The Legend of Konoha's Shooting Star

Awaken

The crease in April's brow deepened when she heard the scream, but she kept going, reminding herself how important it was to stay calm and focus on the task at hand. Panicking hadn't saved her parents. She wasn't going to make that mistake again!

"!!" Sasuke gasped on the other side of the mirrors, startled. 'That was Sakura's voice!!' he thought. 'What happened!? What's Kakashi doing!!?' He glanced at Naruto, who was lying flat on the ground, panting. His whole body looked like a giant pincushion. Sasuke wasn't much better off himself. 'Damn it... This is bad. I have to do something...' he thought, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to get back up. He didn't have to look to know that April was still doing her best to chip away at the ice from the outside. He could still hear the cracking sounds as she continued her nonstop assault on the mirrors... but they couldn't afford  to wait any longer! Besides... His eyes were finally starting to get used it, Haku's movements.

'I'm aiming for critical areas yet he keeps dodging... He seems to be slowly learning to follow my movements... This boy can see something...' Haku thought as he stared into Sasuke's dark, determined eyes. 'Dodging all of my attacks at the last second... spectacular movement.' Naruto grunted as he struggled to get up too, pushing himself onto his knees. "You... move well," Haku told Sasuke. "But this time, I'll stop you." Haku's grip tightened on the needles in his hands.

'He's coming!!' Sasuke thought, furrowing his brow as he braced himself. 'Calm down... Concentrate... And see through it!!!' The instant Haku began to move, Sasuke grabbed Naruto and jumped to the side.

"!!" Naruto and Haku both gasped in surprise as the needles missed their intended targets.

'He saw it!! No way!!' Haku thought, taken aback. He gasped in alarm when Sasuke looked back up, glaring at him with scarlet eyes that each had two black tomoe around the pupils. 'Those eyes...!! It can't be...!! Sharingan!!?' "You are...!! I see... You also possess a kekkei genkai..." Haku said aloud, stunned. 'What a kid... It's not complete, but to awaken that ability during battle...'

"Just a little bit... but I can see!!' Sasuke thought, determined to win.

"Then I can't fight for much longer..." Haku said. "My jutsu uses up a lot of chakra. There's a limit on how long I can keep up this speed." Between keeping this jutsu open and the constant repairs from April's attack, he was beginning to run dangerously low on chakra. "Most likely, the longer this fight goes on... the better you will be able to read my movements. If your eyes are starting to catch me, then..." 'Attacking him head on would be dangerous...' Haku thought. His eyes landed on Naruto, who was still struggling to pick himself up. 'I'll use that kid to bring him to me.' "This is the end!!" Haku shouted, launching into another attack.

'What? At Naruto!?' Sasuke thought, alarmed. 'Damn!!' He gritted his teeth as he forced his aching body to move. 'Please make it in time!!'

"Ugh..." Kakashi groaned, clutching the bleeding wound Zabuza had just given him on his abdomen with one hand as several drops of blood fell to the ground at his feet.

"!!" Tazuna gasped in alarm.

"Kakashi-sensei!!" Sakura yelled.

"You were too slow... Kakashi... Did your desire to save those brats cloud your mind and further fog up that Sharingan of yours?" Zabuza asked mockingly. "Even with that impressive eye, your ability to read my movements is dimming... Hehehe... Let me enjoy this more, Kakashi... I want to have more fun while I return the favor. Don't worry about the brats, Haku has probably killed them by now. Plus, I'm about to send you to the same place as them," he added as he lifted his sword, preparing to strike again. "You can apologize to them in the next world for lacking the strength to protect them. HeheHAHAHA!"