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"Huh. I wasn't sure you guys would be here." A voice chimed, and Zabuza frowned. He had died only hours ago and then opened his eyes and was standing over his own corpse. Haku had soon joined him. He was still processing all of this, really, and ignored the voice. It's not like it was talking to him; dozens of construction workers and townsfolk had been walking across the bridge, even in the short time he's been there, and he had a feeling that there would have been more of a reaction had he been visible. At least, that's what he thought, until the voice spoke again, right next to him. "Momoichi-san?"
His eyes snapped over to the girl, hand instinctively grabbing for a kunai as he recognized her; the pink haired gennin from Hatake's team. Honestly, he wouldn't have recognized her if she didn't have such distinctive hair. Between the Uchiha and the brat that beat Haku, not to mention Hatake himself, the girl wasn't very remarkable. At least, he didn't think so.
"...yes?" He finally responded cautiously, utterly flabbergasted at the girl. She didn't seem intimidated by him in the slightest, despite the kunai in his hands. If anything, she mostly seemed amused.
"Why are you still here?" She asked patiently. Her eyes were faintly glowing and he suddenly got the uneasy feeling that she knew far more than he did about..whatever this was. The afterlife?
"Good question." He huffed. "Mind explaining what the hell is going on here?"
"Mind rephrasing that, asshole? I don't have to be here. I can just leave." She hummed without hesitation, boredly looking over her shoulder, and he growled.
"Why should I?" He challenged. "What are you going to do if I don't, girl?" He asked, letting loose a burst of killing intent. The girl stared at him, entirely unimpressed, and he recalled her shaking like a leaf when he first tried to kill the damn bridge builder. Where had her sudden spine of steel come from?
"I just told you, I'll leave. Really, I'm only giving the pair of you a chance on principal. And because it's probably what Naruto would want, which means it's probably what his mom wants, and she somehow knows when I do something she wouldn't approve of. Like leaving your sorry asses to wander." She sighed, annoyed, before meeting his glare head on with a fire he wasn't familiar with. "Don't get me wrong, though. They almost killed Sasuke-kun. You almost killed Kakashi-nii. I don't like you two. If you want my help, you should probably think about being nicer to me." She said lowly. She wasn't releasing any killing intent that he could feel, but the impression of it was somehow there anyway.
"Why would we need your help?" Haku cut in with a polite tone, and the girl turned to face the teen. She just stared at them for a while, silently, before speaking up again.
"Because, as far as I know, I'm the only one that can communicate with and see you. If, as is often the case, you need help moving on, I'm probably your only option." She claimed, and Haku's brow furrowed.
"Why? Why can you see us but no one else, that is." They inquired, and the girl shrugged.
"Absolutely no idea, that's just how it's been for as long as I can remember. If I wasn't learning lost techniques and impossible information from some of the others, I'd think I'm just crazy." She confessed casually. Haku gave a slow nod.
"...I don't think I caught your name, Shinobi-san." Haku admitted, sounding marginally guilty.
"That's fair, I suppose. I didn't get yours either. I'm Sakura." The brat introduced.
"Yuki Haku. Do you not have a last name, Sakura-san?" They inquired, offering a hand for a handshake. The girl giggled.
"Haku-san, you're mostly intangible to the living now. We can't really shake hands." Sakura reached out to shake Haku's hand, but her own went right through theirs. Haku flinched in surprise, but didn't seem hurt. The girl leaned back again. "And I do have a last name, but names have power for the dead. I don't see much of a need to tell you it."
"That is...fair, I suppose. " Haku mumbled, still in a bit of shock as they stared in fascination at their own hand. "So, Sakura-San, would you mind explaining what's going on?"
The girl tilted her head, considering it, before finally nodding. "Ok. You know, you should teach Momoichi-san some manners. He could use them." He growled at the claim, and she ignored him. Annoyed (and a little curious) he threw a shurriken at the girl, but it dissipated into thin air before it even reached her. "see what I mean? Anyway, what's the last thing you remember?"
"Dying." Haku answers, a little hesitant but brave as ever. "I died, and then I have fuzzy memories of...looking for something? Someone? But I couldn't find it. Then I opened my eyes, and I was standing right here, next to Zabuza-Sama."
"Mmk. And you?" She asked, turning to him. He glared silently, but recounted his similar experience.
"Yeah, about the same. I died, got really worried and angry about something, and then I was on this damn bridge again. Haku showed up an hour or so ago."
"Ok. Let's try this again. Why are you here?" She asked, stressing the question, and he only barely refrained from growling. "Seriously, think about it. You only come back if you have unfinished business on the mortal plane. What's yours? What do you need to see or know or fix so badly that you spat in the Shinigami's face and came back?" She prodded, eyes boring into them. Like a falling ton of bricks, it hit him-
"The Coup." He sighed. The girl gave an encouraging hum and he continued, "The Coup of the Yondaime Mizukage. Haku and I have been gathering illegal funding for it the last few years, since Mei reached out. I'm..not sure what will happen, now that they've lost their most free-roaming and profitable agent." He explained.
"What, so you were cutting off any hope this village had for exactly what you're trying to do in your old village?" The girl scoffed, sounding unreasonably offended. It really wasn't any of her business. "What makes their lives worth less than those you're trying to protect? They're both innocent bystanders being ripped apart by the bastards above them! What makes you any better then this Mizukage of yours, if you're willing to condemn these people just as easily as he did yours? If you want anything to change, really change, for the better, you need to be better." She berated passionately, nose upturned at him even when he was nearly twice her height and fists clenched so hard they were shaking. Haku flinched beside him and he snarled, lunging at the girl-
And going straight through her. Right. Ghost.
"And you, Haku-san?" She asked, dismissing him as he nearly flew straight off the edge of the bride. Haku hesitated, watching him, but they replied.
"I am here because Zabuza-Sama is. I am an extension of his will, and even in death I will not let him be alone."They said resolutely. The girl had an odd look on her face at that, but ultimately shrugged.
"Good a goal as any. Actually, even if it is Momoichi, it's probably still better then most. So." She said, ignoring his half hearted offended protest and turning to face him,
"I'll look into the Yondaime Mizukage more first, because I absolutely do not trust your judgement, but I'm down to help in any way I can with your revolution if he's that bad. Where do we start?"
Zabuza stared at the girl in shock, looking her up and down with a considering gaze. She still didn't look all that remarkable, besides the hair and glowing eyes. There were obviously people he'd rather have as he ally. In fact, if he were to write his own list, this academy fresh Konoha soft Genin wouldn't even be a thought in his head.
Still, apparently, she was all they had now. Meeting her determined glare and calculating posture, he supposed there were worse people as well.
He grinned and offered his hand for the little girl to shake. She crossed her arms and gave him the most unimpressed look anyone had ever dared to level his way, and he laughed.
He could definitely do worse.