Just as Sen's arm tensed, the deadly wooden spear about to leave his hand at that critical instant!
An almost imperceptible disturbance suddenly stirred the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two silver streaks gleaming with icy light pierced the thick mist in an instant, faster than sound!
Their target wasn't Sen.
It was Zabuza, hanging upside down in midair!
Thwip! Thwip!
Two slender senbon pierced vital pressure points on the side of Zabuza's neck with perfect accuracy.
There wasn't even time for blood to spurt.
Zabuza's entire body shuddered violently.
His eyes, filled with fear and defiance, suddenly rolled back, exposing broad stretches of white.
Then he went limp against the thick vines, like a noodle with every bone pulled out of him.
All signs of life vanished in an instant.
Sen stopped moving.
Holding the wooden spear he had yet to throw, he raised an eyebrow.
"Stealing my kill?"
He turned toward the direction the senbon had come from.
A boy wearing a Kirigakure Hunter-nin Mask and a pale kimono, his figure almost excessively slender.
He stood lightly on a thick branch, like a fallen leaf.
The boy, Haku, paid no attention to Sen's gaze.
He bowed deeply toward Kakashi and Sen.
"I am a hunter-nin from Kirigakure."
Haku's voice was clear and androgynous, giving no hint of whether he was male or female. His manner was exceedingly polite, even humble.
"I have been hunting this rogue ninja for a long time, waiting for an opportunity."
"Thank you all for your assistance. You weakened him and allowed me to complete my mission."
Haku straightened and pointed at Zabuza's "corpse" hanging from the vines.
"Now, please allow me to take his body back as proof of my mission's completion. His head is worth quite a sum on the Black Market."
Kakashi frowned.