Disclaimer: I own nothing and with that said please enjoy the chapter!
Hello and welcome to chapter 20! I know that technically this story has had more than 20 chapters but not including the old ANs and the Harem Guideline chapter this is the 20th chapter of actual content which is to me just a sign of how far this has come from my first short chapter. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with the story from the beginning and to the people who have joined along the way and have been very supportive and patient!
Anyway, I know you are all wondering what the results of the last chapter were but to avoid spoiling anything you'll know by the end as usual so enjoy and I'll see you all at the bottom.
Also... 14K words... kill me please lol.
"You know for a punk brat you aren't too bad" Tazuna laughed as he sat back watching the blond and his clones move about the nearly finished bridge.
Naruto clicked his teeth and glared at the older man overseeing his work, "And you are just as bad as I would expect from an old drunk!" He shot back huffing at the amused expressions of the fellow workers who had grown used to the constant back and forth between the two.
Things had gone fairly smoothly after his little...outburst... a few days ago and Team Seven had quickly settled back into a routine.
Sakura was left to train since of the three she was the furthest behind but already she was beginning to show slight progress in her endurance and general stamina though she still had a long way to go before she could match either of her teammates in that department.
Satsuki was busy alternating between light training and guard duty, unlike Sakura she was mostly prepared so Kakashi had kept her rather close to base when she wasn't busy watching Tazuna.
And lastly, he was balancing guard duty, training, and patrolling on top of his clones working on the bridge though despite the workload he didn't mind running around all that much. With his help, the bridge was far ahead of schedule, the village, for the most part, was secure, and with his newfound understanding of the Great Breakthrough, steady progress had been made in regards to his training.
All in all, things seemed to be going pretty well, though Kakashi had taken them aside to give them some less than stellar news...
*Flashback Start*
"I believe Zabuza will attack the bridge by the end of this week." Kakashi spoke seriously looking over the assembled trio who had tensed upon hearing his prediction.
Sakura frowned, "What makes you so sure sensei?"
Kakashi sighed, "A couple of reasons, the greatest of which being the rate at which the bridge is nearing completion." He turned to face his whiskered student, "Your work on the bridge likely has Gato concerned and in turn, he'll put Zabuza under pressure to act quickly to prevent Tazuna from finishing, even if he's not back to one hundred percent just yet."
"Secondly," He continued, "It's unlikely Zabuza will be going in alone this time knowing now you three are more of a threat than he'd like to admit so he will almost certainly bring in his accomplice along to keep you busy."
The three frowned at that but nodded they had already expected to be left to deal with the fake hunter-nin.
"Lastly, Zabuza will want revenge simple as that and he doesn't strike me as the type to wait long once he recovers enough to fight. He no doubt knows I'm still not back to full capacity either and so with you three out of the picture the odds are more balanced, if not tipped in his favor."
"I'm warning you three now so that you can be ready, if I'm wrong that's better for us but from now forward keep on your toes and make sure you're ready."
"Hai, Sensei!"
*Flashback Ends*
They'd been on edge since then but trusted Kakashi hunch that Zabuza wouldn't make a move until near the end of the week so they still had a few more days to prepare.
"Oi! Quit your daydreaming and get those beams moving you brat!" Tazuna hollered shaking him from his thoughts.
"Stop yelling at me damn it!"
At least things weren't boring.
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball no Jutsu!/Water Style: Water Bullet no Jutsu!"
*Hissss!*
Deep in the middle of the cloud of heated water vapor, Naruto and Satsuki clashed launching swift punches and vicious kicks at one another as they moved through the rapidly evaporating steam around them.
Dodging an overhead kick by the raven-haired girl he retaliated with a solid punch to her stomach but frowned when she managed to twist herself around and catch the incoming fist before striking back with an upward knee strike that he managed to block with his free arm.
The two reach a stalemate released one another and quickly back off returning once more to their sides of the clearing never once taking their eyes off each other.
He grinned and shook his arm slightly noting the slightly numb feeling where her knee had impacted against him, "That all you got, Princess?"
Satsuki smirked and fell back into her stance, "I should be asking you that, looks like you're slowing down a bit I barely felt that punch at all." She fired back.
That was a blatant lie she could feel her hand trembling slightly but she wouldn't dare give him the satisfaction in knowing that.
He didn't respond verbally but instead charged forward signaling the start of a new round of combat.
One she was happy to oblige!
She rushed to meet him and once more the two traded blows in the center of the clearing each scoring a few hits here and there as they slipped in and out of the others guard delivering punishment where they could and doing their best to avoid taking damage where possible.
She held a slight advantage in natural flexibility that allowed her to dodge more of his hits but every blow he landed felt like being smacked with a hammer and it took nearly all her concentration not to double over out of fear of getting locked into a devastating combo.
Naruto found himself taking more hits than he was landing, the differences in their size just made him a larger target but thankfully his training had toughened him up enough to withstand her assault and push back where he could.
That's not to say her hits didn't hurt, in fact, she hit just as hard as Kira did!
Just thankfully without the claws.
The two locked up once more each holding the other by the fist as they struggled to overpower one another, despite her smaller size Satsuki was able to match her teammate's strength due to her own intense training and slight chakra enhancement.
"Give up idiot you can't win!" She growled pushing him back slightly before buckling as he increased the pressure pushing back harder using his larger size to his advantage.
"You should already know I don't give up so easy!" He laughed and forced her back further getting a scowl of the Uchiha as she quickly found herself losing more and more ground.
She would lose at this rate if she didn't do something...
He watched her scowl morph into a subtle grin but had no time to question it as he suddenly found himself lurching forward when her resistant against him disappeared.
Satuski acted quickly using his forward moment she allowed them to tumble to the ground but before he could flatten her she flipped him overhead and onto the ground below turning his own strength against him to send him crashing to the earth.
Hard.
*Thud*
Naruto was barely aware of what just happened until his eyes refocused on the fist hovering just in front of his face and gleeful ebony eyes boring down into his own.
"I told you to give up." Her voice was strained but he could easily hear the satisfaction in her words as he glared back up at her.
He offered her a defiant grin, "I don't think so!"
Curling his body he swiftly wrapped his legs around her waist and pulled her off earning a sharp yelp at the sudden displacement and allowing him to quickly roll back onto his feet and tackle the downed heiress reversing their prior position though he was sure to keep her legs locked as he bore his weight against her.
His own fist now hovered inches from her nose and once the rush wore off he could practically taste the fury of her gaze.
"I think we can say this is my win eh, Princess?" He teased tightening his hold when he felt her body tense beneath him as she tried futilely to remove him.
She fought for a few more moments before finally giving in knowing that he'd outlast her if it came down to it.
"Tsk... fine you win this round." She ground out.
He laughed at her petulant expression "You have to admit that was fun." He chuckled and rolled off of her leaving the two of them lying peacefully on the grass while they caught their breaths and allowed the adrenaline to flush from their system. The sound of their breathing mixing into the gentle notes of the wind winding through the trees
She huffed from beside him, "I wouldn't call it fun... but it wasn't awful I guess." She begrudgingly conceded.
He chuckled knowing full well that she'd enjoy their little spar as much as he had, for all her brooding and talk there was little the Uchiha heiress enjoyed more than a good fight.
"You should be more open about what you enjoy Princess, you'd make more friends that way." He nudged her arm yelping playfully when she swiped at him.
"Idiot... I don't need friends, they'll just get in the way of goals." She looked back up at the sky above but her gaze was unfocused as though she wasn't really present in the moment but rather wrapped up in the past.
He frowned, "Everyone needs a friend, Princess." He sat up and scooted closer to the resting heiress, "What's life without people to enjoy it with?"
He already knew what life was like alone and he wouldn't wish that existence upon anyone.
She frowned, "People only bring unwanted distractions... I can't afford to let anything hold me back." Despite her words, she seemed unsure of herself as if not expressing a true belief but rather repeating a lesson she had long ago tried to teach herself.
"Do you think we hold you back?" He asked.
She paused at his question biting down her usual sarcasm at his serious expression, blue eyes seeking truth in her own.
Did they hold her back?
Kakashi was a non-issue barring his lackluster approach to training but she knew that in terms of strength she wasn't near his level, but at the same time, she couldn't consider the man a friend, maybe a potential mentor at the best of times.
Which honestly wasn't very often.
Sakura was almost a definite yes but she wasn't cruel enough to deny the girl had been trying to improve for what goal she didn't know and truthfully didn't care. That said, she acknowledged that she had slightly more respect for the pinkette than before they arrived.
And then there was him.
Her only rival, the only one she'd ever truly acknowledged anyway and whether he knew it or not there was a deeper meaning to that title than she cared to admit...
She stood abruptly catching his attention and scowled but it lacked the bite of genuine annoyance though there was frustration written across her face, "Tsk, we aren't friends I just tolerate you, that's all."
He watched her walk off back in the direction of the house clearly annoyed and frowned, he just had to open his big mouth...
He debated going after her but ultimately decided against it, hopefully with time she'd calm down better to apologize when she wasn't likely to try and beat his brains in.
Guess he would be coming home late again.
Dusting himself off he decided to take a stroll through the forest to calm his nerves allowing the scenery to pull him in and offer the slightest bit of clarity.
He idly wondered if all Konoha ninja felt a slight ease when in nature given their surroundings or perhaps it was just him.
"Habataitara modoranai to itte"...
He paused mid step as the sound of singing carried faintly through the trees, a soft almost unnoticeable whisper that slid gently through his ears under the whistlings winds.
"Mezashita no wa aoi aoi ano sora..."
Following the soft melody, he weaved through the trees allowing the music to guide him unconsciously humming along to the brief snippets he could catch above the sound of his own footsteps.
"'Kanashimi' wa mada oboerarezu,
'setsunasa' wa ima tsukamihajimeta..."
The singing grew louder as he drew closer, the small pieces coming together and ringing out more clearly than before, his own pace speeding up to match the tempo.
"Anata e to idaku kono kanjou mo
Ima "kotoba" ni kawatte iku..."
Stepping into one of the many clearings his eyes widened...
"Haku?!"
Sitting serenely in the middle of the grassy opening had been the object of his thoughts over the past week, he'd made it a point to search for her after his patrols but had no luck, even within the village he had not caught a glimpse of the pale beauty.
He had honestly never expected to meet her again.
She seemed unsurprised at his presence if anything she seemed pleased at his arrival offering him a small smile from her position on the ground, "It is good to see you again, Naruto-san."
He smiled and walked over to her happily placing himself by her side, "I thought I wouldn't see you again Haku-chan..." He grinned sheepishly, "I'm really glad I get to see you!"
She laughed faintly covering her own amusement with her sleeves, "Oh? Did I truly make such an impression?" She offered a mischievous smile, "You're aren't perhaps falling for me now. are you?" She leaned into his side doing her best not to laugh as he stiffened at her sudden closeness.
"N-No! Of course not!" He waved the idea off but only seemed to dig himself into a deeper hole when she lifted her head bringing them face to face, her delicate lips set into a slight frown.
"Really?" Her face was uncomfortably close to his own warm brown eyes boring intently into blue, "That's a shame..."
"Wh-What?!"
She pressed herself closer to him, the silky fabric of her kimono spilling onto him as their faces grew closer, so much so that he could feel her breath upon his skin setting his face alight.
Despite their position, she maintained a straight face as though she wasn't almost on top of him, "It's a shame because I think..." Her face gained a slight flush, "I think I might have fallen for you, Naruto-san..." She whispered her words softly into his ear.
That did it, any remaining higher brain functions immediately went down the drain as he tried desperately to process what he'd just heard.
"I-I...You wha...huh?!"
She couldn't hold it anymore and fell back laughing, her prior flush fading away in her fit of giggles that she tried desperately to cover with her sleeves with little success.
With his space free once more he managed to snap back to reality and pouted, "Haku-chan stop doing that!" He should have known better than to trust her not to tease him again.
Struggling to get her laughter under control she offered a slightly apologetic smile, "I'm sorry Naruto-san, I just can't help myself fufu, please do not take offense."
He huffed and crossed his arms, "You are so mean Haku-chan..."
She giggled and sat back up, "Ah... would a kiss perhaps make up for it?"
"I'm not falling for that Haku-chan." He glared at her earning another small chuckle from the dark-haired girl.
"It was worth a try." She smiled and sat next to him once more the two taking a moment to enjoy each other's presence.
"I didn't know you could sing Haku-chan?" He spoke softly remembering just what had led him to her in the first place, when she wasn't having fun at his expense she struck him as a rather quiet person.
She offered a bashful smile, "I do not do it often, unfortunately, I am not very skilled at singing but from time to time I have the urge to do so, I hope it did not worsen your opinion of me."
He quickly shook his head, "No not at all! I thought it was really good! You should do it more I think you'd do well maybe you could become a world-famous singer."
She laughed at his earnestness, "As tempting as that sounds I am content where I am, I don't think I could see myself doing anything else."
He tilted his head, "What is it you do Haku-chan? Last time we met you were gather herbs to make medicine are you some kind of doctor?"
She quickly waved his idea off, "No, nothing like that I just happen to have some experience with taking care of the sick and wounded but I am by no means a trained medic." She looked up at the thick canopy wistfully, "What I do is hard to describe but it is not what I do that matters as much as who I do it for in my opinion."
"Your precious person." He supplied earning a small smile from her.
"Yes, my precious person." She nodded, "There is nothing I would not do for them..."
He could feel her convictions, he truly believed that she meant every word she said that if they asked she would move the heavens if asked to.
He couldn't help but admire her for that.
"Naruto-san," She spoke up drawing him from his thoughts, "When I asked you about your precious people you mentioned your friends and those who needed your help but you never mentioned family, why?" Her questions caught him off guard.
He frowned, not at her but rather the topic itself, "I... I am an orphan Haku." He looked down at the grass at his feet so he missed the slight widening of her eyes, "I never met my parents and I don't have any family in the village so my friends are my precious people." He admitted
Amagi, Hinata, the Ichirakus, The Third, Kira, Shikari, Shino, Choji, Ino, Sakura, and even Satsuki, all of them had in their own ways turned his life around and he wasn't sure where he would be without them.
"I see... forgive me for prying Naruto-san." Her tone was apologetic and her head was bowed slightly, "I know how difficult talking of such things can be..."
He turned to face her, "Haku... are you?..."
She nodded confirming his thoughts from their last meeting, "I am an orphan as well, though I do remember my parents they are long gone." She said it with practiced ease as though she'd had to remind herself of such a fact regularly.
"They... passed when I was very young and for a while, I lived on the streets moving from place to place without purpose." She frowned clearly not fond of those memories, "Just when I was prepared to meet my end I met him... my most precious person."
She smiled fondly at the thought, "He took me in and gave me purpose once more... from that point on, I promised that I would do whatever it took to pay back that debt and help him achieve his own dreams. That is my goal, Naruto-san." She finished.
He nodded softly, "I'm sorry Haku-chan, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." He apologized but she waved him off with a gentle look.
"I shared willingly Naruto-san, please do not feel upset." She reassured him earning a soft smile from him in return.
"If that is the case then it's only fair if I share a bit about myself as well."
She seemed surprised but nodded turning her full attention to him.
He sighed, "Like I said I never met my parents so I grew up in the local orphanage until I was old enough to be given my own place, but I wasn't like the other children... I was... I am hated in my home." He admitted gaining a soft gasp from the woman by his side.
"But why Naruto-san, you seem like a kind person much kinder than tales of shinobi had led me to believe?" She frowned, the whiskered blond didn't strike her as particularly odd in any fashion and certainly not hateable even if he was a bit soft for a ninja.
Not that she had any right to speak of such things.
He grinned ruefully, "For reasons out of my control and that I'm still grappling with now, but for the longest time I grew up not knowing why the adults would whisper behind my back, and why they'd take their children away from me, or deny me service in their shops, no one thought it necessary to tell me."
Haku for her part remained silent as he spilled his tale but internally she felt her heart go out to the boy beside her, his own story running nearly parallel to her own.
"For a while, I thought I'd never find my place..." He then gave a bright smile "But I guess like you, I found people that became important to me and now I want to protect them, you included Haku-chan." He grinned happily at her his words full of the passion she'd come to associate him with.
"It seems as though we both have some rather poor memories, Naruto-san... forgive me if it sounds rude... but I find it slightly comforting to share such a thing with you." She admitted.
He couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassed expression finding it refreshing to see her caught off guard for once, "Its okay Haku-chan I think I feel the same way, and on the bright side I think we've made a positive memory here and that's what matters."
She giggled and laughed with him, she appreciated his positivity it took a certain strength to laugh at the troubles in one's life and still smile, many lost the will to do so in a world as cruel as their own.
A world she was very much a part of...
Naruto's laughter came to an end when Haku slowly rose to her feet her face set into a small frown, her normally soft features were uncharacteristically dark.
"I enjoyed our time today Naruto-san, but I fear it is time for me to go..." She spoke softly but he felt there was more to her words than he truly understood.
"I see." He nodded and stood, "Thank you for coming back I really enjoyed this, getting to know you I mean."
She gave him a demure smile one full of happiness but tinged with deep sadness, "Of course... life is a fickle thing the chances you don't take today may not be available for you tomorrow."
Under her sleeves, steel shifted slightly waiting for the command to sever the fragile strings of life. She stared at the boy standing before her and war raged in her heart.
She had her orders... he was an obstacle to her master plans, his desires...
"Naruto-san... I fear I may not have the opportunity to see you again." Her voice cracked slightly but her training allowed her to cover it though it did little to alleviate the guilt from the deflated expression upon his face.
"So if I may..." She stepped forward into his space and to his surprise gently wrapped her arms around him in a soft hug, pulling him close, "I'd like to leave here with no regrets..."
Normally he'd be seven different shades of red at her proximity, but the sadness in her voice stilled his embarrassment out of concern, "Haku-chan... I promise we'll see each other again this isn't goodbye." Once the bridge was safe he'd find her and they could talk again, maybe exchange letters or something.
She merely held him tighter hiding her face over his shoulder to conceal her pained expression.
Such a naive boy...
She pulled back and to his shock, placed her lips gently against his cheek her own warmth connecting briefly with his and offered him one last smile not full of her usual mischief but rather a grim resignation.
"I'd like that but be careful of the promises you make they won't always turn out the way you'd expect, Naruto-kun..."
Before he could respond she dashed away, ignoring his calls for her to come back.
Please… forgive me...
His encounter with Haku had left him in a less than stellar mood something his team seemed to pick up on upon his return with Sakura offering him concerned glances every so often and Satsuki outright ignoring him.
He was thankful for that right now, he didn't feel like having another outburst.
Why did she run and why did she make it sound like they could never see each other again?
Was she in trouble and if so why wouldn't she tell him?
The more he thought about it the more frustrated he became.
"Naruto," Kakashi called out to him, "I don't want to interrupt whatever has you worked up but I need you to calm down, tomorrow is the day and I can't have you going into battle sloppy."
He didn't want to be tough on the usually easy going blond but now was no time for a temper tantrum regardless of the circumstances.
Naruto blinked but nodded, right he had a mission to do and as much as he didn't like saying it Haku had to wait until after Zabuza was dealt with. Going into a fight like this distracted was a death sentence.
"Sorry, Sensei I'll be ready." He reassured his leader who nodded approvingly content that his student wasn't going to break down on him.
"Good, we leave at dawn tomorrow no doubt Zabuza will already be waiting for us, so make sure you have everything you need and get a good rest. That goes for you two as well." He gestured to Sakura and Satsuki who nodded and the trio excused themselves to prepare.
Round two was on the horizon.
Team Seven and Tazuna approached the bridge carefully, the early morning sun having only peeked over the horizon only an hour prior and true to their word they'd quickly left the house shortly after.
Bathed in the somewhat eerie light of dawn the natural fog that tended to consume the village seemed especially haunting and given their opponent they had every right to be on edge.
The group slowly but surely made their way through the mist, the soft earth beneath them giving way to cold hard concrete as they passed the threshold marking natural land from man-made design.
Their walk continued in silence, the quiet working both with and against them reducing the chance of something catching them off guard while simultaneously grinding against their nerves.
"Ugh... help... please..." A hoarse voice called out through the mist soon accompanied by more pained groans and whispers.
"Monster..."
"Demon..."
"Death..."
Then all at once, the voices stopped and the mist lifted if only slightly, to reveal dozens of bodies strewn about. Workers left dangling limply off the side of the half-finished bridge or cut up and left to bleed out along the dull concrete greeted them.
Kakashi narrowed his eye disturbed by the scene but pushing past his disgust to look for any sign of the culprit after all this scene had to have been laid out for them.
He didn't need to look very far.
Zabuza stepped out of this mist his massive blade seated firmly upon his shoulder its edge stained a dull crimson, a clear declaration of intent.
More blood would be spilled today.
"I was worried you might not show, perhaps you'd come to your senses and realize that this all wasn't worth the trouble." The blade-wielding mercenary grinned beneath his bandages, "I'm glad you proved me wrong."
From the mist, three copies of Zabuza emerged surrounding the group, each hunched over cleavers at the ready to butcher their opponents at a moments notice.
Kakashi tensed but maintained his generally jovial disposition, "Glad we could meet your expectations, perhaps we'll exceed them this time." He slid a kunai from his sleeve into his hand and gripped the handle tightly while he stared down his current adversary.
Zabuza chuckled, "Let's see how long you can keep that attitude up Kakashi, maybe seeing your brats cut down will give you a reality check." He raised his sword and the clones rushed forward their own blades drawn preparing to cut them to shreds.
Kakashi frowned, "Satsuki, go for it."
The Uchiha heiress nodded drawing two of her own kunai and disappearing in a sudden burst of speed falling upon the first of clones, sliding easily into its guard she drove her own kunai into its throat while keeping her momentum she pivoted on her heel and launched the two kunai right at the remaining clones the steel daggers sinking deep into the flesh of the clones dispersing them into harmless puddles of water moments before they could reach the rest of her team.
Finishing her rotation she drew another kunai and launched it directly at the real Zabuza who watched impassively as the throwing knife careened towards him.
Before the blade could reach its target it was plucked unceremoniously from the air by another familiar figure, the masked hunter-nin materializing from the dense fog held the blade harmlessly within the hand tossing it back at the Uchiha who caught it in turn, narrowing her eyes at the new arrival.
Zabuza seemed amused by the little game and turned slightly to his partner, "They've improved... they might almost prove worth your time."
The masked-nin said nothing for a moment before nodding, "Improved or not... they must be put down."
Zabuza offered his own nod of approval before turning back to Kakashi, "You and I have a score to settle, I hope your brats can hold out long enough, I'd like to watch them fall." He laughed darkly and drew his blade before falling back deeper into the mist knowing the Copy-ninja would find him for their final bout.
Kakashi frowned, "Sakura stay with Tazuna let nothing get passed you... Satsuki and Naruto I expect you to handle this." His instructions were met with determined nods from his team and with that he shot forward into the mist blitzing past the masked-nin who made no move to interrupt his charge.
Sakura hurriedly pulled Tazuna back knowing full well they'd only be liabilities in the battle to come.
Satsuki and Naruto watched their own opponent carefully, whoever they were they held an advantage in this encounter, likely familiar with fighting in the heavy mist not to mention the fact that they had been a witness of their first encounter with Zabuza giving them a general idea of their fighting styles and available jutsu.
Meanwhile, they knew next to nothing other than their opponent was skilled with senbon and judging by their earlier display was just as fast if not faster than they were.
Satsuki's eyes widened when the masked-nin vanished before them and she was forced to put up a hasty block against an incoming kick to her head, wincing as the bones in her arm strained under the sudden pressure.
By her side, Naruto tried to separate the two striking out at the masked-nin unprotected back but found himself attacking air as they vanished once more before he doubled over in pain with a fist found itself lodged firmly into his stomach.
Fighting through the pain he grabbed the offending fist and launched a counter-attack intending to drive his own fist right into his assailant's masked face but similarly found himself caught leaving the two deadlocked.
Satsuki grit her teeth and rushed in hoping to use the opening to put their masked opponent down quickly but was caught off guard when rather than try to escape the masked-ninja literally uprooted her teammate breaking his hold and tossing him into her catching them both off guard and sending them crashing harshly into the concrete.
Despite their surprise, they managed to roll to their feet just in time to avoid becoming pincushions small razor sharp needles sinking deep into the ground where they'd previously lain.
"This isn't working!" He growled, taking a moment to catch his breath.
Satsuki clicked her teeth, "Obviously... we need to limit his space, wear him down and end this fast." They were clearly outclassed in speed and their enemy was no slouch in the strength department.
If they wanted to win they needed to pin him down and end it in one shot.
He nodded and gathered his chakra.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Instantly the two were surrounded by henged clones, each armed with kunai and shuriken in hand and more than ready to swarm their target at a moments notice.
If they couldn't win through skill than they'd overrun their enemy.
"Charge!"
The clones raced forward in a sea of black and yellow as copies of the whiskered Uzumaki and raven-haired Uchiha stampeded their way towards the masked-ninja who merely braced themselves before meeting the hoard head on.
Untamed ferocity clashed with cold efficiency as the hoard tried relentlessly to bury their opponent under a tidal wave of kicks, punches, and knives. In the middle of the mosh pit, senbon stabbed and bored through clone after clone tearing through the opposition like paper, those that managed to avoid being implied found their lives cut short by precise blows.
Smoke melded with mist as more and more of the clones were dispelled obscuring any possible view of the action from those not within the eye of the brawl.
Within the crowd, Naruto and Satsuki watched and waited for an opening growing hopeful as they watched their opponent begin to tire and the clones grow more successful with each rush.
Just a little longer and they'd be able to move in for easy cleanup.
However, before their celebration could come to a head, the masked nin jumped high into the air their hands blurring through hand seals.
"Secret Technique: A Thousand Needles of Death!"
Pulling on the moisture from the mist hundreds of hair-thin liquid needles surrounded the masked-nin who took aim at the swarm below, the array of makeshift blades hanging still in the air, before with a single forward gesture, the cloud of needles began to rain down upon the defenseless army below cutting mercilessly through the previously successful clone assault.
Seeing the imminently approaching danger Naruto and Satsuki quickly bolted through the mass of dying clones using their bodies as shields to absorb as much of the damage as possible and reaching the edge nearly unscathed barring a few new pointed additions to their person that they'd been unable to avoid.
There went their easy victory...
The masked nin landed softly surveying their work, where once an army stood only two remained.
"I commend you," The Masked-nin spoke addressing them directly for the first time, "Your resolve is impressive... however I can not allow you to leave this bridge and interfere further." He paused and drew another volley of senbon, "I will do my best to finish this quickly"
The three stared each other down for a few moments before once more charging each other.
-With Kakashi and Zabuza-
Kakashi ducked and weaved his way out of Zabuza's strikes, his sharingan spinning wildly as it worked to predict incoming attacks but with the mist distorting his vision he couldn't rely solely on the eye.
*CLANG!*
The two locked up Zabuza's massive blade grinding against Kakashi's kunai while the two struggled to push one another back.
"I'm impressed Kakashi," Zabuza growled pushing harder against his opponent, "It seems your reputation isn't as exaggerated as it seems." The two broke apart and stood once more across from one another.
Kakashi nodded but never took his eyes off his opponent, "What's your goal Zabuza?" Ignoring the compliment to instead probe his enemy for information, "There are other jobs for a shinobi of your caliber so why risk so much here?"
Missing-nin above all else tended to value their lives more than even the money they could bring in, the fact that despite being nearly killed before Zabuza remained hinted at one of two things.
Either he was just that confident he could complete the job or...
There was a hidden motive.
To his credit, Zabuza gave nothing away merely leaning forward his sword draped dangerously along his shoulders, "If you have time to wonder about my motivations that than clearly, you aren't taking me seriously enough."
He growled and faded back into the mist his voice echoing from the thick miasma, "I'll work to correct that."
And with that, the time for talk was over and the sound of metal against metal rang out across the bridge once more...
-With Satsuki and Naruto-
"To your left!" She shouted.
Her teammate didn't hesitate and launched himself to his right narrowly avoiding being impaled by yet another barrage of seemingly endless needles.
The two were starting to look worse for wear, despite having slowed their opponent down somewhat they just couldn't match his speed, it was only their coordination that had prevented either of them from being completely overwhelmed.
At this rate, they would lose and if one of them went down even for a moment...
She balled her fist tight and made her way to his side the two subconsciously trying to cover their blind spots while their target employed hit and run tactics taking advantage of the thick mist.
"We can't keep this up much longer, Naruto." She could feel exhaustion setting in as she pried a few needles from her arm for once thankful for her shorter stature.
Naruto wasn't as lucky but thankfully seemed less bothered by the array of metal sticking into him though she imagined it was just as painful as it looked.
"I know..." He frowned, "I have an idea to force them out into the open, do you have any more explosive tags?"
She narrowed her eyes but nodded pulling out five kunai with tagged handles, "You aren't going to blow us all to kingdom come are you?"
Despite the situation, he chuckled, "I'm not that bad, but on my signal, I need you to set them off, low power just need a spark." He could practically feel her frown but if this worked then they'd have more room to breathe.
"Where?"
He grinned, "You'll see." He brought his hands up and formed a familiar cross seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Rather than summon another army, only 5 clones appeared surrounding the two in a star formation each.
"One for every clone Princess!" He shouted promoting the Uchiha to activate the tags before launching them in direction of each clone the knives sailing past them glowing a soft orange as their timers counted down.
"Now!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Five simultaneous shouts broke rang out as the five clones huffed out the technique propelling the knives outward just in time for the tags to count down.
From within the mist, beneath her mask, Haku's eyes widened and she made a mad dash away from what she knew was coming, chakra surging through her legs as she literally threw herself as far away as possible from the incoming explosion.
The tags blew in the epicenter of the respective wind tunnels and nature took over from there.
A roaring ring of fire exploded outward from the duo as the winds fed the flames which merged into one large tidal wave of crimson that simultaneously ate away at the moisture in the air and dispersed a large amount the mist surrounding them leaving nowhere to hide.
Feeling the residual heat from their combo Satsuki couldn't help but look on smugly, she doubted they actually finished their opponent with that but she would have paid to see the look on their face.
She also planned to question her blond teammate on where he'd pulled out a wind jutsu out of but filed that under things to do after they made it out of this.
That line of thinking reasserted itself as the fake Hunter-nin appeared once more though they'd quickly noticed the less than perfect state of their clothing, dark burned patches, and frayed sleeves informed them that he hadn't gotten away completely unscathed from their assault which brought them a small measure of satisfaction.
That was... unpleasant." The Masked-nin spoke evenly though they could detect a tinge of annoyance, "I can no longer afford to draw this out."
Satsuki clicked her teeth and drew her kunai, "Say that after you manage to take us out, right now I'd say we're pretty even."
"No..." The masked-nin brought their hands together in a familiar seal, "This ends now..."
"Water Style: Hidden Mist no Jutsu!"
Despite their efforts, the amount of water beneath them proved more than ample enough to overcome the pocket of dry air they'd created and within moments the two were once more drowned in a sea of blanket fog cutting off their sight lines.
"Secret Technique: Crystal Ice Mirrors!"
"What the..." Naruto's frown deepened when from the mist dozens of thin mirror-like objects emerged surrounding them in a sort of dome.
The Masked-nin stepped back and to their shock proceed to walk into the mirror behind them, their reflection suddenly appearing in each mirror, all staring down at them.
"Understand I take no joy in this..." Each reflection raised their arm in preparation, "But for the sake of my mission... I will cut you down here."
Satsuki gasped in pain as the two suddenly found themselves riddled with needles, the attack coming faster than they'd managed to register as the Masked-nin seemed to phase from mirror to mirror with each jump launching a new volley down at the now overwhelmed shinobi below.
"Do not resist."
"GAH!" Naruto screamed as more needles found a home in his flesh, digging painfully through his skin and cutting through his clothing.
"Give in please."
"AHHH!" She felt her nerves come alight in pain, the multitude of senbon taking their toll upon her limps anything that wasn't numb felt like it was on fire.
"Just let go."
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Naruto roared calling his chakra forward with such force that it pushed some of the senbon out of his skin, "Satsuki, fire!"
Pushing past the pain she nodded and the two ran through their own seals.
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball no Jutsu!/Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Wind combined violently with fire once more as the two techniques merged together mid-flight into a raging inferno that lit the bridge up in a brilliant display of gold and crimson that barreled without care into the wall of mirrors.
*BOOOM!*
In the middle Naruto and Satsuki shielded their eyes as smoke and steam rushed passed, the force of the explosion almost knocking them over if not for a quick application of chakra.
With bated breath, the two watched anxiously as the smoke began to clear the shroud of darkness lifting to reveal...
A few hairline cracks in the mirrors where the fire had struck directly but otherwise the technique held.
Satsuki felt her legs give from under her the pain, exhaustion, and now despair all hitting at once, "How..."
Were they really going to die here, is this as far as she could go?
"You fought honorably, as I said I take no pleasure in this... you just chose the wrong side." The Masked-nin spoke softly from the array of mirrors.
"And your side is right?!" Naruto growled fighting past his own exhaustion, "Trampling over those who want to live in peace... aiding a tyrant... throwing innocent lies away... is that what defines you?!"
"I am defined by the will of my master, I am the tool that will aid his ambitions. If I must kill my heart to do so..." There was a pause, "Then I will do what I must so that he may succeed." Their tone was resolute but there was an undercurrent of pain in their words.
Beneath the Mask unseen by all a single tear fell...
"I will remember you..."
Steel rained from the sky in waves and in turn blood painted the ground a dull red as Satsuki and Naruto tried and failed to deflect the never-ending assault.
Naruto fell to his knees after a particularly nasty volley managed to make its way into his calf, his leg going numb and sending him tumbling over.
"Get up, Idiot!" Satsuki screamed while deflecting yet another hail of senbon.
She had figured out that their target was jumping from mirror to mirror and was now working to figure out just where they were attacking from, with each move she'd slowly but surely gotten better at tracking the moves, the outline of their opponent growing more clear.
Right...up... left... right... lower left... upper right...
She never noticed her normal coal black eyes bleed red, two small tomoe appearing in her right while one appeared in her left.
Lower left... top right... straight across... behind...
The outline began to fill and the body shape became clear.
Bottom right, top left, straight across, lower left...
Next should be... there!
She could see the Masked-nin melt into the top right mirror and take aim, preparing for their next attack...
Right at Naruto's downed form!
She watched in muted horror as the needles flew her eyes watching in slow motion as the blades careened towards the blond who'd been left immobile.
He was wouldn't be able to move in time!
Naruto's felt his hair stand on end, despite not being able to see it, he could feel the attack coming but his legs refused to move no matter how much he screamed the limbs refused to obey.
This was it.
He closed his eyes, he would face it dignity if nothing else.
I'm sorry everyone...
He waited but nothing came, no pain, not even slight discomfort.
Drip... drip... drip...
He felt something wet and warm drip softly along his face, sliding down his cheeks and forcing him to open his eyes.
He wished he'd kept them closed.
"S-Satsuki!"
"I... I thought... you didn't give up... so easily... Idiot..." She laughed as blood leaked from the corners of her mouth, her ruby red eyes locked onto his own.
Standing leaned over him, having used her own body to shield his her back was littered with needles, needles that had been intended for him...
"Why?!" He caught her as she finally collapsed into his arms, holding her gently uncaring of the blood seeping into his clothes, "Why... why did you do it?!"
He never asked her to take a hit for him!
She gave him a weak smirk, "Don't know... my body just moved on its own..." She coughed hacking up gobs of blood as she did so, "Guess... I'm not as smart as I thought..."
Her vision was fading despite her best efforts to remain awake...
Is this what death was like?
"Hey..." She spoke softly never taking her eyes off of him, "Can I ask you something... before I go?..."
"Shut up! You aren't going anywhere!"
Hehe... Kami he was such a crybaby…
She laughed but it came out more like a wheezing gurgle, "Don't be stupid... just tell me..." She took his hand in hers, "Do you... did you hate me?..."
He sobbed and shook his head, "No! Of course not!"
She found the strength to smile even as her grip grew weaker, "I'm... glad... and I'm sorry... for everything..."
"Don't apologize, don't you dare do that now!" He shook violently as her eyes began to close, "You aren't going to die here! Do you understand me?!"
She ignored him, "Just so you know... I did see you as a friend ... so promise me... you'll live okay?...
Promise...
Her grip went slack and the light faded from her eyes, ruby orbs gradually fading back to black.
"Princess... Princess wake up!... Please... wake up!..." He sobbed into her cooling body trying desperately to share his own warmth with her.
...
"Is this the first time you've lost a comrade?" The Masked-nin's voice broke the silence, "She gave her life for yours... she has my respect even if ultimately it changes nothing."
Naruto grit his teeth in fury, "How dare you..."
Beneath his hoodie the seal upon his stomach flared, dark red wisps of chakra leaking maliciously from the ink.
"You..."
From behind the mask, brown eyes widened as blood red chakra erupted from the kneeling blond, the arcs of crimson energy trashed wildly, slamming into the mirrors with reckless abandon.
"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"
Haku gasped as the blond vanished and the sound of ice shattering assaulted her ears.
He'd broken a mirror... no he was breaking all the mirrors!
She watched in fear as the blond tore through mirrors like a rampaging beast not at all interested in escaping but with the sole purpose of finding her and making good on his promise.
She needed to put him down now!
She launched herself forward her arm bent and ready to strike but she'd made one fatal miscalculation.
She assumed she was still faster than he was.
Her eyes widened in shock and fear when she felt a clawed hand grab harshly onto her ankle a low growl being her only warning before her world erupted in pain.
So much pain!
Naruto roared in fury as he slammed his teammates killer into the ground, cracking the concrete below as he used their body like a bludgeon beating them into the ground.
One slam, two slams, three slams, four!
"RAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Haku couldn't even scream the pain was so immense, she felt her bones crack and shift as she was mercilessly beaten before a feeling of weightlessness overtook her.
He'd thrown her...
She hit the ground face first her mask thankfully taking the full brunt of the impact and her body rolled dangerously approached the edge of the bridge she flooded her system with what little chakra she had left just barely avoiding falling into the sea below.
Looking into the burning red eyes peering down at her though... perhaps it would have been better if she had.
She could offer no resistance as the blond pulled her up harshly by her collar, his slit eyes reflecting nothing but anguish and raw rage.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered.
She truly was, she never wanted any of this she didn't want to hurt anyone... but she had, she'd taken away that which was precious to another and so she'd accept the consequences.
Despite his rage, he paused, ignoring the voice screaming in his ear demanding vengeance, demanding blood.
"Then why did you do it?..."
She noted his voice was guttural, just as animalistic as the rest of him appeared, but even then he was still the boy he'd come to know.
"...Because my precious person asked me to."
She saw him stiffen and reach for her now damaged mask, clawed fingers moving with a softness almost impossible to imagine given his earlier savagery. She offered no resistance as he removed the only cover to her identity and allowed herself to look unhindered into his own slit eyes.
"Haku? What...why?!"
She offered a pained smile, "Because there is nothing I wouldn't do for him."
"Zabuza is your precious person." He whispered more to himself than her, "Why would you follow him? Why would you follow that monster!" His anger returned but it was tinged with confusion.
"I told you, he gave me purpose again..." Her smile never fell even as he held her life in his hands, "I did not lie to you when I said I was an orphan, however, I did not tell you the full story."
He didn't interrupt her so she continued, "I was born with a curse, a curse my mother passed down onto me, my full name is Haku Yuki, of the Yuki clan, wielders of Ice Release."
"My family was from Mizu no Kuni, a place of prejudice and hate for those who carry 'devils blood' their word for bloodlines. My mother managed to flee undiscovered and met my father on her travels out of the country, she fell in love and decided that she'd run far enough, after all, no one knew she carried the bloodline so she should be safe."
Haku smiled ruefully, "If I could I wish I could have told her to keep running."
Naruto listened quietly his eyes having returned to their usual deep blue through his pupils maintained their slit appearance.
"Life took its course and eventually they had me and for a time things were good... until my bloodline decided to manifest inside of me. In my joy, I showed my mother who looked at me in horror before striking me and telling me I must never use my ability again, especially in front of my father."
Her smile fell and Naruto felt a heavy pit form in his stomach, "I followed her rules but somehow my father still found out... he arrived in our home with a mob and grabbed my mother... she pleaded to him to remember the love they had for one another, that she wasn't a monster but the woman he loved..."
"He killed her anyway." Tears leaked from her eyes as she remembered the lifeless form of her mother, "Then he moved to me, his own child meant less than rumors and he was going to end my life just as he did my mother."
"I wish I could say he had a change of heart and banished me, or gave his life to let me escape... but I've never been so fortunate." Her smile returned but he could see how forced it was, "In my panic, my bloodline acted in my defense and I... I killed everyone there." She admitted.
"I wandered the streets for days with nothing to my name except the blood on my hands and nothing to live for..." She looked at him, "Can you understand? Not having a dream… not being needed by anyone… The pain of merely being alive?"
He nodded and she smiled with sorrow, she knew why his eyes reminded her so much of her own... under that smile she'd seen pain.
"Then you are aware... that the most painful thing in this world… is knowing that your existence is not needed... that you mean nothing to anyone..."
Her gaze grew resolute, "He saved me from that, he gave me purpose again and for that, I willingly became his tool."
"However, I have failed... I am a broken tool... I could not follow through with my master's will." She frowned, "There is no place for broken tools in this world, Naruto." She placed her hand around his, "So I am asking you not as your enemy but as a fellow shinobi."
"Please... kill me."
His eyes widened at her request, "What?!"
She nodded, "It is as I said there is no need for broken tools in this world... if I can not be of use to him than I'd rather die than become a burden."
He couldn't understand that! How could she make such a request?!
"I-I'm not going to kill you Haku!"
She tilted her head, "Even though I am responsible for own teammates death?" She saw him flinch at the reminder while his grip became unsteady and she lamented sadly that all she'd ever accomplished in life was bringing others pain.
"Please... if you could find it in you to grant me this one kindness" She smiled softly as though to reassure him, "I think I could go in peace."
He shuddered at her graceful acceptance.
How could a person be so serene when asking for death?!
He dropped her allowing her body to fall like a puppet with its strings cut, his face scrunched up in anger, "No! It doesn't have to end that way, no one else has to die!"
She couldn't help but laugh drawing his attention, "You are a terrible shinobi Naruto-kun... but I think that makes you special."
She paused when the crackle of lightning reached her ears, a soft blue glow shining through the mist like a beacon. Her heart pounded in her chest at the sight that filled her with anxiety.
"Forgive me Naruto-kun, it seems I can still be useful."
He barely had time to register her words before she'd sprung into a sprint, defying her protesting bones and sputtering coils as she ran towards the light, the mist parting in her wake as the form of Kakashi and Zabuza came slowly into view.
Her eyes narrowed as the Copy-ninja sprinted at the immobilized form of Zabuza, his hand covered a ball of screeching electricity that cracked and cackled aimed directly as Zabuza's heart.
She wouldn't allow it!
Kakashi's sharingan eye widened as the false Hunter-nin slowly came in between his target, the dojutsu capturing their every step in vivid detail giving him a hauntingly close view of the resigned but contented smile upon their face as they sprinted between the charged plasma coating his hand and his opponent.
He would run through her like paper.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Kakashi, Zabuza, and Haku were unprepared for the hurricane-like winds that slammed into them, the sudden gust blew Kakashi's aim off his technique glancing past his new targets torso, shocking her but sparing her the pain of being impaled.
That was a small mercy to the sensation the three experienced of being scattered in the current and thrown onto the pavement.
Haku's vision swam with tears as her body twitched and spasmed upon the cold hard floor, her hands clutching her new burns tightly trying to gain some measure of relief, the punishment her body suffered finally proving too great to overcome as consciousness began to slip away.
Through her tears she caught sight of Zabuza slowly rising to his feet, his bandages falling away leaving his face uncovered.
She took comfort in the knowledge that she'd proved useful one last time before her eyes rolled into her head and she knew no more...
Zabuza stared down at the downed form of Haku, his face set into a small almost unnoticeable frown.
"Haku... a fine tool indeed..."
Kakashi groaned and tried to regain his balance, he'd put his all into that last jutsu and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to keep this up.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the culprit for their sudden airborne adventure rush forward taking in his charges altered appearance, had the Kyuubi begun influencing the boy?...
"Sensei! Are you alright?!"
Well influenced or not at least he appeared to be in control.
He sighed as the blond approached and helped him to his feet, allowing the larger man to rest against him, "I'm okay, but why are you here? Where is Satsuki?"
Naruto frowned and looked away guilt clear in his eyes, "She... she took a hit for me..."
"I see..." Outwardly he did not react but he could feel his fist clenching in fury, unfortunately, his body did not have the energy to act on his anger and he knew that anger had no place on the battlefield.
That didn't make his failure any less poignant.
"Looks like I owe you a thank you brat." The gruff voice of Zabuza brought the two back to attention, drawing an irate look from Kakashi and one of pure anger from the blond, "I was in quite a bind, but you and Haku proved invaluable."
"You would have made for a good tool." He praised
Naruto growled at the word, it set his blood alight at the causal way Zabuza seemed to dismiss just how far Haku was willing to go for him, "Is that all you see people as?... As things for you to use!?"
He snarled his eyes bleeding back to crimson, "She killed herself on the inside for you... nearly gave her life for you... and you don't even care!"
Zabuza glared at the mouthy brat, "What do you think ninja are boy?! We are all tools, we serve our villages as weapons to be used and discarded at a whim." He sneered revealing shark like pointed teeth, "To throw away our humanity is what it means to be a shinobi, Haku knew that."
"I refuse to believe that!" He roared back, "Being a ninja doesn't have to mean we forget who we are that we forget how to feel! You were with her for so long... so how is it that you don't seem to know her at all?!"
"Watch your tone brat!" He snarled.
Naruto was long past caring about threats however, "She is more than you'll ever be... She never lost sight of who she was even when you were pulling her down trying to make her into something she wasn't." His eyes locked sadly onto the motionless body of the girl in question.
"You don't deserve her."
Zabuza was quiet his eyes locked onto the child he'd raised from a scared little girl to a young lady...
Zabuza-sama look what I found! It made me think of you hehe~
He'd never bothered to compliment her...
Zabuza-sama I did it, soon I'll be able to be of use to you!
Had he fallen so far that he'd lost sight of why he was on this path?...
I'll serve you to the end of my days, Zabuza-sama!
He glared back into those defiant blue eyes, "You are a weird one you know that... you are just like her, to soft for your own good." Despite his harsh words, there was an undercurrent of respect there, "But you're right... I don't..." Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by the sound of sarcastic clapping coming from the end of the bridge.
"How touching, is the 'Demon' having a change of heart?" A sleazy voice called out from the mist interrupting the moment between them, "You really are worthless." Gato stepped out from the mist, behind him a small army of thugs armed to the teeth waited with confident grins, "It would be a waste to pay you when I can just do the job myself for free."
Zabuza growled, "So that's how you want to play this..."
Gato smirked, "I'm a businessman Zabuza, you can't get anywhere without capitalizing on the opportunities presented to you!"
Zabuza clicked his teeth in annoyance, he should have seen this coming, "Kakashi, it appears I have no more reason to fight you."
Kakashi sighed shook his head, "You couldn't have decided that before we were all tired and exhausted?"
Zabuza smirked, "Now where would the fun be in that?" He turned his gaze to the blond, "Brat lend me a kunai would ya, this was my job and I'll finish it."
Naruto frowned but nodded and tossed a kunai to the injured shinobi who caught it between his teeth, his arms having long since become too weak to hold his famed blade.
Zabuza smirked around the blade as he began to hobble towards the approaching thugs, "Also... brat, I need you to do me one last favor...from one shinobi to another." He called taking a look over his shoulder at the boy who'd reminded him what it meant to be human.
That was worth acknowledging.
"Take care of her for me, and tell her... tell her I'm sorry that I couldn't be better..."
He didn't wait for a reply as he summoned what strength he had left to mount a final charge, his chakra forming the infamous shroud that had earned him the nickname, 'Demon of the Hidden Mist'"
"RAHHHHH!"
Gato watched with horror as his men fell like flies those that hadn't run off in terror found themselves being gutted like animals, falling one by one and painting the ground with their blood.
Zabuza smiled through the pain as his body was littered with all manner of swords, knives, spears, and daggers anything the thugs could get their hands on to try and put him down, but he just wouldn't stop.
Not until they were all dead.
"How?! How are you standing?! Why the hell won't you just die?!"Gato raged as he crawled away in fear from the looming shinobi towering over him, How had it all gone so wrong?!
"Because you and me... we have an appointment to keep, one that's long overdue!" Gato screamed as cold steel ripped into him, his life-sustaining liquid pouring from his wound.
"I'll be looking for you in hell." Zabuza placed his foot on the dying tyrants head ignoring the dying man's curses and pleas, "Try not to cause too much trouble before I get there."
Gato could only wheeze out a choked reply, his beady bloodshot eyes stuck in an expression of agony before all at once his body went limp, and the life faded from his prone form.
Gato was dead and Wave was finally free...
Zabuza looked on impassively at the dead body of his former employer, his own vision growing fuzzy and unsteady as his wounds began to take their toll on him.
His time was almost up...
He shuffled his way back... back to Haku's side where Naruto and Kakashi were guarding both the path to the village and the still unconscious body of his charge.
Soon to be ex-charge.
Naruto frowned and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the gruff ninja, "Save your breath kid... I've made my peace, no use crying over it."
He looked down at the serene face of his charge her soft features blurring as he grew closer to the end, "Haku..." He took her smaller hand in his "I know you're gonna tear yourself to pieces for this... but I know you'll find a new purpose one day... I couldn't be more proud of you and I'm sorry that I never got the chance to tell you that."
He turned to the duo at his side specifically the boy he'd entrusted his daughter in all but blood to, "I have no business saying this given my actions... but if you hurt her know that when your time comes I'll be there to personally drag you to hell myself."
"I promise that I won't let anything happen to her."
"Hmph... good."
Zabuza sighed as darkness began to overtake him, "I'm glad I met you... to have the chance to die not as a demon... but a human being... I thought I'd lost that right long ago."
"I guess even monsters can have a second chance..."
And with a smile on his face, Zabuza the Demon of the Hidden Mist, passed away not as a weapon...
But as a man.
"Sensei..." Naruto spoke softly looking at the now dead legend before them, "Was he right... about ninja just being tools, is that all we are?"
Kakashi sighed, "It's complicated, but in many ways, he wasn't wrong." As cruel as it sounded that was the life of a shinobi, to protect, serve, kill and die for one's home.
It was a harsh system but it was the one they had.
"I see..." He frowned, "I hope one day... that it doesn't have to be like that anymore."
Kakashi nodded by his side, "I would like to see that day."
"Sensei?"
"Yes, Naruto?
"I'm going to pass out now."
"Understandable, get some rest."
He was out like a light shortly after.
AN. Chapter complete!
I'm so, so tired lol. There was a lot in this chapter and I think of every chapter I've written it had the most in it both combat wise and story wise. I'm happy to get it out but at the same time looking at it almost hurts now.
I also want to apologize for the abrupt ending or if things feel a bit rushed or sporadic but due to hard personal stuff going on that I will touch upon at the end I kind of hard to wrap everything up somewhat suddenly. If there are major problems with the chapter (grammar, wrong name in a situation, etc) please PM me so I can fix it when I get a chance
So let's keep going with a super long AN to unpack everything because you know we gotta do it, as always I will be going in the order in which events occur as per usual.
Starting off with number one!
Naruto and Satsuki and their moments (Both their mini-spar and their bridge moment)
So as I mentioned Wave was very much the chapter where we were really going to see the dynamic between the two fleshed out and expanded upon and I think over the course of this Arc you all got to see a lot of who Satsuki is and what makes her tick.
I know some people might moo a bit and be upset that she came right out with the fact that she acknowledges Naruto as more than her rival and that she didn't stubbornly hold onto that fact but keep in mind she is/was fully invested in the idea she was going to die at that moment.
If there is ever a time to stop being stubborn and admit how you feel, even just a small bit, it's on your deathbed and be fair it wasn't a confession of undying passion or anything so keep calm lol.
Now how is this going to play out when the two meet again... well that's for the next chapter isn't it~
Number two!
Haku... just Haku in general, oh my god...
Firstly yes I am aware I write 'he' during the battle even though Haku is a she. Its because they don't know so they default to he, I know someone would yell about it so I'm noting it here.
So being upfront without saying too much just yet, you all were very passionate about Haku and of the three options, number 1 received the LEAST amount of votes by a mile which actually surprised me a bit but hey it is what it is.
So without going too into it congrats, you all saved Haku from death.
Yes, I was going to kill her even with how I structured the interactions between them Haku would have died on that bridge regardless. However, you all threw that plan into a bin and lit said bin on fire so she lives!
Here have a cookie.
Now about which vote between 2 and 3 won... I'll talk about that down below when we get to the harem stuff.
So in regards to her character like I said I wanted to give Haku a more mature, teasing kind of character since she is a bit older and more experienced (worldly I mean) but I don't want people to mistake that for love at first sight or anything. She has an interest in Naruto but she isn't in love with him.
Not yet anyway.
"But what about the kiss!" I hear you type angry that I've fallen to the fanservice and the tropes. Hold your biddies.
Haku went into that encounter knowing that there were two possible outcomes. Either Team Seven loses (meaning Naruto dies) or Zabuza loses (they die), there was no happy ending there so she followed her own advice and took a chance, one small thing for herself and a memento/apology to him for whatever would happen on that bridge.
She didn't account for his stubbornness.
This doesn't mean they are going to hook up immediately by any means it was a character acting in a moment of stress and they'll have their time to build a more concrete relationship.
And yes, she was singing Blue Bird, I was listening to it while working to calm me down so there you go Haku sings lol
Next up, the fights (This one will be short).
Okay, this was probably my least favorite part of writing mainly because I'm very well aware I'm not good at writing fight scenes, I can only think of so many ways to say two people hit each other without running out ideas so I hope they turned out at least okay.
I can not wait until we get later in the series and I can justify people just throwing jutsu around lol. Damn you chakra capacity and just general realism.
I didn't focus on Kakashi and Zabuza's fight because we've already seen that and I wanted to focus on Naruto, Satsuki, and Haku's fight.
If you like them great, happy you did! If you didn't I totally understand and believe me I am right alongside you.
Moving on, Sakura's lack of presence in this chapter.
Easy, she'd actually die in like two minutes. Be aware I had Haku bumped in power a lot here seeing as Naruto and Satsuki are both pretty strong and she still tossed them around, Sakura will prove herself later after she's spent more time training but right now she just isn't where she needs to be.
Come Chunin exams though and we'll see.
Up next, Zabuza and the change of heart.
I know Zabuza's change was abrupt but in fairness, it was abrupt in the show as well so there wasn't much I could really do unless people wanted me to take the time to slowly chip away at Zabuza's persona for a whole chapter. I don't like to rush stuff but there is only so much that can be done.
Last up for story content is, where did the scene with Inari and the village showing up to drive off the thugs go.
Honestly, I just thought it was more fitting to have Zabuza kill them all, I'll still have Naruto's words have an impact on the village but I had more important stuff to cover. I will address it next chapter.
Now onto general stuff, this will cover things I want to say and some questions I've received.
1. Didn't you say you were going to finish up Wave here?
That was the plan yes! However my plans had to change due to the fact that I will be away for a few days (out of state) due to a sudden death in my family and I wouldn't have finished in time and I just wanted to get this chapter out before I go.
So I'd guess the first half of the next chapter will be the last bit of wave and we'll move back to Konoha.
2. Will we be jumping right into the Chunin Exams now that Wave is finished?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
No.
For real though I want to have a bit of a cool down period to just do some fun side stuff for a chapter or two (similar to the team training chapters) while I get settled in and just take a break from the heavy story stuff. I know the story is long but at this point, I've just embraced it and hey you get to have more time with characters you like so win-win.
3. With the romance options pretty much locked in when will we be seeing pay off to them and who will be the first official girl story wise?
I actually plan to start ramping that up a bit, not to super fan service levels to be clear, but just to get that ball rolling a bit faster, I'd say expect it to start up a lot during and after the Chunin exams (at least for some of the characters not all.)
As for who will be first, I'm tempted to leave that up to a vote just to see what happens but I'll hold off on that for now since obviously, we don't want spoilers. (Though by all means leave your thoughts lol)
4. Have you come to a stance on lemons yet?
Still, haven't made a choice I know some people have approached my subtly (and not so subtly lol) endorsing it but I still haven't really come to an answer on that. I know many people read this for the character interactions and while yes a lemon technically is an interaction between characters I'm not so sure that falls into the same category.
It's still a while off before it would even show up in the story anyway so eh, there is plenty of time to think on it, if you are curious on how I write lemons (because I know there are some pretty bad ones around) you can check out my other story and make a judgment call.
Though do keep in mind that story is smut and any lemons here would be much tamer.
probably...
ANYWAY MOVING ON!
TIME FOR HAREM INFO STARTING OFF WITH THE RESULTS FOR HAKU!
So I read all your reviews and I do mean ALL of the reviews and I was genuinely surprised.
So I already spoke about how option number 1 was the least popular by far so there isn't really a need to cover it at all, it was mostly peoples back up choice if they couldn't get another option.
So it came down to options 2 and 3 and boy were you all pretty split.
Unlike with Ino where a majority of people pretty much had the same opinion which was "Keep Tayuya" a lot of you were actually willing to give her up this time.
A lot of you were also just like give Haku her own slot and while initially, this group was pretty much a landslide victory option 2 gained a ton of ground.
That left me with a choice, one that I am still making both sides have good points and since no matter what happens Haku will still be part of the harem regardless I think that taking a bit of time to make sure I pick the best option for the story is best.
Know I only do this because the two were pretty close and both affect the story in major ways.
So as it stands now this will, generally speaking, be the harem until I decide what to do with Tayuya:
Hinata
Shikari
Kira
Satsuki
Fem. Garra (name still pending)
Haku
*Tayuya (Because option 2 is still on the table)
Thank you all so much for voting and sharing your love of these characters It means a lot and I hope to do them justice!
Small note and this doesn't apply to like 99% of you but to those few individuals who somehow think yelling at me will cause me to change the pairing options, it won't.
Keep in mind I'm saying people who screech at me and slag the story off because their favorite girl wasn't added, not people who are disappointed but are still respectful, I understand disagreement and by no means want people to think they can't state that disappointment.
So to clarify for the people who apparently haven't read why I imposed a limit on the girls:
I don't just throw a ton of women in because guess what? I am the one who actually has to sit down and make them worth reading about!
If the women in my stories were nothing more than eye candy for Naruto to put his leg over and I didn't care about making them important in any way then sure I'd put everyone in! Problem is they aren't just eye candy, they are people and people need to be written as actual complex characters, they have to interact with others not just including their love interests, they have to have wants, goals, dreams, fears, etc.
So no, I am not just going to remove the cap and put whoever people yell about in, either accept the list or go read a story that has the character you want if it's that important to you, but yelling at me isn't going to magically change anything.
For those who want to cite "Well you made an exception for Haku!" as an excuse, you ignore the fact that Haku had to pass a vote just like every other character in the harem barring one (Hinata) did. If your fav character isn't in the list then obviously they didn't get the votes needed to secure a spot!
Sorry about the small rant but it becomes annoying having people complain endlessly when many others including myself don't get to see characters they like. I would have loved to have Temari, Samui, Kin, Anko, Shizune, Yugito, etc be a part of it but don't feel the need to throw a fit because like most of you I understand that things can get out of hand if you don't impose some limits.
(This mainly guest reviews so I can't even try and be reasonable with them since I can't message them back to discuss)
Anyway super long AN over, I am very tired, somewhat stressed and need a rest on top of needing to prepare for my trip so not sure when I'll see you but hopefully, it isn't very long!
Hopefully hehe...
Take care, everyone!