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"What now?" Sasuke asked as he took a step back, onyx eyes calculating as they swept over the approaching reinforcements. Zabuza sneered at them triumphantly from behind faceless men, and Sasuke wanted nothing more than to wipe the celebratory smirk off of the mercenary's face.
"Don't ask me." Naruto raised his hands in defense. "You're the one with a weapon."
The raven-haired male tore his gaze away from their aggressors to stare at the blonde in shock. "You didn't bring one for yourself!?" he asked incredulously.
The blonde shook his head and offered him a charming smile. "I don't like violence." He replied simply with a shrug. "Having a weapon on me makes me uncomfortable."
"Idiot." Sasuke cursed as Zabuza's shrill laughter echoed throughout the warehouse.
"Same deceitful fool as always." The mercenary drew closer. "I see you haven't fixed your weakness, Naruto. Still too scared to get your hands a little dirty."
The blonde didn't reply, but Sasuke noticed the clenching of the other male's jaw as he stood immobile with his arms crossed.
"I thought you would have abandoned your naïve ideals by now." Zabuza mused.
"You thought wrong." Naruto deadpanned before turning to Sasuke, pointedly dismissing the mercenary. "I can free your friends, but you'll need to hold them back." He offered, dazzling blue eyes boring into Sasuke's own.
The raven-haired male tore his gaze away from supple lips and grunted. "Holding them back won't be a problem, but what exactly are you planning on freeing them with? Last I checked, they're still tied up, and you don't have a weapon."
Naruto reached behind his ear and retrieved something with much flourish, which he then presented to Sasuke.
"I was thinking of using this." The blonde replied cheekily.
The raven-haired male's mouth dropped open as he stared at the nail that Zabuza had tossed away earlier upon Naruto's arrival. The nail had gone sailing into obscurity, and Sasuke had been confident it would never be found again.
"When did you get that!?" he asked. Zabuza had thrown the nail a good distance; it was impossible for the blonde to have retrieved it without attracting notice.
"A magician never reveals his tricks." Naruto smiled easily before motioning towards where Kakashi and Sakura still sat. "Shall I?"
Sasuke made to respond but was interrupted by a sudden attack from the front as Zabuza motioned for his men to advance. With four men in total excluding himself, the mercenary was clearly at an advantage, and Sasuke's arms shook under the weight of two simultaneous blows before he narrowly escaped from being struck by a third. The raven-haired male dropped the ground and swung his leg around, sweeping one man off his feet and knocking him to the ground.
Without blinking Sasuke lowered his sword, stabbing the man directly through the chest and finishing him off.
Naruto whistled appreciatively.
"Not bad!" he called.
The raven-haired male spared him an irritated glance before removing his blade from the fallen assailant, ignoring the unsettling feeling of metal sliding against flesh and bone on its way out. He turned in time to block two more blows, but this time his opponents were prepared for him. While one maintained his sword against Sasuke's, another man pulled back to swing again, and Sasuke lurched backwards to avoid a slash to his abdomen. He cursed as he realized that a third man had slipped behind him, and he dipped downward to slip between the man's legs while stabbing upwards. The man howled in pain and clutched his arm, blood pooling to the floor as he stumbled back.
The raven-haired male allowed himself a moment to catch his breath as he eyed his opponents warily. He was managing, but Sasuke knew it wouldn't last; there was only so much he could do before fatigue took over in the face of overwhelming numbers. Zabuza's men were stupid yet strong, and their attacks were severe.
Sasuke steadied his sword while taking deep breaths to regain control over his breathing, willing himself to remember everything he had trained for in the past three years.
Leaning over a bit, Sasuke shifted his weight to the front of his body before springing forward. He ducked underneath one man's sword in favor of attacking the man behind him, and a metallic twang resounded throughout the warehouse as steel collided with steel. Over and over again Sasuke struck until the man's sword was finally knocked to the ground, but before he could strike the final blow he was forced to roll to the side to avoid Zabuza's mighty swing.
The raven-haired male could feel the air skimming across above him as the attack narrowly missed, and perspiration dripped down his cheeks as he quickly jumped to his feet. Zabuza was now leading his men in the attack, and Sasuke found himself unable to do anything but defend as he continuously dodged Zabuza's deadly weapon.
"Sasuke! Behind you!"
Sasuke swung around in time to see a blade hovering in front of his face, its path disrupted by a chunk of concrete that had soundly struck his aggressor's skull. Glancing to the side, Sasuke exhaled ever-so-slightly in relief as Kakashi waved cheerily at him, now similarly free from his confines.
"Enough of this!" Zabuza growled, losing his patience. "Only one of them is armed; take out that damn fox before he releases the princess! We won't see a single cent if she gets away!"
Sasuke barely had time to react before Zabuza and his men surged forward, and the raven-haired male grit his teeth as he defended against their onslaught. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zabuza slip past him, but with three men attacking him Sasuke was unable to prevent the mercenary from advancing.
"Kakashi!" he called. "He's going for Sakura!"
The silver-haired man gave a curt nod before intercepting Zabuza's approach. As the ex-captain of Tanto's main regime, Kakashi was a monster even without being armed; he made up for his handicap with experience, and Zabuza found himself unable to land a blow despite numerous futile attempts. Each time the mercenary raised his arm to attack he found Kakashi's forearm blocking him, preventing him from swinging downwards. The older male then proceeded to deliver swift blows to his head and chest, causing Zabuza to stagger backwards.
The mercenary fought to regain balance as Kakashi watched him warily. One wrong move and his head would be cleanly removed from his torso; the silver-haired male wasn't willing to take the risk by being incautious. Once steadied, Zabuza gazed at him with evaluating eyes, and Kakashi could see his opponent switching tactics in his head.
When Zabuza attacked next, his movements were calculating and less rash. Kakashi cursed as the mercenary feinted to the right, only to swing back around on his left. He ducked to avoid the blow and then leaped backwards to dodge the next, all the while lamenting that he didn't have a weapon of his own. Kakashi spent the next few minutes narrowly escaping his assailant's attacks as he scrambled back and forth, but it wasn't long until he found himself on the ground with Zabuza's shadow looming over him.
"Heave-ho!"
Out of nowhere Naruto flew at Zabuza and whipped his leg around, his foot connecting squarely with the back of Zabuza's head and knocking him to the ground unconscious.
Kakashi's brow rose.
"Nice hit." He commented, rising to his feet and dusting off his pants.
"Hehe." The blonde cackled, standing over the mercenary with a triumphant grin. "Thought you'd appreciate a hand – or foot."
Sakura stood to the side with her face alight with satisfaction as she watched Kakashi and Naruto bind Zabuza's prone form with the ropes that had confined her only seconds before, her mind finally beginning to process the dramatic turn of events. She had been surprised and then amazed when Naruto had disappeared seconds after cutting her loose, only to reappear meters away next to their assailant. The blonde's actions were so fluid and animated that it was hard to keep track of him; Sakura found him slipping in and out of her sights even when actively trying to watch him.
He shot her a wide smile from next to Zabuza's form, and Sakura was unable to prevent herself from smiling back.
"Boss!" the mercenary's subordinates cried, drawing backwards at seeing their leader fall. Without Zabuza, his men were clearly lost. Sasuke advanced on them mercilessly, lips stretched into a thin line.
"Drop your weapons." He ordered as Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura approached.
The three men stared at him dumbly, their swords frozen in front of them.
With a frustrated growl Sasuke swung his blade, separating the arm from the body of the man closet to him. His victim wailed loudly before dropping to his knees, unable to stop the blood that spurted out from where his missing limb used to be.
"Now!" Sasuke roared. The other two men dropped their swords immediately, faces ashen as they slowly backed away with their hands raised in submission.
Naruto stepped forward to kick their fallen weapons out of reach, sapphire eyes sympathetic as he watched the bleeding man collapse onto the floor.
"What are you going to do, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked quietly as he stepped beside the younger male. "They know who we are."
The raven-haired male swallowed as he gazed at the cowering men. Realistically, he knew that disposal was the only option; if word got out to Madara that they were in this city, their plans to travel to Byakugan City would be immediately compromised. Madara would make their journey a living hell, and they would be forced to hide in the shadows.
Still, Sasuke never enjoyed the idea of unnecessary bloodshed. He defended himself and took lives when necessary, but he could not condone cold-blooded murder.
"We should get rid of them." Sasuke mumbled. "Less liability."
Sakura turned away with a frown marring her face but remained silent.
"And him?" Kakashi pressed, motioning towards Zabuza's motionless form.
Sasuke's face hardened.
"Especially him." He answered. Kakashi nodded, and even though his face was grave Sasuke could see agreement in the older man's visible eye.
They both turned to glance at Sakura, who stood a few feet away with a pained expression. Despite spending so many years on the run, Sakura had never managed to shed her kind temperament; her gentle nature was still untouched, making this an anguished decision.
"Sakura?" Kakashi addressed her softly.
"I…" the woman began before elapsing into silence. She looked as if she wished to speak, but when she tried nothing came out.
"I'll escort the lady outside." Naruto spoke up, offering his arm. After a few seconds Sakura accepted the gesture hesitantly, eyes never straying from the trembling captives as the blonde gently led her out.
The prisoners whimpered pathetically as she left.
"Go with them, Sasuke." Kakashi stated, picking up one of the swords that Naruto had kicked away earlier.
Sasuke stared at him with poorly masked confusion.
"Wha-"
"Make sure the princess is alright." The older male smiled, eye arching upwards.
His younger charge shifted incredulously. "I don't-"
Kakashi's face darkened, and he suddenly emitted such an authoritative aura that Sasuke had to restrain himself from taking a step back.
"Leave."
With a bitter scowl, Sasuke turned and did as he was told. The raven-haired male did not turn back as he exited the warehouse, blood pounding in his ears as he joined where Naruto and Sakura were waiting. Kakashi was still protecting him as if he were a child and chose to do all of the dirty work on his own.
"Your princess is untouched, if that's what you were worried about." The other male rolled his eyes as Sasuke approached. Basked in the glow of early morning, the blonde presented an almost ethereal sight with soft hair sweeping across his forehead and accentuating alluring sapphire hues. Sasuke stood still for a moment, stunned by the sight until his gaze landed on Sakura's withdrawn form.
He sat down next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder in silent comfort.
"You were damn impressive in there, by the way." The blonde continued with admiration, oblivious to the small exchange. "You took on those goons like they were nothing!"
Cerulean eyes glittered with something unspoken, and Sasuke found himself trying to decipher their meaning before turning away with a grunt.
"Hn." He sounded, crossing his arms.
"Hullo? I was praising you?" the irritating man pursed his lips. "This is where you praise me back."
The raven-haired male started as Naruto suddenly pressed his face inches away from his own, allowing him to see long lashes shadowing bronze skin as the blonde shamelessly peered up at him.
"Like hell." Sasuke snapped, shoving the blonde away. "And don't come so close to me. It's disgusting."
Naruto frowned. "Look, if this is about how we first-"
Muffled screams sounded from within the warehouse, and Sakura's eyes squeezed shut as the chilling echoes faded. For a moment all three of them elapsed into silence, each looking in a different direction as another scream filled the air.
"…what was the grudge?" Sasuke asked after a minute or two.
"What?" Naruto replied distractedly.
"Between you and that guy who caught us." The raven-haired male answered. The other male gazed at him as if he had grown a second head, but surprise turned to understanding when Sasuke's eyes shifted to Sakura's tense form.
"Ohhhh. That." Naruto sighed loudly, piquing Sakura's interest. "Not my proudest moment."
"What happened?" She asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the wretched warehouse. Sasuke was glad to have diverted her attention, but Naruto didn't seem too pleased with the topic that had been chosen.
The blonde's shoulders were tense as he laced his fingers together. "I made a mistake. It cost Zabuza his partner's life."
Sasuke frowned. "Do you make such mistakes often?" he inquired bluntly. He was still uncomfortable with bringing in an outsider, and he wasn't going to let some loud-mouthed idiot ruin everything that they had worked for.
"It wasn't that kind of mistake." Cerulean eyes flashed as Naruto sat down. "Zabuza came to me two years ago with a job."
"He hired you?" Sakura asked, surprise evident in her tone.
"There's hardly a person in this town I haven't worked for." The blonde answered matter-of-factly. "This is totally violating client confidentiality, by the way."
Cerulean eyes were shifty as they glanced towards the warehouse. "…Or maybe it isn't."
Sasuke coughed loudly and Naruto responded with another sigh.
"Right." He kicked a stone away from him. "Back then, Zabuza was already big news. He did everything from kidnapping to murder, as long as the price was right. When he came to me, he asked me to get him some information."
"You were a middle man?" Sakura asked.
"Something like that." Naruto made a face. "I was asked to find somebody. Somebody important and well-hidden. I like to keep my head low; quiet, and forgettable – Zabuza thought I was perfect for the job."
"But you weren't?"
"I found the guy." The blonde squared his jaw. "The target was a vital witness in a case against one of the most powerful mob leaders at the time; with him testifying, the guy was finally going to be locked away for his crimes. Zabuza had been hired to handle the situation – remove him from the picture, if you catch my drift."
"He was sent to kill him." Sakura's face dawned with understanding.
Naruto stood and teetered back and forth on the balls of his heels. "I couldn't let it happen." He shook his head. "It was the first – and last – time I ever broke my golden rule to never betray a client. I contacted located authorities and they set up a sting operation while I fed Zabuza false information. I set up a time and a place for him to retrieve the target and made sure that the right people were waiting for him."
The blonde's lips tightened.
"It was here at this warehouse, actually." He chuckled humorlessly. "Probably why Zabuza picked it. He always had a flair for the dramatics."
"Obviously, it didn't work." Sasuke stated dryly.
Naruto's eyes flashed. "I messed up." He replied simply. "I couldn't get in contact with Zabuza, so I passed him the coordinates through his partner. Haku was a nice guy stuck in the wrong environment, but he never let himself fall too low; he was the only one who could keep Zabuza in line when he got out of hand. Haku decided to go meet the target himself and offer him an escape."
"But the police didn't know that he'd be coming instead." Sakura's eyes were sad.
"Yeah." Naruto's shoulders squared warily. "You can guess the rest."
The blonde fell into silence and both Sasuke and Sakura were unwilling to speak, leaving the three of them to their own thoughts as the sun continued to rise overhead. The bustling of the village could now be heard as civilians began their daily routines, and the sound was comforting after narrowly escaping being captured.
It was proof that life still went on, with or without them in it.
"Well." Kakashi spoke, approaching them from behind. "I could use some breakfast; what about you kids?"
Naruto was first to reply. "I know a place that makes a mean sandwich for cheap."
The silver-haired man smiled. "Lead on, then. Oh, and Naruto?"
The blonde glanced at him questioningly while Sasuke and Sakura rose to their feet. Kakashi's smile widened as he held out his hand.
"Welcome to the team."
AlexandriteSky: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review on your way out!