Tears and curses

Naruto and the rest of the gennin tried to avoid the grass Ninja as he attacked them. Even Naruto could tell something was wrong here since he was far too skilled to be a a simple Genin, his speed was even greater then that of Haku's and Sasuke was having problems keeping up with the strange new shinobi, even with his bloodline eyes working overtime.

Though Naruto thought it a bit odd, the grass ninja was mainly attacking Sasuke as he dodged and parried the attacks he went against him best he could, though he was still taking a beating. The only time the grass ninja seemed to attack them was if they got to close or the fight drifted towards them. "Naruto-kun, what should we do?", Ino asked as they watched the clash. "I mean, I don't think we should just leave him there, but does he really deserve our help with what he did to Sakura?", Ino asked as the group huddled together.

"We can't let him fight whoever that is alone, even if he was a bastard!", Naruto said as he jumped forward to help Sasuke. Ino sighed, wondering how her boyfriend could be so nice even for someone as Sasuke before Sakura and herself lept to join their teammate in the fight. "Oh, Sasuke-kun. It seems your friends are coming to help you. A futile effort, I'm afraid.", the grass ninja said as he pressed the attack.

As if batting away flies, the grass ninja blocked every attack Team Seven tried to use. Naruto's clones were destroyed almost as quickly as they were being made, Kunai and throwing stars were tossed about uselessly as the battle continued.

"Hehe, I must say, you don't give up, do you?", the grass nin chuckled before suddenly turning to glare at the Genin before him. "Too bad you're going to die here!".

Suddenly, a needle flew through the air and cut off some of the long hair of the grass ninja. Everyone turned to see where the needle had come from to see a outwardly calm Haku holding several more of the needles like the one just used. "Haku-chan, you're going to help us fight her?", Naruto asked, surprised as the Mist kunoichi grinned. "Of course, Naruto-kun. The only person who will be the one to take your head is me!", Haku replied, making Team 7 sweatdrop.

"Ummmm... thanks, Haku-chan, I guess.", Naruto said, not sure how to take a girl who was only helping you live so she can do you in herself later. "This is all rather amusing.", the grass ninja said, looking them over. "You actually think you can beat me. Well, too bad you'll never do it.", the grass ninja said in her sickeningly smooth voice

"We'll see about that!", Naruto yelled, charging yet again and trying to land a good solid hit on their opponent, only for each hit to be blocked effortlessly by the ninja. "You don't get it, do you?", the grass-nin said, sounding more annoyed as he gave a sharp kick to Narutos chest and sent him skidding back, close to Haku who made a less then happy face towards the foreign ninja. "If you keep insisting on being a nuisance, then I guess I will have to take care of you.".

While still keeping Sasuke occupied, the grass ninja looked at Haku with a sinister glint in her eye. "Since you have some actual skill, you get to die first!", the ninja yelled and with her free hand grabbed one of the discarded weapons from the ground. Haku was confident that she could block a weapon thrown at her, not bothering to move at all.

"Haku-chan, look out!", Naruto yelled, surprising her as he jumped to her and shoved her out of the way, right before the clone of the ninja before her would have given a fatal stab to her back. Naruto instead took it in the arm as he groaned in pain. "Naruto-kun!", Ino yelled as she rushed to his side with Sakura, both who couldn't believe he would do something like that.

Haku looked up from her place on the ground to see the kunai wound Naruto received after pushing her out of the way like that. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the pained look on his face as he stood nevertheless to face the grass ninja. "You think that's going to work here? You think a little wound like this will stop me?", Naruto yelled as the grass ninja stared at him.

"It's going to take a lot more then that to stop Naruto Uzumaki!", Naruto yelled as the grass Ninja seemed to realize something. "Uzumaki... well now, that changes things.", the strange shinobi said as he flexed her fingers. "Sit still Sasuke, I'll be right back.", he said before hitting him in the gut hard, knocking the wind out from the last Uchiha and dropping his prone body to the ground.

"Here is something just for you, Naruto-kun.", the grass ninja said as Naruto charged, fully intending to fight if with an injured arm. "Bring it on!".

Suddenly, a grin took over the ninjas face and before Sakura or Ino could yell out for Naruto to stop, it had already happened. Using a strange jutsu, the grass ninja slammed her hand into Naruto's stomach, making the pain he felt when he had the Kunai cut him feel like a feather tickling his foot in comparison.

"There, that's one problem down!", the grass ninja said after Naruto's scream died down. Grabbing him by the back of his clothes, the grass ninja tossed him away like trash and ignored the rest as he walked back to Sasuke, who was just beginning to recover from the previous punch. "You... you... how?", Sasuke gasped weakly, trying to form a sentence and making the ninja above him smirk.

"Why Sasuke-kun, you will come to thank me for this gift. And soon you're going to seek me out for more.", the ninja said before his neck grew like a vine and he suddenly bit down on his shoulder, making the Uchiha yell much like Naruto before. As Ino, Sakura and Haku stared at the strange act, the ninja chuckled darkly before staring at the three. "Yesss, all is falling into place now.", the ninja said as he sunk into the tree, before disappearing from view.

Suddenly alone in the clearing, Ino and Sakura rushed to check on their teammate as they saw his eyes closing slowly. "Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun, wake up! Don't close your eyes! Naruto-kun!", Ino yelled and Naruto's last sight was of his worried teammates, the concerned Haku, and the forest around them.