The dome of mirrors groaned under the pressure of Naruto's chakra. Red flames coiled around his small frame, licking the air with a hungry roar. Each breath he took came out ragged, primal, almost animalistic. His wounds had stopped bleeding—the power stitching them shut with frightening speed.
Sasuke staggered, his Sharingan flickering faintly from exhaustion. He shielded his eyes from the crimson glow. "This chakra… it's suffocating. Dobe… what the hell are you turning into?"
Haku's gaze hardened. Even hidden behind the porcelain mask, his resolve wavered. The boy before him was no longer the reckless, loudmouthed fool he'd been mocking just minutes ago. This Naruto was something else—something dangerous.
"Your power," Haku whispered softly, "it's beautiful… and terrifying."
Naruto's eyes, glowing like embers, locked onto him. "Enough talk!" His voice rumbled deeper, almost two voices speaking as one. "You're not gonna touch Sasuke again!"
With a furious roar, Naruto lunged. His fist crashed into another mirror. It shattered explosively, shards scattering like snow caught in a storm. The entire dome shook, several mirrors flickering out at once.
Haku blurred through the air, moving faster than most eyes could follow. But to Naruto's burning red gaze, every motion was clear. He caught Haku's wrist mid-strike and hurled him against a mirror. The impact spiderwebbed cracks across its surface.
Haku gasped. He's faster than me… he's adapting…
---
Outside, the mist swirled with Kakashi and Zabuza's deadly dance. But Kakashi paused for a fraction of a second, sensing the demonic chakra burning inside the dome. His visible eye widened. That's… the Nine-Tails' chakra. So it's true. Naruto…
Zabuza smirked behind his blade. "Distracted, Copy Ninja?"
Kakashi snapped back into focus, kunai clashing with Zabuza's cleaver again. "This fight is ending soon. For both of us."
---
Inside the cage, Sasuke dropped to one knee, struggling to keep up. His chest rose in sharp bursts, blood staining his shirt. He clenched his fists, glaring at Naruto's glowing form. "Damn it… I'm the one who's supposed to surpass everyone… not him…"
Still, somewhere deep inside, he felt it—the faintest spark of relief. At least… we might live because of him.
---
Naruto roared again, his chakra bursting outward in a shockwave. The remaining mirrors trembled violently. Haku tried to reinforce them, his hands forming rapid seals, but cracks spread across the dome.
"No…" Haku whispered, desperation leaking into his usually calm tone. "I cannot fail Zabuza-sama. Not here."
His body blurred into afterimages, senbon raining in torrents. But this time, Naruto didn't dodge—he tore through them. Needles stuck into his skin, but the red chakra burned around them, spitting them out with sizzling sparks.
Naruto slammed his palm against the mirror where Haku stood. The surface shattered in an explosion of ice and light, throwing Haku backward. His mask cracked across the cheek, splintering.
For a heartbeat, the battlefield froze.
Naruto panted heavily, eyes narrowing. "I can see you now… no more hiding."
Haku staggered to his feet, his mask hanging by a thread. Slowly, it split down the middle, falling in two halves to the icy ground.
Behind it was not a monster, not an unfeeling killer. It was the face of a boy—soft, pale, with sad, gentle eyes.
Naruto's breath caught. "You're… you're just a kid."
Haku's lips curved into the faintest, sorrowful smile. "Yes… just like you."
---
The words hung heavy. For the first time, Naruto hesitated. The rage swirling around him flickered.
Haku stepped closer, his voice low, almost tender. "I was born in a world that hated me for what I was. My power… it destroyed everything I loved. My mother. My father. My home. I was left with nothing."
Naruto's fists trembled. Something in his chest ached at those words. He's… like me…
Haku's eyes glistened faintly. "But then… Zabuza-sama found me. He gave me a purpose. He gave me a reason to live. I will protect him, no matter the cost. Even if it means becoming a demon."
He raised his hand, senbon glinting between his fingers. His sorrowful gaze met Naruto's burning red eyes. "So please… hate me. Fight me. Kill me if you must. But I will not stop."
---
Naruto froze. His rage demanded he attack, to crush the boy who had tried to kill his friends. But his heart… his heart screamed something else.
He saw himself in Haku—the loneliness, the desperation, the yearning for someone to acknowledge him.
The red chakra flared higher, but Naruto clenched his fists, his body shaking violently as he fought against it.
"I… I don't want to kill you!" Naruto shouted, his voice cracking. "Why do we have to fight?!"
Haku's expression softened, pained yet resolute. "Because… this is the shinobi's world. We live to protect those precious to us, even if it means throwing away our own lives."
His stance tightened again, ready to strike. "And for me, that precious person… is Zabuza-sama."
---
Sasuke struggled to his feet, wincing. His voice was weak but sharp. "Naruto… if you don't fight, we'll both die."
Naruto's jaw clenched, his eyes darting between Sasuke, bleeding and stubborn, and Haku, broken yet determined.
His chest felt like it was being torn apart.
---
Outside, Kakashi sensed the hesitation inside the dome. His eye narrowed. Naruto… you're facing the true meaning of being a shinobi. Will you bear it? Or will it break you?
---
Inside, Haku whispered one final time, his voice almost kind.
"Thank you… for showing me your strength. Now… I will end this."
He vanished, faster than before, a blur of sorrow and steel.
Naruto roared, the red chakra exploding outward as he launched himself forward.
Their collision shattered the last of the mirrors. Ice and shards rained down, two destinies colliding in a storm of power and tragedy.
---
✨ End of Chapter 17 ✨