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A child of about seven or eight years old cautiously peeked out, carefully scanning his surroundings. After confirming no one was nearby, he hunched over and swiftly darted into the thick grass.
The muddy footprints left on the dirt path were soon concealed by the dense undergrowth.
Emerging from the grass, the child spotted a cave ahead. Not daring to slow down, he hurried forward but suddenly slipped, tumbling to the ground. The medicinal herbs he had been clutching spilled onto the dirt.
Ignoring his scraped knees, the child knelt and painstakingly gathered the herbs, then limped into the cave.
"Zabuza-sama..." he called out softly twice. Receiving no response, he hurried deeper into the cave, where he found a ninja lying motionless on the ground. The child immediately knelt beside him, carefully peeling back the clothing to reveal a deep, bone-exposing wound. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Sniffling, he was about to crush the herbs when suddenly, his wrist was seized.
"Who's there?!"
"It's me, Zabuza-sama... It's Haku." Haku bit his lip, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
"What were you doing?"
"M-medicine... I went to find medicine for you..." Haku whispered.
"Who told you to go?!" Though weak, Zabuza's voice was firm, making Haku flinch.
"I... If I didn't go, you would die..." Haku lowered his head.
"If you were caught outside, we'd both die!"
"No, I was careful. They couldn't find me. The proof is that I'm still standing here. If they had found me, I'd already be a corpse." A faint smile appeared on Haku's face.
He had been extremely cautious this time.
"Idiot," Zabuza muttered, turning his head away.
Even if they found you, they wouldn't kill you.
Haku quickly applied the herbs to Zabuza's wound. Just as he finished bandaging it, Zabuza struggled to his feet, leaning against the cave wall. He grabbed the Executioner's Blade beside him and headed toward the cave entrance.
"Zabuza-sama..."
"Stay here. Don't move," Zabuza ordered.
"But, sir..." Haku watched as Zabuza walked out. After a moment of hesitation, unable to suppress his worry, he followed.
Outside, the mountain path still bore traces of the recent rain. Puddles dotted the muddy trail.
The air was fresher than before, and it was thanks to the rain that Zabuza had been granted some time to recover. He knew this well—but it had only bought him a slim chance to resist. Escaping was out of the question.
Those men would never give him the opportunity to flee. Not even the slightest possibility.
Because those two were truly terrifying.
At the end of the path, they appeared.
Zabuza glared at the two figures clad in identical black cloaks adorned with red clouds. One had gray hair and carried a crimson triple-bladed scythe, grinning at him mockingly. The other had black hair, his entire body shrouded in his cloak, his face concealed by a black mask.
"You're fast... To escape from us, you're the first," the gray-haired man chuckled.
"Second," the black-haired ninja corrected.
"Hidan, don't count the one you let get away on me. If I had been your partner back then, he'd already be dead. You wouldn't have needed to go through the trouble of replacing your heart."
Kakuzu snorted. "Hidan, if you let this one slip away too—"
"Relax. Last time, I didn't know that brat could use ninjutsu. This time, escaping won't be so easy." Hidan's eyes flicked toward Haku, who was hiding near the cave entrance, and his lips curled into a smirk. "You two got lucky. Right after you escaped, the rain washed away your tracks. If not for the kid wandering outside, we'd never have found you. Thanks for leading the way."
Haku's face instantly paled, his hands trembling.
Only now did he realize—he had led them here.
Had he just doomed Zabuza-sama?
Haku clenched his fists, overwhelmed with guilt.
"He didn't do anything wrong. He just didn't expect you to be so shameless," Zabuza growled, driving his blade into the ground. "Your despicable methods drag the name of ninja through the mud."
"Wrong. A ninja's duty is to complete the mission. The means don't matter. Isn't that right, Zabuza? After all, you slaughtered all your fellow examinees, didn't you?" Kakuzu retorted.
"I didn't kill all of them. One survived. Surprised?"
"Doesn't matter. Zabuza, how about we make a deal?" Kakuzu's gaze bore into him. "Commit suicide, and I'll let the kid live."
Zabuza's brow twitched. He glanced back, and Haku, who had been hiding, cautiously peeked out again. Their eyes met, and Haku mustered his courage, stepping forward.
"I... I won't live as a coward," Haku declared, staring resolutely at Kakuzu.
Zabuza's expression softened. He turned back to Kakuzu. "I don't trust you. Once I'm dead—no, the moment I'm incapacitated—you'll kill him anyway. The only thing I trust is this blade in my hands."
"Told you, they're not idiots," Hidan sneered, twirling his scythe. "I wouldn't believe you either."
"Shut up," Kakuzu snapped. He glared at Zabuza. "Why resist? In your state, you're no threat to us. You'll die either way."
"Maybe. But I might just drag one of you down with me."
"Kakuzu, I like stubborn ones. Let me handle him," Hidan licked his lips. "I love seeing the pain and despair in their eyes before they die. You keep an eye on the kid. If he moves, kill him."
"Make it quick. Dragging this out is bad for us."
Hidan flashed an "OK" sign, then lunged at Zabuza, swinging his triple-bladed scythe.
The Executioner's Blade clashed against the scythe, the impact sending Zabuza stumbling back. Hidan pressed forward, relentless.
Haku watched in horror, his gaze darting between the two.
Zabuza was severely injured, clearly at a disadvantage. And that gray-haired man—he could turn black...
How can Zabuza-sama possibly win?
Hidan's onslaught was ferocious, giving Zabuza no chance to recover.
Each clash tore open Zabuza's wounds anew, blood soaking through his bandages.
With a powerful swing, Hidan sent Zabuza flying. He followed up instantly, his scythe arcing toward Zabuza's neck.
"Die!"
Zabuza barely dodged, but the blade still sliced into him.
"Finally got your blood," Hidan purred, licking the crimson stain from his weapon. His grin widened.
*****
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