Inside the Sphere
Inside the ice sphere, Naruto stood still with his eyes closed.
He was concentrating his qi carefully, building the false story inside Haku's soul piece by piece. Sweat slowly appeared on his forehead as he altered Haku's memories.
This was not simple.
Every memory had to connect.
Every emotion had to make sense.
If even one part felt wrong, Haku's soul could reject the change.
But Naruto did not rush.
He carefully tied each memory together, turning the story into something smooth and believable. The broken fragments inside Haku's soul began to connect one by one.
Soon, they formed a complete sphere.
The manipulated memories fused perfectly inside Haku's mind.
Naruto slowly opened his eyes.
At the same time, Haku began to regain consciousness.
His eyelids trembled before slowly opening. The first thing he saw was Naruto standing above him.
For a moment, Haku looked confused.
Then his eyes cleared.
"Master..."
Haku looked around at the frozen world, then down at his own body.
"What happened to me? Why are you in my domain, Master?"
His voice carried confusion, but there was no suspicion.
Only trust.
Naruto's expression remained calm and authoritative, like a master standing before his servant.
"The enemy used a trick to control your mind and forced you to attack me," Naruto said. "I dealt with him, but his influence remained inside your mind."
Haku listened carefully.
Naruto continued.
"You activated this domain out of confusion. I subdued you and corrected your mind. Now, you're free."
Haku's eyes glistened with gratitude.
"Thank you, Master. I owe you again."
Naruto waved his hand lightly.
"No need to worry about it."
Then Naruto voice dropped to a firmer tone.
"Listen, Haku. No one outside knows about you. They also don't know you are my servant. I will create a made-up story, and you must cooperate with me. Do you understand?"
Haku nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Master."
Outside the Sphere
The sounds of battle filled the bridge.
In the distance, Kakashi and Zabuza clashed fiercely through the mist. Kakashi's Sharingan tracked every movement, reading Zabuza's attacks and countering them one after another.
Zabuza was still standing, but his condition was clearly worse than before.
His injuries from their last fight had not fully healed. He had not taken enough rest either. His pride had pushed him to come here again and take care of the bridge builder himself.
Now, that pride was costing him.
Zabuza's breathing was uneven.
His strength was slowly decreasing.
Closer to Tazuna and Sakura, Gato and his men continued advancing.
Their laughter and ugly grins sent chills down Sakura's spine. She tightened her grip on her kunai, but her hands were trembling.
Fear and tension pressed down on her chest.
She could feel their dirty gazes on her, and it made her stomach twist with disgust.
'Naruto, come fast... you bastard! What are you doing?'
Gato's group kept walking closer.
Only ten meters were left between them and Sakura.
Then a loud cracking sound echoed across the bridge.
CRACK!
THUD!
Everyone's attention snapped toward the source of the sound.
Gato, his goons, Sakura, and Tazuna all turned to look.
Kakashi and Zabuza were still locked in their own fight, but even their battle seemed distant for a moment.
The massive ice sphere surrounding Naruto and Haku began to collapse.
Ice crystals broke apart and fell onto the bridge, scattering everywhere. A thick mist burst out from inside the broken sphere, covering the area for a few seconds.
As the mist slowly faded, two faint shadows appeared.
Then two figures stepped out side by side.
Naruto and Haku.
Sakura's heart filled with relief the moment she saw Naruto.
"Naruto, you came!"
Her voice almost trembled.
"I feel like I've been reborn."
But in the next second, her relief turned into confusion.
Haku was standing beside Naruto.
He was not attacking him.
Sakura stared at them, unable to understand what had happened inside the sphere.
Naruto's clothes were not damaged.
His body did not look injured.
'What happened inside? Why are they not fighting? How did Naruto come out unharmed?'
Question after question filled Sakura's mind, but she had no answer.
Tazuna was also shocked.
Even Gato and his goons looked confused, because they knew Haku was on Zabuza's side.
Naruto's sharp gaze swept across the entire bridge.
He looked at Sakura.
Then Tazuna.
Then Gato and his men.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"It looks lively out here."
He turned his head slightly toward Haku.
"Haku..."
Haku immediately lowered his head.
"Yes, Master."
Sakura's eyes widened.
Gato's face also changed.
The word master had revealed something they were not ready to understand.
Naruto's smirk deepened.
"Let's make some noise."
Then he pointed toward Sakura and Tazuna.
"Haku, protect them. Create an ice wall around them. Then release ice spikes from the ground and make them appear in random places where these goons step."
Haku's hands moved quickly through signs.
"As you command."
In the next moment, a wall of ice rose around Sakura and Tazuna, cutting them off from Gato's men.
At the same time, sharp ice spikes burst out from the bridge floor.
They appeared without warning.
One spike shot up near a goon's foot, injuring his leg and making him jump back in panic. Another rose behind two men, forcing them to stumble away. More spikes appeared around the group, breaking their formation and scattering them in fear, injuring as many as possible.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Move! Move!"
"Don't step there!"
Gato's men began shouting as the bridge turned into a dangerous field of ice.
Sakura stood behind the ice wall, still holding her kunai.
She looked at Haku, then at Naruto.
Her confusion only grew stronger.
'What did Naruto do to him?'
At the same time, Sasuke had just reached the back of Gato's group.
But before he could move forward freely, ice spikes blocked his path.
"Tch."
He cursed under his breath and slowed down, jumping from one safe spot to another while avoiding the spikes.
Amid the chaos, Naruto's instincts sharpened.
His gaze turned toward Kakashi and Zabuza's fight in the distance.
Zabuza was faltering.
His breathing was shallow, and his movements were losing strength. He looked as if he was standing at death's doorstep.
Kakashi was preparing to finish him.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
A sudden urgency gripped him.
He clenched his fists and ran toward Kakashi and Zabuza with full speed.
Inside, his thoughts screamed.
'Don't you dare kill Zabuza, Kakashi!'
There was a reason he needed Zabuza alive.
(To Be Continued...)