Several years ago...
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In a small, shabby orphanage, a crowd of children gathered around someone — more precisely, two people. One was being beaten harshly, while the other angrily berated and cursed him as he struck.
"They're Zabuza and Mark again…"
"What did he do this time?"
"He accidentally stepped on his foot…"
"What a poor kid…"
The children whispered anxiously among themselves, but no one came to help the poor boy. They all feared him, dreaded him, and avoided him. No one dared get close, lest they become the next victim of bullying. It had always been this way.
When the boy finished mercilessly beating the other, Zabuza stood up coldly. His appearance was pitiful — torn, dirty clothes and all — yet his eyes were sharp, and he showed no fear of the consequences of his actions.
"Next time, don't you dare step on my foot… you weakling…"
Zabuza turned and walked away like a lost soul. Meanwhile, Mark curled up, clutching his foot with pain and sorrow. None of the children helped him; they left him to cry alone. Zabuza noticed this — that no one helped Mark — and his anger flared. He was angry at the children, at the orphanage, at everything. He was a child full of rage.
"They're all weak, just like him…"
Later that night, by chance, Zabuza got stuck in a hole and couldn't get out. He didn't receive help. His pride stopped him from asking for aid, but no one came to help anyway. The children only said they'd wake the matron to come help, so Zabuza growled at them in anger, "I don't need help from weaklings like you!"
He didn't want to say that. He was scared too. After all, he was just a small boy who feared and raged like the others. But his pride prevented him from being honest with others; he didn't want to form bonds with weak people.
But… there was one strong person… someone he didn't fear. That person reached out when Zabuza was on the verge of tears.
"Are you okay, Zabuza?"
It was his victim, Mark himself, gently extending his hand. Zabuza was surprised — how could a weakling like him possess such courage? Was he really weak?!
Since then, Zabuza changed a little. He stopped bullying others and causing trouble. The reason? Because he had someone who could call him a friend.
That orphanage wasn't so bad after all.
But that was all Zabuza thought. He didn't know reality was harsher than fiction.
His orphanage was burning to ashes.
He was alone again. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched the place where he once felt he belonged vanish in the blink of an eye — and with it, his only friend. Mark died in the fire… leaving Zabuza alone once more.
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"Mr. Zabuza?"
As flashes of his life passed before his eyes, Zabuza surrendered to his wounds, deciding to join his friend Mark. Then he heard a voice of hope ringing in his ear — his last hope, the reason he was still alive and fighting.
When he opened his tear-filled eyes, he saw her.
His childhood friend, his lady, or perhaps once his lover.
She was crying for him, saddened.
"Haku… you fool… what brought you here?"
Zabuza spoke weakly, trying to raise his hand toward her, but even that was incredibly difficult.
"How can you call such a handsome guy like me a fool? That's because you, fool, forgot something so important at the clinic. How could I pretend I didn't notice?"
She handed him a necklace carefully, and Zabuza's eyes widened in shock. Was he so nervous he forgot the necklace? He smiled and chuckled lightly, "That's why I lost… because my lucky charm wasn't there…"
"Shut up… you fool… don't talk anymore… your wounds are too severe…" Haku said worriedly as she checked his pulse on his wrist. He could still be saved if treated properly — if only the Death Doctor chose to help him.
Haku looked pleadingly toward Tsunade, a begging, pained gaze. But Tsunade bit her lip and looked away. "I warned him, Haku! He's the fool for refusing my help. Don't think I have a kind heart to help him now…"
Haku glanced at Zabuza, understanding everything without words. She knew Tsunade's schemes perfectly, but the only mystery to her was Zabuza's place of work, which he had perfectly hidden until now.
"Nohara Rin, five-time karate champion who disappeared mysteriously, the Death Doctor, and some children… honestly, what's going on here, Zabuza? What mess have you gotten yourself into?!"
She had little time to worry about what Zabuza was doing — she had to save him no matter what. But that wouldn't happen unless Tsunade decided to intervene before it was too late.
Izumi looked coldly at Tsunade and said, "I can understand Kakashi's relationship with Zabuza because of what Itachi told me… but what's Zabuza's relationship with Haku? And why were you caring for the enemy in your ward all this time, Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade sighed, folding her arms, making the large mounds above her arms shake delightfully. She closed her eyes and thought a moment, "It's not like I didn't know about Haku and Zabuza, but I couldn't imagine Zabuza would work for the enemy until recently…"
Zabuza closed his eyes coldly. Staying awake was exhausting, but he looked toward Tsunade with pleading eyes: "Haku has nothing to do with this. She's just a little girl who knows nothing about this world. Don't let her bear the responsibility for my deeds. She knows nothing about them… please…"
Zabuza begged, leaving Kakashi and Haku in shock. Zabuza himself — the proud, unshakable one — was begging for someone else?
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Years after the orphanage fire.
Sadly, Mark died, along with many children and even the orphanage owner. Only the owner's daughter and some servants remained. Thanks to the owner's wealth, the daughter lived well in a mansion.
One day, that girl found Zabuza in a filthy alley, near death. Despite fearing him and knowing how angry, fierce, and cruel he had been as a child, she decided to save him.
The reason was simple: because Mark, her best friend, had asked her to help Zabuza.
Zabuza, who had long not known the meaning of "home," thought Haku was exploiting him, intending only to drain him with work and then discard him. He never learned to trust anyone; no one taught him that.
But the shock was immense when Haku herself risked her life to save him when a fierce dog attacked them. At that moment, Zabuza's world changed, and his anger calmed.
Zabuza dedicated his life to protecting his lady, climbing the ranks among the servants until he became head servant within a few years, never leaving her side. He learned fencing for her sake. In high school, one could say Zabuza became invincible.
Unfortunately, this comfortable life didn't last. Not long after his lady started dating the head servant, the same disaster that took Mark from Zabuza returned to steal his lover this time.
Flames engulfed the mansion, wiping out all of Haku's wealth. Nothing remained — only the lady and her servant.
Zabuza was terrified. He believed he was the cause, that his weakness had endangered her. Because if he stayed by her side, he would only hurt her.
In harsh, cold words, he separated from her and left, deciding to live alone.
Leaving her alone — yet he protected her without her knowing, watching every step she took, his beloved. Finally, when Haku started working for the Death Doctor, Zabuza's heart was relieved. But because of his carelessness, Haku learned about him and caught him before he could escape as always.
Though they never reunited, Zabuza decided not to sever ties completely. He visited Haku under the pretense of checkups — up to now.
Zabuza looked steadily at Tsunade, who was shocked. Kakashi and Haku were equally stunned. Even Izumi showed slight surprise, having heard rumors about the White Fang gang's leader — a man without a heart.
The children were deeply confused. Shino looked coldly at Tsunade, "Will you help him… Death Doctor?!"
Sakura remained silent, scanning the atmosphere quietly, while Rock Lee was slightly worried. Everyone felt things were slipping beyond control, and the mission was no longer just about recovering Naruto.
Zabuza started coughing violently, the bleeding wound worsening. Clearly, he was entering a critical stage.
---
Obito and Jinpachi's battle had lasted long. Both were heavily wounded. Although Obito had a slight edge, the fight was not going well. Suddenly, Obito sensed someone's presence. He instinctively lay beside the library, then heard a gunshot piercing the nearby building.
(Enemy reinforcements?) Obito thought calmly, trying to find a way out. Jinpachi, panting and exhausted, smiled coldly, "Moigetsu, bastard, this is the first time I'm glad to see you here… Let's kill Obito. I'm sure the boss will reward us handsomely."
"Yes…" Moigetsu replied coldly as he slowly entered the room, carrying a rifle aimed at Obito. But Obito, hiding, suddenly felt two more presences. This shook Moigetsu and Jinpachi with slight terror.
(Damn, they don't seem to be allies of mine… but neither are they allies of them… who are these two? Anyway, I must escape now… I can use this chaos to slip out…)
Obito jumped out the window quickly, unaware that the two new guests were chasing him. He felt relieved, thinking how to land without pain — until he noticed the Red Devil with Kojiro and Ringo nearby.
Obito heard voices above: "What are you two doing here? Didn't we have an agreement?? Why is he suddenly… hey… Zabuza won't—" Then gunfire filled the place.
Obito didn't bother to look back as he fell, rolling to soften the impact, then headed toward the Red Devil and his group.
"Officer, what happened? Did you defeat those people?" Kojiro asked, surprised to see Obito fall and roll down from a height.
The Red Devil looked coldly at the wounded Obito, waiting for a reply. Obito shook his head, "Some strangers broke in, so I escaped before they noticed me… Anyway, let's run before they decide to chase us…"
The Red Devil glanced sideways coldly. "Tch…" He placed his hand on Kojiro's shoulder to help him walk faster. Fortunately, Kojiro and Ringo were not badly hurt, so they could move quickly.
---
Meanwhile, Rin and her group were on their way to the hospital. Being the farthest group, it took them a long time. They were still en route.
(I hope Kakashi and Obito are okay… those two have always needed my protection…) Rin worried a little about her childhood friends who never left her side until now.
Lily noticed Rin's anxiety and furrowed her brow. Could it be that it was really this bad for Rin to worry about them? She sighed quietly and pushed away her thoughts, focusing on arriving on time and supporting the mission.
Carol and Kon, walking alongside Lily, shared similar thoughts. Carol whispered weakly, "I hope they find the young master…"
What Rin and her group didn't notice were two people walking coldly on the other side of the street. Because of Rin's anxiety, she failed to notice the oddity beside her.
The two kept walking, heading toward where Ai, Lily, and their group were going.
---
"There's no time to waste!"
Tsunade stood up, her hands covered in blood, hair tied in a ponytail. The others watched carefully what had just happened and realized why the woman Tsunade was called the Death Doctor.
"What are you doing? Hurry up!"
Tsunade spoke commanding as she turned to leave, leaving unconscious Zabuza beside her, with Haku holding and stroking his head. Tsunade turned to look at Haku, "Aren't you coming?"
"I'll stay by his side… even if they kill him, I can't live in a world without him anymore…" Haku whispered, tears flowing, a small smile on her face.
"Tsk…" Tsunade said, biting her lip. It was unclear what she felt — anger, sadness, or grief.
"Bring Naruto and his black-haired friend. Both still need care…"
Tsunade ordered, beginning to walk, followed by the youngsters. Shino carried Naruto on his back, Rock Lee picked up Sasuke who had been lying on the ground earlier, and Kakashi followed.
"Why are you in such a hurry, Sensei? Is something wrong?" Izumi asked, watching Tsunade hurry somewhere.
Tsunade answered vaguely, "I changed my plans. Something's off. Kakashi and his group weren't supposed to appear. Zabuza was supposed to come alone to discover my secret with Haku… but suddenly, the whole White Fang gang is here…"
Ino had explained Zabuza and the whole situation to Tsunade during her surgery, so Tsunade had some ideas about what was happening. "If I'm not mistaken, the information I worked hard to hide leaked… How did that happen? Who could've done this?"
None of the children understood anything yet. They felt part of a big scheme. Shino already guessed the reason was Naruto's unusual background.
"Let's put all this aside for now and focus on saving your friends…" Tsunade sighed coldly. She had prepared the play, the tools, and even used the young Uzumaki to lure that person out, but he only sent Zabuza and didn't move himself.
(It seems I failed… Tsunade… I have to change my approach…) she whispered quietly, biting her nails with her thumb in her mouth.
---
Suikan and Ringo, who had been in the alley where their previous battle with Sasuke and Ino took place, stood quietly with severe wounds.
"Damn… Zabuza won't be happy about this… Will they get rid of me in the end? This isn't fair…" Ringo cursed coldly, leaning on Suikan, whose hair was scattered on the ground.
"Damn Kakashi… he's much stronger than before. Is he really Zabuza's equal?"
"Don't talk nonsense! Don't you know who Zabuza is? He can't lose…"
They walked quietly until they heard slow footsteps approaching, like two machines moving toward them.
Suikan furrowed his brows, wanting to push Ringo away to save her life, but he couldn't do anything when he saw a huge blade thrust into his shoulder.
"Suikan!!!"
Ringo screamed in shock as the red sickle pierced Suikan's shoulder and came out the other side, blood slowly pouring.
"What does this mean??" Suikan said, coughing blood slowly as two men emerged from the shadows — one with thick black hair and sharp eyes, the other bald with a big arrogant grin and his tongue hanging crazily.
"Kakuzu," coldly said Kakuzu, drawing his pistol and firing two shots into Suikan and Ringo's legs, making them fall.
"In the Lord's name, you must die here, guys… This is the punishment for sinners like you…"
Hidan pulled his sickle from Suikan's shoulder, laughing quietly, then raised it high and with one swing, cut off Suikan's head.
Ringo, who witnessed this, was filled with terror, while a liquid slowly dripped between her legs. Hidan and Kakuzu, who had killed many, showed no hesitation or fear.
"You thought you reached the underworld's ceiling… but unfortunately, you haven't even entered the door leading there… Mourn your stupidity in the other world…"
Kakuzu whispered, then fired a shot into Ringo's head, and she fell dead.
"Who's next?"
"Zabuza…"
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#To_Be_Continued.