Sasuke and Hinata had woken up with ease but Naruto barely budged. When Kakashi came in to retrieve them, Hinata's hands were glowing blue as she checked over his body.
"Is everything okay?" He asked as he stood off to the side.
"He's exhausted, sensei," she replied. "He needs more rest. He was excited about guarding Tazuna-san today, but I don't think that will be an option."
"He did seem to push himself really hard, so I'll be surprised if he's able to move at all today."
Sasuke huffed and pulled the blankets up on their sleeping friend. "What an idiot. Let's get going, then. He'll be fine here."
They got their gear together and headed downstairs to greet the family and eat breakfast together. Sasuke pointedly avoided Inari and Hinata gave him a quiet hello but said nothing more because although they had all comforted each other the night before, his behavior still sat wrong with them. The tension was palpable, so the team ate quickly, said their goodbyes, and thanked Tsunami for keeping an eye on Naruto for the day while he rested.
"Well, that was awkward," Kakashi sighed.
Sasuke shrugged. "If that's what you thought."
"You'll have to forgive my grandson," Tazuna said apologetically. "He's just been through a lot."
"We all have," Sasuke said curtly. "But that doesn't give him the right to trample on our own experiences. I understand he's just a child, but that's no excuse. He's old enough to know better."
"That's enough, Sasuke," Kakashi warned. "It happened and there's nothing that can be done."
"He hasn't apologized," Hinata pointed out. "That's what Sasuke's waiting for."
"I'll see to it that he does tonight," Tazuna assured them.
Sasuke shook his head. "He has to figure this stuff out on his own. I apologize for being harsh just now, Tazuna-san."
"That's all right, kid. I don't…exactly blame you."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, enjoying the short walk to the bridge when Hinata came to an abrupt stop.
"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.
"Something feels off," she replied. She activated her doujutsu and gritted her teeth. "We need to move! The workers are all on the ground." They took off in a sprint, having to slow down more than they would have liked so they didn't leave Tazuna behind, but they arrived at the bridge shortly to see all of Tazuna's friends and workers on the ground either knocked out or groaning in pain.
A few moments later, a mist became permeating the bridge. Hinata looked around and found two figures out in the distance, toward the end of the bridge that was being worked on. "Sensei, they're here. Zabuza and that young boy," she said.
"Everyone, put your backs together!" Kakashi called out. All four of them pressed their backs together. "Prepare yourselves." They both took out a kunai and got into a defensive stance. "Hinata, can you see where they are?"
Hinata searched the area. "They're still standing in the same spot," she replied, nervous sweat rolling down her temple. Tazuna was visibly shaking and Sasuke was doing his best to keep his smirk down while he was waiting, so much so that his hands were trembling with the force of it. They trained hard and they weren't going to lose to some rogue nin and his kid partner.
"Long time no see, Kakashi," Zabuza suddenly said. "Surprised to see me alive?"
Kakashi glared out into the mist. "Not at all. I have a very perceptive student," he said. "She knew from the moment that kid showed up that you were still alive."
"That brat with the Byakugan. She's troublesome, with her all-seeing eyes."
Hinata widened her eyes and Zabuza and his partner were suddenly on the move. "They're coming!" She called out. No sooner than those words left her mouth were they surrounded by water clones of Zabuza.
"I guess her eyes don't really matter if they don't have the skills to put it to use," Zabuza laughed. "Look at the boy! He's trembling again."
Sasuke finally let himself smirk, catching Zabuza off guard. "I'm shaking with excitement, you gray freak." Zabuza glared, the wrappings around his mouth doing little to conceal his frown.
Kakashi grinned. "Have at it, Sasuke." The clone of Zabuza swung at Sasuke, but he easily dodged it and ran his kunai through every clone surrounding them in the blink of an eye.
"So you knew they were water clones. Seems like you have a rival now, Haku," Zabuza said and he and the young masked boy, Haku, stepped forward. They all faced the enemy and waited for the battle to start.
Naruto's eyes cracked open as the sun hit his face, causing him to stir. He lay there a brief moment before shooting up. "I overslept?! They left me?!" He shucked his clothes off and got into his everyday ninja gear before rushing downstairs with a toothbrush in his mouth.
"Tsunami-san! Did my team leave already?" He asked, voice muffled with toothpaste.
Tsunami turned around and giggled at the toothpaste running down his chin as he frantically brushed. "Yes, they left about five minutes ago. Your sensei wanted you to rest. He certainly wasn't expecting you to be able to move today, so I'm really impressed."
Naruto wiped his toothbrush off on his pants before putting it on the cabinet. "Thanks! I gotta go!" Then he zipped out the door with a rushed goodbye as he all but flew toward the bridge. "There's no damn way I'm missing out on guarding that old man!"
As he ran through the trees, he noticed a lifeless boar on the forest floor and narrowed his eyes. Its injuries were slash marks that looked more like target practice or a kid playing with a blade. When it registered, he came to a stop and turned back, heading back the way he came. He knew better than to ignore a gut feeling, and right now it was telling him that he needed to return to Tsunami's or lives would be lost. He just hoped his team would be fine without him for now. He knew they were very strong, but they worked at their best together.
He found the home to be empty but it held signs of a struggle. He didn't see any sign of Tsunami or Inari still in the house so he rushed out the door and prayed he wasn't too late. Not too much farther, he saw Inari's mother being knocked out by two mean-looking swordsmen as Inari charged at them. Naruto moved with all the speed he could muster when he saw the men pulling out their swords. He grabbed Inari and Tsunami, substituting Inari with a log he found nearby and taking them to safety.
"I'm sorry I'm just now getting here," he said to Inari, who was looking at him in awe. "But, you know, heroes do always show up at the last minute."
"Naruto, you're here!" Inari said.
"You did great," he replied. "You gave me enough time to grab your mom here!"
"Enough talking! You're one of those kids Tazuna hired, aren't you?" One of them said, "Let's take him down!" They rushed for Naruto, who only smirked and disappeared from their sight and reappeared behind them with a shadow clone in tow. The Narutos kicked the back of the swordsman's heads and they fell to the ground instantly, unconscious.
"Wow, you did it! You actually did it!" Inari yelled excitedly.
"Well, duh, kid. I'm a ninja," Naruto said. He took out some rope and began wrapping up the men securely before tossing their swords in the water. He turned back to Inari. "I'm sorry about yesterday, calling you a coward and all that. What you did, charging at those guys like that, it was very brave." He put his hand on Inari's head and grinned down at him.
It was much longer before Inari began crying again. "I swore I wasn't gonna cry again, but I just can't help it!" He cried, rubbing the tears that had fallen away. "You're gonna make fun of me again."
Naruto's smile turned warm. "There's nothing wrong with crying because you're happy. I'd say that's the only right time to cry!" Inari sniffed and nodded his head. "I've gotta get going now, I need to back my teammates up, but you can handle things here, right?"
"Right!" Inari said.
Naruto took off running. "Being a hero is tough, you know!" Inari watched him disappear with a huge smile on his face. He felt hope for the first time in years. If Naruto was around—if that whole team was around—he knew where to put his faith. Now, he knew if anyone could beat Gato and his men, it would be Kakashi and his team.
Sasuke and Haku were holding each other off with a kunai and senbon respectively, glaring into each other's eyes. Zabuza seemed surprised that he could keep up with Haku's speed while Kakashi smirked to himself.
"Hinata, protect the bridge builder and stay close by. Sasuke will take the kid, just let me know if you see anything."
"Yes, sensei," she replied, moving to cover Tazuna's front while she stood in the Gentle Fist style. "Tazuna-san, don't worry."
"Yeah," the older man replied. "I trust you three, even the dense one."
Sasuke was holding his kunai tightly as Haku began speaking to him. "We only want the bridge builder. If you walk away now, we won't be forced to kill you."
"You must be joking," Sasuke replied. "We have a mission to complete."
"As do we," Haku said. "I guess we have no choice. However, you will not be able to keep up with me. As it is, I have you trapped."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Care to enlighten me, then?"
"You're surrounded by water and I have one of your hands occupied, which means you will not be able to defend yourself against my next attack." Haku put up his remaining hand and began doing one-handed hand seals, shocking all of them, especially Kakashi who had never encountered that before.
"A Thousand Needles of Death!" Haku said as he stomped into the puddle of water surrounding them, causing the water to move as though it were being manipulated. The water turned into needles and soared straight toward Sasuke. Hinata could do nothing but smirk. There was no way her teammate was going to get beaten by such a jutsu.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi called out.
"He'll be fine, sensei!" Hinata said.
Putting his chakra to his feet in one huge burst, Sasuke leaped high into the sky, dodging the attack. Haku slid back by the force of it and instantly had to dodge incoming shuriken and went still when he felt a kunai in his back.
"Turns out, you're not all that fast!" Sasuke smirked. "From now on, it looks like you're going to be on the defensive." Haku spun around with a fist, but Sasuke blocked it with his forearm before launching his kunai toward his mask. He shot to the ground but was promptly set flying back by a kick to the face from Sasuke. "Other than your speed, I wonder what else you're lying about."
Kakashi raised his brows at Zabuza smugly. "Calling them brats couldn't be further from the truth. My team is the best rookie team of their generation. They were trained personally by the Fourth Hokage himself. Two clan heir geniuses of the Hyuuga and Uchiha and, last but least, the number one hyperactive, knucklehead ninja, Naruto Uzumaki."
Although shocked by the news of Minato Namikaze training them, Zabuza chuckled, causing the team to be on their guard again. "Haku, stop holding back. Get on with it."
"Right," Haku replied as he got to his feet. Hinata's eyes widened as she saw chakra coming out of Haku's body which was filled with malicious intent. "I'm sorry." Holding up a hand sign none had seen before, the water around Sasuke began to freeze into rectangular-shaped ice. "Hidden Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors!" When the jutsu was completed, Sasuke was trapped.
Kakashi looked closer. "I've never seen this kind of jutsu before! What…what is it?!"
Hinata studied the mechanisms of the jutsu closely and watched as chakra ran all throughout it. "If even you've never seen it before, sensei, I think it has to be a kekkei genkai," she said. Kakashi ran for Sasuke but was stopped by Zabuza.
"Your fight is with me. Besides, the kid's as good as dead due to that jutsu," he laughed. Hinata kept her eyes on the ice, gritting her teeth as Haku sunk into it and appeared in each mirror.
"Now," Haku said. "You're going to be a witness to true speed." He held up senbon in his hands and began his assault on Sasuke, cutting him all over his body faster than he could see. It wasn't long before he was disarmed and his weapon was knocked away. There was nothing he could, do but shield his head and yell out in pain.
"If you so much as move in their direction, I'll kill those two," Zabuza warned, nodding to Hinata and Tazuna.
Hinata took out extra kunai and tied a pre-drawn explosive fuinjutsu seal onto it. She threw it as hard as she could toward the mirror that had the weakest amount of chakra in it. She watched as more chakra filed into it and a hand went out from the back of the mirror to catch it. She set off the seal and watched as the upper half of Haku's body put his arms up to block the explosion. She cursed herself for setting it off too early. She had been afraid of him seeing the seal and tossing it away by the time she set it off.
Thankfully, it wasn't for nothing. Not only had the assault on Sasuke stopped, but she was able to see how fast he could move and deflect, and at which point to hit the mirrors. Wherever the real Haku's body was, the mirrors were the weakest on the opposite side of him. She knew how to help…and now it wasn't just her that could help. She smiled to herself when she saw Naruto preparing himself to enter the battle.
"Fuinjutsu?!" Zabuza yelled.
"I told you who trained them, didn't I?" Kakashi bragged. Before another word could be spoken, a lone shuriken appeared from the mist and hit Haku square in the mask, causing him to fall out of his mirror and hit the ground.
Haku slowly got up. "I'm guessing this is the number one hyperactive, knucklehead ninja," he said.
Naruto jumped into sight. "I can't believe you guys got started without me!" He looked at Sasuke on the ground who was trapped in a weird jutsu. "Whoa, Sasuke, you're getting your butt whooped, aren't 'ya?!"
Sasuke glared. "You're such a show-off, Naruto," he scoffed.
"Maybe, but at least I'm not ass up on the battlefield," Naruto retorted. Hinata's face went red at the insult while Sasuke glared.
"Just shut up!"
"Whatever. Sensei, you handle that shirtless psycho," Naruto said. "We got this."
"Right. Let's fight, Zabuza!"
"Haku, quit being soft and take care of them." Then they disappeared into the mist.
Sasuke looked down at his injuries and realized that Zabuza was right, that the boy was being soft because none of his wounds were fatal or deep. He just couldn't understand why, or what the point was.
"Tazuna-san, let's move closer." Hinata led the client closer to the ice mirrors. Haku quickly moved back into his jutsu and surrounded Sasuke once again
"Naruto, I'll deal with you after I kill your comrade," Haku said. Naruto snarled but gasped in shock when he saw his body disappear into the mirrors.
"Naruto," Hinata called out.
He moved to her side. "Got any idea what this is?" He asked, pointing to the jutsu.
"I think it's a kekkei genkai." At Naruto's blank look, she elaborated. "It's an ability that is linked closely to his DNA and can only be done within his bloodline. I think I understand how we can help Sasuke."
"Lay it on me. I can't wait to tease him about getting caught in something like this on our first mission."
Hinata gave him a level look before leaning closer to talk quietly. "I can see which mirror is the weakest, which means I can attack it with my gentle fist. Take your post three mirrors away and begin attacking there, but be careful as he's swift. No matter what, stay three mirrors away from me. I'll let you know when I'm moving." She hated to use Naruto as a distraction, but saving Sasuke was their main priority.
Naruto nodded. "Got it." Hinata looked over the mirrors again and found its weak spot.
"Right!" She called out as she grabbed Tazuna's hand and led him to the mirror she needed to be at. Naruto took his spot three mirrors away from her and began attacking it, shocked to find them not at all cracking while Hinata used her gentle fist to attack the weaker mirror.
Sasuke saw what they were doing and managed to get to his feet to help them. Haku wasn't going to let them gang up on him and began his assault on Sasuke again. The Uchiha used all of his might to summon up a fireball jutsu and blow it to a random Haku.
"Your fire will not burn this ice," Haku said as he ceased his attack, telling Hinata where his weakest point currently was.
"Left!" Hinata yelled. She put all of her chakra into her right hand and slammed it into the weakest mirror while Naruto used shadow clones to punch and kick three mirrors away from her. Part of Hinata was surprised when she managed to make a small crack in the mirror. The crack was heard by Sasuke who managed to blow another fireball toward that specific mirror before yelling out in pain by a senbon piercing his shoulder.
"Now you're getting serious," Sasuke said with a smirk.
"I don't want to kill any of you," Haku said. "The shinobi life, killing others, it's painful, but to protect the dream of the person who is most precious to me, I will do what I must!"
Kakashi lifted up his headband, revealing the sharingan underneath.
"The sharingan again? You're getting boring," Zabuza said, rushing at him with a kunai and getting Kakashi in his hand.
"Yeah?" Kakashi said through his teeth. "Then why do you seem worried about it?"
"I'm not an idiot. You show your enemy your abilities too much, then it's only a matter of time before they can use it against you."
"You should consider yourself lucky that you're seeing my sharingan twice; however, there will not be a third time."
"Perhaps, but don't forget the kid. Even if you manage to defeat me, you won't be able to take him down. I found that kid on the streets when he was a little boy and took him under my wing, honing his skills to perfection. Even without his kekkei genkai, he's still a ruthless killing machine in any situation. He's even stronger than me," Zabuza explained.
At this, Kakashi realized how much trouble his team was in. If that boy could kill his own emotions and heart, he would have no problem taking the lives of young shinobi if it meant completing his mission. Only true shinobi could accomplish smothering their own emotions, and that was something this boy was. He needed to defeat Zabuza as quickly as he could.
"Scared for your brats now, Kakashi?" Zabuza laughed. "You should be!"
"Are you done bragging now? Let's fight!" Kakashi yelled.
"Fine, but let me tell you this. During our first fight, Haku was watching your every move and studying the sharingan in order to analyze it and then use it against you." Kakashi's eyes widened. "That's right. You're finished either way. Let's begin now! Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
The area became dense with a thick mist, hindering Kakashi's eyesight completely. At this, his eye was now useless. He couldn't copy any jutsu he saw if he couldn't see them, but if Zabuza attacked, he could still match his speed in time so he kept it uncovered. He knew if he couldn't see, then neither could Zabuza. With his hearing, Kakashi deflected a multitude of shuriken with his kunai at the last minute.
"I expect nothing less from Kakashi of the Sharingan," Zabuza said, suddenly appearing behind him. Kakashi faced him, surprised that his eyes were closed. "You're impressive, but it's apparent that you're nothing without that sharingan. The next time you see me, it'll be the last time." Zabuza vanished from his sight.
Kakashi takes in the information he knows and thinks about what his opponent's move could possibly be. With Kakashi unable to see and Zabuza a master of the Silent Kill, he wouldn't waste his time on Kakashi, which only leaves one possible conclusion.
"Tazuna!" He gasped.
Sasuke had managed to clip Haku with his fireball jutsu the third time Hinata and Naruto had attacked from the outside as he was beginning to adjust to Haku's speed. He couldn't physically match the speed but if he conjured up a fireball in time, he might just be able to take him down and break out of his jutsu.
Hinata was sending another gentle fist toward the half-broken mirror when she saw Zabuza closing in on Tazuna. She didn't even have to think before using the body flicker to move behind the bridge builder and put herself in the enemy's way. Zabuza swung his sword toward her and she pushed Tazuna back, trying to back up herself as well as she brought her other hand up to attempt a Vacuum Palm. Kakashi came in at the last moment and was able to land a kick to Zabuza's wrist, but it was too late and Hinata was slashed from down her chest diagonally to her hip. She let out a strangled cry, her blood flying onto the bridge and Tazuna, as she fell onto the ground.
At the sound, Naruto and Sasuke turned and saw her hit the ground with a small pool of blood beginning to form around her body. Hinata shakily raised her hand and tried to heal herself but her chakra was too unstable to do it properly and her hand fell shortly after as her head fell to the side.
"Hinata!" Naruto and Sasuke shout in unison. Sasuke's sharingan instantly activated as another tomoe appeared in his left eye, making his total count two in each eye. Naruto's heart dropped to his stomach. Sasuke made an attempt to leave, but Haku blocked his way. Kakashi cursed himself for being too late and tried to run to her, but Zabuza stopped him.
"Put pressure on her wound!" He yelled at Tazuna. Naruto rushed to her side and shook her shoulder.
"H-Hinata! Hey, stay awake!" He said frantically. Her eyes opened just a sliver and she looked up at him.
"Naru…to," she said, her voice quiet and weak.
Naruto smiled, but his eyes were filled with hurt and worry. "Hey, I'm here. Stay awake, okay? You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine." Hinata smiled at him shakily, but then her eyes rolled back before closing. "Hinata? Hey, Hinata! Wake up!" He yelled, his voice cracking as he shook her but she wasn't moving. "Hinata!" He cried out, shaking.
"Naruto…" Sasuke said, his arms falling to his side and leaving himself wide open for attacks, but that didn't matter to him. "What…Tell me what's happening!"
Naruto looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and Sasuke's heart dropped. "No…No!" He rushed for Hinata but Haku once again stopped him.
"I am truly sorry about your friend, but this is the life of a shinobi," Haku stated.
"Shut up," Naruto growled before Sasuke could get a word out. "Just shut your mouth!" He looked up at Haku and Sasuke froze as he felt that same evil chakra he felt the night he and Naruto fought not too long ago filling the air. He barely stopped himself from gasping when Naruto's blue eyes were now a deep red. He could only watch as his best friend underwent a transformation before his eyes. His nails turned into claws, the whisker-like marks on his cheeks darkened, and his teeth resembled that of an animal. His chakra took on a suffocating aura and shocked everyone as it became visible. That evil, red chakra.
"...Naruto?" Sasuke said once he found his voice.
Naruto growled. "I'm gonna kill you, Zabuza!" And then left his fight with Haku to go for the older ninja that had injured his friend and the love of his young life.
Kakashi and Zabuza froze as they felt the menacing chakra in the air. Kakashi was immediately aware of what it meant. "No, Naruto!" He yelled out as Naruto zoomed right past him and for his opponent, attacking him mercilessly.
"What the hell is wrong with this kid?!" Zabuza said, barely holding him off, his sword a big help. Haku tried to help, but Sasuke, with the help of his sharingan and his newly gained tomoe, could now match his speed and prevented him from leaving.
"Your fight with me isn't over yet!" Sasuke yelled, grabbing the boy by his arm and tossing him back into one of his mirrors.
With everyone preoccupied, Kakashi was instantly at Hinata's side, the towel Tazuna was using to put pressure on the wound already soaked with blood.
"It's not stopping!" The bridge builder said, looking up at him with frantic eyes. Kakashi kneeled and tore open her vest to check over the wound. It was not as deep as it first seemed and he felt relieved at this. He put his hand to the wound and put to use the little bit of medical ninjutsu he knew to use, eventually stopping the bleeding although not closing the gash.
"She should be okay for now," Kakashi panted, exhausted emotionally and physically due to his active sharingan. "Keep an eye on her, please." Tazuna nodded and Kakashi went back to try and calm Naruto down before the seal fully broke. When he located them, Naruto was beating Zabuza to a pulp, his face and upper body covered in blood and claw marks and his sword tossed aside like it had been nothing but a toothpick, half sticking out of the bridge.
"Naruto!" Kakashi called out. Naruto made no indication that he heard him as he drove fist after fist into Zabuza's body. "Naruto, calm down! Hinata's okay, she's alive!" At this, Naruto snapped back, panting and shaking from exhaustion and anger.
"I'll never forgive you for hurting her!" Naruto growled, glaring down at the barely recognizable man. Zabuza kicked him off, causing him to fly into Kakashi's arms.
"I don't give a crap about that, kid," Zabuza spat, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Shinobi have done unforgivable things because that's part of being one." Kakashi held Naruto back from attacking him.
"Hey!"
Everyone turned toward the direction of the voice, Sasuke and Haku pausing their taijutsu match to see a crowd of thugs being led by a short man with a suit and small, round, black glasses and whose left arm was in a cast.
"Gato," Zabuza said.
"You look like crap, Zabuza, and so does the kid," the man replied, referring to a beaten Haku.
"What are you doing here?" Haku asked, suddenly beside Zabuza and surprising Sasuke as he hadn't even seen him leave. Not interested in the turn of events, he ran toward Hinata as the mirrors shattered into pieces and the jutsu was broken. He dropped to his knees as soon as he reached her and hesitantly cupped her face.
"H-Hinata…" he gasped, his voice thick with unshed tears. He leaned down and put his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, his voice dangerously close to a whimper.
Tazuna watched the scene awkwardly before clearing his throat. "Uh, kid, your friend's gonna be alright. Your sensei stopped the bleeding," he informed him.
"She's my fiancée," he snapped, but then the words registered. "Wait, what?" Sasuke put his fingers to her neck and found a steady pulse. He sighed in relief.
"Aren't you both a little too young for that?" Tazuna asked.
Sasuke shrugged with one shoulder. "Been like this since we were seven."
"Oh, I see. You're both from noble clans then." Sasuke nodded. "I'll watch over her until you're done."
"Thanks." Sasuke moved to Kakashi and Naruto's side. "What's happening?"
"That short guy fired Zabuza and Haku, so we're not enemies anymore," Naruto explained. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna kick his ass later though."
"I'll join you," Sasuke replied, cracking his knuckles. "You in Kakashi?"
"We're not going to fight unless we have to," the Jonin answered.
"The moment he nearly killed Hinata was when we had to, don't you think?" Sasuke asked.
"I'm not happy about it either. We'll just have to see how this plays out."
"Fine," Naruto grumbled.
"Ready, Haku?" Zabuza asked, grabbing his sword and getting into a fighting position.
"Yes." Haku had a senbon between each of his fingers and waited for Zabuza's word.
"Then let's take out the trash!" At this, they both moved forward, focused on making it to Gato and taking out anyone who stood in their way. Gato, clearly scared out of his mind, moved his way to the back to stay as far away as possible. They took out mercenary after mercenary, but Haku eventually became overwhelmed due to injuries he gained during his fight with Sasuke and was soon knocked back and out.
Naruto tried to help as he had sensed that Haku had never really meant or wanted to hurt them, but Kakashi held him back.
"It's not our fight," he said.
"But—"
"No, Naruto, this is not our fight," Kakashi repeated sternly. They turned back to the fight and found themselves shocked at the sight of Zabuza protecting an unconscious and injured Haku. Eventually, many of the mercenaries were taken out, and Zabuza made his way toward a frightened Gato. One of his arms was hanging limply at his side but he still held his sword tight in his other one, his back was littered with weapons and his front and sides held multiple stab wounds.
"You're not gonna kill me!" Gato yelled, eyes wide with fear as Zabuza came at him with his sword. "You're not taking me with you!"
Zabuza laughed. "No, that's where you're wrong, Gato! We're going to hell together and I imagine a demon such as myself will fit right in, but you? You're gonna be strung up and flayed on a spike! Every demon down there is going to be fighting for a chance to get to you and I'm gonna be the very first!" He swung his sword and sliced the terrified man in half so easily that it was like a hot knife going through butter. The halves of his body fell down into the ocean beneath the unfinished bridge. "I'll be seeing you soon." Blood began pouring down Zabuza's chin and dripping onto the ground.
He turned around, seeing nothing but an unconscious Haku lying there, and slowly made his way to the boy but collapsed halfway there, seemingly dead. The remaining mercenaries looked around before setting their sights on the Konoha ninja.
"That guy was gonna be paying us! Now that he's dead, we have no choice but to ransack that town and see what we can take," one of them yelled. The rest agreed and although there were only a couple of handfuls, it was too much to have to take them down while making sure they didn't get to Tazuna or Hinata.
"Crap," Naruto said.
"Indeed," Kakashi sighed.
Just then an arrow hit the ground in front of the mercenaries and everyone turned around to see most, if not all, of the townspeople with weapons in their hands being led by Inari.
"Inari!" Naruto cheered.
"A hero usually arrives at the last minute, right?!" Inari yelled back. "If you're coming into this town, you're gonna have to get through all of us!"
Tazuna looked on with tears in his eyes at the town coming together with bravery and the will to fight once again. For a brief moment, Tazuna saw Kaiza standing there leading the people but he knew it was all Inari.
Naruto summoned a few clones before looking at Kakashi and Sasuke. "Ready to fight?" Sasuke smirked and armed himself with a kunai, his sharingan still activated while Kakashi summoned over twenty clones, effectively scaring the mercenaries.
"Show off," Sasuke huffed but the smirk never left his face. They all watched as the enemies scrambled to leave the area and then grinned as the cheers of the townspeople cheered. They had successfully protected their village. While this was happening, Kakashi went to Zabuza's body and looked down at him.
"Sounds like it's over," Zabuza said, his voice weak.
"It is."
"Can you…take me to him? I wanted to be beside him before I went."
Kakashi covered his sharingan again and nodded. "Yeah," he said. He pulled all the weapons out of the man before picking him up and carrying him to Haku.
"Tell the girl…that I'm sorry."
Kakashi's smile was sad as he looked at Hinata lying in a pool of her drying blood. "She was never one to hold a grudge," he assured him. "If anything, she would probably be trying to heal you right now, even though there's no hope of saving you. She would've tried until your very last breath."
"She and Haku, they're very much alike in their kindness," Zabuza said. When Kakashi placed him beside Haku, he nodded at the man. "Thanks, Kakashi." Haku began to stir as Kakashi took a few steps back to watch everything play out.
Naruto and Sasuke stood side-by-side, glancing at each other briefly before looking back to Zabuza and Haku.
"H…Haku," Zabuza wheezed.
Haku's eyes opened and then widened when he took in Zabuza's face and the blood slowly surrounding him. "Zabuza, no!" He shot up and grabbed his master's arm.
"Listen to me," Zabuza said. "You were always by my side and now I want to be by yours at the very end."
The tears streamed down Haku's face and blurred his vision. "Why? Why do I get to live and not you?!"
Zabuza reached up and put his hand on Haku's cheek. "You've always been a gentle child. Always so kind and willing to suffer for me and my dreams, but now…you can decide what to do with your own life," he said. "I've always told you that you were nothing but a tool for me to use and that was true in the beginning, but you mean more to me than that. I'm only sorry it took me until my death to admit it."
Haku's shoulders shook with his sobs. "I don't want to lose you," he cried.
"I want to tell you that we'll meet again many years from now, but I'm afraid I'll be going to hell. You'll be going in the other direction."
"No! I can't live without you!" Haku wept, his tears running down Zabuza's arm and soaking his arm guard. His arm began falling as he was now on the verge of death and Haku clutched onto it tightly.
"Live your own life now. Kakashi…" Zabuza said, looking for the Jonin.
Kakashi stepped forward. "What is it?"
"Please, I ask that you take care of him. He's—He's not like us. He's…pure and gentle," Zabuza all but begged, though the look in his eyes told Kakashi that the man would be on his knees if it was possible. His heart ached for the two.
"...Sure thing. He'll be in good hands," he assured him. He wasn't entirely sure, but he wasn't going to say anything like that to a man on his deathbed. He could only agree to his wishes.
"Thank you." The dying rogue ninja turned back to the only person who meant anything to him and stared into those innocent, gentle, and tear-filled eyes. He wanted to burn that image into his mind with hopes that he could take it with him down below. "Haku…" His eyes slowly shut and his hand went limp in Haku's.
Haku gasped, choking on his tears and frantically looking over his body for something he could do. "Z-Zabuza!" He sobbed, shaking the man who had been like a father to him. He stared down at Zabuza's unmoving body for a few seconds before he let out such a soul-shattering scream of anguish and sobbed into the chest of the lifeless body before him.
Naruto couldn't bear to see anymore and shut his eyes to the scene in front of him. Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't look away. When you live like a warrior, this is how it ends," he said. Though to him, this kind of death was merciful compared to many others he had seen, including those he had killed himself. They continued watching as Haku wept on Zabuza's body.
Tazuna watched the scene with tears in his eyes but was promptly shocked when Hinata began stirring. "Hey, she's waking up!" He called out to her team. Naruto and Sasuke were instantly at her side as she looked up at them weakly.
"Did we—did we win?" She asked, her voice quiet. Naruto laughed but he couldn't stop the tears from falling and he shamelessly cried above her. Sasuke roughly and quickly wiped his tears away before smiling down at her.
"Yeah, we won," he replied. "Don't you ever do that again."
Hinata smiled wider though tiredly. "I'll do my best."
Tazuna squeezed her shoulder and that's when she realized she was leaning on his lap. "You saved my life again," he said, wiping his own tears. "You forever have my gratitude." Hinata patted his hand and then looked at herself, shocked at the amount of blood covering her clothes and the surrounding ground. The slash of the blade had cut through her clothes and the wrappings she wore around her breasts—they were dangerously close to peaking out—and she suddenly felt very exposed, even in front of her teammates. Naruto shrugged off his jacket and covered her with it.
She thanked him with another smile when Kakashi appeared in front of her. He kneeled down and put his hand on her head. "I'm glad you're okay," he said. "We'll stay in town while you recover. Thankfully, no one else was seriously injured. Haku will be staying with us as well," he informed her, shocking her greatly.
She moved just a bit, wincing at her error, and saw the boy crying over Zabuza's body. His heart-wrenching cries made her heart squeeze. She knew, though, from the beginning that Haku didn't want to hurt them as his weapon of choice was senbon, which had a low fatality rate unless used in very specific spots on the body. Had he truly meant to hurt them, they would have been dead long ago.
"Yes," she said. "I'm…very tired, now." Her eyes began drooping.
"Rest. We'll take care of the rest," Kakashi said.
She shook herself awake. "We need…to give him a proper burial. I want to be awake for that."
Kakashi sighed but nodded. "Sleep for now and we'll wake you up. I'll have Tsunami-san tend to your wounds, okay?" Hinata could only nod, her eyes already closed and her breathing shortly became even.
"She's a strong girl," Tazuna said. "A strong shinobi."
"She is," Kakashi agreed. "So, Tazuna-san, there are no more obstacles. You can get your bridge completed and there's no more Gato to terrorize your people."
Tazuna wiped away tears. "Yes, that's right. You four have done wonders for our town, even those two there who were originally trying to kill me," he said. "Thank you all so much."
Later that evening, close to sunset, Team 7 stood around Zabuza's freshly filled grave, his sword acting as a headstone. Hinata, however, sat off to the side on top of a large rock with Sasuke at her side. He seldom left her side ever since she came to, and Haku had questions that Naruto eventually filled him in on. Though the boy had sensed some hurt in his voice when he told him that they were engaged.
"Is the shinobi way really to use and be used, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence.
"A shinobi should…never seek reason for their own existence," he replied. "It's just the way it is."
Naruto turned away from him. "If that's the way it is, then something is seriously messed up. Going through all this training just to end up like this? I don't like that one bit!"
"It's just something we have to live with every day," Kakashi states. His own existence weighed heavily on him. It was a pressure on his shoulders that would never disappear. The faster his students realized that, the less anguish they would go through in the long run.
"Okay, then I've come to a decision!" Naruto exclaimed.
"What decision?" Sasuke asked.
"From now on, I'm gonna find my own ninja way! A way that's straight and true and without any regrets," he declared. Hinata slowly got to her feet, Sasuke helping her, and made her way to Naruto's side with a pained but determined look on her face.
"I'll be following your way as well," she promised.
Sasuke stood on the other side of Naruto and nodded. "Me too. We'll follow this way together." The three smiled at one another and Kakashi felt proud of his students.
Haku stayed beside Kakashi and tilted his head in thought. He wondered about the feeling they gave him, but the word didn't seem to come to mind. He shrugged it off for now, hoping it would come to him later.
Back at Tazuna's house, Hinata was resting in bed while dinner was being had by the rest of the household. Inari and Naruto were getting along swimmingly, Sasuke after a while once Inari had apologized and expressed that he thought Sasuke was a really cool ninja as well. Tsunami, Tazuna, and Kakashi had their own conversation about what was next for the bridge and how much longer they expected to be building. They expected another week or so if they kept going at the same pace, and Tazuna was positive more workers were going to show up now that lives were no longer in danger.
"I'm going to take Hinata some food," Sasuke said once he finished his dinner.
"I'll go with you," Naruto said, moving to get up. Sasuke put a hand on his shoulder and met his eyes. Naruto sighed and sat back down, understanding very well. Sasuke took a tray of food upstairs.
"Hinata," Sasuke said as he entered the room. Hinata was lying down but awake. "I brought you some food."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Sasuke, but I'm not very hungry right now." Sasuke sat down at her bedside and put the tray to the side. She was no longer in her regular clothes, but instead in a blouse and a long skirt that Tsunami had given her. She was covered with the blankets up to her chest, but Sasuke couldn't help but look, knowing the wound that lay just underneath.
"Does it hurt a lot?" He asked.
She shook her head. "Not so much anymore." Sasuke's hands trembled and she noticed this, smiling warmly at him. "I'm okay now. I promise."
Sasuke's eyes filled with tears that he tried to hold at bay. "You scared me. I thought you were going to leave me," he admitted, his hands clenching so hard that his knuckles were turning white.
Hinata took her hand out of the blanket and put it on Sasuke's, the warmth grounding him. "I know, but I'm still here. I haven't left. I promise that I won't—mmph!" Before she could finish her sentence, Sasuke's lips were on hers and his tears fell onto her cheeks. Realizing the trust he was putting in her by openly crying and expressing his feelings, she closed her eyes and accepted them into her heart with no hesitation.
When he eventually pulled away, Hinata kept her eyes closed as Sasuke wiped the tears that had fallen on her away using his thumbs. "When I thought I had lost you, I realized that I had never told you how I felt about you. I hope doing that helped clear it up. I know our marriage is arranged, but I want you to know that I have felt this way about you since we were five and it has only gotten stronger."
At his confession, Hinata opened her eyes and blushed. "Sasuke, I…"
"You don't have to answer and I don't want you to feel obligated to return these feelings. I just wanted you to know."
Hinata reached out and gently brushed his cheek with the back of her hand, smiling gently when Sasuke leaned into it. "Thank you for telling me. For showing me," she said instead. Her feelings about Sasuke had always confused her. He understood her in a way that others didn't and it meant the world to her. She had been grateful to be marrying him because he was her best friend, but she hadn't thought it would ever turn into romantic love for either of them. Now that Sasuke's feelings had been revealed, she needed to think about it seriously if she wanted to avoid hurting him.
Sasuke gave her a rare, true smile and reached for the tray of food when she pulled her hand back. "You said you're not hungry, but you need to eat, okay? Food is important when you're recovering." He helped her sit up against the wall her bed had been moved to and fed her despite her telling him numerous times that she could do it herself. Eventually, she dropped it and let him feed her.
Sasuke needed this, he felt. He needed to be constantly aware that she was right there or he might think it was all a dream and he was going to wake up into a world where she no longer existed. Hinata obediently took every spoonful he held up to her mouth, her hand clutching his shirt to show him she was still okay. But it wasn't just him that needed it. Her near death had also shaken her up but she needed to be strong for her team.
She was okay now and that was all that mattered.
She was okay.
Nearly two weeks later, the bridge was completed and Hinata was strong enough for travel so they said their goodbyes in front of the newly completed bridge. Many words of gratitude and luck were exchanged as well as promises to visit again sometime soon.
Inari seemed to be holding back his tears. "I'm…gonna miss you three," he said, his voice tight.
Naruto's grinned but it was evident he was getting emotional as well. "We'll be seeing you again before you know it!"
"You—you promise?"
"Of course," Naruto said, his lower lips wobbling with emotion. Hinata put her hand on Naruto's shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly.
"It's okay. We'll visit when we get the chance, or maybe you can take a trip to our village and we can show you three around," she suggested. The two boys eagerly nodded with tears in their eyes. Sasuke shook his head, clearly exasperated but said nothing about it.
Kakashi looked at Haku. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay here?"
"I'd like to visit Konoha, but I'll be back to visit Zabuza when I get the chance," the boy replied.
"I can't say for certain that our leader would let you go with how many crimes you've committed," Kakashi warned.
"I know, but it's time I lived life on the straight and narrow, don't you think? Zabuza wants me to do what I wish. If I have to spend my life in prison, then that's okay too. I just…don't want to fight anymore." Kakashi accepted this answer and they turned back into the conversation his students were having.
"Please write us updates on how you're doing," Hinata said. "We promise to never forget everyone here."
"Hinata-chan!" At the sound of her name being called, she turned to see Miki running up to her with Shigure in her arms and both looking much healthier than before. "We heard you were leaving and we wanted to see you off."
Hinata patted Shigure's head as she greeted them. "Thank you. I was hoping to see you two before we left. You both look much better," she said.
"Yes, it was all thanks to your medicine! I was able to go back to work and Shigure will be starting school again with the other kids." Her eyes filled with tears. "You've all done so much for this town. Thank you so much."
"Thank you, Miss Hinata!" Shigure said before leaning forward and kissing her cheek sloppily, causing Sasuke and Naruto to huff with small smiles. Their teammate had helped a small family with skills she had been studying very hard to accomplish. They were proud.
Hinata giggled. "You're such a sweet boy, Shigure-kun. You and your mom take care of each other, okay?" He nodded and held a photo out to her. "What's this?" She took and smiled when she saw a photo of Miki and Shigure smiling widely at the camera.
"You'll always remember us this way," he said.
Hinata held the photo close to her heart. "I love it. I'll hang it up in my room when I return home."
"Can I go spend the night sometime?" He asked excitedly.
Hinata smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I live too far away, Shigure-kun, but I will visit when I can, okay?" He nodded though his eyes turned sad. She patted his head again and then kissed his forehead. "Goodbye." She smiled at Miki and returned to her teammates' side.
"You gave them medicine?" Sasuke asked.
"I suppose I never mentioned it, but it was a couple of weeks ago," she replied.
"You're going to be a terrific doctor," Naruto said.
Suddenly, Haku spoke up. "Harmony!" He declared, drawing everyone's attention.
"What?" Naruto asked.
"You three. The way you move together, interact, and what you all try to achieve. You remind me of harmony," Haku explained.
Hinata put a finger to her chin. "Team Harmony sounds really nice," she thought aloud, smiling proudly.
Sasuke smirked. "Yeah, it's not too bad."
"We can definitely work with that," Naruto added.
Kakashi chuckled. "Alright, Team Harmony, let's get going." Team Harmony, formerly Team 7 and Team MinaKushi, plus Haku waved goodbye one last time before heading down the bridge and back home.
As they watched them walk away, Tsunami nudged her father. "What are you going to name the bridge?" She asked.
Tazuna thought for a second as he stared at the backs of the shinobi that saved their lives in more ways than one. "I think The Great Bridge of Harmony sounds fitting."
"That's perfect."
We hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! A lot of things happened in this chapter: A near death, Sasuke getting another tomoe, Naruto's seal slightly weakening, and a kiss, too. It took quite a few chapters and development for Sasuke and Hinata to get to this point, but they also still have a ways left to go before they're anywhere near ready for one another. Please let us know what y'all thought 3
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 09/30/23
(on an unrelated note, my child will be 1 month soon and i think that's pretty wild)