Days passed in tense quiet, the bridge's construction creeping forward under Team 7's guard. Naruto trained relentlessly, his grin bright during the day as he joked with Tazuna's grandson, Inari, about being a hero. "You'll see, I'm gonna save this whole place!" he boasted, ruffling the kid's hair. But Inari's bitterness—his belief that heroes always failed—hit Naruto harder than he let on. It echoed his own fears: that power alone might not be enough, that the village's lies might be too big to break.At night, Naruto slipped away, practicing his shadow clones and reaching for the Nine-Tails' chakra. He could summon a hundred clones now, each solid and quick, but the fox's power was still a beast he couldn't tame. Each attempt brought him closer, the red-hot chakra surging stronger, but it left him drained, haunted by those red eyes. He didn't trust Kakashi's training or his team's help—Sasuke was too arrogant, Sakura too focused on Sasuke, and Kakashi's Sharingan made Naruto's skin crawl. Power was his alone to claim.The final battle came without warning. Zabuza returned, with a masked ninja—Haku—at his side. The mist closed in, and Kakashi ordered Team 7 to protect Tazuna. Naruto's grin was fierce as he summoned dozens of clones, shouting, "Let's do this!" But Haku's ice mirrors trapped him and Sasuke, needles flying faster than they could dodge. Naruto's clones shattered under the assault, and Sasuke took hits meant for him, collapsing in the ice dome.Naruto's facade cracked, his anger erupting. "Sasuke!" he roared, thinking his teammate was dead. The Nine-Tails' chakra surged, unbidden, a red aura cloaking him as his wounds healed and his strength skyrocketed. He broke free, his clones overwhelming Haku with sheer numbers, driven by the fox's rage. Haku faltered, and Naruto saw the truth in his eyes—not a killer, but a boy loyal to Zabuza, fighting for someone he loved.Naruto hesitated, his grin gone. "You don't have to do this," he said, his voice raw. Haku's story—of being an outcast, used for his power—hit too close to home. But the fight ended tragically: Haku sacrificed himself to save Zabuza, and Kakashi's Lightning Blade finished the rogue ninja. Naruto stood over Haku's body, his chest tight. Power hadn't saved Haku, and it might not save him either.
