Chapter 14
Chills ran up Sasuke’s spine at those words. The Sharingan did not offer up visions of the future, that he knew. But the cold deadly sure way Kakashi had voiced those words told him that he was more than able to fulfilll his promise, nontheless he still jumped a little as the blood lust from the two ninja hit him.
What incredible bloodlust! He was unable to do anything but stand in shock, he managed to take a sideways glance at the others, Sakura seemed not to be able to feel it, whereas Naruto seemed to be studying the two Jonin with wide eyes. He tried to bring his eyes back to the unfolding battle before him. Desperately trying to quell his panic and deal with the situation at hand, he was hit with another searing wave of bloodlust. Just as his control was slipping, Kakashi turned to him and smiled.
“Don’t worry Sasuke. I’ll never let my comrades get hurt.” Sasuke gasped as he saw the red iris with three tomoe floating around the pupil.
“How... How do you have the Sharingan?” He uttered.
“A story for another time. Stay back and guard Tazuna-san.” Kakashi winked at them. Sasuke felt a faint smile stretch across his face, and settled back into his defensive position. Zabuza had been watching the exchange with little interest, and now that it was over smiled underneath his bandages. He flashed through several seals, and smiled.
“Hidden Mist technique.” A dense fog rose up from the ground consuming the group and stealing away all visibility. Sasuke shivered as Zabuza’s cold voice filtered through the dank air.
“Now how would you like to die? Huh? Vein, neck, heart, liver, kidney, lungs, or head?” The malicious voice slid across them as fear incarnate. Just as Sasuke was about to freak out, he felt a massive blast of chakrea, that sliced the mists away from the small group.
“Stay strong, watch over Tazuna.” Kakashi called to them.
“Eh? If you are all watching Tazuna, who is watching you?” A cold voice cut at him from behind, he managed to throw him self down as the sword sang through the air he was in a moment before. He flipped on the ground in time to see Kakashi flash across the space and hit Zabuza. They stood silent for a second before Zabuza collapsed into a puddle of water. A blur crossed Sasuke’s path of vision and struck Kakashi, slicing him completely in half. His jaw dropped as the sliced pieces fell and splashed as water. Sasuke’s sense were reeling, Where was Kakashi? His eyes were searching just like Zabuza’s as a kunai materialized next to his throat.
“Ne, Zabuza-san. It’s over.” Kakashi’s voice cut icicle slivers through Sasuke’s spine. Instead of cowering in fear as the Genin were, Zabuza laughed loudly.
“Kakashi, You are definitely quite amazing. Copying my technique and hiding in the mist, for this moment. However, merely mirroring me will not assure you any type of victory.” Then, he collapsed into water.
“Did you really think that would actually work?” Zabuza’s voice asked him ludicrously, and swung his sword viciously. Kakashi ducked reacting fast, allowing the blade to bury itself next to him. Sasuke grinned, then his grin melted away as Kakashi was booted into the air with a massive kick from Zabuza. He could feel his eyes widen and his mouth drop open.
Kakashi-sensei was kicked away like a rag doll?! He was struggling to reconcile these thoughts he heard Zabuza call out.
“Water Prison Technique.” He swiveled his eyes at the two struggling nin, and emitted a horrified gasp. Kakashi was suspended in a sphere of swirling water.
“Heh, Kakashi I think I’ll leave you for later. Lets finish those brats and the old man first.” Zabuza growled and summoned up a water clone. The water clone walked calmly up to the shore of the small lake.
“Now little brats, you all wear your little headbands thinking that makes you a ninja? NInja is a name given to those who have proven themselves in numerous life and death clashes. You? You are all just brats, and its time for you all to die.” The clone swept up his blade and strode forward menacingly. Sasuke pushed up onto his feet. Somehow or another, he found a kunai in his hands and his arms were shaking.
“Run now all of you! Take Tzauna and run away!” Kakashi screamed to them. Sasuke tried to still his arms and stood firm. Zabuza’s murderous eyes settled on him, causing him to shudder, to realize the fear slowly creeping up his spine.
“Oi, Teme. I’d really appreciate it if I could get out teacher back.” A strong confident voice spoke out at his right. Sasuke’s head snapped to see the owner of the voice, to his surprise it was a certain blond standing at ease.
“Oh ho oh. You must either be really stupid or really brave kid.” The pale ninja mumbled in amusement. Naruto strode confidently forward stopping just in front of Sasuke.
“Neither.” Naruto turned to Sasuke.
“Hey, Baka make sure you take care of Tazuna-san, and Sakura-chan.” A cheeky smile lighting up his face.
“You wish Dobe.” The remark slipped from his lips on sheer habit, wiping away his fear. Sasuke’s eyes hardened and locked on to the water clones. A cold smile flitted across his face before he flashed out of sight. Zabuza’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden movement.
“Too slow.” Sasuke uttered and slammed his foot down at the former Kiri-nin. The clone side stepped the attack and delivered a massive kick in return sending the raven flying back to where his comrades stood. Sasuke sat back up slowly, wiping blood away from his mouth. As a quip began on his lips it died suddenly as a wave of immense blood lust exploded from his right. His head snapped up at the blond, who was clenching his fists tightly and trying to keep his face emotionless. Naruto stepped forward and in front of the other three.
“You are really something.” The blond’s voice was like jagged ice.
“First you burst in here and take our teacher, and hold him hostage. Then you waltz over here and tell us you’re going to kill us? Now, you’ve crossed a line, a personal line. You touched a person, who is very important to me.” His voice went even colder and took a sharper edge, to the point where even Sasuke flinched a little at the end of his speech. Zabuza had been studying the blond curiously. when he gave him an excited glance.
“Hmm, it looks like one of your students has some balls Kakashi. Too bad that he isn’t gonna live long.” Zabuza practically purred. Then the clone moved forward, bringing the blade up in front of him. Suddenly there was a blur of black and gold, and Naruto appeared in front of him blocking the blade with a kunai and launching a lightning fast punch at the clone. The clone Zabuza ducked the punch and brought the blade back to cut at the blond, who was dancing backwards, and launched several shuriken at the clone. With a sweep of his blade, the clone-Zabuza swept the missiles out of the air, and body flickered behind the blond.
“Heh, DIE BRAT!” He brought the blade down and slashed the boy in half. As the two halves of the body fell to the side they bloomed into twin puffs of smoke.
“Wha-” Zabuza’s cry of astonishment was silenced as steel string pulled itself tight around the clone, the string leading back to raven haired Uchiha who was forming seals as fasat as he could.
“How?” Zabuza’s eyes were filled with surprise as his vision was filled with blond.
“Yo. How about you free my teach now?” Naruto snarled at the pale man, slicing at him with a kunai. Zabuza growled and neatly avoided the attack while keeping his hand in the orb.
“Heh, you’re going to need to do better than that to hit me kid.” As he said it several naruto clones exploded from the water, launching their projectiles at him. Zabuza pulled away from the sphere, avoiding most of the projectiles, save for one kunai from the original. It cut a small gash under his eye. Zabuza stopped atop the water and gave the blond a murderous stare.
“Now, you’ve done it kid.” He darted forward and brought his blade up in a threatingly fast motion.
“You’re gonna die kid.” Zabuza moved faster than Naruto was able to react. The sword arced in the air, plunging down at its blond target with a blood lust all its own. The swish of the blade was suddenly halted with a massive clash of metal. Naruto splashed under the water missing the scene, when his head popped up from under the water to see Kakashi standing in front of him holding the blade at bay with a kunai knife. The silver haired jonin, yelled and pushed the overly large blade aside and dealt the pale man a kick in the chest sending him backwards. Kakashi turned and smiled to Naruto.
“Ne, Arigato Naruto, Sasuke.” The masked ninja favored them with a big eye smile. The smile withered away as he focused his attention back onto the Missing Nin. Zabuza stood and growled at Kakashi.
“Heh, Kakashi this is only prolonging the inevitable.”
“Ah, Yes I am. But now, I tell you the only inevitability is your demise.” Kakashi spoke quietly. Zabuza dashed to his right and so did Kakashi, they ran in a cirlce then stopped. With a flick of his arm, Zabuza sheathed his blade and began forming seals. He looked up and his eyes popped as he noticed Kakashi was performing the exact same seals at the same speed.
“Water Style: Water Dragon Projectile Missile.” They called together. Summoning up a giant water dragon apiece which began fighting above them. Then, the two jonin clashed in the center under the dragons. Kakashi spun and kicked Zabuza again, and flipping backwards putting space between them. Zabuza ran again in a circle, with Kakashi mimicking his actions. Zabuza stopped and raised his arms. His eyes bugged out as he found Kakashi was in the exact same pose.
“read your mind?” Kakashi said amusedly. Naruto bit his lip as he saw the strangely timed phrase hit home with the pale nin. Zabuza seemed thrown by this statement as he cursed and began forming seals again.
“Zabuza-san, I believe I told you that you are only prolonging your inevitable end.” Kakashi said calmly, and Zabuza froze his eyes widening studying something behind Kakashi. Without any hesitation, kakashi finished his seals and released his technique.
“Water Style: Giant Waterfall.” An enourmous explosive vortex of water blasted out in front of the silver haired ninja, catching the swordman in the swift and overpowering current. The blast traveled for a distance before slamming itself into a large tree, and receding back into the lake. Naruto fought with the churning and upheaving waters and managed to catch hold of a branch to stabilize himself, as the water began to fall back into its original place. He looked up in time to see Kakashi sitting on a branch just above Zabuza, who had several kunai jutting out from him. Zabuza seemed to ask Kakashi something in fear, who gave him a quiet reply. Just as the battle appeared over Zabuza jerked twice and fell forward. Naruto stared, but was snapped out of his reverie by a quip from a familiar voice.
“Are you just going to sit there dobe?” Naruto scowled.
“Heh, I’m moving why aren’t you?” He said, quickly pulling himself up and moving up towards the the two jonin. As they approached, they saw another shinobi standing off to the side.
“You were quite right. This was his last battle.”
“Who the hell are you?” Naruto growled, his senses still in overdrive.
“Calm down, Naruto. This is a Hunter Nin from Kirigakure.” Kakashi spoke quietly.
“Thank you Kakashi-san. Now I’ll be taking this.” The slight shinobi bent low, picked up the body, and slung it over his shoulder. Then, he lept away. Naruto glared at the retreating figure, but was distracted by the sway of an exhausted Kakashi.
“Kakashi-sensei!” Sasuke and Sakura dashed forward and caught the jonin as he fell forward.
“What happened?”
“Heh, I may have just pushed myself a little bit too far.” Kakashi spoke sheepishly, but he gave Naruto an eye smile.
“Naruto, did you rush to my rescue because you care?” The blond’s face lit up and he looked defiantly away.
“Pfft. As if. If I had let you die, then Sasuke would have been moping forever, and Sakura would have been very sad.” Naruto said nervously. Kakashi gave his student a knowing smile.
“I’m glad you care Naruto.” The blond grumbled quietly at his statement, while the raven and pinkette smiled on in the back ground.
“Well, if you ninja are done beating around the bush, then we can go to my house, to rest up your Sensei”. Kakashi gave a nervous laugh.
“Gomen Tazuna-san. Shall we continue?” With a large roll of his eyes, Naruto followed Tazuna allowing the other two to bear the burden of carrying their limp sensei after their client.
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