-1Chapter 10: An Innocent Victim

The air grew more and more tense. Kakahsi tightened his grip on his kunai. The battle would be hard. Before both of them were hardly scratched. Haku prepared his needles, ready for anything. "Let us Begin." Haku raced towards Kakashi.

He threw many needles at him. Kakashi jumped into the trees, nearly getting hit by the needles. Nakamuru, who was hiding in the bushes, squaled. She didn't belive what she was seeing. 'Why are they fighting? Haku be careful!'

Kakashi threw his kunai at Haku. Haku laughed and dodged it easily. But this gave Kakashi time to lift his headband up and reveal his sharigan. The two ninja's fought with needles, and kunai, for almost a half-hour. When Kakashi decided that was enough and was ready to use a jutsu. As Haku sent another barage of needles, Kakashi ducked behind a tree.

"Come out and fight me!" Haku yelled at the woods around him. He waited, but silence. Finally he ran towards the tree that Kakashi had ducked behind. The needles stuck out of the trunk, at least an inch in. Haku looked behind, but no Kakashi. Then he heard a kunai coming his way.

Haku was able to to pull back his head just as it stuck itself into the trunk. Right in front of his nose. Haku smiled. "So that's where you are!" He sent another wave of needles towards the direction of the kunai. But nothing. Frustrated Haku went back to the clearing and waited for his enemy to show himself. Silence.

Nakamuru sat in the bushes. She was scared to show herself. She had only known Haku for three days, but she saw him as a gentle kind boy. Nakamuru never thought Haku would want to kill someone. But what scared her the most was the murderous intent in his eyes. They showed anger, sorrow, and hatred. His face had gotten darker, and more mysterious. The smile he had worn just a moment ago had disappeared completely. Nakamuru shivered in fear.

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Naruto and Sakura ran through the woods. There was no mistake, Kakashi had been following Haku. He would need their help in order to defeat him. Not only because of Haku's strength, but because of Haku's hatred. Hatred and sorrow drove Haku to fight. He wanted revenge for a friend. Naruto and Sakura could understand, but this was more extreme. He was taking his feelings out on those who didn't kill Zabuza.

"We have to hurry. Kakashi-sensei won't kill Haku, but that doesn't mean Haku will have the same understanding!" Naruto yelled to Sakura as they whizzed through the trees. Each and every second was precious to the survival of both Haku and Kakashi.

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Two kunai came from different directions at Haku. He saw them and ducked just in time as the canceled each other out. The clash was hard, and sparks flew, falling over Haku. The fireworks in the distance lit up the clearing, but only once in a while. The moonlight took care of the rest. Another and another attack, of the same porportion. Haku was breathing heavy and trying his best to locate Kakashi's postition.

'Wait! He's using a clone jutsu to attack from two different places! How foolish of me not to notice before!' Haku readed himself for another attack. This time, he would aim for the spot of one of the kunai. It came, he threw the needles in one of the directions. When the needles hit the bushes he heard the clone disappear, and a cloud of smoke rose up.

Haku smiled, "Success."

"Not yet!" Haku heard a sqeaking, like a thousand birds. Then a blue light came out from behind him. There was Kakashi with the Chidori forming in his hand. Lighting shot out from all directions. Kakashi gripped his wrist, he stuck his hand in the ground and started running after Haku.

All of this was going too fast for Haku to react. Kakashi was only a few feet away when he pulled up his hand and started to thrust it towards Haku. Nakamuru couldn't watch any longer. She jumped out of the bushes right in front Haku. It was all Kakashi could do to not hit her. His feet skidded to a stop and he thrust his hand down again. It hit the ground right in front of Nakamuru. The energy went flying through the soil, sending dirt, twigs, pieces of roots, through the air. The shock caused a wave of energy. Nakamuru kept her shirt from flying up.

After the blue light subsided. Kakashi was panting fromt he rush. He looked up at Nakamuru, who was guarding Haku. The image of Haku in front of Zabuza flashed through his mind. 'Just like before, exactly like before.' Kakashi pulled his hand from the hole in the earth. Haku was too shocked to do anything but stand there and stare at Nakamuru. He was confused, why was she there? Why did she protect him? He was too confused to deal with the problem at that time.

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Naruto and Sakura were close to the clearing when they saw a bright blue light. "Kakashi-sensei's Chidori!" Sakura said to Naruto. "We have to hurry!" They were only a few yards away. They should get there in a few seconds. But a few seconds is all that Haku needs.

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Kakashi still stood there. Shocked about the girl's sudden appearence. Haku saw this as his chance to strike. He jumped back and performed a hand seal. Like before, mirriors surrounded Kakashi. Only this time, Nakamuru was accidently caught. Haku was too full of rage to notice. All he cared about was that he had caught Kakashi off guard.

Nakamuru was confused. She backed into one of the mirrors. Haku appeared behind her. "I'm sorry, but I can't take any chances." She jumped and turned around. But there was no need, in a flash, Haku was in every mirror. Kakashi grabbed the girl and pulled her under him. It was just in time as needles rained down upon them. Kakashi's body acted as a sheild for the young girl. Nakamuru screamed at the top of her lungs. Not knowing what was going on. All she wanted was to watch the fireworks with her new friend and her sister. But now she was caught between a ninja battle, and her life was in danger.

Kakashi gasped from the pain. None of his vital spots were hit though. But the needles were covered in the liquid. He shivered from the attack. Now he knew how Naruto had felt when Haku attacked. Only this time it was much worse. Needles not only stuck out of arms and legs, but his back too. Nakamuru hudled up to Kakashi. The stranger was all she had to protect her. Then her eyes grew even wider with fear, blood dripped on her hand.

"Your- you're injured!"Kakashi didn't reply. He didn't want to scare the girl. If he opened his mouth he knew he would scream in pain. Then the girl turned away from the jounin and to the mirrors. "Haku! Stop it! Your hurting him! Leave him alone. What has he done to you?"

Now only one mirror held Haku's image. "I'm getting my revenge." Nakamuru gasped. 'So this man did kill Zabuza. But why kill him back. Isn't it enough that he's going through this pain.' She closed her eyes and hel Kakashi up. "Please Haku stop! He saved my life, the life you were about to take. Please, if not for me, then do it for yourself. You'll regret this!" Kakashi looked at the girl and saw the fear in her eyes. How long had she known Haku? It was obvious that she cared for the boy.

"Let her go Haku. She has done nothing." Kakashi stood as tall as the needles would let him. "Don't put her through this. You only want to kill the guilty right? Well she's just an innocent victim." Nakamuru looked up at him. He was negotiating for her life. He didn't even know her. How could such a person, kill Haku's friend?

Haku's image didn't stir. He just stared at the ground. "I'm afraid, I can't do that."

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Sakura landed on a branch next to Naruto. The sight wasn't what they had expected. Instead of Haku injured or dead he was nowhere. Kakashi was trapped in the ice mirror jutsu. Next to him was a young girl. Kakashi and Haku were talking. But what were they saying. Sakura and Naruto wanted to know what was going on before they attacked. They moved to a bush that was closer to the scene. They could hear their sensei speaking.

"And why can't you?"

"Because, you might escape as well. I won't take any more chances. Now be quiet!" Another barage of needles came at them. Kakashi bent over Nakamuru just in time. He clenched his teeth as the needles stuck him in the back. Still avoiding vital areas. Nakamuru just cried. Her tears rolling off her face onto the ground.

"Stop it Haku! Stop it!" Her screams seemed to have no effect on the boy. That's when Sakura and Naruto acted. They pulled out eight kunai each and tossed them at the mirrors. The mirrors shattered and so did Haku's image. Nakamuru didn't realize what was going on. She just held onto Kakashi's arm. Kakashi looked up to see the mirrors melting. Sakura ran over to her sensei and the shooken girl. Kakashi smiled underneath his mask.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto ran over too. "Why didn't you tell us that you found haku? We could have helped."

"No, seeing you would have enraged Haku even more, it's good you stayed back. If he knew you were here, he would have run before we could have gotten in ear shot of him." Kakashi fell to the ground after that. Nakamuru shrieked.

Kakashi tried standing up, but it was too much. Sakura helped him. Naruto kept an eye for Haku. But he realized that the boy had gotten away. Yet again. That's when he noticed Nakamuru. He walked over to her, seeing that Sakura was helping Kakashi. "Are you alright?"

Nakamuru nodded her head, "Yes, I'm just a little shocked of what happened. Is this what all shinobi battles are like?"

Naruto was surprised. "You know about shinobi?-and no. Not all of them. Sometimes, no, most times it's to the death."

Nakamuru shook her head at the thought. Then Sakura glared at Naruto for scaring the girl again. She sighed. "What's your name?"

"Chei, Chei Nakamuru."

"Do you know where the hospital is?"

"Yes, I'll show you!" Sakura and Naruto helped support their wounded sensei. They followed Nakamuru through the woods. Once they were in town she showed them a large white building. The sign said hospital. They walked Kakashi in. The nurse at the desk immediately stood up at the sight of the four.

"What happened?"

"A ninja battle!" The nurse gasped at Nakamuru's words. She picked up a phone and said a few words in it. Soon at least ten other nurses had appeared. They all mumured to each other. Kakashi was growing heavier and heavier, as Sakura and Naruto grew more and more tired. Kakashi finally fully opened his eyes. First he pulled the headband back over his sharigan. Next he removed himself from Sakura and Naruto's grip. He put his hands on the wall and supported himself that way.

"You two sit, your tired. I would myself, but the needles won't allow it.'' Sakura reluctantly sat down. Nakamuru sat down beside her. Naruto stayed by Kakashi incase he needed help. Naruto saw that the needles were covered in the same liquid as before. Naruto winced at the realization of the pain Kakashi must have felt.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm going to pull the needles out. I'll try and get all of them." Kakashi nodded his head at Naruto's sugetstion. Kakashi clenched his teeth as Naruto pulled out the needles one by one. Sakura stood up adn without saying anything began to heal some of the wounds. Naruto had gotten all the needles out. Sakura was working on healing the larger, more immediate wounds, when the nurses came over.

She looked from the genins to the jounin. "So you're all shinobi. Ok. The bill will be a bit higher if we treat him. Is that alright?" Kakashi nodded. He would pay for himself.

They took Kakashi to an examination room. Sakura and Naruto knew they couldn't stay now that they had Kakashi. The one thing left to take care of was Nakamuru. They didn't know where she lived, or even if she were form this town.

Sakura pondered on this for a moment and then turned to Naruto. "What if she stayed with us until morning. You and I can switch rooms. This way we have the two beds."

"If she wants to come back to the hotel with us?" Naruto and Sakura looked at Nakamuru. She smiled and nodded. They figured she was still a little shooken up over tonight's events. "Ok, how old are you?'

"Ten!" She looked a little younger than that. But then again, Kakashi didn't exactly look like he was twenty-six. The two shrugged. Sakura took Nakamuru's hand and led her out of the hospital. They walked down to the hotel. A sign said that they were closed. But if you had a key you could get in.

When they got into the rooms, Nakamuru ran over the bed and flopped down on it. "Awwww, these beds are so comfortable. Back home I have to sleep on a matress and blankets in the corner of my room." Sakura smiled at the girl as she locked the door. A set of two sliding doors joined her room with Naruto's. Sakura sat on the bed next to Nakamuru. Nakamuru took off her shirt and pants. Underneath were a night shirt. Sakura smiled. She got up and went behind the changing wall. She came out wearing a silk nightgown.

Sakura sat down again and began to brush Nakamuru's hair. It was long and silky. The black waves uncurled from the pony tail she had it in. "So, do you live here with your family?"

"Just my sister. We found Haku passed out on a road. Where do you live?"

"Naruto, the blonde headed boy, and I live in a hidden village. We're shinobi! I live with my parents. But Naruto doesn't have any family."

"Oh. Who was the person who saved me back in the forest?"

"Who? Oh, you must be talking about Kakashi-sensei. I don't know if he has family. But he lives in the same village as we do. Infact he's our sensei."

"Kakashi-sensei... I like him, he's nice. So is your boyfriend Naruto."

"Boy-boyfriend! No, we're just friends." Sakura said blushing a little.

"Oh,sorry." Sakura stopped brushing her hair. Nakamuru crawled to the top of the bed and slipped under the covers. The minute her head touched the pillow, her eyes were closed and she fell asleep. Sakura stared at the girl. She had probably been frightened beyond anything else tonight. She stroked Nakamuru's face. When she went to go to her bed she tripped over something.

Naruto's bag was still in her room. Sakura sighed and picked it up. She walked over to the doors and pushed them open. Naruto was sitting on his bed, he was placing down Kakashi's pack. He smiled at Sakura and walked over. He had taken off his orange shirt, to reveal a black t-shirt.

"Here, you forgot something." She held out his bag.

"Arigato, Sakura-chan. How is she?" He said nodding towards Nakamuru.

"She's doing fine. We'll have to find her sister in the morining. Now good night," she stepped back and shut the doors. Naruto smiled, Sakura had looked very pretty in her silk nightgown and her hair down. He went over to his bed and pulled out his own pajamas and night cap.

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