The Battle of Naruto Bridge

"Hey, you in the mask. He's my spoils of war. Did I say you could take him?" Issui said, looking at Haku as she prepared to take Zabuza away.

"..." Haku raised her masked head and looked at Issui. This kid is too strong. I'm afraid even I am no match for him.

"Hey, Issui, Zabuza's already dead, and you've gotten your revenge. Don't make any more trouble. This will upset Kirigakure," Kakashi said helplessly.

"Heh, so if Kirigakure is upset, it can kill everyone in my Heaven Village? Kakashi-senpai, I carry the hopes of everyone in my village. I want to offer Zabuza as a sacrifice to their departed spirits. Are they going to crush even that small wish? I think the reason ninja can go on living in this world is because of their feelings. They're not some so-called tools. It's because we're full of love, friendship, family bonds, and all sorts of feelings that we grow stronger and stronger!!!" Issui shouted.

Everyone looked at Issui in surprise. Did ninja need feelings?

"Although I can't understand how you feel..." Haku had barely started speaking when Issui interrupted her.

"You can't understand? Don't you have someone important you want to protect? Then what do you exist for? I want to protect my family, my friends, and everyone in Konoha. Before I can do that, I have to prove I have the ability to protect them. That's why I have to kill Zabuza. I want the villagers of Heaven Village who have died to know that I already have the power to protect them. So anyone who dares stand in my way is my enemy. To protect them, I can make an enemy of Kirigakure. To protect them, I can make enemies of every ninja in the world. I want to prove to everyone that ninja are beings who need feelings. Am I wrong?" Issui said angrily.

"You're not wrong, but neither am I..." Haku said quietly. Issui's words made her even sadder. If she saved Zabuza, she would be cutting off one person's hope and the expectations of Heaven Village's dead. But if she didn't save him, then her life would have no meaning. She was Zabuza's tool, and she had to give everything for him...

"Issui, what you said isn't wrong, but you can't be so impulsive now. Do you want to destroy the peaceful life Konoha worked so hard to obtain? If we create a rift with Kirigakure now, it could easily escalate into a war between nations. I have to stop you..." Kakashi agreed strongly with Issui, but some things simply couldn't be helped...

"Kakashi-senpai, are you going to stop me...?" Issui said calmly.

"Kid from the Kirigakure Hunter-nin Corps, hurry and go. If he goes all out, even I will have a hard time dealing with him..." Kakashi stepped in front of Issui and took a defensive stance.

"I'm very sorry..." Haku immediately escaped using Water Body Flicker.

"Kakashi-sensei, why are you fighting Issui...?" Naruto asked. He couldn't understand all of it, but he understood that Issui was right: ninja needed feelings to become stronger.

"Idiot, if Issui interferes with the Kirigakure Assassination Corps' mission, it could easily cause hatred between the two great ninja villages, and war would break out immediately. That's why Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura explained. She also very much wanted Issui-kun to fulfill his wish, but why did there have to be so many things in the ninja world that couldn't be helped?

"The hope was right in front of me. Kakashi, didn't you notice that member of the Kirigakure Hunter-nin Corps was actually a fake? If she wanted to destroy the evidence, all she had to do was cut off Zabuza's head, but she chose a more troublesome method. Besides, I don't think Zabuza is dead yet. You should know there are ways to temporarily stop a person's life functions!!!" Issui said helplessly.

"What!?" Kakashi realized it too. That kid had indeed been a little strange.

"Kakashi, I'm not an idiot who'd casually start a fight between villages. You really are... how should I put this? Forget it. You're my senior, after all. Well, I've lost another great opportunity. Since the target of your mission is still alive, I imagine he'll show up again. I'll wait for him with you." Issui had no choice but to say this. Kakashi, honestly-Issui had been about to explain that Haku was a fake, but Kakashi had suddenly interrupted him, giving Haku the chance to escape with the Body Flicker Technique.

"Ahaha..." Kakashi could only laugh innocently.

"Tch, so even Kakashi-sensei makes mistakes..." Naruto said with a laugh, only for Kakashi to rap him on the head several times.

After they arrived at Tazuna's house, Kakashi took Naruto and the others off to train. Issui had no choice but to follow and watch; staying home would have been boring.

Sure enough, what Kakashi taught Naruto and the others was Tree Climbing. Sakura was very good at controlling her Chakra and managed it in one try. Sasuke and Naruto were just like Issui had been when he trained: they could never quite get the hang of it. Miserable training...

Naruto and Sasuke trained for about a week before they fully mastered the Chakra control needed for Tree Climbing. Then Zabuza appeared again, but this time there were several more people with him. Zabuza had summoned all his subordinates.

"Kakashi-senpai, I'll leave the masked kid and the other ninja to your squad. Let me deal with Zabuza," Issui said to Kakashi.

"All right, but be careful. The enemy has information on you now, so it's unlikely things will go the same way as last time," Kakashi said.

"Well, I mostly used Genjutsu last time, and I held back plenty in other areas. Don't worry. Just hurry up and deal with your own opponents," Issui said indifferently, then went straight to confront Zabuza.

"Yo, kid. You've grown quickly, but I won't let you get the better of me again. I had Haku watch from the sidelines during our fight, and she analyzed your abilities and worked out countermeasures for me. First, the reason you could make the same movements as me at the same time was that, after I came out of your advanced Genjutsu, you immediately followed it with a low-level one. My mental energy was severely depleted at the time, so I didn't notice it and overlooked it.

"Second, the reason you could use the same Ninjutsu as me was that you were very familiar with the Hand Seals for Water Release Ninjutsu. Once I made the first or second seal, you immediately knew what Ninjutsu I was using. Then you sped up your Hand Seals so you could use the Ninjutsu at the same time as me. With the help of your Genjutsu, you could be said to have used the same Ninjutsu at the same time as me.

"To tell the truth, kid, you're the most impressive kid I've ever seen. Even Haku would have little chance of winning against you. Although Haku's Kekkei Genkai is very powerful, I knew six years ago that yours was very powerful too. It may be even stronger now.

"No matter what happens, I won't hold back. Your grandfather didn't kill me back then, but that doesn't mean I won't kill you today. We're all people struggling against the heavens for our lives." Zabuza said a great deal before the fight had even begun.

"Hmph, fine. Then I'll begin. Full power, Eye of Heaven-White - Sealing Domain!!!" Issui activated his domain. Now that he had advanced to Jonin, its sealing range had reached a terrifying radius of thirty meters. That distance was enough to make anyone afraid. Being unable to use Ninjutsu within thirty meters was a disaster for any ninja, and even more so for Zabuza. He was a master of the Silent Killing Technique, but without the Hidden Mist Technique, it was practically a natural disaster.

Only now did Zabuza realize that the enemy completely countered him.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Kakashi and the others were fighting.

Sasuke had already engaged Haku and was now at a disadvantage. Haku had also used Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. Kakashi was tied up by three Chunin-level missing-nin and one ordinary Jonin-level missing-nin. These missing-nin were probably Zabuza's subordinates. The four had used the Hidden Mist Technique together, and Kakashi would need a little more time to defeat them.

Naruto had only just reached the battlefield when he foolishly charged into the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals. That guy was always surprising people!

Sakura was protecting Tazuna and could only worry about Sasuke and Naruto from the sidelines.

The battle entered its fiercest stage.

"Looks like Haku's already used that. Those two kids are your companions, right? They're as good as dead. Aren't you worried? And as soon as Haku frees up her hands, she'll join me in killing you. As for Kakashi, he's up against a few of my dear subordinates. I ordered them to hold him off. At this rate, your whole team might be wiped out," Zabuza said to Issui, whose face showed neither joy nor anger.

"Tch, you underestimate Naruto and the others. Naruto is Konoha's most unpredictable ninja, the kind of cockroach that just won't die. Sasuke was the top student of Naruto's year, and he has quite a background: he's a descendant of the famous Uchiha Clan. And you underestimate Kakashi too. Zabuza, you should worry about your own subordinates," Issui said with calm sarcasm.

"Is that so? Then let's watch..." Zabuza also looked worried. If what this kid says is true, we really might lose.

Sasuke successfully awakened his Sharingan and gradually began to keep up with Haku's speed. The Sharingan's ability to predict movements was being used to its fullest.

Haku looked at Sasuke. How can this boy see through my speed? Impossible. It must be a coincidence. But he clearly managed to hit me just now. In that case...

Haku knew things would turn bad if this continued, so she had no choice but to shift her attack to Naruto. As in the original story, Sasuke blocked the blow for Naruto...

"Honestly, you... you're always getting in the way," Sasuke said.

"You did it... Sasuke..." Naruto noticed the Senbon in Sasuke's body. Sasuke had taken them for him. Naruto's eyes widened, and his expression grew somewhat agitated.

"What kind of look is that, you big idiot...?"

"Why? Why did you protect me...?"

"How would I know something like that...?"

"Why? I'm asking you why. Why did you protect me...? Who asked you to interfere...?"

"Who knows? My body just moved on its own, idiot..." Sasuke could hold on no longer and collapsed.

"Sasuke..." Naruto hurriedly caught Sasuke as he fell.

"That man... I absolutely can't die before I defeat my brother, but... don't you die..." Sasuke lapsed into unconsciousness...

"He was a ninja worthy of respect. This is your first time seeing a companion die, isn't it? This is the way of the ninja..." Haku said quietly...

"I hated you the most too..." Naruto erupted with Nine-Tails Chakra...

"No, this ominous Chakra, before, it would also... Could it be... Naruto undid the seal at a time like this? No, the seal hasn't been undone, but Chakra is definitely leaking out. Luckily, the seal hasn't been completely undone. There's still time. I have to finish this as fast as possible." Kakashi sensed the Nine-Tails' evil Chakra energy, a horrified expression on his face.

"What is this Chakra? I have a very bad feeling about it... Is it Kakashi? No, he doesn't have that kind of power. Who is it...?" Zabuza said in surprise, sensing the Nine-Tails' strange Chakra.

"Looks like victory is in our hands. Since Naruto has erupted, it's time for me to make my move too..." Issui was also very surprised when he sensed the Nine-Tails' powerful Chakra. He hadn't expected the Nine-Tails' Chakra to be so powerful. Even the portion leaking out was incredibly strong. Everyone on the battlefield must have sensed it.