Kasumi of the Red Snow [Kakashi Love Story]

Chapter Five; The Boy as Pure as Snow

      We leave Naruto at Tazuna's house. Kakashi, Tazuna, Sasuke, Sakura and I head to the bridge. Once arriving at the bridge, the only thing we see are injured workers. "What's going on? What happened?" Tazuna demands. Mist surrounds us. "Say, Kasumi-Sensei.. this is the Hidden Mist Jutsu, right?" Sakura asks. "Indeed." I reply. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi, Kasumi." Zabuza's voice calls from the mist. "Seems you have those Genin brats with you as always. He's still trembling. Poor thing." Water clones surround us. "I'm trembling with.. excitement." Sasuke replies.

"Do it, Sasuke." All the clones turn to puddles of water in an instant. "Well, well, you could see they were water clones. This means a rival has emerged, Haku." I turn around at the mention of Haku's name. "Ah, Kasumi. I see we have a little family reunion here, don't we?" I step forward. "So you took Haku when you left the village. How brilliant of you." I state calmly. "You know her?" Sasuke asks. "Haku is a boy, my cousin to be exact. After the attack of the Kaguya clan and after the usage of Kekkei Genkai's in wars, in our village, people with Kekkei Genkai's were prosecuted. Our clan, the Yuki clan, possesses the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. When I was three, the Yuki clan was attacked and not many escaped. My parents, brother, and I did and we moved from the snowy part of the village. For a while, nobody knew of our bloodline. When my father was found out to have commited treason, he resisted arrest using his Kekkei Genkai." I pause. "He escaped using the same jutsu I did when I became known as Kasumi of the Red Snow." 

"I'm one of the few people who know what form of treason your father commited, Kasumi. Lets just say your whole life has been a lie." I flinch. Madoka says that in my nightmares. "It was probably what Madoka tried to tell you before you killed him." I grit my teeth. "Here's a hint. Your brother isn't your complete brother and as we both know, you killed him. Your mother is dead, killed by her own family, too. Your father is the only one left." I take out my sword. "But you'll have to defeat me for the rest." Zabuza chuckles mirthlessly.

Sasuke and Haku begin fighting. My eyes widen when Haku forms ice mirrors. "Dammit," I curse. "What is it? What's that Jutsu?" Kakashi asks. "It's called Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals." I answer. "Fire Jutsu's can't defeat it. No method in existence can defeat it."  I explain. I charge forward with Kakashi, only to be blocked by Zaubza. "Sasuke!" I call as senbon cut his skin. "He moves from mirror to mirror at the speed of light!" I inform. Zabuza makes a swing with his sword for me but I block it with my own. 

Sakura throws Sasuke's kunai knife back at him, only for Haku to catch it. A shuriken comes out of no where, knocking Haku from his mirror. I sigh at Naruto's stupidity of not being deceptive at all. "At least you were a good sensei, Zabuza. You taught me about deception." I mutter. Haku blocks Zabuza's attack on Naruto, declaring he wanted to do it his way. 

"You idiot! You were suppose to attack from the outside!" Sasuke argues with Naruto. I shake my head. "Naruto doesn't have Fire Style. Even if he did and they attacked a single mirror from both sides, it probably wouldn't melt it."

"For me, becoming a Shinobi completely is difficut. If I can, I don't want to kill you guys. I don't want you guys to kill me, either. But if you guys are going to come at me.. I'll kill my emotions with a sword and become a real Shinobi. This bridge is the battleground that connects each of us to our dreams. I, for the sake of my dream, And you, for the sake of your dreams. Please don't hold it against me. I want to protect the person dear to me. I work for the sake of that very person, I fight for that person, and I would like to make their dreams into a reality. That's my dream. And for the sake of my dream, I will become a complete Shinobi and kill you guys." Haku declares.

Zabuza and I swing at each other simultaneously. "Even if we were able to defeat that technique, they wouldn't be able to defeat him. Sasuke and Naruto can't destroy their emotions and kill someone. Haku knows the true agony of being a Shinobi." Kakashi says. "Exactly. No real Shinobi will come out of that peace-addicted village of yours. Because they are not able to learn the most important: "experience of killing"!" Zabuza agrees. "Kasumi here killed her emotions years ago. After killing her brother, she could kill anyone without blinking an eyelid. She's a true Shinobi." 

"Even if you did manage to defeat me, you can't defeat Haku. The only person who stands a chance is Kasumi, but their Kekkei Genkai would cancel each other out. Haku is a fighting machine known as a Shinobi." I clench my teeth. "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu." I stand back to back with Kakashi, my sword at the ready. We block Zabuza's attack. "Did you forget, Kakashi? I am an expert in Silent Killing. I can find you just by sound." 

"He's trying to trick you Kakashi. He's going to go after Tazuna, not you." We both run towards said bridge builder and Sakura. I jump in front of Kakashi, only too late - he's already been injured. "I don't want to kill you, Sensei, but if I want to be a Hunter-nin it'd be good to begin with you." We engage in a sword battle, swordsmen to swordsmen. A dark chakra evades my senses. I withdraw myself using the Hidden Mist Technique and appear beside Kakashi. "I'll explain later, but we have to hurry." I nod. "Can you handle him yourself?" Kakashi nods and takes out a scroll. I run towards Haku. "Zabuza counts on me, even if I am worthless. He has made me feel needed all these years." I hear Haku say. "Please, make it quick." 

"Naruto! Out of the way!" But I can already tell I'm too late. "Forgive me, Naruto." Haku disappears. I turn around quickly. "You did great, Haku." I sigh in relief when Kakashi jumps out of the way with Haku's corpse. I bend over my cousin's body. His eyes stare without seeing. I close them and go to aid Kakashi. 

Then Gato showed up. "Change of plan. You'll die here, Zabuza." Gato announces. "I apologize, Kakashi, Kasumi. Our fight ends here. Since I have no reason to kill Tazuna, I don't need to fight either of you." I help Kakashi to his feet. I clench my fist when Gato begins abusing Haku's corpse. "Hey! Aren't you going to say something?! He was your comrade!" 

"Shut up. He's already dead." Zabuza replies, but Naruto plows on. "Naruto, stop." I stand beside Zabuza-Sensei and place a hand on his shoulder as he begins crying. "Kid. Don't say anything.. anymore. Haku.. he wasn't just thinking of me. He was feeling pain inside while fighting you guys too. He was too kind. I'm honored to have fought with you till the end. It's as you say, Shinobi are human too." 

I grip his shoulders, looking up at my old sensei. He bites off the bandages covering his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth. So far, I'm the only person without that characteristics who's been a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. "Remember to give them Hell, Sensei." He smiles at me. "You're the second best student I ever had, Kasumi of the Red Snow. I don't think I'll be able to tell you the truth now. Hopefully you'll find out soon enough." I nod. "Give me a kunai knife." I pull one from my ninja pouch and place it between his teeth for him.

He attacks Gato's men and Gato himself until he falls into the surrounding water. "Hey, hey! Don't get too relaxed. You killed our source of money so we kill you!" One of Gato's henchmen yells. "Kakashi Sensei! Can't you annihilate them all at once?!" 

"I can use the paper bombs on my sword," I reply, readying myself. An arrow fells before the henchmen. I turn around to see the villagers with their own weapons.

After Gato's men flee, Kakashi and I walk over to Zabuza. "Are you okay?" Kakashi questions worriedly. I nod and kneel next to my former Sensei. "Seems like it's over." Zabuza mutters. "Yeah.." Kakashi answers. "Kakashi and Kasumi, I really need to ask you a favor. I want to see his face." Together, Kakashi and I remove the swords from his back. I carry Zabuza, despite Kakashi's protests. It begins snowing. "Haku was born where it snowed a lot." I say. "I see. He was as pure as snow."

"I believe you and Haku can go to the same place, Sensei." I whisper and retreat back to Team Seven. 

Kakashi buried them and we made two wooden crosses in their honor. "Do you want the Executioner's Blade?" Kakashi questions. I shake my head and lodge it into the ground.

"Okay! I've just decided! I'm going to live by my own Way of Ninja!" Naruto exclaims. 

I have Kakashi take off his vest and shirt. I dampen some bandages and clean away the dried blood. "Was Zabuza your team's Sensei?" Kakashi asks. "No. He trained me individually. He took an interest in me when I was in our Academy." Kakashi nods. I hold the end of the bandage on his stomach with my pointer finger. "I can do that much," Kakashi says, gently taking my hand and placing it back into my lap. I clear my throat and begin wrapping the bandages diagnol across his torso and shoulder. 

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Hey, I realize that this is shorter than normal so I apologize. I'd really appreciate it if you voted and commented! But if you don't, that's okay too, aha. Thanks for reading!

P.S. I do not own Naruto.