Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

46. Back 40 Years

Though Tsunami said she wanted me with her for my own health, she works me hard. While she works in the kitchen, she has me deal with the laundry, meaning all be dirty clothes and bedsheets in the house, and 5 guests alongside 3 actual residents makes for a lot of dirty laundry.

She hands it to me in a large canvas sack that I can just barely lift off of the floor.

"This is everything besides Naruto's sheets," she tells me, "the stuff you need for washing is outside behind the house. When you're done cleaning, hang it up on the line."

"'Kay." I say, and heave the laundry along behind me as best I can.

Naruto's been bedridden since overworking himself with training the day before, which Kakashi really chewed him out for. Meanwhile, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi are out at the bridge with Tazuna, leaving me here, alone.

Something moves in the trees across the river, and my heart leaps into my throat, hands stilling where they had been scrubbing at a stain. Is that...? No. No, he'd go for Tazuna. That's who he's being paid to get.

"Just- just breathe, Maya." I whisper to myself, and look back down at the washing. It's barely been a few minutes before I'm looking up and around again, heart thundering in my chest. I whimper and scramble away to grab a large, sharp rock to keep by my side.

"It's okay. You're fine. You're fine. Zabuza's not going to prioritise kicking your ass over getting paid." I try to reassure myself, but it's useless, terror has me in it's grip and it's not letting go.

Then I hear the plate smash.

I'm up on my feet and running back towards the house in an instant. At the door, I stop and slip in, making sure not to make a sound. Inside, just through the doorway, I see Tsunami pressed back against the sink, eyes wide and terrified, facing two large men.

"Leave us alone." She says, voice shaking, but still carrying.

"Now, you know we ain't gonna do that." The larger man sneers. I shift slightly, and the movement catches Tsunami's eye. She turns to stare at me. I manage to dart behind the door before the men can see me, turning to follow her gaze.

"Oh no," the small one chuckles, "don't think you can escape." I peer back around the door.

"Did Gato send you?"

"What does it matter? Just come with us, and we won't hurt'cha too badly."

"You need to leave. Now." Tsunami insists, her eyes locked back on mine. I swallow hard, nod, and step away from the door to creep up the stairs. If I can get Naruto, then maybe-

Naruto isn't in his room.

"Shit." I whisper a curse and fight the urge to kick something. I'd bet money he followed after Kakashi and the rest. God, why does he have to be so impulsive?!

I hold my breath as I tiptoe downstairs again, and peek back through the door.

Gato's thugs are large, wielding swords, with a cruel glint to their eyes. They've got Tsunami cornered, with looks that promise violence. There's no way I can fight them, but if I leave to get Kakashi, who's going to stop them?

Oh, Naruto, why did you have to run off?!

The broken plate on the floor is close enough for me to grab and use as a weapon, but it won't be much good against swords. All I have is that weird knuckle-duster knife Asuma leant me before I left, tucked in the back of my borrowed kimono, which I don't even know how to use. I should get help-

"Inari! Don't come in here! Run!" Shit.

I run as fast as I can from the doorway, snatching up a shard of china as I go and plunging it into the leg of one of the thugs before stopping in front of Tsunami, Asuma's knife clutched tightly in my hands.

"You little bitch!" The thug I attacked - why did I go for the bigger one?! - roars and swings his sword down towards me. I lift my arms above my head to defend myself, expecting to feel cold metal slicing through flesh.

Instead, there's a metallic thunk, and a sudden strain on my arms. I blocked the blow! Take that, Sasuke!

"Tsunami, take Inari and run!" I grunt, pressing all my weight up against the sword. I can do this. I can do this.

"But-"

"Now!" I yell, and push the sword away with all my strength. The still-hot pan by the sink is my next target, and I grab it and swing it towards the head of the smaller thug while the big one recovers. He ducks easily, and swipes for me, but I use the pan to knock his blade off target, and it lands deep in the wood with a thud. The large man's coming for me now, and I swing the pan as hard as I can into his ribs, hearing the sickening wet crack of bone.

"Ugh!" He stumbles back, free hand flying to his broken ribs as the smaller one pulls his sword free and comes at me again. The large one moves too, cutting low where the other moves high. I'm not going to be able to block them both! So I duck down and slash my knife at the larger guys sword.

But all I feel is air.

"Huh?" Everything stops. Something clatters to the floor.

"Is that... A sword?" I frown. The two thugs stare in total shock. There is no way I'm strong enough to cut through metal. So what?

"Ow!" I drop the knife with a shock, and the fire that had surrounded it goes out. Red welts cover my fingers and palms where I had been holding the knife.

"Hey, I thought Zabuza said this one wasn't a ninja?!" The smaller one snarls.

"Bitch, you wrecked my sword!" Damn, now I've just made them mad.

"Well, yeah, but how?!" I don't have time to think much harder about it, because they're coming for me again. Don't these guys ever quit?!

I do my best to block again, but one hand is out of commission, and the shortened tip of the larger ninja's sword slashes down from the tip of my shoulder down to almost the middle of my breast.

"Nn!" I flinch back, trying to protect my shoulder and hand. I'm so screwed!

"Hey!!" Please tell me that's not another thug.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to pick on girls?!" Oh thank god. I could collapse with relief when I finally recognise that gravelly voice.

"Naruto!" I grin. Looks like the cavalry's arrived. And just in time, too, because my knees give out and my eyes slip shut just as he launches himself towards the thugs.

A/N: so I had this last bit written up for ages, and because I'm a lazy piece of shit I used that instead of rewriting the entire scene. So yeah. Maya actually did stuff for once! Yay!
Ta-ta~