Rampage

When Naruto charged in, Chiya really wanted to curse.

This guy could have at least helped smash the Ice Mirrors from outside, but instead, he had plunged right in.

Sasuke's face darkened.

"Idiot."

Naruto had not caught on yet. He looked around blankly. "What's going on? Why are there so many mirrors? And why is that guy inside every single one?"

No one answered him.

The next moment, Haku moved within the Ice Mirrors.

Several Senbon flew at Naruto from behind.

Naruto had just turned around when Sasuke grabbed him by the collar and yanked him half a step aside. The Senbon grazed Naruto's shoulder and struck the Ice Mirror opposite them with several crisp clinks.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?!"

Naruto staggered from the pull and was about to lose his temper when Chiya rushed over from the side, flicking his Kunai upward to knock away another two Senbon.

"Shut up."

Chiya stared at the shadows in the Ice Mirrors, his voice low.

"If you want to live, don't move around."

Only then did Naruto notice the blood on the two of them.

Several Senbon were embedded in Sasuke's arm, and Chiya's clothes were stained red as well. Neither injury was fatal, but they were frightening enough to see.

Naruto's eyes immediately reddened.

"You guys..."

"Stop talking."

Sasuke cut him off, his eyes fixed on the Ice Mirrors surrounding them.

Haku was too fast.

After Naruto came in, things had only become more chaotic. Haku clearly did not want to kill Naruto either. Every Senbon was aimed at his shoulders, arms, and thighs, but Naruto could not keep up at all. He did not even know where to dodge.

Chiya's breathing grew a little ragged.

He could tell that Haku was still holding back.

But that was the problem.

Haku not wanting to kill them did not mean they could win.

If they did not break the Ice Mirrors, the three of them would eventually be worn down. On the other side of the bridge, Kakashi and Zabuza's battle would not wait for them to slowly come up with a plan.

Chiya raised his head and looked at the Ice Mirrors.

Haku would save Zabuza.

That would not change.

If everything followed the course he remembered, Kakashi's Lightning Cutter would sooner or later strike at Zabuza, and Haku would definitely rush over to block it.

He had to get out before that happened.

Better yet, he needed to stop Haku.

If he truly could not stop him, then he could only use the stupidest method.

He would take the hit himself.

At that thought, even Chiya felt a chill run down his back.

Lightning Cutter was not an ordinary Kunai. If a normal person took it head-on, they would die on the spot. But Kaguya was still inside him. Kaguya had survived even after her heart had been pierced on the night of the massacre. Maybe Lightning Cutter was worth gambling on.

It was just a completely insane gamble.

Chiya gritted his teeth.

First, get out.

First, break these damned Ice Mirrors.

"Sasuke."

"Yeah."

Sasuke did not turn around.

The two moved almost at the same time.

Chiya raised his hand and flung out wire-bound shuriken. Several shuriken darted back and forth between the Ice Mirrors, the wires tightening as they tried to entangle several mirrors at once. Seizing the opening, Sasuke rapidly formed hand seals.

"Fire Release, Great Fireball Technique!"

The fireball slammed into the Ice Mirrors, and white mist exploded outward.

Chiya immediately pressed his hand to the ground.

"Earth Release, Earth Flow Spears!"

Several earthen spikes erupted from the bridge deck and rammed upward into the Ice Mirrors. Cracks spread across them at once, followed by a series of sharp cracks, as if they were about to shatter.

Naruto's eyes lit up.

"It's going to break!"

But Chiya did not smile.

Once the icy mist dispersed, those cracks began to close again.

Haku's figure emerged from another Ice Mirror, his voice still gentle.

"It's useless."

As soon as he spoke, the Senbon came again.

This time, they were even denser than before.

Sasuke stood in front of Naruto and swung his Kunai several times, but a Senbon still struck his shoulder. Chiya twisted aside to evade one volley, only for pain to shoot through his wrist as another Senbon pierced him.

Naruto finally could not take it anymore.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

With several pops, more than a dozen Narutos crowded into the space between the Ice Mirrors.

"You think numbers are such a big deal? I've got numbers too!"

The group of Narutos shouted as they charged at the Ice Mirrors.

Chiya's expression changed.

"Don't rush in!"

But he was too late.

Haku's figure flashed through the Ice Mirrors, and the dozen or so Shadow Clones exploded almost simultaneously. Before the white smoke had even cleared, Naruto's real body was kicked to the ground and rolled twice across the bridge.

Sasuke rushed over and pulled Naruto up.

"Do you have a brain at all?"

Naruto bared his teeth in pain, but his mouth remained stubborn.

"I was trying to help!"

"Keeping your mouth shut would help."

The two were still arguing, but Chiya said nothing.

He stared at the spot where Haku had attacked just now.

He still had not aimed for anything vital.

Haku had clearly had the chance to pin Naruto to the ground with Senbon, but he had only kicked him once and had deliberately targeted the Shadow Clones instead.

The urgency in Chiya's heart grew stronger.

It would be such a waste for someone like this to die here.

But right now, he could not even get out of the Ice Mirrors.

That was the most frustrating part.

He knew what would happen next, and he knew who he wanted to save, but he only had so few cards in his hand. Fire Release could not burn through the mirrors, Earth Release could not break them, and the Sharingan made his eyes ache from watching, yet his body still could not keep up with Haku's speed. The Kaguya chakra inside him had not surged out again either. Normally, it would have emerged to heal him after he was injured, but now, even after being pierced by so many Senbon, the Kaguya chakra had shown no sign of appearing.

Chiya raised a hand and pulled the Senbon from his arm, sucking in a sharp breath from the pain.

"Again."

Sasuke glanced at him.

Chiya did not explain. He merely wrapped the wire around his fingers again.

Sasuke understood what he meant.

The two charged at the Ice Mirrors once more.

This time, Chiya did not attack the mirrors directly. Instead, he used the wire to seal off Haku's routes out. Sasuke fixed his gaze on one shadow, and the instant Haku left an Ice Mirror, he thrust his Kunai straight at him.

Another section of Haku's sleeve was cut open.

So close.

They had been so close.

But Haku still retreated.

The next second, even more Senbon flew in from every direction.

Chiya's pupils shrank.

This time, they were aimed at Naruto.

Naruto had just climbed back to his feet and had no idea what was happening.

Sasuke moved first.

He rushed forward almost instinctively, blocking Naruto with his body. Chiya cursed and lunged after him, pressing Naruto back from the other side.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The sound of Senbon piercing flesh was soft.

But at that moment, Naruto felt as if he had heard something explode.

Sasuke stood before him, his shoulders, back, and arms covered in Senbon.

Chiya was kneeling beside them, and he was not in much better shape. Several Senbon had pierced his legs, with more embedded in his shoulders and back. Blood dripped down his clothes.

Naruto froze.

"Sasuke..."

Sasuke swayed, gritting his teeth as he tried to remain standing, but in the end, he dropped to one knee.

Naruto reached out to support him.

"Don't touch me."

Sasuke's voice was low, carrying that same irritating tone.

But after saying that, his body toppled to the side.

Naruto hurriedly caught him.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!"

Chiya could not hold on any longer either.

He sat with his back against an Ice Mirror, shivering from the cold as his vision darkened.

None of his injuries had struck anything vital.

Haku was still holding back.

But there were too many of them.

Pain, numbness, cold, and blood kept flowing out.

Chiya looked up at Haku in the Ice Mirrors. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

The gap was too great.

He wanted to break the deadlock. He wanted to save people. He wanted to drag both Haku and Zabuza away from their original fates.

But now, even standing up was difficult.

This felt fucking awful.

"Chiya..."

Naruto's voice trembled.

Chiya turned his head toward him and barely managed a smile.

"Stop calling."

His voice was faint.

"I'm not dead yet."

Naruto's hand froze in midair.

He looked at Sasuke in his arms, then at Chiya collapsed beside the Ice Mirror. His whole body seemed pinned in place by something.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment.

Haku stood in the Ice Mirrors and did not continue attacking.

"It's over."

His voice was quiet.

"You can no longer fight."

Naruto lowered his head, his shoulders beginning to tremble.

"Why..."

No one answered.

Naruto slowly raised his head, his eyes already red.

"Why?!"

A surge of red chakra rose from his body.

At first, it was only a little, like bubbles before water began to boil. Then it suddenly erupted, rolling off his skin in waves.

Haku paused within the Ice Mirrors.

Leaning against the freezing mirror, Chiya's eyelids felt unbearably heavy, but he still saw that red chakra.

The air became heavy in an instant.

The mist on the bridge was blown away by the chakra, and fine cracking sounds came from the Ice Mirrors. Naruto kept his head lowered as his nails gradually lengthened and his teeth sharpened.

Sasuke lay in his arms, no longer responding.

Naruto gently laid Sasuke down, then glanced at Chiya again.

Chiya wanted to say something.

Like, don't actually beat Haku to death.

But her throat was full of the taste of blood. When the words reached her lips, only a faint breathy sound remained.

Naruto didn't hear it.

He slowly rose to his feet, red chakra coiling around him like fire.

Haku watched him, unable to move at once for the first time.

Naruto raised his head.

Those eyes had already changed.

"I'm going to kill you."