Inari's feet padded softly against the concrete, his hands balled up into fists as he ran. Naruto and the others are fighting, risking their lives, while the rest of us do nothing! We've got to fight too! Inari ran up the front steps of a small looking house, banging his hand on the rough wooden door. "Uncle Giichi, uncle Giichi, hurry! Come to the bridge with me!" The house filled with silence. "We don't have to hide any longer! If we all fight together, we can finally take Gato down! I know we can!" Inari reached for the door handle, but before he could get to it, it was locked from the inside. "No, Inari, I've given up on fighting. Fighting is for heroes, like your father, and you see what good it did him? Isn't one dead hero enough?" Giichi answered though the door, his voice a tough whisper, Inari put it head down. "What will more frighting bring us but more fallen heroes and more regrets? No, Inari, my heart is already full of regrets to last a lifetime." Giichi put his head down, his hand resting on the door handle. Inari clenched his fists. "Well, I don't want to live a life of regrets, either. And that's why we've got to fight! I know you care about everyone in this village, and so do I. You, mother, and grandfather and everyone! That's why we have to fight!" Inari shouted at the door, Giichi kept quiet. "All my life I've been a coward, but now I know that crying and hiding from things that we're afraid of doesn't make them go away." Inari shook his head, running back down the steps. Giichi's back was against the door, a pained expression on his face. "Hurry! Come to the bridge!" Inari shouted at him from a distance. "Our little Inari has become a man." Giichi's wife said with a pain struck face, her eyes focused on her knitting. "And you, dear, are you sure you want to send him off all on his own?" She asked him, Giichi's head was down.

"Is anyone there?! Hello! Come to the bridge with me and fight!" Inari's shouts echoed through the village, what do I do now? Now one of them will even open their door to listen. Inari clenched his fists, looking down at the ground. Well, then, if no one will help... Inari shook his head, running as fast as he could towards the bridge.

"Go on, finish it..." His voice was a hushed whisper, I took another step back. "Why do you hesitate?" Haku looked up at me. "I thought you wanted to be a mighty warrior-" "That's not what it's about!" I shook my head, tears splattering on the bridge. "Do you really believe that all there is to it is fighting and killing?! There's a lot more to being shinobi than that!" I shouted, stomping my foot into the ground. "I had a feeling all along, from the first moment we met in the woods. We are a lot alike." His eyes seemed to melt into mine. "I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm only sorry that it must be your hand that is tainted with my unworthy blood." Haku sighed, I wiped my tears away. "In another time, I think we could have been good friends." I sniffled, pulling a kunai out of my pocket. "For Sasuke..." I whispered to myself, charging at Haku with the kunai in my hand, my eyes staring at him in a burning inferno. Yes, that's it. Hold fast to your dreams. I gritted my teeth, Haku closed his eyes. Thank you, (Y/N). Strike true.

"At last, I think this blasted fog is starting to clear." Tazuna grumbled, starting to see more of his bridge again. "Look, they're standing still, like they're squaring off." Sakura whispered, Tazuna turned his head around. "Yeah? I can't see a thing." Tazuna sighed, crossing his arms as he tried to looking in the direction Sakura was. "Which one of them's Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura squinted her eyes. "One's moving!" She gasped, Kakashi ran towards Zabuza.

"Huh?" Haku's eyes widened. I swung my hand down, closing my eyes as I sliced, but to my surprise nothing happened. Slowly, I opened my eyes back up, Haku was holding onto my arm tightly. "Huh?" I mouthed, he was smiling at me. "Sorry, (Y/N), change of plan. I gritted my teeth, struggling to get out of his grasp. H-He! "I'm not quite ready to die yet." He said softly, letting go of my arm. He held his fingers to his lips, disappearing in a small puff of cold air, I turned my head towards Sasuke. Naruto was crouched down next to him.

Lightning chirped around Kakashi as he ran towards Zabuza, Zabuza struggled all his might to get out of the dog's jaw's. Is this the end? Zabuza gritted his teeth, staring the lightning down. Kakashi pulled his arm back, positioning himself as he ed his hand out. Blood sprayed out between them. "Gah!" Sakura shouted as a large gust of wind slammed through the bridge. "What the devil?" Tazuna grunted, holding his hands in front of his face. Sakura gasped as she looked back at Kakashi. A puddle of blood gathered around his feet, one by one his ninja hounds disappeared. Needles were stuck inside of the scroll, Zabuza was frozen solid, his eye twitching. Kakashi's hand was inside of Haku's chest, electricity shocked his whole body as drips of blood rolled down his chin. Sakura put her hand over . Haku coughed, blood splattering on Kakashi's arm as he grabbed it, slowly life leaked from his eyes. "Z-Za...buza..." Haku desperately grasped for air, his grip loosening on Kakashi's arm. "So, my future's all used up, huh?" Zabuza chuckled, "Wrong again, Kakashi."

"Don't be ridiculous! You are not going to the bridge all by yourself." She glared down at Inari, her hands on her hips. "I have to go by myself because none of the others will come with me!" Inari shook his head, holding his small wooden crossbow in his hands. "I have no choice." He looked up at him mother, her eyes softened. "You shouldn't go at all." Her black hair swayed around her, Inari walked past her, towards the door. "Stop this! You're only a child! What do you think you can do?!" She shouted, stomping as she followed him to the door. "You're right, I am just a kid." Inari turned his face back to her, a grin painted on. "But a kid who knows what it means to stand up and fight. I am my fathers kid." Inari pushed open the door, her eyes widened. "No, Inari, wait!" She jumped, about the chase after him. Inari looked up, a surprised look on his face.

"Where'd he go?" Naruto asked, standing up with his fists clenched. "I don't know..." I shook my head, looking down at the ground. "Huh, is that him?" Naruto asked, pointing behind me. "Huh?" My eyed widened as I looked behind me, blood continued to drip from Haku's chest. "W-What..." I whispered, tears starting to form in my eyes again. "I don't get it, what the heck's going on here?" Naruto asked, shaking his head.

"Isn't that...the young man with the mask?" Tazuna asked, his voice quiet. "The boy threw himself in front of my attack..." Zabuza closed him eyes. "He saved your worthless life at the cost of his own." Zabuza laughed, "Good job, Haku." He said, quickly grabbing his sword. He'd hack right through the boy to take me down! Kakashi started to move back. I knew I'd found a treasure when I found you, boy! Haku held onto Kakashi's hand with his last strength, Kakashi tried his best to pull it out. You've not only given me your life, but Kakashi's as well! Zabuza heaved the large sword over his shoulder, Kakashi hugged Haku to his chest as he jumped out of the way, the sword stuck into the bridge. "Not bad for having a corpse in your arms." Zabuza said bluntly, I jumped up on my feet. "You'll pay for that!" I shouted, stomping my foot on the ground, Naruto looked over at me. "No, stay out of this, (Y/N)." Kakashi warned, gently resting Haku on the ground. Kakashi looked down at his blood splattered face, quietly he closed Haku's eyes. "This is my battle. Zabuza is mine."

"(Y/N)?" Sakura looked over at me. "(Y/N)!" She called out to me, her pink hair bobbing at she waved. Tears fell down the sides of my face as I looked down. "Over here, (Y/N)!" She shouted from across the bridge, a large smile on her face. Sakura. "So, you and Sasuke are all right?" She asked, I clenched my fists as I looked behind me, Sasuke's jet black hair rustled in the wind. "What's wrong? Where is Sasuke anyway?" I looked up at her, wiping tears from my face as I shook my head. "No..." Her lip quivered, I couldn't watch. "Sakura-" "Kakashi, I'd stay focused if I were you!" Zabuza shouted, dashing towards him with his sword in hand. I fell to my knees, Sasuke was laying quietly next to me. Kakashi kicked Zabuza in the chest, he fell back.

"Let me take you to him, Sakura." Tazuna looked down at her worried face, "As long as we stay together, you won't be disobeying your sensei's orders." His eyes were soft. "T-Thank you..." She said in a hushed whisper, grabbing onto Tazuna's hand as she ran. "S-Sasuke..." I whispered to him, tears dripping from my eyes. Sakura was standing behind me, I started to tremble. "H-His body's cold...this isn't just one of his genjutsu tricks...is it." I lightly touched the side of his face, Tazuna looked down at the ground. Sakura was still. I couldn't take it any more, I started to sob uncontrollably. A shinobi never shows his feelings, no matter what the circumstances. Feelings are a weakness that only cloud his judgement and weaken his sense of duty. "S-Sasuke..." Sakura called out, her eyes still widened with shock. I rested my head on his chest, unable to control my tears. To put such an unbearable burden on a young kids shoulders, if that's the shinobi way, you can have it. Tazuna clenched his fists. Naruto held onto the front of his shirt tightly, closing his eyes as he saw me cry.

Zabuza was gasping for air, kneeling on the floor with blood stained clothes. Two kunai were stuck deeply into his arm, he rested himself on his sword. Kakashi watched him intently. Why-why can't I keep up with him? Zabuza stared him down, pulling his sword out of the concrete as he charged towards Kakashi, his arm limply flailing in the air. Kakashi easily knocked him out of the way with his fist, his other hand in his pocket as Zabuza went tumbling to the ground. Slowly Zabuza got back up on his knees, angry eyes glaring at Kakashi, he smacked him down to the floor once again. Zabuza held tightly onto his sword as it skidded on the ground, "I'll split you in half!" Zabuza shouted, shaking with anger as he once again dashed towards Kakashi. He swung his sword at him, Kakashi jumped out of the way with ease, watching as it crashed into the ground. "Look at you, you're falling apart." Kakashi was behind him, a strong grip on his neck. "I knew you didn't have what it takes for the long haul." "What did you say?!" Zabuza seethed, clenching his fist. "You have no idea what real strength is." Kakashi glared down at him darkly.

"Well, well. So this is how it turns out, huh?" A voice called from a distance. "Game over, you loose." Kakashi said, holding two kunai tightly in his hand. He swung his arm down, about to strike Zabuza. "Huh?" Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw Zabuza twist around, his sword coming back at him. Kakashi dug his kunai into Zabuza's other arm before running away, blood dripped down from his wound. "Now both of your arms are useless, what now?" Kakashi called out, "You can't even make hand signs." Kakashi looked down at him. The man took a step closer. "Did quite a job on you, didn't he Zabuza? You look like yesterdays sashimi." He called out, Kakashi turned his head towards him. "I must say, I am disappointed." Gato called out, a group of thugs behind him. Zabuza gritted his teeth.