The wind cut sharply across the bridge, weaving its way past the six figures there. It never stopped, only intent on going somewhere else. Of course, that was how the wind was; no matter how long it would last, no matter how far it went or would go, it never stopped, never had any real destination to go to. It just went; until it would wend its way out.
Just like the Humans- no matter how hard they tried, they never had a real destination. Just an End. Just as an End to all things.
Just as the Wind ends, so do Humans, so does the Oceans, so does the Sun, so does the World. As does Life.
As do Demons, as do Gods.
What do you think was worst?
On this bridge that the wind forsook for calmer pastures, there was a boy. A boy clad in orange. Yes, that boy.
Uzumaki Naruto desu. Naruto, as he was known, was currently facing off against a strange girl, who he thought was a good three years his senior.
What do you think was worse, Naruto?
The boy shook his head distractedly. Haku spoke again. "Naruto-kun? Were you listening to me?"
Naruto couldn't deny the irony. She speaks exctly like I think a Mother would... Mother.... "Gomen."
"I said that, I don't want to have to hurt you." And the really sad thing was... he knew she wasn't lying.
He smiled lightly, although there was little, if any, mirth in it. "Could've fooled me." He motioned towards the stricken Sauske, needles sticking out of him at odd angles. He twitched. Naruto smiled just a little bit wider.
"He was attacking me," she replied simply.
"Figures, sounds just like him. Anyway... I don't care whether you want to or not. Bastard or no, he's my friend. People who hurt my friends... I hurt them."
Haku's face softened behind her, and she wished she had her mask back on.
With her mask, she wasn't human. Just another demon. She could be detached, she could be cold, calculating, uncaring and someone else. Without it, she was Human. She was weak. She had emotions and wants and need and fears.
Like this boy. Something inside her... feared this boy. A primordial fear that harkened back to a time before Time. Before man first spoke or waged war or even Walked. A simpler life. Where their fears were much more real and ever-present.
Fool, she reprimanded in her mind. "You care for him that much?"
The smile slipped. "Him, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei... they're all I got." His voice took a edge of steel in it. "And I won't let you take them away from me."
Simple. Cold as Ice... No. Cold as Death, Simple as the Grave. She knew, right then and there, that she had lost. Even if she had the skills to beat his body... His will, his mind, would remain unbroken. Plain and simple. She lost this bout. With a world weary sigh, she went over to the fallen boy. Before Naruto could react, she swiftly withdrew the needles. Each and every last ne, gone, only a few drops of blood to tell they were ever even there. Immediately, the boy started to cough, and his body shook. Then, he stilled, his chest taking in deep, deep breaths. Then, he began to move his arms.
"Naruto-kun... I'd like to say that I understand you, but... I really don't. But, I think you'll understand, when I say... Zabuza-sama is all I have!" Willing away her fear, she charged, senbon flying.
And Naruto just laughed.
***
Kakashi regarded his opponent, a kunai dangling almost carelessly from his hand. "Well, well, well..." And then, he remained silent, eyes shifting about, up and down and side to side. Zabuza laughed quietly.
"You really don't understand at all, do you? Why you're here?"
Kakashi shrugged, again with an air of indifference about him. "i know enough."
Zabuza laughed again. "This is bigger than any of us. You, me, the brats, this bridge, the bridge builder, Gatou... You really don't understand."
"Make sure to enlighten me." He threw the kunai, lightning fast, but Zabuza caught it with no effort at all.
"There is no more Zabuza no Oni. I have seen the true Demons."
"And where would those be?" He took out another three kunai, idly twirling them between his fingers, eyes never leaving the man with the Zanbato.
"Everywhere," the masked man answered.
It was then that the Earth was cast asunder with a sound of thunder, casting them all to the ground.
***
Before anyone could stop him, old man Tazuna had already rushed away from the bridge center, towards the epicenter of the explosion- his village. Oblidgingly, all the ninja on the bridge rushed after him, partly out of duty but mostly out of curiosity. When they saw the village... they just stopped.
There was no smoke, there were no flames. But, oh yes, there was blood. It rained from the sky, now. Tazuna fell to his knees. Sakura bent over and voided her stomach of its contents onto the ground, barely missing Naruto's shoes.
Amongst the ruins lay bodies- bodies of those hey were supposed to protect. They weren't just killed. They were dismembered. For a good three hundred bodies, none of them were whole. Very few could be identified. But this was no mere slaughter- no, this was a Feast. Several bore evidence of being chewed. And, with a cry of pain, Tazuna saw his daughters body.
Her head was several feet away, and her left arm was cut off at the elbow. He cradled the desecrated husk like it still breathed, holding her tenderly with no mind to the blood that still seeped out feebly. "Who... who... could h-h-have-"
He never finished his sentence- a large, fast, dark something jumped out of the shadows, grabbing the still man and thrusting it's very arms through his chest. He only gave a small gasp as he died- he had naught left to live for, anyway.
It was about then that reality caught up to the Genin and Haku- so unused to bloodshed, especially on this scale. Sakura screamed. Sauske averted his eyes. And Naruto and Haku both sprang towards the... Beast. Kunai and senbon both went towards it, and it didn't even flinch as the weapons dug themselves in it's pale flesh. It's eyes glowed a dark red, and it's arms flared up, and the mouth opened- four seperate ways. And then it attacked.
Or, at least, it would have, had not a large Zanbato sheard off its' head and arms. Zabuza regarded they two for a moment. "Haku, don't follow me. Keep them here by any means necessary. We have a new enemy, and they are not it. If my guess is right, then He will be here. If any come at you, remember; you have to dismember them for it to do any good. Goodbye... Haku." Then, he was gone, jumping into the wreckage.
A ghastly, inhuman roar permeated the air, chilling them to the bone.
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Story notes: Title means "Come Sweet Death" in German
Chapter notes: I'm taking a lot of the ideas I had for "Himura Naruto" and putting them into an entirely new story (Haku's a girl again, but it serves a purpose). I mean, twenty some odd chapters of prolouge... No, just NO!
So, I took the ideas I had for the later part of the story and made a new one, since I'm lazy.
Oh, and all of the Chapter titles will be Rammstein songs... since it fits. This one is "Ashes to Ashes"