A/N: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Not me. I only own Shirayuki. I forgot to mention this in the first chapter. This is my latest story. If you read what I have posted already and are waiting for me to update it. I will as soon as I get the inspiration to write the chapter that needs to written. Have some faith in me please? And as always read and review please. Also, Sasuke is going to seem OOC at times. Italics are thoughts. "Italics" is Inner Sakura. Bold is Sound effects. Also I apologize that the Zabuza fight might seem rushed. I want to get more of how Sasuke and Shira act around each other while alone.

Also, please don't message me on adding your OC into my story. While I am glad you like my story, I do not appreciate being asked to add your OC.

Chapter Eight: I Don't Think Zabuza is Dead.

"SHIRA!" Sasuke shouted as he watched his best friend get crushed slowly under the missing nin's foot. Naruto growled before running towards Zabuza and Shira. Zabuza lifted his foot off Shira and kicked Naruto away. Shira quickly rolled over, pushed herself up and ran over to her friends while holding her side.

"Naruto!" Sakura called to him as he was sent back towards them. They could hear Kakashi telling them to stop acting foolish and to take Tazuna and run.

"The water clone can't get very far from his original body. Take Tazuna and run! Shira needs attention as well." Kakashi told them while Sasuke held the brunette close to him. Naruto was freaking out when he felt a pain in his left hand. Looking down he saw the bandages and remembered the promise he made.
That's right… I made a promise that I would get stronger… and a silent promise to be able to help Shira should she need it during her coughing attacks… Naruto thought as he looked at Zabuza's feet and saw his forehead protector. "UAHH!" Naruto shouted as he charged Zabuza again.

"Damn it!" Shira swore as she looked at the sky. "I can't use my jutsu to stop him. I need better light!" Shira said as Naruto was kicked back towards them. Sasuke looked at her and then frowned. He knew she wanted to help, but he was too worried about the cut and her coughing that may start at any time.

"What are you doing jumping in all by yourself like that?! We are Genin! We don't stand a chance against a Jonin like him!" Sakura shouted at Naruot as he slowly pushed himself up. That was when she noticed the protector in his hand. What? He went back again for his forehead protector? I can understand the first time, Shira being one of the few people to show him kindness… but still...

"Hey… You eyebrowless freak." Naruto called towards Zabuza as he kept his face turned towards the ground. "Put this in your bingo book, the man who will one day become Hokage. Konohagakure shinobi Naruto Uzumaki." The blonde tied his forehead protector back where it belonged.

You can be so stupid at times Naruto… but you are true to your dream… That's something I'm proud of in you… I'm proud to call you my teammate and friend. Shira thought as she stood up straighter and started to glare at Zabuza again.

"Sasuke, can you hear me?" Naruto asked while Sasuke frowned. Once the Uchiha responded Naruto announced that he had a plan.

"Tch. Now you want to use teamwork." Sasuke scoffed as he wondered what plan the blonde could have.

Could this be the same worthless Naruto? Sakura asked herself as she looked at Naruto as well.

"Now… Let's get wild." Naruto smirked as he looked over at Shira. "Shira… you stay back. You did enough. Let Sasuke and I handle it now."

"Normally I would argue with you, but it would be too troublesome right now. Deal Naruto." Shira smirked as Sasuke looked at her from the corner of his eye. Sasuke reached over and pulled on some of her hair gently before releasing his hold he had around her waist and gently pushed her behind him.

"That's a lot of arrogance you have, but do you stand a chance against me? Even that brunette didn't and she had more guts than girls her age." Zabuza stated as Sasuke scoffed at him.

"She's not one to back down." Sasuke stated before Kakashi yelled at them.

"What are you doing?! RUN!" Kakashi yelled/ ordered them. "This fight was over the moment I got caught. Our duty is to protect the bridge builder! Did you forget that?"

"Old man?" Naruto looked back at him with the others while Shira ran two fingers down Sasuke's arm to warn to be careful.

"Well… I'm the reason you're in this mess. I'm not going to say that I desire to live that much that I'm going to stop you." Tazuna stated as he looked at all four genin. "Go and save your sensei."

"You hear that?" Sasuke asked Naruto at the same time the blonde asked if he was ready. Soon Zabuza started laughing causing everyone to freeze.

"When are you going to stop playing shinobi?" Zabuza asked as he held a hand up in front of him, palm towards the sky like he was holding something. "When I was your age, my hands were already stained red with blood."

"Demon of the Mist, Zabuza." Kakashi stated causing Zabuza to look mildly surprised.

"Oh so you've heard of me a little?" Zabuza asked mockingly. Sasuke looked back at Shira to explain better.

"Don't look at me. I don't know anything about how he is Demon of the Mist. All I know is how Kirigakure no Sato used to be known as the Blood Mist Village." Shira told him with a cocked eyebrow as they both listened to Kakashi explain about how the Mist village got its name.

"Oh? So you and the brunette know about our graduation exams. That's surprising for a girl as young as her." Zabuza stated as he glanced at Kakashi before looking back at Shira.

"What exam? We had to take exams as well." Naruto stated as he looked confused.

"But did you have to fight to the death between students?" Zabuza asked, causing Naruto to look even more confused.

"Friends who trained, ate, and shared dreams with, Naruto. In order for them to graduate, they had to fight until one died." Shira explained to the blonde softly as she looked down at her feet.

"Ten years ago, Kiriagure's graduation exam was forced to change. This changed happened after the previous year when a devil appeared." Kakashi stated as he looked at his team and Zabuza.

"Change? What change? What did the devil do?" Sakura asked Kakashi as Shira sighed.

"Without remorse or hesitation, a young boy, who wasn't even a shinobi…. He killed over a hundred students." Shira told Sakura as everyone looked surprised at her for knowing it.

"That was sure fun." Zabuza chuckled, causing the genin to look at him in surprise. Soon Zabuza charged Sasuke and slammed into him before slamming the boy to the ground. Sasuke coughed up some blood as Shira and Sakura both shouted out to him.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, creating many clones to surround Zabuza and Sasuke. Shira watched closely, trying to figure out which clone was the real Naruto as the blonde charged Zabuza. Not long after the clones held Zabuza down, the rouge nin spiked his chakra and threw the many Narutos off of him. "SASUKE!" Naruto shouted as he threw something towards the Uchiha. Not long after Zabuza was forced to free Kakashi was the battle over. Kakashi walked over to Shira and looked at her wound gently.
"This is a bad cut Shirayuki… It will need stitches." Kakashi said to the Nara as Sasuke walked over to them. Shira sighed and looked over at Sasuke with a weak smile.

"Hey…" Shira trailed off as Sasuke shook his head as he bent down and picked Shira up in his arms, being careful of her wound.

"You are so stupid at times… You know that?" Sasuke asked her as they all started to walk towards Tazuna's house, causing Shira to nod her head. After Kakashi collapsed, Naruto and Sakura helped carry Kakashi to the house while Shira was carried by Sasuke. Once they were at the house Kakashi was placed in bed while Sasuke got a thread and needle from Tazuna's daughter and started to stitch up the wound on Shira's side.

"Ow!" Shira grunted as she glared at Sasuke. "I get it, you're mad at me for doing something stupid… Doesn't mean you have to stab me." Sasuke looked up at her with a cocked eye brow and a smirk on his face.

"Teaches you to not do something stupid again right?" He asked teasingly, knowing perfectly well that she will do something stupid later on down the road. Shira stuck her tongue out at him before holding still so that Sasuke could finish stitching up her wound. When Kakashi finally woke did all of them meet in the room he was in.

"Kakashi-sensei. If the sharingan puts that much stress on your body… then you have to think before using it." Sakura told him from her spot next to him while Saskue sat on the floor not too far away with Shira in his lap. They listened to Tazuna as he stated that they should be safe for awhile. "Hey Shira… who was that masked kid?" Shira looked over at Sakura and frowned slightly.

"Just because my brother and I are smart, doesn't mean that we know everything." Shira stated as she ran a hand through her hair. "But that mask symbolizes a special hunter nin team from Kirigakure."

"Shirayuki's right. Hunter nins are also known as body erasers. They have the duty of disposing the body completely, not leaving a trace of it behind." Kakashi stated before going into detail of the duty of the hunter nins. Sakura mentioned on how Zabuza a was dismembered and burned while Shira got into her thinking pose while on Sasuke's lap. Sasuke, Kakashi, Naruto, and Tazuna all noticed how the brunette had gone quiet.
"Shira? What is it?" Sasuke asked her as he looked at her from over her shoulder.

"I don't think Zabuza is dead…" Shira stated causing everyone to look at her while Sasuke started to think on what she said and why she would state that. She had to have some reason.