Watching the enemies run away, Naruto, panting, looked around. "We… we won, right?"
Sasuke leaned against a tree, sweat dripping down his face. His Sharingan had long faded, his chakra almost empty. "Tch, idiot."
He later saw what really happened—it was Sukuna again. Just like him, Sukuna went on and beat Naruto's opponent as well.
'How can that idiot still say that after he needed Sukuna's help to even touch his enemy,' Sasuke sneered.
Sakura was clutching her arm where a senbon had grazed her. "That was… awful. I hate missions like this." As good as she was with senbon, she begrudgingly had to accept that the masked boy with Ice Release was far better than her.
"This is your first mission like this," Sukuna promptly reminded her.
"And I already hate it," Sakura snapped, sending an annoyed glare at him.
Karin looked no better. Her hair was a mess—and yes, she blamed the fight, not her genetics, not at all. Even her clothes were torn, and her hands trembled from exhaustion. "I thought we were going to die back there," she said weakly.
Sukuna had the urge to retort about the shallow wounds on both girls. If Haku really intended to kill them, they wouldn't have been standing here like this. However, he held back.
The girls couldn't beat him, but they definitely held grudges.
The worst off was Kakashi. The silver-haired jonin was down on one knee, breathing heavily. His Sharingan eye was dim, his body shaking. He tried to speak, but the moment he relaxed, his body gave out completely. With a dull thud, he fell forward—unconscious.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Sakura shouted together, rushing to him.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, stepping forward despite his own exhaustion. "He's out cold."
Sukuna crouched beside Kakashi. He didn't need years of medical knowledge he'd learned in Konoha Hospital to know that Kakashi was chakra-deprived.
Still, he had to act the part. He pressed two fingers to Kakashi's neck, then closed his eyes briefly. "He's fine," Sukuna said calmly. "Just chakra depletion. He burned himself out keeping that Sharingan open too long."
Sakura sighed in relief. "So… he'll be okay?"
"Yeah," Sukuna replied. "He just needs rest."
Naruto frowned. "Then what are we supposed to do now?"
Without their leading jonin, who would be giving orders? Of course, the strongest should.
All their eyes turned toward Sukuna—even Sasuke. He was prideful, not an idiot, and he could see the clear strength gap. They waited for his response.
Sukuna pointed toward the dirt path ahead. "We keep moving. The old man's village isn't far. We'll rest there."
Naruto nodded, then made a cross sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Dozens of Narutos popped into existence, making the forest look like a crowd of orange jumpsuits. Together, they gently lifted Kakashi onto their shoulders.
"That is indeed a useful jutsu," Sukuna muttered with a pang of envy. If only he could—sage knows he had the reserves for it, just not the same kind.
"Alright, let's go!"
Karin groaned, rolling her eyes. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"
"Hey, I carried him! I get to say what I want!" Naruto snapped. Beside Sukuna, he was the only one still full of energy even after spending an entire genin team's worth of chakra.
Naruto was indeed a monster when it came to chakra. Even Karin, with her arguably purer Uzumaki bloodline, couldn't compare.
Sasuke clicked his tongue. "You talk too much, dobe."
"Shut up, teme!" Naruto barked back.
Sukuna walked behind them, hands in his pockets, glancing back once more at the fading mist. "What would have happened for this change to come forth? Maybe I should have gone to Hidden Mist back then to check the changes I brought," he muttered to himself.
As they walked down the dirt path toward the Land of Waves, the team looked battered, tired, and half-broken—but alive. And for now, that was enough.
...
The forest was dark and silent as Haku and Kimimaro made their way through the trees, carrying their fallen comrades. Zabuza hung limply over Haku's shoulder, his breathing shallow but steady. Suigetsu was slung across Kimimaro's back, his body soaked but still intact. Both of them were unconscious after the fierce battle against Kakashi's team.
Haku kept glancing over his shoulder, his senses sharp and alert. The mist had already swallowed the trail behind them, but still, he was cautious. "No one's following us," he whispered softly. "But we should hurry, just in case."
Kimimaro nodded, though his steps were heavy. Blood still leaked from the wound on his side, but his face was calm and unreadable. "We'll make it," he said simply. "The hideout isn't far."
For a while, only the sound of leaves crunching underfoot filled the silence. Finally, Haku broke it. "Kimimaro… what do we do now?" His voice was quiet but troubled. "Zabuza-sama is hurt, Suigetsu too. The mission was to eliminate Tazuna, but we failed. Should we return to the Hidden Mist and report this?"
Haku had known Zabuza the longest. However, Kimimaro was the strongest after their jonin sensei. He was the leader when Zabuza wasn't in command, so it was Kimimaro's choice what to do next.
Kimimaro didn't answer right away. His eyes stayed fixed ahead, watching the faint glow of mist lanterns marking the path to their base. "No," he said at last. "We can't return yet."
Haku frowned. "Why not? The mission failed. If we return, maybe Lady Mei will—"
Kimimaro cut him off. "This mission is important. The deal with Gato is an official arrangement with the village. If we break it, it'll damage Mist's reputation and cost us funding we can't afford to lose."
Haku's brow furrowed. "But Gato is a corrupt man. He only wants to use us to kill innocent people."
"It's not our place to question whether one is innocent or corrupt. We are ninja, and we have only our orders to follow," Kimimaro replied, his tone calm but cold. "You know as well as I do that the Hidden Mist is currently rebuilding its strength. Gato pays well, and Mist needs that money. Until we're told otherwise, we follow through."
Haku's hands tightened around Zabuza's coat. "You're saying we should keep helping that man?"
Kimimaro stopped walking for a moment, glancing at Haku. "It's not helping—it's working for money. A contract. Don't think too deeply about it. Once Zabuza wakes up, we'll decide the next move together. For now, we focus on surviving."
After a long pause, Haku nodded quietly. "Alright. We'll rest."
By the time they reached their hidden lair—a cave masked by thick vines and mist—the moon was high. They laid Zabuza and Suigetsu down carefully on makeshift beds of cloth and straw.
Haku sat beside them, staring at the flickering lamplight. "I just hope Zabuza-sama wakes soon," he murmured.
Kimimaro leaned against the wall, closing his tired eyes. "He will," he said softly. "His injuries are not lethal. But it will take time for him to heal. We better prepare some herbs before he wakes up," Kimimaro suggested.
Haku's eyes then went to Suigetsu's shoulder. The boy had reinforced it with bone, but Haku knew it would need treating as well.
...
A/N: Perhaps I stretched this fight a bit too much. Do tell me so I won't from next time on. But if you think it was fine, then—well, good for me.