Chapter Five
It had been a long, tedious trip to the bridge. But the group had finally made it. “Finally! Can we please rest now?!” Naruto pleaded to Kakashi who looked annoyed. The blond had been complaining about his feet hurting. Sakura, finally having enough of listening to the blonds complaining, punched the back of his head.
“If I hear you complain about your feet one more time I will really hurt you!” Sakura screamed with anger. Naruto let a yelp out rubbing his head glaring at Sakura. This was nothing new to him. Sakura often hit him. But he viewed it as a friend thing.
Shikamaru and Sasuke looked at each other before looking at Kakashi. The three all felt a new presence. Kakashi immediately reacted by pulling Tazuna to the ground. All four students turned around to see a large broadsword, as tall as a full-grown man, shaped like a butcher knife. The blade itself has two cutouts, a circle close to the top and a semi-circular one nearer to the handle, being thrown down the bridge before it got stuck to the ground. Naruto looked over to see a tall and noticeably muscular man with light grayish skin, short spiky black hair, dark brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He was wearing bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face.
Next to the man, Naruto’s eyes widened seeing someone who was a young man with an androgynous appearance. He had long black hair, pale skin and large, dark-brown eyes, and a slender frame. “Zabuza Momochi. What are you doing here?” Kakashi questioned standing up in front of Tazuna.
Sakura and Shikamaru both quickly moved over to Tazuna, Sakura standing behind him to make sure no one came from behind him and Shikamaru standing in front of him. “Hatake Kakashi, the great copycat ninja. So you’re protecting this bridge builder?” The man now known as Zabuza questioned tilting his head ever so slightly. Naruto and Sasuke slowly backed up to be near Kakashi. “I’ve been hired to kill the bridge builder. Gato is paying a lot of money for his head. Now step aside. Hand him over to me and I shall spare your lives,”
Kakashi kept his unimpressed look on his face. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Kakashi stated pulling a kunai out from his pouch. Zabuza scoffed as he charged at team seven’s leader. Naruto was about to jump in front of Kakashi but was stopped when the young man that was with Zabuza threw needles at the blond. Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto’s jumpsuit yanking him away just dodging the needles. Naruto fell on his back doing a back roll before getting up to his feet.
“Zabuza is a highly skilled ninja, we can let Kakashi handle him. Right now we need to deal with the other man,” Sasuke told Naruto who glared at Zabuza’s friend. Kakashi jumped back as Zabuza slammed his beheading sword into the ground where the team leader was standing. Kakashi kicked the sword out of the holder’s hand. Zabuza, having been forced to let go of his sword, pulled his kunai out swiping at the silver-haired ninja.
Naruto and Sasuke soon found themselves trapped in a dome of ice slabs. Naruto and Sasuke were back-to-back looking around. Naruto wanted to use his tenseigan, but he was scared it would take too much chakra from him. And even though he’d have Kurama’s chakra to support him, he knew the importance of conserving chakra. As they stood still Haku popped out of one the ice mirrors, he sent hundreds of needles flying at the blond child. Naruto flew his hand over his face getting stabbed by most the needles. Thankfully though, Sasuke was quick enough to pull Naruto out before the needles hit the blond in a fatal spot. Naruto slammed to the ground as his arm began to bleed. He had needles all sticking in his arm.
“Stay down you dobe. I don’t have time to babysit you,” Sasuke spat coldly before throwing two of his kunai at two ice slabs and three shurikens at three others shattering them. Naruto growled softly feeling Kurama’s chakra flowing through him. His eyes began to change from his bright blue eyes to a blood-red color. He reached up to his arm ripping the needles out.
“If we’re breaking the ice, you should have said so,” Naruto smirked before he lifted his fist in the air. Naruto then punched the ground shattering the ice. Haku got flung out of the ice and slammed into Zabuza who was in a standstill with Kakashi.
“Now, everyone stop!” Naruto called out his voice booming from rage. Everyone stared at the kid as he stood up panting heavily. “Why are you working for someone like Gato?” Naruto hissed at Zabuza who looked rather unimpressed with the child.
“Because he pays good money.” Zabuza shrugged softly as he stood up. Haku standing with him.
“But for how long?” Shikamaru questioned looking at the assassin for hire. “From what I’ve heard about Gato, he sounds like a man who doesn’t like spending his money on loose ends. And a rogue ninja is a big loose end,” Shikamaru spoke up getting the attention of the rogue ninja and Haku.
“Sir, if I may,” Haku spoke quietly bowing to Zabuza. “Why do the dirty work for a man who is known for betraying the people he hires? All these years I have followed you without a doubt. But Gato is not someone I trust, nor should you, I have heard stories of how the men he hires usually end up dead,” Haku spoke with respect in his voice to his mentor. Zabuza looked at the group of ninja’s standing in front of Tazuna. The Demon of the Hidden Mist turned to start walking away. But everyone stared in shock when Haku gasped in shock. Zabuza glared down at his follower seeing a spear sticking out of his chest.
“And here I thought the great Zabuza couldn’t have been fooled by some little kids.” A man with shaggy brown hair and sports a pair of small, circular black glasses wearing a black suit with a purple tie, a yellow shirt underneath a coat, and closed-toed shoes. “You should have finished the job Zabuza. You never should have let that arrogant little brat talk you out of it,” Gatō spoke with zero remorse. Behind him stood a burly, muscular man. Zabuza was about to charge at the businessman but stopped when Naruto and Sasuke bolted past them.
Naruto smirked throwing three shurikens at the businessman. Just as Sasuke predicted, the burly man had got in front of Gatō blocking the weapons from hitting him. Naruto took Sasuke’s hand as the two were up in the air. “Go get him!” Naruto shouted propelling Sasuke down at lightning speed. Sasuke quickly performed hand signs before shouting.
“Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!” A large fireball emitted from the Uchiha. With how big the Fireball was, the bodyguard only had enough time to push Gatō out of the way. Though the guard himself did not have enough time to dodge and he got hit by it. Though, when the flame was put out, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Naruto were all shocked to see the guard getting back up.
Kakashi quickly put a stop to this though as he began to form hand signs. “Chidori!” Lightning surrounded the team leader’s hand as he thrusts it into the guard’s chest. Sakura gasped covering her eyes not expecting Kakashi to have done that. Though, it was better than seeing what Zabuza did with Gatō.
Once everything was said and done, Zabuza slowly made his way over to Haku’s body kneeling down beside him. “I am sorry I wasn’t able to protect you Haku, but I made him pay.” Zabuza whispered softly seeing Haku smile softly. The boy reached his hand up gently placing it on the Hidden Mist’s rogue ninja’s cheek.
“Th-thank you for everything.” Was the last sentence Haku spoke before closing his eyes. Zabuza rested his eyes as well, feeling Haku’s pulse slowing down eventually stopping altogether.