Naruto and Sasuke were fighting Haku in his House of Mirrors. Naruto was running from Haku. "Naruto! Behind you!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto turned to see Haku throw a a bunch of needles at him. Naruto fell to the ground with thud. "Naruto!" Sasuke cried. "Your chance of escaping my House of Mirrors... is zero." Haku said. "That is absolute." "Can you stand Naruto?" Sasuke asked crouching beside him. "Y-yeah." he managd to say. "From now on, don't waste your chakra!" Sasuke yelled. "I know Sasuke. I know." Naruto collapsed. 'If things continue like this, it's going to be really bad.' Sasuke thought. 'I...I have to do something.' "Looking for a counter attack? I'll save you the trouble!" Haku chided. He threw needles at Sasuke, but he managd to dodge all of them. 'What?!" Haku thought. Sasuke fell to his knees and looked at Naruto. "Stand up you idiot!" he yelled. Naruto strained to get up.
'I'm aiming at his vital spots...but he's parrying all of them!' Haku staired at Sasuke. "I know what we have to do, Sasuke." Naruto grunted. Sasuke pushed Naruto away from a pile of needles. "Don't you dare faint Naruto!" Sasuke said. "I can't keep protecting you like this!" "Well then don't! I never asked or your help!" Naruto said before he fainted. (Que "The Rising Fighting Spirit" song.) 'There's no way he could've done that!' Haku thought. Sasuke panted as he gently put Naruto on the ground. He looked to Haku with his uncompleted Sharingan. 'Impossible! Those eyes. The Shaingan. You're...' Haku thought. 'It's not complete, but I could see through his deceptions." Sasuke thought. 'So he has a Kekkei Genkai. The power of a unique bloodline trait passed down within a clan. Interesting. Even though its not perfected yet, to uncover this power in the midst of a lethal attack, is an amazing feat. And because of that, I won't be able to fight much longer. My jutsu uses a tremendous amount of Chakra. And his movements also take energy. I'll have to throw him off guard...by attacking his partner!' Haku planned. He came out of a mirror and went towards Naruto's unconscious body. 'What?! I've gotta stop him!' Sasuke thought as he ran towards Naruto.
Outside the house, Kakashi had been stuck by Zabuza's blade, protecting his girlfriend Sakura. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried. "You were late Kakashi. You let the safety of those little punks cloud your mind. Adding further to the fall it already hinders your Sharingan. Your eyes are sharp Kakashi. But not sharp enough to read my moves. Not anymore! Come on Kakashi! I want this to be fun! I want to njoy myself as a exact my revenge. As for those brats, don't worry. They're at Haku's mercy. Now they're breathing their last breaths." Zabuza said. "He said Sasuke...will die! That's not true! I won't believe it! I have faith in him!" Sakura cried. 'Sasuke will beat him to a pulp! CHA!' Inner Sakura yelled. "And the masked kid..." 'They'll make him wish he was even born!' Inner Sakura punched. "I can't lose Sasuke!" Sakura was getting mad. 'Anyone who tries to take him from me will pay for it!' her mind cried. "And Naruto either!" she said. "Exactly!" Kakashi said. "I believe in their abilities. I have faith in them. Naruto, the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja. And Sasuke, heir to the most powerful clan in the Hidden Leaf Village!" Kakashi said. "Huh?! You mean..." Zabuza cried. "Yes. His full name...is Sasuke Uchiha!" "I had heard that one young ninja survived the tragedy. But no one has ever stopped Haku's secret jutsu. Even the most skilled Jounin fall beore him. Just as you will fall before me. Right now!" Zabuza got in his stance. "Sakura! Take Tazuna!" Kakashi said before hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head. "Got it!" she said. Kakashi ran off. ' He's right. It's time to end this. But he is the one who will fall!" he thought.
Back at the House, Naruto was slowly gaining consciousness. He looked up at Sasuke and gasped. "For God's sakes you...you always...get in the way...it never fails..." Sasuke gasped. "Ah! Sasuke! You beat him!" Naruto cried, oblivious to Sasuke's critical condition at the moment. "Huh?" Naruto looked up. Sasuke's body was pierced with needles. He turned to Naruto. "You should see the look on your face...you...you look like a total loser." Sasuke said. "Why...why did you save me?" Naruto asked. "How the hell...should I know? I just did." he said. Memories flowed through Sasuke's mind. The last memory was when they kissed. It stayed there for a moment then slowly faded away. "Heh...you...I hated you..." "Then why? It doesn't make any sense. Why did you...protect me?" Naruto was confused. Sasuke turned. "Don't you see? I protected you...because I love you!" Sasuke yelled. He collapsed but Naruto caught him before he hit the ground. "Sasuke!" he cried, tears forming in his eyes. Sasuke reached up and put his hand on Naruto's cheek. Naruto held his hand on it. "Naruto...don't...let...your...dream die..." that was the last thing he said before his hand dropped to the ground. "Sasuke? Sasuke! Wake up! SASUKE!!!!!!!!" Naruto shouted. "Is this the first time you've witnessed a friend die in battle? This is part of what it meansto be a Shinobi." Haku said. "Shut up...you'll pay for this..." Naruto said, red Chakra flowing around him and Sasuke's body. "I'm gonna kill you!" Naruto said, going Kyuubi. The wounds he had disappeared, and the needles in his back came out. His nails were like claws and hie teeth were like fangs. His eyes were red and the three lines on each cheek were darker and larger. He was no longer human. Naruto charged at Haku on all fours. ( Que "Akeboshi" ending version.)