In just a moment, despite their best efforts, Naruto and Sasuke were bleeding from dozens of wounds. Haku's senbon needles struck them from all sides, and small bursts of red mist exploded from their bodies with each impact. Their faces, arms, and legs were covered in blood.
"Damn it," Naruto grunted, "is this guy's chakra bottomless?! This storm of needles just won't stop!" His own chakra was already depleted. Though he had recovered some after the fight with Zabuza's clone, he had been completely drained again. All he had left was sheer willpower.
Fortunately, his physical strength was incredibly formidable. In this critical moment, his monstrous stamina kicked in, and he found a new reserve of energy. He dodged left and right, his body moving on instinct, avoiding the worst of the attacks while still looking for an opening to counter.
"Konoha Cyclone!" he roared, ignoring the blood streaming from a gash on his cheek. He kicked out with explosive force, striking an ice mirror hard, but it still failed to break. "Damn it, these things are so sturdy!"
Sasuke, meanwhile, was using the last of his own strength, his Sharingan burning as he constantly tried to predict and dodge the attacks. He had only awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan, and his chakra and mental stamina were insufficient. After the previous battle, he, too, was at his limit. Soon, he was also covered in wounds, blood gushing from multiple cuts.
Outside the cage of ice, Kakashi and Hinata could only hear Naruto and Sasuke's pained cries, a clear sign that they were at a disadvantage. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," Hinata whispered, her hands clenched in worry. "Please, don't let anything happen to you."
"They've both exhausted their chakra," Kakashi sighed, his voice weak. "Their opponent is at full strength, and with that Ice Release, he's not an easy opponent to defeat. Hinata, you... cough, cough... go help them."
"But, Kakashi-sensei... and Tazuna-san..."
"If those two die, I can't possibly survive either," Tazuna said, his voice grim. "Go, Hinata!"
"Go," Kakashi nodded.
Hinata hesitated, but then she shook her head, her gaze firm. "I've been watching the battle with my Byakugan. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun won't be defeated so easily. I'm worried about them, but I'm also worried about your safety, Kakashi-sensei. You can still fight, but Kakashi-sensei is already... The enemy is cunning. I will not leave you unless absolutely necessary."
Kakashi's heart stirred. "Hinata, you really are... a strong yet gentle child."
"Because I believe in them," she said softly, a gentle smile on her face. "I believe in Naruto-kun, and Sasuke-kun."
Inside the ice prison, Naruto could still hold on, thanks to his Uzumaki bloodline and his "Multitasking" ability. His body was bursting with monstrous physical power, and his chakra was slowly but constantly being refined, even in the middle of battle. Sasuke, however, had finally reached his limit.
"Sasuke, how are you doing?! Can you hold on?!" Naruto shouted, seeing his rival falter.
But how could Sasuke admit defeat in front of Naruto? "Don't underestimate the Uchiha clan!" he roared. He unleashed a barrage of shuriken, a shower of steel that flew in all directions, creating a momentary opening in the storm of senbon.
"Now!" Sasuke shouted, a reminder for Naruto to cooperate.
"Got it!" Naruto understood immediately. This was likely Sasuke's last bit of power, the last chance he could create for them. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" he yelled, focusing what little chakra he had left.
Sasuke, too, unleashed his remaining reserves. "Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
The two ninjutsu merged into one, transforming into a giant fire dragon amplified by a raging storm. It roared and howled as it furiously blasted towards one of the ice mirrors. Haku knew something was wrong and hurriedly tried to move, but it was too late.
*CRACK!*
With a crisp sound, the entire ice mirror shattered.
"Great! Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun!" Hinata cried out with joy.
"Sasuke! We did it!" Naruto cheered. A rare, fleeting smile appeared on Sasuke's lips. But the next moment, everything went black before his eyes, and his body collapsed to the ground.
"Sasuke?!" Naruto rushed to his side.
In that instant of vulnerability, Haku's voice echoed through the remaining mirrors, cold and furious. "I will never let you out! If I do, Zabuza-san will be doomed!" He had lost his temper, his face becoming somewhat ferocious and distorted. One after another, thousands of ice senbon burst forth from the remaining mirrors, all of them aimed at the fallen Sasuke.
Sasuke was about to die.
But Naruto lunged forward, using his own body to shield his rival. Dozens of ice needles pierced through his back, his shoulders, his arms.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shrieked.
The most shocked person, however, was Sasuke himself. He stared dumbfounded at the drops of blood dripping onto his face and hands as Naruto hunched over him, enduring the pain. "You idiot!" he choked out. "What are you doing?! I don't need you to save me! Why did you do that?!"
Naruto was panting heavily, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Who knows why! Who... who said I wanted to save you!"
Sasuke's eyes, no longer able to maintain the Sharingan, reverted to their normal state. His dark pupils trembled, not with shock, but with a profound and bewildering sadness. He didn't even know what to think.
Watching this scene, Haku's expression changed. He saw himself and Zabuza in Naruto and Sasuke. "Are you also willing to sacrifice yourself for your comrade? Just like I feel about Zabuza-san... I am moved, and I admire you, but our positions are ultimately different. For Zabuza-san's sake, I still ask you to die. I'm sorry." He raised his hand again, about to unleash a final, fatal volley.
But in that very instant, Zabuza Momochi, who had been lying motionless on the ground, struggled to his feet. He abruptly pulled the senbon from his neck, panting heavily. He looked at Haku, then at the ice mirrors, and then at Kakashi, and immediately understood the situation.
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