Now This Is My Escape Route!

A dazzling golden bolt of lightning shot out in an instant and blasted into the mist, the crackle of electricity ringing across the sea.

The Mist Anbu bound by the vines was struck by the lightning. Smoke rose from his body, and it was impossible to tell whether he was alive or dead.

If it was impossible to tell whether he was alive or dead, then he was dead.

Aragaki Yasushi glanced at the still-dense mist below. Without the slightest hesitation, he charged straight into it.

He was all about brute force.

Besides, he had the Horse Talisman to fall back on. What was there to fear?

Surely a mere Zabuza couldn't just kill him instantly?

Zabuza could see everything clearly in the mist, and his heart leaped with joy.

He was a master of the Silent Killing Technique. This mist was his home turf, and Aragaki Yasushi had actually dared to charge right in. The kid was practically asking to die!

Hmph. In the mist, you're as good as dead!

Zabuza congratulated himself, convinced he had this in the bag.

With that thought, he gripped the long blade in his hand and moved with the lightest of steps. Using the mist as cover, he crept silently toward Aragaki Yasushi's back to strike.

But the next second, his movements abruptly froze, and his pupils shrank.

He saw a face glaring straight at him!

"How is this possible?!"

Zabuza's mind went blank, disbelief written all over his face.

"He actually figured out where I'd attack from?"

Had this man completely seen through his Silent Killing Technique?

No!

Zabuza blinked rapidly and finally spotted what was wrong.

Aragaki Yasushi didn't just have one face.

Four extra arms and two extra heads had appeared out of nowhere on his body.

He looked exactly like Three Heads and Six Arms!

"What the hell is that?!"

Zabuza's heart sank. Something was terribly wrong.

Unfortunately, no one was there to explain it to him, and he had no time to react.

One of Aragaki Yasushi's heads grinned. A fist as big as a sandbag swung straight at Zabuza's face, trailing a fierce gust of wind.

Million Ton Punch!

With a thunderous boom, the sea erupted, sending up towering white waves several meters high.

Zabuza was sent flying like a rag doll and slammed down onto the sea. He skipped across the surface like a stone, bouncing again and again.

Blood filled his mouth. Every bone in his body felt shattered, and he could barely feel an uninjured spot.

"Am I... going to die?"

But the next second, Zabuza clenched his fist, his gaze turning resolute.

No!

The village was still under the Bloody Mist Policy, and its people were suffering!

If he died, who would put an end to all this?

Who would save Kirigakure?

"I can't die!"

Zabuza's face twisted in fury. He forced his badly injured body to move with the last of his strength, gathered his chakra, and sprinted frantically across the sea.

"Now this is my escape route!"

But the next moment, a green beam shot out from behind and pierced straight through Zabuza's body.

The light vanished from Zabuza's eyes. The fury on his face faded completely, and he sank stiffly beneath the surface, his life extinguished.

Aragaki Yasushi put away the Energy Scroll and curled his lip.

"Such a loudmouth."

He scanned the sea, figuring the Anbu in the Hidden Mist pursuit squad had probably all been dealt with by now.

After all, Zabuza had been the last person he'd come to kill tonight.

Great. If that Yoiichi Kumade extra was still alive, he should finally be able to make it to the rendezvous point.

With that thought, Aragaki Yasushi didn't linger. He flapped his wings, turned, and flew toward the tavern in the village from earlier, heading back to wait for Yoiichi Kumade.

The next day, just before dawn, the first rays of morning light fell across the sea, making the waves shimmer.

Yoiichi Kumade crouched behind a reef, his face full of confusion.

For some reason, the Mist Anbu who'd been so eager to tear him apart had mysteriously vanished the night before.

"That's strange."

Yoiichi Kumade racked his brain, but he couldn't figure out why.

Had they been fooled by his misdirection technique?

He immediately shook his head, dismissing the idea.

No way. They were Mist Anbu, the elite of the Hidden Mist shinobi. Every last one of them was sharp as a tack.

How could his little misdirection trick fool such ruthless people so easily?

Had they had a change of heart and decided to let him go?

Yoiichi Kumade shook his head again.

Yeah, right. If the Mist Anbu were that kindhearted, the sun would rise in the west. He'd be lucky if they didn't kill him and drag him back for a brutal interrogation.

Could the Mist Anbu have intercepted the intelligence he'd sent to the village, learned the rendezvous point, and be waiting there to ambush him?

As soon as the thought occurred to him, Yoiichi Kumade dismissed it too.

No, he'd written his report in code, and the cipher was unique to his line of work.

Kirigakure couldn't crack it in such a short time.

If they'd cracked it already, he'd be dead by now.

Yoiichi Kumade scratched his head, but after thinking it over, he still couldn't make sense of it. In the end, he could only sigh.

Whatever. He'd go to the rendezvous point first. He couldn't hide forever.

He cautiously poked his head out and watched for a long while. Once he was sure there was no danger nearby, he hunched over and crept toward the village tavern they'd agreed on.

He had just reached the tavern entrance when someone gently tapped his shoulder from behind.

"Who's there?!"

Yoiichi Kumade shuddered in fright, nearly jumping out of his skin. His hand immediately went to the short blade at his waist, alarm bells ringing in his head.

He spun around and took a defensive stance. When he looked up, he saw a handsome boy watching him with a faint smile.

Yoiichi Kumade froze, eyes wide. He studied the other boy for a long moment before asking uncertainly, "You... you're Aragaki Yasushi?"

Aragaki Yasushi smiled and nodded. "Long time no see, Yoiichi Kumade. I can't believe you're still so timid after all these years."

Yoiichi Kumade still didn't let his guard down. It was wartime, after all, and there was no way to be sure the person before him wasn't a Hidden Mist shinobi disguised with the Transformation Technique.

They could be trying to trick him into trusting them so they could get information.

So Yoiichi Kumade asked him several questions about amusing incidents only their Ninja Academy classmates would know.

Only after confirming Aragaki Yasushi's identity did Yoiichi Kumade finally relax. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, looking as though he'd just escaped death.

"I finally found someone from our side. I thought I was going to die out there."

Aragaki Yasushi smiled. "Let's get out of here first. We can talk on the way."

They didn't dare waste time. While it was still dark, they hurried toward Konoha Camp.

On the way, Yoiichi Kumade couldn't help asking, scratching his head. "By the way, why did the village send you to meet me?"

In his mind, the village should have sent an experienced Jonin to meet a spy who'd infiltrated enemy territory.

Aragaki Yasushi might have made a name for himself on the battlefield, but in Yoiichi Kumade's memory, he was still only a Chunin. He shouldn't have been assigned such a dangerous mission.

Besides, losing a young prodigy like him here would be a huge blow to the village.