Chapter 9: Battle on the Big Bridge
Waraji and Zori observed the front door of Tazuna's house for a few moments.
"Well," the beanie-wearing mercenary said, grasping the handle. "No reason to drag things out."
The one-eyed swordsman just grunted annoyed, as they entered.
In the kitchen, Tsunami was just finishing cleaning the last dish, Inari sitting in the other room while scribbling circles on a piece of paper, lost in thought. She looked up over her shoulder upon hearing people enter. "Oh," she noted, before returning her attention to the job before her. "I thought it was maybe my father or one of his guards."
"Sorry to disappoint," Zori said, as he and Waraji stepped in.
In the other room, Inari stopped drawing and slowly looked up.
"So, what can I do for you?" Tsunami asked, still not looking at them. "Or are you just lost?"
"Are you Tsunami? Tazuna's daughter?" the beanie-wearing mercenary inquired, stepping a bit further.
"That would be me, yes," she confirmed. "Father is out, if it's him you're looking for."
"I'm afraid not. You see, Gato's not convinced that Zabuza can actually handle the job," the mercenary explained. "So I'm afraid we've been ordered to take you and the kid in. It's real scummy, but what can you do?"
Inari put his pencil down and quietly left the table.
"I see," the mother commented. "Can I at least finish washing the dishes first?"
"You're awfully calm about this," Zori noted, eyebrow raised. "Are you...?" Years of experience kicked in and he managed to pull his arm up, as the woman suddenly twirled around, almost planting a kitchen knife in his jugular. He was not so fast to block the frying pan she wielded in her other hand, which collided with his skull with a thunk.
Waraji, seeing his comrade in danger, immediately prepared to pull his blade out, when Pochi leapt from his place under the table with a snarl and snapped his jaws shut around the mercenary's leg. "AH, FUCK!" he cursed as he tried to kick the canine off, while drawing his blade. "STUPID MUTT!" He suddenly heard a twang of metal and jerked his head back in response, a bolt slicing the skin of the bridge of his nose, before hammering into the wall to his side. He turned his head to see what was attacking him from his blind spot.
Inari reloaded his crossbow with practised ease and aimed.
Waraji leapt for cover behind the table, Pochi still attached to his leg, as another bolt flew by, hammering into the counter.
"Pochi, let go," Inari ordered, as he reloaded again. The dog released the tattooed mercenary and pulled back, growling angrily.
Meanwhile, Zori managed to block a swing of the pan with his blade, while simultaneously pulling his stomach back to avoid getting stabbed. He tried to make eye-contact so that he could paralyse Tsunami, but found himself distracted by the blood flowing from the pan inflicted head wound. He kept moving back, but suddenly felt the edge of the counter poke into his spine. As Tsunami struck out again, the beanie-wearing swordsman rolled back on top of the counter, tucking his legs in as he did, avoiding the attack, before kicking out, catching Tsunami in the chest and forcing her back. He landed on the floor again, adjusting his beanie so it covered the bleeding wound.
Waraji, meanwhile, found himself pinned behind the table. He scowled. A kitchen did not exactly afford him a lot of mobility.
In a quick motion, he waved his arm up over the edge, hoping to provoke the kid into shooting, so he could get him while he was trying to reload. He heard a thunk against the wood and began a move to leap over the table.
He had just time enough to notice that what had hit the table was a thrown pencil, before the crossbow bolt slammed into his shoulder. His momentum arrested, he fell spine first on the table's edge before flopping over on the floor with a thud.
"NOW!" Inari yelled and Pochi charged forward.
The one-eyed swordsman rolled over and managed to grab a hold of the dog, as it tried to rip his throat open. "GET OFF ME, YOU DUMB FUCKING DOG!" he yelled. "I'M NOT A FUCKING SNACK, YOU YAPPING BITCH! GET! OFF!"
Meanwhile, Zori continued his duel with Tsunami. He evaded another swing of the frying pan and swung his blade, hitting the knife and sending it flying out of her hand, lodging it point first in the ceiling. Taking advantage of her momentary surprise, he locked gaze with her. The woman's moves slowed, as his eyes bored into her mind. He stepped forward and placed the edge of his blade against her neck. "Now then," he said, softening his gaze. "Drop your weapons."
"You're the one who should drop your weapon," Inari said, catching the mercenary's attention.
The kid pointed his crossbow at the floored Waraji's head. "Or I will fire."
All five combatants exchanged glances, as the deadlock filled the air with a thick tension.
...
Naruto charged across the walkway that led to the house, his feet thundering against the wooden planks. He could feel his muscles starting to protest against the accelerated pace, but he knew he didn't have any time to spare. He needed to help Tsunami and Inari and then he'd need to hurry back to the bridge, because it sure seemed like Gato was trying to pull something. He rushed around the corner, grabbed the door handle and smacked it open with a: "IS EVERYONE OKAY?"
He blinked.
Inari and the two mercenaries were sitting by the table, the dog lay sleeping underneath it and Tsunami was in the middle of pouring some tea.
"Oh, hello, Naruto," she said. "Do you want some tea too?"
"Uhm... Yes... Thanks..." Naruto said slowly and looked around. Crossbow bolts were lodged in the wall and counter, while a knife had been planted in the ceiling. Zori held an ice bag to his head, Tsunami showed some discomfort whenever she moved and Waraji had bloody gauze wrapped around his shoulder. "Okay, I'll bite," the blond said, crossing his arms. "What happened?"
"Gato sent these two to kidnap me and Inari," the mother explained matter-of-factly. "We agreed that it was... Well..."
"It was fucking dumb," Waraji interrupted. "Now, where was I? Yes, so despite us warning him that anyone who fucks with Zabuza end up as mincemeat, the little shitball goes over and just keeps yelling at him. Then he tries to rip Zabuza's fucking bandages off his face. Can you believe it?"
"He didn't," Inari said surprised.
"Well, he tried. Then his student grabbed his wrist and fucking squeezed the shit out of it. He's still wearing a fucking brace. True story," the one-eyed mercenary said. "And then, he has the fucking gall to blame us for his damn mistakes. We told him we couldn't protect him if he decided to stick his dick in a beehive, but no, guess he's too fucking rich to take some damn responsibility."
"How does a man like that get so much power?" Tsunami said while shaking her head, as Naruto found a chair to sit in.
"He inherits," Zori said. "Mind you, it's not like he hasn't done any work. He sure has expanded his business. But he didn't start out from the bottom."
"That does explain a lot."
"It does." The beanie-wearing mercenary turned his attention to Naruto. "Wassup, kiddo?"
"So you're working for Gato?" he asked uncertainly.
"Not for much longer. He finds out we dropped the whole kidnapping a child thing and... Well, he'll probably hire Zabuza and his gang to kill us next." He took a zip of tea. "Oh well, what can you do?"
"Not much," Inari muttered.
Naruto looked around. "Okay, seriously, is everyone just okay with this?"
Waraji shrugged. "Course we're not fucking okay with it. We just can't do a damn thing 'bout it."
"We're appreciating the sacrifices you're making on our behalf," Tsunami stated, as she sat down. "That can't be easy."
"Well, your kid was also threatening to put a bolt in my partner's brain," Zori noted. "Helped motivate my consciousness, I admit."
"Not that it matters," Inari muttered. "Gato will just hire some new goons to come after us."
"Okay, no, I've had enough!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping out of his chair. "I'm sorry, when did Gato become a god? All I hear is how powerful and unstoppable he is. How no one can do anything. Everyone living in fear. I'm sick of it."
"Oh yeah?" Inari asked. "And what are you going to do about it?"
"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do," the blond shot back. "I'm gonna march over to that bridge and I'm gonna protect Tazuna no matter what it takes. And then he'll build a bridge. And that will help. Believe it." He crossed his arms. "Now what are all of you going to do about it?"
"What are we... What are you on about?" Zori asked.
"Are you two just going to roll over when Gato sends his next team of goons to kill you, because you wouldn't kidnap Tazuna's family?" Naruto asked. "You're just gonna let it happen?"
"Well, no," the beanie-wearing mercenary replied. "I imagine we'll try to see if we can get off the island before then. His thugs are not worth much on their own, but even we would have trouble fighting a small army."
"He's really brought in a small army by now. We're not fucking with you," Waraji added. "And he's sent Zabuza and his entire team to take down Tazuna. Not a whole fucking lot we can do about that, now can we?"
"They're just two people," Inari sullenly added. "They can't do anything about it."
"I'm afraid they're right," Tsunami added, looking into her teacup. "We can only do so much. Gato is the one with power on this island."
Naruto grabbed his hair, just about ready to pull it all out from sheer frustration. He took a deep breath. "You know what? You're all right."
"Excuse me?" Inari asked and looked up at the blond as if he had just sprouted an extra head.
"You're right. If the four of you went up against Gato, you'd fail. I get that," Naruto continued. "Just like if I took on Zabuza alone, the big beef would cut me down. But you know what, I wasn't alone." He looked at his hands. "When Kakashi tested us, I wanted to show off how cool and skilled I was. So I could be a ninja. But being a ninja is not all about myself. It's about the team." He looked up at them. "Because no matter how strong we are, we're stronger together." He smirked. "And that's why, you're also wrong."
"Wait, we're suddenly wrong now?" Zori asked.
"Yeah. Because everyone on the team has something to add. No one is worthless. So one person can do a lot. Especially if that one person stands together with other people. That's what Gato fears. That's why he oppresses you. I spoke with Sakura the other day. And she told me about the shopping trip. And you know what, Tsunami. You're right."
"I am?" Tsunami echoed confused.
"Yes. Nobody has the time to be kind to one another," the blond continued. "That's what Gato wants. Everyone to be too scared. But if everyone in the village rose up, he'd be powerless to stop you. Don't you realise that?" He paused, looking at them all.
Waraji looked to the ceiling for a moment. "Yo, Zori."
"Yeah?"
"Didn't you say there were a lot of the other mercenaries who were just as fucking tired of that monkey-suit wearing douche-nozzle as we were?"
"Yeah. I hear a lot of grumbling."
"I think we should have a little chit-chat with them."
Zori poured the last of his tea down his throat, before with delight stating: "Sounds like a neat idea."
The two got out of their chairs.
"Thanks for the tea," the beanie-wearing mercenary said. "Hopefully we'll see you again."
"Wait," Inari croaked. Everyone paused and looked to him. He looked like he was fighting back tears. "Maybe..." he began. "Maybe this is what Dad tried. And that's why... That's why... Because... Because Gato knew... We'd be too scared... But... Dad knew... If we... If we..." He paused, furiously wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "He knew," he insisted. "He knew we had to stand together. He tried... Tried to gather the others. To rise up against Gato." He hiccuped, then jumped from his chair.
"Inari!" his mother said surprised.
The kid looked to the two mercenaries. "Will you... Will you help me?" he asked.
"Help you? With what?" Waraji replied.
"Naruto has to go to the bridge. To keep Grandfather safe. But I need... I need to gather the others." He paused, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I can't do this alone."
"Ehm..." the one-eyed mercenary started and looked to the boy's mother.
With a plop, she pulled the kitchen knife from the ceiling. "Don't worry," she said, inspecting the blade. "I'll be coming with you."
"Awesome," Naruto said. "You guys round everyone up while I'll go help my team on the bridge." He turned around and opened the door.
"Naruto," Inari said, causing the blond to pause. "Th... Thanks."
"Hell, I'm embarrassed that I'm over thirty years old and taking lessons from some snot-nosed junior fucking ninja," Waraji added. "But you got a point, little squirt."
"Yes. I think... It's too easy to forget that we don't have to be alone," Tsunami added.
"Now go. And be careful. Whether Zabuza wins or loses, Gato will be ready with a small army of the worst of the worst," Zori finished.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," Naruto finished and left.
...
Kakashi grabbed his headband and pulled it up, revealing his sharingan, as Zabuza drew his blade. But immediately, the mist thickened, completely obscuring the area.
Suddenly, all was quiet.
The silver-haired jonin looked around. Even if he could see things in detail, it didn't mean he could see through the fog.
"Where did they go?" Tazuna asked.
"Right on top of us any second now, I imagine," Sasuke said, tightening his grip.
"We have to be careful. Last time, Zabuza managed to slip into our formation," Sakura reminded the others.
Kakashi furrowed his brows, then looked up, catching a glimpse of a descending shadow. "SCATTER!"
The group leapt to the sides, as Zabuza land on the spot they had been, his sword slamming into the ground with enough force to shatter the concrete, sending pebbles flying in all directions.
"Great. Now the bastard is also demolishing the bridge," Tazuna grumbled, as he got up. "As if trying to kill me wasn't enough."
Zabuza dashed forward, swinging his massive blade at Kakashi, who jumped backwards to get out of reach of the oversized sword. He looked up, trying to lock eyes with his opponent, but the hulking ninja pulled back, vanishing into the smothering banks of the thick fog.
...
Sasuke looked around, trying to reorient himself. With the bridge enveloped in the dense mist, he wasn't entirely sure where everyone was. He closed his eyes and focused, trying to hear where people were.
A whoosh of fabric caught his attention. He raised his arm up, blocking a strike from Haku.
"Impressive," the masked ninja noted. Then he lashed out with his other hand, trying to jam his senbon into Sasuke. The Uchiha teen deflected the blow with his kunai and the two began trading attacks, each trying to slip past the opponent's guard to score a wound.
...
As Tazuna dusted himself off, he heard footsteps approaching. He raised his arms just in case he would have to fend off one of the assailants, but to his relief it was Sakura who emerged from the swirling fog.
"You alright, Tazuna?" she asked.
"I got a few bruises from having to avoid that big palooka's attack," the engineer noted, rubbing his elbows. "But if that's the worst injury I sustain today, I'll count myself lucky."
The pink-haired girl nodded and looked around, trying to figure out where the others went. Occasionally from within the thick banks of mist, the sound of weapons clashing or rapid movement could be heard. She bit her lip, weighing her options. Charging headlong into the mist could send them straight into a trap, but staying in one place just made them a target, since their enemies clearly weren't as disadvantaged by the thick mist as they were.
The choice was made for her when a thick length of razor chain was thrown in their direction, ready to lasso around them. Tazuna and Sakura jumped back, as the chain snapped around the now empty space, seconds before the Devil Twins emerged, rushing towards them.
Sakura knew instantly that standing her ground would just get both her and her client killed. She would already be disadvantaged just by being outnumbered and then also having to constantly keep Tazuna safe would just open her up to further attacks. So she decided that she'd employ stratagem number thirty-six.
She grabbed Tazuna by the hand and began running as fast as she could away from the enemy.
"Dammit. What now?" the engineer asked his ninja companion, as they hurried away from their attackers.
"I have an idea," she said. "I can't see where everything is, but I did take note of the bridge before the fog set in. I doubt those piles of iron beams over here are gone."
Indeed, she was proven to be correct moments later as the large metallic pile became visible through the thick blanket of fog. She led the engineer around the pile, then let go of him. "Now hide," she instructed him while focusing, an illusionary duplicate of Tazuna manifesting by her side. "I'll lead them away."
Tazuna nodded and ran off while Sakura went the other way, phantom engineer in tow. Just then, the Devil Twins vaulted over the metal beams in pursuit. Sakura kept running, the persistent sound of their feet slamming against the concrete spurring her on.
...
Sasuke raised his kunai again, blocking Haku's descending needle. He pulled his arm back and lashed out, but his masked opponent deftly slid out of his reach.
Sasuke scowled. The guy was fast.
Haku looked like he was ready to charge again, before pausing. He made a gesture with his hand and the mist around him thickened into dozens of ice needles, which shot forward towards the raven-haired teen. Sasuke cartwheeled to the side, as the frozen projectiles peppered the concrete he'd just been standing on. "Ice," he commented, eyeing the needles. "Great. He's got a kekkei genkai."
Haku dashed in again and the Uchiha teen met his needle with his kunai. As their weapons clashed, Haku focused again, creating another, though smaller, blast of needles, forcing Sasuke to dodge. The moment he did, the masked ninja attacked and the raven-haired ninja barely prevented the weapon from completely piercing his side, the tip of the needle burrowing through his skin. Haku withdrew his weapon and a small trickle of blood began flowing.
The masked ninja conjured another small cloud of frozen needles and fired them, forcing Sasuke to dodge to the side again, before seizing the opening to attack.
But this time, the Uchiha teen was ready. He blocked Haku's attack by slamming the wrist of his free hand against Haku's armed one, before attempting a strike with his kunai. Haku disengaged and jumped back. He paused, inspecting the wound he had received. Sasuke had cut through the fabric of his clothes, leaving him with a superficial, but still bleeding cut.
Sasuke seized the initiative and quickly launched several shuriken at his opponent. Haku focused and countered with more ice needles, which met the Uchiha teen's attack in mid-air, sending them clanking to the floor. Sasuke frowned and took a deep breath while focusing his chakra, before unleashing a massive fireball.
Haku focused his chakra into his legs and jumped over the burning projectile. As he sailed through the air, he manifested another barrage of ice needles, which forced Sasuke back, as he tried to avoid becoming a pincushion.
The masked ninja landed and paused, observing his opponent. "We seem evenly matched," he noted. "You are quite skilled. Still, I would recommend you surrender."
"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised. "You said it yourself. We're matched."
"No. It only seems that way," Haku clarified. "If you will not surrender, then I will have to demonstrate the extent of my abilities."
Sasuke frowned. It seemed quite dumb for a ninja to announce they had a trick up their sleeve. On the other hand, the fact that he kept something as a surprise was perhaps so obvious that announcing it carried no inherent risk. Or he could be bluffing, trying to intimidate him into giving up without a fight. He decided that whatever the masked ninja's reasons, stopping up to talk opened him up to an attack. In one smooth move, he drew his dai-shuriken from his backpack, unfolded it and hurled it towards his opponent.
Haku bent his knees and jumped, clearing the projectile.
But Sasuke had followed his projectile. He jumped and met Haku in mid-air. The masked ninja blocked his kunai with his senbon, but that was what Sasuke had counted on. His leg collided with Haku's side, sending him hurtling away at an angle. He landed hard on his shoulder and bounced across the concrete, while Sasuke landed on his feet.
The masked ninja got up, clutching his shoulder. "So be it." He folded his hands and focused.
Sasuke threw another barrage of shuriken, but they bounced off the object that suddenly materialized between the two. A panel of pure ice hung in the air, its surface as reflective as a mirror. Sasuke raised his eyebrow, then suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
Another ice mirror.
And another.
One after another, several ice mirrors manifested around him, in a sort of loose dome shape.
Haku stepped towards the closest, before with a strange rippling sound he stepped into the mirror.
The Uchiha teen stared as Haku's image appeared inside the mirror, then got into a combat stance, awaiting his enemy's next move.
He felt a dull thud in his arm, followed by pain. He eyed the source of this sudden agony. A senbon needle had hit him. And judging from the angle, it had come from behind. He turned around and froze.
Haku was reflected in every one of the frozen mirrors.
He felt another thud and pain bloomed in his thigh. He looked down. Another senbon, this one had also come from behind. He grabbed it, ripped it out and turned.
Where was the attack coming from?
He barely managed to move as a senbon flew by from a third angle, this one gracing his cheek.
Then a fourth one flew from a different angle. A fifth. The sixth one. The ninth. Twelve needles. Eighteen needles. Thirty needles.
Sasuke lost count as senbon flew from every angle, as he tried to find some pattern in it. For the briefest seconds, Haku's reflection would fade and reappear. The raven-haired teen could only presume it had something to do with the relentless attacks, but being constantly on the defensive gave him little time to analyse the situation.
A senbon grazed his neck, another jammed into his foot, a third pierced the side of his stomach, a fourth slammed against his hand, knocking his weapon out of his grasp.
And just as suddenly, the assault stopped.
Sasuke gasped, as he tried to figure out what had happened. He eyed his wounds, some of them still with senbon in them. He had two choices. He could let them stay in and hope he wouldn't cause further damage to himself. Or rip them out and increase the risk of being weakened from blood loss. He gritted his teeth and began pulling the needles from his body.
"So," Haku began, as his upper body emerged from one of the mirrors. "Are you ready to surrender?"
Sasuke scowled in response. He wanted to attack, but figured Haku would just pull back. He eyed one of the other mirrors. With a swift move, he hurled a barrage of shuriken at it, but they bounced off harmlessly. He had figured as much, it seemed the mirrors were too solid to casually shatter.
"Am I to take that as a no?" Haku inquired. "If you think you can destroy my mirrors, I suggest you give up that idea. My chakra is deeply woven into them. You have nothing that can break them."
"If you think you can scare me into surrendering, you've got another thing coming," Sasuke replied.
"At this point, you cannot win," Haku stated certainly. "The question is, will you lose with your life intact or as a corpse. I'd think that you'd..." A shuriken slammed into Haku's face. The force was enough that the masked ninja temporarily lost his concentration and balance, falling forward out of the mirror.
"Got him!" Naruto called, from his position outside the mirror dome. "Sasuke, you okay!?"
"I'll be better off when he's gone," Sasuke said, as he rushed off towards the fallen Haku. The masked ninja pushed himself off the floor and vaulted over the charging Uchiha, before landing and sprinting towards one of the mirrors.
Sasuke threw his remaining shuriken after him, but Haku just twirled on the spot, countering the attack with another barrage of ice needles, before jumping into the safety of the mirror.
"Naraka," the Uchiha teen swore. "Naruto, stay out there and try to see if you can score another hit."
"Gotcha!" the blond replied.
Inside the mirror, Haku let a finger glide across the damage to his mask. "A surprise attack," he noted. "I was wondering where the blond one was. Not bad. But if you think it will be that easy to avoid my mirrors, I'll have to disappoint you." He folded his hands and concentrated.
The mirror dome dissolved as the plates of ice shot away in different directions, before flying back, forming a new dome. But this time, it enveloped both of the ninjas.
"Aw man," Naruto groaned.
"Should have seen that coming," Sasuke sighed. "It was worth a shot I guess."
Haku observed them. "So, you were preparing for an ambush. Zabuza is right. You are more skilled than your rank would indicate."
"Oh. Ehm... Thanks," Naruto said, as Sasuke groaned. "But, ehm, I kinda just showed up now because I had to save Tazuna's family." He paused, before scowling. "Speaking of that, you're going to pay for trying to pull that stunt."
Haku was quiet for an extended moment. "I'm sorry, what?"
Naruto looked confused. "Ehm... You know... The two mercenaries in Gato's employ. They were sent to kidnap Tsunami and Inari. In case you guys failed again. So that he could trade them for Tazuna." He scratched his head. "I mean, that was the plan, right? Didn't he tell you that?"
Haku remained silent for quite a while, before he asked, his voice as cold as the heart of a glacier: "Are you telling me that while we were out here, Gato sent his own minions to abduct Tazuna's family, so he could bargain for the bridge-builder's life?"
"Yeah. I guess he... Kinda expected that... I mean, this is the third time so... I mean..." Naruto was at a loss for words. "I mean, it's okay. I took care of it though. Turns out even the mercenaries thought it was low, so they kinda dropped it. The whole kidnapping thing."
Haku just stood in the mirror for a moment, before he loudly called: "ZABUZA-SENSEI!"
"What is it?" came Zabuza's voice from somewhere in the mist, which was shortly thereafter followed by the sound of metal against metal. "Nice try Kakashi."
"While we fight, Gato is targeting Tazuna's family."
From somewhere else in the mist, Gozu's voice rang out: "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? HE DID WHAT!?
"Hey, Sensei, can we even go lower than a D-rank mission!?" Meizu loudly inquired.
"Short of asking them for a..." Zabuza grunted as he evaded something. "For a fruit basket, I don't think so."
"I could go with a fruit basket," Meizu replied.
"Great. Business tycoon for fruit basket. Let's do this," Gozu enthusiastically declared.
"Man, this has gotta be the weirdest conversation I've been involved in," Naruto commented, scratching the back of his head.
Haku returned his attention to his opponents. "Now then..." Flames blasted the mirror.
Sasuke gasped as his attack ran out and stared at the unharmed mirror, before cursing under his breath.
"A valiant effort. But my mirrors are not so easily destroyed," Haku noted.
"Listen, if you hate that Gato guy so much, just stop working for him," Naruto declared. "You could stop this, right now."
"No. That is not how this works," the masked ninja declared. "When we signed a contract with Gato, we swore an oath. The contract is absolute. The oath unbreakable. That is our way. We have sworn ourselves to this duty and therefore we must see it through. And if you would stand in our way, if you would see our oath unfulfilled, then you leave me no choice."
And just like that, the rain of needles resumed.
Naruto and Sasuke tried to dodge, as senbon after senbon shot at them from several directions.
The blond felt one graze his ear and yelped as another stabbed into his shoulder. "Sasuke, what do we do?"
"I don't know. I can't figure out how this jutsu works," the Uchiha teenager replied with frustration in his voice. "I'm too busy dodging. But those mirrors are the key."
"Right. Well, I say it's time to fight back." Naruto folded his hands and concentrated, summoning into existence dozens of shadow clones. They immediately spread out, rushing towards the mirrors. Sasuke paused and observed, finally getting a moment to focus as the clones took the brunt of the attacks. He looked around. The attacks were coming rapidly and from every angle. But never simultaneously. Did that mean there was still only one Haku? He had figured that maybe the mirrors allowed him to clone himself, but that didn't seem to be the case. Something else was up. He ignored the gurgling death rattle of a Naruto clone with a needle in his throat. He focused. He could feel the strain, as if his veins were pumping too much blood into his eyes, a dull ache pounding behind his oculars as he tried to spot what was going on, as the clones around him were needled to death.
And then he saw it. It was almost imperceptible. A shift in the mist, right as an attack occurred.
Naruto staggered back, clutching his throat as he fell on his behind. "Oh man," he gasped, as memories started rushing in. "This is really... Really uncomfortable."
"Naruto, can you do it again?" Sasuke asked. "You almost had him. I'm sure of it."
"Really? Well, I'll try," the blond said and focused. "But try not to take a needle to the throat. That's a sucky way to die." Several clones manifested and rushed across the battlefield, passing over the rapidly fading bodies of the previous assault team.
The Uchiha teen eyed the attack, then looked to the ground. Spotting a puddle of water, he ran forward and kicked it, spraying water in the air. As another clone fell from having a senbon pierce through his eye and the brain behind it, Sasuke saw something rip through the spray of water, a barely perceptible blur.
Everything clicked into place. Haku was using the mirrors to project himself, accelerating to a speed imperceptible to a normal human eye, flying from mirror to mirror while attacking. That was also why he relied on ranged bombardments with his senbon. He risked being slowed down if he went in for a melee attack, which would break the flow and trap him outside the mirrors again, just as when Naruto had hit him.
The real Naruto stumbled back, clutching his face and sporting a few more senbon sticking out of him.
"Oh, blessed Sage," he groaned shakily. "I never want to see another needle in my life."
"It's not over yet," Sasuke said. "Do it again."
"What?"
"Just do it!"
...
Elsewhere on the bridge, Sakura leaned up against one of the cranes on the bridge, illusion still in tow, allowing herself to catch her breath. The twins had fortunately been distracted by the sudden discussion that had broken out, allowing her to get away. She just hoped that Tazuna had found a place to hide.
Suddenly, the Devil Twins landed in front of her and rushed forward, trying to catch her and the illusion between the metal structure and their deadly chain.
Sakura jumped up, using her new skills to glue herself to the crane. Underneath her, the chain slammed against the illusion, shattering it. She used the moment of realisation to jump off the crane, landing behind the two attackers. She dashed forward as the Devil Twins pursued her. She grabbed the railing of the bridge and vaulted over it, planting her feet firmly against the side of the bridge. She took a few more steps and turned to see if the two intended to follow her.
That's when Gozu jumped over the side and swung towards her with the help of the Twin's chain. She raised her arms, blocking his kick. She could feel the impact rattle her chakra connection, but she didn't move. His feet still on her forearm, she pulled her other arm back and slammed her fist into Gozu's stomach. His eyes bulged, as he was forced off her, before he too planted his feet firmly on the side.
Then Meizu jumped over, using his twin as an anchoring point, trying to hit Sakura with the chain itself.
Knowing she couldn't jump without sending herself plummeting into the ocean below, she dashed downward and managed to step onto the underside of the bride as Meizu passed by. Now with some more space again, she began running as fast as she could, as the Devil Twins crossed the edge and began their pursuit once more.
...
Kakashi tried to focus, his enemy obscured by the mist. He had only had one chance to go on the offensive, when Zabuza had been addressed by the masked ninja. And while what he had said had disturbed the silver-haired jonin, he couldn't allow such an opportunity to slip by. But Zabuza had been prepared for the consequences of revealing his location, and had fended off his attack. And now he was on the defensive again. Every so often, Zabuza would emerge from the swirling mist for an attack, before quickly vanishing again. The swordsman was going to hit-and-run him to death.
Kakashi frowned. Occasionally through the mist, he heard sounds. Of pain, of battle and worse. He worried deeply for his students, but with Zabuza relentlessly hounding him, he had no way of aiding them.
And it was but a question of time before the hulking ninja would strike again.
An idea formed in his mind.
He rushed off towards the edge of the bridge, then ran to one of the cranes. Pressing his back against the metal, he closed his eyes and focused.
A rustle of fabric.
He opened his eyes as Zabuza lunged out of the fog, blade ready to split him in twain. He dodged to the side, and the great blade hit the support for the crane.
Kakashi had hoped the sword would break or the force of the impact would have stunned the swordsman, opening him up for an attack.
But with a metallic groan, the crane began leaning backwards, the metal sliced through by the blade. Finally, the only uncut support gave in, bending and folding, as the entire crane fell off the bridge and landed in the ocean was a great splash.
Kakashi began appreciating even more never having tried to block the legendary blade with his kunai. It would have cut right through it. And then him.
Zabuza eyed the jonin for a moment, a glint of smug satisfaction in his eyes, before he leapt back into the mist.
The silver-haired ninja stood up and began re-evaluating the situation. He had a plan b. He paused, closing his eyes, trying to figure out where Zabuza would come from next. Perfect timing would be required.
The soft thump of a foot against concrete.
The hulking ninja came at him from the left.
Kakashi allowed himself to hesitate, then leapt aside.
The very tip of the blade slit through his side, cutting through his combat vest as if it was made of butter and leaving a nasty flesh wound. He landed, clutching the bleeding gash.
Zabuza looked at the blood on his blade with murderous glee, then vanished back into the mist.
...
Back at the mirror dome, Naruto fell quivering to his knees. The numerous wounds he had received were building up, but so too were the memories from his shadow clones. He could count at least sixteen different ways Haku had killed him with a needle, from being shot through the heart, to drowning in blood from a perforated lung. None of them were pleasant to say the least. The blond gulped. At least getting cut in half by Zabuza was relatively quick. "Sasuke," he said shakily. "I don't think I'm getting him."
"No, you're right," the Uchiha teen agreed. "This isn't working. We need help."
"How?"
"We'll run in different directions. We might not both get out, but whomever does has to try and get help."
"Okay. Sounds like a plan," Naruto replied and dashed off.
Sasuke didn't move.
He just watched.
As Naruto approached the edge, Haku moved to intercept.
The pressure on Sasuke's eyes increased. He could just about see the blur, as the masked ninja shot across the battlefield to attack the blond. He focused and sent another fireball flying.
A senbon slammed into Naruto's shin. He fell. He cried out in pain, as a needle in his forearm was pushed all the way through from the impact. He looked up at the mirrors.
Haku was there. But something was different. The masked ninja clutched his right arm, the cloth burnt and the skin beneath scorched.
Sasuke smirked. Moving in a straight line between mirrors left Haku no way to dodge without also slowing down enough to break his flow. Instead, the masked ninja had suffered a direct hit. "You still think your mirrors will save you?"
Haku just silently stared at him. Then he moved in a blur. A senbon was fired at Sasuke from his flank. He swung his kunai, knocking it out of the air. One from the other side. He blocked it too. He could feel the pressure on his eyes lessening, instead becoming a steady flow. The blur became more and more clear, as did the projectiles Haku fired at him.
After his tenth needle had failed, the masked ninja paused. Something had changed.
Sasuke looked up at him. His irises had become a deep crimson.
"An Uchiha," Haku noted. "You have awakened your sharingan. That does explain things."
"Yes. Your little trick doesn't work on me anymore," Sasuke declared.
"Then I am at a disadvantage," the masked ninja admitted. "I will have to realign factors in my favour then."
He shot out of the mirror again, away from Sasuke.
The Uchiha teen was stumped but for a fraction of a moment, before he found himself rushing forward. Haku intended to take out the weakened Naruto so he could focus solely on Sasuke.
The masked ninja drew another senbon.
The Uchiha teen leapt forward, focusing.
Naruto felt a blast of hot air wash over him.
Haku slammed back into one of his mirrors, the fireball having struck him right in the chest, incinerating his clothes and leaving rapidly forming blisters on his skin.
"You did it!" Naruto exclaimed, as he slowly got up. "You got him."
"Yep," Sasuke groaned in a pained voice. "I did."
The blond blinked. "Sasuke? Are you...?" He gasped as his comrade fell over backwards. He shot up and grabbed him, halting his fall. Naruto stared. A senbon had pierced Sasuke's chest. "Sa... Sasuke?"
"Well..." the Uchiha groaned. "You're right. It does suck... Like this."
"No... No, wait. We'll... We'll get you some help," Naruto hurriedly tried. "If I just... If I can... Why... Why did you do that? You didn't have to..." He shook his head, before yelling: "YOU COULD HAVE JUST SHOT HIM! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO JUMP IN FRONT OF ME! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?"
"I dunno... Figured I'd try... That whole... Teamwork thing..." Sasuke tried, his muscles cramping. "Some heir I... Turned out to be..."
"What?"
"The Uchiha heir. I was... Was supposed to... Avenge my family... Lead the clan... Instead... I'm such a... Disappointment..." Sasuke gasped. "But... I guess... I... Did do something right..."
"No, no, Sasuke, focus on me, we gotta... Gotta..." His voice faded, as his comrade went limb in his hands.
Using his mirror for support, Haku got back on his feet. "He chose to take the attack," he noted, as he slid into the reflective surface. "A ninja worth honouring. Do not throw his sacrifice away. Surrender or I will be forced to strike you down."
Naruto didn't hear him. He couldn't. Staring at the comrade in his arms, what little noise that surrounded him faded into indistinct static. Tears began freely flowing from his eyes as he slowly and gently placed Sasuke on the ground. He didn't know what to do.
He gritted his teeth. He felt anger starting to build. Slowly but surely. A raging bonfire igniting in his mind, threatening to consume all of him.
And that's when he heard the laughter, as if what was going on was the funniest thing ever. The sound was a deep, primordial rumble, an ancient sound full of power and scornful mirth. Naruto's eyes darted around. Who dared laugh at this? And then, as he listened, he realised the laughter was coming from deep somewhere inside himself.
It abided for a second. "So," the voice began, sounding very bemused. "You've finally noticed me. That's good."
Naruto felt confused. He had no clue who it was.
"Oh, but isn't it obvious?" the voice replied, apparently reading his mind. "You should know who I am."
He didn't. But whomever it was, the idea of them laughing at his comrade's misfortune infuriated him.
"I just find the misery of the Uchihas to be an endless source of joy," the voice explained. "I do not care for that clan. I am only happy to hear that somebody decided to send so many of them to the afterlife."
Naruto gritted his teeth. That the voice dared not only mock Sasuke, but also the massacre of his family, made his blood boil.
"I do not understand why you care so much for this one. Seems he barely cared for you," the voice said. "But I suppose he did just lay down his life for you. I guess even an Uchiha can do something right, occasionally." The voice paused, noting the rising fury in Naruto. "Well, if you care so much, I'm not the one you should be angry at. After all, it's him who did it."
The blond looked to the side, glaring at Haku, who was still awaiting an answer.
"Yes. If you really do care so much, avenge him. Crush this masked fool into mulch. Rip him apart. Feast on his blood and bones."
Naruto hesitated. Sasuke had only barely managed to wound him. How could he do anything?
"Bah. You humans always hesitate, when you should act," the voice scolded him. "Fine. I'll give you a hand, little one. You can have a small bit of my chakra. I look forward to see what you'll do with it."
Naruto felt something warm pulse inside his stomach. Then the energy exploded through his body. Crimson chakra burst from his skin, enveloping him. His wounds began healing with such speed, that the senbon still stuck in him shot out in all directions.
Inside his mirror, Haku stared with horror. Even shielded by his ice, he could feel the energy emanating from the blond.
Naruto dug his fingers into the concrete, splintering it as his nails grew into claws. He snarled, his teeth lengthening into the ferocious maw of a carnivore. He looked up at Haku. His irises were like amber and his pupils like a black slit.
Haku grasped his senbon. He was pretty sure surrendering was off the table.
The empowered blond shot forward with inhuman speed. Haku barely managed to shoot out of the mirror, before Naruto's fist slammed into it. The mirror's surface rippled, before it splintered into a thousand shards. He turned and jumped at another mirror, slicing into it with his claws, shredding the ice.
Haku shot out of another mirror, throwing as many of his senbon as he could manage. They pierced into Naruto's back, only to shoot out again with almost the same speed, as the boy's flesh rapidly healed.
"This," Haku quietly noted. "Is suboptimal."
As the berserk Naruto turned around to face him again, he shot out, hoping to strike him in a vulnerable spot.
This proved to be a mistake.
Naruto leapt forward, intercepting him in mid-air. Haku raised an arm reflexively to protect himself, only for the raging ninja to bite down on it. Hard. Blood sprayed from the puncture wounds and the masked ninja felt the bone splinter under the pressure. The two landed with a dull thud on the ground and Haku immediately scrambled to get away. Naruto leapt across the ground like a rabid animal, before latching onto Haku's leg, biting into his tendon, ripping it open with a gruesome sound. The masked ninja cried out in pain as he fell again. He lashed out with his other leg, managing to kick Naruto in the face, forcing him back. But like a wound spring, the rampaging ninja shot forward again, slamming his knuckles into Haku's mask. The ninja was lifted into the air by the force of it and sent flying, before crashing head first through one of his remaining mirrors. The impact, his wounds and rapidly draining chakra combined tore apart the connection he had. The other mirrors began raining from the sky, pulverising on impact with the concrete. Haku struck the ground and began limply flopping across the bridge, before slamming into the guard rail. Weakly, he grasped the rail, using it for support. His mask looked more like a crater, the impact having pretty much shattered it. Pieces of it began falling off as the thin wooden fibres that remained snapped.
Out of the mist, Naruto rushed forward, all thoughts focused on ripping Haku in half. The masked ninja just stared. He knew he couldn't evade at this point. He was too weak. He sighed and closed his eyes. He hoped it would at least be quick. The mask crumbled, falling off in large chunks, allowing him to take a deep breath of the briny air. It reminded him of home.
Silence.
He opened his eyes. Naruto had halted his attack, moments before his fist would have pulped Haku's skull against the railing. The crimson chakra had dissipated and his features had become normal. He blinked. Naruto blinked.
"It's... It's you," the blond said surprised. "You're the man from the forest."
"You're right." Haku smiled. "Guess I'm not prettier than Sakura right now."
Naruto looked quite taken aback at the joke, lowering his arm. "What are you doing here?"
"The same as you. My job."
"You're a ninja?"
"Obviously."
Naruto felt the gears in his head spin. "That means... That you were the one who saved Zabuza."
"Yes." Haku cocked his head. "Weren't you going to kill me?"
"What?"
"Weren't you going to kill me?"
"How can you ask that so casually?" the blond asked perplexed. "Do you want me to?"
"Well, no. I'd rather prefer to live." Haku eyed his bleeding leg. "But you seemed rather set on ending my life. Why the hesitation?" He looked into Naruto's eyes. "Ah. Not so easy without my mask. This is what Zabuza was talking about. You hesitate because you recognise me. Even though I'm just some stranger." He smiled sadly. "You could have been dead now."
"Oh, shut up," Naruto snarled. "This isn't a game."
"No. I know." Haku sighed. "But it is the life of a ninja. You hesitate, you get hurt. A moment of inaction is a moment the enemy has to kill you. And even a friendly face might hide a dagger behind a smile. One needs to be ruthless." He paused and groaned. "Mind you, I'm not in any condition to do anything. I suppose I am quite harmless."
"Then it's over," Naruto stated.
"Is it? Allow me to recuperate and I will have to come after Tazuna again. It is my duty. No, you'd save yourself a lot of trouble finishing me off."
Naruto stared at the fallen ninja, before drawing his kunai. He stared at the blade for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly. "If I was to be as ruthless as you say, I really should cut you down. So why tell me this?"
Haku leaned his head back, staring at the cloudy skies. "I suppose," he said. "That if I did recover, I might have to fight you again. You do seem set on keeping Tazuna alive. And if that happened, I might have to kill you. You seem like a good person. It would be a shame."
"Then drop the mission," Naruto insisted. "You don't have to."
"But I do. It is my duty."
"Stop saying that!" the blond exclaimed frustratedly. "It isn't right. What Gato is doing isn't right."
"Perhaps not. But who can truly say what is right or wrong?" Haku paused. "A contract is a sworn oath between client and shinobi. If you cannot trust the oath, you cannot trust the ninja. Our honour depends on our adherence to this. We have given our word. Only Gato or death has the power to release us from it. It is our way. It is what is right to us, even if you disagree."
"But you don't have to be like that," Naruto stated.
"You're right," the wounded ninja agreed. "I don't have to be like that. But I choose so."
"Why?"
"Because it is our way. When I chose to become a ninja, I swore that I would do my utmost to uphold the honour of Kirigakure. So even though I despise Gato with every fibre of my being, I will continue my task. You know, we're not so dissimilar. You could choose to abandon the mission. Let Tazuna die. But you won't."
"But it's different," Naruto insisted. "I'm not doing this because I've sworn some sort of obligation. I mean..." He stared at his kunai. "He actually lied. Tazuna, that is. Couldn't afford the proper mission. He still thought he'd get some veteran fighters or something. He was surprised to know we were kids. Horrified, in fact. And, well, as Kakashi said, we really should have turned back. Or abandoned him, like Sasuke suggested." He clenched his hand around the kunai. "But I couldn't just leave him to die."
"I see. That does explain a lot," Haku noted. "I was wondering why three genin had been attached to this mission. But just as you feel compelled to do what is right, so too do I."
"And why is that?" Naruto sharply asked. "When we met in the woods, you..." He paused, staring as his feet. "You seemed like a nice person," he quietly added. "I figured, hey, maybe I'd run into that nice person again. It would be nice. Especially with the island overrun by bullies and thugs. And yet... You work for a villain like Gato. You fight alongside a bloodthirsty monster like Zabuza. It makes no sense. Why is that right?"
"Bloodthirsty monster? Well, I suppose he wouldn't disagree with that," Haku noted. "As for the why, I have my reasons. The short of it is, Zabuza saved my life. I felt that, well, for everything he did for me, I owed him. I owed his village."
Naruto snorted. "I have a hard time imagining that. He seems more busy taking lives than saving them."
"True. But he is still human. With everything that entails. But that story is rather long. Even if you don't want to kill me, shouldn't you be off helping you allies?"
The blond stared at his hands. Then he kneeled down, took his backpack off and unpacked some medical supplies.
"You're bandaging my wounds," Haku noted, slightly surprised, as Naruto wrapped the gauze around his leg.
"Yeah. You know what isn't my way? Letting someone who couldn't hurt a fly just bleed to death," Naruto replied. "I'm almost out of chakra. I'm sore all over. And I have no idea how to go back to... Whatever that was. I'd just get in the way."
"It would seem we both have time to spare then," Haku remarked. "Very well, I'll share my story with you. Perhaps it will help you understand. My mother was an immigrant. Came to the Land of Water from a land far north, displaced by the Third Great War. The lands were scarred by the conflict. She was hardly the only one seeking a new home. But she was fortunate enough to find one. Settled in a small village. Married a local farmer. Gave birth to me." Haku smiled nostalgically. "My earliest memories are from that time. We were happy." His smile faded. "But it was not to last. When I said the lands were scarred, I didn't just mean that the war had caused great destruction. The hearts and minds of people were deeply affected too. In the Land of Water, the people were afraid. Many lives had been lost in battle. Cut down by ninjas wielding the power of chakra. Of the kekkei genkai. And so, they shunned those with power. Or worse. Out of fear of what they could do."
Naruto stared at his hands. "Boy, does that sound familiar," he noted.
"I was but a child, when one day, I discovered by accident that I had power. I could with my will shape water or even snow. I was amazed. I didn't know it back then, but I had accidentally managed to learn how to use my chakra. I ran to my mother, to show her what I could do." A look of sadness manifested on his face, as he touched his cheek. "I'll never forget that expression on her face. Of fear. She slapped me, telling me to stop right away."
"She slapped you?" Naruto said shocked. "Why?"
"Oh, I imagine she was terrified and just reacted without thinking. She immediately apologized and began crying. She told me I could never do that again. That it was too dangerous." He frowned. "It didn't matter. I don't know if it was my dad who saw us or maybe one of the neighbours. I just know that, next time I saw my father, he had an entire mob with him. My mother... She pleaded with him. Begged him. Promised him that she... That we were nothing like those other ninjas. That she just wanted to live a normal life. That she loved him."
Naruto felt as if his mouth had gone dry.
"Didn't matter. He struck her down. Killed her."
"How could he do that?!" Naruto exclaimed. "You said you were a happy family! Didn't he care?!"
"People can be horrible when they are scared. I can only guess what went through his mind." Haku turned his head, gazing at what little ocean he could see behind the swirling mists. "Perhaps he and the others convinced themselves that he hadn't loved her. That whatever he felt was the result of some ninja magic. That she had forced him. I guess it doesn't matter. They feared her for what she was and what she could do. Everything else didn't matter. And then, he turned to me. I've never before nor since been so scared. He approached me. He was crying. I still wonder why. Perhaps he was in pain. Perhaps it was exactly because of his love for us that this hurt. That he imagined his happiness was some cruel illusion."
"But you were just a kid," Naruto insisted. "You weren't a danger to anyone."
A joyless smile appeared on the wounded ninja's face. "But I was dangerous. They probably feared what I would do with my powers. They'd seen friends and family die to these people, these monsters, wielding these strange powers. What couldn't I do to them, given half a chance? You say I was just a kid? Well... Even so, I was born with amazing gifts. Dangerous gifts." The smile faded. "I had discovered my powers, but unlike my mother, I had not learned any measure of control. Even in the face of her beloved husband about to murder her, she retained control. I didn't. Panic seized my mind and I ended the life of my father and nine other people in an explosion of ice needles."
Naruto held a hand to his throat. He thought back to his clones. It wasn't a pleasant way to go.
"I stumbled from the slaughterhouse that our home had become and wandered into the wilderness. I didn't imagine the village would ever want to see me again," Haku continued. "It was winter. The snow was thick on the ground. I found my way to the nearest larger city, but... There was precious little help. I scavenged for food in the garbage, fought street dogs for scraps of meat. It was miserable. No one cared. I was just a random street urchin. I was all alone."
The blond ninja thought back to his own life. As similar as they were, it occurred to him that things had never been that bad for him. Yeah, he had lost his family, but the village had found him a new and loving one. Even if he had been scorned by some, he hadn't had to live on the street. In fact, he couldn't imagine anyone living like that in Konohagakure.
"You look contemplative?" Haku noted.
"I guess... I'm just realising that... I've actually been pretty lucky," Naruto noted. "Doesn't mean that everyone treated me right, but..."
"I'm glad I can help you gain new appreciation for these things," the wounded ninja noted with a smile. "But in the middle of the deep winter, while I sat at the edge of town, I met Zabuza. He was on his way home from another mission. He stood out to me immediately."
"Was it the oversized sword, the fact that he's built like a stack of bricks or that he's one of the scariest people in the world?" Naruto inquired.
Haku giggled. "Maybe a little of everything. And the fact that people made sure to walk far around him, as if he could flip out any moment and just start killing. Ridiculous of course. But then, he stopped. And he saw me." He paused. "I guess it's hard to explain, but as a street urchin, everyone ignored me. I faded into the background. I felt as... As if I barely existed. As if I barely deserved existing. So... When he saw me. When he actually took notice... I felt happy. Grateful even. I couldn't help myself. I smiled and thanked him for noticing me. I didn't really expect anything more, but... He approached, asked me about my family. Where I came from. If I had anywhere to go. I told him my story and he mulled it over. He said he was a ninja from Kirigakure. The ninja village hidden in the mist. Offered to take me along. He said he couldn't promise it would be pleasant, they were a rough bunch, but I'd probably have better odds of surviving than out here alone. I didn't need any convincing. I followed him. I became a citizen of Kirigakure. Zabuza even opened his home to me, giving me a place to stay until I could find somewhere else. Never did. Had no reason to. And then I enrolled. I became a ninja. With everything that entails."
"Even...? The graduation thing?" Naruto asked.
"The duel with a classmate? Yes. Though I managed to win on a technicality. Used the same technique I did to save Zabuza," Haku noted. "Though don't think for a moment that meant I couldn't have killed him. If I'd gotten it wrong, well, there would have been consequences. Afterwards, Zabuza became my sensei. With him and the Devil Twins... I felt I had a family again. I'm contend. Happy. I have no regrets. So, now do you understand?"
Naruto stood up, his mouth a thin line. He looked over his shoulder, at the prone body of Sasuke. "I do," he finally said. "I don't agree, but... I think I get it."
"So, what now?"
"I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you think," the blond said. "But... I don't know..." He looked into the mist, utterly lost.
...
Inari sighed, before turning from the door, running down the path towards the next house. "Come on. One more."
"Forget it, kid," Waraji sighed, as he and the others followed. "We'd have more luck going door to fucking door selling used pants. That motherfucker Gato has them licking the shit off his boots."
"Does he always speak like that?" Tsunami inquired.
"Waraji? I've never known him not to," Zori noted.
Inari reached the next door and began knocking. "Giichi? GIICHI!?" He paused. "Gato has gathered an army of goons! They're all going after Grandfather! We gotta do something!" He paused, then reached for the handle.
The lock clicked before he could lay a finger on it.
"So you are in there!" Inari called. "We gotta stand together! We can't let Gato win!"
"And what will fighting get us?" came the tired voice from behind the door. "We'll just end up like your father. Hasn't enough died? Haven't we sacrificed enough? Gato has won. Accept it."
"I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT!?" Inari screamed. "NOT NOW! NOT EVER!" He glared defiantly at the door. "My father died trying to save us all. Doesn't that matter?" He was answered with silence. "FINE THEN! I'LL GO TO THE BRIDGE MYSELF IF I HAVE TO!" Then he turned around and ran off in a huff.
"Oh, hey, wait, Kiddo," Zori said, as he ran past the three. "Wait for us. Let's at least go check with the other guys before we go commit suicide."
Back at the house, behind the door, Giichi listened as the sound of the four vanished. He let out at deep breath. All fell quiet, except the sound of his wife's knitting. "It'll... It'll be over soon," Giichi said, leaving the door.
"Sounds about right," his wife noted.
"Once he realises we can't win, he'll calm down. Better if we don't rile him up more."
"Of that, I'm not so sure."
"His mother would never... Would she?" Giichi looked doubtful for a second. "No. She wouldn't. No way. He's just angry. It'll blow over."
"And Tazuna?" she inquired.
"I mean... I hope that the ninjas can keep him safe. But it's out of our hands."
His wife didn't respond. She finished knitting a line, then paused, looking contemplative. Then she got up, walked over and grabbed her coat.
"What... What are you doing, Dear?" Giichi asked confused. "It's not safe outside right now."
"I know," she responded.
"Then whatever it is can wait."
"It can't. I'm going to the bridge."
Giichi's eyes looked about ready to pop out of his skull. "Are you insane? You heard the kid. Even if Gato isn't bringing an army of goons, he still has plenty of men. You could die."
His wife chewed on her lip for a moment. "You know," she began, grabbing a harpoon. "I've come to realise there are worse fates than dying. Besides, Inari is Kaiser's son, in spirit if not in blood. He'll go to the bridge. I could never look at myself in the mirror, knowing I'd let him go alone." She reached for the door.
"Wait!" Giichi exclaimed.
She paused.
The older man looked conflicted. He closed his eyes, as if at war with himself. "Just let me grab my coat."
...
Sakura and the Devil Twins had paused. That awful energy they had felt had robbed them of momentum, and so they had stood upside down on the underside of the bridge, breaths held as they awaited what would come next.
But as the strange aura faded and no apocalypse ensued, the Devil Twins set off and sprinted towards her. She in turn kept running, even as her body began to protest. She wasn't sure she could keep her chakra flow going and fight both of the ninja twins off, so she decided it would be smarter to not even try.
Gozu slowly began matching her stride, catching up to her. He suddenly lashed out at her with his clawed hand.
Remembering the poison, Sakura swung her arm out, hitting the back of the gauntlet and knocking the attack away. But as she did, Meizu encircled her, getting ready to ensnare her in their deadly chain.
She looked down and jumped, launching herself towards the nearest support pillar. Flailing her legs, she managed to make contact and connect herself with her chakra. She looked back up, only to see the Devil Twins rush after her down the pillar, their chain pulled tight between them. She began running downwards, letting gravity aid her rapid descend towards the ocean.
She jumped off and began running across the seawater, the waves tossing her up and down as she ungainly tried to not fall through. She looked over her shoulder.
The Devil Twins leapt from the pillar and pursued her across the waves, charging across the sea like they were born to do it.
She kept running. Her steps wavered and she could feel her chakra starting to burn out. She gritted her teeth. She couldn't keep running. She'd tire long before those two did. She needed to think. Needed to come up with a plan.
One of her feet broke through the water and she yelped as she pulled it out again, almost falling over.
She cursed herself as she found her footing and began running again.
Behind her, the twins pulled their gauntlets back, before throwing the chain forward. As they did, they crossed each other's paths, shaping a deadly lasso out of their weapon.
The pink-haired ninja leapt forward, willing chakra through her entire body as she did, allowing her to gracelessly roll across the water, evading the attack. She was still soaked when she began running again.
She needed to come up with a strategy. Now.
She looked around and spotted one of the newest pillars, still encased in scaffolding, ladders and heavy equipment.
She had a plan.
She rushed towards the pillar, twins still in pursuit. She leapt up, beginning a quick scamper up the platforms. She'd just needed to get out of sight for a second.
The Devil Twins followed their target up the scaffolding. The moment they saw her again, they pulled the chain back and threw it forward, once again crossing so as to tighten it into a deadly chain circle.
Tired and weakened, she couldn't get out of the way, as the lethal links ensnared her.
And then the illusion shattered.
With a mighty push, Sakura shoved the engine the two assailants had caught, hoping Tazuna could forgive her for the destruction of the property.
Gravity seized the heavy machinery and sent it falling to the ocean. The chain tightened and the two ninjas clung to the scaffolding, as the added weight threatened to rip their arms out of their sockets.
"Fuck!" Meizu groaned. "Brother, we gotta release the chain."
"I know. But I've only got two hands," Gozu added, his voice strained. "Maybe if one of us... Did you hear that?"
The scaffolding groaned and shook.
They looked up.
Sakura stood by the pillar, pushing against the platform. The entire support structure began leaning forward, as ropes burst and pieces began breaking off.
"OH SHIT!" the two uttered in unison, as the entire thing began tilting.
With a thunderous roar, the entire scaffolding crashed into the ocean, taking the two of them with it to the bottom of the sea.
Sakura remained attached to the pillar, using what little chakra she had left to stay attached. She watched as the waters below frothed and then fell silent, erasing all traces of the battle. Then she slowly began climbing back up.
...
Back on the bridge, Kakashi stood still, eyes fixed in the direction from which he had felt the powerful force. It could only have been one thing. But as the world failed to end, he started to consider that things might not be as dire as he had at first thought. None the less, he knew he had to hurry.
He closed his eyes, drawing in the scents of the battlefield. The metallic tang of blood hang invisibly in the mist.
He paused.
The sound of the air parting before a blade.
He scooted to the side, evading another blow from Zabuza. His wound pulsed with pain, but he gave himself no time to focus on it. The swordsman eyed him for a second, his blade still covered in blood, before he vanished back into the mist.
Kakashi nodded. It was time.
He pulled a scroll out of his pocket, flicking its seal open with his thumb. He smeared some blood from his wound on his finger, before dabbing it on the scroll. The symbols on it crackled with charged chakra. Then he slammed it into the bridge. The concrete started cracking, as the scroll's energy discharged.
Then he stood up and waited.
From his position, Zabuza observed the silver-haired jonin, his own eyes easily penetrating the mist. He stared at the scroll. Without seeing the contents, there were several different effects he could imagine. It might even just be a bluff, meant to put him on edge. He wouldn't put it past Kakashi. He began focusing, preparing to summon a water clone to test the terrain.
The concrete around him exploded, as several dogs of various sizes burst forth.
"Wha...?" the hulking ninja managed to utter, before one of the dogs bit into his ankle. Reflex caused him to look down, as another dog latched onto his forearm. Another, big as a pony, jumped on his back and bit into his shoulder. Zabuza groaned under the weight of the nine or so canines, as he tried to shake them off.
"E gor him, Boff," one of the dogs managed with its mouth full of elite ninja.
"Good job guys," Kakashi noted, as he began focusing. "Hold him still."
The swordsman roared in frustration, as he tried to shake the hounds off, his mind racing to figure out how Kakashi and his summoned allies had found him in the mist. As he thrashed around, he noticed his sword. It was still covered in blood. His eyes widened. The bastard had let himself get wounded to plant something to track on him. His own blood. Even as he raged against the beasts dog-piling him, he had to admit, that was pretty clever. He heard a crackling noise and looked to Kakashi.
Lightning danced across the silver-haired ninja's arm, as a glowing light intensified in his hand. He paused, before shooting forward with an intense burst of speed, his lightning encased hand making a sound not unlike that of a thousand birds chirping at once.
Immediately realising the deadly nature of the attack, Zabuza tensed all his muscles and managed to throw his weight around, enough to turn him to the side, even with the dogs hanging off him.
Kakashi's hand buried into Zabuza's left upper arm, the lightning burning through skin, muscle and even the bone. The dogs leapt off, as lightning arced across the swordsman, forcing a roar of agony from his lips. Kakashi pulled back as Zabuza stumbled. A gaping and smoking black crater had been gouged into his now limp arm, snaking trails of blackened tissue running up and down the savaged limb. He gasped for air, his heart beating wildly and his muscles convulsing. His mind fogged over from a mixture of the raw pain and the electrical shock that had blasted through his neurons. The whole world span around him.
The fog began lifting from the bridge, as Zabuza lost the ability to maintain it.
The hulking ninja forced himself to stand, forced himself to try to focus on his enemy, even as his vision blurred.
Kakashi paused, waiting to see if the blow was enough to take him down.
Zabuza pushed his great blade against the ground to support himself, as his knees threatened to give in. He looked up, his mind slowly clearing. His bandages hung loosely, before slowly sliding off his face. He smiled, revealing rows of jagged teeth more befitting a bestial predator than a human. "Well... Gotta give it to you, Kakashi. Haven't been thrashed like that in quite a while. You are every bit the skilled ninja they say."
"I take it that means you're not planning on surrendering," the jonin noted.
"Of course not. Where would the fun be in that?" His grin intensified. "Besides, I have a mission to accomplish."
"I see," Kakashi replied, as his allied dogs got ready to attack. "I guess I'm not much different. Protocol would have had me turn back long ago. Well then, let us finish this."
"Let's."
...
Inari, Tsunami and the two mercenaries stood in front of the warehouse.
"This is where we agreed to meet up," Zori said. "Gotta warn you, they're a rough bunch."
"Like you two?" Tsunami asked.
"Makes us look like a pair of cute as shit kittens in comparison," Waraji clarified.
"I'm beginning to have second thoughts about Inari being here."
"Mom, we have to try," the kid in question insisted. "They might be the only ones left willing to help."
His mother just sighed, as Zori opened the door with a: "Yo, how's it hanging everybody?"
The inside of the building was barely lit and spread around in the room was a motley crew of differing people, all eyeing the newcomers.
"Well, nobody's fucking shooting at us. Guess that little shitling Gato didn't hear about this little meet and greet we arranged," Waraji noted, as the group entered.
"Okay, let's get introductions out of the way. Time is of the essence, especially if we're actually going to do anything," Zori noted, clasping his hands. "Everybody, this is Inari and Tsunami. Tazuna's family. Don't let their looks deceive you, they're quite tough." He turned to face the two. "Now let me introduce you to our band of misfits and yes, they're exactly as tough as they look. First we have Shakai." He gestured to a pale man wrapped in a black cloak.
"Ve are please to meet you," he said with an accent, bowing gracefully.
"That's Goto."
The man in question was bare chested and hunchbacked, a tumor like growth bending his body. His forearms were wrapped in lengths of chain. "Hello," he croaked.
"The chick over there is Miyabe."
The woman wore dark clothes and a straw-hat, leaning against the unholy offspring of a heavy-crossbow and a longbow. She removed a cigarette from her mouth and nodded.
"And there we have Seikanji. He's the smartest one of the us. Not afraid to admit that."
The elderly man in question looked up from his book. "A delight to meet you."
"The scary one is Ashikaga."
The lady wore a long sleeved kimono and her face was painted white like a noble woman's. She smiled. Inari shivered involuntarily.
"And that's her girlfriend, Amano."
The muscular woman leaned a truly massive cleaver against her shoulder, its blade matching that of Zabuza's sword. "'Ello."
"And last but not least, the brothers Souma and Hotta."
Two massive guys, each wielding a large wooden maul, nodded.
"That's quite the group," Tsunami quietly commented.
"So," Seikanji began. "You called us here because you said something was happening."
"Right. Let's just be honest. We all hate Gato by now, right?" the beanie-clad mercenary asked.
"Is that a trick question?" Goto asked.
"He makes me feel stabby," Ashikaga hissed.
"Not a feel, hon'," Amano noted.
"Oh yes it is. He makes me feel very, very stabby."
"Gotta agree with her. That dumb bastard does make me want to throttle him with my bare fucking hands," Waraji added. "I mean, that's more chokey than stabby, but still..."
"Vat vas ze point, presuming you had one?" Shakai interrupted. "Or are ve going to spend ze day inventing new vords for how ve vish to hurt our diminutive employer?"
"Point is, Gato is screwing over this entire island and none of us like him," Zori said. "Look, I'm not trying to be all self-righteous, but, I mean, come on. We gotta have some standards, right? And those second-rate guerillas he's hired are raping and pillaging as they please. Being associated with that is just bad for our reputations."
"It is true," Hotta noted. "Eventually, the sorry state of the land will become common knowledge to the general populace. Anyone who helped perpetuate these atrocities will probably at best be seen as a heartless scoundrel."
"I must agree with my brother," Souman added. "We risk that the only ones willing to employ us in the future will be people like Gato. I'd rather not drag my name through the proverbial mud by being an accessory to such, how do you say, debauchery."
"He's even sent out notices to inform us zat if the two of you could not get your hands on Inari and Tsunami, zere'd be a hefty bonus for vhomever of us managed to do it instead," Shakai informed the two mercenaries.
"Of course he did," Waraji growled. "I'd call him a no-good son of a snake, but I can't imagine any serpent foul enough to shit him out."
"Prob' is, can't quit," Amano added. "Too expensive."
"Yeah, most of us spent a lot of money getting here," Goto agreed.
"All of you?" Tsunami asked surprised.
"Another of Gato's tricks. He only hired mercenaries who made it to the Land of Waves," Seikanji explained. "And you've seen the prices. We're mercenaries, not members of the daimyo's court. We didn't get the discount until we already spent a lot of ryo on the journey. I'm sure it's intentional. A way to keep us employed even when we're dissatisfied."
"Well, whoop-de-fucking-do. Ain't that the exact same damn line of thought we had?" Waraji said, rolling his eye.
"Yeah, see, I think we should drop the whole quitting thing," Zori added. "And instead, I suggest we band together and kill Gato."
Miyabe removed the cigarette from her mouth. "You for real?"
"Super real," the beanie-clad mercenary noted. "Think about it. We all hate Gato and I seriously am starting to doubt how much he values us. I mean, he's already planning on backstabbing Zabuza and that guy's kinda a big deal. We're nothing in comparison. And a lot of people would be real grateful. I'm sure we could earn some money on that. Better odds than with Gato anyway."
Seikanji stroked his beard. "True. If he won't even honour his contract with Kirigakure, then he certainly won't honour the one with us."
"Vell, I vas considering quitting anyway. Might as vell do it vith style," Shakai said and shrugged.
Ashikaga looked excitedly at her girlfriend.
The cleaver-wielding woman shrugged and said: "Why not."
The kimono-clad woman's grin intensified and with a flick of her wrists, she was suddenly wielding two machetes.
"Dude's a creep. Might a well put a bolt through his dome," Miyabe said, squashing the butt of the cigarette against a crate.
"Yeah. I say we snap him in half," Goto growled.
"It does appear that consensus is that we should move against our reviled employer," Souman said.
"I quite agree with the sentiment. I say we join in with this spontaneous rebellion," Hotta added.
"Well, looks like we've got us some allies," Zori noted, turning to Inari. "Mind you, Gato did most of the work by being a complete ass."
Inari smiled broadly. "Thanks everyone."
"Well, then we really should get going," Tsunami added. "There's no telling when Gato will strike."
"Sure. Let's," the kid said enthusiastically and rushed to the door, opening it. He stared at the semi-circle of people outside. "Uhm... What are you all doing here?"
Giichi held his hat, looking a bit nervous. "We... Uhm... We were just..." He cleared his throat. "We're here to help. If you will have us."
...
Sakura grabbed the railing and pulled herself over. She allowed herself to lie on the cool concrete for a moment, gasping for air while staring at the sky. Around her the mist faded, revealing a clear blue sky beyond it. She just lay there, her mind a fuzzy mess. She heard footsteps and looked up.
"You okay?" Tazuna asked.
"You're okay," the pink-haired ninja weakly stated, as she shakily began getting back on her feet. "You're not... Hurt. Are you?"
"Nah. Jumped into a barrel. Decided that the mist clearing was probably an indication I should get out," he explained. He frowned. "Seriously, are you okay? You're pale as a ghost, girl."
"No... I'm just..." She leaned against the railing. "Those two... I dropped the better part of the scaffolding on top of them." She paused, swallowing. "They didn't get back up."
"Oh. I see," the engineer quietly noted. "I understand how hard it must be for you."
"No. That's not it," she said quickly, small droplets of tears starting to grow in the corners of her eye. "When I realised that I had survived... That I had bested them... It's like Zabuza said. It felt good to survive. Exciting." She stared at her hands as tears flowed freely, her expression one of horror. "I don't want to enjoy killing people. I don't want to be a monster. That's not... That's not who I am. Is it? I don't... I... I..."
Tazuna enveloped her in a hug. "There, there," he said softly, as the teenager began sobbing into his shoulder. "It's okay. You're just in shock. Nobody will call you a monster just for being happy to survive."
They stood like that for a moment, before additional footsteps caused them to look up. Naruto slowly approached, his expression tired and worn. "You two okay?"
"No. But... I'm better," Sakura sniffed, drying her eyes. "What about you?"
The blond didn't answer, just stared at his feet.
The pink-haired ninja blinked. "Naruto? Where's Sasuke?"
He just looked at her, then over his shoulder. She followed his gaze and saw the prone figure lying on the ground. "Oh no," she gasped. "Oh no, oh no." She charged forward, full sprint, passing Naruto by.
He just stood still, watching his feet.
"I'm sorry to hear that, kid," Tazuna said, as he approached. "He seemed like a nice guy, underneath the gruff exterior."
"He took an attack meant for me," Naruto said. "If I'd just been stronger or faster... Maybe..." He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me speak from personal experience," Tazuna said. "There's not a day where I don't think of what would have happened if I had been able to switch places with Kaiza. But I know he'd never want that. He gave his life for his son, his family, this whole damn island. Because that was the kind of man he was. I'd rather honour that sacrifice by doing something with the life he's given me than sink into misery. I'm sure Sasuke would wish the same for you."
"I guess," Naruto sighed.
"Naruto! Tazuna!" Sakura called.
The two turned to her. "Yeah!" Tazuna hollered back.
She was kneeling by Sasuke, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes. "He's alive!"
"WHAT?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock. "Are... Are you sure?!"
"Yes. He has a pulse. It's weak, but it's there."
The blond teenager and the bridge-builder rushed over, as Sakura began gently removing the remaining senbon and bandaged the wounds.
"It's faint," she said, placing a hand on the Uchiha's chest. "But you can even feel the slight movement of his muscles. He's breathing."
"But... How?" Naruto asked. "I held him in my arms. The light just went out in him."
"Did you ever check for life signs?" Tazuna asked.
"No. Things got... Kinda weird," the blond said. "But how...?" He paused, turning his gaze to Haku, who still sat nearby.
"Something on your mind?" the androgynous ninja inquired.
"You... Did you do something?"
"I suppose by that you're asking if what I attempted was a killing blow," Haku surmised. "No, the shot was just to shock his body. In his weakened state, he slipped into unconsciousness. That's also why I never claimed to kill him. Though I hoped that I could force you into surrendering." He glanced at his ruined body. "Obviously, it backfired."
"Naruto did thatto you?" Sakura asked shocked. "How?"
"I'm not... Entirely sure," the blond admitted. "I'll tell you about it when we're done." He folded his arms. "But if you're here, then... There's only Zabuza left."
"Hm? You defeated the Devil Twins?" Haku asked.
The pink-haired ninja looked away, not responding.
"I see," the wounded ninja murmured. "I had always hoped that... But such is a ninja's life. I do not think less of you. You only did your duty."
"That makes one of us," Sakura muttered.
"Now, where is Kakashi?" Naruto asked, scouting around. "It's still all kinds of misty. Wait... Ah, that's him and... Oh no."
"What now?" Tazuna groaned.
"Look."
Sakura stared. "We better do something. Now."
Kakashi and his dogs stood, focused on the wounded Zabuza. The first move had yet to be made, as everyone prepared for the battle. Neither wanted to be the first to give the enemy an opening.
"Kakashi-Sensei! Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto called, as the trio rushed in.
"Stay back," the silver-haired jonin instructed them. "I'll handle this."
"That's real great, but are you two idiots blind?!" Tazuna bellowed and pointed. "Look, damn it!"
The two elite ninjas paused and followed his finger.
Gato smiled unpleasantly, a large mob of armed goons right behind him. "Hello. It's nice to finally meet the people who've been such a thorn in my side."
"So, finally decided to crawl out of your hole and show your true colours," Tazuna spat. "Guess you just got tired of drawing things out."
"Yes, this whole ninja thing wasn't working out for me. But I wouldn't get too cocky if I were you," the bespectacled man informed the bridge builder. "Even as we speak, my mercenaries are bringing your daughter and grandson here. You better be ready to lay down your life."
"I don't think so," Naruto declared. "I took care of that before coming here."
"Did you now? All my mercenaries? Or just the two scrubs I gave the job to first?"
Naruto's bravado faltered. "Wait, there were more?"
The businessman just smirked.
"Gato? What is the meaning of this?" Zabuza growled, eyes narrowed.
"The meaning of this is that you and your team are a fucking joke," the shipping magnate informed him. "I'm not even surprised to see you like this. You're pathetic and a waste of money. So I'm cutting down costs by getting rid of you. Oh, but do tell me that..." He paused, scouting around, before noticing Haku. "Ah, yes, that one. That one I want kept alive. For now. I'm sure my men can find some way to repay him for my damaged arm. And when all is said and done I'll inform your village of your complete and utter failure to accomplish anything. I have so many other things I could use that land for anyway."
"So, you've decided to betray us," the hulking ninja growled. "Well then..." He eyed Kakashi. "Our battle is over."
"So it seems," the silver-haired jonin agreed. "But we have a new one to deal with."
"Good luck with that," Gato sneered. "Oh, but if you could kill just a few of these idiots before you die painfully, that would be great. Budget could use a bit of padding. Now then, I..." he was interrupted by a metallic clonk.
Everyone turned to look at the railing, where a metal claw had grasped the side, before with much groaning, Gozu pulled himself and his brother over, landing on the concrete with a wet flop. "That... Fucking... Sucked..." he gasped. "You alive there, Meizu?"
"I don't feel alive," the other ninja groaned, before looking up. "Oh. Hello."
"You're alive?" Sakura asked surprised.
"Hah. Told you so," Gozu said, nudging his twin with his elbow. "She did try to kill us. Pay up."
"Give me a moment," Meizu said, before fishing a couple of waterlogged ryo bills from his pocket. "Here you go."
Gozu held the bill up between two fingers, before the soaked paper ripped from the weight of water and fell to the floor with a splat. "Well played."
"How did you survive?" Sakura asked incredulously.
Meizu pulled off his mask, revealing not only his very sharp teeth, but also three slits on the side of his throat. "We have gills."
"So you can't really drown us," Gozu added. "Dropping all that heavy construction equipment on us, however, still hurt. A for effort."
"STOP IGNORING ME!" Gato yelled.
"Oh, hey, it's the angry chimp we work for," Gozu said.
"Hey, Boss. Blood pressure still working overtime I see," Meizu continued.
"THAT'S IT. RIP THOSE TWO BUFFONS TONGUES OUT AND LET THEM CHOKE ON THEIR OWN FUCKING BLOOD!"
"What's his problem?" Gozu asked, turning to the others.
"He has decided to betray us," Zabuza said. "We now have to kill him on principle."
"Aw man," Meizu groaned. "But I was really looking forward to that fruit basket."
The magnate gritted his teeth. "How I've looked forward to this," he said, raising his good hand to signal the men and women behind him. "Alright, kill them all and..."
A bolt fell from the skies, slamming into the concrete right next to him. Gato stared at it. "What?"
Slowly, the silence was broken by the sound of marching feet.
Out of the mist, Inari marched, crossbow leaned against his shoulder, his mother beside him, the two of them flanked by Waraji and Zori. Behind them, the other mercenaries walked in formation, weapons drawn and ready. And behind them walked just about every single villager, armed with harpoons, farming equipment, blades and whatever else they could scrounge up.
"What... What is the meaning of this?" Gato asked, taking a step back. "What are you all doing here?"
"We're here, cockface, because we're tired of being you damn stooges and jumping through whatever stupid fucking hoops you demand, you overdressed circus gimp," Waraji responded. "We're quitting and taking your fucking head as a retirement bonus. So you..." he stopped, blinking. "You gotta be shitting me, is that fucking Kakashi?"
"Hello," the jonin replied, waving. "How are you doing?"
"Oh great. Fucking fantastic. Except that some FUCKING ASSHOLE CUT MY EYE OUT!" the mercenary yelled, pointing to his eyepatch.
"Well, your partner left a meter-long scar on my backside. And you were trying to kill me," Kakashi stated nonchalant. "So I guess it all evens out."
"NO IT DOESN'T, YOU SILVERHAIRED PONCY PRICK!"
"Plus, since you did manage to kill our boss, we didn't get paid," Zori grumpily added. "So that's how we ended up here."
"Well, life of a mercenary," the jonin said with a shrug.
Waraji looked ready to run him through.
"Mom, you better say something or this will take all day," Inari muttered. "I can tell."
"Yeah, you're right." She cleared her throat. "And we're here, because we've had enough. You're no longer welcome in the Land of Waves. And if you do not leave willingly, things will get unpleasant. Of course, even if you were to agree to leave our land, I doubt you'd get far with the enemies you've made."
Tazuna looked at the flock in amazement. "You all... Came for me?"
"Yeah. We all realised you were right all along, you stubborn old fool," Giichi said, wielding a spade. "We're doing what we should have done long ago. We'll avenge Kaiza and free ourselves."
"SHUT UP!" Gato yelled. "ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP! DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I AM GATO! IF YOU DO NOT CRAWL BACK TO YOUR SORRY HOVELS, YOU'RE IN FOR A WORLD OF PAIN!"
"You can't scare us any longer!" Inari declared. "We're not afraid of you. Now it's your turn to be scared."
For a moment, the businessman looked taken aback, before looking to his assembled minions. "What are you all waiting for, a raise? Kill them. Kill them all, now!"
"Oh boy, here we go," Meizu groaned, as the first lines of the mooks broke formation and charged forward.
The combined force of mercenaries and villagers rushed in to protect their tired comrades who were about to get caught in the middle.
What little peace there had been was shattered by the din of all-out combat.
Shakai dashed in, evading a hatchet swung by a thug. He grabbed her shoulder and she tensed as he sucked the chakra out of her. "Zank you," he said, as she fell lifelessly to the ground. He eyed another approaching grunt, before focusing the stolen chakra, conjuring forth a high-pressure spray of water that bored through the attacker's skull.
Goto jumped across the battlefield, using a few shoulders and heads as stepping stones. He swung his chain at a nearby crane and pulled himself up, as the hooked end attached itself. Bound to the metal surface with bonds of chakra, he unhooked himself and took a moment to get an overview of the chaos below. Spotting one of Kakashi's dogs surrounded by foes, he leapt off and dove through the air. His feet shattered the thug's spine, just as he brought the hook down to obliterate his foe's head. "Need help?" he asked the dog.
"Yeah. Could use a hand," the canine replied.
Miyabe waded through the battlefield, looking for an opponent. She casually eyed an angry woman charging her with a length of pipe. She turned, aimed and pulled the trigger. Her would-be opponent was carried off her feet by the five bolts slamming into her chest. "Five," the crossbow-wielding mercenary noted casually. "Let's see, who'll be number six?"
Seikanji slammed his heavy combat staff up against the blade, knocking the attacking goon off balance. He quickly jammed one end into his face, crushing his nose, then swept his legs away. Deeming the opponent neutralized, he focused on the next thug, an axe wielding woman. He swung his staff, knocking her clumsy attack to the side. He stepped up beside her while she was still stunned, grabbed her chin and scalp, and snapped her neck with a sudden motion. Deeming her sufficiently neutralized, he looked for his next enemy.
Ashikaga danced gleefully around the battlefield, a machete in each hand, her clothes drenched in blood as she carved up another opponent. She swung both her blades at once, cutting the head of an inattentive thug like she was wielding a very big scissor.
Seeing her focused on her latest kill, a goon tried to attack her from behind, swinging a large sword.
It was halted in mid-air with a metallic clink, as Amano stopped it with her bare arm. She eyed the shocked minion with a look of displeasure, before she with her other hand brought down her massive weapon, splitting the hapless mook in halves. "Be careful," she admonished her girlfriend, as she finished brutally ending the thug's life.
"Yes, yes, I'll try. Where's Gato? I still feel stabby."
"Dunno."
Elsewhere, the two maul-wielding siblings stood side by side.
"You ready brother?" Souma asked.
"Very much so," Hotta replied, as a small squad of hirelings charged them. He slammed his hammer into the ground, small cracks forming in a line. Suddenly, the concrete under the attacking mooks erupted, launching them into the air.
Souma focused and swung his hammer, a blast of wind slamming into the airborne goons, sending them flying screaming in all directions.
Naruto blocked the knife of a goon that grinned at him unpleasantly. He felt his legs give in, still tired from the fight, and fell to the ground.
"GOTCHA NOW!" the thug yelled, preparing to stab him.
A senbon slammed into a mook's head, penetrating the ear and the brain. The body fell beside Naruto with a thud. The blond blinked and looked for where the projectile had come from.
"This... Sucks," Sasuke groaned, supporting Haku.
"I know. It'll be over soon. Just try to hold me still," the androgynous ninja said, preparing another senbon.
Sakura looked around, trying to figure out what to do. She suddenly saw another of Gato's goons charging her. She raised her arms to fight, but felt a sudden fear seize her.
She froze.
The goon was just about to smash her head with her club, when Waraji came in from the side, carving her open.
Sakura stared at the fallen attacker, as she quickly died from blood loss.
"You okay?" Waraji asked her. "You look like you've seen a fucking ghost."
"I'm not... Sure," she admitted.
Tsunami stood by Inari's side, as her son fired into the throng of enemies. She'd never wanted him to participate in such violence, but they had a chance to rid themselves of Gato. She had to take it. So she stood guard, ready to protect him.
As Inari fired, one of the minions eyed them, charging with a bat in their hand as Inari began reloading. Tsunami stepped out in front of him. The thug brought their bat down, which she blocked with her frying pan, before jabbing her kitchen knife forward, planting in hilt-deep in the goon's throat. The henchman began dying with a wet gurgling, as Tsunami got ready to take on the next person who thought they'd get away with hurting her son.
Tazuna raised his fists, as his opponent tried to beat him with a set of knuckle irons. The assailant lashed out, but the engineer sidestepped, before smashing the guy in the face with his fist. "Too slow!" he called, as he followed up by planting his knuckles in his opponent's midsection, causing them to double over. Then he grabbed their arm and spun them around, where Kakashi was waiting with his kunai, which was showed up through the mook's chin, killing them instantly.
"Good job," Tazuna said.
"Thank you," the jonin replied.
And just like that, the sounds of battle died. What thugs hadn't been killed was left in no condition to fight.
Gato stared, mouth agape. "Al-Alright. You guys. Get in there!" he ordered the other half of his mooks.
None of them looked eager to try anything, as the blood-soaked defiers eyed them.
"Why don't you come over here yourself?" Zori asked, as he began cleaning has gore-stained blade. "Oh, that's right. You don't do anything yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if you've hired a guy to wipe your ass."
"SHUT UP!" Gato yelled, before turning to his frightened minions. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?! I'M NOT PAYING YOU TO STAND AROUND GAWKING, YOU FUCKING MORONS!"
"How does it feel?" came a low growl and the magnate turned to face it. Zabuza slowly approached, dragging his blade behind him, his clothes dyed red in blood. "To lose all your power! No one wants to follow you!"
"Don't think you're so tough!" Gato snarled. "You can't even lift... Lift..." His words died in his throat as Zabuza held up the blade with his remaining arm and leaned its blunt side against his shoulder.
"I don't need two hands," the swordsman said with a terrifying smile. Then he broke into a sprint.
Gato screamed in fear and turned around, running through his assembled minions while yelling: "STOP HIM! STOP HIM!"
The mooks looked from their fleeing boss to the approaching ninja with the giant sword and psychotic smile, before they all began scrambling to get out of Zabuza's way before he decided to cut through them like a scythe through wheat.
Gato kept running, gasping as he pushed his through his minions, before stumbling through the other side. He fell to the concrete, his sunglasses flying from his face and clanking across the concrete. He groaned. If he could just get to the staircase, he could escape on the boat they had arrived in. He began getting up, when he noticed the shadow looming over him. Slowly, he turned, panic setting in.
Zabuza looked down on him with an unpleasantly pleased expression, his sharp rows of teeth clearly visible. "Hello, Gato."
The smaller man yelped and pushed himself away. "Wait, Zabuza, wait," he pleaded. "Th-this is-is just a mis-misunderstanding. I thought... I mean... I thought yo-you all tried to tri-trick me. That you we-weren't who you said you we-were. I see now that the nin-ninjas you were up against were re-really strong."
Zabuza took a step forward.
"Wait," Gato squeaked, trying to scramble out of the swordman's shadow. "I'll double your pay."
Zabuza took another step forward.
"Triple it!"
Another step.
"OKAY, YOU DRIVE A HARD BARGAIN! I'LL QUADRUPLE YOU PAY! I SWEAR!" Gato screamed in panic, holding his good arm up as if that would protect him.
The hulking ninja cocked his head. "Do you ever think about death, Gato?"
"Wh-what?"
"Death? No, I don't think so. Arrogant guy like you, you think you're downright immortal, don't you? That you can just pay off anything dangerous. Me? I think of death every day. I might die. My students might die. My fellow ninjas might die. It can happen to all of us." He looked to the horizon for a moment. "We actually have something in common, you and I."
"What are you talking about?" the businessman hoarsely asked.
"We're both terrible people. Monsters really. I enjoy the feeling of risking my life in battle. Of carving open another man. That warmth of spilled life." He took a deep breath, before finishing with an ecstatic: "It's amazing." He looked down at Gato again. "And you stomp on people just because you can, crushing them so you can hoard more and more money than you ever could spend. Not because you need it, but because you want it all. We're so unlike Haku. He's a good soul. No, you know where we're going when we die, Gato? We're going to Hell." His smile became even wider. "But we're also different. I've always acted with integrity and honour. I've kept my word and fought with dignity. But you? You're a coward. A spineless, pathetic worm, whose word is worth less than nothing. Even now, you quiver in fear, begging me to take your dirty money in exchange for your life. You can't even face death with dignity. Such a sad sack of wasted flesh you are. In Hell, there are hundreds of demons. And I'll be welcomed among them as a brother. I'll be quite at home there. But someone like you?" His deranged grin appeared to the fallen magnate to be that of one of the demons he spoke of. "You're in for a long, painful eternity with us."
"No," Gato hoarsely gasped. "No. No. NO! NO!" He turned, scrambling to his legs and began running. "I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!" His sunglasses splintered under his foot as he ran, panic seizing all his thoughts.
Zabuza just eyed the fleeing man, as he waited for the inevitable. He heard a thwipt and something flew past him.
Gato felt something painfully slam into his back. He looked down at his clothes, blood spreading through the fabric. The head of a crossbow bolt poked out from his torso. He coughed and felt the taste of blood in his mouth. He turned, confused.
Another bolt slammed into his stomach. He gargled, staring at the projectile. Then he looked up.
Inari calmly reloaded the crossbow and aimed.
Gato stared. For a moment, he could have sworn he was looking Kaiza in the eyes again.
Then the bolt pierced his throat.
Gato coughed and spluttered, flecks of blood flying from his mouth as he stumbled backwards. His foot found nothing but air and vertigo seized him. He had reached the end of the bridge. With a gargled scream he fell into the roaring waters below.
Zabuza just stared the bloodied spot where Gato had fallen, then turned to the remaining goons. "Does anyone else feel like joining him?"
The mooks broke rank and ran past the hulking swordsman, quickly filing in the boat and sailing off, hounded by the sound of cheering villagers.
...
Two days later, work on the bridge restarted. Down by the construction site, Team Kakashi, Team Zabuza and Tazuna's family met up.
"Well now, can't say I'm sorry to see the lot of you go," the engineer said to the hulking swordsman. "What with you trying to kill me and all. But I can respect good work ethics and you did help us with Gato. So here." He handed him a basket. "I guess you've earned this."
"Wow. We really did get a fruit basket," Gozu said excited.
"Yes," Meizu added, as he began looking through it. "We've got an apple, a banana, a potato and..." He pulled a fish out with a confused expression. "A mackerel?"
"Score. I love mackerel," his brother said enthusiastically.
"Supplies are still low. Consider it more of a... General food basket," Tazuna said.
"We thank you for the gift," Zabuza said, his one arm wrapped in gauze. "We'll be taking our leave then."
"See you around," Haku said, as the four turned and left.
"I still can't figure that bunch out," Naruto noted.
"And as for you, you have my eternal gratitude," Tazuna said, turning to them.
"We can never repay you," Tsunami added. "Though we'll scrape together the money to pay for the B-rank mission Dad should have ordered. It might take a while though."
"Don't worry. Our Hokage is a reasonable man," Kakashi assured her.
"And thanks to you all, Inari is smiling again," the bridge-builder continued. "Though... I hope he won't make a habit of shooting people."
"Let's hope that won't be necessary," Sakura quietly agreed.
"Why are we going home, anyway?" Naruto asked. "Might as well stay until the bridge is finished."
Kakashi laughed, as Tazuna's expression became quite forlorn.
"What? What did I say?" the blond asked. "It's just a couple of months, right? That's what you said."
"Well... Yes," the engineer said, as Tsunami sighed disapprovingly. "Technically, a couple of years are made of dozens of months after all."
"YEARS!" Naruto exclaimed. "You mean you lied about that too?"
"Well... I mean... It's not really a lie per say," Tazuna tried.
"Obviously, the bridge will take quite a while to finish. But without Gato here, it should be a lot easier," Kakashi stated. "I do wonder what will happen to his company. He had no heirs."
"Bah. I don't care. It can go rot as far as I'm concerned," the engineer insisted.
"But do come visit us again," Inari said. "Things will be a lot different from now on."
"It better be. Not coming back here to clean up you guys' trouble again," Naruto said, as the four turned around. "See ya."
Once they were out of earshot of the waving family, Kakashi asked: "So. How are three of you doing?"
"Eh, I dunno," Naruto replied. "I thought I knew what it meant to be a ninja. What it took to be a ninja. But after all this... I just think I know nothing."
"Truth is, what exactly a ninja is supposed to be... Well, that's a question we all grapple with," Kakashi said. "You'll have to figure out for yourself what it means. No easy answers, I'm afraid." His cyclopean gaze wandered over the two others. Sakura stared at her hands and Sasuke glared at the scars Haku's needles had left. "There is one other thing we need to talk about. I guess everyone noticed something happened on the bridge?"
"Something happened?" Sasuke asked confused.
"Right. That awful aura," Sakura said, remembering. "You must have been unconscious when it occurred. What was that?"
"Ehm... That was... Me... I think," Naruto said.
The two others stared at him.
"Excuse me, what?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised.
"Oh, he's quite right," Kakashi noted. "That was Naruto."
"What did you do?" the pink-haired ninja inquired. "I didn't know you could do something like that."
"I don't know, I swear," the blond replied. "It was just... I thought Sasuke had died and... Then there was this voice. It said that I could borrow some chakra and then... I'm not sure. It was like... I lost control. It's kinda blurry."
"It's because he's a jinchuuriki," Kakashi answered.
Sakura gasped. "You mean... Inside him is...?"
"Yes. The nine-tailed fox is sealed within him. That is the voice you heard, Naruto." He looked to the shocked boy. "Do not be afraid. It happens sooner or later. The seal can only stay completely closed for so long. But I advise you to be careful. It is not a power to be trifled with."
"That was... The fox..." Naruto echoed, holding a hand to his stomach.
"Yes. Your emotions weakened the seal. As I said, it happens to all jinchuuriki sooner or later. Sooner if they are trained to use the beast, but since Lord Third didn't want you forced into the role of ninja, you never had any training," Kakashi explained. "Now... I'm not sure. I shall ask the Hokage when we return if we can find someone to help you. Perhaps we can bring in a jinchuuriki from another village to assist in your training. I know that worked well for Kushina."
"Kushina?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes. The previous jinchuuriki of the fox," Kakashi replied. "For now, let's get to the boat. We have quite a journey ahead of us."
The team fell silence as they headed towards the docks.
