DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT AND NOR WILL I EVER OWN ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH NARUTO JUST MAKING FOR ENTERTAINMENT. I ONLY OWN THE CHARACTERS I CREATE AGAIN, FOR MY/THE READERS ENTERTAINMENT ONLY! THANK YOU!
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Stage 6: Unfolding Hurtful Truths
One minute I was in a field with Elfi, surrounded by fireflies. The next minute I was in a somewhat familiar room. I sat up in the bed I was laying in. My neck slightly hurt. I rubbed it.
"So you're up now." I looked over to the door, where I heard the voice coming from. The room was dark so it was hard to see who it was. But I knew that voice like I knew my own name. I sighed.
"You could have warned me ya know, Haku," I said sourly. Haku chuckled. He walked over to the curtains and opened them, blinding me with the sunlight. "Haku!" I complained, not used to the light. Haku chuckled again. My eyes adjusted to the light and I was in the room Haku had given me in our hide out. I turned my body so my feet were hanging off the edge of the bed. Haku was still at the window, looking at my back. "Why do you have your mask on?"
"I had to make absolute sure that the girl you were with didn't see my face," Haku replied. I sighed.
"It wouldn't matter either way if she did. They already know about you," I replied sadly.
"I anticipated that. Kakashi used his sharigun on you didn't he?"
I turned my head to Haku."Sharigun?"
"It's his blood line trait." Haku began."He covers his left eye, which holds the sharigun." Haku began explaining to me what the sharigun was and how it worked. He told me the two powers the sharigun possessed, the copy eye, which enabled him to copy any jutsu he wished and the hypnotic eye, which gave him complete control over whoever fell victim to it. This explained why I told him the things I did. I got pissed off at Kakashi.
'How could he do something like that?'
"It is his job," Haku began, reading my mind. "He must protect the bridge builder at all costs. He used his hypnotic eye on you to get you to tell him what he wanted to know."
"I see. How's Zabuza been doing?" I asked.
"Well he's not too happy with your performance, he was hoping Kakashi would have killed you," Haku explained. Fear crept into my heart. "I knew you wouldn't die. That's why I waited so long to make my move."
I smiled. "That was really clever what you did." Haku chuckled once more. I told Haku everything I had learned from being with squad 7 and what they were planning to do. Haku paid close attention to everything I was saying.
- - -
"Elfi!"
"Elfi!!" The wind howled past Elfi's body, still laying in the field. A shadow appeared across her body. "GUYS I FOUND HER!" Naruto panted, out of breath. "Elfi!" Naruto knelt down, shaking her seemingly life less body. "Elfi! No! Come on! Open your eyes!" Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke appeared and watched as Naruto tried to revive Elfi.
"Her lips," Sakura began. "They're...purple.."
Sasuke knelt down next to Naruto and grabbed Elfi's arm. "She's ice cold."
Kakashi knelt down next. He signaled for Naruto to stop shaking Elfi. He looked at her neck and pulled out the senbon that was in her neck. He and everyone else examined it. Naruto balled his hands up into fists.
"Kakashi how could you let Elfi go out alone with that girl!?" Naruto exclaimed frustrated. "I knew she couldn't be trusted!!"
"You're being too quick to judge Naruto," Kakashi replied calmly. Naruto turned to Kakashi about to say something but Kakashi spoke before he did. "Refi couldn't have done this."
"What makes you say that sensi?" Sakura said in a venomous tone. She was convinced that I had killed Elfi.
"Sasuke, remember when we went through all of Refi's weapons?" Kakashi questioned.
"Yeah why?"
"The only weapons that she seemed to posses were those strange weapons. Nothing else. We didn't find senbon on her at all."
Sasuke remembered going through her weapons. "You're right," he concluded. "She didn't have any senbon."
"She could have hid it!" Naruto shouted. "She could have hid it somewhere where you or Sasuke couldn't find and waited for the perfect moment to use it!"
"Sasuke, Sakura," Kakashi began. Sakura and Sasuke's attention shifted from Naruto to Kakashi. "What weapon did that tracker ninja use to 'kill' Zabuza?"
Sakura and Sasuke gasped. "Senbon." They both replied. Naruto however wasn't completely convinced. Just then, Elfi burst into flames. Everyone jumped out of the way, in fear that they would get burned. Once the flames disappeared a kid laid on the ground where Elfi's life less body once was. The little girl opened her eyes and yawned. She sat up and stretched.
"What a good nap!" The girl exclaimed in a high-pitched tone. Everyone jumped back down and stared at this little girl. "Hey guys!" The girl looked around, looking for something. "Has anyone seen Tsu-sama??"
"El...Elfi???" Naruto questioned.
Elfi stood up and smiled. "Yup! Don't you know who am I Naruto-kun??" Elfi questioned. "Oh no is everyone losing their memory??? Am I next??"
"Ummm...That's not quite it," Sakura replied.
Elfi looked at Sakura. "What do you mean?" Elfi asked. Elfi looked at her body. "I'm not cut up am I?" Sakura took out the mirror she carried with her at all times and held it up to Elfi. Elfi looked at the reflection. "I'm a brat!" Elfi exclaimed. Naruto laughed at this. "How is this possible Kakashi?" Sasuke questioned.
"I have no idea," Kakashi answered. He was, however, thinking it was due to a blood line trait that Elfi possessed.
"Oh yeah! This is my phoenix ashes jutsu!" Elfi exclaimed, remembering what was going on with her. Everyone gave her a weird look. "Hmm how should I explain this," Elfi asked, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's a kind of jutsu that only I can use, I guess you can call it a blood line trait." Kakashi smirked, knowing he was right. "Whenever my body is in a state where it is on the edge of death, my body regenerates itself by turning me into a little kid." Elfi explained. Just then, Elfi's body was engulfed with flames once more. The flames died out quicker than they did the first time and Elfi appeared again, slightly older than she was a moment ago. "And my body slowly but surely returns me to the age I previously was."
"That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed, wishing his body could do that.
"Not really, since I was eighteen I'm guessing I was probably 6. Now I think I'm eight," Elfi explained. She sighed. "It'll take hours for me to reach the age I was before!" Elfi shifted her clothes around. They were slightly too big for her, but she had to manage. "This sucks.."
"Elfi," Kakashi began. Elfi looked at Kakashi. "Just what clan are you from?" Elfi shrugged. "One day I was here and poof! I can just do special stuff I guess." Sasuke looked at Kakashi but Kakashi didn't have to ask Sasuke what that look was was going on with these strange new people.
'Just how did these people obtain techniques like the ones they possessed? Who are they really?' Kakashi wondered
"Where is Refi?" Sasuke asked Elfi.
Elfi shrugged once more. "We came out here last night to find you and Naruto. We came upon this field and suddenly we were surrounded by fireflies! The fireflies were all over! I've never seen so many in one area!" Elfi explained. "When we made our way across, Tsu-sama looked weird so I was about to ask her what was wrong when all of a sudden, someone threw something sharp at my neck! Tsu-sama yelled my name and tried to help but she fell to the ground too." Elfi sighed. "The last thing I saw was some strange person pick up Tsu-sama and jump away!"
"Was it the tracker ninja that we saw carry off Zabuza's body?" Sakura asked.
Elfi thought carefully about this. "Now that you mention it, I think it was!"
Kakashi looked at Naruto, his eyes gleaming with victory. Naruto huffed and looked away. "I knew it," Kakashi replied. Everyone looked at him. "It was all because of those insects."
"You mean the fireflies?" Elfi questioned. "What did they do?"
"I've never a firefly in broad daylight either. I found this awfully suspicious," Kakashi explained. "I sensed a presence close to you and Refi so that's why I told you two to guard the bridge builder. To ensure his safety and to get you guys out of there. Based on what you told me as well, the enemy was using some kind of genjutsu last night and tricked you and Refi into a trap." Kakashi concluded.
"But what would that tracker ninja want with Refi?" Sakura wondered aloud.
Kakashi sighed and began explaining what he and Sasuke had concluded. "No! Tsu-sama!" Elfi yelled, running from squad 7.
"Hold on there," Kakashi said, grabbing the extra slack from Elfi's shirt.
"Let go Kakashi! I've got to resue Tsu-sama!" Elfi shouted, struggling to get free of his grasp.
"In the condition you're in, I don't think you'll be able to take on all 3 of them," Kakashi told Elfi.
Elfi turned around. "Never underestimate me!" Elfi exclaimed, her eyes burning once more.
"Look Elfi, we all know you're strong, but you're a kid now," Sasuke told Elfi, trying to cool her off.
"Are you prepared to kill Refi?" Kakashi asked Elfi as she was about to reply back to Sasuke. Elfi's attention shifted to Kakashi. "She is no longer your ally, she is your enemy. She serves Zabuza and Haku, who are trying to kill the bridge builder. Their mission is to kill the bridge builder at all costs even if it means killing others in the process," Kakashi explained. "Are you ready to kill your 'best friend'?"
Elfi didn't say anything back. She didn't what to say to him, or even what to do. One thing she was certian of. She was going to get Refi back on her side, no matter what it took. Refi became enraged.
'How dare they use her like this! Especially when she doesn't even know who she is!'
Kakashi could see that Elfi didn't have anything else to say. He sighed and began leading everyone back to Tazuna's house.
'They will know the real horror of fire once I get through with them!' Elfi promised herself. The rest of the way back to Tazuna's house was pretty much quiet.
- - -
Haku led me into where Zabuza was. Zabuza commanded me to heal him at once. I obeyed. Though I regretted it. Once he was healed, he taught me may lessons. I stood there and took all that he was doing to me because I knew I deserved it. Once Zabuza was through with pounding these 'lessons' into my head, he threw a bucket of cold water all over my body. The wounds he inflicted healed but I was freezing.
"What is our next move?" Haku asked Zabuza, never taking his eyes off of me even for a second. I just sat there in the puddle of water, looking at my reflection in the water.
"We're going to kill the bridge builder and this time, we're going to get it right!" Zabuza exclaimed looking at me. I knew he was talking to me so I just nodded my head. Haku and Zabuza sat and discussed what their plan of action was going to be. They made me stay in the room and listen to what they were going o do. I obeyed and listened.
"Refi," Haku began. "Your going to kill that girl who used fire in the previous battle. The one that intervened and ruined everything." I looked up at Haku, horrified. I quickly tried to show no emotion.
"Why do you want me to kill her?' I questioned in a monotone.
"All I have to do is distract the brats however, that girl who uses fire be troublesome with my ice mirrors. Zabuza will already have his hands full with Kakashi." Haku explained. I looked back down at the ground, hiding my face so that Haku and Zabuza couldn't see how horrified and sick I felt right then and there.
"You will kill her, or I'll kill you," Zabuza threatened. I nodded my head once more. Haku walked over and threw my weapon pouch in front of me. I knew that somehow he retrieved it just for tomorrow. I didn't want to use this weapon against Elfi though.
Haku and Zabuza began discussing more about what they were going to do tomorrow. I knew I couldn't go through with this. I didn't give a damn if I died or not. I felt a real special connection with Elfi. It was a connection greater than the connection with Haku. I couldn't kill her. I didn't have the heart to do it. I hung my head lower. I knew that I had to find the strength to do it because if I didn't kill her, she could kill Haku. I knew that she could because I saw first hand what kind of small things she could do. I didn't want to see her use her full strength against Haku. I knew I had to do it. I knew I just had to. I dreaded the next day to come for with every passing second, it was getting closer to Elfi's death.