Kakashi knicked Zabuza with a kunai once again. The enemy jonin was beginning to grow frustrated, which was evident by the fact that he was trying to attack the other jonin and his genin much more often with much less caution.
"Water Style: Water Bomb!"
Adrik heard this and pointed up, which Kakashi saw. His eyes narrowed as he went through hand seals.
"Lightning Style: Thunderbolt!"
Kakashi ended his jutsu by pointing his middle and index finger at the water bomb. Out shot a bolt of lightning that exploded the water bomb, dispersing it into harmless drops that splashed to the ground.
Adrik opened his eyes wide as he saw the jutsu. Kakashi looked at the genin with confusion when he began to shiver.
"Adrik? Adrik, pull it together! Now isn't the time for that!"
Kakashi went to grab the teen's shoulder but stopped when he had to turn around. Without Adrik's help, Kakashi's instincts took over. He kicked the blade aimed at the teen away only to be met with a knee to the jaw. Kakashi flew back slightly before landing and rushing back towards Zabuza as he hadn't gone back into the mist yet.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower!"
Kakashi breathed in before spewing out a volley of red hot fireballs towards Zabuza.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Zabuza brought up a water wall that extinguished the fireballs. Kakashi continued forward unperturbed.
"Lightning Style: Shock Palm!"
Small arcs of lightning danced around Kakashi's hands before he put them on the water wall. Zabuza's eyes widened when the water wall collapsed and fell onto him. Kakashi's hands, still electrified, zapped the water as it landed on the enemy jonin.
Zabuza grit his teeth from the pain brought by the electrified water that he had helped create. He was kicked away by Kakashi as he was momentarily unable to move.
Kakashi looked back at Adrik when he noticed the smoke cloud had completely vanished. The teen was breathing hard and was now on his knees. His eyes were wide as he tried to calm himself to no avail.
Kakashi started to run over to the genin but fell to one knee when his right calf was slashed by a thrown kunai. His eyes widened when he saw Zabuza rush towards Adrik with a murderous rage. He reached the genin and raised his sword to his left side like a bat. Even with the pain in Kakashi's leg, he still stood up to try and reach Adrik. He was too late, however, as he heard a bone rattling crack followed by Adrik being launched away.
X
It was made painfully clear to both Naruto and Sasuke that the chunin had been holding back. After Sasuke hit them with fireballs, they had gotten much more aggressive. Naruto could barely make a Shadow Clone before it got dispelled by a few ice senbon.
Naruto looked back at Sasuke as they both panted.
"Please tell me you've got some kinda cool trick you can do with your Sharingan."
Sasuke could only shrug in response. Naruto looked back when he heard the whistling of more senbon heading towards him. He apologized to himself mentally as he made another clone, which lasted long enough to be hit by the senbon before it got dispelled, leaving the original unharmed and serving its purpose. Well, unharmed by those senbon specifically.
The two genin looked around in confusion after hearing a loud cracking sound. Moments later, what they saw what appeared to be a black torpedo shoot past them, breaking two of the mirrors as it traveled. Even the masked chunin had stopped attacking from the surprise. They all looked over through the new gap in the ice mirror dome as the object crashed into the bridge and made a trench shaped crater. They had only now noticed most of the mist had cleared up.
The two genin were confused when the masked chunin sped towards the crashed object. They started running as fast as they could after their target so as to not let them escape.
X
The chunin's eyes widened behind their mask as the dust settled to reveal one of the genin in the crater they made in the bridge. The teen's head was slightly caved in on the right side and his neck was bent at an odd angle. Blood spilled from the wound on his head, pouring down his blank face.
Naruto and Sasuke arrived, kunai in hand, to see the enemy chunin crouched next to the form of a horribly bloody Adrik. Their eyes widened and they completely disregarded the danger that came with approaching their enemy.
"Adrik!"
Naruto crouched down as the genin's wounds made themselves more apparent to him and Sasuke.
"Shit! Sasuke, help me out here!"
Naruto tried to pull Adrik up only to realize he was embedded in the concrete of the bridge. He looked back at Sasuke with his eyes growing watery. The black haired teen couldn't help but stand there and stare, his Sharingan helping him see even the smallest of details while making sure it perfectly memorized everything its wielder was witnessing. He didn't even know that another tomoe had appeared in his left eye, now matching his right.
"I said help me out here, goddamnit!"
Naruto's yell of desperation fell on deaf ears. He looked back at Adrik before trying to pick him up once again. Sasuke walked over, shaking now from more than just the pain in his body, and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Naruto... He's..."
Naruto looked at Sasuke angrily before looking back down at Adrik. His eyes widened as his mind had finally caught up to what he was seeing. Tears fell down Naruto's scuffed up cheeks as he couldn't help but look at his friend's bloody face. Neither the blonde genin nor the masked chunin looked up when Sakura and Tazuna ran over to them. Their eyes widened in horror as they saw the same thing the others did.
X
"No..."
Kakashi stared across the bridge, his own Sharingan helping him clearly see everything that was happening. From behind him, Zabuza laughed.
"It was about damn time! That brat was starting to get on my nerves! Now, it's just you and me, Kakashi."
Zabuza raised his sword and pointed it at the silver haired jonin.
"No..."
Zabuza raised an eyebrow.
"What? Sad some stupid little shit died in a fight he wasn't strong enough for? It was bound to happen and you know it!"
Kakashi slowly turned his head to stare at Zabuza. His left eye spun, becoming a swirl of black and red before coming to a stop moments later. Zabuza's eyes widened as Kakashi stared him down with nothing but hatred.
"There's no way... That's... The Mangekyou-"
The missing nin was cut off by a punch to the gut that made him double over. He barely had time to register the hit when it was followed up by a double handed sledgehammer hit that sent him face first into the ground. He felt as his back was stomped on once before he was kicked in the side, catching air before landing on that same side and rolling away from the force of the hit.
Zabuza stopped himself by stabbing his sword into the ground. He looked up at Kakashi and his eyes widened. From the other side of the bridge, a bright orange-ish red glow appeared followed by a loud roar. In the distance, he saw what appeared to be the head of a strange looking fox. Moments later, a red blur shot over towards him and grabbed his face before it planted him into the ground, sending out a spider web of cracks through the concrete.
Zabuza's eyes refocused and he saw the frightening form of Naruto, coated in an angry red aura, with his blue eyes turned crimson with slitted pupils and his whisker marks darkened, looking more wild than before. He kicked the teen off of him and jumped back towards his sword. He pulled it out of the ground only to miss his swing. Naruto had landed an elbow straight to the jaw that sent the enemy jonin stumbling back.
Before Zabuza could regain his balance, he was kicked in the back by Kakashi, making him stumble back towards Naruto. The blonde genin bared his teeth before letting out a deafening roar that sent out shockwaves, sending Zabuza flying backwards.
Zabuza looked up after landing to see Naruto's nails elongating slightly and sharpening to fine points. Kakashi stood next to him furiously running through a short string of hand seals.
X
The chunin slowly removed their mask to reveal a teary eyed Haku. She stared down at the teen she had only met a few days prior. Even so, she couldn't help but feel a sadness and guilt she had never felt for anyone besides the jonin she accompanied.
Haku carefully reach down and pulled Adrik's hand up out of the concrete. She gripped it tightly as she still didn't let her tears fall. On the other side of Adrik, still in shock, stood Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna, the latter two crying.
Haku closed her eyes and thought back to her encounter with him in the forest. He held a fear in his eyes that she had never seen from anyone, even herself. He replaced it with a kind attitude that made her actually feel at ease, even if for a brief moment. It was then that she realized something. She hadn't even gotten to see him smile.
Even though Sasuke didn't understand what connection the chunin had to Adrik, he knew they weren't enemies. Not in that moment, at least. He looked back down the bridge to see Naruto and Kakashi beating down on Zabuza. The enemy jonin seemed to even be somewhat frightful of the situation.
Sasuke flinched as a shiver ran up his spine. He turned around when he noticed the temperature growing rapidly. His eyes widened when a mix of steam and black smoke erupted from the wound on Adrik's head. It was followed by a growing sense of dread that enveloped the entire area. He, Sakura, and Tazuna stepped back as a burning pressure began weighing them down. Their eyes grew wider as they fell to their knees in fear.
Haku's eyes opened when she felt the warmth return to Adrik's hand. She let it go as she fell back in surprise. She wiped her eyes as she watched Adrik begin to move. He slowly pulled his body from the crater he made before standing up, only to fall to his hands and knees. Haku moved to help him up but stopped when she finally took note of the teen's expression.
Adrik's eyes were wide and held nothing but a primal rage. The dark orange ring around his pupils changed to an almost blinding bright orange-ish yellow. The embers had completely left his eyes, being replaced by another bright orange ring that bordered his irises. In the dead center of his pupils, a single tiny, bright yellow dot appeared. His hair, no longer in a ponytail, began flowing as if caught in a weak breeze. His teeth were bared and thick clouds of embery ashes rose up from the corners of his mouth. He slowly got to his feet with the burning pressure growing many times harsher than it started out as. After a few seconds, the ashes formed a dense cloud behind the teen. In the cloud, something began to take shape.
It had pupilless, bright yellow eyes and a short snout. It bared its molten yellow teeth in a manic smile. On its head sat two glowing orange horns like that of a ram's. It's body appeared next. Its back was arched slightly at the base of the neck and its hide held the pattern of the ember-filled smoke that Adrik commonly used. At the front, from its paws to halfway up its legs, were lightning like patterns in orange and yellow. At the end of its body, where its tail should be, sat a writhing black mass, making it seem as if it had an uncountable number of tails. The creature formed in the smoke let out a maddening cackle before slowly disappearing back into the ash cloud.
Haku watched with slight confusion as Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna fell to their hands and knees while breathing hard. When she looked back up at Adrik, she saw he had disappeared. Looking around, she saw him at the other end of the bridge. Her eyes widened when she saw the trio of Adrik, Naruto, and Kakashi standing around a beaten up Zabuza.
X
Kakashi and Naruto were beyond shocked when they saw Adrik appear in front of the downed Zabuza. They both felt relieved that the teen was okay before they saw his expression. Their eyes widened as they fell to their hands and knees and started breathing hard. Kakashi's Sharingan went from a hooked, three point shuriken design back to the regular three tomoe. Naruto's red aura disappeared and his eyes returned to the regular blue color. His whisker marks returned to normal, the same as his clawed hands. While Naruto fell flat to the ground while trying to breathe, Kakashi got up to one knee and looked up at Adrik.
The teen stood over Zabuza slightly slouched over. He picked the jonin up by his neck until his feet were off the ground. The ashes exuding from Adrik formed up in his right hand. They stopped gathering and slowly traced up Adrik's right arm, the wrappings burning away upon making contact with the ashes. It slowly formed into a very sharp gauntlet of solid ash that reflected light in a way similar to metal. The cracks in the gauntlet gave it the pattern of orange lightning carving through the ash.
Adrik brought his gauntlet covered hand over towards Zabuza's heart before he pulled it back. He swung it forward mercilessly with no intent of stopping until his arm was through the jonin's chest.
"Stop!"
Adrik flinched slightly with his clawed gauntlet only fractions of a centimeter away from piercing Zabuza's chest. He turned his head around slowly to stare back at a teary eyed Haku.
"P-Please, don't... don't kill him..."
Haku stared back intently at the teen who was moments away from killing her master. She was somewhat surprised when Adrik turned back around and dropped Zabuza to the ground. His gauntlet broke apart piece by piece with each piece breaking down further into black ashes that eventually faded. The burning pressure that had once weighed them all down had disappeared almost instantly. The yellow dot at the center of his pupils vanished as he seemed to be calming down.
"Well, would you look at that? It's just as I said, boys!"
Everyone turned to see a short man standing at the end of the bridge. Behind him was what could only be described as a small army consisting of well over two hundred bandits and thugs.
"Sensei, is Adrik al-... right..."
Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna stopped as they noticed the new arrival. Kakashi and Naruto slowly got to their feet while Zabuza barely managed to get to his knees with help from Haku.
"I knew you were pathetic, Zabuza! And your little whore, too! Hiring you was a mistake, and I'm here to rectify it! You see these men? This army? They're here to get rid of all you ninja and the bridge builder once and for all!"
Kakashi turned to address his team.
"Any of you think you can help me with this?"
One by one, all of the genin shook their heads, except for Adrik.
"It looks like we're not enemies anymore, Zabuza. Wanna help me take down that employer of yours?"
Zabuza shrugged as best as he could.
"Pretty sure you and the blonde kid beat me to high hell, so I probably can't do much. Haku, can you help?"
Haku gave a small nod.
"I will try."
Kakashi turned to ask Adrik as he hadn't gotten an answer from the teen. His eyes widened when he felt the burning pressure return, only instead it was directed towards the small army in front of them. The ninjas and Tazuna watched with wide eyes as Adrik slowly walked forward. Before he even took his first step, most of the bandits were down on their knees dry heaving. With Gato being at the front of the crowd, he was the worst off. He had already passed out with his eyes rolling into the back of his head.
Adrik continued forward and most of the army fell to the ground in the same state as Gato. The teen slowly raised his hand and pointed it at the small army.
"Hell Summon: Grand Burning."
Before their eyes, the entire section of the bridge occupied by the bandits was lit up by burning ash. There were no screams that could escape the cloud of ash before they were silenced. The smoke rose into the sky before disappearing. The ashes vanished to reveal not even dust remained anymore. Scorch marks lined the concrete of that entire section of the bridge. Gato and his army had been reduced to nothing.
Adrik put his hand down and his body went limp. Before he could fall to the floor, he was caught by Haku. The last thing he saw before going unconscious was a small smile from the girl. Who's to say if he would even remember those last moments awake, though...
X
Buried deep down where only a few could reach laid a dimly lit sewer with ankle deep water and pipes running along the walls. In a chamber at the end of the sewers sat a cage with giant bars that reached far too high to see. On what was presumably the gate of the cage sat a large paper with the word "seal" written on it covering a spiral shaped lock.
From the dark behind the cage, a single crimson eye opened, the pupil slitted like a wild animal's. The creature that the eye belonged to moved to sit up. It opened its mouth with a snarl as memories bombarded it. The memories were of its prison's warden and what they had seen.
"He is still so weak. Such a pathetic creature... Not to mention the lazy one is his teacher. At this rate, I'll never get a chance to get out of here..."
The creature let out a low growl as the memories continued rolling like some sort of tape reel. It stopped growling and raised an eyebrow as the images went on.
"This one is... new. No Chakra to speak of. Even so, he exceeds most his age... An Element... Strange."
The memories went on and on with the giant creature growing more intrigued. Its crimson eyes widened as it came upon one image that it couldn't take its gaze off of. While its host hadn't dwelled on it, he made sure to get a good look. The giant creature couldn't even care less that its host had used its power, unintentionally or otherwise.
"That... What is..."
The creature stopped and looked around, seemingly frightened, as a mad, animalistic cackle echoed around the halls of the giant room. It turned around sharply, the water forming into waves as it moved so drastically. The giant creature looked around in the darkness before seeing a glimpse of something. It was a pair of solid, molten yellow eyes that stared back at it with an indescribable madness and fury. A maw full of sharp, molten orange and yellow teeth smiled wickedly. The cackling grew louder before the eyes, and the maw below them, vanished back into the darkness. The giant creature, now rightfully confused and ever so slightly fearful, slowly moved to sit back down while staying awake. It made sure to keep its eyes open at all times.
"That thing... This human... It's not one of us... What are you?"