Captain Blues: Let's cut the intro and roll the chapter.
Ansatsuken
Chapter Twelve: Herald of the Satsui no Hadō
[Theme of Meeting:
Imperial Capital Kazas from Legend of the Dragoon]
"So…He finally revealed himself and took Haku and little Emi hostage…And he wants to fight you, you win, we get Gatō and you get your girls. You lose…That is bad for us. That sound about right?" Kakashi summed up.
Naruto nodded.
"This whole thing is strange," Sakura said as she crossed her arms. "I mean, why Naruto?"
"I screwed up his plans," Naruto explained. "Haku was supposed to spy on me but her falling in love with me and caring for Emi messed it all up…" Naruto glanced at his hand then closed it into a fist, the color of his irises flashing from blue to purple. "I'll make him pay…" Naruto hissed out.
"Calm down Naruto," Kakashi urged gently. "I understand that you have two people you care about hanging in the balance, but we need to be smarter. Your hunch paid off greatly after discovering Haku was associated with him but now he has the advantage. We need to swing it our way…And I think I know how."
Sasuke smirked as he pushed himself off the wall and asked, "What's the plan sensei?"
"Naruto…You will meet Zabuza at the bridge tonight. You will distract him for as long as you can possible. During this, Sakura will free Haku and Emi. Meanwhile, Sasuke will go locate Gatō and bring him to the bridge. He must not be far from Zabuza if Zabuza knows where he is. Once we secure our targets, I will take over the duel and Zabuza will be defeated."
"But why send Sasuke-kun on his own?" Sakura asked.
"Sasuke was the rookie of the year and we slew Gatō's men. Gatō is all the remains and I doubt he will hold up against Sasuke," Kakashi said.
Sasuke smirked.
Naruto looked unsure but then he nodded. "Alright. Sounds good, I'm in…" Naruto agreed.
"Good. Let us work out the details of the plan. We have until nightfall to iron it all out," Kakashi said as the planning commenced.
Once the plan was done, Kakashi pulled Naruto aside and said "Naruto…There is one special thing about the Kage Bushin that you must know. Anytime a clone is dispelled, you see what they see and learn what they learn."
"I knew that Kakashi-sensei…It was in the description of the Jutsu in the Forbidden scroll."
"But you have yet to see it in battle. This is why in preparation for tonight, I will teach you what that means in terms of battling with them," Kakashi told him.
Naruto nodded.
[Theme of the Captured:
Destitution (Home of Giganto) from Legend of the Dragoon]
"Haku-nee, I'm scared…" Emi's upset voice said as she sat in a cell across from Haku.
Haku's heart ached as she sat there, her wrists and hands bound to keep her unable to do any Jutsu. "It's okay honey," Haku said as she looked across the hall to Emi, who sat balled up in a corner, her small body trembling. "This won't be for long, okay?"
"I want Naru-nii," Emi sobbed out.
Haku's heart felt as if it was breaking from the sadness in Emi's voice.
She had to figure something out.
Anything…
But try as she might, the bindings on her wrist and hands were too tight. "Damn it…" Haku swore in anger. She looked back at Emi and said "Don't worry honey. Naruto-kun will save us. But until then, I will protect you. I promise, okay Emi-chan?"
Emi's large blue eyes stared at her from across the hall and Haku felt her own eyes watering.
Haku had never felt so powerless before…
"Okay…" Emi said with a shaky nod.
"That's my girl," Haku said with a faint smile.
"It seems false promises is also something that brat must have taught you," Zabuza's voice echoed down the hall.
Haku froze as his shadow eclipsed the light in front of her and blocked Emi from her sight.
"Zabuza-sama…" Haku murmured.
"I just wanted to know kid…Why?" Zabuza asked. "I raised you, protected you, molded you to be the perfect shinobi…You had done this before to people far stronger than him, and yet he is the one put that chink in your armor…Why?"
[Theme of Reminiscing:
Twilight of Rose from Legend of the Dragoon]
Haku remained silent for a moment.
"There are a lot of reasons. The ones that you had me do this to were horrible, evil men…" Haku started. "But Naruto…He is not. He…" Haku could not stop the smile from forming on her face as she thought back.
"Your eyes…They are beautiful up close…I was unaware of this…"
"It was his eyes…" Haku said. "The first thing I noticed about him was his eyes. They are beautiful…Like sapphires. And when he would smile or laugh, they would brighten to an almost radiant degree…"
"I realized that each mission is important to the ones that grant it. Even something as simple as walking a dog, while it annoys me, it could mean the world to that person…And so because of that, I realized that bringing a smile to the faces of those I help makes it worth it."
"The second was his outlook on being a shinobi," Haku said. "He did not see us as tools or weapons. He sees us shinobi as protectors to those in dire situations like those in Wave. He sees shinobi as people that want to protect and bring smiles on the faces of those they help…I even watched him put them to action, so I know that this is not some trick or ploy…He sees shinobi as people...I'm not foolish to think all shinobi are good. Many shinobi are as evil as you say. And many are shades of gray but we are people."
"I never had anyone that loved or cared for me. In the village that I come from; they treat me as if I am nothing but a ghost to them because of their own bullshit fears about something I'm not. Hell, I so unwanted, not even the orphanage wanted me…I knew nothing of love or companionship for a long time."
"His life was hard…Like mine was but he never had someone take him in and train him. He was alone his entire life. Unloved. Uncared for, unwanted…He knew nothing of compassion and yet…"
"Shit may be bad right now but trust me, it will get better and you know why? Because but I am making it my personal mission to stop him once and for all. No matter what it takes."
"But why? Why does it matter to you so much?"
"Gatō has made you and your entire village cower in fear of him and those he hired, and I don't take too kindly to bullies like him. Plus…and it might be silly…But I don't like seeing children cry…"
"And yet he showed compassion to a child that lost it all…Two of them in fact. And he wanted to bring happiness back to a village that Gatō robbed them of. Not to be a hero, but to stop children from crying," Haku said. "And he would push himself past the breaking point to keep his word."
Zabuza's eyes narrowed as she stood up and faced him. "I fell for him because, in this world of death and darkness, he is a beacon of light. My beacon of light and as much as I care for you Zabuza-sama, my feelings for him eclipses yours."
[Theme of the Demon
Shinra's Theme from Final Fantasy 7 Remake]
Zabuza chuckled, which caused Haku to immediately become on edge.
"Well…It seems he has fully indoctrinated you Haku…" Zabuza noted with a hidden smirk. "You seem to view this boy as some beacon of light, a paragon through and through…An anomaly of what I have taught you all these years…" Zabuza crossed his arms and chuckled again.
"I was going to originally have him kill you and the brat and become my apprentice until I would kill him. But now I know exactly what needs to be done…" Zabuza told her. "Tonight, I'm not just going to defeat him. I am going to make sure I do everything in my power to destroy this image of this…Messiah you have imagined him to be…."
Haku's eyes widened in surprise as Zabuza's smirk deepened. "Everyone has a dark side. Even your little sapphire and I am going to bring it out. I am going to reveal to you his true side and then crush him beneath my heel so that before I have him murder you and the girl…You will understand deep down…Everyone is just as ruthless, just as dark, and just as violent as I can be…So make peace with yourself and the silly thoughts of that little sapphire of yours."
Haku looked down as Zabuza walked off, his laugh echoing through the hall.
[Theme of Nightfall:
Yurusenee! From Yu Yu Hakusho]
After hours of prepping for the plan, hours of last-minute preparations, Naruto walked alone through the village of Wave, his face emotionless but his eyes raging with the fire of determination.
It was time.
As Naruto watched, he saw Kakashi jumped from roof to roof at a safe distance with Sakura by his side while Sasuke ran in another direction. Naruto could see the bridge coming up and, in the distance, he saw three figures standing in the middle of the bridge.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and continued his walk until he stopped in the middle of the bridge, where the three figures became clearer.
All three of them were Zabuza. The one in the middle with his arms crossed Naruto assumed to be the real one while the two Zabuza stood stoically behind him.
"You have arrived," Zabuza noted with a smirk beneath his bandaged mask.
"As I promised I would," Naruto replied.
Zabuza chuckled. "You're a man of your word, Little Sapphire. While I will be taking everything else away from you tonight, I will give you that at least…" Zabuza then stepped aside, to reveal that the pair of Zabuza had their right and left hands in a large orb of water, where Haku and Emi sat.
"Naru-nii!" Emi screamed from the orb.
"Naruto-kun!" Haku yelled out.
"To make sure that there are no interruptions, I have trapped your prizes within my Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu)," Zabuza told him with a chuckle.
Naruto growled.
That was going to make Sakura's job so much harder…
He could see the fearful expression on Haku and Emi's faces, so he pushed his anger to the side and smiled at them. "Haku-chan. Emi-chan. Do not worry. I will have you both out of there in no time. I promise."
"Tonight, we fight to the death. Well, you will be fighting to kill me. Once I die, they will be freed but the longer you take…The more oxygen begins to be sapped…So, you do not have a lot of time," Zabuza told him as he blocked the view of the prison.
Zabuza removed his blade and stabbed it into the ground beside him, his eyes gleaming with malice as the red wisps of killing intent flowed from his body. "You know what is at stake boy…Do not hesitate to kill…Because I won't," Zabuza told him.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as Zabuza charged towards him with a shout of "Time to do this boy!"
Naruto dashed forward with his own shout of "Bring it on, Bitch!"
With their battle cries shouted, their fists collided.
[BATTLE START]
[THEME OF NARUTO VS ZABZA:
Pledge of Demon from Yakuza 0]
Naruto immediately opened his palm against Zabuza's fist and shouted "Gadōken!" With an explosion of energy, the pair was forcibly split apart, with Zabuza skidding backward on the balls of his feet while Naruto shouted "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Five clones appeared beside him as they all skidded backward on their heels. "Go," Naruto ordered. Two of the clones dashed forward, with one leaping into the air with a shout of "Tornado!" while the other skidded into a crouching position.
Zabuza managed to block two rotations of the first clone's kicks but caught the foot on the final rotation only for the clone beneath him to shout "Shōryūken: Dragon Smash!" and deliver a rising uppercut with both fists nailing him in the jaw as the two went into the air.
Zabuza grabbed the right wrist of the clone and with a yell, threw both clones on the ground before he crashed to the ground, his feet crushing the heads of the two clones, dispelling them into smoke.
Naruto immediately motioned for the remaining three clones to charge, only for Zabuza to shout "Suiton: Suiryuusou (Water Release: Water Flowing Lance)!"
Two lances flew from the smoke and pierced one clone through the chest while Naruto himself was nicked in the right shoulder, but Naruto merely summoned five more clones and as the dust settled, the seven clones leaped out and engaged Zabuza in combat.
"When you officially begin your battle with Zabuza, the first thing you will do is summon a few Kage Bushin," Kakashi's voice floated through Naruto's head as he observed the clones pushing Zabuza back with each flurry of blows. "When we first fought him, Zabuza was too overwhelmed with us double-teaming him. The tempo of our movements kept him off guard so you will want to overwhelm Zabuza with your clones. Give him no room to breathe. With each clone dispelled, summon double of it."
Zabuza punched two clones in the face only for four more clones to appear, two knocking him in the stomach and the other delivering a double roundhouse kick to his face. Zabuza skidded back and began to form seals but one clone leaped forward and kicked Zabuza's left hand while another clone grabbed his right hand.
Zabuza backhanded the clone that kicked his left hand then brought his right hand up and head-butted that clone, dispersing them both into smoke, only to feel two feet collide with his face, which sent him skidding backward into three more clones, each of them cupping their hands to their sides.
"Hadōken!" The three shouted as they lunged their hands forward, which caused three medium-sized orbs of energy to collide against his back, which sent him forward as a clone shouted "Tornado!" and delivered three brutal rotating kicks to Zabuza's face, which sent him to the ground.
Zabuza flipped to his feet and caught two the fist of two clones with each hand before he kicked one in the stomach then pulled the other one close to land an elbow on that clone in the face. He then twisted his body and clotheslined a clone, who tried to land a flying dragon kick, and slammed him to the ground.
"Every shinobi has a blind-spot," Kakashi's voice instructed as Naruto received memories of each fallen clone in his mind. "Try to position your clones around him to find it. At some point, Zabuza is going to realize what you are doing in trying to overwhelm him so he will get smarter but if you keep the right number of clones and know that blind-spot, it should keep him on his toes enough for you to keep the edge."
"Enough of this! Suiton: Hogo-sha no Yubiwa (Water Release: Ring of Guardians)!" Zabuza shouted. Suddenly, a swarm of water flew from the side of the bridge and circled Zabuza and took the image of several little imps with comically large swords, slashing at the clones that were near the protective ring.
Naruto winced as the memories of his fallen clones entered his head, but he did realize the blind spot Zabuza held.
The right side of Zabuza's body was his blind-spot.
"So, it seems you do have some brains," Zabuza said with a smirk. "Unfortunately, this is where your good luck ends."
"Another thing I've learned is that Shinobi, especially strong ones, are prone to letting their anger rule over them. Be sure to lean into that. The angrier they get, the sloppier they become…Zabuza seems like he is this. Anger him enough and he will be blinded by it," Kakashi's voice instructed.
Naruto summoned eight clones as he replied "Blah, blah, blah…Can we get on with it? I have people to save."
Zabuza growled and dashed forward.
Naruto smirked and ran towards Zabuza as the four clones behind him cupped their hands at their sides while the other four clones leaped over Zabuza and Naruto and spun around in the air with their hands cupped at their sides.
Just as Naruto met with Zabuza, the eight clones shouted "Hadōken!" and fired small-sized energy balls, with the four behind Naruto sailing past him and colliding with the ring while the four in the back also collided with the ring, causing it to disperse in a pool of water just as Naruto ducked a right jab, stepped to the right, twisted his body, and delivered a brutal sidekick to Zabuza's right side.
"Too slow!" Naruto exclaimed.
Zabuza growled and turned around and threw a right jab followed by a left, which Naruto avoided the first with a sidestep and then the second with a block as he threw his own jabs, which Zabuza blocked, only for a shout of "Hadōken!" to be heard, followed by four balls of energy to collide in this back,
Zabuza stumbled forward as Naruto moved past Zabuza's right side and delivered another had side kick to the right side of Zabuza's torso. Zabuza growled and brought his hands together and attempted a hammer blow but Naruto blocked it with his right forearm, allowing a clone to run and deliver another kick to Zabuza's right side.
Zabuza turned around and backhanded the clone, only Naruto to kick the right side of his torso again and smirked when he felt something snap against his front foot. Zabuza growled in pain as he turned around and delivered a sharp right hook to Naruto's right cheek, but Naruto countered with a punch to the middle of Zabuza's face, which caused both shinobi to skid backward from the blow.
Naruto skidded backward and Zabuza quickly approached and landed two hard punches to Naruto's face but before he could do anything more, the shout of "Hadōken!" was heard, followed by Zabuza being pelted by four small flaming chakra orbs to the left side of his body.
As Zabuza staggered to the side, Naruto leaped into the air and shouted "Shunpūkyaku (Twirling Gale Kick)!" With a burst of chakra, Naruto landed a roundhouse kick to Zabuza's face, spun a full 360 degrees, and landed another kick to his face, which knocked Zabuza to the front in the direction of his sword.
Naruto rotated once again and delivered a kick to Zabuza's upper chest as Naruto's body began to lower closer to the ground. Naruto then landed on his right foot and with the last turn of his body, he landed the final hard kick to Zabuza's stomach, which caused Zabuza to skid towards the back row of his clones.
Zabuza used the momentum of Naruto's previous attack to leap in the air, twist his body around, and delivered a wild roundhouse kick to disperse the four clones before he grabbed the hilt of his blade and launched it towards Naruto.
Naruto leaped in the air to avoid the blade, but the clones behind him were too slow and were dispersed by the blade. Zabuza then turned around and flickered to his blade and grabbed its hilt as Naruto fell to the ground, his hands cupped at his sides.
Just as Zabuza appeared behind Naruto with his blade raised in the air, Naruto turned around and shouted "Hadōken!" Which caused a large fireball filled with chakra to collide with Zabuza's chest, which sent him flying backward before the attack exploded with a flourish of energy.
Naruto panted, his hunched over body trembling as his veins began to become visible and glow a faint turquoise color. Naruto took a breath and leaned upright as he watched Zabuza stab his Kubikiri Hōchō into the bridge to slow his flight and landed on both feet, small droplets of blood falling down his chest.
Naruto then watched as Zabuza threw his head back and start to laugh.
"Wow kid, you are damn impressive. I needed to use my dear blade on you!" Zabuza barked as he held his blade out to Naruto. "You have my respect!" He shouted.
Naruto felt a cold edge fill his gut at those words before Zabuza suddenly flickered away. Naruto's eyes widened as he felt an intense feeling of malice behind him. "Unfortunately, Little Sapphire, that means I won't be going easy on you any longer," Zabuza said from behind him.
Naruto quickly jumped to the left to avoid the downward swing of Zabuza's blade to cleave him in half.
Naruto landed on the heels of his feet but Zabuza appeared before him with his blade in mid-swing. Naruto ducked the wide swing and shouted "Shōōken!" as he delivered a small uppercut only for Zabuza to explode into cement.
Zabuza appeared above in the air with a shout of "That won't work this time kid!" and with a mighty swing, the blade cleaved through Naruto, only for "Naruto" to explode into smoke. "Kage Bushin?" Zabuza said in alarm before he turned around and swung his blade upward to destroy another clone.
Zabuza twirled his blade as he spun behind and cleaved through three more clones before he turned around and caught Naruto's fist and booted him hard in the chest, which sent Naruto skidding back on his heels.
Naruto's back hit the side of the bridge, but Naruto used the momentum to roll off the edge and hang onto the railing to avoid the downward slash of Zabuza's blade, which cleaved through the side of the bridge, the edge barely touching Naruto's head.
After a few seconds, Naruto flipped over the edge with a shout of "Tornado!" and delivered a hard kick to Zabuza's face, twisted his body, and aimed another kick to the Nuke-Nin's face but Zabuza caught the foot and swung him to the opposite side the bridge.
Only for Naruto to explode in smoke again.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes and shouted, "You can keep running but remember, time is running out for them!"
Suddenly, Naruto sprang forth over the railing behind Zabuza and slammed his knee in the back of Zabuza's head.
As Zabuza leaned forward, Naruto rolled over the back of Zabuza's shoulder and neck and placed his hand on top of Zabuza's head then shouted "Gadōken!" A flourish of energy collided with Zabuza's head, which propelled Naruto into the air as Zabuza flew against the edge of the bridge.
Naruto twirled in the air and then landed on his feet only to buckle to one knee, the glowing of his veins more noticeable as he panted harder. Naruto's vision began to blur, which made Naruto close his eyes and shake his head before he opened them again.
A low chuckle was heard, which caused Naruto's head to snap up to see Zabuza, whose head was slumped down as blood dripped down his head to his face.
[Theme of Zabuza:
Preparation from Yu Yu Hakusho]
Zabuza lifted his head and chuckled louder before he said "Look at those veins… Cannot move? Trouble breathing? Is your vision blurry? Looks like someone is suffering from chakra exhaustion…"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"First time huh? It always hits harder the first time around…It seems all those fancy moves, those Kage Bushin, and those chakra-fire balls have worn you down," Zabuza said as he stood up tall as Naruto panted, struggling to move his limbs, but they felt as heavy as lead.
"This is where I want you…Battered and weak," Zabuza chuckled. "Meanwhile, I am still standing tall…" Zabuza began to approach Naruto. Zabuza picked up his blade as he towered over Naruto, a smirk on his bloody face. "I've faced down a lot of opponents of all levels but you kid, you've managed to not only impress me but infuriate me at the same time," Zabuza said.
Naruto struggled but he rose to his feet, his eyes glancing to the distance where he watched the tall form of Kakashi in the middle of a battle with the two Zabuza's clones, which allowed Sakura to grab Emi and help Haku to her feet.
Zabuza paused and looked over at where Naruto looked and smirked before he turned back to Naruto. "You think I did not know?" Zabuza asked. "You really think I was dumb enough to think you would come here alone? You should have been smarter than that!"
Zabuza swung his blade and with all the energy Naruto had left, he dashed backwards to avoid it, but the blade managed to hit its mark, causing a massive spray of blood to fly from Naruto's chest as the blade sliced from left shoulder to right hip.
Naruto landed on his feet and grasped at his chest. It was a glancing wound, but it was deep enough to cause blood to spill from it. Naruto was suddenly rocked by a right hook, which caused him to skid back against the edge of the bridge. Zabuza reached down and pulled Naruto up by his GI and launched him to the right, which caused him to glide against the bridge before he slowed to a stop.
"I knew they were hiding on the edge of the bridge the moment you showed up. I'm surprised they waited so long," Zabuza said with a chuckle. "I know your friend is also looking for Gatō. Fortunately, I left him where he would be easily spotted. Which is the end of the bridge past Haku…bound and gagged."
"You see kid… I worked for Gatō for the money and once I killed you and your team, he was going to die next. I would be a hypocrite to work for him when I did not want to work for my own Kage, who was just like him…Scum…" Zabuza picked up Naruto by the back of his Gi and threw him again, ripping the top of his Gi off to only show the skintight black shirt beneath it.
"It could have all been so simple…" Zabuza said as Naruto got up on all fours to try and stand. "But you kid…You caught my eye when you interfered with my fight with Kakashi and gave him the edge to defeat me…And then caught my ire when you stole my tool from me…" Zabuza delivered a hard kick to Naruto's stomach, which caused him skid against the ground, blood leaving his lips.
"I told you before Gaki… We were molded to be liars, thieves, and killers. There is nothing honorable about us. There is nothing human about us…And Haku went along with it for years until you showed up. You have twisted Haku's mind into believing that there is nobility in being a shinobi. That there is Honor, decency, and caring to this dark dealing with death. You have fed her all of that bullshit…And that is why I challenged you…"
Naruto rose to his feet shakily only for Zabuza to immediately force him back down with a vicious kick to his face. "And despite your admittedly impressive skills, in the end, you now understand that this is the difference between a Genin and a Jōnin. A Genin must surpass their limits to put a dent in us. While all a Jōnin must do is hold back enough to not kill on the first blow…and no matter how skilled you are…You are still a mere Genin…" Zabuza hissed out and Naruto rose to one knee, only for Zabuza's left foot to collide with his face, which sent Naruto skidding back on his ass, until he slowed to a stop.
Naruto slowly rose to his feet on shaky legs only for his legs to give out and fall to his knees, his head slumped down.
Zabuza said as he summoned two more water clones, who nodded and ran towards where Kakashi was battling the other two, his stride slow and deliberate as he walked towards Naruto. "I said that if you were to lose, you would work for me and I would force you to kill Haku and that brat…But now…I think I will prove to Haku that a soft-heartedness is not fit to live in this line of work."
Zabuza finally stopped in front of Naruto's whose breathing had slowed, the turquoise glow of his veins turned into a deep purple. "So here is the new deal…I will kill you and I will bring your mangled corpse to her…Then when Haku breaks and becomes the tool I desire once again… I will order her to kill that girl to cement her loyalty to me."
Zabuza lifted his blade into the air. "Just remember…Haku's permanent submission and the death of that girl…Is all. On. You!" Zabuza swung his blade down to Naruto.
"You need to hurry," Haku implored as Sakura worked on the bindings of her hands.
"I'm going as fast as I can. Man, he really made sure to make your bindings as hard as possible to get out of," Sakura noted as the sounds of Kakashi battling the four Zabuza clones raged on in the background.
Sakura finally cut through the final rope with a shout of "Yatta! I did it!" as the rope fell from Haku's hands. As Emi immediately jumped into Haku's awaiting arms, the sounds of combat also ended as four splashes of water were heard, which caused Sakura to look and see Kakashi, who slipped his kunai back into its pouch.
"Sensei!" Sasuke's voice shouted.
Sakura, Haku, and Kakashi turned around to see Sasuke and a Kage Bushin of Kakashi, with a bound Gatō on his shoulder, running up to them from behind. "Found Gatō. He was on the other side of the bridge," Sasuke explained as the shadow clone nodded and exploded, which made Kakashi shake his head in a brief amount of pain.
"Good, we're all here and okay, let's get to-" Kakashi was interrupted as a pulse of malice filled the air.
"That feeling…It can't be..." Kakashi whispered as turned around while Sakura, Sasuke and Haku gasped.
Near the other end of the bridge, there were several thick tendrils of purple chakra that swirled into a tower, where the shape of a fox's head appeared. "We need to go now!" Kakashi yelled only to stop when he saw Haku speed past him.
Zabuza's eyes widened in surprise as thick tendrils of purple chakra began to rise from Naruto's body, his blade caught in the grasp of the kneeling boy. Naruto slowly lifted his head to reveal thicker whisker marks and glowing foxlike purple irises.
But the changes were not only his face. His skin had become paler and his hair had become a platinum-blond compared and his veins were violet in color and were throbbing.
[Theme of Satsui no Hadō
Herald of Gargos from Killer Instinct]
"Thank you…" Naruto said, his voice darker and edgier as a wide smirk appeared on his face. "And Goodbye…SHINRYUKEN!" Without warning, Naruto's body rose from the ground and his left fist glided up Zabuza's body as violet flames engulfed his fist, tearing up Zabuza's chest before Naruto's fist collided with Zabuza's chin.
The two rocketed into the air with a twirl, violet flames swirling in the air as a pillar of violet light surround the pair. While the two were in the air, Naruto grabbed Zabuza by the neck and twirled their bodies around before he launched Zabuza down towards the bridge hard.
"W-What the hell?" Zabuza croaked out as Naruto let out an insane laugh as he cupped his hands to his side as violet-colored flames swirled into his palms. Naruto's laugher grew as he threw his arms forward, which caused a large, flame covered Hadōken flew down at Zabuza.
Zabuza switched himself out with a cement block, which exploded upon impact in a pillar of flames, only for Naruto to be standing in that spot, his fist embedded in the bridge. Zabuza held his bleeding and charred chest as he gripped the Kubikiri Hōchō.
Zabuza released his hilt and quickly formed his preferred hand seals and with a deep breath, he exhaled "Kirigakure no Jutsu (Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu)." The surrounding area quickly became shrouded in a thick mist but through that mist, he could still see those glowing irises of Naruto.
But then those irises flickered out of existence.
Zabuza felt a presence behind him and quickly turned around and blocked a punch from Naruto using the flat edge of his blade, only to blink when a crack appeared on the other side. Naruto began to laugh as violet flames began to coalesce behind the blade before Zabuza heard "Gadōken…" And with an explosion, the Kubikiri Hōchō shattered into pieces as Zabuza was sent backward into the air from the force.
Zabuza skidded on his feet as violet irises sped to him at top speed before they flickered to his direct left where he felt a hard punch land against his left jaw. Zabuza retaliated with a right jab at the direction of the eyes but the eyes flickered, only for him to feel a punch collided against his right side, causing his ribs to shatter from the blow.
Zabuza turned his body and tried to aim a kick but the eyes flickered once again and Zabuza met nothing but air. Feeling malice behind him, Zabuza turned around only to feel Naruto's foot collided against his jaw, which sent him into the air.
"Shippu …" Naruto started as Zabuza felt the boy's foot leave his jaw as the light of violet flames covered his foot. Zabuza then felt Naruto's flame covered foot collide against his stomach, his right jaw, his left kneecap, his right hip, his left shoulder before finally feeling Naruto's foot slammed into his chest.
"….Jinraikyaku (Lightning-Speed Leg)!" With that shout, Zabuza was carried into the air as Naruto rapidly rotated, Zabuza's body being showered with flames as he whipped back and forth against Naruto's extended leg before Naruto ended with one last turn and a hard kick to Zabuza's face, which sent him sailing back into the thick mist and crashing down into the ground.
Zabuza struggled to rise to his feet as the mist began to part, revealing Naruto's form, a feral smirk on his face. "Oi! You're still alive!" Naruto exclaimed happily as he sauntered over to Zabuza's body. "You know something…Ever since I was born, I really hated people. Well…People in my village anyway," Naruto explained. "But that moron, he just would not listen to reason…He was so big on trying to take the high road and prove himself and make others smile."
Zabuza narrowed his eyes as he pushed himself onto his feet, but he crumbled to the ground. when he realized that those last few attacks had broken his left kneecap, "And it is funny because when Haku and Emi came into our lives, I thought I was wrong. We had gotten good karma after all we suffered…But then you came along…Shattered that dream and made me hate you…And tonight, when my foolish other half was down and out, you gave me a slim chance to take control…"
"You're not the kid…" Zabuza said as he leaned up enough to stare at the boy.
"Not even remotely…No, I guess I'm…I don't have a name, do I?" Naruto paused and tilted his head in thought before a smirk formed. "I guess…Well, I doubt it matters because you won't be alive for too much longer to use it…"
Naruto dashed forward, which caused astral projections of himself to appear and follow his movements, and slammed his knee against Zabuza's face, which caused Zabuza to skip against the bridge as he sailed backward.
With the projections following him, Naruto dashed behind the sailing Zabuza and skidded to a stop and delivered a hard jab against Zabuza's lower back before he shouted "Shōryūken!" Which sent Zabuza high into the air as flames covered Zabuza's body.
With blood dripping down his back, Zabuza crashed to the ground and rolled once before he shakily rose to one knee and shouted "This isn't over yet! Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" A large water dragon sprouted from the side of the bridge and flew towards Naruto.
Naruto laughed and swung his right leg hard as he shouted "Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Hurricane Kick)!" Violet flames covered Naruto's foot as he rotated his body rapidly as he moved forward towards the dragon. The moment the Dragon's head met Naruto's fire covered foot, it withstood the first kick but once the second kick collided with its jaw, the dragon exploded into steam that wrapped around Naruto's spinning body.
On the final rotation of Naruto's body, Naruto lowered his leg and cupped his hands together and shouted "Shakunetsu Hadōken (Scorching Heat Surge Fist)!" A violet flame covered Hadōken flew towards Zabuza.
Zabuza vaulted off the ground with his arms to avoid the flaming attack but that proved a mistake as Naruto dashed forward and leaped into the air with violet flames flowing into his open right hand as his projections followed him.
Zabuza looked up as a smirking Naruto shouted "Zanku Hadōken (Slashing Air Surge Fist)!" A weaker, violet flame covered Hadōken flew from Naruto's hand and slammed into Zabuza's face, which sent Zabuza flying back until he crashed back down on the bridge.
Blood dribbled down Zabuza's face as he smirked, his vision blurring as Naruto landed in the distance. "Do you see this Haku…" Zabuza hissed out as leaned up on both knees and began to form seals. "There was an evil side to him…. And I have a feeling you will see the aftermath of how dark he truly is…"
"Because even if I die here, I will have proved my point that darkness exists in all shinobi!" Zabuza shouted as he finished his seal and screamed "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" A large ring of water formed in front of Zabuza from both sides of the bridge before the large vortex of water flew towards Naruto.
Naruto let out a wild laugh as he cupped his hands to his side as blue and violet chakra wisps flowed from and around his body into his cupped palms. "So, this is how you fall, with a pathetic dying gasp! Messatsu Go Hadō (Annihilating Great Surge)!"
With that scream, a large Hadōken with a large wave of energy attached to the front of it exploded from Naruto's palm, its form flashing from violet to blue as it met the vortex head-on. The two attacks seemed to clash for a moment before the vortex exploded and evaporated and charged towards Zabuza.
Zabuza watched as the attack headed towards him, the concrete from the bridge beneath it becoming charred and broken from the sheer pressure of the attack.
Zabuza smirked before he shut his eyes, awaiting his fate.
"Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō! (Ice Style: Demonic Ice crystal mirror)!"
A large dome of ice mirrors appeared and surrounded Zabuza before the voice shouted "Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō Kyūtai (Ice Style: Demonic Ice crystal mirror sphere)!" The mirrors quickly enclosed around him to form a perfect dome just as Naruto's attacked slammed into it.
Naruto's eyes widened as the smoke cleared from the attack, revealing a gaping hole within the ice dome but Zabuza was still alive. "What?" Naruto breathed out as the smoke continued to clear and in front of Zabuza, was Haku.
Naruto lowered his cupped hands slowly, his irises shaking in both confusion and rage as it took in the sight of her. "Damn you…" Naruto hissed out before he winced and held the side of his head in pain. "Why did you show up now?"
[Battle End]
Haku looked back at Zabuza and said "Stay. Do not make me regret saving you…"
Zabuza chuckled lowly and said, "I knew you would. You always did in the end…" He looked to Naruto and said "Do you see it? I have proved it. All of his flowery words were bullshit…Every shinobi has a dark side…And I brought his out and it is strong…."
Zabuza chuckled darkly and said, "And all it took was threatening you to stay as my tool…" Haku ignored Zabuza she walked away from the dome and through the cracked and burnt cement until she stood across from Naruto, who glared at her with hostility.
[Theme of Confrontation:
Sad Beautiful Memory from Yu Yu Hakusho]
"You moron," Naruto hissed out. "Why did you wait until now? When I was so close to killing him?"
Haku did not answer. She instead took in his image.
Despite the similar structure of his face and his height, This Naruto looked like the total opposite of her sun-kissed blond.
She had driven him to this…Because she was too weak to stop Zabuza from taking her and Emi. All because she was too weak to stand up to Zabuza when she realized that her heart and been swayed to Naruto.
"I did this to you…" Haku whispered as tears began to fall from her eyes.
She watched as Naruto stiffened, his eyes flashing blue before he gritted his teeth and yelled "Stop it! I am in control here now! Not him! If you keep it up, I will kill you and everything you love!"
Haku took a step toward Naruto, which caused him to take a step back. "I'm warning you…" Naruto growled out but Haku did not care, she sprinted towards Naruto, who raised his fist to punch her, only for her arms to embrace him.
She felt him stiffen against her as she held him tight against her. "It's my fault…You did all of this…You fell this far because of me…Because I was too weak to keep Emi safe. Too weak to stand up to Zabuza when you needed me to be," Haku whispered.
"This is not fair…" Naruto whispered as Haku felt him tremble against her as she continued to hold him.
"But I won't be weak. Not anymore…I love you Uzumaki Naruto and I want to be in your life…I want to be a family with Emi-chan…Just please, please be the Naruto that I fell in love with…Be the Naruto that wants to make people smile…Not this person filled with violence and anger…Please come back..."
"Damn you…" Naruto whispered in her ear, albeit weakly. Haku opened her eyes as the violet wisps of chakra began to fade away from his body.
"And damn this soft heart of his…." Haku pulled away to look at his eyes and saw that they were slowly changing from violet to the sapphire blue she had fallen in love with. "I was so…close…" Naruto whispered as his skin returned to the tan color it was along with his blond hair returning.
His body then went limp in her arms. "It's okay…I have you…" Haku whispered softly as she knelt to the ground. "Everything will be okay…Just rest."
Captain Blues: HOLY SHIT! That was the most agonizing chapter I ever had to write. The writers block was brutal and I felt every damn inch of it. I'm sorry if this chapter was rough because of that. But like I promised, it is all done. The next chapter will have the fallout and we shall start the trek back to Konoha.
You guys may have noticed that Satsui no Hadō Naruto aka Dark Naruto took a lot from Ken and Akuma's move set. Ken's move set is great for both a Heel and a Face character so I couldn't resist in pulling some from it.
And that's it. Until next time!