Chapter 8:Storm Of Wills Finale
Zabuza's stared, shocked at the seeming entity that floated over Naruto's form. The black and red aura of his sword had traveled up to create a being that was only shown from the waist up. The majority of its body was black, seemingly like a void, with small glints throughout its body, almost seeming to represent stars. As a matter of fact, everytime the demon moved, it seemed almost like watching the galaxy. Around the outside of the body was that thin red aura that surrounded everything that came out of the sword. White eyes gleamed down from the blackness of the beast, straight down into Zabuza's, almost as if pearing into his soul. "You shouldn't have done that, Zabuza." Naruto's emotionless voice mixed and intermingled itself with, what seemed to be, that of which came from the monstrocity floating just above him. Naruto drew his sword sideways, sparks flying from Kubikiribocho and the blond's weapon, sending Zabuza stumbling away.
Zabuza glanced upwards towards Naruto's new 'power', before he began chuckling. "That's a nice parlor trick, kid." Zabuza began laughing harder as he slammed his sword into the ground, leaning against it as Naruto tilted his head, though it was almost invisible with the dark energy now swirling around him. "But at the end of the day, it's just that, a parlor trick. A scare tactic of a demon, one that doesn't work against this demon." Naruto's head straightened as he began walking forwards towards his opponent, who tensed, his hand clenching around the handle of his sword. The black energy swirled around the large man's body as the thin red line pulsed. Zabuza lurched forwards, his sword striking out at his opponent. Naruto's sword arm shot up, slamming into the Kubikiribocho. Spark slid again as Zabuza grunted from the force. Zabuza turned and glared at his opponent. "Quick burst of strength, huh, kid? Nice little trick you have there, but you're going to need more than a burst of energy and a parlor trick to beat me!" Zabuza ran towards his opponent again, feigning a strike towards Naruto's unprotected side. As the blond brought his sword up to block, Zabuza spun, attempting to sever the boy in half.
The man let out a sound of surprise as the hands of the entity shot down, grasping his decapitating sword. Swinging its arms, the demon sent him flying with his sword. Flipping in the air, Zabuza landed, the power behind the push sending him stumbling backwards. Jumping into the air, Zabuza landed on the railing of the bridge, glaring at his opponent, who continued his track towards the eyebrowless man. Kicking off of the railing, Zabuza flipped through the air, his leg out stretched to slam into Naruto. The demon's arm shot up again, grasping him by the offending appendage, before sending him crashing into the concrete. Naruto's dark eyes watched as the body of his opponent melted down into a puddle of water. Suddenly, there was the clacking of ninja sandles rushing towards him from behind. Without turning, Naruto lifted his sword arm, Kubikiri clashing into it. Spinning around, knocking Zabuza's sword arm away, Naruto lashed out with a vicious kick, sending Zabuza flying backwards, where he slammed into the lower portion of one of the cranes. Naruto's tilted his head, watching as the man's body slid to the ground, where he sat, watching back at Naruto. Naruto glanced down from behind Haku's mask, at his hand, where the energy swirled down from his sword.
'What... What is this?' Naruto questioned as the energy lashed out, its entities white eyes glaring at Zabuza's downed form.
"I'm You Boy." A demonic voice spoke out to Naruto's thoughts, breaking the silence that had settled over the two remaining fighters. "Did you think," The monstrosity continued as Naruto's masked face came to stare at the white eyes that floated above him. "That taking a sword, a sword blessed by a demon, no less, would come without consequences? No. Everything has consequences. Just as the conseuquence to cursing this sword was for part of myself to be trapped inside. Your consequence of taking that sword, is simple. I am now part of you, and you are now part of me." The entity stated to Naruto as its eyes returned to Zabuza, whom had made his way, painfully, back to his feet.
"So it wasn't a parlor trick, huh? It's an actual demon cursed sword. I pity you kid, because your soul is now entertwined with that thing. You've doomed yourself to hell." The larger man stated simply as Naruto title his head, glancing down at his sword. Another demon, bound to him. It seemed that the pain and misery that he had felt before he had accepted his price would follow him, forever. Even after the Kyuubi was gone, his emotions returned, he would still be stuck with another, the entity in his sword. Raising his head, Naruto stared out at Zabuza from behind his mask.
"No, Zabuza." Naruto returned to his opponent, who furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I've been doomed for a long time. If not from the moment of my birth, then from the moment I accepted my price." The blond headed contractor returned, Zabuza laughing slightly.
"It really doesn't matter, brat. Just 'cause I pitied you for two second, don't think I have a problem sending you on a one was ticket to hell!" Zabuza rushed forwards, his sword coming up from the side, as Naruto sat, and waited, for his opponent to arrive. As he did, Naruto's sword came up, clashing into Kubikiribocho in another shower of sparks. Naruto reached out, his hand grazing Zabuza's throat before the larger man jumped away, startled. "Still trying to shock me, huh, brat? It hasn't worked yet, and it's not going to!" Naruto's mask straightened up as he watched his opponent from his new mask.
"Do you remember, Zabuza, that technique I set your way? You dodged before it caught you and exploded. You didn't dodge, this time." Zabuza's eyes widened before a sharp pain traveled from his throat to the immediate areas of his body. "You see, Zabuza, I am now bound to a new demon. A demon of death. I have no qualms using its power, I have no qualms using any powers I recieve, no matter the price. I am a contractor. Contractor's are born without honor, even before they ever accept their price. Contractor's are born to kill and slaughter. But most of all, Zabuza Momochi," Naruto's masked face turned to stare at Haku's peaceful body, as Zabuza watched him, almost seemingly amused through his pain as he made his way back to his feet. "Contractor's are born, for vengeance. To take revenge for, not only themselves, but the ones that no longer can." Zabuza laughed at this, a crimson red beginnning to stain his, otherwise, white bandges.
"Is that so? You're an avenger now? An avenger with no emotions!" Zabuza goaded the child, though it was, obviously, uneffective. "Then come, come oh great, Black Reaper of Vengeance, come and kill me. Come and kill me before I kill you!" The man laughed insanely as he charged forwards again, Naruto's body, seemingly, gliding to the side as Zabuza charged past, skidding to a halt. "What, you can't even block anymore? You give a dumbass speech like that and can't even follow up on it? You're pathetic!" Naruto glanced over his shoulder before turning away, sheathing his sword in its scabbard as Zabuza watched on, his anger flaring in his eyes. "What are you doing!?"
"I don't fight dead men, Zabuza. And you, Demon Of The Bloody Mist, are already down from my last attack. Your body just hasn't registered on that yet." Zabuza growled as he watched the black clad contractor walk back towards his comrades, the entity above him beginning to sway ever so slightly.
"Don't turn your back on me you mother fucker!" The Rogue Ninja called, murderously, after his opponent, whom didn't stop to look back at him, even for a moment. Zabuza snarled before his hands began to flip through hand seals at a shocking rate. Up until this point, it had, basically, been a sword fight. He was going to end that, and that damn blond haired brat. "Water Release:Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" The man's voice roared a Dragon slammed upwards from the water beneath the bridge before barreling towards the blond sixteen year old. Naruto stopped in his tracks as the jutsu, seemingly slammed into him, his form being obscured from Zabuza, who laughed maniacally at the sight.
The laughted died down, however, as the jutsu dropped, the water falling and flowing over the bridge noisely, revealing that the black and red entity, as it had disappeared, had formed a shield around the blond haired boy. "H-How?" Naruto's form, now completely free of the black and red aura, turned as Zabuza asked the simple question, before he began walking towards the former swordsman. Fatigue spread throughout Zabuza's body like a wild fire as he fell to his knee, his vision becoming blurry, Kubikiri falling to the ground, loudly, as metal and concrete scraped each other. As his vision began to, slightly, return, Zabuza found his opponent crouched, directly in front of him. Zabuza's arm reach out to grab his sword, though Naruto's hand beat him to the punch, wrapping around Kubikiribocho's handle as he began to stand before Zabuza's kneeled form.
"How, Zabuza?" Naruto spoke as the man glared at him through his pain. "I admit your jutsu was a nice parlor trick, but at the end of the day, it was just a parlor trick." Zabuza's eyes widened at the words that had came out of his own mouth earlier in his battle. "One that doesn't work against a true demon." Kubikiri was hefted into the air. Zabuza laughed violently as blood began to stain his white bandages completely.
"I'll see you in hell, bastard." The Kubikiribocho descended, before Naruto brought it onto his shoulder, in a way similar to Zabuza, albeit in a slightly more strained manner. Zabuza's shocked eyes stared at him a moment before his head fell away from his body. Reaching down, Naruto unbuckled the strap that Zabuza had used for his weapon, before placing it underneath his own scabbard. Walking forwards slightly, the blond also retrieved his Knife, Kubikiri still perched on his shoulder.
"You don't learn do you?" The new entity's voice spoke, seemingly straight into Naruto's mind. "There are consequences for everything you do. For every weapon you take, there is payment for! Some may be the payment of a demon, or god. Other are the payment of an entire nation looking for it! That sword is famous, and property of Kirigakure, or was. They will want it."
'But they will not get it. I killed, Zabuza Momochi. The blade is mine by death rights. And I care not for consequences. I believe I've proven that when I took you. Consequences signal power. If something comes along that will help me become stronger, help me in my goal, my goal to keep innocence like Haku, from being cut down, then I will take that thing. Be it sword, or demon, or god alike. I don't care.' Naruto responded to his new entity, as Kakashi finally struggled to his feet, coming to stand by Naruto.
"You... You did it. You killed Zabuza Momochi." Naruto opened his mouth, to respond to Kakashi's words, before a loud clapping echoued from the Mist. As the mist parted, it revealed a short man, the leader of Gato Enterprises, flanked by a variety of men.
"You're right, he did do it. Thank you so much, you got rid of my pest. I was going to do it myself, after he killed you lot like I was supposed to pay him for, but, apparently, the Demon Of The Bloody Mist was nothing more than a puppy barking up the wrong side of the tree!" Gato's men laughed at his pun as he walked forwards, his eyes glaring out down at Haku from behind his sunglasses. which, what with the mist, he didn't actually need. His foot struck out, kicking the boy's body, before spitting on his pale face. With a scoff, the man spoke, "Bitch. You're the one I'm most glad to see dead. Well, men, go and do what I pay you to do! Kill these people! Then go raid the town in anyway you want. They owe insurance for this!" The men hooted and hollered as Kakashi form a hand sign, Clones appearing around him as he panted in pain. There were a few men sweating, but, otherwise, they were unfazed by the man's technique. It was only a few extra copies, right?
"Kakashi." Naruto, who still holstered Kubikiribocho in his right hand, spoke as he brought his knife up with his left hand, his teeth clamping down on its handle as he placed it in his mouth. The silver haired man turned, watching the blond as his left hand reached over his shoulder, grabbing his sheathed sword, before falling down into a stance. "Cover me." The man Nodded as Naruto shot forwards, that blue energy covering him as electricit began shooting through the three weapons. Even Kubikiri, which had indeed been made to keep electricity from being channeled into the user. But, apparently, it was also designed to allow the user himself to channel electricity through it. Kakashi watched as Naruto slaughtered the untrained men. Anyone who tried to use their weapon to stab the blond, found it useless for his jacket, before the electricity shot through said weapon. Any one who came across any of Naruto's three blades automatically fell to the ground, dead. And, the unfortunate men who stepped on the water soaked parts of the bridge, were dead before they could even register their mistake.
The remaining men, apparently, called it a suicide mission as Kakashi's clones followed closely behind, dispatching anyone who Naruto missed, on purpose, or by mistake, before they ran to the side of the bridge, jumping the railings in an attempt to get away. However, the men didn't seem to register the height of the bridge as they plummeted straight down to their deaths in the water below. As Kakashi's clones exploded, Naruto walked towards Gato, the man dropping to his knees and begging the masked contractor to spare him. Naruto stared, silently, at the man, no words leaving his mouth. Of course, he knew Gato was a businessman, and bussinessmen were not only greedy, they were deceitful. The short, fat man jumped to his feet as Naruto cocked to the side, a blade shooting out from the end of the cane, which he stabbed at Naruto's throat. "Ha, I got you, bastar-" Naruto left arm came up with his Machete like sword, slicing the cane in half, the bladed end falling to the ground, before Kubikiri swung, horizontally, cleaving straight through the man's waist. Gato made no noise, didn't have time to, really, before his body fell into two halves, dead. Naruto stared at him, coldly, for a moment before his Machete Sword was sheathed on his back, followed by Kubikiri. Reaching up with his right hand, he took his knife before placing it in his Kunai pouch.
Kakashi came to stand beside of Naruto as Tazuna made his way over to them, obviously avoiding the sight of Gato, having already thrown up at the sight, carrying an unconscious Sakura in his arms. "What happened to her?" Kakashi questioned, no visible marks on the girls body.
"She passed out when her teammates got turned into pin cushions, before he showed up." At these words, Tazuna's head indicated towards Naruto.
"They're fine, by the way." Naruto spoke. "Your team. They're in a death state, like Zabuza was." kakashi nodded at these words as Naruto turned around, walking towards Haku's body. "Help me bury them." Naruto stated as he picked up Haku's body, carrying him in his arms.
Later that day, Naruto and Kakashi stood at Haku, and Zabuza's, graves, Team Seven were at Tazuna's house, still unconscious. "Some of the people around town are cleaning the bridge off. We'll be back on the job tomorrow." kakashi spoke as Naruto's head nodded. Kakashi stared at him from the corner of his eye. His hair had been redyed, now a dark black once again. Apparently, Naruto believed his team had been too wounded, or knocked out, to actually take in any details, and hadn't noticed his obvious telltales of who he was. On his back was his two newly aquired swords. When Kakashi had asked if he wished to leave Zabuza with his sword, the blond had simply stated that the man no longer needed it. And, finally, on his face, he still wore Haku's mask, but, from Haku's red design, a small thin line spread out over Naruto's lips, and a purple lightning bolt had been painted downwards over the uper portion that was near his eye, reminescent of the his mask that had been shattered.
"Right. Let's go, Kakashi." Naruto spun on his heels, walking away without another word.
And so, it went, that they guarded Tazuna, Naruto normally sitting by himself, his back propped up against a blood stained crane, watching everybody, until the bridge was completed. So, as their last day came, Naruto found himself walking beside his comrades, down, what the village had deemed, the Bridge Of Great Sacrifice, the entire village at the end. As him and his team stopped, Tazuna chuckled, as he pointed towards a statue. "I hope you don't mind, we had some smiths make this, in honor of Sacrifice, of course." The man spoke, as a man unveiled the statue. It was, obviously, of Naruto himself, wearing his black reaper attire. Yet, he wore no mask. No features could be seen as he stood with his head bower, his hair seemingly 'hanging down'. If you looked at the face itself, it was featurless. His arms were outstretched, his hands holding two masks. One, his original mask he had worn on the mission, and the other Haku's, without its new modifications. From his right arm, his knife dangled down from what seemed like a thin wire. And, on his back, of course, were his new weapons of destruction. The plaque at the foot of the statue, simply read: 'To feel is to Sacrifice, and to Sacrifice is to Break Free'. Naruto stared at the statue without emotion.
"I care not." He replied as he walked past the villagers, giving only the slightest of nods to Inari, leaving the place behind as Team Seven quickly followed forwards, still showing obvious signs of their battle, well, all except Sakura that was.
Back at the bridge, Tazuna sighed. "I guess he didn't really like it."
"He did." Inari's voice chimed in as he reached into his pocket, producing a small knife that had, mysteriously, gained an engraving that stated, 'Inari, never lose hope'. "He just won't show it." Tazuna smiled down at his grandson before picking him up onto his shoulders. The town waved after Team Seven, except a majority of children, who rushed to climb onto the statue.
Chapter 10/Wave Arch End