SailorStar9: Chapter 8 goes up, this is Chapter 9. Read and review.
Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I do own the pairing, I hope.
Chapter 9: The White Past, the Inner Feelings
In the ice cage...
What a thirst for blood. Haku mused. He's different from the boy I fought a while ago. He's coming!
What? He was stunned when Naruto deflected his needles with a burst of Kyuubi's charka. He deflected it with his charka? Then...
Naruto flared up Kyuubi's charka, dispelling the needles Haku tossed.
"How about this?" Haku emerged from the mirror Naruto shattered, readying his needle, only to have Naruto jump aside.
This isn't good! He noticed Naruto's feral expression.
What? He gaped when Naruto grabbed his wrist before he could reenter a mirror.
With a war cry, the blond flared up, smashing the ice mirrors.
Outside...
Did Naruto's seal break? Kakashi wondered. No, this feeling... the seal is merely about to break. But it's true the charka of the Kyuubi is leaking.
It's still okay, the seal hasn't been completely broken, yet. He revealed a scroll. I can still make it in time!
"Can you hear me, Zabuza?" he called. "We're both running short of time. This may go against your style, but let's stop having fun. How about deciding everything with the next move?"
"Interesting." Zabuza noted. "What can you do in this situation, though? Show me, Kakashi."
In the ice cage...
I can't hold back his powers! Haku exclaimed mentally, blocking Naruto's punch with one hand, the blond' overwhelming charka cracked his mirrors one by one.
With a growl, Naruto punched Haku out of the ice cage with his free hand.
Outside...
"It's over." Keena remarked as the mirrors shattered.
With a loud roar, Naruto charged at Haku.
Zabuza-san. Haku mused, as his mask shattered. I can't compete with him. Zabuza-san, I...
"Naruto, calm yourself!" Keena barked, pulling back the blond's punch, an after-image of an eighteen-tailed fox behind her.
"You're the guy from before." Naruto gaped, calming down when he saw the face under the mask.
"Why did you stop?" Haku asked. "I killed an important friend of yours, but you can't kill me?"
"Damn it!" Naruto cursed, breaking free of Keena's grip and punching Haku to the ground.
"Where did that energy of yours go?" Haku inquired. "You can't defeat me like that. He wasn't an important person to you? There are those who have the wrong idea. They fail to kill an enemy that needs to be defeated, show them mercy, and decide not to take his life. If you ask me, doing something like that is not showing mercy. Did you know the pain of living without a dream? Knowing that you're not needed by anyone?"
"What are you trying to say?" Naruto asked.
"Zabuza-san does not need a weak ninja." Haku replied. "You stole my reason to exist."
"Why?" Naruto demanded. "Why do you fight for that guy? He gets money from bad guys and does evil things! Is that no-brow the only important person you have?"
"I had people that were important to me a long time ago." Haku confessed. "My parents... I was born in a small village of the Country of Water, where the snow piled up deep. All we did was farm, and we were poor, but my father and mother were happy with it. I was happy. They were really kind parents. But when I first took notice of my surroundings, something happened."
"Something?" Naruto echoed. "What happened?"
"This blood..." Haku wiped off the blood form his mouth.
"Blood?" Naruto echoed. "So... so what happened?"
"My father killed my mother, and tried to kill me." Haku replied.
"What?" Naruto gasped.
"The Country of Water has experienced many civil wars, and those who possess Bloodline Limits were hated." Haku explained.
"Bloodline Limits?" Naruto echoed.
"It is passed down from parent to child, or grandparent to grandchild." Keena explained. "It's a special ability or technique that runs in the family."
"Because of the special abilities they possessed, the families were used in many disputes and the country itself feared them to be the harbingers of disasters and wars." Haku continued. "After the wars, those families hid their abilities and lived on. Because only death awaited them if their secret was revealed."
"That boy, probably had a tough time as well." he looked over at Sasuke. "Those who possess a special ability are feared by everyone. My mother possessed the Bloodline Limit. She kept it secret and married my father, and must have believed that an ordinary life would continue for a while... no, forever... but my father found out about our secret. When I came to, I realized that I killed my own father. And at that time, I thought myself as... no, I had to think myself as being... I realized that that was the most painful thing one could feel."
"The most painful thing one could feel?" Naruto echoed.
"The feeling that you are not needed by anyone in this world." Haku elaborated.
He's the same as me. Naruto realized.
"You said to me 'I want to become the Number One ninja in my village, and make everyone recognize me." Haku added. "When someone who accepts you from the bottom of their heart appears, the person should become the most important person to you. Zabuza-san knew that I was from a family with the Bloodline Limit and raised me. He wanted this ability that everyone hated. I was happy."
"I'm sorry, Zabuza-san." he muttered. "I couldn't be the tool that you wished me to be."
"Naruto-kun, please..." he walked towards the two "Kill me."
Meanwhile...
"Summoning Move, Earth Element"Dogging Fangs!" Kakashi chanted.
"Whatever you do, it's pointless." Zabuza remarked. "You can't even feel my presence at all. But, I know what you're doing very well, Kakashi. You have fallen for my trap completely."
Just, he looked down as a dog's head emerged from the ground. The swordsman jumped aside, avoiding the hound, only to have his other leg caught within the jaws of a second dog. With him tied down, the other dogs pounced.
"What's that sound?" Tazuna inquired.
"What?" even Sakura was stunned. "What's going on?"
"If I can't follow you with my eyes or ears, then I'll just have to use my nose." Kakashi replied. "That's what happens when you close your eyes in the mist
"Summoning contract." Maya grinned as the fog cleared slightly to reveal Zabuza held down by Kakashi's summons. "Or in Cyclopes' case, a dog summoning contract."
"I stopped your attack two times and bled each time for this purpose." Kakashi added. "Your weapons have my scent on them. These are my cute ninja dogs, and their noses work better than any other dog's. You're the one who has fallen into the trap. This mist is cleared. Your future is death."
"I don't care about your bluffs." Zabuza scoffed.
"Don't act so tough!" Kakashi cautioned. "You can't do anything in this situation. Your death is certain. Zabuza, you fooled around too much. Your ambitions were too big. You failed in the assassination of the Mizukage and the coup d'etat. You ran away with a few subordinates and became an exiled ninja. Your name was given to the village of Konoha immediately. In order to gather money for retaliation, and to avoid prosecution from the pursuing ninjas, you sided with a vermin like Gatoh. Zabuza, did you think I survived with just this Sharingan? I'll show you my original technique. It's not a copy."
"Lightning Edge!" he powered up.
"What the..." Zabuza was stunned. "I can see the charka on his hand."
"You're too dangerous." Kakashi added. "The person you are trying to kill, Tazuna-san, is this country's courage. The bridge he is trying to create is this country's hope. Your ambitions sacrificed too many people. That's not what a ninja is supposed to do."
"Who cares?" Zabuza shrugged. "I have fought for my ideal. And that won't change in the future, either."
"I'll say this again." Kakashi remarked. "Give up. Your future is death."
Meanwhile...
"Please kill me." Haku requested. "Why are you hesitating?"
"I can't believe that stupid story!" Naruto snapped. "Weapon? Tool? You call a person like that an important person? You're okay with that?"
"Is it wrong?" Haku inquired.
"What?" Naruto blinked.
"What's wrong with that?" Haku was confused.
"But... that's..." Naruto stammered.
"Zabuza-san had hopes on me." Haku added. "He needed me. But I lost that purpose that made me, me. Zabuza-san will no longer need me. That's why I am asking you. Now, hurry."
SailorStar9: Wow, now that's done, read and review.