Immortal Phoenix

Author: The Phoenix is Immortal

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor am I making any monetary gain from this work.

Chapter 22: The Reason to Live

When we had dinner again, Inari human and Naruto got into another argument. Inari human thought we were no match for Gato. And at that, Naruto was angered. Or was it at what Inari said later? I let Naruto argue it out. He had to learn sometime. And I would not fight his battles.

Later, I overheard Kakashi human talk to Inari human about Naruto. Perhaps he cared more than I thought. I would have to keep that in mind.

The next morning…Naruto would not wake up. At all. Even when I repeatedly yelled "Ramen!" into his ear. That garnered some strange looks from everyone else.

"What? It used to always work." At my answer, everyone then seemed to understand.

"He's pushed his body to the limit. I don't think he'll be able to move today," Kakashi human said.

"Oh, then I will stay here." Naruto was easily the most interesting human around anyway. Tsunami human and her son Inari human would watch him also, while everyone else was gone. And with that, Kakashi human, Sakura human, and Sasuke human left with the bridge builder.

Despite what Kakashi human said about Naruto and his body, I did not doubt that he would be up very soon. But in the meantime, I decided to wait in the forest. The house was…really not to my taste.

After I spent some time in there, I noticed that the sparrows were getting increasingly uncomfortable. When I listed more closely to the chirps, it turned out they were signaling each other about a potential danger.

In the forest? That meant the danger was probably heading towards the bridge builder's house. Then I heard an, "I'm off!" Naruto, he was heading into the forest. I was about to catch up to him and tell him about the danger, but when I listed for his movements, I realized he had already turned back.

He knew about it also then. With that, I also turned to fly back to the house.

I was farther away than Naruto, so by the time I reached the house, he was already there. He had also already handled the two humans who had come. I stayed in the forest to listen. The other two human were samurai. They were obviously hostile. But now they were safely tied up.

And as for Inari, well, I would like to think he found courage and hope. Naruto has quite a…unique way with other humans. And perhaps with non-humans also.

When Naruto jumped into the forest, I met up with him there. "Akarui, where were you? I thought you left with the others!"

"No Naruto, I decided to stay in the forest until you woke up. With which you took your time, I saw." He really did. He took forever. The rest of his team were already at the bridge, most probably.

He made an awkward sound, a laugh maybe? "Sorry! But soon I'll arrive in time to save everyone! Believe it!"

"Right. If you say so." I gave up arguing a long time ago. Sometimes he just refused to see sense.

"Hey, Akarui, can you give me a ride now? You promised!" He turned to me with a hopeful look.

"….Fine. I did promise."

Troublesome human. I enlarged myself in order to support him. It was only a short trip to the bridge anyway.

When we got to the bridge…it was covered in mist. Certainly a bad sign. Most likely, the enemy ninja were here.

It seemed, from what I could tell, that Sasuke human was engaging in battle with the fake hunter-nin. Kakashi human was in battle with the Zabuza human.

"Naruto, I will fly across the field before I land. Therefore, you can see what is happening before you help out you team." I flew across the field. Kakashi human and Zabuza human were engaged in a battle. Naruto would not do well if he were to engage Zabuza human. He should help out Sasuke human.

I believe that Naruto believed that as well. When I flew across the field for the second time, he jumped off to help Sasuke human. Who seemed to be trapped in a barrier of…perhaps ice? That was what it seemed like to me, anyway. Of course, he jumped in with a loud proclamation, saying he was a hero. He would do that.

Zabuza human instantly tossed a few shuriken at him, only for them to be blocked by the hunter-nin. In the conversation after, the hunter, whose name apparently was Haku, said that he wanted to handle the "kids."

At this point, I was still watching from the air, circling around. With luck, Naruto would not enter the dome to help his friend. Perhaps with two people on either side of the mirror, they had more chance of breaking it. But of course, no such luck. Naruto jumped in. Sasuke human yelled at him. Understandable. I wanted to also. "You moron! Use your head! Why'd you come in the mirrors?" He yelled some more after that. I agreed. Naruto is a moron. I sighed.

"Don't worry! Akarui is still outside." Oh. That explained it more. But if I was not outside, would he still have gone in? I did not want to know the answer to that one. Any more conversation was immediately lost as Haku human entered his mirror.

"Akarui, you were supposed to stop that from happening!" Naruto yelled.

I was? Oh, it seemed like I had gotten distracted by my thinking. It was my mistake. In an attempt to make it seem like it was not my fault (which it was), I told him it was his battle. I did have my pride, after all.

Then, through the spaces between the ice, I could see Sasuke human try a fireball jutsu of some sort. It failed. So fire would not work after all. What was I supposed to do then? Ram into them? That would be a bad idea. I could imagine myself doing it…and the headache afterwards.

So for now, I would watch. I was not exactly limited to fire and my fire would probably work. But I would only help Naruto if he needed it. This was a battle, and he should be able to hold his own. Naruto, from what I saw, tried to use Kage Bunshin to break the mirrors. In a feat of almost impossible speed, they were all destroyed. Impressive. Perhaps I would be needed after all?

Kakashi told us that Haku human had a kekkei genkai. Which was a special jutsu passed down from your ancestors. Humans were getting more and more interesting. At that, Haku started speaking about dreams. His dream was to protect the most important human to him. And he would kill for it. I definitely did not want Naruto to be killed. And what Kakashi said after was true. They would not be able to kill the enemy human.

"Naruto, watch for the flames." Shall I see if the ice could withstand a phoenix's fire?

I flew at the dome, circling it once before I spat my flames at it. I was still at the size I had used to carry Naruto. The ice…really had no chance. It melted. Haku was shocked. "The bird!" I flew back up into the sky, there was no need to be a target. As for the rest of the battle, well, I would stay out of it. It was the genins' job now.

And both genin exploded into action at the opportunity.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

Haku quickly recovered and retaliated, dodging the fireball and tossing a few well-aimed senbon at the clones. The clones disappeared, but the original was fine. Both him and Sasuke began to try and engage in a Taijutsu battle. Haku could hold his own. But, Sasuke's speed had certainly improved, as well as Naruto's. Together, they had managed to land some hits on the other ninja.

That was, until Haku began to use his strange ice-based attacks again. Knowing I, who was capable of melting his ice, was still there, he attacked fast. The ice…mirrors, as he called them, quickly formed again. This time, there was no hesitation. He continued to throw senbon after senbon. This all happened faster than I could interfere.

I was not sure what happened next. The next thing I knew, Sasuke had taken the senbon meant for Naruto. Had he…died? I did not even have time to think about that. I could see the face of the Kyuubi in between the mirrors. And I could feel his presence. What was happening? I was panicked. I thought Naruto was supposed to seal Kyuubi away? Did this mean that the seal was no longer intact?

And then I could see the Haku human flying through one of his mirrors. With Naruto on the other side. That was Naruto? He did not look right. His expression did not fit his face. The whisker marks were deeper and darker. And the killing intent he leaked…was not his.

As he was about to deliver a punch to Haku human's face, he suddenly stopped. I could see why. The boy had been the same one we had met in the forest. When the Haku human asked why he stopped, even thought he had killed Sasuke, then he got punched. But the Kyuubi's presence was gone now.

They began to speak after that. Haku human had a special ability, but it was not loved. He was alone also, after the deaths of his parents…all at each other's hands. Until Zabuza human took him in. And that was why he fought for the Zabuza human.

And then he asked Naruto to kill him. He was useless now, after all.

Naruto was shocked. As was I. Why would you want to die? It did not make sense to me. Perhaps it was because I was not human...But humans had all the more reason to not want to die. They would never come back. Even though I would come back, I still would never wish to die.

Naruto hesitated. He did not understand Haku human's reason for living or loss of it, rather. The other said when the met in the forest, he knew they were similar. So Naruto should understand. And Naruto did. He pulled out a kunai. Would he really kill the other human? It was to be expected. Naruto was no longer a normal human…he was a ninja. And as Haku had said, ninjas were nothing but tools.

But was not Naruto's act a defiance of that rule? He was doing as another ninja, another tool, asked. That alone was not the act of a tool. So what were ninja, exactly?

Perhaps they were both human and tools.

And so Naruto began the killing act. But before it was dealt, Haku human stopped him. He, it seemed, was not quite done. But he still died seconds later. I saw when the mist cleared that he had taken the killing blow for the human most precious to him.

But the one he took the blow for did not seem to care. Kakashi human vanished, to reappear a little back from his original position, along with the body of the human once known as Haku.

Naruto was shaking in anger. Understandable. Haku human had given up his life, his life, but is seemed that the one he had given it for did not care. How very…sad.

Kakashi closed Haku's eyes. And stood to continue the fight. Of course. For he was a ninja also.

The two ninja clashed again. At the end of the clash, both of Zabuza human's arms were useless.

And then from behind, the group I was concerned about for a while arrived. Gato human and his men were here. I had seen them a way off, but I had hoped that they would not arrive this soon. He spoke, "Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed right here. I never planned on paying you any money."

What a despicable human.

Zabuza human told Kakashi human he would stop fighting. There was no longer any point. And then Gato human came up to Haku human's body and…kicked it. He had no respect for the dead.

Naruto was enraged. He would have attacked, but Kakashi human stopped him. And so he turned onto Zabuza. "Weren't you friends! Don't you feel anything at all? "

"In the world of shinobi, there are the ones who are used and the ones who used them. That is all. We shinobi are simply tools. What I wanted was his blood, not him. I have no regrets."

At that, Naruto broke free from Kakashi's hold. "He loved you that much! If I become as strong as you…will I really become like you? He threw away his own life for you. Without his own dream to die as a tool." He was crying now. I was sad also. Humans…I was very unsure about them.

Then, "You don't have to say anymore." Zabuza human too, was crying. Naruto had gotten to him, it seemed. "It pained him to fight you. He was too kind. I'm glad I got to face you guys in the end. Yeah kid, you may be right. A shinobi is still a human, we may not be able to become emotionless tools. I've lost. Kid, let me borrow your kunai."

It was a request that Naruto complied with. Zabuza caught in his mouth, having bitten through the bandages covering his mouth beforehand. He ran through the mob of enemies, and sliced down the Gato human. But he had taken many weapons from the crowd of enemies.

It was soon to be the end of a proud ninja.

Author's note: I would have ended it on a later note…but it was going on too long. Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are always welcomed, and thanks to all who reviewed.

Edit: I seem to have developed the bad habit of making too much paragraphs when there should just be one. I changed this chapter because of that.