Chapter Six: The Kekkei Genkai, Revealed

Despite the fact that Rei was taking charge, she collapsed the second they entered the household. Sasuke carried her into the guest room alongside their sensei. Although Kakashi woke up a day after the fight – tired, but able to function – Rei was still out. It wasn't until Kakashi started teaching about chakra control – with the help of Sakura – that Rei's eyes finally opened and she groggily got up, walking to the forest, rubbing her eyes and yawning. By the time she got there, Kakashi was hanging upside down from the tree, she frowned.

"Hey, what are you doing up there?" she asked inquisitively, shielding her eyes. She turned to her team-mates who were all concentrating her chakra. Putting one and two together, she did the same. When she had a stable hold on it, she looked up to see Sasuke's feet smashing the tree. Turning to the pink haired girl, the two kunoichi grinned at each other.

They both ran up simultaneously and successfully as if they had been doing this their entire life. Given the fact that Rei mastered a medic jutsu at the age of 12, this wasn't all too difficult for her. "Hey – this is fun!"

"Well, looks like the female members of the squad are the most advanced in chakra control. Well done Sakura, Rei," Kakashi applauded, pleased with the two.

"Yeah, way to go! I always knew you were awesome – believe it!" Naruto piped in, impressed and enthusiastic. There was not a touch of envy in his tone in contrast to Sasuke's bitter remark.

"Whatever," Sasuke merely said, looking away. Sakura shrunk, misery over Sasuke's cold tone but Rei didn't feel like hanging in the tree any more. She lost focus and stumbled off the branch, almost falling off the tree - if it wasn't for Sakura jumping over and catching her by the arm. "Rei!" Sakura called out, alarmed. "What happened?"

She didn't want to tell her, not yet. "Thanks." Rei let out a sigh of relief. But she didn't have it in her to regain a sense of honour so she purposefully slipped down the tree and walked...not stopping until she reached the house where she pulled the covers over her and went back to rest.

0-0

In the middle of the following night, Sasuke walked by Rei's room, wondering if she was still alive or not. It felt odd, like he was sneaking around the house but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to check up on her after dinner. Still, his plans were futile since as soon as Sasuke stood in front of Rei's door, Kakashi appeared, arms crossed.

"A little bit of an odd place for a midnight stroll," he commented. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned away.

"I was just checking up on her."

"You have nothing to worry about, Sasuke. Rei will be fine."

But with all the times Sasuke had seen her unconscious in such a short period of time, he doubted it. And each time she did, he felt oddly…scared. For her.

He wondered what it would be like to have another person die.

0-0

When Rei woke up, Naruto slept in. With a huge breakfast, she, Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke went out, leaving Naruto behind to rest. She stretched, humming a tune as they walked to the bridge. Her good mood was contagious, and as she did a double take to Sasuke, even he stopped grimacing and merely glanced back at her. Really, he was just glad that she wasn't unconscious. But that all went downhill when they arrived at the bridge, bodies were on the ground and a mist fast approaching.

"Sorry I kept you waiting, Kakashi. I see you still have your brats with you. That one is still trembling…pitiful."

Sasuke smirked.

"I'm trembling with excitement."

Encouraged by his sensei, Sasuke went ahead and easily defeated all of the clones. However, as soon as the masked boy – Haku – saw Rei, Zabuza determined who the target was. As Haku moved at a tornado like speed towards her, Sasuke intercepts and stood in front of her protectively from Haku's thousand needle jutsu.

But Sasuke was a Uchiha after all, and he was faster. Still, Haku had enough of playing around. Her next ninjutsu – Crystal Ice Mirror – threw both Rei and Sasuke complete off. They were trapped and there was no way they could have any help outside.

"Now, we will begin…and I will show you what speed really means."

In a flash, needles were flying, scratching and attacking the two genins from all directions. Bleeding, he called out Rei's name and immediately covered her with his own body. "Stop trying to protect me!" she shouted. "I can…protect myself."

"Stop being so stubborn and – and get behind me!" he shouted back but then he was falling and Naruto made his dramatic entrance.

"What an idiot." Rei groaned despite the situation. She touched her shoulder, feeling the blood seep through her shirt but decided on dealing with the pain than losing chakra to heal minor injuries. "Sasuke – are you okay?" she asked, holding him up.

"Get ready, Rei," Sasuke said as Haku stepped back inside the dome. The fear and adrenaline of knowing the enemy in proximity, Sasuke's mind moved faster to formulate a plan. If they were to throw kunais on both side –

"Hey, I snuck in here to save you."

"NARUTO."

"Pretty cool move, huh, guys?" The look of excitement and complete idiocy of his move caused the two within the confines to groan even louder.

"You are a complete loser – you're a shinobi, think carefully before you move."

"Naruto, seriously!"

"What the heck's your problem?! You should thank me for coming in here to help you!"

"Naruto, if we're all inside here – forget it! I've had it with your mistakes."

"And I've had it with your attitude – believe it!"

Really having enough of it, Sasuke used his elemental release and tried to melt the ice – but Rei felt something pulling towards the ice and knew immediately that it wouldn't work. Being attacked once more, they were thrown towards the ground. Then Naruto exploded with his clones – all easily defeated by Haku. But after a revelation, Haku changed and her attacks became more personal, more deadly.

Needles were moving so fast and Sasuke was barely able to see the traces of movement. "Sasuke!" Rei shouted when the two boys fell for the second time. When the third try came, Sasuke used his fire to trail after Haku, his timing improving. Rei was still watching, feeling something wrong in the air…as if she was fighting on the wrong side. So she froze as they tried again and again. But at last when Naruto was down, and Rei just standing there – taking the attacks, that finally the scale was tipped.

Sasuke was determined now, and he used Haku's own needles to block the shots in an incredibly speed. "Naruto – you better not pass out again! I can't keep protecting you like this, especially with Rei –" The blond boy already collapsed and Rei just couldn't grasp the situation.

"You can't revive him, he's reached his limits."

But with Haku's flick of the arms and a burst of concentration, Sasuke finally was able to see through her jutsu. The Sharingan, at last.

Rei stared, open mouthed at Sasuke's red eyes. They were bold against his pale skin and dark hair and there was a certain fear that arose in her chest. She was still a step behind the entire fight. She couldn't help her teammates. By the time Sasuke ran in front of Naruto, it was too late and he had been struck. All she could do was stare, Naruto and her's breathing stopping at once. Slowly he turned around. "You should see the look on your face. You – you look like a total loser." But Sasuke was losing energy by the second and soon, he collapsed too.

"Sasuke!"

At the sight of a fallen comrade, Naruto ran forward to catch him but Rei felt completely overwhelmed. No no no he can't be dying – not Sasuke, not like this! The pain shook her and she had a grip on reality again but as she shouted out his name, a mirror shattered.

"What?" Haku gasped. But Rei could only stare. Did I…do that? She turned back around – and saw Naruto with a flaming red chakra surrounding as he said in a terrible voice, "I'm going to kill you." And then Naruto was healing, changing and Haku couldn't decide what to handle first –the ice cracking, or this boy in front of her with the visible, foul chakra.

"Take care of Sasuke, Rei," Naruto growled at her and launched himself towards Haku.

And she did. Rei ran over to the dark haired boy, hands shaking badly and she was unable to concentrate on the mystical palm. "Please, Sasuke, please be okay." Her voice was quivering and she was more distressed by the second but the sound of lightening colliding broke through her and she whipped around, wide eyed at the blood stained ice, and a boy lodged into her Sensei's hand.

"Haku!" She couldn't help but shout. Something felt wrong – very, very wrong and she couldn't suppress her horror. This gentle boy, who was willing to die in Naruto's hand but instead decided to sacrifice his life to save a wretched ninja's – had died. Without a thought, Rei abandoned Sasuke's side and towards Haku, watching with teary eyed as Kakashi flipped over and laid the dead boy to the ground. Rei ran to her, pushing Kakashi away immediately.

"No no," why is everybody dying? "You - I –"

"Your name," Haku whispered, voice broken. His eyes were lit with a sort of realization, and she was suddenly desperate to understand why there was suddenly such a thoughtful, kind gaze in the eyes of the enemy.

"My – my name?" This is wrong, so very wrong. "I'm Rei Yukimora." Rei whispered, fighting the stinging in her eye. But why am I crying? Rei saw the light in Haku's eyes dim as he slowly said with a slight smile, "No," he coughed, "Rei…Yuki."

And then it made sense.

We share the same kekkei genkai.

We were in the same clan.

He could have been my family.

She closed her dead clansman's eyes and grieved, sobbing for the boy who could've been mean so much to her. Then she slowly turned around as Sakura cried out and was devastated with guilt that she had left a teammate's life for an enemy's.

"He felt pain and sorrow and curse him, I feel it too!"

Zabuza said and the honesty in his voice struck Hakko. She stared as the shinobi dropped on the ground and despite the mafia that was racing towards him. Despite the fact that she heard Sasuke's voice loud and clear a few feet away, Rei felt...nothing. She felt death overshadow her, and it was inescapable. She couldn't feel the joy of the village, or the sense of peacefulness and victory. She only felt despair sinking deeper in her chest, suffocating her.

Here you go - the next chapter!

As I already finished writing out the ENTIRE story + an extra chapter, I guess I can update every day...as long as I know that there are actually people reading this. So leave a review, and tell me what you think ! :)

I always appreciate getting a bunch of reviews because I love reading all the feedback and usually I have a goal of 100 per story (idk man, idk) but because this story is so short (about 20 chapters), really do tell me every. single. detail. that you hate or like about this story! Anyways, I hoped you enjoy this lonnnnnng chapter ! Thanks for reading!