Inari ran quickly with his breathing heavy as he furrowed his brows. "Naruto-niichan and the others are out there fighting! We should be, too!"
He stopped in front of a small house, catching his breath momentarily before he banged on the front door a few times.
"Old man! Old man Giichi! Please open up!" He stopped knocking and rested his hand on the door. "Let's go to the bridge! If we all do it together, we can beat Gato and his men this time!"
Inari reached for the knob and drew his hand back as it turned slowly but did not open.
"Inari..." A trembling voice came from beyond the door. "I made up my mind not to fight anymore. Even your father... The man we hailed as a hero... he's not here with us anymore."
Inari lowered his eyes and clenched his fists.
"If we were to fight, many lives would be lost. I don't want to lose something that's special to me anymore." The old man continued. "No one wants to regret anymore."
The boy tightened his fists. "I... I don't want to regret anymore, either. That's why we have to fight!" He paused and took a step closer to the door. "I love mommy and Grandpa. And you, too, Old man Giichi! I love all the people here!"
He watched the knob hopefully, but it did not wiggle and he was only met with silence.
"I finally realized... nothing is accomplished if I just cry all the time! I finally got it!" Inari turned from the house and ran off, moving along to another house.
The old man stood with his back pressed against the door, his eyes shut tightly as he cried quietly.
"Inari has grown into a fine young man." An old woman commented as she sat as a low table and knitted. "Will you just let Inari go there by himself?"
The man opened his eyes slowly and stared down at his trembling hands.
"Open up" Inari banged on different doors, continuing to move from house-to-house. "Hey! I'm asking you to fight with me!" He ran to another home, striking the door hard with his fist. "Old man! Please listen to me!"
Inari paused to catch his breath, which was ragged. His expression fell as he turned and looked around at all the homes he had already been to and received no answer.
"Why...? Why won't anyone open the door to me?" He stared down at the ground, closing his eyes for a moment as he thought back to Naruto's encouragement. "Naruto-niichan..."
He took off running down the pier, continuing to find other houses to try.
"Naruto, please kill me." Haku stepped toward the blond slowly. "Why are you hesitating? Just make it quick."
Naruto stepped back and trembled slightly as he stared in wild confusion. "No! I just don't get it! The only reason you are allowed to live is because you stay strong?!" He paused and Haku's empty expression remained unchanged. "There must be something other than just fighting... There must be some other way for you to make the others accept you!"
"Do you remember when we met in the forest? Do you know what I thought?" Haku paused. "That you and I are very much alike."
Naruto's eyes widened and a chill rushed through his body.
"I'm sure you can relate to me." Haku continued. "I apologize for dirtying your hands with my blood."
Is that it...?" Naruto spoke with his voice quiet. "Is there really no other way?"
"No." Haku answered softly.
Naruto clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, balling his hand into a fist. "If only... we had met under different circumstances, we could've been friends..." Naruto's eyes burst open and his expression shifted to ferocity. He retrieved a Kunai from his thigh sheath and ran at Haku with his heart pounding fast as his target stayed still.
"He too..." Naruto clutched his Kunai tightly and narrowed his eyes as he quickly closed the distance between himself and Haku. "Sasuke also had dreams of his own!" Naruto let out a low growl of anger and aimed the weapon at the older boy.
"Thank you... you will become stronger." Haku opened his eyes to look at Naruto a final time before he closed his eyes contentedly.
"Oh!" Tazuna looked around. "The thick fog has finally begun to clear."
"There are two over there!" Sakura squinted to see through the thinning mist at two vague forms in the distance. "They're facing off each other."
"Huh?" Tazuna blinked and squinted, following her gaze. "I can't see all that well still..."
"Which one is Kakashi-sensei?" Her eyes widened slightly. "One moved!"
Kakashi ran at Zabuza with his hand extended and aimed at the assassin's heart, the lightning in his hand crackling and overflowing.
Haku's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed Naruto's wrist just centimeters before the Kunai pierced his heart, stopping the attack.
"Forgive me, Naruto..." Holding up his free hand, Haku formed a series of unique hand signs. "I cannot die just yet!"
Haku disappeared from before Naruto, who blinked in surprise at the empty space before him.
A fissure opened in the ground in front of Zabuza and released a burst of steam.
"Is this the end?" Zabuza narrowed his eyes as the Jonin's attacks was about to pierce his chest.
A mirror of ice formed in the air in front of Zabuza. Lightning and blood mixed in the air and a powerful blast from the attack blew much of the fog away.
"What was that?" Tazunza held up an arm to shield his face from the mysterious rush of air. When it had died down, he and Sakura looked back toward where the figures had been and their eyes widened.
Lightning sparked and surged from Kakashi's palm as he stood rooted in place. Each of his Hounds vanished in a puff of smoke and he stared wide-eyed at his victim.
Blood poured from Haku's chest where Kakashi's hand had stuck entirely through, and blood dripped from his mouth. Crimson pooled on the ground, splattering all around as the lightning strike congealed it and created a large, messy hole in the boy's torso.
Zabuza stared in surprise as silence fell over them all with only the chirping of the attack between them. Theattack dissipated and left only a deafening silence in its place.
Haku let out a soft groan of pain, choking on blood and bile, and gripped Kakashi's wrist. "Z-Zabuza..."
Zabuza smirked. "Did you say my future was death?" He chuckled. "You're wrong again, Kakashi."
"No!" Tsunami stared a Inari with her hands on her hips. "You're not to go to the bridge alone!"
"I went all over town, but no one wants to come." Inari adjusted his sandal. "I have no choice!"
"But...!" Tsunami's lip quivered and a lump formed in her throat.
Inari stood, retrieving his small wooden crossbow and adjusting the helmet on his head as he walked toward the door.
"Wait! You're just a child!" His mother followed closely behind.
"I may be a child, but I already know what it means to fight." He stopped and spoke with his back to her, then turned slightly to smirk confidently. "Because I'm my father's son!"
Tsunami's eyes widened in recognition of Inari's expression.
"My dear..."
Inari opened the door and stepped outside.
"Wait, Inari!"
Inari froze and looked up at a large crowd of armed men that had assembled on the porch.
Naruto looked around to see where Haku had disappeared to. "Where'd he go?" He blinked and turned around once more. "I didn't notice, but the fog is starting to lift..." The mist continued to thin and Naruto looked to his right where three figures were visible. "Huh? Is he over there?"
Naruto ran toward the figures and then stopped after several meters with his mouth gaping open. "H-Huh?!"
His eyes widened as he stared at the scene— Kakashi's hand through Haku's chest, blood pouring out in liters as he stood in front of Zabuza as a shield.
"W-What the heck is going on here?!" Naruto's voice trembled as he muttered under his breath.
"Isn't that... the masked boy from before?" Tazuna asked quietly.
"I didn't expect him to jump in front of Zabuza..." Kakashi's body relaxed slightly as he looked into the boy's empty eyes, his own narrowing and his stomach twisted. "This boy... is already dead."
Zabuza closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them with a chuckle. "You did great, Haku."
Kakashi shot the assassin a glare and Zabuza smirked, grabbing the hilt of his sword with a growl as he took aim at the Jonin.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called out and brought her hand close to her mouth as she paled.
"He intends to slash me along with the boy?!" Kakashi's eyes widened slightly as he tracked Zabuza's movements as if in slow motion.
"That was a really great find I made!" Zabuza sneered and rose the sword above his head. "Even in his final moment, he gave me such a perfect opportunity!"
Kakashi shifted to dodge, but Haku's death grip on his arm immobilized him. Zabuza brought down his blade with a powerful sweep and Kakashi wrapped his free arm around the boy's body, moving at the last instant and landing a safe distance away. He gently lay Haku's body on the ground and Zabuza laughed.
"Haku died and you were able to move, huh?"
Naruto's brows furrowed and he looked at the assassin, his fists clenching and his heart pounding in anger. His fists tightened until his knuckles were white and his body trembled. "I won't forgive you!"
"Naruto! Don't come closer! Just stand there and watch!" Kakashi commanded without looking at his student, keeping his eyes fixed only on Zabuza.
Kakashi looked down at Haku on the ground before him, and then his eyes moved between the gaping hole in the boy's chest and the blood splattered all over himself. He slowly brought his hand to the boy's face and closed his eyes so that he almost appeared to be sleeping.
"This is..." Kakashi's eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a hard line beneath his mask, a bitter memory surfacing in his mind at the sight of the boy. His eyes rose to Zabuza and intensity burned within them. "...my battle!"
Sakura gulped and looked away from the boy's corpse and looked across the bridge at Naruto, giving a wave as she called out to him. "Naruto! It's good to see you!"
Naruto's expression fell as he looked at her and back down once more. "Sakura..."
"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked, her words knotting his stomach and forming a lump in his throat.
Naruto kept his face away, unable to meet her eyes.
"Naruto, where's Sasuke?" Sakura repeated again, more quietly this time.
Naruto closed his eyes tightly and clenched his jaw as he started to tremble slightly again. Sakura's eyes widened and her smile faded.
"Sakura..." Kakashi glanced toward the girl, who stood in stunned silence.
"Kakashi! You have no time to take your eyes off me!" Zabuza rushed at his opponent, aiming another sweeping blow at Kakashi with a smirk.
Kakashi glared and shifted his weight, balancing on his palms as he brought his foot up to kick the assassin firmly in the jaw.
Zabuza was thrust back by the unepected blow, creating a temporary opening on the bridge. Tazuna looked down at Sakura solemnly. "Why don't I go with you? That way, you won't be going against your Sensei's word."
Sakura's lip quivered as she nodded slowly, then reached up to take the old man's hand. "Right..." She led him quickly through the opening and passed Naruto, who kept his eyes shut tightly.
"Sasuke..." Naruto clenched his fists and kept his moistened eyes from spilling over.
Sakura reached Sasuke's body and her breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat. "W-What?!"
Tazuna looked away from the boy's body, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat at the sight of each Senbon that riddled his body.
Sakura trembled with all color drained from her face and she collapsed to her knees at his side. She gently placed a palm against his cheek and her eyes watered and tears slowly rolled down her face.
"He's cold..." Sakura swallowed and looked at the Senbon. "This... is Genjutsu, isn't it?"
"Don't mind me..." Tazuna took a step back and cast his eyes downward. "This isn't the time to hold back your true emotions..."
Sakura patted Sasuke's cheek softly and another wave of slow tears streaked down her face.
"I...I always got perfect scores at the Ninja Academy..."
"Hm?" Tazuna glanced over at her as she mumbled.
"I memorized all of the hundreds of Shinobi rules. Every test was a breeze. Until one day, this question came up..." Sakura paused. "State rule number twenty-five of the Ways of the Shinobi... As always, I simply wrote down the answer without batting an eye."
Sakura's voice cracked and she shut her eyes as her eyes spilled over and a rush of tears fell.
"A Shinobi must never show his true feelings under any circumstances, no matter what... the mission always comes first. A Ninja must have the strength of character to never shed any tears..." Sakura leaned forward to rest her arms on Sasuke's torso and buried her face there, breaking into loud sobs.
"Is this ... how it must be for a Shinobi?" Tazuna watched her in silence. "How unbearably painful..."
"Sasuke..." Sakura muttered, and then let out a loud wail that echoed across the bridge and through the still, chilly air.
Naruto clutched his heart, his own eyes finally spilling over as Sakura's cries reached him.
Kakashi blocked Zabuza's attack with his Kunai, successfully lodging two into the assassin's arm to disable it. Zabuza retreated several meters back and panted heavily as he caught his breath on one knee.
"Why...? Why can't I keep up?" Zabuza's eyes narrowed and he rested his sword against the ground to support him. He looked up at Kakashi, who remained silent with his eyes closed. "Damn you!"
Zabuza ran toward the Jonin, and, before he could swing his sword, Kakashi struck his face with his fist without moving from his position.
Zabuza recovered and scowled, taking a wide stance as he tightened his grip on the hilt with his right hand, with his left arm dangling uselessly to his side. Kakashi moved, spinning and striking Zabuza once more to knock him off balance.
"Why you...!" Zabuza struggled to maintain his grip on the enormous sword, but continued to lunge forward and swing time after time at his rival, who dodged easily. He brought the blade directly down on Kakashi's location, only for Kakashi to vanish and reappear behind him.
"You can't possibly defeat me the way you are now." Kakashi gripped the back of Zabuza's neck tightly as his eyes widened.
"What was that?" Zabuza asked, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple.
"You still don't know... what true strength means." Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
"Let's see how things are going..." Gato chuckled to himself and tapped the end of his cane against the bridge's surface.
Kakashi spin two Kunai around his fingers, then gripped them tightly, aiming towards Zabuza's neck as he prepared the strike.
"Goodbye... Demon!"
Zabuza turned his head to see Kakashi's Kunai coming closer and he swung his arm in an arc behind him. Kakashi adjusted his attack, instead driving the Kunai into Zabuza's right arm, just below the shoulder.
Kakashi shifted and back flipped once, putting distance between him and his opponent and Zabuza's sword clattered and slid across the bridge.
Naruto stared wide-eyed in silence at his teacher.
"Both of your arms have now been disabled." Kakashi glanced up from where he sat with one knee down and his arm resting against his knee. "You can't even weave a single sign."
Zabuza glared and a pair of footsteps approached.
"Hm?" Kakashi looked over at the short man and furrowed his brows.
"Oh! You really got it this time." Gato chuckled with a smirk as he looked over his assassin. "You disappoint me again, Zabuza."
Zabuza glanced over at his employer, who was accompanied by a horde of other heavily-armed assassins and mercenaries.