The killing intent was cold and absolute, free of hesitation or mercy. It was like the point of a drawn blade pressing directly against one's throat.
By the shore, Gatō's legs buckled and he collapsed for the second time. His voice cracked into a shrill, panicked squeal as terror overwhelmed him.
"You… what do you think you're doing? Our contract isn't finished yet! Don't you want the rest of your payment?!"
He tried desperately to cling to the last bargaining chip that might save his life.
But Zabuza Momochi's reply was colder than the fog surrounding them.
"The contract is over."
His steps did not slow, not for an instant.
Money?
After seeing that future laid bare by the Heavenly Curtain, gold meant nothing to him now. There was only one thing he wanted:
To personally overturn that tragic ending.
He would not, under any circumstance, allow Haku to walk down the path of death he had seen in the vision.
"Master Zabuza!"
Haku appeared in front of him in a blur of motion. He was not trying to stop Zabuza, but to guard him.
He formed a hand seal and countless icy senbon materialized around him, all aimed at Gatō and his cowardly hired swords.
"You're all insane! Every one of you!"
Seeing the ninjas turning on each other, Gatō shrieked, climbing to his feet and pointing wildly at everyone on the bridge. "What are you waiting for?! Attack them! Kill them! I'll pay double! Do you hear me? Double!"
The promise of rich payment rekindled the greed in the eyes of the mercenary swordsmen who had just moments ago been ready to flee.
Weapons tightened in their hands. They closed in on the bridge once more.
The threat surged anew.
But the air between friend and foe had shifted in a subtle, unspoken way.
"Sensei…" Sakura whispered, clutching her kunai as enemies advanced from both sides.
Kakashi, however, seemed strangely calm. His normally tired, half-lidded eyes were now focused and bright. He glanced at Naruto, who was still crying but whose gaze burned with determination. Then he looked toward Zabuza and Haku at the far end of the bridge.
"Team Seven. Listen closely."
Kakashi's voice was quiet, but every word was crisp and unwavering.
"The mission objective has changed."
"Additional mission: eliminate all threats and free the Land of Waves from the tyrant Gatō and his forces."
Naruto and Sasuke froze for a heartbeat before a fierce spark lit up in their eyes.
They understood immediately.
This was the result of all their shared resolve.
"Yes!" Naruto shouted, wiping his tears with the back of his hand, energy flooding back into him.
Even Sasuke's lips curved into a faint smirk filled with battle hunger.
Kakashi's gaze traveled across the battlefield until it met Zabuza's. Two former enemies, now linked by silent agreement.
"Kill them!"
Gatō's men yelled and charged.
"You overestimate yourselves." Zabuza let out a cold scoff. He hefted the massive Executioner's Blade, charging forward like a walking tank.
"Ice Style: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"
Haku's mirrors rose from the ground like blooming frost, trapping most of the mercenaries in a glittering cage of ice.
The battle turned instantly into a one-sided slaughter.
Against Zabuza and Haku, Gatō's hired thugs, most not even on par with fresh genin, stood no chance.
Every sweep of Zabuza's blade unleashed a wave of carnage. Severed limbs and shattered weapons scattered across the bridge. The more blood soaked the blade, the more terrifying his presence became, as if he had returned to the infamous Blood Mist crucible of old.
Haku's technique was a deadly dance of light and shadow. His body flickered through the mirrors at lightning speed, each senbon piercing a vital spot with surgical precision. Most enemies never even saw him move before collapsing into despair.
Meanwhile, in his apartment in the Hidden Leaf Village, Jiang Chen stared at the system panel as numbers skyrocketed.
[Shock Points Acquired +2333]
[Sorrow Points Acquired +6666]
[Admiration Points +1999]
[Major divergence detected in the worldline! The ending of the Land of Waves arc has been rewritten! Additional bonus +100000!]
[Current Total: 187,886 Points]
Jiang Chen's heart pounded.
He was rich.
Without hesitation, he opened the newly unlocked Elementary Exchange Store.
The items dazzled his eyes.
[B Rank] Ninjutsu: Great Breakthrough – 5000 points
[A Rank] Ninjutsu: Chidori – 20000 points
Three-Tomoe Sharingan (non-elite bloodline) – 50000 points
But his gaze locked onto a golden glow.
[Elementary Skill] Undying Body (Incomplete) – 150000 points
Origin: The cells of Hashirama Senju. Greatly enhances chakra reserves, regeneration, and vitality. Warning: Potential risk of instability.
This was it.
In a world this dangerous, nothing mattered more than overwhelming vitality and chakra reserves.
"Exchange!"
One hundred fifty thousand points vanished in an instant.
A moment later, a warm surge burst from his heart, flooding his limbs and bones. Every cell felt reborn, as if parched earth had been drenched in life-giving rain.
His chakra swelled. Fatigue dissolved. Strength pulsed through his entire body.
Jiang Chen clenched his fists and allowed a satisfied smile to spread across his face.
He finally had the foundation he needed to survive here.
Back on the bridge in the Land of Waves, the battle was nearly over.
Bodies littered the ground, blood pooling across the stone like running water.
Gatō's mercenaries were either dead or scattered. Their unity had shattered.
On the shore, Gatō watched the hellish scene unfold. Horror twisted his face as his stomach knotted violently. He spun around and fled.
But it was far too late.
Zabuza appeared behind him like a specter.
"N… no, don't kill me! I have money! I have a lot of money! It's all yours!" Gatō fell to his knees, mucus and tears streaming down his face.
Zabuza said nothing.
He simply lifted the Executioner's Blade.
This time, there was no struggle. No heroic last stand.
Just a single, clean stroke.
The blade rose. The blade fell.
Gatō's head flew into the air, his expression frozen in disbelief and terror.
His body toppled to the ground with a heavy thud.
Zabuza flicked the blood from his weapon and rested the massive blade on his shoulder.
Silence settled over the bridge.
Thick mist rolled in again, as if trying to hide the brutality from the world.
From a distance, Tazuna and his daughter Tsunami trembled as they watched, unable to comprehend the scale of what had just happened.
Kakashi lowered his guard and walked toward Naruto.
Zabuza and Haku approached as well. Former enemies stood together in an uneasy, quiet moment.
Finally, Zabuza looked at Naruto. The boy's eyes were still red, yet there was only sincerity in them, not hostility.
After a long silence, Zabuza spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Thank you, kid."
He said nothing more. He turned, hoisted his greatsword, and walked into the mist with Haku at his side.
Their shadows faded into the fog.
They were alive.
And they had chosen a new, unknown path.
"Hey! Old man! Next time we meet, we won't be enemies!" Naruto shouted after them.
No answer came from the mist.
Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair. "Alright. Our mission here is complete."
A few days later, the final report of the Land of Waves mission reached the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi read the detailed account of how the Heavenly Curtain had revealed and rewritten the future. His hand trembled slightly around his smoking pipe.
"Raise the Heavenly Curtain's intelligence classification to maximum."
"Form a Heavenly Curtain Response Unit. I will oversee it personally."
The order shook the entire Leaf Village into action.
And similar intelligence found its way into the hands of every other Kage.
For the first time, the mysterious Heavenly Curtain had shown the world its devastating power.
While political forces scrambled, Jiang Chen sat in his apartment, watching a new countdown appear on the system panel.
A slow, confident smile tugged at his lips.
[In 24 hours, the Heavenly Curtain will reveal: The Nine Most Heartbreaking Moments in the Shinobi World.]