Demon Man

Cold light shone upon the scroll in his hands as Minamoto Takuya's fingertips slowly traced lines of dark ink.

This was not his first time reading it, yet his sharp gaze still moved through every sentence, precisely picking out the information worth noting.

Especially the information concerning the distant, mist-shrouded Kirigakure, and the name that had already claimed a place on his list: Zabuza Momochi.

This powerful man, once expected to make his mark in Kirigakure, had embarked on the irreversible path of betrayal as early as last year.

The intelligence did not state the reason, but Minamoto Takuya knew that Zabuza had let out a cry of despair against the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's sudden shift toward brutal policies. Driven to desperation, he had risked everything and orchestrated that assassination attempt.

Unfortunately, the hidden hand in the shadows, Obito Uchiha, had long controlled the Mizukage's will like a puppet on strings, turning Zabuza's valiant resistance into nothing but an illusion.

If not for that manipulator lurking behind the scenes, Zabuza Momochi should have been the Fourth Mizukage's trusted right-hand man, not reduced to this...

One could only say that fate toyed with people.

The current Zabuza Momochi was like a trapped beast freed from its shackles, forced to submit to the dark laws of the underworld. His blade no longer pointed toward his former beliefs, instead moving from one bloody mission to another for glittering money.

A clear spark of interest rose within Minamoto Takuya. Subduing this man might be exactly what he needed right now.

His gaze passed over the scroll, and the image of the distant Land of Snow surfaced in his mind—the Snow Ninja Village situated amid that frozen wasteland.

The ninja guarding that place... Minamoto Takuya's lips imperceptibly curled downward. They were far too weak.

Even