Crack Fics can be serious from time to time, right?

I swear this is what happens whenever I start to take things seriously.

That being said, I have some VERY special things to say. Mostly regarding comments. First off, I would like to address the fact that some people were disappointed that Sasuke was no longer a walking asparagus. I have to admit that it was funny writing him off like that. However, I always planned to have him come back, and that's saying something as I hadn't even intended to plan for this story. Him turning to a vegetable for the express purpose of coming back was always planned, and in fact will be explained next chapter.

(It was also getting annoying to write a walking brick)

That out of the way, on to the individual comments:

Gohan90: You are... brilliant actually. Your suggestion to have Naruto pretend to be "normal past-Naruto" was so hilarious to me while thinking it up that I almost considered it. Unfortunately you suggested this after I actually came up with a plot for this story. It would conflict with what I have planned, and thus, I couldn't fit it in. (Doesn't mean I didn't include a cameo of the idea.) As to why Sasuke is in the past now... That's a plot point, and as stated above, that's explained later.

Sagar Hussein, Diaspared and ArturoLJ50. Thank you for the constant comments and encouragement. There were others, like Huarta, who comment often to let me know how I'm doing, but you guys showed up frequently over the longest period of time.

The rest of you, thank you for letting me know how I'm doing. Even those who expressed dislike of my story (mostly on how it was too mean) was useful. I need you guys a lot, and I'm entirely grateful for what you guys are doing, namely taking the time to tell me what you thought of the chapters. Even short things are more than enough to keep me going.

SquidinaLighthouse I'm looking at you. That comment was touching. And Huarta? Thank you. I didn't even realize I had a writing style yet.

Finally, the last point in this hopelessly long rant... Thank you. I know I didn't touch on every comment made. Some of them made me feel impossibly good to the point I didn't think I deserved it. I've read them ALL and I will continue to. You don't know how much I love and value your input. For those of you I missed mentioning, I am so sorry. I really can't mention too much without padding this chapter way too much, but I love you all. Thank you

But you're not here for all this are you? On to the chapter. Exit: Wave. Next chapter is "Enter: Plot"


Sasuke, as he was wont to do, did what he did naturally when faced with a new situation of which he had no prior knowledge. He attacked Naruto. This attack was melded with a vengeance of pure malice.

Naruto watched as Sasuke's Susanoo ability formed around his right arm. The purple chakra construct melded and grew until it was as big as Sasuke's body. Cocking the augmented arm back, Sasuke used chakra to propel himself like a rocket across the gap between him and the blonde. Naruto stared, before his consciousness was pulled into himself. Naruto landed with a splash inside the seal.

"Alright. What gives, furball?" Naruto asked. He turned to see the Kyuubi looking down on him. In fox form at full power Kurama looked like a truly fascinating and powerful entity. Naruto still neglected to show respect.

Kurama yawned, entirely used to this treatment. "You're going to take the hit, brat."

Naruto, upon hearing, swiftly looked back to the screen of water that hung in the air in front of both himself and Kyuubi. The screen showed what Naruto was seeing in the real world, only in a speed so slow it was almost still. Naruto, now under a speed where he could properly see it, could make out every individual bone in the chakra shroud of Sasuke's Susanoo, as well as every wrinkle on his best friend's childlike face. The man-boy was upset – pissed even – and was out for blood.

Naruto slowly turned back to the Kyuubi. "You uh… You sure about that?" Naruto asked.

"Definitely sure." Kyuubi responded.

"And what makes you so sure about that?" Naruto asked. "Last I checked I really didn't want to get beaten to a pulp. What reason could you possibly have in that deranged little mind of yours that could make me take that hit?"

Kyuubi yawned again, this time harder, before using one of his long, fox-like nails to clean his ear. "Because it'd be funny."

Naruto stared. "Wonderful reasoning."

"Thank you. I tried." Kyuubi drawled.

"I'm not doing it."

"Yes you are."

"I'm not your jester, Kyuubi." Naruto responded, standing up. Looking around, he could make out what the seal looked like. It was still a sewer as far as everything went, with a thin layer of water coating the floor and pipes running over the walls going to and from the chakra beast's cage. This visage continued until the gates of Kyuubi's cage, where the environment exploded into a giant plain complete with fresh green grass, a hill and a giant tree posted on top of it. In the middle of this expanse lounged the Kyuubi, his head resting on his haunches and eyes half closed.

From here the Kyuubi, rather sleepily, addressed his host. "First off, you are definitely my jester. You exist for many reasons – many of which include my amusement."

Naruto scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Second off, imagine the hilarity that would ensue should you take the hit."

"I don't find my face being busted in that funny," Naruto commented, rubbing his jaw. He was punched by that chakra monstrosity before. It wasn't very fun.

"Oh relax. You have my chakra shroud. At the worst it'll be a love tap."

"At some point that stops being a 'love tap' and starts being an entire truck, fox."

"Oh stop being a pansy," said fox chided. "Go out there and take that hit like a man."

Naruto shook his head. "I already said no. I'm not getting punched in the face for the sole sake of your enjoyment."

"That's the thing, pansy. You won't be doing this for me. You'll be doing this for both of us."

Naruto, knowing the Kyuubi usually didn't say things just to pull a trick on him, stopped in the middle of his rant. With a raised eyebrow he turned to the fox. "Explain."

Seeing he had his host's attention, Kyuubi smiled. Raising from his rested position, he leaned closer to the blond, baring every twisted fang.

"Listen boy," the beast started. "If you take the hit and pretend to be hurt, the Uchiha will think that its your past self. He already knows he's in the past. Wouldn't it be funnier if you convince him he's the only one here? At the very least it'll allow you to avoid him throwing Ameterasu at you with every oppurtunity."

Naruto, who was following along, looked up in confusion. "Ameter-what?" Kyuubi sighed.

"The crazy black fire."

"Oh right!" Naruto screamed in recognition. He pounded a fist into his palm. "But yeah, that would be awesome. That and everything else you said. It would be funny to see him floundering around a bit."

"Aren't I the greatest?" Kyuubi asked, his smirk growing wider. "The only problem is that there is a very real chance this ruse won't go on for too long." Naruto shrugged.

"That's fine," Naruto stated. "Messing with him for however long it may be that this lasts will be worth it."

"Then I'm glad we have an understanding." Kyuubi drawled, once again laying his head down. With a yawn he motioned his two fingers in a 'shooing' motion, and Naruto could feel himself being ejected from the space.

"I'll buff the shroud until just before impact. Do your best to not die."

"Wait wha-" was all Naruto could get out before he was back in his real body. Looking up, the boy had all of a split second to react before a giant, purple chakra enhanced fist hit his entire body. Flying through the air, Naruto smashed through an already melting ice mirror before skidding across the ground and landing in a crumpled heap before Sakura and Tazuna.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, her voice quivering. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," Naruto answered, his voice shaking as his mind rattled in his head. On the other side of the bridge a very much younger than before Sasuke emerged from the half melted mirrors. Dragging a half burned Haku with his left arm while holding said arm with his right one, Sasuke made his way over to the trio. Dropping the ice user, Sasuke leveled a glare at Naruto, whose chakra shroud had started to fade.

"Get up dobe. I know you're still alive," Sasuke grunted. His face was in a scowl as he glared down at his lifelong rival.

"Ugh. Of course I'm alive, teme!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his dislocated jaw as he pushed himself up off the ground. Looking at the boy back in the eyes, Naruto could see that his brother in all but blood still had the Sharingan active. "What's the deal?"

"You know what's wrong, idiot. Explain."

Naruto tilted his head. "Explain what? Why you're going around just punching people?" Sasuke's Mangekyo flared.

"No. What? No! Explain why I'm a-" was all he was able to get out. Sakura, who was initially stunned into inaction was now fully functional again. Lunging forward the pinkette firmly tackled the Uchiha to the ground.

"Sasuke! You're back!" she yelled. Tears fell from her eyes as she nuzzled her face into the boy's shirt.

"Wha-what? Wait, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his eyes wide. "What are you talking about?"

"You were in a coma, Sasuke-kun! Kakashi-sensei and Naruto and I didn't know what to do about it!"

Sasuke looked up. Eyes focusing on Naruto, he asked Sakura a question. "Is… is that so?"

"Yeah! Do you… not remember anything?" Sakura asked, her eyes overflowing with tears. Swallowing, Sasuke looked as if he were a deer in headlights. Naruto repressed the urge to snicker. In their later years the sight of Sakura crying even a little bit was enough to break Sasuke into little pieces.

"N-no," Sasuke muttered out. "Everything is a bit hazy," Sasuke managed to say. Raising his left hand to her head, an action he still was not accustomed to, he awkwardly rustled her pink locks. This seemed to work a bit, as the girl's sobs lessened. Eventually Sakura's cries ended, and she settled into a light sleep.

"That's better. I don't like it when Sakura-chan cries," Naruto stated, relief painted on his face. "Don't get too comfy there, teme."

"You haven't called Sakura 'chan' in years, idiot."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked. "I call her that all the time!"

"You can stop now, idiot."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're a bad actor, Naruto. Stop it."

"Whatever, bastard. Just take care of Sakura-chan while I..." it was here Naruto noticed that Haku had already jumped in front of Kakashi's Chidori while they were talking. "Huh."

"Its weird seeing someone other than me use that move." Sasuke then turned to Naruto. "It must be weird seeing it used on someone other than you."

"Why would I want it to be used on me?" Naruto asked. He was still fixated on Haku's now dead body; something about the scene struck terrible chords inside him. Sasuke scoffed from behind the blonde's back.

"If I have to look into your mind for the truth, I will." Sasuke remarked. Gently he laid Sakura down on the bridge, cupping her hands under her head so she wouldn't be on a completely hard surface.

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"Alright. You asked for it." And just like that Naruto found his jaw being gripped. Rather rough, Naruto's face was forced around until Naruto was staring Sasuke in his pinwheel shaped Sharingan. Once again Naruto found himself falling into his own mind's sewer.

Stepping next to him Sasuke, in his adult form, looked around.

"Its the same as I remember," Sasuke remarked. Looking around, his Sharingan eyes did not seem impressed.

"Last time you were here your eyesight was better, brat."

Sasuke was at first alarmed. Confusedly he turned to the giant fox in the room. "Why are you speaking like that? If I had to imagine your voice in text, it'd be in bold."

"Nostalgia."

"I see." Sasuke responded. He gestured around himself. "So I guess you're the reason the idiot is trying to act?"

"What do you mean, 'trying'? I was doing a pretty good job!" Naruto yelled. "And how are you an adult?" Naruto was ignored.

"I am. I thought it'd be funny if you thought you were the only one."

"You're as insufferable as ever Kurama."

"Is no one going to answer me?" Naruto yelled. "This is my head after all."

"And what did you mean by, 'my eyesight was better?'"

"Have you not seen yourself recently?" Kyuubi asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"I just got back here. One minute I was roaming the lands on a mission for this idiot," Sasuke pointed to Naruto, who was pouting on the floor from being ignored. "And next thing I know I sense some hostility behind me. Without thinking I set it on fire, but all of a sudden I could feel an appendage that wasn't there before."

"Not to mention the needles sticking out of your body," Naruto commented. Sasuke bopped him on the head.

"I'm small and weak again and I can't do anything about it. Now..." Sasuke turned to Naruto. "Send me back or I'll burn everything to the ground. I don't know why exactly you brought me here, but you're sending me back."

Naruto grimaced. "I didn't bring you here, bastard."

Sasuke blinked. Once, twice, then three times he blinked while staring down his orange companion.

"Excuse me?"

"I said that I didn't bring you back here. Did you lose your hearing with your eyesight?" Naruto repeated, obviously annoyed. In all likelihood he was probably healed from the punch already, but the phantom pain still existed.

"If you didn't do this, then who did?" Sasuke inquired. His face was scrunched up in confusion. "And why do you two keep going on and on about my eyesight? I can see just fine!"

Both Naruto and Kyuubi looked at one another, before turning back to the boy.

"Do you really not realize?" Naruto asked. Taking this moment, he stood up from his place on the watery ground. Making his way over into Kyuubi's part of the seal, he stood there, letting the breeze blow over him and dry him off. Seeing as this was his mind and he could simply will himself dry, Kyuubi just assumed he liked the experience.

"Do I not realize what, exactly?" Sasuke asked, his head tilting. Naruto and Kyuubi shared another glance, before Kyuubi raised a finger, his nail gesturing to the water in Naruto's part of the seal. A geyser erupted from the expanse, before solidifying and turning into a perfect mirror. Sasuke pointed to it.

"I assume you want me to look into that?"

"I knew you were the smart one on the team," Naruto chided. Sasuke threw a shuriken of pure black flame at him.

"Why is everyone so violent at me!" Naruto yelled, dodging to the side. The shuriken continued until it hit Kurama, at which point it immediately dispersed.

"Because its endlessly entertaining. With your luck, I doubt you can even die."

"Luck doesn't work like that, bastard," Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke simply brushed him off while walking towards the mirror. Upon approaching it the man studied his features.

"Black cloak, nice hair, chiseled chin..." Sasuke verbally listed, going over himself for his own vanity. "I don't see anything wrong. Even my Sharingan look perfect."

"Oh, both of them?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, both of them. In fact, there's a symmetry there that I didn't notice until no-"

The genius then froze.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY RINNEGAN," the man screamed. His face was absolutely mortified as he stared over both of his Mangekyo Sharingan with no concentric eye in sight. Broken, Sasuke turned to his lifelong rival. "Idiot. Where is my Rinnegan?"

Naruto shrugged. "When you come back in time, any features you had while an adult are erased while you're a child. Mental things like how to do jutsu and even chakra capacity remains, but physical properties disappear. Sorry bastard. You don't have your Rinnegan anymore."

Wordlessly, Sasuke turned back to the mirror.

"So… I don't have my Rinnegan anymore?"

"I believe I just said that, yes."

"I… I see," Sasuke mumbled. Rising from where he had collapsed, the man turned back into a boy in Naruto's mindscape.

"Okay, how are you guys doing that?" Naruto asked. He was ignored.

"Well Naruto. There's only one thing to do in this situation. Are you ready to go back to the real world?" Naruto stared at the boy.

"Uh, its my brain. Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?"

"No, you should not be." And with that the two were back in the real world. Sasuke's grip on Naruto's chin shook and wavered, before falling away. Looking at it forlornly, Sasuke tightened his hand into a fist, squeezing as hard as he could, before glaring at Naruto.

"I don't know how, but this is your fault."

"How exactly is it my fault?" Naruto asked, flabbergasted.

"I don't know yet," Sasuke responded. "But you're going to pay for it." And with that Sasuke cocked his fist back. Once again purple chakra started to swell around it until a purple skeleton encased his arm.

"Oh. This isn't good."

"Indeed," Kyuubi growled. "It seems the kit has broken."

"Are we… fighting back?" Naruto asked, more unsure than anything. "He doesn't have the Rinnegan. I think we can handle him."

"Just because I don't have my Rinnegan doesn't make me any weaker. If anything, you're weaker because you don't have your bijuu chakra!"

Naruto stared at Sasuke. Tilting his head, the blonde then looked away once he realized what his rival was talking about.

"Oh." Sasuke stated. "There's… no way."

"Now calm down Sas-"

"I LOSE my Rinnegan being forced back through time for some reason I am almost absolutely sure is your fault..."

"He's not entirely wrong."

"… but to add to that, you managed to keep your Bijuu chakra?! How in the hell is that even fair?"

"Listen Sasuke. I didn't make up the rules for this."

"Are you sure?" Sasuke asked deliriously. "Because it sure as hell seems that way!"

"Wait no, really. Think about it! If I were gonna drag you back in time with me, why would I – the master prankster of Konoha – then take away your powers? We could use it to mess with people!"

Sasuke stopped to consider it. That did make sense. Looking at his left arm, the Uchiha attempted to move it. Realizing he could, he manifested chakra around it as well.

"Sasuke!"

"Just because you have a point doesn't mean I want to beat your blonde little skull in any less!" Sasuke screamed. "In some way, no matter how small, this is still your fault! And you can be assured I'm gonna beat you for it!"

Naruto rubbed his temple. "Why. I don't feel up to it Sasuke."

"That's a lie!" Sasuke screamed.

"Okay, it is!" Naruto admitted. "But I really can't!"

"And why not?" Sasuke asked. "This is the one time I really need it."

"Because," Naruto started. "The gods won't allow it."

"What the hell does Grandpa Sage have to do with it?"

"There are apparently powers other than Grandpa."

"What? There are?" Sasuke asked. Naruto did a double take.

"You can hear him?" Naruto asked. "Outside my head?"

"Of course I can! I always could!"

"Bullshit!" Naruto yelled. "I'm pretty sure you never displayed that little trait before."

"Just because you haven't noticed doesn't mean I haven't."

"Name one time."

"During your wedding," Sasuke stated factually. "Kyuubi and I discussed the cake."

"And where was I?"

"Your attention was elsewhere. Namely Hinata."

"Ahh," Naruto commented. "Makes sense."

"Shut it kit. The grown ups are talking," growled the Kyuubi. Naruto pouted, but did not argue. "There are actual higher beings known as gods." Kyuubi addressed Sasuke. The boy nodded.

"And they… don't want us fighting?"

"No." Naruto answered. "They really want things to go the same."

"I see," Sasuke nodded. "And why exactly are we obliging?"

Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it when he realized he didn't have an answer. Sasuke took this as an invitation to continue.

"I mean, I don't really want to be here, and I assume neither do you." Naruto shook his head. "Then why are we playing along? From what I can gather we were both dragged here against our will."

"About right." Kyuubi assented.

"So why do we care about what they want?"

"If we don't play along, they reset everything and we just do it all over again." Naruto argued. Sasuke shook his head.

"So? Eventually they'll get bored."

"There's also the problem of them just wiping us out." Kyuubi chipped in. "That's a very real threat."

Naruto and Sasuke both looked at the fox, then shrugged, turning back to one another and restarting the conversation.

"Do either of you even understand the concept of fear?"

"So here's what I propose," Sasuke started. "We power up, then have a quick punch out until one of us goes down. That's you by the way, idiot."

"Bite me, bastard," Naruto retorted.

"And eventually when we mess things up enough, the powers-that-be reset everything and we go for round two. Sound good?"

Naruto turned the idea over in his head. Eventually, he nodded at the plan. "Sounds good. I've been meaning to stretch my legs for quite a bit now." The boy then started to break out into stretches. "Even before I was brought back, I haven't had a really equal spar in so long. Sakura and Hinata are strong and all, don't get me wrong. There just isn't really a fair challenge in them."

Sasuke smirked. "I agree. No one outside of the Kage can stay in the fight for more than ten minutes at most; even then I have to hold back in order to prevent them from dying." Around here the purple chakra started to spread throughout the rest of the Uchiha's body, forming a ghastly skeleton. Eyes glowing, the Susanoo warrior grew solid skin, then armor before its torso lifted from the ground and legs appeared.

"But with you, idiot, I'm sure you will at least talk the Reaper into letting you get a rematch?" Naruto smiled back.

"I'll be sure to let him know to give you another shot." Naruto then looked inward. "Kurama. Are you ready to knock some Uchiha hide around?"

"Always have been." Kyuubi growled, a malicious grin on his face. Not a single second afterward did a miasma of full blown bijuu chakra explode from the blonde. The amount and density was far more than before, and within seconds Naruto stood inside of a rendition of Kurama's true form. The unfinished bridge groaned under the new weight of the two chakra constructs as they stared each other down. Luckily neither boy deigned to use their full size. Such things easily dwarfed mountains.

"Ready you two?"

"Ready dumbass!" Kurama and Naruto shouted.

The two then dashed to each other, a clawed hand ready to meet a purple chakra sword.

The resulting shockwave cracked the bridge.

XxX

Kakashi lost his footing, tripping as what seemed to be an earthquake ravaged the island. Because of this, Kakashi's aim was slightly off, and his second Chidori missed his target's heart. Instead it hit Zabuza's shoulder, and the man was forced to limp away clutching his wound. Zabuza glared at the Copy Ninja. Said Copy Ninja did not care. His attention was focused elsewhere.

Dense, powerful chakra radiated from the side of the bridge where he left his students. Even now, the cyclops could feel the powerful vibrations echoing across the field from a collision of two powers he couldn't even fathom. Massive, heavy blows rocked bridge and sea alike, and concern for his students was the first thing that came to mind.

"What is that?" Kakashi thought as another tremor rocked the bridge. Whatever it was, why it chose to suddenly appear and wreck havoc on this bridge in particular stumped him. Whatever the reason, however, he still had to protect his children, so with a heavy heart the man turned back to the missing nin.

"I don't have time for this," Kakashi stated simply. "Take that wound as a sign of good bearing and get out of here." Zabuza scoffed.

"I don't take pity, Copy Ninja," Zabuza refuted. "Death in battle is an honor for Mist Ninja." As such the Demon of the Hidden Mist tightened his grip on his sword.

Kakashi frowned. "Are you insane? You are crippled and tired. Barely at half of your fighting strength would be a generous overstatement of where you are right now. Take your losses and live to fight another day."

"I don't want to live to fight another day," Zabuza spat back. "We are ending this. Here and now." And with that the Mist swordsman dashed forward. One arm hanging uselessly at his side while the other dragged his massive cleaver behind him, Zabuza was on Kakashi in seconds, using the entire weight of his body to swing the sword in a massive overhead arc. It was wide and slow, so Kakashi didn't need to do much to avoid it. Dodging underneath, the Konoha ninja jabbed Zabuza twice in the abdomen, making the already weakened ninja reel.

Kakashi looked over the ninja, sad eyes staring down over him. "Why are you doing this? I didn't take you for the idiotic type." Zabuza laughed.

"Really? That's funny, cause' I definitely took you tree huggers as the sympathetic type." Lowering his head, the man fell to his knees. "End it."

Kakashi shook his head. "Tell me why you are so eager to die." This question earned another chuckle.

"Is this really the time to find out? I thought you were worried about your students?" Zabuza raised his head to stare off to the other side of the bridge. It was naturally foggy in Wave Country, so the far side wasn't clearly visible, but the sheer amount of power radiating from the direction was almost impossible to ignore. "Even I can feel that pressure. Whatever is over there fighting is far beyond either of us. Definitely beyond your students."

"Hn," Kakashi grunted, lowering his headband. He was already tired from his fight with Zabuza, and he would need the chakra to flail uselessly at whatever powerhouses were duking it out near his students. "They can handle themselves for a bit. If they're not dead already they can survive until I hear you out. After all," Kakashi started, his voice ominous. "Its not very often you hear the last words of a dead man."

At this, Zabuza's eyes widened. After a few seconds he started to chuckle, before his head flew back and the man launched into a bellowing laughter.

"You Leaf ninja disgust me," Zabuza spoke through gritted teeth. "I have to admit though; you tree huggers sure are entertaining."

Kakashi put his knife to Zabuza's neck. "I don't think you're in the proper position to be taunting me." Zabuza erupted into laughter once more.

"Somehow," Zabuza stated between chuckles, "threats from a Leaf ninja are a little less than intimidating. Don't be too insulted though. Even had you not been from Konoha I would not have been scared. I accepted my death long ago."

"I let you go free. You could have le-"

"And gone where, Hatake?" Zabuza spat out. "I'm a 'traitor' to the one place I love most. What do you think my life is like, Copy Ninja? Do you think I go from job to job living a carefree schedule I set myself? Heh. You couldn't be more wrong."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed. Kakashi stared him in them unflinching. He knew that missing ninja didn't have exactly easy lives, but he figured they had to have some benefits.

"Nothing I have ever done since I left the Mist has been of my own choice." Zabuza continued. His voice gained a tinge of sadness and regret. "Not even the action of me leaving was something I wanted. Ever since then I have been on the run. When I work, its to the whim of whatever lowlife decided to hire a missing ninja. When I sleep is decided by whenever the Hunter Ninja have decided to leave me alone. What I eat is decided by the grocers, who could poison the food for the bounty on my head. Did you think having a reputation would make things easier? It doesn't. It makes it worse."

Zabuza then sighed heavily. Releasing his grip on his cleaver, the Mist Ninja used his good hand to grab at the wrappings that covered the lower part of his face. Yanking harshly, the man pulled them off in a single motion. They fell to the ground, and with a bloody smile the man looked Kakashi in the eye once more.

"I used to be a veneered and respected warrior, Kakashi Hatake. Men and women alike would both fear and chant my name as I walked through my hometown. And you want to know something? I loved it. I used to wave at them, Hatake. I would wave at the beautiful young children and the beaming wives as I passed them on the way to my Mizukage after a successful mission. I loved protecting and slaughtering for them. I… I loved them all. My country, my people. All of it. I loved it, no matter how blood stained it was.

"We had terrible tendencies, but in those tendencies we shared a camaraderie for each other. I was a Demon, yes. But I was their demon." Zabuza then chuckled. It was deep and low. "Now look at me. What am I now, Hatake? A sellsword? A missing ninja? No. None of those matter."

Zabuza looked at his hands. They were bloody and scarred from years of swinging a sword almost as heavy as he was. Opening, then closing them repeatedly, the man struggled to hold back a sob. Looking back up, Kakashi had to use all of his willpower to keep himself from gaping at the sheer emotion in the man's eyes.

"I have killed my own people. Every Hunter Ninja sent after me was one of my own. I have cut through swathes of them, Hatake. Literally entire families' worth of young, aspiring ninja have been slain by myself. These people… these children that once looked up to me are now looking up to me from the unmarked graves I have buried them in." Kakashi couldn't restrain his flinch. Zabuza chuckled. "Oh, yes. I have buried every missing ninja I slaughtered. They deserve that much. All they're doing is being loyal. But me? The traitor who have killed every single loyal Mist that has pursued him only has one thing of value to his name."

Zabuza then looked at Haku. His lifeless, vacant eyes seemed to be staring straight through him.

"I have killed even him. Tell me, Hatake. For a man who has killed and betrayed all of his own… What would you call that?"

Kakashi was speechless. Zabuza could see that.

"Allow me to answer that for you then. I am a kinslayer. And for a man with such a vibrant love of his country that he was willing to gather funds to rebel against its bastard of a leader… how terrible do you think it is to live every day with that fact?"

Kakashi swallowed. The action felt difficult. Would he be able to do the same? Survive with killing so many of his own?

"Its unbearable," Zabuza continued. "I thought that, maybe, I would live on in the legacy I left with Haku. Once the war was over, I would be able to go off and quietly die while Haku, who has never killed a soul, would be able to live it up as a hero. The poor boy thought himself a tool. In a way, I supposed he was right. I was using him, but even he I loved. Not only as a fellow Mist born ninja, but as a son. Now look at him," Zabuza stared at the boy's body.

"Tell me, Hatake. What do I still have to live for?"

Kakashi realized he could find no reason.

"End it. End my life and my legacy. This was a fine battle and a fine loss. I can see no honor lost in dying to you, Copy Ninja. After all," Zabuza then adjusted the Mist headband on his forehead. It was slashed through. "It is a Mist ninja's honor to die in battle, and though I am a sellsword and a kinslayer, that one thing has never changed."

There was nothing else to say, was there.

Kakashi, resolve strengthened from hearing Zabuza's final words, nodded to the man. Looking the man straight in the eyes, Kakashi revealed his Sharingan once again. There was probably only a handful of ninja as worthy of the name like the man before him.

He would remember it.

Gripping the handle of the kunai tightly, Kakashi prepared himself to swipe its blade across the man's throat. It wasn't an easy way to go, but among ninjas it was the most respectable. Pressing the blade into the man's neck, Kakashi managed to draw some blood when a slimy, high pitched laugh attracted his attention. Both he and Zabuza followed the laugh to the source to find a small man with crazily styled hair standing at another end of the bridge. Behind him stood a small militia of men, all of which had several weapons and bigger smiles.

"Wha-" Kakashi started, before he was interrupted by laughter. Surprisingly, it was from the man in front of him. Zabuza bellowed with a mirth he had not had only seconds ago.

"Ahahahahaaahaaa! So you really did intend to betray me, Gato?" the Mist ninja asked. The short man answered the question with a sneer.

"Not 'betraying' per say. I like to think of it as 'tying up loose ends'. You missing ninja are liars and cheats..."

Kakashi had to take a minute to analyze the hypocrisy in that statement.

"… and its fairly important for a businessman like myself to acknowledge when a partnership is detrimental. You, Zabuza, are detrimental. As such, our contract is terminated. Boys?" Gato motioned with his hand, and all of the mercenaries behind him moved forward at the command. "Not to mention, you charged simply too much."

Kakashi looked at Zabuza. "How much did you charge him, exactly?"

Zabuza looked back. "Enough to finance my revolution. Why?"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Why the hell would you charge that much to kill a single man?"

"I figured he could afford it!"

"Who could afford to singlehandedly finance an entire war?" Kakashi asked. He was incredulous.

"I can, actually," Gato interrupted. "I'm just really cheap."

Zabuza stared back at Kakashi, a smug grin on his face. "See?" Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"And his acceptance didn't send off any alarms in your head?"

"It did," Zabuza admitted. "I just figured I'd kill him and take the money before he betrayed me. Didn't figure you'd come along, though."

Kakashi rolled his eyes again. "Both of you entered this arrangement intent on betraying the other."

"I'm a ninja/businessman," Gato and Zabuza answered simultaneously. "Its what we do."

Kakashi found no fault with that logic.

"That being said," Zabuza stated. "I do not like the idea of being betrayed, personal intentions notwithstanding." With careful precision, Zabuza snatched the kunai from Kakashi's hands and held it firmly in his teeth. Using his one good arm, the missing ninja gripped the handle of his blade and stood defiant against the small army in front of him.

"Go to your students, Kakashi." Zabuza grunted around the kunai in his mouth. Kakashi shook his head.

"Are you planning on fighting that alone? You won't come out alive."

Turning, Zabuza stared the Leaf ninja down. His eyes were bloodthirsty and manic, but somehow still conveyed the message the man wanted to get through.

That's the plan

Nodding his head, Kakashi turned and headed in the opposite direction of Gato and his mercenaries. His students had been put on hold for long enough.

"Get him, boys. He's half dead and tired. He won't be able to even nick one of you!" Gato yelled. He was answered by a chorus of yells. In mismatched unison the men charged forward, excited in the prospect of killing a ninja. Zabuza, who was losing blood very quickly, wobbled a bit as nausea and blood loss addled his mind. In all honesty, the man shouldn't even be able to stand.

But the thing about ninja is that they don't act how they're supposed to.

Kakashi could hear the exact moment the band of mercenaries met Zabuza's defiant last stand. A loud, bone chilling yell of pain echoed throughout the bridge as the first mercenary met the Seven Swordsman. Kakashi turned his head, keeping in his stride.

The mercenary who screamed had his arm chopped off. The others were too decapitated to scream properly. This was achieved in a single swing.

"Listen here, you maggots!" Zabuza yelled. "I am The DEMON of the Hidden Mist! And you all," Zabuza pointed out over the crowd with his cleaver. "Are already dead."

It was an understatement to say the men were spooked. Gato was one such man. Slowly, the man started to retreat.

"Its time for me to leave," Gato whispered, starting to walk away.

"Well that won't do." Kakashi mumbled. With a quick glance at Zabuza, Kakashi could see that the man was cleaving through the untrained men by the dozens. Twisting and turning and slashing, the man was receiving blows here and there, but was running through the army regardless. However fast he was moving though, he wouldn't get through them all in his dance of death before Gato escaped. Coming to a conclusion, the man stopped his stride and turned back to the carnage. Sharingan working overtime, the man pulled a kunai out from his hip pouch and took careful aim through the men fighting.

"Careful..." Kakashi chanted. Slowly lightning chakra seeped into the blade, giving it a slow crackle. There on the bridge the Copy Ninja stood, until an opportunity presented itself.

"There!" Kakashi shouted, and like a bullet the blade left his hands. Piercing through the air like a knife through butter, the kunai sailed around every person in the way, before burying itself in Gato's leg. Because of the lightning chakra the blade didn't even stop there, going through cartilage and skin alike after discharging all of its electricity.

"Gah!" Gato screamed, before falling to the ground clutching his wound. He seemed to be undergoing a spasm.

"Boss!" a nearby mercenary yelled. Quickly, the man tried to help his boss to his feet. As soon as he touched him, however, the man was electrocuted. He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"What?" another mercenary yelled. A sense of dread soon overcame him however. Looking up, the man followed the killing intent to a fearsome sight.

Zabuza, covered entirely in blood that was only partially his own, stood surrounded by terrified mercenaries. The man, despite his position, seemed nonplussed at the men around him, and instead seemed intent on promising the most amount of pain through a stare alone. The mercenary, a wise man by his own family's standards, did the only sensible thing.

"I don't get paid enough." This was the mercenary's sole statement as he ditched his boss in favor of living. Gato lay on the ground in pain. Spasms from the electricity coursing through him prevented him from speaking. True, the man could barely move at all. However, one could assume he was cursing his fleeing employee.

"That was my parting gift, Zabuza." Kakashi stated, mostly to himself. This being the case, Zabuza still turned and exchanged a glance with the cyclops. Nodding, the two experienced ninja shared a moment of mutual respect before returning to their previous engagements.

Kakashi continued to run towards his students.

Zabuza continued to use his two blades to massively murder multiple miscreants. That was alliteration for "kill everything."

XxX

Running with all the speed and chakra he could funnel into his legs, Kakashi turned over plans on how to get his students out of dodge as well as the events he just went through.

He was a genius. These were things he could do.

Boy, did Kakashi have a lot to think about though. Zabuza, as traitorous as he was, was still both a fine man and a fine ninja. Despite being a Missing Ninja from what could possibly be the most brutal hidden village, he was still a novel person with dreams, aspirations, and most of all a love for his country. These were admiral traits, and if Zabuza could have them, then what about other missing ninja?

What about missing ninja from his own home of the Hidden Leaf? True, they didn't have that many, but of the few they did, could they still be like Zabuza? Goal driven with a love of their own country, but fleeing because of some unspeakable injustice? Could Itachi be –

No, now was not the time to think of such things, Kakashi mused. Pushing a little more chakra to his legs, Kakashi dead sprinted the last few minutes with all but two thoughts going through his head.

I am to save my students and…

"I will forever remember you, Zabuza Momochi."

These words were said full of conviction and promise, for it was the least he could do to remember such a man. Unfortunately, they were said upon arriving on the scene of giant orange and purple monstrosities duking it out with each other. Turning, both constructs moved to stare at their sensei.

And Kakashi? Kakashi stared at his two students.

"Wha-" was all Kakashi was able to say, before a blinding flash of light engulfed him and the world turned white.

Unfortunately, Kakashi would be unable to keep his promise.