Welcome to chapter 6 I hope you have all been enjoying this fic as we now head into the climax of the wave arc.
Also I changed the cover image on , it's not an accurate representation of what Satsuki will look like, just kind of a baseline.
Also how does everybody feel about the title and summary change? Good or no?
When I launch this chapter I will also update the first three chapters with some minor changes, for those we don't want to reread here is a TLDR
:Naruto does not yet have an updated outfit, still in the orange jumpsuit
:Sakura and Ino are not enamored with Kiba, instead their division as friends is caused by another factor yet to be revealed.
:Sakura clings to Satsuki and questions how she looks nice and etcetera because she idolizes her as the best kunoichi she knows
So without further ado I hope you all enjoy
Morning, day after Naruto and Satsuki completed their training
Kakashi, Satsuki and Sakura were currently getting ready to head to the bridge with Tazuna but Sakura looked around and saw they were a member short.
"Sensei, is Naruto not coming with us?" Sakura asked the man as he looked over everything he had in his pouch.
"Oh, it's better we let him sleep in a bit, after all he didn't sleep well the night before and he used up a lot of his chakra, he needs the rest, he'll join us when he wakes up." Kakashi said, making Satsuki think back to the image of him sprawled out on his futon snoring when we checked on him this morning, she let out a tomboyish laugh when she saw him, luckily nobody was around she needed to threaten into silence.
"Besides, we'll be fine without him." Satsuki said as she had examined all her gear, she was all set for an engagement, she knew with how many days that had passed there was every chance Zabuza could show up now, and this time she'd be more then ready.
Later at the bridge
It appears Satsuki was somewhat prophetic as she saw the workmen unconscious on the ground around the work site, she was honestly surprised he hadn't killed them all for shits and giggles.
Thick mist covered the bridge, a clean sign Zabuza was near.
"Well well well, long time no see Kakashi. Surprised I'm back from the dead?" Zabuza's familiar voice rang out from the mist.
"Hardly, your trick may fool the less experienced but once I thought about it it's easy to see your friend is a fake, real hunter ninja destroy the body on sight." Kakashi spoke out into the mist.
"Well I suppose you're right, but this time will be different." Zabuza spoke as multiple copies appeared around the team all poised to strike. He was wearing a new outfit, mainly new arm and leg coverings and an actual shirt this time.
"And your little brats are still no better, the dark haired one is still shaking." He mocked as he observed Satsuki's hand shaking slightly with kunai in hand.
"It's not fear. I'm shaking with…excitement!" She answered, Kakashi gave her the go ahead with a tap to her shoulder.
She instantly pushed chakra into her legs and feet and in an instant she took down each of the water clones surrounding them.
She stood, kunai in hand as she looked at the surrounding puddles that used to be water clones.
"Ohoh, some improvement! I didn't think such pretender ninja were capable of such a thing, but I've got a star student of my own." Zabuza said as he and his hunter ninja cohort appeared from the mist.
"I'm no pretender, and I'll prove it." Satsuki said, getting into a stance, ready to engage instantly.
"Well well, how about you prove it. Haku." Zabuza said back as he called the masked ninjas name and they rushed to engage Satsuki without a word.
Back at the house with Naruto
"Crap crap crap, I can't believe they left me, that's not in team spirit guys!" Naruto spoke to himself as she rushed to get ready and meet up with his team, he'd woken up and been told by Tsunami they had left and let him sleep in, while Naruto did need and appreciated the rest he didn't want to be the one picking up slack.
He got all his gear together and ran out the house towards the bridge, stuffing some field rations into his mouth while he was doing it.
They tasted bland as cardboard but they gave you energy and filled your stomach.
He ran off in the direction of the bridge, as he ran jumping from tree to tree he saw something kinda odd, a boar, all cut up along with the surrounding trees and fauna he wouldn't be bothered so much by this except the fact that the trail of slashes seemed to be…leading…towards…Oh shit! Naruto instantly followed the path of cuts.
Back on the bridge
Satsuki and the masked ninjas Haku were facing off, each using their considerable speed to dance around one-another kunai clashing against senbon, the difference in their weapons allowing Satsuki to gain the upper hand but it was impressive that Haku was fending her off with just senbon.
They locked weapons and seemed to be at a stalemate.
"Senbon really isn't the best weapon for close quarters, you can't keep fending me off with just needles." Satsuki said smugly as she pushed against the masked ninja.
"Yes but you've made two critical mistakes, first we are surrounded by water, and second, while you cannot perform jutsu with one hand, I do not share such limitations. Water style:thousand needles of death." Haku spoke as they locked kunai and senbon, until Haku did something that truly shocked Satsuki Haku formed one handed signs and they worked, the masked ninja moved his feet kicked water up from the ground and they formed into numerous shard needles of water, and poised to turn the Uchiha girl into a pin cushion.
"Damn, gotta move, just focus." Satsuki thought as she focused chakra into her legs once again and dodged the assault of water needles with an enhanced jump.
"One handed signs?! That's an incredibly unique skill." Kakashi said out loud as Zabuza chuckled darkly.
"Yes, Haku is truly gifted, with some more experience he will easily surpass both of us one day." Zabuza spoke, and Kakashi didn't doubt his words.
"Of course it's better if Haku doesn't rely on that skill, one handed signing leads to sloppy and unbalanced jutsu, for more complex techniques it's near useless." Zabuza thought as he watched his tool and pupil fight Kakashi's student.
Tazunas house
Tsunami was busy doing the dishes as the sound of wood being cut and falling rang out, she turned to see two men she recognized standing where their door used to be, these two were some of Gato's top thugs and one of them was responsible for wielding the blade that killed her husband.
She looked on in fear, first they had taken the man she loved, now they were gonna kill her or worse kill her son to stop her father from finishing his bridge.
"S-stay back." she shuttered, grabbing a kitchen knife and holding it in front of her.
"Pfffff, hahahahahaha! You see this shit, she thinks she can defend herself." the silver haired one said to his shirtless tan skinned partner who chuckled at the sight himself.
"Now listen here, you come quietly and be a good little hostage for the boss man and we won't have to do this the hard way like we did with mister 'two strong arms' understand." the silver hair one spoke as he slightly moved his katana out of its sheath with his thumb in order to emphasize his threat.
"A-alright, just…please leave my son out of this." Tsunami relented, her will to fight Gato also downtrodden and crushed by the murder of the man she loved.
"M-mom, what's going on?" Inari said from the doorway to the next room looked and saw the men, recognizing them from the worst day of his life.
"J-just stay here Inari, don't interfere." Tsunami told her son, she knew if they slightly inconvenienced these thugs at all they would not hesitate to cut them down, need for a hostage or not.
"B-but mom." He spoke, tearing up, first these men had taken away his father, now they'll do the same to his mother yet all he could do was stand their as they tied rope around his mother's wrists and harshly shoved her out the door leading her away.
"Coward!" Naruto voice repeated in his mind, he looked at the retreating form of his mother and knew if he did nothing, someone else he loved would die.
"If you love something, protect it with both arms." The words of he father Kaiza repeated along with Naruto, before he knew what he was doing, Inari ran out the door towards certain danger to save his mother.
"Aaaaaaaaa!" Both the hired swords and Tsunami heard as they saw Inari running at them with a combination of blind anger and courage.
"Inari! No! Run away!" Tsunami shouted before she was rendered unconscious via neck chop.
The men drew their sword, poised to strike down a child with no remorse.
Barely an instant passed as they struck but instead of a child cut up corpse in its place was a sliced up log.
They were confused to instead see a slashed up log in Inari's place.
Next to Tsunami now stood a blonde haired kid wearing an orange jumpsuit holding Inari.
"N-naruto?" Inari questioned, still kinda shook up over his life flashing before his eyes.
"Sorry I got here kinda late, but heros show up at the last second in books right. Stay here with your mom, I got this." Naruto said kindly to Inari as he turned to face the two thugs.
"So that's how Gato works? He just murders children who get in his way?!" Naruto shouted at them both fists shaking slightly in rage.
"Listen here kid, there's only one true ruler in this world, money, and the boss is an expert at getting it and getting his way, so we do what he asks of us, and we live the good life. Plus, this work is a lot of fun." The silver haired one said arrogantly, clearly no remorse for any of this reprehensible actions or crimes.
"that's all I needed to hear." Naruto said darkly as two splashes were heard and four identical Naruto's burst out of the water, kunai in hand, they each slashed one of the thugs legs sending then toppling to the ground and they each broke their arms in a bad way, all within an instant.
"There, now you can never hurt anyone again, at least not majorly with those broken arms." Naruto said as he walked up to the two of them.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" One of them screamed as the original rendered them unconscious and his clones tied them up with the rope they originally brought to capture Tsunami.
"Thank you, Naruto, now those evil men won't be able to hurt anyone whoever again." Inari spoke, with his mother nodding.
"It's ok, after I heard the story about your dad. I've been wanting to pay Gato and his men back, this is a good start." Naruto said as he looked back at the broken thugs, he felt slightly bad for being so rough with them but what they had done to Inari and his family hit a personal place for him, and it wasn't like they haven't done worse with smiles on their faces.
"Listen you guys stay here, I need to head to the bridge, most likely Zabuza has attacked again and they'll need me. But Inari, running to save your mom like that, was incredibly brave, it also allowed me to get my clones in the water and use a substitution to save you. You did really good." Naruto said ruffling Inari's hair.
The boy had slight tears in his eyes at the knowledge that he hadn't backed down and it allowed Naruto to save him and his mom.
"Thank you Naruto, now please go save grandpa!" He said through his tears, a rare smile on his face.
"Got it." Naruto answered as his clones dispelled and ge rushed off through the forest to get to the bridge.
At said bridge
Haku and Satsuki had continued to clash with neither making any headway.
"Haku! Finish the brat, I'll deal with Kakashi." Zabuza shouted as he unslung his blade from across his back.
"Yes Master Zabuza." Haku said as he started to weave signs, Satsuki instantly went on guard in preparation of the jutsu.
"Ice style:secret jutsu:crystal ice mirrors." Haku uttered and as soon as he did the temperature of the air instantly dropped making Satsuki shiver slightly. All around her before she could react Satsuki was surrounded on all side by a dome of mirrors seemingly formed from ice.
"Ice style?! Is that even a thing?!" She shouted on her mind as she tried to desern the nature of the jutsu, she looked to see Haku step inside the mirror, a two dimensional image of him appearing on the surface and then appearing on every other mirror, surrounding Satsuki with multiple images of Haku.
"Ice style ninjutsu! That's a bloodline trait." Kakashi said to Zabuza who appeared very smug.
"Yes, Haku is a descendent of the Yuki clan, once great and powerful in the hidden mist and the land of water for their ability to merge water and wind nature's to form ice style, but after the fourth Mizukages purges they were said to have been wiped out, it is only by luck that I found Haku, his skills and blood are extraordinarily potent, one day he may surpass us both Kakashi, and now that little runt is caught in that jutsu, she's as good as dead. I molded Haku into the ultimate weapon at my command, even you would struggle." Zabuza said smugly at his good fortune in finding the last of the Yuki as a starving street rat and molding him into a killing machine, a true shinobi.
"Nobody ever caught in that jutsu has lived to tell about it." Zabuza said in a dark, mocking tone, assured of Satsuki's death at the hand of the crystal ice mirrors.
"Well you don't know Satsuki like I do, she's a survivor and she won't go down that easy." Kakashi said as he lifted up his handband to show his eye and readied a kunai.
Inside the mirror dome Satsuki was not faring well, she figured out that the copy's were in fact not clones by just a mirror image of the real Haku, who was seemingly able to transition between the mirrors at a speed she could not track all of them would copy the motion of throwing senbon at her but it was impossible to know which mirror housed the real Haku and thus which attack was real, she had managed to keep her injuries to a minimum, having a small amount in her torso and arms but they were slowing her movements, she needed a plan to get out of this jutsu and fast.
Sakura who had been defending Tazuna thought she spotted the real Haku in a mirror and threw a kunai to try and catch him off guard.
It was pointless however as the simple throw was caught with ease. Only for some curved shuriken to hit Haku across the face, his mask being the only thing that saved him.
Naruto then appeared in a puff of smoke with three clones and tried to engage Haku in taijutsu while he was not fully submerged in a mirror.
It was for naught as Haku dispelled the clones with a senbon to the heart each and grabbed Naruto's punch and threw him into his mirror dome.
"Owwww." Naruto groaned as he stood up next to Satsuki, his sneak attack failing.
He had appeared on the bridge to see Satsuki trapped in some kind of fancy jutsu, while he wanted to just rush in he hesitated and thought it may be better of he could catch the masked ninja off guard with a sneak attack he took his opening as soon as Sakura provided it but it seems it was for naught.
"Hey Satsuki, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto spoke as he was stood up and took in the sight of being surrounded by the mirrors copy's.
"Naruto that was well executed but focus on getting out of there." Kakashi spoke as he clashed with Zabuza.
"So how this thing work?" Naruto asked Satsuki as he stood back to back with her.
"They mirror his image and he jumps through them so you never know which mirror he'll attack from. We gotta get out of this kill box Naruto." Satsuki explained to him as Haku readied more senbon.
"I'll give you an opening, think you can melt us outta here?" Naruto asked as he gathered chakra for some clones.
"Good a plan as any." She answered as she waited for him.
"Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto shouted as five clones as well as himself rushed some mirrors, as soon as Naruto did this she weaved her own signs.
Haku easily repelled the clones and Naruto got two senbon in the shoulder for his efforts but he bought Satsuki the time she needed.
Satsuki burst through the clone smoke and announced her jutsu.
"Fire style:Fireball jutsu!" She shouted before she breathed out a blaze that continued for a few seconds as she fed it her breath and chakra. Only to reveal minimal damage that instantly repaired itself, leaving an unscathed ice mirror.
"Dammit!" Satsuki cursed as she and Naruto regrouped.
"It barely even melted it. Any other ideas? Gah!" Naruto asked her before he got three senbon thrown into the back of his right leg, making it feel numb.
"I've got some paper bombs but I don't know how effective that'll be." Satsuki answered as she deflected two senbon but couldn't stop the third going in her left shoulder making her wince.
"They won't, nothing can escape or overcome this jutsu, give up and hand over the bridge builder and I shall be merciful." Haku spoke from the mirrors.
"Like hell! The people of wave need this bridge, they've been stepped on by Gato and his hired thugs like you for too long, the only way your getting to him is through my dead body!" Naruto shouted at him, making Haku gain a hidden sorrowful look behind his mask, not only did he truly not wish to kill these two but also hated working for Gato, he took found the man to be the worst kind of scum, but this was all for Zabuza's wishes, so he must kill his emotions.
Outside the mirror dome Kakashi and Zabuza had clashed again, Zabuza chuckled as they both heard Naruto's words.
"Well seems your pet loudmouth is still alive for now, honestly I was quite surprised to see him try a sneak attack, wouldn't think someone like he knew how to be stealthy. Hahaha!" Zabuza mocked.
"There's much more to Naruto then meets the eye, even if he still needs to learn to use his head more then his mouth at times. But he'll go far, I have no doubt." Kakashi answered as he pushed Zabuza back, only for him to slip into the mist and engage in his silent killing meaning Kakashi loose slight of him, even with his Sharingan.
"Which point will he go for…Sakura and Tazuna!" Kakashi realized and barely had enough time to block a strike that sliced right through his kunai and gave Kakashi a diagonal cut across his torso. Luckily it wasn't too deep but it would definitely impair his ability to fight at one-hundred percent.
"Heheh. Tough luck Kakashi, this is the beginning of the end for you." Zabuza spoke as Kakashi grabbed a new kunai and they locked blades again.
In the dome Satsuki and Naruto weren't faring much better, both had sustained multiple new senbon in their boys, their movements were getting sluggish now, body's numb from the surgical precision Haku had, it was almost like he was trying to incapacitate them, not kill.
They had tried paper bombs, they managed to place three on one mirror and while it did cracked it, Haku simply did a hand sign and it repaired good as new, and they were out of bombs now. Satsukis eyes had somewhat adjusted to the speed of Haku's movements so she was able to roughly tell the area in which Haku would strike.
But Naruto was the weak link, it his diversionary tactics he had taken more senbon then her now, and while she knew he had great endurance and will from the time they spent training his last week, he was nearing the end of his rope, and she wasn't far behind.
She had to go for it, she could almost follow his attacks now, she and Naruto had to go all or nothing, otherwise they'd die.
"Naruto listen up, I can slight follow his movements, I need you to draw him out of the mirrors so I can get a hit in, it's our only shot." Satsuki whispered to him, betting everything on this plan.
"Alright I'll go along with it, but I don't have much chakra left, make it count." Naruto spoke as he created more clones.
"Just don't die, loser." She spoke with a smile as she weaved signs.
She waited for her moment until. "THERE!" She shouted in her mind.
"Fire style:Fireball jutsu!" Satsuki yelled as she breathed a fireball at Haku as he lept between his mirrors, it was close but she couldn't land a hit, Naruto was punished for her failure as him and his clones all took senbon.
"I ask again that you please stop this, otherwise I shall have to kill the kind part of myself and become a true shinobi, all for master Zabuza's wishes." Haku spoke in his new mirror.
"Like *pained groan* he'll, I don't quit not ever!" Naruto shouted as he kept going.
"Satsuki, you giving in?!" He shouted back to her as he preped the shadow clone sign.
"Not ever!" She shouted back to him as she weaved her own signs.
"Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he made another run with his clones.
Once again Haku was drawn out, but this time, Satsuki wouldn't miss.
"Fire style:Fireball jutsu!" She yelled as she breathed the Fireball at Haku, while it didn't completely connect it managed to just catch his leg singing it.
It seems however Haku took that personally and his speed once again increased.
Naruto was beyond exhausted, he couldn't move well so as Satsuki saw more senbon aimed at him she moved to defend his panting, prone form.
However as she fended off Haku's attack her eyes felt…off, then she started to see that much clearer, the senbon moved slower as did Haku and she could predict where he was going.
"Satsuki *pant pant* your eyes." Naruto barely managed to get out as he saw something was off with them.
She knew what had happened, even in this near hopeless situation she couldn't help but smile widely as something she had been praying for, for so long happened, her Sharingan had awoken, blood red orbs with two tomoe and one tomoe stared back at Haku, reading every move he made.
"The Sharingan, I must end this quickly, the longer she analyzes my moves the more difficult this will get." Haku thought as he knew the clock was ticking on the effectiveness of her jutsu, Satsuki had started to read his moves before she had awoken to her kekkei genkai, now she had, the Uchiha girl would start to completely predict her moves.
"To think she too was a surviving member of a dead clan." Haku thought as she knew this girl was now of the wiped out Uchiha clan just like how he was the last of the Yuki clan, even if he had renounced that name.
"Naruto, stay there, with these eyes, he's done for." Satsuki said, complete confidence on her face even if she was low on chakra.
Naruto nodded and passed out on the ground, lack of chakra and a multitude of senbon making him reach his limit.
Haku tried to get through Satsuki's defenses but it was all for naught, she was easily able to dodge any senbon coming her way, eventually, Haku got frustrated and went for. The final option.
"For master Zabuza's dreams." Haku thought as he changed his target to the prone form of Naruto.
"Naruto!" Satsuki shouted as she turned to him, and before she had any time to think. Her body just moved.
Naruto just managed to open his eyes slightly as he heard a pained noise coming from above him.
He looked up to see Satsuki just standing there, body limp and blood near her feet.
His eyes opened wide as she fell back, Naruto catching her in his arms.
"*bloody cough* you, loser, I'm always *hack* saving you." She muttered weakly coughing up blood, Naruto could now see multiple new senbon littering her body, senbon meant for him.
"Why! Why do that for me? We've always been at odds and you jump in the way for me! WHY?!" Naruto shouted, his eyes starting to tear up.
"I-I'm not really sure. My body just moved on its own, maybe it's because, you mean something to me, I've never really had many friends, even if you are a shitty one." Satsuki admitted, slightly delirious but also confessed herself, she supposed for all his idiocy and faults, Naruto was her friend, and she supposed it was better to die with a friend, rather then alone.
"Y-your my friend too, your always acting so cool and so much better but I think that's why I've always tried to surpass you, I've not had many friends either, it's only recently I've gained new ones, ya know, climbing those trees with you,*sniff* was really fun. Belive it." Naruto spoke to her glazed eyes as tears fell from his eyes.
"Naruto. I promised myself I wouldn't die before I killed my brother, and avenge *hack* my clan. But I geuss my ambition is over now. Just, dont join me anytime soon, you loser." Satsuki spoke, her eyes watering too, before going limp in Naruto arms, no movement whatsoever.
"Satsuki *slap slap slap* SATSUKI!" Naruto screamed as he lightly slapped her face trying to wake her up. Tears fell from his face wildly as he touched his forehead to hers, metal plates touching as we wept for the death of Satsuki Uchiha.
Haku appeared next to Naruto.
"Is this the first time you've ever lost one close to you? I'm sorry, but, I did warn you, if you stood in my way I would become a true shinobi and have to end your life." Haku spoke, sympatheticly but Naruto didn't care.
As he cried over the death of his teammate, rival and friend, sadness and grief gave way to anger, and rage.
Deep in his cage, shrouded in shadow, a beast gave an evil smile, as his moment of opportunity had finally arisen, as just a faction of his unfathomable power leaked out, drawn to the rage of Naruto.
"Shut…up!" Naruto shouted his voice twisted and became deeper and dark, his featured shifted and warped, nails grew into almost claws, teeth elongated, the wisker marks on his face changed and hair became more wild, and two slit red eyes now looked down at the corpes of his friend.
"I'm going to kill you, for what you've done!" Naruto yelled as crimson chakra swirled around his body, so dense it was visible to the naked eye, it was almost alive, it seemingly to snarl at Haku as to formed a fox head. The red chakra pushed out all the senbon that pirced Haku's body healing him instantly.
"Just what…is he?" Haku thought in shock as she looked on, she had never felt anything like this chakra, is was beyond comprehension, the chakra was alive, and calling for his blood. One chief instinct called out in Hakus brain, fear, the want to run and hide away for fear of this…thing butchering him, and that's exactly what he tried to do.
Keyword being tried as Naruto ran at him on all fours like a beast.
Haku tried to slow him down with senbon but Naruto let out an animalistic roar and the sheer force of a shout blew away the senbon rendering then harmless. Naruto's speed now surpassed his and Naruto's sharp nails dug into his arm as he caught it, and with a single motion he snapped said arm like a twig.
"*snap* ahhhhh!" Haku yelled out as Naruto still held her broken arm.
"I will break you!" Naruto yelled as he punched Haku right on the mask, it easily shattered underneath the force of the blow, the punch strong enough to break through steel like a flimsy wooden board.
Haku flew back from the blow, crashing through one of his mirrors and ragdolling across the surface of the bridge, his shattered mask falling away.
"Master Zabuza, I can't do it, this boy, his power, it's too great. I've failed you." Haku thought as he readied himself for death at Naruto's hand, unable to overcome this surge of power he had gained due to losing someone precious to him, Haku had spoken about becoming truly strong to protect someone and Haku had robbed Naruto of such a person.
As he closed his eyes and thought back on his life and how haply he was with Zabuza, he let out a sad smile, he was but a broken tool, he could not aid Zabuza's dreams any longer.
Naruto charged him with a scream, intending to cave Haku's skull in with another empowered blow.
Only to stop inches from hitting him as he saw his face, he recognized it, the person he'd met in the forest the other day.
"You." Naruto spoke, breaking out of his trance, he features changing back to normal, his eyes once again their regular blue.
"Why did you stop?" Haku asked him simply, all emotion drained from his voice and face.
"I-I don't know, I guess it's because I know you? Even if I still want to hurt you." Naruto spoke, eyes flashing red just for a moment.
"You may go ahead, I am a broken tool now, of no use, simply to be thrown away." Haku spoke morbidly.
"Tool? What the hell are you talking about?!" Naruto yelled, still angry and still not understanding what Haku seemed to be getting at.
"Long ago, I lived in peace with my mother and father, but once I started to manifest the powers of my kekkei genkai it all changed, in a fury my father murdered my mother for having 'corrupt blood' and was about to do the same to me, my chakra lashed out on instinct and I killed him and the group that had come to kill us. After that I had no worth, no purpose, you could hardly call it living, I had accepted that my worthless existence would be snuffed out by the cold and starvation, that was until Zabuza found me. He took me in, gave me a purpose and a reason to exist again, so I swore I would become his weapon, now I am broken, I am left without purpose once again." Haku explained to Naruto, describing his philosophy of service to Zabuza.
"So what's left for you, do you not have wants or dreams?!" Naruto shouted at him, not understanding how someone could live selflessly for someone who saw him as just a weapon to be pointed at the enemy.
"I told you that if someone fights for someone precious to them they can truly become strong, that's my strength, helping and supporting Zabuza, my dream is to see his dreams become reality. But now I am without use, so, for both our sakes. Do away with me." Haku spoke, holding his broken arm as he had truly given up.
"Never, I-I hate you for what you did, but I can't just cut you down like that." Naruto spoke, in some ways he understood Haku, he too lived similarly before he committed himself to the path of the ninja with the end goal of becoming hokage. No meaning, just existing, he gained the purpose of becoming the Hokage, Haku gained the purpose of serving Zabuza.
"You may one day know what it's like to have someone that close, Naruto, when they're not there you feel alone, even when surrounded by people, you lie awake at night, wondering if they are alright, and you sacrifice sanity, health and blood just to see them safe. And no matter if everyone tells you it's wrong or you shouldn't do it, if they smile, it's worth it one-thousand fold. That is the thing we call love, it makes no practical sense but we are all ruled by it in some way. Mothers, fathers, family, close friends, daughters, sons *far off look* and of course lovers." Haku told him, he gained a far off look as he said the word son, that one obviously meant something to him personally.
Naruto just looked down in thought at Haku's meaning of life and love, not sure whether to agree with him or tell him to shut up, but as he looked back at Satsuki laying there, he leaned towards the former.
"I was happy, when I was needed again, it's not ideal, I've never been an effective tool, I was always too soft Zabuza said, but mattering to someone, inconvenient or not, it made me so happy, and I was finally alive again." Haku spoke to Naruto, who thought about his acting up to get attention and the validation he felt when he was noticed.
With Kakashi and Zabuza a few minutes prior
As Naruto seal leaked out a small bit of the great power it locked away, everyone on the bridge felt it, they couldn't not feel it and it shook Kakashi to his core, memories of thirteen years ago coming back in full force, weeping as he saw the lifeless bodies of his sensei and his wife, even if they had died with smiles of their faces as they saved the village and their newborn child from annihilation.
"Nononononono. Please don't tell me the seals come undone?! No wait, calm down Kakashi, it's nowhere near as strong as it was thirteen years, sensei's seal is still holding but some of the nine-tails chakra must have leaked out. I have to finish this, no more half measures." Kakashi raved in his mind as seemingly Zabuza felt it too, eyes wide in shock.
"I-I know this feeling, this chakra! Kakashi! Don't tell me one of your students is?!" Zabuza raved from the mist however before he could finish his question Kakashi finished it for him.
"Maybe, or maybe not, you won't live long enough to find out!" Kakshi spoke as he took a scroll from his flak jacket and wiped the blood from his wound on it and formed a hand sign with the scroll in his fingers.
"Summoning:earth style:fanged pursuit jutsu!" Kakashi spoke as he slammed the scroll into the ground and multiple entities spawned inside the rock that made up the bridge, hunting for the scent they had been given.
Before Zabuza could react, multiple ninken burst out of the earth and bit into him, their teeth sinking into flesh and holding Zabuza in place as Kakashi walked up to him.
"While you can hide from a ninja's eyes and ears, you didn't account for the scent of my blood on your sword, allowing my Ninken summons to track you with ease. It's over Zabuza, I'll end this, not with anything I copied from anyone else, but my own jutsu. To bring an end to the suffering you are helping Gato create, because someone who supports and follows the will of scum like him, doesn't deserve to call themselves ninja!" Kakashi spoke coldly as he waved his hand signs to bring forth his most potent weapon.
He clutched his right arm with his right hand as chakra lightning nature chakra quickly built up and condensed in his hand, the last sound many hostile ninja had ever heard filled tge area, a chirping almost, as Zabuza looked on and tried to struggle uselessly against the fangs buried in his flesh, he knew this would be the end of him.
"It's over! Lightning blade!" Kakashi shouted as he charged, his right arm turned into a spear of lightning, and Kakashi was poised to take Zabuza's life.
"The lightning chakra, it's so dense, there's no way I can stop it!" Zabuza yelled in his mind, even if he could lift the Kubikiribōchō to try and defend against the strike it was so potent it would most likely pirce right through the blade.
Zabuza saw his life flash through his eyes, his early days as a killing machine for his village, his failed coup against the fourth Mizukage to end his madness and his deciple, Haku.
Kakashi ran as blinding speed but just as Kakashi's strike was nearing his heart a mirror of ice appeared, and a bruised and maskless Haku emerged, only to take the blow for Zabuza not even a second after.
Both jonin looked on in shock at the blys actions, Kakashi's mind flashing to another time someone jumped in front of this jutsu, the moment that would forever haunt his dreams.
Zabiza just looked in shock at seeing his follower give up his life in an instant for him, he truly was remarkable.
"Thank you, Haku." Zabuza thought as he wouldn't let his sacrifice go to waste.
With Sakura and Tazuna after the mirror dome went down
Both the young Kunoichi and elderly architect looked on as the dome shattered and the mist clearly slightly. Sakura saw a figure lying on the ground. She wanted to run to them, be it either Naruto or Satsuki to help, but she had to stay by Tazuna's side.
"It's alright, I know you can't leave me, I'll go with you." Tazuna said to her as they both approached the figure to see Satsuki unmoving on the ground, blood covering her clothes and full of senbon.
"No!" Sakura yelled as she crouched down next to her, cradling Satsuki's head in her lap.
"Please don't tell me.." Tazuna said as he looked down at the girl many times younger then herself, he had made her come here, in a way, her blood was on his hand, if only he was truthful, told the leaf village of the true danger and begged them to send a highly skilled and experienced team for a low price, then maybe these kids wouldn't have been dragged into this.
Sakura started to tear up as she looked down at Satsuki.
"I was always the smartest in my class at the academy, I had every test and fact memorized, top marks every time, but in a real battle, I've never been much help, I say I'm better then a deadlast like Naruto but it's not true, what have I really done since I got here? Yet Naruto freed sensei, and has put up more of a fight then I ever have, he's probably still out there, in the mist, avenging Satsuki right now. Then there's Satsuki, I've always looked up to her, she's just as smart as me, pretty and had so much promise as a ninja with her skills, so for a while now, I've been following behind her, trying to be as good a Kunoichi as she is, she's been my idol, next to the legendary kunoichi in history and now she's gone, it's not fare!" Sakura cried, all these book smarts didn't mean crap, she couldn't defend the client or help in her fight with knowledge about history or any of that.
she should have taken things more seriously, training and burning off what she ate and not dieting, not spending time making her hair look nice to compete with Ino and trained to pull the weight on her team. She thought back to how Satsuki blew up at her when she asked the girl about beauty products, she understood now, she didn't care about that stuff because she focused on the important things.
She decided it wasn't ok to leave her like this, and slowly started to gently pull out the senbon, tears wetting the dead girl's clothing.
Back with Haku and Naruto
He really really wanted to, he wanted to give Haku what he stupidly wanted as vengeance for Satsuki, who's dreams had died right there in his arms, she was one of the people he wanted to surpass and make acknowledge him the most, the cold genius who was different from everyone else in the class.
And Haku had robbed the world of her existence, maybe be did deserve to die for it?
"I want to, but this isn't right, not only are you beaten, but if you're just an instrument of that bastard Zabuza." Naruto spoke, turning away from him, a rage filled but also sorrowful look on his face, not entirely sure what to do with Haku,anger and hate warring with his sense of reason inside his head.
Just then they both heard a strange sound, almost like a flock of birds was chirping.
"It seems I may still have use after all, farewell, Naruto." Haku spoke as he formed one handed signs due to his broken arm and before Naruto could act or say anything he lept into an ice mirror that formed and disappeared from view, he then heard a wet thunk sound along with a burst of a sound he couldn't quite place but it sounded like lightning striking almost.
He ran towards the noise and his fears were confirmed. He was Kakashi's outstretched hand covered in lightning lodged firmly into Haku's chest, the attack having obliterated his heart, his body just hanging there lifeless, impaled on his sensei's jutsu.
However what Zabuza did next shocked them both, with utter disregard for Haku's body he swung and would have cleaved both Haku and Kakashi in two had Kakashi not jumped out of the way, now holding Haku's body gently, his Sharingan no doubt letting him escape with his life in that moment.
"You would cut through your own disciple?! After he sacrificed his life for you?!" Kakashi yelled at him as he set Haku down, glaring at Zabuza.
"The way of the shinobi is to use any advantage, any tactic to win, in battle, there are no rules, that's what being a real ninja is!" Zabuza shouted as they clashed yet again, but one of Zabuza's arms was rendered useless due to the bites he suffered. Soon enough Kakashi struck again, he stuck two kunai into his good arm, robbing Zabuza from the use of his massive blade and jutsu.
*clap clap clap*
"Well well well. Seems the big bad 'demon of the mist' is rather disappointing." A smug voice rang out, all parties turned to see a short man in a fine suit and black glasses. He held a sinister smirk as he clutched his cane with both hands, one being in a cast. He was backed up by a large group of thugs, from the looks of it, mostly lowlives who knew how to swing a club and nobody with actual training.
"Gato?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Zabuza shouted at the man, arms flailing limply at his side and dripping blood over the bridge.
"So this is Gato. Looks like he's brought some backup." Kakashi thought as he looked at the group of thugs, luckily he still had a fair share of chakra, his reserves well recovered and acclimated to use of his fanged pursuit and ever more so to the Lightning blade.
"Well you see Zabuza I've decided to cut you loose, you ninja are just too pricey, so my friends here will take care of you and crush every last stinking villager here for daring to interfere with me. However I'll sadly be unable to take revenge for my arm!" Gato spoke like he thought this gang of thugs would be a match for trained shinobi, however as he spoke he walked up to Haku's body and gave the corpse's face a kick, seemingly for his damaged arm.
That single action made Kakashi, Naruto and Zabuza glare at Gato, if looks could kill, the small scumbag of a man would be dead three times over.
"You bastard!" Naruto shouted, he eyes flashing red again, it would be so easy to rip such a small pathetic mortal to shreds!
"Naruto, keep your head." Kakashi spoke, he didn't need Naruto flying off the handle, he saw his eyes flash red.
"So the fox is drawn out by anger…wait WHERES SATSUKI?! Kakashi thought then screamed in his mind.
Over by the girl Sakura was just pulling out one of the needles in Satsuki's neck only for the girl who was seemingly dead to jump up, breathing deeply.
"Oh my God! Satauki!" Sakura shouted on joy as she hugged the girl.
"Wah? S-sakura? What happened?" She asked as she looked around, her vision was blurry and she felt incredibly slow and sluggish, to put it bluntly, she felt like crap.
"Y-you *happy sob* you weren't breathing, I think those *sniff* senbon put you in a near death state. I'm so happy your ok." Sakura said crying into Satsuki's chest, tears of sadness and grief turned into tears of joy.
"The hunter ninja and Naruto, what *pained groan* happened?" Satsuki asked as she decided to accept her place in Sakura's lap for now, it was hard to even move right now.
"I'm not sure, the dome you were trapped in broke, I'm not sure what happened after that." She said, pulling out the final few senbon, making Satsuki wince slightly.
"Could Naruto have found some kind of weakness? He was almost as bad as I was though." Satsuki thought as she finally managed to stand up with Sakuras help.
While that was happening Naruto was unbound and speaking from his heart to Zabuza.
"Don't you give a crap at all?! He's treating Haku like dirt, or do you think the same? Was he just a weapon for you to use and throw away?! He loved you, he'd do anything for you, and he's just a tool?! That's beyond wrong, his final action is to give his life for yours and you just try to cleave through him and Kakashi-sensei! Was that all he was to you?! Disposable?! When you were the closest thing to a father he ever had after his went crazy?!" Naruto ranted to Zabuza, being the voice for his convictions as they were not so different from his own, appalled that Zabuza could think so little of Haku and not seeth in rage at Gato's treatment of his body.
And from these words, the mist demon who had killed his whole class at the age of thirteen, wept, he wept for Haku, who he had originally taken in as a weapon for his plot to become Mizukage, but now that he was gone, he thought back to the sense of pride and genuin joy at raising and training him and the black cold heart that had never cared about anything felt pain and sorrow because he knew in his heart he would never see Haku again and never have his stu-...his boy to lean on again, so the demon cried, for the loss of the boy that was his son in all but blood.
"Your words…cut deep. Deeper then any blade. I'm sorry, I'm sorry I never showed Haku how much he meant to me." Zabuza spoke. As a father wept for the loss of his son.
Naruto looked in shock at the fact that Zabuza against all his talk about being cold and emotionless, was crying for Haku, he only wish the last Yuki was alive to see it.
"Kakashi, give me a kunai, it seems the job I way hired to do has been terminated, so we have no quarrel." Zabuza spoke to the man as he undid the bandages around his face with his mouth, showing his sharp teeth.
Kakashi said no words as none needed to be spoken as he knew what Zabuza would now do. He simply tossed a kunai at him which Zabuza caught between his teeth.
"Naruto, Kakashi-sensei! It's Satsuki, she's ok!" Sakura shouted, waving to them happily as a weak Satsuki leaned on her.
While Kakashi breathed a sign of relief Naruto sprinted to them and embraced Satsuki in a hug, causing a pained and embarrassed groan to escape the last Uchiha.
"Your alight!" He shouted as he hugged the girl.
"I was so worried you…" Naruto trailed off as he thought back to the moment he thought Satsuki had died in his arms, it's unlikely he would never forget.
"It'll take more then some rough acupuncture to kill be you loser." Satsuki had smirking at him in her classic smug way.
"Heh, I always said he was too soft, you never wanted to harm either of them, did you? Haku. Zabuza spoke out loud at seeing Satsuki alive and well, just placed in a near death state by Haku.
"GATO! COME HERE YOU SCUM SUCKING RAT!" Zabuza then yelled in rage. Causing a look of fear to cross the man's face making him retreat behind his goons, ordering them to kill the charging mist demon, armed with only a single kunai between his teeth and significant blood loss.
What unfolded was a true show of sheer will to keep fighting to the bitter end. Zabuza ran through thugs, shrugging off blows and even cutting some throats in his singular mission to reach Gato, coming out of the mob with a back riddled with all kinds of weaponry and yet still coming at Gato like some kind of unstoppable demon, he seems he took the insult to his name personallya dn decided to show Gato what he got that moniker.
"I know I'm definitely going to hell Gato! WANT TO TAKE THE TRIP WITH ME?!" Zabuza asked through the kunai as he used it to carve into Gatos flesh as the small man was utter paralyzed in horror at this ninja, no…this thing that he had angered. The last anyone saw of Gato was his barely alive body flung off the bridge and into the water at some height, it was very unlikely he would survive, the terror to the wave country was cut down in an instant by a demon he summoned, the irony was not lost on the leaf ninja.
After his target had been sliced and sent into a watery abyss Zabuza stumbled back through the mob, none daring to attack the monster of a man for fear his wrath would be turned on them.
Zabuza however collapsed before he could reach Haku's side, his wounds and lack of blood catching up to him, it was a show of the sheer tenacity and willpower of Zabuza that he even managed to reach Gato.
"Even now, I still…can't…reach…you." Zabuza thought as his vision was blurry, his gaze focused solely on Haku, wishing he could stand up and die next to him, but his body just wouldn't move.
"Don't look away, to do any less would be an insult." Kakashi spoke as he saw the three genin start to look away from Zabuza's final moments.
"All those insults seem so stupid and wrong now." Naruto spoke as he witnessed Zabuza prove him totally wrong, Haku's ideals of fighting for someone precious to you being proven right yet again as he witnessed the display of pure, unbridled tenacity.
"Well where the hell does that leave us?!" One thug yelled as his cohorts jeered with him.
"That was our payday. I guess we are just gonna have to take our fee from that village!" Another thug yelled which got the mob to break into violent looks and faces.
"Guess we ain't done yet, but it seems it's just small frys. We got this." Kakashi thought as he covered his Sharingan as he decided to conserve chakra and it was unlikely he would need it for opponents of this level.
"Like we'll just let you!" A child's voice spoke as a bolt landed in front of the mob, all parties turned to see a mob of armed villagers with Inari in the lead armed with a helmet and small crossbow. It seemed Naruto words reached him and he reached the rest of the village.
"Us too, we still have a mission to protect the bridge builder and this bridge!" Kakashi said loudly as he gave Naruto a nod and they each created ten shadow clones each, a wall of Kakashi and Naruto's covering the bridge.
What resulted was the petty thugs and lowlives agreeing on one thing, they just seen this demon guy take so many blows and still kill their payday, now the guys that beat him just make an army of themselves, the response of unanimous, run the fuck away.
And run away they did, they madly threw themselves off the bridge into the water and the boat they had tethered to the bridges side in a mad dash to escape these ninja, with all giving their internal word they would never mess with the affairs of shinobi again, when they would do things like that.
All Kakashi's nodded and dispelled themselves and the group of Naruto's celebrated with one-another.
"All right we did it!" The original Naruto yelled as he brought Satsuki and Sakura into a group hug.
Kakashi however, was doing something much more important, he walked over to the body of Zabuza to find that while he could no longer move, he was just barely clinging onto life.
"Kakashi. Take me to him." Zabuza barely managed to speak out.
He simply nodded, no words needing to be spoken for ninja who had seen as much as they had. He gently pulled all the blades out of his back and lifted him up and placed him next to Haku, still nothing needing to be said.
Sakura, Satsuki and Naruto were now watching silently also, as Zabuza started to tear up.
"Oh Haku, I made you fight and die for my sake, even though you hated it. I always treated you as a tool, even though you meant so much more. I wish I could go to where you are going, but I doubt it, a demon like me? I'm definitely next in line after Gato." Zabuza spoke as he got weaker and weaker, hold Haku's face, it may have just been the blood loss, but he could have swore he saw a tear fall from Haku's eye and freeze, snow also started to fall, as if the heavens were crying for the death of the Yuki clan and kind soul such as Haku.
As the snow fell and Zabuza said his truth to Haku's body he too passed from this world, loss of blood and his wounds finally ending the demon of the mist.
All stood their saying nothing, just letting a father say goodbye to his son, dysfunctional as a father son relationship it may have been.
The next few days passed without much issue, with help from the leaf ninja and many more civilian volunteers the bridge was finished ahead of schedule, Gato's manor, now abandoned, was ransacked and looted, all the villages taking large amounts of ryo they were robbed of, Kakashi did take a cut of the plunder to cover the cost of a full A-rank mission which Tazuna and the rest of the village were more then happy to oblige,, they even offered extra, but Kakashi declined instantly with his genin agreeing, they knew the people of the wave needed it much more, besides, they'd already make a lot more then most genin would from the pay of an A-rank.
The day before they set off they finally found a secluded and fitting location to bury both Haku and Zabuza.
It was not extravagant, two simple wooden crosses they got from a carpenter friend of Tazuna placed on a cliff overlooking the wave village. Kakashi had taken Zabuza's massive blade and implanted it in the earth in front of his cross.
Naruto was just carving the name 'Haku' into the cross, he looked and it and he felt it was…missing something, he thought about it and instantly knew what it needed. He carved it in and placed it into the earth along with the cross that read 'Zabuza Momochi' he knew that needed something else too.
After he was done he looked at it with pride as the two crosses read.
'Zabuza Momochi, loving father'
'Haku Momochi, loving son"
"Good work Naruto." Kakashi said with a sad smile as he looked at the graves.
"Is that what being a ninja is, Kakashi-sensei? Just to be a tool for someone or something?" Naruto asked the man, not really sure what to think after the events of the last few days.
"Well in some ways, yes. We are ninjas of a ninja village so our primary goal to to serve the village and it's interests, but there's more to it then that, there are so many different types of ninja and some of them follow their own nindo, their own ninja way, one important thing you all need to figure out is, what will your nindo be?" Kakashi explained to them, passing on some of his knowledge, his own nindo being about protecting his conrads and those close to him with his life, so the events of the past would not repeat.
"Yea! That's what I'll do, I'm going to find my own ninja way, and follow it to the letter!" Naruto shouted at the sunset which got Kakashi to eye smile and Sakura and Satsuki to smile and shake their heads at his antics.
The next day the team were ready to leave the land of waves, the bridge finished and Tazuna safe meant their mission was officially complete. They stood next to the complete bridge, stretching out to the mainland.
Naruto was surprised to see the words at the top of the bridge.
'The great Uzumaki bridge' they had named the bridge after Naruto, obviously being the child with delusions of grandeur that Naruto was, he loved it.
"Awsome!" Naruto said bright eyed at the carved wooden sign on the bridge.
"Well I wanted to call it 'the great Tazuna bridge' but I got out voted. But we owe this to you Naruto, you restored Inari's smile, which in turn helped us all get back the will and hope that Gato stole from us, we owe you four and the leaf village a great debt, you will always be welcome here in the land of waves." Tazuna spoke as he and a group of villages were there to see them off.
"Well for a bridge over water 'Uzumaki' it a fitting name. But no need to thank us, we were just doing our jobs, but we better head off and report back." Kakashi spoke as he, Satsuki and Sakura turned to leave, the last of which bowing before she walked off.
"Hey Naruto!" Inari spoke at the front of the crowd. Which caused him to turn and look at him.
"Thanks, for making me brave." He said with the grin Naruto had resurrected.
"Ah I just gave you a push, it's thanks to you that I managed to save your mom. Bye everyone! I'll be back to visit someday. Count on it." Naruto spoke as he waved and turned to leave but before he did, he took out a kunai and quickly carved something on the sign as he left, he also did the same on the other side.
It now read. 'The great Uzumaki and Uchiha bridge'. Naruto smiled slightly as he finished it.
Boom there we are, wave done with the longest chapter yet at just over 10k words. I hope you all enjoyed, sorry this one took longer, I've got a new job now so I have less free time to write, and in my old job I had free time to get some quick writing done on my phone (99% of my writing is via phone) which I can still do but slightly less so I just have to ask for patience on new chapters.
But next time…not the chunin exams! We will get there in due time but I have something else I want to write in between.
So I hope you all enjoyed, please comment and review I enjoy hearing your feedback.
