Awakening Chapter 3: Bloodline Part 2

During a battle with Zabuza's minions, Sasuke selflessly sacrifices himself to protect his teammate, causing Naruto to boil with an uncontrolled fury. Despite this, he must try to maintain his composure.

The Bridge

Kakashi and Zabuza continued to engage in a fierce battle, both warriors determined to emerge victorious. The Kubikiribōchō came crashing down towards Kakashi, its massive blade coated in a mix of sweat and blood.

Kakashi quickly dodged the attack, narrowly avoiding the deadly weapon as it struck the ground with tremendous force. The cleaver left a deep crater in its wake, its impact causing cracks to spread out in all directions.

Kakashi saw an opportunity to strike and quickly threw his kunai, aiming for Zabuza's side. The blade struck its target, causing Zabuza to grunt in pain.

But the skilled ninja was far from defeated. Grasping his Kubikiribōchō, he pulled it from the ground and retreated into the thick mist that enveloped them both, ready to continue the fight.

Kakashi, panting heavily, frantically searched the misty battlefield for any sign of Zabuza. His senses were rendered useless by the thick, chakra-infused mist, and the salty water below him drowned out any chance of detecting his enemy through smell.

"I think it's about time we end this, Zabuza," Kakashi called out, hoping to draw the missing-nin out of hiding.

"How funny," Zabuza's voice echoed from all directions. "What can you do in your current situation, Kakashi? Go ahead, show me."

Ignoring the taunt, Kakashi reached into his side bag and retrieved a small scroll. Unrolling it, he revealed it to be empty, but that didn't stop him from smearing a generous amount of blood from the puddle left behind by his previous attack on Zabuza.

Quickly weaving the blood around the scroll, Kakashi sealed it shut and held it in his hands, forming a series of hand seals.

"Summoning!" he shouted, slamming the scroll and his open hand down onto the ground. Black markings extended in a circular pattern from his hand. "Hunting Hound Jutsu!"

"Your efforts are in vain, Kakashi," Zabuza taunted, oblivious to Kakashi's plan. "You can't even find me in this thick mist. But I know exactly how to take you down."

Zabuza, focusing his chakra, tried to locate Kakashi through the thick mist surrounding them. But before he could fully hone in on his opponent's location, he heard a low rumbling noise emanating from the direction of the Konoha ninja.

"Hm?" He opened his eyes in surprise, but it was too late to react as several dogs emerged from the ground and latched onto his arms and legs, with one giant dog riding his back and biting down on his shoulder, completely restraining him.

"What the-" before he could actually process what had happened in the span of a few seconds, Kakashi walked slowly out of the mist and stood in front of him, his hands in his pockets.

"You shouldn't have underestimated me, Zabuza," Kakashi said calmly, his eyes hidden behind his mask. "I may have lost my sense of smell and my sensing abilities may have been nullified by the heavy chakra-infused mist, but I always have a few tricks up my sleeve." He gestured to the Nukenin, who were still holding Zabuza firmly in place. "It's time to end this fight."

Naruto released Sasuke's lifeless body slowly, letting it fall unceremoniously onto the hard, cold stone ground. There was no reaction, no sign of life.

Haku stood frozen in shock, even a hint of fear crossing his face, hidden by the slightly cracked mask.

For a long moment, the two young shinobi simply existed in silence.

But then, without warning, Naruto burst into action, dashing towards Haku and leaving a small crater in his wake. Haku barely managed to retreat back into his mirror, his mind racing with the thought, "He's fast!"

But to his surprise, instead of stopping, Naruto continued on his way, shattering the mirror with ease and sending shards of ice flying everywhere.

Haku was in a panic, his mind racing as he watched Naruto come to a halt, panting and hunching over. But just as quickly as he stopped, Naruto turned around and bursted forward again with speed, his fist clenched and ready to strike.

Before he could land the blow, Haku launched a barrage of senbons at him, the adrenaline pumping through his veins giving him a surge of strength.

Tens of small projectiles embedded themselves in Naruto's body, piercing through his soft flesh and making him look like an orange porcupine. However, after a few seconds, Naruto let out a terrifying scream, the senbons flying out of his body with sheer force. The senbons were then sent back and pierced the ice mirrors they came from.

Naruto frantically looked around, his Sharingan spinning at an imperceptible speed, until he found the real body of Haku. With a yell, he once again sprinted on all fours towards the mirror where Haku was currently hiding.

Haku was dumbfounded but threw another barrage of projectiles at him, but instead of letting it hit him this time, he simply let out a deafening roar out, disrupting their trajectory and sending them away. Before Haku could react to his actions, it was already too late. With one mighty punch the mirror shattered and Haku's physical body was launched out.

"W-what strength!" Before he could land, Haku was sent back into the air again, having been punched by Naruto before he could even touch the ground.

Haku struggled to stand up, his mask battered and bruised from the battle. It was slowly breaking apart, revealing his face. Naruto continued to glare at him with hatred before charging forward with another scream of rage, sending the mist surrounding them away.

"I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama," Haku said weakly. "I couldn't keep up."

Naruto's fist was cocked back, ready to strike. The mask broke into two pieces and fell to the ground, no longer supported by Haku's chakra. As Naruto approached, Haku closed his eyes, bracing for the impact.

'The Kyubi's chakra!' Kakashi's Sharingan eye widened in shock. 'Is the seal breaking?!'

He turned his gaze towards the source of the malevolent chakra and shook his head. 'No, only a small amount is leaking out. I have to hurry.'

"Well Zabuza, I'd love to continue chatting, but I have a student to look after," Kakashi said, his impassive mask back in place. He made several hand seals before bringing his open hand down, blue electric chakra accumulating in his palm.

'Incredible,' thought Zabuza as he watched Kakashi's chakra surround him.

"It's an assassination technique I developed myself," Kakashi explained as he prepared to strike.

"Chidori!"

With incredible speed, Kakashi charged towards the restrained missing nin, his hand held outstretched like a sword, the concentrated electricity gathered around it aimed straight for the heart.

Kakashi's attack missed its intended target and instead struck another person. He immediately stopped, staring in shock at the person he had just hit. The missing nin who had tricked them was now pierced through the chest, his mask gone.

Kakashi frantically searched for his students, relieved to see Naruto running towards them, looking terrified at the scene in front of him.

"Haku..." Zabuza whispered quietly. But Haku couldn't respond, he coughed up a large amount of blood before collapsing. His lifeless body was only being held up by Kakashi's arm, which was still impaled through his torso.

Kakashi removed the boy from his arm with care, his body falling to the ground beside him, blood seeping out from the hole that was left behind.

The mist that had shrouded the bridge began to dissipate, no longer sustained by Zabuza's dwindling energy. Just as Kakashi prepared to strike again, a sound echoed through the air - clapping, slow and measured.

All three ninjas turned towards the end of the bridge where a short man and a large squad of armed men stood.

"Gato," growled Zabuza.

"So this is the fabled 'Demon of the Mist'? Defeated by an old man and a child. How pitiful. The deal is off, not that I ever intended to pay you," sneered Gato.

Zabuza remained still. "It seems we are no longer enemies, Kakashi."

"So it seems," replied Kakashi, ordering his dogs to release Zabuza, which they did without hesitation.

Standing tall once more, Zabuza turned his attention to Gato, his arms rendered useless due to the deep bites from the dogs.

"Why are you not saying anything?" came from Naruto.

"Why are you not saying anything about Haku?" Naruto continued, his voice filled with rage.

"What about him? He was merely a tool. A tool that has been broken. It is natural for shinobies to die," Zabuza replied, his voice cold and unfeeling.

"How can you speak about him like that? He trusted you, you were comrades for years. How can you be so indifferent to his death?" Naruto yelled.

"Just as Gato used me, I used him. We shinobies are nothing more than tools. I am sad about the loss of power, but not about the boy's death. I do not care about Haku's demise," Zabuza stated, his tone devoid of emotion.

There was a moment of silence before Naruto spoke up. "If that is truly how you feel, then..."

"Enough, Naruto," Kakashi interrupted, placing a hand on the young ninja's shoulder. "It is not worth arguing with Zabuza anymore. Besides,"

"Shut up!" Naruto shook off Kakashi's hand, his voice rising in anger. "He is still my enemy!" He pointed a finger at Zabuza, panting heavily. "He... He really trusted you!"

"Do you have someone you really care about? Only when people really care about someone, can they draw true strength from them."

And he still didn't matter to you at all?!" yelled Naruto, "Do you feel nothing for him? Does someone has to become like you to gain strength? He sacrificed his life for you."

"I want his dream to become reality. This is my dream."

"He died as a stupid tool? That's simply wrong!" Tears flowed freely from Naruto's eyes as he spoke, his words and his tears both staining the ground.

"Kid… you talk to much." Naruto looked up from the ground. Something was dropping in front of Zabuza as well, staining the ground the same way he stained the ground with his tears. "Haku didn't only fight for me. He also had feelings for you when you fought. I know exactly that he was too friendly. But I'm glad that it all comes to an end now."

A ripping sound filled the air as the bandages around Zabuza's mouth were torn away. "So, kid, in the end you were right. Even shinobies are human. They may never truly become emotionless tools. And this... this is my defeat."

"Give me a Kunai."

The next few seconds were a chaotic scene of bloodshed as Zabuza fought against Gato's grunts. He moved skillfully around their attacks, using the kunai to slice them open and spill their guts onto the ground.

Despite the severe injuries he had sustained and the lack of use of his hands, he fought on with a Kunai clenched between his teeth. He seemed almost possessed by a demon, ignoring the pain of the spears piercing through his body and the blood that flowed freely from his wounds. The number of enemy grunts he dispatched continued to grow as he battled on with relentless strength.

Naruto watched in horror as the scene unfolded before him. While he was glad that Zabuza was taking revenge for Haku's death, the brutal violence was too much for him to handle. The grunts, realizing that they were no match for Zabuza's fierce fighting style, began to lose morale and flee, leaving Gato vulnerable and alone.

"No, no wait! Let's talk, I can pay you triple the amount!" Zabuza rushed forward, desperation in his voice. "Five, five times the promised amount! Don't kill me!"

But it was too late. With a single, heavy slash, Zabuza cut through Gato's neck, silencing him forever. Gato gasped and stumbled backwards, trying in vain to stop the flow of blood from his wound with his hand. He tasted the iron tang of his own blood in his mouth and fought to keep breathing, to keep living.

But his focus was so intense that he didn't notice the unfinished safety railing behind him. With a final grunt, Gato fell over the edge and into the unforgiving sea below.

"Our money bag!" one of the surviving mercenaries shouted. "Who's going to pay us now?"

"Let's just ransack the village. They must have some valuable goods," another mercenary suggested, to which the rest of the group loudly cheered in agreement.

But before they could make it far, a lone arrow almost embedded itself in the foot of the lead mercenary. There at the end of the bridge, Inari and all the villagers were gathered, armed with pitchforks, old swords, and frying pans, outnumbering the mercenaries by a large margin.

"We will not let our home be stolen again!" Inari yelled in protest, as many villagers cheered him on before charging at the mercenaries. Facing a bloodthirsty demon and a mob of angry villagers, the mercenaries chose to jump off the bridge into the depths of the sea rather than fight.

As the villagers celebrated their victory over the mercenaries, a lone figure lay dying on the ground, unnoticed and forgotten. Zabuza Momochi, the once feared Demon of the Mist, was barely hanging onto life, his body covered in wounds and his blood seeping into the ground beneath him.

As he lay there, struggling to take his last breaths, he turned his gaze towards the person standing before him. "Hey, kid..." he said in a raspy voice, his words barely audible over the cheers of the victorious villagers.

"Do me one last favor," he continued, pausing to cough up a mouthful of blood. "I want to see Haku one last time."

Despite his tough exterior and cold demeanor, it was clear that Zabuza had a soft spot for his comrade and had truly cared for him. Now, on the brink of death, he was asking for one final chance to see the person who had meant so much to him.

Zabuza lay on the ground, his body slowly succumbing to his injuries. Despite the celebrations of the villagers around him, he was focused on the person by his side, the one he had come to care for deeply. As he took his last breaths, his thoughts were filled with memories of this person and the bond they had shared.

Kakashi and Naruto gazed upon the scene, the former with a sense of sadness in his eyes while the latter let his emotions flow through the tears streaming down his face.

"Why… are you… crying?" a familiar voice asked from behind Naruto. He froze for a moment before turning around to see Sasuke, alive and being supported by Sakura. Naruto stared at him, unable to express his shock, relief, sadness, doubt, and hope.

"Sa… Sasuke."

"Haku was always too friendly."

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, unable to contain his excitement. He rushed forward and enveloped both Sasuke and Sakura in a tight hug. "Ouch, stop! It hurts, Naruto! Naruto!" Sasuke exclaimed, trying to wriggle free from the hug.

Despite the pain, Sakura couldn't help but laugh and cry tears of happiness at the sight of her two teammates reunited.

After Team 7 buried Zabuza and Haku, leaving the legendary sword as a gravestone, they said their last goodbyes to the village that they had helped protect and build in the last week.

"Do you really have to go, Naruto?" a teary-eyed Inari asked the orange-haired boy, clutching onto his orange jacket. "Come on, it won't be that bad. I promise to visit sometimes!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, in the meantime, protect the village for me, will you, Inari?" asked Naruto affectionately, patting the younger and shorter boy on the head.

"You've got it, Big Brother," Inari replied.

Naruto froze for a second at the word. Before smiling happily and giving him a thumbs up. Now with their final goodbyes, Team 7 marched back home, thoroughly exhausted by the trip.

"Thank you for all you've done for us!" many villagers yelled at their retreating forms in the distance. "Now to name the bridge." Tazuna said.

"I'd say the 'Great Tazuna Bridge' has a nice ring to it," everyone was in agreement that it doesn't.

"How about 'The Great Naruto Bridge'?" suggested Inari, which got many villagers agreeing.

"Fine, The Great Naruto Bridge," Tazuna announced, his voice carrying across the crowd. "A symbol of hope and resilience, even in the darkest of times." The villagers erupted into cheers and applause, their dark past completely and finally behind them.

As Team 7 traveled back home, the three genin were deep in conversation. Naruto, in particular, had been struggling with a question that had been weighing on his mind since the battle with Haku.

"Hey Sasuke, what was that red eye ability all about? And why does Kakashi have one too?" Naruto asked, curious about the technique he had witnessed during their battle with Haku.

Kakashi stepped in to explain, "It's called the Sharingan, the Dojutsu of the Uchiha Clan. It's a powerful tool that allows the user to perceive things ten times better than a normal eye, enabling them to see in slow motion and predict their opponent's next move, giving them the illusion of precognition."

"But why does Kakashi-sensei have it too?" Naruto asked, curious about his sensei's past.

"It was given to me by a dear friend," Kakashi replied, leaving his students waiting for more information that he did not provide.

"So, how do you activate the Sharingan?" Naruto asked, curious about the powerful dojutsu of the Uchiha clan.

"It's not something that can easily be explained," Sasuke replied, "It's kind of like a reflex, something that just happens naturally when the user desires it. It's hard to describe, but it's almost like having a tail - you can't really understand how it feels to have one unless you have one yourself."

"Okay, so it's like this?" Naruto said, activating his own Sharingan with two tomoe.

"Yeah, like..." Sasuke trailed off, his eyes wide as he stared at Naruto. Sakura and Kakashi followed suit, their eyes also fixed on the orange-haired ninja.

"WHAT?!"