The Ninja of Unlimited Blades

by chimmon

Shirou was saved from the fire that consumed his village by a young ninja called Haku. Now, he seeks to become a useful tool to Zabuza, just like she is.

4. The Land of Waves 1

Shirou's eyes focused on movement. It was from the direction of the village, and moving towards the bridge. The bright yellow mop of hair made identifying the new arrival simple. Naruto Uzumaki. He was enthusiastic and kind. Shirou really liked him. Not only that, the two of them were family. Fate seemed cruel. To put Naruto in the way of Zabuza. Shirou raised his bow and notched an arrow. The wind was from the east, and Shirou was three kilometers from his target. His maximum range with his reinforced bow was only one kilometer. For the arrow would fly far enough... he'd need an angle like... this. His bow was pointed upwards and to the side. It would require a high arc to hit his target from this distance. For a long minute he kept his aim trained on the orange suit. Naruto was running full-out. He was trying to get to the bridge in time. To help HIS precious people. The straight forward movement made the arrow's path predictable. If the yellow haired boy kept the same pace, the arrow would intercept him...there. Naruto was about to enter his range. Shirou released his shot. The wooden shaft would land just as the young ninja came into range. Naruto wasn't skilled enough to notice the projectile. He would have no defense. Shirou blinked away tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered into the wind.

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1 year ago...

Zabuza took one final look around the ruins. The Village Hidden in the Eddies, he had to look at it with his own eyes. Its destruction during the beginning of the Third Shinobi War was a major accomplishment. At least that's what the Hidden Stone, Cloud, and Mist said. The Uzumaki clan had been too old. Too powerful. Too well-versed in funijutsu. Other countries feared that they would use their sealing abilities to turn the tailed beasts into weapons. That had led to their downfall. Zabuza hadn't yet been a ninja when the Land of Whirlpools was attacked. He didn't know all the details, so he had to come and see for himself. At least before he told Shirou.

The trip back to their base was over quickly. The Land of Waves, as it was now called, was not a large country. It suited him as a hideout. No ninja village to avoid. Close enough to the Land of Water so he could return once he had gathered more allies. The merchant, Gatou, had put out calls for mercenaries. Zabuza thought about whether to approach the man as he ran. If Gatou wanted a large enough gang, he would probably also need some ninja. His business dealings weren't on the up-and-up, so he wouldn't go to a major village. Most importantly, the merchant had money. Soon he would make enough enemies that hiring ninjas would only make sense.

There was still no sign of Kushimaru and Jinpachi. Zabuza, Haku, Shirou and the Demon Brothers were living in an old Hidden Eddies outpost. It was naturally built in the trees. The Village Hidden in the Leaves influenced the Hidden Eddies quite a bit. Zabuza would've preferred living someplace closer to the water. It was probably best this way though. Closer to the water meant they were more apt to be found by Hidden Mist Hunter Ninjas. Inside their base, Shirou was cooking again. The boy was nice to have around. He jumped at any chance to help out. The Demon Brothers were, on the other hand, useless. Haku lacked the physical strength to do many of the repairs that were still needed. Shirou worked long and hard. His cooking was also becoming quite good. The jonin made the final leap up to one of the large branches right outside their hideout's kitchen.

"What are you cooking today, Shirou?" Zabuza could smell something coming from the fire pit. The stones surrounding it must've been a real pain to haul up into the branches. The effort was worth it if you didn't want to burn down your home.

"Some venison steaks, with mashed potatoes and asparagus on the side." The teenager turned to face him. "Did your scouting go well Zabuza-sensei?"

"No sign of the Heartless Pair. I don't think they made it." Zabuza walked over to the grill that Shirou had set up. "I did find what I was looking for."

"What was that?"

"The ruins of the Village Hidden in the Eddies."

"There's a hidden village here?"

"There once was. It was destroyed in the Third Shinobi War, and its people were killed or fled to other countries."

"Oh." Shirou turned back to the cutting board, and began work on the vegetables.

"The Hidden Eddies was home to a powerful clan of ninja. The Uzumaki. They were known for their red hair, prodigiously strong life force, and their sealing abilities." Zabuza looked at Shirou, but the boy was busy chopping asparagus. "Shirou. Does that description remind you of anyone?"

Shirou stopped cutting and raised the knife to his chin. "No, no one comes to mind."

"You can't think of anyone that has red hair? Or that has an abundance of stamina? Or that can decipher the most complicated seals in a few seconds?"

"Not really, Zabuza-sensei."

"Shirou. I think you're an Uzumaki. Your parents probably fled to the Land of Water."

Shirou turned around. His golden eyes stared at Zabuza. "You mean I might have family somewhere?"

"Distant cousins, yes. Uzumaki is still a common name. Not everyone who has it was part of their main branch. Many were accepted into their clan, and took their name. Now they're spread out all over the world. You could probably find them in every nation. The Land of Water. The Land of Fire. The Land of Grass. The closer countries are to the Land of Waves the more they would have."

"I have family." Shirou smiled. "I have family! I hope I encounter a few some day, Zabuza-sensei."

"You might Shirou." Inside Zabuza sagged with relief. He was glad he had told Shirou. The teenager deserved to know the truth. Zabuza didn't think that Shirou would strike out on his own, but the possibility was still there. The boy's motivations were odd at times. If his tool had wanted to leave... Zabuza didn't know what he would do in that case. Killing Shirou would've been a waste, but so would letting him depart. It was good that he hadn't had to make that decision.

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Gatou sat in his office. The plan was coming along nicely. Now that the rebel-rouser Kaiza had been taken care of, the sheep were falling in line. Nothing like a public execution to show the masses where they stood. He poured himself a drink. Nothing like alcohol to celebrate a victory. There was a knock on his door. "Come in."

Zori opened the door. "Boss, there's a man here to see you."

"About what?"

"He's wearing a head guard and he says he wants to offer you his services?"

"A ninja? The Land of Waves has no ninja!"

"Want me to send him away? Maybe rough him up some?"

"No, no. Send him in." Gatou drained his cup. "You and Waraji come in too."

"Right boss." Zori backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. A few moments later, the door re-opened. A tall man entered the room, flanked by the two samurai thugs. He wore a Hidden Mist head guard at an angle on his left temple. His mouth was wrapped in white bandages, and he wore little else aside from arm and leg warmers. He had an absolutely massive sword on his back.

"My name's Zabuza. I hear you're looking for mercenaries."

"So what if I am? We're not in the Land of Water. What right does the Hidden Mist have here?" Gatou decided he'd put the ninja on the defensive from the start. Easier to negotiate things from a position of power.

"The Hidden Mist has no 'right' to be here. That doesn't mean they won't poke their noses into the affairs on an island that's their neighbor." The large man's mouth looked suspiciously like he was smirking under those bandages. "All that doesn't mean much to me, I'm a freelancer."

"A missing nin?" Gatou stroked his chin. "I thought that when one of you went rogue you scratched your head guards."

Zabuza's left hand touched the piece of metal on his head. "The forehead protector is a symbol of a ninja. Even one that flees their village will still keep it as a sign of their rank and power. Some scratch the surface, to show their distain for their former village."

"Since you haven't, doesn't that mean you're still a Hidden Mist ninja?"

"No. It just means I plan on returning one day, and cutting the head off of the Mizukage."

"Ambitious. I like that." Gatou leaned back and propped his feet on his desk. "So you'll fight your country-men?"

"I'll kill anyone that I'm paid to."

"And what would I cost for you to kill for me?"

"That depends on the target." Zabuza replied. "If you have anyone in particular, tell me now and we can discuss a price."

"Heh. I've already taken out everyone that's opposed me."

"I thought as much. No, what I'm proposing is a retainer. Pay me 20,000 ryo a month, and I'll be at your beck and call for further assignments."

"What? That's preposterous! I could hire more than a dozen ninja for that price." Gatou stood up and slammed his hands on his desk.

"A dozen genin, for a day or two perhaps. I'm an Anbu-Rank shinobi. My skills come at a much higher price, but they're worth it."

"Former Anbu eh?"

"The price also covers my subordinates. I have four: three chunin level, and one jonin ninja with me."

"A squad of five." Gatou sat down. "That's more like it. 20,000 ryo is still much too high."

"That's the price. If you don't want my help, well who can say someone else around here won't take me up on my offer?"

"You're blackmailing me?"

"Not at all. I doubt anyone in the Land of Waves could afford to hire me. Not for how much your head would cost." Zabuza crossed his arms. "You're an ambitious man. You'll make enemies soon enough. One day you'll want my services. I'm just stating that when that time comes, I may have moved on."

"If I'm paying you, I want results. While you work for me, you'll do what I say."

Zabuza left out a laugh. "Do you pay your bodyguards on days they don't kill somebody? No, you pay them to be around if they're needed. I'm the same way. You pay me so I'll be around. If you want something more than that, we'll have to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis."

The added 'and so I won't come after you myself', was left unsaid. Gatou knew when he was being shook down. He'd done it enough himself. The ninja hadn't budged an inch. "I'll think about it. Come back in a five days." Accepting his offer now would look weak. He would take him up on it, but only after giving the appearance of thinking long and hard about it. Gatou was essentially getting his own personal ninja village. That was the only thing better then taking over a country without a Hidden Village. The villages were invested in their own country's well being. Gatou's planned monopoly would reduce trade profits for the Lands of Fire, Tea, Noodles, and Water. That meant the closest Hidden Villages would be disinclined to help him. At least at a reasonable price.

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Zabuza turned around and strolled out of the office. Once he was far enough away from Gatou's camp, Haku landed next to the mercenary ninja. "Why are we working for such a man?"

Zabuza turned to his favorite tool. "Haku, take off that mask." He kept his head guard because he was still a loyal Mist ninja. The face mask was from his time in Anbu as a Hunter Ninja. He'd turned his back on the Anbu and the Mizukage. "It's annoying."

"Yes, yes, Zabuza-sama." The female ninja reached up and took it off. "Gatou is scum."

"Yes, he is."

"We'd be better off killing him."

"Yes, we would - if someone paid us for it."

"Then why don't we go the villagers? Soon they won't be able to afford us. Not with Gatou blocking all the trade routes."

"Haku, what's the first rule of being a missing nin?"

"Don't get caught?"

"No, it's 'Don't attract attention'." Zabuza turned his head to look at her while they walked. "Unless, of course, you're S-Rank. Otherwise, the Hidden Village you came from will hunt you down if they know where you are."

"And if you are S-Rank."

"Then they'll pretend you don't exist. S-Rank Missing nins are, as a rule, not worth the effort."

"So killing Gatou would cause too many waves."

"Not only that? What else would we do?"

"Hunt? Live off the land."

"That may suffice for a short time. It won't let you get new senbons when your's wear out. It won't buy supplies to fix leaks in the roof. It won't keep the Demon Brothers around."

Haku sniffed. "We'd be better off without those two. Shirou and I are the only tools you need, Zabuza-sama."

Zabuza smiled. "You're my best tools, but I can always use more. Besides, you'd still want money in your pocket and a roof over your head right?"

"Yeah."

"So, we have to get money."

"We could just take it from people."

"Missing ninjas that become bandits, never become anything else." Zabuza raised his right index finger. "If you're a bad ninja, or an unlucky bandit. You starve." He raised a second finger. "If you're too good of a bandit, someone will hire ninjas to get rid of you. Being targeted by a Hidden Village, even if it's not your own, is breaking the first rule of being a missing nin." Zabuza raised his third finger. "Finally, if you're a bandit. Not too good, not too bad. Then you're just a bandit. Low-life scum that'll never amount to anything better."

Haku looked down. "I understand Zabuza-sama."

Zabuza smirked. "Don't be depressed Haku. I've spent more than half my life as a Hunter Ninja. I know what pitfalls to avoid. People make common mistakes because they lack experience. Not because they're stupid." They walked on for a few minutes. "Well, not JUST because they're stupid."

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1 week ago...

Shirou paced around the base. Where were Zabuza and Haku? Gatou finally hired them for a mission, and everything goes wrong. It was supposed to have been a simple assassination. Kill the bridge builder Tazuna. The Demon Brothers had gone off to track him. Ironically, the very thing that made Gatou finally decide to shell out money for a real mission, had made that mission complicated. A four year old genin can kill an adult civilian without any difficulty. Zabuza could've killed Tazuna as easily as swatting a fly. If he could find him. The elderly bridge builder had left The Land of Waves, reportedly headed towards The Land of Fire.

If he had gone to The Village Hidden in the Leaves, that would cause all sorts of problems. Gozu and Meizu had left to intercept their new target. That was the last they'd heard from the pair. Neither Zabuza or Gatou had taken the news well. Haku had accompanied their teacher on scouting missions ever since. Shirou was left to watch of the base, because 'he wasn't stealthy enough'. He wanted to be doing SOMETHING. Anything really. He had plenty of food in their larder. Lunch was made. There was nothing that needed repairs. He should be spending his free time practicing, but what if something happened? Shirou wanted to be at one hundred percent in case of an emergency. The way his nerves were, there probably wouldn't be much benefit from training.

A sound came from the lower level. Shirou rushed down to find Haku supporting Zabuza. The older ninja had undone the bandages around his mouth. He hung nearly limp, only being supported by his female apprentice. "Zabuza-sensei!" Shirou rushed over to help. "What happened?"

"Zabuza-sama bit off a bit more than he could chew." Haku said with an impish smile. "I put him into a death-state and posed as a Hunter Ninja."

"If you had really wanted to help, you should've taken out those genin before they got in the way!" Zabuza's voice was ragged.

"And interfere with your fight? I know it was just a water clone, but don't you think losing to two genin was a bit much?" Haku strained to raise Zabuza's body. With the extra height, Shirou got underneath his other arm.

"There were three genin." Zabuza replied petulantly.

"Now, now. No talking. We need to get you to bed, Zabuza-sama!" Haku seemed to be enjoying this far too much. Shirou noted her attitude seemed at lot more cheerful when the Demon Brothers were away.

They placed Zabuza in his bed with only a modest amount of effort. Despite his protests, their teacher was soon dozing. Shirou and Haku went down to the kitchen.

"Why are you so happy?" Shirou placed a plate of food in front of his sister. "Zabuza lost."

Haku gave him a smile. "Yes, but I saved his life!" She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It was thanks to all the practice you let me do."

"You mean the nerve centers?"

"Hmm hm." The female ninja was busy chewing. After swallowing, she continued. "The exact technique that he got mad at us for practicing!"

"That's good." Shirou smiled. "So I was of help."

"Yeah, we both were." Haku continued to wolf down her meal.

"So what's Zabuza going to do next?"

"Well, it take a normal person a week to recover. You did it in four days. I'm betting Zabuza will try and break your record."

"Do you think he can?"

"Not a chance." Haku finished off the last morsels on her plate. "If he had let me remove the senbons, it would've been one thing. He just went and pulled them out himself. They did more damage being removed than they did going in."

"Oh."

"Well, no matter. While he's like this, we'll just have to take care of him." Haku said while loading up another plate full of food.

"Are you still hungry? Should I make some more?"

"No, no. Zabuza-sama can't object to being fed by hand if his arms can't move, right?" Haku hummed a little as she walked towards the stairs to the upper level.

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1 day ago...

Shirou finished cooking breakfast. He contentedly scooped the rice out of the pot. Zabuza was feeling much better today. He had regained mobility in his limbs. His movements were almost back to normal. One more day of bed rest should be all it would take for him to be at 100% again. Haku had gone out to gather medical herbs. She had left without having anything to eat. Shirou finished making the rice balls. He placed them on a plate along side a steaming cup of broth and some sushi. The redhead then walked up to Zabuza's room and knocked on the door.

"You can just come in Shirou." A tired reply came from inside.

"My apologies Zabuza-sensei." Shirou stepped into his teacher's bedroom. "I didn't want to wake you if you were still asleep."

"If I was asleep, there's no way I wouldn't wake up to the noise you make." Zabuza still laid in bed. He seemed content to rest and let his body recover.

Shirou shrugged. "It still feels polite."

"What's did you make today?" Zabuza pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Picked plum rice balls, sushi, and miso soup." Shirou placed the plate and cup on the table next to Zabuza's bed.

"Sushi for breakfast?"

"You said you wanted more meat. I was out of venison and pork to put in the rice balls, so I thought some fish would work best."

"And, of course, when you're combining fish and rice you have to make sushi."

"Exactly!" Shirou's eyes shown.

"Are you and Haku ready for tomorrow?" Zabuza chewed a piece of sushi in his mouth, then washed it down with some soup.

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei. Haku is currently looking for some more herbs for you."

"That girl worries too much."

"I was thinking of going and helping her, if you don't need me for anything."

"Shirou, I'm fine. I can rest and recover without the two of you buzzing around me constantly."

"Yes, Zabuza-sensei." Shirou gave a small bow, then turned and left.

In the kitchen, he packed the remaining food into a basket. A thermos was filled with some miso soup. It would make a nice brunch as well. Almost as an afterthought he took his bow and quiver. His swords might attract attention, but it would be foolish to go out unarmed. Also, he might find a stag or a boar on the way back. Shirou then reinforced himself and jumped out of the tree. He landed gently on the ground, and set off to find his wayward sister. Shirou sent chakra into his ears. The forest was thick, and he was more likely to find Haku by sound than by sight.

"Training!" A voice he didn't recognize rang out through the trees. Shirou raised an eyebrow and set off towards it. "You noticed?! Yeah, I'm a ninja!" That... was an odd thing to say. Shirou increased his pace. Haku could handle herself, but he felt protective of her all the same. A couple of seconds later, he came across his sister in a clearing. Standing next to her was a short blonde boy in an orange jumpsuit. He wore a leaf head guard.

"Why are you training?" Haku was talking with the kid.

"Because I want to become stronger!"

"Hmm... But you already look plenty strong."

"NO NO! I WANT TO BECOME EVEN STRONGER!" The leaf ninja exclaimed. Shirou paused. What was going on here?

"Why...is that?" Haku asked.

"So I can become the best ninja in my village! I'm going to make everyone acknowledge my strength! And right now I also need to prove something to someone."

"Is that for someone else? Or for yourself?"

"..." The blonde seemed at a lost for words. "Ha?" Haku giggled. "What's so funny?"

Shirou was about to make his presence known, when Haku asked the boy something very strange. "Do you, have someone important to you?"

"What?" The boy's verbal exclamation matched Shirou's mental one.

"When a person has something important to protect, that's when they can truly become strong."

"Yeah! I understand that very well." The boy agreed.

Shirou was at a loss though. Protecting? Wasn't the thing most important to Haku serving Zabuza? "Haku?" He called to her as he stepped into the clearing.

"Hey! Who are you?!" The boy spun around and pointed a finger at him.

"Excuse me." Shirou gave a slight bow. "My name is Shirou Uzumaki, I was just looking for my sister." He turned to Haku. "Since you missed breakfast, I thought I'd bring it to you." He raised the basket up.

"What?! Your last name is Uzumaki?! She's your sister?! You look nothing alike! Wait." There was an audible growling from the boy's midsection. "Did you say breakfast?"

Shirou took half a step back at the sudden barrage of questions. Deciding to answer the last one, he set the basket on the ground. "Yes. I have some rice balls, sushi, and miso soup." From the basket he took out a blanket and spread it on the ground. Food then followed. "You're welcome to join us. I think I made enough."

Haku moved to leave, but she stopped once the basket was unpacked. "Shirou..."

"You sure?" The blonde boy was eyeing the food. A small amount of drool glistened on his lips.

"Of course! Help yourself!" Shirou took pride in his cooking.

Haku stepped towards him. "Shirou. We should be getting back. Our UNCLE, Mashiba-san, will miss us."

"Huh? Our uncle?" Shirou was confused. Haku subtly elbowed him in his stomach.

"Our NINJA friend here will probably want to get back to his training."

"Ninja?" Shirou looked at Haku. She was mouthing something. Oh! "Don't worry. Our UNCLE," Shirou winked. "is still resting. He ate breakfast, and I'm sure the medical herbs can wait." It was best not to mention Zabuza's name. It might get back to those ninja protecting the bridge-builder.

"C'mon Haku!" The grinning boy shouted. "Sit and eat!" He had devoured two rice balls already, and was taking a deep drink of the soup. "Hey! This is really good! If you put some pork and noodles in it, it would be almost as great as Ichiraku's!"

"Why thank you." Shirou sat down next to the energetic blonde. Reluctantly, Haku joined them.

"So you two's last name is Uzumaki?"

Shirou replied. "Mine is. Haku's is 'Yuki'." To his side, Haku's forehead fell into her palm.

"Huh? Aren't you brother and sister? Now, that you mention it, you don't look related." The boy's eyes had narrowed.

"Shirou is adopted." Haku spoke up. "We took him in when he was a little kid."

"No kidding? You didn't have any parents either." The blonde jumped to his feet, and pointed at himself with his thumb. "Nice to meet you Shirou! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm Going to be Hokage one day!"

"Hokage?"

"The Hokage is the most powerful and respected ninja in the village, 'ttebayo!"

"Oh! I get it. You're a ninja!"

"Heh heh, that's right!"

"Cool!" There were so few ninja that Shirou got to talk to. Haku and Zabuza were great, and the Demon Brothers had interesting things to say...at times. Finding another ninja was pretty rare. At least in his experience.

To the side, Haku hung her head, resigned to her fate. Suddenly she jerked up. "Hey, Naruto. You and Shirou have the same last name. Did you come to the Land of Waves looking for other Uzumaki?"

"What? No. I came to gua..." A hand clamped over the blonde's mouth.

"Shut up dead last." A black haired boy, clad mainly in blue, had appeared behind the chatty ninja. "Don't go around blabbing stuff."

"Oy! Sasuke-teme! Get off me!"

"Make me."

"Fine! I will!" Naruto began to struggle.

"Hey! Watch the food!" Shirou tried to calm the two Leaf ninja.

Naruto looked abashed. "Yeah. You shouldn't waste food." He crossed his arms and nodded sagely to himself. The blonde then turned to Haku. "What did you mean about looking for other Uzumaki."

The sole female looked pleased to answer the question. "Our uncle brought us here because he thought Shirou might find some distant relatives. He said that the Uzumaki used to be a ninja clan here. Back before when this country was still called the Land of Whirlpools."

A huge smile came to Naruto's face. "So do you think we might be family?"

Off to the side, the newest addition mumbled "Hn. That's usually what sharing a last name means."

Shirou ignored him. "I guess we might be. I like you're smile." Off to the other side, Haku shook her head.

"Thanks!"

"Uzumaki is a common name." Haku took a rice ball, and began eating it with her eyes closed. "I don't think every one of them is related by blood."

"You're right Haku." Shirou agreed. "Still, it's a nice thought."

"Yeah!" Naruto sat back down and began to dig into the food again. He turned to the black-haired boy. "Just you watch Sasuke. With this energy boost I'll beat you up the tree!"

"Naruto. You realize I already ate right?"

"What? I have no time to lose!" The blonde grabbed and handful of sushi, and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed quickly. Once he finished, he swallowed, and clasped his hands in front of him. "Thank you for the food." He then got up to leave, pausing only to pick up one final rice ball. Sasuke walked away behind him, glancing backwards with a scowl.

Shirou and Haku calmly ate the rest of the food, and then packed up the blanket and containers. "Hey, Haku-nee-chan."

"Yes?"

"What did you mean about becoming strong by protecting people?"

Haku turned to look at him. "What's to explain? We've both gotten stronger because we have each other and sensei."

"I thought we got strong so we could be valuable tools."

"Shirou." Haku stopped, and placed a hand on his cheek. "Those are the same thing."

The redhead was left speechless, and stood alone in the forest as his sister walked back to their home.

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Now.

'I'm sorry.' The words just came out of his mouth. Shirou didn't know why. A tool shouldn't be sorry for serving its purpose. Right? He watched his arrow arc up in the air. Something was wrong. "I missed." The arrow was less than halfway there, but he knew his aim was off. The projectile would miss Naruto by a foot. Even with thousands of feet to go, the trajectory of his shot was too short. The Leaf ninja would now be on guard. He might dodge to the oak tree on his right, or the bushes on his left. If he was brave, or foolhardy, he might dash forward. Shirou's next three shots accounted for all those possibilities.

Dashing forward was the most likely. Naruto was a hothead. Shirou sent an arrow to intercept a straight run. The bushes were his next target. The thickest part was three feet in - that was where his next arrow went. The tree was the trickiest. At this range, even his arrows couldn't punch through the wooden obstacle. So he'd go around. Two arrows flew out in less than a tenth of a second. Shirou watched to see how Naruto would react. With any luck he'd just be wounded. Then his fellow Uzumaki wouldn't be able to get in Zabuza's way. That would be enough. Shirou hoped Naruto would live through this.

In the distance, the blonde yelped as an arrow landed at his feet. He looked around, gauging the terrain and planning his next action. Then... he picked up the arrow, and began shaking his fist while shouting something. That... that was unexpected. In quick succession, arrows landed in front of the orange-clad ninja and in the bushes to his left. Shirou's third arrow struck the ground twenty feet in front of the tree. The nearly invisible ninja wire that linked it and the final arrow grew taunt. The fourth arrow jerked to the left. The wire hit one of the tree's branches, and the arrow wrapped around it - embedding itself in the back of the oak. His second volley had all flown true, but Shirou had missed. If an archer couldn't predict his opponent's moves, he'd never hit his mark.

Shirou paused. He had to wait to see what Naruto would do next. The blonde jumped back when the second arrow landed in front of him. He then looked to his left and right as the remaining arrows fell. The Leaf ninja's expression changed. His blue eyes squinted, and he had a grimace on his face. He then made a cross-shaped hand sign. There was an explosion. When the dust cleared, Six Narutos stood in a group. As one, they let out a yell and surged forward. So, straight ahead it was. Each of the Narutos was throwing up dust as they ran. Were all of them solid clones? That was pretty amazing. Still, Shirou's arrows could disrupt even earth clones. Unless Nartuo's technique produced more durable copies than that, it wouldn't be enough. An arrow arced through the air. It struck a clone that immediately vanished. Not durable at all. The squad of blonde ninjas began to weave. They dodged two more shots before their number fell down to four. They were learning from eachother's mistakes. Shirou needed to take them out quickly, or hit the real Naruto.

The redhead pulled out three arrows, notching them simultaneously in his bow. His targets were now in range of more direct shots that didn't arc, but he sent this volley high into the air. Shirou took out another three arrows. He aimed at the Narutos while holding his bow horizontally. Time seemed to stretch until...Now! He let fly another volley. Each arrow was slightly off-center. It made dodging them easier, but also more predictable. The blonde ninjas avoided his second shots, just in time to move into the path of his first ones. With that, there was one Naruto left. Shirou was unlucky. The original one hadn't been hit yet. That was about to change. The orange-clad ninja made another cross with his fingers. From this distance, Shirou could hear him say, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!". He could make more clones? Or was he just desperate? The smoke cleared, and twenty seven Narutos were now charging him. Shirou could see the dust raised by their feet. All of them were solid again. That was a pretty impressive technique. There were now more Narutos then he had arrows left.

Shirou put away the arrow he had drawn. No point in wasting it. Instead he took out another pair that were linked with ninja wire. He notched them at a wide angle and waited. This might take the clones out, they seemed rather flimsy. Even if it didn't, they should still be entangled. A few powerful shots would clear out the crowd at that point. The Steel Ninja let the gang of blondes get within one hundred yards. Once they were in the barely-acceptable range, he let his arrows fly. The pair of projectiles went wide to the sides. The ninja wire cut though the shadow clones as if they weren't there. The residual smoke cleared, revealing nothing.

Shirou was puzzled. Where was the real Naruto? He strained his senses, as he slowly drew another arrow. His reinforced hearing picked up a creak behind him. Shirou jumped off the crates he was standing on and spun in mid-air. Naruto leaped up behind him, his arm across his chest holding a kunai. Shirou's arrow flew faster than the other projectile. It took Naruto in the chest, and the blonde exploded in another cloud. The redhead began to twist in order to avoid the kunai. Wait. That wasn't a kunai. Shirou didn't know what it was, but he wasn't getting any information about it. Whatever it was, it wasn't a weapon, or his sensory jutsu would've identified it. Still in mid-air, he shot another arrow. It hit the kunai dead center. Another explosion occurred, this time there was a body that emerged. Naruto fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder.

"It's over." Shirou picked himself up. He had prioritized taking the shot over landing. "The arrow's in deep. It looks like it got your subclavian artery. You won't be able to use that arm, and you'll bleed out in minutes."

"Argh! So what?! I can still fight!" Naruto retorted. His left hand grasped his right shoulder where the arrow was.

"If you do so, you'll die." Shirou calmly notched another arrow. "Don't throw your life away. Too many of your allies have already died."

"What? Who's died? What are you talking about?!"

"The girl will probably live. Zabuza has no need to kill her. Your sensei will be finished off soon." Shirou tried to keep his voice steady. He could see the crushing despair in the blue eyes of his target. "Sasuke is already dead." Haku had used her ultimate technique before Naruto had shown up. There was no chance that the black-haired boy still lived.

"You're lying!"

"I am not. If Haku needed my help, I would be there." Shirou explained. "I was on guard and saw you because she had already won before you arrived."

"What? No..."

"You were too late." Shirou calmly stated the truth. It was better that way. He didn't know what effect his words were having on the person in front of him.

"I'll never forgive you." Naruto ripped the arrow out of his arm. "I'LL KILL YOU!" His eyes had changed color. Instead of their normal sky blue, they now were a deep red.

Shirou took a step back. What was this? The arrow wound was closing before his eyes. The lines on Naruto's cheeks had thickened and darkened. His fingers were like claws. Most worrisome, there was a red aura surrounding him. Shirou released his arrow. It hit the energy that encompassed the enraged blonde and shattered. Not good. "Steel is my body." He poured chakra into his next shot, and released it just before barely dodging out of the way. The empowered arrow had no effect, shattering against that red aura just like the first one had. "Trace On. Steel is my body." He needed more power. More chakra. An arrow that could pierce any defense. The bow and arrow in his hands began to vibrate. More. He needed more than he'd ever put into them before. Naruto had turned around and was charging again. The redhead poured more and more chakra into his weapons. More than he'd ever used before. In response, Shirou's bow and arrow exploded in his hands. The force blew him across the ground, leaving his jacket dented. Shirou had woven chakra paper into his clothing. It turned nearly indestructible with his steel chakra inside. He had instinctively reinforced his clothing even as his weapons self-destructed. Stronger than full plate, and it was now dented. The explosion left him dazed, but at least it had blown him out of the way of Naruto's charge.

The beastly ninja wasn't deterred. He spun around quicker than Shirou could believe. There was no time to draw his swords. No time to dodge. Naruto's fist slammed into his chest, and his jacket shattered. Shirou felt something crack inside his his body. Naruto grabbed his forearm and raised him up. The steel cloth crumpled in his claw-like hands. Shirou could see his blood soaking through the fabric. Naruto pulled back his hand, and delivered a hay-maker to Shirou's jaw. The force of the blow tore off his ninja mask. The Mist head guard bounced across the ground, and shreds of the hood fluttered down around them.

Naruto's pulled back for another strike. Just as he was about to end the fight and Shirou's life, he stopped. "You... you're Shirou. From yesterday, right?"

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Haku barely avoided another fireball. This kid was good. As expected of a Uchiha. This was not the easy victory she was expecting. Each Demonic Ice Mirror cost a lot of chakra to maintain. To surround someone like this was taxing. Sasuke was tenacious. Now that he'd activated his Sharingan, things were going poorly. He was weakened by the countless cuts and superficial wounds her senbon had inflicted. However, Haku was starting to slow down as her chakra ran out. It was a war of attrition that she wasn't certain she'd win. Time to alter her strategy.

"Your eyes won't help you. I've had experience with how to deal with someone capable of seeing my movements." Haku focused on manipulating her mirrors. She couldn't maintain them and use other jutsu, but she could alter them while in use. "Secret Technique. Ice Prison." The ice around the edges of the mirrors started to expand until it merged together in a dome. Haku appeared outside. "It's a shame you forced me to use this jutsu. Freezing to death is not a pleasant experience." It was also a lot harder to keep someone alive when using her ice like this. Adrenaline could keep someone conscious past the point of no return. If Sasuke didn't give up soon, she didn't know what she'd do.

Hoarfrost creeped along the wooden planks. The inside of the sphere was getting colder and colder. There was a burst of fire inside. A desperate attempt at warmth. Soon she'd have to re-enter the mirrors to see how the Leaf ninja was doing. Alone in the cold without an opponent in sight was the best scenario to get him to surrender. Soon, she would need to check his condition if she was going to stop the jutsu in time.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique." Sasuke's voice cried out behind her. Haku whirled around just in time to see a swarm of fireballs heading towards her. She jumped back, dodging left and right.

"Ice Release: Snow Blossom Jutsu." Flowers of ice appeared in mid air. Haku moved them to intercept the balls of fire heading her way. Something slammed into her chest and legs. The Ice ninja found herself pulled backwards and pinned against her dome. Ninja wire wrapped around her. The fire was a diversion. Sasuke must have have thrown shuriken with wire attached to her sides.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." The dark haired ninja drew a deep breath, and then spewed flames out of his mouth. Haku couldn't move. The fire was too large to avoid anyways. What she could do was re-enter the mirror behind her. The fire splashed against the dome. When it died out, Haku's image looked across at Sakuse.

"You escaped." She stated the obvious. "Taking my eyes off of you was a mistake." Now that she could see the inside of the dome, everything was made obvious. "You burned through the bridge, then climbed along it's bottom to come at me from behind."

"I walked actually." Even with all his cuts and senbon sticking out of him, the Uchiha managed to smirk.

"Very well, now I'll have to..." Haku's voice trailed out. From the start of the bridge came a flood of vile chakra. "Shirou!" She jumped out of the mirror. Her brother needed her. Sasuke wouldn't have gotten the drop on her, not if her fellow tool had been keeping watch. That meant Shirou had intercepted someone, or something. Whatever was over there sent chills down her spine. The pure spite and malevolence in that powerful chakra. It was like a demon had been awakened.

"Not so fast." Sasuke appeared in front of her. Haku barely got her arms up to block his kick. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards into her mirrors. This time, when her form collided with them, they shattered. Her concentration was gone. There was too little chakra left in the dome. This combined with the force of her body was enough to finally break the icy prison.

She picked herself up. "I don't have time for this. Forbidden Technique: Demonic Ice." It was ironic. The base technique for her mirrors was far worse than anything else she could do. As she said to a Stone ninja many years ago, her ice was different. It wasn't a creation of manipulation of water. It was pure chakra. As cold and unfeeling as the world was. She could create it anywhere within a hundred feet of herself - including inside other people.

"Urk!" Sasuke staggered. His skin was covered with frost. What was worse was the ice that was currently forming inside of him. It wasn't much. Affecting other people was hard. Their chakra naturally resisted intrusion, but it didn't take much. Every frozen cell would rupture. The technique could kill in an instant if the wrong cell in the wrong part of the body burst. It could also take minutes or hours to be fatal. There was no way to tell. What was always true was that it was the single most painful jutsu she had ever heard of. She didn't know what it felt like, but the Uchiha's sudden scream left no doubt. He hadn't uttered a single sound once from the hundreds of cuts that criss-crossed his skin. This technique brought him to his knees. Haku stared at him for a moment that stretched on and on... then she canceled the jutsu. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill. Not for Zabuza. Not for Shirou. She wanted to be a shinobi - a pristine tool for her teacher. It just wasn't in her. The instant the boy in front of her cried out, she knew she'd never be able to follow through.

"Forgive me Zabuza, I've failed you." She wasn't a shinobi. She couldn't kill. It was now painfully obvious that she was a failure as a weapon. This was no time to feel sorry for herself. The evil chakra presence was gone, but Shirou was still in trouble. As Haku gazed across the bridge, she realized he wasn't the only one. The mist surrounding her sensei had thinned. Zabuza was trapped. Rendered immobile by several dogs. His opponent's hand was glowing. Chakra wasn't normally visible. That jutsu must concentrate the user's chakra to an absurd state. She could see it. Zabuza was about to be run through. There was only one thing to do. The ice mirror formed without any words or hand signs. Haku would stop the attack with the one thing she had left to give. She emerged from the mirror, throwing senbons at the scroll on the ground almost as an afterthought. She had acted without thought, her body moving on its own. Her corpse was all she could think of that might slow down the masked ninja's technique.

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Shirou stared at Naruto. The blonde had deactivated the jutsu that granted him that absurd speed and strength. It hurt to breath, his right arm was broken, and Shirou was coughing up blood. None of that mattered. He could still fight. Even if it was hopeless. Even if his opponent was tossing him around like a rag doll. Even if all the damage he'd done so far had been healed away. The meant nothing to the person called Shirou Uzumaki. His defeat didn't matter, only Zabuza's success. Naruto had stopped the fight. Why? He was winning. Shirou couldn't understand, so he just answered the question.

"Yeah, it's me Naruto-san."

"But, but how?"

"I'm a tool of Zabuza-sensei. I exist to serve him. That's all."

"What? He's a bad guy who takes money from a criminal! You, you're not like him! We talked! We had fun! You shared your food with me!"

"And?" Shirou was confused. "What does one of those things have to do with the other?"

"Didn't you enjoy it?"

"I did."

"Then why are we fighting?" Naruto released his arm. The blonde's whole body was shaking.

"Because you're trying to interfere with Zabuza." Shirou staggered to the side, but remained standing.

"He's trying to kill Tazuna! That drunk bridge builder is the only hope this land has! Gatou is crushing the life from it."

"I know."

"Don't you care?"

Shirou blinked. DID he care? "I... I don't know. I think it's wrong what we're doing, but Zabuza-sensei has his reasons."

"And that's enough for you to kill people? To side with a scumbag like Gatou? Why are you so loyal to that eye-browless freak?"

"I was in a great fire when I was young. I was the only survivor of my entire village. My first memories are walking through the flames. Seeing charred bodies. Smelling burned flesh. Hearing the cries for help that would go un-answered."

Naruto balked. "Your village was destroyed too?"

"I was saved. In the moment where I finally thought I too would succumb to the fire and ash, someone appeared and saved me."

"Zabuza."

"No, my sister. Haku. The thing I remember most clearly is her smile. She was so happy." Shirou gazed up in to the sky, lost in the memory. "The only thought I had was 'I want to smile like that'. So I followed her. Her and Zabuza. They let me stay, and I found out why she smiled."

"What? Your sister? She works for Zabuza too?"

Shirou nodded. "Serving Zabuza is the reason she smiles. It what I want to do. I want to smile like that."

"That's stupid!" Naruto shouted. "Why would you stake your happiness on someone else?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to be Hokage? To have the respect of the people in your village? Isn't that gaining happiness from others?"

"No! It's not! I'm becoming stronger for myself, and the people important to me! I want to be acknowledged, I admit it." Naruto looked down. "It does make me happy, but it isn't some idea I took from someone else! Why would you stake everything on just one person? If someone hates you, you have to smile despite that! You have to be happy on your own!"

"That line. 'The people important to you...' Haku said that." Shirou was confused. Haku never had explained what she meant when she had uttered that line.

"Yeah, she did! I was there! Don't you think she meant you too? You're her brother!" Naruto swung his hand down as he talked.

"I'm important to Haku?"

"Of course you are! Even if she only had Zabuza when you met her, she has you now! And you have me! We're family right?"

"Right." That... that made a lot of sense. Shirou never would've thought Naruto of all people could give him answers to questions that had plagued him his entire life. It felt good. A bloody smile came across his face. "I, I think this is only the third time I've smiled."

"What? I saw you smile yesterday."

"No. That wasn't a real smile." Shirou shook his head. "I smiled when Haku did. Trying to gain happiness from that. Smiling because I'm happy, it feels good."

"Yeah, it does, dattebayo!"

"But what about the others?" Shirou's smile vanished. "I can't fight you. Do you have to fight Haku and Zabuza!?"

Naruto squinted his eyes and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. Can we talk with them? Get them to stop trying to kill Tazuna."

"I..I don't know." Shirou looked down the bridge. "The fog is clearing. Zabuza-sensei! HAKU!" He saw it. He saw Zabuza trapped. On the opposite side, his reinforced eyesight saw his sister. Zabuza was about to die. Haku wouldn't let that happen. Time seemed to slow down. Ice was forming beside their teacher. Haku was fast, she could get there in time, but why was the ice BESIDE him? That wouldn't stop the Leaf jonin's attack, all it would do was let Haku.. intercept it... herself... "NO!"

The cry of anguish ripped itself from his lungs like it was a living thing. Shirou knew. He just knew. Haku would sacrifice herself for Zabuza. He knew because he would do the same exact thing in her place. He'd gladly step in front of the attack. Take it with his body. Use his corpse to weigh down his opponent. He couldn't let it happen. He couldn't let Haku do it. She...SHE was his most precious person, not Zabuza! His bow was gone. Destroyed in his fight. An arrow would be too slow anyways. Shirou began to run. He couldn't breath. His legs were moving far too slowly. There had to be something. Something that he could impose between Haku and her death. The strongest sword. The sword of his teacher. Kubikiribocho. If only it were there to protect her. Shirou felt something break inside of him. It was like a switch had been flipped and smashed a the same time. His body burned. Kubikiribocho. He knew every ounce of the sword. He knew what it was made of. He knew who crafted it. He knew its entire history. He knew it more intimately than anyone else. Its history had been related to him countless times a day for nearly ten years. He willed it into existence. His one good arm reached out... and Kubikiribocho flung through the air. It had appeared dozens of yards in front of him. Hurtling forward at a speed that he could never match. The sword embedded itself in the ground just as Haku stepped out of the mirror.

The electricity in the jonin's hand struck it. The sword was strong, but lightening chakra was best at piercing. For a split second that seemed to stretch on and on, the two forces clashed, until one gave way. Kubikiribocho cracked and then split in two. The attack continued into Haku's body. Shirou could see his sister grasp the hand that killed her. Even as her blood pooled on the ground. It was too much. The Steel ninja was broken. His conjuring of the giant sword and watching Haku get impaled had pushed his body and mind past their limits. Shirou's eyesight darkened, and then he collapsed. The last sensation he felt was somebody catching him as he fell.

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"Your future is death." Kakashi charged forward, intending to end this fight with a single blow. The chidori in his hand chirped as he shoved it forward. From out of nowhere the masked ninja that had been fighting Sasuke appeared. He interposed himself between the two jonin. Kakashi couldn't stop. It was just like THAT time again. The tunnel-vision that accompanied the chidori cut down his reaction time.

Then, just as suddenly, Zabuza's sword was between them. The legendary blade of the Mist embedded itself in the ground, just as Kakashi's jutsu struck. There was a horrible noise, as the sound of birds screeched over the warping metal. The chidori won, the sword was snapped in two. Kakashi's arm continued on into the body of the young boy. The hit jarred his body, and the Hunter Ninja mask he was wearing slipped off and fell to the ground. It wasn't a boy. It was...RIN? No. No. Not his old teammate. It was another young girl. Her lifeless eyes locked with his as she stammered out: "Za..bu..za..sa..ma..."

Not again. Not again. Kakashi felt his heart racing. He tried to calm himself, but couldn't. A part of him realized he was in shock, and that he didn't have time to be stunned. The rest of him didn't listen.

Across from him, Zabuza was covered in the blood of his companion. "My future is death? Heh... You're wrong again Kakashi." The Mist ninja paused. "Great job... Haku." Zabuza then reached for the copy of Kubikiribocho that was on his back. The massive sword would cut through them both.

Kakashi looked into the eyes of Haku. His body began to move again, as he came to terms with what had happened. It wasn't Rin. It was eerily similar to the time his former teammate had thrown herself in front of his technique. This wasn't that time. His cute little genin were counting on him. Zabuza's strike came quickly, but he had delayed too long. Both of them had been stunned at the masked girl's sacrificial act.

"I sure picked up something useful! Giving me this final chance!" Zabuza yelled as he finished his swing. Kakashi grabbed Haku's body and leapt out of the way. Out of the reach of the wicked-looking sword, he gently laid the body down. The fingers of her right hand didn't want to release their grasp on him. Her left arm... was gone. Kakashi looked over at Zabuza. At his feet was the missing appendage. His chidori had missed. More accurately, it had been deflected six inches to the right. The second Kubikiribocho had lasted just long enough to alter its trajectory. The lightening blade's original path would have killed the female ninja instantly. If it had gone another six inches to the right, it would have missed her entirely. Haku wasn't dead, but she was in shock. The loss of blood, combined with chakra exhaustion and the trauma of losing her arm had rendered her unconscious. "Hehe... with Haku dead you can move." Kakashi didn't correct Zabuza's assumption. It was time to end this.

From the front of the bridge, a familiar blonde ninja came running. Naruto was carrying a redheaded boy he'd never seen before. "Naruto, stay there." He closed Haku's eyes. He had less than a minute before she would bleed out. "This is my fight."

"Kakashi! Your time is up!" Zabuza charged him. It was all rage, and no technique. The Copy-Ninja darted forward to intercept the Demon of the Mist. The kick to his stomach sent him flying.

"Haku!" "Sasuke-kun!" Behind him he heard Naruto and Sakura cry out. So they had ignored his orders in the best possible way. Sakura was checking on Sasuke. Naruto carried the other wounded teenager to Haku's body. Hopefully Minato's son had enough presence of mind to stop the blood flow. That left him all the time in the world to finish off the Demon of the Hidden Mist.

"Why... Why can't I keep up with him..?" Zabuza charged, but Kakashi casually backhanded him. The retaliatory sword strike came far more slowly than previously.

"You can't beat me in your current state." Kakashi took position behind the Mist ninja's back.

"What?!"

"You haven't noticed..." He was about to tell him about Haku's condition, but stopped. A person who betrays his comrades is worse than scum. Instead Kakashi took out two kunai and drove them into the swordman's bicep. "Now both your arms are useless. You can't even perform a seal." Zabuza groaned.

From the end of the bridge there was a tapping. A small man emerged from what was left of the mist. His cane thunked against the wooden bridge. They must have snuck in on a boat. "Ohh, you're getting your ass kicked. How disappointing...Zabuza"

"Gatou. Why are you here? And what's with all these men?"

"Hehehe" The merchant chuckled. "The plan has changed. Well, actually, I planned to do this from the beginning. Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here."

"What?"

"I never planned on paying you once other ninja showed up. Normal ninja are expensive, missing ninja like yourself are a good deal. Do you know what an even better deal is? Hire you to fight off other ninja, and once you're weakened... finishing the job with numbers. Quite the bargain. I didn't get where I am today by not seeking out deals. The only problem 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 devil."

"Kakashi, I'm sorry." Zabuza spoke up. "This fight is over. I now have no reason to go after Tazuna. I have no reason to fight you."

"Yeah, you're right." Kakashi looked at Haku. "Your apprentice will live."

"What are you talking about?!" Naruto yelled. "He's still our enemy!"

"Naruto.." Kakashi put a hand on the overactive blonde's shoulder. It was brushed away.

"Shirou and Haku looked up to you! You treated them like tools! I saw you! You tried to cut Haku in half!" Naruto's voice grew quite. "Both of them nearly died. Do you really feel nothing?! If I become as strong as you... will I really become like that? How can you stand there and not feel a thing?" Tears were steaming down Naruto's face.

"Kid... You don't need to say anymore." Zabuza turned his head. The Mist ninja was crying. The bandages that were wrapped around his mouth were being torn away with his teeth. "I know Haku was in pain. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to kill. Shirou is even more damaged, he just hides it better. A shinobi is still human, as much as we sometimes wish we weren't. Kid, can you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Let me borrow a kunai."

Naruto looked down at the ground. "Sure." He lobbed the knife in his hand in a gentle curve towards Zabuza.

"Thanks." The Mist jonin caught it in his mouth. "One last thing." Zabuza spoke from the side of his mouth. "Give the two of them a real home, ok?" With that, the Demon of the Hidden Mist charged Gatou and his small army.

"That's enough! Kill him!" Gatou went running to behind his mercenaries.

"Sure thing." "One half-dead ninja against all of us?" "Do you really think you can win?" Several jeers came from the crowd.

Zabuza charged. His speed hadn't diminished. While he needed to get in close to his target, it was still easy for him to mow down everyone that stood in his way. Chakra began to become visible around him. It looked like a demonic head. Kakashi blinked. It was terrifying, or it would be for anyone who hadn't seen the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Leaf jonin glanced down at Naruto. Minato's son didn't seem any worse for wear. Whatever had happened to the seal seemed to have stopped.

The commotion at the center of Gatou's armed killers stopped. A single head came flying up, out of the crowd. It landed in front of him and Naruto. Gatou was dead. The army parted, revealing Zabuza's unmoving body. He had been stabbed more than a dozen times. The weapons remained lodged in his back. The attackers who had managed to land a blow had all lost ahold of their blades when Zabuza kept moving.

"Don't look away." Kakashi spoke to Naruto. "That was the end of a man who lived a difficult life."

"Yeah."

"Sasuke-kun!" The happiness in Sakura's voice was unmistakable. Off to the side, the Uchiha was sitting up. His pink-haired teammate was fussing over him.

"I was worried, but it looks like Sasuke's alright too. That's great." Kakashi was relieved. No one had died. That was some luck they had on their side.

"Hey! You guys are too relaxed!" "You ninja killed our meal ticket!" "You guys are dead!" "We're going to kill all of you!" "And we're going to pillage what's left of this town!" The crowd had lost some of it's number to Zabuza's attack, but not nearly enough. The remaining thugs were getting prepared to charge.

"Damn, this is bad." The Copy-Ninja backed up.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't you have a special jutsu to defeat them all?"

"I can't... After the Chidori, summoning, and the Sharingan, I've used too much chakra!"

A single arrow came arcing up over their heads. It struck the bridge between them and the bandits. "If you come any further onto our island..." "The citizens of this country will..." "Stop you with everything we've got!"

"Inari!" Naruto shouted. Tazuna's grandson was front and center of the militia that had arrived. "Ok! I can help out too! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four shadow clones of Naruto appeared next to them.

Kakashi looked over at the blonde, and then at the mercenaries. They didn't seem like the brightest bunch. The Copy-Ninja formed the signs for a regular clone. Just before he finished the technique he shouted: "Shadow Clone Jutsu. Kakashi Style!" Several dozen regular clones appeared. From the looks of fear on the faces in the crowd, they didn't know these were just illusions. The mercenaries fled.

Once the bridge was cleared of hostile forces, Kakashi walked to the fallen form of Zabuza. The Demon of the Hidden Mist raised his head. "It looks like it's over."

"Yes..."

"Kakashi, I have a request."

"What is it?"

"I want... I want to see their faces. One last time."

Kakashi lowered his head guard over his sharingan. "Sure." He picked Zabuza up, carried him back to where everyone was gathered, and laid him next to his two apprentices.

The Mist jonin raised a hand and brushed Haku's face. "Will they be welcome in the Village Hidden in the Leaves? They weren't Mist ninja, not really. I trained them myself. They aren't technically missing nins."

"I'll do what I can." The decision would ultimately rest with the Hokage. Kakashi suspected what it would be. In the mean time he'd have to treat the teenagers as guests. His cute little genin wouldn't be happy with anything else. Well, Sasuke might after what the girl did to him. In any case, hauling them back as prisoners wouldn't help instill in them the Will of Fire.

"Haku, Shirou. Look out for each other. You don't have to just be tools. Tell them that. Promise me."

"I promise, dattebayo!" Naruto spoke up. He looked like he had grown several years in the last half hour.

Satisfied that his final request would be carried out, Zabuza closed his eyes for the last time. "Without me around, you.. might... just... be... hap... py..." The Demon of the Hidden Mist's hand fell. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but a tear rolled down Haku's cheek. The female ninja remained unconscious as snow began to drift down from the sky.