Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

The next morning, after breakfast and gearing up, the team left for the bridge, leaving Naruto to continue sleeping.
Ravi~Will you be ok Ann?
Ann~Yeah…I should…I'm just worried…The sword is comforting to take with me. I hope I’m wrong about people dying…
Kakashi~Come on girls, we're almost there. You’re falling behind.
Ann and Ravi caught back up to the rest of the group. When they got to the end of the bridge, they saw several of the workers injured and laying motionless. Tazuna ran to one.
Tazuna~What happened here?!
Worker~A demon!…
Just then, a mist began to form around them, not yet enough to impair their vision.
Sakura~It's the mist jutsu.
Zabuza~It's been a while, Kakashi. Too bad you're still with your brats. Oh, he's shaking again. How pathetic.
He summoned some clones to surround them. Sasuke looked up and smirked
Sasuke~I'm shaking with excitement.
Kakashi~Go ahead, Sasuke.
Within seconds, Sasuke got rid of them all. Zabuza and Haku appeared before them.
Zabuza~Seems like he grew. You have a rival, Haku.
Haku~Indeed.
Kakashi~I'm glad you told us Ann. Even if it was last minute.
She chewed her lip as Sasuke and Haku began to fight.
Kakashi~Do you know anything about that boy?
Ann~He…He has an ice kekkei genkai.
They watched Sasuke kick him back.
Zabuza~We'll lose at this rate.
Haku~I know…I'll finish this now then.
He made a hand sign and began forming his mirrors. Kakashi looked back at the girls.
Kakashi~Ann, you need to tell me more.
Ann~I-I can’t. Kakashi might kill Haku if I say more. Haku won’t kill my friends.
Started scratching at her hand again.
Ravi~Those things are just ice though, right?
She ran ahead lighting a match to try to melt it.
Ann~Ravi! Wait! *sigh* She forgot the meaning of kekkei genkai…
Kakashi~Just how much of a power difference is there? Is he like Ann?
He started to move forward, but Zabuza intercepted him.
Zabuza~Any further and you fight me. If you pass me, I'll kill them. Ann has Auron’s sword with her. This will be an even fight then.
Kakashi~Not good…I know Ann can hold him off, but I don't think she'd stop him.

Sakura~I'm going to leave for a moment.
Tazuna~Go. I'll be fine.
Ann~You won't get past Zabuza and Haku.
Sakura~I need to try something!
She ran ahead and threw a kunai, but Haku caught it. While he was out of his mirror, he got stuck by a shuriken, then Naruto loudly revealed himself on the other side with a puff of smoke and firecrackers.
Naruto~Naruto Uzumaki has arrived!
Ann used the mist to get to Naruto and smacked him upside the head.
Ann~You could have sneaked up on them and caught either Zabuza or Haku off guard! Now there's no way to ambush them!
Naruto~What about you?! You can easily beat the s**t out of them! Why do you want to kill me but refuse to kill them?! They're the enemy!
Ann~Because you're playing games that will get you killed if I don't do it first!
Zabuza threw some shuriken that Ann deflected with a swing of her sword before Haku could throw his senbons.
Ann~Zabuza, don't start with me or I swear you won't hear the end of my annoyance!
Zabuza~You're losing sight of the mission.
Ann clenched her jaw.
Ann~Right…
Kakashi~He reigned her in fast. Even faster than Iruka could…
He examined their relative positions and distances from each other.
Kakashi~Zabuza is standing between them and me. There's no way to bring them back here or go to them without a fight.
Zabuza turned back to Kakashi.
Zabuza~Heh, relax, Kakashi. Just watch how your two brats hold up against mine. Haku was quite the find.
Kakashi looked back at Ann but didn't see Naruto behind her. They all turned back to the mirrors to see Ravi yelling at him and Sasuke hitting him.
Ann~Oh for ******** sake…
She sighed and was about to go in until Zabuza called her by name.
Ann~But…
Zabuza~There's nothing you can do. Haku's past your league
Ann~But…Zabuza…
Ravi~Don't worry Ann. There may be three idiots in here, but we're not stupid. We'll find a way, like we always do.
Ann nodded and walked back towards Kakashi, stopping at Zabuza's side. He put his arm around her.
Zabuza quietly~Haku will probably let them live…He'll only want to subdue them…
Ann~It still makes me worry, Zabi…
She pushed her face into his side and took a deep breath.
Kakashi~Without Naruto, Ann can freely walk past Zabuza and not get stabbed in the back. She'd have to move now though. Ann, go back with Sakura and protect the bridge builder.
Ann~Okay. I just…I need him right now…Just another minute.
She looked at him from Zabuza's side. Kakashi's jaw clenched. Zabuza hadn’t shown any indication of moving or harming Ann. He sighed.
Kakashi~Fine…But you need to move if we start to fight.
Ann nodded. Zabuza held her a little tighter. The two spoke quietly again.
Ann~Do you have it?
Zabuza~I'm wearing it.
Kakashi~Hey, Zabuza, what’s your relationship with Ann? Maybe I can get him to talk again…
Zabuza~It's complicated.
Ann turned towards the mirrors when she heard them screaming. Zabuza gripped her arm and held her in place as she tried to pull away.
Ann~They need my help.
Zabuza~They don't need you kid.
Ann~Haku will kill them!
He held her tighter as she tried to leave again, crying. Kakashi lifted his headband.
Kakashi~Zabuza, let Ann go. We're finishing this. Now
Ann~But …No…Wait …
Zabuza~You're a ninja first. Do your job.
He picked her up and threw her towards Tazuna as he charged at Kakashi.