Chapter 23 - Land of Waves(12)

(A/N: Ugh… too many harem requests… I get it damn it! Tsk! This is why degenerates are…)

"Hm? Why are you here? Naruto?" Kakashi asked as he noticed Naruto following them

Naruto replied "Hehe… I've had a bad feeling so… let me watch. I'll interfere if necessary."

Kakashi looked at him in confusion but replied "Alright."

…

The bridge…

Tazuna and his crew were working as usual… suddenly mist covered the entire bridge signalling the attack of Zabuza.

Kakashi put his guard up and said to his team "They're here."

Sasuke nodded while Sakura prepared a barrier seal. All of them standing beside Tazuna

"Long time no see… Kakashi…" Zabuza creepily said through the mist "I see that you are still with those brats… He's shaking again… Poor kid…"

He commented towards Sasuke who was shaking, Naruto chuckled in reply as he knew why Sasuke was shaking.

Suddenly water clones of Zabuza appeared from all over the place, Sasuke smirked and said "I'm shaking with excitement!"

Kakashi smiled and said decisively "Do it! Sasuke!"

Sasuke disappeared from the spot for an instant and stabbed all the water clones and appeared again on the spot with a cool pose saying with a smile "You can't fool me!"

Naruto teased "Kyahhh! Sasuke-kun is so cool!"

Sasuke sweated a bit and looked at Naruto with a disgusted look

Naruto chuckled "What? It was cool."

Sakura nodded her head vigorously in agreement to Naruto's statement

Zabuza who was standing a distance away with Haku said seeing Sasuke's movements "Hm… he saw through the water clones? That brat has grown. It looks like a rival has appeared for you, Haku."

Haku wearing a mask said playfully "A rival indeed."

Kakashi sighed seeing them "It looks like what Naruto said was accurate…"

Sasuke said, preparing to dash to Haku, "Don't interfere, Naruto. I'll beat her myself."

Naruto replied "Alright, alright."

He disappeared from the spot and rushed towards Haku

Haku also disappeared from the side of Zabuza and clashed his needles with Sasuke's kunai.

*clang*

'What?' Sasuke thought in surprise

…

Meanwhile… Tazuna's house…

*Crash* two subordinates of Gatou appeared to the house of Tazuna and broke through the wall.

Tsunami who was inside the house panicked seeing them break into the house.

"Are you Tazuna's daughter? I'm sorry but you're coming with us."

Tsunami fell to the ground with nervousness "Kyahh!"

Inari rushed in and said with panic "Mom!"

One of the subordinates looked his way and said "What? A kid?"

Tsunami nervously screamed "Don't come! Run away!"

"Should we take him too?"

"Gatou said we only need one hostage."

"Then? Should I kill him?" One of the subordinates sinisterly laughed as he unsheathed his katana.

Tsunami shouted in desperation "Wait! If you touched that child I'll bite my tongue and kill myself! You only need one hostage right?"

Inari who was watching in nervousness cried quietly

"Heh… thank your mom, kid."

"Tsk! I wanted to cut something."

Inari watched as the thugs took her mom away, he sat down on the floor powerlessly and thought as he cried 'I'm sorry mom… I'm weak… I can't protect you…'

He then heard Naruto's voice in his head saying 'The past can help you become stronger so you won't cry next time but take action next time it happens. I don't agree on leaving the regrets from the past in the past, you should take it with you as you grow, regret the past so you don't make the same mistake twice.'

Then his father's words 'If it's truly precious to you, even if you lose your life, you must protect it with your two hands.'

Inari rubbed tears from his eyes and thought 'They're all so incredible… so cool… so strong… Will I become strong like dad too?' he stood up not willing to be a sissy in such a situation again.

He shouted "Wait!"

"Huh?" they looked at Inari

"Get away from my mom!" Inari rushed towards them

"Cut him" one of the thugs smiled and the two of them prepared their katanas.

"Inari!" Tsunami cried in panic.

*Crash* The two thugs got their heads bashed into the floor by two ninjas. Naruto smiled while looking at Inari "You found your courage. Good job, Inari."

"Huh?" Inari wondered while rushing towards the thugs to find that they were on the ground "Nii-chan!" Inari cried in happiness as he jumped towards Naruto.

Tsunami also rushed towards them and hugged Inari. "Thank god, you're okay."

Inari smiled "I am." then looked towards Naruto "When did you get here? Nii-chan?"

"Hm? I was here from the beginning." Naruto replied as he lightly laughed

"Ehhhh. Then why'd you just watch?"

"Well… I was about to come but you came first, so I watched what you would do first. Looks like I made the correct decision."

Inari nodded "I got my courage back. Nii-chan!"

Naruto patted his head and replied "Good for you. Anyway, take care of your mom. I'll be going first."

Inari waved his hand in goodbye "Alright! Be careful! Naruto-niichan!"

Naruto also waved his hand goodbye.

…

Haku said as he clashed with Sasuke "I don't want to kill you so can you please step aside?"

"Don't be foolish." Sasuke replied with a smile

"You won't be able to keep up with me. I already have an advantage" Haku said

"Advantage?" Sasuke asked

Haku weaved hand seals with one hand [Hijutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death] before saying "The water on the ground."

Sasuke in shock thought 'With one hand???'

The water on the ground materialized into needles and was rushing towards Sasuke meanwhile Haku backed away

Sasuke closed his eyes and concentrated Chakra to his feet and disappeared from the spot before the water needles reached him.

Haku saw Sasuke disappear in surprise suddenly shurikens were being thrown her way, she backflipped to dodge the shurikens then Sasuke appeared behind her "You're pretty slow." and slashed his kunai to her head. Haku ducked to dodge and at this moment 'Now.' Sasuke kicked Haku who ducked.

Bam!

Haku was sent flying to the side of Zabuza.

Zabuza sweated in surprise 'Haku couldn't keep up in speed?'

"Hehehe… You realize that we'll be driven back at this rate right? Haku?"

"Yeah… We can't have that…" Haku emitted cool chakra from all over his body

'What's this chill?' Sasuke thought as he felt what Haku was emitting.

[Hijutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors] mirrors materialized and surrounded Sasuke who was in the middle of the water.

Haku entered the mirror that was generated and reflected towards the other mirrors.

"Damn it!" Kakashi rushed to help Sasuke but was stopped by Zabuza "Hey, your opponent is me. Against that jutsu, he's finished."

Innumerable needles were sent to Sasuke's direction to try and injure him "Gah!" Sasuke cried in pain as he tried to dodge the needles but couldn't dodge some of them.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried in worry trying to step up to go and help Sasuke.

Naruto stopped her and said to Sasuke's direction with a playful voice while walking to Sasuke's direction "Sasuke-kun~ Do you need my help?~"

"Tsk! I don't need it!" Sasuke snorted in reply as he again stood up to try and come up with a strategy to beat Haku

Zabuza snorted and threw shurikens in Naruto's way. Which were dropped to the ground by Haku's needles "What do you think you're doing? Haku?"

Naruto teased "We're not even married yet you already want to protect me? I'm touched Haku!"

"Married? Haku's a boy." Zabuza said in confusion. He never bathed Haku ever since he was young so based on her looks when she was young, he always assumed that Haku was a boy.

Haku beneath her mask blushed remembering what just happened when they met, got ahold of herself and said in her usual voice to Zabuza "Zabuza-san… These kids… Please let me fight them my way."

"Alright… You're as soft as ever…"

Haku went inside the mirror and said to Sasuke "Surrender. You can't beat me."

Sasuke racked his brains to figure out a way to fight 'Soft? He's right. The needles are aimed in an area with low damage. Should I use chidori? No… The area of effect of that jutsu is more focused on one person. I need to find another jutsu.'

"... It looks like you don't plan on giving up." Haku said inside the mirror and prepared his needles again to attack Sasuke

Sasuke ignored the damage as he knew it was aimed at areas with low damage and weaved handseals [Fire Style: Great Fireball!] "Fuuuu!" Sending scorching flames to the mirrors.

The fire slowly disappeared but it didn't affect the mirrors 'Tsk!'

"If possible, I don't want to kill you. Nor want you to kill me. But if you come at me, I can destroy my kind heart with a blade and become a true shinobi." Haku said

(A/N: Trying to end the arc fast, It's getting bad imo. Have good ideas for Chuunin exams, I hope I finish soon, Can't wait. Leave a power stone if you like the story. Thanks!)

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