Menma took off at a sprint around the village, seeing Kakashi's cats helping out with things as he organized and coordinated the villagers. He was doing his best to manage while keeping an eye on the town square; the more things heated up there, the more anxious Menma became. He did another sweep of the buildings, making sure there were no villagers left.
A sudden, overwhelming sense of negativity washed over him, coming directly from the square. It was a mix of pain, coming from one of them, and worry coming from another; he was confident the worry was coming from Sakura, while the pain… Sasuke? Unable to ignore it, Menma turned and raced toward the square, angered at the sight he saw.
Sasuke was trapped in what appeared to be a contraption made of… mirrors? They were black but reflected whatever was in them. Kakashi was locked toe-to-toe with the man with the large cleaver sword, his left Sharingan glowing red as they circled one another. Though it looked like there was no fight going on between them, it was tenser than that; they were contemplating their next moves, something that made it clear the level of skill Kakashi held and was up against.
Well, that left one option. Kakashi would be fine; Sasuke'd managed to get himself in a stupid situation again from Menma's perspective, and he was going to have to play saviour. Drawing in a deep breath as black chakra surrounded him, the Uzumaki charged forward, his speed impeccable as he crashed through one of the mirrors headfirst, hardly caring about the damage it would do to him. He pitched into a roll and sprung back up to his feet in front of Sasuke, a kunai drawn.
Sakura watched the scene from afar, worry creeping in her gut as she was doing her best to watch their opponent's technique while subsequently monitoring Sasuke's status inside it. As Menma crashed through, she didn't even have time to warn him; of course, he'd been impulsive as usual, going in without regard to what the situation was. Now she had both boys to monitor and help from outside, and she hadn't had enough time yet to figure out Haku's technique.
"The hell are you doing?!" Sasuke demanded as he stared incredulously at Menma, wincing as he tried to move. He was struggling to remove a few of the needles to gain some mobility back; it was painful to try and take them out. Who it was they were up against knew precisely where to hit for the least amount of damage and the most pain.
"Looking out for your stupid ass, it seems," Menma replied tartly. Why was Sasuke such an ungrateful bastard? Sheesh, was this what he got for being nice? "Because you're really good at getting yourself in the absolute fu-"
"Oh, because I needed your help," Sasuke argued back, pulling out two of the needles and standing up. "If you'd used your brain instead of your ego, you'd have figured out that coming in here means you're now stuck!" Sasuke couldn't understand how Menma hadn't figured that one out; Sakura standing outside should have been enough confirmation for that. "But no, look at me, I'm Menma Uzumaki, thinking with my ego instead of my head!"
"Oh, well, soooooorry, Mr. Uchiha Prince. Would you prefer I rough your face up for the ladies next time?" Menma's tone was mocking as he sneered at the Uchiha. God, he was so obnoxious! You help a guy out, and suddenly you're the stupid one, it seemed. Was there any pleasing the Uchiha Prince? Apparently not!
"Shut up, you troglodyte! This isn't the time!" Sasuke wasn't going to stand for this right now, turning to stand back-to-back with Menma. They could cover each other better that way. If Menma was stupid enough to get stuck in here, that wasn't Sasuke's problem. Menma could learn from his own stupidity. At least his presence would be somewhat helpful. "Besides, ladies like battle scars, especially when you're not the world's biggest douchebag."
"Oh, look at you with your big-brain insults," Menma mocked back, snarling. "Shut up and actually cover me, unless you want to whine about your boo-boo injuries instead. Hey, maybe if you're lucky, Sakura can patch you up while you swoon over how cute she is." Menma knocked a few of the needles away, chuckling at his cleverness. It was clear Sasuke had some kind of crush on Sakura from how he seemed to fawn over her.
"You think she's cute, huh?" Sasuke was watching each of the mirrors on his half carefully, working to see where the attacks were coming from. WIth only half of them to follow, it was becoming easier and easier to predict where the next strike would come from.
"I didn't say that," Menma countered. Crap, now Sasuke was using his words against him? "Don't twist my words, jackass!"
"Someone's jealous." Sasuke's remark pissed Menma off, and he could tell; Menma went quiet, grumbling under his breath. Good. Sasuke needed him to have his anger redirected; the more he could use it to focus, the better. Much to anyone's surprise, Menma fought better when he was pissed off. He somehow became more focused and less erratic. If Sasuke could bolster that little by little to give them an edge, then he'd be proud he did his job.
Kakashi faced down the large man before him, frowning as he took in his appearance. Kakashi knew the man from one of his many bingo book entries: Zabuza Momochi of the Hidden Mist Village. Zabuza was a renowned assassin, supposedly responsible for many deaths inside the Hidden Mist Village… and even outside it. His companion wasn't someone Kakashi recognized, but he was more skilled than anyone else his age by his skills.
"Well… if it isn't the infamous Copy Ninja," Zabuza taunted, swinging his blade idly. "Lots of big, big bounties on your head, aren't there? Ah, you'll make for a great paycheque. Your eye'll fetch a fortune." Zabuza chuckled.
"Oh, I almost forgot," he continued, chuckling. "That Uchiha boy's eyes would fetch one, too. And a Jinchuuriki… You've basically brought me a life's worth of payments in the form of little kidlets." Kakashi felt anger bubbling underneath his skin at those words. Those kids weren't just a payday; they were important, and they were the future of the Hidden Leaf Village. He was regretting going along with their choices now that he'd heard that.
"Really? I think you'll make an even nicer paycheque. Last I checked, you're worth a fortune to the Hidden Leaf, too." Kakashi had to hope that Sakura and Sasuke could hold the duo off, but… Where was Menma? Just as that thought crossed his mind, a blur of black chakra crashed into the mirror enclosure that had trapped Sasuke, answering that question. There was Menma… rushing headlong into things as always.
"You're cocky, aren't you?" Zabuza remarked before dropping into a stance. "It'll be what gets you killed!" Without warning, he shot forward, leveraging the heft of his blade at Kakashi, who narrowly managed to evade. As he twisted and dodged the sword, he lifted the headband that covered his left eye, revealing his Sharingan; he would have to be careful not to overuse it, as it was already a constant drain on his chakra reserves.
The two of them became a flurry of blades and fists, the sound of metal upon metal echoing around the area as they clashed, over and over again at high speeds only achievable by shinobi who were at least Jounin level or higher.
He had to take care of Zabuza in whatever way possible so he could help his students. He just had to hope they would last long enough for that to happen.
Both boys focused on evasive techniques as needles flew at them, knocking them away and ensuring each of them covered the other's back. Sakura circled the outside of the mirrors, doing her best to watch as their opponent moved from mirror to mirror. He seemed to only come out of them occasionally, but his speed was impeccable; Sakura couldn't keep up with how quickly he was moving through them. Nevertheless, she could see he was only ever in one at a time…
"Sasuke! Watch with your Sharingan! He's moving from mirror to mirror, but you might be able to keep up with him!" Sakura was doing her best to keep up, but even she was struggling. Sasuke would have a much easier time than she would.
Needle after needle fired at the boys trapped inside the mirrors as Haku switched and moved, assaulting them back and forth. Even Menma couldn't avoid them all; they started to slow down his arms and legs, leaving him in just as much pain as Sasuke. It took every bit of willpower Menma had to tear the needles out of his arms and legs, thanking his heightened recovery rate as a Jinchuuriki for it.
"Get up, you loser!" He snapped at Sasuke, his tone feral. "Unless your stupid ass wants to die here, hell if I care! Quit fu—"
"Shut up,"Sasuke retorted with an annoyed look. "Do you ever stop running your mouth? I'm up, you blockhead." Sasuke was struggling to rise to his feet, but no way in hell was he going to let Menma talk rotten to him like that. Someone ought to make him eat a whole bar of soap one of these days. That'd be the day.
Sakura watched as the boys were struggling, knowing full well she had to do something. With a handful of kunai strung with explosive tags, Sakura launched into her assault, circling the mirror enclosure and launching them one by one. She was able to catch Haku coming out of one of the mirrors, blasting him away from the enclosure and onto the ground. She quietly pumped a fist in victory, hoping to buy the boys enough time to recover and come up with a plan.
Haku… was deeply irritated by the girl. He'd hoped she would stay mostly quiet and out of the way, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"Fools. Your bloodlines and your Jinchuuriki make you nothing." Haku's tone was cold, almost visceral in a way. He wasn't done toying with them just yet; he wanted them to suffer for their arrogance. Ironic, given he too had a bloodline, but he saw himself as a sleeper agent among those considered better in the shinobi world. He was designed to help bridge that gap by thinning the numbers of bloodline users and Jinchuuriki to make way for those who did not possess such advantages in life.
"Fools? What do you mean, fools?" Menma's voice was a snarl. "You don't know jack shit about us, and you're saying our bloodlines, or the fact that I'm a Jinchuuriki, make us nothing? Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" Menma was riled up and ready for a fight, growling at Haku's reflection in one of the mirrors.
For once, Sasuke agreed with him. He stood up shakily, doing his best to breathe through the pain. "I'm gonna hate myself for saying it, but for once, you're right, blockhead. What do you know about us, huh?" Sasuke's Sharingan focused on the mirrors, watching for any possible attack. What was Haku getting at? What did he mean by their bloodlines? Wasn't Haku part of a bloodline, too?
"You're fools… because you only see yourselves as above others." That was how Haku had been raised; to believe that bloodlines and Jinchuuriki meant you were of the ultimate capability and that nothing could surpass you. "In the Hidden Mist, you would be royalty. It's… disgusting. My parents brought me into this world with the intent to keep that divide going, and I refuse to succumb to it." He raised a hand, firing more needles from the mirrors, though he was watching. Waiting. Gauging.
"Well… we are at an advantage. The hell's wrong with that?" Menma couldn't believe the nerve on this kid. "And besides, ain't your ass part of a bloodline? What, you get slapped around too much as a kid?"
Haku laughed. "No. It was much, much worse." That laugh was… strange. Before, Haku had sounded almost boyish, but now… his voice had changed. He sounded distinctly… feminine.
"I wasn't good for anything but continuing the bloodline. I wasn't born to fight, according to my parents. Because I wasn't their son, I was only to remain at home to ensure the bloodline could be kept strong for the next generation. There came a night when all that was to happen was I would spend… valuable time with potential suitors. Whichever of their progeny survived would be the next head of the clan. When it came to shinobi arts… I would learn to fight only to protect myself, only so I could live to be ready for that day. Instead, I chose… not to be a tool." Haku removed the mask over her face, revealing distinctly feminine features and doe-like brown eyes.
"That night, the Kokuyouseki clan's head was murdered, along with every one of its potential suitors... and Kohaku Kokuyouseki was deemed missing." She chuckled under her breath, raising her hands again to prepare another barrage.
"Enough talk. You die here, today!" She began to make rapid seals, focusing her chakra as the needles started to multiply in the air, condensing from the dirt and dust that rose from the ground beneath them.
As Haku drew out of one of the mirrors, Sakura watched from afar, the brunette continuing her series of seals that caused her needles to continue multiplying further and further. At least a hundred, maybe more… a savage attack designed to take both boys out. There would be no surviving such an attack. Not a chance. Not for them.
No. This couldn't be the end of them. She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let anyone die on her, not again.
Menma and Sasuke watched as the needles multiplied, weapons at the ready to block and evade as many as they could. They both tried but eventually found themselves cornered, a final shower of needles hurtling toward them.
The needles never struck them. A flash of red entered their vision, topped with a flurry of pink hair as Sakura stepped between them, shielding the injured Uchiha and Uzumaki with her own body. The needles hit a variety of points, blood escaping her lips with a wet cough. She'd found an opening in Haku's defences, launching an explosive tag into one of the mirrors as she did… but not without putting herself in the line of fire, shards of glass from the mirror following behind the needles and tearing gashes in her arms and legs.
"Sakura?" Disbelief filled Sasuke's voice and expression as he watched. Sakura chuckled weakly, her body pitching forward in a barely conscious heap toward the ground. He reached forward to catch her, cradling her gently as she trembled.
"What—?" Even Haku stared in disbelief. "You stupid girl. Why protect such scum?" She couldn't understand it. The girl had no bloodline, yet she never even hesitated to protect those two. It was such a waste! A waste of a girl who could have risen against them to take her righteous place!
"Sakura, why?!" Menma growled, anger building up inside him. Sasuke was at a loss for words, staring down at Sakura with fear in his eyes. He… had he failed her? He'd promised so many years ago… was this the end of it?
"It's okay," she croaked. "Don't cry, Sasuke. It's okay. I… you two… you're far more valuable to… to the village than I am. I know that. You're going to be head of the Uchiha Clan one day, and Menma… Menma's carrying the legacy of all the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails. I'm just a name… a name with a forgotten face." Her words were making no sense to Sasuke, even if they made perfect sense to her.
"That's… a load of crap, Sakura! You're worth far more than that!" Menma hadn't taken his eyes off Haku, but he could hear what she was saying. "And you! You little..! What the hell kinda crap are you spouting?! Neither of us thinks we're better, especially not better than her, just because we're from a bloodline or a Jinchuuriki!" Menma wouldn't stand for being treated in such a way.
Sasuke was frozen, staring at Sakura's limp form. She was alive, still breathing, but barely. By this point, she'd lost consciousness, unable even to communicate. Sasuke hadn't even realized there were tears in his eyes until Sakura pointed it out. This wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't their fault, either. But Sakura… why would Sakura do such a thing? She had so much more to live for, and he was sure even she knew that!
"Is that so?" Haku asked in response to Menma's growled threats. "Prove it, then. Prove that you're not thinking of yourself as above her now that she's given up her life to protect you two, like a fool. Will you let her sacrifice be in vain? Will you cry over her dead body, wallowing in the agony of what you couldn't prevent?" Now was the time for these two to prove what they meant. Their friend would be of no help to them, but Haku wondered… How would they react?
Would they be what she was looking for? Would they be able to reach her expectations?
Sasuke wiped at the tears in his eyes and laid Sakura gently on the ground, taking a moment to tuck her hair out of the way. He knew she deserved better, but he also knew Haku was right. Crying over it wasn't going to do anything. With a deep breath, he stood and faced Haku down, feeling his vision starting to clear, starting to become sharper. Without warning, a second tomoe appeared in his right eye, giving him a total of four for his Sharingan; soon, those two multiplied again, for a total of three in each eye. A fully matured Sharingan. He could feel that his visual acuity was improving, though he didn't have time to think about the implications.
"Let's go!" He called to Menma, darting toward one of the mirrors. He followed Haku's movements through them, evading each of the needles she threw at them and knocking them aside. He launched a shoulder into one of the mirrors, caring nothing for his physical health; a flash of light knocked him flat on his rear, skidding along the ground.
Menma moved next, darting in where Sasuke's attack had failed. He'd torn the needles out of his body in anger, though the wounds had healed quickly because of his Jinchuuriki status. Dark, black chakra surrounded him like a cloak, swirling over his skin as his hair seemed blacker than before. His eyes were blood-red with slitted pupils, and he could feel the chakra rising inside him.
Let's go, brat,the Fox said inside his mind, chuckling. You're feisty like your mother, but I like your attitude better. I'll help you just this once. You got it?
Wouldn't have it any other way, Menma threw back at him, chuckling as he could feel the power rising in his veins. The chakra became thicker, swirling around him like a whirlwind. Even Sasuke was amazed at the power, frozen in place at the sight; his Sharingan could see the strength of each and every tendril of chakra that surrounded Menma.
"Menma! You take the offensive! I'll adjust to you!" That was the easiest way for them to coordinate; Sasuke's visual acuity would allow him to adjust for Menma's movements far easier than it would be for Menma to adapt to his slower reactions. With kunai in hand, both boys came at the mirrors, smashing forward over and over again until one of them was finally able to catch up with Haku. Sasuke was running toe to toe with her, much to her surprise. She couldn't believe it; how could this boy suddenly keep track of every one of her movements? No matter which way she moved, it was like he predicted what she would do next.
Haku tossed barrage after barrage of needles at Sasuke, though the Uchiha easily deflected them; only one or two made it through. So he could see them, but he couldn't necessarily react. Focusing her chakra further, she fired barrage after barrage at the Uchiha, aiming for points she knew would disable him.
He managed to evade most of them, but a few stuck, bringing him to his knees with a cry. Blood trickled down his arms and legs, pain radiating along his nerves. He couldn't move in this kind of pain.
"Sasuke!" Menma growled at him. "Quit pissing arou-" The sound of glass cut off his words as Haku came at him, needles raised to fire at him. They embedded in his body, but with a blast of chakra, they were expelled, clattering to the ground at his feet. They weren't going to stop him in this form. He looked back to Sasuke, who groaned and nodded at him. He had a plan to get them out of there; Menma just had to follow his move.
Kakashi matched Zabuza blow for blow, every strike being blocked or evaded. They were in a deadlock, blade against blade as another voice sounded with the tap of a cane on the ground.
"That's enough of that, I think." Zabuza distanced himself from Kakashi at the voice, growling under his breath. A short man with a cane and glasses was to their left, smirking as he stood at the front of a group of hired thugs, all carrying blades. There had to be… at least ten, maybe fifteen of them.
"Enough of what, Gato?" Zabuza growled as his grip on his blade tightened. "What the hell are you talking about?" What sort of crap was Gato pulling now? The man always had money on his mind, looking for what would turn the most considerable profit… even if it meant kidnapping civilians to use as slaves. In fact, the cheapskate hadn't even paid them for their work yet; he was still waiting to turn a profit, supposedly.
"Enough of this pointless squabbling. You're wasting my time, and time is money, Zabuza. You know, funny enough, I've decided… your fee's probably too much, and you've yet to bring me results of any kind. No results, no pay. Simple as that. I'm done, Zabuza. But I'll tell you what, if you take out these brats and their teacher, maybe I'll throw in a little something." Zabuza was baffled by what was happening.
"Or…" Gato looked further down, seeing Haku engaged with the boys in a close battle. "You could sell me that pretty little thing, and I'm sure I can find some use for her." He chuckled darkly. "What, you thought I couldn't tell? I know a pretty little girl when I see one, and she's exquisite. Some of those rowdy mine boys might like one that's a little feisty." Zabuza's fist clenched so tight he could hear his knuckles cracking. How disgusting. Gato was a sick man.
"Not a chance in hell." He looked to Kakashi. "Sorry, Copy Ninja. I hope you don't mind, but… I think our little dance is over." He glanced at Haku. He knew how she operated, how she chose to do things. She was more than she let on, always. Hell, he'd been responsible for that. He raised her that way, raised her to stand up on her own two feet, fight with courage and honour, and never resort to filthy tactics.
"Haku!" He barked, making a sign with his hand that would signal her. "Time to wrap this up!"
Sasuke saw Haku move, tossing his kunai. Menma followed its trajectory, coming face to face with the brunette girl as a fist clocked directly into the center of her mask, sending her flying through one of the mirrors and crashing to the ground. The force of the impact was enough to cause the other mirrors to shatter, crackling and cascading to the ground.
They followed Haku's motions, Menma leaping on Haku and pinning her down as another fist relentlessly pummeled her already bloodied face. "You piece of shit!" He screeched, feeling anger come over him. Why he was so damn angry, he hadn't the faintest clue, but he was… and he needed to let it out. "She was just… a god-damned… kid! Just… like… us!"
"Menma! That's enough!" Sasuke scolded as Menma's fist drew back again, though Sasuke caught it before Menma could make another strike. "Beating the life out of her isn't going to change what happened, damn it!" He was pissed too, but he knew that killing Haku wouldn't be the answer, nor would it change it as much as he desperately wanted to. Oh, did he ever want to change that.
Haku watched through bloody, bruised eyes as Menma had her by the collar, looking at each of them in turn. Did she want to die? Perhaps on some level, she did. She'd been tormented. Tortured. She'd nearly had her dignity taken by her own family, and for what? For power and strength? For years now, she'd chosen to run to save her skin and to take revenge on the hell that was the Hidden Mist. She'd followed Zabuza only for that reason, coercing and manipulating him until he would practically do her bidding. Nevertheless, he wasn't much different from them: a bloodthirsty monster whose only intent was to maim and kill.
"You pass," she croaked, blood sputtering out of her mouth. One hand reached up, and she made a single hand sign, chuckling. She'd seen Zabuza's signal, but... This entire fight was about to be very, very over… by her command.