Naruto's Goal

Zabuza and Haku, all of their attack methods, all of their coordinated strategies, were within Naruto's predictions.

This stemmed not only from the vast combat experience and precognition accumulated over countless reincarnations.

It stemmed even more from Naruto's familiarity with the combat habits and thought patterns of these two individuals before him.

So familiar that he could perfectly deduce all the changes within the next ten seconds just by seeing their starting stance.

"Your coordination is very good."

Naruto finally turned his gaze to Haku, whose expression had slightly changed, and his tone remained calm, "But there's no way you can beat me."

"Haku, your strength is immense. At such a young age, your combat potential is even greater than Zabuza's."

"Yet, you've been subconsciously limiting this powerful strength, dulling its edge."

Naruto paused and stated the core reason, "It's simply because your heart isn't ruthless enough, you're unwilling to truly kill. You are, at heart, a gentle person."

Haku suddenly froze in place, his already pale complexion turning even whiter.

Even the hand holding the senbon began to tremble slightly.

This person...

This stranger from Konoha...

How could he know these things?

How could he see through the deepest struggles within his heart?

We've only just met for the first time, only exchanged a single blow, and attacked once with senbon!

How could he so confidently say that I was limiting my strength and not going all out?

At this moment, it wasn't just Haku; even the battle-hardened Zabuza felt an unprecedented shock.

He tightly gripped the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō and questioned in a low, wary voice, "Who exactly are you?"

Naruto understood. Of the two before him, Zabuza had always been the true decision-maker.

While Haku possessed considerable strength and a delicate mind, he was more of a follower.

Therefore, to persuade them, the key lay in breaking through Zabuza's psychological defenses.

Naruto knew well that Zabuza, despite his fierce exterior and sharp words, still had his own principles and bottom line deep down; he was a typical "sharp tongue, soft heart."

Dealing with such a person required a balance of force and gentleness, neither being overly aggressive nor too weak.

"Currently, I'm considered a ninja of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto's tone was heavy and calm, with a hint of matter-of-factness, "I have only one goal: to bring about a complete transformation of the entire ninja world. Therefore... you need me."

"We need you?"

Zabuza let out a scornful scoff, as if he had heard an absurd joke.

He neither believed Naruto's reasoning nor trusted Naruto himself.

What Zabuza found even more bizarre was Naruto's logic.

You want to reform the ninja world, yet you say we need you?

This didn't sound like cooperation at all; it sounded like a unilateral declaration.

Naruto didn't immediately retort. Instead, he slightly raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of leaves, looking towards the sky as if lost in a distant memory.

Then, he spoke faintly, his voice carrying a sense of world-weariness that didn't match his appearance or age, "The Bloody Mist Village... what a sorrowful story."

Zabuza's expression remained stern, and he didn't respond, but he didn't interrupt Naruto either.

He wanted to see what this mysterious Konoha ninja named Uzumaki Naruto would say.

In fact, Zabuza's patience at this moment wasn't born from generosity or curiosity, but from a clear-headed assessment.

The brief exchange earlier had already proven that, whether in terms of raw power or intelligence gathering, he and Haku were completely outmatched by the opponent.

There was no chance of winning in a direct confrontation, so it was better to hear what he had to say first.

"More than a decade ago, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure, Yagura, became a perfect Jinchuriki. At that time, in Kirigakure, there was Genji, Ao, Gonbei, and others above, and Hozuki Mangetsu, Suikazan Fuguki..."

Naruto slowly uttered names that resonated like thunder in Kirigakure, finally his gaze landing on Zabuza, "And you, Momochi Zabuza."

"All of you worked hard for the future of your village, eager to make the 'Bloody Mist Village' better. But all of that was completely changed by one person: the strongest ninja at the time, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura."

"He turned Kirigakure back into that despair-inducing Bloody Mist, making everyone live in fear."

"So you stepped forward, resisted him, even attempted to assassinate him. Although you failed, you never gave up. Even now, you're still trying to gather strength, wanting to return to Kirigakure for revenge."

Naruto's words plunged Zabuza into memories of the past as well.

Naruto paused again and continued, "Therefore, I have the strength and determination to change the ninja world, while you are trapped in a place like the Land of Waves, living a pathetic existence, making your already distant dream even more unattainable. So..."

"You need me! Only I can help you return to the Bloody Mist Village, change all these tragedies, and realize your dream!"

Naruto looked directly into Zabuza's eyes and said with unwavering conviction, "If it were anyone else, I might have already killed them. But you, Zabuza, are different. You are a true man who dares to say no to an unjust reality, who dares to stand up against oppression. It is precisely this point that makes me willing to reason with you here."

Every word Naruto spoke seemed to strike Zabuza's heart directly.

He knew all too well what words could pierce through Zabuza's tough exterior and reach the deepest resentment and desires within his heart.

If not for the unsuitable location, the inopportune timing, and the last shred of pride he was clinging to, Zabuza would likely have already wavered.

"You little brat..."

Zabuza's voice trembled slightly, the fighting spirit that had been tightly strung within him seemed to dissipate by more than half in an instant, and the hand gripping his sword unconsciously loosened its hold.

"Mr. Zabuza..."

Haku looked worriedly at the man beside him.

He had never seen Zabuza show such a wavering, even vulnerable, expression.

Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently set, Naruto changed the subject and delivered the final blow, "Gato, the world's foremost magnate, his underlings are gangsters, and his samurai possess considerable military strength. The vast majority of his enormous enterprises were acquired through illicit means, such as the predicament the Land of Waves is currently facing."

"Therefore, to thoroughly reform the ninja world, including ending the Bloody Mist Village, I need money, a lot of money, as well as influence and supporters. Gato's money is precisely the seed capital for reforming the ninja world."

Naruto then unhesitatingly revealed a string of extremely detailed information.

For example, the exact location of Gato's vault, the number of samurai guards, whether ninjas were hired, who his most trusted accountant and butler were, and his current whereabouts...

"You... you want to kill Gato?"

Zabuza was utterly shocked. This time, he was completely convinced.

This young man named Naruto not only possessed terrifying strength.

His intelligence-gathering capabilities were also astonishingly frightening; he had managed to uncover Gato's entire background so thoroughly.