𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐨 [HEAVY EDITING]

𝟏𝟔 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭: 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

"Sasuke! Kari! Naruto! Don't lose to that guy!"

Despite Haku's words to us, losing is definitely not an option here. We didn't want a fight at all. Completing our mission and keep Mister Tazuna safe, that's what we wanted – him and Zabuza, they're the ones insisting on all of this. Oh, how I miss the time where I didn't have a senbon sticking out of my thigh. When I pull it out, I let out a pained grunt and quickly look away when my blood starts pooling out of the small wound.

"Just because I failed once, that doesn't mean I'm giving up!" Naruto announces. "I'll try it again, as many times as it takes!" And once more, before we can warn him otherwise, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

I'm surprised by the increased speed of Naruto's movements; he's trying to adjust them based on how quickly Haku had dispatched them the first time around, but here, the second proves to be no better. Before they all disappear, and before Naruto can come crashing back down to us, Haku appears above us, extending a new barrage of senbon mine and Sasuke's way. With him still kneeling down, looking unfocused, I step in front of him and try deflecting as many of them as I can, the rest skimming past my skin or embedding themselves within it.

I lose my balance, nearly falling over if it weren't for him bracing me from behind, and Naruto finally hits the ground next to us.

"Kari, why'd you do that?" Sasuke asks through gritted teeth.

"Consider it a favour paid back from the other day," I say, my voice shaky. "You're trying to figure it out, right? I'll cover you. And Naruto, c'mon, you can't keep using your Shadow Clones like that," I add, turning the opposite way. "You're just wasting your strength and your chakra."

"I gotta find out how he's doing it!" he insists, glaring at one of the many reflections of Haku. He stands up again. "Alright, one more time!" I sigh. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

They all rush forward, shouting and hollering. Sasuke stands up, quickly but shakily.

"Cover me again!" he says back at me when he rushes ahead.

"Okay!"

And I do, double-fisting my kunai and following him at his side. He kicks up some of the water left on the bridge, high into the air. It confuses me, but I'm doing my best to cover him when something heavy hits me in my gut. It sends me flying backward, and now I'm hitting something else just as solid – Sasuke. Both of us crying out after our collision, we land back onto the bridge, groaning, Naruto following soon after.

"S-Sorry," I rasp, yanking yet another senbon from my shoulder. "He was too fast again."

"I know," Sasuke says. "I saw it, but we just can't keep up with him like this. I have an idea—" and he lowers his voice "—so when I give the word, use that Fire Ninjutsu again where I'm looking. I want to test something."