"Haku, I will definitely get you back!"
In the depths of the woods, Zabuza crouched in the shade of the trees, silently watching Uzumaki Naruto and the others practicing not far away. Clenching his fists, he made up his mind.
It wasn't until Haku disappeared that Zabuza realized just how important he was to him. Zabuza's entire life had been shrouded in darkness. From the moment he became aware of the world, he had been trained by the Hidden Mist as a weapon of war. After he slaughtered all his comrades in a single stroke, he was left with no attachments, his heart void of emotion.
That was until he met Haku and took him under his wing. Years of companionship had forged an unbreakable bond between them. Now that Haku was gone, it felt as if his life had reverted to its previous bleakness—lifeless and hopeless.
Zabuza's ability to mask his presence was so refined that even Kakashi didn't notice his watchful gaze.
Naruto and Karin, having completed their training ahead of schedule, sat down to observe Sasuke, who was still struggling to climb a tree. Naruto began dozing off as Kakashi, bored, pulled out his newest read—a green-covered copy of Make-Out Paradise.
Zabuza saw his chance.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu."
With a single-handed seal, water vapor began to condense in the forest. Zabuza carefully controlled the jutsu, ensuring the mist formed gradually, making it appear as though it was naturally occurring.
As the thin fog slowly thickened, neither Kakashi nor the others grew suspicious. The climate of the Land of Waves was prone to mist, especially in the evenings, so today's early fog didn't seem unusual.
Time passed, and the mist thickened further, reducing visibility in the forest to less than three meters.
Kakashi, engrossed in Make-Out Paradise, raised his head absentmindedly and was taken aback by the dense fog. Closing his book, he called out:
"Sasuke, let's stop here for today. It's getting late; we should head back."
Despite his calm demeanor, Kakashi's muscles were tense, his senses sharpened. Though Zabuza had disguised his jutsu well, there were subtle differences between natural fog and the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
The unnatural thickness of the fog set off Kakashi's instincts—something was wrong.
"It's still early. I'll practice a bit longer," Sasuke replied, unwilling to stop.
"If you're bored, go ahead without me. I'll catch up later."
Ignoring Kakashi's words, Sasuke gripped a kunai, focused on the large tree in front of him, and kicked off the ground. He dashed up the trunk, managing to climb four or five meters before gravity overtook him, forcing him to cut a mark into the bark before dropping back down.
Boom!
Landing lightly, Sasuke pursed his lips in frustration, glaring at the fresh mark on the tree. His progress was steady, but not nearly enough. His pride refused to accept that he was the only one in the team yet to master tree climbing.
"Hey, Sasuke, this isn't something you learn in a day," Naruto said with a smirk. "It took me a whole week to get it right. So don't stress over it."
"But of course, you're not as good as me, so that's normal! Hahaha!"
Naruto's initial attempt at encouragement quickly turned into his usual taunting. He and Sasuke were rivals; everything between them became a competition—even training.
"Hey, Naruto, don't gloat. You just started practicing before Sasuke," Karin interjected. "With his talent, he'll master it in no time."
"Tch, no way," Naruto scoffed, crossing his arms. "I learn faster than my mom did. There's no way he's catching up to me."
Sasuke remained silent, pushing himself harder instead of engaging in the banter. He knew the best response to doubt was proof—his older brother had taught him that. And he would prove himself through action.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, how long did it take you to learn this?" Naruto asked.
"One day," Kakashi answered flatly.
Silence.
Sasuke, who had ignored the conversation up until now, froze for a moment. His head turned toward Kakashi before he clenched his fists and launched himself at the tree once again.
Seeing Sasuke's determined expression, Kakashi sighed. He knew his words had struck a nerve. Instead of insisting they leave, he leaned against a nearby tree and resumed reading his book, this time positioning himself closer to Naruto and the others. If an attack came, he'd be ready.
Then—step.
A faint noise echoed from within the mist.
Though nearly imperceptible, Kakashi, already on high alert, reacted instantly. Without hesitation, he flung a kunai toward the sound.
Clang!
The kunai struck something, followed by the hurried shuffle of footsteps.
Naruto and the others immediately turned their attention to the source, while even Sasuke stopped his training, shifting into a defensive stance.
Kakashi's expression hardened.
The enemy was moving.
In a flash, the mist was split apart by a blade.
A massive cleaver tore through the dense fog, swinging straight for Kakashi's head.
"Die!"
Emerging from the mist, Zabuza gripped his Executioner's Blade with both hands, swinging it with brutal force.
Clang!
Kakashi blocked the attack with his short sword, but the sheer strength behind it sent him skidding backward. Gritting his teeth, he dug his heels into the ground, finally stopping several meters away.
"Zabuza?! You should be dead!" Kakashi's voice carried genuine shock. He hadn't expected to see the man who was supposed to have perished in their last battle.
And this time, the situation was even worse.
"Aghhh!"
A scream tore through the air.
Behind Karin, Zabuza's figure appeared, gripping her shoulder with one hand while pressing his Executioner's Blade against her neck.
"Karin?!"
"Karin!"
Naruto and Sasuke shouted in unison, their faces pale with shock. Until that moment, neither of them had noticed anyone approaching her. The sudden development made Kakashi's face darken.
Even he hadn't anticipated Zabuza bypassing him to take a hostage.
As Kakashi prepared to move, Zabuza pressed the blade slightly into Karin's skin, drawing a thin line of blood that dripped onto the sword's surface, instantly absorbed by the blade.
"Don't move, or she dies!"
Even through his mask, Zabuza's vicious expression was unmistakable.
Meanwhile, the Zabuza that had initially attacked Kakashi dissolved into water—just a clone.
Kakashi's expression hardened.
"So, he used a Water Clone to draw my attention while his real body circled behind Karin and took her hostage."
"But why didn't he just kill her outright?"
Carefully, Kakashi began channeling chakra, preparing to act.
Karin, though shaken, bit her lip and forced herself to stay calm. Despite being restrained, she could still perform Wood Release.
"Haku! Where is Haku?" Zabuza demanded.
Kakashi and the others exchanged glances. They had heard the name before—Haku was the boy taken away by Kisame. But why was Zabuza asking them about him?
Kisame took him. So why is Zabuza here looking for him?
Kakashi quickly pieced it together.
Zabuza wasn't dead. That meant he had been spared. And if he was asking them about Haku, it meant that when he woke up, he couldn't find him.
"He thinks we took Haku."
Before Kakashi could respond, Karin made her move.
"Wood Release: Tree Bind Eternal Burial!"
The hand seals for Wood Release were simple. From the moment Karin formed them to the activation of her jutsu, only a split second passed. As soon as the technique was completed, the ground on both sides of Zabuza split open, and thick vines rapidly emerged, wrapping tightly around his body.
At the same time, a series of neat holes formed in the ground beneath Karin, and another row of vines shot up, coiling around the Executioner's Blade, immobilizing it.
"Bastard!"
Zabuza, shocked by the sudden change, instinctively tried to slash at Karin, but the vines severely hindered his movement, delaying his attack.
At that precise moment, Kakashi appeared beside him, a short sword in hand, his body enveloped in a shroud of crackling lightning. Without hesitation, he thrust the blade toward Zabuza's heart, intending to end it right there.
"The timing is perfect! This is it!"
Kakashi's eyes sharpened with focus as his attack accelerated.
"Stop!"
A thunderous voice echoed through the woods.
Kakashi, moments away from piercing Zabuza's heart, abruptly halted his kunai and, instead, swiftly slashed at Zabuza's forearm, forcing him to release his grip on the Executioner's Blade.
With a well-placed kick, Kakashi sent the massive sword flying, then grabbed Karin and retreated a safe distance away—all within a matter of seconds. The speed and precision with which he shifted tactics showcased a level of skill that surpassed even the average Jonin.
"Who is it?" Sasuke turned, his gaze piercing through the thick mist.
Kakashi, now standing protectively beside Karin, also shifted his attention toward the fog. He already knew who had arrived. And because he knew, he had stopped.
A deep voice chuckled from the mist.
"Nice moves, Kakashi. You've gotten even stronger."
From the dense fog, Kisame Hoshigaki emerged, the Samehada strapped to his back, a grin stretched across his face.
"You… you are…" Zabuza muttered, gripping his wounded forearm. The pain seemed insignificant to him now—his attention was entirely on Kisame.
"Heh… Kisame," Kakashi muttered, watching him warily.
Kisame casually removed Samehada from his back and slammed it onto the ground. Without waiting for a response, he spoke.
"I took Haku away."
"By now, he should already be in Konoha."
"If you want to see him, you'll have to go there."
"I'm here to deliver a message—my lord is very interested in both you and Haku. He hopes to invite you as honored guests."
"He has already gone. So, Zabuza… will you follow?"
Kisame's grin widened as he studied Zabuza's reaction.
He was truly curious.
What choice would this man make?
How far was he willing to go for Haku?
And what kind of ninja was worth his lord's attention?
(End of chapter)