Previously:

"Everybody get back." Kakashi said firmly in a tone that left no room for argument. "This one's on a whole different level."

"…" Zabuza said as he stared down at them, waiting for Kakashi to make his move.

'Against him…' Kakashi thought, reaching for his forehead protector. "It will be a little tough… unless I do this…" He said aloud, preparing to readjust his forehead protector so that he could use both eyes.

Chapter 12: It's Over

"You appear to be Sharingan Kakashi…" Zabuza said. "Sorry, but the old man is mine."

'Huh? Sharingan?' April thought, frowning slightly in confusion. 'It sounds like they've both heard about each other before… Could it be they're both actually really famous?'

'Sharingan? What the hell is that!!?' Naruto wondered, furrowing his brow.

"?" Sakura said, also puzzled, while Tazuna gasped as if he recognized the name.

'Sharingan!?' Sasuke thought, eyes wide with surprise. No way… It couldn't be…!!

"Surround and protect Tazuna-san." Kakashi ordered his students calmly. "Do not enter the fight. That's the teamwork here." He finished firmly before addressing the enemy. "Zabuza, first…"

"!!!" Naruto gasped as Kakashi pushed his forehead protector up and opened his previously hidden eye, which was a vivid crimson red with three tiny black tomoe around the pupil. Unlike the others, who were further behind, he could see everything.

"… Fight me." Their teacher finished determinedly, glaring up at the dangerous missing-nin with both eyes.

'What's with… that eye?' Naruto wondered a little nervously. And why was there a scar over the skin on that side of his face?

"Ah… I already get to see the famous Sharingan." Zabuza remarked. "I'm honored."

"Sharingan!! Sharingan!! What the hell is it?" Naruto demanded, tired of feeling left out of the loop.

"… Sharingan…" Sasuke said lowly. "It is said that some have the ability in their eyes to read and defeat all types of gen, tai, and ninjutsu. That Sharingan is one of the types of pupils that gives you this power." He explained.

'Oh, so it's a dōjutsu.' April thought. She remembered reading about that somewhere before… She glanced at Kakashi. 'But then, why does he only have it one eye…?'

"But that's not the only ability the Sharingan has." Sasuke added.

"Huh?" Naruto said.

"Hehe, exactly." Zabuza said with a hint of dark humor. "What's even scarier, is that Sharingan can be used to copy your opponent's techniques once you see them."

'So that's why he called Kakashi-sensei the 'Copy Ninja'…' April thought.

"When I was a member of the Hidden Mist's assassination squad, your info was listed in the Bingo book I carried." Zabuza continued as he spoke, the mist around them thickened. "And this is what it said… The man who has copied over a 1,000 jutsu techniques, Kakashi the Copy Ninja."

'Over 1,000 techniques!? That's awesome!! But, this is bad…' April thought, furrowing her brow, as Kakashi and Zabuza exchanged glares. 'If he already knows about Sensei's jutsu, then unless Sensei knows more about him, it puts him at a serious disadvantage.'

'What's going on? First that old Hokage and now this sensei… I had no idea they were this great.' Sakura thought, surprised and amazed.

"A-Amazing!!!" Naruto exclaimed, extremely impressed.

'… What's going on?' Sasuke wondered, furrowing his brow. 'I don't understand… The Sharingan is a special physical condition that only appears in a select few members of the Uchiha clan. Could it be he…?'

"Now, let's cut the chit-chat." Zabuza said, lowering himself into a crouching position. "I have to kill that old man."

"!!" Tazuna gasped in alarm as the young genin quickly moved in to surround him protectively on all sides while their teacher stood his ground. They each had a kunai in their hands, with Sasuke guarding the front, Sakura and Naruto on the sides, and April taking care of the back in case he tried to sneak up on them from behind.

"But, Kakashi!!" Zabuza said, smirking beneath the bandages hiding the lower half of his face. "It seems… I have to beat you first." He pushed off against the tree and disappeared in a flash, taking his zanbatō with him.

"!" Kakashi followed his movements with his eyes.

"!!!" The others all gasped, instantly on their guard.

"Over there!!" Naruto shouted when the enemy reappeared, standing on the surface of the body of water only about a yard or so away from them.

"And on top of the water!!" Sakura exclaimed, shocked.

'Crap! I thought only Jesus could pull something like that off!!' April thought as a bead of nervous sweat formed on her brow.

'He's releasing a high amount of chakra…' Kakashi observed.

"Ninja technique: mist concealment justu." Zabuza said, using his chakra to create a dense mist to obscure their vision.

"He's gone!!" Naruto said, surprised.

"No, he's still here. Somewhere…" April said, furrowing her brow as she scanned their environment, trying to sense the enemy's presence. It was hard. Being surrounded by mist infused with his chakra made it more difficult to pinpoint his location.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi said.

"What do you know about him, Sensei?" She asked.

"Zabuza Momochi… as a member of the Hidden Mist, he was known as an expert in silent killing. You don't even notice until you're already dead." He explained. "And it's not like I can use my Sharingan to its full potential. You guys be careful." Everyone grit their teeth and began to sweat nervously.

"Well, if we fail the worst thing that can happen is we'll die." April remarked wryly, causing Naruto and Sakura to flinch and Kakashi to sweat-drop. Hey, at least it would be quick, right?

"How can you be so carefree!!?" Sakura snapped incredulously. Seriously, what was wrong with this girl!?

"I can think of plenty of worse ways to go." April answered. Like cancer.

'The way her mind works really scares me sometimes…' Naruto thought, swallowing nervously. "Ah, the mist is getting thicker!!" He realized. They could barely even see Kakashi-sensei anymore.

"Eight choices." Zabuza's voice echoed through the dense mist.

"What!!?" Sakura gasped.

"Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, and heart. Which should I go for?" He asked ominously.

"!!" Everyone but Kakashi and April gasped in alarm. Those were all vital organs, so it was only natural for them to be targeted.

'How about 'none of the above'?' April thought, tightening her grip on her kunai as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face.

"…" Kakashi was waiting patiently and silently for Zabuza to make a move and give himself away. Something caught his attention and he quickly raised his hands, forming a seal.

"!!" The others were surprised when the pressure from his chakra blew away the mist that was immediately surrounding them, giving them a clear view of him again.

'What an incredibly dangerous ki… Sensei's getting serious.' April thought, furrowing her brow.

'What an intense thirst for blood… It feels like I'll be killed if I make even the slightest movement. This could drive a person crazy…' Sasuke thought nervously, dripping with cold sweat. 'The intensity of a jōnin… It feels like my life is being squeezed…' His body trembled as he started to lose it. 'I can't take it… I'd almost rather die now and get it over with…'

"Sasuke…" Kakashi said, surprising him. "Don't worry. I'll protect you guys even if it kills me. I won't let… my comrades die." He said determinedly, glancing back at them with a reassuring smile. His students all blushed a little at this comforting statement.

'Yeah, Kakashi-sensei's the best…!' April decided with a fond smile.

"We'll see about that!!" Zabuza said.

"!!" April gasped when she suddenly felt a spike in the enemy's chakra.

"!!!" Everyone gasped in alarm when Zabuza suddenly appeared inside their circle of protection, positioning himself so that Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were separated from Tazuna.

"It's over." Zabuza told them. April immediately reacted by pulling the old man into a one-handed shoulder throw, flipping him over her back and out of the way, as Zabuza started to swing his sword, and Kakashi spun around, launching himself at them.

"!!" Naruto, and Sakura yelled in horror and surprise as they and Sasuke were suddenly pushed aside as Kakashi grabbed Zabuza and thrust a kunai deep into his gut, stopping the swordsman dead in his tracks, as Tazuna hit the ground with a grunt. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the side of April's face. She trembled slightly as she took a few steps back to stand closer to the old man. That had been way too close for comfort.

"Huh?" She said, furrowing her brow in confusion when she realized the 'blood' pouring from Zabuza's wound was clear like water. Her eyes widened. "Sensei—"

"—Behind you!!!" Naruto shouted as another Zabuza appeared behind him.

"!" Kakashi whipped his head around as the Zabuza he had just stabbed popped like a water balloon.

"Die!" The Zabuza behind him roared as he swung his sword.

"Gyaah!!" Sakura screamed as he cleaved their teacher in half. They were all immensely relived when that Kakashi turned into water. It was just another fake! Zabuza's eyes widened.

'Water clone justu!?' He thought, taken aback. 'No way!! He copied it in this mist!?'

"Don't move." Kakashi said darkly as he suddenly appeared right behind him, holding a kunai to his neck. "It's over!!"