Chapter 8 revised and edited. Review or PM me on what you think about this chapter now.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Naruto anime/manga all I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Heavily demonic voice'
'Fox talking'
"Fox thinking"
*expression*
Jutsu
Flashback
Chapter 8 – The Battle
Naruto took a moment to survey the battlefield. Sasuke was just about exhausted, while Haku seemed fine. Tazuna and Sakura where untouched, while Kakashi appeared worse for wear and appeared quite worn out, with a slash on his chest which showed blood had been drawn. Sizing up his options, he quickly made a shadow clone and sent it to help Kakashi, while he went to help Sasuke.
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With Sasuke
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Naruto had walked into the dome and saw the ice mirrors he noticed from the outside looked undamaged, before all appeared to show Haku. For some reason Naruto just knew only one was the real one, but had no idea how to work it out at the moment.
'Sasuke, tell me what you know about this jutsu.' Naruto requested seriously.
'He uses mirrors to transport himself at super speeds and it appears as though he is all around, when he is really in one place.' Sasuke summed up.
'Have you tired any fire jutsu?' Inquired Naruto.
'Yeah, but they don't work, or I wouldn't be in this mess, idiot.' Sasuke stated.
'Fine, well now it's my time to try my own jutsu, Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu.' Naruto intoned, as a great fireball emerged and struck a mirror. Once the flames died down, it was clear nothing had happened.
'Told you.' Said Sasuke arrogantly.
'Fine, I'll go with plan B, Shadow Clone Jutsu!' Shouted Naruto, with sixteen clones appearing in total, enough so there would be a clone for each mirror in the structure.
'Sasuke, I noticed for a while that you were able to keep up with his movements, have you managed to activate your Sharingan?' Naruto asked.
'No, but I'm close.' Sasuke admitted reluctantly.
'Very well, watch the battle and try to anticipate his movements, once you achieve it, we will attack him together, until then, charge!' Yelled Naruto, commanding all his clones to attack a mirror.
Sasuke watched intently and could see Haku jumping from mirror to mirror. He saw all the clones destroyed, but then his eyes widened when he saw Haku throw five needles, all at Naruto's vital organs. He then charged and pushed Naruto out of the way, only to take the needles himself Sharingan activated at last.
Naruto was surprised to say the least, as he didn't exactly think of Sasuke as a friend and thought the feeling was mutual.
'Why Sasuke?' Naruto asked clearly surprised.
'I don't know I just saw it and moved. Naruto, I hated you, you were always a nuisance.' He growled.
'Argh, I didn't ask for you to save me, so why did you do this?' Cried Naruto.
'My body just acted on its own.' Said Sasuke weakly, before collapsing onto Naruto.
Sasuke was bleeding heavily from the mouth 'Naruto, I have one request, you too were left alone in this world, so you know what it means to suffer as I have, so I ask you, as a fellow shinobi, teammate, and quite possibly the only one who understands me, please kill my brother for me, for it is he who destroyed my clan and made me how I today, cold and uncaring.' Begged Sasuke.
'Sasuke, I do understand how you feel, so I will honour your request.' Said Naruto, with a small smile.
'Thank you… Naruto.' Said Sasuke, before closing his eyes.
Naruto sat shocked, he couldn't believe that Sasuke was dead. Red started to bleed into blue and eventually his eyes turned red. He kept looking at Sasuke's lifeless body and his rage begun to envelop him, seeing the only person who understood his pain laying there utterly motionless. His first friend, dead. Naruto's canines elongated and the first tail emerged. He growled feeling the malice of the Kyuubi's chakra flowing through him, before looking up at Haku.
'YOU WILL PAY!' He shouted in rage.
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With Kakashi
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Kakashi had been fighting with Naruto's clone and was attempting to trap Zabuza close to the edge of the bridge, however he overstepped and Zabuza capitalised, slashing him with his blade, drawing blood once again.
'Well Kakashi, it seems you made a mistake.' Said Zabuza arrogantly.
'It seems you have also.' Said Naruto's shadow clone, pressing his sword on Zabuza's neck.
Zabuza begun to sweat and was worried that this was it, but then suddenly the clone cried in pain, before popping out of existence. Both Kakashi and Zabuza were confused and simultaneously turned and saw the red haze at the ice mirror dome.
"Oh no, I think Naruto lost control, I have to end this NOW!" Kakashi drew a scroll and swiped some of the blood from his jacket onto the scroll. He twirled it around and then placed it on top of his knuckles, while making hand signs, then slammed it on the ground and said 'Ninja Art Summoning, Earth Style: Fang Pursuit Jutsu.'
Little squiggles rushed out and rushed to where Zabuza was. When the markings reached him, ninja hounds burst from the ground and bit on to Zabuza along his neck and all his limbs.
'Got you.' Said Kakashi.
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With Naruto
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The rage was overwhelming Naruto, and he could only cry out in pain, trying to prevent the second tail from coming out. After a fair bit of struggling, he succeeded in stopping it and managed to hold his mind together for the moment.
'HAKU, last chance! I will destroy you unless you abandon Zabuza and join us.' Threatened Naruto, barely succeeding at holding back his rage.
To say Haku was stunned was an understatement, he thought he was finished, yet here he was being offered a second chance.
'I'm afraid I can't accept, Naruto, as long as Zabuza lives, I must serve him.' Haku said rather emotionlessly.
Naruto nodded and crouched down, before he unleashed the tailed fox stream while spinning in a circle, in a similar manner to what he did in the forest, destroying all mirrors and sending Haku flying out with his clothing alight. Naruto walked over and before he punched Haku in the gut, knocking him unconscious he said, 'You won't serve anyone very soon.'
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With Kakashi
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Kakashi made hand signs and formed his very own original jutsu 'Lightning Blade.' He called.
'Zabuza, I won't let you kill Tazuna. He is a brave man and is helping this village recover, so I won't let you destroy this bridge and this village's dreams.' Said Kakashi, while he gripped his hand, even as he literally held lightning in his hand.
'Why should I care, I have my own dreams?' Zabuza retorted.
'But in order to have a dream you need a future, and your future is all used up. This is the end, Zabuza.' Kakashi said and charged in a straight line towards the former Mist ninja.
He thrust his hand holding his jutsu into Zabuza, right through his heart, causing him to die almost instantly.
'Goodbye, Zabuza Momochi.' Said Kakashi solemnly.
Naruto approached the group when Sakura spoke 'Hey Naruto, where's Sasuke?'
Naruto met her gaze, and she instantly thought the worse due to seeing his expression. She ran off to where Sasuke was and begun to cry over his body, believing him to be dead, but within a few minutes, he rose from the ground.
'Sakura, it's hard to breathe with you leaning on me like that.' He called out in a rather raspy tone.
She hugged him a little tighter, before letting him up 'Where is Naruto?' He asked.
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Back with Naruto and Kakashi
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A short plump man was clapping and spoke, 'So I finally see Zabuza dead.'
Both Naruto and Kakashi looked at him 'Who are you?' Both asked.
'Me? I'm Gato, and these fine men next to me are my personal warriors.' Said Gato, indicating the hundred or so men standing around him.
Naruto who was in his first tailed form again and entering his second quickly spoke to Kakashi in an animalistic growl 'He is MINE!'
Kakashi understood trying to stop him was now near impossible since he was almost out of chakra, so he stiffly nodded. Naruto grinned at this and begun to walk forward.
Gato retreated behind his men and said, 'Get him.'
The men then charged while Naruto popped his neck, before he went down on all fours. In a red flash he shot his hand right through the heart of one of them, letting the blood flow freely. He then ducked down to avoid a halberd strike, which decapitated the person he had just killed. Naruto then launched his tail and pierced the neck of the person who attacked him, who coughed up large wads of blood before dying. Naruto then charged and slammed the heads of two bandits together, crushing them like watermelons, sending blood and brain matter splattering along the floor of the bridge. He then realised this wasn't going to satisfy him, so he stood up and drew his sword, before he quickly beheaded the other ninety-six men in a blur of blood and red chakra, before flicking his blade elegantly, removing the blood on it, before sheathing his blade and walking calmly towards Gato.
'Wait! Don't kill me I'll give you anything you want.' Gato pleaded.
'There is only one thing that you can give me to save you.' Said Naruto in his animalistic voice.
'What is it? I'll give you whatever it is.' Gato said desperately.
'Bring back the man you killed in this land who taught the people of this land courage.' Said Naruto, before he gave Gato an evil smirk.
Gato begun to sweat and realised he couldn't do that, so he said, 'But he is... argh!' Gato yelled in pain, as Naruto just ripped his left arm out of its socket.
'Wrong answer.' Growled Naruto.
He watched the blood fall out of the left arm in morbid fascination, and then cut both of Gato's legs at the knee with his sword. Then he stood on his last remaining limb and growled while pulling his arm back, fingers all together in the shape of a knife and claws extended.
'This is for all the hurt you have caused...' Said Naruto, before plunging his hand right through the short man's lung, causing him to cry out in pain and cough out blood, indicated by the sound of a wet splatter hitting the cold stone below. The torture was soon to end though, as Naruto then brought his other hand up in the shape of a fist '...and this is for Inari.' He almost whispered, before smashing his fist into Gato's skull, going right through his brain, killing him instantly. Naruto withdrew his hands and walked back to Kakashi, who gave him a look of understanding laced with worry, and a hint of fear.
'Don't worry, Kakashi, it's me not Kyuubi.' Sighed Naruto tiredly, releasing his demonic chakra and turning around to see Inari, with all the villagers behind him.
'Naruto, I know you said a hero shows up at the last minute, but you didn't really leave us with much.' Said Inari, half surprised and half joking, suppressing the small amount of fear at the site of pure carnage in front of him.
Naruto walked over to Zabuza and after Kyuubi told him how, sealed Zabuza's sword into a scroll.
Haku chose this time to wake up and looked around and saw Zabuza dead. He picked up a needle and was about to pierce his heart, when Naruto stopped his hand.
'Haku, you are free now, so I will ask you this again. Will you abandon Zabuza and join us, or will you simply kill yourself, eliminating your purpose?' Asked Naruto compassionately.
Haku thought about it before saying 'I have no purpose anymore.' And he turned his head away in sadness.
'I have one for you. For you to be my friend and live your life the way you want it.' Said Naruto with a smile.
'Naruto?' Asked Haku in surprise, but after looking at the whiskered Uzumaki's face which only showed a smiling visage full of compassion, Haku paused in hesitation.
'I accept your offer.' Said Haku after some deliberation, the beginnings of a smile appearing on his face.
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Next week
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The bridge was finished and Team Seven and Haku were just about to head back to the Leaf village.
Before they left, Inari spoke, 'Guys come back real soon, okay?'
'Don't worry Inari, we will see each other again someday soon.' Said Naruto smiling.
Tsunami walked up to Naruto and kissed him on his right check, which caused Naruto to blush slightly.
'Thanks Naruto.' Said Tsunami softly, leaving almost everyone floored.
Naruto scratched his cheek bashfully, before turning away to hide his growing blush.
'HAHA she just made my day, I am never going to let this go Naruto.' Said Kyuubi happily.
As the ninja were leaving, the villagers begun to ask about the name of the bridge, before Tazuna spoke, smiling at Naruto's form moving away in the distance 'We will call it The Great Naruto Bridge.'
Tsunami chuckled.
'That's a good name and hopefully it will stand as a beacon of strength for years to come, just like Naruto was for this village and the bridge.' Said Tsunami, with a soft smile.
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Just as they were nearing the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Kakashi finally snapped out of his shock from Naruto getting kissed and spoke up.
'Naruto, if you really want your friend here to be a part of the village you are going to have to take him to see the Hokage.' Advised Kakashi.
Naruto nodded and as soon as they were in the village, he took Haku straight to the Hokage tower. Naruto walked into the tower with Haku following behind. He arrived at the Hokage's door then knocked and went in. The Third was sitting at his desk and other than looking a bit worn out, seemed quite happy to see Naruto.
'Ah, Naruto, how is everything?' Asked Hiruzen, beaming at Naruto.
'Good, but I'm here on business old man.' Said Naruto seriously, but also smiling at the warm greeting.
'Who is this?' Asked Hiruzen, gesturing towards Haku.
'This is Haku, we met on our last mission in the Land of Waves and long story short, he is here to become a Leaf shinobi.' Said Naruto.
'Yes, Naruto here saved my life and I wish to repay the favour. I would also like to be on his team.' Said Haku politely.
The Hokage thought about it and decided to agree after some thought.
'Very well, I will agree to these terms and allow Haku to become a Leaf shinobi, but he must face a test to see if he has the skills to be one.' Said the Hokage seriously.
Naruto nodded, while Haku respectfully bowed before they both left.
"Hopefully that boy will be able to teach Naruto how to show respect. Then again, I don't think that will ever happen, Naruto is nothing if not stubborn." Thought the Hokage, mentally chuckling, before audibly sighing and returning to his paperwork.
"I really hate paperwork." Thought Hiruzen, before resuming his mind-numbing task.