𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼 | 𝑲.𝑰𝑵𝒁𝑼𝑲𝑨

|I{•------» [12] «------•}I|

If there was one thing Ruka had learned after years of training sessions, it was that it wasn't always smart to rush into things and to go into things alone either. Both of these things had been taught by Ebisu, her grandfather, and also Kakashi, with strict instructions to never discard them no matter what the situation might be.

Despite how much she hated him, Ruka respected Kakashi Hatake more than she did most people. To her, Kakashi was one of the shinobi she looked up to, besides the Fourth Hokage.

But this time, it was hard for her to respect his teachings when he was being so hypocritical.

She could do nothing but watch as Kakashi's entire demeanor and aura transformed into something much more alert, something much more deadly.

The silver-haired Jounin glanced over his shoulder and gifted his students with one of his infamous closed-eyed smiles. "Don't worry. I will protect you all with my life. I won't let my comrades die."

Ruka's rosy lips parted in a very audible gasp. The silver-haired male had once spoken those exact words to her when she was young. 'Ruka, I will protect you all with my life. I won't let you die.'

"There are eight main targets," Zabuza's taunting voice traveled through the mist and effectively cut Ruka off before she could protest Kakashi's decision. "Throat, spine, lung, liver, jugular, kidney, clavicle vein, and heart. So many choices. So the question is, what spot do I choose first?"

Kakashi's gaze scanned the clearing, his voice laced with firm promise. "Let's keep this between us, Zabuza. I've made my promise. I won't let you touch them."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Zabuza's voice sounded closer than it had moments before, and within the blink of an eye, he had appeared before Tazuna, who was all but launched across the clearing and away from the hidden mist ninja's throat by the brunette as her eyes hardened. "Game over, Zabuza."

Zabuza released an amused chuckle. "Not bad. I had heard you two worked fast, but I didn't know you were so in sync. Too bad you won't be able to rush to each other's rescue for long."

They barely had time to question what he meant by those words before a second Zabuza appeared from the thick mist and hauled a very surprised Kakashi away from his mirror image and straight into the fog.

Ruka lurched forward, her blue eyes vigorously flickering left and right for any sign of movement. "I'll make you a deal, Princess."

Zabuza's voice sliced through the mist, laced with an unseen smirk. "You hand over the old man and tag along with me, and I'll let your teammates go."

"...No." She said it simply as she arched a single brow. "It's not the first time someone captured a comrade in exchange for me."

It was then the mist slowly began to dim until the figures of Kakashi and his captor appeared on the murky water. The water rippled with a slow, silver shiver as the second Zabuza emerged from the water in an exact water replica of the original, holding Kakashi captive.

"What do you think of the battleground that I chose for us?" The clone questioned as he gestured to their surroundings, which Ruka pursed her lips at, her hardened eyes boring into his. "You see, I've heard an awful lot about you. The girl with merciless abilities, fights like

a demon, defeated plenty of rogue ninjas alone."

Ruka gripped her fist tightly, remembering how she defeated the rogue ninja on the day when they captured her and Konohamaru. "And I know for a fact that you're highly skilled in Fire and Lightning Jutsus. What I've also heard is that water happens to be your weakest form. You can't manipulate the water on this scale to your will either."

Zabuza noticed Ruka's slight change in her face as he continued. "Fire Jutsu will do you no good with us out here on the water, and lightning..." he trailed off with a devious chuckle. "I wouldn't recommend using that if you wanted to avoid frying your dearest sensei right alongside me."

The brunette beauty's blue eyes flickered towards Kakashi before she averted her gaze away from them. 'Ruka... what are you doing...' Kakashi could see blood dripping from her hands with how tightly she gripped her fist. "Ruka, listen to me."

Her eyes bore into his onyx eyes, and Kakashi could see the frustration in her gaze, frustrated that she was weak. "Your mission is to protect Tazuna. You don't have to save me."

Naruto glanced at Ruka worriedly before shifting into a determined expression as he stepped up beside her, tightening his headband. "Listen up, you eyebrow-less freak! Here's a new name for your bingo book! The guy who's gonna be the next Hokage: Naruto Uzumaki!"

The blond-haired male turned towards the rest of Team 7. "Ruka might not be able to help us with this one, but he didn't say anything about us. Listen up, I've got a plan!"