Naruto leaned more of his weight onto one leg, his arms trembling from blood loss, but his gaze locked on Haku with quiet certainty.
"At least… You still see me as a friend," he said, voice growing faint but laced with peace. "That's enough for me."
He turned his head slightly, meeting Zabuza's cold stare.
"Alright, Zabuza…" he inhaled sharply, ignoring the pain tearing through his side. "When do we start?"
Zabuza blinked—just once. The boy's resolve was unnerving… admirable… maybe even tragic.
But before he could answer—
Cut to Tsunami's house.
The door creaked open as Inari burst in, cheeks flushed, panting with excitement.
Inari burst into the house like a firecracker, face lit up like it was New Year's.
"She's back! Haku's back!" he cheered. "She's at the bridge with Naruto and Grandpa! They're all talking and laughing!"
Tsunami smiled instinctively at Inari's joy, but her expression faltered when she glanced at the others.
Karin froze mid-step, holding a cup in one hand. Her eyes flickered with disbelief."…Haku?"
Sasuke's brow furrowed. "I thought she left without a word. And now she's just back… out of nowhere?"
Kakashi didn't say anything right away. He turned to the window, staring out into the thickening mist that curled like ghostly fingers across the horizon.
"It's not like her to disappear without reason," he said, his voice calm but focused. "And it's even stranger for her to return without a message—especially to Naruto."
"She could've told us herself," Karin muttered, setting the cup down slowly. "Why not?"
The air in the room changed. From joy… to unease.
Tsunami tilted her head, confused. "Why are you all acting so tense? Isn't this good news?"
Kakashi shook his head slowly. "I'm not saying she's an enemy… but something feels off."
Sasuke, arms crossed now, looked toward the door."I'm going to the bridge."
"Same," Karin nodded. "Just in case."
"Stay here with Inari," Kakashi told Tsunami, his voice lower now. "We'll check it out. Maybe it's nothing."
But none of them believed that.
The mist was too thick.
The timing was too perfect.
And when you've been shinobi long enough… You learn to trust your gut.
All of them rushed out in a flurry of motion — Karin, Sasuke, and Kakashi, their faces pale with dread. Only Tsunami and Inari stayed behind, left with unanswered questions and growing worry.
Back on the bridge…
The mist coiled thick around them like a serpent, and the air buzzed with pressure.
Naruto stood tall — barely — his body screaming from the wound Haku had dealt. Blood stained his side, but his eyes? They burned with something fiercer than pain.
Across from him, Zabuza held his massive blade with ease, as if waiting for the boy to drop. But Naruto didn't.
"You trying to buy time?" Zabuza smirked. "Hoping your little friends come save you?"
Naruto tilted his head slightly, a cocky grin curling despite the blood in his mouth. "I don't need saving. Especially not from someone who's already lost."
Zabuza's smirk twitched. "Lost? You're bleeding out."
Naruto took a slow step forward, his breath ragged but steady. "Do you think this wound is what'll stop me?"
He closed his eyes for a beat.
Naruto stood still for a moment, hand pressed against the bloodied part of his side. The mist curled around him like an audience waiting for the next move.
Inside, his thoughts were calm—sharp.
"Let's see how far I can go like this. The wound didn't hit anything vital. I can act like I'm hurt… but honestly? I could finish this right now."
He smirked faintly, brushing some blood from the corner of his mouth for dramatic effect.
"I've made my decision," Naruto said aloud.
Zabuza raised an eyebrow. "Decided what, brat?"
Even Haku looked confused, her guard flickering for a moment. Tazuna blinked, staring at the boy like he'd lost it.
Naruto straightened up slightly, his energy shifting like a silent explosion.
"I've decided I'm going to defeat you," he said, voice steady, almost playful. "Without even healing this wound. Wanna bet?"
Zabuza's expression twisted — part annoyed, part amused, part… intrigued.
"Big talk for someone bleeding all over my bridge."
Naruto grinned, wide and unbothered. "Oh, this? Just ketchup. Real drama needs a little red, right?"
Naruto cracked his neck, the sound echoing through the stillness like a warning bell. His hand lit up with chakra—raw, wild, and unrefined—but steady.
He sank into his stance, eyes sharp and locked on his enemy."Let's dance, Kiri no Kijin," he said, voice low and dangerous.
Before anyone could blink, Naruto blurred forward—a red flash of motion without warning. Zabuza's eyes widened. Too fast.
But instinct—the kind born on a hundred blood-soaked battlefields—took over. His massive Kubikiribōchō came up just in time to catch the blow.
CLANG!
Steel met chakra-infused bone.
The mist around them split—parted like a curtain on a stage, revealing the truth.
Zabuza staggered back a step, boots scraping against the stone bridge. His eyes narrowed, disbelieving.
Naruto?
Still standing.
Feet planted, unmoved.
His fist pressed against the flat of the giant blade, like he'd punched a mountain and told it to sit down.
Zabuza gritted his teeth."You're stronger than you look, brat."
Naruto gave a crooked grin, sweat and blood dripping down the side of his face."Yeah. And you're slower than you used to be, old man."
Zabuza's eye twitched.
"Old man…?" he growled, voice like a whetstone scraping bone."I'm not even thirty, you little brat."
He jammed Kubikiribōchō into the bridge with a metallic clang, trying to mask his rising irritation. But deep down, a sliver of unease was starting to crawl up his spine.
'He's stronger. Faster. Even with that wound—he's not slowing down. Hell, it's like he's pretending to be hurt.'Zabuza narrowed his eyes through the mist, staring at the boy who stood unshaken.'How the hell did Konoha create a monster like this?'
He clicked his teeth in frustration.'What kind of training turns a kid into this? This brat's stronger than the Copy Ninja… and he ain't even a Jonin?'
The realization settled like cold steel.
'I can't take him head-on. Not anymore. Stealth it is. Precision over power. Bleed him where he can't see—classic Kiri style.'
As the mist swelled like an ocean tide, Zabuza vanished.
Naruto tensed.
"Here comes the mist…" he murmured. The air thickened. The sound dulled. It felt like stepping into a ghost story.
Zabuza's voice echoed from somewhere deep within."You're strong, brat. I'll give you that. But let's see how long you last... in my world."
Naruto's stance shifted. Calm. Fluid. Focused.
'He's going for the kill now. Old habits die hard.'
Zabuza circled like a phantom, his blade an extension of the fog itself.
Meanwhile, Naruto exhaled slowly. Chakra buzzed faintly through his skin.
He wasn't afraid. No—he was reading the air. Feeling for the shift. Listening for the cut before it came.
A whisper. Movement. Left!
He ducked. The blade sliced the air above him. Close—but not close enough.
Naruto countered with an elbow—but Zabuza had already melted back into the mist.
"Heh… that's better," Naruto said, cracking his neck with a grin."You're finally taking me seriously."
While blades clashed and chakra sparked, Haku stood still—silent, unmoving, eyes lost in the fog.
But inside?
A storm.
How?
How could Naruto still stand?
Still fight?
He was stronger than her—stronger than Zabuza, even. That much was clear. Yet he let her pierce him. Just stood there and took it.
For what?
For friendship?
The word echoed in her mind like a broken lullaby. It didn't make sense. It shouldn't make sense. And yet… it did.
Her hands trembled.
The same hands that once obeyed Zabuza without question… the same hands that struck Naruto's flesh not out of hatred—but out of command. And he still forgave her. Hugged her. Called her his friend.
The mask she wore now—its cold surface no longer gave her strength. It felt heavy. Unwelcome.
She watched the two fight—Naruto dancing with impossible grace, even wounded, and Zabuza slowly realizing he wasn't fighting a mere child.
Outside, Haku's face was stone. Calm. Neutral.
But inside, it was all crumbling.
She couldn't focus. Her vision blurred. Her body felt light. Useless. Like a tool left out in the rain, rusting.
Meanwhile, Tazuna saw the shift. Saw her trembling, saw the cracks in the mask—not the porcelain one on her face, but the emotional one she had worn for years.
Zabuza was too focused on Naruto. And Haku? She was no longer here.
So quietly—without sound or fuss—Tazuna slipped away.
One cautious step after another, the old man moved into the mist. His breath shallow. His heart pounding.
He had to find help.
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[A/N: Starting now, chapter uploads will follow a regular schedule of two chapters per day. Once we reach Chapter 100, the upload rate will increase to three chapters daily.
Also, I kindly ask for your reviews. While comments pointing out specific issues in certain chapters or paragraphs are appreciated, a review gives me a broader understanding of how the story is progressing as a whole.
Thoughtful reviews also play a key role in helping this story reach a wider audience.
Your feedback helps me improve and continue doing my best—thank you for supporting the story!]