Team 7 and Tazuna had successfully infiltrated Water Country, and was about to walk towards the town when Naruto just suddenly moved towards the bushes, and before anyone could say anything to him, he came back out with a snow-white rabbit.

Sakura wasn't impressed. She talked about how much noise he made when he went towards the bushes, and all for an unimportant animal. Sasuke stayed silent as usual, but Kakashi and Kagome noted on the white rabbit, and knew someone was around… a ninja… for a snow white rabbit that wasn't near on his habitat would have made the animal would have been a tool in using a replacement jutsu.

And before they knew it, a sword flew overhead. Team 7, Kakashi, and Tazuna ducked as the sword embedded itself on the tree, and out came the Devil of the Mist himself… Zabusa. Kakashi took a moment, and removed the head protector from his eye, revealing a Sharingan underneath… surprising Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, all three on different accounts. Sakura was disbelieved that their Jounin was actually a legendary ninja. Naruto just couldn't grasp that Kakashi had such a cool trait. Sasuke didn't believe that Kakashi had the Sharingan, as the Sharingan is a bloodline of only the Uchiha Clan… his clan.

There was a momentary scuffle, but in the end, after Kakashi had cornered to what he believed was Zabusa, which in fact was a water clone, and the Devil of the Mist was able to corner him towards the water, and entrap him an a sphere of liquid. And he also called out a Water clone which will finish the job for him, because Zabusa can't move with to maintain the water sphere entrapping Kakashi.

Three genins, their care, and Kagome against a water clone… and not just any water clone… the water clone of the missing-nin Zabusa, who people lovingly call "The Devil". Chances were, as Zabusa thought, good. Fire Country ninjas have the reputation of being of being soft treated… It didn't mean they had weak ninjas, but the way they are brought up was nothing compared the way Zabusa was brought up. The man had killed just to graduate to Genin. What did these kids do? They are probably unblooded… weaklings. Insults as ninjas.

"You are better off running," he said in a slow yet steady voice. "You all are no match for me…"

Sasuke gritted. His blood boiled. The Uchiha Clan were clans of hard headed people… too arrogant because of their bloodline ability of the Sharingan. It was no surprise that his anger rose, even if he knew that Zabusa was doing nothing but telling them the truth. Sasuke Uchiha, a prodigy he might be, but at his level against a Jounin-level "Devil" he'd be fighting almost impossible odds.

Naruto was in the same predicament he would not be weak. Being weak meant that all the standing up that Kagome did for him when he was young was for absolutely nothing.

Flash Back

Naruto was walking home to his apartment building, that he lived in with one other person, when a shadow came up from behind him and knocked him down.

"You damn monster," A drunken village man said while kicking a young Naruto, "I should kill you for what you did to this village."

"Yes you did you killed everyone you little weakling, you killed innocent pleople!" the man yelled at Naruto.

"I did nothing," Naruto said glaring at the man.

"Leave him alone you bastard!" shouted a young girl running up behind the man.

"Well if I isn't the other little orphan coming to help you," the man said smirking kicking Naruto even harder.

"P-please s-top," Naruto said struggling to get up.

"Naruto, No!"

The girl pushes the man to the side and bent down to help Naruto stand up.

"Kagome I-I'm ok now," Naruto told Kagome.

"Why are you protecting someone so weak?," the man asked Kagome.

"He is not weak, you are the weak one," Kagome told him.

"Ha me weak," the man said with a smirk upon his face.

"Yes you attack a child because of what the Kyuubi did to this village," Kagome said raising her voice at each word.

"He is not Kyuubi damnit!" Kagome yelled.

Kagome looked at the drunken man.

"I'll kill you for this," she said with a murderous glare.

The next day the man was found dead 15 yards outside of the village.

End Flash Back

No, he would not have that at all! He charged towards the water clone and took out his kunai. He ran as fast as he could and took a stab at the clone's abdomen, but before he could reach and kill it, the clone grabbed his head, and just practically threw him back towards Sakura. He landed with a roll, making a safe fall… and realized that his forehead protector was gone.

The clone was holding it… dropped it in the ground, and stomped on it hard. "You don't deserve to wear such… bold signs of you being a ninja. None of you deserve the prestige nor the right to call yourselves ninjas. You are nothing but kids… playing ninjas."

"Shut up," Naruto whispered through gritted teeth. He was beginning to save his strength for another assault. He stood up, and got his kunai ready.

"Oh, still willing to try?" Zabusa laughed. "You have tenacity… but you are no where near my level… and you never will be. Do you think you can jut be ninjas without knowing the true meaning of being ninjas?"

"T-true meaning?" Sakura stammered. She was scared to the bone… no one, not even her mother could have scared here this way… and her mother was probably the scariest person she knew.

"Ninjas are tools… of death," Zabusa replied. Sakura's eyes widened. "Yes… we ultimately kill people. Ninjas main objective is to kill. Not to go and serve poor people… gardening, or finding lost pets, whatever I hear your village does… I can sense that you have not even had killed." He gave a very derisive laugh. "And you want to go against me… I'll have you know… I had to kill my friends… just to graduate to genin."

Kakashi looked at Zabusa… "The banned Hidden Village of the Mist graduation test…"

Zabusa looked at him… "Oh, you've heard of it?"

"Yes… the old graduation test of the Mist Village… a deathmatch. The survivors graduate… those that die… die…" Kakashi put his head down. Sakura gave another audible gasp. "But that test was banned… after a kid just brutally murdered every kid he was taking the test with… even those he wasn't fighting against…"

Zabusa's eyes closed. "Heh… the first time I ever killed someone… it was addicting."

Sasuke's eyes begun to widen and Naruto begun to back away. His rational thoughts were coming back. Maybe… maybe he really can't do anything. He doesn't know a lot of Jutsu… except for shadow clone.

Sakura backed away as well. No way was a bookworm like her going to make this out alive by charging along. She can't fight… she gave herself no illusions she could. She knew basic jutsus by heart… but she was facing a missing nin strong enough to capture her teacher, who she just learned, was a very known and strong nin and Sasuke only knew fire jutsus.

Tazuna backed away as well. He'd run, if it wasn't for his feeling of guilt in placing three kids in this situation… maybe… maybe he was better off being arrested for giving false information. It would have been better than sending these kids to their doom.

kagome… took a step forward. And then another… and then another… and another… until he came in a few short distance between himself and the clone. Sasuke, Tazuna, Sakura, Kakashi and even Zabusa were surprised. Naruto knew that she was strong and could handle herself.

"Kagome!" Sakura called. "What are you doing! Get away! There is no way you can beat that clone!"

"Yeah," Sasuke.

The clone moved first, running and slashed towards the Kagome… only to have hit nothing but air. And in a fraction of a second, he saw Kagome's knee going straight towards his head… and there was a loud crack that filled the air… and the clone fell on its back… turning to water before it hit the ground.

Kagome landed on the ground after her rising knee attack without disturbing the dust on the ground. Everyone's faces suddenly showed the utmost shock. "What… the hell?" Kakashi whispered.

"So what if you killed when you were young?" Kagome spoke, looking towards Zabusa, and began to walk towards him. "Many have killed at a young age, its what you do to survive," Kagome stated.

Sakura and Sasuke couldn't talk… too shocked to know what the hell is going on.

To be continued………………………………………………