Two Missions

Compared to the strike from Yi Xiang, Sasuke's speed appeared far too slow in the eyes of Zabuza. He held the Kubikiribōchō horizontally across his chest, easily blocking the lethal blow. He then swung the blade, the weapon slicing through the air with a piercing whistle; the power behind this strike was clearly intended to cut Sasuke in half.

With a soft bang, a Shadow Clone of Yi Xiang suddenly materialized. As if he had anticipated this, he launched into a Shadow Leaf Dance, kicking Zabuza in the jaw just as the man attempted a sneak attack, sending him tumbling backward.

Before Zabuza could steady himself, another of Yi Xiang's Shadow Clones appeared behind him. A kunai struck perfectly into the back of his head, but Zabuza once again dissolved into a spray of water.

At this moment, Kakashi, his left eye revealing a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, flashed forward. Zabuza, who had just used a Body Flicker to appear behind the real Yi Xiang, felt a sudden surge of alarm and swung his blade backward in a reflex.

Kakashi ducked nimbly, the Kubikiribōchō slicing through the air and embedding itself diagonally into the earth. Zabuza immediately gripped the hilt, used it for leverage to spin, and delivered a side kick that sent Kakashi crashing into the river.

"Found you~ Hehe."

Before the words had even faded, a splash erupted. Zabuza narrowly dodged a sneak attack from behind. Because the attacker's timing was so impeccable, a deep wound was still carved from the back of his head down to his shoulder by a kunai, blood instantly gushing forth.

"Damn Uchiha brat! Haku, move in and stop him."

Zabuza endured the stinging pain in his back and used the Body Flicker to reach the river where Kakashi had fallen. He began weaving hand signs, triggering a trap he had long since prepared for dealing with Kakashi.

"Water Prison Technique."

"Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."

Yi Xiang, having been prepared, used the Body Flicker to reach the treetops. He watched as his original position was enveloped by several ice mirrors. The other three were pulled away by Yi Xiang's Shadow Clones, leaving only Naruto, whose true form was indistinguishable, unable to escape.

Yi Xiang ignored the scene and charged straight toward Zabuza on the river surface. In his Three-Tomoe state, Yi Xiang could now clearly perceive Zabuza's taijutsu and ninjutsu.

Using a kunai to clear his path and employing Shadow Clones to intercept Zabuza's water clones, Yi Xiang's true form lunged at Zabuza, whose right hand was currently occupied.

After a few exchanges, Zabuza, struggling to parry Yi Xiang's underhanded tactics, was forced to stop restraining Kakashi. Freed from his predicament, Kakashi moved with lightning speed, pressing a kunai against Zabuza's throat.

"Let go of Lord Zabuza, or I will kill this brat. Do you hear me!"

Haku, wearing long hair and the mask of the Mist Assassination Squad, held a senbon against Naruto's throat. Naruto, covered in multiple lacerations, wore an expression of resentment, feeling as though he had become a burden.

Sigh, it's that plot point I hate again. Naruto, if you could have held on for just a bit longer, I could have turned the tables and used Zabuza as leverage against him.

With a regretful sigh in his heart, Yi Xiang prepared to release his captive. Regardless, Zabuza was heavily injured; if he had any sense, he would seek out a new hideout.

"You over there, don't hurt Naruto. If we're going to release them, let's do it at the same time."

"Fine."

[Ding! System mission triggered.]

[Mission 1: As a future powerhouse, how can you lack capable subordinates? Subdue Zabuza and Haku, and lead them to the path of righteousness. Reward: 60 Luck Points. Failure penalty: ...]

[Mission 2: If soft tactics won't work, then use force. Eliminate Zabuza and Haku so they can no longer commit evil. Reward: 60 Luck Points. Failure penalty: ...]

That's it? Just two missions. This system's tasks are truly random; I wonder if there will ever be a time when there's only one.

After grumbling to himself, Yi Xiang's mind raced. He realized Mission 2 was far simpler than Mission 1; according to the original plot, both of these guys ended up dead anyway.

[Ding! Mission 1 selected.]

"Hey! Your name is Haku, right? The guy you're holding isn't as strong as me. How about this: I'll trade places with him. Use me as a hostage to exchange for Zabuza."

As he spoke, Yi Xiang walked from the water toward the land.

"Haku, agree to it."

Zabuza had intended to do this anyway; the combined pursuit of Kakashi and Yi Xiang was a massive headache. Limiting one of them was the best possible outcome.

And so, despite Naruto's stern refusals, physical resistance, and the worry etched on his face, Yi Xiang had to warn him with a stern gaze to behave and comply.

"Whew."

Once the hostages were safely exchanged, Haku let out a soft breath, his thoughts drifting to his bond with Zabuza. He believed he could offer more than Yi Xiang ever could, and he considered the entire purpose of his life to be the fulfillment of Zabuza's every command.

As the two hostages walked toward the center from opposite directions, just as Yi Xiang had anticipated, Zabuza struck with lightning speed. Yi Xiang made a show of resisting, only to be captured by Zabuza once more.

"Hahahaha! You'd best stay back, or I can't guarantee this brat's life."

The lightning flickering on Kakashi's hand dissipated, his eyes showing a hint of surprise that Yi Xiang had been captured by Zabuza so easily. He knew Yi Xiang's strength well; it was already approaching the level of a Jonin.

"Don't worry, I won't kill this brat. Capturing him is just to ensure you don't catch up. After all, none of you have taken any real damage."

Handing Yi Xiang over to Haku to hold as a threat, Zabuza once again cast the Hidden Mist Technique, and the three figures vanished into the haze.

"Big Brother Yi Xiang!"

"Big Brother!"

"Bastards! If you dare hurt him, I will... I will absolutely kill you!"

Following Naruto's roar, a surge of violent, malicious red chakra erupted from his body. The surrounding environment trembled under the shockwave, the grass and trees rustling violently.

Seeing this, Kakashi abandoned his plan to search for Yi Xiang. He prepared to first restore Naruto's sanity, trusting that someone as incredibly intelligent and steady as Yi Xiang would never take a risk without a plan.

Zabuza, having bound Yi Xiang and hoisted him onto his shoulder, came to a halt. They had already fled several miles; any further, and they would reach Gato's base of operations.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining elite ninja Momochi Zabuza.]

As expected, you can only obtain ninjas of the corresponding level from the region where you draw. If I had known, I should have drawn in Konoha first. Which ninjas could compare to the bloodlines and high-tier talents of Konoha, the very birthplace of the ninja world?

Looking at his remaining 521 Luck Points, Yi Xiang felt a massive headache coming on. A high-tier draw cost 100 Luck Points—that was nearly a year's worth of income for him.

There was no time for sorrow. Yi Xiang whispered, "System, deploy Momochi Zabuza."

[Ding! Remaining duration 23:59]

"Kid, aren't you worried we might kill you? You haven't shown a single sign of resistance this entire journey."

Zabuza had just set Yi Xiang down when he saw the boy suddenly flip backward. A chilling killing intent and chakra surged from his body in an instant, blasting out all the Senbon that Haku had stuck into his pressure points to immobilize him.

This killing intent, layered atop Yi Xiang's own, left even Zabuza stunned, unable to react in time.

With his power surging, Yi Xiang broke the ropes binding his hands through sheer brute force, then immediately used a Kunai to slice through the restraints on his feet. He formed hand seals at once, and eight or nine Shadow Clones appeared in an instant.

"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!"