The leaking nine-tails chakra made Naruto Uzumaki's power erupt in an instant.
With every aspect of his abilities enhanced, he reached his peak at that moment!
"Whoa, whoa. Now that's scary!"
Chiba watched Naruto Uzumaki's battle, his eyes full of shock.
Terrifying speed, frightening strength, and fighting driven entirely by instinct.
The Naruto Uzumaki before him was more like a beast devoid of reason.
His only goal was to kill the enemy in front of him-Haku!
Though Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals was powerful, its mirrors were no different from ordinary glass to Naruto, empowered by nine-tails chakra.
His frenzied claws shattered the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals in an instant!
Crack!
In a flash, Haku was hurled out of his own secret technique and fell onto the Great Bridge.
The next moment, Naruto Uzumaki attacked again.
He raced across the Great Bridge on all fours.
Sinister chakra raged around him, as though something utterly evil had clawed its way out of hell.
Chiba was a considerable distance away from him.
Even so, he could still feel the violence and cruelty of that leaking chakra.
"Tsk, tsk. Everyone gets their own cheat."
"It's hard to make a name for yourself in this world without one."
Just as Naruto Uzumaki's fist was about to strike Haku's face, something happened.
The Kirigakure mask slipped off his face.
Seeing the somewhat familiar face before him, Naruto Uzumaki froze.
"H-how could it be you?"
Naruto Uzumaki had never imagined that the boy he had met while training would turn out to be his enemy.
"Why did you stop?"
"I killed the person you wanted to protect!"
There was not a trace of impurity in those clear eyes.
Haku looked earnestly at Naruto Uzumaki before him.
Naruto could not understand why someone whose gaze was as pure as snow would do this.
Why would he associate with a ninja like Zabuza, who had killed countless people?
Under his questioning, Haku began recounting his past.
Haku's past shook Naruto deeply.
This, too, was a necessary part of his growth.
Chiba's Shadow Clone appeared silently behind Haku.
"Have you come to kill me too?"
Within the mist, Haku seemed to possess perception far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Chiba shook his head and said:
"No. I just came to ask about your experience training in One-Handed Hand Seals."
Haku's expression turned somewhat bewildered.
He had not expected the boy before him to think of learning from an enemy at such a critical moment.
"Oh, right, Naruto."
Chiba turned toward the grief-stricken Naruto Uzumaki and said:
"Sasuke's HP is locked right now. I'd suggest you go check on him."
"If anything else goes wrong, he really might die."
There was still some distance between him and Sasuke Uchiha.
But Sasuke was still within Chiba's sensory range.
He could clearly sense Sasuke Uchiha's vigorous flame of life.
They're the Konoha 12. They wouldn't die that easily.
Especially not Sasuke Uchiha.
At those words, delight appeared on Naruto Uzumaki's face.
"R-really?!"
The whisker marks on his cheeks trembled slightly, reflecting his state of mind.
"If you waste any more time, he'll die."
Chiba spoke irritably.
This guy couldn't read the room at all. Couldn't he see that I wanted to learn One-Handed Hand Seals?
"What a surprise!"
Haku looked at Chiba and spoke softly.
"I never expected a team of newly graduated ninja to have someone as strong as you."
Chiba found Haku's gaze somewhat hard to bear.
He felt rather resentful. Why did someone so beautiful have to be a boy?!
Even in his previous life, this had been one of Chiba's greatest grievances.
"Things often work out that way."
"Besides, even without me..."
"The outcome of this battle was decided long ago."
Chiba silently repeated the mantra, Stay calm and composed, restoring his peace of mind.
"Let's leave that aside. I need the training method for One-Handed Hand Seals."
"In return, I can grant you one request."
At those words, Haku smiled readily, like a brilliant plum blossom blooming in the depths of winter.
"All right!"
He was someone who could accept anything, even when facing death.
"The hardest part of One-Handed Hand Seals isn't the twelve basic seals."
"What matters most is how chakra flows through your body when you form seals with one hand."
Haku held nothing back, explaining One-Handed Hand Seals to Chiba in full.
Chiba committed it all to memory, then asked:
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
The smile remained on Haku's face, like the most brilliant flower in the thick mist:
"If possible, bury me and Zabuza together."
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