"Gato, I don't understand. What is all this? Why are you here? And who are thugs you've brought with you?" Zabuza grunted, turning his back on Kakashi. "Hm, well you see, there's been a slight change in plan." Gato hit his cane against the ground of the bridge, Zabuza squinted his eyes at him. "According to the new plan, you die right here on this bridge, Zabuza." Gato grinned up at him. "What?" Zabuza said through gritted teeth. "That's right, you're too expensive. So, I've decided to take you off the payroll. Of course, even these thugs I brought with me cost something. So if you could manage to slaughter a few of them before they take you down, I'd appreciate it." Gato said smugly, "Think you can manage that, ninja of the mist?" Gato mocked, snickering as he looked down at him. "You look as demonic as a wet kitten." He laughed. There are so many of them, one rouge ninja was bad enough! Naruto watched in awe. "Well, well, Kakashi. It would seem our fight is at an end. Since I am no longer in Gato's employ, Tazuna's safe." Zabuza's arms hung limply to his sides. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." Kakashi looked over at him.

"That reminds me," Gato called out, looking down at Haku's corpse. "You little punk. You grabbed me, and nearly broke my arm." Gato started to kick Haku in the side of the face. "I've been meaning to repay you for that!" Naruto gasped. "I only wish he was alive to feel it." A shadow grew over Zabuza's face. "Get away! Get away from his you scum!" Naruto shouted, dashing towards him, Kakashi caught him with his arm. "Hey, stop. Use your head!" Kakashi grunted, throwing Naruto back down on the ground. "You're going to let him do that, Zabuza?" Naruto shouted. "Be quiet, fool. Haku's dead. What does it matter?" Zabuza grunted back, keeping his eyes on the floor. "What? You mean, you could just stand there and watch him get treated like a dog?! You and Haku were together for years, doesn't that mean anything?" Naruto shouted, looking up at him with clenched fists. "You don't understand the way of the shinobi. I merely used him as Gato used me." Zabuza looked over at Haku. "Huh?!" Naruto seethed. "Now, it's over. His usefulness is at an end. The loss of his strength and skill, yes, that means something to me. But the boy, nothing." Zabuza kept his head down, his back facing Naruto. "If you mean that, you're an even bigger rat than I thought-" "Okay, that's enough. Calm down, Naruto, he's not out enemy, right now." Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, Naruto slapped his hand away. "Gah! Shut up! As far as I'm concerned, he's enemy number one!" Naruto shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Zabuza. "You ungrateful- after every thing he did for you! Haku lived for you! You were the most important thing in the world to him! And he meant nothing to you?! Nothing at all?!" Naruto seethed, flailing his arms around. "While he was sacrificing everything for you, you never felt anything at all for him?" Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes, "And if I become as powerful as you...doe's that mean I become as cold hearted as you are?" Naruto's blue eyes blazed up at him, tears sliding down his red cheeks. "He threw his life away, and for what? For you and your dream?" Naruto shook his head, his tears dropping on the bridge. "You never let him have a dream of his own, but he didn't care. And you just tossed him aside like he was nothing. A broken tool. Man, that's so wrong! So...wrong." Naruto put his head down. "You...you talk too much." Zabuza's voice was soft, "Huh?" Naruto looked over at him, Zabuza's head was to the sky, tears running down his face. "Your words cut deep...deeper than any blade." Zabuza's eyes traveled back down to Haku. "When he was fighting you three, his heart was breaking in two. Haku was always too soft and too kind. He felt pain and sorrow. And now, curse him, I feel them too." Zabuza gritted his teeth. "And something else...I feel content that this is the way it ends." Zabuza grunted, ripping his teeth into the mask the covered his face, exposing his sharp teeth. "Huh?" Gato looked over at him, surprise taking over his features. "Well, cat got your tongue? Are you surprised to discover that I'm human?" All shinobi are human, no matter how hard we try to escape that fact, we always fail. Or ,at least, I have failed. "Boy," Zabuza called out, "Huh?" Naruto jumped. "Give me your kunai." Zabuza looked over at him. "Here..." Naruto's voice was soft as he threw the blade over to him, Zabuza reached his neck out, catching it in his teeth. Growling he looked over at Gato. "Aah! That's enough of this!" Gato shouted, dropping his cane as he ran back into the crowd. "Do it! Take him down!" Gato ran through them, sweat dripping down his forehead. "He must be out of his mind!" A man scoffed, "One against all of us, what's he thinking?" Zabuza ran straight into the crowd, slicing through people with the kunai, his teeth started to bleed as he held onto the weapon. Thugs fell left and right as he sliced through their throats, blood spraying in the air as he passed by. His arms flailed behind him as he dodged incoming attacks, but someone stuck up behind him, piercing their sword into his back. Zabuza staggered around, his eyes blazing with fury as he continued to run, his target Gato. "AHH!" Gato screamed, backing up to the unfinished end of the bridge, Zabuza edging closer to him. Running as fast as he could, Zabuza slammed the kunai into Gato's chest, blood coughed up out of his mouth. "Gah!" Zabuza grunted as daggers and blades of all sorts were shot into his back, the bloodied kunai dropped to the ground. "Y-You crazy fool!" Gato wheezed, holding the large hole in his chest with his hand. "If you're so eager to join your friend, go ahead!" Gato trembled, "But you're not taking me! Not this time!" Gato shook his head, sweat dripped down his face. "I won't be joining Haku..." Zabuza gasped for air, "Where he's gone, I cannot follow." Zabuza grunted as he continued to move on, walking closer to Gato. "Stay back, stay back!" Gato shouted, desperately walking back. "We wouldn't be welcome where Haku's gone to. Hell's where were going, Gato!" Zabuza shouted, pushing his face up in front of his. Gato shook violently, "I can't think of a more fitting destination for a demon ninja, can you?" Zabuza grinned, his sharp teeth glistening. "I'm told there are many demons down there, of all shapes and sizes, oh, yes, I should fit right in!" Blood dripped down Gato's chin as he leaned back, a horrified look on his face. "You, on the other hand, Gato, well, I fear you're in for a long painful eternity!" Zabuza shouted, grabbing ahold of the kunai sticking out of Gato's chest with his teeth, continuing to slash him with it. Gato started to tumble back, his glasses falling on the bridge. Zabuza turned around in a spin, jumping up to finally stick the kunai in Gato's throat. Gato fell off the bridge, dead as he splashed into the water.

Zabuza turned around. Frightened gasped spread through out the crowd of the surviving thugs, they quickly spread away for him. Zabuza looked down at Haku laying on the ground. Slowly, he began to move towards him. "H-Haku..." His voice was hoarse and strained as he continued to walk, desperately fumbling around. "So...this is goodbye...at last." Zabuza called out, tears beginning to drip from his eyes. "Not once did I ever thank you, Haku. F-Forgive me for that..." Zabuza fell to the ground, his tears leaking onto the bridge. Naruto closed his eyes, putting his head down. "Don't turn away." Kakashi called out, Naruto looked over at him. "When you live a warrior, this is how it ends."

W-Where am I? Am I alive? Or-(Y/N)? Can it be? He opened his eyes up. It is... I was a sniffling mess. "(Y/N)?" Sasuke called out, I jumped off of his chest, tears streaming down my face as I looked at him. "S-S-Sasuke...?" I shook my head, "Sasuke, you big creep!" I shouted, wiping tears away from my face as I looked away from him. "Sasuke!" Sakura fell down onto her knees, scooping his up in a big hug. "Ow, Sakura, that hurts..." Sasuke grunted, trying his best to push himself away from her. So things turned out right after all. Tazuna sniffled, looking down at the three of us. "N-No, you shouldn't move." Sakura shook her head as she watched him sit up, I was still sniffling. "What happened to that guy in the mask?" Sasuke asked, his breathing jagged. "H-He's dead..." I whispered, he looked over at me with a surprised face. "Dead? Did Naruto or..." I shook my head, "He was protecting Zabuza." I explained with a small smile, keeping my fists clenched. "I had faith in you, Sasuke. I knew you'd pull though, you're too cool a guy to stay down for long." Sakura clasped her hands together with a big smile. "Cool my , he's almost as lame as Naruto." I grinned, looking over at Sasuke. He never meant to, at the very beginning. I stood up. "Hey, Naruto! Over here!" I shouted at him, waving my arm in the air, he turned around in an orange flash. "It's Sasuke, he's alright!" Sakura smiled, Sasuke slowly climbed to his feet, needles still sticking out of him. Sasuke turned his head away, putting his hand in the air. Naruto smiled, chuckling nervously as he wiped his tears away. "Well, well, will wonders never cease?" Kakashi mumbled to himself, still bent down on his knee. "Hey! Yoo-hoo!" A thug shouted out, "Huh?" Naruto turned his head back over at them. "Don't go getting too comfortable, this part ain't over yet. Who's going to pay us now that Gato's gone? No way we're going to leave here empty handed. So, we'll just have to hit up that village and see what they've got for us!" He grinned, the crowd starting to shuffle. "Not good..." Kakashi sighed, starting to tilt over to the side. "Come on, Kakashi-sensei! You must have a jutsu that could take care of this bunch of losers!" Naruto grinned, clenching his fists as he looked over at him. "Not right now, I've used too much of my chakra. "Get em' boys!" He shouted, heavy foot steps shaking the bridge as they ran towards us. An arrow flew through the air above us, landing right in front of the crowd of brutes, they stopped dead in their tracks.

"There's one little thing you're forgetting about!" Giichi shouted, Inari standing in front of the large crowd of villagers he had grouped together, wielding his crossbow. "Before you set one foot in our village, you'll have to go through all of us! Yeah!" Shouts erupted through the crowd. "Inari!" Naruto shouted with a grin, he grinned up at him. "Heroes usually show up at the last minute, you know?" Inari smiled, tears were peaking at Tazuna's eyes. "They've come, the whole village." Tazuna sniffled, a smile growing on his face. "Heh, no way I'm going to miss out on all the fun." Naruto grinned, I jumped up. "You can count me in too!" I giggled, running towards him. "Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto shouted, copies of his sprouted out. "Yeah! Shadow clone jutsu!" I shouted, three of my duplicates sprouted out at each side. Frightened whispers erupted from the crows of brutes. "Hm, I might just have enough chakra left to help you two out..." Kakashi mumbled, putting his hands together. "Shadow clone jutsu," thousands of Kakashi's spreaded around the bridge, I looked around in awe, I seemed to have lost Naruto in the sea of Kakashi's. "Gah!" gasps erupted from the crowd, "Okay, still want to fight?" All the Kakashi's asked simultaneously, shouts erupted from the crowd of brutes as they all started to run towards the ship they docked on the side of the bridge, a Kakashi touched my shoulder. "Huh?" I looked up at him as he knelt down to me. "Are you alright, (Y/N)? You've still got needles poking out of you, and-" Kakashi rubbed the side of my face with his thumb, "Ow..." I whined, "You've got a big scratch right here." Kakashi sighed. "I'm fine, really, Kakashi-sensei!" I smiled, my clones evaporating into the air. "Victory!" I heard Inari shout from a distance away. "All right!" The villagers rejoiced, less and less Kakashi's started to appear. "That's goo to hear." He smiled down at me as he stood back up, I nodded my head.

Zabuza was laying on the ground, face down, weapons sticking out of his back. Kakashi walked over to him, I was close behind. "Sounds like it's over." Zabuza grunted, barely being able to move his head. "Yeah." Kakashi looked down at him, his hands in his pockets. "Kakashi? I have a favor to ask." Zabuza pressed his cheek against the cold concrete, trying his best to look up at Kakashi. "What is it?" He asked, "Take me to him. Before I go, I need to see him one last time." Zabuza choked out his words, Kakashi pulled his head band back over his eye. "Sure." He nodded, kneeling down onto the ground. Naruto looked over at us, watching as Kakashi pulled out the weapons that were sticking in Zabuza's back, silent the entire time. Limping, Kakashi picked Zabuza up in his hands, he ambled over to Haku. "Huh?" I looked up at the sky as I felt something cold hit the top my my head. Snow started to lightly come down, my eyes widened. Zabuza shuffled in Kakashi's arms.

"Impossible, snow at this time of the year?" Giichi looked up at the sky in wonder. Is it you, Haku? Are you...crying? Zabuza struggled to keep his eyes open as he looked up at the sky. Kakashi knelt down to the ground, he laid Zabuza down at Haku's side. "Thank you...Kakashi." Zabuza turned his head over to Haku, Kakashi slowly walked away from them, I stood next to Naruto.

"You were always by my side...the least I could do was be beside you in the end." Zabuza's gaze softened as he looked over at Haku, with all the strength left in his body, Zabuza moved his arm up. "I know it cannot be," He began, his words soft as he reached out and touched Haku's cold cheek. "but I wish I could go to where you have gone. How I wish I could join you there...Haku." A tear slid down Haku's cheek. "H-He told me, that where he'd come from, it was always snowing..." I sniffled, fighting to hold back tears. "Of course. His spirit was as pure as the snow." Kakashi rested his hand on my shoulder. "You never know, Zabuza. Maybe you will join him there. Who's to say?"

The sun set was looming in the background, Zabuza's sword stood up from the ground, marking his grave. "Is that really it, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, looking down at the grave. "Hm?" Kakashi looked over to her. "Is that the ninja way? To use and be used by people like tools?" Sakura asked, sadness engraved on her face. "Shinobi are all merely tools in the hands of destiny, no point in wondering whether it's wrong or right. It just is. It's the same in the Village Hidden In the Leaves." Kakashi explained in a soft tone, Sakura walked closer to us. "Well, if you ask me, if that's what being a ninja's all about, somethings out of whack. Is that why we go through all this training? Just to end up like them?" Naruto asked, I turned my head over to Kakashi. "What is the reason for that?" I wondered, all eyes on Kakashi. "Well, it's a question without an answer." Kakashi sighed, "And that is something we ninja have to deal with every day of our lives, like Zabuza and Haku." Kakashi looked down at the ground. "Okay!" Naruto jumped up, "Hm?" Everyone looked over to him. "From now on, I'm finding my own ninja way! A way that's straight and true, with out any regrets! From no on, I'm following the way of Naruto!" He raised his fist in the air, I put my hands on my hips. "Idiot." I said with a laugh.

"We could never of finished the bridge with out you. I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you all." Tazuna said to us all with a nod. "Do be careful." His daughter said with a smile, "Thank you for everything!" I smiled at them, "We'll come back and visit, real soon!" Naruto grinned, Inari gulped, tears welling up in his eyes. "Y-You swear you will?" Inari whimpered, "Huh?" Naruto and I looked over at him, Tazuna put his hand on Inari's head. "Of course." Naruto sniffled, I turned my head away with my arms crossed. "N-Naruto..." I whispered, tears starting to well up in my own eyes. "You know, Inari, it's all right to cry if you want." Naruto shook slightly, "Y-Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. Go for it." I kept my arms crossed, my eyes watery. "Who says I'm gonna cry? Anyway, if there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you cry?" Inari asked me, "No, you first." I said hoarsely. "F-Forget it!" Naruto turned his face away, I did as well. Tears streamed down out faces. They can be so pathetic. Sakura sighed, shaking her head.

"It was all their doing, they made you stronger, Inari. And you, in turn, made the rest of us stronger. It was thanks to those kids, we were able to build a bridge to a place we have never known, a place where we had found our courage, a place to fulfill our dreams." Tazuna watched as the five of our back faded in the distance. "Say, speaking of the bridge, now that it's finished, uh, what shouldn't we name it?" Giichi asked, looking over Tazuna's shoulder. "Yes, of course. Huh, and I know just the name." Tazuna nodded. "You do? What?" Giichi wondered, looking up at him. "We'll call it, The Great (Y/N) Bridge." Tazuna nodded with a grin, "Ha, I think that's a wonderful name." His daughter giggled.

"As soon as we get back, I'm gonna let Iruka-sensei fix me up a whole mess of ramen to celebrate a mission accomplished!" Naruto grinned, resting his hands on his hips. "Hey, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, Naruto." I smiled, looking over at him. "I've been dying for some of that pork ramen," I said dreamily, my lips. "Yeah! Oh, and just wait until we tell Konohamaru about all our adventures! The kid's gonna worship me!" Naruto laughed. "Hey," Sakura called out. "Yeah?" Naruto asked, a big goofy grin hanging on his face. "Not you, Naruto." Sakura pushed past him to get to Sasuke's side. "Sasuke, when we get back, you wanna go out and do something together?" Sakura asked, a pink blush coating her face. "No." He said simply, turning back over to me. "Oh..." Sakura mumbled, looking at the ground. "Sakura, I'd do something with you, if ya want." I grinned, turning over to her. "What?!" She screamed, grabbing a hold of my shirt. "Hey, that was a private conversation!" Sakura seethed.

"You sure about that name, Tazuna?" Giichi asked, looking over at him with a questioning look. "It's a name that brought us good luck, it'll do the same for the bridge. I think this bridge will stand for a long, long time. Perhaps it'll even be famous one day. The name (Y/N) known through out the world." Tazuna looked over at Inari, he wiped the tears away from his face. "That would be something, wouldn't it?"