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Taking down Nadare's did not mean the battle was over, but one thing was certain—the scales of victory were now tilting in favor of Midorima's side.
Zabuza, seemingly afraid that the rogue Kirigakure ninja might be captured alive and interrogated by Konoha, showed no mercy in his attacks. Every shinobi who used Water Release techniques was slaughtered without exception.
Before long, the ground was dyed red with blood, resembling a crimson carpet.
The other shinobi, witnessing Zabuza's descent into madness, didn't think of fighting back—their first instinct was to flee.
If it had been any other shinobi, they might have shown some leniency. But this was Momochi Zabuza.
He had once slaughtered every single one of his graduating classmates—over a hundred people—without hesitation. A few rogue ninja were nothing in comparison.
After Zabuza killed three or four shinobi in quick succession, some were already considering escape. The moment Nadare was taken down, those remaining ninja wasted no time diving into the underground tunnels.
In an instant, the stone chamber was emptied of all but the fallen—leaving only Midorima's group of four.
Kakashi's shoulder had been pierced by an ice spear, severely diminishing his combat ability. Meanwhile, Koyuki, witnessing the bloodbath in the chamber, trembled in terror.
Only Zabuza remained unfazed, leaning against the wall with his hands behind his head, as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, Zabuza, I told you not to kill them all..."
"Shut up. Our mission was to eliminate rogue ninja. If it weren't for that, why the hell would I bother helping you?" Zabuza sneered. "Your mission is a mission, but ours isn't? If I told you to kill this brat right now, would you do it?" He glared at Koyuki.
Koyuki bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.
"Try it!" Kakashi snapped.
"Oh, now you're angry? You were pretty eager to stop me from completing my mission earlier," Zabuza mocked.
"That's… not the same thing!" Kakashi's eyes widened.
Killing and saving lives—how could they be the same?
"It's all just a mission. Tell me, if I stopped you from killing a rogue ninja in the future, demanding you let me interrogate them first, how would you feel?" Zabuza shot back.
Kakashi fell silent.
A rogue ninja was a rogue ninja for a reason. He couldn't just hand over a Konoha deserter to another village.
He understood the logic.
But when it came to Rin Nohara, Kakashi couldn't remain uninvolved. This might have been his only chance to uncover the truth about what happened back then.
And now, Zabuza had personally crushed that opportunity.
Midorima watched their argument with amusement. When Kakashi finally stopped retorting, he stepped forward. "Done bickering?"
"Tch…" Kakashi exhaled sharply but didn't respond.
"The fight isn't over yet. Who knows when the people outside will storm in? We—and Koyuki—aren't safe yet. Besides, Dotō has already infiltrated Sōsetsu's palace through the tunnels. Right now, they have the upper hand. Mei, Kurenai, and Asuma must be under heavy pressure. We don't have time to waste." Midorima's smile faded.
"I know." Kakashi took a deep breath.
"And even if that rogue ninja had survived, could you be sure he'd tell the truth? What if he spread lies to reignite war between Konoha and Kirigakure? Could you take that responsibility?" Midorima pressed.
Kakashi shook his head in frustration.
"Then it's settled." Midorima crouched down to heal Kakashi's shoulder wound. "You're injured, so protecting Princess Koyuki is your job now. Zabuza—"
"What?!" Zabuza was still sulking.
"Tie up the survivors."
"Do I have to keep them alive?" Zabuza retorted.
Was this a joke?
Since when did Zabuza use ropes?
"..." Midorima hadn't expected that response. He rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Dealing with Yukigakure's ninja isn't our responsibility. Sōsetsu will need witnesses to convict Dotō."
Zabuza scoffed but knocked out the remaining enemies, stabbing each of them in both legs for good measure.
Kakashi's shoulder wound was a through-and-through injury. Even after Midorima used [Activation], his mobility was still limited.
But there was no time for rest. Once Midorima finished treating him, Kakashi took on the duty of guarding Koyuki.
"Princess Koyuki, do you know the way to the palace through the tunnels?" Midorima asked.
Koyuki seemed dazed, barely responsive. At Midorima's question, she only shook her head weakly.
Did she get scared stupid?
Midorima studied her, sighing inwardly.
Being kidnapped, witnessing death—even adults would struggle to process such trauma, let alone a child.
After a quick reorganization, Midorima and Zabuza took the lead, unsheathing their blades as they exited the cave. Kakashi carried Koyuki on his back, following closely behind.
Nadare had mentioned that Dotō had already taken most of his forces through the tunnels to ambush Sōsetsu. That meant the defenses here were minimal—most guards were likely drowsy at this late hour.
Standing atop the castle walls, Midorima and Zabuza gazed toward Sōsetsu's palace. There were no raging fires yet, meaning it hadn't fallen.
After a brief discussion, they decided to split up.
Kakashi's task was to protect Koyuki and ensure she wasn't recaptured. Meanwhile, Midorima and Zabuza would reinforce Mei and Sōsetsu.
Though it was deep into the night, more and more people were gathering near the palace.
"Seems like Dotō's ambush has been exposed," Midorima murmured, leaping onto a rooftop. The further ahead he looked, the denser the crowd became.
Zabuza frowned. "No telling if Mei can hold out… Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
In large-scale chaotic battles, the Hidden Mist technique could be devastatingly effective. With just the two of them, surprise was their best weapon.
But for the mist to work optimally, it needed to be deployed beforehand.
"Cover me later…" Midorima instructed.
"You think you can just order me around?" Zabuza shot back. "Why don't you cover me?"
"What if Mei's injured?" Midorima countered.
"...I'll kill anyone in my way," Zabuza muttered, avoiding a direct answer.
His only allies were Midorima and Mei. Whether it was Sōsetsu, Konoha, or Dotō—none of it mattered to him.
Midorima leaving might even give him more freedom to cut loose.
"Just cover me," Midorima repeated firmly.
At this point, telling Zabuza to spare innocents was unrealistic. And even if he did, Zabuza wouldn't listen.
"...Fine."