"Who exactly are you?!"
Knowing his plan had failed, the boy glanced at Hinata and sighed softly. "The Byakugan... the bloodline limit of the Hyuga clan of Konoha Village. Truly impressive." He gently removed the mask from his face, revealing a handsome and refined face that seemed almost too beautiful to be real.
Everyone's heart stirred slightly. *Is this ruthless and cunning person actually a beautiful young woman?* Naruto couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful girl..." Hinata felt a pang of sadness but nodded in agreement.
The boy just glanced at him and said, "I'm a boy."
"...Huh?!" Naruto was flabbergasted. "How... how is that possible?!"
"Naruto," Kakashi said in a deep voice, "this is not the time for that. We must defeat this person as soon as possible, otherwise Zabuza will..." At that point, Kakashi suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Hinata exclaimed, rushing to help him. The boy, whose name was Haku, immediately tried to slip away, but Sasuke unleashed several shuriken, forcing him to stop.
"Hmph, you think you can still escape?"
Haku's face darkened. Kakashi, meanwhile, was almost unconscious, every cell in his body screaming in pain. "I'm so sorry, Naruto, Hinata," he gasped. "After using the Sharingan, I'm afraid I'm no longer able to fight. You absolutely must stop that boy, or everything will be for nothing."
Naruto was relieved to see that he had only exhausted his chakra and knew he would be fine. "Hinata, you protect Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna-san. I'll handle this arrogant guy!"
"I understand," Hinata nodded. She gently placed Kakashi on a nearby rock, activated her Byakugan, and assumed her defensive stance. Her 360-degree field of vision allowed her to perceive everything around them. Naruto strode forward and, together with Sasuke, blocked Haku's path.
"Hmph, if it weren't for Hinata, you would have almost fooled me! I never imagined you were that jerk's accomplice! Put him down right now!"
Haku sighed softly. "It seems I can't take Zabuza-san away without defeating you."
"Defeat us? What a boastful tone!" Naruto roared. "You think you're the only genius ninja?!"
Haku didn't speak. He simply began forming hand seals. He held the unconscious Zabuza in one arm, yet his other hand moved with blurring speed. A one-handed seal! Even Kakashi, on the verge of fainting, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "A one-handed seal! Even I can't do that... this boy is a genius."
Naruto and Sasuke were also taken aback. They had never even heard of such a thing. They exchanged a quick glance, a chill running down their spines. The boy in front of them was clearly not to be trifled with.
"Water Style Secret Art: A Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!" Haku said in a low voice. In an instant, the surrounding water vapor condensed into thousands of senbon, which shot out in a 360-degree arc. The range was huge, the quantity was massive, and the speed was incredible.
Fortunately, Naruto and Sasuke were both extraordinary. Sasuke activated his Sharingan, his powerful perception allowing him to dodge the vast majority of the needles at the last second. Naruto immediately formed his own hand seals. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" A violent gust of wind howled from between his hands, blasting away most of the senbon. A few still hit, drawing streams of blood, but Naruto didn't care. He activated his Wind Body Flicker, his body becoming a blur of afterimages as he closed the distance and unleashed a powerful punch. "Wind Style: Whirlwind Fist!"
Haku frowned but did not panic. He swiftly formed a one-handed seal and activated his unique ninjutsu. "Ice Style: Crystal Ice Mirrors!" In an instant, a huge block of ice transformed into a dome, protecting him and Zabuza. Naruto's attack struck the ice, creating cracks and making a snapping sound, but it didn't shatter.
"What is this?" Sasuke was taken aback. "Ice Style? A bloodline limit like the Sharingan?!"
"Ice Release Kekkei Genkai," Kakashi coughed, his face pale. "It's a secret technique passed down through generations of the Yuki clan in Kirigakure. Could it be that you are..."
Haku's face was calm, with only a hint of cold sorrow. "That's right. I am the last surviving member of the Yuki clan. My name is Haku."
Sasuke was shocked, his face turning deathly pale. He thought of his own clan. "An orphan? That means..."
"Yes, the Yuki clan has been wiped out... vanished into the Blood Mist. Right now, I have no clansmen, no relatives, no parents. All I have is Zabuza-san. So... I will never allow anyone to hurt him. Even if it costs me my own life."
At that moment, Haku activated his last secret technique. "Ice Style: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" The ice dome shattered, but instantly reformed, merging with the surrounding water vapor and rapidly transforming into mirrors made of ice. The mirrors quickly surrounded him, as well as Naruto and Sasuke. Haku placed Zabuza's "corpse" outside the mirrors, then gracefully entered one himself.
Naruto and Sasuke looked around. Even the sky was covered by the ice mirrors. The only way to escape was to break through them. But the next moment, Haku's figure appeared in every single mirror. "It is impossible to break my ice mirrors," he said, his voice echoing from all around them. "This is not an ordinary ninjutsu, but a bloodline limit."
"No ninjutsu is impossible to break!" Sasuke sneered. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!" A blazing fire dragon roared out, but when it struck the ice mirrors, it failed to break or even melt them.
"Indeed, fire can melt ice," Haku's voice said indifferently, "but Fire Release cannot suppress Ice Release. Your jutsu is just a regular five-element ninjutsu. How could it possibly suppress my bloodline limit?" Ice Release was a combination of Water and Wind Release and could not be broken by ordinary fire jutsu.
"Damn it!" Sasuke's expression turned grim.
"Sasuke," Naruto said, "if an ordinary fire jutsu won't work, then that one might!"
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. He understood. If they worked together, using his Great Dragon Fire Technique in conjunction with Naruto's Gale Palm, they could unleash a combined ninjutsu that might have a chance of breaking through the Ice Release. "Okay," he nodded, "let's give it a try!" In the face of death, the two rivals finally put aside their past grievances.
"The combined ninjutsu that defeated Zabuza's clone was indeed very powerful," Haku said coldly, "but you need an opportunity to use it." In an instant, countless white figures darted swiftly between the ice mirrors, and from each one, thousands of ice senbon shot out like a hail of bullets. The space was cramped, the mirrors were unbreakable, and the senbon were overwhelming, leaving them with very little room to dodge.