"From that time, I was all alone. No one wanted me. I became a homeless orphan, alone on the streets, living off of whatever I could find to eat or drink. No one cared whether I lived or died! To them I was just street trash to be tossed to the side. It was Zabuza-sama who found and took me in when everyone else shunned and left me to die. He gave me clothes, food, shelter, and taught me all he knew!"
There was a moment of silence between Naruto and Haku. The blond allowed the girl's words to sink into his mind as she continued in a sad tone, "Zabuza-sama found use for me and my bloodline limit, and he wanted me to be a weapon, a tool for him. I was finally wanted in the world, as Zabuza seeks to overthrow the Mizukage. But Zabuza-sama has no use for a weak tool. I no longer have a purpose. Now that you have beaten me, please (tears falling down her face)…finish me. Just end my life."
Haku turned her head away, waiting for the final blow, but it never came. Instead, Naruto knelt down and placed his comforting hand under her head and lifted it up, causing the older girl to look at him.
"I understand your pain Haku, more so than you know. Our lives aren't so different. Like you, I was also an unwanted and hated homeless orphan back in my village. Like you, I carried a burden since my birth which led to me being scorned, bullied, and reviled by everybody of all ages. Many even called for my death when I was an infant. And like you, I found someone precious in my life that I would give my life for," Naruto explained.
Haku, regardless of what happened not too long ago, gave Naruto a sincere smile. "I see that we have more in common after all," she commented.
"Even though I've beaten you, you still have much to live for. You can find a new purpose. You don't have to die here," Naruto encouraged.
"Who would want me, a living weapon with a cursed bloodline limit that has now been proven to be weak?" Haku asked.
"Haku, listen to me!" Naruto spoke, "It's not too late for you! You're very good with herbs so you can become a medic ninja and build a new life again. You can't throw your life away like this!"
Haku stared at him quietly.
"If Zabuza doesn't want you anymore, just because you aren't an invincible tool, then you are better off without him," Naruto said firmly. Haku was silent.
"Haku please…It doesn't have to end like this," Naruto pleaded.
"Naruto-kun, I-," Haku began, but then Naruto lifted and carried her bridal style. He and his clone body flickered back to the bridge in time to see the mist lifted. They saw from a distance at the center of the bridge several dogs of varying sizes biting down onto Zabuza, holding him in place and preventing him from moving at all.
"If sight and hearing don't work, use smell. My dogs went after the smell of my blood on your weapon. Now you won't be able to escape," Kakashi said as electricity started energizing in his left hand.
"Zabuza, you're very much renowned. You tried to take over Kirigakure, but when you failed and escaped, you started working for scum like Gatō to get away from the hunter nins. The man you are trying to kill, Tazuna-san, is important to Nami no Kuni. Your motivation sacrifices too many lives of the innocent," Kakashi said, his tone cold and hard.
"Spare me your speech Kakashi! As long as I can accomplish my goal, I'm happy," Zabuza replied.
"I'll finish you here," Kakashi said coldly, readying his attack to tear into the man.
At the other end of the bridge…
"What the…?," Naruto said when he saw Kakashi's jutsu. They gasped when Kakashi started running towards Zabuza.
"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out in fear for Zabuza.
"RAIKIRI!"
"Zabuza-sama!" Haku screamed as she began to do hand signs and disappeared from Naruto's arms. Haku looked forward and saw that Kakashi was charging at Zabuza, Raikiri extended forward.
Haku panicked and raced as fast as she could over to Zabuza, standing in front of him with her arms stretched out to her sides ready to take the full brunt of the attack. Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw the girl appear in front of Zabuza, prepared to use herself as a human shield to protect her precious person. The Konoha Jounin was unable to stop, as he was moving too fast. Haku held her eyes shut tightly while anticipating the agonizing pain. Before anyone knew what happened, an explosion occurred with smoke and a dust cloud covering the area.
Sakura and Tazuna looked on as the mist and smoke of the explosion gradually cleared, and the bridge eventually stopped shaking. The Naruto kage bunshin, holding up Sasuke's unconscious body with the Uchiha's right arm over his shoulders, dragged the boy over to the others as they looked on to see what happened. Sakura and Tazuna hurried over to them as the clone laid Sasuke down. Sakura ran over to Sasuke and knelt down next his motionless body before pulling his body into her lap with tears running down her face.
"He's alive. Boss examined Sasuke earlier. But I don't know how long he'll be unconscious," the clone said. Sakura just nodded while holding onto the Uchiha as the clone puffed out.
What everyone saw next shocked them completely. Kakashi's left fist was deeply embedded in a stone slab that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, blocking Kakashi's view of Haku and Zabuza. His attack had also blown off a huge chunk of the large slab. Kakashi's hand was still charged with electricity, but it gradually died out. The stone slab in question now crumbled and fell apart to the ground after taking the full force of Kakashi's Raikiri attack.
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