Silence.
Zabuza's question hung in the air like an icicle pointed directly at Crane's heart.
His pulse nearly stopped.
His blood froze in his veins.
But the next second, his tensed body went limp with terrifying realism.
Even in his "unconscious" state, he subtly manipulated his facial muscles, allowing a foamy trickle of saliva to ooze from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his cheek and mixing with the dirt.
It was the perfect image of someone utterly terrified, someone whose mind and body had shut down under overwhelming fear.
Zabuza's suspicion faded, replaced by visible contempt.
He let out a cold snort, convinced he was just being paranoid.
A worthless nobody like this couldn't possibly be a threat.
He turned his attention back to the two loud-mouthed kids nearby.
Crisis: temporarily averted.
Crane's nerves loosened, slightly, but he didn't let his guard down.
He remained motionless, feigning unconsciousness, while his ears sharply picked up Naruto and Sasuke's whispered planning.
"Sasuke! I've got a plan!"
"Listen carefully. We'll use that technique!"
Fūma Shuriken: Shadow Windmill.
The name of the tactic surfaced automatically in Crane's mind.
From the slit of his half-closed eyelid, his single tomoe Sharingan tracked every twitch of their chakra, every calculated move.
He saw the full setup instantly.
And also, its fatal flaw.
Too obvious.
To someone like Zabuza, the shuriken's trajectory was as easy to track as a torch in the dark.
He had at least three ways to dodge it with minimal effort.
Naruto had already transformed.
Sasuke pulled out the oversized Fūma shuriken from his ninja pouch, muscle flexing as he hurled it with all his might.
"Fūma Shuriken, Shadow Windmill!"
The massive blade screamed through the air, cutting wind as it flew toward Zabuza.
Zabuza smirked.
He didn't even move his feet. With just a tilt of the torso, he could easily dodge such a juvenile attack.
Now.
Crane's "unconscious" body twitched slightly, as if startled by the vibrations in the ground.
His right foot, curled naturally beneath him, kicked backward in a subtle, almost involuntary motion.
A small, muddy pebble by his heel spun into the air.
There was no sound, no arc visible to the eye.
But it struck precisely the nerve cluster on Zabuza's support leg, just behind the ankle.
Paralytic nerve.
A sharp, tingling shock ran up Zabuza's leg, freezing his motion for just a breath.
0.1 seconds.
That was all it took.
Naruto, disguised as the second shuriken, had already crossed the point of no return.
Zabuza's face changed for the first time.
He was forced to release the Water Prison and retreat rapidly, swinging his giant blade to block.
Clang!
A deafening metallic crash rang out.
The water sphere imprisoning Kakashi shattered into a burst of foam.
Kakashi Hatake, was free.
"We did it!"
Naruto whooped in excitement.
Sasuke cracked a small, confident smile.
In their eyes, this was a miracle born from their flawless teamwork.
No one noticed the "background character" quietly crawling away through the debris, seeking safety behind a tree.
There, Crane trembled like a terrified civilian.
But inside, his mind was exploding like a thunderstorm.
[Silent Killing Technique (Combat Experience Pack) , absorbing…]
Dozens of techniques flooded his mind, how to erase presence, how to strike from shadows, how to sense fatal weak points instinctively.
They branded themselves into the very core of his soul.
[System Notice: Silent Killing Technique absorbed. Host's assassination and stealth capabilities significantly increased.]
[System Notice: Water Style, Hidden Mist Jutsu & Water Clone Jutsu now acquired at basic proficiency.]
Back on the battlefield, the moment Kakashi broke free, the situation flipped entirely.
"Things won't be so easy now," he said coldly.
From beneath his forehead protector, Kakashi's Sharingan flared, glowing red.
High-level combat, had begun.
Hand seals flew like blurs.
Zabuza formed a series of signs, preparing a powerful Water Style jutsu.
But to his shock, Kakashi matched him step for step. No, faster.
He mimicked every seal perfectly, his Sharingan reading and replicating the technique instantly.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Kakashi's voice finished the jutsu half a second before Zabuza could even react.
A massive, violent vortex surged behind him, like a tidal wave crashing down from the heavens.
Boom!!
Zabuza was struck head-on, sent flying and crashing hard into the earth.
His fate, uncertain.
Kakashi walked toward him, ready to deliver the finishing blow,
Until,
Shff! Shff!
Two thin senbon needles whistled through the air.
They pierced the pressure points in Zabuza's neck with surgical precision, instantly paralyzing him.
A silent figure wearing a Hunter-nin mask appeared beside Zabuza's body.
"Thank you. We'll take it from here."
The voice was calm, young, and icy.
He hoisted Zabuza's "corpse" and vanished into the mist with a few quick shunshin steps.
The battle was over.
But Crane's heart tightened sharply.
Haku.
The true hidden boss.
A user of the rare and dangerous Ice Release, whose strength could rival or surpass Zabuza's.
And at that moment, his system screen blinked again.
A new line of text appeared, its icy tone chilling him to the bone:
[WARNING: Rare Kekkei Genkai Detected, Ice Release]
[Copying this ability requires special preconditions. Otherwise, it will cause bloodline rejection and permanent bodily freeze.]
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter