Chapter 11

 Stranded outside of Tazuna's outside, Tsunami and Inari were covered up by the shadow of Gato's thugs. Known as Sokeso and Boibuto, the first was a scrawny mercenary while the other was a buff warrior.

"Gato only wants one hostage. Kill the kid." Sokeso snarled, unsheathing his blade immediately.

"No!" Tsunami shrieked.

The sound of metal striking flesh then pierced the air, forcing Tsunami's hidden eyes to bulge. Freezing for several moments, Inari's was bombarded by fresh drops of blood.

"Are you okay?" Naruto spoke out.

Holding a pair of bloody blades with each hand, Naruto held these weapons mere inches from Inari. Tearing the thin fabric from Naruto's glove, a stream of crimson gore leaked to the ground.

Snapping these curved blades in half, shattered shards of metal were spewed in all directions. Launched into Boibuto's eyes, the large bandit stumbled backwards, following in to the water.

Dropping his broken blade, Sokeso clenched both fists before throwing them at Naruto. Met by a pulsating pair of vibrant Rinnegan, these eyes unleashed a gravitational shockwave.

Flipping and twisting for several yards, Sokeso eventually collided against a wet rock. Falling unconscious, he rolled into the shifting waves, drowning and disappearing from sight.

Raised a blood-stained hand, Naruto stroked Inari's scalp, in the same manner as Iruka. Illuminated by faint rays of sunlight, these beams sparkled between fluffy and bundled clouds.

"You must be hungry... Please, eat." Tsunami offered a free meal.

Rushed inside, Naruto's stomach roared and rumbled, daydreaming about piles of food. As this whiskered boy was rushed inside, Inari gazed at him, utterly speechless and left in shock.

Meanwhile.

A torrent of chakra-filled flames was spewed, this fiery vortex collided against a wall of ice. Known as Ice Style: Crystal Forest, this display of Ninjutsu erupted from grey concrete and stone.

"My bridge!" Tazuna panicked.

Shrouded by mist, a masked Haku teleported behind Sasuke, kicking him into the veil. Twitching to react, Sakura was held in place by her sensei, glancing from side-to-side with anticipation.

"If you join this fight. It will be with me." Zabuza spat out.

Dressed in navy blue plants with a sleeveless black shirt, portions of burnt skin were exposed. Charred, singed and seared, his neck was layered in a vast amount of linen bandages.

Naruto isn't here to save my skin this time... Kakashi joked, pulling a kunai from his satchel.

Charging forward, these Jonin opponents became obscured by a barrage of sparks. Muffled by the sound of metal striking metal, they fought with blinding speed, occasionally piercing the mist.

Meanwhile.

"I've never seen someone eat like this..." Tsunami was almost speechless.

Seated in front of five empty plates, Naruto stacked saucer after saucer, licking them clean. Eating weeks worth of food in mere seconds, he wiped the crumbs from his whiskers before burping.

If you love something, protect it. Protect it with both hands. Kaiza's memory echoed through Inari's mind.

"I want to go with you, to protect my grandpa!" Jumping to his feet, this young boy was ready for action.

Arguing, protesting and screaming, this mother and son screeched without pause. As these colliding voices polluted the air, Naruto's mind began to drift and fade, sinking through time.

-Flashback-

"Happy birthday!" Iruka cheered.

Popping up behind his seated student, this duo was seated beside a small pond. Tugging at wet blades of grass, Naruto and Iruka were positioned inside the backyard of their home.

"Do you remember what happened eleven years ago?" Naruto celebrated his eleventh birthday.

Pulling both knees against his chest, Naruto stared at the pond's surface with downcast eyes. Distraught by this awkward silence, Iruka rubbed the back of his head before sighing.

"Oh... Yea, that thing." Iruka stammered, crouching beside his student.

Without warning, the horizon took a jarring shift, morphing from a clear skies to harsh rain. Bombarding the village of Konoha, Iruka was suddenly struck by frigid drops of icy rain.

"I try not to think about it... Because this is your day, the day you were born." Resting his chin against Naruto's shoulder, he ignored the rain.

Concealing the small grin on his face, Iruka rushed Naruto inside before drying him off. Acting more like a father instead of a teacher, he didn't care about the difference, not anymore.

-Flashback ends-

"I don't care if I'm too young! I must fight!" Inari stomped one foot to the floor.

Standing inside a quiet and barren kitchen, Tsunami, Inari and Naruto were gathered together. Muffled by the distinct sound of a ticking clock, the air was still and dense, as thick as ice.

"There will come a day when you will defend this island." Naruto was fueled by Iruka's memory.

"But, that day isn't today." Disappearing in a flash, Tsunami's hair rustled.

Wrong... That day is today! Inari concluded.

Charging out the kitchen before running downstairs, Inari grabbed his crossbow and a helmet. Afterwards, he dashed outside, running towards the center of his village, with Tsunami fast behind.

Meanwhile.

"Run..." Sasuke choked a mouthful of blood.

The sight of his coughing Uchiha friend, Naruto teleported into the middle of a battlefield. Strangely hugged by Sasuke, the air was diluted by swirling clouds of mist.

Sliding to his knees, a barrage of senbon were revealed across Sasuke's back. Coming out from his bloody skin, his outfit were tattered and torn, littered with dozens of ruptured holes.

"My eyes are weak... But yours..." Fueled by the distorted memory of his brother, Sasuke clenched Naruto's attire.

As these thoughts raced, Sasuke lost his grip, plummeting to the ground. Barely able to breathe, his skull slammed against the concrete bridge.

"To protect someone precious to him... He sacrificed himself." Haku was muffled by loud thunder.

The silence was deafening.

Naruto's trembling Rinnegan were exposed by a mist-filled breeze.

The silence was grating.

Looming over an unconscious Sasuke, he soon panted for air, causing both shoulders to rise.

The silence needed to end.

"I'm sorry, but it ends here." Speaking with sincerity, Haku hurled a handful of senbon towards Naruto.

Deflected by an unseen force, these lethal projectiles fell to the stone floor, pelted by fresh rain. Trailed by the sound of rain striking stone, Tazuna's bridge became soaking wet, stained with ice.

What is going on... Catching a glimpse of Naruto's Rinnegan, Haku gasped.

Panting without end, Naruto clasped both hands together, sundering the stone below. Trailed by a corrosive degree of chakra, this violet aura casually scorched Haku's special ice.

Spiraling and weaving through misty air, Naruto's chakra took a shape of its own. Resembling a demonic fox with bared teeth, this pulsating silhouette was defined by Rinnegan eyes.

Jolted by a chaotic shockwave, an unseen force uprooted sections of concrete. Sending out several forms of dislodged chunks of debris through the air, Haku's ice was completely shattered.

Meanwhile.

"What's that?!" Tazuna gasped for air in utter shock.

"I don't know..." Sakura muttered, pinning both hands against herself as she could not understand anything in front of her.

Meanwhile.

This is bad...Real bad... Kakashi concluded, instantly recognizing Naruto's chakra.

Thrashing waves of the ocean's surface, Zabuza and Kakashi were caught up in an intense battle. Disrupting and disturbing the water with each attack, these shinobi were completely caught up by Naruto's display.

This chakra... It's greater than my own?! Zabuza marveled.

Naruto... Kakashi was not excited by the prospect of what was happening.

Meanwhile.

The pulsating and violet face of a demonic fox was snarling at Haku. Positioned inside the center of an icy dome, dozens of Haku's reflected off pristine mirrors, sparkling and glistening.

"RAAAH!" A primordial howl pierced through the air.

This twisted and distorted sound instantly shattered several mirrors, filling the air with frigid shards. At the same time, a distant Tazuna was flung into pure panic, from the utter intensity of the encounter.

I can't move! Haku was gripped by an unseen force.

Yanked from the glimmering surface of his icy mirror, he floated through the rainy air. Met by a snarling and whiskered face, Naruto hurled a clenched fist against his porcelain mask with incredible force.

Cracking this white surface on impact, Haku was propelled backwards, shattering his own mirror. Blindly rolling across the bridge. A sudden flash popped up in front of Haku.

"What-" Haku could not continue, Barreling his foot against Haku's side, Naruto knocked this shinobi against an iron railing. Bending the metal, he choked and gagged on blood, obscured by loose strands of black hair.

Instead of fighting back, Haku smiled as Naruto approached, covered by bloodlust. Begging for death, the air became still and tranquil, dispersed only by the constant sound of falling rain.

"I was born into this world, and in it, I found my purpose... I found Zabuza." As Haku spoke, a spark of blue erupted in the distance.

Forced into the life of an orphan, Haku's only reason to live was for his rogue master. Zabuza tried to change the world, he tried to assassinate the 4th Mizukage, to save Kiri, but he ultimately failed.

"But, before you kill me... I have one last thing to do." Trying to stand up, gravity overwhelmed Haku for a second time.

As rippled and violet eyes covered his mind, this Yuki clan member was pulled into Naruto's grip. Forced unconscious, his sleeping face was pelted by falling rain, slowly sliding over pale cheeks.

Erupting into a violet flash, Naruto teleported through the mist, moving at Kage-level speed. Trailed by the roaring chorus of thunder from overhead, Haku slept with a calm face.