Fierce Battle

Haku could only let go. Zabuza fell to the ground, while Haku drew a kunai and shielded both himself and Zabuza.

"Oh? You're protecting someone who's already dead? A ninja from Kirigakure? Or should I say, Zabuza's accomplice?" Sasuke drew out kunai again, four in each hand, wedged between his fingers as he crossed his arms before his chest.

"What's going on, Sasuke?" Naruto was still confused. Kakashi was powerless now; he understood what was happening, but he no longer had any fighting strength.

Sasuke did not answer. Why waste so many words in battle? He instantly hurled the kunai in his hands. Among hidden weapons, he preferred kunai and rarely used shuriken, since kunai made it easier for him to use wire strings. Haku was held back by Zabuza and could not leave his position, so he could only block with senbon. At that moment, three of the kunai Haku had knocked away earlier turned into Sasukes with a poof. This was the Shadow Clone Technique Sasuke had used in the water earlier.

The three clones also attacked with kunai, each one attached to wire strings. "Fire Release! Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Dozens of kunai, trailing wire strings, sealed off every direction. After all, Sasuke did not know how to break Haku's Kekkei Genkai. Even if he could see Haku's movements clearly, how was he supposed to shatter those ice mirrors?

"Ice Release! Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" Haku formed seals with one hand, and sheets of ice mirrors appeared around him. The four Sasukes did not stop. "Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!" Four massive fireballs slammed directly into the ice mirrors. But that was not all. Sasuke took out exploding tags and threw them into the center. Boom! Boom! Explosions rang out one after another. There were eight exploding tags in all, yet he still felt it was not enough.

He could not use Water Release, and he did not know Lightning Release. He could only continue the assault with fire. "Fire Release! Great Fire Annihilation!" This was an A-rank ninjutsu. After the three clones used it, their Chakra was completely exhausted. Even the original Sasuke dropped into a crouch, gasping heavily. More than half of his Chakra had been consumed.

"Th-this... Since when were you this strong, Sasuke?" Naruto asked blankly. "Naruto, you idiot, focus! The enemy might not be finished yet. Do you understand what staying alert means?" Sasuke glared at him in exasperation. "Oh." Naruto hurriedly went on guard. The blaze slowly dispersed. This fire was sustained by Chakra and burned through it quickly; its greatest power came in the instant it struck.

Haku's mask was gone, and his handsome face was covered in wounds. Yet he still protected Zabuza. What a pitiful person. If he had been in Konoha, perhaps he could have lived happily. But an enemy was an enemy. Ninja battles were this cruel. Sasuke charged straight at him. Using more ninjutsu would waste too much Chakra. Close combat was better.

He threw a Cannon Fist. Haku blocked it with his right hand, and Sasuke immediately followed with a knee strike, forcing Haku back a step. Sasuke did not pause. His other hand shot upward with a Drilling Fist, and Haku leaned back to evade it. Sasuke attacked Haku continuously with every part of his body. He had no intention of exchanging words with Haku. Killing the opponent was what mattered. That was a ninja's battle.

Haku wanted to counterattack, but he had expended too much during the earlier assault, while Sasuke's attacks came in an endless stream. He could only struggle to defend himself. Yet he did not dare stray too far from Zabuza. Sasuke ignored the look in his eyes completely. He was afraid that pity would soften his heart. People like that died quickly. Catching an opening, Sasuke struck Haku's shoulder with a Half-Step Crushing Fist. As Haku lost his balance, Sasuke kicked him high into the air, pressed both hands against the ground, and sprang up headfirst. His feet lashed out repeatedly, but he could not kick very high. Before his strength gave out, he grabbed Haku's belt with one hand and pulled him before him, flipped over onto him, and began striking downward.

Boom! Haku crashed down beside Zabuza. "Cough!" He spat out a mouthful of blood. He no longer had the strength to resist. After landing, Sasuke stood there panting as he watched him. "I'm not your opponent. Cough, cough... Please bury us together, all right?" Haku looked at Sasuke.

Others did not know what was going on, but Sasuke did. He truly wanted to spare them, but he could not. If Zabuza had defeated him, what would his fate have been? Sasuke looked at Haku, nodded, and said, "All right. I can tell you've been protecting him all this time. I don't know why, but I'll grant your request. You are the first ninja I've killed. I'll remember you. What is your name?"

"Yuki Haku." After saying that, he closed his eyes. Sasuke picked up two kunai and drove them directly into Haku's and Zabuza's hearts. Sasuke said nothing afterward. Ignoring the exhaustion in his body, he dug graves for the two of them. To keep wild animals from digging up the graves, Sasuke gathered many stones. He buried them together. Whether Haku was male or female did not matter; Sasuke had no interest in finding out. Even if the two had been passionately involved, it no longer mattered. They were dead. Sasuke wrote two wooden markers and placed them on their bodies before covering them with earth. Finally, he erected a blank marker.

Kakashi could no longer hold on and collapsed directly onto the ground. Naruto and Sakura hurried over to support him, and Tazuna went to help as well, since Kakashi was too tall. Sasuke took out a Sealing Scroll and sealed away the Kubikiribōchō before returning.

"Let's go to my house now. You all look exhausted." Tazuna carried Kakashi on his back and walked ahead. They followed the lakeside all the way back to his home. Sasuke remained silent and did not say a word along the way, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

At the entrance to Tazuna's house, Naruto suddenly shouted at Sasuke, "Sasuke, what are you acting all gloomy for? Didn't you say we had to be prepared to kill and be killed? You're obviously so strong, so what's with you now?"

Sasuke raised his head and glanced at him. To be honest, killing someone felt awful. He had always been an ordinary person. If not for Sasuke's memories from childhood, he might have vomited by now. Especially someone like Haku. Knowing too much was not necessarily a good thing. "There are just some things I can't figure out. It has nothing to do with anything else. And I'm not that strong. That man named Yuki Haku couldn't leave because he was protecting Zabuza. Otherwise, I might not have been his match. He took the full force of all my ninjutsu attacks."

"Sasuke, what is it that you can't figure out?" Kakashi asked from Tazuna's back.

"Yuki Haku protected Zabuza the entire time. They must have had a story, perhaps a sad one. Ninjas truly have to endure things they cannot bear. If he had been born in Konoha, perhaps he could have been a happy person." Sasuke looked up at the sky.

"That's right. Being a ninja means enduring everything others cannot endure. That is why we are strong. But why didn't you hesitate in the slightest when you acted?"

"I was thinking, if we had lost, what would Zabuza have done to us? The answer was obvious. So I won't hesitate during battle. Well, saying it out loud does make me feel better. Naruto and Sakura, protect Sensei and Mr. Tazuna. I'm going to take care of Gato." As Sasuke spoke, his mood inexplicably improved. He had thought of Gato's wealth. Hopefully the Anbu had not gotten to it first.