Thank you for following me and this story! Sorry I have been gone for so long! Life has been very hectic but I'm alive and well. Been working hard and I have my own place now and have a well paying stable job and been traveling a bunch.

So this is like the fourth time I re-write this story, definitely going a different direction from the first time I published this! I had to start over because I didn't like where it was going but I'm liking this direction much better. Let me know what you think. Is it better or worse?

This was originally suppose to be a IbikixOC but it changed to a ZabuzaxOC. Even I'm not too sure how that happened either. Chapters, as always, will probably be short but I'll try to make them long. This will also be a slow update, I'm just trying to get back into writing like I use to do.

I should warn you, I plan to make this a bit darker than what I normally write, so if you are not comfortable with that I would not read it. I'll try to put a warning at the beginning of the chapter like my other stories. Topics it may touch: drug use, sex, mental and physical abuse, gore and torture. Not 100% sure yet, my mind usually has a concept but when I start writing it ends up taking weird turns.

"Speaking in Japanese"

"Speaking in English"

"Speaking in Spanish"

'Thoughts'

I don't proofread my chapters! I just dish them out as I write them because I'm lazy so keep in mind it'll probably have a lot of grammar errors.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO. JUST MY OCs

Azu hadn't known why she done it, her body just moved on its own. That was a lie, she knew why she just hated that she did it. She shouldn't have done it, after all Haku did betrayed her, yet she jumped in front of him to protect him. She couldn't let him die despite the fact that she knew it was his fate. She knew that both Haku and Zabuza were supposed to died here on this bridge.

She did it because Haku kind of reminded her of her little brother, no, that wasn't quite right either. She had cared for him like he was one of her own. She had taken care of him when he was sick and when Zabuza was on a mission too dangerous for them to tag along. She had fed him, brushed his hair and comforted him when he was sad. She taught him things just as he had taught her to speak Japanese. She had too many happy memories with him. She couldn't let him die. Not Haku, anyone but him, he was too kind hearted and pure, he didn't deserve to die so young, not for that bastard. Besides she never really belonged here, so was this world really losing anything?

Azu coughed. Blood splurged out of her mouth covering Kakashi's arm as it stuck through her left shoulder and dribbled down her chin. Chidori. She never imagined she'd be on the receiving end of it. Weirdly, she was kind of glad she was going to die in a badass way.

"Azu...why?" Kakashi asked staring at her in disbelief as his arm went through her shoulder. Her cloths turning red from the blood seeping through the wound and down her chest. She was shorter than Haku by only an inch or two and Kakashi knew he barely managed to missed her heart but he still had managed to rupture her subclavicular vein. An important vein. One that required immediate medical attention once it was ruptured. They needed a medical ninja. Rin's face flashed briefly in his mind and his eyes narrowed towards Zabuza. He needed to stay focused. He couldn't get distracted with past memories.

"...sorry...too young...too kind" Azu coughed out more blood and slowly pulled out Kakashi's hand from where it impaled her. More blood gushed out and Azu fell to her knees becoming lightheaded from the blood loss. Haku acted quickly and caught her, setting her down gently on the ground. His hands glowed green from healing chakra as he tried to close her wound. Kakashi let Haku continue to try to healing Azu in the hopes that the boy could save her but seeing her body growing paler by the minute he knew it was pointless. Kakashi could see it in Azu's eyes that she knew it was pointless too and had already come to terms with it.

"Why? I...I thought you were angry with me" Haku asked as tears streamed down his face, his hands placed over the wound and he pour all the chakra he could to heal the vein.

"Angry…but,don't…want you dead" she whispered. It didn't hurt as much anymore, she didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. "Kakashi…sorry" Azu apologized weakly.

"You're off the mark again, Kakashi" Zabuza chuckled darkly, rolling his shoulders as Kakashi's dog summons disappeared and he stood up straighter, raising his sword once more.

"She saved your worthless lives even after all you did to her" Kakashi glared at them.

"Naruto..." Azu croaked out the life in her eyes dimming. She felt herself slipping.

Tell him I'm sorry.

"Okay" Kakashi nodded understanding her unspoken words.

"Pity, I had plans for her" Zabuza tsked bringing his sword down towards Kakashi. Haku quickly reacted and grabbed Azu, jumping out of the way to avoid being sliced in half. He moved to the side of the bridge and continued to heal her while also keeping an eye on his master in case he needed to jump in and help.

"Kakashi-sensei watched out!" Sakura shouted.

Kakashi jumped out of the way and spotted Naruto from the corner of his eye getting closer to the fight "Stay back Naruto" Kakashi his voice was firm and for once was glad his student did as he was told.

Naruto looked around the bridge as the fog start to lift. He could see Sakura, his sensei, Zabuza but Haku and Azu were no where to be seen. He looked around more and as more of the mist disappeared. In the far distance at the side of the bridge behind Zabuza, he could see someone hunched over a body. He recognized that clothing and knew it wasn't Azu's that could only mean. That was Azu's body on the ground.

"Hey! What to you think you're doing! Haku! Leave her alone!" Naruto growl running towards them but stop immediately when his sensei yelled at him.

"No!" Kakashi snapped "You just stay there and watch!"

"But -"

"I said no! This is my battle" Kakashi glared at his unpredictable student. Naruto gulped and took a step back from his sensei's anger. His attention shifting when he heard his pink haired teammate call out to him as soon as she spotted him.

"Naruto is that you? Hey Naruto over here! Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked once she saw Naruto but Sasuke was no where to be seen.

Naruto however stayed silent at her question. His jaw clenched and his fists tightened at his sides in frustration. What was he suppose to say? That he wasn't strong enough to keep his teammate safe? If only he was stronger, he could have helped more with fighting Haku.

Sakura felt numb.

Naruto was taking too long to respond back but she didn't need him to answer, his silence was enough to confirm what she was dreading. But that couldn't be right. Sasuke was strong and smart. He couldn't be taken down that easily. She wanted to go back and see for herself but her mission was to protect Tazuna, the bridge builder. Tears began to gather in her eyes but she refuse to let them fall until she confirmed everything herself. Tazuna eyes softened as he stared the young girl who was protecting him.

"Why don't I go with you? That way, you won't be going against your sensei's word." Tazuna stated.

The old man let the young girl grab his hand and lead him away from not only the battle but to where Sasuke's motionless body laid on the floor.

"Kakashi, you have no time to take your eyes off me!" Zabuza growled sprinting forward with his sword. Kakashi spun and kicked Zabuza back as he was about to swing knocking him off balance. Zabuza quickly righted his footing and dashed towards Kakashi again, both shinobi trading blow after blow yet Zabuza was unable to keep up with the copycat ninja.

"Damn you!" Zabuza snarled wielding his sword with one hand as his other was useless from the kunai Kakashi had previously stuck into his arm.

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku shouted.

"Stay out of this Haku! Hatake is mine!"

Haku had known his master long enough to know the hidden meaning behind his words. To anyone else it might sound like Zabuza had a score to settle with Kakashi but the slight shift in his eyes from him to Azu let him know his true intent. Keep healing her.

"I..." She stared up at the sky as she continued to bleed out, everyone's voices were growing farther away even as Haku continued to heal her.

"Save your strength" Haku hushed her.

Being in this world, there had been a lot of close calls for Azu. More than she could possibly count on her fingers. It was only by sheer dumb luck she managed to live this long. But this…this felt different than all the other times. She felt tired, sleepy, afraid that if she closed her eyes she might not open them again. She felt grief. Grief, that she would never be able to see her family and friends again or tell them goodbye. That they would never know what happened to her as she died in this world.

Zabuza swung his sword again and missed once more, his sword creating a small crater at the spot Kakashi should have been. He felt a hand wrap around the back of his neck and Zabuza gritted his teeth in anger at being captured.

"Look at you, you can't possibly defeat me the way you are now. I knew you didn't have what it takes for the long haul"

"What did you say?" Zabuza hissed.

"You still don't know what true strength means! And because of that, you lose" Kakashi continued to lectured him as he brought down two kunai to Zabuza's jugular.

The slight warmth Azu felt from Haku's healing was gone and she could only guess he left her to protect Zabuza since she was a lost cause now. The clank of metal paused the action halfway and Haku stood there holding Kakashi back with his own kunai. Azu laid by the edge of the bridge forgotten. Confirming that it had been too late for her. Zabuza's eyes briefly flickered to the side of the bridge and quickly focused on Kakashi once more but it was enough for Kakashi to realize something. Despite Zabuza's tough talk, Azu meant something to them.

"Well, let's see how things are going, he did quite a job on you didn't he Zabuza?" Gato's voice called out to them. Kakashi and Zabuza paused in their fighting and turned to look at the short man, behind him , was a mob of thieves and thugs waiting to strike at Gato's command "You disappoint me, Zabuza"

"Gato, why did you come here? And who are all those men?" Zabuza stood up straight as he took in possible enemies. He wouldn't put it past Gato to double cross him. It's happened before in the past with other contracts he had picked up the only difference this time was he didn't have a back up plan. Gozo and Meizu had already been indisposed of and it only left him and Haku.

"Our strategy has changed a little...I'm sorry about this Zabuza, but you die here" Gato smirked.

"That so" Zabuza frowned behind his mask made of wrappings.

"Since hiring a regular shinobi cost a lot of money, I hired rogues like you. And, it would have been even more ideal to save my money and effort if ninja-to-ninja battles ended in each killing the other off. Well, you are certainly not worthy of being called the Demon of the Hidden Mist Village. If you were to ask me, you're just a cute little demon!" Gato and his men laughed.

"Kakashi...I apologize. Our fight ends here...as long as my reason to take down Tazuna is gone, there is no reason to fight you either" Zabuza glared over at Gato and his grip tighten on his sword. What a waste of time.

"Yeah...you're right" Kakashi nodded and was slightly relieved at the small truce and released him. Both shinobi now stood next to each other, eying Gato's group of men, waiting for them to make a move. Hearing his sensei agree with Zabuza, Naruto set into motion and ran to where Azu's body laid. Kakashi was quick to intercept him and held him in a tight hold.

Azu could faintly hear Naruto's crying out for her to get up. She didn't want Naruto to see her like this. She thought about teleporting away, but she didn't even have the strength to do that.

"Let me go Kakashi-sensei! She needs help!" Naruto yelled as tears formed in his eyes.

"That reminds me, where is that bitch you had with you? I have plans to put her in one of my brothels, her exotic look will definitely bring in revenue" Gato laughed and looked around.

"Don't ever call her that" Haku glared at him, holding seibon on needles in his right hand at the ready.

"Azu! Get up!" Naruto sobbed and continued to struggle in his teacher's grip, he desperately wanted to check on the woman he considered a mother, "Tell them it was a just a horrible prank! Get up!"

He refused to believe it, she couldn't be dead. Azu was the toughest person he knew. She had protected him countless times from mobs even if it meant getting hurt because of him.

"Hmm...guess whores do get what they deserve" Gato grinned.

"You bastard! Don't you talk about her like that or I'll kill you! She has a name! She was Azu —" Naruto snarled breaking free briefly from his teacher's hold but Kakashi's hand quickly shot out and grabbed the back of Naruto's jacket and pulled him back toward him. Kakashi's eyes flickered to the side just in time to see Azu's body disappeared.

"Damn it" Zabuza gasped as the tracking seal he placed on her broke. The only way for that to happen was for him to undo it or for her to died. Stupid woman he clenched his jaw, hand gripping his sword ear tighter to the point that his knuckles turned white.

"Naruto! Stop! Don't act so recklessly!" Kakashi said sternly holding his student back from running at Gato and his mob. He knew Naruto and Azu had been close, after all she had been taking care of him since she met him. He often saw her training Naruto or even having lunch with him occasionally and Naruto would often be at her home just lazing about with her or eating food she had made him.

"Say something Zabuza! She was your comrade, wasn't she? Are you just going to let him talk about her like that?" Naruto voice was raw as he continued to yell at the swordsman.

"Shut up, fool. Azu is already dead. What does it matter?" He hissed down at the blonde boy. He didn't care, if anything he should be glad that he wouldn't have to deal with her stupid habits. He wouldn't have to listen to her complaining anymore about staying at an inn. Or eat those strange dishes she cooked. He wouldn't have to worry about her clinging on to him in the winter for warmth. He wouldn't have to hear her stupid perverse jokes that she had a habit of making at the worst of times. Or deal with her silent treatments and attitude.

"What...? Don't you feel anything watching him say that? You three were traveling together for years! Doesn't that mean anything to you? You're telling me not once did you grow close to her?"

He found it annoying that the boy's words were stirring something in him. Azu was just another tool. A lazy tool that grumbled too much when they trained and had a quirk to always be snacking on something or falling asleep when he tried to explain a certain style of fighting.

"As Gato used me...I was simple using her. I thought I told you, we shinobi are merely tools. I'm upset at losing her abilities, yes, but the woman? I have no regrets"

"If that's true then you're worst than them!" Naruto snarled at Zabuza. Kakashi placed a hand on his student and tugged him back once more.

"Naruto enough! He's not the enemy...for now" Kakashi added as an after thought and glanced over at Zabuza cautiously. Naruto shrugged off his sensei's hand and continued to glare at Zabuza.

"As far as I'm concerned he's still the number one enemy here! Why you...ungrateful bastard! After everything she did! Sure she didn't like you either but she was happy, happy that you made her stronger. She was happy to be traveling with you and Haku because she got to see the world! Will I become cold hearted like you if I continue to get stronger? She threw her life away for the both of you, she cared for you and this is how you repay her? You don't even defend her name! Throwing her away like she's trash!"

Trash? Zabuza wouldn't even have bother with her if he thought of her as trash. Despite her flaws, Azu had redeeming qualities. She was loyal if you earned her trust. She was optimistic even if she was angry. Responsible despite always goofing around eighty percent of the time. He liked her cooking despite the food being unusual. She was strong and kind…

"Shut up kid!" Zabuza snarled at Naruto as tears fell freely from his eyes he hated that the boys words stirred something in him. He didn't want to admit it. Azu was easy going and had the ability to laugh at herself when she messed up. The way she made sure to cut their hair when it got too long or remembered their birthdays and surprise them with a small gift. He would miss the way she danced without a care in the world even when he told her to stop because it was bringing too much attention to them.

"Your words cut deep boy...deeper than any blade ever could. Azu was too emotional and unpredictable and damn her for making me feel like this!" he roared sprinting into the large group with Haku by his side. Zabuza and Haku cut threw the mass of Gato's men. The men never stood a chance at the Demon of the Mist sliced through more than half of them in less than a minute. Haku speed through his ice mirrors, no hesitation, throwing well aimed kunais and seibon needles killing them instantly. Kakashi watch the two in slight fascination, this wasn't even a fight. It was a massacre. Their teamwork was flawless and if Azu had been part of their team and he knew they were unstoppable. He should have stop them when Gato's men began to retreat when Zabuza sliced thru Gato. But he didn't, Kakashi let them do it...for Azu. She deserved to be avenged, if it wasn't for Gato's greed Wave County would be blooming by now and they wouldn't have needed to do this mission and Azu would still be alive.

This wasn't supposed to happen, she wasn't suppose to die this young. Azucena had a goal. She was supposed to finish getting her business degree and open up her own hair salon business. She was supposed to be getting ready to go with to visit her family or even a party, work or something! Yet here she was on the cold ground bleed out to her death. She wanted to see her family one last time and tell them she loved them and that she was sorry for not being able make them proud. That she was sorry she didn't get to say goodbye.

She couldn't hear Naruto's shouting and crying anymore, it was replaced by a piercing scream that didn't sound like anyone on her team. It sounded higher in pitch, more feminine but older. She tried opening her eyes but could only make out black blobs clouding her vision, growing larger until all she saw was darkness.

Bit different than my normal writing but I think it came out okay...?

IF ANYONE KNOWS ANY BETA-READERS LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY GRAMMAR! I'M TRYING TO PROOF READ BUT I SUCK AT IT OKAY! LMAO XD