Katara tossed and turned all night long, the uneasy feeling taking over and also the new feeling she developed for Gaara. She was sure something was lurking in the dark waiting to attack them. Then, a hand grabbed her shoulder in a strong grip, Katara panicked and twisted so a kunai was right against the person's throat, their wrist in a death grip preventing them from escaping. Sea foam green eyes came into view.
"What the heck, Gaara?" she asked harshly.
"There's a group coming this way, wake your team. We can't be found here," he stated.
"Fine."
Katara was about to remove the kunai from his neck when she noticed the sand protecting him from being cut. She pulled away quickly to not be caught staring at his neck. Quickly she woke Kiba, Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke.
"Come on we're about to get ambushed if we stay her any longer," Katara explained.
The group quickly went into action to gather everything needed.
"What do we plan to do?" Katara asked Gaara as everyone prepared to move out.
"This is a large group coming, everything would result in confrontation with them," Gaara stated.
"Then the best choice of action would be to make them believe we don't know of their presence and still have camp her and when they attack the camp we would ambush them," Katara suggested.
"It may work, but it would be hard to pull off." Gaara turned towards Katara, a smirk formed on Katara's face.
"Just wait and see."
Shinobi hide behind the lush, green leaves hidden from the glow of the full moon. They crotched waiting for their enemies, clones peacefully slept disguised as the shinobi hiding in the trees.
'with Naruto's multi-shadow clone justu we can fool the enemy, then with Shikamaru's shadow possession justu we can stop the second wave, that surely was to come, for a few moments at least. Once their trapped we'd have several ninja ready to attack those caught in the shadow once their released. Kiba and three people from the sand would take care of that. As long as everything goes according to plan this should work.' Katara thought out the plan multiple times.
They waited a short while more before they sensed the enemies' presences. 15 ninjas jumped down attacking the shadow clones. 15 more jumped to help the others. Clones exploded as shuriken penetrated the flesh of the enemy. The other 15 found themselves stuck in the shadows of the trees. Katara smirked as her plan worked.
'Wait there's more still in the trees,' Katara thought, alarmed at not noticing it before.
As Kiba and Akamaru launched their all fours justu shuriken was launched at a lighting fast speed. Katara relied only on her instincts at that moment; she lunched shuriken and canceled the others out. She jumped down and quickly completed hand signs.
'Giant fireball justu,' she said in her head as she inhaled deeply before fire shot from her mouth.
Fire engulfed the trees where the few enemies were hiding. It was quiet for a matter of moments. Every one of the sand and leaf believed that there were no more enemies left. No one knew the ones they defeated were only decoys.
Katara preformed more hand signs and shot water to calm the flames to settle.
"I don't sense anymore, hopefully there isn't another wave. That seemed way too easy to be the best around here. It makes me feel like I'm mission something," Katara slightly mumbled as she mused over this information.
A dark figure suddenly appeared behind Gaara as a speed even his sand couldn't protect him; a sword was in the grip of the enemy positioned to kill Gaara. Katara's eyes flashed red and before she knew it her feet were moving at an inhuman speed, flashes of what her twin brother always told her ran through her mind.
"Come here Katara," the tall, raven haired boy instructed.
Navy streaks littered amongst the raven ones. Raven locks only intensified the ivory skin. A navy, high collared, long sleeved shirt clothed his sculpt chest, the Uchiha symbol shown proudly on the back. He wore white shorts and navy ninja shoes. His shuriken holster on his right thigh, at first glance he looked like his cousin Sasuke from the back since their hair style were very similar.
"What is it aniki?" Katara asked he older brother, though it was only by a few minutes, but he was already at the Chunin level at the age of 9.
"I want to let you in on a secret," he stated, his voice was soft and kind.
"Really what is it?" Katara asked excitedly.
"You know the rule that a shinobi must always put the mission first no matter what, right?" he asked.
"Of course, Haku, we already learned that." Katara looked up at her older brother from her sitting position.
"Well, guess what I think of that rule."
Katara thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know. What do you think of it?"
"I think it's stupid. Shinobi are suppose to protect people and those on your squad they're like your other family. You want to protect your family, Katara, in the shinobi world people that fail a mission are considered scum, but those that let their comrades die when they can protect them are worst then scum in my eyes," Haku explained.
Katara beamed up at her twin.
"Aniki, does that mean that's your nindo, your ninja way?" she asked, her eyes sparkling up at him.
"Yes Katara that's my ninja way." He smiled a caring smile at her.
"You know what?" Katara asked as her mined decided on something.
"No, what?" Haku asked, his features reflected his confusion.
"I think that your right and Iruka-sensei is wrong. We should protect whose precious to us even if it means we fail the mission. So from now on that's going to be my nindo too," she stated proudly, placing her fist to her heart making it a pledge to the both of them.
Only a few seconds before the sword would penetrate Gaara, Katara was there in between the sword and Gaara. Deflecting it only down enough to penetrate her stomach, she grabbed the blade suddenly holding it in place giving Gaara's sand enough time to swirl into a shield around him. She couldn't hold the blade long before it pushed completely threw her. Blood sued out of her mouth onto her enemies face, time seamed to move slowly.
"Why?" Gaara croaked out.
"Because we're the same Gaara. You and I are both jinjuriki hosts. I feel we have a bond between us and my nindo won't allow me to stand by and watch as those precious to me are slaughtered in front of me. I had that happen once when my cousin killed the rest of my clan. I hated the feeling I had then and never want to feel it again. My aniki taught me to protect people. He once explained to me that the sharingan I carry is not meant to slaughter people, but to protect those close to me," Katara explained in between coughing and spiting up blood.
"Katara, I still hear that you won't use your sharingan during battle though you've unlocked it already," Haku said as the two walked back from the Hokage's.
"I don't like using it, it kills a lot of people," Katara stated, her mood turning very sad.
"Katara, I know you don't like the idea of killing people, but you're a shinobi it's our job."
"Still I don't like it."
Haku shook his head at his sister's stubbornness, "how about you view it different, like many of our ancestors did."
"Huh?" Katara was confused.
"Grandma told me the day I activated my sharingan that it was a gift not meant to destroy people, but protect those close to us from people that threaten them," Haku explained.
"I never thought of it that way before," Katara confessed.
"Maybe if you think of it that way it won't hurt as much to use it." Haku's navy eyes softened when he looked at Katara.
"Maybe," Katara agreed.
"I know it's reckless of me to do this, but I saw no other option. Instead of standing there take care of this guy," Katara pointed out.
Katara had a strong grip on the man's arms preventing him from attacking anyone else. Gaara's sand soon wrapped around the man, crushing him quickly, and more blood splattered on Katara's ivory skin. Katara began pulling out the sword.
"What happened to Haku?" Katara questioned his teammate.
"He jumped in front of Fumio before a sword could stab and kill him," the teammate explained.
"That would be the reason," Katara said more to herself than to the others around her.
"They say he might be able to recover, but the percentage of him living is very slim," he explained.
"I figured that," Katara stated looking at the paler face of her brother, "but it's Haku we're talking about her. He always bounces back from things like this."
Katara really tried to keep a positive mind set, but something didn't feel right and she was right. Later that night the whole Uchiha clan was killed in front of her eyes starting with her brother, who normally was a strong fighter, but he could do nothing against Itachi now with his injury that is.
Blood rushed over her hands as the sword finally was removed; her knees gave way as blood rushed from the wound. Her vision started to blur as the lost of blood caught up to her.
'Is this where it ends? Is this what aniki felt when he jumped in the way of his teammate? Am I really going to die here? It's funny, I feel happy that Gaara's alright,' Katara thought before she fell to the forward losing consciousness.
Sand cushioned her fall, it wrapped around her, protecting her from stray shuriken and justu until medical help could be found. Gaara's heart gave a painful jerk when he saw Katara jump in front of him taking the hit for him. Rage erupted when he saw the blood rushing from the wound. He didn't understand the act of kindness and why he felt this way for someone else. His sand whipped out at the enemy, quickly dwindling the number greatly in little amount of time. Once they were all killed they left, quickly looking for a medic.
AN: let's test how well you know the other charaters in Naruto. can you tell me how many sayings i used in this that are from other charaters, speacially in the flash backs?