Chapter 1: Sacrifice
The air was sharp and cold, each breath a struggle as Naruto and Sasuke stood back to back. The icy mirrors surrounding them glittered with an otherworldly light, a cage of frozen death. The Hunter-nin's reflection flickered from one surface to another, impossibly fast, taunting them with the inevitability of their failure. Naruto's hands trembled, his kunai gripped too tightly, but he refused to let go. Not now. Not when Sasuke was still standing beside him.
"Dobe," Sasuke's voice broke the silence, cutting and derisive. "You're such an idiot. You had one job—stay back and cover me. But no, you had to throw yourself into the middle of this like a damn fool."
Naruto wanted to scream back at him, to tell Sasuke he'd find a way out—but what could he say? Sasuke was right, and Naruto hated how deeply he knew it. He hated how weak he was. How much of a failure he felt like.
He wished he could snap back, but he couldn't. Naruto had messed up. Again. He'd let his temper and his pride get the better of him, rushing in headlong without thinking. Now they were trapped, and Sasuke's sharp words cut deeper than any kunai.
"I know," Naruto said quietly, his tone bitter and his words spat out like the foulest of poisons. His voice was almost lost in the icy tundra, but Sasuke heard. And he didn't like it, not a bit. "I screwed up. I get it."
Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, surprise flashing in his now crimson eyes. For a moment, his lips parted as though he meant to say something—but all that met Naruto's words were silence.
The Hunter-nin suddenly moved, a blur of motion splitting through the air, a storm of Senbon hurtling toward the pair.
"Move!" Sasuke shouted, his Sharingan having long since tracked the Senbons movement.
Naruto narrowly avoided the Senbon, diving out of the way at the last second. Scrambling to his feet, he gripped his Kunai tightly, eyes desperately attempting to track the Hunter's movements, but there was no time to regroup.
Haku was relentless, his speed and precision overwhelming. The mirrors pulsed with an icy glow as he attacked again, his movements like water flowing between the shards.
Sasuke ducked and weaved through the needles, his movements faster than they had ever been, he searched for a chink in the Hunter's armour, desperately looking for a space in which he could counter-attack. But the Hunter was far too fast, even with his Sharingan he could barely keep up—and Naruto...
Naruto barely blocked another volley, his arms stinging from the force. He looked up, desperate to find an opening, but all he could see was the Hunter's mask reflected in the ice, serene and unreadable.
"This isn't working!" Naruto shouted, panic creeping into his voice. "We can't keep up with him!"
"I know!" Sasuke shouted back, his voice tight with fear and frustration, the two boys backed into each other, gripping their Kunai as though they were a lifeline, their only lifeline, his Sharingan was working intensely, the legendary bloodline of the Uchiha clan working overtime in trying to track the fast movements. But even with all of this, it wasn't enough.
Sasuke's breathing was labored, his stance shaky. He was running out of time—and options.
Sasuke surged forward, trying to distract the Hunter-ninja, to create any opening he could, desperately hoping Naruto would capitalise on it.
The Hunter moved again, faster than before. A barrage of senbon glinted in the dim light, aimed directly at Naruto's unprotected back.
"Naruto!" Sasuke's scream tore through the chaos.
Naruto froze, caught in the instant before impact, his mind blank with fear. But the pain never came. Instead, a blur of blue and white collided with him, knocking him to the ground. He landed hard, the breath punched from his lungs.
When he looked up, it was Sasuke who stood in front of him, arms spread wide, a dozen needles embedded in his body.
"Sasuke…" Naruto's voice was a whisper, choked with disbelief.
Sasuke staggered, his knees buckling as blood dripped from his wounds. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright, but his body swayed dangerously. His Sharingan eyes locked on Naruto's, burning with an intensity that made Naruto's chest ache.
"Why?" Naruto's voice cracked. "Why would you—"
He trailed off, noticing the tear filled irises of Sasuke's Sharingan. "I don't know." Sasuke's lips twitched into a faint crooked smile. "My body just… moved on its own."
He collapsed into Naruto's arms, his weight heavy and unfamiliar. Naruto cradled him instinctively, his hands shaking as he pressed them to Sasuke's wounds, desperate to stop the bleeding.
"No. No, no, no. You're going to be fine. Just—just hold on, okay?" Naruto's words tumbled out in a frantic rush, his voice breaking.
Sasuke's eyelids fluttered, his gaze softening. "You idiot…" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I just… I wish I could've spent more time with you." He said, his voice faint, like the slightest of breezes in spring.
Naruto froze, his heart twisting painfully. The words echoed in his mind, fragile and haunting. Sasuke's body went limp in his arms, his head resting against Naruto's chest.
"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered, his voice small and trembling. "Sasuke?!"
But there was no response.
The ice mirrors around them shimmered, reflecting Naruto's stricken face from every angle. The Hunter's voice, soft, broke the silence. "Is this the first time you've witnessed the death of a comrade?" He said, his tone almost regretful.
Naruto didn't answer. He couldn't. The world around him blurred, his vision tunneling as a storm of emotions crashed over him—grief, anger, guilt, and something darker, more primal. His chest heaved as he clutched Sasuke closer, his tears falling onto the other boy's pale face.
The Hunter's words were anything but soft to Naruto however, to him? in that moment? They were mocking, toxic whispers ringing in his ears.
The world felt distant, muffled, as though it had folded in on itself. His vision blurred with tears, his throat raw from screaming, but Sasuke's pale face was the only thing he could see.
"Sasuke…" he whispered, voice cracking, barely audible over the sound of his own heartbeat. "Please… don't…"
Again however, he was greeted with silence, Sasuke's pale face not even twitching.
The world seemed to ripple and twist, his surroundings fading into darkness. The voices began as faint murmurs, whispers slithering through the cracks of his mind.
"He's dead… and it's all your fault."
Naruto's breath hitched, his pulse pounding in his ears. He looked down at Sasuke's still form, his hands trembling.
"You let him die. Just like you let Iruka-sensei get hurt. Remember?"
Naruto did remember, the memory hitting him like a knife to the chest. Iruka standing in front of him, shielding him from Mizuki's shuriken, blood dripping down his arm.
"No," Naruto whispered, shaking his head. "That's not—"
"Yes, it is," the voices hissed. "Iruka almost died because of you. Because you were weak. Because you couldn't protect anyone."
Naruto's hands clenched into fists, his nails biting into his palms. "Shut up," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
But the whispers didn't stop. They grew louder, more insistent.
"Sasuke is dead because of you. If you had been stronger, smarter, faster—he'd still be alive. You're useless. A failure."
"Stop it," Naruto pleaded, his voice breaking.
"You'll never be enough. Never strong enough. Never good enough. Everyone you care about will suffer because of you. It's who you are. Weak. Pathetic. A burden."
The weight of the words crushed him, his shoulders shaking as sobs racked his body.
And then, a deeper voice rumbled through the chaos, low and malevolent.
"That's right, boy. They're all right about you."
Naruto froze. This voice wasn't a whisper—it was a growl, reverberating through his mind like thunder. His tears slowed, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
"You let your precious people die because you're too weak to protect them. But…" The voice chuckled, dark and sinister. "…I can change that."
"No," Naruto whimpered, shaking his head violently. "You're lying."
"Am I?" The voice purred. "Think about it. You've felt it before, haven't you? My power. The strength to crush anyone who dares to stand against you. The strength to protect what's yours."
Naruto clutched his head, his fingers digging into his scalp as the whispers merged with the fox's voice, a cacophony of venom and temptation.
"Iruka never would have been hurt if i had been free that day..." the fox whispered, it's voice almost seductive.
"Sasuke would still be breathing..." It said it's voice growing louder, more insistent.
Naruto clenched his teeth, his tears scalding hot against his cheeks.
"Let me in, boy," the fox whispered, almost soothing now. "Let me show you what it means to be strong. Let me show you how to make them pay."
A flash of red flickered at the edge of Naruto's vision. His heart pounded as a heat unlike anything he'd ever felt coiled in his chest, threatening to spill over.
"You'll never lose anyone again."
Naruto's breath hitched. He stared down at Sasuke, at his pale face and closed eyes, at the blood staining his clothes.
"Never again…" Naruto whispered, his voice barely audible.
The red chakra surged, boiling to the surface, wrapping around him in a blazing aura. The ice around him cracked and splintered, the ground trembling under the weight of his fury.
Naruto's eyes lifted, burning with a searing red glow. The Hunter took a step back, his expression unreadable as Naruto rose to his feet, the limp weight of Sasuke slipping from his arms.
"I'll make you pay," Naruto growled, his voice guttural, inhuman.
The fox's laughter echoed in his mind, triumphant and gleeful.
Naruto, or whatever remained of him, exploded forward, the force of his chakra detonating the dome of ice.
Coming to a stop in front of the shocked Hunter, he reared his fist back and sent it careening towards his face, his movements feral, wild, and intense.
His fist crashed into the Hunter's mask, shattering it on impact, racing forward, Naruto caught the now unmasked Hunter-Ninja and smashed him into the ground, the force of which cracking the bridge underneath the point of impact.
Rearing his fist back for another blow, his eyes rested upon the face of the now unmasked Hunter-Ninja, freezing in shock, Naruto only uttered one thing. "Haku..."
(*)
Kakashi's breath came in steady, controlled intervals, the same way it always did in battle. The clang of his kunai against Zabuza's blade echoed through the clearing, each strike reverberating like a drumbeat. He could feel the strain in his muscles, the pull of chakra reserves running low, but he didn't stop. He couldn't afford to.
But then, it happened.
A roar—low and guttural—cut through the clash of steel, raw chakra exploding like a shockwave. Kakashi's eyes widened beneath his headband, his Sharingan snapping to the source.
No...
Naruto stood amidst the ruins of Haku's ice mirrors, his body trembling as red chakra billowed around him in volatile, writhing waves. It wasn't the controlled kind—the kind that came from training. It was wild, untamed, and wrong.
Kakashi's heart twisted as his gaze dropped lower, landing on the crumpled form lying at Naruto's feet. Sasuke. His limp body, pale and motionless, told Kakashi everything he needed to know.
Not again.
The thought struck like a kunai to the chest. He barely heard Zabuza's mocking words over the sound of his own blood pounding in his ears.
"So, this is the Kyuubi brat's true power, is it?" Zabuza sneered, his grip on the hilt of Kubikiribōchō tightening. "Guess the rumors weren't exaggerated after all."
Kakashi's fingers curled into fists. His mind flashed with memories he tried to bury—Obito's screams, Rin's lifeless body, Minato's fading smile. One after another, the faces of the people he'd lost layered over the scene before him, until all he could see was Naruto standing over another failure, surrounded by chaos.
For a moment, Kakashi couldn't move. The weight of it all—his failures, his inadequacies, his inability to protect anyone—pressed down on him like a mountain. But then, Naruto lunged forward, his chakra a blazing inferno, and Kakashi snapped back to reality.
He's going to lose himself...
Kakashi knew the signs. He'd seen it before—ANBU comrades overtaken by rage or despair, consumed by their own darkness until they became something unrecognizable. He couldn't let that happen.
"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, his voice sharp and commanding. "Stop! Right now!"
But the boy didn't stop. He couldn't hear him—or wouldn't. Kakashi cursed under his breath, his Sharingan narrowing as he watched Naruto slam his fist into the Hunter's already broken body, over and over again.
God...he's going to kill him.
Zabuza laughed, a harsh, guttural sound that grated against Kakashi's nerves. "Looks like your little genin isn't much better than a beast after all."
The sound of Zabuza's voice was the breaking point. Kakashi's gaze snapped to him, his vision sharpening to a deadly focus.
"Enough," Kakashi said, his voice calm, cold. Too calm.
Zabuza smirked. "Oh? You think you're in a position to lecture me—"
He didn't get to finish the sentence. Kakashi moved faster than Zabuza could react, his hands forming seals in a blur. Lightning crackled in his palm, the sound of a thousand chirping birds filling the air as he surged forward.
"Chidori!"
Zabuza barely managed to lift his blade in time, but the force of Kakashi's strike shattered through it, sending fragments of the weapon scattering across the battlefield. The lightning surged into Zabuza's chest, piercing flesh and bone.
The rogue ninja staggered, blood spilling from his lips as his eyes went wide with shock. Kakashi's hand trembled as he held the Chidori steady, the glow of the technique reflecting in his cold, mismatched eyes.
"You'll never hurt my students again," Kakashi said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. He pulled his hand free, letting Zabuza crumple to the ground in a heap.
(*)
Naruto stared at Haku in shock, his Kyuubi induced rage forgotten for a moment. "Haku...why? You knew..." He said, his eyes widening further, his next words coming out in a dangerous hiss. "You knew...you knew he was my teammate, and you killed him! Why?! I thought we was friends!" He said, his words becoming more guttural, and tumbling from him in a jumbled mess.
Haku didn't reply, his face serene, a soft smile lining his face. "Are you going to kill me? Naruto-Kun?" He said, the soft smile never leaving him.
Naruto's fists slammed into Haku again and again. With every blow, he thought of Sasuke—his tears, his blood, his voice saying 'I wanted to spend more time with you.' Haku didn't fight back. Didn't even flinch. "Why won't you fight me?" Naruto yelled, his voice breaking. But Haku only smiled, that soft, empty smile, as if inviting Naruto to finish it. And that's exactly what he did.
Over and over Naruto beat him, his world a blur of red boiling rage, despite all this however tears pooled in his now crimson eyes, a look of desperation flickering across his face, a oart of him desperately wanted to stop, but a bigger, more rageful part of him wanted to give in, and give in he did.
After some time, Naruto finally stopped, Haku's face and body a bloody bruised mess, he looked unrecognisable, and despite his feelings of triumph he kneeled over and threw up, his eyes wild and intense. "I did it." He thought to himself, horror warring with his triumphant glee. "I killed him. I actually killed him." He could here the fox's pleased menacing chuckles, he was startled from his thoughts by the sound of a scream, turning, he saw Sakura, staring at him with a mix of fear and disgust, Tazuna throwing up on the bridge.
The expected sadness never came, Sakura's reaction didn't sadden him. More than anything he felt hollow, as though a piece of himself had been ripped from him. "It's all my fault..." he muttered, the empty feeling in his chest never leaving him as he gazed at Sasuke's limp body.
(*)
Kakashi turned back to Naruto. The sight of the boy—still seething with red chakra, his hands bloodied and his face streaked with tears—makes Kakashi's stomach churn.
He steps forward cautiously, his voice softer now. "Naruto. That's enough."
But Naruto doesn't respond. He's frozen, staring down at Haku's broken body as the red chakra flickers and churns around him.
Kakashi's gaze shifts to Sasuke, lying motionless on the bridge. He forces himself to kneel beside him, pressing two fingers to the boy's neck. Relief floods him when he feels a faint pulse, but it's quickly overshadowed by dread.
He's alive—for now. But if I hadn't been so slow…
Kakashi clenches his jaw, guilt and anger warring within him. He looks back at Naruto, who's still trembling, the glow of the Kyuubi's chakra dimming slightly.
This is my fault.
The realization hits him like a physical blow. He should have seen the signs earlier. He should have stopped Naruto before it reached this point. Now, his team was in ruins, and the responsibility rested squarely on his shoulders.
Mocking laughter snapped Kakashi from his thoughts, looking up, he sees a small man, in a grey striped business suit and black glasses surrounded by many men armed to the teeth.
"So," the man sneered, poking Zabuza's body with the end of his cane. "Some demon you turned out to be, you whelp, but don't worry." He shouted theatrically. "My boys and I'll finish what you couldn't." He said, his voice oozing with condescension, his goons laughing behind him.
His beady eyes swept over the scene, lingering on Sasuke's limp form and Haku's bloodied body before landing on Sakura, who was crouched beside Sasuke with trembling hands.
"Oh, now this is interesting," Gato sneered, taking a step closer. "Pretty little thing like you crying over that useless boy? What a waste. But don't worry, sweetie. My boys will take good care of you."
Sakura froze, her eyes wide with terror. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
"And this one," Gato continued, kicking Haku's corpse with the tip of his boot, rolling the boy onto his back. His face was unrecognizable, broken and bloodied from Naruto's earlier assault. Gato sneered. "Shame he's dead. A face like that could've made me a fortune. The pretty ones always fetch a high price—boy or girl doesn't matter much in my business."
The mercenaries howled with laughter, their lecherous gazes moving between Sakura, Haku's body, and Sasuke.
"And speaking of pretty…" Gato's eyes narrowed as he pointed at Sasuke. "That one there might still be breathing. Boys, grab him. A rich brat like him could fetch us double—if not more. Hell, I might keep him for myself. Someone like him needs to learn what it means to bow to someone stronger."
The laughter swelled, echoing across the bridge.
Naruto's breathing came in short gasps, his eyes flickering between red and blue as he stared at Gato and his goons with a look of pure loathing on his face, the Kyuubi's whispers seductively tempting him to act, to rip, tear, KILL.
Naruto's body trembled. His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood as his fists clenched at his sides. The heat inside him grew with every vile word that dripped from Gato's mouth, every jeering laugh from his mercenaries.
"You…" Naruto whispered, his voice low and shaky.
Kakashi noticed the shift immediately. His single visible eye darted to Naruto, taking in the boy's trembling frame and the faint flicker of red at the edges of his chakra.
"Stay calm, Naruto," Kakashi said sharply, stepping forward to place a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't let him get to you. He's not worth it."
But Naruto didn't respond. His head was bowed, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Gato grinned, emboldened by the lack of reaction. "Oh, what's this? The little monster can't handle some teasing? What a joke. You're nothing but a weapon, boy. A rabid dog. That's all you'll ever be—good for nothing but killing."
Naruto's head snapped up, and Kakashi's heart sank.
His eyes were different now—wild, bloodshot, and burning with a fiery red glow. The faint aura of red chakra around him began to grow, swirling like a living thing, hungry and volatile.
"Don't," Kakashi barked, his voice commanding. He tightened his grip on Naruto's shoulder, trying to pull him back. "Naruto, listen to me. This isn't the way."
But Naruto's voice cut through the air, low and guttural. "He called Sasuke a thing…" His breath hitched, and the chakra around him flared brighter. "He called him a thing!"
"Naruto, stop!" Kakashi's tone was urgent now, but it was too late.
Naruto moved like a blur, faster than Kakashi could react. The red chakra exploded outward, knocking Kakashi back a step as Naruto launched himself at Gato with a primal roar.
Gato scrambled back with a look of fear on his slimy face. "Get him!" He screamed urgently, his men moving forward to intervene.
Naruto however cut through them like butter, his claws slashing out throats and impaling bodies, his mind screamed at him to stop, begging him to turn back around and listen to Kakashi, all he heard however was the Kyuubis menacing chuckles, the beasts glee palpable, despite his horror he moved forward, slaughtering ten, twelve, before he felt a chop on his neck, instantly sending him into the realm of sleep, the Kyuubi's roars of rage echoing in his hazy mind.
(*)
Hello everyone, i hope you enjoyed this, it's my first attempt at Naruto fanfiction, so please review if you can, as I would like to improve, i hope everyone had a nice Christmas, God bless!