The fog came before dawn.
Not a whisper this time—but a wall.
A creeping cold that settled in your bones and whispered in your ear:
> You will not leave this place unchanged.
We stood on the bridge, backs to the wind. Naruto clenched his fists. Sasuke's eyes were sharper than I'd ever seen.
I bounced on my feet, muscles loose, breath steady. The system pinged in the corner of my vision.
> Event Triggered: "Battle for the Bridge"
Difficulty: High
Survival Rate: 42%
Objective: Protect the builder. Survive.
Bonus: Save Haku. (Hidden)
Figures.
---
Zabuza stepped through the fog like a wraith.
Massive blade on his back. That cold, indifferent stare.
And then—
Haku appeared.
Wearing a porcelain hunter-nin mask.
I felt Naruto freeze beside me. I didn't need chakra sensing to feel the shift in the air.
Haku wasn't gentle now.
He was a weapon.
---
Kakashi went for Zabuza.
We got Haku.
He moved like lightning—one second on the ground, the next mid-air, needles flying in a storm. Naruto and I dodged, Sasuke countered with fire. It didn't land.
Then—
> Ice Mirrors.
A dome of glass bloomed around us, hundreds of reflective surfaces—and inside each one, Haku's mask.
Naruto panicked. "Wha—how is he—how's he in all of them?!"
"I don't know," Sasuke said, breathing hard. "But he's fast. Too fast."
And he was.
Needles came from everywhere.
I took a few. Not deep—but they burned.
> System Alert:
Passive Skill Activated: "Pain Threshold I"
Status: Stable
Note: Emotional pain will not be mitigated. Good luck.
Gee. Thanks.
---
Inside the mirrors, it felt like time bent.
Naruto yelled. Sasuke bled. I fought to keep up—kicking, twisting, trying to find the real Haku.
But they were all real.
Or maybe none of them were.
Then one needle struck too deep. Sasuke staggered. Naruto screamed.
And that's when something in me snapped.
> Emergency Buff Activated:
Adrenaline Surge II
Speed Doubled for 10 seconds.
[Warning: Risk of muscle tearing — Accept?]
Yes / No
YES.
---
I moved like lightning.
Broke through a mirror—fist first.
Glass shattered.
And I landed in front of Haku.
Face to face.
Mask cracked slightly where my knuckle hit it. His eyes—wide, stunned, almost… relieved?
"I didn't want it to be you," he whispered.
"Then stop."
"I can't."
His voice was a blade hidden in silk.
"I made a promise. I'm a tool. I exist to protect him."
"I get it," I said softly. "I'm here for the same reason."
Then I lowered my stance.
And raised my fists.
"Let's see which one of us can protect harder."