A strange new life

2.10

“Eight choices.” Zabuza’s creepy voice sounded inside the ever thickening mist. “Liver, lungs, spine, subclavian vein, neck vein, brain, kidney, heart.” The moment stretched.

“The mist is getting thicker!!” Naruto yelled the obvious.

“Which one should I go after?” Zabuza crooned.

It was all theatrics, but effective. The pressure from his chakra doubled up. It felt like I had a sword at my neck, and I’d die any moment. Was that killing intent? Naruto and Sasuke weren’t doing any better. Sweat poured from Sasuke’s face. He held a kunai, but he trembled like a leaf on the wind. His eyes were wide and unfocused.

“Sasuke.” Kakashi called out. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you guys even if it kills me.” He looked back at us. Smiled. “I don’t let my comrades die.”

Damn that man! Why now of all times to trigger my fan-girl side? I kinda wanted to cheer, even if the moment wasn’t appropriate. It helped calm down the boys and the client, at least for a moment.

“We’ll see about that.” Zabuza’s guttural whisper echoed. Strange bundles of chakra spread around us, inside the cloying mist. Faster than I could perceive, one appeared between us. Zabuza had his sword over his back, ready to attack. “It’s over.” The man said.

I reacted, but not fast enough.

Kakashi flickered among us. Somehow, he managed to push all four of us away, while still sinking his kunai into Zabuza’s stomach. Water spilled from the wound. From the mists behind sensei, another Zabuza materialized.

“Behind you, sensei!” Naruto yelled at the same time the first Zabuza dissolved into water.

The missing-nin huge sword moved in a fast arc, cleaving Kakashi into two pieces, that soon also dissolved into water. It was at that moment Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza, holding a Kunai to the man’s neck.

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“Don’t move. It’s over.” Kakashi-sensei declared.

“Hehe. It’s over? You don’t—”

I tapped my foot urgently. Hurried coded message to sensei. Clone, enemy behind. It might not have been my best plan. Both Zabuza and Kakashi’s head snapped to me.

Kakashi trust the kunai on the clone’s neck, then ducked, just in time to avoid the horizontal sword attack. Zabuza’s sword completed the arc, embedding itself into the ground behind him. The missing-nin used the momentum and sword handle to pivot and kick Kakashi away. Kakashi flew across the field, and splashed onto the river across the clearing.

Zabuza disappeared. Body flicker or just speed? I couldn’t tell. His chakra was by sensei’s side. A water bubble grew from the river and trapped Kakashi inside it.

I had just watched things happen because those were sensei orders. Protect the client, don’t interfere with the fight. I could have helped, maybe prevented this outcome. Should I have interfered or obeyed the orders? It was now a moot point.

“You tried to escape through the water. Big mistake.” Zabuza chuckled. “Now I have you in my inescapable prison.” With one hand stuck inside the water bubble, the man looked at us. “We can finish things later Kakashi, first I’ll take care of them.”

With a single hand, still keeping the bubble prison, the man used a jutsu. “Mizu Bushin no jutsu.” Two clones formed from the mist and plashed water in front of us. Each a perfect copy of Zabuza, each hunched forward, arms dangling with his creepy stare fixed on us.

“Wearing those headbands and acting like ninjas. A real ninja is someone who survived numerous brushes with death.” One of the clones charged, and kicked a still stunned Naruto. “You are not ninjas,” the clone said, stomping on the forehead protector that had fallen to the ground. “Just brats.” The real Zabuza said from the water.

I was impressed. And juuust a bit scared. Holding an active jutsu, summoning two clones with just one hand seal. That took control, a lot of it. But I didn’t have time to think about that.

“Take Tazuna-san and run!” Kakashi yelled from his prison. “You have no chance of beating him. As long he keeps me here, he can’t move. Just run away now!”

While all of this happened, the second water clone had stepped inside the mists and disappeared. Naruto stood, glaring at the clone. He dashed forward, a wordless scream on his mouth.

“No! Don’t!” Kakashi yelled, but it was too late.

Zabuza kicked Naruto again, hard. The brat flew off, crashed nearby Sasuke. I noticed he had recovered his protector. A hazy memory of the manga surfaced in my mind. A cool speech, a wild plan, cooperation between the boys. I moved in front of the client. Naruto had decided for us. Wouldn’t flee and leave Kakashi behind. Couldn’t let the client get hurt.

The byplay between Sasuke and Naruto happened, and the visible clone attacked Sasuke. A crowed of shadow clones emerged, and the battle on that front was on. But I had my own problems.

“How did you notice my clone, little girl?” The creepy voice asked from the mist. “Not even your sensei had, how did you?”

The clone kept walking around me and Tazuna. I couldn’t let the ninja get behind my back. That was asking for trouble. I moved as well, kunai in hand, circling around Tazuna to avoid any attack. The chakra flared, appeared behind Tazuna. I flickered too, Kunai held in both hands. The silent attack came, it hit my kunai. Stopped. I grunted, pushed the sword back. The clone wasn’t physically stronger than me.

Zabuza stared me down. “You can sense chakra. Who are you?”

I pushed forward. Moved my kunai to let the sword slide on the side. I ducked low. Kicked as hard as I could. Zabuza brought the flat of the sword to defend. My feet hit the metal with a dull clang. The man used the momentum to disengage and disappear in the mists again.

“Who are you?” The clone demanded again. “Why don’t you speak? Scared?”

I gnashed my teeth, cursed my muteness. I wanted to banter with the enemy. I wanted to taunt and say cool shit.

“If you won’t talk, I’ll just need to make you.” The clone mocked.

More and more attacks came my way. The more blows we traded, more confident I got. I could follow the clone’s movements better. Used my own hodgepodge style to deflect most of the sword attacks. Zabuza ramped up the attempts, but I was more than the clones match. The battle around us still raged between Naruto, Sasuke and the other clone. I needed to finish this fast. I followed the clone once it retreated into the mists again, not giving it any chance to retaliate.

“Naive,” the man whispered, and I realized my mistake when the Zabuza dissolved into mists, only to appear on the other side near Tazuna, which I had left unguarded while chasing the enemy.

“Suiton: Mizutama.” Zabuza’s voice echoed. I panicked. Didn’t have time for hand seals. Didn’t need them. With a puff of smoke, I swapped places with Tazuna. The water projectile meant for his stomach pierced my shoulder, blood splattering on the other side. I yelled, wordlessly. A hand covering the injury.

The clone formed again from the mist. Two handed sword held high. Shit. I was so fucked.