Zabuza laughed at me. He didn't chuckle- he almost howled in laughter.
"Who? Who are these worthy opponents?" He mocked. "Surely it's not Kakashi Hatake, the has-been copy ninja, which my care giver decoded, and not the-"
"Care giver, ne?" Kakashi asked and I felt a small shift in Zabuza's stance. "What care giver?"
"Like you don't know." Zabuza scoffed. "Haku. Come out, come out."
I heard a noise from behind me.
"Kakashi-sensei!" I called out, almost foolish enough to turn around.
I heard a few thuds and a grunt. I didn't know what was happening, but Sasuke disappeared. I didn't know what to think. My leader was down and my partner was AWOL. I was panicking. What was I supposed to do? I sure as hell wasn't going to fight him!
"Well, well, Ayame. Alone at last." He soothed me. "Or should I say Ayame-chan?"
"What do you think give you the right?" I shot daggers at him. "Why would you work for a man like Gato?"
"The money!" He laughed. "You Leaf Ninja aren't that dumb, are you?" I was about to give him a snide remark, but grunts of what sounded like pain came from down the bridge. I listened more intently, and found that it was Sasuke. My eyes widened and I gasped.
"S-Sasuke-kun!?" I called out. Zabuza smirked at my distress and I felt my arm begin to buckle. "Sasuke Uchiha, you answer me!" I called again, frantic. Zabuza chuckled.
"Ayame-chan." I heard him. It was faint, but I heard him and I think I was the only one. "Do what you need to do."
Okay, now is so not time for one of his random code phrases. What did that mean? Ugh, I need help. It was then that I noticed I haven't heard a peep from Kakashi. I narrowed my eyes through the think fog and saw, quick as a flash, a hand wielding a kunai coming and stopping right in front of Zabuza's jugular.
"Game over." Kakashi said. "Ayame, you can go over to Tazuna now." I eyed Zabuza very carefully and slowly brought my weapon down, as did he.
I backed up to Tazuna. "Are you alright?" I asked, still not taking my eyes off Zabuza.
"Yeah." He said. I grabbed his hand. "Get me out of here."
I nodded and dragged him along, but not off the bridge. I had a feeling to would have been trap or possibly rigged to explode.
"Where are you taking me?" He whispered. "You better not be-"
"Shh." I silenced him and waited. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, but I would know it when I saw it. Or heard it.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried. I guess the bridge wasn't rigged. Damn. We were almost home free.
"Sakura, guard Tazuna." Kakashi ordered. "Now."
"Hai." Sakura replied. "Ayame-chan, where are-"
"Just find her, Sakura." Kakashi urged.
I heard quickened footsteps in a random direction. I clasped my hands together, raised them to my mouth and blew air into my gesture so it would make a bird calling noise. Sakura's footsteps halted. I made the noise again and she came my way. I saw her just as she stood next to Tazuna.
"Sakura-chan, I need you to stay with Tazuna-san." I said. "If you need me, just call my name. I'm bound to hear it." I smirked at the last one. I turned around to walk away, but Sakura's voice stopped me.
"I'm scared." She whispered. I faced her. "I can't do this by myself." I smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I wouldn't leave you alone if I didn't think you could handle this." I said to her and she smiled. She got into a stance, while holding a kunai and shuriken. I nodded at her and began to make my way to where I thought Sasuke was.
I know, I know. He can handle himself with that Fire Ball Jutsu of his, but he can't use it. It takes too much chakra and I'm sure his opponent, Haku I think was his name, wouldn't give him an opportunity to use it. I jogged, looking and listening for any sign of him.
"Gah! N-Naruto!? Idiot!" Sasuke cried. I was near, but couldn't see him. "You weren't supposed to come in here!"
"Sorry, Teme!"Naruto shot out a nickname form Sasuke. "I'm trying to help the least you should be doing is- GAH!"
What the hell it going on? I sprinted over to where they were and saw an amazing catastrophe. It looked like a dome of mirrors? Or was it ice, maybe? Or both? I thought for a moment it was a genjutsu- and illusion type of jutsu- but it was the real deal. I circled it and a voice called out to me. It was soothing, but equally demanding and impatient.
"Get out of here, girl." He ordered, but it seemed polite.
"Nani?" Naruto asked. "What girl? Sakura-chan? Ayame-chan?"
"Hn. It's the latter." Sasuke said. I had no idea what emotion was running through his head at that moment. "Ayame-chan, go. It's too danger- AGH!" I flinched at his wail.
"N-no way!" I rejected. "I'm not leaving you guys."
There was no protest, but there were more grunts. Then I heard it. I heard metal dings like...like pins being dropped on the floor. Of course! He's Zabuza's caregiver, he would have access to needles and maybe that was what Kakashi was talking about when Zabuza was 'killed' by needles? If he was that good off the battle field... I shook my head. Now was a time for action, not thoughts.
"Girl." The one called Haku said to me. "You must be the one Zabuza-sama was talking about. I heard a lot about you." I didn't know what to say.
"What...have you heard?" I asked. I yearned to know. Right then, it hit me like Sakura hits Naruto. Completely retched timing, but better late than never.
What Sasuke had meant by, 'Do what you need to do'. I asked him prior to this mission about his Fire Ball Jutsu- the one I mentioned earlier- and he showed me how to do it. He told me to use it in a desperate situation and as a last resort. I would hurt him. If I did it, I would burn him and Naruto.
"S-Sasuke-kun, I can't do it!" I yelled. "How could you tell me to-"
"You have to, Ayame-chan!" Sasuke shouted at me. "Do it now!"
I looked down and squeezed my eyes shut. I can't believe I'm about to do this. Idiot. I made the hand sings that corresponded with the words I said.
"Horse. Serpent. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger." I looked up, grief washing over me. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu."
I raised my hand to my mouth and blew. Fire spewed away from me and I almost couldn't hold out. It absorbed so much of my chakra. When the flames were done, I fell to me knees, wiped out of energy and full of regret. Did I kill him? Did I kill half of my team in one sitting? I inhaled and stood back up.
From the smoke, a stranger jumped out. That had to be Haku. I clenched my fist and went to go after him, but Naruto stopped me.
"N-Nii-chan." He called me. I turned around as the smoke disappeared. He was sitting as Sasuke was in his arms, limp and powerless.
"K-Kami." I sprinted over to them. "N-no! I didn't mean to-"
"Ayame-chan..." Sasuke said softly. "You didn't-"
"Quiet, Teme." Naruto sniffled, tears in his eyes. "That boy did it. Just before the fire."
"I...How are you not burned?" I asked, fighting back tears and sobs of loss. I had to be strong for my little brother.
"Dobe's...chakra." Sasuke coughed. It pained me to see him this way. "It protected us. Good work...loser." Sasuke smiled a very small one. He closed his eyes and that was it. He didn't say another word.
"Take him." Naruto sobbed, handing Sasuke over to me. I took him in my arms and then he was laying in my lap. "I'll be back." Naruto growled, looking at his best friend's face.
I knew they'd be great friends just because of how well they worked together. I looked up at Naruto and he looked completely different and almost scary. His nails were longer, like claws and his beautiful blue eyes were red and his pupils were slits. His teeth were pointed, too. He looked like...like an animal.
He ran off into the mist. I looked after him, but then back at Sasuke. What would have happened if I came sooner? Could I have saved his life? I looked at one of the needles that were the ground. I was angry, I was so frustrated. What was I to do now? Sasuke Uchiha was my friend and now he's gone. Ripped away from this world and brought into the next. It wasn't fair.
I held Sasuke's still warm hand and intertwined our fingers. I didn't want to let go. I thought I'd be ready to lose a teammate, but I was no where near ready to lose a friend. I allowed a single tear to roll down my face and it splashed on Sasuke's cheek. I sniffled and wiped my eyes.
"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't put up a bigger fight." I leaned down and kissed his forehead like a mother putting her child to bed. I sat up and heard two pairs of feet shuffling toward me.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.
I turned to meet her eyes. She creased her forehead with worried lines. I shook my head and her knees buckled. She ran and knelt next to Sasuke her hands shook as she sobbed and laid her head on his chest. I cleared my throat and look up at Tazuna, almost expecting him to bark at us, but he was respectful and sat with us. Before I could even say anything, he spoke.
"Losing a friend, ne?" He asked, shaking his head. "Never a good feeling. I've lost many friends in these very waters during a storm and I still miss them to this day. Losing a friend. You can't get much lower than that."
"No! Sasuke-kun, wake up! Please, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura pleaded. She was wailing and sobbing and crying. I held her hand in my free one.
"Sakura-chan." I said soothingly. She looked at me with puffy eyes. "Calm down. Okay? It'll be alright. Just breathe."
She did as told and calmed herself down, but she took one more look at Sasuke and lost all her composure all over again. I sighed as she laid back down on Sasuke's still body. I released her hand and held Sasuke's in both of mine. That's when I felt it. I felt Sasuke's finger twitch. I gasp quietly and looked at his face. His eyes fluttered open and he gently coughed.
"S-Sakura-chan," He said. "I can't breathe with you on my chest." Sakura sat up right and looked at Sasuke. I helped him sit up and just as her was erect, Sakura flung her arms around him.
"Sasuke-kun! Thank Kami you're alright!" Sakura said.
"Sakura-chan, calm down," I sighed and pried her off of the Uchiha boy. "He can't breathe."
She got off and helped me get Sasuke to his feet. When he was standing, he lost his balance and crashed into me, but I kept us both up. He was leaning on me and I felt his breath on my cheek. I flushed.
"It's good to have you back, Sasuke-kun." I said. "But don't you ever scare me like that again. Okay?" He smiled at me and whispered.
"I won't. Sorry." I thought I felt his lips move on my skin, but that couldn't have happened. I blushed again, but recovered.
"Where's Naruto-kun?" I asked. "We need to let him know that Sasuke-kun is alright."
"Hai." Sakura nodded. "I'll stay in front. Tazuna-san, you stay with Ayame-chan and Sasuke-kun."
He nodded and Sakura began to head forward. The mist was letting up, so I could see some figures in the distance. As we got closer, I could see a mob of people. What the hell did I miss? We finally reached Naruto and when he saw Sasuke, he smiled. He had missed him, of course he'd smiled. I tore my gaze from him and looked at Zabuza. He had a kunai in his mouth and started to slaughter the mob of angry looking men with weapons. He wasn't using his arms and- damn, I really do miss everything.
Through the mass, I saw a short man in a suit. Gato. I got so angry at him, but then, like he was reading my thoughts, Zabuza began to cut him up and finally stabbed him, pushing him over the bridge and killing him. I gaped. I wanted him dead- sure, who didn't?- but to see someone die that way. Well, I did see Sasuke 'die', but still.
"Where's Haku?" I asked. I looked about and Sasuke nudge me. I looked where he was looking and saw Haku face down on the ground. My eyes widened. "Who?"
"I did." Kakashi said. He wasn't even looking at me.
He was watching Zabuza walk back to us. He didn't have the intent of attacking, so I didn't bother tensing up. I watched as his legs buckled and finally gave out from beneath him. Kakashi walked over to him and towered over him.
"Take me to the boy." He requested. "I want to die next to the boy I owe my life to."
Kakashi picked up Zabuza and carried him to Haku's lifeless body. Zabuza stared longingly at him and sighed.
"Ayame-chan." He called me. "If I could do one more thing before I die, it would be to tell you something."
Naruto walked over to me and took Sasuke from my arms. Sasuke held my hand like he wanted to tell me something, but he released me and I kept walking. I stand above Zabuza and he patting the ground, telling me to sit. I looked at Kakashi who nodded and I knelt down.
"Yes, Zabuza-san?" I asked.
"There was a boy." He said, looking at the sky and not me. "He spoke of a girl named Ayame." My eyes widened. "OF course, it could be another, but you seem interested enough." He coughed.
"What did he say?" I urged. Zabuza sighed.
"I knew him." He ignored my question or didn't hear it. "About six years ago, when he was about your age, he was in the ninja academy. He train hard, with the intent of killing anyone and everyone." He breathed in.
"What did he say about me, Zabuza-san?" I repeated. He turned his head to me.
"He wants to kill you." He said. I was silent. No one moved. I found myself not breathing. "He said he needed to avenge his father's death by killing his one and only sibling who had fled. That's all I know. I only remember because he brought it up a lot."
I looked down at him. "Are you absolutely sure there's nothing else?" I asked and I saw his hand reach for Haku's.
"I'm positive." He said with his last breath. I sighed and closed his still opened eyes.
"Rest in peace." I whispered. "Both of you."