Out of nowhere Something flashed right over my head, making my hair blow, and it slammed into the swordsman's torso, making him fly backwards with a cry.
Someone was next to me ,arms spreading around me, a desperately comforting voice crying to me, but I couldn't understand a word of it. My eyes were on the one in front of me – shielding me. I recognized the sword.
"Zabu…za…" I breathed, unable to believe it.
The assassin didn't look at me – I could tell – his shoulders were tense and his sword was held in a shaking fist – he was furious.
But why?
"You DARE touch him?" Zabuza's voice was thunder throughout the room, and I couldn't help but flinch. The arms tightened, drawing me closer into a warmth that smelled like soft, frozen rain. After a moment, I clung to it, burying my cheek into folds of comforting cloth as I looked up at the assassin. "You DARE trespass onto something that belongs to ME?"
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger.
What're you talking about? I belong to no one!
But still I couldn't deny the presence of a soft, nervous warmth that had grew in my stomach at the words.
Someone… cares?
Tsk – no way. This is Zabuza – he doesn't CARE. He's a fucking assassin for crying out loud. He CAN'T care.
"Zabuza…" one of the swordsmen shakily said. "Listen, we didn't mean it – we were just –"
"SILENCE!" Zabuza roared, and I winced slightly, my shoulders tensing. Comforting hands rubbed the muscles – rubbing the tension away. I relaxed once again – being tense hurt my arms. "You don't know who I AM, do you? I am ZABUZA – DEMON OF THE HIDDEN MIST! DON'T YOU DARE ANGER ME!"
Just shut up already. I thought foggily. Shut up and kill them.
I heard soft clicks as sandals retreated.
"Zabuza –"
"ENOUGH!" The assassin bolted forward. "NOW DIE!"
The massive sword swung, and I twisted my head, burying my face in soft cloth.
I didn't want to see death – not yet.
I wanted to keep what little innocence I had left.
At least for a little while longer.
But – GOD – the screams.
I was aware of hands placing themselves firmly – but gently – over my ears, muffling the shrieks.
"Get it over with Zabuza!" The soft, familiar voice I had clung to previously begged from right above my head. "Just please end it – the poor thing's shaking!"
And I was – I knew it too. The screams that echoed in my ears seemed to mirror the ones in my soul – they terrified me.
God – Zabuza really knows how to make someone suffer.
But God – make it stop!
I gasped inaudibly and buried my head deeper into the chest I was held to, silently begging for it to end.
And it did – as soon as Zabuza heard that I was shaking, the screams cut off immediately, and I slumped against the body that held me, completely relaxing – forcing myself to. I sucked in multiple deep breathes as soft fingers ran through my sweaty hair.
"Iie – poor thing," the soft voice whispered softly in my ear.
"Was it really that bad?" Zabuza asked.
"The child isn't an assassin, Zabuza-san!" The soft voice snapped, but with barely any venom. I didn't think the voice had the power to BECOME venomous. "He is still just that – a child!"
"Tsk – you're no older than he is – two years older, tops."
"It doesn't matter, Zabuza-san. I KNOW what death is like. He is still pure, untainted."
I smirked weakly into the cloth.
If only you knew… if only you knew…
Suddenly images started flowing in his head his uncle and auntie,his father and mother dead corpse,the red sky and that blazing eye with a black pin wheel that belonged to him…..the murderer the one that had ruined his life,the one that made him an avenger
"Well, excuse ME, Haku. I never exactly HAD a childhood, so I know NOTHING about this subject. Excuse ME for giving those pathetic excuses for fighters what they deserved. It's what they got for ever TOUCHING him!"
They must think I'm unconscious or something. I thought idly.
"How bad are his wounds?" Zabuza asked after a moment.
"Bad. But they would have been fatal if we had shown up a second later."
"Heh – our timing is just THAT good." The soft voice chuckled gently at Zabuza's comment.
"Yes – but he needs medical attention immediately."
"Here – gimme 'im Haku – I'll carry him."
I felt rather than heard Zabuza kneel down next to Haku and me, wrapping powerful arms around my torso and lifting me up with ease, sliding one arm under my knees while the other supported my upper back, holding me to a strong, firm chest.
I had no strength to even open my eyes – I let Zabuza hold me, forcing myself to breath evenly and deeply. To have erratic breathing would mean more pain.
But it was strange – I felt no nervousness or fear in the cradle Zabuza's arms made.
That wasn't what I had expected.
I only felt a peculiar feeling of safety, and my body immediately snuggled closer to the warmth of the muscular chest, hearing the reassuring heartbeat beneath my ear. I felt absurdly safe – a feeling that I hadn't felt in years.
I blamed it on the blood loss.
But how could a person I hated give me such a feeling of security as he gently set me on the bed? How could I be so compliant when Haku slipped off the armbands, revealing countless old hurts and pains? Shouldn't I hate him for doing that?
Yet… I allowed him to dress my wounds – to touch me and doctor me – to whisper comforting sweet-nothings into my ear as I drifted off to sleep.
The ferocity of which Zabuza attacked MY attackers came to my mind right before I lost it.
Perhaps… I don't hate them after all.
But how could anyone be sure – let alone myself?
Kakashi`s pov
The bridge was finally complete and the bridge builder`s family and his village are safe for ever from gato since that anbu killed the three ninjas were setting to leave from the village to their had everything packed….there weapons check…their bags check….their teammate death.
Thinking about Sasuke kakashi looked at Naruto who after he had heard the news of Sasuke had changed his personality the battle with gato`s henchman Naruto didn`t eat for 2 days,which was when he lost it and started stuffing food inside his large mouth. During the entire time they spent in mist Naruto never let go of the blue shirt that once used to belong to his teammate.
Looking on the other side Kakashi saw team 7 kunoichi looking at the had been doing this a lot getting lost in her toughts thinking about…. him…he couldn`t even stand saying his name it brought to much pain to him thinking about the student who he couldn`t save….yet again
"So ninjas today is the day you finally leave huh?"sasid tazuna"Me and the villagers would like to thank you for everything you have done for us"
"It was no problem if you don`t mind we will be heading back to our village after all we have a long way to go.I hope that someday we can meet again"And with that kakashi and his 2 remaing students started moving out of sight.
"Tazuna-jijii now that the bridge is built what will me name it?After all every great building get names"spoke out Inari
"Your right my boy"After some time tazuna spoke out"This bridge will be called shikkoku,the bridge of bonds"
"It`s a good name tazuna lets just hope it shall bring us luck and also the ninjas it was named after"told him a fellow carpenter.
Let us hope so…..for you Naruto
At Konoha
The three ninjas had been walking for 3 days,they took wrong directions,misread signs,ended at hot springs and finally they could see the looming gates of Konoha were their home laid….and also his.
"Kakashi-sensei what are we going to do now?"asked the blonde jinchuriki
Kakashi immediately understood what he was talking about."First we have to tell the Third hokage,then we have to arrange his funeral and then we have to pick Sasuke`s replacement"
REPLACMENT!"yelled out Naruto
"Yes Naruto without someone taking Sasuke`s place you won`t be able to go on anymore missions and also you won`t be allowed to take the chunin and jounin exams"stated out kakashi
"I don`t care no one is going to replace Sasuke-teme got that"
"Naruto think carefully what would sasuke tell you?"Asked kakashi
"He would tell me to shut up and accept the fact to replace him with someone else to forget him so that I could become hokage"said Naruto
"Exactly now come on we`re nearly to the hokage building"When they enteed in the room that the Third occupied ,he wasn`t alone with him stood Iruka,a bandaged war-hero known as danzo and the two elders of the leaf village.
"You have finaly arrived Kakashi!So tell me the report of this mission…also explain to me where is Sasuke-kun?"asked the third hokage
"The mission was a success,we finished the bridge and took down the man who was treatining to destroy rhe people`s lives…as for Sasuke…..when we were on our way to the bridge builders home we got ambushed by zabuza momochi.I was taken down and Sasuke took him eye to eye but this lead to his capture."
"So you are saying that Sasuke is in Zabuza`s hands?"asked danzo
"No…"
"What do you mean No hatake explain yourself—"
"ZABUZA KILLED SASUKE-TEME YOU HAPPY YOU MUMMIFIED GEEZER"yelled out the hyperactive blonde
"The last uchiha was killed?...So today is the day that the uchiha clan falls down in the books of the dead"spoke the women for the first time she was Koharu Utatane of the sounded sad and unhappy and all that bullshit but the third and kakashi could see nothing but happiness in her eyes.
"Team 7 for now you are dismissed,We will carve Sasuke`s name in the memorial stone and find you a replacement for Sasuke"
"Hai"
"No…"Whispered Naruto in a bearly audible voice but it was heard by everyone in the room.
"What do you mean Naruto by no"asked iruka
"Sasuke deserves better than his name carved in a stone,he should be honered by the entire village for what he did….even if I have to do it on my own"And with that he left slamming the door behind his team shortly followed after him
"What do you think about this Hiruzen ?"asked the second elder, Homura Mitokado
"That Konoha will get only trouble from now on…."
