Kimiko's P. O. V:
Kakashi says in way of greeting, "Well, well, so both Kimiko and I had it right. It was all an act."
"An act?!" Tazuna exclaims.
I add, a sheepish smile on my face, "With a cute little mask."
"Huh?!" Exclaims Sakura.
Sasuke scoffs, "Big phoney. Hah!"
"So I guess all that about being a Tracker Ninja protecting his village was just a bunch of bull!" Tazuna states.
Kakashi inputs, "They look pretty chummy to me. And I get the feeling they'd been pulling scams like that for a long time."
Sakura says, "He's got some nerve facing us again after pulling that trick!"
"And, hiding behind a mask, who does he think he's fooling?" Kakashi queries.
I clear my throat as I give the silverette a pointed look and say, "Ahem, speak for yourself, Sensei!" He glances to my spot on the railing with a sheepish expression.
"That's it," Sasuke says, making Sakura gasp, "I'm taking him out. Who does he think he's fooling, hiding behind that mask like some sort of clown?"
Sakura gushes, "Sasuke, you're so cool!"
I point out to him, "You just repeated exactly what Kakashi said. So not cool." I ignore Sakura when she scowls at me.
I'm ignored by the Uchiha, however, as Haku says, "He's impressive." Zabuza "Hmphs!" at this. "Even though they were just one tenth the strength of the original Water Clone Jutsu, he did destroy them all."
Zabuza orders Haku, "That move did still gave us the first advantage. Now, use it!"
"Right." Haku nods and he leaps forwards.
Sasuke gasps as he suddenly starts spinning rapidly, turning into a living tornado, "What's this?!"
Suddenly, Sasuke's kunai knife was met with a senbon needle as Haku appears right before him. Sasuke clashes his blade against Haku's needles, and I was impressed that he was able to keep up with the Yuki.
Kakashi orders Sakura, "Sakura, cover Tazuna, and stay close to me!" The pinkette leaps in front of the bridge builder protectively, as Haku pulls back and continues to clash his needle against our blades. "Let Sasuke handle this!"
Sakura nods as she gets in her defensive stance.
Sasuke clashes his kunai knife against Haku's needles a couple of times before they pull back and spin around each other, his weapons meeting a couple more times.
Haku says simply, pressing his needle against Sasuke's blade, "We want the bridge builder, not you. If you back down, I won't have to kill you."
I knew he wouldn't really kill us, anyway. After all, Haku is too soft.
Sasuke tells him, "Save it!"
Haku says to the Uchiha, "You're making a mistake. You won't be able to keep up with my speed." This makes him scowl. "I'd gained two key advantages. First, we're surrounded by water. Second, I've blocked one of your hands. Therefore, you only have one free hand to defend yourself."
Haku pulls back his hand back and holds it up in the Ram sign. Haku begins performing hand signs.
"What?! Why?!" Sasuke exclaims but it was too late.
Haku had completed the hand signs and murmurs, "Secret Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death!" Haku stomps the ground as Sasuke focuses his chakra to his feet. A thousand needles of ice formed from water and wind form in the air and fly for Sasuke.
He doesn't want to kill him...!
Right as the ice needles were about to pierce Sasuke, he flows his chakra to his feet and leaps up into the air. The needles strike the ground right where he'd been standing and dissolve into water, the Yuki member staggering back.
"He vanished!" Haku gasps, upon stopping. He looks up to see Sasuke above him. Sasuke throws his shuriken, but Haku manages to dodge it by leaping back.
He lands in a crouch and straightens up. Sasuke grips his blade and reappears right behind Haku.
Sasuke tells him, "You're not as fast as you thought. From now on, you'll be defending against my attacks!"
They spin around each other and Sasuke thrusts his blade forward, but they slip past Haku's arms. Sasuke smirks and Haku gasps as Sasuke flicks his weapon away, only to kick Haku through the air.
Zabuza glares down at Haku, sprawled at his feet.
Sasuke also mocks, "Thought you were quicker, huh? Now, what else are you wrong about?"
Kskashi tells the assassin, "You've made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats and a princess. That's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude. He's the best young fighter of the Hidden Leaf Village, and Kimiko is the second best young fighter and most resourceful. And, Sakura here is our sharpest mind." The pinkette giggles at his compliment. "And, last but not least, our Number 1 Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja, Naruto Uzumaki."
I blink at my introduction, but then I smirk at the last part.
Zabuza chuckles, causing Sasuke to narrow his onyx eyes. The Momochi says to Haku, "Haku, if we keep going like this, we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it!"
Standing up, Haku says, "Right!"
A blue aura starts swirling around Haku.
"What's that?" Sasuke asks.
Haku says apologetically, "I'm sorry it's come to this."
Sasuke murmurs, "The air... it's so cold..."
Haku puts his hands in the Bird sign, and there's a loud crinkling sound as ice mirrors begin to form around and above Sasuke. There are two rows on the bottom, another row above that, and a single mirror facing Sasuke from above.
"Secret Jutsu! Crystal Ice Mirrors!" Haku says, and Sasuke glances around himself. The mirrors begin glowing.
I hear Kakashi murmur, "What is this? How does it work?"
Haku melts into the mirrors and his reflection appears in all of them. Sasuke gazes around them in disbelief. Kakashi scowls fiercely and starts running toward him, only to be blocked by Zabuza.
"If you enter this fight, you fight me," He growls at the silverette. "Your boy has no chance against that Jutsu. He's finished!"
"Now, we'll begin," Says Haku, and I see senbon needles appear in his fingers, "and I'll show you what speed really means!"
Haku throws two needles at the Uchiha. Two of them strike Sasuke's arms, hearing Kakashi call his name worriedly.
Sasuke appears to be struggling to even stand.
A stray senbon strikes Sasuke's hand holding the kunai knife, causing him to lose his grip on it and the knife to fly out of the igloo, landing by Sakura's feet, and Sakura cries out his name.
Meanwhile, Kakashi is having a stare down with Zabuza.
"Just try to help them, and I'll kill the other two in a heartbeat!" Zabuza taunts. "Wonder what happened with the other brat of yours? It would seem as though she's taken off yet again."
Kakashi growls at him.
Sakura says apologetically, "I'm sorry. I-I can't stay with you. Forgive me."
"I understand," Says Tazuna. "Go, now."
I hear Sakura running for the dome as Kakashi utters her name, and cries out, "Take this!!" I flick my violet gaze to see her leap into the air and throw Sasuke's kunai at Sasuke, who is facing it with a hand outstretched. To everyone's shock, Haku stretches out a hand and snatches the weapon out of the air. "He caught it!"
Haku spins the knife down, pausing in his barrage of throwing needles and allowing both Sasuke, who is scratched up, a pause. Sasuke has it worse.
Sasuke grunts as he slumps from his crouching position, hand outstretched as though to catch the kunai.
Just then, a shuriken comes flying around, out of nowhere, and strikes Haku's mask head-on, making the boy grunt as he's knocked clean out of his mirror. Haku hits the floor face first with a thud.
I look back at where the shuriken had come from. Sakura utters, "Huh?" There's a huge cloud of smoke from a smoke bomb as we stare at that spot. "Who is it?"
Haku states as he pushes himself to his feet, "Number 1 Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja." There's a deep crack in the center of Haku'smask where the shuriken had sliced it.
The blue eyed male announces, "Naruto Uzumaki is here, believe it! Hehe!"
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As the smoke clears, Naruto says, "Heh! Now that I'm here, everything will be alright!"
Tazuna gasps in immense relief as Sakura exclaims, just as relieved, "Naruto!!"
Naruto partly clenches a fist as he says, "You know how in stories, the hero usually shows up at the last minute, and then kicks butt?" He points at Zabuza as he adds, "Well, that's what I'm gonna do right now! Believe it!"
Zabuza, Kakashi, Sasuke and I deadpan or glare at the blonde in annoyance.
Naruto calls as Haku sits up, "Alright! You're history! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto places his hands in the Ram sign as Zabuza and Kakashi gasp, their eyes widening.
Zabuza throws a bunch of shuriken at Naruto as Kakashi cries, "No!! Naruto, move!!"
Naruto screams fearfully as the weapons near him, but before they could pierce his flesh, a bunch of senbon strike the shuriken out of the air, much to our shock,
Sakura says, "They didn't get him."
"The weapons cancelled each other out," Explains Tazuna. "Amazing. Now, that's what I call lucky, I think."
Sakura and I snap at Naruto, both of us flustered as I nearly anime fall off the bridge and into the swirling depths below, "What are you doing, Naruto?! Are you crazy?!!"
Barely with a glance in the direction of my voice, Kakashi scolds him, hands on his hips, "This is a battle, not a talent show! Don't let your opponent see your Jutsu!" Naruto gasps at this. "The Shinobi's art is devotion! Always keep the enemy guessing! Even when executing a single Jutsu, one must distract their opponent's attention, catch them off balance, and outmanoeuvre them." Kakashi narrows his eye as he adds, "You just turned yourself into a moving target when you enter a battle like that!"
"AAAHHH!! I'M SORRY!! I WAS JUST TRYING TO RESCUE EVERYBODY!" Naruto cries out, clutching his head.
Kakashi adds, "But, there's another mystery here..." He turns his head to Haku and I do the same, wondering why he would save Naruto.
Zabuza snaps, "Haku! What are you doing?!"
Haku says as he straightens up, "Zabuza, this boy... let me fight him my own way. Please."
Naruto challenges, "Bring it on!!"
Haku stands up as Zabuza says, "Hmph! So you want me to leave this to you? Is that it, Haku? As usual, you're too soft!"
Haku bows his head and apologises, "Forgive me."
Sasuke glances at Haku with furrowed brows.
Sakura demands as she glances to me, still sitting on the railing, "Kimiko! Why aren't you helping them?!"
I gaze at her boredom as I reply, "Because I can't be bothered, that's why."
Naruto yells, pointing to the ice user, "I'm warning you! One way or another, I'm gonna rip off that mask, and take you apart!"
Kakashi looks ready to intervene when Zabuza steps in his path again. Zabuza warns him, "Don't even think about it! You know the score, Kakashi: if you go after Haku, I go after the bridge builder." Kakashi gasps as he looks back at Tazuna and Sakura. "Relax, Kakashi!" The Hatake returns his attention to Zabuza. "Sit back and enjoy the show. Let's see how they do... one on one."
Naruto says in recognition, "That mask...! And your bogus story! You were with Zabuza all along! You think you can get away with a stunt like that?!"
Haku apologises, surprising Naruto, "I'm sorry. But as your Sensei said: deceiving your opponent, catching them off guard, that is the art of the shinobi. Please don't take it personally."
Sasuke throws a kunai at Haku but the brown eyed boy jerks his head back and the knife flies right past him, startling Naruto.
Naruto looks at the Uchiha as he utters, "Sasuke?"
Haku says without looking at Sasuke and I, "I haven't forgotten about you—not for an instant." Haku adds as he turns slightly to Sasuke, "Some warriors accept defeat gracefully. They know when they are beaten. Others do not. So be it! Let us finish our battle then, to the death!"
"Wh...?! Hey! Where are you going?!" Naruto exclaims as Haku steps back towards the mirrors.
"It's alright, Naruto," Haku says, pausing but without looking at him. "We'll have our fight next."
Sasuke still crouches as Haku returns to the mirror in front of him.
"No, I'm behind you," Haku says from right behind us, having transported into the mirror. Sasuke looks to see his other reflections appearing.
However, Sasuke is thrown back by the senbon. Haku throws more, though the Uchiha is unable to deflect the all.
"Sasuke, Naruto! Think! You need to attack from the outside and from the inside at the same time!" Kakashi calls.
"Hey! I snuck in here to save you. Pretty cool move, huh, Sasuke?" Naruto asks, startling Sasuke into crying out in shock.
Kakashi tells Naruto with a deadpan look on his face, "Naruto, you sneak up on your enemy—not your ally."
"You are a complete loser!!" Sasuke yells. " You're a shinobi!! Think carefully before you move!!"
Naruto shouts back, "What the heck's your problem?! You should thank me for coming in here to help you!"
Sasuke scowls in annoyance as he clenches his fist and looks away, "Naruto, if the two of us are stuck inside here... grrr!! Forget it!! I've had it with your mistakes!!"
"And I've had it with both your attitude, believe it!!" Naruto shouts back.
Sasuke gets up and whips around to Haku.
"That's it!! I'm gonna destroy these things right now!! Fire Style...." Sasuke begins, doing hand signs.
Naruto wants to know, "Hey! What attack are you using?!"
Sasuke explains, "These mirrors are made of ice. So how do you destroy ice? Figure it out! Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke cups his hand around his mouth as he inhales and gathers exhales to the back of his throat, with me jumping out of the way. He then unleashes a huge burst of flames that hit the ice mirrors in front of us.
When they vanish, Sasuke gasps. The flames had barely melted the ice.
Naruto exclaims as he jumps to his feet, "That didn't do anything at all."
Haku tells Sasuke, "You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice."
Sasuke scowls in frustration.
Haku holds up more senbon and Sasuke goes to deflect them but this time, he wasn't fast enough. Naruto and Sasuke were hit with a barrage of senbon, slicing into their skin.
They're thrown back by the needles, landing on their butts.
Ouch, those things must've hurt...
Naruto exclaims as he sits up on his knees, and Sasuke and I sit forward, "Where is he?! Where's the needle attack coming from?! Are they clones?!" Naruto stands up and gazes around. "We've gotta find the real one! Which one is it?!"
I think, gazing at the Haku in front of us, "This isn't a clone Jutsu. It's a special technique that only Haku uses. When he steps inside a mirror, his reflection spreads out into the rest. This Jutsu allows him to move at the speed of light. Their only chance of defeating Haku is if they can hit him the second he leaves a mirror, but they have to be just as fast as the speed of light itself. "But, if they keep being pelted by needles like this, they wouldn't be able to a hit on him when he leaves a mirror."
"Look into every mirror as hard as you like. You'll never learn the secret," Says Haku.
Naruto shouts, doing a hand sign, "Oh, yeah?! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"No, don't!!" Sasuke shouts.
Naruto says as his army of Shadow Clones leap for Haku, "You've got a hundred mirrors?! Then, a hundred of me will smash them all! Then I'll find where you really are!"
The Narutos leap for Haku but Haku leaps out of the mirror. As he dashes through the Narutos, he slices them with his senbon. When Haku lands back in his mirror, the clones all poof away and the real Naruto collapses at Sasuke's feet.
Haku explains, "This isn't a clone Jutsu. It's a special technique that only I use. When I step inside a mirror, my reflection spreads out into the rest. This Jutsu allows me to move at the speed of light. Your only chance at beating me is to be as fast as the speed of light itself. Through my eyes, you appear to be moving in slow motion."
Kakashi gasps in realisation, "I knew it!! It's a bloodline trait—a Kekkei Genkai."
Zabuza chuckles as Sakura turns to Kakashi questioningly. She asks, ""Kekkei Genkai"? What is it?"
Kakashi explains, "It's like my Sharingan. You can't learn it; it has to be in your blood, in your genetic code, passed down from generation to generation with in a single clan."
Sakura says in realisation, trailing off, "But that means..."
"Yes. Even I can't copy that Jutsu," Kakashi finishes, frowning. "There's no way to destroy it, and no way to stop him."
I can copy it, though.
The thought hits me like a slap to the face and I train my eyes on the dome of ice mirrors. I activate my Tengan, feeling my eyes burn a brighter violet.
After a heartbeat, they return to normal and my Kekkei Genkai deactivates.
I smirk to myself.
Sasuke scowls up at Haku as he rests his arms on his knees. Naruto hangs his head as he says, "I couldn't break through." We swivel our heads to him. "So what?! He's not gonna stop me!" Haku gasps as the blue eyed boy trembles. "I'm not giving up, and I'm not gonna lose here! Because I have a dream, and no one's gonna take it away from me!" He looks up at Haku through one eye, the other squinted close from the pain. "Someday, I'll be respected in my village. That's my dream! To be the greatest Hokage!"
"Dreams..." Haku muses, trailing off. "... It was not my desire to be a shinobi. It's painful. I don't want to kill you. But if you advance, I will have no choice. Then I will kill the kindness in my own heart, and fully embrace the shinobi way, and there will be no mercy, no turning back. This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide. Now, I must fight for my dream, just as you fight for yours. Please do not blame me. I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him, and I face death for him, so that his dream may become reality. That is my dream. And, for the sake of that dream, if I must," Haku holds up a senbon, "I will act as a shinobi and take your lives!"
Naruto and Sasuke narrow their eyes at him.
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Sakura calls to us encouragingly, "Sasuke! Naruto! Take this guy out, you can do it!"
Kakashi tells her seriously, "Don't, Sakura! Don't push them."
"Huh?" The green eyed girl utters in confusion, turning to him.
"Even if they found some way to overcome the Mirror Jutsu, they still couldn't defeat this ninja."
Sakura gasps, mint green eyes wide, "How can you be so sure?!"
But Zabuza laughs at this.
Kakashi states, "They have the desire to win, but they don't have the instinct to kill." Sakura gasps at this. "That boy is a whole other breed. He lives for pain—he thrives on it."
Zabuza responds, "Exactly. Your village has become complacent. Your trainees never learn the most important lesson of all: to kill the feelings in their own hearts—to crush an opponent mercilessly, to destroy with no emotion or regret."
Sakura asks desperately, "But, then, Sensei! What are we going to do? Please, tell us!"
Kakashi tries to think of a plan, deciding between using his Sharingan or creating Shadow Clones and making a break for the Crystal Ice Mirrors. However, he comes up blank, scowling harshly from the frustration of it all.
Zabuza chuckles, "Sharingan? You're no fun, Kakashi; using the same old trick!" Zabuza then makes a run for Kakashi and then Sakura cries out:
"Sensei, no!"
My guess is, Zabuza must've stabbed his hand with a knife, or something.
Kakashi inquires, "If it's just "An old trick," why did you just stop me?"
The assassin laughs, stating matter-of-factly,"Let your opponent see your Jutsu too many times, and they'll find a way to use it against you."
Kakashi retorts, "Then, count yourself lucky. You're the only man alive who's seen my Sharingan twice. Show's over! There won't be a third time."
Zabuza laughs. "Even if you did defeat me, you have no chance against Haku." This makes Sakura gasp in shock. "When I found him, he was just a street kid, but I trained him in the most advanced ninja techniques. I taught him everything I know. Plus, he had special abilities that he refined on his own. The boy developed quickly. Soon, he could face the most powerful enemy. Outnumbered, in total darkness, it didn't matter. He could strike with perfect accuracy. He cared nothing for his own life, or the lives of others. He'd become a unique fighting machine—a shinobi. In the end, his powers surpassed even mine. His bloodline trait, the Kekkei Genkai, cannot be defeated by anyone. I've created a tool that can destroy anything that stands in my way. Unlike the useless punks that follow you around!"
Zabuza finishes as he yanks the kunai out of Kakashi's hand.
Naruto says determinedly, "I couldn't get to him. So I'll try it again. As many times as it takes! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Sasuke exclaims as the blonde creates more Shadow Clones, "Naruto, don't!!"
Naruto still doesn't listen as his clones poof into existence and they leap for Haku. Haku dashes between them and slices the clones with his senbon. The ravenette gasps when Haku suddenly appears before him and sends a barrage of needles at Sasuke.
Although, I could tell Haku was beginning to wear down.
Naruto cries out as he collapses beside me. He exclaims in frustration, sitting up, "How is he doing that?! One more time!" Naruto creates more Shadow Clones and they lunge for the Crystal Ice Mirrors.
As they do, Sasuke gets to his feet and kicks some water into the air.
"Don't you see that it's useless?" Haku asks in frustration. He dashes through the clones, dispersing them, and he slices me and Sasuke, but I saw him slow down.
Sasuke sits up and I notice the pondering look on his face.
Zabuza chuckles, "Do you think those Genin punks together could beat Haku? He's the ultimate! A battle tool of destruction!"
Kakashi asks rhetorically, "Are you finished bragging? You're starting to put me to sleep. Let's finish this—now!" The Jounin lifts up his headband, revealing his crimson orb with the three tomoe.
"Fine," Zabuza relents, sheathing his kunai, "bit there's one more thing you should know, a little more bragging, as you say."
"Hm?"
"Did you really think our last battle was just "win or lose?" That I took your attacks like some ranked Genin?! Haku was there, hiding—watching every move you made, studying your Sharingan. Haku can see a Jutsu once, and immediately devise a lethal counterattack. It's one of his... gifts. I've been waiting to see the look on your face when you realise your Sharingan has become worthless! You once said "The same Jutsu won't work on me twice." Well, now I'm telling you that. Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Then, the mist thickens incredibly as Zabuza's body vanishes into it.
"Sensei," Sakura says worriedly.
Kakashi tells her, "Sakura, stay with Tazuna."
The pinkette nods her head and runs over to the old man.
"Oh, Sakura."
"Follow my lead, Tazuna-san! And whatever happens, stay close!" Sakura orders him, gripping a kunai in her hand.
"Alright. I'll stay right behind you."
Naruto creates yet more clones as more needles appear in Haku's hand.
Sasuke unleashes fire from his mouth, right at the ice ninja.
Haku dodges that too. Haku briefly melts into a mirror before slicing through Naruto's clones with his needles again.
Sasuke unleashes another breath of fire. I notice the second blast of flame manages to singe the bottom of Haku's left pant leg.
Naruto tumbles to the ground before the Uchiha and Sasuke breathes heavily as Naruto struggles to his feet, scratched up from the senbon like Sasuke.
Sasuke smirks as though he's finally starting to understand the trick behind Haku's Jutsu.