Chapter 13

"Look out!" Kakashi yells to us just as I get the feeling of an attack. Dropping out of the way of the huge sword I glance around to make sure everyone ducked in time. Standing I see Kakashi looking in the direction the sword had collided with the tree. Feeling certain the others were safe I turn and follow his gaze. Seeing a man with short black hair, grayish blue pants. White and black cow pattern arm warmers as he was wearing no shirt. His mouth was covered by white bandages. Though his back was to us he radiated with power. This one was definitely dangerous. Diverting my gaze away I glance to see if there were any more of them. "Well, well, isn't it Zabuza Mamochi, a rogue ninja from the village hidden in the mist." My eyes halfway close as I glare up at Zabuza. Jonin level if I remember correctly. As expected. Hearing Naruto start to run I hold my hand out to make him stop. "You're in the way." Kakashi says glancing back at him. "Get back."

"But why?!" Naruto yells though he doesn't take another step further from my outstretched arm.

"Don't you remember what I said on the boat?" I question Naruto though never taking my eyes away from Zabuza.

"He's in a whole other league… If he's our opponent I'll need this." Kakashi says as he reaches up preparing to lift his forehead protector. I hear Naruto and Sakura gasp. Even a startled sound comes from Sasuke as Kakashi goes to reveal his Sharingan eye. "This could be treacherous."

"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye. Did I get that right?" Zabuza's raspy and dark voice comes from up in the tree and I notice Sasuke look at Kakashi from the corner of my eye. "It's too bad huh, that you'll have to hand over the old man.

"Now quick, Manji formation!" Kakashi orders. "Protect the bridge builder. And stay out of this fight!" Nodding to Kakashi I jump to my spot in front of Tazuna without hesitation, unlike the others who just seemed to stand there star struck.

"Huh?" Sakura questions.

"I taught you teamwork now it's time to use it." He finishes uncovering his eye. "I'm ready."

"Ah, looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action." Zabuza states turning around to face us. "This is an honor."

"Now, you heard Kakashi, manji formation." I speak, withdrawing a Kunai from my holster rather than one of my blades. These guys were taking too long. Someone of Zabuza's caliber could have attacked Tazuna by now and they still wouldn't have been in formation. Finally, Sakura takes point behind Tazuna, Naruto was to my left as Sasuke fell to my right, kunai out and at the ready.

"Hey everyone keeps saying Sharingan, Sharingan. Will someone please tell me what that is?" Naruto asks causing me to roll my eyes.

"Sharingan a rare power, it resides in the eyes, the user of this visual jutsu or Dojutsu can instantly see and comprehend any Ninjutsu, genjutsu, and Taijutsu and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The Sharingan is a special rare form of Dojutsu. However, there is more to the Sharingan than that, a lot more." Sasuke speaks.

"You got it, right boy. But you only scratched the surface. The Sharingan can analyze an opponent's technique and then copy it to the smallest detail." Zabuza says as mist rolls in on us. Glaring I bite my bottom lip. Zabuza hadn't made any visible hand signs. Was he really so much faster than me that I couldn't even see his hands? "As for you Jonin. In the assassination unit of the hidden mist. We had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book. It called you, the man who copied over a thousand Jutsu. Kakashi the copy ninja." Zabuza crouches. "Enough talking, I need to exterminate the old man, Now."

Of course, I had envisioned scenarios of Kakashi fighting without us. With it being up to us to protect the bridge builder there isn't much we can do from here. Unless Sasuke could get some distance with his jutsu but even then. The farther away the fireball jutsu is cast the more it will dissipate. Meaning it won't do as much damage and it wouldn't be as useful against water. The fireball jutsu burns so hot it is known to evaporate water, but if it loses its size it also will become more likely to be completely ineffective against water style. The flames would be extinguished before they could even reach their target. As for Naruto, he could always use his shadow clone jutsu and still remain guarding Tazuna which would be a plus if he had any other jutsu. As is, his clones wouldn't be effective for anything other than a distraction. Naruto's skill level with kunai and shuriken would be no match for someone like Zabuza.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi says pulling me from my thoughts as I look towards him. Watching the mist become even denser with each passing second.

"But, who is he?" Sakura questions.

"Zabuza Momochi, the ex-leader of the hidden mist assassination unit. He's a master of the silent killing technique." This is starting to become more familiar to me. I thought before reaching up and tugging my forehead protector down over my eyes while continuing to listen around me, remembering Aphro's training since we were five. The use of other senses beyond eyesight. Lose one and the others are heightened. Yet, we didn't just stop at eyesight. She wanted me to fully learn the one section in my mom's b.o.s. that I had only begun to grasp. To see without seeing, to touch without touching, to feel without feeling. I had initially thought it was the transcendence of astral projection. It was Aphrodite that showed me another side to it. With the use of our energy, we can fight in utter darkness, in zero visibility, against anyone or anything. Even if there isn't a sound to be heard. It would be as if we were fighting without the handicap.

"S. s. silent?" I heard Naruto's oddly quiet question.

"As the name suggests, it happens in an instant. Without sound or warning of any kind... It's so fast you pass from this life without realizing what's happened. The Sharingan cannot fully neutralize it. So don't lower your guard." The nervous sounds of my team around me echo in my ears. "Well, if we fail we only lose our lives."

"How can you say that?!" Sakura snaps not finding Kakashi's joke to be funny in the slightest.

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker!" Naruto points out surprised.

"The land of waves is surrounded by ocean, the swirling mists are ever-present." Tazuna explains for him. It then went silent as I slowed my breathing.

"Sensei!" Sakura exclaims as everyone around me made worried sounds.

"Eight points. Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Now, which would be my attack point?" Zabuza calmly said causing me to smirk. Smooth. A burst of wind suddenly blew my hair around as I could feel the matching killing intentions mix together which made my heart pound. What... Is this feeling? I silently ask myself as I feel my veins hum in return from my energy almost painfully. I've felt the effects of fear in the air around me pulling at the predator inside of me. But this is the first time feeling two men's desire to kill one another enough it feels tangible.

"Sasuke! Calm down, I will protect you with my life... All of you. I will not allow my comrades to die.. Trust me." Kakashi says obviously to Sasuke. I could hear his unsteady breathing echoing around me before Kakashi had spoken. Now, at least it seems he has calmed down some.

"I wouldn't be so sure." I heard Zabuza's voice just before I spun on my toes raising my foot towards Zabuza. "It's over." He claimed when my foot hit nothing. Oddly. Feeling a disturbance above me I rose my kunai and caught his blade. "So, you know." He laughed bearing down on me with his massive blade. Enough force I could feel my childish legs quiver beneath his strength. "Interesting. You had even blocked your eyes with your forehead protector and still you had known I was here before the others." I felt him move more strength into his sword. "But how long can you last?" His chilling laugh echoes in my ears just before the scraping of more steel on steel sounded as the weight began to lift.

"About time Sensei." I mutter feeling him look down at me.

"Fool, trying to save her life when you can't.." Once enough weight was lifted from me I pulled one of my blades out in a spin and swung it down towards Zabuza's abdomen. I felt my blade burry inside him to the hilt. The liquid however flowing over my hand didn't have the proper consistency for blood.

"Water clone." I muttered standing straight as the clone fell apart returning to the water it had been made from. Sighing I took a step back and slipped my blade back into its sheath. I knew then I would have to answer some of Kakashi's questions after this.

"Sensei! Kira! Behind you!" Naruto yells as I feel another disturbance. With no time to block I had to jump. Pushing my chakra into my feet I leap just in time to hear that huge blade slice through something that wasn't me. Flipping backward out of the blade's reach before I land on the ground. I smirk hearing water splash against the ground shortly after. Nice one Kakashi.

"Don't move." Kakashi voices as I stand up straight switching hands with my kunai. "Now, it's over. You're finished"

"Alright!" Naruto yells in response causing me to tilt my head away from him as Sakura begins to giggle. Does he really have to shout right now? It was then I turned my attention back to Zabuza. He's chuckling.

"Finished? You really don't get it, do you? Your technique is nothing but a crass imitation. I'll never be defeated by a mere copycat ninja like you." Zabuza chuckles again. "You are full of surprises though. You had already copied my water clone jutsu by the time you made your little speech. Very skillfully executed. You made your clone say those words to draw my attention while you hid in the mist waiting for me to make my move… Nice try." It was then his voice changed positions he now sounded slightly farther away. "But, I'm not that easy to fool!"

It was then I heard the sound of water splashing just before Naruto starts yelling again. "Hey! That was a clone too!"

I could hear the large blade thrusting through the air. Holding my breath I take in the sounds of their steps before leaping over the crouching Kakashi. Spinning in mid-air I threw my foot into Zabuza's chin forcing him backward. Before planting my hands on Kakashi's back and throwing myself to the left so my feet would touch the ground just left of him. "Nice reflexes. Sensei." I smile even though I was facing Zabuza. Who had slid back against the dirt towards the water in the background.

"Stay with Tazuna, Kira." Kakashi spoke, his voice light with a smile. Nodding I closed the new distance between the others and I before turning my back on Tazuna again.

"Give him hell, Sensei." I mutter under my breath. "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura. Back in formation Now!" It took them only moments for them to return to their posts.

"Uhh... Kira. About what's happening.." Sakura began causing me to shake my head.

"Now's not the time Sakura. Focus on the mission. Trust Kakashi."

"It seems that brat of yours, Kakashi, knows a way around my technique… Pity, if she wasn't going to die today she may have one day become worthy enough to land a place in my bingo book."

"You are wrong, Zabuza. It is you who will die today." Kakashi's voice sounded so certain even I had almost believed it. Before I heard water splashing followed by Zabuza stating.

"Now!" I heard running and went to chase after until I realized something had a hold of my right arm warmer. Turning my head subconsciously in his direction I hear Sasuke mutter.

"Kakashi said to stay with Tazuna. Take your own advice, Kira. Believe in him." Audibly sighing I nod to him. He's right. I nearly acted before thinking again. The tension around us was thick as everyone, including me. Worried about Kakashi. Using my left hand I hook my kunai on my forehead protector and raise it so I can watch the water. "He has great physical skill too." Sasuke's words caused me to look at him. Yes, Zabuza is strong but...

Looking back ahead of me I watch Kakashi resurface in the water. He's taking too long! I shout in my head just before Zabuza showed up behind him standing on the water.

"Ahh, fool." He claims before creating hand signs so quickly they looked like a blur. "Water prison Jutsu!" He calls just as his hands stop causing Kakashi to look back towards him.

"No!" It was then the water around Kakashi rose surrounding him in a sphere.

"Sensei!" I yelled but Sasuke kept a firm grip on my arm warmer keeping me from charging in. That's right. Calm down. I take in a deep breath closing my eyes. Zabuza is holding Kakashi in place by his right hand being inside the prison. So we need to break that contact. But how?...

"So much for the great Kakashi." Zabuza breaks me out of my untimely thoughts. "I'll finish you off later. But first, your little Brat and her friends have to be eliminated." As he said brat I watch as he rubs his jaw where I had kicked him. Smirking I lightly tug my arm away from Sasuke and move my Kunai to my right hand. Kakashi doesn't want me to leave Tazuna so I won't! I now pin Zabuza with a glare before throwing my kunai at him.

In the time it took for my kunai to leave my hand and get to Zabuza he raises his left arm creating a hand sign with one hand. The water next to him rose and created a mirror image of him that pulled his sword and blocked his actual body from my kunai. He only chuckled. "You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja? When you've hovered between life and death so many times it doesn't phase you then, you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly your profile has been entered into my bingo book, then you may have earned the title ninja." Zabuza's clone raises his left hand again in a hand sign causing the mist to thicken again. "But to call upstarts like you ninja is a joke." Blinking twice as he vanishes into the mist again I step forward pulling my blades from their sheathes. This time not being stopped by Sasuke I pull my forehead protector back over my eyes. Deciding to not solely rely on my hearing I reach out further with my energy so I can feel his every move. "I guess I'll start with you!" He declared before I could feel his clone moving towards me. Shit!