Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• Our ninja way

Sasuke observed Haku’s movements. Haku readied his needles and exited the mirror, lunging at Naruto. Akashi was too far away to do anything, but bear witness to Sasuke protecting Naruto with his own body. “Really… you’re a burden… all the time”. Sasuke breathed out. “You did it, Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed and then he noticed the state Sasuke was in. “Sasuke!” Akashi yelled out as he saw the blood dripping down Sasuke’s chin.

“Look at yourself, you idiot”. Sasuke said. “Why!?” Naruto asked. “You protected me…”. He whispered. “Who… knows”. Sasuke laughed. “I hated… you”. He told him. Naruto stood up. “Why?! Why? Why did you protect me? I didn’t ask you to!” He screamed at Sasuke. Akashi quickly went next to Naruto. “Who knows… My body moved off its own accord, idiot”. Sasuke whispered as he started falling down.

Akashi and Naruto step closer and managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Akashi immediately took out the needles out of his body and started healing him. “Hang on! Don’t close your eyes!” He yelled at Sasuke as he closed one wound after the other. There’s no end to them! “Damn it!” He growled out. “That man… I didn’t want to die until I killed my brother”. Sasuke weakly said, his voice trembling. He reached a hand up and Akashi grabbed it.

“Who said anything about dying! Don’t you dare!” Akashi argued and tightened his grip. His eyes were already stinging from the tears. “You two… don’t die”. And with those last words, Sasuke’s grip slackened and he closed his eyes. Akashi’s eyes widened and Sasuke’s hand slipped from his own, falling down. “Is this the first time you’ve seen a comrade die? This is the path of the ninja”. Haku said as he retreated inside his mirror.

Akashi’s heart started racing at his words. It felt like he was on fire. His skin was burning. A tear, which reached his cheek, sizzled and evaporated. His hands started shaking and he released Sasuke at the same time Naruto did. “Shut up”. Naruto said. The air around them also started sizzling, steam surrounding them. “You will pay…”. Akashi growled out. Red Chakra started swirling around the both of them.

Breaking the ground, leaving lines of destroyed concrete around them. “We’ll kill you!” Naruto exclaimed as he raised his head, his eyes were no longer the once clear blue color, in their place were red slit ones. Akashi stood up, and glared at Haku. “We will destroy you”. He growled out, eyes the same as Naruto’s. Naruto curled protectively around Sasuke, the red Chakra swirled up and formed a giant fox above their heads.

All of the needles which were inside Naruto started falling out, and his wounds healed instantly. Akashi glared at Haku and dashed at him at the same time Naruto did. Haku threw needles at them, but they just bounced off, their Chakra was too dense for anything to hit them. He then appeared in all of the mirrors and threw even more needles. The needles impaled Naruto and Akashi side-stepped them. The needles then dislodged from Naruto’s body, his wounds healing immediately.

Naruto dashed at a mirror and hit it, making it break into pieces. Haku jumped out of one of the cracks and started descending upon Naruto’s unguarded back. He was intercepted by Akashi, who hit him in the chest and made him fly away. As he was flying away, preparing to go into another mirror, Naruto appeared behind him and grabbed him by the elbow. His Chakra started expanding and the mirrors around them started breaking, Akashi was unaffected by the Chakra.

Naruto pulled his arm back and whipped it forward, hitting Haku straight in the face, making him fly out of the ice mirror cage surrounding them. When Haku flew out, all of the mirrors broke into pieces. Haku stood up, his mask falling apart. Naruto sprinted at Haku, fist pulled back. Akashi, on the other hand, stood quietly. He slowly turned around and looked at the unmoving Sasuke. He felt his thoughts clear and he breathed out.

The Chakra surrounding him disappeared and he dropped on one knee. After a moment he stood up and wobbled to where Sasuke was. He dropped to his knees and felt for a pulse. He grit his teeth together when he felt nothing. He pulled his hand away and clenched his fist, nails digging into the palm of his hand hard enough to let blood flow. He turned around just in time to see Haku do hand-signs and disappear from in front of Naruto.

“Naruto!” Akashi called out and Naruto turned to look at him, before breaking into a run towards where Kakashi and Zabuza were. Akashi let out a sigh and ran after him. They both reached just in time to see Kakashi pull his hand from within Haku’s chest. Dark red blood escaping the gaping wound, plopping onto the ground with a wet splat. Zabuza reached for his blade and swung it at Haku and Kakashi.

Kakashi grabbed Haku and jumped away, barely missing the blade. “That bastard!” Naruto exclaimed from next to Akashi. Hearing this, Kakashi turned to him. “Naruto! Stay right there! Akashi, keep him away!” Akashi nodded and grabbed Naruto by the hand and stood in front of him. He was going to slash Kakashi along with Haku? Weren’t they comrades?

Kakashi settled Haku onto the ground and closed the boys eyes with his fingers. “This is my battle!” Kakashi said and looked at Zabuza. “Naruto, Akashi, where is Sasuke?” Sakura asked. Naruto turned his head to the side, not meeting her eyes. Akashi looked her straight in the eyes and shook his head. Zabuza dashed at Kakashi, but Kakashi managed to hit him away. Sakura grabbed Tazuna’s hand and the two of them ran past Naruto and Akashi.

Akashi felt Naruto tighten his grip on his hand. He turned to look at his face and saw pure sorrow. I’m a healer and I couldn’t even save a boy. Sakura’s anguished cries reached Akashi and Naruto. The latter raised his free hand and gripped the area above his heart. Akashi shifted and touched Naruto’s cheek. “Hey, Naru?” Hearing the nickname made Naruto raise his head. His eyes were teary, but he wasn’t crying.

“Don’t blame yourself, we were both there, we did all that we could”. Naruto weakly nodded his head. The moment was broken when a loud thud was heard. Both of them looked at Kakashi and Zabuza. There was a huge blade a few feet away from the duo. It was Zabuza’s blade. Both of his arms were bleeding and hanging loose on his sides.

“I’m disappointed, Zabuza”. A man’s voice rang out. They all looked to the side and saw an older man with glasses, leaning on a crutch. Behind him was a horde of men, just staring at them. “Gatoh, why are you here?” Zabuza asked the man. So that is Gatoh? Akashi thought as he observed the man in front of him. Gatoh then said that they had a change of plans and that Zabuza was going to die there. He mocked Zabuza’s title of The Demon of the Mist and called him a cute devil.

“Kakashi, I’m sorry, but the battle ends here”. He suddenly said. He continued saying since he doesn’t have to kill Tazuna anymore, he doesn’t have a reason to fight him. “Yeah, you’re right”. Kakashi said. Gatoh walked over to Haku’s corpse and said something about returning the favor of a broken hand. He kicked Haku. Akashi felt Naruto shift, but it was too late. “Bastard! What the hell are you doing?!” He screamed and dashed towards Gatoh.

He was, fortunately, caught by Kakashi. “Stop. Don’t move so carelessly”. He said as he was holding him back. Naruto yelled at Zabuza about how Haku was his comrade. Zabuza tried to shut him up by saying that Haku was already dead. Naruto continued arguing and saying how he and Haku were together for a long time. Zabuza said that like Gatoh was using him, he was using Haku. And how he doesn’t have any regrets.

Akashi scoffed from behind them, before walking over to Naruto. “Everyone has regrets”. He said, looking at Zabuza. The man turned around and glared at Akashi. “And I suppose you do too?” He countered. Sasuke’s pale face flashed through his mind. “I do”. He simply said and glared back. “Haku wasn’t just a tool to you, you cared for him, and you regret letting him die”. Zabuza’s eyes widen and he looks away, looks back at Gatoh. “You don’t understand”. He growled.

“I don’t need to understand, I can see it on your face”. He countered. “Stop it. We’re not fighting anymore”. Kakashi ordered and Akashi went quiet. “Shut up! He’s my enemy”. Naruto slapped Kakashi’s hand away and pointed at Zabuza. “He… he really liked you”. Naruto said. “He really, really liked you!” He pointed at Haku’s body. “Do you really… really not think anything of him!?” He yelled, voice breaking.

Akashi looked at his brother. You always were the sensitive one. “Do strong people really start to think like that? He sacrificed his life for you!” Tears were dripping down his face, staining his whiskered cheeks. “Dying as a tool is just… too painful”. He finished. “You kids…”. Zabuza started. They heard soft splats and looked at Zabuza’s feet. There were drops on the ground. “Don’t say any more”. Tears were falling down Zabuza’s face.

He said Haku not only hurt his heart to fight for him, but he hurt his heart for them. “Haku was too kind”. He said. “I’m glad we were able to fight you as final opponents”. He declared. “I lost”. He admited, and with that, he ripped the bandages covering his lower face. “Kid, give me your knife”. He looked at Naruto. Naruto did as he asked and threw him the knife. Zabuza caught it with his teeth and dashed at Gatoh.

Zabuza started slashing the men around Gatoh and he finally reached him. He stabbed Gatoh., but his back was already impaled by swords and spears. He grabbed another kunai with his teeth and started slashing Gatoh, who then fell off of a bridge. Zabuza then dropped the kunai from his teeth and fell onto the ground. Naruto looked away. “Don’t look away, this is the end of a man who lived desperately”. Kakashi said and Naruto nodded.

Akashi looked at Zabuza’s body and then looked at Haku’s body, before he could form a single thought, Sakura’s voice rang from behind them. “Naruto! Akashi!” They turned around. “Sasuke is okay! He’s alive!” She was waving. Akashi’s eyes widen as he looks at Sasuke. Naruto said. “What?” At the same time Akashi asked. “How?” Sasuke was looking to the side as he slowly raised his hand up.

Naruto let out a laugh as tears fill his eyes. Akashi separated from Naruto and ran up to Sasuke. The boy furrowed his brows. “What?” He asked. Akashi shook his head and sent him a small smile. “Nothing, let’s heal you up!” He exclaimed and pulled out the remaining needles, immediately healing the wounds. The whole time he was focusing on the healing him, Sasuke was looking at the boy. He’s so different from Naruto.

The men who were guarding Gatoh started charging towards Naruto and the others. At that moment, the people from Tazuna’s village and Inari appeared from behind Sasuke, Sakura, Akashi and Tazuna. Gatoh’s men froze in their steps. Naruto did hand-signs and Naruto’s appeared. Kakashi joined in and did the same hand-sign. About 20 of Kakashi’s appeared behind him.

Gatoh’s men turned around and started running away, boarding the boat on which they arrived. Kakashi picked up Zabuza and carried him over to Haku, placing him down next to him. Soft snow started falling in that moment. Akashi looked up at the white sky, snowflakes melting on his skin. He exhaled and steam came out. “It’s finally over”. He said out loud and Sasuke looked at him. “Yeah”. He added as their eyes met and a small smile overtook Akashi’s face.

_

The sunset was perfectly visible from the spot they buried Zabuza and Haku at. “Does a ninja really have to be the way they said a ninja should be?” Sakura asked from in front of the grave. “Ninja are not supposed to seek the reason for their existence”. Kakashi answered. “It’s important that they exist as a tool, that idea exists in Konoha, too”. He added. Naruto turned to him. “Does being a ninja really mean that?” He asked. “I don’t like that”. Akashi patted him on the shoulder.

“You can find out what being a ninja means to you”. He sent him a sad smile and Kakashi looked at the boy. You say that… but I wonder what it will mean to you. Sasuke turned to Kakashi. “Is that what it means for you, too?” He asked. Kakashi hummed, before answering. “Well, no. That’s why ninja unconsciously suffer from that idea”. He answered as he looked at the graves. “Like Zabuza and that boy”. He finished.

“I’ve decided I’m going to follow my own ‘ninja way’!” Naruto exclaimed. “I’m gonna go along a path where I won’t regret anything!” He added as he grinned at the sunset. Akashi let out a laugh and the others looked at him in question. “I’m going to be right there with you, till the end of the line, okay?” He threw an arm across Naruto’s shoulders. Naruto sent him a grin. “Okay! Until the end of the line!” He agreed and hugged Akashi, both boys laughing in delight at the idea.

Kakashi was rendered speechless for a moment, before a fond smile grew on his face as he looked at the twins. They then went back and packed their things, leaving for Konoha.