Me and Kitty - SasuNaru Yaoi - Best Friends or enemies?

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xxxxxHis life had never been easy or something he had been particularily interested in divulging to anyone. He hadn't had such a good life in all honesty, but he wouldn't complain. Complaining was for losers, and he wasn't one. His eyes fell on a particularly annoying individual who he had realized he had been paired with, her an a female that seemed like he was some type of god or something. He never knew why all the girls wanted him so badly, and he honestly couldn't care less. This kid, he was a loser. He complained, whined, and cried like a child. His name was Naruto Uzumaki, and he was annoying. Sasuke didn't care much for either of his teammates, but given instructions to grab the two bells from their teacher was his only focus right now. The two other students sucked at grabbing the bells, sasuke had touched them 3 times so far but in every instance, his arrogance was used against him. However, Naruto was even worse. He was the one that ended up pinned to the post leaving Sasuke shaking his head. "Idiot..." he said, crossing his hands over eachother in front of his face as he sat down. They had failed. The mission was a failure. Only Sasuke and Sakura were able to eat and Sasuke looked at the food then looked at Naruto. As annoying as the kid was, he had to get the kid free... Teamwork, right? There were three of them... "We should work together. There are 3 of us." He said simply. He didn't go into details, they would likely know what it meant. He looked at his food and grabbed one of the morsels that was in the dish and held it up for Naruto to eat, Sakura did the same before the scene changed and Kakashi scared them. The dark made Sasuke a little spooked, but it freaked Naruto and Sakura out. The news the came next made Sasukes hair stand on the back of his head. "You pass." Kakashi finished in a grin. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing, they were now Genin. Their first mission came around and went, then they got sent on something even more important. A mission to escort a bridge builder. Naruto had some choice words about this project but Sasuke kept his opinion to himself as they walked along. He felt like things were way too quiet when Kakashi said the same thing. "It's too quiet..." He said. Sasuke glanced at his sensei then at Naruto who - like an idiot, was talking loudly as usual. Before he had a chance to draw attention to them Sasuke smacked his hand gently over his teammates mouth. "Hush..." he said quietly. Kakashi looked down and saw a puddle of water and kept walking. he couldn't tell them to be careful, they would have to think for themselves here. They were being decieved, Kakashi of course saw right through it - Sasuke seemed to as well. He kept his hand on Narutos mouth and put his finger to his own lips then removed it. Kakashi. This was meant to be a C rank mission, impossible. Sasuke spread his feet and his fingers curled around his Kunai, keeping himself on guard.

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[Kitty]

"Do you think about me when you're all alone?
The things we used to do, we used to be...
I could be the one to make you feel that way;
I could be the one to set you free!"​

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Stupid Sasuke… everyone loved him! Jeez, what was so great about the guy, anyways? He was just a jerk. A jerk who was, admittedly, good at everything he did… he excelled in just about everything, soaring so high above Naruto that some days, it felt as though he were out of reach. And maybe to other people, that was the case. To them, Sasuke was in a league of his own, and Naruto would never add up… but that was a bunch of BS, and Naruto knew it! No way was he ever going to just 'accept' that someone like Sasuke was better than him. Naruto was better! Way better! And everyone else better believe it, because it was the truth!

Which was why Naruto was so upset when they were given the boring task of escorting this carpenter guy to his house, or.. wherever it was they were escorting him. Naruto had paid little attention to the details, because it was a bunch of bullcrap, anyways! How was Naruto supposed to show off his skills when all they had to do was walk this sweaty old guy through the forest?

“UGH! This is sooo boring! C'mon, why can't we do a REAL mission for once, Kakasi-senei?!” Naruto ranted, jabbing a finger in the old guys direction with a look of disinterest written all over his face. “The old guy can walk himself the rest of the way, right? Why does he even need us? This is--” Suddenly, Naruto's whining was cut short when he felt Sasuke's hand clap over his mouth, effectively shutting the blonde up.

And, for a moment, it worked.

Surprised by the sudden action, Naruto's eyes widened a little and he grew stiff. What was up with Sasuke all of a sudden..? Immediately, Naruto's brow furrowed and his hands balled into fists at his sides. He wanted to yell, but as dense as Naruto was, he knew something was up. Kakashi was being pretty quiet and it wasn't like Sasuke to get all serious out of nowhere-- er…. Well… not more so than he usually was, if that was even possible.

Growling, he gave Sasuke a suspicious look, but decided to play along for now.

I wonder what's going on…? Naruto wondered to himself as Sasuke removed his hand and took a defensive stance. Nervous now, Naruto began to look around while advancing after Kakashi-senei… not at all paying attention to the puddle on the ground and winding up stepping right in it without a second thought.

His mind was too focused on the trees around them, assuming that if there was a threat, it would come from the treeline.​

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xxxxx He was surprised that Naruto shut up so easily when he was told to, but even Naruto couldn't be so stupid that he didn't see it coming. It was hard to see in the fog but Sasuke could tell something was up and he was proud that Naruto picked up on it as well. With his fingers wrapped hard around the handle of his Kunai, he braced for impact. Out of the shadows chains with long claw-like hooks attached to them shot out, straight towards Kakashi. They impaled Kakashi and the sensei collapsed. 'Dammit...' Sasuke thought to himself. He gauged the attacks paying close attention to where the attacks were coming from. What was their goal. Was it the gennin? Was it the jounin or was it the bridge builder. Sasuke saw through the attack as the ninja went straight for the bridge builder. Naruto and Sakura were standing in front of the man and Sasuke jumped between the claws that shot towards them both, pulling out his fuhma. He opened all four sides of it and blocked the claws, then with his other hand he grabbed two ninja stars and chucked them towards the men, catching both of the chains on top of one another. The Stars pinned the chains to the tree, immobilizing two hands of the 4. With another poison laced claw a third hand shot out from the ninja straight at Naruto. Sasuke blocked it from seriously injuring Naruto for the time being, but it did scratch him slightly. Sasuke used his fuhma to block two more attacks as he used his fireball jutsu to wound the two enough to distract them from his actual attack of him jumping into the air above them to slam his foot into their head. he didn't distract them well enough though because the man grabbed his ankle slicing it with his bladed fingertips before launching Sasuke away from him. Sasuke slid across the ground on his back, laying still with labored breathing. The men unpinned themselves from the tree and lunged at Naruto, with the intent on killing him and then killing the bridge builder.

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[Kitty]

"Do you think about me when you're all alone?
The things we used to do, we used to be...
I could be the one to make you feel that way;
I could be the one to set you free!"​

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Naruto may have had enough wit about him to pick up on something being off, but he wasn't quite as mindful as Sasuke. In fact, after a moment of simply looking around and not once seeing a thing, Naruto exhaled and let his guard down. “I don't get what you guys are so tense about,” Naruto grumbled under his breathe, about to turn around and face Sasuke to let him have it when, suddenly, a metallic clawed hand jutted out from the shadows.. aimed directly at Kakashi-sensei. Surely, he saw it coming, right? He had to. He was a jonin, and jonin didn't go down that easily, they just didn't!

And yet, with wide eyes, Naruto watched as Kakashi was impaled by the clawed hand, a shrill shriek coming from Sakura as she too watched in horror as their sensei was slain right before their eyes. “No… no way..” The blonde stammered, his entire body just freezing up as Sakura rushed to Kakashi's side, tears streaming down her face.

While all Naruto could seem to do was stand there, shocked, Sasuke was being logical and rational, even able to fight back!

Gulping dryly, Naruto glanced to the side when he noticed one of the claaws coming at him, but it was was if he were paralyzed. He could only stare, completely shocked, fear suddenly consuming him when--

“Gah!” Naruto gasped when his stomach was grazed by one of the clawed hands, Sasuke having had deflected the hand-like weapon to defend him from the worst of it. Still, the feeling of his shirt being ripped in he front and his belly being scratched was enough to snap Naruto to his senses and have him leaping back a bit. His breathing was ragged and uneven, almost as if he were near having a panic attack, but he swallowed his nerves as best he could given the situation they were facing.

How could Sasuke stay so calm?! Naruto didn't really have time to feel anything but grateful for his teammates cool-headed attitude, of course, as he was the one currently saving both their asses. In fact, Naruto found himself mentally cheering for Sasuke to win as he launched an attack against the attacking duo. An attack that, from Naruto's standpoint, seemed flawless.

But apparently it wasn't, as Sasuke's attack was halted and he was thrown like a rag doll across the ground.

“S--… Sasuke!”Naruto called out, concern lacing his voice as he took a step in Sasuke's direction, but there wasn't time for that. They were attacking now, and clearly, murder was their intent. And, as terrified as Naruto was to be facing ACTUAL danger, it filled him with an odd determination. If he died here, then Sakura and Sasuke would die too! The old man would die as well, and Kakashi.. if.. if he wasn't already dead, he would be.

Shakily, Naruto grit his teeth and took up a defensive stance. A very wobbly, clearly scared, defensive stance. Quickly, and clumsily, he weaved a few handsigns, preying he would be fast enough to not die before he got a chance to do something at least.

“Sh.. SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!” He shouted, then a plume of gray smoke filled the area. And, from within that plume of smoke barrage of shadow clones. Dozens upon dozens, rushing at the two attackers with everything Naruto had. Of course, most of them were easily defeated when the clawed men attacked them, but Naruto managed to tackle them with what few clones were left, pinning them down so Naruto could glance back at the horrific Sakura who was torn between rushing to Sasuke's side or trying to help Kakashi.

“Sakura! Grab the geezer and run!” He shouted, quickly summoning a new batch of clones as the previous ones were nearly completely wiped out. But he wasn't quite quick enough with the handseals and, just as he was about to complete the final handseal, one of the hand wrapped around his throat and picked him up off the ground, slamming him against a nearby tree and pinning him there. The blade-like fingers sunk into the sides of his neck, but didn't reach his jugular.

As a last ditch effort, Naruto grabbed one of his own kunai from the hilt at his thigh and threw it in one of the guy's directions. It was futile, but maybe it would buy Sakura and the old guy some time...​

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xxxxxSasuke was knocked unconscious for only a few moments. he slowly came back to the world of the living and the first thing he heard was Naruto yelling out his Jutsu. Despite the pain in his back he pushed himself up from the ground and looked over at the fight. Several clones, versus two men. The men were jounin, definitely as high or higher than Kakashi... he had disabled one of them but by now that disable was long gone. What to do. He glanced over at Sakura and then at Kakashi who was still on the ground. There was no trace of Kakashi and whatever was going on happened to be something he didn't udnerstand fully. He trusted Kakashi to help them out of this, and he went to join Naruto in the fight. "Hey loser..." He said playfully, coughing. "Don't think I'm letting you have all the glory..." he said, with a dignified half smirk on his features. His eyes went to the mark on Narutos stomach, coupled with the black mark of what looked to be some type of tatoo from the minimal amount he could see, he also saw blood. "Sakura, get out of here, we're going to need medical care for Naruto after this, those claws have poison on them..." he didn't once take his eye off the mark until he moved back to the people they were fighting. The men spread out in front and behind them, without even asking or confirming the fight to be this way, Sasuke moved to press his back into Narutos and cover all blind spots. His eyes were darting all over the place taking in every detail of the fight. "Your opponant has an injured forarm from my attack earlier, use that Naruto." he said. He pulled out his fuhma again and placed it infront of himself. Clearly, the boys weren't a problem so they men dove at Sakura and the builder, just then however Kakashi appeared and grabbed both of them with his Chidordi knocking both of them unconcious. He looked over at Sasuke and Naruto. "Good job you two, and Sakura. Sorry I didn't come in sooner... I had to observe them...I didn't think you would freeze up like that Naruto...I'm sorry. " he looked at the builder. "Excuse me... Tazuna... we need to talk." He said glaring slightly at the old man who looked ashamed. After the fight Sasuke collapsed on his ass. He'd never been in such a fight before and exhilarating as it was, he hurt. He leaned back against the dirt putting his back on the ground as he looked up at the sky. He was in no shape to fight Itachi yet, he needed to be stronger. He lay there a moment with his knees pointed straight up and his shoes against the soil. Sakura ran over to Naruto to help with the wounds. "You need to drain that wound or it could kill you." She said. Sasuke glanced over, not sure if the mark was all that serious or not until Sakura said that of all things. He waited to see what would happen, but hoped he would be okay.

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[Kitty]

"Do you think about me when you're all alone?
The things we used to do, we used to be...
I could be the one to make you feel that way;
I could be the one to set you free!"​

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He wouldn't admit it, but he was relieved when Sasuke came to and joined him in the fight. His nerves had calmed enough for him to shoot Sasuke a little grin of his own, the raven-haired boy's comment making him snort a little. “Heh, about time you got up. I was just about to mop the floor with these losers..” Naruto bluffed, more of to calm himself rather than actually mean much by it. He knew they were still in a bad position, but now it was two against two! So it was more fair! Right?

Nope. The attackers, no longer interested in Sasuke and Naruto, changed their attack. Instead, they lunged at Sakura and the geezer. Naruto's eyes widened and his body moved on it's own, jumping to try and catch up to the two men, to stop them. But they were so fast..! Dammit.. dammit! Why wasn't he strong enough to defeat these guys..? He hadn't done more than buy them some time with all those clones. Had it been pointless from the beginning?

“Sakura, Geezer! Go!!” He shouted, his voice the only way he could reach the two, but it seemed too late.. until Kakashi appeared. Apparently, he wasn't dead after all.. and boy, was Naruto glad. He let out the most relieved sigh he had ever let out when Kakashi single handedly defeated the two enemies, and in the blind of an eye at that.

“Sensei--!” He began, but was cut off when Kakashi spoke, apologizing for the delay and telling Naruto he simply had not expected him to freeze like he had. That was what caused Naruto's relieved little grin to falter, blue eyes grimacing with shame as he quickly looked to the ground. Naruto recoiled a little, his hands balling up, relaxing, and then balling again as he tried to think of an excuse for his actions. But there was none. He had been a coward.. simple as that. He froze up, and it could have cost them all their lives if not for Sasuke and his nerves of steel.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a little bitter at the fact that, once again, Sasuke had outdone him.

He did well at not showing that, though, and instead looked to Sakura with a slightly surprised look when she told him he could die if he didn't drain the wound quickly. His brow was quick to furrow, though. Resolve overcame him.

Growling in irritation only at himself, he grabbed the hem of his jacket and lifted it, kunai in his other and as he grit his teeth and glared at the flesh wounds across his stomach.

“From here on out.. I vow to never be afraid again! No more freezing up or hesitating!!” He promised, cringing just a little at the pain as he slashed over the three horizontal scratches, blood spurting out and gushing over his hand and the kunai as he did so. He was simply lucky that he hadn't stabbed to deep and got any major vessels or pieced an organ.​

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xxxxxSasuke would never admit it, naruto being his rival and all, but he was relieved to see that he was okay. He was a little shocked as he started to drain the wound, revealing the mark even more to the team. Sasuke, raised on the outskirts of the village never really associated with the leaf. Uchiha were usually used as weapons for the leaf, so they weren't really social butterflys, usually ending up in the Ninja academy as jonin before 15. Uchiha ended with Sasuke, due to memories which were better left as just that. He couldn't help but look at that design wondering what it was. It looked like a curse mark from the books his brother used to show him. He took his gaze off of the mark only when Naruto noticed he was looking at it, his gaze turning to his eyes first, meeting them and then moving on with a smile to the next thing. he looked over at Sakura who was getting bandages ready for Naruto's wounds. "That's really cool and all how you took out the poison Naruto... but hold still or you're gonna die from the blood loss..." He shook his head. "You're lucky you didn't hit a vein you idiot..." Sakura said, patching up his stomach without a second thought. She unlike Sasuke knew about the mark, everyone in hte village was told who this kid was, the fox was sealed in him. The only reason Sakura wasn't scared like the rest is because she hadn't lost anything in the 9tails attack. She patched his stomach and smiled at Sasuke. "You were really cool in that fight Sasuke, you always stay so calm." Sasuke rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pocket. "Yeah. Whatever." he said, turning his back to the two now. He started to walk off and Kakashi was speaking with the builder. They almost went back but Tazuna convinced them not to. He continued walking and the others eventually joined him. They got to the river and boarded a boat. All they would need to do is travel in silence across the river and get there safely.

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[Kitty]

"Do you think about me when you're all alone?
The things we used to do, we used to be...
I could be the one to make you feel that way;
I could be the one to set you free!"​

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Naruto sighed when the deed was done, happy to have that whole ordeal behind them. As he lifted his gaze from the wound on his stomach, he crossed eyes with Sasuke, who was staring at the seal mark on his stomach. At first, what Naruto felt was discomfort. He prepared to defend himself, expecting Sasuke to make some jerky comment about the ninetails… but he didn't. In fact, he didn't look at all hostile as he viewed the seal mark. He just.. smiled and looked away?? Naruto responded with a soft, confused blink, pursing his lips just as Kakashi began to speak. And, of course, what the jounin so nonchalantly said had Naruto in hysteria.

“Wait-- what?! I'm gonna bleed to death?? NO WAY! What do I do? What do I do?!” He panicked, as pale as a ghost by now as he did his absolute best to hold still. He was ready to exploded though, his worried gaze going from Sakura, to Sasuke, to Kakashi, and repeated, looking anywhere for a sign of comfort before he kicked the bucket. Or for someone to tell him that he wasn't gonna die. But that didn't happen immedately, which only worried the boy more.


Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed, exasperated. “Sheesh, you're so stupid, Naruto. You're not going to die..” she huffed, her cold words only tearing Naruto's heart to shreds. Even more so when she went on to tell Sasuke how cool HE had been.

“Hey! I did stuff, too! I was cool!” He whined, only to end up glaring at Sasuke when he went on to tell blow off Sakura so coldly, hurting her feelings. “Would it kill you to be a little nicer?? She just complimented you, teme..” Naruto muttered, allowing his shirt fall back over his stomach just in time for Sakura to roughly jab him in the gut with her elbow for insulting Sasuke.

Back and forth, Sakura and Naruto would bicker, with Naruto complaining about how violent and hostile Sakura was, while Sakura continued to assault him for saying she was those things. She had no regard at all to the fact that he was wounded. In fact, whenever she hit him, she aimed for his stomach.

Amazingly, Naruto managed to not die before they reached the little boat, but by then it hit Naruto that what had just happened shouldn't have happened at all.

“Hey, wait a sec… isn't this supposed to be a super easy mission? Who the heck WERE those guys and why were they after you, Old Man?” Naruto growled, shifting from where he sat on the little boat to glare past Sasuke and towards Tazuna.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Maybe Naruto had a point, but... "Before you were complaining about how EASY and BORING this mission was. Now you're gonna complain that it's too hard?! You don't see anyone else complaining, do you??"

Naruto puffed up a little, a pout on his face, but her words had succeeded in shutting him up at least. For now. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest in temporary defeat and glared out to the hazy, foggy lake they were crossing. Last thing he wanted was to get hit again.​

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xxxxx"Pff..." Sasuke scoffed, pushing his hands into his pockets as he walked forward. 'Nice, he wanted me to be nice... yeah... sure...' he thought to himself. He reflected on the fight while the other two bickered like children. He only glanced over at them every so often. He was interested in that mark on Naruto, what was it, where did he get it? He was unsure about that but, he didn't really have long to think about that when they rejoined him and his thoughts were muddled by their banter. "Can you two quiet down please..." he asked. They were still not in the clear, this place was ominous and he had no doubt that something bad would be approaching. Sasuke looked back at Naruto when he started to question the builder, yeah, Sasuke wanted to know that too. "We're Genin... those guys are at least Jonin... we're not ready for that... " He said admittedly, even he knew these guys were outclassing them. The builder finally told the truth and Kakashi said they would help him get to the area and then the mission was over, he lied and he would be reported to Hokage after the mission was over. Kakashi had no idea that this mission was more dangerous than the builder lead on to be. They would soon find out, but for now Sasuke and the crew lay low as they got on the boat. Naruto was too loud for Sasuke, he enjoyed the quiet and Naruto was annoying him. "Quiet." He said whispered, glancing at him. "There is a reason we're laying low, under this fog... it's so we can't be heard or seen... just in case... now will you shut up and sit still for once in your-" He was cut off as something was thrown at him, he dodged it just in time and his hand instantly went to his pouch pulling out his kunai. 'great, loudmouthed fool got us found out...' "We'll be taking the bridge builder... get in our way and we'll be taking your life..." Said a deep voice from the cover of the fog. They pulled to the closest land and Kakashi ordered the 3 into a manji formation, telling them to gather around the bridge builder and stay close. Sasuke obliged and glanced around. He couldn't see anything in this fog until it stepped forward. A figure that had to be twice as tall as the children holding what looked like a large ninja blade. His eyes widened, along with Kakashis. "Zabuza Momochi.... " Kakashi said. "Demon of the hidden mist....if you're my opponant..." He moved his hand up to his headband and pushed it back, "I can't go easy... " He looked over at the group. "Team 7, mobilize and protect the bridge builder. Do not involve yourselves in this fight, he's too much for you." Zabuza laughed and cocked his head. "So cute... baby ninja... too bad they won't even get to teethe..." He said. Kakashi stepped between them and Zabuza, using his eye to copy the jutsu that Zabuza attempted to use. "Should have expected no less from the copycat ninja Kakashi..." Zabuza sneered. Sasuke did everything he could in keeping his cool, but after seeing Kakashis eye he almost lost it. How did Kakashi come into possesstion of... of that!? Sasuke could feel the rage boil in him as flashbacks of his past haunted him. He balled his hand into a fist and only broke free from the tormented parazasis when Kakashi told him to calm down. "Sasuke, Calm down. I won't let you die in this battle, trust me... I will protect you...All of you." He was only able to stay calm so long before Zabuza vanished from where he was. "Don't be to sure of that..." He appeared in between the 3 and the bridge builder manji formation. "It's over." He said, his blade swinging. If it hit, it would hit them all. Kakashi stopped his blades by jumping in and grabbing the blade, throwing the kids away from him as well as the builder. The young Genin were thrown in all directions, Sasuke was the first to get back up and run over to the bridge builder and Sakura first. He made sure they were okay and glanced at Naruto. Not because he hated Naruto, he just knew he could handle himself. Sakura was weakest among the four in taijutsu, so she would take the most physical damage from that attack.

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Naruto huffed a little when Sasuke started to rant about how he wanted him to shut up, acting all cool and smart again by pointing out why they were traveling through the fog to begin with. Naruto opened his mouth, about to give his own half-thought-out opinion on the matter, when Sasuke's sentence was cut short and he was forced to duck to the side to avoid being struck by a weapon. In response to the attack, Naruto jumped to his feet and pulled out his own kunai, glaring in the direction the voice was coming from. Great, just what they needed, another fight! Well, at least this time they were ready for it. Or at least in Naruto's oh-so-brilliant opinion they were.

Once the boat hit land, Naruto and the other genin were quick to take Kakashi's command and circle around the old man, on guard and watching as the stranger approached. It was then that Kakashi mentioned who the guy was, it didn't ring any bells to Naruto, but.. if even Kakashi was getting nervous about him, he HAD to be tough..

“But, Sensei! We can have your back--” Naruto hushed himself when he noticed Kakashi's left eye. It was red, and seemed to evoke some kind of reaction for Sasuke, who visibly got a little worked up once it was revealed. What the heck was it..?

Regardles, Naruto's attention was grabbed when this 'Zabuza' guy spoke up again. “Why you--… you better watch yourself, or these 'babies' will kick your ass!” He snarled, though he was clearly all bark and no bite. At least to this guy he would be. So, for now, Naruto decided it best to just listen to Kakashi-sensei and see how this went down--

“Whh-what--?!” Suddenly, the guy was standing between the three genin and the old man. Naruto had merely blinked, and he was there. H-how.. how could anyone be that fast?!With little time to react, Naruto lifted the Kunai as the blade began to swing – as if it would be able to block a sword of that size. Just as suddenly as Zabuza appeared, though, so did Kakashi-sensei, and he was very quick to shove the genin and the builder all out of the way. Sakura landing near the builder, Sasuke and Naruto further off.

Naruto groaned, shifting as she pushed himself from the ground to his feet. If he were a normal person, he would be crippled by the wound over his stomach. Luckily, though, because he was a Jinchuuriki, he healed much quicker than a regular person. So, by now, the bandage around his gut was more of a hindrance than anything. Reaching under his shirt, her tore the blood stained bandage loose and tossed it aside, his wound no longer even bleeding.

He began to head towards Sasuke and the others when he seemed to notice something, which caused him to falter mid step.

“Hey, hold on… when that guy attacked, he said 'we'll' and 'our'.. doesn't that mean--”

“There are two of us.” A calm, gentle voice from the mist called out, finishing Naruto's thought as well as confirming it. However, Naruto was given little to no time at all to respond before four senbon needles were sent slicing through the air at his direction. The person responsible for throwing them had missed on purpose, aiming at Naruto's feet to send the boy staggering backwards away from the others to separate them all further.

“Gah!!” Naruto gasped, jumping back just as his attacker had planned. But not without quickly summoning a handful of shadow clones, which were able to scurry over to the builder, Sakura, and Sasuke while the real Naruto stood facing where the voice had come from. But the fog was getting thicker and heavier.. he could barely see in front of his own face.

“Shall I kill them?” The voice called out again, this time clearly directed at Zabuza. Naruto growled in response, his hold on the kunai tightening.

“Tch! Why don't you come out here and just TRY to kill me instead of hiding in the mist like a coward?!”
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xxxxx Sasuke had little time to collect his thoughts before the fight started. He heard the comment that Naruto made and couldn't help but grin a little. He was so cocky sometimes, and Sasuke liked it. He didn't have long to enjoy it before they were all thrown back. He recalculated his steps and got together his mind as they set up again to protect the bridge builder, however, they didn't group for long. Soon Naruto pointed something out that made Sasukes eyes go wide. He was right, there were more. Good job for noticing that Naruto, he made Sasuke proud for a moment before he realized just how right Naruto was there. When the voice came from the shadows, he realized it was such a soft voice and he was shocked that this voice was with Zabuza. It didn't sound like that of someone that could be with this type of guy. With the question Sasuke felt chills rush down his spine. A boy with an anbu mask stepped out of the mist. "As you wish..." he said. He started a Jutsu and Sasuke jumped in the way because Naruto was challenging this guy without thinking. "Get back you fool!" He said, as usual Naruto was biting off more than he could chew when he was more bark than bite. Jumping in the way trapped Sasuke within the jutsu that was originally meant for Naruto. He glanced around and saw a lot of what looked ice all around him. "What the hell is this...." He asked. "A kekegenkai..." He said. "This is my ice mirrors..." He said. He started to become a mirage within the mirrors, every mirror reflecting his image. Suddenly the boy vanished into the mirrors and needles flew out in every direction hitting Sasuke next to every possible vital spot he had. He shouted in pain as the tiny cuts slashed him and he fell to his knees panting, blood showing up on his jacket and flesh. He panted and his hand went to his belt to grab his kunai which he chucked at one of the mirrors only for it to bounce off it without doing any damage. He was truly scared now. Kakashi attempted to help but Zabuza stopped him. "Interfere and I go after the girl and the old man....He's dead. Haku is his opponent and Haku doesn't leave prisoners." he said smirking. Kakashi was stuck, he couldn't do anything. Sasuke was putting together a plan, if Naruto could hit from outside while he hit from the inside, they might have a chance at breaking the mirrors. As he stood he was attacked once again with a barrage of needles, this time impaling him instead of just cutting him by slashing. He screamed as the needles pressed into pressure points causing excruciating pain. He again collapsed, shaking. Sakura was outside the mirrors and screamed for Sasuke. ' I won't give up... not like this....' Sasuke thought to himself. He forced himself to stand and tried everything he could think of to fight back, but every attack utterly failed and left him laying on the ground. 'n-no....Naruto.... help....' He said to himself. Haku had hit every pressure point, it was amazing Sasuke was moving at all. out of sheer determination, he stood once again. Haku could kill him but he wasn't aiming for vitals... "Please just stay down... I fight for him... and I won't lose... but if I kill you I will kill the only kindness left in my heart... so please... stay down..." Sasuke refused, standing again.

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Given other circumstances, that voice might have been soothing and pleasant. However, right now, that seemingly kind voice was more like a phantom. Naruto couldn't pinpoint exactly where it came from, or even who it came from. Damn this fog.. it was way too dense to allow Naruto to see anything! Even Sasuke and the others were beginning to look distant, but that was probably the least of Naruto's concerns when that hauntingly soft voice suddenly was given a form. A boy, with long hair and a mask, revealed himself.

“Tch! You don't look so tough to me!” Naruto grinned, pushing his sleeves up a little bit further in a threatening manner while taking a broad step towards the boy, only to falter when he heard Sasuke begin to yell. Blinking softly, Naruto cocked his head to the side and watched as Sasuke abandoned Sakura and the bridge builder to rush over to him and the masked guy.

“What's the big idea, Sasuke? I can take this runt on by myself!!” He complained, throwing a fist dramatically into the air to emphasize his words. As he busied himself with griping and whining, though, he noticed a change in the air around him. Was it just him, or was the air getting colder?? Like, seriously.. Naruto's breath came out in visible white puffs against the frozen air around them, blue eyes watching in surprise as sheets of ice formed all around them.

“Huh.. mirrors??” Naruto murmured, shifting on he balls of his feet to look around at the thin sheets of ice. Suddenly, the masked boy appeared within one mirror.. and then all of them. Naruto eyes couldn't keep up with it, of course, but what was actually happening was that Haku was traveling from mirror to mirror at an amazing speed.

Then, without warning, the attack began. Needles were flying in every direction, hitting Naruto as well as Sasuke. The blonde hissed in pain, lifting his arms to block his face from the barrage of needles, put Haku was avoiding all of his vital points. In fact, he was purposely just hitting areas where it would hurt, but do no real damage to Naruto. The main attack seemed to be more focused on Sasuke, as Naruto could hear his teammate cry out in pain, which of course caused Naruto to roll to the side and out the way of the needles so he could focus on Sasuke for a second.

“Sasuke, are you-- SASUKE!” Naruto shouted when Sasuke went down, the needles sticking out of his pressure points this time, making Sasuke looked more like a pin cushion than a person.

Frantic, Naruto shifted his weight and ran over to the Uchiha, faltering a moment as Haku aimed for him now, throwing the needles into Naruto's back and shoulders. It hurt like hell, his nerves all across his back burning and stinging like he were on fire, but he bit back the pain as he ran to Sasuke's side.

He looked horrible. Sure, Naruto had some needles sticking out of him as well, but not of the needles that had struck him had hit in such dangerous spots as the ones that had hit Sasuke. And, as if that weren't enough to have Naruto gritting his teeth, the masked guy in the mirrors had the nerve to talk down to them.

“Shut up, just.. shut up!” Naruto roared, his skin crawling with odd eat despite the cold in the air as he turned to face the mirror, glaring from one to the next, snarling angrily at that masked face.

“I don't care who you are or what powers you have, got it?! You think I'm just gonna sit back and let you threaten my teammate? Well, pal, prepare to be knocked from your pedestal! HAA!!” Shouting with all he had, Naruto summoned twenty-, no thirty shadow clones, each one bursting at and slamming into the mirrors with brute force, determined to knock that smug little bastard from the mirror and give him a good beating. Each clone that was destroyed was replaced briskly by another, Naruto giving no regard to the amount of chakra he was using up.

“C'mon, Sasuke! We're only getting started, or are you tired already?!” He badgered, hoping to encourage Sasuke to not give up.
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xxxxx He went down again as Naruto seemed to only be taking half of the blows he was. The needles were peircing Sasukes Skin, going straight through into muscel and bone. Sasuke was about to give up but Naruto was screaming at him. He couldn't give up, Naruto never gave up even when he was put down, so Sasuke wasn't allowed to give up either. He stood and pulled the needles from most of the wounds, but a couple of them had hit major veins and he knew this, removing them would cause him to bleed out really badly, so he couldn't take most of them out. He started watching how Naruto was fighting him, Haku hitting all the clones and only hitting Naruto when the clones were down. "Naruto, keep doing that." He said, talking about the clones. Sasuke was pinning down the movements, realizing how he was moving so quickly. His eyes were keen and started to pick up little things that Naruto wouldn't notice at all. 'That's it, those dropplets...' He thought, continuing to watch. He threw a Kunai and hit his coat as the kid attacked another location where a clone was. Haku jumped back, his cloak now had a hole in it and he glared. "How...." His eyes narrowed at Sasuke. Naruto was becoming a headache, he tossed out a huge barrage of needles, these actually hitting points that he had hit on sasuke, joints, pressure points, places that would cause pain. These needles stuck into the flesh and bone the same as they did for Sasuke. Sasuke continued to watch the movements and he used his fireball jutsu this time, singeing the entire coattail. "That is enough." He used his needles this time with all intention on hitting vitals, but Sasuke was fast, dodging them each time, now that he could read the movements. "Naruto! Move it!" He said. "Attack from the outside !" He shouted, readying another fireball jutsu to use against him if he moved to attack. Just as Naruto almost got out Haku glared at them. "No more games!" Haku said. 'I have to stop this now...' He readied more needles and hit both of them in extremely painful areas, through the leg joints, angles, arms, shoulders, and chest. He barraged needles all into Naruto's back. The ones in Sasukes legs slowed him down badly. Suddenly from outside Sakura screamed and Sasuke looked in the direction of the scream. Unable to see anything due to the intense amount of fog in the air though he could only assume the worst. "Sakura!" Haku was getting serious against them, doing what he could to stop them from advancing but Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't give up, Naruto was attempting a frontal attack and Haku threw more needles at him, about three times the amount as usual, covering him in needles. Sasuke saw him coming again to kill Naruto and he jumped in front of him deflecting all of the shots away by blocking them. "I won't let you hurt Naruto." he said. He tracked the movements and suddenly Haku vanished. "Naruto, come on, I can't keep protecting you like this... " He said, picking him up and moving back so he couldn't get hit. The needles slammed into the floor where Naruto was just laying and Sasuke glared up at him. His eyes had changed, they were now red with small black markings in them. Once unlocking the Sharingan in his eyes, Haku gave up attacking Sasuke and went straight for naruto with vital attacks, Sasuke couldn't let Naruto be hit by them and he jumped in the way, blocking Naruto from the attacks, taking them himself, and throwing Haku away from Naruto and himself. He braced himself over Naruto just in time as Naruto woke up. Haku had hit him in the neck to make him pass out but Sasuke moving him had knocked the needle out just long enough to bring him back awake. Sasuke coughed up blood to the side and braced his hand by Naruto's head, kneeling on one knee. He was panting and his eyes matched the blood from the corner of his mouth. "L-Loser..." he said just before collapsing beside naruto. "Is this the first time you've seen a Friend die in battle? This will also be the last time..." Haku said, starting up an attack again only to stop because of the immense amount of chakra that actually became visible around Naruto.

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If there was one thing Naruto was, it was persistent. It was almost as if the boy simply didn't know how to give up once he had his mind set on something. And right now, he very much had his mind set on beating this guy into the ground. So, when Sasuke told him to keep up with the clones, he did. It was like an assembly line; two or three clones would be hit, and immediately replaced. It was like chakra was no issue to Naruto, though really, Naruto could feel his energy begin to dwindle. His movements became slower and more exhausted, though he would never admit that much. In fact, it encouraged him to go harder, the clones appearing more frequently. He had no idea that Sasuke was on to something, he just went full-speed ahead.

Well.. until Haku decided to get serious with him, throwing more and more needles in his direction. They stuck into his thighs, the backs of his knees, his ankles, all across his back.. Naruto cried out in pain, immediately falling forward, put catching himself with outstretched hands and FORCING himself back to his feet. He panted and huffed as he did so, the pain so severe that it was indeed tempting to throw in the towel. But if Sasuke was still rearing, then he himself couldn't give up, either!

“Th-.. that's all ya got?” Naruto chuckled as he staggered, grimacing as he yanked one of the deeper needles from the side of his knee so he could move more freely. Briefly, Naruto glanced back at Sasuke when he told him to go out an attack from the outside. Well, it was about time that jerk came up with a plan! That was his job, after all. Sasuke and the others could do the plotting, Naruto was just as glad to go head-long and face off with no game plan at all. Which was something everyone knew about him by now.

Anyways, Naruto smirked through the pain when Sasuke told him the plan. It was a good idea, Naruto had to admit! “Got it!!” Naruto gave Sasuke a corny thumbs up and, as if given a second wind, made is way for the nearest exit. However.. Haku apparently was having none of it, as before Naruto knew it, more needles were hitting him, and everything was going black…

The next time Naruto opened his eyes, Sasuke was kneeling over him, blood dripping down his face, and his eyes.. they were just as red as Kakashi's hidden eye had been. But that wasn't Naruto's concern. Sasuke was pale, his breathing was labored.. it was like he couldn't take anymore. “Wait. Wh… what happened..? Sasuke?!” Naruto lunged up as Sasuke collapsed, catching the other's head in the crook of his arm before it could hit the cold hard ground.

“Wake up.. you hear me?! Wake up, dammit!!” Naruto shouted, frantically shaking Sasuke's shoulders and tapping the side of his face with the back of his hand, but there was no response.

No way.. there was just no way! Sasuke wasn't dead! He couldn't be..!

Naruto grit his teeth, biting back tears as he gently set Sasuke down. Perhaps if Naruto were wiser, he would know to check for a pulse before assuming anything. But he always had been the 'act now think later' kind of person, and now was no acception.

“You bastard! I'll… I'LL KILL YOU.” Naruto's tone dropped an octave at the end of his sentence, making his words sound more like a promise than a threat. He was seeing red, no longer capable of thought. All he could focus on was the power flowing through him from deep within, a deep, menacing voice telling Naruto to give in to his hatred and kill.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto glared at the mirrors from the corner of his eye as his body changed. His muscles tensed and twitched, his hands forming claws and orange chakra oozed from his body and bubbled around him in a cloak of power. It was so powerful that even the ground beneath his feet began to split and crumble.

Haku didn't know what was happening, but he knew it was bad and threw five times as many needles at Naruto to try and end it before it got too bad, but he was too late. With a roar, Naruto turned and backhanded the needles out of the air with a move so powerful that it created a gust of wind strong enough to shatter one of the mirrors. Red, evil eyes now watched as Haku leaped from mirror to mirror, but Naruto could see him this time.. and he did not hold back.

Growling, Naruto grabbed Haku by the ankle and threw him down at the ground with enough force to create a small crater fro the impact alone, but that wasn't the end of it. Not by a longshot.

When Haku was gasping for breath, trying to push himself up to his knees, Naruto attacked again, grabbing Haku's arm this time and flinging him like a rag doll through one of his own mirrors and skidding across the ground. Naruto watched, panting hard, the rage nearly blinding him at this point. He could feel nothing.. he could think nothing. He barely even heard the horrified screams come from Sakura as he pushed off of the ground and landed on all fours above Haku before the poor boy could even get up.

“I'll kill you.. I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!” Naruto all but screamed, drawing his fist back only to bring it down hard against Haku's masked face. The mask shattered immediately, fragments embedding themselves int Naruto's knuckle, but he didn't stop. Over and over, her punched Haku in the face, his lust for blood too great.
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xxxxxSasuke could hear everything but couldn't will his body to move, he heard something going on, heard multiple screams from Sakura and he dreaded the fact that this was it, it was over. He was going to die here and never avenge his clan. Then he could hear growling and he opened his eyes to see Naruto turning into a... a beast. Something he'd never seen before, red visible chakra all around his ally. 'N-Naruto....' He thought to himself, trying to get his body to move. It wouldn't. He willed himself over and over and each time his body failed to respond. With the mirrors shattered now he could see Sakura being attacked by the swordsman, only for Kakashi to step in and be cut through his stomach. 'No... I can't let my comrades die like this... I have ...to...' He forced himself to stand and slowly - step after step - moved towards Naruto, limping, blood dripping from his body. "S-Stop...Naruto..." He said, ignoring the burning he got from reaching out to Naruto he put his hand on his teammates shoulder. The brace of his weakness caused him to fall and he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist to stop himself from falling completely. His head was rested mid-back his ear against Naruto's jacket; his hands were wrapped around the others hips. His breathing was labored and he didn't seem to be in full control of his body. "Don't Kill him...You aren't like that..." Sasuke wanted to take them custody - punish them not kill them. He of all people was able to see that the kid Haku didn't actually want to kill anyone. Sasuke kept hold of him despite the feeling he got from holding onto whatever chakra was around him. It felt like it was melting his flesh, but it didn't seem to be actually doing that, just felt that way. Three of the needles in his body had hit points that caused him to lose all motor function, points that when hit would paralyze the target. How he was still moving he didn't know. Kakashi was dealing with Zabuza and Sakura was trying to help, but it was the distraction that Zabuza got when Haku went down that gave Kakashi an edge. He was able to throw Zabuza down and slam his sword into his chest. Even the demon of the mist would succumb to that. Kakashi then collapsed after taking out Zabuza from the gaping wound in his side. 'I used too much chakra... and this wound... ' He thought to himself as Sakura tried to mend the wound. With Zabuza out of the picture he was able to recover and with Sakuras aid he was soon standing. She was gifted, she would outdo even the legendary sanin one day. He quickly made his way over towards Naruto and Sasuke, waiting to see what would happen before stepping in. He knew the fox was breaking through and he had the knowledge to seal it but it would leave him, and naruto both defenseless, leading most likely to all of their deaths.

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Naruto found himself grinning as Haku's fresh blood specked across his face as he continued to punch him, his tongue reaching out to lick the blood away from his bottom lip with a dark cackle sound erupting from deep within his chest. No.. Naruto didn't like this. He didn't want this! But there was something inside of him that DID like it.. and very much so.

The demon fox. Naruto had allowed himself to give in to the immense hatred her felt when he thought Sasuke was dead, and that granted the fox control over him. Naruto tried to stop, his body trembling as he tried to lock the fox back up, but he had lost too much of his own strength and now the fox's chakra was controlling Naruto like a puppet. And Haku didn't fight back; not even once. Which only made Naruto want to stop more, but.. he… he simply wasn't strong enough.

Just as Naruto's fist was rising once more, this time with enough power to potentially smash Haku's skull, he felt something.. arms, wrapping around him, and someone leaning on him from behind. At first, the voice was faded, drown out by the sound of his own blood rushing at insane levels thrugh his body, but he managed to catch the last bit of the sentence. 'You aren't like that..' the voice said. And that voice.. Sasuke?!

He was alive! He-… He hates you, Naruto…. They ALL hate you. That deep voice rumbled, Naruto's mind once again blocked in darkness. Sasuke would feel a change in Naruto's body, feel the way his body shifted, the muscles in his back twitching and tightening as Naruto turned.. and slammed his elbow against the side of Sasuke's head, sending the Uchiha skidding towards where Kakashi and Sakura stood. On the inside, Naruto was trying his hardest to stop. But that hatred was so powerful. It reminded Naruto of all the pains he had suffered, while everyone else stood by and laughed.

No..! I this is all wrong!! Naruto shouted mentally, but his body wouldn't listen.

Slowly, he stood off of Haku and turned to face Sasuke, those red eyes of his practically glowing as Naruto did so. A sickening, dark grin spread across his face, exposing the large fangs that had formed in Naruto's mouth in place of his canine teeth.

“Oh, Sasuke. Everyone LOVES Sasuke… Sasuke this, Sasuke that… WHAT ABOUT NARUTO?!” Naruto growled, his voice distorted and clearly not his own. He pounced again, this time landing squatted over Sasuke. Reaching down with a clawed hand, he grabbed the collar of Sasuke's shirt and lifted his torso from the ground so they were just abut eye level. Sasuke would notice that while there was a grin on Naruto's lips, his eyes said a whole different story. Tears filled his vision, his brow furrowed as he trembled hard, trying to take control of himself.

Faintly, he also heard the sound of Sakura screaming for him to get off Sasuke, but that only made the demon in him grow louder. The need to kill them all filling Naruto to the very brim.

Gritting his, Naruto lifted his hand and swung down at Sasuke, claws aimed at his throat, but something in Naruto finally snapped. Just as his fingers were less than an inch from Sasuke's throat, Naruto froze. I wont let you do this! He growled inwardly to the demon, and, after a moment of power struggle, it ended. The burning red chakra vanished, and those blood-hungry red eyes morphed back into that gentle blue.

Panting, Naruto released Sasuke's collar and staggered backwards off of him, landing on his ass with a light 'oof' as he stared in complete and utter shock down at his own two hands. He was mortified.. he… he had nearly sliced Sasuke's throat. He had no control over it.. and that was what scared him the most.

Naruto sat in such shock that he couldn't even bring himself to look up towards any of his comrades.

“I.. I wa.. I wanted to...” Naruto tried to speak, but his voice was numb. He had just wanted to kill his entire team. Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura.. he had felt the urge to slaughter all of them. He gulped, the tears finally falling against his open palms as he stared unblinkingly down at them as they morphed from claws back into his regular hands.
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xxxxx Sasuke didn't realize Naruto had lost it till he turned on him. His red eyes locked with Naruto's red eyes and he was legitimately afraid at what he saw. There was blood on Naruto's face and he licked hakus blood from his lips. Sasuke had no time to run when Naruto Seized him He was too weak to pull away as he grabbed him and swung towards him, he felt the sharp claws just a hair from his neck before Naruto forced himself to stop. Naruto seemed to be struggling internally as he almost tried to kill Sasuke in his weakest point. The fangs - what, FANGS!?! His eyes widened even more and when Naruto put him down he shuffled away from him in fear. ' what the fuck is he...'. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping him going right now, as soon as he calmed down he collapsed yet again to his hands and knees, groaning that he wasn't able to do anything. It was Naruto saving the day today. Haku used the chance to get away, leaving the scene. Zabuza was likely dead, but he moved to him and took him with him anyway. Sakura tried to stop them but received a non-fatal needle in her neck, knocking her instantly unconscious. Sasuke looked at Naruto like he had grown 3 heads and wings. He tried to talk but only managed a coughing fit and coughing up blood. Kakashi ran over to Naruto, lifted the edge of his shirt, and noticed that 4 of the 8 seal marks had vanished. He moved to Sakura quickly, removed the needle and splashed her face with water. She woke up and Kakashi helped her up then rushed over to Sasuke. "Lets go." he picked Sasuke up and told the builder to follow. He had to get back to the Leaf to have that mark resealed. Jiraya or Yamato were the only ones that would be able to seal it for them, as would

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Reluctantly, Naruto lifted his gaze when he noticed the way Sasuke seemed to be crawling away from him. Immediately, Naruto regretted looking up, because the look Sasuke gave him was one that Sasuke had NEVER given him before. Sasuke had been the only person in the whole world to never have looked at him like he was some kind of beast, but now, he had every right to feel that way… After all, Naruto nearly killed him. Still, it.. it did hurt to see that look. Not just on Sasuke's face, but on Sakura's as well as she was brought back to. And Kakashi.. he didn't look afraid, but he had to be let down. He just had to be. Maybe Naruto had saved them from Haku, but at what cost?

Naruto recoiled when Kakashi lifted his shirt to see the breaking seal, cringing as he balled his hands and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could he say to correct what he had very nearly just done?

Quietly, he glanced over to where Haku had been and hardened his expression a little, sniffling as he quickly wiped his tears away while Kakashi lifted Sasuke and Sakura tried to patch up what she could. Naruto didn't even need to look at the builder to know he was just as freaked out by what had just happened, so he didn't look at him, either. He just staggered to his feet, hissing out at the pain, but biting his bottom lip to put his mind elsewhere as he stared at the backs of Kakashi-sensei's feet and followed as they left.

They were going back nearly dead, the mission a total failure.

Quietly, Naruto made a vow to himself; he would never, EVER let the fox do that again. He wold never hurt any of his friends again. He would die first.

- - - HAKU - - -​

“Zabuza… I have failed you. I am sorry.” Haku murmured as he carried his master into the mist on his back. Small and petite as he was, Haku carried a lot of strength within. After all, he was trained by Zabuza himself, so this strength should not be a surprise. However, 'strong' was anything but what Haku was feeling. His sole purpose was to serve as Zabuza's weapon. To kill indiscriminately as Zabuza instructed, and yet Haku had hesitated to kill those two boys. And Zabuza had never nearly died because of it.

Now, all Haku could do was carry Zabuza to safety and heal him. Afterwords, he would accept any and all punishment given by his master. For now, though, saving the man's life was all that mattered. His own wounds would wait. After all, he had earned them.

Haku wound up carrying Zabuza back to Gatou's hideout. There were a few bodyguards outside who protested their arrival, but Haku knocked them out with a simple needle to the throat. Them out of the way, Haku carried Zabuza inside one of the many rooms and laid him down on the bed with a slightly relieved sigh; strong as he was, Zabuza was all muscle, and muscle was not light.

Shrugging that off, though, Haku tore what remained of Zabuza's top off, exposing his chest and the giant gash to the boy. Quickly, his small hands would press against the severe wound and the blue light of his chakra would fill the room as he began to heal him. It would be a slow process, but Haku would stand there all day and night if he had to, his own health far less important. And, if anyone tried to interrupt him while he was healing Zabuza… he would slaughter them.
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xxxxx Kakashi got them all home and made sure that Sakura, the bridge builder, and Naruto were safe before going in to see Sasuke. Tsunade was working on him as quickly as possible. "18 points of his chakra shattered..." She said to him. "What did he do out there..." Kakashi shook his head. "He was forced to unlock the sharingan during a battle... put a lot of stress on him because he has no idea how to control that much chakra...What is his chances...?" he asked. "Honestly... not good." she said. "He'll need bedrest, and lots of it..." "No... I won't lose to that guy..." Sasuke said, sitting up coughing. "I won't just sit here while my comrades are dying out there!" He shouted. "You're going to sit here until we let you move, your injuries are bad..." Sasuke growled softly. "I couldn't do it... I'm so weak..." Naruto was in the bed beside him, just on the other side of the curtain, but Sasuke didn't know that. "I couldn't protect him... " he swallowed. "What is he...?" He asked. Kakashi looked over where the curtain was, knowing Naruto was likely listening. "He's human. Just like you, just like all of us. Don't treat him any differently. He didn't mean to do what he did. You of all people should know that." he said. "When I hugged him to try to stop whatever was happening, it hurt, like my flesh was trying to melt off of my bones... that chakra isn't human... I don't know what it is... but its.... it's stronger than me..." He said. He lay back down. "It's stronger than all of us..." He paused. "Why havn't I ever met Naruto's family... are they..." "Dead." "What...why?" "We can't tell you...Just know that he has suffered just as much if not more than you... at least you were looked up to... cherished, cared for... while he had no one. The ones who knew about him shunned him, and those that didn't like you, still had nothing to do with him because he was too busy being a 'nusience' to the rest of you..." She said. "He needs friends too Sasuke." She said. "Friends?" Sasuke shook his head. "I don't have any needs for friends... I will avenge my family... I'll kill Itachi for what he did... Friends will only get in my way. I don't want to kill anyone that isn't Itachi..." He closed his eyes and sighed, curling up on his side. Tsunade and Kakashi left the room, leaving the curtain closed between the two boys. Sasuke had no idea Naruto was there. "Sorry Naruto...I didn't know..." He mumbled under his breath. "Not too different from myself..." he said, again very softly. He curled up and fell asleep shortly after, mending his body after the attack. It wasn't his fault that his chakra networks were shattered, holding onto the ninetails chakra was responsible for that. It was easier though to let them believe it was his fault, it would keep Naruto from sustaining anymore personal attacks for what he was. He was going to ask him, He wanted to know and Naruto would tell him eventually.

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xxxxx Pain. So much that he had never experianced this type of pain before. The sword which he had trusted his life to was now taking it. His vision was fading fast and he could barely breathe. All he wanted was to be by Haku, and hope that he got out alive. He watched the match, he thought Haku was as cold hearted as he was, but the ice he wielded was nothing like that which he expressed in his day to day life. His hand outstretched towards Haku as his vision slowly blackened and his hand fell to the ground on the unfinished bridge they were fighting upon. He gave his life for Haku, now he just hoped that Haku made it out alive. Zabuzas eyes slid closed and his breathing went shallow, almost undetectable to those untrained in medical ninjutsu. The next thing the demon of the mist knew was warmth, a pressure against his chest and warm hands, a soft touch. The touch was gentle, and sincere, helping him. It couldn't be, was he still alive. He let his eyes open and he saw Haku. "Haku...." He said softly. He couldn't move yet, the pain was still pretty intense, but he looked down at the boy smiling softly. "H-Haku....Thank you...." He said, resting his head on the pillow. He started thinking about when he found Haku, cold, alone, he refused to give the boy handouts but let him tag along, teaching him to live, live for him. To kill for him, he was a tool to Zabuza in the beginning but the boy proved mroe useful than Zabuza was sometimes, being his guiding light. He'd rescued him time and time again, and because of that, he owed him. He didn't want him to kill if he didn't want to. He had heard what Haku had said to that boy with black hair, telling him he didn't want to kill the last little bit of kindness in his heart, he asked him to stay down. He wondered now what would have happened if he in fact did kill that boy. He looked at Haku and realized he was still injured. "Haku take care of yourself." he said, it was a command, but a soft one. He was showing Haku compassion.

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[Kitty]

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Naruto was brought in before Sasuke, his seal looked over by Lady Tsunade for a few moments before she sent Shizune off to find 'Captain Yamato', whoever the hell THAT was supposed to be. Naruto had never heard the name before, and right now, he didn't care to meet anyone new. But he really had no say, and if something was wrong with the seal, Naruto supposed that he did want it to be fixed as soon as possible so nothing worse happened. Sighing to himself, his hand rested over his stomach, fingers curling against the fabric of the pale blue hospital gown as the curtain was pulled closed by a nurse.

Just then, Sasuke was brought in, having just been patched up in a different room and brought in here to rest like Naruto. Naruto wondered if Sasuke knew that Naruto was in here, too.. if he knew, would he want to leave? Naruto couldn't say he would blame him if he never even wanted to see Naruto again.

Closing his eyes and frowning, Naruto rested back against the bed and simply listened to the conversation on the other side of the curtain. Any second now and he expected to hear Sasuke say what a monster Naruto was, demand to be on a different team, or something of that caliber.

That, however, didn't exactly happen. Sure, Sasuke did ask what Naruto was, but before that he mentioned how he 'couldn't protect' him. That caught Naruto's attention. Then, when he heard Kakashi simply say that Naruto was a human, the blonde almost found himself smiling. It felt indescribably good to know that Kakashi-sensei didn't see him any different, even after what had been done. Still, Naruto listened on, glancing to the side and biting back a frown when his own family was brought up.

His eyes widened a little though when he heard about Sasuke's goal, and about his own family. He had heard about the Uchiha clan being slaughtered, but it was still painful to hear the way Sasuke spoke when he referred to this 'Itachi' person. He had no way of knowing that Itachi was Sasuke's brother, but right now, it made little difference. Because, in the end, he and Sasuke had both suffered.

For a while, Naruto simply laid there, thinking about everything Sasuke had said. Not once though had Sasuke talked badly about Naruto.. he easily could have, and maybe Naruto though that he should have, but he didn't. He actually apologized to him..

It wasn't until Naruto heard Sasuke's breathing grow soft and even that he himself began to stir, pulling the IV from his arm and tossing it thoughtlessly to the side so he could stand. He wobbled a little as he did, but managed to catch his balance without crashing to the ground and waking Sasuke up. The pain was mental; he could shrug it off. Besides, he healed a lot faster than Sasuke, so his own wounds weren't as deep anymore.

Quietly, Naruto walked around the curtain and stood at the foot of Sasuke's bed, staring at the black haired boy with so many emotions running through him.

“Sasuke, I'm-… I'm sorry for what I did to you.” He murmured in a hushed tone, biting back a frown. “But I swear it will never happen again! I'm gonna go find this 'Yamato' guy, and he's gonna make the seal stronger! I.. I guess he is supposed to, anyways, somehow. ” Honestly, Naruto had never met Yamato so he had no idea if he even really did ave the ability to fix the seal. But they were going to have to try, and Naruto didn't have time to waste sitting around. He owed Sasuke and the rest of Team Seven so much more!

So, with the goal of finding Yamato set in his mind, Naruto turned and left the room, running down the hallway in nothing but the loose hospital gown and his green and orange boxers. Leaving a trail of bandages and gasping nurses in his wake as he went around practically YELLING for Captain Yamato to 'reveal himself'. As if he were hiding under a desk somewhere.

- - - HAKU - - -​

Haku had been at it for a few hours before Zabuza began to stir. During that time, two guys tried to come in and confront Haku. To ask why they were back without finishing the job, saying that Zabuza was as 'good as dead' for failing anyways. Haku took that as a threat.. and killed one of the men on the spot, needle to the heart. That sent enough of a message around the hideout to leave the two of them alone, which was one less stress for Haku, allowing him to pour all of his chakra into healing his master.

Not once did Haku falter or even think of anything else. He simply stood by the man's side, not moving an inch, those warm hands of his never faltering. And then, Zabuza began to wake up. It was possibly the biggest feeling of relief Haku had ever felt. “You're okay..” He sighed, a sad smile spreading across his feminine features. He was beyond glad that Zabuza was okay! But.. he still felt that crushing guilt of what had happened. Which was why he felt confused when Zabuza actually thanked him.

“But-.. aren't you angry? You should be. I failed.. I couldn't kill either of those boys.” Haku deflated, glancing down at his hand now as Zabuza relaxed into the bed. “I am not worthy of thanking, I--” He cut off when Zabuza told him to heal himself. He was reluctant to obey those orders, but had never disobeyed the man before, and didn't intent to now.

Hesitantly, he removed his hands from Zabuza's chest and sat down on the wooden chair beside Zabuza. He cringed a little as he did so, his body stiff from standing still for so long. Not to mention he was just a LITTLE sore from being throw around like a toy by Naruto. His arm and leg were both killing him.. he had a feeling that his arm was dislocated. Slowly, Haku removed his own top so he could see his shoulder for himself. His entire arm was bruised and bloody and, just as he suspected, his shoulder was bruised and swollen.

“… I don't have enough chakra to heal myself. Guess I deserve that.” He said bitterly, truly upset with himself, and wishing Zabuza would be as well.
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[RebornSerenity]

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xxxxx Sasuke didn't hear Naruto talk to him, or leave, he was struck in dreams about his past, about that night. Itachi. He had told him he wasn't worth killing, he was too weak. He was supposed to come back and kill him when he unlocked the eyes that Itachi had. Because of the scroll that Sasuke had found that explained why he needed those eyes and how to get them he was avoiding all friendships. he knew that anyone he befriended would have to die, and so he refused to have a friend. It made him weaker because mangekyo sharingan wouldn't unlock until he had killed his best friend in cold blood, but he didn't care. He wasn't sacrificing anyones life but Itachis or his own. There had been too much bloodshed already and Sasuke would have no part in it. He was stuck in the nightmare as Naruto walked off screaming down the halls. Nurses looked at him in shock as he strolled about in his underwear, a weird looking guy with white hair walked in and looked at him. "Keep it down, I'm doing resear-....Uhm. What are you doing?" The guy asked, tilting his head. "Say, aren't you Naruto Uzimaki?" He asked. closing a book that he was writing in, pocketing it. "Oh, wait a moment... yes... thats it..." he grabbed Naruto around the wrist and dragged him into one of the rooms with no one in it then he opened up the front of the robe and hit his fingers against the seal. "Sealing Jutsu." he worded softly, as his hand made contact. It lit up and suddenly Naruto would feel absolute relief. "Ahha... so you had broken it." he looked at him. "Names Jiraiya." he said. "Pleased to meet you finally Naruto." he smiled, clearly hiding something from him. This wasn't the first time Jiraiya had met Naruto, but, it was the first time Naruto would remember him... The first time was that night... the baby was brought to him and he took care of him for a short time before one of the women from the village put him in a care program. The children were given a place to sleep, but no guardian. they were served food, almost like a homeless shelter for children. They wouldn't let Jiraiya keep the child because of his prohibitions with alcohol and women, despite nurmorous attempts to stop, it wasn't happening. ' You look like Minato...' He said to himself. 'Your father would be proud...' "Who me?" He asked, when Naruto's tone and words were harping on 'who the hell are you old man' he huffed. ' I'm not that old....' He thought. "I'm the Toad sage! The Great Toad Sage Jiraiya!" He nodded.

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xxxxx The first thing Zabuza noticed was the dead guy on the ground, and the next was the condition that Haku was in. He was healing Zabuza and apologizing frantically. "You deserve not being healed?" He shook his head. "Don't you dare say that." He said. "You're stronger than that..." Zabuza looked at his wounds and he got up and pushed himself from the bed to walk over and grab a roll of bandages and ointment from a box. "Sit." He pointed to the bed. He didn't answer any of his questions, he was a man of silence. He even mastered the silent killing technique, he wasn't one for being too talkative. His hands were rough but his touch was gentle as he wrapped and cared for Haku's wounds. His were healed enough, it would take a while though to be fully healed but right now he was going to manage Haku. He asked him if he was mad and he shook his head. "You talk too much sometimes Haku..." To which he likely got an apology and a returned sigh from Zabuza. He moved his hand up to the bandage around his face and pulled it down by hooking his finger in one side of it. "Look at me." He said. His finger going beneath the youngers chin. "I put you in harms way without thinking about what it could do to you, you're not a killer and I see that... And I shouldn't expect so much from you." He said. It wasn't much, but he smiled a little bit, showing the very familiar shark teeth that his clan possessed. "Stop apologizing." he said, silencing him by leaning down and pressing his lips to Hakus gently while his hand came up to the long black hair haku had. He placed his hand gently on the side of Haku's neck and face.

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[Kitty]

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Naruto was going to go mad if he didn't find this guy soon. He had no idea what he looked like or anything, though, so all he could do was hope he heard him calling his name and reared his head. “Hey, YAMAT-- oh??” The boy faltered when, suddenly, an old guy appeared. White hair, weird red lines going down his cheeks, and his headband was different. That was all irrelevant, of course, because soon the guy was asking if he was Naruto. He responded with a quirked brow and pursed lips. “Whose askin'?” Naruto grumbled, eying the guy suspiciously when, out of the blue, he grabbed his wrist and began to drag him towards the nearest room.

Of course, Naruto panicked. “He-Hey! Weird old guy, hands off!! You hear me?!” Naruto growled, stamping his bare feet into the ground and pulling back to try and free himself of the strangers hold, but he was still much too weak. His own chakra was mixed with the fox's chakra, throwing him off balance. Plus there were his wounds, which made it easy for Jiraiya to tug the boy along like he was nothing.

“What do you think you're doing?! Ack!” The guy was pulling open the front of the hospital gown, making Naruto panic further. “That's it! Shadow clo--” Naruto was halfway through summoning a dozen clones when he was halted, the old guy jabbing his fingertips against Naruto's stomach. At first, it kind of hurt, but more than anything it knocked the air from his lungs and had him stagger back, landing on his ass in a nearby chair.

Gasping, Naruto stared at the seal on his stomach in shock. Though, when it was mentioned that Naruto had broken it, he couldn't help but give the man a light glare as he jumped to his feet with a huff. “You're wrong! I'm not the one that broke it! It.. It was the fox!” He defended, fight back a frown as he thought back to how it had felt when the ninetails had consumed his mind and body…

“It.. it's so evil and strong.. I-.. I'd never let it out on purpose. I don't want my friends to get hurt because of the ninetails...” He murmured under his breath, shaking his head.

“Er, wait a sec. What do you mean it's 'good to meet me finally'?? You've heard of me or somethin'?” If that was the case, Naruto was sure that what this guy had heard about him wasn't good, so why was he glad to meet him? Fishy.

“Just who the hell ARE you, old man?” Naruto demanded, this whole situation so bizarre that Naruto was having issues wrapping his head around it. Well, he definitely did feel a lot better. His own chakra flowed evenly throughout his body while the fragments of the fox's dark chakra was sealed up tight. However…

“Well, 'Toad Sage', will this seal keep the fox locked up for good? What happened.. it can't happen again. It was like I had no control over myself! I tried to stop, but the fox… he kept telling me how everyone hates me, and how I should kill them- I almost KILLED Sasuke and the others..” Naruto grit his teeth, setting his jaw as he gripped at the sides of the hospital gown.

“Will that happen again?”

- - - HAKU - - -​

Haku fell silent as Zabuza spoke, a pained looked overcoming him when Zabuza told him he was 'stronger than that'. How could he still have so much faith in him after seeing his weakness? As much as he wanted to argue and tell Zabuza that he was nothing more than a useless, broken tool, Haku instead nodded and moved to sit on the bed where Zabuza had been resting moments prior. He knew that his master was a man of few words, so when he did speak, the boy hung on to his every word. Quietly, the boy watched as Zabuza took the bandage and began to wrap his arm. It was still amazing to Haku that someone so large could be so soft… his large hands capable of such gentle kindness despite having slain countless men. It brought a smile to Haku's pink lips, his body relaxing under the care of his mentor.

“I'm sorry.” Haku apologized when it was noted that he spoke too much, that smile still graced across his lips until Zabuza told him to look at him. With a soft blink, Haku lifted his head obediently under the man's touch, the feel of his mentor's calloused fingers against his soft flesh making his skin tingle in the wake of his touch.

Zabuza had removed his mask… Haku had seen him maskless, of course. He was one of the very few people who had. But.. it was still a surprise, as Zabuza rarely took it off. For anything.

“Zabuza..” Haku breathed, shaking his head gently as a wider smile played at his own lips. “You are the sole reason behind my existence. You give me purpose. I would die for you in a heartbeat, you know that. Before today, there had been no opponent that I could not kill for you. But those boys-.. their eyes…” Haku's voice drifted and he frowned a little. “Just as I saw myself in your eyes when we first met, I could see myself in their eyes as well. They are young, but have suffered immensely...” Haku slouched a little, lightly nuzzling the side of his face into Zabuza's hand and prepared to apologize once more, but before he could, Zabuza told him not to.

Then, he hushed Haku in a way he never had before.

Haku's eyes went wide as Zabuza's lips pressed against his own, his body stiffening.. but only for a moment. Soon, Haku was melting into the man's touch, eyes shimmering lightly as he leaned up to softly press his own lips back up against his master's own. He could feel his heart begin to beat faster and harder in his chest, swelling happily as his own hands lifted to rest against Zabuza's sides.

His fingers were gentle, caressing the hardened muscle beneath the man's rough skin while he scooted closer to Zabuza's being. He couldn't help it. This was the last thing he had every expected, but it had been something Haku had silently ached for. The affections of his master was all Haku had ever wanted, after all. Up until now he had been satisfied just knowing he could be useful, but this feeling… it was true happiness.
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[RebornSerenity]

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xxxxx He wasn't bothered by the youngers attempts at getting away. Jiraiya smiled at Naruto as he asked so many questions, mostly about hurting his friends. "Listen kid... That Fox inside you is always going to get out and destroy people...it's what he does...and until you learn to control the 9 tails chakra, everyone is in danger, that is why people are afraid of you..." He couldn't tell him much about anything else, regardless how much he really wanted to. "You should go back to your hospital room. I've sealed the fox again but if you try tapping into that power again he will get out and likely break 6 seals next time instead of four. There will come a time which I come back and help you out... to seal it, and teach you, but you're much too young right now." He ruffled Naruto's hair. "See ya around kid." he said, leaving the room. Meanwhile, Sasuke was still trapped in his nightmare and woke up screaming, sitting up. He panted looking around and fell back against the bed shaking and covered in cold sweats. "Dammit." he said. He glanced around the room realizing no one was in the room with him. He sighed in relief that no one had just seen his outburst. He couldn't sit around here and do nothing, he was weak, the fight proved it. He couldn't even protect someone that was special to him. He glared at his fist and removed his iv from his arm, and then started taking off all of the wires. he got up from the bed and got dressed and snuck out the window. 'I will get stronger... I will beat you...' His minds eye focused on Itachi. When and if Naruto went back to the room he would know something was up because the window had been left wide open and the curtains by his bed were open as well. Sasuke knew what he had to do, that kid was still alive and he needed to go after them. And that was exactly what he was doing. He couldn't be weak anymore, he knew what to do now and he could beat them. If he did he would gain more power and that was all he cared about. It took him a while to track where they went though, but he was able to follow information from someone who saw them. Sasuke had prepared himself to attack one, but not both. He thought Zabuza was dead. When he did go to the area where the two were hiding out, what he saw made him hesitant, but not for long. Now he knew Zabuza was alive... but how... He pulled out his Fuhma and slowly entered, being as quiet as he could. He wasn't quiet enough though, and Zabuza was fast. In a moment he realized Sasuke was there and he quickly moved behing him, the executioners scythe circle rested around his neck with Zabuzas foot on the back of his head. Sasuke's neck was only mere inches away from the blade and he was afraid now. Okay, so it was a stupid idea to come here alone... he wasn't as weak as he thought. Sasuke dropped his weapons knowing he was at the mercy of the demon blade of the Mist now.... Zabuza asked him what he was doing there and he gulped. "I...I don't know." he said. " He wasn't expecting what happened next, Zabuza removed the blade from his throat and used his foot to shove him into the ground. He was scared, thinking that it was over with but all of that changed with his next words. Zabuzas foot was removed and Sasuke was able to stand. He stepped back and grabbed his weapon, stowing it and taking off. 'They....they let me go... why....' He rubbed his neck and ran back towards the village where he had come from. 'Impossible... that can't be the same guy we fought on the bridge', when he got back to the room and snuck into the window he was greeted by a very familiar yet annoying face. "Naruto... get out of my room..." He said. he didn't know that it was Naruto's room too...

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xxxxx No one knew how Zabuza felt about Haku, not even Haku. He knew he lived for him, and would die for him, but after today he didn't want that anymore, he just wanted Haku to stop being a tool for him, he wanted him to be him. Haku was childish and kind, and he wanted that to stay. He realized that now and it made him ache inside that Haku was still determined to make Zabuza happy. He returned the kiss in earnest but in order to avoid any harm to either of them he pulled back from that kiss and lay back on the bed pulling haku to him on his uninjured side. "Haku... I want you to stop." he said. "That isn't an order, from today... I won't be giving you orders anymore... I just want you to be you." He said. "I don't want you to be a mercenary anyore, I want something more than that... more meaningful. My entire life has been devoted to killing, I killed my own brother and best friend after I trained alongside them... that killed the kindness in my heart until I met you... that day changed both of our lives and from then on I knew that I had found one person I could rely on most." For a man of few words, he had a lot of the to stay at this moment. "Don't you See Haku... I don't want you dying for me out of loyalty anymore. You're not a puppet... " He smiled, looking at him with a gentle look on his face. "You're my Haku...and I never want to see you put yourself in harms way so selflessly again." He hugged him and pulled him up to his chest "I understand now..." He said, closing his eyes. "You're the sole reason I keep existing too Haku. It's not about killing anyore, even though the blade I carry thirsts for blood, it will get it from enemies from now on...no longer will be used as pawns Haku... Recover... we have a lot ahead of us...I hope those brats made it... you worked them up quite a bit." He said, proud that Haku could do that much. He was strong. Very strong. Zabuza sensed something but he didn't know what it was until he saw a glint of light coming from the corner of the dark room. He moved in an instant and had the executioners blade in front of the target, with his foot pressed against the back of the neck of whoever it was that snuck in. He was about to push forward but he noticed it was the kid from earlier. "So, You are alive." He said. "What are you doing here?" He would have killed him except for the look Haku gave to the male that he had put in such a position. He moved the blade and shoved the male into the floor. "Any other day and you'd lose your life kid. Get out of here... and do not come back." Zabuza said, glaring at him while holding his executioners blade. He watched him get up and run out and he shook his head. "How did that kid even find us I wonder." He said. He looked over at Haku who seemed to be beaming that Zabuza kept his word about killing. "What?" He asked, wondering what the look was for, even though he already knew. He smiled and sat back on the bed, thinking about what he had just done, was that compassion? Would he regret it?

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'Listen kid... That Fox inside you is always going to get out and destroy people...it's what he does...and until you learn to control the 9 tails chakra, everyone is in danger, that is why people are afraid of you... '

The old Toad guy's words echoed through Naruto's mind as he lumbered through the halls, in no rush to get back to the hospital room. Could he really waste time resting? He felt fine! Shouldn't someone be teaching him how to control the nine tails chakra instead of wasting time like this?! The boy grit his teeth, his hand lifting to press against his stomach where the seal was located. The guy had said it himself. Everyone was in danger until Naruto learned how to control his chakra. So why was it that no one was going to teach him how to do that…?

Damn that Toad Sage! Naruto had spent a few minutes looking for him after he suddenly left, hoping to catch him and FORCE him into helping him control is chakra now instead of later, but it was like he vanished. And Naruto didn't even get to ask how he knew who he was…

Sighing dramatically, Naruto folded his hands behind his head and begrudgingly headed back to his and Sasuke's room. Thing was, when he got there, Sasuke was gone and the window above Naruto's own bed was open.

Naruto considered going out and looking for Sasuke, but quickly decided against it. Instead, he groaned and flopped down onto the bed, feeling slightly depressed by what he had just learned. So much so that when Sasuke got back, Naruto was just sprawled across his own bed like a starfish, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He snapped out of it though when he heard Sasuke's voice, causing him to jump a little, only to throw the other a fake glare and slowly sit upright.

“This is my room, too, teme. Also.. where were you just now? You look kinda pale.” He had no way of knowing that Sasue had just went, seen, and nearly been killed by Zabuza.
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