The Tale Of Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 17: The Weapon Known As Shinobi

Inari is running down the street.
Inari: "Naruto and the others are fighting and risking their lives while the rest of us can't do anything. We've got to fight too!"
Inari runs up to a house and starts banging on the door.
Inari: "Uncle Gheci, Uncle Gheci, hurry come to the bridge with me! We don't have to hide any longer. If we all fight, we can finally take Gato down, I know we can!"
Gheci (from within the house): "No, Inari. I've given up fighting. Fighting is for heroes like your father. See what that did to him? Isn't one dead hero enough?"
Inari: "…"
Gheci: "What will more fighting bring us other than more fallen heroes and more regrets? No, Inari, my heart is already full of enough regrets to last a lifetime."
Inari balls his fist.
Inari: "Hmm… Well, I don't want to live a life of regrets either, and that's why we've got to fight."
Flashback
Kaiza: "Live your life so you have nothing to regret."
Flashback ends
Inari: "I know you care about everyone in the village, and so do I. You, Mother, Grandfather, and everyone—that's why we have to fight! All my life, I've been a coward. Now I know crying and hiding from things we're afraid of doesn't make them go away."
Inari turns his back and starts to run off down the steps. Gheci is in deep thought within his home.
Gheci's wife: "Little Inari has become a man. And you, dear, are you sure you want to send him off all on his own?"
Gheci is in deep thought.

Inari is banging on another house door, trying to get people to the bridge.
Inari: "Is anyone there? Come to the bridge with me and fight!"
Inari is panting.
Inari: "What do I do now? Not one of them will open their door to listen."
Inari is sad, but he remembers Naruto's words.
Naruto (flashback): "Because you really are brave."
Inari picks his head up high and goes back at it.

Back at the bridge:
Haku: "Go on, kill me. Why do you hesitate?"
Naruto: "That's not what it's about. Do you really think that's all there is to it? Fighting and killing until there's only one man left standing?"
Naruto: "There's a lot more to being a shinobi than that. There are other ways of showing your strength just by beating someone in battle."
Haku: "I've had a feeling all along, from the first moment we met in the woods… we are… a lot alike."
Naruto: "Huh?"
Haku: "I'm sure… you know what I mean. I'm only sorry it must be your hand that's tainted by my unworthy blood."
Naruto: "Sure about this? And you're positive it's the only way?"
Naruto is in deep thought.
Naruto: "The weird thing is, if we met under different circumstances, we could have been friends."
Naruto opens his eyes and draws his kunai from his holster as he rushes at Haku.
Haku: "That's right, hold fast to your dream."
Naruto: "This is for Sasuke. Because he also had a dream."
Naruto: "Ah!"
Haku: "Thank you, Naruto. Strike true."

Cut to Tazuna and Sakura:
Tazuna: "Finally, this fucking fog is lifting."
Sakura: "Look, they're standing off."
Tazuna: "Huh, I can't see a thing."
Sakura: "I can't tell which one is Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura: "Huh! One's moving."

Cut to Kakashi, who is about to kill Zabuza with his Chidori.
Haku: "Huh?"
Naruto: "Ah!"
Haku blocks Naruto's hand and grabs his wrist.
Haku: "Sorry, Naruto. Change of plan."
Naruto is struggling. Haku makes hand signs with one hand.
Haku: "I'm not ready to die quite yet."
Haku body-flickers away.
Naruto: "Huh? What the…"

Cut back to Kakashi, who is about to kill Zabuza with his Chidori. Zabuza is staring at him, and Kakashi's Chidori is cracking the air and the ground, causing several small pieces of the bridge to break.
Zabuza: "Is this the end?"
An ice mirror suddenly appears behind them, but nobody notices. Kakashi pulls his Chidori back.
Kakashi: "…"
The Chidori pierces something but not Zabuza. A shockwave is sent across the bridge that even blows Sakura back, causing Tazuna to catch her.
Sakura: "Thank you, Mr. Tazuna. But what the fuck was that?"
Sakura stands again upright and is shocked at the scene in front of her. Blood is pouring onto the ground as even Kakashi is shocked and Zabuza stares in disbelief. The ninja hounds disappear as more and more blood drips onto the bridge.
Sakura: "… What?"
Blood coats the ice mirror.
Zabuza: "……."
The one that took the blow for Zabuza was Haku. Kakashi pierced a hole through Haku’s entire chest. Everyone is in shock. Kakashi ends the jutsu. As Haku puts his head down, more and more blood spurts out of the wound. As Haku grabs Kakashi's hand, he rips it out.
Haku: "Za… buza."
Zabuza: "So my future is all used up, huh? Hahahah, wrong again, Kakashi."
Kakashi: "…"

Cut to Inari:
Tsunami: "Don't be ridiculous. You are not going to the bridge all by yourself."
Inari: "If I have to go alone because nobody wants to come with me, I have no choice."
Inari is decked out with a crossbow and a quiver full of arrows and a helmet. He is putting on his sandals.
Tsunami: "You are only a child. What do you think you can do?"
Inari: "You're right, I am just a kid. But a kid that knows what it means to stand and fight. I'm my father's kid."
Tsunami: "Huh… Kaiza… No, Inari, wait."
Inari: "Huh?"

Cut to Naruto:
Naruto: "Huh? Where'd he go? Huh? Hey."
Naruto: "The fog has lifted. Wait, is that him?"
Naruto runs towards Haku but stops as he sees Haku impaled.
Naruto: "What? I don't get it. What the hell is going on here?"
Tazuna: "Isn't that the young man with the mask?"
Kakashi: "The boy threw himself between Zabuza and the Chidori. He saved your worthless life at the cost of his own."
Zabuza: "Hahah, well done, Haku."
Sakura: "Kakashi-sensei, watch out!"
Kakashi: "He'd hack right through the boy to take me down."
Zabuza: "I knew I found a treasure when I found you, boy. You've not only given my life but Kakashi’s as well."
Zabuza gets his sword out, but Kakashi jumps back with Haku’s body.
Zabuza: "Haha, not bad for having a corpse in your arms."
Naruto: "You'll pay for that!"
Kakashi: "No, stay out of this, Naruto. This is my battle. Zabuza’s mine."
Kakashi sets down Haku's body with a solemn look as he shuts Haku's eyes for the last time.
Sakura: "Naruto, Naruto, over here! Naruto, so you and Sasuke are alright? So where is Sasuke anyway?"
Naruto's tears are starting to well up.
Sakura: "No…"
Kakashi: "Sakura…"
Zabuza: "Kakashi, I'd stay focused if I were you."
Zabuza pulls his executioner's blade back, but Kakashi does a spin kick and hits Zabuza back.
Sakura: "…"
Tazuna: "Let me take him to you, Sakura. As long as we stay together, we won't be disobeying your sensei’s orders."
Sakura: "… Thank you."
Sakura takes Zabuza's hand as they head off towards Sasuke. Sakura passes Naruto.
Naruto: "Sasuke…"
Sakura: "Huh…"
She sees Sasuke laying on the floor, all cut up. Tazuna looks away from Sasuke. Sakura picks up Sasuke in her arms as she starts to tear up. She puts her hand to her face.
Sakura: "His body's cold. This isn't just one of his genjutsu’s, is it?"
Tazuna: "Go on, you don't have to be brave on my part. Let your feelings out, Sakura. It's… all right."
Sakura: "I was the best, aced every test at the academy. I was the perfect student. Do you know that there are more than 100 principles of shinobi conduct? I memorized every single one. I used to love it when they tested us on them. It gave me a chance to show how smart I am. I remember clearly this one exam; they asked us to explain the 25th principle. I got it right, of course."
Sakura is starting to tear up.
Sakura: "A shinobi never shares his feelings no matter the circumstance… feelings are a weakness that only cloud his judgment and mess up his sense of duty."
Sakura is crying.
Sakura: "Sasuke…"
She puts her head to his chest to cry on. Naruto feels a pain in his chest having to hear Sakura cry.

Cut to Zabuza and Kakashi:
Both jump back as Zabuza is tired, but Kakashi is not.
Zabuza: "Why… why can't I keep up with him?"
Zabuza rushes back at Kakashi as he pulls his sword back, but he is simply punched by Kakashi. Zabuza is pierced all over. Kakashi takes the initiative as he hits Zabuza with a spin, making Zabuza woozy. Zabuza is barely standing.
Zabuza: "I'll split you in half!"
Zabuza rushes at Kakashi again as he dodges both of his slashes and comes from behind, gripping the back of Zabuza's neck.
Kakashi: "Look at you, you're falling apart. I knew you didn't have what it takes for the long haul. You have no idea what real strength is."
Gato: "Well, well, so this is how it turns out, huh?"
Kakashi spins two kunai on his fingers and pulls them back.
Kakashi: "Game over. You lose."
Zabuza turns his head back as Kakashi pulls the kunai forward, but Zabuza pulls his blade back, forcing Kakashi to slash Zabuza's forearm so he could duck out of the way of his blade. Kakashi flips back towards Naruto. As Zabuza's blade slips out of his hand, Naruto is shocked.
Kakashi: "Now both your hands can't make hand signs. What now? You're just useless."
Kakashi turns his head back as Gato steps up to the plate.
Kakashi: "Huh…"
Gato: "Did quite a job, did he, Zabuza? You look like yesterday's sashimi. I must say I'm disappointed."
Gato has an army of men behind him, but they are just grunts.
Gato: "Oh, Kashimo, my former best friend, all tied up and bound. I invested so much, yet you lost to a little girl. Well, it doesn't matter; you are going to die just like the rest of these fools."