Naruto slowly opened his eyes, he found himself sat in the centre of a small clearing, his body stiff from being sat in his meditating position all night. The team only had two days left before Zabuza would make his final stand, and their training had been put into overdrive, they wouldn't stop training to early in the morning, Kakashi would then force them awake immediately after seven hours sleep, though Naruto was up much earlier than that, he had woke early and decided to find a quite place to meditate, resulting in his current location. His red hair blew in the slight breeze. His coat was still on his body. He sent his senses out, feeling the things around him he felt calm and relaxed, which was until he felt a familiar chakra signature entered his range. It was the one accompanying Zabuza the other day. Kakashi's words filling into his head.

"Zabuza used a fake hunter-nin to get away" echoed Kakashi's voice, Naruto instantly had blue Katana's revolving around him, the girl stepped out of the tree and looked at Naruto, the blades all stopped moving, and in a blink they were each pointing at her. The girl gasped.

"One wrong move hunter-nin, and Zabuza is as good as dead" said Naruto coldly, the girl gasped and moved her hand to the basket she was carrying. Naruto opened his eyes revealing red swirls; the girl grabbed a handful of senbon and prepared to launch them at Naruto. Naruto smirked and the blades moved back slightly before being rocketed forward one after the other. The girl gasped and dashed around the tree's dodging the swords. Naruto flipped backwards, watching as a few senbon passed beneath his head. He landed on his feet and smirked; the girl huffed slightly and threw very precise senbon. Naruto swiftly pulled out his tanto and blocked each senbon with a graceful arc of his blade. The girl just growled and clicked her teeth. Naruto slid the blade home, and tilting his head slightly, he caught the final senbon between his fingers. He noticed the poison dripping off the end, his spiral swirled, unknown to him, and Naruto suddenly felt the weight of the senbon being pulled to the girl. Naruto released the senbon and the girl gasped as it slid past her cheek. Cutting enough to place the poison, she felt her knees crumple as the fast acting poison took effect.

"H...how" she whispered, Naruto simply pulled out his tanto as he stepped closer.

"Your chakra signature; it has a strange coolness about it. I recognized it from the other day" said Naruto calmly.

"So...It was you" she whispered, Naruto nodded and with an icy look he plunged the blade deep into her chest. Her eyes wide with shock.

"You are a hazard to the team, I cannot allow you to interfere" said Naruto as he pulled out his blade, with an elegant twirl, the blood flew off of the blade creating a line in the ground.

"D...Damnit" she wheezed, Naruto simply turned and walked away sliding his tanto into its scabbard. He stumbled through the forest, his heart aching slightly, he had just killed in cold blood; the girl was defenceless, he should have just let the poison finish her. He shook his head, what's done is done. He knew that killing her was the only way to protect his team. As he walked through the tree line he watched as Sasuke fell from quite high up the tree. He looked at Naruto's dishevelled look and snorted.

"Fell asleep outside idiot" chuckled Sasuke, Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"Nah was meditating too long, go too involved" said Naruto calmly, he moved through the tree line and found Sakura attempting to revive a fish.

"Ah Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, is back at the house" said Sakura, Naruto nodded and watched as the fish suddenly started flapping wildly.

"Well done" said Naruto simply, Sakura smiled and quickly put the fish into the large bowl of water she had. She quickly stood up and skipped to where Sasuke was. Naruto just shook his head and moved towards the house, thoughts going everywhere. Kyuubi had finalised the theory of the emotions. Naruto had a lot of power, all controlled mentally, his body had a naturally calming aura

And with his abilities that were fed off of emotions, they were lowered to stop his body from destroying itself should he ever lose control. It was still just speculation; the many theories being thrown around were giving Naruto a headache. Naruto saw Kakashi sat on the porch, he looked up and frowned.

"What is it" asked Kakashi, he had recognised the tenseness in Naruto's shoulder; Naruto was stressed and was locking it up.

"I killed the hunter-nin, she was in the same area, she attacked so I retaliated, I killed her to avoid problems later" said Naruto, his tone seemed to wobble slightly. But his face kept the calm countenance.

"Well done Naruto, I know how you must feel, but know, this may have saved your teammates." Said Kakashi, Naruto nodded and sat beside Kakashi.

"It feels weird. I feel the emotion, but my body just doesn't react." Said Naruto, he frowned slightly.

"It reacts enough Naruto, you need to be careful Zabuza will come at you with a harsh vengeance" said Kakashi softly, Naruto nodded and pulled out his book.

"I am counting on that" said Naruto simply, Kakashi smiled slightly.

"Let the rest of the team have fun" said Kakashi, Naruto smirked slightly his face ever calm.

"Oh I will" said Naruto, Sakura walked through the forest. Her chakra had sensed another fading chakra near, so she decided to get to it as soon as possible. The chakra faltered slightly, Sakura picked up her pace and when she dashed through the clearing. She saw charred trees, senbon littered the grounds, she also recognised Naruto's calm chakra signature permeating the area, meaning he had to have been here. She turned and gasped at the smear of blood that seemed to be going off through the trees. Running after it, she came to an attractive girl, blood soaked her pink kimono. Her hair was caked in dirt and blood, the girl was breathing shallow. Sakura gasped and rolled the girl over, the girl had a distinct blade shape in her chest, thankfully it had missed the heart, Sakura held a glowing blue hand over the chest. Her eyes closed as she scanned the wound. The girl had a pierced lung, and her heart had been grazed slightly. Sakura's glowing blue hand changed to green, and with a focused mind she began repairing the wound. After an hour, Sakura gasped as the wound closed completely, she had managed to heal a wound. Her chakra was extremely low though, if this girl attacked she wouldn't be able to use a single jutsu. Sakura, with what little chakra she had left, changed her hand back to blue and did the diagnostic jutsu on her. The girl opened her eyes, her lids heavy; she saw the pinkette that was part of the Konoha Nin crew. The cold silver eyes flashed through her mind painfully.

"I have healed your wound, but im sorry, but you will have severe breathing problems for the rest of your life, too much stress and you could die" said Sakura sadly, of course Sakura was only speculating, she had read only a few books about anatomy, so she couldn't be sure. The girl nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you for healing me" said the girl softly, Sakura nodded and helped the girl sit.

"Would you like me to help you get home" said Sakura, the girl shook her head.

"No it's fine, I don't live too far, I should make it, you did a fine job healing me, thank you" Said the girl, Sakura nodded with a big smile, though as she eyed the hole, she had to know.

"Who did this to you" asked Sakura, the girl fingered the hole in her kimono.

"A red haired boy with a cold gaze" shivered the girl, Sakura gasped slightly, fear in her eyes.

"What is your name" asked Sakura, the girl tilted her head.

"My name is Haku, yours" asked Haku kindly, Sakura smiled slightly, though the fear was evident in her eyes.

"Sakura, it was lovely to meet you" said Sakura kindly, Haku smiled and nodded, her eyes drifting to what was a fatal wound.

"How ironic, my enemy tries to kill me, and my enemy ends up healing me too. Zabuza-sama will be disappointed in me" thought Haku, Sakura moved away and Haku looked at Sakura.

"You will make a great medic one day" said Haku before walking away.

"If you survive past Friday that is" thought Haku, memories of the skilled red head shot through her mind. It would be tough, but she only hoped Zabuza forgave her for her weakness. Sakura walked towards the house with a thoughtful scowl on her face. Sasuke had just walked through the door, Naruto and Kakashi were inside talking about god knows. As Sakura walked through the door, her team took in her blood covered hands.

"Sakura are you okay" asked Kakashi in shock, Sakura glared as Naruto's cool gaze roamed over her.

"No Sensei, I just had to heal a girl Naruto almost killed, I was lucky to be there on..." but Sakura was cut off by the drastic drop in temperature, Naruto was glaring icily, he disappeared and Sakura squeaked as a hand wrapped around her throat and slammed her against the wall. Everyone was frozen momentarily.

"Do you have any idea what you have done" snapped Naruto, his voice actually sounded angry, and what was worse, his eyes and frown showed emotion. Sakura realised with fear, she was the only one who had come close to breaking Naruto's calm mask.

"Naruto she didn't know" said Kakashi, placing a calming hand on Naruto's. Naruto dropped Sakura to the floor and glared at her.

"You know that fake hunter Nin that went around with Zabuza?" Asked Naruto, Sasuke immediately caught on and glared as Sakura.

"Yeah what about him" asked Sakura, Naruto's eyes flashed slightly.

"Well that was the girl you just saved. You just saved the enemy Sakura" said Naruto, his cold tone condescending, his face once again went to betraying nothing.

"Well how was I supposed to know, you could have told me" growled Sakura, Naruto simply raised an eyebrow.

"Well I didn't know you were going to go around and play Good Samaritan now did I" said Naruto coolly, the team relaxed once they had realised Naruto had relaxed. Naruto held his hand out to Sakura who was crumpled on the floor.

"Sakura, whilst I am proud you have achieved such a high level in medical jutsu in only three days. You can't just go around saving everyone, but I understand you weren't to know" said Kakashi, Naruto rubbed his hand back through his hair an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry Sakura, kinda just lost my cool there, literally" chuckled Naruto, Sakura smiled and shook his hand.

"It's okay Naruto, it must have been hard dealing with the killing, only to realise it was in vein" said Sakura, Naruto nodded slightly.

"Something like that" said Naruto simply, Sakura remembered something instantly though.

"It's okay though, she has permanent heart and lung damage, so she shouldn't be too much of an opposition" said Sakura, Kakashi smiled and patted Sakura on the head.

"You are very skilled indeed, you may rival Tsunade Senju one day" said Kakashi, Sakura beamed with pride, Kakashi sighed and moved to the table.

"We have one more day left before Zabuza makes his stand" said Naruto calmly, Sasuke nodded and looked at Kakashi who was looking at them with an eye smile.

"Yeah, and with the hunter-nin weak, he may make a desperate attack earlier" said Sakura, Naruto stood with his arms crossed.

"Zabuza is not the type; he has that Nin wrapped around his finger" said Naruto, Sakura blinked slightly.

"How do you know" asked Sakura, Naruto just shrugged.

"Was she still dying in the clearing, or had she moved." Asked Naruto, Sakura frowned and remembered the blood smear that showed she had crawled.

"She had crawled away from the clearing" said Sakura, Naruto nodded.

"She is loyal to Zabuza, as soon as I identified her, she immediately went on the defence, but as soon as I threatened Zabuza she moved to attack." Said Naruto, Sasuke frowned slightly.

"He could have her believe she is a weapon, a tool so to speak" said Sasuke, Naruto frowned.

"That's a little specific, what gave you that idea?" asked Naruto, Sasuke smirked slightly.

"When you went to kill her, did she show anger, fear or regret?" asked Sasuke, Naruto thinned his eyes slightly.

"Sadness and regret" said Naruto coolly, Sasuke nodded.

"Coupled with the fact she had crawled away showed her devotion, if she had accepted her defeat, I would have believed that they were close. But that borders on obsession" said Sasuke, his tone signified he was thinking of something else entirely. Naruto nodded accepting Sasuke's theory.

"But I don't fully believe he thinks she is a tool, there has to be something there, she was dressed casually" said Sakura, Naruto raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Casually, and that matters..." said Naruto, Kakashi just sat back with a smile, his team were truly something else, when they worked together; they were probably the smartest of the bunch. No other team rivalled his.

"Because, if she were merely a tool, she would not be allowed to change out of battle suit, or leave his side" said Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto blinked and then smirked, both were warm.

"Good thinking" said Naruto, Sasuke gave a grunt and Sakura beamed with pride.

"At first, when I thought of Naruto being on this team, I thought he would still be that annoying brat from before. But Naruto is calm, cool and mysterious, him and Sasuke are opposites yet similar too. Both show little emotion, though Naruto shows less than Sasuke, but they both compliment eachother well. Sasuke is the moon, dark and mysterious; Naruto is the sun, powerful, calming but also mysterious in his own way" Sakura thought to herself, she was happy with the team, they all worked well together, and they were starting to respect her.

"So we need to be prepared for a subtly angry Zabuza, a wounded Haku who is going to be desperate in trying to earn Zabuza's favour." Said Sasuke, Naruto nodded.

"And their target will be me" said Naruto simply, Sasuke bristled slightly but otherwise ignored it. Kakashi sighed.

"I want us to protect the bridge builder tomorrow, something tells me Zabuza will try tomorrow, even in his weakened state, he is enough for you" said Kakashi, Naruto frowned slightly but otherwise nodded.

"I think we should leave a clone here, in case" said Naruto, Kakashi nodded. They ate in silence in anticipation for a fight the next day. Naruto was calm he had faith in the teams abilities, Sasuke was eager; he needed to prove his place in the team once more. Sakura knew she had to be ready; she was the medic, she was eager to put Ino in her place once she got back.