Sparky is sitting in a tree napping. The sun is warm on his feathers and there are no human children annoying him. Sparky tucks his head into his feathers and sighs in contentment.
So, maybe he can never go back to the land he came from, now that has has been transported here with his friend Sparkles. In the Old Land, his kind and Sparkles' kind were hunted for their feathers and horns. When Naruto summoned them, they were being hunted themselves. Sparky is happy to stay in this land with the blonde kid because the kid saved him and Sparkles. Sparkles is happy to stay with the white-eyed girl because the girl and her clan have eyes like the people who took care of the unicorns. White eyes, but not blind eyes like those of the people who tended the unicorns; the white-eyed people of this land see all. It is the total opposite to the land they come from.
Sparky shuffles a bit and settles back into his nap.
Two humans land on the branch just below Sparky. Both of them are wearing hooded cloaks and masks. Sparky is sure they are the same humans who watched the white haired one's test.
"Where are they?" the female one asks. "They aren't with Gato, or patrolling around. They weren't at the bridge when we checked there; where are they?"
Sparky is not alarmed by the close proximity of these two humans. In fact he is surprised at their stupidity. Why would they check the bridge for whoever they are looking for and not wait around to see if that person will show up? There are two of them, after all. Surely one could wait at the bridge and the other could scout around alone: they are SCOUTS after all.
If Sparky could talk he would have many things to say.
"What if we can't find Zabuza and Haku?" worries the male human. "And they kill Team Seven? Or Team Seven kills them? Then what will we do?
"Stop thinking like that!" snaps the female. She must be his mate, based on the way she bosses him around, Sparky reasons. "We will find them."
Sparky decides that enough is enough. He flies down to their branch and squawks loudly.
"Hey, isn't that Naruto's phoenix?" asks the male human.
"No, it's the mailman's phoenix," says the female human sarcastically. "Of course it's Naruto's phoenix! How many other phoenixes are there in the world? Honestly…"
Sparky decides he likes Wind. She is worthy of being called by her name. Sparky squawks again and flies off a few meters in the direction of the bridge.
"Do you think he's trying to tell us something?" asks the male human.
"Just shut up and follow him!" says Wind, leaping to the tree closest Sparky. Satisfied that Wind and her mate are following him, Sparky flies towards the bridge, where he knows for a fact Team Seven and those two Mist ninjas are.
Kakashi stares down Zabuza. Zabuza grins, pulls out a kunai and stabs at Kakashi's eye. Kakashi blocks, taking the kunai square in his palm. "Is that all you've got?" he taunts Zabuza.
"You are an idiot to reveal your trump-card so early in the battle," sneers Zabuza. "A shinobi should keep his best weapon secret until he uses it. My weapon is Haku. I have trained her since she was a small child to use the vast reserve of talent she possesses. Unlike you Leaf shinobi, we of the Mist become shinobi out of pain, fear and death. My apprentice is far superior to the trash that follow you around like so many attention-seeking puppies!"
Wow can Zabuza boast, Kakashi thinks to himself. He must be very proud of his side-kick. But then again, as much as Kakashi likes how Zabuza called his genins 'puppies', Kakashi does NOT like the other part. "Do NOT EVER call MY students TRASH!" Kakashi growls, slowly enunciating each word.
"Your concern is touching," sneers Zabuza. "But you should forget about those brats. They are dead."
"No," says Kakashi slowly, angrily. "I will never abandon my comrades. That is my ninja way."
"You Leaf softies are all the same!" He starts weaving hand signs Kakashi knows well. "Hidden Mist jutsu!"
Kakashi wonders if the jutsu was named after the village or the village was named after the jutsu. Either way, he is now surrounded in mist. Time to figure out Zabuza's plan. Oh, of course. "Madoka!" Kakashi calls over his shoulder. "Protect Tazuna!"
"Why, is a bird about to attack his face?" jokes Madoka, starting to weave hand signs in preparation for his jutsu.
"Yes, a big, ugly fishbird," confirms Kakashi, grinning to himself. "Blast it with water."
"I am no bird!" says Zabuza, giving away his position and receiving Madoka's water-cannon jutsu to the face. "You little...!" Zabuza lunges at Madoka, drawing his sword and swinging it in a massive arc. Rather than hurt him, the jutsu only angered Zabuza. However it did get rid of some of his mist, as that was where Madoka got the water for his jutsu.
Zabuza is about to slice Madoka in half when Kakashi gets in the way, stopping the deadly Executioner's Blade with the metal plate on the back of his glove. Ouch. He is gonna have a hell of a bruise. Still, Kakashi probably looks pretty awesome right now.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi can see Haku throwing barrage after barrage of senbon at Naruto and Sasuke, who are trying to figure out a way to beat the jutsu. Just hang in there, Kakashi thinks. Once I'm done with this guy, I'll help you out.
Naruto and Sasuke pull themselves back onto their feet. "If we don't defeat her we'll be torn to ribbons," says Sasuke. She is in fight mode and determined to win.
"If we could follow her movements, we might be able to catch her and break the jutsu," says Naruto. "Pity I don't know any fuuinjutsu that slow down time." He grins. "Remind me to make one once we get out of this."
"Okay," agrees Sasuke, even though she is focusing on Haku. The ability to slow time sounds VERY useful. Haku's movements are too fast for a normal eye to follow. Sasuke decides she needs sharingan and she is going to awaken it. And she is going to awaken it NOW!
"Woah, Sasuke, your eyes just turned red!" Naruto yells, pointing. "Wait...That's sharingan! You awakened your sharingan!"
"I know." Sasuke glares at Haku's mirrors. Haku is about to do something...THERE!
Sasuke grabs Naruto and thrusts him away from Haku's stinging needles.
"Very clever," compliments Haku. "But how did you…"
Sasuke glares at Haku.
"Sharingan eyes," says Haku. "So you too have a kekkei genkai."
Sasuke realizes that she cannot let the fight drag on. The sharingan is draining her chakra a lot.
"Then we must end this fight quickly," continues Haku. "Kekkei genkai drain the user's chakra. I must end this before one of us runs out of chakra." She readies another round of needles.
Sasuke sees Haku head straight for Naruto, who is still lying where Sasuke pushed him. It seems his chakra has not fully recovered after all. The barrage of needles hit Sasuke in full force.
"SASUKE!" Naruto screams.
As Sasuke falls backwards with many, many senbon needles sticking out of her, Naruto feels a strange horrified anger fill him. Naruto catches Sasuke before she hits the ground and asks "Why did you do that, Sasuke? It was obviously a trap."
"I know," whispers Sasuke, blood running from a corner of her mouth. "And stop making that stupid face."
"But Sasuke…! Why…?"
"I used to hate you," says Sasuke. "You always get more of my Dad's attention than I do, and my whole clan thinks you're so great. But you know what? That doesn't matter anymore. We're friends, right? And friends look out for eachother."
Naruto stares in horror as Sasuke's eyes close. "No! Sasuke! You shouldn't have done that!
"She was a worthy kunoichi," says Haku. "She knew that was a trap and still she sacrificed herself without hesitation."
Naruto is angry. There is no way he is going to let Haku get away with this.
Haku steps back into the mirrors.
Damn those mirrors! Naruto's vision is coloured red. He turns to Haku and growls, "I'm going to kill you for this." A strange red chakra fills his vision and he loses his self awareness.