"Would you like some help?" I ask Tsunami as she takes a stack of plates from the counter to set the table. I guess she didn't hear me approach her from behind, because as soon as she hears my voice she jumps about a mile and spins around to face me so fast she almost drops the plates. She removes her hand from her neck and smiles.
" I would.. thank you."
She hands me the stack of plates and I begin moving clockwise around the table, leaving a cleared spot on purpose. Kakashi doesn't usually eat in front of people because of his mask. When we eat at home he doesn't mind if I'm around, though I always look somewhere else until his mask is secured back on his face. Even though he's my brother, and I don't think he minds if I look, I can't help but feel that I would be invading his privacy or something. When we go out to eat, we try and snag a spot that isn't around a lot of people, and if we find one Kakashi will remove his mask, eat, and then re-mask himself so fast no one gets a chance to see his face.
When the last dish is placed on the table, Tazuna walks in with Inari right behind him. Tsunami walks over and kisses Tazuna on the cheek, earning a big smile from him. When she bends down to kiss Inari, he only looks down at his plate. Sasuke and Kakashi walk in not too long after, and when they do it feels like the rings around my eyes are even more prominent from when I last looked at them. Every time I tried to go to sleep last night, I couldn't help the graphic images that came to mind. I don't know whats worse, nightmares about a voice, or ones from Tazuna's story about Kaiza from yesterday.
"Good morning, everyone" Sakura yawns as she takes a seat. Hm..Naruto isn't here. Looks like he pulled an all-nighter in the forest. I pull up a chair beside Sasuke, and my brother looks me over curiously. In response, I give him a quick smile before bringing food up to my mouth.
"So, Naruto's not here?" Tazuna asks, disrupting the steady, even sound of Kakashi's fingers scraping against the metal covering on his glove. "Looks like he was out all night again."
"He's gone completely crazy, climbing trees in the dark." Sakura says. "He could be dead right now, ya know, from using up too much chakra."
"Well I certainly hope he's okay. A child spending the night in the woods alone..." Tsunami says. My brother speaks up from his place against the wall.
"There's nothing to worry about. Naruto's a goofy kid, but he's also a full-fledged ninja. He can handle himself."
"Sakura's right." Sasuke says in a somewhat annoyed voice " Naruto's such a loser..he's probably lying there dead somewhere."
"What's with all the negative thinking? Naruto's fine..he's just out there working hard." At my words Sasuke gets up from the table and heads for the door.
"Sasuke?" Sakura asks.
"I'm going for a walk."
"But we just started eating!"
"Well that was fast" Sakura mutters as Sasuke slips out the door, most likely going to look for Naruto.
My brother comes to a stop with Sakura and I following. I take a few steps forward and cup a hand over my mouth.
"Naruto! Sasuke!" Their names bounce around off the trees, but neither one of them make an appearance. Hmmm..I think to myself before bringing my hand up to my mouth again. "Naruto! I think I saw a ramen shop nearby!"
All of a sudden a familiar whooshing sound makes my ears tingle, and a shuriken embeds itself in the ground by Sakura's feet followed by an excited gasp from somewhere up above.
"Well I wonder where that came from..." I say, a smile growing on my face. The three of us look up into the trees, immediately spotting Naruto lying on his stomach on one of the branches with a big, lopsided grin on his face.
"Woah.." Sakura breaths. "Naruto can climb that high now using his chakra? That's great!" Kakashi makes an amused humming sound. Naruto looks down at us with that big grin still on his face, chuckling.
" Whattya think, high enough for you guys? I mean its a long way down, huh?" Suddenly he stands up "Now, what were you saying about ramen?" he asks..before he begins to loose his balance and his foot slides off the branch like I've done so many times before. Sakura's breath catches in her throat.
"Naruto!"
"Uh oh" Kakashi says as I run over to the base of the tree and crane my head upwards to see a head of spiky yellow hair and a face that grins down at me.
"Ha! just kidding! You guys totally fell for it!" Naruto erupts into cackling laughter, and I wipe some sweat from my forehead.
"We were worried about you!" Sakura yells up to him.
"Why do I think this is going to end badly.." I hear Kakashi say under his breath. Naruto's body begins swaying to the side, and his feet unhitch from the branch with a loud suction noise. My arms immediately stick out before rapid footsteps race up a nearby trunk and Naruto comes to a jerky stop in midair. Sasuke's on the underside of the branch, with a hand around Naruto's ankle. Good grief..
"You really are a loser, Naruto" he says as Sakura cheers him on in the background.
"If I'm still sane by the time I finish their training, it'll be a miracle."
"Who says you'll be sane regardless?" I wink at my brother as he rolls his eye.
"Alright you two, come on down!" he calls up to Naruto and Sasuke, but the both of them are too busy arguing to hear. Naruto starts writhing and twisting, yelling all the while, making Sasuke's eyes go wide. "Hey, cut it out!" he shouts before he loses his grip and the both of them come flying downwards towards me. I stick my arms out again before I brace myself, taking one large gulp. Something slams into my waiting arms, making me stagger a bit on my feet before the breath is completely knocked out of me and I fall flat on my back with my legs following like an afterthought. I open my eyes. Naruto's lying on his stomach across me, rubbing his head and moaning while Sasuke lies across Naruto's back with an extremely irritated expression on his face. Sakura and Kakashi rush over to us.
"Naruto, you idiot! You could've seriously injured Sasuke!" Small dots dance around her head. Kakashi's face appears over mine and the expression in his un-covered eye is one of both concern and humor.
"Amedoru?" I blink to let him know I'm concious, though the heavy weight of both my teammates is prohibiting me from breathing. Sakura gasps.
"She's turning blue!" Naruto's head perks up before he shakes it a few times to the side. Sasuke leaps to his feet.
"You're crushing her, moron." Naruto's eyes get huge before he scrambles to his feet, and the pressure on my abdomen fades away. I start to sit up before two pairs of hands grip my arms and hoist me up to my feet slowly. Naruto moves from beside me so that we're face to face. He leans forward and looks me in the eyes intently before waving a hand in front of them.
"Amedoru! Can you see me?"
"Oh yeah, I see ya."
"I'm really sorry" he says, rubbing the back of his neck, and I punch him softly on the shoulder. My back makes several loud popping sounds, and everyone looks at me with slightly sickened expressions. Mine's is one of relief
"Hey don't worry about it, I've been trying to get those joints loose forever."
"They're late again" Sakura sighs.
After our little "pile-up" in the forest, Kakashi told Naruto and Sasuke that their chakra control still needed work, though the both of them have improved. The sun went down a few hours ago, but they still haven't walked through the doors yet.
"I wouldn't have expected that from Sasuke" she says again, and my ears pick up on footsteps.
"They're just outside the-" I start before the door slides open, and Sasuke steps inside, with Naruto's arm slung over his shoulder, supporting him.
"Well what did the two of you do out there? You look like something the cat dragged in" Tazuna says. Naruto's head lifts with a small smirk.
"We both made it. We climbed all the way to the top." Kakashi nods approvingly.
"Good. Now we move on. Starting tomorrow, you're both bodyguards for Tazuna." Naruto's smirk turns into a smile and his eyes get wide.
"Alright!" he says before he throws a hand into the air, causing he and Sasuke to fall to the ground on their behinds.
"Ah! You're such a loser!" Sasuke grumbles, and we all laugh.
"A few more days..and he bridge will be finished" Tazuna says. "I have you to thank for that."
"You've all done great, but you've got to be careful" Tsunami replies. Tazuna looks up from his plate
"I've been meaning to ask you this, but I haven't had the chance to until now. Why did you stay and protect me even after you found out that I lied to bring you here?"
"We couldn't just leave you, or the people here to face Gato alone..that's just who we are." I say, and Kakashi nods before he brings his hands up and folds them.
"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice cannot survive." I bite on my thumbnail as I think about what he just said.
"Huh?" Tsunami asks after a moment.
"That was a quote, from the first Hokage." The room is silent before Inari starts trembling, tears splashing onto the table.
"But why?" he asks in a shaky voice. Naruto opens his eyes and lifts his head from his arms.
"Hm? Whatcha say?" Inari slams his hands onto the table and pushes himself up from his chair
"All your stupid training is just a waste of time! Gato's got a whole army! They'll just beat you down and destroy you! These cool things you all say, they don't mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong ones will always win, and the weak will always lose!"
"Just speak for yourself." Naruto grumbles " It won't be like that for me, got that?"
"Why don't you be quiet! Just looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country, you're just butting in! Always laughing and playing around, you don't know what its like to suffer and be treated like dirt!" Naruto stiffens, and I bring my hand down from my mouth, looking in his direction. If only Inari knew..
"Listen to yourself whining and complaining like some sorry little victim. You can whimper all day, for all I care. You're nothin' but a coward!" Inari recoils and Sakura turns on Naruto angrily.
"Naruto! You went too far!" Naruto grumbles before he stands up and walks away. Inari sits back down slowly before he starts crying again, making shuddery, gasping noises. Tazuna and Tsunami give him looks full of pity and hopelessness, and I can't stand it. When neither of them make a move towards Inari, I get up from my chair and walk around the table before kneeling beside him.
"Be strong, Inari" I whisper, and he looks to the side at me quickly before doing something so unexpected it makes my body stiffen at first. He leans over and presses his face against my shoulder, and his tears soak through my shirt quickly before making contact with my skin. I wrap an arm around his shoulders and just let him cry, catching my brother's eye as he stares at us with a tender look.
"Alright, I leave Naruto in your hands. As usual, he over did it last night, so he might not be able to move at all today." Kakashi says. Tsunami eyes him worriedly.
"But what about you? You're still recovering." Kakashi laughs
"Why do I look wobbly? I'll be okay."
"C'mon, lets go" Tazuna says before hoists the bag on his shoulder a little higher and turns around. All of us, minus Naruto, follow him. Kakashi falls behind a little so he can join me at the back of the group.
"I talked to Inari last night after dinner." I turn to look at him.
"Really? ..how was he?" Kakashi sighs.
"He was..sad, but I think he'll get better."
Hm..I wonder what Kakashi said to him.
"What you did for him last night, and the other day.. it was a kind thing." he says before his hand plops down onto my head softly. Did Inari tell Kakashi about our talk by the ocean? I look up at him and smile before the three in front of us come to a complete halt. The toe of my shoe almost scrapes against Sakura's calf.
"What-what is this?" Tazuna gasps, and Kakashi's hand leaves my head in a flash. We've made it to the bridge..but there are several workers lying scattered on it. Their tools are all over the place. "What happened?" Tazuna asks, shock in his voice. "Someone was here, someone got to them!"
I survey the bridge, my eyes finding the water when a familiar cloud of thick mist rolls in.
"This mist.." Kakashi mutters before he whips out a kunai. "Sasuke, Amedoru, Sakura, get ready." he says as we all form a protective ring around Tazuna.
"He's here." I say, my hand inching towards the side for my pouch.
"I knew it was him..he just couldn't wait for round two" Kakashi says.
"Sorry I kept you waiting, Kakashi. Looks like you still got those brats with you..thats alright. I have a score to settle with one in particular anyway.." Zabuza's voice cuts through the mist, and Kakashi makes a strange, low grumbling noise.
"Looks like that one is still trembling..pitiful" I glance over at Sasuke, and sure enough, the kunai shakes lightly in his hand. He snorts.
"I'm trembling..with excitement." Clones surround us, the one in front of me snickering darkly, before my brother looks over his shoulder.
"Go ahead, Sasuke." In a few blinks all the clones are destroyed, and Zabuza's voice calls out again.
"So you could see they were clones, eh? Brat's improving." The fog lightens some, and its enough to see Zabuza and the tracker from before clearly. Sasuke, Sakura, and I go into defensive stances while Kakashi stays relaxed with his hands in his pockets.
"Well, well..so I had it right. It was all an act." he says. "An act in a cute little mask."
"Big phony" Sasuke snorts.
"So I guess all that about being a tracker ninja to protect your village was just a bunch of bull." Tazuna says.
"Looked pretty chummy to me. Looks like they've been pulling scams like this for a long time." Kakashi says, and I let out a "hmph" in agreement before Sakura says in an angry voice,
"He's got some nerve facing us after pulling a stunt like that!"
"And hiding behind a mask, who does he think he's fooling?"
"Whoever it is, they aren't from the leaf" I say, eyeing the tracker.
"That's it. I'm taking him out" Sasuke says calmly, making Sakura gasp. "Who does he think he's fooling, hiding behind that mask like some sort of clown."
"Oh Sasuke, you're so cool" Sakura gushes, and while my brother sags forward with a sigh, I bring a hand up to smack against my face. Way to paraphrase my brother, Sasuke. Zabuza and the tracker remain standing, so I assume they're talking about something, plotting, when the tracker literally begins dancing his way over to us. His footsteps move slowly, rhythmically in a circular motion before they get faster. So fast, that the tracker becomes a spinning cyclone, heading straight for Sasuke. Should I intercept it? I glance over at Sasuke's concentrated face. No, he's ready for it. By the time I finish thinking, he and the tracker are face-to-face , with a kunai, and some other kind of knife in between them.
"Sakura, guard Tazuna, let Sasuke handle it." Kakashi says before speaking to me in a low voice "Stay close to me. Zabuza'll most likely go for you first before he'll go for me."
"I'm ready...that doesn't look good." I say as the tracker begins forming rapid hand signs with a single hand. I've never seen someone do that before..
"Sasuke!" Sakura gasps as an almost invisible water dome surrounds the both of them. Tiny spindles of what look to be ice hover in midair before they all shoot downwards. Just when they're inches away from Sasuke, a cloud of smoke poofs out of nowhere, and the tracker skids backwards. Sasuke appears suddenly, throwing shuriken at the trackers feet. When he stops, Sasuke appears behind him with a smirk on his face.
"You're not as fast as you thought. From now on, you'll be defending yourself against me." he says before he lands a hard kick to the trackers stomach when he disappears from behind and reappears from the front. The tracker slides across the bridge and comes to a stop at Zabuza's feet.
"You made a mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats" Kakashi says. "That's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude. He's the best young fighter of the hidden leaf village." Something gives a small jerk in my stomach at the tone of his voice, he way he says it. I'm nothing like Sasuke, and I never will be, but I hope that one day I can make my brother proud of me regardless.
"And Sakura here is our sharpest mind." he continues, making Sakura blush a deep red. Kakashi looks at me.
"My sister, Amedoru.. well she's one who will amaze you no matter what the circumstance."
Did he really mean that?
"And last but not least, our number one hyperactive knuckle-headed ninja is Naruto Uzumaki." Zabuza starts chuckling.
"Haku, if we keep going on like this we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it!" he bites. Haku is up in an instant, a dark, inky blue visible aura around him.
'Right" he says, and I notice how the inky blue begins to branch out and lighten in color.
"What is that?" Sasuke asks.
"I think it might be his chakra.."
"I'm sorry it has to come to this" Haku says before his fingers intertwine, and ice shoots up from the ground around Sasuke..they look like-
"Secret Jutsu!Crystal Ice Mirrors!" Haku yells before he walks toward one of the mirrors and literally steps inside it. From the way my brother is looking at it,I can tell he's never seen anything like this before. That's not a good sign. Kakashi takes off towards them before Zabuza intercepts him halfway. I push myself off the ground after him, whipping out a kunai.
"If you enter this fight, you'll fight me" he says. "Your boy's got no chance against Haku in there. He's finished." I step closer to Kakashi, and Zabuza turns his head over to me. "But, I did say I'd give you another go, didn't I-"
Before he can utter another word, Sakura charges towards the ice mirrors, flinging a kunai knife at Haku. His arm reaches from out of one of the mirrors before he catches it. Zabuza turns his attention back to me before several shuriken slice through the air, and from the groans coming from the ice mirrors, I can tell all of them hit Haku dead on.
"Hm?" Zabuza hums, and I nod over towards the large cloud of smoke.
"That would be out number one, hyperactive, knuckle-headed ninja-"
"Naruto Uzumaki is here! Believe it! And now that I'm here, everything will be aaalright."
"Naruto!" Sakura yells, though for once..she's actually happy to see him.
"You know in stories how the hero always shows up at the last minute and kicks butt? Well that's just what I'm gunna do right now, believe it!"
Zabuza gives a loud groan "Ugh. Not this brat again.."
Naruto pays him no mind, instead he focuses all his attention on Haku. "Alright, you're history..Shadow Clone Jutsu!." he yells, not noticing the shuriken Zabuza flings at him.
"Naruto, move!"
"Naruto, look out!"
Kakashi and I yell towards him, but the shuriken don't even reach Naruto all the way thanks to several senbon Haku flings out, intercepting them. Now that was real close..
"This is a battle, not a talent show. Don't let your opponent see your jutsu!' Kakashi reprimands as Naruto's face falls. "A shinobi's art is deception; always keep the enemy guessing. Even when executing a single justu, one must distract your opponents attention so you can catch them off-balance, and out maneuver them. You just turn yourself into a human target when you enter a battle like that!" My brother has a point, but at least Naruto showed up.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I was just trying to rescue everybody!" he shouts.
"Haku, what are you doing?!" Zabuza demands, and I know I should attack him while his guards down..but I'm rooted to the spot. Why did Haku save Naruto?
"Zabuza" Haku says. "This boy..let me fight him myself, in my own way. Please."
"So..you want me to leave this to you, huh, Haku? Your too soft..as usual." Zabuza scoffs. I'm starting to get tired of standing in the same spot. If I'm going to make a move, its gotta be done soon, while Zabuza still has his guard down. Kakashi tries to take a step towards Naruto and Haku, but Zabuza shifts in front of him.
"Ah, ah, Kakashi. You know the score. If you interfere, I'll go after the bridge-builder..as soon I take care of this one." Zabuza says, eyeing me. "Relax..lets see how they do..one on one" he says again, and I shift my eyes over to Naruto and Haku. Haku's speed worries me..but I have faith in Naruto. He'll come through. He and Haku talk for a moment before Haku slips back into the ice mirrors after Sasuke throws a kunai at him.
"Naruto, Sasuke, think! You'll want to attack from both the outside and the inside!" Kakashi instructs. Realization dawns on Naruto's face..before he sneaks into a spot between the ice mirrors. Oh man.. A big ball of flame ignites inside the ice prison. That's gotta be Sasuke's fireball jutsu. It dies down quickly..and the ice mirrors are still standing, not so much as a drop of water running down the sides. Naruto's shadow clones don't do any damage either.
"I knew it!" Kakashi gasps.
"What? What is it?" I ask
"It's a bloodline trait, a kekae genkai." When he sees the look on mine and Sakura's face, he elaborates.
"It's like my Sharingan-you can't learn it. It has to be in your blood, in your genetic code, passed down from generation to generation within a single clan." That means for now, we're sitting ducks. My brother can't copy the jutsu, so he can't destroy it. That means its up to Naruto and Sasuke to try and break free from the inside. The silence is interrupted by Haku's voice as it bounces off the ice mirrors:
"..I fight for someone who is precious to me..I face death for him in the hope that one day his dream will become reality.."
There's no denying how deep Haku's care..his love for Zabuza runs. Does he really know how much he means to one person? I think as I look over at him.
"Sasuke! Naruto! Take the guy out, you can do it!" Sakura shouts.
"Don't, Sakura" Kakashi says. "Don't push if they found a way to overcome the mirror justu somehow, they'd be no match against this ninja."
"How can you be so sure?!"
"They have the desire to win..but not the instinct to kill. This boy is a whole other breed. He lives for pain..thrives on it. "
"Exactly." Zabuza spits out. "Your village has become complacent. Your trainees never learned the most important lesson of all-to kill all the feelings in their hearts so they can kill mercilessly, destroy with no emotional regret."
"So what do we do, Sensei? Please tell us" Sakura says. Just what are we going to do? I have the feeling Zabuza's starting to get impatient. Kakashi's hand goes to lift his headband, and Zabuza chuckles.
"The Sharingan..you're no fun, Kakashi, using the same old trick..over, and over." Zabuza whips something out of his pocket before rushing towards us..and before I know it, I'm standing in front of my brother with a knife stuck deep in my arm that's held out in front of me, and my kunai knife embedded in Zabuza's side in return. Blood pools upwards before running in rivulets downwards, staining the bandages wrapped around my arm before dripping to the ground.
"Ame.." Kakashi says in a whisper, and I grit my teeth to help me forget the pain. Zabuza hums in amusement, his grey eyes widening.
"You said you had a score to settle with me first." I say, and Zabuza laughs, deep and gravely.
"Ah.. she's a brave one, Kakashi." he says before yanking his knife out of my arm and jumping backwards. He rips my kunai from his side and throws it at my feet. I clamp a hand over the wound on my arm and try not to think about how the blood's pooling up between my fingers. Kakashi grips my shoulder and pulls me back beside him, looking down at me anxiously.
"Amedoru..that was reckless of you!" I stare at the ground.
"I'm sorry"
Kakashi sighs and asks in a softer tone, "Will you be alright?"
I bring my hand down from my arm before flexing it, wincing a little at the sharp jolt of pain that Kakashi's feeling too. I nod my head firmly before picking up my kunai from the ground. "Yeah, I'll be just fine."
Zabuza begins telling us all about Haku's unique abilities, and how he was turned into a killing machine by Zabuza. "You really think your little Genin are a match for Haku?" Zabuza asks. "He's the ultimate shinobi!"
"Are you finished bragging yet? Your starting to put me to sleep" Kakashi says, and I laugh mentally. "Lets finish this..now!"
"Fine..but first, there's something you should know, a little more..bragging as you say" Zabuza says before re-pocketing his knife. When he tells Kakashi that Haku had been observing every move he made during their last battle, Kakashi's head snaps back a little. Zabuza's hand lifts to form a familiar sign, and everything's covered by mist again . I take a few steps to the side before I'm back to back against my brother, all the while looking down at my arm. He'd be able to find us regardless, even without my blood..but..
"Kakashi" I say in a whisper. "We can find Zabuza by blood, by scent."
"Your right. We should wait him out just a little longer.."
"You'll let me fight him with you, right?" he sighs softly.
"Your a shinobi now..and you've done well against him so far..just be careful."
"Right..something's coming!" I say, the familiar high-pitched whistling sounds getting nearer by the second. Kakashi takes out a kunai and block all the shuriken thrown at him.
"Ah, very skilled. But I wouldn't have expected anything less from Kakashi, the Sharingan Warrior." Zabuza says..from right in front of me. Kakashi gives a small gasp before we break position so that we're side by side.
"His eyes are closed .." Kakashi says. Is it even possible for someone to fight the Sharingan blind?
"The last time you see me will be the last time you see anything" Zabuza says. "Without your Sharingan, you're nothing."
"Be quiet" I snap before Zabuza disappears again.
"Someone's a little eager, I see.." he chuckles. "You wanted me to believe that you could see into the future, Kakashi. But your prediction was wrong, I'm still here. That Sharingan of yours is just a cheap trick that makes you seem more powerful than you are. I know now your Sharingan has two separate elements. The piercing eye, which sees every detail, and the hypnotic eye, which mesmerizes your opponent. Employing these abilities you can execute multiple jutsu in quick succession, to make it seem like you could see the future.."
The more Zabuza talks, the more I try to find his position. Even though his voice sounds near, he could be a good distance away from us.
"..first, neutralize your piercing eye by reducing your vision to zero. Then, by keeping my eyes closed, you can bore into them with that hypnotic eye of yours." Without a warning something slams into Kakashi's middle, making him slide back a few feet. My hand goes to the scroll attached to my hip next to my pouch. I think I know what to do, I just don't know when. Why hasn't Kakashi come back yet? This mist keeps getting thicker by the second..I shake my head to clear it. You have to focus, I tell myself. Zabuza's a master of the Silent Killing Technique. If I let my guard down, I'm finished. My eyes were rendered useless as soon as he pulled this mist jutsu, and my ears are probably shot too. I close my eyes and try to sniff him out..but if he's still bleeding, he wouldn't have been able to land that blow to Kakashi. He would have smelled him..and I would have too. A rock collides with my jaw and sends me flying backwards, and I come to a sliding stop.
"Consider that your first taste of payback.."
I try and get myself back on my feet as quick as I can, but Zabuza's quicker. The vague outline of his sword appears in front me before it swings down, and the only way I avoid it is by rolling over to the side quickly. He swings the sword down again and I roll over to the other side before pushing myself up on my hands and roll forward through his legs, throwing a kunai towards his neck. It misses his vital spot, but implants itself into his muscle. He turns around slowly. So this isn't a water clone, its the real Zabuza- Sakura lets out a horrifying, blood-curdling scream.
"Aah!" I yell as I bend over, gripping my chest before turning towards the direction of the scream. Kakashi.. Zabuza laughs darkly behind me.
"Big brother's in trouble,and what can you do about it? Absolutely nothing."
"Yes I can," I whisper, before bringing my hands up in front of me. Transformation Justu! Hidden Mist Style! I think before I blend myself into the mist.
"She's vanished." Zabuza says before grabbing the hilt of his sword. This is it..now! I think before releasing the jutsu and pivot on one foot behind him, kicking Zabuza as hard as I can on his back. He flies onto his stomach and growls before he gets up swiftly...vanishing. Darn it. My hand clutches at my abdomen. I gotta find my brother.I try and find him by scent, but it's too confusing since both of us are bleeding. So I just do the only thing I can think of. I let my gut lead me.
"..come on, Kakashi, I want this to be fun." I reactivate my transformation jutsu and creep up behind Zabuza as quietly as I can.
"Take a hike" I say as I slide in front of him, my voice coming out in a low, guttural growl.
"Persistent little brat...well don't you worry, Kakashi, you can weep out an apology to your brats when you see them in the next life..." Zabuza says before he re-sheathes his sword and fades away into the mist. I look at the long, red line running down Kakashi's abdomen, feeling a whine wanting to form in the back of my throat. Zabuza appears at a distance in front of us. Kakashi starts breathing heavily, though whether its from the pain, or from anger..I don't know.
"I have faith in Sasuke" Sakura says, thinking aloud, and I nod.
"Naruto too."
"That's right." Kakashi says. "I..I believe in their abilities. I have faith in them. Naruto..the number one, hyperactive, knuckle-head ninja. And Sasuke, heir to the most powerful clan in the Hidden Leaf Village."
"You mean.." Zabuza says, and through his voice I can tell how wide his eyes are.
"Yes. His full name is Sasuke Uchiha. The unique powers of the Uchiha bloodline run through his veins. The Kekae Genkai is his birthright. "
"I had heard that one young ninja had survived the massacre..no wonder he advances so quickly. But so does Haku. No one can beat him" Zabuza reaches for his sword again, and I tense up next to my brother, who pulls out a kunai. "No one can beat his secret jutsu, even the best Jounin fall before him, just like you will fall before me!" Zabuza continues before he disappears again.
"Sakura, stay with Tazuna" Kakashi says before taking off, and I chase after him, trying my best to ignore the bursts of pain with every footfall. Zabuza's my opponent too, and it's about time things get settled for good. I stop mid-step. There's so much energy in the air..what is it? Something rings loud and clear inside me, and I collapse to one knee. Kakashi looks around worriedly. There's so much anger..and hate. Where's it all coming from? Searing, white-hot pain rips through my head, and I fall to my other knee and press my face to the ground, clutching my head with both hands, groaning. What's happening? The pain passes as quick as it comes, and something fills me up inside, and drives me to my feet again. I remember the angry, slanted red line across my brother's chest, Sakura's frightened face, and Naruto and Sasuke's pain-filled cries. And that's all I need to steady my balance as I take off again. I think I actually might be..speeding up somehow. I pass Kakashi, and notice that he's got his earth summoning scroll planted in the ground.
"Whats the use if you can't even find me?" Zabuza asks, and even though I still can't see him, I know exactly where he is. I use my last footstep to spring myself forward, and before I know it, I collide with Zabuza's body, sending us both sailing on the wind a moment before we crash to the ground. Kakashi calls for me: "Amedoru!" My fists beat against the sides of Zabuza's face, snapping his head to the side. His eyes wide open. I just feel..so angry. A deep grumbling noise makes the bridge quake, and several blurry forms leap up out of the solid concrete before they latch themselves onto Zabuza. A few of them tug on my pants and shirt sleeve, and I turn my head to the side and see its only Kakashi's..and mines, I suppose..ninja hounds.
"Let us handle it from here, kid" Pakuun says as he, Akino, and Biscuit look me over. Akino growls deeply before sinking his teeth into a huge chunk of Zabuza's leg, making a small spray of blood fly onto my chin. I lean back and sigh..whatever was in me before..the anger..its gone now.
"Thanks guys."
I make my way back towards Kakashi, who stands up and walks towards me swiftly, grabbing both my shoulders.
" Are you alright?" he asks, eyeing the blood droplets on my chin...but from the look in his eye, I can tell thats not all he's asking about. I stare at the cut running down his chest.
"Mhm. What about you? Will you be okay?" He laughs shortly.
"Of course." then we both turn our attention back to Zabuza, who has a ninja hound practically on all his available body parts.
"Amedoru and I both knew that since we couldn't see you, we would have to find you by scent. When you attacked me, I let you get past my guard-I wanted you to cut me. You see, its mine and Ame's blood on your blade that led them to you. Surprised? You disappoint me, Zabuza..falling right into our trap like that." Kakashi says before resting a hand on my shoulder. "Ah..the mist is finally clearing. And you know what I see? Your death." he continues.
"All this talking..do you mean to talk me to death?!"
"In a way, yes. One word from me, and my ninja hounds will tear you apart. I'm quite surprised they haven't taken you down already. They're all very fond of Amedoru.." They all growl deeply. "Poor Zabuza..see where your ambitions got you? You were always pushing things too far..it was after the failed assassination of the Misukage that you had to flee your village with what few followers you had, becoming a rouge ninja. And now you want to go back and try it again..but for that you need money, so you became the hired thug of a swine like Gato. All right, enough talk. Its time to finish this, but it won't be with Sharingan. No..its time I introduce you to my own jutsu" My eyes widen. I haven't seen this happen in a long time. I take several steps backwards, leaving Zabuza to my brother. The familiar, beautiful..powerful ball of electric chakra forms right in my brothers palm, lightning branching out all around it.
"Lightning Blade.." I whisper.
"I wont allow you to kill Tazuna. He's a brave man, with a noble dream. The bridge he's building is the hope of this land and all its people. You're like a disease..by attacking one, you infect all..and you don't even care. That is not the way of the shinobi."
"You're right. I don't care!" Zabuza says. "All these petty little people with their pathetic dreams. Why should I care? I have a dream of my own."
"But to have a dream, you need a future" Kakashi says before he takes off towards Zabuza. "And this is for laying hands on my sister!" he yells as he nears Zabuza, but a wall of ice shoots up from the ground, and with an almighty yell Kakashi rams his lightning blade through it, destroying it..drawing blood. I can feel my jaw drop. Haku stands in front of Zabuza with wide eyes before she grips my brothers wrist tightly. If Haku's here..then what happened to Naruto and Sasuke?
"Za..bu..za" he croaks out, and he starts chuckling.
"Your sick!" I shout at him.
'The boy threw himself in front of my attack..he saved your worthless life" Kakashi says as blood pools at his feet. Zabuza reaches for his sword.
"Well done, Haku. I knew I found a treasure when I found you boy. Not only have you given me my life, you've given me Kakashi's as well!" He says as he brings the sword down. I race over to push both my brother and Haku out of the way when Kakashi gathers Haku in his arms and flips backwards, avoiding Zabuza's blow.
"Not too bad for having a corpse in your arms" he says, not so much as even looking at Haku. I wondered before if Zabuza was capable of understanding how much he meant to one person..and now I see that he never will.
"You'll pay for that!' a voice near me shouts, and I look over.
"Naruto!"
"Naruto, stay out of this!" Kakashi says. If Naruto's here..then where's Sasuke? Kakashi lays Haku on the ground gently before closing his eyes, snapping his head up to glare at Zabuza. "This is my fight. Zabuza's mine." I walk over to Naruto, and he helps steady me before looking me over.
"Amedoru, look at you! Are you alright?"
"A little banged up, but I'm fine. Where's-'
"Naruto!" Sakura calls. "So you and Sasuke are alright? Where is he anyway?" I look around expecting Sasuke to be standing somewhere with his arms folded and a smirk on his face..but he's nowhere to be found. Naruto turns his face away as it scrunches up, and his whole body starts shaking.
"Oh no.." I say. Sakura's face goes completely slack. Zabuza charges towards Kakashi with his sword,but my brother uses his hands to propel his body to the side to deliver a kick to his gut. Sakura and Tazuna race past us, hand in hand, and I put a hand on Naruto's shoulder as I race past him to follow behind. When I'm near enough to see the outline of Sasuke's body, I slow to a jog before sprinting ahead again, coming to a stop next to Sakura.
I stop breathing as I crouch down, Sakura following across from me. She cradles the side of his face with her hand, and I'm too scared to look and see what her face is like. "This isn't another one of his gen-jutsu tricks, is it?" she asks. I reach out slowly and lightly touch his hand with my fingertips before I grasp it firmly. He's cold to the touch..
"You don't have to be brave on my account, girls. Go ahead, let your feelings out." Tazuna says, and I dip my head low, though no tears come yet.
"I was the best" Sakura begins. " Aced every test at the academy..perfect student. Did you know there are more than one hundred principles of shinobi conduct? I memorized every single one. I used to love it when they tested us on them, because it gave me the chance to show how smart I was. I remember so clearly this one exam. They asked us to explain the twenty-fifth principle. I got it right of course-
"A shinobi must never show his feelings, no matter what the circumstances, because they cloud his judgement and weaken his sense of duty." I finish for her as a few tears drip onto the bridge near Sasuke despite my words. Sakura begins sobbing before she buries her face on top of Sasuke, his name coming out in choked sobs. I reach over and wrap my arms around her with one hand in her hair, my face pressed into her back, shaking with her as she sobs. After a while I lift my head at the sound of an unfamiliar voice before pulling away from Sakura, eyeing the large crowd of people.
"Sakura, look."
A short man walks from the front of the crowd before coming to a stop in front of Haku. He says something before his little leg lands a hard kick to Haku's side. Naruto yells angrily:
"GET AWAY!"
Before he charges. Thank goodness Kakashi's there to grab him around the middle, stopping him. I look down at Sasuke, feeling something heavy in my chest before I give his hand a final, hard squeeze before standing up, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder. She nods up at me with understanding, and I close my eyes and dip my head, offering a quick moment of silence for Sasuke. I just wish that we could've had more time to become closer..friends, I think, but I've always considered you one, Sasuke. Even if you never knew it. I rush over and stand in between Zabuza and Naruto, hearing the faint sound of blood that's still dripping, albeit more slowly, from the wound in my arm.
"Well what about you, Zabuza? You just gunna let him do that to Haku?!" Naruto asks.
"Be quiet, you fool. Haku's dead. Whats's it matter?"
"What's it matter? He didn't even hesitate to throw himself in front of you to save your life! Are you so blind you can't see how much you meant to him? How much he loved you?!" I yell at him. Zabuza glances to the side at me.
"You don't understand the way of shinobi. I merely used him, just like Gato used me. Now its over, his usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But the boy..nothing."
"If you mean that, you're an even bigger rat than I thought." Naruto says with clenched fists.
"You're the one that doesn't understand.." I say. "Haku said that he lived to serve you, so that your stupid dreams could become reality! He gave his life for a sick, blind fool like you.."
"Okay, that's enough" Kakashi says before grabbing Naruto's shoulder and giving me a look. "Calm down, the both of you. He's not the enemy..at least not right now." Naruto rips himself from Kakashi's grip with a yell.
" Shut up!As far as I'm concerned he's enemy number one!" he yells, pointing a finger at Zabuza. "Why you..you ungrateful..after everything he did for you" Naruto huffs. "Haku lived for you! You were the most important thing in the world to him! And he meant nothing to you? Nothing at all?!" Naruto yells.
"Your heart must really be empty if you can't even feel a thing!" I say. " Why is it so hard for you to see?!"
"Well he was sacrificing everything for you, and you never felt anything at all for him?!" Naruto says. "And if I become stronger does that mean I'll become as cold-hearted as you are?! He threw his life away, and for what? For you and your dream? You never let him have a dream of his own..but he didn't care. And you just toss him aside..like he was nothing!" I look over at Naruto, at his tear stained face, and I feel that odd something inside me, stirring.
"A broken tool..man, thats so wrong..so wrong." Naruto says, and I cast my eyes over to Haku.
"You talk too much.." I look down at the tear stains at Zabuza's feet. "Your words cut deep..the both of you. Deeper than any blade. While he fought you..his heart was breaking in two. You see, Haku was always too soft, and too kind. He felt pain and sorrow, and now curse him..I feel them too! And something else..I feel content that this is the way it ends." he says before twisting his head to the side, and it isn't until the loud rips that cut through the air that I realize what he's doing.
"Whats the matter? Cat got your tongue? Are you really that surprised to see that I'm human too?" Zabuza asks Gato. " All shinobi are, no matter how hard we try to escape that simple fact, we always fail. Well at least..I have failed." He looks at me to the side. "Little one! Come here.." I can feel Kakashi's and Naruto's anxious looks, but I walk forward until I'm right next to Zabuza.
"Give me your kunai." I take the one still attached to my side and toss it up to him. He catches it firmly between his sharp teeth before he charges forward towards Gato so fast my hair whips around for a second. Gato turns on his heel and tries to get away, all the while shouting at the crowd of men behind him. As Zabuza nears, they all raise their weapons. Most of them have no effect. Zabuza just slices his way with the kunai in his mouth through the crowd, maneuvering himself so..gracefully its almost beautiful. I take a step forward when one of the men plunges a spear into Zabuza's back. This is the man who almost killed my brother and teammates..Sasuke's already..dead. Why do I feel like I need to help him? The crowd parts enough for me to see Zabuza plunge my kunai into Gato..before several men stab him through the back with what look to be pipes and wooden poles. A brief moment of silence passes when something falls off the bridge and makes a loud splash, and several men in the crowd gasp before they all part to form a walkway for Zabuza to pass through. He begins making his way towards Haku slowly until his body lurches and the kunai clatters to the ground. Zabuza falls to his knees..and it's like he's staring at something we can't see, before he mumbles and collapses fully on the ground.
"Don't look away" my brother says. "When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends."
"Does it end like this always?" I ask, and he gives a soft sigh.
"Yeah"
"Naruto! Amedoru! Look, it's Sasuke!" Sakura shouts, and I spin around on my heel. Sure enough, Sasuke's standing there on wobbly legs..looking like a porcupine. He looks off to the side before raising his hand above him. Naruto and I look at each other before a big grin grows on both our faces.
'But how?" Naruto asks before he looks back at Haku..and I remember what Zabuza had said about Haku being too soft, sweet. How his heart was breaking in two when he was fighting Naruto and Sasuke.
"Well, will wonders never cease..amazing" Kakashi says in an amused voice. Something pounds against the ground.
"Yoo hoo" a man from the crowd says. "Don't go gettin' too comfortable yet."
"Who's gunna pay us now that Gato's gone?" another one says
"No way we're gunna leave here empty handed. So we'll just have to hit that village and see what they've got for us."
"Not. Good." my brother says, and I squat down next to him.
"C'mon, Kakashi Sensei! Isn't their some kind of jutsu you can use to take care of these losers?"
"Not right now..I've used up too much chakra."
The crowd of men charge towards us with their weapons raised high, and I throw Kakashi's arm over my shoulder before something silvery catches the sun and lands at the foot of one of the men. The whole crowd stops and I whip my head back.
"Inari!"
"There's one thing you forgot about. Before you set foot in our village, you'll have to go through all of us!" a man in a hardhat says, and all the people of the village raise their weapons high with a loud yell. Inari stands at the very front of the crowd, and new strength floods inside me.
"Heroes usually come at the last second, right?" he asks, and Naruto and I laugh with him. Suddenly Naruto stands up and makes a row of shadow clones before my brother groans, and I slide out from under his arm.
"I might just have enough chakra to help you out.." he says before hundreds of clones appear around us. "Show Clone Jutsu! Kakashi Style!" they all say before eyeing the crowd. "Still want to fight?"
The men all shake their heads before turning tail and running towards the side of the bridge, throwing themselves into the water. I get up and make my way towards Zabuza, with the villagers cheers carrying on in the background. Kakashi appears next to me, and we share a look before walking together. He stands at Zabuza's head while I crouch down next to him.
"Sounds like its over." he mumbles.
"Yeah" my brother says.
"Kakashi..I have a favor to ask."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Take me to him..before I go. I need to see him one last time." I let out a soft sigh while Kakashi pulls his headband back over his eye. He looks at Zabuza softly.
"Sure."
I help Kakashi remove all the spears and poles from Zabuza's back, wincing every so often, though Zabuza's face remains blank. Kakashi scoops him up into his arms, and the three of us make our way over to Haku. Kakashi sets him down as I look up at the sky, holding out a hand in front me as soft, delicate snow drops float down into my open palm.
"Thank you" Zabuza says to Kakashi before he leaves, and when I turn to follow him, a hand grips my ankle weakly. I look down.
"I thank you too..and the blonde kid..for opening my eyes.." I nod.
"I..I'm glad. May the both of you find peace, now."
And as I stand with my brother and Naruto, listening to Zabuza's final words, the clouds open up and sets the snow drops on fire..and Zabuza exhales for the last time.
"He told me that it was always snowing where he came from-all the time" Naruto sniffles.
"Of course" Kakashi says. "His spirit was as pure as the snow..you never know, Zabuza..maybe you will join him there. Who's to say?"
"Soo..where exactly are you taking us?" Sasuke asks. I look over my shoulder and smile at my brother and teammates.
"You'll see."
We buried Zabuza and Haku not too long ago..and I figured that since there's still some daylight left, we could make one more trip before saying goodbye to Tazuna's family. I stop in front of the familiar cluster of green that looks so much like a wall, making my brother and everyone else stop behind me. I step to the side and press a hand against the shrubbery.
"This is my favorite part.." I say before I separate the shrubbery, light illuminating all our faces for a brief second. Naruto and Sakura gasp while Sasuke and my brother stare out at the sight before them. I let them all walk out first, and when I follow from behind its like stepping into a whole other world. Its dusk now, so the sky is a burning peachy color while the water that surrounds us has an almost purple hue. We all stand right at the waters edge, me on the other side of my brother, and neither one of us says anything for a long time. I bend down and stick a hand in the water, moving it side to side.
"Wherever they are now..I hope that they can see what we're seeing." I say, speaking of Zabuza and Haku. Kakashi hums, and when I look up I notice how his eye is closed, and how the wind is making everyone's hair wave like grass in an open field. I decide to give everyone a few more minutes to enjoy all this before my hand rips out of the water and a large wave of it splashes against everyone. Sakura lets out a playful squeal while Sasuke grumbles to himself..before the corner of his mouth lifts. A cloud of smoke appears before several Naruto's lift me up and fling me out into the water, and the sound of my brothers laughter is loud and pure.
I float back on the water, and for a second, I hear a content sigh through the gentle wind.
We decide to head out around noon , and the whole village meet us at the front gates, smiling and waving.
"We never could have done it without your help" Tazuna says
"Do be careful!" Tsunami says from beside him. Inari gets a hard, thoughtful look on his face before he rushes over and latches his arms around me.
"We're all very proud of you." I whisper into his ear before we both straighten up.
"Thanks for everything" Kakashi says with that eye smile of his, and Inari's eyes fill with tears before he rubs the back of his arm across them.
"Ya know..its okay to cry, Inari, there's really nothing wrong with it." Naruto says in a choked up voice. He and Inari stare each other down before Naruto turns around quickly before rubbing his eyes. We all say our final goodbyes before we set out again.
Ah..home, I think, walking on top the bridge wall before turning back and waving. The small form of Inari waving back.