Chereads / Naruto: Winds and Changes / Chapter 86 - Chapter 086

Chapter 86 - Chapter 086

Kakashi smirked under his mask as he rolled his scroll back up; slamming it on the ground he called out his jutsu, "Ninpou: Doton: Tsuiga No Jutsu (Ninja Art: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique)!"

Seals spread out from the point of impact, the ground also began to tear up and move across the landscape, as if there was something moving under the ground.

"Whatever you're trying Kakashi, it's not going to work!" Zabuza said, knowing that whatever Kakashi was going to do was useless. "You can't figure out where I am. However, I now know where you are…what!"

"If your eyes don't work then just use your nose," Kakashi said as he heard the sound of ground cracking.

The mist cleared and showed Zabuza with several dogs latched onto them with their mouths. There was a giant bull dog latched onto his left shoulder, two dogs biting each of his legs, two dogs biting his thighs, one dog attached to his right wrist, another holding his zanbatou down by the hole at the end, and lastly, a small pug hanging off his headband.

"That's what happens when you have your eyes shut in the mist," Kakashi commented, his tone smug and satisfied. "This summoning is specifically for tracking down an opponent. When you cut me, I let you cut me so that I could get my blood on your weapons. These are my cute little ninja dogs. Their sense of smell exceeds that of all other dogs. You are the one trapped in my jutsu." Kakashi put a finger to his temple as he closed his one normal eye. "The mist has cleared, and do you know what I see? I see your death."

"My future is death?" Zabuza asked, scoffing at the silver-haired Jonin and seemingly not the least bit worried. Though Kakashi could see from the man's change in demeanor that he felt otherwise, "I'm sick of your bullshit!"

"Don't be foolish, your death is certain," Kakashi said. "You went too far, your ambitions were too great. You abandoned your country and became a missing ninja; your story even reached Konoha. Your attempted coup de tat and your attempt to assassinate the Mizukage failed. You were forced to flee the country and become a missing ninja with what little followers you had. You realized that in order to try again, you would need money, and so you ended up working for scum like Gato."

Kakashi began going through several hand seals before putting one had near the ground, the other holding that hands arm in place.

"I won't end this with someone else's jutsu. No, you're going to get a taste of my very own original jutsu. Raikiri (Lightning Cutter)!" a burst of lightning sparked into his hand, crackling with repressed energy so potent it was visible.

Look at that jutsu! Zabuza felt a trickle of fear at seeing the lightning shooting from Kakashi's hand. It's so powerful the chakra is visible, yet he holds it in his hands!

"You're too dangerous Zabuza," Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the man as he spoke. "Tazuna-san, the person you are trying to kill is this country's courage. The bridge he seeks to build is this country's hope. Your ambitions will sacrifice too many people. That's not what a shinobi would do."

"I don't give a shit about other people!" Zabuza growled as he tried to fight against the dogs hold on him, only to find their grip was solid and he could not more than a few centimeters. "I have my own ideals and ambitions to fight for!"

"And that, Zabuza is why you will die," Kakashi said, his sharing an eye blazing.

"Y-You can't ask me something like that!" Naruto shouted, "Why would you even think that I could kill you! What makes you think I could ever Kill you! Just fighting you feels like I'm tearing apart pieces of my soul!"

"I am nothing more than a tool, Naruto-kun," Haku said, releasing herself from Naruto's grip and standing on wobbly legs. Naruto was too stunned to do anything more than just sit there and stared at her. "I am a tool that has now been broken. I can no longer help Zabuza-sama fulfill his dreams. Therefore you mu-"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto shouted as he gave her a glare that would have melted others. "How dare you say something like that! If you're nothing more than a tool, then what did all those times you spent with me mean! Was that a lie! Are you telling me that you felt nothing when you were with me! That all those times we had spent together meant nothing to you!" Naruto's shoulders dropped and his voice lowered. "Were you simply using me to help Zabuza?" he asked.

Haku's eyes widened in shock, "NO!" She shouted as she took a step forward. "How can you think that! Everything I said was true! I loved being with you! Every minute we were together I felt safe, and content! I even spent time with you when Zabuza-sama voiced his disapproval! Don't even think that our time together meant nothing!"

"I thought you were nothing more than a tool," Naruto said as he gave Haku a heated look, watching her flinch. "Tools aren't supposed to feel, especially not for their enemy. And tools aren't supposed to aim for non-vital points that would only knock a person out." Haku's eyes widened as she realized he knew that was what she had been aiming for the whole time. "You're not a tool Haku-chan, you're a ninja, but ninja aren't just mindless tools who are used and then thrown away when someone feels they are no longer useful."

"B-but my purpose…" Haku tried.

"If Zabuza can't see the value in having someone as amazing and willing to go to such great lengths to protect him as you are, then he doesn't deserve you!" Naruto's eyes softened, "if he can't see what's right in front of him then you would be better off leaving."

"But…" Naruto shook his head, interuppting the girl as she tried to give some flimsy excuse.

"You don't have to be his tool anymore Haku-chan," He said, his voice soft, much like when the two would hold each other during their times together this past week. "You can come with me…I'll treat you like you should be treated; I want to be with you Haku…despite having only met you this past week, you are my most precious person." Haku's breath hitched in her throat as Naruto said something like that. No one had ever told her that before, not since her parents had died.

"I…" Haku was unsure what to do. She wanted to go with him, to be with someone who could understand her pain better than anyone else. But at the same time, Zabuza-sama gave me a purpose, what do I do?

"Haku…" Naruto said as he held out his hand, "please, don't do this to yourself. You hate killing, you hate all this running. I can give you a home, a place away from all of that. Just…please just come with me."

"Naruto…" Haku reached out to grab his hand. However as she did, she stopped, sensing that Zabuza was in trouble. She took a step back, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I would love to go with you, but it seems I have one more purpose."

Naruto's eyes widened as she went through a few hand seals.

"I am sorry," She gave him a brilliant smile. "Know that even if I can't go with you, I will always love you."

And with that she disappeared in a burst of speed, leaving Naruto to stand there too shocked to actually move.

"Haku…" Naruto mumbled, staring wide-eyed at the spot that Haku had just vacated.

"HAKU!"