Demon of the Hidden Mist: Final Part

With their defenses now gone, the water dragon slammed into the four of them with an ear-splitting roar. Their screams turned into gurgles as they plunged into the drowning depths that is its mouth. Their backs crashed against the walls of the quarters. Finishing its job, the dragon exploded into thousands of water droplets, blackening the entire deck in soaked wood. Zabuza stood calm and relaxed. It was as if he hadn't exerted any energy at all in this fight.

In the aftermath, Azula, Suki and Tenten laid slump on the deck; their bodies still like cold corpses. Fits of coughs broke the silence as water escaped from Naruto's mouth. Naruto quickly sat back up as he coughed out the remaining water in his throat. He tried to move around, but his body writhed with sharp pains. His eyes winced with each small movement that he took.

Azula. Suki. Tenten. He had to make sure that they were okay. His legs wobbled under him as he limped towards them. Naruto dropped down to his knees and pulled Azula close to him. She was breathing. Thank god she was breathing. Naruto quickly checked the conditions of Suki and Tenten. They were fortunately alive.

Naruto heard footsteps approaching. Zabuza, that bastard. He was going to pay for what he did to them. But, damn his whole body hurts. However, Naruto couldn't give up. Never. That would go against everything he stood for. Come on, come on! Naruto forced himself back up on to his two feet again as Zabuza steadily approached closer. He held against the wall for support lest he collapse onto the floor again.

"I won't let you go any further!" Tazuna suddenly stood in front of Naruto. He spread his arms wide to block Zabuza's path. Tazuna couldn't allow these kids to die early. As much as he was afraid to lose his life, he didn't want these kids to fall from the hands of this demon. They had so much to live for while he had already lived a fulfilling life.

"Old man Tazuna...don't," Naruto muttered out. However, Tazuna simply flashed him a smile. He was going to go through with this no matter what. Naruto needed to stop him.

Zabuza stood before him with his sword sheathed behind his back. His menacing eyes stared down at Tazuna with nothing but contempt. Tazuna stared back at him with the same ferocity. However, he couldn't stop shaking in fear. This was a man who slew countless men with unparalleled strength. But, even when facing against a demon, Tazuna still held his ground.

"And how are you going to stop me?" Zabuza asked.

"I-I'm," Tazuna grit his teeth. "I'm going to beat you if I have to."

Zabuza suddenly chuckled. This had to be some sort of stupid joke. His chuckles soon turned to full blown laughter, and Tazuna couldn't help but gulp. It didn't sound like a normal laugh, no, it sounded demonic. Then, Zabuza suddenly stopped. His eyes turned cold and vicious.

Tazuna never saw it coming; it was too fast for him to see it. Before he knew it, he felt incredible pain in his stomach. Tazuna looked down with shock and horror. A kunai was stabbed into him. Tazuna stumbled back and fell onto the floor with a cry of pain. He bloodied his hand as he clutched the embedded kunai.

"What could a little, weak man like you could possibly do?" Zabuza slammed his foot against Tazuna's head. He relished in Tazuna's screams with a smirk.

"Old man!" Ignoring the pain he felt, Naruto rushed towards Zabuza. With a fierce shout, Naruto quickly threw a punch at him with everything he had. Blocked. He threw another one. Blocked again. Naruto blew out a breath of scorching fire in hopes that it would catch him off guard. A wall of water blocked its path, transforming the flames into hot steam.

"Give it up, Naruto," Zabuza said.

Naruto simply responded with a kick imbued with golden flames. Zabuza clicked his tongue, grabbing ahold of his leg and slammed Naruto's face with one of his own. Naruto crashed to the floor. However, he simply stood back up again.

"You're... gonna have to... hit harder than that," Naruto said, wiping the blood that trickled from his mouth.

Zabuza did just that, smashing his fist against Naruto's gut. Mix of saliva and blood flew from Naruto's mouth as he rolled to the floor again. But just like before, he got back up again. Zabuza was starting to get pissed. No matter how much he punched or kicked Naruto, he continued to stand back up again with unwavering tenacity. Each time, Naruto simply smirked at him. Daring Zabuza to hit him even more.

"You're like a fucking cockroach," Zabuza spat out with annoyance.

"Heh, I'll show ya."

Naruto's face was already bloody and bruised, but he didn't care; he marched forward with everything he's got. This time, he was going to use that. It was what his sensei had taught him. Naruto hadn't mastered it yet, but it was his only chance to beat Zabuza while his guard was lowered. He didn't care if there was a chance that his arm would be destroyed, Naruto needed to end it now.

"N-Naruto..." Azula suddenly woke up. A sudden pain coursed through her body, and she grunted in pain. Azula's eyes began to clear and saw Naruto in a battered and beaten state. She needed to help him.

"Azula...just stay right there..." Naruto groaned out his words with haggard breaths. "I got this."

Zabuza glanced at the now awakened Azula and smirked, "It'll be unfortunate if one of your friends happens to die." He kicked Naruto away and walked towards Azula. Zabuza picked her up by her hair with an evil grin, ignoring the sudden shouts from Azula. He was going to make Naruto watch her die.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Azula angrily shouted at him. She flailed her legs wildly intended as kicks, but it only served to annoy Zabuza.

"Don't you dare, asshole!" Naruto shouted with rage. He needed to kill this bastard right now. He didn't care if he was going to lose his whole freaking arm; Naruto needed to stop Zabuza. He quickly charged forth once more.

Naruto opened his hand and channeled pure chi into his palm. His hand quickly turned red, and Naruto felt a scorching pain as if his hand was threatening to explode.

"You really don't give up, do you?" Zabuza frowned, clutching a kunai against Azula's neck. Trickles of blood dripped from her neck as Zabuza held it to her tightly.

"I'll fucking kill you!" A vortex of visible blue chi swirled in his hand, spinning faster and faster. The vortex swirled into a spiraling sphere as bursts of wind blew outwards.

However, Zabuza's eyes widened with shock. He sensed a looming death shrouding over him. His senses were never wrong; that's how he had survived to this day. Zabuza gazed at the strange bending Naruto conjured. It was dangerous; Zabuza was absolutely sure of it.

"What is that?" Zabuza muttered. Impossible. How could a kid have this kind of power? That swirling energy... was it pure chi? He never heard of anyone who could control chi, but this mere child was somehow able to do it. He wanted to move out of the way, but it was too late; Naruto was already in front of him.

"Don't you ever fucking touch Azula again!" Naruto shouted, shooting his arm out towards Zabuza. "Rasengan!" He slammed the rasengan into Zabuza's gut.

"Argh!" Zabuza cried out in pain. It was as if his body was being grounded into meat paste. Before he knew it, the sheer force of the rasengan blew Zabuza away from the ship and plunged him deep into the river below.

Naruto's chest was pumping; his breathing incredibly haggard, and his vision blurry. His right hand was scorched red with all of its skin peeled off. The pain was unbearable, and he felt like passing out anytime soon. But even with all the pain, he smiled.

"I-I did it," Naruto faintly said. His legs buckled under him, and Naruto fell to one knee. That bastard was finally gone. He could hear the muffled shouts of Azula as she ran towards him.

"Naruto!"

Naruto was seeing doubles.

"Azula..." Naruto's vision blackened, and he quickly passed out.