End-of-volume note: The end of the battle

Hozuki Suigetsu has two very strong techniques that can be used in Taijutsu.

The first technique is the Great Water Arm Technique, which gathers all the water in the body into the arm, thereby strengthening the arm and generating tremendous power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, so Suigetsu's attack power is very strong; the second technique is the Hydrification Technique, which has not yet been used in front of Haku, and can make her immune to most physical damage, so Suigetsu's defense is also very strong.

With these two Nintaijutsu, Suigetsu possesses outstanding abilities in both offense and defense. Therefore, Hozuki Suigetsu's true source of pride lies in his Taijutsu.

He just didn't have a suitable weapon, making his Taijutsu a bit awkward; however, it should be enough to deal with this seemingly delicate girl in front of him!

With that thought in mind, Suigetsu charged forward with full confidence.

Then... he encountered the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

The Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals Yuki Haku is currently using is the second stage taught to her by Sakura Haruno: there is no need to specially create an ice mirror; other ice blocks can be used as a medium, and Chakra can be injected into a large block of ice.

Because several Ninjutsu had been used, the field was covered in ice, so Haku's Body Flicker Technique was incredibly fast and unpredictable. Despite her immense power, Suigetsu couldn't hit her at all.

No matter how strong you are, it's useless if you can't hit your target.

In martial arts, nothing is invincible except speed!

--Although this saying doesn't exist in the Shinobi World, after being taught a lesson by super-fast ninjas like the Yellow Flash, most ninjas somewhat agree with this viewpoint.

While the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals technique isn't quite as powerful as the Flying Thunder God Technique, it's enough to overwhelm slower ninjas. Haku initially only showcased her speed, not going all out, hoping to use her super-fast Body Flicker Technique to deter Suigetsu; however, Suigetsu, relying on her Hydrification Technique, was immune to physical attacks and stubbornly insisted on continuing the fight.

All right...

So, a few minutes later, Hozuki Suigetsu was defeated and became the figure that Yuki Haku looked like: his whole body was frozen into a block of ice, with only his head standing on the ice.

Suigetsu, unable to move, looked completely bewildered.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you." The pacifist Bai sat down beside him, waiting for Sakura's battle to end, and said seriously, "I've frozen the water that your body turned into here. You won't be missing any limbs after it thaws!"

"Hmph! How awful!" Suigetsu exclaimed, looking both annoyed and helpless.

His helpless, pained expression contrasted sharply with his initial arrogant smile.

Hmm... Yuki Haku glanced at Suigetsu's appearance and suddenly burst into laughter.

"You look so funny!" Suigetsu's appearance tickled the funny bone of the older girl. She reached out and touched Suigetsu's head, ruffling his neatly combed silver hair into a mess—this perverse sense of humor was clearly influenced by someone.

"Don't touch me! I'd rather die than be humiliated!" The silver-haired youth's face darkened, and he raised his head and stretched his neck as hard as he could, trying to bite the girl's outstretched hand. His teeth chattered loudly.

"Chirp! Chirp!" Yuki Haku sat beside him, nimbly dodging his sharp teeth attacks, teasing him with playful chirping sounds, and said with a smile, "Your neck is too short, you can't bite me!"

After playing for a while, the smile on her pale face faded, and the heaviness in her heart made her somewhat restless.

How's the battle between Sakura and Orochimaru going? Haku jumped up the mountain and looked out at the sea.

Although the battlefield was not visible, the clash of those massive Ninjutsu could be detected even from a great distance; the violent Chakra sensation was as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the darkness.

"Water Dragon Bullet, Water Formation Wall, Five Continuous Water Dragon Bullets... these are all super-massive Water Release." As she looked at them, Bai silently recited the Ninjutsu she could recognize, her heart heavy.

"Hey! Yuki Haku!" the silver-haired youth, who was unable to move below, shouted, "Who won?"

"It's not over yet!" Bai replied. As she spoke, several more Ninjutsu explosions came from the other side, and suddenly a violent attack erupted, with flying stones hitting her face, which was extremely annoying.

The girl sighed and jumped down from the mountain.

"Is the battle still undecided?" Suigetsu glanced at her and asked.

"No," Haku shook his head, then chuckled, "But I have some bad news for you: Orochimaru's Chakra is weakening!"

Suigetsu snorted and lowered her head, remaining silent.

After a while, he raised his head again and said, "The battle that just happened between us was actually meaningless, wasn't it? Only after they decide who wins and who loses can they determine whether I can take the Kubikiribōchō, regardless of who wins or loses, right?"

Bai Wei was taken aback, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that Suigetsu's reasoning was exactly correct.

If Orochimaru were to arrive, no matter how much she struggled, she would have no choice but to hand over the Kubikiribōchō, and might even have to use Hozuki Suigetsu as a hostage to save her life;

Conversely, if it were Sakura Haruno who came, then Hozuki Suigetsu should forget about the Kubikiribōchō and should first consider how to surrender!

"Sigh... that's true!" she sighed.

"Actually, our strengths are about the same. We are both Jonin- level ninjas. I just happen to be completely countered by you!" Suigetsu added.

Most ninjas have their own strengths and weaknesses. When two equally matched ninjas have a counter-relationship, one will often be completely outmatched by the other. Suigetsu and Haku are such an example. This does not mean that Suigetsu is a level weaker than Haku.

However, Suigetsu's words actually revealed a hint of resentment in her heart...

Bai glanced at him, not caring, and casually chatted with him for a few words amidst the occasional roar.

It's truly amazing that the two of them, who were just fighting to the death, can now chat so calmly.

A short while later, a series of loud explosions rang out, each one stronger than the last, accompanied by gusts of wind. The sound waves could still be felt even from this spot!

It lasted for a full half minute before it subsided. Suigetsu and Bai exchanged a glance, looking at each other in bewilderment, unable to imagine what kind of Ninjutsu could unleash such power.

"Is it probably coming to an end soon?" After a long silence, Suigetsu finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

Is it over?

After a long while, no new explosions, collisions, or whistling sounds came from that side, so Yuki Haku knew that the battle was probably over.

She adopted a defensive posture, anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle.

Who will leave the battlefield and come here?

As she gradually grew into a young woman, Yuki Haku Shiro stood with a solemn expression, silently waiting for the result, feeling as if each second was an eternity.

She didn't have to wait long.

With a thud, Orochimaru and the Second Hokage appeared before the two!

He actually won! Yuki Haku body trembled, and she subconsciously used Ice Body Flicker Technique Movement to create distance!

However, she knew in her heart that against Orochimaru, this trick could only buy her a little time at most...

"Where's Sakura?" Yuki Haku frowned, staring intently at Orochimaru, and asked through gritted teeth!

Orochimaru ignored her, but the stranger next to him said, "Don't worry, Sakura Haruno defeated Orochimaru, she'll be here soon!"

Bai stared intently, only to realize that the person was wearing Konoha Forehead Protector; her mind went completely blank—what was going on?

Why did Orochimaru arrive even though Sakura won? Why did the people of Konoha follow Orochimaru, yet kindly try to explain these things?

On the other side, Orochimaru used Fire Style to roast Suigetsu out of the ice. Suigetsu looked at him excitedly. "Orochimaru, you really won! Can we go get the Kubikiribōchō now?"

It was like rubbing salt in the wound; Orochimaru had actually lost. He glared at Suigetsu with icy eyes, and the silver-haired youth almost thought he had been frozen again.

Then Orochimaru said, "Shut up, it's time to go!"

Before Suigetsu could say anything, the Second Hokage pulled the two of them away and disappeared from the spot.

Sakura Haruno arrived almost simultaneously.

She jumped off the ice mirror, landed next to Haku, glanced in the direction where Orochimaru and the others had disappeared, and shook her head.

"How are you, Bai? Are you alright?"

Still somewhat shaken, the black-haired woman grabbed Sakura's arm. "That was terrifying! What just happened? How come there was another 'Kage' level ninja next to Orochimaru?"

"That's a long story," Sakura Haruno said with a sigh.

Sakura looked around and saw that the aftershocks of their battle had left the place in a mess. She finally found a relatively clean rock, washed Water Release, and then sat down with a long sigh of relief!

"Before explaining what just happened, let's first consider how to deal with the Kubikiribōchō and Zabuza's grave!"

The pink-haired girl sighed.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

Zabuza's grave is now under Orochimaru's watchful eye; this is truly dangerous. Sakura Haruno repelled him this time, but what about next time?

Even setting up a barrier is not a foolproof solution; barriers are inanimate objects, and there will always be ways to break them. If Orochimaru is determined to take the Kubikiribōchō and Zabuza's body, those obstacles will be nothing more than a week or two away from him.

Orochimaru probably came at this time with the intention of obtaining the sword, the dead, and the living at the same time.

If she hadn't come with Bai...

Sakura Haruno felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about the consequences!

"Let's move the grave," Sakura said seriously after a moment's thought. "Bringing Zabuza's grave and the Kubikiribōchō back to Konoha is the only way."

Bai glanced at her somewhat sullenly and said, "Let me think about it..."

"Alright," Sakura Haruno sighed, "Let's leave here and find a place to rest. Orochimaru and the others won't be back anytime soon..."

"And then I'll tell you what happened in the previous battle..."

They stayed that night at the home of their old acquaintance Tazuna; they were very hospitable to the two girls.

Because the Land of Waves built a new bridge, opening up a transportation route with Konoha, and Gato, who had been sucking blood from the Land of Waves, was killed, the economy quickly developed.

Walking down the street, the once desolate streets have now regained their bustling atmosphere.

This is the first country whose fate was changed by Team 7. Sakura Haruno walks here and suddenly feels like she's walking in Land of Snow.

The fates of the two countries are somewhat similar. Both were once oppressed and exploited, and then Team 7 defeated the exploiters, bringing new life to their countries. However, the Land of Snow has poor geographical conditions, so even after gaining new life, life is still very difficult. The Land of Waves, on the other hand, has unique geographical advantages, with fishing grounds, special products, and resources, and is also very close to the Land of Fire.

After clinging to the Land of Fire, the Land of Waves quickly took off.

As a bridge-building expert, Tazuna is now highly valued. With the economy booming, the Great Bridge of Courage is becoming insufficient, and he has been hired by the daimyo to build a second bridge; a third bridge is also currently being searched for.

So their home has changed dramatically. The old, dilapidated building is now brand new, and they've added a lot of luxurious furniture. It's not just the house that's changed; Inari has also grown a lot taller. Now she's ten years old, and after experiencing so much, she's lost much of her childishness.

Sakura Haruno changed into a new set of clothes here. Her original clothes were now riddled with holes, drafty, tattered, and covered in bloodstains, completely ruined.

Then I slept comfortably in Tazuna's soft bed for the night.

When Bai woke up the next day, he made a decision.

"Let's bring Zabuza's grave back to Konoha."

Volume 10, End.

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