Chapter 29 The Bridge Fight

Naruto and Sasuke run forward with Sakura readying her kunai. The masked figure throws Kunai at the two with each dodging them easily. Naruto seems to move unnaturally as he does making Haku feel slightly uneasy, but Haku wastes no time. As soon as they are close enough he begins making hand signs. Then they are surrounded by what appears to be a dome of mirrors.

Naruto and Sasuke get back to back as they each look at the mirrors before them.

Then the masked figure walks into one of the mirrors. The figure appears in all the reflections of each mirror as he walks into it.

"Surrender now and hand over the bridge builder. I do not want to hurt you", says the masked figure.

Naruto looks around at the mirrors in the dome.

"Well I can see it so it's no genjutsu", says Naruto.

"Well it's ice, lets see how it deals with fire", says Sasuke as he goes through hand seals.

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu"

A ball of fire hits one of the mirrors. After it dissipates they look at the mirror of ice that appears to have suffered no damage.

"Shit", says Sasuke.

"The Mirrors are indestructible, you cannot win, give up now", says The Figure.

Each one look around the mirror as they weigh there chances.

"Well, I got nothing, you", asks Naruto.

"It's ice that won't melt. I already tried", says Sasuke.

"Well then, lets look for a weak point or something", says Naruto.

He sends our a tentacle whip slashing at the mirrors as Sasuke throws Kunai.

Then Senbon needles begin to fly at them as Haku moves between mirrors faster than they can see. Naruto dashes around the senbon needles as they hit the ground.

"You are fast", says Haku.

Naruto creates several clones and sends them at the mirrors with their tentacle whips lashing out but they are easily dispelled by Senbon coming from various mirrors as Haku moves around the mirrors as fast as he can.

Needles begin to flow from everywhere as Naruto and Sasuke try to dodge them. Sasuke using his Sharringan to keep track of them and Haku. While Naruto flickers around, but the limited room proves to be a major problem. Naruto bends around the needles in such a way he cannot see the needles coming from behind him. Sasuke pushes Naruto out of the way and gets hit by several of them. He falls to the ground seemingly dead.

The needles stop flying at that moment. Naruto's eyes widen as he checks Sasuke's pulse.

"Still alive, but barely", he says to himself relieved Sasuke still lived.

He looks at the mirrors. Trying to find the real masked figure. Then the mist grows thick. It is at this time that parts of the world seem to slow down. Then the Mist freezes Naruto to the bone. Naruto looks around cold and confused.

"And so the puppet master pulls his string", says an inhuman whisper.

Naruto finds he cannot move. To scared to face the voice. Then he hears a sound coming from behind him and his arms and legs are held in place by Tentacles. This snaps him out of his daze and he tries to turn his head, only for a tentacle to keep it held in place. Fearfully Naruto begins to speak.

"What are you", asks Naruto.

A soft laugh of amusement can be heard from deep within the mist but seems to resonate all around it.

"I was the one who was there when you first opened the book", says the whispers.

Naruto looks as the tentacles sink into his flesh and fuses to him. The tentacles work him like a puppet. Then his body begins to grow a soft purple light.

Haku looks at Naruto confused. He asked What are you, not who are you. That and he seems to be frozen in place by some unseen force that only Naruto seems to see. Confused he just watches the event play out. Naruto moved as if against his will. Then his skin gave off a purple glow. Haku watched in confusion as he glowed brighter, then in revulsion as his arms split into two. Haku watched as Naruto now seemed to have four arms, but he was to shocked to move.

Eldritch form. What ever this creature holding Naruto was it was forcing him into his Eldritch form. Though several of it's tentacles sunk into Naruto's back preventing his own eye covered tentacles from emerging. It became clear that the creature did not want Naruto to see it.

"What are you doing, why won't you let me see you", asks Naruto his full attention on the whipers.

"It is not the business of the puppet to know what the one who pulls the strings wishes, he merely does as his master commands", said the whispers.

More of the creatures tentacles then reaches into one of the ice mirrors.

Haku was afraid, something he could not see was pulling him out of his mirrors against his will. The mist was to thick to see Zabuza. So thick it was impossible to see anything outside the Dome of Mirrors. Haku tried to scream but some unseen thing was clamped over his mouth. He looked down at Naruto as tendrils emerged from each of his wrists. They plunged into his shoulders and chest. Haku could feel as they drank his blood.

Naruto felt sick as he watched the creatures tentacles held the masked figure in place. The Blood drinker tendrils moved against Naruto's will drinking blood of his enemy. What Naruto found sick was he could taste the blood as it flowed through the tendril. The created Tentacles dropped the masked figure causing the mask to fall off. Naruto's eyes widened as he looked into Haku's face. Then the Blood drinker Tendrils made their way to the unconscious Sasuke. He tried to fight it but he was not in control of his body. As he tasted Sasuke's blood through the tendrils Naruto felt like throwing up. Then the mist began to move normally but was just as thick.

"Do not disappoint me child", says the Whispers.

Naruto drops to the ground. He watches as his claws turn black in color. The skin around him fells as if they were frozen solid. Then the skin on his fingertips turns black as if they had frost bite. the pain ebbs away but then the Eyes on Naruto's cheeks begin to burn like they had been lit on fire. The pain is too much and Naruto screams. He can see Haku as he tries to get up and escape into his mirrors. Naruto reaches forward to grab him and stop him. To ask why, but he grabs to hard. His claws sink into Haku's leg. The skin around the wound to appears to get frostbite. If Haku felt it he hid it well. Naruto let go. Naruto watched as Haku crawled to the ice mirrors but they melt before they are touched by him. He was confused that to one pair of eyes on his cheek Haku appeared to move slower.

Laying in a pool of blood and water Haku lays down. He watches Zabuza fight Kakashi as if they did not see what had happened and truthfully Haku saw nothing that could have grabbed him It was as if some unseen force did the impossible and dragged him out the Demonic ice mirrors. Haku watches as several Dogs were holding Zabuza down. Haku's eyes Widen as Kakashi runs toward Zabuza with a hand covered in lightning. With what strength he can muster he gets up and runs toward the attack. The last thing Haku sees is the face of a shocked Kakashi with his hand piercing his chest.

Naruto crawled back to Sasuke, he checks his pulse again relieves that although fain it was still there. He closes his eyes and falls unconscious slowly turning back to normal.

Sakura saw both Naruto and Sasuke laying on the ground. Desperately she wanted to run up to help them but she did not leave Tazuna's side. She looks on as Haku falls to the ground. It was then that she heard a sound coming up the road. Turning around she see's two men holding Tsunami. Tazuna begins breathing heavy as they approach.

"Bridge builder, we got your bitch of a daughter. If you want her to live you should come with us", says the man holding Tsunami.

Tazuna looks back at the bridge only for a second then turns to Sakura. Sakura looks up to the bridge builder nodding before turning her eyes back to the two men. Then she does hand seals hidden by the mist.

"Tsunami close your eyes", says Sakura.

Tsunami closes her eyes as she hears Sakura speak.

"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu", says Sakura as she looks at the men.

They let go of Tsunami and begin to look around them is fear. Tsunami breaks from their grasp and runs to Sakura who throws a Kunai at each men, hitting one in their knee causing him to fall down screaming. The other is hit in his side and falls down. Copious amounts of blood gushing from his wound. It only bothered Sakura a small amount as he bled to death. After being subjected to the Hell Viewing Jutsu by Kakashi to learn how to use it she had already seen worse. That was when she turned back as Naruto groaned.

"Naruto", screams Sakura.

Naruto awakens just in time to see Sakura take down two men in what should be a psychologically scarring way for Sakura. He groaned as he got to his feet. When he heard Sakura call his name he lifted his arm to show her he was alright.

"I'm fine", says Naruto.

He uses what chakra he has as he uses some blood from a wound made when the tentacles dropped him to summon something.

When the smoke clears a Shoggoth appears as it oozed around the bridge. It grabs Sasuke with a black tentacle and moves him next to Sakura. Then it's gelatinous form oozes as it tentacles head toward Zabuza.

Zabuza broke away from the dogs after Haku saved his life, his arms were numb but the creature set him in a state of fear that he was able to wield his sword, though his movements were sluggish. He was back to attacking Kakashi in a rage when he saw the black tentacles move toward him. He slices at them, only for the pieces to move back to the main mass. He backs away trying his best to keep both the creature and Kakashi at bay. The creature then swiped the sword from Zabuza's hand. It was at this time he heard the sounds of small murmurs coming from behind him. He turned his head to see beyond the mist were several men holding various weaponry standing around Gato. Zabuza turns back around and sees that the Shoggoth was gone. Kakashi was looking at the men as well.

"Well, look what we have here. You couldn't even kill a simple bridge builder. Consider your contract terminated", says Gato.

It was at this point that Naruto walked up.

"Hey, are you Gato", asks Naruto weakly.

Gato looks at the blond boy as he limps out the mist.

"What's it to you brat", says Gato.

"I'll take that as a yes. I wanted to say this to you since I heard about you", says Naruto as he limps next to Kakashi.

"You are a fucking dumbass. More so if you actually came here", says Naruto weakly.

Gato glares at the child.

"Kill them all, make it slow for the boy", says Gato as he crosses his arms. He didn't notice the black tentacles coming from the mist behind him.

Zabuza was pissed, he was beyond pissed. Haku was dead, he was tired as shit, and now he wasn't even going to get paid for his trouble.

"Looks like my contract is over Kakashi, our fight is over", says Zabuza as he lifts his sword.

Zabuza in a rage rushed toward Gato. The men threw weapon after weapon at Zabuza but he ignored the pain. He was in a tunnel vision state as he rushed Gato. He could see the black creature behind Gato but he didn't care. He was going to be the one to kill the bastard if it was the last thing he did. He lifted his sword limply as he sliced Gato's arm off. Black tentacles reached for the arm pulling it into the main mass. Gato screamed in pain as he stumbled backwards. He realized to late that he could not move. He was stuck in a black mass that pulled him into itself. Zabuza walks forward looking at Gato in his eyes.

"I want to look at you in the eyes as that thing kills you", says Zabuza weakly.

Gato tries to scream but his mouth is enveloped by black tendrils. He looks as multiple eyes on the tendril look into his eyes. Then he turns back to Zabuza. Zabuza's eyes were the last thing he saw before he oh so slowly slid his sword into Gato's stomach, just enough for him to still be alive as he was digested.

Zabuza took out his sword when Gato was completely enveloped. He breathed heavy as he collapsed to the ground. With what strength he had he crawled toward Haku as Goto's men were impaled by black tentacles. They ran and screamed trying to kill the beast but it had no effect on the eldritch monstrosity. Black tendrils whipped around slicing the men in half before drawing there corpses into it's mass and maws to devour them. Several were still alive as the creature digested them in moments. Living in a pain for which no man could live through for mere moments before suffocating or succumbing to the digestive acids. Zabuza tried hard to drag himself next to Haku but he was fading to fast. He ignored Naruto as he limped next to Zabuza. Naruto offered Zabuza a hand. Zabuza with to much blood loss did not think as to why, he only took the hand. Naruto dragged Zabuza down the bridge next to Haku. Zabuza looked at Haku.

"I'm sorry Haku", says Zabuza.

"Thank you", said Zabuza without looking away from Haku. It was his last words as his eyes shut for the last time.

Kakashi walked next to Naruto weakly putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. They ignored the carnage the Shoggoth was making before it killed the last of the men. Then the Shoggoth, now tinted a slight red from the gallons of blood it was absorbing, dispelled. Sakura and Tazuna walked up to them. Tsunami had already left to go to her son. Tazuna held an semiconcious Sasuke in his arms, to tired to move.

"Did we win", asked Sasuke weakly.

Kakasi looked at the carnage on the bridge.

"Yeah, yeah we won", said Kakashi solemnly.

"Good, I think. I think I'll rest now", said Sasuke as he went back into unconsciousness.

The following days of recovery were simple compared to the bridge battle. Naruto healed fast as usual. He was reluctant to speak with anyone after the events on the bridge, more so the creature that made him a puppet. Naruto looked at the graves of Haku and Zabuza before leaving. After reaching his destination Naruto sat in the small meadow he had first met Haku. He bit his thumb slaming his hand on the ground to summon Xel. Then he begins to tell Xel What happened at the bridge, leaving no detail unsaid.

"So what do you think", asks Naruto.

Xel brings a clawed hand up to his chin in contemplation.

"Whatever it was it was powerful, with both this and Cthulhu we have our hands full. The creature claimed that it was there when you first opened the book. I don't know what it is, but it is no simple creature with psionic power. It is defiantly either a Great Old one, or an Outer God. Both are not good to take on, and it is not mindless like Cthulhu, that makes it infinitely more dangerous", says Xel.

Naruto nods solemnly before a small sad smile graces his face..

"Well, at least we can start with the reagent", says Naruto.

"Indeed, but we do not return home for a few days. What to do until then", asks Xel.

"Well, I do owe someone for giving me the flower", says Naruto.

Naruto stands up as Xel slides back giving Naruto some room. The he creates a dozen clones.

"Alright, I want you to wait here, once we leave I want you to dig out both Haku's and Zabuza's bodies, then seal them is a scroll", says Naruto.

The clones leave into the forest, but are stopped when Naruto says one last thing.

"Oh and don't forget the sword", says Naruto.