I still don't own Naruto.

--

Everything's not okay.

The team was still making their way through Hi No Kuni, the Fire Country. The walk was mostly calm and easy going, although sometimes it got hard to ignore that old-drunk and his boisterous attitude. How could someone brag so much about a Bridge?

Other than a few questions asked by Sakura for the sake of making conversation, not much had been going on.

Naruto was mostly annoyed at the speed they were going but there was little he could do while escorting a civilian so he had to suck it up and be patient.

Sadly for him, patience was never his virtue, being the son of Uzumaki Kushina granted him incredible stamina and endless energy and that wasn't always a good thing, Naruto was also an orphan and while his crave for attention was greatly diminished after finding out about his mother and his clan, he still wanted the opportunity to prove himself to others which led to a Naruto - and a brooding Sasuke who made a very good job at hiding it - who was itching for something 'interesting' to happen.

That might've not been the best thing to hope for.

Not long after team 7 along with Tazuna crossed the border on their way to Nami, they were ambushed by a pair of Chunin level missing nin from Kiri called Gozu and Meizu the 'Demon Brothers''.

Kakashi decided to stand down and let his students take on the attackers, Sasuke was able to successfully defeat one of the brothers with the use of well aimed shuriken and pure taijutsu skill while Sakura stood in front of Tazuna in order to guard him, unfortunately, Naruto froze on the scene after being led to believe his sensei was dead, which caused him to received an attack from a poisoned claw courtesy of one of the attackers.

After interrogating Tazuna and their captives - and swiftly ending their lives without the knowledge of his students - Hatake Kakashi decided to leave it up to the kids to choose whether or not they'll continue with the mission or go back to Konoha.

In a moment of Bravado Naruto stabbed his own hand to get rid of the poison and swore on his blood to protect the client at all costs and never freeze up that way again.

Sasuke's case was based on him wanting to prove himself against strong opponents. Sakura just went along with whatever he said.

Kakashi accepted the decision and carried on with the mission without informing the village or requesting back-up.

Big Mistake.

Not long after, they were attacked by a Jounin level ninja whose name was Momochi Zabuza the 'Demon of the Mist'.

After dodging a flying sword from the eccentric ninja a big battle with impressive use of Suiton Jutsu took place. The fight ended with Zabuza being pierced in the neck by 3 senbon needles courtesy of a Kiri Hunter Nin and a collapsing Kakashi who had to be carried all the way to the Bridge Builder's house due to chakra exhaustion.

After Kakashi regained consciousness he informed his team that the Hunter Nin who took Zabuza away didn't follow proper procedure which most likely meant they were allied with the former, meaning the Demon of the Mist was most likely still alive.

That same day Kakashi decided that his under-trained and under-prepared Genin needed to improve their Chakra control for the upcoming fight, not that they knew more than one jutsu to truly benefit from being able to better control their chakra but at least they wouldn't be wasting as much as they used to.

Just like Kakashi predicted, a battle is taking place on the bridge they were meant to protect. Zabuza and Kakashi are both at a stalemate while the Hunter nin has both Naruto and Sasuke trapped in a dome of Ice mirrors.

Ice senbons flew at Naruto and he could no longer dodge, exhaustion was finally setting in after using so many clones in order to fight.

'I should've learned at least a defensive Jutsu, not much I can do now 'ttebayo, to think getting rid of those idiots at the old man's house was extremely easy'.

-

The sound of a woman being dragged by two men wielding swords and a crying boy worried for his mother could be heard in the forest.

It was pure luck that the thugs decided to make their move just before they left Naruto's - not so impressive - sensing range, it still took him some time to get there and couldn't stop the filthy men from getting their hands on Tsunami.

"We're going to have so much fun with you before taking you to Ga-" He never got to finish thanks to a very annoyed blonde boy who kicked him in the back of the head knocking him out instantly.

"Why you little shi-" A strong punch in the back of his neck courtesy of a second Naruto made sure to shut him up instantly.

"So uncivilized."

After dealing with them the Kage Bunshin who was accompanying Naruto poofed away leaving only the original Naruto, a still crying Inari and a very shocked Tsunami.

"Sorry I'm late! But all heroes arrive late, right?"

-

Naruto's train of thought was interrupted when he saw a hail of senbons coming at him intending to shut him off permanently.

But they never did.

Naruto opened his eyes, shocked to see Sasuke in front of him, hunched over and shaking violently. Naruto clenched his fist when he fully registered the needles protruding on his body from various angles.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke looked back at him with the corner of his eyes and answered the question in Naruto's eyes before he even got the time to ask.

"My body…” Sasuke muttered, his shaking slowed as he swayed backwards. “Moved on its own…"

With his recently awakened Sharingan, Sasuke was able to perceive things a lot faster, unfortunately for him, that doesn't mean he's fast enough to do something more than take the hit himself, so he did and now his world was going dark.

Naruto was trembling in fury, he just watched his only friend take multiple hits that were supposed to end him. He couldn't believe Sasuke had died to protect him. Rage was starting to overtake Naruto and cloud his judgement but a weird feeling was starting to invade him.

He just couldn't figure out what, there was something… off here.

Then it hit him.

"You didn't kill him." It was true, Naruto's sensing abilities were never trained since he discovered them, even though he did mention it to Kakashi, but that didn't mean he couldn't use them, and being that close to Sasuke allowed him to feel his chakra.

"You did the same thing you did to Zabuza… Why?" The hunter-nin sighed and brought their hand to the mask they were wearing and removed it, revealing the same boy Naruto met in the forest days ago.

"Ha-Haku?" Naruto sputtered.

-

"Why do you train so hard?"

Naruto didn't understand why the girl who woke him up a few moments ago was asking him that question, but he answered anyway, maybe it was because he called her pretty.

"I train hard so I can become super strong 'ttebayo!" Replied Naruto with a big and warm smile to the pretty looking girl in front of him.

"You look very strong already, why do you need to become stronger?"

Naruto struggled to answer that question, he hadn't thought about that before, why was he training so hard? Why did he want to become stronger?

"Do you have something precious to you? Someone?"

Naruto nodded.

"I believe a person becomes truly strong when they fight to protect what is precious to them."

"I think I understand, I'll protect the people I love and then I will be Hokage!"

Haku gave him a warm smile, "You'll be really strong then." After saying that she got up and started to leave.

"By the way, it flatters me that you think I'm pretty but… I'm a boy." Said Haku, turning around to look at a blushing Naruto and then started to leave again.

"You're still pretty 'ttebayo…" Mumbled a still furiously blushing Naruto, but fortunately for him there was no one there to hear.

-

"I couldn't bring myself to hurt you, Naruto-kun, but I'll do what's necessary to help Zabuza-sama fulfill his wish."

Naruto removed the needles on Sasuke's body and got up to face Haku once more.

"You don’t have much chakra left, Haku…" Just as he said that - Haku released the jutsu, the mirrors fell apart and turned to puddles of water.

"I don't need my jutsu, I'll put you to sleep just like your friend and then I'll help Zabuza-sama." Haku then readied the Senbon hidden in his robes and prepared to launch them at Naruto, aiming to the spots that would leave him in a similar state as Sasuke.

"You don't have to do this Haku!" Begged Naruto.

"I am just a tool for Zabuza-sama, I do his bidding and nothing more." He said

"You're not just a tool dammit! You're a person you… you can quit… you can come with us, the old man will take you in, you can have a home!" Naruto said, trying desperately to convince Haku.

The boy in turn just looked at him and gave him a sad smile. "I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me when you wake up."

Just as he was about to put Naruto in a slumber a chirping sound filled the bridge. Both Haku and Naruto turned around and looked at the scene revealed to them with the cleared mist.

Zabuza was being held in place by a group of ninken with Kakashi about to put a hand through his chest using his famous Raikiri.

Without even stopping to think, Haku used a quick Shunshin to get in front of Kakashi and then…

Silence

No one dared to make a sound, both the faces of Naruto and Kakashi were filled with shock, Kakashi saw in that smiling boy with a hand through his chest and blood dripping from his mouth the face of his late teammate.

'Rin…'

"HAKU!" Naruto screamed his name as he ran towards the scene, while in the distance the recently reawakened form of Sasuke was fighting to stand up, he was weak and unable to move by himself but he was alive.

Zabuza stopped himself from attacking Kakashi through the body of Haku after seeing the reaction of that little boy, all he could feel while watching that ray of sunshine crying over the death of his partner was guilt. Never will he be able to tell Haku that he meant a lot to him, he won't be able to tell him he was more than just a broken tool.

He won't be able to tell him he was his son.

The sound of a cane accompanied by the sound of an army of men holding crossbows and swords suddenly invaded the bridge.

"HAHAHAHAHA.”

“So much for the 'Demon of the Mist', I knew you weren't worth what you charged for your services Zabuza." Declared a laughing Gato "Well, I wasn't gonna pay you anyway so it all works out in the end, deal with them boys, whoever brings me the body of that little boy who broke my arm gets paid extra."

"I'm going to make him my bitch."

Zabuza saw red.

"It looks like I'm no longer your enemy, Kakashi." Said Zabuza as the Ninken holding him puffed in a cloud of smoke and let him move on his own again.

"Kid…" Said Zabuza looking down at Naruto to meet his eyes "Lend me a Kunai."

Kakashi's ninken did a number on Zabuza's arms so he was forced to take the kunai on his mouth, that was more than enough to kill a bunch of bulky untalented men.

When Zabuza was about to charge the army of thugs…

It happened.

The Crossbow users felt an impending sense of doom and decided to take action before action against them could be taken. They shot at them an enormous barrage of arrows, luckily, the shinobi in the bridge were more than able to dodge and deflect the oncoming projectiles.

Wrong.

Zabuza and Kakashi used the Big surface of the Kubikiribōchō to shield themselves from most of the arrows while dodging the few that made it past the sword.

Sakura went into shock immediately and wasn't quick enough to stop herself from dying.

Naruto was beat and tired, but he was never tired enough not to save a comrade, and he knew one of his teammates needed his help right now, he went from being the one shocked in need of saving to the savior.

He wasn't worried about Sasuke.

Sasuke was the best of them.

Sasuke was going to be alright.

Naruto jumped in front of Sakura and Tazuna without a second thought and stood his guard.

Sakura couldn't believe him. He willingly risked his life just to keep her safe.

He deflected most of the projectiles, but couldn't avoid the one that pierced his leg, and the one that went to his right eye. He was quick enough to avoid it piercing his skull, but not enough to save the beautiful azure orb resting there.

Sasuke…

Sasuke wasn't that lucky.

He was just barely able to stand on his own feet when the arrows started flying.

One arrow pierced one of his legs, another found itself stuck in his stomach, two more arrows were stuck in his left arm and shoulder.

The final arrow went right in through his chest and out, leaving a perfect hole in it.

Zabuza took his Kunai and ran at the army of men while Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura all ran to Sasuke.

Naruto was the first to drop right next to him followed by Sakura. Sasuke looked to his right and saw Naruto's bleeding form with an arrow still stuck where his eye should be, then he turned to the left and saw Kakashi standing right next to him with his uncovered Sharingan eye, that gave him an idea.

"You can't die yet Naruto, y-you still have to become H-Hokage. I'll help you…" Naruto was confused by his friend's words but was too shocked to really give a damn.

"K-Kakashi... No, Sensei…"

At those words even Kakashi let himself shed a tear, Sasuke never called him sensei, and seeing him like this, bleeding out on the floor, made him realize he didn't deserve it, he was no sensei to any of them.

"Give the i-idiot my r-right eye, I know you c-can do it." As he said that he used what little chakra he had left and activated his Sharingan once more, one eye with a single tomoe and the other with two.

"Are you sure Sasuke?" Sasuke nodded and Kakashi without so much as a second thought knocked Naruto out with a chakra induced finger placed on his forehead. Consequences be damned, he was going to make sure his student's last wish was fulfilled, especially if it'll allow the other to see again, and better than he previously could.

Kakashi covered his hand in the alcohol he got out of the bottle he had in one of his many pouches and then used what little Iryo-ninjutsu he knew, and maybe even a little more, to extract Sasuke's right sharingan eye eliciting as little pain as possible to him.

Then he started applying healing Chakra on Naruto's right eye as he removed the arrow and carefully placed the new eye on him, working quickly on setting the right nerves in place with his healing chakra. You might argue it was not the cleanests and accurate of transplants but it was effective and that was all they would be able to get for now.

He then closed Naruto's new eye, put his forehead protector over it in a way similar to his own and reversed his induced sleep once more.

Getting his senses together Naruto took one last look at Sasuke "Sasuke I-"

"D-Don't bother, I'm b-beyond saving.”

People often saw Shinobi as unkillable beasts; after watching them perform amazing feats thought impossible by many one could easily forget that behind every single chakra wielding Shinobi was a fragile Human being, a single knife is more than enough to take one of those out if used correctly.

“Use my gift right, Naruto."

Naruto, still not sure of what happened felt a sting in the right side of his face and raised his hand to his eye only to find it covered with no arrow there, then he looked at Sasuke's own right eye and found it missing.

Realization hit him

"Avenge us, kill that man..."

'Us?'

Sasuke looked at him one last time.

"I'll become your eye and see the future for you."

Were Sasuke's final words before closing his remaining eye never to be opened again.

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat when he heard those painfully familiar words.

It was funny really, Sasuke always thought he wouldn't be able to die in peace without getting his revenge, without honoring his family, his clan. But now, on the brink of death, he felt…

Free.

Uchiha Sasuke lived the past six years of his life, hating and seeking power to one day kill his treacherous brother, but now he didn't need to, now he could just let go, now he could just… Be.

-

A beautiful raven haired woman stood in front of him, he couldn't quite make up her face due to the incredibly bright light behind her, but she felt familiar, he had seen her before, where?

The woman knelt in front of him and extended her hand, face now clear for him to see

"K-Kaa-san?"

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

The boy didn't even think twice before launching himself at the now revealed Mikoto and hugged her while tears ran down his face. Hugging his mother like this made him feel like he was that little 7 year old boy with no care in the world again.

In a way, he was.

"It's alright now my boy, don't cry."

"Kaa-san I-I cou- I-I couldn't restore the clan, I-I couldn't avenge you" Said Sasuke while crying uncontrollably on his mother's shoulder.

"Don't worry yourself with such things my little boy, it was never your responsibility and I'm sorry you felt like it was."

The boy just couldn't stop himself from crying in his mother's embrace, he has wanted to see her for so… so long.

"Come now my love…" Said the beautiful woman while standing up and taking his little boy's hand in hers.

"I'm sure there's a lot you want to tell me and we have all the time in the world"

A pair of mother and son could be seen walking in a tunnel, their figures slowly disappearing in a beautiful and imposing bright light. If one looked at the bloody and battered body left behind by that poor and tormented soul you could make out the faintest of smiles in his semblance.

Together at last.

-

Zabuza was beaten and bruised, he was stabbed multiple times and had some of the swords still in him; he was using every little piece of strength left in him to annihilate Gato and his men. After what felt like hours, a big crowd showed up on the other side of the bridge, the people of the Village drove off the remaining of Gato's forces while he took care of Gato himself.

With his dying breath Zabuza walked all the way to Haku's body and collapsed, right next to him giving his partner and surrogate son one last look. As he was slowly dying, it started snowing...

"Are you crying Haku?" were the last words ever spoken by one Momochi Zabuza, the 'Demon of the Mist'.

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