Hello, Drinor here. I'm happy to publish a new Chapter of The Purple Flash of Kumo.
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The mist began to thin, but the sound of distant fighting indicated that the other battles were still ongoing.
Naruto's attention turned to Ranmaru, who lay crumpled on the bridge, tears streaming down their face. The child's unusual crimson eyes were fixed on the spot where Raiga was laying.
"He... he didn't have to..." Ranmaru's voice broke. "I could have saved him. My power could have..."
Naruto knelt beside the frail child, his expression softening. "He made his choice. Sometimes people do terrible things thinking they're protecting those they care about."
Ranmaru looked up at Naruto, those strange eyes seeming to peer right through him. "You... you're like me, aren't you? You have something inside you that makes you different."
Naruto stiffened slightly. Even without the Nine-Tails' power being active, this child could sense it. "Yeah, I guess I do. But being different doesn't mean we have to be alone."
"Raiga said the same thing," Ranmaru whispered. "He found me when everyone else had abandoned me. He gave me purpose..."
"By making you watch people die?" Naruto's voice was gentle but firm. "That wasn't purpose, Ranmaru. That was him using your pain to justify his own."
"But what else can I do?" Ranmaru's small hands clenched. "I'm too weak to even walk on my own. My only skill is these eyes..."
Naruto thought about his own life, about growing up looking different from his father and grandfather, about recently learning the truth of his birth parents. About finding strength not in spite of being different, but because of it.
"Your eyes aren't a curse, Ranmaru. They're a gift. But like any gift, it matters how you use it." He glanced toward where Darui stood guard over Tazuna. "In Kumo, we believe strength comes in many forms. Some of our best sensor-type shinobi started out like you."
Ranmaru's eyes widened. "You... you would take me to Kumo?"
"If you want to come. But not to watch people die." Naruto's expression grew serious. "To help people live. To protect those who need protecting. That's what real purpose looks like."
"But Raiga said..."
"Raiga is gone," Naruto cut in gently. "And you have to make your own choices now. What do you want, Ranmaru?"
The child was quiet for a long moment, those crimson eyes studying Naruto intently. "You're not lying. You really believe what you're saying. And... there's something else. You understand what it's like to discover everything you thought you knew wasn't quite true."
Naruto couldn't help but smile. Those eyes really were perceptive. "Yeah, I do. Pretty recently, actually. But you know what I learned? The truth doesn't change who you are. It just gives you more choices about who you want to become."
A sudden explosion from further down the bridge drew their attention.
"I need to help my friends," Naruto said, standing up. "But first, I need to know what you want to do, Ranmaru. I won't force you to come with us, but I won't leave you here alone either."
Ranmaru looked at their own weak legs, then at the spot where Raiga was, and finally back at Naruto. "If... if I come with you, will you teach me how to use my power to protect instead of harm?"
"Not just me," Naruto replied. "In Kumo, you'll have a whole village of people who can help you grow stronger. Real strength, not whatever twisted version Raiga taught you."
"Then..." Ranmaru's voice grew stronger. "Then I want to come. I want to learn how to protect. I... I don't want to watch any more funerals."
Naruto carefully picked up the frail child. "No more funerals," he agreed. "From now on, we focus on living." He created a shadow clone to carry Ranmaru to safety. "My clone will protect you while I help deal with what's coming. Watch carefully, Ranmaru. This is what it looks like when shinobi fight to protect something worthwhile."
As his clone carried Ranmaru to where Darui stood guard, Naruto turned to face the approaching sounds of battle, purple lightning beginning to dance around his hands once more. He could feel Ranmaru's eyes on him, watching, but this time not to memorize death – to learn about life. Naruto didn't take long to find the source of most of the noise.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he observed the dome of ice mirrors where Sasuke and the corpse guy were trapped, fighting against Zabuza's masked subordinate. The crystalline structure gleamed ominously in the misty air, and occasional flashes of movement indicated the fierce battle taking place within.
"Darui-sensei," Naruto called out, his hands already beginning to crackle with purple lightning, "watch over Ranmaru for me."
"Naruto, what are you planning to—" Darui's question was cut short as Naruto's lightning intensified, casting an ethereal violet glow across the bridge.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed his eyes momentarily, Yoruichi's words echoing in his mind: "Purple lightning isn't just raw power – it's precision. It's understanding the fundamental nature of what you're trying to affect. When you strike, strike with purpose."
His eyes snapped open, focused and determined. Raising his hands, he extended two fingers, channeling the purple lightning into a concentrated point. The electricity crackled and danced around his fingers, growing more intense by the second.
"Purple Lightning Style: Thunder Needle!"
A thin, precise beam of purple lightning shot from his fingers, striking the first ice mirror. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen – then a crack appeared, spreading like a spider's web across the mirror's surface. Naruto didn't wait; he shifted his aim slightly, firing again and again, each bolt striking with surgical precision.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The sound of splitting ice filled the air as mirror after mirror began to fracture. Inside the dome, Haku's movements became increasingly erratic as her technique began to fail.
Finally, with a sound like shattering glass, the entire structure collapsed. Haku landed hard nearby, her clothes smoking from where the purple lightning had caught her. An angry red burn marked her shoulder, and blood trickled down her arm. Despite the obvious pain, her mask remained firmly in place, though cracked on one side.
"It's over," Naruto called out, keeping his lightning ready but not attacking. "You don't have to keep fighting. Join us in Kumo – both you and Zabuza."
"You don't understand," Haku's voice was strained but determined. "I am Master Zabuza's tool. His dreams are my dreams. His battles are my battles. As long as he fights, so must I. I will complete his mission."
"That's not—" Naruto started, but stopped short as Haku's uninjured hand began forming signs at an incredible speed.
"Ice Style: Shattered Air!"
The temperature plummeted instantly. The mist around them began to crystallize, taking on a bluish tinge as ice particles filled the air. Naruto's breath came out in visible puffs as the cold bit into his skin.
"Where did she go?" Sasuke shouted, his Sharingan scanning the area frantically. The blue fog had become so thick it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead.
Above them, Sai soared on his ink-created bird, trying to get a better view. "The fog is too dense! I can't see anything from up here!"
Naruto's mind raced. The combination of Zabuza's Hidden Mist technique and Haku's ice abilities had created something entirely new – a freezing mist that not only obscured vision but actively hindered movement as the cold sapped their strength.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out. "Use your Fire Style! We need to change the temperature!"
Understanding flashed across Sasuke's face. His hands flew through the signs: "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Multiple fireballs erupted from Sasuke's mouth, cutting through the freezing mist. Steam hissed where fire met ice, creating temporary clear spots in the fog. But Haku was nowhere to be seen.
"Keep going!" Naruto encouraged, his purple lightning crackling as he tried to sense any electrical disturbances in the mist. "The more you heat the air, the harder it'll be for her to maintain this technique!"
Sasuke nodded, taking a deep breath. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive sphere of flames roared through the mist, causing a huge section to evaporate instantly. In that moment of clarity, Naruto caught a glimpse of movement.
"There!" He pointed, sending a bolt of purple lightning toward the shadow. Haku barely managed to dodge, but the movement cost her concentration. The blue fog began to thin.
"Why?" Haku's voice echoed around them. "Why do you care what happens to us? We're your enemies!"
"Because it doesn't have to be this way!" Naruto shot back, remembering Ranmaru. "Look at what happened to Raiga! Is that what you want? To die for someone else's contract?"
There was a pause in Haku's movements. "Raiga... is dead?"
"He chose death rather than change," Naruto confirmed. "But you don't have to make the same choice. Neither does Zabuza!"
Another fireball from Sasuke lit up the area, and this time they could see Haku clearly. She stood several meters away, her mask now completely cracked, revealing one brown eye filled with uncertainty.
"Master Zabuza gave me purpose when I had none," she said softly. "I owe him everything."
"And you can still serve him!" Naruto insisted. "But in Kumo, both of you could have a real home. Not just running from hunter-nin, taking whatever job comes along. Think about it – isn't that what Zabuza really wants? A place where he can be strong without having to bow to people like Gato?"
"I appreciate your offer, Naruto, but this is my job." Haku said, making up her mind.
Suddenly, Haku vanished into another burst of frozen mist, and the temperature dropped even further.
"Where did she go?" Sasuke shouted, his Sharingan scanning frantically through the dense fog.
Suddenly, Naruto remembered Haku's words: "I must serve Master Zabuza." His eyes widened in realization. Zabuza's mission wasn't to fight them – it was to kill Tazuna!
"The bridge builder!" Naruto whirled around, spotting Tazuna standing near the bridge's edge with Sakura. "Watch out!"
The mist parted like a curtain as Haku materialized directly in front of Tazuna and Sakura, wielding a massive sword crafted from pure ice. Sakura's eyes widened in terror as she froze, kunai halfway drawn. Tazuna stumbled backward, but there was nowhere to run.
Haku's ice blade whistled through the air, aimed at their necks – only to be stopped with a resounding clash of metal on ice. Her eyes widened behind her cracked mask as she found herself face to face with Darui, his unique black blade crackling with dark lightning.
"You know," Darui said, looking mildly annoyed, "this is getting pretty dull." Black lightning danced along his sword, spreading cracks through Haku's ice blade. "Always going after the civilians first. So predictable."
Haku tried to disengage, attempting to form hand signs with her free hand, but Darui was faster. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist, and Haku's scream pierced the air as black lightning coursed through her body.
"The problem with ice techniques," Darui continued in his lazy drawl as Haku collapsed to her knees, her mask finally shattering completely, "is that ice conducts electricity pretty well. And black lightning? It conducts even better than normal lightning."
"Mister Tazuna are you alright?" Naruto shouted, running toward them. He could see the burns forming where Darui's lightning had struck on Haku.
"Stay back, Naruto," Darui warned, keeping his grip on Haku. "She's still dangerous. Even wounded, a shinobi can—"
"I... will not..." Haku struggled to speak through the pain, "fail... Master Zabuza..."
"And that's your problem right there," Darui sighed. "You're so focused on serving someone else that you've forgotten to think for yourself. Pretty dull way to live, if you ask me."
Haku tried to form more ice, but another pulse of black lightning made her cry out again. This time, she slumped forward, consciousness finally fading.
"Is she dead?" Naruto asked with a hard tone like steel. He didn't want this to happen, but he understood the importance of doing what was right and not being able to help those who refused help from others.
"No. Naruto. We have wasted enough time here, we—" He trailed off as new sounds reached them—the approaching footsteps of what seemed like an army.
Through the thinning mist, they could see Gato approaching with a small army of mercenaries. The businessman's laugh carried across the bridge.
"Well, what do we have here?" Gato sneered. "Looks like the great Demon's apprentice isn't so tough after all."
Naruto's hands crackled with purple lightning as he stepped forward, positioning himself between Gato's men and the others. Sasuke moved to stand beside him, his Sharingan glowing in the mist.
"Darui-sensei," Naruto called back without taking his eyes off Gato, "keep Haku alive. I think she needs to see what kind of man her master made a contract with."
"So dull," Darui muttered, but he carefully laid Haku down, keeping one hand ready to subdue her if she woke. "Konoha shinobi!" he called up to the artist ninja still circling above. "Go find your Sensei and Zabuza. Tell them their employer has arrived with some... amendments to their contract."
.
.
The clash of steel against steel echoed across the misty bridge as Kakashi and Zabuza continued their deadly dance. Despite his fearsome reputation, Zabuza was clearly at a disadvantage, blood dripping from the two kunai embedded in his right arm.
Their battle paused momentarily as Sai's ink bird descended through the mist. The pale boy's expression remained neutral as he addressed Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, Gato has arrived at the bridge with an army of mercenaries. He appears to have betrayed the contract."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly, but he showed no other reaction. "Is that so? Well, that certainly complicates things."
"Where is Haku?" Zabuza growled, his voice rough with exhaustion and anger. "What happened to my tool?"
Sai merely stared at him blankly, saying nothing.
"I asked you a question, corpse. Answer me!" Zabuza demanded, glaring up at Sai, who narrowed his gaze and seemed ready to fight Zabuza.
"You're hardly in a position to make demands," Kakashi reminded him coldly. "Or have you forgotten the state you're in?" He gestured to Zabuza's wounded arm.
Zabuza's response was cut short by Naruto's voice carrying across the bridge. "She's right here, Zabuza! Come see what your precious contract with Gato has cost her!"
Despite his injuries, Zabuza moved with surprising speed toward Naruto's voice. When he arrived, his eyes widened behind his bandages at the sight of Haku lying unconscious on the ground, her clothes singed, and burns visible on her skin.
His killer intent flared as he turned to Darui, who stood guard over Haku, the bridge builder and a pink-haired girl. "You did this to her?"
Darui met his glare with one of his own, black lightning crackling subtly around his blade. "This could have been avoided if you'd accepted our offer from the start. The moment you chose to fight, everything that happened to you and your subordinate became your responsibility." His voice grew colder. "Be grateful she has a Kekkei Genkai. Otherwise, she wouldn't be breathing right now."
Zabuza's grip tightened on his sword, but before he could respond, mocking laughter echoed across the bridge.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Gato emerged from the mist, surrounded by what looked like hundreds of mercenaries. "The great Demon of the Mist, brought low by a bunch of kids? How pathetic!"
"Darui-sensei," Naruto spoke quietly, purple lightning dancing around his hands, "weren't Yugito and Omoi supposed to destroy Gato's headquarters?"
"Mm," Darui nodded lazily. "They probably arrived after this coward left with his band of worthless thugs."
"Worthless?!" Gato's face reddened with anger. His eyes fell on Raiga's body, laying on the bridge. "Ha! Look at that! Another so-called legendary swordsman dead in a ditch! Just like you'll be, Zabuza!"
"What did you say?" Zabuza's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" Gato sneered. "Don't worry, I never planned to pay you anyway. Hiring missing-nin is so much cheaper when you can just kill them after they're weakened from fighting! And once you're dead, I think I'll let my men have some fun with that pretty little tool of yours—"
The killing intent that erupted from Zabuza was so intense that several of Gato's mercenaries took involuntary steps backward. Even Kakashi raised an eyebrow at its ferocity.
"Kakashi," Zabuza spoke without taking his eyes off Gato, "our fight is over."
"Oh?" Kakashi's tone was light, but his stance remained ready.
"This piece of trash has nullified our contract." Zabuza reached up and yanked the kunai from his arm, seemingly immune to the pain. "And I'm going to show him why you don't betray the Demon of the Mist."
He turned slightly toward Darui, though his eyes remained fixed on Gato. "After I separate this worm's head from his shoulders, Haku and I will accept your offer of sanctuary in Kumo."
Darui shrugged. "How dull. Could have saved us all a lot of trouble by saying that earlier." Despite his words, a small smirk played on his lips.
"Boss," one of the mercenaries whispered to Gato, "maybe we should—"
"Shut up!" Gato snapped. "There's hundreds of us and only a handful of them! And they're all injured or exhausted! Kill them all, and I'll double your pay!"
The mercenaries raised their weapons with a roar, but Zabuza's laugh cut through their battle cry.
"Haku," he spoke softly to his unconscious apprentice, "watch closely. This is what happens when someone threatens what belongs to me."
"Well then," Kakashi sighed, pulling up his headband to reveal his own Sharingan, "I suppose we should clean up this mess quickly. Tazuna-san still has a bridge to complete, after all."
Zabuza's bandages shifted, suggesting a savage grin beneath them. "For once, Kakashi, we agree on something." He raised his massive sword, ignoring the blood still flowing from his arm. "Let's show these thugs why even wounded shinobi are more than they can handle."
"So dull," Darui muttered, but black lightning was already coating his blade. "Naruto, when this is over, we're going to have a long talk about how missions are supposed to go."
"Yes, sensei," Naruto replied.
The mercenaries charged forward with another battle cry.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
What emerged wasn't the typical fireball Naruto had seen from Sasuke – this was a massive inferno that turned the night into day. The heat was so intense that everyone had to shield their faces. Gato's scream of terror was cut short as he and his entire army were reduced to ash in seconds. The bridge groaned ominously, deep cracks spreading across its surface from the sheer force of the attack.
Naruto's eyes widened, knowing this was too powerful. "That wasn't..." he glanced at Sasuke and Kakashi, knowing neither of them could produce such devastating fire.
Darui moved in front of Naruto, his casual demeanor gone. Black lightning danced across his blade and arms as he took a defensive stance. The way his sensei tensed told Naruto everything he needed to know – whoever was out there was dangerous.
Two silhouettes appeared in the remaining mist, approaching with deliberate slowness.
"Who dares?" Zabuza snarled, his sword raised despite his injuries. "That trash was mine to kill!"
A deep, mocking laugh echoed through the mist. "My apologies. I was really enjoying all the drama, but it was taking way too damn long."
Naruto watched Darui's grip tighten on his sword, but before anyone could speak, Sasuke stepped forward. His entire body trembled with rage, Sharingan blazing.
"ITACHI!!" Sasuke's voice cracked with fury. "WH-WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
Naruto's eyes widened. Itachi Uchiha – the man who massacred his entire clan in a single night. The S-rank missing-nin from Konoha, whom even the Raikage had warned him about. Even Shinobis from Kumo had heard about his name.
The mist parted, revealing two figures in black cloaks decorated with red clouds. The shorter one had lines under his eyes and the same Sharingan as Sasuke. The taller one looked almost shark-like, with blue skin and gill-like markings on his face. But what caught Naruto's attention wasn't their appearance—it was the unconscious form of Yugito draped over the shark man's shoulder, causing Naruto's eyes to widen with rage.
"Let Her Go, You Bastard!" Naruto roared with anger as his eyes turned red with anger. Darui gave him a look to stay back as Kisame let out a mocking laughter.
"You hear that, Itachi, this brat wants his lady back. She was quite fierce, but my Samehada found her chakra delicious." Kisame said with a shark grin while Itachi looked at Sasuke.
"Hello, Sasuke." Itachi's voice was soft, almost gentle. "How are you doing?"
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