#15 - The Waves: Part 5

The Manji formation was one of the first formations they had learned at the Academy, it was simple enough - four people who work to protect a central point. It only has one blind-spot and that would be the centre. Theirs was lacking the 4th person, but that didn't really matter in the end since if Kakashi went down, they wouldn't be surviving this.

The thought had Tsubaki shivering.

"Hey, don't get cold feet now," Sasuke mumbled to her under his breath, she glared at him. She was not getting cold feet, she was reacting to naturally - with fear - to a very real, very bad situation in front of her.

Sasuke explained the Sharingan to Naruto, who it seemed Tsubaki had not tutored enough - to be honest, she hadn't expected for Naruto to not know, but it made sense since he always seemed confused over why Sasuke was popular.

Maybe he didn't even know much about the Uchiha clan?

And did Sasuke not know about the Uzumaki clan?

Did Naruto know about the Uzumaki clan?

Dear God, she was going to have to devise a whole new curriculum for them once they got home - and maybe suggests some edits to the Academy curriculum as well.

"Looks like I'll have to eliminate you first, eh Kakashi?" Zabuza said and a moment later he was stood atop the water, doing a one-handed jutsu. If Tsubaki hadn't been shocked and terrified she would have rolled her eyes at the blatant display of skill.

And then he disappeared. Like smoke fading into the fog.

Zabuza was talking again, his words echoing around them - saying things through the rolling mist, but Tsubaki could only catch bits and pieces, eyes darting around, too busy trying to find the source of the noise rather than listen to what he was saying.

"Who is he Sensei?" Naruto asked,

"Momochi Zabuza. He was a member of Kirigakure's ANBU, famous for his silent killing techniques." Kakashi explained,

"Silent-?" Naruto choked around the words,

"Just as the name implies, it a killing technique that's executed in a flash and carried out in absolute silence. It's possible you'll be dead before you realise it. And it's not like I can use my Sharingan to its fullest potential - don't let your guard down." He ordered,

"Well, if we fail, you'll only die," He finished breezily,

"Hey, you might be old and withered but I still have a lot to do!" Tsubaki snapped.

"The mist keeps getting thicker!" Naruto whined,

"The Land of Waves is surrounded by water - this kind of mist isn't unusual," Tazuna told but Tsubaki could tell, this kind of mist wasn't normal. This was water infused with chakra and manipulated into the mist, swirling with Zabuza's chakra in a way that made him impossible to detect.

"Sensei?" Tsubaki called out hesitantly because when she looked back, Kakashi no longer seemed to be stood right in front of her and when Zabuza spoke, it was like he speaking through every particle of the mist, so his voice echoed around the, everywhere at once.

"Eight points; the larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular vein, collarbone, kidney and heart, now which vital point should I strike?"

Tsubaki felt it - right down to her bones. A deep whirling fear, anxiety - a burning ball in her chest - her lungs felt like they were on fire, cold sweat on her back and the whole world spun in front of her.

A gust of wind with Kakashi at its centre seemed to blow away the mist, clearing the sight in front of her, but it was like the pressure just doubled - Kakashi too; it was his bloodlust along with Zabuza's. The intense pressure of their wills clashing - it would drive her insane.

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and she desperately tried to blink them away.

She was going to die. Oh God, She was going to die right here.

"Sasuke," She glanced up when Kakashi said his name, and to her utter horror, he was pointing a kunai at his own neck. Not that she didn't understand the feeling, she had considered the same thing, if only for a moment.

"Don't worry. I'll protect the three of you with my life. I won't let anyone on my team die." He said, turning his head to glance at them - and to Tsubaki's shock - she believed him. She must have believed him - because it was like the internal burning stopped, and her hands began to stop shaking. She could breathe.

"Oh I don't know about that," Zabuza said.

Tsubaki felt a prickle on her neck but before she could turn around, he was already there, right behind her.

The only blind-spot of the manji formation - the centre.

Tsubaki had turned around before she knew what was doing - but even then, Kakashi was there before sinking a kunai deep into Zabuza's stomach.

For a single moment, the tension left her shoulders and the grip on her own kunai loosened - that was - until she saw the blood drain out like a water spill a figure stood behind Kakashi's body.

"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto screamed but it was too late and Tsubaki recoiled back as the swing of Zabuza's blade almost caught her - even as he was cutting Kakashi in half.

Tsubaki felt the bile rise in her throat as what she thought was blood splashed onto her - but it was quickly clear that Kakashi had copied Zabuza's jutsu because a moment later, he was stood with a kunai to Zabuza's throat.

"Don't move."

"You don't understand - you can't defeat me with your indiscriminate imitations. Ever." He laughed - Tsubaki tightened her grip on her kunai. This was not over yet.

"But you're pretty good," Zabuza was saying, "But you know - I'm not that easy to defeat!" He snapped and they were off, fighting and thinking things through before Tsubaki could even catch her bearings.

All she could do was watch in abstract horror as Kakashi was caught in Zabuza's Water Prison Jutsu, and any chance of them surviving without a miracle vanished right before her eyes. And then he began talking. His voice carried through the mist as he denied them as ninjas, and a moment later he was kicking Naruto across the floor - a leg came to stomp down on Naruto's forehead protector.

"You guys! Get Tazuna and run!" Kakashi was saying but panic had got a hold of Tsubaki in a vice grip, the words they spoke flew over her head and her brain went into overdrive desperately trying to find a way for them to get through this.

Freeing Kakashi from Zabuza's jutsu was their only choice, beyond that, their survival could only be guaranteed by handing Tazuna to Zabuza.

Tsubaki honestly considered it, technically Zabuza had lied about the mission, they wouldn't be reprimanded and at most, their reputations would take a hit but even that was barely considered a negative compared to dying.

She knew Naruto would never agree and neither would Sasuke - even Kakashi seemed to be more honourable than that but Tsubaki wasn't.

She wasn't someone who cared about honour or principle in the same vein as others, Tazuna was a stranger, and Naruto and Sasuke were infinitely more important to her than him. If handing him over meant her boys would be safe, then she was okay with them yelling at her and hating her afterwards.

But in an instant, Naruto and Sasuke were moving again. Naruto's shadow clones surrounded them and even Sasuke, who seemed physically incapable of teamwork on most good days was co-operating with him.

Tsubaki stayed by Tazuna's side, although they were her boys, she knew that her taijutsu wasn't at the level where it could keep up with this instinctive, plan-less teamwork. It was like they could read each other's minds and knew exactly what the other wanted and what they would do next.

She kept her kunai up, and an eye on Tazuna, but mostly just watched in amusement as the kunai Naruto threw forced Zabuza to move, releasing the Water-Prison jutsu that held Kakashi trapped, and felt her heart leap to her throat when Zabuza, thoroughly ticked off, rounded his attention on Sasuke.

But it was too late, Kakashi was free, and blocked Zabuza's blow with one hand. He was soaking wet, exhausted and must have been thoroughly oxygen deprived, but he was here, and that was enough to make relief surge through Tsubaki hard enough to make her knees go weak.

Still, she stood, kunai at the ready, because even though she had been the one ready to give up Tazuna at the first chance that something might be going wrong, the thought of letting him get hurt, and wasting all of Naruto, Sasuke, and even Kakashi's efforts was not something she was willing to allow.

She watched in awe as both jonin began forming hand-signs too fast for her eyes to keep up with - chakra seemed to come off them in waves and she grabbed Tazuna by the neck and leapt back because this was going to be something big.

And sure enough, water that surged violently, razer sharp and ice-cold, swept through the clearing, sweeping Zabuza away with it - perhaps something like that was only possible because Kakashi was surrounded by water - Tsubaki couldn't imagine anyone who could do such a complicated and technical jutsu purely through chakra alone.

A moment of eerie silence, and the dripping of water from the trees that sounded a little like rain - and Zabuza fell, wrung of chakra and completely defeated.

But even then, he was twitching, and soon crawling up to his feet. Kakashi was too exhausted to continue fighting now though, that last jutsu was enough to make him pass out, but he was still on his feet.

Kakashi held up his kunai, ready to finish the job but before he could attack, Zabuza gasped, as though he had been hit, and fell forwards.

"Oh, looks like he's dead," Tsubaki stared up at the figure standing high above them, on the branch of a tree, much like Zabuza had done initially.

The person didn't look to be much older than them, and had on a mask and clothes that hid almost everything about them - the only thing clear was that they had long black hair and were an incredibly skilled ninja.

Kakashi went to check Zabuza's pulse and confirmed he was dead. Naruto, Sasuke and Tsubaki could only watch, shell-shocked, as the person they thought they would die fighting against, was defeated so easily.

"I thank you, I am someone who has been looking for a chance to kill Zabuza," the masked person said, the voice sounded too husky to be feminine, but at the same time, it was hard to be certain, even if they referred to themselves as 'Boku' (formal, humble, masculine pronoun).

"By the look of your mask, you are a Tracker Ninja from Kirigakure," Kakashi announced.

"Tracker ninja?!" Naruto exclaimed, both having no idea what they were and also being ready to fight them.

"Naruto, this was on the flashcards we made," Tsubaki sighed, and Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly, "They find Rogue ninja-like Zabuza, who have betrayed their village and assassinate them," she explained.

"That's right, I am a member of the Kirigakure Tracker Nin Unit. I am on the mission to assassinate and recover Momochi Zabuza," the ninja said and Tsubaki flinched when she realised his gaze had rested on her for a moment.

What she hadn't told Naruto though, was that Tracker Ninjas were the elite of the elite, similar to ANBU, they worked directly under the Kage and took their individual missions directly from the Kage as well.

To be a tracker ninja was a lonely and dark path that took incredible skill and loyalty verging on fanatical. Tsubaki didn't like them much. Especially someone who had been acknowledged as a Tracker ninja from such a young age.

Naruto ran forwards, baring his teeth, looking like he was about to start a fight, but Tsubaki didn't stop him, she could understand his frustration as he screamed at the ninja.

"That Zabuza - that Zabuza was killed by a kid who is barely any different from me! What does that make us!?" He was screaming.

Tsubaki sighed. She knew how he felt, understood the pathetic burning of pride - Naruto wanted to be Hokage, so it probably burned him harder - that there was someone, so similar in age and height, who was already so beyond him.

"That's reality," Kakashi told him harshly, but it wasn't unkind, he plopped a hand down on Naruto's head, eyes glued to the tracker ninja as he said, "in this world, there are kids who are younger than you, and stronger than me,"

Tsubaki glanced at her own hands sadly, fully aware of her own feebleness.

Sasuke glanced away, frustration at his own weakness clear on his face.

The tracker ninja took Zabuza, with a final word of parting, "your battle is over for now - I will take his body as it is one of many secrets. Please excuse me,"

Naruto ran forwards as though to chase after him but with a gust of wind, he was long gone. Tsubaki watched Naruto throw his tantrum, frustration making him punch the ground. It was a miserable sight.

"This kind of thing happens, when you're a ninja - if you're frustrated, then take this experience with you," Kakashi snapped, stopping Naruto's fists. He was the one who had fought the hardest after all - but he looked completely calm.

Tsubaki sighed, now she had no choice but to respect him, both for the way he had protected them and for the way he spoke to Naruto today.

"Our mission isn't over," Kakashi said finally, turning to address all of them. "We must take Tazuna-san home," he said energetically and Tazuna seemed to understand what he was trying to do because he laughed boisterously.

"I'm sorry everyone, and thanks! You take a good long rest at my house!" He announced and Kakashi turned around to lead the way, but he couldn't take 2 steps forward, before kneeling over.

They ran forwards and immediately, Tsubaki ditched her backpack and kneeled in front of him, placing her kunai under his nose to check for breathing, then placed two fingers at his neck to check his pulse.

"Well, he's alive at least. His breaths are deep. I think he's just exhausted his chakra but I'll need to check his wounds as well." She was ripping open his vest as she spoke and both Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances, wondering if it was okay her for her to do that.

"You sure know your stuff, huh lass?" Tazuna murmured, watching as she prodded and poked at his bruises, making sure there was no internal bleeding and bandaged whatever open wounds she found.

"I've volunteered at the hospital a lot - and I'm used to doing basic first aid - but most of my knowledge is theoretical - it would be best to get him checked out by a doctor. I don't think his life is in danger though he might not be able to move for a while." Tsubaki explained.

"That's pretty damn useful," Tazuna said, looking somewhat impressed.

"Okay, so, who is carrying him?" Tsubaki asked, sitting back on her heels and looking at Naruto and Sasuke.

"What?" They both looked reluctant.

"I need to be able to check on his condition, so one of you need to carry him - come on - rock, paper, scissors, let's go," Tsubaki said impatiently.

Naruto and Sasuke, now that the tension had passed, stared at the other and held out their hands.

"Rock, Paper Scissors!" They exclaimed.

Naruto kneeled over almost instantly, the rock he held out with his bloodied knuckles held before him.

Sasuke smirked, putting his paper back into his pocket.

"How come I never win!?" Naruto wailed as Tsubaki and Sasuke helped hoist Kakashi onto his back.

Tsubaki and Sasuke exchanged glances, but neither replied.

If you didn't give him time to think, then Naruto instinctively almost always threw rock - it was guaranteed victory 80% of the time.

Neither of them was willing to tell him that though, in case he switched it up when it was important.