So I Was the Extra One

In the thick mist, Zabuza kept changing positions, launching probing attacks at his enemy again and again.

But every time, the Kubikiribōchō in his hands struck empty air.

The more Hidan left himself unguarded, the less Zabuza dared to slash at him.

Both the intense sense of danger he had felt on his first attack and his opponent's bizarre appearance suggested that this could very well be a trap meant to lure him into attacking!

But if the stalemate continued, not only would Haku be in danger, Zabuza himself would be in trouble once their opponent's companion returned.

Suddenly, Zabuza took a deep breath, slung the Kubikiribōchō back over his shoulder, and pulled a short blade from inside his clothes.

Even knowing it might be a trap, he had to risk himself to find out exactly what his opponent was up to.

Otherwise, his only choice was to retreat immediately.

Standing inside the ritual circle, Hidan was already getting bored. His patience was rapidly wearing thin.

If he hadn't been so eager to see his enemy kill himself with his own hands, he would have finished the man off long ago.

Suddenly, his expression shifted.

"Here he comes!"

"Still not going to attack?"

This time, Zabuza hadn't even used the Silent Killing Technique, specifically so Hidan would notice him in advance.

But to Zabuza's displeasure, his opponent still stood calmly in place, utterly motionless, as if offering up his neck for Zabuza to cut.

He tightened his grip and slashed!

Rip!

A bloody wound instantly appeared on Hidan's... back.

I hit him... now let's see what happens next!

The thought flashed through Zabuza's mind. Then, the instant after he wounded Hidan, a sharp pain tore through his own back, making his eyes widen.

Zabuza swiftly vanished into the mist. Once he had put a safe distance between them, he reached around to feel his back. A long wound was bleeding profusely.

Even its position and length were exactly the same as the cut he had inflicted on his enemy!

"So that's it. An ability that forces his enemy to die with him..."

Zabuza muttered to himself, seemingly understanding why he had felt that needle-sharp warning of death earlier.

Had that slash landed, he didn't know whether that man would have died, but he himself certainly wouldn't have survived.

Things had just become troublesome.

Zabuza knitted his brows and began thinking of a countermeasure.

Just then, a bloody hole suddenly opened in his left leg, blood pouring out of it.

Then came another wet puncture!

A bloody hole appeared in his right thigh as well.

Zabuza's legs trembled, and he nearly collapsed. But after stumbling, he forced himself upright again through sheer willpower.

This guy... is hurting himself?!

And it can ignore the distance between us and transfer directly onto my body. This is trouble.

Zabuza raised his head, his expression dark as a storm.

Meanwhile, having lost his patience, Hidan had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

He pulled out his black spear and chose to put two bloody holes in his own legs first, to keep his opponent from escaping.

Next came the punishment for refusing to cooperate!

He pressed the spear against his chest, aimed it at his heart, and slowly... little by little... pushed it in.

The pain coursing through his body brought a look of sheer pleasure to Hidan's face.

He would make his opponent feel death approaching inch by inch, unable to stop it, forced to watch helplessly before dying in despair!

But just as Hidan was savoring the moment, a ferocious water dragon suddenly slammed into him!

The black spear in his hand was knocked to the ground,

and he himself was hurled more than a dozen meters away before crashing heavily to the ground. The thick mist dispersed once again...

Bracing himself against the ground with both hands, Zabuza retched, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood.

A moment later, and he would have died from having his heart pierced!

But even in those desperate circumstances, he had stayed calm.

Not only had he recalled his enemy drawing a pattern on the ground with blood, he had also noticed that the man hadn't moved from that spot since.

From that, he had formed a guess.

His opponent's bizarre ability most likely required him to remain inside that pattern to work.

So he had immediately unleashed the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, staking his life on that guess.

And it seemed he had won the gamble.

The fierce water dragon had not only blasted his opponent away, but also inflicted the same grievous injury on Zabuza himself.

But none of the subsequent damage had been transferred to him!

"I've seen through your technique!" Zabuza raised his head fiercely, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Though he was bleeding all over and even felt as if his internal organs had shifted out of place, he still had no intention of retreating. Instead, he wanted to seize this opportunity to kill Hidan!

What a coincidence!

Hidan, who had just climbed to his feet, was thinking exactly the same thing.

Either you hack me to death today, or I hack you to death. There's no third option!

The damp, chilly sea wind howled past, and the murderous intent hanging between them was bone-chilling!

"How did you get yourself into such a mess, Hidan?"

A voice suddenly rang out, making both Zabuza and Hidan turn to look.

"Shinji, stay out of this. I'm going to use him for the ritual!"

"Haku, what happened to you?"

When Shinji appeared carrying the gravely wounded Haku, the scales of victory tipped completely in their favor.

"Lord... Zabuza..."

An extremely faint voice escaped Haku's lips.

"Despite injuries this severe and being poisoned by my toxin mixture, he's still clinging to consciousness instead of passing out. What frightening devotion." Shinji offered the praise in all seriousness.

Bang!

With a savage expression, Zabuza drew the Kubikiribōchō and slammed it into the ground. "Give Haku back to me!"

"Hey, bastard! I'm your opponent!" Hidan shouted indignantly.

But at that moment, Zabuza had eyes only for Haku and Shinji, who held Haku's life in his hands. As if he hadn't heard Hidan's shouting at all, he completely ignored him.

Then Shinji suddenly spoke. "Since everyone here seems to think I'm the extra one, let's make a deal."

"What deal?" Zabuza asked in a low voice.

"Give me your Kubikiribōchō, and I'll give Haku back. After that, I won't interfere in your fight at all. If you win, you can take him and leave. If you lose, both of you die here. What do you say? Deal?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"You can take a gamble. At worst, you'll be no worse off than you are now. If I join in, not only will this boy die right away, but with injuries that severe, you will too."

At that moment, Haku spoke again in a faint voice. "Don't... worry... about me... run... Lord... Zabuza..."

Zabuza fell silent for a moment, then abruptly flung the Kubikiribōchō into the air!