Awakening Chapter 3: Bloodline Part 1

Team 7's first ever C-Rank mission turned out to be a red herring and instead of an easy time, they instead are greeted with the very real concept of death.

Tazunaˋs House

It was late outside, the moon was shining bright, reflecting the sun's light back to the earth. All the animals and humans were asleep, except for the owls and other nocturnal rodents, who were busy hunting for their next meal.

In a certain house, a young man named Naruto Uzumaki was wide awake. He lay on his futon, using his arms as a pillow to cushion his head from the hard floor. At least the futon came with a warm blanket, and he had his trusty pajamas on to keep him cozy.

But why was he still awake? He was thinking, of course.

The last few months had been hectic for Naruto. In fact, the last few years had been pretty eventful too. It seemed like nothing much happened, except for that whole rival thing.

Naruto sighed involuntarily. After that day, his rivalry and "friendship" with his raven-haired rival had suffered greatly. He had tried his best to patch things up, but he couldn't even get a glance from the other boy. To make matters worse, Sasuke was still training harder than ever.

Naruto had kept his promise to himself, though. He hadn't backed down and had ignored the whole situation. 'Screw Sasuke!' he thought to himself.

Naruto had acquired his current strength and power all on his own, without any help from a giant magic chakra battery or hax-eyes. He wasn't sure what 'hax' meant, but the point was that he had grown significantly in recent times.

So why did he still feel useless in the heat of a real battle? During the "Demon Brother's" ambush, he had been frozen with fear. Only Sasuke had had the courage to attack and deflect an attack aimed at him. Naruto had felt utterly useless in that moment and had sworn a blood oath to never let something like that happen again.

Of course, he had made this promise just as things were about to get really bad. His luck, it seemed. Still, he could proudly say that he had played a major role in the fight against "The Demon of the Hidden Mist," Zabuza Momochi.

If it weren't for the hunter nin who had "killed" Zabuza at the last minute, rescuing Naruto and his sensei, Kakashi, he might have been able to claim partial responsibility for the victory.

Naruto wasn't sure how much that was worth, but it did feel good to have some fame and glory, especially when it was hard-earned and deserved.

But it seemed that fate had other plans. As soon as Kakashi woke up from his exhaustion at Tazuna's house, it became clear that the powerful missing-nin was still alive.

Kakashi organized an emergency training session, of course, which involved something about sticky chakra and... well, the point was that they learned how to walk up trees and other surfaces.

After the battle, Naruto took what he could get, and if all he could get was a better way to climb, then so be it.

He wasn't the one who would get sued if he died…

The Bridge

Leaping from tree to tree, Naruto rushed after his teammates, who were already at the construction site.

Cursed be his earlier tantrum that caused him to sleep outside. At least he got to meet Haku.

The attempted kidnapping of Tsunami was a surprise, to be sure, a surprise by Gato that he thwarted. Nevertheless, he bound the two henchmen and hastened as quickly as possible to the bridge.

As for Sasuke, he was currently fighting for his life. Such is the standard for shinobi. Though it was elevated by his fighting a Kekkei Genkai user, one who could use ice as a medium for his jutsu, to be precise.

Not that he was envious, not at all. Though he did wish his fire jutsu could at least melt the ice mirrors surrounding him, rather than serve as a teleportation device for the hunter nin. Or, at the very least, give him some warmth on this cold day, for the ice did not help his hypothermia.

Dodging another volley of ice senbons (ice senbons! Why couldn't he make those out of fire and save some money?) and throwing some shuriken he still had uselessly against the ice, because at this point, what could he do, he once again took a stance, frantically moving his eyes around to find the next attack point.

It was at this point that he could see an orange blur arriving at the foot of the bridge. He let out a sigh of relief. It was about time that fool arrived. Any longer and he would be kebap. Weird, what was a kebap? It sounded delicious.

Sakura, who was guarding their client as fiercely as she possibly could, was also relieved that Naruto had arrived. No matter the results of the academy, she knew he was far superior in terms of physicality, and could help Sasuke better than she could.

As for Naruto, he was simply happy to see his teammates unharmed. Well, except for Sasuke, but he was still standing, so he was as good as healthy as he could get.

Kakashi did not see his last pupil arrive at the fight, but he did sense his enormous chakra coming nearer and nearer to their location. The same could be said for Zabuza, who was now actively sensing Naruto's chakra, but in addition to that, he was also very much surprised by the much larger chakra reserves than him.

No matter. He could have the chakra reserves equal to all of the five kages, if he could take out anything from their first fight. This was their first real encounter with a missing nin. It was just their own misfortune that they encountered him and Haku.

Their plan that took him out was by all means a fluke, a lucky shot. That it resulted in his defeat and subsequent death, if it weren't for Haku, was promptly acknowledged and ignored. It should be said that every missing-nin has pride to protect, and that pride was severely injured by him being defeated by some genin.

Slicing once again at his opponent, Zabuza concentrated his full attention on Kakashi once more, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

Kakashi sprang to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack as he countered with a flurry of punches and kicks. The two warriors moved with the speed of lightning, their agility and strength on full display as they fought.

Zabuza's cleaver proved to be a formidable weapon, its massive size and sharp edge making it a force to be reckoned with. But Kakashi was no slouch either, his years of training and experience making him more than a match for his opponent.

The two warriors clashed again and again, their weapons ringing out as they fought. Kakashi was the first to land a solid blow, his kunai slicing through Zabuza's right shoulder and drawing a line of blood.

The cleaver responded to the presence of blood, repairing itself as it came into contact with the liquid. Zabuza let out a fierce cry, swinging the weapon with renewed vigor as he fought on.

But Kakashi was not one to be underestimated. He fought with all his strength, his sharingan eye picking out every weakness and exploiting it to the fullest. The two warriors were evenly matched, their weapons ringing out as they clashed and battled.

Naruto and Sasuke were trapped inside Haku's dome of ice mirrors, the young ninja's agile form darting and leaping from one mirror to another as he attacked them with a hail of senbons. The tiny projectiles flew towards them with deadly accuracy, forcing Naruto and Sasuke to move quickly to avoid being hit.

"We can take him!" Naruto called out, a wide grin on his face as he dodged another attack.

Sasuke struggled to keep up with the fast-paced battle, his fatigue weighing heavily on him. He was no match for Haku's speed and agility, the young ninja moving too quickly for him to counter. As Haku launched another attack, Sasuke barely managed to dodge the barrage of ice senbons, his movements slow and sluggish. He threw his own shurikens in return, but they merely bounced off the ice mirrors, unable to do any damage.

Haku remained cool and collected, his voice calm as he spoke. "Please, stop resisting. I don't want to fight you, but if you continue fighting, I'll be forced to kill you."

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh. "Naruto, he's not kidding. We need to come up with a strategy."

"Yeah, like what?" Naruto asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I don't know, but standing here and getting pelted with senbons isn't going to help us figure it out," Sasuke replied, his voice laced with irritation.

Naruto fought with all his might, his determination fueling his actions as he searched for a way to defeat Haku. He threw shurikens and launched himself at the young ninja, but try as he might, he couldn't seem to land a solid blow. Haku was too quick, his agility and speed making him almost impossible to hit.

As the sun began to rise, it seemed as though the battle would never end. Both warriors were battered and exhausted, their clothes torn and their bodies covered in sweat and blood. But still they fought on, neither one willing to give in. It was a fight to the death, with no room for mercy or hesitation.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, determined to hold his own despite his exhaustion. He knew he couldn't let Naruto fight alone, not against an opponent as skilled as Haku. But try as he might, he couldn't seem to find an opening. Haku was too fast, his attacks coming too quickly for Sasuke to anticipate. He could feel his strength beginning to flag, his energy reserves running low.

Sasuke was almost staggered by his exhaustion when Naruto called out to him, "Sasuke, your eyes!"

He turned to look at Naruto, his vision blurring as he struggled to focus. "What are you talking about?"

"Your eyes! They're turning red!" Naruto exclaimed, his own eyes wide with surprise.

Sasuke's hand flew to his face, his fingers flitting over his eyes as he felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through his body. "What the hell is going on?"

Naruto, his own eyes still wide with shock, could only watch Sasukeˋs eye spinning into a red color, his left eye containing two tomoe and his right one.

As Sasuke stood there, his eyes locked in amazement, Haku watched in shock. For a moment, he felt a flash of panic wash over him. ˋThat is… the Sharingan. So he is a Kekkei Genkai user as well. To develop a kekkei Genkai in the midst of a fight. Amazing. He hasn't perfected it yet, despite that he is still following my movements perfectly. Attacking him head on would be useless.ˋ

But he quickly caught himself, reminding himself that he was a skilled ninja in his own right. "No matter." He turned his vision towards Naruto. "I just attack his comrade!"

He couldn't let fear cloud his judgment.

Naruto was amazed by the sudden change in Sasuke's vision. Sasuke himself was amazed by the power granted to him. He could see everything in such detail, the smallest muscle movements visible to him. It was like a whole new world had opened up before him.

Sasuke began to grin, both he and Naruto taking a stance with renewed vigor, although Naruto hadn't the slightest Idea what the Sharingan was.

The fight took on a new intensity as Sasuke and Naruto found themselves imbued with new strength and power. Sasukeˋs movements became faster, his attacks more precise, as he battled Haku with all his might.

Haku continued with his strategy of sending senbons at them, but was soon to find that it wasn't working as effectively as before.

Sasuke, with his Sharingan now awakened, could precisely predict the projectiles and easily side-step them. Grinning with determination, he threw his own shuriken and kunai at Haku when he moved to another mirror, some of them hitting their mark and causing the ice ninja to bleed from various cuts.

Naruto, although not as agile as Sasuke, was a formidable opponent in his own right. He seemed to have a natural ability to dodge the senbons, his movements, although clunky and ungraceful, allowed him to weave between the icy projectiles. Despite being pricked with them repeatedly, he showed no outward reaction to the pain, his determination never faltering.

Haku knew he couldn't keep this up much longer, the strain of maintaining the ice dome taking a toll on his chakra. But he refused to give up, attacking relentlessly and not allowing the duo a chance to come up with a strategy. All the while, he was desperately trying to come up with one of his own.

Despite his fatigue, Haku fought with all his might, his ice senbons raining down upon the genin as they fought to defend themselves. The two young warriors fought back with their shurikens and kunais, their weapons clashing against Haku's icy projectiles as they tried to gain the advantage.

But Haku was a formidable opponent, his mastery of ice techniques allowing him to hold his own against the duo. He moved with elegance and precision, his attacks precise and deadly as he sought to bring down his opponents.

Naruto and Sasuke, however, were no pushovers. They fought with all their might, their determination and skill giving them the strength to keep fighting even when it seemed that all hope was lost.

A hail of senbons flew towards Naruto, who was too slow to react. Sasuke, his Sharingan blazing with heightened awareness, easily dodged the incoming projectiles. He then turned to Naruto, who was standing frozen in fear, and shouted, "Move, idiot!"

Naruto snapped out of his trance and quickly dodged to the side as Sasuke lunged forward, his kunai drawn. He expertly deflected Haku's senbons, his movements almost graceful as he weaved between the icy projectiles.

Haku, realizing he was outmatched, tried to retreat back into his mirrors, but Sasuke was having none of it. He charged at the ice ninja with a fierce determination, his Sharingan allowing him to predict Haku's every move.

The two warriors clashed, their weapons clanging together as they fought with all their might. The battle raged on, neither side giving an inch as they battled for supremacy.

As Kakashi and Zabuza clashed on the bridge, both warriors were beginning to show signs of fatigue. Kakashi's Sharingan eye spun at a dizzying pace as he dodged and countered Zabuza's powerful attacks with pure instinct.

Zabuza, wielding his massive cleaver with deadly precision, also felt the strain of the fight. His weapon was showing signs of wear and tear as it clashed with Kakashi's kunai, and Kakashi was well aware of its special property to absorb the iron in blood and repair itself. He fought even harder to avoid being injured by it.

The two warriors circled each other, their weapons at the ready. Zabuza struck first, bringing his cleaver down in a powerful arc towards Kakashi. But Kakashi was ready for the attack, his Sharingan eye giving him the ability to predict Zabuza's movements with incredible accuracy. He deftly dodged the cleaver and countered with a swift strike of his own, his kunai slicing through the air towards Zabuza's chest.

Zabuza managed to block the attack with his cleaver, the two weapons clashing with a loud metallic ringing. He growled in frustration and swung his cleaver again, this time aiming for Kakashi's head. But Kakashi was too fast, his body moving with lightning-quick reflexes as he dodged the attack and countered with another strike of his own.

The battle raged on, each warrior determined to come out on top. They fought with all their might, their weapons clashing and their bodies moving in a blur of motion as they battled for dominance

As the battle raged on, the tides had begun to turn in favor of Naruto and Sasuke. With the help of Sasuke's newly awakened Sharingan, the duo had gained the upper hand against Haku.

Haku, realizing that the battle was not going in his favor, began to panic. He tried to come up with a new strategy, but it seemed that every move he made was quickly countered by the duo.

Despite his best efforts, Haku was no match for the combined might of Naruto and Sasuke. The two genin were now in the advantage, their determination and skill giving them the upper hand in the fight.

Naruto and Sasuke were starting to gain more and more ground against Haku. The young ice user was struggling to keep up with their fast-paced attacks, his movements becoming more and more sluggish as he tried to defend himself from their relentless assault.

Both of the young Genins were like a well-oiled machine, their movements perfectly synchronized as they pummeled Haku with a flurry of punches and kicks. Haku, his face contorted in pain but hidden by his mask, tried to counter their attacks, but it was no use.

Despite his best efforts, Haku was no match for Naruto and Sasuke's combined might. The two genins were relentless, their determination and skill driving them forward as they pounded Haku with blow after blow.

Finding a single opening in their attack pattern he jumped far back retrieting into his mirrors.

Haku, his body battered and bruised, was on the verge of collapse. He knew he couldn't keep up this pace for much longer. His chakra reserves were running low, and his muscles protested with every move he made.

But he refused to give up. He was a missing nin, Zabuza-samaˋs tool. He had nothing left to lose, and he would fight to the bitter end if it meant proving his worth as the perfect tool for his master.

As the battle reached its climax, Haku knew that he had to pull out all the stops if he wanted to win. With a fierce determination in his eyes, he launched his final attack, a barrage of ice senbons that rained down upon the genin.

Naruto, despite his best efforts, was unable to dodge the attack and braced himself for the impact, shielding himself with his arms and awaiting the pain. But to his surprise, the senbons never reached him.

Sasuke stood tall and resolute, his Sharingan eye spinning as he watched Haku's final attack hurtle towards them. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped in front of Naruto, his body becoming a shield between his teammate and the incoming senbons.

The shards of ice pierced his flesh, each one hitting a vital spot as they imbedded themselves deep within his body. Sasuke's body trembled with the force of the attack, but he remained standing, his determination driving him forward.

Despite the pain, Sasuke managed to turn his head and look back at Naruto, a faint smile on his lips as he said, "What kind of face are you making, you idiot?"

Naruto, wide-eyed and stunned, could only watch as Sasuke took the full force of the attack, shielding him from the deadly hail of senbons.

"You... I hated you so much," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with pain and exhaustion. He glared at Naruto, his Sharingan eye spinning wildly as he struggled to keep his balance.

"Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of me and take that attack?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Sasuke shook his head, his breathing ragged as he tried to stay standing. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice laced with frustration. "My body just moved on its own."

Sasuke's strength finally gave out and he collapsed. He fell to the ground, his body unable to withstand the strain of the battle any longer. Naruto rushed to catch Sasuke as he collapsed, his arms barely able to support his weight. Cradling his teammate in his arms, Naruto looked down at him with a mix of shock and concern.

"I wanted to keep fighting. Until I finished off this man, my brother. Then I could have died in peace. But you... you can't die," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto's heart raced as he held his teammate in his arms, tears streaming down his face as he watched Sasuke's unconscious body.

He couldn't believe what had just happened, the realization that his rival had saved him hitting him like a truck. He had always thought of Sasuke as an enemy, someone he needed to defeat in order to become stronger. But now, he was faced with the reality that Sasuke had sacrificed himself for him, and the guilt and sadness overwhelmed him

"He...knowingly threw himself to his death to protect a loved one," Haku said, his voice filled with respect and admiration. "He was a shinobi who deserved great respect and his actions showed his true strength and bravery," Haku continued, his voice laced with admiration. "Is this the first time for you that a comrade has died?"

"Shut up," Naruto growled, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at Haku. A hot red chakra slowly began to surround him, seeping out of his body and filling the air with its intensity. Naruto was unaware of the chakra, his mind consumed by his anger and hatred towards Haku. As the chakra intensified, his whisker marks became more pronounced, standing out against his pale skin.

The ground around him began to tremble, as if unable to contain the sheer force of his chakra. The ice mirrors that had been surrounding them began to crack and shatter, unable to withstand the pressure. It was as if the very air itself was trembling at the power emanating from the young genin.

Suddenly, with a burst of energy, the Sharingan awakened in both of his eyes, its crimson swirls spinning as it took in everything around him. "I'll never forgive you," he growled, his voice filled with determination and hatred.

As he spoke, a strange feeling began to wash over him. It was as if a fire was burning within him, a fire that was threatening to consume him whole.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But it was no use. The rage inside of him was too strong, too powerful to be tamed.

And then, in an instant, it all snapped.

"Iˋm going to kill you." he snarled, his voice filled with resolve and loathing.