Hi ^^

This is my first fanfic writing of Naruto as well as with the characters so please be kind! And depending on how I feel as I continue my writing I may do polling at the end to determine certain factors so please review, favorite, follow and all that other good stuff! ]

Ciao ^^ - Diana

Ch 1

Around one hundred ninja stood in front of Team 7 minutes after they had defeated the infamous Zabuza Mamochi and his teammate Haku. Each Leaf ninja stood, clothes torn and slightly tattered with specks of blood acquired during the long battle. Of the four, the only one that stood completely uninjured was the kunoichi Sakura Haruno.

'I feel completely useless' Sakura thought to herself as she glanced around the near completed bridge that served as a battlefield. Glancing up she looked at each member of her team. Kakashi - vest sliced across his chest with blood stains on it, visually showing that he faced a challenging battle. Both Sasuke and Naruto - hair disheveled with multiple needle marks shown across their skin and clothing, surely not to turn to scars with proper healing.

Then she glanced at herself. Clothes completely intact and fine considering that she had to do nothing but stand in front of the bridge builder as support.

'Heh.. Kakashi thinks he's won cause I've fallen.. With the last of my strength I'll show him what it means to turn your back on an enemy that still breathes.' Zabuza thought as he slowly moved his arm to the hilt of his sword.

Tears began to form slightly at the tip of Sakura's eyes as she thought to herself. 'I'm not help to anyone here. All I do is sit around while both Sasuke and Naruto get stronger, and what am I?! How can I call us a team if they do all the work...'

Just then a scrape of metal interrupted her thoughts as a long metal sword made it's way towards the bridge builder. Turning around, Sakura's eyes grew big as a large sword made its way to both the bridge builder and herself.

Finding her resolve within seconds, she quickly pulled the bridge builder forward onto his stomach as he hadn't braced himself for the motion. As he fell, she too attempted to move out of the way but she was too slow.

The sword sliced right into the girl, lodging itself across her torso between her chest. The momentum from the throw had also caused her to stumble back towards the edge of the bridge. As she was losing blood, her sight began to blur as she tried to speak but it came out as a mumble as she lost her footing and fell off of the bridge into the water below it, leaving a small puddle of blood behind.

Zabuza cursed as his sword hit the girl instead of the intended target. 'Eh.. At least I got one of those rat's he thought to himself before his body went numb as it finally succumbed into its injuries.

As Sakura's comatose body splashed into the water, her fellow teammates had just dispatched the remaining ninjas serving as mercenaries hired to finish Zabuza's job - taking the bridge builder's head as a trophy.

"Aw man that was awesome!" Naruto yelled as he fell onto his back, breathing heavily, having exerted himself from his fight with Haku to the other mercenaries whose bodies now lay before him.

"For once, you say something that I can agree to Naruto" Sasuke said as he gave his signature smirk before collapsing next to his teammate, him too exhausted.

Looking at the two, Kakashi couldn't help himself to scratching the back of his head in amazement of his rookie team.

"Well come on guys let's clean up and help the bridge builder with whatever he needs before we head home" Kakashi stated before he began to turn around.

Due to the sudden impact the bridge builder faced from Sakura throwing him down his head had slammed into the concrete knocking him out as he's not use to the amount of pressure that went to his head.

"What the fu-!" Kakashi stopped himself short before he swore infront of his students as he looked at the scene behind him. The bridge builder apparently knocked out and Sakura missing.

The others too turned around after hearing Kakashi speak.

"What the.. WHERE'S SAKURA?!" Naruto shouted as he stood up on his feet quickly forgetting his exhaustion. Sasuke followed his motion, also standing up glancing around the make-shift battlefield. As he did he noticed a small pool of blood to the right of the bridge builder's body, indicating an injury.

"Kakashi-sensei there's a pool of blood by the bridge builders body!" Sasuke quickly shouted as he stated his observation.

As he spoke, Kakashi made his way to the blood before kneeling next to it, swiping his right index and middle fingers through it, rubbing the tips of it together.

"It's a bit sticky, luke warm.. Whatever happened was done while we were fighting the mercenaries.." he murmured.

Naruto began to run/ stumble to his sensei as realization begins to creep upon them all. "Kakashi-sensei you don't think this is Sakura's do you?!" the young boy yelled as his eyes began to widen.

"Well we can't be sure..." Kakashi said as he gave a visual sweep around the bridge.

"Wait.. It appears Zabuza's sword is missing". With a brief pause, he quickly pulled out a scroll, unrolling it in the process, and swiped his right thumb across his chest wound, leaving blood on the tip. Swiping the blood onto the scroll, he rolled it back up and held it between his hands as he completed a variety of hand signs.

Slamming the scroll into the ground, "Ninja Art - Summoning Earth Style: Fang Pursuit Jutsu!"
As Kakashi yelled this, multiple markings shot across the ground asa large ball of smoke shot up from the ground in the center of the markings. As the smoke began to clear, you can clearly see multiple sets of ears and paws, leading to the confirmation of eight Ninken (A/I) with blue bandanas' tied around their neck. Each dog differed in size, color and breed. One even wearing sunglasses.

"Kakashi what do you need" the smallest of the bunch spoke as he glanced up at his owner.

He glanced at the small pug before him that spoke. "Pakkun, Sakura's gone missing and I fear for the worst."

"Sakura? That's unusual of her. Do you have a scent or something that we can use?" the dog spoke quickly with urgency.

"A pool of blood is all I can provide for the moment." Kakashi stated as he nodded to the evidence.

"It'll do for now" Pakkun said as he and the other ninken crowded around it to get the girls scent. "We'll let you know what we find, if we find anything at all, and report back".

With a nod Kakashi sent the dogs away to search while he attempted to wake the bridge builder up.

"Kakashi-sensei why're we just standing around?! Sakura needs us!" Naruto yelled as he threw his arms up into the air with frustration.

"With the state each of us are in now, we wouldn't be any use to Sakura. Our chakra levels are low and our bodies have almost reached their physical limitations. If we continue to over exert ourselves we won't do anything but kill ourselves" Kakashi stated to both of the boys.

"The only thing we can do right now is rest up while the ninken do their job. I believe we'll be fine by tomorrow morning. If you want rto find Sakura you have to be in top condition Naruto" the copy-ninja briefly stated as he gingerly pulled the bridge builders body up and leaned his body into his own.

With a grim look, Naruto's hands formed fists at his sides from the anger of not being able to look for his team mate and crush, Sakura Haruno. Noticing this, Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Dope don't worry. We'll find her" he muttered to him in comfort before following Kakashi back to the bridge builders home.

Looking up at both Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke's backs, Naruto glanced at the drying blood..

"I hope your right.." he muttered, biting his bottom lip before he too walked off to follow his team.

A/I – Ninken are ninja dogs

-Well how was that for a beginner? Review, review, review! It's appreciated to the fullest and I'll love you forever and ever.