Rima’s p.o.v
I stalked out of the broken doorway after Kakashi and pulled my fist back for another punch but Naruto jumped in the way. He gripped my arm tightly in one hand and latched onto the wrist of my other hand with the other.
“What are you doing? You can’t hit Kakashi-sensei! Rima! Snap out of it!” he continued to prattle on but as I watched Kakashi kneel on the ground with Sakura and Sasuke crowding him, well just Sakura, Sasuke stood close by doing nothing, an old memory rose to the surface of my mind.
“Daddy?” a chubby three year old me tugged on his pants as he sat at the dinner table.
Kakashi glanced down with a smile and picked me up, setting me on the table so I faced him. “What is it, sweetie?”
“Why do you and Mommy have to fight? I don’t understand why?”
“You see Rima, we have to fight to protect the village and the people in it,” he replied as he sharpened his kunai.
“But why? Why you and her? Why not somebody else?” I wondered.
He paused for a moment, thinking. “Because it’s what our parents did and what we want to do, darling.”
I nodded. “I’ll be a ninja too! I’ll protect you and Mommy!”
He grinned and stroked my hair. “You don’t need to worry about protecting me and Mommy. That’s my job as the Daddy. I’ll will always protect and fight for you Rima, you and your Mother, always. Remember that.”
“Promise?” I asked holding out my pinkie.
He covered mine with his, “I swear.”
“But you lied,” I mumbled.
“And it’s not the way a shi...huh? Rima? Did you say something?” Naruto asked cutting his rant off.
I looked past him and met Kakashi’s gaze. “You lied to me.”
“What?” Sakura asked glancing between us.
“You swore to me that you’d protect us, and you lied.”
“Rima,” he pushed himself to his feet.
“No, no excuses! You swore to me! Swore that you’d fight and protect us but you didn’t! You abandoned us! I was a child and you lied to me! You left her, you let her die! I lost my mother because of you!”
Naruto released me and backed away as did Sakura; they were confused and didn’t know what to do.
“You said that people who abandon their friends are worse than scum,” I hissed. “You abandoned your wife and child! What does that make you?”
Sakura gasped.
She does that a lot, I thought watching my father. Tears glistened in his uncovered eye.
“You have no right to cry!” I snarled. “You are the one at fault! You are not meant to cry! It’s because of you that I was sent away! You wouldn’t let Ibiki stop them! You let me go. Did you ever care for me at all? Where you ever truly my father?”
“Rima,” he whispered.
I shook my head, backing up as the dam inside me began to crack and tears blurred my vision. I whirled and disappeared into the direction of the town.
I huddled on the roof of one of the many houses in the town and cursed myself over and over again.
How could I do that? Now Sakura and Naruto will pity me and I don’t want their stinking PITY! That’s the worst thing, people pitying you. I hate it, I hate him!
I fiddled with my mother’s old locket, the one I found clutched in her hand eight years ago. I’d never taken it off since that day and I didn’t play on changing that any time soon.
“You’re hard to find, you know that.”
“Go away, Uchiha.”
“Can’t,” he sat beside me and deliberately didn’t look at me. I was thankful for that. “It’s either me of one of the other two and I didn’t think you’d want one of them with you.”
“What makes you think I want you?” I asked wiping my eyes and taking a shaky breath.
“Every girl wants me,” he smirked.
“Not this one,” I retorted.
“You did earlier in the forest,” he taunted.
“I could say that right back at you.”
“Come on admit it, you want me,” he whispered in my ear.
I knew what he was doing. He was only distracting me from what I was feeling, only playing with me but I appreciated it so much so that I played right back.
I turned my head slightly and rested my hand on his chest. Getting to my knees, I leaned into him and breathed against his lips, “I want you.”
He stiffened and stared at me transfixed.
I pulled back laughing. “Look at your face.”
Sasuke glared at me.
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” I grinned, feeling better.
He ‘hn’ and stood jumping away.
“Thank you Sasuke,” I whispered before following him.
Who knew the cold hearted Uchiha had a fun side.
Days passed and the boys continued to train. I spent most of my time out in the forest with Shadow and Dawn trying to perfect our technique. I was only at the house for food and to sleep, I spent little to no time there. I kept away from Kakashi as much as I could. I couldn’t deal with him yet.
Today though was different.
We were going to the bridge with Tazuna. Well, all except Naruto, the stupid Blob had wasted his chakra training.
The walk to the bridge was long and silent. My pups were also staying back at the house. The little twits had snuck another bottle of sake and were dealing with the after effects of it once again. Like last time they sang and danced, pissed Sasuke off, while embarrassing Naruto and ignoring Sakura. It was all fun and games until Dawn fell off the table, hitting a knife that landed sharp end down on the wooden seat between Sasuke’s legs inches from ending any thoughts he had of reviving his clan.
He got mad and went all Uchiha on their asses but the buggers hid behind me and well let’s just say, I went all Rima on his ass.
Stepping onto the bridge, I immediately knew something was off. There was a feel to the air that I didn’t like.
“Hold on, what the heck is this?” Tazuna questioned stopping.
I stepped around him and noted how everyone working on the bridge was either hurt or dead. There was only one man who could have done this.
“What happened? Someone was here, someone got to them,” He continued.
“Obviously,” I replied scanning the area.
Mist began to drift in, surrounding us. It was think and dense. I couldn’t see much.
“This mist,” Kakashi murmured. “Sasuke, Sakura, Rima, get ready.”
I pushed Tazuna back behind me so he stood in the middle of the four of us and waited.
“Kakashi-sensei, its Zabuza isn’t it? This is his mist technique,” Sakura said holding her kunai before her.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” I sang creepily clenching my fist.
“Rima, don’t,” Kakashi warned.
“Sorry I kept you waiting Kakashi, I see you’ve still got those brats with you,” Zabuza’s voice spoke but I could find the body. “That one’s still trembling, pitiful”
I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see that Sasuke was indeed trembling. A Zabuza clone appear before each of us, I straightened and leaned back slightly.
“Go on Sasuke, your ego has been hit, deal with them,” I said bored.
Sasuke smirked. “I’m trembling with excitement.”
Kakashi encourage Sasuke as the clone swung at him. I tilted my head backwards as Sasuke attacked each of them.
I wonder what I’ll get for dinner when we return to the Leaf? Or who will I be staying with?
“Oh, you could see they were water clones, huh? The brats improving,” Zabuza said appearing in front of Kakashi with a...boy or was he a she? “It seems you have a rival Haku.”
“So it seems,” this Haku replied.
His/her face was covered by a mask and he/she wore clothes that made it hard to decipher if it were a he or she.
“God damn it!” I stepped around Tazuna and stood beside Sasuke. “Another one? Isn’t it bad enough that you think you’re part cow, now you have to go and mess up this kid? Seriously?”
“You’re alive?” Zabuza said slightly taken back.
“Yeah no thanks to you,” I growled. “I could hardly die with the freaking insult you gave me!”
“A true swordsmen-,” he murmured.
“Is never killed by their blade,” I finished.
“Well well, I had it right. It was all an act,” Kakashi said. “With a cute little mask.”
Is Kakashi coming on to this Haku? That mask ain’t cute!
“Sakura close your mouth,” I said as her jaw hung open.
“Big phony,” Sasuke added.
“He’s got some nerve facing us after the stunt he pulled,” Sakura said.
“And hiding behind a mask, who does he think he is?” Kakashi asked.
“Ahem, speak for yourself, Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura replied.
“That’s it I’m taking him out,” Sasuke declared. “Who does he think he’s fooling, hiding behind that mask like some kind of clown?”
I sweat dropped, Idiots, I’m surrounded by idiots.
“Sasuke,” Sakura gushed. “You’re so cool.”
I tugged on my loose hair and twirled it around my fingers, If only I had some gum, then I would be complete.
“Stay out of it, Rima,” Sasuke warned.
“Huh? Do I look like I’m going to interrupt? Or give a damn for that matter?” I answered.
Haku blurred into action as I stuck my hair into my mouth. He became like a mini-whirlwind and advanced closer and closer.
“Come on Uchiha, I thought you said you had this,” I noted.
Sasuke and Haku ended up in a kind of test of strength with a kunai and...a needle.
“Really?” I asked but was ignored.
“Sakura, Rima, cover Tazuna and stay close to me,” Kakashi ordered as they continued to press against each other. “Let Sasuke handle this.”
Sakura jumped in front of Tazuna and I stood to the side and slightly ahead of her. Again and again the two clashed and Haku spoke to Sasuke but I turned them out.
Something was happening back at the house. My wolves had woken and they weren’t happy. I could feel it.
Haku lifted his free hand and began to make hand signs with it. I raised an eyebrow at that. Impressive. The water surrounding them rose into the air and solidified into needles.
They fell towards Sasuke...But Sasuke wasn’t there. He had launched himself into the air and now plummeted on a surprised Haku. He flung some throwing stars and appearing behind Haku.
They fought and ended up with Sasuke kicking Haku to where he landed at Zabuza’s feet.
“You made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats. That’s just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke’s attitude,” Kakashi said. “He’s the best young fighter of the hidden leaf village. And Sakura here is our sharpest mind. And last but not least, our number one hyper active knucklehead ninja is Naruto.”
Out of all three of them only one was true and it wasn’t the first two, I thought, not letting it sting that he didn’t mention me.
“You forgot that one,” Haku pointed out indicating to me.
“You’re own daughter,” Zabuza added.
“There is nothing I can say about Rima with will summarise her skill and talent as a shinobi. She is my daughter therefore it goes without question that she is the best,” Kakashi said proudly.
Bullshit.
Haku’s chakra surrounded him in the form of blue flames almost. “I’m sorry it’s come to this,” he said. He made a hand sign and the water turned to ice and rose forming a dome of mirrors. Sasuke was trapped inside.
“Well, this can’t be good,” I predicted.
Haku walked over and into the mirror. He then appeared in all of them. Kakashi moved to help Sasuke but Zabuza stepped in front of him.
“If you enter this fight, you fight me,” Zabuza threatened. “Your boy has no chance against that jutsu, he’s finished.”
I frowned, something was happening in the dome.
“Sasuke!” Sakura called just before his kunai flew through the air and landed at her feet. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay with you. Forgive me.”
“I understand,” Tazuna replied. “Go now.”
Sakura ran ahead and flung her kunai at the mirror, it did nothing only ended up giving Haku a better weapon.
Not the brightest thing for the sharpest mind to do, don’t you think?
“Guess it’s up to me,” I muttered spitting out the piece of hair.
“Rima!” Kakashi called.
I raced forward, going so fast I was just a blur and lunged into the air. I grabbed Haku’s out stretched arm and used the force of my fall to yank him from the mirror. We tumbled onto the ground and I jumped up swinging with my samurai.
Haku blocked with his needle again and again. We ended up in the same little test of strength he had with Sasuke, but unlike Sasuke I wasn’t going to let him attack.
“Think you’re the only one who can do anything one handed?” I asked and smashed my free fist into his face.
He sailed back and hit one of the mirrors but instead of going splat like a bug he was absorbed back into it.
“God damn it!” I snarled as his face appeared in all of the mirrors. “Get down here and fight me like a man!”
“You’re fast,” he replied. “Very fast. I’m sorry but you should have stayed out there.”
He zipped between the mirrors and began flinging needles at me. At first I could keep up and block them, thanks to Omoi’s training, but he wasn’t slowing and some of the needles got past my defence.
One in particular hit a nerve in my arm and it went limp. The samurai fell uselessly to the ground. I just unsheathed the other and poured a little chakra into it.
I clenched my fist around the hilt and swung in a wide arc. A solid shield formed around myself and Sasuke, blocking all attacks.
“RIMA!” Sakura cheered.
“You’re strong also,” Haku noted, ceasing his attack for the moment.
The shield fell and I staggered on my feet.
“The kind of jutsu must take a lot of chakra,” Zabuza called.
“Either get in here and fight me or shut the hell up, moo moo!” I shouted back.
Tazuna chuckled.
“Sasuke, you ok?” he didn’t look the best. He was bleeding for a lot of cuts.
“Fine,” he muttered. “You shouldn’t have come on here. I told you to stay out of it.”
“Well, excuse me for saving you sorry ass!”
Something was embedded into my lower back and my legs gave out. I collapsed to my knees and reached back to pull out a needle.
“You should really pay attention to your opponent,” Haku reminded us.
I growled and struggled to my feet. But my legs had become jelly and I just crumpled to the floor once again.
“Rima? You alright?” Sasuke asked.
“Think so, but my legs feel funny,” I replied as another shower of needles rained down on us.
I cried out covering my head as they pierced my skin and released a continuous flow of blood. Sasuke hunched over more.
I have to use it, I thought faintly. After this.
I felt the air around me moving softly with the flow of the needles. A needle hit me in the back in the neck; I gritted my teeth and ignored the pain focusing on the wind.
“Look!” Sakura gasped.
I knew what I looked like.
Light blue chakra buzzing around me, my hair zapping with lightning, my body glowing. My eyes opened and they were a light blue, like the sky, with what would seem like clouds passing through them. This was the power that people feared. This was the power they wanted but was the power only I possessed.
I screamed, shutting my eyes as the air became a solid force cutting off Haku’s attacks, just in time to for when I reopened my eyes there was a silver needle right before them grinning at me. I picked it out of the air and put it in my pocket. A little momentum.
“Impossible,” Haku breathed.
“Nothing is impossible for me,” I smirked.
I’d wasted too much energy, too much chakra though that last defence didn’t use any. I stood, my legs stable after I healed them with most of my chakra and face one of the many Haku’s.
I yanked the needle from the back of my neck and felt a tingling feeling dance down the back of my neck.
That’s not good, I thought. I need to fight it, I need to stay awake.
There was a pool of blood forming at my feet. I was woozy and my vision wasn’t the best. During the last attack, it seemed that Haku focused on me.
I raised a hand up towards him and called the flames to me. These ones were not blue or even red. They were a glowing green hissing and spiting as if fed from my anger.
I flung the fire at him as my legs began to shake. The hidden kunai zoomed past the mirror as flames vanished. I yanked the wire tied to the kunai and the kunai spun, heading back for him.
Just like last time, Haku’s hand snapped out of the mirror and caught the kunai but before I could pull him out with the wire a throwing star appeared out of nowhere and hit him knocking him out of the mirror and to the ground.
“Number one knucklehead ninja,” Haku muttered.
Bout freaking time, I thought taking a deep breath. While Naruto has him distracted, I’ll use it.
I didn’t what Naruto did but he ended up sailing through the air, past the mirrors and crashed into me. We landed in a heap on the ground and I winced at the pain that racked my body.
Naruto pushed himself up and looked at me. He stiffened.
“You’re eyes,” he whispered. “They-they’re like-.”
“Shut up!” I hissed. “Tell no one of this!”
He nodded and stood.
“You baka,” Sasuke growled. “You could have attacked from the outside.”
“Oh,” Naruto laughed nervously. “Whoops.”
“You’re not a knucklehead, you’re a complete moron!” I snapped pushing myself to my feet. Haku was in the mirrors once again and another hail of needles began.
I didn’t think about what I did next, I just acted.
The blood that stained the ground moved with the help of my chakra and formed a barrier around the two, protecting them from the attack.
But doing this left me too weak to defend myself. Needles pierced my flesh and three hit points in my neck. All feeling left my body.
Thump-thump.
My heart beat loudly and painfully, bruising my chest. I crumpled to my knees.
Thump-thump.
“RIMA!”
I could faintly hear their wails over the ringing in my ears. My vision blurred, I could see the blood barrier fall. I could see Naruto and Sasuke stare over at me. As black spots began to dance across my vision, I watched them race over and catch me as I collapsed.
I couldn’t feel the hands that cradled me, that touched my face to wipe away the blood that shook my shoulders in desperation. I couldn’t feel the tears that dripped onto my cheeks, no longer could I hears their pleas, begging me to stay with them
Thump.
All light left my eyes as sweet darkness enfolded me in its embrace.
“Why do you and Mommy have to fight? I don’t understand why?”
“You see Rima, we have to fight to protect the village and the people in it,” Daddy replied as he sharpened his kunai.
I understand now...
Sasuke’s p.o.v. (After the fight)
There was a weight on my chest and it was sobbing. I groaned blinking my eyes open.
“SASUKE!” Sakura gasped pulling back.
Her cheeks were streaming with tears and she dragged me into a hug, saying my name over and over again.
I glanced around, noting that Zabuza and Haku were nowhere to be seen.
Is it over?
“Sakura, get off me,” I said pushing her back. The bridge builder stood close by watching us. “The others?”
“Naruto and Kakashi-sensei are fine,” she replied slowly.
“Rima?”
In reply new tears burst free and she glanced over where Kakashi sat cradling his child.
I glanced up in time to see another round of needles heading our way. I hunched over bracing for the pain...but it never came.
“What the-?” Naruto muttered.
I looked up to see a sort of red dome covering us. What is this?
“RIMA!”
The dome shattered, turning back to blood as it fell to the ground. I rose to my knees and gazed at the sight before me.
“Rima?” Naruto breathed.
Time seen to still as I took in the amount of needles that littered her body, the fast growing pool of blood around her. She was on her knees, breathing shallowly, she tipped forward.
“RIMA!”
As one we race over and Naruto caught her before she could hit the ground. He held her close, tapping her cheek.
As I watched, her eyes grew distance and her breathing lessoned.
“Rima! Wake up!” Naruto shouted, shaking her shoulders.
I slapped his hands off her and laid her down on the ground. He bent over her and his tears splattered on her face. I wiped them off along with some of the blood.
She took one last breath and the light faded completely from her eyes.
“No,” Naruto breathed rounding on Haku. “YOU BASTARD!”
I
stood and stumbled over to them with Sakura by my side. Naruto glanced up at me from where he sat beside Kakashi. I knelt on the other side of Rima.
She was deathly pale, he lips blue. No sign of life left in her.
“My baby girl, my sweet angel,” Kakashi murmured into her hair, rocking her gently. “I’m so sorry for everything. My baby, forgive me.”
It was hard to watch. Naruto and Sakura were crying freely, even Tazuna shed a tear for her. A single drop fell onto my hand and I rubbed my eye angrily.
Why am I crying? I told her to stay out of it, I told her! It’s her own fault, I could have handled it!
“Well, excuse me for saving you sorry ass!”
Why Rima? Why would you save me? You don’t like me, hell you don’t even know me. I don’t understand.
“No parent should have to bury their own child,” Tazuna mumbled.
“Rima, please wake up,” Kakashi begged, his voice croaking with grief. “I’ll do anything, be anything, just please, please wake up. I can’t lose you now that I’ve found you. Please sweetie, wake up!”
“Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura whispered.
“Why are you crying?”
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