Chapter twelve: Dreams of Snow!
EDIT: I rewrote this entire chapter. I didn't like it.
Please excuse my lack of updates. I moved suddenly and have been without internet.
Hopefully this chapter isn't terribly horrible. I tried.
Enjoy?
Disclaimer: If I owned it then I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.
...
Akina awoke the next morning and vaguely wondered how many more mornings they would be spending inside Tazuna's house. The bridge was close to being finished and today was the day the entire team would join Tazuna to work. Kakashi was finally feeling better and the team had a little more confidence after their bit of training. Though this didn't stop Akina from feeling trepidation in the back of her mind. Zabuza was expected to show up any day now. All the genin knew it, though they rarely spoke it aloud.
Could they really stand up against one of the seven swordsman of the mist? Was Akina herself ready? She found herself questioning if she had done enough during her "secret" training sessions. She laughed at that. Sasuke knew about it and she was sure that somehow Kakashi knew because Kakashi always seemed to know everything. He never questioned where Akina always wandered off to.
Akina sighed as she joined the others for breakfast. Everyone except Naruto.
"We'll let him sleep a little longer." Kakashi answered with a smile when the girl gave him a questioning look.
"Morning Akina!" Sakura chirped.
Sasuke shared a glance with his cousin, sensing that something was different. The Mizuto girl merely shrugged and sat next to Sakura. They continued breakfast without Naruto and prepared for the day of guarding Tazuna. Akina was strapping on her harness when Sasuke appeared beside her.
"Yes?"
"I feel like today might be it." He replied.
Akina stopped midway as she was adjusting one of the harness straps. "I hope you are wrong."
Sasuke reached over to help her adjust the strap. "I want you to stay back."
"Excuse you?" Akina stepped away from the boy, sending him a warning glare. "I'm not staying back even if Kakashi-sensei tells me to. I wouldn't stay back in this fight even if lord Hokage told me to."
Sasuke sighed. "Akina... I don't want-"
"I don't care what you want, Sasuke. I'm part of this team and I will not just stand on the sidelines." Akina stared her cousin down until he sighed again.
"I expected you would argue with me about this." He reached back out, grabbing her harness and tugging on it. He let go when he deduced that it was properly tightened.
"I've never been a pushover and I'm not about to start." She gently slapped his hands away, smiling slightly.
Sasuke gave his own slight smile back, but there was something in his eyes that told Akina he wasn't entirely giving up. The boy turned around to leave the room just as Sakura entered.
"Oh! I didn't know you were in here, Sasuke." Sakura started but Sasuke merely muttered that he needed to get ready and passed her by. Sakura sighed.
"Hey, Sakura." Akina called as she clipped Tsukikage to her back.
"Hey." Sakura replied back, her voice carrying a sad note.
"Be extra prepared today." Akina warned before leaving the room.
Sakura nodded.
Kakashi made the decision to leave Naruto to rest up while the remainder of the group joined Tazuna outside the house.
"He's going to be mad at you." Akina warned their sensei.
Kakashi merely smiled. "I'm certain he will forgive me."
The purple haired girl rolled her eyes, but didn't bother taking it any further. she had her own things to think about. Naruto would be fine.
"Well! Please take care of Naruto. He's worn himself out. I doubt he'll be able to move for the rest of the day." Kakashi spoke.
"We're off, Tsunami." Mr. Tazuna spoke up.
"Bye." She waved and the four ninja and bridge builder left.
Along the way Akina noticed she wasn't the only one feeling tense. Somehow the town seemed much quieter and more desolate than usual. Sasuke and Kakashi were both silently watchful while Sakura nervously glanced around.
Maybe Sasuke was right. Maybe today was the day. The girl started to feel nervous when they approached the bridge.
The bridge was quiet and misty so early in the morning and the team followed Tazuna across it with guarded glances around. Once they reached the unfinished edge the team and Tazuna found the small group of workers who had arrived early all laying along the ground, having been cut down by someone who wielded a sword.
"What the hell?" Tazuna ran over to one of his men, sitting him up. "What happened?"
The man opened his mouth to speak. "M-monsters…"
It has to be them...
Fog began to close in. Kakashi looked back and forth. "They're coming!"
The Genin all stood back-to-back with Tazuna and their sensei, kunai at the ready.
"Kakashi sensei, is this that man we met? His 'Hiding in the mist' technique, isn't it?" Sakura asked.
"This is Kirigakure Jutsu all right." Akina answered confidently.
Sasuke began shaking slightly.
"Been a while, Kakashi…" Zabuza's voice called from the mist. "And I see you've got those brats tagging along, just like last time. And the little boy is trembling again, poor thing…" Suddenly, they were surrounded by Zabuza's water clones.
Sasuke smirked. "I'm shaking…with eagerness for a rematch!"
The clones sneered.
Kakashi smiled. "Go ahead…Sasuke."
In barely a flash, Sasuke had dispelled all of Zabuza's clones and appeared back in his place between Kakashi and Akina.
Now Zabuza and the masked boy from the Mist were standing before them. "Well! My water clones were obviously no match for you! It seems the brats have matured quite a bit… Into worthy rivals…eh, Haku?"
"Indeed!" The masked boy answered.
"Looks like I was right." Kakashi said. "Our mysterious masked friend…is playing on Zabuza's team."
"He has nerve, showing up like this!" Sakura shouted, pointing at the boy.
"It's not nerve, Sakura."
She looked at Akina, confused.. "Huh?"
The violet haired girl glared at the two mist ninja.. "They truly believe they are going to kill us."
Sakura seemed worried again.
Akina stepped forward, her hand going for the Nodachi on her back, but Sasuke held out his arm to stop her. "This one's mine."
"But, Sasuke-!"
He glared at the girl. "Just stay out of it."
She glared back. "Fine…for now."
Sasuke stepped forward. "That was quite a show you put on before, but we're on to you now… And I hate ham actors!"
"Sasuke's so cool!" Sakura squealed.
Akina rolled her eyes and sighed. "Speaking of hams, where'd that lame line come from?"
"Impressive kid, isn't he?" Haku asked Zabuza. "Even if your water clones have only a tenth of the strength of the original's it's amazing he was able to do so well."
"But we're still on the offensive. Go!" Zabuza ordered.
"Yes, sir." Haku disappeared in a swirl of mist.
Suddenly the boy appeared in front of Sasuke and struck at the raven haired boy; Sasuke quickly parried with his kunai, deflecting the blow. Again and Again, with flashing speed, the two continued to strike and block, until they were at a stalemate. Both held in a parry of the other's attack; kunai against senbon.
That masked guy is fast, but Sasuke's keeping up with him…
"Sakura! Akina!" Kakashi called. "We have to cover Mr. Tazuna. Take that side, and stay close! Let Sasuke handle Haku."
"Yes, sir!"
The two girls took Mr. Tazuna's right side, while Kakashi took his left. They watched as the standstill continued. Sasuke and Haku seemed to speak for a while before Haku started making hand signs with a single hand.
"That many signs with only one hand?" Akina mused in wonder, watching the masked boy closely.
The boy then stomped his foot twice in the puddles they were standing in and suddenly the water rose, forming into hundreds of senbon ice needles.
Akina blinked. "That's not a Mist jutsu. What is it?"
"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted in worry.
Sasuke was just standing there while the senbon came closer.
Come on, Sasuke. Move it! Get out of there!
All of the ice needles crashed where Sasuke and Haku were standing. Haku had jumped out of the way, but Sasuke couldn't be seen anywhere.
The masked boy stopped and looked around. Just then shuriken flew down from above. He hopped backwards, dodging them one-by-one, making the shuriken land in the concrete bridge along the way, the last one bouncing off the metal railing. He found himself back at the center of the bridge.
"You're not so fast." Sasuke taunted from behind him.
Akina sighed. That was a little too close, Sasuke.
Sasuke swiped one of his two kunai at Haku, but the masked boy blocked with his arm, catching the Uchiha's wrist. Sasuke then flipped the kunai at Haku's face, but Haku ducked down; taking this chance, Sasuke spun and kicked out at the Mist ninja. Haku couldn't dodge this time and he ended up flying backward toward Zabuza.
"You're fast. I'm faster." Sasuke taunted.
"You had that coming. For underestimating my team and for name calling." Kakashi mocked. "They may not look like much…but Sasuke and Akina here are the top-rated rookies from all of Konohagakure village. And Sakura here is our sharpest mind…" Sakura seemed pleased to hear that.
"And last but not least… The number-one-hyperactive-knuckleheaded ninja: Uzumaki Naruto."
Zabuza started laughing. "Haku…do you understand, if this goes on, you could end up dying at the hands of the very person you sought to spare?"
Haku stood up slowly. "Yes, I do… What a pity." The other boy's body began emitting chakra.
Akina's senses twitched. So cold...? It's like his chakra itself is made from ice.
The water around Sasuke began forming in the air, slowly solidifying into what appeared to be mirrors made from ice. The mirrors surrounded Sasuke on all sides and above, caging the boy in. Haku stepped forward, climbing into one of the mirrors, then he appeared to be in all of them.
Kakashi moved to help Sasuke, but Zabuza stood in his way. "Let's not forget…I'm your enemy. Our children can play together…While my boy kills your brat."
"Shoot! Sakura, keep the old man safe." Akina unhooked her sword from her back and rushed to Kakashi's side.
"Akina, stay back. I don't want you in the crossfire." Kakashi warned.
"With all due respect, Sensei, I am more worried about that guy." She nodded in the direction of the ice mirrors and held her nodachi aloft. "And swords are kind of my thing, after all."
Zabuza appeared to smirk. "This one is still cheeky, I see."
Suddenly the sound of Sasuke screaming reached their ears.
"Sasuke!"
"Any sudden moves and I'll kill those other two!" Zabuza threatened, referring to Sakura and Tazuna.
Suddenly Sakura ran forward, throwing a kunai towards the mirrors, but Haku appeared from the nearest mirror and caught it with his hand before it could hit. Just then a shuriken appeared from the opposite side, striking Haku across the face of his mask and promptly knocking him out of the mirror. The was suddenly a cloud of smoke alongside the ring of mirrors and in the center a short figure came into view.
Akina smiled slightly. That big dummy…
"Uzumaki Naruto! At your service!" The blond goof spoke as the smoke cleared. "Here I am, to save the day." He pointed towards the rest of the group. "You know how the story goes. Things look bleak…till the hero arrives and then POW! Bye-bye bad guys!"
Akina sighed, rolling her eyes. Idiot… You're supposed to sneak up on your enemy, not jump right out in front of them…
"Naruto!" Sakura cheered hopefully.
Zabuza sneered and threw multiple shuriken at Naruto, followed by Haku throwing Senbon needles in the same direction, but, to everyone's surprise, the two weapons knocked each other away.
Zabuza glared at the masked boy. "Haku… what are you doing?"
"Zabuza, sir, please let me have this boy. I want to fight him in my own way…"
"…So, you want me to keep my hands off him, eh, Haku?" Zabuza chuckled. "How charmingly naive of you…as usual…"
"Don't forget about me!" Akina suddenly thrust her sword at Zabuza, closing their distance. The man barely managed to block with his halberd.
"You are certainly making it hard to." He growled, pushing her sword away with his own, swinging the halberd. But his swing was slow and Akina rolled away. "You are fast, girl, but you lack the brute strength to stand against me on equal ground."
"I only need to be fast." The girl smirked, lowering into her fencing stance. "You have three weaknesses." She suddenly shot forward, thrusting up, just missing Zabuza's right shoulder when his sword came down to block. There was a bell-like clang as metal met metal. "Shoulder." She spun, switching stance, and swinging her sword downward. Zabuza had just enough time to shift his own sword, protecting his legs. "Forward knee." Without pause she swiftly dragged her sword up Zabuza's halberd, he took a step back at the last minute, but still received a slice in his cheek. "Head."
Kakashi watched in surprise; the girl had kept Zabuza in a defensive stance the entire time.
Zabuza himself appeared to be shocked; he reached up to touch the fresh cut on his cheek. "You certainly have gotten better." He suddenly swung his sword at the girl; she deflected, rolling back.
Akina shot back forward immediately, thrusting her sword at Zabuza's stomach. The man pushed her sword aside with his own, but the girl merely spun, swinging for his head. Zabuza had to duck and roll away to avoid the thin blade.
"You're clumsy hacking won't be enough, Zabuza." Akina mocked. "Kubikiri Hōchō is heavy and slow, requiring a lot of strength behind every swing; Tsukikage is thin and light, allowing my movements to be swift and precise." The girl slunk back down into her fencing stance.
"You're right." He spoke, standing back up. Zabuza raised his free hand, making the sign for Kirigakure jutsu. "In that case, I'll fight like this."
Mist clouded the area around them, disrupting Akina's vision. "Yeah, well..." The girl shrugged and closed her eyes. She stood silent, her sword aloft, just like that time Sasuke spied her training in the forest.
"Allow me to pay you in kind, little girl." His voice echoed.
Akina inhaled deeply and slowly released her breath, easing her body into calm state. Focus. Listen. See without seeing.
She heard the distinct whir of shuriken and spun, Tsukikage knocking the little blades away with a clang. There was a soft footstep to the left and she parried, metal clanging, and rolled to the right.
Zabuza chuckled. "Not bad for a brat. But do you really think you can fight me on sound alone?" Suddenly he was behind her and swung his sword down onto the girl's small frame. Only to have it splash into a puddle of water.
Zabuza was shocked.
"I am Mizuto Akina, daughter of Mizuto Akito..." this time it was she who appeared behind Zabuza. "...and Uchiha Ayame." Her once pale violet eyes glowed red as blood. "I may not be as experienced as Kakashi-sensei, but I can hold my own."
Zabuza turned to glance over his shoulder. "You cheeky little brat."
She managed to slice him across his side before he jumped away. Zabuza held his wound for a moment before glancing down at his bloodied hand. He chuckled. He actually chuckled. "You really have it in you, don't you, kid?"
Akina glared back at him.
"If you had been born in the Mist, maybe you would have already done it."
Akina's eyes widened slightly. A memory that was just barely there flashing across her vision.
She noticed just a fraction too late when Zabuza moved. Kubikiri Hōchō sliced through her left shoulder just when she tried to roll away. Zabuza surrounded her with clones then, they threw shuriken and kunai at her from all directions. Akina barely had time to land back into her fencing stance before the dance began. Her music was the sound of metal clanging against metal and she moved despite the sting of Shuriken and Kunai occasionally hitting her back. Red bloomed in smatters across the pavement of the bridge floor with each twirl and step. It was getting harder to maneuver Tsukikage with her dominant arm damaged. She felt light headed, had she lost that much blood already? The clones suddenly disappeared and Akina stopped to breath, sweat and blood dripping down her arms. She could feel the sting of metal in her back. A sudden wave of dizziness overcame the girl before she suddenly collapsed to her knees. Was that it, then? Was that all she was capable of? She breathed heavily, still gripping her sword.
Zabuza towered over the small girl and she was scared of him for the first time since their meeting. He glared down at her for a long moment. "Kakashi..." Zabuza called, the mist dissipating around them.
"Yeah..." She heard her Sensei reply from somewhere she couldn't see.
She turned to where she knew the ice mirrors must be, seeing Sasuke and Naruto standing in the middle, looking worse for wear. And damn did her shoulder hurt when she moved. In fact everything was starting to hurt really badly.
"Akina, don't move." She could see Kakashi now. He had knelt down beside her and gently forced her to lay down on her right side.
"Sensei." She wanted to protest, but another round of dizziness shut her up.
"Don't worry. This will only take a few minutes." Kakashi smiled before he stood and she watched as the two adults walked a little ways off. Her vision quickly became blury.
Would mom and dad be disappointed in me? I shouldn't have rushed in. I should have trained more. I miss Shikamaru... And Hinata and Choji and Kiba. And little Akamaru. I want to hug Akamaru again so badly. I hope Sakura will be okay. She's smart enough not to get herself killed, right? If only she was smart enough not to let boys control her life. Speaking of Sasuke... Why do I feel like I would miss you all of a sudden, you stupid idiot? You and Naruto both. Guess we did spend a lot of time together in those trees. If you two die I swear I will haunt you!
...
"Akina!"
No... just let me be.
"Akina?"
Who's bothering me anyway?
"Akina!"
"You shouldn't touch her! Naruto! Go get someone!"
"R-right!"
Why are people yelling? Is that Sakura crying?
Sasuke was kneeling down next to Akina's body. "Stupid…you should have listened…" He brushed the hair from her face. "Why you?" He lowered his head, touching his forehead to hers. "I couldn't protect you again." He whispered. "Why am I so weak? What will I do without you?"
A cough was heard. Sasuke shot up, looking down in shock.
"You're not going to…cry again…are you…?"
Sakura was crying. "Akina! Your alive!" She rushed over.
"Really? I don't feel like it." She groaned. Her back was killing her.
Akina tried to sit up, but she could barely move her left arm and her back felt like it was on fire. She wasn't entirely sure, but she couldn't quite feel her legs. Maybe it was just the cold. She was freezing.
"You shouldn't move!" Sakura warned, gently pressing her back down. "You... you need a doctor."
"Akina, I'm sorry I didn't intervene sooner." That was Kakashi; the girl turned her head to look up at her teacher. He had a very apologetic look in his eyes.
"Guys... don't look at me like I'm dead already."
"But we thought you were." Sakura whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
"It's a miracle, really." Kakashi knelt down next to her. "Zabuza missed your vital organs."
"Well, don't I feel lucky." She glanced over to Sasuke, who had been quiet since she had awoken. "Hey..."
He was silent for a long moment, just staring at her face. "H-hey yourself..."
Akina smiled. "So... I take it we won? Since we're not all dead."
"Y-yeah..." He looked away.
The girl was silent for a long moment. "Guys...seriously. You're all starting to freak me out."
"J-just don't move. We'll get you to a doctor soon." Sakura reassured.
It was then that two men came by with a cart. Naruto seemed to have been escorting them, and he was shocked to see her awake. "Akina! You're alive!"
"Shockingly..." She replied.
"Will we be able to move her?" Kakashi asked the men seriously.
"If we do it slowly."
"Here, get this board underneath her."
Akina didn't know what was going on, all she knew was that it felt like fire was ripping through her when Sasuke and Sakura rolled her over. She screamed in pain. Kakashi and one of the other men slid the board underneath her and lifted her up with it before gently placing her on the cart. She was in agony by the time they rolled her off the bridge. Sasuke followed closely behind, carrying her nodachi in his arms. He never once lost eye contact with the girl, not even when she lost consciousness once again.
...
Two weeks later the Konoha ninja all stood in the woods near where they had done their training; there were two crosses in front of them, Zabuza's sword stuck in the ground behind one and Haku's sash was draped around the other. They stood there, offering their prayers before it was time to leave the land of waves.
Sakura walked up with Naruto and hung a string of flowers on Haku's cross, just as she'd previously done for Zabuza's. Sasuke and Kakashi were standing a ways back with Akina sitting on the ground between them. The girl couldn't walk or stand, at least not for a few more weeks. Zabuza had missed her vital organs, but his attacks had damaged some nerves in her back and legs, nearly paralyzing her. Kakashi said she had been lucky. Sakura had cried more. Naruto had left the room. But Sasuke. Sasuke had just stared at her endlessly. It had gotten to the point that she'd asked Kakashi to remove the boy from the room and not allowed him back in until she was released.
Now she sat on the ground, watching Sakura slap Naruto's hand away from the offering tray. "What sneaky, greedy trick are you up to now? You eat an offering you'll be punished by the gods!"
Naruto just smiled and laughed a bit.
Akina laughed too. "At least everything is back to normal."
Sasuke snickered, then stopped when his gaze reached Akina's legs. The look in his eyes was clear. No. Everything was not back to normal.
Sakura merely stared at Haku's grave. "…But still…Kakashi sensei…"
"Hmm?" Was his simple reply, as usual.
"…I can't help wondering. Were those two right about what a ninja should be?" She asked.
"A shinobi shouldn't be concerned with a reason for her own existence… It is important merely that we exist as a tool for our homeland to use in whatever way they need. That's as true for us in Konohagakure as it is for ninja anywhere else." Kakashi explained.
"Is that really what becoming a full-fledged ninja's gonna be about?" Naruto asked. "I don't like the sound of it!"
"Do you really feel that way, Kakashi sensei?" Sasuke asked, glancing toward their teacher.
"Well…no." He answered truthfully. "And that's why all we ninja live our lives with that ideal always bubbling beneath the surface of our minds, disturbing us."
"…Like it did Zabuza and Haku…" Akina added, sadly. She'd been told of everything that'd happened during the time she was "dead", making her change the way she felt about the two mist ninja. "It's a never ending cycle, isn't it?"
"Hmm… right." Kakashi replied humorously.
She glared. "Don't go "Hmm…right"! And what's with that tone?!"
Kakashi merely stared at the sky, smiling.
"That's it. I've made up my mind!" They all looked to Naruto. "I am going to create my own ninja path. My own destiny!"
The Mizuto girl smiled and nodded. "Uh-huh!"
Kakashi smiled too.
...
At the bridge Mr. Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and a man they learned was named Giichi came to say their goodbyes to the ninja who had saved their village.
Sasuke was carrying Akina on his back and Kakashi was carrying the two genin's packs and Akina's sword.
"Thanks to you, our bridge has finally been completed, but…it's going to be awfully dull around here, once you're gone." Mr. Tazuna announced.
Kakashi smiled politely. "We've enjoyed your hospitality."
"No problemo, Tazuna, my man! We'll come back to play with you again sometime!" Naruto grinned.
Inari looked like he was about to cry. "You better…"
Now Naruto looked like he was about to cry as well. "So…um…anyway…" He put on an odd looking grin. "Inari…don't let it get you down. It's okay to cry, if you really want!"
"I'm not gonna cry!" Inari shouted. "B-but Naruto… Hey, big brother…y-you can cry! Go ahead!"
Naruto turned away. "Me? No way. See you."
Inari reached outward in slight disappointment. "Oh!"
They both started blubbering, tears and snot running down their faces.
"Boneheads!" Sakura and Akina both mumbled.
And the five Konoha ninja began the long journey home.
"All right! Let's get home." Naruto cheered. "Iruka sensei's gonna take me out for ramen noodles to celebrate us accomplishing our mission! And then, you know, I have to tell little Konohamaru my epic tale of martial arts bravery!"
"Oh…uh…okay." Sakura mumbled. "By the way, Sasuke… when we do get home…would you like to…go out with me?"
"Uh, no. Thanks." Sasuke turned away.
"N-no…?…" Sakura asked in disbelief.
"Hey! I'll go out with you!" Naruto said.
"Naruto! No! Knock it off!" Sakura started hitting him.
Akina was laughing the whole time. Kakashi just sighed.