Demons and Scorn

by Shadow Quil

Sakura had many secrets. The Naruto story retold from the beginning, with major and minor changes. Minor Inobashing. Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

10. A Bridge to Last! Cha!

Chapter Ten

White Past: Hidden Ambition

Naruto roared as his demonic features became more prominent and his bloodlust rose. Sasuke's limp form behind him remained still, other than a small rustle in his shirt from the overwhelming chakra. Haku watched Naruto though calculating eyes, not letting his concern of this new form take-over his thoughts and logical actions.

'The bloodlust in his eyes…' Haku thought, shielding his masked face from the gathering dust subconsciously. '…this is no longer a child.' He continued, sensing the demonic aura. Naruto growled again leapt towards the mirror Haku was in.

Reacting upon pure instinct, Haku sent three senbon in Naruto's direction, but they were easily thwarted by the orange chakra that had once subsided, but now came back to protect the one who summoned it. Using speed no one knew he possessed, Naruto continued with his charge, but Haku moved to a different mirror.

Looking around like a confused animal trapped in a cage with no way out in sight, Naruto tried to find Haku once again. All around him was some sort of pulsing wind current with the same pull and feel as the orange chakra, only it wasn't visible to the human eye. He growled and looked around him.

'His chakra grows stronger every second.' Haku noticed with alarm. His reflection appeared in every mirror, all holding senbon. 'I must strike now.' He concluded, throwing all of the senbon.

They moved for Naruto's position, and the blonde turned to see the ones from behind him. Each needle hit its intended target. However, all Naruto did was roar and stand straight for the senbon to fly out from his flesh and a wave of orange chakra healed the wounds. The orange chakra subsided again and Naruto grunted loudly.

Not wasting any time, Naruto leapt up and punched one of the ice mirrors, causing it to shatter. Haku's reflection jumped out, from one of the many shards, with a kunai, heading for Naruto. He held the weapon tightly, confident that he would hit his target. Unfortunately for him, Naruto spun away too fast, landing on his feet and knuckles. He looked at the brunette and glared.

"Impossible." Haku muttered with something akin to fear in his voice. He moved back to go inside another mirror, but was caught from the left by a tan hand, connected to an orange-covered sleeve. "Those eyes…!" He whispered as he turned to face the one who caught him. Naruto's orange chakra expanded and sent waves of powerful winds with it.

[--

"Could it be?" Kakashi asked himself quietly. "Has the seal truly been broken? No. It's been loosened, and a shiver of the Kyuubi's chakra has slipped though. But the seal still holds." He assured himself. Kakashi opened one of his vest's pockets and pulled out a scroll, unwinding it and cutting his thumb. He then smeared a line of his blood though the middle of the scroll. "Zabuza, I don't mean to put an end to your fun, but how about we end this now? Come on, we're both busy people." He asked, swinging his scroll around. Kakashi caught the scroll, which wrapped up in the air, and held it in his thumbs as he preformed the tiger seal.

"Tempting." Zabuza said from the mist. "But show me how you intend to back up those words, Kakashi!"

[--

Haku held his free hand in a tiger seal, trying to hold his ice mirror jutsu together as the chakra cracked them. The energy surrounding him and Naruto became so thick, it was almost suffocating him. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't seen affected by Haku's attempts on his life earlier or the obvious attempt to keep together his jutsu.

'I can't…this energy…is too strong!' Haku managed though his muddled thoughts. Naruto's chakra covered fist clenched and his slowly drew it back before releasing it in one powerful blow to Haku's face. The latter was thrown back be the force, right though one of his mirrors. He landed on the ground outside the dome and rolled to a stop.

Now with no concentration or chakra to hold them together, the ice mirrors cracked, glowed once more and finally gave out, shattering into thousands of glass-like shards. The shards fell around Naruto's hunched form as Haku's mask cracked more than before. Haku rose slowly to his feet as his kekkei genkai was broken for the first time.

Still growling, Naruto strung forwards, in Haku's direction, to for fill his promise of an early demise. The brunette just stood there as his mask cracked, fully prepared to meet his impending doom. He closed his eyes as the world seemed to move slower than ever before, stretching out the few seconds between his failure and his death.

'Zabuza, I am no match for this boy.' He thought with regret. Half of his face was revealed as part of the mask fell away. Naruto leapt into the air, poised for his killing strike. 'Master…' Haku mourned as the rest of the mask fell away, revealing a trail of blood coming from the corner of his mouth and the rest of his face. 'I have failed.'

Naruto drew closer, pulling back his fist.

Birds in the distant forest fled.

The second half of the mask hit the ground.

A slip of pink moved in front of Haku.

The fist stopped.

[--

"Juhi-teme! I'll kill you!"

"Tsuki, stop!"

[--

Naruto stood, panting as his fist halted inches away from a fair, feminine face, framed by pink hair. He drew in deep breaths, never holding them for long as he craved more oxygen. Sakura remained calm as she looked at the demonically changed boy she had grown to know as he friend, although he mind was screaming at her to run. Haku froze behind the girl, seeing her hair fly up as her own, green chakra surrounded her. He couldn't see her expression, but he knew it was calm and colleted. She had saved him.

[--

Tsuki froze and pulled his fist away from the pinkette who moved in front of him. His eyes widened as he held his clenched hand close to his chest, knowing that he could have hit her instead. Sakura glared at him. Juhi froze behind the girl, seeing her hip-length hair spread around her face as green chakra surrounded her. She had saved him.

[--

"S-Sakura-chan…" Naruto muttered as his face and body drew back from the evil mask and adopted his normal look. "Wh…Why?" He croaked.

"Please, Tsuki…Juhi-nii-san didn't mean to." Sakura muttered.

[--

"Sakura-chan…why did you stop me?" Tsuki asked her in confusion.

"Juhi-nii-san didn't mean to do it!" Sakura cried in defence.

"N…Nii-san?" Tsuki repeated.

"Yeah! He's my aniki!" The girl replied with her head tilted to the side to show her confusion. "Didn't you know that?"

"I…I thought he was…your boyfriend." Tsuki confessed.

"I thought that you were her boyfriend!" Juhi yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at Tsuki.

[--

"I…I'm not Tsuki. I'm Naruto! And he's not Juhi, either!" Naruto told her loudly.

"What's wrong with Taiyoo?" She murmured, looking over at Sasuke's limp form.

[--

"I don't have a boyfriend! I…why isn't Taiyoo moving?" Sakura asked, her eyes widening.

"I…he…he tried to stop me and I…hit him." Juhi confessed. "It was self defence! He'll be fine soon!" He added, seeing Sakura's lip quiver as if she were about to cry.

[--

"Tell me that he'll be okay, Juhi-nii-san." Sakura asked pleadingly. Her lip seemed to quiver for a moment before she fell back into Haku. The boy caught her on instinct.

[--

"Well, well, well. Looks like my pathetic 'weapon' is going to cry." Sakura's father jeered as he entered the room. He kicked Taiyoo's body to one of the men behind him and shoved Juhi into the hands of the other. Tsuki, however, was picked up by the throat by the man and punched in the stomach.

"Otou-san! You're hurting him!" Sakura yelled.

"You're a weapon! I should have never allowed you to get too close to these weak twins, or that no good brother of yours! A medic-nin, for Kami-sama's sake, Juhi! She wants to be a medic-nin now because of you!" He scolded his son, hitting Juhi on the temple with the hilt of a kunai. Juhi didn't react, but watched Sakura.

Her father spat at Juhi and continued to beat Tsuki until the boy had blood all over him. The red entered his eyes and Sakura knew, from the few medical classes she had attended, that he would become blind in that eye if she didn't help him. All she could do, however, was watch in fear of her father's wrath.

[--

"Don't touch her!" Naruto commanded. Haku paid no attention to him as he looked at Sakura's face with a small, serene smile splayed across his face. He brushed her bangs out of her face gently.

"I found you." Haku whispered to the unconscious girl. "At last, the only person other than Zabuza who didn't care about my powers. Now I know your name too…Sakura-chan."

"So, that guy in the woods…that was you?" He asked, a slip of anger sinking into his tone as he remembered the person collecting herbs. Haku neither answered nor looked up at Naruto as he continued to run his free hand though Sakura's hair. Eventually, he held Sakura in one arm and looked up at Naruto.

"Why do you not strike?" Haku asked, breaking him from his thought of the girl resting in the crook of his arm. "Did you not just vow to avenge your comrade's death by killing me? Or was that vow just empty words?"

Naruto looked back towards Sasuke, and then at Sakura. She too looked as pale as death, but her breathing was steady. Not a single slip of air passed Sasuke's lip, though. Whether in or out, never did Naruto expect to see a breath from the last Konoha-loyal Uchiha. He growled and let go of his fist, causing Haku to stumble back and fall to the ground from the punch his face received, but he did not let go of Sakura. He did, however, make sure that she received no damage from the hit or the landing.

Haku pulled himself onto his hands and knees, moving so that Sakura was resting next to his left hand, his head away from her, and he coughed a small trail of blood from his mouth. Naruto panted slightly, believing that to be enough. As he was, not controlled by the red chakra or the beast inside of him, he was too good-hearted to kill Haku. Even maiming him for life would be too much for Naruto to accomplish. Sakura, however, didn't stir from the movement.

"That won't be enough." Haku said almost mockingly as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "You're holding back. If that's all the strength you can put into it, then you shall never for fill your vow. Perhaps he didn't mean as much to you as you pretend." He jeered with a serious tone. As Naruto growled, Sakura shifted slightly in her 'sleep'.

[--

"You're not going to use healing to save him? I thought that that pathetic brother of yours taught you to heal! Well?!" A tall man with white hair demanded of the shorter girl, who was kneeling by a boy about her age.

"You hurt him! You hurt Tsuki!" The girl accused. Tsuki's breathing became more laboured as he coughed blood.

"Can't you save him?" The man mocked.

"Otou-san! Stop! I…I'll kill you!" She screamed, getting up from the ground and letting a green chakra surround her. The man, her father, just laughed.

"Please! I made you what you are today!" He taunted. Clapping his hands twice, the two men with red hair holding the exact copy of the dying boy and a preteen who looked like a younger version of the laughing man held the two tighter.

"Taiyoo! Juhi-nii-san! Don't hurt them too!" The girl cried. Her father chuckled, picked up a kunai and drove it though the stomach of the dying boy's twin. His daughter froze in her place as he moved and planted the kunai though the older boy's arm.

"Want to save them, Sakura? Hmm?" He jeered.

"I…I…" She stuttered. "I'LL KILL YOU!" The girl charged, but her anger clouded her skills. Her father easily pushed her back.

"You're not fighting well enough. Perhaps they don't mean as much to you as you pretend they do."

[--

She stilled again as Naruto remembered two things people said to him. As it turned out, they were the same person.

[--

"Is there…someone who's precious to you?" Haku questioned.

[--

"I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him, and I face death for him, so that his dream may become reality." The masked boy claimed.

[--

"To show mercy to those who oppose who you serve…" Haku began, standing up from the ground and holding Sakura with his arms around her knees and shoulders. "To allow his enemies to live, when you could strike them down. This is not compassion. It is a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist, then? You are then of use to no one. Your life has no meaning. It is mere existence. Day after day of painful struggle, all for nothing."

"Yeah? Well…speak for yourself!" Naruto yelled, slightly unsure of his own retort.

"Are you really that blind, little one? I am speaking of myself. This day has shown that I am no longer of any use to Zabuza." Haku smiled, looking down at Sakura and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Zabuza." Naruto echoed. "Why that guy, anyway?!" He asked. "To devote your life to a skunk who doesn't know the meaning of honour. If he's the only thing that matters to you…man, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

"There were once others who mattered to me. Long ago. My father…and my mother. I was born in the land of water, in a small village where the snow lay deep in the winter. My parents were farmers and we were very poor. It was hard, but we were content. We had dreams. We were happy once. But then, because of something that happened long before I was even born, everything changed.." He said, his tone darkening.

"Wh-what do you mean? What was it? What happened?" Naruto prompted curiously.

"It wasn't my doing. It is in the blood." Haku riddled.

"Blood?" Naruto copied. "So what was it? You said that something happened that changed everything!"

"It was…my father who changed. He killed my mother and almost killed me." The boy informed him solemnly. Naruto gasped. "After years of suffering the horrors of civil war, the people of my land had come to hate and fear anyone who carried the kekkei genkai in their blood."

"Kekkei genkai?" The blonde repeated.

"The advanced bloodline trait of a clan. Because of their abilities, the clans were used as mercenaries. They fought in many battles and were much feared. But when the wars were over, they were despised and shunned by the people, who feared their powers would only bring more war…and misfortune. So they went into hiding, and denied the bloodline trait that flowed in their veins, concealing their unique abilities and knowing that to reveal them meant death. If you searched Haruno or Uchiha's memorises, you would find it there. The cruelty of people. Their fear of things they don't understand."

"Sasuke…Sakura-chan." Naruto muttered, looking towards the Uchiha clan child in the area the ice dome once was and then to the Haruno in his enemy's arms. His eyes were wide and full of questions, but Sakura was not awake and Sasuke was in no condition to answer them.

"My mother had done well in concealing her abilities, and even fell in love with a simple farmer. They were married and after that my mother believed that she would lead a peaceful, ordinary life to the very end of her days."

[--

"Haha! Ha! Okaa-chan! Look what I can do!" A young Haku said gleefully as he manipulated the water of melted snow. His mother dropped the cloth she was carrying in shock. "Look what I made!" He exclaimed, standing so she could see it better. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"NO!" His mother shrieked. She grabbed his arm, causing the water to fall to the ground. "You must never do that! Do you hear me?! NEVER!" Haku was dragged to the house, where his mother shook him. "You wicked, wicked child!"

"Okaa-chan! What is it?" Haku asked, wondering what it was that he did wrong. "Stop! Okaa-chan-!" He was cut off when his mother slapped him around the face, hard. She then realised what she did and began to cry.

"Oh! I'm sorry." She sobbed. "Sorry, my darling. I'm sorry." She repeated over and over. Neither noticed the man standing not too far away with a glare directed at both of them.

[--

"My father had seen." Haku said. "Now he knew our secret, my mother's and mine."

[--

A plate smashed as the sounds of a painful struggle were heard throughout the small hut Haku and his parents resided in. Haku backed away from his father, who was next to the blooded body of his beloved mother. He crawled further away, as his father drew nearer with a plank of blood-stained wood. Three other men stood behind him as he raised the wood to hit Haku.

A rabbit hopped away as Haku stumbled mutely out of his home, his clothing torn and his hair a mess. He fell to the ground and flinched and sobbed as the cold snow bit as his skin when it fell from above. His eyes were wide, not wanting to look behind him, for back were he came was the worst sight he had ever seen.

The quaint hut his parents and he once lived was stuck though with huge, sharp icicles, all of them having ripped though at least one of the men in the hut on their way through.

[--

"When at last I was myself again, I was no longer myself. My father and mother were gone, but knew that something else had been taken from me in the process. Something even more important, and that is when I truly despaired." Haku stated morbidly.

"More important that your mother and father?" Naruto asked non-believingly. "What?"

"My purpose." Haku informed. "In all the world, there was no longer a person who needed me. I was…unnecessary." He claimed. Naruto's eyes widened.

'Just like me.' He recognised.

"Why is it you're so determined to be Hokage? Because you want all eyes in your village to look at you and recognise you as a great ninja. You see, it is only though the eyes of others that our little lives have any significance. When there is no one who sees you, or will even look at you, it is as if you don't exist." He mused.

'No one looked at me…not until…Sakura-chan…' Naruto attempted to sort though his own musings as he listened to Haku's heart-tugging speech.

"Then Zabuza came and he looked at me, and his eyes were not full of hate or fear. He did not shun me for my strangeness. Indeed, my special powers were just what he wanted. He made me necessary again."

[--

"Huh. Little kid like you. with no one to look after you, you'll die a beggar's death out here." Zabuza taunted.

"Hey, know what? Your eyes remind me of mine." Haku smiled.

"Well, little one. Will you stay here and die, or come with me and be of some use? Will you serve me and submit to my will of all things?" The older man asked. After a moment of silence Haku nodded. "Your strengths and abilities belong to me, from this day forward."

Haku looked at the man and, without taking his eyes away, got up from the ground and walked in his direction. Zabuza greatly over-shadowed him, but they seemed to be destined to work together.

"Let us go then." He said, placing a hand atop of Haku's head. Zabuza removed his hand and placed it on Haku's shoulder, steering him from the bridge.

[--

Naruto looked at Haku as the older boy seemed to be caught in a memory or daydream. The blonde also noticed that he kept stealing glances down towards Sakura every few moments and it was starting to annoy him that Sakura wasn't awake to tell him to stop or to hit him. Then again, after seeing her condition before she fell, he knew she would either be in pain or still believe Haku to be her 'aniki'.

"I have failed you, Zabuza." Haku muttered, looking up from the pink-haired girl. "I am like a weapon that has been broken and is of no further use." He looked up and walked towards Naruto, who backed away slightly out of caution. Haku stopped, looked at Sakura and took a deep breath.

"What are you-?" Naruto began, but he was cut off.

"Naruto…kill me."

[--

Kakashi, still holding his scroll, began to perform more hand seals, never letting the scroll fall. He pressed the scroll to the ground, creating a small dent, and called out the name of his jutsu. The kanji on the scroll flowed out of each end and into the ground, since the jutsu was a ground style, and Kakashi called 'summoning'.

"It's time to end this." Kakashi called out to his unseen opponent. Zabuza chuckled from somewhere in the mist, deciding Kakashi's jutsu to be futile.

"I don't know why you bother." Zabuza taunted. "What use is your jutsu if you can't even find me? But I can find you." He held his right hand in the symbol for tiger. "Blindly falling into my trap. You really do disappoint me, Kakashi. However, I think you're right. It is time to end this."

As Zabuza was about to perform his jutsu, his eyes widened and he lifted his foot in just enough time to avoid being bitten by a Hatei-ate wearing dog that came up from the ground. It growled when it missed, but Zabuza wasn't quick enough to dodge the bite to his other leg. A group of more dogs sprung up from the ground and attacked him from all sides.

[--

"That dreadful noise…what could it be?" Tazuna whispered to himself as he tried to make it though the mist to find one of the ninja assigned to protect him. "Sakura…what's the matter with you?! I can't protect myself out here!"

[--

Kakashi lifted his right hand from the scroll, then the left and stood up, leaving the scroll on the ground. He straightened his posture as much as he could without ruining his usual 'lazy' façade, and faced the direction Zabuza's yell came from. Inwardly smirking, Kakashi gloated.

"I realised that if I couldn't see you, then I'd have to smell you out." He told the rogue-nin. "That was a summoning jutsu. I was calling forth my ninken, and they can track a scent anywhere."

Zabuza stood, being covered by dogs. A large one on his back, biting his shoulder, was probably bigger than him. Other, smaller dogs, took his arms, legs, upper body and second shoulder. No two dogs were the same size and all had a Hatei-ate for the village hidden in the leaves—aka, Konoha—attached to them somewhere.

"When you attacked me, I let you get passed my guard. I wanted you to cut me. You see, it was the smell of my blood on your blade that lead them to you. Surprised? Looks like I wasn't the only one who was too blind to notice the obvious. Ha, falling into my trap…you disappoint me, Zabuza." He jeered.

"Grrrr, I'll still have you're head, Kakashi." Zabuza promised. Kakashi ignored him and looked around.

"Ah! It looks like the mist is finally clearing. And do you want to know what I see? Your death." Kakashi assured him.

"Talk, talk. Do you want to talk me to death?" His opponent grunted, being a sore loser. Well, you'd be sore too if you had dogs knowing on your body and a future of darkness in the lowest rings of hell to look forward to.

"In a way…yes." Kakashi replied with a mocking smile. "Right now my hounds are just playing with you. Just one word from me and they'll tear you apart. Poor Zabuza. See where your ambitions got you?"

"In a fight with a filthy mutt summoner?" Zabuza asked humourlessly.

"Not quite. You were always pushing things too far. You're failed assassination attempt on the Mizukage forced you to flee with the few followers you had left. Now, you're crazy enough to try it again. To try it, you needed money. To get that money, you stooped so low as to become a hired thug of a swine like Gato."

"Hn." He replied, acting nonchalantly.

"Fine. Enough talk. Time to finish what I started, but it wont be with Sharingan, or imitations of other ninja's tricks. No. it's time you saw my own jutsu!" Kakashi declared, performing the sign for monkey. After two more signs, his palm was facing up and blue lightening began to form in his hand. "Chidori!" He called.

"Chakra so strong that it's visible!" Zabuza gasped in shock. 'He holds it in his hand.'

"I won't allow you to kill Tazuna." Kakashi stated. "He's a brave man with a noble dream. The bridge he's building hold all the hope for this land and it's people. You're like a disease. By attacking one, you affect all. You don't care. That is not the way of a shinobi."

"You're right." Zabuza admitted. "I don't care! These useless little people and their pathetic dreams…why should they matter to me? I have a dream of my own."

"But to have a dream, you need to have a future. You don't." Kakashi said as his gathering of chakra grew. "Your future's all used up, Zabuza."

[--

"Go on." Haku prompted. "Strike. Kill me." He ordered. Naruto stood there, looking from Haku to Sakura, not moving. "Why do you hesitate?"

"Argh!" Naruto growled, backing up from Haku and Sakura. "That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! I mean, he treats you like a slave and nothing more. You're a human being, not a weapon or a tool. How can you care about someone like that?" He demeaned to know.

"For that very reason." Haku replied.

"Huh?" The blonde slipped, confusion showing on his previously angry face.

"Does that…seem so strange to you?" He asked.

"Well, yeah. A little." Naruto answered honestly.

"When he found me, I was without a purpose or reason fro living. Zabuza gave me both." Haku told him.

"Well, what about Sakura-chan? You said you know her!" Naruto stated in almost anger at seeing how Haku reacted to seeing his female team mate.

"I do." Haku said simply.

[--

Haku, looking like he was about ten, ran along a dirt road with a white rabbit in his arms. No longer wearing rags, Haku was dressed in green shorts that went to his knees, a blue t-shirt and black sandals. He was laughing and smiling as he tried to fond Zabuza and show him his new friend. The rabbit jumped out of his arms, though, and into a bush. Haku tried to run after it, but it was lost in the green.

Zabuza came out from the other side of the road in the direction the rabbit had jumped, for a moment he just looked at Haku with the same cold stare he always did, but then he lifted his hand. There was the rabbit, held by it's ears. Haku laughed again and hugged the bunny. He looked up at Zabuza with wide, innocent eyes and the rogue-nin patted the boy's head.

"Go ahead. I need to find wood fro the fire tonight." Zabuza told him.

"Yes, sir." Haku agreed with a mock salute, but in doing so I lost hold of the bunny. Zabuza caught it quickly and handed back to Haku.

"If you lose it again, I'm not catching it." He warned before walking into the forest. Haku smiled at his rabbit and ran further along the road.

After running for a few minuets, he heard growling and the sounds of someone in the woods. It was a muffled scream of frustration that caught his interest, but he dared not to go in the direction of the noises. His bunny, on the other hand, proved fearless by jumping out of Haku's arms and leaping in the direction of the noise.

Running after his bunny, fearful that the person might kill it and eat it for a snack. He stopped when he saw who was making the noise. It was a little girl, probably around eight-years-old or so. She had a traditional Haruno fighting style kimono.

It was red and stopped just above the knees with slits up to her hips. The lining of the kimono was white and the under shorts, which went to the middle of her thighs, was both black. The sleeves of the kimono stopped at her wrists but fanned out in a small bell shape. The white obi had a black and red serpent on it while her kunai holster remained strapped her to my right leg and her shuriken pouch still sat on her left hip. She also wore a pair of black, fingerless gloves that stop at the wrist and black shinobi boots. On the back of her kimono, in the middle of her shoulder blades, was a white circle.

The girl was a Haruno, if what Zabuza told him about the Haruno clan was accurate. She also liked Haku's bunny, since she had stopped her anger and was now petting the fluffy creature. Haku, who had never seen a girl who wasn't from his village, could only gape at the beauty. Her hair, which reached to her hips and was pulled across her shoulder in a braid, had small snowflakes decorating it.

"I know you're there." She called, not looking away from the bunny on her lap. Haku bit his lip and stepped out of the bush, blushing when she looked up at him. Her eyes were the brightest shade of emerald he had ever seen.

"Hi." Haku said quietly, as if she would break if he spoke too loudly.

"Konnichiwa." The girl replied.

"What are you doing out here alone?" He asked. She sighed and stroked a pale hand across the white fur of the rabbit.

"Nothing. Sitting." She told him simply. Haku smiled at her vague was of answering his question. "Yourself?"

"I'm…walking." He retorted, using the same mysteriousness as she did.

"Your master told you and your bunny to go ahead while he collected firewood, right?" She asked innocently. Haku was stunned.

"Y-Yeah…how d-did you know?" Haku questioned.

"I heard him." She smiled.

"Are you alone?" The brunette wondered, going off topic.

"No." The girl told him curtly.

"Who's here with you?" Haku enquired.

"You are. And this bunny." She giggled.

"So no one other than me and the bunny are here with you, then." Haku clarified. The girl just nodded. "Why?"

"I am a broken tool, a blunted weapon, of no use to anyone. My father told me that a week ago." She whispered, but Haku heard.

"Your father said that?" He gushed in concern. She nodded again.

"He only liked me because I have power. He hates my brother, since onii-san likes to heal. Otou-san also tried to kill onii-san and my team mates because I almost cried. He believes that when a weapon cries, they are no longer weapons. A simple daughter is useless to him." She sighed.

"I'm Haku." He told her, trying to get her to cheer up. She smiled, causing his breath to hitch.

"I'm Haruno-" She was cut off when she narrowed her eyes and leapt form the log she was seated on, carrying the bunny with her. A kunai was dug into the wood she had just been seated on.

Three men, all with red or white hair, surrounded his new 'friend' and she dropped the bunny. It ran back over to Haku and all the brunette saw was his friend get a cut across her cheek and a kunai in her arm before his vision turned black.

He woke later, only to find Zabuza and his bunny. Zabuza told him that he had found Haku amongst three dead bodies, all men, and assumed he had killed them. Haku didn't argue with that, but deep down he knew it was the girl.

He would find her again.

[--

"I know her from about four years ago, although it was brief. But now, my usefulness is over. The only thing that gave my life meaning is gone. I am a broken tool, a blunted weapon, of no use to anyone." He looked up at Naruto. Go on, Naruto. Do it. For both of our sakes. Do it. Quickly."

The Weapons Known As Shinobi

Inari ran, his breaths coming in short pants. He didn't stop, even when his lungs burned for an oxygen break. He knew that to stop would be to lose valuable time; time which no one had to spare. His little legs pushed. Left, right, left, right. That was his mantra.

"Sakura-nee-sama…and the others are…are out there…risking their lives while the…while the rest of us do…n…nothing." He panted. Taking one deep breath, but not halting, he sped up. "We've…we've g…gotta fight too!"

He ran and ran until he reached a small house, similar to his own but with less rooms and a different view. Once there, Inari ran up the steps, stumbling a little on the third one and having to climb it again. He gained his lost balance and stepped up to the front door, before proceeding to pound it with his fist.

"Gichi-ojii-san! Gichi-ojii-san!" Inari called through the door. "You have to hurry! Come to the bridge with me! We don't have time. He don't have to hide any longer. If we all fight together, we can finally take Gato down. I know we can!" He proclaimed.

Inari, not getting a respond, reached out for the silver handle. Closer he came to it until it was within grasping distance. However, before he could take the cold metal handle into his grasp, the door locked. He gasped and pulled back his hand, waiting for an explanation of some kind to come thought the door from his 'uncle'.

"No, Inari. I've given up fighting. Fighting is for heroes. The ones like your father. You see what good it did him? Isn't one dead hero enough? What will fighting bring us, except more fallen heroes and more regrets?" Gichi asked through the door, not wanting to open it. Inari clenched his teeth and his hands.

"But…Gichi-ojii-san-!"

"Inari, I'm sorry. My heart is already full of enough regrets…to last me a lifetime. I'm truly sorry." He apologised.

"Well, I don't want to live a life of regrets either! And…and that's why we all gotta fight! I know you care about everyone in the village, Gichi-ojii-san, and so do I! You and okaa-san and obaa-san and everyone! That's why we have to fight!" The door stayed locked. "All my life, I've been a coward. But now I know that crying and running away from things we're afraid of, doesn't make them go away!"

He gave up on Gichi when no answer came. Instead, Inari turned and ran down the stairs, skipping over the third one. Running onwards to find someone, anyone, who would help him, Inari left the house behind, thinking nothing on his grandfather's fear-filled friend.

Inside the house, Gichi stood with his back to the door. He shook with guilt, but was too scared to leave. The door remained locked as he listened to the sounds of Inari's feet jumping the third step of his house and running away.

"Hurry! Come to the bridge!" He heard Inari's voice echo though the streets, filling him to the top with more guilt than he could handle.

"Our little Inari has become a man." An old woman, presumably his wife, stated as she knitted. "And you, dear? Are you sure that you want to send him off, all on his own?" She asked. Gichi said nothing, but thought over what she had said, coupled with Inari's previous proclamation.

[--

"Is anyone there?" Inari called as he knocked on another door. No answer came so he moved on to the next house. "Hello? Come to the bridge with me and fight!" He said as he knocked harder. "What'll I do now?" He panted as he turned from the door. "No one will even open their doors to listen to me!

[--

"Calling you a coward was pretty mean, I guess. Anyway, it's not true, you know." Naruto ruffled Inari's hair. "You are really brave."

[--

'Well then…if no one else will help.' Inari thought. He plastered a frown to his face as he turned and ran for the bridge. Will his legs to move at the fastest speed they could, he was silently wishing he could move as fast as his 'nee-sama' or at least be able to put chakra into his legs.

[--

Zabuza was still trapped by Kakashi's dogs, while the latter ninja stood calmly in front of him. So calmly, in fact, that no one would have guessed he was preparing a killing attack just by looking at his face.

"I won't allow you to kill Tazuna." Kakashi stated. "He's a brave man with a noble dream. The bridge he's building hold all the hope for this land and it's people. You're like a disease. By attacking one, you affect all. You don't care. That is not the way of a shinobi."

"You're right." Zabuza admitted. "I don't care! These useless little people and their pathetic dreams…why should they matter to me? I have a dream of my own."

"But to have a dream, you need to have a future. You don't." Kakashi said as his gathering of chakra grew. "Your future's all used up, Zabuza."

"Bring it." Zabuza dared.

[--

"Go on, finish it. Kill me." Haku ordered of the blonde ninja, who backed away from the boy, who was still holding Sakura. "Why? Why do you still hesitate? I thought you wanted to be a mighty warrior." He said softly as Naruto growled.

"That's not what it's all about! Do you really believe that's all there is to it; just fighting and killing till there's only one man left standing?" Naruto asked of the calm brunette. "There's a lot more to being a shinobi than that. And there are other ways to show your strength than by beating someone in battle."

"I've had a feeling all along. From the first moment we met, or at least when we met in the woods. We are a lot alike." Haku stated. Naruto's eyes widened at the implication. "I'm sure you know what I mean. I am only sorry that it is your hand that must be tainted with my unworthy blood."

"You sure about this?" Naruto asked, eying Sakura and waiting for Haku to put her down. "And…you're positive that it's the only way?"

"Yes." Haku confirmed with a nod. Naruto clenched his hands, teeth and eyes before calming enough to speak.

"The weird thing is, that I think if we met in a different time and place, maybe we could have been friends." He stated morbidly. Naruto's eyes shot open, determined and with the full intention of killing Haku. So deep was his determination, that he forgot Haku was holding Sakura the way a husband would hold his wife after their wedding. He took a kunai and began running forwards. Everything moved slow for Haku again, as it would have for anyone about to experience death.

"Yes." Haku whispered. "That's right. Hold fast to your dreams."

"This is for Sasuke!" Naruto stated. "Because he also had a dream!" He called out and moved quickly, poising the kunai to strike Haku's heart as Haku stood there, smiling slightly as he looked down at Sakura.

'Thank you, Naruto. Strike true and protect Sakura.' Haku thought as he closed his eyes and waited for his end.

[--

"At last. I think this blasted fog is lifting." Tazuna muttered as he carried on walking to where he heard Naruto a few moments before. He looked to his right and saw two figures. Both were too tall to be Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura or that kid with the mask—and he so kindly dubbed Haku—, so he assumed them to be Kakashi and Zabuza.

Kakashi ran forwards with his hand filled with blue chakra that strangely resembled lightening. He moved fast and Zabuza waited for his end to finally arrive.

[--

Naruto cry continued as Haku felt a pulse in the air and snapped open his eyes in shock. As Naruto moved the kunai forwards, Haku adjusted Sakura so that he could push the blonde's arm to the side and dodge the weapon without dropping her. Naruto gasped as Haku began lifting his arm.

"Sorry, Naruto." Haku said calmly. "Change of plan." Still holding Naruto's arm with Sakura resting in the crook of his elbow, Haku used his other hand to perform one-handed seals. Whoever said boys can't multi-task, obviously never met Haku.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Naruto yelled, struggling to get free. Haku's rapid hand signs halted in tiger and he smiled at Sakura before narrowing his eyes again and looking in the direction his master and Kakashi were fighting.

"I'm not ready to die just yet." Haku informed him. Leaving only smoke to prove he had moved at all, Haku leapt up and ran quickly in the direction of Zabuza, holding tightly to Sakura. 'I fear that if I let you go, you'll only disappear again. But I also do not want to put you in danger.' He thought as he gently laid her on the ground and ran again.

[--

Kakashi charged at Zabuza with his chakra-filled hand ready to thrust it in his enemy's direction to kill the one known as the rogue demon of the hidden mist village. The dogs held tightly to Zabuza, not giving him a chance to move before it was too late.

"Is this the end?" Zabuza asked as Kakashi pushed his hand though flesh.

Blood splattered across Zabuza's face and the pulse of releasing energy from the attack sent a powerful wave of air across the bridge. It caused Sakura to wake and—although she was still under some affects of the poison—she was now fully alert as to where and when she was.

The dogs vanished in a puff of smoke, one by one, but no one noticed as they looked upon the one who took the attack. Sakura's eyes filled with recognition and she suddenly felt the need to let the water in her eyes escape as they had done only three times before in her life.

A two ice mirrors, used for transportation, the summoning scroll, Kakashi's body, Zabuza's body and the ground surrounding them were all covered in the crimson red liquid that was unmistakeable blood. The blood didn't belong to Zabuza though.

Kakashi's attack had hit Haku.

The boy stood with his eyes wide and Kakashi's arm though his stomach, knowing that he couldn't survive a hit like that. No one made a sound, or even dared to breath. Kakashi and Zabuza stood with their eyes wide in shock, Sakura was frowning as unknown emotions surfaced in her chest and Tazuna looked like he was going to be sick.

As the chakra around Kakashi's had subsided, Haku's face fell forwards and he coughed up too much blood to be healthy. Then again, that hold in his chest probably isn't all that healthy to have either. Haku frowned and grabbed Kakashi's arm, pulling it out of his chest and twisting it.

"Za…bu…za.." Haku ground out in pain. Kakashi's eyes widened further as he watched the boy who was supposed to be dead twist his arm.

"So, my future is all used up, huh?" Zabuza chuckled. "Wrong again, Kakashi.

[--

"Don't be ridiculous. You are not going to the bridge all by yourself, Inari-kun." Tsunami protested as she watched her only child pull on his sandals and replace his usual hat with a hard, rounded pan that he could use as a helmet if the need arose. He also had a quiver filled with arrows on his back.

"I have to go by myself, because none of the others will come with me, or even open their doors!" Inari told her, not faltering in his getting ready to leave for the bridge. "I have no choice."

"You shouldn't go at all." Tsunami stated with tears gathering in her eyes as her son got up and stamped his foot a few times so that his sandal shifted into a comfortable position on his foot. He picked up the crossbow that was sitting next to him and looked up at his mother.

"Bye, okaa-san." He bid as he walked to the door with a confident air and as powerful a stride as a ten-year-old could manage.

"Stop this." Tsunami ordered. "You're only a child. What do you think you can do?" She asked. Inari stopped, and turned slightly so he could look at her. He grinned a grin that would make Naruto proud.

"You're right. I am just a kid. But I'm a kid who knows what it means to stand and fight. I'm my father's kid." Inari told her. Tsunami gasped as her son turned and she pictured Kaiza instead. The image of her dead husband soon faded into that of her son's again.

"Kaiza." She muttered, her eyebrows pulling together in worry. Inari said nothing. He merely opened the door and took a step forwards. "No! Inari, wait!" She called.

Inari stopped, but it wasn't because his mother asking him to. He was surrounded by shadows, each holding a different weapon.

[--

Naruto looked all around him for any signs of Haku, but found none. Not up, down, left, right, in front or behind him. It almost seemed as if the boy had simply disappeared. He had not released his kunai, just in case a surprise attack was launched against him.

"Err…Where'd he go?!" Naruto yelled, not stopping his frantic search for the enemy. "Hey! Huh? The fog's lifting!" He noticed. Looking to the opposite end of the bridge to where Sasuke was, Naruto saw Sakura. "Ne, Sakura-chan!" He called as he ran in her direction. Upon arriving, he saw that she was awake and her face was void of feeling, other than a strike of pain and a tear in her eye.

"He…Haku…" Sakura mumbled, not even noticing Naruto was there. The latter looked to where she was looking.

"Huh? Is that him?" He asked, squinting to get a better look. He ran forwards, careful not to go too far from Sakura. He came to a sudden halt and gritted his teeth when he saw. "What? I don't get it! What the heck is going on here?"

"That's…the young man in the mask." Tazuna whispered to himself, not even worrying about being alone anymore.

"The boy threw himself in front of my attack." Kakashi said to Zabuza, who closed his eyes. "He saved your worthless life, at the cost of his own." He stated, just to be sure this was all real. All Zabuza did was chuckle.

"Well done, Haku." He congratulated the boy. Kakashi glared at him as Zabuza brushed off the action Haku did and reached for his sword with a roar.

'He would hack right though the boy to take me down?' Kakashi asked himself in disgust.

'I knew that I found a treasure when I found you, boy.' Zabuza noted with a sadistic plan of killing Kakashi through Haku. 'Not only did you give me my life, but Kakashi's as well.' He cheered as Kakashi tried to pull his hand from Haku's firm grip.

Zabuza ran forwards with his sword as flash memories of the time he spent with Haku ran though his mind. He cast them aside and cried out as he lunged, prepared to go though Haku to get to Kakashi. The latter, on the other hand, made no move to use Haku as a shield. He took a good hold on the boy and moved them both out of the way of Zabuza's attack.

He landed on his knees with Haku's limp form in front of him. Zabuza laughed at the display of pity and his shoulders shook. He didn't lift the swords right away, but stayed with his knees bend and his blade touching the ground in front of him.

"Not bad for having a corpse in your arms." Zabuza laughed. With his words, Sakura froze and her head shakily moved to look at Haku. She then realised that someone was missing and looked to where she had last seen Sasuke. He did not move. He did not breath. Her soul bled for the pain she would not allow in her heart.

"You'll pay for that!" Naruto yelled, getting Sakura's attention.

"No! Stay out of this, Naruto." Kakashi ordered gruffly. He placed Haku on the ground and looked at his open, dead eyes. Reaching up, Kakashi closed them with his hand and held up Haku's head with the other.

"What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"This is my battle." Kakashi said back. "Zabuza's mine." He growled.

"Naruto!" Sakura called loudly. The boy turned to her and saw her expression. It crushed him. She was lost, confused and looked like she had just been abandoned by the world. Naruto ran over to her and knelt down before helping her to her feet. Once both were standing he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm here, Sakura-chan." He whispered. She pulled away gently and looked over at Sasuke.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why what?" Naruto questioned her back.

"Why isn't Sasuke moving? H-He should be…in-insulting y-you…yelling at Za-Zabuza and…and gl-gloating…and…b-breathing." She stuttered. "Why isn't he, Naruto?"

Naruto looked away from her and clenched his fists. He knew that this was new to Sakura. She had most likely seen death before, and even caused it herself, but she had probably never been affected by it. At least, he didn't think she had. This was probably something so strange and unusual to her.

"Sakura…" Kakashi whispered, seeing her ghostly-pale face. Not only was the poison probably still in effect, but he also believed that she had never experienced loss like losing a team mate…or friend.

"Kakashi!" Zabuza barked. "I'd stay focused if I were you." He warned, leaping across to the copy ninja with his swords in a position to slice off Kakashi's head. Kakashi just flipped onto his feet and kicked Zabuza away from him.

"I need to get to her." Tazuna muttered. "Naruto probably has no idea how to deal with this…but I know. I had to help Inari through almost the same thing and…I owe her my life." He stated, running across to Sakura and Naruto when he deemed it safe enough for him to go without getting killed in the process.

He moved quickly passed Naruto, not even sparing him a glance, and stopped when he reached the frozen girl. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he jerked her out of her daze and she looked at him with confusion. He almost wanted to run from her. The innocent look in her eye and the child-like confusion about death was unbearable when you knew who she was before. Even the ice-cube Sakura was better than this one. She was broken. She was scared.

"Tazuna-san? When will Sasuke come back?" She asked curiously. Tazuna sighed and closed his eyes.

"He…he won't." The bridge-builder said grimly. Sakura looked down and nodded as a shadow was cast over her face. When she looked back up, the innocent child was gone, but she wasn't the old Sakura either.

"I'm going to see him." He muttered. Tazuna nodded and ran with her to go and see Sasuke. Naruto didn't move, but he listened to their conversation. His eyes were closed as he ran through the few memories of his team mate he had.

"Sasuke." He murmured.

When Sakura got to Sasuke's body, it was white, covered in senbon and scratches and the blood that used to run though his veins had dried where they once leaked. She blinked and knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his forehead and another on his chest. For reasons unknown to Tazuna, Sakura smiled at her deceased team mate.

"He's cold." Sakura said airily with an almost laughing tone. "This isn't just one of his genjutsu tricks, is it, Tazuna-san?" She asked.

"Go on. You don't need to be brave on my account. I've seen you cry and I think not is a perfectly acceptable time to be a baby about things." He told her with an attempt at a joke. Although he didn't really expect a laugh, Sakura did give him a choked stream of laughter that sounded more like covered sobs.

"I…I was the best." She said in a perfectly calm tone. "Aced every test at the academy, both in Konoha and Yukigakure. Many said I was the perfect student because of my strength too. Never had I shown too much emotion in my life, but everyone said I showed too little."

"Hm?" Tazuna grunted softly, wondering why she was letting him know anything about her.

"Tsuki…he's like Naruto. Both full of energy. Both complete bakas at times and I guess whenever Naruto screwed up, I got mad at him because it was like he was soiling Tsuki's good name. Taiyoo was Tsuki's twin brother and a bit like Sasuke. He didn't talk much, but when he did it was always a riddle or an out-of-place question. He could make me laugh, but not as much as Tsuki did." Sakura let out a dry sob.

"Go on. Let it all out." Tazuna prompted.

"Kakashi-sensei…he's like Juhi-nii-san. They both watch over me and I hate it sometimes, but I'm glad they do. I never meant to hurt Tsuki, or Taiyoo, or Juhi-nii-san. After what happened…I couldn't stay. No one cared what I did, but I just had to leave. I met Haku-kun on my way, about four month after I left. Some of my relatives came after me, but I killed them. They hated my for what I did, but they told me that everyone else loved me for it." She stopped and let out a humourless sob.

"What did you do?" Tazuna wondered, genuinely curious.

"I…I killed my father." She said darkly.

[--

"I…I…" She stuttered. "I'LL KILL YOU!" The girl charged, but her anger clouded her skills. Her father easily pushed her back.

"You're not fighting well enough. Perhaps they don't mean as much to you as you pretend they do." Her father mocked. "You can't kill me! I'm your father! I created you!"

"You may have created me…but you are not my father!" Sakura yelled as she let go. Thousands of Sakuras surrounded him.

"This…this is impossible! No one can reach this level of the Kanjoo jiyuu! I will not accept this!" He cried.

"Accept it or not, I have done the impossible. I have split into every emotion possible. Even those small, flittering ones that no one realises are even there! I will kill you!" Sakura promised.

"I am your father!" He raged back, as if that would change the situation.

"No! Fathers protect you!" She yelled as all of her emotions began hurling senbon at him. "Fathers raise you!" The senbon were replaced by kunai and shuriken, which were less effective but hurt more. "I was protected and raised by Juhi-nii-san, Taiyoo and Tsuki! You're just some man who I've known for a long time. In fact, it's about time our bond was severed, as well as your neck!" She screamed.

The emotions were banished in the regions of her mind and Sakura was surrounded by a green, glowing chakra. Her eyes lost the pupils and the , becoming only bright green to match the chakra. She gritted her teeth and looked at the man she called father. Her green chakra exploded from her body, ripping though her father's arms and legs. It also healed all wounds on Juhi and Taiyoo and revived Tsuki. Once that was done, Sakura reached into her pouch and drew a senbon covered in so much poison that the purple liquid was dripping off of it.

"This is special, otou-san. I made it just for you." She whispered gleefully as she threw the senbon at her father. He fell to the ground. "You'll experience pain unlike any other until you die, father. However, that poison is so strong that you die in about…well, now." She told him.

Just as Sakura predicted, her father tensed up and his breathing stopped for good. The greed chakra sank back into her body and he fell to her knees, panting from exhaustion. Taiyoo and Juhi were released when the red-haired men ran from the room and the two, accompanied by a limping and tired Tsuki, walked to Sakura.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." Taiyoo whispered, holding her left hand.

"You saved us, imouto." Juhi said in the same way, taking her other hand as well. Both let go and help her to her feet, but she wasn't standing for long. Tsuki literally lifted her off of her feet with his hug, which was quite a feat since he was a few centimetres shorter than her.

"I can't stay here." Sakura told them. "I'm leaving."

"When?" Juhi asked, stopping the twins' mouths before either could protest. He had a feeling that Sakura wouldn't with to stay once she reached her full potential.

"Now." She breathed. Tsuki and Taiyoo looked at each other and nodded.

"We were going to give you this for your birthday…" Taiyoo started.

"…but we should probably give it to you now." Tsuki said.

"Here." They offered in union as they both held up a ribbon, each end held by a different twin. It was black as night and made of the finest silk, of which was only made by hand in the Hoshi district. Sakura smiled and took the ribbon.

"Remember me, Sakura." Juhi said, giving her his black, fingerless gloves that he used for healing. Sakura hugged all of them and kissed Tsuki on the cheek when no one was looking. She smiled once more and jumped out of the window behind her.

Sakura and the three boys didn't meet since.

[--

"I studied harder than ever before. I wanted to heal, just like my brother did. But, I always got side-tacked by the shinobi laws. They were never taught in Yukigakure, since all they taught us was to kill or be killed. The law I knew best was…the twenty fifth." She nodded. "I always followed that one perfectly before I met Hinata, and even then I followed it for the most part. But then I met Naruto…and I started to show so many new emotions. It was so confusing. I always wanted to keep me emotions inside so that I would never use the form of Kanjoo jiyuu that brought out ever little feeling. That baka…he made me human."

"You weren't human before?" Tazuna asked. Sakura shook her head in the negative and brushed Sasuke's bangs from his face.

"No." She sighed. "I followed the basic traditions linked with humanity. I ate, I drank, I slept, and I even had contact with the world. However, I was always uncomfortable with physical touch. I couldn't be too close to someone or I would feel ill. Everyone feared me…because I could follow the twenty fifth law better than anyone."

"What's that?" He enquired.

"A true shinobi or kunoichi never shows his or her feelings, no matter what the circumstances may be. Feelings are a weakness that will only cloud his or her judgement and weaken his sense of duty." Tazuna heard her hiccup and the hand on Sasuke's chest gripped tightly to his shirt. "I always followed that law. In my life, I have only cried a total of four times, but…it's about to be five." She warned as she slowly placed her forehead on Sasuke's chest and her shoulders shook from her silent sobs.

'To put such an unbearable burden on a young girl's shoulder…if that's the shinobi way, it should be destroyed.' Tazuna thought as he watched the usually emotionless girl bare her soul through tears. 'If this can affect a girl like Sakura so much…'

Naruto stood, listening to Sakura's story. He didn't know what to think of her past, but he knew even less about how he should comfort her. It was cruel of him to think it, but he half blamed Sakura for Sasuke's death. If she were there with them instead of leaving a useless clone, she could have helped. Sasuke might have been alive. Of course, he banished those thoughts right away. If it was Sakura's fault, then it was his too.

He clenched his eyes and gripped his chest, just over his heart, as his shoulders shook.

[--

Kakashi and Zabuza parried another blow and landed on the ground a few feet apart. While Kakashi remained standing, Zabuza fell to his knees and panted heavily. He stared at Kakashi in wonder and a bit of amazement was mixed into his gaze as he looked at the unaffected man before him.

'Why?' He asked himself. 'Why can't I keep up with him?'

Not wasting time to ponder this, Zabuza hauled up his sword again and ran towards Kakashi. Although his movements were still fast, they were much slower than before. All Kakashi had to do was quickly lift a well aimed fist and he knocked Zabuza to the side. Other than his arm, Kakashi remained still.

The silver-haired ninja spun and swung his arm around, hitting Zabuza right in the face. Zabuza stumbled back, his right had gripping his sword while his left hand hung limply at his side. The bit from Kakashi's dog had damaged it too badly for him to use it again in that battle.

"I'll split you in half!" Zabuza call out in a roar, running at Kakashi with blind fury coursing through his veins. He swung his blade once and then lifted it up and threw it down, only to have both attacks dodged easily by Kakashi, who then leapt up in the air and reappeared behind the sword-wielding man. He held the back of Zabuza's neck, as if to prove how easily he could break it.

"Look at you." Kakashi jeered. "You're falling apart." He mocked coldly with none of the usual humour in his voice. "I knew that you did have what it takes for the long haul."

"What did you say?!" Zabuza growled out in frustration.

"You have no idea what real strength is." Kakashi said slowly, as if talking to a five-year-old. All Zabuza did was breath heavily, not uttering a word in his own defence. Kakashi spun two kunai in his hand and grasped them tightly. "Game over. You lose."

He pushed the kunai forwards, not letting either go. Zabuza turned and saw the kunai coming, so he twisted to avoid them, using his heavy sword as a lever for sorts to turn him since his body couldn't do it alone. Kakashi noticed this and planted the kunai in his sword-holding arm, just above the elbow, and dodged out of the way. Only thinking on the pain of the kunai, Zabuza didn't release his sword in time and his arm broke at the elbow, causing his sword to slid away from him.

"Now both of your arms are useless." Kakashi observed. "What are you going to do? You can't even make hand signs."

"Gah." Zabuza grunted as he tried to move his broken arm. He didn't get to answer, though, as someone else made their presence known by stepping heavily and tapping a cane on the ground.

"Well, well, well." The new-comer began. "He did quite a number on you, didn't he Zabuza? You look like yesterday's sashimi. I must say that I'm rather…disappointed." He said. This man was the same as the one from the hut, and the one on the phone. Gato. Behind him was a large group of men, all carrying swords, kunai or baring their fists for a fight.

The Demon in the Snow

"Gato." Zabuza acknowledged. "I don't understand. What is all this? Why are you here, and who are these thugs you've brought with you?" He asked.

"Well, you see, there's been a slight change in plans." Gato informed him, tapping his cane on the ground. "According to the new plan, you die right here on this bridge, Zabuza."

"What?" Zabuza asked breathily. His eyes widened a fraction from the new, but other than they he seemed unaffected.

"That's right. You're too expensive, so I've decided to take you off of the pay roll. Of course, even these thugs cost something, so if you could slaughter a few of them before I take you down, I'd appreciate it." Gato stated coldly. "Think you can manage that, demon ninja of the mist?" He wondered mockingly. "Haha, look at ya. You look about as demonic as a wet kitten." He laughed as the others behind him join the laughter.

'There are so many of them. One rogue ninja was bad enough.' Naruto thought to himself in worry.

"Well, well, Kakashi. It would seem as if our fight was at an end. Since I am no longer Gato's employee, Tazuna is safe. We have no quarrel." The mist-nin stated.

"Yeah. I suppose you're right." Kakashi agreed. Gato stepped forwards and stood above Haku's lifeless body.

"That reminds me, you little punk." He said to the dead teen. "You grabbed me before and nearly broke my arm." As he said this, he indicated to the cast-covered arm resting on his cane. "I've been meaning to repay you for that." He kicked Haku's body, right in his stomach before nudging his face with the cane. "Ha, I only wish he were alive to feel it."

"GET AWAY!" Naruto and Sakura—who looked over when Gato arrived—screamed in union. The blonde was the first to move as he ran forwards, but Kakashi caught the back of his jacket and held him in place.

"Hey, stop. Use your head." Kakashi ordered, letting go when Naruto was calm enough to think.

"Well, what about you, Zabuza?" Naruto asked the silent mist ninja. "You gonna let him do that?"

"Be quiet, you fool." Zabuza snapped calmly. "Haku's dead. What does it matter?"

"What? You mean that you can just stand there and watch him get treated like an old doll no one wants anymore? You and Haku were together for years! Doesn't that mean anything?" Naruto asked him angrily, shaking his fists in the air.

"I merely used him, just as Gato used me." Zabuza told him. "Now it's over. His usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But the boy? Nothing."

"Of you mean that, then you're a bigger rat than I thought." Naruto stated, glaring at the older man.

"You don't understand the way of a shinobi, brat." Zabuza accused.

"Sakura-chan does." Naruto retorted.

"So?" Zabuza asked, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"Sakura-chan knows the shinobi code better than anyone from our graduating class. She followed every rule perfectly, down to the last punctuation mark, most of the time." Naruto said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zabuza sneered.

"You knew Haku for years. Haku and Sakura-chan knew each other for barely over five minuets as far as I know. And yet, she yelled out and is willing to risk anything, just to get Gato to get away from Haku." Naruto told him, gesturing to the pinkette. She was currently being held back by and spoken to by Tazuna to keep her from trying to kill Gato.

"GET AWAY!"

Zabuza narrowed his eyes as he remembered that she had ordered a man who could have her killed to get away from someone she barely even knew.

"Alright, that's enough." Kakashi cut in. "Calm down, Naruto. He's not the enemy. Not right now, at least." He stated. Naruto swung his fist at Kakashi, causing the man to release the blonde.

"Grrrrr! Shut up! As far as I'm concerned, he's enemy number one!" The blonde declared, pointing an accusing finger at Zabuza. "You…you ungrateful basterd…after everything he did for you…" Naruto panted. "I remember what he…told me. Haku lived for you!"

[--

"Is there…someone who's precious to you?" Haku questioned.

[--

"You were the most important person in the world to him!" He continued, pointing towards Haku. "And he meant nothing to you? Nothing at all?"

[--

"It was not my desire to be a shinobi. It's painful." Haku told them with a small crack of a choked sob in his voice.

[--

"While he was sacrificing everything for you…you never felt anything at all for him?!" Naruto tried in desperation for an answer. "And if I become stronger, does that mean that I'll become as cold-hearted as you are?! I don't want to think of Sakura-chan and Sasuke as tools to be disposed of, and I won't! Haku threw his life away…and for what?" He began to cry, thinking of what Haku did for Zabuza. "For your dream! You never let him have a dream of his own, but he didn't care. And you just toss him aside, like he was nothing! A broken tool…man, that's so wrong." The tears that prickled at his eyes were now streaming down his face.

"You talk too much." Zabuza stated simply, as if nothing Naruto said was of importance. Naruto saw, though. He saw the droplets Zabuza's tear made on the ground in front of the taller man. "Your words cut deep. Deeper than any blade. While he fought you, his heart was breaking in two. You see, Haku was always too soft and too kind. He felt pain and sorrow and now—curse him—I feel them too. And something else. I feel content that this is the way it ends." Zabuza stopped talking and used his sharp teeth to rip the bandages away from his mouth.

"Huh? What's happening?" Gato asked in confusion.

"Well? Cat got your tongue?" Zabuza taunted Naruto though his now uncovered mouth. "Are you really so surprised to discover that I'm human? Even shinobi are human. No matter how hard we try to escape that simple fact, we always fail. Well, at least…I have failed." He stated with a smile. The smile only lasted for a second, though. "Boy!"

"Yes? What?" Naruto asked, realising that Zabuza meant him.

"Lend me your kunai." He demanded, leaving little room for arguments from the younger ninja. Naruto looked down for a second before reaching into his pouch and pulling out a sharpened kunai.

"Here." He offered, throwing it lightly in Zabuza's direction. As the kunai flipped in the air towards him, Zabuza's mind went though all the memories he had with Haku in order from when he found him, watching him grow up until the present Haku was smiling in his mind. He caught the kunai in his mouth and glared viciously at Gato. Wasting no time, he sprung forwards at a godly speed.

"Ah!" Gato screamed. "That's it! I've had enough of this!" He yelled, running into the mob of hired thugs for safety. "Take him down, now!"

Said thugs cheered their agreement and willingness to fight the fallen demon, not knowing what they were getting into. Never stopping, Zabuza ran though the mob of fighters, cutting down the ones who stood in his way of the coward, Gato. Blood flew as he leapt over one man and sliced though another. People called out for help or cried in pain, but it all fell on deaf ears.

One man, who was rather large with twin swords, managed to slow Zabuza down by two swings before he was in halves on the ground, leaving Zabuza for the others to try and contain. With grace, Zabuza swung his body and killed three more men before he got a sharpened spear in his back. He opened his mouth and gasped for breath, but didn't drop the kunai. The man who stabbed him was torn down quickly and Zabuza carried on, even with the wound in his back.

Gato had managed to flee to the edge of the unfinished bridge and was confident in his survival for the split second between him turning around and Zabuza breaking though the mob of thugs. He gasped and called out in sudden panic, but no one helped him. Zabuza ran, steady and true, towards Gato with the intention to kill.

"He…He's the d-d-d-devil!" Gato cried out in fear as he envisioned Zabuza to be the ruler of hell himself and not just a lackey, a mere demon.

Not paying his words any heed, Zabuza leapt right forwards and pushed the kunai into Gato's chest. Gato groaned, but he wasn't in as much pain as Zabuza was when the remaining thugs all shoved their weapons into his back at once. He dropped his kunai and stumbled away from Gato, breathing just as heavily as the suit-wearing man.

"You crazy fool." Gato panted. "If you're so eager to join your friend, go ahead. But just not taking me. Not this time."

"Uh-uh. I won't be joining Haku. Where he's gone I cannot follow." He stood as straight as he could and moved towards Gato, who moved back in return.

"Stay back! S-Stay back!" Gato commanded, taking a step away from Zabuza for every step Zabuza took towards him.

"No, my friend." Zabuza grinned, putting his face right up against Gato's with a crazy glint in his eye. "It's the other place we're going to. You and me both, Gato." He growled as Gato whimpered in fear. "I can't think of a better location fro a demon ninja, can you? I'm told that there are many demons down there, of all shapes and sizes. Oh yes, I should fit right in down there. You, on the other hand, Gato…well, I fear you are in for a very long and painful eternity!" Zabuza cried.

"I-I'm n-no-not afraid of y-yo-you!" Gato stuttered as Zabuza laughed manically.

"You might not be, even though that's hard to believe. Now, I don't give compliments very often, but I have to tell you this." He leaned in, as if telling a secret. "That girl, the one with the pink hair, you see? She'll be joining us when her time comes too. Heh, she and Haku were close. How close is something I don't know, but they were. She'd probably be the most feared ninja the world had ever known if she turned against her village and became a rogue-nin. You never know when she'll come, Gato, but you have a never-ending amount of time to find out!"

With that final roar, Zabuza reach behind him and used his mouth to rip out one of the kunai from his back. He slashed once at Gato's chest, once at his arm and a final time at his shoulder. Then he twisted around and slashed his back. Moving again, Zabuza sliced growled and became the demon everyone fear. With one final, powerful strike, Zabuza sent Gato into the ocean, begging for oxygen and on a one way trip to hell.

Zabuza looked at the thugs and they were scared instantly. They parted so that he could move passed them without needing to kill any more of them or their comrades. Taking the invitation to pass, Zabuza dropped the kunai from his mouth and stumbled forwards to Haku's limp body. His vision blurred and he fell to his knees, but no one helped him.

"Haku…" He groaned in pain, wanting to be next to the young boy he took into his care before he died. He looked up and saw an angel, only it was Haku in his pink kimono. "So this is…goodbye…at last." He managed to say though the pain and exhaustion that overtook his body. "Not once did I ever thank you, Haku…forgive me for that." He asked as he fell forwards onto his face.

"Don't turn away." Kakashi ordered as Naruto looked away from Zabuza's dead body. "When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends."

Sakura looked at Zabuza for the respected minuet before turning back to Sasuke. A few last tears dropped onto his cheek. She rested her head on his chest and kneeled lower so that her own chest was just brushing his, closing her eyes to pray for those who died that day. Her shoulders continued to shake, but her sobs were still silent.

'Wh-Where am I?' Sasuke asked himself as he looked up to see skies of bright blue. 'Am I alive? Or…Sakura? Can it be?' He lowered his eyes, seeing a head of pink hair sobbing into his chest. 'It is! But…is she crying?'

"Sasuke." He heard her whisper in a sob.

"Sakura…it's hard to breath with you on top of me." He panted, hearing the crying suddenly stop. 'It was her…but why did I say something so stupid?' He saw her head lift, a few spare drops of water drop from her eyes and onto his shirt. 'She looks beautiful, even when crying.'

"S…Sasuke? You…You're alive?!" She cried out, smiling a brilliant smile that he had never seen before. His pain was still there, but something about Sakura's smile made everything feel alright again. However, as soon as it came, it was gone again. She scooped up his head from his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Ow! Sakura, that hurts!" Sasuke complained.

"I don't care! You have me worried, baka! The least you can do is endure a little pain until I can get this hug out of my system." She yelled back, not letting go, but loosening her grip a little.

As soon as she let go, Sasuke tried to stand. Now, this is where someone would have told him to stay laying down or to move as little as possible, but Sakura wasn't the type to say that. Instead, she lifted his arm across her shoulders and helped him up. They gathered their balance and walked forwards a little.

"Sakura." Sasuke called.

"Hm?" Sakura answered, looking forwards with a frown.

"Arigatoo." He whispered so that only she could hear it. Sakura had no idea why he was thanking her, but thought that he was probably delusional from almost dying. She herself was still a bit off from the poison, but it wasn't all that bad anymore.

"If you feel a lot of pain, tell me." Sakura ordered.

"I will. But…where's Naruto? And that guy in the mask?" Sasuke asked the pinkette.

"Naruto's fine. But Haku—the guy in the mask—, he's dead." She said softly, looking at her old friend's fallen body.

"Dead?" Sasuke repeated. "But how? Did…Naruto do it?"

"Well…partly. Naruto beat him up, but Kakashi-sensei finished him." She informed the curious boy. "He was protecting Zabuza."

"Oh…I see." Sasuke looked up at her. "What did you do?" He asked. When Sakura's cheeks tinted pink—something he never thought he would see, even in his wildest dreams—he was even more curious.

"Just…a bit of remembering. I wasn't really important." She muttered, but he could tell she was holding out.

"Nothing important?! You saved my life!" Tazuna yelled, gesturing to the large wound Sakura had. It was from where Zabuza had ripped through her shoulder and almost taken her arm with his blade.

"Oh yeah. My bad." She smirked, covering her shoulder. Sasuke knew what she was doing, though. Sakura wasn't the type of person who liked having others worry about her, so she covered up her pain with sarcastic and quick comments.

"What do you mean 'my bad'?!" Tazuna fumed.

"I saved the cry-baby." She mocked.

"You cried more than me! and all over this little twerp here!" Tazuna stated, gesturing to Sasuke. "You know, when you weren't crying over that Haku boy."

"Hey! I only cried once!" She snapped.

"That's because you didn't stop between mourning Haku and mourning Sasuke!" He replied.

"You cried for me?" Sasuke asked her in disbelief.

"Shut up! Both of you!" She ordered, although her pink cheeks said it all.

"Che." Sasuke smirked. Sakura glared at him and raised her hand to her mouth.

"Naruto! It's Sasuke! He's alright!" Sakura called to the blonde. Naruto turned to look at his once-dead team mate in shock as Sasuke frowned slightly.

'It's always about Naruto. Even when I almost died, she can only think of Naruto in the long run.' Sasuke groaned mentally. He looked away from everyone, to the ground, and lifted his hand as if he were greeting Naruto instead of saying 'I'm not dead'.

Naruto's expression of shock turned into disbelief and then into joy as he looked at Sasuke. He then looked at Haku, who had supposedly killed his Uchiha team mate earlier, in the ice dome.

'I see.' The thought in realisation.

"Well, well. Will wonders never cease?" Kakashi mused as if his student didn't just cheat death. "Amazing."

"Hey! Yoo-hoo!" One of the thugs called to the ninja. "Don't go getting too comfortable."

"This party ain't over yet." Another stated. "Who's gonna pay us now that Gato's gone?"

"No way we're gonna leave here empty handed. So, we're just gonna have to hit that village and see what they've got for us."

"Not good." Kakashi muttered.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei, you must have a jutsu that can take care of this bunch of losers." Naruto prompted.

"Not right now." Kakashi replied grimly. "I used too much of my chakra."

"Let's get 'em boys!" A thug called as the others cheered and moved forwards. Before the thugs could even take three steps, an arrow landed in their paths, lodged into the bridge. They looked to where is came from and Inari stood, proud and tall, with a crossbow in his hands and every able-bodied man and woman in the village behind him.

"There's one thing you're forgetting about." Gichi called from behind Inari, next to Tsunami. "Before you enter our village, you'll have to go through us. Every last one of us." He told the thugs. Everyone from the village cheered in agreement and lifted their weapons high.

"Inari!" Naruto called out the boy.

"Inari-chan." Sakura smirked. "I knew he wasn't a coward."

"Heroes usually show up at the last minuet, you know?" Inari laughed, stealing Naruto's line.

"They've all come…the whole village." Tazuna said to himself in joy. The thugs looked nervous, seeing how many people were gathered to fight them.

"Heh, no way I'm missing out on all the fun! Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" The blonde boy called, using his signature jutsu. One Naruto became five and the thugs backed up a bit.

"Don't think that I'm letting you fight while I tend to Mr 'I'm dead but I'm not', Uzumaki Naruto!" Sakura warned as she split into grey eyes, red eyes and orange eyes.

"We're fighting too!" The three said together. By now, the thugs were so far back, they were practically drowning in the water behind them.

"I might have just enough chakra to help to two out." Kakashi stated, looking at Naruto with his Sharingan. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" He called, becoming thousands of Kakashis. "Kakashi-style!" They all said.

"Okay, still want to fight?" The Kakashi clones, the Naruto clones and the three Sakura all asked together.

"No thanks!" A few of the thugs called as they all ran to the small boat they were carried to the bridge on.

"Victory!" Inari called, setting off a wave of cheers and laughs behind him as the villagers watched Gato's men flee. Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi all dispelled their jutsu and walked in different directions. Naruto stayed where he was, Sakura walked back to help support Sasuke and Kakashi walked to the 'dead' Zabuza.

"Sounds like it's over, huh?" Zabuza croaked, still half way between life and death.

"Yeah." Kakashi answered shortly.

"Kakashi…I have a favour to ask of you." Zabuza told him.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked.

"Take me to him." He requested. "Before I go, I need to see him one last time." Zabuza elaborated. Kakashi sighed and pulled his Hatei-ate back over his Sharingan eye. He then looked down at Zabuza with sympathy.

"Sure." He assured him. Everyone watched as Kakashi took all of the weapons out of Zabuza's back and picked him up. He then began the short journey to Haku's fallen form, just as promised. The snow began to fall over the bridge, giving the battle-worn stone a blanket of relief. It caused much question amongst the people.

"Huh?"

"Impossible."

"Snowing at this time of year?"

'Is it you, Haku? Are you weeping?' Zabuza asked the sky. He turned to look at the pinkette slightly. 'Or are you helping a friend to shed more tears of her own?' He added, mentally smiling. 'You always were too soft.'

Kakashi reached Haku's body and knelt down so that he could gently place Zabuza in his rightful place next to Haku. Once the deed was done, Zabuza thanked him and the Jounin walked away to give Zabuza privacy to show the feelings he preferred to hide. Zabuza turned his head to look at his charge, Haku.

"You were always at my side. The least I can do…is to be beside you at the end." He struggled to move his hand, but still managed to reach up to touch Haku's angelic face. "I know it cannot be, but…I wish I could go to where you have gone. How I wish I could…join you there. H-Haku…" He said in his dying breath.

Zabuza passed and the sun shone through the clouds, melting a snowflake in Haku's eye so it looked at is he were crying. They landed in Sakura's hair as she swallowed her sadness rather than her pride and Sasuke noticed it, so he held around her shoulders tighter as if to give her reassurance in the only way he knew how.

"He told me…that where he came from…it was always snowing." Naruto said though his tears. "All the time."

"Of course. His spirit was as pure as the snow." Kakashi stated. "You never know, Zabuza. Maybe you will join him there. Who's to say?"

[--

"That's it…isn't it?" Sakura—now in her usual attire—asked as she crouched in front of Haku's grave, placing down snowdrop flowers with a small smile.

"Hm?" Kakashi acknowledged as he placed Zabuza's sword up against the older nin's grave.

"That's the ninja way. To use and be used by people as weapons and tools." She nodded, kissing her hand and placing it on the wooden cross before standing up and looking towards her team.

"Shinobi are all tools in the hands of destiny. No point in wondering whether it's right or wrong…it just is. It's the same anywhere you go or look." Kakashi told her.

"Well, if you ask me, if that's what being a ninja is all about, something's out of whack." Naruto stated confidently. "Is that why we go through all this training? Just to end up like Haku and Zabuza?"

"What is the reason for that?" Sasuke asked in agreement.

"Well," Kakashi sighed. "It's a question without an answer, and that is something we ninja have to deal with every day of our lives. Like Zabuza, and Haku."

"Okay!" Naruto decided. "I've just come to a decision. From now on, I'm finding my own ninja way. A way that's straight and true and without any regrets. From now on, I'm following the way of Naruto!" He declared.

"Err, Naru-"

"Just let him believe what he wants, sensei." Sakura cut in. "I saves everyone a headache when he tries to argue." She sighed. Sasuke nodded in silent agreement. "Come on! Tsunami still has the rest of my clothes and I need to pack." Sakura ordered, heading to Tazuna's hut.

[--

"Please?" Inari asked again.

"No, Inari, for the last time! You've been asking me this since the battle on the bridge two months ago! I don't want you causing Sakura any trouble, so don't even think of asking her." Tsunami warned her son. Inari pouted but brightened up when Sakura came downstairs. She wore her usual coat and trousers with her hair down.

"Sakura-nee-sama!" He called with a wide grin and a hope of the answer 'yes'.

"What is it?" She asked, shouldering her black backpack.

"Can I-?" He was cut off when Tsunami placed a hand over his mouth.

"It's nothing, Sakura. Have a safe trip and-ow!" She called out when Inari bit her palm.

"Can I go back to live in Konoha with you?" Inari asked quickly before anyone could stop him. Sakura blinked once, then twice and sighed.

"No." She said in a deadpan voice. Inari fell to the ground, but quickly got back up and proceeded in asking her over and over again.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"…Please?"

"Inari! Why do you want to come and live with me so badly?" Sakura asked, getting annoyed at the constant questioning. Inari grinned and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"You're like my aneki, and I don't want to see you go." Inari told her with a kicked-puppy look. 'I also want to keep Naruto and Sasuke as far away from you a possible until I'm old enough for you to see me as boyfriend material!'

"Well…I do have the room…and it gets kina lonely sometimes…so…I guess that you could…" She considered. "If it's okay with Tsunami and Tazuna-san, then I can take you to Konoha with me. Whether or not the Hokage will let me look after you is another story."

"YES!" Inari cheered. "…But why wouldn't your Hokage let you?" He then added as an after thought.

"I'm twelve, Inari-chan. Legally, I'm a minor. You're legally a minor. A minor can't take care of another minor. Until I turn at least sixteen, the Hokage is the only one who can say whether or not I'm trustworthy enough to take care of you." She explained as simply as she could.

"What would happen in he says no?" Inari asked. Sakura sighed and ran a hand though her long hair, which was now out of the style Tsunami did for her.

"I could get Kakashi to take you in until I could get you back here." She shrugged, thinking of all the other possibilities and deciding that one to be the best.

"Okay!" Inari cheered again. "I might live with Sakura-nee-sama! Okaa-chan! She said yes! I told you!" He yelled, running to his mother.

"Well then, get packed up quickly! They're leaving soon! Pack plenty of clean underwear! Write every day! Don't put that in there! No! Yes! Inari, you need to put in shirts before shoes! Do you want a bigger bag?" The young kunoichi heard Tsunami say from upstairs. She laughed a little.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked as he and Naruto walked into the room, looking at Sakura.

"Inari-chan is coming with us. He's going to be my new housemate." She replied calmly.

"Oh." Naruto grinned. "Wait…WHAT?!" He yelled, running forwards.

Naruto tripped over his own feet and landed right on Sakura. Except, he wasn't on just Sakura. He was mere millimetres above her lips. Or, to be more precise, his lips were. Still don't get it? Let me make it clearer…

NARUTO AND SAKURA ARE PRACTICALLY KISSING!

Get it now?

Sasuke was pissed. He marched forwards and pulled Naruto off of Sakura, who stayed down with her mouth open in shock. Naruto, for his part, was in shock too, only he was on his feet. Sasuke just looked between the two, hitting himself mentally for not trying to stop Naruto's fall.

"I…I-I…umm." Sakura stuttered, gradually turning red.

"Yeah…I have to…um…g-go and pack…you know, for the trip home. I mean, we're not stay h-here forever an-and…bye." Naruto said, tripping over his words and running off to his temporary room to avoid the awkward air that was floating between him and Sakura.

"Here." Sasuke grunted, offering Sakura his hand. She took it slowly and he help her to her feet, before he left to go and hit some sense into Naruto.

"Onee-sama!" Inari called as he jumped down the stairs. "I'm all packed and ready to go!" He grinned. Sakura smirked and lifted him onto her shoulders, holding his suitcase in her hand. He laughed and they stepped out of the front door together, in the direction of the completed bridge.

[--

Standing in front of the entrance to the newly completed bridge were the ninja of Konoha who helped path the way for the bridge to be completed without further troubles. Kakashi was standing on the far left, smiling lazily at the villagers. Naruto was to his right, grinning away and rubbing the back of his head. Next to Naruto was Sakura, who had a small smile in her eyes and a cheerful Inari on her shoulders. Last, but not least, was Sasuke, who looked like he couldn't wait to get back to Konoha.

"We could never have finished the bridge without you." Tazuna stated as he spoke for all of the people present who wished to thank the ninja. "I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you, and you too my adorable little grandson!"

"Grandpa! You're embarrassing me!" Inari whined from on Sakura's shoulders. Sakura laughed lightly.

"Do be careful, and remember to change your underwear everyday, Inari." Tsunami reminded him.

"Okaa-chan!" Inari complained, trying to hide his blush in his hat.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him." Sakura assured them.

'I'm just thankful that we remembered to clean before we left!' Inner sighed in relief.

"Thank you for everything." Kakashi said with a wave of his hand and a tilt of his head.

"Now, now. Don't get all choked up. We'll come back and visit as soon as we possibly can." Naruto promised. "And possibly drop off the brat when we come back too." He muttered, hoping no one heard. All of the ninja bid a final goodbye and turned to head back to their home in the village hidden in the leaves.

"It was all their doing. Thanks to Sakura and Naruto, we were able to stand up for what we believe and finish our bridge to a place we'd never known. A place where we found our courage, and our dreams." Tazuna said as a way of remembrance to the two ninja.

"Say, speaking of the bridge." One man call out. "Now that it's finished, er, shouldn't we name it?"

"Yes." Tazuna agreed. "Of course. Heh. And I know just the name for it as well."

"You do?" Another man questioned. "What?"

"We'll call it; 'The Great NaruSaku Bridge'. That sounds good." He nodded.

"Well, it should really be the name of a ship, but a bridge is bigger and so much better to spread the name of champions." Tsunami nodded and agreement.

"Haha!" Naruto laughed from on the bridge. "As soon as we get back, I'm going to let Iruka-sensei fix me up a whole mess of ramen to celebrate a mission accomplished. Oh! And just wait till I tell Konohamaru about all of my adventures!"

"Kono-who-what?" Inari asked in confusion.

"Konohamaru, Inari-chan. He's the grandson of our Hokage and a big pain in the butt. He's nine, so only a year younger than you." Sakura shrugged, holding onto Inari's legs so that he wouldn't slip off of her shoulders.

"He also has a big crush on Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered to the boy, making sure Sakura didn't hear him. "Maybe you could help me get rid of him so that the competition for her heart is down by one guy, ne?"

"Deal!" Inari yelled, a little too loud.

"What's a deal?" Sakura asked.

"Umm…I get at least one night of ramen with you a week if he gets to live with you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned, thinking quickly.

"Who I go out with and when is my choice, baka." Sakura sighed.

"Are you sure about that name, Tazuna?" A man asked.

"Yes. Those names brought us luck, and together they should do the same for this bridge. Who knows, maybe it'll be famous. NaruSaku. Naruto and Sakura, the innocent demon and the messed up angel. They are really something, aren't they?" Tazuna grinned.

"It would still be a better name for a ship." Tsunami mutter.

"What?" Tazuna asked.

"Oh! Nothing at all." She assured him. "NaruSaku…I beat ya, Kakashi. Too bad you're not here to give me that money you owe me."