In the dense forest, Zabuza Momochi was once again caught by the thugs.
But this time, there was no chance for him to escape.
"Damn it!"
He gripped a kunai in one hand and supported Haku on his back with the other, his eyes fixed on the surrounding pursuers who were watching him like tigers.
"Lord... Zabuza... put me down."
"Please don't mind me. I am only your tool."
If I can buy Lord Zabuza some time, then I will have been a worthy "tool," right?
Haku, whose face was frighteningly pale from blood loss, whispered in Zabuza's ear. Zabuza didn't respond.
Even if we die, we die together.
At this final moment of life and death, Zabuza finally faced his feelings for Haku.
He no longer saw him as a "tool," but as his "comrade," even his "family."
Such words were rather foreign to him, a man who had killed his way out of the most brutal era of the Hidden Mist.
But seeing Haku risk his own safety to protect him time and time again, even a man as emotionally detached as him found it hard not to be moved.
"I will live."
"I will definitely live."
Zabuza muttered to himself, as if speaking to himself, and also to Haku.
"So stop talking nonsense. You will live with me, as my useful 'tool.' Don't even think about dying before I abandon you."
He simply tore the sash from Haku's waist and tied Haku to himself. Then, with a kunai in one hand and a senbon in the other, he charged at the enemy.
The surrounding thugs also let out strange cries and rushed forward.
Money moves hearts, especially for those who have no beliefs and act purely for profit.
If they killed Zabuza Momochi, the Demon, not only could they collect the reward from Gato, but they could also take Zabuza's body to the Hidden Mist Village for another bounty.
The Zabuza before them was like a stack of banknotes, constantly stimulating their nerves.
Even when the first unlucky ones to charge forward were killed by Zabuza, the ones behind them showed no signs of retreating.
The prospect of taking Zabuza's head was enough for them to put aside their fear of death.
After killing another thug with a combination of slashes and stabs, Zabuza's left arm was also cut, and the senbon in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
Seeing this, the thugs' morale soared, their eyes practically glowing with gold.
No one noticed that a figure was now standing at the top of a large tree, silently watching everything below.
Looking at the two figures who hadn't given up on each other even in a desperate situation, it seemed to overlap with a certain memory.
Below, Zabuza seemed to know that he had reached the end. He stood there and gently closed his eyes.
I really... don't want to accept this.
But the expected pain never came. Before he could react, a series of "thuds" sounded around him.
Zabuza immediately opened his eyes and saw the thugs, who had just been so aggressive, now all lying on the ground with their eyes rolled back, some even foaming at the mouth.
"What... happened?"
Zabuza's voice was a little hoarse. Haku, behind him, couldn't see what had happened due to his restricted vision.
"To be honest, I was originally planning to finish you two off as well."
Just then, a familiar voice came from above them.
Then, a figure jumped down from the tree.
It was Naruto Uzumaki, whom they had met before.
Facing this unbelievably strong Konoha Genin again, Zabuza's pupils kept contracting. He felt an incredibly strong pressure from the other person.
He looked full of openings, but his intuition was constantly warning him.
It seemed that any thought of attacking him would lead to certain death.
"Don't be nervous."
"If I wanted to attack you, you'd already be dead."
Naruto, leaning against the large tree, said lightly, then walked over and, without any hesitation, reached out to untie the sash wrapped around Haku.
The moment Naruto got close, Zabuza's whole body stiffened, and he subconsciously wanted to attack.
But fortunately, his reason held him back.
"Why..."
Why spare them? And why save them?
Zabuza had many questions he wanted to ask.
"There's no 'why.' I did it because I wanted to."
As he spoke, Naruto reached out, intending to take off Haku's clothes to treat his wounds.
But when he came face-to-face with Haku's soft features, he felt a bit of a headache.
"Speaking of which, you kid... you really look like a girl."
When his clothes were taken off, even Haku, with his calm demeanor, couldn't help but blush, a faint red tint appearing on his pale face.
"We're all men, what's there to be shy about?"
In Naruto's eyes, Haku was just a little boy who hadn't grown up yet.
Although he himself looked like a teenager to others, one must not forget that the essence under this skin was a middle-aged man who had long since passed his thirtieth birthday.
Even the rugged-looking Zabuza was only twenty-three this year, still a "youngster" in Naruto's eyes.
He casually patted Haku's head, then took out a roll of bandages from somewhere and began to meticulously bandage Haku's wounds.
Seeing Naruto's familiar manner, Zabuza felt that his brain couldn't keep up.
Just the day before, they were enemies trying to kill each other. Why was this guy now so naturally bandaging his enemy?
Suddenly, a roll of bandages hit Zabuza in the face, interrupting his thoughts.
"Don't just stand there dazed. Treat your own wounds."
Seeing Zabuza still staring at the bandages, Naruto gave him a contemptuous look.
"You don't want me to bandage you personally, do you?"
Zabuza fell silent. After a long while, he said in a stiff tone.
"What do you want?"
Naruto's reply was simple.
He just waved his hand lightly.
"Don't overthink it. You have nothing to give me."
As he spoke, he finished dressing Haku's wound and then added.
"I've already made it very clear."
"I did it because I wanted to. There's no deeper reason, no special purpose."
"It's just because I'm stronger than you, stronger than all of you combined."
"Even if you don't appreciate my kindness, you have no choice but to accept it. Understand?"
As he said the last sentence, Naruto looked down at the two of them.
Although his face still held a smile, both Zabuza and Haku felt as if the young man before them had transformed into a towering mountain.
"Only the strong can control their own destiny, while the weak are controlled by the strong."
This was the core idea of Naruto's words.
Zabuza and Haku, having understood, also fell silent. They couldn't refute such a reason.
"Alright, from today on, you two are 'dead,' understand?"
"I won't be this merciful every time."
With that, Naruto lightly leaped onto a tree branch.
"A tool, huh—"
He had heard every word of Haku and Zabuza's conversation earlier.
He had also noticed Haku's habit of referring to himself as Zabuza's "tool."
Speaking of which, weren't ninja just tools in the hands of the various daimyo?
Having re-learned and understood the general situation of the ninja world, Naruto began to wonder if the existence of ninja was really necessary.
Even the Marines under the World Government had their purpose.
But the existence of ninja seemed to be inherently for killing.
No matter what cloak it was given, whether it was the "Will of Fire" or something else, its essence could not be concealed.
Even the seemingly harmonious Konoha Village took on assassination missions.
These killings had nothing to do with justice.
Should the world be like this?
Whether it was Zabuza, the ninja who pursued them, or even Kakashi and the others, they all seemed to be just tools that existed to complete someone's mission.
"Dragon... maybe you were right..."
Naruto's murmur was only heard by himself and the mountain wind of the night.
It wasn't until the figure in the kimono was no longer visible that Zabuza stood up again without a word and put Haku on his back once more.
The two left in another direction.
For a moment, they were both silent.
"Lord Zabuza..."
"Hm?"
"Let's leave this place."
"...You're noisy."
"Lord Zabuza..."
"Yeah."
"Please don't abandon me."
"...Okay."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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