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"It's over, Zabuza." Kakashi's grave voice rung through the air as he stared at the downed man in front of him with a hole in his left shoulder.
Zabuza slowly raised his gaze and stared into Kakashi's eyes. Glancing around, he saw the two irritating boys come closer while the girl stood behind in front of Tazuna. Turning his sight back to Kakashi, he spat blood onto the Jonin's foot.
With narrowed eyes, Kakashi gripped his kunai and stared into the downed man's eyes. 'I don't know if I can hold the strain longer...' He thought, assessing his built up fatigue and his continuous chakra drain with his active Sharingan.
Lifting the kunai, he was about to plunge it into Zabuza's neck but stopped as two needles flew and stabbed right through Zabuza's neck, protruding from both sides. He steps back a bit and gazed at the top of a branch where a young masked person could be seen standing, holding needles between his fingers.
'That mask...' Kakashi thought and lowered his kunai slightly. "a Hunter from the Mist." He spoke out loud, confusing the two boys close to him.
The boy on the tree nodded and jumped down to Zabuza's body. "That's right..." He spoke and glanced down at Zabuza. "I'm a Hunter responsible for killing missing ninjas like this one." He gestured to Zabuza's body.
Kakashi let out a sigh and waved at the two boys behind him. "He's not an enemy right now." He said and put his headband over his sharingan. 'He's quite young.' He thought, staring at the Hunter crouch down and prepared to take Zabuza.
"Wait." Sasuke stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "We did your job for you." He said and the Hunter turned to face him, while Kakashi cursed the boy silently.
'I need rest!' Kakashi thought, but chose not to speak since he knew where Sasuke was going with this.
"So?" The Hunter questioned, tilting his head.
Sasuke said nothing and raised his right hand, rubbing his pointer with his thumb, his indication clear.
Silence...
Naruto, who stood at the back, raised an eyebrow and whispered to Kakashi. "What's Sasuke doing?" He asked.
"Money." Kakashi answered plainly, and it instantly clicked for Naruto.
"Oh!" He exclaimed and went next to Sasuke. "That's right! We demand some compensation!" He yelled out, but the Hunter only stood there, silently watching the two of them.
"I can't." The Hunter spoke after some silence. "If you are talking about the bounty on his head, then I can tell you now... It's void if a Hunter kills him." He said, but instead of the two boys going back dejected, Sasuke nodded.
"Yes." Sasuke spoke up. "It's a shame this is not your kill." He said his eyes narrowing dangerously while a sheathed katana materialized at his hip. His left hand rested on it's hilt as he spoke. "a Hunter came in and killed a cripple... How fearsome."
The Hunter grew silent, needles falling from his sleeves into his hands. "Back off."
Speaking no more, Sasuke nodded his head in the direction of Kakashi. His gesture was all that was needed. 'We have a Jonin here.'
The Hunter turned and looked at Kakashi, who shrugged simply.
'I still have some strength left.' Kakashi thought. 'This boy seems to be close to Jonin, but not much...' He mused and stepped forward. "If you want proof of his death, take his head, but leave the rest to us." He tried placating the situation, giving both parties a viable option.
Glancing at the body, the Hunter nodded. "Very well..." He spoke and flung the needle in his hands at the three people in front of him.
*Ting!*
Kakashi deflected it, protecting both Naruto and Sasuke while he lifted his headband, his sharingan shining. "So this is your choice?" He asks out loud and jumps forward, locking weapons with the Hunter.
Both their hands tremble for a few seconds before the Hunter used his free hand and weaved through seals.
Kakashi's eyes widened. 'One handed seals?!' He exclaimed and jumped back just in time as water sped to his feet before it shot up in the form of needles.
Landing in front of Naruto and Sasuke, Kakashi speaks up. "Can you guys hold down here?" He asks, not wanting them to enter the battle... But he hesitates for a second and turns to face them both. "When there's an opening, take advantage." He said quickly and jumped back to engage in battle.
Naruto, disappointed by Kakashi's first sentence, lit up in excitement after hearing him speak. "Alright!" He pumps a fist and turns to Sasuke. "You got any plans?" He asks.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, spectating the battle as he spoke. "Kakashi seems cautious..." He started. "Either Kakashi's exhausted after the previous battle... Or the enemy has great strength."
He saw Kakashi push the Hunter back with pure force, but the Hunter kept retaliating with ninjutsu using single hand seals while keeping Kakashi in close combat, effectively stopping him from casting ninjutsu since he required both hands.
"Kakashi needs some room... It seems he doesn't want to back off too much in fear of our safety." Sasuke spoke and turned to his side to face Naruto, but saw a blur fly past him.
"On it!" Naruto yelled, his hands forming a seal. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" He yelled out and ten or so Shadow clones materialized next to him, jumping into the fight, while he landed next to Kakashi.
"Kakashi!" Naruto announced, standing up. "Here for backu-!"
Before he could finish his words though, he heard all his clones pop. Turning his gaze to the fight, a needle covers his vision.
*Ting!*
Kakashi's kunai stood still in front of Naruto's face, deflecting the needle shot at him. Kakashi's breath seemed slightly labored as he spoke. "Stand back Naruto. The enemy is fast." He spoke, his eyes still on the Hunter's form.
Even though he was mad at Naruto joining in, it gave him enough space. His hands blurred through seals. 'a Water user...' He thought as his right hand burst with blue lightning.
*Cheeeee!*
He blurred and appeared next to the Hunter, thrusting his hand at the enemy's stomach, but it didn't land as the Hunter fell to his back and kicked upwards, kicking Kakashi's jaw.
With clenched teeth, Kakashi ignored the hit and moved his hand, still roaring with lightning, towards the stretched out leg.
Just before it hit, water rose from the floor, coming in between Kakashi's hand, but he ignored it, intending to just push through it, but just as his hand entered the water, it froze.
'What?!' Kakashi's eyes widened while the Hunter jumped to his feet and rushed through more seals.
With his free hand, Kakashi brandished a kunai and broke the ice, freeing himself.
"Demonic Ice mirrors..."
The Hunter's voice echoes and Kakashi's attention snaps to the front where the Hunter stood motionlessly as the water on the floor circles him and Naruto before floating up and forming dozens of mirrors, forming a dome. 'Shit!' He cursed, seeing Naruto also caught up in it and appeared next to the blonde.
"Kakashi..." Naruto spoke, his cheerfulness vanished. "What is this..?" He asked, his eyes staring at the Hunter who walked backwards into a mirror, fusing into it.
"Your death." The Hunter answers as the other mirrors started showing his body.
"He's everywhere!" Naruto lowered his body, gripping a kunai.
---
"Shit!" Sasuke cursed and ran to the dome of mirrors, forming seals. "Great fireball jutsu!" He spoke and blew a fireball straight onto the mirrors, but not even a scratch was left behind.
Turning around, he yelled at Sakura. "Take the client to safety!" He commanded and turned his attention back to the dome. He saw the backs of the multiple Hunters. 'Is it a shadow clone?' He thought and unsheathed his Uchigatana. 'Only one way to find out...'
He stabbed into one of the Hunters' backs, but just before it landed, the refection turned around and it's upper body came out of the mirror.
*Ting!*
The hunter deflects the stab and flings a needle at the wide open Sasuke, who moved his body slightly, avoiding the needle just barely. Just as the Hunter wanted to continue attacking, the sound of Kakashi's chidori came from within the dome.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi's voice reached Sasuke's ears. "It's after images! He's moving in between mirrors with great speeds!" Kakashi explained the Hunter's jutsu and the sound of smashing and cracking reaches Sasuke's ears while the Hunter sunk into the mirror once again.
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