"What have you done to Tsunami and the others?!"
While Hikari was still pondering the whereabouts of the Ice Release, Tazuna, who had been listening behind them, suddenly lost his composure upon hearing that a funeral was being prepared for the people of the Land of Waves. He rushed forward, fear forgotten, and grabbed the edge of the coffin, demanding answers.
"Locked inside the coffin. The funeral will be held in three days."
The man's response was dull and robotic, as if his mind were elsewhere.
A funeral?!
Tazuna's vision swam. In this world, funerals were only for the dead. If they were planning one, that meant his family was likely already… Just the thought made his limbs go numb, his wrinkled face twisting in grief.
"Tazuna, don't panic yet," Hikari quickly interjected, seeing his blood pressure spike. "He said they were locked in the coffin—that means they're probably still alive."
If this old man keels over from a stroke, I'm not sure I can fix that. Medical ninjutsu works wonders on wounds, but brain hemorrhages and heart attacks? That's out of my league.
"Right. If they were dead, he would've said 'placed' in the coffin, not 'locked.' Your family must still be alive," Kakashi added, his tone measured.
"We're at the border of the Land of Fire. It's less than a day's journey to the Land of Waves. If the funeral is in three days, we have plenty of time," Sasuke reasoned.
With their combined reassurances, Tazuna finally calmed down, though his face remained heavy with worry. He retreated behind Hikari, no longer interrupting.
Once their fragile client was settled, Hikari turned to the rogue ninja, Souya, and asked the question weighing on her mind:
"Among the ninja hired by Gato, were there two named Zabuza and Haku? Zabuza's a vicious-looking man with a giant sword, and the other is a gentle, beautiful girl."
Zabuza?
Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist?
Kakashi's eye sharpened. He wasn't familiar with the name Haku, but Zabuza was another story.
Having spent years in ANBU, Kakashi was well-versed in elite ninja across the villages—especially the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Raiga Kurosuki had been the first wielder of the Kiba blades, while Zabuza was the second owner of the Kubikiribōchō, the Executioner's Blade. Both were former members of the Seven, both had defected from Kirigakure—if they were both in the Land of Waves, this mission just got a lot more complicated.
Souya's crimson eyes rolled upward in thought before he finally shook his head.
"No, those two aren't here. I think the boss mentioned Zabuza's name once, but… I don't remember much."
So Zabuza and Haku really aren't in the Land of Waves.
Hikari clicked her tongue in disappointment. She'd been dying to get her hands on Ice Release.
For days now, her main body and the Yang Release clone had been researching Wood Release and chakra seeds in ROOT, uncovering the profound mysteries of the Kekkei Genkai.
She'd already theorized that a ninja's soul and body influenced their chakra's nature—hence why chakra signatures and patterns existed. But the reverse was also true: chakra could reshape the body and soul.
Take the Yotsuki clan, for example.
Skilled in lightning techniques, their descendants often inherited Lightning Release, their bodies developing resistance to electricity—even their temperaments growing more volatile.
Thanks to her relentless training in the Raikiri pool, Hikari's cells had adapted to Lightning Release, boosting her resistance.
But ever since awakening Wood Release, her cells had undergone another bizarre transformation. The heart's muscle cells, closest to the chakra seed, had changed the most.
Plant-like cell walls had begun forming on their membranes, and in a few rare cells, she'd even found tiny, tendril-like growths—similar to Hashirama's.
They looked like the white roots sprouting from garlic soaked in water. Just looking at them made her skin crawl.
She'd read the reports on "Tenzo"—though outdated, the records were well-preserved. They clearly stated that his cells hadn't changed structurally, only becoming more robust.
This plant-like mutation must be the key to Hashirama's infinite cell division—something only possible with advanced Sage Body and Wood Release.
That's why she wanted to bring Ice Release back—to see if Wood Release was unique or if other Kekkei Genkai could also alter the body's fundamental nature.
More importantly, her main body and the clones had mapped out a complete path to Kekkei Tōta and beyond.
- Water + Earth = Wood Release
- Earth + Fire = Lava Release
- Fire + Lightning = (Unknown, possibly Explosion Release)
- Lightning + Wind = Magnet Release
- Wind + Water = Ice Release
By cycling through these five Kekkei Genkai and balancing them with Yin-Yang Release, it might be possible to synthesize a Kekkei Mōra—a fusion of all seven chakra natures.
Wood Release was already secured. Lava Release could be obtained from Rōshi or the Four-Tails. Explosion Release? Deidara or Gari. Magnet Release? The One-Tail would deliver itself to her.
Ice Release was the final piece.
If the Yuki clan was truly extinct except for Haku, and he wasn't in the Land of Waves… Well, there was always the Three-Tails. She'd sensed Ice Release chakra when absorbing its flesh, but for some reason, she hadn't inherited it.
Lost in thought, Hikari didn't notice the strange look on Tazuna's face when she asked about Zabuza and Haku.
"Eh, who cares about some 'Zabuza'? As long as we get to the Land of Waves and take down Raiga Kurosuki, we'll save Tazuna's home, right?!" Naruto pumped his fist, his blue eyes blazing. Despite their earlier clashes, Tazuna's willingness to sacrifice his arm for his family had earned Naruto's respect.
Simple-minded as ever, he'd already categorized things:
Tazuna and the Land of Waves = Good. Gato and Raiga Kurosuki = Bad!
"I agree with Naruto," Sasuke said, unusually supportive. Since taking up kenjutsu, he'd developed a keen interest in master swordsmen.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were legendary. He didn't know the specifics, but each of their blades was said to hold immense power. Raiga specialized in Lightning Release—his sword might be lightning-based. Maybe I can use it.
Naruto didn't use a sword. Kakashi had the White Light Chakra Blade. Hikari didn't even carry weapons. Sasuke planned to use the mission's reward to claim that blade for himself.
"Tazuna, how's your injury?" Kakashi asked, adjusting his forehead protector. Maintaining the Sharingan had already drained a tenth of his chakra.
"Lady Hikari's treatment was miraculous! I'm fine now!" Tazuna waved his right arm, eager to avoid being sent back to Konoha. After witnessing her cold-blooded efficiency, his earlier defiance had vanished.
Kakashi nodded. "Then we move out immediately. We'll reach the Land of Waves by dawn tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!" the three chorused.
Kakashi was a decent guy—when outsiders were around, they could afford to humor him.
With a rumble, the earthen coffin sank into the ground. Hikari pressed her palms together, and the earth smoothed over, leaving no trace.
(Though, out of basic human decency, they hadn't buried him alive.)
The five continued their journey, their figures shrinking into the distance until even Hikari, at the rear, disappeared from sight.
Above, tree branches swayed in the wind, tangled with crimson threads that writhed like blood-red serpents hidden in the canopy.
Unnoticed, a mist began to rise.
The fog was thin but dense, swallowing the trees whole.
By the next morning, Team 7 and Tazuna had arrived at the edge of the Land of Waves.
Thick mist clung to the sea, the morning light filtering weakly through.
The massive pillars of a bridge jutted from the water, their submerged halves casting eerie shadows. Standing at the shore, the group gazed at the structure stretching endlessly into the fog—like a path to another world.
The salty tang of the ocean filled Hikari's lungs, stirring memories of her brutal days in Kirigakure.
"It's huge!" Naruto hopped onto the bridge's railing, craning his neck to peer into the distance. But the dense fog obscured everything beyond a white void.
Sasuke and Kakashi stepped onto the bridge, taking in the vast sea. Having lived inland their whole lives, the ocean was a novelty.
Kakashi, well-traveled from missions, was less affected. But Sasuke, despite his cool demeanor, was mesmerized by the rippling waves.
"Heh! This is the bridge I built—the Hero's Bridge!" Tazuna walked backward, arms spread proudly.
"Pretty bold naming it after yourself, old man," Naruto muttered to Hikari.
Despite respecting Tazuna's resolve, the two still bickered constantly. The others found it entertaining, so no one intervened.
"Foolish boy! The 'hero' isn't me!" Tazuna huffed before launching into the bridge's history.
"The Land of Waves is an isolated island. We relied entirely on sea transport, which was slow and inefficient. Our resources and population were pitifully small. Calling it a 'country' is generous—it's more like a town. Most young people left to seek opportunities elsewhere. I was one of them."
His expression darkened.
"Ten years ago, after decades abroad, I returned to retire. But I found that a 'shipping company' had taken over—run by Gato."
At the name, Tazuna's face twisted with hatred.
Team 7 knew Gato was the villain here, but the details were new—even to Hikari, who only knew the broad strokes from the original story.
"At first, he flooded the country with cheap goods. As a wealthy international businessman, he could afford to undercut local businesses. One by one, our shipping companies collapsed, leaving him with a monopoly."
"Then he showed his true colors—skyrocketing prices, hoarding wealth, using the island as a hub for smuggling drugs between Fire and Water. He even blockaded our waters, acting as a pirate. Our already-weak nation grew even poorer!"
"Bastard!" Naruto snarled. Kakashi and Sasuke clenched their fists—if this had happened to Konoha, Gato would've been bisected on the spot.
"Exactly!" Tazuna pointed at the bridge. "To break Gato's stranglehold, I convinced what remained of our government to gather our best engineers and design this bridge."
"How did you build it?" Hikari asked. "If he controlled the sea, wouldn't he have stopped construction?"
"At first, yes. We only finished a third before Gato's men halted it. But five years ago, everything changed!" Tazuna patted the railing, smiling.
"My son-in-law, Kaiza, was forming a militia to resist Gato when they found a shipwrecked ninja."
"The water-style user you mentioned?" Hikari recalled.
"Him! After we saved him, he offered to repay us with one mission. Kaiza asked him to protect the bridge's construction until completion. And right—here!"
Tazuna suddenly grew excited, hurrying forward and pointing at the bridge beneath them.
"This is where he slaughtered Gato's hired ninja in seconds! Gato fled the country, too terrified to return. Thanks to him, we finished the bridge, shattered Gato's grip, and freed our people from poverty!"
"To honor his heroism, we named it the Hero's Bridge!"
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