"Help! Please!" The once-boastful Kado, now pale with terror, screamed as the sight of the ruthless Zabuza drew nearer. His henchmen, terrified by the bloody carnage, had already fled. Most of them jumped off the bridge in a desperate attempt to escape Zabuza's wrath.
Within moments, Kado found himself alone. The sound of Zabuza's footsteps sent tremors down his spine as the rogue ninja slowly closed in. His legs trembling, Kado pleaded, "I'll pay you double! Triple!"
But Zabuza was unmoved. As he reached Kado, the corrupt businessman wet himself, terrified beyond words.
Shlick.
With a swift, unceremonious motion, Zabuza swung his massive blade, severing Kado's head clean from his body. The head spun through the air, landing not far from where Kakashi stood. Upon seeing the grotesque sight of Kado's severed head, Sakura let out a faint groan and promptly fainted. For someone who grew up in an ordinary household, the brutal scene was overwhelming. Naruto's and Sasuke's fight with Haku, while intense, hadn't come close to this level of sheer bloodshed.
"White, help Zabuza. We're leaving." Daniel appeared beside Zabuza, nonchalantly taking the Executioner's Blade from his hands. Zabuza's gaze, filled with anger and frustration, bore into Daniel as the powerful man casually took the massive weapon.
Zabuza, too worn out from his battle with Kakashi, did not resist as Haku began tending to his wounds. The fight had drained him, and while Kado's mercenaries were not a real threat, the toll from battling Kakashi had left him weaker than he appeared. If the mercenaries had mustered a stronger resistance, things could have ended differently. Haku's strategic use of his senbon needles had played a significant role in clearing the way for Zabuza.
Even a powerful rogue ninja like Zabuza wasn't invincible against overwhelming numbers. After all, even the legendary Third Raikage had been taken down by the combined might of thousands of Iwa ninja.
"Uchiha Sasuke. Uzumaki Naruto. We'll meet again," Daniel murmured, casting a glance at the unconscious Sasuke and the shaken Naruto before focusing on his current task. He had more important matters to attend to for now.
As Zabuza and Haku prepared to leave the island, Daniel suddenly stopped them. "Wait. Did I say you could go?"
Zabuza immediately tensed, reaching for a kunai, while Haku, despite his injuries, readied several ice senbon in his hand. Haku was undoubtedly grateful to Daniel for saving them earlier, but if it came down to it, his loyalty to Zabuza was unshakable.
Daniel remained calm. "Do you want to know the truth behind the 'Bloody Mist' village?"
The phrase caught Zabuza off guard. His expression shifted slightly, betraying his interest. For years, he had believed that the horrific policies of the Mist, where students were forced to kill each other to graduate, were a result of the village's high command. But Daniel's words suggested a deeper, darker truth.
"What are you talking about?" Zabuza demanded, though he had already lowered his kunai.
"Do you honestly believe that the Fourth Mizukage would implement such policies by choice? You know how things were before he took over. Something must have changed him. Have you never suspected anything?" Daniel pressed.
Zabuza's hand tightened on his kunai. "What are you trying to say?"
"Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, was being controlled. His drastic shift in policies was because he wasn't acting of his own volition," Daniel explained, watching Zabuza's reaction closely.
"That's impossible!" Zabuza snapped back. The very notion that the Mizukage had been manipulated was absurd. For years, Zabuza had believed that the Bloody Mist was a reflection of Yagura's tyranny. He had devoted himself to assassinating the Mizukage in order to change the village.
"Think about it. Yagura was once known for his progressive leadership. Suddenly, he changes course and turns the village into a bloodbath? And you never questioned it? His sudden shift wasn't a choice—he was under someone else's control."
"Who?" Zabuza demanded, now intrigued but still skeptical.
"Who do you think? Uchiha Madara," Daniel said, dropping the name like a bomb.
At the mention of Madara's name, Zabuza fell silent. In the Hidden Mist, rumors of Uchiha Madara still lingered. While the name had faded in villages like Konoha, the memory of Madara's power and influence had not been forgotten in the other great nations.
"That's impossible," Zabuza muttered, more to himself than Daniel. "Madara is dead."
"Did you see his body with your own eyes?"
Zabuza stayed silent, weighing Daniel's words. The idea that the Mist's recent suffering was due to manipulation by an outsider was both disturbing and plausible.
"So, you're saying this is Konoha's fault?" Zabuza asked coldly, his hatred for the village never far from the surface.
"Use your head. Madara betrayed Konoha. He's no ally of theirs," Daniel replied, shaking his head.
"What's your angle in all this? Why are you telling me?" Zabuza asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Simple. I need a few reliable people to work with me," Daniel answered candidly. While his goals in the Naruto world were vast, the rogue ninja didn't need to know the full extent of his plans yet.
Zabuza paused for a long moment before responding, "You want us as your subordinates?"
"You could say that," Daniel replied with a shrug. "For now, I need hands to help me with a few things."
Zabuza was silent again, mulling over Daniel's offer. His life as a rogue ninja had been filled with assassination contracts and endless struggles for survival. Having a powerful backer could mean the difference between life and death.
But before Zabuza could respond, Daniel continued, "Also, I should inform you that the Hidden Mist is under new management. Yagura's no longer Mizukage. If I'm correct, Mei Terumi has taken over as the Fifth Mizukage. She's already uncovered Yagura's manipulation and is working to reverse the damage."
Zabuza's eyes widened slightly at this new information. His long-standing goal of killing Yagura was now moot, but the thought that the Mist was changing without him left him uncertain.
"You can verify this yourself if you return to the village," Daniel added.
Zabuza considered his options before finally responding, "I'll go back. But what about Haku?"
"Leave him here," Daniel said. "I won't keep him forever. A few months at most, and I'll send him back to you. Consider it my price for letting you go."
Zabuza hesitated for a moment, glancing at Haku. He had never been one for emotional displays, but the idea of leaving Haku behind was clearly difficult for him. Still, the promise of learning more about the Mist and seeing the truth for himself outweighed his reservations.
"Haku, stay here. I'll come back for you," Zabuza said gruffly, already preparing to leave.
"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku replied obediently, though it was clear he didn't want to be separated from his master.
Daniel watched as Zabuza picked up his sword and walked off, his mind likely filled with questions about the Mist and his future there.
Turning to Haku, Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your injuries aren't light. Let me help."
Haku, though surprised, didn't resist as Daniel began to heal his wounds using his Double Full Hand technique. Haku's injuries were severe—Naruto's partial transformation into the Nine-Tails had dealt him a heavy blow.
"I couldn't let Zabuza-sama worry about me," Haku murmured as Daniel worked to heal him.
"Well, that's your choice," Daniel replied indifferently. "By the way, do you have a place to rest?"
"Yes, there's a small house nearby," Haku said, pointing the way.
"Good. When you're healed, go back to Kado's base and bring me whatever wealth he left behind. Don't let it go to waste," Daniel ordered as they made their way to the small house.
"Understood," Haku replied without hesitation. For him, orders were to be followed without question.
As they settled into the house, Daniel considered his next move. "What should I do now? I could visit Konoha, but it's too soon for that. Not while the Third Hokage and Danzo are still around."
Eventually, he would make his way to the Leaf Village. But now wasn't the time. While Konoha was the most stable and prosperous of the Five Great Nations, Daniel knew he'd be under heavy surveillance if he visited now. The villages were notoriously wary of outsiders, and Konoha was no exception. If he went now, it could lead to unnecessary conflict.
Instead, he thought about his next target: Orochimaru's Hidden Sound Village.
"Orochimaru holds the real secrets of this world's core technology," Daniel mused. "He has the First Hokage's cells, which means access to Wood Release."
With the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi, Daniel could easily transplant
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