Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but I do own Nagisa
Chapter Three: Battle on the Bridge
Darkness.
Darkness was all she could see. The back of her eyelids hadn't changed despite the world around her. Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, Nagisa's head tilted back with her ease. On a deep draw of air, Nagisa allowed herself to extend her consciousness.
The area beneath her came into view first. Silver outlining of the dirt and grass came first before the little insects appeared. Releasing her chakra the girl allowed her to expand her vision. It traveled through the top layer of soil, coasting by little life forms that went about their business.
The form of three intruders flooded Nagisa's sight. Unaware that she was now snarling, showing her pointed teeth, Nagisa flooded the three intruders with her chakra. She felt the men falter, the shortest of the three hitting the ground on his knees. From the pressure placed on their bodies, Nagisa could see the indent of weapons on their person.
With one sharp pull, Nagisa opened her tightly sealed eyelids. Squirrels rushed from her side, spooked by her sudden movements as she pulled herself to her feet. Turning on her toes, the young girl rushed up the swirling steps that lead into the triangular shaped hut she had been living in for the past year. Shinobi loyal to her master yelped as the blur of a young girl rushed past. The top room, her master's room, was where Nagisa stopped. Without any warning the girl threw open the door and rushed to her master's bedside. Zabuza had been on bed rest as his body continued to heal. Nagisa dove under the covers and curled herself up tight against her master's side.
"Get spooked?" Haku chuckled softly, looking at the lump that was Nagisa. The boy laid a gentle hand on the lump only to have a covered hand beat at it.
"They come," Nagisa snarled, Zabuza only able to see her two pink eyes glowing. The man grunted softly as he moved the covers in order to get a better look at the one curled up into his side.
"Who? Hatake?" Sharp teeth were barred at Zabuza before the girl buried her nose into the man's armpit. "First she snarls then she cuddles," Zabuza scoffed before ignoring the buddle under the covers with him. "Just like a fucking cat." Nagisa reached out and nipped lightly at the arm above her head. She felt the deep growl in Zabuza' chest rattle next to her. Before he could say anything in reprimand, Nagisa heard the door to the room open. Three sets of foot fall echoed in the quiet room.
"I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face around here after taking a beating like that," Gato's high pitched voice broke through the blankets. Nagisa barely concealed a low growl that was starting to bubble up from her chest. A callused hand on her neck held her still and silent. "Shinobi from the Land of Mist would appear to be vastly overrated. You couldn't even 'clean up' after your miserable subordinates! 'Demon', yeah right!"
The body next to Nagisa didn't move nor make a sound. The hand on her neck remained where it was, a silent warning. The soft click of blades rushing against sheaths caused her entire form to tense. Her chakra seeped out from her body and into the bed. Zabuza's form was like a beacon next to her. Unconsciously her chakra spread through his form, looking for damage and releasing build-ups in chakra points. The rest of her chakra went down the legs of the bed and into the floor. It rushed past Haku's chair, only sending up a quick burst to check on the boy, before hitting the two strangers. Their bodies appeared in her mind, their chakra outlines faint with how little chakra she used to see them.
"Wait a minute, you two," Gato's voice rang. The 'clack-clack' of his sandals on the floor echoed in her ears. "So…nothing to say for yourself?" Nagisa both saw and heard Gato get closer. The hand on her neck remained, forcing her down and stopping her from sinking her blades into Gato's throat.
"Don't defile Lord Zabuza with your touch," Haku's voice reached her, as cold as the conscious he hid from all but her.
"How dare you?" The softest swish of fabric was the only sign Nagisa had before Haku appeared next to the two she still had her chakra on. His hands touched theirs lightly before he disappeared from her sight. Nagisa reached out across the floor and found him again. The position he had told Nagisa he was holding something to the two strangers' throats. Nagisa almost snorted. Without much movement she curled back into Zabuza's side, trusting Haku to take care of everything now.
"You don't want to do that when I'm angry," Haku's voice hissed. Nagisa swore she smelled the stench of piss.
"Th-there had better not be any more mistakes!" Gato yelped, rushing away from Zabuza's side and back towards the door. "If you fail again, don't think you can come back here!" Nagisa didn't bother to stop the snarl that rumbled from her chest then. The door shut behind the three.
"There was no need for you to," Zabuza started, his other hand shifting. Nagisa leaned over his bare torso to see he held a kunai knife. Nagisa laid out across the man's stomach and let out a puff of air. The body warmth from his stomach warmed her own pleasantly. Nagisa yawned loudly before setting her head down on the bed.
"I know," Haku hummed lightly, sitting back down in his chair. "But it's too soon to finish Gato off. If we cause a commotion where we are, we might find ourselves on the run from them again. For now, let's be patient." Nagisa felt Haku tap her on her backside causing her to let out a growl. "That includes you, Little Nagisa."
Nagisa out let out a small snort before burying herself back in the feel of Zabuza underneath her.
She found the boy sitting on a pier. His legs hung over the side, while his arms were placed on his knees. It was simple for her to walk across the water, shrouded by the mist. Slowly, and silently, she made her way to the boy. He didn't notice her presence, not so much as a twitch to show he was paying attention. It wasn't until she was right behind him, all but breathing down his neck, that he showed any sign of awareness.
"I could have killed you by now, and you would have been none the wiser." Nagisa watched as the boy let out a scream and spun around. She wasn't surprised at all when his hurried action sent him sprawling backwards and into the awaiting water below. All Nagisa did was crouch and wait for him to resurface. "You are a rather loud person."
"Oi! What do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?" he yelled up at her. Nagisa only blinked her large pink eyes. Her head turned to the side as she peered down at the now sopping wet boy.
"I was thinking about killing you," she started out slowly, truly contemplating the fact. In all actuality she hadn't been thinking that. What would be the point? If her Master didn't command it or want it there was very little else in the world that she cared about. Other things were just insects on her window of life. In all honesty, the boy shouldn't have even appeared on her radar at the moment. She had gone out to the market in order to grab some supplies for Haku. It had just been a coincidence she had fallen upon the boy. Normally, she would have either slit his throat and been on her way or simply ignore him; but…there had been a look on the boy's face. The same look he had given her when she tried to kill him. It was a strange look that Nagisa didn't understand.
With half lidded eyes she watched the boy scramble out of the water and faced her. Her head tilted to the side a second time as she looked upon him with curiosity. Dripping wet his hair fell down in his face and his cloths hung to his form; it didn't stop the heat from his scowl to be any less tense though. Though he did look like a disgruntled kitten.
"How dare you show your face!" Naruto thundered. Nagisa raised one of her round brows up her small forehead.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"You betrayed us!"
"Betrayal is the act of lying to someone who trusts you in order to achieve a goal," Nagisa said aloud. She made a little face of repugnance before giving the aggressive boy a shrug. "It was your own fault to trust me. You did not know me. You should have assumed the worst." The boy faulted lightly, his face suddenly taking on a look of utter confusion and…something else. Nagisa frowned as she looked up at his face. She had seen that look before. It was the same look Haku gave an injured animal; it was the same look that some people gave her when she was under disguise as a stretch urchin.
"…is that how you live?" he demanded, brows furrowed between his blue, blue eyes. Nagisa found herself more interested in peering at his eyes than his actual words. "Do you just assume anyone and everyone is out to get you?"
"Perhaps not me personally," she answered truthfully, still not looking away from his eyes. It was so easy for her to look into them and see his emotions. She didn't need to attach to him with her chakra and dive deep. His feelings were right there in front of her face. "But there is always someone after my Master. Maybe the person themselves does not wish to see my Master dead but their employer or own master."
"Because he's a bad person!" Nagisa lost her interest in the boy's eyes and her own narrowed lightly. It gave her a bored appearance more than anything. "Do you even know who he's working for?" the boy thundered at her. "Gato! And Gato is a very bad man! He kills people just for standing up for themselves! He's ruining this city!"
"So?"
Nagisa watched the boy's face redden to the point she thought he might have a heart attack. His blue eyes filled with the same red anger that seemed to be bursting from every pore in his body. A small coil of curiosity bumped at the back of her mind, asking permission from the body to do as it pleased.
"He's killing people!" the boy screamed his-self raw.
"People die," Nagisa said as if this was the most simplest of things; and to her, it was. "People die every day. What makes Tazuna so special that he can't die? What makes the one standing up for himself immune to death? What makes you think that death doesn't come for everyone at some point? People die."
She watched the boy's mouth open and close, reminding her of a guppy fish. His cheeks were still flushed but she could tell he had no words to throw at her like before. A tad reluctant, she let the curiosity go. She felt her chakra seep through her feet and into the wet dock below. It worked its way to the boy, slow and careful. It touched his sandals and with the most tender of touches entered his form. She worked her way through his chakra system, finding her way to pool of chakra at the crown of his head and ran her chakra through it like fingers through hair.
The wave of ferocious wrath that roared through her was almost painful. Her eyes popped open from their lazed expression as she sucked in a painful breath. Her Master had felt anger like this before while she herself never had. It was a strange concept to feel this much emotion over one thing. It burned her through the chakra link, flying through her own and attacking her heart. She felt heat bubble there, much like from a sharp burn that didn't hurt. But she also felt a strong stubbornness as her words cut through his mind and his anger.
"Just because something dies doesn't mean you should take it before its time!"
"But isn't that what we do?" Nagisa tilted her head to the side, ignoring the pulsing anger in her chest that wasn't even her own. Why was he so mad? He barely knew Tazuna. He had fought with Tazuna. Had even wanted to cause the old man damage himself when he had insulted the boy. Why was there so much anger? "We are Shinobi; or at least, I am. We are people that die before our time because it is expected of us. We die for whatever cause our Master has given us. Or are you one that will run away?"
There was a new wave of self-righteous anger.
"It's not the same!"
"Isn't it? This person must have died because he believed in something. He stood up for that something, just as I would stand up for my Master and you would stand up for your Hokage, and he died. Just like we will." The boy shook his head hard, almost sending his Hitai-ate flying off his forehead.
"I won't die! I'm going to become the next Hokage!"
"Wrong," she said simply, and with a shrug. She was starting to grow bored with the boy. She was speaking absolute fact and he was just too simple to understand it. She pulled back her chakra, returning it to her body where it coiled back inside her, leaving her with her own emotions of calm and slight annoyance. There was no reason for his anger; he must be a simpleton. "You will die. And you will die soon if you do not leave. Master will kill you and yours."
"Let him try!" Nagisa shrugged again before standing to her full height. It wasn't much even compared to the boy. Without another word to him, she dropped off of the pier and landed on the water. She didn't even spare him a second glance before she walked off into the mist.
It was with a surprising amount of relief that she made it back to her Master who was slumbering. She barely remembered to kick her sandals of this time before crawling in. Nagisa felt Zabuza twitch as she entered in by his feet and slowly made her way up to his side where she curled up.
"Don't you ever sleep in your own bed?" he rumbled deeply, sleep barely coating his words. Nagisa made no notion to answer and only buried her nose into his side, taking in his smell and allowing it to surround her. "Brat." She felt Zabuza shift before going back to sleep. She was quick to join him after setting out tendrils of chakra to wake her if someone else entered the room.
"Nagisa." The girl looked up from sharpening her daggers to her Master who stood over her. Even though he wore his wrappings around his face, Nagisa could tell from the way his eyes crinkled and the positioning of his ears that he was smiling. Without much thought, she leant backwards which allowed her to lean against his legs. He peered down at her while raising one of his brow-less eyes. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," she answered. The girl pushed herself forward and proceeded to stash all of her daggers back in their proper placement. She peered up at her Master then, her pink eyes looking up and down at his form. "You changed," she stated the obvious, taking in his no longer shirtless appearance. She didn't like it when he wore shirts. It made it harder for her to feel his skin. The man only chuckled at Nagisa's observation and proceeded to rub her short locks. Nagisa hated when he messed her already short chops but loved the feel of his warmth through her hair.
"Come," he ordered before turning around and walking away. Nagisa followed without a thought. When they exited the building walking turned into a full out run. Chakra burst from her feet permitting her to keep up with Zabuza's much longer stride. They ran up into the trees, chakra gripping bark and trunk and permitting them to run as if on a flat plan. Nagisa flung herself through the thin trees, feeling more at home amongst the white bark and mist than the large trees and shadows of Konohagakure no Sato.
They reached the river with Zabuza landing first.
"About time you two got here," Haku chuckled. Nagisa walked up to the boy before rubbing her forehead against his outstretched hand. "Knives sharp, Nagisa?" The girl nodded her head in a bored manner. Haku had left when she had begun the first of her many blades. "Good."
"Come you two." Nagisa followed after Zabuza as he untied the dinghy and with one push sent it cutting into the water. Nagisa hopped in the small boat, Haku and Zabuza joining her. The three remained silent as the boat made its way through the water with Zabuza at the rudder. Zabuza lead them to the incomplete bridge just in time for the same radio Haku had in his thick robe to go off. Haku brought it out just in time for it to go off again.
"Are you ready to attack?"
"Nagisa."
"Yes." Nagisa's chakra burst from her body like a popping balloon. It flooded its way through the water and up the pillars of the bridge. Behind her closed eyes she saw the workers going away at the bridge like little ants. "Six," she told the others. "Hatake is not here yet, nor is Tazuna." Zabuza snorted before motioning at Nagisa with a hand.
"Take care of them." Nagisa nodded once briskly before dashing out across the water. She scaled one of the pillars and appeared on the bridge. The workers hadn't noticed her yet and she was fine with this. Her hands disappeared into the folds of her thick sweater before pulling out two daggers. Her blade sunk home on the first target, cutting straight through his jugular and severing his trachea. She spun on the balls of her feet and attacked the man standing nearest. Her blades went through his eye and cut through the temporal lobe. He hit the ground like a sack of rocks.
The other four went down just as easily as the first two.
"Nagisa!"
She looked up from the last of the dead men. Kakashi and the other two children stood near her, Tazuna at their back. Nagisa blinked at the narrowed eye of Hatake before looking to the sea. A thick mist was rolling on to the bridge. She looked back to Hatake before waving a hand at him in a farewell just before the mist engulfed her.
"They're coming!" Nagisa walked with the mist, staying hidden while getting closer and closer to the three Shinobi and her target. She felt Zabuza pass her in the form of a swift breeze that the mist hid completely.
"Master Kakashi, this is that man we met…his 'Hidden in the Mist' technique, isn't it?" Sakura yelped, her hand hovering above her shuriken holster. Nagisa got incredible close to the group; so close in fact, she could see the tremble that had taken over Sasuke.
"Been a while, Kakashi," she felt her Master's voice rumble through her body. "And I see you've got those brats tagging along, just like last time. And this little boy is trembling again, poor thing…" Nagisa crouched down when water clones appeared, surrounding the group.
"I'm shaking with eagerness for a rematch!" Sasuke snapped at the clones. Nagisa all but felt her Master's sick sneer he kept just for little pigs about to be slaughtered.
"Go ahead, Sasuke." With a spin worthy of her acceptance, Sasuke was off like a shot. Each time his kunai knife hit a vital area, destroying the water doppelganger. Nagisa almost let out a small snort of displeasure. The mist pulled back to show Haku and Zabuza standing side by side. Nagisa saw that Haku had put his mask on.
"It seems the brats have matured quite a bit. Maybe even in to worthy rivals, eh Haku?"
"Indeed!"
"Looks like I was right. Our mysterious masked friend is playing on Zabuza's team."
"He has nerve, showing up like this!" Sakura snapped. Nagisa really did snort that time but it was fine by here. She was already behind Sasuke and leaning forward into his ear.
"I don't like it when people kill my Master. Even if it is not the real thing." Sasuke leapt forward as if she had caught his back on fire. He threw himself in to an instant attack but Nagisa only ducked under his thrown arm and went to stab her own blade in his armpit. Sasuke dodged her attack and jumped a few feet away. Nagisa had to abort quickly because Kakashi was throwing a hit at her. She skidded across the bridge and stopped in front of Zabuza.
"Forgive the girl," Zabuza chuckled snidely. "She's a little over protective of me."
"That was quite a show you two put on before," Sasuke barked at Nagisa and Haku. "But we're on to you now and I hate ham actors!" Nagisa tilted her head to the side before looking over at Haku.
"Is he insulting my ability to blend in?"
"I'm afraid so, Nagisa." Nagisa turned to glower at Sasuke. She was a fantastic spy; Zabuza had trained her himself.
"Go Haku. Take the kid out."
"Yes, sir!" Nagisa was left with her Master and watched Haku and Sasuke clash. Nagisa frowned when she saw that the raven haired boy was keeping up with her Haku.
"I should have taken out his knee caps," she realized her mistake. Zabuza just rubbed her head before saying,
"Haku doesn't lose." Nagisa leaned into the contact. Zabuza leaned down and snarled into her ear with a mix of excitement and eagerness, "Go keep the girl occupied." Nagisa didn't need to be told twice. The second Kakashi ran from her and Tazuna with orders to protect the bridge builder, she was rushing the pink haired girl.
"Sasuke!" the girl cried. Nagisa landed on the girl with both feet which resulted in Sakura falling back into Tazuna. The man was barely able to keep her up but he quickly ended up falling backwards in order to stop Nagisa blade from slicing Sakura's throat. Nagisa watched her blade cut through nothing but air while her ears were filled with the sound of Haku's ice attack. She also heard the tall tell sign of a fist coming her way. Bending backwards, she completely a bridge just in time to dodge Kakashi's fist to the back of the head. Seeing Kakashi start to bring his elbow down at her unguarded stomach she curled her feet in to her chest, forming a handstand. Kakashi's chest landed on her feet and she proceeded to blast him away with a burst of chakra from her feet. Nagisa followed through with the movement and landed on her feet, facing Sakura again.
The girl was scrambling to get to her feet with Tazuna. Nagisa was about to unleash a dagger with the back of Kakashi's hand blasted against the side of her head. She was sent sprawling across the bridge while her head blared annoying sirens.
"You had that coming for underestimating my team," Kakashi growled to his enemies. "And for name-calling. He may not look like much but Sasuke here is the top-rated rookie from all of Konohagakure village. And Sakura here is our sharpest mind and last but not least, let's not forget our own comedy Shinobi, the maverick show-stopper, the one and only Naruto!" Nagisa slowly got to her feet, head still spinning. She was definitely annoyed now. Zabuza's chuckle soothed Nagisa's ringing headache.
"Stop playing with your food children."
"Yes, sir," Haku and Nagisa answered in sync. Nagisa set her eyes on Sakura and gently pressed her bare fingertips into the bridge. Her eyes closed tight as she sent her chakra out. It attached to Sakura easily and with one strong bombardment she had Sakura screaming on her knees.
Having one's chakra invaded could be a pleasant experience and a horrible one. Much like sex it was mostly on entrance and skill. If Nagisa wanted, she could make the process seem nonexistent as she usually did on recovery missions; however, Nagisa could also make them miserable by overloading the chakra structure. Much like lightning striking a nervous system, her chakra would ravage the other's in a sense of overload. It also came in handy when she wished for a paralysis, though Nagisa had to focus on one person at a time.
"Sakura!" Kakashi shouted, just as the familiar cracking of ice filled Nagisa's ears. She opened her eyes, ignoring the picture of Sakura's system in her head, and watched as ice mirrors surrounded Sasuke. Annoyance rumbled in her chest.
"Haku," she called out in her bored way. "Master said not to play anymore." Haku's sweet chuckle rumbled over to Nagisa. The boy appeared out of a mirror, leaning backwards so he could see Nagisa through the small slits in his mask.
"And you're not?" Nagisa puffed out her cheeks before turning back to Sakura. Her chakra was still running deep within the girl, ramming itself about her body and sending her sprawling on the floor. She felt the eight patches of dense chakra that went in a straight line down the body. She attacked the first one, smoothing her chakra in her own. Sakura grabbed at herself as if her hands could take away the pain.
Sasuke's cry of pain filled the air.
"Oi! Stop it, Nagisa!" All of Nagisa's concentration and chakra pulled back into her own form when she felt the first hint of pain. Her eyes opened wide and she instinctively moved her head. A kunai knife continued on its way, cutting her across the high arch of her cheek bone. Nagisa narrowed her eyes, looking around but saw no one with her eyes alone. A shuriken appeared out of nowhere, hitting Haku when he leaned out of a mirror to intercept a kunai thrown by Kakashi.
There was a thunderous bang as smoke filled the area, choking out the mist. As the wind took away the thick white clouds, a little orange dot appeared.
"Uzumaki Naruto, at your services!"
Nagisa blinked slowly, staring dumbfound at the boy. That was how he made his entrance on a battlefield? Not staying on the edges until he could strike a killing blow, but instead screaming to all his existence and jumping right into the fray?
Nagisa pointed a finger at Naruto before looking to her Master. She didn't say anything but Zabuza caught the look in her eye and began to howl with laughter.
"Here I am, to save the day! You know how the story goes. Things look bleak till the hero arrives and then—pow! Bye-bye bad guys!"
"Naruto!" Sakura cheered loudly, still hugging herself. Nagisa realized she had lost the girl when her concentration broke.
"Brat," Zabuza sneered before throwing a handful of shuriken at the blond haired boy. Nagisa watched them, waiting for the blood to blossom from his chest. Metal against metal rang in Nagisa's ears as Haku's senbons stopped the trajectory of Zabuza's shuriken. There was silence from all as the shuriken hit the ground. "Haku…what are you doing?" Zabuza grumbled low, very little suspicion in his voice but plenty of warning.
"Zabuza, sir, please let me have this boy. I want to fight him in my own way." Nagisa heard the familiar hum of thought from Zabuza before he shifted his weight and focused back on the tense Kakashi.
"So you want me to keep my hands off him, eh, Haku? How charmingly naïve of you…as usual…" Nagisa snorted before turning back to Tazuna and Sakura. Tilting her head to the side, Nagisa pondered what she was going to do. Zabuza and Haku were having fun, but she wasn't one that usually enjoyed playing with her prey. She got no joy from it nor did she see the point. If it didn't affect her mission or if Zabuza didn't demand it from her, Nagisa couldn't care less about her target.
"You could just run," Nagisa finally said to Sakura as she walked a closer to the pair. "If you do not, you will die." Nagisa could see the quakes that rocked through Sakura's body even as she pulled out a kunai knife and stood before Tazuna in a defensive position. Nagisa blinked once, slowly. "Are you not terrified of death?" The girl only gritted her teeth and continued to shake. "The pain you felt before will be nothing compared to death."
"Why are you doing this?" Sakura yelled at her, the kunai knife shaking. Nagisa raised one of her small brows, tilting her head again. "Don't you understand what's at stake here? If Tazuna doesn't finish building this bridge then this entire city will fall to poverty and they'll all die!"
"How does that affect me?" Sakura's face paled considerably more at Nagisa's words. She wondered if the girl would pass out before she touched her a second time.
"People are dying!" Sakura screamed at her. "People are starving to death! Gato is evil! And you're helping him take out an innocent village!" Nagisa shrugged a single shoulder, causing her fingertips to show through the long sleeve. Agitation bubbled in her as Sakura all but copied Naruto's speech. Why were they so bothered with a little town? It wasn't theirs and it wasn't even a large piece of a puzzle. It was just one stupid town.
"That is not my problem."
"It should be!"
"If the people die it does not affect my Master; therefore, it does not affect me. Your death however," Nagisa pulled out one of her silver daggers and brandished it much like how Sakura had her kunai. "Will bring my Master pleasure."
She landed on Sakura, a foot on either shoulder, before she tried to slam her dagger in the girl's throat a second time. Nagisa was honestly surprised when Tazuna threw a punch on her. Nagisa fell backwards on to her back before slamming her legs forward and into Sakura's stomach. She just barely dodged the bile that flew from Sakura's lips. Nagisa rolled with her momentum, and crouched. Her leg lashed out, catching the inside of Tazuna's thigh and sending him to his knees.
Sakura tried to dive her kunai into Nagisa's back but her form was sloppy and it was a desperate attempt. Nagisa only had to roll forward and catch the girl's chin with the back of her heel. Sakura let out a cry as her teeth bit through her tongue. Tazuna scrambled to his own feet and helped Sakura to hers.
"She can't be reasoned with Sakura," Tazuna grumbled lowly, helping the girl stand as her brained continued to rattle around in her head. Nagisa simply kept her bored expression as Tazuna glared hot lava at her. "She's nothing but another murder just like Gato." Nagisa couldn't help but snort with that same agitation.
"I am Shinobi."
Nagisa's small nose twitched when Sakura succeeded in blocking a dagger she threw. Her form was poor and she just barely knocked her blade to the side.
"How did you gain your Hitai-ate?" Nagisa demanded. "Is this your first actual mission?" Nagisa's nose twitched a little bit at the thought that she had been 'protected' by these people for a short time. It was also insulting to the girl that she wasn't dead yet. Maybe she actually did like to play with her prey?
A thick mist rolled in from the water below, choking out everything but Sakura and Tazuna. Without Zabuza in her line of sight, Nagisa turned to where she had last seen him. She couldn't even see a shadow. Frowning lightly, Nagisa sent out her chakra to find him. She had to seep her chakra throughout the surface because he was running fast and she couldn't get a good hold on him.
Nagisa brought up her dagger quickly in order to block the shuriken Sakura had thrown at her while she was distracted. She was about to throw herself forward when Zabuza's hand caught the back of her sweater and his form filled her chakra's sight. She looked back to see they were alone in the mist. He pointed a finger towards the direction he had come, where she could still see Kakashi scrambling for purchase in the mist.
Zabuza disappeared from behind her in a flash and she was off towards Kakashi. Closing her eyes, Nagisa relied sole on her chakra to lead her to the disorientated man. Her lip twitched lightly when she saw that he had his Sharingan out. That was going to make it harder for her. Rushing around behind the Shinobi, Nagisa went for his calf with a dagger.
Kakashi flipped backwards, landing behind her. His hand grasped the back of her neck while his other hand grabbed her wrist. With a sharp twist, Nagisa felt and heard her wrist bones snap. She bit back the pain and lashed out with a leg. Kakashi clenched his thighs together, stopping Nagisa from kicking him in between the legs.
"I don't have time for you," Kakashi growled before slamming Nagisa's forehead into the ground. Nagisa's world swirled on its axis. Black clouds fogged up the corner of her sight.
That's how it found her. It came up on her like a bird of prey upon a rabbit. Suffocating her whole, the presence wrapped around her tight. Nagisa scrambled for purchase, trying to escape the horrid presence that wanted to swallow her whole. It was the first time in a long time that Nagisa felt terror. It was a primal fear that was forcing her to either fight or flight. It was that same primal fear that told her flight would be the only way she lived.
Barking dogs filled Nagisa's ears. Her fear clouded her mind for a moment before a single thought entered her head.
'There should be no dogs on the bridge.'
Fear faded under the powerful wave of protection. Chakra seeped from her body and into the bridge ground. The more feral part of her brain still screamed to run and hide, to not draw attention from the monster lurking in the mist but Nagisa ignored it in favor of her chakra. It thundered across the concrete searching desperately for any contact. Her chakra searched quickly, contacting with many more bodies than there should be. The newest bodies were the four legged animals, all of which were attached to her Master by their teeth.
'Master!' Nagisa chakra rushed into the other bodies besides her Master. Sakura and Tazuna were on the ground in front of Zabuza. Her chakra tried to enter the blond haired boy but the harsh presence that tried to suffocate her earlier was surrounding the boy. Sasuke's body was on the ground, his chakra almost nonexistent. Haku was standing still in front of Naruto. Nagisa's mind wondered why Haku was standing still but Kakashi's rise in chakra had her mind snapping back towards the other end of the bridge.
Nagisa struggled to her feet as she realized that Kakashi's hand was engulfed in concentrated chakra. Nagisa fell back to her knees as her world spun and she hit the ground again. Blackness clouded her vision but her chakra still permitted her to see. Haku left her sight, only appearing in flashes as he ran. Nagisa pushed herself back up off the concrete, pain searing across her mind as she used her busted wrist. She had made it to her feet, rocking back and forth on her toes and heels as she tried to regain balance.
It happened in one smooth motion. Zabuza was locked down by the dogs. Haku appeared in front of him. Kakashi's chakra encased hand pierced right through Haku's heart.
The chakra that coursed through Haku's form, familiar and light in Nagisa's mind vanished.
It started in her chest, where her heart was. Nagisa blinked, banishing away some of the blackness that still swirled in her sight. The pain was as suffocating as the presence. Pooling in her heart it felt as if the muscle no longer beat. Nagisa gripped the sweater above her heart, blinking slowly.
"You said my future was death…but you missed again, Kakashi," Zabuza's chuckle curled around Nagisa. The girl closed her eyes and listened to Zabuza's deep laughter ring. He was alive. The mist was starting to recede. Shaking her head, Nagisa stumbled towards Zabuza refusing to look at the red that was splattered around Haku and upon Zabuza. She did bask in the relief that the other presence was gone from the bridge, leaving only the blond boy's regular chakra in its wake. "That was brilliant, Haku."
Nagisa felt a sharp pain to her chest but she ignored it in favor of trying to get closer to Zabuza. Her head was still spinning, darkness threatening to overtake her with each step.
Kakashi's hand was still running through Haku's chest.
"I really did find a treasure in that gutter! To think that he'd grant me this marvelous chance in the end!" Zabuza grasped his butcher's blade and swung in one mighty arc. Kakashi grasped Haku's body and leapt out of the way. Zabuza chuckled as his blade cut through air. "So…you were able to get away because poor Haku was already dead."
"Naruto, stay out of this!" Kakashi suddenly yelled. Nagisa turned her head slightly so she could see the orange clad boy out of her peripheral. He didn't have so much as a scratch on his form. Kakashi ripped his hand out of Haku's chest, before running his blooded hand down the boy's face. "This is my fight."
"Naruto! You're alive!" Sakura screamed across the bridge. "…huh? What about Sasuke? Naruto! Where's Sasuke?" Nagisa saw Naruto jerk back. Nagisa could still see the boy's body on the ground back where Haku had fought him.
"Focus, Kakashi! Don't let yourself be distracted!" Zabuza ran forward, his large sword still in hand. Nagisa's entire body jerked backwards when Kakashi kicked Zabuza and he flew across the bridge. Nagisa was stunned into paralysis and paid no attention to Sakura and Tazuna as they ran past. She felt Tazuna's glare on her more than she actually saw it.
Zabuza rushed Kakashi a third time and was beat by the back of his hand. Nagisa didn't understand why he was only using one hand for his sword. One hand wasn't enough to truly use the butcher's blade. She heard something like whimpering from behind. Zabuza swung his blade and meet concrete. Kakashi appeared behind him, kunai knife at the back of his neck.
'Master!' Nagisa screamed on the inside, throwing herself forward in a haphazard run. She fell more than once as the spinning in her head intensified with her speed. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice supplied she had a concussion.
"Now there's no way you can beat me. It's over. You just don't know it yet." Kakashi grasped two kunai blades and threw his hand forward. It was only a pleasant numbness that filled Nagisa as she fit up against Zabuza. She moved with his form as he swung his butcher's blade. Pain was barely registered as the kunai knives pierced through her uninjured hand and she grasped Kakashi's fist tight. Kakashi's free hand was suddenly full with another kunai knife and he plunged it into Zabuza's working arm, barely stopping Zabuza from cutting him in half.
Nagisa pressed herself up against Zabuza, eyes glaring at Kakashi as he fell to the ground. She felt her Master shaking against her as his blood dripped on to her and the ground. Her chakra seeped through her body and into his, showing her the extent of the man's damages. Countless bite wounds littered his body and the blades Kakashi had dug in had severed the connecting tendons and ligaments to his arms. Unless healed, her Master's arms were useless.
"Now you can't use either arm," Kakashi's words rang out, echoing Nagisa's thoughts. "No spells. No katas. No chakra." Nagisa buried her face into Zabuza's armpit, only able to reach it because his arm was draped around her.
"Master," she said into his flesh, taking in his stench of sweat and blood combined with the normal scent she associated with Zabuza. Zabuza peered down at her from the corner of his eye. Nagisa didn't like how heavily he was panting. She could feel all his chakra slowly leaving his body. It was become…depleted. Nagisa shoved herself closer to Zabuza and began to shove her own chakra through his system. She felt the drain as she tried to share it.
"Well, he's certainly made a fine mess out of you! What a pity…" Nagisa didn't bother hiding her growl, deep in her chest as she turned her head in order to glare. Her flight or fight reared its head again as she saw just who Gato had brought with him. A hundred men stood behind the little CEO who had the sneer of the devil on his face. The flea looked exactly as he had a week ago, only know his arm was bandaged from where Haku had snapped it.
"Gato…what are you doing here?" Zabuza choked out through his bandages. "And why…did you bring…all of them?"
"There's been a slight change of plan, Zabuza," Gato cackled while walking forward. His cane tapped against the bridge, echoing in her ears. "This was what I had in mind all along. You're going to die, 'demon'. Here and now."
"Oh?" Zabuza sneered.
"You must have guessed. I never intended to pay you." Nagisa's growl became louder. "It's such a bother hiring a skilled Shinobi affiliated with one of the top villages. It's expensive and they tend to have friends who object when I betray and kill them. It's so much simpler to hire renegades like yourself. No one cares what I do to your kind once the job is done. All of you Shinobi are so eager to fight each other. Once you've worn each other down, common thugs can finish off the rest. It's a great business plan—efficient and inexpensive."
Nagisa tried to lift Zabuza; the man only sunk harder against her. Nagisa could feel the flight portion of her mind begin to fade away. She could never drag Zabuza to safety. Haku was the one who carried him, not her. She had plenty of chakra left…she was going to have to go down that route then and simply pray that he was in a good mood.
"My only mistake was hiring you in the first place. Calling yourself a demon of Kirigakure is just plain false advertising! You're no demon! More like a baby demon that trades in brats!" Laughter rose from the hundreds of men behind Gato.
"The shape you're in, we'll take you down without even breaking a sweat!"
"Forgive me Kakashi…our fight is over. I no longer have any reason to want to assassinate Tazuna which settles our differences." Nagisa peered up at Zabuza to see his eyes were only on Gato. It was easy enough for her now, facing death at the hands of the flea known as Gato, to push away the strange ache in her chest when she thought of Haku. It was up to her now to take care of Zabuza. No one was coming to rescue them this time.
"Yeah," Kakashi mumbled from his squatting position. "You're right." Nagisa shifted a little, putting herself more in front of Zabuza when Gato began to walk forward.
"That reminds me," he snarled, stopping at Haku's body. "I still have a score to settle." The tip of Gato's foot touched Haku's face. "You crushed my arm until you almost broke the bones!" The strange emotion Nagisa had forced down until it was nothing roared back to life with the help of an intense rage when Gato kicked Haku's face. The rage she had felt in Naruto a few days before was nothing compared to the fury that thundered through her veins. "Dead meat. Carrion."
Blood! Death! Kill! Kill!
"What the heck are you doing, you creep?" Nagisa jerked, almost sending Zabuza to the ground as the voice screamed behind her. She could barely look over her shoulder but she was able to see Kakashi grab the back of Naruto's jacket.
"Cool down. Think. There's a lot of them," Kakashi grumbled to the boy. Naruto only jerked out of Kakashi's grasp and spun on Zabuza. His face was flushed red again, Nagisa realized. His crystal blue eyes seemed to burn red with his ferocity. It was just like when he was yelling at her.
"Hey, why don't you do something?" Naruto thundered at Zabuza. "He worked for you! He was practically your slave!" Nagisa felt Zabuza shifted his weight against her.
"Like what?" he snipped without much bit to his words "Haku is dead." Nagisa ignored the twinge of that strange emotion she felt pierce her heart.
"But you should care! That fat scumbag is desecrating him! He was your comrade, your partner, he worked for you for years!"
"Gato's been using me…and I used Haku…just as I use Nagisa. Weren't you listening? It's a Shinobi's lot. All of us are either users, or tools…or both. I didn't value Haku for himself…but for the taint his blood carried…and for what his talents could do for me. It's the same as Nagisa. She's useful therefore I kept her." Nagisa pressed closer to Zabuza's body. "I apologize for nothing."
"You…do you really mean that?" Naruto hissed.
"Stop it, Naruto! Leave him alone. Our quarrel is over. Besides which—"
"He's still my enemy!" Nagisa left Gato and turned blazing eyes on Naruto. If the boy dared come at her Master she'd rip his throat out with her bare teeth. The anger in the boy's eyes didn't faze Nagisa. Her chakra lashed out at the boy, warning him much like the growl in her chest was warning all. "He…he really cared for you! He was devoted to you! But you think that's just nothing, that he was nothing! You don't feel a thing! Are you really that heartless?" Nagisa's snarl turned into a confused scowl as she watched liquid begin to pour from the boy's eyes. Haku had called those tears, she remembered. "Is what how you get when your powers are as strong as yours are? He gave his life for you!" The boy ducked his head and continued to shed his tears. "He died…without any of his dreams ever coming true. To die as his tool…that's too much, too cruel…"
It was like rain drops; two soft touches against her hair. There were no clouds today, just mist. Confused, Nagisa lifted her head to the sky. Another drop hit her cheek and ran down the curve of her jaw. Nagisa stared up, her face void of emotion because she didn't know what to feel.
Zabuza was staring down at her. The same liquid that poured from the boy's eyes, now leaked from her Master's.
Nagisa made a noise in the back of her throat before reaching up with the hand Kakashi had stabbed, not broke. Her thumb ran along the soft underside of his eye, catching the water on her skin. Her thumb caused blood and tear to mix, smearing a red line against his pale skin.
"Not…another word…" Zabuza heaved out. "Kid…what Haku did…was not just for me. While he fought, he broke his heart over you…and you're friends. That the truth. He was too kind and to gentle." Zabuza rubbed his cheek into Nagisa's hand and caught the sides of his bandages on her nails. He tugged lightly and Nagisa understood. With a single hand she undid his bandages, showing his face to the world. "I'm glad my last battle was against you boy. You're right, you know."
"Huh?"
Nagisa continued to stare up at her Master's leaking eyes. She didn't understand what he was talking about. They needed to be focusing on getting away not the stupid blond. She had to get him away, hole up somewhere safe, and heal. Then they'd continue on just like they always did.
Only…Haku wouldn't be with them anymore.
"Say what we will, do what we will. In the end, we Shinobi are still just people are all…with feelings all too human. And I've lost…near about everything." Nagisa felt the cut muscles try to move in Zabuza's arm as he hunched over and rested his hot forehead against her own. "…I won't lose the last thing I have to protect." Zabuza stood up straight and turned his eyes to the enemy. "Would you lend me your kunai knife?"
Naruto's sniffle was barely registered. Nagisa didn't understand. They didn't need to be worrying about a kunai knife. They needed to get out of there. Let the Konoha Shinobi deal with Gato. They're the ones that wanted to kill him. Let them take the fall while they got away.
"Sure." Zabuza caught the kunai knife in his teeth. Nagisa reached up with her good hand and grabbed the man's shirt. Zabuza's black eyes looked down into her own. "…forgive me…Nagisa." The leg wrapped around her torso like a wall of muscle. Her body was launched into Kakashi who grabbed her and mashed her body against his own. "Watch over her, Kakashi."
"Master?" Nagisa questioned, struggling against the solid band of steel that was Kakashi's arm. "What are you…Master!" Zabuza ran forward, his arms useless at his sides.
"That's enough! What are you waiting for? Kill all of them!" Gato screamed while running back into the crowd of mercenaries. Nagisa threw herself forward still trying to break Kakashi's grasp. Her Master was running towards the enemy and all he had was a Kunai blade.
"Master!" she cried out, kicking out her legs. "Let me go!" she screeched at the top of her lungs. Desperation was filling her, a cold hand gripping at her heart and squeezing with each beat of the muscle. She had to get to her Master. Blades were being brandished at her Zabuza; blades that he was just barely dodging. "He needs me!" she screamed while trying to bash Kakashi's nose in with the back of her head. The cold hand that grasped her heart turned into searing hot panic that squeezed long and hard when a blade pierced Zabuza's back. The same hot panic burst up from her heart and out into a loud scream that tore at her throat. Chakra shot out from her body in a desperate grasp at her Master.
Her scream went up a pitch when a spear was stabbed into his lower back. Her struggles increased against Kakashi. Throwing herself this way and that she screamed herself raw. When her legs found no purchase against Kakashi, she tried to sink her teeth into his throat by twisting. She continued to scream out her panic and rage when Kakashi was able to keep her teeth out of his flesh.
Zabuza was no longer visible to her which only caused her to scream even louder.
"I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered into her ear while hugging her closer to his body. Nagisa didn't hear him over her own scream. There were cries of terror from the mercenaries as they parted, permitting Nagisa's searching eyes to find a target. Her Master stood next to Gato's decapitated body, looking almost like a porcupine with all the blades coming from his back.
She couldn't breathe.
Blood burst past Zabuza's lips.
He was falling forward.
Her chakra surged forth and poured into Zabuza's body.
Left lung. Right kidney. Stomach. Small intestine.
His chakra was leaving.
He was leaving her.
Like Haku.
Leaving her alone.
Nagisa didn't hear her own scream. She only felt the intense pain of her vocal cords being putting under pressure. There was too much; too much emotions rushing over her and wrecking her body like a tsunami. Her eyes burned and her sight blurred.
Kakashi was thrown back from her body as chakra thundered from her. Concrete cracked under the force as it tore towards Zabuza, trying to refill him by shoving hers chakra into the dying systems. Her scream continued, muffled by her hand as she bit into her own flesh and brought forth a wave of blood. Nagisa ran the blood of her cut hand and smeared it into her other palm. She felt her chakra slam back into her own body, leaving only her eyes to see. Pain was no longer reachable when she smashed her hand down on the ground. The twisted ligaments inside screamed as they were ripped from bone.
Death! Blood! Kill! Die!
They would all die for taking him from her.
"Wh-what the hell is that?" a marauder's voice reached her.
The familiar stench of musk filled Nagisa's nose as smoke engulfed her. It disappeared quickly, leaving the familiar presence of death at her back. Nagisa didn't move, keeping her hand on the ground. She felt the hot breath of death pant against the back of her neck, breaking its moist way through her sweater. The stench of rotting meat assaulted her nose, making them leak more liquid in repulsion.
"You had best have my payment, brat." Nagisa brought her broken hand forward.
"The ones that reek of my Master. They are all yours. Kill them," she croaked out, voice hoarse and broken. Lifting her eyes from the ground, and staring at the terrified swords-for-hire Nagisa snarled through clenched teeth. "Kill all of them."
"A summoning jutsu," Nagisa heard Kakashi whisper. Nagisa watched out of the corner of her eye as she heard the familiar foot falls of her companion. A thick jaw came past her first, showing large yellow teeth encased in black lips and a large pink tongue nestled inside. A black eye glowered at her from a white face. Scars littered his black snout and caused a criss-cross pattern in his white fur.
"Kill them all, Hideaki."
Hideaki, Guardian of War, smirked before rearing up to his full height of eleven feet. His jaw opened, revealing each and every one of his dagger like teeth, and he roared. It echoed in Nagisa's chest, catching her blood on fire. Falling to all fours, Hideaki ran forward. All that stood before him fell in either a bloody mess or a smashed bag of bones. The mercenaries' screams fell upon Nagisa's deaf ears. She watched with hooded eyes as blood bathed the bridge and pooled into the sea below.
It was a mere moment before Hideaki came lumbering back towards her with a few new wounds upon his thick back. Hideaki spat out a finger with a liquid burp. No longer was his fur white but either painted a deep red.
"Good feast, brat. Call me again some time." The cold wet nose of Hideaki pressed into her bang covered forehead. He left a bloody smear against her blue hair. "Perhaps next time, before you're so bloody. After all you are our only connection to this world." Hideaki disappeared in a flash of smoke.
Nagisa ignored those around her and instead, struggled back to her feet. Stumbling she maneuvered herself through the carnage Hideaki had left in his wake. Her sandals were coated in blood by the time she reached Zabuza. She fell to her knees upon reaching his body.
Zabuza's black eye followed her, the other forced into the concrete since he could no longer move. Running her blooded hand down the curve of his cheek a second time, Nagisa choked out,
"The water. If we get you to the water I can—"
"Enough, Nagisa." Nagisa frowned, brows furrowing between her eyes as she snapped her head to Zabuza. One by one she plucked the wounds from his body, ignoring the way the blood oozed slowly. It was almost hard for Nagisa to shake her head in a negative manner and it was through a lot of pain that Nagisa caught her hands under Zabuza and rolled him over on to his back. Gritting her teeth she reached underneath him again and tried to roll him a second time. The blood on her sandals caused her to slip and fall into his stomach face first. "Nagisa."
"No," she said in a voice that could barely make a whisper.
"Nagisa."
"No."
"…Kakashi." Nagisa sprang to her feet and spun on the Shinobi. Teeth barred she snarled, daring the Konoha Shinobi to get closer to her Master. The man only lifted his hands in a sign of peace. Nagisa didn't stop her snarling. "…Kakashi…I have…a favor…to ask."
"What is it?"
"…take me to Haku…please…" Nagisa made a noise in the back of her throat. Her Master didn't say please unless he was in a sarcastic mood. Kakashi only nodded and covered the Sharingan with his Hitai-ate. Nagisa watched his every move as Kakashi came to Zabuza's other side. She tried to interfere but Zabuza stopped her. Instead, she simply shadowed Kakashi as the man picked Zabuza up and started towards Haku's body. Gentle as setting down a babe, Kakashi laid Zabuza out besides Haku's body.
Nagisa blinked, pulled away momentarily from Zabuza's side when something cold touched her nose. Confused, the girl looked up at what had once been dark clouds. The clouds still remained but now they were a gentle white. Snow fell down upon her, cold and pure. Nagisa knelt down beside her Master and laid her blood coated hand on both his cheek and Haku's cold one. The boy's skin held none of the warmth she had grown accustom to while being with the boy. Zabuza's cheek was losing heat and quickly.
"Thank you…Kakashi." Nagisa entered her chakra into Zabuza softly, just barely grazing his chakra circuit. There was very little left in his system to begin with. "…if I could…if I were able…I would want to go…to the same place…as you, Haku."
"No," Nagisa whimpered, placing her head against Zabuza's bare forehead. "No, no, no." Nagisa felt the hand fall heavily against the back of her head. It pressed her even tighter against Zabuza.
"Forgive me…Nagisa…I'm going to have to…leave you." Nagisa suddenly realized she was shaking. Her hands, broken and bloody, grasped either side of Zabuza's face and held him tight. Again and again she repeated the one word, refusing to listen. "Be…good…become great…" Nagisa shook her head hard, almost dislodging the hand from the back of her head. "Don't be…a brat…Kakashi." The Shinobi made a noise to show he was listening. "…take her. Take her to…Konoha. Kiri…will kill…her."
"I will."
"N—"
"You'll…need a name…if you become…a registered…Shinobi…"
"No," Nagisa choked out. "I'm staying with you…" His chakra was becoming weaker. It was all but nonexistent now. A winking coal in a dead fire pit.
"…take…my name…it won't bring…you anything but…trouble but…it's all…I can give. Forgive me…Nagisa…"
Nothing.
It was gone.
Alone.
Kakashi's hand was on her shoulder but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Someone was screaming to loud for her to hear anything else.
Alone.
There was too much. It was coming at her from all around, clogging up her heart and seeping into her bones. She wanted to run; to keep running and running until she couldn't take another step and fell into darkness.
Alone.
Kakashi's arms wrapped around her. He was pulling her away from the cooling body. People were passing by her, standing aside and letting Kakashi through. She felt their eyes upon her but did not hear their voices. She only heard the screaming.
ALONE!
Like a tsunami crashing upon the beach, Nagisa's chakra ripped from her body. It seared itself into Kakashi before barreling down his form and into those standing around her. It ravaged the bystanders, sending some to their knees while others simply passed out.
None of them worked.
None of them could hold her all-consuming pain.
None were her Zabuza and Haku.
Alone.
Darkness was welcomed and embraced like a mother's gentle hold.
Author's Note:
Yeah so...it's been a while...a little over a year in fact...yeah...well, good news is I shouldn't take a year for the next chapter :D...hopefully...