Zabuza's eyes narrowed at Naruto's declaration. For a moment, the only sound on the bridge was the gentle lapping of waves against its supports and Naruto's ragged breathing.
Then, unexpectedly, the bastard started laughing, a low, gravelly sound that seemed to rumble across the mist-covered bridge.
"Your nindo, huh?" Bandage Face cocked his head, studying Naruto with something that wasn't quite mockery but wasn't respect either. "You got guts. I'll give you that, but…. I've met a hundred shinobi with noble ideals like yours, kid. Want to know where most of them are now?"
He tapped the massive blade against the bridge with a metallic ring.
"Six feet under. The world doesn't reward heroes — it chews them up and spits them out."
Naruto clenched his fists, ignoring the burning pain. "You're wrong."
"I was younger than you when I killed my entire graduating class in the Hidden Mist." His voice softened, almost contemplative. "That's how I earned my title — the Demon. In the real world, pretty speeches about protecting the weak mean nothing. In the end, the one who's right is the one with the bigger fists…. or bigger sword."
He raised his sword, mist swirling around the massive blade. "Let me show you."
Again, the Naruto could barely follow when the attack came — one moment Zabuza was ten paces away, the next his sword was whistling through the air where Naruto's head had been a split-second before. Only pure instinct saved him, his body dropping into a clumsy roll that sent fresh waves of pain through his bruised ribs.
"Get away from him," Sai shouted, the most emotion Naruto had ever heard from the pale boy. A pack of ink lions erupted from his scroll, leaping toward Zabuza with silent snarls.
The distraction and the clones' sacrifice were enough for Naruto to put some distance between himself and the swordsman. His hands came together in the seal Eishin had taught him.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four copies of himself popped into existence, each wearing his determined grin. It still felt weird, seeing himself from the outside like that. But there was no time to marvel — his clones charged Zabuza from different angles, kunai flashing in the dim light.
"Better," Zabuza acknowledged, his massive blade cutting through two clones with a single sweep. "But not good enough!"
The remaining clones burst into smoke as Zabuza's foot and sword found them in rapid succession. But the brief distraction had been enough for Sai to reposition, his brush dancing across his scroll.
Inky serpents shot toward Zabuza, coiling around his legs. The swordsman snarled, momentarily immobilized.
Naruto rolled to the side, fingers flying through hand signs again. This time it was eight. Each one launched toward the trapped swordsman, who somehow managed to free one leg and pivot, his blade creating a deadly circle around him.
Pop! Pop! Pop! The clones disappeared one after another. But two had managed to land a hit. He can do this!
Eishin had warned him about this jutsu, told him it was dangerous, that he should use it sparingly. The chakra drain could kill a normal shinobi, the worrywart had said. Right now, Naruto didn't feel drained — he felt alive.
"That's all you got, kid?" Zabuza taunted, finally cutting through the last ink snake.
"I'm just getting started!" Naruto shouted back. His hands formed the seal again, but this time he poured everything he had into it. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"
The bridge erupted in orange and yellow – twenty Narutos materialized, surrounding Zabuza in a sea of spiky blond hair and awesomeness.
"Whoa," one of his clones muttered, voicing the thought in Naruto's own mind. This was... awesome!
Now he was starting to understand why Eishin had been so pushy for him to learn this jutsu. It wasn't just about creating mindless copies — each clone was him, fighting alongside himself. It was like having a whole team that perfectly understood his thoughts, his moves, his instincts.
And it was so easy. Nothing like clone justu they taught at the Academy, and a hundred times better.
He might almost forgive the perverted jerk for pinching his nipple. Almost.
Clones burst into smoke as Zabuza's sword found them, but for every one that fell, another pressed forward. For the first time, Naruto felt like they were actually pushing Zabuza back.
"You know what they say," Naruto grinned as more clones circled around. "Two heads are better than one. So, twenty must be awesome!"
He knew he was being repetitive with that word, but nothing was better than awesome. And he was feeling pretty awesome right now.
"Hmm…." Zabuza narrowed his eyes, looking uneasy as he should, "How many can you summon, kid?"
"Wanna find out?" All the Narutos chorused, their identical grins widening.
"Twenty, thirty," Zabuza growled, though his breathing had quickened slightly. "Doesn't matter."
They continued dancing for a little longer. With Zabuza cutting Narutos like grass, and Sai providing windows for Naruto to conjure more. Each time Naruto got more comfortable with the jutsu, to the point he didn't count how many he conjured anymore.
"Enough games."
Zabuza moved then, faster than before, his body becoming a blur. The sword whistled through the air, cutting down clone after clone with frightening precision. Within seconds, only eight remained.
"Not bad," Zabuza conceded, planting his massive sword into the bridge's surface. "You made me sweat. But this ends now."
His hands blurred through seals.
"Water Style: Great Water Prison Technique!"
The remaining Narutos barely had time to react before a massive sphere of water rose from below the bridge, enveloping them completely. Shock of cold water closing over their head, the sudden pressure in their lungs as their breath was cut off.
Zabuza stood with one hand thrust into the sphere, maintaining the jutsu.
"Interesting fact about shinobi physiology," Zabuza's voice came muffled through the water. "A trained genin can hold their breath for over seven minutes under ideal conditions. That's the average from a study conducted by the Hidden Mist's interrogation unit."
He paused, watching as two of the trapped Narutos burst into smoke.
"Of course, that's if they're prepared. If caught by surprise, like you were... well, the average drops significantly."
Three more clones vanished, and they were unable to maintain their form under pressure and lacked oxygen.
"Our exchange was brief, but left its mark," Zabuza continued, something like genuine regret in his voice. "You've earned my respect, kid. It's a pity. In a few years, you might have actually been a challenge."
He started trashing, face had turned blue.
"It's a bit too late but you deserve your name to be remembered," he said, "Tell, what it your name?"
Only a gurgling sound answered him, small bubbles escaping his lips as the last of his breath left him. His body went limp right after, floating uselessly in the prison of water.
A second passed. Then another.
Zabuza clicked his tongue. "I should have asked sooner," he muttered.
The trapped Naruto burst into smoke.
"What—"
The mist cleared suddenly to Zabuza's left, revealing three Narutos standing in formation. The center Naruto held out his hand while the two beside him moved their hands over it in rapid, circular motions. A sphere of spinning blue chakra formed between them, growing, condensing, spinning with incredible power.
"This is for Inari..." Naruto growled, the chakra sphere in his palm glowing brighter. "And for everyone else, you think doesn't matter!"
The two supporting clones vanished in puffs of smoke as Naruto launched himself forward, arm extended, the blue orb of chakra aimed directly at Zabuza's chest.
"RASENGAN!"
Zabuza grabbed for his sword, but it was embedded too deeply in the bridge. He raised his arms in a defensive cross just as the spiraling sphere made contact.
The impact was tremendous. Chakra exploded outward in a blinding flash, and Zabuza was launched backward, spinning like a ragdoll before crashing through the bridge's railing and disappearing into the mist below.
"It is Naruto Uzumaki! You better remember it, dattebayo!"
Naruto collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest. But he couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face.
The shadow clone jutsu was... incredible! What had taken him an annoyingly long time to do alone — forming a proper Rasengan — he'd just pulled off in less than a minute with help from his clones. Maybe Eishin wasn't completely full of it after all.
Heh! Just wait 'til Sasuke sees this—he's gonna lose it!
Naruto'd definitely buy the perverted sensei a bowl of ramen after this was over. Though he still wouldn't forgive that nipple pinch. He will get him for that.
"Naruto!" Inari's voice broke through his exhausted haze. The boy was running toward him, relief and awe written across his young face. "You did it! You actually beat him!"
Naruto's grin widened, despite the pain. "Told ya I would, didn't I?"
Sai approached more cautiously, his gaze scanning the mist where Zabuza had disappeared. "We should not celebrate prematurely. An opponent of that caliber—"
A low chuckle echoed across the bridge, sending chills down Naruto's spine.
Naruto's head whipped around so fast his neck cracked. There, climbing back onto the bridge through the shattered railing, was Zabuza. The bandages covering his face had come loose, revealing a mouth full of sharpened teeth now stained with blood. He was limping badly, one hand clutching his side.
"No way!" Naruto's eyes went wide. "You should be fish food by now!"
Inari trembled behind him, while Sai smoothly slid into a defensive stance, brush already in hand.
"I..." Zabuza coughed, spitting blood onto the bridge. "I underestimated you, brat. Won't make that mistake twice."
The swordsman raised his massive blade, preparing to strike—only to reveal that the big weapon had been cracked nearly in half, the metal splintered where the Rasengan had grazed it.
Zabuza stared at the damage, "Kubikiribōchō..." he looked back up, "Your blood will make do."
A soft thump beside him drew everyone's attention. A slender figure in a flowing kimono had landed gracefully next to Zabuza. A pretty girl with long, dark hair and the most delicate features Naruto had ever seen. Something about her reminded him of freshly fallen snow.
"Zabuza-sama," the newcomer said softly, eyes assessing his injuries. "You're hurt."
"Nothing serious," Zabuza growled, though his posture told a different story. "Were you successful?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. The jōnin took the bait."
"Excellent," Zabuza's bloodied grin stretched wider. "Then if you're here and not with him, I take it the real one didn't survive your encounter, Haku?"
Naruto's stomach dropped. What were they talking about?
The girl — Haku — didn't answer immediately, her eyes drifting to study Naruto with quiet intensity.
"HEY!" Naruto shouted, fury and fear bubbling up inside him. "What did you do to Eishin? Where is he?!"
Haku continued to stare at him, something unreadable in those dark eyes, before turning back to Zabuza and ignoring Naruto completely.
"Your injuries are not light," she said firmly. "The broken ribs could puncture a lung if you continue fighting. We should retreat and return after you've healed."
"We're facing a bunch of kids," Zabuza scoffed. "We can end this now."
He pointed the broken blade at Sai. "Take care of the artist first. His techniques are troublesome."
Naruto gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached. His hands curled into fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms. The pretty girl was acting like he wasn't even there, like his question about Eishin didn't matter!
"Listen, LADY!" Naruto shouted, forcing himself to stand despite his body screaming in protest. "If you don't tell me what you did with Eishin right now, I'm gonna beat it out of you! Dattebayo!"
Zabuza swung his broken sword in a wide arc, the damaged blade still intimidating despite its condition. "Don't worry, kid. I'll send you to join him soon enough."
Naruto tensed, gathering what little chakra he had left. If these two thought he was going down without a fight—
"Now that sounds like a terrible vacation plan," came a lazy drawl from above them. "I've been told I make terrible company."
Naruto's head snapped up, his heart leaping into his throat. There, perched on one of the bridge's support beams, was Eishin — alive and seemingly unharmed, with Sakura clutched safely in his arms.
Naruto had never been so happy to see that stupid, smug face in his entire life. "EISHIN!"
The super pervert glanced at him, eyes widening slightly. "Wow, Naruto, you look awful. Did you try using your body to block his sword? Man, I don't wanna be you."
Relief flooded through Naruto's battered body. "You're late, you jerk!"