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"Assassinate the Mizukage?!"
Mei exclaimed, barely able to believe her ears.
"Are you sure?"
Her disbelief was understandable. Assassinating a Kage was an utterly terrible choice. Why did no one else dare attempt it?
The consequences were obvious. First, as the Kage of a village, their strength was among the elite. Attempting to assassinate them often meant it was unclear who would end up killing whom.
Second, even if the assassination succeeded, what then? Killing your own village's Kage, regardless of their actions, was something the public would never condone. Bearing such a reputation meant being scorned by the entire ninja world.
To put it bluntly, assassinating your village's Kage led to one of two outcomes: physical death or social death.
Neither was something an ordinary person could endure.
"Someone has to do it, don't they?" Zabuza replied with a light chuckle, seemingly unconcerned.
In the original story, Ao and Chojuro showed admiration for Zabuza, and this was why.
"You need to think this through. You might carry the stigma of assassinating the Mizukage for the rest of your life," Mei cautioned seriously. Even if she became Mizukage in the future, she might not clear Zabuza's name.
If she justified Zabuza's assassination, it could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging others to assassinate future Mizukages. If a Mizukage made a single misstep, someone might think, "This Mizukage must be a tyrant—I'll assassinate them! When the next Mizukage takes over, I'll be a hero!"
If Mei cleared Zabuza's name, it could lead to endless assassination attempts, plaguing her and future Mizukages.
This was similar to Itachi's situation. The Third Hokage never cleared his name, nor did Tsunade, Kakashi, or Naruto. Why? Because slaughtering an entire clan, no matter the reason, was something that could never be encouraged.
Some sins, once taken on, could never be shed.
Zabuza turned and walked toward the door.
"I'm just letting you know. After all, I'm quite eager to claim the Kubikiribōchō."
Zabuza left. To the Mist Village, he was a hero—an unsung hero.
Kagaya walked along snow-covered streets, sensing countless probing gazes directed at him. He paid them no mind.
After a long time, still no one came to confront him. It seemed the Mist Village truly had no intention of dealing with him.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, as Kagaya crossed a bridge, he encountered a Mist Village civilian for the first time.
It was a child, leaning against the bridge's railing, hugging his legs tightly. He wore thin clothing, yet miraculously survived in the heavy snow.
Kagaya stopped and looked at him.
The child noticed Kagaya's pause and looked up, offering a faint smile.
"I haven't seen you before. Are you here to beg too?"
Kagaya replied, "No, I'm not."
With that, he prepared to leave. He didn't want to waste time on a beggar.
But the child frowned, speaking with a tone of pity.
"You have the same feeling as me, don't you?"
Kagaya stopped and turned to the child.
"What do you mean?"
The child lowered his head, speaking sadly.
"My parents are dead. Everyone important to me is gone. This world no longer has a place for me. You're the same, aren't you?"
Kagaya's hand trembled slightly. For the first time, he took the child seriously. It was as if he were asking the child—or himself.
"Then why are you still alive?"
The child was silent for a long time before looking up at Kagaya with a sweet smile.
"I think if I died and met my parents, they'd scold me. They'd ask why I came to them so soon. I don't want to worry them. I'll wait—wait until they've become angels. Then I'll go quietly, letting them believe their child is still living well."
This time, Kagaya didn't speak. The two stood in silence.
Snowflakes fell, dusting their clothes with white.
After a long, long time, Kagaya uttered a cruel sentence.
"You should just die!"
"Mhm!"
The child's smile remained sweet, unchanged despite Kagaya's harsh words.
"Why can a useless person like you keep smiling?"
"Because talking to you makes me happy. In this moment, I feel like I'm needed by you, don't I?"
Kagaya's eyes widened. Needed? Was he needed? It seemed he wasn't.
Every cruel word he'd just said was actually directed at himself.
When he thought about it, he lived only to kill Danzo. But after that? Would he become a useless suicide case?
This world seemed to have no place that needed him.
"What's your name?"
"Haku."
"Want to come with me?"
Haku froze, then asked cautiously, "Do you need me? I might be pretty useless…"
Kagaya fell silent again. Did he need Haku? It didn't seem so. His strength was sufficient; he didn't need him. But why did he want to take Haku with him? No, that wasn't the point. The point was…
"Do you need me?"
Kagaya echoed Haku's words.
Haku was stunned. This person, too, was someone no one needed. He didn't say it aloud but nodded vigorously, giving the sweetest smile he'd had since his parents' death.
"Yes, of course, I need you."
Kagaya extended his hand to Haku.
"Let's go."
Haku reached out and took Kagaya's hand.
"Okay."
As the snow fell heavily, Zabuza approached from the other side of the bridge. Seeing Kagaya's actions, he laughed.
"So, outsiders come to our Mist Village to adopt orphans?"
Kagaya glanced at Zabuza but didn't respond. He pulled Haku along, passing by Zabuza.
"Hey, kid! What's your name?"
Kagaya turned his head slightly.
"Uchiha Kagaya."
"Take good care of that kid. Don't let him die."
"Of course."
"Good."
Zabuza let out a satisfied chuckle before slowly disappearing from Kagaya's view.
Kagaya looked at Haku.
"Did you hear that?"
Haku tilted his head, confused.
"Hear what?"
"My name."
Haku smiled softly and nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, I heard it! Uchiha Kagaya!"
"Call me Kagaya."
"Oh, okay, Kagaya."
"Haku."
"Yes, Kagaya?"
The two figures gradually vanished into the snow.