❝ that one's still trembling. pitiful.❞
SUDDENLY squad seven and the bridge builder were surrounded by many water clones belonging to zabuza. michiru kept her eyes closed as she focused her chakra, a smirk finding its way to her lips.
"hey sasuke, you're not scared are you?"
he let out a grunt, his eyes narrowing as the metal dagger was raised.
" i'm trembling with... excitement."
in the blink of an eye, the uchiha had sliced through all the copies, a pool of water at their feet.
"oh, so you could see they were water clones, huh? the brat's improving. looks like you've got a rival, haku."
the red head opened her eyes, a few yards before them stood the pair. uzumaki readied her stance-- eyes narrowed, casting a vertical wrinkle between her eyebrows. her lips pursed slightly.
"so it seems."
forest boy
her light eye radiated a fierce, uncompromising intelligence.
haku initiated the first attack, appearing in front of sasuke in seconds. the two clashed metal-- uchiha with a kunai while the masked ninja sported a sebon needle.
they shared dialogue for a bit, michiru growing impatient.
then haku began making hand signs with one hand.
"secret jutsu, one thousand needles of death."
before sasuke could be impaled by the barrage of needles being sent, a flash of red was seen in the large cloud. micihru's arm moving at an exceptional speed as she protected the boy-- the sword, along with the needles, created various sounds as they made contact.
haku was sent a few feet backwards, a small gasp being heard as stayed crouched.
a black eye patch slowly floated to the ground.
"they vanished."
he looked upward, sasuke suspended in he air as he launched shuriken at the enemy. haku avoided the weapons as he flipped backwards. in an instant michiru appeared behind him, sending a powerful kick to his face.
"you're not as fast a you think."
the masked boy slid to zabuza's feet, a sinister laugh emitting from the swordsman.
"hmph. haku, if we keep gong like this, we'll be the victims instead of them. get on with it."
haku nodded, rising to his feet as an intense blue flame appeared around him.
"what's that?"
his shoulders remained shrugged as he kept his head down.
"i'm sorry it's come to this."
the air suddenly turning frigid, wicking away body heat faster than it is replaced. the ninjas breaths rising in puffs.
"the air.. so cold."
no..
"secret jutsu."
large ice structures began to form around the genin, sasuke a bit panicked at the change of environment.
"sasuke, get out of there!"
"crystal ice mirrors."
haku stepped forward, his body morphing as he became a part of the mirrors. michiru clenched her fist, rushing towards the frozen arena in hopes to help sasuke-- instead one of zabuza's clones appeared, holding a kunai to her throat.
"if you try anything-- you're dead."
---
she held a scowl, fist clenched tightly as she found herself in such a vulnerable position. to the other side of her the actual zabuza kept kakashi occupied. as they shared dialogue, the young redhead sensed an all too familiar presence.
michiru chuckled, gaining their attention.
of course..
"what's so funny?"
suddenly an explosion of smoke appeared.
"number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja."
the grey smog cleared to reveal the genin. the hardening gazes of everyone now on him.
"naruto uzumaki is here. yeah. believe it!"
not long after his grand entrance, naruto disappeared into the circle of ice mirrors.
❈❈❈
within the time that's passed, michiru found herself growing more and more impatient. she was brought out of thought by sakura emitting a shriek. to the left of her, kakashi was bleeding-- a result of zabuza's strike.
"you were late, kakashi. you let your concern for those little punks' safety cloud your mind, adding further to the fog that already hinders your sharingan. your eyes are sharp, kakashi, but not sharp enough to read my moves. not anymore."
zabuza snickered at the sight before him.
"as for those brats, don't worry. they're at haku's mercy. no, they're breathing their last breaths right now."
the red haired uzumaki struggled in the water clone's grasp, her hand reaching into her pouch of weapons. the kunai pressed harder against her throat, a cut opening-- dripping slightly with blood.
i need to get away, hopefully it'll work
he lifted his sword, getting into an attack stance as he continued his speech.
"relax. you'll have plenty of time to weep out an apology for failing those brats when you see them in the next life."
michiru secured her grasp on the sealed kunai, stabbing the clone before throwing it at the swordsman in one swift motion-- the weapon landing right before him.
"have you not learned, little girl? you've already lost and there's nothing you can do."
the masked ninja picked up the kunai, observing it a bit. in an instant, the end of michiru's blade was pointed at his throat-- with each gulp his adam's apple bobbed violently.
"takes a lot of skill to use that kind of ninjutsu, impressive."
zabuza laughed evilly, his body disappearing into the rapidly thickening fog.
---
by the time michiru reached the frozen structure, sasuke was in the arms of her brother-- unconscious. in the matter of seconds, she appeared besides the both of them--a single tear falling.
"y-you idiot.. why do you always have to play hero?"
he laughed lightly, "h-he's.. still out there. my brother. i promised myself.. i'd stay alive until i killed him."
"and you will, sasuke! you're not dying here-- i won't allow it."
naruto watched michiru, his face displaying shock as she went to her knees, trying every medical jutsu she knew. nothing seemed to work as sasuke continuously closed his eyes, each time longer than the last.
"come on, come on.."
the uchiha took her hand into his own-- the immense pain he was experiencing evident as he spoke.
"don't allow naruto to let his dream die.."
he let out an sigh before going still. their eyes met, but she broke it off-- screwing her eyes shut as tears spewed from them.
"sasuke.. sasuke, no! you can't die-- not yet. you have so much to live for. restoring your clan, the village-- everyone needs you! we need you.. i need you."
her lungs felt like they would burst and her throat was so dry.
she pulled his body closer to her own, her tears soaking the blood stained material. soon enough the male uzumaki joined in, his jaw clenched at the loss of a comrade and the sight of his sister in such a broken state.
" is this the first time you've seen a friend die in battle?"
her ears filled with the cries of pain from various people as hundreds of voices filled her brain.
"shut up.."
"this is part of what it means to be a ninja."
"shut up!"
a circle of steam surrounded the three genin, seconds later the uzumakis were engulfed in flame like chakra. haku was shocked, the intense heat melting the icy mirrors. destruction continued as the power source grew-- the bridge being torn as the chakra danced across its surface.
michiru's eyes clouded over as she laid sasuke down. as they stood, the twins' outer appearance had changed significantly. their eyes blood red and cat-like, whiskers thickened, and hands sporting claws-- as for their wounds, not a trace.
the seal of the nine tails was officially broken.