A surge of cold air spread outward as Haku's chakra flared violently, the Ice Release forming a crystalline dome around him.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled as countless ice shards burst forth, meeting the wave of shuriken in midair.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Sparks scattered as the kunai and shuriken shattered upon the hardened ice. Though Haku had managed to block the assault, Menma's goal had already been achieved — he had forced Haku's attention away from Zabuza, buying Kakashi valuable seconds.
Even if Haku possessed a powerful Kekkei Genkai like the Ice Release, Menma could sense that his chakra reserves and reaction speed weren't limitless. For Menma, who had trained relentlessly and understood the gap between academy drills and real combat, this battle was both a test and an opportunity.
'He's fast… but I can read his rhythm,' Menma thought, narrowing his eyes.
"Get out of my way!"
Haku's calm tone cracked with emotion. Behind the porcelain mask, his eyes burned with desperation. Zabuza was in trouble — pinned by Kakashi's ninken, his movements completely sealed. Every moment Haku spent fighting here was one more second his master might not survive.
"Hmph, then try it!" Menma replied, flipping his kunai into a reverse grip. The steel gleamed under the faint light.
Without hesitation, Haku formed hand seals with blinding speed.
"Ice Release — Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"
The surrounding mist thickened as the air temperature plummeted. From the moisture, hundreds of ice needles materialized and shot forward like a storm.
"Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!"
The barrage came fast — too fast for an ordinary Genin to dodge.
"So fast!" Menma gasped, twisting his body with trained precision. He ducked and rolled, the needles slicing past his cheek as his kunai deflected several in midair.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Even as he avoided the brunt of the attack, he could feel the cold biting into his skin.
Haku was already closing in.
At that exact moment—
"Fire Release — Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Sasuke's voice rang out from behind. His fingers blurred through hand seals before he exhaled several fireballs that spiraled through the mist. The flames, controlled through chakra, curved perfectly toward Haku's exposed flank.
"—!"
Haku's eyes widened behind his mask. He leapt back, weaving another one-handed seal.
"Ice Release — Ice Crystal Shield!"
"Boom!"
The clash of heat and cold filled the area. The flames struck the icy barrier, bursting into clouds of steam that rolled across the bridge. The fog thickened even further, obscuring vision once more.
But through that haze—
"Rasengan—no, just a punch this time!!" Naruto's voice roared as he charged through the steam, fists glowing with chakra.
"Wham!!"
The hit connected cleanly with Haku's side, the force sending him spinning through the air before crashing into the bridge's surface.
"Gah—!"
Blood splattered against the ice as Haku coughed violently, trying to regain his balance. His chakra flickered weakly.
But before he could recover, Sasuke was already upon him, kunai in hand, his Sharingan glinting faintly with awakening awareness.
"Give up!" Sasuke shouted, leaping forward.
Haku reacted instinctively, raising a wall of ice. But Menma was already behind him, his movements precise and merciless. Together, the three Genin coordinated instinctively — Naruto from the right, Sasuke from above, and Menma from behind.
"Whizz!"
"Bang!"
"Crash!"
The ice shattered beneath the combined assault.
"Pfft!"
A spray of blood misted through the air. Sasuke's kunai pierced through the edge of Haku's chest guard. The masked shinobi staggered, trembling, his breath growing shallow.
Naruto froze mid-step, his expression twisting in shock. "Wait—he's just a kid!"
But Menma's kunai had already descended. His eyes were focused, unflinching — the battlefield was no place for hesitation.
"Shing—!"
The blade struck true.
"Urgh…"
Haku's body shook as blood trickled from beneath his mask. His gaze drifted upward, eyes softening with quiet sadness.
'Zabuza… I'm sorry…'
With that final thought, Haku collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Silence settled across the bridge. The mist, once dense, began to thin.
Menma stood there, kunai trembling faintly in his grip. The crimson on the blade glistened under the dim light. Sasuke's hand fell to his side, the adrenaline draining from his body, while Naruto could only stare in disbelief.
They all turned their eyes toward Zabuza and Kakashi in the distance — where the battle's true end awaited.
Haku's body lay motionless on the cold stone, a thin trail of blood leading toward the spot where his master fought desperately.
The haunting stillness after the storm was deafening.