Kyugan: (Stands atop the peak of mount writers block) TOP O' THA WORLD MA!
Kakashi: (Still mummified): Mmmrrf
Kyugan: AH, now that THAT's out of my system, (Pulls out an antenna and tapes it toi Kakashi's hand) Hold this a sec. (Jumps behind a boulder.)
Kakashi: Mrf? (looks up to see storm clouds gathering.) whimper.
(Lightning strikes, Kakashi's skeleton is seen in the midst ofg the flashjing lights and screams.)
Kyugan: (Checks portable battery reader.) Ah! fully charged! Thanks Kakashi...Kakashi?
Kakshi: (reduced to a twitching heap on the ground.) my life is a four letter word called pain...
Kyugan: Ah...situation normal then.
The crashing waves; the fall of Zabuza!
Haku was flying through the air, the shattered remains of one of the masked Nin's mirrors falling like snowflakes through the air. On the other side of the bridge, the muscular form of Ishijima Domon was dashing towards them, the chain for Kuchibashi-o in his fists, retracting the massive weapon.
"Damn you Hanabishi," the giant muttered, grinning at his rival in mock annoyance, "starting the party without your 'Ude'…I'm insulted."
"Whatever, Franken-dick," Recca snorted, shaking his head mockingly, "took ya long enough getting here!"
Zabuza scowled, glaring at the giant as he strode towards them confidently, his weapon hanging over his shoulder. 'These brats keep popping outta the woodwork!' the jounin muttered, casting a wary glance back at Kakashi, who had a look of relief in his eye.
Domon grinned at Sasuke, standing over him like the veritable mountain he was. "Pretty boy Uchiha don't look so pretty now, does he?" he mocked.
Sasuke growled at the giant, still winded from Haku's last assault, just as the Masked stood up and re-entered the mirrors, hurling senbon at the giant, only for Domon to dodge without even turning to face them, a lifetime of pursuing Fuko, (and her ample buxom), having prepared the giant for the masked teen's tactic.
"You're nothing!" Domon taunted, "Fuko-chan's a girl and she throws harder than you!"
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Recca snorted mockingly at the giant's taunt, shaking his head in exasperation. "He boasts, but Fuko's got 'im whipped bad." The enjutsu-shi muttered, smirking at his rival.
"Like your one to talk, Aniki." Naruto snickered, causing the brunette to flush, before flinching as something caught his eye.
"Domon!" Recca called out, "Behind you!"
At his rival's cry, the giant reflexively dodged to the left, the Senbon hurled from the mirror behind him lodging in his shoulder, rather than his skull. "A back fighter eh?" he roared, leaping back to avoid an attack from a Sensatsu Suisho, only to step right into the mirror prison, causing Recca to slap his forehead in exasperation.
"Bakayaro…"
"I heard that Hanabishi!" Domon roared, wincing as Haku cut into him like a demented sewing machine. Sasuke tried using Goukakyuu, but the mirrors stubbornly refused to melt, costing the Uchiha valuable chakra.
"Pointless," Haku stated, "such a weak flame will never damage these ice mirrors, and they cannot be broken from within as easily as before."
Domon smirked, an insane light coming to his eyes at the masked teen's claim. "Weak flame eh? Oi Hanabishi!" he called out, "Why don't you show Uchiha what a REAL Katon jutsu is?"
"Gladly!" Recca replied with a grin, lifting his hands to his chest and beginning the seals for the most powerful jutsu he'd learned from the scroll.
'Ram, Horse, Dragon, Tiger, Ram…'
"Take cover Domon!" Naruto yelled as Recca's chest inflated like a set of bellows. The mohawk sporting giant grinned and tossed himself as far away from the mirrors closest to the group as he could, grabbing a startled Sasuke by the scruff of his neck as he passed.
Recca finished inhaling and thrust his head forward, exhaling a massive flaming missile at the mirrors.
"Katon: Karyuuendan!"
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Sasuke's eyes widened as a white-hot stream of fire launched from the other genin's mouth, leaping back further as it incinerated half of Haku's mirrors upon impact, steam filling the air. 'This is crazy!' he exclaimed, 'where did he learn such a powerful jutsu?!' Gritting his teeth, the Uchiha growled, clenching his fists in anger. 'Why are they always showing me up!' he demanded, 'I'm a Uchiha! The best of the best! Yet they still manage to surpass me at every turn!'
His eyes twinged slightly, causing him to blink in order to relieve the irritation, the second he opened his eyes however, the teen was shocked to see Haku lunging towards him, only he seemed to be moving in slow motion. The avenger dodged to the side and smirked in a superior manner as he watched the startled Nin fly past.
'Well now,' he muttered, mismatched sharingan spinning, 'THIS changes things!'
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Domon blinked as he caught a look at the Uchiha's eyes, blinking in surprise at the mismatched set of tomoes set against red. 'What the-?' he wondered, before his yes widened, as the Uchiha shot a hungry look towards Recca and Naruto.
'SHIT!' he realised in alarm. 'SHARINGAN?!'
"Hanabishi!" he called out, dodging another strike form Haku, "Uchiha's got the same Sharingan as Sensei!"
Recca choked and stopped the jutsu, much to Sasuke's resentment, though the avenger merely shrugged it off, since he couldn't copy the seals of an already active jutsu.
"WHAT?!" the enjutsu-shi coughed out, along with a few smoke clouds, "When did he get that!?"
Kakashi smiled, nodding his head at the duo in the ice prison whilst keeping a watchful eye on the kirigakure no Kiishin. "The Sharingan IS the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai," he explained, "it's only natural that he'd unlock it eventually."
"Great," Naruto growled, shaking his head in annoyance, "another copycat ninja, just what we need."
'Mock me all you want, Naruto.' Sasuke muttered as he eyed the blonde with a smirk, 'With these eyes, no-one will surpass me ever again.' He shot a superior gaze at the other two, 'Not even you chumps.'
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Zabuza grunted, interested by this turn of events. "An Uchiha eh?" he wondered aloud, "I thought the whole clan was wiped out, just wishful thinking I guess."
Kakashi pulled up his Hitai-ate, looking annoyed at his opponents comment. "Is there anything more annoying than listening to another man's rambling?" the copy nin muttered, only for Zabuza to smirk and look away, raising one hand in a ram seal.
"Hope you don't mind if I steal one of your lines…" the mist demon muttered, "It goes something like: the same trick wont work on me twice!"
The genin winced as the mist-nin filled the area with a mist so thick not even the floor could be seen. They jumped at the sound of metal on metal, before Zabuza's voice cut through the mist. "You've overestimated the value of your sharingan," the Nin's voice echoed through the mist, "Heh, you pretend that it enables you to penetrate all…but you've been exposed as a false prophet Kakashi!"
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Recca frowned, eyeing the mist warily as he stayed close to his Outoto. 'So the Sharingan isn't as all powerful as its hype would make us believe?' he muttered, as Naruto tilted his head, eyes scanning for the slightest movement.
'Keep going Zabuza,' the blonde muttered, 'Tell us what we wanna know…'
Ever since the first encounter with the mist Nin, the trio had got together to discuss the dangers of having something as dangerous as the Sharingan around. The decision was made to avoid revealing any of their jutsu if Kakashi's eye was revealed, except in extreme circumstances.
Now that Sasuke had it, they were going to need to be extra careful, so whatever Zabuza had discovered during their last exchange was well worth listening to.
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"There are three stages to your precious Sharingan," Zabuza lectured a wary Kakashi, "First, with the piercing eye, you flawlessly replicate my movements to induce fear and insecurity."
The Leaf jounin dodged a strike at kidney level, whirling round only for Zabuza's shadow to recede into the mist.
"Second," Zabuza continued, "with the illusion eye, you make it appear as if you're reading my mind, when in actuality, it's a visual illusion to trick me into showing what technique I'll use and how…which means all you have to do is use your piercing eye to mimic it!"
Domon frowned, nodding as the jounin continued to explain his discoveries. 'I get it…its like high-speed-camera,' the giant noted, 'it copies whatever it sees no matter how fast it's going!'
"Realizing this, it was easy to devise a counter-measure." The missing Nin concluded, "First, I neutralize your visibility in this thick mist, whilst concealing myself."
Kakashi barely dodged a set of Kunai and skidded across the bridge.
"Heh…and with my own eyes closed," Zabuza added, "I eliminate the possibility of your hypnotizing me when we're in close proximity."
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Recca whistled appreciatively, admiring the jounin's tactics. "Fighting blind eh?" he called out, "But if you can't see at all, doesn't that make things harder?"
Zabuza snickered, a sinister sound that suited the situation perfectly. "Maybe for you brats," he allotted, "but I am a master of the art of silent killing…I have trained to hunt by sound alone!"
Naruto winced, feeling his hackles pick up in anxiety as the murderous intent surrounded them. 'We're nowhere near that skilled yet,' he cursed, 'and since none of us can use Suiton that leaves us with fighting blind…CRAP!'
Naruto blocked the sword stroke in mid-swing, knees buckling from both the weight and the jounin's monstrous strength. 'Damn! He's not as strong as Domon…but this is insane!' the blonde growled, before Recca came down with a heel kick to the jounin's head, forcing him to retreat.
"You okay Naruto?" the enjutsu-shi asked as Naruto readied his Katana.
"Guy could give Domon a run for his money…with a handicap." Naruto panted, "That overgrown cleaver isn't helping things any."
At that minute, there was a yelp from Domon, prompting them to look in the giant's last known location. "Guy's! Uchiha's down! Idiot got hit in the neck!" the teen yelled out, sounding sick, "Aw cripes he looks like he's got neck piercings…"
Recca growled, catching the note of panic in his rival's tone that usually heralded a panic attack. "Stay focused!" he snapped out, "Domon, you keep an eye on him, Naruto and I can handle Tazuna."
Naruto snorted, before eyeing the mist with a crooked smile. "Reminds me of when we'd play tag with Fuko." He muttered, causing Recca to shiver at the 'fond memory'.
"Except Fuko's a lot easier on the eyes," the enjutsu-shi muttered, smirking slightly, "not by much though." he teased, earning an outraged roar from the giant teammate.
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"SHUT YOUR YAP HANABISHI!" Domon roared indignantly, earning a brief laugh from the brothers. The giant genin growled and stood over the fallen Uchiha like a sentinel, scowling at the mist as it continued to obscure his view.
'Dammit!' he cursed, 'this guy has the advantage, especially after me giving away my position by yelling.' He snorted self-mockingly, a smirk on his face that belied his anxiety.
'This is bad,' he muttered, 'its so bad it reeks…yet I'm calm for some reason.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself, letting it out slowly. 'Let's see if what Kagero said is any use…'
FLASHBACK
"Domon," Kagero instructed as the teen was working out, "during your fight's at the Urabatosatsujin, you displayed a high level of mental strength, far higher than what people would see in you." She waited until the teen was paying full atention before nodding, "If you can harness that mental energy, you could use it to detect your enemies, no matter where they are hidden."
END FLASHBACK
'Kagero isn't the type to say something without reason.' Domon noted, face growing serious, 'Lets see if those hide and seek session paid off a little…' He took another breath to settle himself, slowly but surely filtering out the sounds around him.
A bird chirped in the trees, he moved on.
A toad croaked in the water under the bridge, he ignored it.
Gravel shifted to his left; causing him to whirl round.
'THERE!'
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Haku had been steadily edging towards the giant's last location, hoping to bring the genin down without necessarily killing him. However such thoughts soon ended when the masked Nin's world erupted into tremendous pain, courtesy of a fist the size of a small ham ramming into the mask with all the brute force of a freight train.
The slender Ninja went sailing backwards, mask shattering as it fell, before dropping lifelessly to the ground a good fifteen feet away.
Domon blinked, staring at his fist in confusion.
"Hey…" the giant mumbled, "for such a tough bastard…he was pretty light..."
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Zabuza twitched, some bizarre sixth sense telling him that Haku was in danger, and for all the jounin's bluster he truly cared for his teammate and protégé.
Cursing, he lessened the intensity of the mist just enough that he could make out the form lying on the ground not ten feet away. "Haku!" he roared, letting his guard down for the briefest of seconds, a fatal error to make in a jounin level battle.
A kunai stabbed into Zabuza's back, severing the muscles in his arm and causing him to stare over his shoulder in shock.
"You lose…demon." Kakashi muttered, sharingan spinning as he twisted the kunai mercilessly.
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Recca sighed as the mist cleared, patting his arm to rid himself of the goose bumps that were crawling up it. "Dammit," he swore, "I forgot how irritating it feels to be IT."
Naruto nodded, looking around and spotting the limp forms of Haku and Sasuke, before sighing in annoyance. "Aw man," he whined, nodding towards their still forms "we gotta dig two graves now?"
"Why don't I do that," a mocking voice called out, "I'll dig yours for you as well!"
The collective shinobi spun round and glared at the newcomers, which turned out to be an army of rouge samurai and Ronin, with a contemptible looking man at the front in a suit and shades.
'This…isn't good.' Kakashi muttered, narrowing his eyes at the new arrivals.
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"My Zabuza, don't you seem to be outnumbered?" Gato said with a smirk, his left hand was still in a cast as he tapped his cane on the ground before him.
"Gato." Zabuza growled suspiciously, "What are you doing here…?" He glared at the Ronin army behind the corrupt businessman, "and why'd you bring all of them?!"
The businessman chuckled, looking like an overweight warthog in a cheap-ass suit. "A slight change of plans Zabuza," he explained, "or a change in yours anyway." He gestured over his shoulder at his personal army, and grinned.
"You all die here, you worthless shinobi!"
The assorted ninja glared at the little man as he chuckled to himself, shaking his head at his own glee, before shaking his head.
"Hiring Shinobi is such an expensive business," Gato sighed, "especially from one of the main villages." He grinned evilly at them, causing the Konoha genin to shiver in revulsion. "They tend to object when I kill their people after the work is done."
Gato pointed his cane at the crippled Zabuza and grinned. "However! Renegades such as yourself are so much easier to dispose of, since the village won't really care what happens to you once the deed is done, and I can claim in on the bounties by brining in your head."
The tycoon pushed his glasses up on his face, looking all the more demented as the time passed. "A brilliant business stratagem-efficient and inexpensive;" he sighed, "my two favorite words."
Gato sneered at the crippled mist swordsman and smirked, waving a hand disgustedly. "My one mistake was hiring a relic like you in the first place!"
Zabuza trembled at the man's taunt, before lunging forwards with a roar of rage, raising his cleaver in an attempt to hurl it at the man, who promptly ducked behind a strange looking device covered by a tarp.
"Times change demon!" Gato yelled out, "Have a taste of modern warfare!"
A strange rattling noise suddenly filled the air, and the demon of the mist fell, cut down by a hail of bullets that actually severed his arm and left leg.
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Kakashi blanched, as the noise died down, eyes widening in horror to stare at the scene before him, shifting from Zabuza's mangled corpse to the leering army of Ronin.
'Wh-what was that?!' he stammered, only to blink as Gato's pig like laughter echoed over the silence.
"I imported several modern weapons from overseas." Gato explained, smiling through the smoke, "I'm particularly fond of this one, I believe the locals called it a 'Gatling gun'." He gazed lovingly at the weapon, as smoke drifted out of the still rotating barrels, "It's capable of firing over a thousand continuous rounds without pause."
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The Konoha born ninja froze at this, whilst Recca and Domon shot each other looks, making quick signs to each other.
(Naruto,) Recca signed to his brother, (Domon and I are gonna distract the maggot.) He scowled at the billionaire and continued when he saw Naruto nod. (While he's occupied, you dash in and lop his frigging head off!)
The blonde frowned at the idea of his teammates putting themselves at risk, before nodding and making the seal for Kage bunshin.
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Kakashi was scowling, utterly at a loss in front of mainland technology, and was considering ordering a tactical retreat when Domon lunged towards the death machine like a madman. "Domon!" the jounin yelped, holding out a hand as if to stop the teen through sheer force of will, "ARE you trying to get yourself killed?!"
The giant roared, running past Zabuza's corpse and scooping up the fallen demon's sword, doing a decent 'Braveheart' impression as he charged, sans the kilt and makeup. Right on cue, Gato smirked and ordered the gun to be fired again laughing insanely at what he thought was a last ditch attempt at survival.
'Gotcha!' Domon smirked as he felt his skin harden, the kanji for 'tetsu' appearing on his forehead. Abruptly, the fatal hail of bullets became as lethal as a summer shower, ricocheting off the giant as he charged towards them like the angel of death, a ghostly image of an Oni mask looming behind him.
Kakashi blinked, staring at the scene in wonder as the screams began. 'That was the Satsujin Kai,' he muttered, 'releasing your killing intent into a visual image behind you, effective on low level grunts like these, but…' The jounin sweatdropped as the bullets continued to ricochet off his student like pebbles.
'Why isn't he a pile of lumpy spaghetti sauce?!'
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Gato hid at the very rear of the mob, trembling in fear as the Gatling gun was demolished by the monstrous figure that had charged down a hail of bullets.
'That's no brat!' he gulped, staring through the ranks at the grey skinned giant, 'That things a monster!"' The business man winced as Domon tore into his henchmen like the devil himself, before running towards the boat they'd arrived on, hoping to find it intact and ready to speed him away to safety.
A swift explosion ended this fragile hope, along with the boat.
"Going somewhere…Kuso-gokiburi?" a voice called out over the low roar of the flames, causing the businessman to turn slowly, quaking in horror at the sight of the charred remains of his army lying on the bridge, the giant and another of the brats standing over them.
"Bit of advice," Recca muttered, "when fighting shinobi from Konoha? Wear flame retardant clothes." A scowl covered the young man's face, his right arm incased in flames.
"I normally abhor killing," he admitted, "but worthless Ronin like these don't deserve any mercy."
The billionaire was about to make a dash for it when a sword tip erupted from his chest. Gato blinked in horror, before looking over his shoulder to spot a scowling Naruto, the blonde twisted the blade before dragging it out, causing the man to fall to his knees in agony.
"Another tip; for your road ta hell." Domon added as he loomed over the terrified man, "Those who break the rules are scum…"
The trio's faces lit up at a sudden burst of flame, causing them to look more demonic.
"But those who abandon their comrades," Naruto finished, "are LESS than scum."
Gato tried to back away feebly, holding up a trembling hand to keep the monsters at bay as his chest bled openly. "P-please!" he begged, actually breaking out in terrified tears, wetting himself in his desperation, "I-I'll give you all the money you want!"
His eyes widened at a sudden thought, as he nodded empathetically. "You shinobi are just guns for higher right?" he pointed out desperately, "Well I'll pay you double, triple, no a hundred times whatever you're getting from Tazuna! Just please! Spare me my life!"
The trio growled and loomed over the man, looks of rage on their faces at his disgusting tactics, all traces of sympathy eradicated from their minds.
"Tame a dog with food." Domon growled, hefting the giant Zanbato over his shoulder.
"Tame a man with money." Naruto added, eyes becoming slit-like.
Recca allowed his flame to grow white hot, before pointing his palm at the horrified businessman. "But no man can tame the Dragons of Konoha!"
Gato screamed as the flames engulfed him like a lover's embrace, burning through cloth hair, flesh and bone, to leave behind nothing but dust.
"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH-!"
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Kakashi stared at the trio, shocked to his very core as the man's screams echoed across the impromptu battlefield provided by Tazuna's lifelong project.
'They killed him without a second thought,' he muttered, staring at the scene in shock, 'and took out an entire army armed with mainland technology.' He swallowed, shaking his head slowly in wonder. 'Hokage-sama was right…these guy's should never be underestimated.'
The jounin snorted and shook his head humorously, "I'm gonna have to pull things up a notch if I don't wanna lose face.' He realized, before raising an eyebrow in interest.
"Still," he muttered to himself, "The 'dragons of Konoha'? That's kinda catchy.' He shivered suddenly, shaking his head again. "I hope Gai never hears of it…"
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Domon turned and winced at the sight of Zabuza's mangled corpse, shaking his head in sympathy. 'Oh man that's looks nasty,' he muttered, before blinking, 'wait!'
"Zabuza's moving!" he barked, pointing at the body in shock. The group spun round and sure enough, the jounin was trying to sit up, his torn muscles failing under the strain.
"Zabuza-sama!" a high-pitched voice called out, and the trio blinked at the sight of Haku dashing towards the wounded jounin.
"…Domon…" Recca asked numbly, "did you hit him in the balls by accident?"
Domon blinked, and shook his head, causing Naruto to nod dumbly. "So either Haku hasn't hit puberty yet," the blonde muttered, "or he's really…" Haku turned to look at them and their jaws hit the floor so hard it cracked.
"HOLY SHIT!!!!"
Haku, as it turned out, was a girl with skin paler than snow, ebony black hair and the most beautiful eyes they'd ever seen.
'I have Hime…I have Hime…' Recca chanted mentally, trying to look anywhere but at the vision in front of him.
'I got Fuko…I got Fuko…' Domon recited, a little faster than his rival, a flush adorning the giant's cheeks.
'She's older than me…she's older than me…' Naruto recited, having a thing about girls being taller than him, he got enough of that back home.
"Please!" Haku's desperate voice called out, snapping the trio out of their thougts, "We no longer have a reason to fight! He needs medical care!"
"Haku…enough…" Zabuza coughed, turning his head slightly, "My lungs are gone…I can't feel my legs either…I'm finished."
"No!" Haku yelled, shaking him, "You have to live! What about your dream?!"
Zabuza coughed out blood, gazing up at the sky with fading eyes. "It was nothing more than that…a dream." The dying nin muttered, "Maybe if the seven swordsmen had banded together, we could have retaken the mist country, but not now, most of them are dead, and Kisame-sensei has long since disappeared…"
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Kakashi raised an eyebrow, stepping forward to question his one-time adversary. "You said take back the mist," he muttered, "did something happen?"
Zabuza looked at his former enemy, and nodded. "About a year ago," the dying nin explained, "a man came to Kirigakure, under the guise of offering the village power." He coughed, sending blood across his stricken chest, Kakashi kneeling beside him in concern.
"It was a trap," Zabuza spat out bitterly, "he murdered the Mizukage…took the throne…killed off most of the swordsmen of the mist…forcing us into exile."
Kakashi shivered, knowing that together the seven swordsmen of the mist were the equivalent of a small army of jounin ranked shinobi, his silver hair trembling at the news of their defeat. "Who was it?" he asked, causing Zabuza to shiver at the memory.
"I never learned his name," the mist nin muttered, "but he wore a mask over his face…and could summon flames from his hands…in the shape of an angel..."
Recca froze as the background split., as if struck by lightening his fists clenching in anger at the jounin's description.
"KUREI!!!!"
Zabuza looked at him weakly in surprise. "You…know of him?" he coughed out, prompting a frown from Domon.
"He's Hanabishi's older brother," the Giant muttered, "a real pyromaniac."
Kakashi blinked at this, before frowning in interest at his 'hot-headed' student. 'Fire from his hands,' the jounin muttered, muttered, 'a Kekkei Genkai?'
Zabuza coughed up more blood and looked at the leaf jounin weakly. "I'm finished," he rattled, "I would ask a favour…Kakashi…"
The jounin nodded, his eyes growing solemn. "Name it."
Zabuza looked to a sobbing Haku, and nodded weakly. "Take her to Konoha," he asked, "don't let her become…like me…"
Kakashi nodded at the request, pulling his headband down over his sharingan respectfully.
"We will."
Zabuza thanked the jounin solemnly, before casting a weary eye towards Domon. "Boy," he rasped, "my sword…"
The giant blinked, before realizing he was still carrying Kubikiri Houcho over his shoulder. "Oh…sorry…" he muttered, and went to give it back but the jounin waved a hand weakly, stopping him.
"Keep it." Zabuza muttered, "from one 'Demon' to another." He snorted weakly at the look on the giants face before leveling a stern glare at the trio. "I acknowledge your strength…Oni no Domon…Honnou no Recca…" His eyes landed on the grieved blond, and nodded slowly. "…Onime no Naruto…" he whispered, causing the blonde to blink in confusion.
And with that parting statement, Momochi Zabuza, the kirigakure no kiishin, one of the legendary seven swordsmen of the mist, closed his eyes for the last time as snow began to fall, summoned by Haku's tears.
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Sasuke, who had been virtually forgotten by this point twitched as the cold brought him back to consciousness, staring across the barren bridge.
'Wha happened…?' he muttered, 'where'd everyone go?' He felt his neck, and blinked in confusion. 'And why the hell is my neck pierced?!'
Well now, that was interesting! How will Haku fit in with Konoha? Will Sasuke lighten up now that he has his sharingan? And just what did Zabuza mean in his last words to Naruto?
Kakashi: (light sizzling noise) paaaaaiiiin...
Hiruma: Ah suck it up ya damn pussy! (Starts shooting at the jounin)
Kakashi: WHYYYYY?!?!?!?! (Runs off, with Hiruma on his heels.)
Kyugan: I gotta get me some better help.