That 0.2 seconds of darkness was a gift from the gods to the hunter.
Beneath the murky water, Mizuki Han's ten fingers became the most precise of looms. He wasted not a single bit of chakra; every strand of ice and every inch it extended had been calculated with the utmost rigor.
One strand began at the base of the support pillar where he was hiding, clung to the muddy bottom, and silently wound around a jutting rock to the left of the platform.
Another used a faint eddy in the current as cover, extending diagonally upward to coil around a stalagmite half submerged in the water.
Like a spider with limitless patience, he slowly wove an invisible web of death within his domain. These threads of ice were tougher than silk and more discreet than a blade's edge. In the dim yellow light and murky water, they blended almost perfectly into their surroundings, nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye.
This was more than a tripwire.
The end of every strand was connected to the nerves in Han's fingertips. At that moment, the entire pool became an extension of his senses. The slightest disturbance in the current would travel along the threads of ice and reach his brain with the utmost speed.
He had become the absolute master of this Underground Reservoir.
The traps were set. But a new problem had arisen.
The two chunin stood on the dry stone platform like a pair of venomous scorpions occupying their nest. They had no reason to step into the cold, filthy water. A passive trap would never lure in wary prey.
He had to give them a reason they couldn't refuse.
Han's body slowly sank to the bottom, gliding like a ghostly fish. He followed the route he had taken to silently return to the passage.
When his drenched body reappeared before Haku, the little girl shrank back at the bone-deep chill radiating from him and the terrifying brightness of his eyes. He was even paler than before, and his lips had turned faintly purple—a sign that his body had lost a serious amount of heat after soaking in the cold, filthy water for so long.
But he paid it no mind.
"The plan needs bait." Han's voice was hoarse and blunt, without a word of preamble.
He crouched down, meeting Haku's gaze. There was no question in his eyes, only a statement, as if he were inspecting a tool.
"I need a living, moving target to draw them off that platform. At least one."
All color drained from Haku's little face. Though young, she was quick-witted and understood at once the bloody meaning behind the word "bait."
She would have to face those two Mist Anbu alone—them, who killed without batting an eye.
Seeing the fear in Haku's eyes, Han's expression did not change. He merely added coldly, "They're wary. A stationary object won't interest them. Only a living 'stray' that tries to run will distract them and make them leave their advantageous position."
An oppressive silence fell over the passage. From far away came the faint sound of dripping water, each drop striking at their hearts.
Han did not press her. He simply waited, assessing whether this tool was ready to bear the risk. If she broke down, cried, or refused, he would start Plan B without hesitation—though it would cost him even more of the little strength and chakra he had left, and the chances of success would be much lower.
But to his surprise, after trembling violently for several seconds, Haku lifted her head.
Her small hands clenched the hem of her shabby kimono. Though her big eyes brimmed with tears, a spark of determination had ignited in them.
"I... I'll go."
Her childish voice rang through the narrow passage. It was choked with tears, yet remarkably firm.
"I don't want to... be a burden to you anymore, Big Brother Han."
She didn't want to die, but she was even more afraid of being abandoned. Ever since Mizuki Han had pulled her back from the brink of death, this cold boy had been her only support in a world like hell. Even if that support was as cold as an ancient glacier.
Han's brow lifted almost imperceptibly.
A burden? The word was precisely chosen.
He looked the girl over again. Fear, the will to survive, and a stubborn need to prove her worth... Together, these emotions gave her everything a suitable decoy needed.
"Good."
Han uttered two words, offering no unnecessary comfort or encouragement. He reached out with his cold fingers and lightly tapped Haku between the brows.
"Listen carefully. Once you leave here, run along the wall on your left. Don't go too fast or too slow. Keep just far enough ahead that they can see your back. Your task is to lure one of them to the other end of the reservoir and into the narrowest passage."
His voice was cold and clear, like he was setting a precise program.
"Remember, no matter what happens, don't look back. Don't make any unnecessary noise. If they catch up to you, jump into the water."
"Will I die?" Haku finally asked the most important question.
"Yes." Han's answer was crisp and decisive, leaving no room for illusion. "There's a very good chance their ninjutsu will tear you to pieces in an instant."
Haku's body jolted. His words seemed ready to shatter the courage she had just gathered.
But Han gave her no chance to break down. He took a kunai from his robe and lightly nicked his fingertip with its point. A bead of crimson blood rolled out.
He didn't swallow it. Instead, with the last trace of chakra he had, he instantly froze the blood containing his life force into a grain-sized crystal of ice that glimmered with an eerie red light.
It was a new insight into the fine control of Ice Release that he had gained after incorporating Haku's high-purity genes: using blood as a medium to create a chakra coordinate he could sense with precision.
He flicked a finger and silently sent the blood-red ice crystal into the collar of Haku's robe. When it touched her skin, a bone-chilling cold ran through her, jolting her fully alert.
"This is insurance." Han's voice remained impassive. "If you're still alive, I'll find you by tracking its position. Now go."
He rose and withdrew into the deeper darkness, like a cold-blooded director pushing his most vulnerable actor onto the most dangerous stage beneath the spotlight.
Haku took a deep breath, her small chest rising and falling sharply. She took one last look at the darkness where Han had disappeared, then resolutely turned around and set off.
Her small, frail figure stumbled out of the passage's shadow.
Almost the moment she appeared—
"Who's there!"
An enraged shout rang out from the platform!
The sentry chunin's gaze flashed like lightning, instantly locking onto the little girl who had appeared out of nowhere!
The other chunin, who had been sitting on a supply crate, sprang to his feet as well. His Ninja Blade slid halfway from its sheath, and chakra erupted from his entire body!
Two murderous gazes, sharp as blades, pinned Haku in place.
Haku's body stiffened.
She could feel the aura of death closing in on her from every direction. The two Anbu's presence pressed down on her like a pair of mountains, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
She forgot Han's instructions. She forgot to run. Her mind went blank, leaving nothing but endless terror.
"She's a surviving member of the Yuki Clan!" The sentry chunin's voice brimmed with cruel delight. "She actually came crawling to us! Grab her—don't let her get away!"
Before he'd even finished speaking, he kicked off hard. His body shot toward Haku like an arrow loosed from its bow!
It's over.
All Haku could see was the black figure in the hideous mask, growing larger by the moment.
She was about to be killed in an instant.
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