---
Naruto: Avatar of Balance
Chapter 4: Currents of Courage
The mist thickened around Team 7, swallowing the Land of Waves' bridge in a ghostly haze. Suzuki's breath hitched, his hands still tingling from the water he'd bent against Zabuza's clones. The Demon of the Hidden Mist stood across the bridge, his massive Kubikiribōchō gleaming with menace. Kakashi's Sharingan spun, locked on Zabuza, while Naruto clenched his fists, itching to charge. Sasuke guarded Tazuna, kunai ready, and Sakura stood firm beside the bridge-builder, her eyes darting nervously.
Suzuki's pulse pounded, that familiar second heartbeat syncing with the river below the bridge. The water's pull was stronger now, urging him to act. But Zabuza's killing intent was suffocating, and Suzuki's waterbending had been clumsy at best. *I'm not ready for this,* he thought, gripping his fists.
"Stay sharp," Kakashi warned, his voice steady. "Zabuza's not alone."
As if on cue, a figure emerged from the mist—a slender boy with long black hair, wearing a hunter-nin mask. Haku. Suzuki's stomach twisted, the spiritual world's vision flashing in his mind: a swordsman in mist, Naruto fighting, and Suzuki shielding with water. Was this it?
Zabuza chuckled, low and mocking. "You brats impressed me last time, especially you, water kid. But playtime's over."
Kakashi stepped forward, pulling up his headband to reveal his Sharingan fully. "Naruto, Sasuke, Suzuki—protect Tazuna. Sakura, stay with them. I'll handle Zabuza."
Naruto growled, "No way, I'm fighting too, dattebayo!" Sasuke shot him a glare, but Suzuki noticed Haku's subtle shift, senbon glinting in his hand. The air grew colder, and the mist seemed to shimmer.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Zabuza's voice boomed, and the fog thickened, blinding them. Suzuki's pulse surged, the river's call louder now. He closed his eyes, feeling the water's flow, but something else stirred—the wind, faint but present, like a whisper from his first bending moment.
"Suzuki, move!" Sasuke's shout snapped him back. A senbon whizzed past, grazing his cheek. Haku was a blur, darting through the mist. Naruto swung wildly, shadow clones popping up, but Haku dispatched them with precise strikes.
Suzuki's instincts kicked in. He thrust his hands toward the river, pulling water upward into a trembling whip. "Tide Whip!" he shouted, lashing it at Haku. The water struck, but Haku dodged, his movements fluid, almost like bending. The whip collapsed, splashing uselessly.
"You wield water," Haku said, voice soft but chilling. "But it lacks purpose."
Before Suzuki could respond, Haku's hands flashed through seals. "Ice Style: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" Mirrors of ice formed around Sasuke and Naruto, trapping them. Sakura gasped, shielding Tazuna. Kakashi was locked in a duel with Zabuza, lightning clashing against water dragons.
Suzuki's heart raced. He couldn't reach Sasuke or Naruto, but the river still called. He focused, feeling the pulse guide him. The wind stirred again, stronger this time. An idea sparked—could he combine them? He raised one hand, summoning a gust of wind, and the other, pulling water from the river. The elements clashed, unstable, but a faint mist rose, thinning Zabuza's fog around him.
"Wind and water," Suzuki muttered, sweat beading on his brow. The mist wasn't much, but it gave him a glimpse of Haku's mirrors. He saw Sasuke's fire jutsu flare inside, countered by Haku's senbon. Naruto's clones were struggling, too.
"Suzuki!" Sakura yelled. "Do something!"
He gritted his teeth, pushing harder. The water swirled faster, guided by the wind, forming a spiraling stream. "Tide Vortex!" he called, hurling it at a mirror. The ice cracked but held, and Suzuki staggered, his chakra draining. *I'm not strong enough.*
A senbon flew from the mist, aimed at Tazuna. Suzuki reacted on instinct, pulling water into a small shield. It blocked the needle, but the effort left him dizzy. Haku paused, his masked face unreadable. "You protect others," he said. "Why?"
Suzuki panted, meeting Haku's gaze. "Because… I know what it's like to have no one."
Haku's eyes softened, but he vanished back into the mirrors. Suzuki's legs buckled, his vision blurring. He'd pushed too hard, too fast. The pulse faded, and despair crept in—until Naruto's voice roared from the mirrors.
"Believe it, I'm not giving up!" A burst of orange chakra shattered one ice mirror, Naruto's shadow clones flooding out. Sasuke followed, his Sharingan active, dodging Haku's attacks. Suzuki's heart lifted. *They're still fighting.*
---
Suzuki slumped by the bridge's edge, catching his breath. Kakashi and Zabuza's battle raged, water and lightning illuminating the mist. Sasuke and Naruto were holding off Haku, but they were tiring. Suzuki needed to help, but his chakra was low, and his bending was too raw.
He closed his eyes, reaching for the spiritual world. The bridge faded, and he stood on the misty island, the Raava-Sage figure before him. Its form glowed brighter, elemental symbols swirling around it.
*"You falter,"* it said, voice stern but not unkind. *"Water flows with purpose, not fear. Trust your heart, and your team."*
"I'm trying!" Suzuki snapped. "But I'm not like them. Naruto's got that crazy chakra, Sasuke's a prodigy. I'm just… me."
*"You are the Avatar,"* the figure said. *"Your strength lies in balance, not dominance. Water heals as well as strikes. Use it to support, not to conquer."*
A vision flashed: Suzuki shaping water into a shimmering veil, shielding Naruto from Haku's senbon. The figure's voice echoed: *"Your past life's virtue lives in you. Protect, and you will grow."*
Suzuki returned to the bridge, gasping. His hands glowed faintly, chakra sparking. He staggered to his feet, the river's pull stronger now. Naruto was pinned, Haku's senbon flying. Suzuki focused, not on attack but protection. He raised his hands, and water rose, forming a thin, shimmering shield.
"Tide of Restoration!" he shouted, the water glowing with chakra. It blocked Haku's senbon, and a faint warmth spread, easing Naruto's cuts. Naruto blinked, then grinned. "Suzuki, you're the best!"
Haku hesitated, his attack slowing. Suzuki's shield collapsed, his chakra spent, but the mist had thinned further, giving Kakashi an edge against Zabuza. Sasuke's fire jutsu flared, forcing Haku back.
Kakashi's voice cut through. "Team 7, regroup!"
Suzuki stumbled to Naruto's side, exhausted but alive. Zabuza recalled Haku, retreating into the mist with a promise to return. As the fog cleared, Tazuna thanked them, shaken but unharmed. Kakashi's eye landed on Suzuki, a flicker of approval in his gaze.
"Not bad, Suzuki," he said. "That water shield was… unique."
Suzuki managed a weak nod, his mind on Haku's words. *Purpose.* He didn't know his yet, but protecting his team felt right.
---
That night, at Tazuna's house, Suzuki sat by the window, staring at the sea. Naruto was bragging about his clones, Sakura was fussing over Sasuke's bruises, and Kakashi was reading his book. Suzuki's body ached, but his pulse was steady, the water's echo lingering.
Naruto plopped beside him. "You saved my butt out there, Ghost Boy. That water stuff's cool!"
Suzuki shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Just trying to keep up."
Naruto's grin widened. "We're Team 7, dattebayo! We'll get stronger together!"
Suzuki looked at his teammates, the spiritual world's words echoing: *Trust your team.* For the first time, he felt like he belonged. But Zabuza and Haku were still out there, and his bending was far from mastered. The pulse thrummed, a reminder of the battles ahead.
*Avatar,* he thought. *I'm starting to believe you.*
---
To Be Continued…
---