Ocean Of Blood And Fire [Sasusaku]

Chapter Nineteen: Sasuke's P.O.V.

Did he just say... Sharingan?!

I stared at Kakashi as he lifted up his ninja headband to reveal the Sharingan- my clan's kekkei genkai. So how did he have it...?!

I realized I was staring at him when Sakura snapped me out of it. She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me over to protect Tazuna with a determined look in her eye.

She doesn't get scared of anything, does she?

Naruto was panicking, hopping from foot to foot and yelling, "Sharingan? Sharingan? What the heck is that?!"

I glanced over at him, still in a semi-trance of confusion. "It's said that there are some types of eyes that have the ability to read and defeat all types of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. The Sharingan is one of these types. It's the kekkei genkai of my clan."

Naruto stared at Kakashi. "Wait, so you're an Uchiha...?"

If I hadn't been so terrified, I would've rolled my eyes. Of course Kakashi wasn't an Uchiha. I was the only one left.

Well, the only one that mattered, anyway. And once I killed Itachi, I would be the last one left.

Yet, the thought of Itachi reverberated inside my head, deepening my fear. What if all rogues are as good as Itachi? We have no chance...

The intensity of the atmosphere was driving me insane. I couldn't breathe, fighting to keep myself from revisiting that night. This overwhelming, mind-numbing terror was all too familiar, and I couldn't snap myself out of it.

I would almost rather die than endure this again, I thought, tightening my grip on my kunai.

Kakashi must've realized what was happening in my head, because he turned his head slightly to me and smiled through his mask.

"Sasuke. Don't worry. I'll protect you guys even if it kills me." After a short pause, he turned his face towards me and said, "I don't let my comerades die."

If I wasn't too distracted, I would have realized there was more to that statement than he showed, but right then I was too grateful to him for snapping me out of that place to notice. I stared at him in something close to awe, realizing for the first time why he was a Jounin.

I shook off my fear and fixed my stance, the determination in me coming back. If Kakashi Sensei is willing to risk his life for us, I will be too.

Sakura moved in closer, filling the gap between us and Tazuna. She leaned in slightly and whispered to me, lightly brushing her shoulder with mine.

"Good job, Sasuke."

I briefly glanced at her. Her eyes were glued to Zabuza, but as soon as I glanced at her, they flitted over to me, a soft smile gracing her otherwise completely focused expression. I nodded, grateful to her, and turned back to the enemy.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, old man!" Zabuza screeched. I glanced nervously at Kakashi Sensei, but he seemed unbothered. I gave a tiny smirk, some of my usual attitude coming back. Of course he's not bothered. I can't believe I was.

Zabuza disappeared, reappearing behind me and Sakura, his huge sword at Sakura's throat. He stared Kakashi Sensei down. I balled my fists, barely containing my rage.

"It's over," he said simply.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out.

Sakura did the most shocking thing. She started laughing. "Over? Over?! Oh, boy. Wow, okay." She looked back at him with a huge smile, a bold move considering the sheer size of the weapon at her neck. Zabuza was also very confused. "Girl, you do realize I would slit your throat with no such compunction."

Her grin widened. "Oh, I know you'd try."

His face contorted in rage and he swung the sword.

"NO!"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"Wha...?"

Sakura, somehow, had grabbed ahold of his sword, ducking under the blade and using the momentum to drive it into Zabuza 's abdomen. There was a stunned silence as Sakura and Zabuza stared at each other, all traces of Sakura's taunting smile gone. "Trust me, Zabuza, I've fought worse than you. We all have," she said, nodding her head in our direction. "So if you think we're going down that easily, you're not nearly as good a ninja as you thought."

She stared as water seeped out from the wound, until Zabuza was gone.

She muttered a very unladylike curse. "A water clone. Damn it! I should've realized."

We were all staring at her in shock, but before anyone could say a word, Zabuza once again appeared in front of us, out of reach. He chuckled. "Bold words, girl. But the same applies to you, doesn't it?"

He charged. Sakura stepped forward to meet him, but Kakashi Sensei dove in front of her as the sword cleaved through the air. Water burst everywhere as Kakashi's water clone was destroyed.

"My water clone jutsu? No way... In this mist, he copied it...?"

Sakura grinned and sent a kick to his chest. He flew backwards, crashing into a tree and crumpling in a heap at its base.

"Damn, Sakura," I said, impressed. She shrugged, but the corners of her mouth pulled into a proud smile regardless.

Kakashi stepped out of the shadows of the tree, a suspiciously knowing look in his mismatched eyes. "Yes, Sakura. Damn indeed."

She laughed, clearly understanding something we didn't.

Kakashi, back to business, walked over to Zabuza, holding a kunai knife to his throat. "Now it's over, Zabuza."

~~~~

A/N: Don't worry, I'll include the rest of the fight the second time. I'll make it work, don't worry. I am just really being lazy with this scene I guess 😐🤪

Anyway, continue reading!

~~~~

Zabuza was tied up against the tree, unconscious. Kakashi had given him a blow to the pressure point in his neck, forcing him to pass out.

"So... He was a lot more powerful than the Demon Brothers. Gatou really doesn't want this bridge finished, does he?" Sakura tilted her head towards our client.

Tazuna grimly shook his head. "It would mean the end of his monopoly on trade in Kirigakure."

Naruto frowned. "But... people are starving over here? Doesn't he care about them at all?"

Sakura shook her head and sighed in melancholy disapproval. "Humans kinda suck, no matter where they are."

I saw Naruto's eyes then, and I would've been lying to myself if I said I didn't notice the sadness. The anger. I honestly felt the same thing. How cold-hearted can one person get...?

Anger welled up inside of me as I thought of all the evil people in the world. I vowed then and there I would never be like them.

A gust of wind blew, sending leaves swirling around, forming the shape of a boy, around our age. He wore a mask, so we couldn't see his face. He knelt down next to the still form of Zabuza.

"Thank you for taking care of this man for me. I've been tracking him for a while now."

Kakashi nodded. "You're a part of the special Tracker- Nin unit in Kirigakure, I suppose?"

The strange boy nodded. "My name is Haku. Thank you again for making my job easier. Now I must dispose of the body properly. I hope we meet again."

Something was off, but Haku made the hand sign, disappearing in a swirl of leaves and wind, and Kakashi said nothing about it, so I assumed I was just still on edge from the battle.

Tazuna sighed heavily. "Let's go home. "