"I've already told you, we shinobi are just tools!"
"All I wanted was his strength."
"It wasn't his to begin with!"
"I... I don't regret it at all..."
Pfft—
Kakashi's Chidori pierced straight through Haku's heart.
Zabuza stood frozen, his mind blank.
That Chidori was meant for him, yet Haku had intercepted it.
"I'm sorry... Zabuza-sama... I was useless..."
"No... You did well."
Zabuza's voice trembled, but his expression remained eerily calm.
At that moment, he had countless opportunities to strike at Kakashi.
Yet, he waited. He watched until Haku had drawn his last breath, and only then did he allow his fury to explode, launching himself at Kakashi with his sword.
"At least... until the very end, I wanted to stay by your side..."
"If possible... I would have wanted... to go... to the same place as you..."
The world of Tsukuyomi shattered.
Zabuza's eyes snapped open.
Then, he saw Haku—standing there, mask removed, smiling at him.
That gentle, satisfied expression made Zabuza sigh bitterly.
"So, I ended up in the same world as you after all... Haku."
"No, Zabuza-sama. Look again."
Haku shook his head slightly and stepped aside.
Zabuza, still lying on the ground, glanced past him and saw Naruto watching with an unreadable expression.
For a moment, Zabuza was stunned. Then, he sneered.
"Brat, I didn't expect you to show up in my afterlife. How amusing."
"How do you like my Tsukuyomi world?" Naruto asked casually. "If I hadn't provoked you, you never would've spoken your true thoughts."
Zabuza merely closed his mouth.
He looked at Haku, who was still smiling, then at the sunlight shining down upon them.
He was silent for a long moment before finally turning away.
"Hah. You Konoha shinobi, coddled by peace, are too naive."
"Why didn't you just kill your enemy immediately?"
With that, Zabuza suddenly sprang to his feet, kunai in hand, lunging at Naruto.
However, before he could reach him, he found himself completely immobilized.
"Genjutsu? When did—?"
Thick, writhing vines had ensnared his body, rooting him in place.
"Zabuza-sama, this isn't genjutsu… This is… Mokuton?!" Haku's eyes widened in shock.
He had never expected to witness the legendary Wood Release firsthand.
"If I wanted to kill you in Tsukuyomi, I wouldn't have needed such tricks," Naruto said, rolling his eyes as he waved his hand. The vines retracted instantly.
"Take it. Your Kubikiribōchō isn't all that impressive."
Naruto casually tossed the broken blade back to Zabuza.
"Hmph. If you want to kill me, then just do it already. I'm not interested in your little games."
Despite his words, Zabuza refused to look at Haku again.
"You've spent your entire life failing."
"Your coup against Kirigakure? Failed."
Zabuza made no effort to refute it. He simply sat there, waiting for the executioner's blade to fall.
"Your dream of overthrowing Yagura? Failed."
"Even knowing you were facing Konoha's Copy Ninja, you still chose to fight—and lost."
"And when it comes to love, your only chance at happiness slipped away because you feared the world's judgment and couldn't face your own heart."
"Shut up!"
The moment emotions were brought into the equation, Zabuza could no longer stay silent.
"Relax. I'm not going to kill you." Naruto smirked. "But from now on, your lives belong to me."
"Do you want freedom?"
"Do you want to rise up against Kirigakure?"
"Do you want to succeed?"
"I can give you all of that."
Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"
Then, as he studied Naruto more closely, his expression darkened.
"I see. That whiskered face of yours… Twelve years ago, Konoha was attacked by the Nine-Tails… So it's you. The Kyūbi Jinchūriki."
"You can't even protect yourself, yet you think you can offer me anything? What gives you the right?"
Naruto chuckled and raised his hand. The ground beneath him stirred as vines coiled together, forming an elegant chair. He sat down leisurely and raised his hand again, summoning a glistening fruit.
Casually, he tossed it to Haku.
"Your Hyōton awakened too early. Your body is weakened, and hidden ailments are plaguing you. Eat it."
"No!" Zabuza barked.
But before he could stop him, Haku had already taken a bite.
"Zabuza-sama, I trust him. Besides, we don't really have a choice, do we?"
Zabuza fell silent.
"Heh. Mokuton, huh? Looks like the rumors were true."
"Shinobi like you, who grew up in peace, always spout such nonsense."
"Alright, tell me. What do we need to do to buy back our lives?"
Seeing Zabuza finally give in, Naruto smiled and created two additional chairs of vines for them.
"Relax. My people will be here soon. For now, just sit tight."
Then, Naruto extended his fist.
"Come on. Fist bump me."
His words sounded almost like a devil's whisper.
A glimmer of something unfamiliar flickered in Zabuza's eyes.
As Naruto had said, his life had been nothing but failure.
But now, someone was offering him a chance.
Even if it was all a lie, it was a gamble he was willing to take.
"We'll talk about Kirigakure later. Your Fourth Mizukage is already compromised. It's only a matter of time before the regime collapses."
"In fact, you might not even be needed, because the Fifth Mizukage has already been chosen. The Bloody Mist will soon be a relic of the past."
Zabuza and Haku took turns touching Naruto's outstretched fist.
A massive surge of chakra instantly flooded their bodies.
The sheer magnitude of it left even Zabuza momentarily speechless, his mouth slightly agape. Haku's normally calm expression twisted in shock.
The seed of the Nine-Tails' chakra had been planted.
Their lives and deaths were now bound to Naruto and Kurama's will.
Yet, neither the two recipients of this overwhelming power nor the unsuspecting Genin and Chunin of Konoha could perceive its true nature.
"May I have your name?" Haku asked respectfully.
"Sir, please inform us," Zabuza added, his tone uncharacteristically cautious.
Unlike the others, Haku understood.
Though the chakra Naruto granted them carried an underlying malice, it caused them no harm. Instead, it bestowed strength—raw, untamed, and intoxicating.
Power coursed through Zabuza's veins, and a single thought took root in his mind:
If I can wield this strength, I can surpass Hatake Kakashi. Next time, I'll kill him.
Haku, however, looked further ahead.
If this man could grant chakra of such potency without limit…
Then… the future was his to shape.
Zabuza-sama and I have always been hunted like rats in the streets…
But if we swear allegiance to this master, we might finally step into the light.
Naruto observed them silently, as if peering into their very souls. He already knew their thoughts, their hesitations, their desires.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
His voice was calm but carried an undeniable weight.
"Remember this—your lives belong to me now. Don't entertain other ideas."
"Yes, Naruto-sama!" Haku immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head in deference.
Zabuza, always the skeptic, took a moment longer. His voice was deep and measured when he finally spoke.
"You said the era of the Bloody Mist will soon end?"
Zabuza had long suspected that something was amiss with the Fourth Mizukage. His failed assassination attempt had revealed secrets he dared not share.
Naruto smirked. "Of course. The Fifth Mizukage has already been chosen."
Zabuza exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting to the sky.
"Then… there's no need for me anymore."
A beat passed before he lowered himself to one knee beside Haku.
"What do you need me to do?"
Naruto turned his head, gazing into the horizon. A knowing smile played on his lips.
"My people will arrive in about ten minutes. It would be inconvenient for it to act directly, but its will is my will. Obey it."
"Also… be mentally prepared. My target in the Land of Waves is the man funding you."
"Gato?!" Haku and Zabuza exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide.
The financial backer? Taking action against him?
Even in their original plan, despite knowing Gato was a traitorous snake, they hadn't intended to kill him.
To do so would be tantamount to a declaration of war against the Hidden Mist.
Perhaps even an invitation for retribution from the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
"Don't worry. Just handle it cleanly," Naruto said flatly.
Zabuza shook his head. "No, there's no way to erase all the evidence."
But Haku raised a hand, stopping him.
"Naruto-sama… does the Hokage know about this mission?"
Naruto chuckled. "Sharp."
His smile widened. "Yes. You've figured it out. This is my first mission outside the village—a C-rank assignment."
Haku's eyes glimmered in understanding. Zabuza furrowed his brows, lost in thought, before realization dawned on him. He let out a bitter laugh.
"I see… it was inevitable."
In the illusory world Naruto had shown them, Zabuza had killed Gato without hesitation.
But at the time, he hadn't considered the bigger picture.
Now, he understood. If he had eliminated Gato then, he would have unknowingly assisted Kakashi in completing Konoha's true objective: intervening in a foreign nation and dealing with a known criminal entity.
And after he did their dirty work, he would have been disposed of.
A loose end.
"Naruto-sama… are you planning to take all of Gato's wealth?"
"That's right. Which is why you're the best candidates for the job."
Haku nodded. "Understood. Mr. Zabuza and I will return and report the mission as a failure, using the excuse that we were injured and need to recover."
"That will lower Gato's guard while we investigate his assets in secret."
"Once we have all the necessary details, Mr. Zabuza and I will eliminate him ourselves. Naruto-sama will remain uninvolved."
Zabuza shot Haku a look of reluctant admiration. "Haku… you don't have to do this."
"No, I—"
"Enough," Naruto interjected, rolling his eyes. "Spare me the dramatics. You can discuss this at home later."
Then, without turning, he called out.
"Kurama, come out already. I know you've been watching."
A deep, rumbling voice answered, laced with amusement.
"Hmph. I was enjoying the show, but I'm tired now. I want to rest."
Naruto twitched. "No, Kurama!"
His eye twitched harder. "WHY are you using that form?!"
Kurama scoffed. "What does it matter to you? Maybe it's because my last two Jinchūriki were women? Ever think of that?"
Naruto groaned. "You do realize the Two-Tails got tricked by Shukaku into taking a feminine form, right—"
"Enough!" Kurama cut him off. "Mind your own business!"
Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, fine. Just take care of Gato. And don't leave anything behind."
"Hmph. I know, I know. You're so naggy."
"Then I'll be going. I've lingered long enough."
"Gato is yours," Naruto said, extending a hand toward Zabuza and Haku.
Haku, however, knelt first.
"Farewell, Naruto-sama."
Without another word, he disappeared using the Mayfly Technique.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "Who exactly are you?"
"The Nine-Tails," Kurama answered with a low growl.
Zabuza hesitated. "I… see."
Kurama scoffed. "The chakra that boy gave you is mine. You'd do well to remember that."
Zabuza: "???"
Haku: "???"
The morning sun bathed the shore in warm hues, though the tension from the earlier battle still lingered.
Kakashi greeted Naruto with a lazy wave. "Hey, Naruto. You took care of those two, right?"
Then he promptly flopped onto the ground, unmoving, his Sharingan having drained him of energy.
Fish flopped along the shore, disoriented from the residual chakra.
Sakura scooped up a bowl of steaming fish soup, offering it to Naruto. "Here, Naruto-kun. Warm yourself up."
Sasuke—no, Erzuzhi (a nickname of Sasuke in china)—grinned smugly, holding his own bowl.
"I won."
Naruto scowled. "Tch. Classic Erzuzhi."
Kakashi cracked one eye open. "So, Naruto… ready to ask where I got my Sharingan?"
Sasuke's head snapped toward him. "Where did you get it?!"
Kakashi sighed, his gaze distant. "An old friend gave it to me before he died. A gift for my promotion to Jōnin… when I was twelve."
Sasuke blinked. "Twelve-year-old Jōnin?!"
Sakura squinted. "I'm starting to think Kakashi-sensei is flexing on us."