Inside Tazuna's house in the Land of Waves.
With everyone watching, Haku reached out and carefully removed the senbon needles from Zabuza Momochi's body. Rubbing his neck, he woke his master. "I'm sorry, Lord Zabuza. I failed to rescue you."
"Hmph. I never expected you to succeed."
The Demon of the Hidden Mist coldly shoved Haku aside. He looked from Kakashi Hatake to Kosuke Maruboshi, his dismissive expression slowly turning serious. "An old man stronger than a Mist ANBU Jonin, and Konoha's Kakashi of the Sharingan..."
"Oh? So you know who I am," Kakashi said calmly, tugging at his mask. "In that case, it seems we have room to negotiate. Zabuza, tell us what you know about Gato."
"Kakashi!" the Demon of the Hidden Mist interrupted, his voice deep. "When have you ever seen a ninja betray his employer?"
"Many times. Very many," the white-haired jonin replied, spreading his hands and giving Zabuza an innocent look. "The ninja world is full of wandering ninja. A good number of them betray their employers or even kill their clients. They're a cheap but dangerous hire."
Zabuza was suddenly enraged. "You!"
Was this white-haired ninja implying that he was just another wandering sell-sword who would betray his client at a moment's notice?
"Quiet down," the elderly genin said, extending his sheathed sword and resting it on Zabuza's body. He smiled thinly. "I'm an old man. I can't handle all the shocks and noise."
Since Kosuke could easily defeat Zabuza, any move he made was a clear threat.
Zabuza swallowed his anger and sat back down. "I can terminate my contract with Gato, but I will not betray my employer. I won't damage my reputation."
"I heard Kakashi-sensei mention you became a rogue ninja after assassinating a Mizukage, didn't you?" Sasuke Uchiha said softly, leaning against the door. "As a rogue, do you really need to worry about your reputation?"
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, trying to stop his teammate. He glanced at the Demon of the Mist and his companion, then rubbed his forehead. "Maybe they have other goals..."
A hidden memory surged to the surface.
Images of Zabuza Momochi and Haku flashed through Naruto's mind. The broken bridge, the ice mirrors, the blood-soaked ground, an injured Sasuke... the scenes flickered and then vanished as new memories flooded in.
A letter bearing the Mist Village symbol. A passage describing Zabuza's deeds.
Naruto forced himself to ignore his pounding headache and spoke before the memory faded completely. "Hey… your goal has always been to change your village, right? To stop them from making you kill each other?"
If that letter was right, then that had to be it.
Even though outsiders saw him as a cruel, cold-blooded ninja, other shinobi from the Mist—even the Sixth Mizukage, Chojuro—had written that Zabuza was a hero beyond compare. Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, some defected, some were content with how things were, and others waited for an opportunity. Only the Demon of the Mist walked a different path.
To change the "Bloody Mist" graduation policy, Zabuza killed every other graduate in his year, forcing the village elders to cancel the bloody exam. To fix the village's situation, he chose the most direct path: assassinating the Fourth Mizukage in a coup attempt.
All of this required money. A lot of money. It was obvious one man like Gato couldn't possibly have enough to fund the overthrow of a major village.
So that's it, Naruto thought. Zabuza can't afford to damage his reputation as a ninja, not here. Not in front of them. It's the only dignity he has left.
"..."
Hearing Naruto's words, Zabuza's body went stiff. He looked up in alarm, his eyes darting to the blond ninja by the door before he quickly lowered his head again. "Hmph. A place like that… what's there to be attached to?"
"Looks like I guessed wrong," Naruto said, shaking his head as the memory faded like a dream. "I guess a ninja like you really only knows how to turn his blade on his own comrades."
"You're dead, brat!" Zabuza snarled, glaring at Naruto with a predatory look. "When I finally control the Mist's power, I'll slaughter every last one of you in Konoha!"
Everyone was silent.
What a pipe dream. How many times had the Mist invaded Konoha, only to be casually driven back into the sea by a small detachment? Besides, hadn't Zabuza just given himself away? This guy, a rumored mass murderer, actually wanted to change the Mist Village all by himself?
"Alright, let's get back to the matter at hand," Kakashi said, raising a hand to quiet everyone down. He turned back to Zabuza. "If you're unwilling to give us information on Gato, then we have no reason to spare your life."
"Lord Zabuza!" Haku cried out, hesitating.
The Demon of the Mist shook his head, his voice muffled. "If I betray Gato and break the ninja code, no one will ever trust me again. What would be the point of living then?"
"It seems we won't get an answer out of him," Kakashi said in a low voice to the others. "For now, Kosuke-san and Sakura will guard Zabuza. Naruto, Sasuke, and I will take Haku to investigate Gato's shipping company. They'll serve as hostages for each other."
"Hmm, can we trust this kid?" Kosuke Maruboshi asked, scratching his head as he looked at Haku. "He almost fooled me at the beginning."
"Please, believe me!" the young man said quickly, biting his lip. "I will take you there, and I will risk my life to bring you back safely. Just promise you won't harm Lord Zabuza!"
Zabuza stared, stunned for a moment. He pointed a trembling finger at his companion, his voice thick with anger. "Haku, how dare you..."
"I'm sorry, Lord Zabuza," Haku said softly, clasping his hands together tightly. "As long as you're alive, there's still hope for the future. When we get back, you can punish me however you wish. I'll accept it."
Haku's heartfelt plea didn't bring any tears to Zabuza's eyes.
The Demon of the Mist simply turned over and lay on the bed, facing the wall. It was impossible to know what he was thinking—whether about Naruto's words or his own future.
Just as Haku was about to leave with Kakashi and the others, Zabuza spoke, his voice low. "Be careful. That guy always has a lot of men with him."
"Yes, Lord Zabuza."
Haku's eyes crinkled as he smiled.
-----
Bonus:
Momochi Zabuza: I'm going to kill that loudmouth Uzumaki Naruto!
Haku: Calm down, Lord Zabuza! We've already missed the best opportunity!
Momochi Zabuza: Once I heal, I'll chop him down…
Haku: I heard he's a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. Just like me, he was a monster when he was a kid…
Momochi Zabuza: He's not anything good. Alright, let's ignore him from now on. Don't look for him. You're much kinder than him.