Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals

The mist grew thicker and thicker.

Chiya and Sasuke stood together, their ears filled with the sound of wind and Senbon tearing through the air.

That masked guy was fast.

Fast to an absurd degree.

He had clearly been on the left a second ago, yet the next instant, his sound came from behind them on the right. Chiya's Sharingan could catch a glimpse of his shadow, but his body was still half a beat too slow to keep up.

Clang!

Sasuke flung out a Shuriken, knocking aside a Senbon for Chiya.

Chiya did not stand on ceremony. With a tug of his fingers, several Shuriken wrapped in steel wire curved back through the mist, forcing Haku to take a step back.

"Thanks."

Haku's figure vanished again.

Only faint footsteps remained in the mist.

Sakura shielded Tazuna as she backed away, gripping a Kunai tightly in her hand. She could not help at all right now; she could only try her best to keep Tazuna from running around.

On the other side, Kakashi and Zabuza had already fought their way to the far end of the bridge.

The Kubikiribōchō smashed into the ground, cracking the planks open. Kakashi twisted aside, his Kunai scraping across the blade. The sparks flashed once in the mist, then vanished.

Chiya had no time to watch them.

Haku was coming again.

This time, the Senbon targeted his shoulders and wrists.

Chiya raised his hand to knock away two of them. The third grazed the back of his hand, drawing a little blood.

He lowered his eyes and glanced at it.

Not a vital spot.

This guy was still holding back.

Chiya understood now.

Haku called himself Zabuza's tool, yet he held back at every turn when they fought. If he truly wanted to kill them, the three of them would not merely have been jumping around after getting pricked by Senbon.

Haku's voice was very soft in the mist.

"Please move aside. I do not want to kill you."

Sasuke gave a cold snort.

"Stop talking nonsense."

His hands formed seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball shot into the mist, burning a wide gap through it.

Chiya formed seals as well.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Fire Technique!"

More than a dozen small fireballs spread out, Shuriken hidden among the flames as they sealed off several paths Haku could have used to retreat.

Their coordination was smooth.

Haku was finally forced into view.

Sasuke's gaze turned cold, and he stabbed straight at him with his Kunai.

But just as the Kunai was about to touch Haku, a layer of ice suddenly formed over the bridge.

Haku tapped his toes against the ground and slid backward.

His hands formed seals.

"Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."

Crack, crack, crack.

Moisture condensed all around them.

A sheet of ice rose from the mist.

Then came a second, then a third.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of Ice Mirrors formed a circle, trapping Chiya and Sasuke within.

Haku's reflection appeared in every mirror.

Sasuke frowned.

Chiya looked at the Ice Mirrors around him and cursed inwardly.

Here it comes at last.

It had already looked troublesome in the original story. Standing inside it himself, it felt even more troublesome.

Haku slowly raised a hand within the mirrors.

"Do not resist any longer."

Sasuke ignored him and charged straight at the nearest Ice Mirror.

His Kunai stabbed into it.

Clang.

The Ice Mirror only cracked a little. The next instant, several Senbon flew in from the side.

Chiya grabbed Sasuke by the back of his collar and yanked him backward.

The Senbon grazed past Sasuke's cheek.

Then Haku moved again inside the Ice Mirrors.

This time, it was not merely one shadow. Shadows appeared from every direction.

Senbon rained down like a storm.

Chiya and Sasuke dodged at the same time.

The Sharingan spun rapidly. They could see the attacks, but dodging them was difficult. There were too many Senbon, and their angles were too tricky. Before long, both of them had gained quite a few bloody marks.

Chiya took one needle in the shoulder and another in the arm.

The two tomoe in Sasuke's eyes spun faster and faster.

He was beginning to adapt to Haku's speed.

This guy really was a genius. The longer he fought, the faster he became. The more dangerous things got, the calmer he was.

Chiya did not dare hold back either.

His hands formed seals, and he stomped hard.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"

Several earthen spikes burst from the bridge, slamming into several of the Ice Mirrors.

The Ice Mirrors shuddered, cracks spreading across them.

Sasuke seized the chance and blasted them with a fireball.

Boom!

White vapor rose from the Ice Mirrors as the flames scorched them.

But before the two could celebrate, the cracks slowly closed again.

Chiya's teeth ached just looking at it.

"This thing can repair itself?"

Sasuke took a breath.

"Keep attacking."

The two moved left and right, using Shuriken, Kunai, Fire Release, and steel wire alike. Sparks danced wildly among the Ice Mirrors as the mist burned away, only to close in again.

But Haku was too fast.

Every time he emerged from an Ice Mirror, he only paused for an instant before Senbon had already pierced them.

Chiya accumulated more and more wounds, and Sasuke was no better off.

Still, Sasuke endured it stubbornly, without the slightest expression on his face.

On the other side of the bridge, Tazuna's home had already descended into chaos.

Naruto's Shadow Clones pinned two of Gato's men to the ground and beat them up. Chairs had overturned, tables were crooked, and even half the door had been smashed off.

Tsunami stood in the corner with Inari in her arms, her face still pale.

Naruto stepped on one man's back and snapped angrily, "That is what you get for bullying people!"

The other man crawled up and tried to run, only for several Shadow Clones to pounce on him and give him another beating.

"Stop hitting me! Stop!"

Only then did Naruto stop.

Inari looked at the Narutos filling the room, and his eyes gradually reddened.

"Y-You... why did you save us?"

Naruto turned back to look at him.

"Do you even need to ask?"

He patted his chest.

"I am going to be the future Hokage!"

Inari's lips trembled, but he could not say anything.

Naruto glanced outside and suddenly remembered something.

"Crap, Kakashi-sensei and the others are still on the bridge!"

He turned and ran outside.

When he reached the door, he looked back at Inari.

"Hide somewhere safe. I am going to help them!"

With that, he had already charged into the mist.

Inari stood in the doorway, staring blankly at Naruto's retreating figure.

After a long while, he suddenly wiped his eyes and turned to run toward the village.

Tsunami jumped in alarm.

"Inari!"

Inari did not look back.

"I am going to get everyone!"

On the bridge.

Several more Senbon forced Chiya back, and his back struck an Ice Mirror. The cold made him shudder.

Sasuke suddenly rushed in front of him, his Kunai knocking aside three Senbon in succession.

Chiya glanced at him.

Sasuke did not turn around. He only said quietly, "Do not die here."

Chiya froze for a moment.

It sounded strange coming from Sasuke.

Just as he was about to reply, Haku rushed out from an Ice Mirror.

This time, he was even faster than before.

Sasuke's pupils shrank. He forcibly shifted his body half an inch, and the Kunai in his hand grazed Haku's sleeve.

Haku had not expected Sasuke to keep up to this extent, and his movement paused slightly.

Chiya seized the opportunity and sent a wire-bound Shuriken flying.

Clang!

The Shuriken scraped across the edge of Haku's mask, leaving a shallow mark.

Haku retreated into an Ice Mirror.

Sasuke's breathing was somewhat uneven.

"I can almost see him clearly."

Chiya shook the blood from his hand.

"Then hurry up."

The two stood back to back, surrounded by Ice Mirrors.

Haku watched them from within the mirrors.

"You have already reached your limit."

Chiya looked up and smiled.

"Not necessarily."

Just as Haku was about to move, a loud shout suddenly came from beyond the bridge.

"Kakashi-sensei! Sakura! Sasuke! Chiya!"

A blond figure charged out of the mist.

Naruto ran all the way over. When he saw Sasuke and Chiya inside the Ice Mirrors, his eyes instantly widened.

"How did you two get trapped in there?!"

Sasuke's expression changed.

"Do not come in!"

Chiya shouted as well, "Stay outside!"

Naruto did not hear them clearly at all.

Or rather, even if he had heard them clearly, he would not have cared.

He stepped onto the bridge and charged straight into the range of the Ice Mirrors.

"I am here to save you!"

Chiya's mouth twitched as he watched Naruto rush in.

Seriously.

Of course it was you, Naruto.