Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

A small island in the Land of Waves.

Several boats docked swiftly as a group of wandering warriors disembarked.

At the center of the group stood Gato, adjusting his sunglasses as he stepped onto the shore.

"Hmph, I spent a fortune hiring Zabuza and his little sidekick. They should've cleared the way by now..." Gato muttered to himself.

Zabuza was a notorious rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist, a master of assassination techniques. Many had fallen to his blade—it should've been an easy job.

Once Tazuna was out of the way, the construction of the bridge would fail. And with that, Gato would have complete control over the country's shipping routes, tightening his grip on the Land of Waves.

"But those Konoha shinobi are a problem. If both sides kill each other off, that'd be even better."

A sinister grin spread across his face.

"In that case, I wouldn't have to pay the remaining balance."

He let out a low chuckle.

"Alright, let's go clean up the mess."

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Zabuza struggled to stand.

His chest was soaked in blood, ribs shattered, and his left arm hung limp at his side. His breath was ragged, yet his fierce gaze remained.

"If you surrender, we won't have to kill you," Kakashi said, his voice firm but not unkind.

Zabuza let out a bitter laugh. "Surrender? That word doesn't exist in my life."

His gaze drifted to Haku's lifeless body lying nearby.

"Bai... I won't be far behind you."

Kakashi exhaled softly, forming a familiar set of hand seals. Lightning crackled in his palm, forming a ball of raw energy. He understood—warriors like Zabuza would rather die fighting than surrender.

Just as he prepared to strike, an arrogant voice echoed from the distance.

"Well, well. Looks like the fight's over."

Gato approached with his hired swordsmen, his smug expression twisting into irritation the moment he saw Zabuza's battered state and Haku's corpse.

"You useless trash! I paid you to get rid of that bridge builder, and you couldn't even do that?!"

His frustration boiled over as he stomped toward Haku's body, sneering.

"And you—lying there like a broken doll! Pathetic!"

He gave the body a hard kick.

"That's too much!" Sakura gasped, hands clenching into fists.

Gato scoffed. "Hmph, you soft-hearted brats don't understand. Ninjas are just tools. If they're broken, they get thrown away like garbage. That's all this brat was—trash!"

He spat on Haku's motionless form, grinding his heel into the bloodstained ground.

"Get your damn foot off him!" Naruto's voice was filled with rage.

Zabuza's eyes, which had been dull with resignation, suddenly sharpened.

"So that's how it is..."

He glanced at the large group of warriors behind Gato.

"Hmph. You never planned to pay me, did you?"

Gato smirked. "Of course not. Why waste money on dead men?"

He turned to his men and waved a hand. "Kill them all. Leave no one alive!"

At his command, the warriors roared and rushed forward.

Zabuza exhaled slowly, gripping a kunai in his remaining hand.

"Kakashi... looks like my mission is over."

He lifted his head toward the gray sky.

"When will this cursed mist finally clear?"

With that, he dashed forward like a specter of death.

The samurai barely had time to react before he was upon them.

Blood sprayed through the air as his kunai slit throats with deadly precision. Even as swords sliced into his flesh, he pushed forward, his body a crimson-stained blur of violence.

"He's a demon!" one of the warriors shrieked, stepping back in terror.

Gato turned pale. "No—wait! I'll pay you! Name your price!"

But Zabuza ignored him.

A single slash.

Gato's head rolled to the ground, his terrified expression frozen in death.

For a brief moment, silence fell.

Then—

"Kill them!" The remaining warriors, desperate and enraged, charged toward Sasuke and the others.

Boom!

A massive fireball exploded in their path, sending waves of heat rolling through the battlefield.

Sasuke stepped forward, his eyes cold.

"Your boss is dead. No one's paying you anymore."

The samurai hesitated, exchanging nervous glances.

"He's right," Sasuke continued. "Unless you'd rather die for a dead man, I suggest you take your chances with his fortune instead."

The words sank in.

One by one, the warriors turned and bolted, abandoning the battlefield in favor of looting Gato's hidden wealth.

Kakashi let out a tired sigh. "Nice work, Sasuke."

His battle with Zabuza had drained most of his chakra, and if the mercenaries had truly fought to the death, things could've turned ugly.

"Alright, let's head back—"

Thunk.

Kakashi barely finished his sentence before his legs gave out, and he collapsed.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura and Naruto rushed to his side.

Sasuke crouched down, checking him over. "He's fine, just completely drained. You two take him to Tazuna's house. I'll follow in a bit."

Sakura nodded, and with Naruto's help, she supported Kakashi and started toward the village.

Sasuke turned back, walking toward Zabuza's fallen body.

He paused.

A single snowflake drifted down, landing on the back of his hand.

He looked up.

Snow.

The sky, once thick with mist and bloodshed, had opened up, releasing a cascade of white.

Soft, pure snow fell silently, blanketing the battlefield.

It covered Zabuza and Haku's lifeless forms.

As if the heavens themselves mourned the end of their story.