On the other side—
Haku accelerated his assault.
The number and speed of his senbon were pushed to the absolute limit.
Swish—swish—swish—swish!
They fell like a torrential downpour.
Naruto's Shadow Clones dispersed in large numbers.
"Damn it! I'm burning through chakra too fast!" Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Sakura was still pouring all her focus into destroying the ice mirrors. Three of them already showed visible cracks, but Haku immediately poured chakra into repairing them.
"It's useless," Haku said calmly. "Your chakra will run out first."
Sasuke clenched his teeth. He had been maintaining Lightning Release: Cell Activation for nearly five seconds now.
A sharp, stinging pain spread through his body.
"I can't stop… just a little longer…"
His Sharingan stayed locked onto Haku's movement path.
Suddenly—
Sasuke noticed something.
"Wait… the frequency of Haku returning to one specific mirror is increasing…"
"And the chakra fluctuations there are the strongest…"
"That's the core mirror!"
"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. "Attack the mirror at the very top! That's Haku's core!"
"Got it!"
Naruto instantly created twenty Shadow Clones.
"Everyone, move!"
The twenty clones leapt up at once, their fists slamming into the topmost ice mirror.
"I've been found out?!" Haku's expression changed.
He immediately burst out from between the mirrors, trying to intercept them.
But that was exactly what Sasuke had been waiting for.
"Now, Sakura!"
"Understood!"
Sakura formed hand seals.
"Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell!"
The genjutsu chakra spread outward.
The moment Haku's true body appeared, he was caught in the illusion.
The world before his eyes twisted—
He saw Zabuza lying in a pool of blood, collapsing lifelessly before him.
"Zabuza-sama?!"
Haku froze.
It was only an instant.
But it was enough.
Boom!
The twenty Shadow Clones' fists struck the core mirror simultaneously.
Crack—crack—crack!
The entire mirror shattered completely.
"Ah—!"
Haku spat out blood and dropped to one knee.
With the core mirror destroyed, the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals formation lost its balance. The remaining mirrors began to fracture one after another.
"We did it!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
Sasuke deactivated Lightning Release: Cell Activation, bending forward and breathing heavily.
Five seconds—that was his current limit.
"Don't let up!" Sakura ordered. "Don't give him time to recover!"
Naruto's Shadow Clones rushed forward again.
Haku struggled to stand, barely dodging.
Without the overwhelming speed provided by the ice mirrors, his movements slowed drastically. His chakra was nearly depleted, and his stamina was at its limit.
"…Damn it," Haku muttered through clenched teeth.
He forcibly gathered the last of his chakra.
"Ice Release: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"
Countless ice needles shot out.
But their power and density were far weaker than before.
Sasuke had recovered just enough.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A roaring fireball surged forward, its heat melting most of the ice needles midair.
"…Damn it…" Haku dropped to one knee. "My chakra… is almost gone…"
Just then—
A massive explosion echoed from afar.
Rumble—rumble—rumble!
The entire bridge shook violently.
Haku snapped his head around.
As the dust settled, Zabuza and Raiga were both lying on the ground, bodies riddled with wounds.
Kakashi was standing there, picking up the fallen Kiba.
Then—
He turned toward Zabuza.
Lightning gathered in his hand.
"Raiga… is dead?!" Haku's eyes widened.
"Zabuza-sama is in danger!"
Haku abandoned all thought of continuing the fight and forced himself to stand.
"Get out of my way!"
He tried to rush toward Kakashi.
But Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura instantly blocked his path.
"Your opponent is us!" Naruto shouted.
"Move!" Haku cried out anxiously, throwing a handful of senbon at random.
The attack was completely unfocused.
Naruto's Shadow Clones easily blocked them.
"You're panicking," Sasuke said calmly. His Sharingan had already seen through Haku's movements.
"You're full of openings."
Haku forced his way forward, trying to break through.
But Sakura was ready.
"Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell!"
The genjutsu activated once more.
The image of Kakashi killing Zabuza flooded Haku's mind.
"No—!"
His body stalled.
In that instant—
Sasuke attacked.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Several fireballs shot in from multiple angles.
Haku sensed the danger and tried to evade.
But Naruto's Shadow Clones had already sealed every escape route.
"This is our teamwork!" Naruto shouted.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Encirclement Formation!"
Dozens of Shadow Clones surrounded Haku from all sides.
There was nowhere left to run.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fireballs struck home.
"Ahhh—!"
Haku was blasted backward, blood spraying from his mouth as he flew through the air.
He crashed heavily onto the ground. His clothes were scorched over a wide area, and his skin was badly burned.
His mask shattered, revealing his delicate features.
"…Wait, is that a girl?" Naruto froze.
"No, he's a boy," Sakura corrected calmly. "The voice is male."
"Huh?" Naruto scratched his head. "But he looks really pretty…"
"Shut up, dead last." Sasuke stepped forward, lightning flickering in his hand as he aimed at Haku.
Though it wasn't a full Chidori, the pressure alone was overwhelming.
"Don't move," Sasuke said coldly. "You've already lost."
Haku lay on the ground, his entire body wracked with pain.
His left arm was broken, at least two ribs were fractured, and severe burns covered his body.
He had completely lost the ability to fight.
Yet he still struggled, trying to crawl forward.
"Zabuza… sama…"
Sasuke stepped down on Haku's wrist.
"I said don't move."
Sakura knelt beside him, green chakra appearing in her hands.
She didn't heal him—only examined his condition.
"Multiple second-degree burns, a fractured left arm, broken ribs, and chakra nearly exhausted," Sakura reported calmly. "He's completely incapacitated."
Tears streamed from the corners of Haku's eyes.
He stared weakly into the distance.
Kakashi's Lightning Release: Chidori had fully formed, aimed directly at Zabuza.
That blinding light was like the scythe of the god of death.
"No… don't…" Haku whispered, despair filling his voice. "Please… let me go over there…"
"I'm sorry," Naruto said seriously. Though he felt sympathy, he shook his head firmly. "We can't let you interfere with Kakashi-sensei's fight."
"But…" Haku reached out with his free hand, desperation overwhelming him.
"Zabuza-sama… is the entire meaning of my existence…"
"Without him… what value does my life have…"
"I'm just a tool… only when Zabuza-sama needs me… do I have a reason to exist…"
Tears continued to fall.
Sasuke looked at Haku, a complicated expression flashing across his face.
Living solely for someone else…
It reminded him of his own hatred for Uchiha Itachi.
"…"
In the distance, Kakashi's voice rang out clearly.
"Are you ready, Zabuza?"
"I told you—if we met again in seven days, I would kill you."
Hearing this, Haku completely broke down.
"No… please… Zabuza-sama… don't…"
He struggled desperately, but Sasuke's foot held him firmly in place.
The lightning in Sasuke's hand remained aimed at him—any sudden movement would be met with a strike.
"Please…" Haku sobbed. "You can kill me… just spare Zabuza-sama…"
Sakura looked at him, pity stirring in her heart.
But she still shook her head.
"I'm sorry… we also have a mission we must complete."
Haku slowly closed his eyes.
Tears slid down his cheeks.