The blood of Gato and his henchmen stained the muddy ground red, its metallic stench filling the air. Zabuza leaned on the Kubikiribōchō, his ragged breathing rasping like worn-out bellows. His bloodshot eyes swept over Kakashi and the others before settling on Haku's peaceful, lifeless face in his arms.
Yet his immense grief had not robbed him of all reason. As an elite ninja who had defected from the Bloody Mist Village, he knew better than anyone the value of a body possessing the Ice Release kekkei genkai-especially to a major shinobi village. Konoha's Anbu were undoubtedly lurking nearby. Once they left, Haku's body would inevitably be recovered, studied, and perhaps even desecrated.
He would never let Haku become experimental material, even after death!
A flash of anguished resolve crossed his eyes, and Zabuza abruptly raised the Kubikiribōchō. Before the stunned gazes of Kakashi and the others, the blade flashed!
He did not hesitate, moving with astonishing speed-he severed Haku's head, then used a simple Fire Release Scroll to burn Haku's headless body completely! Searing flames surged up, swiftly consuming that slender form and reducing it to ash that scattered into the thick mist.
Once it was done, Zabuza quickly wrapped Haku's head in a piece of cloth and secured it tightly at his waist. He gave Kakashi and the others one final look, his eyes filled with an endless tangle of emotions-pain, madness, emptiness, and even a trace of indescribable relief. His gaze lingered especially on the unconscious Naruto. Then he abruptly turned, dragging the Kubikiribōchō behind him as he staggered away with unshakable determination, disappearing into the depths of the mist.
It had all happened in a flash. By the time Kakashi reacted, nothing remained but a small patch of scorched ground and a faint burnt smell in the air.
"He... actually..." Sakura covered her mouth, too shocked to speak at an act so brutal, yet somehow so tragically solemn.
Kakashi's expression was deeply conflicted before it finally gave way to a sigh. "He didn't want Haku's kekkei genkai falling into anyone else's hands... especially... ours in Konoha." He glanced in a particular direction through the surrounding mist, clearly having guessed that Anbu were following them as well. Haku's Ice Release was a treasure of immense research value to any village.
"Let's head back first. Naruto needs emergency treatment." Kakashi suppressed his emotions and made the most urgent decision.
Supporting one another, they prepared to leave.
Just then, Ling spoke. "Kakashi-sensei, take Naruto back first. Something's bothering me... I'd like to confirm that Zabuza really has left, and scout the area for any remaining followers of Gato while I'm at it, so they don't take the opportunity to attack the bridge or Mr. Tazuna's house."
Kakashi looked at Ling. Though exhausted, his mind remained clear. Ling was indeed in the best condition among them, and his sensory abilities were exceptional. The reasoning was sound. "...Be careful. Under no circumstances are you to fight him. Return immediately once you've confirmed it's safe."
"Understood."
Once Kakashi and the others disappeared into the mist, Ling immediately followed Tobirama's guidance and silently pursued Zabuza in the direction he had gone.
[Southeast. He isn't moving fast. His injuries are serious, and his emotions are extremely unstable.] Tobirama was like the most precise radar. [Keep your presence suppressed. His senses will be very sharp right now.]
Before long, Ling caught up with Zabuza in a secluded stretch of rocky shoreline. Zabuza was leaning behind a boulder, staring out at the gray sea. The wrapped head at his waist stood out painfully. The Kubikiribōchō was planted beside him, and he looked as though his soul had been drained away, leaving only numb emptiness.
"Who's there?!" Despite his terrible condition, Zabuza remained alert and lunged for the Kubikiribōchō.
"It's me." Ling slowly emerged from the mist, raising both hands to show that he meant no harm. "Ling Hatake."
"...That brat from Konoha?" Zabuza's gaze sharpened. But seeing that Ling was alone and truly showed no hostility, his tense muscles relaxed slightly, replaced by deep wariness and scorn. "What? Did Kakashi send you to finish me off? Or do you want what's left of Haku?" He instinctively shielded the bundle at his waist.
"This has nothing to do with Kakashi-sensei. I decided to come on my own," Ling said calmly. His gaze passed over the bundle at Zabuza's waist, his tone never wavering. "As for Haku's remains... you did the right thing. If you'd left them behind, Konoha's Anbu would probably have recovered them by now."
Zabuza's pupils contracted slightly as he stared intently at Ling. "Who exactly are you? What are you trying to say?"
Rather than answer directly, Ling changed the subject, his voice carrying a composure and insight beyond his years. "Mr. Zabuza, you attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage and defected from Kirigakure because you couldn't endure the Bloody Mist Village's policies, correct?"
Zabuza jolted, his eyes erupting with disbelief and murderous intent. "You?! How do you know about that?!" This was a secret buried in the deepest part of his heart. There was no way a Konoha genin could know it!
"How I know isn't important." Ling met his gaze, his voice steady yet strangely persuasive. "What matters is that Kirigakure has changed. The Fourth Mizukage died some time ago. The current Fifth Mizukage is Mei Terumi, and she's doing everything she can to end the blood mist era and reform the village. The Kirigakure of today may no longer be the hell you had no choice but to flee."
The news struck Zabuza's heart like a heavy hammer, plunging him into profound shock and confusion. Since fleeing, he had lived like a ghost, never imagining that his homeland could have changed so drastically.
"Is... is that really true?" His voice was painfully dry.
"I have no reason to deceive someone who's about to leave," Ling continued. "Looking back now, what you did may not have been an unforgivable 'betrayal.' Some might even see it as... an act of desperate resistance. The current Mizukage may need someone who understands that history and has the strength to back it up."
Ling's gaze settled on the bundle at his waist, and his voice lowered:
"Take Haku back to the Land of Water. Let him see whether the homeland you once wanted to change, but couldn't, has found new hope. Perhaps you can find a new reason to live there, instead of carrying the ghosts of the past and wandering pointlessly until you die, as you are now-utterly squandering this chance... to start anew that Haku bought for you with his life."
Those words were like a key, prying open Zabuza's frozen heart. He lowered his head to look at Haku's head at his waist. Immense pain and confusion tangled with a thread of hope so faint that even he dared not touch it.
He remained silent for a long, long time.
The sea mist drifted soundlessly, with only the waves breaking against the rocks.
At last, Zabuza slowly raised his head. Much of the madness and deathly emptiness had faded from his eyes. Though he was still weary and anguished, a trace of indescribable resolve had appeared. He neither thanked Ling nor made any promises. He merely gave him a long, searching look, as though committing this unfathomable boy from Konoha to memory.
Then he silently shouldered the Kubikiribōchō and cast one last glance at the Land of Waves, the place that had brought him his final loss and an unexpected word of guidance. Turning away, he walked steadily toward the sea, step by step, until his figure merged completely with the thick mist and vanished.
[Hmph. At least he isn't a complete fool,] Tobirama remarked in Ling's mind. [Giving him something to hold on to is far less trouble than having to put him down after he goes completely mad. Besides, a Demon of the Hidden Mist returning to Kirigakure with such complicated feelings might bring Konoha some unexpected advantages in the future.]
Ling stood where he was, looking in the direction Zabuza had disappeared, the turmoil in his heart gradually settling. He had completed a silent bargain, and perhaps shown a lost soul a possible road home.
He turned and headed back toward Tazuna's house. The mission in the Land of Waves was drawing to a close.
Before you continue