Hello there everyone, welcome back to another installment of "A Cruel Fate" where I tell you that all characters belong to Kishimoto-Sensei and I am simply borrowing them to entertain you with a story in my head. I want to thank those of you who are invested and those of you who reviewed. I have read your words and I thank you for your support.
Just as a refresher: Team seven has been dispatched by the Leaf village to assist Team eight on a mission to assist the bridge builder Tazuna who's being targeted by the gangster Gato who has employed the rogue ninja Zabuza and his apprentice; Haku. Team eight, minus Hinata, are currently ill with a fever that has taken them down one by one.
Kakashi is currently engaged in battle with the Demon of the mist, while Sasuke does his best to hold off Haku and his bloodline technique - Demonic mirroring ice crystals. Before Haku could finish off our Uchiha, he was saved by none other than Naruto Uzumaki.
And now for…
Chapter 8: I want to find my own Ninja way…
"Naruto Uzumaki is here" Sakura had never been so happy to see the blond clad in orange. Sasuke was panting heavily, droplets of blood rolling down his face, arms, and legs, and though he wouldn't admit it, he was glad to have the back-up.
"Naruto, help Sasuke deal with the masked assassin" Kakashi called out. He was in the process of dodging Zabuza's massive sword as it whizzed by his shoulder.
"Doesn't matter how many there are, they can't beat Haku" Zabuza sounded proud of his tool.
"You'll be a fool to underestimate those two" Kakashi smirked under his mask. He wasn't entirely sure that both Naruto and Sasuke together could beat someone like Haku, but he was confident they would at least go down trying.
"We'll see about that" was all that Zabuza got out before he was forced to jump out of the way of Kakashi's kick. Zabuza plunged his sword into the bridge and left it there as he and Kakashi traded blows. The sound of bone on bone made Sakura squeamish as she watched these two men fight with the intent to kill one another. There were drops of blood flying everywhere, and had it not been for their masks, Sakura was certain these men would be spitting blood out left and right.
Having punched Kakashi until he was satisfied, Zabuza jumped back to his sword and pulled it free of the concrete before swinging it with the intent of taking Kakashi's head right off. The jonin ducked under the swing but took a kick that sent him skidding away.
"Not bad" Zabuza mocked, swinging his sword over his head before bringing it down in an arc.
"I could say the same to you" Kakashi replied, dodging out of the way of the sword before swinging with his own kunai. Their battle continued, but their battle wasn't the one that Sakura was most worried about. She kept looking in the direction that Sasuke had run off in— desperately wanting to go and help him.
"Hey, Sasuke, what's this guy's deal?" Naruto whispered to his teammate. Sasuke looked livid as he realized Naruto was on the inside of the ice mirrors with him.
"You idiot, why would you come in here?" he spat in anger. He pushed himself to his feet and pushed passed Naruto.
"Well, what do you mean? You needed help" Naruto asked in confusion, taking the spot next to Sasuke.
"I didn't need help" Naruto could tell Sasuke was lying but chose not to address it. "And now you're trapped in here too" Sasuke added, looking around the ice prison.
"You've all but guaranteed your deaths" a masked voice spoke out from an ice mirror.
"I'd like to see you try" Naruto boasted; "Shadow clone Jutsu" he called out, as ten more Naruto's popped into existence.
"Throwing more people at him won't make a difference. He's faster than that" Sasuke said, as he and Naruto watched the clones be easily handled. "Wait…do that again Naruto" Sasuke ordered. Naruto looked at him questioningly but did as he was told.
"Shadow clone jutsu" Naruto called out, and this time he and his twenty clones jumped at the mirrors while Sasuke observed. The real Naruto landed next to his teammate as the rest of the clones were dispatched by Haku.
"A useless effort. No matter how many of you there are, you cannot escape" Haku taunted, and just to prove his point, he jumped from one mirror to another. As he flew by his opponents, he struck each of them with senbon needles, dropping them both to their knees. The once gray concrete beneath them was decorated with droplets of blood, pools of which slowly formed when the two boys were unable to even move from their spots. The display of bodily fluids mirrored around them like some sort of twisted blood carnival as more senbon needles pierced their flesh.
"Any bright—" Naruto was about to ask, looking over at Sasuke. He fell short when he noticed Sasuke was observing something with a deep focus. Out of nowhere, Sasuke jumped to his feet and performed a few hand signs.
"Fire style: Fire ball jutsu!" he shouted. A massive ball of orange and blue erupted from him, speeding towards one of the mirrors that Naruto wasn't even looking at. It was only then that Naruto realized that Sasuke must have figured out a sort of pattern to the masked assailant's movements because Sasuke managed to singe a pant leg.
"That was a lucky shot. It won't happen again" the masked boy said in frustration, making Naruto smirk. If Sasuke could figure it out, then so could he.
"Multi-Shadow clone jutsu" dozens of Naruto's rushed the mirrors. As they did, Sasuke was firing away with his fireballs. Naruto watched, but no matter how he observed, he couldn't see what Sasuke could. What was it that Sasuke saw?
So enthralled with observing, Naruto was slow to react to Haku rushing towards him, forcing Sasuke to push him out of the way. "What the…why…would you…" Naruto couldn't even get the words out as Sasuke stood in front of him, senbon needles littering his body from shoulder to ankle.
"My body…just moved…on its own" Sasuke collapsed to his knees where Naruto rushed over to catch him. "Don't…die in…here" Sasuke coughed spraying Naruto with blood.
"S-Sasuke…" Naruto shook his teammate a few times but to no avail.
"Is this the first time you've lost someone?" Haku asked, unaware that Naruto wasn't listening to anything he said. Naruto was currently lost in his own mind thinking about Rias dying to try and save him, to Iruka shielding him from Mizuki, and now Sasuke doing the same.
Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, Naruto could hear a sinister chuckle as he felt an overwhelming sensation begin to take root in him.
"Don't worry, you'll join him soon enough. It is a kindness I offer to you" Haku said, readying another set of senbon.
"What the hell is that?" Zabuza asked, his attention drawn away from his own fight as he, Kakashi, Sakura and Tazuna all turned their attention to a feeling of true dread and despair washing over them. A feeling so suffocating, it caused both Sakura and Tazuna to pass out. They hit the ground with a soft thud, but neither the demon of the mist or Kakashi made a move.
"No" Kakashi, who knew what this feeling was began to grow worried that perhaps Naruto was losing control. "This can't be happening" he whispered, taking a step towards the malevolent chakra.
"Hey, what the hell is going on over there?" Zabuza demanded, pointing his executioner sword at Kakashi.
"It's over…he…" Kakashi couldn't get the words out as a gust of wind forced the two of them to shield their eyes. Just as quickly as the feeling of true evil appeared; it was gone.
"What…?" the cyclops Jonin was in disbelief. "What's happening to those three?" he thought aloud, but nothing he thought of made sense. He was sure Naruto released the seal. That they were all doomed.
"You better start talking, or I'm going to kill you" Zabuza threatened, reminding Kakashi that he was currently in a battle for his life as well. He jumped out of the way of Zabuza's blade as it slammed into the concrete.
"Enough. I'm ending this fight now" Kakashi called out. He wiped his finger across his blood-soaked vest before performing a complex series of hand seals; "Summoning Jutsu!" he cried out, as a pack of dogs popped out of the smoke.
"You really think that's going to help you, copy ninja Kakashi?" Zabuza was all but laughing, something that didn't last long as he and Kakashi had to jump out of the way of a body flying towards them.
"H-Haku?" Zabuza was shocked to see his apprentice slam into the ground. He was even more shocked to see the blond boy from earlier charging towards him now. "How did…" he couldn't even finish his question before this blond boy was upon him. Ferociously swinging at him with clawed hands and bared fangs.
"Naruto!?" Kakashi called out, watching as his went on a ballistic rampage. He watched as Naruto attacked Zabuza with a speed and power he never showed before. More than that he watched as Naruto seemed to flicker in and out of his vision before swinging at Zabuza again.
"Oy, What the hell is this kid?" Zabuza asked, kicking Naruto away from him. It was then Kakashi really got a look at Naruto. The whisker marks on his cheeks were thicker and more visible. His hair was wild and longer. Yet, it was his eyes that Kakashi was frozen by. Naruto's eyes, now a slitted blood red, had tears in them.
"I'll…make…you…pay!" Naruto roared as he charged forward again. Zabuza readied himself but was surprised when the boy flickered out of sight and the sound of a fist hitting something drew his and Kakashi's attention. They both turned to see Naruto pummeling Haku into the ground, repeated fists colliding with Haku's mask sent blood spraying everywhere, until the mask itself shattered into pieces. Naruto was about to strike again when he stopped, fist cocked back and dripping with blood as he grabbed Haku by the collar and pulled him closer.
"You!?" Naruto growled, recognizing the boy from the day before.
"You…found that…precious thing" Haku choked out, turning his head to the side to spit out a lob of blood.
"What the hell is going on here?" Zabuza demanded again. "Haku, you know this punk? Don't tell me you forgot your purpose. Weapons don't make friends" Zabuza reprimanded, the nasty tone in his voice sent a wave of anger up Naruto's spine.
"What? What did you call him?" Naruto dropped Haku and charged at Zabuza again. However, having being shocked back to normal, Zabuza was easily capable of overpowering him. A quick knee to the gut sent Naruto retching to the ground where Zabuza kicked him away.
"I've about had enough of all of you. Haku, you're supposed to be my tool, my weapon. You went easy on those punks, and now look at the mess you've caused. I guess all weapons dull after time" Zabuza cracked his neck as he readied his sword again. "You're going to be punished for this Haku. And I'm gonna have to kill them all now" he threatened. Just as he made to move, a giant dog bit down on his shoulder from behind, while another dog bit down on his arm. Kakashi, who hadn't missed the opportunity to capitalize on the situation, charged forward. Naruto watched as Kakashi's hand began to glow with what looked like lightning as he thrust his hand forward.
"No!" Naruto tried to push himself to his feet, but he was drained. He had to watch as Kakashi's attack went straight threw Haku's chest. Hearing Zabuza call Haku a weapon made Naruto understand just a bit more what the boy was talking about in the woods the day before. Zabuza was the precious thing that Haku was trying to protect. Trying to serve. Zabuza was no different than the person in the dark room. Treating Haku like he was nothing more than a disposable tool. It made Naruto want to kill him. To end his existence, but he couldn't push himself to stand. His legs felt like cooked noodles.
"That's a good tool" Zabuza chuckled, watching as Haku gripped onto Kakashi's arm. The demon of the mist swung his executioner blade towards both the silver-haired jonin and the now lifeless body of his apprentice. Kakashi, jumped away, clutching Haku's body against his own.
"He was your friend!" Naruto yelled, but Zabuza just shrugged.
"He was a weapon. To be used" Zabuza corrected, but it sounded forced coming from behind the bandaged mouth. Sakura and Tazuna started to stir, no doubt from the sounds of battle and shouting going on around them.
"Naruto, you're okay" Sakura looked relieved to see her teammate, but was quickly off put as she scanned her surroundings; "Where's Sasuke?" she asked, the moment she couldn't find the Uchiha. Naruto remained silent, unsure how to tell her that Sasuke gave his life to save him.
"I'll take you to him. That way you're not breaking your word to your sensei" Tazuna offered, he extended his hands to the girl, who took it.
"Thank you" she mumbled, as the two of them ran past the still silent Naruto.
"Game over."
Naruto turned back to the battle to see that Kakashi had stabbed Zabuza in not one, but both of his shoulders. The giant executioner blade went skidding across the bridge before coming to a stop at the railing.
"So, this is how things are going, Zabuza" the three of them turned their attention to the end of the bridge where twenty or so men were standing behind a short man in a suit.
"Gato?" Zabuza's questioning tone was full of suspicion. "What are you doing here? And who are those henchmen you've brought with you?" he demanded; his arms swung lifelessly at his side.
"Well, there's a new plan. A plan where you die right here on this bridge" the short man in the suit, Gato, shrugged. "You're too expensive, so I decided to get rid of you. Of course, these men also cost something so you could manage to slaughter a few of them before they take you down, I'd appreciate it" Gato gestured over his shoulder as he explained.
"Think you can manage that, demon of the hidden mist?" Gato and his men laughed at the sight of Zabuza; hunched over and battered. "Look at you, you're about as demonic as a wet kitten."
"Well, well, Kakashi it seems our battle is at an end. Since I am no longer employed by Gato, Tazuna is safe. We have no quarrel" Zabuza's words didn't reach Gato and his men as they were too busy laughing. However, Kakashi and Naruto both heard him.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right" Kakashi replied, as they watched Gato walk over towards Haku's lifeless body.
"That reminds me, you little punk. You grabbed me and almost broke my arm the other day" he grunted as he stepped on Haku's face. "I've been meaning to repay you for that" he stomped on the lifeless boy's face before sighing in disappointment. "I only wish he was alive to feel this" Gato complained.
"You get away from him you bastard!" Naruto shouted, he started to run forward but Zabuza stood in his way. Kakashi too barred his path.
"What are you doing Zabuza? Aren't you going to do something?" Naruto demanded, fighting against Kakashi's arms to get to the rogue ninja.
"Shut up. What does it matter? Haku is already dead" Zabuza replied. Naruto stopped fighting against Kakashi, but it was mostly because Kakashi stopped trying to restrain him.
"So? Weren't you two partners? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Naruto asked, but he couldn't bring himself to take a step forward.
"You don't understand the way of shinobi, you punk. Gato was using me the way I was using Haku. Now, it's over. His usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill yes, that means something to me, but the boy…nothing" Zabuza explained, a bitterness in his voice.
"If you mean that…you're a bigger rat than I thought" Naruto criticized. He took a step forward, having finally found his strength again, but Kakashi grabbed his shoulder.
"That's enough Naruto, he's not the enemy right now, calm down" he ordered, keeping the blond from rushing ahead. 'They exist solely to complete the task of their owner' those words rang threw Naruto's head as he remembered the lessons beaten into him from years ago.
"You shut up. As far as I'm concerned, he's enemy number one!" Naruto yelled, jerking himself free of Kakashi's grasp. "You ungrateful bastard. Haku lived for you. You were the most important thing in the world to him. You were his precious someone. And you treated him like nothing more than a weapon. Like he wasn't even a person. What could you possibly understand about him?" Naruto berated, taking another step forward. "If being strong means you're cold-hearted and uncaring…if it means throwing your life away on the whims of whoever uses you for their own goal, then what's the point? Haku said that being strong meant fighting to protect those precious to you, and he died fighting for you…but you don't even care that he's gone, do you? What could a bastard like you even understand about being nothing more than a thing to someone?" Naruto's words cut deep. But it wasn't just Zabuza who felt the sting. It was Kakashi too.
The jonin had heard all about Naruto from the third and Iruka, but he hadn't stopped to think that the reason Naruto was so adamant about this was because he saw himself in Haku. He saw Haku in himself. Just children being used by those bigger and stronger than them. Being used as weapons and being told they were replaceable. Kakashi could only listen as Naruto caught his breath.
"This whole time, you never let him be free…but he didn't care. He sounded so happy talking about protecting something precious. Protecting you. And you just toss him aside like he was nothing…that's so wrong" Naruto clenched his fist as his voice cracked.
'How little I truly understood' Kakashi thought as he listened to Naruto's words.
"You talk too much" Zabuza's voice was softer than before. It was then that Naruto saw the tears streaming down the bloody face of the demon. "Your words…hurt. You see, I knew that Haku was too soft to be a shinobi. I'm sure while fighting you his heart was breaking in two. He felt pain and sorrow, and curse him, I feel them too. Yet, there's something else…I feel content that this is the way it ends" Zabuza ripped the bandages from his mouth—a wonder considering he couldn't move his arms still.
"Well? Cat got your tongue? Are you surprised to discover that I'm human too? No matter how hard we try to escape that simple fact, we always fail. Or at least, I have failed" Zabuza turned his head to look at Naruto. "Boy, give me your kunai."
"Here" Naruto said after moments pause. He tossed the kunai into the air, which Zabuza caught between his teeth before charging towards the twenty men.
"Do it. Kill him" Gato ordered, running back into the safety of his men. They took a step forward, but some of them looked terrified as the demon of the mist charged them. The moment he closed the distance between them and himself, bloodshed ensued.
There were bodies flying left and right. The sound of steel ripping through flesh echoed throughout the battlefield as blood spattered the bridge in grotesque displays of savagery. Zabuza wouldn't quit. He would kick people in the chest before slicing through their necks. He would jump into the air and stomp on people's faces. He would snap necks with his knees, and his ankles just as easily. It was a graceful dance of death that Naruto and Kakashi watched.
Finally, after tearing through the crowd, Zabuza managed to make it to Gato where he plunged his kunai into Gato's gut. Right after doing so, the remainder of Gato's men stabbed whatever weapons they had into Zabuza's back. At last, they had managed to stop him.
"You're crazy, if you're that eager to join your friend you can, but you're not taking me with you" Gato wheezed, as he did his best to step away from his attacker.
"You're wrong. I'm not going to the same place Haku is. But you Gato, you and I are both going to a place where they say it's littered with demons. Yes, I'm sure someone like me will fit right in, but you, you're in for a long and torturous time in hell!" Zabuza cackled. Using his mouth again, he ripped the kunai out from Gato's gut, before slicing diagonally, followed by across the back and lastly, an upward slice that tore through Gato's throat vertically. The force sent the gangster flying off the bridge and with a resounding splash below—Gato was no more.
Zabuza turned his menacing stare to the men behind him, who shuddered at the sight clearing a path between them. Zabuza staggered toward Haku's body but hadn't yet taken more than four steps before collapsing to his knees.
"Haku…so this…is goodbye" he gasped. The look of longing on his face, all but drowned out by all the blood caked onto it. "Not once, did I ever thank you Haku…forgive me for that" Zabuza fell forward onto his face, the thud of his body hitting the concrete made Naruto turn away. He had taken life so easily before, watched as his victims' eyes had gone cold and empty. Yet, this was different. For some reason, he felt this one.
"Don't turn away" Kakashi instructed, causing Naruto to look back at Zabuza. "When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends."
"Yeah…I know" Naruto replied. No truer words had been spoken before and for once, Naruto couldn't bear the idea anymore.
"Naruto! Over here." Sakura's rang out; "Look, it's Sasuke. He's alright" she pointed out as the Uchiha stood beside her. Sasuke raised a hand in a sort of wave to him. 'I knew that Haku was too soft to be a shinobi. I'm sure while fighting you his heart was breaking in two. He felt pain and sorrow' Zabuza's words came to Naruto's mind and he understood what he meant. Haku didn't kill Sasuke, he couldn't bring himself to do so because he wasn't cold hearted like a shinobi is meant to be. That slowly made Naruto start to feel a little better, because if someone like Haku was capable of keeping his heart from turning to stone, then maybe there was a chance that he could too. Maybe he would one day be free of the shadow of the dark room.
"Hey, don't get too comfortable over there. Now that Gato's dead, who's gonna pay us? We're not leaving here empty handed" a crazy haired goon said. He was tapping his glaive against the ground, something that a few others were mimicking. "Maybe we'll just hit the town and take whatever's valuable" he suggested, much to agreement of his fellow rogues.
"This isn't good. I don't have enough chakra to fend them off" Kakashi mumbled. Naruto eyed him carefully and could tell that Kakashi looked spent.
"I'll handle them" Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out a scroll. As it unrolled, Kakashi grabbed Naruto's arm.
"Don't. That type of seal would drain more chakra from you than you can afford to spend right now" Kakashi warned. It was a bold face lie, but Kakashi was trying to stop Naruto from carelessly taking life. Especially so soon after watching two shinobi die meaninglessly.
"Hm, maybe you're right" Naruto contemplated. They watched as the group of men started running towards them. They were closing the distance quickly but stopped abruptly when an arrow landed in front of them.
"There's one little thing you're forgetting about. Before you step one foot in our village, you'll have to get through all of us."
Team seven turned to see Inari in front of the entire town. Hinata was already rushing to Naruto's side before he could even get words out, and when she flung her arms around his neck in a hug, he was even more at a loss for words.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Naruto-Kun. I was so worried" she said. After a moment she pushed herself away from Naruto, her face a bright red. "I m-mean, I w-w-was w-w-worried a-about a-all of y-you" she lied, taking a step further away.
"They've all come. The whole village" Tazuna was choking up as he saw his grandson and daughter standing at the front of the crowd.
"Heroes usually show up late...don't they?" Inari called out, looking towards Naruto. The latter got the distinct impression that was a comment about him, but chose to ignore it.
"Shadow clone jutsu" Naruto popped into existence all across the bridge. The original Naruto, as well as the Hyuga princess readied themselves to fight, prompting Kakashi to smirk.
"Shadow clone jutsu" the copy ninja repeated, and just as his student did, Kakashi popped into existence across the bridge as well. "So, still wanna fight?" the Kakashi's asked, staring down the goons. Realizing they were outnumbered, the rogue ninja turned tail and started to jump from the bridge to their boat, trying desperately to escape before they were beaten down.
"We did it, we won!" Inari cried out, excited that his fellow townsmen were at last standing as one. Cheers of congratulations rang out as they celebrated their victory.
Naruto watched as Kakashi picked up and carried Zabuza to Haku. It looked like they exchanged a few words beforehand, but what was said Naruto couldn't hear.
"What the…it's…snowing?"
"Snow at this time of year?"
"Impossible"
The mutterings of the crowd were warranted; however, Naruto was surprised for a whole separate reason. This was only the second time he had ever seen snow. He turned to look at Hinata, who was busy admiring the snow in confusion as well. "The first time we met…there was this snow stuff on the ground. Do you remember?" he asked her. She turned to him with a small nervous smile before nodding.
"Y-yes. Y-you s-saved me" she replied. She turned to look at Zabuza who was struggling to lift his arm to Haku's face. "W-what h-happened h-here?" she asked, looking back at Naruto.
"I think…we remembered what it meant to be human" Naruto answered, his gaze fixed on Zabuza and Haku. Hinata didn't understand what Naruto meant, but she could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke. Naruto could see the exact moment that Zabuza's life ended, almost like he was watching a light being turned off.
"Kakashi-sensei…do you think…Haku is crying for his friend?" Naruto asked. His sensei stopped near him and Hinata.
"You know Naruto, I like to think that Haku is crying because Zabuza did get to go to the same place that Haku did" Kakashi looked upward toward the falling snow. "You just never know."
"Is that really it Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura was kneeling in front of two make shift graves. One of them had Zabuza's sword stuck in the dirt next to a wooden cross, while the other had the headband that Haku wore. She stood up and turned to face Kakashi; "Is that the ninja way? To use and be used by people like tools?" she asked, turning to face team seven and team eight. The latter of which finally recovered from their illnesses.
Something they had come to discover was Haku's doing. A type of poison that made the person ill enough that they were unable to fight or move, but not ill enough to kill them. After a few days rest, they were back to themselves. Hinata, who was the only one of the team eight not to get sick, was the one who managed to figure out it was all Haku's doing when Naruto had explained to her that he first met Haku picking herbs in the woods. Some of which, when combined correctly, could cause all of the symptoms that her teammates and sensei had. Naruto argued saying that Haku said it was to heal a friend, but apologized when Hinata explained that combined one way would make a poison, combined another would make an ointment.
Team eight didn't look too pleased to be standing at a funeral for their enemies, even after Naruto and Kakashi explained what happened after Sakura, Tazuna and Sasuke were knocked on conscious. Though Naruto was instructed to leave out his rampage as it would most likely raise questions that needn't be asked.
"Ninja are all merely tools in the hands of destiny. There's no point in wondering if it's right or wrong, it just is…" Kakashi answered, causing the young ones of the group to look conflicted.
"It's the same in the hidden leaf village as well" Kurenai added, further making the kids feel uneasy.
"Well, if you ask me, if that's what being a ninja is all about, something's out of whack" Kiba commented, something that Naruto agreed with.
"What is the reason for that?" Sasuke asked, turning to face his sensei now as well.
"It's a question without an answer. It's something we ninja have to deal with every day of our lives. Like Zabuza and the kid" Kakashi replied, nodding towards the two graves. No one argued that answer as none of them had a legitimate counter argument. With one final look out at the sunrise, teams seven and eight turned to depart.
"Okay, I've just come to a decision!" Naruto shouted, stopping both teams from walking off. "From now on, I want to find my own ninja way. A way that's straight and true and without any regrets. From now on I'm following the way of Naruto!" he declared, a smile spread across his face as he turned towards his comrades.
After making their way back to the village, they were surprised to see the entire town standing behind Tazuna, Inari and Tsunami. They all looked really pleased and happy to see the ninja returning, and despite his best efforts, Inari was slowly starting to tear up.
"We would have never finished the bridge without you. We all wanted to thank you" Tazuna explained, gesturing towards the crowd.
"Now, now. No need to worry. We'll come back and visit real soon" Kiba joked, causing Sakura to roll her eyes.
"As if you did anything" she mumbled, making Hinata giggle.
"You swear you will?" Inari asked, fighting back his urge to bawl still. Though it was Kiba who had made the joke, Inari was looking at Naruto.
"You bet" Naruto promised, giving the boy a thumbs up. "Hey, Inari…it's okay to cry sometimes" Naruto added, thinking about Zabuza shedding tears for Haku. Inari was fighting hard to keep his tears in check, but the moment teams seven and eight turned around, he couldn't hold them back anymore.
"It was all his doing. He may be callous and rude... but that boy made you stronger, and in turn you made us strong Inari. It was thanks to that boy that we were able to build a bridge we have never known. A place where we found our courage. A place to fulfill our dreams" Tazuna said as he and the rest of the town watched the ninja walk away.
"Speaking of the bridge, now that it's finished…shouldn't we give it a name?" someone asked.
"Yes, of course. And I know just the name" Tazuna smiled; "We'll call it…The Great Naruto Bridge." Tsunami laughed at this.
"That's a great name." she agreed, turning her attention back to the departing figures.
"Are you sure about that name?" the guy from before asked.
"Yes. It's the name of a boy who brought us luck. You should have heard what he had to say. It brought tears to a demon. Yes, I think the name is very fitting. Who knows, perhaps one day it'll be the name of someone known across the world, someone willing to stand up for what's right" Tazuna turned towards his fellow villagers and smiled.
"Wouldn't that be something?"
"It took a little over three days to get back to the hidden leaf village as both Shino and Kiba were still recovering from the poison the boy, Haku, used" Kakashi and Kurenai were currently giving a debrief to the third Hokage. Their teams had been dismissed once Kiba began to boast and Sakura and him started to argue.
"After everything you have told me, what concerns me most right now is this 'episode' that Naruto displayed. Are you certain that there is nothing to worry about, Kakashi?" Hiruzen questioned. He did not like the sound of Naruto and the nine tailed fox in the same sentence, especially when that sentence included the seal being broken.
"I think that Naruto should be monitored. However, I don't think there's cause for major concern" Kakashi replied, relieving the third of some of his worry.
"The boy almost released the nine tailed fox" Kurenai reminded them, disbelief in her words. "You cannot seriously think that he shouldn't be kept in the village under watch at all times?" she protested, but Hiruzen shook his head in disagreement.
"I understand your concerns Kurenai, but locking Naruto away is not the answer. He deserves better than that" the third argued. Kurenai didn't know all the details of Naruto's life, but she was certain that him having the nine tailed fox inside him and him being capable of accidently releasing it was a more pressing matter. Before she could argue though, the door opened behind drawing their attention.
"Kurenai-sensei is right. I'm dangerous if left unchecked" Naruto stood in the doorway, his face plain and unreadable. Clearly, he had heard more than they would have liked.
"That's not at all what I said" Kurenai said, raising her hands in front of her.
"I know what you said, and I agree. I don't know what happened on the mission. One moment I was fine, then Sasuke was killed and everything went black. The next thing I knew I was standing over Haku. I'm dangerous…aren't I?" Naruto asked, looking between the three adults.
"No. Naruto, you're not. If you were, you would have attacked me too. But you didn't. You attacked who you thought was your enemy. Someone who hurt your comrade" Kakashi interrupted whatever was about to be said from the third. Little did he know, the third was going to say something similar.
"Kakashi is right, who knows what could have happened had you not defended Sasuke so vehemently, I for one am glad you were there to help" Hiruzen agreed, and after a moment Kurenai nodded.
"They're right. If not for you Naruto, Hinata and the villagers would have probably walked right into Gato's men" she said, finally putting aside her belief that the boy was a bomb waiting to go off.
"I'm glad I was there too…if anything happened to Hinata…" his words trailed off when he realized what he was about to say. "I still think that I should be watched" he quickly said, trying to divert their attention to a different topic. Though they were playing along, the three of them understood the implications and possibility of what would happen should anything happen to Hinata. If Naruto was capable of releasing a little bit of the nine tails power when he thought Sasuke was killed, what would happen if something similar happened and the person in question was Hinata instead? It was something Kakashi was not eager to find out. A sentiment shared by the other two, and by Naruto himself.
"There is no better person to keep watch on you than Kakashi, Naruto. Trust me" Hiruzen smiled, something that made Naruto feel a little better.
"Okay. I'll trust your words old man. Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei…thank you" Naruto turned on his heel and shut the door behind him. Once the three of them were sure he was actually gone this time, they all sat at the Hokage's desk.
"Lord Hokage, there's one other thing I forgot to mention" Kakashi's voice was low, and the moment the third gestured for him to continue, Kakashi leaned forward. "During his rampage, Naruto looked to be…flickering in and out of sight. It was almost like the fourth Hokage's flying thunder god jutsu" Kakashi explained, leaning back in his seat.
"That's impossible, right?" Kurenai asked, turning to look between the two. "There's no way a twelve-year-old-boy could have learned that technique. It's impossible" he reaffirmed, but neither man said anything.
"I will look into whether or not Naruto managed to discover the means of the jutsu" Hiruzen finally spoke, a look of deep thought reflected in his eyes. He turned to face the leader of team seven.
"In the meantime, Kakashi, you must, at all costs, keep a watchful eye on him" Hiruzen insisted, his eyes fixed on Kakashi's one.
The cyclops jonin felt an immense pressure sitting on his shoulders but nodded none the less; "Of course, Lord Hokage. I won't let you down" he replied.
"Kurenai, it is also important that you keep a watch on Hinata Hyuga. I don't want to exaggerate but I believe that she may be the most important person in Naruto's life…even if he himself has yet to realize it" the third turned to the other jonin, who looked surprised by his words.
"They're…friends. I've barely seen them interact though" she said, but Hiruzen laughed.
"That's because you're not Iruka. If Iruka were here, he would tell you the years that Naruto and Hinata danced around one another. Finding reasons to talk to one another. To be around one another. Even Naruto himself would tell me in the most cryptic and discreet ways possible that he enjoyed his day solely because he got to make someone smile. That someone was always Hinata Hyuga" Hiruzen explained. Kurenai couldn't help but smile in return. The sound of it was just adorable to her as she imagined a young Hinata red in the face as she tried to get Naruto's attention. She would have never guessed that Naruto was the same way, and even the thought of Naruto being shy was alien to her.
"I won't let anything happen to her. I promise."
"Good. Now if there is nothing else, you two may go. I'm certain you would like a rest after this whole ordeal" Hiruzen allowed the two jonin to leave, but it wasn't until they were gone that he really began to feel the pressure build.
"Oh, wherever you are, I hope you get here soon." he said to his empty office. He turned to look out towards the village, and though he knew it was just his desperation, he could swear he saw a mess of white hair running towards his office.
AN: Hello, hello. Here it is. Now I know some of you will probably think this could have been better, and I would say I agree but at the same time, I wrote it this way because, while this was a very important moment in Naruto's life, it's the arc where he learns the true meaning of being a shinobi and decides to go against it, I wanted to do something that kept that alive while still following my own story. That and I honestly, for the life of me could not decide if I wanted Sasuke or Hinata to be the catalyst for Naruto to go berserk. I obviously settled on Sasuke because the way he 'sacrifices' himself for Naruto is very similar to Iruka in the original series. Throwing themselves headlong into the way to save our boy.
I was originally going to have Kiba and Shino join the fight too, but I honestly think that Shino, Kiba, Naruto, and Sasuke with the Sharingan could take Haku. I mean Sasuke alone almost did once he got his Sharingan. As for Naruto, maybe he was using the flying thunder god…maybe he wasn't. Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.
Until next time.