Spiritual Energy Shield

The dense fog gradually thinned, not because sunlight had pierced through it, but because the chakra fluctuations on the bridge had become violent enough to stir the air.

A pungent burnt smell filled the air—the odor of ozone produced when lightning ionized the atmosphere.

"Summoning Technique: Earth Style: Fang Pursuit Jutsu!"

At Kakashi's low shout, several ninja hounds burst from the ground and clamped down on Zabuza's limbs, pinning the man known as the "Demon of the Hidden Mist" firmly in place.

Unable to move, Zabuza's eyes flashed with alarm.

"It's over, Zabuza."

Kakashi stood some distance away, his gaze icy. He slowly raised his right hand and gripped his right wrist with his left. Astonishing chakra gathered wildly in his palm, compressing the formerly invisible energy into tangible, deep-blue lightning.

Crackle, crackle—!

A piercing chirping rang through the skies, as if a thousand birds were crying at once.

It was the S-rank ninjutsu known as Lightning Cutter, the ultimate thrust created solely for killing.

"To alter chakra's nature and shape it to such an extent..."

Hiding behind a concrete pillar, Ye Tian still looked as though he might stop breathing at any moment, yet a trace of admiration flashed through his half-lidded eyes.

Through his Divine Sense, the ball of lightning in Kakashi's hand was far less refined and fluid than the cultivator world's Palm Lightning in terms of control, but its savage destructive force surpassed it.

"Mortal ingenuity truly cannot be underestimated. If that strike landed cleanly, even a body cultivator in the late Qi Refinement stage would probably be pierced straight through."

Ye Tian assessed the situation inwardly, then his Divine Sense sharply caught movement elsewhere.

That boy named Haku.

The instant he saw Zabuza driven into a corner, the boy who had already been defeated by Naruto, his eyes vacant, suddenly erupted with a resolute light. It was the light of someone willing to die for the god in his heart.

Whoosh!

Haku vanished. With the last trace of his chakra, he used his final Body Flicker.

"Here he comes."

Ye Tian's pupils contracted slightly.

He knew the plot inside and out, so he naturally knew what would happen next. Haku would use his body to block the Lightning Cutter, have his heart pierced, and die on the spot.

Logically, as an indifferent cultivator, Ye Tian should not have interfered in the grievances between these "natives." Life and death were fated; everyone bore their own karma.

But...

"That's a natural Ice Spirit Root!"

Watching that white figure charge toward Zabuza without hesitation, Ye Tian felt a powerful reluctance to waste such talent.

In the cultivation world, mutated Spiritual Roots were one in ten thousand. An Ice Spirit Root was an advanced variation of a Water Spirit Root, ideally suited to cultivating top-tier ice-element techniques.

"If Kakashi's Lightning Cutter goes straight in without resistance, the entire chest cavity will be blown apart by violent Lightning Release chakra. The meridians will be destroyed, and the heart aperture shattered."

Ye Tian rapidly formed hand seals inside his sleeve. "Death isn't a problem, but if the body is ruined, whether I use it to refine an Ice Soul Corpse Puppet or cast a necromantic technique like Impure World Reincarnation later, the results will be greatly diminished. Premium materials must be preserved intact!"

In that split second.

Kakashi's Lightning Cutter had already thrust out with the force to destroy everything, heading straight for Zabuza's heart!

And at that exact instant, Haku stepped in front of Zabuza.

Time seemed to freeze.

"Hold... still!"

A sharp gleam burst from Ye Tian's eyes as a tenth of the Spiritual Power he had only just gained after breaking through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer was instantly drained.

Of course, he could not directly block the Lightning Cutter. That would not only expose his strength but also alter the plot and create unnecessary trouble. What he needed to do was provide a slight "buffer" without changing the outcome.

Water Style: Soft Water Heartguard Mirror!

An invisible, colorless film of water, perceptible only through Divine Sense, silently adhered to Haku's chest at the critical moment.

It was not for defense, but for "neutralization."

Squelch!

The sound of a sharp blade entering flesh was distinctly audible.

Kakashi's hand pierced through Haku's chest without suspense.

Blood splattered.

Everyone froze. Naruto stopped in his tracks, Sakura covered her mouth, and even Kakashi's exposed eye was filled with shock.

Yet only Kakashi, as the caster, sensed an almost imperceptible anomaly.

"This feeling..."

Kakashi frowned slightly. When Lightning Cutter pierced a human body, the high-frequency vibrations of Lightning Release usually instantly blew apart the flesh around the wound, creating a horrifying cavity effect.

But at the instant it struck, he felt as though he had passed through an extremely tough yet incomparably soft liquid. That mysterious force had failed to stop the Lightning Cutter from piercing through, but it had greatly absorbed the explosive damage from the Lightning Release spreading outward.

The result was—

Haku had indeed died. His heart had stopped beating.

But no hideous, terrifying hole had appeared in his chest. Even the wound on his back was only a smooth incision.

Under Ye Tian's secret interference, this body with exceptional Ice Release talent had been preserved with its "corpse intact" to the greatest possible extent.

"Phew... that was close."

Ye Tian quietly released his hand seals and covered his mouth, coughing violently again. "Cough, cough, cough... Too bloody. Truly too bloody..."

At the center of the battlefield.

"Zabuza..."

Haku tightly gripped Kakashi's arm. Blood spilled from his mouth, yet he still struggled to turn his head and look at the man behind him whom he regarded as everything. "I... still... wanted to protect... you..."

At the end of his life, there was no pain on his face, only the peace of a wish fulfilled.

Then those clear eyes slowly closed, and his head drooped weakly.

"Haku..."

Naruto stared blankly at the scene. The red glow in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by tears welling up in them.

"Well done, Haku."

Zabuza's voice remained cold, as though nothing more than a broken tool had died. He even tried to swing his blade and kill Kakashi along with Haku's corpse.

Kakashi's gaze turned cold. He picked up Haku's body and leaped backward, gently laying him down on the ground.

Though he was somewhat puzzled by that strange sensation earlier, now was not the time to investigate it.

"You're too heartless!" Naruto finally could not bear it any longer. Pointing at Zabuza, he roared, "That guy... that guy died for you! He liked you so much! He was willing to do anything for you, and even his dream was only to fulfill yours! But you... you were actually going to cut apart his body too?!"

Tears streamed down Naruto's cheeks and dripped onto the cold bridge.

"Even when he died, he was thinking about you... If this is what being a ninja means... then I'd rather never become this kind of ninja for the rest of my life!"

The youth's tearful cries echoed across the empty bridge, striking every heart.

Zabuza, who had remained expressionless all along, suddenly began to tremble faintly.

"Kid..."

Zabuza lowered his head, his voice turning hoarse and choked. "Stop talking..."

Several sparkling drops seeped from beneath his bandages and fell to the ground.

"Haku didn't just show mercy for me... He spared you too. He was a guy whose only good quality was being soft-hearted... but I lost."

At that moment, the man known as the Demon finally cast off all his disguises and revealed the vulnerability of a "human being."

Ye Tian sat on the distant concrete pillar, quietly watching this scene.

He did not find it melodramatic, nor did he mock it inwardly as he usually would.

"Cultivators sever emotions and desires in pursuit of the Great Dao and immortality. Ninja suppress their emotions to complete missions."

Ye Tian sighed softly, his eyes profound. "But how many people in this world can truly achieve supreme indifference? So-called ruthlessness merely means you have yet to meet the person who can break your composure."

Looking at Zabuza's trembling back, a rare trace of respect rose in Ye Tian's heart.

"Though weak, though foolish, these Bonds... are not so ugly after all."

Just as the sorrowful atmosphere reached its peak.

Clap, clap, clap.

A burst of abrupt, grating applause shattered the silence.

"How touching, Zabuza."

From the end of the mist emerged a large group of thugs carrying clubs, swords, and blades. At their head was a short man wearing sunglasses and leaning on a cane, his face twisted into a nauseatingly mocking smile.

Gato.

"I never expected the so-called Demon to cry over some brat. Since you lost, you're no longer of any use."

Gato walked over to Haku's corpse and viciously kicked Haku in the face with his expensive leather shoe.

"This bastard broke my arm. He deserved to die!"

That kick felt as though it had stomped on everyone's heart.

Naruto flew into a rage and was about to charge forward, but Kakashi stopped him. Zabuza slowly raised his head. There were no tears left in his eyes, only killing intent like that of an asura demon.

"Let go of me, Kakashi." Zabuza clenched a kunai between his teeth. "I don't need both hands anymore."

However, before Zabuza could rush out.

A voice colder than ice suddenly came from the mouth of the "invalid" everyone had ignored in the corner.

"You're too noisy."

Ye Tian slowly rose to his feet, still leaning on that broken branch.

He did not look at Gato. Instead, he lowered his head and examined the dust on his shoes, his tone as calm as though he were discussing the weather.

"The dead are gone. Let them rest in peace. Kicking someone's corpse so casually will bring retribution."

Gato froze for a moment, then looked at Ye Tian and burst into arrogant laughter. "Where did this dying sickly ghost come from? Is this your place to speak? Kill him!"

One of the burly mercenaries behind him raised his broadsword with a ferocious grin and took two steps toward Ye Tian. "Kid, remember to keep your mouth shut in your next life!"

"Annoying."

Ye Tian did not even raise his head.

The instant the mercenary opened his mouth to continue shouting, Ye Tian lightly snapped his right thumb and middle finger together.

A coin appeared between his fingertips.

He had fished it out of his pocket earlier—a low-quality coin from the Land of Waves.

But at this moment, infused with the Spiritual Power of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, that cheap coin was more terrifying than any ninja tool.

Finger Flick Divine Skill: Sky Piercer!

Bang!

An extremely faint yet piercing blast suddenly rang out, painful enough to rupture eardrums.

It was a sonic boom caused by an object breaking the sound barrier!

No one saw what had happened.

The mercenary, who had been grinning viciously just moments ago, suddenly had a cloud of blood explode from his throat. As if struck by an invisible sledgehammer, he flew backward three or four meters and crashed heavily to the ground. He twitched twice, then stopped moving.

At the back of his neck, a deformed coin was embedded deeply in the concrete, still smoking.

The entire scene fell silent.

"Oh my, sorry."

Ye Tian lowered his hand with an innocent expression and pretended to cough twice. "Cough, cough... Did something just fly past? Was it a stray projectile? Weapons these days are such poor quality. They misfire so easily."

Gato and the hundreds of mercenaries behind him looked at their companion lying in a pool of blood, then at the sickly-looking youth with that harmless face. A chill shot from the soles of their feet straight to their scalps.

What had that been?

Ninjutsu? A concealed weapon?

No, it was pure... violence.

Zabuza glanced at Ye Tian, his expression incomparably complicated.