The Hyoton - 8

There was a balding, short man on the far side of the bridge, smirking as he watched the young Leaf genin try to overpower Zabuza. Behind him stood a large crowd of hired thugs and bandits that were also amused by the ninja battle. They had only just arrived and the Mist shinobi wasn't pleased by their presence in the slightest.

"I told you no distractions," Zabuza said gruffly, near authoritatively, "I'm working."

"That may be so," Gato sneered, less fearful of the nukenin when he had a mob of thugs behind him, "But you've exhausted my patience, Zabuza. You aren't reliable. Your services are no longer required."

Naruto stood beside Haku, wearing a dumbfounded look, "That little wind bag is Gato? You've gotta be kidding me!"

Gato's smirk widened as Zabuza lowered his zanbato, eyes again calculating, "I see you've found your interesting prospect, but I'm afraid we'll have to cut this short. To be fair before we kill you we'll peel the kid's face off and let you keep it as a..." He snorted, "...token of my appreciation!"

Zabuza wasn't affected by the shipping magnate's double-cross. In fact, he had been counting on it. His eyes shifted to Haku who was nearest and then to Gaara and Naruto a short distance away.

"Kid," He was speaking at Haku, "Looks like the old man's off the hook, since I'm not getting paid..."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, 'Greedy bastard!'

"Here's a chance to prove yourself," Haku looked alarmed and it only made Zabuza smirk beneath the bandages concealing his face, "A true possessor of the Hyoton can easily eliminate twice this many men." His full glare rested on Haku and the boy felt even more jumpy, "Now show me."

"Zabuza, you really are pitiful," Gato declared and there were numerous shouts of agreement from behind him, "This child, kill us? It seems I was right about you." He then looked to Anko, "I didn't plan for other shinobi to interfere, but no matter...this land belongs to me now!"

Naruto shifted nervously, wondering how the nukenin could so suddenly become cooperative when he had been trying to kill them all minutes before. Haku stared ahead and thought, 'Should I do it?'

He weighed the circumstances quickly in his head. It wasn't as if he had anything to prove to the treacherous Mist nin, but maybe he should at least try to measure up to his clan's...standards. 'What clan?' His mind supplied dryly, 'But I...I could do it. These people serve Gato, the one person who is responsible for this village's suffering. I can kill them. I should. But I've never...'

While Haku was still deliberating whether he was emotionally ready to kill, no matter how noble the cause, Naruto's panicked shout snapped him back to the physical realm.

"Gaara don't!" The blonde warned, in a futile attempt as sand encircled the crowd at the end of the bridge with astonishing speed. Haku saw the red haired boy's face contorted in an expression of pure hatred, animal-like and his eyes were completely blank.

He ignored Naruto, raising his arms and listening intently as the thugs tensed, raised weapons, and did their best not to become unnerved by such a strange ability. It was odd, Haku thought, that Gaara had nothing to prove, but also nothing to keep him from taking lives. He had done it before.

It was impossible to say what Zabuza was thinking as he watched sand envelope half of the group and implode all at once, leaving the remainder of the thugs to scramble in an effort to avoid the billowing, bloody cloud of death swirling around them. Anko didn't move. Their client had shut his eyes, sickened.

Haku and Naruto shielded their faces as blood rained with the pitter-patter sound that authentic rain would make. His friends stopped calling out to him. If someone had planned to end Gato's tyranny, at least he would get the job done quickly.

Tazuna turned and saw a crowd of familiar faces behind them.

"Grandpa! We're here to help!" Inari crowed, oblivious to the bloody massacre Gaara was initiating at the moment. There were enthused cries behind the boy from their fellow villagers, and Tazuna felt his heart leap into his throat, witnessing a revolution.

It took a long moment for Naruto's brain to register how quickly Gaara had crushed the second half of the crowd (seeing that there wasn't enough sand to kill them all at once). Ruby drops dotted his face like freckles when it was over and he looked to Haku who had dropped his senbon.

Unfortunately it wasn't over. There was a single survivor that hadn't met his end quite yet. Gato tripped over his own feet, falling to the damp concrete of the bridge, whimpering like a cornered dog. Gaara's face was expressionless and that relieved Haku to a degree.

The villagers, including Inari, looked on with little understanding of what was happening. Sand slowly coiled around the last criminal, who was sobbing uncontrollably and Haku wondered why he suddenly felt pity for someone as despicable as him. Maybe it was because Gaara didn't mind killing.

"This land belongs to no one," Gaara's voice was not his own, "Anyone who tries to conquer others and control them should always expect to fail!" Enlightenment flickered in Gato's eyes for less than a second, "Sand Burial!"

Zabuza slung his zanbato on his back with a satisfied look.

Who knew there was such a capable killer among them? And one that slept in late that morning too...

Naruto wondered how he prevented himself from vomiting. He didn't want Gaara to take offense. Or possibly because his body simply had no energy left for such a trivial function. The Mist ninja turned, not bothered.

His glare rested on Haku expectantly, who refused to raise his eyes from the ground.

"You will prove yourself to me...Haku." The dark haired boy felt his name equivalent to a curse when Zabuza spoke it, "You already know where to find me."

He disappeared and Haku exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

It was over.

There were crazed cheers from the villagers and Naruto fell to his butt in exhaustion, muttering something about ramen and a nice, long nap. Gaara's sand slipped back into his gourd, soaked in the blood of his enemies. His face belied some alarm over his actions.

Anko clapped Tazuna on the back cheerfully, before seeing to Gaara, approaching him with the utmost caution. Haku dragged his feet over to Naruto, plopping down beside him and immediately setting to work on examining the blonde.

"Naruto-kun you were injured...weren't you?" It felt odd that Haku had to confirm it.

The blonde shrugged and then grinned, "I guess it's that old fox! I saw the no-eyebrow clown grab you and I, well..." He scratched his head, "It gets kinda fuzzy after that...but I felt like a million bucks! All healed up and energized!"

"I'll take your word for it." Haku sighed, wiping sweat out of his eyes.

Naruto's grin widened, sheepishly, "Heh heh, the fox demon may scare the hell out of people...but it sure has its perks!"

Haku managed his first genuine smile of the day.

'Oh, if only Ero-sensei were here!' Naruto mused.

Inari raced up to his grandfather with a small crossbow he had borrowed from a neighbor, "Hey grandpa! Are you okay?"

The old man looked down at him and nodded, still trying to recover from all that had transpired. He was alive and in one piece thanks to the Leaf ninja. There was finally hope for his village now that they were free of Gato. The bridge's construction would continue.

"You brought most of the village with you I see," Tazuna chuckled, patting his head, "Good thinking."

"We were worried about you guys," Inari smiled at Naruto nearby who was wobbling to his feet, "I guess you could handle things without us though..."

"I can't say I'm surprised that Zabuza ran off like that, he's still a wanted criminal," Anko pointed out to the bridge builder, "I think you can relax though. Clearly that freak has no interest in you anymore."

"I'm glad," Tazuna sighed heavily before turning to Gaara, who seemed unsociable at the present time, "I must thank you and your friends. You're responsible for avenging Kaiza and restoring hope to our village," Haku and Naruto grinned at the praise and Gaara remained quiet, "Is there any way we can repay you?"

'Not in the way of money...' Anko thought blandly.

Naruto beamed, "Well, you see we are a bit hungry..."