Even Set Your Own Rules

I do not know how much time passed, but when Ling Xuan finally moved his hand away from Zabuza, his body swayed.

"It is done. Your life is saved; the rest requires time for quiet recovery."

He stood up and walked over to Haku, using his remaining chakra to treat the most severe wounds on his body and stabilize his condition.

After finishing all this, Ling Xuan felt the world spin. This was his first time using the Eye of Truth and medical ninjutsu simultaneously at such high intensity; the dual exhaustion of his spirit and chakra was more than he could handle.

He took out a Military Ration Pill, swallowed it silently, and began to recover his strength.

The battle on the bridge had long since ended, and the corpses of Gato and his rabble had been cleared away and thrown into the sea with the help of the villagers. Gato Shipping, once a symbol of fear and oppression, had crumbled overnight.

In the days that followed, the Land of Waves welcomed a rebirth. With everyone's efforts, the bridge was successfully completed.

As for Zabuza and Haku, under Tsunami's care and Ling Xuan's follow-up treatments, their bodies improved day by day.

A week later, in a quiet room, Zabuza and Haku, whose injuries had recovered by seventy or eighty percent, held their first formal meeting with their new master.

"Inside my body... that mark..." Zabuza felt the subtle connection between himself and Ling Xuan, his expression complex.

"It is the Master-Servant Life and Death Pact." Ling Xuan explained the terms of the contract calmly, his voice devoid of warmth. "Simply put, your lives are within a single thought of mine; any hostility or betrayal toward me will trigger it. Beyond that, you possess complete free will."

"You turned Mr. Zabuza... into your puppet!" Haku said excitedly, his eyes filled with anger.

"No." Ling Xuan shook his head. "I merely recovered a tool on the verge of shattering along with its user, repaired them, and bestowed upon them a brand-new purpose. Puppets have no thoughts, but you do. You can choose to accept this rebirth, or I can terminate the contract right now, returning your bodies to that cold bridge from a week ago to await death."

Haku's face turned pale, and he could not speak.

Ling Xuan continued, "Demon Zabuza Momochi, your assassination techniques, Water Release ninjutsu, and knowledge of Kirigakure are all very valuable. Haku, your Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, as well as your speed and medical knowledge, are equally precious resources. Dying in the Land of Waves would be a waste for you."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the land outside that was regaining its vitality.

"Although Gato is dead, he left behind a massive network of interests and intelligence channels in this country and the surrounding seas. These things cannot simply be allowed to dissipate."

He turned to look at Zabuza and Haku, issuing their first mission.

"From today on, you will stay here. Your mission is to take over everything Gato owned and transform his filthy underground industry into a network serving me—one that integrates intelligence, resources, and capital. You will become the new shadows of the Land of Waves, ensuring that this country will never again be eroded by a second Gato."

"This is your new purpose, and it is the beginning of you proving your worth. I will maintain contact with you through special channels. Can you do it?"

Zabuza and Haku looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.

They had expected to be prisoners taken back to Konoha or kept as hidden weapons. They never imagined Ling Xuan would give them such a mission; it did not feel like an order, but rather an act of empowerment.

Zabuza was silent for a long time. He looked at the young boy before him, who possessed wisdom and methods far beyond his years, and finally, he slowly knelt on one knee, lowering his proud head.

"Yes, my... master."

Seeing this, Haku immediately knelt as well, whispering, "As you command."

They knew that from this day forward, their lives were completely bound to the boy before them.

The day of parting finally arrived. With the bridge built and the mission complete, Team 7 had to embark on the journey back to Konoha.

The villagers of the Land of Waves came to the village entrance spontaneously to see them off, and Inari cried his eyes out, clinging to Naruto and refusing to let go.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Team 7 set off on their return journey.

On the road, Kakashi appeared preoccupied, looking at Ling Xuan several times, only to stop himself each time.

Finally, during a break, he found Ling Xuan alone.

"Ling Xuan..." Kakashi's voice was somewhat dry. "Regarding Zabuza and Haku... what you have done is recruit missing-nin and establish your own private force. Do you know what this behavior means if the village finds out?"

"I know." Ling Xuan's reply was chillingly calm.

"Then why..."

"Kakashi-sensei." Ling Xuan interrupted him, looking up at Kakashi. "My dream is to understand all the rules and truths that govern how this world operates."

"Sometimes, to understand the rules, you must first learn how to use the rules to break the rules."

"And even to formulate rules of your own."

Kakashi's heart sank. Looking at his student, he felt a chill from the bottom of his heart for the first time.

The road from the Land of Waves back to Konoha was filled with a strange silence.

Both Naruto and Sasuke had shed some of their youthful impulsiveness after experiencing a true life-and-death battle, becoming much more composed.

They would subconsciously observe their surroundings and watch for suspicious traces; this was the most direct brand that combat had left upon them.

But this silence stemmed more from the peculiar atmosphere between Kakashi and Ling Xuan.

Ever since Ling Xuan said "formulate rules of your own" on the journey back, Kakashi rarely spoke.

He no longer read his Icha Icha Paradise, which never left his hands, but walked silently at the back of the group, his exposed eye falling most of the time on the black-haired boy who was unnervingly calm.

In his gaze were astonishment, vigilance, confusion, and even a sense of bewilderment when facing the unknown.

Kakashi felt as if he were escorting a bomb unstable enough to overturn everything; this bomb possessed unparalleled wisdom and potential, but no one knew whether its fuse was connected to heaven or hell.

Ling Xuan, however, was indifferent to all of this. He continued to walk in the middle of the group, his pace steady and his breathing long. His brain was processing the massive amount of data brought by this mission at high speed.

Zabuza's swordsmanship, Haku's Kekkei Genkai, Kakashi's combat patterns...

All of this had turned into the most precious nourishment, thoroughly absorbed and digested by his Eye of Truth, becoming a part of his understanding of the world.

Finally, the familiar gates of Konoha appeared at the end of his vision.