Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters do not belong to me. I only use them without official permission.

Every man has justifications for his own actions. Even the most heartless killer is sure of his entitlement to do so. The same could be said of Zabuza three times over. He never felt morally conflicted, twisted, or evil, regardless of what disasters he brought about. Everyone on the face of the earth was means to an end.

Kakashi also had his path clear before him, but carried his deeds with far more weight. A sense of duty and justice motivated the gray-haired man.

The two were polar opposites, yet exactly the same. For that, each respected the other. They lived the way they thought was right, and in the end it put them at odds. Then again, threatening the Konoha shinobi's students might've added to the fuel of enmity between the two.

Standing on the surface of the marsh water with naught bought their chakra, the two deadly men kept eye contact. Every movement was calculated, precise, deadly, and exactly the same. Kakashi's sharing an was exerting itself, to be sure. Handsign after handsign was executed, and Zabuza could barely restrain his incredulous fear.

Can he see the future?! Is he reading my mind? How can he predict my movements like this? Is it the Sharingan? Some trick?!

Kakashi's eyes sparked in recognition of the rogue ninja's thoughts.

"I have seen your future." the jounin stated, face serious. The last handsign was completed on both sides of the make-shift arena of water then and there. "Your future is death, Zabuza Momochi!"

An explosive burst of chakra filled the air like wind. Sasuke instinctively took a step back, instincts running wild.

"WATER DRAGON JUTSU!" the elite ninja roared in unison, the formidable beasts of energy and water ripping out of their environment, leaving much damage in their wake. The two dragons immediately spiraled into one another, each trying to assault their true target. At first the battle seemed pointless; a draw. How could the same technique produced by two (presumably)equally-powerful ninja triumph on one side and not the other?

Water lashed at water, and Sakura was sure she could hear the deadly attackers snarling. The technique-generated beasts shoved and clawed viciously. Ultimately, Kakashi's dragon took the victory, forcing Zabuza's into submission and putting all the energy it had been thriving on into a blast that bore a resemblance to a tidal wave. Having just expended as much energy as he had, the rogue Momochi was powerless against it.

The torrent slammed into his body, forcing him back and tossing the highly-trained criminal like a doll in it's grasp. Pressure pushed against very portion of the outlaw's body, and it felt as if it would snap. Somewhere in the back of his head, Zabuza was wondering when things had gotten out of control. Losing was not the outcome he had envisioned. Still, a good ninja always had a back-up plan.

Where is that Haku, anyway?

'That' Haku was in fact less than a kilometer away, breathing heavily and moving as fast as possible without disturbing the local wildlife. No family of birds or rodents had to suffer for the misfortunes of one shirtless male and his masked assistant. Well, not on Haku's end, at least. Truth be told, the water dragons created by Kakashi and Zubaza had made it a dangerous day to be a wren indigenous to the Land of Waves. Over seventy eggs were destroyed in the crossfire.

The thunderous sound of rushing water hit Haku's ears and he hastened, dreading to think himself too late. Zabuza was his life, his fuel, his one and only goal. It was a subservient existence, but one that had never failed to satisfy the boy. Zabuza's smile, however rare, was the only reward he needed to risk life and limb.

Naruto Uzumaki wanted very much to know exactly he had gone from heroically falling to the earth to sitting in front of a set of wretched bars in naught but his birthday suit. The whole affair smelled like yet another strange dream, and sweat coated his feverish face. It was warm and cold at the same time, and without any covering, he felt vulnerable. The glowing eyeballs leering at him from their prison weren't helping a bit, either.

Try as he might, Naruto couldn't seem to peel his eyes away from those of the demon. Something deep inside him, repressed and voiceless, warned him not to. It was as if that gaze alone tethered the boy to his own essence. If he were to look away, he would die. This feeling in itself was somewhat exciting to Naruto since it led to the conclusion that he was still alive on the physical plane. His deeds were still remembered, his friends still fighting. On the other hand, Naruto Uzumaki was truly and deeply disturbed by the closeness of his demonic tenant.

The terror flowed and ebbed like tides through what seemed like hours. The blonde didn't dare speak, but doubted he could even if he wanted to. The feverish sensation left him feeling drained and tormented. The seal on his belly regulated it all, causing him to feel numb around the solar plexus.

In the silent room of his psyche, the Kyuubi sustained the young soul as it always did, though the boy did not remember. The human mind was a strange mechanism, but was delightfully adaptable.

In the realm of the living, Kakashi took a deep breath, exhausted. His opponent was down. Sensing that, the jounin looked to his students. Sasuke and Sakura were fine; bruised and slightly battered, perhaps, but still very much alive. Naruto, however… Kakashi dreaded looking at the boy.

There was something innate about human nature that screamed out in sorrow at the loss of a child. It was unnatural and unsettling unless one was accustomed to it entirely. Kakashi Hatake was not accustomed to it; neither was he comforted by the fact that the kid had sustained the potentially fatal wounds while defending HIM. If there was on thing he wanted to avoid, it was seeing the worst. Thankfully, the adult had an excuse to delegate the task to someone else. Zubaza would have no problem surviving that wave, even if he was injured. Tazuna had to be protected. With that in mind, Kakashi started toward the subdued criminal.

"Sakura, Naruto.." the teacher motioned on his way, not even having to finish the request before the kunoichi sprinted in the direction her fallen teammate. Sasuke looked after her from his position in front of a downcast Tazuna, breath halted with dread. The wound Naruto had sustained was probably mortal. It had been deep; the Uchiha had seen it briefly, but had still hoped for the best.

Team 7's world stopped for the young female's conclusion. It didn't come for a minute or so; Sakura had a hard time gathering the courage to touch Naruto's still form, let alone check it for vital signs. It seemed so wrong to her that Naruto, the most obnoxious person she knew, was so pallid and unmoving. Sakura was frightened by the very concept. Shaking, she pushed two fingers into his pale neck, feeling for pressure. His skin was cold and clammy; she hated the feeling. Her face stiffened, and Sasuke along with it. After a little while, she opened her mouth to speak, letting several choked gasps escape her.

Kakashi stopped in his tracks upon hearing that sound. His throat clenched, ready for the verdict he was sure of. Yet again, he had lost someone important. Once more, the great Kakashi had failed where it truly mattered. No amount of victory could compensate for that kind of loss. Naruto was...

Sasuke didn't want to hear what the sobbing girl was about to say. He wasn't ready to hear that Naruto was...

"Alive," Sakura smiled through her tears. "He's still alive."

Author's note: About the short chapters… I would make them longer, but I like positive reinforcement.