Forest Cabin

Upon arriving at the cottage of Tazuna, Kakashi Hatake decided that given the weakness of The Three Genin, he would use the remaining time to put them through special training.

As for Mufeng Uchiha, after teaching them the training method for the Six Powers-Iron Body, he headed deep into the nearby forest to cultivate.

Deep within this forest stood a small wooden cabin, the hideout of Zabuza Momochi and Yuki Haku.

At this moment, however, there was an uninvited guest; Mufeng Uchiha had arrived carrying a basket of fruit.

How was he able to find the hideout of Zabuza Momochi and his companion? Was the Blood Manipulation version of Heavenly Weeping he used earlier merely intended to leave him severely wounded and unconscious?

The blood remaining in his body was nothing less than a glaring trail of breadcrumbs.

"Evil Uchiha, you deliberately spared our lives—what exactly is your goal? If you want to make me a slave or a servant, then kill me now. I, Zabuza Momochi, would rather die standing than live on my knees!"

Zabuza Momochi even closed his eyes, putting on a look of heroic martyrdom, while Yuki Haku used his delicate frame to shield Zabuza like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"With such backbone, why didn't you think of returning to save Kirigakure, instead choosing to be a coward who defected after killing everyone in your graduating class? So what if you had your reasons? In the eyes of others, you are a failure, a spineless deserter."

The sharp words of Mufeng Uchiha deeply stung Zabuza Momochi. A coward? A spineless deserter? He was the Demon of the Mist who had slaughtered every single graduate in his class.

"Brat, you had better take back those words, or even if it costs me this life, I will kill you."

Zabuza Momochi angrily raised the Kubikiribōchō and pressed it against the neck of Mufeng Uchiha; at this distance, he could sever his head whenever he pleased.

"Do you really think you are a match for me in your current crippled state? I am an Uchiha, after all."

Only then did Zabuza Momochi realize what was happening, but as he disrupted the Chakra within his body, the scene before his eyes shifted violently.

The wooden cabin had long since been destroyed, and Mufeng Uchiha was gripping the throat of Yuki Haku with one hand.

Zabuza Momochi charged forward in a rage, dragging the Kubikiribōchō along the ground for a diagonal slash.

Squelch—

The blade sliced through the skin of Mufeng Uchiha, sinking into his neck as blood stained his vision. He felt the world around him distort, and everything before his eyes changed once more.

"Haku! Aren't you Mufeng Uchiha? Why have you turned into Haku!"

In the eyes of Zabuza Momochi, the person he had struck with the Kubikiribōchō had suddenly transformed into Yuki Haku.

Yuki Haku, with the blade buried deep in his neck, stared with vacant eyes as blood sprayed from his throat, as if questioning Zabuza Momochi why he had killed him.

Trapped in the Genjutsu, Zabuza Momochi's eyes were dull, while in the true reality, Mufeng Uchiha was simply holding the throat of Yuki Haku, who had attempted to attack him.

"He is quite safe for now; I have only left him temporarily immersed in a Genjutsu. He will wake up soon, but if you cannot give me a satisfactory answer, you will all die here."

The voice of Mufeng Uchiha was soft, as if he were speaking of a trivial matter, yet it sent a bone-chilling cold through Yuki Haku.

"Cough, cough... let Haku go. I agree. I am willing to become your subordinate."

Finally emerging from the Genjutsu, Zabuza Momochi had been tortured to the point of delirium; unwilling to endure further mental agony, he ultimately chose to compromise.

"Lord Zabuza, are you alright?"

Yuki Haku, having broken free from the grip of Mufeng Uchiha, returned to the side of Zabuza Momochi, cupping his face to check his condition.

"Let me handle it. You are only adding to the trouble."

Mufeng Uchiha placed his palm on the head of Zabuza Momochi, activating the Healing Pulse of Lucario to soothe the spirit of Zabuza Momochi, which had been suffering under such mental torment.

"How about it? Consider my proposal. Killing Gato and establishing a new organization is better than remaining a rogue ninja with nowhere to call home."

The only reason they remained obsessed with Kirigakure was for a place to belong, but now, as a rogue ninja, how could he ever return to Kirigakure? Mufeng Uchiha was offering him a sanctuary; it was up to him to choose.

"Uchiha brat, does your organization have anything to do with Konoha? Establishing an organization in private—you have grand ambitions. I have no other path left; I suppose I have no choice but to join your organization."

Zabuza Momochi knelt on one knee, and Yuki Haku followed suit. Watching this, Mufeng Uchiha knew they had only been subdued by his force; he would still need to find a way to truly win their hearts.

"Very well. Our organization shall be called 'Harbor.' Let it become a sanctuary for people like us—that is our goal."

"A sanctuary? I didn't expect a Konoha ninja to say such a thing. What is it? Are you planning to defect?"

Zabuza Momochi teased, but Mufeng Uchiha merely sighed.

"Zabuza Momochi, don't play dumb. Do you really think the Uchiha massacre could have been carried out by Itachi Uchiha alone?"

For a moment, the thoughts of Zabuza Momochi raced. The Uchiha were a great clan that had survived three Great Ninja Wars since the chaotic era.

That a clan with such a foundation could be wiped out by a single clansman—who would believe it? A great clan; it would take a lot of effort just to slaughter pigs in a single night.

Instantly, a grand drama of ethics played out in his mind. Konoha was too chaotic; he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut.

"Next, you only need to act out a play with me, and afterward, you can station yourselves in the Land of Waves. The specific plan is all here."

Using his Sharingan, Mufeng Uchiha projected the entire plan to kill Gato into their minds via Genjutsu. He had been out for too long and needed to return.

After making arrangements for the two, Mufeng Uchiha felt a sense of relief on his way back.

"As expected, I still need an organization loyal to me; it makes actions much more convenient."

He wanted revenge against Itachi Uchiha and Obito Uchiha. He was strong enough to do it alone, but to kill Danzo, ruin his reputation, and destroy him completely in both body and mind, he required a powerful organization.

Furthermore, with the future invasion of the Otsutsuki, the current Five Great Nations would certainly fail in a battle that risked the survival of the planet. He had to unify them and gather every bit of strength possible.

Therefore, a powerful organization was indispensable; all of this was in preparation for the future.

"To have actually succeeded in cultivating the Chidori... Second Pillar, you haven't slacked off these past few days."

Returning to his companions, Sasuke Uchiha had already mastered the Chidori, and Naruto Uzumaki was finally able to walk on water under the influence of the Nine-Tails.

"This level isn't enough. Mufeng, you will act as their opponent. Only through the tempering of real combat can they integrate what they have learned into themselves. Also, Mufeng, this time you may only use the Blood Style you recently learned, how about that?"

The moment he returned, Kakashi Hatake grabbed Mufeng Uchiha by the shoulder to make his proposal, though looking at the mischievous grins on him and Naruto, as well as Sasuke's eager expression and Sakura's shy gaze, it was clear something was up.

This was a trap!

"You wouldn't be scared, would you? In that case, I'll allow you to use Water Release Ninjutsu as well."

"No! Blood Style is enough. It's the perfect opportunity for me to see just how much your strength has improved."

Mufeng Uchiha wore a wicked grin; it was the perfect chance to test whether the techniques of Tobirama could be applied to Blood Manipulation.