Zabuza's sister

8 : When the hero can't move

The following morning, all the serenity they felt the evening before faded away as the resumed their journey. The closer they got to the Land of the Waves, the worst the weather seemed. Arrived a moment when the mist was so dense they almost couldn't see their feet. The teenagers closed ranks around Tazuna as Kakashi watched the front and "Ayane" the back. Someone was tailing them, Dana could sense their presence because of her gift. She wondered, after hours passed without any attack, what they were waiting for. Rain? The group leaving Tazuna's side? Or were they observing them to spot their weaknesses? She shivered. Her blood was boiling, eager to begin with the fight. She didn't know why that always made her feel like that, so alive, so... happy. She hated hurting people and felt so much regret after taking down an enemy, even if it was her duty and it was kill or be killed. But before that, waiting for the fight and during the combat, she was happy. Herself.

They finally made it to the Land of the Waves and had to take a boat to get to Tazuna's island. As they crossed the sea, they could see above their heads the silhouette of an enormous bridge half-finished. It was impressive. The fog suddenly disappeared as they arrived near the land and they could appreciate the strange yet beautiful landscape surrounding them. The boat let them silently on land and went away quickly. The man – a friend of Tazuna's – was dreading for Gâto – the man responsible for the misery on the island and who wanted to kill Tazuna to prevent the construction of the bridge – to hear them and didn't want to stay with them for too long. They took a minute to observe the landscape and kept walking.

Now it was impossible to deny someone was tracking them, as they crossed a peaceful forest. The tension Dana could see in Kakashi's muscles made her think he felt it too, now. Naruto didn't help, jumping all around, throwing shurikens into the bushes without any reason, trying to compensate for his fear on the previous day by seeking any sign of enemy. But the people following them clearly were stronger than the ones of the day before. And all the blond teenager succeeded to detect – and almost kill – was a poor little white snow rabbit. Wait, what? Kakashi's eye widened. As Naruto hugged the poor thing, trying to apologize, the jônin looked around, on his guards. Not good. The white fur of the rabbit wasn't natural, as they already were in Spring. He must have been raised indoors, away from the light, to be used for a replacement technique. So, they're already here...

Dana could sense the enemy much closer now. One just by their side, hidden in a tree, and the other still at some distance. The first had his emotions boiling – rage, thirst of blood, excitement – and the other was calmer, almost worried. Who are those guys? She thought. And why the chakra of the one closer to their group seemed so familiar, like a distant but strong souvenir? Was he from her old village? She got closer to Kakashi, ready to back him up when the enemy would strike. The tension in the air thickened, without the teenagers and the old bridge builder noticing. There was the smallest of movements and...

"Look out!" Kakashi screamed.

And they all jumped to the floor, dodging the enormous sword that almost cut them in half. The jônin and the disguised Anbu member were the first to jump back on their feet and look at their opponent. Dana froze, forgetting how to breath. It couldn't be...

"Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja from the village hidden in the mist." Kakashi said calmly.

Dana's heart clenched. What was happening? Seeing her brother, after all this time, grown up but still holding on to the same sword, the one she used to train with in secret as a child before her mother allowed her to use her scythe... They only could see his back, but the frail looking child turning demon mode every time someone bothered his sister, the one who hugged her when she couldn't sleep at night asking herself why her real parents had abandoned her, who bought her cookies before coming home from school even when they had only little money... He was now a strong, robust man, half of his face covered with band-aids, his greyish skin for not having seen the sun much clearly visible as he didn't wear any shirt. He didn't looked like his sister any more, so much muscled, spiky black hair still the same when she had let her own grow, and his dark eyes having lost all their softness as he watched his enemies.