Previously:

"What's that sound?" Tazuna asked nervously. Those noises sounded disturbingly like the echoes some very vicious growls…

"If I can't follow you with my eyes or ears, then I just have to use my nose." Kakashi said, standing up as the mist cleared slightly. He could see where Zabuza was now, thanks to the ninken. "That's what happens when you have your eyes shut in the mist. This summoning jutsu is specifically for tracking down an opponent. The reason I purposefully let my blood spill twice was for this. Your weapons are soaked with the scent of my blood. These are my cute ninja dogs. Their sense of smell exceeds that of all other dogs. You are the one trapped in my jutsu."

"Ungh…" Zabuza grunted in pain, narrowing his eyes slightly. He called this cute? The giant bulldog biting down on his neck and shoulder was monstrous!

"The mist has cleared." Kakashi stated, tapping the side of his face next to his eye. "Your future is death."

Chapter 27: Your future is…!!

"My future is death? I'm sick of your bullshit!" Zabuza growled vehemently.

"Don't be foolish…" Kakashi told him. "There's nothing you can do in this situation. Your death is certain." A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Zabuza's face as the two jōnin continued to glare at each other. "Zabuza, you went too far…" Kakashi said, deepening the crease in his brow. "Your ambition was too great. You abandoned the Land of Water and became a missing-nin; your story even reached the village of Konoha. Your attempted coup d'état and your attempt at assassinating the Mizukage both failed. You needed money for revenge, and you also needed to avoid the hunter-nins. That's probably when you attached yourself to scum like Gatō." Kakashi made the ox, rabbit, and monkey hand seals as he molded chakra for his next attack. 'Lightning Blade!!' He thought, bracing his right wrist with his left hand, as his chakra lit up and crackled like electricity in the palm of his hand.

'What!!?' Zabuza thought, astonished by what he was seeing. 'There's so much chakra that it's visible around his hand…'

"You are too dangerous." Kakashi continued as he prepared to attack. "Tazuna-san, who you're trying to kill, is this country's 'courage'. The bridge he seeks to build is this country's 'hope'. Your ambition sacrifices too many people. That's not what a shinobi should do." He finished sternly.

"I don't give a damn…" Zabuza retorted defiantly. "I fight for my own ideals… and that shall continue!!"

"I'll ask once more…"

"Hm!?" Zabuza said, furrowing his brow.

"Surrender." Kakashi said grimly. "Your future is death."

"Please kill me." Haku repeated. Naruto grit his teeth but didn't move. "Why are you hesitating?" April looked down and tightened her grip on the kunai in her hand as she stood up.

"!" Naruto said, surprised when she stepped forward.

"It's all right, Naruto." April said calmly as she approached them. "You don't have to do it… I will."

"Wha–What!!?" Naruto yelled, startled by her sudden declaration. "How can you…"

"…Because I understand." She answered seriously, furrowing her brow. "I don't like it… but I understand. Besides… I said I'd kill him if anything happened to you or Sasuke…"

"…" Haku studied her face, which was set with grim determination. Her blue eyes were steady and placid she looked at him. There was no hate or bitterness, just a firm resolve to do what was needed. Looking at April, Haku knew… This girl, she really did understand what was going on, and she could do it… She could kill him if it meant protecting her precious friend. She was strong enough to take it on. But she wasn't the one he had wanted to face at the end…

"Ergh!!" Naruto exclaimed, furrowing his brow in frustration. "I don't understand!! Is being strong the only reason for you to be alive!!?" He shouted at Haku. Haku was silent. April waited patiently for him to finish. "Something other than fighting… You could have been acknowledge for something else…" Naruto said, looking down as he clenched his fists.

"The day I met you in the forest… I thought you were like me…" Haku told him. "You should be able to understand… That's why… I wanted it to be you, because we're alike…"

"!" Naruto gasped. He bowed his head and clenched his fists. He did… He did understand. "… Stay back, April."

"…" April frowned as the crease in her brow deepened. She was concerned, but she knew better than to get in his way. Naruto had found his resolve. He was determined to be the one to see him off now.

"Is this… Is this the only way…!?" Naruto asked Haku grimly, furrowing his brow.

"Yes…!!" Haku said, looking a little relieved that Naruto had decided to fulfill his last request. Naruto grit his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as he finished gathering his resolve. Like April had said earlier, he didn't like it… but he understood. Naruto opened his eyes and swiftly drew a kunai.

"Please fulfill your own dreams…" Haku told him. Naruto glanced back at Sasuke.

"He… Sasuke also had a dream…" Naruto said solemnly. "If we met under different circumstances, we might've become friends." He told Haku, taking the first step forward.

"Thank you…" Haku said, closing his eyes as Naruto charged at him. 'You will become strong…' April closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Oh… The super thick mist is starting to clear…" Tazuna observed as he waited with Sakura.

"!" Sakura realized she could now make out some hazy silhouettes standing in the distance. "There are two people over there! It looks like they are staring at each other…"

"I can't see very well…" Tazuna said, squinting.

"Which one is Kakashi-sensei…?" Sakura wondered aloud. "Oh!!" She gasped suddenly. "One of them moved!!"

"UAAAHH!!" Naruto yelled as he charged at Haku, preparing to strike.

"!!" Haku's and April's eyes suddenly shot open, and they both gasped upon sensing a strong spike in chakra nearby.

"!!" Naruto gasped, startled when Haku suddenly grabbed his arm, stopping him at the last minute. 'Huh!?'

"Sorry, Naruto-kun!" Haku said, quickly forming several seals with his freehand. "I can't die yet!!" He stated urgently, disappearing in an instant, leaving behind only a puff of smoke.

"!!!" Naruto and April gasped in surprise and alarm.

'Shit…!!' April thought, furrowing her brow when she tried to move with her usual speed, but couldn't. "Naruto!! He's after Sensei!!"

"!!" Naruto shouted, quickly taking off after him.

'Damn!!' April thought, gritting her teeth in frustration, as she fell to one knee with exhaustion. A wave of fatigue swept over her. 'Why… at a time like this…!?'

Zabuza stared with wide eyes as Kakashi shot towards him with immense speed. That chakra made it look as if he was holding a ball if lightning in his hand. It really was over this time… there was nothing he could…

CRK.

"!!" Zabuza gasped as a blur of something jumped in front of him at the last moment.

STAB!

"Kyaa!!" Sakura cried in surprise, shielding her eyes, as a huge explosion of pressure swept over them in a wave of wind.

"What happened!!" Tazuna yelled.

SPLISH. SPLASH. SPLISH. POOF! POOF! POOF!

As the blood spraying through the air rained down, Kakashi's ninken began to disappear one after another. The scroll used to summon them had been damaged by senbon needles. There was a blood-splattered ice mirror beside Zabuza.

"!" Kakashi gasped as he stared at his victim with wide eyes. The one he had hit with his Lightning Blade wasn't Zabuza… It was Haku! Zabuza stared in shock at the boy in front of him. Kakashi's hand had pierced through Haku's chest all the way up to the jōnin's elbow. He could feel that some of Haku's warm blood had splashed on his face.

"!!" Tazuna and Sakura gasped in shock as the mist finished clearing. Sakura held her hands over her mouth, horrified.

"Gagh!" Haku coughed, choking on his own blood. He had tried to activate his Demonic Ice Mirror Jutsu again to trap Kakashi and protect Zabuza, but it wasn't forming fast enough, so he used his own body as a shield instead. "Zabuza-san…" His body trembled as he forced himself to reach up and grab hold of the arm impaling his chest.

"!" Kakashi said, furrowing his brow, when Zabuza's expression changed upon hearing his name being called.

"My future is death? Heh… You're wrong again, Kakashi." Zabuza said, furrowing his brow.

Naruto panted as he sprinted back towards Kakashi-sensei and the others as the mist cleared.

"!!" He gasped in alarm, stopping short when he saw what the bloody scene that was waiting for him. His eyes widened in shock. 'Wha… What's going on here?'

"Is that the masked boy?" Tazuna wondered aloud.

'He jumped in to protect Zabuza…' Kakashi thought. To be able to intercept the Lightning Blade like that… This kid really was something else.

'So, that's what he decided to do…' April thought, furrowing her brow, as she bowed her head. That boy, Haku… He was too kind.

"… Hehe… Great job… Haku." Zabuza said after a moment of silence had passed.

"!" Kakashi said, startled, when he tried to pull his arm back out and realized he couldn't. Haku had his arm trapped in a vice-like grip. Impossible…! Was he…? He looked into the boy's eyes. No, it was just as he had assumed. 'This boy… is already dead.' He thought as Zabuza began to swing his sword.

"Sensei!!!" April shouted urgently. Kakashi frowned as the crease in his brow deepened. 'He plans to cut through both of us!!'

"!!" Tazuna gasped in alarm.

"Kakashi-sensei!!" Sakura yelled. Zabuza furrowed his brow as the memory of a younger Haku asking to stay by his side as a tool the night he had to flee the Land of Water flashed through his mind.

"I sure picked up something useful!!!" He shouted. "Giving me this final chance!!!" Naruto grit his teeth in anger as Zabuza swung his blade, intending to cut down Kakashi and Haku's body in one blow. But before that could happen, Kakashi wrapped his free arm around Haku's body and jumped back, dodging the attack.

"Hehe… With Haku dead, you can move…" Zabuza observed as Kakashi took a moment to finally wrench his hand free.

'Unforgiveable…' Naruto thought, trembling with anger over the way Zabuza was acting after Haku's selfless sacrifice.

"Naruto! Stay there…" Kakashi ordered firmly, as if he already knew what he was thinking.

"!" Naruto said, surprised. He watched as Kakashi reached down and slid Haku's blank eyes shut with care.

"This is my fight." Kakashi stated, glaring fiercely at Zabuza.

'Sensei's really angry…' April thought, biting her lip, as she clenched her fist. She was, too. But there was something strange about Zabuza's movements…

"!" Sakura gasped when she noticed Naruto. "Naruto!!! You're alright!!" She said excitedly.

'Sakura-chan…' Naruto thought. What should he…?

"Huh? What about Sasuke-kun?" She asked, wondering why he wasn't with Naruto. "Where's April-chan?" Kakashi glanced up at that and followed Sakura's gaze as she looked beyond Naruto. They could just make out April's purple hair in the distance, but… "Naruto!! Where is Sasuke-kun!!!?" Sakura demanded, starting to panic.

"!!" Naruto flinched guiltily. "…" Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. He didn't know what to say. How could he tell her that… that Sasuke…!!

"?" Sakura said, shocked and confused. No way… why wouldn't he look at her? Sasuke couldn't be…

"…" April looked down she wasn't sure what to say either. They were all worried about Sakura. "… He's here." April said somberly. From the look on her face, Sakura was beginning to understand even without them saying anything.

"Kakashi! This is no time for sightseeing!!" Zabuza shouted as he lunged at the distracted jōnin.

"!!" Kakashi quickly planted his hands firmly on the ground and kicked out at his assailant, nailing Zabuza in the gut before he had a chance to swing his blade.

"Guff!" Zabuza grunted in pain as he was knocked backwards.

"!" Tazuna said, concerned when he noticed that Sakura was shaking. "I'll go with you." He told her. "Then you won't be breaking your sensei's order."

"…" Sakura reached up and took his hand. "Ok." She said quietly. Naruto lowered his head and clenched his fists as they ran past him, wishing he could do more… He wished he could bring Sasuke back for her. As they drew closer, they could see that Sasuke was lying on the ground. His body had been pierced all over by many needles.

"!!" Tazuna gasped as he and Sakura stared down at Sasuke in shock. He didn't look like he was breathing. She leaned down and gently reached out to touch his face.

"… I'm sorry, Sakura…" April apologized genuinely as she joined them and shifted herself into a kneeling position near Sasuke's body, wishing she could have done more to prevent this. Since she barely had enough energy left to move, she had to crawl over.

"He's cold…" She said, furrowing her brow as she tried to fight back the tears she could feel coming. "This… isn't an illusion…"

"Don't mind me…" Tazuna said solemnly. "It's best to let it out and cry…"

I… always scored 100% on the ninja academy exams…" Sakura said quietly, surprising him. "I memorized over 100 shinobi sayings… I always wrote the correct answers… On one day's test, this question appeared… 'Write down shinobi saying #25'…" She sniffed. "I wrote down the correct answer as usual… 'No matter what the situation… a shinobi must keep their emotions on the inside… You must make the mission your top priority… And you must possess a heart that never shows tears'…" She finished, biting her lip, her as her tears began to flow uncontrollably, dripping onto Sasuke's face. "UUUU!!" She sobbed as she held onto Sasuke's cold body. "UUUU!!"

"…" April looked down sadly and gently placed a hand on Sakura's head, stroking her hair, in an attempt to comfort her bawling teammate. She only cried harder.

'So this is the way of the shinobi…' Tazuna thought grimly as he watched the young girls mourn their fallen teammate. 'It's too harsh…'

"Sasuke-kun… UUWAAAH!!" Sakura wailed miserably. Naruto clutched at his chest when he heard her cries, trembling, as he fought to suppress his own tears.

"… Sakura-chan…" April said gently. "I don't know if this will work, but… there's something I'd like to try... and I'll need your help to do it." She didn't want to get Sakura's hopes up by saying too much, but… If there was even the smallest chance, then maybe…

"!" Tazuna said as he and Sakura both glanced at her in surprise.

"Wha… What is it?" Sakura asked, staring at her with teary eyes. She didn't know what April was talking about, but she looked like she might know something… "What do I have to do…?"