I smirk wickedly at Haku as I am now trapped inside the crystal mirror prison with Naruto and Sasuke, even though I planned for this to happen. I've been itching for a fight for long now. 

"I don't fear death. I welcome it!" I repeat myself as my eyes wide with excitement. Haku wastes no time to throw the senbon needles at me. I grab each and every one of them, and hold them up to my face. "Too slow." I smirk and throw it back at each mirror, but Haku catches them. "Is this your plan, Haku? Are you just going to keep throwing needles at us, or are you going to fight like a shinobi!" 

"You wish to die here along with your teammates." Haku throws a needle at Naruto and I get in front of him, having the needle hit my shoulder. 

"Hey, I'm your opponent. Not them." I smirk again. "There's no way I'm going to let you kill them. Over my dead body." 

"That can be arranged. But let me ask you something. Why do you fight? Is it because you have to, or is it because you want to?" 

"What?" I raise a brow with confusion. "Because I want to. What kind of question is that? Tch. Shut up and fight me already." 

"Take this!" Naruto does a Shadow Clone Jutsu and tries to attack Haku. 

"Hey! Naruto! Don't!" I shout at him. Haku moves from one mirror to another while attacking both Naruto and Sasuke. Dammit! "No!" I shout and split myself into 2, making a clone of myself. 

I get in front of the real Naruto as my clone gets in front of Sasuke. "Akina!? What are you-!?" Naruto gasps out of shock as more needles are thrown at me. The clone that is protecting Sasuke also gets hit with needles, but doesn't disappear like any shadow clone.

"Her clone isn't disappearing..." Sasuke notices. 

"Because that clone is me, dumbass. Whatever my clones feels, or takes damage, it takes effect on both of our bodies. It's a Kekkei Genkai of my own... Dark Art: Duplicate." I explain while ripping a needle out of my arm. "Hey," I turn my attention to Haku. "I said your fight is with me. Now with them. Quit multi-tasking." I smirk. 

"This girl..." Haku mutters under his breath. 

"Naruto," I turn to him. "Back off and let me handle this guy, got it? Stay back." 

"But, Akina-" 

"Just do as I say, dammit!" I throw him to Sasuke and do a few hand signs. "Dark Art: Dark Clone Manipulation!" 8 clones of myself split from my body and attack Haku while doing another hand sign. "Crystal Style: Crystal Needles!" 

"Crystal Needles!?" Zabuza and Kakashi exclaim. My clones use the crystal needles to fight Haku, having some of the crystals break the crystal mirrors. If I can just break the mirrors, Naruto and Sasuke will be free, and I can have more space to fight in. Being in a small space isn't good for me. 

"Gah!" I drop to my knees as something impales my back. An attack from behind!? When!? My clones should have detected it! "Damn you!" I move to each mirror and punch it, making it crack, but it keeps mending itself back together. 

More needles are thrown at Naruto and Sasuke, and my clones surround them, taking more damage, which is causing my body to take more damage. "Akina! Stop! Let us help out!" Naruto shouts. 

"You can't defeat this guy on your own!" Sasuke adds. 

"Tch." I click my tongue and run over to both Sasuke and Naruto, and grab their wrists. "Don't take this personal." 

"Huh?" They both blink with confusion and I throw them out of the crystal prison after making an opening. "Akina!" Naruto shouts at me and I smirk at him. 

"Ugh!" I grunt as more needles are thrown at me. He got me legs this time! I drop to my knees and growl at Haku. Damn. My chakra isn't building up because of the needles, and I don't have enough chakra. I've been wasting it all on my Kekkei Genkai. "RAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" I screech at the crystal mirrors, causing them to shatter, but it doesn't help.

I pant and cough up blood. I can't use anymore of my chakra at this point. I need chakra... "You're wasting away. You've wasted your chakra." Haku tells me. 

"Shut up!..." I cough up more blood as it gets harder to breathe. But I get back on my feet and glare at Haku. "I can still fight!" 

Haku is already in front of me and hits me, sending me a few feet back. I grunt as my back hits the pavement. "You were a fool to throw your teammates out. Now, you will die here." 

"You've forgotten." I smirk, followed by a chuckle. My clones attack Haku from behind. They gang up on him by holding him down and ready to stab him with kunai in hand, but he manages to push my clones off with more senbon needles. 

My clones finally disappear... 

"You brat! This time I'll make sure you stay down!" He throws a bunch of needles at me and I'm at a disadvantage. I can't defend myself in time! 

"Akina!" I hear my name being called out and I see Naruto running into the crystal prison. Idiot. What is he doing!? I see Haku appear in one of the mirrors and throws needles at Naruto. 

'No!' My mind races and I find the strength in my body to move, and sprint over to Naruto. I grab him and tur him around so that my back is facing the needles. 

My voice goes silent as blood splats onto the ground. 

~Naruto's P.O.V.~ 

Akina threw Sasuke and I out of the crystal prison, and continued to fight Haku. She saved us both. But she's losing a lot of blood. She's giving it her all. I can't sit around and watch this! I have to do something! I have to save her! 

"Akina!" I shout and run back into the mirror prison.

"Naruto! What are you doing!?" Sakura shouts after me. 

"Get back here, you loser!" Sasuke shouts. I ignore them and rush over to Akina's aid, but she runs at me, grabs me, and turns us around. She moved so fast that I didn't notice that we switched placed. 

I'm lying on the ground with Akina on top of me, but I hit my head pretty hard. "Ugh..." I grown while opening my eyes. I lift up my hand to see blood on them. But, the blood isn't mine... "A-Akina...!" I stutter as I look at her. 

My eyes widen at the sight of her. Her entire body was covered in needles and a pool of her own blood formed beneath her. "Hey..." I look at Akina when she speaks. Her eyes are clouded. "Didn't I tell you to stay back?... Heh..." She weakly smiles and her body goes limb.

"Akina!" I hold her in my arms. "Why?... Why did you do that!? I was going to save you!" 

"How should I know?... My body moved on its own and one thing led to another, I guess... This is the 2nd time I saved you... Doesn't this feel familiar?" She laughs a bit and coughs. "Why did I save you? It's not like me to be protecting a human this often... This is my fight. You should have stayed out of it..."

"Akina..." I hold her closer to  me. "I'm sorry..." 

"There you go again. Crying in front of me..." She lifts her hand and cups my left cheek. "You really know how to get my heart racing. Hehe... Hey, Naruto..." She leans up to my lips, then drops to the ground. 

Her body isn't moving. Her chest isn't rising. She's not responsive anymore. Akina... Akina! "You..." I hold Akina's body close to me and begin to growl. "You'll pay for this!" 

That same feeling, from when Akina and I were with Mizuki-Sensei, surrounds us both again. Something is boiling up inside me. 

"I'm gonna kill you!" I glare at Haku while holding Akina close to me. 

~Akina's P.O.V.~ 

What's going on? What am I feeling?... This same chakra... I thought I was dead just a second ago. I feel someone holding me so close. So warm... My wounds are healing. My chakra is building back up. But how? 

I feel rage. 

I hear growling. 

The atmosphere is so thick. 

I force my eyes open and see orange chakra spreading all around. "Dar...ling...?" Naruto's completely changed. This chakra feels so familiar. It's the 9 tails... But how? 

I watched as Naruto dodges Haku's attacks. He's gotten stronger. Faster. He managed to grab Haku by the wrist and punch him so hard that he is knocked out of the crystal mirror prison. 

The mirrors shatter and Haku is standing, but he is weakened. While they are distracted, I feel  myself being lifted into a pair of arms. "You overdid it, Haku..." I hear someone murmur. 

"Get your hands off her!" I hear Kakashi shout. 

"Hmph." I am slowly being lowered and gently lied down on the ground. "Relax. I have no intensions in hurting her." Zabuza? 

The next thing I hear are shouting and weapons being clashed. My eyes refuse to open this time. All I can do is lie here. 

"There are a bunch of places out there for you. You just have to find it. Make a path for your own. Set yourself free." 

Where have I heard this before? Why does this voice sound so familiar? Why am I remember this now? Who said this to  me? 

"Akina... Akina! Akina, wake up!" Someone is shaking me. How long have I been sleeping? "Akina! Please, wake up!" 

"Mm..." I squint my eyes open and see Kakashi's face close to mine. "Kakashi..." I speak up as my vision becomes clear. He's covered in blood. "What's going on? What happened?" I look around to see Haku lying on the ground and Zabuza standing with both of his arms hanging limb. 

"Thank goodness. You're alright." He sighs in relief. 

"Haku...is dead?" What happened? 

"Akina!" Naruto runs over to me. "You're okay!" He looks at me with worry, but has a smile on his face. I slowly sit up and get out of Kakashi's hold, then look over at Zabuza. "Akina, what are you-?" 

"Zabuza..." I slowly make my way over to him. He looks at me without saying a word with every step I take. "I have to know... Why do you trying to get me out of here?" 

"Huh?" Sakura questions, and everyone is confused. 

"You don't think I've noticed? You cut off my chains, and haven't been attacking me brutally like you did last time. Why? It's like you know something about me that I don't know myself." I'm in front of him, looking up at him. 

He sighs and says, "You really don't remember, do you, kid?" 

"Remember what?" I question while raising a brow. "What am I suppose to remember?" Zabuza grunts and drops to his knees, but I catch him in my arms. "Zabuza!?" 

"This isn't a place for somebody like you. There are a bunch of places out there for you. You just have to find it. Make a path for your own." 

'Make a path for your own? Where have I heard that?...' No way! Don't tell me...! "Zabuza... You were there with me on that snowy day." Something is in my eyes, causing my eyesight to get all watery. "You cut me out of those restraints that day. You tried...to free me! You're trying to do that now, aren't you? But why? Don't you know what I am!?" 

"A Shinobi Killer." 

"That's right!" I shout at him with rage, but I feel sad inside. Why do I feel like crying right now? Why is this so sad for me?...

"But you're still just a child in my eyes, Akina." He finishes his sentence, making my eyes widen a bit. "That same kid I ran into on that snowy day. Those careless eyes of yours... You didn't care what happened to you. Just an obedient brat, and I took pity on you." 

"All this time... You were trying to free me this whole time and for what? I don't get it!" I shout while gripping on his shoulder. "Why would you do all of this for me!? I don't understand!" 

"Who knows?" He chuckles. "But it doesn't matter now." 

"Baka! It does matter! Don't say that to me!" I shut my eyes tightly as un-wanting tears begin to pour down my cheeks. "I hate you!... I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! You were the only one...who gave a damn about me! So why now!? Why now to tell me this!" Zabuza laughs and gently nudges his head against mine, making me open my eyes. 

"Quit your crying. Do me a favor and remove the bandages from my mouth." I do as he says and I see his true face. "Remember, you're a shinobi and every shinobi is human in their own way. Hold out your kunai." I do as he says and take out my kunai. He bites down on the handle and stands up. 

"Zabuza..." I realize what he's going to do after realizing there is an angry mob in front of us. "No...! No! Zabuza!" 

"This is our final goodbye, Akina." He mutters and runs toward the mob. 

"Zabuza!" I run after him, but Kakashi grabs m and holds me back. 

"Akina, no!" He holds me against him and I struggle against his hold. I reach my hand out to Zabuza as he continues to run toward the mob. 

"Zabuza!... ZABUZA!!!" 

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