"I'm fine… who are you?"
Naruto released his hand seals with lingering fear and brushed the dust from his clothes.
Looking at Haku, who had turned back with concern, Naruto felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"This Ninjutsu… have we met somewhere before?"
Staring at Haku's delicate and beautiful face, Naruto suddenly flushed red and waved his hands frantically.
"It must be my imagination! A beauty like you — if I'd seen you once, I definitely wouldn't forget!"
Seeing Naruto's infatuated expression and recalling Lock's cold dominance and terrifying presence…
Haku suddenly felt a strong contrast that made him cover his mouth and laugh softly.
"I'm not a beauty. I'm a boy~~."
"And we have met before. You also resemble an old friend of mine."
Both Haku and Zabuza already knew that Lock and Naruto shared the same body.
So when Naruto was attacked, Haku moved instinctively before even thinking, rushing forward to block the strike.
"A boy!!!"
Naruto's eyes nearly popped out.
The redness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by deathly paleness.
Just moments ago, he had imagined a heroic senior sister appearing like in Icha Icha stories…
Now the "senior sister" had turned into a senior brother — and romance had become sword fighting?!
Behind them, Sasuke and Sakura arrived quickly.
"Naruto, are you hurt?"
Sakura asked anxiously, green medical chakra already glowing in her palm.
Naruto hurriedly waved.
"I'm fine! He saved me!"
Following Naruto's gesture, Sasuke and Sakura carefully examined Haku.
Sasuke's expression changed instantly when he noticed the surrounding ice.
He stepped forward cautiously.
"I recognize this Ice Style Bloodline Limit. I didn't expect you to survive the Land of Waves."
In Sasuke's understanding, once Lock acted, enemies never survived.
So Haku's survival alone proved his strength.
Haku simply smiled gently without denying it.
Naruto blushed again… then immediately turned pale again, his brain completely overloaded.
Sakura drew a kunai, remaining vigilant.
Across from them, Temari and Kankuro stared in disbelief.
"He blocked Gaara's Sand Burial!"
"Which village is he from? How is he this strong?"
"He looks our age!"
Gaara also narrowed his eyes cautiously.
Sand poured from the gourd on his back, swirling protectively around him.
"You are strong," Gaara said coldly. "But your ice touched my gourd."
Before he could act—
a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
An arm casually draped over Gaara's shoulder.
Then came a carefree voice.
"Hey, Sand guy. Interested in learning about the Four Star Village?"
Hidan leaned close with a grin, face nearly touching Gaara's.
"Extremely dangerous!"
Gaara's instincts screamed.
The sand lashed out instantly—
and tore off Hidan's arm.
"Hey! That hurts!"
Hidan casually caught the severed limb and jumped back beside Haku.
"Haku, I suddenly feel like preaching again."
"Can you pretend you didn't see anything? Don't tell Lord Jashin?"
With a bloodthirsty smile, he pressed the arm back onto the wound.
Crimson chakra flickered.
The limb reattached and healed instantly.
"The arm… reattached!?"
Everyone present stepped back in shock.
Temari unfolded her giant fan.
Kankuro raised his puppet.
Both entered combat stance immediately.
"Master will know even if I don't report it," Haku said calmly, glancing subtly toward Naruto before looking back at Hidan with visible disgust.
"If you don't want punishment again, remember Master's orders."
Haku genuinely disliked this murderous fanatic.
If not for Lock restraining him, Haku might have already tried killing Hidan.
Though realistically… the result might have been reversed.
"If they attack first, counterattacking is allowed, right?"
Hidan shrank slightly at the word punishment.
The memory of having his head thrown into a cesspool for a full day flashed through his mind.
He quickly suppressed it.
Drawing his triple-bladed scythe, he pointed at Gaara provocatively.
"Nice gourd. I'll use it as a chamber pot later. How about giving it to me?"
"Chamber pot!?"
Gaara's expression twisted violently.
Sand surged upward like a storm.
The gourd was his mother's legacy — sacred and untouchable.
"Hoho! Yes, that's it! Attack! You'll feel true pleasure soon!"
Hidan's excitement rose sharply. He hadn't killed anyone in days and was itching for blood.
Just as battle was about to erupt—
a new figure appeared between them.
"Gaara. Enough."
A man wearing a headscarf stepped forward.
It was Baki.
"Don't forget our mission," he said coldly. "Are you going to disappoint the Kazekage again?"
The words worked instantly.
Gaara's killing intent subsided.
He gave Haku and Hidan one last deep look before turning away silently.
Temari and Kankuro followed.
Baki, however, remained.
His gaze settled on Hidan.
"The cultist killer from the Land of Hot Springs?"
"What Hot Springs? I'm aFour-Starr ninja now!"
Hidan pointed proudly at his forehead protector marked with four stars.
"Four Star Village?"
Baki sneered.
"A small village that could disappear overnight. You should worry about surviving yourselves."
"If you want to fight, fight. Stop talking," Hidan replied impatiently.
"Hmph. Don't regret it."
Leaving behind the warning, Baki vanished as well.
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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