96: Chapter 96 Compromise! The Uninvited MaskKakashi quickly leaped to Zabuza's side, squatted down to examine him, probed his carotid artery with his fingers, and then looked at his eyelids.
"He has indeed completely passed out and is seriously injured."
Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief and pulled his headband down again, covering his Sharingan, which was suffering considerable damage.
He stood up and called out to Naruto, who was still in the water:
"Alright, Naruto, come on up.We need to hurry and find Mr.Tazuna.Hopefully, those shadow clones didn't lose him."
Just then, Naruto, who was about to swim to the shore, suddenly froze!
He received the last fragment of a memory from one of Tazuna's shadow clones scattered throughout the forest, responsible for protecting him!The memory was filled with terror and helplessness!
"not good--!"
Naruto's expression changed drastically, and he shouted in a hoarse voice!
"What's wrong?"
Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura instantly tensed up and looked at Naruto warily.
As if in response to their questions, a figure silently appeared on the branches of a tall tree in the distance.
The man was tall and slender, slightly taller than Sasuke.He wore a dark, fitted outfit similar to a kimono, and a pure white mask that showed only his eyes and had no expression.
He stood there like a ghost, one hand gripping Tazuna's shoulder like an iron clamp, the other holding a thin, gleaming senbon, its cold tip pressed firmly against Tazuna's throat!
Tazner was terrified, his face drained of color, his whole body trembling violently, and his voice trembling with fear:
"Help.help me!Kakashi-san!Naruto!You promised to protect me!"
The mysterious masked ninja ignored Tazuna's pleas for help.His eyes, calm as a deep pool beneath the mask, swept indifferently over the tense Team 7 below.In a cold, emotionless voice, he spoke:
"Nothing much, it's just."
He pressed down slightly with the senbon needles in his hand, leaving a tiny indentation on Tazuna's skin."It seems we.need to have a serious talk."
"Let go of Uncle Tazuna!"
Naruto had just climbed ashore when he saw this scene, and his anger was reignited.He gripped his Executioner's Blade and was about to charge forward!
"You bastard!Who are you?"
Sasuke's Sharingan activated instantly, locking onto the masked ninja, his hands already gripping the kunai.
Sakura also tensed up and assumed a fighting stance.
"calm!"
Kakashi reached out and stopped the three impulsive individuals.His sharp gaze swept over the masked ninja's attire—dark, fitted clothing, expressionless masks, and clearly visible Kirigakure ninja markings on the masks…especially that cold, efficient, and emotionless demeanor.
Kakashi took a deep breath and said in a solemn voice, his tone extremely serious:
"This unique attire and aura.You must be a member of the 'Pursuit Squad,' an elite unit of the Hidden Mist Village's Anbu, specifically tasked with hunting down rogue ninja, right?"
The masked ninja nodded slightly, his voice remaining calm and even:
"That's right!You have a good eye… I am here on orders from Kirigakure to hunt down the rogue Jonin—Momochi Zabuza."
"The pursuit team?"
Naruto was completely bewildered and jumped up and down in frustration, shouting, "What is that thing?Let go of Uncle Tazuna!"
Faced with Naruto's questioning and the wary gazes of Team 7, the masked ninja calmly explained:
"Zabuza is carrying top-secret information about Kirigakure.We must not let this information leak out.This is the top priority of the pursuit ninja team."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes; although his Sharingan was covered, his keen perception remained.
"Based on my understanding of the Hidden Mist Pursuit Squad.your style has always been 'no questions asked, deal with them on the spot,' right?Why take them away?"
Wouldn't it be more in line with custom and safer to cut off the head directly as proof and bring it back to the village to report?He raised the key point of doubt.
Bai's tone remained unchanged, even carrying a hint of indifferent detachment: "How to deal with the target is my judgment.There's no need for you Konoha folks to worry about that."
He said no more, and seemingly casually flicked the wrist holding the thousand books!
Whoosh!Whoosh!
Two faint whooshing sounds!Two senbon needles, gleaming with cold light, shot towards the neck of Momochi Zabuza, who was unconscious by the water and powerless to resist, like the flicking of a venomous snake!
"careful!"
Sakura exclaimed in surprise, instinctively thinking that the other party was about to attack them, and Sasuke also tensed up instantly.
However, Senbon's target precisely pierced two vital spots on Zabuza's neck!
Pfft!Pfft!
A soft thud of flesh being pierced rang out.Zabuza's body twitched violently twice, then went completely limp and fell silent.
Kakashi quickly stepped forward, squatted down next to Zabuza, cautiously probed his carotid artery with his fingers, then carefully examined his pupils by lifting his eyelids, and finally scrutinized the two deeply embedded senbon needles.
He stood up, his expression grave, and nodded to Team 7: "Confirmed.Pulse stopped, pupils dilated.He is indeed dead." Kakashi's voice carried a deliberately heavy tone.
"What.what on earth is going on?"
Naruto, enraged by the two glaring senbon needles on Zabuza's "corpse" neck, brandished his "Naruto Greatsword".
"We went through so much trouble to defeat this eyebrowless old man, and now you're just going to give us all the credit and spoils?Why."
"Waaaaah—!"
Naruto's words were interrupted by Tazuna's terrified sobs.The senbon needle in Haku's hand was once again firmly pressed against Tazuna's throat, even piercing the skin with a slight force, causing a tiny bead of blood to seep out.
Tazna was so terrified that he couldn't even cry for help, and could only let out desperate whimpers.
"You have your mission: protect this bridge builder."
Bai Qing's cold voice fell like ice beads, "I also have my mission, to ensure the safety of the rogue ninja."The report will not be leaked.
How about.we each take a step back?
His gaze, hidden behind his mask, fell upon Kakashi, his calm tone carrying an undeniable pressure: "Or perhaps.do the people of Konoha intend to make enemies of the Hidden Mist Village's pursuing forces, or even the entire Hidden Mist Village, here?"
"Naruto!"
Kakashi stretched out his arm and sternly stopped Naruto, who was becoming even angrier and was about to rush forward.
He looked at Bai, then at the terrified Tazna, and said in a deep voice, "Enough!During the mission, we shouldn't cause any unnecessary trouble!"
Zabuza is dead.His threat to us is gone… Exchanging his 'corpse' for our client is the option that best serves our current interests."
Kakashi's words were decisive, carrying the captain's unquestionable resolve.
Subsequently, under the arrangement of the mysterious Mist Ninja, all members of Team 7 cautiously retreated one hundred meters.
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