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-------------------------------------------Shattered Illusion : Copy Of a Ninja : Chapter 05
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It was a hot burst of green-white yellow, behind which came the concussion, the almost physical wave of sound and, just afterwards, the soft pattering of the shattered stone like sleet on a frost-filled day.

It was his one and only chance.

Even as the sphere left his hand, Haku was in motion. He could feel the immense chakra being summoned by the copy ninja. If that were to strike, Zabusa would not survive. Haku could not allow that. Not while he still lived.

Naruto turned over onto his back, and struggled to his feet. He had been careless. He had felt the chakra that Kakashi was summoning. A technique that required such power would surely be fatal, such techniques did not allow for distractions.

Naruto could not allow Haku to interfere. He had hoped to withhold this ability, as it would have been a highly effective trump card. Even so, this situation did not allow for that choice. Gathering the required chakra, Naruto teleported.

Focused solely on reaching Zabusa, Haku poured all of his ability into reaching the man in time. So, when he suddenly found his vision obscured by the sole of Narutos right foot, he had no way to defend himself. Unstoppable force met immovable object, immovable object won. Haku was knocked back over fifteen feet before he hit the ground; he lost consciousness on the second bounce.

Having dispatched his opponent, Naruto turned to face the remaining threat. This allowed him to watch Kakashi weave the chakra pattern for the lightning edge. Distracted as he was by trying to recreate the move so soon after first seeing it, Naruto did not see the blow connect.

But even he bore silent witness to what followed.

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Kakashi had Zabusa cornered.

Unable to escape, the renegade could do little but watch the instrument of his demise. He had no regrets; he had no time for such petty desires. Any failure was entirely due to his own lack of strength; unfortunately, it appeared that he had finally gambled one time to many.

He allowed himself a short moment of hope when he detected the fast approaching form of his only true loved one, but even that was dashed when he saw the orange and black coated genin waver into view.

He did not feel the pain of the strike, even as blood poured in a river from his mouth. His only thought was of hope; the hope that Haku would be cared for. Grabbing hold of the copy ninja, Zabusa managed to gasp out one final plea, "Please take care of him."

With his final strength, Zabusa slowly limped his way over to the insensate form of Haku. He had called him a tool, but that was never true. Haku was the son that he never had, he hoped that the pair could meet once more in the afterlife. It was unlikely though, as he was surely going to hell.

And so, as he lay there on the bridge cradling the boy he considered his own, Zabusa left this life.

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Sakura could not believe what she had just seen, that Naruto, dead last, fighting the boy that Sasuke could barely keep up with.

And he was winning.

It was unbelievable; the power she could feel rolling off the boy in waves was huge. Taijutsu had never been Naruto's strong point, he tended to rely more on his physical attributes than any sort of technique. The boy she saw before her now was different though; he kept his mind focussed, reacting to his opponents every move.

It was like watching Sasuke.

She had been confused when she noticed his sudden evasion, but even more stunned when she was knocked off her feet from the concussive force of the explosion that followed. For the boy to even get up after being so close to that explosion was remarkable. For him to suddenly waver and re-appear before the desperate Haku so soon after rising, that was unreal.

That was a high level technique!

Even Sasuke would have problems trying to perform that move. For Naruto to perform it so easily, after such an intense battle- was that really Naruto?

It was then, as she was pondering over this puzzle, that she saw him. Lying there, motionless. It couldn't be, Sasuke couldn't be dead. She had to check, she had too. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, "We can go and check if you like."

Gathering herself, she led the old man over to the still form of the boy. Kneeling down, she checked for a pulse.

There was none.

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From the corner of his eye Naruto discretely watched the pair. As Sakura lay there crying, Naruto slowly made his way over to the emotional girl. The problem with Sasuke was simple, his heart had been severely slowed down. The only way to wake the boy up would be to wait, or –

Kakashis move just now gave Naruto an idea. Forming the preliminary stages of the lightning edge technique, Naruto allowed the chakra surges it generated to shock the still unmoving body.

Turning her head to scream at the annoying boy, completely forgetting his strange behaviour, Sakura was absolutely spooked when she suddenly heard an indrawn breath below her. Sasuke began to struggle, wrenching himself from within Sakura's encircling arms. Stumbling to his feet, the boy desperately tried to remain there. Alas it was not to be, his feet gave way, and he fell back into Sakuras embrace.

Having done his good deed for the day, Naruto walked over to retrieve the kunai that had been knocked from his grasp earlier. He could feel Kakashis steady gaze on him as he did this, there was no help for it really, there was no way that he could pass himself off as the clone. He was too different. Placing it back into his holster, the boy turned to face the curious eyes of the jounin.

His gaze met the grinning faces of over fifty hired mercenaries.

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-------------------------------------------Done. Comments Welcome.