The fight between Haku and the young genin raged on, the air thick with tension and the smell of blood. Naruto and Sasuke, battered and bruised, struggled to keep up with Haku's relentless attacks. Yet, amidst the chaos, Sasuke began to show signs of a remarkable change. His eyes, once dark and filled with determination, now glowed with the distinctive crimson hue of the Sharingan.
Haku, masked and emotionless, noticed the shift in Sasuke's movements. The Uchiha's newfound ability allowed him to anticipate and evade the deadly senbon needles with increasing ease. Desperate to turn the tide back in his favour, Haku redirected his focus towards the exhausted Naruto, aiming to eliminate the weaker link.
"Stay out of this!" Haku shouted, thrusting a needle toward Naruto's heart.
Sasuke, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and a fierce protective instinct, threw himself in front of Naruto. He grabbed his friend and pulled him out of the path of the attack just in time.
Haku's eyes widened in shock as he saw Sasuke's new Sharingan. "So, you've awakened it… the Sharingan. I didn't expect this."
Sasuke, panting heavily, fixed his piercing gaze on Haku. "You're not getting to him that easily."
Seeing his advantage slipping away, Haku's resolve hardened. He prepared for a decisive strike, his movements a blur as he aimed to finish Naruto once and for all. But Sasuke, despite his injuries, reacted with newfound precision, his Sharingan enabling him to counter Haku's speed.
"You won't touch him!" Sasuke roared, moving to block another attack.
In a split second, Haku launched another series of needles. Sasuke, pushed to his limits, moved to shield Naruto with his own body. The senbon pierced Sasuke, causing him to gasp in pain and collapse over Naruto, his blood soaking the ground beneath them.
Naruto, barely conscious, looked up to see Sasuke's pained expression. "Sasuke… why?"
Sasuke managed a weak smile, his voice a strained whisper. "Because you're… my friend."
Naruto's vision blurred as he watched Sasuke fall. A surge of emotions—grief, anger, and helplessness—swelled within him, triggering a dormant power. As he lay there, his body began to emanate a visible, malevolent chakra. It started as a faint red aura, quickly intensifying into a fiery cloak of energy.
Haku stepped back, eyes wide with horror. "This chakra… it's pure evil!"
Naruto's wounds healed instantly as the Kyuubi's chakra took over. His nails grew into claws, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and his eyes transformed into slitted pupils, burning with ferocity. He let out a primal roar that echoed across the battlefield, sending shivers down the spine of everyone present.
Zabuza, who was engaged with Kakashi, paused and turned towards the source of the sinister chakra. "What is this power?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Kakashi, too, felt the surge and recognized it immediately. "This is the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra… Naruto, you need to control it!"
Inside the ice dome, Ryuga could feel Naruto's chakra raging wildly. His own heart pounded with fear and concern. "Naruto… what's happening to you?" He summoned every ounce of his strength, focusing his ice chakra to try and break free from the mirrors. Despite his best efforts, the ice remained intact, mocking his desperation.
"I have to get out… I have to help them!" Ryuga cried, his voice breaking as he pounded against the unyielding ice.
Kakashi, sensing the impending danger of Naruto losing control, knew he had to end the battle swiftly. He bit his thumb, smeared his blood on a summoning scroll, and unrolled it with a determined flourish.
"Zabuza, it's time to finish this!" Kakashi shouted, his voice resonating with authority.
Zabuza, though confident in his own abilities, couldn't ignore the raw, overwhelming power of the Kyuubi's chakra. "So be it," he replied, readying his blade for the final confrontation.
As the two prepared to clash, the battlefield was charged with the tension of an imminent and decisive end. Kakashi's Sharingan blazed with intensity, while Zabuza's eyes reflected his ruthless determination.