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"..." Naruto opened his mouth, but all words were stuck in his throat. He firmly caught Sasuke as he fell backward, face up.
Powerless. No matter how many times, it's always this feeling of powerlessness. Since Sasuke's clan was massacred, the two of them had huddled together like abandoned puppies. Even if their positions were swapped today, he would still block a blow for Sasuke without hesitation. But Sasuke never gave him such a chance.
Why make him owe such an unrepayable debt!
Memories flashed through Sasuke's mind like a revolving lantern – their childhood, growing up together, though not all memories were pleasant. After his clan moved away and his brother became a missing-nin, the only person who stayed by his side for a long time was Naruto. Thinking back, how come most of his short life revolved around this super idiot?
"So frustrating... If I die here, I won't be able to avenge my brother and clansmen..."
"Don't die." Sasuke's breathing grew weaker, his dark eyes gradually losing focus.
Don't die. Most villagers avoided Naruto. Words like 'Nine-Tails Demon Fox' and 'hurry up and die' had almost never ceased. Although those voices weakened after he met Kuroshi-nii... no one had ever genuinely wished for him, wished for him to live.
"Although I knew it was a trap, he still blocked it to protect you. He is a respectable ninja." Haku knew the weight of his actions. Having performed various missions, his technique for inducing false death was already perfected. Sasuke couldn't possibly stand up again. The one who saw through his speed had been dealt with. Next was this reckless Jinchuriki.
Haku stood up on his wooden clogs, leaning back and merging into the ice mirror, coldly staring at Naruto outside.
"...Unforgivable! I'll kill you!"
Killing intent! Haku clearly felt a burst of killing intent from Naruto, along with materialized chakra rushing towards him. Crimson chakra instantly tore open the surrounding ground, rubble flying up along with the chakra.
Naruto looked up amidst the crimson hue, his golden hair fluttering, pupils narrowed like an animal's. Even his posture, crouching low, resembled a ferocious beast ready to pounce. All the wounds on his body healed in an instant. Immediately after, all the surrounding mirrors simultaneously threw senbon needles towards Naruto.
Clack! The thrown senbon needles were all deflected. Naruto then smashed the ice mirror with a single punch. Whether strength or presence, it was completely different from his previous state.
Haku's heart jolted. Immediately, he clenched a handful of senbon needles, leaped out from the shattered ice mirror fragments, and charged towards Naruto, who was on all fours below.
Dodged!? Naruto's speed was even faster than Haku's! While dodging from his original spot, he grabbed Haku, who had missed his attack and was preparing to enter another ice mirror.
Haku, caught off guard, was stunned by the overwhelming killing intent. Immediately after, a fist flew towards his face, sending him flying backward, tumbling several times on the ground before barely stabilizing himself. The Kirigakure ANBU mask cracked, revealing the delicate face beneath.
Naruto's fist, just an inch away from Haku, abruptly stopped. His crimson beast-like pupils constricted in fear. The killing intent and materialized chakra instantly receded. Naruto landed on the ground, staring surprisedly at the face before him. This was the person distributing supplies to children in the Land of Waves.
...
Zabuza was injured, several kunai embedded in his arm, looking somewhat strained at the person before him. Kakashi's ninja hounds had already completely suppressed Zabuza's movements from different angles. Kakashi held a scroll; this pack of ninja hounds were all his summoned beasts.
Although the dense fog obscured Kakashi's vision, the ninja hounds followed the scent of Kakashi's blood on the Executioner's Blade, accurately tracking the enemy's position.
"Didn't expect you to have such a trick..." Although unwilling, he was indeed outmatched. Despite being extremely wary of Kakashi's Sharingan, even using a large amount of chakra to maintain the dense fog... he was still firmly restrained.
Zabuza gritted his teeth slightly. This mission is likely to fail. Letting Haku take those two kids alone might be asking too much of him. Moreover, although very brief, they had felt an extremely terrifying chakra presence nearby just now. Though fleeting, that Jinchuriki kid likely went berserk earlier. In that situation, even Haku might not be able to handle it.
Failing both Gato's mission and the Jinchuriki mission at once... this was truly a profound humiliation.
"I don't know your specific mission, but your presence here likely means Kirigakure is involved."
"Despite knowing, you still allow Gato to act recklessly here..." Whatever the reason, Zabuza appearing here indicated he worked for Gato. As for Kirigakure's arrangements, he had no way of knowing. Zabuza certainly wouldn't obediently reveal the mission objective either.
Although only for an instant, Kakashi still felt the almost terrifying Nine-Tails chakra. Naruto's condition wasn't good either. Better deal with Zabuza quickly and check on them.
Kakashi's hands rapidly formed seals. Immediately, a pale blue electric light flickered in his hand. The dense fog was instantly illuminated by the dazzling light, followed by the crackling sound of electricity in his hand.
"Lightning Cutter!"
Kakashi paused slightly, then charged towards Zabuza's chest with the lightning in his palm.
A pale blue aura instantly pierced through the dense fog, covering Kakashi's arm directly. The light of the Lightning Cutter and the mist almost completely assimilated that aura. Hatake Kuroshi, from within the dense fog, slightly deflected Kakashi's hand with his own, almost imperceptibly shifting its trajectory.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, Kakashi's hand instantly pierced through Haku's chest. Splattered blood instantly covered the faces of the two men in front and behind.
Kakashi and Zabuza's pupils constricted sharply. Haku's figure now stood starkly between them. Kakashi clearly felt his hand's position was off, but Haku had suddenly rushed over to block the blow, so being shifted slightly was normal. Several senbon needles stuck into Kakashi's scroll, knocking it out of his hand. The ninja hounds vanished accordingly.
"Tch! Don't do such foolish things." Seizing Kakashi's moment of surprise, Zabuza swung the Executioner's Blade horizontally towards Kakashi.
"Are you planning to cut down this child too!?" What's wrong with this master and disciple? Clearly so fond of this child.
Kakashi instantly pulled his hand from Haku's chest, leaping backward forcefully. Although deviated, he had still pierced Haku with Lightning Cutter. Without timely treatment, Haku would surely die from blood loss.
Almost instantly, Hatake Kuroshi appeared beside the two. The heavily injured Haku and the completely distracted Zabuza were entirely unaware of the extra person behind them.
"...False. Death." Hatake Kuroshi whispered lowly into their ears.
Zabuza's eyes widened abruptly. He looked back incredulously at the Kirigakure ANBU mask behind him, then his body stiffened and fell backward.
The caster died. The dense fog permeating the surroundings, reducing visibility to almost zero, began to dissipate.
"Who's there!" Kakashi's gaze fixed tightly on the Kirigakure ANBU crouching behind Zabuza and Haku. Zabuza's presence had vanished. The dissipating fog also indicated the caster's death. What's going on? They are clearly Kirigakure ninjas! Why attack their own people?
The person wearing the Kirigakure ANBU mask coldly grabbed the two bodies and stood up, speaking emotionlessly towards Kakashi.
"Kirigakure, Hunter-nin unit."
"These two defected from Kirigakure. I must bring their bodies back to Lord Mizukage."
The fog hadn't completely dispersed yet. Despite carrying two people, the person's tracks vanished with exceptional speed, as if disappearing from the spot in an instant.
Kakashi looked strangely at the spot where Zabuza and the others had disappeared just now. As the pervasive fog dissipated, only the bloodstains Haku left behind remained on the ground. There wasn't even a trace of shifted movement.
Kirigakure's lockdown on ninja intelligence is quite effective. After all, it's a village possessing multiple Kekkei Genkai. It was normal for Kakashi to lack sufficient intel on Zabuza and the others. Kirigakure's Hunter-nin unit...?
Kakashi pulled the senbon needles out of Sasuke one by one. Although not well-versed in pharmacology, anyone would feel these senbon needles embedded in the body weren't pleasant. As the senbon were removed, Sasuke's false death state was also lifted. Seeing Sasuke's chest begin to rise and fall again, Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.
Sasuke coughed up a mouthful of blood, then blinked blankly, looking around.
"Cough! Am I still alive...?"
Tears had almost welled up in Naruto's eyes, only to be choked back by Sasuke's words.
"What the! Scared me! I thought you were already dead..."
Kakashi frowned, helping Sasuke up. Although not in good condition, surviving was already fortunate. But looking at it this way, even though the two fought desperately, Haku still hadn't dealt them a killing blow?
"Yosh, looks like Sasuke's okay too..." Kakashi slightly narrowed both eyes, smiling into crescent shapes.
However, before he could finish speaking, Gato's voice abruptly interrupted.
"Why is it you Konoha people?"
"Where's Zabuza?"
The fog had dispersed. Gato, who had been observing the battle from under the bridge earlier, brought a gang of armed forces, preparing to come onto the bridge and reap the benefits. However, upon arriving, he discovered that the only ones apparently alive were all Konoha people.
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