In the morning they left Naruto asleep at the house. With Sasuke at her side, Sakura on the other side of Kakashi who was beside Tazuna, they walk towards the bridge. Tazuna gasps at the scene before them as Sakura catches herself from running toward the men. The workers were incapacitated and still laying where they had been previously working. Tala moves her right hand up to the hilt of her tanto, ready to pull it when necessary. As she looks around, she glances briefly at Kakashi to see if he was thinking the same thing that had crossed her mind. It was then mist begins to roll in causing her eyes to narrow. "Sasuke, Sakura, Tala. Get ready!" Kakashi calls out to them as the four of them automatically move around Tazuna to protect him.
"Kakashi Sensei it's Zabuza isn't it?" Sakura asks as both she and Sasuke reach for a kunai. "This is his hidden mist jutsu." Sakura points out as she holds her kunai up at the ready. "Sorry I kept you waiting Kakashi. I see you've still got those brats with you. That one's still trembling... Pitiful." Sasuke makes a small sound of surprise as Zabuza's water clones surround them. Tala pulls her tanto now holding it at the ready as she glares into Zabuza's eyes.
"I'm trembling with... Excitement." Sasuke's words fill the air causing Zabuza's eyes to widen as the boy smirks. Tala couldn't help the glance she sends Sasuke's direction with his words. She could see it when she decided to train him that night. His blood lust. His desire to harm, maim, or kill. Yet hearing it in his voice now threatened to cause her to frown. "Go on Sasuke, show him how much you've grown." Kakashi says just before Sasuke takes down all of the water clones before any of them could blink.
"Ooo, so you could see they were water clones huh? The brat's improving." Zabuza snips as the two of them step into view through the mist. "Looks like you've got another rival Haku." Zabuza practically growls out with his irritation. "So it seems." Haku speaks as his mask moves to signify he was looking toward Tala. "You've become stronger since your last fight with Zabuza."
Tala just shrugs in response. She honestly couldn't tell if she's gotten any stronger. Yet, after everything, she's done the last few days she couldn't help but hope she's made a difference in her ability. "Well Haku, I know you are probably itching to fight her. Why don't I let you two fight it out." Zabuza chuckles watching the girl he had faced against last time. "Thank you, Zabuza." Haku speaks up rather quietly to Zabuza as Tala moves ahead of the others calmly.
Her tanto gripped firmly in her hand as her dark eyes watch the boy before her. "Still hiding behind that mask? Who does he think he's fooling?" Kakashi utters out sternly, his voice practically dripping with his disdain for the two in front of them. Tala raises her tanto and readies herself for the fight. "Speak for yourself, Sensei." Sakura practically snickers at her own words. These last few days Tala's warring emotions have been pulling at her. Wanting her to go down two separate paths.
Honor Shisui and Itachi's wills by protecting the leaf and continuing with her dream of ending all pain and war. Or to seek out revenge and put an end to Danzo, effectively casting aside the village both of her brothers loved... and love dearly. Even then, she is finding that she harbors no ill will for the boy in front of her. She can't seem to find it in herself to even want to harm him in this fight. They are both simply trying to complete their own missions that so happen to be intersecting. She knows this. Tala has known this since the last altercation with Zabuza. With Kakashi having pushed himself so far with his Sharingan and the damage she had sustained he could have easily taken down their team. Instead, he took Zabuza and left without even hinting at a fight.
"That's it I'm taking him out, who does he think he's fooling hiding behind that mask, like some sort of clown." Sasuke speaks as if he wasn't basically just reiterating what Kakashi himself had said. He goes to move next to Tala only to have Kakashi hold his arm out and stop him. "Sasuke! You're so cool!" Sakura cheers dreamily at the male Uchiha causing a bead of sweat to linger at Kakashi's brow. Haku begins spinning toward Tala at enough of a speed he looked like a miniature tornado. Sasuke watches as she simply just raises her tanto without even so much as igniting her Sharingan to aid her in the fight. "What's this?" Sasuke questions just as Tala suddenly catches Haku's needles with the blade of her sword. Tala slowly pushes Haku's arm back. When he pulls his hand away he tries again to strike causing her to deflect it.
"You are quite strong." Haku mutters in realization as he attempts to attack her again pushing her to deflect his needles. Tala's mask wrinkles as she frowns. Her eyes never waver from Haku's mask. "You are too, but I can tell. You are only testing me. You yourself are holding back because you do not truly wish to do this." Tala informs him quietly enough so no one but Haku could hear her.
"We are alike." Haku realizes just as quietly watching as Tala very nearly nods. The sounds of metal scraping on metal as they continue to push back and forth with their weapons, seemingly neither one of them willing to back off even for a moment. "Sakura, Sasuke cover Tazuna and stay close to me. Let Tala handle this." Kakashi says causing Sasuke to growl as he is forced to watch. Haku pulls back and tries to strike her only to have his needles deflected again. Haku watches silently as the girl's eyes move around them erratically seeing water in the air he had begun to build up.
This girl. Haku thinks just before he raises his hand to form a one-handed sign. Tala moves chakra into her feet and leaps at the last moment avoiding the water needles from Haku's jutsu. However, Haku's eyes widen as he looks up at her. Her tanto begins to glow a light orange the moment she is upside down watching him. A single ball of fire moves from her blade with a short swing of her sword. The force of her chakra expelling the compressed ball of fire helps her to flip away from Haku just as it crashes into the ground. The explosion that sends Haku skidding backward only causes a rather small crater in the stone slabs. It wasn't enough to truly injure him. As he could tell it was her warning. Like him, she does not wish to fight him but if he continues she will have no choice but to do so.
Tala lands on her feet, just before she lunges forward towards a still recovering Haku. With a spin on her toes the moment she reaches him. As if Tala herself had felt she needed to further solidify her point for him, she slams a foot against Haku's chest sending him bouncing against the bridge. Rolling until he finally lands next to Zabuza. Sasuke comes up next to Tala raising his kunai from having slipped past Kakashi. He had decided last night. Even if he disgusts her right now, he will prove to her that she misread his heart. He will show her that being an avenger doesn't mean he is heartless. "You made a big mistake insulting these ninja calling them brats. That's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude. Together, he and Tala make up the best young fighters of the hidden leaf village." Kakashi speaks up proudly to Zabuza. "Sakura here is our sharpest mind." Sakura giggles sticking her tongue out. "And last but not least, our number one Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja is Naruto Uzumaki."
Zabuza's chuckling draws the eyes of all three genin. "Haku, if we keep going on like this we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it!" He snaps out in a growl. "Right." Haku sighs standing up with his head bowed. His blue chakra leaks from him visibly. "What's that?" Sasuke asks slipping into his fighting stance.
"I'm sorry it has come to this." Haku says as he looks from Tala to Sasuke. "The air, it's so cold." Sasuke utters out as they see Haku raise his hands in a seal. Tala's eyes visibly move around the area before an Ice mirror forms behind her. She then stands straight watching as a dome of ice forms around them as Sasuke gives a grunt of confusion next to her. "What's happening?" The mirrors begin to glow and Haku walks up to one. Sliding into it before the image of him appears in all of the mirrors. "How.."
Seeing what is happening Kakashi makes a run to help his students before Zabuza appears before him cutting off his route. "If you enter this fight, you fight me. Those kids of yours stand no chance against that Jutsu, they're finished." Tala! Kakashi's breath catches watching the dome begin to glow. "Now we'll begin." Haku says from all around them. "And I'll show you both what speed, really means." Sasuke watches the Hakus as he clicks his tongue.
"Tala." He calls out to her and she nods understanding full well what he had meant. She closes her eyes a moment as she works the special unique chakra into her eyes. When she opens them again her once onyx eyes are now a blazing red. Her eyes widen taking in the situation a second before she suddenly moves in front of Sasuke. Her Tanto firmly in her grip, she blocks the incoming needle that had been thrown in his direction. As a second one comes in, she blocks it as well, a smirk now on her features for the first time since she and Haku crossed blades. "Hn. You can see it." Sasuke mutters next to her after taking in her expression. She gives him a nod. "Yes." Even though he has thrown a couple of attacks. The trajectories of the needles would have only ended up tearing skin at my shoulder or ripping my shirt at my side. He's avoiding a solid attack.
Tala suddenly knocks Sasuke back away from her sending him skidding against the ground. Only realizing at this point she wasn't fast enough to save him and herself. Tala curls up and takes the barrage of attacks. Sasuke could hear her pained grunting sounds even as he sits up from where she had shoved him. Watching with wide eyes as her clothing and skin are sliced by the needles. By the end of it she was panting from the pain but somehow managed to stay on her feet. Standing Sasuke moves back to her side, his gaze moving over her form taking in the sight of needles sticking out of her. "I can see the jutsu, I can even break it down as well as know where the attacks are going. I can see it all. But, the time delay to inform you of the attacks will do little to no good. I can see that he is jumping mirrors so it's not clones throwing needles. I can see the true weakness of this jutsu is the outside but all of it does no good with us in here. He can see everything and can react before we can escape." Tala informs him quietly. She can already see that this battle would be practically pointless. Haku will just keep them there until they are too tired to fight.
He isn't in all of them at one time! He's just moving fast enough through them that I can't see! That would mean there is another weakness to this jutsu. Which would be... When he's jumping mirrors. Sasuke realizes silently watching Tala's eyes training back onto Haku. She knew there was no way she could continue to protect Sasuke and fight against Haku. But, she found herself willing to fight against the odds. Itachi left Sasuke alive that night simply because to him, his little brother was more precious to him than anything else. By protecting Sasuke even now that his heart is in darkness, it would mean she can uphold Itachi's will in this fight.
She watches from the corner of her eye as Sasuke looks from her then towards the dome then back again just before he takes off running for the edge of the mirrors. Silently hoping she would figure out what he is doing. She didn't need such blatant hints about his plan. Just as Tala already knew it was useless. She had even told him it would be. Either way, can't hurt to try. She thought and when Sasuke was officially not at her side anymore she draws a kunai with her free hand. Counting to ten to give him enough time to get out.
"Some warriors accept defeat gracefully when they know they have lost. Others do not. So be it." Turning Tala looks to Sasuke as Haku appears in front of him. Damn It! Sasuke silently yells as Tala throws her kunai at the mirror before him attempting to draw Haku's eyes to her. "I am your opponent." She informs their masked enemy with more than a hint of warning lacing her words.
Haku's eyes narrow upon Tala, watching as she once again moves for her teammate. This time her movement is far faster than it has been. Proving to him his previous assumption when they had faced off against each other. She's been holding back because, like him, she doesn't want to fight. As she grabs onto Sasuke she leaps out of the way of his next attack. When she lands, she lets go of her teammate. The longer this battle drags out, the less she will refrain from fighting. I need to get this over quickly. Even now her eyes are tracking my every move. Haku notes watching as he moves around the mirrors. Her eyes shift, following his every position. She is strong.
He moves through the mirrors throwing needles each time he changes mirrors. Watching as her eyes track and dodge. Sasuke grunts in pain as Haku manages to distract Tala long enough that she couldn't protect him. More. He tells himself as he throws more and more needles covering every optional path she could take. The sound of a second kunai blocking his needles reaches his ears. The one she had been protecting is now managing to block his weapons. "I almost seen it that time." He grunts causing Haku's eyes to narrow upon him. "Tala we have to get out!" He shouts getting a nod from her. "I already know this." She utters out nearly sighing at her teammate pointing out the obvious again. They separate from each other as Haku first attacks Tala since she is the fastest before stopping Sasuke.
Taking the time to pull the needles from their legs the two of them stand and glance at each other. Before being forced to jump and dodge the barrages of needles now being aimed at both of them. Tala noticed the difference in Sasuke's movements before he himself could. He wasn't only adjusting to the attack patterns. His eyes are beginning to see. Parting ways again they try to run out of the dome. Haku appears before Tala just long enough to send a near bone-crushing kick her way. She manages to block with her speed but from how long the fight has been going on her body was beginning to weaken. Haku kicks through her block sending her rolling against the ground as her tanto clatters on the stone of the bridge. Successfully drawing the gaze of Sasuke. Gasping as he sees her knocked back.
I can't let her continue drawing his attacks! He silently snaps at himself as he turns and rushes to her side. His eyes catching a mere glimpse of movement. He slides against the ground catching Tala's waist and pulling her with him just as a bundle of needles hit where she had landed. I saw it. For a split second but I saw it. He tells himself. "Thanks." Tala practically grumbles in a way Sasuke almost didn't hear her, a moment before he and Tala push from the ground simultaneously. Dodging the next barrage of needles. Sasuke's red gaze moves from Tala to glare towards Haku just as they both land.
Sakura throws a kunai at the ice mirrors and Haku slips halfway out of them to catch it. Sasuke grunts in shock even as his eyes remain trained on their opponent. Hearing a faint whistling sound. Tala fights to not look in the direction where it's coming from and watches as a shuriken catches Haku's mask from the side knocking him out of the mirrors. A loud explosion sounds before the popping of firecrackers fills the air causing Sasuke to click his tongue in annoyance as he looks in Naruto's direction. "Number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja..." Haku says as he stands. "Naruto Uzumaki is here! Yeah, believe it!" He finally drops the pose with a laugh. "Now that I'm here everything will be alright!" Tala simply averts her gaze away from her idiotic best friend to look around at the mirrors. Taking in the flow of chakra around them. Silently trying to form a plan. Sasuke grunts in question as his attention moves back to Tala.
Sasuke and Tala glance at one another before they nod and leap back away from each other. Both complete the same hand signs simultaneously. Haku knew they hadn't spoken a word to each other. It is their eyes that are telling each other what to do in time with the other. Exhaling their fire jutsu at the same time, Tala's already huge fireball swallows Sasuke's only making hers even larger. From his place in the Ice as he slips back into his dome, Haku could feel his mirrors cracking against the intense heat. That's it! He snaps in his mind. There is no other choice. She has to go. With that thought, Haku decides against drawing this fight out any longer.
He had originally planned to wear them down until they no longer had the will to fight. But if he kept this up with her in the battle. His ice would crumble from one more of her attacks. With the help of the fire blocking his movements, he throws three needles as the flames begin to die down. He watches as they pass through the flames. Her eyes widen as they catch sight of his weapons. She moves to dodge however, one catches her in her shoulder one at the back of her knee then one in the Achilles tendon in her ankle as she moves. The moment she drops to the ground he throws another three needles precisely aiming to hit their target alongside another barrage of needles to cover the ones he used with pinpoint targeting.
She had just managed to pull the needle from her leg and was grabbing at the one in her ankle when his needles strike true. She may be powerful and highly skillful for her age. But she is still naïve and inexperienced when it comes to actual combat. This much was certain to Haku the moment she let herself become distracted by the needles he had sent her way just to put her to the ground. She hadn't seen his next attack in time to evade it.
Tala hits the ground with a thump as her eyes close. Leaving her form paler and unmoving. Sasuke's eyes widen the moment he had seen her hit the ground. With chakra in his feet, he races to her side. "Tala!" His shout draws the attention of Kakashi, Sakura, Tazuna, and Zabuza. Naruto's eyes widen seeing what happened as he rushes into the ice dome to reach his best friend. Zabuza chuckles darkly. "That's one down, Kakashi." He speaks driving Kakashi's fears home. With a pain in his chest, he narrows his eyes at Zabuza. I have to finish this now!
"No more games, I need to stop this now!" Haku snaps looking at Sasuke knowing even though he took down the one who could destroy his mirrors. Sasuke had awakened his own Sharingan in the process. "This time you'll stay down!" Sasuke raises up with Tala's head on his lap. Throwing a kunai at the real image of him in the mirror as Naruto comes sliding in next to them. His bright blue eyes filled with tears. "Tala." He breathes painfully, picking up her limp arm already growing cold to his touch.
Cradling her hand between his own. Sasuke brushes his hand over her cheek before reaching over and carefully pulling the needles he could see from her, starting with the ones at her neck. "If only I was fast like you... Tala... I could have saved you." His voice cracks painfully as he fights back his emotions. "Is this your first time seeing a friend die in battle? This is what it means to be a ninja." Haku speaks more calmly than he had to begin with. Pain fills his voice as he watches the two boys.
"Tala." Naruto whimpers squeezing his eyes closed. He couldn't help but remember the day they had met. Her smile wrinkling her mask as she played on the swing next to his. Even how she had been the first person to ever hold out her hand and help him to his feet when he had failed in jumping from his swing. Her laughter and giggles. Her odd and confusing way of talking. Her gentle melodic voice every time she sang to him. Even when her eyes became full of pain and she wouldn't talk to him, she was still there, at his side.
Images flow through his mind of him sitting next to her on the edge of the playground as he slurped his cup noodles. How she would turn her back to him and he could hear her sucking down her own noodles. When the stupid cat Tora was scratching the crap out of him as the cat tried to get out of his grip. Tala had saved him by taking the evil cat from him when no one else would. In the academy when she wasn't shooting folded up notes to him as Iruka continued his long lectures. He was able to watch as she periodically sent glances his way as if to make sure he was still alright. When everyone in the class would laugh at him or call him names she was the only one to step in and even actually glare at them unhappily with how they were treating him, even though it meant they turned on her too. When he heard her name called for his team he couldn't help but be excited. She was right, and they were going to stay together. He was going to be able to spend more time with her without her running off to go home as much.
Sasuke, with each needle he pulls from her body, a memory of her passes through his gaze. When they first joined the academy, he was enthralled by her. She was graceful, smart, talented, and even quiet. He used to watch her every chance he had and he couldn't help the pit of jealousy that came with seeing her at the loser's side. An idiot was able to get her attention, and have her open up to him. Sit there and laugh at something Sasuke couldn't even fathom. When all she would do with him was set silently next to him in class. Ignoring him. He couldn't miss every quirk of her brow whenever something annoying happened in class or the smirks wrinkling her mask when Naruto would be loud and annoying.
Her habit of drawing when she was bored. Each time the bell rang when he would turn in order to try and talk to her only to find she had disappeared. The fact she is an Uchiha didn't necessarily surprise him. He always suspected it. He was finally on the same team as her, she was finally being given no other choice but to interact with him. He would be able to get to know her. Instead, she saw something in him in their training that pushed her away again. He wanted to prove himself to her. To show her that she read him wrong. But now…
"You bastard!" A sudden gust of wind blows Sasuke's hair around as Naruto glares up at Haku. Anger and pain taking him over. "I'm going to kill you!" His red chakra becomes so thick and condensed Sasuke could swear he could see it even with his Sharingan deactivated. Is this… really Naruto? Sasuke wonders wide-eyed as he watches his usually goofy teammate. His face morphing into something unrecognizable as his teeth enlarge jutting out his chin, his face wrinkling and almost... extending. A loud blood-chilling roar echoes around them as Haku's ice dome shatters. Pulling Sasuke out of his shock from Naruto's animalistic features as he closes his eyes to shield them from the sudden shards and holds himself over Tala. As if there was anything he could do to protect her now. The ice melts faster than it could impact against him causing it to feel more like ice-cold rain against his exposed skin.