Chapter 13
Two Sides of the Same Coin: Ice vs. Fire!
"Amari, I leave Naruto in your hands," Kakashi said.
Amari gave a faint nod, flicking her eye back in the general direction of her still sleeping teammate before looking back to her sensei. "I'll look after him. When he wakes up, if he isn't stiff as a board, he'll probably drag me along with him to the bridge."
He wouldn't stand for sitting around today. Their week of chakra control training was over. Zabuza and that boy were out there somewhere, fully recovered and ready to complete their mission—just like Team Seven. Soon they'd strike. Soon their final battle would commence.
Admittedly, she was mildly perturbed at being benched for the time being. She was fully recovered and itching to take part in the final round of their fight with Zabuza, yet because the damn knucklehead trained too hard she was stuck watching over his sleeping form.
Such a drag.
Kakashi eye smiled at her, likely sensing her mild irritation at staying behind, and placed his hand on her head before setting off with the other members of her team.
"Stay safe you guys," she mumbled before taking her seat next to her passed out teammate and picking up one of her books to study. Times like this I wish I had a novel to read rather than another text to study. Much as she loved training and studying, sometimes she just wanted to take a break from it all and relax. Too bad I didn't pack anything besides more studying material, and I can't go watch clouds because I have to watch over Naruto. She glanced to her teammate and squinted her eye in a harmless glare. Troublesome boy.
Sighing in defeat, she returned her eye back to the book without really reading it. While Kakashi was indeed leaving her here to watch after Naruto, there was more to it than that. His eye smile and pat on the head was a silent understanding between them that needed no words.
On the chance today was in fact the day, as they both suspected, she and Naruto would serve as the surprise team. Zabuza and the boy would be focused on the others, likely suspecting she and Naruto were left behind to watch after the family or some other reason. It'd give them the perfect opening to sneak in from the shadows and ambush the rogue ninjas, hopefully well enough to end the fight right then and there.
Although Naruto's placement on the surprise team with me is completely due to his oversleeping, I still can't help but question why Sensei made that choice. She turned the page of her book. I understand myself because I could work through any mist Zabuza uses if it is thick, but Naruto is quite literally one of the loudest people I know.
Tagging the Hokage faces without getting caught until afterwards didn't much change her mind on that belief. If anything it cemented her point. Even though he was able to graffiti their faces, his actions were so bright and colorful that everyone could see it from long distances away. He wanted people to notice it, and him, so the likelihood he'd throw stealth out the door to announce his presence was highly probable.
Oh well, I'll just have to roll with it when or if that happens. Amari's eye trailed over the words until she exhaled a troubled sigh. I'm not even reading this. The dull material wasn't the blame for it, nor was the thought of Naruto rushing in head first. What really made it hard to read this was the growing concern over her team.
If a fight did break out, it'd be tough even with their extra training. At the end of the day they were still fighting Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist and whoever that boy was. A boy who was quicker than her, far more precise with his throwing needles and of other unknown talents.
Not only is Zabuza highly skilled, but what little I could sense from that boy hinted at levels of strength possibly exceeding his master. There's also the problem of the boy scouting our abilities during that first fight. In fact, that's practically a guarantee.
He would know of every single ability her team used in their first fight, from her abilities with Shadow Clones and Fire Style to possibly even the intricacies of Kakashi's Sharingan. And he's had an entire week to come up with strategies to combat our abilities. And what do we know about him? Nothing, other than he's fast and knows how to land precise blows with his senbon. Amari thumbed the page she was on in her book, a perturbed frown pulling her lips downward as she lightly smacked her forehead against the hard cover. Stupid, stupid! I was so focused on training I didn't even think to come up with strategies for Zabuza.
Not a fantastic or reassuring start at all.
Groaning, Amari smacked the book against her forehead again for being so dense. I could have…I don't even know what I could have thought of, but it might have been really helpful for the others! Ugh. She smacked her forehead again. Stupid.
Okay, so she hadn't used one of her greatest assets during the week to increase their chances, but that didn't mean they were out of luck. She could still think up strategies during the fight or before she got there. Before would be better. One thing going for me is the boy doesn't know I have Byakugan or Sharingan. If everything goes horribly wrong, activating both eyes may help me turn the fight around. The problem about that plan…
Amari exhaled a deep sigh through her nose. My team still doesn't know I have it and I don't know how Sasuke will react. Making an enemy out of her teammate was not an ideal option in the middle of a battle with the bridge builder's and their lives on the line. It has to remain my last resort. My Byakugan should be enough…hopefully.
She just had to trust in the strength of her team and her own. As long as no one grew overconfident because of their training, herself included, they would stand a far better chance at winning. Arrogance in this coming battle would get them killed or severely injured.
I hope they will be okay.
Eventually her knuckleheaded partner shot up from his sleep with a yell of, "Why didn't anybody wake me up?!"
"Because you overexerted yourself and needed some sleep, you knucklehead," she responded without looking up from her book. Hmm, looks like his body has already recovered if he isn't writhing in pain from sitting up like that. That was at least some good news. "They've only been gone an hour or so, probably just reached the bridge at the speed they walked."
"They totally ditched us!" Naruto yelled, scrambling to get on his feet so they could catch up.
Amari winced. Still loud as ever. She calmly closed her book and stood up as Naruto looked around for his usual gear. Finally time to move…can't say I'm complaining.
As far as she was concerned, Zabuza and Gatō's time was officially up. Now was their chance to put an end to them so the people of the Land of Waves could live their lives in peace.
"Get dressed and we'll go. That is unless you want to sit and talk about being ditched?" she said, adding the last part in to tease him as she strolled out of the room.
By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs Naruto was already sprinting down it. He snagged her arm as he passed by to drag her with him to join their team. "Bye Ms. Tsunami! We'll be back in no time!" she called on their way out the door.
Once they were outside on the docks Naruto released her bicep so she could run on her own. Neither slowed down in the slightest, ninja jumping up into the trees when they reached the nearby forest with the precision gained by their consistent practice; each jump brought them deeper into the forest, closer to the bridge as they were fueled by sheer hope that they could reach the bridge in time to help.
"Amari, do you think Zabuza and that kid are there?" her friend asked as they jumped.
"I'd like to say no and say we sent them home with their tail between their legs, but I'd be lying if I did."
Naruto smiled initially but let it fall for a determined look as he gave a sharp nod of understanding. Seemed he was itching for a rematch just as much as she was. That was good, better was the determination she could feel from him and see on his face.
They'd need that determination and his fighting spirit in their next encounter. He couldn't freeze up like he did against the first two rogue Mist ninja. She needed him to be the energetic, never give-up fighter he had shown her over the last two years. And she…she needed to find that fierce warrior within her without her anger.
Currently she felt flickers of it in her heart. The closer they got the bridge, the closer they were to danger, the more she felt it. She wanted to put an end to the evil stranglehold keeping the people here stuck in the gutter, that was one of the main incentives to fight right now…yet there was another.
She wanted to fight. Even though her greatest desire was eventually finding peace, what she wanted most right now was to jump into the flames of battle and grow stronger through it. Fighting Zabuza and the boy would give her that chance, and she was ready for it.
I need to rein that in, she scolded herself. I can't let myself lose sight of what is important all because I want to be pushed. Hopefully that fierce warrior she was looking for within herself wouldn't blind her.
"Zabuza has had enough time to recover just like us," she continued, hoping to keep her mind off it. "I'd bet you a bowl of ramen he's looking for revenge. The boy, on the other hand, won't hide this time. He'll probably be there to go toe to toe with us."
Overall not a comforting line of thought. Caution would be of the utmost importance against him. "We need to be careful against him, Naruto. He's likely scouted our first fight to learn our abilities. Now he has the upper hand. Until we learn his abilities, we need to avoid reckless decisions," Amari explained.
"Right."
The pair came to an abrupt stop when the trees of the forest started to look as if a giant, angry bear began scratching and severing limbs of every tree in its way. Below them, a dead boar with several deep wounds laid motionless.
What the hell?
Amari motioned for her friend to follow her down to the ground for examination of the scene. Naruto moved towards the animal while the Nara scoured the surrounding area in an attempt to get a better read of what happened. The wounds on the boar, and these on the trees appear to be made from a sword, she analyzed, resting her left hand on a gouge of one of the many trees.
There's definitely a pattern here. She moved to another tree and examined it as well. Each cut was done as the person came from the direction we were going, and…She looked back in the direction they had come from, the further they went that way, the less wounds they inflicted on the trees, but someone was still cutting to their hearts content.
But who would wreck a bunch of trees and kill a boar for fun?
Amari furrowed her brow and looked back to her teammate as he stood up. "Sword wounds for sure, so they definitely weren't hunters. But why do all this damage?" Naruto asked to no one in particular.
"They were coming from the general direction of the bridge and heading…" Amari's eye widened in fear. "Tazuna's family!"
Naruto's eyes widened only momentarily before settling in for seriousness. "We've gotta go back!" he declared.
She offered a small nod before taking off at a hastened pace with Naruto at her side back towards the house. Inari kept mentioning Gatō's army, but because I never saw any of them I never even thought…
No, of course she hadn't thought about it. Why would she when she had seen no evidence of their presence? Why would she when she believed all he would do was send Zabuza to kill them again instead of taking hostages to stop the bridge builder? Damn it! I'm such an idiot!
Of course Gatō would do that. His first plan failed, meaning he'd have less confidence in Zabuza's ability this time around and would do whatever he could to secure bringing an end to Tazuna's bridge. He was using a contingency plan to keep his hold from being broken when the bridge was nearly finished.
I should have stayed behind, I should have known better! After everything I've heard about Gatō, I should have suspected he'd take this action.
"Nobody better have hurt them or they'll regret it!"
Amari remained in silent agreement, too furious at herself to agree outwardly with her friend. As she dashed from branch to branch and utilized every scrap of agility and flexibility she had, Amari activated her Byakugan in hopes of finding the ones who cut the trees before they reached Tazuna's house.
"I really hope we're not too late," she whispered to herself.
Hold on you two. We're coming.
The pair halted on a branch at the edge of the forest and cast their gazes to the dock where Inari was clearly standing in the open while his mother was being held hostage by two sword wielding thugs. Evil intentions were clear in their body language.
"We've gotta g— what? Why'd you stop me?!" Naruto questioned when she grabbed his arm to stop his rash actions.
Why did she stop him? Simple, they held the advantage of stealth right now and she intended to use it to its full potential. Thugs they may be, but they still wielded dangerous weapons she had no doubt they knew how to use. They didn't have the time for a long drawn out fight, and she did not wish for either of them to waste too much chakra.
"Because I have a plan." The Shadow user brought her hands up in the clone seal and created a clone of herself. Next her clone transformed into a shuriken, which Amari caught and handed to Naruto. "I'm going to transform into one as well. You'll need to be quick and use the Substitution Jutsu to get Inari and Miss Tsunami out of there. When you have their attention, toss me and my clone at them. We'll handle it from there."
Normally they might be dangerous, but they'll be overconfident since they're used to exerting control over defenseless civilians. Amari smiled evilly. They won't stand a chance against me.
Naruto snickered. "Oh man, their faces will be priceless! Straight outta our Amaruto handbook!"
She smiled bashfully then transformed herself into a shuriken. From within the transformation she waited patiently for her opportunity to strike. When she felt herself cutting through the air she knew the time for her strike was almost near. A surprise attack from the front, however, was too risky.
If these thugs were worth the money Gatō paid them they'd be able to react and try to cut her down in mid-flight. Being bisected would be a drag, so Amari waited until she felt them deflect her. Barely an instant later she and her clone dispelled behind the men, landing on their feet and immediately flashing forward with great speed.
"Bah! Try something else!" the man wearing a beanie said.
Naruto turned around with a mischievous and somewhat sadistic grin. "I did."
"Surprise!" both Amari's shouted cheerfully. Her enemies had only enough time to turn their heads in horror to see her incoming kick aimed right at their heads. Then her kick connected and sent them colliding head first into one another. Needless to say, they were unconscious before they hit the wooden dock.
Both Amari's landed next to one another, smirks clear on their faces as they looked down at the two unconscious thugs. "Who rules?" Amari's clone asked, a hint of arrogance in her voice as she put a hand out for a high-five.
"We do," Amari answered, high-fiving her clone, crossing her arms over her chest and deactivating her Byakugan. "I love it when a plan goes perfectly."
Two hysterically laughing boys broke the pair from their moment of triumph to see her friend and Inari both laughing. Feeling bashful, Amari's clone dispersed herself and left the original to rub the back of her head and blush alone. A small smile did form on her lips when the realization of Inari actually laughing and smiling for the first time since she met him.
It finally sunk in. He finally found the will to fight back. Amari's smile became fond. Kaiza would be proud.
She tied up the two wannabe samurais and gagged them while Naruto and Inari looked out at the sea together.
"Achoo!" Naruto sneezed.
"You know, they say when you sneeze that someone's talking about you somewhere."
Normally Amari didn't believe in superstitious stuff, but knowing Kakashi and the others were on the bridge made her worry a little.
A tickling feeling swarmed her nose and served as the only preamble to her incoming sneeze. "Achoo!"
Hmm, either that is a strange coincidence or Inari is right and someone is talking about me and Naruto. Amari sighed inwardly. I hope they're okay. If not, just hold on guys. We'll be there soon.
"Oh hey, sorry about yesterday," Naruto apologized.
"I'm sorry as well," Amari apologized as she moved to check on Tsunami. The woman was coming around from the hit she had taken, eyes slowly opening. Panic suddenly took over her features and she moved to bolt upright, but stopped when Amari rested her hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy. You're safe now. Inari is fine. Actually." She looked over to the boys to see their smiles. "I'd say he's better than fine."
"Amari…" Tsunami looked over to see her son and Naruto smiling. The woman let out a sigh of relief. She sat up slowly with the help of the younger girl. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Amari bowed her head faintly. "You're welcome, Ms. Tsunami. Your son is very brave and so are you. No matter what happens, it's been an honor meeting you all."
Tsunami's features fell into concern once more. "Be careful, Amari."
"I'll do my best, Ms. Tsunami."
She nodded and Amari stood up to walk over to Naruto and get him ready to go. Truth was she couldn't promise that she would be entirely safe. That would be tempting fate too much and probably impossible to promise in general. Life as a ninja pretty much ensured you were going to get into trouble eventually.
"Ready Naruto?" He grinned and nodded, which made her smile warmly at him. As long as we have each other, though, we'll make it out okay. She turned her smile to Inari. "Inari, you were very brave today. But it's up to you to take care of your mother for now and to keep fighting for your happiness. Trust me," she glanced to Naruto, "it's worth it." The boy nodded to her. Seeing that their work was done, she turned back to her friend. "Time to go give Zabuza and that boy a surprise they won't soon forget."
Together they took off back towards the bridge. Now it was time to join their friends to end Gatō's taint once and for all.
There were no delays this time on their way to the bridge. No signs of any other thugs on the move or signs of Zabuza and the boy either. All that meant to Amari was the real fight was on the bridge.
When they reached the bridge, Amari guided them into the shadows of the mist where their enemies couldn't see them. "Seems we were late for the beginning of the fight," she noted.
Sasuke was surrounded by what looked like mirrors made purely of crystal or ice, though which it was she couldn't say at this distance. The mirrors formed a circle around him, each floating above the ground with enough space to crawl under and spaced so someone of her small size would have a little trouble getting between them. They were about as tall as Zabuza's partner and did not only surround Sasuke at his level with twelve mirrors, but there was a second row of eight angled towards the ground and a final mirror lying parallel to the bridge like a roof.
A quite literal prison of ice or crystals. Escape would be impossible for Sasuke from her examination. Not only were the mirrors themselves holding him captive, the tracker ninja was keeping him within by repeatedly pelting him with senbon. The Mist shinobi somehow was jumping between his mirrors at an amazing speed she couldn't track without her dōjutsu activated; it almost appeared that he was literally flying between them.
And if I can't see him without my Byakugan…
Then Sasuke couldn't even begin to guess where he was being attacked from, and wouldn't have a chance to at this rate. Not without a miracle, or the Sharingan.
Any reinforcement—beyond her and Naruto—was impeded from reaching Sasuke due to Zabuza standing right between Kakashi and the mirrors. For their sensei to help Sasuke meant leaving Sakura to guard Tazuna on her own.
They'd be slaughtered.
It didn't take a genius to read the situation before them. Zabuza and his partner separated Kakashi from one of his students so he'd have no choice but to either leave the bridge builder and Sakura to die, or face Zabuza and have to watch Sasuke die. They masterfully put the entire situation in their favor. Did their sensei fulfill the mission or save a student?
By their standards, someone would die no matter what Kakashi did. And if the tracker ninja ended Sasuke's life before he could defeat Zabuza then the boy would just move on to his next target. Everything seemed to be a lose-lose situation for Team Seven.
But…Amari flicked her eye over to Naruto. Now that we're here we can add ourselves into this equation. As long as Zabuza and the boy can't sense our chakra, I can attack from the shadows, throw him off balance and give Sensei the opening he needs to defeat him quickly. Then we can focus all our attention on the boy.
The plan she was formulating was risky. It'd require quick reflexes from her sensei and for her action—whatever it ended up being—to keep Zabuza so off balance and distracted he wouldn't be able to dodge Kakashi's attack. Depending on how long it took her to set it up and for them to finish of Zabuza, Sasuke would still be at risk.
He'd have to survive long enough for them to come join him, and no doubt the tracker ninja would increase the frequency of his attacks if Zabuza's life became endangered. A lot of risk all around, especially for her two boy teammates with what she hoped to accomplish.
The risk was great, yet it was better than hoping Sasuke could hold his own forever when he couldn't see his opponent or letting the bridge builder be killed. It'd be a drag, but if it came to it she'd let Zabuza use her as a punching bag so Kakashi could save Sasuke first.
Let's hope my other plan works. I'd rather not have any of us become a punching bag.
"Naruto, I'm going to need you to create a big distraction. Also take this." She pulled a kunai out of her hip pouch and handed it to him. "That is a clone version of me. If you need extra help, toss it on the ground and she will appear. If we are to beat these guys, we're going to have to split up: you with Sasuke, me with Sensei. Be smart about your attacks and don't waste your chakra needlessly."
She couldn't leave her sensei, Sakura and Tazuna to fight Zabuza and she couldn't leave the boys to fight the tracker ninja on their own. Her clone would allow her to be in both places at once, allowing her the ability to offer aid to both groups.
"Distraction huh?" Naruto snickered next to her. "Oh, I'll give you a distraction!"
Amari nodded. Knowing Naruto it's going to be big. I just hope he doesn't get hurt doing it. "Good luck, Naruto." She Body Flickered to the other side of the bridge, still hiding her presence within the mist from Zabuza and her teammates.
She hoped Naruto would be safe when helping Sasuke and think strategically, but she knew better than that. Which is why I left him a clone of me. She'll be able to make a plan for them and hopefully take on this fake tracker for a little while to give Sasuke a break.
She pulled her bandana over her left eye as she let out a deep breath. Mom, Ryu…Cousin. Please guide me and give me the strength to protect my team and stop our enemies. And if the worst happens…forgive me, Mom.
A large explosion of smoke signaled Naruto's distraction commencing. Amari activated her Byakugan. Now I must wait for the right moment to strike.
If everything worked to plan her attacks would provide the distraction necessary to defeat Zabuza. If it didn't then they'd have to go with the backup plan she was beginning to formulate.
Unfortunately for Amari, Naruto's grand distraction was ruined the moment he went for his Shadow Clone Jutsu. Zabuza was no fool; he wouldn't sit and wait for Naruto to create a legion of clones to fight him, he was going to strike first.
Shuriken sped right at Naruto, who froze in shock at the sudden deadly weapons aimed for him.
With a mildly annoyed groan, Amari Body Flickered back in front of him, a kunai in her hand already and prepared to knock away the shuriken. Revealing her presence axed out her desire to use stealth to their advantage, but she couldn't just let Naruto get hurt.
Suddenly senbon connected with the shurikens, canceling them out and bringing forth a loud groan of pure agitation from Amari. "Seriously?!" she hissed under her breath. If I had waited I could have remained hidden!
This was such a pain!
"Naruto, when I asked for a distraction I didn't mean…Grh, never mind!"
Naruto offered a bashful laugh and had the courtesy to blush in embarrassment at his novice mistake. "My bad, Amari."
"Don't worry about it. I'll just reform my plans." Even if it is troublesome.
Turning her focus back to the field of battle and those on it, she locked gazes with the fake tracker ninja. He still wore his mask, though there was a scratch through it from an attack likely launched by Naruto; the mask kept his thoughts and anything else she might have been able to discern from his eyes hidden. What his mask couldn't hide was his body language; nothing about it felt aggressive, nor did he have the same demonic feel as Zabuza.
Everything about him was collected and calm…yet she could feel something more, something strange tugging at her heart she couldn't quite describe.
"You're fast," he broke the silence first. "I must admit, I'm impressed. Your friend didn't even have time to blink between the throw and your appearance."
From her side she heard Kakashi's voice scolding Naruto, but all of her focus remained on this boy and the strange feeling in her heart. He fell silent after his initial statement and held his gaze on her, possibly to size her up further based on the barely visible motions of his head.
"So, you're their balancing point."
Amari's brow furrowed at his words. He wasn't taunting her or using it as an insult, but for him to use the exact words Iruka had used? That was no mere coincidence. Someone on her team must have used it in reference to her for him to be able use such mirror words to her former sensei.
Unsure of how to respond, Amari remained silent and held the gaze of her enemy. Where was he going with that particular statement? He wasn't questioning why she, the physically smallest kunoichi of the team, was given such a title. He sounded as if he was observing her, testing the waters of conversation between them for one reason or another.
And why did she have this weird tugging feeling in her heart? Why did it feel like they were the only two on this bridge right now? Why did staring at him make her feel…?
"You showed great cunning in your battle with Zabuza, and I have no doubt you are very strong. Whoever made you the balancing point of this team was very wise."
Again there was no hidden blade in the words or blatant insult. He meant what he said, whether it was to be taken as a statement of fact or a real compliment was left for her to decide.
Amari let her lips quirk up in a small, arrogant smirk to hide her confusion his words caused. "You haven't seen anything yet. Compliments aren't going to make me hesitate from protecting my team from you. And for what you've done already," her eye intensified, "I won't let you walk away unscathed."
"I see. Your team must be very precious to you. Are you fighting to protect their dreams?"
This time she offered a curt nod to conceal the sudden acceleration of her thoughts. His question…why does everything about it only further this strange feeling I have? And why does it feel like I've heard it before? She sifted through her memories quickly until the realization hit her. In our first fight with Zabuza I mentioned my precious people making me stronger and how I was going to protect their dreams.
And he had stared at her like he had heard it all before and didn't say anything about it. Did this kid feel the same thing as she did for her teammates for Zabuza?
"As long as they still live, as long as I have breath in my body, I will fight to protect them and their dreams." She paused, gauging her next words carefully before speaking again. "You…you feel the same for that uncaring demon over there?" She intended it to be a statement, not the question filled with disbelief and pain.
"Yes."
No hesitation in his answer, no doubt, not even a hint of regret. This boy truly considered Zabuza precious to him to the same degree she consider her team and mother. Yet…she didn't curse the boy, she didn't feel unbridled hatred or any further disbelief. Instead a sad smile formed on her lips, and the strange feeling in her heart gained two new feelings: pain and empathy.
"I…I want to say I'm sorry that you feel so strongly about him, but I can't cast judgment." No, she couldn't and wouldn't cast judgement. How could she when the tugging in her heart was becoming easier to describe the longer they spoke. "I…I guess all I can do is say I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. I have a feeling you and I…" Could have been friends. Could have understood one another. "We probably share some commonalities."
A momentary silence fell between the two ninjas as they stared at one another. No heat laid in their eyes, no anger, no judgement. Just silent understanding that neither one of them wanted this. That the longer they stood here, the more they wished they wouldn't have to do this…but would because they had precious people to protect.
For Amari, the tugging feeling in her heart became describable in that moment of silent understanding—the question she failed to ask herself became abundantly clear. Why did staring at him make her feel like she was staring into a mirror? Why did it feel like they were two sides of the same coin?
Why? The answer was simple: because they were. Their pasts certainly were unique to them, but not the feelings they held in their hearts. Their pain, their reasons for fighting, their search for purpose…The only difference in their paths was who took them in when they had no one else to hold onto. When no one else cared for their existence.
We're the same. Underneath that mask she knew there were eyes with the same pain, the same sorrow, the same purpose she looked at in the mirror every day. I could have been him, and he could have been me. Their positions on this battlefield were dictated by a single point in their lives, the point where someone reached their hand out to them to give them purpose.
In another world, she wore the mask and he stood with a team of friends.
Sorrow pierced through her heart at that thought. Do we really have to fight? This was worse than staring at Inari when she saw the negative reality of herself in him.
They didn't need to do this…they shouldn't be doing this. Killing each other didn't have to be the answer.
"Before we continue…is there any way you can see this ending without us killing each other besides us giving you the bridge builder? I need to know if we…if you and I can put aside our blades here and now and end this peacefully."
If there was even a small chance at ending this peacefully, she had to try. She wouldn't hesitate if it wasn't…no matter how much it hurt, but if he was feeling even a fraction of what she felt, he had to hope for this to end peacefully too.
"That would be the only way. It means something that you sought to seek a peaceful resolution, but I'm afraid one is not possible."
A sad sigh escaped Amari at the unfortunate truth of their situation. In a different circumstance…in a different life this wouldn't have to happen.
"You are right, though. I believe you and I share the same interests. I apologize for what I must do."
"Don't," she pleaded. The last thing she wanted was an apology; it would only cloud her judgment if she had to kill him. "I have to do the same, so you don't need to apologize. This is our life and what we must do to protect what we consider precious." The boy bowed his head in a mutual understanding. "If it comes down to you and me in this fight I will give you every ounce of my strength and will. To protect those I care for and the people of this island, you and Zabuza must be stopped."
"I'd expect nothing less from you. Know I will do the same."
"Haku, what are you doing?" Zabuza asked, sounding perplexed by the entirety of the conversation that happened before them.
Hearing his voice snapped Amari out of the haze where it had just been the two of them on this bridge back to reality. A glance around revealed confusion in her sensei's eye, though he kept it well hidden.
The boy, Haku, had the same moment of snapping to reality as she did. He offered his partner a small glance before refocusing his attention on her and Naruto. Amari's mind immediately went back to calculating a new plan with the information she learned from their conversation.
His ninjutsu is clearly strong, but it's his will to protect that will make him even more dangerous than I anticipated. Her teammates had their own strengths and their own wills they wouldn't let be dominated, but Haku was different than them.
He was like her. He wouldn't accept failure and would push beyond his limitations to keep his goal alive…and he'd die to keep Zabuza safe and kill if he had to…just like her.
The only person here besides Kakashi-sensei who can match him in will is me…Shaking away her hesitation, Amari searched deep within herself for the will needed to match his. After a deep breath, her eye hardened and her grip on her kunai tightened in determination. I will stop him.
She noticed a faint nod from Haku.
"Zabuza, this girl and the boy…let me fight them my own way."
"Bring it on!" Naruto challenged from behind Amari.
His own way? What did he mean by that? Amari glanced over to Sasuke, the only evidence she had to provide any hints to her question. He's pretty banged up, cuts on just about every part of his body, but none of the needles hit vital organs. She furrowed her brow. That doesn't make sense. Sasuke has no chance of dodging his speed in there, and I know for a fact Haku has precise accuracy at a level we lack.
So what did this mean? What was Haku's way? Maybe…
"So, you want me to leave this to you? Is that it Haku?" Zabuza prodded, a sinister sense of humor in his voice. "You're too soft, as usual."
"Forgive me," Haku said, bowing his head to his partner.
"Don't ask for his forgiveness. He doesn't deserve having someone like you around," Amari spat.
Sasuke—who had been watching on and waiting for a moment to strike from within the mirrors—threw a kunai at Haku's blind spot. Haku leaned back and let the kunai pass by him without even glancing in Sasuke's direction.
He never even let his guard down. Smart. He remains aware of his surroundings even when it doesn't seem that way.
"A true warrior knows when to bow out honorably," Haku said, turning his entire attention back to Sasuke. "I gave you that chance, but I see you still wish to fight. So be it."
Haku didn't spare her or Naruto another glance and walked back into his mirror, literally. His body was absorbed into the mirror as if the mirror was made out of a liquid of some kind despite appearing perfectly solid.
If we're going to beat him...They'd need either a really good plan or Kakashi. Although she wanted to ditch her initial plan to split up, Amari kept true to it. Being on the outside of the mirrors would be far more advantageous to her and give her the ability to send more clones for reinforcement should Sasuke need it.
It'd also allow her to back Kakashi up and give him the opening he needed to finish Zabuza quickly.
"Naruto," she turned her head to look at him with her right eye while keeping her left focused on Zabuza, "throw that kunai I gave you on the ground now. She'll follow you around and provide part of my strength and all of my tactical analysis abilities to you. Listen to her if she has a plan. I'll keep feeding her chakra so she doesn't pop."
Naruto's features contorted into confusion. "Where are you going?"
Her right eye flitted back in the direction of Zabuza and Kakashi before looking back to him. She was torn, really she was. So much of her heart desired to stand with him and stop Haku personally, but if things got worse she'd be better use from the outside of the mirrors.
Far more avenues of attack were possible from this side; whether she was distracting Zabuza or attacking Haku from the outside, she would always have access to both groups. And if Kakashi-sensei has to battle with clones, I'll be needed to watch over Sakura and Mr. Tazuna.
Kakashi was an amazing shinobi, one of the best in all the Leaf, but even he had limits. He couldn't be everywhere at once. Right now he needed her to be his extra set of eyes and back up to get everyone on their side out of this alive.
"Me and a demon have some unfinished business."
A dark chuckle rumbled from their enemy. He still obviously didn't take her very seriously. "You want to take me on, little girl? Hmph, I'll grant you your death wish, but allow us to enjoy Haku's demonstration first."
"Go on. If Zabuza tries to attack I'll cover you."
Naruto dropped the kunai, dispelling the transformation and revealing a second Amari. The real Amari grabbed her clones arm to stop her from going anywhere and met her eye with her own. "You know what to do. Use it as a last resort." Her clone nodded and followed after Naruto right into the center of the mirrors where Sasuke was.
Good luck you three.
Amari watched as her blond knuckleheaded partner snuck up on Sasuke, who looked to be calculating how to win this fight with the new reinforcements. As usual the pair began arguing, this time over Naruto's decision to join the fight inside rather than attack from the outside.
Why did she stick me with these two? If they don't get their act together we're going to get hit before we can even formulate an attack.
On a different note altogether, yet still somewhat related, she was now certain the mirrors were made of ice rather than crystals. Upon stepping closer to the mirrors she felt the temperature of the air drop in their general vicinity, and in the center of the jutsu was no better. The air had a bitter chill to it. She could see her breath when she exhaled out of her mouth and feel her body temperature dropping.
"That's it! I'm going to destroy these mirrors right now!"
Sasuke stood up in his agitation and began going through the Fire Ball Jutsu handseals. Hoping to help him destroy the mirrors—and get an idea of how strong they were—Amari went through her own and moved to stand next to her Uchiha clansman. Fire and ice didn't have a great relationship; maybe this wouldn't be as hard as she had thought.
Both Uchiha's took deep inhales and released their Fire Ball Jutsu at the same time, once again combining their attack to create a larger heat wave in an effort to destroy the mirrors quickly.
Through her Byakugan Amari watched the ice crack in certain parts, but the cracks were nothing to be proud of. Each mirror was reinforced by chakra, strengthening the ice so it was no longer in the same realm as regular ice. The heat required to melt it must be ridiculous. Even together we didn't do squat. We could launch multiple fire balls but even then I doubt we'd even get close to breaking them.
She looked around at the ice mirrors surrounding them. This doesn't just look like an impenetrable prison; it is crafted to be impenetrable. The only way out is through him.
If their combined flames weren't enough then that meant they only had one other way to attack: Stop Haku as he jumped between mirrors and take him on out of his jutsu.
Oh this is not going to be good.
"That didn't do anything at all!" Naruto shouted at them, but mostly Sasuke for his previous insults.
His grasp of the obvious was impressive, yet Amari couldn't help but feel dread build in her gut. None of their training had prepared them for someone with this level of strength in ninjutsu.
Beating him with pure strength was impossible, and no longer a viable goal to hold. What they all needed to focus on was one thing and one thing alone: survival.
"You will need a lot more heat to melt this ice," Haku stated.
He lifted his fist up with senbon placed between the spaces of his fingers in preparation for his attack, each mirror reflection copying his movements to make it impossible to know which one actually moved first.
Then the rain of needles started flying from every direction, slicing past them and knocking them all down to the ground with pained cries.
Both sides had now made their first move, and in this game of shogi Haku's attack was far more effective than theirs. The worst part about this was there wasn't much else they could do against their attacker to try to land a blow on him. He moved quicker than the others could see and a lot quicker than Amari herself could move.
Amari landed flat on her back and immediately began taking into account the amount of damage that had just been done to her. Her right arm was covered in cuts of varying lengths along with her left mesh covered arm, which was ripped up where her cuts were. Her left cheek burned from a wound and two wounds on her shins thrummed in agony.
No senbon punctured her, which made it clear to her that either this boy was merely toying with them—which she doubted—or trying to get them to quit instead of killing them. Considering his statement to Sasuke before retuning into his mirror, she was willing to assume the latter.
She forced herself to sit up through the pain. I could see him moving with my Byakugan, but I don't know if I can match it.
Her normal speed was no match for him. The Body Flicker Technique would allow her to move faster, but she had to know exactly where he would show up or he would just knock her out of air without breaking a sweat.
We are severely out classed here. Come on, think, think.
In a move of hopeful optimism, Naruto tried looking into every mirror to try to figure out which was the real Haku. His plan was hopeless. "They're all reflections, Naruto. You won't find him by looking at them," she told him.
"She's right. Look into each mirror all you want, you won't find the real one," Haku said.
Because you're moving between them too fast for them to see, and too fast for me to stop you…but if I can find a pattern, maybe I'll be able to anticipate your next move and launch a successful attack.
Her plan would be a long shot, but right now it was all she had.
Naruto, still not discouraged, created a dozen Shadow Clones. Simultaneously they jumped up to break the mirrors with their bare hands. Normally Amari would have joined in, but it was useless and she needed to save her chakra. She needed to focus on creating a plan, a real plan, not a bullheaded one.
If I can out think him and put it into action, we may survive long enough for the real Amari and Kakashi-sensei to get these two out of here.
Haku began jumping between his mirrors, taking down each of the Naruto's before they were even a few feet away from a mirror. Such speed, Amari marveled, eyes wide. With his mirrors he can transport between them quicker than a regular eye can keep up with. Sasuke's clueless expression was proof of that. No one except me can see his attacks, but without their help I don't think I can stop him.
The knucklehead crashed down between her and Sasuke as her mind continued to piece together every bit of information she could about this technique. Ice is not one of the five basic chakra natures, it's a kekkei genkai formed by Water and Wind. That means there's no way Kakashi-sensei or I could copy it, and the likelihood of us destroying it with any of our current jutsu is one in a billion.
She had a better chance at getting struck by lightning.
But, she analyzed, the amount of chakra necessary to keep this jutsu active has to be ridiculous. The longer we survive, the higher our chances of catching him and defeating him are.
Glancing around at the mirrors, a troubled sigh escaped her. But surviving this is a lot easier said than done.
"I wasn't able to break through…So what!" Naruto fired off heatedly. "No way I'm letting him stop me, and no way am I going to give up or lose here. I have a dream to be the greatest Hokage! Then my entire village will respect me and stop treating me like I'm some sort of freak to be scorned. No one is going to stop me from achieving my dream! " he declared.
"Then use that dream as your strength, Naruto," Amari stated. She pulled two kunais out from her pouch and stepped in front of the boys to play her role as a shield. I may not be able to attack him yet, but I can block his attacks from hitting us and keep us alive longer.
"This boy you're fighting has a dream, too, and it is for that dream that he fights," she continued. "His dream, his purpose, our fates will collide here on this bridge and will determine who of us will see our dreams come true. If either of you fail to use your full strength, you won't walk out of this jutsu alive."
"What about you?" Naruto asked.
She offered a sad smile over her shoulder. "I'm just a clone, remember?" Both boys frowned at the reminder. Obviously they would have preferred their real friend to be here with them instead of a copy, but that wasn't possible.
"I may just be a clone, but I'm still nearly as strong as the real thing. She wouldn't back down here and neither will I, because I share her dream as well: To protect the people she cares for no matter what is thrown at me."
Amari wiped the blood from her cheek. Though I can't deny that doing so will be tougher than our fight with Zabuza. His speed is too fast for the boys to see, but matching it myself will only make me a larger target for Haku. One lethal blow or too much damage and I'm done for.
Troublesome.
"You are right," Haku agreed. "This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams will collide. I must fight for my dream just as you fight for yours." Despite the other two being here, Amari felt again as if it was just her he was talking to. "Please, do not blame me for what I must do. I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him, and I face death for him so that his dream can become reality. That is my dream," even with his mask on she could feel his eyes intensify with his voice as his reflection took on a combat stance, "and for the sake of that dream I will act as a shinobi and take your lives!"
Amari took up her fighting stance, a sad smile forming on her lips matched with a determined eye. "I won't blame you, but don't blame me for what I have to do. The real me promised to protect her friends with her very life; she entrusted me with that promise and I won't fail!"
Troublesome or not, Amari would never back down.
Outside the Mirrors
Amari stood a step in front of her fellow kunoichi and Tazuna as a final line of defense between them and Zabuza, her eyes moving between the ice mirrors and their enemy. The fight the boys and her clone were involved in would be tough, but she trusted her clone to get them out of there alive.
Together the three of them were tough; the trio just needed to hold on long enough for Haku's jutsu to start taking its toll and then her clone would be able to snatch him out of his mirrors. Then the fight would be on even ground and they'd have the fight back in their favor.
Zabuza was a different problem altogether, but for now she was waiting for her sensei to make a move.
"Sasuke, Naruto! Take this guy out, you can do it!" Sakura shouted next to her.
"Don't Sakura! Don't push them," Kakashi warned.
"Sensei?" Amari tilted her head to the side at the worry in his voice.
"Even if the three of them find a way to overcome his Mirror Jutsu, they still wouldn't have the ability to defeat this ninja. Not even with your clone, Amari."
So her fear was rightfully placed then: this boy was far beyond their skill and his will could likely overpower her own. Damn it. I need to be there with them, but I can't leave Sakura, Mr. Tazuna or Kakashi-sensei alone with Zabuza. I need to be out here for all of our sakes that way I can divert to the boys if I need to.
"How can you be so sure?" Sakura asked.
It was Amari who chose to answer her honest question. "You and the boys each have a great desire to win a fight, but none of you have the instinct to kill another shinobi," Amari replied. "Thanks to Zabuza, that boy is different from all of you and in a different breed altogether. He can kill the kindness that lies within his heart in order to protect the ambition that Zabuza holds."
This was not good.
There was no way Naruto or Sasuke could find it in their hearts to kill this boy now. Defeat him, yes, but to actually kill for the first time? You were better off betting on which Shinobi Nation would betray all the others first.
"Exactly!" Zabuza interjected, laughing menacingly. "Konoha has become complacent. You trainees never learned the most important lesson of all: how to kill the feelings in your hearts, how to crush an opponent without mercy, how to destroy with no emotion or regret!"
Amari didn't need to see Sakura's horror at his words, she could feel it. But Zabuza was wrong about one thing: there was one ninja among them that could do those things…regardless of how badly she didn't want to.
"Sensei." Kakashi glanced to Amari, hesitation in his eye to the same degree that was in her voice. "Tell me what needs to be done."
If he ordered her to do it, if he gave her no choice but to do what was necessary, she could kill her heart to save her friends. But she needed him to say it, to make it real for her so she…so she could justify doing the one thing she had hoped she never had to do.
"No," he stated firmly.
She shook her head. This couldn't be debated. She was the only one who had the capability to kill the kindness in her own heart to do what needed to be done. Her clone could hold her own against Haku, but she was too easily dispelled and continuing to feed her chakra would only weaken her over time. Her teammates needed the real Amari, not her clone.
"I would have killed Mizuki had Iruka-sensei not needed my aid and I would have been perfectly fine with it. You know I can do it."
"No, you can't," Kakashi said.
Amari furrowed her brow at him. "Yes I—"
"You may be able to kill your heart, but you don't have it in you to live with the reality of taking a life afterwards." He sent a severe look her way. "Don't mistake what you can do when lost in your emotions for what you're capable of doing when you're in control of yourself."
But she knew she could do it to save Sasuke and Naruto. Wasn't that cause enough to let her to do it? Was it worth letting them get hurt or put near death all because he didn't want her to kill?
She couldn't just sit here and do nothing; she had to save them before anything bad happened to them. "The boys won't be able to do it and my clone can only handle so much damage. If I go now I can stop him while he is distracted."
It was time to use logic to override her sensei's desire to keep her from killing her heart. If she could just get him to see her facts, he'd have no choice but to order her to do it. "You can't leave because if you do Zabuza will come after me, Sakura and the bridge builder. We're tough, but all he needs is one opening and we're done for. If you or I use clones to distract him he can just create Water Clones to match us without wasting nearly the same amount of chakra we have to use. If you handle Zabuza I can go and be back before you're done."
"No means no, Amari. Don't assume because you have lost people you loved that you know what it means to take a life. You're not ready, so don't even try it. That's an order."
He turned his head away from her, all but dismissing her, and brought his hand up to his headband in preparation of revealing his glanced to the ice mirrors. I could make a break for it and ignore what Sensei told me…but then I'd be abandoning them and if Zabuza gets past him I could be dooming Sakura and Mr. Tazuna.
There was also the fact he ordered her to stay here. Disobeying that particular order would get her in a huge bunch of trouble, possibly even end in her having to forfeit her headband.
Damn it. There was no way around it. She was just going to have to stay and help him take down Zabuza first. If they took him down fast then they'd be able to help Naruto and Sasuke.
I just hope they can last that long.
Zabuza dashed forward, pulling out a curved kunai knife just as he reached Kakashi, aiming it right for his eye. Kakashi barely had enough time to block it by using his free hand as the pin-cushion instead of his eye. Blood trickled down his right hand to his forearm but he made no show of pain or flinching from the wound.
If I move to strike Zabuza now, I could put Sensei in danger by distracting him. If I use my Shadow Possession I could leave him open for an attack, but if he overpowered me I'd waste my chakra and lose my chance to use it later.
Checking the distance between them, she decided against the use of her jutsu. He was too far and too powerful for her at this distance. Add in the consistent draw on her chakra from her clone and it was all but guaranteed to be an unwise use of her jutsu.
Think Amari think! I can't just stand here. The longer I wait, the more danger the boys are in. But what could she do here or against Zabuza that would increase her chances? Sure she had a Sharingan eye as well, but what good would that do her? She didn't know how to use it to the same extent Kakashi did; if anything it'd only drain her chakra more if her clone had to resort to it as well.
What am I going to do?
A Few Minutes Later
"Sasuke, together!" Amari shouted as Naruto and his clones jumped into action. Sasuke grunted in affirmation and together they launched their Fire Ball Jutsu's, creating a large stream of fire while Haku was attempting to go for Naruto.
He was starting to see the trails Haku made but right now that still wasn't enough. Haku dodged their first stream of fire, but the moment he flew out of another mirror they combined their jutsu once more.
The flames chased him and caught the bottom of the left leg of his shorts—the first real strike they had made against him. That meant they'd only continue to improve from here on out.
Naruto crashed back down next to them but Sasuke couldn't help but share a satisfied smirk with his teammate. They were starting to get the timing and soon they would stop him. No matter how much he knocked them down, they continued to get back up and use their last experience to further strengthen themselves.
"Still not enough…" he heard Amari mutter to herself. After a moment of silence, she let out a deep sigh. "Sasuke, Naruto, there's something I need to tell you both."
Sasuke shot a confused look at his teammate. What does she have to say now of all times? "Do you have a new plan?"
If she had a better strategy that wouldn't exhaust so much of all of their chakra then he was willing to hear it. He knew Naruto was expending tons, and the amount the real Amari had to be expending to keep the clone active and able to keep up the continued use of Fire Ball Jutsu had to be just as draining.
"Not entirely. Zabuza has enacted a thicker Hidden Mist Jutsu than last time out of here. Kakashi and the real me will probably have all of their focus on that fight, so I don't know if she'll be able to keep fueling the chakra she has been."
She took in a deep breath and let it out, calming her breathing. "The longer our battles ensue, the more chakra I'm expending. Not even my control will be enough to ease that burden right now. If I'm to help you end this, I'm going to have to use all of my abilities in one last push. Hopefully it'll even the odds just enough to give you all a chance to win."
What other ability has she been holding back? He wanted to let out an irritated groan but he knew better. If she had been holding back then she had been coming up with a plan of some sort.
The last plan helped him to start seeing the trails Haku made and helped them to hit him with their Fire Ball Jutsu, so he couldn't really complain. "You both know the truth now of my left eye and how I gained it, but there is still one secret I have kept from you two and Sakura. Honestly wish I didn't have to use it now, but if it increases our chances of survival from fifty percent to fifty-one, I can't let that opportunity pass. Haku."
The boy in the mirror perked up at hearing his name coming from the kunoichi. Now what does she have to say to him, and what is this secret? How many secrets does she have? He understood keeping things private, but with all these secrets popping up lately he couldn't help but wonder just how well they all knew their blue-haired teammate.
"This jutsu of yours is impressive, inescapable by what I have seen, but not flawless. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the chakra you're expending is making you slower with each passing minute, and you know I'm slowing down too. Now this is a battle of will and who can last the longest. But…the way you speak, the way Zabuza acts, I have no doubt you see yourself as just a tool to be used by him for his own gain.
"I can't judge you for that. In fact I won't, even if I have to kill you. I…I wish I could explain why, but this battle isn't the place for that. Know this: by seeing yourself as only a tool you make yourself susceptible to the same fate as a tool—the fate of being worn down until you break and are discarded."
Next she turned to look at him with a sad, borderline guilty look on her face. "I've always wondered when I would have to tell you and how you would react when I did. All I ask is that you don't be mad at me right now. Once we're done here you can be mad, but I need you both to work with me and each other."
The Uchiha found himself stilled with shock when he saw her onyx eye turn red holding one tomoe within it.
"You weren't the only survivor."
I have no choice. If I don't use all of my abilities right now then this battle will drag on too long and I'll be drained of all my chakra, the real Amari decided.
"Sakura, I need you to remain silent when I show you this." Sakura gave her a quizzical look but still nodded. Taking a deep breath to still her nerves, Amari turned to her teammate then activated her Sharingan.
The shocked look on her teammates face would have been priceless if they weren't in such a dire situation. "You mean—"
"Since we met." She let out a contented sigh when her teammate gave her an understanding smile. "I'm not sure if my clone has resorted to it, I'll find out when she dispels. If she hasn't, please don't tell Sasuke. I need to be the one to tell him."
"Okay."
"Time for me to fight then."
The mist was thick, too thick for the Sharingan to see through but not enough for her Byakugan. Alone the Sharingan wouldn't be much help in tracking Zabuza unless he was directly in front of her, but if she could use one of the abilities he spent his time gloating about knowing from within the mist, then maybe she'd give her sensei the opening he needed.
Better a slim chance than no chance at all.
According to Zabuza the Sharingan had two parts: the Eye of Insight and the Eye of Hypnotism. The Eye of Insight granted such clarity that the user had the ability to mimic anything from movements to copying almost any jutsu. The Eye of Hypnotism, on the other hand, could mesmerize an opponent into believing they were the ones choosing their actions when in fact it was the user of the Sharingan planting the suggestions to do it, just like when Kakashi induced Zabuza to do the Giant Vortex Jutsu handseals.
Of course there was a way to disarm these techniques, hence the thick mist surrounding them preventing Kakashi from using his Sharingan to its full potential. Honestly she wasn't sure how useful her Sharingan was going to be, but if by some miracle she found a way to get up close and ensnare him with it somehow, maybe it'd give them the opening they desperately needed.
Zabuza suddenly appeared behind Tazuna and Sakura, his huge blade already in motion to cut them down. Oh no you don't! "Mr. Tazuna, Sakura, move forward now!" Amari Body Flickered behind them, her kunais at the ready and a determined look on her face. Zabuza's eyes were practically glowing with demonic glee at the sight of her.
Before she could prepare her block, Kakashi appeared in front of her with his arms out to protect her.
The next sound she heard was Sakura's shrill scream as blood splattered across her face.