'This day just went from bad to worse…' I thought, as the tall Ninja glared down at us. But that's not all that was bothering me, I swear I could feel the metal on my vambrace getting hotter. It wasn't painful, but it was as if it was telling me that danger was near.

Kakashi stepped forward and mused "oh my, my. You're Momochi Zabuza, the exiled ninja of the hidden mist…"

'Exiled ninja? Well that's just swell'

Suddenly, Naruto went charging towards him, only to have Kakashi halt his movements, "You're in the way" he told him "stay back, everyone…"

"WHY!" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi kept his focus on Zabuza, and explained that this one was in a completely different league than the ones we confronted before. He then lifted his hand up to where his covered up eye was and grabbed a hold of his headband.

"If he's our enemy" I heard him whisper "I can't win like this…"

"I'm guessing you are Kakashi the Sharingan user" stated Zabuza, making me narrow my eyes.

'Did… did he say Sharingan?'

I glanced at Sasuke to see that he to had a confused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry" said Zabuza cutting off my train of thought, "but I'll need you to hand over the old geezer…"

"Everyone, form a swastika formation around Tazuna" Kakashi ordered us, "protect him and don't join the battle."

"What?" Sakura gasped.

"Remember your teamwork" he told us as he began to lift up his forehead protector. Once he removed it completely from his eye, I could see a long, vertical scar across it and slowly… he opened his eye to reveal a red cornea and around the pupil were three tomoes.

'It is the Sharingan!' I thought 'But… that's impossible… he's not…."

"I'm honoured that I can see the Sharingan I've heard so much about" mused Zabuza.

Naruto growled "all you lot keeping saying is Sharingan, but what is it?"

"Sharingan…" Sasuke began, "The eye creates it, and it is the power that the pupil generates. Ones who use doujutsu are said to have eye powers that can see through all genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu, and cancel their effects." He then continued to explain that the Sharingan is one of the various types that doujutsu users possess.

"But that's not the only ability it possesses…" Sasuke mutter loud enough for us all to hear.

"Correct" chipped in Zabuza, "The scary part is that Sharingan can understand how an opponent's techniques work, and copy it…"

Suddenly a thick mist began to surround us, making it nearly impossible to see anything in front of me.

"When I was in the Hidden Village of the Mist's assassination squad" I heard Zabuza say, "your information was listed in the bingo book, asking for your capture."

I was assuming he was talking to Kakashi, who was now a faint outline in the mist.

Zabuza then continued "it also notes this, the man who copied over a 1000 techniques, Kakashi the copy ninja…"

'A 1000 techniques! That's insane!'

But there was still one thought plaguing my mind. As far as I was aware, only certain members of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke's clan, had this technique. And I know for a fact that Kakashi wasn't a Uchiha. I once again looked over a Sasuke, hoping he had at least some knowledge on this, but he looked just as clueless as I did.

I'll never forget the first time I saw those red eyes…

"Are you sure Itachi-Sama won't mind?"

Sasuke threw me a cute smile as he climbed to the top of the pile of rocks, "I do this all the time, we just can't interrupt him!"

I felt a wet drop on the side of my head, "but you always interrupt him…"

"Look there he is!" Sasuke whispered, completely ignoring what I just said. Sasuke reached his hand out, "come on Tomoko-Chan!" I quickly grabbed his hand and joined him on the rock. Below us, we could see Itachi standing in the middle of several targets scattered around the forest. It was then I realised just how high we were.

"Sasuke… I don't like it up here…" I told him feeling nervous.

"Trust me!" he urged "it's totally worth it… just watch."

In the end I just decided to suck it up and watch Itachi, I didn't see what all the fuss was about… he was just standing there. But suddenly he disappeared in a blur, he started throwing kunai knives in all directions, some bounced off others to reach their target. When he finally reappeared agaim, all the knives where now stabbed in the bulls eye of every target.

"Wow…" I breathed as I leaned closer to the edge to get a better look.

"Told ya" said Sasuke in a smug tone. I continued to shift closer to the edge, but little to my knowledge, the rock we were on was very old and fragile, so with my full weight and a small crack on the stone, the end where most of my upper body was positioned crumbled off.

"TOMOKO-CHAN!" Sasuke shrieked as I went tumbling down. My first reaction to what was happening was screaming, it was a long drop that would definitely give me a broken bone. I firmly closed my eyes and waited for the painful impact…

But I didn't feel a hard surface of the ground, nor any pain on my body. Instead, I felt a warm, broad chest heaving in and out heavily and cotton of a shirt.

"TOMOKO-CHAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" Sasuke demanded as he ran over. Finally opening my eyes, I realised I was being held, bridal style in someone's arms.

"Sasuke… what did I tell you about climbing up there?" Itachi asked softly but sternly.

"I'm sorry Nii-san…"

Looking up at the older boy, I gasped when I saw that his once dark, charcoal eyes were now a beautiful shade of crimson red.

Itachi stared at me long and hard "are you alright Tomoko-Chan?"

I didn't answer, because I was too entranced by his eyes. I had never seen anything like this, already I thought of him as a very beautiful young man, the crimson shade only defined his looks. Itachi asked the question again, but I couldn't hear his voice. everything around me went silent.

Itachi must have realised waht I was staring at, because he closed his eyes for a minute, and when he reopened them, it was back to the Uchiha charcoal black.

"I'm sorry Tomoko-Chan, I didn't mean to scare you" he told me some what awkwardly with a soft smile "come on… er should head home…"

"Let's cut the chit chat" I heard Zabuza say, bringing me out of that memory, "I have to kill the geezer right away."

Immediately me and my team surrounded Tazuna. Sasuke was in the middle, with Naruto on his right and me on his left. Sakura, was watching Tazuna's back. All four of us had our kunai ready… Zabuza, clearly amused by it all remarked on how it seemed he'd have to kill Kakashi first. In a blink of an eye, Zabuza took out his massive sword from the tree and was now standing on the water.

"There he is!" Naruto stated.

"No way…" mumbled Sakura looking from the corner of her eye, "he's standing on the water?" I was about to say a remark at her, but unfortunately now really wasn't the time. Squinting my eyes slightly, I could see that a light, tornado of water circled around him.

"Mist Concealment."

Naruto gasped "he… he disappeared?"

"Sensei?"

"He'll try to eliminate me first" he explained to Sakura "but…"

"Be honest Kakashi-sensei, what are we up against here?" I asked him as I attempted to look through the thick mist.

"Momochi Zabuza" Kakashi began explaining' "He was in the Hidden Village of the Mist's ANBU and was known for his 'silent killing' technique."

"Silent?" Naruto nervously repeated.

"It's just as the name implies, it's a killing technique that's executed in a flash and carried out in absolute silence. It's possible you'll be dead before you even realise it, And I cannot use my Sharingan to its fullest potential, so don't let your guard down."

"Spectacular…" I muttered sarcastically.

"But if you fail, you're only going to die."

I felt my eye twitch "you sure know how to give a pep talk sensei."

"The mist is getting thicker!" stated Naruto nervously.

"Were surrounded by ocean, it's bound to happen Naruto" I told him. But even telling myself that didn't calm me down, as I could no longer see Kakashi at all.

"Eight points."

I felt my muscles stiffen at the sound on Zabuza's deep voice, sending unpleasant chills down my spine as he continued.

"The Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, vein, collarbone, kidney and heart. Now which vital organ do you want to get struck at?" he asked menacingly, and also gleefully, as if he could sense our fear. Kakashi was nothing but a silhouette in in front of us now, but I could make out his hands movements into a symbol, and as quick as light the mist suddenly dispersed.

How did he do that? Were we under some genjustu or something? Then out of no where, I felt something shake in fear on my left. I first assumed was Sakura getting scared, only to remember thatshe was on my right.

'No freaking way!'

Glancing to my left, I saw to my surprise, Sasuke quietly freaking out at was he was seeing in front of him. He could sense thirst for blood from our enemy, hell I could! Slowly he began to move his kunai above his stomach…

'Wait what?!'

The stupid idiot was resulting to pain to snap him out of it, which was foolish.

Quickly, I grabbed his arm to stop him from stabbing himself, "calm down!" I hissed.

Sasuke gave me a shocked look, as if for a moment he forgot where he was. He looked… relived, but was still shaken a little. This was a perfect opportunity to make a sly comment to him about calling Naruto a scary-cat. But looking into his fear stricken eyes, I couldn't do it. Because for some weird reason… I saw a glimpse of my best friend again.

"Sasuke" I heard Kakashi say, making him snap out of it completely, "Don't worry, I'll protect the four of you with my life." Both me and Sasuke stared at our sensei, who turned his head and smiled, reassuring us that he wouldn't let anyone die. Sasuke nodded but then glanced down, my gaze followed to see my hand was still griping his arm. As fast as I grabbed it, I let it go and tried my best to ignore his glances.

Now wasn't the time to feel flustered.

"I don't know about that" I heard from behind me, that one sentence made my heart stop. My muscles tense up to the notion that our killer was standing right behind me, ready to strike without hestiation.

"This is the end!" stated Zabuza and went to swing his sword, suddenly I could feel my vambrace scorching my flesh making me cry out in pain, it made my gaze hazy. Which meant I didn't actually see Kakashi stopping Zabuza in the nick of time, by stabbing him in the side. When the pain subsided, I scanned the area to see everyone scattered around, all of us watching Kakashi and Zabuza, looking just as stunned as I was.

"Sensei!" Naruto yelled pointing "Behind you!"

Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, it was then I realised that it was a water clone that Kakashi attacked. But Kakashi wasn't stupid, in fact it wasn't him at all, he to was a water clone!

Zabuza didn't have time to analyse the situation, because the real Kakashi came behind him and held a kunai knife at his throat.

"Don't move" he said calmly "this is the end."

I let out a shaky breath, thanking Mistuko that we had overcame the situation. That is, until I heard a deep throaty chuckle from Zabuza.

'Why is he laughing?'

"Is this the end?" he questioned "you don't understand, you can't defeat me with just your indiscriminate imitations, I can assure you that."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, as Zabuza continued to compliment him on how his Sharingan was able to copy the water clone perfectly when reassuring Sasuke. "By making your clone speak as if it was the real one, you diverted my attention to the clone. While the real one used the Mist Concealment technique to hide and observe my movements". He was silent for a moment, as if he was somewhat excited about something "However… I'm not easy to defeat!"

'Shit!' I thought as I soon figured out that the real Zabuza was behind Kakashi, "that one's fake too!" shouted Naruto. Kakashi went to counter, but it was too late as Zabuza gave him one swift kick into the river, which at first I believed would give Sensei the advantage…

But when am I ever right?

"SENSEI!" Naruto called desperately as we saw our teacher trapped in some sort of water prison, and Zabuza holding it together with his chakra.

urgh I hate it I hate it I HATE IT! So sorry its taken this long but I'm struggling so much with this scene! so bare with me :(