Ahoy! Hey guys! I'm back again with some good news! The harem won't be like that long list I gave, I was actually hoping to shorten it to at least six or seven, so I am gonna cut it off at whatever it is now when I post this chapter. After that, it is set, no more and no less. I hope the voting is up to your liking folks :^)
Anyhow, I'm glad to present you guys with the ninth chapter, and I do warn you, I will time skip some, but hopefully it won't be too confusing.
Okay, with that out of the way, lets get this going! We get to see, near the end, a final fight, ending the land of waves chapter! Yay!
And feels.
You shall feel the feels.
Datte Bay O!
I own nothing...
Chapter 9
Know Your Shikai
The day after that kiss was a strange one to Naruto, he felt as though he were walking on air-which he would accidentally do sometimes. He couldn't wait for the woman to return, for him to go and be with her. It was such a pleasant thought to be with a woman so beautiful, so kind as she was, to have the patience to train him and help him reach his goal. He knew that he was a boisterous and loud, not to mention annoying at times, young lad. But yet despite this-and the age he was-she still held him at an almost equal level of interest. He couldn't say he loved her, and he knew she couldn't say such either, but it was a start.
He was so alleviated-even from the current situation of protecting Tazuna-that often time his mind would wonder more often than it usually would. He felt his head go straight to a plan, a date for them to hang out sometime. Naruto got so far into the planning that he began mumbling what he was going to do to set it up. So content and joyful was he, that Naruto felt that nothing could go wrong.
But...
But he was soon reminded of Zabuza's threat when he was on watch duty over Tazuna. He witnessed a man nearly quite the job on the bridge out of pure fear that Zabuza-or Gato's men-would come and crush them all. The man spoke with terror as he said that the man-Gato-would even go as far as killing the innocent villagers after they were done with that!
Naruto sobered up after the fear stricken man's words sunk in, realizing now more than ever that it was not the time to be dwelling over Rangiku, he and her would have a chance-that he knew-but only after this mission was over. If he let his mind slip and drag on what could be, he would screw up on the mission, getting him-yes, not only him-but also his team-mates killed, and what could be would never be.
The whiskered blond swore then and there, that he would protect not just Tazuna and his workers, or the people of wave, he did not only swear to protect his team-mates and Rangiku-if it did come down to it. He swore to protect ever last person he saw as a friend, till the last breath he gave!
After that, Naruto came up to the man who wished to quite, and told him not to worry. The man tried to protest, and Naruto got an idea. He told the man, "can Gato or his men stand on air?" Gathering Reishi beneath his feet, Naruto began to climb atop the very air. "Can he do that?" He asked again. The man-amazed-said no. Naruto spoke again, saying, "are they trained ninja? Or are they thugs? And isn't Zabuza healing? With the potential to only have a single other ninja helping him? Isn't that true, that he can not stand against us? Even if you have doubts?" Naruto's rising words was heard, not by that single man, but by the whole of the workers as he stepped down from his pedestal in the sky. When he stepped down, they crowded him, shouting up encouraging words to him and amongst themselves. Sakura came by and ended Naruto's shift, and he told them before he left that she was capable in defending them.
To Tazuna's great surprise-and overwhelming joy-work production increased double fold after that.
A few days after this, Naruto could be seen training all alone, having already gotten used to the tree climbing exorcise. He did so in the thought that because he had greater control of his Chakra it would help him fight in the case Zabuza returned-or if any threat came to bare its head. Now, if hadn't had his training with Rangiku to control the Reiyuko the first week they met, he was sure that he'd be passed out and on the forest floor by now.
But he wasn't.
In fact...
He was currently just working up a sweat swinging his zampakto, increasing his dexterity with the weapon. The grass below him was swept up in the wake of his blade, curling beneath the weight of the wind his sword carried. Naruto took a step on the air and spun before a tree, lashing his zampakto out as he did so. It was a thick tree, at least four feet at the base, but as sure as the rain comes, his blade passed right through it.
It began to fall.
Right on top of Naruto.
All of its weight.
The whiskered blond twisted his sword to the earth below, and swung up. A great-crack!-came as he sliced through its trunk, splitting it in two even as it passed harmlessly at his sides.
Even after that feat, Naruto still let out a curse.
"Damn it all!" He shouted to the heavens, sinking his sword into one of the halves of the tree he split. Naruto sat down across from it on the other half, glaring deeply into his zampakto. He gave a huff of contempt and-I kid you not-gave the one finger salute to his sword.
"Why!" Naruto suddenly exploded, scattering what birds were left in the area, pointing accusingly at his zampakto.
"Why can't I use that technique again like I did against Zabuza?!" He bellowed to his sword once more, lowering his hand.
"Walter! Why the dickery?"
"Hello."
Naruto nearly leapt from his skin at the voice, for one part not hearing them come behind him and the second part because they probably just heard him shouting at-probably to them-an in animate object.
Naruto turned on his tree trunk seat.
There stood, in a pink kimono attire, a young lass, dark beautiful eyes framed by locks of brown hair. She was about the same figure as Sakura, petite in all-if a bit more shapely. As he was looking her up in down the boy realized he was staring, especially when she began to squint her eyes at him expectantly, a brow raised to her temple, as if in expectation. He shook himself free from his own pondering and greeted her, deciding to be a bit gentlemanly.
"Uh, sorry to stare." He apologized first, then raising his hand, saying, "my names Naruto Uzimaki."
The young girl looked at his hand with scrutiny, as if he were leveling a venomous snake at her.
"Haku."
She took his hand a shook lightly, smiling a moment later.
When their hands fell, his eyes fell to the basket she carried. The first thought that came to mind was to ask what it was for, but instead settled for why she was out he so deep in the boon-docks.
"Hm, oh, well there's someone in my family who's sick, so I decided to get some fresh herbs to help get them better. So, what are you doing?" She asked, her voice light like a breeze when mentioning the family member.
"Well I-" Naruto stopped himself, realizing that if he were to go into great-grand-detail concerning him trying to force some great slicing energy out of a sword taller than him, well, it would probably scare her away. So, without missing a beat, answered with, "I'm training."
Haku nodded, seeming to find his words not as strange as he thought she would find them.
As she did so, Naruto realized he was being rude by sitting down and not offering to help her find herbs, and yet she was patient enough to talk to a complete stranger. So, he stood off the fallen half of tree and asked if she wanted his help. Yet, as he did so, she flinched. Had his sudden movement frightened her? If so, he asked if she was okay.
"Ah...ya, it's just, I didn't realize you'd be taller than me." Haku told, smiling a bit with nervousness in her tone.
Naruto was going to retort, tell her he was not short, but stopped himself. He straightened up and could actually clearly see right straight across the top of her head, just a few inches taller than her. Strange, he shouldn't be that tall yet. He was about even with Sakura, if only a hair shorter. But by the looks of it, he was about as tall as Sasuke now, if not a slight taller.
How could that be, was it his developing Reiyuko in him? Would he continue to grow taller? Would it even stop? Oh he could see himself, a hundred feet tall raging monster bashing through buildings. Oh no oh no! How was he gonna get into his apartment now?! Hell with the apartment, how was he gonna be a stealthy ninja when he could be seen miles away?! Naruto felt himself begin to breath heavily.
Calm.
Breath.
IIIIIIIIIN!
OUUUT!
Okay. He was fiiiine. He was not going to become a giant. His body must be only maturing fast because the Reiyuko was increasing in his body, it only maturing because it was then easier to deal with a lot of Reiyuko. It had to be that. It was the only thing that made sense.
Shortly after, Naruto began picking herbs with Haku, enjoying the break from his training and getting to spend time with someone that wasn't some silent sword-who was being a very nasty word at the moment!
During the time he helped the lass, she struck up a conversation with him. They talked between one another in a pleasant manner, both finding little that either could hold against one another. Haku was an agreeable person-Naruto soon found out. But, in one of their bouts of silence, when neither could find something to say to the other in that moment-with naught but the sound of crunching plants as they were picked-she suddenly asked him a peculiar question.
"So why is it you train so hard, Naruto-san?"
"Oh, well, I want to protect those I care for of course!" The Jinjuriki told with a bright smile across his face.
"What drives you to protect them? What would you do to keep them alive?"
Her voice became sharp shards of ice then, digging into his ears.
His smile faded.
Naruto's gaze fell as he thought on her words, deeply. Why did he want to protect them? What reason did he want to? And, even if he could somehow answer that, then to what extent would he go to do that? He made that vow on the bridge, and that he would fight to his last breath, but, he didn't really know why besides the fact that he cared about them...
Haku stood, drawing his attention as she grasped the basket's handle. Her back was turned to him as she made a few strides away from the boy, but then, she stopped. Her head turned a slight, just enough that he could see her lips utter something that'd change him from now and forever.
Those words were this:
"If those you protect are precious to you," her tone was soft, like velvet, "then those precious people, you, you must be willing to fight for them through pain and the blows that come. Naruto-san, you must be willing to give up everything, you must be willing to die for their sake because they are the most important thing in your life..."
Then, Haku was gone before his very eyes, a swirl of wind and leaves was the only indication that she truly was there just moments before.
The next day, in the morning, Naruto sat at the table, eating breakfast, his team-mates gone to the finishing of the bridge. He was left to chat with Tsunami and her son, Inari. The boy was not a very happy one, Naruto soon learned, having heard him cry in the night over his lost father. Gato had slain the man who opposed him and his reign of oppression, thus leaving a young boy to fend for himself.
"It doesn't matter." The boy suddenly spoke, venom at the edge of his lips.
"Inari-"
"No mom!" He shouted, pointing at Naruto as the blond continued to eat. "It's all their fault! Because of them, Gato will kill everyone! It's! All! Their! FAULT!" The boy screamed, nearly leaping up from his sitting position. Inari looked like he was going to strangle Naruto, but both the blond and Tsunami saw the tears that were beginning to well up in the boys eyes.
Naruto stood, his hair shadowing his blue eyes, having not worn his headband. Then, he suddenly leapt forward at the two, grabbing them in his long arms, using shunpo just as a katana swept over-head. The whiskered blond appeared outside, setting the two down with care.
"What the hell!" Inari screamed at Naruto.
Naruto said nothing, he merely stood up straight, eyes showing beneath the shaggy locks of golden hair. When he finally did speak, his voice was rough, callused, yet held a calm to it that shook the boy from his feet.
"Two men just broke into your home trying to kill you, and I save you." He turned as two men indeed leapt out of the house, swords in hand. One was shorter but skinny, a cocky calmness to him. The other was taller by a few heads, very muscular.
"You think that me and my comrades are push-overs Inari? You think all hope is lost? Well I tell you what. If I cannot block them with just my hand, then your right." Naruto told as the two men rushed him, katana's raised against him. "But if they don't even cause a nick, you have to stand up and be strong. How's that?" The whiskered blond set his gaze back on the small child, lifting his hand to the two mercenary thugs.
Inari just looked on in a slight daze, watching as those swords were swung right at that very hand.
"Watch out!" The boy screamed at the very last instant, concern exploding from the surface of his usually uncaring visage.
SHING!
The swords clattered together against the Jinjuriki's palm, his fingers clasping around them to keep the two from pulling away. He turned his head to the men, a glare in his eyes.
"What do you say Inari? Want to change the the outcome this time?"
SNAP!
With a sharp twist of his wrist, Naruto shattered the blades with unconcerned ease, throwing the remains in his hands into the two 'killers.' They fell, the remnants of their katana's protruding from their skull's.
Naruto stepped over them and headed into the house, coming back out with his zampakto in hand. He strode past the bodies and was about to leave Inari and Tsunami when the boy shouted out to him, his voice pleading.
"Wait, what do you want me to do?!"
Naruto's gaze fell back on him, this time, it was not a hard glare, but instead, it was a reassuring one.
"Get everyone, Gato is going to attack the bridge. Inspire them Inari, just as your father had. Tsunami, when this is all over, I want you to make a big bowl of ramen, we are going to celebrate your villages freedom tonight."
With his parting words, Naruto flash-stepped to the bridge.
A few minutes before, team seven-minus Naruto-stood atop the bridge.
Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi had been watching over the workers and Tazuna as they completed the bridge. Sasuke knew, as did the others, that if it were a time to strike them and the bridge down, it was now. His thinking was confirmed when, in the middle of the day, mist began to roll out from the forest on the other completed side of the bridge. The workers were ordered to fall back into the village-even as that fog began to rise and thicken all around them. Once the workers were gone, all three-the healed Kakashi included-drew their kunai, standing at the ready in the middle of the bridge. Then, they heard the slow mythotical sound of-
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
They flinched beneath the sound of some slow clapping sound, the sound bouncing from the fog in an echo of distant distraught, a looming madness hidden beneath the folds of mist that shrouded the sea and bridge. The clapping stopped, and the silence that followed was naught but worse than sound itself.
The mist parted a moment later, just enough that they could see a short, stocky man in rounded glasses peer at them with dark humor. He lifted a stubby fingered hand to his buttoned stripped shirt, adjusting it in a gentlemanly manner. He pocketed his hand in his slacks and tapped a cane near his brown shoes. He opened his mouth and greeted them with an arrogant snarl of words.
"Hello! My name is Gato, the proprietor of that there village of wave." The short man lifted his cane, gesturing past them towards the village. "Now I understand that you folk have been trying to disrupt my business here. But, I am a gentleman, as well as a businessman. So, I forgive you, so long as you do me one favor." He held up his cane with one stubby digit to the sky. "You must destroy this bridge and kill the workers, so that they may never make it again."
Sasuke felt disgusted by this man, more so after that. What he was asking was insanity, pure unadulterated folly! But, he was an Uchiha, and so he kept those feeling wrapped beneath him, and instead yelled back.
"Not gonna happen."
Cocking his head to the side, a flash of anger slipping into his face, Gato turned on his heel.
"Fine with me! I'll see ya in hell ya ugly bastards! Have at em boys!"
As he shouted back at the three, and those last cruel words pressed into them, a great shout from what seemed like hundreds of men came thundering out all around them. They watched as Gato was enveloped back into the mist, and as he did so, they had to leap back when a moment later a large axe was thrown right where they stood before.
A great rush of feet made the bridge shudder as men began to pour out from the fog.
Sasuke waited, waited for them to get within range, then, threw out a hail of kunai and shuriken at the hundreds of thugs. With the the added help of Kakashi and Sakura throwing their own, quite a few lines were already knocked down. When their throwing weapons were nearly out, they resorted to taijutsu-knowing regular ninjutsu would destroy the bridge.
Sasuke was about to leap out with his team-mate and Kakashi when something swept him and Sakura up, rocketing them back and far away from their sensei. They landed on the hard bridge, a grit to their teeth as they stood moments later. All around them, to what it looked like, were glass-no-ice mirrors, all in a dome shape.
In every one of them appeared a young woman in a kimono, a mist hunter nin symbol upon the mask she wore. In a calm tone, soft like laden snow, she spoke. "All who enter here shall perish, for this is my domain. Please, die swiftly."
In the weeks to come, Sasuke hated the sight of senbon needles.
Out on the bridge, Kakashi was bashing skulls, glancing back at the dome of ice in concern for his students. He was having an easy time defeating the thugs, them just being common fools trying to be tough and big, the only adversity that thy wielded weapons and that they were numerous. Though, with his students in that dome, and Naruto being no where in sight, it would be tough to finish this, especially if Zabuza was healed-and no doubt controlling the mist.
Kakashi was about to lift his headband and get this over with faster when a hand kept his still.
"Naruto!" His single eye widened upon seeing the boy.
His head bowed a moment later when an unseen force distributed itself, keeping the thugs on their knees when they got to close.
"Hey Kakashi sensei, don't be so hasty. Can't you feel him in there? Zabuza? He's waiting. Keep that thing covered until it gets too hard to fight these thugs, and if I fail, you can finish off Zabuza." Naruto quickly said, bursting off into the air, rushing past the thugs below to the end of the bridge. As the pressure began to dissipate, the scarecrow made man had a single pondering.
When did he get taller? Kakashi thought as he slugged another thug right between the eyes.
Back in the dome, Sasuke and Sakura were dodging the many senbon thrown at them, trying to stay far away from the deadly needles.
Sasuke had tried to throw a kunai at the mirror's, to shatter them, but soon found that same kunai come rushing back at him.
Damn. He thought, dodging yet another slew of needles.
He rolled around and threw a punch at one of the ice mirrors, only to receive three senbon in the arm.
"Ahr!" Sasuke screamed, his arm falling limp. Sakura yelled if he was going to be okay, her voice cut off as she tried to evade some needles too. "Ya." He told, pulling out the senbon in his arm. He was about to thrown them to the ground when an idea came to his mind.
"Sakura!" He called, jumping over more projectiles. He came to her side and whispered quickly.
"Throw everything at the mirrors, not just one mirror, all of them. Throw smoke bombs and regular ones, as well as kunai and shuriken."
She nodded.
He did too.
Naruto was about to reach the end of the bridge when he heard an explosion, large and booming it was, enough to sway the fog around him. It put a smile on his face.
"I knew they'd be fine."
"Regrettably, you won't be!"
His smile faded as his head snapped down to the ground, the mist dispersing enough that he could see Zabuza, completely healed. The man held his blade on his shoulder, resting it there as he addressed Naruto once more.
"You know, you're a smart one. Putting enough trust in your team so that you could fight me without wasting energy before hand. Isn't that what you were thinking?" His voice then was almost sickeningly pleasant, but then it darkened into one that Naruto expected of the man.
"I say fuck em! They, like all ninja, are tools of war! And my ambition is what drives me as a tool! Do not expect me to go easy on you Naruto, Haku told me everything about how you move in battle!"
Naruto's fears of Haku were confirmed then, as she being a ninja, and coupled with her saying she was helping a sick person, that just sealed it. He felt a little betrayal, having had a pleasant conversation-and a deep one-with the lass. But he slew those thoughts, knowing that he was not going to come close to winning if he was distracted.
The blond Jinjuriki whipped his blade around, gritting his teeth as he gathered Reishi around him, that crimson aura engulfing him entirely. He watched Zabuza bring his sword back and leap into the air, swinging his sword at Naruto. The blond deflected the blow and spun around, digging his own blade into Zabuza's. The force was too much and it brought the man back down to earth. Naruto followed after, rushing down like a comet. They met again, his sword over Zabuza's.
"Who do you think you are!" Zabuza bellowed, pushing Naruto off and Sparta kicking him right in the chest. Naruto tumbled back a few feet but skid to a stop, raising his blade to point right at Zabuza. He came back sprinting, swinging against the Devil of the Mist.
"What do you mean!" Naruto shouted back.
The man blocked it in a shower of sparks, easily slicing his sword up and getting Naruto open for a spin kick. It landed right into the lads ribs, forcing him to stumble.
"Get it through your head boy!"
Zabuza punched Naruto in the back of his head, sending him toppling over his feet to the ground. Naruto tried to stand but screamed in pain as his hand was stomped on by the nin, his foot grinding Naruto's hand into the rough ground.
"AHH!"
"That's right boy, scream! This is pain! This is the reality of the world! We are tools to be used! Or discarded!" The mans foot lifted and slammed into the boys gut, a sickening snap eliciting a cry from the downed boy. But Zabuza didn't stop, he kept going, hitting harder than before, the sharp crunch of bone drowning out the dying voice of the boys screams.
Eventually, Zabuza stopped, a grimace and glare coming down on the boy.
"You are going to die, and I am going to kill your so called sensei and friends. There will be nothing you can do about that. You are just a broken tool, no more...and no less." Zabuza's thick and dark words hung there even after he strolled away-as if nothing had happened. Naruto felt nothing now, the numbness of shock keeping him from feeling the full force of the pain. He still felt it, but he could care less now. He really was going to die. Look, he told himself as the encroaching darkness began to fill his vision.
Are you going to sit there and let him win?
His eyes opened.
Didn't you promise yourself that you would protect them, that you would not let them die?
He heard the voice off to the side, and he could see Walter standing there, a slight glare to his eyes.
I know your afraid right now, Naruto. You are on the precipice of death, but...
His voice changed, it became a determined snarl of words, words that rushed to urge him on.
What I came to realize is that fear. That's the worst of it. That's the real enemy. So get up. Naruto felt his Reishi build once more, even as the man continued to speak. Get out in this real world and kick that bastard as hard as you can, right in the teeth!
Zabuza turned, feeling a rain of pressure build all around his body, freezing him to the spot. He turned about as best he could, seeing the most surprising thing that day, the most strange and terrifying one too.
A figure stood be the fallen form of Naruto, a chain connecting the two, a dark and mysterious being with naught but a fear inducing bleakness to it. The thing itself wore a wide-brimmed fedora, just as red as the scarlet trench coat set on his shoulders. Beneath that he wore a black vest and white button shirt. Black pants and boots ended at his legs and feet. The thing before him pulled his white gloved hands from his pockets and grabbed hold of the zampakto.
"Drink and be filled, Hocho o Mimashita, blast my enemies to vapor, Dojina Hito"
A flash emitted from the sword, nearly blinding Zabuza, and a second flash burst from behind the strange beings back-just between his trench coat. What was left of the sword was in place a weapon made only from nightmares. It had a severely curved axe handle leading up to the hinge point of a wide saw cleaver, the teeth of which pointed away from his hand, whilst a sharp edge was retained around to the inside.
Zabuza suspected that it had a trigger, allowing it to swing out and extend its reach.
Despite this, Zabuza growled, even as the thing before him lifted its head, showing him a shaggy lock of blond hair. Covering the boys eyes were tinted goggles.
"Whats wrong, Zabuza, don't recognize me in my shikai form?" The young lad adjusted the goggles, showing his sapphire eyes despite the red tint of the shades. "Don't you remember the vibrance of my weapon?" He lifted the saw cleaver up and slashed away the chain that bound him to his body. "Come now Zabuza, that was the old me, without that chain, I can no longer live inside it. But, you can still destroy my spiritual form. Or are you afraid? That's the worst of it, isn't that true, Zabuza?"
"Shut up you bastard!" Zabuza screamed, having enough of this crap. Who did he care that this boy came back with new looking stuff? It didn't matter! He was still just a weak! Insignificant! Tool!
He rushed Naruto, blade swinging out wildly, his aggression pouring into his movements, a bull going head first into the unknown. Naruto ducked beneath the flash of silver and side stepped the next, after that he brought his blade up, blocking the strike. The force behind it was enough to make Naruto skid back on his feet, but he did not stumble, he only lifted his blade up again.
"Zabuza!" He shouted, even as the Devil of the Mist swung against him.
"We are more than tools! We are people, we have feelings! We aren't just products to be used in war!" Naruto screamed, trying to get the mans attention. Zabuza merely threw several kunai at him, to which the boy used the flat of the cleaver as a shield, the throwing knives pinging off harmlessly.
"Shut it!" Zabuza retorted.
"No Zabuza! You have to listen, I don't want you to die without hearing me!" Naruto shouted back, dodging the blade once more, his own anger stirring. He had to get the man to listen, before he delivered the killing blow to the man. If he didn't, he knew the man would regret it. Rangiku had told him the basics of what happened the dead, and those who did terrible things in life. If the man died without coming to the realization, then hell would become the Devil's home. Then, it came to him.
"Don't you have someone who is precious to you!?"
Zabuza stopped, flinching underneath the weight of the boys words.
"That's...that is none of your business!" The man bellowed, arcing his blade down in a single, large, sweep of strength.
SHINK!
Naruto caught the larger blade between the serrated teeth of his own cleaver. With a snapping twist, he shattered the blade, forcing the man to stumble back in shock. Naruto didn't stop there, no, he lifted his saw cleaver up into the air, pointing heavenward.
"Suta Suraisa!"
And he swung down, scarlet Reishi exploded out point blank into the man, sending him flying back, far across the bridge, high above the dwindling thugs that Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke were slowly destroying.
Thud.
He hit the ground, bouncing and sliding some before coming to a halt. He felt nothing coming from his chest to the side of his hip, it was all numb and gone. He could barely see, the sky ever expanding before him. His eyes couldn't focus right, his ears ringing, everything was just, numb.
Naruto was there, a moment later, standing over him, his brows lifted and his lips frowning.
Was the boy sad, that he was dying, was this lad so compassionate that he cared even for his enemies? How, how could it be that he, Zabuza Momoichi, would die by a soft hearted boys hand?
In the end, Zabuza didn't fight the exhaustion like he would have, instead, he asked Naruto one last favor, his tone however weak, still held that ambitious sway.
"P-please...k-kill Gato."
Naruto nodded, leaving him there.
He was about to close his eyes and let it be over with when he heard a moan. His mind instantly knew who it was even as he turned his head to look. There lay Haku, face first into the earth. Something urged him to move to her, even if it would be painful. He turned himself over, using his single working arms to pull himself closer to the ice user. Inch after painful inch, he made his slow way towards the lass, his eyes pleaded for her to still be alive.
He made it, using that arm of his to pull her into him.
Dark eyes opened to see his. Beautiful. She was beautiful, her brown hair cascading down around her, her broken body all for him to hold for the last moments. A dark spot appeared on her scorched clothes, and the Devil of the hidden Mist realized, that he, was crying. He didn't hold those hot tears back, he just let them flow.
"Z-Zabuza-sama..."
Her voice! God! How could he ever not notice it before?! It held him there for a moment, a silence between them. He leaned into the crook of her neck, feeling like his head would burst any second.
"Haku!" He cried! "I...I am so sorry, I put you through this. I should have never-"
Her dainty hand was on his face, on his cheek where the blast had knocked his his bandage wraps off, that soft palm against his rough visage. As best as she could, she leaned into him, giving him a kiss, so brief, yet holding him in it. When she could no longer hold herself there, she fell back from his starstruck face.
"I have always cared for you. I love you, Zabuza...
Her eyes dimmed, graying slowly until they were but slates of stone, and he knew then, that she was gone.
"No. no no no! H-Haku! P-please, stay with me! No! D-don't leave me!" He began to wail out in great sorrow, feeling a weight settle on him as his own life began to slip away.
"HAKU! AAAAHH!" His scream pierced the air as his tears came rushing down her face, streaking his cheeks and falling unto her. His cries of pain were even making the thugs on the bridge stop their fighting, feeling the regret in the mans dying words. They all bowed their heads to the loss of someone precious that day, honoring the dead in that moment.
A/N
The feels man, the feels.
Alright, so, pretty much everything is wrapped up. The thugs are gonna be done soon, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and the villagers-soon-will beat on them, driving whats left away. Naruto has his shikai form-finally!
And if your wondering what the weapon is, its the saw cleaver from Bloodborne. As I was actually writing this, I thought, 'well, bloodborne has a vampire as the protagonist, so who's the most B.A. Vampire? Alucard from hellsing and hellsing ultimate.' Thus, the outfit he is given. It makes sense, at least to me. Plus, I've been streaming too close to cannon, so I decided to crack this thing up, thanks to some attentive reviewers.
Anyway, the wave mission is in the bag, and Gato obviously won't be able to stand against Naruto, especially after achieving shikai. So this is pretty much done.
If you guys have questions, ask and I will try to respond
Have a good day guys:^)