As Kakashi stands behind Zabuza, his Kunai knife at prime throat slicing position, Sakura and Naruto just sit there dumbfounded. Silence sweeps the area around, all that can be herd is the low breeze flowing around.
"You're finished." Kakashi says, a twinge of anger in his voice.
"huh?" Naruto questions, taking a small gulp ,he continues with an enthusiastic "Alright!" Sakura just chuckles lightly to herself, while Sasuke just stares at the situation waiting for his moment to strike.
"hemem" Zabuza begins to lowly chuckle. "Finished?" he questions Kakashi, "You really don't get it, do you? You're technique is nothing but a mere imitation, i'll never be defeated but a copycat ninja like you. You are full of surprises though, you'd already copied my Water Clone Jutsu when you made your little speech, very skilfully executed. you made your clone say those words to draw my attention. While you hid in the mist waiting for me to make my move. Nice try, but I'm not that easy to foul!"
As I look towards my sensei, who now has two Zabuza's to take care of.
'Another water clone?' I question in my head.
My question doesn't go long unanswered, because one of the Zabuza's turns to water and splashes on the ground.
"HEY, THAT ONES A CLONE TO!" Naruto shouts, observing the whole scenario.
Zabuza then quickly swings his sword at Kakashi, only for the silver haired Jounin to duck out of the way, the sword narrowly missing his head, the sword the hits the ground behind Zabuza. With a few quick adjustments of his hand, uses the sword to help kick Kakashi in the face, sending him flying through the air. Zabuza quickly pulls his sword from the ground and begins chasing after Kakashi with great speed, the sword trailing behind him. He comes to a sudden stop and turns to face us, before leaping away. Mere seconds after Zabuza leaped away Kakashi landed in the water behind where Zabuza had stopped.
"SENSEI!" Naruto yells, shock and concern spread far across his face.
"He has great physical strength too." I here Sasuke say.
"No kidding." I say watching as our Sensei slowly rises from the water.
"Harr, Foul." Zabuza say, appearing behind Kakashi, Zabuza the proceeds to make hand signs, before following up with "Water prison Jutsu".
Kakashi is then engulfed by a blue ball of water, one of Zabuza's hands are also in the ball, probably to keep the connection of chakra flowing.
"This prison is made of water, but it is stronger than steel. It's hard to fight when you can't move. So much for the great Kakashi, I'll finish you off later, but first." Zabuza now turns to look at us. "Your little friends will have to be eliminated." He then proceeds by moving his free hand above his face, making the clone hand seal. A humanoid body then proceeds to climb out of the water, as it is created it starts off as pure water and has the figure of Zabuza, but then quickly becomes him as it stands up straight.
"You think wearing a head band makes you a ninja?" The clone questions us. "When you've hovered between life and death so many times it doesn't phase you, then you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly your profile is entered in my bingo book, then you may have earned the title ninja, but to call up starts like you ninja is a joke."
As Zabuza disappears again, we're all put on edge.
'he could be just about anywhere.' I think to myself. As I ready my kunai slowly, avoiding a cut on my hand again, Naruto is sent flying. A swift kick from the Zabuza clone sent the little blonde flying, it also managed to knock his forehead protector off which I only notice when the clone stomps on it.
"You're just brats." It finishes it's lecture.
"NARUTO!" Sakura yells in concern.
"Don't worry I got him." I say leaping over towards my teammate.
"Listen, get the bridge builder and run, you can't win this fight." Kakashi says from his watery prison. Buy this time I've managed to make it over to Naruto, and help him up. "He's using all his power to keep me in this prison, so he can only fight you with his water clone, but the clone can't go far from his real body, if you get far enough away from him, he can't follow. NOW RUN!"
'That would've been an option before if it was someone else. But not someone from this team.' I think, scrunching up my face as Kakashi tells us to leave him.
"So you're thinking it to huh?" Naruto questions. "We can't just leave Kakashi, he's basically our only hope."
"We have to do this!" Sasuke yells before quickly running towards the clone.
"Sasuke no!" I shout, but its already too late.
Sasuke begins throwing shuriken in an attempt to harm the clone. Zabuza's clone just swipes them away weakly with his sword, Sasuke then leaps high into the air and brandishes a kunai high above his head, free falling back down to the clone. Only to be stopped a mere meter from his face, The water clone has a firm grip on his throat, anticipating the next move to be a neck snap, I go to look away. The only sounds that I hear involve Sakura crying. "Sasuke NO!" and Naruto shaky voice say "He got Sasuke."
"You mean he killed him?" I ask. Eyes still shut tight.
"Are you kidding me, you closed your eyes? That's so lame Zentish." Naruto says bluntly.
I slowly begin to open my eyes, just cause I really don't wanna be called lame again. Big mistake. When they open I see Sasuke's limp body over in the distance and the clone standing right in front of me.
'H-he killed Sasuke, and I didn't even try and stop him, I'm no team player, I should've tried to help. He killed Sasuke and I didn't do anything, Sasuke and I weren't even friends, but he was my team mate, so I guess, I'm gonna try, and avenge the avenger.' Looking up at the tall clone I grit my teeth.
"Get back Naruto." I say roughly, through my teeth.
Naruto goes to move back but when he hits his bandaged hand against the ground he freezes.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" I ask him.
No response.
"Naruto, Take Sakura and the bridge builder and get out of here." I tell the frozen blonde I'll distract the clone. Then I'll try and free Kakashi, hopefully you would've gotten far away by then and..."
"No," Naruto says, clenching his bandaged hand. "we do this together."
"Right." I nod at the blonde, who stands inches in front of me.
"AHHHHH!" Naruto yells running towards Zabuza, with me following right behind.
"Naruto, Zentish. NO!" Kakashi yells from the ball of water.
"Ahhhh Zentish, Naruto, What in the world are you two doing?" Sakura yells.
The two of us continue running towards him, mere moments before we hit Zabuza's clone everything seems to go in slow motion, I notice more, like Naruto reaching down for the clones foot, Or for his headband, I also notice a hand reaching for my neck.
'so his gonna kill me the same way he did Sasuke. Pathetic.' Everything speeds back up and Naruto is sent flying again, while I'm hung high in the air by the clone grip around my neck. As I struggle to free myself I hear Naruto hit the floor. my arms and legs flying furiously around the place, attempting to get some grip on either my hands or feet.
"This is goodnight." The clone says, tightening it's grip around my neck.
Losing the air flow in my neck, I begin to struggle more furiously. Clawing at the arm, kicking the chest.
"Zentish, I'm coming!" Naruto's eager voice calls from behind me. I hear him leap high in the sky.
'wait, Could I?' I think looking at the clones chest, I position my feet against it. 'man I hope this works.'
Using all my strength I grab the thumb that is around my neck and pull it, slowly but surely, it moves. Giving me once chance, I then transfer chakra into my feet and push off, flying back from the clone's body and towards my teammates. Naruto quickly lands and then leaps back at them as well, landing with a hard thud, I quickly take an excessive amount of deep breaths, just to regain my breathing.
"You two are both morons, Zentish you almost died." Sakura says, sounding extremely concerned.
"But I... didn't." I say through a deep breath.
"Even Sasuke couldn't get to him, two Genin against a Jounin and all for a forehead protector. That's practically a double suicide. It wouldn't of made anything better, in fact all it did was make things worse." Sakura cries out to the both of us.
Looking up at her I see Sasuke standing off to the side, Alive.
"I thought... Sasuke was dead.... And what do you mean all for ... a forehead protector." I say, slowing the breaths. "Is that what you were reaching .... For Naruto?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I put you in that danger Zentish." He says squatting down to me.
"I was gonna ... do it anyway Naruto... it's ok." I say smiling.
Naruto then stands up and offers me a hand and I stand up with him.
"Hey you, the freak with no eyebrows." Naruto yells at the two Zabuza's. "Put this in your bingo book. The Ninja that will become Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves," Tying the headband onto his head. "he never backs down. His name is Naruto Uzumaki."
"And I Zentish Anashu.... Friend of Naruto Uzumaki and.... future guardian of his friends and his village, will require a spot.... In that bingo book."
Anime veins are now popping on the side of his head.
"Alright listen up, since Zentish is out of this I'm going to need your help for this plan Sasuke." Naruto says.
"No I'm ... fine." I reply.
"Zentish you're gonna need to regain your breathing first." He replies and then looks over to Sasuke.
"Are we going to be working as a team or are you going to do to me what you did to Zentish?" Sasuke replies, skeptical to the idea.
"Don't worry, We're doing this together. Now c'mon, let's run wild!" Naruto says with the same enthusiasm he always has ever.
*****
Sakura and I stand near the bridge builder, Naruto tells Sasuke the plan they both nod their heads and get ready to begin.
"Haaaa.." I sigh heavily. "I wish I could've ... helped more."
"Zentish," Sakura chimes from beside me. "You already tried to do something heroic, and you almost died in the process, you should be glad that you're not in this one."
"Yeah and besides," The bridge builder adds. "You and Naruto have a lot of guts trying to go up against a ninja like Zabuza, I'm just sorry I got you all into this mess."
"Well, it ... had to be someone." I reply.
"Ok, ready?" Naruto questions, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Lets bring this guy down."
"Big words for such a little man. You think your plan is going to keep you in the game?" Zabuza asks rhetorically.
"What are you doing! I told you to run!" Kakashi yells from his ball. "This fight was over the moment I got caught and what happened to Zentish and Naruto, didn't that give you any indication of what is going to happen the next time you try? Now take off! Your mission is not to prove how brave you are, it's to save the bridge builder. Stay on mission!"
"Hmm, Bridge builder?" Naruto questions, turning around slowly.
"Well, I ahh. i guess this all happened because of me." Tazuna says, admitting once again this is his fault. "Because of my desire to live, but I wont let that stand in your way now." Now raising his head, to look directly at us. "Forget about me and do what you have to do, go ahead and fight to save your sensei."
"Alright, you hear that?" Sasuke says, a smirk visible from the back of his head.
"Yeah, believe it. you ready?" Naruto says.
the two of them stand tall facing towards Zabuza and his clone, determination swirling all around them.
"You really haven't learned anything have you?" A chuckling clone says. "Still playing your little game, pretending to be ninja. When I was your age, this hand had already crush many of opponents."
'Crushed many opponents, at our age? what is this guy?'
"Zabuza, The Demon!" Kakashi says, motionless withing the ball.
"Ohh? So I was in your book too? Huh?" Zabuza questions.
"Long ago in the village hidden in the mist, also known as blood mist village, before a student could become a ninja, there was one final test."
"So you know about the graduation exam?" Zabuza says, voice dark and creepy.
"What graduation exam?" Naruto questions.
"I think they were ... just about to tell us." I reply taking a seat as Zabuza begins laughing.
"Whats the big deal? we had graduation exams too." Naruto says while Zabuza continues to laugh.
eventually he stops and begins to explain.
"Did you have to kill the other students to pass?" he says, sounding serious.
"Woah, you had to k-kill your friends!" I shout, disgusted and shocked by what the hidden mist would do to its ninja.
"Yes I had to, but imagine, young ninja like yourselves, eating together, training together and then comes the final exam, only they've changed the rules, kill or be killed, you can't stop while your opponent still breathes, Even if he was your friend, shared your dreams. Now it's him or you."
"That's so cruel." Sakura says shaking.
She's scared clueless, I wish I could help her.
"Ten years ago, in the Village Hidden in the Mist, the graduation exam... Changed." Kakashi begins lecturing. "One year before, a dark evil had filled the school with terror. With out pause or hesitation, a young boy, who was not even a ninja, approached the class and took down over a hundred other students."
"It.... It felt so ... GOOD!" Zabuza now taking a much darker tone, his thirst for blood can be heard in his voice.
the four of us stand still, paralyzed with fear. waiting for what comes next, but we don't have to wait long. soon enough the Zabuza clone elbows Sasuke in the stomach, sending him flying. Sasuke skids across the ground, alone for only moments. Zabuza comes crashing down on him again elbow first into the stomach, blood burst out of Sasuke's mouth as his body winces in pain. "SASUKE!" sakura yell's, powerless to do anything we all watch as Zabuza proceeds to step on him, pinning him to the ground. "You're nothing." Zabuza says, holding the hilt of his sword. "Stop right there." Naruto suddenly calls out. "Shadow clone Jutsu." many exact copies of Naruto appear around Sasuke and the clone, ready to attack. "Ahh, shadow clones? and there's quite a few of them." Zabuza observes, only for the clones to all ready their Kunai and shout "Here we go."before leaping atop of Zabuza's Clone. a few seconds later the clone manages to fling it's sword around, knocking all the other clones and the real Naruto away.
"His skills are to advanced." Zabuza observes. "He's too power full, there's no way to defeat him."
"Sasuke!" Naruto yells as he throws a large weapon in the air.
Sasuke the quickly leaps onto his two feat and grabs it, doing a few spins he manages to come to a stop facing towards the clone with a smile on his face. "Demon Wind Shuriken," He yells as the weapon is now full assembled. "Windmill of shadows."
"A Shuriken? You'll never touch me with that?" The Clone says.
Sasuke then quickly jumps up into the air and does another spin to gain momentum for the Skuriken, he then lets go of it and it begins hurdling towards the clone, suddenly it makes a few sharp turns and begins barreling towards the real Zabuza. moments before it his him, Zabuza manages to catch it, the satisfied look on his face soon disappears as a new Demon Wind Shuriken comes into view, on a lower trajectory, it doesn't take much for Zabuza to jump right over it and allow it to pass right underneath, The Shuriken turns to smoke and a Kunai wielding Naruto appears in it's place.
"So this was the plan? Clever."
"Eat this!" Naruto yells, before throwing his Kunai directly at Zabuza.
Ok so I haven't updated this in a really long time and i'm extremely sorry for the late update. But I finished now, and i'm gonna try and allocate more time to writing this, i just have had so much stuff to do and haven't really had much time to write, so if you're still reading this, thank you for sticking around :) it is appreciated.
Thanks and I hope you're enjoying it :)