A/N: You’ve officially passed the halfway point! Hang in there, just a few more long chapters and then the epilogue. Again, I don’t own anyone from the Narutoverse. sighs

Warning(s): Language, alcohol reference/usage, unbeta’d

Chapter 4: Tracked and Found

By the time Zabuza had sent out the hunter-nin after Haku, Tsunade had already sent Team Kakashi and Team Gai to the Hidden Sand to help save the Kazekage, Gaara. Both to fill the empty spot in the three-man cell and so the boy wouldn’t be left in Konoha alone, Haku was permitted to leave with them. It was on this mission that Haku discovered that Naruto was a jinchuuriki, and helped Naruto and Kakashi chase Deidara, who had fled with Gaara’s body.

After Gaara’s body was recovered and Chiyo gave her life to bring him back, they all returned to Sunagakure. The next day, the Leaf-nin and Haku left, bidding Gaara, Kankurou, and Temari goodbye, and they were back in Konoha after the next two.

As the group went to bring Kakashi to the hospital, Haku sensed something behind him, but saw nothing when he looked back. Watching behind him out of the corner of his eye, he followed the two teams, half-wishing his bloodline limit allowed him to see in all directions as the Byakugan could.

However, there was something, or more specifically, three someones. The hunter-nin squad flashed from the trees and over the main gate as they followed their target, remaining unnoticed by the watchmen and every other shinobi of the village. At the hospital, they watched from a safe distance, concealed in a tree. After a few minutes, they jumped away and headed back to report.

Though at that precise moment, Tsunade had gone to open the window in Kakashi’s room and saw three figures scatter from a nearby tree. She only caught a glimpse of pale white faces with black bodies that billowed out like a cloak. Blinking in surprise, she shook her head a little.

Hunter-nin in Konoha? She wondered as she left with Shizune. That’s a bold move since I know they don’t belong here. Root, the Military Police, and most of ANBU don’t dress in long black cloaks as

far as I know. Are these Kirigakure oinin? Or has another village created a division of them within their own ANBU? Oh this is going to give me a headache….

When they finally reached the Hokage’s office, Tsunade sent Shizune off to run some errands, and dug out a bottle of sake from her secret stash once she was sure the younger woman was gone. Halfway through, she set it down and began searching through her bookshelves. After fifteen minutes of carefully scanning titles, she wedged out a thick volume with collected images of typical shinobi attire from the assorted hidden villages from chuunin, upwards. Tsunade set it on her desk and opened it, flicking through the dusty pages until she found the ANBU and associated units section. Taking a sip with every page she browsed, she had just started into a second bottle when she found the picture and a standard profile of a Mist oinin. The traditional white mask, decorated solely with the two eye slits; red, blue, or teal markings painted on; and the four wavy lines indicating their loyalty to Kirigakure. The body was draped in a floor-length hooded cloak, which encircled it while extending out a little way on all sides. By the time she finished searching through the book, Tsunade had found no other ANBU or affiliated group to come near those she had seen sneaking around earlier.

Why the hell were they this far out of the Water Country? She thought, downing a good portion of sake. Even if they are hunting a bounty, there’s no reason for them to have been sneaking around Konoha. And what were they doing outside the hospital anyway? Were they after Kakashi? Or maybe Naruto and the Kyuubi? Or were they looking for Haku?

Tsunade took another sip from her bottle as she tried to think of any other possibilities, but could think of none. Only those three were most likely, besides herself, but she doubted highly they were after her. She polished off the bottle and threw it out as Shizune came back. Tsunade slammed the book shut and turned her chair to the side. She looked out the massive window, sighing inwardly.

Perhaps it’s time I had a meeting with the new Mizukage. Then maybe I’ll get some answers.

Zabuza had been irritable for the last four days he had waited until his shinobi returned. He was sitting at his desk, sifting through papers and muttering ominously at them while his eighteenth advisor stood up against a wall, failing to hide the fear in his eyes as they darted between the Mizukage and his massive blade, not far from its wielder’s reach.

Then they appeared. Zabuza looked up immediately and surveyed them.

“Get out of here,” he grunted at the advisor, who didn’t hesitate. “Take off those damned masks and tell me what you found out.”

They obeyed the first order to reveal two young women, one with reddish-brown hair, the other with black hair, like the young man.

“We found Haku-san in Konohagakure, accompanied by seven Leaf shinobi at the time, one of which was incapacitated,” one of the girls reported. “He appeared to have joined two teams on a mission outside of the village.”

“Any of the ninja he was with in your bingo books?” he asked irritably.

“Yes, the incapacitated ninja was Hatake Kakashi,” the boy answered promptly.

“Kakashi, huh?” Zabuza snorted. “You three can go now. I want a detailed report on your findings by tomorrow though.”

They nodded and were gone as fast as they had arrived.

As promised, the report contained details of what they saw, knew and guessed. Guesses included that there had been a major fight due to fresh scrapes on his body, and that it had probably been out of the country as the whole group seemed a little weary upon arrival, save two men in green bodysuits. He had also been talking with some familiarity with a blond boy. Zabuza narrowed his eyes and called in his advisor.

“Send a message to the Hokage of Konoha and tell them the Mizukage’s coming for a visit,” he ordered, pulling out his robes and hat, a slight look of annoyance crossing his face as he regarded the formal kage garb.

“Right away, sir!” the young man cried, sprinting out the door.

At the open-air roost, the advisor wrote out the letter and had it sent with the fastest messenger hawk they had.

A few hours later, Zabuza was ready to leave. A small squad of ANBU guards accompanying him, with only zanbatō strapped to his back. At the same time, the hawk made it to Konoha and his message was already in front of Tsunade.

As she read it, she couldn’t help but smirk a little. The man she had wanted to talk to was going to be in the village in a few days time. It seemed that things couldn’t go any better if they had planned it.

A/N: Please don’t forget to review. Reviews (especially concrit) make for a happy writer.