"Kyuu!"
Naruto cried out in delighted surprise upon seeing Tian Yin appear.
At this moment, red Nine-Tails Chakra was swirling around his body, and aside from a few bloodstains, he seemed to be fine.
Tian Yin's gaze swept to the side. The Hidden Mist prodigy who wielded the twin swords, kiba, lay covered in blood on the ground, but he too had managed to survive.
She nodded at Naruto.
Currently, Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were facing off against Zabuza and Haku.
Rather than a standoff, it was more accurate to say Zabuza was desperately using his own battered body to shield the severely injured Haku.
Judging by Haku's condition, he had likely been injured by Naruto, but there were also burn marks on him, so it seemed Sasuke had contributed significantly as well.
As for Zabuza, he was now holding the broken executioners blade, and there was a charred, bloody hole in his shoulder. It looked like he had been hit head-on by Kakashi's Raikiri.
It seemed this battlefield had been quite brutal.
Seeing Tian Yin arrive, Zabuza's pupils contracted sharply.
He had clearly realized the outcome of the other battlefield.
"Phew... is it finished?"
Kakashi asked, letting out a sigh of relief.
Ever since he guessed that Kyuu was Tian Yin, he had deeply regretted agreeing to let her go to the most dangerous battlefield.
But unfortunately, Tian Yin seemed to have anticipated this and hadn't given him a chance to adjust the plan.
Now that Tian Yin had appeared here safely and seemed to be in decent shape, the weight in Kakashi's heart finally lifted.
"Yes, they're all lying over there."
Tian Yin replied, her steps slightly unsteady as she moved to stand beside Kakashi, even half-hiding behind him as she looked ahead and said, "And you, demon of the bloody mist? What do you intend to do?"
This subtle abnormality did not escape Zabuza's eyes.
That made sense.
How could she face Mei Terumī and the others alone without taking any damage? She was just putting on a brave front now.
The pressure in Zabuza's heart lessened slightly, but he failed to notice the peculiar expressions on the three kids' faces, aside from Kakashi's.
"Everyone, act a bit more weak, now." Tian Yin lowered her voice, ensuring Team 7 could all hear.
Kakashi understood immediately, dropping to one knee and gasping with a pained expression.
Zabuza:?
This change was too sudden... Kakashi clearly wasn't this bad off just a moment ago. A clumsy trick to lure the enemy?
But before Zabuza could think further, the group ahead all began to show signs of exhaustion.
The Nine-Tails Chakra around Naruto dissipated as he "weakly" slumped to the ground; Sakura's body went limp and she fell forward; only Sasuke reacted a bit slower, his facial muscles twitching as he glanced at his companions before reluctantly playing along.
[Sasuke's acting is a bit too obvious, but it'll do.]
Seeing the act was about done, Tian Yin quickly stepped out from behind Kakashi, seemingly preparing to attack Zabuza and Haku. However, she seemed to lose her footing and instantly fell onto the bridge.
Before falling, she swiftly formed Hand Seals and cast a genjutsu on Zabuza and Haku.
Tian Yin's proficiency in genjutsu could only be described as average.
Indeed. Despite both targets being in poor condition, Tian Yin's genjutsu only controlled Zabuza for about a second, causing him to stagger before breaking free.
Haku was slightly less capable than Zabuza in this regard and fell directly to the ground.
"A boring illu..."
Zabuza's taunt was cut off as a sharp whistling sound came from behind him!
He swung his broken blade to block, deflecting several Kunai tied with exploding tags, his sharp gaze locking onto the direction from which the ambusher had appeared.
"To lose so miserably? Truly disappointing, esteemed members of the Hidden Mist."
Dressed in a black suit, wearing sunglasses, and leaning on a cane, Gato made an arrogant entrance, surrounded by a crowd of thugs.
"Gato! What are you doing here with so many people?"
Zabuza's killing intent surged.
Looking at the opposing force's posture, even someone as dense as Naruto understood their intentions were hostile.
Sure enough, Gato began his villainous monologue.
He revealed he never intended to pay the Kirigakure Ninja from the start, saying he had waited for them and the people Tazuna hired to wear each other down so he could reap the benefits and eliminate them all in one go.
This way, he just needed to find a way to cover it up from the Hidden Mist Village.
Moreover, he was aware of the Hidden Mist Village's current situation.
If it were any of the other four great nations, he wouldn't have dared, but if all the Ninja here from the Hidden Mist Village died, the Village would undoubtedly have no spare capacity to pursue him.
This was precisely why Gato had chosen the Hidden Mist Village.
Initially, he had wanted to find rootless rogue Ninja, but he couldn't find any skilled ones in that category, which was why he settled on the Hidden Mist Village.
What to say?
Hearing Gato's monologue, Tian Yin almost laughed out loud.
This guy really had no understanding of Ninja methods.
Even if things had developed exactly as Gato imagined, the Hidden Mist Village would have had no trouble uncovering the truth in the end.
"Gato, do you know the consequences of your actions? If the client himself tears up the agreement, then Ninja naturally have no obligation to fulfill it. That means we can also attack you and forcibly demand our payment."
Hearing Zabuza's words, Gato couldn't help but burst into laughter.
His eyes behind the sunglasses scanned the seemingly dying group, thinking Zabuza was utterly foolish. Didn't he understand the current situation?
Did he think the many people behind him were just for show?
If it were before, he certainly wouldn't have been confident, which was why he had waited until now, when the Hidden Mist and Konoha had fought to a standstill.
Thinking this, Gato immediately signaled for his men to finish off everyone present.
It was at this moment that Kakashi's voice rang out across the field.
"It seems we have no need to continue fighting."
From the corner of his eye, Zabuza saw Kakashi and his "weak and exhausted" subordinates all standing up, full of energy!
How could Zabuza not realize he had been set up?
A bunch of actors.
But then, how should they deal with Gato?
Zabuza, a man of action, found himself particularly missing Mei Terumī at this moment.
[First, temporarily subdue Gato. Then, whether to kill him or spare him will depend on Mei Terumī's decision. After all, the other party betrayed us first, so we can rightfully seize all of Gato's assets. The question is whether Konoha will try to get involved.]
With this thought, Zabuza took action.
Compared to the original work where his arms were crippled and he was severely weakened, the current Zabuza, though seriously injured, had no difficulty dealing with Gato's ragtag bunch.
During the fight, the executioners blade was even repaired.
Seizing this opportunity, Tian Yin also moved Mei Terumī and the other two over, waking them up one by one... "Kakashi of the Sharingan, not only possesses formidable strength but also excellent strategic acumen."
Mei Terumī said, looking at the Konoha group before her.
[That's overpraise. The intelligence was all provided by Kyuu... Tian Yin.]
Kakashi's gaze flickered towards Tian Yin, who stood silently to the side like part of the scenery.
Although he admitted he was the one who finalized the plan.
All the intelligence on the Hidden Mist members, as well as Gato's character and likely actions, had been provided to Kakashi by Tian Yin.
Truly... the qualities of a top-tier Anbu agent, worthy of admiration.
While this evaluation pained Kakashi's heart, Tian Yin had indeed performed this task too well, making him feel a bit proud that she was his teacher's daughter.
In short, his feelings were complicated.
"How to handle Gato falls within the scope of your mission. We will not interfere."
Kakashi stated their position.
Mei Terumī nodded in thanks, offering a friendly smile.
This was both a gesture of respect and an acknowledgment that circumstances were against them. The strength of that Konoha Anbu agent was truly terrifying; they couldn't afford to offend her.
It was only now that Mei Terumī understood what Tian Yin had meant by the best possible outcome.
No casualties on either side, with both achieving their objectives—truly the best result.
Thus, this mission was perfectly concluded, with both sides parting peacefully.
However... "What did you do to me?"
As the Hidden Mist group prepared to leave, Ameyuri Ringo suddenly broke free from her companion's support, rushing up to Tian Yin to demand an answer.
Mei Terumī immediately pulled her back, giving her a stern warning look.
Kakashi also swiftly moved to stand in front of Tian Yin.
"Don't be so reckless at such a young age. There's still plenty of time ahead."
Tian Yin said calmly.
"..."
Ringo Yuriko remained silent for a long time, then suddenly raised a hand to cover her chest.
It was precisely where Tian Yin's palm had touched earlier, and she murmured:
"If it was such a bother, you should have just let me die. I won't let this go so easily!"
After saying this, Ringo Yuriko forced herself to turn around, leaving the complex, irrepressible smile on her face for the night to see.
"My apologies. Years ago, there was a child suspected of being a spy who was very close to her. That child died on the night the bloody mist ended. It's a knot in her heart."
Mei Terumī apologized, her gaze frequently drifting towards Tian Yin, but she still couldn't discern anything.
And so, the Hidden Mist group finally departed with Gato, leaving only Team 7 and Tian Yin on the bridge.
"Alright..." Kakashi turned to Tian Yin, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness:
"Kyuu, now, we need to talk."
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