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Meanwhile
A loud knock, knock, knock echoed through the quiet village, each rap against the wooden door carrying urgency, desperation, and hope.
"Old man Giichi!" Inari's small fists pounded against the door again. His breath was ragged from running, his heart hammering in his chest. "Please, open up!"
There was a long pause. The house remained still, almost as if it had swallowed its inhabitants in silence. But Inari refused to give up.
"Let's go to the bridge!" His voice cracked as he shouted. "If we all do it together, we can beat Gatô and his men this time!"
The door creaked open ever so slightly. A pair of tired, weary eyes peeked through the gap before the door opened further, revealing the old man Giichi. His face was lined with age, his expression weighed down by fear.
"Inari… I made up my mind not to fight anymore." His voice was barely above a whisper, yet the pain in his words was suffocating. "Even your father… the man we called a hero… he's not with us anymore."
Inari clenched his fists, his small frame trembling, not with fear, but with determination.
"Old man! We can't just stand here and do nothing!" His voice cracked, his emotions surging. "Let's go to the bridge! If we all do it together, we can beat Gato and his men this time!"
Giichi's eyes flickered with something—guilt, doubt, or perhaps the remnants of the fire he had long buried.
"If we were to fight…" he hesitated, his fingers gripping the edge of the door, "many lives would be lost… I don't want to lose something precious to me anymore."
The words made Inari's chest tighten, but he refused to back down.
"No one wants to regret it again," Giichi murmured, his voice filled with sorrow.
But that was the final push Inari needed.
"I don't want to regret it either!" He stepped forward, his eyes burning with newfound courage. "That's exactly why we must fight!"
Giichi's breath hitched as he saw something he hadn't noticed before—the fire in Inari's eyes. It was not the gaze of a scared little boy, but the conviction of a warrior.
"I love Mom, Dad, Grandpa… you, and everyone in this village!" Inari's voice rang through the air. "I've finally realized that nothing is accomplished if I just cry all the time!"
He turned on his heel, his little feet kicking up dust as he ran off into the village.
"I finally got it!"
Giichi stood frozen in the doorway, watching Inari disappear into the distance. Shame crept over him like a bitter chill. He sounded like a coward. He had allowed fear to bind him, while a child had the courage to stand up and fight.
His wife stepped beside him, her voice soft yet firm. "Will you just let Inari go there by himself?"
Giichi's fingers curled into fists. He let out a deep, shuddering breath.
"…Inari has grown into a fine young man."
Meanwhile, Inari raced through the village, his lungs burning, his heart pounding like a war drum.
"Open up!" He banged on another door, his voice breaking the silence of the town.
"Hey!"
Another knock.
"I'm asking you to fight with me!"
Door after door, house after house, Inari called out, his voice echoing through the streets.
And one by one—people listened.
----
Back on the bridge
Zabuza relished the heat of battle, the thrill of combat pushing his body to its limits. Kakashi was an opponent worthy of respect, and Zabuza had been planning his next move, already calculating how to finish the mission.
But then—those words.
That arrogant, disgusting voice rang out through the battlefield, each syllable laced with venom.
"Hmph. You should've just been a good little dog and listened, Zabuza. You were nothing but a tool to me—just like all ninjas should be!"
Gatô!
That miserable rat of a man had finally revealed his true colors.
Zabuza's grip on Kubikiribōchō tightened. His breathing was steady, but his entire body screamed rage. Slowly, his head turned toward Kakashi. His voice came out in a growl, slow and restrained.
"Kakashi… I apologize. Our battle ends here."
Kakashi studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod, already sensing the shift in Zabuza's demeanor.
"Okay."
With a flick of his wrist, Kakashi released the scroll, canceling the summoning jutsu.
The mist faded entirely, revealing everything.
His voice rang with cold finality.
"Haku! The fight is over."
Haku's eyes widened in shock, his body instinctively tensing mid-movement. He turned toward Zabuza, confusion written all over his usually serene face.
"We no longer have to fight…?" He murmured, glancing at Naruto—who was grinning.
That cocky, self-assured grin that spoke of knowing something others didn't.
What…? What did he do?
Haku felt a shiver run down his spine. Naruto had planned this, hadn't he? The way things had played out—the timing—everything.
Zabuza's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Haku, send them back. I'll deal with this fool myself."
There was no hesitation in his tone, only fury.
Haku clenched his fists before nodding. "Got it!"
Gatô's men, a ragtag bunch of thugs and rogue ninjas, hesitated for a brief moment before their so-called leader barked out his cowardly order.
"Everyone! Take them down!"
Gatô, of course, had already started running to the back of the pack.
Zabuza sneered. "You're not getting away that easily."
With a mighty leap, he soared through the air, his massive blade raised high, prepared to carve through anything in his way.
"CHARGE!"
The horde of mercenaries roared, their weapons gleaming in the morning light as they rushed forward.
Haku moved first.
Like a specter, he danced between them, fists and feet striking with precision and speed. A snap of a wrist sent one man crashing into another. A spinning kick launched another into the sea.
His body became a blur, flowing like water through Gatô's men, breaking them before they could even react.
Zabuza, meanwhile, descended like a demon. His Kubikiribōchō swung down in a devastating arc, splitting through flesh and steel alike.
Screams erupted and blood splattered.
The bridge had turned into a battlefield.
Tazuna, standing near the edge of the chaos, stared in disbelief.
"What is this?!" He shouted, his voice barely carrying over the sounds of steel clashing and bodies hitting the ground.
He turned to the only person near him—Sakura.
But she… was not paying attention to the battle.
Her face was slightly flushed, her eyes fixated on a certain blond-haired shinobi.
Tazuna's brow twitched.
"Are they fighting together?" He asked, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
Sakura's lips curved into a dreamy smile. "It seems Gatô had other plans."
But inside? Inside, she was losing her mind.
Naruto-sama… You're incredible.
Her inner voice purred, almost hungry as she watched him standing there, completely in control.
You planned this, didn't you? You knew Gatô would betray them. You turned them against him. You… You magnificent, cunning master.
Her thighs pressed together slightly as she bit her lower lip.
When we return… I'll serve you properly, Naruto-sama. A special session… just for you.
She let out a slow exhale, trying to contain the craving building inside her.
But her eyes never left him.
---- ✦ ✦ ✦ ----
Spoilers for the next three chapters!
Chapter 133: The Will of the People
Chapter 134: A New Path
Chapter 135: A Bridge to the Future
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