"Atsuko Watanabe, the time is now." Kaori said. "You must do your duty as a Miko. This plague, this yurei, will consume all of Konoha. Unless you preform the ritual."

"Yes, Mother." Atsuko said. "But remember, I do this to protect my family."

"I do not care what your motives are, Atsuko." Kaori said. "Just do as I say."

"Ashes to Ashes

Spirit to Spirit

Take her Soul

Banish this Evil."

Kaori incanted the spell swirling the dark water that contained the yurei into a goblet.

"By the authority of the miko's soul, I purify you!"

Atsuko drank the dark liquid.

A dark voice gripped her throat. "You call us evil, a demon. Do you not know to whom you speak?! Due to your insolence we grant you three curses—one from each face you have dishonored. The curse of the hatred borne by the son. The curse of subjugation borne by the daughter. And the curse of death borne by this family."

"Please! How can we break the curse?!" Kaori demanded.

"Only one curse can you break,

The way can only bring heartache

What we desire is one thing more

The thing that we are searching for

What cannot be taken but freely give

What is it for which you humans live

Search with final hour

Trust in the Greatest of All Powers."

Xxx

Kuri woke, and her fever had broken.

She'd had the dream again, and touched her necklace.

The jewel I have. I gained it that night... Kuri thought. What sort of power is so strong that that thing is looking for it?

Kuri was feeling much better about the mission now, even though she'd been wounded. She hurried along the path with the others, not making much small talk now, the danger having sobered them considerably. Kakashi had already had a talk with Tazuna, revealing that this mission deserved a higher rank, but they resolved to keep going.

That's when Kuri saw it.

A man with a huge sword. He swung it, and killed Tazuna in a mass of blood. He was fast and deadly. He left them all alive to take the weight of the death. This man was a killer, an assassin. Zabuza.

"Get DOWN!" Sasuke yanked Kuri and the bridge builder to the ground as the sword was swung. He had noticed her vision in time.

Normally it would annoy her that he was prowling around inside her head but today it did not.

"Give me the bridge builder." Zabuza demanded. "Or you all will die."

Kakashi attacked him and the two fought, making it into the water.

"Kakashi no! Stay away from the water!" Kuri had a bad feeling.

Kakashi turned to her, revealing his Sharingan, to her surprise. "Relax. I always protect my comrades."

In that moment a water prison over took him. Kuri growled and threw a reiki laced kunai at Zabuza—big mistake.

A water clone of him appeared. Even his clone was full of hatred and anger. Kuri whimpered, and fainted.

Xxx

What appeared to be a clone of Kuri rose up from her body. This was Sadako. "You human fool. We were having a good dream till you woke us up."

She opened her hand and a bright silver glowing kunai appeared. Though it was solid, it was not made of metal, but of her spirit energy. She laughed and sliced right through the water clone.

She then got into position like she was aiming an arrow, but the arrow too, was made of reiki.

"Now, since you have annoyed us, a fate worse than death."

The arrow flew and hit Zabuza in the heart and he fell. Blue light flew to and was absorbed by the arrow—his chakra.

"Our sealing arrow ought teach you a lesson, you insufferable fool." Sadako stood up.

"Y-You...did you kill him?" Sasuke finally managed to ask her. "Kuri why would you—"

"She's not...Kuri..." Naruto said softly.

Kakashi was seeing to Zabuza, and a boy had just appeared to take him away.

Tazuna looked positively terrified, which seemed to give Sadako a thrill.

"Hey old man...boo!" Sadako made a horrible face that resembled a corpse at him, and the old man was down for the count.

"Stop it." Sasuke managed, standing in front of her. "Go away."

The woman looked startled. For a moment her face cleared, and what looked to be a tender expression graced it.

"We...found it." The words were a gasp of triumph.

After she said that, Sadako shimmered, and vanished into Kuri's body, leaving them all to stare at her.