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Haku clawed his way over, tears clouding his eyes. "No! Zabuza-sama, if we die, we die together!"
Kakashi glanced toward Asuma, a silent question in his eyes. Asuma spun his lighter across his knuckles; sparks traced a bright arc in the dusk. He drew a long pull from his cigarette, the crackle of burning tobacco loud in the heavy air.
"The Old Man said 'as much as possible,' not 'absolutely,'" Asuma said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "He told us to take Zabuza out if we could. Doesn't matter if we botched it—he's one of the Seven Swordsmen, a master of silent killing. We never had a personal grudge. Kurenai's wounded, and I've got a nice slash from Zabuza myself."
He shrugged. "And now Zabuza's killed his own employer and helped the people of the Land of Waves. I can't bring myself to hate the guy."
The Genin nearby watched, stunned. They had thought Jonin always carried out their missions to the letter. Naruto swung his wooden sword, layering wind chakra along the edge until it shone. He had deliberately used the Life-Reducing Regeneration Technique specifically so Zabuza would be too spent to fight back after finishing Gatō.
"We can let you walk, but you hand over the Executioner's Blade so we can report success," Naruto proposed, his voice level. "From now on there's no Zabuza, no Haku—deal?"
The offer saved their lives and gave Konoha a trophy to show for the mission.
"Fine," Zabuza grunted. He knew the score. A single sword was replaceable; his life and Haku's were not.
While the dawn mist still clung to the trees, Zabuza and Haku slipped away. Their silhouettes blurred into the haze, swallowed by the horizon. Zabuza's strides were heavy but sure; Haku followed, glancing once back toward the Land of Waves with unreadable eyes.
Kakashi sat on an unfinished pier, the massive Kubikiribōchō jutsuing from the dirt beside him. He watched the people of the Land of Waves—Tazuna waving blueprints, workers hustling to finish the bridge.
"Tell me, Asuma—what do you think?" Kakashi spoke suddenly.
Asuma flicked his lighter. "If they were Leaf missing-nin… I'd kill them myself. But they're different. They're products of the Bloody Mist, cornered strays. Zabuza's final choice proved he wasn't pure evil." He paused, tapping ash into the breeze. "Letting Zabuza live—someday he might be the Mist's headache. Enemy of an enemy can be a friend."
Kakashi chuckled. "Didn't expect you to think that far."
Asuma shrugged. "Years in the capital as a Guardian Ninja taught me a bit about politics." He stubbed the cigarette and clapped Kakashi's shoulder. "Let's head back."
Behind them, the bridge blazed in the sunrise—a new era for the Land of Waves.
The Leaf party returned to Konoha at a steady pace. Two days later, the high walls and familiar watchtowers of the village loomed ahead.
Hokage Office.
Kakashi stood before the Third Hokage, briefing him. Hiruzen listened, pipe smoke curling, hiding his thoughtful frown.
"You handled it well," the Third said. His gaze settled on the Executioner's Blade lying on his desk—the black steel etched with complex geometric patterns. His brow creased. "A Contract Seal?"
Kakashi nodded. "Naruto used the sealing scroll you gave him. It keeps the Mist from summoning the blade back."
The Third Hokage nearly dropped his pipe. "The Introduction to Sealing Techniques had Contract Seals? That's one of the Uzumaki Five Great Seals, as difficult as the Four Symbols Seal!"
The Third frantically rummaged through his desk drawer and pulled out the copy of the Basic Sealing Primer he thought he had given Naruto.
Third Hokage: !!!
His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't given Naruto the primer. In his haste and old age, he had accidentally handed the boy the Uzumaki Complete Collection of Forbidden Seals.
Kakashi studied the "Basic Primer" on the desk, recalled Naruto's flawless application of high-level spatial anchors, and realized the truth. He decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Ahem—Kakashi, go get some rest," Hiruzen said, his voice straining.
"Yes, Lord Third."
The moment the door closed, the Third Hokage bolted for the exit. He had to get to Naruto's house. He had to see just how much of that forbidden book the boy had already memorized.
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