"Hehehe… hahahahahaha…" Zabuza, still pinned by Kakashi's eight summoned ninken, suddenly burst into laughter.
At first it was just a low chuckle, but soon it grew into wild, echoing laughter—almost like an Uchiha losing himself in madness.
What a performance this had turned into.
At last, he understood why Itsuki had urged him to change the plan and give up killing Tazuna.
This old man wasn't worth killing anymore.
"What are you laughing at?" Kakashi frowned, his single visible eye narrowing.
Zabuza shook his head, letting out a low chuckle.
"Kakashi, I admit it—you've won this battle. But in the end, I'm still the one who completed my mission. A ninja's ultimate purpose is to carry out the mission, isn't that right?"
Kakashi exhaled softly, forming the seal to dispel the ninken clinging to Zabuza's body.
With a weary look, he admitted, "Yeah… you're right. Our mission has failed."
"What?!" Naruto's eyes widened.
"How is that possible?! We already beat them! If we wipe them out completely, Uncle Tazuna can build the bridge without any problems, right?"
He turned toward the gathered villagers and shouted angrily, "And you guys! Why are you siding with Gato? If the bridge is built, you could trade directly with the Land of Fire! Why keep selling your fish to that bastard Gato? I don't get it!"
Naruto's voice cracked with raw frustration. To him, the whole situation felt upside down.
We won the battle, so why call it a failure?
The bridge can still be finished, so why stop now?
Gato is the enemy—why the hell are the villagers defending him?
"Kid, you're still too green. This is why being a shinobi isn't child's play for little brats who think it's like playing house," Zabuza sneered, but his tone carried a trace of amusement.
"Your mission was to protect the old man and ensure the bridge's completion. Defeating us was only secondary. If you can't understand the difference between what's primary and what's secondary, then go back to the Academy and start over."
"So… so what you're saying is, if we defeat you, Uncle Tazuna can finish the bridge, right?!" Naruto still couldn't separate the logic.
Zabuza gave Kakashi a strange look, then smirked.
"How the hell did this kid graduate from the Academy? If all Konoha's genin are like him, maybe your village really has gone soft."
Kakashi's lips twitched. "This… this is just a special case."
He shot a weary glance at Naruto, then explained.
"The villagers of Wave Country don't want Tazuna to finish the bridge. That means Zabuza and Haku don't even need to act anymore. Their mission was to stop Tazuna—and the villagers themselves are doing that job for them."
"Even if we defeat Zabuza now, we can't change the villagers' minds. That's why our battle has no meaning."
"And since Tazuna can't complete his bridge, our mission can't be fulfilled. That makes it a failure."
"But… but…" Naruto's fists trembled as his thoughts tangled into knots.
Deep down he felt something was wrong, but he couldn't find the words.
Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, sighing.
He didn't know what else to say—because he himself was just as bitter.
He'd experienced losing battles and failed missions before.
But losing to circumstances—losing to outsiders—this was a first.
"Zabuza-sama!" Haku, though still reeling from his defeat by Naruto, couldn't ignore his master's injuries.
Even if he felt unworthy now, he still stepped forward, ready to shield Zabuza.
On the other side, Tazuna's face twisted with rage as he argued with his longtime friend, Kichi.
"Triple the price? So what if it's triple?!" Tazuna shouted.
"Even if he pays three times more, it's still nothing compared to what we'd earn trading freely with the Fire Country! Do you want to stay trapped in Wave forever, living like dogs under Gato's boot with no dignity?"
Naruto's eyes widened with recognition.
Yes—that was exactly what he had felt in his gut but couldn't put into words.
"You'd better shut up!" Kakashi smacked Naruto lightly on the head. "It's chaotic enough already."
But Kichi's next words cut through everything.
"I understand what you're saying, Tazuna. We all do!" Tears welled in his eyes, but his voice was steady. "But we want to survive!"
"Back then, when we had no way to live, the bridge was our last hope. But even if we finish it, have you thought about what happens next?"
"Gato could send men to blow the bridge apart. He could send thugs to seize our goods on the trade routes. What then?"
"Now he's offering to buy our fish for three times the price. That's enough for everyone to live in peace. If we keep resisting, more people will die. We don't want to die. We just want to live—do you understand?"
Tazuna faltered, stunned into silence.
He realized Kichi was right. With Kakashi and the others here, they could push forward.
But after the bridge was built, Konoha's shinobi would leave. And when Gato struck back, Wave would have no one left to fight.
Kakashi knew it too. He'd seen enough missions to understand this reality.
That's why he'd already announced failure.
"Kakashi, time for us to leave," Zabuza leaned on Haku's shoulder, his voice carrying a strange calmness.
"I enjoyed crossing blades with you. I hope we'll get another chance. But next time—I won't lose."
"I hope next time we won't be enemies. Maybe we can sit down and share a drink instead," Kakashi replied.
Zabuza chuckled. "You'll be disappointed then. I'm not the type who sits quietly."
Without waiting for an answer, he let Haku carry him away.
Naruto's head spun, and his voice cracked in disbelief.
"Wait, Kakashi-sensei! Aren't they our enemies? Why the hell are you acting like friends with him? If that's the case, then what were we even fighting for?!"
Kakashi sighed deeply.
"This is something you should've learned at the Academy. Ninjas from different villages may clash as enemies when their missions conflict—but those fights are never personal. Once the mission ends, the status of 'enemy' ends with it."
Naruto clenched his fists. "But what if they kill our comrades during a mission? What then? What about… Sasuke!!"
The thought hit him like lightning.
He froze, then sprinted to where Sasuke's limp body lay pierced with senbon needles. Panic drowned out all his questions.
Kakashi tilted his face up toward the misty sky, his voice low and heavy.
"That's why the ninja world is filled with so much tragedy. Ninjas are supposed to be emotionless tools… but in the end, we're still human. And no human can ever truly erase their emotions."
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Konoha Harem Chat Group: I Can Fabricate the Future (Completed) is now on Patreon!
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