Oh dear! It's another 'what-if' fic! Disclaimer: Kishimoto kicked me out of his fanclub for trying to steal his pencil he draws the manga with.
You guys are probably getting paranoid with me right now, still have to finish 2 other fics. Sorry for making you all wait!
No major warning yet, but be prepared for: yaoi, bad language and OOC-ness.
Naruto gathered chakra into his fist as he held the person in front of him. How could it have gotten this far? Minutes ago this man had killed Sasuke and Naruto's rage was more powerful than ever.
He growled as he smashed his fist into the mask shielding the mans face and watched as he crashed through the ice mirrors and skidded over the ground. Naruto watched in amazement as the man stood up again and rushed towards him.
Shards of the mask began to fall as Naruto got closer. Just as the man braced himself Naruto stopped, his fist right in front of Haku's face.
"You.. You're from that time." Naruto said as he remembered meeting Haku in the forest.
"Why'd you stop?" Haku asked. "I killed your precious friend. So why don't you have the guts to kill me?"
Naruto turned around and looked at Sasuke. He growled as he balled his fists and punched Haku's face.
"What happened to your intensity? You can't kill me like that."
Naruto remembered the pale boy's words. 'Do you have an important person? I want to protect my important person. To help his dreams come true. That is my dream.'
Haku wiped some of the blood off his face and looked at Naruto. "There are people who make this mistake. Not killing their enemy because of pity… Letting them leave with their lives. Can you understand, not having a dream or not being needed by anyone. The pain of simple living?"
"What… Are you trying to say?"
"Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi. You have taken away my reason for living."
"Why..? Why for a guy like that? He's a bad guy who takes money from a criminal!" Naruto shouted as he accusingly pointed his finger at Haku.
"Is that eyebrow-less freak the only important person to you?"
Naruto listened as Haku told him that he had once had more important persons. But when something had happened he had lost them. Naruto listened further to Haku's story and looked at him in disbelief.
In the distance Kakashi captured Zabuza with his summoned dogs and prepared himself to end the fight.
"Your future is death." Kakashi said as he made several hand signs to prepare for Chidori.
"Please kill me." Haku asked Naruto.
"What? I don't understand! Is being strong the only reason to be alive?!"
"That day I met you in the forest. I thought you were just like me. I'm sorry you'll have to stain your hands…"
"Is.. Is this the only way?" Naruto asked.
"Yes! Please fulfil your own dreams." Haku said as he watched Naruto grab a kunai.
Then from the corner of his eye Haku saw Kakashi rushing towards a captured Zabuza with the Chidori and grabbed Naruto's wrist before he could deliver the deadly blow.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I can't die yet!"
Haku sped off and Naruto bit his lip and looked at Sasuke's body for a fraction of a second before speeding his way after Haku.
Kakashi rushed forward and pushed his hand into Zabuza. A blast nearly blew him back and when he opened his eyes he gasped and withdrew his hand.
Haku was standing in front of Zabuza, only he had intended to stop the jutsu and sacrifice his own life for his sensei. But he was looking down as well. Blond hair was covered in blood and usual clear blue eyes were dimmed. Haku grabbed Naruto's shoulders just as he threatened to collapse and softly laid him on the ground.
"Why did you do that?" He asked.
"I… Just couldn't let you." Naruto wheezed as blood dripped from his mouth.
"You were always talking about your special person… Mine is… gone." The blond turned his head and saw how Sakura rushed to Sasuke.
"It hurts to lose them.. You've already… Once….. I couldn't let that happen… You've still got yours… What could I do without mine?"
Haku looked down at the small boy and gulped. What had he done? Was it because of him that this stranger sacrificed his life for him. Tears filled his eyes as the others began to darken even further.
Sakura looked over Sasuke's body and pulled several of the senbon needles out of it. Tazuna kneeled down beside her and felt Sasuke's pulse. He blinked when he thought he felt something and felt again and his breath hitched.
"He's still alive Sakura!"
Sakura looked down at Sasuke in wonder. She never should have believed Sasuke was gone. She turned around and shouted.
"Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke-kun is still ali-" She held her breath as when watched their sensei tremble and saw the pale boy leaning over something on the ground. Something orange.
"NARUTO!" She screeched and almost immediately forgot Sasuke. Sakura fell over next to Sasuke and looked down at him with tears in her eyes as his opened.
"Naruto…" She whispered.
"Naruto-kun." Haku said as he softly shook the blonds' shoulders. Blue eyes looked at him and he smiled gently.
"It seems your special person was stronger than we both thought."
Naruto's eyed moved to look where Sasuke was again and he chuckled when he saw the raven sit up.
"Then I guess…. You'll have to tell him that- I'm sorry." Naruto's eyes shut and Haku grabbed his shoulders again.
"No! Tell him yourself, Naruto-kun! Wake up please! Don't die on me..!" A hand on his shoulder stopped him and he looked up at Zabuza.
Kakashi took off his gloves off and threw them to the ground as if they were on fire. He looked down at his bloodied hands. He had just killed one of his own students. How was he ever going to face anyone again?
Gatou's men gathered at the other side of the bridge.
"Well, well, well." He said as he looked at the ninja in front of him.
"Isn't this a sorrowful sight? A young student killed in battle?"
Three glares were sent his way and he started to feel uneasy. A large group of villagers arrived led by Inari and Gatou couldn't help but feel more angry. Since when did the villagers dare go against him?
It didn't take long until he noticed how they charged into his lines.
The fight itself didn't take long. The three ninja and the villagers fought with a vengeance and won easily. Zabuza was holding Gatou by the collar and looked at Kakashi.
"What do you suppose we do with him?"
"I say, give him to the villagers." Kakashi said as he thrust his thumb in the direction of the fuming villagers.
"Well said." Zabuza tossed Gatou in the middle of the crowd and they heard his screams of pain seconds later.
Sakura had already made her way next to Naruto as Tazuna helped Sasuke towards the others. Haku ran over to Naruto and sat down next to him and softly stroked his face.
"I wanted to thank you Naruto-kun… For everything." Haku smiled, but frowned a second later when he noticed Naruto's skin was still warm.
"Kakashi-san! Naruto's still alive!"
Kakashi and Zabuza ran over to them and looked down at the blond.
"His skin is still warm and I can feel soft breath against my hand. It almost seems as if he's already healing."
"Let me look, I already know why."
Kakashi kneeled next to Naruto and ran his hand over Naruto before getting whipped by red chakra that arose from Naruto's body. With a hiss he pulled his hand away and the red chakra disappeared. He tried to pick Naruto up again, but got whipped again.
"You could touch him couldn't you Haku?"
Haku nodded and picked Naruto up bridal style. Tazuna sighed and looked at the shinobi.
"You can all rest at my house. My daughter will nurse you all back to good heath. Follow me."
They started walking towards his house and Sasuke couldn't help but look at Naruto in Haku's arms. The last thing he remembered was that he had protected Naruto from the senbon needles. Was this the way to repay him for saving his life?
"Damn you dobe… Wake up soon." Sasuke whispered.
Reviews please! =D
-TDaL