__Sara Pov__

I awoke early the next morning completely refreshed from the battle. I was quite amazed that we got out of it virtually unscathed, other than Kakashi using way too much chakra and exhausting himself. I looked over at our still asleep sensei, I replaced the headband over his eye and straightened my clothes. I walked out of our shared room where everyone was still asleep to explore the area and the house.

The house was relatively small and out in the forest. The path leading from the house split and lead away towards the earlier lake, and the town. I walked towards town and it was no more than a mile or two down the path. I walked back to the house and heard people moving about. Someone was awake now at least. I walked in and saw Tsunami up making breakfast, I could tell that no one else was up yet.

"Would you like some help in making breakfast? I may not be a good cook, but I can help prepare things for you."

"That sounds very nice, thank you Sara. I could teach you how to cook while you're here, I think a girl should know how to cook at least a little so they can pull a man in."

I smiled at her old-fashioned views, but had to agree nonetheless. I didn't want to starve if my future husband couldn't cook.

"I would appreciate that Tsunami, it might be difficult, since Kakashi will probably have us training, but when I have the time, if you would please."

As we made breakfast the inhabitants of the household gradually awoke to the smell and came to sit around the table in lighthearted chatter. The events of yesterday pushed to the furthest corner of their mind. I could sense Kakashi was awake, but he probably wouldn't be moving much until later in the afternoon at the latest since he would push himself.

Tsunami and I placed the food on the table. I took a tray and piled it with food for Kakashi, taking it in to him.

"Here Kaka-baka. The nickname suits you even better now, you should know your chakra limits after all."

He sweat dropped and sat up slightly, I helped him up and placed the food onto his lap.

"Sara, what did the tracker nin do with Zabuza's body? Something has been bothering me."

"She took it away, and I know what you're thinking Kakashi. Zabuza is still alive I knew that before the tracker nin even left. I just thought it unwise to go looking for a fight against an unknown enemy with you out of commission like that. Our goal is to protect Tazuna after all."

He nodded agreeing with my choice of action. "Don't tell anyone yet, I'll let them know later on in the day."

"Got it. At least having been put in a near death state he won't be able to move for a while from the shock. That means we have some time."

"Go eat... well, at least go sit with the others so I can eat then." He amended his statement when I gave him a look. He and I were alike in not showing our faces at least.

I walked out and shut the door behind me, I heard him shift and knew he had begun eating. I went back to the dining room/kitchen area and sat at the table with my teammates.

"You aren't eating Sara?" Sakura questioned.

I looked over at her as I answered. "I'll eat later, when I'm alone."

"Why not eat right now with all of us? It's more fun then." She pressed.

"Probably for about the same reason Kaka-baka doesn't eat with you guys."

She thought about that. "Because of the mask?"

"You could say that."

"Why do you both refuse to let us see your faces?" Naruto joined in.

"Wow, that was some nice wording there spikes, you almost seemed smart. Anyways, I have my reasons, and I'm sure Kaka-baka has his own as well."

"I wish we knew what was under both your masks..." Sakura voiced.

"Well, I wish that I could fly."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tazuna piped up. I was wondering if any of the three that weren't my teammates would speak.

"Well you master drunkard, I thought we were listing dreams that will most likely never happen." My teammates sweatdropped and the family all anime fell. "Well, I think I'll go eat in a closet or something, Kaka-baka said to socialize and I did. You dare come look while I'm eating and you will have a knife up where the sun never shines." With that I took a plate and walked off.

__Third Person Pov__

"You all have a very straightforward teammate." Tazuna commented when Sara left.

"I suppose you could say that." Sasuke replied.

"To be honest you could say a lot of things, but that wouldn't make them true." Sakura added.

Tsunami looked around with interest. "You don't actually think she would follow through on that, do you?"

All three ninja had completely straight faces when they all answered together, "Yes, yes we do."

With that there was a tense silence afterward, broken when Sara came back in the room. "That was very delicious Tsunami, could you give me the recipe perhaps? Although I don't think I would make it as well as you did."

"Of course I could Sara." Tsunami said happily.

"Oh! and before I forget..." She turned to her team. "I heard what you said, I'm insulted you think that. The worst I would do is demean you with one of my pranks." She turned and walked into the kitchen.

"The only problem is..." Naruto started.

"...your pranks can be even scarier." Sakura finished.

The three that didn't know Sara as well had looks of horror on their faces. Until Sara popped back around the corner.

"I wouldn't do anything deadly! You guys see me as some horrible person, but the worst I would do is make honey biscuits!"

"Hn, like I would fall for that Sara." Sasuke bragged, wanting his ego stroked.

"Would you like to make a bet with me duckbutt?" Sara replied.

"Yeah, what are the conditions?" He inquired.

"Let's see... I have to get you by the end of this mission for it to count, and in front of the master drunkard and his family."

"So what do I get when I win?"

"You, won't win. Just to make you happy though, I'll let you choose what you want me to do on the highly unlikely chance you win."

Sasuke thought for a moment trying to get the best deal for when he won. "You have to stop with every nickname and insulting comment. You cannot annoy me in any way until you die, and if you do, you have to bow down in public to ask for forgiveness."

"Alright then, if I win you have to be my servant for a week. You must do anything I say and if there are missions the time is halted for the duration and tacked on to the end. You cannot avoid me during the week long period either. It is also any week of my choosing. So then, do we have a deal duckbutt?"

"Fine Sara, you got a deal."

__Sara Pov__

I already knew how I was going to set up the prank. I also knew that I had until the bridge was finished and we were on our way back to Konoha. The mission didn't end until we walked back though the gates of Konoha. So using how I knew most people would think, they would expect it at meals, when everyone was gathered. This was Sasuke though, and I knew the perfect place and time to set this trap, especially after I knew what the training would be when I talked to Kakashi.

I was brought out of my thoughts though by the matter at hand. We had to discuss with everyone the situation with Zabuza.

"So, have any of you, besides Sara, figured anything out?" Kakashi asked beating around the bush in a major way.

Naruto piped up, "That Sara is very scary?" I shot him a glare.

"No Naruto, we're talking about Zabuza. It worries me how he was dealt with. Why would a tracker nin use senbon needles? They have a very low success rate for a killing blow. Also there was how he dealt with the body."

"What do you mean Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura questioned.

I answered instead. "Why would he take the body away?"

"Wouldn't that be to keep the jutsu's and secret's he knew from enemy hands and to let his superiors know he was truly dead?"

"No, you're missing the big point. You are semi right though. Tracker nins do dispose of dead bodies for that very reason, but no matter the village, the body is burned, that's no secret. Even if he needed proof, he could have just taken the head back, so why go to the trouble of bringing the entire body?"

"Are you both saying that Zabuza is still alive?" Sasuke asked quietly from the corner of the room.

Five gasps were heard throughout the room, we had let Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari listen to the discussion because it involved their family completely.

"But that can't be true. We saw him drop to the ground dead! Sara even felt for a pulse and there wasn't one!" Sakura exclaimed all their thoughts.

"Not exactly true," Kakashi took this explanation. "A tracker nin knows the inner workings of a body as well as any medical ninja, if not better. It would be a simple task to use acupuncture to put someone into a near death state."

"So what are we going to do then?" Naruto questioned.

"Even if Zabuza is alive, he won't be able to move for a while. Getting that near to death takes a toll on the body, and he won't be moving for a week at least. In that time we will be doing training for you four."

"What training could you possibly do in a week that would make you able to stand up to Gato's men?" Inari said in the most depressing tone I'd ever heard from a kid. "If you go against Gato, you'll all just be killed!" so saying he then ran off upstairs, probably to cry. I hated to see kids sad, in my opinion every child should have a smile on their face, unfortunately though, that wasn't how the world worked.

We were all silent for a while until Naruto spoke up. "So when are we starting the training Kakashi?"

"We'll start later this afternoon, I should be able to walk by then... at least with crutches."

They all continued to talk, but I slipped out the door, walking upstairs to find Inari. He was in his room crying over a picture looking out at the ocean. I knocked quietly on the door, and he took a moment to compose himself before calling softly, "Come in."

"Hey, what are you up to Inari?"

"What do you want?" He had a pretty harsh tone.

"Geez kid, no need to jump down my throat! I just want to hang out for a while."

"You want to hang out?" He looked confused.

"Yeah! We could take a walk through the forest and look for wild vegetables for dinner." I was guessing not to mention the ocean in anyway since he had been looking at it while he was crying.

"Why would we do that?"

"Because it would be fun. Not to mention we could eat some pretty good food for dinner. I always prefer fresh vegetables." I smiled widely at him, even if he couldn't see behind the mask, he could see it in my eyes.

"I suppose I could come with you." He was a little hesitant in his answer.

"That's good, I didn't want to go alone. A girl like me needs someone there to help her. I couldn't carry all the vegetables myself, I needed a strong boy with me."

"I'll come down in a minute then to help."

"Alright then, see you soon!" With that I walked out and down the stairs turning into the room with everyone there.

"What is it Sara?" Tsunami asked me when she noticed me in the doorway.

"Inari and I are going out for a bit to pick some vegetables for dinner in the forest." I turned to Kakashi. "I'll be a little late to training, but don't worry about a map, I'll follow your chakras. I'll pick some herbs to help you heal as well."

Tsunami turned to me, and I could see the happiness in her eyes and hear it in her voice. "There is a basket in the hall closet you can use, two actually."

"Alright, thanks." With that I grabbed the two baskets and waited for Inari by the door.

Eventually Inari came down to join me and we walked out the door together. "Let's find some good food, alright."

"Ok..." He sounded a tad reluctant still, but maybe I'd get though to him during our trip.

__Kakashi Pov__

I watched as Sara left the room. Some minutes later I heard her and Inari leave the house, I wasn't too worried about her, it was unlikely that anyone would attack them.

"That girl... she really is something else." Tazuna commented.

Tsunami turned to him to reply, "She really is, I'm glad she's here."

"What are you talking about?" That one was Naruto.

"Sara, she's very kind natured. Not only that she has these motherly instincts. I haven't been able to get Inari farther than 20 feet from the house, but she comes along and now their taking a trek into the forest together. Her childish nature reaches out to kids and they naturally trust her."

"Yes, you should see the three kids she lives with. They aren't even her siblings but they call her Sara-nee. Even though they call her sister though, she really is like a parent. Even Hibiko, she changed him from a snob to someone who values hard work. Kids really do love her." I agreed to Tsunami's comment. All of my other students nodded in complete agreement.

"Now that doesn't surprise me a bit." Tazuna put in. "You best take care of her, she has a bright future."

"We will, because we're a team, believe it!" Naruto proclaimed.

Sakura nodded enthusiastically as well. "She's like a sister to me as well."

"Hn" even though that was all Sasuke said, it was in a sort of agreeing tone.

I smiled. This team was definitely something. What they didn't see though, was that it wasn't just Sara that had a good future, it was all of them.

I'm sure they will all grow to be fine shinobi one day. I wouldn't tell them though, it would only make their ego's bigger.

"I do wonder though... how is Sara going to pull that prank off on you Sasuke?" Naruto taunted lightly.

"She won't, obviously. I'm going to win that bet."

Then they were off arguing. Sakura looked like she would side with Sasuke, but I knew she wanted to see a prank pulled off.

That day may be farther away than thought...