"To be a ninja is synonymous with strength, power, and invisibility. That's what they teach us in the academy, and that's what we believe upon graduating."
Finally, they arrived at the shore of the sea, where a thick fog over the water prevented them from seeing the small Land of Waves on the other side. As they boarded the boat that would silently take them to the pier of the Land of Waves, Sakura sighed with relief. Her foot, still hurting, began to relax without the pressure of walking, thanks to her ninja boots concealing how swollen it was.
Despite the momentary relief, her restless mind couldn't shake the disturbing thought that this was an A-rank mission. Since the attack of the demon brothers, every small sound made the hairs on her neck stand on end.
The rest of the journey had been quiet until that moment, which made her more nervous as they approached the Land of Waves. If all A-rank missions were this easy, Kakashi wouldn't have suggested returning to Konoha after uncovering Tazuna's lie.
They began to make out the immense black structure that would become a bridge, when suddenly Sakura, Tazuna, and the boatman jumped at Naruto's excited shout.
"Shut up, kid! Why do you think we're traveling with the engine off and rowing, so they can't spot us in this dense fog?" whispered the boatman.
Sakura frowned in disgust at the thought of her family waiting at home, sheltered within the secure walls of Konoha. Surely, if they found out she had been assigned an A-rank mission before Sakuya, they would be disappointed and find a way to punish her. Although, come to think of it, they would do that anyway, even without the mission.
"I don't, I hate my family. I wish they weren't there," Sakura said aloud, unaware she had spoken.
The entire Team Seven, Tazuna, and the boatman turned to look at her. Naruto's wide smile vanished, replaced by a clear pain in his eyes. Ever since he could remember, he had envied other kids for having a family. Sometimes, even now, he pretended to have a warm family that welcomed him with open arms and cared for him. On the other hand, Sasuke grew furious.
"Disappear? You're a fool who doesn't know what you're saying," he said bitterly. Sakura's words burned his chest like acid, briefly reminding him of the family he had loved and lost at the hands of his brother, whom he had believed he loved more than anyone in the world. Fortunately, the boat had arrived, so he jumped off it and quickly distanced himself from Sakura.
Stunned, Sakura watched Sasuke walk away, and Naruto's gaze was no less hurtful than Sasuke's. She tried to explain herself to Naruto, but he pulled away from her hand and followed Sasuke. The rejection from her two teammates was more painful than she had expected. She bit her lip to hold back the tears.
Was it wrong to say she hated her family?
Tazuna and the boatman beside him shifted uncomfortably. Deciding this wasn't their concern, they gathered their things and disembarked from the boat. Kakashi, who knew the situation of the two boys and understood a bit about the complicated family lives of the Harunos, sighed heavily. The three of them had completely different and emotionally complex pasts. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his student trembling without moving from her seat.
"They're still just kids," Kakashi thought. He raised his hand and awkwardly placed it on Sakura's head in an attempt to comfort her. He wasn't the best at expressing emotions either. Almost stumbling on the boat, he had barely placed his hand on Sakura's head to give her a few pats when she lunged and hugged him, burying her face in his ninja vest.
"Is it wrong not to love your family?" Sakura's voice came muffled from Kakashi's vest. After all, it was normal for children to get emotional thinking about family and they were supposed to love their parents, right?
In silence, Kakashi gave her gentle pats. He wasn't the best person to talk about family relationships either. He gave her a brief moment to let it out before resuming the mission. He didn't have time to worry about the emotional stability of his students when their lives were likely in danger. The next ninja they faced would be stronger than the previous ones, so he needed to stay alert.
The team walked in silence, each keeping their emotions to themselves. Despite Naruto's pain, the annoyance that Sasuke always thought himself better than him made him forget his sadness. In a moment of what he considered wisdom, he took a few steps forward, surveyed the surroundings, and drew a kunai.
"There!" he exclaimed, launching the kunai straight into the bushes.
Tazuna, Kakashi, and even Sakura, who had momentarily forgotten her sadness, jumped in surprise.
"It was just a mouse," Naruto said, trying to act nonchalant.
"A mouse? You idiot!" Sakura shouted, trembling with anger alongside Tazuna for being startled over nothing.
"Naruto, those kunai knives are very dangerous," Kakashi reproached.
"Don't try to scare me, you damn shrimp!" Tazuna retorted.
Naruto pretended not to hear the complaints and continued trying to detect if anyone was hiding. Kakashi sensed a presence to his left.
"There!" Naruto yelled, throwing another kunai to the left.
"Enough, Naruto," Sakura growled, giving the blond a smack on the back of his head.
"Why do you do that?" Naruto complained.
"Stop acting like a silly child," Sakura warned, growing increasingly exasperated.
Kakashi headed towards the bushes and found a white rabbit unconscious with a kunai just inches from its head. When Sakura and Naruto approached, Naruto was horrified to see it so scared, rushing over to hug it and repeating an apology.
Kakashi glanced around with feigned boredom. He didn't believe it was just a rabbit.
"They're here," he thought, turning to his genin and the client.
Sakura's neck hairs stood on end.
"Watch out!" Kakashi shouted.
They hit the ground just in time; a spinning sword whizzed over their heads and embedded itself into a tree. Atop the sword stood none other than Zabuza Momochi.
The sight of that sword and the silhouette it cast drained the blood from their faces. Sakura's body began to tremble uncontrollably, her breathing grew heavy. There, perched on his sword, was one person she hoped never to see again. Just seeing his silhouette brought back memories of Zabuza enjoying tormenting them during their brief time together in Akatsuki.
"Zabuza Momochi, a ninja from the Hidden Mist Village," Kakashi said, his voice firm, trying to maintain calm.
Naruto wasn't intimidated by the description; he prepared to run and attack, but Kakashi quickly stopped him. This ninja was unlike the other two they had faced.
Zabuza turned towards his opponent and the children accompanying him, shielding his target. He recognized the copy ninja and finally the unmistakable girl with pink hair who trembled like a cornered rabbit.
"It's been a while, the twists and turns of the world, huh?" Zabuza said with a sinister yet slight tone.
Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Tazuna turned to Sakura as they saw Zabuza staring at her intently. They were puzzled to see that they seemed to know each other, and Sakura's reaction did not bode well.
"What's this about? Where did you meet Sakura-chan? What the hell did you do to her?!" Naruto shouted angrily, seeing her shake like a leaf.
Kakashi tensed up. As one of the few people who knew Sakura had been kidnapped by Akatsuki, he understood she had many emotional traumas she would have to face sooner or later. However, he didn't expect Akatsuki to have had contact with Zabuza Momochi, and facing those traumas came sooner than anticipated.
"This is going to get dangerous," Kakashi said as he lifted the ninja headband covering his left eye.
"Kakashi, the Copy Ninja with the Sharingan," Zabuza remarked, turning his attention back to what he considered his only rival. "You'll have to hand over the old man."
"Quick, Manji Battle Formation. Protect Mr. Tazuna and stay out of the fight," Kakashi ordered. "You know how to work as a team, now's the time to show it."
He lifted his headband, revealing the Sharingan. The three young ones were surprised to see it, but there was no time for questions; Kakashi briefly explained what the Sharingan was when Naruto asked, confused by the change in his sensei's eye. Just as Sasuke finished speaking, a thick fog began to surround them, obscuring their vision enough for Zabuza's silhouette, standing on the edge of his sword, to appear blurry.
"No more talking, I need to finish off the old man," Zabuza said from within the mist.
Instantly, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura surrounded Tazuna with kunai in hand.
The three watched in amazement as Zabuza gathered chakra while standing on the water, until suddenly, he vanished.
"He's disappeared," Naruto murmured.
Seconds passed agonizingly slowly. They strained their ears and tightened their grips on their kunai, ready in case he reappeared.
"The fog is getting thicker," Naruto observed.
The fog around them thickened so much that Kakashi's silhouette, just a few meters away, completely disappeared. For the first time, Sasuke and Naruto felt the unsettling sensation of being stalked by a predator, patiently waiting for their panicked prey to lower its guard so it could strike and sever their heads in a single blow. Meanwhile, Sakura stood firm beside Tazuna, her hand trembling as she gripped the kunai, revealing her fear.
"We're at a disadvantage," Kakashi said.
They tensed as they heard a voice that seemed to come from all directions at once.
"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart... where shall I strike?"
Kakashi clasped his hands together, gathering chakra around him. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto involuntarily tensed at the intense murderous intent bouncing and colliding among them. They even forgot how to breathe; their survival instincts kicked in as if death itself lurked behind them, mocking with humor, marking them as its next victims with a nail tip on their necks. Sasuke couldn't bear it, and his trembling hand moved involuntarily towards his chest.
"Sasuke," Kakashi thundered, "calm down. I will protect you with my life. I won't let my comrades die. Trust me."
The paralyzing fear began to dissipate, and the three of them felt a little safer.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Zabuza interjected, appearing between the kids and Tazuna.
Kakashi acted with impressive speed, pushing the kids and Tazuna aside and thrusting a kunai into Zabuza's body. It was just a water clone.
The fight unfolded swiftly before the young ones' eyes, until they watched in horror as their teacher was trapped in a water sphere, while Zabuza's clone hurled him towards Naruto.
"Take the bridge builder and run!" Kakashi ordered once he realized Zabuza was more skilled than expected. "We can't win this battle. The clone can't stray far from the original."
The clone charged at Naruto and threw him aside. Sasuke wasn't willing to leave Kakashi at Zabuza's mercy. He knew that if they fled, Zabuza would take advantage to kill their teacher and then come after them. This was the moment to attack. He ran towards Zabuza with determination but ended up being thrown as well.
"Naruto, Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, watching them fall.
"What will you do, little mouse? Want to play again so the winner stays alive?" Zabuza taunted, turning his attention towards Sakura.
Sakura gasped as she remembered the times when Zabuza, bored, would take prisoners and force them to play a sinister game where the last survivor was the winner, forcing them to kill each other or witness the macabre spectacle.
"I... I can't..." Her words barely came out.
Not far from her, Naruto yelled and lunged at Zabuza.
"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura cried out, regaining her senses only to see Zabuza mocking him and kicking him towards them.
"What are you doing? Even Sasuke couldn't handle him. We're just genin; we can't beat a jonin," she exclaimed desperately. Why didn't Sasuke and Naruto understand the vast difference in power between them and this enemy?
They were just a speck on the sole of his shoe. If Zabuza truly wished it, they wouldn't be alive. He was toying with them, biding his time to grow bored and end their lives. Sakura closed her mouth as she watched Naruto rise from the ground with his ninja headband in hand, surprised by his determination.
"Hey, you, bushy-browed weirdo," Naruto said once he managed to stand.
Zabuza's expression hardened.
"Write this down in your bingo book," Naruto continued. "The ninja who will become Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village never backs down. His name is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto's speech curiously shifted the atmosphere. Somehow, it infused confidence in the others and provoked Zabuza's anger. Even Sakura's pounding heart returned to normal, and a strange feeling welled up in her chest as she watched Naruto's determination.
Kakashi scolded them, insisting they should flee instead of staying. It was then that Tazuna ordered the three to forget their situation and save their teacher, as all of this had started because of his dishonesty.
Annoyed by prolonging the lives of the kids, Zabuza attacked again. He struck Sasuke, kicked him, elbowed him in the stomach, making him spit blood, and stomped on him. Sasuke's agonized cry enraged Kakashi.
Naruto, furious, created several shadow clones that lunged at Zabuza to free Sasuke. The two boys worked together without needing to exchange a single word. With a giant shuriken, they caught Zabuza off guard; he didn't expect that, when he dodged the second shuriken, it would turn into a smoke bomb. Then, the real Naruto appeared and threw a kunai directly at Zabuza's hand holding the water sphere.
The coordination was perfect. With Kakashi free, the situation changed drastically. The two began to fight fiercely; thanks to Kakashi's Sharingan, Zabuza had no chance.
"This is your final battle," Kakashi said, kunai in hand.
Before he could do anything more, two pairs of senbon flew from a corner and pierced Zabuza's neck. Everyone was surprised to see him fall lifeless to the ground. Kakashi checked his pulse.
"No pulse," he said calmly.
"Thanks, I was waiting for the opportunity to finish Zabuza," a voice from the shadows said.
It was a tracker sent to hunt down and eliminate the ninja. Sakura observed him with curiosity, feeling a strange familiarity and fear even under the mask.
Naruto was furious after all their effort; seeing that boy his age defeat Zabuza without apparent effort frustrated him even more. Sasuke was also visibly upset.
The tracker took Zabuza away, leaving the three young ones with a bitter taste. For Sasuke and Naruto, this victory felt like a defeat upon realizing the strength of the young man who took Zabuza.
"Being a ninja isn't easy," Kakashi commented. "This was just a small taste of what it means to be a ninja."
Sakura grimaced at herself.
"Again, all I did was tremble and want to run away," she thought.
"It's okay, let's get out of here," Kakashi said, taking a few steps forward.
Suddenly, Kakashi's body stiffened and he fell unconscious to the ground. The three young ones were scared and surprised by the sudden turn of events.
"One thinks they're a ninja until life shows you're just an ant."
Omake:
Inside a small, dimly lit room barely illuminated by a weak bulb, Sakura kept her eyes wide open, unblinking. Her curiosity was at its peak as she stared at what lay before her, as if it were the ninth wonder of the world.
Zabuza, standing in front of her, felt his anger growing with each passing second, unable to ignore her any longer.
"Why is this kid here? Are we kidnapping children for fun now?" he grumbled, even more annoyed because Sakura wouldn't stop staring at him and, moreover, didn't seem frightened at all.
Kisame leaned Samehada against the wall before turning to Zabuza.
"Eh? Ha ha, no, the others from Akatsuki are busy with other missions. Only Zetsu and Tobi are available," Kisame said as if it were a trivial matter. "For some reason, Sakura and him don't get along, and Tobi is on punishment duty for blowing up the meeting room with colorful foam and glitter, so they made him clean until the furniture stops sparkling. I decided to bring her along with us."
Itachi and Haku entered the room and set their cloaks aside. Haku's eyes gleamed with curiosity upon seeing the little girl with pink hair.
"Why do you cover your mouth? Do you have crooked teeth?" Sakura asked.
Kisame laughed without any reservation. Zabuza's brow furrowed deeper in confusion at seeing these globally known ruthless ninjas having a girl with them, and in anger at not being hired to tolerate this situation.
"Sakura," said Itachi.
The little pink-haired girl pouted slightly at Itachi before turning her gaze back to Zabuza.
"Sorry, my mom told me I should be careful and respect my elders, and not anger unknown killers unless they intend to hurt me," she recited word for word, placing her hands behind her back. She glanced sideways to see Itachi looking satisfied, then curiously looked at Zabuza and held out her hand to him, with a pill in her palm. "Want some?"
Zabuza snorted in annoyance. "I didn't come here to be a babysitter."
Haku, caught by curiosity, approached the girl, barely three years younger than him.
"Hello, my name is Haku," he greeted, showing a small friendly smile.
"Sakura," she replied, lively and curious to see someone her age next to Zabuza. Since Itachi had already caught her attention, she decided to stay quiet and not be imprudent, at least not with Itachi nearby; maybe with Kisame she could ask more questions to Zabuza.
"Alright, furball, let's go, we have work to do," Kisame said, lifting Sakura in his arms and placing her on his shoulders before putting on his characteristic hat, covering Sakura almost completely.
From that height, Sakura felt incredibly tall, so much so that Zabuza seemed small beside her. She extended her hand again to Zabuza, offering him the pill.
"Want some?"
"No," Zabuza replied, walking away
