A/N: So I uploaded this chapter last week but forgot to actually post it and didn't realise until I went to post chapter seven! Deepest apologies for missing a week!
One night. That was all the time I had to train with my new jutsu before the meeting on the bridge. If Haku hadn't managed to pull through for us, then it would have to be enough. Fortunately, seeing as Naruto had finished the tree climbing exercise earlier than in canon, he was able to accompany us to the bridge with Tazuna, though I did convince him to leave Shadow Clones behind.
"Someone might try to use Tazuna's family as leverage," I had told him, which had been enough for him to leave four copies of himself to watch the house.
We arrived on the bridge to find the workers laying around unconscious, senbon sticking out from their necks. Hopefully they, like Zabuza before, were only in false-death states. Still, this didn't bode well for my plan.
"Eyes open," Kakashi ordered. "Looks like our friends have been here." We advanced slowly, searching for any indication of Zabuza and Haku's location. Then the fog rolled in. "The Hidden Mist Jutsu. Team: Manji formation again, and stay alert." We followed orders and took up out positions, kunai out and ready. I tried to use my Sharingan, but the chakra that saturated the fog just turned it into a shining blue smokescreen that made me wince, so I had to drop it and rely on my hearing instead.
"So we meet again." Zabuza's voice seemed to come from all around us, preventing us from locating his position or even general direction.
"You lost last time, Momochi-san," Kakashi warned. "If you think the outcome can change after only a week, you're a fool."
"Is that what you think?" Zabuza chuckled darkly. "Normally I'd be happy to prove you wrong, but circumstances have changed. We're just here to talk, not to fight."
"I'm sure the workers you incapacitated would be delighted to hear that."
"I apologise, but appearances had to be kept up," Haku explained. "None of them have been permanently damaged."
"Sensei, what do we do? Do we listen to them?" Sakura whispered. Kakashi sighed.
"Alright. We're willing to talk. I give my word that we will not attack if you don't."
"A shinobi's word isn't worth much," Zabuza commented. "But I suppose that's the best we're getting." The fog rolled back, leaving a space about ten metres wide clear, but still surrounded by a wall of white. The Kiri missing-nin stepped out of the mist, Haku by his side in full hunter-nin garb. Kubikiribocho was slung over its wielder's back, and both shinobi kept their hands conspicuously visible and empty.
"So," Kakashi asked conversationally, "what's this about?"
"Gato intends to betray us," said Zabuza. "Haku, tell them what you heard." The boy stepped forward and relayed the details of a conversation he'd overheard between Gato and the head of the mercenary company he'd hired.
"So you see," he finished up, "fighting here would be against all our interests."
"Right," Zabuza agreed. "We no longer have any reason to go after the bridge builder. Instead, we'd like to take your little genin up on his plan."
"My genin's plan…?" I heard Kakashi whisper in confusion, and took this as my cue. Stowing my knife, I stepped up beside my sensei.
"Thank you Momochi-san, Haku-san." Kakashi shot me a searching look. "Gato and his goons will likely be waiting nearby for us to kill eachother. All we have to do is lure them out by staging a big fight, making them believe we're worn down. When he shows up to gloat, we cut our way through his men and bring him down. Momochi-san and Haku-san take any valuables from his mansion, Tazuna-san builds his bridge, and we all go home alive."
"Why bother with all the goons?" Sakura asked from behind me. "It seems so unnecessary. Why not just kill Gato?"
"Because," I explained, "if only Gato dies, his men will rampage and loot the village to recover their promised payment. It'll be complete pandemonium. However, if they're slaughtered on the bridge, the survivors will be terrified, especially if we throw out some big, flashy jutsu. They'll flee like rats from a sinking ship." There was a moment of silence as my plan was considered, until Zabuza burst out laughing.
"Maybe I was wrong about you Konoha genin, kid! Calling for a big old bloodbath like that? You might actually make a decent ninja yet! We're in!"
"Alright. Kakashi-sensei?" The cyclopian jounin sighed.
"...Okay. I'd prefer a plan with less bloodshed, but it's the best option we have."
"Great." I pulled out an explosive tag from my pack. "So let's make some noise, throw some knives around, shoot some fireballs – put on a good show for Gato and his boys."
A short distance away from the bridge, a short businessman carrying a cane stood with 150 bandits, ronin, and other assorted ne'er-do-wells watching the ongoing battle on the bridge. Well, he assumed it was an ongoing battle, anyway – the massive cloud of fog covering the structure made it impossible to see what was actually happening, but the constant explosions and occasional knives and throwing stars flying out of the mist certainly indicated significant conflict. They were watching for a good fifteen minutes before things seemed to begin dying down. Gato grinned.
"Alright boys! Looks like the fighting's over, and the survivors will be sitting ducks for us! So let's get going! Remember, I want everyone there dead, and the man who brings me Zabuza's head gets triple pay!" A cheer went up through the ranks, and the thugs began moving out.
Haku dropped back into the fog from the position he'd been spying from.
"They're on their way!"
"Alright everyone, positions! Henges up!" Kakashi called, and immediately, we all used the Transformation jutsu to make ourselves look beat-up and injured. Zabuza planted his sword in the bridge and leaned on it, then began allowing the fog to dissipate. Before it was completely gone, I clasped my hands together in a hand seal.
"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Two clones formed from the mist at my side and then Transformed into shuriken, which I grabbed and hid behind my back. When the fog was gone and Gato's goons arrived on the bridge, we were all bent over and panting, looking for all the world like we'd been doing our damnedest to murder eachother.
The sound of slow clapping issued forth from the motley crew of thugs and cutthroats that had appeared at the end of the bridge. The crowd parted, revealing a short, suited man in sunglasses strolling towards us.
"Well well, what do we have here?" Gato drawled smugly. "They're still not dead, Zabuza-san? Tch, you really are incompetent, aren't you? So much for the Kirigakure no Kijin, huh? See, this is why I wasn't planning to pay you!"
"Yeah, about that…" Zabuza stood up, casually pulled his sword from the bridge, and slung it over his shoulder. "I knew you were going to turn on me. I'd tell you to do a better job keeping your next betrayal secret, but there won't be a next betrayal." As the rest of us all straightened up, Gato's smile disappeared and he took a step back.
"What the hell's going on here!?"
"You've been played is what's going on here. Goodbye, Gato-san. I'd say it was a pleasure, but that'd be a lie." Gato turned to run, pushing his way through the crowd behind him.
"Kill the ninja!" he screamed. "Quickly! Quadruple pay for Zabuza's head!" The crowd pushed forward with a mighty roar. Zabuza raised his sword, Haku drew a handful of senbon, Sakura reached into her shuriken pouch, Naruto conjured two dozen Shadow Clones, and Kakashi and I readied our Sharingan.
"Go, and watch eachother's backs!" Kakashi ordered. I tossed my 'shuriken' over the heads of the crowd, began running through hand seals, and charged along with my comrades.
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
I was practically dancing through the throng of thugs, Sharingan darting around, knife flashing in the light. Dodge, parry, slash, stab. Throw shuriken left, jump a spear, kick backwards. The rhythm of battle had possessed me, I was but a puppet dancing on Bishamonten's strings. There was no thought, just instinct. Action and reaction. Around me, explosive tags were blasting, water and ice flew, blades and stars cut men down by the multitude. Seemingly out of nowhere, a spear came from the crowd directly at my face. I moved to the right, the spearhead just barely scratching my left cheek, and responded with a series of hand seals.
"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!" A number of men in front of me were engulfed in flames, screaming in pain as their flesh blackened and charred. I breathed, wiped the sweat from my brow, drew a second knife and moved on, using the fear and anger from my near-death experience to fuel my rampage through the crowd.
It was not long before the thugs, poorly-trained and uncoordinated as they were, broke and routed, screaming and crying for mercy. I was left tired and panting, but still full of adrenaline. Finally getting a breather, I realised I was covered in blood. My clothes were soaked in it, my skin splattered, even my hair had been splashed in crimson. I fell to my knees and barely managed to keep my breakfast down. The metallic reek of blood hung thick in the air. Looking around, I saw that Naruto was having a similar reaction, face pale and heaving. Sakura was worse, she was shaking and crying. Neither of them were seriously hurt, though – in fact Sakura was pristine. I figured she must have hung back and fought only with thrown weapons. I took a deep breath, swallowed, and pushed myself to my feet. Looking around at the carnage was surreal.
I… I did this. All around me, dozens of men were cut open and burned beyond recognition, their faces frozen in horrified expressions of terror and pain. Everything was so vivid, the details searing themselves into my mind. It had to be done.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, I turned to see Zabuza strolling towards me, bloody sword resting on his shoulder.
"So the brat was an Uchiha the whole time," he commented at the sight of my eyes. "You've impressed me, kid. You handle death a hell of a lot better than the other brats. I'm almost reminded of myself when I was your age."
"Was that supposed to be a complement?"
"Ha! Well I'm not sure you Konoha types would see it that way, but I'd certainly say it is!" He looked around. "Hey! Anyone seen Gato!?"
"Right here!" On cue, my two clones stepped out from behind a pillar, Gato tied up and held between them. His trousers were soaked in piss, and his expression was one of pure, unbridled terror.
"Ah, finally." Zabuza casually approached the bound businessman and hefted Kubikiribocho into the air.
"W-wait!" Gato pleaded desperately. "L-let me go! I'll pay you five- no, ten times what I offered you!"
"Tch, you really are pathetic. You know, I've wanted to do this since the day we met, Gato-san. Goodbye." With one mighty swing, the treacherous weasel was split clean in half, bathing my clones in blood and viscera, causing them to dispel themselves in disgust. "Well, it's time for us to go loot that fool's mansion, see if we can't make up for the lost payment. Come on, Haku, let's get going." Zabuza began heading off. Haku started to follow, but stopped and turned back briefly.
"Thank you, Uchiha-san." After a bow, he walked away from the bridge.