Chapter 9

After a few weeks of doing D-ranked missions, Naruto got…mad. "I want to do a REAL mission! I don't want to pick up trash or save cats! I want to do something exciting!" Ayumi sighed as Kakashi pulled Naruto away by the collar. "Hokage-sama…" She said respectfully, bowing slightly, "It would be nice to put our training to good use. I'm not saying to give us an extreme mission, but at least a C-ranked mission. It would appease Naruto, and he won't complain for a while…" "Actually, I have a C-ranked mission you could do…"

Ayumi's eyes sparkled as she said, "Really?" He nodded, and she smiled, saying, "Arigato, Hokage-sama! What's the mission?" "To escort the master bridge builder, Tazuna, to the Land of Waves." Kakashi said, setting down an appeased Naruto, "We'll take it. Where is Tazuna?" An old man walked in, and Ayumi turned to see him clearly. "Are these kids supposed to protect me?" He asked rudely. Ayumi's gaze turned steely as Kakashi picked an enraged Naruto up by the collar again, saying, "Trust me, they will be able to protect you."

Ayumi forced a smile, saying, "We'll do our very best, and complete this mission." Naruto agreed, but Tazuna seemed doubtful. They headed out, and it was fairly quiet. Ayumi had been training with Hara, learning a new jutsu, so brought the wolf cub along. "Shouldn't that thing be on a leash?" Tazuna questioned. "Shouldn't you be?" She muttered under her breath, receiving a disciplining glare from Kakashi. "She's not…accustomed to a leash. She's…independent, and doesn't like being led around." She explained, an obviously fake smile on her face. Kakashi sighed, saying, "You could be more respectful…" "I'll do that when he does." Ayumi said, picking up Hara.

"Then it'll never happen…" Kakashi said under his breath. "So you agree with me." Ayumi said with a sly smile. "I'm not admitting to that." "But you just did." Kakashi seemed slightly frustrated, and asked, "Where'd you learn to play mind games with people?" "My older nii-san did it to me a few times, so I kind of learned off that." Before Kakashi could question her further, she noticed a puddle, and Hara bristled warningly. 'Mist shinobi, eh?' she thought, putting Hara down. When they had walked a couple yards away from the puddle, two Chuunin jumped out, racing at them with clawed hands.

Ayumi's Ayaka Sharingan flashed for a moment before jumping to the side, and Hara to the other. She saw them catch Kakashi in a strange chain, and rip him apart. "KAKASHI!!!" She was angry now. She did some hand signs before grabbing her blades, saying, "Wing Release: Wind Blade jutsu!" before running at them. She slashed one blade at the closer of the two, who flew into a tree, and was about to spin around to get the other one when he cut her whole left arm with his claws. She winced in pain, gritting her teeth, before slashing both blades at him, making him knock down a tree. She gripped her arm tight, trying to stop the bleeding, when she noticed one of the Chuunin racing at Naruto.

"NARUTO-KUN!!!"

She ran forward, taking out a kunai, and stabbed him in the side. He cut Naruto's hand slightly, but he tried to kick her in the stomach. She did a forward flip over his leg, kicking him in the face, and back flipped off. The other Chuunin was coming at her from behind, and she tensed, ready to dodge, when her Ayaka Sharingan flashed, and she heard the Chuunin make contact with something hard. She turned to see the Chuunin had made contact with Kakashi's arm, and relaxed…until her arm sent a burning pain through her chest. She fell to her knees, holding her arm, and Naruto ran to her side as Kakashi asked, "It seems you forgot to tell us something, eh Tazuna?"

Tazuna sighed, saying, "I guess I should tell you…" He explained about Gato and his band of thugs, their hold on the island, and the bridges importance. "We can't continue…Naruto and Ayumi were poisoned…" "I'm fine! Let's go!" Ayumi said defiantly. Kakashi checked her arm, and said, "We need to remove the poison from both of you, and fast. We'll need to turn back." Naruto, angry, stabbed his hand with a kunai, and Ayumi's eyes widened. While Ayumi wasn't looking, Kakashi noticed the poison being expelled from her system and falling to the floor like rain. 'Natural healing abilities?' Kakashi thought, before going up to Naruto and saying, "Naruto, it was cool how you took out the poison and all, but if you don't stop the bleeding, you're going to die."

Naruto's face went pale as Kakashi said, "It would be a good idea to stop the bleeding, seriously." Naruto started freaking out, and Ayumi got an anime sweat drop before saying, "Naruto-kun, the more you move around, the more blood that will come out…" That only made Naruto worse, and Ayumi smacked her forehead as Kakashi calmed down Naruto enough to wrap up the wound. Ayumi asked, "What about my arm?" Kakashi looked at it a moment, and put on a special ointment…that stung her like a thousand bees. She gritted her teeth in pain as he wrapped up her arm, and she said, "Arigato…" "You'll still be able to use it, but if you put too much weight on it, you'll hurt yourself." "Nice to know." She said with a smile.

They continued walking, and Hara looked at Ayumi's arm worriedly as Ayumi held it across her chest. Naruto, probably bored, started throwing kunai. Hara snarled slightly when Naruto threw one, and found a white rabbit. 'A rabbit? Why would Hara feel threatened by a rabbit? Unless…a replacement jutsu!' she thought, immediately on guard. Her Ayaka Sharingan flashed as she shouted, "Get down!" She jumped down, pushing down Naruto as a sword flew over their heads. Kakashi had pushed everyone else down, so nobody was hit. Ayumi looked up to see a shinobi standing on the sword, which was stuck in a tree.

She stood up, and Hara was snarling beside her. "Ayumi, stay back." Kakashi said protectively, pushing her behind him as he uncovered his Sharingan eye. "Who is he?" She questioned, and he said, "Zabuza Mamochi. The Demon of the Hidden Mist." "Demon?" Hara lowered her ears, still snarling, and Ayumi took a step back. "Kakashi Hatake. The Copy Ninja. Said to have copied over a thousand jutsu." Zabuza said, sounding impressed. They soon started a heated fight, and Ayumi felt itching to fight too. Zabuza used the Hidden Mist jutsu, and everyone jumped to Tazuna, kunai out, defending him. After a moment, Kakashi dispelled some of the mist, when Zabuza appeared in the formation the Genin had made.

Ayumi could feel her heart beating in her ears, and she quickly grabbed her blades as he tried to swing at her. She blocked, but she was being forced downward and back, the sword just about to touch her. She did a sweeping kick, but he jumped over it, putting more strain on her arms, and she kicked upward, hitting him in the stomach. She activated the Ayaka Sharingan as she did some hand signs, saying, "Fire Release: Great Fireball jutsu!" The attack seemed to hit him dead on, but she was still on guard, looking around carefully. Her eyes widened as she did a back flip, missing his blade. "Whoa! Close one…" She saw Hara, and decided to use her new jutsu.

She put her blades on her belt, and did some hand signs, saying, "Twin Technique: Wolf Fang jutsu!" Her foot glowed with chakra, and so did Hara's tail. She ran at him full force, with Hara hidden in her shadow. She kicked him in the side, and Hara hit him in the stomach. The chakra gave it some added strength, and he turned to water. "What?!" He grabbed her by the back of the neck, slightly choking her, and she gripped his hand, trying to help her breathing as she gasped for air. "Pretty good for a Genin. What's with your eyes?" She deactivated the Ayaka Sharingan, and he felt the surge of power dissipate.

"I'll just kill you then." She felt sure he would, and it was confirmed when his grip around her neck tightened. She gasped for air, struggling futilely, and was able to say one word… "Naruto-kun…" She felt her lack of air starting to tire her, and she thought, 'I have to do…something…I can't die like this! I refuse!' Her eyes held new determination as she did a powerful backwards kick, and feeling it connect with his stomach. Instead of releasing her, his grip tightened, and she choked. "Ayumi-chan!!!" Naruto yelled. Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza, a kunai at his throat, and said, in a deadly tone, "Put her down." Zabuza released his grip, and she fell to the ground hard, breathing deeply.

She coughed, spitting up blood, and she got up. She was light-headed from lack of oxygen, but she glared at Zabuza, standing as steady as she possibly could, and went over to the others. "Ayumi-chan!" Naruto said, worried, as he helped her stand. "Are you okay, nii-chan?" Though his voice seemed emotionless, Ayumi could hear the worry in her nii-san's voice. "I'll be fine. Just let me breath." She sat down, breathing deeply, trying to slow her heartbeat. She saw Zabuza turn to water, and her eyes widened as he hit Kakashi into the water. "Kakashi!!" She yelled, but she didn't move, too frozen with fear to even think about it.

Hara was beside her, ears and tail lowered, and whimpering softly. Zabuza used the Water Prison jutsu, and Ayumi stood. Zabuza made a water clone, attacking Naruto and Sasuke. "Naruto-kun!! Nii-san!!" Naruto's headband was knocked off as he flew back and Sasuke was held to the ground. "Get away from them!" She yelled, stabbing the clone with a kunai. Before the clone turned to water, it hit her away, making her smack into a tree. "Ayumi!" Sakura yelled, worried. Ayumi rubbed her head, saying, "Ow…that hurt…" She saw another clone in front of Naruto, but her muscles refused to move. "Naruto-kun…do something!" She yelled, starting to rise.

Naruto suddenly gained courage, and raced at Zabuza. "Don't do that, baka!!" Ayumi yelled, standing. The clone hit him away, and Naruto stood, holding his headband. "You're…headband…" Ayumi walked over as he said, "Put this in your Bingo Book. The future Hokage never backs down." Naruto tied his headband on. "His name is Naruto Uzumaki." Ayumi smiled, saying, "And you'll fear him one day." She then took out some kunai as Naruto said, "I have a plan." "No!!" Ayumi looked up, shocked, at Kakashi. "Protect Tazuna! Stay on mission!" "But…Kakashi…sensei…" Ayumi's eyes turned stubborn. "We're not leaving you behind!"

Naruto did some hand signs, saying, "Shadow Clone jutsu!" Him and all his clones jumped at Zabuza's single clone, who threw them all off. Naruto took out a giant shuriken, throwing it to Sasuke. Sasuke threw it at Zabuza, who merely jumped over it. There was a shuriken in the shadow of the first, but he caught it. Ayumi's heart sank, until the Ayaka Sharingan flashed, and she smirked as the shuriken poofed into Naruto, who threw a kunai. Zabuza released the water prison, and Kakashi said, "I'll take it from here." Ayumi smiled, saying, "I'm fine with that…" Both Jounin used Water Vortex jutsu, and she saw Naruto caught in the powerful tides.

She ran onto the water, channeling her chakra through her feet feeling like second nature. She lifted Naruto out of the water before running back, careful to avoid really rough water, and put Naruto on shore when Kakashi used the Water Dragon jutsu, pinning Zabuza to a tree. Before anyone could move, three needles hit Zabuza in the neck. Ayumi's eyes widened as she looked up. "A tracker ninja from the Mist village…" she said, as the young shinobi jumped down, grabbing Zabuza's body.
Ayumi looked at the shinobi carefully, and asked herself, softly, "Why do I feel like something's out of place?" The tracker ninja took Zabuza's body and disappeared.

Kakashi covered his Sharingan, saying, "Well, let's keep going." He took one step and fell over. "Kakashi!" Ayumi ran to his side, checking his pulse. "He's fine. He just used a lot of chakra." "What about you, Ayumi?" Sakura asked, worried. "I'll be fine…but a little rest couldn't hurt." She slung Kakashi's arm over her shoulders, and stood. Sasuke took the other side, and Ayumi smiled gratefully. "Tazuna, would you mind showing us the way?" He nodded, leading them to his house, where his daughter got a bed for Kakashi. Ayumi put him down, covering him up with the blanket carefully, and put a wet cloth on his forehead. "Why are you the only one really taking care of him?" The daughter asked, genuinely curious.

"He's done it for me practically every day I train too hard. I'm repaying the favor." Ayumi went to the room nearby, and saw Sakura was already settling down. They were sharing the room, so Ayumi took the other bed. She quickly changed, not noticing how jealous Sakura was of her perfect figure, and crawled into bed. As she fell asleep, she said, sleepily, "Good night, Sakura." "Good night, Ayumi." And Ayumi fell asleep the next moment.