The First Part Last ~Naruto Fan-fic~

Chapter 8

Sasuke relaxed, watching Minari take up the medicine bowl again. As she worked she whistled a tune, keeping the atmosphere cheerful for a change. But she had to stop when ever Naruto and Sakura inched their way over and slowly reached out to pull at Kakashi's mask. They moved it... maybe a centemeter before Kakashi's eyes snapped open and he sat up. The two idiots scrambled away as Minari put her hand on his shoulder, questioning him with her eyes.

He didn't get it, something just felt wrong. Had Kakashi forgotten something? "Hey, what's wrong Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, noticing the confused face he wore.

"Of course. Shinobi hunters who manage corpse disposals are supposed to destroy the bodies of those they kill at once, right on the spot." Kakashi mused.

"So?" Sakura said.

"Don't you get it? How did the kid in the mask dispose of Zabuza's corpse?"

"Huh? How should I know?! He took the body with him."

"Yes, he did... even though all he needed to take home as proof he made the kill was the head. And there is a mystery surrounding the weapons that the hunter used to dispatch his prey..." That statement had Sasuke thinking back. What had he used? Senbon... 

"No way..." Saskue said, realization finally setting in.

"Yes. Way."

"What the hell nonsense are you all mumbling on about?" Tazuna asked.

"... It's very likely that Zabuza... is still alive." Naruto, Sakura and Tazuna all had the same look of pure shock and fear. Sasuke still sat there, unbelieveing that he could still be alive after that! He looked over at Minari who was just looking down at the floor saddly, the bowl still in her hands. What was that he saw on her face? Was that... guilt?

"What the heck are you talking about?!?!" Naruto yelled.

"But Kakashi-sensei, you checked to be sure Zabuza was dead didn't you?!" Sakura asked.

"I made sure of it. Buuuut... a death-like trance could have created a very convincing illusion of the real thing. The senbon needles that shinobi hunter used can be deadly if they hit a vital spot. If not the mortality rate is surprisingly low. And, remember they were originally desined as medical treatment tools. Shinobi hunters and all members of any villages corpse disposla squad must possess an intimate and thorough knowledge of human physiology. It would be simple for one of them to place a person into a near-death state. First of all, the masked boy went to the trouble of lugging off Zabuza's heavy carcass. Secondly, the acupuncture needles he used as weapons, while potentially deadly, can also be used to inflict non-mortal injury. These two points suggest that the kid's objective was to give the illusion of killing Zabuza... while he rescused him."

Minari closed her eyes, trying not to think about it. But Sasuke realized something else very important and stood with clentched fists and red clouding the edge of his vision. He walked the short distance around the other ninja and roughly lifted Minari by the front of her sweater, tossing her across the room and into a wall. The minute she made contact, a very pained sound found it's way out of her.

Naruto held him back. "What the hell Sasuke?!"

"You knew!" He yelled at her. "You knew what he was doing didn't you! But you still let him get away!" Minari didn't move. She didn't say a word, nor did she look up. Sasuke struggled in Naruto grip, wanting to just murder Minari for this. She betrayed them! And after he had trusted her! After they all had trusted her! "That man was trying to kill us but in the end you just couldn't stand to let your precious teacher die so you let him get away! Admit it!"

"Sasuke, that's enough!" Kakashi said. But he was far from done.

"Why don't you just go back to him if you're so bent on protecting him?! Because it's very obvious you don't want to protect us!"