Chapter 119: A Changed Plot
"Alright, here you go."
Very quickly, Haku tossed the scroll back to Natsuro, waiting for him to verify it.
Natsuro looked at the handwriting on the scroll. Due to Haku's hurried writing, the characters appeared sloppy, but Haku hadn't had any chance to do anything tricky under Natsuro's perception.
As for the authenticity of the content, given Natsuro's level, he could easily tell if it was fake.
After browsing through the content, Natsuro felt a slight moment of realization. Indeed, if he had researched it himself, he could have figured out how to perform one-handed hand seals, but he was glad he hadn't chosen to pursue that path.
Because Natsuro sensed that if he had tried to study it himself, it would have taken quite some time. So, as always, if he could obtain something directly from the original work, he preferred not to waste time figuring it out on his own. After all, spending time on research could lead to inferior results compared to the original techniques, given the difference in time and skill…
"Please confirm quickly." Haku's slightly anxious voice rang out. He was doing his best to suppress the urge to attack again. If he attacked without killing Natsuro, the latter surely wouldn't give him another chance.
"Wait a moment." Natsuro thought for a moment, then somewhat awkwardly formed three hand seals with one hand. The next moment, a clone appeared beside Natsuro.
Seeing this, Haku's eyes widened in disbelief. Even with a simple Clone Technique, how could it succeed so quickly?
This indicated the talent of his opponent...
"Not bad," Natsuro nodded with satisfaction. Now, when wielding a sword, he could free up a hand for hand seals, gaining a potential edge in combat.
"You can go now." Natsuro had no intention of deceiving Haku and let him pass.
Finally, Haku breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the nearly exhausted Zabuza and rushed over quickly.
Watching him, Natsuro stroked his chin. Why did he suddenly feel like he was the villain in this scenario? This must be an illusion.
As Natsuro observed the situation, sure enough, Haku had successfully rescued Zabuza the moment he reached him. However, Zabuza immediately lashed out in anger.
"Haku! Were you planning to act only after I was dead? And why didn't you follow the original plan!?" Zabuza growled coldly.
"I deeply apologize, Lord Zabuza. An unexpected situation arose," Haku quickly explained, recounting the situation with Natsuro.
"There's another Konoha ninja stronger than you, acting as a secret protector?" Zabuza widened his eyes, glancing at the other group. Did Tazuna really have the resources to hire such strong ninjas?
So, someone special must be part of this team, right? That Uchiha brat and the blond kid… neither of them seem ordinary...
Zabuza was tempted to curse. Was this the Konoha's royal guard out for a sightseeing trip?
"Enough with the scolding. Your subordinate was indeed trying his best to save you." At this point, Natsuro decided not to hide any longer and appeared in the field.
"Natsuro!" Both Naruto and Sasuke called out in excitement upon seeing him.
"Hmph! Two jonin escorting a simple mission—Konoha Village sure knows how to flaunt its power," Zabuza sneered, quickly forming hand seals.
As everyone braced themselves again, mist began to rise but didn't envelop Natsuro's side.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough." Natsuro casually formed a few seals, blowing away the mist. However, Zabuza and Haku had already disappeared, evidently using the Hidden Mist Jutsu to escape.
Both Natsuro and Kakashi could sense this, but Kakashi didn't pursue. After all, their mission wasn't to kill the rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist.
Besides, that ice-wielding ninja was likely from the Yuki clan, and Third Hokage had specifically instructed that Natsuro shouldn't get involved. So, Kakashi let them go.
At this point, Natsuro turned around, glanced at Sasuke and Naruto, and nodded in approval.
"Mm, both of you did well. The Demon of the Mist, Zabuza, is quite a formidable jonin."
"Hehe," Naruto scratched his head, grinning, with only minor injuries.
"Hmph, most of it was thanks to Kakashi. We were just supporting," Sasuke said, not letting pride get to him.
"For your first time, this is already excellent. You'll improve in the future." Natsuro said as he moved to pat them on the shoulder.
However, Sasuke immediately took a few steps back. While he didn't dislike Natsuro, being touched in front of so many people… better not.
Natsuro wasn't embarrassed and simply withdrew his hand.
"Natsuro, so you did step in," Kakashi remarked. He had sensed some fluctuations on the other side during the battle, though they were minor, and had been on guard.
"It's not a big deal. I'm not as dangerous as Lord Third suggests. As long as I don't kill anyone, it won't have much impact," Natsuro replied.
"It's best not to take action. I wouldn't want Lord Third to question me later." Kakashi rolled his eyes. He sensed that Natsuro's emotions were quite stable.
After all, he had gone through something similar himself. Naturally, he was more familiar with such situations, having taken a long time to adjust back then, with the help of Guy.
Thinking back to Guy's disruptive yet helpful antics during that period, Kakashi couldn't help but smile.
At that time, it was Guy who discovered his condition, requested the Third Hokage's permission, and helped him leave the Anbu. Without that, Kakashi might have continued to spiral down.
"Has something happened to Natsuro?" Naruto asked, finally catching on. His concern was evident, and Sasuke also glanced back at Natsuro with a hint of worry.
"Not really, just some psychological issues from killing too much during past missions. He just needs some rest and to avoid further combat."
"Oh," Naruto scratched his head again, not fully understanding, and added, "Then recover quickly, Natsuro."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He finally understood where Natsuro's killing intent came from. So, that's the reason.
Sakura, having noticed that the situation had settled down, approached with Tazuna. Upon hearing about Natsuro's issue, she couldn't help but look at him. Was he joking just now?
He seemed so approachable… There was no sign of being haunted by killing intent, nor could she sense any murderous aura.
Not like that eyebrow-less guy earlier, who nearly scared her to death.
Sakura sighed as she looked at Sasuke and Naruto, feeling like she wasn't contributing much at all. This made her feel a bit discouraged.
"Sasuke..." At this moment, Sasuke wanted to ask Kakashi about the Sharingan.
"Let's talk about it after we reach our destination," Kakashi interrupted, pulling down his forehead protector to cover his three-tomoe Sharingan again.
"Okay." Although Sasuke was filled with confusion, he nodded.
"Alright, Team 7, the mission continues." Kakashi's face was a bit pale, but fortunately, he wasn't on the verge of collapsing. It seemed that maintaining the three-tomoe Sharingan still took a toll on him.
"Yes! The mission continues!!" Naruto, full of energy, shouted. Even the injuries he had sustained earlier had already healed in the meantime.
As for Natsuro, he looked in the direction where Zabuza and Haku had escaped. If the two had any sense, they probably wouldn't come back to bother them again, right?
If they did return, Natsuro had already learned the one-handed hand seal technique, and when they came, he would simply kill them.
…
"Lord Zabuza, what should we do now?" Haku asked as he supported Zabuza.
"What else can we do? For now, don't go back and we find a place where I can recover from my injuries," Zabuza replied in a steady voice.
"Oh, Lord Zabuza, once you've recovered, will we continue?" Haku hesitantly asked. He was somewhat reluctant to continue the mission, as he found that guy far too dangerous.
"Continue? Haha..." Zabuza let out a few cold chuckles before saying, "If your perception wasn't wrong, then the person you encountered is probably the most notorious ninja from the Leaf Village. Only that guy could have such a strong aura of death."
"Lord Zabuza, do you mean... the Little White Fang of the Leaf?" Haku suddenly remembered, speaking in a slightly shocked tone.
"Hmph, who else in the Konoha would have that level of killing intent? The only reason bounty hunters have been active recently is because his fame has died down. Who would've thought we'd run into him here? It seems he's taken a new position, likely due to the weight of all the killing he's done," Zabuza guessed, quite accurately. After all, he was very familiar with that state of mind.
"So, should we abandon the mission?" Haku asked, starting to feel there might be hope after all.
"Yes, let's give it up." Zabuza closed his eyes. If it were only Kakashi, he could still try to stall him while Haku killed the three kids and came back to assist. In that scenario, they might be able to kill Kakashi. Even if they couldn't, they should be able to repel him and collect the bounty for the mission.
As for retaliation from Konoha? As a rogue ninja, being scared of bounties was somewhat pointless, they already had plenty on their heads.
But now, with the Little White Fang of the Leaf also involved, that plan was no longer feasible. After their brief encounter, Zabuza had realized he wasn't Kakashi's equal, and Haku likely wouldn't be a match for the Little White Fang either.
Not to mention, those two kids were no ordinary genin. They couldn't be underestimated.
Given all these factors, if Zabuza still insisted on continuing the mission, he'd have to be out of his mind.
"Alright, Lord Zabuza, you rest here. I'll go gather some herbs for you," Haku finally breathed a sigh of relief. He removed his mask, revealing a face that was hard to distinguish as male or female, and smiled softly.
"Mm." Zabuza glanced at Haku, then leaned against a tree and closed his eyes to rest. In truth, he could sense Haku's thoughts—he wasn't really suited to be a ninja.
Meanwhile, Kakashi and his team continued on without encountering any further surprises, smoothly reaching their destination.
"So, this is the Land of Waves..." Natsuro murmured. Then he thought about Gato. There was a fat lamb on that side, after all. Hopefully, Gato wouldn't stop causing trouble, as that would give him a reason to act.
After all, one must have a justifiable cause to make a move.
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