At Tazuna's House
Sasuke spotted the eight goons holding Tazuna's grandson, Inari, hostage.
A short distance away, Tazuna's daughter lay unconscious inside a small boat.
Sasuke's eyes turned cold.
"Release them, and I'll let you live."
The eight men stared at him for a second.
Then they burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Nowadays, brats are becoming more lively and brave."
The men laughed harder, not taking Sasuke seriously at all.
Before they could react, Sasuke moved.
He leaped toward the man holding Inari and drove his knee straight into the goon's face.
Thud!
The man dropped to the ground instantly.
Sasuke grabbed Inari and pushed him toward safety.
"Inari, go home," Sasuke said firmly. "I'll bring your mother back."
The remaining seven men rushed toward him at once.
Sasuke's hand moved fast.
Kunai flew from his fingers, striking each man with deadly accuracy. They fell before they could even get close.
The first man, who had fallen earlier, realized the danger and quickly got up. He turned and sprinted toward the boat, planning to use Tazuna's daughter as a shield.
But before he could reach her, a kunai pierced the back of his head.
The man collapsed.
Sasuke stood behind him, his Sharingan still glowing not fully activated.
"All threats eliminated," he muttered.
Then he turned toward Tazuna's house.
"Inari, take care of your mother. I need to go to the bridge."
After saying that, Sasuke left and rushed toward the bridge.
Inside the Ice Domain
Naruto remained calm, but there was a little nervousness hidden beneath that calm.
His consciousness was inside Haku's soul.
Around him were countless soul threads.
Each thread held a piece of Haku's life. Pain, fear, loneliness, loyalty, and sacrifice were all woven together through those threads.
Together, they formed Haku's soul.
But they were also the key to controlling him.
Naruto looked at the soul threads carefully.
'Now, the main part.'
He knew this was dangerous.
'One mistake, one slip, and the balance of Haku's soul will shatter. He will become a mindless puppet. I can still control him that way, but he won't react normally.'
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
'I don't want that. If that happens, I will kill him.'
The Soul Manipulation Technique was a gamble.
It was more dangerous than most techniques Naruto had attempted in this new body. It did not just force control over someone.
It rewrote memories.
It had to build a story strong enough that the target's soul would accept it as truth. If there was even one serious hole in the memories, Haku's soul could reject Naruto's control.
If that happened, the soul would break.
And Haku would become nothing more than an empty puppet.
Naruto took a slow breath.
Then he began.
Haku's Rewritten Story
The memories of Zabuza slowly faded inside Haku's mind.
In their place, a new story began to form.
Haku was no longer Zabuza's devoted disciple.
He was now a child from the Hidden Mist Village.
At six years old, he had escaped from the cruel life of the Mist and taken shelter in the Land of Waves. He lived quietly like an ordinary person, hiding his Kekkei Genkai and staying away from ninja life as much as possible.
In this new memory, Haku sometimes traveled to Konoha to gather supplies.
During one of those trips, he saw Naruto.
Naruto was alone in the village, surrounded by people who cursed him and looked at him with hatred.
To them, Naruto was not a child.
He was the demon itself.
Haku watched silently as Naruto walked away from the crowd and entered the forest. Naruto climbed onto a tree branch and sat there alone, carrying the weight of the villagers' hatred without saying anything.
Curiosity pulled Haku closer.
But he was still inexperienced.
While trying to hide behind a tree, he accidentally left one leg visible.
Naruto noticed it immediately.
"Come out," Naruto called, his voice calm. "Your leg is open to see."
Haku hesitated for a moment.
Then he slowly stepped forward.
"Why do they treat you like that?" Haku asked, his voice filled with real concern.
Naruto looked away.
"Because a demon was sealed inside me when I was born. I didn't even know about it. But now they think I am the demon itself."
Haku's eyes widened.
"What will you do about it in the future? Do you want to work hard and prove to them you're trustworthy? Do you want to show them you're not dangerous? Or maybe save them when they're in danger, even if it costs your life?"
Naruto's expression darkened.
His voice turned cold.
"No. I'll make them taste how they treated me, with interest."
The words stayed in the air like a curse.
Haku did not step back.
Instead, his own pain reflected in his eyes.
"I know what that feels like," Haku said softly. "I also wanted revenge against the people who treated me like that."
Then he extended his hand.
"Let's be partners."
Naruto looked at his hand for a moment.
Then he took it.
A few days later, Haku was wandering through a forest near the Land of Waves when a pack of bears attacked him.
Fear filled his chest.
He turned and ran, but the bears were too fast. Their heavy footsteps shook the ground behind him, and their growls grew closer with every second.
Just as one bear lunged toward him, Naruto appeared out of nowhere.
He grabbed Haku and pulled him behind himself.
The bear's claws came down toward Naruto.
Naruto's eyes glowed red.
"AHHH!"
A burst of demonic energy erupted from his body.
The bears froze.
Their instincts screamed danger.
A moment later, they turned and fled into the forest.
Haku stared at Naruto in shock.
"What... what was that?"
Naruto smirked.
"A little gift from the demon inside me."
Haku slowly lowered his head.
"You saved my life."
His voice became firm.
"From now on, I'll serve you until I'm strong enough to stand as your equal. Then, I'll become your partner."
Naruto looked at him quietly.
"Fine. Let's both become stronger."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
then they both decided to part ways, and become strong individually.
"If fate allows, we'll meet again."
With that, the two parted ways.
Each walked a different path, but both carried the same desire.
To grow stronger.
(To Be Continued...)