Yuki shivered violently, and stared at the sharp blade which stopped in the air, a mere inch from her face. The eyes of her deceased father stared into her own two, and she found herself incapable of moving away. Blood dripped onto the ground, and Yuki let out a low moan, despite her current mental state.

"Whew, kid. Looks like we got here in the nick of time."

Yuki stared at the woman, astonished.

"Mom?" she whispered, her voice cracked from the tears she had cried.

The Jounin stood in front of her, blocking the blade with a senbon, her hand bleeding from contact of the blade against her wrist.

"In the flesh and blood."

"Di-did you say we?" Yuki asked, her head whipping to and fro in confusion.

"Hey, Yuki. You all right?"

A reassuring hand placed itself on her shoulder, as the other Jounin placed himself in front of her. On his back, was a giant blade which she immediately recognized from the picture of Zabuza's grave.

"Just sit down and take it easy. We'll take it from here," her godfather said, giving her a cheerful thumb up. She tried to smile, but felt as if her grip on sanity was slipping between her fingers like grains of sand.

She watched her mother kick the sword away from her wrist, and duck as it swung towards her head. Another stab aimed for her, was deflected by her godmother, who defended her ferociously.

"I won't let you lay a hand on her, Kabuto. If only Orochimaru could see what you've done to yourself," Anko stated a playful smile on her lips.

"You think I care what he thinks? I have surpassed him in every imaginable way!" Kabuto jeered, pushing his glasses higher.

"Anko! Behind you!" her godfather shouted. Yuki watched as Tenkei appeared from behind, a single hand outstretched to attack her guardian.

Have to move!

Yuki tried to jump up to assist her mother, but her body refused to listen to any commands. Instead, she remained slumped forward, her body trembling violently. She watched her father block the incoming attack, with a swipe of the sword.

"You take on Kabuto. I've got these guys."

Yuki watched Anko jump out of the ring of enemies and land in front of Kabuto, her back to Yuki. The younger girl feared for her mother's life yet found herself powerless to help. No matter how much she willed her body to move, the sheer stress of meeting her blood relatives was too much for her to comprehend.

"Yuki. Don't worry about her. She can handle herself."

She watched her father disengage from Yasuo, and smirk, lifting his headband higher.

"Now then! Who wants to go first?" the Sharingan user taunted, raising a hand.

Yuki turned her attention from her father to her mother, who fought Kabuto at close range, her senbon missing their target time and time again.

"Hehehe. Still using Orochimaru's techniques! Who is trying to imitate Orochimaru-sama now?" Kabuto stated. The woman didn't reply instead thrusting the senbon at him.

Her gaze bounced between the two battles, astonished that Kakashi prevented all four shinobi from reaching their mark: her. She watched him, admiring how skilled he was. He seemed to be four steps ahead of his opponents; the way he danced around his opponents out of their reach.

Yuki put a hand on her chest, and stared at the ground, which became further blurred as tears poured down her face.

I'm useless. I can't even protect my godparents. They took me in. Taught me everything they know. They gave me love and all I can do is sit by idly, while they fight my battles for me. Am I that weak?

She glanced up and then back down in an instant.

I'm nothing.

"That's right. Give up. Despair! You are nothing but a maggot. Hahahaha! You're parents don't love you enough to even protect you, and you're-"

"ENOUGH!"

Anko's voice rang over the cave walls, and Yuki stared at the woman, who was locked senbon to kunai with Kabuto.

"Ignore this rat, Yuki. I'm proud of you and so is Kakashi. We both love you, very much. Don't-"

Before she could complete the sentence, Yuki watched Kabuto let go of the senbon, and tap her right leg, before slashing at Anko's throat. A snake bit into her right arm, and Anko fell backwards.

"Anko-sama! NO!" Yuki screamed, reaching out.

"If you knew even the slightest medical ninjutsu, you might have stood a chance. But now, you and Yuki die!"

As Anko fell towards the ground, both her blood parents, landed on either side of her, a kunai and blade drawn back to strike.

I have to avoid it!

She shifted her weight to her front leg, and started to scramble away, only for memories of her parents when she was younger to flash before her eyes, incapacitating her. She watched in horror as both weapons descended towards Yuki. Kakashi couldn't make it in time, and if Anko wasn't hampered by her leg, then she might have been able to clear the fifteen feet to her.

Yuki fought the impulse to give in, and raised both hands to divert the attacks away from her vital organs. As the two weapons came within half a foot of her body, two things happened. An explosion rocked the ground, where Anko had been standing and the sword was deflected from hitting her.

The young Hazukashii's eyes widened in realization, and she found herself smiling.

"You-you-"

Blood dripped from Yuki's mouth, as she stared down at the kunai imbedded in her right shoulder. The knife was twisted by deeper into her shoulder, causing her to grind her teeth together in pain. Yet even through the pain, she was able to muster a grin.

"You made a promise to me. The lengths you've gone to," she whispered.