The grief and silence brought by Haku's death did not last long. A burst of arrogant, grating laughter and a jumble of footsteps brutally shattered the stillness.
"Hahahahaha! What a touching scene, Zabuza!"
At the edge of the thick mist, a large crowd emerged around a short, sleazy man wearing round sunglasses and an expensive kimono. It was none other than the unscrupulous merchant Gato. Behind him followed dozens of thugs armed with swords, clubs, and even crude crossbows. They wore vicious expressions but showed no discipline whatsoever, like a pack of hyenas that had caught the scent of blood.
Gato strutted into the clearing, casting a contemptuous glance at Zabuza, who knelt with Haku's body in his arms as though his soul had left him. His gaze swept over the exhausted Kakashi and the wounded Naruto and Sasuke before settling on Tazuna, who trembled in terror.
"To think the famous Demon Zabuza would end up like this over some brat." Gato sneered, tapping the ground with his cane. "Just as well. Saves me paying the balance. You ninja are nothing but expensive tools, when it comes down to it. Once you're used up or stop obeying, I can just throw you away."
The thugs he had brought roared with laughter and closed in maliciously.
"Now, most of the nuisances have been dealt with." Brimming with smug satisfaction, Gato pointed at Tazuna. "You old bastard, I'll take your lousy bridge and your life today! As for these Konoha ninja... hmph, now that you've seen me, don't expect to leave the Land of Waves alive! Get them!"
The thugs charged with raucous shouts, plunging the scene into chaos once more.
"Protect Mr. Tazuna and Naruto!" Kakashi forced himself to his feet. Though he had little chakra left, it was barely enough to handle this rabble, and several men fell as his kunai flashed. Sasuke also rose through the pain, meeting the attackers with shuriken and taijutsu. Sakura stayed close in front of the unconscious Naruto and Tazuna, shielding them.
Yet no one noticed that the moment Gato appeared and began spouting his arrogant nonsense, Ling had quietly vanished into the thick mist at the edge of the increasingly chaotic battlefield.
Hmph. A foolish mark. Tobirama's icy voice sounded in Ling's mind, tinged with disdain. Strutting onto a battlefield with nothing but useless trash around him. Ling, this is a rare opportunity.
"Gato is the target?" Ling slipped through the chaotic crowd and mist like a phantom, easily avoiding the rabble's attacks. His gaze locked onto Gato, who watched the fighting smugly from among several personal bodyguards.
No. Killing him outright would let him off too easily, and it could cause unnecessary trouble. Tobirama rejected the idea. Our target is his 'value.' Based on your memories of your previous life and my judgment, a greedy fool who treasures his own life this much is bound to carry his most important financial information on him-or keep it in his head.
Use that jutsu! The simplified version of my improved Mind Transfer Puppet Cursed Seal Jutsu! Take advantage of the chaos to control him briefly and extract every bank account, secret vault location, safe combination, and key location! Remember, be quick and leave no obvious traces!
"Understood!" Ling instantly formed several complex, strange hand seals unlike those of ordinary Water Release. This simplified jutsu was one Tobirama had developed by combining the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques with the principles of Sealing Jutsu. Its effects were brief, it demanded tremendous mental strength from the caster, and it had to be used at close range, but its advantage was its subtlety.
Silent as a shadow, he slipped up behind one of Gato's bodyguards. A faint pulse of chakra stirred at his fingertip, and the guard's eyes froze. His movements immediately grew sluggish, conveniently leaving Gato's rear flank exposed.
Ling aimed his fingertip at the back of Gato's neck from a distance, and an invisible, extremely faint strand of mental energy mixed with chakra invaded in an instant!
As Gato smugly watched his men "surround and attack" the ninja, his body suddenly stiffened. His eyes went blank and bewildered for an instant, and his mouth opened and closed unconsciously. Like someone talking in his sleep, he rapidly recited a string of numbers, place names, and hidden information.
The entire process took less than three seconds! Ling immediately severed the jutsu's connection and melted back into the mist as though he had never been there.
Gato abruptly came to his senses and shook his head, apparently feeling a little dizzy. But when he saw his men "gaining the upper hand" on the battlefield-in reality, Kakashi and Sasuke were conserving their strength as they picked off the rabble-he dismissed that slight discomfort and resumed shouting. "Hurry! Kill them all!"
Ling, meanwhile, already had everything he wanted. He swiftly memorized and processed the information: accounts at several underground banks, secret vaults hidden throughout the Land of Waves, and even the combination to a bank safe in the Land of Fire's capital and the hiding place of its key! Most of the wealth Gato had plundered over the years was now under Ling's control... or rather, Tobirama's.
Very good, Tobirama said approvingly. Next, pass this information to the right person.
"The right person?" Ling paused slightly.
Hmph. Do you really think that old fox Hiruzen Sarutobi would let Kakashi take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Uchiha orphan on such a dangerous mission all by himself? Tobirama sneered. There must be Anbu following and watching in secret, both to protect them and to take control if necessary. The earlier fighting was too high-level for them to approach, but this chaos with the rabble is exactly their chance to appear. Sense in your three o'clock direction, at the edge of those woods.
Ling immediately did as instructed. Sure enough, he detected an extremely well-concealed chakra signature belonging to a Konoha Anbu, steadier and more "orthodox" than that of a Root ninja. There seemed to be only one person.
Go. Give her the information as concisely as possible. She'll know what to do, Tobirama instructed.
Without hesitation, Ling immediately slipped toward that direction.
Soon, behind a large tree, he spotted a slender Konoha Anbu wearing a fox mask and carrying a short sword on her back. She was Uzuki Yugao, Gekko Hayate's girlfriend and colleague.
Yugao also sensed Ling approaching, and her gaze swept sharply toward him from behind her mask, wary.
Ling wasted no words, speaking quickly and quietly. "I've obtained information on all of Gato's wealth holdings. The accounts, secret vault locations, and passwords are as follows..." He rapidly repeated everything he had just learned.
A flicker of shock passed through Yugao's eyes behind her mask, but her professionalism as an Anbu let her regain her composure immediately and memorize the information. "Is the source reliable?" she confirmed in a low voice.
"Reliable," Ling answered tersely. "I'll leave the follow-up to you."
"Understood. I'll send it back to the village immediately through a summoning animal." Yugao nodded and gave Ling a long look. This boy from the Hatake Clan was even more remarkable than she had imagined. She lingered no longer, vanishing in an instant.
Ling also turned and returned to the main battlefield.
In the brief time he had been away, the situation on the main battlefield had undergone a staggering reversal.
Kakashi and Sasuke had already dealt with most of the thugs. And Zabuza, who had remained on his knees, had gently laid Haku's body down at some point.
He slowly stood and picked up the bloodstained Kubikiribōchō beside him.
An even more terrifying, desperate, and frenzied killing intent radiated from him! It was the madness of someone who, having lost the only thing that mattered to him, wanted to drag the entire world into hell!
Gato remained oblivious, still hurling abuse at Zabuza. "Useless trash! You couldn't even protect a brat! What are you standing around for? Go kill that white-haired Konoha ninja!"
Zabuza slowly raised his head. His eyes above the bandages were blood-red, fixed unwaveringly on Gato.
"What... did you just say..." His voice rasped like scraping sandpaper, laden with boundless savagery. "...who was... a tool?"
Gato shuddered beneath Zabuza's stare and shouted with blustering bravado, "You... what are you trying to do? I'm your employer!"
"My employer?" Zabuza gave a low, chilling laugh. "Heh heh... hahahahaha!!!"
The laughter stopped dead!
The next instant, he hurled himself into Gato's remaining thugs like a demon returned from hell!
The Kubikiribōchō became a whirlwind of death! There was no technique to it, only the purest, most savage slaughter!
Blood, severed limbs, and screams instantly filled the air!
Before the true Demon of the Hidden Mist, those thugs were torn apart as easily as paper toys! Scared out of his wits, Gato turned to flee.
But Zabuza was faster!
Almost in the blink of an eye, every thug Gato had brought became a mangled heap of body parts on the ground.
Drenched in blood, Zabuza stepped forward like a demon god. With boundless hatred and the force to destroy everything, he brought the enormous Kubikiribōchō crashing down on Gato, who had collapsed to the ground and wet himself in terror!
"No-!!!"
Gato's scream was cut off halfway.
The world fell quiet.
All that remained was Zabuza, soaked in blood and panting heavily as he leaned on his sword, and the wreckage of corpses strewn across the ground.
He slowly turned his head, his blood-red eyes fixing once more on Kakashi, Ling, and the others.
The last score had yet to be settled. But now, beyond the madness in his eyes, there seemed to be something else.
Before you continue