Chapter 13: Battling Demons

"Let's begin." Haku stated. The mirrors began to glow. Kagome knew that wasn't a good sign. She quickly summoned a barrier around herself as a rain of senbons attacked her from all around. She had to keep the barrier up for a while. But how long will this attack last?

"Interesting." Zabuza commented when he saw Kagome was in her barrier.

'The barrier from before.' Kakashi thought when he remembered the barrier that Kagome had used when the demon brothers attacked. He also remembered when the Sandaime told him that Kagome was the reincarnation of a powerful miko. He was surprised that Kagome was able to purify anything without hurting the Kyuubi sealed inside of her. It didn't make any sense to him.

'Unless Kagome and the Kyūbi are able to work together.' Kakashi thought. That would make sense.

"How about you focus on our battle, Kakashi?" Zabuza taunted.

Kakashi got into his fighting stance as he turned his gaze at Zabuza. He couldn't help Kagome now. She was on her own in her fight against Haku. He could only hope that she'll get out of it alive.

"How long are you going to keep your barrier up, little girl?" Haku questioned.

"For as long as I can." Kagome answered. She had to think of something else as she was caged in these mirrors. She knew that water or wind would have no effect since the ice was made from the two elements. The only ones she really had were fire, earth, and lightning. But fire wouldn't do much good for her. Lava would work if only she could master one though. She should have asked Asuma about it. She soon noticed that her barrier was starting to flicker. Once it was fully gone, Kagome was panting.

"You're wide open now." Haku said. Kagome quickly summoned her fighting staff. Then Haku threw the senbons in all different directions. Kagome spun her metal staff around, trying to deflect all of the senbons coming towards her. Suddenly, two senbons hit her hands, making her drop her staff. The senbon stopped as Kagome knelt down on one knee as she panted heavily.

"I'm surprised that you're still able to stand." Haku stated.

"Thanks. Let's just say that I have motivation." Kagome grinned as she slowly stood up and took the two senbon off her hand. "My dream is to become the first female Hokage that everyone in my village will acknowledge and start treating me like a somebody!"

"Motivation. Huh?" Haku questioned. Unexpectedly, Kagome leaped into the air and grabbed six kunais that had paper bombs wrapped around them. Then she threw them towards the mirrors and grabbed three more kunai. She threw them at the other kunai and they bounced off each other, hitting each mirror that surrounded her. The mirrors shattered into pieces around her as she landed on the ground. She stood up and glanced at her surroundings as she panted. For some strange reason, she didn't sense Haku.

"Missed one."

Kagome's eyes widened in shock when she heard a voice behind her. Before she could turned around, she felt something pierced into her back. Then she fell to her knees and looked up. She spotted the mirror above her and saw her with Haku behind her.

'Can't...believe...I missed...that.' Kagome thought as her head fell forward. She glanced at Sasuke, Kirara, Sakura, and Tazuna in the distance. Her eyes slowly closed and fell to the ground with a thud.

….

….

….

"KAGOME!" Sasuke screamed with wide eyes as he gazed at Kagome's fallen figure. Haku walked over Kagome's body and calmly walked over to Sasuke and the others.

"I told you. That girl wouldn't be able to escape Haku's jutsu." Zabuza confirmed. Kakashi's narrowed his eyes at Zabuza while Sasuke clenched his fists in anger as Haku walked towards them. Sakura and Tazuna's eyes widened with horror as they glanced at Kagome's motionless body.

"It was her mistake to enter my jutsu." Haku stated as he took out a few senbons. Sasuke stood in front of Sakura and Tazuna as he took a kunai out of its holster while glaring at Haku.

"No matter, your lives will end here." Zabuza said as he lifted his sword and bolted towards Kakashi as Haku bolted towards Sasuke.

Kagome heard a water drop echo around her. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a familiar surrounding: The Kyūbi's Cage. She had been here numerous times as she grew up. Kyūbi was napping inside of the cage that had a sealing strapped to the front of it. Kagome stood up and walked over to the cage.

"Kurama." Kagome said. Kurama opened one of his eyes and looked at Kagome.

"Kagome," Kurara answered, "I haven't seen you here in awhile. Let me guess you've been busy?"

"Yeah, I guess you could put it that way." Kagome stated.

"You were hit with a bunch of senbon needles, huh?" Kurama asked.

"Yes."

"And now you are unable to get up?"

"Yes."

"So you need my help?"

"Yes. I need a little bit of your chakra." Kagome inquired. Kurama closed both of his eyes and sighed.

"Fine." Kurama grunted.

A small stream of orange colored chakra flowed over to Kagome as she held her hand out to it. Then latched onto her hand and began to cover her body.

Kakashi continued to clash blades with Zabuza as Sasuke was clashing with Haku once more. Neither of them were gaining any advantages towards each other. Suddenly, Haku disappeared from Sasuke's sight and appeared behind Tazuna. Before his senbons could hit him, another blade blocked his attack. He gasped at the figure with the blade. It was Kagome. Her blonde bangs covered her eyes as she held her stance.

"Don't you dare hurt them." Kagome growled as she looked up at him with a glare.

"I see that you've survive my jutsu." Haku stated.

"Like I said before, I have motivation." Kagome grinned.

"Indeed." Haku agreed. Then the two began to fight once more in the mist where Sasuke and the others lost sight of her. Unexpectedly, Haku threw the senbons at Kagome's hand, making her drop her chakra blade. Quickly Kagome concentrated chakra to her feet, launched forward, and grabbed Haku's arm. Then she punched him right into the face which made him soar halfway across the bridge and rolled away on the ground. Kagome watched Haku as he slightly tumbled as he began to stand up. Soon a crack was heard and a part of Haku's mask fell to the ground followed by the other. She could see the kindness and emptiness in Haku's brown eyes. She wondered what caused him to follow a ruthless shinobi like Zabuza.

"Why?" Haku questioned.

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

"Why won't you kill me?" Haku added. Kagome clenched her fists and glared at the emotionless Haku. She ran towards him and punched him in the face. Haku staggered for a moment before gaining his footing and gazed back at Kagome. She soon noticed that a stream blood fell from his mouth.

"No, that won't do. If that's all the strength you put into it, you'll never be able to defeat your enemies. To show mercy to those oppose the one you serve, to allow his enemies to live, when you can strike them down is not compassion. It is a betrayal of your life's purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You're of use to no one. Your life has no meaning. Day after day of pain and struggle, signifying nothing." Haku explained.

"Why do you follow a man like Zabuza? A man who has no honor and finds entertainment by torturing and killing others? What makes him so special to you?!" Kagome yelled. Haku simply stared at Kagome.

"A long time ago, I had other people special to me. They were... my parents. I was born in the Land of Water, in a small village heavy with snow. My loving parents worked on a small farm, we were very poor, but my parents seem to be satisfied with it. I was happy then...But… something happened." Haku paused.

"What happened?" Kagome asked. Then Haku wiped the blood off his lip and stared at it.

"My blood..." Haku mumbled, not moving his sight away from his blood.

"What happened, Haku?" Kagome asked, "What do you mean 'my blood'?"

"It was my father. He killed my mother and almost killed me. After years of suffering and the horrors of civil war, the people of the Land of Water had come to fear and hate anyone who carried a kekkei genkai in their blood. Because of these abilities, the clans were used as mercenaries. They fought in many battles and were feared, but when the wars were over; they were despised and shunned by the people who feared their presence would only bring more war and misfortune. So it was after the wars that the clans went in hiding and denied the bloodline traits ever flowing in their veins. Concealing their unique abilities and knowing that being discovered would lead to a certain death. I'm sure that boy went through so much suffering as well. I'm sure you experienced it too. The cruelty of people and their fear of things they don't understand. "The greater your power, the more you were feared. My mother had the Kekkei Genkai. She kept it secret from my father. She hoped that for a while... No, she must have thought that they could have a simple life forever. However, my father had seen me use the kekkei genkai I inherited. He knew of the secret behind my mother and my blood. He gathered a mob and killed my mother and then the mob went after me. I ended up killing them all." Haku paused.

"When at last I was myself again, I was no longer myself. My father and mother were gone, but I knew that something else had been taken from, something far more important. And that is when I discovered despair." Haku continued.

"What was more important than your mother and father?" Kagome inquired. To Kagome's point of view, her family of friends were very important to her and that would never change no matter what. Inuyasha, however, was no longer in her family of friends.

"My purpose. There was no one that needed me. I was unnecessary." Haku paused. "Why is it that you are so determined to become Hokage? Because you want all eyes on you and to be recognized as a great ninja. You see that it is only in the eyes of others that our little lives have any significance. When there is no one who sees you or even look at you, it's like you don't even exist. Then Zabuza came and looked at me. His eyes were not full of hate or fear. He did not shun me for my strangeness. Indeed, my powers were what he wanted. He made me necessary again. I was happy . . ." Haku smiled as he looked down at his feet. "I have failed you, Zabuza. I am a broken weapon and of no longer any use." But then he looked up at Kagome with dull and blank brown eyes, "Kagome...kill me."

"No." Kagome confirmed.

"What?" Haku questioned.

"You're a 'weapon'? Just a tool for him? How can you call him special to you? Are you really okay with that?" Kagome retorted.

"Is that wrong?" Haku asked.

"What?" Kagome asked, taken back at the question.

"Tell me, what is wrong with that?" Haku asked her. Kagome couldn't answer his question. "Zabuza counts on me, even if I'm worthless. He made me feel needed. But now, I've lost my usefulness that affirmed my existence. Zabuza no longer needs me. That's why, I am now appealing to you, Kagome. Please, make it quick."

Kagome gritted her teeth at that moment. She couldn't find it in her heart to kill Haku. Even though she was so used to killing demons in the feudal era, but a human was a different story. She could sense the kindness in Haku's aura along with his darkness in his heart as well. But...this is what Haku wanted. Kagome raised her blade and launched towards Haku. Suddenly Haku grabbed her wrist, stopping her attack.

"W-What?" Kagome questioned with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. But there's something that I still have to do." Haku said before he shunshined away from her. Kagome turned left and right, trying to spot him.

"Where did he go?" Kagome asked. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated on Haku's chakra. But she felt Kakashi's chakra spiked instead. "Is he using a ninjutsu?"

Kagome quickly ran towards where she sensed his aura. When she got there, she came across a horrifying sight. Kakashi's fist was impaled into Haku's chest and Haku was right in front of Zabuza. Both jounin were shocked at what had just happened.

Haku took the hit that was meant for Zabuza.

You simply have to accept that your demons are a part of you. - Aurora