The killing intent was almost stifling. Ranma wasn't exactly unaccustomed to it, but several of these auras had hardened edges to them well beyond almost anything she had felt in her old world. A masked face glinted off one of the many floating mirrors inexplicably sporting a slim-bodied young male in a mask. "That one's new." Turning quickly she saw him disappear back into the mist, massive sword in hand.
"That's the Demon of the Mist, Zabuza," said Sasuke. Catching the eyes of all assembled, Ranma cringed, shaking briefly as if in the wind that howled outside the dome of ice and chakra-infused mist.
"You've heard of me, little girl?" called Zabuza dark fog, voice coming from everywhere and nowhere. "I kill anyone you know?"
"Stop talking," whispered Ranma. "I'm tired, cold, and hungry, and if you value your lives you should leave now before anyone says that word again."
"Naruto?" Sakura remembered even as she spoke that this wasn't really Naruto, that this red-haired woman could be a missing-nin as bad as Zabuza, but as she stared into that rain-swept face she couldn't help but see a good-natured fighter that was on the verge of being pushed a step too far.
"Call me Ranma," she said, slowly stretching herself back to her full, albeit modest height. "It was my name once, and I hope one day it's mine again." A sudden water whip struck like a viper at the back of her skull but she dodged it contemptuously.
"Ranma," said Kakashi, seeming to taste the name more than speak it, "do you know water walking?" Upon seeing Ranma's confused expression he gave a theatrical sigh. "I hope your teammate's opinion of you is not misplaced. Guard them while I'm gone." Using the body flicker technique to break the perimeter Ranma was surprised to note that in that rush of barely controlled movement his feet blurred even to Ranma's eyes as they struck against the water as if it was made of stone.
Then the chaos started, and there was no more time for banter. The mist had begun to clear as Zabuza began to lose his grip on it against the storm, but the area inside the dome grew no lighter. Ranma caught one brief glimpse of Kakashi fending off Zabuza's greatsword with a pair of kunai before she was forced to devote her full attention to the onslaught of the three assassins. Ranma was beginning to think this fight would be harder than she expected. The boy (girl?) jumping between the mirrors was fast enough, but within bounds for her female form to deal with, the slight flicker of chakra in the ice senbons allowing her to sense them even in the poor light, but protecting herself and protecting Tazuna and her fellow genin was another thing entirely. Simply evading was out of the question, and in order to deflect or catch them all she was forced to maneuver around the small, crowded platform of the broken bridge. 'I wish I had my bracers... or a bo staff... or maybe a shield.' At this point she wouldn't say no to Ryoga's umbrella. Complicating the situation further was the two bozos taking potshots from underwater. Any stolen senbon she threw at them had their force dissipated by the water, but with their breathing masks and the use of some sort of water whip and shark-shaped water construct they were perfectly capable of attacking back without ever lifting their heads into striking range. A small moko takabisha was enough to at least temporarily disrupt their attacks but the pair of them were keeping up an admirable barrage.
"Any plans, Sasuke?" No answer was forthcoming, other than a grunt. Ranma was starting to wonder if perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing to use that technique. 'No, never again.' Breaking out a different, significantly less forbidden technique, Ranma started firing off the occasional vacuum blade at the mirrors. She frowned as in between strikes from the assailants she saw the few scratches she'd made in the ice-mirrors heal in seconds. She could always throw more or send strikes of greater power, but so far this was proving to be a match of endurance and there was no telling whether even destroying the mirrors completely would do anything more than temporarily ease the onslaught. She could aim at the masked ninja jumping between the mirrors but he or she was moving quickly enough that to get a proper shot she'd have to leave her charges open to attack. 'I can't believe this is happening, that these minor-leaguers are beating me after everything I've faced. But what's the alternative, running away? Leaving Sasuke and Sakura and Tsunami's father to fend for themselves?' But... there was another option. "No, I can't. I won't!" No one heard her over the sounds of battle.
Suddenly the clamor ceased, senbon and water constructs finally stopping their relentless onslaught. Ranma caught a silver object flying at her by instinct. "Kyaa!"
"Pity. Your sensei lost his footing. And where the feet go the head soon follows. Kukuku." Blood dripped from Zabuza's decapitating sword as Kakashi's head dropped from Ranma's lifeless fingers. A wave of chill swept through her body but she forced it back. Watching as Kakashi's head wobbled down the tilted bridge remnant Ranma's soft blue-gray eyes paled to icy white before melting back to normal.
"Why, why are you doing this!" Ranma shouted the words Sakura couldn't bring herself to speak, words that Sasuke had long ago crushed in his heart and replaced with rage and quiet desperation. Ranma scraped her bloodied hand against the stone in an attempt to clean the greasy feeling of death that plagued her. She didn't move a hair as as Haku's senbon of ice struck through her heart from behind. As a deathly chill ate through her veins Ranma realized she couldn't hold it back anymore. Lying flat against the rock, Ranma exhaled a final breath as she let her emotions fall away.
Zabuza began to gloat but the growing chill in the air beyond that caused by Haku's mirrors caused him to still and draw back, sword held at guard rest. He was the first to notice that the short redhead had red hair no longer.
End Chapter 11
Might actually write a chapter of Flying with the Fox next, we'll see.