Naruto: Lost in the Dark
Mission 2: death match
Turns out, Kakashi-sensei was just tired from using the Sharingan eye. We made it to Tazuna's home without any more problems, dragging Kakashi-sensei the entire way. He was resting peacefully, sleeping.
I sat on the porch, staring out at the forest, while the rest of Team 7 listened to Kakashi-sensei's explanation of the trackers and Zabuza.
Kakashi-sensei's head poked out of the house, and he called, "Kayuki. We're doing some last-minute training." I made a confused noise. "We figured out that Zabuza is probably still alive."
"Oh…" I said. "Really? Is it because of the tracker?" He nodded, and I saw Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke standing patiently behind him. "Okay. Let's go."
Out in the woods, Kakashi-sensei announced, "First, we'll review chakra, which is the ninja's basic source of ability." My hand raised tentatively. "Chakra is the energy that a ninja needs in order to use a technique." "Right, and that energy comes from the body, and is collective energy from every single cell in the body, and from the spirit energy gained from training and experience," Sakura added. "To put it simply, the body energy and the spirit energy, when molded together, create chakra that creates techniques. This is known as molding chakra."
Kakashi-sensei nodded. "That's right. But the thing is, you guys aren't able to use your chakra completely." Even Sasuke looked surprised at the new revelation. "Listen, to mold the chakra, you extract energy from your body and your mind, and then to mix them. The mixing, or amount of energy, will differ from which type of technique you want to use, between wind, thunder, water, fire, and earth. Right now, you aren't able to use your chakra effectively. Even if you mold a huge amount of chakra, unless you have the ability to balance and control it, that chakra is worthless. The jutsu won't work, or it'll be a joke. You'll waste chakra that way, and without chakra, you'll be unable to fight," the Jounin explained, his voice relatively flat.
Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, Naruto asked, "How are we gonna be able to change that?"
The Jounin laughed. "Train so hard that controlling your chakra is like a second nature. Just be ready to put your life on the line."
Everyone seemed sort of shocked. "So… what do we have to do?"
"Climb a tree." … That was it? "Yep. Oh, but, you're not allowed to use your hands. Here, watch me." And, true to his word, Kakashi-sensei climbed up the nearest tree, with his crutches. I blinked twice, and then rubbed my eyes. "What you have to do is apply chakra to the soles of your feet. This way, you'll learn to mix the right amount of chakra. If you master this, pretty much any jutsu will be easier. And you'll also be able to maintain your chakra levels. Get it?" Kunai landed at our feet. "As you climb, mark the highest point that you can reach, and then try and beat it."
Picking up the kunai, I sighed. This'll definitely be fun. Closing my eyes, I focused the chakra to my feet, just enough so that I felt weightless. I ran at the tree along with my teammates, then kept my focus on the chakra in my feet, not on the height of the tree. My feet stuck to the tree bark, as if someone had put super glue on the bottoms of my shoes. Blinking, I opened my eyes, and realized that I was about to run into a huge branch.
"Hey, this is fun!" Sakura giggled. I looked over to her, where she was sitting on a high branch in her tree. She smiled and waved at the boys, who looked sort of annoyed that she'd beaten them. She looked over to me, and waved. I sent a small wave back, and I continued to walk onto the top of the branch, in the tree next to Kakashi-sensei.
Looking over to him, I asked, "Is this enough?" He smiled widely and nodded. "Well, do you want me to help them?"
"Only if they ask. Until then, continue climbing."
And so, we did. Naruto and Sasuke weren't making any progress, while Sakura was just plain tired. Despite her having good control, she didn't have a very high chakra level. While mine was just a little bit lower than Sasuke's, I figured that Naruto's had to be super high, seeing as how he was only scratched from falling. Unlike Sasuke, Sakura, or myself, he wasn't tired at all.
I sat on the ground, looking at both of their markings and comparing them. Sasuke's were definitely much higher than Naruto's. Kakashi-sensei had gone back to the house, sending Sakura to guard the bridge builder, and asking me to watch over the boys' training.
It was almost sundown, and they weren't making much progress, if any at all. They were more interested in their rivalry and competition than the training itself. I sighed softly, knowing that they weren't going to get anywhere if they continued like this, treating it like a competition.
Hours passed, and they were still going at it, attempting to beat their last climb. Now both of them were tired and scratched up, and still, both of the boys refused any help, even when I offered.
It was hours later, and Naruto was clearly getting fired up for one last attempt, which he'd probably make it. "Hey, Kayuki." The blond let out a loud yelp, tripping over his own feet, while I turned to the dark-haired boy. "Um… you managed to do this on your own… what would you say if Naruto asked you for advice."
I laughed quietly. "Here." I stood and walked over to him. "You just need to keep calm and focus, since your chakra control is mostly based on your emotions and focus level. Just keep your focus on the tree, and not on the competition," I advised quietly, looking at the marks on the tree.
=Uchiha Sasuke=
Sasuke didn't even taste his food when he was eating. All he cared about was filling his stomach and getting his energy back up. Then again, if he didn't taste his food, Naruto probably didn't either. The two of them were practically inhaling their food, vomiting along the way.
He saw Kayuki's face pale a little. "You guys, don't you think eating so much so fast is just a little bit unhealthy…?" she asked weakly.
They both looked up from their seats. "I… have to eat," Sasuke managed.
"And I have to eat more than him. It's the only possible way that I'll be able to get stronger than him," Naruto added.
Kakashi nodded. "That's true… but puking won't help you very much."
After dinner, Sasuke listened as Tazuna told the story of Inari, his grandson, and his father. The young boy had watched as Gato put his father, who had saved him and the rest of the village, to death. That man had done everything to help Inari, to raise him, and then, when he needed a friend most, Inari was unable to help the man that he'd come to consider his father.
A chair slid across the floor. The dark-haired girl was staring at the floor, her eyes invisible from where Sasuke was sitting, and her hands were shaking. "Excuse me." She ran off in the same direction that Inari had gone only a few minutes earlier. The rest of the team watched sadly until Sasuke stood and followed her.
He heard two voices speaking quietly, behind a closed door. Curious, he leaned in to listen. "How would you know how I feel?" That was definitely Inari.
"… Because I've been alone for a long, long time… and I agree, it doesn't get easier… but the hurt starts to go away," a second voice said.
Inari yelled, "Shut up! You clearly don't know anything!"
"That's not true. I lost someone I cared about very much."
There was a brief silence. "… Who?" the younger voice asked.
"I… someone who influenced me… a lot…" A pause. "… they left me… and I don't know if they're alive or not."
"It's not the same!" Inari protested loudly. "Daddy… my daddy was killed in front of me, and there wasn't anything I could do to help!" It sounded like he was about to start crying at any time.
The other voice laughed dryly. "That is true, I'm not saying seeing people you love being hurt doesn't hurt you as well. But, you see, I had to watch this person get hurt in front of me many, many times. It was so long ago… that the wound the pain left sealed itself, even though the hurt stayed behind," they said wisely. "To tell you the truth, it never really stops hurting, especially if it's someone you love."
"Didn't you just say that the hurt starts to go away?"
The second person hummed a little, a familiar tune to Sasuke, before they answered the younger voice. "Yes… but you know, the heart protects itself… and it covers up the wound, but it's always there."
"You can't be much older than I am. How are you so… smart?"
The second person laughed again, this time with more humor than bitterness in the sound. "Well, I guess it's because, like you, I have a lot of experience dealing with life. How it hurts, how it knocks you down, and how it tells you to pick yourself up again." A sniffle. "Would you like me to stay here? With you?"
Another sniffle. "How long?" Inari asked weakly.
There was a pause, and a brief, awkward silence. "How about until you fall asleep?" the voice asked.
"That'd be nice…" The kid yawned loudly, and Sasuke's eyes softened a little bit. He knew what he was going through, losing the person most important to him. But to find out that Kayuki, too, was going through the same thing?
He sighed, and turned away. The dark-haired shinobi shook the thoughts out of his mind, moving on towards his own room, one he shared with Naruto. He glanced back once or twice, but continued on.
The blond never went to bed that night. Sasuke knew because he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, staying awake all night.
Naruto didn't come to breakfast, either. Quickly shoved his food down his throat, Sasuke left, too. Kayuki quickly followed him, catching up with the other ninja. "Um… Sasuke…" she began. "Were you outside Inari's room last night?" she blurted out.
Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "How did you…"
"I… heard your footsteps," the girl replied, fidgeting with her shirt. "You… please act like you didn't hear any of that… I just…" Sasuke, despite his confusion, placed a hand on top of the shorter girl's head.
He patted her head, almost gently. "Don't worry, I won't say a word." She smiled up at him gratefully. "Besides, there's nothing for me to gain by knowing what you told Inari."
He paused, and looked to where Naruto was, and saw a beautiful figure, with long hair, walking towards them. Kayuki stepped back as the figure passed, and watched as Sasuke walked past them, seemingly challenging the person. Sasuke stopped, and looked back at her, then down to Naruto.
A quick smack to the head garnered quite a few protests from the short blond. "Hey twerp, did you just forget about breakfast? You're such a loser," Sasuke deadpanned. He only smiled in reply.
=Akane Kayuki=
After hours – no, days – of training, both Sasuke and Naruto were able to climb the trees using only their feet. They could even hang upside down.
I walked up next to Kakashi-sensei, who muttered to himself, "If I'm still sane by the time their training is finished, it'll be a miracle." I giggled a little to myself.
Looking up to the older man, I asked, "How are you feeling? Is your strength coming back to normal?"
He shook his head. "Not just yet. Maybe a little while longer." He paused. "By the way, knowing those two… they're going to push themselves even more. You and Sakura already made it all the way to the top, but I want you here in case something happens. I'm still… well." He gestured to his crutches.
Nodding, I replied, "Sure."
It was another long twelve hours, until the sun had completely set once again, that I could only see the two shinobi as little dots on the tops of two towering trees. I sighed. They pushed themselves too hard.
But their pride in what they'd done had been enough to convince me otherwise. We were all assigned to guard the old bridge builder the next day. I walked up to Tsunami, Inari's mother, and asked, "Do you have anything that I could try to heal those scrapes with?" She nodded, smiling, and moved to hand me some cloth soaked in water.
Kakashi-sensei watched as I sat next to Naruto, wiping some of the dirt and sweat off of his face.
"All this training you're doing… it's pointless! Gato has a huge army that'll destroy you! No matter what, you'll lose!" Inari glared at Naruto. "Looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about us! You're just here, laughing and joking! You have no idea how we're suffering!"
There was silence. No one spoke for a few tense moments. No one looked at Inari or at Naruto. Sasuke simply looked down at the table, flexing his fingers. Sakura was looking anywhere but at her teammate or the young boy. Kakashi stared at the ceiling, suddenly finding the wood interesting. I continued to wipe the dirt off of Naruto's face, my body refusing to allow me to meet his eyes.
I didn't need to see him in order to know that Inari's words had left a deep wound in his pride.
Naruto didn't move, but let out a feral growl before snapping, "Just listen to yourself, whining and complaining like a stupid victim!" Everyone turned to look at Naruto, who had been broken and beaten down more times than he'd care to admit. "You can cry all day, I won't care. But in my eyes, you're just a coward!" With that, he stood and left the table.
I moved next to Inari, wiping his tears away. "Inari, I know it's hard to believe, but Naruto… has had a hard time, too, maybe harder than you have." Inari didn't reply, but instead ran out onto the pier. Kakashi-sensei followed him only moments later, and I sighed heavily, toying with the wet fabric in my hands. "All this drama…"
Sasuke, from the other side of the table, called, "Hey… can I have that cloth? My face feels like crap."
Smiling softly, I sat next to him, wiping some dirt from under his eye. "Well, that's what you get for pushing yourself. You had the hang of it, why did you have to go so high?" I asked quietly.
He scoffed. "My best wasn't good enough to be the best. It wasn't good enough until I made it to the top."
… Men.
=Uchiha Sasuke=
Naruto didn't leave with the other the next day. Sasuke figured that it was because he pushed himself too hard. Kakashi was even going with them, but Naruto was staying behind.
With Tazuna in the lead, Sasuke and Sakura trailing behind him, and Kayuki and Kakashi at the end of the small pack, the group of Shinobi left to for the unfinished bridge. But when they got there, the workers were down and out. Every single one of them had been attacked.
Sasuke immediately went into his defensive mode, and saw Sakura stay by the bridge builder, removing her kunai as well. Kayuki moved in front of Tazuna as the mist settled in. She made the same hand signs as she had made in the first match against Zabuza. "Mist Wolf Jutsu."
A loud howl pierced the air, and a semi-transparent white wolf landed on its four paws, standing defiantly next to Kayuki, and nodded to her, as if it knew her. She nodded back, and the wolf, growling, took up a defensive position in between her and Sasuke.
Sasuke felt his heart beating fast and loud in his chest, and couldn't figure out whether it was fear or adrenaline or a mixture of both feelings flowing through his veins at once. He felt his hand tremble.
It was then that Zabuza's voice rumbled, speaking lowly. That just made Sasuke's blood pump faster. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi. I see those brats are still around. Hah, that one is still trembling. How pathetic."
Sasuke growled a little, his hand still shaking. Minutes had passed, yet he still was unable to decide whether or not it was fear or adrenaline. Four clones of the Demon Ninja appeared from the mist in front of Tazuna and Kayuki, Kakashi, Sakura, and himself. But then, he smirked. "I'm trembling with excitement," he spat out, finding his answer.
Kakashi looked over to Sasuke. "Go ahead." Within a second, the all the clones were defeated. Kayuki stared at the puddle in amazement, while the wolf's fur bristled, and the creature growled at the two figures that were approaching.
"So, he could see that they were all clones? He's good."
So, that tracker ninja really was working with Zabuza. They looked like good friends. Sasuke growled, "Who does he think he is, hiding behind that mask like a clown?" He didn't move, even as Haku, who was the masked ninja, flew towards him in a cyclone.
What he didn't expect was for Kayuki to jump in front of him with her wolf at her side, and raise her kunai in defense of her teammate. "Kayuki, what're you doing?!" Kakashi yelled in shock. She didn't turn or answer his question. Haku and Kayuki's weapons clashed, kunai to needle, but Haku easily disarmed the girl and pushed her aside.
Sasuke caught her in one arm, defending her from a killing blow with his kunai in his other hand. "We want the bridge builder, not you. If you back down now, I won't have to kill you," Haku said. Sasuke carefully lowered Kayuki to the ground, near her wolf, who was standing next to Sasuke defensively.
He glared at the masked ninja. "Save it."
"This is a huge mistake. You won't be able to keep up with me. Plus, I have two great advantages. The mist, and one of your hands is useless." Haku raised one hand, and began to make hand seals.
Only one hand to use hand signs? How is that…
"Secret Jutsu, a Thousand Needles of Death."
=Akane Kayuki=
Haku and Sasuke were going at it with each other, with shuriken, kunai, and any sort of jutsu they could use. I scrambled to my feet, my wolf at my side, only to see Haku at Zabuza's feet, hurt from a kick to the face from Sasuke. I sighed; well, that fight didn't last very long, now did it?
"You made a huge mistake in calling these young ninja brats," Kakashi-sensei said. "Sasuke here is our best young fighter in Konoha. And Sakura is our sharpest mind. And Kayuki is the quickest to think and react." I smiled at the praise. "And last, but not least, our number one, hyperactive ninja is Naruto Uzumaki."
I smiled, and bounded over to the Jounin's side. "Well, then Kakashi-sensei, should we leave this to Sasuke?" He nodded. "Huh… Sorry, Foschia, I guess that you don't need to stick around." Kakashi-sensei's visible eye blinked, as the wolf, Foschia, nodded and vanished into the mist.
"What's that?" I looked back to the battle to see blue chakra swarming around Haku, and several pillars of ice forming thin rectangles around Sasuke. The mirrors began to glow, and Haku stepped right into one of them. But his image appeared on each and every one of them.
Kakashi-sensei seemed to realize the danger that Sasuke was in. He put a hand on my shoulder, and he rushed forward. I trailed a little behind him.
Zabuza quickly blocked our path. "If you step into this fight, you're going to fight me," he ordered. I winced; this definitely wasn't in the plan…
Now Sasuke will probably have to fight on his own, and Kakashi-sensei won't let me fight Zabuza. I could try…
My thought process was interrupted by the pained cries coming from inside the wall of mirrors. I gaped. Sasuke… was getting beaten?
A kunai whizzed past me and was easily caught by Haku. But he'd entered the mirrors on the other side of the wall. How could he have moved like that?
I looked over to Kakashi-sensei, whose gaze was still trained on the other ninja. The two were staring each other down. My fist shook a bit. "I can't just sit here… Sasuke is getting hurt… and I can help…" He nodded, his visible eye not moving away from Zabuza. "Thank you."
Okay, Haku can move between mirrors. Meaning the top and the sides are sealed off. So my only chance of getting in is to either shatter the mirror, or to… slide under.
Dropping onto my back, I slid underneath the mirrors, stopping only after I almost tripped right over Sasuke's form. "Ow," he complained dryly. "What're you doing? This is my fight."
Standing, I performed some hand signs, while saying, "Don't be stupid, Sasuke… this is the team's mission, isn't it?" I finished the hand signs, and activated another of my mother's techniques. "Neko Storm Jutsu." From the water near the bridge jumped a small, blue-gray cat. It scampered into the ring of ice mirrors, and sat down at my feet, mewing.
Sasuke just blinked.
"A… a cat? Really?" he asked bluntly, his eye twitching in disbelief. I sighed, and the cat, hearing his words, sat up and hissed, his fur bristling with electricity. As if to prove a point, the cat, named Uragano, leapt up, its claws sparkling with power and slashed at Haku's exposed arm.
I twitched a little. "Gano…" I called softly. After landing one tiny little scratch on Haku's hand, forcing him to drop the kunai, Uragano scampered back over to Sasuke and me. "Defend Sasuke to your last breath," I told him. The tiny cat mewled, telling me that he would do so, a fire of determination in his eyes.
Again, Sasuke's eye twitched. "I don't need your protection!" he spat, struggling to stand once more. "If I couldn't beat him, what makes you think that you have even the slightest chance?! Just get out of here, right now!"
"No!" I yelled back. His eyes widened at hearing me raise my voice. "What kind of person would I be if I just left you here to die? I wouldn't be able to live with myself… So just shut up! Let me do something that'll make me feel like I can be a real ninja!"
He blinked a few times, then sighed and sent a smirk up at me. "Fine. Looks like you won't give up without a fight," he said, agreeing to let me help. "But if it looks like you're going to die, get out of here."
"I already told you that I won't… and I won't abandon you, even if it costs me my life." He stared at me as both Uragano and I blocked the needles from hitting Sasuke. "Someone told me that, as a ninja, I would have to put the safety of my teammates before my own. They made me promise that I'd never abandon them, not ever." I glared up at Haku, and firmly vowed, "Even if I die, I won't go against the promise I made that person."
Haku deadpanned, "Touching speech. But it won't do you any good if I take you out now." One of his needles finally managed to strike me, right where it hit Zabuza the first time, in the neck.
Uragano mewed in pain as a needle struck him, too, and he melted back into his original form, a small puddle of water. I had no time to move as I fell to the ground, next to Sasuke.
=Uchiha Sasuke=
"Kayuki…?" asked Sasuke tentatively. He reached out a weak arm to shake her awake. Then, he saw his teammate's open eyes and he reached for her neck. There was no pulse.
Was… she dead?
He saw the needle sticking out of the girl's neck, and sighed in relief. She was alive, but in a death-like trance.
Growling, he tossed a kunai at Haku in one last feeble attempt to defeat the older boy. But, just like before, Haku managed to catch the kunai in one hand, leaning out of his mirror.
A shuriken came out of nowhere, striking the masked shinobi in the face and knocking him out of his mirror. Sasuke watched as Haku struggled to sit up, dazed from falling, and an explosion of smoke signaled the arrival of the number one, hyperactive ninja, Naruto Uzumaki.
Stupid. He shows off too much.
The blond stood there with his stupid grin. "Naruto Uzumaki has arrived! Believe it!" Sasuke nearly smiled. Nearly. He didn't because he knew that… "Now that I'm here, everything will be just fine! And now, I'm going to be the hero that shows up late and then kicks the bad guy's butt!"
… yeah, that's why.
You should've stayed hidden you complete moron. Then, we could've used you in a surprise attack!
He barely had time to blink as several shuriken flew towards Naruto, courtesy of Zabuza. But before Sasuke could yell at Naruto to move his stupid butt, Haku's needles made the shuriken drop to the ground.
Why would he stop Naruto from being killed?
Zabuza turned on the masked boy and demanded, "Haku, what are you doing?" in an angry, almost furious, yet deadly calm voice.
"This boy… Zabuza, let me fight him in my own way," the boy requested. "Please."
Sasuke twitched; this didn't look good for Naruto. He looked down to the girl who was laying on him, and removed the needle from her neck. "You're too soft," the assassin pointed out.
Soft? Wait… Sasuke examined his wounds, as well as Kayuki's. That's right. He just scratched me with his needles, but he didn't hit any vital points. Even on Kayuki, who he put into a death-like trance… he could've killed her.
He pushed Kayuki's motionless body out of the ice cage, but didn't move an inch. Instead, he pulled another kunai from his pouch, holding it in his hand.
While he's talking… I can catch him off guard! He threw his kunai at Haku's head, but in one swift motion, the other boy dodged it.
"Don't think that I forgot about you. I haven't. Not for a single moment." Haku didn't even turn to Sasuke, but kept his gaze on Naruto. "There are some ninja that accept defeat with grace, and know when they are beaten. Others do not. If this is what you wish, we will finish our battle… to the death."
As Haku appeared in one of the ice mirrors, Sasuke's gaze didn't move from the real one, and moved to grab a weapon. The real one is over there, he kept telling himself.
"I'm behind you." The mirror was empty, and he moved to stare at the mirror behind him.
One Haku… then two, then three…
The mirrors kept filling up with images of the other boy until Sasuke couldn't tell which was real. But a barrage of needles, coming from all different sides, told him that every single one of those images was real. Once again, the needles didn't hit any vital spots, and only scratched his skin.
Thoughts flew through his mind. This isn't a normal jutsu… maybe he has clones in the mirrors? But they're too fast to be clones. If it was a clone jutsu, the ice mirrors wouldn't be necessary. So… what should I do about those mirrors? Maybe… his line of sight landed on Naruto. It's about position. And with Naruto on the outside, and me on the inside, we could shatter those mirrors.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Twitch. "I snuck in here to save you!" Immediately, Sasuke took one look at Naruto's bright smile, and twitched again. "Pretty sweet move, huh Sasuke?" the blond idiot asked. Sasuke simply stared at his teammate, in wonder at his stupidity. Even Sakura and Kakashi were appalled.
In an angry outburst, Sasuke snapped, "You're so hopeless! Think about your moves before you make them!" The two kept arguing, and even Kakashi looked like he would hit Naruto when he got out. Finally, the dark-haired Shinobi stood up, making the hand seals for his Fireball Jutsu. "The mirrors are made completely of ice, and fire melts ice!" He put his two fingers to his lips. "Fireball Jutsu!" Flames were blown out from his hands, but the mirrors didn't melt.
In fact, it didn't seem like those mirrors had even felt heat.
"You'll need more heat than you have to melt this ice," Haku stated, holding up three of his needles. In a bright flash, both of the young shinobi were blown back, letting out pained cries.
Sasuke felt as if he would never be able to see again, and he felt warm blood trickle down his face again. Naruto had landed next to him, and the blond ninja jumped up, demanding, "Where are those stupid needles coming from? Which one is real?"
The voice of Haku resonated around the ice blocks. "You can examine all of these mirrors, but you'll never know which one is real."
As Sasuke attempted to regain possession of his thoughts, he heard Naruto yell, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He opened his mouth to warn Naruto, but it was too late. All of the Naruto's were easily being scratched and destroyed by Haku's swift movements. In a burst of smoke, the shinobi landed next to Sasuke. He looked down at Naruto, who was struggling to even sit up.
This could be a problem.
He decided that he would try his best, and his best would definitely be good enough to beat the crap out of Haku. A smirk took over Sasuke's face. He and Naruto would win. That much was certain.
=Akane Kayuki=
I felt myself pushing back into consciousness, and I practically forced my eyes to open. Sitting up, I saw an injured Sasuke lying there, seemingly dead. With my weak limbs, I forced myself to stand up. I could feel the point where the needle pierced my skin still aching and numbing my movements. There were needles sticking out of his body, all over. I winced, and gently began to tug at the ones that I knew wouldn't kill him if I took them out.
The Uchiha had taken a lot of severe damage, and I could see the blood crusting over from the scratches on his face. I pushed his black hair out of his face. He looked like he was sleeping, but I felt no pulse coming from his neck.
"How did you get this beat up?" I asked the unconscious boy, smiling softly down at him. "I thought that you were the 'invincible' Uchiha. You shouldn't die from just a few needles…" I trailed off, seeing several drops of a clear liquid falling to the ground near Sasuke. I attempted to wipe away my tears that were streaming down my face faster than I could ever have imagined.
His heart wasn't beating. He showed no signs of life. I tentatively took his hand in mine. I had been out cold long enough for Sasuke to get this badly beaten up? He'd protected me from being killed… and I was in his debt.
My tears fell to the ground, as I was no longer attempting to wipe them away. My eyes were badly bloodshot while I continued to cry. "Stupid Sasuke!" I cried. "You saved my life, and now I can't even repay you?! Why did you have to go and get yourself killed?!"
I stood up. My legs felt like jelly. They felt like I'd collapse any second, like they wouldn't to be able to keep holding me up. But I'd force them to keep me upright if I had to.
I felt useless. While Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura were all doing a great job, and they'd all been in danger and been hurt, I had been knocked out during most of the fight. I growled a little to myself, but then I saw why it had been so quiet.
With a lightning-covered hand, Kakashi-sensei had cut right through Haku's chest. There was crimson liquid that drenched the ground and both Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza. Nearby was a mirror. Covered in blood. It was then that I knew what Haku had done. He had sacrificed himself for Zabuza, taking the hit that would have been fatal.
Without a word, Zabuza jumped, and swung his sword, preparing to hack right through the boy that had been loyal to him, just to kill Kakashi-sensei. At the last second, the Jounin leapt out of the way, kneeling on the bridge a little ways away from the heartless killer. My blood began to boil, and I felt a sense of hatred that I'd never had for anyone. Zabuza had no morals, and no sense of honor. My teacher gently pushed the boy's eyes closed, laying his lifeless body on the ground.
Haku was dead.
I could only watch, and not show any emotion as Sakura and Tazuna ran past me, towards Sasuke's body. I turned away, not able to bear the emotion that Sakura showed for her crush and obsession. Just because he never returned her feelings didn't mean that he didn't care for her. They were closer than I would ever be to any of this team.
But my chest still began to hurt as I heard Sakura's unbearable wailing. I wasn't sure that I was in pain simply because of Sasuke's demise, but maybe it was also because of how Sakura clearly felt for the boy.
My mind was anywhere but the present, and I could feel myself slowly sinking back into the isolated part of my brain. It was where I would go when I was numb, and scared. I didn't respond during the rest of the battle.
Not even when Zabuza died.
=Uchiha Sasuke=
She was curled up into a tiny ball, leaning on the side of the unfinished bridge. He could see tear streaks running down her cheeks, and he could see the small tears still leaking out of her eyes. Kayuki seemed to be in the recess of her own mind, oblivious to the world of pain and suffering going on around her.
Sasuke smirked triumphantly. He pulled out all of the needles that had been tossed into his body, feeling numb as they left. He shakily walked over to her, and knelt down.
"You have such a blank expression on your face. Are you dead?" he mocked, poking her forehead gently.
Slowly, as if his voice was registering in her head, her vacant eyes began to shine with that innocent curiosity once again. Her dark hair had fallen in her face, and Sasuke pushed a piece out of her eyes. Kayuki looked up at him, with awe written on her face. "Sasuke?" He nodded. "I thought…" The awe on her face turned to a slight scowl. "You jerk!" cried the girl. "You scared me so much! I-I should…" She made an annoyed sound, huffing and turning away.
He held up his hands. "Hey, I thought I was dead, too." He paused. "Did I really worry you that much?" he asked carefully, examining her tears. She nodded. Reaching up carefully, she hugged him softly. He winced, in clear pain, and she drew back, her eyes showing even more worry. "I'm fine. Just a little numb."
Kayuki smiled weakly. "Sorry about that, Sasuke." He blinked; what was she sorry for? She had nothing to apologize for… did she? "I wasn't much help to you, was I? I just got in the way, even after I said that I'd help you out," she mused, looking down at her feet. Her eyes were suddenly downcast, and she once again looked as if she would begin to cry at any moment in time. "I was… useless. Completely useless," she muttered, once again retreating into herself. "I let you do all the fighting, and I failed to even protect myself."
He put a hand on her head, an almost gentle look on his face. "You helped me more than you know… Kayuki." He paused. "It wouldn't have made a difference. He wasn't aiming to kill you or me. So stand up; we're both still living." He stood up again, offering her a hand.
She grasped it tightly as he helped her up. She looked up at the sky, her eyes staring blankly up at the clouds. "It's snowing," she stated, holding her free hand out for a snowflake to land in her open palm. Her eyes suddenly moved to the other side of the bridge. "It must be because the angels are sad for them."
It was then that Sasuke looked over to the fallen ninja, Zabuza. Kakashi had carried him over to his student, who was still lying dead on the bridge. Snow had begun to fall, as if the sky was beginning to cry for both Zabuza and Haku. The two shinobi were laid side by side, and the older was exchanging words with his dead partner. Light seemed to shine down on the two as the ninja died.
For the first time, Sasuke saw the assassin not as a danger and not as a monster, but as a human. He had human emotions, and, even as he was dying, showed sadness and regret.
It made Sasuke want to stare at his feet in shame; it was almost like what he had wanted to do to his teammates, the ones who had protected him and cared as Haku had for Zabuza. Guilt began to swirl in his mind and his heart, eating away at the walls he'd built up and hidden behind since he was little.
But his eyes refused to tear themselves away from the morbid and heartbreaking sight. Kayuki, who still stood shakily next to him, had once again begun to cry. She was silent as her tears slipped from her dark eyes.
He barely heard her say, "I will never forget…"
She wasn't looking at him, but at the two missing nin, with a sort of admiration.
=Akane Kayuki=
The burial ground for the now-deceased missing-nin was two simple grave markers, with Zabuza's sword behind one, and Haku's headband hung of the other. The sun was setting as we left their graves behind, not looking back. They both died brave deaths, but awful ones, too.
Their deaths made us all question why we were doing this. Why we were putting our lives on the line for people who only seemed to want to take advantage of us, and to die a horrible death, filled with regret.
Was it like that for him?
It was less than a week later that the bridge, which was named The Great Naruto Bridge, was finished, and the entire village came along to see us off. I knelt down in front of Inari, who was close to sniveling sadly.
"Don't cry, Inari. We'll try and visit whenever we have free time." I smiled at the young boy, reassuring him that it wasn't the last time that we'd se each other. I looked up at Kakashi-sensei, who nodded. "I have to go now."
The eight-year-old boy wrapped his arms around my waist. "Bye, big sister!" he wailed sadly.
My eyes widened, but I patted Inari's head. "No, Inari. Not 'goodbye.' Say, 'I'll see you later,' because we will."
He nodded, a bright smile coming back to his face. "Right. I'll see you later!" he exclaimed, much more cheerily than he had in the past few minutes. I smiled even wider, and moved towards my teammates, looking at Naruto's teary face. "See you all later!"
I turned around raising my arm in farewell. "See you later, Inari!"
Finally, Team 7 departed the Land of Waves, heading back home, to Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and I were heading back home.
"As soon as we get back, I'm gonna go out for ramen Iruka-sensei! His treat, of course, and then, I'll tell Konohamaru all about the mission! He'll worship me!" Naruto decided.
Sakura turned to Sasuke. "Hey."
"Yeah?"
She snapped, "I wasn't talking to you, Naruto." The blond immediately deflated. "Do you want to do something with me when we get back, Sasuke?" Sakura asked hopefully.
Sasuke twitched a little beside me. "No thanks, I'm not really interested," replied the dark-haired boy. Sakura deflated to Naruto's level.
Naruto jumped in, "I'll do something with you, if you want!"
"What?! That was a private conversation!" Sakura yelled. "Beat it!" With one mighty hit, she flung poor Naruto right off of the bridge.
Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke both rolled their eyes. I laughed, and mused, "Well, I have a lot to do when I get home… I have someone I have to visit." I smiled a little, remembering the promise I'd made to that person, saying that I'd be home soon, and I'd be safe when I came back.
=Hyuuga Neji=
He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting underneath a tree at one of their secret training grounds they always played at when they were younger. He looked up to the sky, and smirked a little. The Chunin Exams were coming up soon, and he had to prepare for them. What better way to do so than to spar with an old friend?
"Neji!" He looked up sharply to see his dark-haired friend rushing towards him. A small smile came over his face as she stopped short, right in front of him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! We just got back and there were tons of missions! We couldn't leave until the bridge was completed, so we were a little hung up, but you'll never believe what happened! I mean, it was so exciting, but really scary at the same time, and I was just wondering if you had to ever do anything like that, and I thought that I'd ask you, and…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath after talking.
Neji raised one eyebrow in amusement. "Are you done, Yuki?"
Kayuki Akane nodded. "More or less."
Chuckling a little bit, he led her over to where he had lunch set up for the two of them so they could catch up. "So, then, tell me all about your fun little adventure." He paused. "But from what I hear, it was anything but little."
She groaned loudly. "Ugh, you know it!"
Neji laughed a little. To the outside world, Kayuki and Neji were two people who kept to themselves, and, to most people, would have absolutely nothing in common. But they'd been best friends for ages, and had always been there for each other.
"Wait, so you're telling me that you and your team, on your first C-Rank mission, faced Zabuza, who is known for being a cold-blooded killer, and you survived?" he asked incredulously. She nodded. "Wow, you guys must be strong. So are the four of you going to be entering in the Chunin Exams?"
Kayuki cocked her head a little. "The Chunin Exams? What's that?" she asked, totally genuine in her confusion. "Is it important?"
In reply, Neji nearly fell over.
"Of course! The Chunin Exams is a group of tests that examine teams of Genin from all over the Fire Country. It's being held in Konoha this year," he announced, clearly boasting his knowledge of the exams.
Kayuki just looked thoughtful at this point, a finger to her lips. "That sounds really interesting… Maybe Kakashi-sensei would let us join."
Both friends looked at each other with a knowing look.
There would be no mercy from either side.
Yes, you have a right to shoot me.
No, you cannot.
I only update when I feel like I can, and that's after I write, edit, and upload the chapters. I'm having a tough time getting everything done since NaNoWriMo is this month and I fell super far behind. So I'll be busy for the rest of November. Hope you don't mind, plus I'm working on several other stories at once and school is kicking my butt.
So... yeah. Sorry guys.
Reviews make my muse go up!