No scream. No spray of blood. With a calm face, Yuto met Zabuza's full-force strike with a single finger.
No matter how hard Zabuza pressed, the decapitating greatsword wouldn't budge an inch.
Yuto flicked his finger. Zabuza's body shuddered; he coughed up a mouthful of blood, staggered back several steps, and fell to the floor.
"Zabuza-sama!"
Seeing Zabuza wounded again, Haku cried out, his voice tight with worry.
Yuto eased the hand he'd placed on Haku's shoulder. Haku shot forward in a blur, appearing by Zabuza's side with a face full of concern.
"You damned bastard—I'm the Demon!"
Zabuza's hoarse roar surged out, and even the faint chakra left in his body churned.
Swish! In a crack of lightning, Ringo flashed to a stop in front of Zabuza.
"Dare to speak disrespectfully of Yuto-sama—have you decided how you want to die?"
Ringo bared her sharp teeth. One Raitō (Thunder Blade) pressed tight to Zabuza's throat; the other hovered over his heart.
The slightest move would mean instant death.
Haku tensed to act, but Suigetsu appeared behind him, a kunai kissing Haku's neck as he murmured, "Pretty lady, don't move."
"I'm a boy."
Haku grit his teeth, voice low.
Suigetsu blinked and shifted his body a little farther from Haku.
"Have you decided?" Yuto asked mildly, looking at Zabuza.
Blood at the corner of his mouth, Zabuza held Yuto's gaze. Even from that brief exchange, he knew he stood no chance against this young man. This wasn't something that could be overcome by desperation or clever tricks—it was a gap in both quality and quantity.
"The new wielder of the Raitō (Thunder Blade), and a brat from the Hozuki Clan—you're not Kirigakure Anbu (Black Ops). Who are you people?"
"I once attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage. Make me your tool and you'd better be ready for Kirigakure's hunters," Zabuza added with a cold curl of his lip.
"Watch your tongue when you speak of that lord. Keep it up and I'll kill you."
Ringo's fingers twitched; a fine line of blood opened on Zabuza's neck beneath the blade.
"If I have to say anything, my name is Yuto. That enough?"
Yuto rubbed his chin and spoke lightly.
Zabuza blinked. Why did that name feel familiar?
"You're the First Mizukage, Yuto!!"
Zabuza's eyes went wide. He stared at Yuto in disbelief.
"If there isn't a second person in this world with that name, then yes, that's me," Yuto said with a shrug.
Zabuza was silent for a long beat, then burst out laughing, a note of relief he'd never felt before edging his voice. "I knew it—the legends of Kirigakure are true. If it's Yuto-sama, what harm is there in becoming your tool?"
In the original tale, Zabuza tried to end the Blood Mist era by assassinating the Fourth Mizukage. He failed, fled the village as a rogue, but never gave up. While dodging Anbu (Black Ops) pursuit, he prepared his next coup, selling his blade to anyone who paid enough—until he met Kakashi and died in the Land of Waves.
Looking at Zabuza's face now, Yuto recalled the judgment Kakashi gave him at the end: just a man fighting desperately to live.
Letting a man like that die would be a shame.
And if Zabuza yielded, Haku's situation became simple to resolve.
With Zabuza's answer, Ringo snorted softly and sheathed both blades.
Suigetsu likewise withdrew the kunai from Haku's throat.
Haku hurried to lift Zabuza to his feet.
"That's one matter settled. And Haku, from today on, you're a shinobi of Kirigakure."
Yuto smiled at Haku standing beside Zabuza.
Haku froze for a moment. He didn't understand why this young man had treated him differently from the start, but he still nodded.
"Gotta say, Yuto-sama seems awfully concerned about that one named Haku," Suigetsu whispered to Ringo.
"What was that? Suigetsu, are you challenging Zabuza to take back the decapitating greatsword?"
Ringo pretended not to hear him, raising her voice toward Zabuza instead.
"Take the Executioner's blade? Little Hozuki brat—are you ready to gamble your life?"
A thin killing intent rolled off Zabuza and pinned Suigetsu in place.
"Heh... I've no interest in fighting someone who's still badly injured," Suigetsu said stiffly.
"That so? You're always bragging about reclaiming the Executioner's blade. When Zabuza recovers, I'd love to see you try."
"If you 'accidentally' kill Suigetsu, there's no need to answer for it," Yuto said with a lazy smile, eyes narrowing at Suigetsu.
Suigetsu was talented, sure—but compared to Zabuza, he still lagged behind.
In Yuto's view, Suigetsu was a prodigy, no less gifted than Sasuke.
Remember: in the original story, Suigetsu spent most of his time locked in Orochimaru's tanks, with precious little chance to train, while Sasuke enjoyed Orochimaru's personal tutelage. So even if Suigetsu looked weaker, in the fight against the Eight-Tails, the strength he displayed was in no way shabby—he tanked a Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Bomb) head-on, something ordinary shinobi couldn't dream of.
Sasuke's strength comes from bloodline dominance. If we're talking pure talent, anyone in Akatsuki—Hidan aside—could mop the floor with him.
Swap their environments and Suigetsu would be far stronger than he was in the original.
Catching Ringo's mischievous grin and Zabuza's level stare, Suigetsu's mouth twitched; he forced out a couple of dry laughs.
"Yuto-sama, I assume you already know what's happening in Konoha. As for Kakashi and his team—do we still need to deal with them?" A bloodthirsty light flickered in Zabuza's eyes. He hadn't forgotten Kakashi's machinations against him.
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