Naruto's Hashira Journey

(The next day)

The awaited day has come, both team 7 and Tazuna embarked their way to the nearly completed bridge. Tazuna, strapped his bag, firmly tightened it up.

"Tsunami, Inari! We'll be going now! Don't worry we'll be back in no time" Tazuna said as he adjusted his glasses

Tsunami waved her father goodbye while Inari was behind her. "Father, don't push yourself too hard and come back safe!" She says, reminding him to be careful of his health

"Hahaha! Don't worry about me and I promise I will" Tazuna laughed a bit and reassured her

Behind him is Team 7 who is waiting patiently for Tazuna. Kakashi is engrossed in his book while Naruto and the others are just minding their own business. Naruto waited patiently as he tapped his foot on the ground

"Umm...Kakashi-sensei, once this mission is over, could you train us on something more advanced since we all got the basics down?" Sakura asked, as she hovered behind Sasuke "she's right sensei, since we all learned the basics, it's time we train a little bit more advanced" Naruto agreed with her

"Hmm, well you guys did do well on the tree climbing exercise so yeah let's make it a little bit more challenging" Kakashi said as he flashed them his one eyed smile

Delighted hearing this, they couldn't wait to get back at the village. Then they saw Tazuna walking to them

"Alright everyone! Let's go!" He said, earning nods from them as they embarked

Both Tsunami and Inari stood by the doorframe as they saw them leaving "Take care!" She said. Inari kept watching them as he kept thinking about what happened yesterday

(Flashback)

Inari still didn't respond as he kept staring at Naruto. He just kept his eyes on him as the confused blonde still tries to figure out what he is doing here

"...why?" Inari finally speaks "why are you still doing all this? Just why did you bother to try at all?!"

Naruto stood, still, shocked by Inari's outburst

"No matter how hard you train, you're still no match to Gato's men!" His tears run down his face "No matter what claims you made, how hard you try, y-you'll... just end up dead!" He sobbed as he shut his eyes trying to stop his tears

Inari felt a touch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw Naruto near Infront of him

"Inari-kun, I understand what you're feeling..." Inari was about to retort but Naruto cut him off "I know you'll say that I don't understand but trust me, I do" he crouched to face him

"I, too know how your father figure died, doing the right thing. He tried to protect your village, he tried to protect his family, he tried to protect...you" stated Naruto somberly

Inari's face covered in snot and tears streak down to his chin, he held his head down as he doesn't want to face him. "But why? Why did he do it, even if it gets him killed..."

"He did it because no one would. He knows everyone is afraid of Gato. Yet he still tries to stop him, even if it kills him"

"B-but why...just why?" Inari uttered as his voice shook

"Because of you" Naruto said gaining Inari's attention as he lifts his head

Naruto calmly smiles at him, "He loves you, your mother, Tazuna-san, and his village. He is willing to risk his life to protect the people important to him. You're lucky that you still have someone loving you"

He pauses for a moment and continues, "Back in my village, I was treated as an outcast, orphaned. I don't know who my parents are, but there is Jiji who took me in. Even though I was treated harshly by the villagers, I didn't complain and worked hard enough to be here today" he said with a saddened expression on his face

Inari is startled upon hearing this; he had no idea, but he now views Naruto in a new light. Thinking back when he first met him, he thinks of him as someone overconfident, someone who didn't realize the suffering they experienced, yet here he is telling him about his own pain

"Come on..." Naruto gently nudged Inari "let's go back to the house" he patted his back as he and Inari went back to the house

(Flashback end)

Inari gathered the courage and yelled "Ojichan! Come back safe okay?! And Naruto, I'm sorry about yesterday, good luck to you guys!"

Tsunami, who was beside him, was surprised but smiled. Tazuna and Team 7 looked back before glancing at Naruto. Naruto smiled and answered, "It's alright, Inari-kun, and thanks!" Tazuna observes this and puts a little smile on his face, knowing that Naruto did something that helped his grandson. "Sure, Inari! Grandpa will be fine, just you wait I'll be back soon!"

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As they approached the building site, Tazuna had a bad feeling. "That's odd, usually I would hear the loud sounds of working, but it's dead silent today..." He said. Kakashi tensed up as he, too, suspects something is amiss "everyone, be alert and stick together" he ordered his team as his voice became serious instead of his typical tone.

They nodded as they warily walked towards the location. "What the hell?!" Tazuna's abrupt yell alerted them as they noticed him rushing ahead of them.

They followed him as they finally saw multiple injured bridge workers, their bodies bloodied and sprawled on the ground unconscious. They heard coughing and realised one worker is still conscious but barely 

Tazuna ran and carefully cradled him in his arms as he questioned "what the hell happened here?!" The worker gasping, he murmured "a-a...monster..." Before passing out

'it must be him...' Kakashi thought. "Naruto! Get all of the bridge workers back to Tazuna's house, now!" He issued an order to Naruto, who nodded

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" He summoned five shadow clones and said clones carried them on their backs and started sprinting to Tazuna's house

Both Kakashi and his team observed the mist becoming thicker and rising. "Everyone be on guard, they're here!" Shouted Kakashi as he and his squad gathered up back-to-back

As the mist surrounded them, they heard Zabuza's voice in the distance: "Long time no see, Kakashi"

Sasuke's body began shivering as soon as he heard Zabuza's voice. "I see you're still with those brats. Hehehe, look at him, he's shaking again, poor kid..." He mocked as he noticed Sasuke's state, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Sasuke tightly held his kunai, as if trying to stop shaking, and held his head down

Suddenly, multiple Zabuza's appeared in front, surprising them. Sasuke sees this, he lifts his head up and smirks "I'm shaking in excitement!" He corrected Zabuza

Zabuza's eyes narrowed upon hearing this. But before he could do anything, Kakashi interjects "Do it. Sasuke"

Hearing this, Zabuza raised Kubikiribōchō, aiming to end their lives. But in a burst of speed, Sasuke ran and attacked resulting in them all to disperse into water. He returned to his position and smirked. Kakashi immediately called out to Naruto

"Naruto, now! Get rid of the mist!" He shouted

Naruto quickly formed hand seals and took a deep breath "Fūton: Ressenpū!" He let out a stream of wind from his mouth, strong enough to blow the mist away, clearing the area

As the mist subsided, in the distance they saw recovered Zabuza and Haku in his hunter-nin outfit and mask. Zabuza let out a whistle "looks like they were prepared. Those two brats got strong, it seems rivals have appeared huh, Haku"

Haku stood beside Zabuza as he replied "Indeed"

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The shadow clones ran to the house, carrying the injured workers on their backs. They raced quickly as the distance to the house became closer. "Almost there.." the shadow clone said.

During their run, several of the clones saw slash marks on the trees and a bleeding boar on the ground. All of it seemed to be heading towards the house, and the clones sensing this called up the one in front. "Hey! We found something!" Shouted clone#3

This immediately got clone#1 attention. Stopping for a bit, he approached clone#3

"What's wrong?" He asked, wondering why they called him out

"Listen, we just saw some slash marks on the trees and a bleeding boar that's been cut up. We also saw more slash marks and I think it's heading towards the house" said clone#4

Hearing this, Clone#1 suddenly had a bad feeling

"Kyyyaaaa!!" A frightened scream was heard coming from the direction of the house

As soon as the scream was heard, all of the shadow clones rushed towards the house. When they arrived, they noticed the front of the home had been taken down, leaving a large hole. Acting fast, clone #1 gently places the injured worker on the ground and calls out the rest of them

"You and you, with me; the rest of you, stay here and protect them, just in case," clone#1 signals for clones #2 and #3 to join him, leaving clones #4 and #5 with the injured. They nodded, and the trio went to deal with the threat within

"*Grunt* Hold still," Thug#2 growled, the threat hanging heavy in the air, "or my friend here will kill your kid if you keep on squirming too much." The urgency in his tone sent a shiver down her spine as she hesitated, fearful for Inari's safety.

Inari, tears flowing down his cheeks, trembles in fear as he glances over the corner, attempting to muffle his cries, while the thugs tied up his mother

'Mom...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry' he sobbed 'i couldn't protect you' he thought

'Inari'

Like someone is calling out to him. He thinks back Naruto's words back at the forest

'He did it because no one would. He knows everyone is afraid of Gato. Yet he still tries to stop him, even if it kills him' Naruto's words echo in his head as he stopped his tears

Then he remembers the words of his father, from the day they met

'No matter how tough, no matter how sad, you must try and try...and even if you lose your life, protect it with these two arms. If you do that, even if you die, the proof of a man's life will remain forever' his dad smiling at him

Inari wiped his tears, his fist clenched, and with a newfound determination in him, he quickly ran to catch up to his mother's captors as they began to walk out of the house

The two thugs brought Tsunami outside as they began to escort her as per their boss' orders. "Walk faster" said thug#2 as he held her arm. "Kekeke...You have some pretty skin, makes me want to cut it" Thug#1 on the other hand, decided to be creepy which is working, while thug#2 muttered "all you think of is cutting something. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey!" They turned their heads and saw Inari

"Huh?" Thug#1 exclaimed. Tsunami face turned pale as she shouted "Inari!!"

"Get..." He hesitated for a moment 'i...I can do it' he thought. "GET AWAY FROM MY MOM!" He yelled, as he runs towards them

Seeing that Inari is running to them, Thug#1 couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Geez... this kid must have a death wish"

Thug#2 has his hand on his katana, he signals to thug#1 "let's cut him down" the both of them grinned as they unsheathed their weapons

Seeing this, Tsunami shouts to her child "Inari!!". Inari closed his eyes as he closed the distance between them. The thugs struck him as they grinned sadistically, they looked to see his supposed corpse before them but in confusion saw nothing but his bucket hat on where he was

Inari cautiously opened his eyes, feeling no pain, and was faced by crystal blue eyes staring at him. The familiar colour of blonde and red quickly identified his saviour

"Naruto!" A feeling of relief washed over him when he saw him

But this time, Naruto is not smiling. His expression devoid of emotion. He turned to face the thugs. "Hey...your one of those-" thug#1 was cut off when he saw Naruto's eyes. His eyes, cold and calculating got him uneasy. The thugs paralyzed in fear of his expression didn't sense the incoming clones about to strike them behind

With a swift kick from the shadow clones from opposite sides, causing them to collide their heads one another, rendering them unconscious.

Clone#3 turned to Tsunami and cut off the ropes, freeing her. Now free from her bindings, she rushed to Inari who is being comforted by clone#1

"Good job out there, Inari-kun" he said as he patted Inari's head, who muttered a 'thank you' to him

Inari was immediately embraced by his mother and was immediately scolded by her for doing something reckless. She looks at Naruto and said

"Thank you, Naruto-san" she thanked him, he saved her and Inari in time. His expression quickly switched to a smile as he felt relieved, even though he's just a clone it feels good to be thanked

"You're most welcome, Tsunami-san. But forgive me for saying this, I am but a shadow clone. The original is on the bridge, possibly fighting Zabuza" clone#1 said, earning looks of worries from them

"Tsunami-san, could you please aid the injured workers? Kakashi-sensei instructed me to go directly to the house for their protection and recovery"

"Leave it to me" said Tsunami

Both she and Inari retreated inside their home, as the shadow clones returned to the injured. All shadow clones entered the home immediately and carefully placed the workers on the futons put out by Inari. Tsunami is now patching them up with a medical kit beside her, and Inari is aiding her as required. After the whole situation cleared, the thugs were tied up firmly and placed outdoors, knocked out cold with a possible concussion. The shadow clones disperse as their objective has been completed

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From one side is Kakashi, as he attacks Zabuza with his sharingan, but Zabuza defends himself with the flat side of Kubikiribōchō against a kunai. On the opposite side, Haku is calmly observing Sasuke while engaged in a taijutsu combat. Sasuke uses his newfound speed to match up against Haku as they exchange fists

Both Kakashi and Zabuza saw this and thought

'ah...the uchiha brat can keep up against Haku's speed' Zabuza mused by this

'hmm' Kakashi seeing this knew he has to act fast

"Sakura, quickly step Infront of Tazuna! And Naruto, assist Sasuke, now!" He quickly ordered them as he quickly leaps away from Zabuza's attack. Naruto was about to speak when he was interrupted by the shadow clones' memories. He nodded and went into action, unsheathing his katana

He quickly joined Sasuke and double team against Haku. Seeing this he quickly threw senbon at them. Without saying any words, they dodged and charged. The two weaved through the projectiles, casually deflecting some that are too near them.

Sasuke attacked first by slashing Haku with his kunai but was deflected by him using his senbon. Haku ducked a overhead slash by Naruto and struck a blow to the face, disorienting him. Sasuke tried again but with a mix of kicks to it. As soon as Haku deflected his attacks, Sasuke kick on Haku's unguarded areas giving him the advantage, causing cuts to appear on Haku's clothing

Using his left hand, reverse grip his kunai. He lunged towards Haku who blocked his attack. But was attacked by the side from Naruto, followed by a quick punch by Sasuke. Haku and Sasuke clashed again using their weapons as they try to overpower each other

"I don't want to kill you...but you won't stand down, will you?" Haku questioned Sasuke

"Don't be foolish" he replied

"I knew it...but you won't be able to keep up with my speed the next time. Plus I already gained two advantages"

"Two advantages?"

"The first is the water on the ground. And the second is that I have one of your arms occupied" he explained as he raised his hand Infront

"Therefore, you won't be able to defend yourself"

Sasuke's eyes widened as to what he saw left him shocked

'wait—his using one hand?!'

Haku began to weave a set of hand seals using only one hand, surprising everyone

'Seals with one hand!? I've never seen such a thing before..." thought Kakashi, surprised to see such a thing in front of him. Zabuza smirked seeing his opponents expression

"Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishō" he finishes. The surrounding water around them started to gather and formed thin, needle projectiles. Zabuza inwardly thought 'so he doesn't want to kill him...eh. I wonder if that's how he really feels' he mused at the thought, slightly raising his eyebrow

'shit! Not good. I gotta get him out of there!' Naruto thought as he sprints to them

The water needles flew towards Sasuke. Thinking quickly, he formed a half-ram seal and concentrated his chakra

The water needles slowly shot at him, as if time had slowed down. "Remember...the training. Concentrate the chakra on my legs...'

The water needles fired at Sasuke with startling speed, as if time had been accelerated. His muscles were stiff and filled with chakra. Jumped away from the danger, the excess chakra from his legs generated a shockwave, causing all of the water projectiles to burst, and Haku, who was in front of him, was sent sliding away from the force of the jump

Haku sensing danger from above hopped away from the shuriken thrown at him, 'damn!' he cursed. He was about to retaliate but was suddenly attacked from behind as a slash wound appeared on his arm, shredding his sleeve in the process.

He gritted his teeth in pain. He eventually spots Naruto with his katana, as he was the one who attacked him. Naruto suddenly closed the space between them, leaving Haku with no place to breathe

"Water Breathing Fourth Form: Striking Tide"

Naruto released an enormous slash of water at Haku. Haku spotted this and dodged, but his hair was caught in the range of the attack, losing some in the process

Setting some distance away from him, Haku gasps for air as he touches his neck where Naruto's attack would have hit. 'zabuza-sama, forgive me. I underestimated him' he thought

His instincts screamed at him, and feeling danger, he turned around and raised his forearm, blocking a sneak attack from Sasuke who appeared behind him. Sasuke discreetly threw a kunai at Haku's disguised face, but Haku dodged under it. However, he was caught off guard when Sasuke's foot hit him by the mask, sending him flying away

Haku crashed on the ground and dizzily got up. Zabuza was taken aback by the scene as he pushed Kakashi off of him, hitting him in the process

'shit! Haku's getting overwhelmed by those two but the real threat is that blondie' he narrowing his eyes on Naruto

"Haku, at this rate we'll be driven to corner. Do it, use your jutsu" he commanded Haku, seeing as the situation is getting dire for them

"Hai. We can't have that" said Haku, chakra leaking from his body

'what the hell is this?' Sasuke said in mind

Naruto caught a sight of his breath. 'The air's gone cold' He was stunned as he tries to figure out what's going on

Haku expertly accomplished a single hand seal, causing a strange noise that drew Naruto and Sasuke's attention from behind. Their curiosity peaked, they quickly shifted to see ice appear before their eyes. The ice gradually grew, becoming a towering, crystal structure that eventually changed into a reflecting surface similar to a mirror

The two genins were stunned as they saw the same ice mirror forming around them. Encasing them, trapping them into a dome made of ice mirrors

"Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō"

Seeing their predicament, they try to look around for a way to escape. "I suggest you two give up. There is no escaping this" Haku stated

Kakashi seeing this, alarmed and worried. 'what kind of jutsu is this?' he thought

Haku steps forward behind the ice mirror and enters inside,merging with the mirrors, like a reflection, he was seen in all of the mirrors around them

With no hesitation, he threw a volley of senbon to them, causing them to defend themselves. Naruto and Sasuke deflected the attack but were overwhelmed by the number of senbon. Seeing as the attack stopped, they panted as they failed to block most of the senbon, resulting in getting hit, some of it were burrowed deep while others are sticking out. 'Fuck!' they both cursed, seeing the state their in

'Forgive me, Naruto' Haku sadly thought "I'll show you my true speed" he steeled his heart and went for the kill

In a speed faster than the naked eye, Haku transferred himself to another mirror, striking them along the way

Sasuke cried in pain, suffered a cut on his shoulder; the wound was not deep but it seeped blood and dripped all over his arm

Haku accelerates as he utilises the mirrors surrounding them to his advantage by continually cutting them. Naruto did his best to keep up with Haku's onslaught. He breathes heavily, coating his blade with water, as he and Sasuke protect themselves yet still sustain cuts. Their clothing resembles rags. Their arms, legs, and faces have cuts all over, as they continue to protect themselves

Sasuke was angered, he decided to use a great fireball, trying breaking the mirrors where Haku's is positioned

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" He exhaled as a flame blasted out of his lips, aiming toward the mirrors. Naruto dove down to dodge the flames as it struck its target. "Hey! Be careful where you aim!" shouted Naruto

'since it's made of ice, that should break it down' he thought, smirking while ignoring Naruto

But his smirk wore off as he saw his jutsu accomplished nothing on the mirrors. Seeing that the mirrors are still up without a scratch cracked his pride. Naruto noticed this and reached out to him. "Sasuke! SASUKE! Pull yourself together, goddamn it! This ain't the time to hesitate!" he called out to him, attempting to break his trance

When Haku saw Sasuke halted in place, he decided to attack him without hesitation. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed as she noticed Haku approaching him, still fixed in the same position. Haku raised his hand, ready for a stab. 'goddamn it, you prideful bastard!' Naruto thought

"Farewell"

Suddenly and unexpectedly, droplets of blood sprayed violently and dramatically into the air, creating a disturbing and horrifying scene.

Haku's strike was successful, although not on the intended target. Naruto took Sasuke's position and pushed him away in the last second, leaving his eyes wide with surprise. Naruto gritted his teeth, his sweat glistening as he felt the senbon sink deeper into his forearm; 'Fuck! This hurts! Feels like I'm getting my shots, but in a more painful way' He pushed off Haku, reverse grip his katana and slashed at him, but had dodged it

Naruto examined his injuries, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, utilising total concentration breathing for his recovery. He clotted his wounds to prevent blood loss, boosted his mental strength to stay focused, and improved his stamina, bones, and muscles. His arms revealed veins as his blood surged throughout his body

"Hey, Sasuke"

Sasuke perked up when Naruto called him out. Snapping out of it, he gazed at Naruto's back and thought about what he wanted to say

"Can you still fight?" he asked, but not in his normal eager, joyful tone. It was calm but cold he shuddered when hearing this from Naruto

He wanted to respond, but couldn't since he couldn't form any words. Naruto, not hearing any responses, turned to Sasuke, who was taken aback when he saw his gaze. He noticed Naruto's bright blue eyes turned sharp, his pupils almost melding with the irises in an empty gaze. With a deep furrow in his brow, he cast a long, harsh glare at him, with an intense unwavering gaze

"Stop hesitating and focus on the damn objective! You'll be more useless like Sakura if you don't do anything," Naruto stated bluntly, as Sasuke cringed and was infuriated by his remarks, his eye twitching

"I'll do this by myself if you keep on standing around like an idiot who has his pride shattered" he added, turning back to face Haku who calmly observed them within the mirror

Infuriated, he glared daggers at Naruto, his words echoing in his mind. Being called an idiot and a liability only increased his rage. 'I...I'll show you...I'll show you, Naruto!' he thought, unaware that his eyes had begun to form a pattern

A scream was heard from behind them. The two genins looked back, worried. 'that was sakura's voice! What happened?!' Sasuke thought. 'this is bad, we're dragging this fight way too long. Let's hope kakashi-sensei can wait for a while' thought Naruto, sweat dripped from his face

The fight resumed as Naruto charged at Haku, winding his katana by his side. Haku swiftly dodged Naruto's attack by instantly moving to another mirror. He kept on doing this as he grew annoyed of Haku's speedy movements. Observing him, Naruto realised he needed to push himself harder and faster to keep up with him

He breathes as lightning flows around him, changing into the Iado stance. When Haku saw this, he launched a torrent of senbon at him, preventing him from continuing his actions. Unfortunately for him, the barrage did not reach its intended target since it was thwarted by a blur that protected Naruto. As the last senbon was deflected, the blur revealed itself to be Sasuke, his expression filled with determination and a hint of rage

"Naruto..." Sasuke growled, as his eyes flashed crimson, displaying his newly awakened sharingan, two tomoe on his right eye and one on the left. "...you got a plan?" Sasuke sighed, as much as he hates Naruto, he knew he needed his help on beating their opponent

Hearing this, Naruto just stared at him, specifically his sharingan. "Try to keep up. Get him out of the mirror. And once he's out, that's where we strike" he said as he twirls his katana. Sasuke readies himself, skillfully duel wielding kunai on both hands as he stared intently at Haku, silently agreeing him

Sasuke attacked, but Haku reacted quickly, charging towards him. He lunged for a slash, but Sasuke ducked it at the last second. Haku tried to strike again, but Sasuke continued to avoid him. This happened several times as Haku bounced around each mirror, attempting to hit him. When Sasuke noticed Haku approaching from above, he deflected his blow and parried, stabbing his shoulder, drawing blood and sending Haku tumbling down

'n-no way! His eyes followed me and dodge it!' Haku this time is shocked 'to awaken the sharingan, even though it's not complete, during the battle...'

His train of thought was abruptly cut off as he heard a humming sound was heard from above, and he looked up to see Naruto high in the air, who used the surrounding mirrors to leap up high, shining an ominous blue lightning. He attempts to get up, but his clothing is instantly trapped by Kunai, courtesy of Sasuke

Naruto as he was falling he muttered "Thunder breathing third form: Thunder Swarm! " His katana, coated with lightning, spins as he strikes, sending arcs of lightning around Haku, ensnaring him. The ground around him crumbled, as slash marks were left, Haku in the center got caught and was electrocuted while his body was being sliced around.

"Aaaagh!" Haku cried in agony as the pain became excruciating. His wounds were scorched, practically burnt, and he knew Naruto wasn't holding back. His sliced and shattered mask slips apart the mouth part as it falls first, and the rest of it breaks and falls off much more as it hits the ground, revealing his identity. He kept his head down and removes the kunai that has trapped him and tries to stand up, but his legs are unsteady. Sasuke, determined to end this, attacked Haku and executed a three-hit combo, ending with an uppercut knocking him out cold and landing with a thud

The jutsu wore off as soon as Haku is now unconscious, no longer being put up anymore. The ice mirrors melted and broke down, freeing them. Seeing this, Sasuke and Naruto ran out of there and search for Kakashi as they see glimpses of fighting in the distance

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Kakashi, bleeding from a big cut gash on his chest, panted, as did Zabuza. Kakashi, unperturbed, performed a set of hand seals and roared "Raikiri". Chakra began to envelop his hand as lightning surrounds it. With this, he ran towards Zabuza at rapid speed, the ground crumbled due on chakra boosted his legs, determined to end this. Zabuza's eyes widened, he notices the jutsu and, fearing danger, hastily positions his blade in front of him to defend himself as Kakashi approaches. A mistake on his side, as the jutsu hit the sword, under the pressure of the Raikiri, shielded him but still got electrocuted as the lightning flows through the metal of the blade through the handle. In sheer will, he pushed back Kakashi and his right arm went slumped, using his remaining arm to hold on Kubikiribōchō. Their bodies were fatigued, yet they kept going. They were going to charge again but they heard the scream and the sound of shattering and dripping. They glanced at the source of the commotion and saw the ice mirrors collapsing as they spotted Naruto and Sasuke running towards them, who both had wounds but were still alive

'impossible! Those brats beat Haku?!' Zabuza thought, finding himself dumbfounded as Haku lays unconscious and beaten up pretty bad

"Naruto...Sasuke..."

A relieved Kakashi sighed as he felt his worries washed away as soon as he saw them

"Sasuke-kun!" A shout came from a relieved Sakura, while Tazuna sighed in relief as well

Zabuza grunted as he looks at the increasing problems he is facing. He couldn't risk it to continue his fight against Kakashi, knowing his two other brats would join him

"Zabuza, give up. Your accomplice is beaten and you are surrounded. Let's stop this fight and avoid any bloodshed right now, you can't win" Kakashi stated

'Damn it! If I refuse, Kakashi will either kill or capture me. But if I rushed to get Haku, I would be instantly attacked by those two...' he pondered as he attempts to come up with whatever option he could think of

"Well~, What an awful sight you have become... Zabuza," a voice pierced through the silence as both sides glanced where it was

"Gato?!"

"He's here..." Tazuna said in dread

Naruto and sasuke, now regrouped with Sakura watched in silence. Naruto caught sight of someone who was being held down on their knees. Albeit their face bloody he instantly recognised the person

'wait...the person we were fighting...it's actually...'

What Zabuza saw in the distance was Gato and his mercenaries behind him. And what got his attention the most was someone being held. His eyes widened as he recognised who it is

"Haku!" He muttered. He glared back at Gato "what the hell are you doing here? And what's with all these men?!" He questioned his employer

"Hehehe...change of plans. Well I actually was planning to do this in the beginning" he gloated. He walked to Haku, who is now awake and being held by the arms by his men. "This time, your little bodyguard won't be able to help you" he gestures, using his cane

Hakue grunts, struggles to break free but due to his injuries he could not summon the strength needed to get out of his capture

'zabuza-sama, forgive me' thought Haku with a saddened expression

"Now, now you will die, here at this bridge along with Tazuna and those shinobi" Gato said, grinning as he saw the battered state of them

"We had a deal, you FUCKING OLD MAN!!" Zabuza yelled. Angered by this betrayal, he marches towards them

"Ah, ah, ah. I would not take another step closer, Zabuza. If you do, your little bodyguard here won't be living long enough" as he said this. One of the thugs holding Haku gets a knife behind them and places it to Haku's neck, threatening him

Zabuza stopped as he glares at him in anger. If he even moves in the slightest, the thug would slit Haku's throat out if he isn't careful. Seeing as his threat worked, Gato continues to grin as he goes in to monologue of how hiring a shinobi could be expensive and that missing-nin are easy to take care off. Naruto's anger rises, his gaze not leaving Gato as he goaded them but he quickly masked it, trying to calm himself down

While Gato is monologuing, Zabuza whispered to Kakashi

"Hey, Kakashi." Kakashi glances at Zabuza, considering what he will do. "I know this ain't the appropriate time to say this but...let's have a truce" his statement surprised Kakashi as his eyes narrowed at him

"A truce?..." he whispered back, casting a wary glance at Gato, who was still monologuing and talking over his head. "After everything you've done? You think having to form a truce right now would forgive your actions?" He questioned

"I know it ain't pleasant, trust me, even I don't want to make a truce with you but right now, it's either them or us. Plus, you don't want anything to happen to your genin after they're done killing us alongside that bridge builder, don't you?"

"..." Kakashi remained silent as Zabuza mentions his genin. The said genin overheard them and huddled up

"Even with our training, we would still be outnumbered by them" said Sakura who nervously glanced at them

"I'd say we fight. These guys have nothing against us" Sasuke arrogantly said

"They have a hostage" Naruto pointed out

"The said hostage is the person who tried to kill us" he argued

Naruto was about to respond but was cut off by Gato

"Hey, you bastard! Stop ignoring me damnit!" He shouts, getting their attention back. The group was about to respond but was cut off

"Oh sorry about that!" Naruto sarcastically replied. His team including Zabuza looks at him in disbelief, wondering why he is apologising to the enemy. Kakashi looks at Naruto, thinking about what he's doing. Naruto glanced at Kakashi and has a glint in his eyes that says 'i know what I'm doing' as he steps forward Infront of them

"It's just that if you'd stop monologuing, we might take you seriously"

"Dobe, what the hell are you-"

"The hell you say boy?!" Said an infuriated Gato, his full attention on the blonde

Kakashi's tactical mind kicks in and gets what Naruto is doing. He slowly backs away hiding within the group and takes out a scroll

"I mean that's a typical villain move. They always monologue when they see their opponent beaten up and battered. They just couldn't help but monologue. They could've just monologue when their opponent is knocked out cold or killed them. But instead they just do it by the time they got the upper hand and just kept on blabbing his motives or some shit"

Zabuza chuckled, as did several of the men accompanying Gato, but discreetly so as not to upset their boss

'gotta give it to him, kids got balls' Zabuza thought

Gato hearing this barely restrained his anger as he clutch his cane harder. Seeing this, Naruto decided to break the camels back

"Like seriously. If monologuing were a jutsu, you'd be declared the Hokage of Hot Air, sending enemies fleeing in sheer boredom!"

Everyone chuckled gently when they heard this. Zabuza was the first to laugh out, gripping his sides in disbelief at what he had just heard. Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura followed, unable to stop giggling. Kakashi chuckled and smirked as he stayed hidden. Even Gato's men couldn't stop themselves from laughing endlessly

"Kid...your good" said a laughing Zabuza, praising Naruto

Gato is not impressed at all as he is being mocked by a child. His entire frame quivers in anger as he raises his voice in a loud shout

"Your dead! You hear me! DEAD!"

Naruto laughs as he wipes an imaginary tear

"The only one who is dead..." As he speaks, his demeanor undergoes a noticeable shift, transitioning from light-hearted amusement to a chilling, emotionless state

"...is you"

The ground beneath Haku suddenly collapsed causing the dust to rise up. They all cough as soon as the dust started to subside

"What happened?!" The thug holding Haku exclaimed. When the dust started to settle the thugs realized that their hostage has disappeared, leaving massive hole in their place

"Got her!" Said a small dog wearing a shinobi uniform, accompanied by two other dogs carrying Haku

"Yosh! Good work Pakkun" he praised his ninken as they dissipate in smoke

Seeing Haku finally safe, away from Gato's clutches, he sighed in relief

"Why you-! Don't just stand their you idiots! Get them!" Gato commanded them as they charged

Naruto quickly drew his katana and leaped up towards the incoming enemies. The green glow of the wind flows as he swings. 'Wind breathing seventh form: Gale, Sudden Gusts' as he swung his katana, he generates sharp bladed rotating winds, flying towards the enemies

Their piercing screams of terror and pain rang across the air as the cruel winds tore through their bodies as blood sprayed the ground. The powerful gusts mercilessly tore at their arms, legs, and torso without rest, prompting Naruto to quickly change his techniques in response

As he searches for Gato, his thoughts inevitably wander back to the ruined state of the land of waves and the unrelenting poverty its people endure, a realization that only adds fuel to his building anger. He is all too keenly aware that even if they manage to apprehend Gato and place him behind bars, the corrupt system would likely facilitate his swift release through the deceitful exchange of money. He simply cannot stand idly by and watch such injustice unfold, his commitment to aiding those in distress was forged long before he took on the mantle of a shinobi. Ever since he started studying in the academy and received the system he made a vow to himself that he would stand as a beacon of hope for those who have suffered the same hardships that once plagued his own path

He isn't stupid, and despite his age he is well aware that a bunch of shinobi in Konoha harbours corruption, prompting them to perform awful acts without hesitation. This knowledge originates from his vivid recollections of being helpless in the face of villagers' abuse, as well as seeing certain shinobi callously observe his misery. Despite his ability to disguise his emotions, he believes Kakashi may be aware of his inner turmoil

Zabuza seeing the onslaught, he was shocked but amazed by Naruto's swordsmanship

"*Whistle*~ not gonna lie Kakashi. Your student over there is handling himself quiet nice. Had a helluva plan on distracting Gato so you could sneakily rescue Haku. Though I'm surprised he has the guts to kill despite his age" said Zabuza

Kakashi maintained a quiet demeanor as he carefully watched Naruto, assessing the situation where his student was acting impulsively due to anger. Back in the village, he observed a shift in the behavior of the majority of the villagers - some remained supportive of Naruto, while others continued to harbor animosity towards him, giving him hostile looks whenever he passed by. This lingering sense of guilt weighs hard on him, especially because his late mentor's last wish was for his son to be honoured as a hero inside Konoha, rather than ostracised as a pariah by the rest of the village

'Minato-sensei, I could not protect your son back then. Despite that, I'll always be there for him, no matter what happens' he thought to himself with a heavy heart.

As Sakura stood by, her eyes widened in astonishment and feeling queasy as she witnessed Naruto effortlessly overpowering his adversaries while he kills them. Observing this spectacle, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a surge of envy creeping into his heart. Doubt began to plague his mind, wondering what secrets Naruto held to achieve such unparalleled strength and power

"Kakashi-sensei...should we help Naruto?" Sakura asked

Kakashi didn't turn to face her but simply answered

"No," their eyes widened, but before they could question, Kakashi stated, "we'll just be caught in the crossfire. Seeing Naruto like this, it's clear that he's striking out in rage, finally releasing all of the suppressed emotions he's been struggling to contain for so long. And no, Sasuke, I know what you're going to say, just don't. Just wait for Naruto to cool off and calm down." He concludes. Sakura and Sasuke both looked at him and nodded reluctantly

Naruto eventually found Gato, scurrying about like a rat, attempting to save his own life while using his men as human shields. He charged towards him at full speed, cutting down the remaining thugs standing in his path

Gato saw Naruto approaching fast, and knew he had to run, run as far away from that child- no, that demon

"F-fuck, I'm not dying here!" Said one of the remaining thugs, shaking in fear

"Let's get out of here!"

"Damn the money! I'm not staying here any longer!"

All of the surviving thugs, realising the danger, left the area with haste, their hearts thumping with panic. They all agreed that the best chance they had was to flee quickly rather than risk confrontation

"W-wait...don't leave me here you cowards!" Gato cried out in desperation, his heart pounding in fear as he watched his hired mercenaries turn their backs on him one by one, leaving him defenseless and vulnerable to the approaching danger

A shadow ominously looms over the man, casting a chilling sensation of dread upon him. Overwhelmed by fear, he timidly glances upward to behold the imposing figure of Naruto. Standing tall above him, Naruto's visage is cloaked in darkness, with only his piercing eyes visible, devoid of pupils. His hair and hanafuda earrings sway gently, intensifying the eerie aura surrounding him. Gripping his katana, its blade glistens menacingly, stained with crimson droplets of blood

In utter desperation and fear, he cried out for mercy, pleading desperately to spare his own life

"Please...I could give you anything...just name it...we can talk this out...what is it you want? Money? What about girls?-" he was cut off as soon as he mentions the last

"AAAGHHHH!" His right hand was suddenly sliced off, as Naruto is seen to have swiftly swung his katana

Naruto looks at him, as Gato squirms, clutching his sliced off hand, staining his suit by his own blood

"I want you dead" Naruto responds. Gato's eyes widened as he watched Naruto slowly raise his blade high with both hands. He pleads- no he begs for mercy, promising him he won't come back to the wave. But all of his pleas fall on deaf ears as Naruto made his decision

It just took a single swift swing to bring his katana down on Gato. Time seemed to have paused as silence took over. Only to be interrupted by the sounds of flesh separated. Gato's face froze in horror, and his eyes no longer shone with life. As his head dropped down with his body, blood spilt and pooled his corpse

Naruto looks at the corpse as he exhales. As the adrenaline runs out, he stumbles a bit before an arm catches him. He looks up to see Kakashi, his face concerned and worried looks at him. The rest including Haku, being supported by Zabuza despite his injuries, followed behind him as they couldn't believe what just happened. Sasuke and Sakura all have thought of Naruto's rampage. How he looks like a different person when pissed off as Kakashi explained to them

Tazuna puts his hand on Naruto's shoulder and says

"Boy, thank you. Thank you for your help. You, your sensei and your friends. You've saved our country" he said in gratitude as tears fell from his face

"It's...alright Tazuna-san," Naruto weakly smiles with a mixture of relief and exhaustion evident in his eyes. Tazuna, visibly emotional, sheds more tears, expressing his heartfelt gratitude towards the boy who bravely saved the land of waves from Gato

"Come on, let's get you patched up" Tazuna said, wiping his tears, Team 7 nodded as they walked to his house. Kakashi faced Zabuza and Haku who was on the sidelines

"You guys can come with" this brought shock and disbelief to both Tazuna and his students

"W-what are you saying sensei?!" Shout Sakura

"Yeah, she's right! What are you thinking" said Tazuna

"They tried to kill us ya know" said Naruto who is being carried on Kakashi's back

"He is right, are you sure me and Haku are fine coming with you guys. We are hired to kill you..." Zabuza asked

"Hmm. Yeah, but your boss did betray you and your partner. And you did propose a truce, even though we didn't do anything as my cute genius student here did all of the work. So yeah it's fine..." Said Kakashi, back in his nonchalant behaviour causing all of them to sweat drop

Tazuna groaned and initially gave up, telling them they could come. They all walk as Haku goes near to Naruto

"Hey Haku. How are your injuries?" Naruto greeted him and asked

Haku was taken aback by the unexpected warmth and friendliness in his tone, which caught him pleasantly off guard

"You knew?" He questioned

"Well, yeah. I saw your face, although bloody. But I did recognise you"

Haku goes silent and replies "I'm fine, Naruto-san. But I did underestimate you awhile back"

Naruto laughs as he continues to talk to Haku as if they didn't just fight to the Death a while ago

Sasuke looks at Naruto wide-eyed before giving up. "I'll never understand you..." He muttered

(Timeskip brought to you by chibi Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho)

Two weeks have passed as the bridge has finally finished construction and cleaned out due to the blood and guts they saw the other day. The people of the Wave celebrated as their hopes and prayers have been fulfilled

A recovered Team 7, Zabuza and Haku, stood at the gate of the bridge as both Tazuna and his family came to bid them farewell

"Thank you. For everything. The bridge is finally complete and thanks to the "donation" by Zabuza, the village would stabilise for the time being" Tazuna once again express his thanks, even Zabuza and Haku, who goes back in Gato's base and steals all of his money, not that he needed. Giving it to Tazuna for the village and an apology

"Yeah, yeah. No need to rub it in old man" said Zabuza, annoyed at him

Haku couldn't help but let out an amused giggle, feeling grateful for the special moments he shared with his newfound friends. His bond with Naruto grew stronger with each passing day, their friendship blossoming through their deep conversations and friendly sparring sessions. Although his relationship with Sakura had a rocky start, she eventually warmed up to him, making their interactions more pleasant. As for Sasuke, still reeling from their previous battle, he persistently pushed Haku to engage in intense sparring matches, determined to enhance his skills and power, to which Haku is fine with it

"But still, it's sad to see that you guys had to go..."

"Don't worry Tazuna-san. Well visit time to time!" Said Naruto in his usual energetic tone

"You guys better visit 'kay?" Said Inari, tears threatening to fall on his face

"Yeah, we'll visit Inari, don't you worry, dattebayo" Naruto smiled

"What about you Zabuza? Where will you go now?" Kakashi questioned

"We'll go back to Kirigakure. We're gonna go back and help the rebels finish the civil war" Zabuza replied

"Understandable" Kakashi nodded

"This will be goodbye Naruto-san. I hope we cross paths again" said Haku

"As do I, Haku"

Kakashi and Zabuza shook hands and they now exits the gate. Inari waved them goodbye as Tsunami leaned on her father's shoulder

"The boy gave us hope. And he brought us that bridge of hope with courage"

"But we still need a name for the bridge"

"Haha. Don't worry I already thought of one"

"Really? What is it?"

Tazuna gazed at Naruto's back as he journeys back to Konoha. He looks up on the gate as it bore a symbol. The symbol has a rectangle, inside is a crimson sun with it's rays touching the ground

"The Great Naruto Bridge"