Chapter 3: Zabuza and Haku  

Run away? 

No. 

The area is full of Kaguya clan members, and if I get caught trying to escape, they'll gang up on me. 

And from what I remember in the original story, the people of Kirigakure have already noticed the Kaguya clan's plot. They've cast a wide net, hoping to catch this big fish all at once. 

If I break off from the group and try to escape on my own, I'll likely fall right into Kirigakure's trap. 

Without the Kaguya clan members as a distraction, with my strength, unless Orochimaru, who's lurking in the shadows, steps in to save me, I'm as good as dead. 

But as of now, I don't even know if Orochimaru has his sights set on me. 

This isn't something I can gamble on. 

After all, this is about my life. 

"So it looks like the only option is to join the fight for now and wait for a chance to escape. Once the Kirigakure ninjas figure out where the Kaguya clan is attacking from, they'll pull back their forces to focus on the battle. That should take care of any ambushes outside. 

At that point, I just need to break through one layer of their defense and I can escape. With the Kaguya clan's strength, that shouldn't be too difficult." 

As Kimimaro was thinking this through, the other clan members had already spread out and begun their attack. 

Seeing that Kimimaro hadn't moved yet, the Kaguya clan leader approached and said, "Kimimaro, why aren't you moving?" 

"What should I do?" 

Kimimaro deliberately showed a confused expression. 

The clan leader sneered and pointed into the distance. 

"Don't ask questions. Just run in that direction and kill any Kirigakure ninja you see! With your skills, there won't be any problem!" 

"Understood!" 

Kimimaro responded and then sprinted towards Kirigakure. 

"Hahaha! Fight! Kill! Let the blood make sure Kirigakure never forgets us! We are the Kaguya, a clan of battle! Hahaha!" 

Watching Kimimaro's departing figure, a strange glint flashed in the clan leader's eyes, but he soon burst into loud laughter, his voice piercing the quiet night. 

Kimimaro, now a fair distance away, had a head full of dark lines. This guy really isn't worried about being spotted by the Kirigakure ninjas, huh? 

As expected, just another hotheaded fool. 

"A clan like this really doesn't belong in a world full of deceit and intrigue." 

Kimimaro sighed inwardly as he neared Kirigakure. 

Not long after, he spotted two figures, one large and one small, up ahead. 

"Already encountering enemies?" 

Kimimaro tensed up, immediately ready for combat! 

Gripping the bone sword in his hand, he felt both fear and excitement. 

The fear came from the soul of his previous life, while the excitement came from the body he now inhabited. 

This conflicting feeling made Kimimaro feel somewhat out of place in this world. 

But he quickly adjusted. 

To survive, he had to adapt to this world! 

His body's natural combat instincts gradually suppressed the fear, and now he was a capable ninja. 

As the distance closed, Kimimaro could make out the two people more clearly. 

A boy, as pale as snow, around his own age. 

A man, as cold as ice, carrying an enormous sword on his back. 

It was them! 

The original Kimimaro would not have known these two, but this current Kimimaro did. 

The boy's name was Haku, the last survivor of the Yuki clan of Kirigakure. 

The man's name was Momochi Zabuza, a rogue ninja from Kirigakure and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. 

The huge sword on his back was the Decapitating Carving Knife, one of the seven legendary swords of Kirigakure. 

There's no way I can defeat this guy right now. 

At that moment, Kimimaro recalled hearing the Kaguya clan leader mention that the Fourth Mizukage had been seriously injured in an attack, likely by Uchiha Itachi and Jūzō Biwa. 

Jūzō Biwa died, and the Decapitating Carving Knife was reclaimed, then given to Zabuza, who officially became one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. 

Zabuza then planned a coup, which ultimately failed. Now he was fleeing Kirigakure with Haku. 

Kirigakure sure is a mess at the moment. 

Zabuza spotted Kimimaro and quickly deduced his identity. 

The green eyes and the two red dots on the forehead of the Kaguya clan members were too recognizable for any Kirigakure ninja to miss. 

Zabuza had also heard of the boy in front of him. 

The most exceptional inheritor of the Kaguya clan's bloodline limit, who was so outstanding that his own clan imprisoned him, treating him as a secret weapon. 

And now, during the Kaguya clan's rebellion, this boy had been set free. 

Zabuza was well aware of the Kaguya clan's rebellion. 

In fact, that's why he chose this moment to leave Kirigakure. 

With Kirigakure preoccupied with wiping out the Kaguya clan, Zabuza's chances of escaping were much higher. 

But even though this boy was young, Zabuza was still wary of him. 

The Kaguya clan might be a bunch of muscleheads, but their combat abilities were no joke. 

Since the clan valued this boy so highly, Zabuza wouldn't underestimate him, even at his age. 

Of course, if it came to a fight, Zabuza knew he'd win. 

But the noise and time it would take might attract nearby Kirigakure ninjas. 

In that case, none of them would make it out. 

With both sides wary of each other, the tension in the air grew thick. 

Zabuza gripped the hilt of his sword and said in a low voice, "I'm not from this village." 

Kimimaro was momentarily stunned. 

Was Zabuza trying to back down? 

Of course! He wants to leave here, so he doesn't want any complications. 

But if I insist on attacking, Zabuza's hand on his sword would instantly draw the blade, aiming for a quick, decisive battle. 

Only an idiot would fight him. 

Just as Kimimaro was about to say, "Sorry to bother you," an electronic voice echoed in his mind. 

"Encounter with the young Zabuza and Haku. You can shake hands and take a photo to win a character checkpoint reward." 

Kimimaro: "..." 

Shake hands now? Won't that get me killed? 

But... the reward... 

Kimimaro still wasn't entirely confident he could escape from Kirigakure alive. 

If he could get another reward, his chances of making it out would increase. 

But how could he shake hands? 

Haku, with his innocent face, might be easy to deal with. 

But Zabuza, with his "make one wrong move and I'll draw my sword" aura, was a different story. 

What to do? 

Kimimaro hesitated for only a moment before making a decision. 

He was going to take the risk! 

It wouldn't be easy for Zabuza to kill him instantly. 

Kimimaro was confident that, even if things went south, he could escape. 

And Zabuza definitely wouldn't chase after him. 

With his plan in mind, Kimimaro stood up straight, sheathed his bone sword, and bowed to the two of them with a friendly, innocent smile. 

"Sorry for disturbing you." 

As he spoke, Kimimaro moved closer to the two of them. 

Seeing that Kimimaro showed no signs of hostility, Zabuza didn't attack, though he tightened his grip on his sword. 

Kimimaro, despite his nerves, extended his right hand and shook Haku's hand. 

"Did I scare you?" 

"N-no." 

Haku was surprised, not expecting such politeness from the boy before him. 

"Ding, congratulations to the traveler for completing the photo op and receiving the reward: Water Body Flicker. This allows you to move at high speed in places with water." 

Kimimaro was thrilled. What a perfect tool for escaping!