Chapter 9: Battle on the bridge

Sweat poured down my face and coated my skin in a thick layer of sticky liquid that made my mind scream out 'Shower! Shower!' I can feel the chakra I'm using at its depths as I gather it into my hands that are in a prayer sign and then push them out forwards, next to each other with flat palms. I then release the chakra I have been gathering and shout out "Ninja art: venomous vines!" and green vines shoot from my hands and swirl round me in flashes of green, a purple coloured poison drips from the tiny barbs that cover the vines spiny surface. I then make them swing towards a log and at my command they wrap round it with an anacondas death grip. A second later the log breaks into wood chippings and dissolves into a green pulp on the floor due to the poison. The vines retreat to my hands and seem to retract into my palms. Once the last vine has retracted in without a place I collapse on the floor panting hard, trying to catch the breath I seemed to have been holding since I first started my training just after breakfast this morning.

I hear a whooshing noise and see Daniel appear in my face and he asks me if I'm ok to which I nod and rasp out "I'm fine now that I'm able to use that jutsu now," with a large grin plastered on my face.

"Ok fine," he says pouting "But next time, don't push yourself to hard ok?"

I just nod and lye there in splendid silence as I feel my chakra replenishing itself inside me, giving me the energy to carry on. I'm not sure how long I just lye there for, but it's long enough for Daniel to curl up on my stomach and fall into a deep sleep, and I'm sure I nodded off at some point as well.

I can now feel my chakra back to its normal level again, but decide to continue to rest so that I don't have to go back to the bridge and have another confrontation with a pissed off Sakura. She seems to have now made it her personal goal in life to kill me for the humiliation I caused her in front of 'her' Sasuke. To say the least, this didn't go down well with Arisu.

I then am wrenched from my thoughts by the feeling of a now familiar chakra, Zabuza's. I jump to my feet and Daniel is already in my hood, seeming to have also been woken up by Zabuza's chakra signature as well. I then speed towards the bridge where I can feel all my comrades and Zabuza coming from. But I can also feel the presence of another, the hunter-nin from before that took Zabuza's body away when we almost killed him before. That boy must be his partner or student and the boy isn't half strong. Even from here I can feel the chakra he is emitting from a rather powerful jutsu and I just hope my friends will be ok till I get there.

I push chakra into my feet to go at a faster speed. I arrive at the mist coated bridge but this time I don't bother to clear it, I'm here to fight, not watch a battle because this time, I get to truly show my stuff! I sense Sakura, Arisu and the bridge builder the closest to me so I head to check on them first. I hear them before I see them. I can hear Sakura freaking out and Arisu getting annoyed at her so she is shouting at her to calm down and get a grip.

As I finally reach them Arisu is the first to see me and says "Hey Nick!" which causes Sakura to turn round and jump at me, slamming into my chest and sobbing what heart she has into my now very wet shoulder. I hear her mumbling stuff about the boys between sobs and this makes me worry so I look up at Arisu but she isn't too interested in answering questions at the moment. It seems Sakura has just crossed the line and Arisu grabs her sobbing form by the back of the neck and slams her into the ground just as Kakashi appears to check on the bridge builder.

"Arisu, you really didn't have to knock her out that hard." He says in a disappointed voice to which she just makes a growling noise in the back of her throat.

"She was the one freaking out about how she was going to die and then she and Sasuke would never be able to grow old together after their kids had grown up." She half mumbles while crossing her arms. That would be why she knocked her out so hard. That girl is so in love with Kitty!

I shake my head and get our minds back on track. "Kakashi, where are the guys. I thought they would be helping out protecting the bridge builder." I ask in worry. I hope those big idiots are alright.

"Sasuke was fighting the boy from before, Haku and then Naruto showed up to help him but now there both stuck in Haku's strong ice mirror jutsu." Kakashi explains and my ears perk up at the ice mirrors comment but I put that to the back of my mind for now. Saving the guys first, new jutsu ideas later.

"Thanks for the heads up Kakashi!" I say before running off into the mist where I can feel the guys are fighting with Haku in his ice mirrors. I faintly hear Arisu and Kakashi call after me but I Just keep running, I have got to help the guys out after all, nothing new there.

I reach the ice mirror that are positioned in large, individual panels in a dome shape and through the gaps I can see the forms of a very pin cushion looking Sasuke and Naruto who are trying to dodge needles launched by Haku from one of his many mirrors. I catch a glimpse of Sasuke's eyes as he dodges another barrage of needles and have to do a double take because, Sasuke's eyes have taken on a very similar form to Kakashi's one eye, that if I recall, he told us could copy his opponents moves, and it was called the sharingan. Wow, I never would have thought that this sharingan thing was so popular, and how did Sasuke come to have it? But his is different, with only one comer mark swirling round his pupil, not three.

I decide to lend a hand when Sasuke is hit while protecting Naruto and falls to the ground, lifeless. Naruto tries to wake him up, but can't. No, no he can't be dead, not kitty. Who else will tease me and scold me for doing to much training? Who else will help me to stop Arisu and Sakura killing themselves?!

"Calm down pup, the boy isn't dead, just unconscious." I hear William say in a comforting way and I let out a breath that I didn't realise I was holding.

"Thanks for setting me straight Will. Now I better go explain that to Naruto before he gets himself killed" I say and I feel William nod before fading back into the depths of my mind.

I am just about to step forward when I feel the all too familiar presents coming from my comrade. No, not him! No, all this time, and I didn't see it! The whisker marks should have been a dead give away but I didn't put two and two together! I look to see red chakra surrounding Naruto who is bent over Sasuke in a feral manor and when he raises his head I see his canine teeth have lengthened into fangs, his whisker marks are deeper and his eyes are red with a slit pupil in hatred.

He then leaps at Haku who can do nothing as he is sent smashing through his ice mirrors and onto the cold, wooden bridge but a meter from where I'm standing. Naruto then starts to pound Haku's face with his bear firsts and I can not stand by and watch no longer. I run to Naruto and yank him off the poor boy whose face was being used as a punching bag but moments before. Naruto screams murder and thrashes round wildly while I hold him down by his arms and just let him scream. After the life he's had, I think he needs it.

I calms a bit after a moment and fixes his red eyed gaze on me. "Why?" he asks in a lower, more feral voice, "Why would you stop me? He killed Sasuke for Fucks sake!" he screams and I just shake my head, he really doesn't know how to use the power he has. I will be needing a long chat with Kyuubi tonight when I see him about introducing them to each other so that Naruto can control the power he's got.

"He's not dead." I state casually and I feel Naruto freeze in shock. "That's why I stopped you. Your two kind to take someone's life as you are now. That's why." I say, drilling my eyes into his, hoping for him to believe me. He responds by calming down and his feral features are replaced with his normal ones so I let his arms go and we both stand on our feet.

Haku manages to stand on shaky feet with half his bask cracked off and blood dripping from the one corner of his moth that is showing. I turn to him with pity and ask with my eyes if he is alright to which he just stiffens, all three of us do as we hear birds chirping and in a flash Haku is gone. I share a worried look with Naruto who looks back at me then at Sasuke and we both nod as I run off into the mist after Haku and Naruto turns to our fallen friend.

I reach the scene just in time to see Haku fall to the ground with a large hole in his chest that is spurting blood like no tomorrow and a very lifeless look in his face with the glazed over eyes that those that have died get. I hear clapping and the mist clears to show a small man accompanied by an army of armed men, mostly missing nin from the look of them. This little man then insults Zabuza and claims he was going to kill him once his job was complete, all the while will a proud smirk on his face. I don't like him.

He is in a well pressed soot and stinks of money. His hair is but a gray band round the base of his head and he wears circular glasses that make his eyes look like pin heads instead of things you can see out of. No, I don't like him at all. This is his entire fault. If he hadn't hired Zabuza everyone would be safe, unhurt and Haku would still be alive right now!

"Zabuza," I say, my head down and voice stern. "Looks like you were just fired and looks like you want payment for all the trouble you went to. We are no longer enemies, so I'm going to cut a path through his minions so you can get to that little gremlin ok."

He stairs at me in disbelief and looks as if he will protest for a moment but I turn my head and lock eyes with him that shuts him up. He smirks down at me, "Well well kid. You got guts I'll give you that. Ok, I would like the help and it's nice to see hope for the next generation of missing nin. Ha-ha just kidding, maybe. Pass us a kunai and lets do this thing kid." He says grinning at me and I hand him the kunai which he takes between his teeth since his arms have been broken.

"Lets do this." I say pulling back my hand and activating my wind blade. Daniel senses that I'm about to blow and flies off towards Arisu into the mist. I then charge forward with Zabuza right on my tail. My hearts pounding, adrenalin pumping as that little gremlin orders his minions to kill us and I smile as I hit the first of his puppets that stands in my way. I don't take notice of his looks or anyone else, I just thrust my wind blade into his chest while I'm still running, causing my arm to jerks back before the blade rips out the guys chest and I have my weapon back.

I then continue with my rampage, blood coating my face and close in a crimson layer and with every life I take, my grin grows ever wider till I feel like I may break my face. I feel nothing as they fall lifeless to the ground, I know Zabuza has killed the gremlin and is fighting these guys to. There are just a few left and they all come at me, the little girl but are taken down by my wind blade. I feel the mist finally start to fade and see Zabuza through my haze of bloodlust that seems to have come over me, stumble towards Haku who is lying on the outskirts of the carnage. This brings me out of my rampage but I still feel numb and blood still rings my vision in a crimson glow. I walk over to him and bring his arm round my shoulder and half carry, half drag him to his fallen partner's side.

I lay him gently down next to Haku and Zabuza clasps his hand with the dead boys, still I feel nothing but I think the red ringing my vision is fading. The Zabuza looks at me and laughs.

"You know what kid, you really remind me of what I was like at my age. I think it was actually 20 years today that I became a genin of the village hidden in the mist and do you know how I did that? I killed every single one of the students out of the academy in a massacre that gives the bloody mist its name. You're just like me in that way, you take pleasure out of the kill but your mind knows it's wrong and so rejects it. Don't worry, it will all sink in later and then you will feel guilty about what you have done. But, this is the end for me, so I want you to have my sward." He says and I stare at him in shock.

"No! No, I couldn't possibly do that!" I say my voice sounding horse. Like I haven't drunk water in days but this only makes the man near death laugh.

"Looks like the killing haze has almost lifted. But that sward is mine to do with as I like, and I would like you to have it. But I want you to change it into a weapon you can use and feel more comfortable with. In return just promise me one thing, feed it well kid." He finishes with a laugh as horse as my voice and his eyes flutter closed, smile still on his face. Dead.

I look at the fallen swordsmen then stand and walk towards his weapon, abandoned near the edge of the bridge. I pick it up and walk back over to the others who have all grouped by the bridge builder. Sasuke has his head in Arisu's lap and she has Daniel on her shoulder. Sakura is still out cold with Naruto standing next to her with the bridge builder. Kakashi seems to have walked over to them as well and is standing next to Arisu. They all seemed shocked and horrified as I approach. I stop a meter in front of them and place Zabuza's sward into the bridge so that it stands on its blade tip imbedded in the wood. I then turn and murmur "Fir style: fire dragon jutsu" to which a large dragon sprouts off me and rushes towards the corpses. They set ablaze like candles in the night and are soon burned to a fine ash and I make my dragon disappear into thin air then turn back to my team mates.

I catch a glimpse of their horror stricken faces before I fall to my knees clasping the sword Zabuza left in my care hard enough for my hands to bleed. I can feel myself shaking and can't seem to stop. Like I couldn't seem to stop killing those people.

I think of if they might have families, kids, and friends and now those that were close to them will be sad. What have I done? This is what Zabuza was talking about, the guilt hitting me. Well it certainly hit me hard enough to bring me to my knees. I can hear Arisu calling my name along with Naruto and Kakashi asking if I'm alright. I don't understand them, after what I just did, right in front of their very eyes, how could they still care about me? I am really lucky. I could never ask for better friends then them.

A small smile breaks across my face and I feel my body give out on me and slump to the floor, curling round Zabuza's sword as I hit the cool wood of the bridge. I still cling to it even as I feel my consciousness slip away and for the first time in a while, the darkness welcomes me with arms open wide.


It's been a while since I could just float in darkness and truly rest. It feels refreshing and I am completely calm as I am now. I suppose I have been like this for three days now, just floating. I wonder if the bridge is finished yet. I haven't spoken to anyone, not even William since I went unconscious on the bridge. No going into other people's dreams, no talking to Kyuubi. No nothing. I have just been contemplating what I have done and have finally decided to stop beating myself up about it. There is no point after all; it won't bring any I've killed back to life. Well, I suppose it's about time to wake up now. I just hope my friends won't hate me for what I have become. A cold blooded killer.


My eyes open to a darkened room and I sit up to see the heavy curtains shut, but one ray of light drawing itself across the floor but inches from where my face was lying. I look round to see I'm back in my room in the bridge builders house and there to be a distinct lack of Sakura, she must have been convinced to let me sleep and not kept up by her chainsaw snoring. That means she would have had to bunk with someone else, whoever it was, I'm well grateful to them and sorry for them. I will have to thank whoever it was later.

I see that all my equipment is still were I left it and I go into my rucksack for a clean change of close which I quickly change into. I then pick my pack up and go to walk out into the bathroom to wash and brush my teeth when my face smashes into the floor. I lye in shock for a moment before getting up, prepared to smash the thing that tripped me and look down at me feet. My anger fades as I see the thing I tripped over was Zabuza's beloved sword. I smile and pick it up off the floor and place it leaning against the wall before getting back to the task I set out to do, going to the bathroom.

Once clean, refreshed and with Zabuza's sword sealed in a scroll I brought with me, I go down for something to eat. I find that my team is standing outside all packed, saying goodbye to everyone. Are they leaving me? That thought is cast aside when I hear Kakashi tell Naruto he will have to carry me and he moans about it. I laugh at his antics and walk up to them.

"No worries Naruto, I can carry myself." I say smiling and waving. I giggle at their shocked faces and expressions. "What is it you guys? You look like you've seen a ghost." I say giggling before they all catch onto the cheesy line and laugh with me.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Arisu shouts as she gets me in a head lock. "I don't want you to worry us like that ever again ok?"

"Ok Ri, I want," I say and we all laugh. "Well let's get going then. I want to get home and raid the town library on all the books about how to make and change weapons!" I say grinning as everyone nods and Arisu lets me out of the head lock. We then walk out of the land of waves over the bridge and I stop as I read the title 'The Great Uzumaki Kaze Bridge' before carrying on with a smile.

What a mission that was. I still need to talk to Kyuubi, but that can wait for tonight. I feel the pride coming off William as he reads my thoughts on the bridges name and this makes me smile. I think back to the scroll that holds Zabuza's sword in my bag and a design pops into my head and I grin. I've got a lot of work to do when we get back home.


Finally the missions over! XD

Wonder what the idea Nicola had was, hummmmmmmm

Well you just have to read more to fine out ! ^_^

Rate and Review please!! XD