Hello! Some of you may be surprised with the speed of which I updated this fic! Well, I've been doing some thinking. I've had plenty of fun with my other fics and want to give them plenty of love.

But I feel that this one is different. I have decided to give this one priority. While work will continue on all the others, I wish to stay more consistent in updating this fic. I will do my best to make this the best story I can possibly make it.

So, thank you, and enjoy!

Naruto pulled out a kunai. He wasted no time, creating more Kage Bushin to defend each member of Tazuna's family. Normally, Naruto would have charged in. But after witnessing Zabuza's power, so much more than his own life was at stake. "I would have hoped you quit." The masked ninja said out of the blue.

"Huh?" The masked shinobi pulled off his mask, showing his true self to Naruto, whose eyes widened. "Haku?"

"Yes." Haku said. "I am sorry for the deception, but I had to study you."

"You work for Gato?!"

"I work for Zabuza-sama! Gato is just a means for survival." The feminine boy snapped.

Naruto trembled slightly. "I don't want to fight you."

Haku gave no reaction as he fastened his mask back on. "No one does." Haku suddenly appeared right next to Naruto, faster than he was ready to defend. Haku was about to stab him in the neck, but Naruto threw his arm up and deflected him with the kunai.

Though Haku was caught a bit off guard, he remained stoic. "It seems you have some skill after all." Naruto threw some shuriken from his right, but Haku easily deflected them. The blonde then charged at him with a roundhouse and straight punches, none of which could get past Haku's guard. "Predictable!" Haku parried one of his punches, and sent him into the water with a thrust kick. Haku followed through, throwing several more needles into the water.

"Get him!" One of the other bushin said.

"Is the real one among them?" Haku ducked under their strikes, grabbing one by the ankle and knocking him into his partner, then spin kicking the third. In mid-air, Haku threw three needles, nailing each one in the neck. All three vanished. "Then I did get the real one?" Haku looked to the family and the river. "A delayed reaction, perhaps?

Nothing came up. Just the movement of a cockroach, , moving up the wall.

Satisfied, Haku addressed the family. "Come with me peacefully. Gato wants you all alive…for now." Tazuna only growled, placing himself in front of his family, but unsure how to protect them.

"Not in this lifetime!" Suddenly Naruto dropped from the ceiling, having transformed into the roach while Haku dealt with his clones, and caught Haku by surprise. Him dropping down on Haku was enough to throw the ninja off balance, and Naruto managed to punch him across the face.

Haku stumbled, and stared at him. "Impressive. That was transformation, wasn't it? Your bushin were just distractions. You will not trick me again!"

Naruto charged with a kunai, clashing with Haku's needle. Haku slipped past his guard, managing to knick his cheek. Naruto turned and kicked, but Haku blocked. "I can't hit him…but I can hold him off!" "Everyone, RUN!" The family ran.

"The tunnel goes through the sewers and out an aqueduct." He remembered Kakashi telling them before sending them inside. "If there's an emergency, evacuate through there."

Naruto tried tackling Haku, but he grabbed him by the jacket, and threw him down on the floor. Naruto sat up and threw a kunai, but Haku flickered away. "Huh?"

Haku appeared behind him. "Too slow!" Naruto rolled out of the way, Haku managing to cut his jacket. Naruto threw some straw at him, which Haku simply swatted away. "Zabuza-sama warned me about you. After all this, though, I'm not sure why."

"AGH!" Naruto ran towards him, trying to hit him. Haku moved to the side and kicked him back. "That's enough. I don't have time to play with you." Haku made some hand signs with one hand. And it ended with his index finger pointed while his knuckles were curled.

"What sign is that?" Naruto wondered.

"Hyo Yari no Jutsu (Ice Spears)!" Naruto felt a cool mist around him, and he felt something cut him across the thigh, causing him to kneel. Naruto felt other ice spears cut him across the body, severing his tendons and bringing him to his knees. Naruto tried to rise, but he couldn't.

Haku slowly approached him. Kneeling to his level, he cupped his chin. "I like you." He said. "You are clumsy, obnoxious, and quite stupid." Naruto's eyes shimmered at the hit to his ego, but he did not respond. "Yet you are also kind, determined, and strong in your own way. I admire that." Under his mask, Haku frowned. "It could have been my life, once." Naruto felt the touch on his chin tighten. "Forget about them, forget your team. Please…run. Someone as pure as you has no place in the shinobi world." Haku took back his hand and smacked Naruto in the face, knocking him out.

Sakura ran through the park and found Sasuke running towards her. "Sasuke-kun!"

"Did you handle everything on your end?"

"Yeah!" Sakura nodded. "You?"

"It went fine." Sasuke thought back to the samurai he burned. He squinted his eyes, pushing it to the back of his mind. "Let's go check on Naruto and the others."

"Right!"

The two ran into the park, and found the manhole through which they could enter. It was gone, and replaced by a block of ice. "Oh no!" Sakura shouted, cupping her cheeks. "How did they find them?"

"Sakura, stand back!" Sakura did so, as Sasuke stepped forward. He made the signs for his signature for his technique. "Goukakyu no Jutsu!"

"Hurry, we're almost there!" Tazuna urged his family. The light at the aqueduct was clear. They hurried up…and Haku suddenly appeared before them.

Before words could be exchanged, he threw his needles. Each one hit each member of the family near the jugular, and they fell down. They were temporarily paralyzed; Gato wanted them alive, and Haku was trained well to follow his orders to the letter. Haku picked each one of them up ,putting Inari over his back. The mist swirled around him, and he was gone.

Kakashi dropped his caltrops as he cartwheeled away from one of Zabuza's slashes. The Kubikiribocho followed him, causing Kakashi to stumble into the water barrier. The pressure and speed was great; if not for his ninja attire, it could have blasted his skin off. The Kubikiribocho found him again, and as he dodged, it nicked him in the shoulder. "Ngh!" Kakashi put pressure on the wound. "It must be a good few centimeters wider than last time!"

"How does it feel, Kakashi?" Zabuza asked. "You've relied on that sharingan too much. It grants you incredible powers, but until you learn how to operate in real, pure darkness, you will never learn to truly see!"

Kakashi suddenly felt the hilt of Zabuza's blade against his throat, pushing him back. Despite him losing his breath, he pushed it down and punched Zabuza in the face. The assassin stumbled, and Kakashi went on the offensive. He followed up with a knee to the head, throwing Zabuza off further. Kakashi had to wrap this up. He quickly made his hand signs, the same as his star student. "Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Kakashi pulled his mask down and shot forth flames. The fire would have incinerated anyone if they hit. However, they had an unintended side effect: the fire caused the light to refract against the mist and reflect the light back into Kakashi's eyes. Kakashi shut both of his eyes quickly, the light was absolutely blinding.

"I was hoping you would make a tactical mistake like that!" Zabuza rushed Kakashi, swinging the kubikiribocho…and Kakashi was cut, his body forced into the swirling water and taken for a spin. "Farewell, Hatake. You were a worthy opponent." He dispelled the prison, Kakashi's body falling into the bay below.

Fastening his sword on his back, Zabuza strode towards Gato, who awaited him on the other side of the bridge. "Excellent, Zabuza-san!" Gato said, clapping. "I'd say you've redeemed yourself!"

"I make good on my assignments." Zabuza bragged. He noted the contraption to Gato's left. It looked like a large metal ball, hollow inside judging by the hatch on the side. "I wonder what you are planning, Gato?"

The ice barrier took longer than it should have; Sasuke had to make three more fireballs just to make the ice thin enough to break. Either he was off today, or the ice was extremely thick. Sasuke and Sakura descended into the sewer below, rushing to where Naruto was supposed to be. They found their orange-clad friend collapsed, but they didn't find Tazuna or his family. They feared the worst, but Naruto was their priority at the moment. "Naruto!" Sakura shouted in concern.

Sasuke ran up to him, quickly checking his pulse. "He's fine, he's just knocked out!" Without hesitation, he slapped Naruto across the face with the back of his hand. "Wake up, Naruto!"

"Ngh!" Naruto grunted. Without complaint, he forced himself up with great effort.

"What happened?"

"The fox guy." Naruto replied. "He beat me. I…I'm sorry."

"Let's not give up hope just yet!" Sasuke said. "Did they run for the aqueduct, like Kakashi told them?"

"They did."

"Let's be sure they got away."

Team 7 reached the end of the pipe. "They're gone!" Sakura said. "Do you think they actually got away?"

Sasuke leaned down and inspected the mud at their feet. He found the impressions of at least three people, two adults and one child judging by the size. "No. They fell. They must have been struck."

Naruto looked distraught at his declaration. "You mean…he got them?"

"Yes…but they may yet be alive." Sasuke noted. "There isn't a drop of blood. If Gato wanted them dead right here, I don't think he would bother covering it up."

"You may be right, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said, palming her fist. "Gato wanted to profit off the bridge! He may be giving Tazuna one last chance!"

"Where then?" Sasuke wondered.

Naruto just stared out to the bay. "I think it is the bridge itself!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to it.

"Do you know this for a fact?" Sakura asked seriously.

"No." Naruto answered. "And yet I'm certain that's where they are!"

"We don't have any other leads." Sasuke said, shrugging. "Worst case scenario, we'll find Kakashi and he'll help us track them down."

"That big sword guy, though. He'll be there too." Naruto said. He suddenly turned to Sakura. "Sakura! We need you to gather as many of the islanders as possible!"

"W-what?!" Sakura stuttered. "Oh, the nerve of this guy! To give ME orders!" Her inner-self thought.

"Even if we get rid of Gato, his mob will still be here after we leave. We may win the battle, but we will lose the war if someone else takes his place after we leave!" Naruto looked back out. "Besides, if the sword guy and Haku are out there…they prepared for Kakashi-sensei. We may have to prepare for the worst." Both Sasuke and Sakura looked at him in surprise. It was almost like he was suddenly becoming the leader of their squad. "Sakura, you need to get the islanders to fight. I don't know how, but somehow you have to find a way. We'll be waiting for you at the bridge!"

"If we're all in agreement, let's get going." Sasuke nodded.

As he and Sasuke got going, Sakura suddenly said "Naruto!" The two stared back at her. "I'll do it! But just know, for the future, neither of you are going to leave me behind! Got it!?" The two boys looked at each other, and nodded, smiling at her. Sakura took off in the opposite direction.

Zabuza and Gato observed Haku coming into view, carrying Tazuna's family on his shoulders. He set them down, and removed his needles. All three gasped loudly, struggling to rise as their mobility returned. "Why, Tazuna!" Gato said, tapping his fancy cane on the concrete. "It's a pleasure to finally meet your family! If only you invited me to dinner sooner!" Tazuna just glared daggers at him, the yakuza coming behind and restraining them. "Do you know what it's like to drown?" Gato asked, looking back into the sea. "I don't either. From what I understand, it's pretty bad at first. You hold your breath, until you can't. Then the water seeps into your body, it fills your lungs and heart. Sounds like a bad way to go." Gato pointed his cane behind them. "And if you don't sign over your rights, that's exactly how you and your family are going to wind up! That sub sphere behind you isn't water proof; we drilled quite a few holes inside. I'd give each of you a couple of minutes max before it completely floods once we push you overboard."

Gato reached into his suit, and unfolded a piece of paper. One of his men came with a small knife, preparing to seal it with blood. "Last chance! Sign it, and our feud ends!" Tazuna looked to his daughter and grandson. He growled, then sighed in defeat. Tazuna simply nodded.

Gato signaled his men to let him go, and Tazuna began to step forward. The two elders faced one another, and Tazuna held out his finger. The knifeman made a quick cut across his finger, probably a bit deeper than necessary. Tazuna winced. He was just about to press the bleeding finger on the contract, when Inari shouted "Don't do it gramps!" Everyone froze as they stared at him. "Don't you remember what Naruto said?! Without the bridge, there is no hope! Dad died for what he believed in, he died for the sake of the whole island! If you do this, it will have all been for nothing!"

"Watch your tongue, boy!" His captor punched him hard in the back of the head, causing him to slump to his knees.

"Inari!" Tsunami screamed.

Despite the blow, Inari remained conscious. "Besides, he's going to kill us all anyway." Inari gave a smile, crying. "If we are to lose our lives either way, I'd rather do it defying them to my last breath!"

Tazuna's widened in realization, and turned back to Gato. Realizing the jig was up, Gato trembled with rage and crumpled the contract. "That brat of yours is too smart for his own good." Tazuna punched Gato across the face before the samurai could rush him and restrain him . Gato wiped the blood off his lips. "Fine then." He seethed. "When the hour is up, I'll be sure to hang your bloated corpses on the bridge. To remind people who really runs the island, and learn real respect!"

The three tried to fight, but the samurai were much too strong for them. In no time, they were thrown into the sphere, and the door was sealed. "Send it over!" Gato ordered, raising his hand.

Sakura ran over to a random shack. She hesitated. Naruto's instructions were sound enough. But just HOW was she supposed to get people to rise up and fight? "There's no time to waste!" She told herself.

She knocked on it, hard as she could. A big, burly man opened the door. Sakura could smell the alcohol off of him. "Whaddya want?" He slurred,

Sakura stuttered "U-uh, my my…my FRIENDS! My friends are fighting Gato, and we need your-"

"Piss off!" The man slammed the door in her face.

"Ow!" Sakura held her nose, hoping it wasn't broken. "Guess I'll go to the next one."

Once the family was loaded in, they prepared to send it into the water, the men lifting it and pushing it towards the edge. "I won't let you!" Several samurai went down when kunai pierced their backs. Everyone turned to see Kakashi, landing in a crouched position.

"Kakashi." Zabuza noted with amusement. "I did think I killed you too easily." He saw Kakashi had a gash across his body, but he was not in mortal danger. In his left hand, he held his sword, still sheathed. "I see. You used the sheath to block my strike, by just enough."

Kakashi ran forward, but Zabuza blocked his path. His giant sword clashed with Kakashi's sheath. "Zabuza, please! This is a family you are letting die!"

"Families die everyday." Zabuza said. "All that matters is I get paid."

Haku came in from behind, beginning his hand signs. Before he could finish, a fireball suddenly came at him. Haku rolled out of the way, looking upon his attackers. Sasuke and Naruto stared him down. "Naruto and Sasuke are here to save the day!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his arms in a flashy fashion.

"Please don't say such lame things…" Sasuke groaned, who remained stationary.

Haku took note of Naruto. "So, you take my mercy and and throw it back at my feet." Haku said. Though he sounded annoyed, he was actually a little worried. "Something's wrong." He thought. "The technique I used earlier severed his tendons. He shouldn't be able to walk. How did he recover so quickly?"

"Haku!" Zabuza yelled. "Kill Kakashi's brats!" Suddenly, he flipped over Kakashi and threw his giant sword. His target wasn't either of the genin. It was the sphere!

The sword did not cut into the ball, but it did force it over the edge. "No!" Naruto ran to the edge, looking on in horror as the ball fell into the water, sinking like a stone.

"You bastard!" Sasuke shouted, clashing his kunai with Haku.

"My, you are much better than your friend!" Haku said as he parried perfectly with his needle. "As a complement, I will show you no mercy!" Quickly, he made his hand signs.

"What are those?" Sasuke was not familiar with these signs. "What is he planning to do?!" Sasuke then felt the moisture rise around him, and solidifying into ice.

"Sensatsu Suisho no Jutsu!" At super speed, the needles rushed towards Sasuke. It should have worked, but at the last second Sasuke dodged, rolling across the ground and kicking Haku in the back. Haku stumbled, looking back at Sasuke. "He dodged! That shouldn't be possible!" Sasuke kiyupped back up, staring at Haku with a different set of eyes. Instead of his usual black eyes, his eyes turned red, two tomoe inside his irises. "Isn't that…the sharingan?" Sasuke got into a stance, president to fight. "I see…while Kakashi's eye was surgically implanted, you are a true blooded Uchiha!"

Haku looked to Naruto; had he not had his mask on, all would see his eyes widened. He rushed towards him, but a fireball cut him off. "Your fight is with me!" Sasuke shouted as he tried to take him down with a flying kick. Haku jumped back, and they exchanged a flurry of strikes.

"Open up!" Sakura shouted as she banged on another door.

A man opened it. Sakura could see his family inside, a woman and a little girl. "Who are you?" The man asked gruffly.

"My name is Sakura; I'm a kunoichi working for Tazuna-san!" She said. "And we need your help! Tazuna is in danger, and we can't save him alone!" The man then tried to slam the door in her face, but Sakura put her foot and arm in between the door. Even with her training, the man was still overwhelmingly stronger than her, yet she managed to hold her ground. "Please!"

"We warned Tazuna to keep his head low!" The man yelled. "Gato is just too powerful! The only way to survive is to know our places! Just as you should know yours!"

Something suddenly snapped in Sakura. "And you call yourself a man?!" She suddenly launched herself forward, extending her leg in between his. "CHAAA!" The man whined as he grabbed his jewels, kneeling on the floor.

"Dear!" His wife ran forward.

"Just look at yourselves! What is there to live for in these conditions?!" The commotion began to attract the neighbors from the surrounding shanties, wondering what girl was giving them a hard time. "Tazuna-san has worked hard to lift the whole island from this squalor, and none of you were brave enough to lend him a helping hand! This may be your only chance to make a difference!" She turned to see the townspeople watching from outside. Already deep into her plea, Sakura simply turned to address them. "I don't know what it is like to live in fear! But I know what it is like to live free! It is something everyone deserves! But you will never have it if you don't fight for it! Tazuna wants you, his people, to live without scum like Gato pressing his feet on your necks! He may have hired me and my team to protect him in the short term, but if you want your children to have better lives, you all need to take a stand for Tazuna and his bridge!" The townspeople just stared at her as she finished.

Sakura's hopes sunk; she poured her heart out, and yet it failed to inspire them. "How should we do it?" Sakura turned to see the man she initially pleaded to (and assaulted) rise up. "If Tazuna needs our help, he has it. I just want to make it count."

Sakura's eyes widened, as she could not contain her smile. Turning back to everyone, she said "Grab anything you can as a weapon. Rakes, fishing poles, anything! We can at least distract the samurai while my friends take out the ninja! I can help make sure none of you die! Now go!"

The townsfolk went back into their sheds, grabbing whatever meager possessions they could use.

The sphere was filling up fast; already the water had risen up to Tazuna and Tsunami's necks. They held Inari up with them. "I'm sorry, gramps!" Inari cried. "I…After all we've been through, I just couldn't let you go through with it!"

Tazuna smiled grimly. "Don't worry about it, kid! You were right! Thank you, for reminding me what we were all fighting for." He rubbed Inari's head, giving a bittersweet look. "Your dad would be proud of you."

Just then, they felt the sphere beginning to rise. "What's going on?" Tsunami asked.

Naruto held his breath as he gripped the sphere's handle. Normally, he wouldn't have been able to hold it on his own. But, being him, in a way he was never truly alone. Pulling him up by the ankles was one of his bushin. And another. And yet another. Naruto had formed an entire chain of Kage Bushin, all anchored by one by the bridge's edge. "Come on! Pull!" The base clone groaned as they worked together to pull the sphere up.

Haku tried to rush in and destroy them, but Sasuke was able to block him. Haku tried throwing many precise strikes at Sasuke, but he parried each one perfectly. "I never knew!" Sasuke thought. His sharingan slowed everything he saw considerably, yet his body felt as swift snd nimble as ever. "This is the power of my bloodline! The sharingan!" Haku tried slipping past him on the right, but with a spinning round kick, Sasuke caught him in the gut, forcing him back and onto his knees.

Once more, Zabuza formed a mist cloud, but at the moment he was without his sword. He was forced to use his bare hands against Kakashi. Even in the thick mist, Kakashi was able to keep up with the sticky hands technique, making sure his arms never broke contact with Zabuza's, using his touch to keep track of him. Kakashi sneaked a quick side fist into Zabuza's liver, causing him to fall. "UGGH!" Kakashi tried not to waste time, pulling out a kunai and intending to open up his skull.

Despite his pain, Zabuza pulled out a shiv and sliced Kakashi across the leg. "Ngh!" Kakashi to fell to his knee, and Zabuza followed through with an elbow to the sternum.

The mist swordsman rose to attack, but Kakashi quickly kicked him back. "This is all in vain, Kakashi!" Zabuza shouted. "Your clients will die, and when they're finished, you and your team will join them!"

Kakashi's mind flashed back to people dear in his life. A woman with long, red hair. A young girl with brown hair, and purple stripes on her cheeks. A boy with spiky black hair, wearing goggles. All of them had such bright smiles, never to grace this earth again. And finally, the back of a man with blond hair like fire, with the kanji for "Fourth Hokage" on his back….Kakashi gripped his sword, and stood. But instead of drawing it, he placed it on his back. "I've lost many precious people, more than you can possibly imagine." He breathed. "But I will not lose this family. And I will not lose my team!"

Kakashi ran to stab Zabuza right in the eye, but Zabuza reached him first with a kunai. However, Kakashi faded away like cotton candy. "A bushin!" The real kunai came at him from point blank. Zabuza raised his hand, blocking the blade and thrusting again. The two ninja each had a blade penetrating their hands. Zabuza rose up, the two facing each other. Even in intense pain, Zabuza kept his eyes closed. They pulled back, both taking time to wrap their hands, lest they both bled to death.

Finally, Naruto was pulled out of the water. His grip on the sphere remained firm, but once it broke the surface, the weight of it halted all progress. "Aw crap!" Naruto had no chance of getting it out completely. Looking into the hatch, he could see it was filled to the brim, their hands desperately banging against the glass. Naruto's first thought was to punch the glass, but feared he would lose his grip on it if he did, and would probably break his hand to boot. "Think, Naruto! Think! You must have something that can break the glass-!"

"Let us go over some tools." Kakashi said as he addressed the team, during one of their weekend training sessions. "Some of you know them, but it always helps to review. Others…" Kakashi looked to Naruto. He scowled at him, knowing he was referring directly to him. "…need a serious remedial course."

Kakashi then pulled out some shuriken. "These are shuriken, our standard projectile weapon. They are mainly used as a distraction, but if your opponent is careless, they could knick an artery." He then pulled out a kunai. "Kunai can be used in a similar manner, but the lethality is much more than our throwing stars." He flipped it on its hilt. "It is also a great improvised dagger. Not as good as swords, but better than nothing."

"Maybe you could teach us weapons?" Naruto asked, raising his hand.

"In time. These tools are essential for all ninja. Mastering weapons depends on the individual, and none of you are there yet." Naruto huffed in response. "Now, here is something fun."

Kakashi pulled out a piece of paper with the kanji for "Burn". "This is an explosive tag." He explained. "You infuse your chakra into it…" The paper began to burn without any perceptible mechanism. Naruto and Sakura looked in amazement, while Sasuke continued to brood, unsurprised. "And it will explode." Kakashi threw it into the air, where it floated and went off in a small explosion.

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I only gave it a little bit of chakra; had I put more into it, I could have put us all in danger. So be sure you put in only the chakra proportional to the job."

Naruto then remembered that Kakashi gave each of them an explosive tag. "It's my only chance!" Naruto pulled out an explosive tag from his back pouch, careful to keep his grip on the sphere. He slapped it onto the hatch, and tried to channel his chakra into it. "Just think of this like the tree challenge, only this time, use your hands…" His face broke into a small smile as he saw the edges of the paper burn…

Haku kicked Sasuke in the sternum, causing him to fall back. Sasuke threw shuriken, which Haku parried, but he didn't see the wires attached to them! Deflecting them ensnared his arm, wrapping them tight enough to affect his circulation. Sasuke pulled him in, punching him in the mask. It was a thick mask, and for the most part Haku was protected. It still hurt, the impact causing his eyes to water. While he was off balance, Sasuke rushed forward for another punch. It went right through him…and Sasuke found his arm caught in a spikey block of ice. "Shit! A Hyou bushin!" Sasuke placed his foot against it, trying to pull his arm out. Immediately, he knew where Haku was headed. "Naruto, look out!"

The Naruto acting as the anchor for the others turned to look at Haku running towards him. Unable to do anything, Haku was easily able to slice the bushin with a sword of ice.

Naruto felt his base give way as he and the others fell into the sea. As the other bushins dispersed, Naruto saw the hatch blow open! "Yes!" Naruto quickly summoned two other bushins, and swam towards the sphere. Each clone grabbed one of the adults, while the real Naruto grabbed Inari. They were all loosing consciousness; Naruto and his bushins quickly kicked their way up to the surface. Funny thing was, Naruto thought he couldn't swim. Somehow, in this moment, it just came to him.

Under the bridge, Tazuna inhaled deeply as he broke the surface. Tsunami followed, as did Inari. "Hold on, everyone!" Naruto said. Naruto found a platform on one of the bridge's piers. Naruto quickly took the family over there, and helped them get settled.

"You," Tazuna choked out, desperately trying to catch his breath. "You came back!"

"I had to." Naruto said, still smiling in spite of the situation. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you earlier. But I'm here now!" He then noticed Inari was crying! "H-hey." Naruto stammered. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." Inari said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I didn't believe you when you said you would protect us, that you would help make things right!" Inari needed a moment to calm himself down. "It's just like way back then! Dad saved me from drowning once!" He gave a sad smile. "It's like he's here with us right now…"

Naruto just smiled, and rubbed his head. "I'm flattered. But I don't think I could measure up to him…"

"I was ready to give up on you guys too." Tazuna said. "I was about to give Gato the bridge, but this kid saw right through him and reminded me of what I have fought so hard for! I'd say you had as much influence on this scamp as Kaiza once did!"

Naruto felt something he never did before. One could call it pride. But it was something else. Like just the fact he made the smallest of differences made the world a much better place. "You're welcome." Naruto smiled. He looked up, hearing the clash of metal. Naruto sighed. "I need to get back up there. But don't worry; we'll keep them away. Hide. We'll come back for you when it's all over."

The family nodded, and Naruto jumped onto the pillar. As he made contact with the metal, he felt his feet begin to slip. "Focus!" His feet stuck to the metal, and Naruto continued his ascent upwards.

Sasuke attacked Haku with fury, slashing his kunai everywhere. Haku had trouble keeping up to defend himself. "It's his sharingan! He can track me more efficiently than a normal shinobi!" Sasuke brought his kunai down, which Haku blocked with his needle. They were at a stalemate…and a shuriken suddenly came out of nowhere, scratching the mask around Haku's eye and knocking him over.

Sasuke turned around, and saw Naruto, wet and arm extended. "Naruto! Are they-?" Naruto pressed his finger to his lip, telling Sasuke to remain silent. He nodded, quickly getting it. If they gave any hint they were still alive, Zabuza and Haku would hunt them down again.

Naruto ran to join his teammate as Haku pushed himself up. "Haku…you helped me out with a difficult time recently. It hurts me to realize you were my enemy all along. I wish things were different…" Naruto pulled out a kunai. "…but you're not giving me a choice." Haku stared at them, his true face unreadable. He then saw the Kuborichi. He picked it up, though with great effort. "Is he going to use it?" Naruto thought.

Haku then flung the sword. Naruto and Sasuke's first instinct was to duck, but it sailed clear above their heads, and into the mist.

Zabuza raised his arm, catching the Kubikiribocho like it was nothing more than a frisbee. "Ah, much better." Zabuza said. "As much as I enjoyed pounding you with my fists, I think I will take your corpse now."

Zabuza swung the sword behind him and disappeared into the mist. Kakashi tried to track his movements, but his vision was still obscured. He didn't see Zabuza approach from behind, raising his blade…

"Indeed, neither of us have a say in the matter." Haku agreed. "And we both have wasted enough time with one another." He then made hand signs, with BOTH hands this time. "Now, fear the cold winter that is death!"

The water rose and hardened, forming several squares surrounding Sasuke and Naruto! Their reflective surfaces became like perfect mirrors. Haku then leaped back, and as if it was nothing more than a waterfall, went into the mirror. He then appeared in all the mirrors. "Behold, my greatest technique! Makyo Hyoshou!"

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Not much to say, really. Naruto got a chance to take on Haku on his own, but as you can see, he's not quite on his level (not without help, at least)

I also knew Sakura wasn't as strong as either, but she needed something to do. So, I figured she should rally something of an army. She actually had demonstrated leadership in canon, during the time when Naruto went 6 tails plus, and when she was healing Naruto in front of the Shinobi Alliance. If only she got more chances to shine like that…

Anyway, I'll see you all next time!