The Third Hatake: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 11: From Within

Naruto felt anger bubble up from inside of him as he looked at the grave he had put together for Zabuza, even though the man's body would not be present. It was his fault. If Zabuza wasn't at Tazuna's house, and if Zabuza hadn't wanted to join the Leaf due to Naruto convincing him, he'd still be alive. 

Alive. But were they truly living? Naruto didn't know, his thoughts now deep and filled with regret and hatred. He hated his own weakness. He needed to get stronger. Strong enough to protect Haku, because the moment someone like those two men come for Haku, he won't be able to protect her. 

The blame was on him. He was the reason Haku was in his room in Tazuna's house, crying her eyes out as she mourned the loss of her father figure, the man who had practically saved and raised her from when she was but a child. 

But, he was not the sole reason. No. It was Gato's fault as well. If Gato hadn't hired Zabuza to take out the bridge builder, then none of this would have happened. If Gato hadn't been such a douche, who decided to take over a tiny, and poor region of Fire Country for no reason at all. 

Gato was the reason Zabuza had died. Therefore, Gato was the reason why Haku was crying. So, Gato must pay. 

Naruto took out his sword, and looked down at the grave, his resolve now turning to steel. 

"I'll kill Gato for you, Zabuza. Goodbye." Naruto said, giving a small bow before disappearing in a blur. He knew exactly where Gato was staying. A large mansion in the woods a couple miles away from Zabuza's and Haku's former hut that they had stayed in for awhile. 

He caught sight of the mansion, a pair of guards watching a large gate, as an even larger wall surrounding the mansion. He easily cut the throats of the guards, not even bothering to give them a second look as he ran up the walls of the mansion before breaking a glass window, entering said mansion as he confronted the small businessman, Gato. 

"W-what? A brat, how the hell did you get in here?" Gato shouted as he looked at Naruto in surprise, the wind from the outside scattering his papers from his desk onto the ground. "Waraji! Zori!" He shouted as two men burst into the office, swords in their hands. 

"As if such pitiful thugs could take me down. Gato, I hereby sentence you to death for the suffering of Wave Country, and for the death of Zabuza Momochi." Gato rose an eyebrow, taking a few steps back. 

"That shinobi who couldn't even do his job? I didn't kill him, I planned to, but I didn't kill him." Gato said nervously. Naruto's eyes shifted into their Sharingan state as he began walking forward, his sword sparking with lightning. Gato took a few more steps back before pointing at Naruto.

"What are you doing you fools? Kill him!" He screamed at his two main bodyguards, who let out battle cries as they charged Naruto, their blades in the air, ready to strike. In one swift motion, they fell to the ground as blood pooled from their bodies, Naruto standing over them. 

"Like I said, thugs can't kill me. Zabuza claimed to be a demon," Naruto said, chuckling a little as he approached Gato, who was against the wall. Naruto's eyes turned a bright red, his pupils elongating as they turned to slits and he glared at Gato, a small smile on his face as he revealed his very, very sharp canine. "But I'm the real deal." 

Gato let out a loud scream that could be heard throughout the forest, before being cut off suddenly. 

A Few Hours Later

The two teams of Konoha Ninja waited for Naruto to appear as they stood on the other end of the now completed bridge, awaiting for the Hatake to appear. Haku, who stood further away from the group, looked at the ground, obviously in a depressed state as she waited for Naruto's arrival.