Hello all! Chapter 7! Wow, on Quizilla this is chapter 12-13ish...I'm making good time! lol Sooo, I don't own Naruto, though if I did I'd probably be making BANK right now...And since I don't own it, I've taken to writing fanfictions! :D Fantastic! Back to the story!
Chapter 7
Sakura yawns from across the bridge, stretching to alleviate the urge to fall asleep. I roll my eyes.
"If you're so terribly bored, Sakura, you could give us a hand, you know." I'd put myself to work about an hour and a half ago, and I now have sweat running down my back and neck. It's nice having something to do, something productive. Also, the sooner the bridge is finished, the sooner we can go home. I'd rather help build the damn thing than try and fight off Zabuza again. Unfortunately, I'm sure the latter is more likely to happen than the former.
"Oh please. Construction isn't a job for a lady, it's for men! I mean, I could tear my dress on a nail or something! Besides, I'm not strong enough to lift all that stuff!" I groan.
"Construction isn't all about lifting, you dumbass. There's other, more simple tasks you could do. I'M not lifting thick slabs of concrete over my shoulders, now am I?"
"Hmph," is all I get in reply, so I drop the matter and get back to work. The idea of me working had surprised Tazuna at first, too, but he needed the extra set of hands and didn't hesitate to give me a job. It had started with simply bringing small tools to the others, but once I'd proven how good a worker I am he'd given me more serious jobs. Now I was helping them build railing, platforms, and other things. Most of the workers know my name now, I've become so popular. I also have about six splinters, which sucks.
"All alone and lonesome?" Tazuna asks Sakura as she yawns again. "Where's Blondie and Pretty Boy?" I snort. Pretty boy.
"Training," she replies.
"Then why aren't you with them?" he asks.
"I surpassed them. Kakashi-Sensei told me and Tami to stay here and protect you."
"Really…?" Tazuna asks, and I feel how he doubts Sakura's abilities. I smirk and say,
"Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna. Sakura's as useless as a wheel without an axle, but I'm certainly not." He looks at me and nods, looking a little more reassured. Sakura glares at me hard and says,
"Is it your GOAL to make me look bad?"
"Trust me, you take care of that on your own," I retort, turning back to my work. Tazuna walks closer and sets a piece of wood by me.
"Tazuna." He turns and I look over my shoulder. One of the workers – Giichi – is standing there, looking less than pleased. In fact, he's worried and a bit guilty.
"What's wrong, Giichi?" Tazuna asks.
"I've been thinking it over…this bridge we're working on…I want off the job." Ouch.
"Wh-why? Out of nowhere like this…You of all people!" Tazuna says, disappointed.
"Tazuna, we go back a long way. I want to help you, but we can't take this risk. Gato will take out a contract on us if we don't stop!" I snort. "And if you die, it won't just be this one project. We could all lose everything! Please, just give it up. This bridge isn't worth it." What a pansy.
"…I can't do that," Tazuna replies. If nothing else, Tazuna has to be given points for determination.
"But we're talking about lives here! Your life!" Giichi cries.
"It's afternoon now already, isn't it? Let's call it a day." He walks away from Giichi a bit, then stops. "Giichi…you don't have to come back." Sakura stands and the three of us head back. I walk behind the other two and Sakura makes a face.
"You stink," she says.
"Thanks for noticing," I reply. I look down at my hands – three splinters, two in my left hand and one in my right. I've got two in my right arm and one in my leg from carrying and rubbing past unsanded lumber.
"My daughter asked me to up some things for our lunch on the way home," Tazuna says and leads us down the street. We reach the grocery and I'm stunned to see so little in it. I know this island is small, but surely they could cultivate more produce than this. We buy a few things and take our leave. One man notices us and sets his sights on Sakura. I'm tempted to throw him a dangerous look and discourage anything he has in mind, but instead I wait and see what his motive is. Is he really a creeper, or is he after something else? He edges closer to her and I see how low his gaze is aimed. His hand inches forward, and at first it looks like he's definitely going for her ass, but then I realize he's going for her bag. However, his aim is a bit off and the second he touches her, her anger spikes. I side-step, moving out of the way as she whirls around and roundhouses him in the face.
"PERVERT!" she shrieks. He goes flying and I stifle my laughter.
"Well, too bad all our enemies can't be creepers," I say. "You'd be able to take them all on."
"Why didn't you stop him?" she roars.
"Because I wanted to see what he was after. It wasn't your pathetic excuse for an ass, Sakura, it was your bag," I say.
"My bag? Really?" she asks, looking surprised. I nod.
"He just missed."
"Well, that was interesting," Tazuna says.
"What is with this town?" Sakura asks. A little kid comes running up behind her and grabs onto her dress, right over her ass again. She whips around, but softens when she's sees his little face. He holds his hands up to her and she digs in her bag, pulling out a few pieces of candy and dropping them in his hands. His face lights up like she'd given him something insanely incredible and runs off.
"Damn," I mutter. "He acts like you gave him candy made of gold or something."
"I know," she replies, looking melancholy.
"It's been like this since Gato moved in," Tazuna says behind us, watching the boy run off. "We've become a city of slackers, cowards, and fools! That's why the bridge we're building is so essential!" We start off again, Sakura and I listening to his every word. "It'll be an emblem of courage. Maybe the people who've taken the path of least resistance will be willing to walk the road of courage and dignity again. If we can only complete it…I truly believe that our city and our people can be what the once were again." We get back to the house and Tsunami gets to preparing lunch. I manage to get in a bath before lunch and when I walk into the kitchen Tsunami says,
"Tami-chan, will you please step outside and tell the boys to come in?" I nod and walk out back. They're still going at it and I look at the scratches lining the trunks. They've improved a little, but hardly enough to be called true progress. I walk closer and say,
"You know, at this rate you guys will chop down the damn trees before you reach the top." They turn and look at me.
"Hey Tami! Where've you been?" Naruto asks, giving me that big grin of his.
"Out," I reply. "Tsunami says lunch is ready, so you two need to take a breather and come eat." They stick their kunais in their pouches and follow me back to the house. We sit down at the table and I put weight on one of my splinters. I wince and get back up, heading for our bedroom instead. I dig in my bag and pull out my tweezers, then walk into the bathroom. Flipping on the light, I put the tip of the tweezers to the first splinter. It's pretty deep now, and I chastise myself for not pulling it earlier. I grip the end and start sliding it out, but it's got a hold of my skin and refuses to come out. I groan, rolling my eyes, and pull out a kunai knife.
"What are you doing?" I jump and look up at the door. Sasuke's standing there.
"Pulling splinters, want to help?" I ask sarcastically, holding the knife and my hand out to him for a split second before studying them again. I press the tip to my hand and gently cut open the top layer of skin, just enough for half the splinter to be revealed. I then pull it out with the tweezers and throw the wood in the trash. Sasuke leans against the doorframe.
"How'd you get splinters?"
"I was helping with the construction this morning," I reply, starting on the next. It comes out much more easily, and I switch hands.
"Did Sakura help as well?" he asks.
"Pft, of course not." Another splinter down and I pull the two out of my arms.
"Sasuke! Tami!" Sakura calls.
"Coming!" I reply. I quickly pull out the last one, but it too had been deep and a drop of blood escapes. "Damn it." I turn the water on and wash it off, then the two of us walk back to the table. Tsunami's already set the table and Sasuke and I take the two empty seats.
"Where were you?" Kakashi asks.
"Pulling splinters," I reply. "Sasuke thought it'd be fun to come and watch me do it because he's a sadistic little-"
"Language," Kakashi warns and I simply grin.
"Boy, this is real fun! I can't remember the last time I shared a meal with so many people!" Tazuna says brightly. Immediately, the boys start scarfing down their food and Sakura gapes at them. I watch them eagerly; they're probably having some moronic, unspoken eating contest and if they keep this going they'll puke up their lunch and then some. They finish at the same time and say,
"More, please." They glare at one another, and I feel the upchuck creeping up their throats. Sure enough, they turn and puke up everything they'd just eaten, and I just about die laughing.
"Stop eating if you're just going to puke it back up!" Sakura screams, and I say,
"Oh n-no, please, d-do that again! I love watching you two suffer from doing stupid stuff!" I burst into another fit of laughter. "Are you two really so belligerent that you have to compete at everything, including who eats lunch faster?" I stand and grab their bowls, taking them to the kitchen. "I'll get you seconds if you two promise not to throw up on Miss Tsunami's floor again." I snicker as I refill their bowls and when I take them back the two of them are quickly wiping up the mess. I set their dishes in their places then I finish eating. I clear the table and as I'm washing the dishes I hear Sakura say,
"Um…why is this picture torn? Little Inari was looking at it the whole time we were having dinner. Someone's face is completely gone. Is that deliberate?" I feel a serious drop in the mood of the family, especially in Inari. His moods are never particularly pleasant, but anger and grief well up in his chest. Tsunami hesitates before she replies,
"It was a picture of Inari's father."
"Once upon a time, if you will, our entire city called him a hero," Tazuna says. A bit of pride wells up in his chest, but Inari's mood just sinks even lower. I hear a chair move and Tsunami says,
"Inari! Where are you going?" Footsteps pad away from the table and I hear a door slam. "Inari! Father! I've told you time and again not to mention that in front of my son!" She too leaves the room and for a moment everything's quiet. Way to go, Sakura. Tazuna launches into the story of Kaiza, Inari's adopted father. They'd met after Inari had almost drowned, and from then on Kaiza had been like a member of Tazuna's family. Kaiza had also become a vital member of the town and its morale. However, when he stood up to Gato, that bastard had Kaiza executed in front of the entire village, including Inari. The six of us are silent for a long moment, then I hear another chair move, shortly followed by a loud thump.
"What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asks.
"Don't even think about training any more today. If you try to work your chakras without getting some rest first, it would probably kill you." I roll my eyes. What a moron.
"I'm going to prove to him that he's wrong!" Naruto says.
"Prove what? To whom?" Sakura asks.
"I'm going to show Inari that there are still heroes in the world!" Naruto insists, and he leaves the house despite Kakashi's warnings. I sigh and say,
"Should we go after him, Sensei, or just settle with planning the funeral?"
"…Funeral sounds good," Kakashi says, running a hand through his hair.
A few days pass and I barely see Naruto at all. He spends all his time training now. On the sixth day, I decide to sit outside and watch Sasuke train. He still hasn't gotten it down, which is surprising. He's usually pretty quick on the uptake. Sakura goes with Tazuna to the bridge again, and though Tazuna had made it clear he wanted me to join them, I passed all responsibility to Sakura. After half an hour of watching him go forty feet up and stop, I groan and say,
"That's it." He stops and turns to me.
"What?" he asks.
"You're supposed to be the smart one, Sasuke. It's painful to watch you suck," I reply, smirking. I draw a kunai knife from my back pocket and look up the tree. I double the length Sasuke's covered and throw my knife up, the front half getting stuck in the wood. "You're going up at least that far this time, and I'm going to teach you how."
"I didn't ask for your help," he growls.
"No, you didn't, and that's your first problem," I reply. "I've been doing this shit for two years. The first thing you should have done when you realized that you couldn't get it is ask me. Now that we've separated you from your second problem, we can probably get you to do this right on the first try."
"What's my second problem?" he asks, his jaw clenched.
"Naruto. Your stupid little catfight has stopped both of you from doing your best, because you can't concentrate. Shut your eyes." He rolls his eyes, but does as he's told. "Block out everything but the sound of my voice. Focus on me, and me alone."
"A little self-centered, are we?" he asks, smirking, and I say,
"Quit being an ass. You're not focusing." He sighs and I feel him truly start concentrating on me. "Good. Visualize the tree. Think of how hard or soft the trunk of it is. You know how it feels under your feet, you know the force you need to exert to slice through it." I give him a moment to get a sense of what I'm describing. "Now concentrate and center your chakra to the soles of your feet. Imagine that the soles of your shoes need to be coated in a layer of paint, but it can't be so thin you can see through it and it can't be so thick it won't dry." I give him a second, then say, "Open your eyes." He does and looks at me. "Relaxed?" He nods. "Ready?" He nods again and faces the tree. "Walk, don't run."
"What?" he asks, gaping at me.
"You heard me. Walk up the trunk. It's harder to maintain the flow for a longer period of time, but you need to get this down. So just walk." He groans and I smile. "You can do it, Sasuke." His onyx eyes dart to me again, surprised, and he takes another deep, soothing breath. He starts for the trunk, keeping his steps even and slow. He hits the trunk and, thankfully, goes up. He's adhering to the wood perfectly, and continues to do so all the way to my kunai knife. He yanks it out and I yell, "Good, now walk it down." He turns and gracefully strolls all the way back down, with not even a shadow of a doubt in his mind. He hits the ground and I take my knife from him. "There. Told you."
"Shut up," he says, but his lips curve into a victorious smile. I flip my kunai in my hands and say,
"Race me to the top?" He arches a dark eyebrow at me, smirking, and I say, "I'll take that as a yes. On your mark, get set, GO!" We immediately dart toward the trees and pick two right next to each other. We're neck-and-neck the entire time, but I don't even feel the slightest competitive urge in Sasuke; he's just having fun. We reach the top at the same time and I say, "Not bad, Uchiha. Isn't it great to not suck?" He rolls his eyes again, but the smirk is stuck to his face.
"Sasuke! Tami!" We look down and see Kakashi at the base of our trees. We run back down and land next to him.
"Yeeees, Sensei?" I ask.
"Well, it's good to see Sasuke finally getting it," Kakashi says. "Good job, Tami."
"What can I say? I'm a team player," I say and Sasuke snorts. "Shut your hole, Uchiha."
"Never opened my mouth, did I?" he asks and I throw him an exasperated look.
"Is this any way to treat the person who helped your sorry ass?"
"I'd have gotten it on my own eventually," he replies.
"Oh, really?" I ask sweetly. "When? Next year?" He opens his mouth to fire back a retort, but Kakashi stops us.
"Alright, enough flirting. Sasuke, go find Naruto. Make sure he's not dead."
"And if he is, just drag his ass back," I add.
"Tami, since Sasuke no longer needs your help, I'd like you to go to the bridge and help Sakura protect Tazuna," Kakashi says.
"Yeah, I bet the guys at the construction site are just dying to see me," I say, grinning.
"Do I even want to know why?" Sasuke asks, smirking, and I swing my arm out, slapping him up the back of the head. "Ow!"
"Okay, go!" Kakashi says, rolling his eye. Sasuke and I go our separate ways, but the entire time I'm walking to the bridge I can't wipe the grin off my face.
The day passes and I wake up the next day earlier than the others, and the sun has just barely risen above the horizon. I grab a towel from Tsunami's linen closet and leave the house, going back to the shoreline. I thought to bring a pair of shorts with me this time and change into my makeshift bathing suit before wading in. The water's a bit colder now, sending goosebumps up my arms, but it's the refreshing kind of cold. I'd had another nightmare last night. The same one…it's always the same… I'm there for at least two hours before I decide to head back. The sun's completely up now, so I'm guessing it's nearly eight. Upon my return, I find Naruto and Sasuke back at work. Sasuke's doing just fine and is having no problems hanging upside down off the branches. Naruto seems to be doing really well, too, and when he sees me coming he screams,
"Tami, look! I can do it!"
"I can see that," I call in response. I set my wet clothes and towel by the house then skip up the trunk of Naruto's tree.
"Show off," Sasuke says and I grin.
"Don't hate me 'cause you ain't me, Sasuke!"
"Wow, Tami! You can skip up the tree? You must have really good chakra control!" Naruto says. I smile and pat him on the head.
"You're so sweet, Naruto. I've also had years of practice."
"Where were you, anyway?" he asks.
"Swimming," I reply.
"How come?"
"Helps me relax." I sit on the branch next to him and stare out across the town.
"Is that where you went the other day?" he asks.
"Yep."
"Are you a good swimmer?" he asks and I smirk.
"Nope, I suck, I just do it because I like flailing in the water like a moron. Yes, Naruto, I'm a pretty good swimmer. You ask a lot of questions. Shouldn't you be training?"
"Right!" He hops up and starts going again. I stand and walk back down to ground level. "Hey! Where you going?" he shouts.
"Back to the bridge!" I call in reply, waving at them as I leave.
"Okay! BYE TAMI!" Naruto yells, grinning. I pass the day on the bridge again and I'm pleased to see how close it is to completion. It seems like every day that goes by, though, fewer workers show up for their shifts, and this worries me. Come on, they're really going to wuss out now? At nightfall we return to the house, and Sasuke shows up about an hour later with Naruto hanging off his shoulder.
"So, you're finally back! Looking like something the cat dragged in!" Tazuna says.
"Heh…both of us…" Naruto starts, but he's too worn out to finish his sentence.
"I told you if you didn't take a break you'd wear yourself out, you dope. We both made it to the top of the tree."
"About time," I say, smirking. I cross the room to them and wrap Naruto's other arm around my shoulder, helping Sasuke guide the blonde to the table.
"Good! Naruto, Sasuke, starting tomorrow, you two can help the girls protect Mr. Tazuna."
"Yes, Sir!" Naruto says triumphantly. He collapses at the table and I head into the kitchen to check on dinner. I don't know why I'm being so hostess-y; maybe it's from taking care of my brothers for years. I just automatically do housework. I feel a sudden surge of rage and Inari suddenly bursts,
"Why do you wear yourself out trying? No matter how hard you train, you'll never be a match for Gato's thugs! You act all cool, and you talk all tough, but big, strong guys like that are always too much for people weaker than they are. They'll destroy you!" Boy, what a motivational speaker that kid is. Of course, Naruto doesn't take his anger gently.
"Shut up! I'm not you, and I'm not going to lose!"
"Just watching you ticks me off! You go running your mouth when you don't know a thing! This isn't even your town! And you don't know a thing about me! You're always clowning around and having fun. You don't know a thing about suffering or loneliness or what my life is like!" This strikes a nerve like a hammer within Naruto and he replies, in a cold tone,
"So…you figure it's noble to star in a melodrama and treat everyone around you like guests at your pity party?" Uh oh. "It takes a really big man to sit around and cry…you brat!" I wince as the waves of anger and pain roll off Naruto. He stands and walks out, with Sakura shouting after him,
"Naruto! You went too far!"
"Hmph!" is all she gets in return. Inari leaves soon afterwards, going and sitting on the dock outside. We eat dinner in awkward silence, then I head outdoors. I walk up one of the trees and sit down on one of the highest branches, staring off into the moonlit night. For a few minutes, I'm alone, then…
"Boy, you just can't leave me alone, can you?" I ask sarcastically. He sits down next to me and says,
"Don't flatter yourself. It's just really awkward in that house now."
"I know. Tension's so thick I could cut it with a knife." He nods and we lapse into silence. It remains for a few minutes, then he says,
"How much longer do you think we have?"
"What, alone?" I ask with a flirty glance. He rolls his eyes.
"No…until Zabuza comes after us."
"I don't know," I reply, frowning. "Probably not long. Kakashi's well again, so he probably is too. And we not only have to worry about him – something tells me that masked kid will be on his side next time. They'll divide the team, and to be honest I'm a little worried about how well we'll hold up. Climbing trees is one thing – being in the heat of battle is another entirely." I look at him. "You're ready for it, right?"
"Don't be stupid. Of course I am," he replies. I nod.
"I hope so. I'm going to need your emotional stability, Sasuke, if Kakashi flips out on me again. I can't handle everyone being a chaotic mess." He nods.
"…What about you?" I look back up at him.
"What do you mean?" He stares into my eyes, as if trying to read my mind.
"You're hiding something from us. It's what's giving you nightmares." I run my fingers through my hair roughly, averting my gaze.
"It's nothing that'll affect my ability to focus, so there's no reason to discuss it."
"Hn. Why is it you get to know everything about us from one touch, but we're not allowed to know anything about you?" I smile.
"You're just not that fortunate."
We wake up the next morning and I immediately sense a new tension within the house. It's taken us a week to recover and prepare for what lies ahead…After such a long time, I can't shake the notion that today we'll be faced with what we've trained for. I know that I might simply be paranoid, now that I'm to be rejoined by the rest of my squad and we're going to tackle the mission as a single entity again, but the looming possibility of Zabuza showing up seems to have grown stronger overnight somehow. I'm awake before Sakura and once I'm dressed I leave the room silently. I could use some meditation before we head out, because I know everyone's going to be a bundle of nerves today, and with tension running high, a single live wire could be enough to set me off. I walk to the back dock and, surprisingly, find a shirt, headband, towel, and pair of shoes lying there. Who the hell-? I shrug it off and sit down, resting my forearms on my knees and straightening my back. I shut my eyes and take a deep, slow breath. I smell salt…fish…
I take another deep breath and the aroma becomes more deeply ingrained in my senses. I slowly relax the muscles in my neck, working down into my shoulders and back. After a few more minutes, my entire body feels weightless and my mind is blank. I can still hear and smell everything, but it's not conscious awareness. I'm in silence for about twenty minutes, then I become aware of rushing water as something moves through it. The sound is soothing, but who's doing that? It becomes steadily louder and when it's right beside me it stops. I pull myself out of my trance-like state and open my eyes just as Sasuke plants his hands on the dock and pulls himself up. Damn, he's good looking. Once he's on his feet he wrings water from his spiky hair and brushes away a few drops as they run down his face. He stoops to grab his towel and that's when he notices I'm there. I smirk.
"Mooorning," I say sing-song like. He arches an eyebrow at me and smirks in return.
"That's a little stalker-like of you, Tami." I snort.
"Don't flatter yourself, Uchiha. I was too busy meditating to be doing anything Sakura-like. Just be glad she's not awake yet. Going to dry off, or do you enjoy flaunting your soaking wet, muscled frame?" He quickly rubs his hair with the towel in his hands, then moves down to his arms.
"Meditating, huh? What does that do?"
"Helps keep me level," I reply. "Makes it harder to tip my emotional scales. I figured I'd need it for today." He eyes me as he runs the towel down his chest.
"He might not even strike today, though. Just being precautious?" I frown a bit.
"…Something tells me it's going to be now. He's going to want to get us when we're still weak, and he'll probably assume the sooner he hits, the better, because he'll think we're still recovering." He nods, sitting next to me and swinging his legs off the dock. I sigh and run a hand through my hair.
"What?" he asks.
"I'm getting a really bad vibe. Something really bad is going to happen, I know it. Whether it's in our favor or not, I don't know, but it's just…bad."
"Can you just sense when bad things are going to happen?" he asks, staring at me in earnest curiosity.
"Sometimes. It's probably flashes of the next stage," I reply, rubbing my temples.
"What's the next stage?" he asks.
"Precognition. I'll be able to see bits and pieces of the future. Not much, and it's really sporadic – it'll be the one stage that I can't control – but it'll hopefully be useful." He nods and the door behind us slides open. Sakura's standing there and immediately her eyes dart to Sasuke – shirtless, dripping wet, completely drool-worthy – then to me, sitting comfortably three feet away. Her jealousy immediately gets riled up and she says,
"What're you two talking about out here?"
"What we're expecting today," I reply, giving her a not-too-friendly look.
"What do you mean?" she asks. I stand.
"It means put on your big girl panties, Sakura. We're probably going to have to kick a lot of ass today." I then walk past her into the house, smirking at how hard Sasuke has to work to refrain from laughing.
We take our leave thirty minutes later, and from the moment we step past the door the ominous feeling hits me hard. I actually stop as a cold shudder passes through me. The others stop and look at me.
"Tami?" Sakura says, showing a little genuine concern for me. I open my mouth to say something in return, but it feels like someone dried it with a cotton cloth. Kakashi eyes me carefully – I know I've gone pale.
"Perhaps you should stay here as well," he suggests, but I shake my head.
"No. One person staying behind is enough – two people staying is an unnecessary risk. I'm fine." I fall into step behind them as we press on, but as we get farther from the house I feel more and more wary. Sure enough, when we reach the bridge I feel agonizing pain sprout from my abdomen. I gasp and my knees buckle as it overwhelms me. They turn back to me, but I say, "G-go, quick, they need you more than I do!" They immediately spin around and hurry forward. I hear Tazuna cry,
"Wh-what the hell-?" and I can only imagine the carnage ahead. As guilty as I feel for it, I only wish that they'd fade into black faster. The wound is deep, and who knows how long he's been here? He's not going to make it and sure enough his vision fades soon after. I take a deep breath and hurry to catch up with them. The mist immediately descends on us and I swallow hard. Sasuke's at my immediate right and I breathe,
"Told you so." We all tense up, readying ourselves for when they show up. It'd have been smarter to leave Tazuna home and just come by ourselves…
"Kakashi-Sensei, is this-? The man we met…His "Hiding in the Mist" technique, isn't it?" Sakura says, feeling jittery. Kakashi doesn't reply. Then, Zabuza's voice emerges from the mist,
"Been awhile, Kakashi…"
"Not long enough," I mutter.
"And I see you've got those brats tagging along, just like last time. And the little boy is trembling again, poor thing…" But I'm relieved to feel it's not fear causing Sasuke's quaking; it's adrenaline. He's ready this time. The water clones have us surrounded before I can blink, and beside me I hear Sasuke say,
"I'm shaking with eagerness for a rematch!" Kakashi feels a small surge of pride and says,
"Go ahead, Sasuke!" He darts forward and in two seconds, the dozen or so water clones are puddles on the floor. I smirk.
"Well done, ass."
"Well! My water doppelgangers were no match for you! It seems the brats have matured quite a bit…into worthy rivals, eh, Haku?"
"Indeed!" It's that boy's voice. I turn and there he is, right at Zabuza's side. I clench my teeth in anger, for he still has that mask on. Hippocratic little bastard.
"Sensei, sometimes I hate it when you're right," I say.
"So, you suspected this all along, did you, Kakashi," Zabuza asks mockingly.
"Only because you made it easy," Kakashi retorts. "Seems our mysterious masked friend is playing on Zabuza's team."
"He has nerve, showing up like this!" Sakura snaps and I roll my eyes.
"Oh yes, strike fear into his heart, Sakura." She whips around to throw me a glare.
"Ahh, the one with the sassy mouth," Zabuza hisses, throwing me a particularly nasty glare. "I have you to thank for breaking my nose."
"You're welcome," I retort. Zabuza eyes me for a moment, then says,
"I'll leave her to you, Haku."
"Very well," he replies softly, focusing on me.
"Sorry, but I think Sasuke's called dibs already," I reply, looking at him. He returns the stare. "Right?" He nods curtly and turns back to Haku.
"That was some show you put on before, but now we're on to you, and I hate ham actors!" he says and I feel him get ready to move; the muscles in his feet and legs tense up, as does the grip on his kunai knife. I know Kakashi wants someone useful protecting Tazuna, so I'll stay back until I see fit.
"Impressive kid, isn't he?"
"Yes…even if your water doppelgangers have only one-tenth the strength of the original, it's amazing he was able to do so well."
"But we're still on the offensive. You can get to the smart aleck later," Zabuza reminds him. "Go!"
"Yes Sir." He disappears in a whirlwind and Sasuke shifts forward a bit. Haku skids to a stop right before him and swings a weapon toward him, but Sasuke blocks, hitting his attack off course. I place a hand on Tazuna's chest and walk him a few paces back.
"We need to stay back," I say softly. "It's going to become extremely dangerous soon."
"It's been dangerous the whole time," he retorts.
"Not like this. Last time it was one and one for the most part, Kakashi and Zabuza. Sasuke and Naruto got in their hits, but it was mostly Kakashi who took him down. Last time Haku wasn't on Zabuza's side, and our team wasn't divided between opponents. Not only that, but with our training, we're much stronger, meaning we're capable of a lot more. Instead of two lethal fighters, like last time, we're now dealing with between four and six."
"…I see," he says. "Why is there a question on how many?"
"It depends on if Naruto shows up and if I'm forced to jump in to help," I reply. "My priority is you; you're the target, and if someone slips up or Zabuza sends a doppelganger our way, you'll need protection." He nods and Sakura steps to my side. "It's just you and me," I mutter to her, throwing her a glance. She meets it and nods. Sasuke and Haku go at each other for a few minutes, and I'm impressed; Sasuke's doing incredibly well. I know he hasn't triggered the Sharingan yet, but it makes me wonder if it can be activated in the middle of a fight, without conscious thought of it. They get locked, knife against senbon, and neither of them are willing to yield.
"I don't want to have to kill you, but…you probably won't leave quietly, will you?" Haku asks.
"Don't be stupid," Sasuke replies.
"Just as I thought. However, you won't be able to match my speed for long…and I've laid the groundwork for two attacks."
"Two attacks?" Sasuke asks.
"Firstly, there's water splashed all around us. Secondly, I've trapped one of your hands with parrying this move…which leaves you only one free hand to defend yourself from my attacks!" He raises his hand and, stunningly, begins making handseals. Incredible! It's extremely difficult to make seals with only one hand that channel the proper amount of chakra to your jutsu – for him to have mastered it at so young an age…He stops and stomps the ground. Water springs up and I watch as they morph into thousands of thin needles, positioning themselves above the two fighters. Sakura gasps, but I watch earnestly. Let's see if Sasuke's training paid off…He raises his free hand and I see his eyes shut in concentration. The needles start their descent and my breath catches in my throat, but Sasuke springs into the air and dodges them brilliantly. I smile and Sakura sees it.
"What?"
"Watch," I reply and she does so. Shuriken drop on Haku and he dodges them all gracefully, skidding to a stop, but my lips split into a grin when I see Sasuke's figure appear behind him.
"You're not that fast." Haku is amazed and stands up fully. "Now you're the one who has to worry about defending yourself from my attacks." Sasuke swings his arm, aiming to hit Haku with the back of his hand, but Haku raises his arm to block. He doesn't notice the knife in Sasuke's hand, and when he does he ducks, only for Sasuke to rotate on his heel and drive his foot into Haku's face. Sakura utters a small squeal of happiness and I roll my eyes. Haku skids to a stop near Zabuza, and I feel their disbelief. "You're fast. I'm faster," Sasuke says.
"Wiped the smirk off Zabuza's face, that's for sure," I mutter and Sakura giggles. Zabuza's eyes flicker to me and he says,
"Time to change up your strategy, Haku." Without even glancing at me, Haku stands and says,
"Yes Sir." He eyes Sasuke and starts running for him, confusing me. Did he not understand Zabuza's orders? Sasuke gets ready, but just as he comes in reach, Haku jumps, going right over Sasuke's head. He bypasses the others and dives immediately for me. I give Tazuna a hard shove, pushing him farther from me.
"Back up," is all I say to the other two and I quickly pull a kunai knife. Sasuke's right – he's fast. Haku's hand comes forward, a senbon in his grip, and I feign a defense. He falls for it and drives his needle forward. I twist, but it goes straight into my arm. I wince and Sakura shrieks,
"Tami!" Haku moves to pull his hand back, but I catch his wrist in a vice grip.
"Unfortunately for you, it'll take more than speed to fuck me over," I growl and put my other hand on his exposed skin. Memories flood my head. His mother passed a kekkei-genkai that frightened the others in his village to him; they killed his mother, and Haku accidentally killed them all in self-defense. Zabuza found him and raised him to be a killer. He'd been a sweet kid; he'd just been found by the wrong person. I quickly get a lock on his mental signature and when he drives his free hand up to hit me, I duck, releasing his hand to catch myself. I sweep kick him, catching him around the ankles, and he falls to the ground. I still have a hold on his wrist, using my foot to hold him down, and I grin. "Oh, and guess what? You're not the only one who can do this." I raise my free hand and start making one-handed seals, feeling the awe that arises from my squad mates.
I concentrate hard; I've never tried this one before, because I'd never had anyone to try it on. It completely paralyzes an enemy for as long as I have a hold on them. I don't know how long it'll stay, but if we can kill Zabuza before they have a chance to break my hold, we'll be fine. I reach for his face to complete the jutsu, but Zabuza's at my side before I can blink. "Oh sh-" He swings his leg up and catches me in the side, sending me flying over the bridge railing and into the fucking water. I quickly swim to the surface, coughing as my nose burns. What the fuck kind of cover was that? Sakura couldn't even bother to MOVE to block me? Or SAY SOMETHING? I can't do more than one thing, especially not something like that!
"Oh, Tami! Are you alright?" Sakura screams.
"Like you fucking care!" I yell back, quickly swimming back to the bridge. I grab one of the pillars and walk back up to the top, wringing off as much water as I can. Now I'm probably the most susceptible to their attacks, since I'm soaked in their primary weapon. Son of a bitch! I'd had him! I could have had that masked bastard rendered completely useless if I'd had just a second more! Once I'm back on dry land, I'm engulfed in a wave of cold air and I shiver.
"Tami! Are you okay?" Sakura asks again and I glare at her dangerously.
"No, I'm not fucking okay! You couldn't have given me any kind of protection? If I'd had a hold of him for one more second, I'd have paralyzed him! He'd have been completely useless, and once Kakashi-Sensei had taken down Zabuza, we'd have won!" I shiver again and look in Sasuke's direction, only for my jaw to drop. He's entrapped in a circle of what look like mirrors. Haku approaches them and when he reaches the nearest one he phases right into it. How in the HELL-? Kakashi darts for them, but Zabuza blocks him.
"Let's not forget – I'm your enemy!" he snarls, and I sneer,
"Oh yeah, suuure! Sensei can't have more than one target, but you can! Bastard!" He throws me an ugly look and says,
"I'll make sure to kill you before the day is out."
"Yeah, looking forward to it! Third time's the charm, after all!" I snap.
"Tami, that's enough," Kakashi says, not unkindly, and I stop. I rub my side gingerly and pain radiates from where he'd dealt the blow. Ouch. My eyes go back to Sasuke, who's looking around wildly and trying to figure out a plan.
"Now that it's all in place…let me show you some real speed!" Haku says. He raises a weapon and I feel something slice through Sasuke's arm. A moment later, he's barraged by dozens of senbon, attacking him from all directions. I hear him scream in pain and wince as I feel it.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi yells, fear swelling up in his chest. Sakura also starts panicking and she yells for Sasuke. He doesn't even seem to hear her.
"Mr. Tazuna, I'm sorry…But I'm going to have to leave you for just a little bit." I groan. And leave me stuck here?
"Go ahead. I'll be fine," he says and she hurries off. I wince as I continue to feel the needles slice through Sasuke's skin and he notices. "That kick from earlier still hurting?"
"I can feel Sasuke's pain," I reply. "I can feel everyone's pain."
"Y-you can?" he asks, feeling immediately sympathetic. I nod.
"I'm empathic. I can feel emotions, pain, heart beats…anything you feel, I feel."
"…Must suck at times like this, huh?" he asks. I wince again, my arms wrapping around myself in reflex. Gritting my teeth against it, I say,
"You can say that again." I feel another pain – against the side of my face – and return my attention to the mirrors. There's an enormous gust and I sense the presence of an eighth person. So, he's shown up at last.
"Uzumaki Naruto, at your service!" the blonde yells and I roll my eyes. Greeeat. "Here I am, to save the day. You know how the story goes. Things look bleak, then the hero shows up, and POW! Bye bye, bad guys!"
"Quit posturing and MOVE YOUR ASS!" I bark. He turns to look at me and grins.
"Oh, hey, Tami! Wow, you're a mess!" Zabuza takes advantage of his distraction and tosses a handful of shuriken at Naruto. He raises his kunai to block them, but senbon dart from the ice enclosure and knock them to the floor before they hit Naruto. I turn to Haku and Zabuza says,
"Haku…what are you doing?"
"Zabuza, sir…please let me have this boy. I want to fight him in my own way."
"So, you want me to keep my hands off him, eh, Haku? How charmingly naïve you are…as usual." I take a small breath. At least if Naruto's here, something can be done from the outside of the – Wait a second, how did Naruto get in the ice enclosure? Damn it! He says something to Sasuke, whose anger and disbelief goes through to roof, not that I blame him. Haku merges back with the mirrors and starts his assault all over again. Sasuke gets to his feet and quickly makes a series of seals, then puts his hand to his mouth. Fire fills the enclosure, but the ice isn't affected in the slightest. What the HELL? Its ice, isn't it? Fire melts ice, it's a law of nature! Haku isn't at all fazed and barrages the boys with needles again. I feel their pain, now doubled, and I'm brought to one knee by it. The wounds feel extensive, but they're really not. They can last for a lot longer without dying, but I'd rather not run that risk.
Naruto does his signature doppelganger move, but that too is all but useless against Haku. He destroys them all without missing a beat. Haku says something and Kakashi suddenly understands what jutsu Haku's using: his kekkei-genkai. The Sharingan can't copy it since it's genetic, but I know there's more to the mirror-wheel eye than simply copying. If Sasuke could only see what Haku was doing, and break down his movements, he could even the odds a little more. If he could simply access his eyes…
"Sakura, I'm going to see if they can use me, alright? Stay here, and don't fucking move." I don't listen for a reply, I just run toward them. I don't get closer than twenty feet though when Sasuke yells,
"DON'T!" I skid to a stop and say,
"I'm not coming in there, you ass, I'm not THAT stupid! But do you need me?"
"No," he replies. "Get back and help Sakura protect the bridge builder!"
"I mean my talent, Sasuke. Is there anything I can do to help you that way?"
"…I know that's what you meant…but I don't think so, no," he says, meeting my gaze. "Did you get anything earlier?"
"Just memories," I reply.
"What are you talking about?" Haku asks. I look up at his many reflections.
"I know what happened to you," I reply. "I know about your kekkei-genkai, about your mother – how your father betrayed you both and led a mob attack on you, and I know how you came to be under Zabuza's guidance. Haku, you don't have to do this. Deep down, you know this is wrong. You don't like hurting people, really, you only do it because Zabuza tells you to."
"True, I don't like hurting people. But I'll do what I must to protect Zabuza."
"Why? Why do you protect someone who would willingly toss you aside to save himself? Or if you were beaten? Why would you do something so-" A hand grabs onto me from behind, latching around my neck and pulling me off my feet. The blade of a sword is placed to my neck and Zabuza hisses,
"Told you I'd get you by the day's end." I swallow and say,
"Day's not over yet, you've got a few more hours to fuck up." He presses harder and I move as far away from it as I can.
"TAMI!" Naruto screams and both boys shoot to their feet, racing toward me. Haku stops them, however, with another onslaught of needles. I brace myself for a rather pathetic death, but the next second Zabuza's gone and I fall to the ground. I turn to see Kakashi.
"Get back to Tazuna, Tami. The boys can handle themselves. Have faith in them." I sigh hard.
"You sure?" He nods and I stand. "Yes Sir." I then hurry back to Sakura's side.
"Tami, are you insane? He could have slit your throat!" she says.
"Not really. Sensei had my back," I reply. But I can feel myself getting a little weak; everyone's emotions running high, all the pain, the wound to my arm…not to mention a new, fierce headache…
"Sasuke! Naruto! Don't you dare lose to a person like him!" Sakura screams, but Kakashi says,
"Sakura, don't encourage them! Even if we knew a way to counter his technique, the boys still wouldn't be up to the task of defeating that boy."
"Wh-what do you mean?" I take a deep breath.
"They haven't hardened themselves enough to kill someone. Might sound easy in theory, but…it's not easy in practice." Zabuza eyes me and I stare back at him.
"Sounds like you've had experience." I don't answer him; my jaw clenches, as do my fists, as I fight down my memories. Sakura's interest is piqued, but she doesn't ask. Kakashi reaches for his headband, preparing to pull it up. Here we go. Zabuza dives forward, driving a knife toward Kakashi's eye, but Kakashi stops it with his free hand. He and Zabuza talk for a moment, and from what I can tell, it's about Haku. He's a genius, not only because of his kekkei-genkai, but also from natural intelligence. He's been bred to be a shinobi, and understands what it takes to win. He's prepared to kill; Sasuke and Naruto aren't. That worries me. The mist suddenly becomes much thicker, so much so that it completely obscures my vision. I can't see Sasuke and Naruto, or Kakashi and Zabuza…I can't even really make out Sakura, who's standing only five feet from me.
"Sakura, get closer to me," I say softly, sliding in her direction. "Mr. Tazuna, you too."
"Wh-where are you?" Sakura asks.
"Just keep shifting to your right until you hit my hand. Mr. Tazuna, move forward and I'll let you know when," I say. They do as I say and shuffle toward me. I hold out my hand and when Sakura hits my palm she stops. I stop Tazuna when he's within a foot of me. "Good. Now stay close. If my voice gets any farther away, you'll need to find me as fast as possible."
"Okay," Sakura says, her voice trembling. I hear the metallic clangs of shuriken, and I can still feel Sasuke and Naruto's pain. I force myself to ignore them at the moment and zone in on Zabuza's mind. It's moving around so quickly it's hard to track, constantly encircling Kakashi. After a minute or two of this, he leaves Kakashi and for a moment he vanishes. I hurry to pinpoint his mind again, and find it's getting closer. It goes right by me, but stops while still nearby. Behind us - ! I turn and hurry past Tazuna, standing behind him. I can't see Zabuza, but I know he's there. He chuckles.
"Now…time to finally end you, brat." I stand my ground, readying myself for an attack. Zabuza draws his weapon and I hear footsteps from behind us. Someone suddenly skids to a stop in front of me. "Too late!" He brings his weapon down and Sakura screams. I quickly back up, pushing Sakura and Tazuna away from the two of them.
"Sensei, are you alright?" I ask.
"Nnh…fine." But he's not fine. The pain from the blow is almost crippling and I can hear his blood as it hits the ground. I suddenly feel something else; it's like there's pressure on my eyes, or like they're working harder than they were before. What the hell could that be? Then I understand – Sasuke did it. He activated the Sharingan. I grin.
"Finally."
"What?" Kakashi asks.
"Sasuke's living up to his namesake," I reply.
"Ah…glad to hear it."
"You were slow on your guard, Kakashi. Your desire to save those brats caused the blood to rush to your head, obscuring your thoughts and vision as surely as the fog I've created does! I want to enjoy this, Kakashi…Paying back what you did to me would give me the greatest pleasure in the world! Haku should be finishing off those brats of yours about now…I'll be reuniting the rest of you with them shortly."
"Sasuke won't be easy for someone like that masked kid to defeat! Neither will Naruto!" Sakura says defiantly. I exhale slowly. Hopefully she's right.
"You're right. I have faith in them and in their strengths – Naruto's unpredictability, and Sasuke's one of the most worthy heirs to the most superior bloodline of Konoha-Gakure," Kakashi says.
"One of the most superior," I correct sourly and he chuckles.
"You don't mean-" Zabuza starts.
"That's right. His full name is Uchiha Sasuke. He's a ninja genius who carries in his genes the kekkei-genkai of the Uchiha clan."
"He's the sole surviving member of that tragic clan, eh…" Zabuza says. I sigh.
"One of the two." Zabuza looks at me.
"Two?" I nod.
"Technically, there are still two Uchihas who are alive. But the other hasn't been seen for two years." Sakura stares at me, astounded. Kakashi also sighs.
"Yes, that's true."
"So, he may indeed be Haku's equal…no one has ever penetrated the secret of Haku's technique until now…no one…" Zabuza puts his hands together and disappears once more.
"He's gone again!" Sakura whines.
"Sakura, Tami, don't move an inch!" Kakashi says, springing off. I nod, readying myself, but I'm suddenly in excruciating pain. It feels like someone's slit my neck and shoved thousands of needles through my arms and legs. I utter a cry and pain and feel my knees go weak.
"Tami, you okay?" Sakura asks, but I'm in such awful pain that I can't answer. Oh no…The boys…I clutch my neck helplessly, wishing the pain would stop, but hoping that whoever's this beaten up is alright…Sakura places her hand on my shoulder, but it doesn't help. Suddenly, my vision goes black and I start falling backwards.
