11: The Demon in the Snow!

Suiren Uzumaki: The disclaimer: I do not own Naruto cause if I did then Sakura wouldn't be a useless fan girl in pre-shippuden and Naruto would have his Father's smarts while keeping his Mother's personality and knows about seals and how to use to them. I do, however, own Akito Senju. Remember to Read and Review to let me know what you think. Also if you don't like any twist that I might make then stop reading and find something else to read plus don't leave a review that's a flame or I will find a way to block you. Ja ne!

...My Line…

"Gato?" the Momochi asked. "I don't understand. What is all this? Why are you here? And who are these thugs that you brought with you?"

"Well, you see, there's been a slight change of plan," Gato informed him. "According to the new plan you die right here on this bridge, Zabuza."

"What?"

"That's right. You to expensive so I've decide to take you off the pay roll. Of course, even these thugs that I brought with me cost something, so if you could slaughter a few of them before they take you down I would appreciate it. Think that you can manage that Kiri no Akuma. Look at chya, you look about as demonic as a wet kitten."

This got a laugh out of the thugs that was with him.

'There's so many of them,' the Uzumaki thought. 'One rogue ninja was bad enough.'

"Well, well, Akito," Zabuza spoke up. "It would seem that our fight is at an end. Since I am no longer Gato's employ, Tazuna's safe. We have no coral."

"Yeah," the silver hair Jonin thought as Gato walked up to Haku's body. "I suppose your right."

"That reminds me," Gato stated. "You little punk. You grabbed me and nearly broke my arm." He used his foot to nudge Haku's head repeatedly. "I've been meaning to repay you for that." Gato then kicked the boy's corpse making Naruto to gasp in shock. "I only wish that he was alive to feel that."

"Get away!" the Uzumaki yelled as he ran to attack the man. "Get away from him, you scum!"

"Hey!" Akito yelled as he grabbed hold of the blonde. "Stop! Use your head!"

"Well, what about you, Zabuza?" Naruto asked once he stopped fighting his Sensei. "Your going to let him to do that?"

"Be quiet you fool," Zabuza answered. "Haku's dead. What does it matter?"

"What?" the blond asked in shock. "You mean that you can just stand there and watch him be treated like a dog? You and Haku were together for years! Doesn't that mean anything?"

"You don't understand the way of Shinobi," the Momochi stated. "I merely used him just like Gato used me."

"Huh?"

"Now, it's over. He's usefulness is at an end. The lost of his strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But, the boy, nothing."

"If you mean that, your even a bigger rat then I thought," the Uzumaki stated.

"Ok, that's enough," the Senju said as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Calm down, Naruto. He's not the enemy. Not right now."

"UGH!" the Uzumaki growled as he knocked the Jonin's hand from his shoulder. "Shut up! Far as I'm concerned…" He then pointed at the mist Jonin. "He's enemy number 1!" Zabuza looked back at him. "Why you...you ungrateful...After everything he did for you! Haku lived for you! You were the most important person to him! And he meant nothing to you? Nothing at all? While he was sacrificing everything for you, you never felt anything at all for him!?" Tears came to the boy's blue eyes. "If I become stronger does that mean that I will become as cold hearted as you are? He threw his life away and for what? You and your dream! You never let him have a dream of his own, but he didn't care and you just toss him aside like he was nothing. A broken tool. Man, that's so wrong...so wrong."

"You talk to much," Zabuza stated as he started to cry, too. "Your words cut deep. Deeper then any blade. While he fought you his heart was breaking in two. You see, Haku was always to soft and to kind. He felt pain and sorrow. And now, curse him, I feel them, too. And something else. I feel content that this is the way it ends." He then tore off the bandage. "Well, cat got your tongue? Are you so surprise to discover that I'm human? Even Shinobi are human no matter how hard we try to escape that simple fact. We always fail. Well, at least I have failed. Boy…"

"Huh?"

"Give me, your kunai?"

Naruto pulled out a kunai from his pouch before throwing it to him.

"Here."

Zabuza caught it in his mouth before taking off towards the thugs and Gato.

"AH!" Gato yelled as he ran to get to the back of the group. "Take him down now."

"Yeah!"

"He must be out of his mind. One against all of us. What is his thinking?"

The two Konoha Ninjas and lone hidden rogue watched as Zabuza started to take down a good number of thugs though some of their weapons made their way into him.

"He's the devil!" Gato yelled just before Zabuza managed to stab Gato with the kunai before more of the thugs' weapons made their way into his back. "You crazy fool. If your so edger to join your friend then go ahead, but your not taking me. Not this time."

"No," Zabuza spoke up. "I won't be joining Haku. Where he's gone I can not follow."

"Stay back! Stay back! Stay back!"

"We wouldn't be welcomed where Haku's gone to," the Momochi told him as he got into his face. "Hells where we're going Gato. I can think of no fitting destination for a Demon Ninja. Can you? I'm told that there are many demons down there. Of all different shapes and sizes. Oh, yes. I should fit right in. You on the other hand Gato...well, I fear that your in for a very long and painful entrinity!" With many slashes, Zabuza managed to kill Gato shaking everyone before snapping his gaze onto the thugs, who then parted like the red sea, as he took a step forward towards the young died boy after dropping his kunai. "Haku…" He dropped to his knees and looked up. "So, this is goodbye at last. Not once did I ever thank you, Haku. Forgive me for that."

Zabuza then fell forward onto his front making Naruto to look away.

"Don't turn away," Akito spoke up. "When you live like a worrier this is how it ends."

At that time though Hinata cursed softly while she continued to remove the senbone from the Uchiha as carefully as she could just as his heart beat started again.

'Where am I?' Sasuke thought. 'Am I alive or…'

"Damn that masked kid," he heard the Hyuuga cursed. "So many senbone."

'Hinata?' he thought as he opened his eyes. 'Can it be?' The 12 almost 13-year-old dark hair boy looked at her. "Hinata?"

"Oh, good, you awake," the blunette breathed as she looked at him before she got a tick mark while he started to sit up. "No. No what are you doing? You shouldn't move."

"How's Naruto?" Sasuke asked Hinata. "And what happened to that guy in the mask?"

"Naruto's just fine, but the...the one in the mask...he's dead."

"Died?" Sasuke asked. "But, how? Did Naruto do it?"

"Oh, I...I came in late, so I'm not sure what happened," the Hyuuga answered him. "He was protecting Zabuza, so I'm sure that Sensei was the one, who killed him."

'He never meant to from the very beginning,' Sasuke thought as Hinata stood up.

"NARUTO!" Hinata yelled. "OVER HERE!" Naruto flinched a bit, but still didn't turn around right away. "IT'S SASUKE!" This time Naruto turned around to see Sasuke standing up. "HE'S ALRIGHT! HE'S ALRIGHT!"

Sasuke raised a hand in greeting making tears come to Naruto's eyes before they were looking at the thugs.

"But, how?" he asked as he looked back at Haku. 'I see.'

"Well, well wonders never cease," the Senju said as he looked at them. "Amazing."

"Hey! YAHOO!"

"Don't go getting to comfortable."

"This party ain't over yet. Whose going to pay now that Gato's gone."

"No way are going to leave here empty handed. So, we're just going to have to hit that village and see what they got from us."

"Yeah! Yeah!"

"This isn't good."

"Come on Akito-Sensei. You must have a jutsu that can take care of this bunch of losers?"

"Not right now," the silver hair Jonin answered. "I used to much of my Chakra."

"Get 'em boys!"

The two of them turned to watch as the thugs ran towards only for an arrow to land on the ground in front of them.

"There's one little thing you forgot about," a voice said making them to look over to see the villagers. "Before you set one foot in our village you'll have to get through all of us."

This got a yell of agreement from the villagers.

"Inari!"

"Heroes usually showed at the last minute, you know."

"They've all come. The whole village."

Naruto turned around with a smirk as he cursed his fingers.

'No way am I going to miss out on all the fun,' the blonde thought. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Three more Naruto's showed up making the Jonin to sigh.

'I just might have enough Chakra to help you alright,' Akito thought as he formed his own hand sighs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Shadow Clones with Wood Clones hidden within them appeared. "Akito Style!"

The thugs all stepped back in worry.

"So do you still want to fight?" Akito's all asked.

"No thanks," the thugs answered before ran for the boat and most jumped into the water.

"Victory!" Inari shouted with joy.

The clones of Naruto and the silver hair Jonin all vanished afterwards while the Konoha Jonin walked up to Zabuza.

"Sounds like it's over," Zabuza rasped out.

"Yeah."

"Akito, I ask a favor."

"What is it?"

"Take me to him?" the Momochi asked. "Before I go I would like to see him one last time."

The Sharingan vanished from the Senju's eyes.

"Sure," Akito agreed as he starts to remove the weapons in Zabuza's body.

The silver hair Jonin then picked him up and started to walked over to Haku's body as it started to snow taking everyone by surprise.

'Is it you, Haku?' Zabuza asked. 'Are you weeping?' The Senju placed the Momochi on the ground next to the body. "Thank you, Akito." The Konoha ninja walked over to Naruto and looked back. "You were always at my side. The least I can do is to beside you at the end." He started to raise his hand to place it on the boy's face. "I know that it cannot be, but I wish that I go to where you have gone. How I wish that I could join you there, Haku."

"He told me that were he came from it was always snowing," Naruto cried. "All the time."

"Of course," Akito sighed. "His spirit was as pure as the snow. You may never know Zabuza. You may join him there. Whose to say."

...My Line...

It's been a week since the fight with Zabuza and Haku and all five of squad 7 stood in front of their graves that was on a cliff that over looked the village as the sun sat in the background. They bridge was finally finished thinks to the help of Naruto and Hinata while Sasuke and Akito rested after the battle. The Hyuuga was kneeling in front of Haku's grave prying before she looked up a the sun sat.

"Is that really it Akito-Sensei?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is that the ninja way?" she asked again as she looked at him. "To use and be used by people like tools?"

"Shinobi are all merely tools in the hands of destiny," the Senju answered. "No point in wondering if it's right or wrong. It just is. It's the same in Konohagakure no Sato."

"Well, if you ask me if that what's bring a ninja is all about then some things out of wack," Naruto told then. "Is that why we go through all this training to end up like them?"

"What is the reason for that?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, it's a question without an answer," the silver hair Jonin answered. "That is some thing we ninja have to deal with everyday of our lives. Like Zabuza and the kid."

"Ok," Naruto said out of no where.

"Hmm?"

"I've just came to a discussion," Naruto told them. "From now on I'm finding my own ninja way. As that's straight and true and without any regrets. From now on I'm following the way of Naruto."

The 26-year-old smiled while Sasuke smirked at the blond though Hinata smiled.

...My Line...

All four of the ninjas where standing in front of the villager, Inari, his mother, and Tazuna.

"We could have never finished the bridge without you," Tazuna told them. "I can't tell you how mush we're going to miss you."

"Do be careful."

"Thank you for everything," Akito thanked.

"Now, now," Naruto told them. "Don't get all chocked up. We'll come back and visit really soon."

"You swear you well?" Inari asked with tears in his eyes.

"Of course," Naruto answered as tears came to his eyes. "You know, Inari it's alright to cry if you want. There's nothing wrong with that. Go for it."

"Who said I wanted to cry?" Inari asked him. "And anyway if there's nothing wrong with it? You go on ahead and cry."

"No, you first," Naruto told him before he turned around. "Forget it."

Hinata looked at Naruto a little weird out.

'Boys can be so pathetic,' the blunette thought.

With waves all four of them started to walk away down the bridge towards the main land to head back to the village.

"As soon as we get back I'm going to let Iruka fix me up a while mass of roman to celebrate a mission accomplish," Naruto told them. "Oh, and just wait till I tell Konohamaru about all of my adventures. The kid's going to warship me."

The Hyuuga giggled in amusement while the Senju rolled his eyes with a smirk and Sasuke just had a smirk as well.