Chapter 45

"If I had taken that punch, I would have died!"

Haku stared at the fist stopped inches from his face, feeling the wind from it sting his cheeks. He gulped and then turned his gaze towards the lying Zabuza.

Zabuza, too, was looking at Leo with a complex expression. "What do you want to talk about?"

He hadn't expected Haku, with his level of skill, to lose to this monk of unknown origins, especially since the monk seemed so composed throughout. If the monk hadn't held back, Haku would be dead, and he himself would have no chance of escaping.

What he didn't know was that Leo was also running low on chakra. His calm demeanor was thanks to his information advantage and a pre-planned strategy. Without knowledge of Haku's abilities, the fight's outcome would have been uncertain.

"Actually, I want to invite you both to join my organization," Leo said, sitting cross-legged opposite Zabuza with a smile.

Zabuza frowned. "What organization?"

"The Avengers," Leo coughed and explained. "It's simple. You can see it as a mutual aid group for those seeking revenge. No mandatory obligations, just sharing information and helping each other."

The world of Naruto wasn't safe. Many tasks would be difficult for Leo to handle alone; he needed capable allies. This was why he had specifically timed his trip to the Land of Waves. If he were just interested in doing business there, he could have waited until after Gato was dead.

"Sharing information and helping each other? I don't believe in such good things," Zabuza sneered, not hiding his disbelief.

In the ninja world, even ninjas from the same village often schemed against each other. Expecting ninjas from different villages to share information and help each other was naive.

Leo anticipated Zabuza's skepticism and was prepared. Forcing Zabuza to agree through threats wouldn't work long-term. He needed genuine commitment.

"How about this: if you join, I can provide you with important information and return your Decapitating Carving Knife (Kubikiribocho)"

Zabuza agreed almost immediately. He didn't intend to truly join but saw no harm in reclaiming his weapon and gaining some information.

Leo smiled, retrieving the sealed scroll and handing the Decapitating Carving Knife to Haku. "This information is about your Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. He wasn't acting of his own free will when he reinstated the Bloody Mist policies. He was under genjutsu."

"What!" Zabuza's eyes widened, his veins bulging with anger.

"Is this information accurate?" he demanded.

"The genjutsu has already been lifted. It was discovered by a Mist ninja named Ao using his Byakugan. The real power now lies with the Council of Elders. This information is kept secret to maintain the Mist's reputation. If you can sneak back into the village, you'll see they no longer enforce the Bloody Mist policies," Leo explained.

Leo had three main advantages in this world: his initial status as a prince of the Land of Fire, his extensive knowledge of most ninjas and secret information, and his awareness of the storyline's direction. He was leveraging these to attract Zabuza as an ally.

"No wonder things changed so drastically," Zabuza said, clenching his fists so tightly that the wounds inflicted by Kakashi's kunai reopened, bleeding afresh.

Thinking back, he realized the truth in Leo's information. Yagura's sudden shift to brutal policies and the failures and deaths of those who investigated it made sense now.

"Zabuza-sama, please take care of your wounds!" Haku hurriedly began to bandage Zabuza, but Leo stopped him.

"I know some medical ninjutsu. Let me help," Leo offered.

"Thank you so much!" Haku's respect for Leo grew as he watched the healing process.

"Do you know who cast the genjutsu on Yagura?" Zabuza asked, eyes burning with hatred.

"My people are still investigating. Rest assured, as a member of our Avengers, I will inform you as soon as we have more information," Leo replied with a smile, extending his hand. "I'm Yuan Chuan, currently training at the Fire Temple."

Zabuza hesitated but then shook his hand. "Momochi Zabuza. Your surname is Yuan?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm also a prince of the Land of Fire," Leo added nonchalantly.

Zabuza and Haku's eyes widened in shock. No wonder he had such secret information; he was a royal.