Chapter 8: Crimson awakening.

Dark eyes glared at the white head lazily eating breakfast on the opposite side of the table. They'd tried to corner their teacher to kindly ask about how the hell was he in possession of a sharingan (and no, I just happened to have it transplanted it was not a satisfying answer), but the man was far sneakier than his looks lead to believe. He couldn't keep avoiding them once they began their trek back to the village though, they would get their answers if they had to refuse to move for the man to finally talk.

A slight touch on his wrist sent a soothing feeling through him. A reminder that this was not the time to get distracted, according to both Kagome and Kakashi-sensei's calculations Momochi Zabuza would've either fully recovered or was getting close to by now. Slowly, he let out a calming breath and Kagome's grip slackened.

"Oh, is Naruto-kun not awake yet?" Tsunami asked after placing the last plate on an empty seat.

"Hmph, the idiot overworked himself."

During the past week, it seemed more people had given up on completing the bridge. The blond would often grumble about it before falling asleep in their shared room, as if his low opinion on civilians needed to get any more validation. Still, Naruto was convinced the bridge would magically bring everyone to their senses and had decided to show off by going overboard with the number of clones he'd used. The fact that yet another person decided to quit the day before probably played an important part as well. It was a small miracle they hadn't been forced to carry the idiot back to the house.

"He was really tired last night, so we figured it would be better to let him oversleep." Kagome smiled at the older woman.

"Maa, I'm back at full strength, so there's no need to worry about Tazuna-san lacking protection," Kakashi-sensei added, his plate empty despite none of them ever catching him lowering his mask. "Though we can't put out the same amount of help with the construction itself."

Wich was true, the two of them had discovered early on in their friendship with the prankster that no matter how much training they had, Naruto would always beat them in stamina. When it translated into an excess of chakra, the Uchiha couldn't say either of them were all that surprised. Being able to support over 30 clones for hours on end wasn't exactly something anyone could just wave away. The usual 'he's got a big chakra reserve' explanation just didn't cut it. If any of them tried to imitate their teammate they'd probably collapse by noon. And he had a feeling even their jounin teacher would have trouble keeping up with the blond.

"Ah, no worries, no worries. We're far ahead of schedule as is," Tazuna laughed.

How far behind would the old man be if not for Naruto though? Without the blonde menace, this whole thing could easily take twice as long, even if he and Kagome were to slave away with the construction. As it was, he wasn't sure he could make it through the predicted four more days without throwing the annoying brat out of a window. For some reason, Sasuke was fairly certain killing the grandson of their client was bound to create more annoyances.

Great, now he owed the moron one.

Pushing back the empty plate the teen stood up. The sooner they got to the construction site, the faster they could finish the mission.

It was irritating, how fast the group fell into a new formation. The two genins had fallen two steps behind on their client's sides while their sensei took care of the front. The never-ending taijutsu and formation training did have a point after all.

Easily keeping up the boy tuned out the inane conversation about the sorry excuse of a city. Thanks to the blond's constant talk and grumbled complaints Kagome had ended up becoming more invested in the whole thing. For the last couple of days, the girl had gone as far as insisting on engaging with the family in constant conversation during dinner. He didn't really care for the topic so instead, the Uchiha focused on the sound of her voice, light and bright with curiosity. It wasn't often that he got to hear her like that nowadays.

So he heard it immediately, the slight shift in her voice, anxiousness hidden beneath lighthearted words.

Onyx eyes narrowed as he scanned the street. Sure, Kagome was more invested in this mission, but not nearly enough for her to get anxious when discussing the future of the town. She was getting a bad feeling.

The familiar metallic smell of blood hit him as they turned the street.

A shuddering breath got stuck in his throat, images threatening to overlap in his suddenly panicked mind. There, thrown carelessly on the construction site, were corpses.

No, he didn't know these people, he reminded himself while his hand flew to his hidden kunai pouch. The blood was the same shade of crimson, but only a few of these bodies had dark black hair, the clothing they wore was nothing like what the Uchiha commonly wore.

They were in Wave, not Konoha. Not the Uchiha District.

"What is this..."

"Don't take a step away from us Tazuna-san," Kagome snapped, words sharp as her arm stopped the old man from moving towards the corpses.

Only Kakashi-sensei moved to the center of the street, passing over puddles of blood like they weren't there. Briefly, he kneeled near to each body, looking for a pulse probably.

"It seems we were right." Kakashi-sensei moved back towards them. "Surround Tazuna."

As if waiting for those words to be said, fog began to creep into the construction site. Sasuke almost scoffed, there was no doubt about who was the one behind this dramatic entrance.

"Kakashi-sensei is this..." Tazuna was almost shivering as they got in position. "the man we met before, the one with the mist technique."

"Been a while, Kakashi." Zabuza's taunting voice came out of the fog. "and I see you've got those brats tagging along just like last time. Would you look at that, they're still trembling."

He could see it this time, the movement of the clones rushing to surround them. So he was underestimating them, fine, the man would just regret it later.

"If I'm shaking it's with excitement for a rematch."

"Go ahead, Sasuke." That was all the Uchiha needed to act.

He'd give it to their teacher, as annoying as his lessons were, they worked. He smirked as the feeling of water being slashed followed his every movement. There wasn't even a slight delay as he rushed through the circle of water clones, this time the gap wouldn't be nearly as unsurpassable. Satisfaction coursed through him as he landed back in his original place.

All in a matter of a couple of seconds.

"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 fog parted for a second to reveal the same young hunter nin that had taken Zabuza's body away a week ago. Once again, Kagome's predictions came true.

This was not a good position to be stuck in, Sasuke let his eyes scan the place while his teacher gained time with useless conversation. Fog was covering their way back and the only thing in front was the almost finished bridge and their enemies. They were essentially caged in.

"Looks like I was right, our mysterious masked friend is playing on Zabuza's team," Kakashi-sensei stated plainly, not a hint of emotion in his words.

"That was quite a show you put on before but we're on to you now…and I hate half-assed actors." Sasuke forced out a smirk, he hated being made a fool.

"Impressive kid isn't he?" the fake hunter, Haku, spoke to the older missing-nin "Even if your water clones have only a tenth of the strength of the original, it's amazing he was able to do so well."

Zabuza scoffed, clearly not as impressed with the Uchiha's abilities as his underling. "But we're still on the offensive. Go!"

"Yes, sir."

Move, he had to move from here and fast. Sasuke could still see Haku's movements, the guy was certainly fast though. Not that it mattered, he could handle this speed. A rush forward, a single step back to gain balance and...a strong pull on his arm sent him back, fighting to regain his balance. Slender fingers tight around his wrist as the sound of metal against metal reverberated inside his skull.

"Sorry," Kagome said, her grip on him firm even as his other arm pushed against the fake hunter's senbon with one of her own. When had she managed to get to him? "but I'm a better match this time."

"Oh, so the little missy can do something other than attack from a distance?" Zabuza taunted.

"Kagome that's..."

His next words died on his throat, the fingers gripping his wrist vanishing in an instant as she moved to block an attempt to get around her.

"Senbons are, first and foremost, weapons of precision. Just a single cm off and the hit will no longer be fatal, there are few places he can aim. Meaning, I know exactly where he's going to target."

It was true, Kagome could not only locate all the important veins and arteries in the human body, but also any muscles and tendons needed for movement. Her accuracy was flawless, she was the better match. It did nothing to quiet his urge to flung her behind him though, he wanted to argue, scream at her to get back to where it was safer.

"Trust me."

He looked up, onyx locking in azure, a silent request to step back clear on her eyes.

"Sasuke! We have to cover Tazuna-san! Take that side and stay close!" Kakashi-sensei shouted at him. "Let Kagome handle Haku."

Control had always been something he prided himself over and yet it took all he had to obey his superior's order and get back to the edge of the bridge. While on a mission nothing took priority over the objective.

He cursed silently, of course the moron had to choose today of all days to oversleep. If only Naruto was here he could push protection duty to the blond and his never-ending army of clones.

"I don't wish to kill you but..." The fake hunter's voice could still be heard from his new position. "You probably won't leave quietly will you?"

"Sorry," Kagome answered, polite smile in place.

Dark eyes followed her form as she danced across the bridge. The metallic sound of blades clashing against one another for less than a second before Kagome was already jumping away was the only thing that broke the silence. He almost laughed as he realized Haku was trying to lock her in place.

"You're not bad, however, you won't be able to match my speed for long." A burst of speed had the masked nin towering over the girl, her slender weapons shaking from the strength being used to block. "And I've already laid the groundwork for two attacks."

The fake hunter's free hand moved, seals forming with more speed than Sasuke had thought possible. Tension ran through his veins as he forced his limbs not to move. Kagome wasn't panicking just yet, her eyes still calm as she observed the situation, she wasn't caged in.

Water rose, long and deadly spikes forming around the two fighters, not fast enough. Haku's form as he jumped backward was nothing more than a blur. Piercing only air, in the middle of the bridge, were a bunch of ice spears. So she'd seen plenty already.

The sharp sound of metal flying through the air was all the warning the masked nin had to avoid the precise senbons racing after him.

Kagome would never start a fight at full speed, nor in the offensive. Dancing around, learning her opponent's moves and patterns before finally beginning her attacks. For someone who tried to avoid violence, her fighting style certainly let her play with her prey quite a bit. He'd know, he'd helped her perfect it.

"Looks like I'm faster." Her words just as calm as Haku's "And now, I'm done observing you."

Satisfaction washed over him at the sight of the formerly conceited teen barely dodging Kagome's blade. What used to be an even chase was transformed into a game of cat and mouse as the girl finally moved to the offensive. Projectiles and hits effectively pushing back the fake hunter. At last, a well-timed kick connected with Haku's abdomen, it wouldn't do much harm, the real danger came from the flying senbons sent right after. It was slight, but for the first time, the fake hunter hadn't quite managed to block it all, a trickle of blood slipping from his raised arm. Sasuke would acknowledge the teen, most wouldn't have been able to block even half of her attacks.

The surprise on Zabuza's face at the realization of whose side had the advantage was one of the best things he'd seen during this whole mission.

"You had that coming for underestimating my team…and for the name-calling" Kakashi-sensei added as an afterthought. "She may not look like much but Kagome-chan is the top kunoichi of her class, Sasuke here is Konoha's number one rookie and last but not least… let's not forget our number one hyperactive ninja."

"Hehehe."Zabuza's laugh held little amusement as he spoke. "Haku, do you understand if this goes on you could end up dying at the very hands of the person you tried to spare."

"Yes, I do."

With a long jump backward and a few projectiles of his own the fake hunter gained some distance, hands moving in an instant to avoid giving Kagome a chance to close in. Water rose from the ground, quickly surrounding the girl and solidifying in the shape of...mirrors?

Not good, this was most certainly not good. A shiver ran through her spine as her instincts screamed at her to get out of the ice cage (right, because she couldn't figure out that being trapped in the weird dome her opponent created for herself was a bad idea. Real useful info, really).

If the lack of her own reflection on the pristine material wasn't enough of an indication that there was something more to these mirrors, then watching Haku walk into one and be immediately reflected in every one of them would've done the trick.

A quick glance behind her showed Kakashi-sensei breaking formation and trying to reach her only to be blocked by Zabuza.

"Let's not forget that I'm your enemy," the missing-nin said. "Our children can play together while my boy kills your girl."

Okay, she was on her own then. A swift move of her wrist had a kunai gripped between her fingers to accompany the three senbons on her right hand. Whatever it was Haku was planning these mirrors were clearly the key.

"Now that's all in place…let me show you some real speed!"

Move!

Warm liquid dripped down her hastily raised arms. Not simultaneous. Her legs refused to move. Stinging pain was traveling all over her body. Her throat was scratchy. She could hear herself scream. Hair covered her vision as it spilled from her braid. Reiki rose in an automatic response.

"Kagome!"

Oh, they actually shouted at the same time, Kagome noted vaguely as she forced her reiki to subside replacing it with regular chakra.

"Any sudden moves and you can say goodbye to those two."

She couldn't see him, Haku was even less than a blur, these weren't projectile attacks though. Forcibly the girl got her breathing back under control, chakra covering only what was essential.

Her modified clothes offered little protection, and she was going to lose blood at a faster rate than was ideal. Without chakra she'd be finished though. The increasing cuts were a necessary sacrifice.

Pain threatened to overwhelm her. This was going on for too long, she had to stop it before she lost what little composure she had.

Breath got caught on her throat, her knees buckling under her as the constant barrage of cuts finally stopped. The sound of metal deflecting metal sounded somewhat far away.

Focus, get back to the fight.

Pushing back the pain she looked up, her slightly hazy gaze landing on Sasuke, furious and taut as his hand moved to let another set of shuriken fly. Pity they weren't going to hit, not with Haku holding a weapon of his own halfway out of a mirror. Kagome willed herself to stand up again, she had little time to lose.

The sound of the clay mask was almost deafening, almost as shocking as the sight of the teen falling out of the ice, the strength of the hit sending him out of the mirror cage around her.

Heh, he never changes…just charging in without a plan.

"Uzumaki Naruto is finally here!" the boisterous blond screamed from the other side of the jutsu, worry clearly written in his eyes.

"You know how it goes, when things are really bleak…"

"Naruto." Good, her voice wasn't wavering. "Thank you, but please don't intervene."

"Wha! But Kagome-chan…"

It probably wasn't fair, to dismiss him like that when he genuinely wanted to help. Naruto-kun was the slowest out of the three of them though, the most impatient as well. And she had the sinking feeling if she wanted to get out of this one she'd have to play the long game.

"Don't! Just get to Tazuna-san." Kagome ordered, willing her knees to stop trembling and get up.

The attacks were not simultaneous. Not clones then, just an insane level of speed. A speed he didn't have before creating the ice cage, one that happened to be made of almost perfect mirrors. Not coming from the same direction either, the blood slowly dripping from her sides and the back of her legs was enough proof. Ordinary senbons would break the moment they touched the floor at such high speeds, shrapnel was sure to occur but there was no evidence of that. Was he jumping between the mirrors then? Regardless she'd die from blood loss if she allowed herself to get attacked like this again. The mirrors had to go.

Her eyes would be useless, timing when to focus chakra to cover her vitals would all depend on her intuition. Not impossible but incredibly risky.

"But..."Naruto started.

"I'll be fine," she snapped "You'll slow me down."

It was harsh, but he had to understand him jumping inside the cage was going to help no one. Even with her speed, she'd been unable to avoid the attacks, attempting to time when to pull up her defenses was going to be hell and Kagome held no delusions of being able to block every attack. Naruto was a good ninja, a great one, but all his extra stamina wouldn't save him from bleeding to death. He'd only give Haku another target.

"Oh, your girl sure has some spirit for someone barely able to stand." Zabuza's voice reached them, they weren't as far away as the girl had thought.

"Maa, she's never been one to misjudge a situation though."It couldn't have been clearer had he spelled it, Kakashi-sensei was giving her the say on this. She took a deep breath.

Azure eyes traveled to the slowly rising figure of her opponent. She had no idea if Haku being outside of the mirrors made any sort of difference and the chances of the ice being any kind of fragile were low but sill...

Forcing her muscles to move sent a jolt of pain through her arm, she ignored it. Three senbons were sent to the ice, not an instant had passed before her hands moved through a familiar string of seals.

"Katon!"

Warmth filled the cage for a second as bright flames licked the silver surface of one of the mirrors to no avail. The cold surface remained unchanged.

"Did you really think that weak flame would be capable of melting my ice mirrors." Haku walked back into the cage, his pace irritatingly calm while he entered the ice again.

"Not really," she huffed. "This thing wouldn't be too useful if I could get rid of it so easily now, would it?"

Which meant the ice wasn't just conjured as her fire had been, there had to be chakra keeping the thing intact. The girl couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of energy this cost, no matter how talented her opponent was this had to be tiring him.

Outlasting him would be hard though, if Haku was as experienced as she believed him to be then he knew exactly how long he could keep this up. He'd sped up the frequency of his attacks before she could gain the upper hand. Her movements would become sloppier with every new cut, playing on the defensive meant he'd eventually get a hit. Her intuition, however, was telling her she wasn't quite as restricted.

"Let's continue..."

"Sorry!"Naruto's voice cut her train of thoughts "But I really can't just stand by!"

Smoke blinded her in an instant, the cage...no, not just the cage. The whole bridge was covered in thick smoke, she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her. Did Naruto use his whole supply of smoke bombs?

Damn it.

She could barely protect herself here.

Haku was likely to recover from faster than her as well. The teen had spent his life in a country famous for its constant mist. Attacking with poor visibility couldn't be a new thing for him. It was fine, everything was alright, she wasn't planning on relying on her eyes in the first place.

Closing her eyes, the girl waited to feel the pain of new cuts being painted in her skin only to hear the low thud of someone being hit.

"Don't touch her."

Plans immediately forgotten, she opened her eyes. The smoke inside the cage lifting to show the familiar silhouette of Sasuke, his back to her and his left leg still raised from the kick that had managed to connect against Haku.

Relief welled up inside her before the realization sunk in, if he was here then...

"Sasuke..."

"Naruto and his clones can cover Tazuna." He cut her off.

"So you used the smoke bombs to make the switch." the teen added as he hurried inside the mirrors once more.

Azure eyes strained to see the other edge of the bridge, she'd been so focused on her opponent she failed to notice anything else. Not good, lack of spatial awareness could get a shinobi killed.

"Telling you to go back would be..."

"Useless." Sasuke took a step towards her as she turned, she could feel him press slightly against her own back.

"I figured as much." Kagome slid her free hand to his arm, even if the movements were seen the meaning behind them would still be secret. "Don't other wasting chakra with the mirrors."

"So we just need to catch him then."

"Nothing has changed just because another person is in here, I can't be caught."

"So you keep saying." Sasuke moved, his hand gripping on to one of their weapon scrolls.

Warm blood trickled down the new cuts blooming on her skin the moment Sasuke's barrage of weapons was launched. At her back she could hear his pained grunts. Haku was attacking again...slower this time, just by a breath. Was it because of the blades flying around or was the jutsu beginning to demand its price?

"The technique I'm using is part of the art of teleportation and the only tool I need to perform it's the mirrors that hold my image. I move so quickly the pair of you might as well be standing still, you can't hit me." The teen was once more safely hidden inside the mirrors.

Teleportation.

Understanding washed over her, a bit of weight lifting from her shoulders. Her theory about the mirrors seemed to be accurate, and if it was then...they could win this.

""I never imagined that anyone could master such a technique at so young an age." Kakashi's voice reached through the fog, so the man was trying to pass them some information.

"Such a technique?" Naruto repeated in confusion.

"That ice, is a kekkei genkai"

A rogue shinobi possessing a powerful bloodline, there weren't that many scenarios that lead to someone like him acting on his own as opposed to being supported by a clan. Kagome would know.

"I see. You're fighting using your blood." Warmth flowed through her hand, enveloping the single senbon held between her fingers. "If that's the case then I won't be holding back either, I'm sorry but… I can't let myself be killed here!"

The crack echoed loudly throughout the bridge, a grim smile pulled her lips upwards. As much as others liked to call her control over her own bloodline prodigious, not once had Kagome allowed herself to agree. After all, had she really mastered her use of reiki that mirror would've shattered on contact. She'd gladly take the crack that marred the once flawless surface of course.

Even if they couldn't catch Haku she could still damage the ice, breaking the mirrors was far from being the impossible task it felt at the beginning. Whether destroying one was enough or getting rid of all was necessary she could probably handle it. At the very least with her going after them Haku would be forced to move around more, giving Sasuke more chances to intercept him.

"How?" For the first time, Haku's voice held some genuine feeling.

"As long as you depend on chakra I'll always be able to break through your techniques," Kagome answered, it was only fair to give up this little bit of information. "You're not the only one with unique blood running through your veins."

"A kekkei genkai." Those three words were laced with venom.

"She still has mysteries to uncover about her own bloodline but to be fair, the Higurashis were always secretive about it. Even after observing them myself, I'm not entirely certain how it works." Idly, Kagome wondered if their teacher was trying to unsettle her opponent or to just make things harder for them, she wouldn't put it past him. "The degree of control she's achieved despite it all, well, not many could claim her mastery."

"I see..." Even with the mask, the girl could feel the change in Haku's attitude. "Truth to be told, I find it difficult to embrace the full shinobi philosophy, I can't help but prefer the two of you don't force me to kill you...

"But you won't back down, that much I can see, if so then I'll kill my own heart. Please, try not to resent me but...for the sake of the one I love the most...then no matter what I have to sacrifice I will do so gladly. I'll use this cursed blood to become a true shinobi and kill you both."

Oh, so that was it, the odd niggling feeling at the back of her mind. The connection with the kind teen that offered her medicinal herbs last morning.

"Cursed blood, huh?" Kagome said, closing her eyes, her calm remaining as the pain from the needles came back, she could feel Sasuke behind her. "Yeah, I guess we are cursed, all of us."

The sound of metal against metal reached her ears. Warmth filled the small cage in short bursts as her hands kept sending senbons out. She couldn't catch Haku, she couldn't even see him, it was okay though, she didn't need to. The ice mirrors were easier to hit. And with him focused on protecting those Sasuke could begin to move as well.

They were no longer on the defensive.

Still, she failed to hear the telling crack of her weapon connecting with the ice. She could also feel the slow increase of her injuries. Dizziness would start to affect her soon enough, she'd lost too much blood in that first attack, she had to slow him down.

They could still win the long game, with the right moves they could knock Haku out...

For his sake, however, she'd take no risks.

"Sorry, but I told before..." Decision made Kagome opened her eyes, azure orbs locking onto the form of her enemy "for the sake of those I love I don't care if I end up hurting others."

The teen's hand froze for a second, looking straight ahead. She was looking at the real one.

"Since when?"

"The very beginning, no civilian moves like that." she was bluffing a bit but she needed to gain his attention.

"It seems this is no longer needed anymore then." Cold determination covered the kindness from her memories as the mask came off.

Taking her chance Kagome moved slowly, pressing her back against Sasuke as if to take refuge. Her fingers locked around his arm in quick succession. They had a chance, Haku would give them one. She'd been right after all.

Haku was the kind one.

His grip tightened around the hilt of the new kunai in his hand. Only the knowledge of the price him moving from his position would have, kept him still. Reacting right now would be nothing but a distraction and distractions would get them both killed.

The mist nin was on the attack again, pain accompanying the blur of his enemy's movements. Not constant though, not anymore.

With Kagome's reiki charged senbons flying towards those fucking mirrors the mist nin now had to fly to protect them. He could see the singed edge of his clothing, proof that his attacks were getting closer and closer with every repetition. Playing for the long run would work, it would work and yet...

No.

Not now.

He had to keep his head on the fight or risk wasting all their efforts until now. Fingers moved in familiar patterns as a wave of heat combusted towards his left. He could almost see the fake hunter, almost.

Left.

Right.

Above.

Right.

With no predictable pattern or indications as to her targets, the girl had their enemy scrambling to block her. He didn't need it, there were no patterns but there was a slight preference. One you'd need to observe for years before finding the linking thread. One he knew to perfection.

Flames followed her senbons with barely any delay, trying to consume the teen jumping between mirrors.

They could win this in the long run.

He knew they could.

Kagome moved to his left. One step too far, he couldn't reach her there on time. And Sasuke could see him, he could actually see him as the bastard jumped from one mirror to another, bloodied senbon ripping through the one person he had left. The world slowed down before his eyes as Kagome struggled to keep up with the assaults.

Not yet.

He couldn't move yet.

She stumbled, one knee touching the ground.

His legs moved, muscles straining to match the speed he needed. He pushed through. Satisfaction drowning him as his heel violently threw the fake hunter onto the hard mirror and the Uchiha smiled. He could see him.

His sharingan had awoken.

Bloodied fingers grasped his clenched hand. Azure eyes locking onto his own. Surprise flickered in her gaze for just an instant, before being replaced with the same warning her grip on his hand had.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me." Kagome stumbled a bit but managed to stand up quickly enough, a bitter smile in her face. "It will take more than this to keep me down."

Crimson covered her body in nearly every direction, the expensive clothes were ragged and tattered, and he could see her chest heaving with difficulty as she breathed. His hand moved to grasp hers, fingers tightening around her slender digits. The disgustingly familiar feeling of powerlessness closing in around him. No, this time it would be different, this time he'd be strong enough.

"I see, so you too share the legacy of a kekkei genkai," Haku said, his body halfway through the mirror. "I can no longer allow this fight to go on."

Pain erupted from his arms again.

As expected, going against two kekkei genkai had pushed the fake hunter to go for stronger attacks, they could still hold on...

It was soft, almost enough to miss, but he felt the brief signal as Kagome's hand briefly touched his arm. Dozens of needles filled the ice cage, with time slowed down as it was he could see the thin wire attached to only a few of the randomly charged senbons. There were too many for Haku to handle.

Flames erupted to life, clinging to the almost invisible threads making a fiery web inside the ice dome.

It was much easier to follow his enemy's movements as he focused on cutting the wire he failed to catch. At last, his own blades managed to tear through the teen's defenses, it wasn't much but the other boy was bleeding heavily now. A quick look revealed the real damage though, at least half of the mirrors sported new cracks.

Anger burned through him as Haku changed targets, Kagome had been labeled the worst threat.

He wanted to scream, to shout at the girl. This was reckless, unnecessary. Wanted to shake her until she agreed to change her mind and abandon this stupid plan.

He wouldn't do it, couldn't even.

Twelve years of living together taught him there was no way to change Kagome's mind once it was made up. Trying to argue with her now would accomplish nothing. She'd do it anyway.

He moved again, his wrist complaining over the force needed to deflect whatever weapon was thrown at him, no, at her back. Being able to see, however, didn't translate into being able to match the bastard's speed. The blood loss would also start slowing him down soon enough.

A pained grunt sounded behind him.

No.

Don't move.

Not yet.

He heard the dull thud of her hitting the ground, saw the fucking rogue ninja jump in and out of the mirror to his right.

Not yet.

Crimson eyes followed the clear form of his enemy passing by his side.

It had been nothing but a children's game. Their little secret code, simplistic and naive. Never bothering to add new phrases the thing was mostly useless. Kagome was fond of it still. Persisting on using it at random times, forcing him to translate the childish messages to whatever situation they were in. It was never hard to do so, certainly not now.

For just a second the weight in his limbs vanished, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Gaining a way to attack had forced the fake hunter to use more of his chakra as they pushed him to be on the defensive. With his sharingan awakening, playing with them was no longer an option. Haku would have to speed things up, and between their two bloodlines, well their last attack made it clear which was the most problematic.

Sasuke turned, he could see him.

See Haku rushing at the one girl who meant the world to him. He could see her slumped on the ground, bright crimson pooling around her.

I'll take the blame.

Her plan wasn't hard to decipher, not at all.

I'll take the blame.

Back then she'd used that sign often enough, with his parents dealing softer punishments towards her. This wasn't a punishment though.

I'll take the blame.

I'll be the decoy.

Fire wouldn't work, it could harm her as well. Slick crimson-stained fingers tightened around the hilt of a kunai. No second chances. This time...this time he'd kill the one hurting her.

The blade entered the back of Haku's neck, his flesh offering little resistance. He pushed through, his free hand grasping the other boy's hair as he pulled, digging the kunai deeper. Anger fueling his tired muscles he plunged the weapon with as much strength as he could. There would be no one-final-attack.

"I'm sorry but...I told you...I'm not a kind person." Kagome's soft voice cooled his anger. Pushing the body of the fake hunter to the side, crimson eyes focused on the girl.

Half slumped on the floor from the hits she willingly took, she was covered in cuts. Some needles were still piercing her limbs, blood sluggishly flowing onto the ground. Her arm was trembling from the effort of supporting herself and yet her gaze remained unwaveringly trained on their enemy. Why was she...?

Loud cracks reverberated throughout the bridge, the ice mirrors surrounding them shattered in a bright explosion once the chakra sustaining them vanished. The space around them shone with translucent shards for just a second before they melted and showered them with freezing rain.

His attention snapped back at her after he heard a soft whimper.

"Kagome." He kneeled next to her, pain screaming at him as the adrenaline in his body receded.

"Don't worry, he didn't hit anything vital" she smiled "I can heal myself t once I recover a bit."

He sighed, no point in arguing with her, instead his hand wrapped around her slim waist. Ignoring her protests Sasuke stood up trying to carry as much of her weight as his own battered body allowed him.

A loud familiar cheer burst the small bubble of reality their fight seemed to have taken place into. Tension returned to his form, they may have taken the fake hunter out but they were in no condition to continue acting as bodyguards. He had no idea how their sensei was managing his own fight. A cynic part of him whispered there was no guarantee Zabuza was even the last of their problems.

OMAKE

Inari wasn't sulking, he was just...contemplating. Yes, that's it, he was contemplating.

This whole situation was stupid, his grandfather was stupid, and the ninjas they'd hired were the stupidest of them, especially the blond one. He didn't care about what there was to gain because there was absolutely nothing to gain.

They couldn't win.

It was just that simple. Nice words didn't change the fact that none of them were strong enough, not knowing when to give up wasn't heroic. It was just stupid. They should just stop building the stupid bridge.

Refusing to give up when fighting someone stronger would only get them killed. If not, then why would his father been...

A loud crash broke his sulk-contemplation.

He left the window, rushing downstairs, fear gripping his heart, he could hear his mother's scream.

The wall of their kitchen was cracked open, two scary looking men hovered above his mother, swords in hand. He froze, Gatou's men were in his house.

"Mom!"

"What do you want brat?" snarled the one with the eyepatch.

"Run Inari! Don't come here!" He'd never heard his mom as scared.

"Should we grab him too?"

"Naah, we only need one hostage," the other said, casually.

Hostage?

Did they plan to use them to force his grandpa to stop with the construction?

Darn it!

Darn it, this was why he kept saying they should just forget the stupid thing. It only caused them problems.

The sound of a sword being drawn was one he'd never heard before, it was terrifying.

"Wait!" His mom's scream stopped the men in their tracks. "If you dare touch my child...I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood." Her eyes were different from usual, something he'd once see in his father shining as she kept talking. "Then what will you do for a live hostage?"

"Heh, be grateful for your mom kiddo"

"Aw man, here I wanted to cut something."

"Relax, you gave your blade a pretty good workout before we even got here," the other replied. "So get over it and let's go."

He couldn't even see as the two thugs took away his mothers, tears spilling from his eyes in floods, fear made it impossible for him to keep standing.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm so weak...I can't save you.

There was nothing he could do, nothing anyone could do except bow their heads, to do something else would be...

I'm afraid...I don't want to die!

'You big baby!'

The voice seemed to come from nowhere but he could hear it all the same, Naruto's voice as he yelled at him during dinner. As he accused him of just acting for the sake of gaining pity.

The voice of the white-haired man as he explained how badly treated the always grinning blond had been. How he got tired of crying. How they'd all learned to stand up no matter what...like his father did...like his mother just did.

Everyone else is so awesome, so cool...and strong...can I...could I also become strong?

They couldn't be gotten that far away and they were sure to go to the construction site, if he were to take a shortcut then he could catch up to them.

He was running before he could understand what he was doing, something stupid for sure, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He could see their backs, he sped up this time he would fight as well.

"Wait!" he screamed, his voice stronger than he thought possible. "You get away from my mom!"

Forcibly he ignored his mother's scream for him to get back as he sprinted towards her. He wouldn't just sit in a corner and cry anymore, for better or worse.

Something solid slammed against him, surrounding him and moving him fast. The sound of wood being echoed through the streets.

"Sorry, I'm late," the loud and annoying ninja said. "It's part of being a hero you know? All that knick of time stuff."

"N-naruto..." How...the blond had already left for the construction site...right?

"Way to go, Inari!" the blond smiled his way.

"Hey, isn't that one of Tazuna's cut-rate bodyguards?"

The two thugs were staring dumbfounded at the orange-clad shinobi, they'd failed to see him move between them.

"When you distracted them I was able to save your mother." A quick glance behind him confirmed his mother was lying unconscious on the floor, he could see no injuries though.

"Will you be okay?"

The older boy was alone, against those two, and for all that he'd rushed to the fight, Inari knew he couldn't really help him. Still, Naruto stood up, no trace of fear as he began to sprint towards the thugs, some weapon he couldn't recognize being sent flying

"No sweat."

"Hah, you think those toys can hit us?" They blocked the attacks with ease, swords unsheathed, and...

And two more Narutos came flying out of nowhere, knocking both thugs at the same time with just one kick.

Maybe Inari had been wrong calling him weak...

"Naruto, how did you know those samurai were coming?" he asked, he'd have thought the blond would've been with his grandfather by now.

There was a stuck pig back in the forest, it had been cut to ribbons with a sword, and there were trees with deep fresh slashes going in the direction to your house," he said like it was the most normal thing to find in a forest. "Wasn't too hard to figure out, I got worried so I came back.

"But forget that, Inari I owe you an apology." At his confused expression, he continued "For calling you a baby...you're a big strong boy."

Warmth seemed to spread from the place the blond patted his head. The fear he'd felt so far vanishing without a trace with just one gesture, suddenly things didn't feel so grim. Something wet dripped down his cheeks.

"Oh no, I promised myself I wouldn't cry again," he sniffled. "Now you'll make fun of me again."

"No way," Naruto laughed. "Nothing wrong with crying...when you're happy!"

Annoyingly that only brought forth more tears, he didn't feel ashamed now though, even if he could do little more than hold the rope the blond was using to tie the samurai.

"If they attacked us here it means that the bridge is probably a target too." His voice was more serious this time as he tied the last knot "You can handle things here right?"

"Yeah, you bet!" The boy forced a smile, he was done crying now, he was done being a coward.

"Man, this hero stuff is a lot of work."

He kept smiling as he saw the orange figure of the loudest and most annoying bodyguard between the ones his grandfather hired. Things weren't over, the danger hadn't quite passed but the idea of giving up now felt shameful. One more time, Inari decided, one more time he would believe in heroes.

A/N: I had the Inari par written but I didn't like how it transitioned between the scenes, at the end I cut it out but it had a nice moment for Naruto so I figured at least I could keep it in the Omake.

As for the fight with Haku, Kakashi is allowing the fight to go on. I think if needed he could absolutely find a way to cut through Zabuza and let Naruto and his clones stand their ground for a couple of seconds while he gets the other two out but he's trusting Kagome's judgement here. After all as fa as he knows there's a dangerous S-rank missing nin that will likely hunt them in the future and the only way for them to get stronger is to go against strong opponents. As long as none of them actually asks for help he'll allow it.

Thanks so much for reading, any review or advice is greatly appreciated and please stay safe.