Zabuza's Long Blade

Drip, drip, drip—the sound echoed as blood continued to seep from Zabuza's wounds, splattering onto the ground.

He had sustained significant injuries during the preceding chase.

Yet, there was not a hint of fear in his gaze as he raised the longsword Nuibari with one hand.

His answer was battle.

Nuibari was not merely a weapon of immense power; it was a symbol of status.

Possessing one of the blades meant joining the ranks of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who held a pivotal position within Kirigakure.

"I will not let you down!"

A cold glint flashed in Zabuza's eyes.

Hōzuki Mangetsu had entrusted him with more than just the blade; he had entrusted him with his faith.

He absolutely could not betray that trust.

For the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the blade and the man were one; if the blade fell, the man fell!

This was the dignity of the Seven.

"Come then! If you want this blade, you'll have to step over my corpse."

Zabuza roared, gripping the longsword tightly in his hand.

"Hmph, choosing the hard way, are we?"

Kisame Hoshigaki snorted coldly and said, "In that case, I'll just have to step over your corpse!"

Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!

This was Kisame's signature A-rank ninjutsu, capable of summoning a shark made of water to attack the enemy. Once it made contact with chakra, it would feed ravenously and grow to an enormous size.

Kisame was the type who thrived on absorbing chakra.

Oh no!

Having clashed with him many times, Zabuza knew exactly how formidable Kisame was. Other things aside, Kisame's ability to absorb chakra was an unsolvable puzzle.

While others grew weaker the longer they fought, this guy only became more energized.

Zabuza took a deep breath and threw several Kunai, which pierced into the body of the water shark.

Each Kunai was equipped with an Explosive Tag, instantly blowing the water shark to pieces.

Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!

Kisame used the ninjutsu again. His chakra reserves were vast, allowing him to cast the technique repeatedly, whereas Zabuza's supply of Explosive Tags was dwindling.

After a few more exchanges, Zabuza finally ran out of Explosive Tags.

Water Style: Thousand Feeding Sharks!

A cruel grin curled the corners of Kisame's mouth.

He could see that Zabuza was reaching his limit.

Thousand Feeding Sharks was an A-rank ninjutsu; while its individual power was less than the Great Shark Bullet, it made up for it with sheer numbers.

By utilizing the water left behind from the previous Great Shark Bullet, the power of the Thousand Feeding Sharks was greatly amplified.

Is this the end?

Zabuza shook his head helplessly.

If it were a one-on-one duel, he would not be inferior to Kisame. It was a pity that during the silent killing battle earlier, the Anbu members had forced him to exhaust a vast amount of chakra, which was why he was now losing the ninjutsu contest.

Seeing countless sharks rushing toward him, Zabuza took a deep breath and readied Nuibari.

Even if he were to die, he would launch one final desperate strike; he would never tarnish the reputation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive clam appeared beneath Zabuza's feet.

The countless sharks were unable to dodge in time, crashing against the clam's hard shell and dissipating into nothingness.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A wave of sharks was wiped out, and the remaining ones were helpless against such a colossal clam.

Their sharp teeth were completely useless against the clam's impenetrable exterior.

This is...

Kisame and his subordinates were shocked, staring in trepidation at the figure atop the clam.

They had recognized it; this was the summon of the Second Hokage—the Giant Clam.

As the thick mist dispersed, a young figure appeared on the back of the giant clam.

It was Hōzuki Mangetsu.

He had arrived on the battlefield at the very last second.

Zabuza let out a long breath and said, "Thank you for stepping in; otherwise, I truly might have died here."

He slowly stood up and retrieved the long blade from the ground.

"I nearly failed to live up to your trust, didn't I?"

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

He had not expected Suikazan Fuguki to be so petty, actually unwilling to let his subordinates take the lead.

It was truly foolish to the extreme.

In truth, Zabuza was a man who valued sentiment; even after becoming one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he had remained respectful toward his former superior.

However, Suikazan seemed unwilling to let Zabuza stand on equal footing with him, so he had instructed Kisame to seize the long blade.

In his eyes, Zabuza was not as trustworthy as Kisame.

In doing so, he had completely abandoned Zabuza.

Thinking of this, a smile curled the corners of Hōzuki Mangetsu's mouth; originally, he had intended to plant a Cursed Seal on Zabuza to control him.

But with Suikazan pulling a stunt like this, it was no longer necessary.

Hōzuki Mangetsu's gaze turned cold as he said, "Before I lose my temper, get out of here!"

Kisame and his subordinate Anbu exchanged a glance and silently took their leave.

They had originally intended to secretly eliminate Zabuza while he was out on a mission, but since they had run into Hōzuki Mangetsu, the mission could no longer proceed.

Hōzuki Mangetsu held an extraordinary status in Kirigakure, and with his Hydrification Technique and Giant Clam at his side, they were completely helpless against him.

Of the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is best!

Soon, Kisame and his subordinates scattered in a rush.

Zabuza's body swayed, and he nearly collapsed to the ground; he was almost completely drained from dealing with Kisame and his men.

Had Hōzuki Mangetsu not arrived at the critical moment, he would have long since died under the Thousand Feeding Sharks.

"Lord Mangetsu! You saved my life; from this day forward, I, Momochi Zabuza, pledge my life to you."

Zabuza struggled to drop to one knee and spoke calmly.

Since he could not be tolerated by the commoner faction, and because he had killed a large number of noble clan children during the exam, Terumi Mei hated him to the bone and would certainly not let him go if given the chance.

Aside from being by Hōzuki Mangetsu's side, Zabuza had nowhere else to go.

Seeing Zabuza's sincere surrender, Hōzuki Mangetsu was already blooming with joy inside.

The renowned Demon Zabuza had finally been brought under his banner.

With this, he, Hōzuki Mangetsu, had taken another step forward on the path to contending for the title of Mizukage.

"Zabuza!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu reached out to help him up and laughed, "No need to be so formal; it is only right that we help one another. Rest assured, as long as I, Hōzuki Mangetsu, am here, that bastard Suikazan won't be able to make things difficult for you. You are one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen recognized by me, Hōzuki Mangetsu. If we join forces, we will surely be able to make the Land of Water even more prosperous."

Thank you!

Zabuza revealed a rare smile.

Ninjas born in the Bloody Mist Era had no emotions; they were merely killing tools cultivated by the village.

Only the sharpest tools were qualified to survive.

Only by possessing the greatest power could one survive in the ninja world.

Zabuza had realized this from a very young age, which was why he had single-handedly slaughtered all his classmates at the age of nine.

Relying on his outstanding talent, he quickly grew into a top-tier jonin.

The pursuit of power had become an inseparable part of him, and the other ninjas in the village had become stepping stones in his quest for strength.

But after meeting Hōzuki Mangetsu, he suddenly realized that between people, beyond killing and being killed, there was another kind of relationship: sentiment.