The morning dawned bright and clear. Juno stood on the deck surrounding Tazuna's home and wrapped up her morning workout with a luxurious overhead stretch, spine crackling. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and it was warm enough that she had chosen to forgo wearing her poncho overcoat. Inside the house was a bustle of activity as the rest of their rag-tag group roused and made their way through what was now an established morning routine. Rise, eat, stretch and warm up, and dress for the day.
All except Naruto that is, who was still snoring loudly in the living room. It was so noisy that she could hear it from where she stood outside. Re-entering the house through the sliding doors, Juno casually dropped one shoe on the floor near his head, and stared in amazement as the loud 'thump' didn't cause so much as a twitch. She turned to look at Kakashi, who was sitting nearby, busy tying the bandages that secured the ends of his pants to his legs.
"Wow, he is out".
He chuckled, and came to stand beside her to gaze down at the sleeping boy. Naruto was sprawled, limbs akimbo, mouth wide open and dripping with drool. The sight was kinda cute. If you could overlook the rackous sound of his snoring, that is. "He used too much chakra while training yesterday. That boy doesn't know the meaning of the word 'restraint'."
"No kidding," Juno said.
"Hmm, I think I'll let him sleep and recover his energy. A good leader knows when to allow his comrades to rest." Kakashi said, slouched, hands in his pockets.
Juno felt a welling of amusement. "Right, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you'd have to deal with a sleep-deprived, temperamental, nuisance otherwise."
He tilted his head in her direction with a single, smile-creased eye. "I don't know what you mean."
"Hmm."
The group finished getting ready, then set off towards the bridge. They were mostly silent on the walk, which Juno was grateful for as she tried to shake off the vestiges of sleep, something that was slightly easier these days now that Tsunami had introduced her to the miracle that was 'coffee'. It was a dark and bitter drink that reminded her of the pu'erh tea that the Earth Kingdom favoured, and did wonders for her mental alertness. Although, she discovered that drinking too much of the stuff made her feel like a colony of ants lived under her skin.
The last of the early morning mist was dissipating in the sunlight as they crested over the hill that led to the town. There was a more direct route to the bridge from Tazuna's home that skirted the town altogether, but Juno thought that Tazuna deliberately wanted the townsfolk to see him going to work everyday. While she found Tazuna to be somewhat crass and insensitive, she had to admire his dedication to restoring hope to the people of the Land of Waves. At this time of day, only the fishermen were out and about, but Tazuna made sure to call out and greet each one that they came across.
Soon, they reached the bridge and began the long walk to the other end. The first time she had seen it, Juno had marvelled at the engineering wonder. She had seen some impressive architecture in her time, but what was truly amazing was the fact that the people of this world had built the monstrosity without the aid of earthbending. Just pure human ingenuity.
Throughout the walk, Juno kept one eye on Kakashi. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of him. On the one hand, he was a strong and capable warrior, clearly dedicated to the safety of his students. On the other, he was lazy and flippant, and seemed content to let his student's emotional needs go unaddressed. It didn't take a sage to know that Sasuke and Naruto had some major emotional trauma that was afflicting them. Naruto was desperate for acceptance and was obsessed with status. Sasuke was sullen and way too embittered for a twelve year old. During Juno's education, mastering your emotions and learning to achieve spiritual balance and enlightenment was paramount. Clearly, the ninja teacher did not hold this value in equal esteem. And while on the surface, Kakashi projected a detached, wry, demeanor, Juno sensed a darkness in him that put her on edge.
All throughout the walk, he focused his attention on the small orange book he was perpetually reading. She hadn't gotten close enough to see exactly what it was about, but the pictures on the front cover didn't make it too difficult to guess. A ninja obsessed with reading romance novels? The contradictions just made her wonder about him even more. What was his deal?
If he noticed her scrutiny, he didn't acknowledge it. Despite this, Juno was sure that, beneath his seeming nonchalance, he was intensely aware of his surroundings. At times she could feel his eyes on her, though she never caught him in the act. It seemed as though he was as watchful of her that she was of him.
They were just about to reach the edge of the bridge when something put Juno on guard. The noise of the construction crew and their equipment should have reached them by now, but there was only the sound of waves and the faint cries of distant gulls. A faint fog obstructed their view, so Juno couldn't be sure, but she felt that something was wrong.
Kakashi noticed her tense, which confirmed her belief that he was more aware of his environment than he let on.
"What is it?" He asked quietly.
"It's too quiet."
Tazuna, at the front of their group, confirmed Juno suspicions when he cried out "Hold on, what the heck is this?"
They jogged the rest of the way to the active construction area, and were met with a distressing sight. Scattered across the bridge were members of the crew groaning in pain, knocked unconscious, or worse. Juno could see a man, one who had been an active member of the betting ring, lying with his neck bent at an unnatural angle. He was dead.
"What happened? Someone was here, someone got to them!" Tazuna started towards the fallen members of the crew, but stopped when Kakashi extended his arm in warning.
"Wait!"
They waited in tense silence. Suddenly, a thick fog rolled in. Within seconds, what had been a day of relatively clear skies and bright sunshine was totally obscured by mist. It had the same unnaturally dense and heavy quality as the mist from the battle at the river the week prior. Juno dropped into a bending stance and brought her arms up.
"This mist...everyone get ready!" Kakashi shot out to the rest of their group. Sakura and Sasuke quickly followed their teacher's instructions, arming themselves with kunai knives and forming a defensive circle around Tazuna. Kakashi himself took a forward position, his own knife at the rady. "I knew he was still alive. He just couldn't wait for round two."
"Kakashi-sensei, it's Zabuza, isn't it? This is his Hidden-Mist jutsu." Juno heard Sakura speak up from behind her, only a slight tremor to her words to suggest nervousness. Juno's eyes were quickly scanning the area in front of them, hoping for a slight glimpse of motion to indicate where their enemies were. The fog was so dense, visibility was frustratingly restricted to only a few feet ahead of them. Juno quickly made a decision.
"You know what? I'm sick of this mist." Juno said. She widened her stance and started to sweep her arms in wide circles. Once she built up momentum, she started to spin her whole body and performed a classic circle-walking airbending form. She deviated from the typical form by drawing on both her air and water bending skills. She felt more than saw the fog respond to her influence, and soon, the air cleared to reveal two figures at the end of the bridge. Spinning gracefully back into a bending-ready stance, Juno saw that it was their opponents from the week before, Zabuza and Haku.
Kakashi turned to the kids. "Sakura, Sasuke, stay with Tazuna." He stepped forward next to Juno as they squared off against the enemy ninja.
Juno heard a firm "Right!" from her young friend behind them, but did not lift her attention from the two figures at the end of the bridge. She felt a lot more prepared to face them now that she had a basic understanding of the fighting techniques they would potentially be using, but it would be a mistake to think that she could lower her guard at all. Although Juno had combat experience, she had little experience fighting people who had the explicit intention of killing her, and were trained in assassination techniques. She was sure they were in for a difficult fight.
Zabuza broke the silence. "Hmph, I see you've cleared my mist. But don't think it'll make a difference, I'll still gut you all like the spineless fish you are."
Juno wasn't above a little smack talk herself. It had been her old earthbending instructor who had taught her the usefulness of intimidation, or of infuriating an opponent enough to cause them to lose focus and put them off their game. A distracted enemy was a weakened enemy.
"Big talk for a guy we squashed not a full week ago. But at least you have your little friend to help protect you this time." Juno taunted.
She was rewarded by a deep growl from Zabuza. "Haku, you know what to do."
Almost quicker than Juno's eyes could track, Haku spun and whirled in to attack first. Juno's arms shot out in a jagged scythe, sending forth an airbending slash to keep him from coming too close. Juno's strength was in mid-ranged combat, where she could attack with bending strikes from a distance and use her passive airbending sense to avoid incoming attacks. Her close-combat skills were fine, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to match Haku's speed.
Haku avoided the air slash with a level of grace that was stunning to behold. The obstacle barely seemed to phase him as he continued his forward charge and, despite Juno's efforts, he quickly came into her space armed with the thin needle-blades he favoured. Juno had to back-track and circle-walk aggressively to avoid the whip-fast strikes. Coming out of a spin, Juno thrust her fists out to deliver an air-punch to Haku's gut, successfully pushing him back a few feet.
They stared at each other for a moment. Juno was slightly embarrassed to find that her breath was coming in fast. Though he was probably similar in age to Sakura and the other kids, he was way out of their league when it came to actual combat. There was no hesitation to his strikes that she could sense. Despite his youth, he was a veteran fighter, one who had probably killed many times before. The eyes of the pale, expressionless mask he wore bored into her.
"I don't want to kill you. We're just here for the bridge builder." His voice was soft, belying the violence from a moment prior. The strange thing was, Juno suspected that the strange boy was being sincere.
"Well, I don't want to kill you either," Juno replied. "But I can't let you hurt Tazuna. His work here is too important. Plus, I made a promise to his daughter to keep him alive." She prod at the hint of vulnerability the boy had displayed. "Why are you doing this if you don't just want to kill us, then? Is money so important to you?"
"It's not that. I merely serve the will of Zabuza. I am an extension of his dreams and desires. I follow his every command without question."
Juno was appalled. "What? Why?" She glanced over towards where Zabuza and Kakashi were currently engaged in combat. The tall, ashen man swung the giant sword like it weighed light as a feather, nothing about him indicating that he had been severely injured only a week before. Kakashi danced around him, deflecting the massive blows with only a small knife. From where she stood, she could hear the two men exchanging taunts and barbs while they fought. It was difficult to understand what about the man could inspire such loyalty in Haku.
"Zabuza gives me purpose where I would otherwise have none. Beyond that, there is nothing more for you to understand." Haku shifted into a battle ready stance. "You stand opposed to his goal, and though it pains me, that act spells out your death. I will try and ensure that it is a clean one." With one hand held in front of his face, she saw Haku flash through a quick succession of hand signals. She braced herself for the attack that was sure to follow.
"Secret jutsu, 1000 needles of death!"
Water on the bridge floated sedately upward around them. Once they were the height of a tall man, the blobs of water suddenly condensed into hundreds of frozen ice needles. Juno only had a moment to prepare before they crashed towards her.
She breathed deep in her gut, spread her arms wide, and summoned a fire shield. The flames whirled around her body, snapping and crackling. Above the sound of the fire, she could hear the hiss of water as needles struck the barrier and melted in an instant. When the hissing stopped, she dropped the form and the flames dissipated.
Instantly, Juno bent the water around her into a powerful water whip and snapped it towards Haku's feet, driving him back. She drove her assault forward relentlessly, taking advantage of his surprise.
"You're not the only one who can fight with water." She taunted. The moment she had him backpedalling, she froze the water behind him, and was briefly rewarded when he slipped slightly. He righted himself after a moment, then made a large jump to clear the area.
In the momentary reprieve, Juno tried to formulate a strategy. From the looks of things, she was on her own in this fight. Kakashi was preoccupied with Zabuza, and Sakura and Sasuke had to stay near Tazuna in case either enemy ninja made a sudden break to assassinate him. It seemed as though Haku's main strengths were his speed and his control over water and ice. Juno could use her bending to deflect the water-based attacks, but Haku was definitely much faster than her at close range. She would likely have to rely on using bending techniques in ways that Haku did not expect, similar to how she was able to defeat Zabuza in their last fight. Juno wished momentarily that they were fighting on solid ground as opposed to the metal bridge. She wouldn't be able to use earthbending at all. Although it was her weakest element, it would have allowed her to manipulate her environment to her advantage.
She would just have to try and tire him out. Despite being a formidable warrior in his own right, Haku was still just a growing boy, not yet settled into the strength of a mature adult body. Juno also knew that using elemental attacks would just deplete his chakra, perhaps to a level where he could be slowed enough to overpower. She would have to try and provoke him into using more elemental attacks to speed the process along.
She held her water whip aloft for a moment, then swirled and bent the water above her head into flashy, twisted forms.
"You think you are a water master? I lived with water-bending babies who manipulated water with more finesse than that last attack. Don't tell me that's the best you can do?" She taunted, and released the strain of water into a spray of mist. The water rained down and pooled on the ground between them. She crouched into a ready position, and crooked her hand in a 'come at me' gesture that she was sure would translate, despite being from different worlds.
Haku did not respond verbally, just lifted two fingers in front of his face once more and paused a moment, gathering energy. The temperature in the air dropped drastically. Juno's breath puffed out of her mouth in a fog. Behind her, ice rose from the ground and formed a flat panel, shiny like a mirror. She only had a moment to regret her taunt before she was utterly surrounded and penned in.
"Secret jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors."
Juno spun around and gasped, "Not mirrors again!" The bottom dropped out of her stomach. Without her consent, her breath came in short gasping pants, heart pounding. Her mind raced with images of Hurosai's labyrinth. Visions flashed by: seeing herself killed and dismembered by crystal beasts, pleading for help, her blood splattering on the crystalline walls. The mirrors around her started to glow; Haku stepped up and melted his body into one. His expressionless mask flashed across all the mirrors to regard her coldly.
"Now, we begin."
In an instant, tiny needles shot out and pierced her on all sides. She felt the impact like pinpricks of fire. The pain lanced around her, making her cry out.
It hurt like demon fire, but the pain served to shock her out of her mindless panic. Haku paused in his assault just as she managed to get a grip. She took a few deep breaths, ignored the pain, and centered herself.
"Don't you see? It is pointless to resist. No one can defend against my ice mirrors." Haku's voice echoed around her. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from.
Juno glanced down at her body. Needles stuck out all over her arms and legs, reminding her of the porcupine-boars that roamed the Fire Nation countryside. She plucked one out and looked at it. It was metal, so she couldn't defend herself by melting them in a fire shield. She tossed the needle to the side, ignoring the small trickle of blood seeping from the wound.
"There's always a first for everything kid, and I'm not just anyone." She crouched, making eye contact with the reflection of Haku in front of her. "Lets go!"
He rose to her bait, and another volley of needles barraged her from all sides. She planted her feet on the ground and froze a barrier of ice all around her.
She crouched inside her shelter and listened to the needles strike the surface of the ice. She was safe for the moment, but she also couldn't attack him from inside the shield. To go on the offensive, she would need to expose herself to his needle attacks. Hopefully, her original plan of tiring him out would still work before she needed to resort to that.
Suddenly, there was silence. It could just be that Haku realized the futility of throwing needles against her thick ice shield. That, or something else could be happening outside. Juno debated with herself for a second, then lowered her defences to see what was going on.
It became apparent after a minute that something was going on. And that something was in the shape of a hyperactive, orange, loud-mouth causing a ruckus just outside the circle of mirrors. Naruto was jumping and shouting, and Juno could see flashes of the fight just beyond. It seemed as though the younger children had joined the battle.
She saw that Haku was distracted momentarily, and she took the opportunity to try something. Gathering her focus, Juno superheated the air in front of her with a sustained, concentrated, firebending blast. She aimed the force of the blast to the nearest mirror. After a moment, she felt needles pierce her back, and she abandoned the attack to defend herself with ice once more. But not before she saw that her attack had no effect beyond producing a slight sheen of perspiration on the mirror's surface.
"You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice." She heard Haku state from beyond her ice shield. She heard the pat pat pat of more needles striking her shield.
Juno thought quickly.
"More heat, huh?" Juno muttered to herself, as she settled cross-legged on the ground. Trust Naruto to ruin her perfectly sound plan. With the children joining the fight, she no longer had the luxury of trying to tire-out Haku with a long battle. Spirits know, despite their enthusiasm and relative skill, the kids were just not ready for active combat. At this point, their inexperience would cause them to be more of a hindrance than a help to Kakashi and herself. She needed to end this quickly, and help to put Zabuza down. So, more heat it would be.
She closed her eyes and reached for that special space deep in her center. She quieted the outside world and focused her chi until she could feel it rushing and swirling through her body like the surge of a thundering waterfall. When she next opened her eyes, they were glowing.
In an instant she leapt up, crashing through the barrier of her ice shield. With the force of ten thousand Avatars, Juno waged a firestorm the likes of which that world had never seen. Swaths of flames licked at the mirrors' edges, burning white-hot with the force of her strength.
From the center of the inferno, Juno saw the moment Haku abandoned the sanctuary of his mirrors. He flung his body away at the last moment, seconds before the mirrors shattered from the heat of her assault.
The molten glass rained down around her as she began to work to contain the firestorm, her epic concentration gathering the heat and power back into herself. In the end, she stood in a circle of steaming concrete slag, air shimmering from the heat. She maintained the Avatar state for a moment longer while she stared her foe down. The glow of her eyes and tattoos receded slowly as she came back into herself. With several quick motions, she pinned Haku to the ground with an ice prison of her own.
With an airbending leap, Juno cleared the decimated area of the bridge to land lightly beside Haku's prone form. She took a moment to look towards where the others were fighting. While she had been trapped in the ice mirrors, Zabuza had used his hidden mist jutsu once more to obscure the battlefield, so she couldn't see much, only hear distant sounds of fighting. Also, strangely, the sound of growling animals. She could only hope the others were okay.
She looks down at Haku, who was lying placidly in his ice prison. She had encased all but his head in solid ice, making extra sure to include his arms and prevent him from making any more hand signs. His mask had fallen away at some point, likely while he was escaping her firestorm. His face was deceptively delicate and pretty for such a lethal warrior, although his current expression was rather forlorn.
She crouched by his head. He turned to look into her eyes and Juno was taken aback by the bleak gaze.
"You should just kill me," he said. The resignation in his voice saddened her deeply.
"Now, why would I go and do a thing like that?" she replied.
"I've outlived my usefulness to Zabuza. What use is a tool if it is no longer sharp? I see no point in living if I can no longer serve him." He averted his gaze and stared blankly into the fog.
Juno was quiet, mulling over his words. As loathe as she was to admit it, they struck a chord within her. Hadn't she just felt that same loss of purpose herself? Her whole life she had been groomed to be the Avatar, to take her place in the world as an arbiter of peace and justice. The loss of that certainty and direction had cut as keenly as the thought of never seeing her friends and loved ones again. That listlessness and depression clung to her still, despite the relatively distracting events of the past week. She knew his pain.
She gently reached out and touched his chin, angling his face so he would meet her eyes. She let her own despair bleed into her expression. Though her face was sad, her voice was firm.
"You listen to me. I know that pain you are feeling. But you are not a mere tool, built for a single purpose. You are a person, whose dreams and aspirations will evolve and grow with you throughout your whole life." she shook her head morosely, "sometimes they will change because they need to, because you've lost someone or something and that dream is now an impossibility. That will always be tragic. But tragedy and pain is the price of living and loving in a temporary world." she looked deeply into his eyes, and lifted her lips into a small smile. "The best part is, there will always be new dreams. You are strong and young. I see many new purposes in your future. Just have faith in yourself, and the way will become clear."
She left him to mull over her words. Coming out of her crouch, she turned to head over to where she had heard the sounds of the battle. The fog was still obscuring her vision, but it was less thick than before. She could actually faintly see the outline of two forms in the distance. She took a step in that direction, but before she could take another, a bright flash and the sound of cackling air made her stop in surprise. In an instant, the two forms in the distance collided in a thunderous clap.
Heart in her throat, Juno dashed forward, hoping that Kakashi and the children were alright. As she approached the scene, the fog cleared completely.
It was a dramatic tableaux. Zabuza: bloodied, covered in hound-like creatures, eyes open in an expression of shocked surprise. Kakashi: fist extended, buried in Zabauza's torso up to the wrist. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were nearby, along with Tazuna. All seemed unharmed from where she stood, but Juno wouldn't be satisfied until she knew for sure.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zabuza collapsed, the hounds surrounding him releasing his body from the grips of their jaws. Kakashi stood tall, looking down at the fallen enemy. Juno approached slowly, making no effort to muffle the sound of her approach. She soon garnered the attention of the group.
Sakura and Naruto ran up to her side, exclaiming loudly. Sasuke ambled over, less eager but still seemed to be relieved to see her.
"Juno-chan!"
"You're alright!"
She patted their heads distractedly, eyes remaining on the form of their teacher. Kakashi was looking her over as well, taking stock of her injuries. He had once again resumed a slouched stance, although his nonchalant facade was a little more difficult to maintain with blood stains tracking all the way up his arm and a corpse just behind him. As he fully turned towards her, Juno could also see traces of blood on his chest as well, perhaps the result of an injury.
"I was just on my way to save you from that freaky mirror-trap jutsu, Juno-chan!" Naruto shouted, "but then I saw that huuuge fire! That was so crazy! Was that you who did that?" He was pretty jazzed up, hopping about like Asa when he had eaten too many sugar-snap berries. "Did you get that Haku guy? We got Zabuza pretty good, although I have to admit Kakashi-sensei did most of the work."
Sakura smacked him upside the head. "Naruto, would you shut up for just a second? Give her a second to breathe!" She turned to look Juno over, and exclaimed over the needles that still protruded from her body. "Ouch! Those look like they hurt! We were worried when you and Haku disappeared into the fog, and when we saw the fire, we got really worried." She paused, "that really was you wasn't it, though?"
"Yeah, that was me", Juno replied. Now that the battle was over, she could feel the pain from her myriad injuries edging in. She was going to need to pull the needles out soon and heal the pin-prick cuts. She was not looking forward to it.
"So, Haku is dead?" Kakashi inquired, approaching the group.
"No, he's alive. I left him trussed-up just over there." She indicated over her shoulder. "Don't worry, he's not going anywhere anytime soon."
Kakashi nodded, and sighed deeply. "It's over, then." He sounded tired. Perhaps, despite being a battle-hardened ninja, killing Zabuza took more out of him than he wanted to admit.
"Don't be so sure about that."
They spun around. At the very edge of the bridge, just beyond where some of the mist lingered, a group of men emerged from the fog like spectres. At the fore of the group was a stout man with long, ragged, auburn hair, a thin moustache, and a receding hairline. He was wearing dark spectacles that made his eyes look like those of an insect. In one hand he held a cane, the other hand was encased in a cast. The thugs surrounding him were a rag-tag group, but they all looked as mean as scorpion-snakes.
"Gato, I presume?" intoned Kakashi, as their group readied themselves for battle once more. Juno grit her teeth against the pain of her injuries and mentally prepared herself, shoving the discomfort to the back of her mind.
"At your service. I should really be thanking you, you know, for getting rid of Zabuza. Now I don't have to pay his exorbitant fee." Gato sneered. Juno felt a wave of anger at his remark. Such a blatant disregard for life was disgusting to her, the mark of a true animal. Although, even animals respected the balance of nature. The man in front of her could not even be said to do that much.
Juno stepped up closer to where Kakashi stood, putting the three children and Tazuna behind her. She glanced at him. He was in his classic nonchalant posture, slouched with his hands in his pockets. With the mask and headband covering one eye it was hard to gauge his condition accurately. "You up for this?"
"Ehh, not really, I used up too much chakra." He remarked to her quietly, eyes on the group in front of them never wavering.
"Okayyy," she drew the sound out, thinking quickly.
Honestly, their odds didn't look great. Kakashi and Juno were tired out from their respective battles. The thugs in front of them didn't look as lethal as Zabuza and Haku had been, but looks could be deceiving, and even weak enemies could get a lucky hit in. Not to mention, the sheer size of the opposing force was severely skewing the odds in against them. Even with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura pitching in, they were likely to be overwhelmed by numbers alone. Juno heaved an internal sigh and prepared to enter the Avatar state once more. She didn't like to rely on it too often as it left her tired and vulnerable. Using it twice in one afternoon was going to be killer on her physical and spiritual strength. But what choice did she have?
Suddenly, Juno sensed an incoming projectile coming in from behind moments before an arrow struck the ground in front of them, embedding into the hard concrete. Juno blinked in surprise and whipped around. If more enemies were behind them, then they were royally screwed.
It took two more blinks for the sight in front of her to register. There was another crowd of people armed to the teeth at their backs, but they were not foes, but friends! It was the Land of Waves villagers, with Tsunami and Inari at the fore. They were armed with crossbows, pikes, and hammers. Juno felt a grin spread across her face and saw Naruto whoop in joy.
"Yeah! Now we're talking!" he exclaimed, fist pumping the air.
It looked like the odds were in their favour now. The group of thugs began to look uneasy at the appearance of the civilian force, clearly not expecting so much resistance. That unease became outright panic as Naurto and Kakashi used some of their crazy-ninja powers to create an army of clones. They broke formation and made a mad dash towards the vessel they came in on, climbing over each other in their panic. From where she stood, Juno saw the moment the short form of Gato was overcome and trampled in the chaotic stampede. The look of panic on his face was gratifying, if somewhat disturbing, to watch.
As the group in front of them disbanded and retreated, Juno felt herself relax once more. The cheers of the crowd of townspeople and the three children swallowed the sound of her sigh, which she felt down to her marrow.
Through the exuberance of the celebration around her and her own relief, Juno felt a stirring of unease. Zabuza, and she suspected Gato as well, had been dispatched permanently, but Haku was still trapped in her ice prison a short distance away. What were they going to do with him?
As though reading her mind, Kakashi strolled over to where the young boy was imprisoned. He gave her a bit of a side-eye when they skirted the perimeter of the damage left behind from her firestorm, and Juno shrugged, smiling sheepishly.
They approached the still form of the boy, and Kakashi crouched down by his head.
"So then, what do we do with you?" he mused, staring down at him. Haku remained unchanged from the last time she had seen him. Dejected, sullen, yet rather stoic, without any traces of weeping or fear. Haku didn't answer, just kept his head turned away from them, staring blankly into the distance. Juno's heart went out to him.
"Should we bring him back to Konoha?" inquired Sakura, who had come up silently behind them, as well as a small crowd consisting of Naruto, Sasuke, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari.
"If we did, he'd likely end up in T&I. They'll want to study his kekkei genkai, maybe figure out how to pick it apart and use it to benefit the village. Either that or he'll end up under constant guard. The village would consider him too dangerous and unstable to be left alone." Kakashi trailed off, then added quietly, "that is, if they don't outright execute him. It's likely he and Zabaza are responsible for the deaths of many Konoha-nin."
Juno felt her stomach drop in dread. "Surely there must be another way! He was being manipulated by someone much older and stronger than him. And he's just a child!"
Kakashi looked at her. "He's considered an adult in the ninja world. If you are old enough to kill, you are old enough to face the consequences for your actions." He sounded grim, "or at least, that's how the village elders will see it."
Juno turned away, looking over the side of the bridge at the distant horizon. She felt a welling of frustration and despair. The thought of the young man in front of her facing such a bleak future was hard to stomach. Juno knew that he had committed crimes, even killed, while under the influence of Zabuza. But anyone could see that it had been the result of grooming and manipulation that had forced Haku's hand.
"But it's not fair! Haku could have killed me if he wanted to while we were fighting." She gestured to the needles sticking out of her body. "Any one of these needles could have struck me in the throat, or my eyes, or my heart, and ended me in an instant. But Haku didn't want to kill me! He only fought us in the first place because Zabuza forced him to." Her hand cut down in a sharp motion. "And now Zabuza is dead. Haku is freed from his influence. Surely we can give him a chance to show that he can make different choices given the opportunity."
"Yeah, sensei! It's not fair!" Naruto chimed in, "it's so hard to be good when everyone expects you to be bad. We just need someone to show Haku the ropes!" He struck a pose, "I know he'll change given the chance, believe it!"
All during their conversation, Juno watched as Haku slowly lost the closed-off appearance to his gaze. Now he was staring at Naruto and Juno intently, as if they held all the secrets of the universe. She hoped that some of their conversation from earlier had managed to sink in. It broke her heart to imagine such a bright potential snuffed out.
Kakashi butted in, "And who's going to be the one to show him the ropes, hm? You, Naruto? Or maybe you, Juno-san? That's a lot of responsibility to take on."
Naruto deflated, but Juno was silent, pondering the question seriously. She regarded the porcelain-doll features of the boy below her and tried to imagine what it would be like. Could she manage taking him under her wing? She felt confidently that he just needed a proper mentor and the opportunity to change and grow , but was that person her? She felt like a bit of a disaster-case at the moment, so out of step with the reality of this new world she had found herself in. Not to mention, she hadn't properly dealt with her grief surrounding the loss of her friends, family, and sense of purpose. With so much baggage, could she really do justice to what the boy needed?
But, at the same time, how could she refuse? Although the title didn't mean a lick to the people around her, Juno was still the Avatar. That meant she had a responsibility to help people when she could.
Besides, it was only fair to take responsibility for the outcome she wanted. It would be hypocritical to object to Haku's imprisonment or death if she wasn't willing to provide another solution personally.
Resolved, Juno straightened her spine and opened her mouth to agree. But before she could utter a syllable, another voice spoke up.
"We'll take him."
Juno whipped her head around to face the speaker. It was Tsunami, her hand resting on Inari's head. Her gaze was steely and resolute, as though challenging someone to defy her.
"Whaa? Are you crazy, Tsunami?" Tazuna cried out from beside her. She turned to face him head on.
"No father, I'm not crazy! Juno is right, the boy just needs someone to show him how to live right. That villian did wrong by him. With us he'll grow into a fine young man." She nodded definitively. "It's what Kaiza would have wanted. You won't fight me on this!" That last ended up as a bit of a shout. It was clear to them all that she would not budge from her stance. Juno smiled and felt a surge of respect for the woman. After so much pain and suffering, she was still willing to open her heart to others. The monks at her temple would have held this woman up as a Sage.
"Ehh…" Tazuna rubbed the back of his head, but after a moment, shrugged and grinned widely. "Seems like I won't be able to change your mind," he stuck his hands on his hips. "Alright! Welcome to the family, Haku! I hope you like building bridges!"
Haku was watching the proceedings in silence, but wore an expression of amazed disbelief. Juno approached his head and looked down at him. "How about it Haku? You ready for your next purpose? 'Cause this family right here seems to be looking for a new member." She looked deeply into his eyes, making sure he was paying close attention. "Now, don't think this is going to be easy. I know for a fact they'll have high expectations for you, there's a big pair of shoes that needs filling." She nodded definitively, "and this village is going to need someone strong to keep goons like Gato from targeting them as easy prey. It's a big job."
They all waited in hushed silence while Haku mulled it over. Juno was glad to see he was taking the question seriously. A lesser person would have agreed outright in order to escape a more severe punishment, but Juno knew that he had no fear of pain. Just fear of a lack of belonging. She held her breath while waiting for him to respond. She felt like she was going to burst with impatience.
"I consent." His voice was shaky, but clear. Juno smiled and released a breath. Naruto's and Inari's cheering filled the air.
Juno looked towards Kakashi before releasing the ice prison. Despite her desires, she could recognize that they were bending some of the rules here. As the senior warrior, Kakashi needed to agree to their solution before Juno felt confident in taking any action. Although she would argue with him, if Kakashi felt determined to bring Haku to his village to face justice, how could she outright refuse? She didn't have any knowledge of this world's laws, and knew enough about the relativity of cultural norms to understand that there was no single morally superior choice here. She could only hope that he would agree.
He met her eyes over the prone form of Haku. He seemed to understand the wordless question in her gaze. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'why not?'
With a few quick thrusts of her hands, Juno melted the ice encasing Haku's body. He rose shakily, body tired and cold from being trapped in ice. His expression was unsure, but had just enough hope hiding within that Juno's heart swelled two sizes to see it.
Tsunami wandered over to help Juno remove the needles still penetrating her back and sides. She couldn't help but wince as each metal sliver was plucked from her skin and quickly bent some of the water nearby to soothe the pain from her abused nerve endings. As Tsunami made her way around her body, Juno murmured quietly to her "You're amazing, you know."
Tsunami blushed and replied, "Oh quiet, you should talk."
Juno snickered softly, and they finished their work in silence. Once done healing the bulk of her injuries, Juno dropped her healing water and stretched her arms over her head. The pain had faded to a dull ache. It would take a few days longer to heal completely, but the worst of it was gone.
A few hours later, Juno was leaning against the railing of the dock surrounding Tazuna's home while nursing a cup of sake. The bulk of the civilian crowd had ended up returning to the bridge-builder's home and a party was in full swing. A throng of food and drink had streamed in from the surrounding houses and a strange box that made music in a way Juno didn't understand was pumping out a lively tune. It was a jovial atmosphere.
Juno sipped her beverage slowly, enjoying the burn of alcohol as it slid down her throat. She had drunk enough that her mind felt warm and floaty. The sake was a home brew from one of Tazuna's neighbours and was being passed around liberally. Juno had been keeping an eye on Sakura and the two boys to make sure nobody snuck a sip, though, with how much stress and danger they had gone through that afternoon, she'd probably pretend not to notice if they just wanted to try a small taste.
As she lowered her cup after another pull, Juno heard the sliding doors behind her open and close again, the noise from inside briefly rising to an almost deafening level before cutting off. The wooden boards of the dock creaked as someone approached to join her at the edge of the balcony. From the corner of her eye, Juno saw a shock of silver hair against a dark uniform. Kakashi had shed his green vest and rolled the sleeves of his dark shirt up. She supposed that was his way of dressing 'casual'.
The tall man was nursing his own cup of sake, handling the small cup in his large hands delicately while joining her to lean against the railing. They didn't speak at first, just mutually admired the splash of vibrant colour as the sun set over the water.
Finally, Juno broke the silence. "It's not too bad out here, you know? If you can ignore the smell of fish, that is."
Kakashi huffed, and tapped the side of his nose. "Speak for yourself. I couldn't ignore that smell if I was dead."
Juno giggled. She turned and leaned her back against the railing, facing the house. Through the window, she could see the three young ninja she had gotten to know the past week speaking animatedly with each other. Even the normally stoic Sasuke looked happy and relaxed. In her peripheral vision, she could see Kakashi looking at her.
"So, if you think it's not so bad, does that mean you've decided to stay here?" He inquired.
"Tsunami and Tazuna did offer a little while ago," she said. "I am tempted, to be honest. They're good people and this is a nice community."
"But?"
She smiled wryly. "Well, for all their generosity, they did already just agree to take on another mouth to feed. I'm not really sure what I could contribute here that Haku wouldn't be able to offer. I'd hate to be a burden. And besides…"
"Besides what?" He prompted while she paused.
"Ah, well. I've never really been settled anywhere before. I was always on the move with Avatar training, or trips to settle disputes, or diplomatic missions. I'm not sure I know how to 'stay' anywhere." She faced him and smiled. "And there's a whole new world to see. Maybe I'll just wander around for a while. I am originally an Air Nomad after all"
He 'hmm'ed' in reply, considering her answer. A boisterous burst of laughter spilled out from inside and filled silence that stretched between them. Juno felt a sense of deep contentment rise from her center.
"You could always come with us to Konoha."
"Huh?" Juno replied in surprise, caught off guard. Kakashi was looking at her intently with his one dark eye, displaying an intensity that she hadn't seen from him before.
"Wandering around aimlessly would be a waste of your abilities. Come with us to Konoha. You can speak with the Hokage, convince him to enstate you as a ninja of our village, and continue to do some of the work you were expecting to do as the Avatar."
She stared at him in mute surprise. She had the passing thought to ask if she could come with them to their village as the first stop in exploring the world, but never had the idea to try and stay there. But now, she gave serious thought to the idea.
It had its appeal. For one, it would mean not saying goodbye to 'Team Seven'. She had gotten rather attached to Sakura and the rest of them over the last week and hadn't been looking forward to their separation. Hearing them rave about their village had also piqued her interest. It seemed like an interesting place to live, full of people with amazing abilities like the ninja in front of her.
Having a specific purpose also hugely appealed to Juno's sense of duty. Wandering the world aimlessly had been her decision because she had no real alternative, but she had figured she would eventually discover some fulfilling vocation and settle into contributing to the world around her. Could she do that as a ninja? Take on missions like the ones her friend's had protecting Tazuna? If the last week was any indication, it would be challenging and interesting work. She wouldn't be bored, that's for sure.
As she thought about it, she felt a smile creep onto her face. "You really think I could?"
"I wouldn't mention it if I didn't think it was possible." He said, watching her face carefully. Though it was hard to tell with the mask, she thought she could see traces of a smile in his expression too.
She blew out a big breath, "I'll have to think about it. I don't want to make a choice like this lightly. Give me until the morning?"
"I'll do you one better. We're sticking around for another day or two until the bridge is completely finished. Why don't you think about it until then?" He said, getting up from his lean. He gently gathered her empty sake cup from her limp grip and raised an eyebrow at her, "Get you a refill?"
"Sure" She responded distractedly, her mind already spinning with possibilities. He quietly re-entered the house through the sliding doors.
Alone for the moment, Juno took a deep breath through her nose. From the story above, Asa dropped down silently, perching on the balcony beside her and wrapping one fuzzy arm around her head. He cooed at her and tugged at her hair.
"Had enough of the noise inside, huh buddy?" She stroked his soft fur in return, and basked in the feeling of contentment that he always brought her. She smiled at his dark face and poked his nose. "Asa, how do you feel about becoming a ninja-leopard-monkey? Think we could kick some bad-guy ass?"
He chirruped at her, and she smiled.