Chapter 15: I Really Envy You for Having Such a Good "Tool"
"Zabuza-san, please choose to let me die!"
When Haku heard Kakashi say that his own choice did not count, he immediately turned back toward Zabuza and wanted him to follow his wish.
Kakashi and the others also looked toward Zabuza, waiting to see what he would choose.
There was a trace of reluctance in Naruto's and Sakura's eyes. Being forced to choose only one person to live out of two companions was simply too cruel.
Sasuke's expression, on the other hand, remained as calm as ever, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"There's no need to think about it. A tool exists to die for its master."
A trace of struggle flashed deep in Zabuza's eyes, but it quickly disappeared, and he sneered as he spoke.
"You heard him. Zabuza-san chose for me to die."
When Haku heard that answer, his body involuntarily relaxed. Then he turned back to Kakashi. Yet for some reason, hearing that answer still caused a faint pain deep in his heart. Clearly, this was the best possible choice. Clearly, as long as Zabuza-san was safe, that should have been enough.
"In that case, I can leave now, right?"
Clutching his wound, Zabuza asked darkly.
"Of course."
Kakashi made a gesture for him to go ahead.
"Hey, you eyebrowless old man."
At that moment, Uzumaki Naruto could not hold back any longer and angrily called out to Zabuza.
Zabuza, however, did not even turn his head and kept walking.
"Were you serious when you said that?" Naruto shouted furiously. "Isn't that guy your companion? He didn't even hesitate to die for you, and all you said was that he's just a tool meant to die... something like that, something like that is just too painful!"
"Please, stop. Being able to sacrifice myself for Zabuza-san is my mission. It is my greatest... happiness."
Under the mask, Haku revealed a relieved smile. He knew that one day this moment would come. He just had not expected it to come so soon. If possible, he had wanted to stay by Zabuza-san's side a little longer...
"Zabuza really is lucky. To have such a good 'tool' like you, even I'm a little jealous. But there's no helping it. As an enemy, please go die."
Hatake Kakashi spoke in an envious tone, yet her words were cruel. As she spoke, she pulled out a kunai from her ninja pouch.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto and Sakura, upon hearing that, both looked at Kakashi with reluctance. But seeing that she seemed to have already made up her mind, they could only turn their heads away painfully, not wanting to watch what would happen next.
Uchiha Sasuke, however, kept staring at Kakashi without blinking. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of inconsistency deep inside.
"Wait."
At that moment, Zabuza suddenly came back.
"Let Haku go. Kill me instead."
"Huh?"
Hearing that so suddenly, Naruto and Sakura both froze for a moment, then happily turned toward the source of the voice.
"Zabuza-san?!"
Haku himself was stunned. He did not know whether he felt joy or sadness, but he quickly came back to his senses and hurriedly looked at Kakashi.
"Zabuza-san already chose for me to die just now, so he cannot go back on his word. Therefore, please kill me quickly, Kakashi-san."
"My, my, now this is a bit troublesome."
Kakashi deliberately pretended to have a headache as she hesitated.
"Since you chose to attack us, someone has to pay the price."
"But the two of you both want to die in place of the other... How about this? Bring us the employer who hired you to kill us, and then I can consider letting both of you go."
"Huh?"
The moment Kakashi said that, everyone present was stunned.
"Of course, once you do something like betraying your employer, it'll be hard for you to keep working in this line of business in the future. You'd better think that through carefully."
"What's there to think about? Didn't old man Tazuna already say it? That Gatō guy is a completely evil scumbag."
Before Zabuza and Haku could answer, Uzumaki Naruto had already impatiently found an excuse for them.