"This is...the Kyuubi's chakra..." Kakashi widened his eyes as he looked at where Naruto was supposed to be. "This can't be possible. The seal can't have just broken."

Hanako started to feel every bit of her muscles trembling. "Is this...the power of the Bijuu?" she thought desperately.

"Akatsuki?" Hanako asked as if it were a joke. "Why would I have any interest in cooperating with you in the gathering of some useless chakra monsters?"

"They are not useless," Obito said. "You'll know what I mean when you face one of them for the first time." She gulped, his voice had become serious all of a sudden. Like what he was saying finally had an important meaning. "If I remember correctly, one of your 'pupils' is the bearer of the Nine-Tails. The Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki is in your team."

"So, this is...the Kyuubi," Hanako could feel an extremely powerful chakra coming from Naruto, which was full of anger and hatred. "It's the same feeling as that night..." She clenched her fists. "Well, this is why I'm here, aren't I..." Hanako muttered, trying to get up from the ground but Kakashi stopped her.

"Don't push yourself! You already used your Mangekyo once!" The Jonin had placed his hand over her shoulder and looked at her with a frown.

Hanako looked up at him with Sharingan eyes. "That is not your problem! The Third ordered me to control the Kyuubi if the seal were to be broken. It broke, Kakashi! And we're all in danger if I don't do something about it!"

"The real question is..." Both Konoha Jonin turned their heads to the swordsman, who was trapped between dogs and fangs, when they heard him speak. "Can you do something about it?"

Hanako pressed her lips into a thin line. Truth was, she had no idea. She had never controlled a beast in her life. She knew it was possible, Madara did it. But she didn't compare to what he was. Madara was known to be the Uchiha legend, the most powerful member ever born.

In addition to that, the Kyuubi's chakra was larger than she had expected. It was nothing like what she had ever faced. Now, she could see why the Akatsuki was obsessed in capturing the Bijuu. Were the rest of the beasts as powerful as the Kyuubi? If they were, gathering all nine of them would be the birth of the most powerful weapon in the history of the Shinobi. It'd be the supreme triumph card. But as fast as the sensation of the beast's chakra had appeared, it vanished.

"Well, we better finish this quick, don't you think, Zabuza?" Kakashi said, bringing Hanako back to reality. The chakra of the Kyuubi wasn't there anymore, Naruto was back to himself. "Did you really think I wasn't going to find you? My hounds can track smell, that's why I wanted you to cut me. My blood is still in your sword, so finding you was an easy task for my dogs." Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Do you see what the ambition has done to you? You've taken it too far, Zabuza. Your failed intent of murdering the Mizukage ended in a failure of a coup d'état. You were forced to run away with your few followers from your homeland with tracker-nin at your toes. You became a rogue, with a name too easy to learn even in the Leaf. And now you're too crazy to want to try it again. But for that you need money, and to get it you lowered yourself into a mercenary, turning yourself into Gatou's dog."

Hanako looked again at Zabuza being bitten by Kakashi's ninja dogs all around his body. He was completely immobile, paralyzed by numerous fangs piercing his being. "Rogue ninja, failed coup d'état, hunters following you around, have I heard of something like this before?" Hanako frowned as her head started to hurt. Of course, she remembered. Hanako fell onto her knees again, finding it hard to breathe.

"The mist is finally clearing up, Zabuza, and do you know what I see?" Kakashi asked again. "Your death. But this time it's not the Sharingan, this time there are no copied tricks. This time I'm going to show you something original," Kakashi finished as he got into position and gathered lighting nature chakra in his hand. "Raikiri!"

Hanako's eyes widened when Kakashi's chakra became visible in the palm of his hand. It was like a big white sphere with lightning bolts surging in and out of it in a constant flow. "I won't let you kill Tazuna," the silver haired man muttered in a dangerous way as he stared at Zabuza with deadly eyes. "He's a brave man with a noble dream. The bridge he's building is the hope of this country and his people. And you're just a pest; by attacking one, you affect us all. The worst of all," Kakashi narrowed his eyes, "is that you don't care. That's not the way of us Shinobi."

Zabuza smirked. "You're right. I don't care. Those small and useless people, and their small useless dreams...why should I care about them?" The swordsman narrowed his eyes. "I have my own dream!"

Kakashi's chakra raged furiously. "Before having a dream, you need to have a future," he said.

"Huh?" Zabuza raised his eyebrows in a mock.

"Give up," Kakashi hissed darkly. "Because your future, Zabuza, is death."

Hanako caught her breath. She had never seen this dark side of Kakashi. How easy it was for him to let his emotions aside to kill someone. Why did Shinobi always end up killing each other? If killing a bridge builder for a mission is not the way of a Shinobi, how come killing another Shinobi for another mission is? You're killing dreams in both cases, aren't you? How come killing the wrong person makes you the bad guy?

If Zabuza wasn't walking the way of a Shinobi, then neither was she. Hanako clenched her fists. She was just as bad. Lost, with no clue between what was wrong and what was right. Dream? What was her dream?

A purpose? What did she want to do? What was the meaning of her being alive?

"What's your aim?" Hanako frowned at the confident grin in his face.

"I want to change this world. I want to bring the so desired peace. I want to create a world in which only love, joy, justice and tranquility triumph. A world in which only winners exist; where there's only light and no wars nor hatred nor darkness. I want to create a world in which no ninjas exist, nor chakra, so that no one will be superior to anyone." Hanako observed Madara the whole time, processing what he was saying in her mind.

"Everything you say...It sounds just too good to be true," she said, focusing her eyes on his.

"Does it? How about I explain it to you?"

Hanako pressed her lips. "Peace?" she muttered for herself. "How could there be peace when there's only war? There's no such thing." She looked at Kakashi and narrowed her eyes. He was still looking at Zabuza with menacing orbs, with his chakra flowing wildly in his hand. "This world is moved by money. Missions. There's no money if there's no missions. There's no missions if there's no struggle. There's no struggle if there's no war. There's no war if there's no Shinobi. And there's no Shinobi if there's no money. It's all just a vicious cycle," Hanako thought bitterly. "The never-ending tale of Hidden Villages. Now I understand, Madara, what you said that day. I was too young to get it, but now it's crystal clear for me." Hanako smirked as she saw Kakashi flash towards Zabuza, bringing his Raikiri towards his chest. "I will destroy the current system, so we can build a whole new world. That's my dream."

Blood was splattered. Kakashi's summoning disappeared. Everything became suddenly silent except for the Raikiri's deafening sound. Hanako widened her eyes upon seeing Haku being thrust right through his chest by Kakashi's jutsu instead of Zabuza. He had teleported himself through one of his mirrors, which now had blood splattered all over its surface. Kakashi had used a scroll to summon his hounds, and Haku cancelled that summoning by piercing that scroll with his senbon. Zabuza was free.

"My future is...death, you said?" Zabuza burst out laughing maniacally. "Wrong again, Kakashi!"

Hanako clenched her fists. "Kono yarou..." She bit her thumb, drawing a drop of blood, and placed her hand over the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Hayabusa appeared in its complete form, which was three times larger than average human size. "I thought you were mad at me..." muttered the bird as he looked sideways at his summoner.

"You're forgiven," Hanako replied curtly, not taking her eyes away from Zabuza. Kakashi's Raikiri had disappeared, but Haku was bleeding unceasingly. He coughed out large amounts of blood once in a while. Haku moved his hand to grip Kakashi's arm.

"This boy...took the blow for Zabuza?" Kakashi thought as he looked at him with wide eyes. "He saved your useless life at the price of his..." The Jonin narrowed his eyes at the swordman.

Zabuza smirked proudly. "Well done, Haku." Zabuza gripped his sword, ready to cut both Kakashi and the boy in half. "I knew I had found a treasure when I found you, boy. Not only did you give me my life, but Kakashi's as well..." Haku tightened his grip on Kakashi's arm when he sensed him trying to escape.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura gasped when the mist cleared.

Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to free himself and escape on time. Instead, he took Haku with him and jumped away right before Zabuza slashed his sword towards them.

"Now, Hayabusa!" Hanako called after Zabuza lashed out. He had left an opening which the bird used to his advantage to kick away his Kubikiribouchou and bite into one of his arms tightly until he broke it. Zabuza screamed in pain and kicked the bird away, cancelling the summoning. Hanako clicked her tongue. Hayabusa probably wasn't yet in the mood for him to leave so quickly. "At least, he's got one arm less. You do the rest, Kakashi."

The silver haired Jonin had landed far from Zabuza, while holding Haku's body in his arms. Zabuza walked to his sword and smirked at him. "Not so bad for having a corpse in your arms."

Naruto appeared in the middle of the battlefield and widened his eyes when he saw Haku in Kakashi's arms. "You better not interfere." Hanako appeared behind him. "From now, we better be spectators."

The Jonin pulled out his bloodied arm from Haku's body as he looked at the corpse with pitiful eyes. The boy had died with his eyes wide open, so Kakashi closed them for him. Hanako knew that it had turned into a personal battle for Kakashi, she had helped him by taking out one of his arms but that's the only thing she could do at the moment.

Zabuza didn't show any signs of caring about the death of his partner, and that pissed off the ex-ANBU. Kakashi looked up at the swordsman with even more dangerous eyes. "This is...my battle."

"Naruto! Hanako-san!" Hanako and the blonde turned to look at Sakura, who was waving her arms in their direction. "Where's Sasuke?" Hanako looked at Naruto but he just looked away. Hanako couldn't feel Sasuke's chakra at the moment but she knew that the kid had to be fine. He was Itachi's little brother. "What's wrong? Where is he?"

Naruto pressed his lips tightly. "What happened, Naruto?" Hanako placed her hand over his shoulder. He didn't reply, but his eyes became teary.

"No..." Sakura widened her eyes. Hanako looked at the pinkette and her gaze softened.

"Kakashi! If I were you, I would concentrate!" Zabuza used his other hand to grab his sword again and attacked Kakashi. The Jonin dodged his attack and kicked him in his chest, sending him back.

"Sakura, let me take you to him. If I'm with you, you won't be disobeying orders." The girl nodded and took Tazuna's hand before running in the direction where Sasuke was. When they went past Naruto and Hanako, the latter looked over her shoulder at the running two.

"He's dead?" asked the Uchiha, not believing the words that had come out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry...I didn't do anything to protect him...and he just got in the way of an attack that was meant for me...that idiot..." A single tear rolled down Naruto's cheek.

Hanako looked back at him. "I refuse to believe he's gone." She frowned. "Maybe he's just unconscious.

"You think?" Naruto looked at her with wide hopeful eyes.

"It's just a guess. After seeing the relationship Haku had with Zabuza, I don't think he really killed Sasuke. Maybe he just knocked him out. You know, the toughest tend to have the most fragile hearts. I've seen it." Hanako smiled at him. "Haku was a good person. It doesn't take a super eye to see it. Let's just hope that some of that goodness rubbed off on Zabuza as well..." she sighed as she looked at the two Jonin fighting each other at the middle of the bridge. Sakura sobbed loudly and Hanako only closed her eyes. "It'll soon be over, I promise." She squeezed Naruto's shoulder in a reassuring way.

"Sasuke..."

Hanako focused her attention back at the swordsman. Kakashi had the upper hand in his battle against Zabuza. He tossed him around like a potato sac, kicking him and punching him every time the swordsman attacked him.

"Why can't I take him down?" Zabuza hissed as he attacked Kakashi once again and the Konoha Jonin punched him easily. At that, the swordsman grabbed his sword with his only hand and lashed at him. Kakashi jumped away and the sword destroyed the empty ground it hit.

Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza, placing his hand behind his neck. "Look at you. You're losing all your sense."

"What did you say?!"

"You have no idea what real strength is." Kakashi took out two kunai and got ready to stab him with them. "Good-bye..." Zabuza widened his eyes and tried to attack him again but Kakashi nailed the two kunai into a specific point in his arm. Zabuza let go of his sword and it slid to the other side of the bridge. Kakashi then jumped away from him, leaving Zabuza with both of his arms useless. "You can't rely in your arms anymore, not even to perform hand seals, so what's next?" They were suddenly interrupted by someone stomping his cand loudly.

Hanako looked behind the two Jonin to find Gatou standing there with a maniac grin in his face. "So, this is how it turned out, huh?" He chuckled. "What a fine job you did, Zabuza. You look like yesterday's sashimi I had." Zabuza muffled in disgust as he looked at the small man. "I have to say I'm disappointed. On the other way, Hanako-chan. Thank you so much for your invitation today. Hadn't I know you were all here, I wouldn't have come. And in acknowledgement of your little gift from last evening, I brought you one of my own." Hanako's eyes focused on the thousands of men behind the entrepreneur.

"So, there's the army..." Hanako muttered. "Thanks for the memo, Tsunami-san." Hanako smirked.

"Gatou, what are you doing here?" Zabuza looked at the man with a glare. "And what about those thugs you brought with you?"

Gatou chuckled. "Well, you see... There has been a change of plans. Or rather, this was always the original plan. You are going to die in this bridge, Zabuza."

Zabuza looked at him with widened eyes. "What?"

"What you hear. I never intended to pay you, Zabuza. Hiring people from Hidden Villages is too expensive, so I hire rogues like you and wait for the other people to hire Shinobi from a ninja village. That way I let you, Shinobi, kill yourselves in useless battles and then I hire a bunch armed bullies to finish you off. That way is effective and cheaper, since I don't have to pay you. I'm a genius aren't I?"

"That's why you offered to pay me the double, you evil bastard. You wanted me to finish all of them off so it would be easier for you." Hanako narrowed her eyes at Gatou. "You really disgust me." The Uchiha girl pulled a scroll out of her pouch and showed the picture at Gatou. "Look, this is you, Gatou. And do you know what it means when I show you a drawing of yourself in a parchment?" Gatou gritted his teeth. "It means this is the last thing you'll see before I kill you." Hanako lowered the scroll and looked at the business man with the Sharingan. "The only thing you'll pay is everything you messed up in this country."

Gatou bursted out laughing. "What? Do you really expect me to believe that a cute woman like you can actually finish off these thousands of thugs? That's actually impossible. So, guys. How about we finish this? Kill the 'demon of the hidden mist'," he laughed. "You know, Zabuza. Right now, you're as demonic as a wet kitten. How cute," everyone else burst out laughing. "You know, if you could actually discount some of them before you get killed, I would be grateful."

"Kakashi..." Zabuza muttered. "I'm sorry, we'll leave our fight here. I don't work for Gatou anymore so I have no reason to fight you or go after the bridge builder."

"I guess you're right..." Kakashi replied.

Gatou approached Haku's body on the ground. "What reminds me...this bastard broke my arm. I was hoping to make him pay for it, but I guess he already got what he deserves." He kicked his head with all his might.

Naruto widened his eyes at him. "You bastard! What do you think you're doing?!" Naruto ran in Gatou's direction but was suddenly stopped by Kakashi. "Why don't you say anything?!" he looked at Zabuza. "Wasn't he your comrade?!"

"Calm down, kid. Haku's already dead."

"So, you're just going to stand there and watch how he's treated like a dog? Weren't you together for years, doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

"You don't understand what being a Shinobi means," Zabuza said. "I just used him like Gatou used me." Naruto's jaw dropped. "Now it's over. The loss of his abilities do mean something for me. But the boy? He doesn't mean anything."

"If you really feel that, then you are worse than I thought you were..."

"Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi tried to say. "He's not our enemy anymore."

"LIKE I CARE..." he snapped at his sensei, pushing away from him roughly. "As I see it, he's my number one enemy!" Naruto lifted his finger and pointed towards Zabuza. "Who do you think you are, to throw away somebody else's life as if it was nothing, after he gave everything for you?! He gave his life for you! He cared about you! And you give a crap about him?!" Naruto tried to contain his tears but he couldn't. He cried as he yelled at the swordsman. "I hate you! How can you not feel anything?! If I become stronger, will I become as cold and heartless as you?! Because I don't want that!"

Hanako looked at Zabuza and her gaze became pitiful. "And what about Haku?!" Hanako widened her eyes. "Do you think he wants to do this? He's only here for you, Zabuza! He quit his own dreams to help you follow yours! What does that mean to you? What is Haku for you?!"

Zabuza looked down at her, letting go of his hold. "A tool. A killing machine."

Hanako gasped. "You're not serious. That can't be your final answer," Hanako clenched her fists. "Just think about it."

"I don't need you to tell me what to feel. Emotions are nothing but heavy burdens for a Shinobi. You should know that better than anyone, don't you?!" Hanako frowned. "What did it feel like to see all of your clan being massacred right in front of your eyes? Losing your family, your friends..."

"I would be lying if I said I don't feel anything. I hate myself for not being able to do anything about it, and even today I cry for them. But I don't think emotions are a heavy burden, and I think you ignore them because you've lost too much, and you're afraid of all of those feelings coming back at you. You fear they will haunt you, and cloud your judgement." Zabuza didn't say anything. "Be honest with yourself, you know you can't lie to me. I saw all your life flashing in front of my eyes. I saw all the time you spent with that boy, and I know you're lying when you say he doesn't mean anything to you." Hanako looked at the ground. "The way you looked at him, like if you were happy for the first time. Just...answer me this one thing," Hanako met Zabuza's eyes and saw sorrow in them. "What would you feel if Haku died in front of your eyes?"

"Shut up, kid. Your words..." Zabuza tried to say as tears rolled down his cheeks. "...are killing me." Naruto looked up at him with wide eyes. "Oi, Uchiha..." Hanako nodded in acknowledgement. "Now I know...what I would feel...It's unpleasant...I don't know how you manage to still be the way you are after what you've lived through...but, I want you to know...that I sympathize with you." Hanako smiled at him. "While fighting you, Haku's heart was breaking. He was always so humble, so gentle... He always felt pain and sorrow, and because of him now I feel that too. But I'm satisfied with how it all ended." He bit off his bandages, uncovering his face. Everyone just stared at him silently. "What? Did the cat eat your tongue? Are you surprised to see that I'm human? We Shinobi are still human. Even if we try to outrun them, we feel emotions, we fail... At least, I did." Zabuza's smirk disappeared from his face. "Kid, give me your kunai." Naruto pulled out one knife from his pouch and tossed it at him.

"Here..." Zabuza caught it with his mouth and glared at Gatou.

"I'll be your backup," Hanako said. "Just don't do something stupid..."

"At this point, I have nothing to lose." The Uchiha smirked and watched him as he threw himself towards the thugs, killing them with only one kunai. Hanako hurried behind him, killing everything in her wake as well. Zabuza got stabbed multiple times in his back, but that didn't stop him from continuing his way, towards Gatou. Hanako cleared his way and stopped anyone else who tried to attack him.

Zabuza finally got out of the gang of thugs and made his way towards the business man. Gatou gasped upon seeing him, and didn't have any time to react before Zabuza stabbed him in his chest. Hanako looked at some thugs who managed to escape behind him and they all stabbed him at once in his back. "If you're so impatient to see your friend at the other side then go...but you won't take me with you!"

"I don't think I'm going to the same place as Haku," Zabuza muttered. "Where he's going, I can't follow. But I can think of the place you and I will go, together." He looked at Gatou with an evil smirk as he approached him. "Yeah, just imagine, a place full of demons like me of all sizes and colors. I would definitely fit there." Gatou looked at him with wide eyes as he trembled in fear. "But you? Let's just say you will suffer for a painful eternity." After that, he took the kunai again and lashed at him multiple times until he cut his head off.

Gatou's head rolled until it reached Hanako's feet. She looked down at it and sighed. "How thoughtful of you...thank you," she said as she looked up at Zabuza. He was panting heavily but his eyes were focused only in one thing. Haku. He tried to walk up to him, but at one step he fell to the ground unable to move. The Uchiha walked towards him and kneeled beside him.

"Naruto! He's alive! Sasuke-kun is alive!" She heard Sakura's voice and smiled.

"You are all too at ease! You just killed our meat! So, now who is going to pay us? Guess we are going to take this city over, and search for treasures!" started screaming the thugs until an arrow fell right in front of them.

"If you continue to come any further into our island, the citizens will stop you with everything we've got!"

"INARI!" Naruto yelled upon seeing the kid.

"A hero shows up at the last second, right?" He smiled.

"Alright! I'll help out! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto made a bunch of clones.

"At least I can make that too..." Kakashi sighed. "It might fool them... Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! Kakashi version..." Kakashi also made lots of copies of himself, all looking at the thugs. "Do you really want some of these?" all of Kakashi's clones said at once.

The thugs gasped and threw themselves out of the bridge. "No we don't! We're getting out of here!"

Hanako laughed at how hilarious they looked and Kakashi and Naruto immediately poofed their clones away. She then looked down at the swordsman. "Say thanks to Haku on my behalf, I don't care if you say you're going to Hell... An old friend used to say that you don't know what kind of person you are until the day of your death. I think you and Haku will be together, in a better place." She smiled at him, Zabuza was listening to her and looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"Tell Kisame that I'm sorry, that I..."

"I know." Hanako nodded. "I'll watch over him."

Zabuza smiled softly. "Arigatou..." His eyes started to close slightly. "Hanako...would you please...take me where he is...?"

"Of course..." Hanako carefully pulled out every knife from his back and turned him around, so his face was facing to the sky. She then pulled out a kunai from her pouch and nailed it right next to Haku's body. She placed her hand over Zabuza's body. "Hold on tight..." she said as she switched the kunai's place with Zabuza. She looked at him appear right beside his partner and smiled softly. She stood up from her place, bringing the knife that had appeared where Zabuza was with her.

Kakashi approached Zabuza and Haku at the same time he slid down his protector over his Sharingan. "I guess this is the end..." Zabuza muttered.

"Yes..." Kakashi nodded.

"Oh! It's snowing!" Naruto exclaimed as he saw the snow falling.

"Snow? At this time of the year?"

"Haku..." Zabuza said lowly. "Are you crying?" he placed his hand on his cheeks as a tear escaped from his eyes. "I wish...we could go to the same place...you were always by my side. I want to be by your side...in the end..."

Hanako stood beside Kakashi and looked down at Zabuza. He had closed his eyes, and his body remained still. "His chakra is gone..." Hanako muttered. "Now they're both resting in peace..." She extended her hand to watch the small snowflakes fall on it before they melted into pure water. Kakashi took her hand in his and smiled down at her.

"Yes, they are."