced him with a kunai. But there was something wrong.

"Water? Ack!" 'Zabuza' turned into a puddle of water while the real Zabuza went in to cleave Kakashi in half "A Mizu Bunshin!" "Oh no. Watch out Kakashi-sensei." Naruto mumbled in an extremelly bored and bland tone. The Zanbatou connected, and with a horizontal strike, The copycat ninja was seperated from his legs "AIIEEEEEEEEE!" Sakura screamed in fright, momentarily paralyzing Zabuza with the volume of her voice.

However, Kakashi had turned the tables once again, and reverted into water as well. Zabuza was caught off guard "What? He was able to duplicate my Mizu Bunshin technique!" A kunai knife was pressed firmly against the Kiri nin's neck.

"I win." Kakashi stood behind Zabuza, ready to slit his throat if he tried anything "Alright!" Sakura cheered. Sasuke smirked in that usual 'Uchiha' like manner "Ha!" Kakashi widened his eyes before narrowing them at his opponent "You get me with a couple good moves, and you think it's over? I wasn't expecting this from you, Kakashi." Said Jounin pressed his kunai into Zabuza's neck with more force "That Sharingan of yours won't win this match of ours. Never has, never will." The bandaged assassin chuckled darkly "Heh heh heh. Although, I am quite impressed. Not only were you able to copy the Mizu Bunshin, but by having it say something you'd say yourself, you duped me into believing it was the real article, while you hid yourself using the Kirigakure Jutsu you also managed to copy." Zabuza's laugh became louder.

"But in the end..." Another Zabuza appeared at Kakashi's back, stunning the man "...I am always one step ahead of you." The Zabuza that Kakashi had captured was yet another Mizu Bunshin, and turned into more water "Man, water, water everywhere!" Naruto quoted. Zabuza attempted a horizontal sword slash at Kakashi's head, but managed to duck the strike quickly. But as Squad 7's sensei was getting back up, Zabuza's cleaver continued it's course and crashed into the ground behind him.

The masked assassin then turned around and used the momentum of his swing to change the hand that was on the large sword, before going in for a powerful kick. Kakashi turned his head and saw this coming, but could do little about it and was booted across the shore and into the lake.

"This is it!" Zabuza picked up his Zanbatou and charged towards the lake, but he didn't get very far before stopping "Agh! Caltrops!" Scattered around his feet were small pointed needles that spread out in all directions.

"Hmph. Foolishness!" Zabuza vanished once more "How could he knock Kakashi-sensei all that way with just a single kick?" Sakura trembled in fright. Sasuke was worried about what the masked man could do to him with that kind of strength, but quickly reminded himself that he was an Uchiha and that he could defeat him easily. Naruto simply whistled "Would ya look at that. He'd be a beast of a football player, that's for sure!" The mobian group tried to imagine Zabuza wearing a football attire and kicking a ball into the back of a net, but failed miserably.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was having a bit more trouble trying to get out of the lake than he should "What? Water isn't normally this heavy." But before he could figure it out, it was already too late as Zabuza had gotten behind the mimic ninja while standing on the water.

"Hah! Too slow!" He weaved handsigns at a rapid pace "Suiton: Suiron no Jutsu!" Kakashi cursed loudly before he was encased in a sphere of water, with the caster of the jutsu's hand stuck in the sphere in order to trap the Jounin "Ha ha ha! You won't be breaking out of this prison any time soon! It's impenetrable!" "Damn it! I thought I could escape him by moving underwater. How could I have been so foolish?" Zabuza laughed darkly "With you out of the way, it'll be all the easier to eliminate my target!" He glanced over to Tazuna who was sweating profusely.

Naruto, however, was cheering to himself "Haha! You know the rules, sensei! Now it's my turn! I mean, ahem..." He stood triumphantly with his arms folded "Not yet. I will be your opponent now." "Yeeeaaaaaaaah. I'm sure no one saw that." Sonic teased "Sh-Shut up!"

Zabuza appeared to have a hint of disappointment on his face "Ah yes. I almost forgot about you. I'd love to fight you, but I'm quite tied up at the moment..." He signalled to the trapped Kakashi. The kiri assassin weaved another handsign "...So I hope you can handle a Water Clone for now. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" A puddle of water rose up and formed a replica of Zabuza. Naruto got into a battle stance.

"Well, I hope you two have said you're final farewells. Because with that Mizu Bunshin containing only 10% of your chakra, this things going down faster than Kakashi can flip through a porn novel!" Zabuza stared at Kakashi with a disgusted look on his face as Kakashi held his head low. But the water clone didn't pay attention to that remark "You cocky little runt! Watch your tongue or I'll cut it off along with the rest of your head!"

Naruto simply flashed another confident smirk "Ah well. Since you're so eager to fight me, I might as well show you my true strength!" He pulled out his Chaos Emerald once more, with it's majestic glow. Needless to say, it sparked off quite a few reactions.

"It's that powerful gem again! Yes! There might still be some hope yet!" Kakashi watched Naruto's next steps eagerly, praying that this could work.

"What is that thing? Whatever it is, I better be prepared." Both Zabuza and his clone thought simultaneously.

"Grrgh! That damn amethyst again! He's mocking me! I'll take it from him, even if it's the last thing I do!" Sasuke was outraged that Naruto, the bottom of his class, was stealing his spotlight once again.

"That Naruto-Baka! If anyone deserves something that rare, it's my dear Sasuke-kun! Maybe If I steal it and give it to him, he'll fall in love with me! Yeah, that'll work!" Sakura was contemplating another stupid plan to make The avenger fall for her.

"Wow. That jewel is really pretty, probably rare too. What's he going to do with it?" Tazuna pondered, briefly forgetting the position he was in.

"Here I go, guys! Who's with me?" Silver stepped forward "I am with you all of the way, Naruto-sama." Naruto flipped the emerald in his hand "Haaah!" Another bright light erupted from the blonde's body. The water clone panicked "He's doing something! But what? I don't know, but I'll just stop him before he can complete this technique!"

The Zabuza clone lunged forward, Zanbatou in hand. He was going to end the show before it even started "Hyaaaaaaaaaaah!" He made it 3/4 of the way there, about to bring down his cleaver before he froze on the spot, unable to budge an inch "What? I..can't...move! What's...happening?" He was covered in a light green outline that held him in place. The original Zabuza and Kakashi could only stare in confusion.

"What? Why isn't he completing his attack!" Zabuza yelled "What's going on?" Kakashi knew this was somehow Naruto's doing. When the flash died down, Naruto had changed into another form. This time, his hair was in a fan like shape at the front, with two long, spiked streaks going down his back, his blonde hair complete with silver flecks. On his wrists and ankles were gold wristbands emblazed with an intricant design, and had black and turquoise boots fitted.

He had his arm extended and his palm open, which had a glowing circle with a line trailing down his hand imprinted on it, telling everyone that he was the one that paralyzed the Water Clone. He lifted his head, and his eyes had also altered; they were now yellow in colour, covered in a bluish-greenish hue, similiar to the colour of his wristbands, shoes and hand patterns, and held deep wisdom and knowledge. And finally, his whole body, including his eyes, were shrouded in a spiritual aura. Unlike Shadow's, which was a deep red, chaotic and wild, this one was tranquil and calm, but also quite commanding, and was the same colour as his eyes and accessories.

"It's no use." Now the voice of Naruto had become merged with that of Silver's, meaning it had quite an effect on the group. The transformed jinchuriki reared the arm coated in most of his aura, meaning he was chanelling power into it to keep the Mizu Bunshin stable, and drove it forward with a surprising amount of force.

"Take this!" The doppelganger was flung with extreme power and speed, sending it directly back at the real Zabuza, who couldn't dodge due to the effects of his Suiton jutsu "Ack! No way!" "Gaaaaah!" The Mizu Bunshin exploded into a shower of water as it smashed into Zabuza.

The former Mist ninja became soaking wet as the vein on his head was increasing in size the angrier he got. Naruto remained calm and collected, which was unusual for the blonde. Finally, Zabuza was ready for another assault.

"Hmm, not bad, kid. But that was one clone. Let's see how you fare against ten!" He made the usual handsign and, just like he promised, ten clones came into existence from the water splashed on the ground, circling the Namikaze. Without any word of warning, all ten Bunshins charged at their target, intent on killing the boy painfully. But they were too slow as Naruto leaped high into the air to avoid the Zanbatous.

The doppelgangers all skidded to a halt, opposite to where they once were. Since Naruto had jumped into the sky so fast, none of the clones knew where he was, which was embarrassing seeing as how they were meant to be masters of silent killing. While they were searching frantically, Naruto was close to landing on the floor and before the Zabuza bunshins could react, Naruto slammed his palm onto the ground.

"Psycho Shock!" The Water Clones had electricity coursing through their bodies and were twitching madly, signalling that they had been stunned "Damn! That paralyzing trick again!" The real Zabuza growled. Naruto stood back up and stared impassively at the assassin, before raising his hands upwards (Like how Gaara did it in the fight against Deidara when he summoned the desert.)

When he did this, all of the Mizu Bunshins were lifted off of the ground and began floating in midair. Zabuza knew what was coming next "Blast him! I can't dodge and he knows it!" Just like last time, all Naruto had to do was push his hands forward and all ten clones were catapulted towards their owner. This time, when they came into contact, they made a much bigger, watery explosion with all Bunshins dispelling at once. But it also served to make Zabuza extremelly furious as well as a bit tired.

The masked swordsman growled like a rabid dog, awaiting his prey, which was, of course, the young blonde. He, in turn, glared back just as fiercely. But you could tell by the look in his eyes that he was just taunting Zabuza. Naruto held out his hand once more, causing Zabuza to flinch noticeably before immediately putting up his guard.

For a minute or two, nothing happened. But psychologically, it was a whole different story. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a kunai knife. Suddenly, Naruto directed his arm towards the trapped Kakashi, and the psychokinesis activated. The Water Prison became encased in the same mystic aura Naruto had, until it exploded, releasing gallons of water. Zabuza's eyes bulged "What the? How was he able to break my jutsu without even touching it? It's inconcievable!"

He glanced back at the jinchuriki, who was still as expressionless as before "Rrrrrrrrgh! How dare he mock me with those eyes!" Zabuza was right, Naruto's gleaming yellow eyes had the potential to rip out anyone's soul. At last, a ferocious killing intent was leaking off of him, making the Genins and Tazuna quiver in fright, but Naruto remained still. The Kiri ninja leaped at the boy, trying to cut his head clean off.

Naruto sighed before using his powers to freeze Zabuza once again while still in the air "You never learn, do you?" After he said this, a small grin appeared on his face. Zabuza began to worry, because ever since he started the transformation, he hadn't smiled once. So it must be bad news for him.

Before he could think on the matter any more, he was sent rocketing towards a tree as solid wood smashed into his face. But the whiskered blonde wasn't done yet! Next, he was slammed into the ground hard. After that, Naruto continued to hit Zabuza against trees, ground, water and was even aimed at Sasuke and Sakura, for a good laugh. Overall, he was toying with Zabuza like a rag doll.

The assassin was finally released when he was thrown into the lake, evidence of Naruto's boredom. By this time, Kakashi had just come out of the lake, panting heavily. He lifted his head to see he was at Naruto's feet "Thank you-pant-Naruto. I thought I was a goner back then." The Uzumaki looked down on his teacher "Don't mention it."

After Kakashi had recovered, both ninja jumped onto the lake, ready to face Zabuza in one final battle. Sasuke glared heavily at Naruto with his teeth gritted so hard, they could cut through steel "How? He managed to take down a powerful nuke-nin, while at the same time, he rescued Kakashi as well! And now he's walking on water! Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I WILL learn all your secrets!"

After a minute, Zabuza bubbled to the surface looking as pissed as ever. He used his chakra to stand on the surface while Kakashi whispered to Naruto "I'll fight him from here. But I won't be able to do this alone. Please back me up." The blonde looked at the dripping wet nuke-nin, then looked back to his sensei "Very well. I will assist you."

Eventually, Zabuza had calmed down and smirked at the ninja duo "I seem to have underestimated you somewhat, boy. But no more. Now I'll finish you both!" He whizzed through handseals at an alarming rate. Kakashi, with his Sharingan eye at the ready, immediately started copying every handseal that Zabuza weaved.

"Ushi, Saru, Ju, Ne, I, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Ne, Tora, Inu, Tora, Mi, Ushi..." Both shinobi chanted "TORI!" Both of them finished with the bird sign. After, what seemed like hundreds of handsigns, the jutsus were ready and two slick, aquatic beasts rose up from the lake.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" The beasts soon became dragons with gleaming, yellow eyes. Both monsters charged each other, biting each other in different areas in a desperate struggle to become victorious "Okay, that did not come out right." Sonic deadpanned. Soon, both dragons exploded into a tidal wave that washed up onto the shores, soaking the other three bystanders.

"YEEEK!" Sakura screeched as she was hosed down by the lake water "I couldn't even count how many handsigns were used, yet Kakashi managed to mimic each and every one easily!" Sasuke was feeling more and more outclassed with each passing second as the fight went on.

When the water had dissapated, Kakashi and Zabuza were locked in a deep clash, with the former Kiri ninja attacking with his cleaver and Kakashi fending him off with a kunai knife "There's something wrong here." Zabuza kept in careful thought.

With neither shinobi being able to overpower each other, they backed off and began circling each other like wild hounds, searching for an opening. The first to stop was the rogue assassin as he made the same hand gesture as the one for the Kirikagure Jutsu. However, Kakashi had mirrored this instantly, causing Zabuza's eyes to widen.

"How the heck is he doing this? It's like he can predict..." "...Your every move." After Kakashi magically finished his sentence, Zabuza began to panic "W-What? How does he know my thoughts?" He focused on Kakashi's Sharingan eye, which gazed fiercely back at him "This is not good! He's got that..." "...Evil glint in his eye, correct?"

Now things were getting freaky for the masked assassin. So far he'd managed to read not only his jutsu, but his mind as well. And all while replicating Zabuza's handsigns too "Hah! You think mimicking my every move is going to make a difference? Copy Ninja or not, I'll crush you all the same!" Inexplicably, Kakashi succeeded in mirroring the last sentence of Zabuza's speech, therefore throwing the Kiri ninja in a blind rage.

"You copy me like some stupid bird! It's time I shut your beak!" He blindly weaved through the rest of the seals, unknowingly falling right into Kakashi's trap. Soon, he realized this fact as he froze during his sign making to stare in horror at the sight before him "Is that...m-me?"

There it was, a complete replica of Zabuza right behind the silver-haired Jounin in the exact same pose as he was "No! This is outrageous! He must be playing with my mind again!" Before he could think any further, Kakashi finished the last few seals before bellowing the attack name.

"Suiton: Taibakku no Jutsu!" (I'm not certain on this one so forgive me if its wrong) If you looked hard enough, you could see that Kakashi's Sharingan began spinning rapidly. However, Zabuza's mind was a bit too preoccupied to think about that right now "NO! How can this be! He copied the jutsu before I even finished it!" He snapped out of his shock quickly as he noticed a massive torrent of water was speeding his way, ready to bowl him over.

However, luck was on Zabuza's side, as before the attack could hit him, he managed to leap to the side and out of the jutsu's range "Ha ha ha! Better luck next time, Mirror Ninja!" He taunted with a demonic smile. Kakashi inwardly cursed "Grrrr! Darn him!" He could only watch as his water technique shot forward, clearly missing his intended target.

But Naruto had one last trick up his sleeve! He watched on for a few seconds until the right moment, until he reactivated his psychokinetic abilities once again, this time directed towards Kakashi's Suiton Jutsu. When the water was encased in the psychic aura, both Jounin level ninja raised their eyebrows in confusion.

With one last hard glance at the Demon of the Mist, he swinged the arm he was using towards Zabuza to the left in a swift throwing motion "Hyaah!" Responding to the blonde's commands, the Giant Waterfall technique made a sharp turn in the intended direction, completely bamboozling his sensei and opponent.

"How in the name of all that's holy did he do that! He just froze and manipulated my own jutsu to attack Zabuza! It's unreal! Not that I'm complaining." Kakashi was pondering if he could actually teach the whiskered wonder anything at all "DAMN THAT LITTLE PUNK TO HELL! Everytime I take back the initiative, he always does some fancy trick to get me screwed! And now I can't dodge the attack this time!" Zabuza looked on in fear at the manipulated waterfall before him.

On the shore, all three other party members were gobsmacked or furious at the amazing performance being displayed by their black jacket clad teamate. We won't go into detail about what they're thinking since nobody really cares.

As the aquatic typhoon nailed it's target, Zabuza was washed up by the incredible current and tossed around carelessly. Needless to say, the attack made quite an impact on the surrounding environment. Those on the shore enjoyed another refreshing wave of water, soaking them once again, Kakashi and Naruto increased the chakra in their feet to keep theselves steady on the thrashing waves and Zabuza... well, you know.

"He's..just too..fast!" The rogue swordsman was carried along with the attack, plowing over anything that stood in it's wake, until Zabuza was smashed against a tree. By adding insult to injury, he was then impaled by four kunai knives, each stuck in both of his arms and legs. Shortly after some grunts of pain from Zabuza, Kakashi appeared on a branch above, ready to finish the nuke-nin off.

"And that just about wraps everything up, I suppose." Naruto too soon showed up directly in front of Zabuza just in case he tried anything to escape. He turned his frightened gaze back to the Mirror Ninja back up on the branch above him.

"Who..are you? Some kind of...fortuneteller?" He grumbled in pain. Kakashi whipped out a kunai knife and held it up to eye level "Maybe. But what I do see is your demise here today, Zabuza." The assassin was not in a good position. Kakashi was about to end the battle, and even if he somehow delt with him, he'd still have the wonder child to deal with.

Then something truly unexpected happened. Two senbon needles came out of nowhere and pierced the vulnerable, bare flesh of Zabuza's neck. This caught everyone, even Naruto off guard as they watched the former nuke-nin's limp body fall lifelessly to the ground.

"Well now, it appears you were right after all." A voice as cold as ice nearly whispered. Naruto and the others looked up to another branch and found a mysterious ninja, whom appeared to be no bigger than Naruto or the other two misfits. But to kill a ninja as powerful as the Demon of the Mist was no small feat. He/She sported striped garments covered by a dark blue jacket and wore shinobi sandals. The most notable feature was the bizzare white mask that had the Mist village insignia engraved on the forehead and, according to Naruto's knowledge, belonged to the elite group known as 'The Shinobi Hunters' or 'Hunter Nin' for short.

Naruto and Kakashi quickly teleported to the unconscious Zabuza's body and checked for a pulse. The silver-haired sensei pressed his fingers against his neck and confirmed his suspicions "No pulse. He's passed on." He spotted the Uzumaki who had placed his hand on the body's chest as waves of energy made their way from Naruto's palm to coursing around Zabuza's corpse. He remained silent with his eyes closed.

The mysterious hunter bowed "I am grateful for your assistance. I'm sorry if I was intruding on something, but I saw the oppurtunity to finally put this madman to rest, and I took it." Kakashi took note of the Hunter nin's attire "That mask. You're a Shinobi Hunter from the Hidden Mist Village, aren't you?" The young ninja chuckled lightly "Ahh, you're quite informative, it seems?"

"Sh-Shinobi Hunter?" Sakura squeaked. She had been shook up by the amount of power on show in the earlier battle, not to mention watching someone die right in front of her. Unlike her crush who was blinded with pure fury for the same reason.

The mystery ninja spoke again "Of course. As part of the elite assassination squad, it is our sole duty, and purpose, to track and dispose of villainous rogues such as this one. And I must admit, we take great pleasure in doing so."

"If his voice and size are anything to go by, then I'd say that he's about as old as my squad members. Yet he's already attained the rank of Shinobi Hunter. He definitely is an extraordinary child." Kakashi pondered. He was quite impressed by the finesse he used to kill Zabuza.

"Is that so?" Naruto declared in an accusive voice. Kakashi and the boy turned to see the blonde finishing his check-up and was standing defiantly and his eyes in a cold glare directed to the Hunter Nin "If that is the case, then it appears you're not very good at doing your job..."

The mask-wearing boy visibly flinched and, although the mask hid it, he was sweating profusely "This isn't good! Has he figured me out? I need to get Zabuza-sama out of here, and fast!" Naruto slowly rose his arm until it formed a sharp, condemning jab "...Either that, or you're lying through your mask."

All those present were staring wide-eyed at the Namikaze, but before anyone could ask what he meant, the mysterious boy shunshin'd quickly to Zabuza's body, slung it over his shoulder, and teleported away in a span of 3 seconds.

After a few seconds of trying to piece togethor what was going on, Kakashi turned to his most powerful pupil "What on earth was that all about?" Naruto returned a calculating glance back at his teacher "There's no time to waste. I'll explain when we get back to Tazuna's house." And with that answer, Naruto changed back into his lighter, happier form. Though soon after, he ruffled his hair frantically.

"Man! Everytime I do that, it always messes up my hair! And after so much time styling it!" "Hey! Don't blame us!" Sonic retorted. Meanwhile, one Sasuke Uchiha wasn't in a very happy place right now "Look at him. This dobe! This idiot! Yet he surpasses me in such a short amount of time! Well, now to collect what is rightfully mine!" The raven-haired ninja strided confidently over to his blonde comrade, who noticed this and breathed heavily, before stopping and holding out his hand.

"I believe you have something for me, dobe?" Sasuke smirked wickedly, thinking that he would finally gain his long awaited power and use it to destroy his sibling. To his mild surprise, Naruto returned the grin "You're right. I do have something for you." Kakashi and Tazuna raised their eyebrows as it was common knowledge that the two hated each other's guts. Sakura too was caught off guard by his words, but inwardly she was cheering for her idol.

The Uchiha's smile only widened at his statement. Naruto approached his teamate and extended his hand underneath Sasuke's, puzzling him slightly. Finally, with one swift reflex motion, Naruto lifted his hand, hitting Sasuke's hand, sending his palm right into his face with a loud smack "It's called pain. Get used to it, Uchiha."

The jinchuriki walked right past the seething Uchiha, but only got a few yards as it seemed Sasuke had recovered quickly "Look, you dobe! Let me put this in terms even you can understand. I need the power that you hold in order to defeat my brother Itachi and avenge my clan! So even if I have to rip it out of your smoldering corpse, I will obtain that stone! And that goes double for that blade!" The bumbling avenger panted lightly after finishing his triumphant speech (That was sarcasm by the way for those who didn't know)

Naruto stood unmoving as the faint breeze swept through his clothes. Then, he refuted, not even bothering to spare his companion a look "You think I don't know this? Out of all you Uchiha, Itachi is the only one I hold in high regard. You survive longer if you followed his example." Sasuke became furious the instant he said that. Telling him to be like his brother was like telling Sakura to give up on Sasuke and look for someone like Kiba. Naruto tilted his head and showed off a foxy grin "By the way..." He tapped his nose "...You should clean yourself up. You wouldn't want to ruin your perfect image, now would you?" The avenger wiped his nose and gazed at the blood that was dripping from his finger. To think that a mere dobe could do this to him.

That was the final nail in Sasuke's coffin. Too blinded by fury to even grab a weapon, the bloodthirsty brooder charged the blonde like an angry bull. He made it half way before something snagged the back of his collar and hung him up high. This was of course Kakashi himself "Like Naruto himself said before, we don't have time for this nonsense. So suck it up and let's get moving."

Sasuke flailed around wildly like an out-of-control animal before yelling "Why? Just so you can play favourite with that loser!" Kakashi sighed deeply before releasing a sufficient amount of killing intent to shut him up, before dropping Sasuke on his behind with a thump. Afterwards, he lowered his headband back over his eye "Well then, shall we?"

Tazuna laughed loudly while tipping his straw hat "I must say I'm very impressed by your skill! Now come along, we'll rest up at my place!" As he finished his sentence, he heard a loud thud and turned to see Kakashi face down on the floor "Ugh. I've used the Sharingan too much. I can't even move."

Naruto sighed once more and made his favourite handsign as four Bunshin poofed into existance. He gave his command "All right guys, let's get Kakashi-sensei back in one piece, all right?" The clones saluted "Roger!" They got to Kakashi as two clones lifted his arms and the other two carried his legs. With one final order, Naruto, his clones and the rest of the group continued their journey to Tazuna's home.

"I'm so glad you've brought my father back safely. But you should still worry a bit about yourself, Kakashi." The team of five had successfully reached Tazuna's abode without any other form of intrusion, meaning Kakashi and Naruto could get some well-earned rest. Especially the former, who was currently recuperating in a hand-made bed made by Tsunami, Tazuna's precious daughter.

"I'm quite all right, I've been through much worse. However, I'm going to need at least a week's break." Kakashi reassured "The Sharingan has amazing abilities, but has it's flaws as well. It's not something to be trifled with."

Tazuna wiped his sweaty brow with a rag "That assassin was a tough cookie, all right! But at least he's gone and we can kick our feet up!"

"Not likely." Kakashi cut in boldly. Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna all perked up at this sudden notion. The jounin turned to his right to face Naruto who was outside of the house...fishing...and whistling while doing so.

"I'd expect myself to be surprised by this. But right now, I think I've grown immune to it." Kakashi deadpanned.

"Naruto-baka! What are you doing?" Sakura screeched at his male companion, who responded blandly "Something practical. What are you doing?" The kunoichi growled but soon back down into her place, while Kakashi spoke his mind.

"Naruto, before that hunter-nin took off with Zabuza, you said something about her kill being a lie. Care to elaborate?" Naruto smiled before standing up "Gladly..." Suddenly, he felt a tug on his line and immediatly reacted, yanking on the pole "...Right after I catch this fish." The house shook with the amount of faceplants happening simultaneously.

Elsewhere

The masked boy set Zabuza's limp body down slowly, making sure to preserve it carefully. He brought out a pouch from his pack, rolling it out onto the ground, revealing some menacing disembodiment tools, ranging from knives for delicate cuttings to hacksaws for seperating limbs and bone. He reached for a pair of surgical scissors and approached the ex-assassin's face.

"To remove the excess blood, I'll need to dispose of these wrappings." He inched closer and closer until she gasped softly and backed away.

"Stop! I'l finish this myself, Haku!" Zabuza had awoken and seemed to be abnormally pissed as he reached for the cloth around his face in order to drain the blood personally.

"Awake so soon, I see." The newly-named Haku replied. The Kiri swordsman gripped one of the senbon firmly.

"You sure didn't hold back with these needles, did you?" He growled before yanking it out, releasing more blood from his neck.

"Pulling those out recklessly won't be good for your health, Zabuza-sama. Please, take it slowly." He pleaded, concerned for her master's well-being. Zabuza glared at the boy who was his supposed pupil.

"Do you plan on keeping that stupid mask on for much longer? Get rid of it!" He snarled as he removed the last needle from his neck with a little less force than before.

Haku placed a hand over his hunter mask "Sorry, but It's been so long. Besides, it made the perfect disguise." He took of the mask to reveal Haku's surprisingly feminine face.

A couple minutes passed and Zabuza had finally coughed up the blood from his mouth before rewrapping the bandages across the lower part of his face "If I hadn't gotten involved in that earlier battle, you would be dead by now." Haku spoke.

"But why target my neck? Any other point would have worked just as well to put me in a deathlike trance with a lot less pain! But then again, that's not your style, now is it?" Zabuza grunted with slight agony.

The boy smiled innocently "Precisely!" The rogue ninja stared at his student plainly, clearly not amused at Haku's joke.

"I was trying not to damage your perfect body, Zabuza-sama. I aimed for the neck because there is less muscle there than the rest of the body, meaning that I can easily pinpoint the necessary spots." He explained "Normally, this would leave a person in a death like trance for a full week. However, due to your physique, you should recover quicker than most, correct?"

Zabuza narrowed his eyes at Haku, keeping his insinuation in mind "So innocent, yet so sadistic. It's probably why I can relate to you." Haku gave another smile.

"Well, I'm only young." The assassin hardened his gaze once more "Enough of that, back to business. You surveyed our bout, right?" Haku nodded slowly "Of course. I must say, that blonde boy's strength left an impression on me."

"Good. And I suppose you also saw the source of his power." He nodded once more "Yes. That gemstone is what gave him those abilities."

Zabuza was impressed by Haku's analytical skills "And that, Haku, is your next objective." Haku raised an eyebrow "What do you mean, Zabuza-sama?"

The browless shinobi chuckled to himself "Your mission is to obtain that gem. It is essential to the mission, Haku. Do not dissapoint me."

The 'fake' hunter stayed silent for a few seconds. Like Kakashi, he wasn't fond of taking things from others, including a human life, which is why she hasn't slayed a single ninja thus far. But she remembered the promise he made with Zabuza; to be his weapon and to carry out any order he issued to him. Soon she looked back to his sensei.

"It shall be done, Zabuza-sama." Zabuza grinned manically, which was Haku's way of telling he was pleased. He looked out to a large lake "It seems the mist has lifted without our knowing. How quaint." He glanced over to his masked teacher.

"Will you be okay next time?" Zabuza visibly cringed.

"Next time, I'll shatter the Sharingan!"

"WHAAAAAAAT!" The birds in the surrounding area around Tazuna's home flew off, startled by the deafening noise. Inside the house, Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna were shocked beyond belief at the news of Zabuza's survival, Kakashi was surprised, but had a hunch as to where Naruto was going and Tsunami didn't what they were talking about or who this 'Zabuza' character was.

"Are you sure about this Silver? I mean, he didn't even have a pulse." Sonic questioned the psychic hedgehog.

"I'm positive. I may not be an expert on the human anatomy, but I could still sense life in his body. He's still around." Silver explained, looking grim at the thought of the madman still running around.

"So that masked boy must have been an accomplice of sorts." Shadow percieved "It seems that way." After Sasuke had calmed down, he glared harshly at Naruto

"And why should we believe that, dobe? He seemed pretty dead to me and I highly doubt that you could tell otherwise." Naruto chuckled.

"To be honest, I'm not that surprised that you thought Zabuza was dead. For an Uchiha, you're not that perceptive." The Uchiha growled menacingly before Kakashi cut in.

"He's right, Sasuke. By using the senbon acupuncture needles, the Hunter nin put Zabuza in a death-style trance that even I couldn't tell the difference. Those senbon needles are extremelly effective if they pierce a vital point, otherwise, they don't do much damage, since they're intended purpose was to be used as medical tools." Naruto soon took over.

"Usually, this is hard to do for a normal shinobi to accomplish. However, the kid was a Shinobi hunter, and all Shinobi hunter's know the workings of the human body like the back of their hand, so it would be relatively easy for the masked boy to paralyze Zabuza. Then there's the motive behind his actions. Another thing that is traditional for Shinobi hunter's to do is to destroy the corpse of their target on the spot, before taking the head as evidence of his kill, meaning that their was absolutely no reason for the hunter to transport Zabuza's carcass to another location. Unless..."

"Unless?" Kakashi was amazed that the blonde had such a thorough knowledge of this band of shinobi.

"...Unless he was trying to rescue Zabuza. Think about it, not only do the senbon make excellent weapons for disabling a foe, but they also inflict non-mortal damage, so Zabuza wouldn't be too injured. So it shouldn't be a long shot to assume that the 'Shinobi hunter' is in actual fact, an ally to our browless friend."

"But aren't we just thinking too much about this? Hunter nin's hunt rogue ninja because it's their job, right?" The bridge builder gave his opinion.

"True. But we can't just skim over this theory, that would be a grave mistake. However, whether Zabuza is alive or not doesn't change the fact that we still have to deal with Gato and his men." The Jounin said.

"But sensei, if Zabuza is still alive, then how do we fight him? You can't even get up right now." Sakura asked. Kakashi giggled darkly.

"Then we'll just have to train harder, won't we?" Sakura gaped while Naruto smiled giddily "But Kakashi-sensei, Even if we trained harder, we still wouldn't be a match for Zabuza. I mean, even you and your Sharingan were barely able to beat him!" She whined loudly.

"Ah, but I did have some help, didn't I?" He eye-smiled towards Naruto, who gave him a thumbs-up in return.

"Any time, man. Any time." The Copy ninja turned back towards his other students "Of course, while you train, I will still be getting my strength back, so I'll still be there to help."

Sakura questioned her teacher further "But Zabuza is still on the loose! Who knows when he'll come back and attack again?"

"On the contrary, Fraulein. The senbon needles may not have killed Zabuza, but it severly crippled his strength, meaning that it will take some time before he returns to full power. I've gotta say, this is getting interesting!" Naruto grinned the same way that Zabuza would usually do, if you could see his face.

"Interesting? You're nuts." A new voice sounded out. Everybody turned to see a young boy aroung Konohamaru's age wearing green overalls and a striped hat.

"Inari! It's good to see you again, lad!" Tazuna welcomed with enthusiasm "Welcome home, Grandpa." Inari climbed the step and ran over to Tazuna, whom stroked his head.

"Inari, show some respect to the nice people! They did bring you're grandpa back home safely, after all!" Tsunami scolded her son. Tazuna's grandson glanced over to the team of ninja before looking back to his mother.

"But they're gonna die, mama. Gato and his men are unstoppable." His head drooped as he spoke, while Naruto narrowed his eyes at the child.

"Listen short stack, this guy's barely taller than you, so I don't think were going to have too much trouble with him. And his henchmen are equally as pathetic." Inari snorted in distaste.

"No way. It's you who's pathetic!" Naruto kept his calm as he stared at the boy "Tell me, is it really that hard to accept that there are people out there who wish to rebel against this tyranny, instead of doing nothing and waiting for death to come?"

Inari gritted his teeth slightly before leaving his grandfather's grasp and walking towards the door "Why don't you just go home and save yourself the trouble? You're all gonna die if you keep doing this." Tazuna raised his eyebrow.

"Where are you going, Inari?" Tsunami's son turned his head "To my room to watch the ocean." He slammed the door behind him "Please forgive my grandson." Tazuna sighed deeply, signalling that Inari usually behaved like this.

"Another annoying runt to deal with. Just great." Kyuubi snarled.

"That kid really needs to get la-" "Anyway! Let's start training!" Kakashi announced before the Uzumaki could make any rash comments.

Up in Inari's room, the boy seemed to be clutching a picture of a stout young man smiling cheerfully while sobbing greatly "D-Daddy! Why?"

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi now find themselves in a small circular clearing, surrounded on all sides by a forest of trees, and it is here that the three Genin will begin their training.

"All right, we'll be practicing in this area for the week. But before we do so, let's go over the fundamentals of the energy known as Chakra." Kakashi instructed as he hobbled on the crutches he was given so that he could train his pupils properly.

"Chakra is a combination of two bodily energies, and is required to perform all ninja techniques or 'Jutsu'. The energies that are needed are: Mental energy or spiritual energy that is gained over constant practice and experience, and physical energy which is gathered from the 13 Trillion cells that form our bodies. Once these two essences have been fused to create chakra, they have to be concentrated into Jutsu's through handsigns, which vary depending on the jutsu you wish to use." Naruto explained in one breath before panting heavily.

After Kakashi wore off his shock, he commended his student "Y-Yes. Very good. However, none of you have mastered your chakra to it's fullest yet!" "Not that I need to." Naruto muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Naruto?" Kakashi asked suspiciously, causing Naruto to wave his hands in front of his face rapidly "Nothing, Kakashi-sensei!" The perverted Jounin narrowed his eye before continuing

"Naruto is correct about the manipulation of chakra. However, there is more to it than that. For example; The amount of chakra expended for each technique and which element it would be focused on is critical knowledge. If you don't have balance or control, no matter what jutsu you release, it wouldn't be nearly as powerful as it would be, and it'd just be a joke, if it was even released at all." Sasuke and Sakura started sweating.

"If you mess up a ninja technique, not only will you be wasting precious chakra, but you'll be leaving yourself vulnerable to enemy attacks. Therefore, you three must endure harsh training in order to fully master your chakra control."

"And how do we do that?" Sakura came with yet another question as Sasuke was pondering the same thing.

"By climbing trees, of course" Kakashi eye-smiled as he said this. Sasuke and Sakura were silent as they processed the information going through their heads.

"Climbing...trees?" Sakura finally squeaked. Kakashi's grin grew wider "Yep!" More silence filled the area. This went on for another minute until...

"WHAT HAS THAT GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH NINJA TRAINING!" The banshee roared at an incredible volume, causing small shockwaves and temporary deafness to those around her.

"Ouch." Kakashi spoke whilst clearing out his ear when a small drop of blood dripped out of it "Well, to answer your bold statement, I never said any of you could use your hands."

"Then how do we climb them?" Sasuke inquired, becoming intrigued at the notion of scaling using feet only.

"Like this." Naruto volunteered as he stepped forward. The jinchuriki walked up to the nearest tree, which was one of the taller ones. But before he climbed the tree, he spun around on the spot so he would be facing away from it.

"Dobe, you're facing the wrong-" The avenger prepared to mock him once more, before he saw that Naruto was walking backwards up the tree, with his feet parallel to the ground! But he wasn't just walking; his feet seemed to slide up the tree trunk like he was walking on ice. In short, he was actually moonwalking up the side of the tree.

Neither of Naruto's teamates had any idea what moonwalking or who Michael Jackson was, but they were still bewitched by this incredible feat.

When Naruto got to the top, he spun around once more "Ow!" He sung in a scarily accurate Michael Jackson style while in a funky pose.

"Was that really necessary, Naruto?" Blaze asked, scared what the answer may be "Twas entirely necessary, Blaze!"

"Ahem. Thank you, Naruto, for that pleasant demonstration. However, it could have been done with a little less flare." Kakashi facepanned. He explained the process.

"What Naruto has done is he's focused a steady amount of chakra to each of the soles of his shoes, and used it to stick to the side of the tree with the same effect as glue."

"Or tape!" Naruto chipped in "You can only accomplish something like this when you have full mastery of your chakra."

"Kakashi-sensei, how is this going to help us defeat Zabuza?" Sakura chirped.

"You ask too many questions. Why don't you let Kakashi-sensei explain and you'll see why." Naruto was beginning to get fed up of the bubblegum haired fangirls ramblings. Kakashi nodded as Sakura huffed loudly.

"The purpose of this excersise is, obviously, to fully increase your chakra control. Chanelling the right amount, using it efficiently and applying it to the right place are key elements to every jutsu technique you'll learn. But controlling chakra is something that not even most experienced shinobi can fully achieve. The bottoms of your feet is one of the most tricky places to control chakra in, so it's perfect for harnessing the delicate control and concentration needed for this task. In other words, by successfully completing this excersise, you could potentially master hundreds of jutsu."

Sasuke felt a tug at the side of his lips at the mention of this. If he could manage this tree climbing and gaining new techniques, he could surpass Naruto in all aspects and take his rightfull place as ultimate ninja (I didn't mean that.)

"But it isn't that simple. You also must be able to cling to any surface for the right amount of time, be it for a few seconds, or even hours. Try doing that while in the midst of battle when you're under enemy fire or you're attacking yourself." Kakashi motioned to Naruto's glowing feet sticking to the underside of a branch.

"If you ever hope to survive in battle, you'll need to learn to employ chakra like this quickly and proficiently, as you won't have time to fool around summoning the chakra you need, right Naruto...Naruto?" He scanned the branch Naruto was sticking to, only to find he managed to fall asleep while still upside down on the branch like a bat with an anime bubble coming out of his nose.

"Naruto!" Kakashi barked, causing the Namikaze to wake up abruptly and nearly losing his footing.

"Uh..right. Sorry, Kakashi-sensei." He mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Well, were not going to go anywhere by just explaining so let's get to it." The Mirror Ninja pulled two kunai out of his holster and tossed them at Sasuke's and Sakura's feet, startling them in the process.

"Before you ask, Sakura, the kunai are there to keep track of your progress. When you reach the peak of how far you climb, slash the bark where you were before you fall. Try to reach higher as you go on, but none of you are expected to succeed at first. I'd recommend running to get the best results." Kakashi enlightened.

"But what about the dobe over there?" Sasuke demanded, nodding towards the blonde on the branch.

"What do you think I'm doing, Bird Brain? You know my score, so know you'll have to, pffft, Beat It! Ha!" Naruto started to laugh hysterically.

"Enough with the Michael Jackson jokes already!" Amy complained.

"Riiiiiight. Anyway, what will you do now Naruto?" Kakashi asked to his blonde Genin pupil "Me? I'm just gonna go do my thang. Train hard, practice and eat plenty of vegetables." Naruto answered.

Kakashi raised his only visible eyebrow "Vegetables? Really?"

"Pfft, no! Sorry, I'd like to hang, but I gotta juice!" He quickly removed himself from the branch he was on and leaped away from the clearing, leaving behind a proud Jounin and a couple of pissed Genin.

"Hey! You stole my line! Give it back!" Sonic yelled at his whiskered friend who began laughing along the way.

Zabuza may be gone and the gang may be safe, but for how long? What other tricks does Gato have up his sleeve? What is the story behind Haku, the mysterious hunter nin? And what new tricks will arise in Squad 7's training? Keep your eyes peeled for Chapter 6 of Naruto: Chaos Master!

I'm so sorry! I know the chapter took so long to complete, but i have plenty of reasons for this

Holiday Break

Internet Disconnection

Electric Maintenence

Solar Panels Fitted

Trial Examinations

And the list goes on! So don't you think I should be forgiven? Anyway, I'll try to make up for this with the special surprise i promised a few chapters back, so keep reading!