Naruto and Team 7 spent the next week training hard. Kakashi required Sasuke and Sai to climb to the treetops without using their hands before they could pass, while Sakura had to stay on a tree for an hour without exhausting her chakra.
Naruto used Shadow Clones to hone his Taijutsu and practice Wind Release: Gale Palm while continuing to master the Rasengan. He often trained until late at night before returning home, utterly exhausted. So, on the day Kakashi predicted Zabuza would attack, he deliberately let Naruto sleep a little longer and join them later.
"Let go of my mom!"
The shout from downstairs jolted Naruto awake. He immediately leaped out the window and quietly circled around to the front of the house across the rooftops, assessing the situation and looking for the best way to rescue the bound Tsunami and Inari.
Naruto quickly formed a plan and created three Shadow Clones. Two hid on either side of the door, while the third drew the attackers' attention from the front.
"Let them go!" Naruto's clone charged into the house and threw a punch at the nearest thug.
"Get lost, brat! The boss only wants this kid and his mom. You watch them. I'll deal with this brat!"
The clone immediately backed away, pretending to be frightened, and the thug advanced with a vicious grin.
"Ha! Look how scared the brat is! Hurry up and finish him so we can collect our reward from Gato!" the other thug jeered, completely unaware that the real Naruto had slipped through the window behind him.
The moment the first thug stepped outside, the trap sprang. The clones on either side of the door kicked him in the ribs while the third punched him in the face, knocking him out with ease.
The other thug panicked, but before he could help, the real Naruto knocked him down with a single blow.
Naruto tied up both thugs, freed Tsunami and Inari, then woke the thug who had been guarding them to question him.
"Uh... where am I?" the thug asked groggily.
"Right where you attacked an innocent family," Naruto said with a cold smile.
"Screw you, brat! Just wait until Gato gets his hands on you! The bridge builder's already dead. Zabuza took care of him!" the bound thug shouted defiantly.
"No! The bridge! Team 7! I have to get there right now!"
Naruto's heart clenched. He dashed out of the house, stripped off his training weights, and sprinted toward the bridge at full speed.
Thirty minutes earlier, at the bridge
"What's going on? Where did everyone go?" Tazuna's face was filled with fear as thick mist blanketed the bridge.
This isn't ordinary mist. Looks like Zabuza's here. My prediction was right, Kakashi thought, then said, "Hey, Zabuza. Back for another round?"
"Hmph. This time will be different, Kakashi." Zabuza emerged from the mist with the hunter ninja beside him, his voice full of confidence.
"Looks like you brought help," Kakashi said evenly.
"He's more than just help. He's even taken down jonin. Look, your little Genin are already trembling in fear," the Demon of the Hidden Mist scoffed.
"I'm not scared. I'm excited." Sasuke's gaze was steady, confident that he could take on his opponent.
Sasuke charged first, and the hunter ninja immediately met him. Their speed and skill were evenly matched.
"You're talented, but you're at a disadvantage. There's water everywhere here, so I can do this..." The hunter ninja finished his Hand Seals, and a surge of water rose from the edge of the bridge, sweeping Sasuke to the other side.
Sasuke quickly got up and charged again, only to be blocked by a massive wall of ice.
"Sorry, but I can't let you interfere with Mr. Zabuza. Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"
Countless ice mirrors formed an enormous cage around Sasuke. The hunter ninja stepped effortlessly into a mirror, leaving Sasuke and everyone on the bridge except Zabuza stunned.
"Looks like your student has already lost, Kakashi. Haku has never been defeated using this technique," Zabuza said with certainty.
"Sai, go help Sasuke! I'll handle Zabuza!" Kakashi lifted his Forehead Protector, revealing his Sharingan, and charged at Zabuza with a Kunai in hand. Zabuza blocked his attack with his enormous cleaver.
Inside the ice mirror cage
Sai rushed into the cage, only to realize immediately how bad the situation was. The hunter ninja moved too fast to track, and silver needles rained down on them. Sai's ink summons were useless against the ice mirrors and were quickly destroyed.
"Damn it! Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Sasuke roared, spewing a huge fireball at the ice mirrors, only to find them completely undamaged.
"How is that possible? Fire should melt ice!" Sasuke shouted in disbelief.
"Normally, yes. But this ice is special. As long as I still have chakra, it won't break." The hunter ninja's voice was icy as he unleashed another dense barrage of silver needles.
The two struggled to hold on, their injuries growing worse.
He seems to be slowing down. I can see his movements now, Sasuke thought as he watched his opponent dart between the ice mirrors.
Suddenly, chakra surged through Sasuke's eyes, and the world became incredibly clear-he had awakened his Sharingan, with two tomoe in his right eye and one in his left.
The Sharingan? So he has a kekkei genkai too. Never mind. I need to finish them quickly and help Mr. Zabuza, Haku thought from within a mirror.
Sasuke was faring much better, but the strain of the Sharingan kept growing. Sai finally reached his limit, falling to the ground after being struck by silver needles. Just then, Naruto arrived.
"No! Sasuke, Sai, are you all right?!" Naruto cried out at the sight of his fallen teammates.
"Is this your first time witnessing your comrades die in battle? They died honorably." Haku's voice betrayed no emotion.
"Shut up!"
Naruto's rage and grief erupted, and red chakra poured out of his body. "I'll kill you!"
Such tremendous power, yet so cold, like evil itself. What is this child? Haku thought in shock. Naruto's hands turned into claws, his whisker marks thickened, and his hair grew wild like a beast's as he lunged forward.
Where Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting
This chakra... has the seal loosened? No, I have to end this quickly! Kakashi thought, then said, "Zabuza, as much as I'd like to keep playing with you, it's time I ended this fight."
He took out a scroll and smeared blood over it.
"That power... this is trouble. Kakashi, you're wounded and bleeding, while I haven't suffered a scratch. I can still conceal my whereabouts, too. How do you expect to beat me?" Zabuza sneered.
"With this. Summoning Technique: Ninja Dog Hunt!"
Ninja Dogs of various colors appeared out of thin air and bit into Zabuza, pinning him firmly in place. Kakashi stepped into view and said, "I deliberately let you cut me during our fight so I could locate you by the scent of my blood. That made tracking you easier for my Ninja Dogs. Today, I won't use a copied technique. I'll finish you with one I created myself!"
With that, Kakashi began forming Hand Seals.
Inside the ice mirror cage
The enraged Naruto charged on all fours like a wild beast. Every silver needle Haku fired bounced away. Naruto shattered the ice mirror before him with a punch, and Haku barely leaped clear.
"Impossible! No one has ever shattered my ice! I have to stop him!"
Haku leaped again, but Naruto caught his arm with astonishing speed, then punched through the nearest ice mirror and shattered his mask.
"I'm sorry, master. I'm no match for him. I'm nothing but a useless tool..." Haku closed his eyes and waited for the final blow.
But the expected attack never came. He opened his eyes to see the crimson fading from Naruto's gaze, returning to blue. Pain and confusion filled his face.
Naruto stopped his fist, shocked to discover that the enemy before him was the friend he had met in the forest. He was no evil person.
"Why..." Naruto fought back tears, his voice trembling. "Why would you give your life for someone like Zabuza? He's willing to destroy an entire country for money... why?!"
He screamed and sank to his knees.
"Mr. Zabuza gave my existence meaning. I'm an orphan. He took me in and trained me to be his tool. Now I've failed and become worthless. Please kill me," Haku said expressionlessly.
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