Child of the Moon

Rage

Tsukiko's strike did as intended, and changed the trajectory of the blade just enough to avoid seriously harming Kakashi. However, the indent in the blade stopped short of her neck, as she used her Partial Control technique to keep his arm from moving any further.

Sakura's scream continued to echo in the mist, even as the girl herself, stood there shaking in terror.

"Tsukiko-sensei!"

"Tsukiko!"

"Need... to focus," she responded to Kakashi's concern. "Can't... lose my head here."

"I didn't expect you to be so slow, Tsukiko," Zabuza taunted. "So this is your immobilization technique. It seems it requires a lot of concentration."

"Tch," Tsukiko could feel sweat beginning to bead on her forehead, but she needed to hold the jutsu. Kakashi also needed to stop standing there with a likely stupid expression on his face.

"Your concern for these weaklings, including Kakashi, has clouded your mind," he continued. He started to laugh, as the blade twitched a little closer to her neck.

"Tsukiko!"

"Come on," he sneered, as she fought him. His will power was staggering and explained why she had struggled to use her Nightmare jutsu on him. "I want this to be fun! I want to enjoy myself as I exact my revenge on Kakashi. If I have to cut you down to do that... then I will!"

The blade pressed against her neck, Tsukiko gritting her teeth as a trickle of blood spilled from a small cut.

"As for those brats," he continued, Kakashi hesitating as every time he moved, it seemed the blade pressed closer. "Don't worry... They're at Haku's mercy. No... they're breathing their last breaths... right now!"

Tsukiko managed to use his taunts to fuel her already thinning patience and forced his arm back enough that the blade was no longer touching her neck.

"You talk too much," she commented, ducking under the blade as she released her Partial Control technique, and then delivering a powerful uppercut to Zabuza's chin, knocking him back. He disappeared into the mist, laughing once the shock of being punched wore off.

"He said Sasuke... will die..." Sakura's voice wavered slightly.

Kakashi ran a hand over the cut on his cheek, and Tsukiko pressed a hand to the cut on her neck. She had her eyes closed, listening closely for any sign of where Zabuza would appear next, her mental technique blanketing the area to locate Zabuza and keep an eye on the situation with Naruto and Sasuke.

"No!" Sakura shook her head vigorously. "I won't believe that! I have faith in him!"

"Sasuke will beat them to a pulp! CHA!"

Tsukiko winced at the loudness of Sakura's inner self. It was... distracting in her current situation.

"And that masked kid..." Sakura continued. "He'll make him wish he was never born!"

Tsukiko grimaced and tried to block out the pink-haired girl.

"I can't lose Sasuke..." "Anyone who tries to take him from me, I'll make them pay for it!" "And Naruto either!"

"Exactly," Kakashi said, reaching over and putting a hand on Tsukiko's shoulder. "Are you alright? That was a little close for comfort."

"Tis a scratch," she answered, distractedly. "Trying to focus, be quiet."

"I believe in their abilities," Kakashi said aloud, for Sakura's benefit. "I have faith in them."

"You bloody well should," Tsukiko said through gritted teeth. "Sasuke is from the Uchiha clan. They're naturally talented. What Naruto lacks in talent, he makes up for in guts. They'll get through this."

"You mean?" there he was. Zabuza was rattled by that, though she'd detected it when she said Uchiha.

"Yes," Kakashi said, coming to stand next to Tsukiko. "Sasuke Uchiha is the inheritor of the unique skills of the Uchiha bloodline. A kekkei genkai is his birthright."

"Ah, I had heard that one young ninja had survived the tragedy of the Uchiha clan," Zabuza mused. "No wonder he advances so quickly. But... so does Haku! No one can match him! Even the most skilled jonin fall before him!"

"Ready?"

"I need to get behind him, to employ Complete Control," Tsukiko told Kakashi. "Then you can deal the finishing blow."

"You can't kill him with your jutsu?"

"He is incredibly strong-willed," Tsukiko said, taking a defensive stance as the mist moved to reveal Zabuza's shape. "I can hold him. More than that, I swore I'd never do to someone else's mind. I'm small and squishy, you do the heavy lifting."

The mist hid him from view again, and the two jonin tensed.

"Just as both of you will fall before me!" his voice echoed around them, the mist making it harder to discern where he was. "RIGHT NOW!"

"Sakura, stay with Tazuna!" Kakashi ordered as he and Tsukiko darted into the mist.

"He's right, its time to end this!" Kakashi snarled. "But he is the one who will fall."

"Stay frosty, Kakashi," Tsukiko commented as they followed where she was sensing him. "I need you to immobilize his sword arm so I can immobilize the rest of him."

Tsukiko suddenly stopped, frozen as malicious energy washed over her.

"Naruto..."

"This puts everyone in danger," Kakashi seemed to be frozen too. "Now of all times! The seal has broken!"

"We need to do something, now!"

"I know, but what?"

"Kakashi, we need to put an end to Zabuza now," Tsukiko said. "After that, I can subdue Naruto long enough for you to try to fix the seal, but right now, Zabuza is a threat to Tazuna. Naruto's attention is fixed solely on Haku."

"Until Haku dies..."

"Exactly."