Haku sat beside Zabuza—her eyes blank, face still, but within her, a storm raged. The same hands that once held dreams, loyalty, and healing had caused Naruto pain. And yet… she was forgiven. That hurt more than any blade ever could.
But none of that mattered to Karin in this moment.
She didn't look at Haku. Didn't even spare a glance at Zabuza's crumpled form.
All she could see was Naruto—her boyfriend, her brother, her storm, her fool who never listened. The boy who laughed at danger, danced in battle, and bore pain like a badge of honor.
Without hesitation, she ran to him.
Then dropped to her knees.
And threw her arms around him in a fierce, trembling hug.
"You idiot," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You're bleeding and you're still smirking like you won."
Naruto laughed
"I did win," he mumbled against her shoulder.
"See? I already healed myself," Naruto said, flashing that trademark grin—half pride, half mischief. "The blood's old news."
Karin's eyes narrowed. "You liar."
Before he could protest, she grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it up. "Prove it."
Naruto blinked. "Hey—at least buy me ramen first!"
But she wasn't amused.
She leaned closer, inspecting the bloodstained skin on his stomach. No open wounds. Just the faint remnants of where the blade had pierced, already healed over with a new layer of smooth, pink skin.
"…You really did," she muttered, brows furrowed in disbelief. "You're completely healed."
"Told you." He gave her a wink. "I'm not bleeding. Just a little… decorative gore for dramatic effect."
Karin's fist met his head. Lightly. Enough to remind him she cared. Deeply.
"You scared the crap out of me."
"Aw, you care," Naruto teased, rubbing the spot she hit. "That's sweet."
Behind them, Kakashi finally exhaled, his eye crinkling in what might've been relief or amusement—or both. Sasuke let out a low tch, crossing his arms. "Idiot."
But even he didn't look too mad.
Because Naruto hadn't just won a fight.
A few minutes before the others arrived…
Naruto stood still in the heart of the thick, suffocating mist. He was grinning—wide, cocky, dangerous. His chakra flared around him, licking the air like flames in a storm.
"Alright," he muttered, voice cutting through the silence. "I'm tired of this hide-and-seek."
He raised his hand, gathering chakra in his lungs.
"Fūton: Daitoppa!" he roared.
A violent gale exploded from his position, spiraling outward with the fury of a hurricane. Trees bent. Dust whipped. The entire bridge trembled under the sheer force of the wind. And in a breathless moment, the mist—Zabuza's greatest weapon—was gone.
Blown away like smoke in a storm.
Zabuza's silhouette was now fully visible—eyes wide in surprise, mouth open mid-breath.
Naruto was already gone.
He blurred forward with speed that defied logic.
Zabuza barely had time to flinch.
Naruto's fist connected hard with his chest—so hard the sickening crunch echoed across the bridge. Zabuza reeled, staggered back several steps, and coughed blood, red droplets spattering the stone beneath them.
Naruto didn't stop.
"Oh, now it's good," he said, cracking his knuckles, that terrifying grin still plastered on his face. "Let's finish this, Zabuza."
There was something in his eyes—something primal, unrelenting. It wasn't rage. It wasn't vengeance.
It was an absolute resolve.
Zabuza felt it.
For the first time in years… fear. Real, bone-deep fear.
But he didn't back down. He clenched his blade. Raised his stance.
He faced Naruto with everything he had left.
And Naruto? He dismantled him.
Blow after blow—fists to ribs, knee to stomach, elbow to jaw. The strikes weren't just fast—they were merciless, each one deliberate, each one targeted. Naruto moved like a ghost possessed, reading Zabuza's movements before they even happened.
Zabuza swung wildly, blindly, desperately. But Naruto was already behind him.
One final strike—a roundhouse kick to the side of Zabuza's head.
The Demon of the Hidden Mist was airborne for a split second—then crashed down on the stone, hard. Motionless.
Naruto stood over him, breathing heavily, bloodied but still grinning.
The storm had passed.
And the devil in red was still standing.
Haku watched in disbelief, her knees trembling, her breath stuck somewhere in her throat.
Zabuza was down.
Defeated.
Easily.
Her savior, her purpose, the one who gave her a reason to live—was beaten in a matter of minutes.
Naruto stood, bloodied but unbent, like some untouchable storm given human form.
He looked at her. Didn't speak—just gestured for her to come closer. Gentle. Inviting.
But Haku didn't move.
She couldn't.
The guilt crushed her chest like an invisible hand. Her eyes darted to Naruto's wound—the wound she gave him—and she flinched.
Her legs screamed to run, to disappear into the mist that no longer protected her.
But she stayed.
Naruto's smile faded as he noticed her hesitance. He didn't push her. Not yet. Instead, he quietly sat down, fatigue weighing on him like a mountain.
He placed a glowing, green hand over his abdomen.
The wound that once bled like a river closed slowly—smoothly. The skin knotted, smoothed over, until it looked untouched. As if it never happened. Like forgiveness in physical form.
Then—
Footsteps. Rushed.
Back to the present.
Karin's eyes darted around, finally noticing Zabuza, broken and unconscious on the ground.... and Haku, frozen beside him.
Karin's expression shifted. Compassion replaced concern.
She walked slowly toward Haku.
And Haku saw her.
Guilt burst like a dam. Fear twisted in her gut. Her entire body stiffened, instincts screaming to flee.
She tried.
She willed her legs to move.
But nothing happened.
Her feet stayed rooted. Her chest rose and fell, panicked. She was trapped—by her own shame.
Karin stopped a few steps away. The tension was silent. Crushing.
Haku looked up, eyes wide, lips trembling, expecting anger—blame—and hatred.
But Karin didn't raise a hand. She didn't even raise her voice.
She just knelt beside Haku—who looked like a ghost of herself—and gently wrapped her arms around her.
It wasn't a gesture of pity. It was… grounding. Human. Pure.
Haku stiffened, breath hitching. She didn't understand.
Why?
She had stabbed Naruto. She had fought them. She had almost—
She expected fury. Retribution. Maybe a kunai in the ribs.
But instead… warmth.
Forgiven.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Why was this girl holding her? Comforting her?
She looked toward the others—Kakashi and Sasuke, standing calmly, no killing intent in their eyes. No hatred.
Then she turned to Naruto.
There he sat, half-healed, arms casually resting on his knees, grinning like he'd just won a game of tag.
An idiot.
A wonderful idiot.
Is this… what having friends feels like?
Her lip quivered. Her chest tightened.
Then, like a broken dam, she broke down again. Tears streamed down her face—just like when Naruto hugged her before.
She buried her face into Karin's shoulder.
But peace?
Peace never lasts long in this world.
A slow, mocking clap echoed through the mist-cleared air.
"Touching. Really touching," a greasy voice slithered from the edge of the bridge.
Everyone turned.
Gato had arrived.
And he didn't come alone.
Behind him stood a mob of thugs—mercenaries, scum-for-hire, all armed to the teeth with clubs, blades, and greed.
"Well, well," Gato sneered, swaggering forward. "Looks like my little investment project went off script."
He looked down at Zabuza, unconscious and bleeding.
"Tch. And I paid top yen for this washed-up swordsman."
His gaze drifted over to Naruto, then Karin and Haku—mockery dancing in his eyes.
"And this? This is what defeated him? A few brats?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed. Sasuke's fingers twitched toward his kunai pouch.
Naruto slowly rose to his feet, that devil-may-care grin still plastered across his face—though a flicker of something dangerous sparked in his eyes.
And just like that, the final battle wasn't just personal anymore.
And Gato? He just lit the match.