Hello everyone! I really tried to get this out sooner, but lots of things have been happening. I've been making plans to move out, I had to deal with the death of my grandmother and plan a trip for that, and on top of that, I'm in the midst of getting things ready for ANOTHER trip! Hopefully this last part will keep you settled until then!
Sakura moaned as she stirred awake. It felt like she ran into a tree. Which then came alive and stomped on her. "I don't feel so…" Suddenly, the memory of the battle came flooding back. "Those ninjas! They-!" Sakura then realized she wasn't outside. "Where am I!?" Sakura panicked as she tried to stand, but her legs felt like cinderblocks. "Ugh!" Sakura felt water from under the floor begin to seep in. "I've got to get out of here!" Pulling out a kunai, Sakura dug it into the ceiling and forced herself up, using mostly upper body strength while feeling returned to her legs.
Once outside, she looked around at the flooded block, now more confused than before. "What's happening!?" she shouted.
"Ah, you're awake!"
Sakura turned to see Sasuke standing beside her. "Sasuke-kun! What happened!?"
"You were poisoned." Sasuke said. Suddenly, Sakura felt the pain from her back. Feeling her shirt, she touched the three scratches across her back, remembering the attack she took for Naruto . "Where are the others!?"
"Tazuna and his family is safe for now. Kakashi is battling the assassin now."
Sakura turned her attention to the two jonin battling several meters away. "Incredible!" she thought.
Naruto quickly swam to a large plank of driftwood. He didn't like the idea of retreating from a fight, but he had been around Kakashi long enough to know he was way out of his depth. If anything, with what he just did, Naruto was starting to question his own sanity. Still, as he hoisted himself up, he watched on as he plastered himself to his makeshift lifeboat.
"I've had my fun with you, Hatake." Zabuza said as he pushed his sword towards Kakashi. "But I'm afraid I must get back to business and kill your client. Nothing personal. It's just business."
Zabuza kicked the flat of the blade and caused Kakashi to stumble back. However, Kakashi quickly regained his footing (somehow) and leaped back towards Zabuza with his kunai. Zabuza blocked the slash, and raised his hilt to hit Kakashi, but he slid out of the way before he could connect. This exchange continued for a while, neither one landing a blow.
Sasuke and Sakura observed from their spot best they could. To Sakura, the two were nothing more than blurs. "Strange." Sasuke muttered.
"Strange?" Sakura asked. "Strange how?"
"After all he's been through, Kakashi-sensei is still keeping up with him."
"Well, Kakashi-sensei is quite incredible." Sakura said.
"You weren't awake; Kakashi nearly drowned a few moments ago." Sasuke informed her. "He should be completely spent, but he's keeping up with the swordsman."
Sakura blinked. "Do you think he was holding back?" though Sakura was still confused about HOW everything went down.
"No, I don't think so. This guy is really good; I'm amazed we were able to get past him and save Kakashi."
"JUST DIE ALREADY!" Zabuza threw his sword down, Kakashi just managing to block him with the kunai. Zabuza drew his face close to his.
"Temper temper." Kakashi said.
"It's amazing you managed to hold me back thus far." Zabuza complimented him. "But at this point, you're just delaying the inevitable!" He pushed…and Kakashi splashed into a puddle of water, the sudden absence of resistance caused Zabuza to almost fall into the water. "A mizu bushin!?" Zabuza thought. "How could I have not caught it!?" Kakashi emerged from the surface, slashing Zabuza across the back. "AHH!" Quickly, Kakashi followed through with a palm strike on the chin and a round kick into the stomach. Zabuza tried to recover, but Kakashi unleashed a series of rapid strikes, forcing him on the defensive with his sword. "Did he get faster!?" He jerked his head to the right as Kakashi nearly put his eye out. Quickly, the copy nin ducked and swept his legs.
Zabuza quickly recovered, but was clearly shaken. "Enough! I don't need my ninjutsu to kill Tazuna! Consider this an honor; you've pushed me into a corner, and I am going to unleash everything I've got against you! After both you and Tazuna are dead, I'm going to slaughter your genin as well!"
"Don't make threats you can't follow through on." Kakashi warned him.
Zabuza stood, and began more hand signs. Naruto gulped, recognizing the pattern. "Another one!?" He was certain he was going to do one of those dragon techniques again!
Zabuza began, but Kakashi suddenly sped up his own hand signals. Suddenly, several water dragons emerged behind him. "Already!?" They descended, and Zabuza was thrashed in all directions. Before the final dragon could attack him, Zabuza spun to avoid it. "Lucky shot! You won't catch me off guard again!" He caught Kakashi in his sights, and prepared to throw his shuriken at him. However, Kakashi beat him to the punch once more, throwing his shuriken and kunai before Zabuza could throw his. Each one landed in an important muscle: both shoulders, his elbows, knees, and even his hips. "AHH!" Zabuza fought through the pain as he observed Kakashi's position. "He used the same shuriken throwing technique as me! Before I could even unleash mine! How is this possible!? He even hit the same targets I was aiming to!" Zabuza charged, raising his sword in a circular manner. Predictable, but Zabuza was pushed past his boiling point. Kakashi also charged, raising his kunai the same way and slashing Zabuza across the face before the Kubirobuchi could even touch his hair. Zabuza stumbled to his knees as he gripped his face. "NNNGH!" he hissed. The cut wasn't deep, but the assassin was frustrated an opponent get him in such a dangerous spot…meaning Kakashi was just toying with him now. "He's still copying me! But…it's different this time! It's like he knows what I'm going to do before I do!"
Zabuza turned to see Kakashi, just patiently waiting. Zabuza said nothing as he growled, and charged with his bare fists, raising his right back for a punch. Kakashi did the same, landing his punch on him instead. "Unh!" Zabuza moved for a round kick, but once more, Kakashi spun first and clocked him in the temple. Zabuza tried once more to hit, with a finger strike to the eyes. Kakashi used the exact same technique, and landed his first. "AHHH!" Finally, Zabuza stumbled, using all his energy just to keep himself above the water.
This time, Kakashi acted independently on his own. He started with the snake, then the tiger, and finally the dragon as an eddy rose behind him. "Suiton! Daibakufu no Jutsu!" The water erupted from behind him as the twister hit Zabuza right on.
"AHHH!" Zabuza was thrashed right into a tree, hard enough to shatter the bark. After the torrent of water died down, he sunk under the surface. Once he was completely submerged, the water began to rapidly evaporate.
Underneath his mask, Haku's eyes widened. "Zabuza-sama!" Quickly, he leapt across the trees towards his mentor…
"Sasuke-kun, look!" Sakura exclaimed as the water receded. "The water; it's vanishing!"
"Zabuza summoned this water to begin with." Sasuke noted. "I guess it staying here was dependent on his chakra. Kakashi must have drained enough of it to make it disappear." Once he could see the muddy ground below, he said "Come on! Kakashi might need our help!" and leaped down.
"R-right!" Sakura said. Though her legs were a little bit wobbly, she managed to land on her feet fine and followed after him.
Zabuza was spent. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this; only Kisame back home could push him to this point. The assassin was brought back to attention when a kunai flew past his head and deep into the wood.
Kakashi stood before him, a kunai in each hand. "Do you have any last requests? Or last words, that I could pass on to loved ones perhaps?"
Zabuza coughed up blood, staining his bandage mask red. "The way you moved…you knew what I was going to do!" Wheezing, he said "It was like you could see the future. Tell me; what do you see now?"
Kakashi just narrowed his eyes, and drew his hands back, ready to throw the shuriken. "Your death."
Suddenly, Zabuza smiled underneath his bandages. "Ah, I see. So you CAN'T see the future. Good. That's a relief!"
Suddenly, a wall of ice separated the two. "NO!" Kakashi ran towards the wall, running up it and quickly jumping over the top, lunging towards Zabuza. Once he was close enough, Kakashi impaled him in the heart. However, Kakashi felt a stinging pain in his arm. Zabuza's image became ice, the spikes growing inside and out. "A Yuki Bushin! Damn it!"
"Ugh!" Naurto's hand reached the edge of the wall, as he hoisted himself up. "I think I better practice climbing on ice first!"
Naruto eventually touched down on the ground, Sasuke leaping clear over the wall while pulling Sakura with. "Kakashi-sensei! Where did he go!?"
"He's gone." Kakashi said as he pulled his arm out, letting the blood run down. "That kid Sasuke and I fought…they were working together. Possibly master and student. He got to Zabuza before I could finish him off."
"But he can't beat you now, right!" Naruto shouted excitedly. Kakashi said nothing; Sakura noticed the subtle twitch running through his body. "Uh…Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked nervously. Kakashi suddenly began to fall backwards. Naruto rushed in to catch him, but he wasn't ready to support a fully-grown man. "Unh!"
"Hold on!" Sasuke rushed over to help support him. Together, they managed to ease Kakashi onto the ground. Both took a look at his eyes, completely unfocused. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sasuke shouted. "Kakashi-sensei! Are you alright!?" Kakashi remained unresponsive.
And that's that! Next time will be a brief interlude
