Me: I do not own Naruto.

Last time:

Pouring in the chakra, Maika performed a flawless, seal-less Shunshin and found herself face to face with a lightning cutter aimed for her heart.

"True love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice." ~Sadhu Vaswani

I.

Maika had ten seconds.

That was ten seconds to observe the simply terrified expression on Kakashi's face, the gobsmacked incomprehension of Haku, the agonized pain in Naruto's eyes when he saw what was happening.

She wanted to tell them that it was okay, that it was alright, that they didn't have to look at her like that.

But there was no time.

"ONEE-CHAN!" Naruto howled, tears and denial clogging up his voice, but Maika was already moving, Chitama drawn and slicing through the air. Laced with wind chakra, the flat of her blade hit Kakashi's wrist, sending his arm off two inches to the right.

It was a small difference.

It was an important difference.

Spinning to her left, Maika deftly tripped Haku, who went sprawling as Kakashi's lightning cutter hit the ground beside her, creating a crater of wood with splinters flying everywhere. She snuck a glance behind her to see that Zabuza was still immobilized before casually knocking Haku out.

The bridge was silent for a brief, brief moment. And then -

"Onee-chan!" Crying openly, Naruto slammed into Maika's legs, forcing the jounin to step back with a small "oomph." He hugged her tightly, rambling on incoherently. "I thought you were going to diieee! You can't die, got it?!"

She glanced down, smiled fondly. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders comfortingly, Maika turned her head to see Kakashi make his way to his feet, what she could see of his face ashen. He stared at her with one eye shining with terror.

Maika winced, offered up a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry, sempai. Got a bit carried away." She knew of Kakashi's ideals of friends and comrades, knew she had almost just made him break it. In her defense though, it had been Naruto who had cried out...

Kakashi only shook his head and walked over to give her a one-armed hug, squeezing tight before releasing her almost nonchalantly. "Maa... it's okay. This is probably the best outcome anyway."

"Hmm... you're probably right." Maika looked down at Naruto, who still hadn't let her go. "Naruto, what happened to Sasuke and Sakura?" They weren't blood relatives, but blood wasn't everything.

Look at Itachi and the Uchiha Clan.

But then again, she mused, the same couldn't be said about Itachi and Sasuke. Huh. Maika expertly ignored the painful clenching of her heart. She would see her teammate once more, that was for sure. She would be okay.

Maybe.

Still sniffling, Naruto pulled back and used one hand to wipe away at his tears. "Umm... Haku knocked them out. I think they're okay though. He was nice, even though he tried to kill us."

Maika sweatdropped. "That's a bit of a contradiction... but I think they're fine, too."

"Humph."

Narrowing her eyes, Maika glanced back at Zabuza who sneered contemptuously. Naruto stiffened, withdrew completely, frowning at the missing-nin. Kakashi blinked, raising a casual eyebrow at his opponent.

"Haku... even in the end, you were a good little weapon, jumping in to protect me." Zabuza mused. "It's too bad you weren't strong enough to do anything more... like killing Kakashi."

Naruto balled up his hands, cerulean blue eyes searing. "Shut up! He almost killed himself for you! Do you really feel nothing?!"

"Shut up, kid." Zabuza said apathetically. "Haku was my tool. I've said it already... in the world of the shinobi there are only those who use, and those who are used. We shinobi are simply tools. What I wanted was his blood, not him. I have no regrets."

Maika watched quietly as Naruto steamed, face filled with a perplexed anger. For all that she had done her best to prepare her little sunshine for the shinobi world, he still retained that reservoir of naivety, of belief in the goodness of the world.

Maika had lost that belief when she was four, as she watched her village burn down around her. It had never truly recovered, even under Kushina and Minato's careful attention. Itachi had lost his around four, too, while Shisui had been far wiser than most people understood.

"Hey, do you really mean that?!" Naruto yelled, moving forward to point an accusatory finger at Zabuza. "He loves you! He loves you! He almost threw his life away for you! If I become as strong as you... will I really become like you?!"

Zabuza said nothing more, but gritted his teeth and turned his head away, eyes shadowed. Maika was preparing herself to interfere before Naruto actually lunged at the man when a large amount of chakra signatures alerted her that something was wrong.

Low, malicious chuckles broke through the strained silence. Maika turned around slowly to see a short man wearing glasses and a black suit step forward, leading a group of thugs onto the bridge. "Oooh... you got your ass kicked. How disappointing, Zabuza..."

"Gato." Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here...? And what's with all these men?"

Ahh... Maika stepped closer to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go see to Sasuke and Sakura." She said softly when he looked up at her. "Protect your client."

Naruto frowned, brow furrowing, evidently not prepared to give up his grudge on Zabuza, but conceded reluctantly, leaping away to where his teammates laid on the cold bridge, the old, alcoholic man watching over them.

"Hehe, the plan has changed." Gato announced with a smirk. "Well actually, I planned to do this from the beginning. Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here."

"What?" Zabuza hissed indignantly.

"I never planned on paying you any money. Hiring a normal ninja from the village is expensive and they may betray me... so I get you missing-nins who are easy to take care of afterwards. I have the ninjas battle each other, and once they're weakened, I kill them off with numbers. It doesn't cost me anything; good plan, don't you think?"

Yes, yes it was a good plan. A cruel one, a deceitful one, but a good plan nonetheless. Unfortunately, Maika's admiration for Gato's manipulative genius only went so far.

"The only devil in the plan was you, Zabuza. The Demon of the Hidden Mist? What a joke, if you ask me. You're just a cute little baby demon." Gato laughed tauntingly.

"We can easily kill you now!" His thugs shouted, grinning brutally.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry. This fight is over. Now that I have no reason to go after Tazuna, I have no reason to fight you. Let me go." Zabuza said, dark eyes burning.

"Ah... you're right." Kakashi dispelled the jutsu, the nin-dogs vanishing with poofs of smoke. Going down to his haunches while Zabuza straightened up, the Hatake observed the scene coolly.

"Oh, yeah." Gato stepped up to the unconscious Haku's side. "I owe this one... you squeezed my arm until it broke." Indeed, his left arm was bundled up in bandages. "Heh, not so tough now, are you?"

He raised his leg, prepared to kick Haku's face... and promptly found the appendage cut off smoothly with a flicker of red. Shrieking with pain, Gato fell back onto his ass, face pale and eyes wide.

Maika stepped in front of Haku soundlessly, rose eyes cold. "You shall not touch this child." She said flatly. Chitama's sharpened and bloodied edge glinted in the faint light.

"Wh-Who are you?!" Gato yelled, clutching at his bleeding ankle. "Don't you know who I am?!"

"I don't particularly care."

"Y-You!" He seemed speechless all of a sudden, faced with a ninja who wasn't weak, wasn't tired, wasn't injured, and all too willing to kill him.

"Tch. I don't you to fight my battles, little girl." Zabuza stepped up beside her, wielding the famed Kubikiribocho.

"Don't be ridiculous, Momichi." She said bluntly. "I just happen to have a sense of honor."

He grunted, stealing a look at her face. "Hey... I know you. Aren't you 'Crimson Jasper' Uzumaki Maika?"

Her smile was razor-sharp, eyes still focused on the crowd of nobodies in front of her. "That's what my name was last time I checked, yes."

"Cheeky brat."

"And the last time I checked, I'm an A-rank shinobi, too." Maika pointed out nonchalantly.

"That's enough!" Gato screamed, pain edging his voice as he hobbled back to his troops. "Kill them already!"

"Sure thing!" Came the response from the idiots. "One pretty chick and one badly injured shinobi against these numbers?! You think you can win?!"

"You're not at my level." Zabuza said, hefting up his blade.

"We'll see." Maika smiled challengingly. "You want the bastard?"

"Hell yeah I want the bastard." He growled, baring his teeth. "You think you're good enough to take on the rest of them, little girl?"

She narrowed her eyes, grip tightening. "Sure I can. In fact, I bet you I'll take out more than you will."

Zabuza smirked. "I'll take that bet."

From behind them, Kakashi sweatdropped and shook his head. 'Maa... those two are sure getting along... well...'

"Ready... set..."

"GO!"

The thugs didn't stand a chance. They really didn't. Maika was speed and grace and the flash of silver and red. Zabuza was strength and ruthlessness and the grin of a demon. They had both been Anbu at one time, and neither needed help.

Gato's men were decimated.

"Wow..." Naruto whispered, cerulean blue eyes wide with awe and disbelief both. He had known that his older sister was a strong kunoichi, but this was... this was...

He was never going to make her mad at him again.

"Uhh..." Came the moan from next to him, and Naruto blinked, hope flaring bright as Sasuke stirred slightly. Scrambling to his side, Naruto waited with baited breath for Sasuke's eyes to open.

A second later they did.

"Sasuke!" Naruto grinned openly, a weight falling from his shoulders. "You're finally awake, sleepyhead!"

Sasuke groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes with a wince. "Naruto...? What happened...? Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah!" Well," He corrected after a glance to Sakura, "Sakura-chan still isn't up, but she should be fine. Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna are okay, too. But... err... I don't think Gato's guys are doing so hot."

"That's a good thing, though!" Naruto tacked on hastily when Sasuke shot him a Look.

"Hn. Dobe, help me up so I can see."

Grumbling to himself, Naruto carefully heaved up his brother in all but blood and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen as he took in the carnage.

"... I am never going to make Nee-san mad at me again." Sasuke muttered.

Naruto chortled with laughter, the grin on his face decidedly foxy.

II.

"Haa... haa... y-you can't d-do this!" Gato gasped out hastily, fear etched deep into the lines of his face.

They ignored him casually, the last thug falling to the bloodied bridge with a dull thud as Maika flicked her wrist to clean the blood off of her blade.

"How many, brat?" Zabuza asked with a smirk, completely ignoring the blood staining his own blade.

"57." Maika said primly, quirking an eyebrow at him in fearless challenge.

"Humph. 56." Smirking widening in bloodlust, Zabuza stalked forward, cold eyes focused on Gato.

"S-Stop!" He cried out, flinging out a hand as if that would be enough to ward him off.

"Going to finish this?" She questioned, sheathing Chitama with a fluid, practiced motion.

Zabuza chuckled, starting to run, a blur that signaled one thing and one thing only. Death. "Watch me."

"NO!" Gato shouted, but his head was sliced clean off not a second later, the spray of blood crimson mist in the air. His decapitated head fell soundlessly through the air, hitting the ground not long before the body.

Zabuza spit on the corpse disdainfully, heaving his massive sword over his sword. "Good riddance, bastard."

"Hmm... looks like we have company." Maika mused, glancing over her shoulder at the numerous chakra signatures that fluttered against her senses.

A large crowd of villagers stood not far away, armed with pitchforks and make-shift spears, determination edging their stances. But their faces held nothing only shock as they stared at the dead body of one corrupt drug dealer. A small boy led them with a ridiculous little crossbow, eyes wide with shock and disbelief both, jaw somewhere on the ground.

"Inari...? You..." The old client breathed, tears coming to his eyes.

"INARI!" Naruto shouted happily, a grin splitting his face.

"Friend of yours, Naruto?" Maika asked, rather rhetorically.

"Yeah." He gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up, eyes creasing.

"It's over." Zabuza said bluntly, staring unnervingly at the villagers, who shifted uneasily. "Gato's dead."

There was a second of silence. Another. And then -

"GATO'S DEAD!" Someone shouted and the dam broke. Weapons clattered to the ground now that they were no longer needed, fists pumped gleefully into the air, years of oppression broken in a heartbeat.

"We did it!"

"We're free!"

"Gato's really dead!"

"The Land of Waves is free again!"

III.

"What are you guys going to do now?" Naruto asked curiously, peering across the table at Zabuza and Haku. The former snorted, sprawled across his comparatively tiny chair while the latter smiled kindly.

Tsunami, the daughter of Tazuna and the mother of Inari had originally been hesitant to allow the two enemy ninja who had tried to kill her father into her home, but Naruto's puppy-eyes had won her over in the end!

"What does it matter?" Zabuza said, taking a swig of the alcohol he had threatened out of Tazuna, "We're not after the old man anymore."

Sakura, seated to Naruto's right and to Sasuke's left, sniffed, "Of course it matters! We can't have you two just running loose!"

Zabuza scoffed, raising an eyebrow a fraction, "Girl, if I ever needed you to look after me, I give you permission to escort me back to Kiri to get my head chopped off as I would have undoubtedly sunk lower than can be redeemed."

"You haven't answered the question." Sasuke pointed out indifferently as Sakura bristled, emerald eyes flashing fire.

"We will most likely be traveling towards Kumo in search of new jobs." Haku said softly in an effort to diffuse the rising tension.

"Kumo, huh?" Maika, currently acting as the only buffer between Naruto and Zabuza, brushed back a lock of her dark red hair, rose eyes contemplative. "Things have been quiet there for a while."

"You could always go back to Kiri." Kakashi commented lazily, nose buried in his porn. "Stage another coup d'etat.

Zabuza shot him a shrewd, unamused look. "You just want me out of the way." He deadpanned.

"Yup!" Kakashi confirmed cheerfully, utterly unrepentant.

"Now, sempai, you could at least be subtle about it," Maika scolded halfheartedly, a faint smirk on her lips.

"But what fun would that be?"

"Hmm, true."

"You're both devils." Zabuza decided firmly. The eye-smile and cheshire grin that was their response did, in no way, deter that conclusion.

The rest of the table sweatdropped and shook their heads, wisely making the decision to keep out of it.

IV.

"So, this is goodbye then." Kakashi said neutrally a week later.

"Yeah." Zabuza said gruffly, turning to glare at a certain Uzumaki. "Oi, blondie, let Haku go!"

"Noooo!" Naruto tightened his grip on the other boy's waist, a childish pout on his face. "Haku, you can't leave already!"

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Haku responded, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But it is my duty to follow Zabuza-sama wherever he goes."

"Stop that!" Sakura scolded lightly. "I thought we've talked about the whole tool thing. It's not mentally healthy!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Sakura. A minor lapse." Haku smiled, not in the least apologetic.

Sasuke merely rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't be pathetic, dobe. Let him go."

"But-but-but -"

"Naruto." Maika said simply.

Naruto deflated and reluctantly let Haku go, knowing perfectly well not to disobey that tone of voice. "Fine." He sulked, before turning to scowl at Zabuza, "Bandage, don't you let yourself sink so low to let someone like Gato boss you around again, got it?! And don't go dragging Haku into your messes either!"

Zabuza's eye twitched. "Who do you think you are, brat?!"

"You heard me!"

"Brat, I'm going to cripple you!"

"No you won't." Maika said resolutely, jaw firming. "Momichi, aren't you supposed to be leaving?"

He sneered at her. "Like I would let a couple of brats like you order me around!"

"Yeah, yeah, grandpa." She said dismissively, watching him choke on thin air with a smirk. Maika was barely eighteen, and by her count, Zabuza had to be somewhere in his high twenties.

"Gr-Grandpa?!" Zabuza repeated incredulously, hold on Kubikiribocho tightening, "Did you just call me Grandpa?!"

"What of it?" She absently inspected her nails.

"Why you - !"

"Now, now, children, don't argue." Kakashi cut in, amused.

"... You're right, sempai." Maika nodded, waiting for him to go back to his porn before squashing his satisfaction flat, "You're the grandpa."

Kakashi's head snapped up so fast she was surprised something wasn't sprained, one eye huge with shock. His jaw worked, but nothing came out but strange gurgling sounds. Maika blinked innocently while Naruto erupted into laughter, Sakura giggled, and even Sasuke cracked a chuckle. Haku politely hid a smile while Zabuza smirked arrogantly.

"M-Me?! I'll have you know my hair is natural!" Kakashi defended, highly affronted.

"Suuure, sensei." Naruto snorted.

"It's true!"

"Mm-hm, we totally believe you."

"Look what you've done, Maika-chan!"

V.

As soon, as soon, as they were home, Maika plopped Team Seven down and demanded they explain everything that had happened. Cordially and with a serene smile, of course - Mikoto hadn't taught her all those years ago for nothing.

Naruto gulped hard, Sakura bit her lip, Sasuke stared hard at the tablecloth, and Kakashi spilled the beans.

Maika listened very, very calmly as the older jounin described how they had first met Zabuza after landing on the Land of Waves; they had clashed, sempai had gotten captured, the three genin had stepped up to the plate. After some careful planning, out of the tough spot they had gone, and Haku had made his appearance to pick up his master.

After that, a week of training for the grasshoppers, some new jutsu - did she know that Naruto had wind affinity, Sasuke lightning, and Sakura earth? - and then part two with Zabuza and Haku was up. Sasuke and Naruto had gotten themselves trapped in an ice prison, Sakura had jumped in to help, Sakura and Sasuke had gotten knocked out.

That was where things got a little blurry.

Kakashi looked Maika straight in the eyes, jaw clenched, eye burning, and said Naruto had taken Haku out in a fit of strength and fury. One glance at her little brother, shaken and lost, and she knew what had happened. It would have been a harder blow had she not known Minato.

Maika believed in her Nii-san's genius.

After that, Kakashi had succeeded in restraining Zabuza, had been preparing to kill him when Haku noticed and wheeled off from his fight to intervene. And then Maika was there and the rest was history. She nodded and was quiet, remained quiet as the seconds passed and the others fidgeted.

Finally, Maika said so, so calmly, "Sempai, take Sasuke and Sakura out please. I need to talk to Naruto."

Kakashi scrutinized her for a moment before nodding in consent, "Sasuke, Sakura, come on." They left, the two genin throwing concerned and questioning looks at Naruto, who just looked bewildered.

"Onee-chan?" Naruto whispered, those familiar, familiar cerulean eyes swimming in confusion.

"Hush." Rising to her feet, Maika pressed her palm flat to the wall and channeled a touch of chakra. The powerful silencing seal she had inscribed in the wall flared to life, enclosing the room in a barrier that wouldn't allow any sound out.

Over the years, and, as her proficiency with fuinjutsu had increased even as she juggled raising Naruto and Sasuke, the many missions she was saddled with, and keeping track of Itachi from wherever he was around the world, she had steadily added seals, fatal and not, to her home.

They came in handy. Especially when idiots on October 10th tried to break in and hurt her nephew. They always regretted it... as they should.

Returning to her seat, Maika looked at Naruto and sighed. "There's something you need to know."

Aaaannnd that's all I have. Sorry, everybody, but it's been a lovely ride and this is the end. This is where Promise of Jasper is officially discontinued. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me for this long!

~gemstoneshaman