*Author's note part three. *
Changed the timeline again, it is now thirty-five years in the past. I'm sorry if it upsets some of you. I just want you all to enjoy the story, but if timeline is an issue, I'll correct it. Anyway, welcome to one of the final chapters prior the conjoining. I aim for just one more Naruto chapter after this, possibly.
Thank you for your continued support!
Please enjoy!
"It will only be for one year, Naruto. I'll be back to get you." Jiraiya had told him after his meeting with Hiruzen.
Naruto had only processed it, "I thought I was going with you now?"
"You're going to need training with a team, but I promise you I'll back and this time you're going with me. If anything happens, I'll be here as fast as I can, I promise you." Jiraiya put his hand on Naruto's shoulder smiling.
The Third Hokage tried to reason with The Toad Sage, but there was no reasoning to be had. Naruto was going to come with him, but they did come to an agreement. The boy needed more training, training with a team, and Jiraiya agreed begrudgingly to this.
That was two months ago, and here Naruto was woken up, guarding his new sensei named Kakashi. Kakashi was a brave man, Naruto liked him, but he didn't seem like the teaching type. They had a run in with a rouge Jonin, and everything went sideways fast.
Tazuna, the man they were assigned to escort on their C-rank mission, he lied to them. Naruto, and co. had to hear the fact that they were in over their heads. Sakura, the pinkette third wheel of the team of four, wanted to contact The Hokage immediately. Sasuke, and Naruto knew it was protocol. Kakashi was down, they were three Genin dealing with what usually would be assigned to ANBU at the most, and Jonin at the very least.
To sum it up, Naruto eloquently put the entire situation correctly to Sasuke, "We're boned."
"How are we boned?" Sasuke asked in reply.
Naruto hummed, "Oh I don't know. Tazuna is drunk old bastard. Our third wheel is kind of…okay for us, but then we got the rouge Jonin and his merry ANBU level helper. Tell me, Sasuke, where do we win in this situation?"
"Well at least you can make a one-man army happen, that kind of helps, right?" Sasuke pointed out as he handed Kakashi a cloth, the man still out of it for overusing his Sharingan.
Kakashi groaned, looking at Naruto, "I thought you were really excited for this mission? Gets you away from the village."
"Pfft, I was until we got lied too, and now we're biting way more off than we can chew." Naruto retorted as he dipped a cloth in cold water.
Sakura walked into the room, "So, I went into town, and they have medicine once so ever."
"You've got to be kidding me, nothing?" Naruto asked, looking downtrodden.
Sakura crossed her arms, shooting back, "Well what do you think I said?"
"Okay, lovely, awesome, we're still screwed if that guy Zabuko comes back knocking." Naruto stated, getting up from the bed, "Your turn, Sakura."
"First off, stop being such so whiney about this. We're just going to have to deal with this. Besides, put yourself in his shoes. This village is nearly broke, they probably scrunched up what they could to hire us. I mean, poor Tsunami is feeding us with the limited food they have." Sakura chided Naruto, who sighed.
He nods, slumping his shoulders, "You're right. I'm just worried about the fact that we got not only a rouge Jonin running after us, but possibly an ANBU."
"Yeah, you do have a point, there's no way we can take both of them at the same time without Kakashi sensei being ready to fight." Sakura admitted, grabbing the cloth from the pocket.
Sasuke perked up, "Perhaps herbal medicine? Didn't you, and Ino, go picking herbs back in the academy? It was an elective class you both took."
"Okay, but Sasuke, you're the member of the clan that is users of the Sharingan. I mean you used it, and yet your fine, could it be an illness?" Sakura inquired, looking at Sasuke pensive face.
"Actually," Kakashi interjected before Sasuke could say anything, "My Sharingan eye isn't my original eye. Sasuke's body is adapted to the use of the Sharingan, it can perfectly regulate the chakra flow needed. Me, I can't do it. It means that if I use too much chakra, I don't necessarily recover as fast. It doesn't help that it does not exactly turn off."
"I'm actually surprised you don't blind, sensei." Sakura bounced back.
Sasuke bit his lip, "It's because it isn't in its evolved state, The Mangekyou Sharingan."
"Oh, that's interesting, I didn't your eyes could evolve pass the three tomoe stage sensei." Sakura stated after hearing Sasuke.
Kakashi laughed a little, pained, "It can't because I'm not an Uchiha. Only an Uchiha who experiences a great pain can evolve their eye to that level, but Sasuke already knows the catch."
Sasuke nods, and followed up, "You go blind as an exchange for that type of power. The one person I aim to kill in this life, my brother, has that power."
Naruto frowned at this and remembered Mizuki. He hated the man, loathed his existence, but killing him didn't exactly feel the greatest. At the end of the day, his was still a life, even if he was traitorous bastard. The blonde watched as his team conversed with Kakashi, answering the door when it was knocked upon. He opened to see Tsunami, who looked concerned.
"Have you all made a choice?" She asked.
Naruto took a deep breath, "I think we're kind of stuck here, so we might as well see it through. Do you know of any herbs that could help his migraines?"
"There's poppy in the nearby forest, but that's a regulated narcotic guarded by Gatō's men. There are many teas I can brew with some peppermint, chamomile, and lavender." Tsunami told Naruto as she thought about it, "I can go with you."
"No, I know what most of those look like," Naruto refused her help, but smiled softly. "I can go and pick up some herbs."
"Are you sure?" Sakura inquired, eyeing him incredulously. "I mean you just stated that you only know most of them."
"Well, Sakura, the way I look at it is that I'm the only one that can successfully escape from any ambush because I can hide myself amongst dozens." Naruto pointed out, and then smiled brightly. "Plus, I owe that bastard a good knock across his head for using me as batting practice with his sword."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Don't get full of yourself, Naruto."
"Please," Naruto walked out of the door, "I never get full of myself, plus I can use clones to hunt down more herbs if we need them ourselves."
Sakura gave a sigh, "Now that you mention it, I have a small headache."
"See, I'll be back, Sasuke you got this?" Naruto asked before leaving the doorway.
Sasuke gave a curt laugh, "Just go grocery shopping, I want some beef jerky on your way back."
The blonde flipped him off before walking out of the doorway. Sasuke looked at Kakashi, who had just fallen back asleep. He muttered a small complaint under his breath. Sakura rubbed Kakashi's head with the cloth, who seemed to be having a bad dream. She looked at Sasuke, giving a small smile.
"You know it just proves that your nice, Sasuke. You put up with Naruto a lot, but is he worth all the trouble sometimes?" Sakura inquired before wringing the cloth, "I mean, Naruto is just a troublemaker, you're not obligated to be friendly with him because we're on a team"
"First off, he's my best friend, and he's dealing with a lot in his life. More so than any of us, he grew up without parents at all. I deal with him because I feel obligated, I deal with him because I want to." Sasuke replied to her scornful observations.
She looked taken aback, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, Sasuke."
"Then don't talk about Naruto like he's just a nuisance. If any one of you took the time know the real Naruto, you'd much be surprised at how mature he is. He has his days, and I mean he has every right to freak out a little about our situation. We're two steps from being put on a stone, so I have my reservations about leaving you here with Kakashi." Sasuke tore into her calmly, "Because out of everyone, you weren't really doing much."
"Well, that's not true, I stood guard over Tazuna." Sakura pointed out.
"And yelled for help when one of Zabuza's water clones came at you, Naruto and I could teach you some Taijutsu counters. However, me and him don't exactly pull punches in sparring matches. We either go away bloody, or we were never really sparring to begin with." Sasuke replied, cutting her contribution considerably down.
She growled a little bit, "Okay Sasuke, why do you choose to be friends with him? All the adults say he's cursed."
"Oh, he is, let me be frank with you, Sakura. Naruto is cursed, but that curse isn't ours to bear, it is his. He has to be the one to tell you, it made me run away from him, but then I realized that I was no better than the adults in the village. They're a bunch of stupid, spineless coward, who are too superstitious for their own good." Sasuke growled, remembering how the village still treats Naruto.
"Yet," the pinkette starts to point out, "What if they know something we don't?"
"Oh, trust me, Sakura, we're not going there today. Because I know the truth," Sasuke growled at her, "If I was Naruto, I would've been broken!"
"Maybe he is, I noticed that he seems a lot more melancholic over the last few years," Sakura pointed out, although she did so with extreme caution given Sasuke's anger.
"Then if he is, Sakura, I owe it to my friend to stand by him. I don't know what your definition of friendship is but must very fickle." Sasuke ended the conversation by getting up, "I'm done talking, I'm going to tell Tazuna that we're in fully."
"Sasuke…" Sakura tried to get his attention, but he just walked away.
The clearing in the cold woods gave way to a patch of chamomile. Naruto began collecting them in his basket but stopped when he felt a presence near him. He looked to his side, watching as a beautiful young woman with long black hair and chocolate eyes emerged. She was bent down, collecting herbs, and by the looks of it had managed to find lavender. She looked at him, giving a small smile, despite her uneasy emotions. She stopped, noticing Naruto.
"Hello," She greets him while standing up fully, "I'm not in your way, am I?"
"Uh…" Naruto blushed a little, "No, you're not. Hey, um where did you find that lavender?"
"Oh, there is clearing just beyond this brush, they grow there often. Are you looking to make some medicine too? It's unfortunate that the village doesn't have any medicine," She asked while talking to him.
"It is, it looks like there's chamomile here," Naruto handed her over some. "Here, I got a lot over here still to get."
She laughed a little, "Well thank you, here…"
He watched as she placed some lavender in his basket, "You must really care about the person you're grabbing these things for miss. There's a bunch of bandits out this way, do you wanna work together and get it done faster?"
"I suppose," she laughed as they walked together and picked herbs, "And yes, I'm collecting these things for a most precious person in my life."
"I have precious people in my life too, "Naruto replied while picking up more chamomile. "Sometimes I think I'm putting too much of my problems on them."
"If they love you, then that doesn't matter, because any true friend takes upon the burdens too hard for the other." She replied to Naruto, who seemed to be eyeing her a little. "My name is Haku by the way."
"Haku, that's a cool a name." Naruto complimented.
She chuckled, "Well I found peppermint."
"Oh, yeah that's the other one I was needing! Thank you, Haku, I really appreciate it! I'm hoping that once Tazuna completes the bridge things will be better for this village," Naruto told her as he got some of the herbs.
She frowned a little, "Are you with that group of shinobi that came into from The Leaf Village?"
"Yeah, we kind of got roped into dealing with a few rouges." Naruto sighed as he looked at the lake near the clearing. "This place is beautiful, if it only wasn't for the destruction because of that one guy…Gatō."
Haku nodded, sighing, "You're right. I wish that he wasn't around, he's a disgusting person."
"Maybe we can come back, after the bridge, and bring him down!" Naruto stated as he turned to look at her, "What do you think about that?"
"I would hope, by the way, what's your name young one?" She inquired, watching his beaming smile.
"My name's Naruto, sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. One of my teammates says I am rude," Naruto states while scratching the back of his head nervously. "I don't like being rude to pretty um…I mean people like you."
Haku laughed, "Well Naruto, it was good meeting you. I thank you for the chamomile, I hope that the person you're going to take care of appreciates it."
"Likewise, Haku, hey hopefully we meet again, you're very nice!" Naruto told her as she started walking away.
Haku turned back to him, and she gave him a wink, "Oh, and Naruto…I'm a boy by the way!"
Naruto's jaw hung open, and his eyes widened as she…he…disappeared into the bushes. He felt heat around his cheeks, and although he was straight. He found himself confused, because that supposed boy looked more beautiful than even some of the beauties, he read in magazines he would burrow from a store from time to time. He felt weird, because he was getting hit on, he felt it. The blonde just stood there, trying to sort himself into order.
"Holy crap I just got hit on by a guy and didn't notice…and…he was more beautiful than Sakura! I may not like her, but Sakura is pretty, and he was more so." Naruto realized where his thoughts were going, he started walking back toward the village. "I don't even know how I'm going to tell Sasuke this story."
Sasuke looked at Naruto, dumbfounded, "You're serious."
"I am, I got hit on by another guy Sasuke, and I don't know how to feel about." Naruto told him, rubbing the back of his head.
"How now, if you suddenly want to bat for the other team, I'm standing one hundred percent behind you." Sasuke patted Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto almost puked, "Please don't say that right now."
"Aww, it's okay when we get back, we'll just read some Icha Icha." Sasuke laughed, while watching the bridge builders getting to work.
A large crane lifted a crate up, bringing it over to the welders. They took the steel from it, welding it onto the bridge as fast as possible. The blonde looked at Tazuna, the gray-haired man was directing his people as fast as he could. They were working on a limited time frame, with Gatō's men surely to make a stop by. Naruto yawned, looking at Sasuke, and smiled.
"My turn to go get lunch from Tazuna's house," Naruto stated as he got up. "Hopefully Kakashi is up and going fully."
"Yeah, me too, it's been a few days since Tsunami made that tea for him. Honestly, it helped me too, but I think mine is dog allergies." Sasuke commented, watching as Naruto hopped down from the top of the bridge.
He landed, waiving at Sasuke before dashing into the village. The destitute citizens broke his heart. He soon came upon Tazuna's house but stopped. The blonde felt the energies from inside, four men with blood red auras around them. Sakura was standing between them, Tsunami, and her boy Inari. Kakashi was still in the bed and wasn't moving. The medicine apparently working a little too well for the man.
Naruto got out a kunai and wasted no time forming three clones. They each held their kunai up, readying to breach. Without much prompt, Naruto kicked the door open, throwing his kunai straight into the back of the neck of the gang's leader. He gurgled, falling flat forward, and his men attempted to turn around only to get tackled by Naruto's clones. Stabbing, the sound kunai puncturing flesh filled the room, and he watched callously as the men took their last breath.
"Sakura," Naruto looked at her, "Are you okay?"
She wavered a little, her kunai armed hand shaking a little bit, "They just broke in demanding that I surrender."
"I understand that, but it was brave of you to stand up to them," Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, biting her lip, "They wanted Tsunami, and Inari."
"Bastards, all of them," Naruto spat as he hears the door open. "Alright, Kakashi sensei, you're awake!"
Kakashi yawns, looking at the bodies, "And you've been busy I see."
"I am thinking that this is far from over. If they're trying to get Inari, and Tsunami, it just means that Gatō is going to make his move today." Naruto said to Kakashi as they walked out of the house.
"Sakura," Kakashi called out to her, "Good job protecting us until Naruto got here. Get Tsunami and Inari to safety…maybe rally the villagers."
"Right," Sakura acknowledged, and she ran upstairs.
Kakashi, and Naruto were running back toward the bridge. Noting that a heavy mist had suddenly set in. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Sasuke battling against a large red signature, while a more uncertain signature was also assisting. Sasuke was barely holding out, without thinking Naruto ran forward, getting his kunai, intercepting a fatal slash meant for Sasuke by the giant blade of Zabuza. The tall man towered over the two boys, at least by four heads. He growled as sparks flew off his sword, and Naruto's special kunai.
Sasuke managed to deflect a counterattack of needles with his own kunai aimed at Naruto's back. Kakashi joined in, kicking Zabuza away into the thickest part of the mist. Sasuke looked over to where Tazuna was hiding, making Naruto nod. Kakashi noted that the two were totally in sync with one another. Both moved forward, targeting the source of the needles. Kakashi meanwhile watched as Zabuza charged out of the mist toward him. Without much thought he charged in, sharingan eye blazing!
Naruto, using his sensory ability, located Zabuza's accomplice. He, and Sasuke closed in, weaving hand seals. Suddenly, shards of ice shot out from all around them. Naruto dodged up, while Sasuke sidestepped. The shards leaving a few nicks, cuts, and scratches on the duo!
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out.
"I'm fine Naruto, where is he?!" Sasuke called back, asking Naruto to keep focused.
"Above us!" Naruto yelled as he readied himself.
"Right, together, let's do it Naruto!" Sasuke yelled out as Naruto dropped next to him.
Both finished their hand seals, leaning back before both had a torrent of fire erupt from their mouth!
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Naruto and Sasuke roared out as their fireballs combined into a massive sphere of flames.
That ball of flame forced their opponent to move. However, something weird happened, Naruto lost track of them for a brief moment. It was as if they stopped existing, but yet reappeared behind them. Naruto pushes Sasuke to the side as a torrent of ice needles barraged them. He himself barely had time to dive to the side. Sasuke's sharingan eyes came to life, spinning one tomoe rapidly around. He managed to look at the figure in the mist and summarized that they were preparing another ranged attack!
Sasuke weaved hand seals, jumping up before launching a torrent of tiny bits of flame at the target. Naruto sent several clones out, but he watched as the figure not only dodged Sasuke's attack but destroyed his clones as well. They were closing in, and then Sasuke saw it before Naruto did. An sheet behind their opponent, and he had begun to merge into it.
"He's doing it again, Sasuke, I'm losing track of him!" Naruto yelled out, cocking his fist back.
Sasuke continued firing at the ice sheet, allowing Naruto to punch through it when they got close enough. Skidding to a stop, both of them stood back-to-back. Fighting stance up both watched as the mist started to clear around them, and Sasuke's eyes widened as ice sheets formed all around them. Naruto cursed as him, and Sasuke dashed toward the fading mist, only to get intercepted by several other sheets of ice. The clarity on the ice was like that of mirrors, and they found themselves facing their own reflections.
"Damn it," Naruto growled as they resumed their back-to-back stance. "This isn't good Sasuke, whoever it is they're probably that fake ANBU operative."
Sasuke agrees with a grunt, "We're in a trap, he played us from start."
"Hear me," They heard the voice echo, "I don't wish to continue this fight. Please surrender the bridge builder, Tazuna."
"I'm going to go with no on that," Naruto replied with a confident smirk. "What about you, Sasuke?"
Bemused, Sasuke smirked as well, "I'm with you on that."
"It doesn't have to end this way for you two, you are both still children. You can return home to your families, there's no reason to die for people you barely know." The voice pleaded with them, suddenly all of the mirrors were filled with the opponents' visages.
Their black hair was in bun but remained long at the end. They wore a traditional mesh shirt, baggy pants which no doubt had needle pouches woven into them. Their mask, white as snow, reflected all of the light in the ice mirror's clearing. Naruto, and Sasuke nodded, both running toward opposites of the mirrors. They didn't get close to the edge before being pelted with needles. Naruto had some sink into the back of his shoulder blades, while Sasuke's right arm slumped.
The blonde's wounds forced them out, popping with squelching noises as the flesh simmered into steam. Sasuke meanwhile was being forced pull each needle out, one at a time. Naruto couldn't sense past the mirrors, making him growl. Weaving hand seals, Naruto turned around, launching a massive fireball at one of them. Although the frame melted slightly, it just reformed itself right after Naruto was done. For his troubles he felt the figure's presence appear once more before getting pelted with needles. This time, he fell to his knees, pain searing through his left knee.
Sasuke walked over to him, helping him pull needles out even though his body was already working on it. Both stood in the middle of the ice mirrors, watching as their opponent stared them down.
Sakura ran fast toward where she heard the sounds of battle. A water clone was making its way toward Tazuna, and she didn't need to think! She ran toward it, applying a paper bomb to her kunai. She sunk it into the water clone, getting knocked away. The clone suddenly exploded into water vapor from the explosion. She landed next to Tazuna, grunting as she got up.
"Where's Kakashi sensei, and Sasuke?" She inquired, and then bit her lip, "And Naruto?"
"They're all engaged right now, but I think we'll have company soon. Gatō must be on his way," Tazuna growled out as he got up. "Damn that bastard, he's going force us off today, one way or another."
"We won't let that happen, because I know they can win." Sakura stated as she watched Kakashi take out a water clone with ease, reengaging the real Zabuza.
She thought about running over there but couldn't bring herself to do. She then spotted something weird in the distance as the mist began to clear up slightly. A semi-formed dome of ice sheets. She looked over at Tazuna, nodding her head. He got up, rallying any workers nearby, trying to get them ready for the fight to come with Gatō's men. She took off running toward the structure. Grabbing paper bombs, applying them to various different kunai.
She wasn't going to be useless to her team!
"This is my final warning, and I'll no longer use disabling blows with my needles. I implore, please surrender, I promise that your lives at the very least will be spared!" The voice kept pleading with them.
Naruto growled, "If you're really some cold heartless piece of crap you'd done it already! Why are hesitating, if you know what you're doing is wrong, why do you keep doing it!"
"I have my reasons…" The voice softly replied.
"Whatever, I'm not one to quit," Naruto held his fist out. "I'm going to break the mask off your face!"
Sasuke got up, standing tall as well, "And I'm going to help him do it!"
"I see…very well then. I shall remember what you stood for, although you'll fall here, I commend your bravery…" The voice stated as the mirrors' images began to shift around. "Say goodbye to each other."
"Sasuke, now!" Naruto screamed as they weaved hand seals.
Naruto formed clones around himself and Sasuke which took the hits. While Sasuke spun around, blowing fire from his mouth in a whirl pattern. As the flames died down, Naruto noted that a piece of the clothing the figure wore was burnt, and smirked. Sasuke noticed it too, it meant whatever they were doing it made them vulnerable in the brief moment. They just needed to find the original image!
Sakura then suddenly jumped in, throwing kunai at the mirrors. Naruto was confused at first until the kunai exploded, taking chunks out of the ice sheets. The figure seemed surprised, but as Sakura moved toward them, they reacted by causing the mirrors' images to shift once again. Sasuke reacted by dragging Sakura toward them, shielding her as needles impacted the group. Naruto unable to form clones as they hit his hands. He brought his body to cover them, getting the most needles sunk into him.
She looked up, surprised, "Why?"
"Because as much I hate to say it," Naruto smiled weakly as he spoke. "Since you're here with us…you're my comrade, and I promised myself to protect those that I considered friend."
"I talked so bad about you…' she said with a tear falling from her eye.
Naruto smirked, falling to the side, "I think they hit a few points in me…Sasuke you're up…"
Sasuke's eyes widened as they began to shift. An extra tomoe appeared in them as he watched Sakura move over to Naruto. She began pulling needles out of him, noting that some were already working their way out of his skin. Sasuke growled as he saw the mirror images shift, time slowed down for him as he saw the figure emerge. He ran toward them, throwing a massive right hook that connected solidly!
The figure bounced back, and blood dripped from the mask. They breathed hard, that's when Sasuke noticed that they were running low on chakra by the looks of it. Perhaps they were much closer to victory then they thought. Now that he could see his opponent, Sasuke pressed the advantage. Dodging a kick, he deflected the next one that followed before jabbing their enemy several times in the face. He dodged a counter punch, delivering a heavy side kick! They flew into one of the mirrors, and as the exploded ones began to reform, he watched as Naruto leaned up slowly.
"All that talk earlier, you're starting to run low on chakra, aren't you?!" Sasuke accused their opponent, then he watched them move between mirrors.
They didn't say anything in return, the mirrors directly above Naruto and Sakura shifted. Sasuke barely managed to push them out of the way of the ice spikes that it had formed. He got out unscathed but found the figure in front of him. He barely blocked the first two punches, but then they ended up stabbing him with a needle through his wrist. His left hand lost all feeling.
Using right hand, he grabbed a kunai knife, slashing the figure's arm. Blood flew into the open air as he backstepped away, only to watch them disappear back into the mirror! He watched as Naruto began to stand up, but then all of the mirrors began to shift. He watched horrifyingly as the one in front of him broke apart into ice spikes. He watched them dodged but saw the figure standing behind Naruto. Needles raised up in their hands. He jumped in front of them, taking the hit direct!
His eyes widened from the pain, then the feeling of nothingness as his sharingan deactivated. Naruto barely got off an attack, managing to punch the figure! The raven-haired Uchiha fell on the ground, back flat against the cold concrete. Blood leaked from his mouth, he looked at Naruto. Giving him a smile, but he couldn't say anything, his body went limp!
"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, trying to quickly pull needles out of his chest.
Naruto saw it, Sasuke's signature disappeared from his sight!
"I warned you all, but you wouldn't listen to me…now that your friend is dead…what will you do?" The voice inquired.
Naruto just stood there, tears rolling from his eyes. He watched as Sakura did mouth-to-mouth, pumping his chest. Something was bubbling inside of him, an all too familiar feeling. Slowly, but surely, it started to come forth. Red chakra poured out of him, and Sakura took notice. She looked up at Naruto. She saw that whisker marks had thickened, his canine teeth poked from his upper lip. His facial features becoming wild, unkempt, one could even say feral.
"What is this foul chakra, what are you?!" The voice asked, although sounding calm, a hint of panic had started to take root!
Kakashi barely blocked another slice from the giant sword, both fighters suddenly stopped. Zabuza's eyes widened as he felt it, that energy, it was too similar to Yagura's to be mistaken. He looked right at Kakashi, who stood there ready to continue their fight.
"You realize that we're all in danger now," Zabuza commented. "Is it that little blonde bastard?"
"Maybe it is, but you won't live long enough to know!" Kakashi declared as he pushed the blade off, weaving hand seals.
He jumped back, summoning several hounds. They charged through the rethickening mist. Kakashi wasn't far behind them!
Tazuna and the villagers all felt the pressure of the area changed. A dark feeling rose in their chests. He could see a brilliant red light starting to emerge in the center of the bridge! They watched as Kakashi pressed his advantage but prayed to whatever God was out there that the menacing red light was a benign source!
Naruto stood in the center of red light, chakra forming into the visage of a Nine Tailed Fox. His now clawed hands gripped, drawing blood from his palms. He looked down at Sakura, growling, nearly frothing at the mouth from rage alone!
"Take Sasuke and go!" Naruto ordered her.
She looked at him, "But what about…" what ever she was going to say was ended.
Naruto screamed at her, his voice growing deeper, "I said leave before I lose any last bit of control I have!"
She grabbed Sasuke, watching as he stepped forward to the mirrors. She was about to dash when the figure appeared in front of her. Needle raised up, but they didn't get a chance! Naruto was on them, grabbing their arm, slamming them into the mirror they appeared out of. Shattering it, but despite, he noted they had sunk back in. Sakura ran, ran as fast as she could carry herself and Sasuke. Whatever had happened to Naruto, she didn't doubt with single thought he was being sincere about him losing control of himself!
The figure launched needles all around Naruto, some sinking into his chest where his heart was. He merely shrugged them off, and they ripped out of his skin! He roared, a mighty inhuman roar, causing a wave of pressure to wash over the area. The mirrors, all of them, began to crack from the pressure alone. The ANBU operative couldn't believe their eyes, raw chakra was doing this, no Jutsu was even cast!
He moved forward, and they barely tracked him, he ripped through their mirror! Barely backstepping in time, they turned to dive into a nearly broken ice mirror, but Naruto reached down. He grabbed their ankle, hoisting them up, slamming the figure hard into the concrete causing a human shape dent!
Then he threw them, watching as they skidded on the ground, futilely trying to stop their sliding on the concrete. With the stop, the person tried to get up, but Naruto appeared above them. Rolling to the side, they barely dodged a punch that made hole in the bridge itself. The structure shook from the force, and she could a tail made of red chakra emerging from the boy's back. That boy, not that monster, was uncontrolled. He roared at them, charging, the masked operative barely had time to block the next hit. It didn't matter, they felt their bone break in half from the force of the punch!
The monster was walking them down, his eyes glowed like hellfire. Burning crimson chakra swirled around him, it rolled in waves up his body. Feral eyes looked at them, much like calculating hunter to its vulnerable prey. He leapt, sinking his fist into the steel cable the operative barely dodged from. They tried escaping up, but instead a red blur past them. He appeared, throwing a heavy roundhouse kick, sending that operative careening into the ground.
"That's right, good Naruto, kill them…"
Growling, Naruto roared red energy poured around him, waves of it washed off. Flowing around the area, he glared at his opponent, which got up. He watched as ice formed all around them, the mist clearing. Villagers could now see them, some shrinking back in terror, he walked right over to the beaten opponent. He didn't care they were beaten, that they were too weak to truly put up a fight, he wanted one thing only thing, he wanted blood!
"Kill them Naruto, make them pay!"
Steam rose around him, the heat of his chakra causing it. His pupils near shrank to the point of nonexistence. The blonde's slow walk down turned into a maddened sprint. No longer did run on just his legs, but on his hands well! He might as well have been feral animal, demon!
"Zabuza…"
Naruto closed the distance, his hand flattened out, making his claws come forward first. He was fully cocked back, the only moment he stood on two legs during his entire run. The figure's mask fell off, revealing Haku, his eyes watered. He didn't beg, he simply closed his eyes, accepting fate.
"Forgive my uselessness…"
Naruto's claws ripped through Haku's chest, every organ in its path was shredded! Blood pumped from the wound, trailing down his arm. Haku's chocolate eyes looked into Naruto's. The blonde stopped, and his clawed hand was covered in gore on the other side. Haku slumped over, blood leaking from his mouth, his eyes opened with tears trailing down them. Naruto stood there, the demonic chakra leaving him, his azure eyes came back to him.
"W-what…Haku, no this isn't right. You're trying to play trick on me, you can't be the boy from the woods a few days ago! You were friendly," Naruto stammered, eyes filling with tears. "Haku…Haku? Haku?!"
Zabuza stopped his fight, looking over at Haku, noting the blonde's fist through his chest. He roared in a rage, charging straight at Naruto blindly. He never heard the lightning crackle, the chirping of a thousand birds. His chest exploded, Kakashi's hand sticking out from it, death was immediate. He looked at Naruto, cursing him with his dying consciousness. Kakashi meanwhile, removed his hand, and just looked at Naruto who stood there frozen by what he had done. Sakura stood there, horrified, and now awake Sasuke looked at Naruto horrified as well. Their Jonin sensei walked over to him, easing his out of Haku's chest, wet noises following, and splat when his dead body hit the ground.
The blonde collapsed, Mizuki had been justified, and he hated him. Haku, the one he just slaughtered, he had considered him a friend even though had just met. He sensed no evil from him, no wicked intent, yet he was driven kill him. He heard The Nine Tails whisper at him, but he could've stopped! He chose, and he knew he did, he chose to drive his palm through Haku's chest. Sasuke had died, but when he looked over and saw Sasuke was alive, Naruto just sunk down. Sobbing, he breathed hard, rocking and back forth.
"It's okay, Naruto you didn't have a choice," Kakashi comforted him, trying to get him to rouse.
Instead, Naruto just heard the villagers, whispering about demon. He looked at Haku, the sadness in his face, the hole in chest. If Naruto had any sense of humanity, it was gone, and perhaps maybe the villagers' increasing whispers about him being one wasn't too far.
When Naruto found the will to move, he simply walked towards Sasuke and Sakura…who welcomed him with open arms of support.