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 YURI AND Kakashi sprinted towards their remaining team members and Tazuna just as Zabuza appeared behind them with his blade raised. 

Zabuza swung down his sword, aiming for Tazuna, however, the blood split was not that of the bridge builders. It was Kakashi's. The brave Leaf Jonin stood between the blade and the target, taking the hit to the chest. 

A clean slice tore through his uniform's vest, blood already seeping through the dark green material and staining his hand that rested over the open wound. Yuri watched from behind Zabuza, her arm squeezing around her opponent's neck tightly. Her face wore no emotion but in her head, she was cursing to the gods that it wasn't her to land such a blow to the Copy Ninja. Her arm tightened around Zabuza's throat causing his breath to stagger slightly. 

"Jealous?" Zabuza smirked. "Jealous I hit Kakashi and you couldn't?" He continued, directing his comments to his old friend. 

Yuri scoffed, clenching her bicep further into his jugular. "As if." She flung Zabuza back away from Kakashi, shielding him from his attacker. "Yaragi! Heal Kakashi." She commanded the shark-featured boy as she dashed towards the bandaged rogue. 

"Yes, sensei," Yaragi placed his hands on Kakashi's back and began healing the Jonin. Sakura watched in awe.

"Wow! How are you doing that?" She questioned quickly. She judged that with Kakashi here and Yuri keeping Zabuza at bay, she could take her eyes off of the fight briefly to watch Yaragi work.

The shy boy blushed, embarrassed at the attention. "O-oh, umm..."

Before he could answer, Doremi interrupted. "Are you not taught healing jutsu at your academy?" She questioned Sakura who shook her head. "Wow, Konohagakure sounds rough." The redhead muttered under her breath.

Kakashi's brows furrowed at her statement. From what he remembered of Kirigakure, it was 10 times worse than any place he had visited. A lot of ninjas go rogue there, plus the hostile environment and extreme training conditions, Kirikagure seemed like Hell on Earth. 

But the fact Yuri had practically raised three Hidden Mist pre-teens to be respectful, kind and nurturing proved otherwise. Especially with the way Yuri was when she was younger, she was reckless and wild. But now, she was composed and demanded respect. A lot had changed, Kakashi supposed, since the last time they met when they were 18. 

"Come on, Yuri. I want this to be fun, like old times. Think how much easier it will be to take down Kakashi together as a team like it was before-"

"Enough!" Yuri screamed in anger. "I am done playing your games, Momochi! I will end your pitiful life here and now!"

She brought down her sword to clash against his in multiple swings, the two practically skirting across the bridge in their fight. "It's not my life that will end today, it'll be yours and your weak genins'. They'll be at Haku's mercy once I'm done with you and Kakashi." Yuri groaned as she flung more and more vines and plants at him. "Come on, Yuri. I don't know why you haven't used that technique on me yet, you know how effective it is." Zabuza taunted. 

Magenta eyes squinted back at him matched with a menacing scowl and shimmer of a blade. "Shut up!" She screamed. 

Zabuza tsked. "Ah... so you're afraid, are you? Makes sense for such a weak, lonely runt."

She knew what he was doing. Knowing it would throw her off her game, he was trying to get under her skin with these comments. And he was succeeding. Her grip on the katana loosened slightly giving Zabuza the perfect chance to hit it out of her hands. The sword clanged on the cement, several feet away from them both. But Yuri did not care. As much as she tried to ignore him, she couldn't help but falter at his insult.

She was not weak. She was not lonely. She was not a runt. 

Yuri Ren is powerful. Yuri Ren has friends and comrades. Yuri Ren is the prodigy of her clan. 

But Zabuza knew that what he called her was how she felt about herself when she was at her lowest. When she had lost everything. When...

"Yuri Sensei!" The voices of her squad screamed out to her. Her head twisted slightly to catch a glimpse of them behind her. Tears were welling in their eyes as they watched their leader lose this fight. 

All of a sudden, a flash of wind blew past her and a strong hand landed on her waist, pulling her back from Zabuza. The muscular arm circled her waist and kept her behind the owner's back. Her head turned up to see a head of silver hair. 

If this were any other situation, she would chew his ear off with complaints but right now, she couldn't find the drive. She knew Kakashi didn't save her because the genin told him to or because of their truce. She knew he did it purely because he wanted to. The ombre-haired Jonin wasn't sure if she even hated him at this moment anymore. 

The tiniest speck of respect had blossomed between the two rivals — that, and the mutual hatred they shared for Zabuza at this very moment.

"Go to the others," Kakashi ordered Yuri. 

Her brows furrowed in annoyance and confusion. "But-"

"Just do it." He growled before running toward Zabuza. Yuri scoffed but jumped back towards Tazuna and the genin. 

"Sensei, here's your katana!" Doremi grinned up at her leader.

Yuri raised a brow. "You left your post to fetch my sword?" 

She was met with wide orange eyes filled with panic. "I- uh- I didn't mean to, sensei! I was just trying to help!" Doremi bowed her head to Yuri in respect. Yuri laughed and patted the fiery genin on the head. 

"Thank you, Remi. Do not disobey my orders again, though. Understood?"

Doremi smiled and nodded quickly. "Yes, sensei, understood."