__Sara Pov__

Yeah, so I officially hate puddles. Why you ask? No, I wasn't splashed, and no I didn't step in one and get my shoes wet. It's because of the stupid rain ninjas that came out of one and attacked us. The fight didn't last long at all, in fact it was pretty easy.

We had walked by the seemingly 'innocent' puddle escorting Tazuna. I didn't show any sign that I knew the trap for what it was, but I noticed Kakashi had picked up on it as well. Out of 'nowhere' they attacked Kakashi and crushed a log. They didn't notice the substitution and charged Naruto and Tazuna.

Naruto had frozen in fear... of course! "Naruto, snap out of it!" I yelled as I took my sword out and charged toward the ninja attacking Naruto. I would barely make it in time to block the attack. I charged into the space between the two.

The rain ninja attacked with a claw on the end of a chain, it just had to be a chain, worst match up for a sword. If I blocked it like normally the chain would wrap around the sword and the claw would hit me in the back, and the claw looked poisoned. I would have to try a new maneuver, but it would be both a lucky and masterly defense.

I waited for the chain to draw closer, Sakura yelled at me to get out of the way, but if I dodged Naruto would get hit, and I didn't want that. At the last moment I sidestepped, bringing my sword up horizontally. I timed it and stabbed with all my strength, thankfully we were near trees. I caught the chain right by where it attached to claw and pinned it to the tree. I had caught it close enough that it didn't swing back to much and I easily dodged it when it did.

Unfortunately he threw a kunai at Naruto who still stood there frozen. I wouldn't make it in time, so I reached into my holster and grabbed one of my own to throw it off course, I managed it and the kunai just scraped his hand, instead of piercing his heart like it would have otherwise. By then Kakashi had came back and finished them both off. I hoped Sakura and Sasuke were alright.

I looked over and Sakura was in front of Tazuna, both of whom were behind Sasuke. They were both unharmed, which was a major relief.

"Thanks Kakashi, wasn't sure how much longer I could have protected him... As it is their weapons are poisoned."

"Not a problem Sara, good reflexes. You too Sakura and Sasuke. Sorry you got injured Naruto, I didn't expect you to freeze up like that."

"Are you alright, Scaredy cat?" Sasuke taunted.

I watched as Naruto pulled out a kunai and stabbed himself, releasing the poison... and most likely making him loose a heck of a lot of blood.

"Well it's nice that you got the poison out Naruto, but now you're in danger of dying from blood loss." Kakashi said seriously.

"Alright, I'll bandage your hand spikes, Kaka-baka you go talk to the master drunkard about the ninja that are hunting him for whatever reason." I offered and ordered. Kakashi obeyed and nodding walked off a little ways with Tazuna.

I walked towards Naruto and took bandages out of my bag. I cleaned and wrapped his rapidly healing hand. My guess was it was because of the fox spirit I found out about because of Mizuki.

Whatever Tazuna said made Kakashi decide to go on with the mission and the rest of the way to the boat that would take us in to the land of waves was quiet and uneventful. Kakashi had left the two ninja chained to a tree, and I'm sure they either got free by themselves or some comrades freed them, either way they most likely weren't going to be staying there to die.

The boat ride across to the land of waves was nice. It was peaceful, if you ignored Naruto's shouts. I half listened to the explanations and just trailed my hand in the water as we went along, enjoying the gentle rocking of waves.

Eventually we reached the shore and started the trek to Tazuna's house. It wasn't all that eventful until we came up next to a lake. Naruto launched another kunai, adding to the total of 23 since we got off the boat, and almost hit a white snow rabbit. Immediately my senses were on high alert. The only reason a snow rabbit would be white in the summer is if it was kept inside for a substitution... and that would mean... A chakra shot up behind us!

"Duck!" Me and Kakashi chorused. I dropped down, taking Sakura and Sasuke with me, Kakashi got Tazuna and Naruto.

A sword whirled over our heads, it would have chopped us all in half if Me and Kakashi hadn't noticed. A man appeared on the sword after it embedded itself in a tree. We stood and faced the... man-cow? He had leg and arm warmers with cow print on them and all I could think was man-cow. Who cares if the man is deadly? If you go out dressed as a cow confused about how it ended up in a man's body, you're gonna get some crap for it.

"So would it be a bad time to ask who the man-cow is?" I voiced the question.

"It might be a bit of one Sara." Kakashi said sweat-dropping.

"Alright then, who is he?" I asked slightly more politely. I might as well since he could kill me.

"Zabuza of the blood mist village, known as a demon from their old test when he killed the graduating class of ninja when he wasn't even enrolled."

"Got it, super dangerous, I should let you handle it then?"

"Yes Sara, that would be a good idea, take a co-leader position and watch over the other three. Now then, manji formation! Protect Tazuna!"

"Right!" We all chorused, surrounding Tazuna in an outward facing box.

"Well, if it isn't saringan Kakashi, it looks like you have some brats with you as well, and one of them doesn't seem too bad." I looked over and saw that Kakashi had pulled his headband up, revealing his other eye, which did, indeed, have a sharingan. Mist started to roll in then making it hard to see, and I drew my sword, as well as the knife I had in the sheath of my skirt. The knife got caught on the skirt and I fumbled for a second. I'll need to rethink putting the knife there.

"Aww, Kakashi-sensei, now I can't call you pirate." I joked, it sounded care free, but it certainly wasn't. I was surprised, the sharingan was limited to the Uchiha, which he wasn't. The eye would have had to have been implanted in him. It made me wonder. I looked over to see Sasuke reacting negatively to the blood thirst in the air, and looked like he would stab himself with a kunai.

"Sasuke you gotta chill out. You'll be fine, trust Kakashi."

"Sara's right, I won't let any of my comrades die." His sad smile saying that made me think that it had happened before, but it was best to not bring that up now.

The fog thickened until we couldn't see our sensei anymore. Then Zabuza had to go all creepy and list all the parts he could murder us from.

The sound of his voice was getting steadily closer, even though he had made it sound like he was in the same spot by getting quieter as he approached us. It wasn't a huge surprise then when he appeared in the middle of the formation.

I turned and stabbed him with the knife and he dispersed into water, there was another Zabuza in front of us but he was stopped by Kakashi. They did this whole clone thing which ended with Kakashi standing with a kunai at his neck.

I broke from the formation and went up to them, kicking the man-cow in the face and sending him flying back onto the lake. I then went back into formation with my teammates.

The battle went on for a while, until Kakashi was trapped in a ball of water.

"You guys, take Tazuna and run. A water clone can't go far from the original body." Kakashi ordered hastily.

I turned to Tazuna. "How close is your house?"

"It's pretty close actually, only a mile or two down the trail."

"Then that's not an option..." I thought furiously. I eventually came up with a plan, and Naruto, acted just how I expected.

He charged the clone and fought with him, he was kicked back towards us and had lost his headband. Zabuza stepped on the headband and caused Naruto to run at him again.

He was sent back, but while he attacked the Zabuza clone I told the plan to Sasuke and Sakura, they both nodded and agreed. When Naruto was sent flying back towards us I rushed and told him the plan while he tied his headband on again. While I was doing that Sasuke conveniently attacked and got caught. Naruto nodded signaling he got the plan.

I went back to Sakura and Tazuna while Naruto created a Kagebunshin army to help Sasuke. Sasuke then leaped up and escaped while Naruto transformed into a demon wind shuriken, hiding in a clones bag. When the clones were sent back flying the clone tossed the shuriken to Sasuke who, using his own threw the Naruto shuriken in the shadow. He aimed them at the real Zabuza who was then forced to release the jutsu and Kakashi.

Kakashi and Zabuza then resumed the fight. Which ended with Zabuza pinned to a tree by kunai. However Kakashi didn't get to deliver the final blow, it was a tracker nin with senbon needles. Odd, why senbon needles?

"Thank you, I was waiting for a chance to kill the rouge ninja Zabuza, you helped me."

"Not a pro-" Kakashi cut off as he fell down. He had used too much chakra with the sharingan. I flashed over to hold him up. He had fainted. I took charge then.

"It wasn't a problem, you probably need to dispose of the body now." I watched him carefully, not sure of his true motives.

"Right, then I'll just take the body now." With that he lifted the body and took it with him. I would have commented, but with Kakashi out for the count, I decided it better to not pick a fight I wasn't confident in winning.

"Then we'll be off our selves."

With that we parted ways and we walked on to Tazuna's home. I dragged Kakashi along on my back though his feet dug into the ground making small ruts because he was taller than me.

When we got to the house I took him to the guest room that they said was for us. I set Kakashi on the floor and made up a bed for him rolling him onto it. After tending to his, my teammates, and my own wounds I collapsed onto my own bed. Only one thought was going through my head as I fell into unconsciousness:

Kakashi is really heavy.