The Strength of the Weak {A Naruto Fanfiction}

The Strength of the Weak - Chapter 16

"Naruto... looks like I'm needed one last time..." Haku says from beside us, flashing away instantly. Both Naruto's and my eyes widen as we look back to the battle between Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza, only to see that Haku had jumped into the fray, saving Zabuza from Kakashi-sensei's jutsu.

"Haku!" Naruto cries out, running to their battle hastily. I limp over to where Sasuke's body lay, senbon needles and broken ice fragments littering the ground. Dropping to my knees, I lay a hand on Sasuke's cheek, the tears I was holding back finally dripping down my cheeks and onto Sasuke's pale face.

"Why, Sasuke... why did you do it? I would've lived... I could've taken it... but I can't take this!" I sob, running my hand through his bloodied hair. He lays lifeless below me, not moving at all. I squeeze his hand tight, willing him to come back, but to no avail.

"Satomi..." Sakura mutters, walking up behind me with Tazuna in tow. I wipe my eyes and glance at Sasuke miserably. Sakura whimpers and falls to her knees beside me, throwing herself over Sasuke's body and sobbing uncontrollably. Leaving Sakura be, I push myself up once again and go over to where Kakashi-sensei and Naruto were.

"He was your friend! Do you really feel nothing by his death?! You were everything to Haku, and you're telling me you saw him as nothing but a dispensable tool?! I can't accept that!" Naruto shouts in anger, tears billowing in his cerulean eyes.

Zabuza had come to be defeated, with Haku dead and no strength left.

"Kid... your words cut deeper than any kunai ever could..." Zabuza admits, refusing to let his own tears fall. We sit in silence for a few moments, before ominous footsteps approach from the bridge.

"Well, well, well... looks like you've been defeated. Demon of the Mist? Hardly! You look more like a wet kitten to me," a short man sneers, his cane tapping on the wood in perfect rhythm with his steps. Walking over to Haku's dead body, he scowls and spits on it disrespectfully, causing Naruto to growl.

"I'm glad this kid's dead. It's what he gets for almost breaking my wrist!" The man, who I assume is Gato, declares, pulling his leg back and kicking Haku's dead body as if it were nothing more than trash.

"That's enough! Who the hell do you think you are for kicking Haku like that, you bastard!" Naruto screeches, about to attack him. Kakashi-sensei holds him back, watching Gato with dark eyes.

"By the way, Zabuza, our contract is ended. You are of no use to me," Gato says, turning away from Zabuza and quietly walking away. Zabuza turns to Kakashi-sensei, rage oozing from him.

"I'm no longer your enemy, Kakashi. I ask of you this... please place a kunai in my mouth. I'm going to kill this bastard once and for all!" Zabuza claims, his sharp teeth revealed from the battle. Kakashi-sensei complies, giving Zabuza a kunai. I stare at Zabuza, before nodding once and backing away. I could see the pain he felt.

The pain of losing a comrade.

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Third Person P.O.V.

The strength of Zabuza was a sight to behold. He pushed through the whole horde of men Gato had brought with him, charging straight for the despicable man despite all of the weapons piercing through any and every part of his body.

Gato turns around, only to find Zabuza, the demon of the Hidden Mist, looming in front of him. His jaw drops as he stares into the eyes of the devil himself, blood splattered across his face and his weapon aimed straight at Gato. He was looking into the face of death.

"D-Demon!" Gato cries, shivering under Zabuza's icy gaze. Rearing his head back, Zabuza prepares to strike Gato down once and for all.

"You and I... we will never make it to where Haku is going! The two of us are going to hell!" Zabuza declares, swiping through Gato's neck with the kunai in his mouth. Blood pours down his neck, until his head finally collapses, along with his body, into the water below. Zabuza lets out a breath of relief, gazing at the sky longingly, before crumpling to the ground in defeat.

Satomi, Naruto, and Kakashi watch on from the side, somber expressions on each of their faces. Satomi was on the verge of collapsing, her knees shaking with the effort staying on her feet. Naruto glances over at her in worry, offering to let her lean on his shoulder, to which she gratefully accepts.

"Where are we gonna get our pay now?!" One of Gato's men calls out. With their boss gone, they were now unemployed. The new self-declared leader steps up, addressing all of the others.

"Without the boss, we don't have any money! We need to take from the villagers as payment!" The man announces, a roar emerging from the crowd. Smirking, Naruto performs the Kage Bushin no Jutsu, prepared to fend off the angry men from the village.

"Over my dead body! You guys need to get lost, you hear?!" Naruto and his clones shout. Kakashi also creates a Kage Bushin, his skill, even with just one clone, giving them a huge advantage. Moments before fighting erupts, a stray arrow pierces the ground in front of Gato's men, stopping their advance.

"We're here! You said that the hero always arrives at the last moment, right, Naruto?!" A small voice calls out from across the bridge. Glancing over, Naruto spots Inari, as well as the rest of the villagers armed and ready to defend their village from the intruders.

"Inari! You came, and with all of these people!" Naruto exclaims brightly, being careful not to jostle Satomi. Inari raises his bow and arrow, pointing at all of Gato's men.

"You guys better scram, if you don't wanna get pummeled!" Inari cries out, causing the villagers behind him to boom with a chorus of shouts. Crying out in fear, all of Gato's men run away, stumbling after one another pitifully.

Kakashi sighs, walking over to where Zabuza lays, unmoving. Seeing that the man was still alive, he crouches down next to him and lowers his head respectfully. Tears stream down the man's face, his usually hardened features softened at the loss of his comrade's life.

"Kakashi... please... take me to him..." Zabuza pleads, turning his head to look at Haku's lifeless body. Kakashi obliges, picking up the well-built man and walking him over to where his two students were kneeling next to Haku.

Kakashi gently lays Zabuza down next to Haku, letting the man mourn to himself. Zabuza reaches up a hand and lays it upon Haku's cheek, tears flowing out of his eyes endlessly. Snow began to fall as the battle ends once and for all.

"Haku... loved the snow..." Zabuza mutters, closing his eyes for the last time. His breathing comes to a stop, indicating that the Demon of the Hidden Mist was dead. Satomi and Naruto stand up together, Satomi having glanced across the bridge to where Sakura and Tazuna were, along with Sasuke.

"Naruto-kun... could you help me get to my brother..." Satomi asks lightly, a pleading look in her dull onyx eyes. Naruto silently nods, helping to guide Satomi towards her fallen brother. Sakura's cries soon come into range as they approach the trio, her tears staining Sasuke's shirt.

Satomi's lip trembles as she collapses next to her brother, clasping his hand in both of hers as she lays on her side, his blood seeping into her hair. The snow continues to fall on them, crying at the loss of multiple great shinobi.

"S-Sakura... you're crushing me..." A tired voice calls out painfully. At the sound of this voice, Sakura and Satomi sit up quickly, glancing at the Uchiha who they had believed had been dead.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cries with relief, sobbing with joy to herself. Satomi stares at her twin with her jaw dropped, her tears dripping into her lap pitifully. Throwing her hands over her mouth, Satomi watches as her brother sits up and glances around him in confusion.

"I... I thought I lost you too..." Satomi whispers out, tightly squeezing Sasuke to her in a loving embrace. Sasuke wraps one arm around Satomi, confused as to why she was crying. Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Tazuna watch from the side as the twins fuss over each other's wounds.

Despite todays losses... everyone was smiling.

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