Haku?

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.

"What are you doing?!" Naruto was the first to leap up, furiously pointing at the masked youth who had appeared out of nowhere.

Sasuke immediately assumed a guarded stance as well. Though he had overexerted himself and could not activate his Sharingan, his gaze remained sharp.

Supported by Sakura, Kakashi looked solemnly at the other party. "A Hidden Mist pursuit-nin? No... your chakra..."

Ling Yue's heart sank even further. Haku? Why had he come out now? And... he had directly used senbon to finish Zabuza off? This was different from the original story!

The masked Haku gave a slight bow, his tone calm and unruffled. "I am a member of the Hidden Mist pursuit force, ordered to deal with the rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi. Thank you, ninjas of the Hidden Leaf, for helping severely wound him and allowing me to fulfill my mission."

His explanation was perfectly reasonable, and there was nothing to fault in his movements.

Yet Kakashi's brow furrowed even more deeply. He keenly sensed that this sudden "pursuit-nin" did not carry the grim aura of someone who had completed a mission. Instead... there was an indescribable sorrow and resolve about him? And the places those senbon had struck...

Ling Yue struggled to stand, but the weakness from exhausting all her chakra made her slump back down. She stared fixedly at Haku, then at Zabuza in the pit, lying motionless with senbon embedded in his neck.

No! Something was definitely wrong! Haku could never truly kill Zabuza! Those senbon...

She suddenly recalled one of Haku's abilities from the original story.

Could it be... a feigned death technique?

She opened her mouth, wanting to warn Kakashi, but the words caught in her throat. How was she supposed to explain it? Say she had read the script and knew it might be a fake death?

Kakashi seemed to have noticed something as well. Although his Sharingan was closed, his gaze continued to scrutinize Haku. "In that case, we need to bring the rogue ninja's corpse back to the Hidden Leaf for examination..."

"My apologies." Haku interrupted Kakashi, his voice still calm but carrying an unmistakable refusal. "Zabuza Momochi's body concerns internal affairs of the Hidden Mist Village. I must take it back for disposal. Those are the rules."

As he spoke, he lightly jumped into the pit and made as if to drag away Zabuza's "corpse."

Naruto, still fuming, wanted to say something, but Sasuke grabbed him. Sasuke lowered his voice. "Don't act rashly. This guy isn't simple."

Kakashi's eyes flickered. The wound at his waist still ached, and he had barely any chakra left. Of the three genin in the team, two were exhausted and one was terrified. If they really fought, things would not go well.

In the end, he sighed. "...Fine, if that is the Hidden Mist's rule."

Haku gave a slight nod. "Thank you for understanding." He effortlessly hoisted Zabuza's large "corpse" onto his shoulder and vanished into the depths of the forest after several swift leaps, moving at an astonishing speed.

Only after Haku's silhouette had completely disappeared did everyone truly breathe a sigh of relief, though the atmosphere remained heavy.

"What the hell... he just suddenly showed up to take the credit..." Naruto grumbled unhappily as he plopped down on the ground.

Looking at the devastation around them and the injured Kakashi and Ling Yue, Sakura asked worriedly, "Kakashi-sensei, Yue, your injuries..."

"I can still manage." Kakashi gestured for Sakura to stop supporting him, then endured the pain as he walked over to Ling Yue and crouched beside her to inspect the wounds on her arm and back. "Just flesh wounds. Fortunately, your muscles and bones are fine. But your chakra has been severely overdrawn."

His gaze settled on Ling Yue's face. That dead-fish eye of his, usually so lazy, was especially grave now. "Yue, where did you learn that Lightning Release ninjutsu just now?"

Here it comes! Just as expected, he asked!

Ling Yue's mind raced, while she put on an expression of weakness and lingering fear. "I... I don't know either... I was too scared then, and I just wanted to fight for my life. My chakra just... just surged out on its own... The hand signs were instinctive too..."

She portrayed herself as having unleashed her potential in a life-or-death crisis, like a blind cat stumbling across a dead mouse.

"Instinctive?" Kakashi clearly did not believe her. "Complex hand signs and such precise chakra nature transformation cannot be explained away with a single word like instinct. And that unique breathing technique and concealment skill you used before..."

His gaze became intensely oppressive. "You seem to have quite a few secrets, Yue."

Naruto and Sakura looked over curiously as well. Although Sasuke did not turn his head, his ears had clearly perked up.

Ling Yue's scalp tingled as she wondered how to make up another excuse.

Suddenly!

Kakashi swayed, his face instantly turning deathly pale. Clutching the wound at his waist, he broke out in cold sweat.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried out.

"I'm fine... just a little... exhausted..." Kakashi's voice weakened. He had forced himself to hold on until now, but the moment he relaxed, his injuries and exhaustion completely erupted.

"We have to treat the wounds and rest first!" Sakura said anxiously, no longer having the mind to question Ling Yue.

Naruto hurried over to help support him.

Sasuke walked over as well. He glanced at Ling Yue and, unusually, took the initiative to speak, though his tone remained cold. "Can you still walk?"

Ling Yue nodded and forced herself to her feet.

The group left the ruined battlefield with difficulty and, under Tazuna's guidance, continued toward the Land of Waves.

The atmosphere remained silent along the way. Kakashi was dazed from his injuries and exhaustion, with Naruto and Sakura taking turns supporting him.

Ling Yue silently followed behind them, recovering her strength while making calculations in her head.

Haku and Zabuza definitely were not dead. They would certainly appear again!

When they came back next time, they would probably be even harder to deal with.

She had to increase her strength as soon as possible! Those thousand points from earlier, and... right! She had not checked the system reward yet!

She quietly summoned the system interface.

[Dimensional Points: 1150] (Original 150 + Mission 1000) [Skill Card Voucher (SR): 0] (Used) [Skill Card Voucher (R): 0]

More than a thousand points! A fortune!

She could do a ten-pull! Or buy something good?

She browsed the system shop. Besides the lottery, the shop had also opened up exchanges for several basic items.

[Soldier Pill (Small): 50 Points] (Slightly restores chakra)

[Hemostatic Bandage: 30 Points] (Accelerates wound healing)

[Chakra Test Paper: 100 Points] (Tests chakra attributes)

[Basic Ninja Tool Pack: 200 Points] (Kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, etc.)

They were all practical items, but they would not help much with improving her current strength.

A ten-pull guaranteed an SR, which was incredibly tempting, but what if she got unlucky...

Or... should she buy chakra test paper first? If she figured out her own attributes, she could train and draw more selectively.

Just as she was hesitating, Tazuna, who was walking ahead, turned back and said, "The dock is just ahead. Once we cross the sea, we'll be in the Land of Waves. My house is over there."

Everyone raised their heads and saw the vast sea and a rundown little dock. A light mist drifted over the water, and through it, the outline of a massive unfinished bridge appeared and disappeared.

That must be the predecessor of Naruto Bridge, Ling Yue thought.

Several small boats were moored at the dock. When a humble-looking boatman saw Tazuna, he quickly waved. "Mr. Tazuna! You're back! And these people are?"

"Ah, they're ninjas from the Hidden Leaf. They're here to protect me while I build the bridge," Tazuna introduced.

The boatman saw the injured Kakashi and the somewhat bedraggled group. A flash of concern crossed his face, but he did not ask further questions and hurriedly ushered them aboard.

The small boat slowly left the dock and headed toward the Land of Waves, shrouded in thick fog.

The sea breeze carried a salty tang, and visibility was poor. The only sound around them was the water.

Ling Yue watched the white wake spreading behind the boat, and that unease within her surfaced again.

Too quiet.

Would Haku and Zabuza really give up so easily?

Just as the boat reached the middle of the sea, surrounded by thick mist with neither shore in sight—

A faint splash came from the side of the boat.

"What was that?" Naruto turned around alertly.

Sasuke immediately rose to his feet and looked toward the water.

Alarm bells rang wildly in Ling Yue's mind!

Almost at the same time!

A figure silently sprang from the water and lightly landed on the gunwale at the other end of the boat. It was Haku, who had returned!

He still wore his mask, but had changed into dry clothes. He gave off an aura even more ethereal than before, yet also more dangerous.

He held no senbon. Instead, each hand formed a strange seal.

"My apologies, everyone." Haku's voice came through the mask, still calm, but carrying a hint of resolve. "For Zabuza-san's sake, I cannot let you pass."

"Water Release: Thousand Flying Water Needles!"

At his cool voice, the seawater around them instantly boiled!

Countless water senbon, sharp as feathers, condensed out of thin air. They densely filled the air, glinting with deadly cold light in the mist as they aimed at everyone aboard the boat!

A massive surge of chakra engulfed the entire sea!

This time, Kakashi was not there to stand in front of them!