Ice Silk Tripwire Sets a Deadly Trap, Haku as Bait Enters a Death Game

That 0.2 seconds of darkness was a gift from the gods to the hunter.

Mizuki Han's ten fingers moved beneath the murky water like the most precise of looms. He did not waste a single shred of chakra; the creation and extension of every ice thread were governed by the most rigorous calculations his brain could muster.

One thread started from the base of the load-bearing pillar where he hid, hugging the silt-covered bottom as it silently wound toward a protruding rock on the left side of the stone platform.

Another thread, using the faint vortex of the current as cover, extended diagonally upward to coil around a stalagmite half-submerged in the water.

He was like a spider of extreme patience, methodically weaving an invisible web of death within his domain. These ice threads were tougher than spider silk and more concealed than a blade. Amidst the dim light and turbid water, they were nearly indistinguishable from the environment, impossible to discern with the naked eye.

These were not merely tripwires.

The end of every ice thread was connected to the nerves in Han's fingertips. In this moment, the entire expanse of water became an extension of his senses. Any abnormal ripple in the current would be fed back to his brain at lightning speed through these threads.

He had become the absolute master of this Underground Reservoir.

The trap was set, but a new problem followed.

The two Chunin stood on the dry stone platform like two venomous scorpions entrenched in their nest; there was no reason for them to step into this cold, filthy water. A passive trap would never catch a vigilant prey.

He had to give them a reason they could not refuse.

Han's body slowly sank to the bottom of the water like a ghostly fish, retracing his path and silently retreating back into the tunnel.

When his dripping wet body reappeared before Haku, the little girl shrank back, startled by the bone-chilling cold radiating from him and those terrifyingly bright eyes. His complexion was paler than before, his lips even tinged with purple—signs of severe heat loss from prolonged immersion in the icy sewage.

But he did not care.

"The plan needs bait." Han's voice was hoarse and direct, without the slightest preamble.

He crouched down, his line of sight level with Haku's. There was no questioning in his gaze, only a statement, like a craftsman inspecting his tools.

"I need a living, moving target to lure them down from that platform. At least one."

All color drained from Haku's small face in an instant. Though young, she was sharp-witted and immediately understood the bloody implications behind the word "bait."

She would have to face those two murderous Anbu from the Mist Village all by herself.

Seeing the fear in Haku's eyes, Han's expression remained unchanged, his voice merely adding coldly, "They are very vigilant; fixed, dead objects cannot pique their interest. Only a living, fleeing 'fish that slipped through the net' can distract them and force them to leave their advantageous position."

A suffocating silence fell over the tunnel, broken only by the distant, rhythmic dripping of water, tapping against one's heart like a countdown.

Han did not urge her; he simply waited. He was evaluating whether this tool possessed the value to bear the risk. If she broke down, cried, or refused, he would initiate Plan B without hesitation—even though it would consume more of his dwindling stamina and chakra, and the success rate would be drastically lower.

However, to his surprise, after trembling violently for a few seconds, Haku actually raised her head.

Her small hands gripped the hem of her tattered kimono tightly, yet a flame of resolve ignited within her tear-filled eyes.

"I... I will go."

The childish voice echoed in the narrow tunnel, laced with a sob but exceptionally firm.

"I don't want to... be a burden to Han-brother anymore."

She did not want to die, but she feared being abandoned even more. From the moment Mizuki Han had plucked her from the edge of death, this cold-blooded youth had been her only reliance in this hellish world. Even if that reliance was as cold as ten-thousand-year-old glacial ice.

Han's brow twitched imperceptibly.

A burden? The word was used with precision.

He re-examined the girl before him. Fear, the will to survive, and a touch of obsession to prove her own worth... these emotions intertwined to form all the psychological qualities required of a qualified bait.

"Very well."

Han spat out the two words, offering not a shred of comfort or encouragement. He extended a cold finger and tapped it lightly between Haku's brows.

"Listen well. Go out from here and run along the left wall. Do not be fast, and do not be slow; maintain a distance where they can see your back. Your mission is to lure one of them to the other end of the reservoir and into that narrowest tunnel."

His voice was cold and clear, as if he were programming a precise sequence.

"Remember, no matter what happens, do not look back. Do not make any unnecessary noise. If you are caught, jump into the water."

"Will I die?" Haku finally asked the most critical question.

"Yes." Han's answer was crisp and decisive, leaving no room for fantasy. "There is a high probability that you will be torn to shreds by their ninjutsu in an instant."

Haku's body shuddered violently, the courage she had just mustered seemingly on the verge of shattering.

But Han did not give her the chance to collapse. He fished a kunai from his robes and lightly sliced his fingertip, a bead of crimson blood rolling out.

He did not swallow it; instead, using his last remaining shred of chakra, he instantly froze the blood—which contained his life essence—into a grain-sized, miniature ice crystal that glowed with an eerie red light.

This was a new insight into the micro-manipulation of Ice Release he had gained after fusing with Haku's high-purity genes—using blood as a medium to create a chakra coordinate he could precisely perceive.

He flicked his finger, silently embedding the blood-red ice crystal into the collar of Haku's neck. The crystal touched her skin, sending a bone-chilling cold through her that instantly made Haku much more alert.

"This is insurance." Han's voice remained indifferent. "If you are not dead, I will find you based on its location. Now, go."

He stood up and retreated back into the deeper darkness, like a cold-blooded director pushing his most fragile actor onto the most dangerous stage under the spotlight.

Haku took a deep breath, her small chest heaving. She glanced back one last time at the darkness where Han had vanished, then turned resolutely and took her first step.

Her thin, small figure stumbled out of the shadows of the tunnel.

Almost the moment she appeared:

"Who goes there!"

A furious, startled roar erupted from the stone platform!

The guard Chunin's gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto the little girl who had suddenly appeared!

Another Chunin, sitting on a supply crate, also sprang up abruptly. The ninjutsu blade in his hand was drawn half an inch, and his entire chakra erupted with a roar!

Two gazes filled with killing intent, like tangible blades, fiercely pinned themselves onto Haku.

Haku's body froze.

She could feel the aura of death enveloping her from all directions. The two Anbu's pressure was like two mountains, crushing her until she could barely breathe.

She forgot Han's instructions, forgot to flee, her mind a complete blank, leaving only endless fear.

"It's a remnant of the Mizuki Clan!" the guard Chunin's voice was filled with cruel delight. "They dare to deliver themselves right to our doorstep! Capture her, don't let her escape!"

Before his voice even fell, he stomped his foot, his body like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, charging straight at Haku!

It's over.

In Haku's eyes, only the rapidly enlarging black silhouette wearing a ferocious mask remained.

She was about to be instantly killed.