A sudden whoosh cut through the silence. Zabuza, having just canceled his Psychic Projection Technique, instantly retreated.
Bang!
A fist wreathed in black lines pierced the wooden floorboards exactly where he'd been standing a second ago. Splintered wood flew up, striking a bound and gagged father and daughter huddled nearby.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!!!"
The two trembled and whimpered, eyes wide with terror at the sudden infighting between their kidnappers.
"Tch. You old fossil, is that all you've got?" Zabuza scoffed, arms crossed as he stood a safe distance away. His cold eyes held a mocking glint. "If I hadn't stopped to check if the boss had any new orders, I would've been out the door a second before you and chopped your head off."
Kakuzu, who was evenly matched with Zabuza, withdrew his fist with a wheezing cackle. "Hehehe! Bandaged brat, isn't this the game you invented? What, can't beat this old man, so you resort to empty threats?"
"It doesn't matter," Kakuzu added, flexing his fingers. "I can afford five mistakes. You can only afford one. Once I claim that heart, Menma will have himself a nice new puppy pet. Hehehe…"
Ever since a year ago, when Zabuza had rushed in and smashed Kakuzu's somewhat-stinking bounty target first, the two had been mortal enemies. After every Akatsuki gathering, they were the first to bolt out the door, racing to launch a sneak attack on each other. It had become a ritual.
For this tradition, Kakuzu had lost three heads and three hearts. Zabuza, meanwhile, had once taken a Tentacle Fist straight through the right chest—miraculously missing his heart, so Kakuzu couldn't steal it to replace one of his own Water-Attribute hearts.
"Hmph. Looks like you want to lose your head again," Zabuza sneered. He unwrapped the bandages around his right eye, revealing Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Though the Kotoamatsukami eye technique still had a cooldown period of over ten years, the Sharingan's innate abilities—perception, replication, and hypnosis—greatly enhanced Zabuza's combat power. The genjutsu hypnosis effect, in particular, was outstanding. It was the main reason he'd managed to decapitate Kakuzu three times.
Unlike Kakashi, Zabuza didn't suffer from chakra depletion. He had Menma's Tailed Beast chakra replenishing him. That massive supply was enough to sustain not just one Sharingan, but an entire set. If Zabuza had fought Kakashi a year ago now…
He felt he could have taken Kakashi's head and used it as a soccer ball within a few rounds.
"Just a little dog barking wildly because of his master's weapon," Zabuza shot back, glaring at Kakuzu. "If I wasn't worried about blowing my cover, I'd rip your heart out right now."
After dropping that harsh line, Zabuza turned and walked toward the pitch-black outside.
"Let's go. The target should have already left the Ninja Academy. It's time to start the capture operation."
He concealed his Sharingan again and sent a Water Clone to watch over the hostages. With a final scoff, he bolted into the night.
"How pathetic," he muttered to himself as he ran. "Even if I'm the boss's pet dog, you're just a watchdog he bought from Akatsuki. If you want the same rewards I get, bark louder. Bark prettier, you idiot."
Having been granted immense power repeatedly by Menma, Zabuza had lost all sense of shame. Well, not entirely—he just knew that power was the only thing worth having, especially in front of a threat like Kakuzu. If Menma hadn't given him this power and the Sharingan, he wouldn't even have the right to speak to Kakuzu like that, let alone infuriate him to the point of being unable to retaliate.
He planned to return to Kirigakure once his employment contract with Menma expired, to settle some personal affairs. Eventually, he'd return to Four-Star Village to serve under Menma peacefully. Especially that kid Haku; his recent letters mentioned having a great time with a girl named Karin.
Zabuza just wanted to finish this mission fast and get back. He wouldn't let some wicked woman trick that naive brat Haku. Thinking of that, a nameless rage surged in Zabuza's chest. His Body Flicker Technique accelerated, instantly overtaking Kakuzu as he headed straight for the ambush site. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes and increased his speed, quickly catching up.
---
Outside the Tsuchigumo Clan Fortress—
Kakashi, Yamato, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno landed before a strange, rectangular platform terrain.
"Whoa! This place is huge!" Naruto exclaimed, looking up at the towering pillars ahead. "Is that the Tsuchigumo Fortress? It looks so weird!"
Sakura, standing beside him, looked on with curiosity. Yamato called out, "There are two people down below. They should be our targets."
Kakashi, at the front, signaled. "Go check it out."
As they approached, a worried-looking girl frantically pulled on the sleeve of an old man beside her.
"Gyōja! The adults from Konoha are here!"
The old man, Gyōja, looked utterly exhausted. "Miss Hotaru, stop pulling! My old bones are going to fall apart!"
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Hotaru quickly let go but pleaded sweetly. "Grandpa Gyōja, you have to get the Konoha ninjas to help me find Utakata! He's been missing for over a month—he has to be in danger!"
The "Utakata" she referred to was the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, who had been captured over a month ago. Because they hadn't found him, Hotaru had been pestering Gyōja to find Konoha ninjas to help.
"Alright, alright," Gyōja said, his tone affectionate but tinged with worry. However, as Kakashi's group drew near, his expression turned complicated.
He hadn't summoned Konoha simply because Hotaru wanted help. He had been threatened by two mysterious figures who forced him to plead for help.
"Sigh," Gyōja muttered, shaking his head. "I just hope these are the right people. If I have to ask Konoha for reinforcements a second time, they're definitely going to misunderstand…"
With a sigh, he quickly went to meet them.
---
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