Chapter 3: Land of Waves, Part II 1/2

Pigs103: Okay looking back, I think cliche is the wrong word to use, but to me it feels stale and overused, so I just wanted to add a little bit of variety into my story. Also, I'm not trying to make it so Tatsu is giving orders or is really arrogant, he just knows what he's doing in these kinds of situations. As for him not referring to Kakashi as sensei, I established in the first chapter that he only believes Hayate to be worthy of Tatsu calling him sensei.

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'Summon my chakra all at once.' Sasuke summoned his chakra as they closed in 'Now!'

Haku broke away and saw that Sasuke was nowhere in sight "He vanished."

Sasuke blitzed behind him "You're not as fast as you think. From this point on, you'll be the one defending against my attacks." he thrusted a kunai forward.

Haku blocked it.

Sasuke threw a kunai with his good hand.

Haku dodged it.

Sasuke then took that opportunity to kick Haku in the face.

Zabuza froze 'It's not possible, no one's faster than Haku.'

Sasuke smirked "Thought you were quicker, huh? Now what else are you wrong about?"

"You made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats, that's just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude." Kakashi pointed out "He's one of the best young fighters of the Hidden Leaf. Sakura here is our sharpest mind, aside from being a fangirl. Tatsu Kamikaze is our most skill and most intelligent, with a good heart to back it up. And last but not least, our number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja is Naruto Uzumaki."

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Naruto sneezed "Eesh."

Tatsu sneezed too "I know."

"They say when you sneeze it's because someone's talking about you." Inari pointed out.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's when your ears are burning. Anyway, you were really brave kid. I'm impressed. Now then, Naruto, let's go." and he took off, with Naruto following "It's not easy being a hero, it's hard work."

"Believe it!"

"No! Never say that again!"

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Things on the bridge were heating up.

Zabuza smirked "Haku, if we keep going like this then we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it."

"Right." Haku began radiating chakra "I'm sorry it's come to this." the air turned cold as Haku formed a hand seal, and several slabs of ice formed around Sasuke "Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors." then he suddenly disappeared and reappeared inside the mirrors.

"They're mirrors. But how?"

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Zabuza stopped Kakashi from trying to assist Sasuke "If you enter this fight, you fight me. Your boy has no chance against that jutsu, he's finished."

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Haku appeared inside every single mirror "Now we'll begin, and I'll show you what speed really means." they began throwing senbon and cutting Sasuke from every angle.

"Dammit!" Sasuke found himself unable to dodge or even move.

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Sakura finally made a decision "I'm sorry but I can't stay with you, forgive me."

Tazuna nodded "I understand, go now."

"Right." Sakura grabbed a kunai and charged 'Sasuke! Take this!" she threw a kunai into the dome of mirrors.

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Unfortunately Haku caught it "A futile attempt-"

"Wind Style: Crimson Wind!"

"Wind Style: Skybound Wind!"

Two sharp blasts of wind knocked Haku out of the mirror "Number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja and both the strongest and smartest of the youngest generation."

Then, in a cloud of smoke, Naruto and Tatsu appeared "Naruto Uzumaki and Tatsu Kamikaze are here, believe it!"

Tatsu smacked him on the back of the head "Stop saying believe it, believe it! Son of a bitch, now I'm doing it!"

"Whatever! Now that we're here, everything will be alright. You know how in stories the heroes usually show up at the last minute and kick ass? Well that's what we're here to do!"

Zabuza didn't look amused 'This brat again.'

Haku recognized Naruto 'That boy.'

"Naruto, go help Sasuke while I back Kakashi up." Tatsu blitzed over to Kakashi's side.

"Right! Shadow Clone Jutsu!-"

"And don't let your opponent see your jutsu you idiot, this is a battle not a talent show! The art of the shinobi is one of deception, always keep the enemy guessing. Even when executing a single jutsu, one must distract their opponent's attention, catch them off balance and outmaneuver them. You basically turned us into human targets when you entered a battle like that and dragged me with you!"

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to rescue everybody!"

"Zabuza." said Haku "This boy, let me fight him my own way. Please."

"Bring it on!"

Zabuza let out a grunt "So you want me to leave this to you, is that it Haku? As usual, you're too soft."

Haku bowed his head "Forgive me."

'Soft?' Sasuke finally noticed something 'He's right. Look at these wounds, he cut me up with his needles and yet he didn't hit a single vital spot. Why? Is he just trying to humiliate me?'

"I'm warning you!" Naruto pointed at Haku "One way or another, I'm going to rip off that mask and take you apart!"

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Zabuza stopped Kakashi from going to help Naruto "Don't even think about it, you know the score Kakashi. You go after Haku, I go after the bridge builder."

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask 'I can't protect Tazuna and help Naruto and Sasuke at the same time, Sakura's feisty but she can't fight Zabuza alone. There's Tatsu, but I'm not sure Zabuza will let him pass either.'

"Relax Kakashi, sit back and enjoy the show. Let's see how they do, one on one."

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"That mask and your bogus story, you were with Zabuza all along!" Naruto realized "You think you can get away with a stunt like that?"

"I'm sorry." Haku bowed his head "But as your friend said, deceiving your opponent and catching them off guard, that is the art of the shinobi. Please don't take it personally."

Sasuke prepared to fire another Purple Thunder Blast 'And while you're jabbering, I'll catch you off guard. Lightning Style: Purple Thunder!" he fired the blast.

Haku dodged it "I haven't forgotten about you, not for an instant."

'So that's where Sasuke is.' Naruto noticed 'He's pinned down.'

"Some warriors accept defeat gracefully, they know when they are beaten. Others do not. So be it then, let us finish our battle to the death."

"Hey, where're you going?"

"It's alright Naruto, we'll have our fight next." he merged back into the mirror.

'What is he?'

'Here he comes.' Sasuke braced himself and noticed Haku in a mirror 'The real one is over there. Now-'

"I'm behind you." Haku appeared in the mirror behind Sasuke and prepared to attack with senbon."

Sasuke froze 'He transported himself in an instant. How?'

Haku appeared in every single mirror surrounded Sasuke, and all of them fired a barrage of senbon.

Sasuke found himself even more scratched up 'What kind of jutsu is that? Could it be he has clones hiding in the mirrors all throwing needles at the same time? No, they're too fast for that. I can't even see where they're coming from, and if it was just a clone jutsu then he wouldn't need the ice mirrors. Those mirrors are definitely the key to his attacks, but what's my next move? Now Naruto and I need to attack from the outside and inside at the same time. Yes, it's all about positioning, and Naruto and I are in the perfect position. If I attack him from here and Naruto hits him from the outside, we can do it.'

This was ruined when Naruto appeared in front of him "Hey, I snuck in here to save you!"

'So much for that.'

"You are a complete loser! You're a shinobi, think carefully before you move!"

"What the hell's your problem? You should thank me for coming in here to help you!"

"Naruto if we're both inside here- Forget it, I've had it with your screwups!"

"And I've had it with your attitude, believe it!"

"That's it, I'm gonna destroy these mirrors right now. Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he breathed out a fireball.

"That didn't do anything at all!"

"You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice." Haku pointed out, then the mirrors glowed white and both were sent flying.

"Damn! Where is he? Where's the needle attack coming from? Are they clones? We've gotta find the real one. Which one is it?"

"Look into every mirror as hard as you like, you will never learn the secret."

"Oh yeah? Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created a barrage of clones, ignoring Sasuke's yelling at him not to "You've got 100 mirrors, then 100 of me will smash them all and then I'll find out where you really are!"

Haku suddenly began blitzing from mirror to mirror throughout the dome, destroying any clone he could in the process, cutting Naruto up and sending him to the ground in the process "These mirrors only reflect my image, allowing me to transport myself at light speed. Through my eyes, you appear to be moving in slow motion."

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Tatsu froze "I knew it, that kid's got a Kekkei Genkai."

Zabuza chuckled "That's right kid, there's no way to destroy it and no way for those other brats to stop Haku."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that yet." Tatsu drew his katana "You don't give Naruto or Sasuke anywhere near enough credit, they're the 3rd and 4th best ninja of our generation."

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Naruto remained determined "I couldn't break through, so what? He's not gonna stop me. I'm not giving up and I'm not gonna lose here, I have a dream and no one's going to take it away from me. Someday I'll be respected in my village. That's my dream, to be the greatest Hokage!"

Haku paused 'Dreams?' he flashed back to the first time he met Zabuza "It was not my desire to be a shinobi. It's painful. I don't want to kill you, but if you advance then I will have no choice. Then I will kill the kindness in my own heart and fully embrace the shinobi way. And there will be no mercy, no turning back. This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide, now I must fight for my dream just as you fight for yours. Please do not blame me, I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him, and I face death for him so that his dream may become reality. That is my dream, and for the sake of that dream, if I must then I will act as a shinobi and take your lives."

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"Sasuke, Naruto, take this guy out, you can do it!" Sakura called.

"No Sakura, don't push them." Kakashi cut her off sharply "Even if they somehow found a way to overcome the mirror jutsu, they still couldn't defeat this ninja."

"How can you be so sure?"

"They have the desire to win, but they don't have the instinct to kill. That boy is a whole other breed, he lives for pain, he thrives on it."

Zabuza smirked beneath his bandages "Exactly, your village has become complacent. Your trainees never learn the most important lesson of all, to kill the feelings in their own heart, to crush an opponent mercilessly, to destroy with no emotion or regret."

Kakashi's mind was racing 'I could make a break to save Naruto and Sasuke, but he'd kill the bridge builder. I can't use Shadow Clones or he'd just match them with Water Clones. I'd be wasting chakra. So I have no choice, it's me or Zabuza here and now. I'll have to do this the hard way.' he prepared to lift up his headband and use his Sharingan eye.

"Sharingan. You're no fun Kakashi, using the same old trick." Zabuza instantly charged with a kunai.

Kakashi stopped the kunai with his bare hand, causing it to bleed "If it's just an old trick, why did you just stop me?"

"Let your opponent see your jutsu too many times, and he'll find a way to use it against you."

"Then count yourself lucky, you're the only man alive who's seen my Sharingan twice. Show's over, there won't be a third time."

"Even if you did defeat me, you'd have no chance against Haku."

"You're unbelievable, using someone like that." Tatsu snarled "Don't you have any shame?"

"When I found him he was just a street kid, but I trained him in the most advanced ninja techniques. I taught him everything I know, plus he had special abilities that he refined on his own. The boy developed quickly, soon he could face the most powerful enemy outnumbered in total darkness. It didn't matter, he could strike with perfect accuracy. He cared nothing for his own life or the lives of others. He'd become a unique fighting machine, a shinobi. In the end, his power surpassed even mine. His bloodline trait, the Kekkei Genkai, cannot be defeated by anyone. I've created a tool that can destroy anything that stands in my way, unlike the useless punks who follow you around."

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Naruto still wasn't deterred "I didn't get to him, then I'll try again as many times as it takes. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he summoned more clones.

"Naruto, don't!" Sasuke went ignored.

Haku blitzed through the clones, then hit Sasuke with a barrage of senbon.

"Dammit!"

Naruto fell back to the ground "How is he doing that?

'It was barely there, but I saw it. I could see the trails and follow his movements.'

"One more time! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto tried the same tactic for the third time.

Seizing the chance, Sasuke kicked some water into the air.

"Don't you see that it's useless?" Haku blitzed through them again.

'I can see his speed, but that doesn't mean I can match it. The water, it's being repelled. What if I try something else? Not water, but… yes, now it's my move.'

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Zabuza scoffed "You think those genin punks together can beat Haku? He's the ultimate, a battle tool for destruction."

"Are you finished bragging? You're starting to put me to sleep. Let's finish this, now." that was when Kakashi pulled up his headband all the way, revealing his Sharingan."

"Fine, but there's one more thing you should know. A little more bragging, as you say. Did you really think our last battle was just win or lose? That I took your attacks like some rank genin? Haku was there hiding, watching every move you made, studying your Sharingan. Haku can see a jutsu once and immediately devise a lethal counterattack. It's one of his gift. I've been waiting to see the look on your face when you realize your Sharingan has become worthless. You once said the same jutsu won't work on me twice, well now I'm telling you that." he formed a hand seal "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu." the mist grew thicker, and he disappeared.

"This is it. Sakura, Tatsu, stay with Tazuna. Tatsu, you especially are needed for this."

Tatsu nodded "Understood."

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"I know you need me Zabuza, I'll finish them off quickly." Haku promised.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto summoned another 100 clones.

'He just won't give up.' Haku prepared to strike down the clones, when…

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke used the chance to launch a fireball.

'What? Fireball jutsu?' Haku quickly retreated into a mirror, then emerged and blitzed through the clones 'It shouldn't be taking this long to defeat them.'

"Fire Style: Hellfire Sphere!" Sasuke launched a bigger, even more powerful fireball.

Haku dodged it mostly, but his leg was burnt.

'Got it that time, I'm starting to get the timing.'

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Kakashi noticed something off 'The Hidden Mist Jutsu, but this mist is too thick even for Zabuza. How can he fight in it?' then he drew a kunai and quickly stopped an incoming barrage of shuriken.

"Very skillful." Zabuza's voice rang "As I'd expect from Kakashi, the Sharingan warrior." he appeared behind Kakashi, eyes shut.

'His eyes are closed.'

"The next time you see me will be the last time you see anything. Without your Sharingan, you're nothing." he disappeared "You wanted me to believe you could see through anything, even through time. You wanted me to believe that you saw into the future and that this was my last battle. But your prediction was wrong, I'm still alive. So you're a fraud Kakashi, you can't read the future and you can't read me. The Sharingan is just a cheap trick that makes you seem more powerful than you are. I know now your Sharingan has two separate elements, the piercing eye which sees every detail and the hypnotic eye which mesmerizes your opponent. Employing these abilities, you can execute multiple jutsu in quick succession to make it seem like you could see the future. First, with the piercing eye you copied my moves instantly. This replication of movement makes me doubt my own thoughts. Once I was shaken, you infiltrated my mind, waiting for the slightest flutter to anticipate my actions, seeking out any hints to my next move. You timed it precisely, waiting for the right movement. The instant my mind became unfocused, you created a new illusion. With your hypnotic eye, you induced me to make hand signs while you were making the same signs, so you seem to be copying me when actually you're controlling my movements. Now that I know this, a very simple plan can defeat you. First, neutralize your piercing eye with zero visibility mist."

Kakashi found himself blown away by an attack, but quickly recovered 'The mist is slowing my reaction time.'

"Next, neutralize your hypnotic eye by keeping my own eyes closed. You can't bore into my mind if you can't look into my eyes."

"Brilliant, except with your eyes closed you can't see me either."

"Have you forgotten who I am Kakashi? I'm the Demon of the Hidden Mist, master of the Silent Kill, I can take you out by sound alone."

Kakashi froze.

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Haku's mind was racing 'He read my movements, but that's not possible.

"I was so close, but I couldn't quite get to him." Naruto noted.

"Naruto, how many times can you use your Crimson Wind?" asked Sasuke.

"About 4, why?"

"I'm at 3 with my Purple Thunder. Anyway, can you do your Shadow Clones again"

"Of course, nothing can stop me."

'He doesn't wanna show it, but he's exhausted. The Shadow Clone Jutsu uses up so much chakra, but thanks to him I figured it out. I know how to break through.'

'The human eye cannot track my movements.' Haku thought 'It must've been a coincidence.' the mirrors began glowing.

"Naruto, run for it! Get out of here and attack from the outside, hurry!"

"Alright, you got it." Naruto started running.

"You cannot escape." Haku sent him flying back with another attack.

Naruto got back up and kept running "You think you can keep me here? Forget it."

Haku emerged from the mirror and charged forward to attack.

"That's it! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke unleashed a fireball.

Haku quickly ducked under and threw a senbon at Sasuke, then blitzed over to Naruto and sent him flying back again before returning to the mirror.

"I couldn't get past him." Naruto muttered.

Sasuke removed the needle from his shoulder "That was good Naruto, one more time?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

'There must be a limit to his chakra too, I can feel him slowing down.'

'No more games, I need to stop this now. This time you'll stay down." Haku fired a needle, hitting Sasuke in the leg, before hitting him with several more needles.

"Sasuke!" then Naruto got hit too.

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Kakashi's mind was racing 'An enemy you can't see and can't hear, it's been a long time since I've faced anyone this tough. And Sasuke and Naruto, I don't know if they can hold out. I could sent Tatsu over, but Sakura can't defend the bridge builder on her own. Stay calm, think, where will he strike?' he froze "The bridge builder!"

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Zabuza charged and drew his blade as he saw Sakura in a ready position "Too late!" he brought down his Executioner's Blade.

Blood spewed into the air, and Sakura let out a blood-curdling scream.

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Sasuke froze 'That scream, that was Sakura. What's happening to her? Where're Tatsu and Kakashi?'

Naruto let out a groan on the floor of the bridge "Sakura, she's in trouble."

'We've got to break through.'

Despite being full of needles, Naruto stood once more "I'll bust us out of here."

'Naruto…'

"I'll fake him out."

"You've exhausted my patience." Haku sounded rather aggravated.

Naruto built up chakra and charged in different directions, with Haku following him by running through the mirrors.

"Naruto, behind you!" Sasuke called.

Haku hit Naruto square in the chest with a barrage of senbon "Your chance of escaping my House of Mirrors is zero, that is absolute."

"Naruto, are you able to get up?"

Naruto just groaned.

"Try not to use any more chakra, that's only going to help him now."

Naruto sat up "I know Sasuke, I know." then he collapsed again.

'We can't go on like this, he's blocking every move we make. I've got to find a way to outmaneuver him. My eyes have adjusted to his movements.'

"Looking for a counterattack?" Haku appeared in the mirror in front of them "I'll save you the trouble." he blitzed over to the next mirror and fired more senbon.

Sasuke picked up one and blocked the rest "Get up Naruto, we've gotta team up for this."

'I'm aiming at his vital spots now, but I can't get a direct hit.'

Naruto groaned and sat up "I know what we have to do Sasuke."

Haku tried firing more senbon, with the same result 'It's not just luck, he's fighting to protect his friend. That's why he's so determined, but he can't possibly see the needles coming.' he fired more needles.

Sasuke pushed Naruto out of the way and dodged them himself, then winced from the pain of the needles already in his body.

'My movements are beyond human speed, and yet he's tracking them somehow. Whatever he's doing, I've got to stop him now.' he disappeared.

'Where'd he go? How could he just vanish? Naruto you'd better not pass out again. Now let's go, I can't keep protecting you like this."

"Then don't." Naruto muttered weakly "I never asked for your help." then he collapsed again.

"You can't revive him, he's reached his limits." Haku pointed out.

"Dammit!" Sasuke threw a senbon, but only hit ice.

"Impressive, you have excellent moves." Haku appeared in a mirror behind him "Your attacks are very skillful." he fired more senbon.

Sasuke dodged.

"But you've reached your limits as well." Haku blitzed from mirror to mirror "Motor functions, reflexes, judgement, your abilities are weakening slowly but surely. Now you're finished."

'Here he comes. Stay calm. Focus. Concentrate, see everything.'

Haku unleashed more senbon.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto and bolted out of the way at the last possible second.

'He saw every move, but there's no way he could do that.'

Sasuke looked up, his eyes now red with 2 tomoe in the right and 1 in the left.

'Those eyes… the Sharingan. You're…'

'It's not complete, but I could see through his deceptions.'

'So he too has a Kekkei Genkai, the power of a unique bloodline trait passed down within a clan. Interesting, even though it's not perfected. To uncover this power in the midst of a lethal attack is an amazing feat, and because of that I won't be able to fight much longer. My jutsu uses a tremendous amount of chakra, and his swift movements also take energy. There's no doubt that the longer we fight, the more he will use the Sharingan to perceive my moves. Even now, his eyes are tracking me. I can't target him directly, he'll just block a frontal attack, so I'll have to throw him off-guard by attacking his partner. Then I'll destroy him.' he emerged and charged in Naruto's direction.

'I've got to stop him!' Sasuke blitzed forward.

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Kakashi froze at what he saw "Tatsu…" he had been planning to blitz over and stop Zabuza from harming Tazuna, but apparently Tatsu had beaten him to it.

Tatsu had seen better days. He'd stopped Zabuza's blade from bisecting him diagonally, but he'd received a deep gash down his shoulder to his left breast, both the wound and his hands bleeding heavily from stopping the blade with his bare hands, seeing how he'd had to force as much chakra into them as he could "What's the matter… Kakashi… never seen… a man get… cut before…?"

"You were late Kakashi." Zabuza pointed out "You let your concern for those little punks' safety cloud your mind, adding further to the fog that already hinders your Sharingan. Your eyes are sharp Kakashi, but not sharp enough to read my moves, not anymore. Come on Kakashi, I want this to be fun. I want to enjoy myself as I exact my revenge. As for those brats, don't worry. They're at Haku's mercy, no they're breathing their last breaths right now." he braced his Executioner's blade "Relax, you'll have plenty of time to weep out an apology for failing those brats when you see them in the next life." then he disappeared into the mist.

"Kakashi…" a shaky and injured Tatsu stepped forward, using one hand in an attempt to stop the bleeding, the other holding his katana "I'm the one… who'll take him down… you stay back… and guard… the old man… and as for… Naruto and Sasuke… I have faith… in their abilities… I have… faith… in them… Naruto Uzumaki… the number one… hyperactive… knucklehead… ninja… and Sasuke Uchiha… heir to one of… the most powerful clans… in the Hidden Leaf…"

Zabuza froze where he was "Kid, you mean…?"

"Yeah… he's the last Uchiha… in the Hidden Leaf… the unique powers… of the Uchiha bloodline… run through his veins… his Kekkei Genkai… the Sharingan… is his birthright…"

"I heard that one young ninja survived the tragedy of the Uchiha Clan. No wonder he advances so quick. But so does Haku, no one match him. No one has ever stopped his secret jutsu, even the most skilled jonin fall before him. Just as you, and then Kakashi, will fall before me, right now!"

"Sakura… Kakashi… stay with… the old man…" with his katana drawn, Tatsu slowly inched his way into the mist 'He's right, it's time to end this. However, he's the one who'll fall.' he didn't notice as his pupils flickered from deep brown to light blue with golden irades in the center, then back to deep brown.

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Naruto finally came to "Wha-?"

"You always get in the way Naruto, it never fails."

His vision cleared and he sw Haku on the ground in front of him "You beat him Sasuke!" then he froze at what he saw next.

Sasuke stood in front of him, full of needles, having shielded Naruto from Haku's attack "You should see the look on your face, you-you look like a total loser."

"Why-Why did you save me? Why did you do it?"

"I don't know why, I just did… you… I hated you at first… but over time… even if I never said it… you and Tatsu… you're both my closest friends…" he fell back.

Naruto caught him as he collapsed "Sasuke!"

"He's still out there… my brother… I promised myself.. I'd stay alive… until I killed him… but now… it's up to Tatsu… to avenge my clan… and his brother… and Naruto… no matter what… never let… your dream die…" and with that, Sasuke fell still.

Naruto gently embraced Sasuke, tears streaming down his face 'Sasuke…'