Remember how I said the fights were getting away from me? Well, not long after I posted the last chapter I think they hot-wired a Ferrari and took off. I got my hands on a pinto and tried to chase after, but that darn horse wouldn't cooperate at all. Anycase, I hope the wait was worth it.

For this chapter, I will put the pokemon's moves Italicized in parentheses (like so) to see if this proves easier to read. I should have considered the potential nuisance of having them listed at the bottom sooner, apologies.


Sasuke raced into combat with the masked ninja, his kunai aimed to end the fight in a fast disemboweling slash, but Haku caught the blade with a single senbon needle, stopping him cold.

She held him off with ease, the only tension he could spot was in her fingers, tightly bracing the thin weapon in her hand.

Cursing the mask hiding his opponent's facial expressions, and whatever revealing thoughts might be found there, Sasuke released the pressure of his weapon and dropped to a knee, bracing his free hand on the ground.

With timing as good or better than in their practice, Charmander leapt to his back, spring-boarding up and launching a blast of flame towards their mutual foe.

As expected, she dodged away from Sasuke's kunai arm. He spun, choosing to reveal his back momentarily for the added power the momentum would grant his attack.

With one hand, he launched his kunai, knocking the expected senbon she threw from the air, with the other he caught the falling Charmander and threw him at Haku, ducking low and following after in a reversal of their standard attack pattern.

For the first time, Sasuke saw something other than relaxed confidence in the fake hunter's posture. He hesitation cost her, and she only narrowly avoided the burst of flame Charmander loosed, ducking the attack that would have incinerated the hated mask and everything behind it.

Her dodge put her in line with Sasuke's attack, and as Charmander passed overhead, she prepared to avoid the genin once more.

She was caught by surprise and thrown off balance when Charmander, not one to accept such casual dismissal, tucked into a forward roll and slammed his tail into the back of her head. The unplanned maneuver sent him tumbling through the air and across the ground, but the pokemon considered it an acceptable cost to ensuring the combo's success.

Taking the opening his pokemon provided, Sasuke completed his attack, slamming his fist into Haku's masked face with all the strength he could muster, sending her flying.

Pain radiated through his hand, and he heard a pop that he couldn't immediately place. Realizing it had to be either his hand, her mask, or possibly her nose, he flexed his fingers experimentally. Noting that they all responded properly with no increase in pain, he dismissed the sound and stalked over to his fallen foe.

Confident in his newly reaffirmed superiority, Sasuke approached the fallen hunter ninja, who was just rising shakily to her hands and knees.

Haku pushed herself up from her prone position, acutely aware of the taste of blood in her throat. She shook her head slightly, using the rub of her mask against her face to confirm that her nose was merely bloody rather than broken.

The movement of her hair also revealed a tender section of her scalp, possibly a blister forming from the pokemon's tail-flame. It would be uncomfortable until it healed, but not debilitating or particularly impairing.

All this went through her mind in seconds, time during which her disorientation and the ringing in her ears prevented her from taking or really considering more useful actions.

Her disparate thoughts were refocused by a sharp, grinding pain in her hand. She looked up and found the coal-eyed boy standing over her, kunai in hand and his foot crushing her hand painfully.

Sasuke spun the kunai by it's ring a few times before catching it and tapping the blade on her newly cracked mask. "I'm a bit disappointed," he taunted, leaning down to look into her glass-covered eyes, not coincidentally putting more weight on her trapped digits. "I expected Zabuza's mysterious partner to be stronger."

"And I expected a student of Kakashi Hatake to be more perceptive," Haku countered, her bland voice revealing no hint of the discomfort he was causing her.

Sasuke drew back, in surprise or anger even he couldn't say, and that was all that saved him. Her free hand positioned out of easy sight from both his own and Charmander's perspectives was flying through one strange symbol after another.

He realized her intent with bare moments to spare, leaping away at the absolute last second.

"Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles!" Haku called as a multitude of frozen spikes formed from the soaked concrete and moisture laden air and launched themselves at Sasuke.

Charmander, safely out of the attacks' range of effect, tried rushing the prone ninja, but was blown up and away by a blast of foul scented air. (Ominous Wind)

Haku rose to her feet, and behind her at the point where the odorous wind originated, a pokemon rose up from the bridge, passing through the stone fluidly. The Froslass glared at Charmander and floated backwards silently until she hovered close behind her partner.

"You are not like Naruto-san," Haku declared, subtly flexing her abused hand and finding it adequately responsive.

"Hmph," Sasuke scoffed. "As if I'd want to be anything like that Dobe."

"You should," Haku replied, surprised at the boy's callous dismissal of his teammate. "He knows what true strength is. I can see from your eyes that you fight for no one other than yourself. Your anger blinds you to your true potential."

"Anger is my strength!" Sasuke countered hotly. "Anger and hatred are what will make me strong enough to get my revenge!"

"Such ambitions will only chain you to your past," Haku advised. "Have you no precious ones to show you the possibilities in your future?"

"Not anymore," Sasuke said quietly. "Not ever again."

"Then you will never know true strength," she warned.

"I'm getting stronger every day," Sasuke argued with a confident smirk. "Besides, I was strong enough to beat you."

"True," Haku conceded. "Like Zabuza-sama, I underestimated your abilities, and as a result you won the first exchange. Though I do suggest you remember this: Rarely does first blood decide the battle."

Sasuke and Charmander both attacked when she started running through handsigns, but she finished before they could stop her.

"Ice Release: Crystal Ice Mirror!"

A wall of water rose between Haku and her pokemon, and the two backed into the fast freezing structure even as it formed.

"What is that?" Sasuke asked, approaching until he was a long arm's length away from the strange mirror. He could feel the cold emanating from it even from that distance. Rather than reflecting his image as a normal mirror would, he could see the false hunter and her pokemon, though only it's back.

"You are not the only one capable of freezing with your jutsu. Naruto-san has informed me that you are a dragon type ninja. I myself, am an Ice type. Due to my training with Zabuza-sama and our pokemon, I believe myself to be one of the most skilled ice element users alive."

"This is a taste of my most powerful technique. The mirror I've created is nearly indestructible, and within it you cannot touch me. However, it provides you no such protection."

A series of senbon fired out of the textureless mirror to illustrate her claim. He dodged them, rotating around to the narrow side of the mirror where he expected she wouldn't be able to attack.

He nearly collided with Charmander in his escape, and noticed that the pokemon had been chased there by a series of jagged blades of ice from the opposite side of the mirror. (Ice Shard)

Sasuke felt unease sprout in his gut, which came to full bloom when Haku confirmed his fear that their position was not coincidence.

"And now, I reveal to you the full technique... "Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirrors!" Haku's voice rang out with uncharacteristic coldness as the pane of ice holding her shattered into a number of irregular fragments.

Each piece flew through the air, stopping only when it had reached a predetermined position around the Konoha pair and became the seed for a new, identical mirror.

In barely more than a blink, they found themselves trapped in a reflective prison of ice, surrounded on every side except down by images of the masked ninja.

Sasuke shook himself mentally, reminding himself that he could win. No one could beat an Uchiha.

"Ice, is it?" Sasuke chuckled as he realized he still held the advantage, and only one of the mirrors held a reflection of the rear-facing pokemon. "Too bad for you that fire beats ice! Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

Charmander added his own flames to Sasuke's attack, and the combined heat created their own 'Hidden mist jutsu' as the ambient water vaporized.

But when the fog cleared, the mirror remained, apparently undamaged by the combined inferno.

"It would take a flame much more intense than that to damage one of my creations," she explained mildly. "However, I do commend you for finding my true position. Let's see if you can do it without Froslass' presence as a clue."

Following the indirect command, Froslass exited the jutsu formed fortress, leaving on the outer side of the barrier.

"Now... Keep your eye on the lady," Haku taunted smugly as she brandished a trio of senbon in each hand.

Haku's image flickered, a slight distortion that Sasuke barely noticed, and a trio of senbon flashed through the air. Almost before he consciously identified the threat they reached him.

Sheer instinct saved him once again, and he twisted away reflexively. It proved just enough that the steel needles gouged bloody furrows in his arm, rather than spearing the muscle through.

Sasuke turned a glare to the mirror he and Charmander had attacked, but before he could give voice to his anger, he was shoved hard.

He fell to the ground, but looked to Charmander when the pokemon let out a growl of pain.

Charmander was crouched low to the ground where Sasuke had been standing. His tail was raised protectively over his head, and a needle was embedded in it. Two more were buried in the bridge just beyond him.

Sasuke traced the weapons' trajectory to a mirror which floated above and behind him.

"Knowing where I was will do you no good," the reflections warned. "You'll need to know where I am, if you wish to truly win this battle."

"You can change mirrors when you attack?" Sasuke realized.

"Or at any other time I choose," Haku confirmed. "Within this jutsu, my speed is unmatched. Even seeing my movements is beyond the skill of most jounin."

"Don't count me out!" Sasuke retaliated. "I beat you once, and I can do it again!"

"Still confident I see... Fine then. Show me the extent of your strength. Let us witness the limits imposed by your obsession." Haku replied, ever calm.

Sasuke retrieved a pair of kunai and widened his stance. Charmander spit out the needle he'd pulled from his tail with his jaws, then took position behind his partner.

What followed was a veritable storm of needles. Sasuke and Charmander strained their ears for the sound of splitting air, and their eyes watching for any glimpse of the real Haku passing between the mirrors.

Charmander kept in contact with his larger partner, usually using the side of his tail. The two put their extensive personal training to good use, moving almost as one to avoid and deflect the attacks they could see.

Sasuke did receive a few minor scorches to his legs before he realized that Charmander's movements were guided by more than avoidance. Once he did, he began responding to the pokemon's steps and watching for what had it's attention.

Periodically, the reptile would unleash a burst of flame, and it took some time before Sasuke spotted his target. The Froslass was hovering outside the dome, popping in between the reflective panes randomly to launch it's own attacks.

Charmander met them all with it's flames. Shards of ice were melted in flight, and blasts of frozen wind were heated into mild breezes. To the fire type's obvious frustration, Froslass never approached within his considerable range.

It wasn't very long before Haku realized that Charmander's elemental advantage was fully negating her own pokemon's most potent element. Even when Froslass utilized her spectral options, the fire-type's constant observation gave them ample opportunity to dodge.

It was equally apparent that while the entrapped pair were able to avoid most of her projectiles, their ability to escape the dome of ice was virtually nonexistent.

Between the constant drain on her chakra and her reluctance to risk permanently injuring one of Naruto's friends, she knew a new approach might be necessary.

"Froslass," Haku said when next the pokemon revealed itself. "I am sorry, but I must ask you to leave these two to me. Please, go complete our true objective."

The pokemon nodded hesitantly, before turning to leave with a mournful call.

Charmander roared a flame filled objection and rushed the now empty gap where Froslass had hovered.

The mirrors flickered and Charmander flew backward as the masked ninja intercepted him. The pokemon rolled end over end, before coming to his feet and charging towards the nearest opening, flying flames leading the way.

Sasuke stood silently watching. He knew he should aid his pokemon, but realized this might be the only time he could observe the swift ninja's movements when he knew where she would be.

The cycle repeated itself twice more, with Haku countering Charmander's reckless escape attempts with needles and nearly invisible taijutsu.

Charmander's final attempt caught Haku by surprise, she had expected it to be down for good after she'd planted a trio of needles in it's left leg. But Charmander proved his determination by ripping the only needle interfering with it's knee out as it rolled and came back up running once more.

He actually managed to set foot beyond the frozen barrier before Haku grabbed him by the tail and threw him back inside, slamming the pokemon into his partner, who had taken that brief opportunity as a chance to attack.


Charmander rose to his feet yet again, growling low in his throat. He glowered at the many images of the Ice-girl. His glare didn't even flinch when Sasuke removed the half dozen or so needles still piercing his orange hide.

Despite himself, he had to respect the masked ninja. She was too strong to push through, and too fast to evade. His blue eyes narrowed and the growl intensified as she made a sign and the mirrors moved, tucking in and conveniently reducing the gap between them to bare inches.

Yes, he decided, she was strong, fast, and clever. A worthy foe by any measure... But she was human, and his chosen prey was escaping while she held him here in a crystalline cage.

Humans were usually appealing opponents, competent trainers, even tolerable meals in the worst circumstances. But they could never be true prey.

Among pokemon, prey meant more than just meat, more than simple sustenance. It was a nearly sacred connection forged in battle, with the victor claiming a portion of the defeated's very strength.

The loser would eventually recover, but a strong pokemon's power could grow exponentially if they fought well.

Rarely did pokemon kill in combat with each other, preferring to eat the more mundane animals that neither objected intelligibly, nor fought back in more than a token manner. In this way the cycle of power continued unabated within the pokemon world.

Compared to pokemon, fighting humans was nearly pointless.

Charmander flicked his tongue towards the mirror before him, he had lost his chance against the Basculin they'd fought before, and he was determined to take his current one for all it was worth.


Sasuke looked around apprehensively as the walls slid in to encase them more completely. Despite their glass-like appearance, the ice blocked the incoming light as effectively as stone, leaving them standing in a shadowy sphere criss-crossed by sheets of light.

"I suggest you take this time to rest," Haku remarked calmly. "You can neither defeat nor escape my jutsu, and unless the pink-haired girl is hiding some great strength, she cannot defeat Froslass, while Eevee will not even be able to touch her."

"Soon, the bridge builder will be dead, and our conflict will be at an end. You will then be permitted to collect your friends and return to Konohagakure." 'I hope...' She added silently.

Before Sasuke could object to her assumption of their defeat, a blast of flame engulfed the image he and Charmander had been facing.

Barely pausing for breath, the pokemon let loose another and another, attacking the mirrors one by one.

Sasuke dropped to the ground as Charmander proved that even his partner's presence wasn't ward against his outrage.

Tail-flame blazed larger by the second, and the rate of his attacks intensified to match. By the time his tail-flame was as tall as himself, Charmander's firebreath was nearly constant. (Flamethrower)

"You may as well stop," Haku advised without concern. "This tantrum will accomplish nothing."

Charmander's offensive just escalated at the callous dismissal, and small flares sparked to life along his tense body. Sasuke scooted away as the heat rose beyond his tolerance.

He watched with dread as the pokemon became fully engulfed in it's own fire, apparently immolated from within.

He tried calling out to it, wanting to reason with the enraged creature, but the heat dried air was suffocatingly oppressive. He vaguely noticed that needles were flying, aimed for the center of the conflagration, as Haku abandoned finesse in an attempt to stop Charmander's reckless act.

This continued unabated for long terrifying seconds, until it exploded with one final deafening roar.

Sasuke threw his arms in front of his face, eyes closed, to protect himself from the waves of heat.

The silence following Charmander's explosion was worse than the fiery roar, or even the explosion, that preceded it... but it didn't last as long.

"Charmeleon!" A rough voice called loudly.

Sasuke's eyes shot open and his arms flew away as he looked upon his newly evolved partner.

Charmeleon flexed it's new, muscular body, glaring at the many masked ninja and grinning confidently.

"Charmeleon!" It called once more, loosing another burst of flame at the mirror before it.

Sasuke could see that the inferno had weakened their prison somewhat, most of the mirrors now sported obvious ripples where a layer of ice had melted and refroze, but he could tell that while Charmeleon's flames were hotter than it's prior evolution, they didn't match up to the intensity of his phoenix-like rebirth.

Sasuke kicked up to his feet and darted over to his partner as the reflections flickered in the now familiar way. His kunai flashed and intercepted senbon left and right, and he smirked viciously as he noticed Charmeleon smacking the weapons from the sky with his new imposing claws and enhanced speed.

The sortie ended in Haku's favor of course, with both targets pierced and cut in many places. Sasuke tore a few of the more hindering needles out, the pain was intense, but tolerable. Especially since had noticed something he hadn't been able to before.

The narrow slashes of light created by the reduced dome gaps gave Sasuke a new line of perspective. He could see bursts of shadow as she slipped from one mirror to another. It wasn't much, but he hoped it would be enough of a difference.

As soon as the needle assault ended, Charmeleon resumed his escape attempt in a spectacular fashion.

Rather than attack the nearly invulnerable mirrors, he turned his razor sharp claws on the stone beneath their feet. (Dig)

In the blink of an eye, the swiftly burrowing pokemon was more than waist deep in his stone pit, and Haku's attack began anew.

Sasuke straddled the hole, unable to resist imagining Tazuna's expression when he saw the damage.

When Charmeleon had tunneled far enough down that he could stand and not poke over the lip, he looked up to his partner and realized that the scale of his efforts was far too narrow for the human.

"Go!" Sasuke shouted when he noticed the pokemon lingering uncertainly. "I'll handle this, you go take out that pokemon!"

Charmeleon roared his name in response, and resumed it's work, turning sideways and carving a path through the thick stone bridge towards Froslass and her target.

It wasn't long before the tunnel behind him filled with so much rubble that Haku's projectiles became useless, and Sasuke hopped away breathing heavily and prying loose the needles he'd blocked with flesh rather than his blades.

On a sudden hunch, he ran through the handsigns for his fireball jutsu as fast as he could, and launched it at the mirror closest to Charmeleon's expected reappearance.

The images flickered just as he finished, and when they stabilized, the hunter's kimono sported a thick line of char leading up from her hem until it ended in an unnaturally straight line across her thigh.

He easily read the surprise in her frozen posture, and couldn't resist the urge to gloat over his success, limited though it might be.

"Did you forget about me?" he asked cockily. "Our fight is a long way from finished."

His kunai flashed up to intercept the trio of needles she sent his way, and he fell to his back to evade the rest he expected to follow.

Nine collided in the air he'd just vacated, thrown from three separate directions. He kicked his legs into the air and rolled into a handstand, narrowly avoiding a volley that would have stabbed into his legs and gut, then flipped to his feet and straightened, grinning arrogantly.

"You'll have to do better than that," he taunted.

"It would seem you are correct," Haku admitted, mildly annoyed that the boy had adjusted to her attacks so swiftly. "I had hoped to end this with a minimum of frustration, but you are proving to be quite the nuisance... No matter, it seems that I shall just have to crush you completely."

A shadow blurred in the corner of Sasuke's eye, and three senbon appeared in his shoulder.

Sasuke staggered back, his arm spasming as the muscles contracted and relaxed erratically. Before he could even begin truly worrying, the arm fell limp and numb, his kunai dropping to the ground forgotten as he swallowed a cry of fear.

"Will that be sufficient improvement?" Haku asked, and Sasuke would have sworn he could hear satisfaction buried in her cold voice.

"How?" He asked, grunting in pain as he tore the steel spikes from his flesh. If he had held any hope that the act would repair the damaged nerves, it proved to be in vain.

"As I said earlier: I had hoped to end this amicably. In keeping with that desire, I chose to meet you on terms that were less than my peak, reducing the factor by which this jutsu multiplies my speed. I now see that the only way for this encounter to end, is for one of us to be defeated."

"I have no more reason to hold myself back, and once you are eliminated, I will complete my mission by dispatching the bridge builder. If they are wise, the rest of your team will learn from your defeat and not interfere."

Once more he witnessed the ghostly movement and dove to the ground, scrambling recklessly on three limbs to escape the raining steel.

Sasuke spent the next long minutes literally jumping at shadows half-seen in his peripheral vision. If this was the true power of her jutsu, she might have been telling the truth when she claimed it to be undefeated.


He never stopped moving, even when he saw nothing to hint at an incoming attack, and to Haku's frustration, this prevented her from landing another telling blow.

Despite her claim, she was still reluctant to kill him, and was confident in her companion's ultimate success. The pokemon was much like her in that it disliked killing those who hadn't earned such a fate, but would do as needed.

Sasuke had been pierced more than a dozen times by now, mostly along his back, legs and numbed arm, but he seemed to be growing more adept at avoiding the hits as time passed...


Sasuke ripped another needle out, feeling the tingle of another near debilitating nerve hit fill his leg. He was on the move again immediately, knowing that every second he was still only increased her chance to cripple him further.

He was fully aware that she was playing with him. A hellish game of cat and mouse, where he was cast in the worst role.

She wanted him to know, beyond doubt, beyond denial, how hopeless it was for him to keep fighting. She planned to chip away at him until nothing was left, to pierce and slice until he crumbled away completely...

Just like Itachi had.

All the evidence he needed of her intent was hanging uselessly from his shoulder. That first disabling strike could have just as easily ended the fight, or his life. But where would be the fun in that?

As if to confirm his suspicions, the fake hunter spoke.

"What happened to your 'Uchiha pride?', Sasuke?" she ridiculed harshly, hoping to force him into an error. "All this running away... You'll have to do much better than that to defeat me."

Sasuke frowned at hearing his boasts thrown back at him, but couldn't see a way to refute her accusation. He was getting better at spotting the almost imperceptible warnings that preceded her attacks, but even at his best he could barely glimpse her in flight.


One such glimpse came just as Haku decided to end things by attacking in such a way that dodging would be impossible.

She charged in personally, intent on grabbing the shifty boy and stabbing the needles in manually.

She almost had snatched a fistful of his hair when his eyes flashed red and he screamed, slashing out with his kunai.

Haku fled, feeling the blade catch and tear through the cloth of her kimono as she did. She watched from her mirror as the boy flicked his ruby gaze from side to side, obviously unaware of his own evolution and still alarmed.

Her fingers tightened on her weapons. This was getting far too complicated, she could not afford to let it continue any longer.

One way or another, the boy must be defeated, and soon...


She appeared before him like a cold specter of death, a yuki-onna come to gather his soul for her gallery.

It was as if time had suddenly slowed to a stop. He saw her as a picture, still and lifeless, one arm stretched out toward his face, the other wrapped around her needle, raised to stab.

He marveled at the detail he could discern, the tension in her muscles, the way her kimono swept back in the wind of her passage, even the determined glare hidden behind her mask's green glass eyes.

He wondered morbidly if he was already dead, slain instantly by his opponent's unimaginable speed, his suffocating mind locked on the last image his eyes captured.

He destroyed that thought faster than the Dobe did a bowl of ramen from that food shack he loved.

If he was dead then there was nothing he could do, and he'd know it soon enough, but he damn well wasn't going to just stand here and wait around for it!

Sasuke tried to bring his weapon to bare, to defend his life or take his enemy's, or both if possible.

As if that were the signal for the world to resume it's normal rhythms, everything began moving again, though at mere fraction of it's prior speed.

He felt like he was moving through syrup, so slowly did his arm respond, but his opponent seemed to be moving just as sluggishly to his altered perspective.

She flowed backwards, bringing her hand down to release it's sole projectile in his direction.

He turned slightly and the weapon missed, bouncing off a mirror beyond him and falling to the ground with a merry tinkling.

His own blade slid forward and up, but even in this strangely distorted situation, she was faster, and he only connected with her sleeve, fabric parting strand by strand before his eyes. He watched her slip into a mirror and immediately went on guard.

Expecting the new situation to be some strange trick from the kunoichi, he was surprised when she appeared from the same mirror she'd just slid into, weapons flying at him as she leapt into another, and another.

He remained confused by the sudden circumstances, until he caught a glimpse of his face reflected in the edge of his kunai.

Two piercing red eyes stared back at him, and the pieces fell into place.

The Sharingan, ultimate dojutsu of perception, was now his! And seeing through even a trick of this speed was well within his new limitations.

He suppressed the surge of elation he felt. She had to have noticed his eyes, and must be assuming he hadn't realized it himself.

Deciding to employ a little deception of his own, Sasuke feigned the same fear and confusion he'd felt before his discovery.

He pushed his acting skill to the limit when an opportunity presented itself, and he 'missed' a deflection.

He instead took that needle to his wrist, dropping his weapon and falling to the ground with an all too authentic hiss of pain.

Hunching himself over both damaged limbs, he used his still responsive one to force the other through his handsigns as best he could, watching for Haku's approach and feeling his chances rise as he felt the chakra build up properly.

As hoped, she advanced, apparently wanting to go for his face again.

The instant he judged her to be within reach and her speed fully committed to the attack, he lunged, sparking fingers leading the way.

"Raiton: Suji Jiinto!" he shouted, sending an unmeasurable current of electricity arcing through Haku.

He fought to maintain his grasp on her arm, ignoring the sparks leaping to him. This was his last chance for victory, and he intended to make it count.

The charge finally petered out when Sasuke's chakra did, and he dropped his victim as his eyes reverted to their natural ebon hue.

He stubbornly remained standing as Haku forced herself up.

She stopped in a kneel, her still twitching muscles betraying her balance and steam rising from her clothes.

"H-how did you c-catch me?" She asked, stuttering slightly as the lingering charge played over her.

"My eyes," Sasuke replied smugly. "The second my sharingan awoke, you lost all hope of beating me. From that moment, every move you made became so obvious it was almost embarrassing."

Haku laughed softly at that. "So... Zabuza-sama was correct when he warned me that my speed would not be enough if ever I faced a sharingan wielder."

Sasuke smirked at the knowledge that even with so few Uchiha remaining, the skilled missing-nin still held some concern over their bloodline.

"It is most fortunate that he also told me of the kekke genkai's weaknesses," she finished calmly.

"The sharingan has no weaknesses!" Sasuke protested loudly, his fists clenching in anger at her audacity.

"Everything has weaknesses, Uchiha." Haku replied. "And to illustrate, I shall point one out to you."

"Your red eyes may understand everything you see..." Haku began.

"But you cannot watch everything at once," her voice finished from behind him right before a pair of needles slammed into his neck from either side.

Sasuke collapsed immediately at Haku's feet as her clone dissipated into water. He moaned in what could have been anger, but his paralyzed vocal chords permitted no true words.

"Don't understand?" Haku asked, rising to her feet on shaky legs. "Very well, I will explain before you die, perhaps it will prove enlightening in your next life."

"I made that clone seconds after your eyes turned red. It was created with orders to wait until I said those words before attacking. I knew your anger and pride would give me the opportunity."

"Zabuza-sama knows how to trick the sharingan, as well as most other true bloodlines in this world. Did you truly think one of Kirigakure's top assassins wouldn't have learned to defeat such a prominent clan's abilities?"

"The most certain method is also the easiest: create an attack where you cannot see, such as beyond the dome, and then create an opening for it to strike."

"Your eyes were truly powerful, but not undefeatable... Good bye, Sasuke Uchiha."


Haku watched until his eyes glazed over, sighing in relief when she identified the subtle signs differentiating the near-death state from true demise.

It was always a risk, attempting that technique on a mobile opponent. The slightest wiggle during insertion could turn a piercing strike aside, tearing or severing the spinal chord completely.

Turning towards where she heard Froslass battling the two pokemon and pink-haired girl, she dismissed her mirrors. It had taken entirely too much out of her to defeat that one boy. Thankfully Naruto had nothing but good to say about his female teammate's improvements.

Improvements that any decent kunoichi should be beyond already.

Hopefully the girl would prove to be as weak as expected, or at least a lot slower than the Uchiha... It might be easiest to just assassinate the bridge builder before they ever realized she was there.

A bright flash of light appeared behind her and she spun to face it, weapons appearing in her hands as if by magic.

What she saw nearly stopped her own heart.

Naruto stood over Sasuke, staring down in horror at the apparent corpse.

Haku felt cold fingers run along her spine, and she stepped forward unconsciously, torn between Zabuza's wishes and her own desire to reassure her maybe-friend.

Ralt's cold eyes, so much like the ones their comatose friend just unlocked, turned and the pokemon looked at her with such intensity that she had to check to see if her mask was still in place.

The little pokemon's eyes softened suddenly, and Naruto looked up at her too, his own expressive eyes holding a mix of hope, happiness and concern.

"Guess the Teme made you work for it, huh?" he asked with a lopsided grin, gesturing to her damaged clothing vaguely.

Haku's arm dropped to her side, though her fingers tightened before the needles could slip out. She looked at Naruto through her cracked mask as she bit her lip in worry...

It would have been so much easier if he hadn't come here today...

'Zabuza-sama... What do I do?'


Kakashi jumped away the second he sensed Zabuza's attack. That and the missing-nin's decision to use the flat of his enormous sword were all that kept the fight from ending right there.

He flipped through the air and dove into the sea beside the bridge with nary a splash, avoiding the downward chop Zabuza chased him with neatly.

Up on the bridge, Absol followed his partner to the edge, gazing down after Kakashi before glancing back at the Uchiha and his opponent.

When Kakashi surfaced, it was on top of a pillar of water propelled from deep below the surface. The jounin poofed into an old discarded crab trap and Absol glared at Zabuza. (Hydropump)

The rogue ninja stood relaxed and ready, but it was obvious that the water wasn't something he caused directly.

Water exploded around Zabuza, and when Absol could see clearly again, only Kakashi was visible on the unnaturally still surface.

Zabuza rose from the depths some distance away, the water sloughing off his crouched form and chakra writhing about lent him the appearance of a demon long hidden away in abyssal deeps.

Kakashi straightened and turned his mismatched glare upon the man, his red eye shone vindictively. "You should feel honored," he called across the water separating them, "you're the only person alive who's seen this eye and lived."

Zabuza chuckled menacingly. "Wish I could say the same, Hatake, but for you you're just the second person this sword has failed to slay... And that's a number I plan to cut in half right now!" he declared, swinging his blade meaningfully.

"How?" Kakashi asked disingenuously. "Did you send the Mizukage a poisoned fruit basket?"

The jounin brought his kunai up in time to block the overly direct blow from Zabuza, but was forced to dodge backwards when the water beneath his feet began to froth wildly.

He moved quickly from the unstable terrain and Zabuza completed his sword's arrested arc, pulling it from the line of fire just as a sphere of turquoise energy burst from the churning ocean. (Dragon Pulse)

"Surprised, Kakashi?" Zabuza asked, when his opponent stepped back again involuntarily, his eyes slipping down to seek the unknown enemy below. "Just because you didn't see her last time, you shouldn't assume I don't have friends of my own."

A long blue neck topped large head with spiraling ears and one prominent horn lifted smoothly from the water next to Zabuza. At it's highest, it would have easily been taller than even the imposing missing-nin, though he still rose above it due to his perch on the pokemon's shell covered back.

Decision made, Absol leapt from the bridge, firing off a ray of frozen energy as he fell. (Ice Beam)

Lapras met the attack by releasing another stream of pressurized water from it's mouth (Hydropump)

The two attacks collided in midair, and the beam froze most of the incoming water solid, but the massive pillar of ice continued it's flight unhindered by the new form.

Absol's horn glowed brightly, and he rammed the pillar head on, shattering it in a rain of frozen debris. (Rock Smash)

The chunks splashed into the ocean below, and Absol dropped agilely onto one of the larger pieces, holding his balance despite it's rocking.

"Clever trick," Zabuza remarked sourly. "But you can't hope to match us here where we're our strongest." Lapras called her agreement to her partner's claim.

"Now now, Zabuza," Kakashi replied. "You know what they say about naming your pokemon before it's hatched. How do you know I'm not just as comfortable down here as you are?"

"Even if you are, that pokemon of yours obviously isn't.," Zabuza countered with a nod towards Absol.

"I'm sure he'll manage just fine," Kakashi said cheerfully.

As if to prove the jounin's point, Absol once more used his Ice Beam, aiming it towards the sea and charging Zabuza and and his mount on a path of his own devising.

Kakashi took off as well, cutting a large arc around the pair to approach from a different angle.

He reached into his pouch and drew a fistful of shuriken, firing them off at the peak of his arching path and quickly following the attack with a technique.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone jutsu!"

Zabuza shifted his blade to shield himself from the onslaught of almost-real weaponry, while his pokemon lowered itself in the water, laying it's head almost flat against the waves.

Just as Kakashi was turning in to charge Zabuza directly, the missing-nin flared his chakra and fog rose up around him, thick as the heart of a stormcloud.

Kakashi heard the ring of steel on steel and aimed for that, thankful that he'd had had the foresight to throw the stars, though he'd intended them as little more than a distraction.

He ran through the handsigns for an advanced version of the Suji Jiinto, and thrust his hands forward, pointing them where he heard the shuriken connect.

"Raiton: Suji Jiinto Chirasu!" he intoned, and a dart of sparking energy shot from each finger and flew forward like a swarm of tiny beedrill.

He chased in after the attack personally, intending to take full advantage of even the tiniest moment of vulnerability.

What he found instead was Kubikiri Houcho resting against two of the protrusions on Lapras' shell, with no ninja in sight.

A number of the sparks connected with the sword and flowed down into the pokemon, but between the shell and Lapras' sheer mass, it wasn't enough to even tickle.

Reprising his demonic image, Zabuza burst from the mist beside Kakashi, raking at his face with a wickedly curved kunai. The jounin brought his hand up, barely catching the Kiri-made utility knife in his palm rather than his head.

"I gotta admit it Kakashi," Zabuza said, his eyes conspicuously closed. "I killed a lot of sharingan wielders back in my time as a Kirigakure Hunter... but you're better than a lot of born Uchiha I've fought. Most of those jokers were so damn obsessed with that special eye of theirs that a little fog was enough to turn 'em into sniveling genin."

"I'm happy you approve, Kakashi replied sarcastically as he drew a kunai of his own and stabbed at his enemy, though Zabuza caught his hand and stopped him cold.

"Now I've got you!" Zabuza growled, bearing down on the smaller man.

Kakashi was thankful for the sturdy metal plate attached to the backs of his gloves, for that was all that kept the razor sharp blade from tearing clean through his hand. Even with it, he knew that if Zabuza thought to twist the blade, or tear it through the side of his hand, he would be in trouble. Something like that would do enough muscle, tendon and even bone damage to render most of his jutsu unusable.

And with the man's eyes closed, he couldn't slip a subtle command into his subconscious that might get them separate long enough for him to regroup.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kakashi said with forced casualness, hoping the reminder that he wasn't alone might trigger some worry in his opponent.

"Nope," Zabuza replied simply, and in the silence that followed, Kakashi heard a quiet humming that chilled his blood.

"Absol! No!" He shouted, just as the pokemon leapt into sight from the thick fog. Absol soared towards Lapras' exposed neck, horn, teeth, and claws all bared for attack.

The saurian pokemon reacted with vicious speed, bringing it's spinning horn in line with Absol's fall as it's sonorous hum intensified to a whistling whirl. (Horn drill)

Unable to dodge, Absol was speared through by the deadly attack. The horn pierced his chest, and he stuck there, hanging limply, twitching and moaning in agony.

"Absol... no..." Kakashi repeated in a horrified whisper, eyes wide with shock.

Zabuza grinned darkly, considering the fight all but over.

"Aaauuuuu..." Absol moaned softly. "Aauuuuu...nter."

Kakashi blinked in surprise as the impaled pokemon extended an impossibly long tongue and blew a raspberry at the two locked ninja, splattering them with green-black slime.

A second Absol exploded from the water beneath Lapras, leaping up and latching it's jaws onto the pokemon's supple throat. (Bite)

Game finished for now, Haunter faded away, reappearing not far away in it's true form, laughing with dark glee.

Absol held on tightly, kicking with it's hind legs and circling it's cat-like forelegs around Lapras' neck to further secure itself.

Lapras thrashed with pain and anger, loosing water and ice from it's mouth uselessly, and slapping her attacker against the water and her shell with limited effect.

Kakashi finally got an opening when Zabuza shoved him with a roar of anger. He fell back willingly, intending to drag the missing-nin down into the water with him, but Zabuza had already let go, releasing his kunai and reaching past the Konoha jounin for his giant cleaver.

Zabuza grabbed his sword and spun into a horizontal slice that would have carved the real Absol in half, but the pokemon wisely released Lapras and dropped back in the water.

When the pair reemerged on the frozen pathway nearby, they could see Zabuza standing on guard, but with one hand pressed to Lapras' neck.

Kakashi stepped through the mist for a closer look and noticed the missing-nin's hand glowing green, obviously doing what he could to aid his lifelong partner.

Lapras' raspy breathing, as well as the long bloody trails down it's neck suggested that Absol had managed to do a fair amount of damage in the short time of his assault.

Zabuza cocked his head when Kakashi stepped off the ice and onto the water that was his favored terrain. Though his eyes remained closed, it was obvious by the angle of his head and the tension in his sword arm that he was listening intently for anything that might mark an incoming attack.

Kakashi stopped far enough away that even Zabuza couldn't object. Enemies though they might be, it was too much a part of Kakashi's nature to protect his allies. He wouldn't interfere with the healing in progress, not when Zabuza was putting himself at risk to do so.

"Medical ninjutsu, huh?" Kakashi remarked casually. "You don't seem the type."

Zabuza chuckled with apparent chagrin. "You learn a lot of things you wouldn't expect to as a rogue. We'd have died a long time ago if we didn't know some healing tricks."

"You and Lapras?" Kakashi asked.

"And Haku, Froslass... Hell, even those demon brothers knew a bit, mostly because they got tired of poisoning themselves by accident," Zabuza elaborated.

"Sounds like a tough life..." Kakashi observed.

"It's a ninja life," Zabuza corrected. "There's only two kinds for us: Tough ones or short ones."

"Or tough, short ones." Kakashi agreed.

"And one of ours has to end today," Zabuza replied, turning to face Kakashi as the green glow faded from his hand.

"There's no other way?" Kakashi asked, harboring no real hope for an alternative.

"The great Sharingan Kakashi offering mercy? Hah!" Zabuza scoffed. "The only way this ends is with you dead or running for your life."

"I thought as much," Kakashi replied calmly. "Not that I care, but why are you so eager to work for someone like Gato?"

Zabuza cracked his neck and cursed under his breath. "It's like I said: I'm a rogue ninja. All I have left is my reputation and my skill. If I quit a contract or kill my employer, even a slimeball like Gato, I won't get another mission for a long time, if ever."

"And if that's not bad enough, every bottom feeding narc in the elemental kingdoms will be looking to cash in on my head."

Kakashi nodded gravely. Zabuza's description of his circumstances was pretty typical for Missing-nin, and that near desperation was a large part of the reason they were almost universally abhorred.

It seemed only the two ways for this encounter to end were the obvious ones, and while Zabuza might be willing to let him and his team flee now, there was no guarantee he would be so generous later.

Not that he would take him up on the offer, knowing that Tazuna and his entire country would be paying for it.

Kakashi wished he could just suggest the obvious third option: Invite the missing-nin to join Konoha. Naruto would certainly support the idea, assuming Haku hadn't done anything unpleasant enough to change the boy's opinion of her.

Unfortunately, Kirigakure would object furiously. They were very possessive of their ninja, particularly their nearly legendary ones.

The last time one of the rogue Seven Swordsmen attempted to join another ninja village, that village's leader received a polite letter requesting the return of 'the Kirigakure ninja, and all of his personal effects in their possession.' Despite the civilized wording of the message, it was plain what the price of refusal would be.

The letter was found nailed to the chest of a crucified man identified as the headman of the small town he was found in. All the citizens of that town were found by the ninja investigating the incident, staked to the ground within the burnt out remains of their farmland. The investigators declined to verify whether or not they were alive when the fire was set, but they surrendered the Swordsman immediately.

Sarutobi was a kind and generous leader, and not one to be intimidated by anybody... but even he wouldn't risk the lives of his civilians for the sake of one missing-nin. And the Land of Fire was far too large to properly guard against every form of retaliation the Mizukage might imagine.

"I understand," Kakashi replied somberly. "But if one of us has to meet the Shinigami today, let's give him a good show."

"My thoughts exactly!" Zabuza replied enthusiastically, swinging his blade and grinning viciously through his bandages.

There were two primary schools of thought when it came to death among ninja: One either embraced it, or ran from it.

Those who fled tended to live longer, so there was something to say for that mentality, but they rarely progressed beyond chunin rank. In most cases, it was simple fear that motivated them in perilous situations, though there were some with more complicated justifications.

The other group had much more diverse rationale: Some yearned for death, while others refused to believe it was ever 'their day', and still more had simply ceased to care. In truth, the only near constant among them was a desire to finish their lives in a blaze of glory.

Kakashi wouldn't claim to seek death, but neither did he fear it. He had spent his life immersed too deeply in death's business for that. From the day of his father's suicide, the Shinigami seemed always a step or two behind him, reaching out it's skeletal hand for those around him.

His only real desire was to die in a way that would honor his mentor and his friend. Giving his life as they gave theirs: Defending loved ones, and those in need.

Zabuza was both more simple and more complicated. He had battled his ultimate opponent and lost... badly. On the rare occasions he was willing to step back and think about it, he knew he had no real hope of defeating a monster like Yagura. Now knowing the malicious Mizukage to be a jinchuuriki, it seemed a far off fantasy at best.

He only continued to claim it as his goal because it was a purpose to strive for. That, Lapras and Haku were the only things he lived for these days... And the day was fast approaching when the girl would need him no longer.

She was already as strong as himself when she fought with all her skill and determination, and though they had lasted together for nearly a decade, it was only a matter of time before someone connected her name to his and she ended up in the Bingo books. Maybe even soon, if any of the Konoha team escaped.

Zabuza had reasons to live, and he had reasons to die. So he chose to ignore his own opinion on the matter and approached the problem from a more practical direction: Fight his battles with all he had and let the future worry about itself.

With both ninja motivated to fight at their peak, and their pokemon equally willing, the battle raged once more.

Zabuza abandoned his preferred assassination strategy, knowing it would be all but useless against Kakashi and his allies. He instead chose to remain on or near Lapras at all times, only leaving the pokemon when she submerged, sending out multiple water clones whenever she did to sow chaos among his foes.

He also continued spending chakra to maintain the fog, though he only expected it to minimize his ninjutsu focused opponent's long ranged options.

Lapras was a considerable threat in her own right. While most of her attacks required her to breath or at least face her mouth toward the target, her long and graceful neck supplied all the directionality needed.

However, she was at her most deadly when submerged. From deep underwater she could launch most attacks from complete concealment. And when she inevitably resurfaced, she usually did so with her spinning horn aimed to spit one of the fighters, or by leaping clear out of the water and smashing down on Absol's frozen pathways. (Body Slam)

Though he was usually fast enough to avoid Lapras' attacks, Absol was clearly the weak link of Kakashi's side of the battle.

The pokemon had demonstrated an elemental variety nearly Kakashi's equal, and a mastery with his scythe-like horn that would put a kenjutsu master to shame.

But he was the only creature involved in the fight truly hampered by the watery terrain, having to spend more effort simply freezing platforms for him to fight from than in actual combat.

Lapras took full advantage of this fact, and often followed her ice breaking attacks by harassing Absol whenever he ended up in the water. Only his natural agility allowed him to escape a bloody revenge each time that happened.

With Zabuza largely on the defensive, it fell to Kakashi to set the pace for the battle, and unfortunately the missing-nin turned out to be a tough nut to crack.

Between the damnable mist and their constant drifting, it was all but impossible to hit them with from further away than a few meters, and any movement within that range was responded to as soon as the water-loving duo sensed him.

He wasn't even safe on the ice, for while Zabuza couldn't hear the splash of footsteps on water, Lapras quickly learned to identify him and Absol through the ripples radiating from the ice sinking beneath them.

It was by no means a perfect method of location, even for a pokemon so closely linked to both water and ice, but Lapras had no problem sweeping a line of that pressurized water across the entire area she expected him to be.

The easiest way to neutralize Lapras' ranged advantage was to close in, where one could attack faster than she could reorient herself... and where Zabuza waited.

The missing-nin's greater strength, and much greater reach was put to perfect use there, and by letting Lapras handle most ranged attacks he conserved chakra to maintain his concealing jutsu.

Kakashi got the feeling the two had perfected this strategy against hunter ninja, and could easily hold off a full squad of jounin in this way.

More importantly, he had a feeling that they could keep this up far longer than he could keep fighting at full capacity. He could feel the sharingan's steady drain, and wasn't willing to bet the fight on whether or not Zabuza's mist was more expensive.

He was also unwilling to risk replacing his headband, since he knew he could need the eye's advantage at a moment's notice. Particularly after the surprise one of the clones gave him, jetting out from the water beneath his feet and nearly splitting him in half from crotch up.

And above it all, unfazed and nearly untouchable, soared Haunter.

The ghostly pokemon floated about, taunting the pair from Kiri and playing it's mischievous games.

Zabuza learned the hard way that normal weapons couldn't hurt the pokemon. Simple kunai and shuriken passed through unhindered. But whenever it ventured too close, he swiped at it with Kubikiri Houcho, and the ghost retreated with an angry hiss.

Zabuza considered the sword, formed of chakra-bonded steel, and had a hunch.

Drawing a few of his shuriken, Zabuza channeled a bit of chakra into them and flung them at the retreating pokemon, eliciting a screech of pain when they punched through the insubstantial creature.

Haunter turned, eyes glowing red, and Zabuza braced himself in expectation of an attack, but Haunter continued to float away giggling madly. (Confuse Ray)

It wasn't long before Zabuza remembered why he hated ghosts, when Lapras launched him from her shell with a point blank Hydropump.

Haunter cackled gleefully at the successful trick, until Lapras yanked him out of the air and to within Zabuza's reach, trapped within a bubble of pink energy. (Psychic)

Zabuza swept his giant blade through both bubble and pokemon, and Haunter shrieked in pain.

But what would have been a mortal attack on a corporeal creature was merely a grave injury to the spectral pokemon, and it fled, using it's already disembodied hands to keep the split halves of it's face together.

Zabuza and Lapras were too busy fending off an opportunistic assault from Haunter's allies to try finishing it off.


Kakashi went on the offensive the instant he heard Zabuza hit the water, knowing that he and Lapras were separated for however brief a time.

He burst through the mist behind Zabuza just in time to watch as his cleaver bisected the pokemon.

Rage displaced Kakashi's perpetual calm demeanor, and he attacked with a fury.

A kunai in each hand, he slashed, stabbed, spun, and kicked at the missing-nin, driving the man further from his partner with each second.

Through his anger, Kakashi knew he had to keep the pair separated, and hoped Absol had found a way to prevent Lapras from coming to her partner's aid.


Zabuza cursed as he fell back beneath Kakashi's onslaught. He'd let himself get too distracted with that damn ghost and let the jounin get a drop on him. Unseen in the distance, Lapras cried out, and he assumed that Absol had resumed it's ill fated attacks.

Thankfully, Kakashi had only landed with one of his opening stabs, which skittered off a rib rather than punching through and opening his lung. The other he had managed to block with his backswing.

It had also taken the Missing-nin a moment to remember to close his eyes once more, since he'd opened them to find Haunter, but realized the mistake when he caught himself considering just smashing Kakashi with his strongest jutsu.

He snapped his eyes shut and the half-formed hypnotic suggestion vanished instantly.

Kakashi kept up the momentum of his attacks, even after his anger had played itself out. He sent chakra to his muscles, maintaining his attacks' ferocity while his calmer mind increased their precision.

Having spent the only two kunai he still owned from his time in Kiri, Zabuza could not match Kakashi blade for blade, but Kubikiri Houcho's size made up the difference quite nicely.

They fought that way for long minutes, the ring of steel on steel interrupted only rarely by a hiss or grunt of pain as one managed to slip an attack through the other's guard.

As the first minute passed, Zabuza's thoughts turned to Lapras. There had been a huge crash near the bridge, but he could still hear her fighting.

He shook away his worry to focus on his fight. Lapras was tough, and even if Absol or Haunter had found a way to keep her occupied, there was no way they could beat her, not surrounded by this much water.

He heard the distinctive sound of Lapras' Hydropump, and the splash of a large object striking water. Moments after, Absol howled in response as the sound of shifting rubble echoed across the water and Zabuza grinned smugly.

Deciding to break the stalemate by shunshining away and returning to Lapras under cover of stealth, Zabuza reached for his chakra and found it depleting much faster than he would have expected.

He had felt the mist jutsu taking more chakra, but hadn't realized quite how bad it was. It was certainly a lot more than he would have used extending the mist to account for how far he'd moved fighting Kakashi.

Like most enduring jutsu, it took more energy to begin the technique than to maintain it. However, the mist jutsu's chakra consumption tended to vary by a significant degree based on environmental factors.

He'd chosen his battleground to minimize most of those concerns: It had a ready supply of water to vaporize, and the bridge acted as a near perfect windbreak.

Concentrating on the jutsu, he tried to map out the areas of excess drain. It was easier than he expected.

To his dismay, the entire length and breadth of the technique was reverting to 'creation mode' without his notice.

A few random spots like that popping up within the jutsu was normal, as the mist thinned below it's assigned density from wind or other factors... but he'd never seen quite this pattern of dispersal before... It was thinning outward from a central location...

In a shock of revelation, he cut the thread of his energy leading to the jutsu and looked to the sky, careful to avoid Kakashi's red-eyed gaze.

The fog cleared in seconds, sucked into the sky by a massive vaporous funnel, the top of which was capped by an ugly looking stormcloud. Barely visible within the funnel, Haunter floated, facing the sky while his hands revolved around him like electrons on an atom. (Rain Dance)

As if sensing it's observer, Haunter turned it's evil expression towards Zabuza and grinned in an even more wicked fashion.

When the last of the mist had been collected, Haunter's hands swept down and the heavens opened up, dropping rain in buckets.

Movement caught Zabuza's eye, and he turned to see Absol standing on an ice flow and staring at a mound of stone under the bridge, looking as happy as a cat in a bath.

The mound exploded in a rain of ice and rubble, to reveal Lapras, looking a bit worse for wear due to her time under the stone. (Absol: Rock Tomb to trap her, Rock Slide to repair her attempts to escape. Lapras: Avalanche to break it all at once.)

She turned her head agitatedly, seeking the pokemon that had ensnared her, and when she spotted Absol, drew in an angry breath.

She released that breath in a cone of super-chilled air that froze the very waves in motion, and would have done the same to Absol, had he not leapt away once more. (Sheer Cold)

Absol howled to the sky plaintively, as Lapras inhaled once more, her eyes flashing with righteous wrath, but Absol's call was answered first.

Lightning sparked from sky to sea, with Lapras as the conduit between them. (Thunder)

The breath Lapras had intended to spell Absol's doom instead blew out in a scream. Her cry of pain lasted until the illuminating beam of light faded, and she sank, insensate, below the waves.

Zabuza roared in anger and blasted Kakashi away with a backhand slap of his blade that shattered both kunai he'd tried to block it with and took off after Absol.

Kakashi rolled to his feet on the water, grunting with pain as he sent reinforcing chakra to the cracked bones in his forearms and chest. Acting quickly, he shunshined to his partner, believing that the enraged missing-nin was too much for either to handle alone.

He was correct.

Unlike Kakashi, the longer Zabuza fought, the angrier and more ferocious his attacks became.

Blocking his sweeping and chopping sword was virtually impossible, and even deflecting it grew more difficult by the second. More expensive too, as Kakashi realized from the number of shattered kunai he discarded.

Kakashi knew, beyond doubt, that it would take luck and flawless teamwork to defeat the missing-nin now.


"That's the last of them..." Sakura said, rising to her feet and brushing sweat from her forehead.

She and Tazuna had spent the last few minutes moving the unconscious workers out of the fog and doing what they could to treat their injuries. Not that there was much to do.

Knowing what she did of Zabuza, she was amazed that he'd restrained himself so much. The giant man was easily strong enough that killing a civilian was probably easier than just knocking them out, especially with that huge sword of his.

She had burned a fair portion of her chakra spitting out a meter high wall of mud, which quickly hardened to clay, for herself and Tazuna to hide behind while they treated the injured. The bridge builder looked slightly nauseated at the sight of her vomiting the jutsu, but she maintained an appearance of professionalism despite her own distaste.

She wasn't happy about not being able to fight beside Sasuke, but at least she was doing something productive, rather than standing around worrying about him.

Eevee perched on top of the barrier, and kept a sharp eye out while her partner worked, Tazuna hovering near them both behind cover. She yipped at something, and the two humans responded.

"What the heck is that?" Tazuna asked loudly, peering over the wall to where Sasuke and Haku were.

"Stay down!" Sakura scolded, grabbing a fistful of the man's shirt and pulling him back. "You need to be careful, you never know when they might... attack... What the...?"

The girl trailed off as she peeked over the wall herself, spotting the crystalline dome now hiding her admired and his foe.

Most of the fog above the bridge had dissipated, and even from this distance she could see the occasional flash of flame induced light slipping through the structure's cracks.

"That's not something Sasuke-kun can do," Sakura said nervously. "It must be one of the girl's jutsu."

"Is it a bad one?" Tazuna asked, to his admittedly inexperienced eyes, it seemed to be a pretty impressive feat.

"I don't know," Sakura admitted. "I've never seen or heard about something like that, but I don't see anyone, so they have to be inside it."

"Should you... try helping him out or something?" Tazuna asked nervously.

Sakura almost took that suggestion, even bracing her hand on the wall in preparation to vault over it, but she forced the impulse away.

"No. Sasuke-kun is strong, he'll win for sure," she replied with forced confidence. "Besides, I have to stay close, just in case someone tries to attack you while Kakashi-sensei is busy."

"You don't really think there's anyone else coming after me... do you?" Tazuna asked, ducking down quickly and staring down the path away from the bridge, his nerves obviously on edge.

"I don't know..." Sakura admitted. "I wouldn't think so, but then I wouldn't have expected fighting ninja on this mission before we left Konoha either."

Tazuna had the decency to flush at the jab. "Sorry..." He apologized in quiet humiliation.

"We decided to continue the mission, knowing the risks," Sakura reassured him. "But if Sasuke-kun gets hurt, Gato won't get a chance to kill you." She smiled at him in a manner Naruto had long associated with incoming pain.

Tazuna shivered at the expression in her eyes, and turned his own eyes back to the frozen dome.

The flickering light of fire techniques continued, and periodically they saw a strange pokemon circle the dome. It was obvious that Sasuke and Charmander still fought, and that had to be a good sign, right?

After a time, the pokemon appeared once more, but instead of circling the dome again, it started floating serenely towards them.

"Stay here, and keep your head down," Sakura ordered her client, as she hopped over the jutsu-formed barrier and threw a trio of shuriken at the approaching threat and drew a kunai. Eevee came around in front of her, growling as threateningly as she could.

Froslass swept one wing-like arm toward her, releasing a line of frozen needles, half of which intercepted the shuriken, while the rest imbedded themselves in the clay wall beneath Tazuna's peeking eyes.

The bridge builder ducked back down with a yelp of fear.

Eevee sidestepped the falling weapons and threw herself at the enemy pokemon... only to feel her muscles lock from cold as she passed right through Froslass' body. (Ability: Cursed Body, Non-standard)

"Eevee!" Sakura cried, seeing her partner hit the ground in a stiff pile. She swung at the still oncoming pokemon, but Froslass didn't even hesitate, floating through her weapon heedlessly, releasing another set of needles as she did.

Sakura dodged to the side, avoiding the attack and spinning a backhand punch to the back of Froslass' large head, drawing in a hiss of pain as her hand too passed through the pokemon.

She scooped Eevee up in her free arm and darted over to the wall, shaking her cold-numbed hand.

"Warm her up," She ordered Tazuna, handing him Eevee over the wall as she turned back to the steadily approaching pokemon, mind frantically working to find some way to stop it.

Froslass continued her slow approach, not eager to end the bridge builder's life, but willing to do as her partner needed.

Sakura's thoughts raced, the pokemon had deflected her shuriken, but ignored the kunai when it connected. When she or Eevee touched it, they got hurt more than it did, if it even noticed them.

Unfortunately, no matter how she considered it, she could think of only one option: Her new jutsu.

Running through her handsigns, she tried to imagine the most effective use for the technique. She dismissed the ideas of surrounding either Tazuna or the pokemon, both because she wasn't sure it would work, and because she wasn't sure she'd be able to complete it with the chakra she had.

Coming to a decision, she channeled the formed chakra into her mouth and fired it into Froslass' face.

To her surprise and pleasure, the attack splashed across it, rather than passing through uselessly.

Froslass swept her hands over her face, scraping the mud off and out of the mask-like holes around her eyes.

She called her name in an annoyed tone, and exhaled a blast of super-chilled air at Sakura. (Frost Breath)

Sakura dove behind her wall, which groaned and cracked audibly when the remaining moisture in the clay froze under the effects of the pokemon's attack.

Despite the circumstances, Sakura couldn't help herself. She laughed loudly, and Tazuna stared at her like she was insane..

"Stay down, and try to keep away from the broken spots," she ordered him, smiling widely as she ran through her handsigns again.

The recovering Eevee thrilled at her as she slipped to a new section of wall further from Tazuna and vaulted over, firing another mouthful of mud as she did.

Sakura and Froslass continued their battle, circling and blasting attacks at each other. Ice and earth flew back and forth in a two toned storm.

Sakura knew her chakra supply was still limited, despite her recent training, so she had to make her attacks count, even trying to vary the elemental balance in her favor.

Despite the fight, despite her fear, even despite the grit of sand in her mouth, Sakura continued smiling.

This was the first time in her life she could honestly say she was acting like a ninja, and she couldn't believe how good it made her feel.

The knowledge that she was all that stood between Tazuna and a cold death was both terrifying and empowering, and she was surprised to find that the thought of running away didn't even occur to her.

She and Froslass were both muddy and soaked when Eevee joined the fray once more, sweeping the mud into the air and using it to fuel her sand attacks.

Between the globs of mud splashing into her face and the floating dust, Froslass' aim was hopelessly obstructed, and even her wind attacks weren't enough to clear it for long.

But Froslass wasn't idle, or even obstructed for long, unleashing an attack that she didn't need to aim. Froslass spread her arms and closed her eyes, and a blue light infused her.

Sakura hesitated in her attacks, preparing to move to wherever Froslass might teleport to.

Sakura's first indication that the glow wasn't the kind she was familiar with was when a ball of ice the size of a marble bounced off her forehead. (Hail)

Before that one hit the ground, scores more filled the sky, raining down around Froslass from a cloud hovering a dozen meters above her head.

Sakura and Eevee were forced back onto the defensive by the bludgeoning storm, with Eevee trying to take cover underneath her partner.

Froslass opened her eyes, and turned her melancholy stare on the pair who had been such a hindrance to her orders.

She raised her arms into the air, calling her name softly, and released an impossible amount of snow and sleet from her palms. The attack shot into the air, before curving down and wrapping the two in it's icy embrace. (Blizzard)

Sakura dropped down, pulling Eevee in towards her and trying to combine their dwindling body heat to fight the attack. She wanted to move, to escape the bone soaking cold, but she couldn't force herself to, the water at her feet had instantly frozen to her sandals, and ice was forming on her hunched form.

When Froslass ended the attack, Sakura huddled miserably around Eevee. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, but she took some comfort in the fact that her partner's fur was barely frosted in comparison.

The pokemon licked her face, attempting to reassure her.

Froslass brought her hands down, once more wiping mud from her face, and turned away from the two and towards her true target.

Tazuna, who had been peeking over the wall to watch the fight, let out a heavy sigh.

To the surprise of those watching, he stood and plodded around the wall, and once clear raised his head to look at the pokemon, spreading his arms in surrender.

"Alright, you got me." He said, looking the pokemon in the eyes. "I give up, just let these super kids go. They were just doing their job, right?"

"S-s-stop! T-Taz-zuna!" Sakura called, shivering uncontrollably.

Tazuna turned a sombre look on the girl, "I can't just run and let you kids die for my dream... Not like it'd save me anyway."

Froslass cooed her name sadly, but pointed one small hand at the bridge builder, a blue ball of energy appearing in it, and pulsing brightly. (Ice beam)

Stone erupted at Froslass' feet as she fired, and instead of hitting Tazuna square in the face, it clipped his hair and continued on uselessly.

Tazuna fell on his backside, quivering with fear as a hand shot to his head, feeling the needle-like spikes that used to be hair. His fear dissipated instantly when he saw what had caused the pokemon to miss...

Charmeleon pulled himself out of the hole he created, grinning victoriously at Froslass as she picked herself off the ground and glowered at him.

"MY BRIDGE!" Tazuna screamed in shock, his eyes locked on the substantial hole bored into his pride-and-joy.

"Ch-Charmand-der?" Sakura asked, fighting the cold still.

The vicious looking pokemon cocked an eye at her, then blasted a line of flame, melting the ice and steaming her skin pink.

Uncomfortable as the soggy clothes were, it was infinitely better than the situation she had just left.

"Thanks, Char." She said, not certain what his new name might be.

"Charmeleon!" The pokemon replied, turning it's gaze once more to it's chosen opponent, ignoring the ice falling from the sky around him.

"Tazuna, get behind the wall and stay there." Sakura ordered, "And no more stupid decisions. If you try that crap again, I'll tie you up and bury you until we're done."

The old man swallowed thickly, and crawled back, Sakura wasn't sure, but she thought she could hear him sobbing about his bridge while he did.

Charmeleon turned a challenging glare on Froslass, flexing it's powerful claws and lowering itself aggressively.

Froslass floated back a few feet and brought one wing-like arm held across her body defensively, in her other an orb of translucent black energy formed. (Shadow Ball)

Charmeleon hissed as flames flickered around his jaws, and his eyes narrowed as he watched his opponent vigilantly.

As if moving at an unseen signal, Charmander charged, just as Froslass threw the ball of ghost-energy she'd created.

Charmeleon released a quick burst of flame, causing Froslass to flinch back, and he dodged the attack, closing in before she'd recovered.

He clamped his fangs onto Froslass' defending arm and wrapped his arms around the taller pokemon, trying to drag her to the ground. Frost tried to form on his jaws and claws, but he channeled heat into his attack to overpower it. (Fire Fang)

Froslass cried out as the pokemon's teeth and claws cut into her, but she quickly regained her composure, calling on her spectral nature to release a whirlwind of foul air to surround her. (Ominous Wind)

Charmeleon's fires flickered dangerously as some of the fumes fueling the windstorm ignited, though more dangerous for him were the chunks of ice being blown at him by the guided gusts.

Charmeleon was eventually forced to release Froslass, though he fired off another blast of flame as he leapt backwards.

The wind surrounding Froslass compressed around her, and her eyes flashed a faint purple as it died out. (Ominous Wind: Stat enhance effect)

She slapped her arms forward, releasing a wave of ice needles at Charmeleon, who exhaled a cloud of black smoke, obscuring her sight. (Smoke screen)

Froslass swept her arms to her sides once more, and a chill wind blew away the interfering smog, but only revealed another hole in the bridge.

She lifted herself further into the air, turning her attention to the ground beneath her feet in preparation for his return, but was caught broadside by his Flamethrower, as Charmeleon climbed over the edge of the bridge from the exit he'd created in it's side.

Charmeleon crossed his arms, growling his name, and dark energy flowed down then and into his claws, leaving them stronger and sharper than they were before. (Hone claws)

Froslass raised her own to the sky, and called on her Blizzard attack once more.

The storm of ice crashed into Charmeleon like an flood, and it engulfed him despite his advantageous nature.

Within the freezing tempest, Charmeleon flared his power, stomping his feet angrily and howling his rage to the sky.

Dismissed by the current combatants, Sakura and Eevee watched in awe as Froslass intensified her attack in response to the increasing light within. With a sharp cry of her name, even the hailstones joined the assault on Charmeleon, redirecting themselves in the sky and leaping of their own accord from the ground where they had come to rest. (Avalanche)

But it was all for naught, and with a boom like thunder, the cage of wind and ice surrounding Charmeleon exploded, revealing the pokemon himself to be fully encased in a sphere of flame.

He grinned viciously at Froslass, and threw himself at her, streaking into the sky like a miniature comet. (Flame Charge)

He hit hard, too fast for Froslass to dodge, claws digging gouges into her bone-like mask, then kicked off her and into the sky, never releasing the sphere of energy surrounding him.

Froslass fell, until she salvaged her concentration enough to resume her levitation... but Charmeleon just slammed into her with the attack once more, this time plowing her into the bridge personally.

Dropping the immolating shell, Charmeleon stabbed his claws through the wing portions of her arms, eliciting a whimper of pain from her. He ignored her discomfort, and the frost forming where he was touching her, and charged up a full flamethrower inches from Froslass' face.

Froslass looked into Charmeleon's eyes, tried to apply one of the staples abilities of her ghost kin, but couldn't focus through the pain enough to slip the hallucination inducing Confuse Ray into his psyche.

Knowing that any other attack she attempted would be met with potentially fatal force, Froslass let her body go limp, surrendering the battle and relinquishing the victor's prize.

Charmeleon turned his head to the sky and roared out his victory along with a burst of flame. Eevee joined him, thrilling her name happily as she felt the won energy fill her almost to bursting.


Naruto shifted awkwardly, wishing Haku wasn't wearing that darn mask... He'd give a weeks worth of ramen to know what she was thinking right now.

"You should leave," Haku said, in a manner that made it seem like she wanted the idea out in the open before she thought it through. "Take your friends and go. Just leave and please don't come back."

"You know I can't do that," Naruto said, quiet determination ringing in his voice.

"If Tazuna dies, our contract with Gato will be over..." Haku implored, turning her back to him and staring over the fog shrouded sea, it was hard enough thinking like this without looking at those expressive eyes of his. "You can take your friends and go home... Zabuza-sama isn't really interested in you... but if you're here when he finishes with Kakashi... Please, leave."

Haku knew she was disobeying her master's orders, but he wouldn't press her if she told him they had escaped... even if she let them.

"No." Naruto answered, his voice hardening into pure steel "I won't let you help that bastard hurt these people anymore. You're not a bad person, Haku, I can tell. But if you help Gato crush these people's dreams, you'll be no better than him. I'll kick your butt myself before I let you do somethin' like that."

"You think you can stop me?" Haku asked, forcing her voice to replicate the cold detachment she certainly didn't feel. "May I remind you that I defeated Uchiha-san, a ninja whom you admitted to be better than you."

"I said the Teme was stronger," Naruto corrected. "An' he is, but I'm catchin' up fast. I think I'm plenty strong enough to stop you, thanks to the Teme wearin' you down a bit."

Rather than respond, Haku spun to face him once more, her cracked mask seeming somehow more menacing.

Between the two, three senbon floated, glowing slightly. Ralts blinked and Haku's weapons dropped to the ground with a faint clatter.

"I tried to be generous," Haku said softly. "Tried to repay your friendship in kind, but my first loyalty is to Zabuza-sama. His goals are my own, and if I must go through you to complete them... so be it."

"Those words pain her..." Ralts told her partner, red eyes locked on their opponent.

"I gotcha," he replied to both females, shifting his weight into a lose combat stance.

Haku shook her wrist, and a trio of senbon appeared in each hand.

The two stood their ground, each waiting for the other to make the first move, the first action that might shatter their barely formed bond of friendship.

The stare-off lasted until a huge crash rocked the bridge, evidence of her master's continuing battle, Haku managed to bolster her resolve once more, and she charged the boy with disturbing silence.

Naruto rushed at her too, screaming out in sharp contrast to her stillness.

They met in a clash of fists and claws, as Haku slashed and stabbed with the needles held between her knuckles.

When they separated once more, Haku could feel bruises forming from the boy's surprisingly hard punches, but his flesh was criss-crossed with scratches.

Without a word, she launched the bloody needles at him, drawing more and darting in immediately after. She was forced to dodge her own projectiles, as Ralts turned them on her, but the pokemon proved incapable of aiming them properly as Naruto moved around with her in the carrier, so she released them.

The two fought fiercely, but a neutral observer would note that it held the impression of a spar more than a battle for their lives, as neither one seemed willing to strike a blow that might prove too permanent.

The second time they separated, Ralts felt something odd in Haku's emotional footprint... sorrow, fear, hope, remorse...

"Good bye, Naruto..." Haku whispered sadly, her hands flashing through a series of signs.

"Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles!" She intoned. Before the needles had even fired off, she turned and sprinted away.

Naruto leapt straight up, dodging in the one direction needles weren't appearing from. "What happened?" He wondered aloud, watching Haku's retreat.

Movement in the air with him drew his attention, and he looked to see a strange pokemon get smacked with a jet of flames, he followed the line of attack to see Charmander climb over the side of the bridge, wondering for a moment how the pokemon managed to climb with his tiny hands...

"Tazuna!" Ralts realized, noticing that Haku's route would take her straight to the bridge builder.

"Dammit!" Naruto swore, and he fell to the ground. "Ralts! Can you get us there first?"

Instead of a reply, Ralts sent him a mental image and began glowing quicker than she ever had before.

Naruto smiled grimly, and spun to punch the empty air behind him, trusting his partner implicitly.

In the span of time between the order and his fist finding it's full reach, the familiar blue flash of teleportation blinded him, but the sudden pain in his hand and the answering cry of feminine pain and sound of breaking porcelain told him Ralts' aim had been true.

He blinked his eyes to quicken the process of his eyes clearing, wondering if there'd be a way to eliminate that stupid problem. It'd be a cool trick to use, but being blind in a real fight would suck.

He moved to where he could hear Haku, watching as the blue-on-brown blob that was her damaged kimono resolved into it's true shape. The girl was sitting on the bridge, her head hanging.

"Why? Why do you keep stopping me!" She demanded to know, shards falling from her broken mask with each word. Naruto could hear tears in her voice, though he couldn't see any falling.

"It's the right thing to do," he replied. "You're my friend, right? Well, friends help each other, an' if it was me who was gonna do somethin' stupid, I'd expect you to stop me too."

Haku sniffled and looked up at him, he winced when he saw her bleeding, both from her nose and a network of deep slashes from her shattered disguise.

She laughed quietly, despite herself. He was so soft-hearted, empathizing with an enemy just because... because they were friends, right?

She looked up when she heard him approach, and to her surprise he knelt before her, frowning in concentration as his hands ghosted across her face, removing the slivers of porcelain that were forced into her skin by his attack.

He was so close, so vulnerable in his concern for her, that she could have gutted him with a single swipe.

A single gesture and the fight would be over for good, Zabuza's dream would be that much closer to completion... but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Their faces bare inches apart, she couldn't help but notice the way those guileless blue eyes swept across her face, locking onto her own often, though he quickly looked away once more.

She realized the boy was blushing, and felt her own cheeks heat up in response.

Haku closed her eyes blocking him out of her mind as much as she could without forcing him to stop his ministrations. She was embarrassed at the reaction he provoked in her, but it felt... nice... being cared for like that.

Zabuza-sama was never one for pampering, he'd have just ordered her to clean herself up and went back to whatever he'd been doing.

It had been his way of toughening her up, she knew, and he had been a lot more accommodating when she'd been hurt in ways that she couldn't fix herself. Which happened often enough in their later training, but she never really felt comfortable with him cossetting her, he had done so much just giving her life back, she was already indebted to him far more than she could ever repay..

But Naruto... her enemy... her friend...

It was strange, his fingers trailing over her forehead and cheeks, even her chin and neck... it felt so comforting...

He wasn't doing it because she was his responsibility, not because he owed her, not for any practical reason other than that he wanted to help her... His friend.

He was unique, one of a kind, she knew that now.

No other ninja in the world would stop fighting to help a person who had proven to be their enemy, who had spied on them and betrayed them, regardless of how little information she had been able to supply her master.

Zabuza-sama would have killed her horribly if she had done to him as she had to Naruto. She expected Kakashi would do no less, and she knew firsthand the Uchiha's petty cruelty.

"I think I got 'em all..." Naruto said, rocking back onto his heels to look at her as she composed herself. He was a bit relieved that Haku was so tolerant, he'd expected her to hit him at any second, the way Sakura-chan would have.

Haku gathered her composure together, her face hot, despite acutely feeling the absence of Naruto's warm fingers tracing across her.

"You might wanna put some alcohol on those, just in case you got an infection or somethin'... your face is kinda red... Sorry," Naruto said, bobbing his head in a quick apologetic bow.

Haku blinked at him in surprise, before smiling at his ignorance. At least he wasn't going to make things difficult for her.

Ralts' eyes revealed far too much understanding for her comfort though.

With considerable effort, she forced away the complicated knot of emotions she was feeling now... though the warm glow in her belly refused to vanish completely.

"I... Thank you, Naruto-san... but you know I cannot stop trying to kill the bridge builder..." Haku tried to explain.

"Hey! I beat ya fair an' square! You even ran away, that means I win," he declared stubbornly. "I'd've already tied your hands or somethin', but I ran out of wire tyin' up those sword-jerks that attacked Tsunami an' Inari."

Before Haku could find her tongue after that statement, lost somewhere between the declaration of intended bondage and the names she knew she should recognize, a roar split the air, underscored by a warbling cry.

"Charmeleon and Eevee won. They are well, and Froslass is injured, but lives," Ralts informed her partner, having contacted the pokemon in question the instant she recognized his voice.

"Char... meleon?" Naruto began, looking to his pokemon to verify the strange name, when she nodded in approval, he explained to Haku's stare. "Charmeleon beat your pokemon, Ralts says Froslass is hurt but alive."

"She lost?" Haku breathed incredulously. "We were both defeated... What will Zabuza-sama say?" She wrapped her arms around herself, chilled by the knowledge that she had failed so completely.

"Bah!" Naruto scoffed. "You had to fight the future Hokage, there was no way you could win! Though I guess Sasuke helped a little... very little..." He elaborated, pinching his fingers together as if to demonstrate how little he meant.

Haku looked at the boy in disbelief. Even the most biased of critics would have to give the Uchiha credit for how well he fought, but she caught the mischievous twinkle in Naruto's eyes and realized he had intentionally fudged the details in an attempt to cheer her up.

'It's not that simple," she replied quietly. "Zabuza-sama raised me to be his secret weapon, his unbeatable trump card, for when he returns to Kirigakure... But if I can be beaten so easily, and by genin no less, then I have failed in my purpose... and without that purpose... what use am I?"

"Well that's a stupid way of lookin' at things," Naruto remarked bluntly. "Besides, me an' Teme kicked Zabuza's butt too, remember?"

Haku could just imagine Zabuza-sama's reaction if she tried to remind him of those events when they inevitably discussed her failure. It was both amusing and depressing all at once.

"And didn't you say he was like a dad to you?" Naruto continued in a more reserved voice, "dads don't stop wantin' ya, just cause you mess up... Least that's what I'm told..."

"Sometimes they do..." Haku whispered hoarsely, remembering her birth father.

"Well... If he does a bastard thing like that... You can come back to Konoha with us!" Naruto realized. "I can introduce you to Teuchi-jisan an' Ayame-neechan! An' Touji an' Iruka-sensei, and even the Hughes family! I'll have to take you to meet Jiji too... It'd be great!"

Naruto turned his enthusiastic expression to Haku's increasingly despondent one. "Except for the Zabuza havin' to be a jerk thing, I mean..." He clarified lamely.

Haku walked to the edge of the bridge, head held so low she could see little more than her feet.

"Zabuza-sama is all I have." She explained, knowing Naruto was staying close. "He is my master, my teacher, my family... and until recently, the closest thing to a friend I had... Without him, I don't know what I would do."

"It must be tough," Naruto said, stepping up beside her. "I kinda know how it is, being alone like that... But you got a friend now, an' I'm sure if we think about it, we can find a way to fix this, right?"

"Zabuza-sama will not forfeit the mission, not without a very good reason... and my defeat isn't enough." Haku answered.

"Yeah, an' we can't just let Tazuna take the fall either. He's a good guy, for a grumpy ol' drunk anyway." Naruto replied looking out over the jounin's fog filled battleground.

"The heck is that?" Naruto asked after a moment, pointing out at a strangely twisting bubble of mist rising up from the fog bank.

Haku glanced up from her quiet worry, and frowned. As the two watched, Haunter burst from the deformation, hands twisting around himself and cackling maliciously.

Rather than settle back to it's natural form, the fog followed the ghostly pokemon into the sky, condensing with almost unbelievable speed into an ominous stormcloud.

"What's Haunter doin'?" Naruto wondered aloud once more, as the pokemon continued pulling the mist into the air.

"It looks like a Rain dance..." Haku mused in puzzlement. "It could be trying to get rid of the mist, but that's not a wise way to do it. Water style attacks become more powerful in rain, which could give Zabuza-sama even more of an advantage. Why would your sensei let his pokemon do such a thing?"

"Haunter ain't his, it just follows him around since it used to be his friend's. Kakashi-sensei says it don't listen to him much. Don't think we'd have passed the last test if it did," Naruto answered absently, he was intently watching the way the clouds moved, spiraling faster and faster. He was sure that would make an awesome wind jutsu if he could just figure out how to do it...

"So strange..." Haku commented, wondering what it would feel like to have something like that stalking her. She shuddered involuntarily when the creepy creature looked towards her and Naruto, though Ralts waved happily and it grinned grotesquely in response.

Below the column of clouds, the mist had finally cleared as Zabuza released the technique hiding him.

Naruto needlessly pointed out the two humans. Haku thanked him anyway, he was trying to help, and wasn't as used to seeing through the fog as she was.

That advantage became a moot point though, as the sky opened up and released it's liquid harvest. Haku was impressed with the sheer size of Haunter's storm, Froslass couldn't create one even half that size yet.

She turned her eyes to the deep water, looking for the shadow that was usually the only tell-tale of Lapras' submerged presence, but was still searching when an explosion of ice and stone revealed the pokemon's formerly trapped location.

The enraged saurian attacked Absol with a vengeance, but the agile feline leapt from one small iceberg to another, howling to the sky which seemed to quiver in response.

Haku paled as she remembered that one other element was enhanced by the effects of a storm.

Lightning flashed, a literal stones-throw away, and Lapras shrieked, a shrill sound that seemed to take residence in Haku's heart, filling it with worry for the pokemon who first taught her to harness her ice nature.

The lightning faded, and Haku watched Lapras sink below the water with dazzled eyes. Beside her, Naruto complained in annoyance about being blinded again.

Haku watched for Lapras to resurface, anxiety building as the seconds slipped past. Naruto finally noticed her concern when she stood and he grabbed her arm before she could leap into the water herself.

"What're you doin'?" He asked. "That's gotta be a forty foot fall!"

"I have to help her!" Haku answered angrily, "Lapras can't breath underwater!"

Realization dawned on Naruto, but before he could reply, Haku tore herself free and leapt over the edge of the bridge.

Naruto looked down into the water, where Haku disappeared with a considerable splash. Her dark-blue kimono floated to the surface nearby, evidence that she had realized the hindrance the loose outfit would pose and freed herself of it.

Naruto shrugged out of Ralts' carrier and his own jacket. "Ralts-chan, I gotta go help Haku. You go tell Sakura-chan what's goin' on. If you can, take Sasuke to her too, she should know what to do."

"Okay..." Ralts replied hesitantly. "Be careful, Naruto. Zabuza is... very, very angry right now."

"Will do," Naruto replied, giving her a wide grin, and leaping after Haku.

Ralts sent a weary look at her reckless partner, before making her way to the unconscious Uchiha, half dragging the carrier which was a bit too much for her to completely lift via Confusion. She was somewhat relieved that her partner hadn't expected her to join him down there, swimming wasn't something she could ever really excel at.

The two disappeared in a blue flash which was answered by a scream of fear from their pink-haired teammate.


Haku struggled out of the waterlogged kimono, releasing the long obi to the deeps, weighted down as it was by the hundreds of needles hidden within it's secret folds.

She swam down, her sweater and thick split-skirt quickly succumbing to the water, dragging against her movements.

She heard a heavy slap and looked up, to find Naruto paddling down after her, a grimace of pain on his face and his jacket gone for the first time since she met him, revealing the black shirt he apparently wore beneath it.

She smiled at him in exasperation when he flashed her a huge smile and a thumbs up. She returned to her descent, rolling her eyes as Naruto caught up, thanks largely to his less absorbent clothes.

Haku found Lapras on the bottom, twenty meters down, half hidden by a muddy cloud and sunk to above her flippers into the bottom of the silt sea floor.

They shared a worried look and tried to lift the pokemon free. When that proved futile, Haku tried without success to wake her.

Naruto waved to catch her attention, then pointed up and to each of them, she reluctantly nodded, and followed him to the surface, where he gulped air greedily.

"She's stuck in there good, isn't she? You got any ideas?" He asked as soon as he felt he could speak without drowning.

"If I could get below her, I might be able make an ice platform to float her on..." Haku considered calmly. "But I'm not sure if I could do it through the sand, and if we try digging her out, she'll just sink deeper..." She trailed off, thinking and chewing on her thumbnail nervously.

Haku felt a pulse of chakra, and turned to Naruto who was facing away from her with an expression of concentration. She felt him do... whatever he'd done a couple more times, though she couldn't see his handsigns or identify his jutsu.

Eventually one of the pulses forcefully shoved him backwards in the water, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"I've got an idea..." Naruto said seriously a moment later "I'm not sure if it'll work though, and you gotta work fast if it does, 'kay?"

"Anything is better than just letting her drown down there," Haku answered in a similar tone, worried for how long Lapras could remain down there without having taken a proper breath.

Rather than answer, Naruto inhaled deeply and dove back down. Haku followed him, amazed once more at how far he was willing to go to help her.

Once on the sea floor, they hovered above Lapras and he crossed his fingers in an unknown handsign. Instantly Haku found herself surrounded by Narutos.

The clones swam down around Lapras, forming chakra with the bird seal before digging their hands under her as far as they could, heedless of how deeply they sunk into the silt floor.

Naruto tapped Haku, and swam over to Lapras' head, which was being supported by another clone, nodding to her in a wordless warning to be ready.

He raised his arm, waited a beat and dropped it fiercely, putting his hands back in the cross sign immediately.

As one, the shadowclones fired off their gale palm jutsu, the wind technique answering sluggishly in the thick environment, but still moving the water according to the fluid dynamics that it was designed to manipulate.

Massive amounts of silt blew out from beneath Lapras, but the pokemon slowly began rising on the upwelling current the Narutos were producing.

Naruto created another batch of clones, who appeared in position between the first ones, immediately repeating the first group's actions, and Lapras rose more swiftly.

Haku ran through her own signs, and an ice mirror formed in the cleared space beneath Lapras, She and what she assumed was the true Naruto grabbed onto Lapras as she lifted them to the surface, sharing similarly happy smiles as they splashed up out of the water.

While Haku checked Lapras, noting with relief that the pokemon began breathing once she'd pried it's mouth open, Naruto looked around, then shifted around to behind Lapras and began kicking the water vigorously.

Haku watched him in confusion, until she realized he was trying to get them to the nearby shore. She shifted around beside him and joined his futile efforts, silently directing the chakra construct to move.

They arrived on the beach, where Haku set Lapras down and let the mirror revert to water.

She turned to Naruto, who ran a hand through his hair, shaking out droplets and grinning at her happily. She smiled back, impressed at how easily they worked together to save her master's pokemon, and at how enthusiastic he'd been to do so.

She looked to Lapras, stroking the unconscious pokemon's shell and she felt her smile fade a little, as confusion welled up once more.

"Somethin' wrong?" Naruto asked worriedly. "We got her up in time, right?"

Haku sighed at how difficult the boy was making it to adhere to her obligations, she had never expected it to be so difficult to fulfill her life debt to Zabuza-sama.

"She is as well as can be expected, though I'd need to wait for her to wake up before I can be certain she is unharmed," Haku answered. Which reminded her that Naruto had said Froslass had been injured in her battle...

She looked at Naruto, who was facing the bridge's entrance with his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face.

He opened his eyes and looked back at her just before a familiar blue flash signified the return of Ralts, and to her surprise, Froslass.

Naruto scooped up his pokemon, holding her close as Froslass floated over to her stunned partner.

"You looked a bit worried so I asked Ralts-chan to bring Froslass over, so you could check her out," Naruto explained. "Ralts-chan said Sakura-chan fixed her up a bit for ya... once she realized it wasn't gonna fight anymore."

Froslass cooed apologetically, as Haku inspected her treated wounds. Nothing seemed permanent, though the trio of holes in each arm were a minor concern. Thankfully, even those were clean punctures and had been both treated and covered by small adhesive bandages.

Haku hugged her partner, petting Froslass' crystalline horns, silently letting her pokemon feel her understanding and forgiveness.

"Thank you, Naruto," Haku said quietly, as she stepped away from Froslass and bowed to the boy.

"Hey, none of that junk," Naruto protested, waving away the formal gratitude. "Friends help each other, like I said earlier. Besides, looks like Kakashi-sensei won, so Zabuza's gotta give up," he said, pointing with his thumb at where the two jounin were finishing their fight in the distance.

Haku straightened instantly, looking over the water towards where Zabuza-sama hung suspended in some unknown technique, thrashing violently under the Absol's attentions.

Naruto's sensei stood a fair distance away, one arm lowered nearly to the sea he stood on, glowing intensely.

She couldn't tell what Kakashi was about to do, but his posture, and the sparking light on his lowered fist seemed to imply that he wasn't interested in taking the her master alive.

Sending Naruto an apologetic look, she brought two fingers up before her face.

She had time enough to watch Ralts' eyes widen in realization, an expression Naruto began to mirror as she vanished in a swirl of water.


Kakashi tried to monopolize on his opponent's distraction when Zabuza turned with a growl towards the two splashes, as Haku fled into the sea, chased closely by Naruto.

Zabuza had become more vicious and feral as the fight wore on, chakra leaking from him in such dense quantities that it was visible even to his original eye, forming a shape similar to the Oni of legend around him.

Unfortunately, the unusual aura seemed to protect him, slowing Kakashi and Absol's blades as if they were trying to cut through a layer of water much thicker than the chakra seemed to be.

Sadly, the chakra barrier didn't react like water in other ways. Absol had tried hitting the missing-nin with both Ice Beam, and its electrical relative, without obvious effect. (Charge beam)

Kakashi palmed a smoke bomb and signaled his pokemon allies, before forming a short string of handsigns while Zabuza was distracted..

The pokemon retreated from the front line, preparing to do it's part in one of their combination attacks.

Haunter noticed the signal, but if it had any intention of playing along, it gave no hint. It simply continued to float around Zabuza, sprinkling blue embers from it's fingertips, apparently fascinated at the way they flared and fizzled out when they came in contact with his aura. (Will-O-Wisp)

"Fire Style: Elemental Coalescence!" Kakashi intoned quietly, forcing fire chakra to fill the smoke bomb near to bursting as he increased the distractionary chemicals' volatility to dangerous levels.

His preparations as complete, he charged in, leaping over the expected slice to his midsection and stopping the followup chop by catching the huge blade by the large hole punched through it.

He flipped onto the blade, releasing it and the former smokebomb as he kicked out at Zabuza's face from his spot crouched on the dull edge of the zanbato.

As expected, Zabuza whipped the sword into the air in an attempt to launch Kakashi, which the Konoha jounin accepted happily, leaping in time with the weapon's thrust and flipping away towards the bridge as he flared his chakra and detonated the tiny sphere sinking slowly beneath Zabuza's feet.

Zabuza shot into the air just as the water he stood on changed from liquid to steam, boiled almost instantly by the heat of Kakashi's converted weapon.

The missing-nin had aimed his leap to bring him down on top of Kakashi, who had landed a considerable distance away, but well within Zabuza's rage enhanced capabilities.

But to his surprise, a green glow blinked into existence around him, and his leap was arrested just before he impaled his opponent on the downward pointing blade, and he hung helplessly as Kakashi threw himself back, and out of range of Absol's attack. (Telekinesis from Haunter)

Absol swung his horn at Zabuza and released a crescent shaped blade of energy at the suspended man, who tried to position his blade to intercept, only to have his arm jerk out of the way involuntarily. (Razor Wind)

The entrapped man glared into the sky at Haunter, who winked one green-glowing eye and wiggled his fingers, causing Zabuza to dance like a marionette on a string.

Absol and Kakashi watched the chakra cloak recover from the deep cut left by Absol, noting that it did so much more slowly than it had with the man in contact with the water that he seemed to favor.

Kakashi launched a Grand Fireball technique at Zabuza, while Absol charged in, creating one more frozen walkway for what he expected to be the final exchange of the battle.

As he approached, black energy crawled across Absol, darkening his face and spreading back along him until he seemed a demon of sentient shadow, his piercing red eyes and glowing maw the only details apparent in his form.

Two bounding steps before the energy-wrapped pokemon would have slammed into Zabuza, the Dark elemental energy thrummed... and two identical Absols passed him on either side, circling around him, forming a ring of ice as they did. (Substitute- modified into a version of the Shadowclone technique. See end notes for more info.)

Their platform complete, the pokemon leapt at the nearly helpless man, carving into his defending aura over and over.

Between Haunter's interference and the newly duplicated pokemon's disparate attacks, Zabuza found himself forced to accept more of the slashing blows than he could either dodge or block.

Even worse, the pokemon's attacks set him spinning, which seemed to amuse the malicious ghost so much that he forced it to continue, even against the Absols' actions.

On the down side, this prevented him from watching Kakashi, who seemed to be preparing an attack of his own... but it did give Zabuza a wide view of the events surrounding him, and so he saw Lapras' return to the surface, and the interaction between her and the annoying blond.

Seeing the bright smile on her face for what it was, he squashed the completely rational urge to chop the boy into dog food, determined to be supportive of the girl.

Not that he could get free to loose his righteous wrath on the brat anyway.

Somehow the technique Haunter had him trapped in prevented him from escaping via kawarimi, and he couldn't string together enough signs for a strong enough attack to disrupt the Absols platform.

He saw the moment when Haku realized his danger, and felt a stab of dread, remembering that the girl had never fully outgrown that life-debt nonsense his apprentice had put in her head shortly after he'd saved Haku.

Kakashi had noticed the girl too, and though he didn't fully understand why Naruto had helped her, it seemed obvious they weren't fighting anymore.

"I make this offer only for my student, Zabuza. Surrender, and I can promise you and Haku fair treatment by Konoha." Kakashi asked menacingly, his hand sparking and chirping from his original jutsu.

"And when Konoha hands me over to Kiri?" Zabuza growled in response, swinging half-heatedly at one of the Absols. "We both know what'll happen. One way or the other, I end up dead."

"And Haku?" Kakashi prompted.

"Konoha's not the only village with mind-walkers," Zabuza replied, not willing to bet her life on his ability to resist Kiri's interrogation techniques.

Kakashi sighed. He had a feeling this was going to be seeing the next few moments in his nightmares... like so many others in his life. It was his personal purgatory, and the price he paid for Obito's sharingan eye.

'Then for what it's worth, I'll try to make it quick," Kakashi promised.

Kakashi charged in, Chidori leading just as Haku vanished from his vision.

The Absols bounded away together as Kakashi approached, melding back into one as they landed on small chunk of floating ice.

With his tormentors gone, Zabuza twisted in Haunter's telekinetic grasp, tearing scarred headband from his scalp.

Before the ghost pokemon could react, he'd pumped chakra into it and sent it spinning towards his captor.

Haunter freaked and fled, releasing his attack and vanishing from sight.

Zabuza fell the few feet to the water's surface and placed his blade defensively between himself and Kakashi just before the jounin's attack connected, Bracing the dense metal along his arm and shoulder, both to support it more completely and to provide more contact points to channel strengthening chakra into it.

Kakashi, with a mere instant to spare, and unwilling to back off and allow Zabuza to regroup with his ninja ally on the way, just focused more chakra and increased the power of his unique attack.

The two weapons, one of highly reinforced steel and one of pure destructive energy, collided with an explosive impact.

But in the end, Kakashi was victorious, as Kubikiri Houcho shattered before his attack, not more than six inches from it's hilt.

The Konoha jounin pressed on, punching through Zabuza's arm just above the elbow and ending with his fist impaled in the missing-ninja's torso, almost dead center, at the base of his ribcage..

Kakashi stared his opponent in the eyes, accepting the full measure of his penance as the sharingan automatically memorized every nuance of his victim's reaction, from the dilation of his pupils to the spasmodic jerking as he released the technique and the chidori's constituent energy surged through Zabuza's body.

Kakashi didn't look away until he heart a blood chilling scream from too close to ignore.

He leapt away, his hand leaving Zabuza's body with a stomach twisting squelch. He felt something in his hand and opened it to find a mass of flesh and a piece of blackened bone that could only have been part of Zabuza's spine. He dropped them into the sea, swallowing bile.

Haku caught her master as he fell, laying him on the nearby ice as tears flowed from her eyes. She made the handsigns for the medical jutsu Zabuza-sama had taught her, but could tell from a glance that it was far beyond her ability.

Zabuza was peppered with shards of his broken sword, and his left arm was nearly severed, the bone shattered beyond repair... But none of that mattered, because she couldn't forget the glimpse of ice she'd seen through the hone in his chest as she lay him down.

Haku leaned over her master, tears flowing freely as she tried uselessly to heal injuries that would require a medic of the legendary Tsunade's skill to rebuild.

"Stop..." groaned Zabuza thickly. "Just... cut that crap out."

"I'm... I'm trying, Zabuza-sama," Haku sobbed, thinking he was referring to her tears.

Zabuza released his zanbato's remaining length, which he had latched onto with single-minded intensity through the pain of his mortal wound, and reached for Haku's hands with a jerky motion, grabbing them in his only good one.

"It's no good," He growled, his eyes distant. "You know it, I know it... He knows it..." he flicked his eyes towards where Kakashi stood on the water, keeping his distance in the volatile situation, though he had lowered his headband once more.

"I... I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama." Haku replied through her tears. "I failed you, Froslass was beaten by Charmeleon, and I was unable to defeat Naruto..."

"Unable, or unwilling?" Zabuza asked rhetorically. In truth he was proud of her for acting in her own interests for once, and the brats hadn't interfered this time, he lost fair and square... or as fair as he could when the bastard had two pokemon helping him.

"I will avenge you, Zabuza-sama." Haku swore. "I will kill Kakashi Hatake or die in the attempt, and then I will complete our mission. I will not let Naruto prevent it... this time." She wrapped her small hands around his, willing him to feel her dedication, and her desire to make amends for her failure.

"Our mission? The mission was mine, you've never signed a single mission contract in your life," Zabuza corrected. "As for Hatake, my business with him is done."

"But Zabuza-sama... Your dreams..." Haku began, confused at the generosity he was showing to his killer.

"have been beyond me for a long... long time. Do you remember what I told you of the jinchuuriki?" Zabuza asked, staring up into the dwindling rain absently.

"They are people who have Biiju sealed within them... Beings of unstoppable power and often unstable temperament, of which only nine exist." Haku replied. Her education under Zabuza had been heavily focused on the kinds of people that might have been sent after them, and Utakata, while young, was well known in Kirigakure.

Halfway to his friend, Naruto slipped off the patch of ice he had aimed for and plunged into the water, shocked by the knowledge that somewhere there were eight other people like him.

Kakashi perked his ears, wondering if he might have to report to the Hokage how poorly kept Naruto's secret actually was.

"The Mizukage is one." Zabuza said simply.

Haku and Naruto both gasped at this information, though only one swallowed water as a result, remembering what Kakashi had said about the village leader.

The jounin in question only nodded slightly, it did fit with some of the rumors surrounding the man.

"But you told me that fighting a jinchuuriki was suicidal!" Haku replied loudly. "You've been planning to fight a monster like that!"

"Well, not anymore," Zabuza replied with a strained chuckle.

"That's not funny!" Haku cried, lowering her head to his chest.

"No... No it's not..." Zabuza admitted. "But sometimes, the only options are to laugh or cry... and I'll be damned before I go out like some damn sissy." he growled viciously.

Naruto decided to give the pair their limited privacy, and made his way to the bridge, rather than his friend's side. Even he knew it would be rude to intrude on their shared moment.

"Enough of this emotional garbage," Zabuza declared after catching his breath once more. "This is yours now," he explained, pulling her hands over to Kubikiri Houcho's hilt.

"Shall I deliver it to Mei-sempai for you, Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked mournfully as she considered the difficulty of returning the weapon to her master's former apprentice.

"What part of 'this is yours now' didn't you understand?" Zabuza asked in exasperation.

"The seven swords are always passed from master to apprentice, Zabuza-sama," she answered.

"Apprentice or heir... or whoever's strong enough to steal it from the owner," Zabuza corrected her.

"I would never steal from you, Zabuza-sama!" Haku protested emphatically.

"Then that only leaves one option..." Zabuza replied with a pained smile, as he saw the awed disbelief on her face.

"Do... do you mean...?" Haku asked incredulously. "Why would you wait until now to do something like this!"

"Never seemed to be the right time to talk about it..." Zabuza replied sadly. "And now... it's now or never... It shouldn't be a surprise, when was the last time I treated you like anything but my own blood?"

Haku's reply was just more silent tears, as she thought back and realized he'd stopped that even before they'd left Kirigakure.

He pressed the broken blade into her hands, and she hugged it to herself sobbing.

"I want you to consider this my final order: Haku Momochi, I forbid you to ever serve anyone who hasn't earned your respect. Make your own choices from now on. Find what you really want out of life." He glared at her as intimidatingly as he could in his unpleasant situation.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Haku smiled impishly at the dying man and replied, "Yes, Tousan," reveling in the feel of calling the man what she'd subconsciously considered him for so long.

Haku leaned over her newly acknowledged father, hugging him tightly. He returned it as best he could, wrapping his one good arm around her back and squeezing her shoulder.

"Live a long and happy life, my Aijou," Zabuza whispered to her, before tightening his grip on her shoulder and throwing her into the water a dozen meters away.

As she spun through the air, she caught sight of a horde of dirty men leaning over the side of the bridge, and a wave of crossbow bolts falling towards her father.

She rose on the water, intending to run to his aid, even as the first arrows slammed home, and only Kakashi's restraining grip prevented her from rushing into the storm of deadly shafts anyway.

"He wouldn't want you to die too," Kakashi said softly, his voice heavy with the memory of personal loss.

"I know..." Haku replied with simmering rage. "You had already killed him."

Kakashi drew his hand away, respecting her right to hate him, given the circumstances.

"For what it's worth, I asked him to surrender..." Kakashi replied, declining to mention that Zabuza might have considered his own death to be the essential price for his daughter's freedom from their rogue lifestyle.

Naruto hung via chakra on the stone beneath the arch of the bridge, staring at Zabuza's arrow-riddled body, and feeling sick.

He turned away from the body and began climbing the structure, operating with all the stealth he'd developed in his bygone pranking career.

"I'm afraid you ninja are trespassing on my property," a snide voice called from the bridge. "I'm going to have to have to ask you to surrender all weapons in your possession and turn yourselves over to the local magistrate for questioning."

"Gato you bastard! I'll kill you!" Haku screamed at the man, though Kakashi resumed his restraining grip on her.

"The Land of Waves has no Daimyo," Kakashi announced. "It's hardly trespassing if no one rules this country."

"I rule this country!" Gato answered angrily.

"Then I'm sure we have no interest in surrendering to whatever redress your judges might assign us," Kakashi replied.

Gato replied with smug confidence, "I have it on good authority that they're only interested in... detaining someone from your team. Little blond brat with freaky scars on his face."

"I won't let you hurt Naruto!" Haku yelled, reaching instinctively to pull senbon from her missing sash.

Kakashi blinked at the girl's vehemence, and hid a small smile.

"While I'm sure my reasons differ, I have to agree with her," Kakashi called. "You will not touch my genin."

"And what about the ones up here? I already know the blonde brat is down there, but the other two are up here with the bridge builder, aren't they?" Gato's cruel smile vanished when bursts of flame appeared on the land end of the bridge, followed shortly by screams of pain and fear from the mercenaries he'd sent to retrieve the entrenched group.

"They'll be fine!" Kakashi shouted back nonchalantly, earning a shocked look from Haku.

As if to support his claim, a feminine warcry split the air.

"Shannaro!" Sakura shrieked in a voice so familiar that Naruto flinched in sympathy for the victim of her ire. "Stay the hell away from my Sasuke-kun!"

Charmeleon and Eevee echoed her anger, while the apparently conscious Sasuke protested her possessive pronoun.

"Told you," Kakashi commented in a satisfied voice.

Naruto peeked over the bridge's edge, from the side opposite Kakashi and gathered his bearings. He'd decided the best way to end this would be a display of overwhelming force, and luckily he was the perfect ninja for the job.

"Ralts-chan, I'm gonna see if I can chase those guys over to Sakura-chan and the teme, Can you go tell 'em to be ready?"

"...Okay," She replied, understanding her partner's idea with little effort. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"I don't want you to get hurt, and I dunno how tough they're gonna be," Naruto admitted.

"...I understand, but please be careful." Ralts replied.

"Trust me, I ain't gonna get beat by these bullies!" Naruto assured her.

Naruto crawled onto the surface of the bridge just as Gato was 'explaining' to Kakashi just how happily Tazuna would give himself up, to save his beloved family.

The knuckle headed ninja took that as the perfect prompt it was and stalked his way towards the gathering of goons.

"Tsunami an' Inari ain't comin'," he announced, finding himself the instant center of attention as the crowd turned as one. "The guys who busted in got a little tied up, but if you sent 'em, you owe Tazuna a new wall."

"You got a lot of guts brat..." Gato called as he strode through the parting crowd.

Gato eyed the boy up and down, apparently pleased to find someone shorter than him for once.

Naruto crossed his fingers in front of his face and grinned in a manner that might have reminded older ninja of his prisoner.

The tiny tyrant sneered at the boy and waved one chubby hand towards his more recent target. "Take him down," he commanded sharply.

As one, the mob charged for the apparent easy target.

Haku rushed forward to aid her friend, with Kakashi following close behind. Though they soon found themselves dodging screaming projectiles as the thugs were thrown from the bridge in quantities exponentially greater than she expected Naruto to be capable of.

She surmounted the bridge in a rush, flying into the air and signing through her ice needle jutsu, only to stop in awe at the sheer number of Narutos on the bridge.

It was impossible to make an accurate count, with the number clones darting around and under the much larger men, occasionally blasting them from the bridge with either fist or wind, but there were at least three dozen forming a shieldwall of sorts across the bridge, advancing steadily down it.

Arrows were knocked from the sky by liberal use of his Gale Palm, and anyone who approached that group was attacked by two or more clones, disabled with blows to the head, chest or gut, then launched into the general fray by a powerful wind jutsu applied at point blank range.

She landed behind Naruto's living barrier just as the boys swept past, and Kakashi hopped up nearby, blinking at the display.

From the far side of the battle, explosions of fire and shouts of pain, anger, and 'shannaro' flowed, along with the occasional blast of frost as Froslass joined her former foes at Ralts' request.

"Hammer and Anvil..." Kakashi noted, recognizing the common samurai tactic, though he was pleased to note the distinctly ninja twist to it provided by the clones within the trap.

Haku stared at the sheer number of clones her friend had created, wondering what kind they were... she'd never seen of a clone that simply disappeared when hit.

Gato cursed as he was shoved to the ground yet again, the second that blond bastard child attacked, things had gone to hell. He lurched to his feet again, cursing his diminutive height and all ninja for his present circumstances.

His mercenary army had deteriorated into the sub-human delinquents they had been when he hired them, reacting on immediate emotion and instinct rather than the longer term greed he'd counted on to keep them under his thumb.

When he finally reached the edge of the bridge where his yacht was docked, after getting turned around repeatedly from both the jostling crowd and his own desire to avoid the demon brat Yokujuu wanted so badly, he took a brief moment to crush his fear and leapt out, convinced his only chance was escape.

He was falling through air when Lapras, awoken when she felt the bond with her partner break, rose from the depths.

Inari and the villagers he'd collected arrived just in time to watch their tormentor fly into the air on top of a pillar of water, screaming in pure unadulterated fear.

His propulsion cut out, and all three crowds present watched as Lapras slipped beneath the waves, and the sea far below Gato began spinning wildly, carving a cone down to the very seabed. (Whirlpool)

Gato shrieked in even greater fear as the ground so far below rushed up to meet him.

His cry ended out when he slapped into the stone at the base of the pokemon's attack, scoured free of silt and sand by the turbulent currents Lapras had called up.

Only those on the bridge had the perspective to look down and see Gato's broken body before the whirlpool collapsed, smashing the corpse to bits in it's pokemon enhanced fury.

Naruto for one would be thankful that Inari never saw what Gato looked like after his death, though he would admit that the tyrant deserved everything he got.

With their employer dead, the mercenaries unconsciously divided themselves into two groups: Those who wanted to destroy the village and take what loot they could get, and those who'd had their fill of fighting and just wanted to get away.

Regardless of which side they chose, all the mercenaries were either captured or killed, with the exception of those who had leapt into the ocean to an uncertain fate.

The villagers positioned themselves behind Sakura's wall, and those skilled with their hunting crossbows sniped what opponents they could, while their kinsman protected them with the makeshift clubs and spears they'd gathered, and the ninja and pokemon took the fight directly to the enemy.

Looking back on it, those who were there that day would marvel at how smoothly things had gone.

There were no deaths and few injuries to the citizens, although one man did suffer a concussion after the fight when one of his neighbors threw his cane into the air in celebration, and the object crashed down on the victim's head.


Once the prisoners were collected and stuffed into a convenient cellar, which Kakashi locked shut with a convenient rock jutsu, the real celebration began.

The whole village pooled their resources, food and liquor flowed freely, and even Tazuna was able to forget the damage his bridge sustained for a time.

Team Kakashi stood near the edge of the party, and Haku joined them, stroking the bladeless hilt of Kubikiri Houcho. She had two scrolls hidden in her kimono, the same one she'd met Naruto in, holding the fully repaired blade and her father's corpse.

She had left the team, using her need to change clothes as an excuse, and had taken the opportunity to let the weapon restore itself with the blood of those running Gato's business interests in the area.

Sasuke was on his feet, if a bit unsteadily, and Sakura refused to leave his side, in case he might need her assistance for anything.

The Uchiha wanted a rematch with Haku more than almost anything, but restrained his temper... mostly. He knew what it was like to lose everything, and so in an unexpected show of sympathy, held his tongue.

Naruto stood near his new friend, placing himself protectively between her and the Teme's occasional fiery glances.

Ralts and Froslass remained near their partners, while Eevee ran around in the crowd, playing games with the children who were riding high on the upwelling emotional currents.

Charmeleon stood near the barbecue pits, accepting the generous homage paid to him by the cooks, as they prepared the upcoming feast.

"What is to be my fate?" Haku asked suddenly, her eyes locked on the happy citizens and a sad smile on her face.

"We have no reason to take you into custody, since you've never been put in the bingo books." Kakashi admitted. "Though Zabuza is... and I recall someone complaining when I let you take him away last time..."

"That was different!" Naruto protested. "I didn't know Haku an' him were family!"

"True, but I think I'll let you three decide," Kakashi chose, taking the opportunity to judge his student's characters in this situation.

"He's her dad," Naruto stated with finality, his decision obvious.

"I agree with Naruto," Sakura said, sympathy for Haku's situation obvious in her voice. She didn't want to imagine how she'd feel in the older girl's place, but she hoped to never be there.

Kakashi looked to Sasuke, who was leaning against a tree with a conflicted expression.

"Money is meaningless to me..." Sasuke said, his tone leading. "But I want something from you before I agree..."

Haku's eyes weren't the only ones to harden at Sasuke's decision, but before Naruto could attack his teammate, Kakashi spoke.

"A ransom price isn't unheard of, but what do you want?" The jounin asked.

Sasuke exhaled a shallow sigh. "When we fought, you used strange handsigns... one handed. I want you to teach me them."

"To aid you in your quest for revenge?" Haku asked, to which the Uchiha nodded.

"If it will satisfy you, I will show you the signs my Tousan taught me... I will even name them for you, but I will go no further," Haku countered.

Sasuke's eyes turned red and he smirked, "I think that'll do." He hated himself for twisting her arm at a time like that, but it was the surest way of learning the trick, and he wasn't willing to let the opportunity slip away.

Kakashi uncovered his eye and memorized the handsigns at the same time, claiming that he would use the information to help teach Naruto and Sakura, but Haku wasn't sure whether she could trust the peculiar jounin.

Immediately after seeing all twelve, Sasuke signed through his grand fireball, smirking victoriously when the technique went off perfectly.

Her task done, she stormed away angrily up the hill and into the woods behind them.

Naruto chased after her in concern, catching up before she'd made it very far, falling into step beside the taller girl.

"Sorry about him," Naruto apologized when he realized Haku wasn't going to slow down soon.

"It... It's nothing," Haku replied, coming to a stop and brushing tears from her eyes.

"Don't dismiss it so easily," Kakashi said, hopping down in front of the pair. "I won't try to justify his decision, but it is worth mentioning that he knows what it's like to lose family... I just hope you don't take after him... It might not be healthy for either of us." He finished with a faint smile in his eyes.

"Worried, Kakashi?" Haku asked sharply. She sighed out her anger for the man as she sat down heavily, "Tousan told me to let it go, his business with you was over."

"I'm relieved," Kakashi replied with a glance at Naruto. "If it had come to a fight, I don't think either of us would have won in the end..."

Haku looked to her friend, knowing the truth of Kakashi's words. If she were to kill Sasuke or Kakashi, who knows how he would react... Thankfully, it wasn't going to be an issue.

"I did come for a specific purpose though..." Kakashi admitted after a moment. "I want to borrow Zabuza's body for a while."

The two immediately glared at him, Naruto growling deep in his throat.

"Calm down, I just want something to prove his death to Kiri," Kakashi said hastily. "It'd probably not be enough to get a bounty out of them, but if I supply some biological evidence, along with the headband and pieces of his sword I retrieved, it should get people to stop looking for a while, and buy you some time."

"What kind of evidence?" Haku asked tonelessly.

"Blood-stained cloth, something that might survive a near total eradication would be best," Kakashi replied.

Haku was silent a long while, before replying. "I will bring you what you ask for, before you return to Konoha. But I will not permit you to harm his body anymore than you have already."

Kakashi agreed to her stipulation before leaving the two to the discussion he knew was coming.

"What did he mean, when he said it'd buy you some time?" Naruto asked once he'd calmed enough to remember Kakashi's comment. "You're comin' back to Konoha with us... right?"

"It would be nice... wouldn't it?" Haku mused longingly. "But I can't... Tousan told me to make my own choices. I can't do that if I join a village so soon after his death... I need time to learn what I want for myself..."

"That sucks..." Naruto complained petulantly, plopping down on the ground next to her. "But I guess ya gotta do what ya gotta do..."

Haku repositioned herself next to Naruto and leaned herself against the shorter boy. It wasn't as comfortable as she had hoped, but it was the first thing she could think of that she wanted just for herself, and she enjoyed that.

Especially when Naruto wrapped his arm around her, just as he had held Ralts the day they met.

They remained that way until long after the moon rose, watching the raging party through the trees.


Haku woke with the sun, amused to see that Naruto had fallen asleep next to her, and that Ralts had joined them at some point in the night, snuggling up on her partner's stomach as he sprawled.

She blushed when she realized that he had one arm around each of them, but carefully detached herself from him and rose, brushing her kimono off carefully.

She looked at the blond fondly, wishing she could justify joining him in Konoha, but worried that she would simply use him as a replacement for Zabuza, thereby betraying her father's last wish.

She knelt before her friend, sweeping his hair away from his eyes, before brushing her fingers along his whisker marks, smiling softly when the boy nuzzled into her palm unconsciously.

"We will meet again," she swore softly, before standing and walking away.

So swift was her exit, that she never noticed Ralts watching her with sleepy eyes. The little pokemon yawned hugely, and snuggled closer to her partner.

Naruto awoke a few hours later, and after a moment of panic over Haku's disappearance, was reassured by Ralts, who told him she'd left earlier, though she omitted Haku's private promise.

Somewhat relieved, Naruto tracked down his team at Tazuna's home, where the four conscious humans left the drunk old man sleeping and detailed their plans for the rest of the visit.

The following day was a busy one for the citizens of Wave, as construction resumed with Naruto's wholehearted assistance, and nearly every inhabitant of the island set about restoration efforts.

Even those who had no viable skills to offer were set to work in some way.

It took nearly a month to finish the bridge, more than a week of which was spent repairing the damage Charmeleon and Absol caused during their battles. Despite Tazuna's prolific complaining, even he was surrounded by an air of optimism.


One misty morning, Naruto awoke to find a letter waiting on the kitchen table. He opened it curiously, he couldn't remember the last time he'd received any mail other than bills.

Dear Naruto,

I'm sorry to not say this in person, but I had little time to prepare for my trip.

I was contacted yesterday by someone who's home is facing a problem similar to the one here in wave.

I have chosen to help them. In exchange, they have offered me a home where I can focus on my father's last wish without distraction.

When this land is safe once more, and I know myself better, I would like to see you again... if you don't object.

I will write again when I can.

Your friend,

Haku

P.S. I have included a visual guide to the handsigns the Uchiha demanded. So it shouldn't matter if your sensei is lazy.

Naruto flipped through the included photographs, all closeups of Haku's hand in different positions with information written in the same flowing script on the back.

He carefully folded the letter back up and returned it and the pictures to their envelope, before tucking it safely in his backpack.

Naruto pulled the letter out each morning and read it, barely believing his luck at making a new friend his first mission outside of Konoha, and wondering at the adventures Haku would have.

He also wondered if Haku daydreamed about saving princes the way he imagined his future princess rescuing exploits...


Author's Notes:

In regards to relationships: This did not spontaneously become a Naru/Haku story, so I don't want to hear any flames on that score. When I planned out the start of this story, I decided on a few people to view as options, and see how things develop. Hinata and Haku are two of the three I had initially chosen, though I left my plans open enough in regards to people in the future, since the story will start to diverge a bit in the chunin exams. I'm still not certain who will be the final pairings, but unless the story changes my mind, the decision won't be made until Haku and Naruto meet again, face to face, (which isn't for a long time)

I apologize if the fights and emotional stuff didn't flow well, or seemed overdone, they aren't subjects that come naturally to me. Any input on how to improve those is welcome, via PM or Review, as you prefer.

On that note, as a direct response to MesoJoe, I read all reviews and PMs I receive, and occasionally reply if PMs are accepted by the reviewer. I'm still reading and considering the elements, but appreciate every suggestion, I've gotten a ton of ideas for jutsu and combat techniques thanks to your responses.

Concepts and terms in this chapter:

Aijou: One's beloved daughter (I apologize if it's used out of context, if someone knows for certain, please notify me)

Froslass' ability is Cursed Body, which in game is a ghost only ability that disables any physical attack that connects with the possessor. Given the way movesets work here, Disable can either be useless (blocks one move) or Overpowered (blocks move's element), so I chose a redefined it to fit Froslass specifically. Particularly since it's unlikely another pokemon in the story will possess it. (only five pokemon total can, as of this posting)

Substitution: Redefined to be similar to the Element clone jutsu, however it splits the user's energy among the clones, as per the Shadowclone, so if Absol was level 50, his split forms became level 25's. Pokemon can create a maximum of four bodies with this technique, and each element has it's own specific qualities which are enhanced or granted to the clones. (which are still being designed... Any suggestions? hehe)

Alrighty, that's enough for Author's notes, thanks for reading and many many thanks for the flood of element suggestions,

-Mhyrloc