Zabuza looked at Kimimaro, who was poised to attack then at Haku, who gazed at him with admiration, and finally at Akio, who acted as if this was all terribly serious. His head began to ache.
"Damn 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen' title… 'Demon of the Hidden Mist'? Where did that even come from?"
He was confident that if the Seven Swordsmen still existed in full force, he could qualify for one of the blades. But Kirigakure only had two of the seven swords left, none of which belonged to him.
Irritated, he pointed his long blade toward Akio.
All of his attention was focused on Akio. He hadn't caught even a trace of Akio's earlier flicker movement.
As for Kimimaro, though he was from the Kaguya clan, he was too young to take seriously.
Being pointed at with a sword instantly annoyed Akio.
"What are you pointing at?"
"Show respect to God!" Kimimaro grabbed a bone spike and charged.
"God? What are you, stupid?"
Zabuza swung his blade downward.
Kimimaro was nowhere near Zabuza's level in accuracy or strength.
Bone blade clashed against steel, and Kimimaro was knocked flying, only to be caught midair by Akio, who set him back down.
Losing face in front of "God" made Kimimaro flush with shame. As he stood up, bone spikes sprouted across his body.
"A member of the Kaguya clan actually awakened?" Zabuza's expression shifted in surprise.
He glanced at Akio again. "Hand this kid over to me."
"Pay me."
A moment of pure awkward silence followed.
Akio scratched his head. He had no idea why that came out of his mouth…
Seeing Kimimaro stare at him in disbelief stirred a tiny pang of guilt.
"Even if you did pay, I wouldn't hand him over!"
Ahem...patched.
"That's right. I'm a god. A god never abandons his follower!"
"God!" Kimimaro's eyes shone with emotion.
Zabuza: "…"
"If that's how it is… I'll just kill you, you fake god."
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
"Zabuza-san!" Haku shouted anxiously as thick fog swallowed their vision.
"Throat…"
"Wait!"
Seeing Zabuza prepare to recite his silent-killing monologue, Akio quickly cut him off.
"Begging for mercy already?"
"Who's begging? Let me weave a sign."
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
Zabuza: "…"
The mist grew denser. Zabuza had originally relied on his own chakra-infused fog to sense movement, but now Akio's chakra was mixed in, making him unable to detect anything.
Akio nodded in satisfaction at the deep, opaque haze.
"Zabuza-san!" Haku called out urgently.
"No one can see anyone. Now it's fair."
Akio said this while pulling Kimimaro closer.
Zabuza had never seen someone disrupt his Silent Killing Technique like this.
"God… what do we do now?" Kimimaro asked.
Akio scratched his head.
He honestly had no idea either.
He'd already successfully abducted Kimimaro. Now that he'd run into Haku as well, he was tempted to take him too.
But Zabuza was a problem.
Their "tool-relationship" dynamic was tricky, hard to separate.
"Should I take Zabuza back too?"
Akio wasn't thrilled at the idea. Kidnapping two kids was fine but bringing home a twenty-something delinquent? No thanks.
As he pondered, a gust of wind sliced from behind, Zabuza had finally located him in the fog.
Kimimaro reacted immediately, intercepting the blow with bone blades.
"God! Look out!"
Kimimaro was forced back by the impact, sliding across the ground, though he didn't crash into Akio.
Because Akio had already vanished, reappearing beside Haku.
"Silent Killing Technique is useless now. Kimimaro can probably last two minutes in this mist."
Weapon clashes rang in the distance, but Akio's attention was fixed on Haku.
After a moment of thought, he smiled gently.
"Girl… do you believe in God? I am a god…"
Haku held several ice senbon, fully alert. He was just about to speak when Akio cut him off.
"Stop. I know you're a boy, you don't need to explain."
Akio sighed. He wasn't Naruto; he could tell the difference.
But looking at that exceptionally pretty face… he really didn't want to admit it.
"I don't believe in gods."
Akio scratched his head.
How did Orochimaru kidnap kids again? He badly needed a 'Child Kidnapping Handbook.'
"Come with me. I can give your life meaning."
Akio winced, this sounded even worse out loud.
Haku didn't know how to respond.
Fortunately, Kimimaro came flying over again, only to be caught once more by Akio, breaking the awkward moment.
Zabuza walked toward them. He looked from Akio to Haku and hesitated slightly.
"You… what are you?"
"Zabuza-san!" Haku ran back to his side. Akio didn't stop him.
He could tell Zabuza visibly relaxed when Haku reached him.
"What a hassle…" Akio sighed.
So Haku had clearly been with Zabuza for some time.
Zabuza didn't treat him purely as a tool, making them harder to separate.
"Zabuza, do you believe in God?"
Zabuza: "…"
The mist dissipated, Akio had released his Hidden Mist Technique.
"You don't believe, huh? What a pity."
"Oh well. Let's go, Kimimaro." Akio pulled the slightly injured boy along and turned to leave.
Zabuza didn't pursue. He wasn't confident he could win, and Akio hadn't taken advantage of the previous moment to hurt Haku.
As the two walked farther away, a voice suddenly echoed in Zabuza's ear:
"I am Uzumaki Elder Uzumaki Akio. If you ever have nowhere to go, come to Uzushio. I don't think much of you, but the kid beside you has potential. If you both join Uzushio, I can give you the Executioner's Blade."
Zabuza froze for a long time, then his brow tightened
No, actually, the spot where his brows should've been tightened. He had no eyebrows.
"Zabuza…-san?" Haku asked softly.
"Tch… just as unreliable as the rumors said. He looked down on me, huh…"
…
"God, I'm sorry. I couldn't defeat him." Kimimaro said, ashamed.
Akio shook his head.
"You're only a child. One day you'll surpass him and that day won't take long."
A Kaguya who awakened Shikotsumyaku had a short lifespan, but once grown, they were guaranteed high-jōnin level, one of the strongest among top-tier shinobi.
And Kimimaro's potential was even greater.
"Bloodline sickness… I wonder if my medical ninjutsu and pharmaceuticals can cure it." Akio narrowed his eyes, then suddenly froze.
A familiar figure appeared ahead.
Before Akio could speak, Kimimaro shot forward, only to be kicked back instantly, knocked out.
"Wait, you two, I'm not a Kirigakure ninja," said a familiar raspy voice.
Akio smiled, thinking:
"Finally. I've been waiting… Orochimaru."
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