Ninja no Master: The Master of the Sword
Chapter 6: The end of an enemy, the start of an era.
"Please, hurry up and kill me" Haku pleaded.
Naruto shivered… "Why are you hesitating? When you turned into that person… you where going to kill me… why did you stop him?" Haku asked
"I Don't get it… you are strong, I can clearly see that… yet why… WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Naruto yelled. "Something else… other than fighting you could have acknowledge for something else" Naruto said
"The day I meet you in the forest… I thought you where like me… you should be able to understand, I am sorry… that you will have to stain you hands…" Haku said
"Is this really the only way?" Naruto asked
"yes" Haku said with a bittersweet smile.
"Fool… you will never understand? For 1 to be saved, one must die, you can't save them all, and some… they just don't want to be saved at all, and if you do they will curse you and fight you all the way… now do what comes naturally to the ones that follow the path of shinobi… and eliminate your enemy" EMIYA said.
Naruto's heart was in turmoil… but he could not go against Archer's words, it was true, as much as he hated it, as much poison it seemed, it didn't matter, because in the end, it was the truth.
"Please… fulfill your dreams" Haku said
Naruto stretched his arm out… he looked into himself, as hypnotizing himself.
"Trace… on" Naruto said as a black sword appeared on his hand.
"End his misery" EMIYA said coldly.
Naruto looked back at Sasuke's body.
"He… Sasuke also had a dream… if we had meet… under different circumstances… I would have liked to have been your friend" Naruto said.
He rushed in.
He stretched his left hand… a white sword appeared on his other hand, complimenting the black one on his right.
"Thank you" Haku said as she stood still as Naruto rushed in.
He was closing in… he moved his arms, as the two instruments of death closed to Haku's neck.
Only an inch away.
Haku then was startled… she felt something wrong
She grabbed Naruto's arms and pushed it into the empty space… making him not only miss but completely loose his footing… however he twisted himself and managed to slice her arm a bit…
"Sorry Naruto-kun… but I can't die yet" Haku said as he vanished.
Kakashi and Zabusa.
Kakashi charged, his dog's pinned Zabusa down… he had an incredible amount of electrical elemental chakra on his hand… he rushed as he was going to end him… a mirror then rose between them… Kakashi did not see it… but he smashed it with his jutsu… the Raikiri.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM* An explosion…. Cold wind and debris picked up scaring both Tazuna and Sakura.
Blood sprayed out… the nindogs then vanished… the scroll Kakashi used it was full of senbons… a mirror sprayed with blood and Kakashi with a look full of shock.
In front of him laid Haku… the young boy had given his life to protect Zabusa.
Zabusa… without missing a beat… "So… my future is death? Heh… looks like you are wrong again Kakashi" he said arrogantly, uncaring of the death of his protégée.
With Naruto
Naruto looked around… but the smell of blood had gotten heavier in the air, he noticed that the mist begun to clear.
Naruto then saw 3 blurry figures coming into view due to the mist dissipating.
He rushed over there.
With Kakashi and the rest
Zabusa closed his eyes… "hehehe great job… Haku" Zabusa said.
Haku's arms where locking Kakashi… then he noticed something
The sad smile… the empty smile… this boy…
"This kid… is already… dead" Kakashi tought… he had effectively carved out his heart… yet he locked Kakashi in place
Zabusa picked up his sword and charged.
"HE plans to cut trough both of us!"Kakashi tought is shock
"KAKASHI- SENSEI!" Sakura yelled.
"I SURE PICKED UP SOMETHING USEFUL!GIVING ME THIS FINAL CHANCE!" Zabusa yelled as he charged.
"you…. BASTARD!" Naruto yelled as he intercepted Zabusa.
"MASTER!" Saber yelled
Clang…. The sound of metal.
Naruto with his twin swords interlocking not allowing Zabusa to defile to poor youth whose life had given to save this man.
"SABER!... This one… IS MINE!" Naruto growled
"And the pain of loss… the righteous anger… the pain of the sacrifice and salvation… you see… as much as you hate it… as much poison my words might be… no matter what you think, no matter what you do… THIS… IS… THE TRUTH" EMIYA said.
"No one interferes… this is MY fight" Naruto said as he stretched his arm out.
"Naruto?" Sakura said in shock after seeing the whole thing… "You are alive! Where is Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
Her words shocked Naruto back… He bit his lip as blood flowed.
He couldn't look her in the eyes.
Sakura was shivering
"I'll go with you, then you won't be breaking your sensei's orders" Tazuna said
"Thank you" Sakura said as she rushed past Naruto who was balling his fist.
Even with this new power… he was late…
Sasuke's body laid cold on the floor, senbons decorating his body.
"He's cold… this isn't an illusion." Sakura said as her voice was breaking.
"Don't mind me… it's best to let it out and cry…" Tazuna said.
"I… I always scored a hundred percent on all my academy exams… I memorized over a 100 shinobi sayings… I always wrote the correct answers… on one day… a question on the test appeared… and I wrote down the answer as always… "No matter… what the situation" she said as tears flowed from her eyes… as she tried to keep them in check but to no vail. "a shinobi must keep their emotions on the inside… you must make the mission your top priority… and you must possess a heart that never shows tears" she said.
Tears flowed to Sasuke's face…
"UHHHGHH hhaaaa!" Sakura cried her eyes out.
Naruto knew he only had nine more shots before EMIYA could take his body… this time permanently.
The nine shots revolver as it was.
Even then this would be tricky… he was not experienced, so even if he had 9 tries… it was as he was playing the Russian roulette.
He didn't care, he was angry, filled with righteous furry…
"TRACE ON!" Naruto yelled.
A golden sword… beautiful and peerless… one he had seen on a dream.
The sword the blond girl had pulled from the stone.
The blade was a beautiful color that looked golden rather than silvery… the handle and accents where of gold and blue with some jewels encrusted on it…. An encryption on a language none could make heads or tails of it.
"that… is my sword" Saber said but in a whisper.
The name of the sword? Caliburn… the sister of the sword Excalibur… Caliburn: the golden sword of the victorious.
"TEMEEEEEEEE!" Naruto yelled as he and Zabusa clashed sword against sword.
*Clang Clang Clang* repeatedly the swords struck each other, metal against metal.
Naruto's body was burning…
"I am… the bone… sword" words escaped his mouth.
EMIYA was struggling to get possession of his body… it was his aria…
Zabusa was being pushed back, a mere genin was overpowering… and what was this pressure he could feel from the brat's sword?
It was as it was telling him to surrender… to abandon all hope… that this sword will only deliver victory to it s wielder.
"HAAAAAAA!" Naruto yelled, he moved fluidly, unlike his regular fighting style… little by little he had been putting EMIYA's moves to his own.
He lunged towards Zabusa Swipping down, making Zabusa had to block, however the sheer power of the swing made him sink into the concrete.
"N… Naruto… was Naruto that strong?" Sakura said in shock.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, something was odd here, and Saber could also tell.
The unexplainable cuts… the bruises, the long sleeps… the restless sleep.
What could it all mean?
The sword begun to glow.
"Could he really…" Saber said as the sword glowed.
"HAAAA!" Naruto kept yelled as he and Zabusa kept striking each other, over and over.
*SLICE!* the sword managed to cut away a part of Zabusa's sword. Zabusa growled and attacked more relentless.
"I WILL NOT LET YOU DO AS YOU PLEASE!" Naruto yelled.
"YOU WILL NOT STOP MY AMBITION!" Zabusa yelled.
Then Naruto jumped back… he put his hand on the flat of the blade and passed his hand over it… the sword glowed gold, he put himself in a stance to stab.
Zabusa smirked.
He rushed with one third of his sword broken in order to slash the kid's neck.
"CALIBURN!" Naruto yelled as a ray of light flew out of the sword, Zabusa managed to narrowly avoid it… but it pierced part of his sides… the light was bright as the sun up in the sky.
Zabusa fell to the ground… he coughed blood… but he managed to keep himself upright using his sword.
"KUgh… to be defeated… and by a mere genin… what the hell are you?" Zabusa said with a slight smirk on his face.
Naruto's eyes where no longer playful and full of warmth… they where cold as the ones of someone who had seen countless deaths… both for a reason or senceless.
Slaughters…
The ones he had seen people do trough EMIYA's eyes… and the ones he had done to protect the others.
Putting people on a scale.
To see, who is to be saved…
And those who are to be cut by the scythe of the reaper.
Naruto closed his eyes.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha! And I won't forgive you for using Haku as a tool to be discarded"
Even if EMIYA's words where the truth of the world… it doesn't mean… that I HAVE to follow them.
I can CHOOSE my path, I don't have to do what it's expected…
Even if I go against the world itself… I CHOOSE MY LIFE! MY ACTIONS ARE MY OWN!
"Oh? You're getting you ass kicked… and by a mere genin no less… how disappointing… Zabusa" an short pudgy man said with a smirk.
"Gatou… why are you here? And what's with all these men?" Zabusa said as he panted due to the wound on his side.
"Hehehe… the plan has changed… well, actually, I planned this from the beginning… Zabusa, I am going to have you killed right here and now" he said.
"What?" Zabusa said.
"I never intended on paying you anyways, hiring a normal ninja is expensive, not to mention that they could betray me…so I get missing-nins who are easy to take care of afterwards… I have ninja kill each other with numbers later… not only that, I can bring your corpse for the bounty as well, a good business plan don't you think?" Gatou asked.
"The only problem in the plan was you Zabusa, the devil of the hidden mist, what a joke!" Gatou said "You are just a little baby demon"
The men behind Gatou cheered "WE CAN EASILY KILL YOU NOW!" they yelled, bloodlust was on the air.
Naruto dropped to a knee… using Caliburn as a Noble Phantasm had drained him of 8 of the nine 'bullets' he had.
The last one… after this…
No… he had something else…
Gatou then saw Haku's dead body… he walked towards his body "Oh yeah… I owe this one…" Gatou said as he remembered Haku's almost breaking of his arm.
"You squeezed my arm until it broke" Gatou said and then kicked his face "Heh…he's dead" Gatou said with a smirk.
Naruto's body was burning… a fire the kindled in his soul.
Even EMIYA was somewhat appalled… he looked at the small monster with human shape.
"HEY! TEME! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" Naruto yelled as he used Caliburn to stand.
He couldn't move… he looked at Zabusa
"SAY SOMETHING… WEREN'T YOU TWO FRIENDS?" Naruto yelled.
"Shut up… kid" Zabusa said in pain "Haku is already dead, what difference does it make?" Zabusa said.
"Don't you… don't you feel anything at all? Wheren't you two always together?" Naruto yelled.
"As I was used by Gatou, I used Haku… that is all there it was, I've already… in the world of the shinobi there are only those who use, and those who are used… we shinobi are simple tools, what I wanted was not him but his blood… I have no regrets" Zabusa said.
"Hey… you really thing so?" Naruto said as he wobbled up to him, he then grabbed his shirt.
"He… he loved you so much… he gave his life for you… HE LOVED YOU THAT MUCH! DO YOU NOT FEEL ANYTHING! WILL I BECOME LIKE YOU… SHOULD I WALK THIS PATH! ANSWER ME DAMN IT!" Naruto yelled with fury on his words. "HIS LIFE… HIS DREAMS… HE THREW HIS LIFE AWAY FOR YOU! THAT…that is too sad… to die like that" Naruto said.
"Master…" Saber said feeling the pain Naruto was feeling.
"Kid" Zabusa said… tears fell from his eyes "Not… another word" Zabusa said as he too cried… even a man like him… he was all to human.
"Kid… It pained him to have to fight you… Haku fought not only for me… he fought for your sakes too… he was too kind… I'm glad I got to face you in the end… you might be right… a shinobi is still a human… we may not be able to become emotionless tolls… I've lost to you in both heart and power…" Zabusa said as he undid his bandages
"Kid… lend me a kunai" he asked.
Naruto dug into his pouch and threw the kunai… he took it with his mouth.
"Saber! Get rid of the pests in front of us" Naruto said with a smirk, "they might not be at par with you, but I think you deserve a fight too, clear the way for him."
"Master" Saber said a bit shocked. "I see… thank you for your consideration" Saber nodded as she had a tender smile.
Then she focused at the men in front of her "Thief's, murders and looters, the lot of you, by my master's order… I shall defeat all of you!" Saber yelled.
"IS ONLY ONE WOMAN! LET'S DEFEAT HER AND DEFILE THE YOUNG THING!" the men yelled as there was also a cheering and a chorus of agreement as they charged.
"TAAAAAAH!" Saber yelled as she charged. Hitting the man with her invisible blade.
One after the other they all fell.
"This woman… she must be a demon!" they yelled
"She is only one person! Kill her!" they yelled.
They surrounded hey, attacked her from all sides
"NAVIEE!" she yelled as she batted them all away.
The enemy force was around 1000 man strong.
It has been reduced to a third of than within minutes.
"Impossible… this woman"
"I am servant Saber… my master ordered me the elimination of you thugs… though I dislike to taint my weapon with such unsightly beings as you, I offer you retreat… or push forth and meet thy end" Saber said.
The thugs backed away slowly… her mere presence was enough to make people obey.
Saber stats:
Personal Skill: Charisma Rank A: People cannot help but obey an order, extremely likeable person, a skill fit for a king or someone who leads.
"You are an incredible woman… Saber… but… Gatou… IS MINE!" he yelled as he charged.
From behind him as he charged straight into the pit of enemies an image of a large demon.
He slashed left, and right… killing as many as he could as he did a march of death towards his enemy.
Zabusa then stabbed Gatou on the neck
"AGHH!... if … If you wanna go to the same place as your friend… then go!" he said
"Unfortunately… I don't plan on going to the same place as Haku…" Zabusa said.
"Wha… what? You won't survive, gah!"
"You and I… ARE GOING TO HELL!" Zabusa said with an evil smirk "Even the unremarkable devil of the hidden mist… can die and become a real devil in hell… THIS WILL BE FUN! WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO SEE IF I AM BABY DEMON DOWN IN HELL!" Zabusa said as he slashed Gatou's trough… blood spilled out and then slashed his head clean off.
Gatou's head rolled to the feet of the thugs.
They looked at Zabusa... covered in weapons, to Naruto… he looked just like EMIYA before his lasts moments in life.
He opened his eyes… and glared at the thugs.
They backed away in fear as Zabusa stumbled and blood sprayed form his body
"Let me stay by your side… this is goodbye Haku… thank you for everything… I'm sorry…" Zabusa tough as he then fell to the ground dead.
All the thugs stopped, as they saw the death of the one called the demon of the mist, he died honoring his name… he butchered and killed many before he himself succumbing to the multitude of wounds made by the weapons on his body.
"Don't look away" Kakashi said "This is the end of a man who lived a difficult life"
"Yeah… I know" Naruto said with a bittersweet smile.
With Sakura, Tazuna and Sasuke's body
"uhhh…did… did I…die…? Sakura… am I… am I?" Sasuke thought as he heard the sobs of his teammate
He opened his eyes slowly… light filtered in "Sa-kura… you're…heavy" Sasuke said with a groan.
Sakura's tears stopped flowing… she was shocked at what had just happened
He turned his head, not understanding why she was crying
Sakura threw herself over him "Sasuke-kun!" She yelled over and over again as she cried
"Sakura…that…hurts" Sasuke said
"Ah…sorry" Sakura said as she whipped her tears away
Sasuke tried to sit down .
"What… about Naruto? And… the masked kid?" Sasuke asked
"DON'T MOVE! Naruto is fine! And the masked kis… is dead" Sakura said
"Dead? Did Naruto kill him?" Sasuke asked in shock
"I… I don't know… all of the sudden the landscape changed… like a genjutsu… then swords flew all over the place… a man with white hair and a red outfit appeared… and then suddenly he disappeared… then Haku protected Zabusa and died" Sakura said
"I see…" Sasuke said.
"I had faith in you… It's impressive that you prevented attacks to your critical areas!" Sakura said with glee
"No" Sasuke said "He… from the beginning" Sasuke thought as he remembered Haku
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled
"HE'S ALRIGHT! SASUKE IS ALIVE!" Sakura yelled
Sasuke looked down a bit embarrassed as he rose his hand.
Naruto had tears on his eyes and laughed heartily… his friend… the bastard… was still alive.
"Hey HEY! YOU GUYS ARE TOO AT EASE!" The thugs yelled as they recovered their courage.
"DAMN NINJAS! YOU KILLED OUR MEAL TICKET!"
"YOU GUYS ARE DEAD!"
"NOW WE ARE GOING TO PILLAGE THIS CITY UNTIL WE ARE EVEN!"
"OSU! OSU!" the thugs yelled in chorus.
Saber readied herself
"COME ONE THEY ARE TIRED ATTACK!" they yelled as they charged.
"Damn… this is bad" Kakashi said.
"I am out too" Naruto groaned as he felt the pain of the magic circuits that had been over-taxed.
"Saber!" Naruto yelled
"YES!" She redied and dashed forward… however a single arrow landed a couple feet in front of her and the thugs stopped their charge.
They looked behind to see Inari and the rest of the dwellers of this poor city all out and armed.
"If you come any further… the citizens of this country will stop you with everything we've got!" Inari said as he bolted once more his make-shift bowgun.
"I… I can still make something" Naruto said with a smirk as he put his fingers in a cross sign
"Kagebunshin no jutsu" 5 more clones appeared, the thugs stepped back.
"Bunshin no jutsu" he thought as he made 100 copied of himself, even if they where illusions and not real like Naruto's.
The thugs where scared.
"So… you want to fight?" Kakashi said as they glared at them.
Saber slammed her weapon into the ground and looked at the thugs… her presence over-tipped the balance… and they ran like roaches from the light
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" they yelled as they jumped into the water and some made it into the boat.
Kakashi walked over Zabusa, who was somehow still clinging to life.
"It looks like… it's over… Kakashi" he said
"yes" Kakashi said.
"Kakashi… I have a small request" Zabusa said
"What is it?" he asked as he sealed again his sharingan eye.
"I want… to see his face…" Zabusa said.
"Sure" Kakashi said.
Kakashi carried Zabusa as snow begun to fall
"Snow… at this time of the year?" the city dwellers said in shock.
Even Saber was enraptured by it.
"Haku… are you crying…?" Zabusa thought.
"Thanks… Kakashi" Zabusa said as Kakashi laid him next to Haku.
He turned his head to see Haku's face.
He moved his hand… slowly... pain filled his nerves, but he was master of the pain now… he wouldn't let it stop him.
"You always been by my side… I'd like to be at your side at the end…" Zabusa thought.
"If I could… I'd like to… go to the same place… as you" Zabusa said as he caressed Haku's face.
A snowflake landed on Haku's eyes… it slowly melted… like a tear it flowed down
Naruto was crying as Saber put her arms around him "He… was born in a snowy village" Naruto said as his tears flowed… sadness, rage… death, life.
It seemed so pointless/seemed so senseless.
"I see… he was a boy as pure as snow" Kakashi said
"You will be able to go… Zabusa… together" Kakashi said.
2 weeks later
The shinobi made two graves, they placed Zabusa's sword behind his tomb as a gravemarker, for the swords-man of the mist, an homage for him.
All of them prayed for their souls
"Master… you did well in battle, but please, your safety is paramount importance" Saber said.
"Yes" Naruto said.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura said
"Uh?"
"where those two correct about ninjas?" She asked
Kakashi sighed "a shinobi isn't supposed to pursue his own goals… becoming the country's tool is the most important thing… that the same for the leaf village" Kakashi said
"Is that what it means to become a ninja? I don't like it" Naruto said.
Saber sighed… it was the same for her.
"If you pull the sword out of the stone, you will stop being human" Merlin said to her.
"you believe in that too?" Sasuke asked
"Well… each and every ninja had to live while dealing with that issue… just like Zabusa… and that boy" Kakashi said.
"I decided" Naruto said. "I'll be a ninja… but in my own way… I will choose what path I will take… so I will have no regrets" Naruto said.
EMIYA snorted a bit… this kid… it was like a distorted mirror image of himself and his ideals.
A bit later
"Thanks to you we've completed the bridge, but… this is super sad" Tazuna said as he felt sad seeing this group of people leave.
"Thank you for everything and don't worry… I'll come visit sometime" Naruto said with a smile
"You… better" Inari said as he was fighting back his tears.
"It's ok… if you want to cry, there is nothing wrong with crying… when you are happy" Naruto said as he smiled.
"See ya… and grow strong" he said as he turned around to leave… he waved his hand to say his goodbies… he had a small trail of tears on his eyes.
With the villagers
"That boy changed Inari's heart… and Inari changed the people's hearts…that boy gave us a bridge to 'hope' called 'courage'" Tazuna said
"Oh! That's right, we need to name the bridge" someone said.
"Well... I have a perfect name for it" Tazuna said
"Oh? What is it?" Tsunami asked.
"How about… The Great Naruto Bridge?" Tazuna said with a smirk
"That's a good name" Tsunami said
And so the heroes made their trek back to Konoha, however Saber and Kakashi had questions on their minds.
How did Naruto got that golden sword… what happened when the world turned into something else… why did the sharingan almost blew out when he tried to break and copy this 'illusion' and who was that man in red.
Saber wanted to know how… how her master had called her sword… Caliburn, and who was the one responsible for the deployment of that Reality Marble.
And the man in red… his presence… it was of a servant.
Chapter end.
Author's notes: please check the new voting poll I set up on my profile… thanks!