» Volume 002 Summary «

The third Hokage hands over a list of all past students of Kakashi and their records to Iruka. He notices that Kakashi has never let anyone pass.

Kakashi tells his team that they didn't understand the answer to the test: teamwork. There were only two bells to make the team members fight amongst themselves. After lunch they will get another chance. Sakura and Sasuke can eat, as long as they give nothing to Naruto. Anyone who gives him food, will fail immediately. As soon as Kakashi is gone Sasuke gives food to Naruto. He needs him to get the bells after lunch, Naruto will be useless on an empty stomach. This was exactly the purpose of the test. They all pass. The next day the team will start its duties.

The first tasks are very easy, and they soon are accomplished. The third Hokage explains to the team that the village receives tasks every day. They are divided into 4 categories, A, B, C and D. A is the most difficult, and D the least. Genins go on C and D rank missions; Chuunins (Average Ninjas) B and C rank mssions; Jounins (Upper Ninjas) A rank missions. When duties are completed successfully, the village receives payment from the clients. Naruto seems to have grown since his time at Ninja Academy and he really wishes a more difficult mission, so the Hokage assigns them a C rank mission.

Their task is to protect the expert bridge builder Tazuna. They must supervise him back to Wave country. Although Wave Country doesn't have shinobis (ninjas), there are several hidden towns with shinobis (leaf, mist, cloud, sand and stone). Every hidden town has a Kage (most powerful leader). Kakashi tells them there is no ninja combat in a C rank mission. The party walks on and finds itself ambushed. Two ninjas jump out of a puddle and disable Kakashi.

Next the ninjas attack Naruto. He freezes and gets hurt by the ninjas. Then the ninjas attack Tuzana. Sasuke blocks them. Then Kakashi appears and beats up the ninjas. He used Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Substitute Skill) to get into safety earlier. Though Naruto froze, Sasuke kept cool and protected Naruto and Tuzana. Naruto was hit by a poisonous claw, and his wound requires medical attention.

The ambush ninjas are Hidden Mist chuunins. They ask Kakashi how he was able to read their movements. He tells them a puddle is not likely to exist in this sunny time of year. He let his team fight to see who they were after. It turned out they were after Tuzana. There is something he didn't tell them. There were ninjas after him. Kakashi says this should have been a more expensive B rank mission. Now that the Demon Brothers have been defeated, the enemy sends The Devil of the Hidden Mist (Momoshi Zabuza), a Jounin.

Naruto takes his kunai (knife) and cuts out the wound to stop the poisoning. The wound immediately starts to heal. Kakashi discovers this is the power of the Nine Tails, but doesn't share that with the team.

By boat the team is taken to the bridge Tuzana is building on. Tazuna tells them Gatou, a wealthy shipping magnate is after his life. Besides his business life Gatou has trades in drugs and has gangs of ninjas. Gatou took over Wave Country and has a monopoly over all incoming and leaving goods. His only fear is the completion of the bridge. Gatou sends out ninjas to disable Tazuna, a threat to his businesses. The wave country is to poor to pay for B rank missions, so Tazuna said this protection mission to be a c rank mission.

Naruto finds a white snow rabbit. White is its color during winter, but now it's summer. Kakashi realises this one must have been caged and now released for body switching purposes. It's a trap!

Momochi Zabuza, a Missing-Nin (a ninja who has abandoned his village) Jounin from Hidden Mist, makes his appearance. Kakashi recognizes him and warns the others to step back.

Zabuza recognizes Kakashi and calls him Sharingan Kakashi. Sasuke looks surprised. The others wonder what it is. Kakashi pulls away his forehead protector. His eye has 3 black signs: the Sharingan (Copy Wheel Eye). Sasuke explains that some ninjas have the ability to read all Gen-, Tai- and Nin-jutsu. One of those abilities is the Sharingan. Besides that, the Sharingan can copy every once seen technique. Sasuke knows the Sharingan is used only by people of the Uchiha clan, which he also belongs to.

Zabuza tells them he has to kill Tazuna, but will fight Kakashi first. Suddenly he uses a mist technique and disappears. He releases his chakra, which puts chills on everyone's spine. A sudden strike for Kakashi makes Kakashi turn out to be a water clone. Then Kakashi strikes back from out of the mist. Kakashi quickly sneaks up behind Zabuza and holds a kunai against Zabuza's throat.

Kakashi holds a kunai against Zabuza's throat. However this Zabuza is also not real, he is still in the mist. After some Tai-jutsu fighting Kakashi gets smashed into a lake by Zabuza. Zabuza uses a Water Prison to catch Kakashi. Then he summons some Water Clones to let them finish it. One Clone Zabuza kicks Naruto, who loses his forehead protector. Kakashi tells his team to leave. As long as Kakashi is kept prisoner Zabuza cannot move and the clones cannot go far from his real body, so they can run into safety. Naruto ignores it and hurries back to get his forehead protector.

Naruto makes up a plan and tells it to Sasuke. Quickly Zabuza attacks and injures Sasuke. Then Naruto performs his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. All Shadow Clones attack Zabuza to distract him. Naruto throws an Evil Wind Shuriken (Large Ninja Star) to Sasuke. Sasuke catches it and aims it at the real Zabuza. He tries to dodge it, but finds another shuriken in the shadow. He manages to dodge them both. The hiding Shuriken was the transformed real Naruto, and he attacks Zabuza.

Naruto throws a kunai to Zabuza. Zabuza manages to dodge it, but cannot keep up the Water Prison. Kakashi is free. Naruto explains that he transformed into a shuriken and then let a Naruto clone throw it to Sasuke. Sasuke used it with a shuriken he already had to attack Zabuza. Zabuza uses a strong Water Dragon Blast technique. Kakashi manages to copy it with the Sharingan and sends one right back at him. Kakashi starts to copy every move Zabuza makes. He even finishes Zabuza's sentences. Zabuza starts to think that Kakashi can read his mind. Kakashi is so fast that he takes Zabuza by surprise with one of Zabuza's own techniques. Zabuza is badly hurt by Kakashi. Suddenly a masked stranger shows up and kills Zabuza in one stroke.

Kakashi checks Zabuza and states that he really died. The masked stranger thanks them, he has been waiting for an opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time. Kakashi tells his team that, acoording to the mask, the stranger must be a Hidden Mist Hunter-Nin (Someone who hunts down Missing-Nins, because they are basically traitors). Kakashi sees this young stranger is no ordinary shinobi, he has enormous strength. Besides, he is probably not much older than Naruto. The stranger takes Zabuza's body and disappears, because this body holds many secrets. Kakashi is to tired to move because he overused the Sharingan. Tazuna takes the team to his house, where Kakashi has to rest for a week.
Somewhere in the forest Zabuza comes back to life. He appears to be on friendly terms with the Hunter-Nin. Zabuza was in momentary death, the Hunter-Nin helped him escape this way. Kakashi notices that he must have missed something. But what is it...?

Hunter-Nins usually dispose the bodies of Missing-Nins on the spot. If he really wanted to prove his work, he could have just taken the head. Besides, Zabuza was killed by just simple needles. Zabuza is most probably still alive. Sakura wonders how that could be, since Kakashi checked Zabuza. Kakashi explains that zabuza must have been in momentary death. They must prepare for another fight. Even if Zabuza actually did die, there is no assurance that Gatou doesn't send an even stronger shinobi. Kakashi will train his team till an enemy shows up. His team has already improved a lot lately. If Zabuza is in momentary death, it should take a while until his body has returned to normal, so they have time.

Inari, Tazuna's grandson, suddenly makes his appearance. He tells the team that they will all get killed by Gatou. Naruto states that Gatou can do nothing against a hero like himself. Inari is not impressed, he is convinced that heroes don't exist. Then he leaves to his room to look at the ocean. Naruto wants to teach him a lesson and follows him. He hears Inari crying in his room.

Kakashi is going to teach his team members to control their chakra. Sakura explains chakra is the energy needed to perform a technique. Spiritual and body energy combined with performing a seal with the hands makes it possible to perform a jutsu. The team members are wasting energy because they don't control their chakra properly. With better control they can fight longer. To train it the team has to climb trees, starting today.