Hey everyone here is the end of the bridge builder mission, I promise. This one will be kinda long. Sorry, not sorry. Enjoy:)
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We awoke the next day to a banging on the door. "Breakfast is ready everyone, eat up and do it quick we are training today." Called our sensei from the other side of the door. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and I all grumbled as we crawled out of our futons. "We're changing first so Sasuke-kun, Naruto get out." Sakura said throwing a pillow at Naruto. "Hey that's not fair! You got to change first last night." He whined in response. "Let's just get out dobe." Sasuke said pulling Naruto by the ear and exiting the room. We dressed quickly and let the boys in, we went and brushed our teeth then proceeded to the dinning room for breakfast prepared by Tsunami. The guys soon joined us and we ate quickly as instructed. After thanking her for the meal and cleaning up after ourselves, we followed our teacher into the woods.
"Alright everyone today we are going to practice chakra control. The art of chakra exertion and placement distribution. For example, if I want to climb this tree vertically I must focus my chakra into my feet and balance my weight with the density of the tree." He preformed the action as he spoke, "Easy enough right?" "Piece of cake." Naruto said confidently. We all took our places in front of our own tree and waited for further instructions. "Now just climb and mark the spot where you lost control. The goal is to eventually get to the top of the tree. Begin."
The other three practically sprinted up the tree, I on the other hand took my time. Why did I have to do this, this exercise is old news to me I've done it before? Sasuke and Naruto ended up marking about half up the tree. I casually turned toward them and giggled, I looked over to see Sakura sitting on a tree branch toward to top of the tree, smiling. She may just be a skill kinouchi yet. Turning my attention upward, I simply put my hands in my pockets and eventually stood on the tippy, top of the tree. Everyone looked up at me and their mouths were gapping open, well except papa of course. I checked out the view for a moment before I made my descent. When I reached the bottom, standing next to my father, I noticed Sasuke and Naruto were practically racing to see which one of them could make it to the top first. Sakura was clearly getting tired, she was trying desperately to touch the top as well.
Eventually she made it causing Naruto and Sasuke to grumble, I'd been reading a book for the passed three hours at that point. Sakura took a seat next to me, well more like collapsed next to me. Naruto came over to her and whispered something in her ear. She only smiled and whispered back, I raised my eyebrow as he walked back to his tree. "He wanted to know how we did it, didn't he?" She nodded and we laughed together. We sat and watched for another hour or so before papa called it for the night. "Sensei, I'd like to stay out and train longer." Naruto said huffing and puffing. "I'd like to as well." Sasuke said also clearly out of breath. They shot daggers at each other then turned to our teacher. "If you want, don't stay out to late." He said while walking away, Sakura and I waved at them and followed him. "They sure are persistent aren't they?" Sakura asked, "Well persistence is a good thing, don't you agree?" I said with a smile. She nodded her head and we talked the entire way back to Tazuna's house.
Several hours passed and Naruto and Sasuke stumbled in from training, of course at dinner time, always such perfect timing. They began to race while eating, only to make themselves sick. I stood to excuse myself when suddenly I became light-headed and collapsed to the ground. A vision of Sasuke lying on the ground, beaten to death and Naruto not far behind him blinded me from reality. I held my head in pain, trying to rid myself of the awful sight. The images were burning into my memory, the guardian spirit inside me wanted me to see this, but why? When my eyesight came back, to the world around me, team seven stood around me in worry. "What did you see Kiki-chan?" papa asked with worry in his eyes. Looking from face to face I tried to think of what to say when Inari ran up to me and jumped in my arms, crying. My heart clenched, why did this little boy, who gave Naruto grief, mean so much to me? I'd barely spoken a word to him since being here. Then much like the first time I made contact with him, I saw all the pain he'd every experienced and a single tear fell from my eye. I hugged him tightly and everyone backed away, leaving us to hold each other, "You scared me, I thought you were going to leave me alone, golden eyes." My hold on him grew even tighter with those words. "Why, do you touch my heart so, child?" He sniffled into my shirt then pulled away and looked at me. "You're special that's why. Don't leave me okay? I don't want to be alone." My eyes widened at his words and the others looked on with mixed expressions. I put my forehead to his and my sigils began to glow, he opened his eyes wide and then closed them tightly when he noticed mine closed. All of the hurt he felt, transferred into me, and I grew weak from the emotional pain he felt. When every bit of the sadness was gone, he opened his eyes and I could tell he was at peace. I kissed his forehead then smiled, nodded and stood, I gave a bow to the others and retired to my room. The rest of team seven came in shortly after and not a word was spoken as we all settled into bed. That night I cried myself into a restless sleep.
The next day we accompanied Tazuna to the bridge he and his crew were working on. We lent a hand when we noticed a group of the workers approach him. "Tazuna, we can't help you anymore, not with that gang trying to stop all this from happening, we don't want to end up like... Well you know. We're sorry friend." One of them said on behalf of the group. They left us, Tazuna grumbled but understood where they were coming from. The entire reason he was building the bridge was so the village wouldn't have to rely on the services of Gato and his gang. He lost a man he considered a son and who Inari considered a father to Gato. That pain is what I saw each time I touched him... This bridge, would liberate the land of waves, travel and transportation wise.
About three hours into working on the bridge, fog began to roll in. I looked around then my eyes fell onto Tazuna and a man behind him, the man, father called Zabuza. I jumped into action and called out to the others at the same time. I teleported to Tazuna and pulled him out of the way of Zabuza's sword in the knick of time. In the process however I obtained a cut on the upper part of my calf. As I landed, Tazuna and I hit the ground hard, I saw Zabuza running toward us sword drawn, Sasuke and Naruto were distracted by a masked person I'd never seen before and Sakura and our sensei were thrown off by his speed. With my leg injured, I couldn't properly defend Tazuna so I did the only thing I thought I could. Before Zabuza could make a fatal blow on Tazuna, I threw myself over his body shielding him. Then I felt a deep pain in my side, my eye shot open and I coughed, I was face to face with Tazuna and saw terror on his face but not only that... I saw my blood splattered there.
I winced as the blade was yanked from my side, I coughed up more blood, this time in a puddle beside Tazuna's head. "Foolish child, throwing yourself in the way of my kill, I no longer am getting paid for the old man, he is personal at this point, but you, you're still worth a lot. You'll die too, what a pity for a beauty to die for no reason!" I looked up in time to see him drawing his sword back and I smiled, "death isn't something I fear, but you should." He looked at me confused and I launched myself at him pushing him away from Tazuna, stabbing him in the chest in the process. Giving Sakura the chance to run to Tazuna's aid. Still weak, Zabuza tossed me like a rag doll, I stood but in a blink, I collapsed to my knees and my father appeared in front of me in a protective stance.Blood poured from my side like a waterfall and trickled from my mouth. This wound was much to deep to try and heal... Shit, this is bad, I heard a commotion just in front of me, there was a room made of ice. That must be where the boys were. I activated my Tengokugan, to see passed the walls, my fear was realized, Sasuke was on the ground dying, I could see just the slightest hint of red in his eyes, he activated his Sharingan. Tears fell from my eyes. Naruto was beaten too, but I saw the demon chakra within him resonating, my eyes started to blur and I deactivated my kekkei genkai. Suddenly the ice mirrors shattered and everyone turned to see what was going on. While he was distracted, my father launched toward Zabuza, chidori ready, when the boy who once had a mask on, jumped in the way, taking the blow to the chest. There was a look of guilt on my father's face. The fog cleared as the boy he called Haku fell to the ground. "You can't do your job right clearly so we'll take care of you and the bridge builder at the same time." We all turned to see Gato and his gang with weapons. Zabuza was beaten badly by my father, but he found the strength to fight his way through the crowd sustaining many wounds but he made his mark on Gato. The gang members ran in fear, as they saw their leader fall and the mob of villagers approaching ready to defend themselves.
Zabuza fell to the ground, weak, "Bring Haku to me." He called to my father. Papa did as he asked, my vision began to blur again and I grabbed my gushing side, falling from my knees, onto my back. My hearing began to fade as everything began to darken around me. I turned my head to the left and saw Tazuna and my father talking to Zabuza, I could see his soul leaving his body, something only a Siada can see. I felt sad, for I knew he wouldn't be able to join the young Haku where he was going. I turned my head to the right, in time to see Sakura run to a Sasuke, I thought was dead. I saw his chest rise and fall once and smiled. Sakura and Naruto cheered, I looked up to the sky, taking in the last glimpse of life and what it had to offer. I looked to Sasuke one more time and how he let Sakura hold him. 'I hope you have a happy life.' I thought with a smile as pain racked my body one last time. Closing my eyes I prayed, 'Dear sage please accept me, the last light of this clan dims tonight.' Still smiling I thought of Itachi and the promise I made to him... 'I'm sorry Itachi, I can't keep this promise.' An image of him and my sister playing with Sasuke and I overtook my vision. Is this death? Cold bodies, and flashes of ones life? I can't wait any longer, I need to give in to sleep, I felt my right forearm heat up, I must have gained the last sigil in my life. The last thing I heard was Sasuke screaming my name, and foots steps running toward me, "You promised I wouldn't be alone, golden eyes! You took the pain, don't cause me more." Came Inari's voice, fading in and out. I was lifted into a set of arms, I knew this embrace, a comfortable one, only Sasuke could hold me like this. I breathed in, then out, in, out, in.... And I was gone.