Chapter 16

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Title: Awakening 1

***

The mist cleared to reveal Kakashi bleeding from his chest. Sakura's earlier screamed was as a result of the unsuspecting Slash that came out of nowhere.

One moment Kakashi was blocking and parrying Zabuza's slash, the next moment he was bleeding from his chest. The suddenness of it all went to prove to Sakura that she wasn't calm and fit enough to be a Shinobi yet.

Ignoring the lass, Zabuza taunted. "You were slow on your guard Kakashi. Your desire to save those brats caused the blood to rise to your head. Obscuring your thoughts and vision as as surely as the fog I've created does."

"Even with your impressive eye and the formidable power you wield with it, your ability to read my movement has been blunted." Zabuza continued as Kakashi circulated his chakra to stop the bleeding.

"Hehehe. I want to enjoy this Kakashi. Paying back what you did to me would give me the greatest pleasure. Don't worry. Haku should be finishing off those brats of yours right about now."

"I'll be reuniting you with them shortly. When you meet them in the afterlife, beg them to forgive you for your weakness and folly." Saying this, Zabuza burst into a fit of uproarious laughter as Tazuna and Kakashi glared at him.

Not being able to understand what the two were actually on about, Sakura immediately spoke up, interuppting Zabuza's laughter. "Sasuke won't be easy for some someone like that masked kid to defeat. And neither will Naruto."

Zabuza stopped and looked at her seriously but before he could say anything, Kakashi spoke up. "You're right."

"I have faith in them and in their strength. Naruto's chaotic tendencies and Sasuke's bloodline."

"Bloodline?" Zabuza asked in Curiosity. He didn't really need to be told who Naruto was as they had all borne witness to the kid who, despite having created a chance to defeat Haku, stupidly walked into the same technique.

"Yeah. Out of the many surviving Uchihas, he is one of the most worthy heirs to the most superior bloodline of Konohagakure."

Zabuza's eyes widened as he understood the meaning of those words.

"You don't mean..."

"That's right. His full name is Uchiha Sasuke." Kakashi said. "He's a genius ninja and in him lies the same bloodline as Uchiha Itachi."

For the first time, Zabuza actually felt a little bit of fear since his confrontation with Kakashi. However, as fast as it came, that fear was gone.

"It's a dangerous world we live in. If he survives, so be it, he may be Haku's equal..." Zabuza said nonchalantly.

He was a rogue Ninja and so was Itachi. He was also a genius in his own right. Being the last of the many children to actually pass through the time of the bloody mist

"...But no one has ever penetrated Haku's Ice Dome until now... No one." Saying that, he disappeared into the mist once again.

"He's gone again." Tazuna said

'No shit.' Kakashi thought and Said. "Sakura, don't move an inch. I'll finish this as quickly as I can.

"But...Oh.. understood." Sakura replied. Shun's training had made her understand that during missions, they were to follow their superiors orders with little to no complaints whatsoever.

With her answer, Kakashi walked into the mist as his Chakra began circulating with every handsign he made. Lightning began flickering across his arms as he said.

"Do you hear that Zabuza? Do you truly believe after all the hardships I've had to survive in this world, I've only survived due to this Sharingan?"

"I too was once a member of the Anbu black Ops. I'll show you what kind of Shinobi I once was. This isn't something I learned with the Sharingan. Let me show you my very own Jutsu."

...

Inside the Ice Dome, Naruto slowly stirred awake only to see a pair of foot he identified to be Sasuke's, standing in front of him with Haku lying on the ground a couple feets away.

"Sheesh. No matter how many times I warn you Naruto, you still keep getting in my way." Sasuke said in a very calm voice causing Naruto to assume he had won.

Naruto immediately smiled in happiness as he didn't take Sasuke's words to heart at all. "Sasuke you-"

-Won-

That was what Naruto was about to say but the figure of Sasuke he saw wasn't something his still tender mind could bear.

In front of him stood Sasuke, his confident expression still there yet, his consciousness seemed to be fading.

Despite this, he stood his ground protectively Infront of Naruto. His skin pale, and his breath misted in the frigid air. The ice needles, like crystalline daggers, spread throughout his body, leaving a trail of frostbite and numbing cold in their wake.

His chakra flow, disrupted by the icy invasion, sputtered and faltered, rendering him powerless to resist. He resembled a living human porcupine.

Other than the blood beneath him, all other liquids on his body was frozen or a point where simply removing them would serve to destroy his skin permanently.

Seeing Naruto's expression, Sasuke snorted and said. "now get that lame look off your stupid face you...screw up."

"Wh-why..." Naruto blurted out, yet the answer was obvious. 'He was trying to cover me.' Naruto surmised

Looking at his sorry figure standing protectively Infront of him, Naruto couldn't help but remember everytime Sasuke had always been there for him but would always insult him just to cover his care.

"Humph." Sasuke snorted again as his body slanted. "I used to hate you, you know. You had everything I used to have and more..."

"Why... What... Why did you..? Why...me?" Naruto was mindboggled as he didn't even know which question to ask first. "You should have Just minded your own damn business!"

Naruto cried out. This was always his reaction to Sasuke. Yes Sasuke hated him, he knew that, he also hated Sasuke.

They hated themselves but it wasn't the hate that led to deep seethed hatred.

It was one borne out of their need to protect themselves.

Naruto was the cheerful and carefree type. He had the smile that made others around him happy. Sasuke knew this right from time but didn't find it annoying.

It was only until he lost everything that he knew how much Pain Naruto always bore, yet he was able to smile.

Sasuke couldn't bring himself to smile like that and for that, he always found Naruto annoying. He hated being around him, yet he was the only other family he got outside the Uchiha clan.

For Naruto, it was the opposite. He had always enjoyed Sasuke's presence, however, everything changed when Itachi left and his aunty Mikoto, Sasuke's mother died.

Sasuke became mean to him, stopped playing with, became the genius everyone praised while he became the clown no one wanted around.

He began pestering Sasuke just so he and Sasuke could go back to the way they once were, yet, all Sasuke did was insult him and make him feel lesser about himself.

All this, they didn't tell Shun. It was a sort of tacit agreement between them two, so Shun literally had no idea about it at all. Whenever he was around, they always remained friendly, but in his absence, it was a different case altogether.

To Sasuke, insulting Naruto was a way to make Naruto understand his pain and stop being so cheerful wherever he went. To Sasuke, Naruto was someone who didn't know how dangerous the world was.

He felt he had to make him understand in his own way.

To Naruto, becoming defensive against any and everything Sasuke did or said was his own way of getting back at him.

Naruto created this rivalry of sorts. Anything Sasuke was good at, he would be good at it too.

It was too bad destiny didn't deem it to be so. Sasuke was a genius while he remained mediocre.

He still remembered Shun's words in the past. -As far as you put you mind to it, even an idiot could be the greatest Genius of them all-

He knew he wasn't a genius, and he also knew he wasn't the smartest tool in the shed. Still, he knew he was special. As for how special, he didn't know. But he was determined to beat Sasuke in something atleast.

That was why, despite feeling heartbroken at Sasuke's miserable sight, he still couldn't bring himself to be grateful.

This was similar to how Sasuke couldn't bring himself to leave Naruto's side while he was in danger. It was also why he straight up insulted Naruto as soon as he saw the look on his face.

He felt gratified protecting Naruto, but he didn't want Naruto feeling pity for him.

He needed to be the strong one amongst them, so as, wherever Naruto was weak, he'd stand in front.

That was also why, in his moment of weakness, with nothing coming to mind to say in his defense, he simply said. "How should I know? My body justobed on its own."

As he was relieved to see Naruto was okay, after saying that, he directly fell, but before he hit the ground, Naruto was there to cushion his fall.

"I swore..." Sasuke mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"I swore I wouldn't die...until I killed him. Until I got my answers. Nii-san... I thought the determination would save me but... Naruto Don't you dare die!"

After saying that, Sasuke closed his eyes as his breath slowed to a pause.

Naruto who was holding Sasuke looked at this with tears already streaming down his cheeks, his emotions all over the place, and at that moment, a certain being who had been slumbering for the better part of a decade suddenly opened one of it's eye.

Ba-dum.

"He struck on blow at me... And without any sign of shirking...he sacrificed himself for you." Haku said as he got up, albeit with difficulty.

Ba-dum

"He was a Shinobi worthy of the utmost respect. Who in order to protect someone je cared for, threw himself headlong into what he knew full well was a trap." Haku continued

Ba-dum

"Is this the first time a comrade of yours has died? Such is a ninja's path." Haku said as he shakily entered the mirror by his side

Ba-dum.

"Shut up!" Naruto roared quietly. As he looked at Sasuke 'Inised to hate you too, you know.' he thought as he hugged Sasuke's body.

"I'm never going to forgive you for this!" Naruto said with deep hatred in his voice that made Haku startled as he actually felt a threat of death as those words were uttered.

Taking a look at Naruto, he could see a light crimson aura covering his body. 'Is that his chakra?' He thought. It was too...feral to be a humans'.

As he was thinking along those lines, Naruto immediately turned to look at him in the mirror and what Haku saw made him freeze in fear for an instant.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" Naruto said in a voice that promised nothing but death.