Chapter 25: Minori kills....
"I killed your precious friend, yet you can't just let me die by her hands..."
Naruto looks back at Sasuke and faces Haku again.
"Damn it! Minori, punch him!"
"Request Acknowledge."
"??!"
Minori punches Haku as what Naruto requested. Haku lands on his chest and spits out more blood. Afterwards, he wipes some blood off near to his lips.
"What happened? You can't kill me with that? There are people who make mistakes. Not killing them because of pity. Letting them live with just their lives. Can you understand? Not having a dream. Not being needed by anyone. The pain of simply living..."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi. You have taken away my reason for existing."
"Then, why? Why for a guy like that?! He's a bad guy who takes money from a criminal! Is that browless freak the only important person to you?!"
"..."
"Answer me!"
"I had people very dear to me... A long time ago..."
"Who are they?"
Naruto asks and Haku gives out a faint smile.
"My parents. I was born in a small snowy village in the country of the mist. I was happy and my parents were very kind people. But when I grew up and began to learn the ways of the world, something happened..."
Haku answered.
"Something? What?"
"This blood..."
Haku wipes off some dried blood from his cheek.
"Blood?"
"..."
"So, what happened?"
"My father killed my mother then he tried to kill me."
"What..."
"The country of the mist had many endless civil wars and those with advanced blood came to be hated..."
"Advanced Blood?"
"Now searching results from memory bank. Advanced Blood, those who have special abilities that had been passed down by generations."
"Memory bank? Minori, there's something wrong with you!"
"No, I'm just simply following orders."
"Ook..."
"Like I was saying, because of these abilities, clans with such special bloodlines were used as weapons in countless battles. As a result, these blood clans were blamed for bringing misfortune and war to the country. After the wars, these clans had to hide the truth about their blood. For those whose secret was discovered, only death awaited. That young man must also have experience much hardship. Those with special abilities are often feared..."
The resurrection of my clan and to kill a certain man..., the words that Sasuke said when they were telling their goals to Kakashi ringed on his head.
"My mother was one of these bloodlines. My father discovered this. When I realized what I had done, I had killed him... My own father... And at that time, I thought to myself as-----No, I had no choice but to think that and I realized the most painful thing..."
"The most painful thing?"
"..."
Naruto asks while Minori stays quiet as usual. Haku hesitates a bit but answers anyways.
"That in this world... I am a person who is unwanted..."
He's the same as me!!, thought Naruto, realizing that Haku is similar to him.
"..."
"You said to me that you wanted to become the best ninja in your village and have everyone acknowledge you. Now if someone who acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart appeared, wouldn't that someone be the most important person to you?"
Naruto listens and realizes that the first person to acknowledge him was Iruka-sensei.
"Zabuza-san took me in knowing I was a person of an advanced bloodline. This blood that everyone hated, he desired. I was so happy!"
Haku gives a tearful smile, happy to remember that Zabuza accepted Haku for who he is.
I'm sorry, Zabuza-san, I wasn't able to become the weapon you sought to...,Haku said to himself.
"Naruto-kun..."
"?!"
"Please... Kill... Me..."
While back with Kakashi, who has taken out a scroll and placed his blood on it when he opened the scroll, afterwards closes it. He, then, performs the hand seals, Tiger, Serpent, Dragon and Dog, with the scroll at hand.
"Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique!"
Kakashi places the scroll below him and large cracks appeared below the scroll.
Hmph, whatever you do is useless. You can't figure where I am. But I know exactly where you are. Kakashi, you are trapped by my jutsu!, Zabuza thought to himself. Moments later, a rumbling sound can be heard underground. Zabuza looks down and the ground below him begins to crack.
Later, at his surroundings, dogs have appeared right between the cracks and are now pouncing at him.
"What's that sound?"
"If eyes and ears don't work then just use your nose..."
The 9 dogs have found Zabuza and are holding him down.
"That's what happens when you have your eyes shut in the mist. This summoning is specially designed for tracking down an opponent. The reason I purposely let my blood spill twice was for this. Your weapons are soaked with the scent of my blood and these are my cute nine dogs. Their sense of smell exceeds that all of the other dogs. You are the one trapped in my jutsu..."
"Ungh..."
"The mist has cleared. Your future is death!"
"My future is death? I'm sick of your Bullshit."
"Don't be foolish. There's nothing you can do in this situation. Your death is certain. Zabuza, you went too far..."
Kakashi said, walking towards Zabuza.
"Your ambition was too great. You abandoned the country of the mist and became a missing-nin, your story even reached The Hidden Leaf Village. Your attempted coup 'de tat and attempt at assassinating The Mizukage both failed. You needed money for revenge and you also needed to avoid hunter-nins. That's probably when you attached yourself to a scum like Gatou..."
Kakashi, again, performs another set of hand seals, Ox, Hare and Monkey, thus his right arm was, then filled with chakra that it could be seen.
("Minori, forget what I said about following Naruto's orders! Eliminate Momochi Zabuza and stop Kakashi's jutsu!")
"New Objective confirmed. Spatial Transfer... Activating..."
"Huh? Minori? Where are you going?!"
The same black rings appeared and scanned Minori's body, making her disappear in thin air.
"Lightning Blade!!"
"What the?!"
"You are too dangerous. Tazuna-san, who're you trying to kill, is this country's courage. The bridge he seeks to build is this country's hope. You're ambition sacrifices many people-----"
"Hatake Kakashi detected."
"Huh?"
Kakashi looks at his right, only to see Minori's left hand is on his right shoulder and her right hand is filled with chakra.
"Minori!! You're alive!!"
("Take his chakra, Minori!")
"Request Acknowledged. Activating Chakra Steal."
"What?!"
Within a moment, Minori's left hand shoves Kakashi, making him face Minori. Minori, then, places her right hand on Kakashi's chest and his chakra was starting to get sucked in her right hand.
"Minori!! What're you doing!?"
Not answering, Minori continues until his lightning blade vanishes and Minori pulls her right hand away. Kakashi moves away from her, exhausted.
"Chakra Steal Complete. Momochi Zabuza detected. Switching to Battle Mode. Engaging Target"
"Minori!!"
"Minori!!"
"Please hurry and kill me. Why are you hesitating?"
"Ergh!!"
"I don't understand! Is being strong the only reason for you to be alive?!"
"..Something other than fighting. You could have been acknowledged by something else.."
"!!?"
"The day I met you in the forest, I thought you were just like me. You should be able to understand. I'm sorry that you will have to stain your hands..."
"Is this... is this the only way?"
"Yes..."
Naruto gulps a bit and calms down. He, then, brings out a kunai and prepares to stab Haku.
"Please fulfil your own dreams..."
Naruto looks at Sasuke.
"He... Sasuke also had a dream. If we'd met under different circumstances, we must've become friends..."
Naruto charges towards Haku with his kunai at hand.
"Thank you..."
You will become strong...
While back with Sakura and Tazuna...
"The thick mist is starting to clear...!"
Tazuna said.
"Hm? There are three people over there and looks like they're staring at each other..."
"I can't see very well..."
"Which one is Kakashi-sensei? And who's the other one?"
"..."
"Ah! One of them is moving!"
While back with Naruto and Haku...
Naruto closes his eyes and swings his kunai towards Haku. Haku senses something and blocks Naruto's attack.
"Huh?"
"Sorry, Naruto..."
Haku apologizes and performs a one handed hand seal.
"I can't die yet..."
"Eh?!"
Haku, then, disappears after a puff of a cloud appeared, confusing Naruto.
While back with Minori, Kakashi and Zabuza...
Minori has stolen some of Kakashi's chakra and is going to use it to Zabuza. Minori charges to Zabuza as her hand flattens and the chakra gathers in her right hand, creating a chakra blade. Minutes later, an ice mirror appears and Minori pierces her hand on his body but somewhat creates an explosion.
"Kyaaa!!"
"W-What happened?!"
Blood was spilled all over their area, including the ice mirror and the dogs began to disappear as the scroll Kakashi was holding was covered in needles. Minori looks at who was in front of her.
"What the..."
Minori didn't kill Zabuza but Haku. Sakura covers her mouth as what she has seen and Tazuna stood, quietly unable to speak. Kakashi and Zabuza's eyes widen and Haku's heart was pierced by Minori.
"Yuki Haku detected. Heart Rate decreasing. 59...58...57...56..."
"Gaah...Za...bu...za...sa...n..."
"My future is death? Wrong again, Kakashi..."