Kiss Of Despair

After taking a brief respite, Naruto felt his wounds nearly healed. Without wasting any time, he opened a portal and flashed back to the battlefield where Sasuke and Zabuza were locked in combat.

Zabuza was in terrible shape. From his brutal exchange with Naruto earlier, his body was battered—his right hand fractured, three ribs broken, and his waist screaming in pain with every breath. After finally breaking free from Naruto's relentless assault, Zabuza had tried to catch his breath, only for Sasuke to attack him immediately.

But Sasuke wasn't engaging in a straightforward fight. Instead, he was bombarding Zabuza with an endless stream of ninja tools, each accompanied by exploding tags and Ninjutsu. The sheer volume and intensity of Sasuke's assault were bewildering.

What kind of fighting style is this? Zabuza thought, struggling to comprehend. The amount of ninja tools Sasuke was throwing at him seemed more valuable than the mission's entire reward. And the Uchiha kept pulling them out from somewhere, showing no signs of stopping.

Is this kid insane? Even if he's rich, you don't just waste money like this!

Never in his long career as a shinobi had Zabuza encountered such an unconventional and expensive method of attack. Cursing under his breath, he stumbled through the rain of shuriken, kunai, and exploding tags.

Just as he dodged another wave of projectiles, he saw that all-too-familiar flash of yellow hair again.

"Dammit!" Zabuza spat.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air. Zabuza barely had time to react before Sasuke appeared in front of him, kicking the beheading sword right out of his hands.

"You're not bad," Sasuke said coldly, watching as Zabuza's weapon clattered to the ground. Zabuza's wrist throbbed with numbness, but his concern was more immediate—Sasuke had already retrieved the fallen blade, holding it with a grin of triumph.

Naruto arrived at the battlefield just in time to witness Sasuke standing over Zabuza, the massive sword now in his grasp. He also noticed the ground littered with discarded ninja tools, making it almost impossible to find solid footing.

Naruto's expression soured. Did this kid use up all the sealing scrolls he had on him? What the hell, Sasuke?! Zabuza's practically bleeding out! Why use a cannon to kill a mosquito?

Now, Naruto understood why Sasuke had seemed so difficult in the original story. After all, once the Chidori technique drained his resources, he must've had no money left to buy ninja tools.

Zabuza knelt on one knee, his hands hanging limply at his sides, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. Haku, locked in an evenly matched fight with Kakashi, saw the dire situation and panicked.

"Please... please stop!" Haku pleaded, suddenly abandoning the fight. "We... we abandon the mission! Please don't hurt Mr. Zabuza!"

Haku canceled his jutsu and quickly appeared before Kakashi, removing his mask to reveal his delicate, almost feminine features. Even Kakashi, ever-cool and collected, found himself momentarily stunned.

Kakashi had thrown a bottle of perfume during the battle to trace Haku's scent, and now, the lingering fragrance added an unexpected charm to the scene.

"This ends here," Kakashi said, glancing at the beaten Zabuza and nodding slightly. In peacetime, it was common for ninja from different villages to clash over missions, but as long as one side conceded, the other typically wouldn't pursue the fight.

Seeing that his team members were unscathed, Kakashi acknowledged Haku's request. "Naruto, Sasuke, you can stop now."

Sasuke tightened his grip on the beheading sword, his eyes flashing with determination. It didn't matter to him whether Zabuza lived or died—the sword was what he wanted.

Haku rushed to Zabuza's side, helping him up with a worried expression.

"What... are you doing?" Zabuza rasped, struggling to speak through his pain. "You're just my tool... Why would you make decisions for me?"

"Forgive me, Mr. Zabuza!" Haku's voice quivered with emotion. "But if you continue this mission... you will die."

Haku draped Zabuza's arm over his shoulders, tears welling in his eyes.

Team 7 watched the scene with mixed reactions. Sakura, in particular, looked deeply moved.

"So this is love!" Sakura whispered, her eyes shining with admiration. "It's so... beautiful! And that girl is so cute."

She turned to Sasuke, hoping to share her feelings, only to find him preoccupied with wiping down his newly acquired sword. He wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention.

Kakashi, observing from the sidelines, found himself nodding in agreement with Sakura's sentiment. "Yes, this is... green... love."

He quickly corrected himself, realizing how odd that sounded.

Naruto's eyes twitched. He feared that Kakashi might suddenly start performing a certain green-clad shinobi's signature move. Is this what they mean when they say people are influenced by their company? Naruto shuddered at the thought. Thank goodness I didn't seek out that green melon rind in the beginning!

As Sakura continued to swoon over the romantic scene before her, her mind drifting to thoughts of her own future with Sasuke, Naruto's voice cut through her daydream.

"That guy's a man."

Sakura blinked in confusion. "What?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Sasuke stopped wiping his sword. "What?"

The three of them stared at Naruto, then turned their gaze back to Haku.

Sakura glanced at Haku's chest, then back at her own, her fists clenching in disbelief. Her mind raced as she recalled Naruto's earlier teasing, calling her 'Brother Ying.' The veins on her forehead bulged in frustration.

Does Naruto seriously think he can tell a person's gender just by their chest?! How infuriating! Doesn't he know how much that hurts a girl's feelings? Sakura fumed. I haven't even started growing yet... But I will!

Sakura took a deep breath, glaring at Naruto. "Naruto, it's too much for you to say that to a girl."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, though he secretly thought Naruto might have a point.

"Uh... I really am a man," Haku said softly, feeling the need to clarify.

Everyone except Naruto froze, their expressions turning to shock.

Sakura's neck creaked as she turned back to Haku, disbelief etched on her face. "You're lying... You're lying! How can a boy be so cute?!"

Kakashi and Sasuke nodded in unison, equally stunned.

Naruto merely shrugged, as if to say, I told you so.

"We... we'll be going now," Haku said after a brief argument with Zabuza. He turned to Kakashi with a pleading look. "Please let us go."

"No." Naruto didn't wait for Kakashi to respond, standing up and asserting himself. "That sword belongs to us. And... kiss him, and I'll let you go."

Kakashi: "??"

Sasuke: "?"

Sakura: "??"

Zabuza, who had been teetering on the edge of consciousness, suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes wide with shock. What the hell is this kid asking for?!

"Alright," Haku agreed, blushing slightly. He closed his eyes, leaned in, and quickly pecked Zabuza on the cheek. Then, head lowered, he refused to meet anyone's gaze.

The rest of Team 7 stood there, petrified, their minds struggling to process what had just happened. The dynamic between Zabuza and Haku was becoming increasingly surreal.

Waving them off with a look of disgust, Naruto allowed the two to leave. But just as they were about to disappear into the mist, Naruto heard Zabuza's faint, bewildered voice.

"Haku, what's that smell on you...? It smells... so nice..."