Chapter 37: Brawl at the Bridge

Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 37: Brawl at the Bridge

"So, Zabuza and his little assistant are dead?..." Gato looked around the bridge with a smug expression.

"That's too bad, I wanted to see that arrogant missing ninja die with my own eyes… oh well..."

"Talk about being arrogant…" Naruto grumbled. He gave Kakashi a side glance. "What are the instructions? Can we kill them all?"

"We, ninjas of Konoha, are fully authorized to kill non-mission-related targets for as long as our lives are threatened. There is a self-defense clause and all of that." Kakashi answered.

"Including the short one?" Naruto glanced at Gato.

"What are you waiting for? Go get me the head of that bridge builder, and kill all those useless ninjas too!" Gato ordered.

The men behind him began to laugh and shout. They all seemed eager to finally get something to break.

"That sounded like a threat to me. So yes… the short one too." Kakashi said.

Tazuna stood a good distance away from them, with Sakura right in front of him, acting like a shield. "Are they going to be okay?" the builder asked.

Sakura's eyes moved to her side, to the tree where she had left Sasuke to rest, before going back to the front. She could only see the backs of Kakashi and Naruto.

She knew they were both injured and tired. She had not missed the burns on her teammate's body. Those were the reason she had not yelled at him for letting Sasuke get hurt. And Kakashi had been using his Sharingan during the entire fight with Zabuza, and she was aware of how much that drained him.

"They are going to be okay… they won't lose against some swordsmen." She said with conviction.

Kakashi went first and started to slash the mercenaries away.

Naruto could not use the Kyubi's chakra again. His body had not recovered yet, and putting it through that again would certainly kill him.

However, with a quick glance, it became evident that these men Gato had brought with him were not too impressive.

They seemed to be at the level of the two who attacked Tsunami.

He saw a group of around ten of them running at him while yelling.

"Kill that boy!"

"Come here, blondie!"

Three of them fell down after having some kunais stabbed into their skulls.

When he went to grab some more, he realized something. 'It looks like I'm out…' He had already used all his kunai and shurikens. The only thing left in his belt was a smoke bomb.

"Ahh!" Someone tried to slash him with a long sword.

Naruto dodged the attack and used his fists since he had no more weapons.

He punched the man in the neck. A loud crack was heard when his neck shattered under the intensity of the blow.

Three more men took the opportunity to close the gap and went for the kill.

It was then that Naruto noticed the sword in the hand of the man he had just killed. It was a straight long sword with a double-sided blade.

He was very familiar with this type of weapon. Even though he had always favored his fists and legs over weapons, this sword was going to make things faster, in the current situation he was in.

His best techniques required a very high cultivation level and he could not use them now. But sword techniques were a bit different. The dao of the sword was more about comprehension than actual physical power.

Someone who had been truly illuminated in this path could be able to split a mountain in half with a butter knife while barely using any phisical strength.

Naruto was no master by any means, but he met a few true masters and had learned a few things over the years.

The men attacking him were carrying a variety of weapons, long swords, short swords, clubs, chains, axes… it did not matter.

As soon as he moved his sword, their heads were separated from their necks. It only took a single swing, and a dozen men died.

"Maybe I should have brought a sword with m-" Before he could finish his sentence, the blade of the sword he had just used snapped in half. The pressure he had put on the weapon had been too much for this cheap steel.

"If I can find a decent one." He added.

When Naruto glanced forward, he saw that only Gato was still standing. Kakashi had made quick work of the other mercenaries, leaving the short businessman by himself.

"W-Wait! Let us talk about it!" Gato stared at their silver-haired teacher. All his previous arrogance and confidence were now gone.

"There is nothing for us to talk about. You must have been aware of the consequences of your actions." Kakashi told him.

"Wait!" Gato got to his knees and raised his arms up. "I surrender! Just arrest me."

Kakashi was now hesitant to continue. If Gato surrendered, maybe it would be better to restrain him and take him to Konoha, where he could be properly judged.

The Jonin felt something moving quickly and passing by his side.

"Urgg…" Gato let out a gagging sound. His neck had been pierced by a broken sword blade.

Kakashi turned around and watched as Naruto approached. It didn't seem like the boy had suffered a single scratch from those mercenaries.

"What was that?"

"The blade?" Naruto asked. "I ran out of kunais."

"You know what I mean… the man had surrendered. There was no need to kill him."

"That is incorrect. For as long as that man was alive, our client's life was going to be at risk. I was just following the mission parameters." Naruto shrugged. "And let's be honest… if you had wanted to stop that blade..." he pointed at Gato as the man collapsed on the ground. "You could have done so... Am I wrong?"

Kakashi sighed. His eye moved back to the now-dead businessman.

"I suppose not."

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