Normally when death is looking you this close in the face your life should ‘flash’ before your eyes. But the young blonde didn’t have that feeling. In fact she found herself staring up at the knife with only one single thought; [i]I wish I would have told him…[/i] The Kunai began to travel downwards towards her exposed neck and she braced herself for impact.

But the impact never came and the tightly gripped hands holding her into place went limp and collapsed forward into her line of sight. She made no reaction, no flinching or even surprise; she knew for her safety she was better off not moving at all. [i]WHOOSH[/i] a kunai and a shuriken thrown with intense force spun past her, pinning the leader to a tree. And the man holding her feet down went limp, a black boot slamming against his head and pushed him into the dirt as if he was nothing. Had she blinked she would have missed everything, but she didn’t.

In front of her stood the back of the man she had wished she would have talked to before her life came to an end. Her breathe caught in her chest. He was back? When did he get back, and how did he find… okay that last one was a stupid question. Kakashi could track the fly the bothered him three years ago if he wanted to. But when did he get back? Why was he here and where was his back up?

Rising to her feet slowly she snagged one of the kunai and turned, throwing it with an unexpected force towards a nearby bush. Inside the sound of gagging could be heard before the body of the fifth guy fell forward and out of the bushes dead. Her head fell softly as she let out a sigh of relief and turned to Kakashi hearing his question about her well-being. “I’m fine, we need to get the other girls and…” She started towards the direction of where the sleeping women were before she dropped to one knee clutching her left front rib cage with her right hand. A moan of pain left her as she gripped the dirt under her hand and her head hung, eyes pinching shut tightly.

“Where… where is… the rest of your group?”