𝙇𝘼𝙑𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍. | 𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗢

XIV

"NOW that I'm here, everything will be okay!" Naruto said, feigning strength and confidence as he stood before his allies and adversaries.

"What happened to a shinobi's element of surprise?" Tazuna said, puzzled by Naruto's bold and unique entrance.

"When it comes to Naruto," Riki said, sighing as she eyed the blonde, "all elements of a shinobi just seem to . . . disappear."

"I could tell that much at first glance," Tazuna commented, earning a laugh from the girls guarding him.

"All right here I go!" Naruto yelled, bringing Sakura, Riki and Tazuna's attention back on him. "Shadow Clone jutsu!"

"You weren't joking earlier, were you?" Tazuna asked Riki, taking her previously said words to heart.

"I actually was, but this . . ."

Just as Naruto was about to activate his technique, Zabuza sent a flurry of shuriken his way, stunning Naruto and his team.

"Get out of the way, Naruto!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto watched the shuriken get closer, and expression of fear present on his face.

But as the shuriken were about to hit him, a number of senbon knives intercepted the shurkien and diverted them off their path. All eyes rushed to Haku, the sole owner of the senbon knives, Zabuza and Naruto in particular, as they looked at him with more confusion than they had earlier.

"Naruto, what kind of idiot would shout out and perform their jutsu right in front of the enemy's eyes?" Kakashi shouted at his student.

"Huh?" Naruto looked around as he took in the scene around him. How Tazuna was being shielded by a worried Sakura and Riki, how Kakashi stood a few metres from Zabuza, how Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, and how all eyes were on him.

"The essence of a shinobi is deception," Kakashi explained. "The way you made your entrance earlier, that's just you coming to be a target . . ."

"But I went through all of the trouble of coming to the rescue!" Naruto said, his voice a mix of frustration and disappointment.

"Haku . . . What's the idea?" Zabuza began, reffering to the interference of his attack

"Zabuza, leave this kid to me . . ." Haku asked, pushing himself off the floor, his clothes slightly wet from the puddles of water on the bridge's surface and the condensated mist. He moved to outside the crystal dome of mirrors. "Let me fight this battle my way."

"So you mean no interfering, Haku? You're naive . . . as usual. " The duo spoke without facing each other, instead each turned to face their enemy.

"I'm sorry," Haku replied.

"That's fine with me! Because I'll beat you up anyway!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Haku.

Riki looked between Sasuke and Haku, and again between the two, looking both boys up and down. From what she could see from her own two eyes, Sasuke seemed to have many cuts littering his body, yet it looked as if none of them had caused any large internal injury despite his screaming earlier. Senbon knives were widely known as surgery tooks, but none had yet to penetrate deep into Sasuke's body all.

Kakashi took a step forward towards Naruto in attempt to aid him, only to be blocked by Zabuza taking a step in front of him.

"Don't be getting any wierd ideas," Zabuza warned. "If you move, you'll know what'll happen to that old man and those girls, right?"

Kakashi didn't reply, deep in thought. Zabuza took this as an opportunity to speak on. "How about we just leave it to the young guys to fight it out, hm?"