Longsword Zabuza

A steady dripping sound rang out. Blood continued to seep from Zabuza's wounds and fall to the ground.

He had already been badly injured during the pursuit.

But there was not a trace of fear in his eyes as he raised Nuibari with one hand.

His answer was to fight.

Nuibari was not only an immensely powerful ninja tool, but also a symbol of status.

Owning one of the swords meant you could join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who held a position of great importance in Kirigakure.

"I won't let you down!"

A cold glint flashed in Zabuza's eyes.

Hozuki Mangetsu had entrusted him with more than just the sword. He had entrusted him with his faith.

Zabuza absolutely could not betray that trust.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen lived and died with their blades!

That was the pride of the Seven Swordsmen.

"Come on! If you want the sword, you'll have to step over my corpse."

Zabuza roared, gripping the sword tightly.

"Hmph. You refuse the toast, so you'll have to drink the forfeit!"

Kisame Hoshigaki snorted. "So be it. I'll step over your corpse!"

Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!

This was Kisame's signature A-rank jutsu. He could summon a shark made of water to attack his enemies. Once it came into contact with chakra, it would devour it greedily and grow enormous.

Kisame was the type who could absorb chakra, too.

This is bad!

Zabuza had fought him many times and knew how formidable Kisame was. The rest was bad enough, but Kisame's ability to absorb chakra left him at a loss.

Most people grew weaker the longer they fought. This bastard only got more energetic.

Zabuza took a deep breath, then threw several kunai into the water shark's body.

Each kunai carried an Explosive Tag, and the blasts shredded the water shark in an instant.

Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!

Kisame used the jutsu again. He had chakra to spare and could cast it over and over, but Zabuza's supply of Explosive Tags dwindled with every use.

After several rounds, Zabuza finally ran out of Explosive Tags.

Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks!

A vicious grin appeared on Kisame's face.

He could tell Zabuza was at his limit.

Thousand Feeding Sharks was an A-rank jutsu. It wasn't as powerful as Great Shark Bullet, but it made up for that with sheer numbers.

The water left behind by the Great Shark Bullet Technique greatly increased its power.

Is this where it ends?

Zabuza shook his head helplessly.

If they had been fighting one-on-one, he wouldn't have been inferior to Kisame. Unfortunately, during the silent killing battle not long ago, the Anbu members had drained a great deal of his chakra. That was why he had lost to Kisame in their contest of jutsu.

As countless sharks rushed toward him, Zabuza took a deep breath and gripped Nuibari.

Even if he was going to die, he would make one last stand. He couldn't let the name of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen be disgraced.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Summoning Technique!"

A gigantic clam appeared beneath Zabuza's feet.

The countless sharks could not dodge in time. They crashed into the clam's hard shell and vanished.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A whole swarm of sharks was wiped out. The ones that remained were helpless against the enormous clam.

Their sharp teeth could do nothing to its hard shell.

What is that...?

Kisame and his men were stunned. They stared at the figure atop the clam, shaken.

They recognized it. This was the Second Hokage's summoned beast—the Giant Clam.

The mist cleared, revealing a young man atop the giant clam.

It was Hōzuki Mangetsu.

He had reached the battlefield at the last possible moment.

Zabuza let out a long breath. "Thank you for saving me. Otherwise, I really might have died here."

He slowly stood and raised the sword in his hand.

"I nearly betrayed your trust, didn't I?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over the people below.

He hadn't expected Suikazan Fuguki to be so petty that he wouldn't let his subordinate rise above him.

How utterly foolish.

In truth, Zabuza was a man who valued his bonds. Even after becoming one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he would have continued to show respect to his former superior.

But Suikazan Fuguki didn't want Zabuza to stand on equal footing with him, so he had instructed Kisame to take the sword.

In his eyes, Zabuza was less trustworthy than Kisame.

That meant he had thoroughly abandoned Zabuza.

At the thought, Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled. He had originally planned to place a Cursed Seal on Zabuza and control him.

But after Suikazan had pulled this stunt, there was no need.

Hōzuki Mangetsu's gaze turned cold. "Get lost before I lose my temper!"

Kisame and the Anbu exchanged glances, then left without a word.

They had originally planned to take advantage of Zabuza's mission to secretly eliminate him. But now that Hozuki Mangetsu had caught them, they could no longer carry out the plan.

Hozuki Mangetsu held an extraordinary position in Kirigakure. With the Hydrification Technique and the Giant Clam at his disposal, there was nothing they could do to him.

Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreat was the best.

Soon, Kisame and his men scattered.

Zabuza swayed and nearly fell to the ground. He had almost completely exhausted himself dealing with Kisame and his men.

If Hozuki Mangetsu hadn't arrived at the crucial moment, he would already have died beneath Thousand Feeding Sharks.

"Lord Mangetsu! You saved my life. From this day forward, I, Momochi Zabuza, am yours to command."

Zabuza struggled to drop to one knee and spoke calmly.

He could no longer fit in with the civilian faction, and after he had killed so many children from the major clans during the exam, Terumi Mei hated him with a passion. If she got the chance, she certainly wouldn't let him off.

Apart from joining Hozuki Mangetsu, Zabuza had nowhere else to go.

Seeing that Zabuza had sincerely pledged his allegiance, Hōzuki Mangetsu was already overjoyed.

The infamous Demon Zabuza had finally joined his ranks.

With this, Hōzuki Mangetsu had taken another step along the path to claiming the title of Mizukage.

"Zabuza!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu helped him to his feet and smiled. "You don't have to be so formal. We're supposed to help each other. Don't worry. As long as I, Hozuki Mangetsu, am around, that bastard Suikazan won't be able to make things difficult for you. You're one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen recognized by me, Hozuki Mangetsu. If we join forces, we can make the Land of Water even stronger."

Thank you!

Zabuza rarely smiled.

Ninja born in the Bloody Mist Era had no room for feelings. They were merely killing tools raised by the village.

Only the sharpest tools earned the right to survive.

Only the strongest could survive in the world of ninja.

Zabuza had understood this from a very young age. At nine, he had slaughtered all his classmates.

Thanks to his outstanding talent, he had quickly grown into an elite jonin.

The pursuit of power had become inseparable from him. The ninja of his village had become stepping stones on his path to strength.

But after meeting Hozuki Mangetsu, he suddenly realized that there was more to the bonds between people than killing and being killed. There were feelings, too.