I... Agree to You

A warm, pure, and life-energy-filled chakra slowly poured into his body.

Ling Xuan had arrived beside the two at some point, watching this master and apprentice struggling on the edge of life and death with a calm gaze.

"Your path has not yet reached its end, Zabuza Momochi."

Although the green medical chakra in Ling Xuan's hands was faint, it precisely stabilized Zabuza's shattered heart meridian. At the same time, he unfolded a scroll covered in complex runes, which he had prepared in his other hand, before the two.

"I saved your tool, and now I can save your life as well." Ling Xuan's voice was like a devil's whisper, filled with an irresistible temptation.

"But in this world, there are no free lunches. I offer you a future where you can live and stay together. As the price..."

"Your lives, your power, your loyalty... from this moment on, all belong to me."

"Sign this contract, and you shall be reborn. Refuse, and you shall walk the path to the underworld together."

Zabuza looked at Ling Xuan, then at Haku, who was weeping in his arms because he was still alive, and he smiled.

He smiled with immense relief.

"So... you wanted to possess us... from the very beginning..."

He used his final ounce of strength to extend a blood-stained finger and pressed it heavily onto the contract scroll that represented both rebirth and bondage.

"I... agree."

When Zabuza's blood-soaked thumb pressed firmly onto the scroll, a sudden change occurred.

The seemingly ordinary scroll, with its complex and profound runes hand-drawn by Ling Xuan, appeared to come alive the moment it touched Zabuza's blood.

Threads of dark red light flowed along the trajectories of the runes like living blood vessels, radiating an ancient, majestic, and irresistible aura.

"Contract, established."

Ling Xuan calmly uttered these three words.

The dark red light flared from the scroll, then transformed into two thin streams of energy. One silently burrowed into Zabuza's chest. The other flew toward Haku, who was in a state of shock and ecstasy over Zabuza's "resurrection."

Haku instinctively tried to dodge, but the energy stream was too fast and seemed to carry an inescapable lock, instantly merging into his body.

A complex dark red mark composed of countless tiny runes appeared on the skin of both Zabuza and Haku, right over their hearts. The marks flickered twice before sinking deep into their skin like a brand, vanishing from sight.

"This is..." Zabuza felt a bizarre connection established deep within his soul to Ling Xuan. He could feel his life force tied tightly to this unfathomable youth by an invisible thread.

"A Master-Servant Life and Death Pact," Ling Xuan explained indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion. "A sealing technique I created myself. Its effect is simple: your life force is now linked to mine. As long as I do not die and do not voluntarily sever the link, you will not die from your previous injuries."

"But conversely, with a single thought from me, or should you harbor any intent of betrayal, this seal will instantly destroy your chakra meridians and stop your hearts."

"This is... a slave contract!" Haku held his injured body and looked at Ling Xuan, his eyes filled with anger and unwillingness.

"No." Ling Xuan shook his head. "I never waste time enslaving a tool without a mind. What I grant you is a rebirth that retains your complete will and thoughts. You may choose to serve me, or you may choose to die right now. The decision is in your own hands."

He paused, turning his gaze to Zabuza.

"The contract is signed; now it is my turn to fulfill my promise."

Ling Xuan ignored their complex expressions and knelt down, placing his hands on the heavily injured Zabuza.

"Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm Technique!"

Unlike the Mystical Palm Technique Sakura could only use to barely stop bleeding, the green chakra released from Ling Xuan's hands was pure, stable, and brimming with rich life energy.

What was even more terrifying was his method of application.

The Eye of Truth acted like a high-precision MRI machine, projecting all of Zabuza's injuries—fractured bones, damaged organs, ruptured blood vessels, and meridians eroded by enemy chakra—into his mind as a three-dimensional image.

The chakra transformed into thousands of surgical needles thinner than hair, beginning the deepest, cell-level repair and reconstruction of Zabuza's body.

First, he stabilized the crumbling heart meridian, then used chakra threads to stitch the severed blood vessels one by one, halting the fatal internal bleeding.

Immediately after, Ling Xuan stimulated bone cell regeneration, causing the broken ribs to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. Finally, he began to clear the chaotic chakra that had invaded the body and repaired the damaged meridians.

This was a process that consumed immense mental energy and chakra.

Soon, fine beads of sweat appeared on Ling Xuan's forehead, and his face began to turn pale. Yet, his hands remained as steady as a rock, without the slightest tremor.

Nearby, Kakashi, who had just broken free, watched this scene in silence, the shock in his eyes beyond words.

The precision and depth of this medical ninjutsu far exceeded the scope of conventional Mystical Palm Technique. This was not mere healing; this was creation!

Ling Xuan was not learning ninjutsu; he was defining it! That sealing technique, too, was filled with an ancient and unfamiliar aura...

Who exactly is he? Teacher Hiruzen... what kind of monster has our Konoha unearthed?

For the first time, Kakashi felt that his title as the Copy Ninja seemed laughable in the face of this youth's wisdom. He copied techniques, while Ling Xuan seemed to grasp the logic that transcended them.

Sasuke also watched in silence. He could not understand the intricacies of medical ninjutsu like Kakashi, but he could understand the other power Ling Xuan was displaying at this moment.

It was not the power of destruction, but the power to control life and twist fate. Ling Xuan had not only defeated Haku in battle but had also turned the unruly powerhouse and his companion into his own possessions after the fight.

This method of turning enemies into his own chess pieces gave Sasuke an inexplicable chill from the depths of his heart, as well as a yearning he had not yet realized himself.

Naruto, however, seemed a bit confused. He scratched his head and whispered to Sakura beside him, "Sakura, Ling Xuan is amazing! Is he saving them? Does that mean they won't have to die anymore?"

"Hmm..." Sakura nodded. "I think... yes."