The mist was thick. Cold and Silent. Then, sharp needles flew from every direction.
Sasuke spun, deflecting them with kunai. Naruto leaped beside him, spinning his new kunai like a blur.
Sakura stood behind, using water style to deflect the remaining senbon. Haku moved too fast, jumping through his mirrors of ice, vanishing from one and appearing in another.
"I can almost see him." Sasuke's eyes followed him.
"Then let's break them all!" Naruto slammed a Rasengan into one of the mirrors.
But Haku grew faster. Senbon shot out, cutting Naruto's arm and piercing Sasuke's leg. They gritted their teeth.
"You two are strong… stronger than before. I must go all out." Haku's voice echoed, soft but distant.
He vanished into the mirrors again, and this time, a storm of needles flew. Sakura cried out as one caught her shoulder. Then another pierced her thigh. She fell, blood staining the ground.
"Sakura!!" Naruto screamed.
"No… not again…" Sasuke froze. His heart pounded and something broke inside.
His Sharingan glowed. Both eyes now had two tomoe. Everything slowed. He saw Haku clearly.
With rage in his eyes, he moved fast. Like lightning.
Naruto's chakra surged. Kurama stirred inside him.
"So… the girl is dead? No, she is not. But entertain me, brat." Kurama spoke and helped Naruto as the more he used his power the looser the seal.
"No! No! No!" Naruto's chakra burst out, red and wild. But he didn't lose control. Kurama kept him sane, for his own amusement.
Together, Sasuke and Naruto charged.
Sasuke ducked under a senbon, Chidori sparking in his hand. Naruto followed, forming a Rasengan in one hand.
Haku barely dodged, but Sasuke's Chidori struck his side. Blood splattered.
Then Naruto's Rasengan slammed into him, breaking a mirror and crushing him into the ground. Haku coughed up blood. He was done.
In the distance, a roar. Zabuza turned to ash under a massive lightning dragon. Haku saw it, eyes wide with pain. "Zabuza-sama…"
Tears fell from his mask.
"You were strong… but this is the end." Sasuke stood over him, breathing hard. His eyes trembled, but he still raised his hand.
One swift strike ended Haku's life.
Naruto stood still, his chakra fading. Then he saw her.
He ran to her. She stirred.
"I'm okay…" she whispered.
"Sasuke! She's alive!" Naruto called.
Sasuke's eyes widened. He knelt beside her, looking at her wounds.
Sakura saw Sasuke's concern for her and she almost shouted with excitement, but she held back and pretended to be calm.
Meanwhile back to Kakashi who looked at Ranmaru and sighed as he turned his head and waved at the peeping Mist shinobi not far away.
Not far away, hidden in the mist, two shinobi watched the scene unfold.
Terumi Mei stood tall, her long auburn hair flowing behind her. Her green eyes stared at the lightning-scorched ground. She wore a dark blue dress, slit to the side for movement, and a small mesh armor beneath. Her expression was serious, but there was a hint of awe and respect.
Beside her stood Ao. He wore a blue uniform with a gray flak jacket and arm guards. His most noticeable feature was the Byakugan in his right eye, glowing faintly as he watched Kakashi through the fog.
"That's him?" Mei asked.
"Yes," Ao replied. "Hatake Kakashi. He was the Copy Ninja. I don't see the Sharingan anymore… but it doesn't matter. He's even stronger now."
"He killed Zabuza and Raiga both… with one jutsu?" She asked while looking at the remains from a distance.
"No," Ao said. "He played them. Weakened them. Then used the perfect jutsu at the perfect time."
"And that child… the one left behind?" Mei frowned
Ao narrowed his eyes. "That's Ranmaru. I've read about him. He has rare abilities. Raiga used him for his own purposes."
"He's alone now," Mei said as she crossed her arms.
Ao nodded. "Yes. But he doesn't pose danger for us or the village."
Back on the bridge, Kakashi stepped toward the fallen boy. Ranmaru didn't run. He just looked up, face full of sorrow.
"I didn't want this," Ranmaru said softly.
"What will you do now?" Kakashi asked calmly, looking at Ranmaru, who stood silently near the scorched remains of the battlefield. The boy's hands trembled, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"I… I don't know," Ranmaru said quietly, his voice shaking.
"Raiga was everything I had." He said.
Kakashi crouched to his level, his tone gentle. "You still have a future. You can choose what to do with it."
Ranmaru looked up, confused and lost. "But I'm weak…"
"Strength isn't just about power. It's about what you protect. You can come with us, or go your own way. The choice is yours." Kakashi gave a faint smile.
Ranmaru looked down, silent for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Then… I'll come with you."
"Alright," Kakashi said.
"Let's go." He said after picking him up, not forgetting the three blades on the ground.
The mist began to clear. The sun peeked from the edge of the clouds. Kakashi looked at his students.
"Let's clean this up," he said.
Naruto still looked stunned. "You're scary, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi smiled slightly. He looked at Naruto and the other two.
"So did you three gain anything?" He asked them.
"Um." Sasuke nodded and showed his Two-tomoe Sharingan.
Kakashi saw it patted his head and nodded with a smile.
As he looked at Naruto and Sakura, Naruto humped while Sakura lowered her head and said sorry.
Kakashi didn't mean to blame them and gave each a head pat.